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With the temperature dropping and the foliage blooming, it's officially sweater weather. And what better way to welcome the fall season than drinking German beer from steins, eating giant pretzels and bratwurst, and listening to "oompah" bands. And don't worry if you can't make the trip to Germany for Oktoberfest this year--Munich comes to New York City with tons of fun festivities. Celebrate Bavarian culture with events like traditional pig roasts, ceremonial keg tappings, stein-holding competitions and more. Ahead, find the 15 best spots to grab authentic brews and brats with 6sqft's guide to Oktoberfest 2018.
Brats and brews this way

Events & Things To Do

Watch a time-lapse video of Waterline Square reaching the finish line

Via Field Condition

September 28, 2018

Watch a time-lapse video of Waterline Square reaching the finish line

By Emily Nonko

Construction is wrapping up on a trio of glassy residential towers known as Waterline Square, located on the five-acre waterfront site between West 59th and 61st Streets. Three Waterline Square, designed by Rafael Viñoly, got its multi-faceted crystal-planed exterior earlier this month. Richard Meier, on a leave of absence from his firm after accusations of sexual harassment, designed One Waterline Square, the 37-story building that also recently reached its pinnacle. Finally Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates' Two Waterline Square culminates at 38 stories. After the jump, check out a video showing the entire project rise in under 90 seconds.
Check it out

Where to find fall foliage in Central Park

Photo via Flickr cc

September 28, 2018

Where to find fall foliage in Central Park

You don't have to go upstate to experience the magic of fall foliage--right here in Central Park, there are 20,000 trees, many of which "transform into golden shades of yellow, orange, red, and more." Which is why the Central Park Conservancy has released its 2018 Fall Guide, complete with a map of the best spots to catch the autumnal bliss, as well as a list of upcoming fall tours.
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Events & Things To Do

163rd Street C station reopens, no 5 train service, and more weekend subway service updates

Photo via Wiki Commons

September 28, 2018

163rd Street C station reopens, no 5 train service, and more weekend subway service updates

By Hannah Frishberg

Yesterday, the 163rd Street-Amsterdam Avenue C station reopened for service in both directions after being closed since March for extensive renovations. In addition to structural improvements, cosmetic additions were added in the form of four new glass mosaic murals by area artists. That's the good news – the bad news is there's no 5 train service this weekend and the D and F trains are once again masquerading as one another for a large number of stops.
Here are all the planned service changes for this weekend

Transit

September 27, 2018

Bjarke Ingels-designed office tower in Nomad still on track

While all has been quiet regarding HFZ Capital Group's office tower in Nomad since December, new documents from the Department of Buildings documents filed on Tuesday reveal the project is still on track. CityRealty uncovered a ZD-1 zoning diagram online with a site plan, section, and axonometric drawing that mirror renderings released last year. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, the tower will rise from a through-block property at 3-7 West 29th Street.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

New renderings for Brooklyn Navy Yard’s 5 million square feet of vertical manufacturing space

Waterfront space adjacent to Building 131; via WXY and bloomimages

September 27, 2018

New renderings for Brooklyn Navy Yard’s 5 million square feet of vertical manufacturing space

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

After announcing a $2.5 billion expansion of the Brooklyn site in January, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) released on Thursday new renderings of the plan, which would add 5.1 million square feet of manufacturing space. Developed by WXY architecture + urban design, the plan centers around three sites, all including new vertical manufacturing space along with public, open space and connectivity improvements. About 75 percent of the 10,000 jobs added (bringing the total to the site 30,000) will be manufacturing jobs, with the rest being service-oriented and creative work. The renderings released of the Yard this week by the BNYDC gives us a better look at how the 300-acre development will flow with the surrounding neighborhoods.
See the renderings

Uncategorized

September 27, 2018

‘Gotham’ star Ben McKenzie lists Scandi-chic Battery Park City condo for $2.7M

By Annie Doge

Actor Ben McKenzie has come a long way since his teen-drama days on "The O.C." After adding producer to his resume, starring in the hit television series "Gotham," and moving from southern Cali to NYC, McKenzie is now looking to make another change and find a larger home for his growing family. The Post reports that he and his wife, fellow "Gotham" star Morena Baccarin, have put their Battery Park City condo on the market for $2,675,000. Clearly, the couple has good taste, as the sunny, stylish pad at 2 River Terrace is decorated with Scandi-chic furniture, boho accents, and contemporary light wood finishes.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

This $4M condo feels like a fresh start in a new addition to the Upper East Side

For $2.75M, row house charm and a big front porch, a block from Prospect Park

$2M Park Slope loft has a layout that's great for gathering and a private terrace for your garden

$4.9M brick townhouse offers rustic charm and outdoor space in the heart of Greenpoint

This $1.3M condo keeps the classic East Village spirit alive

William Lescaze's modernist Upper East Side townhouse is on the market again, for $15M

A renovation by MADE adds colorful style to a $13M Cobble Hill townhouse

For $2.3M, this Georgian townhouse in Jackson Heights has Art Deco details, modern interiors, and a garage

Amazing light, East River views, and a private terrace for $2M on the Lower East Side

Babe Ruth's Upper West Side apartment asks $1.6M

VIEW ALL

Southward view of Gay Street via Wiki Commons

September 27, 2018

What’s in a name? Gay Street

Gay Street is one of the most charming and picturesque streets in Greenwich Village, an icon of the historic neighborhood’s anachronistic character. But the origins of its name are hotly debated, with the LGBT rights movement and abolitionism often cited as the source of its unusual nomenclature. And while the street certainly has strong connections to gay liberation and the African-American struggle for freedom, the history behind the name is a little murkier, and a little more complicated to unravel, than one might expect.
Get the story

History

Amazon opens brick-and-mortar store in Soho with only top-rated products

Photo by Jordan Stead for Amazon

September 27, 2018

Amazon opens brick-and-mortar store in Soho with only top-rated products

Amazon on Thursday opened a physical store in Soho, stocked only with items rated 4 stars and above by online customers. The new concept, called Amazon 4-star, is located at 72 Spring Street, between Crosby and Lafayette Streets. By using customer ratings and reviews from their website, the store's products will feature customer review cards with quotes from actual reviews.
More here

Uncategorized

Renzo Piano unveils his third and final building at Columbia’s Manhattanville Campus

Left to right, Jerome L. Greene Science Center and The Forum. ©Frank Oudeman/Columbia University.

September 27, 2018

Renzo Piano unveils his third and final building at Columbia’s Manhattanville Campus

Sixteen years after Columbia University president Lee Bollinger announced the development of the school's $6.3 billion 17-acre Manhattanville campus, he joined Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano to celebrate and unveil the third and final building of the starchitect's ensemble in West Harlem. Previously, Piano completed the Jerome L. Greene Science Center and the adjacent Lenfest Center for the Arts, and today he marked the completion of the Forum, the ship-like structure that peaks at the triangular intersection of Broadway and West 125th Street. The 56,000-square-foot building will serve as a flexible meeting and conference hub, and like its siblings, was purposefully designed with a transparent, public ground floor surrounded by plazas.
See photos of the Forum

Architecture And Design

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

Rendering of the 986-foot tower (left) and revised 840-foot tower (right) via Alloy Development and Luxigon

September 27, 2018

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

The New York City Council voted on Wednesday to approve 80 Flatbush, a five-building mixed-use development planned for Downtown Brooklyn, Curbed NY reported. The approval comes after negotiations last week between Alloy Development and Council Member Stephen Levin, who represents the area, which led to a shorter, less-dense complex. After the developers agreed to cut the height of two buildings, one from 986 feet to 840 feet and another from 560 to 510 feet, the Council's subcommittee on zoning voted in favor of the project.
More on the project

Real Estate Trends

September 27, 2018

Forest Hills Gardens Tudor can be your enchanted hideaway for $1.9M

Dating back to its early 20th-century roots as NYC's first garden city, Forest Hills Gardens is a treasure trove of historic Tudor homes. This especially enchanting beauty at 45 Markwood Place, just steps from Forest Park, has just hit the market for $1,875,000. Not only does it have all the characteristics of this fairytale-esque style--like exposed ceiling beams, terra cotta tiles, wrought-iron railings, and stained-glass windows--but it boasts a large, lovely backyard patio, two balconies, a one-car garage, and a spacious layout with four bedrooms.
See some more

Distinctive Homes

New Jersey has a new tallest tower; Queens Night Market returns this weekend

Rendering of 99 Hudson Street via China Overseas America, Inc. (L); Photo via Queens International Night Market on Facebook

September 26, 2018

New Jersey has a new tallest tower; Queens Night Market returns this weekend

By 6sqft

Public observation decks at New York City skyscrapers are having a moment. [WSJ] Roughly 33,000 new apartments will be delivered in Manhattan by 2021. [Crain’s] MTA hires two dozen station managers to keep platforms clean and enhance straphanger customer service. [MTA] The Queens International Night Market returns for its fall season this Saturday. [TimeOut] A new pop-art […]

Uncategorized

September 26, 2018

$5.5M West Village townhouse offers location, history, charm–and income potential

In an especially photogenic corner of the uber-desirable West Village where Hudson Street meets Jane Street, this classic townhouse at 613 Hudson Street boasts direct views of Abingdon Square Park. Asking $5.45 million, this 20-foot-wide four-and-a-half story home has elegant historic details befitting an 1842 townhouse and stylish modern updates to the kitchen and baths. It also has commercial zoning–something most townhomes don't offer–for added options.
More West Village townhouse goodness this way

Distinctive Homes

New York City has lost over 400,000 affordable apartments since 2005

Via Pixabay

September 26, 2018

New York City has lost over 400,000 affordable apartments since 2005

Update 9/27/18: City Comptroller Scott Stringer said the report released this week about the decrease in affordable housing contained a major miscalculation, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Instead of the 1 million affordable apartments lost, as the report stated, the true number is less than half of that, or 425,492 units. According to an updated report, the number of apartments renting for $2,700/month increased by 111,000 units between 2005 and 2017, instead of 238,000 units as originally stated. "While it remains true that affordable housing is declining at an unsettling rate and the gap is still growing, we overstated the pace," Ilana Maier, a spokesperson for Stringer, said in a statement. "We made a genuine mistake." Since 2005, New York City has lost over 1 million affordable apartments, according to a report released by the City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Tuesday. The report, "The Gap is Still Growing," builds from an original 2014 analysis from the comptroller's office and shows the number of available units has failed to keep up with the city's booming population. Between 2005 and 2016, about 576,000 people moved to NYC. But the city added just over 76,000 new units of rental housing.
Learn more

Affordable Housing

September 26, 2018

Where I Work: Gregory Wessner organizes NYC’s biggest ’Open House’

As a media sponsor of Archtober--NYC’s annual month-long architecture and design festival of tours, lectures, films, and exhibitions--6sqft has teamed up with the Center for Architecture to feature some of their 70+ partner organizations as part of our Where I Work series. "Nothing replaces the first-hand experience of a great building or city," says Gregory Wessner, the Executive Director of Open House New York. And from October 12-14, New Yorkers will be able to experience stepping into building such as 3 World Trade Center and the Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn, along with public spaces like Domino Park and Hunter's Point South--all as part of this year's OHNY Weekend. Wessner joined the organization five years ago, during which time the Weekend has exploded in popularity. Ahead of the big event, he gave us the low-down on what it's like to plan tour and talks with more than 250 buildings and projects across the five boroughs, his favorite buildings in NYC, and what we can expect from OHNY in the future.
Read the interview

New details for Brooklyn’s Pacific Park and a first look at its tallest tower

The development of Pacific Park, a 22-acre mixed-use complex near the Barclays Center, has entered its next phase Greenland Forest City Partners announced Wednesday. The developer is bringing on TF Cornerstone and the Brodsky Organization as development partners for the project. The duo will develop three parcels at the site, which include three rental buildings, a new public school, and new open space. Greenland also announced construction is set to begin in the spring for the park's tallest tower, a more than 500-foot tall tower designed by Perkins Eastman.
More details here

NYC chefs bring giant food hall to Eero Saarinen’s Bell Labs building in suburban NJ

Photo: Lapeg Photo

September 26, 2018

NYC chefs bring giant food hall to Eero Saarinen’s Bell Labs building in suburban NJ

Symbolic of the future-happy post-war era, Bell Labs, the research and development center for telecom giant AT&T, was one of Finnish architect and industrial designer Eero Saarinen’s architectural masterpieces, though his iconic TWA Flight Center may be better known. The two-million-square-foot modernist cube, built in 1962–the architect passed away in 1961 before it was completed—made a statement in the quiet suburban scenery. Within, scientists made famous discoveries and won Nobel Prizes. As the centuries changed, 2007 saw the end of era when Bell Labs shuttered. After American ambitions shifted from science to snacking, a seasoned culinary squad was tapped by RBC Hospitality Group, Eater reports, to bring the winning formula of sushi, pizza, sandwiches, pastries and grain bowls to the historic building in the 'burbs.
So, what's on the menu?

LPC calendars 7 buildings on Broadway near recently-approved tech hub in Union Square

Via NYCEDC

September 26, 2018

LPC calendars 7 buildings on Broadway near recently-approved tech hub in Union Square

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to calendar seven buildings on Broadway in Union Square, marking the first step to designating them as landmarks. The buildings sit adjacent to the tech hub, a 21-story tech training center planned for 124 East 14th Street and approved by the City Council last month. With the hub's approval, the area was upzoned without landmark protections, allowing for about 85,000 square feet of office space and 16,500 more square feet between Civic Hall, step-up space and the workforce development hub.
More here

Policy

September 26, 2018

First look at interiors and private park at Jeanne Gang’s Downtown Brooklyn condo

To coincide with the sales launch at Downtown Brooklyn's 57-story tower at 11 Hoyt Street, Tishman Speyer has released a slew of new renderings of the Jeanne Gang-designed condo. Previous views have shown how Gang's signature metallic rippling effect will be applied to the facade, but the new batch gives us a better look at the nearly 27,000-square-foot private park and the first glimpse of the interiors and amenity spaces.
All the renderings and details this way

The Frick will take over the Breuer building from the Met

The Met Breuer. Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum.

September 26, 2018

The Frick will take over the Breuer building from the Met

It was announced Friday that the Met Museum would lease the Breuer building to the Frick, the New York Times reports. According to an agreement between the two venerable art institutions, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will likely sign the Met Breuer on Madison Avenue over to the Frick Collection beginning in 2020. Doing so would allow the in-debt Met to free itself of the last three years of an eight-year lease and an $18 million annual expense and enable it to put funds toward improving the modern and contemporary galleries at its Fifth Avenue flagship. Likewise, the Frick would have a suitable temporary home while the Gilded Age mansion that it inhabits is being renovated.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Bullet-proof Upper East Side townhouse designed by Rafael Viñoly lists for $50M

Photos by Aaron Thompson of Esto

September 25, 2018

Bullet-proof Upper East Side townhouse designed by Rafael Viñoly lists for $50M

Uruguayan-born architect Rafael Viñoly is best known for designing 432 Park, the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere, but apparently, he makes time for private homes, too--at least when they come with headline-making features like a bullet-proof glass facade. His firm was first tapped to design the townhouse at 162 East 64th Street back in 2015 by Argentinian business mogul and billionaire Eduardo Eurnekian. Originally, the seven-story (don't worry, there's an elevator) residence was to serve as both his home and U.S. headquarters, but it looks like he instead decided to list the finished product for $50 million (h/t CityRealty).
Check this out

September 25, 2018

REVEALED: Designs for Hudson Yards’ second phase of parkland

Last month, financing was secured for the second phase the extension of Hudson Park and Boulevard at Hudson Yards. The $374 million expansion--which will expand the existing park by 75 percent with a three-acre park over an Amtrak rail cut from West 36th Street to West 39th Street, between 10 and 11th Avenues--has gotten some slack for its price tag, which would make it NYC’s most expensive park project ever. But new renderings of the green space uncovered by CityRealty show everything this Western end of the project will bring to the mega-development, including an open lawn that will be turned into an ice-skating rink in the winter, curving stone paths amidst plush landscaping and tall trees, a food kiosk, and a colorful children's playground.
Have a look

Architecture And Design

To live across from Central Park, you’ll pay 25% more than every bordering neighborhood

Via Wikimedia

September 25, 2018

To live across from Central Park, you’ll pay 25% more than every bordering neighborhood

To make Central Park your front yard, you'll have to fork over $277,000 more than the median sale price of every bordering neighborhood. A new report by Property Shark looks at just how much more New Yorkers are willing to spend to be near the 843-acre oasis, a real estate trend which the group calls the "Central Park effect." According to the analysis, the median sale price of units along the first row of blocks across the park was 25 percent more expensive than that of every nearby area. And in the priciest section, the Upper East Side's Lenox Hill, that rose to a 93 percent difference.
More on the Central Park effect

Real Estate Trends

Cuomo will bring a Hurricane Maria Memorial to Battery Park City

Battery Park City via Flickr cc

September 25, 2018

Cuomo will bring a Hurricane Maria Memorial to Battery Park City

Snag the Greenest Seat in Town: Gufram's 1972 Pratone Chair is Shaped Like a Patch of Grass

To mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria last week--along with new reports that confirm 3,000 Puerto Ricans lost their lives in the third-most-powerful storm to ever hit the U.S.--Governor Cuomo signed an executive order establishing a new Hurricane Maria Memorial Commission to provide recommendations pertaining to the site, design, and installation of a permanent memorial in Battery Park City. New York City has the largest number of Puerto Rican residents in the U.S. mainland and, to date, Cuomo has set aside $13 million to aide the more than 11,000 displaced Hurricane Maria victims living in New York state.
READ MORE

Uncategorized

THE 6SQFT SHOP

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New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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September 25, 2018

Where I Work: Chef Bill Telepan takes us inside a ‘farm-to-classroom’ hydroponic garden

In his first year as the Director of Sustainability at the Institute of Culinary Education, Chef Bill Telepan has immersed himself in the school’s indoor hydroponic garden, an agriculture system that uses LED light in a climate-controlled environment. Over 50 different crop varieties are grown at any time in the garden, providing culinary students access to herbs typically not found fresh in NYC. "As a chef, you taste things in your head and can put them all together, sort of mentally, and then prepare it," Telepan said when asked about the benefits of the garden for students. Throughout his career, he's been committed to using fresh, seasonal ingredients from local greenmarkets. He has worked in France under famed chef Alain Chapel, owned his own Upper West Side restaurant (Telepan) for a decade, and currently runs NYC seafood spot Oceana. Telepan gave 6sqft a tour of ICE’s hydroponic garden and told us how he became the institute’s first ever sustainability director, or as he describes it “a culmination of everything I’ve done as a chef and a person."
More

Electric scooters and more 6 and 7 trains could lessen blow of L train shutdown

Via Wikimedia

September 25, 2018

Electric scooters and more 6 and 7 trains could lessen blow of L train shutdown

Electric scooters are currently illegal in New York City. But with the L train shutdown quickly approaching, Brooklyn officials are pushing to legalize them as a transit alternative to the subway. Council Members Antonio Reynoso and Ydanis Rodriguez announced on Monday plans to introduce legislation that would make e-scooters legal, amNY reported. "The L train shutdown is real. It is going to happen. It is going to be disruptive," Reynoso said. "When that shuts down, they’re all going to need alternate transportation."
More here

September 25, 2018

$3M Victorian gem in Prospect Park South is blessed with gorgeous details and outdoor space

Just under $3 million may seem steep for a house in Prospect Park South, but–in addition to being three blocks from the park–this beautifully preserved 1901 townhouse at 214 Marlborough Road is likely someone's Victorian Flatbush dream come true. The rambling and colorful home was designed by Benjamin Dreisler, who was among the area's most prominent architects of the day. Nearly 4,000 square feet provides room for seven bedrooms and grand living spaces, and there's a finished basement in addition. The home's millwork and moldings are among the neighborhood's finest–and in this neighborhood that's saying a lot.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Tenement Museum will stay open late on Thursday nights for special tours and programs

Via Tenement Museum

September 24, 2018

Tenement Museum will stay open late on Thursday nights for special tours and programs

Starting in October, the Tenement Museum will stay open late every Thursday night for exclusive events, programs, and tours. Recently added programming includes a new permanent tour, a pop-up exhibition, and a costumed interpreter tour, all offered on Thursday nights. The Lower East Side museum, which opened in 1992, is a national historic site with a mission to share the stories of immigrants in New York City.
Details here

Events & Things To Do

September 24, 2018

Hell’s Kitchen penthouse-in-a-mansion in former Christian Brothers HQ gets a price chop to $11M

If a massive, multi-storied townhouse is what you're looking for, you don't have to worry about penthouse FOMO with this listing. Spanning 7,000 square feet, with a two-story master bedroom that cantilevers out eight feet over the back garden, a back wall of glass and smart-everything, this single-family modern masterpiece at 416 West 51st Street, now asking just under $11 million, lets you keep your Billionaires' Row penthouse dreams–with the rest of the 25-foot-wide mansion just a quick elevator ride away. 6sqft featured the modern manse in 2016, when it was listed at $15 million. Built in 1910, this six-story building was the headquarters of the Christian Brothers, whose main role was to keep neighborhood youth out of trouble, from 1953 until 2011.
Still impressive

Distinctive Homes

September 24, 2018

Björk lists her Brooklyn Heights penthouse for $9M

By Annie Doge

Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk is putting her sprawling 3,000-square-foot penthouse in Brooklyn Heights up for sale, Variety reported. Asking $9 million, the four-bedroom apartment at 160 Henry Street spans the full top floor. The private wraparound terrace, with Manhattan and Statue of Liberty views, may be the highlight of the pre-war home. Or it could be the bedroom with the hot-pink walls and ceiling.
See inside

New report shows NYC landlords falsified 10,000+ work permits in 2.5 years

Image by Jorbasa Fotografie / Flickr

September 24, 2018

New report shows NYC landlords falsified 10,000+ work permits in 2.5 years

Recent news of Kushner Companies' filing of false documents outlining the residential makeup of their buildings in order to get construction permits has prompted a closer look at the practice, which, according to Politico, has been rampant among New York City property owners for years with few consequences. Last month the Department of Buildings fined Kushner Companies $210,000 for repeatedly submitting inaccurate paperwork. Tenant advocacy group Housing Rights Initiative (HRI) will release a report Monday outlining how landlords filed more than 10,000 deceptive PW1s (Plan/Work Applications) in the span of two and a half years.
What's going on here?

Despite growing demand, the $10B overhaul of JFK Airport does not include a new runway

Rendering via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

September 24, 2018

Despite growing demand, the $10B overhaul of JFK Airport does not include a new runway

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last year plans to overhaul John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) with state-of-the-art modern terminals, world-class amenities, and centralized expanded parking lots. But the $10 billion plan, with more details coming from Cuomo in the next few weeks, does not include building a new runway, despite the airport serving a record number of visitors last year, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. In 2017, the airport served 59 million passengers compared to 48 million passengers in 2008, a 23 percent increase, according to Port Authority data.
Find out more

Photo Credit: Courtesy L&L Holding Company

September 24, 2018

Plans, new renderings revealed for $2.5B redevelopment of Times Square’s Palace Theatre

A year after renderings were released and three years after the project's approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, L&L Holding Company, Maefield Development, and Fortress Investment Group have revealed plans for TSX Broadway at 1568 Broadway, beginning with the demolition–planned for this winter–of the existing 1,700-seat landmarked Palace Theatre, which will be replaced by a 46-story tower with 550,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space. The theater will be elevated 30 feet and secured within the new building and will be completely renovated, after which an entirely new structure containing a 669-key luxury hotel will be built around it.
More renderings this way

Where old meets new: Welcoming a new era of developments in Murray Hill

Via Jeffrey Zeldman on Flickr

September 24, 2018

Where old meets new: Welcoming a new era of developments in Murray Hill

By Cait Etherington

Unlike many New York City neighborhoods that have reputations that travel far beyond their borders, for many years, Murray Hill has remained low key. If Murray Hill hasn’t always been quick to flaunt its assets, it may have something to do with its Quaker origins. After all, the "Murray" in Murray Hill points back to the Murray family—the clan of Quaker merchants who first settled the area in the mid-18th century. Since the days of the Murray family, much has changed in the neighborhood. The "hill" has been leveled, the neighborhood is no longer considered uptown, and since the early 2000s, the neighborhood’s reputation as a quiet and staid residential enclave has also been shattered as a younger crowd has moved in. In fact, for much of the past two decades, at least some parts of Murray Hill have become synonymous with the bar scene along Third Avenue, which is primarily known as a playground for young professionals. More recently, the neighborhood is undergoing another shift as a new era of higher-end rentals and condo developments attract a somewhat more mature demographic.
More on Murray Hill

Real Estate Trends

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): 325 Lafayette Avenue, Alvista Towers, 88 Leonard Street and 180 Riverside Boulevard

September 22, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): 325 Lafayette Avenue, Alvista Towers, 88 Leonard Street and 180 Riverside Boulevard Newly Built 325 Lafayette Avenue in Clinton Hill Offers 2 Months Free: Net Effective Prices from $2,375/Month [link] Live at Alvista Towers from $1,729/Month; Get 1 Month Free on Leases Signed by Nov. 1st [link] Tribeca Rental Specials at […]

Real Estate Trends

The building sits near Underwood Park, Clinton Hill. Image: Wiki Commons

September 21, 2018

Live in a Clinton Hill building with a roof deck and gym, from $867/month

At the crossroads where Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights and Fort Greene meet, apartments at this newly-minted seven-story, 38-unit building at 840 Fulton Street have in-unit laundry, plus the building features a residents' lounge, a fitness center, and a rooftop deck. Eight affordable units are currently available to households who earn between $31,612 and $62,580 (60 percent of the area median income) annually. The units range from $867/month studios to $1,123/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

September 21, 2018

Lottery launches for 200+ affordable units in East New York, from $395/month

A lottery is set to launch on Saturday for 240 affordable apartments in Brooklyn's East New York neighborhood. The units are spread across a brand new mixed-use development, the Livonia Apartments, located at 453 Hinsdale Street, 500 Livonia Avenue, and 487 Livonia Avenue. Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP), the four-building development sits adjacent to the L Train at Livonia Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from $395/month studios to $1,339/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

September 21, 2018

Will 2018 be the year quirky and historic Hamilton Heights ‘Art House’ sells for $2.7M?

This unusual three-family townhouse at 532 West 148th Street in Hamilton Heights was purchased by Portuguese-born architect Luis Da Cruz in 2006 for $995,000 and thoroughly renovated as a canvas for the artist's personal creative vision. Cruz restored the 1920 home's carved wood stairways and railings, moldings, five fireplaces, beamed ceiling, and exposed brick walls, and added his signature art pieces to an eclectic, bohemian decor, calling the house Musée Maison (Museum House) and making it his studio and workshop. He also hosted art events during which all of the work was for sale and he would perform tricks on aerial silks suspended from the ceiling. The house itself has been on and off the market since 2007. In 2015 6sqft featured the artsy listing at $2.5 million and again after a broker change in 2017 asking $2.7M. Now, another broker switch and more conventional photos–but no change in price–herald the latest attempt to find a suitably visionary buyer.
Tour the toned-down version of this unusual townhouse

Brooklyn Heights Promenade could close for six years during BQE repairs

Brooklyn Heights Promenade via Wikimedia

September 21, 2018

Brooklyn Heights Promenade could close for six years during BQE repairs

The Brooklyn Heights Promenade could close for six years while the city rehabilitates a 1.5 mile stretch of the crumbling Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), transportation officials announced Thursday. According to Politico, the city's transportation department unveiled two plans for revamping the Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO section of the BQE, which supports the promenade. The options include a quicker, six-year plan to divert cars to an elevated highway next to the Promenade or replace the BQE lane by lane, which could take up to eight years.
Get the details

Transit

September 21, 2018

Plan for eight-story hotel next to historic Merchant’s House Museum faces major setback

In June, a petition was filed in New York Supreme Court to prevent the construction of an eight-story hotel next door to the historic Merchant’s House Museum in the East Village. Now, Curbed reports, the proposal to build the hotel was unanimously rejected Thursday by the City Council’s subcommittee on zoning and franchises. The 186-year-old townhouse belonged to hardware merchant Seabury Tredwell, who bought the 10,000-square-foot residence for $18,000 in 1832.
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How Prohibition restructured NYC real estate and architecture (and built the Seagram Building)

NYC Deputy Police Commissioner John A. Leach watching agents pour liquor into a sewer following a raid; via Wikimedia

September 21, 2018

How Prohibition restructured NYC real estate and architecture (and built the Seagram Building)

By Cait Etherington

One hundred years ago, the United States Congress passed a temporary Wartime Prohibition Act banning the sale of beverages with an alcohol content of over 1.28 percent. The 1918 amendment later led to full-blown Prohibition, which wouldn’t officially end until the early 1930s. Find it difficult to imagine a spirit-less New York? In 1918, many New Yorkers, including city officials, also had a difficult time imagining a New York without alcohol. After all, with alcohol banned, the future remained uncertain for an estimated 9,000 hotel and saloon properties. The city itself stood to lose roughly $18 million in tax revenues related to the sale of liquor. In the end, however, New York not only survived the Prohibition Era but, indirectly, had its architecture altered.
Booze and bootlegging this way

Via Wikimedia

September 21, 2018

Grand Central Terminal celebrates 20 years of retail with 1998 pricing

Grand Central Terminal is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its retail renovation; the iconic terminal's shops and restaurants will be offering 1998 pricing on select products and menu items on October 1. Participating businesses include Cafe Grumpy, The Campbell Bar, Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant, Moleskine, Dyptique and many more. In addition, there will be a special exhibition in Vanderbilt Hall celebrating the terminal’s storied 105-year history.
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Events & Things To Do

Spring + Thompson

83 Thompson Street

Soho

Loft-like residences in Soho designed by Selldorf Architects

2 beds starting at $4,975,000
4 beds starting at $14,850,000

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Entire 2 and M train lines to run with 12- and 20-minute planned delays

M train via Robert Marrero/Photo Bucket

September 21, 2018

Entire 2 and M train lines to run with 12- and 20-minute planned delays

By Hannah Frishberg

Straphangers can expect planned delays on the entire 2 and M lines this weekend, which will respectively be running with 12-minute and 20-minute delays (incredibly exact estimates for an agency rarely known for predictable service). Otherwise, this weekend has a relatively non-crippling array of planned service changes.
Here's the full line-up

Transit

September 20, 2018

Live in grand mansion style in this $5.25M Brooklyn Heights ‘house within a house’ co-op

This townhouse-sized and undeniably grand parlor floor duplex at 196 Hicks Street (also known as 34 Pierrepont Street) in historic Brooklyn Heights is one of only three apartments within the "mansion annex" of the 200 Hicks Street cooperative. But unlike most townhouses, the 2,800-square-foot property steps from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade comes with around-the-clock doorman, plus secure storage and a gorgeous roof deck. The apartment does, however, have its own private stoop.
Take the grand tour

Distinctive Homes

NYC Council committee approves 80 Flatbush project in Downtown Brooklyn after height chop

Rendering of the 986-foot tower (left) and revised 840-foot tower (right) via Alloy Development and Luxigon

September 20, 2018

NYC Council committee approves 80 Flatbush project in Downtown Brooklyn after height chop

The New York City Council's subcommittee on zoning voted unanimously Thursday to approve the rezoning application that allows for the construction of 80 Flatbush, a five-building complex planned for Downtown Brooklyn. Following negotiations between Alloy Development and Council Member Stephen Levin, the developers agreed to cut the height of two buildings, one from 986 to 840 feet and another from 560 to 510 feet (h/t Brooklyn Paper). New renderings reveal not only smaller buildings but an updated design as well. With this key approval, the project will most likely get support from the full City Council followed by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
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Policy

New report shows increased spending to house homeless New Yorkers in shelters

Photo via Public Domain

September 20, 2018

New report shows increased spending to house homeless New Yorkers in shelters

According to a new city management report, during the 2017 fiscal year, the city spent an average of $99 a day to house single adults in facilities in New York City; in fiscal year 2018, that number grew to $117 a day, the Wall Street Journal reports. The cost of housing homeless families in shelters rose in fiscal year 2018 as well, with over 22,340 children living in shelters–an average of $192 a day compared to $171 in fiscal year 2017. It cost $147 each day to house adult families in fiscal year 2018 compared with $138 a day a year prior. According to the city's Department of Homeless Services, the bigger numbers are the result of an increased investment in services, repairs and security at shelters.
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Via Wikimedia

September 20, 2018

NJ Transit offers discounted fares as it cancels some service to and from Penn Station