6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Jessica Lange is movin’ on up. According to city property records first spotted by The Real Deal, the Academy-award winning actress bought the two-bedroom co-op directly above her current home in 1 Fifth Avenue. Lange paid $3.3 million, more than $500,000 under the asking price, for the sun-filled unit, which is much in need of updating. But this won't be a problem if the speculation that she's looking to combine the two apartments is true.
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City unveils plan to keep fashion industry in the Garment District

Photo via via Alexandra Ferguson

June 5, 2018

City unveils plan to keep fashion industry in the Garment District

The city released on Monday a plan to preserve at least 300,000 square feet of production space in the Garment District for the fashion industry by providing tax breaks for owners who lease manufacturing space. While the district, bound by 35th and 40th Streets and Broadway and Ninth Avenue, was once home to hundreds of thousands of fashion jobs, it has lost 85 percent of firms in the last three decades. In addition to the tax incentives, the plan creates a new zoning rule that would help limit the construction of hotels by introducing a special permit. The Garment Center IDA program, backed by City Hall, the city's Economic Development Corporation, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and industry leaders, also includes lifting previous protections from a 1987 mandate that preserves millions of square feet of apparel-production space on certain side streets. According to the Wall Street Journal, if the plan is approved by the city council, owners would be allowed to convert buildings to other uses, like offices.
More here

Policy

June 5, 2018

$1.2M 18th-century stone mill in NJ was transformed into a home full of original details

Less than 50 miles from NYC, a piece of history is for sale for $1,175,000 in Hackettstown, New Jersey (h/t CIRCA). The landmark Beattystown Stone Mill, built around 1750, was redesigned, reconstructed, and renovated by Yale architect/owner Charles Buckley, in the 1980s. Sitting above the Musconetcong River in Warren County on over 1,500 feet of river frontage, this incredibly unique home with four bedrooms has almost 6,000 square feet of open concept, loft-style living space with exposed hewn ceiling beams and structural and sculptural beams, stone walls, an entire wall of glass, and even the original millrace that still flows under the living room!
You have to see inside

June 4, 2018

City sells million-dollar homes in Bed-Stuy to 10 families for roughly half price

Photo via CityRealty New York City has sold 10 homes valued between $1 and $1.2 million to Brooklyn families for about half the price, as part of an initiative to promote affordable homeownership throughout the five boroughs. The two-family homes are located throughout the Bed-Stuy neighborhood and sold for between an estimated $407,000 and $625,000 (h/t NY Post). To qualify for the affordable homes, the families had to apply through a housing lottery and earn 90 or 130 percent of the are median income, which ranges roughly between $50,856 for a family of three and $153,790 for a family of seven.
Get the details

Why is Woodlawn Cemetery carving its trees into animals?

Photos courtesy of William Christ

June 4, 2018

Why is Woodlawn Cemetery carving its trees into animals?

By Stephanie Hoina

Opened in 1863, and long known as the final resting place of some of history’s most notable figures-- Irving Berlin, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Robert Moses, F.W. Woolworth, and Herman Melville, to name a few--the Bronx’s Woodlawn Cemetery and Conservatory is also home to many treasures of the living variety. When one of Woodlawn's trees (of which there are a whopping 140 different species!) meets its ultimate fate, the cemetery doesn't merely bury it but rather celebrates its life by carving it into an animal that can be found on the grounds.
Find out the meaning behind this tradition

June 4, 2018

For under $1M, this Soho co-op has a dreamy urban terrace

The railroad layout may not seem ideal at first, but this one-bedroom Soho co-op more than makes up for it with two bathrooms and a dreamy outdoor terrace. Asking $945,000, the apartment at 57 Thompson Street lends itself to a shabby chic aesthetic, with whitewashed brick walls, cozy angled rooms, and large windows perfect for window boxes and hanging plants.
The inside is just as charming

Distinctive Homes

Kushner Cos. will buy remaining stake in 666 Fifth Avenue from Vornado for $120M

Google Street View of 666 Fifth Avenue

June 4, 2018

Kushner Cos. will buy remaining stake in 666 Fifth Avenue from Vornado for $120M

Kushner Companies has agreed to purchase the remaining 49.5 percent stake in 666 Fifth Avenue from Vornado Realty Trust for $120 million, nearly wrapping up the drawn-out saga of the problem-plagued condo tower. According to the Wall Street Journal, Vornado said the contract with Kushner is expected to close in the third quarter of this year and is conditional and "there can be no assurance that this transaction will be completed." Kushner Cos. first purchased the 41-story building in 2007 for a record $1.8 billion, but the economic recession created enormous financial strain for the company. To help restructure the building's major debt, they brought in Vornado, which purchased the stake in the building for $80 million and the assumption of half the property's $1.2 billion mortgage in 2011.
Find out more

Policy

Distinctive Homes

Two floors and two outdoor spaces for $999K in Turtle Bay

Penthouse at 111 West 57th Street hits the market for $110M

Behind a stately Village brownstone facade, a massive six-story mansion asks $35M

Tudor charm frames a $2.1M pre-war duplex on the Upper East Side

Restored mid-century modern home in Newburgh designed by Philip Johnson asks $2.9M

Elevate your workout in the rooftop gym above this $9.5M Upper East Side mansion

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

Live like an early-aughts media icon in Nick Denton's $3.5M Soho loft

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

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

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6sqft guide: How to find a child-friendly apartment in NYC

Photo via Pexels

June 4, 2018

6sqft guide: How to find a child-friendly apartment in NYC

By Cait Etherington

Everyone loves kids, right? While this may be true in most cases, when it comes to renting and buying apartments, kids can be a deal breaker. To be clear, in NYC, owners cannot discriminate against renters with children, but there are a few exceptions. For example, co-ops, which are free to come up with their own selection criteria so long as it doesn’t overtly discriminate, can privilege quiet tenants over potentially loud tenants. If you have a couple of toddlers or even teens who look like they might be prone to hosting all-night parties or jam sessions in your living room, you might find yourself looking for housing elsewhere. But don’t be discouraged. After all, New York is home to more kids than any other U.S. city. As of 2016, over 21% of New York City residents were under 18 and more than 6.6% were under five. With roughly 1.8 million infants, toddlers, kids, tweens, and teens living here, most city buildings are home to children and adolescents. The challenge facing parents is finding a building that is not only tolerant of kids but has the facilities, location, and support needed to make one’s childrearing experience easier rather than harder. This 6sqft Guide offers tips for prospective and new parents, as well as those who are not new to parenting but are new to the city, who are looking to rent or buy in a child-friendly building and neighborhood.
Our full guide to finding a child-friendly home in NYC

Cynthia Nixon calls for congestion pricing and millionaires’ tax to fund subway repairs

Photo via Wikimedia

June 4, 2018

Cynthia Nixon calls for congestion pricing and millionaires’ tax to fund subway repairs

Actress and candidate for governor Cynthia Nixon released last week her plan to fix New York City's transit system and many of the ideas look pretty familiar. To pay for much-needed subway repairs, Nixon's plan calls for congestion pricing, a concept supported by her opponent Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and a millionaires' tax, an idea backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio (h/t NY Post). Her campaign also details imposing a polluter fee on fossil fuel companies to "generate billions of dollars to be used to fund New York’s transition to green energy." And while disparaging the MTA remains one of the focal points of her campaign, Nixon's plan to upgrade the subways is nearly identical to the Fast Forward plan released by NYC Transit Authority President Andy Byford last month. Jon Weinstein, a spokesperson for the MTA, said in a statement: "After three months of slamming the MTA in the press, Ms. Nixon released a plan to fix the subways and it was the MTA’s plan. Thanks."
More details here

June 4, 2018

Long Island Arts and Crafts home with a barn and koi pond asks 1.2M

Once a working farm, this Arts & Crafts home sits on a 2.2-acre property that abuts a deeded horse preserve in the Historic District of East Moriches, Long Island. Asking $1.2 million, the home blends vintage details like quality craftsmanship, wood and glass details, and a classic floor plan with modern amenities like a renovated gourmet kitchen, central air, and a new master bath. And the charm extends, too, with rolling gardens, a heated barn, and even a koi pond.
Tour the whole property

Distinctive Homes

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

Images (L to R): The Rollins, 63 Wall Street, 1 Flatbush Avenue and Sky

June 2, 2018

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

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): The Rollins, 63 Wall Street, 1 Flatbush Avenue and Sky The Rollins in Essex Crossing Now 65% Leased: Up to Three Months Free on Remaining Units [link] Luxury Rental 63 Wall Street with Residents-Only Speakeasy, Now Leasing with 1 – 2 Months Free [link] Live at SKY: Coveted 42nd Street Rental […]

Real Estate Trends

June 1, 2018

Greenwich Village apartment where Buddy Holly recorded his final songs lists for $1.6M

Before his untimely death in 1959--the "day the music died"--Buddy Holly briefly lived at the then-brand-new Brevoort apartment building in Greenwich Village. His band the Crickets had moved to NYC in 1958 to be a part of the music scene, so Holly and new wife Maria Elena Santiago rented a corner two-bedroom apartment with a wrap-around terrace for just $1,000 a month. This unit, where he made his final recordings of "Crying," "Waiting, Hoping," and "Peggy Sue Got Married," has just hit the market for $1,595,000 (h/t Curbed).
See his former home

Lottery launches for a boatload of affordable apartments across Brooklyn, from $850/month

Photo via CityRealty

June 1, 2018

Lottery launches for a boatload of affordable apartments across Brooklyn, from $850/month

A lottery launched this week for 16 renovated, affordable apartments across five different Brooklyn neighborhoods: Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, Flatbush, Williamsburg and Bushwick. Units available include four studios, four one-bedrooms, six two-bedrooms and two four-bedrooms. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the affordable units ranging from $850/month studios to $1,427/month four-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 1, 2018

Own a pair of 1840s clapboard houses in Clinton Hill for $4.4M

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Wooden houses are certainly dispersed throughout Brooklyn, but it's a rare opportunity when one hits the market. A few months ago, we uncovered a listing for Crown Heights' oldest home, a circa-1850s wood frame. Now, a pair of rare clapboard homes have hit the market in Clinton Hill and they're even older. Numbers 448 and 450 Waverly Avenue are thought to have been built in the 1840s or even earlier, according to the neighborhood's designation report. "The unusual pair of extremely wide (25 feet) clapboard houses" are the only example of pure Greek Revival buildings in the district, and they can be yours, individually or together for $4.4 million.
Take the tour

She shot Andy Warhol: The story behind actress Valerie Solanas’ attempt to assassinate a NYC icon

Photo of the Decker Building via Wally Gobetz on Flickr; photo of Andy Warhol via Wikimedia

June 1, 2018

She shot Andy Warhol: The story behind actress Valerie Solanas’ attempt to assassinate a NYC icon

1968 was a turbulent year marked by riots, massive protests, and assassinations of notable political figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. But 50 years ago on June 3, 1968, an attempted assassination in New York City shook the downtown art world more deeply and personally than any of these other headline-grabbing events. Perhaps that was because it involved two quintessentially downtown figures — one a world-famous artist; the other, a struggling, mentally unbalanced aspiring writer/performer/self-proclaimed social propagandist, whose greatest claim to fame ended up being her attempt to kill the former, her one-time employer.
Find out more

History

June 1, 2018

Enjoy a living green roof at this $800K Prospect Heights co-op

This very well thought out, bright and light, architect-designed Prospect Heights co-op has amazing outdoor spaces with a private 350-square-foot roof deck surrounded by a common living green roof. The one-bedroom plus sleeping loft at 430 Sterling Place also boasts high ceilings, exposed white brick walls, and a ton of built-in storage, all for $799,000.
See it all

Distinctive Homes

New, permanent public pool coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park

A conceptual rendering of the pool via Brooklyn Bridge Park After five years of having a pop-up pool at Pier 2, Brooklyn Heights is getting its own permanent public pool. This morning, Brooklyn Bridge Park officially announced plans to build a pool at Squibb Park, above Pier 1 near the Pierhouse condo. Together with the NYC Parks Department, BBP will develop, operate and maintain the pool and future amenities. Tentatively, the pool is scheduled to open in 2020, with community planning sessions to be held this summer and fall ahead of issuing a Request for Design Proposals.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

Delayed feasibility study for proposed BQX streetcar costing taxpayers at least $7M

Photo via Friends of the BQX

June 1, 2018

Delayed feasibility study for proposed BQX streetcar costing taxpayers at least $7M

The plan to bring a 16-mile light-rail trolley between Brooklyn and Queens has already cost taxpayers millions of dollars, even before the feasibility of the project has been determined. The study has cost the city $7 million in taxpayer money so far, according to the New York Post. And while the city's Economic Development Corporation promised to have the study completed last fall, this week the agency said they would not put a timeline on its release. Mayor Bill de Blasio first backed the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) project in February 2016, but a series of delays and funding concerns have put the trolley on hold. The proposed streetcar was left out of the city's budget proposal last month, further delaying studies into the project's plausibility.
More this way

Downtown’s historic glass sidewalks will be saved after Landmarks reverses rule changes

Vault lights in Soho, via WooJin Chung for 6sqft

June 1, 2018

Downtown’s historic glass sidewalks will be saved after Landmarks reverses rule changes

"Viva Vault Lights!" wrote the Historic Districts Council in response to the Landmarks Preservation Commission's decision to backpedal on its rules amendments, which called for "more oversight by LPC staff but less time for public review" in proposals for alterations to historic buildings. HDC's celebratory sentiment is in response to one of the now-moot stipulations that Soho and Tribeca's vault lights--historic, industrial-era sidewalks made from small circular glass bulbs--could be removed by building owners and replaced with modern sidewalks.
Find out about all the other victories

Next week’s subway service changes to be nearly as extensive as this weekend’s

Photo by Rashaad Jorden via Flickr

June 1, 2018

Next week’s subway service changes to be nearly as extensive as this weekend’s

By Hannah Frishberg

The weekend will be extending into the week in the worst way possible this Monday, with the kind of service changes usually reserved for Saturday and Sunday spilling into workdays. While the A and C trains win this week for most convoluted service changes, the 4 also deserves a nod, and the vast majority of lines have far more than average changes.
All the disruptions

Transit

Photographer Basia Serraty captures Ridgewood’s quieter angles

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Basia Serraty shares her photos of Ridgewood. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at tips@6sqft.com.

May 31, 2018

Photographer Basia Serraty captures Ridgewood’s quieter angles

By Hannah Frishberg

While Basia Serraty admits in an essay she wrote for Ridgewood Social that, upon moving to New York from her small town in Poland, the city did not fit her expectations, she has grown to love this place nonetheless. Her photos of Ridgewood, her neighborhood since moving here in 2004, capture the quiet but colorful corners of the nabe, portraying a clear sense of life despite a general lack of people. Ahead, we talk to Basia about her journey from Poland to NYC, her work, and why she loves Ridgewood.
Stroll through Ridgewood with Basia's photos

Places

Apply for 3 middle-income apartments next to the Harlem River in Highbridge, from $1,200/month

Photo by Shinya Suzuki / Flickr

May 31, 2018

Apply for 3 middle-income apartments next to the Harlem River in Highbridge, from $1,200/month

A lottery launched this week for three middle-income apartments in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 1072 University Avenue, the newly constructed building sits just steps from the Harlem River, with views of the High Bridge, a 170-year-old bridge that offers a shortcut to Manhattan. As the oldest bridge in New York City, the High Bridge first opened in 1848 and was closed for 45 years before reopening after renovations in 2015. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the three units: a $1,200/month studio, $1,500/month one-bedroom and a $1,800/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

May 31, 2018

For $1,200/night, stay in the Lexington Hotel suite once home to Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio

The Lexington Hotel has a full and wonderful history filled with celebrities and hula dancing. At present, the most notable feature is their recently renovated $1,200/night Norma Jean Suite, named after Marilyn Monroe who briefly called the 600-square-foot suite home during her 22-month marriage to Joe DiMaggio, from January 1954-October 1955 (h/t NYP). This is also where she lived while filming “The Seven Year Itch”--and its iconic skirt-blowing scene!--just a few blocks away on 52nd and Lex.
See inside the suite where 'everyone likes it hot'

NYCHA improvements mandated by federal government could cost NYC $1B

Photo via Wikimedia

May 31, 2018

NYCHA improvements mandated by federal government could cost NYC $1B

New York City will likely have to cough up $1 billion over the next four years to pay for improvements to its public housing stock as part of an agreement with the federal government, Politico New York reported Wednesday. The settlement from federal prosecutors ordering repairs to buildings run by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will likely be reached in the next few days. The order comes after an investigation by the U.S. Attorney's District Office, which began in 2015, to check crumbling conditions across the 325 developments it operates. If the city does not follow the orders, the federal government could then take over the authority.
Find out more

May 31, 2018

New 9/11 Memorial monument honors first responders exposed to Ground Zero toxins

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

Sixteen years ago as of yesterday, the rescue and recovery effort for the September 11th attacks ended. It's estimated that 400,000 people were exposed to life-threatening toxins, and since then, nearly 70,000 first responders and more than 14,000 survivors have enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program. Yesterday, former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart and 9/11 Memorial & Museum president Alice Greenwald revealed the official design for Memorial Glade, a monument to all those who have lost their lives or are sick due to these related illnesses. In addition to increasing awareness about the health crisis, the memorial will also "recognize the tremendous capacity of the human spirit, as exemplified during the rescue, recovery and relief efforts following the 9/11 attacks."
Learn about the design

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

Raising chickens in NYC: Laws, tips, and everything else you need to know

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

VIEW ALL

May 31, 2018

Get a taste of Hell’s Kitchen with a food festival at the Intrepid this summer

Photo via MrTMan on Flickr There is no shortage of food halls, food markets and food trucks in New York City to satisfy your every craving. However, none of these eating events take place next to an aircraft carrier on the Hudson River. Until now. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum announced this week that it will host a food festival at Pier 86, featuring more than 20 local vendors from the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. The waterfront food fest, WestsideEATS, runs from 10 am to 6 pm on June 9 and June 10 (h/t TimeOut).
More this way

May 31, 2018

202-year-old Soho rowhouse lists for just under $8M

By NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

Here's a chance to own one of the oldest homes in Manhattan, and likely the oldest home in the neighborhood, for $7.75 million (h/t Curbed). The Federal-style rowhouse at 57 Sullivan Street was built in 1816 and throughout its 200+ year-history it's served as a microcosm for the diversity of the neighborhood, first owned by a local mason, then by both Irish and Italian immigrants, and most recently by a couple who fought the property's inevitable landmarking in 2016.
Check it out

Soho condo’s facade cleans itself and purifies the air; Katz’s launches pastrami subscription

570 Broome via BUILTD/SOM (L); Katz’s pastrami via Wiki Commons

May 30, 2018

Soho condo’s facade cleans itself and purifies the air; Katz’s launches pastrami subscription

By 6sqft

At Soho condo 570 Broome, a NASA-approved cladding technology on the facade fights grime and air pollution. [WSJ] Get a first look inside Williamsburg’s new food hall. [Gothamist] The history of NYC’s lost neighborhoods. [Curbed] The evidence is piling up that Amazon will choose Washington, DC, for its HQ2. [Business Insider] A firehouse and a police […]

Uncategorized

May 30, 2018

8 things you didn’t know about LGBT history in NYC

This Saturday, 6sqft is excited to sponsor "The Hunt: NYC LGBT Sites." Put on by our friends at Urban Archive and the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, the three-hour historic scavenger hunt will mark Pride Week by focusing on the history of the LGBT community in NYC. To give 6sqft readers an idea of what to expect, the Historic Sites Project has put together eight things you probably don't know about LGBT history in New York, from the four remaining lesbian bars in the city to the first LGBT activist organization.
All this and more history!

One week after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, a rumor of its collapse caused a fatal stampede

Drawing by a staff artist at Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper

May 30, 2018

One week after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, a rumor of its collapse caused a fatal stampede

On May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge officially opened, with roughly 1,800 vehicles and over 150,000 people crossing what was then the only passageway between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Less than a week later, 12 people were killed and over 35 others injured in a violent stampede. On that fateful day, the bridge was brimming with people celebrating the Memorial Day holiday and checking out the new overpass, which was considered the longest bridge in the world at the time. A woman had tripped and fallen down the wooden stairs headed toward Manhattan, which caused another woman to scream. In a grand misinterpretation, a rumor was started that the bridge was about to collapse, sending the crowd into complete hysteria. Pedestrians ran to get off the bridge, stampeding their way to the entrance and pushing others to the ground.
Get the scoop

History

Lottery opens for 12 new affordable units in East Harlem, from $856/month

Photo via Peter Ashe

May 30, 2018

Lottery opens for 12 new affordable units in East Harlem, from $856/month

With East Harlem becoming hipper by the month, this affordable housing lottery for 12 units at the new building 2183 Third Avenue is a super steal, especially considering the building offers a gym, rooftop, recreation area, and laundry room. From $856/month studios to $1,114/month two-bedrooms, the apartments are available to households earning 60 percent of the area median income. Located at the northeast corner of East 119th Street and Third Avenue, the 12-story building is not only three blocks from the 6 train, but it's right near local hot spots like the original Patsy's Pizza and Hot Jalapeno, as well as the Target and Costco at East River Plaza.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Fresh set of renderings for Dock 72, the new home for WeWork at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Rendering of Dock 72 via Ekoomedia

May 30, 2018

Fresh set of renderings for Dock 72, the new home for WeWork at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

New renderings have been unveiled of Dock 72, a 675,000-square-foot office building co-developed by Boston Properties and Rudin Management for the evolving Brooklyn Navy Yard. Surrounded by water on all sides but one, Dock 72, designed by S9 Architecture, features outdoor terraces, 35,000 square feet of amenities and unobstructed views of Manhattan. As the anchor tenant and co-developer, WeWork will occupy a third of the space, or 220,000 square feet. With its glassy facade installed, the 16-story office building is scheduled to wrap up construction in the fall, becoming one of the largest ground-up office buildings in the borough in nearly three decades.
See them here

May 30, 2018

Just an hour outside NYC, this historic NJ ‘bank house’ is less than $350K

Just over an hour's drive west of Midtown, in Lebanon Township, NJ, this three-story, three bedroom house is asking just $347,000 (h/t CIRCA). And though it's priced much less than most Manhattan studios, it sits on nearly nine acres of land. For sale for the first time in 35 years, the circa 1810 Bank House has a modern kitchen and baths and a third-floor addition, but retains its vintage charm with preserved interior period details such as hand-hewn beamed ceilings, wide-plank pine floors, deep window wells, a wood-burning fireplace, and Jersey winder stairs.
Look around

May 30, 2018

10 glorious glamping sites near New York City

Glamour camping--combining luxury with minimalism--is all the rage. While you might have to get yourself a bit outside the big city to enjoy such a getaway, there are plenty of spots not too far afield. And whether they are fully off-the-grid or just feel like it, they'll restore your mind and spirit as you return to nature but don't have to give up your high thread count sheets, wifi or working showers. From a mobile tiny house to a geodesic dome to a horse farm tipi, we've rounded up 10 of the best glamping resorts near NYC.
Check out the list

May 30, 2018

Controversial expansion of the Frick Collection hits another road block

All renderings courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle and Selldorf Architects The planned expansion of the Frick Collection is delayed again after the Landmarks Preservation Commission decided Tuesday to not vote on the project, following hours of public testimony. Dozens of neighborhood advocates, preservationists and museum goers attended the hearing to discuss the Beyer Blinder Belle and Selldorf Architects-designed expansion, which would include 60,000 square feet of repurposed space and 27,000 square feet of new construction. The plan would expand the existing Upper East Side building's second level, add two set-back stories above the music room and an addition behind the Frick Art Reference Library. According to Curbed NY, critics of the expansion said the additions would be too large and block the design of the existing library. Despite a presentation from head architect Annabelle Selldorf, no decision was made about whether to grant the $160 million project its certificate of appropriateness.
Find out more

New York buildings claim the country’s highest property taxes

Photo by Dan DeLuca/Flickr

May 30, 2018

New York buildings claim the country’s highest property taxes

By Emily Nonko

In a city as pricy as New York, it's no surprise the buildings here pay some of the heftiest property taxes in the country. And that's overwhelmingly what Commercial Cafe has found in their Top 100 US Property Taxes in 2017 ranking, released this week to mark the end of tax season. New York, the report states, has an "overwhelming presence in the mix," as 78 of the top 100 U.S. taxes belong to properties located across the state. In 2017, those buildings generated $2.2 billion in property tax revenue, accounting for 82 percent of the total contributed by all 100. (Buildings are mostly offices, alongside some mixed-use, retail, hotel, entertainment and residential properties.) While the top spot was claimed by an industrial property in Fort Salonga, New York -- which pays a whopping $82 million of property taxes a year -- the next 19 buildings are located here the city and include Stuyvesant Town, pictured above, and the Metlife Building.
Read more about New York's top buildings

The Bronx Zoo, courtesy of Julienne Schaer on NYC &C Company

May 29, 2018

13 middle-income apartments up for grabs right near the Bronx Zoo

With the warm weather officially here, living just a couple blocks from the Bronx Zoo and a short walk to the Crotona Park Nature Center sounds like a pretty nice idea. Throw in a location right alongside Mapes Ballfield and middle-income rent and you've got yourself a deal. There are 13 units at East Tremont's 2118 Mapes Avenue available for households earning 130 percent of the area median income, and they range from $1,100/month studios to $1,600/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

A mecca of African American history and culture, Central Harlem is designated a historic district

Photo via LPC

May 29, 2018

A mecca of African American history and culture, Central Harlem is designated a historic district

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday designated three blocks in Central Harlem as a historic district in recognition of the significant role African Americans played in social change in New York City and beyond during the 20th century. The Central Harlem District measures West 130-132nd Streets, the mid-blocks between Lenox and Seventh Avenues. LPC notes how Harlem residents used residential buildings to accommodate cultural, religious and political activities, starting with the Harlem Renaissance through the civil rights movement of the 1960s. "This collection of buildings is exactly why we designate historic districts: it's an architecturally distinctive and historically significant set of structures that together tell an essential piece of Central Harlem's story,” Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer said. The commission also launched an interactive story map as a way to illustrate the unique influence of this district through photos, maps and video.
Get the details

From sacred conches to the world’s oldest piano, you can now listen to 2,000 years of music at the Met

Photo via The Metropolitan Museum of Art

May 29, 2018

From sacred conches to the world’s oldest piano, you can now listen to 2,000 years of music at the Met

Following two years of renovations, the Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its impressive music collection, which includes roughly 5,000 instruments dating from about 300 B.C. to the present, grouping them by period and type, rather than culture by which they were created. The redesign of the exhibit, called The Art of Music, places "Fanfare" as the first gallery. Drawing visitors into the instrument gallery, Fanfare features 74 brass instruments "spanning two millennia and five continents." It includes sacred conches, animal horns, a vuvuzela and more. And now, for the first time, the instruments can be heard through dynamic kiosks at the museum, or online.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Fast interiors gain momentum: A guide to furniture rentals

Photo via Pixabay

May 29, 2018

Fast interiors gain momentum: A guide to furniture rentals

By Cait Etherington

Currently sleeping on a mattress with no box spring? Worse yet, a blow-up mattress? Is your night table a repurposed milk crate and are your bookshelves fashioned out of salvaged bricks and found lumber? Although all these features can be surprisingly charming when paired with the right accessories, there comes a time in one’s life when one wants or needs a bit more. But even if you opt to go full-on Ikea, the cost of furnishing a small one-bedroom from the ground up will likely cost well over $3,000 and that is only if you opt for a discount Bråthult over Vallentuna sofa. For anyone faced with the challenge of furnishing an entire apartment—either for the first time or because you’re only in NYC for a limited amount of time—there is now a solution: “fast interiors.” Rather than buy, you can now rent your furniture for three months or for several years. While the rise of furniture rentals may sound unusual, in fact, it is an obvious extension of the sharing economy that has been growing, especially in highly populated urban areas, for the past decade. An underlying tenant of the sharing economy is that renting often makes more sense the owning. But does it? Ahead, we explore how and where to rent furniture and the relative short- and long-term benefits of renting over buying.
A guide to furniture rentals

May 29, 2018

Widespread oversight in thousands of NYC water tanks poses health risks, according to report

Photo via Ted McGrath on Flickr Thousands of wooden water tanks in New York City have not been properly inspected and cleaned for years, according to an investigation by City & State. And while the water towers have been an iconic part of the city skyline for over a century, the structures make it easy for pathogens and even dead animals to congregate and infiltrate the city's drinking water. According to the report, most building owners do not inspect and clean water tanks on a regular basis, despite newly updated health codes that require annual filings. City & State mapped more than 13,000 water tank inspection reports from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), letting the public know for the first time if and when a building's tank has been inspected and whether bacteria was found. Last year, just over 3,520 buildings with water tanks filed proof of inspection.
Has your building's water tank been inspected?

Policy

May 29, 2018

Catch a dream in this Catskills tipi for $145 a night, fireflies included

By Michelle Cohen

The Sioux definitely knew what they were doing when it came to creating year-round homes tucked away in awe-inspiring nature. The Bellfire Teepee in the Meeker Hollow in Roxbury, NY, available via Airbnb for $145 a night, is a magical way to appreciate those micro-living skills from long ago while stargazing on a 10-acre property bordering miles of forest. The owners of this cozy escape, a pair of Brooklyn expat artists, chose the location "with privacy and tranquility in mind." Their farmhouse is 500 feet away, so there's no need to feel lost in the woods, but you're nestled between a creek, maple trees and a wildflower field, just in case you actually want to feel lost in the woods.
See more of this magical getaway

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

Learn More

May 29, 2018

The backyard at this $1.2M Park Slope co-op is perfect for outdoor entertaining

For $1.2 million, get a huge, private backyard in Park Slope with an additional 900 square foot co-op attached. This two-bedroom unit at 134 Lincoln Place, just two blocks from Grand Army Plaza, has 530 square feet of sun-drenched outdoor space with enough space for a full-size dining table, lounge chairs, and a barbecue. The inside is equally charming, blending old and new details with a cool built-in dining nook perfect for when the party moves inside.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

Metro Region Explorer map gives you the facts on any spot in the Tri-State area

Map: NYC Planning Metro Region Explorer.

May 29, 2018

Metro Region Explorer map gives you the facts on any spot in the Tri-State area

By Michelle Cohen

As a beta project created by the NYC Department of City Planning, Metro Region Explorer enables you to explore population, housing, and employment trends within the Tri-State New York City Metropolitan Region. The map was developed as part of an ongoing commitment to providing better public access and as a way to better understand information about planning issues that affect the city as well as the region, as many planning challenges are interconnected with the realities of the larger area surrounding the city's core.
Explore the region

City Living

May 25, 2018

Go camping among the trees in this $195/night treehouse in Upstate New York

Trade the racket of cars honking and music blaring, for the blissful sounds of whispering wind and singing birds at this charming airbnb getaway in Upstate New York. Not only is this rental off-the-grid (there is no WiFi or electricity), it's located in an actual treehouse. What the pad lacks in modern convenience, it makes up for in rustic charm and natural ambience. Located in the rural Upstate neighborhood of Argyle, the treehouse, called the Whispering Wind Treehouse on its listing, can accommodate two guests in its one bedroom, starting at $195 per night.
Take a look around

May 25, 2018

For $5M, own the private Potato Island with a 90-minute commute to NYC