6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Workers at East Side Access project in 2016 via MTA's Flickr The Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved on Wednesday an amendment to its capital plan that allows for more than $400 million to be invested in the East Side Access, a project that began more than a decade ago. In addition to exceptional construction delays, the project's price tag has jumped dramatically, from early estimates of roughly $2.2 billion to now over $11 billion (h/t NY Times). As a way to reduce crowds at Penn Station, East Side Access will connect the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal.
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April 26, 2018

Asking $1.4M, this renovated Castle Village co-op is a candy-colored uptown oasis

Tucked away in the prime line of the captivating Castle Village co-op at 260 Cabrini Boulevard in Hudson Heights, this two-bedroom home is blessed with high-bluff vistas and a riot of colorful interiors that qualifies it as, to quote the listing, a "residential work-of-art." Even without its definitely-non-beige decor, the light and views in every room make this unique home a one-of-a-kind oasis even in a city of millions,
Take a whirlwind tour

April 25, 2018

De Blasio pens letter to MTA seeking transparency in spending of $836M subway action plan

Photo via Wikimedia Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed earlier this month to fund half of the MTA's $836 million emergency rescue plan for the subway, leading many to believe the feud between the mayor and Gov. Andrew Cuomo about the funding had simmered. But on Wednesday, de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson penned a joint letter to MTA chair, Joe Lhota, laying out terms of the funding agreement, with plenty of subtle insults to the MTA included. While the city's commitment of $418 million came with a "lock box" arrangement, to ensure the money goes to repairs and nothing else, the mayor and speaker are calling on Lhota and the MTA for even further transparency, better measurements of progress and frequent briefings about the plan.
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Pizza ‘museum’ is the latest selfie funhouse; Should NYC residents get reserved parking spots?

The Museum of Pizza promo via Nameless Network (L); Via Jason Kuffer/Flickr (R)

April 25, 2018

Pizza ‘museum’ is the latest selfie funhouse; Should NYC residents get reserved parking spots?

By 6sqft

The Museum of Pizza promo via Nameless Network (L); Via Jason Kuffer/Flickr (R) First the ice cream museum, now the egg museum, and come October, the Museum of Pizza. For $35, you’ll be able to tour “marvelously-’grammable” rooms like a cheese cave and a pizza beach. [Eater] Governor Cuomo and transit leaders say that ultra-wideband radio […]

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Uncover secrets of the World’s Fair with free, monthly walking tours of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

Photo via Wikimedia

April 25, 2018

Uncover secrets of the World’s Fair with free, monthly walking tours of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

For two six-month seasons in 1964, the World's Fair came to Queens, with exhibits featured from over 80 nations spread across 646 acres. The fair came at a time of mid-20th-century innovation and culture, at the height of the Space Age. It served as a moment of peace before the start of the Vietnam War, with its motto "Peace Through Understanding." And while many New Yorkers attended the historic event, or have heard stories recounted by parents and grandparents, it's hard to imagine what it was truly like to experience. Making it easier to understand what the World's Fair was really like, the city's parks department is offering free, monthly tours of the park, allowing visitors to hear the stories behind the Unisphere, the New York State Pavilion and many more landmarks.
Details here

One-in-three adults are “doubled up”: Who’s rooming with who and why?

Photo via Pexels

April 25, 2018

One-in-three adults are “doubled up”: Who’s rooming with who and why?

By Cait Etherington

A new PEW Research Center study has found that one-in-three adults are now “doubled up.” Some of these shared households are traditional multigenerational households—for example, a married couple with children who have chosen to live in a home belonging to one of their parents. By definition, however, shared households also include any households with at least one “extra adult” who is not the household head, the spouse or unmarried partner of the head, or an 18- to 24-year-old student. As a result, among the one-and-three adults who are now doubled up are adults sharing households with other adults to whom they are not related, adults sharing with same-generation siblings, and most surprisingly, a growing cohort of elderly parents moving into their adult children’s homes.
What's the deal?

Real Estate Trends

April 25, 2018

Perfectly patina-ed Chelsea artist’s loft asks $2.75M

Sometimes an "authentic artist's loft" is exactly that. That's the case with this fabulously patina-ed co-op at 139 West 17th Street in Chelsea, which is as much known for vanishing artists' lofts as it is for art galleries. The $2.75 million listing starts out, "Bring your architect..." The space has as much need for transformation as it has vintage charm. Its current owners, a creative couple with a passion for culture and design, have made it their own, and it could be the perfect canvas for the next owner to do the same. The artist-in-residence has lived here for 40 years–we're guessing it was converted to a co-op during that time, as this is the first time it has been on the market.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

Condé Nast will sublease nearly one-third of its One World Trade Center headquarters

Image courtesy of Michael Vadon’s Flickr

April 25, 2018

Condé Nast will sublease nearly one-third of its One World Trade Center headquarters

It was recently revealed that One World Trade Center still has a 25 percent vacancy rate four years after opening its door, and that number is about to grow. The first tenant to move into the building in 2014, Condé Nast is now looking to sublease a third of its one-million-square-foot office space. As part of its consolidation plan, the media company on Monday said it's looking to sublease seven of the 23 floors it currently rents as a way to cut costs, according to the New York Post. It's estimated Condé Nast paid roughly $50 per square foot when it moved in nearly four years ago--space at One WTC is now worth $75 per square foot.
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Uncategorized

Distinctive Homes

For $1.75M, your own private oculus with skyline views on the Upper West Side

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

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

Moving on from the Nets, Ben Simmons lists Dumbo condo for $17M

Upper East Side penthouse owned by Joan Rivers back on market after $10M price cut

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

Miami meets Brooklyn in this $10M Williamsburg townhouse with a three-car garage

$1.95M Turtle Bay co-op feels like a modern cabin in the middle of Manhattan

In historic Sunset Park, this $2M row house is an architectural gem with modern upgrades

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

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Turn an easy-care houseplant into a dramatic climbing garden

Photo courtesy of Jamie Song

April 25, 2018

Turn an easy-care houseplant into a dramatic climbing garden

By Jeanee Ledoux

6sqft’s series Toolbox Tutorials shares step-by-step guides for simple, affordable DIY projects. This week, plant experts teach us how to make an easy, indoor climbing garden. Have a project you’d like to share? Get in touch with us at tips@6sqft.com. Bold botanical wallpapers are all the rage. But with a little sunlight and some patience, apartment dwellers can create a graphic pattern that literally climbs the walls (or ceiling!). The humble pothos (Epipremnum aureum), a staple of office and mall decor thanks to its easy-care nature, is the ideal trailing specimen to train indoors. It grows quickly, it thrives in indirect light, and its heart-shaped leaves aren’t accompanied by clinging parts that could damage surfaces (and bite into your deposit refund). Read on for instructions on creating and maintaining your own climbing garden from some of Instagram's top plant lovers.
Get the DIY tutorial

April 25, 2018

Brooklyn Heights co-op in a former mansion offers ‘castle-like’ grandeur for $1M

By Hannah Frishberg

In Brooklyn Heights, a uniquely laid out one-bedroom co-op in a former mansion at 10 Montague Terrace is seeking $1.15 million. The listing says it "has all the style and grandeur you might expect of a Robber Baron’s castle," and after getting a look at the wealth of period details--intricate woodwork and moldings, stained glass windows, highly detailed inlaid floors--we can't disagree. Throw in the prime Heights Promenade-facing location with views of the river and lower Manhattan, and that price tag seems like even more of a deal.
You don't want to miss this one

Distinctive Homes

Trump Organization will fight ‘rogue individuals’ who want the president’s name shed from UWS condo

Photo via Nick Normal’s Flickr

April 24, 2018

Trump Organization will fight ‘rogue individuals’ who want the president’s name shed from UWS condo

In February of 2017, residents of Trump Place at 200 Riverside Boulevard voted to remove "TRUMP" from the condo building's exterior. Neighboring buildings found at 140, 160, and 180 Riverside Boulevard had already successfully removed his name, following a petition with hundreds of signatures. However, the 48-story condo at Trump Place, located on the Upper West Side, has not moved forward with the removal of the president's name because the Trump Organization threatened to sue. In response to this threat, board members in January asked a judge to issue a declaratory judgment that the condo has the right to either keep or remove the letters without violating its licensing agreement. The president's son, Eric Trump, who serves as a trustee of the organization, promised on Monday to "fight vehemently against rogue individuals" who want to remove the name (h/t West Side Rag).
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Policy

April 24, 2018

Crown Heights middle-income housing lottery gets you near all the action

But it won't really save you enough to enjoy all this happening 'hood has to offer. The latest in a string of "affordable" middle-income lotteries, this offering for three $2,716/month two-bedroom units at 85 Rogers Avenue is reserved for households earning between $93,120 and $111,670 annually, or 130 percent of the area median income. For a single person earning the lower end of the range, this is more than a third of their yearly income before taxes. So hitting up nearby Barboncino for wood-fired pizza or Super Power for tiki cocktails, might not be the most economical idea.
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Affordable Housing

Governors Island will stay open late on Fridays this season

Photo by Timothy Schenck

April 24, 2018

Governors Island will stay open late on Fridays this season

Get ready to party on Governors Island this summer. The Trust for Governors Island on Tuesday announced extended hours for the 2018 season from 6 pm to 10 pm, allowing visitors to explore the park, drink cocktails and enjoy beautiful sunsets every Friday beginning May 25. During "Late Friday" nights, guests will be able to traverse the entire Island, including the promenade and Nolan Park and Colonels Row homes in the park's historic district.
Get the scoop

My 720sqft: A food and wine specialist serves up her retro, girly Jersey City studio

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Jersey City studio of food and wine professional Moira Sedgwick. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

April 24, 2018

My 720sqft: A food and wine specialist serves up her retro, girly Jersey City studio

When Moira Sedgwick opens the door, everything about her--her outfit, personality, smile--is just as bubbly and colorful as her apartment. The top floor of a brownstone in Jersey City's Paulus Hook neighborhood, the 720-square-foot alcove studio is a mix of retro and mid-century finds (think 1950s red leather dining chairs and a collection of vintage Pyrex and milk glass) and girly accents (pink curtains with pompoms, floral silk pillows). Though Moira is passionate about the culinary and wine worlds--she produces national Food & Wine events for No Kid Hungry, in addition to growing her personal culinary talent management business--her other great love is interior design, which is quite apparent after touring her home that she describes as "unique, funky, and uber comfortable." Ahead, get a closer look at Moira's apartment and hear what she has to say about making the move across the Hudson, outfitting a studio for a chef's lifestyle, and mixing girly and retro decor.
Take the tour

Cuomo’s new bill would ban plastic bags in New York by next year

Image: Michael Kowalczyk via Flickr.

April 24, 2018

Cuomo’s new bill would ban plastic bags in New York by next year

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo introduced a bill on Monday to outlaw single-use plastic bags in the state of New York. The New York Times reports that Cuomo announced the three-page post-Earth-Day bill as part of the effort to fight the “blight of plastic bags" and their "devastating toll on our streets, our water and our natural resources.”
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April 24, 2018

After landmarking news, historic Carroll Gardens schoolhouse is back on the market for $5M

An unusual Carroll Gardens building, once the first freestanding kindergarten to be built in Brooklyn, is seeking a new owner, asking $4.95 million, now that it may not be headed for the wrecking ball. The Landmarks Preservation Commission calendared the building (along with the apartment building next door), now a unique single-family residence, at 236 President Street for landmark status consideration on Tuesday. Neighborhood residents and concerned citizens–including folk hero Joan Baez, whose grandfather once lived next door–have been rallying to stop the building's planned demolition as Brooklyn Paper reported last month.
Imagine the possibilities

April 24, 2018

Live right next to Prospect Park in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, from $1,807/month

Want Prospect Park as a backyard? Enter a lottery for 16 middle-income apartments at a brand new building in Brooklyn's Prospect-Lefferts Gardens that sits directly across from the 526-acre park. Located at 510 Flatbush Avenue (also 33 Lincoln Road), the Lincoln Road Apartments rise nine stories and contain 141 units. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $1,807/month studios to $2,733/month two-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Double-decker buses are coming to NYC

They'll be blue instead of red, but just like London, NYC will soon have double-decker buses cruising down its streets. As part of New York City Transit head Andy Byford's larger bus-improvement plan, the MTA will start testing its first two-story bus on Staten Island today, and if all goes well, they'll roll out on express routes in Manhattan soon. And to go along with the new design is a mobile app that provides seat availability information on express buses.
Learn about the whole plan

Transit

Swale in 2017, photo via Subhram Reddy.

April 23, 2018

A public floating food forest will come to the Brooklyn Army Terminal this summer

A 5,000-square-foot edible perennial garden will travel to the Brooklyn Army Terminal this summer, offering up New Yorkers the chance to harvest fruits and vegetables on top of a barge. The floating food forest, Swale, docked in Manhattan last year and featured an apple orchard surrounded by garden beds. This year, the 130x40 foot barge will set up along the Sunset Park waterfront between May 5 and July 1, and be free and open to the public on the weekends.
Details here

April 23, 2018

Cortlandt Street subway station, destroyed on 9/11, will reopen this fall

Also damaged in 9/11, the R-line at Cortlandt reopened in 2011; photo via Wikimedia Nearly 17 years after it was severely damaged in the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, and then temporarily shuttered, the Cortlandt Street station is set to open this October. Running on the 1-line, the new station, expected to serve thousands of workers and tourists visiting the site, will boast Ann Hamilton's artwork, featuring words from the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of Independence (h/t Daily News). Cortlandt Street station was meant to open in 2014, but funding disputes between the Port Authority and the MTA delayed its completion until this year.
More this way

Transit

April 23, 2018

NYC’s 10 best art exhibits and events this spring

The flowers are finally blooming, spring is in the air, and there are tons of awesome art exhibits popping up all over the city. Although we recently highlighted some amazing art day trips from New York City, there is always art at our doorstep that we should take advantage of, so we've rounded up 10 terrific exhibits and events that will not last long. So take an extra long lunch break or sneak out of work early to catch these temporary shows that are all worth a visit.
Check out the list

Events & Things To Do

April 23, 2018

Contemporary artist buys ‘Aaron Burr House’ in the West Village for $4.8M

Back in 2016, a row house in the West Village that was once owned by third U.S. vice president and famous duel participant Aaron Burr arrived on the market for $5.75 million. The Federal-style brick home at 17 Commerce Street–a fittingly historic block consisting of land that Burr owned just north of his country estate during the turn of the 18th century–has finally sold, to American painter and printmaker Walton Ford, Mansion Global reports, for $4.8 million.
More history and a last look

With new buildings eager to fill vacancies, seasonal housing deals are on the rise

Photo via Pexels

April 23, 2018

With new buildings eager to fill vacancies, seasonal housing deals are on the rise

Not only do NYC's temperatures start to heat up in spring, but so does the rental market, particularly with students and recent graduates searching for short-term housing options to come to live and work in the city. Seasonal housing providers, who provide leases of 30 days or more, are finding more demand than normal (h/t amNY). Large apartment buildings feeling the glut of inventory on the market are choosing to rent their units for shorter terms versus yearly leases working under the assumption that any occupancy is better than vacancy.
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Real Estate Trends

Brookfield hopes to rescue retail on Bleecker Street with purchase of seven storefronts

Photo via Nick Sherman’s Flickr

April 23, 2018

Brookfield hopes to rescue retail on Bleecker Street with purchase of seven storefronts

Brookfield Property Partners announced on Monday it has acquired seven retail storefronts across four properties in the West Village, an attempt to rescue retail in a neighborhood which has had a high rate of vacancies for years. The company hopes to attract e-commerce companies that are interested in testing out brick-and-mortar locations. The properties, found along Bleecker Street between West 10th and West 11th Streets, measure 24,000 square feet. Brookfield paid New York REIT $31.5 million to acquire the properties.
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Real Estate Trends

April 23, 2018

Upper East Side townhouse with an artistic pedigree, an artists’ studio and a curb cut asks $19M

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

If you're a painter, a sculptor or a writer–or you just like to be in close proximity to their kind–you'd be in good company with this 7,200-square-foot townhouse at 167 East 69th Street in the Upper East Side. The 25-foot-wide Neo-Georgian former carriage house is currently owned by Ann Brashares, the author of young adult series "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and her husband, painter Jacob Collins. The property itself was used by the Sculpture Center for "close to half a century," according to the listing, and neighbors have included Mark Rothko and art dealer Larry Gagosian. It's asking $18.95 million–curb cut and garage included.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

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

Images (L to R): ALTA LIC, JACKSON PARK, OSKAR and 1N4TH

April 21, 2018

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

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): ALTA LIC, JACKSON PARK, OSKAR and 1N4TH “Shine in the Center of it All” – Midtown’s Solari debuts website and new renderings [link] ALTA LIC, NYC’s largest co-living residence, launches leasing [link] Jackson Park, shimmering new towers in Long Island City leasing with 1 month free [link] Meet Oskar: New Midtown […]

Real Estate Trends

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Lottery launches for five middle-income units in Parkchester, from $1,700/month

The Aileen B. Ryan Oval fountain sits in the center of Parkchester; photo via Wikipedia

April 20, 2018

Lottery launches for five middle-income units in Parkchester, from $1,700/month

A housing development located in the Bronx's Parkchester neighborhood has five middle-income apartments up for grabs. The two buildings at 1360-1364 Purdy Street are located just outside the planned neighborhood and sits around the corner from the 6 train at Castle Hill Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $1,700/month one-bedroom to a $1,875/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Bjarke Ingels reveals new renderings of twisting High Line condo ahead of May sales launch

Renderings via Dbox for HFZ Capital Group

April 20, 2018

Bjarke Ingels reveals new renderings of twisting High Line condo ahead of May sales launch

Ahead of the just-announced May 7th sales launch, Bjarke Ingels and developer HFZ Capital have released to the Times several new renderings of the Eleventh, or the XI as it's been branded. The West Chelsea hotel/condo project is notable not only for being Ingels' first NYC condo project but for its asymmetrical, twisting silhouette. And in the new renderings, we're able to get a better look at the pair of towers and their skybridge, along with, for the first time, the central courtyard and an apartment interior.
All the renderings and details right this way

Homeless shelter opening on Billionaires’ Row; See ‘Peanuts’ street art in the West Village

Billionaires Row via 6sqft (L): Mural by Tomokazu Matsuyama, courtesy of the Peanuts Global Artist Collective (R)

April 20, 2018

Homeless shelter opening on Billionaires’ Row; See ‘Peanuts’ street art in the West Village

By 6sqft

The city approved a plan to bring a 140-bed homeless shelter to Billionaires’ Row, right next to One57. [NYP] Some of the 250,000 limited-edition David Bowie MetroCards released this week are selling for $200 on eBay. [amNY] Jackie Robinson’s old Bed-Stuy block was renamed in his honor. [Bklkyner] Neighbors of Green-Wood Cemetery are fighting against […]

Uncategorized

Museum of Natural History’s lawns will open as public parks this summer

Photo of the Theodore Roosevelt Park via Wikimedia

April 20, 2018

Museum of Natural History’s lawns will open as public parks this summer

Surrounding the American Museum of Natural History, the Theodore Roosevelt Park stretches from 77th to 81st Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. For years, the city has fenced off its green space, not allowing park visitors to touch the lawns. But this summer, as part of a pilot program, the city's parks department will open two lawns in the Upper West Side park, according to the West Side Rag. From Memorial Day Weekend until September 30, the Northwest and Southwest Lawns will open to the public, officials announced at a community board meeting.
Details this way

Uncategorized

April 20, 2018

Limestone mansion with a sunroom and garage in Prospect Lefferts Gardens asks $4M

Situated just two blocks from Prospect Park at 125 Maple Street in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, this 25-foot-wide limestone beauty was built by noted Brooklyn architect Axel Hedman in the Renaissance Revival style. Built on a corner lot, the house gets enough sun to feature a stained-glass-wrapped solarium, and moody, dramatic interior details appear luminous rather than dark.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Photo via Jeffrey Zeldman/Flickr

April 20, 2018

Central Park is going car-free

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Last night Mayor de Blasio teased us by tweeting, “We're making a BIG announcement tomorrow on the future of Central Park. Stay tuned.” This morning he announced, “Central Park goes car-free in June. 24/7, 365 days a year — because parks are for people, not cars.” That is BIG news. After banning cars north of 72nd Street three years ago, the city will now prohibit them south of 72nd.
All the details right this way

Transit

April 20, 2018

Edward Hopper’s Greenwich Village: The real-life inspirations behind his paintings

There’s no lack of artists deeply associated with New York. But among the many painters who’ve been inspired by our city, perhaps none has had a more enduring and deeper relationship than Edward Hopper, particularly with Greenwich Village. Hopper lived and worked in Greenwich Village during nearly his entire adult life, and drew much inspiration from his surroundings. He rarely painted scenes exactly as they were, but focused on elements that conveyed a mood or a feeling. Hopper also liked to capture scenes which were anachronistic, even in the early 20th century. Fortunately due to the Village’s enduring passion for historic preservation, many, if not all, of the places which inspired Hopper nearly a century ago can still be seen today – or at least evidence of them.
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History

City to move ‘Fearless Girl’ to new home across from New York Stock Exchange

Fearless Girl and Charging Bull statues on Wall Street; via Anthony Quintano’s Flickr

April 20, 2018

City to move ‘Fearless Girl’ to new home across from New York Stock Exchange

Mayor Bill De Blasio announced today that the “Fearless Girl” statue currently staring down the iconic Wall Street "Charging Bull" will be getting a permanent home in front of the New York Stock Exchange in the Financial District. Since the diminutive statue's temporary installation more than a year ago a day before International Women’s Day, sending a message to Wall Street for the need of gender equality in the financial world, the statue has become a major attraction, drawing millions of tourists and locals.
What about the bull?

Events & Things To Do

April 20, 2018

This $29M restored 1880s mansion is one of only three townhouses left on Central Park West

Built in 1887 by local builder William Noble, this remarkable Queen Anne mansion at 248 Central Park West has been painstakingly restored by its owners in a $10 million gut renovation, with its stunning details preserved and every modern luxury–including an elevator, a 50-foot lap pool in the cellar, a top floor penthouse, a home theater and a gym. As the New York Times tells us, it's one of only three houses built in the surrounding Upper West Side historic district at the time. On the market for the first time since 2004, it's asking $29 million.
Take the grand tour

N train platform closures, D masquerading as F, and other weekend service changes

Photo via bestpicko.com/Flickr

April 20, 2018

N train platform closures, D masquerading as F, and other weekend service changes

By Hannah Frishberg

It's sad to say that the service changes planned for this weekend, despite being extensively disruptive, seem somewhat better than normal. The D train's affinity for running on the F line continues, the N has a number of platform closures, and it's apparently the R train's turn to go on a bit of a vacation from running, but otherwise there are not a ton of notable new developments. Gauge the damage for yourself below.
The whole list of changes

Transit

April 19, 2018

After regulation overhaul, Landmarks Preservation Commission head announces resignation

Photo via CityRealty Earlier this year, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) unveiled a series of new proposed rules, which the group said would streamline the application process and improve transparency. But the regulation overhaul, as 6sqft recently reported, has caused concern among preservationist groups, who fear that more oversight by LPC staff but less time for public review won't allow enough input for public opinion and limit the opportunity for testimony and comment on applications. Following a backlash from the rule change, it was announced today that LPC commissioner Meenakshi Srinivasan will step down from her post.
Find out more

Policy

Middle-income housing lottery in Bed-Stuy saves renters close to nothing

Google Street View of 867 DeKalb Avenue

April 19, 2018

Middle-income housing lottery in Bed-Stuy saves renters close to nothing

For the second time in two days, the city's affordable housing portal has opened the application process for a middle-income lottery that's basically no cheaper than the building's regular market-rate units. For example, this opportunity at 867 DeKalb Avenue, a recently constructed rental in Bed-Stuy, is offering 11 units to those earning 115, 125, and 130 percent of the area median income. The "affordable" apartments range from $2,163/month one-bedrooms to $2,716/month two-bedrooms. By comparison, the market-rate units start at $2,100 for one-bedrooms and $2,744 for two-bedrooms.
What's up with that?

Affordable Housing

April 19, 2018

Would you pay $1,000/month for this ‘dorm-style, single room’ on the Upper West Side?

For such a stereotypically well-off and elegant neighborhood, the Upper West Side certainly has its share of much-less-than-glamorous listings. A couple months ago, we featured a 68-square-foot (yes, you read that right) SRO with a communal bathroom that was asking a whopping $950 a month. Now, a similarly dismal pad has hit the market asking $1,000 a month (h/t Brick Underground)! Though the listing doesn't reveal its square footage, it does make sure to specify, "this is not a studio it is a single room" and that it has a shared bathroom. But it also is quick to gloat that the "dorm-style" home comes with a mini fridge and hot plate.
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Why Weehawken? Short commutes and NYC skyline views along the waterfront

Photo of Weehawken via Michel G’s Flickr

April 19, 2018

Why Weehawken? Short commutes and NYC skyline views along the waterfront

Lin Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical phenom Hamilton, tweeted in January that he changed three lyrics for the show’s London opening: John Adams, the Potomac River and Weehawken. According to Miranda, those words were too specific to America. According to Broadway Buzz, “Burr's proposal of a duel in ‘Your Obedient Servant’ now specifically points to New Jersey rather than the town of Weehawken. The Broadway lyric "Weehawken, dawn, guns drawn" has become ‘New Jersey, dawn, guns drawn.’” In July 1804, Alexander Hamilton was mortally wounded during a duel with Aaron Burr in Weehawken and died the following day in New York City. Tragically, Hamilton’s son was killed on the same spot three years earlier. One of the plaques in Alexander Hamilton Park describes many of the other unknown “duelists” who “all came to Weehawken to defend their honor according to the custom of the day. Located on the Hudson River, Weehawken does have a very “American” history but it should be highlighted, not diminished. Ahead, learn the ins and outs of Weehawken, from its historic waterfront parks and duel grounds to its burgeoning real estate scene.
Learn more

Real Estate Trends

April 19, 2018

Pre-war beauty in Riverside’s ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ building asks $1.8M

Morningside Heights' the Strathmore, the Bing & Bing co-op at 404 Riverside Drive designed by architects Schwartz and Gross, is so iconic that it was used as Midge and Joel's home in the 1950s period series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." The unit used as a backdrop for the show is the childhood home of architect Allegra Kochman, who also owns–and designed the interiors of–this one-bedroom beauty, now on the market for $1.825 million (h/t NYP).
See more, this way

Distinctive Homes

April 19, 2018

This $7M Nomad loft has a rock-climbing wall, spiral slide, and zip line

Tap into your inner child and imagine what features would make an ideal living space. Slide, rock wall, and zip line would most likely be the top three. Well, now your inner child and your actual child can have it all in this insanely fun and functional five-bedroom unit at 260 5th Avenue in Nomad, asking $6,995,00. Profiled previously by 6sqft, the home was envisioned by the architects at Studio DB, who created an elegant, functional and fun home that would make any family giddy from morning until night.
Get a look at all the fun

Distinctive Homes

Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s co-op in Gramercy Park hits the market for $1.5M

Photo of Jesse Tyler Ferguson via Wikimedia

April 19, 2018

Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s co-op in Gramercy Park hits the market for $1.5M

By Annie Doge

"Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson is unloading his one-bedroom co-op in Gramercy Park for $1.5 million, just over three years after buying it. The actor and his husband, Justin Mikita, picked up the pad, which has been gut-renovated, in 2015 for just over $1.23 million. The home at 200 East 16th Street is a combination of two studio units, and there's an option to buy the apartment fully furnished.
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Photo via Silverstein Properties

April 19, 2018

New looks for 3 World Trade Center ahead of June opening

Less than two weeks ago, developer Silverstein Properties released a pair of renderings of 3 World Trade Center's huge outdoor terrace, not only the first outdoor terrace in the WTC complex but the first and tallest private outdoor terrace in all of Lower Manhattan. Today, a fresh batch of views, these of the 1,079-foot-tall, 80-story building's exterior and interior, also come with a new list of superlatives. Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, 3 WTC will be the fifth tallest building in NYC, the only building in the world with a three-sided cable net wall, and the first building in the world with an annealed glass exterior.
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222 LES Tower + Lofts

222 East Broadway

Lower East Side

Art Deco romance meets 21st-century convenience

Studios starting at $799,000
1 bed starting at $1,100,000
2 beds starting at $1,955,000
3 beds starting at $2,875,000

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In partnership with Spotify, MTA releases limited number of David Bowie MetroCards

Via Spotify

April 18, 2018

In partnership with Spotify, MTA releases limited number of David Bowie MetroCards

Starting Wednesday, about 250,000 lucky commuters will be able to fly away with "Tickets to Mars," a keepsake MetroCard released by Spotify as part of its David Bowie subway takeover. The limited-edition cards feature five iconic images of the music legend from the new exhibit honoring Bowie's life at the Brooklyn Museum. The MTA stocked booths and vending machines only at Broadway-Lafayette and Bleecker Street with the special cards, and they will be randomly dispersed. Additionally, Spotify is giving New Yorkers an immersive, underground subway experience with lots of wall-sized Bowie-inspired art and special codes to listen to Bowie through the streaming service.
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Transit

Watch outdoor movies in Green-Wood Cemetery; NYC mice are crawling with never-before-seen bacteria

Green-Wood Cemetery via Wiki Commons (L); Mouse via Chris Isherwood/Flickr (R)

April 18, 2018

Watch outdoor movies in Green-Wood Cemetery; NYC mice are crawling with never-before-seen bacteria

By 6sqft

Rooftop Films announced that its Summer Series will open with a night at Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. [Bedford + Bowery] Mayor de Blasio announced a targeted rat extermination at 10 NYCHA developments that will utilize dry ice instead of poison. [WSJ] And in other rodent news, a study from Columbia finds that NYC mice carry disease-causing bacteria, antibiotic-resistant bugs […]

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150 years ago, Delmonico’s became the first restaurant to serve women unaccompanied by men

Photo of Delmonico’s in 1903; photo via Wikimedia

April 18, 2018

150 years ago, Delmonico’s became the first restaurant to serve women unaccompanied by men

Photo of Delmonico's in 1903; photo via Wikimedia Nearly five decades before women were granted the right to vote in New York State, a group of fed-up ladies decided to protest a symbolic law that prohibited them from dining in restaurants without men present. After journalist Jane Cunningham Croly was barred from entering a dinner held at the New York Press Club, she and a group of women founded Sorosis, the first professional women's club in the United States. On April 20, 1868, Croly and her crew held a luncheon at the historic Delmonico's Restaurant in the Financial District, which became the first to serve women independently of men. Following the groundbreaking meal, clubs for only women formed all over the country.
The full history ahead

New RPA report calls for combining LIRR, NJ Transit and Metro-North into one rail network

A map showing T-REX’s new crosstown connections, via RPA

April 18, 2018

New RPA report calls for combining LIRR, NJ Transit and Metro-North into one rail network

When NYC's three commuter railroads--the Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Transit, and Metro-North--were built more than a century ago when the metropolitan area was less than half its current size. Today, the systems are crumbling, both in their physical infrastructure and politics. The latest suggestion for how to fix the issues comes from a new Regional Plan Association report that wants to take advantage of the fact that these railroads "share an amalgamation of rail lines" and thereby create one integrated regional rail network. Dubbed T-REX, short for Trans-Regional Express, the 30-year, $71.4 billion proposal would add 60 new train stations and more than 200 miles of new tracks.
We break it down

April 18, 2018

For only $950K, this tiny townhouse in Stuyvesant Heights has a backyard shed and modern updates