6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

A home with an incredible, well-documented history has a unit up for rent inside its turret. The townhouse in question is 1372 Dean Street in Crown Heights. The castle-like, three-story Romanesque Revival brick residence was built in 1888 for $8,000 with a slate-shingled turret. A few years back, its seller was featured in the New York Times--she had bought the property in 1983 for $66,000 and then sold it to an investor for $1.32 million in 2013. It has since been converted to rental apartments.
The master is inside the turret

January 4, 2018

$6.95M historic West Village townhouse has a rooftop solarium with Freedom Tower views

In the middle of a lovely cobblestoned block in the coveted West Village, the five-story Federal-style townhouse at 334 West 12th Street was built in 1853, but its charms hold up against its neighbors in the Greenwich Village Historic District and beyond. Asking $6.95 million, the 20-foot-wide single-family townhouse has two entrances, five bedrooms, a rear garden that looks like something out of an Italian villa, a large south-facing terrace with views of the Freedom Tower, and its crowning jewel, a skylit solarium brimming with greenery.
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Anti-Trump financier sells Trump Palace pad for less than half of original ask

“The problem is real and will not go away anytime soon.” Image via Google Street View.

January 4, 2018

Anti-Trump financier sells Trump Palace pad for less than half of original ask

Back in June 6sqft reported on efforts by former Goldman Sachs executive Laurence Weiss, who had been trying to sell his 3,600-square-foot, four bedroom apartment at Trump Palace at 200 East 69th Street for two years, to get the building's residents to agree to ditch the Trump name. Weiss had originally asked $15 million for the Upper East Side condo and still had no buyer even at $8.9 million. The building's name remains, but Weiss has finally sold the apartment–for $7.4 million, The Real Deal reports.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

January 3, 2018

$1.2M Upper West Side co-op comes with potential to design a roof deck

This two-bedroom apartment occupies the top floor of the townhouse at 39 West 87th Street on the Upper West Side. It comes with private, undeveloped roof space accessible through an internal staircase within the apartment--meaning that the owner has a blank slate to design their dream roof deck. The co-op, decked out with historic carved wood and some quirky modern additions, has just been listed for $1.195 million.
Walk through the space

Distinctive Homes

All 471 subway stations now have countdown clocks; First Rikers jail to close this summer

Countdown clock via Wiki Commons (L); Rikers Island via Wiki Commons (R)

January 3, 2018

All 471 subway stations now have countdown clocks; First Rikers jail to close this summer

By 6sqft

Did you know today is National Returns Day? UPS says it will handle a record 1.4 million returns on Wednesday alone. [WP] After 50 years of advocacy, Prospect Park is officially car-free. [Streetsblog] All 471 subway stations now have countdown clocks, 11 years after the MTA started the project. [NYDN] Permits have been filed with the […]

Uncategorized

Lottery opens for 130 mixed-income apartments in the South Bronx, from $865/month

Rendering courtesy of Dattner Architects

January 3, 2018

Lottery opens for 130 mixed-income apartments in the South Bronx, from $865/month

A Dattner Architects-designed building at 491 Gerard Avenue in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx is now accepting applications for 130 low- and moderate-income apartments. Developed by Signature Urban Properties and Monadnock Construction, the 12-story, 136-unit building is part of a bigger mixed-use complex. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 and 90 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $865/month studio to a $1,831/month three bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

A massive 1,000-unit mixed-use project is planned right off the Coney Island boardwalk

Rendering of Coney Island North Venture via The Prusik Group

January 3, 2018

A massive 1,000-unit mixed-use project is planned right off the Coney Island boardwalk

It's slated to be a big year for Coney Island--and not just when it comes to new rides and attractions. A massive development will join the growing redevelopment of the beachfront locale, which will be home to at least four major projects totaling 2,151 units in the coming years. According to CityRealty, Taconic Investment Partners and The Prusik Group are planning to build a ground-up, mixed-use complex tentatively referred to as "Coney Island North Venture." It'll be comprised of 1,000 apartments, 80,000 square feet of office space, and 150,000 square feet of retail along Surf Avenue. The complex will join a new 42-story tower, plus a 440-unit development that will boast its very own trolley.
All the development details

New Developments

Distinctive Homes

For $3.3M, this historic Brooklyn Heights home comes with condo convenience

See inside $19.5M Dumbo penthouse, Brooklyn's most expensive condo for sale

For $6.9M, this Scarsdale mansion is a true 21st-century estate

Keke Palmer lists her Williamsburg penthouse for $3M

Andy Warhol's 1960s Upper East Side home is for rent asking $22K a month

New year, new $10M Greenwich Village loft

This $839K co-op in an Upper West Side mansion has a presidential connection

6sqft’s top ‘distinctive homes’ of 2024

Bob Dylan's former Turtle Bay home asks $7.25M

For $1.5M, get (way) off the grid in Gilded Age style on your own private island in Alexandria Bay

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INTERVIEW: Legendary architect Beverly Willis on gender equity in the building and design industry

Photo of Beverly Willis courtesy of BWAF; photo of the San Francisco Ballet Building courtesy of Wikimedia

January 3, 2018

INTERVIEW: Legendary architect Beverly Willis on gender equity in the building and design industry

Throughout her more than 70-year-career, Beverly Willis has made an impact on nearly every aspect of the architecture industry. Willis, who began her professional career as a fresco painter, is credited with pioneering the adaptive reuse construction of historic buildings. She also introduced computerized programming into large-scale land planning and created a permanent prototype for buildings designed exclusively for ballet, with the San Francisco Ballet Building, one of her most iconic and enduring projects. As a woman in the building industry during the middle of the 20th century, and without any formal architectural training, Willis faced barriers that her male co-workers did not. After decades of success, instead of retiring Willis, founded the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF), aimed at shining a light on women architects who were left out of the history books. In 2017, BWAF launched a website, "Pioneering Women of American Architecture," that profiles 50 women who made significant contributions to the field. Ahead, architect Beverly Willis talks with 6sqft about how she became a pioneer in the field, the goals of her foundation and her continued push for gender equity in architecture, and beyond, through education and research.
More this way

De Blasio announces $50M initiative to add 1,500 new security bollards

Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City’s Security Infrastructure Working Group making the announcement at the Times Square pedestrian plaza. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

January 3, 2018

De Blasio announces $50M initiative to add 1,500 new security bollards

Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City’s Security Infrastructure Working Group making the announcement at the Times Square pedestrian plaza. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. In an effort to better prevent vehicular terror attacks in New York City, officials on Tuesday unveiled plans to add 1,500 permanent bollards, or barriers, in high-profile areas. “These bollards will […]

Uncategorized

Cuomo asks MTA to study possible subway extension from Manhattan to Red Hook

Red Hook waterfront, photo via Sunghwan Yoon on Flickr

January 3, 2018

Cuomo asks MTA to study possible subway extension from Manhattan to Red Hook

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday to study a possible extension of subway service from Lower Manhattan to a new station in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook. In addition to expanding transit options, the governor is also asking the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to consolidate maritime operations by relocating them to Sunset Park, as a way to free up space for community activities. The revitalization of Red Hook is Cuomo's 21st proposal expected to be delivered in his 2018 State of the State address on Wednesday.
Find out more

January 3, 2018

Views from this charming top-floor Windsor Terrace co-op might just be worth the walk up–and $700K

With an elegant old-New York name to match the pre-war apartments within, the Algonquin at 175 Prospect Park SW occupies a fortunate spot across from the park in Windsor Terrace. This bright two-bedroom co-op offers the kind of sunset views and sunny mornings you get from being on the top floor, though unfortunately there's no elevator to get there.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

January 2, 2018

Michelin star chef David Bouley lists French-inspired Tribeca duplex for $5.5M

By Annie Doge

Michelin star chef David Bouley has been a fixture in Tribeca since 1987 when he opened his famed French restaurant Bouley at 161 Duane Street. He later opened Bouley Bakery, Danube, Brushstroke, and Botanical in the neighborhood and even bought an apartment in the same building as his namesake restaurant in 2007. The restaurant closed its doors this past summer, and now it looks like Bouley himself is also looking to exit the building, as he just listed his sprawling, rustic duplex for $5.5 million. The biggest selling point? The woodburning fireplace was built with 17th-century stone from the same quarry used to construct Chateau de Versailles.
Take a look around

January 2, 2018

Designer couple transforms a landmarked Williamsburg schoolhouse into a modern abode

Keren and Thomas Richter, the founders of Brooklyn-based design studio White Arrow, designed and renovated the top floor of a 1800s schoolhouse in South Williamsburg, converting the landmarked loft into a light-filled home. After purchasing the home in 2010, the couple reimagined the home with custom Victorian millwork, as well as salvaged doors, hardware, antique earthenware sinks and claw foot tubs. Known as the Historic Schoolhouse, the red-bricked building was designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2013.
See inside

NYC to stay below-freezing until at least Monday

Photo via Pixabay

January 2, 2018

NYC to stay below-freezing until at least Monday

If you’re already over the bitterly cold weather that accompanied the dawn of 2018, you may want to brace yourself. It’s going to be here for at least the next seven days. According to the National Weather Service, below-freezing temperatures are expected to remain throughout the New York City region until Monday, when we should […]

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Five chances to live near Columbia’s Manhattanville campus from $950/month

Photo of 517 West 134th Street via CityRealty

January 2, 2018

Five chances to live near Columbia’s Manhattanville campus from $950/month

Applications are now being accepted for five affordable units at 517 West 134th Street, in the burgeoning Manhattan neighborhood of West Harlem. Developed by KP Developers, the eight-story building sits between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway, near Columbia University's Manhattanville Campus. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for four $950/month one-bedrooms and one $1,050/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

January 2, 2018

The evolution of Hudson Square: From the Printing District to ‘affordable’ luxury

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Hudson Square is undergoing another transformation. The neighborhood was once known as the Printing District because of the printing companies attracted to the large concrete and steel factory buildings located close to their Wall Street clients. In the 1970s and ‘80s, technology and design companies replaced the printing industry, attracted by the architecture, location, transportation options, and affordable rents. But the area is once again evolving. This time it's experiencing a boom of what developers and realtors call “affordable luxury" condominiums (in the $1 - $2 million range) due to the largest privately-initiated rezoning efforts in the history of New York City. Not only is the neighborhood growing in height and residences but a large fund has been set aside to increase the neighborhood's commercial mix, greenery, and traffic flow.
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Battle heats up over East Harlem park where a 760-foot tower is planned

Located on Second Avenue between East 96th Street and East 97th Street, the Marx Brothers Playground boasts a jungle gym and ball fields spread out over 1.5 acres. The East Harlem green space, which first opened in 1947 on land formerly occupied by the car barn of the Second Avenue Railway, has found itself at the center of a debate between preservationists and developers. As the New York Times reported, park advocates and city officials disagree on whether the parcel is considered a park or a playground. If it's a park, any plans to modify it require the approval from the State Legislature and the governor; playgrounds do not. While it seems irrelevant, the categorization of the land will determine whether a 68-story mixed-use tower will rise on its site, a project backed by city officials and affordable housing advocates.
More this way

Gateway tunnel project faces another roadblock from the Trump administration

Photo via The Gateway Program Development Corporation

January 2, 2018

Gateway tunnel project faces another roadblock from the Trump administration

The multi-billion-dollar plan to build a second rail tunnel under the Hudson River and fix the deteriorating existing one has hit another setback after President Donald Trump's administration said on Friday it would not fund half of the project. As Crain's first reported, the Federal Transit Administration wrote a letter to Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie in response to their revised plan to fund $5.5 billion of the $12.7 billion project. A top FTA official said the administration would not recognize the prior deal made between President Barack Obama and the states, calling it "a non-existent '50/50' agreement between USDOT, New York, and New Jersey."
Find out more

January 2, 2018

This $28.75M Upper East Side townhouse is seven floors of wow factor, plus a roof terrace

The listing for this 10,000-square-foot townhouse at 51 East 80th Street calls it an "inspirational brownstone oasis," and for mere mortals who aren't planning to acquire a $28.75 million home, it's inspirational living at its finest. The 1883 Upper East Side residence recently received a thoroughly modern renovation that elevated the home's historic charm to "wow" levels.
Take the grand tour

Distinctive Homes

December 29, 2017

What to expect in the 2018 NYC real estate market

2017 kicked off in the face of great uncertainty regarding how a former New York real estate developer in the White House would affect New York real estate. Despite a tumultuous year of politics, the city chugged along with new development, construction ranging from affordable to luxury projects, and record-setting prices for the residential market. […]

Real Estate Trends

December 29, 2017

A duplex in a historic Brooklyn Heights townhouse with a private garden asks $10K/month

Located just minutes from the Brooklyn waterfront, a duplex in a townhouse at 164 Hicks Street has hit the rental market for $10,000 per month. The Brooklyn Heights home boasts three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an exclusive outdoor garden. Pre-war details include extra high ceilings and a working woodburning fireplace. According to the listing, the rental can come furnished between 1 and 12 months and there is an additional $200 per week cleaning fee.
Take a peek at the pre-war gem

Distinctive Homes

Why do transit projects in NYC cost more than anywhere else in the world?

Construction workers giving a tour of the Second Avenue subway in 2015, photo via the MTA on Flickr

December 29, 2017

Why do transit projects in NYC cost more than anywhere else in the world?

Even as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has cut costs on basic maintenance, they have allowed trade unions, construction companies and consulting firms to negotiate exorbitant deals on transit projects, with little intervention from officials. According to an investigation by the New York Times, labor unions have secured deals requiring construction sites be staffed as many as four times more workers than anywhere else in the world. Construction companies have increased their projected costs by up to 50 percent when bidding for work from the MTA and consulting firms have convinced the authority to spend an excessive amount on design and management. Caught up in the bureaucracy of the industry, neither public officials nor the authority have attempted to contain the spending.
Find out more

The Urban Lens: Abandonment and decay along the 1970s Greenwich Village waterfront

Abandoned buildings along the Christopher Street Pier. Ca. 1974. © Jack Dowling Collection for GVSHP.

December 29, 2017

The Urban Lens: Abandonment and decay along the 1970s Greenwich Village waterfront

By Hannah Frishberg

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation shares a collection of archival images by Jack Dowling that documents the crumbling piers of Greenwich Village in the 1970s. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. The fetid smell of rotted wood and the Hudson River nearly rises from these photos of the sorry state of Greenwich Village's collapsing piers in the 1970s. The contrast is stark between the neighborhood's disinvested, abandonment, pictured here, and its current culture of high rents and pricey coffee shops. Among New York City's main concerns when photographer Jack Dowling created, "Decay and Rebirth Along the Greenwich Village Waterfront in the 1970s," were its murder rate and the looming threat of bankruptcy when these photos have taken; the city as a whole has changed drastically in the decades since.
The visible difference from the present is astounding

December 29, 2017

Philanthropist’s condo at 15 Central Park West sells for $8.5M under ask

Robert A.M. Stern's 15 Central Park West may be New York City's most expensive condo, but that didn't help financier and philanthropist (and onetime president of the building's board) Jeffrey C. Walker and his wife Suzanne in selling their four-bedroom pad there. They listed the unit for $38 million in March of this year, but it just closed for the considerably lower amount of $29.5 million (The buyer, as public records show, is hidden behind the title "Ciel CPW LLC"). Lucky for the Walkers, though, they paid a little over $21 million for the pad back in 2007, so they've still made a nice little profit.
It boasts Central Park views and a wine cellar

Real Estate Trends

December 29, 2017

December 29, 1947 was the subway’s most crowded day ever

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

After battling the mad crush of pre-holiday shoppers on city sidewalks, frenzied honking and general rudeness on streets and highways and endless airport queues, it's a little scary to think the worst might be still to come in the normally quiet days between Christmas and New Year's Eve–and on the subway, no less. The New York City subway system racks up 1.8 billion rides a year. The average ridership tally in 2015 was 5.7 million people daily; that number is the highest it's been since 1948. The New York Times tells us, though, that the actual record-setting day for subway rides was December 29, 1947, when a staggering 8,533,468 riders were counted. So, what drove so many into the subway's multitudinous depths?
Find out more

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

The 6 best furniture rental companies 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

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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

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Subway, LIRR, and Metro-North all to have extended service this New Year’s weekend

Photo by Anthony Quintano/Flickr

December 29, 2017

Subway, LIRR, and Metro-North all to have extended service this New Year’s weekend

By Hannah Frishberg

The year comes to an end on Sunday, and to keep up with the masses eager to celebrate in New York, the MTA has announced additional trains across its transit operations. Read on for the extent of added service this weekend, as well as changes related to the Times Square festivities.
All that right here

Transit

December 28, 2017

65th-floor unit at 432 Park changes hands for the third time in a year-and-a-half

The end of 2017 has seen a lot of record-setting headlines for 432 Park Avenue, namely the $91 million, three-penthouse sale that was the city's most expensive all year. And a sale at the supertall that came through city property records today makes it clear that there's no sign of slowing down. Unit 65A, a half-floor, three-bedroom spread, first sold in June of 2016 for $27 million to an anonymous LLC dubbed "432 Holdings LLC." This past September, the building's developers CIM Group and Macklowe Properties bought back the apartment for $27.9 million in a presumed attempt to let the seller buy a larger unit in the building. As The Real Deal reported, the seller did just that, upgrading to an 80th-floor unit that cost $39 million. But as of today, the developers have all but made their money back, as the 65th-floor residence sold yet again for $26.4 million to another LLC called "Mallow Enterprises."
READ MORE

Real Estate Trends

Founder of #MeToo movement chosen to drop Times Square ball on New Year’s Eve

Photo via Wiki Commons

December 28, 2017

Founder of #MeToo movement chosen to drop Times Square ball on New Year’s Eve

The #MeToo “silence breakers” have the designation of being Time magazine’s most influential “person” of 2017, and now, the movement’s founder, Tarana Burke, will usher in the new year live from Times Square. Burke, who began the Me Too movement a decade ago, will push the ceremonial Waterford crystal button to signal the ball drop, which […]

Uncategorized

The biggest celebrity move-ins of 2017; Get free tickets to de Blasio’s inaugural ceremony

Via CityRealty (L); Via Office of the Mayor (R)

December 28, 2017

The biggest celebrity move-ins of 2017; Get free tickets to de Blasio’s inaugural ceremony

By 6sqft

These celebs spent the most on NYC homes this year. [CityRealty] “How I Met Your Mother” actress Cobie Smulders drops the price of her Battery Park City penthouse. [NYP] Here are 25 Brooklyn New Year’s Eve parties to help you welcome 2018. [Brokelyn] If you’re willing to brave the cold at City Hall Plaza, you can […]

Uncategorized

VIDEO: Travel back to 1904 for the first New Year’s Eve in Times Square

A crowd in Times Square; screenshot via TheLazyCowOnUTube

December 28, 2017

VIDEO: Travel back to 1904 for the first New Year’s Eve in Times Square

In 1904, the New York Times moved from the City Hall are to the triangular piece of land at the intersection of 7th Avenue, Broadway, and 42nd Street. People thought they were crazy for moving so far uptown, but this was the same year the first subway line opened, passing through what was then called Longacre Square. Not only did their new Times Tower have a printing press in the basement (they loaded the daily papers right onto the train and got the news out faster than other papers), but it was the second-tallest building in the city at the time. To honor this accolade, the company wanted to take over the city's former New Year's Eve celebration at Trinity Church, and since the church elders hated people getting drunk on their property, they gladly obliged. So to ring in 1905, the Times hosted an all-day bash of 200,000 people that culminated in a midnight fireworks display, and thus the first New Year's Eve in Times Square was born. But it wasn't until a few years later that the famous ball drop became tradition.
Get the full history in this video

For the ninth consecutive year, Dunkin’ Donuts ranks as NYC’s largest national retailer

Dunkin’ Donuts, photo courtesy of Robert S on Flickr

December 28, 2017

For the ninth consecutive year, Dunkin’ Donuts ranks as NYC’s largest national retailer

New Yorkers really do run on Dunkin'. According to a report from the Center for an Urban Future, beloved national coffee and donut chain, Dunkin' Donuts, has the most stores of any chain in New York City, with 612 stores total, a net increase of 16 stores in 2016 and 271 stores since 2008. In their tenth annual ranking, CUF's report found that the number of national retailers in the city increased by 1.8 percent from last year, with food retailers and restaurants showing the strongest growth. New to the list and ranking second is cell-phone store MetroPCS, which now has 445 stores citywide, adding a whopping 119 locations in the past year. Following Dunkin', Subway is the most popular fast-food chain in each of the boroughs, with a total 317 stores.
Find out more

December 28, 2017

Sen. Jacob Javits’ former Sutton Place co-op sells for $4.4M

After first hitting the market in June for roughly $5.2 million, the former Sutton Place home of influential New York senator, Jacob Javits and his wife Marian, has found a buyer. Last listed for $4.35 million, the three-bedroom co-op at 322 East 57th Street was designed in 1933 by Joseph Urban, an architect known for his Art Deco style. According to the New York Post, Javits entertained socialites and political players, like Henry Kissinger, in his spacious 3,300 square foot duplex.
Check out the glass cube

Nuclear fallout shelter signs being removed around the city

Photo via Wiki Commons

December 28, 2017

Nuclear fallout shelter signs being removed around the city

New York City has started taking down the yellow nuclear fallout shelter signs slapped on thousands of buildings across the city in the 1960s. According to AM New York, city officials believe these metal black-and-yellow signs "are misleading Cold War relics that no longer denote functional shelters." But back in the '60s, they were considered emblematic of the era. President John F. Kennedy created a shelter program in 1961 across U.S. cities as anxieties grew high over the nuclear arms race between the United States and the former Soviet Union. By 1963, an estimated 18,000 shelters had been designated across the five boroughs, and the Department of Defense had plans to add another 34,000 shelters citywide. Most were no more than basements marked by an official government sign--and now the remnants of such signs are coming down.
Read more history of New York's fallout shelters

Off New York’s coast, ‘Just Room Enough Island’ fits only one house and a tree

‘Just Room Enough Island’ photo via Wikipedia

December 27, 2017

Off New York’s coast, ‘Just Room Enough Island’ fits only one house and a tree

An island located in the Saint Lawrence River between Canada and the United States takes the meaning of a privacy to a whole new, but tiny, level. Adorably and accurately called "Just Room Enough Island," the speck of land is considered the world's smallest inhabited island. The site, also known as Hub Island, was purchased in the 1950s by a wealthy family, the Sizelands, who were looking to build a vacation home. It contains a single house, a tree shrubs and chairs that are placed right on the cozy island's edge (h/t Atlas Obscura).
See the tiny retreat

Architecture And Design

How to get rid of your Christmas tree; A walking guide for tourists

Via Public Domain Pictures (L); Via Ed Yourdon/Flickr (R)

December 27, 2017

How to get rid of your Christmas tree; A walking guide for tourists

By 6sqft

Here’s a guide to disposing or recycling your Christmas tree. [NYDN] “Parking Under the Mistletoe” is a photo series that showcases the holiday decorations of NYC’s parking garages. [CityLab] Meet some of the 1,500 short- and longer-term residents who live in the 92nd Street Y’s dorm-style housing. [NYT] Chelsea’s famous “hugging dog” and her owner lost […]

Uncategorized

Construction suspended at the World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas Shrine amid financial woes

Photo courtesy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

December 27, 2017

Construction suspended at the World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas Shrine amid financial woes

Construction company Skanska USA stopped work at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church this month after the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America failed to make payments on the project. The cost of rebuilding the church, which was destroyed in the terror attacks on 9/11 more than sixteen years ago, increased to an estimated $78 million from a 2013 estimate of $20 million. While the archdiocese raised $37 million in donations, it was still unable to pay its bills, prompting an independent investigation of the church's financial mismanagement, as the New York Times reported. Since learning of its deficit, the archdiocese has cut 25 percent of its staff and 25 percent of its expenses. A new treasurer and a chief financial officer have also been hired.
More this way

New Developments

Where I Work: Artistic duo Strosberg Mandel show off their Soho studio and glam portraits

David Mandel (L) and Serge Strosberg (R) in their studio, photo by James and Karla Murray

December 27, 2017

Where I Work: Artistic duo Strosberg Mandel show off their Soho studio and glam portraits

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring artistic duo Strosberg Mandel's Soho studio.Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! Last year, Belgian-American figurative painter Serge Strosberg had an exhibit about feminism in the East Village. The show's curator introduced him to David Mandel, a theatrical stylist, jewelry designer, and former drag queen. Though the two came from very different artistic backgrounds, they immediately hit it off on both a personal and professional level. Fast forward to today, and they've formed the NYC-based artistic duo Strosberg Mandel, creating large-scale assemblage portraits--mostly of rock n' roll icons such as Prince, David Bowie, Elvis, and Cher--using found materials and glamorous add-ons like Swarovski diamonds and luxury fabrics. In anticipation of their upcoming debut solo exhibition "Troubadours of Eternity" at Lichtundfire from January 24th to February 4th, in which they'll unveil the full portrait series as "a celebration of authentic musicianship and timeless spirits," Serge and David invited us into their Soho studio to get an advanced preview of the pieces and learn about their unique work and partnership.
Tour the studio and hear from David and Serge

Should Uber and Lyft riders pay a fee for clogging Manhattan’s busiest streets?

Traffic in NYC, photo via joiseyshowaa on Flickr

December 27, 2017

Should Uber and Lyft riders pay a fee for clogging Manhattan’s busiest streets?

As New York City’s failure-prone subway system continues to disappoint, some commuters are turning to ride-hailing services like Uber or Lyft to reach their destinations instead. While getting picked up by a car is easy, especially in the busiest areas of Manhattan, the bumper-to-bumper traffic makes getting anywhere actually more difficult. A report released by Bruce Schaller, a former deputy city transportation commissioner, found that one-third of ride-hailing cars and yellow cabs are often driving on the city's most congested blocks without any passengers, creating unnecessary traffic (h/t New York Times). As a way to reduce car congestion, officials are considering a new fee on for-hire vehicles, possibly a way to raise money for the strapped-for-cash MTA.
Find out more

December 27, 2017

Greta Garbo fans buy the actress’ longtime Sutton Place co-op for $2.5M over ask

This sprawling three-bedroom at the exclusive Sutton Place co-op The Campanile may have a private location, incredible East River views, and old-world details such as wall-to-wall pine wood paneling, working fireplaces, and tons of built-ins, but it was its longtime resident who encited a bidding war. Mansion Global reports that Greta Garbo's longtime home (she lived there from 1954 until her death in 1990) has sold for $8.5 million, 43 percent higher than the $5.95 million it listed for back in March. The late actress' great-nephew Craig Reisfield said the buyers have “a reverence for my great aunt” and added that he anticipates them being "great stewards" of the home that's very much intact from Garbo's days.
See the high-end apartment here

ODA Architects reveal renderings for Crown Heights hotel with arched patio and floating gardens

Proposed renderings courtesy of ODA Architects

December 27, 2017

ODA Architects reveal renderings for Crown Heights hotel with arched patio and floating gardens

Perhaps piggybacking on the positive reaction to their Rheingold Brewery project, ODA Architects have revealed renderings for another Brooklyn project with a central courtyard, sloping green roof, and stepped terraces. First spotted by CityRealty, the proposed views depict the Bedford Hotel at 1550 Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights, a five-story, 100-key development at 1550 Bedford Avenue. And according to plans submitted to the DOB, there will be a rooftop bar and a banquet hall and retail/restaurant spaces on the ground floor.
More details and renderings ahead

According to the NYPL, New Yorkers loved social justice books in 2017

The New York Public Library’s Rose Main Reading Room, via ponafotkas/Flickr

December 26, 2017

According to the NYPL, New Yorkers loved social justice books in 2017

New York City, you’re a woke town according to the public library’s year-end tally of popular books. “Between the World and Me,” the award-winning bestseller by Ta-Nehisi Coates, was the most checked-out book of 2017 after debuting at No. 2 last year. The social justice theme holds for several more entries on the list. At […]

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Designer Sarah Magness shares her top tips for New Year’s entertaining

Magness Design’s James Bond-themed lounge at Holiday House, via Costas Picadas

December 26, 2017

Designer Sarah Magness shares her top tips for New Year’s entertaining

'Tis the season for entertaining, but if you're tired of the old standbys like pigs-in-a-blanket and playing Cards Against Humanity, interior designer Sarah Magness has some great tips on how to class things up and "entertain like Bond this holiday season." Sarah and her firm Magness Design recently worked with Italian furniture brand Promemoria on a masculine, Casino Royal- and James Bond-themed lounge at the Holiday House designer show house (more on that here). From investing in some key party pieces to taking the bar to the next level, Sarah's ideas will have you hosting like a pro.
Get the tips here

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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Winters during 19th century New York were so cold, the East River froze over

Crossing the East River on the ice bridge (1871) via NYPL

December 26, 2017

Winters during 19th century New York were so cold, the East River froze over

While New York City is getting hit by a blast of arctic temperatures this week, New Yorkers of the mid- and late-1800s experienced even colder conditions. During the 19th century, the East River froze over at least seven times, shutting down the Brooklyn Bridge and preventing any ferries from crossing over. But, like today’s New Yorkers, the frozen river never stopped commuters from reaching their destinations. Instead of staying home, people would walk across the frozen East River, skating and slipping along their way.
More this way

History

December 26, 2017

Office of Architecture replaced walls with walnut cabinetry and sliding doors in this Tribeca reno

Who needs walls in a large, lofty apartment when you can utilize great design instead? That was the thinking behind this Tribeca apartment renovation, spearheaded by the Brooklyn-based firm Office of Architecture. Walls were taken down to make space for walnut cabinetry, sliding doors, and industrial steel columns. The idea was to open up the living areas and bring in as much natural light as possible--and the resulting 3,000-square-foot apartment is quite stunning and livable.
Take the grand tour

December 22, 2017

Anthony Bourdain cancels plans for food market at Google’s Pier 57

Despite hyping up his massive Singapore street hawker-style food hall and retail market at Google's Pier 57 development since 2015, Anthony Bourdain announced today that he won't be moving forward with the project, reports Eater. Back in March, his partner and CEO of what was dubbed Bourdain Market stepped down. At the same time, it was learned that they'd yet to sign a lease, both of which made the 2019 opening seem like a stretch. In a statement, Bourdain said, "It seems increasingly clear that in spite of my best efforts, the stars may not align at Pier 57 which is an especially complicated site for which we still do not have a lease."
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Real Estate Trends

‘Food for All’ app partners with local eateries to offer their surplus food at a cheaper price

Photo via Food for All on Twitter

December 22, 2017

‘Food for All’ app partners with local eateries to offer their surplus food at a cheaper price

When you’re hungry in New York City, there’s no short supply of eateries, from the corner bodega for a quick sandwich to the Michelin-rated restaurants revered worldwide. Unfortunately, those options may not actually be accessible to everybody living here, whether high-end restaurants just aren’t in your budget or if you’re one of the 1.3 million […]

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December 22, 2017

Celebrity chef Adeena Sussman lists her Central Park West co-op for $800K