6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

6sqft reported last year that the Amagansett home at 45 Whalers Lane, featured in Seinfeld's unforgettable "ugly baby" episode—also known as "The Hamptons!"—was for sale, asking $8.75 million. Now, according to Curbed, the 4,000- square-foot Hamptons estate with sweeping oceanfront views that helped introduce the term "shrinkage" into modern day vernacular has just sold for a somehow-appropriate $5.725 million–about $3 million less than its original ask.
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Lottery opens for 140 affordable units at Greenpoint’s tallest tower, from $613/month

Renderings of The Greenpoint courtesy of Neoscape

January 17, 2018

Lottery opens for 140 affordable units at Greenpoint’s tallest tower, from $613/month

Applications are now being accepted for 140 affordable units at The Greenpoint, the neighborhood's first skyscraper and current tallest building. The 40-story residential building, located on the Brooklyn waterfront at 23 India Street, boasts amenities like a bike room, sports court, children's playroom, outdoor entertainment space, fitness center, a public promenade and more. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for affordable apartments ranging from a $613/month studio to a $1,230/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

January 17, 2018

‘Parisian style’ short-term rental in Greenwich Village asks $5,000/month

For a short-term rental option, this one-bedroom apartment with some Parisian style in Greenwich Village is up for rent. What's so French-feeling about the space? 12-foot ceilings, beautiful crown moldings, large arched framed windows and some classy decor and art. The $5,000/month pad is available for between one and six months, according to the listing. It's on the second floor of the walk-up building at 2 East 12th Street, just east of Fifth Avenue.
Check it out inside

Distinctive Homes

South Bronx complex with 1,045 housing units and nation’s first Hip-Hop museum gets new rendering

Rendering of Bronx Point courtesy of S9 Architecture

January 17, 2018

South Bronx complex with 1,045 housing units and nation’s first Hip-Hop museum gets new rendering

A new rendering of Bronx Point, a mixed-use development planned for the South Bronx waterfront, has been unveiled, providing a closer look at L+M Development Partner and Type A Projects' plan to bring over 1,000 units of housing, a food hall and the country's first brick-and-mortar museum designated to Hip-Hop to the neighborhood. As YIMBY reported, the housing will be delivered in two phases, with the first bringing 600 units of permanent affordable public housing by 2022. The second phase is expected to wrap up about three years after the first. Designed by S9 Architecture, the complex will include a new waterfront esplanade, state-of-the-art multiplex theater, flashy outdoor performance area and educational spaces.
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Rental fraud 101: How to keep yourself and your money safe

Photo via Pixabay

January 17, 2018

Rental fraud 101: How to keep yourself and your money safe

By Matt Hutchinson

January is a busy month for renters across the U.S., described by one broker as the "oasis month" in an otherwise dead stretch between October and the spring. People make big life-changing decisions at the New Year, which often means moving – plus there’s the backlog of renters who put off sorting their living situation over the holiday season who are all entering the market at once in the first week of January. New York’s rental market is estimated to be worth over $700 million in rent and over $44 million in deposits in January alone. With so much money changing hands, it means renters are an attractive target for scammers and fraudsters. Thankfully, rental fraud is rare, but a little knowledge goes a long way. So if you’re entering the rental market after the holidays, here are three things you can do to keep yourself (and your money) safe.
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Bruce Willis lists striking six-bedroom Central Park West home for $18M

Photo of Bruce Willis via Wikimedia

January 17, 2018

Bruce Willis lists striking six-bedroom Central Park West home for $18M

By Annie Doge

Actor Bruce Willis and his wife Emma have listed their six-bedroom apartment at 271 Central Park West for $17.75 million. The spacious, 6,000-square-foot apartment boasts 4.5 bathrooms, a library and 150 feet of Central Park footage. According to Mansion Global, the couple decided to sell their apartment, which they first purchased for nearly $17 million in 2015, because they need to spend more time together. Although the duo is leaving Manhattan to possibly relax at their home in Bedford Hills, Willis said he'll keep loving the Uptown neighborhood. "I’ll always be an Upper West Side guy. I’ve been living up here on and off since the ‘70s," he said in a statement.
See the sprawling Central Park space

Photo of Fairway on the Red Hook waterfront, via CityRealty

January 17, 2018

Red Hook’s revitalization: Will transit and development proposals change the small community?

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

The story of Red Hook is ripe for a movie-rights bidding war. In the past, there were mobsters and maritime ports, hurricanes and housing developments. Now there are politicians and developers fighting to rebuild and locals fighting back. In the end, what will happen to Red Hook is unknown but none of the massive proposals will happen in the near future. It is a small community in a big city that is tackling the issue many neighborhoods have dealt with in the past - how to grow. After the massive Hurricane Sandy rebuilding effort, there is a very solid and passionate local population and a growing cluster of cool restaurants, retailers, and artists attracted to the area. That coupled with the recent political attention by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio and the developers drooling over the possibilities of the 130 acres of land ripe for redevelopment (that’s six times the size of the $25 billion Hudson Yards development) make Red Hook very newsworthy.
Transportation, development, and more

Cuomo’s proposed MTA budget requires more funding from New York City

Photo of Cuomo via the governor’s Flickr

January 17, 2018

Cuomo’s proposed MTA budget requires more funding from New York City

Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled on Tuesday his proposed $168 billion FY 2019 executive budget, aimed mostly at raising revenue and protecting New York taxpayers from future federal cuts with a possible restructuring of the state's tax code. “Washington hit a button and launched an economic missile and it says ‘New York’ on it, and it’s headed our way,” Cuomo said. “You know what my recommendation is? Get out of the way.” While the governor's budget clearly targets President Trump and his administration, it appears to impose more financial responsibility on Mayor Bill de Blasio as well, according to Politico New York. The budget includes three provisions that require the city to increase their funding of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, including making City Hall pay half of the authority's $836 million emergency action plan. So far, de Blasio has refused to provide any additional funds to the MTA.
Find out more

Distinctive Homes

Turn this $6.9M Brooklyn Heights three-family townhouse into an urban mansion with original details galore

A celebrated artist's Upper East Side co-op asks $4.75 million

Doors of steel and glass make this $3M Soho loft feel like a box of light

This $4.5M Sutton Place penthouse has a wraparound terrace and a literary pedigree

Trump's childhood home in Queens back on the market for $2.3M after gut renovation

For $950K, a condo with a terrace that puts the 'green' in Greenpoint

$22M Cobble Hill brownstone is five floors of architectural perfection, from the wine cellar to the rooftop deck

For $825K, a sweet South Slope co-op near Prospect Park

For $4M, East Village living, penthouse-style

World's highest duplex lists for $128M at Central Park Tower

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January 17, 2018

For $1.3M, this South Slope duplex has lots of options and a private patio

Just a block from Prospect Park in laid-back south Park Slope, this cozy two-bedroom (officially) at 497 12th Street gives you two distinct living areas, several bedroom options, and a sweet private garden. The parlor-and-ground-level duplex is a condominium, which allows for even more options in a high-rent neighborhood. Asking $1.299 million, the apartment has been renovated, but it retains plenty of warmth and pre-war detail including tin ceilings, exposed brick, decorative moldings and original pine floors.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

New middle-income lottery launches at Stuyvesant Town with apartments from $2,889 a month

Stuyvesant Town via StuyTown Property Services

January 17, 2018

New middle-income lottery launches at Stuyvesant Town with apartments from $2,889 a month

A new housing lottery has just been launched at Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village. Households earning $86,670-$170,115/year are eligible to apply for one-bedrooms for $2,889/month and two-bedrooms for $3,543/month. Those who applied last year don't need to apply again; their names are already on a waiting list–though it's likely a long one; 6sqft previously noted that a 2016 waitlist for the downtown apartment complex stretched to 15,000 people. The deadline to apply for the new lottery is February 21, 2018.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

Could legalizing marijuana be the state’s solution to fixing the NYC subway?

Photo via Dan Phiffer’s Flickr

January 16, 2018

Could legalizing marijuana be the state’s solution to fixing the NYC subway?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to present the state legislature this week with ways to fund the financially troubled Metropolitan Transportation Authority. On Tuesday, he released his $168 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year 2019, which includes a proposal for charging vehicles for driving in the busiest areas of Manhattan during peak hours, with the money raised going to mass transit. According to the Daily News, a Republican gubernatorial candidate has a different idea. Joel Giambra, a former Erie County executive who announced his bid for governor last week, said he wants to legalize marijuana to fund the city's desperately-needed transit repairs.
Find out more

Image via Clouds Architecture Office, Analemma, 2017

January 16, 2018

Win a pair of tickets to the 92Y’s starchitect-studded ‘City of Tomorrow’ Summit

By 6sqft

After a highly successful inaugural year, the 92nd Y and Hundred Stories PR has announced the return of "City of Tomorrow: Real Estate, Architecture & Design Summit." The two-day conference brings together today's foremost architects, real estate developers, and design innovators to "explore new departures, trends, and initiatives for the NYC landscape." This year's 50+ speaker lineup includes architects such as Robert A.M. Stern, Daniel Libeskind, and Billie Tsien, interior designers Anthony Baratta, Ken Fulk, and Ghislaine Viñas, and developers Ziel Feldman of HFZ Capital Group and Ken Horn of Alchemy Properties. The group will discuss everything from adaptive reuse to the future of Penn Station and will provide a first-hand account of some of NYC's most anticipated projects, including Hudson Yards' sculpture The Vessel, the Lowline, and Pier 17. 6sqft has teamed up with the 92nd Y and Hundred Stories to offer one lucky reader a pair of tickets to the conference--worth $200!
Find out how to enter

Events & Things To Do

Travel along the historic trails of Lower Manhattan with this interactive map

Courtesy of the Skyscraper Museum

January 16, 2018

Travel along the historic trails of Lower Manhattan with this interactive map

The Skyscraper Museum has released a new interactive web project and digital archive called Heritage Trails New York, which revives a landmark history project from 1997. Heritage Trails focuses on the historic blocks of Lower Manhattan, from the Battery to the African Burial Ground and Foley Square, stretching from the Hudson River to the South Street Seaport. The updated map expands on the original, which was designed by architect Richard D. Kaplan, by letting users more easily follow along with the dotted path via smartphone or computer.
Explore the map here

History

January 16, 2018

Colorful Gramercy loft with 17 windows and a private elevator entry asks $5.5M

The interior of this full-floor Gramercy loft is popping with color, made all the more brilliant by the light streaming through the apartment's 17 windows. It takes up an entire floor of the cooperative at 105 East 16th Street, spanning 4,100 square feet. The private elevator entrance opens up to an expansive living and dining area, while the flexible floor plan holds three bedrooms but could accomidate four.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

New York City secured 24,500 affordable housing units last year, setting new record

Photo courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

January 16, 2018

New York City secured 24,500 affordable housing units last year, setting new record

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday announced another record-breaking affordable housing milestone: the city financed more than 24,500 affordable homes in 2017, the highest number in nearly three decades. Over the past four years, the de Blasio administration has created or preserved more than 87,500 affordable housing units, on pace to meet the city's goal of 300,000 units by 2026. Under "Housing New York 2.0," which the mayor unveiled in October, 25,000 affordable apartments will be secured each year until 2021. About half of the homes are set aside for individuals making $33,400 annually or $43,000 annually for a family of three.
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January 16, 2018

Arts and Crafts meets Japanese style at this $3.1M Gramercy co-op

For a modern apartment with plenty of customized elements, look no further than this cooperative at 112 East 19th Street in Gramercy. The interior is the incredible handiwork of an Emmy Award-winning set designer, who also happens to be one of the building's original co-op shareholders. As the listing says, "this sprawling and serene space has been planned, built and maintained with a meticulous eye for detail and utter devotion to aesthetics." The owner was influenced by the Arts and Crafts aesthetic, alongside traditional Japanese interior design. The apartment, lined with 12 extra-tall windows, achieves an indoor-outdoor vibe reminiscent of a Pacific getaway. It has been on and off the market since 2016, asking a high of $3.2 million. Now the ask is down to $3.1 million.
There's custom panels, screens and lighting

Distinctive Homes

New rendering shows how Pacific Park is changing Brooklyn’s skyline; tallest tower on the way

Rendering by VUW Studios via L&L MAG.

January 16, 2018

New rendering shows how Pacific Park is changing Brooklyn’s skyline; tallest tower on the way

Though Brooklyn's Pacific Park mega-development hasn't been in the news much lately, the site of headline-stealing Barclays Center and the world's tallest modular tower hasn't slowed its advancing impact on the borough's skyline. A new rendering courtesy of New York Yimby shows the full build-out of the project, including the addition of what could be one of Brooklyn's tallest towers. According to the rendering, the site's crowning skyscraper would be borough's tallest tower–if only on paper, and temporarily.
Find out more

After funding lawsuit against Pier55 offshore park, Durst joins board of Hudson River Park Trust

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer appointed Douglas Durst on Friday to the board of the Hudson River Park Trust, a group he has frequently criticized over their proposed Pier55 project. Durst admitted last year to funding a lawsuit to stop the trust's plan for an off-shore park on the Hudson River. While billionaire businessman Barry Diller, who is funding the $250 million project, halted construction in September, the plan was restored a month later, with pressure and financial help from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Brewer told Crain's that Durst didn't volunteer, she asked him to join the board. "I think he loves the park," she said.
Find out more

My 700sqft: News anchors Jamie and Brian Stelter open up their ‘sunny’ Lincoln Square home

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Lincoln Square apartment of news anchors Jamie and Brian Stelter. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

January 16, 2018

My 700sqft: News anchors Jamie and Brian Stelter open up their ‘sunny’ Lincoln Square home

By Dana Schulz

If these two friendly faces look familiar it's because they grace your television screen daily. Jamie Stelter has been NY1's traffic reporter for the past eight years, gaining fame not only for her onscreen rapport with Pat Kiernan but for her naturally bubbly personality (especially important when you go on air at 5am!), and Brian Stelter is a former media reporter for the New York Times and the current senior media correspondent and host of "Reliable Sources" for CNN. And while this might sound like a recipe for one intimidating couple, the Stelters are about as down-to-earth and warm as they come. 6sqft recently visited the couple at their Lincoln Square apartment and saw what a typical afternoon looks like, from putting their adorable eight-month-old daughter Sunny down for a nap to Brian dashing out the door to CNN's nearby offices (and Jamie and Sunny watching him on tv just a few moments later!). We were also treated to a tour of their boho-meets-family-friendly home, which is filled with DIY projects, adorable personal mementos, and a long list of Jamie's stylish finds from her favorite Instagram feeds.
Hang out with Jamie and Brian

NYC RENTALS: This week’s roundup of rental news & offers

Images (L to R): Avalon Brooklyn Bay, SKY, Ellipse and Henry Hall

January 13, 2018

NYC RENTALS: This week’s roundup of rental news & offers

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): Avalon Brooklyn Bay, SKY, Ellipse and Henry Hall Greystar Unveils New Amenities and Renovated Apartments at The Chelsea Jersey City Waterfront Rental ‘Ellipse’ Unveils New Amenities, Pool Coming This Summer Brooklyn Heights Rental Tower Leasing One and Two-Bed Units with Discounted Deposits Newly Listed One-Beds at 1209 Dekalb from $2,150/Month Eastchester […]

Real Estate Trends

Service changes galore this weekend, but MLK Day will run on a weekday schedule

Photo by Runs With Scissors / Flickr

January 12, 2018

Service changes galore this weekend, but MLK Day will run on a weekday schedule

By Hannah Frishberg

Happy long weekend! The MTA has a host of service changes in store for Saturday and Sunday, but come Monday the subway will be mercifully operating on a weekday schedule with only "minor timing changes." Still, though, the MTA advises customers to allow additional travel time, meaning service will predictably not be too stellar.
Service changes this way

Transit

January 12, 2018

Grand Upper East Side co-op below Bette Midler’s penthouse asks $20M

A rarely-available Fifth Avenue co-op with 50 feet of Central Park frontage–and Bette Midler for an upstairs neighbor–has hit the market for $20 million, according to Curbed. This classic 11-room, five-bedroom Upper East Side home at 1125 Fifth Avenue gets those cinematic park and skyline views; the Divine Miss M has the penthouse–featured in Architectural Digest in 2014–upstairs.
Take the grand tour

Historic photos document Martin Luther King Jr.’s connection to NYC

Dr. Benjamin Spock, Dr. King and Monsignor Rice of Pittsburgh march in the Solidarity Day Parade at the United Nations building (April 15, 1967);Photo by Benedict J. Fernadez, courtesy of MCNY

January 12, 2018

Historic photos document Martin Luther King Jr.’s connection to NYC

The Museum of the City of New York on Saturday will launch King in New York, a photo exhibition that explores the relationship between Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and New York City. The collection, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of King's death, provides a look into the iconic civil rights leader's time spent in the city, starting in the 1950s and continuing through the aftermath of his assassination in 1986. New York, as the country's media capital, allowed MLK to broadcast his words and messages to both local and global audiences, hold national press conferences and speak to influential advocacy and political groups. He gave sermons at the Riverside Church in Morningside Heights and marched to the United Nations in protest against the Vietnam war. Following his death, thousands of New Yorkers marched in Harlem and Midtown to a Central Park concert to mourn together and the city named parks, playgrounds and streets in his honor. King in New York will be on view from Saturday, Jan. 13 to June 1, 2018.
Explore MLK's New York City connection

Lower East Side’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema closes next week; G train already suffering from L shutdown

Landmark Sunshine Cinema via Wiki Commons (L); Court Square G train station via Wiki Commons (R)

January 12, 2018

Lower East Side’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema closes next week; G train already suffering from L shutdown

By 6sqft

Chelsea Piers is opening the borough’s largest fitness facility in Downtown Brooklyn. [NYT] Go into the crumbling, disaster-prone tunnels beneath Penn Station. [Bloomberg] The Lower East Side’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema will screen its final reel on Sunday, January 21st. [Deadline] The 20 best cheap things to do this weekend. [Brokelyn] Nearly three million people rode the NYC ferry […]

Uncategorized

January 12, 2018

The South Bronx gets a new creative office hub at Union Crossing

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

We've been hearing so much about neighborhoods like Bushwick, Sunset Park, the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Long Island City ushering in a new era of creative industry. But the city’s next creative office hub is blossoming in the South Bronx neighborhoods of Mott Haven, Port Morris, and Hunts Point. CityRealty offers an update on newest addition to the area, to arrive by mid-2018: Union Crossing at 825 East 141st Street will bring more than 275,000 square feet of office and studio space with retail on the ground floor.
Find out more

All photos © Paul Raphaelson

January 12, 2018

The Urban Lens: See the last photographs of the abandoned Domino Sugar Factory

By Dana Schulz

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Paul Raphaelson takes us through the Domino Sugar Factory before its redevelopment got underway. 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 term "ruin porn" was born out of generations of street photographers venturing into neglected, decaying, and off-limits spaces, but today it's become more of a mainstream trend to fluff one's Instagram feed. So when Brooklyn-based artist Paul Raphaelson received the chance in 2013 to be the last photographer allowed into the then-abandoned Domino Sugar Factory, he knew he didn't want his project to simply "estheticize surfaces while ignoring the underlying history." His stunning photos of the 135-year-old structure still "capture the sublime sense of spectacle," but they also accompany archival maps, newspaper clippings, corporate documents, and even interviews with former Domino Sugar Factory employees, all of which come together in his new book "Brooklyn’s Sweet Ruin: Relics and Stories of the Domino Sugar Refinery." Raphaelson shared his stunning images with us and also shared his thoughts on "urban exploration," his process in compiling a comprehensive history of Domino, and his thoughts on the recently approved plans for the site.
See all Paul's photos

Places

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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City decides to keep controversial statue of Christopher Columbus

Photo via Creative Commons

January 12, 2018

City decides to keep controversial statue of Christopher Columbus

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday plans to keep the contentious Christopher Columbus memorial at Columbus Circle, following a 90-day review of the city's monuments and markets by a mayoral advisory commission. Although the statue will stay put at its Upper West Side location, the city plans to add new historical markers to explain the history of Columbus and also commission a new monument to honor Indigenous peoples. The statue of Theodore Roosevelt in front of the American Museum of Natural History and the plaque memorializing Henri Philippe Pétain in Lower Manhattan will also not be removed or relocated, but more information and context will be added to them.
More this way

Policy

January 12, 2018

For $1.15M, this little Upper West Side condo has a private rooftop that’s almost twice its size

If you're dreaming of the Upper West Side, and outdoor space is at the top of your list, you'll want to see this cozy walk-up condo at 105 West 77th Street. You might not even mind that it's only 454 square feet inside. Of course, 11-foot ceilings help, and amazing city views don't hurt either. You're right around the corner from the Museum of Natural History and Central Park, but the best addition by far is a 730-square-foot private roof deck just up a spiral staircase.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Five chances to live near the New York Botanical Garden from $1,450/month

Photo courtesy of New York Botanical Garden

January 11, 2018

Five chances to live near the New York Botanical Garden from $1,450/month

A Bronxdale building located near the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden is now accepting applications for five middle-income apartments. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for $1,450/month one-bedrooms, as well as $1,800/month and $1,900/month two-bedrooms. Located near the 2 and 5 trains, the commute from the rental at 2547 Cruger Avenue to Midtown Manhattan is just under an hour.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Rent ‘Real Housewives of NYC’ star Sonja Morgan’s notorious Lenox Hill townhouse for $32K/month

Photo of Sonja Morgan courtesy of Andrea Arden’s Flickr

January 11, 2018

Rent ‘Real Housewives of NYC’ star Sonja Morgan’s notorious Lenox Hill townhouse for $32K/month

By Annie Doge

The Lenox Hill townhouse owned by Sonja Morgan has experienced about as many ups and downs on the market as the "Real Housewives of New York City" star herself. After years of trying to sell, Morgan is now renting her five-story, five-bedroom home at 162 East 63rd Street for $32,000/month. The hilarious hot-mess, who was formerly married to J.P. Morgan heir John Morgan and went bankrupt following their divorce, is currently being sued by her bankruptcy attorneys for not paying them a court-ordered fee of $350,000. Built in 1899, the Upper East Side townhouse features an elegant foyer, a spacious living room with a gas fireplace and a lush landscaped garden.
See inside

Golden Globe-winner Alexander Skarsgård checks out $5M Brooklyn Heights fixer-upper

Alexander Skarsgård image: Wikimedia Commons

January 11, 2018

Golden Globe-winner Alexander Skarsgård checks out $5M Brooklyn Heights fixer-upper

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

6sqft reported back in August that actor Alexander Skarsgård of “Big Little Lies” and “True Blood” fame had scooped up It-girl Parker Posey's East Village aerie for $2.3 million. It looks like the top-floor townhouse co-op gave the recent Golden Globe Award-winner a taste for townhouse living: The Post reports that Skarsgård may have his eye on a $5 million brick rowhouse in Brooklyn Heights in need of some TLC but with plenty of potential.
Take a peek

The Greenwich Village church that threw a presidential election

The Thirteenth Street Presbyterian Church in 1902, courtesy of the New-York Historical Society, Robert L. Bracklow Photograph Collection

January 11, 2018

The Greenwich Village church that threw a presidential election

The stately church building at 141-145 West 13th Street in the West Village is the picture of serene elegance. Built in 1846-47 in the Greek Revival style, the classical balance and symmetry of the façade mask a history full of controversy, including the birth of a notorious slur in American politics, which arguably changed the outcome of a pivotal presidential election.
Find out about the scandalous story

History

In heated legal battle, condo board says it has the right to remove Trump’s name

Trump Place Apartments courtesy of Nick Normal’s Flickr

January 11, 2018

In heated legal battle, condo board says it has the right to remove Trump’s name

While never especially popular in his hometown, President Donald Trump's approval in New York City dropped even more so after his election. His unpopularity among New Yorkers has taken a toll on his real estate empire: both average sales price and the average price per square footage at the 11 Trump-branded condos fell below the average in this area for the first time ever. And some residents living in condos that bear the president's name have started petitions to remove Trump from the building's exterior. At one 48-story luxury building on the Upper West Side, residents are debating whether or not to remove his name. The condo board at 200 Riverside Boulevard, or "Trump Place," now potentially faces a lawsuit from DJT Holdings, a company owned by Trump, for seeking to remove the name, the New York Post reported.
Find out more

Policy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Ellen Pompeo lists modern Hamptons farmhouse for $3.8M

Ellen Pompeo image: Disney ABC via Flickr.

January 11, 2018

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Ellen Pompeo lists modern Hamptons farmhouse for $3.8M

Ellen Pompeo recently listed her impossibly verdant Sag Harbor home at 1645 Millstone Road for $3.79 million, the New York Post reports. The actress, who plays the leading role of Dr. Meredith Grey in “Grey’s Anatomy,” bought the property for $925,000 in 2011. Overlooking over eight acres of rolling farmland, the newly-renovated 2,400 square-foot farmhouse, built in 2103, splits the difference between modern convenience and simple charm. The property came with a cottage that Pompeo tore down to build the current home.
Take a look

Live in a one-bedroom off of East Harlem’s bustling 116th Street for $2,270/month

Photo of East Harlem’s 116th Street via Wikimedia

January 10, 2018

Live in a one-bedroom off of East Harlem’s bustling 116th Street for $2,270/month

A brand new residential building at 245 East 115th Street in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood is currently accepting applications for four middle-income one-bedroom apartments. The eight-story building sits just one block from 116th Street, the business hub of Spanish Harlem that features lots of restaurants and shops. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the one-bedroom apartments for $2,270/month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

MTA rolls out its all-electric bus pilot; Secretive buyers made up 70% of Trump’s 2017 real estate transactions

Images: Via Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (L); Via Gage Skidmore/Flickr (R)

January 10, 2018

MTA rolls out its all-electric bus pilot; Secretive buyers made up 70% of Trump’s 2017 real estate transactions

By 6sqft

The MTA kicked off a three-year pilot of 10 all-electric buses in an attempt to reduce emissions. [amNY] Despite being considered for landmarking, demolition started on the AT&T Building lobby. [The Architect’s Newspaper] Last year, 70 percent of Trump condos were sold to hidden shell companies. [USA Today] Penn Station’s new West End Concourse is already […]

Uncategorized

NYC subway performers have the chance to stream their shows for a global audience

Photo via Wiki Commons

January 10, 2018

NYC subway performers have the chance to stream their shows for a global audience

By Metro New York

Subway performers have a chance to play to an audience of millions around the world thanks to a concert series hosted by the real-time broadcasting app Live.me. Live.me has more than 35 million users across the globe, according to Claudie Chen, content and operations manager for the app — that’s about four times the population of all five […]

Uncategorized

January 10, 2018

‘Law & Order SVU’ actress Stephanie March snags a two-unit penthouse at the Shephard for $35M

By Annie Doge

Actress Stephanie March, best known for her role in "Law & Order SVU," and her husband, Daniel Benton, just picked up a penthouse for $34.62 million at the Shephard, a converted condo building in the West Village. As the Wall Street Journal reported, the couple is combining two units at the building at 275 West 10th Street to create a five-bedroom spread spanning 6,836 square feet. The apartment boasts a 3,451 square foot terrace as well as oversized windows, barrel-vaulted ceilings and solid hardwood oak floors.
Take a tour

My 500sqft: An advertising strategist perks up her Bushwick pad with pastel and pop art

6sqft’s ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Bushwick one-bedroom of advertising strategist Alyssa Neilson. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

January 10, 2018

My 500sqft: An advertising strategist perks up her Bushwick pad with pastel and pop art

By Dana Schulz

After growing up in Houston and studying in Austin, Alyssa Neilson was ready to make the jump to NYC. But unlike most transplants, she wasn't fulfilling a dream to become a lifelong New Yorker. Instead, she wanted to kickstart her career as an advertising strategist and experience, at least for a few years, the "arts, creativity, diversity and culture" that can only be found in New York. Once she landed a job, Alyssa settled in Bushwick and set up a home that reflects her creative spirit--think pop art prints and a killer sneaker collection--but also serves as a calming place to come home to after a long day thanks to a thoughtful pastel color palette and streamlined mid-century-modern furnishings. Despite this lovely oasis that Alyssa created for herself in Brooklyn, she decided that she got her NYC fix and is now ready for warmer weather, outdoor activities, and more square footage. But before she heads out to LA, Alyssa invited 6sqft to take a tour of her home and learn a bit more about her path.
See Alyssa's apartment here

January 10, 2018

Upper East Side mansion with Warhols and a gold-plated couch is back on the market for $24M

A five-story townhouse at 132 East 62nd Street in the Upper East Side that has resurfaced on the market for $24 million comes complete with artworks by Andy Warhol, Anish Kapoor, and Roy Lichtenstein, books signed by William Faulkner and Joan Didion–and an oil painting by Frank Sinatra (h/t Curbed). The decked-out manse was renovated from stem to stern by jewelry designer (and singer Duncan Sheik's mom!) Suzanne Sheik, who bought it from a Chanel exec and sold it in 2010 to "an accomplished designer" who spent another three years renovating. The home appeared on the market for $27 million in 2014, and as a rental for $65,000 a month.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

Thomas Heatherwick designs two bubbled condo towers for Related’s High Line-straddling site

Proposed rendering of 515 West 18th Street via Related Companies

January 10, 2018

Thomas Heatherwick designs two bubbled condo towers for Related’s High Line-straddling site

Thomas Heatherwick plans to bring more eccentricity to Manhattan's west side with two condo towers covered in a bubbled facade and bisected by the High Line, as CityRealty reported on Wednesday. The straddling pair at 515 West 18th Street, currently known as the Hudson Residences in conjunction with another Robert A.M. Stern-designed tower planned for West 22nd Street, will contain 181 condos split between a 10-floor east tower and a 22-floor west tower. The development spans 425,000 square feet and will include 17,000 square feet of retail and gallery space, as well as 175 parking spots.
See the towers

Affordable senior housing lottery now open in new Corona, Queens passive house building

Rendering via HANAC

January 10, 2018

Affordable senior housing lottery now open in new Corona, Queens passive house building

Rendering via HANAC 46 newly-constructed affordable units at the HANAC Corona Senior Residence at 54-17 101st Street in Corona, Queens are now available via the city's affordable housing lottery. According to QNS, it will be the first affordable senior housing structure in the United States to meet the Passive House Institute design standards and the first affordable housing complex in Corona in three decades. Individuals or households that have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older and who earn between $0 and $38,200 annually are eligible to apply. Five percent of units will be set aside for mobility-disabled applicants and two percent for vision- or hearing-disabled applicants.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

January 10, 2018

LPC sends glassy addition to Willem de Kooning’s former Union Square loft back to the drawing board

Back in November, the developer/owner of a pair of newly-landmarked buildings at 827-831 Broadway--noted for their cast-iron architecture and a rich cultural history that includes serving as home to artist Willem de Kooning--submitted a proposal for a four-story prismatic glass addition and landscaped roof terrace that architects DXA Studio say was influenced by de Kooning's work. Yesterday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission received the proposal with mixed reviews, feeling skeptical about whether or not cultural events should influence a building's architecture. After hearing testimony from a slew of local residents and preservationists who feel the glass topper is too large, the LPC decided to take no action on the plan, instead sending the team back to the drawing board to better detail the restoration aspects and reconsider the addition as perhaps shorter and further setback.
More details and renderings ahead

720 West End Avenue

Upper West Side

Serene Upper West Side homes near Riverside Park

1 beds starting at $1,005,000
2 beds starting at $2,495,000
3 beds starting at $3,495,000
4 beds starting at $5,850,000

Learn More

January 10, 2018

This cute studio co-op with some bonus storage asks $499K in the East Village

Studio living in this East Village apartment comes with some perks. It's been fully renovated and boasts bonus storage, like a walk-in closet and reserved space in the building's basement. This cooperative at 634 East 14th Street also offers a bike garage and private garden for residents. The cute pad, finished with exposed brick, crown moldings and maple hardwood floors, is now listed for $499,000 after being taken off the market last year with an ask of $525,000.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

January 9, 2018

Documentary journalist Pamela Hogan lists lovely Central Park West penthouse for $4.4M

This four-bedroom co-op, inside the Central Park West brownstone at 44 West 76th Street, is owned by the documentary filmmaker and journalist Pamela Hogan and her cinematographer husband Jeffrey L. Kimball. Hogan's behind the independent film Looks like Laury Sounds like Laury and was the co-creator of the PBS series Women, War & Peace. She and her husband snatched up the penthouse property in 1996 for $1.2 million, and they've just listed it for $4.375 million. The impressive space--which occupies the upper floors of an 1880s brownstone--boasts walls of windows and incredible light. It's a seamless blend between the historic townhouse and a bright, lofty aesthetic.
It's a triplex with a private terrace

Distinctive Homes

Before it was a national monument, Castle Clinton opened as America’s first beer garden

Image courtesy of NYPL

January 9, 2018

Before it was a national monument, Castle Clinton opened as America’s first beer garden

New Yorkers today know Castle Clinton, in Battery Park, as a national monument and departure point to visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. But the circular sandstone fort dates all the way back to 1811--and has served as everything from an immigration station, exhibition hall, theater, and public aquarium since. One forgotten fact of the historic structure is that it's considered the site of America's first beer garden, which opened as Castle Garden on July 3rd, 1824. The illustration above shows the beer garden--which also had a grand theater--featured in Harper's New Monthly Magazine in the 1800s. The open-air space, which eventually got a roof, was considered one of the premier attractions in Manhattan.
Read a little more history

History

To save Nolita’s Elizabeth Street Garden, a nonprofit wants to take ownership from the city

Sketch of Elizabeth Street Garden’s Site A courtesy of Ella Barnes/ESG

January 9, 2018

To save Nolita’s Elizabeth Street Garden, a nonprofit wants to take ownership from the city