6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

A floating pool with its own river-cleaning filtration system is coming to New York City, but it has yet to find a home. The $20 million +POOL project was first announced in 2010 and originally was meant to open by this summer. However, as DNAInfo reported, the team is still working with the city to find a site for its plus-shaped swimming pool that will include four pools in one; a kiddie pool, sports pool, lap pool and a lounge pool. The pool is designed to filter the river that it floats in through the walls of the pool, allowing New Yorkers to take a dip in river water.
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Politicians push for Brooklyn’s General Lee Avenue to be renamed

General Lee Avenue and Robert E. Lee’s former home on Fort Hamilton, via Jeremy Bender/Business Insider

June 20, 2017

Politicians push for Brooklyn’s General Lee Avenue to be renamed

When four Confederate statues were removed in New Orleans last month, many sided with Mayor Mitch Landrieu's plan, but others felt it was an attempt to erase history. Nevertheless, the monuments all came down, prompting national elected officials to take notice--even here in NYC. As 6sqft previously explained, there exists a General Lee Avenue and a Stonewall Jackson Drive in Brooklyn's Fort Hamilton, the city's last remaining active-duty military base, and a group of local politicians has sent a letter to Army Secretary Robert Speer asking that they both be renamed, with Colin Powell and Harriet Tubman suggested as possible replacements (h/t Gothamist).
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June 20, 2017

New study says Mexico City is less affordable for renters than Manhattan

Out of all of the world’s cities, New York City surprisingly does not have the most unaffordable rental market. In a report released by RENTCafe, Mexico City beats Manhattan as the worst urban area for renters, with 60 percent of their income being spent on housing. However, Manhattan continues to be extremely unaffordable, with residents putting 59 percent of their income toward rent. Affordability levels are not much better in the three other U.S. cities that made the list; Chicago, San Francisco and L.A. have rent-to-income ratios of 38, 41, and 47 percent respectively.
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Real Estate Trends

10 things you never knew about Prospect Park

Image by Elizabeth Jeegin Colley for the Prospect Park Alliance

June 20, 2017

10 things you never knew about Prospect Park

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux debuted Prospect Park to the Brooklyn masses in 1867. Though Olmsted and Vaux had already designed Central Park, they considered this their masterpiece, and much of the pair's innovative landscape design is still on display across all 585 acres. But it was the result of a lengthy, complicated construction process (Olmsted and Vaux weren't even the original designers!) as well as investment and dedication from the city and local preservationists throughout the years. After challenges like demolition, neglect, and crime, the Parks Department has spent the past few decades not only maintaining the park but restoring as much of Olmsted and Vaux's vision as possible. It's safe to say that these days, Prospect Park is just as impressive as when it first opened to the public. And of course, throughout its history the park has had no shortage of stories, secrets and little-known facts. 6sqft divulges the 10 things you might not have known.
All the juicy secrets ahead

June 20, 2017

MTA dismisses idea to extend G train into Manhattan during L train shutdown

Republican mayoral candidate, Paul Massey, unveiled a transit infrastructure plan Monday, that included an idea to create a G train loop that would travel to Manhattan to help commuters during the 15 month-L train shutdown next year. Although little details have been revealed, his plan would presumably travel through Midtown on the F train route, loop back into Queens on routes used by the M and R train and then reconnect with the G at the Court Square stop in Long Island City. While a notable idea, according to Crain’s the MTA looked over Massey’s plan and said its implementation would be impossible.
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June 20, 2017

Clinton Hill’s latest rental offers 10 affordable units, from $780/month

Less than two weeks ago, Clinton Hill's new mixed-use building at 1007 Atlantic Avenue launched leasing for its 40 market-rate rentals, offering one month of free rent on 13-month leases for units ranging from $2,169/month studios to $3,462/month two-bedrooms. But the remaining 10 units are an even sweeter deal, coming in at just $780 for studios and $973 for two-bedrooms and still getting access to the package room, bike storage, and landscaped roof deck with areas for lounging and grilling. These latter apartments are available as of tomorrow through the city's affordable housing lottery to those earning 60 percent of the area median income.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Distinctive Homes

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

An art historian's Village loft with pieces by Ai Weiwei and more asks $4.2M

This $3.6M Spuyten Duyvil home is a tranquil refuge indoors and out, within New York City limits

Minetta Lane townhouse with an 83-foot rock climbing wall asks $20M

A grown-up townhouse with a Bushwick address–and a koi pond–asks $2M

Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi lists Chelsea condo for $5.9M

$11M historic West Village home offers the privacy, parking, and outdoor space you'd find in a suburban subdivision

$65M Sutton Place penthouse is highest on East Side waterfront

From rental income to solar panels, this $3.5M Bed-Stuy brownstone checks all the boxes

For $1.65M, this Prospect Heights pre-war co-op can expand to hold a classic six

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June 20, 2017

For $2.4M, this sun-filled brick Greenpoint townhouse wraps modern comfort in historic charm

Greenpoint has quietly over the past decade become one of Brooklyn's most livable and lovable neighborhoods; its waterfront location, a diverse family-friendly vibe, proximity to McCarren Park and Williamsburg, and exciting new developments on the way are just a few of the reasons why. Townhouses here are rarer than lofts and condos, but they do pop up for lucky buyers, and this three-story home at 184 Calyer Street, asking $2.395 million, is a move-in ready example. The fully-renovated two-family house with a private garden is comprised of a spacious owners' duplex and a good-sized one-bedroom apartment with its own outdoor space.
Give the G line a try

Distinctive Homes

June 19, 2017

Magical gardens surround this $775K Alphabet City aerie

The gardens are open to the public but the views are all yours from this well-configured studio at 257 East 7th Street in the easternmost reaches of the East Village. The block is, as the listing suggests, one of the neighborhood's most picturesque, with a history of community pride by longtime homeowners and a rare eclectic collection of historic townhouses. The verdant Flowerbox building, one of the neighborhood's first and most beautifully-designed luxury developments, is next door, and the East River Park foot and bike path is steps away. This charming studio is asking $775,000.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

June 19, 2017

124 chances to live in the burgeoning South Bronx, from $822/month

The South Bronx is arguably the city's largest hotbed of new affordable housing development, and the latest chance to live in the up-and-coming 'hood for less than market rate starts today for 124 units at 530 Exterior Street in Mott Haven. Here, New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for apartments ranging from $822/month studios to $1,224/month three-bedrooms. The 13-story building is part of a larger, mixed-use project, right near Mill Pond Park on the Harlem River and the 145th Street Bridge to Harlem. The other two components are a similarly low- and moderate-income housing building at 491 Gerard Avenue and a 152-room Hampton Inn hotel with commercial space and ground-floor retail.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 19, 2017

Stonewall Inn gets $1M grant from Google to preserve stories of the gay rights movement

Last June, President Obama formally recognized Greenwich Village’s Stonewall Inn and its surrounding area as a national historic monument, creating the first National Park Service unit dedicated to the gay rights movement. To expand the reach of this monument, Senator Chuck Schumer announced on Sunday a $1 million grant from Google to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center to begin a project preserving the oral histories and human experiences from early LGBTQ leaders present during the Stonewall Inn riots. According to the New York Times, the initiative will create an educational curriculum for students and a digital platform that's expected to launch by the 50th anniversary of the protests in 2019.
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History

Rendering courtesy of SCAPE Landscape Architecture

June 19, 2017

Gowanus Canal Conservancy unveils renderings for SCAPE-designed Gowanus Lowlands

The Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC) has announced the launch of Gowanus Lowlands, a new comprehensive vision for the transformation of Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood and a 'blueprint for NYC’s next great park.' As 6sqft has previously reported, between developers eyeing the pricey parcel of southwest Brooklyn land as Paris on the Gowanus and the city's ambitions to transform the long-embattled area into "Little Venice," all eyes have been on the neighborhood and the once-toxic, steadily improving Superfund canal that anchors it. With an important rezoning on the horizon–the process kicked off last October with meetings to gauge community opinion–passions are running high. The conservancy has identified SCAPE landscape architecture studio to guide the Lowlands vision toward reality.
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My 408sqft: A Tudor City historian lives maximally in a micro-studio using furniture on wheels

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 Tudor City studio of Brian Thompson. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

June 19, 2017

My 408sqft: A Tudor City historian lives maximally in a micro-studio using furniture on wheels

By Diane Pham

We've seen many solutions for tiny living employed here at 6sqft, from transforming furniture to elaborate built-ins to adding color and patterns to trick the eye, but as far as living minimally has gone, we're not sure if we've seen a home opt for such a straightforward—but artful—setup. Located in the quaint and picturesque neighborhood of Tudor City is the 408-square-foot apartment of historian, activist, and real estate broker Brian Thompson. Rather than outfitting his apartment with built-in seating or complex hidden furniture (though he does have a Murphy bed), Brian has opted for an ultra-minimal setup that includes just three pieces of furniture: a couch, a bookshelf, and a desk—all of which can be arranged into an infinite number of livable layouts with just a simple push or a pull.
See more inside Brian's incredible tiny home

June 19, 2017

‘Apartment in the sky’ with lofts and skylights asks $625K in Hell’s Kitchen

Located on the top floor of the Hell's Kitchen co-op 857 Ninth Avenue and decked out with skylights (with their own retractable shades!), this $625,000 pad feels like it's perched up in the clouds. 11.5-foot ceilings and two lofts, above the bedroom and kitchen, don't hurt either. Nor do the Manhattan cityscape views from the Eastern facing windows. This home last sold for $549,000 in 2016. We're guessing it got some upgrades before it was listed again this year.
See the interior for yourself

Distinctive Homes

Two Waterline Square; Image: Noe & Associates with The Boundary

June 19, 2017

Waterline Square mega-development to get first Cipriani ‘experiential food market’

GID Development Group announced today that the Upper West Side's Waterline Square mega-development will be getting the first-ever experiential food market by the Cipriani family. Located within Two Waterline Square, the new Cipriani food hall will be designed by London-based interior designer Martin Brudnizki. Within the 28,000-square-foot space will be a large-format culinary experience with multiple food and beverage establishments including a market, restaurants, and casual outlets.
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East Village loft lined with shelving and storage space asks $4,600/month

Space and storage are what this East Village loft has to give. The unit is from 300 East 4th Street, a brick cooperative built in the 1940s. While you can pick up a unit here for $1.299 million, this one is actually up for rent at $4,600 a month. With over 850 square feet, there are two mezzanines to hold a bedroom and a flexible bonus space. Custom closets were added, and built-ins line the walls, offering storage galore. Best of all, this lofty space takes in tons of light from five large windows.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

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

Images (L to R): Harlem 125, 7 West 21st Street, Caesura and LEVEL

June 17, 2017

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

By Emrys Fitzgerald

Pricing Revealed for Paris Forino-Designed Williamsburg Rental [link] Fort Greene Rental Reveals New Renderings & Launches Affordable Housing Lottery [link] Leases at Morris Adjmi-Designed 7W21 Offer 2 Months of Free Rent [link] Summer Special in Sutton Place; Oriana Offers 14-Month Leases with 2 Months Free [link] New Bed-Stuy Rental Launches Leasing and Offers Modern Apartments […]

Real Estate Trends

June 16, 2017

Construction to finally begin on the new Penn Station – see new renderings!

Just a day after Penn Station‘s long-awaited West End Concourse revealed itself to the public, for the first time allowing Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, and NJ Transit passengers to enter and board trains through the historic James A. Farley Post Office across 8th Avenue, Governor Cuomo has announced that Empire State Development signed the final financial agreement with Related Companies, Vornado Realty LP, and Skanska AB for the $1.6 billion Penn-Farley Complex. After decades of delays, construction will now begin to transform the historic post office into the Moynihan Train Hall, a new 255,000-square-foot train hall housing both Amtrak and LIRR ticketing and waiting areas, as well as 70,000 square feet of new commercial, retail, and dining space. But a development announcement from the Governor is never complete without a fresh set of renderings, and Cuomo did not disappoint this time.
All the renderings and details ahead

June 16, 2017

After less than a day on the market, Donald Trump’s childhood home finds a renter

Since initially hitting the market last summer, Donald Trump's childhood home in Jamaica Estates, Queens has seen quite the runaround. After a price chop from $1.65 to $1.2 million, the listing was pulled in November to head to the auction block, but shortly thereafter Manhattan real estate mogul Michael Davis bought the Tudor-style home sight-unseen for just under $1.4 million. He then flipped it for $2.14 million, nearly twice what he paid and double the neighborhood average. Mansion Global now has the scoop that the mystery buyer, whose identity was shielded behind the LLC “Trump Birth House,” will rent it out for between $3,500 and $4,000 a month, on par with similarly sized homes in the neighborhood. ***Update 7/16/2017: Just one day after it was announced that Donald Trump's childhood home would be placed on the rental market, DNA Info reports that the Queens property has already found a tenant. Real estate agent Jason Friedman of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage told the website that "a long-term lease, for at least a year" was signed "almost immediately" after the home was listed, although for how much is not clear. Friedman shared only that the rent was more than the $3,500 reported yesterday. No word yet on who has scooped up the property.
Get a look inside

Celebrities

June 16, 2017

This $7.5M modern abode in Park Slope was once a humble carriage house

From an 1890s carriage house to this stunning modern home, the Park Slope property at 77 Prospect Place has quite the story behind it. According to Brownstoner, this building, along with two others, was purchased by the Brooklyn Union Gas company for use in an alternative energy experiment. 77 Prospect served as the company's show house, and they installed experimental fuel cells on the roofs, the design of which was inspired by the Apollo spacecraft. More recently, in 2004, the building was completely renovated by the architect Philippe Baumann. He built out a chic, modern interior and added a second floor with a stunning open space that opens to an outdoor patio with a hot tub. Now it's up for grabs, asking $7.495 million.
Check out the home's most recent iteration

Distinctive Homes

June 16, 2017

City scales back storm-protection project in Red Hook

Flooding during Hurricane Sandy left many residents of Red Hook without basic services for weeks. While many had hoped the city’s $100 million initiative would help protect the Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood from a 100-year flood event, a new feasibility study shows the plan would actually only protect it from a 10-year flood event. As the Wall Street Journal reported, the city plans on scaling back the flood-protection system in Red Hook because of its high costs, and the study revealed a larger project could cost about $300 to $500 million more.
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Policy

Mayor announces $1.35 billion plan to create 100,000 new jobs with a focus on the city’s middle class

Image via pexels

June 16, 2017

Mayor announces $1.35 billion plan to create 100,000 new jobs with a focus on the city’s middle class

Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced a plan to add 100,000 new jobs to the city's economy over the next 10 years, particularly positions that pay over $50,000 a year, with the intention of shoring up an increasingly hard-to-maintain middle class lifestyle, the Wall Street Journal reports. The city would contribute more than $1.35 billion toward job creation in already promising job sectors, what the mayor referred to as “good-paying jobs,” that pay or lead to being paid at least $50,000 a year. The mayor said at a news conference Thursday, “the job here is to lift the floor for everyone in this city, to make sure that a middle-class lifestyle really is available to everybody.”
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Policy

June 16, 2017

On this day in 1884, America’s first roller coaster opened at Coney Island

On June 16, 1884, the country’s first roller coaster opened at Coney Island, sparking Americans' obsession with amusement rides. Invented by LaMarcus Thompson, the ride, called the Switchback Railway, spanned 600 feet and traveled just six miles per hour. Unlike today’s coasters, the Switchback did not make a round trip loop, and passengers exited at the end of the track. The one-minute-long ride cost only five cents.
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History

June 16, 2017

The Urban Lens: ‘Indecent exposure’ at Rockaway Beach in the 1940s

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

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, we share a set of vintage photos documenting Rockaway Beach in the 1940s. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. These days, beachgoers give nary a thought when stripping down to their skimpy bikinis and short-shorts, but 70 years ago wearing much more modest swimsuits was enough to get you a ticket from the NYPD. Noted LIFE magazine photographer Sam Shere (who's best known for his iconic photo of the Hindenburg disaster) documented this "indecent exposure" phenomenon at Rockaway Beach in 1946. Starting with a sign that reads "wear robes to and from the beach," Shere's series shows women sunbathing in high-wasted two-pieces, men walking the boardwalk in just their shorts, and the way in which these beach bums seem unphased by the cops writing them summonses.
See all the photos here

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 Ways to Decorate an Exposed Brick Wall Without Drilling

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

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June 16, 2017

Renderings revealed for Nomad’s previously stalled 756-foot tower

Last summer, the Department of Buildings halted progress on developers J.D. Carlisle and Fosun Group's planned condo tower at 15 East 30th Street over the fact that a planned second-floor outdoor space didn't meet minimum space requirements. Presumably having ironed that out, (though we're not sure the same can be said for the neighbors angry about losing their views) designers Handel Architects have released a slew of new renderings of the 756-foot-tall tower, which will have 180 units spread over 51 floors. Uncovered by Yimby, the views show a narrow, glassy structure with a jagged pinnacle and undulating base.
See all the renderings

June 16, 2017

Trump hires family party planner Lynne Patton to run NY housing programs

President Trump appointed family friend Lynne Patton on Wednesday to oversee New York’s federal housing programs, despite her clear lack of housing experience. Patton, who formerly arranged tournaments at Trump’s golf courses and planned Eric Trump’s wedding, will head up the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Region II, which includes New York and New Jersey, and will oversee the distribution of billions of taxpayer dollars. As reported by the Daily News, Patton’s relationship with the Trump family dates back to 2009 when she first began as their event planner.
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June 16, 2017

The Harlem townhouse where Harry Houdini lived is for sale, asking $4.6M

If anyone can convince a buyer to part with $4.6 million for a four-story townhouse in an historic and happening part of Harlem, it's a magician. This four-story 18th century townhouse at 278 West 113th Street, on the market for the first time since 1991, has certainly got one in the form of master escape artist Harry Houdini, illusionist, magician and one of the buzziest celebrities of the early 20th century. Houdini–born Erich Weiss, son of a rabbi from Budapest–and his wife, Bess, lived at the Harlem home for 22 years until his death in 1926 (h/t Curbed).
This house is no illusion

June 15, 2017

Overcrowded NYC Ferry needs more boats to keep up with demand

As 6sqft covered last month, the city’s ferry service, which launched May 1, has been so popular that frustrated passengers often face delays, long lines and overcrowding when trying to board. While officials had anticipated demand on the weekends for the NYC Ferry to be high, they did not expect how much this demand would “outstrip supply,” as the New York Times reported. To meet demand, the city will charter two extra boats that will carry 400 people to serve the summer weekend crowds.
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Transit

June 15, 2017

Hilary Swank’s picture-perfect former Village townhouse asks $12M

This historic classic brownstone at 33 Charles Street in the West Village, asking $11.995 million, is the very picture of townhouse charm in a neighborhood that's overflowing with charming brownstones. Adding to the home's cachet is the fact that Hilary Swank lived here with then-husband Chad Lowe from when she purchased it for $3.9 million in 2002 until 2006 when it was sold for $8.25 million (h/t New York Post). The home has been completely updated with central air and new windows throughout and every imaginable modern convenience, though much of its original woodwork has been retained.
See all the rooms of this gorgeous home

June 15, 2017

FIRST LOOK: See inside Penn Station’s brand new West End Concourse

As of today, Penn Station's long-awaited West End Concourse--the first tangible step towards Governor Cuomo's ambitious plan to transform the James A. Farley Post Office into the new Moynihan Train Hall--is open for business, for the first time allowing Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, and NJ Transit passengers to enter and board trains through the historic building across 8th Avenue. In addition to landscaped entryways, the sparkling new concourse is chock full of LED screens, artwork, and, in true Cuomo fashion, bright, open, and high-tech spaces.
Take the full tour

June 15, 2017

City announces $106M plan to keep neighborhoods cool this summer

After a few days of extreme heat, Mayor de Blasio launched a $106 million initiative on Wednesday to protect New Yorkers from the risks of dangerously high temperatures this summer. The Cool Neighborhoods program aims to lessen the effects of the “urban heat island effect,” a problem that occurs in New York City due to its abundance of heat-holding asphalt and concrete and lack of greenery. According to Gothamist, to reduce heat-related health risks and deaths, the city plans on planting more trees on streets and in parks, supporting forest restoration efforts and painting roofs of homes in vulnerable areas with reflective white paints.
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Art Nerd NY’s top art, architecture, and design event picks – 6/15-6/21

Egg Rolls, Egg Creams and Empanadas Festival; Photo via Kate Milford for the Museum at Eldridge Street

June 15, 2017

Art Nerd NY’s top art, architecture, and design event picks – 6/15-6/21

By Lori Zimmer

Art Nerd New York founder Lori Zimmer shares her top art, design and architecture event picks for 6sqft readers! If you’re feeling low this week, head to Times Square for a round of artful applause, or to the Rubin for some pick me ups thanks to the world of sound. Step back in time (and flex your history knowledge) for a Jazz Age Drink and Draw, then test your modern New York history knowledge at the New York Now Scavenger Hunt. If you’re itching to learn, join a free history tour of Washington Square Park, take in an artist talk by Martha Rosler, then celebrate the diverse history of the Lower East Side at the Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival. Finally, cozy up with a date for Bryant Park’s first screening under the stars with King Kong.
Details on these events and more this way

June 15, 2017

Architect claims SOM stole his design for One World Trade Center

An architect from Georgia sued architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) on Wednesday for allegedly stealing his design for One World Trade Center. Jeehoon Park says the firm has unfairly taken credit for the tower, a design he says he developed in 1999 as a graduate student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, as the New York Post reported. At 1,776 feet high, One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the sixth tallest in the world.
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Policy

June 15, 2017

1920s Hudson Heights cliffside ‘Pumpkin House’ chops price to $4.25M

You may be familiar with the “Pumpkin House,” the extraordinary 1920s townhouse cantilevered across the cliffs at 16 Chittenden Avenue near Manhattan’s highest point in Hudson Heights. The name comes from the home's Jack-o'-lantern countenance, which bestows motorists along the George Washington Bridge with its anthropomorphic leer. Jack first hit the market last August for $5.25 million, the first time listed since 2011. But still without a buyer, the 17-foot-wide, six-bedroom brick home has a fancy new Sotheby's listing and a lower ask of $4.25 million.
Have a look inside

June 14, 2017

Meg Ryan drops $9.4M on apartment in celeb-favorite 443 Greenwich

By Annie Doge

Meg Ryan will be joining Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, and Harry Styles at Tribeca's “paparazzi-proof” 443 Greenwich Street. The Real Deal spotted her her trust, Third World Dog, listed as the buyer of a $9.39 million, three-bedroom unit in the building, just a month and a half after her $10.9 million Soho loft went into contract.
Get the details

June 14, 2017

New York City’s iconic architecture comes to life on this skyline chess board

A new chess set lets you checkmate with New York City’s skyline. Developed by Skyline Chess, a company founded by two London-based architects, the game pieces capture the city’s early 1900s construction boom and the expansion of skyscraper architecture, along with more contemporary and recognizable structures. As contemporist discovered, the pieces are silhouettes of buildings like One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Flatiron Building, Guggenheim Museum, and traditional brownstones.
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June 14, 2017

Impressive duplex townhouse asking $875K may lure you to Staten Island

This is the home that will lure New Yorkers onto the ferry and straight to Staten Island. It's a unique property--a duplex townhouse that's part of a cooperative--with a stunning interior. Under 18 foot ceilings, the main level is lined with exposed brick, wood ceilings, and a ceramic tile floor, alongside a gas fireplace and massive windows. It's located at 48 Bay Street Landing, right off the waterfront and within walking distance to the Staten Island ferry. And its asking price of $875,000--far lower than similar properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn--is sure to bring in potential buyers from around the city.
Tour the rest of the home

Distinctive Homes

June 14, 2017

Tribeca Film Festival co-founders cut the price of their massive Dakota pad to $25M

As 6sqft previously reported, Tribeca Film Festival co-founders (with Robert DeNiro) Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff have been trying to sell their sprawling pad in the storied Dakota since last March, when they listed the 7,500-square-foot combo of no less than four individual units for the suitably vast sum of $39 million. A year and some months later with no takers, the couple, who announced their divorce in 2014–have edited a cool $19 million out of the picture and are now asking $25 million (h/t Curbed).
You might want to bring breadcrumbs for this

Distinctive Homes

Looking back at New York’s ‘Summer of Love’ and the birth of the East Village

Hippies singing and playing music in Washington Square Park in the late 1960s. Photo: Peter Keegan

June 14, 2017

Looking back at New York’s ‘Summer of Love’ and the birth of the East Village

By Cait Etherington

It has been 50 years since 1967’s “Summer of Love” when young people from around the world flocked to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district and to other urban neighborhoods, including New York’s East Village, to trip out at psychedelic dance parties, sleep in city parks, and live and do whatever they pleased. While the hippie subculture was already flourishing prior to the Summer of Love, by mid 1967, hippies and their music, style, and communal way of life had caught the attention of the mainstream media and as a result, reached a critical mass of young people who were now eager to ditch their suburban homes to “turn on, tune in, and drop out.” Reactions to the Summer of Love in New York were predictably mixed. An estimated 50,000 young people descended on the city to join the movement, but many New Yorkers, including longstanding residents, police officers, and politicians, had little interest in spending the Summer of Love soaking up the good vibes. In the end, the city’s Summer of Love saw as much conflict and violence as peace and love, and debates about rental prices, real estate values, and the gentrification of the Lower East Side were all part of the conflict.
find out more here

History

June 14, 2017

84 affordable units up for grabs in Jamaica, Queens, from $368/month

With several large-scale development projects in the works, like a new luxury complex with 100,00 square feet of retail and a 24-story Hilton Garden Inn, the neighborhood of Jamaica is undergoing some changes. Applications are currently being accepted for 84 affordable apartments in the Pavilion at Locust Manor, a newly constructed housing development located at 171-04 Baisley Boulevard. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60 and 100 percent of the area median income can apply to units ranging from studios for $368 per month to two bedrooms for $1,511 per month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 14, 2017

$3.95M buys you a four-story townhouse with condo amenities in Dumbo

By BASIS Independent Manhattan

So...a 2,700-square-foot four-story townhouse with a garden and a roof deck, in a cool Dumbo factory loft complex with condo perks like a gym and cold storage? It sounds like the best of all possible worlds to us. And while the $3.95 million price on this "resplendent mix of modern and industrial charm" at 37 Bridge street might be no small sum by any stretch, you're certainly getting the bonus of not having to choose between location, space, or convenience.
See how the place stacks up

Distinctive Homes

June 14, 2017

New private school brings top global academic program to NYC’s Upper West Side

BASIS Independent Manhattan, a K-8 private school teaching the acclaimed BASIS Curriculum, is opening this fall in a 45,000-square-foot school at 795 Columbus Avenue. Although new to NYC, BASIS Curriculum Schools is no strangers to praise. Steadily since 1998, they've grown their network to 28 campuses around the world while gathering many accolades, including that of U.S News and World Report. This year, BASIS Curriculum Schools was ranked #5 on the publication's list of the "Top 10 Best High Schools in the Country." Designed with the modern child in mind, BASIS Independent's upcoming Manhattan campus will feature state-of-the-art facilities that support everything from daily physical education in the elementary grades, multiple recess breaks, weekly engineering sessions, and, for middle school students, the study of chemistry, physics, and biology in a laboratory setting. Indeed, thoughtful spaces designed to elevate performance are at BASIS Independent's heart, and they work in tandem with the school's curriculum developed to provide students with the strongest academic foundation—and for a fraction of the tuition expected in NYC, at that. Ahead, Head of School Jesse Rizzo shares how the upcoming New York City schoolhouse has been designed to help create and fortify Manhattan’s next school community.
find out more about BASIS' Manhattan school here

City Living

Spring + Thompson

83 Thompson Street

Soho

Loft-like residences in Soho designed by Selldorf Architects

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

Learn More

June 13, 2017

MB Architecture built this Hamptons art studio from two shipping containers

When MB Architecture's client requested an art studio near her Amagansett home, she had three requirements--a roughly 900-square foot space, a simple structure that was still "inviting and reflective," and a limited budget. To achieve these goals, the firm decided to use two recycled shipping containers, about $2,500 each.
See how it panned out

Architecture And Design

90 years ago, Charles Lindbergh received a ticker-tape parade in NYC

Photo courtesy of PBS

June 13, 2017

90 years ago, Charles Lindbergh received a ticker-tape parade in NYC

On this day in 1927, the city of New York honored famed aviator Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh with a ticker-tape parade to celebrate his May 21st flight in the Spirit of St. Louis, the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean. At just 25 years old, Lindbergh flew nonstop from New York to Paris, and according to the New York Times, an estimated four million people attended the ticker-tape parade throughout the city to celebrate his journey.
Find out more

History

June 13, 2017

For just $515K, an 1890s upstate church renovated into a unique single-family home

A full and careful renovation has transformed this historic, 1890s church upstate into a single-family residence. When we say unique, we mean it--details like large stained glass windows, arched doorways, wood floors and exposed brick all hint at the church’s previous life. A stunning main room with soaring ceilings--the former sanctuary--is just waiting for a designer to transform it into an incredible living space. Located in Philmont, New York, a small town about two-and-a-half hours outside of New York City, this house-of-worship turned home is asking a modest $515,000.
You have to see the interior

June 13, 2017

Be my roommate: Live in a Cobble Hill apartment steps from transit and Trader Joe’s for $1400

By Diane Pham

To help our fellow New Yorkers on their hunt for a good roommate, we present "Be My Roommate." If you have an empty room you'd like to see featured here, get in touch with us at [email protected]! Meet Marie, a laid-back bookworm searching for a roommate for her Cobble Hill two-bedroom. Marie, a Florida native, moved to the neighborhood just over four years ago after a spending several years in Chicago and more than a year living out of a backpack in Central America. Up until a week ago, she shared her Brooklyn apartment with a friend who has since flown the coop to teach in Paris. This has left Marie with an extra bedroom, and for anyone looking for new digs, a great opportunity to live in one of the city's best neighborhoods.
Find out more here, plus pics!

Where I Work

MTA finally details its plan to deal with Penn Station repairs

Image by Kev Harb via flickr

June 13, 2017

MTA finally details its plan to deal with Penn Station repairs