6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

In the heart of the lovely neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn at 141 Lafayette Avenue, just a block from Fort Greene Park and a few minutes from BAM, this graciously-sized and thoughtfully-appointed pre-war co-op is asking $995,000. With two real bedrooms, central A/C, and a nice renovation, that seems like a pretty good deal for this pricey neighborhood.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

July 3, 2017

Affordable housing lottery opens for 14 East Williamsburg units, starting at $589/month

Back in early 2016, 6sqft shared a new housing lottery for three Williamsburg buildings, one of which was 37 Ten Eyck Street in East Williamsburg between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street. The vacant lots were purchased in 2014, along with a fourth site at 33 Ten Eyck Street, by the Housing Development Corporation to build 100 percent affordable buildings. That final building is now complete and its 14 units are available to those earning 40 or 60 percent of the area media income. They range from $589/month one-bedrooms to $1,121/month two-bedrooms, and the building offers an elevator, outdoor area, intercom system, bicycle storage, and laundry facilities.
All the details here

Affordable Housing

July 3, 2017

New photos of Long Island City’s 1 QPS Tower show off NYC’s highest rooftop pool

Just in time for the height of the summer season, developer Property Markets Group has released a set of new photos of their 500-foot Long Island City rental 1 QPS Tower, which has the highest rooftop pool in the city, complete with panoramic skyline views, plenty of lounge chairs, and a stylish bar area (h/t CityRealty). The new images also show off the SLCE-designed skyscraper's other amenities, including a garden terrace, library, triple-height gym with rock climbing wall, and conference/lounge areas.
Check out all the photos

July 3, 2017

Escape to a Bali retreat that’s no further than the Hudson Valley

If you're looking to get out of town but you're uninspired by the usual country inns, historic schoolhouses, and rustic log cabins, this unusual Hudson Valley vacation property could be just the tranquil escape for you (and up to nine of your closest friends). The Hudson Valley Bali House Retreat in Rosendale, New York combines a country setting with details that were inspired by vacations in Bali and Thailand. Built using materials imported from Indonesia, this exotic compound makes visitors forget they're only about 90 minutes from Midtown.
More this way

July 3, 2017

62 affordable units up for grabs in Fordham Heights, from $882/month

Applications are currently being accepted for 62 newly constructed, affordable units at 2264 Morris Avenue in the Fordham Heights neighborhood of the Bronx. The building provides ecologically viable features, including rooms with abundant natural light, high-tech water, heating and cooling systems and spacious outdoor space. New Yorkers earning 60 and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for available units ranging from $822/month one-bedrooms to $1,740/month three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

July 2, 2017

VIDEO: Drone footage takes this love letter to New York City to a new level

From the concrete canyons of Midtown to verdant outcroppings deep in Central Park and everything in between, NYC unfolds in a suitably epic series of moments in this live-action love letter created by Wasatch aerial drone photography specialists. A drone camera sails above it all on metal wings, capturing the city, its architecture and its creatures large and small at rest, work and play.
READ MORE

City Living

July 1, 2017

$3.85M waterfront estate designed by McKim, Mead & White is just 30 minutes outside NYC

Renowned architecture firm McKim, Mead & White hardly ever disappoints--they are, after all, the firm behind the original Penn Station--and this Westchester property now for sale lives up to the firm's reputation. Located at 10 Sheldrake Road in the town of New Rochelle, this waterfront estate is known as "Four Chimneys" and was built in 1938. The exterior is a graceful brick, Georgian architecture surrounded by 1.65 acres of landscaping. On the interior, a renovation included converting the ballroom into a gym, installing an infinity pool on the edge of Sheldrake Lake, and building an indoor half-court for basketball. (Don't worry, there are some lavish and historic interior details that remain on display, too.) To live 30 minutes outside of Manhattan on this impressive estate will cost $3.85 million.
You have to see the interior

Distinctive Homes

This $8.75M Village townhouse is a downtown dream home with an elevator, three terraces, and a rooftop office suite

$7.2M penthouse is most expensive sponsor sale in Williamsburg

6sqft’s top ‘distinctive homes’ of 2024

Keke Palmer lists her Williamsburg penthouse for $3M

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

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

Paul Newman's Fifth Avenue co-op is on the market for $10M

A Victoria's Secret model's angelic East Village flat with a solarium and terrace asks $2.9M

This $1.3M condo keeps the classic East Village spirit alive

Color, texture, and pre-war details define this decorator's dream of a $4.85M Village co-op

VIEW ALL

June 30, 2017

The Urban Lens: Flora Borsi superimposes refused Ellis Island immigrants against modern NYC scenes

By Diane Pham

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or place within New York City. In this installment, photographer Flora Borsi presents a timely series on immigration. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. With Trump's "anti-terror" travel ban having gone into effect Thursday night, 6sqft couldn't think of a better time to share Hungarian photographer Flora Borsi's thought-provoking "Forgotten Dream." Following a 2016 trip to Ellis Island, Borsi was moved and disturbed by the island that for decades provided a gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States, and a deathbed for another several thousand who were denied passage because of disease, mental instability, or a lack saleable skills, among other things. With a desire to commemorate the 3,500 people who died in search of a better life, Borsi scoured historical archives for photos of real immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island around the 1900s. Because the images were originally black and white and sometimes faded, Borsi added color and superimposed them against modern New York City scenes to connect them to present day. By bringing these forgotten immigrants into the city, she says "In this way, their dream came true."
see more from Borsi's series here

Places

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

Images (L to R): Frank 57 West, 237 11th Street, 180 Water Street and 1 QPS Tower

June 30, 2017

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

By Emrys Fitzgerald

Prices Drop at East Harlem Luxury Rental by Karim Rashid; Units Now Start at $2,000/Month [link] Clinton Hill’s 1007 Atlantic Avenue Launches Leasing & Affordable Housing Lottery [link] Flex Layouts in the Financial District; No-Fee, 1 Month Free & Guarantors Accepted [link] Special Offer at Charming Upper West Side Rental; Flex Lease Dates & $1,000 […]

Real Estate Trends

Just one ‘CityTree’ unit purifies air at the same rate as 275 trees

Photo courtesy of Green City Solution’s Instagram

June 30, 2017

Just one ‘CityTree’ unit purifies air at the same rate as 275 trees

Nearly 90 percent of residents in cities around the world breathe polluted air, which is the single largest environmental health risk, according to the World Health Organization. To address this global problem, Green City Solutions created a mobile installation of specific moss culture that has large surface leaf areas and that can remove pollutants from the air. As Curbed NY reported, this new mossy air filter has been installed in Oslo, Paris, Brussels and Hong Kong. According to the team, CityTree has the same effect as up to 275 trees but requires 99 percent less space and just five percent of the cost.
Find out more

Editor’s note: Original reports listed George Condo as the buyer of the Carhart Mansion’s penthouse, belonging to Tamara Mellon, but he actually bought a different unit in the building from Merrill Lynch’s Do Woo Kim.

June 30, 2017

Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon finally sells UES penthouse at a $14M discount

You'll be hard pressed to find a pair of discounted Jimmy Choos, but the iconic shoe brand's co-founder Tamara Mellon didn't fare as well when it came to her Upper East Side penthouse, which sits atop the historic Carhart Mansion at 3 East 95th Street. Mellon bought the Carnegie Hill apartment from Seagram heir Charles Bronfman Jr. and first listed it for sale in 2014 for $34 million. After several price chops and an attempt as a $85,000/month rental, it's finally found a buyer reports LL NYC. Contemporary artist George Condo paid $19.8 million for the condo (no pun intended), much less than the most recent ask of $25 million.
Get a look around (you don't want to miss the shoe closet!)

June 30, 2017

$3,250/month Williamsburg apartment comes furnished with chic, tropical decor

This Williamsburg condo at 259 Ainslie Street isn't massive at 652 square feet, but it's furnished and full of chic, creative decor--from the sunny bedroom to a living room packed with patterned pillows, rugs and greenery. There's a little outdoor space, too, with a private balcony off the living room. If you're digging the zen, tropical aesthetic, this is up for rent at $3,250 a month.
Tour the space

Distinctive Homes

June 30, 2017

Four architecture teams envision NYC’s driverless transit future

With NYC residents owning fewer personal vehicles than any other city in the U.S., it’s no surprise that it may soon become a major hub for autonomous transportation. To ensure the future efficiency of driverless vehicles in such a densely populated area, Blank Space and the City of New York created a Driverless Future Challenge to solicit visions for the future of autonomous transit. According to Archinect, participants from over 25 countries sent proposals, which have now been narrowed down to four finalists. Their ideas include a plug-and-play public square, curbside pickup system, a rideshare platform for the outer boroughs, and a local food delivery service.
Find our more about each proposal and watch the project videos

June 30, 2017

This Stuyvesant Heights brownstone with a perfect Brooklyn back yard asks $4,500/month

This compact brownstone rental in Bed-Stuy's pretty Stuyvesant Heights historic district of awaits summer festivities on a landscaped private back terrace. $4,500 a month gets you three bedrooms on two stories and a finished basement plus covetable private outdoor space in one of the borough's most buzzed-about neighborhoods.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

June 29, 2017

Celebrity hotspot 443 Greenwich reveals ‘ultimate’ lofts

A-listers like Jake Gyllenhaal, Meg Ryan, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lawrence, and Harry Styles have all flocked to the desirable “paparazzi-proof” Tribeca building at 443 Greenwich Street, also known as the city's "celebrity dorm." Now, with more than $500 million in total sales under their belts, the property’s developer MetroLoft and real estate agency Cantor-Pecorella have revealed the building's “Ultimate Collection,” which includes the last penthouse listed for $55 million and six other apartments that range from $9 million to $11.25 million.
Check out some new interior views

June 29, 2017

Upper West Side penthouse masterminded by Italian designer Ettore Sottsass asks $19 million

This Hotel des Artistes apartment, now on the market, comes with an incredible interior decor story. Bloomberg notes that it belongs to the French-born entrepreneur/photographer/art collector/playboy Jean Pigozzi, who purchased it in 1986. Soon after, he enlisted Ettore Sottsass, designer and founder of the Memphis Group, to redesign it. Sottass, at the time, was at the height of his fame, and ended up designing every nook and cranny. (He passed away in 2007, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art will host a retrospective of his work this summer.) As Pigozzi told Bloomberg, "He designed 100 percent of everything... Every table, every sofa, every book shelf, every sink, every doorknob." He even helped Pigozzi expand the design into the adjacent duplex that he purchased a few years later. Now, the fabulous penthouse is on the market for $19 million.
Take the grand tour

Cuomo declares a ‘state of emergency’ for the NYC subway, gives MTA $1B for repairs

During a press conference Thursday, Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and announced that he would sign an executive order to expedite the process of fixing the system. The governor’s announcement comes just two days after a subway train derailed at 125th Street, injuring over 30 people. His plan includes committing an additional $1 billion in the MTA’s capital plan and reviewing the system’s decades-old equipment.
Find out more

June 29, 2017

VIDEO: Tour historic LGBT sites in Greenwich Village, from Stonewall and beyond

Forty-eight years ago, just after 1:00am on June 28th, police raided Greenwich Village’s Stonewall Inn, the well-known gay bar on Christopher Street. Unlike past raids against gay bars, the crowd outside fought back, throwing bottles at the cops and protesting around the site for the next six days. According to the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, […]

History

June 29, 2017

Lady Gaga tours a $6M oceanfront home at Montauk’s Gurney’s Residences

Lady Gaga–a.k.a. Stefani Germanotta–was recently spotted frolicking in the Hamptons with boyfriend/CAA-agent-to-the-pop-stars Christian Carino; the New York Post reports the pair were also seen touring a property in Montauk. The singer was apparently smitten enough with a $5.9 million three-bedroom unit at Gurney's Residences oceanfront resort at 272 Old Montauk Highway to return for a second look.
Take a peek

Historic Gramercy townhouse from Bob Dylan album cover sells for $23M

Photo courtesy of Wally Gobetz on Flickr

June 29, 2017

Historic Gramercy townhouse from Bob Dylan album cover sells for $23M

By Annie Doge

An 1846 townhouse, once owned by former New York City mayor and publisher James Harper, has sold for $23.09 million in an off-market deal. The historic Greek Revival home located along Gramercy Park features sun-filled rooms, high ceilings, and elaborate crown molding, and it comes with a coveted key to the park. But the biggest bragging rights, as the New York Post learned, are that Bob Dylan sat on the stoop of the red-brick house for the cover of his album "Highway 61 Revisited."
See inside

June 29, 2017

Art Nerd NY’s top art, architecture, and design event picks – 6/29-7/5

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 staying in town for the Fourth weekend, be sure to flex your cultural muscle! Check out a mix of fine art and architecture twice this week- first catch a slice of the Vatican at Santiago Calatrava’s Oculus, then head to the Park Armory for a project by Ai Weiwei and Herzog & deMeuron. Spend some time in City Hall Park with Katja Novitskova’s new series of sculptures, then relax in the rarely-opened New York Marble Cemetery for a group show by Ugo Rondinone. Party it up on the cobblestone streets of Wooster for their annual block party, then grab a blanket and catch Brigitte Bardot on the big screen under the stars. Finally, experience Paris’ Urban Arts Fair at Spring Street Studios- and check out a book signing with me on Friday!
Details on these events and more this way

June 29, 2017

$3.5M classic Noho loft has just enough luxe to make it a new-condo competitor

On the seventh floor of a Noho loft building at 46 Great Jones Street overlooking the fashionable neighborhood's cobblestone streets, this 2,000 square-foot loft-lover's dream of a co-op contains plenty of loft details and just enough dazzle to appeal to buyers of a $3.5 million properties in 21st-century Manhattan. Celebrity cachet is included: 6sqft just reported that Sheryl Crow's super-cool loft in the same building just sold for $2.72 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

June 28, 2017

Watch MoMA PS1’s solar canopy art installation get installed

Every summer, New Yorkers are treated to kooky architectural innovation in the MoMA PS1 Courtyard. ( Last summer: this wild woven design from Mexico City-based architecture firm Escobedo Solíz Studio.) This year, Ithaca, New York-based architect Jenny Sabin takes the spotlight with her Lumen installation, a structure made of over one thousand digitally knitted photo luminescent cells that change color in the presence of sunlight. In honor of the installation opening this week, MoMA PS1 released videos in which the architect explains the development of her 500-pound solar-active canopy and shows off the construction and installation process.
Watch the videos here

June 28, 2017

Here are the 10 wealthiest neighborhoods in New York City

In 2016, the New York Metro Area was home to the highest number of “ultra-wealthy” residents in the world. A new report shows about 8,350 residents with a net worth of at least $30 million called the Big Apple their home last year, an increase of about 9 percent from last year. When focusing on just the five boroughs, most of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods can be found in Manhattan, as Curbed NY discovered. Taking this year’s title as the richest NYC enclave? The Upper East Side.
See the full list

Real Estate Trends

June 28, 2017

Overcrowding and ‘dwell time’ are why NYC’s subway system is failing

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

It seems every day brings New Yorkers new subway drama, train delays and disappointment. While this week's A-train derailment, which injured dozens of people, is being blamed on human error, not a track defect, the system is still over 100-years old. And despite its signals and tracks in need of a definite upgrade, the biggest cause of subway delays is overcrowding. According to the New York Times, overcrowding now accounts for more than one-third of the nearly 75,000 subway delays across the system each month.
Learn more here

Transit

THE 6SQFT SHOP

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VIEW ALL

June 28, 2017

INTERVIEW: The NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project talks gay history and advocacy in NYC

"Where did lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) history happen in New York City? In what buildings did influential LGBT activists and artists live and work, and on what streets did groups demonstrate for their equal rights?" These are the questions that the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project is answering through a first-of-its-kind initiative to document historic and cultural sites associated with the LGBT community in the five boroughs. Through a map-based online archive, based on 25 years of research of advocacy, the group hopes to make "invisible history visible" by exploring sites related to everything from theater and art to social activism and health. To mark Pride Month, 6sqft recently talked with the Historic Sites Project's directors--architectural historian and preservation professor at Columbia Andrew S. Dolkart; historic preservation consultant Ken Lustbader; and former senior historian at the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Jay Shockley--along with their project manager, preservationist Amanda Davis, about the roots of the initiative, LGBT history in NYC, and the future of gay advocacy.
Read the interview here

June 28, 2017

17-stop outer borough light rail proposed as a NYC subway alternative

By Diane Pham

While pols and officials twiddle their thumbs and shift blame for the subway system's current state of chaos, the Regional Planning Association (RPA) and Rockefeller Foundation are actively looking for long-term solutions to help ease the city's transportation woes. As first shared by DNA Info, earlier this year the two organizations put out a design competition asking participants to develop proposals that could transform various areas of the New York metropolitan region. Four ideas were awarded $45,000 by the RPA and Rockefeller, one of which included a transportation alternative that would exclusively serve the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn.
more details here

Transit

June 28, 2017

Map: Where to watch the Macy’s fireworks this July 4th

Here's a handy guide outlining some prime spots for experiencing Macy's Fourth of July live fireworks extravaganza this Tuesday evening; in addition, the folks that put on the show have provided a helpful interactive neighborhood finder so you're well situated when things go boom. Take a fun quiz here, then find out the best spots to watch from. Or just check out some prime spots here.
More info this way

June 28, 2017

The city approves rent increases for rent-regulated apartments

Tenants leasing a rent-regulated apartment, buildings built before 1974 with six or more units, will soon see their rents rise for the first time in years. New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board voted to increase rent for regulated apartments on Tuesday, allowing an increase of 1.25 percent for one-year leases and 2 percent on two-year leases, set to begin Oct. 1. As the New York Times reported, the board, which had voted two years in a row to freeze rents, found that a 6.2 percent increase in operating costs for landlords in 2016 warranted this year’s increase.
Find out more

June 28, 2017

$1M Upper West Side townhouse duplex has a terrace and a fireplace for all-season character

A one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side for around a million seems almost too good to be true as it is; this townhouse duplex at 172 West 82nd Street is all that plus a terrace and a wood-burning fireplace for $1.01 million. While the interior reads more East Village than Upper West with two walls of exposed brick, a fresh renovation is uptown-efficient. This walk-up co-op is in a charming bay-windowed brownstone on an equally charming tree-lined block.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

My 1100sqft: Designers Laura Yeh and Zach Jenkins turn a blank Bushwick loft into a pastel dreamscape

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 loft of designers Laura Yeh and Zach Jenkins. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

June 27, 2017

My 1100sqft: Designers Laura Yeh and Zach Jenkins turn a blank Bushwick loft into a pastel dreamscape

By Diane Pham

Creativity runs high in this Bushwick loft, which comes as no surprise when you learn that it's the home of Laura Yeh, a designer at cult beauty brand Glossier, and Zach Jenkins, a furniture and lighting designer at the ultra-luxe Hellman-Chang. The duo moved into their space roughly one year ago following a cross-country road trip that brought them from their previous home in San Francisco to NYC. Although Laura, having studied at Parsons, was no stranger to the city, Zach had never lived in New York. Thus, as new beginnings go, the couple opted to start fresh in Bushwick with an 1100-square-foot cavern with plenty of room to flex their creative prowess. Ahead, see how Laura and Zach use airy style, refined textures, and beautiful furniture designed, built, or restored themselves to turn a nondescript space into a perfectly edited pastel dreamscape.
go inside their dreamy loft

In the 20th century, the subway system used professional sniffers to keep New Yorkers safe

Image © 6sqft

June 27, 2017

In the 20th century, the subway system used professional sniffers to keep New Yorkers safe

Image © 6sqft The city's subways of today have machines that can test air samples and look for potentially dangerous gas build-up or biological and chemical agents. However, before such technology was invented, the city hired James “Smelly” Kelly to walk the tracks using just his nose and a few homemade inventions, to find and report any leaks or hazardous smells. As Atlas Obscura discovered, Kelly and his team would walk underground for allegedly ten miles of track each day, and by the end of his career, it is said Kelly walked over 100,000 miles of track.
Find out more

June 27, 2017

Young Projects upended the traditional Brooklyn townhouse design for this Williamsburg renovation

You wouldn't guess it from first glance, but this property on the corner of Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg was originally a modest 1900s brick townhouse. Architecture and design firm Young Projects was tasked with modernizing and expanding the existing structure, for which they took a bold approach that they call "a radical break from Brooklyn’s traditional townhouse typology." The massive rear addition is clad in perforated, corrugated zinc, "subtly playing off the scale, proportion, fenestration and texture of the existing townhouse." The interior is just as dramatic, with a massive, curving staircase that wraps around a double height living room.
You have to take a look inside

June 27, 2017

Recent breakdown spurs demand for better subway escape plans

After experiencing a big dose of the NYC “train pain” that seems to be reaching epidemic proprtions lately, subway passenger Michael Sciaraffo has launched a campaign against the MTA for what he feels are lousy safety standards. After being “trapped on a sweltering F train" that got stuck in a tunnel during a recent “colossal breakdown,” Sciaraffo was mad enough to demand that straphangers be provided with a better protocol for escaping to safety in the event of a mass emergency. The city's already-strained subway system moved 5.6 million passengers a week 2016, leading to a reported 70,000 delays per month over the last five years according to NBC New York.
So how do we get out of this thing?

Amazon has patented a drone skyscraper designed for city delivery

Image courtesy of the United States Patent Office

June 27, 2017

Amazon has patented a drone skyscraper designed for city delivery

The massive online retailer company Amazon, which recently acquired the grocery chain Whole Foods for $13.4 billion, is attempting to push even further into the future of internet commerce. The company has recently patented a “multi-level fulfillment center for unmanned vehicles," or in simpler terms, a drone skyscraper. As co.design discovered, while patents do not necessarily mean this tower will be created, the plan has detailed sketches showing a giant beehive from where drones would fly in and out.
See the design

June 27, 2017

Brooklyn’s iconic ‘Watchtower’ sign coming down to make way for Kushner’s Panorama office complex

For nearly 50 years, the neon red 15-foot-tall ‘Watchtower’ sign has sat atop the former headquarters of the Jehovah’s Witnesses luminously overlooking Brooklyn Heights. However, earlier this month, the religious group filed a permit application seeking to remove the sign. According to The Real Deal, this comes almost a year after developers Kushner Companies, CIM Group and LIVWRK Holdings purchased the spot at 25-30 Columbia Heights for $340 million with plans to convert the building into a 635,000-square-foot office complex, “Panorama.”
Find out more

New Developments

June 27, 2017

With two terraces and a fireplace, this $1.6M Chelsea duplex feels like a compact house

This pint-sized penthouse perched atop an elevator building at 368 West 23rd Street in West Chelsea manages to pack everything you need into two levels of renovated, sun-filled space and look good doing it. Asking $1.6 million, the one-bedroom co-op is freshly renovated with two full baths, new hardwood floors, central air conditioning, a wood-burning fireplace, and a washer/dryer. But it's the impressive expanses of terrace that make the biggest impression.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

June 27, 2017

Win a free pass to the New York Times Cities for Tomorrow Conference (Worth $995!)

By 6sqft

Cities for Tomorrow is back for its fourth year, and 6sqft has teamed up with the New York Times to give one lucky reader a free pass (worth $995!) to the event taking place July 10th–11th in Midtown Manhattan. Join creative visionaries and leaders in the real estate, urban planning, and political fields such as Momofuku […]

June 26, 2017

90 years ago today, Coney Island’s iconic Cyclone roller coaster opened

On June 26, 1927 the Coney Island Cyclone opened in Brooklyn. The iconic wooden coaster, located on the corner of Surf Avenue and West 10th Street, is one of the oldest functional amusement rides in the United States. While it only cost $.25 to ride when it first opened, today it costs about $10. Found at Luna Park, the coaster takes you over 2,640 feet of track at 60 miles per hour, with 12 drops (the highest an 85-foot, 60-degree plunge) and 27 elevation changes in roughly two minutes.
See a historic video of the coaster in action

History

June 26, 2017

More apartments have been built in Long Island City than any other U.S. neighborhood since 2010

Following the country’s economic recession, neighborhoods throughout the United States have witnessed an apartment boom. According to a report by RENTCafe, since 2010, apartment buildings have been popping up at an increasingly faster rate. Unsurprisingly, Long Island City came in first for the largest number of new rental apartments, with 41 new apartment buildings and 12,533 new units built in the past seven years. Nearly 36 percent of all apartments are brand new in this Queens waterfront neighborhood.
See which other NYC 'hoods made the top-10 list

Real Estate Trends

June 26, 2017

New York Wheel construction grinds to a halt after designer walks off the job

The New York Wheel, Staten Island's under-construction 630-foot Ferris wheel, has been plagued with cost overruns (it's gone from a $230 to $590 million project), delays, and skepticism from the beginning, and it appears that these missteps have finally come to a head. The Post reports that the project's design team, European company Mammoet-Starneth who was also responsible for the London Eye, walked off the job in late May and threatened to terminate their contract after they "got into a bitter pay dispute with the developer." The New York Wheel LLC then filed a federal suit claiming that halting work was putting the borough's waterfront revitalization at stake and that Mammoet is responsible for “extortionate” billing, "defective" equipment, and shoddy, dangerous construction.
The full story this way

June 26, 2017

Gwyneth Paltrow sells Tribeca penthouse with fuzzy nap zones for $10.7M

By Annie Doge

Gwyneth Paltrow's pristine, all-white Tribeca penthouse has officially sold. City records reveal that the home Paltrow previously shared with former husband Chris Martin has closed for $10.727 million (h/t Observer). The 3,892-square-foot spread at 416 Washington Street has been on the market since March 2016, listed about a year after the "conscious uncoupling" of the flaxen-haired duo. Although the penthouse saw some price chops from its original price tag of $14.25 million, it did sell above its last ask of $9.995 million—and well above the $5.1 million it was purchased for back in 2007.
READ MORE

June 26, 2017

INTERVIEW: Architect Thomas Kosbau on the exciting future of sustainable design in NYC

Since Thomas Kosbau began working for a New York consultancy firm running its sustainable development group, in 2008, much has changed in the city's attitude toward green design. Kosbau has gone from "selling" the idea of LEED certification to building developers, to designing some of the most innovative sustainable projects in New York to meet demand. He founded his firm, ORE Design, in 2010. Soon after, he picked up two big commissions that went on to embody the firm's priority toward projects that marry great design alongside sustainability. At one commission, the Dekalb Market, ORE transformed 86 salvaged shipping containers into an incubator farm, community kitchen, event space, community garden, 14 restaurants and 82 retail spaces. At another, Riverpark Farm, he worked with Riverpark restaurant owners Tom Colicchio, Sisha Ortuzar and Jeffrey Zurofsky to build a temporary farm at a stalled development site to provide their kitchen with fresh produce. From there, ORE has tackled everything from the outdoor dining area at the popular Brooklyn restaurant Pok Pok to the combination of two Madison Avenue studios. Last November, ORE launched designs for miniature indoor growhouses at the Brooklyn headquarters of Square Roots, an urban farming accelerator.
ORE's latest project

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 26, 2017

Cuomo unveils winning design for NYC’s first public monument to LGBT people

To coincide with pride weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that artist Anthony Goicolea had been chosen to design the first official monument to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to be commissioned by the State of New York. According to the New York Times, the statue will be built near the waterfront piers in Hudson River Park. The monument's design features nine boulders bisected in places with glass, which can act as a prism, emitting a rainbow pattern. Governor Cuomo formed the LGBT Memorial Commission after the deadly attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. in 2016; A request for designs for a new memorial went out in October of this year. Hudson River Park's waterfront piers have figured prominently in the history of the city's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

June 26, 2017

To work around Trump, Michael Bloomberg launches $200M initiative for U.S. cities

The former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, announced a new philanthropic project on Monday aimed at investing and empowering the country’s cities. The $200 million program, called the American Cities Initiative, will help mayors push for policies that deal with climate change, gun violence, public health and immigration. As the New York Times reported, a major component of Bloomberg’s project will be a “Mayors Challenge,” which will award six-and seven-figure grants to mayors who draft interesting policy proposals.
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Policy

June 26, 2017

Live in Al Capone’s former Park Slope home for $2.85M

No bribes or back-door deals necessary. Al Capone's former Park Slope townhouse, where he lived in the 1920s before heading to Chicago, has just hit the market for $2.85 million, reports the Post. "Scarface" may not recognize his former home today, as listing broker Bren Salamon notes that while the exterior remains nondescript, inside, the three-family residence has been completely renovated with high-end appliances, outdoor decks, and all new finishes.
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June 26, 2017

$3,300/month prewar co-op is just one block from Columbia University

Any Columbia students out there in search of summer housing? This charming apartment, from the prewar cooperative 609 West 114th Street, is now renting. Besides the great Morningside Heights locale, a half block from the campus and a half block from Riverside Park, you get interior details like 10-foot ceilings, crown moldings and French doors. A corner location and windows everywhere you look stream in sunlight throughout the day. Although in a co-op building this apartment has been rented out for years, and was last asking $2,900 a month in 2015.
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Distinctive Homes

June 25, 2017

$850K for this 1899 Victorian home in Ridgewood with a charming front porch