6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Is Queens NYC Council member Eric Ulrich’s idea of extending the Second Avenue subway via the Atlantic Brooklyn Long Island Rail Road branch connecting with the abandoned Queens LIRR Rockaway Beach line, on to the Rockaways unrealistic? FIND OUT AT METRO NEW YORK…

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Photo via pixabay

November 20, 2017

Number of tourists visiting NYC hits record high despite drop in international visitors

New estimates from the city’s tourism promotion agency, NYC & Company, show that the number of visitors to New York City will increase again this year, making 2017 the eighth straight year of record-high tourism. As the New York Times reported, the city will take in 61.8 million visitors this year, an increase from 60.5 million visitors in 2016. However, the agency does expect the first drop in international visitors to the city since 2009, due to President Donald Trump’s “America First” rhetoric and his revised restricted travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries.
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Policy

November 20, 2017

Stunning church details were woven into this $3,925/month Bushwick rental

This 1890s brick church and school, located at 626 Bushwick Avenue right in Bushwick, has gotten a second life as a new development rental known as the Saint Marks. The church details aren't all extinct, with brickwork and vaulting in some of the apartments. This two-bedroom unit is one of the most stunning in the building--and it's now asking $3,925 a month. The top-floor location means that the elaborate arched ceilings decked out with mosaic tilework and carved wood tower above this lofty pad.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

November 20, 2017

NYC’s best art installations and exhibits to get you in the holiday spirit

By Lori Zimmer

The holiday season in New York is one of the most magical times, packed with lots of events to perpetuate the experience. Aside from ice skating, holiday-themed bars, and the tree at Rockefeller Center, be sure to tuck into these art exhibitions and events to get you into the spirit! From old standbys like the New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show to contemporary offerings like Yayoi Kusama's glittering installations in Chelsea and Erwin Redl's haunting field of glowing orbs at Madison Square Park, we've rounded up the 14 best must-see artsy exhibits this year.
Our top picks right this way

Events & Things To Do

New York lawmakers have underinvested in the subway system for decades, report finds

Image © 6sqft

November 20, 2017

New York lawmakers have underinvested in the subway system for decades, report finds

The crumbling of New York City’s subway system didn’t happen overnight. According to an investigation by the New York Times, the system’s current problems stem from nearly three decades of underinvestment by transit officials and elected politicians, who, despite its aging signals and equipment, have actually directed funding away from much-needed repairs. Now, New York’s subway has the worst on-time performance of any major rapid transit system in the world when looking at the data of the 20 biggest systems. Only 65 percent of weekday trains reach their destinations on time, the lowest rate since the transit crisis of the 1970s.
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November 20, 2017

Townhouse charm, modern design, and a prime location add up to this $825K West Village co-op

This one-bedroom co-op at 352 West 12th Street has exactly the kind of West Village charm–inside and out–that makes the neighborhood one of the city's most sought-after–and makes even its tiniest spaces among the most fought-over. Asking $825,000–in keeping with the neighborhood's complete lack of perspective in the area of real estate value–what's essentially an alcove studio with a privacy-enhancing wall has been blessed with interior design and finishes that make every square foot a joy to behold. It may not "astound with surprises," as the listing offers, but it's a surprisingly chic little flat, two flights up, with a lovely common garden shared the trio of 19th-century townhouses that comprise the co-op.
Take a look, this way

Distinctive Homes

November 17, 2017

$5.2M Queen Anne Victorian in Nyack comes with its own Hudson River pier

A six-bedroom Queen Anne Victorian in Upper Nyack has hit the market for $5.2 million (h/t Curbed). Although the 1887 residence, known as the Bennett-Deyrup House, underwent a major $4 million renovation 10 years ago, many of its historic details--like embossed "lincrusta" ceilings and walls, stained glass windows and tile glass--remain. Just a quick, 30-minutes outside New York City, the home sits on the Hudson River and includes its own rocky beach and stoned pier.
Take a tour

Second phase of Hunters Point South development moves forward with 960 affordable unit proposal

Rendering of Hunters Point South courtesy of Handel Architects

November 17, 2017

Second phase of Hunters Point South development moves forward with 960 affordable unit proposal

Plans to redevelop Hunters Point South, a project first proposed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is finally making some headway. The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Housing Development Corp. on Thursday selected a proposal that will bring a 1,120-unit apartment complex, with 80 percent of them permanently affordable, to the southern tip of the Long Island City neighborhood. According to the Wall Street Journal, the $500 million, two-tower project is being developed by Gotham and RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc.
Find out more

Distinctive Homes

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

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

This $18.5M penthouse is Village living on a luxury level

For $14.5M, Gilded Age opulence in a designer's Upper East Side mansion the size of a country estate

This $3.75M co-op is an architect-designed masterpiece in a classic Village loft

Sky mansion with dramatic curves on Billionaires' Row asks $10M

This $599K Ditmas Park co-op has a 'secret' private park

Asking $6.35M, this restored 1804 Tribeca townhouse is one of the last remaining homes from the period

Greenwich Village townhouse where Oscar Wilde once stayed asks $7.45M

Pre-war warmth meets polished loft lines in this $4.25M Village co-op

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Photo via Wiki Commons

November 17, 2017

City issues request for proposals for plan to shutter Rikers Island

Mayor Bill de Blasio officially began the process of shuttering Rikers Island on Thursday by issuing a request for proposal to develop an action plan to close the controversial jail complex and find alternate solutions. “We have a moral obligation to close down Rikers Island and transition to a smaller, safer and fairer jail system,” the mayor […]

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November 17, 2017

The penthouse at Shigeru Ban’s Metal Shutter Houses tries its hand as a $25K/month rental

The penthouse that tops the Metal Shutter Houses, a Chelsea condo designed by Pritzker Prize winner Shigeru Ban, boasts almost as much outdoor space as it does within. The four-bedroom, four-bathroom duplex penthouse spans 3,319 square feet, with almost 2,000 square feet of landscaped terraces surrounding it and offering incredible views. The pad originally sold for $11.4 million, according to Curbed, then hit the market in 2011 for $12.95 million. After no takers, it was listed this summer for $12.9 million. And now it's trying its hand as a rental, at a hefty monthly cost of $25,000.
You have to see the outdoor space

Distinctive Homes

‘Girls’ actress Jemima Kirke’s charming East Hampton family home asks $3M

Photo of Jemima Kirke via Wikimedia

November 17, 2017

‘Girls’ actress Jemima Kirke’s charming East Hampton family home asks $3M

By Annie Doge

The East Hampton family home of actress Jemima Kirke, who starred as Jessa in the HBO series "Girls," has hit the market for $2.9 million. The cute four-bedroom home sits on Gardiners Bay and includes its own private beach. As Curbed learned, the home, built in 1900, has been renovated by Jemima's interior designer mother, Lorraine Kirke.
See inside

The Urban Lens: Wayne Sorce’s vivid photos capture the spirit of 1970s and ’80s NYC

Dave’s Restaurant, New York, 1984. © Wayne Sorce courtesy of the Joseph Bellows Gallery

November 17, 2017

The Urban Lens: Wayne Sorce’s vivid photos capture the spirit of 1970s and ’80s NYC

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, the Joseph Bellows Gallery shares the late Wayne Sorce's "Urban Color" series. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Chicago-born photographer Wayne Sorce began capturing the people and places of urban landscapes while at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1960s. In the late '70s and early '80s he took large-scale color photos of his hometown and New York, capturing "a formal exactitude, the light, structures, and palette of these cities within a certain era," according to a press release from the Joseph Bellows Gallery in L.A. where this "Urban Color" series is currently on view. Not only do the vivid colors help express the spirit of the city at this time, but the way Sorce incorporates people exposes a unique energy in which they serve as "both inhabitants, as well as sculptural forms relating to a larger composed scene." From Manhattan barbershops and restaurants to the gritty, industrial streets of Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn, the photos transport the viewer to a bygone NYC.
See all of Sorce's photos here

Plan for LaGuardia AirTrain inches forward with $55M lift from Port Authority

Rendering of LaGuardia Airport via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

November 17, 2017

Plan for LaGuardia AirTrain inches forward with $55M lift from Port Authority

The Port Authority on Thursday approved $55 million in funding for the second phase of planning for an AirTrain to LaGuardia airport, a project first announced nearly three years ago. The authority previously allocated $20 million for the AirTrain which would run between Mets-Willets Point and the airport, one part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to revamp LaGuardia. According to the Daily News, the total $75 million will go towards technical planning, design work and developing an environmental impact report. Despite this new investment, the AirTrain still has no final cost estimate or a completed study, but previous estimates price the project at $1 billion.
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Policy

5 Manhattan West. Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu via REX Architecture

November 17, 2017

First look at REX’s pleated-glass transformation of Brutalist 5 Manhattan West office tower

Brookfield Office Properties offered a look at the second building in the nearly-six-million-square-foot, six-building Manhattan West project to be completed. The 16-story office building known as 5 Manhattan West, where Amazon signed a lease for a 360,000-square-foot space, is approaching completion on Tenth Avenue between West 31st and 33rd Streets across from Hudson Yards. Archpaper shares images of the building's sparkling new look and interiors, the result of some fancy architectural footwork by REX. The 1969 Brutalist office building was nearly everyone's example of ugly since a 1980s renovation left it clad in brown metal and beige paint. The rechristened building's new facade wraps it in sleek, form-fitting pleated glass that does more than just look pretty.
More images of the 21st century transformation, this way

Your guide to this year’s Macy’s Christmas Windows

Photo via Macy’s

November 16, 2017

Your guide to this year’s Macy’s Christmas Windows

On Thursday, November 16, get ready to be wowed by Macy’s Christmas windows at Herald Square. Each year, Macy’s kicks off the holiday season by unveiling its iconic and magical Christmas window display for everyone to enjoy. During peak hours, the Herald Square location can have more than 10,000 people pass the windows. The theme […]

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Framlab proposes 3D-printed modular microneighborhoods to shelter NYC’s homeless

Image: Framlab

November 16, 2017

Framlab proposes 3D-printed modular microneighborhoods to shelter NYC’s homeless

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

The growing population of homeless New Yorkers is sending creative agency Framlab up a wall–literally. The Oslo- and New York City-based agency has proposed a way to provide shelter for the city's homeless in an arrangement of 3D-printed micro-neighborhoods comprised of hexagonal modules designed to attach to a scaffold structure, creating a second layer of properties, basically, alongside a building's empty wall (h/t designboom). In the project, called "Homed," the modular pods can be clustered together, creating a "cellular mosaic" with their fronts facing the street.
Way better than giant ads

Jewish gangsters, jazz legends, and Joy Division: The evolution of the Ukrainian National Home

The Stuyvesant Casino in 1945, via the Swedish Buck Johnson Society (L); The Ukrainian National Home Today, via Wally Gobetz/Flickr (R)

November 16, 2017

Jewish gangsters, jazz legends, and Joy Division: The evolution of the Ukrainian National Home

On 2nd Avenue, just south of 9th Street at No. 140-142, sits one of the East Village's oddest structures. Clad in metal and adorned with Cyrillic lettering, the building sports a slightly downtrodden and forbidding look, seeming dropped into the neighborhood from some dystopian sci-fi thriller. In reality, for the last half century the building has housed the Ukrainian National Home, best known as a great place to get some good food or drink. But scratch the surface of this architectural oddity and you'll find a winding history replete with Jewish gangsters, German teetotalers, jazz-playing hipsters, and the American debut of one of Britain's premier post-punk bands, all in a building which, under its metallic veneer, dates back nearly two centuries.
Learn this fascinating history

History

‘The View’ co-host Joy Behar drops $2.4M on a mod Upper West Side condo

By Annie Doge

According to city property records, "The View" co-host Joy Behar just dropped $2.4 million on a contemporary apartment at the Lincoln Square condo 62 West 62nd Street. Not only is the place a block away from both Central Park and Lincoln Center, but it's just four blocks from the talk show's ABC filming location on 66th Street. Ironically, it's also just a few blocks from the Trump International; Behar has been extremely vocal on her disdain for the building's namesake, even writing an entire Trump-bashing book.
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Crown Building’s $100M penthouse will have two indoor pools and a piano lounge

Penthouse rendering courtesy of Aman Resorts

November 16, 2017

Crown Building’s $100M penthouse will have two indoor pools and a piano lounge

Floor plans of the Crown Building's crown jewel, its five-story penthouse, have revealed what $100 million will buy you at one of the city's most desirable locations for the super-rich. As the Real Deal learned, the penthouse features two swimming pools, a piano lounge and a full-floor master suite. The 14,000-square-foot pad sits in the actual crown of the building, spanning floors 22-26. The rest of the Billionaires' Row building at 730 Fifth Avenue isn't too shabby either; the building includes an 83-key luxury Aman Resorts hotel with a three-story spa, a jazz and cigar club, a few restaurants and 20 luxury condos.
Find out more

Foreclosures and flopped flips pile up at One57, sending grim message to big ticket investors

Image © Wade Zimmerman courtesy of Agence Christian de Portzamparc (ACDP)

November 16, 2017

Foreclosures and flopped flips pile up at One57, sending grim message to big ticket investors

A full-floor, 6,240-square-foot penthouse at Midtown billionaires' bunker One57 recently sold to an unidentified high bidder–one of five contenders–at a foreclosure auction for $36 million. That number is 29 percent lower than the original $50.9 million price shelled out by Nigerian businessman Kolawole Akanni Aluko for the newly-minted condo in 2014. The fire sale was the fourth resale in the 1,004-foot-tall Billionaire's Row flagship trophy tower to trade at a loss, according to data from appraiser Miller Samuel Inc., reports Bloomberg. The latest example is the largest discount to date on one of the pricey properties, all of which sends a message to buyers with plans to cash in on the ultra-luxury units in short order. And there are currently 16 apartments at the building listed for sale, most of them by the developer.
Read on

Real Estate Trends

City Planning gives the go ahead for controversial 800-foot Sutton Place tower

The original rendering of 3 Sutton Place by Foster + Partners

November 16, 2017

City Planning gives the go ahead for controversial 800-foot Sutton Place tower

The City Planning Commission approved a resident-proposed plan to curb the development of supertall, skinny towers in Sutton Place on Wednesday, capping the height of future buildings. However, because of a clause inserted by the commission, projects already under construction will be grandfathered into the current zoning rules. This comes as good news for Gamma Real Estate, the developer currently constructing an 800-foot-tall residential tower, now called Sutton 58, at 3 Sutton Place. Gamma needs to finish the foundation planned for their luxury condominium tower before the city votes on the rezoning proposal, to be immune from new height restrictions (h/t Crain's).
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November 16, 2017

Chelsea townhouse with modern Danish design asks a cool $11M

This Chelsea townhouse at 449 West 24th Street has some bragging rights both inside and out. Exterior-wise, the 21-foot-wide home is surrounded by greenery and outdoor space on a block of other historic townhouses. Inside, over 4,073 square feet, mid-century and Danish interior design has added a unique and modern touch. Big walls of glass, finally, connect the indoor and outdoor elements. If you're digging the connection, the property has just hit the market for a cool $11 million.
Explore each floor

Distinctive Homes

New 40th Street entrance. Credit: Mecanoo with Beyer Blinder Belle

November 16, 2017

NYPL unveils $317M master plan and renderings for iconic main branch

At a Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday evening, The New York Public Library revealed the $317 million master plan that will guide the renovation of the iconic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. The plan was developed by Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo and the NYC-based Beyer Blinder Belle. The historic Midtown Beaux-Arts building is home to one of the nation’s leading research libraries as well as historic spaces like the landmarked Rose Main Reading Room, the Maps, Periodicals, and Genealogy reading rooms, and Astor Hall.
This way for more renderings and what's to come

Architecture And Design

Bronx lottery opens at city’s first model that co-locates homeless shelter and affordable apartments

Rendering of 233 Landing Road via Edelman Sultan Knox Wood / Architects

November 15, 2017

Bronx lottery opens at city’s first model that co-locates homeless shelter and affordable apartments

Applications are now being accepted for 24 new affordable rentals at 233 Landing Road in the University Heights neighborhood of the Bronx. The newly-minted elevator building will offer residents a computer lab, a live-in super, bicycle storage, a community room and an on-site laundry room. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 50 and 60 percent of the area median income may apply for units ranging from a $714/month one-bedroom to a $1,058/month two-bedroom.
Find out more, this way

Affordable Housing

Museum of Natural History exhibit uses ‘funhouse-like spaces’ to engage your senses

Image via AMNH/Our Senses

November 15, 2017

Museum of Natural History exhibit uses ‘funhouse-like spaces’ to engage your senses

What better way is there to show how easily your senses can be tricked than a funhouse? That’s the thinking behind Our Senses: An Immersive Experience, a massive new exhibit that’s more like a trip to a carnival at the American Museum of Natural History. Spanning 11 rooms themed to your senses — there are many […]

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De Blasio’s affordable housing ‘road map’ includes tiny homes and micro-units

Image: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

November 15, 2017

De Blasio’s affordable housing ‘road map’ includes tiny homes and micro-units

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

Calling it "Housing New York 2.0," Mayor Bill de Blasio has just released a new road map to his goal of building and preserving 300,000 affordable New York City homes–100,000 more than his previous pledge. The plan accelerates and expands the production of new housing, fights tenant displacement, creates more housing for seniors and working families and provides new home ownership tools. Among the more technologically advanced strategies outlined are plans to use innovative smaller homes on vacant lots that are too small for traditional housing and the expansion of modular buildings and micro-units.
Mitchell-Lama, vacant lots, modular building and micro-units, this way

THE 6SQFT SHOP

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10 best plants for apartment dwellers

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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15 apartments up for grabs near the Williamsburg waterfront, from $867/month

Rendering of 94 North 3rd Street courtesy of Hudson Companies Inc.

November 15, 2017

15 apartments up for grabs near the Williamsburg waterfront, from $867/month

Applications are now being accepted for 15 newly constructed, affordable apartments in a mixed-use development in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. With 75 total units and more than 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, the building at 94 North 3rd Street sits just a few blocks from the waterfront and bustling Metropolitan Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for studios for $867 per month, one-bedrooms for $931 per month and two-bedrooms listed for $1123 monthly.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

New affordable Bronx development will feature a rooftop aquaponics greenhouse

Rendering of the Bedford Green House courtesy of Edelman Sultan Knox Wood/Architects LLP and Hollister Construction Services

November 15, 2017

New affordable Bronx development will feature a rooftop aquaponics greenhouse

The construction of a 13-story supportive housing development in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx will begin Thursday when federal, state and city officials join nonprofit Project Renewal in a groundbreaking ceremony at the site. Located at 2880 Jerome Avenue, the Bedford Green House will feature 118 units of affordable housing for families, seniors, and singles. To connect its residents to nature, the building will be covered in carbon sequestering plants and have an operational rooftop greenhouse where residents will be able to raise fresh fish and produce, partake in healthy cooking demos, and enjoy a community playground.
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November 15, 2017

Historic UES mansion with Michael Jackson and ‘Gossip Girl’ ties asks $39M

By Dana Schulz

The celebrity connections at 4 East 74th Street date all the way back to its construction in 1898 when architect Alexander Welch was commissioned to design the Beaux-Arts townhouse. Welch served as the consulting architect on the restorations of Alexander Hamilton's Harlem home Hamilton Grange and George Washington's headquarters in White Plains. The Upper East Side home was bought by Francis Lynde Stetson and his wife. Corporate attorney Stetson was at one time the law partner of Grover Cleveland. According to Curbed, who first spotted the listing, in more recent years, the 16-room mansion has counted among its residents artist Marc Chagall and Michael Jackson, who rented it in the 90s. The house also stood in as the exterior of Nate Archibald’s residence in "Gossip Girl." It's now owned by billionaire Moroccan-born American hedge fund manager and Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, who's just listed it for $39 million.
Take a tour

Luxury condos may be off the table at Crown Heights armory after City Council hearing

Rendering of the Bedford Courts development planned for the Bedford-Union Armory; image: BFC Partners/Bedford Courts

November 15, 2017

Luxury condos may be off the table at Crown Heights armory after City Council hearing

Amid growing opposition, the proposed Crown Heights Bedford-Union Armory redevelopment project began its evaluation by the City Council at a hearing Tuesday on land use applications filed by the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), amNewYork reports. The massive armory, once housing for the National Guard, became city property in 2013. The EDC plans to sell the property to developer BFC Partners for the creation of 56 condos, of which 20 percent would be income restricted. The remaining market rate condos would help pay for the rest of the project, which would be leased by BFC Partners and would include 330 rentals (165 affordable), office space and a recreation center. Critics say the city is setting a dangerous precedent by leasing public land for private use, especially when market-rate condos are included. The de Blasio administration has championed the recreation center and housing, but the plan has has come under fire by neighborhood advocacy groups and has had an uphill battle in achieving the City Council approval it needs.
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MTA to introduce ‘customer service ambassadors’ to help riders navigate the subway

MTA customer service ambassadors, photo courtesy of MTA New York City Transit / Marc A. Hermann

November 15, 2017

MTA to introduce ‘customer service ambassadors’ to help riders navigate the subway

The first phase of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan to modernize the subway focuses on improving communication between workers and riders. Last week, the MTA announced it would distribute about 230 iPhones to platform workers and train operators to pass along helpful information to straphangers about train problems and also provide alternative routes. Now, according to amNY, customer service ambassadors will roam subway stations to offer assistance, instead of staying in the booth. Over the next several weeks, ambassadors will be selected, trained and then placed at busy stations, especially those with a lot of tourists like Grand Central Terminal and Times Square.
Find out more

Transit

November 15, 2017

$3M Fort Greene townhouse may need some TLC but lovely bones and a heavenly garden remain

Located on a gorgeous block steps from Fort Greene Park, this compact townhouse at 232 Carlton Avenue, asking $3 million, could use some updating. The listing says, "Bring your architect and/or designer," but there's a lot to love about this home even in its present imperfect state. Currently configured as a two-family dwelling with an owner’s triplex and a one-bedroom duplex rental, the layout may look a little complicated but there's plenty of potential here, including a gracious deck and classic leafy Brooklyn backyard.
Take a closer look

Distinctive Homes

LPC approves Roman Abramovich’s revised Upper East Side mega-mansion proposal

Image: Landmarks Preservation Commission

November 14, 2017

LPC approves Roman Abramovich’s revised Upper East Side mega-mansion proposal

Shortly after Roman Abramovich added a fourth Upper East Side townhouse to his now-$96-million assemblage on East 75th Street, the Russian billionaire's three-house, 18,000-square-foot mega-mansion plans changed ever so slightly, with renovation efforts to be concentrated on numbers 9, 11 and 13, leaving number 15 out of the running for the mega-combo. As 6sqft previously reported, the steel magnate and owner of the Chelsea Football Club has been working with architect Steven Wang with big-name firm Herzog & de Meuron as a design consultant. The first proposal for the project, “an 18,255-square-foot mansion with a six-foot front yard, 30-foot backyard, and pool in the cellar" was rejected by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the DOB in April 2016, but a revised plan was approved two months later. Tweaked again to include the new property, the revised plan has been officially approved on Tuesday by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Find out more

Anable Basin proposal envisions a massive mixed-use district along the Long Island City waterfront

Rendering courtesy of WXY architecture + urban design

November 14, 2017

Anable Basin proposal envisions a massive mixed-use district along the Long Island City waterfront

The plastics company, Plaxall, announced on Tuesday a massive rezoning proposal to allow for a mixed-use district in Anable Basin, the area surrounding a 149-year-old inlet located in Long Island City. Since founding the company more than 70 years ago, the Plaxall family has purchased and rehabilitated properties in the neighborhood and currently manages over one million square feet of space. Achieved through rezoning, the proposal calls for 335,000 square feet for industrial uses, 4,955 housing units with 25 percent of them affordable, a 700+ seat public school and a new, elevated promenade. If the rezoning is approved, construction is anticipated to begin in 2020 with a completion date in 2034, but no official timeline has been set.
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Looking back at 50 years of public art in NYC

Ugo Rondinone, Human Nature, Rockefeller Center, 2013. Presented by Nespresso, Organized by Tishman Speyer and Public Art Fund. Photograph by James Ewing. Courtesy Public Art Fund, NY

November 14, 2017

Looking back at 50 years of public art in NYC

The first pieces of public art began came along in 1967, at a time when the city — as many other cities at the time — was struggling with crime and budget deficits. “Mayor John Lindsay was keen on the idea of supporting the arts, supporting creative programming as a way of maintaining New York’s […]

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Dannon Yogurt’s fruity history in the Bronx

Photo courtesy of Dannon

November 14, 2017

Dannon Yogurt’s fruity history in the Bronx

The Bronx is home to your favorite European-sounding ice cream brand--and it's also the place where a European yogurt was outfitted for American tastes. Back in 1919, in Barcelona, Spain, Isaac Carasso started making yogurt after learning about scientific advances fermenting milk at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. He founded the "Danone" yogurt company--named after his young son Daniel--and invented yogurt's first industrial manufacturing process. Isaac's son, Daniel, eventually brought the business to France, but then moved to New York in the midst of World War Two. In 1942, Daniel Carasso changed the name Danone to Dannon to make the brand sound more American. It was the first American yogurt company located in the Bronx at a time when few Americans knew what yogurt was. The rest, as they say, is history, with hand-delivered yogurt making its way around the city, and the American taste preferences leading the company to invent fruit-based flavors you still see today.
Keep reading for Dannon's NYC history

History

Amid decline in ridership, MTA boosts service on six train lines

The 7-train will be getting the biggest boost in service this spring, photo via Wikimedia

November 14, 2017

Amid decline in ridership, MTA boosts service on six train lines

In an attempt to increase subway ridership, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority next spring will add trains to six lines: the 2, 3, 7, N, W, and Q trains. The boost in service comes after data released by the MTA revealed that riders are opting for alternative transportation, like Uber, Lyft or Citibike, instead of dealing with the often delayed and disrupted subways and buses. According to amNY, the additional trains, which will cost the MTA $5 million annually, will run on nights and weekends, times when the authority believes demand is not being effectively met.
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New development sales in Manhattan expected to hit $12B by 2020

New development visualized through 2020, via CityRealty

November 14, 2017

New development sales in Manhattan expected to hit $12B by 2020

By Dana Schulz

According to CityRealty's 2017 Manhattan New Development Report, things are really going to heat up over the next few years. While new development sales dropped to $8.3 billion in 2017 from $9.4 billion in 2016 (attributed to a softening in the luxury market), there are a number of new big-time buildings that will commence closings and have the potential to drive total sales up to a whopping $11.9 billion by 2020. One key player is Extell Development’s One Manhattan Square on the Lower East Side. With 815 apartments, it will be the largest condo by unit count ever constructed in the city. And up on Billionaires' Row, Extell's Central Park Tower will have the city's biggest sell-out ever at $4 billion, while Vornado's 220 Central Park South is looking to set the record for highest price per square foot ever in NYC.
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Real Estate Trends

November 14, 2017

Cracking open the stories of NYC’s most historic bars

With rising rents and ever-changing commercial drags, New Yorkers can take comfort that the city still holds classic bar haunts, some of which have been serving booze for over 100 years. Some watering holes, like the Financial District's Fraunces Tavern, played a crucial role in major historic events. Others, like Midtown's 21 Club and the West Village's White Horse Tavern, hosted the most notable New Yorkers of the time. These institutions all survived Prohibition--managing to serve alcohol in both unique and secretive ways--and figured out ways to serve a diverse, ever-changing clientele of New Yorkers up to this day. 6sqft rounded up the seven most impressive bars when it comes to New York City history--and they've got the legends, stories, and ghosts to prove it. From longshoreman bars to underground speakeasies to Upper East Side institutions, these are the watering holes that have truly withstood New York's test of time.
This way for the roundup

Second phase of Penn Station track work will not bring a winter of hell

Amtrak workers setting concrete on track 10 at Penn Station this summer, image via Amtrak

November 14, 2017

Second phase of Penn Station track work will not bring a winter of hell

Amtrak announced on Monday its plan for the second phase of track renewal projects for Penn Station, set to begin this winter. Between January 5 and May 28 of next year, there will be continuous single-track closures, affecting Amtrak and commuter train operation at the Midtown transit hub. While similar to the infrastructure repairs that took place for eight weeks this past June, dubbed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the “summer of hell,” the impact will be less severe for commuters and most of the work will take place on the weekends.
More here

November 14, 2017

Park Slope duplex is a perfect townhouse tryout at $4,800/month

In the heart of lovely, leafy north Park Slope, a block from Prospect Park and surrounded by some of Brooklyn's priciest historic architecture, this 1,500-square-foot duplex condominium at 502 1st Street is available for rent, asking $4,800 a month. If you're looking for a townhouse tryout–without all the stress that comes with purchasing an actual townhouse–the two-floor, three-bedroom space is big enough for the whole family. They'll fit right in here–and two private outdoor spaces provide a closer-to-home alternative to the park.
Have a closer look

MAP: Where to find all 300 works in Ai Weiwei’s ‘Good Fences Make Good Neighbors’ exhibition

Ai Weiwei: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, The Arch, courtesy of the Public Art Fund

November 13, 2017

MAP: Where to find all 300 works in Ai Weiwei’s ‘Good Fences Make Good Neighbors’ exhibition

Ai Weiwei's New York City art installation, "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors," is expansive: it features ten large fence-themed structures, more than 90 smaller installations and 200 banners found in all five boroughs. While the multi-site, multi-media exhibition might seem like a lot to explore, the Public Art Fund, which commissioned the project, has made enjoying Weiwei's sprawling exhibition easy. The fund has created an interactive map that displays all 300 of the famed artist-activist's artworks currently found at public spaces, transit sites, lampposts and monuments all over the city, as well as additional information for each.
Explore the map

Events & Things To Do

Everything you need to know about the 2017 Rockefeller Center tree lighting

Photo via Michael Vadon/Flickr

November 13, 2017

Everything you need to know about the 2017 Rockefeller Center tree lighting

You might still have a bowl of leftover Halloween candy stashed in a cabinet. You probably don’t have a final guest list for Thanksgiving dinner. But winter is coming, sweet summer children, and with it comes Christmas in the city. Aside from Santa rounding up the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting […]

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November 13, 2017

$6,000/month Greenpoint rental boasts a drool-worthy deck that’s outfitted for winter

Every winter, New Yorkers mourn the outdoor space they can't enjoy due to cold weather. This Greenpoint apartment has solved that problem, by installing a fire pit within a charming private patio. This jealousy-inducing outdoor space is tacked onto a two-bedroom duplex unit from 114 India Street, a condo built in 2008. It's being offered as a short-term rental--completely furnished, with utilities and weekly housekeeping included--for $6,000 a month.
Now see the interior

Distinctive Homes

One Domino Square

8 South 4th Street

Williamsburg

Spectacular living on the Williamsburg waterfront

1 beds starting at $1,925,000
2 beds starting at $2,055,000
3 beds starting at $3,030,000

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Brooklyn Queens Connector unveils first streetcar prototype

Photo courtesy of Friends of the BQX

November 13, 2017

Brooklyn Queens Connector unveils first streetcar prototype

A group of public officials and advocates joined the Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) today to unveil the inaugural prototype of the streetcar proposed to run between Astoria and Sunset Park. First backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in February 2016, the BQX project, expected to cost $2.5 billion, would connect Brooklyn and Queens along the East River. Despite significant setbacks, including a bleak assessment about the finances and logistics of the project from Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen in April, BQX supporters are urging the de Blasio administration to make the project a priority during his second term.
See the streetcar

Where to volunteer in NYC: Food banks, shelters, soup kitchens, and more

Image by acfb.org

November 13, 2017

Where to volunteer in NYC: Food banks, shelters, soup kitchens, and more

By Rebecca Paul

The holiday season is the time of year when seeing friends and family is hard to avoid. We also find ourselves with more vacation days during these winter months. However, even though these two holiday realities suggest cheer and relaxation, they don't always mean we're taking the necessary time to slow down and appreciate what really matters. Instead of just eating and drinking your way through the next weeks, why not harness the holiday spirit and take a pause to help your fellow New Yorkers in need? There are hundreds of opportunities to volunteer from now through the New Year, and the list we've compiled below is a good place to start.
6sqft's list this way

MTA’s new cardless fare system could benefit low-income New Yorkers

Image via WNYC

November 13, 2017

MTA’s new cardless fare system could benefit low-income New Yorkers

Not only would the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new electronic fare payment system make commuting more efficient, it might also save money for low-income straphangers. According to amNY, advocates and experts say the new “contactless” technology could make the system more equitable through a policy called fare capping: riders pay per ride until the daily or weekly capping rates are reached, with every ride being free after that.
Find out how it works

November 13, 2017

For $2.3M, an Amzi Hill-designed Bed-stuy townhouse with historic details and an artist’s legacy

On one of the prettiest blocks in the landmarked Stuyvesant Heights section of Bed-Stuy, this 3,240-square-foot 1890s brownstone is brimming with historic architectural details. Designed by prolific Brooklyn architect Amzi Hill, 740 Macon Street has been lovingly restored by the home's longtime owners, one of whom happens to be a celebrated local artist whose sense of history and beauty is reflected at every turn. Highlights include arched windows, six tiled fireplaces, parquet floors, wooden shutters, pressed tin ceilings, pocket doors, a pier mirror, egg-and-dart molding and intricate fretwork, plus a landscaped garden and terrace. The two-family townhouse–there's a one-bedroom garden unit for rental income–is asking $2.3 million.
Tour this beautiful four-story house

Distinctive Homes

Waldorf Astoria will lose 1,000 hotel rooms in renovation

Photo via Wiki Commons

November 13, 2017

Waldorf Astoria will lose 1,000 hotel rooms in renovation