6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

It's not too often that you find a condominium for sale that isn't in a new-construction building, usually sleek but generic unless it has been custom-designed. This pre-war condo studio at 940 Fulton Street in Clinton Hill, surrounded by historic buildings and a growing collection of newly-minted ones, has added vintage elements like reclaimed wood shelves and wide plank floors, with the flexibility, super-low common charges and contemporary comforts of a new development. The ask is $469,000.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

Cuomo announces $151M elevated promenade to improve Staten Island’s coastal resiliency

Rendering via Governor Cuomo’s office

May 31, 2017

Cuomo announces $151M elevated promenade to improve Staten Island’s coastal resiliency

Governor Cuomo announced a $151 million plan on Tuesday to build an elevated promenade to improve the resiliency of Staten Island’s east shores during natural disasters. The seawall will stretch from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach to protect residents from coastal flooding, while simultaneously creating new wetland habitats and recreational amenities. The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a series of community-based design forums, allowing for Staten Island residents to offer direct input into the project's final design, which will be complete in the winter of 2018, with construction expected to begin in 2019 and a completion date of 2022.
Find out more

REVEALED: 23-story tower at South Williamsburg’s Dime Savings Bank site

Rendering of The Dime at 209 Havemeyer Street; rendering via Fogarty Finger Architects

May 31, 2017

REVEALED: 23-story tower at South Williamsburg’s Dime Savings Bank site

We know a little bit more of what to expect at one of Williamsburg's most important developments: The south 'burg site at 209 Havemeyer Street between South Fifth and Sixth Streets at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge, anchored by the Neoclassical-style Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh building, will be getting a 23-story mixed-use tower with retail, office and residential space, CityRealty.com reports. The 109-year-old historic bank building will be preserved and restored, and will be integrated into the project at its podium according to details published by the developers. The 340,000 square-foot project will be known as the “the Dime.”
Find out more

May 31, 2017

Dubbed ‘the neighborhood’s most charming house’ by the Brooklyn Eagle, this Victorian asks $1.825M

This freestanding Victorian, built in 1860, was actually dubbed "the neighborhood's most charming house" by the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper. Located at 211 Vanderbilt Street, in Windsor Terrace, it is still clad with cedar clapboard and fronted by a covered porch. The fully detached home is also set back from the street, offering the rare front lawn, plus a side walkway that leads to a truly massive backyard. Although the interior has mostly been upgraded, it still holds a few historic surprises. It is plenty charming, but you'll have to judge for yourself if the home deserves the title of most charming in all of Windsor Terrace.
Take the grand tour

Distinctive Homes

May 30, 2017

$3.4M Hell’s Kitchen penthouse boasts the city’s only private rooftop bocce court

Roof decks don't get much better than this one atop the penthouse at 454 West 46th Street, also known as the Piano Factory. The $3.395 million two-bedroom co-op, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, boasts a 3,000-square-foot private terrace, the only one in the city with its own bocce ball court. The court--which also functions as a golf putting green--is joined by a spacious sitting and dining area with a gas barbecue grill, as well as panoramic views of Midtown West. The apartment isn't too bad either, which a glass atrium over the living and dining areas. This penthouse pad last sold in 2009 for $2.9 million and has been on and off the market asking as much as $4.1 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

May 30, 2017

Artist installs ‘Pissing Pug’ next to controversial ‘Fearless Girl’ statue in Wall Street standoff

Image: Gabriella Bass via @dawn_images via Instagram You can almost guarantee that if you put something out in public in NYC, it's going to attract more than just attention. As 6sqft previously reported, Kristen Visbal's “Fearless Girl” statue, installed by asset manager State Street Global Advisors and advertising firm McCann back in March to challenge sculptor Arturo Di Modica’s “Charging Bull” with her defiant gaze attracted controversy and selfies, seen as both an empowering statement and corporate drivel. According to the Post, NYC-based artist Alex Gardega’s Memorial Day weekend installation of "Pissing Pug"–a crudely rendered statue of a dog lifting its leg on the steadfast “Girl”–was his reaction to “corporate nonsense,” and that the fearless female “has nothing to do with feminism, and it is disrespect to the artist that made the bull."
New Yorkers are a tough crowd

Events & Things To Do

May 30, 2017

Anthony Weiner’s $12K/month Union Square duplex is prematurely pulled

By Annie Doge

This Union Square apartment has certainly seen its fair share of scandal. Notorious former Congressman Anthony Weiner, along with wife and Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, moved into the duplex rental at Zeckendorf Towers in November 2014, just after his failed mayoral run and sexting scandal. And now that Abedin filed for divorce (nearly nine years since the couple announced their separation) after Weiner pled guilty to sending sexual text messages to a minor, they may finally be parting ways with the contemporary home. Three days ago, the Post reported that the unit hit the market for $11,900 a month, but the listing has since been pulled, perhaps from the publicity or because it was rented.
Take a look around

Celebrities

May 30, 2017

MAP: Battery Park City is the country’s most expensive zip code for renters

With little surprise, Manhattan comes in first for the highest apartment rents in the country, with Battery Park City leading the way for the most outrageous prices. According to data collected by RentCafe and assembled into an interactive map, the average rent in this downtown 'hood is about $6,000 per month, followed by the Upper East Side averaging $4,898 per month and the Upper West Side $4,892. Other pricey Manhattan zip codes that made the top ten include the Lower East Side, Soho and Clinton.
Find out the average rent of your zip code

Real Estate Trends

Distinctive Homes

For $25M, a Flatiron penthouse in a golden cupola, with Manhattan at your feet

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

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

$4M gets you the whole renovated Boerum Hill townhouse package, with a bi-level backyard

New year, new $10M Greenwich Village loft

This $3.75M Lefferts Manor townhouse has well-preserved historic details and every modern luxury

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

For $995K, this two-bedroom Park Slope condo is a breath of fresh air

The oldest house in the West Village is on the market for $12M

This $4.8M townhouse adds modern architecture to a historic Manhattan Valley block

VIEW ALL

Redeveloping NYC’s armories: When adaptive reuse and community building bring controversy

Park Avenue Armory, image © PBDW Architects

May 30, 2017

Redeveloping NYC’s armories: When adaptive reuse and community building bring controversy

Constructed between the 18th and 20th centuries to resemble massive European fortresses and serve as headquarters, housing, and arms storage for state volunteer militia, most of America’s armories that stand today had shed their military affiliations by the later part of the 20th century. Though a number of them did not survive, many of New York City’s historic armories still stand. While some remain in a state of limbo–a recent setback in the redevelopment plans of Brooklyn's controversial Bedford-Union Armory in Crown Heights raises a familiar battle cry–the ways in which they've adapted to the city’s rollercoaster of change are as diverse as the neighborhoods that surround them.
Find out how the city's armories have fared

May 30, 2017

With delays and long lines, some New Yorkers are frustrated with new ferry service

Mayor de Blasio’s citywide ferry service initiative, which launched May 1, was meant to provide commuters with an alternative to the problem-plagued subway. However, just under a month after the city launched the NYC Ferry service, passengers have faced delays, long lines, and overcrowding. As the New York Times reports, the ferry service transported roughly 26,000 passengers in total this past holiday weekend, with the East River Route carrying more than 9,600 people each day. In response to high demand, an extra three boats were put into service.
Find out more

Transit

15 chances to live in new Prospect Heights rental The Brooklyn Zinc, from $856/month

Rendering via S3 Architecture

May 30, 2017

15 chances to live in new Prospect Heights rental The Brooklyn Zinc, from $856/month

Starting tomorrow, qualifying New Yorkers can apply for affordable apartments at Prospect Heights' new rental The Brooklyn Zinc. Located at 313 St. Mark's Avenue just three blocks from Prospect Park, the building sits on a rare oblong-shaped development site, which allowed for a large interior courtyard, in addition to a landscaped rooftop terrace with lounging and dining areas and a bocce court and garden-level terrace. S3 Architecture designed the project as a two-winged structure, the main facade of which is clad in corrugated zinc panels punctuated by projecting bright yellow window frames. Of its 75 units, 15 are reserved for those earning 60 percent of the area median income and range from $856/month studios to $1,114/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

May 30, 2017

Muppet set designer’s Catskills ‘tower house’ is a playful sculpture you can live in, for $1.2M

At the heart of this thoroughly trippy house near Woodstock, N.Y. are tales of the Muppets and Jim Henson, The Grateful Dead, and their biggest LSD supplier, and that's not even the half of it. The real visionary here was the home’s first owner, artist, engineer and master set designer John Kahn, who built the one-of-a-kind house over 15 years. Kahn was a friend and collaborator of the late Muppet creator, and he designed sets for the "Fraggle Rock" touring company and more. Kahn used re-purposed materials including slate, copper, aircraft-grade aluminum and redwood as well as local wood and bluestone to craft this cylindrical work of art that never seems to look the same way twice. The three-bedroom home spans 3,518 square feet and is asking $1.2 million.
Take a long, strange trip through this unbelievable house

May 29, 2017

$700K modern ‘tree house’ on Fire Island is a minimalist’s dream summer getaway

A long weekend that heralds the start of summer living is a good time to think about beach house possibilities. This thoughtfully-designed house at 10 First Walk in the in Davis Park area of Fire Island feels like an airy cabin or a more polished tree house–or a little bit of both (h/t Brick Underground). With three bedrooms and a well-appointed kitchen and dining area, and a location that's a block from the ocean, it's got just enough going on to keep things focused on enjoying your summer getaway.
See more of this seaside retreat

May 28, 2017

The Urban Lens: Peter Massini tours NYC’s public parks and sports fields from above

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, aerial photographer Peter Massini shares a series of warm-weather shots. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Last summer, multi-disciplinary photographer Peter Massini shared one of his aerial series with 6sqft that captures NYC’s hidden rooftop patios and gardens. In his latest collection, he's taken a look down at the city's more publicly accessible green spaces--parks, ballfields, lawns, and more. Though we've seen many of these locations, like Central Park and Arthur Ashe Tennis Center, more times than we can count, we've never experienced them like this before, from 1,500 feet in the air. By shooting from a helicopter, Peter is able to get a unique perspective on recreation in the city and just how vast some of these locales actually are.
Get a look at this amazing aerial views

Places

May 27, 2017

Doon Architecture turned a run-down A-frame cabin into a family-friendly Hamptons home

Led by architect Edgar Papazian, Doon Architecture has revamped a once dilapidated cabin into a cozy family home in Sag Harbor, an affluent neighborhood on Long Island (h/t architecture lab). The cottage, appropriately dubbed the Triangle House, provides a small, unique footbridge from a road to the entrance of the home because it sits on a sloped site. The interiors showcase incredible Douglas fir wood paneling, a curvy staircase, and a yellow cedar shake roof.
See the interiors

Architecture And Design

May 26, 2017

Former writing studio of NY Review of Books founder Elizabeth Hardwick asks $1.4M

This quaint Upper West Side one bedroom comes from the Central Park Studios, an apartment cooperative built in 1905 by artists and writers for the purpose of creating living and studio space for their creative endeavors. Unsurprisingly, this apartment has its own creative history: it served as the writing studio to Elizabeth Hardwick, acclaimed author and co-founder of the New York Review of Books. She lived here with her husband, the poet Robert Lowell, until her death in 2007. The present owner, according to the listing, then wrote his first published book here. So who will be the next writer to continue the apartment's creative energy, for the asking amount of $1.42 million?
See the full space

Distinctive Homes

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

Images (L to R): 153 Remsen Street, Hubb, Trump Bay Street and Orient Park

May 26, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

Tranquility Abounds at This Boutique Rental in the Vibrant East Village [link] Perfect for Summer: FiDi Rental with Rooftop Oasis is Now Leasing with 1 Month Free [link] Between Iconic Bridges, 60 Water Offers Distinct & Minimalist Design [link] Big Rooms & Kitchens Made for Cooking at Lexington Towers; Now Leasing with 1 Month Free […]

Real Estate Trends

Barnes Coy Architects added all-white interiors to this contemporary Hamptons home

By Rebecca Paul

Those of us New Yorkers lucky enough to be heading out to the Hamptons this weekend may not as lucky to shack up in a stunning abode like this, but we all can dream. This contemporary home from Barnes Coy Architects is located in picturesque East Quogue and was strategically designed to feature views of both the Atlantic Ocean to the south and Shinnecock Bay to the north, all highlighted by stark white interiors.
Tour the property

Uncategorized

Trader Joe’s opening second 14th Street location

Rendering of 432-438 East 14th Street via Benenson Capital Partners, LLC

May 26, 2017

Trader Joe’s opening second 14th Street location

It's been 11 years since Trader Joe's opened its first NYC location on Union Square, and now the discount grocer has three others in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn, and one in Queens. This past year, they announced that new outposts will open in Brooklyn Heights, the Upper West Side (their second in the neighborhood), Soho, and on the Lower East Side at Essex Crossing, and today The Real Deal reports they've inked a deal for a 23,000-square-foot space across from Stuyvesant Town, just three avenues east on 14th Street from their original store. The site at 432 East 14th Street is replacing the former Stuyvesant Post Office, a controversial closure that even launched a local "save the post office" campaign.
Get the whole scoop

Uncategorized

Ahead of L train shutdown, developers flock to properties along G, J, M and Z lines

G Train at Court Square via Wikipedia

May 26, 2017

Ahead of L train shutdown, developers flock to properties along G, J, M and Z lines

In response to the looming 15th-month L train shutdown, which will affect its nearly 225,000 daily riders beginning April 2019, real estate developers have started looking at Williamsburg’s hip and slightly cheaper neighbors, Greenpoint and South Williamsburg. Both areas sit nearby the G, J, M and Z trains, and in the past have offered a variety of housing options at cheaper prices. According to the New York Times, as developers begin their plunge into Greenpoint, sites along these train lines have become pricier and more difficult to lock down.
Find out more

May 26, 2017

This little renovated slice of Williamsburg could be yours for $360K

It's rare to see a habitable—much less chic and renovated—apartment in most of Williamsburg for anything even close to the $360,000 this cozy co-op is going for. There's a reason, of course; this "junior-one" at 648 Grand Street is an HDFC co-op, though the income cap isn't mentioned in the listing yet. For a qualified buyer the bright, cozy space offers a home that's easy on the eyes as well as the wallet.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

May 25, 2017

The New Design Project filled this rustic Jersey City loft with colorful, geometric accessories

By Rebecca Paul

The New Design Project decked out a young couple's urban residence with bursts of bold color, texture, and geometry, transforming the rustic Jersey City loft into a vibrant modern oasis. Integrated into the interior decor are several modern pieces, strategically placed among playful accents and ethnic touches--an unexpected yet seamless integration of various styles that's become synonymous with the work of this edgy design duo.
Take a look

May 25, 2017

Hudson Yards’ art center The Shed wraps up steel construction on its movable shell

After an announcement yesterday morning that Michael R. Bloomberg made a $75 million gift towards Hudson Yards' arts center The Shed--bringing the total raised towards the $500 million capital campaign to $421 million--the "new center for artistic innovation" held a tour to mark the completion of steel construction. The eight-story structure, designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro in partnership with the Rockwell Group, is a "fixed" base building made up of two gallery levels, a versatile theater, rehearsal space, creative studios for artists, and a sky-lit event space. But what makes the project truly unique is its telescoping outer shell that deploys over the building's courtyard, doubling its footprint and creating a myriad of options for flexible, multi-disciplinary work. Ahead, 6sqft shares an up-close view of this amazing structure.
See all the views and get more info

Trump SoHo sees sharp drop in event bookings, increase in layoffs

Photo of Trump SoHo via Trump Hotels

May 25, 2017

Trump SoHo sees sharp drop in event bookings, increase in layoffs

Trump SoHo, a $450 million, 46-story hotel condominium at 246 Spring Street, has suffered from a sharp decline in corporate event bookings and an increase in staff layoffs. Documents reviewed by WYNC show the once $700-per-night hotel now offers rooms for under $400 a night, less than most of the city’s five- and even four-star rated accommodations. Plus, managers plan on laying off 12 room attendants out of the hotel’s 80 total housekeeping staff and removing turn-down service. While last year the hotel booked 29 large corporate events between January and mid-May, this year just 11 events were booked, with fewer well-known names.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

May 25, 2017

Here’s your chance to vacation inside a geodesic dome in the woods for just $46/night

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

Airbnb offers no shortage of unique vacation rentals, but this geodesic dome is really something. The 165-square-foot hut is located on a farm in the woods outside Bethlehem, Connecticut, there's no power, heat or air conditioning, and the kitchen and bathroom are located about 100 feet away inside the property's main house—imagine it as a form of camping. While you may be "roughing it" during your stay, you'll also be surrounded by forest in a mesmerizing dome built of pine sourced right from the property. As the owners put it, it's a "very peaceful space where you can get in touch with nature and yourself." The vacation rental is asking $46 a night.
Take a peek inside the dome

Getting Away

May 25, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 5/25-5/31

By Lori Zimmer

Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top art, design and architecture event picks for 6sqft readers! Take advantage of this long weekend to get outside and enjoy the city. Sign up for a free walking tour of Central Park or Bryant Park, or head to Washington Square Park for the 82nd year of the Outdoor Art Exhibit. If adventure is your thing, ferry over to Governors Island for their new zip line adventure, or take the boat to Ellis Island for Untapped Cities’ insiders' tour. Check out a sculpture by the Strokes’ Fabrizio Moretti at the beautiful Elizabeth Street Garden, or role play with Ryohei Kawanishi at the Museum of Arts and Design. Finally, treat yourself to a free concert by the New York Philharmonic, inside the history St. John the Divine Cathedral on Memorial Day.
Details on these events and more this way

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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

VIEW ALL

May 25, 2017

Robert Moses’ former Yorkville home lists for $2M

"Master builder" Robert Moses–he of the 13 expressways that crisscross New York City–spent the 1970s living with his wife, Mary Grady Moses, in a three-bedroom co-op at 1 Gracie Terrace in Yorkville on Manhattan's Upper East Side (h/t NYPost). We can see how the home's sweeping river views would inspire the subject of Robert Caro’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York,” when pondering the conflicting issues of a complicated and changing city. The apartment is now for sale asking $1.95 million.
See more

May 25, 2017

Despite revised capital plan, MTA does not increase spending for subway improvements

While just a few days ago Governor Cuomo announced his “aggressive” action plan to combat the chronic problems of the city’s subway service, the MTA’s new version of its capital plan released Wednesday shows barely any increase in spending for system improvements. As the New York Times reported, the agency increased its current five-year capital plan from $29.5 billion to $32.5 billion, adding $1.6 billion in debt. However, instead of allocating funds for subway service improvements, spending instead will go towards projects seen as priorities for Cuomo, like electronic tolling at bridges and the next phase of the Second Avenue Subway.
Find out more

May 25, 2017

Beautifully preserved 1827 West Village Federal row house asks $13.9M

One of a pair of Federal-style row houses on the longest unbroken stretch of Federal/Greek Revival homes in New York City, 39 Charlton Street was built in 1827 to exacting standards by a builder-carpenter at a time when the area, now a tony enclave where the West Village meets Soho, was known as Richmond Hill. This 25-foot-wide home has been called one of the city's finest examples of Greek Revival/Federal houses. The house and its neighbor are regarded by the Landmarks Preservation Commission as “the two best (and best preserved) examples...whose exquisitely detailed entrances with original doors and leaded glass sidelights convey many of the style’s most distinctive qualities.” Both the interior and exterior of this unique home, now on the market for $13.85 million, have retained an extraordinary level of original detail.
Tour this historic home

May 24, 2017

‘Sounds of New York’ uses city noise to improve your focus

As a tribute to New York City, Breather, a company with rentable workplaces worldwide, developed a website that lets you listen to the sounds of different city neighborhoods and iconic Big Apple locations. Called Sounds of New York, ambient noises play in the background to help workers concentrate on their daily tasks. Enhance your productivity by listening to the atmospheric sounds of the Strand bookstore, McSorley’s Ale House, Zabar's, the Comedy Cellar, the Oculus, or Harlem’s Apollo Theater all from the comfort of your office.
Find out more

May 24, 2017

Stay in an Adirondack tree house retreat this summer

If you're looking for a unique summer retreat not far from NYC, here's your answer. This cozy treehouse is nestled in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, nine miles from the upstate town of Saratoga Springs. In this quiet, remote locale, a winding staircase takes you from a patio up the tree and into a wood cabin. It's outfitted with everything you'd need, including a bathroom, lofted bed, and built-in storage. And right outside the sleeping quarters is a covered porch perfect for reading or writing. For such a quiet, private retreat, it'll cost $179 a night.
See inside the tree house

Getting Away

May 24, 2017

First look at CetraRuddy’s proposed hotel-apartment tower for Hudson Yards

Back in September, the developer Joseph Chetrit filed plans to build a 48-floor mixed-use tower with 421 hotel rooms and 135 residential units in the Hudson Yards neighborhood. Now, the wait is over as renderings of Chetrit Group’s proposed tower at 541-545 West 37th Street have officially been revealed. As CityRealty learned, CetraRuddy Architecture is designing the high-tech skyscraper, which is expected to rise 622 feet and overlook the future Hudson Boulevard Park. The building will span 621,000 square feet and include exhibition, retail, hotel and residential spaces.
More details and renderings

The Shed via Wikipedia

May 24, 2017

Michael Bloomberg gives $75 million to Hudson Yards arts center The Shed

Michael R. Bloomberg has added a $75 million contribution to what the New York Times calls "New York's first new cultural institution in recent memory," the arts center known as The Shed, part of the new Hudson Yards development on Manhattan's far west side. The former mayor's gift brings the total raised for the project to $421 million of its $500 million capital campaign. The new arts center has gotten much of its funding from a small group of billionaires that includes Related Companies' Stephen M. Ross and media mogul Barry Diller. Set for completion in 2019, the eight-level structure, designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro in partnership with the Rockwell Group, will host performances, concerts, visual art, music and other events.
A 'tool kit for artists'

Image via Alan Bloom/Flickr

May 24, 2017

Governor Cuomo and the MTA announce a competition to fix the NYC subway system

Image via Alan Bloom/Flickr Seeking innovative solutions to fix the mess that is the New York City transit system, Governor Cuomo on Tuesday launched a competition called the “MTA Genius Transit Challenge.” Just one of the governor’s recently proposed ideas to fix the subway, the international competition challenges participants to develop ideas for better signaling, new car designs, and WiFi throughout the system, including in tunnels. The winner of each category will receive $1 million and a possible contract deal with the state. In addition to the challenge, Cuomo announced he has created a Penn Station Task Force to devise alternative transportation solutions during Amtrak’s track work at the station this summer.
Find out more

May 24, 2017

Greet the sun from your solarium or tech-friendly garden in this $1.7M East Village duplex

This unusual East Village one-bedroom duplex condo in the Village Mews at 407 East 12th Street checks all the boxes without shouting–that is, it lets a rare and fabulous garden paradise do the talking, which in this case means asking for $1.695 million. The 750-square-foot home was recently renovated from tip to toe, and the design is tasteful without being generically "luxe." And while this not-huge condo wouldn't work for a growing family or a communal crew, it looks heavenly for anyone seeking, an "oasis away from city living" while situated on a lovely street in the heart of what could be called an oasis of city living, with its 24-hour energy and unending list of destinations of every kind.
Here comes the sun

Distinctive Homes

3 chances to live in prime East Williamsburg, from $958/month

Renderings via RJ Capital Holdings

May 24, 2017

3 chances to live in prime East Williamsburg, from $958/month

Three units in East Williamsburg reserved for those earning 60 percent of the area median income have come online through the city's affordable housing lottery. Two $958/month studios and one $1,096/month one-bedroom are available at 387 Manhattan Avenue, a new six-story mixed-use development half a block east of the BQE, three blocks from McCarren Park, and right near all the local hot spots like the Llama Inn, Museum of Food and Drink, Pete's Candy Store, and Union Pool.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

May 23, 2017

For $1.25M, this Downtown Brooklyn loft may need some layout changes

With two exposures, 11-foot ceilings and walls of windows, this 1,100-square-foot two-bedroom loft condo in the Toy Factory Lofts at 176 Johnson Street has its heart in the right place–even if its bathroom isn't. The historic 1926 building–once the home of Tudor Metal Products and birthplace of many mid-20th-century toys–lends itself to authentic loft living in ever-changing Downtown Brooklyn. A modern renovation makes loft living easy–with a possible exception or two–and the $1.25 million ask comes with low carrying costs.
About that bathroom

Distinctive Homes

May 23, 2017

REVEALED: Early studies of David Adjaye’s Wall Street Tower, his first skyscraper in NYC

Three years after completing his first New York City building, an affordable housing complex in Harlem called the Sugar Hill Development, starchitect David Adjaye is back. This time, he'll be working with David Lichtenstein's Lightstone Group to design a 61-story, 750-foot-tall condominium in the Financial District at 130 William Street known as the Wall Street Tower. Early conceptual studies uncovered by CityRealty show a gold-trimmed prism set against rigid rows of arched windows, as well as a glimpse at what the 244 apartments and amenity spaces will look like.
See the impressive renderings

May 23, 2017

The ‘map distance’ vs. the ‘geographic distance’ of the NYC subway

By Diane Pham

The NYC subway map tidily lays out over 665 miles of track and 472 stations into a simple, easy-to-read design. While the map gives the impression that our fair city's transit system is orderly and evenly spaced, as any true straphanger will tell you, that's not the reality. Indeed, those colorful lines and nodes have been placed for maximum legibility, simply showing geographical approximations that often don't even kind of match up with real life (as this man will tell you). Now, one redditor brings us an entrancing new animation that removes the MTA's distortion, giving us a look at the real distance that exists between stations and lines.
mor here

Transit

Midtown’s tiny Greenacre Park fights for light among sky-high skyscrapers

Terry Tynes via flickr (CC)

May 23, 2017

Midtown’s tiny Greenacre Park fights for light among sky-high skyscrapers

As a small oasis in the center of Manhattan, Greenacre Park is home to honey locust trees, azaleas, pansies and a 25-foot-high waterfall, all taking up just 6,360 square feet of space. However, the city’s plan to rezone Midtown East to allow for more commercial buildings worries some advocates who say it may deplete Greenacre Park from any sunlight, as the Times reported. But the Municipal Art Society, New Yorkers for Parks, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilmember Daniel Garodnick, are backing a campaign called "Fight For Light" to protect the park's right to sunlight.
Get the full scoop

Policy

May 23, 2017

12 places for gardening, plant, and flowers classes in NYC

With spring in NYC ushering in blooming trees, flowering plants, and blossoming gardens, many New Yorkers wish they had better access to these natural beauties. But even if you're not fortunate enough to have a backyard, garden, or terrace (or fire escape for that matter), there are loads of ways to get your green thumb on in the city. From flower arranging in a cute Williamsburg shop to landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden to a houseplant 101 class in Chelsea, 6sqft has rounded up a dozen of the best places for gardening, plant, and flower classes in the city.
Parouse the full list

May 23, 2017

VIDEO: West 8’s proposal for NYC’s largest private garden at One Manhattan Square

Adding to its unique character, Extell's One Manhattan Square will soon be home to NYC's largest outdoor private garden, detailed in a new video released today by the developer. The proposal, designed by urban planning and landscape architecture firm West 8, includes more than an acre of garden space for residents to both work and socialize, boasting indoor and outdoor grilling spaces, ping-pong tables, a putting green, children's playground, adult tree house, tea pavilion, and an observatory made for stargazing.
Watch the video here

Pier 55 project files appeal to stop work order; Durst says he backed opposition

Photo via Pier 55 Inc.

May 23, 2017

Pier 55 project files appeal to stop work order; Durst says he backed opposition

6sqft reported in March on the latest developments in the on-again-off-again status of the $200 million Barry Diller-funded offshore park/performing arts center proposed for Pier 55 on the Hudson River; though construction began last November, opponents of the project, led by the City Club of New York, gained a victory in the form of a ruling by Judge Lorna G. Schofield that agreed with group’s claim that the Army Corps of Engineers had not conducted a sufficient environmental review on how the 2.4-acre park would affect fish and wildlife. The judge ordered that work stop at the site and called for a review of alternatives for building along Hudson River Park, a maritime sanctuary. Now, the New York Times reports that the Corps of Engineers, with the project's sponsor, the Hudson River Park Trust, has filed an appeal of the decision.
And what about that Diller-Durst feud

May 23, 2017

Second Avenue Subway ridership continues to grow; MTA to add more trains

Just a month after opening on the first of the year, the Second Avenue Subway had eased congestion on the Lexington line by 11 percent. Now, nearly five months in, that figure has more than doubled, with ridership on the 4/5/6 decreased by 26 percent and a whopping 40 percent during peak morning hours. Moreover, Second Avenue's average weekday ridership is up from 140,000 to 176,000 passengers, an increase which has prompted the MTA to add two additional train trips during rush hour come this November.
Find out more

Transit

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

May 23, 2017

$2.3M Williamsburg triplex is clad in cedar from NYC’s iconic water towers

This expansive Williamsburg triplex was once a part of the flagship retail space for a children's clothing manufacturer--when the cast iron building was constructed in the 1880s, the first floor held retail while the sewing machines, shears and bosses occupied the upper floors. Now the building, located at 138 Broadway, is known as the Smith Gray condominium, and this apartment is asking $2.3 million. Over 2,300 square feet, you'll spot tin ceilings, Corinthian columns and exposed structural brick. While those are pretty typical loft details, this apartment boasts one of the more unique lofts in Brooklyn. It's clad with reclaimed cedar from New York's iconic wooden water towers, which results in a cozy loft enclosure that can be opened via specially-designed casement windows.
See more of the apartment

Distinctive Homes

May 22, 2017

Robert Downey Jr. snags a historic windmill cottage in East Hampton

By Annie Doge

Sources tell Behind the Hedges that "Iron Man" actor Robert Downey Jr. bought the historic Edward DeRose Windmill Cottage on East Hampton. Built circa 1885 to resemble a local windmill (it was never functional), the home sits on four acres and boasts a seven-bedroom main house, two-bedroom guesthouse, three-car garage with a potting shed, 50-foot pool, tennis court, and gorgeous landscaped gardens. It's been on and off the market since 2014 when it listed for $13.5 million. The following year, the price dropped to $11.5 million, but property records show a sale last summer for $10.5 million disguised under an LLC.
Take a look around

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

Images (L to R): Journal Squared, 507 West Chelsea, 525 West 52nd Street and Yorkshire Towers

May 22, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

Two-Tower Hell’s Kitchen Rental Debuts with Impressive Leasing Special [link] More Than Views – A Closer Look at Jersey City’s 53-Story Rental, Journal Squared [link] No-Fee Apartments with 2 Months Free at 507 West Chelsea, Luxe Living on the High Line [link] New Harlem Rentals Debut on 125th Street; Apartments from $1,994/Month [link] $1,000 Deposits […]

Real Estate Trends

Lottery opens for 14 affordable units at new Bronx supportive housing development

View of the development’s block via Google Street View

May 22, 2017

Lottery opens for 14 affordable units at new Bronx supportive housing development

Praxis Housing Initiatives "is NYC’s largest provider of transitional housing to homeless people with HIV/AIDS and is one of city’s lowest cost/highest service housing providers." As part of its 2012 strategic plan, the organization began a permanent supportive housing program, and in just two years time they opened their first development in the Bronx. In 2015, they closed on the second at 2264 Loring Place North in Kings Bridge Heights and built an eight-story, 66-unit building. Of these apartments, 14 are reserved for community-based affordable housing for those earning 60 percent of the area median income. They include $931/month one-bedrooms and $1,123/month two-bedrooms and have just come online through the city's affordable housing lottery.
All the logistics ahead

Affordable Housing

52 wave sculptures designed by celebrities like Slash and Cara Delevigne hit NYC

Jason deCaires Taylor’s “Silent Evolution” wave via Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation

May 22, 2017

52 wave sculptures designed by celebrities like Slash and Cara Delevigne hit NYC