6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

It's that time of month again when the MTA cleans house and gathers up all the stuff collecting dust in their offices and puts it up for public auction. While past offerings from the agency yielded all sorts of cool items ranging from vintage subway signs to old tokens to shiny grab holds, one eagle-eyed Reddit user noticed this month's selection includes a very curious lot: 350 bags of "Mixed Non-Ferrous Metal Foreign Coins & Slugs."
more details here

Transit

February 17, 2017

More basement apartments would help ease the city’s housing crisis, says new study

A study released Thursday by the Citizens Housing and Planning Council (CHPC) suggests that Mayor Bill de Blasio's initiatives to ease the city's housing woes should include a program that would convert the 38,000 or so basements in the city's single-family homes without having to make big changes to city or state laws. As Crain's reports, the study is part of the CHPC’s Making Room initiative that explores how alternative housing typologies can better meet the needs of New York’s diverse households. The council introduced the study by stating their belief that "based on the ﬁndings we present here, that a basement conversion program in New York City would be an eﬃcient and exciting way to add residential density and expand housing choices in our expensive and highly constrained urban market."
Find out more

February 17, 2017

The Urban Lens: Fly over NYC during ‘golden hour’

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, Alexey Kashpersky takes us above NYC at daybreak. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. We couldn’t think of a better day than this frigid Friday to lose ourselves in the warm glow of Manhattan during golden hour. Having ventured where many would dare not go—i.e. several thousand feet up in the air in a doorless helicopter—artist Alexey Kashpersky shares photos of his recent sky-high journey above New York, revealing a glorious metropolis at daybreak shining a fiery red and orange. From the piers of Battery Park City to hovering just above the tip of the Chrysler Building, lose yourself ahead in the quiet beauty of our dear city.
see more here

February 17, 2017

Port Authority approves $32.2B capital plan, will include new bus terminal and airport upgrades

The Port Authority Board of Commissioners yesterday approved a $32.2 billion, 10-year capital plan--the agency's largest ever. The major allocations include: $3.5 billion to begin the planning and construction of a new Port Authority Bus Terminal; $10 billion towards improving trans-Hudson commuting, including a $1.5 billion Goethals Bridge replacement, completion of the $1.6 billion Bayonne Bridge rebuilding, and a $2 billion rehab of the George Washington Bridge; $11.6 billion in major airport upgrades, which factors in $4 billion for the new LaGuardia Terminal B, a plan to extend the PATH train from Newark Penn Station to the Newark Airport, and the beginning of Cuomo's JFK overhaul; and $2.7 billion towards the Gateway rail tunnel project.
More details ahead

February 17, 2017

1924 cliffside Riverdale castle-cottage has magical river views, a Broadway pedigree and a $2.6M ask

In case you need another reason to love New York City, this singular gem of a seven-unit apartment building perched on a wild cliff overlooking the Palisades where the Harlem River meets the mighty Hudson just hit the market. Built in 1924 as a co-operative by a super-literary lawyer/developer who also happened to be the first editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review, the Villa Rosa Bonheur at 2395 Palisade Avenue in Riverdale, the Bronx, is one of three; her sister buildings go by Villa Charlotte Brontë and Villa Victoria. Their creator, John J. McKelvey, was looking beyond the bottom line when he built what would be the first apartment buildings in the Bronx. Ms. Rosa is now on the market for a mere $2.595 million. There's more: Her current owners are the family of the late "Beatlemania" creator Robert Rabinowitz.
Get a closer look

February 17, 2017

FREE RENT: A roundup of NYC’s latest rental concessions

By Ondel Hylton

HOUSE39 Launches Leasing; New Curving Glass Tower Offers Two Months Free of Early Occupancy [link] Teaser Site Launches for Newly-Dubbed Hudson Yards Rental, ‘Henry Hall’ [link] Listings Debut at Hub with One Month Free; Apartments in Brooklyn’s Tallest Tower from $2,450/Month [link] FiDi’s 180 Water Street Announces March Opening; Now Leasing No Fee Rentals + […]

Real Estate Trends

February 16, 2017

Kirsten Dunst’s vintage-cool Soho penthouse returns for $5M

Kirsten Dunst bought this industrial-meets-rustic penthouse at 533 Canal Street (aka 477 Washington Street) in Soho back in 2007 for $3.09 million, claiming she needed a break from the L.A. lifestyle. But after a gut renovation that added a boatload of vintage charm, she put the loft on the rental market for $12,500 a month in late 2014. And now that she recently got engaged to her "Fargo" co-star Jesse Plemons, she seems more eager to unload the pad, as it's just reappeared as a $5 million sale.
See the whole place

February 16, 2017

This 100-year-old subway sign can be yours for $150,000

We already know that the MTA holds monthly online sales of ephemera--including everything from retired subway cars to vintage tokens--but apparently individuals with their own collections of transit collectibles can also make a pretty penny selling the goods. Take for example this 100-year-old subway sign that Gothamist spotted for sale on Etsy for $150,000. Sure, the price tag may seem fair for a century-old relic, but the 8' x 11" piece is a simple white sign with black letters that read "Times Square." And it's authenticity isn't actually confirmed...
READ MORE

Transit

Distinctive Homes

This $25M Greenwich Village townhouse has been an artist's refuge for well over a century

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

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

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

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

For $5.1M, this pretty Gramercy condo comes with a key to the private park

Bill Murray's former Snedens Landing home asks $3.7M

SHOP THE LISTING: Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy's $9.75M West Village townhouse is an all-season urban refuge

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

This $5.6M Tribeca condo in a former spice-grinding factory brings warmth to loft proportions

VIEW ALL

February 16, 2017

‘Morning Joe’ co-host Mika Brzezinski lists Bronxville Tudor for $2.1M

Looks like spring cleaning came a little early for MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski. Just a day after she and "Morning Joe" co-host Joe Scarborough publicly banned Kellyanne Conway from their show over the fact that she's "not credible anymore" and is representing a "fake presidency," Brzezinski has listed her Tudor-style home in Bronxville for $2,095,000. The Observer tells us that she and ex-husband James Hoffer bought the Westchester home for $1.9 million in 2012, but since finalizing their divorce last year, they've decided to put the seven-bedroom spread on the market.
Get a look inside

February 16, 2017

$2.7M penthouse loft boasts 25-foot ceilings and two terraces in Williamsburg

This is penthouse loft living at its finest at the Williamsburg condo 138 Broadway, also known as the Smith Gray. Constructed in 1884 as the cast-iron Smith and Gray Department Store Building, this building was converted to condos back in 2002. This unit last sold in 2006 for $1.2 million and now it's hit the market for twice that much. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom penthouse boasts ceiling heights anywhere from 9 up to 25 feet, with lots of the building's original exposed brick on display.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

February 16, 2017

Materials for the Arts offers free supplies to NYC public schools, nonprofits and artists

On the third floor of an unassuming warehouse building in Long Island City is a cavern of creativity. Welcome to Materials for the Arts, which gathers discarded items from businesses and individuals from across the five boroughs and donates them to public schools, nonprofits and artists. MFTA’s 35,000-square-foot warehouse is a treasure trove, stuffed with […]

Events & Things To Do

February 16, 2017

Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh sells Tribeca loft; FBI releases docs on Trump’s apartment discrimination

Less than a month after listing it for $5.75 million, Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh sold his Tribeca loft that’s directly below Taylor Swift’s abode. [LL NYC] FBI releases 400 pages of records from an investigation into racial discrimination at Donald Trump’s apartment buildings in the 1970s. [Politico] The Chelsea townhouse where Clement Clarke Moore wrote […]

Uncategorized

February 16, 2017

LOT-EK erects a stunning single-family mega-home from 21 shipping containers in Williamsburg

It would hardly raise an eyebrow to note that the Brooklyn couple behind the wildly popular Williamsburg barbecue joint Fette Sau hired an architect to build them a 25-by-100-foot home on a corner lot in the neighborhood. But in this case, the architects are Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano of the firm LOT-EK, which means the house in question is likely to cause at least a few double-takes. Rising from that corner lot, this remarkable single-family residence was made from 21 steel shipping containers, tamed and transformed into a sleek and surprisingly livable home.
See more of this unconventional home of corrugated steel and glass

Architecture And Design

February 16, 2017

Homeless spending in NYC doubles over three years, likely to hit $2.3B

Back in November, the Wall Street Journal reported that Mayor de Blasio had spent a record $1.6 billion on homeless services since taking office three years prior, a 60 percent increase that came with 20 percent more New Yorkers in city shelters. Now, as shared by the Post, Comptroller Scott Stringer says that homeless spending will reach a whopping $2.3 billion when this fiscal year ends on June 30th, almost twice the $1.2 billion spent three years ago. "We have to pause and ask ourselves, are we seeing results?" he said.
Find out more on this growing crisis

Policy

February 16, 2017

Meg Ryan lists her impossibly chic Soho loft for $10.9 million

Back in 2014, actress Meg Ryan dropped $8 million on a Soho loft previously owned by actor Hank Azaria. Now, after a sweeping gut renovation by interior designer Monique Gibson and architect Joel Barkley—and a full spread cover story in Architectural Digest showing off every nook and cranny of the chic space—the Journal reports Ryan has put the home on the market for $10.9 million.
go inside the home here

Image: Jason Wyche, Public Art

February 16, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 2/16-2/22

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! This week, the Red Bull space rechristens itself in style with a massive department store-style installation by Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard. Also this week, the Public Art Fund is battling advertisements with a city-wide ad screen takeover by 23 artists, while SVA’s Curatorial MA program hosts a panel about art and commodity. Buff Monster’s ice cream murals delve into the third dimension in a new sculptural pop-up, and William Binnie’s WINTER is coming to LMAK. LES gallery Pierogi welcomes a solo show by Elliott Green, and finally, The Museum of the City of New York celebrates the rich diversity that Muslims have brought to our city for generations in a new exhibit.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

February 16, 2017

Justin Timberlake tours $18.5M mod triplex penthouse in Greenwich Village

Justin Timberlake may be bringing sexy back to Greenwich Village, as the Post reports that he was seen checking out the sprawling triplex penthouse at 12 East 13th Street. The mod pad was first listed for $30.5 million in 2013, but has since been cut nearly in half to $18.5 million. It boasts amazing architectural details like a three-story, sloped wall of glass and a dramatic sculptural staircase, as well as luxury offerings including two massive terraces and two parking spots.
Check it all out

On the market for the first time since 1969, this $5M Tribeca artists’ loft is a blank canvas

As the listing for this $4.995 million Tribeca spread at 85 Walker Street says, "vintage" doesn't do this amazing artists' loft justice. Occupying the entire fourth and fifth floors of a cast iron building that dates from 1868, it's more of what we'd call a piece of New York City history; the top-floor duplex is on the market for the first time since 1969.
Layers of history, layers of paint

Distinctive Homes

February 15, 2017

This brick townhouse with romantic backyard and guest house asks $1.495M in Gowanus

Valentine's Day may have just passed but the backyard of this Gowanus townhouse looks romantic for any day of the year. Decked out with greenery, tea lights and a mini guest house, it's a nice perk to the historic brick three-bedroom, two-bathroom triplex townhouse at 112 14th Street. The $1.495 million pad is plenty charming inside, too, with exposed brick walls, four fireplaces and high ceilings throughout.
Take a peek inside

Distinctive Homes

February 15, 2017

Ta-Nehisi Coates sells Brooklyn brownstone; SHoP’s Domino tower gets 87,000 applications for 104 affordable units

Governor Cuomo signed a bill that squashed a law that would have imposed a five-cent fee on plastic bags in NYC. [NYT] After citing safety concerns when the media reported his new Prospect Lefferts Gardens address, Ta-Nehisi Coates has sold the brownstone for $2.1 million. [NYP] NYU is ready to start construction on its $1 billion, […]

Uncategorized

February 15, 2017

NYC ranks #1 for quality of life policies, according to CityHealth analysis

CityHealth on Wednesday released its first official ratings of city government policies that affect their residents’ health, and New York ranked first among the nation’s 40 largest cities. CityHealth, a nonprofit advisory organization, awarded gold, silver and bronze medals to the cities on the basis of nine categories of health-oriented public policies. New York City earned eight gold […]

Uncategorized

February 15, 2017

WXY reveals renderings of the city’s just-announced $136M fashion and film complex in Sunset Park

Last week, 6sqft took an in-depth look at how Sunset Park has become the new frontier for the city's garment industry, thanks to "several industrial conversions [that] offer cheaper rents, better equipped real estate, and a creative, collaborative community." Part of the city's push to revitalize the fashion trade in the burgeoning Brooklyn nabe is a collaboration with its "Made in New York" marketing campaign, which has previously been geared towards promoting film and television productions and technology companies. They'll also be investing $136 million to create the "Made in NYC Campus," a renovation of two waterfront Bush Terminal structures that will provide affordable space for film, fashion, and virtual reality tech companies, as well as a new pedestrian-friendly plazas and streets. The city's Economic Development Corporation has tapped WXY architecture + urban design to design the complex, and the firm has revealed a batch of renderings that showcase the project.
All the renderings and more details ahead

February 15, 2017

Put your favorite small businesses on the map with the city’s ‘Love Your Local’ initiative

Put your favorite local, non-franchise businesses "on the map" and help them apply for a share of a $1.8 million grant. Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Department of Small Business Services have announced the launch of "NYC Love Your Local," a new opportunity to celebrate and promote the city's many independent small businesses. The program allows New Yorkers to add their favorite mom-and-pop shops to an interactive map so they can get funding and access to expert advice.
Find out how to add your local

City Living

Sauna-hot apartments: How to cope without stripping down

Photo via pxhere

February 15, 2017

Sauna-hot apartments: How to cope without stripping down

By Cait Etherington

From a distance, one may wonder why television characters living in New York City apartments so often appear to wear little at all in the privacy of their own homes. From Archie Bunker’s white undershirts on "All in the Family" to Carrie Bradshaw’s lingerie on "Sex in the City" to Hannah Horvath’s practical skivvies on "Girls," fictional New Yorkers always seem to be stripping down to the bare essentials regardless of the season. To any real New Yorker, there is an obvious reason why these fictional New Yorkers are so often shown partially clad July or January: New York apartments have a tendency to be sauna hot. But in a city where tenants frequently have to fight for even the most basic amenities, how did heat become overly abundant, even in the dead of winter?
find out more here

February 15, 2017

Removing garbage cans in subway stations led to more trash and track fires

For those who thought removing subway station garbage cans as a means to decrease litter and rats seemed counterintuitive, you were right. The Post looks at how things have fared since the MTA took out cans in 39 stations in 2012, and since this tactic was nixed by the state Comptroller’s Office in 2015. Despite the latter attempt to course correct, a new state report shows that the situation is still just as bad in many stations, with the amount of litter on the upswing and an increased number of track fires.
What's the solution?

February 15, 2017

227 COOKFOX-designed affordable apartments up for grabs near the NY Botanical Garden and Bronx Zoo

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

Starting today, 227 brand new affordable apartments are up for grabs at 4275 Park Avenue in the Bronx. The residence, dubbed Park House, is a new construction designed by COOKFOX Architects and developed by Breaking Ground, a non-profit organization that matches low-income New Yorkers with homes. Park House is the first affordable project undertaken by the organization and will offer energy-efficient studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments priced between $494 and $1181 to qualifying applicants earning between 40 and 60 percent of the area median income.
more details here

Affordable Housing

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

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Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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

10 Ways to Decorate an Exposed Brick Wall Without Drilling

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

VIEW ALL

February 15, 2017

The historic Astor Suite at the Plaza is for sale at $39.5M

The Astor Suite at the Plaza Hotel and Residences at 1 Central Park South just hit the market for an Astor-worthy $39.5 million. The listing calls the 4,284 square-foot, three-bedroom home "one of the most historic homes ever to become available in the United States." Currently owned by Esprit founder and former CEO Jürgen Friedrich, the suite boasts a roster of past residents that includes John Jacob Astor, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and John F. Kennedy.
Take the tour, find out more

February 15, 2017

Bethenny Frankel lists renovated Soho loft for $5.25M

If you thought Bethenny Frankel had a scattered personality on "The Real Housewives of New York," just check out her real estate game. After splitting from ex-husband Jason Hoppy, the reality star bought a $4.2 million Soho loft in April 2015, the same month she picked up a $3 million+ Hamptons compound. She also bought a second Soho loft around that time to serve as an office for her "Skinny Girl" empire. Once the embattled couple (he was recently arrested for allegedly harassing her) finalized their divorce, she sold their former $7 million Tribeca loft this past October in just one day. People now reports that Frankel put the Soho loft at 22 Mercer Street on the market for $5.25 in order to find a larger home for herself and daughter Bryn (and from the sound of it, get away from its divorce-era juju), and she admitted to the mag that, "I have been doing really well in real estate and I’ve got the bug."
See the whole spread

February 14, 2017

432 Park owner attempts to sell $20M apartment with iPhone photos

If you've been as curious as we have to know what the inside of 432 Park looks like IRL, look no further than unit #52C, now for sale by owner. LLNYC spotted the listing today which boldly ditches professionally staged photos for somewhat sloppy phone snapshots of the interiors. As the mag points out, 432's developers have been keen on putting the luxury tower's best foot forward, revealing only sleek renderings or retouched images of impeccably outfitted model units to press and onlookers.
more inside here

Distinctive Homes

Download free coloring books from the Met, New York Public Library, and more

Cover image (May 29, 1970) from “Black News” via Brooklyn Public Library (L); Arabesques via NYPL (R)

February 14, 2017

Download free coloring books from the Met, New York Public Library, and more

Combining two trends--adult coloring books and open-access digital policies--#ColorOurCollections is a social media event during which 44 libraries, museums, archives, and cultural institutions from around the world are sharing free coloring pages based on materials in their collections. From the Brooklyn Public Library's 1970 "Black News" cover to the South Street Seaport Museum's ship diagrams to the New York Botanical Garden's floral illustrations, there's something for everyone.
More on the project

February 14, 2017

Where bodega flowers come from; Housing Works’ new online history project

How are bodega flowers so cheap when florists are so expensive? The answer lies in their life cycle. [Gothamist] Housing Works History is a new online multimedia exhibition that uses oral histories, archival ephemera, and architecture to tell the organization’s 27-year history helping New Yorkers who are homeless and living with HIV/AIDS. [Fast Co. Design] Just […]

Uncategorized

How the heart shape became a symbol of love

Via Etsy

February 14, 2017

How the heart shape became a symbol of love

Red and pink hearts are synonymous with love, romance, and, of course, Valentine's Day. But this hasn't always been the case. In fact, according to Eric Jager, author of "The Book of the Heart," the heart shape ❤ had nothing to do with love until after the 1300 and 1400s, when the ideas of devotion and intimacy started to manifest themselves in this singular concept.
more on the history of the romantic heart here

February 14, 2017

Exhibit of migrants’ belongings shows the toll of seeking a new life

The hundreds of backpacks now on display at The New School don’t belong to students there. Many of their owners are not even wondering what became of the mementos, clothes and other items small and light enough to fit inside them—some of them are children’s bookbags. This wall of backpacks that reaches all the way to […]

Uncategorized

February 14, 2017

20 New Yorkers tell 6sqft what they love most about NYC

When you couple recent uncertain times with the gray February weather and frigid temperatures, it can be easy to get bogged down in feeling a bit melancholy. But today is the day of love, and in honor of that, 6sqft asked 20 New Yorkers--from fellow reporters and bloggers to architects and urbanists--what they love most about NYC. From big-picture things like the skyline and street energy to smaller fortunes like having tea with friends and spotting an old ad on the side of the building, there's plenty here to lift your spirits and make you fall in love with this great city all over again.
All the responses right this way

Where I Work

February 14, 2017

One57 apartment underneath the supertall’s arched-glass walls asks $13.94M

Here's your chance to live in an iconic unit of the super-luxury Midtown tower One57 at a relative discount. According to CityRealty, the "usual" average price per square foot for an apartment at the building is $6,120—but this four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bath pad is asking $13.9 million at a price of $3,742 per square foot. It's also located right under the skyscraper’s distinctive arched-glass walls at both the top and middle of the tower.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

February 14, 2017

Repairs to New York state’s water infrastructure could cost $40B

New York City already has planned a $3.4 billion investment over the next five years to repair the decaying infrastructure of the century-old Catskill Aqueduct. As 6sqft previously explained, the 92-mile network of tunnels, dams and reservoirs brings the city's water supply from the Catskill/Delaware and Croton watersheds. If you think this figure is steep, consider the $40 billion that a report from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli estimates it would cost to repair and upgrade the entire state's aging water infrastructure over the next 20 years. As the Daily News explains, in NYC alone there were 562 water main breaks in 2015, and throughout the state, contamination is leading to concerns over clean drinking water.
Find out more

Policy

Hamptons home prices sag as luxury buyers head to hipper Hudson Valley

Image: Hudson Woods by Drew Lang

February 14, 2017

Hamptons home prices sag as luxury buyers head to hipper Hudson Valley

The megawatt real estate of the Hamptons may be suffering from shrinkage as a new generation of glitterati increasingly chooses the rustic charm of upstate New York instead. Business Insider reports a surge in the popularity of second homes and tourist activity in Hudson Valley and Catskills towns—and a corresponding dip in Hamptons home prices—in 2016.
Is Upstate the new East End?

Dreamy Scandi-chic Soho studio renting for $5K deserves a big <i>hygge</i>

February 14, 2017

Dreamy Scandi-chic Soho studio renting for $5K deserves a big hygge

Other than "expensive," (at $5,000 for a diminutive studio), we really can't think of a better description for this clean and cozy pad than hygge, the Scandinavian super-meme that has recently been sweeping the lifestyle and interiors world. Pronounced “hoo-guh,” and defined as "a concept, originating in Denmark, of creating cosy and convivial atmospheres that promote wellbeing," it pretty much sums up this sweet studio at 110 Thompson Street.
Come in and relax

Distinctive Homes

February 13, 2017

ODA’s crystalline 10 Jay Street gets new renderings of retail and office space

It's been eight months since ODA Architecture received its final approvals from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to convert the former Arbuckle Brothers sugar refinery building in Dumbo into a modern retail and office site. We've previously seen renderings of 10 Jay Street's prismatic East River-facing elevation--which was inspired by sugar crystals, the nearby Manhattan Bridge, and the neighborhood's historic steel and brick facades--and now that the rehab is in full swing, CityRealty noticed that the leasing team has debuted a new website with never-before-seen renderings of the brick east wall, adjoining waterfront plaza, retail space, and offices.
See all the renderings ahead

February 13, 2017

VIDEO: Watch the NYC subway move 7 million people in 1949

Despite the fact that NYC today has more than 8.5 million residents, the subway system had some of the highest ridership numbers back in the 1940s. In fact, a 1948 record was only recently beat in 2015 when 5.7 million rode the train daily, with annual ridership hitting 1.7 billion–another high not reached since the 1940s. To show just how packed the subway was 60 years ago, 6sqft has uncovered this 1949 film footage of daily subway operations from the New York Transit Museum Archives, which shows the crew working all the angles to keep trains running on time, while crowds jostle and shove to get to where they’re going.
Watch the video

February 13, 2017

$5.5M Park Slope townhouse built in 1906 is drenched in historic details

Mahogany millwork, plaster ceiling moldings, stained-glass windows: these are just a few of the stunning details to be found inside this historic Park Slope townhouse at 566 First Street. A restoration sought to restore as much of the limestone home--which was built in 1906--as possible, while at the same time integrating modern amenities from a dumbwaiter to audio and lighting systems. And now the 4,900-square-foot stunner is on the market for $5.475 million.
Take the grand tour

February 13, 2017

The vanishing restaurants of Chinatown; burn calories while taking in the art at the Met

Chinatown’s traditional restaurants are being replaced by “uptown-style” establishments. Is this causing the entire ‘hood to lose its charm? [NYP] 105 Valentines for architects and architecture lovers. [ArchDaily] How the Queens museum supports immigrant communities. [Next City] At 8:30am at the Met, you can partake in the the “Museum Workout,” a dance-art-performance fitness class that goes […]

Uncategorized

February 13, 2017

A French-style McDonald’s debuts in Chelsea

America may have started the fast-food chain restaurant, but France perfected it. McDonald’s has been testing a new kind of restaurant design overseas, and today debuted the first U.S. restaurant based on the concept at 809 Sixth Ave. The French-style McDonald’s has three distinctive features: its architecture, concierges and a standalone McCafe with an expanded pastry […]

Uncategorized

February 13, 2017

De Blasio’s 2017 affordable housing plan includes $1.9B for 10,000 new units and Elder Rent Assistance program

In preparation for his State of the City address this evening at the Apollo, the Mayor announced two major affordable housing initiatives. The first will allocate $1.9 billion for 10,000 new apartments reserved for households earning less than $40,000, 5,000 of which will be set aside for seniors and 500 for veterans. The second implements a new Elder Rent Assistance program to provide 25,000 seniors with monthly rental assistance of up to $1,3000, to be funded by the city's proposed Mansion Tax.
More details ahead

520 Fifth Avenue

Midtown West

Live at the center of NYC

1 beds starting at $2,445,000
2 beds starting at $3,435,000
3 beds starting at $6,775,000

Learn More

February 13, 2017

Tips and storage ideas for couples living in small apartments

6sqft’s series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we offer up some tips for couples living together in a tiny pad. When New York City couples move in together, it often means searching for, or being absorbed into, a modest one-bedroom apartment. For many, taking this plunge will be both exciting (think of all that saved rent!) and excruciating, as sharing a space will mean compromises, fights over housework, and the paring down of personal items so everyone's stuff can fit. So for those about to take the plunge—and those who could benefit from a bit more squabble-proofing at home—we've culled a list of our favorite self-preservation and storage tips for shacking up in small apartments.
our top tips here

February 13, 2017

As subway delays double, Cuomo may cut MTA funding by $65 million

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget includes a "hidden" $65 million cut to state funding headed for the MTA, the Daily News reports. The $244 million in funding–compared to $309 million in 2016–represents a 21 percent drop in money from the state’s general fund intended to shore up the MTA after a drastic 2011 payroll tax cut on regional businesses the transit agency serves. The funding cut comes on the heels of data that show subway delays have more than doubled during that same time period according to the New York Times.
So much to look forward to on the morning commute

Transit

February 13, 2017

Thrillist co-founder Ben Lerer lists colorful, pop art-filled Soho loft for $7.4M

This 3,800-square-foot townhouse-sized spread at 101 Wooster Street right in the middle of Soho's Cast Iron Historic District combines the industrial cool factor of a loft with the space and storage of a house, throwing in a generous helping of color, texture and modern luxury. With so much going for it, we can see this impressive co-op's appeal to its previous owner, comedienne Whoopi Goldberg, who sold it for just over $3 million in 2010. The current owners, tech and VC heavyweight Ben Lerer (he's a founder of Thrillist and investor in scores of others; father Ken was a HuffPo founding partner) and his wife, Emily, were the parties responsible for the current riot of art, color and general eye candy–and the current $7.395 million price tag.
Prepare to be amazed

Distinctive Homes

February 13, 2017

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz drops $40M on the Greenwich Lane’s most expensive penthouse

It's safe to say this $40 million penthouse is of the "venti" size, considering it's the priciest unit in new mega-development the Greenwich Lane and, at $7,159/square foot, one of the most expensive residential sales in Greenwich Village to date. Though The Real Deal reports that the buyer is Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, whose estimated $3 billion net worth makes this a drop in the bucket. The 5,587-square-foot duplex spans the 16th and 17th floors and boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with skyline views and more than 1,600 square feet of private outdoor space.
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February 13, 2017

143 chances to live in Downtown Brooklyn from $897/month, lottery open at 33 Bond Street