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Even before you open the front door, this limestone townhouse on one of the prettiest blocks in the heart of Park Slope has more going for it than location. Built in 1910, the three-story home at 542 Third Street was designed by notable and prolific Swedish-American architect Axel Hedman. Along with partner Magnus Dahlander, Hedman is thought to have built more elegant rowhouses in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Park Slope, Sunset Park and Prospect Lefferts Gardens/Lefferts Manor than any other in his profession. Guided by the current owners’ high standards and exacting design principles, the home's finest historic details have been preserved while modern comforts and conveniences have been seamlessly integrated.
Take the tour, floor by floor

Distinctive Homes

January 30, 2017

Hidden tunnel connecting New Yorker Hotel to Penn Station unearthed

By Hannah Frishberg

Under the New Yorker Hotel, a former guest convenience has been rendered an Art Deco artifact by the times. While not built to be a secret, a tunnel connecting the Midtown hotel's lobby to Penn Station was sealed on the station's side sometime in the 1960s and subsequently forgotten, according to Atlas Obscura.
See what the tunnel looks like today, almost a century later

January 30, 2017

$349K for a kooky studio co-op in Prospect Heights

The space may be modest, but the owner of this Prospect Heights co-op at 125 Eastern Parkway has managed to pack a lot inside. Decorations abound at the studio apartment, which is now on the market asking $349,000. It's a decent deal for an apartment right off Prospect Park, and it certainly does boast some of its own prewar charm.
Even the bathroom's decked out

January 30, 2017

Jersey City makes list of 10 fastest gentrifying cities; Ikea’s complex furniture-naming system

Gotham West Market’s outpost at The Ashland is officially open, bringing 16,000 square feet of food hall deliciousness to Fort Greene. [Metro] A new report based on home values and census data says that Charleston is the fastest gentrifying city in the nation. Jersey City is the eighth. [Curbed] The city brings in roughly $2 million a […]

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January 30, 2017

The Lowline Lab underground park is closing February 26th

Underneath Essex Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, an experiment in the future of urban development has flourished. The world’s first underground park, the Lowline Lab, opened in October 2015 after a successful Kickstarter, offering an urban oasis for visitors while giving researchers unprecedented data on channeling sunlight underground to create green space where no […]

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January 30, 2017

De Blasio pushes again for ‘mansion tax’ on home sales over $2M

Mayor De Blasio will renew his call for a "mansion tax" before this state Legislature in Albany today, reports Politico. In support of rent subsidies for 25,000 low-income senior citizens, the mayor has detailed a proposal that will raise the property transfer tax to 2.5 percent for any sale above $2 million. “We are asking for some basic tax fairness from the wealthiest New Yorkers so low-income seniors can afford their rent and continue to call the greatest city in the world their home,” the mayor said in a statement.
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January 30, 2017

Pier 55 offshore park may be flatter than originally proposed

Despite the fact that the 535 concrete piles that will support the planned undulating base of the Pier 55 offshore park have already been erected, the Hudson River Park Trust is now looking towards a flatter design. The Architect's Newspaper obtained a copy of a permit modification request that the group submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers that reduces the park's overall size slightly from 2.7 to 2.4 acres and replaces many of the hollow pentagonal pots that would have sat on top of the columns with "a flat structural base sandwiches between the piles and the landscaping."
Find out the reason for the major change

Architecture And Design

January 30, 2017

Actress Amy Irving re-lists lovely Central Park West co-op for $9M

By Annie Doge

Actress Amy Irving was nominated for an Academy Award for "Yentl" and a Golden Globe for "Crossing Delancey," but aside from her work on stage and screen, the actress made headlines when divorcing from Steven Speilberg in 1989. At the time, a judge vacated their prenup that had been written on a cocktail napkin, entitling to Irving to half of Speilberg's net worth, or a whopping $100 million. In 2006, she used some of this cash to buy a stunning co-op at 50 Central Park West for $6.9 million. Nine years later, she bought another classic co-op nearby at 75 Central Park West for $8.9 million; the following year, renovations to her apartment sparked a fire in the building that damaged Hank Azaria's unit a few floors above. But now that the reno is presumably done, Irving is trying hard to unload her first Upper West Side property. She first listed it in September 2015 for $11.5 million, but after several price chops, it's now returned for $8,995,000.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

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

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

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

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

Behold the breathtaking views from this $18M home on the Montauk coastline

Watch the seasons of Central Park change from this $3.4M top-floor Upper West Side co-op

For $3.25M, this compact Boerum Hill townhouse goes beyond the condo alternative with three levels and a yard

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

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

This $1.5M Ansonia Court co-op is an old-school classic loft in prime Park Slope

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January 30, 2017

With Ben Carson as HUD Secretary, how will NYC housing and development be affected?

By Cait Etherington

Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and failed Republican nominee, has now been cleared to serve as Secretary of Housing for the next four years. For many, his appointment remains perplexing. Carson has no political experience and no obvious knowledge of housing and development issues. At least some concerns about Carson’s fitness for the job […]

Karim Rashid’s East Harlem HAP Five gets its bright pink trim

Final rendering of HAP FIVE (l), Construction progress as of January 27; CityRealty

January 30, 2017

Karim Rashid’s East Harlem HAP Five gets its bright pink trim

Construction is progressing at the very Karim Rashid-esque HAP Five residential project at 329 Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem, CityRealty reports. The building's frame has been enclosed in glass and its balconies are getting the hot-pink trim chosen by neighborhood residents after a bolder color scheme was nixed. HAP Investment Developers has specified that the project will be rental apartments instead of condos; the 21,500-square-foot, eight-story new project will offer 20 apartments including studios and one- and two-bedroom units created by the award-winning designer, all of which will have open kitchens and offer access to either a balcony, terrace or backyard.
New construction photos, this way

January 30, 2017

Elegant Central Park West penthouse hits the market for the first time in 30 years, asks $20M

The listing for this prewar triplex penthouse on the Upper West Side says it's "like a house hovering twenty-two floors above Central Park," but one look at the sprawling floor plan suggests that "mansion" might be a better word. Five bedrooms may sound ordinary, if luxurious, but countless other rooms and suites, three enormous terraces on the middle floor, a wraparound terrace on the bedroom floor and helicopter views in every direction put this iconic home atop a classic Emery Roth-designed co-op at 320 Central Park West in a class by itself—and its $20 million ask certainly reflects its status.
Check out those views, this way

Distinctive Homes

January 28, 2017

$14K/month multifunctional Flatiron loft is ready for all your creative endeavors

This Gramercy/Flatiron pad at 333 Park Avenue South, available for rent furnished or unfurnished for $14,000 per month, has all your classic loft details such as rustic beamed ceilings, wooden columns, and massive industrial windows. But it's also been reconfigured into a multifunctional, multi-level home that has plenty of separate zones for photo studio work, office space, entertaining, living, and any other use you could think of. Add in the slew of custom built-ins, chic decor, and artsy wall treatments, and that five-digit price tag seems a lot more reasonable.
Investigate the possibilities

Distinctive Homes

January 27, 2017

Assemblywoman seeks to bar border wall companies from doing business in New York

With Donald Trump taking executive actions to make good on his campaign promise to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, one New York legislator has proposed a pushback. Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, who represents eastern Queens, introduced a bill on Thursday that would ban the state from doing business with companies involved in building […]

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January 27, 2017

Reality star Olivia Palermo buys $3M DUMBO pad; Elton John bringing ‘Devil Wears Prada’ to Broadway

Donald Trump the interior decorator. [Elle Decor] Reality star and fashionista Olivia Palermo, along with her hubby, German model Johannes Huebl, bought a $3 million apartment in DUMBO’s Clocktower Building. [LL NYC] Harvard will offer free online architecture classes. [Curbed] Elton John has previously worked on “The Lion King” and “Aida,” and he’ll now help […]

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January 27, 2017

City says Cuomo’s ‘Affordable New York’ plan would cost an extra $820M

Governor Cuomo recently announced that his revised version of the city's 421-a tax exemption program would officially be moving forward. He said the initiative, dubbed "Affordable New York," would create 2,500 new affordable housing units per year, but a new study from the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development says this will come at a cost. As Politico reports, Cuomo's changes to the program would cost NYC an additional $820 million over 10 years if approved by the state Legislature, $82 million a year more than Mayor de Blasio's proposed 421-a overhaul in 2015.
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January 27, 2017

Lottery opens for 40 affordable units across Central Harlem, starting at $822/month

Second to the Bronx, Central Harlem has seen perhaps the most new affordable housing opportunities in the city. The latest is a 40-unit lottery spread across four buildings near Jackie Robinson Park--304 West 152nd Street, 232 West 149th Street, 2797 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, and 2472 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard. The units are available to those earning 50 or 60 percent of the area media income and range from $822/month studios to $1,371/month four-bedrooms.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

Inside the Village East Cinema, one of NY’s last surviving ‘Yiddish Rialto’ theaters

By James and Karla Murray

Moviegoers at the Village East Cinema may be surprised to learn that they are visiting a recently restored New York City designated landmark. The Village East Cinema has a fascinating history as one of the last surviving “Yiddish Rialto” theaters along Second Avenue in the East Village. Today, the cinema is known for premiering many independent films and an eclectic mix of art and commercial releases. The theater’s most significant visual aspect, however, is its main auditorium’s ornate and colorful ceiling, which is regarded as having one of the most remarkable works of plaster craftsmanship in New York City.
explore the spectacular space here

January 27, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

No Security Deposit + One Month Free for Full-Floor Apartments on Lower East Side [link] Glenwood Offering Free Rent at Lincoln Square High-Rise, Hawthorn Park [link] One Month Free on All Units at Luxury High Rise LINC LIC; Studios from $2,395 [link] Now 95% Leased, 180 Franklin Avenue in Clinton Hill Offers Two Months Free […]

Real Estate Trends

January 27, 2017

SL Green says One Vanderbilt will bring in $200M a year

SL Green Realty CEO Marc Holliday said Thursday that the midtown office tower One Vanderbilt is expected to pull in as much as $198 million a year in net operating income when complete in 2020 and fully leased, The Real Deal reports. That figure, in 2028 dollars, likely includes $42 million in admission fees for the building's planned observation deck and is based on the assumption that the tower will be leased out at an average of $155 per square foot. If realized, that figure would put the 1.7-million-square-foot, 1,401-foot-tall tower in a league with some of the the city's significantly larger trophy properties.
Find out more

January 27, 2017

Daughter of rock legend Peter Gabriel lists sunny East Village co-op for $1.65M

Rocker Peter Gabriel's daughter, Anna Gabriel, is unloading her East Village pad for $1.65 million. Gabriel, who has shot music videos that include notably Beyonce’s “Countdown” and “Sweet Dreams,” purchased the apartment at 303 East 8th Street in 2006 for $1.05 million, according to public records. (You can see some photos of her living space here.) Now the two-bedroom unit--which boasts 17 windows across four exposures--is looking to find a new owner.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

January 27, 2017

Built for an aviation pioneer, this 1940 International Style mansion asks $40M

Known as the Sherman Fairchild Mansion, the extraordinary modern-fronted townhouse at 17 East 65th Street is one of those New York City sights that might stop you in your tracks in the middle of an otherwise sedate Upper East Side sidewalk. The current façade of this five-story home was designed by William Hamby and George Nelson in 1940 for brilliant and prolific aviation pioneer/inventor Sherman Fairchild (well-known architect Michael Graves was commissioned to design yet another facade for the home in 1979, but that version was never built). The 25-foot-wide, 9,440 square-foot modern townhouse has been on and off the market since 2014; it's currently asking $40,000. While the home's exterior is provocative and unique–especially given the Upper East Side location a block from Central Park–the interiors, which have undergone a thorough renovation by the current owner, noted Renaissance art dealer Martin Zimet of French & Company, are yet another surprise.
Take a look inside

January 26, 2017

Iconic portrait artist Aaron Shikler’s stunning UWS apartment returns for $7M

The spectacular home of late artist Aaron Shikler is for sale once again, reports LLNYC. The painter, who is best known for his brooding and soulful portraits of America's statesmen and celebrities, including John F. Kennedy, Jackie O. and Ronald Reagan, transferred the ownership of the cooperative in the famed Studio Building to his two children in 2013 before his passing in 2015. The family tried last year to sell the co-op for $7.8 million but sadly were unable to find a buyer. Now it appears they're hoping an $800,000 price cut and a bevy of new photos showcasing the ornate interiors will help close a deal.
more photos inside

Distinctive Homes

January 26, 2017

Rem Koolhaas’ Gramercy condo reveals interior renderings, launches sales

Right before the new year, the highly anticipated condo from Toll Brothers City Living at 121 East 22nd Street in Gramercy reached its full height, providing the first real views of its glassy facade and chiseled corner that resembles a giant crystal. And what makes the structure even more special is the fact that it's the first NYC project from Pritzker Prize-winning Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas's firm the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA).CityRealty now tells us that sales have officially begun, currently ranging from $1.5 million, 761-square-foot one-bedrooms to $4.7 million,2,402-square-foot three-bedrooms, and along with the launch comes the first set of interior renderings and some fresh looks at the exterior and amenity spaces.
More details and all the renderings

January 26, 2017

1894 maps show a Manhattan densely populated with immigrants

New York has always been a city of immigrants, and these historic maps—dug up by Slate—attempted to illustrate the population density and nationality in 19th century Manhattan. With data from the 1890 census, the New York’s Tenement-House Committee and Frederick E. Pierce released the maps in 1894. They tracked immigrant communities by striping each of the island’s sanitary districts (which are small service areas designated by the sanitation department) with different patterns. The stripes show the national origin of the New Yorkers that live in each area, while the width of the striped signifies the proportion of the population represented by each group.
See the full map

History

January 26, 2017

Living on Queen’s Broad Channel island; $41M allocated for New York cultural and arts organizations

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

After 9/11, Donald Trump argued that his skyscraper at 40 Wall Street was the tallest downtown, just one example of how he “can’t admit simple facts.” [NYP] The mile-long Broad Channel, a small island off Queens, is home to fewer than 3,000 New Yorkers. Here’s what it’s like living there post Hurricane Sandy. [Refinery29] SL […]

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January 26, 2017

Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh lists Tribeca loft below Taylor Swift for $5.75M

Now's your chance to get in at Tribeca's celebrity heavy condo, the Sugar Loaf Building at 155 Franklin Street. Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh has listed his $5.75 million three-bedroom apartment, which is situated right below Taylor Swift's palatial, lofty pad. And at 155 Franklin, all things revolve around Taylor Swift: Sir Ian McKellen was staying in Peter Jackson's apartment and got evicted when Jackson sold the unit to Swift; and Orlando Bloom sold his apartment soon after Swift moved in with rumors of paparazzi annoyance. But if you don't mind the crowd of fans, this unit boasts 2,450 square feet as well as the same exposed brick and timber-beamed ceilings that decorate Swift's nearby abode.
Time for a tour

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 1/26-2/1

Patrick Kwan

January 26, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 1/26-2/1

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings 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 event picks for 6sqft readers! This week, take home a piece of Logan Hicks’ Bowery Wall at Taglialatella Gallery or a piece of Aurelie Guillaume’s jewelry at Reinstein Rose. Then experience the quiet beauty of horses at Emmanuel Fremin Gallery and express yourself at the Brooklyn Museum’s Art History Happy hour. Also this week, Korean artist Hyon Gyon gives insight into her latest exhibition at a talk at Shin Gallery, and Ricky Gervais hits the Times Center for what's sure to be a thought-provoking conversation. Finally, let out some aggression at the Lunar New Year Chinese Firecracker Festival and then wind down in the beautiful Albertine for a talk on the city everyone seems to be moving to, Los Angeles.
More on all the best events this way

Are co-living communities the future of NYC real estate?

Photo: Bess Adler

January 26, 2017

Are co-living communities the future of NYC real estate?

In the 1960s, groups of hippies fled from cities to live on communes in the country. Now there’s a growing movement of communal living right here in New York City. “I feel the biggest challenge in our world today is we’re not speaking to each other,” said Ryan Fix, who started 25 communal living sites […]

Real Estate Trends

January 26, 2017

NYU announces $500M expansion of Downtown Brooklyn tech campus

In 2012, NYU signed a 99-year lease for the Downtown Brooklyn building at 370 Jay Street, a former MTA headquarters. Two years later, the University opened its Tandon School of Engineering in the neighborhood, and now that 5,212 students are enrolled, NYU is moving ahead with a $500 million renovation, restoration, and expansion of the Jay Street building, adding 500,000 square feet of space for areas of study such as computer coding, video game design, and digital forensics. The Daily News first shared the news, and they report that the new facility will open this coming summer, in time to welcome students for the Fall semester.
More views and details

New Developments

January 26, 2017

‘Girls’ and ‘Star Wars’ actor Adam Driver checks out a $4.79M fixer-upper in Brooklyn Heights

Indie stud Adam Driver's star is quickly rising thanks to his chameleon-like abilities to play characters ranging from Hannah Horvath's troubled and emotionally rich boyfriend on "Girls" to the diabolical villain Kylo Ren in the new "Star Wars" films. Now it appears Driver is looking to take on yet another role: homeowner. Like his "Girls" cohorts, Driver's interest in multi-million dollar properties has been piqued, and The Post reports the actor was recently spotted touring a townhouse at 154 Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights (the nabe where Girls' creator and lead Lena Dunham also lives). The now-vacant home was formerly used as a multiple-unit rental property and is currently listed for $4.79 million as a 5,444-square-foot single-family residence.
more photos inside

January 26, 2017

Travel + Leisure dubs ‘NoLo’ NYC’s next trendy neighborhood

DoBro (Downtown Brooklyn), MiMa (Midtown Manhattan), Hellsea (Hell's Kitchen meets Chelsea), BoCoCa (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens)--typically we blame brokers and real estate marketers for inventing outlandish neighborhood acronyms as a way to make their listings and developments seem unique and in uncharted territory. But this time, the writers over at Travel + Leisure have decided to try their hand at the name game, dubbing "NoLo" the next trendy 'hood. "There's no cooler neighborhood mashup," they say, than "the parts of Soho where Nolita bumps against the Lower East Side." Here you'll find "a community of restaurants, shops, cafes and drinking spots that exude the city's cutting edge style."
READ MORE

Uncategorized

January 26, 2017

Bjarke Ingels’ ‘bold yet graceful’ High Line towers get new website and flashy signage

When HFZ Capital Group chairman Ziel Feldman needed a bold design for what will be Chelsea's largest development in more than a decade, he knew the very-visible, block-long site wanted nothing short of an architectural icon to house the future 950,000-square-foot mix of parking, retail and office space, a 137-room Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spa and 240 condominium apartments. So it should come as no surprise that Bjarke Ingels' BIG was chosen to design what would be the firm's second Hudson River-front tower (after Via 57 West). Straddling the High Line and offering sunset river views, the two towers penned by the Danish wunderkind sit atop a four-floor base at 76 Eleventh Avenue, rising to 28 and 38 floors, respectively. CityRealty now brings us a collection of new views and a concept development slideshow of the $1.9 billion project recently published by BIG on their website.
See new images from the slideshow and some scintillating site prep

Rendering of 86 Fleet Place via Goldstein, Hill & West (L); Construction as of October 2016, via CityRealty

January 26, 2017

Live in John Catsimatidis’ curvy Downtown Brooklyn rental tower from $833/month

Way back in 1982, the CEO and owner of Red Apple Group, John Catsimatidis (you may know him better as the billionaire owner of Gristedes or for his failed Republican run in the last mayoral election) paid $500,000 for a 2.5-acre, four-block site in Downtown Brooklyn, on the western edge of Fort Greene. Thirty-five years later, construction is wrapping up on the final, and by far the tallest, of the four-tower development. The curving glass building at 86 Fleet Place was designed by Goldstein, Hill & West and will rise 32 stories/350 feet and house 440 rentals, 29 of which are set aside as affordable and have just come online through the city's affordable housing lottery. They range from $833/month studios to $1,247/month three-bedrooms and are available for those earning 45 to 60 percent of the area media income.
Find out if you qualify here

January 25, 2017

Extell’s One Manhattan Square reaches halfway point and gets its glassy skin

Despite the rapid influx of new development that's popping up in the controversial Two Bridges area, the Chinatown-meets-Lower East Side neighborhood's first project, One Manhattan Square, still reigns as the tallest. In fact, when it reaches its full 823-foot height, Extell's 80-story condo at 252 South Street will have the highest rooftop between downtown and Midtown Manhattan. Now that sales have commenced, CityRealty paid the construction site a visit, noticing that the double-slab tower is already more than 30 stories tall and has begun to receive its reflective glass skin.
More views ahead

January 25, 2017

Families of city’s unclaimed dead receive more access to graves on Hart Island

Relatives of people buried at a New York City island that serves as the largest mass grave in the United States will have increased access to the cemetery under a modified lawsuit settlement announced on Tuesday. Hart Island, a mile-long strip of land in the Long Island Sound that sits at the eastern edge of […]

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January 25, 2017

MTA approves fare hike, monthly MetroCard will increase to $121

This morning MTA officials voted in favor of a subway and bus fare hike, which will go into effect March 19, writes The Times. The transit agency opted not to increase per-ride costs to $3, as previously floated, but to instead up monthly and weekly MetroCard prices from $116.50 and $31 to $121 and $32, respectively. Moreover, although the base price of a ride will not see an increase, there will be a decrease in the "bonus" riders get when they add money to their cards. This will drop from 11 percent to just 5 percent.
find out more here

Transit

January 25, 2017

EPA says Gowanus Canal cleanup will proceed; get your romantic proposal on a city WiFi kiosk

If you pop the question between now and early next month, your proposal can be featured on one of the city’s LinkNYC Wi-Fi kiosks on Valentine’s Day. [EV Grieve] And if you’re feeling more vindictive than romantic, you can name a cockroach at the Bronx Zoo after your ex. [Gothamist] As part of de Blasio’s 10-year capital […]

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De Blasio to spend $384M renovating old city-owned office buildings

Downtown Brooklyn’s 345 Adams Street

January 25, 2017

De Blasio to spend $384M renovating old city-owned office buildings

Despite "a backdrop of uncertainty," as he put it, Mayor de Blasio yesterday unveiled an $89.4 billion, 10-year capital plan that includes school construction, public housing repairs, paving roads, and a new NYPD training center. It also sets aside $384.2 million to renovate and rehabilitate aging, city-owned buildings. Commercial Observer tells us that the bulk of this allotment, $94.5 million, would go towards 345 Adams Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The 1920s office building is home to the Department of Finance, Department of Probation, Board of Elections, and Administration for Children’s Services. Others on the list are the Brooklyn Municipal Building ($39.1 million), 253 Broadway in lower Manhattan ($18.5 million), and the Manhattan Municipal Building ($16.7 million).
More details

Policy

January 25, 2017

Designer Zac Posen snags an elegant Upper East Side penthouse for $3.5M

Zac Posen may love taking fashion risks, but when it comes to real estate, it's all about the classics. The designer and "Project Runway" judge has just poured $3.5 million into an elegant Upper East Side penthouse, LL NYC shares. The duplex spread sits atop an Emory Roth-designed prewar at 210 East 73rd Street and comes steeped in ornate details like hand-painted ceilings, an iron staircase and a Chesney marble mantle. While the current decor is most certainly in need of a modern facelift, Posen will have plenty of space to flex his creative prowess. The penthouse is a classic six with two bedrooms, two and a half baths and a large 1,800-square-foot wrap terrace. And did we mention there are seven custom closets? Four of them are walk-in!
See more here

January 25, 2017

7 easy ways to feng shui your apartment

By Hannah Frishberg

As intangible a concept as feng shui may seem, it all comes down to the basic idea of having a space you're happy to come home to because its energy is positive. "Feng shui is an ancient philosophy about how you can improve your life and create a space that supports and nurtures you," explained Anjie Cho, a New York-based architect, author, and founder of online mindfulness design blog and shop Holistic Spaces. Indeed, adjusting your apartment in just a few small and informed ways can make all the difference in the look and feel of your unit and, resultantly, your own wellbeing. Ahead are some ideas you can apply to your space, straight from a pro.
First off, take that mattress off the floor

January 25, 2017

Trump’s modest childhood home sells at auction, see new photos inside

Going, going, gone... Today reports that Donald Trump's childhood home has traded hands once again, officially selling at auction last week to an undisclosed buyer for an undisclosed amount. As 6sqft previously reported, the Jamaica, Queens house was purchased by Manhattan real estate developer Michael Davis for $1.4 million in January from a couple who had owned the Trump memento since 2008 (they shelled out just $782,500). Davis' intent from the outset was to flip the property for a hefty return, and while no auction price has been revealed, early estimates projected a closing figure of around $10 million—much thanks to the Donald's presidential win (Trump himself even joked about buying it on the Tonight Show). New photos from the auction also give us additional views into the modest Tudor abode.
see more here

Celebrities

January 25, 2017

Trump’s infrastructure plan may include $26B+ for NYC’s Gateway Project and Second Avenue Subway

Reporters at McClatchy obtained documents that the Trump transition team provided to the National Governor’s Association detailing 50 projects across the country that would take priority under the President's proposed $1 trillion infrastructure plan, and among them are two NYC-based projects. The Gateway Project, which would repair the aging and Sandy-damaged Hudson River rail tunnels and build a new one, would cost $12 billion and create 34,000 jobs. Phases two and three of the Second Avenue Subway would cost $14.2 billion and create 16,000 direct jobs.
Get more details this way

January 25, 2017

$1.65M Tribeca loft is equal parts old-school downtown and rustic chic

Though it's within the boundaries of pricey Tribeca to be sure, this duplex loft at 356 Broadway overlooks what The Real Deal called "something of a final frontier in Manhattan," though even that 2015 reference was alluding to rapid changes afoot in what is known in real estate circles as East Tribeca. With classic interiors that play up the rustic side of loft decor–exposed brick and beams, open rooms and double-height ceilings–this 1,417-square-foot condominium has been fully renovated in an up-to-the minute style. The listing says it's "priced to sell quick," and the $1.649 million ask looks like a pretty good deal for anything in Tribeca that isn't a closet, though it's worth noting that the sellers purchased the unit for $828,000–about half the current price–in 2012.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

222 LES Tower + Lofts

222 East Broadway

Lower East Side

Art Deco romance meets 21st-century convenience

Studios starting at $799,000
1 bed starting at $1,100,000
2 beds starting at $1,955,000
3 beds starting at $2,875,000

Learn More

January 24, 2017

Cozy Greenwich Village studio with Murphy bed is renting for $3,495/month

Some smart design maximizes space at this Greenwich Village studio, located at 140 West 10th Street and asking $3,495 a month. The wall and Murphy bed system was designed in Italy by the space saving furniture company Clei, and the system provides a flexible space that can be transformed into either an entertaining area or bedroom.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

January 24, 2017

Slow cooking evolves with a sleek new design, better food and an app called Oliver

By Tracy A. Marciano

If you don't have your nonna cooking for you, good news is here. Slow cooking, which first appeared kitchens in the 1950s, has been redesigned for a new generation of chefs. The updated crock pot, or "Oliver" as it's been named, uses a new setup that releases ingredients slowly and churns out better results than the brown mush we've all come to expect from the gadgets.
Read more about Oliver

January 24, 2017

NYC not one of world’s most expensive cities; L train repairs already over budget and behind schedule

Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver are the three most expensive cities in the world to live. Believe it or not, NYC didn’t make the top 10. [Fortune] Actor Steve Guttenberg on why he loves the Upper West Side. [West Side Rag] For the first time in 30 years, the Playboy Club is opening in NYC, […]

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January 24, 2017

Ricky Martin’s Yorkville condo gets a $1.3M price chop

By Annie Doge

Ricky Martin might've gotten a bit too optimistic about Yorkville's Second Avenue Subway-influenced real estate boom, as Mansion Global reports that he's chopped the price of his condo at 170 East End Avenue from $8.4 million to $7.1 million after just five months. This isn't the first time the Latin pop star has had trouble unloading NYC real estate; in 2012 he put his condo in Noho's 40 Bond on the rental market for $28,000/month. In 2014, he listed it for $8.3 million, but it didn't find a buyer until a year and half later when it sold for the reduced price of $7.55 million.
Will he have better luck in Yorkville?

January 24, 2017

De Blasio to pitch preliminary budget of $84.67 billion for 2018