6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

A penthouse at a new luxury condominium in Chelsea has gone into contract for $52 million, joining an exclusive list of downtown Manhattan's priciest homes. Designed by Bjarke Ingels, One High Line consists of two twisting towers with views of the Hudson River, the High Line, and beyond. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the full-floor penthouse measures roughly 7,000 square feet, in addition to a nearly 5,000-square-foot private terrace.
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NYC to install outdoor e-bike charging stations at dozens of NYCHA buildings

Image courtesy of Cory Doctorow on Flickr

June 26, 2023

NYC to install outdoor e-bike charging stations at dozens of NYCHA buildings

Hundreds of safe e-bike and scooter charging and storage stations will soon be installed across New York City's public housing buildings as a way to prevent battery fires. Mayor Eric Adams, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Sunday announced plans to install 173 outdoor stations at 53 NYCHA developments starting next year, with a total of 327 stations planned. The announcement comes just days after a fire at an e-bike repair shop in Chinatown killed four people and injured several others. The initiative is funded through a $25 million emergency grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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Plan for better bus service to LaGuardia Airport rolls forward

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

June 26, 2023

Plan for better bus service to LaGuardia Airport rolls forward

The board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week approved $30 million in funding to plan and design better bus service to LaGuardia, officially kicking off a project to improve mass transit options to the Queens airport. Recommended by an expert panel in March, the plan involves scrapping the controversial AirTrain and instead improving the existing bus service and adding a new non-stop airport shuttle.
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This $3.6M Bed-Stuy townhouse has bay windows, a full-floor bedroom suite, and a basement speakeasy

Photo credit: DDreps & Hovey Design

June 26, 2023

This $3.6M Bed-Stuy townhouse has bay windows, a full-floor bedroom suite, and a basement speakeasy

Surrounded by the historic homes of Bedford-Stuyvesant, this 1893 limestone townhouse has been impeccably restored with loads of historic glamor intact. Filled with fabulous design flourishes, the 4,635-square-foot two-family house, asking $3,600,000, is fronted by carved octagonal bay windows. Within, chic, modern elements are right at home among classic architectural details. Configured as a one-bedroom garden apartment with a triplex above, the home has an unusual secret: A speakeasy room in the basement.
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Distinctive Homes

Adams vetoes NYC Council bills expanding rental assistance

Image courtesy of robertotmn on Flickr

June 23, 2023

Adams vetoes NYC Council bills expanding rental assistance

Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed four City Council bills that would expand access to New York City's housing voucher program. Adams on Friday vetoed bills Intro. 229, Intro. 878, Intro. 893, and Intro. 894, claiming the legislation package, which was passed by the council last month, would cost the city an exorbitant amount of money and "make it harder" for homeless New Yorkers to find housing. The Council passed the legislation package late last month with a vote of 41 to 7, enough support to override the veto.
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NYC Council bill would require broker fees be paid by ‘hiring party’

Photo by Rachel Martin on Unsplash

June 23, 2023

NYC Council bill would require broker fees be paid by ‘hiring party’

The New York City Council will once again take up the issue of broker fees, a unique-to-New York system that allows real estate brokers to charge prospective tenants a one-time fee, usually between one month's rent and 15 percent of the total annual rent. Council Member Chi Ossé on Thursday introduced legislation that would shift the payment of broker fees to the party who hired them, which is often the landlord or building management company. The bill is similar to guidance issued by the state in 2019 that briefly banned broker fees, which was ultimately struck down by the court.
Details here

Policy

NYC’s latest casino bid calls for two 46-story skyscrapers across from the Javits Center

Renderings courtesy of Silverstein Properties

June 23, 2023

NYC’s latest casino bid calls for two 46-story skyscrapers across from the Javits Center

Larry Silverstein of Silverstein Properties has joined the cast of prominent developers competing for one of three downstate casino licenses. Silverstein Properties on Friday announced plans for "The Avenir," a hotel, casino, entertainment, and residential development on a vacant plot of land on the border of Hudson Yards and Hell's Kitchen. Located at 41st Street and 11th Avenue, just north of the Javits Center, the proposed 1.8 million square foot project includes two 46-story towers with a luxury hotel, a top-floor performance hall, affordable housing, and an eight-story casino run by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment at the base.
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Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

June 23, 2023

$9.9M four-bedroom Upper West Side co-op makes a charming case for living large

Occupying over 3,500 square feet on the 6th floor of the Beaux Arts building at 285 Central Park West known as The St. Urban, this rare corner unit has (at least) four bedrooms and space to spare. Designed with a fabulous eye for style and color, this Upper West Side home has retained all of its pre-war charms, but it's anything but stuffy. Impressive Central Park vistas and open exposures add up to a $9,900,000 HQ for a big, busy family, grand-scale entertaining–or both.
Stylish sprawl at the St. Urban, this way

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy are selling their West Village townhouse for $9.75M

For $7.9M, this sprawling four-bedroom Chelsea condo is a modern city mansion in a landmarked building

For $1.4M, this full-floor Park Slope co-op comes with a private rooftop oasis

Heatwave goals: A $25M Flatiron penthouse with a rooftop infinity pool

This $9M Soho loft is the ultimate designer-approved bachelor pad

From rental income to solar panels, this $3.5M Bed-Stuy brownstone checks all the boxes

Andy Cohen lists West Village duplex for $14M

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

$1.5M Clinton Hill co-op is a modern home base in a classic loft space

For $7.45M, this elegant Hamptons home has a Florida vibe and Arts & Crafts details

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Three modern penthouses added to Upper West Side’s historic Astor building

Rendering courtesy of Binyan Studios

June 22, 2023

Three modern penthouses added to Upper West Side’s historic Astor building

Three new modern penthouses are being added atop The Astor, a landmarked residential building on the Upper West Side built over 100 years ago. The brand-new apartments top one of New York City's most iconic condominiums, which consists of three interconnected towers on Broadway between West 75th and West 76th Streets. All three penthouses come with private outdoor areas, gas fireplaces, and interiors designed by Pembrooke & Ives. Before being listed publicly, one of the penthouses already found a buyer, who purchased a 3,400 square foot four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom, and a three-bedroom unit below it, in a combo deal last listed for $15.495 million.
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Union Square’s Regal movie theater is here to stay

Photo courtesy of Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

June 22, 2023

Union Square’s Regal movie theater is here to stay

Just months after New Yorkers lamented the loss of Regal Union Square, the company announced a deal to keep the movie theater open after all. Regal last week said it had signed a new long-term lease with Related Companies to continue the operation of its theater at Broadway and 13th Street for "many years to come." In January, the country's second-largest movie theater planned to close 39 locations, including Regal Union Square, as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, as EV Grieve reported.
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City Living

NYC’s stabilized apartments to see rent hike for second year in a row

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

June 22, 2023

NYC’s stabilized apartments to see rent hike for second year in a row

Rent will increase for the roughly two million New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments for the second year in a row. On Wednesday, the Rent Guidelines Board, the nine-member panel responsible for adjusting rent for the city's rent-stabilized apartments, voted 5 to 4 in favor of raising rents on one-year leases by 3 percent and on two-year leases by 2.75 percent for the first year and 3.2 percent for the second year. The rent increases apply to leases starting October 1, 2023.
Details here

Policy

From firehouse to Spike Lee’s movie HQ, this $4.35M Fort Greene home has a century of stories to tell

Photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

June 22, 2023

From firehouse to Spike Lee’s movie HQ, this $4.35M Fort Greene home has a century of stories to tell

This decommissioned firehouse at 124 Dekalb Avenue–currently asking $4,350,000–has a fascinating history that began in 1895, when it was built as a water tower. Converted into a neighborhood firehouse in 1903, the building's cellar was fortified as a bomb shelter at some point in the 20th century. After the firehouse was disbanded in 1974, the building became a live/work space for celebrated filmmaker Spike Lee, who headquartered his 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks studio here. In the mid-1980s, the building was converted into two duplex loft apartments–and a multi-car garage.
The full eyeful, this way

Greenwich Village block named for LGBTQ rights activists Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer

Image courtesy of Darren McGee/ Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

June 21, 2023

Greenwich Village block named for LGBTQ rights activists Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer

A Greenwich Village intersection has been co-named after the couple who won a historic battle in the U.S. Supreme Court for gay marriage rights. In a ceremony on Tuesday, the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Washington Square North, right behind Washington Square Park's Arch, was renamed "Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Way" in honor of the couple who lived on the corner for 43 years. In 2010, Windsor, who died in 2017, sued the U.S. government over a federal policy that barred same-sex married couples from claiming the estate of deceased spouses, which led the Supreme Court to grant same-sex married couples the same right to federal benefits as heterosexual married couples, according to Patch. Tuesday's ceremony coincided with what would have been Windsor's 94th birthday.
Details here

Policy

Elevated pathway connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall opens

Photos courtesy of © Andrew Frasz

June 21, 2023

Elevated pathway connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall opens

A new elevated pedestrian path connecting the High Line to Moynihan Tran Hall opens to the public this week. The 600-foot-long High Line-Moynihan Connector consists of two bridges, one full of lush landscape that runs along West 30th Street and another made of Alaskan yellow cedar wood that is suspended over Dyer Avenue. Officially opening on June 22, the $50 million project connects Manhattan West's public plaza to a pedestrian pathway at West 31st Street, allowing commuters to easily and safely access the train station and the rest of Midtown West.
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Lot of demolished landmark on Gay Street in Greenwich Village lists for $4.5M

Photo by Spencer Means on Flickr

June 21, 2023

Lot of demolished landmark on Gay Street in Greenwich Village lists for $4.5M

The Greenwich Village lot where a rowhouse stood for 200 years until being demolished this year is for sale. One in a row of six 19th-century buildings, the property at 14 Gay Street was the oldest, constructed in 1827. The city late last year ordered 14 Gay Street to be razed after determining unpermitted work had left it at risk of collapse. Now, the vacant lot where the Federal-style home once stood is available for $4,500,000, providing a unique opportunity to build new in one of the city's oldest historic districts.
Details here

A 110-acre woodland sanctuary surrounds this $6M Hudson Valley hilltop estate

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

June 20, 2023

A 110-acre woodland sanctuary surrounds this $6M Hudson Valley hilltop estate

Looking for all the world like the cover of a magazine filled with dream estates surrounded by woods and water, this singular property, asking $5,950,000, spans 110 acres high on a hill in the Hudson Highlands of Garrison, New York. The architecturally stunning main house at 236 Old Albany Post Road, known as La Formentera, is joined by a studio/guest house with a three-car garage and a circa 1800s caretakers' cottage (also with a garage), adding up to five structures in all. The surrounding property includes a private lake, waterfall, and brook, an outdoor fireplace, and a 60-foot pool served by a stone pool house pavilion, all just an hour from New York City.
Tour this idyllic country estate

Kick off summer with hundreds of free concerts across NYC

In celebration of the summer solstice, the streets of New York City will be filled with the sounds of live music on June 21. Make Music Day returns to the five boroughs for its 17th year on Wednesday, bringing with it hundreds of free outdoor concerts taking place on corners, stoops, sidewalks, and in public spaces all across NYC on the longest day of the year.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

Electric bikes and scooters now allowed in NYC parks

Photo courtesy of Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

June 20, 2023

Electric bikes and scooters now allowed in NYC parks

Starting Tuesday, electric bikes and scooters will be allowed inside New York City parks. As part of a yearlong pilot program overseen by the city's Parks Department, e-bike and e-scooter riders can use greenways and park drives, including the Central Park and Prospect Park loops. The pilot will run through May 31, 2024.
Details here

This $2.4M Brooklyn Heights co-op is a turnkey classic six with a private balcony and skyline views

All photos courtesy of DDReps

June 19, 2023

This $2.4M Brooklyn Heights co-op is a turnkey classic six with a private balcony and skyline views

This spacious co-op at 75 Henry Street in one of the city's most sought-after neighborhoods is ready for whatever life brings. Asking $2,395,000, the three-bedroom home has three baths and a layout that provides privacy and plenty of work-from-home space, as well as closets to keep clutter out of the way. A private double balcony and bridge and city views are an inspiration in every season; an on-site parking garage adds rare convenience.
More details, this way

Distinctive Homes

NYC’s first-ever Chinese food festival debuts this weekend

Photos courtesy of Dragon Fest

June 19, 2023

NYC’s first-ever Chinese food festival debuts this weekend

New York City's first-ever outdoor Chinese food and culture festival kicks off this week. Dragon Fest will take place over four days throughout the summer, with the debut event happening in Washington Square Park on Saturday, June 24. The festival will offer a selection of cuisine, art, and cultural traditions from China. Festival attendees can indulge in over 100 varieties of Chinese food from top local vendors like MáLà Project, Pecking House, and Nom Wah, and browse through Han-style clothing and Miao embroidery and jewelry.
Get the details here

Lottery opens for 300+ affordable apartments at major East New York project, from $419/month

Rendering courtesy of Dattner Architects

June 19, 2023

Lottery opens for 300+ affordable apartments at major East New York project, from $419/month

The largest project to stem from the 2016 rezoning of East New York launched a housing lottery for over 300 affordable apartments this week. Developed by the housing nonprofit Phipps Houses, Atlantic Chestnut is a block-long development with three interconnected buildings and more than 1,100 units of affordable housing. As part of the first phase, 341 apartments are available at 250 Euclid Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the available apartments priced from $419/month studios to $2,273/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Chelsea Waterside Park reopens after $15.2M overhaul

Photos courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust

June 19, 2023

Chelsea Waterside Park reopens after $15.2M overhaul

Hudson River Park's Chelsea Waterside Park reopened last week after an extensive $15.2 million renovation. Designed by Abel Bainnson Butz, LLP and CDR Design Studio Architects, the park has been enhanced with new plantings, a public restroom, a permanent picnic area with lighting, a spacious turf sports field, and an expansive dog run. Located at West 23rd Street and the Westside Highway in Manhattan, the revamped park's layout prioritizes usable green space for New Yorkers.
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Adams ends NYC’s 90-day shelter rule for homeless New Yorkers

Mayor Eric Adams issued emergency rules eliminating the 90-day length-of-stay requirement for New Yorkers in shelters to be eligible for housing vouchers. Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 16, 2023

Adams ends NYC’s 90-day shelter rule for homeless New Yorkers

Mayor Eric Adams on Friday ended a rule that had required unhoused people to spend at least 90 days in shelter before qualifying for rental assistance vouchers. The emergency rule change expands eligibility for the vouchers, called CityFHEPS, which will in turn house more New Yorkers and free up space in the shelter system for asylum seekers. The move by the mayor comes a few weeks after the City Council passed a comprehensive set of bills expanding rental assistance, including the end of the 90-day rule. Adams criticized the rest of the package, citing budget costs, but did not say if he plans to veto the legislation.
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Williamsburg’s City Reliquary to host yard sale with unusual antiques and oddities from local collectors

Image courtesy of The City Reliquary

June 16, 2023

Williamsburg’s City Reliquary to host yard sale with unusual antiques and oddities from local collectors

The City Reliquary museum is hosting a yard sale next month with a variety of antiques, oddities, and ephemera as part of a Pride celebration. Located at 370 Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg, the sale will take place on Saturday, July 29 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the museum's backyard. Local artists and collectors will sell a diverse selection of unique vintage items, unusual collectibles, and one-of-a-kind arts and crafts. The event includes live music provided by Kyle Supley and DJ Yestergay, resident DJ at Julius’ Bar, and refreshments and pastries from Yardsale Cafe.
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Events & Things To Do

Asking $2.5M, this classic Tribeca loft was starchitect Rafael Viñoly’s studio and pied-à-terre

All photos courtesy of Udi Almog/H5 for the Corcoran Group

June 16, 2023

Asking $2.5M, this classic Tribeca loft was starchitect Rafael Viñoly’s studio and pied-à-terre

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

Now on the market asking $2,500,000, this full-floor loft co-op at 137 West Broadway in Tribeca recently served as the office, art studio, and pied-à-terre of renowned late architect Rafael Viñoly. Viñoly, who designed notable buildings like 432 Park Avenue, 277 Fifth Avenue, and Three Waterline Square, kept the space until his passing in March of this year, overseeing renovations and using the living room walls to create life-sized figure drawings on wall-sized sketch pads.
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Distinctive Homes

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 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

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New York City’s best spots for bird watching

Birdwatching in Prospect Park, courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance on Flickr

June 15, 2023

New York City’s best spots for bird watching

With hundreds of parks and over 500 miles of waterfront, New York City is an excellent place for bird watching. The five boroughs serve as a temporary and permanent home to over 400 species of bird, thanks to both habitat diversity and location on the Atlantic Flyway, the route birds follow during migrations. From Pelham Bay Park in the northeast Bronx down to Great Kills Park on the South Shore of Staten Island, there is no shortage of birding activities in New York. We've rounded up the best places to find feathered friends throughout the city, most of which are accessible via public transportation. For guided bird-watching tours and walks, check out events from NYC Parks, NYC Audubon, and the Linnaean Society of New York.
Full list ahead

22 middle-income units available next to the Bronx Zoo, from $2,890/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

June 15, 2023

22 middle-income units available next to the Bronx Zoo, from $2,890/month

A housing lottery opened this week for 22 middle-income units in a new residential development across the street from the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo. Located at 2279 Barker Avenue in Allerton, the newly constructed luxury building offers residents spacious units with state-of-the-art appliances. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $99,086 annually for a single person and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the units, which include $2,890/month studios, $3,059/month one-bedrooms, and $3,599/month two bedrooms.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

World Trade Center’s new cube-shaped arts center reveals inaugural season ahead of opening

Images courtesy of Iwan Baan unless otherwise noted

June 15, 2023

World Trade Center’s new cube-shaped arts center reveals inaugural season ahead of opening

A new arts center at the World Trade Center was included in the 2003 master plan for Lower Manhattan after September 11. Two decades later, the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC) is opening this fall. On Wednesday, the center announced the lineup for its augural season, including wide-ranging programs across theater, dance, music, film, and more. Located at 251 Fulton Street, PAC is a unique, cube-shaped building with a glowing marble facade and flexible performance spaces within. The center kicks off its season on September 19 with a five-night pay-what-you-wish event, "Refuge: A Concert Series to Welcome the World," which will include performances from musicians from around the world.
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This $2.9M live-work space in upstate NY was formerly a Masonic temple

Photos courtesy of Annabel Taylor of Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty/Gabriel Zimmer

June 14, 2023

This $2.9M live-work space in upstate NY was formerly a Masonic temple

In a charming country town in upstate New York, a former Masonic temple has been reimagined as an artist's live/work quarters. The nearly 100-year-old building at 57 Cold Water Street in the Columbia County town of Hillsdale is set up as both an art studio and a modern private residence, with two bedrooms and three baths. The expansive, one-of-a-kind property, on the market for $2,875,000, has tons of potential in its next life, as it's zoned for both commercial and residential use.
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New Jersey’s largest resiliency park can hold up to 2 million gallons of stormwater

Photos courtesy of the City of Hoboken

June 14, 2023

New Jersey’s largest resiliency park can hold up to 2 million gallons of stormwater

A brand new park in Hoboken will also work to prevent flooding during storms. Located at 12th and Madison Streets, ResilenCity Park includes five acres of public open space, basketball courts, and athletic fields, and has the ability to detain up to two million gallons of water. Considered the largest resiliency park in New Jersey, the new park is part of a broader effort by Hoboken to build more resilient storm infrastructure after Hurricane Sandy flooded most of the city in 2012.
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Neighborhood Tours

NYC sets first-ever minimum wage for delivery workers

Image courtesy of Elvert Barnes on Flickr

June 14, 2023

NYC sets first-ever minimum wage for delivery workers

New York City has established the first minimum wage in the country for app-based delivery workers. Starting July 12, workers will be paid at least $17.96 per hour plus tips, with an increase to $19.96 per hour by April 1, 2025, Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protections announced this week. The new policy comes two years after the City Council passed legislation designed to improve labor conditions for delivery workers.
Details here

Live in a former sculptors’ studio in a historic East Village carriage house for $8K/month

Photos courtesy of DDReps/ Alexandra Rhea

June 14, 2023

Live in a former sculptors’ studio in a historic East Village carriage house for $8K/month

We've all envied those charming celebrity carriage houses in the Village–like Taylor Swift's Cornelia Street home–but we also know they cost millions to own. Built in 1892, this quaint brick building at 249 1/2 East 13th Street was once the studio of sculptors Karl Bitter and Giuseppe Moretti (Bitter created the East Doors for the Trinity Church and medallions on the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Moretti, the "Vulcan," the world's largest cast iron statue), and is often referred to as an important part of neighborhood history. You can now rent the entire home for $8,000 per month.
Carriage house tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

June 13, 2023

23 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in NYC

For over 150 years, Black Americans have celebrated Juneteenth, the day President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation order reached the people of Galveston, Texas, ending slavery. While Juneteenth became an official federal and state holiday only in recent years, Black Americans in New York City and nationwide have long been commemorating the holiday. New Yorkers have many opportunities to celebrate Juneteenth this year, from musical performances and panel discussions to comedy shows and food festivals.
Juneteenth celebrations and events, this way

Events & Things To Do

Met Museum will open a 3,500-square-foot science and art play space for young visitors

Rendering of 81st Street Studio, designed by KOKO Architecture + Design. Image courtesy of Brick Visual

June 13, 2023

Met Museum will open a 3,500-square-foot science and art play space for young visitors

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced it will open the 81st Street Studio, a free science and art play space for the museum's youngest visitors, on September 9. The newly-designed space will occupy a 3,500-square-foot area in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education at the Upper East Side museum; children aged 3 to 11 can enjoy interactive play to create new experiences and inspire exploration of the museum's vast collection.
More cool stuff for kids at the Met, this way

Events & Things To Do

Historic FDNY buildings in the Bronx designated as NYC landmarks

Fire Alarm Telegraph Bureau, Bronx Central Office; Photo courtesy of Landmarks Preservation Commission

June 13, 2023

Historic FDNY buildings in the Bronx designated as NYC landmarks

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday designated two Bronx buildings associated with New York City's fire department as individual landmarks. Not only are the Engine Company 88/ Ladder Company 38 firehouse in Belmont and the Fire Alarm Telegraph Bureau, Bronx Central Office in West Farms architecturally significant, but they represent a period of evolution and growth for the city's fire department. The new landmarks also recognize a piece of Bronx history that has largely gone underappreciated.
Details here

NYC delays enforcement of new Airbnb short-term rental rules

Photo via CC

June 13, 2023

NYC delays enforcement of new Airbnb short-term rental rules

Following a lawsuit filed this month by Airbnb, New York City will delay enforcing new restrictions limiting short-term rentals within the five boroughs. The Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) said it will not begin issuing fines to hosts until September 5, pushed back from a July start date, according to a court filing. The agency, which has already delayed the enactment of the new rules twice, currently has a staff vacancy rate of more than 50 percent, preventing it from effectively enforcing the law, as Gothamist reported.
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Policy

Celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai finally sells Fifth Avenue apartment for $4.5M

Photos courtesy of DDReps

June 12, 2023

Celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai finally sells Fifth Avenue apartment for $4.5M

Eight years and several price cuts later, celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai has sold his Upper East Side apartment. Fekkai first purchased the four-bedroom duplex at 953 Fifth Avenue for $7.4 million in 2006 and later listed it in 2015 for $12 million, following a revamp by interior designer Robert Couturier. After coming on and off the market many times since then, the co-op finally sold this month for $4.5 million, according to city records.
Learn more here

‘Summer Streets’ coming to all five boroughs this year

Summer Streets 2022. Photo credit: New York City Department of Transportation on Flickr

June 12, 2023

‘Summer Streets’ coming to all five boroughs this year

The "Summer Streets" program will expand to all five boroughs for the first time ever. The annual event, which began in 2008, closes several miles of Manhattan streets to cars for outdoor recreation and activities. This year, the popular program will also come to Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island over five Saturdays between July and August, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday.
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Visit NYC’s finest museums for free during annual Museum Mile Festival

Image courtesy of Brian Lauer on Flickr

June 12, 2023

Visit NYC’s finest museums for free during annual Museum Mile Festival

This week "New York City's biggest block party" is returning to a 28-block stretch of Fifth Avenue for the 45th year. During the Museum Mile Festival, attendees can walk along Fifth Avenue between 82nd Street and 110th Street and visit eight of the city's finest institutions for free. Participating museums include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, the Jewish Museum, Neue Galerie New York, El Museo del Barrio, the Africa Center, and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The iconic thoroughfare will close to cars during the festival, which takes place on June 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., allowing the museums to host art activities, musical performances, and other attractions outdoors.
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Events & Things To Do

Former North Fork general store is now a sweet little $595K beach cottage with separate studio

Photo credit: Brown Harris Stevens

June 12, 2023

Former North Fork general store is now a sweet little $595K beach cottage with separate studio

Formerly known as the Park Store, this charming cottage was the sole community general store in the Reeves Park Beach neighborhood of Long Island's Baiting Hollow from the 1940s to the 1980s. The compact one-bedroom-plus-sleeping-loft home, asking $595,000, has been renovated with many of its original details preserved. Located in a highly desirable Long Island Sound beach community, the property includes an equally compact separate studio.
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This elegant $1.6M Upper East Side co-op has hand-painted murals and classic pre-war details

Photo credit: Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

June 9, 2023

This elegant $1.6M Upper East Side co-op has hand-painted murals and classic pre-war details

Live the timeless, classic Upper East Side life in this corner co-op at 901 Lexington Avenue. In addition to retaining the grandeur of its original 1907 design, interiors by renowned designer Suzanne Rheinstein render its elegance unique. Hand-painted hardwood floors and murals by Bob Christian are just a few of the timeless details that elevate this $1,600,000 home.
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Distinctive Homes

New York lawmakers fail to reach a deal on housing

Photo of New York State Capitol by wadester16 on Flickr CC

June 9, 2023

New York lawmakers fail to reach a deal on housing

Despite New York lawmakers claiming they reached a deal on a comprehensive package of housing proposals, the state legislature has failed to pass any meaningful bills during this legislative session, as first reported by the New York Times. Negotiations between state Democrats and Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday fell apart as the two bodies failed to reach a deal before the end of the legislative session on Friday. Lawmakers blamed Hochul for opposing their housing proposals, including those that protect tenants from eviction and major rent hikes, and the governor claimed lawmakers never presented her with any housing bills to approve.
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East Flatbush’s new library is light-filled and inviting

Images courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library

June 9, 2023

East Flatbush’s new library is light-filled and inviting

A renovation of the East Flatbush Library has transformed it into a light-filled and modern space that will inspire visitors of all ages. After undergoing a complete renovation by architecture firm LevenBetts, the East Flatbush Library reopened to visitors this week. Located at 9612 Church Street, the revitalized library has achieved LEED silver status and features an innovative facade, windows, and skylights which fill the previously dimly-lit facility with abundant natural light.
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Architecture And Design

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

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50+ best Father’s Day gifts for every type of dad

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

June 9, 2023

50+ best Father’s Day gifts for every type of dad

By Terri Williams

Dads are so unassuming – they do so much for others and expect so little in return. Whether they are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, big brothers, godfathers, or other father figures, Father’s Day is the one day of the year when we can show our gratitude and celebrate them. So why not choose a Father’s Day gift they might actually like and decide to use? We’ve rounded up – and categorized - an assortment of gift ideas that are sure to be appreciated and bring a smile this Father’s Day.
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Here’s what closed in NYC due to unhealthy air quality

Image courtesy of Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

June 8, 2023

Here’s what closed in NYC due to unhealthy air quality

As the smoke from the Canadian wildfires continues to blanket New York City with unhealthy air, many events and activities, especially those planned for the outdoors, have been canceled. The city broke its air quality index (AQI) record on Wednesday, hitting 405 out of 500, the highest record since the city started collecting air quality records in 1985. City officials have advised New Yorkers to stay indoors, and if they must go outside, to wear a high-quality mask. Ahead, find some of the places across the five boroughs that have announced closures and cancellations due to the air quality.
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Lincoln Center to reimagine Amsterdam Avenue side of campus

Corner of 65th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, facing corner stairway to Lincoln Center plaza level. Photo by Lawrence Sumulong.

June 8, 2023

Lincoln Center to reimagine Amsterdam Avenue side of campus

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts wants to break down barriers, both literally and figuratively. The cultural institution on Tuesday announced plans for a major renovation of the western edge of its campus to make it more welcoming and accessible, calling on local community members and stakeholders to help reimagine the Amsterdam Avenue-facing side, which currently has no direct access to the campus. The renovation is one way the center has worked to become more equitable and inclusive in recent years, including a new pay-what-you-wish ticketing model, diverse programming, the new David Geffen Hall, and partnerships with blood drives, food banks, and other charitable events.
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Events & Things To Do

282 affordable apartments up for grabs in Far Rockaway, from $388/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

June 8, 2023

282 affordable apartments up for grabs in Far Rockaway, from $388/month

Applications are now being accepted for 282 affordable units at a new residential development in Queens. Located at 1626 Village Lane, the building is part of the third phase of the Rockaway Village Apartments, a huge housing complex that is replacing an abandoned strip mall. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $16,252 annually for a single person and $140,080 for a household of seven, are eligible to apply for the units, which range from $388/month studios to $1,968/month three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

The Westchester Colonial home of late fashion icon André Leon Talley asks $1.25M

Photo credit: Joe Kravetz at Laurel and Grand

June 8, 2023

The Westchester Colonial home of late fashion icon André Leon Talley asks $1.25M