6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

From the swarms of tourists, long lines at stores, and increased prices on everything from theater tickets to cocktails, the holidays in New York can be more of a headache than anything. But fear not--there are plenty more ways to get festive other than battling the crowds at Rockefeller Center or paying an arm and a leg to see the Rockettes. 6sqft has rounded up a dozen alternative events, including a sexy rendition of the Nutcracker, an exhibit of Santa's history in NYC, a latke festival, and a special Kwanzaa dance performance.
All the events this way

Events & Things To Do

December 10, 2016

Live like ‘Doctor Strange,’ Flatiron penthouse at 21W20 hits the market for $13.5M

By Ondel Hylton

Since being released last month, Marvel's "Doctor Strange" has grossed over $635 million worldwide, centering on the alternate dimension of an egotistical surgeon turned wizard, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. A few key scenes are filmed in Dr. Stephen Strange's spectacular Flatiron loft; the fictional abode would lie just west of Broadway and directly south of the Flatiron Building on 23rd Street. Coincidentally, a palatial and similarly-situated residence has just been released at Gale International's boutique condominium development 21W20. The full-floor unit, known as Penthouse One, boasts 4,841 square feet of interior space and 541 square feet of outdoor terraces and is just one of two remaining homes at the 13-unit project comprised of four penthouses designed by Beyer Blinder Belle.
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Distinctive Homes

December 10, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

By 6sqft

Iconic JFK Terminal begins its life as the ‘TWA Hotel’ with new signage There’s an ‘exotic’ Christmas tree selling for $1,000 in the Village One Vanderbilt confirms 1,020-foot observation deck West Chelsea mansion reboot with gym, pool, elevator, theatre and wine room ready for its $36.8M close-up NYU reveals design for $1B 23-story building at […]

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December 9, 2016

KBA Architects reveal ziggurat-like tower for Kellogg’s Diner-adjacent site in Williamsburg

Back in March, 6sqft reported that a new hotel/rental tower at 500 Metropolitan Avenue had risen above ground, but there was still a bit ambiguity surroundings its final design. Now, just as the Williamsburg building has topped out, CityRealty uncovered the final renderings from KBA Architects. The firm created a 14-story, ziggurat-like structure that will slope down from the adjacent site of longtime local haunt Kellogg's Diner and offer a slew of trendy amenities.
More views and details

December 9, 2016

Google’s Window Wonderland lets you tour Fifth Avenue holiday window displays from your home

Google Maps introduced a street-view look at NYC's holiday windows a couple years ago, but their Shopping app has now completely revamped the feature, launching this year as Window Wonderland. The interactive tool lets users take a high-resolution digital tour of 18 stores, including audio tours from their creative directors and real-life background street noise. See the 34 hand-sculpted animals in Lord & Taylor's "Enchanted Forest," explore the candy and couture at Saks Fifth Avenue's "Land of 1000 Delights," or see the gang from South Park at Barney's.
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December 9, 2016

Brooklyn’s Morbid Anatomy Museum needs $75K to stay afloat

Brooklyn’s Morbid Anatomy Museum, the black corner building at Seventh Street and Third Avenue dedicated to the beauty of death, is having a hard time staying alive. The museum opened two years ago with a full-bodied program of salon discussions, film and lecture series and quaint exhibitions such as “The Kittens’ Wedding” featuring Victorian-costumed taxidermied […]

Uncategorized

December 9, 2016

Duplex penthouse atop a prewar Tribeca condo renting for $25,000/month

An opulent duplex penthouse that's been on the market since last year is trying its hand as a rental. Located at the Powell Building, a prewar Tribeca condo at 105 Hudson Street, the apartment is up for grabs at $25,000 a month. It first hit the market in 2015 asking $9 million, and has been slowly price chopped down to its current ask of $7.995 million. That sales or rental price will get you four bedrooms over 3,000 square feet, 3,300 more square feet of outdoor space and stunning views from the top of the building.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

This $3.15M co-op embodies East Village cool, all grown up

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

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

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

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

This six-story $13.9M Upper West Side townhouse has all of life's luxuries under one roof, with an elevator to get there

For $32.5K/month, rent a five-story designer townhouse in Gramercy

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

For $5.5M, this Flatiron condo with four-bedroom potential is a prize for loft-lovers

Every inch of this $1.8M Fieldston home was hand-crafted by an artist resident

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December 9, 2016

Pantone hopes their 2017 color ‘greenery’ will give us hope; Chelsea Market is the world’s best food hall

Pantone’s 2017 color of the year is greenery, a “zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring.” [Fast Co. Design] A new report says NYC is the “indisputable food hall capital of the world,” and Chelsea Market is number one. [CO] Eight toys designed by architects since the 1940s. [Architizer] This sombering photos […]

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December 9, 2016

114 affordable units at the Bronx’s new Compass Residences complex up for grabs, from $822/month

When the West Farms Redevelopment Plan came to fruition in 2011, it was the largest private rezoning ever in the Bronx. The 17-acre, 11-block site in Crotona Park East was a former industrial area that's being transformed according to a master plan by Dattner Architects that calls for a total of 1,325 units of affordable housing and 46,000 square feet of retail space and community facilities. The first two buildings in the complex, also designed by Dattner, are called the Compass Residences and offer 237 units organized around a series of "gracious courtyards." As of today, 114 of these apartments are available through the city's affordable housing lottery. They're open to individuals earning 60 percent of the area media income and range from $822/month studios to $1,224/month three-bedrooms.
READ MORE

Affordable Housing

December 9, 2016

The Urban Lens: Harlan Erskine explores an eerie Midtown after midnight in 2008

By Alyssa Alimurung

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 Brooklyn resident Harlan Erskine highlights the Midtown lobbies and streets past midnight, during the Great Recession. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Though Midtown is now booming with larger-than-life skyscrapers and blockbuster condos along the likes of Billionaires' Row, 9 years ago at the peak of the Great Recession, it was a much different story. In 2008, Brooklyn photographer Harlan Erskine took to the city after dark and documented the ghost town that was Midtown. While New Yorkers are today used to seeing bustling crowds spilling into the streets at all hours, Harlan's photographs depict the polar opposite: empty office lobbies, streets and sidewalks.
photos this way

Places

December 9, 2016

Public petition asks Mayor de Blasio to back East River Skyway

A month ago, U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, City Councilman Stephen Levin, and State Assemblyman Joseph Lentol drafted a letter to the Mayor, urging him to advocate for the East River Skyway as a solution for the impending L train shutdown. Building on this momentum, a digital petition addressed to de Blasio has launched on Change.org where the public can show their support for the plan, as well.
Find out more

Transit

December 9, 2016

New York City awarded $80.2 million in state funding competitions for 121 projects

By Diane Pham

NYC will get a big boost thanks to Governor Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council competitions, a six-year-old initiative that provides "ground-up" funding driven by a community's success in improving quality of life and growing the local economy. New York City was named a "top performer" by the administration and awarded $80.2 million. The hefty sum will be allocated towards 121 projects across all five boroughs, including $1 million to build a tech incubator facility in Brooklyn, $1 million for a shuttle-bus service for the Brooklyn Navy Yard, $2.1 million to support the Green Point Manufacturing and Design Center, and $1.24 million to complete the final section of the Brooklyn Bridge Park beneath the bridge. Money will also go towards brownfield clean-up, supporting workforce expansion in local organizations, job training, and improving parks in low-income neighborhoods.
find out more

December 9, 2016

Rent model Erin Heatherton’s rustic-chic West Village condo for $15K/month

Back in October Sports Illustrated and Victoria’s Secret model—and onetime Leonardo DiCaprio arm candy—Erin Heatherton put her renovated 1,345 square-foot, two-bedroom Village condo at 1 Morton Square on the market for $2.85 million; we don't know if her thorny relationship with the building's condo board has had anything to do with it, but the two-bedroom apartment's rustic-chic interiors like exposed beams, stacked wood in the kitchen and stunning La Cornue range, plus a massive custom walk-in closet, have not yet found the model buyer: The apartment is now on the rental market for $15,000.
Take the tour

December 9, 2016

Lottery opens for 100 units in Far Rockaway’s new Passive House, from $653/month

Edgemere is a small neighborhood in the Rockaways that was full of beachfront hotels and bungalows back at the turn of the century. After Robert Moses tore down its most magnificent hotel and replaced it with a parking lot in 1941, the area soon fell into disrepair and became a ghost town. Just this year, however, the city released its Resilient Edgemere Community Planning Initiative to repair Sandy damage, protect the neighborhood from future flooding, improve transportation, and build resilient housing. One of these new projects is called Beach Green Dunes, a brand new Passive Building at 44-19 Rockaway Beach Boulevard with amenities like a roof garden, courtyard, parking, and fitness center. An affordable housing lottery for its 100 units opens today, ranging from $653/month studios to $1,597/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

December 8, 2016

NYU reveals design for $1B 23-story building at controversial Greenwich Village site

NYU's controversial plan to replace their Coles Sports Center site at the corner of Mercer and Houston Streets received approvals way back in 2012, but due to community opposition and lawsuits, they only filed plans and began demolition this October. The Wall Street Journal now shares the first renderings of the hulking, 23-story, 735,000-square-foot building at 181 Mercer Street designed by Davis Brody Bond (who's also responsible for the 9/11 Museum) and KieranTimberlake. It will cost a whopping $1 billion and host a bevy of uses, including 60 classrooms, common spaces, two cafes, practice/instruction rooms for the arts, three theaters, a giant athletic facility that'll have four basketball courts and a six-lane lap pool, 30 to 60 faculty apartments, and a 420-bed freshman dorm.
Lots more renderings and details

December 8, 2016

Minimalist guest house by Studio Padron keeps upstate New York enlightened in style

By Tracy A. Marciano

Black has always been in style for New Yorkers, and our penchant for the commanding hue continues with this discreet, minimalist cabin in the woods by Studio Padron and design think tank SMITH. Built entirely from mature red oak trees that were removed during construction of the property's main house, the tiny abode uses materials that would have otherwise been discarded. Duality is also a strong design principle of the project and it creates a refined balance in the one-room library and guest house.
Check out the stunning photos

12-foot ceilings and a wall of windows at this $1.049M Prospect Heights apartment

Loft lovers will appreciate what this apartment at 535 Dean Street, in Prospect Heights, is delivering. The large, open living space--perfect for that flexible loft floorplan--boasts 12-foot-tall ceilings and wall-dominating windows. In addition, there are two bedrooms and a customized loft space built out by a local Brooklyn designer. This apartment, with its many built-ins and creative bedroom spaces, is now asking a hair over $1 million.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

December 8, 2016

Mod co-working building to rise at Brooklyn Navy Yard; Bed-Stuy artist’s giant igloo stolen

S9 Architecture designed a 16-story co-working building for tech and creatives startups on the Brooklyn Navy Yard waterfront. It’ll be called Dock72. [Dezeen] China’s street-straddling bus has been scrapped. [Curbed] Take a video tour of the abandoned Worth Street subway station. [Untapped] A Brooklyn artist/musician had his 16-foot inflatable igloo stolen. The 300-pound structure is where he […]

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December 8, 2016

George Washington Bridge bus terminal renovation misses December deadline

The $183 million renovation of the George Washington Bridge bus terminal in Upper Manhattan, which began eight years ago, will not be completed by its December 2016 target, according to developers. Lawmakers and locals are stunned by the problematic delay that affects 5 million annual riders of NJ Transit buses and other carriers, as well […]

Transit

December 8, 2016

Norman Foster will design 985-foot tower at 50 Hudson Yards

It's been 14 months since developer Related Companies bought the site of a former McDonald's at 34th Street and 10th Avenue, the final parcel needed to complete Hudson Yards. Initial reports said the site of 50 Hudson Yards would hold a 62-story, 1,000+ foot commercial tower, but Related and Oxford Properties Group have now revealed that the structure will rise 58 stories and 985 feet and be designed by starchitect Norman Foster. As first reported by Curbed, the news comes on the heels of BlackRock's decision to sign a 20-year lease for 15 floors, or 850,000 square feet, in the building, leaving their long-time Park Avenue home in a show of confidence in the mega-complex.
Get more details ahead

December 8, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week- 12/8-12/14

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. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Before the delving into the hectic holidays, have a rare bucolic moment in Times Square through Tal Yarden’s "Counting Sheep" as it takes over the screens of the Midtown hub. Then get into the spirit season and make a wish at Luminaries at Brookfield Place, or hop over to Madison Square Park to wander through the life-sized gingerbread village which went up just this week. Tonight, Julia Sinelnikova, a.k.a. the Oracle, invites viewers to a clandestine celebration of performance and light art, and Michelle Grabner rethinks the afghan at James Cohan. The gorgeous, sensual ceramics of Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels open at Catinca Tabacaru, and Brooklyn gallery Brilliant Champions showcases their roster in a winter group show. Finally, shake off all of your aggression from the last few weeks at the arty dance party by CHERYL at C’mon Everybody in Greenpoint.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

December 8, 2016

City will increase the number of hotel rooms housing homeless New Yorkers by more than 500

As he readies himself for reelection this coming year, Mayor de Blasio is looking to address the city's surging homeless population. Just this week, the city reported a record 60,686 New Yorkers in shelters, nearly 40 percent of whom are children. This number was closer to 51,470 when de Blasio took office in 2014, and despite the $1.6 billion he's spent on homeless services since this time (a 60 percent increase), the shelter system still can't support the growing population. Therefore, as the Times explains, he's looking to ramp up a controversial initiative that uses hotel rooms to fill in the gaps, earmarking more than 500 additional rooms for this portfolio.
Find out more on this issue

Policy

December 8, 2016

ParkServe will share park data from 13,931 cities to help planners improve recreation space locally

By Diane Pham

Next year, urban planners across the country will have a handy new tool at their disposal to help better inform them on the placement of parks and other recreation in their respective cities. Together with ESRI, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) have been developing a new website called ParkServe that has culled park data from nearly 14,000 parks across the country. As Statescoop shares, in addition assisting in park planning through open-space advocacy and research, the new site will help citizens take advantage of, and have a say in the development of, local parks.
more on the new site

December 8, 2016

Colonial Bronxville mansion built by General George Custer’s widow hits the market for $5M

After General George Custer perished in Little Big Horn in 1876 (Custer's Last Stand), his widow Elizabeth Bacon Custer moved to New York amid her quest to salvage her late husband's legacy through her three books, "Tenting on the Plains," "Boots and Saddles," and "Following the Guidon." In 1902, after attainting recognition and financial success through her writing, Elizabeth commissioned a massive Colonial-style home in Bronxville. Located in the high-end Lawrence Park neighborhood, the landmarked mansion boasts six period fireplaces, seven bedrooms, turreted rooms, "whimsical nooks and crannies," a large wine cellar, and landscaped gardens surrounding stone terraces and pathways.
Tour the historic home

December 8, 2016

Make your stay in NYC an authentic one: Sleep in a closet-sized space for $3,500

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

This second-floor walk-up at 235 West 18th Street is about as much like an average NYC rental apartment as you could get for a month or two in town, which is clearly the intended purpose of this furnished Chelsea pad. The listing states that it's available for one to twelve months, but there are towels on the beds, AirBnB-style, along with other bare-bones necessities. Knowing that makes it seem a lot more acceptable that one of the apartment's two "flex" bedrooms appears to be in an actual closet—which isn't so bad if you're only in town for the holidays. And to be fair, whole rooms in some of the city's hipper boutique hotels appear to be in closets also. The listing says the apartment "comfortably sleeps 4," which apparently means at $3,500 you're getting a pretty good bargain.
Make yourself right at home

Distinctive Homes

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

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8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

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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

December 7, 2016

Expansive Flatiron loft stuns after undergoing a 10-year renovation by Frampton Co.

By Rebecca Paul

Located in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, this massive loft measuring an incredible 4,500 square feet was designed specifically by NYC-based Frampton Co. to meet the needs of a young family. Its transformation was realized through a collaboration between the designer and client in a series of projects spanning a decade. Updates over the ten years have included everything from the initial property scouting and spatial arrangement, to transforming the bedrooms into nurseries, to adding a playroom and library to the already amenity-laden space.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

December 7, 2016

Dwell and Target releasing affordable modern furniture; Flushing gets a ‘trendy’ food hall

Mayor de Blasio signed 10 pieces of legislation related to gas safety to ensure another Second Avenue explosion doesn’t take place. [Curbed] The Lot Radio, which operates out of a shipping container in Williamsburg, has added a vintage bus to its property that’ll serve as a bar. [Bedford + Bowery] Preview Dwell and Target’s line of […]

Uncategorized

December 7, 2016

$1.41M for an opportunity to combine two West Village units into one lovely apartment

Here's an opportunity for a New Yorker not afraid to renovate. Two small one-bedroom apartments at 41 Perry Street, in the West Village, are being offered as a package with the opportunity to combine them into one larger pad. The listing promises that the transformation into a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment will be easy—it's been done several times before in this building—but it'll cost $1.41 million with renovation costs on top of that. Separately, each apartment is asking $715,000 and $695,000.
Take a look at both

Distinctive Homes

Former Citicorp Center is the city’s newest landmarked building

Images: Lemessurier and 6sqft

December 7, 2016

Former Citicorp Center is the city’s newest landmarked building

The Midtown building formerly known as Citicorp Center has just been designated a city landmark. The building, now known simply as 601 Lexington Avenue, is one of 12 buildings in Midtown East to be given landmark status by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. This newest batch of landmarks brings the number of official historic buildings in the area to 50, Curbed reports. The 59-story office and retail tower, designed by Hugh A. Stubbins & Associates, was completed in 1978. It was considered quite innovative for its time, with distinctive features that included a 45-degree angular roof and a base of four stilt-like columns. The latter allowed it to cantilever over Saint Peter’s Church, also on the site. There is also a privately owned public space that connects the buildings to the Lexington Avenue-53rd Street subway station.
The distinctive tower will be dwarfed, but preserved

December 7, 2016

10 modern menorah designs for Hanukkah 2016

By Rebecca Paul

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. In anticipation of Hanukkah, we’ve rounded up ten modern menorahs for the design-minded. For thousands of years, people all over the globe have been celebrating Hanukkah (a.k.a. Festival of Lights), and this year's festivities are just around the corner. While the holiday invites participants to join in on a variety of joyful traditions like playing dreidel and eating potato pancakes, the eight-night event is centered around the lighting of the menorah. From emojis and dinosaurs, to elegant branches and minimal blocks, you can find a menorah in almost any style these days—so why not give the ancient nine-tiered a contemporary update? To help you find the right menorah design for your living space, we've rounded up ten of our favorite modern takes on the centerpiece.
have a look at all 10 here

December 7, 2016

NYC will have free Wi-Fi in all underground subway stations by year’s end

NYC Subway riders will soon be less able to blame their subway commute for not being able to immediately answer that all-important email or text. Last January 6sqft highlighted Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to get all MTA subway stations connected with free Wi-Fi by the end of this year as part of a comprehensive plan to upgrade subway infrastructure. According to AMNewYork, plans to implement free Wi-Fi in all 279 of the city’s subway stations are on track for the end of this year; as of Tuesday, 250 of them are already up and running.
It's all part of an ambitious plan

December 7, 2016

Condos at 432 Park selling at an average discount of 10 percent

432 Park Avenue may be the tallest residential building in the western hemisphere and home to the most expensive apartment closing this year, but throughout 2016, the tower's ultra-luxury condos were selling at an average discount of 10 percent, according to an analysis by appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. for Bloomberg. And a recent transaction saw an even greater price cut; Lewis Sanders, founder and CEO of Sanders Capital and former CEO of AllianceBernstein, bought an 88th floor penthouse for $60.9 million, 20 percent less than its $76.5 asking price.
What's the deal?

Real Estate Trends

December 7, 2016

Congress will only cover $7M of NYC’s $35M Trump security bill

Just two days after Mayor de Blasio formally requested $35 million in federal funding to cover security at Trump Tower for the 73 days from the November 8th election to inauguration day on January 20th, republicans in Congress decided to earmark a mere $7 million towards protecting the President Elect while he's in the Big Apple. Of the pending decision, the Mayor said, "NYC taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for 80 percent of the national bill to protect Trump Tower. DC must step up to pay us back what we’re owed," reports the Post.
The full scoop

Celebrities

December 7, 2016

This $845K Chelsea studio’s sleep loft, brick walls and terrace are dreamy

This Chelsea-meets-Meatpacking studio at 221 West 14th Street checks the boxes for charm, neighborhood amenities and convenience, and it possesses that elusive bonus item: an attractive outdoor space with at least enough room for a rosé al fresco. For $845,000 it's not exactly a steal, though if neighborhood comps are a factor—which of course they are—then it becomes one. The second-floor townhouse condominium's layout works, allowing the space to be a small studio, yet solving the problem of having your bed next to the fridge.
What else do we love about it?

Distinctive Homes

December 6, 2016

New documentary ‘Tree Man’ explores the lives of NYC’s Christmas tree sellers

One of the many signs that it's Christmastime in the city is the sight, sound and scent of the city's sidewalk tree vendors. The annual arrival of the (mostly) jovial tree purveyors reminds us that bell-ringing Santas, office secret Santas, and bar-crawling Santas aren't far behind. Each year thousands of trees are sold to New Yorkers to help them deck the halls for the season. But what about the people who sell those trees? A new documentary film, “Tree Man,” gives us a peek at the lives of the city's tree sellers, many of whom leave families behind to camp out in sometimes harsh living conditions for the sake of their business.
Watch a trailer for 'Tree Man'

December 6, 2016

Arsenal Gallery invites New Yorkers to submit wreath designs that shed light on social issues

The department store windows of Midtown aren’t the only place to see holiday masterpieces. This Tuesday is the opening reception for Wreath Interpretations, the Arsenal Gallery’s long-running show that invites anyone from the community to submit designs for their own take on the traditional holiday symbol. In its 34th year, the exhibit will feature more […]

Events & Things To Do

December 6, 2016

Charming, compact triplex with a roof deck asks less than $1M in Gramercy

Over at 160 East 26th Street in Gramercy Park you'll find quite this charming one-bedroom apartment with some outdoor space and a decent price tag. The apartment--which is one of the most compact triplex units we've ever seen--is asking $850,000. On the first level it manages it hold a living area, dining area and kitchen, then there's a bedroom above, and finally a private roof deck that is sure to charm you.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

December 6, 2016

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump may leave NYC; Anish Kapoor buys above his sculpture in 56 Leonard

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are house hunting in D.C., fueling rumors that Kushner will serve as an advisor to Donald Trump. [CNN] Sculptor Anish Kapoor bought a $13.6 million condo in Tribeca’s 56 Leonard, where he also designed a two-story public art piece reminiscent of his famed “Cloud Gate” in Chicago. [NYO] Cobble Hill’s […]

Uncategorized

December 6, 2016

21-inch replica of the Astor Place Cube selling for $30,000 on ebay

The Astor Place Cube returned to its longtime East Village home just a month ago, after a nearly two-year absence while the intersection was under construction and it underwent a restoration. Sculptor Tony Rosenthal erected the 15-foot public art piece known officially as "Alamo" in 1967, and over the years he created around 10 mini replicas of it. One of them, measuring 21 inches and weighing 30 pounds, is up for sale on eBay for a staggering $30,000, which, as Bedford & Bowery points out, is not that much more than the $180,000 it cost to restore the actual cube.
Get more details

Events & Things To Do

December 6, 2016

5 places to buy affordable modern art in New York City

By Lori Zimmer

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week Art Nerd New York founder Lori Zimmer shares her top five shops for scoring affordable art in trendy Manhattan. Manhattan is a treasure trove of fine art. The gallery districts have shifted from Soho to Chelsea down to the Lower East Side, populating each neighborhood with clean white walls and a rotating collection of pieces from a roster of painters, sculptors, and mixed media artists. Although viewing the art the city has to offer is free, taking a piece home can be a major hit to the wallet. I've rounded up a list of great places in Manhattan to not only see art, but to also buy art affordably. Kickstart your burgeoning collection, or find a unique gift, at one of my picks below.
5 spots to score great art here

December 6, 2016

New bill could limit sidewalk scaffolding to six months or less

Like an unwanted visitor, well-intentioned but present well after becoming a daily nuisance, New York City's familiar green sidewalk scaffolding seems to contradict the laws of gravity: It goes up but never really seems to come down. Now, the New York Times reports, a new City Council bill would require that scaffolding be taken down after six months–sooner if no work is being done.
Find out the details

December 6, 2016

Iconic JFK Terminal begins its life as the ‘TWA Hotel’ with new signage

After sitting vacant at JFK Airport for 14 years as a vestige of jet-age architecture, Eero Saarinen's iconic 1962 TWA Flight Terminal received a new life in the summer of 2015 when it was announced that the neo-futurist structure would be reborn as a high-end hotel. MCR Development teamed up with JetBlue and the Port Authority to develop a "505-room LEED-certified hotel with restaurants, 40,000 square feet of meeting space and a 10,000-square-foot observation deck," as 6sqft previously described. Initial reports referred to the project as the "TWA Flight Center Hotel," but the Times now confirms that it'll simply be the "TWA Hotel." And with construction four months in, Curbed noticed that signage for the hotel has gone up, preserving the airline's logo and font.
See the sign ahead

December 6, 2016

Pretty Cobble Hill carriage house boasts history of circus zebras–and Norah Jones as neighbor

Though this 1830s livery stable on a picturesque Cobble Hill block offers seemingly endless charms on its own, the three-story, 4,300-square-foot home may have one of the more unique carriage house histories we've heard: It's believed that between 1915 and 1920 the stable was used to house zebras when what is now the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus was in town—the building next door was used to hold the elephants. If that's not enough distinction, the adorable carriage house belonging to singer Norah Jones—it also appeared in the Julia Roberts film "Eat, Pray, Love,"—sits directly across the street. But this particular carriage house, on the market for $5.6 million, is eclectic enough without past-life zebras or celebrity neighbors, from its expansive owners' duplex to its cozy upper floor apartment. Two decks overlooking a gorgeous rear garden and parking at the front have already won us over, and that's before we've even gone inside.
Explore this eclectic former stable

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

December 6, 2016

‘Tonight Show’ announcer and ‘SNL’ writer Steve Higgins buys $1.8M classic UWS co-op

Steve Higgins, announcer of "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" and SNL writer and producer, and his wife Ellen have dropped $1,797,000 on a traditional Upper West Side co-op according to recent city records. Though the listing says it'll need a renovation, the two-bedroom, pre-war apartment at 131 Riverside Drive has the coveted bones of a classic six--a large entry foyer, handsome fireplace mantle, 9' 10" ceilings, and attractive crown and picture moldings.
READ MORE

December 6, 2016

Leonardo DiCaprio loses $2 million on sale of his eco-friendly Greenwich Village apartment

By Annie Doge

A $2 million real estate loss sounds like quite the hit, but to environmental activist and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, whose net worth is $217 million, it probably won't make too big of a dent. Back in 2014, he dropped $10 million on a three-bedroom Greenwich Village condo in The Delos, an uber eco-friendly building that boasts vitamin C-infused showers, purified air and water, in-duct aromatherapy, and posture-supporting flooring. He rarely resided there (he owns another environmentally conscious apartment in Battery Park City), but has been renting the apartment for $25,000 a month since March 2015 to Bill Clinton's economic policy advisor Jonathan Orszag. Now the Observer reports that the apartment has sold to an LLC for $8 million.
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December 5, 2016

$4.5M Williamsburg building has two apartments and one great backyard

This Williamsburg building has two big things going for it: lots of space and a central neighborhood location. The home is right around the corner from the Bedford Avenue L train, and it holds two apartments and a ground-floor commercial space. Out back, there's an incredible private backyard that looks like the best part of the property, which is now on the market for almost $4.49 million.
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Distinctive Homes

Washington Heights entrepreneurs come up with a new business plan for gentrification

Andra Mihali/Creative Commons

December 5, 2016

Washington Heights entrepreneurs come up with a new business plan for gentrification

Andra Mihali/Creative Commons Washington Heights is changing. New businesses are sprouting from Dominican roots that are catering to a diversified clientele—and introducing new objectives to entrepreneurs about surviving in New York City. The largely Dominican district has, for better or for worse, resisted gentrification for decades and relied on its traditions in foods, hair salons, […]

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December 5, 2016

Still no opening date for Second Avenue Subway; What will happen to NYC’s Municipal ID under Trump?