6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

An estimate by the New York Building Congress has construction spending in 2016 at more than $43.1 billion, beating the $41.6 billion high of 2007 and reflecting a 26 percent increase from last year's $34.4 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports. The surge in construction, led by mega-project Hudson Yards on Manhattan's West Side and public projects like the Second Avenue Subway, has led to rising construction costs and an attendant surge in the demand for skilled labor, bringing workers to the city from all over the U.S.
Find out more about what's driving the new boom

Real Estate Trends

October 25, 2016

Columbia’s DeathLab proposes a suspended cemetery of pods under the Manhattan Bridge

Each decade in the New York metropolitan area about 500,000 people are buried in cemetery plots, taking up a dwindling amount of land and outputting cremation smog into the air. With this growing issue in mind, a trans-disciplinary research and design group at Columbia University known as DeathLab has been working for the past five years to reconceive "how we live with death in the metropolis." One of their proposals is Constellation Park, a system of hundreds of burial pods suspended under the Manhattan Bridge that together create a twinkling public park. Atlas Obscura shared the design, which, if built, could reportedly accommodate around 10 percent of city deaths a year.
The surprising reason why these pods twinkle

October 25, 2016

$1.56M Soho apartment boasts an envy-inducing backyard

There's nothing that makes a New Yorker jealous like a sprawling, decked-out backyard. And this one at 11 Charlton Street in Soho is sure to induce plenty of envy. It's a 1,000-square-foot "garden oasis" (as the listing dubs it) outfitted with a koi pond, Magnolia trees, two outdoor sheds and a BBQ. With two big windows between the garden and this one bedroom, now asking $1.56 million, the apartment pulls a little of the outdoors inside.
Check out the interior

Distinctive Homes

October 24, 2016

Alexander Wang’s swanky-meets-moody Tribeca Loft finds a buyer for $3.5M

In 2010, fashion designer Alexander Wang bought his Tribeca loft at 39 Worth Street for $2 million from former New York Times Style writer Holly Brubach. He then undertook a gut renovation with decorator Ryan Korban that resulted in an "industrial chic" space that embodies his love of black and his line's signature minimalist, urban vibes, as seen through details like a furry furniture, zebra rugs, leather pillows, and mirrored wall panels. Wang listed the 2,550-square-foot home for $3.75 million in May, and the Observer now reports that it's gone into contract for $3.5 million.
Tour the swanky space

October 24, 2016

Ashley Olsen closes on boutique Greenwich Village condo for $6.75M

Ashley Olsen went into contract on a luxe two-bedroom spread at 37 East 12th Street in May. The Greenwich Village apartment had been listed for $7.1 million, but the Observer confirms that the single twin has now closed on the home for $6.75 million. The 19th century cast-iron building was converted to six full-floor boutique condos, and this privacy is what reportedly enticed Olsen. The prime Village location probably didn't hurt either considering she and sis Mary Kate named their clothing line The Row after the famous stretch of rowhouses along Washington Square Park.
Check out Olsen's new digs

Home aroma: Signature scents are the newest NYC building amenity

Image: John Watson via flickr.

October 24, 2016

Home aroma: Signature scents are the newest NYC building amenity

Something is in the air at luxury apartment buildings looking for new ways to charm residents. The idea of “aromatizing” building common spaces to entice buyers and renters with seductive scents is gaining popularity among developers, according to The New York Times. A growing number of the city's rental and condo buildings have begun to infuse their halls with fragrance via building ductwork or standalone scent machines. With any luck, the result will be something far, far away from the smell of your subway stop in August.
It smells good, but is it working?

October 24, 2016

New program teaches New Yorkers how to interact with city wildlife

Imagine you’re strolling though your neighborhood or favorite city park and a coyote crosses your path. Would you know what to do—aside from snapping a pic, of course? Answering that question is just one goal of the newly launched education and awareness campaign WildlifeNYC, which aims to teach New Yorkers about living among “urban fauna.” READ […]

Uncategorized

October 24, 2016

MTA puts up flyers touting the W train’s November 7th return

6sqft revealed last month that the W train would be making its triumphant return on Monday, November 7th, restoring service from Astoria to Lower Manhattan. Now that the date is only a couple weeks away, the MTA is putting up flyers touting the new re-instated line, reports Pix 11. Designed to look like a flashy Broadway marquee, the poster was spotted by a Reddit user over the weekend at the 34th Street-Penn Station platform of the A,C,E train.
Learn what this means for subway service

Transit

Distinctive Homes

Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi lists Chelsea condo for $5.9M

Newark, NJ home featured in 'The Sopranos' can be yours for $580K

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

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

For $3.25M, this West Village duplex puts angles and corners in their best light

A world traveler's Catskills haven is now a $2M mountaintop home

This $7.75M West Village home updates 1828 Federal style with a perfect country kitchen

For $6.5M, this Sutton Place townhouse can be three apartments, one modernist mansion, or anything in between

This $8.25M Cobble Hill brownstone is move-in ready, inside and out

$1.95M duplex co-op is an East Village idyll gone luxe

VIEW ALL

October 24, 2016

Billy Bush selling Chelsea townhouse he just bought; Anthony Bourdain dishes on Super Pier food hall

Before being ousted from “Today,” Billy Bush bought a Chelsea townhouse so he could relocated from LA. But amid the scandal, sources say he’s already selling it. [NYP] Donald Trump‘s ancestors arrived in Castle Garden from Germany in 1885; here’s their immigrant story. [New Yorker] The cheapest condos in Dumbo are more expensive than properties in Manhattan ‘hoods […]

Uncategorized

Life in New York City before indoor toilets

Image: The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1902 – 1914

October 24, 2016

Life in New York City before indoor toilets

By Cait Etherington

If you’ve ever bemoaned the fact that you share a bathroom with several family members or housemates, you’re not alone. Most New Yorkers live in apartments and most units have just a single bathroom. A hundred and fifty years ago, however, the situation was much worse. At the time, New Yorkers had just a few choices when it came to taking care of their lavatory needs and by modern standards, none of the options were appealing—visit an outhouse or use a chamber pot. Nevertheless, indoor toilets proved slow to gain popularity when they were first introduced in the second half of the nineteenth century. Initially, many residents feared the newfangled invention would bring poisonous gases into their homes, leading to illness and even death.
learn more here

October 24, 2016

Trinity Church reveals plans for $300M Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed tower to rise behind historic church

Trinity Church Wall Street was built in 1846 by Richard Upjohn and is considered one of the first and best examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the entire country. But behind its historic steeple, which made it the city's tallest building until 1890, will soon rise a modern, 26-story, mixed-use tower. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trinity has revealed its design for a Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed building, which will be linked to the church by a foot bridge over Trinity Place. The new 310,000-square-foot structure will house the Trinity Church Parish Center at its base, along with a cafe, gymnasium, flexible space for classrooms or art/music studios, and church offices. Above the Center, on floors 10 through 26, will be commercial office space
More details ahead

October 24, 2016

Second Avenue Subway will open in December without delay, officials say

MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast is hoping to squash rumors that the Second Avenue Subway (SAS) will miss its December opening date. As Prendergast told the Times on Friday, “[we want to show riders] we live up to our promises” and that they are "now within striking distance of having it done.” The chairman's remarks incidentally coincide with some newly unearthed information from the Daily News, who also reported Friday that the agency spent a week shaving down parts of the new subway tunnel wall because 75-foot train cars couldn't fully clear curves.
more info from the MTA here

Transit

October 24, 2016

Airbnb files federal suit against Governor Cuomo’s $7,500 fines on illegal listings

Back in June, the NYC legislature passed a bill that would impose fines of up to $7,500 on those offering illegal short-term Airbnb rentals, and at the end of last week, Governor Cuomo signed the bill into effect, reports the Times. The new regulation piggybacks on what's been the state law since 2010--that apartments can't be rented out for less than 30 days if the lease holder isn't present. Despite the fact that a recent report estimates 56 percent of the site's 2015 listings fell into this category, Airbnb is taking aim against the Governor, filing a federal lawsuit that says the new law "would impose significant immediate burdens and irreparable harm on Airbnb."
Find out more this way

Policy

October 24, 2016

Nomad penthouse with two kitchens and a pool asks a neighborhood record-setting $68.5M

As 6sqft previously reported, sales prices in Nomad rose 43 percent over the past five years, a fact that the developers of 212 Fifth Avenue very likely had in mind when they put a $68.5 million price tag on their building’s penthouse. If the sprawling apartment sells for anywhere near its asking price, it will set a record as the most expensive sale in Nomad. This newly-minted trophy triplex atop 212 Fifth Avenue is the crown (as the listing calls it) that occupies the 22nd, 23rd, 24th floors of a recently converted 1912 condominium building. There are five bedrooms and 5,730 exterior square feet including (at least one) pool.
Get a helicopter view of this sky-mansion

Distinctive Homes

October 24, 2016

For $14M, own the former Chelsea penthouse of ‘Law & Order: SVU’ star Mariska Hargitay

"Law & Order: SVU" star Mariska Hargitay sold her incredible Chelsea penthouse back in 2008 for $8.15 million. The duplex spread at the landmarked O'Neill Building (the former Ladies' Mile department store called Hugh O'Neill's Dry Goods Store) spans nearly 5,000 square feet with an additional 2,500 square feet of outdoor space spread across three terraces, one of which sits right next to one of the building's gilded cupolas; inside, there's a bonus room within the cupola. The residence is currently owned by Ewa Laboz. She bought it with her late husband Maurice, who passed away in early 2015, but was a noted millionaire landlord. He made headlines for leaving $20 million to his two daughters, but only if they complied with a list of requirements like getting married, earning a certain salary, and becoming a stay-at-home mom. Despite the hefty fortune he left behind, the family is clearly looking to add to it, as they've listed the apartment for $14 million.
Take a tour

October 23, 2016

Elegant one bedroom right off Central Park asks $4,900/month

This one-bedroom apartment fits right in to the Upper East Side. It has elegant decor that blends in nicely with historic details like a fireplace. Although it's not huge, built-in shelving and closet space was integrated into the living room to maximize space. And the kitchen's been renovated tastefully, with dark wood cabinetry. Located at 14 East 64th Street--right off Central Park and 5th Avenue--it's been offered as a rental either furnished or unfurnished for $4,900 a month.
See more of the interior

Distinctive Homes

October 22, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

Lottery opens for new Crotona Park East affordable development, units from $788/month SL Green breaks ground on One Vanderbilt, NYC’s second tallest tower – see new renderings Bethenny Frankel checks out Robert DeNiro’s former $20M West Village penthouse Amid declining bookings, new Trump hotel brand drops his name Listings go live for Extell’s amenity-filled Hudson […]

Uncategorized

Yorkville apartment of Bernie Madoff’s late son Andrew sells for $5.4M

Andrew H. Madoff, the son of Bernie Madoff who passed away from cancer in 2014, lived in a full-floor, five-bedroom apartment at 433 East 74th Street on the Upper East Side. He bought the sprawling condo in 2008 for $4.37 million, and initially tried to rent it in 2012 for $25,000/month. After his death, it went on the market for $5.87 million in February of this year, and according to city records, it's now found a buyer for $5.39 million.
More this way

October 21, 2016

$625K West Soho co-op is simple and sweet–and the place next door is for sale

It's hard to find any complaints about this uncomplicated one-bedroom co-op at 57 Thompson Street asking $625,000. The coveted Downtown location east of 6th Avenue where Soho meets Tribeca is prime. While cozy, it's not a studio; there are decent-sized rooms, generous closets and even an entry foyer. Pre-war charm is present and accounted for, and windows and paint keep it bright and cheerful.
Consider the options

Distinctive Homes

October 21, 2016

Board shoots down residents’ petition to rename Trump Place

Add to the list of folks who want absolutely no association with this year's inflammatory Republican presidential nominee: the residents of Trump Place. According to the LA Times, a number of Trump Place tenants had been quietly petitioning to have The Donald's name removed from their entrance at 220 Riverside Boulevard. As one embarrassed resident told the paper, “I used to tell people I lived in Trump Place. Now I say I live at 66th and Riverside Boulevard.” Another said it’s “annoying” that he “always has to defend it to friends.”
Find out more here

Celebrities

October 21, 2016

NYC launches new guide geared towards families living in the city

A new digital hub created by the NYC Children’s Cabinet offers a one-stop shop of city events, programs and services designed to support the health, development and safety of children and families. “Growing Up NYC is a wonderful digital how-to resource to help parents navigate raising children in New York City —which we all know can […]

City Living

Nomad real estate prices nearly double in five years as record-breaking listing hits the market

L to R: 212 Fifth Avenue; The Whitman; 10 Madison Square West

October 21, 2016

Nomad real estate prices nearly double in five years as record-breaking listing hits the market

By 6sqft

Prices in Nomad shot up a whopping 43 percent over the past five years, according to a new index from CityRealty, a marked increase that the developers of 212 Fifth Avenue may have been aware of when they put a $68.5 million price tag on their building’s triplex. If the sprawling apartment sells for anywhere near its asking price, it will set a record as the most expensive sale in the neighborhood, where other new developments have already raised the ceiling on the area’s sale records.
More Nomad data ahead

Real Estate Trends

October 21, 2016

App would be the first to combine subway and bus maps; should the new Port Authority rise on the same site?

Every single real estate reference on the first season of “Sex and the City.” [Brick Underground] Governor Cuomo is seeking artists to design an LGBT memorial in the West Village. [DNAinfo] When the Statue of Liberty was renovated in the ’80s, this man spent $3 million on 50,000+ pounds of discarded materials from the statue and a historic […]

Uncategorized

October 21, 2016

Renderings revealed for Gensler’s communal sky lobby at One World Trade Center

Tenants at One World Trade Center who occupy floors above 65 are required to change elevators at the 64th floor. When the building opened its doors two summers ago, the Durst Organization noticed that these elevator banks became a natural mingling area, and so decided to forego plans to make the space into offices and instead keep it open as an open sky lobby. Commercial Observer got a first look at renderings of the commons designed by Gensler, whose principal and design director Tom Vecchione referred to it as "a shared piazza for the entire building." In addition to a cafe, it will offer a game room and a 180-person meeting room that can be split into two or host fitness and yoga classes.
More renderings and details ahead

Architecture And Design

October 21, 2016

The Urban Lens: Trel Brock uses double exposure to transform the cityscape into a Rorschach test

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, Trel Brock redefines the city through double exposures in medium format. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Trel Brock moved to New York City nearly four decades ago and he's been photographing every angle of it since. While much of Trel's work today centers on high-end interiors (he's currently working on his third book with Rizzoli), in the past he spent his days assisting photography's upper echelon—including Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber and Eric Boman, to name a few—shooting world-famous rockstars and supermodels. But beyond the borders of high-fashion and high-society, Trel also dabbles in fine art photography. In the series he's curated for 6sqft ahead, he uses the city's landscape as a vehicle for an abstract visual exercise akin to Rorschach’s famous inkblots.
more photos here

October 21, 2016

Designation of South Village Historic District may mean approval for massive St. John’s Terminal project

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

The Landmarks Preservation Commission's plans to add 10 additional blocks to the South Village Historic District are at the top of the agenda for city preservationist groups. As Crains reports, the addition of the historic district is also a condition for a City Council vote in support of the St. John's Center development, a 1.7 million-square-foot, mixed-use project proposed for 550 Washington Street across the street from Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. That project requires the council's approval, and City Councilman Corey Johnson said in August that he'd vote for the project, proposed by developers Westbrook Partners and Atlas Capital Group, if the addition of the third and final phase of the historic district, currently bordered by Sixth Avenue, West Fourth Street, LaGuardia Place and Houston Street, goes forward. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), among others, has pushed for the landmarking of what would be the city's first tenement-based historic district.
Find out more

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VIEW ALL

October 21, 2016

Bankrupt Gawker founder Nick Denton lists Soho loft for $4.25M after judge denies rental attempt

After the infamous $140 million Hulk Hogan lawsuit, Gawker founder Nick Denton owes $1.73 million on the mortgage of his Soho loft with a monthly payment of $14,985, according to court filings uncovered by the Wall Street Journal. Just as Univision took over his former company in August, he tried to rent the pad at 76 Crosby Street, but a bankruptcy judge denied the transaction. He's now listed his home for $4.25 million, which would certainly make a dent in the $10 million that he owes as part of the invasion of privacy judgment.
More views and drama

October 21, 2016

Preserved Dakota apartment of late ‘All in the Family’ actor Carroll O’Connor sells for $2.8M

When this perfectly preserved residence at the Dakota hit the market in July 2015, it was asking $3.6 million, but after a price chop to $2.93 million, it's found a buyer. The Observer reports that the gorgeous co-op was home to actor Carroll O'Connor--Archie Bunker from "All in the Family"--until he passed away in 2001, from which point his wife Nancy Fields O’Connor maintained ownership until her death in 2014. The new owners paid $2.84 million for the two-bedroom home, which retains original historic details like "huge arched windows with marble sills and built-in shutters... blended patterned hardwood floors, extra tall solid wood doors with original fixtures and etched glass, distinct moldings and the original sunburst copper grills," as 6sqft previously described.
See the whole place

October 20, 2016

Annabelle Selldorf will design Frick Collection renovation

It's been almost a year and a half since the Frick Collection scrapped plans for a controversial expansion from Davis Brody Bond that would have gotten rid of the property's gated garden to make way for a six-story addition. The Times reports today, though, that the Board is moving ahead with a new version of the renovation, selecting starchitect Annabelle Selldorf from a pool of 20 firms who submitted proposals. She's already worked on museum renovations at the Neue Galerie and the Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts, and according to Frick director Ian Wardropper, "She’s somebody who has a clear vision of respect for historical buildings but at the same time has a clean, elegant, modernist aesthetic that is very much about welcoming visitors today."
Get the full scoop

Architecture And Design

October 20, 2016

Have breakfast with penguins and panda bears at one of NYC’s zoos

Start your day off by hanging out with penguins and tigers at Breakfast with the Animals. The Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the city’s animal attractions, is kicking off its fall breakfast series beginning October 23. Get entry to the attractions before they open to the public and enjoy a light continental-style meal (bagels, fruit, coffee […]

Events & Things To Do

October 20, 2016

Donald Trump’s childhood home goes to auction; $82M penthouse could be 432 Park’s second most expensive

The Tiles for America are back on display in Greenwich Village’s Mulry Square. [Untapped] Donald Trump‘s childhood home in Jamaica Estates has hit the auction block for $849,000, after originally listing for $1.65 million in July. [Crain’s] Explore Bob Dylan’s New York with this interactive map. [NYT] A 95th floor penthouse at 432 Park listed for $82 million, […]

Uncategorized

October 20, 2016

Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower is getting the first of its intricate, diagrid skin

News at starchitect Jean Nouvel's condominium MoMA Tower (officially called 53W53) has been relatively quiet since units hit the market just over a year ago. But CityRealty brings us an update from the Billionaires' Row construction site, where the 1,050-foot-tall, tapered tower is currently getting the first of its intricate, diagrid skin, which the architect once said will resemble blood running the veins with its nighttime lighting.
More details and views this way

Listings go live for Extell’s amenity-filled Hudson Yards Skyscraper 555Ten

Model unit designed by Lillian August

October 20, 2016

Listings go live for Extell’s amenity-filled Hudson Yards Skyscraper 555Ten

After launching its affordable housing lottery for 120 below-market rate units back in May, 555Ten has revealed pricing for its 478 market-rate rentals, ranging from $3,150/month studios to $6,250/month two-bedrooms. Designed by SLCE Architects and developed by Extell, the 610-foot, 53-story glassy skyscraper will offer an over-the-top amenity package (including a dog run, two salt water pools, and a bowling alley) and custom-designed interiors from McGinley Design. The model units are open for business, and we're told that the amenity spaces will start to reveal themselves later this week in anticipation of November occupancies.
Find out more here and get a first look at the model units

October 20, 2016

A $5M price chop for the former Upper West Side mansion of Charles Schwab

There's been a significant price drop at one of the most interesting mansions of the Upper West Side. Designed by the famous architect C.P.H. Gilbert, this 11,500-square-foot, six-story abode was occupied by moneyman and steel magnate Charles Schwab between 1914 and 1917. After that, it became the “scandalous love nest” for the mistress of industrialist George Gould. Last year the property was put up for sale asking a cool $20 million, and now it's trying its hand again with a considerably lower asking price of $14.995 million.
See more of the grand interior

October 20, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 10/20-10/26

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! You spent the summer posing next to Deborah Kass’s giant OY/YO sculpture, now spend the fall hunting down David Crumley’s DUMBO reflector as it makes its way around iconic landscapes in the neighborhood. Head to Times Square for a chance to walk on the clouds, then jaunt up to the Museum of Art and Design to take in a lecture on innovative ceramicist Peter Voulkos. The Pivot Gallery is opening a three-person show with different takes on sculpture, including a jewelry designer from Givenchy, and LMAK hosts Popel Coumou’s contemplative photographs on silent emptiness. Get on the waiting list to hear Ilana Glazer talk about intuition at the Rubin Museum of Art, and go to the gorgeous New York Public Library for a talk on the legendary Louise Nevelson, the only woman in New York to have a public plaza named after her. Finally, while you’re driving around the state in search of autumnal serenity, stop at Cornell in Ithaca to check out CODA’s incredible recycled chair pavilion that's snaking around the quad.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

October 20, 2016

‘Shark Tank’ guru Barbara Corcoran unloads Upper East Side co-op for $4.8M

Real estate legend and "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran bought a glamorous duplex penthouse on the Upper East Side back in April 2015. She and her husband, former FBI agent William Higgins, dropped $10 million on the pad, quite the steal considering it originally listed for $17 million. A year later, they listed their other home in the 'hood, a classic Rosario Candela-designed co-op at 1192 Park Avenue. Now, five months later, they've unloaded the home for $4.87 million (h/t NYP), just under the $4.9 million asking price and a good deal more than the $3.5 million they bought it for in 2000.
See the apartment here

October 20, 2016

Two affordable apartments up for grabs in the heart of Greenpoint, from $947

Starting today, qualifying applicants can apply for two newly constructed apartments in Greenpoint's Belvedere LXVIII. Located at 210 Java Street, the low-rise building sits in the heart of the neighborhood, minutes away from the water taxi, G train, plenty of old school mom and pop shops, and the increasingly hip retail and restaurant offer of the area. Inside the six-story structure are a total of 10 units, two of which have been set aside as affordable rentals; the one-bedroom is going for $947/month, while the two-bedroom is priced at $1,072/month.
full details here

Affordable Housing

October 20, 2016

For $675K this industrial-chic West Village mini-loft is small but seductive–unless you’re afraid of heights

Located in everybody's favorite part of the West Village–among the neighborhood's lovely and leafy historic streets but within blocks of the Whitney, the High Line and the Hudson River–this bright, funky, artist-designed studio at 92 Horatio Street is certainly not without its charms, including white-painted brick, a well-designed and stylish kitchen and bath, 12-foot ceilings and a custom-built lofted sleeping area that gets the bed and storage up and out of the way.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

October 19, 2016

$16.75M townhouse owned by artist Angel ‘Vlady’ Oliveros boasts banisters from the Plaza Hotel

This West Village townhouse, at 245 West 13th Street, has been given loads of personality by one of its owners, the artist Angel “Vlady” Oliveros. Not only did he do all the artwork for the striking home, he also sourced lots of historic items to complete the decor. To get to the the third and fourth floor bedroom levels, you travel up a restored staircase and vintage banisters sourced from New York's Plaza Hotel. A bathroom is outfitted with antique earthenware soaking tub from the 1920s. And there's lots more to gawk at inside the house, now on the market for $16.75 million.
Take the grand tour

October 19, 2016

East Harlem rezoning would allow for towers of up to 30 stories tall

In 2003, East Harlem received a boost when the Bloomberg administration pushed through a plan to rezone a whopping 57 blocks of the neighborhood. The initiative (the first of its kind in 40 years) allowed for increased density along First, Second, and Third avenues, while preserving the lower slung mid-blocks in between. Following the change, the area saw more than a dozen buildings of 8-12 stories sprout up along its busiest stretches. Now, the de Blasio administration is looking to build even bigger, and on Tuesday officials presented their latest upzoning proposal (pdf), a plan that would allow towers up to 30 stories tall to be constructed in the area.
more here

Affordable Housing

October 19, 2016

Inside the WTC Oculus’ Apple store; Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s new Pottery Barn collection

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has revealed the design of their seventh Apple store in NYC, this one in Santiago Calatrava’s World Trade Center Oculus. [Architizer] Forget combining Gwyneth Paltrow’s penthouse with the apartment below; her downstairs neighbor just sold her loft for $3 million. [NYO] The number of cideries in New York has tripled since 2014, thanks […]

Uncategorized

Trump’s Wollman Ice Rink and Bronx golf course were more personal gain than public good

Photo via Flickr cc

October 19, 2016

Trump’s Wollman Ice Rink and Bronx golf course were more personal gain than public good

Photo via Flickr cc Though few would deny that Donald Trump enjoys placing himself in the spotlight, WNYC reports that the Republican presidential nominee has a history of claiming to save the day on public projects when it turns out that he didn’t hold up his end of the bargain, and the city ended up holding the bag. Among his supporters, Trump has a reputation for stepping in to rescue abandoned city projects, a favorite example being Central Park’s Wollman Ice Rink. About thirty years ago, the rink had fallen into disrepair and had sat unused for six years due to the city’s inability to find the funds or move past the red tape involved in fixing it. Trump brought his “get it done” attitude to the project, offering to help fix the rink. In 1986, the city agreed to let him lend a hand. Though Trump completed the repairs on time and under budget, the rink repair job wasn't the act of philanthropy–nor the ongoing financial bonus for the city–that the candidate claims it was.
So what's the real story?

Policy

My 1,400sqft: Inside Puppet Maker Ralph Lee’s Live/Work Space in Westbeth Artists Housing

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Westbeth Artists Housing in the West Village. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch!

October 19, 2016

My 1,400sqft: Inside Puppet Maker Ralph Lee’s Live/Work Space in Westbeth Artists Housing

When the old Bell Telephone Laboratories building was transformed to the Westbeth affordable artists' housing in 1970, one of the original creatives to move in was Ralph Lee, a theater jack-of-all trades who is best known for his larger-than-life puppets and masks. His whimsical creations served as the props for the very first Village Halloween Parade, an event that has since grown into an annual, nationally-known event. Today, his characters from the early days of the parade adorn his eclectic live/work studio in Westbeth, where he still lives and continues to make puppets and masks for his company the Mettawee River Theatre. Ralph recently invited 6sqft into his space, where we got up close and personal with the puppets and were able to see how the magic happens.
Learn about Ralph's storied career and get a special look at his home and studio

October 19, 2016

Work begins on Norman Foster’s Red Hook office project, will be the continent’s largest timber structure

After revealing plans in June for Norman Foster's first commission in Brooklyn, Thor Equities now announces that work has commenced on Red Hoek Point, the 7.7-acre waterfront office campus. The press release also brings news that the project's two buildings, totaling 818,000 square feet, will become "the largest new heavy timber structure in North America."
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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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October 19, 2016

TONIGHT: Meet with SpareRoom’s CEO to score a $1/month room in his $8M loft

They say you have seven seconds to make a first impression, so a few minutes is enough to find a roommate, right? SpareRoom CEO and founder Rupert Hunt announced earlier this month that he is looking for two roommates to share his luxury West Village apartment. Part of the process includes “SpeedRoommating” as he searches for […]

Affordable Housing

October 19, 2016

Listings go live at 15 Hudson Yards, the development’s first residential building

In anticipation of its sales launch, 15 Hudson Yards released a slew of new renderings last month, showcasing "new views of the bundled quad of cylinders that make up its body, as well as its rectilinear base that will abut the Shed," as 6sqft reported. And now without further ado, listings for the 285 market-rate condos (there will also be 106 affordable rentals) have officially come online, ranging from a $3.7 million two-bedroom on the 25th floor to a $13.8 million penthouse on the 84th floor, according to Curbed.
Find out more and see renderings and floorplans

October 19, 2016

An art dealer’s loft plus a superfancy townhouse equal this $10M Tribeca triplex

There's a room for just about everything in this 5,500-square-foot triplex loft at 178 Franklin Street–including a coatroom, art studio, darkroom, home office and library, atrium courtyard, five bedrooms, three entrances, and one elevator. From the outside, the 1915 brick building has the same historic loft appeal as its Tribeca neighbors, promising industrial charm, columns and wood beams, soaring ceilings, and lots of exposed brick. The interior space delivers all of the above plus just about every luxury detail an all-out renovation can confer, including half a dozen flavors of Italian marble, remote-controlled toilets, magical showers, a kitchen range the size of an SUV, and custom everything else you could possibly buy for $9.9 million.
Explore the triplex

Distinctive Homes

October 19, 2016

Lottery opens for nine $774/month SROs on foodie-friendly Hell’s Kitchen block

If you earn between $24,480 and $38,100 annually, live alone in Manhattan Community Board 4, and don't mind sharing a bathroom with your neighbors, this might be the housing lottery for you. Nine $774/month SROs are up for grabs at Stardom Hall at 330 West 51st Street in Hell's Kitchen. The brownstone tenement occupies half of a single room occupancy complex, one of only four left in the neighborhood. The units do come with kitchenettes, and there's a community room, backyard, laundry room, and on-site social services for low-income or formerly homeless households with special needs. Plus, it's located on one of the trendiest restaurant blocks in the 'hood (Ippudo, Aria Wine Bar, and Maria Pia, to name a few).
Find out about the controversy behind this project

Affordable Housing

October 18, 2016

Modern $4.5M townhouse by the Williamsburg waterfront has an art studio, parking and four terraces