6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Lottery opens for two affordable units in prime Greenpoint, starting at $904/Month Daredevil climber scales Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South to capture these insane shots This $7.5M West Village townhouse was once home to Derek Jeter and A-Rod Apply for 63 newly-built affordable units off the Rockaway Beach waterfront, from $494 MAP: What […]

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November 4, 2016

Boulon Blanc transforms from coffee table to dining room table in one motion

By Rebecca Paul

Efficient studio living in any city requires planning and ingenuity, and with a limited amount of square footage, multi-use furniture can help to optimize your available space. Now, thanks to the French furniture brand Boulon Blanc, you can easily and stylishly transform your living room into your dining room with one swift motion. Their clever new table changes height in an instant, and is made from high quality components and materials. Inspiration for the Boulon Blanc table is drawn from aeronautics and precision time pieces, and the team spent over two years developing the table's sophisticated helicoid mechanisms.
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November 4, 2016

Women’s history gets a permanent exhibit at the New-York Historical Society

Women’s role in American history is finally getting a permanent museum exhibit, the first of its kind not just in New York City but the country. The New-York Historical Society will open the Center for Women’s History on its newly transformed fourth floor on International Women’s Day, March 8. While there’s no part of modern […]

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November 4, 2016

$1.45M Harlem duplex comes with an enormous private backyard

Outdoor space is the star at this Harlem apartment at 239 West 135th Street. This 1,308-square-foot, two-bedroom duplex comes with a 625-square-foot private garden, boasting enough room to fit an outdoor couch, dining table, barbecue and more. Too bad the weather's just getting cold! The interior also takes advantage of the outdoor space, with massive windows that look out onto the greenery.
Check out the inside of the apartment

Distinctive Homes

November 4, 2016

Let 6sqft help you find a roommate!

By 6sqft

Are you embarking on a roommate hunt over the next few weeks? Forget about Craigslist—let 6sqft help you find the right person to fill your spare room through our "Be My Roommate" feature. We'll send a reporter out to your home for an interview and a photo shoot (because staging is everything), and then we'll roll out a snazzy front-page story right here!
find out more

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November 4, 2016

Inside Hillary Clinton’s Brooklyn campaign headquarters; NYC’s stroller-cleaning industry

Lucio Schiavone has been operating the Prospect Park Carousel for 26 years, but he’ll retire next month. [NYT] Whole Foods is implementing a rewards program. [Grub Street] Take a tour of Hillary Clinton’s Brooklyn campaign headquarters, where over 500 young campaign workers roam the halls. [WNYC] A Chinese architecture student designed this 75-square-foot tiny house. [imgur] Two emerging […]

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November 4, 2016

POLL: Should Cuomo’s revised 421-a plan move forward?

The city's hotly debated 421-a tax abatement program expired in January after a 44-year run. CityRealty reports that the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development has seen the number of applications for tax exemption decrease by 45 percent from that time to September 2016, costing the city $1.2 billion this fiscal year. Over the summer, the Governor presented a revised version of the program that would offer wage subsidies to construction workers, but this drew concern from the Real Estate Board of New York, who say the proposal would cause construction costs to rise by up to 30 percent. Now, Politico reports that Cuomo, developers, and unions have been engaging in closed-door negotiations to bring his plan forward and extend the previous 25-year tax break up to 45 years (REBNY and the Mayor had presented a 35-year extension last summer).
Tell us if you think the Governor's plan should move ahead

November 4, 2016

The closing of neighborhood grocery stores is leaving local shoppers stranded

An important must-have when apartment hunting often involves the presence of a grocery store within a few blocks. A local food market, regardless of how harsh its fluorescent lighting or how narrow its aisles, is often the key to feeling part of civilization, especially when you've run out of milk for breakfast. The familiar branches of local chains–from Key Food to D'Agostino to the corner deli–are closing down across the city, in some cases leaving New Yorkers in something of a "grocery desert" surrounded by restaurants but without access to fresh ingredients and emergency baby supplies. According to the New York Times, the landscape is definitely shifting: Between 2005 and 2015, about 300, or eight percent, of the city's greengrocers–defined as "family-owned stores of less than about 7,000 square feet"–closed up shop and left the neighborhood.
What's causing the shift?

City Living

Distinctive Homes

For $700K, this parkside Brooklyn co-op adds dramatic design details to classic pre-war bones

Andy Cohen lists West Village duplex for $14M

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

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

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

Minetta Lane townhouse with an 83-foot rock climbing wall asks $20M

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

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

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

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

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November 4, 2016

The Urban Lens: Ira Fox travels back to the ’90s for the East Village’s Wigstock drag festival

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, Ira Fox takes us back in time to the East Village of the '90s. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Ira Fox is best known for his use of black-and-white photography and cinematic approach, credited to his background in theater. He focuses on urban New York scenes and portraits, one example of which is his series "Wigstock at the Palladium." Wigstock was the annual Labor Day drag music festival in the East Village that was co-founded by Lady Bunny and hosted the likes of Crystal Waters, RuPaul, and Leigh Bowery in the '80s and '90s. In his shots, which were taken outside the famed Palladium nightclub, Ira captures the diverse characters who partook in the jubilant event during the '90s.
See all the photos here and find out about a special promotional offer for 6sqft readers

November 4, 2016

MAP: NYC has more than 666,000 street trees, up 12 percent since 2006

The last time the city catalogued its street trees was back in 2005-2006, when they found about 592,130 trees on public streets, including their species, trunk thickness, and condition (you can explore a map of all this info). In the summer of 2015, the Parks Department put out a call for volunteers to help with the next round of data collection, and they received help from 2,241 individuals who completed a third of the work. They've now released the results of the 2015-2016 census, which shows an increase of 12.5 percent to 666,134 trees covering 209 species, and compiled their findings into an interactive map.
Learn more about the city's street trees

City Living

November 4, 2016

$500K designer-outfitted East Village co-op is kitty-approved, complete with built-in litter box

Even if you're cat-free there's still plenty to love about this stylish designer-renovated (junior) one bedroom co-op at 633 East 11th street in the charming heart of Alphabet City. The apartment, though petite, is a perfect mix of classic pre-war quality and modern, luxurious fixtures and finishes, including white painted brick, dark wood floors and a sleek European-style kitchen and bathroom. And, yes, according to the floor plan there's a built-in litter box tucked out of sight in the bath.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

November 3, 2016

$1.5M Carroll Gardens loft mixes factory details and fun interior design

This two-bedroom loft comes from the Mill, an 1800s jute factory turned 55-unit condo at 376 President Street in Carroll Gardens. The apartments are all unique--here's a look at a quirky one bedroom that hit the market this spring for $770,000--and this one, asking $1.499 million, stands out because of its views of the Brooklyn skyline, fun interior design, and old factory details like wood posts and beams, matte black iron joints, window shutters, and exposed brick.
Here's a look inside

Distinctive Homes

November 3, 2016

The number of high-income renters has tripled in the last 10 years

In the last decade, with the recession and an unstable housing market, even those with stable incomes have become wary of investing in a new home. This turn towards renting is reflected in the increase among wealthy households, according to an analysis from RentCafe. The data shows that from 2005 to 2015, the number of […]

Real Estate Trends

November 3, 2016

Federico Babina’s ARCHIPLAY turns famous architects into dramatic set-design illustrations

By Rebecca Paul

When we think about architectural drawings, fanciful illustration is not the first thing that comes to mind. However, illustrator and architecture-fan Federico Babina continues to surprise us with his wildly creative and intelligent drawing series that playfully explores the crossover of architecture and illustration. His newest set, ARCHIPLAY, depicts 27 of history's greatest architects as if they were theatrical set-designs characterizing each one with signature elements from the designers' most notable works. ARCHIPLAY includes favorites like Zaha Hadid, Walter Gropius, Frank Gehry and many more.
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November 3, 2016

‘Scarface’ producer Martin Bregman cuts price of ornate Park Avenue pad by $2M

Producer Martin Bregman--most famous for his work on "Scarface," but also for "Dog Day Afternoon," "Serpico," and "Carlito’s Way,"--first listed his lavish, European-style Midtown East apartment a year ago, asking $8.9 million. The co-op at 417 Park Avenue has since gotten a price chop to $7.9 million in January and back up to an ambitious $9.9 million in August, and the Post now reports that it's back down to $7.9 million, as well as an $18,000/month rental. The flip-flopping residence is located in a stately, Emory Roth-designed co-op at 55th Street and features posh details like ornately carved fireplace mantles, a wood-paneled library with a built-in wet bar and hidden movie projection screen, and a television that comes down from the master bedroom ceiling.
Check out the whole place

My 4000sqft: Tour the 113-year-old Ditmas Park home of an architectural preservationist

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the landmarked Ditmas Park home of architectural preservationist Norma Barbacci. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

November 3, 2016

My 4000sqft: Tour the 113-year-old Ditmas Park home of an architectural preservationist

By Diane Pham

Michelle Williams' move to Ditmas Park may have put the neighborhood on the real estate map, but for those in the know, the area's history is far more profound than any of its celebrity residents. More than a century ago, Ditmas Park was not much more than farmland, but with the arrival of the subway also came interest from developers. One notable developer who descended upon the area was Dean Alvord. In 1899, Alvord initiated a new housing project that he envisioned as a “park in the city” for the rich. What followed was the construction of a range of large and stately suburban-style houses, built in an assortment of styles, from Tudors to Victorians. The development was a great success, and even drew in Manhattan's upper crust (among them Guggenheims and the Gillettes). However, as New York declined in the 70s and 80s, so did Ditmas Park. But fast-forward a few decades you'll come to seen an area that is experiencing a revival. Though it admittedly remains quite sleepy when compared to other burgeoning Brooklyn neighborhoods, Ditmas Park's suburban vibes make it the ideal destination for city-loving families—particularly when its architecturally grand proportions are taken into account. In this My sqft feature, we check out one urban family's lovely home, a landmarked wood construction owned by preservation architect Norma Barbacci and her husband, architectural conservator Glenn Boornazian. The pair purchased the house in 2004 and raised two children within its historic walls. Ahead Norma takes us through the space—which maintains most of its 1903 character—and introduces us to the Ditmas Park of 2016.
Go inside the home here

November 3, 2016

Apple will open second Brooklyn store at 300 Ashland Place

Apple opened its first Brooklyn store on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg over the summer, which many felt was the final nail in the coffin of the neighborhood's gentrification. The company has now set their sites on another rapidly developing part of the borough, as The Real Deal reports they've inked a 10-year deal for a 12,000-square-foot space in the ground floor Two Trees Management's 300 Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn's BAM Cultural District. It was an off-market deal, so there's no asking rent, but sources say the going price for the 32-story rental tower's retail space is $150 per square foot.
More details ahead

New Developments

Trump hopes to celebrate victory in Midtown; Bob Dylan paints the most Instagrammed spot in Brooklyn

Donald Trump is planning his victory party at the Midtown Hilton. [USA Today] Bjarke Ingels’ Via 57 West tetrahedron is the winner of the 2016 International Highrise Award. [ArchDaily] A new exhibit of Bob Dylan’s sketches, watercolors, and acrylic paintings is on view in London and it features none other than the most Instagrammed spot in Brooklyn. […]

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November 3, 2016

Live like a ‘Dreamgirl’ in Jennifer Hudson’s former Apthorp apartment for $21K a month

If anyone needs another reason to covet a home in the amenity-packed Apthorp, the apartment that was recently home to"Dreamgirls" Oscar winner and singer Jennifer Hudson is on the rental market for a suitably diva-esque $21,000 a month (h/t New York Post). The 3,000 square-foot 11th floor unit in the elegant Upper West Side residence at 2211 Broadway has plenty of star power on its own with four bedrooms, a marble entryway, a formal dining room, fireplaces and separate residential suites.
See more, this way

November 3, 2016

Lottery opens for two affordable units in prime Greenpoint, starting at $904/Month

The latest lottery through the city's affordable housing portal is for two units in a brand-new Greenpoint building. Located at 126 India Street in the heart of the neighborhood--just a couple blocks from the Grenenpoint Avenue G train station, three blocks from the waterfront, and right near all the hot spots like Ovenly, Troost, and the Water Table--the eight-unit building has high ceilings, heated floors in the bathrooms, washers/dryers, and high-end appliances. The two apartments up for grabs are a $904/month studio and a $1,039/month one-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

November 3, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 11/3-11/9

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! The turn of the month means a new Midnight Moment in Times Square, which delves into the abstract paintings of Emilio Perez. The former Tunnel nightclub welcomes art prints and books for the EAB Fair, and Equity Gallery brings guest curator Osman Can Yerebakan on for a show inspired by Jean Genet. Epic duo Justin Lowe and Jonah Freeman transform Storefront for Art and Architecture into the Rat Fink Room, and Francisco de Pajaro transforms every inch of Castle Fitzjohns into an extension of his street art. The 22nd Annual ArtWalk NY art party honors Kenny Scharf this year, and Hauser & Wirth honor the late Mike Kelley with a show of his exquisite 2D works. Finally, grab a group for a day of excitement and learning for the Peg-Leg Pete Scavenger Hunt!
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

November 2, 2016

Tommy Hilfiger chops more than $20M off lavish Plaza penthouse

All-American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger bought three separate condos in the Plaza in 2008 for a combined $25 million. He and his wife Dee Ocleppo then embarked on a very internationally influenced, $20 million renovation that combined the units into one opulent, 5,600-square-foot duplex, complete with marble-clad rooms, vintage limestone fireplaces from England, and a domed room inside one of the building's iconic turrets that features a custom-designed "Eloise" mural by the books' illustrator Hilary Knight. The couple listed the apartment in 2013 for $80 million, but despite its lavish interiors, it's been on and off the market since then, its price dropping to $75 million in March 2015 and to $69 million a few months ago. The Wall Street Journal now reports that it's reappeared with even sharper discount, dropping 26 percent to $58.9 million.
Take a tour of the incredible home

November 2, 2016

Daredevil climber scales Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South to capture these insane shots

Robert A.M. Stern's 220 Central Park South will eventually rise 950 feet amongst the supertall and super-luxury towers of Billionaires' Row. As of August, the 66-story tower had risen 600 feet, and now that it's nearing the homestretch, urban explorer and photographer Viktor Thomas decided it was time to get past the construction zone and scale the limestone skyscraper. First shared by Untapped, he posted this vertigo-inducing set of photos on his Instagram account @vic.invades that show the truly insane views from the tower.
See all the photos right here

Uncategorized

November 2, 2016

Queens’ ‘transit desert’ is growing as fast as its population

Despite more rapid population growth, Queens has the least amount of subway lines per 100,000 people than Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. No borough served by the subway is shortchanged to the extent that Queens is. For instance, Queens has 81 stations, compared to Brooklyn’s 170 and 148 in Manhattan. Only the Bronx has fewer stations, […]

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November 2, 2016

15 CPW still NYC’s most expensive building; 56 Leonard joins lineup of 100 priciest condos

By Diane Pham

Even after countless big ticket closings at blockbuster buildings like 432 Park Avenue and The Greenwich Lane, the long-admired Robert A.M. Stern-designed, Zeckendorf-developed 15 Central Park West (15 CPW) remains king. According to CityRealty's latest CR100 report—an index comprised of the top 100 condominium buildings in Manhattan—units in 15 CPW sold on average for $6,735 per square foot over 12 months, a number that is impressively higher than the index average of $2,824. Tribeca's Herzog & de Meuron-designed "Jenga tower," 56 Leonard also made its debut on the latest CR100, clocking an average price per square foot of $2,657.
find out more

Real Estate Trends

November 2, 2016

14th Street and Williamsburg no-car zones proposed for L train shutdown

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

Transit advocacy groups and politicians who have been promoting the idea of ridding Manhattan’s 14th Street of private car traffic during planned L subway tunnel repairs, and only allowing bus, bike and pedestrian traffic, have also suggested that the no-auto plan would be good for Grand Street in Williamsburg, the New York Post reports. Grand Street is a major neighborhood thoroughfare similar to 14th Street, and advocates say giving the streets to bikes, pedestrians and shuttle buses would be one way to lessen the impact of the shutdown.
Find out more

Transit

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November 2, 2016

Hillary Clinton planning election night victory fireworks over Hudson River; Ed Reed’s 30 years of mayoral photography

The Soul Cycle effect: proximity to fitness studios is the new real estate must have. [NYO] Hillary Clinton’s campaign is planning a two-minute fireworks display to go off on election night. They’d launch from the Javits Center, where she’d have her victory party. [Gothamist] Photographer Ed Reed has been capturing the candid moments of NYC’s […]

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November 2, 2016

Rare collection of Alexander Hamilton’s unpublished letters headed for auction

Auction house Sotheby's has announced the sale of a rare collection consisting of hundreds of Alexander Hamilton's letters and personal manuscripts held by his family at auction on Jaunary 18. Alexander Hamilton: An Important Family Archive of Letters and Manuscripts will offer a trove that contains, among others, love letters from the first United States Secretary of the Treasury to his wife, Eliza, and the condolence letter, sealed with black wax, that his father-in-law sent to her after Hamilton was killed in the infamous duel with Aaron Burr, the New York Times reports.
Find out more about this rare collection

November 2, 2016

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ director Danny Boyle lists sunny Chelsea penthouse for $2.15M

Eight-time Academy Award-winning director and producer Danny Boyle (his credits include "Slumdog Millionaire," "Trainspotting," "28 Days Later," and "Steve Jobs," and he was the artistic director for the 2012 Olympics) has put his sunny Chelsea co-op on the market for $2.15 million, according to LL NYC. The triplex penthouse at 334 West 19th Street looks a bit bland for such an A-lister, but as Luxury Listings explains, Boyle bought the apartment in 2010 for $1.7 million (in a reported all-cash transaction), and then transferred it to his daughter Caitlin in 2014.
See the place

November 2, 2016

100 Barclay: Restoring and reinventing a historic Tribeca landmark

By Diane Pham

This post has been sponsored by 100 Barclay. To learn more about available condos or to schedule a tour, visit the official 100 Barclay website. Finished in 1927, 100 Barclay is one of New York City's most pivotal structures. Designed by one of our country's most esteemed architects, Ralph Walker, while he was an associate at McKenzie Voorhees & Gmelin, the tower began construction in 1923, during a time marked by a dramatic shift in architecture and the beginning of the Roaring Twenties. Originally known as the Barclay-Vesey Building, the 32-story building ascends to a height of nearly 500 feet, which made it one of the globe's tallest towers upon completion. The voluminous building was also built as the largest telephone company building in the world, encompassing more than 1.2 million square feet of office and telecommunication space. Its Hugh Ferris-inspired massing, and nature-influenced ornamentation stands as a monument to man's prowess and the machine age, and is widely recognized by architects and historians to be the first Art Deco skyscraper, a prototypical example of the style in its finest form.
hear from the architects who have worked on this project

November 2, 2016

East Village loft in the historic Christodora House has loads of charm, space and park views for $5,500/month

If you love classic prewar apartments but you also love the East Village, you might think you'll have to make some concessions when finding an apartment to rent among the neighborhood's tenement walk-ups and boxy new buildings. But don't give up until you've seen this unbelievably charming and spacious loft apartment in the venerable Christodora House at 143 Avenue B, on the rental market for $5,500.
Seeing is believing

Distinctive Homes

City reveals maps of proposed routes for Brooklyn-Queen streetcar

Rendering of the streetcar on Berry Street in Williamsburg

November 2, 2016

City reveals maps of proposed routes for Brooklyn-Queen streetcar

When the plan for a streetcar from Brooklyn to Queens was officially announced by the city in February, we knew that the $2.5 billion line would run 16 miles along the East River, from Astoria to Sunset Park, but the exact routes have remained a mystery, up until now. The Times reports that yesterday the city released a 25-page report that outlines these key details, as well as how the streetcar would traverse bridges to cross Newtown Creek and the Gowanus Canal and more logistical details. It also includes maps for the various routes through each neighborhood with a list of pros and cons (road width, proximity to existing subway stations, street and pedestrian traffic) for each possible street.
See the maps

Transit

November 2, 2016

Sales launch for Extell’s Lower East Side tower One Manhattan Square

Despite community opposition against the surge of new development in the Two Bridges neighborhood, things are moving full steam ahead in the Chinatown-meets-Lower East Side area. Curbed reports that the project that started it all, One Manhattan Square, has officially launched sales for the first batch of its 815 condos, and they range from a $1.18 million one-bedroom to a $4.4 million three-bedroom. It's prices like these, as well as the 823-foot height, that have angered residents of the mostly low-rise and low-income neighborhood, but nevertheless, the huge luxury building at with an insane amenity package is well on its way to opening its doors.
Find out more this way

November 1, 2016

New renderings revealed for Essex Crossing’s 150,000 square-foot mega-market

The Essex Crossing megaproject is taking shape in the Lower East Side, most notably with the Market Line, the 150,000 square-foot retail area serving the project's buildings. Within will be the new home for the neighborhood's beloved 76-year-old Essex Street Market, upon which concept the modern retail destination was built. As 6sqft previously reported, the SHoP Architects-designed market will be among the largest in the nation. Principal Rohan Mehra of the project's retail development firm Prusik Group told Curbed that he compares the new market to Seattle’s Pike Place Market or Barcelona’s La Boqueria, “hubs of activity” all. The Market Line will stretch over 700 feet across three buildings, incorporating the new city-operated Essex Street Market and several new spaces.
More renderings this way

November 1, 2016

Rat complaints are up at NYC restaurants, says new report

New York may be one of the world’s greatest cities for dining out, but that doesn’t mean that every restaurant is up to par. The number of restaurant complaints to the city’s 311 call center rose for the second year in a row. There were 10,373 restaurant-related grievances called in during the fiscal year that ended June […]

November 1, 2016

Brownstone rental on Katharine Hepburn’s old block asks $4,000/month in Turtle Bay

This charming top floor apartment is located in the townhouse at 247 East 49th Street, in Turtle Bay. It's just a few doors down from Katharine Hepburn's longtime New York home--she lived more than 60 years at 244 East 49th Street. If you're willing to endure the fourth floor walkup you can also call the block your home, as well as this $4,000/month rental apartment loaded with prewar details.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

November 1, 2016

Study says Jersey City is the most livable U.S. city; Meet the man who canoes to work in Manhattan

A Barnes & Noble in Co-op City, the Bronx’s only bookstore, is closing by the end of the year. [New Yorker] This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a Norway Spruce from a backyard upstate in Oneonta. It’ll be cut down on November 10th and brought to the city on the 12th. [NBC NY] A new […]

Uncategorized

November 1, 2016

Uma Thurman makes a big profit on her Gramercy Park duplex

Uma Thurman's Gramercy Park duplex went into contract in May after hitting the market for $6.25 million less than two months prior. Considering the co-op at 1 Lexington Avenue came with five bedrooms, a classically elegant look, and a coveted key to the park, it's no shock that it actually closed for $6.61 million, more than five percent over ask, according to the Observer, and well over the $2.65 million the actress paid for it in 2006.
Take a look around

November 1, 2016

MAP: What languages New Yorkers speak at home, by neighborhood

Life in New York City in all its diversity means hearing a colorful mix of languages spoken every day. Web developer and artist Jill Hubley's new census map (h/t Gothamist) shows us which languages are spoken by New Yorkers at home in their neighborhoods. Hubley intially created the Languages of NYC map for a GISMO exhibit at the Queens Museum entitled, "Map Mosaic: From Queens to the World" with data from the United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The result is a colorful tableau of native tongues, from Russian in Brighton Beach to Spanish in Sunset Park, with large swaths of French Creole in Brooklyn and Chinese in lower Manhattan–and those are the ones we already expected. The map allows you to view "islands" of one or more languages or to view them all.
Check out the map

Uncategorized

November 1, 2016

Is the end of the 421-a tax abatement program ‘a self-created recession’?

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

On this past January 1, the 421-a tax abatement program expired after 44 years in existence. Any new construction permitted before January will still benefit from the program, but many want to know what the expiration of this program mean for new construction? And how will the projects still under the 421-a umbrella use their […]

November 1, 2016

The world’s 12 richest people could buy all of Manhattan’s residential stock

When it comes to the richest people in the world, the disparity is staggering, and what better way to exemplify this than by sizing these individuals up against the nation's most expensive real estate market, in a city that's home to more billionaires than anywhere else. PropertyShark took data from Forbes' World Billionaires List and created an infographic that shows how the world's 12 richest people have enough wealth to buy all of Manhattan's residential stock for $578 billion and still have some pocket change leftover.
See the full infographic here

Uncategorized

Image via Wiki Commons

November 1, 2016

Hoteliers buy historic Hotel Chelsea for $250M, will redevelop as condos and hotel

After five years of ownership changes and tenant battles, a group of well-known hoteliers is betting on the future of the historic Hotel Chelsea. The Real Deal reports that a joint venture made up of BD Hotels’ Richard Born and Ira Drukier and Sean MacPherson (who owns, among others, the Bowery Hotel and Waverly Inn) has closed on the hotel for $250 million, and they plan to convert it to condos and a likely trendy hotel.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

November 1, 2016

FiDi Birkinstock penthouse on the rental market for $20K, international antiquities included

This 3,500-square-foot penthouse atop the Setai Wall Street at 40 Broad Street in the Financial District is a stunning home by NYC standards, but the condominium also includes a world tour's worth of collected fixtures. The two-bedroom penthouse belongs to Alex Birkenstock–scion of the trendy-crunchy European sandal family–who bought the posh pad in 2011 for just under $6 million. An attempt was made in 2104 to sell the apartment for $13 million as 6sqft previously reported. But even after being eventually chopped to $9 million, the pad still doesn't appear to have changed hands. Now it's for rent for $19,995 a month, amazing spin-the-compass collections and all. For starters, there's a 1,000-pound steel and brass safe bought from the Bank of France...
Take the tour

October 31, 2016

Amy Schumer drops $12.1M on glassy Riverside Drive penthouse

Earlier this month, 6sqft shared reports that Amy Schumer toured a $15 million, historic Beaux Arts mansion at 352 Riverside Drive. But just two weeks later, the comedian closed on a more contemporary penthouse farther south along the river. Sources told the Post that she dropped $12.1 million on a 4,500-square-foot duplex at 91st Street, and after some sleuthing, 6sqft has uncovered that it's the top-floor spread at 190 Riverside Drive. The five-bedroom Upper West Side home is described as "a Malibu beach house, with the sophistication of Manhattan architecture," which is fitting considering the wrap-around terrace surrounded by glass walls and the recent renovation by Spivak Architects.
Take a virtual tour of the penthouse

222 LES Tower + Lofts

222 East Broadway

Lower East Side

Art Deco romance meets 21st-century convenience

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

Learn More

October 31, 2016

Tensions over gentrification escalate over Crow Bar controversy in Crown Heights

Even before it opened its doors, the new tavern on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights was under attack. The name of the place, Crow Bar, was racist, complained many residents of the neighborhood, which was once predominantly black. The residents point out that Crown Heights was known as “Crow Hill” for much of the 19th century, and […]

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October 31, 2016

12 experts suggest creative ways to handle 9 million future New Yorkers

With New York City's population on its way to nine million, the city's infrastructure may be impressive, but it has its limits–including red tape and resource shortages–that will make it difficult to withstand the projected surge. Reminding us of the transformative innovations of Robert Moses–he of the big ideas and ego to match–Crains invited 12 firms who make their living wrangling infrastructure to hit us with some big ideas. Ahead of the upcoming summit, "Getting Ready for 9 Million New Yorkers," they've shared these visions for future (bigger, better) New York from top architects, designers and real estate experts. Ideas include some that have already proven themselves (repurposing existing track beds) and some already in the works (Bushwick's Rheingold brewery project) to others that Robert Moses might not love (shrinking the city's highways).
Take a look at these futuristic ideas for moving the city forward.

October 31, 2016

Celebrating Halloween in the West Village in 1993; St. Paul’s Chapel Unveils 9/11 Chapel of Remembrance

St. Paul’s Chapel, Manhattan’s oldest church that survived the September 11th attacks without even a broken window, marks its 250th anniversary by unveiling a 9/11 Chapel of Remembrance. [NBC] 10 “trumpkins” that are making Halloween great again. [Inhabitat] There are 47 gravestones at the Old Southampton Burial Ground on Long Island, but a cemetery-mapping service found close to […]

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October 31, 2016

Interior and amenity renderings revealed for Hub, Brooklyn’s tallest tower

For now, Downtown Brooklyn's Hub holds the title of tallest building in Brooklyn. Topping off at 610 feet, the Dattner Architects-designed, Douglas Steiner-developed slab tower at 333 Schermerhorn Street will offer 740 apartments, 150 of which became available through the city's affordable housing lottery earlier this month. But aside from its height and number of units, the 55-story building has been turning heads for its list of amenities--a landscaped outdoor terrace with sun deck, 75-foot pool, fitness center with yoga studio, dog run, grilling terrace, indoor and outdoor movie screens, children’s playroom, and bike storage for every unit. And Curbed has gotten its hands on the first set of renderings that show these swanky offerings, along with views of the apartments and news that leasing for the market-rate units will begin in January.
More details and renderings

October 31, 2016

A historic stable house with completely modern interior asks $8.35M in Murray Hill