6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

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

6sqft previously featured this unusual property at 257 Berry Street, in the heart of trendy Williamsburg two blocks from the waterfront, when it was being offered as a $12,000/month rental. Now, just 14 months later, the glassy townhouse—whose exterior more resembles the neighborhood's ubiquitous new construction apartments—is on the market for $4.5 million. Though it may look nondescript-contemporary, the five-story single-family home packs a few impressive surprises, including an adjacent two-story art studio with direct street access and a loading dock.
Investigate the many interesting details in this modern townhouse

Distinctive Homes

October 18, 2016

New list provides alternatives for NYC’s ‘B’ students searching for high schools

By Metro New York

Right now, 90,000 New York City eighth graders are sorting through a phone-book sized list of 400 public high schools to find the best fit for the next four (arguably most critical) years of their lives. They submit their high school applications on December 1, rank their 12 favorite choices, go to open houses and tours, […]

Uncategorized

October 18, 2016

FEMA finally agrees to update flood-zone maps; Can Tavern on the Green reclaim its iconic status?

Fashion designer Betsey Johnson has dropped the price of her Upper East Side condo to less than she originally paid for it. [NYO] Mayor de Blasio and FEMA announce plans to update the city’s FEMA maps after complaints that as many as one-third of homes didn’t belong in the flood zones. [ABC7] 10 anti-Trump works of […]

Uncategorized

October 18, 2016

‘The Chew’ host Michael Symon selling historic West Village townhouse for $5.8M

Chef Michael Symon--co-host of "The Chew," Food Network personality, and restauranteur--picked up the narrow, turn-of-the-century townhouse at 58 Downing Street in April 2015 for $5.14 million, but just a year and a half later, he's put the West Village home back on the market, reports Curbed. He's not looking to make much of a profit, listing it for only $5.8 million, despite what the listing calls a renovation "for a contemporary lifestyle" and its plethora of historic details and stylish decor.
See the whole place

October 18, 2016

Knicks player Lance Thomas scores $3.56M Tribeca condo

Nets players might be gobbling up Brooklyn real estate, but when it comes to the Knicks it's all about staying near MSG in Manhattan. Recently, both Sasha Vujacic and Kristaps Porzingis rented units in Midtown West's fitness-centric Sky, and Joakim Noah picked up a $6 million Chelsea penthouse. Now, forward Lance Thomas is settling down a bit farther south, as LLNYC reports that he dropped $3.56 million on a sprawling Tribeca triplex at 52 Lispenard Street, which makes sense since he recently inked a four-year, $27 million deal with the team.
See his new home

October 18, 2016

Approval process for new $24 billion Hudson River tunnels fast-tracked; construction could start in 2019

The $24 billion plan to construct two rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River has been designated a priority, which will get it fast-tracked through environmental and permitting stages and trim development time by a year or more, the Wall Street Journal reports; with construction beginning in 2019, the tunnels could be operational as early as 2024, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said at a news conference at Penn Station on Friday. Both Amtrak and NJ Transit will use the new tunnels, which are among the first steps in a broader plan by Amtrak find ways to handle double the current number of passenger trains running beneath the Hudson River.
Find out more

Transit

October 18, 2016

Bethenny Frankel checks out Robert DeNiro’s former $20M West Village penthouse

It hasn't even been a week since Bethenny Frankel triumphantly sold her $7 million Tribeca loft in just one day, but the Skinny Girl is already back on the hunt. The Post reports that she and "Million Dollar Listing's" Fredrik Eklund (he's also responsible for her recent sale) checked out a $20 million West Village penthouse yesterday. The incredible, 11,000-square-foot duplex at 165 Perry Street--which boasts glass floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, several landscaped terraces around a central courtyard, and a seven-car garage--was famously rented by Robert DeNiro for two years after his Upper West Side apartment caught fire in 2012.
Check out the jaw-dropping space

Distinctive Homes

With a private elevator and terraces, this $24.5M Tribeca triplex embodies downtown penthouse living

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

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

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

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

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

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

$1.2M colorful Sutton Place co-op has classic bones and dramatic bridge and river views

This $500K New Jersey creator's home is a life-sized Barbie dream house

'Stonehurst' is a perfect name for this historic $2.5M Gothic Revival home in Rockland County

VIEW ALL

October 18, 2016

SL Green breaks ground on One Vanderbilt, NYC’s second tallest tower – see new renderings

By Diane Pham

Yesterday 6sqft brought you a time-lapse video showing an entire Midtown block being demolished to make way for the 1,401-foot supertall One Vanderbilt. Now with a cleared site—plus $1.5 billion in construction financing secured—SL Green is ready to build anew, and Tuesday morning the developer held an official groundbreaking ceremony to mark the momentous occasion.
see more here

October 18, 2016

Bill Ackman thinks he can flip One57 penthouse for $500M

When hedge fund manager Bill Ackman closed on a $91.5 million penthouse at One57 in April 2015, he had already boasted that he had no intention of ever living in the place, but that he'd host parties there and eventually flip it as a "fun" investment. It seems that over the past year and a half, Ackman, whose net worth is estimated at $1.6 billion, has gotten even more optimistic, as a source close to him told Vanity Fair that he thinks he'll be able to sell the 13,500-square-foot duplex for $500 million. As The Real Deal notes, this claim comes despite the fact that other units in the building have been recently listed at a loss and that his fund Pershing Square Capital is down to $11.4 billion under management from $20 billion in March of 2015.
More on this ahead

Where I Work

October 17, 2016

Timber framed loft transformed to two-bedroom condo asks $2.75M in Tribeca

This two-bedroom apartment, at the condo 288 West Street in Tribeca, practically luxuriates in all its lofty details. The former timber frame loft building still retains much of its incredible interior, which has left this apartment decked out with ceiling beams, arched brick entryways, wood floors and high ceilings. It has just hit the market for $2.75 million after trying to sell earlier this year for $3.175 million.
Peek inside

Distinctive Homes

October 17, 2016

These sweet maps reveal the most popular candy by state and country

By Metro New York

With Halloween around the corner and shelves stock full of candy, it’s hard not to be tempted to buy our favorite brand. But what is the most popular one in the entire country? According to research done by a UK website called FamilyBreakFinder, which describes itself as “the UK’s favorite site for family friendly holidays, short breaks and days […]

Uncategorized

October 17, 2016

Oldest map of New York may become most expensive map ever sold at $10M

In 1531, Italian sailor and cartographer Vesconte Maggiolo created a "Portolan planisphere," a navigational chart of the known world, that included the first depiction of the eastern seaboard and therefore of New York harbor. Bloomberg tells us that the 6.7' x 3' map made of six goat skins is now in the possession of rare book and map dealer Daniel Crouch, who will put it up for sale for a whopping $10 million this Saturday at TEFAF art fair. If it fetches this price, it'll become the most expensive map ever publicly sold.
More on the map this way

October 17, 2016

These ‘Persian rugs’ are actually drawings; Will NYC’s TV production boom last?

Miami-based artist Jason Seife uses acrylic and ink to meticulously illustrate Persian carpets. [designboom] A closer look at Swale, the floating food forest docked at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6. [Take Part] NYC is in the middle of a TV production boom, which contributed $8.7 billion to the local economy in 2015, a 21 percent increase since 2011. [Crain’s] […]

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October 17, 2016

Amid declining bookings, new Trump hotel brand drops his name

Though sales at Donald Trump's Manhattan residential buildings are still selling at a premium, national real estate and business at his hotels are different stories. Politico reports that the Trump Organization--the umbrella under which all his self-branded ventures fall, from his clothing line to golf courses--has dubbed its newly launched hotel line Scion, clearly void of his moniker, but meaning "descendant of a notable family." Trump Hotels CEO Eric Danziger said in a press release, "We wanted a name that would be a nod to the Trump family and to the tremendous success it has had with its businesses, including Trump Hotels, while allowing for a clear distinction between our luxury and lifestyle brands." Though this may be true, it may also have something to do with the fact that, according to travel company Hipmunk, hotel bookings at Trump properties were down 58 percent in the first half of the year.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

October 17, 2016

Diego Rivera’s psychedelic Rockefeller Center mural was destroyed before it was finished, 1934

By Tracy A. Marciano

In 1932, Mexican artist Diego Rivera was commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller to add a mural to the soaring lobby of Rockefeller Center. Despite being known for his petulant temper and loyalty to Communism, Rivera was still one of the most highly sought after artists of his time, lauded for his creative genius and his detailed paintings. But politics, artistic vision, power and wealth collided in 1934 when a displeased Rockefeller had the very mural he commissioned from Rivera chiseled off the wall the night before it was to be completed.
read about the mysterious mural here

October 17, 2016

Plan to turn Sunset Park library into 49 low-income apartments moves forward

In 2014 the news surfaced that Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) was planning to sell its Sunset Park branch at 5108 4th Avenue to a non-profit community development organization, Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC). The developer would demolish the 43-year-old building and build in its place a larger library with eight stories above that would contain 49 below-market-rate apartments, in part with public money allocated by Borough President Eric L. Adams. The developers say the plan will create housing for Brooklyn's neediest residents. Brooklyn Paper now reports that developers are preparing to pitch the project to Community Board 7’s land-use committee on November 3 as part of a public review process. The city council has the final say whether it goes through.
Find out more

$14.5M Annabelle Selldorf-designed Chelsea duplex was once a YMCA gym and running track

If you’ve got $14.5 million to invest, and you'd like living in Chelsea, you should grab this loft at 213 West 23rd Street right away. Because someone will. Lofts–even expensive architect-designed ones–make a stunning first impression but often disappoint when it comes to livability. This space, however–in the landmarked former home of the McBurney YMCA, whose gymnasium and running track make up the living areas–is a winner. Designed by Annabelle Selldorf, with interiors by Jeffrey Beers, this remarkable duplex spans a full 7,000 square feet, split between two levels with a soaring 29-foot-high living space at the center. Rooms–including four bedrooms–are organized in an intelligent and gracious plan for glamorous entertaining as well as maximum comfort and privacy.
Check out this amazing space (and find out more cool trivia about it)

Distinctive Homes

Lottery opens for new Crotona Park East affordable development, units from $788/month

Rendering of 1776 Boston Road via DPGroup (L); Google Street View of the site in June 2016

October 17, 2016

Lottery opens for new Crotona Park East affordable development, units from $788/month

Almost exactly two years ago to the date, High Hawk LLC broke ground on a new 72-unit, mixed-income affordable housing development at a long-underutilized site at 1776 Boston Road in Crotona Park East. Known as the High Hawk Apartments, the eight-story building also offers three tenant recreation areas, commercial and retail space, a ground-floor community facility, and a below-grade parking garage. The city aimed to "increase income diversity" in the Bronx neighborhood by dividing the apartments with 18 reserved for households earning less than 60 percent of the area media income and 54 reserved for those earning less than 100 percent. The former group ranges from a $788/month studio to $1,182/month three-bedrooms, while the latter ranges from $1,208/month one-bedrooms to $1,683/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

October 17, 2016

Watch the time-lapse demolition of an entire Midtown block for supertall One Vanderbilt

6sqft recently reported that One Vanderbilt, developer SL Green's new Midtown supertall, has secured $1.5 billion in financing, giving the green light to the 1,401-foot-tall, full-block office tower slated to rise at One Vanderbilt Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets directly adjacent to Grand Central Terminal. Demolition of a full block of commercial buildings next to Grand Central began a year ago to make way for the tower. Now, YIMBY brings us a time lapse video of the lengthy demolition courtesy of One Vanderbilt’s PR team.
Watch an entire block of pre-war buildings disappear

October 16, 2016

A 14-foot, floor-to-ceiling library decorates this $1.7M Boerum Hill apartment

If you've got 14-foot-tall ceilings in your apartment, you may as well take advantage of them. This architect-designed co-op at 423 Atlantic Avenue, in Boerum Hill, utilized its soaring ceilings in unique ways. The apartment boasts a floor-to-ceiling library with custom shelves that span nearly 30 feet. It's accessed by a steel-construction mezzanine built into the space. If you're a fan of such quirky details (or at least own a lot of books), you'll be happy to know the one-of-a-kind pad has just hit the market for $1.695 million.
See more

Distinctive Homes

October 15, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

Saddam Hussein had a secret torture chamber across from Mayor Bloomberg’s UES mansion Live in Brooklyn’s tallest tower for $833/month, lottery launching for 150 units at 333 Schermerhorn Emily Blunt and John Krasinski drop $6M on a historic Park Slope townhouse George and Amal Clooney snag high-floor condo in Norman Foster’s Midtown tower Bethenny Frankel […]

Uncategorized

The flagship New York Public Library shelves books by size, not subject matter

Image by timetrax23

October 14, 2016

The flagship New York Public Library shelves books by size, not subject matter

By Diane Pham

With over four million research books in their possession, finding a place for each and every title has been an ongoing challenge for the New York Public Library (NYPL). First starchitect Norman Foster was brought in to help remedy the issue, but his plans for expansion were dropped when researchers realized a redesign would mean moving 1.5 million books to Jersey for an undefined amount of time; and more recently, the library unveiled a brand new $23M storage facility below Bryant Park, complete with a $2.3M "Book Train" able to zip miles of volumes across the library's 11 floors. But even with this new facility, space remains a challenge. So in hopes of increasing capacity, the NYPL has decided to abandon the Dewey Decimal System for a more space-friendly cataloging system. Yes, when it comes to sorting, subject is no longer of interest—rather, it's size that matters.
find out more here

Architecture And Design

October 14, 2016

Renderings revealed for High Line-adjacent condo on hot West Chelsea block

West 29th Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues is quickly becoming to Chelsea what Bond Street is to Noho--a delightfully concentrated mishmash of high-profile architecture projects. Over on the west side, this one-block stretch is already home to SCDA Architects' Soori High Line with its noted private pools, Cary Tamarkin's 550 West 29th Street, and Maestro West Chelsea, a 35-story trio of rentals. CityRealty now shares a look at the block's newest project, a 10-story, 61-unit condo at 519 West 29th Street from developer Six Sigma, which is distinguished by a glass facade punctuated by rectangular balcony alcoves flanked with green walls.
More news related to the project ahead

October 14, 2016

Win tickets to De Blasio’s Gracie Mansion Halloween parties; the architects who transformed the Guggenheim

Gracie Mansion is hosting three family-friendly parties during Halloween weekend for which you can enter to win tickets. [Gothamist] CBS is developing a new drama loosely based on the non-fiction architecture and urban design book “A Burglar’s Guide to the City.” [Fast Co. Design] Responding to surging construction accidents, SafetyCoverage.com is a new website that links developers and construction […]

Uncategorized

October 14, 2016

This $825K Turtle Bay condop is a greenhouse and a treehouse with a little bit of loft

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

This unique condop (financially a co-op with condo-like rules) at 310 East 46th Street in Manhattan's genteel east Midtown Turtle Bay district is one of those apartments that makes you go, "hmm..." While it has plenty of eye appeal with a stunning glass atrium wall, Chrysler and Empire State Building views, 12-foot vaulted ceilings and custom teak built-ins, the current layout makes it hard to transcend long, narrow studio status, which makes the $825,000 ask seem like less of a deal. What's here, though, is a sight to behold; and there's potential. And amenities!
See what the options are

Distinctive Homes

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

Raising chickens in NYC: Laws, tips, and everything else you need to know

10 Ways to Decorate an Exposed Brick Wall Without Drilling

Snag the Greenest Seat in Town: Gufram's 1972 Pratone Chair is Shaped Like a Patch of Grass

VIEW ALL

October 14, 2016

FDNY’s emergency drone program remains grounded as it struggles with regulations

By Metro New York

Last month, it was reported that the FDNY was poised to launch a drone program that would aid in emergencies. Now the word from the FDNY is that it might take a little longer to get the plan off the ground. One of the obstacles for the FDNY, and anyone who wants to operate a drone, […]

Uncategorized

October 14, 2016

Go ghost hunting at Mark Twain’s haunted and historic Connecticut manor

Edgar Allan Poe may be the American writer most closely associated with all things eerie and spooky, but surprisingly, the lovable Mark Twain has a haunted past of his own. The pristinely preserved Gothic mansion in Hartford, Connecticut where Samuel Clemens lived with his family between 1874 and 1891 (and where he wrote "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer") is said to be haunted by ghosts of Twain himself, his daughter Susy who died in 1896 of meningitis, and George Griffin, a freed slave who worked for the family. And if the paranormal activity associated with these spirits wasn't enough to give you goosebumps, just take a look at the dark, ominous house itself through these haunting photos by Imgur user Reacher that give us a taste of the hair-raising home.
Creepy photos and stories ahead

Architecture And Design

October 14, 2016

The Urban Lens: Meryl Meisler chronicles today’s artists and creatives of Bushwick

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 photographer Meryl Meisler documents the current artists and creatives of Bushwick. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Earlier this year, TIME included Meryl Meisler on their list of "the greatest unsung female photographers of the past century," not surprising considering the great success she's had with her first monograph, "Disco Era Bushwick: A Tale of Two Cities," which documents the glam/gritty 1970s and ‘80s (more on that here). Now, after more than 40 years, she realized that Bushwick won't always be the artistic hub she's come to know and love, and therefore needed documentation. In her new exhibition "Bushwick Chronicle" (on view at Stout Projects until October 30th) she returns to her analog roots of printing in the dark room to display photos of "the artists, gallerists, journalists, and organizers of Bushwick." These images are paired with her illustrative painted photographs of Bushwick from the 1980s, as well as writer and art critic James Panero's musings on the area.
Get an inside look at Bushwick Chronicle

Places

October 14, 2016

Public Advocate’s office releases watchlist of NYC’s 100 worst landlords

New York City Public Advocate Letitia James released this year's annual "Worst Landlords Watchlist" Thursday at a tenants' rights rally in lower Manhattan. The interactive database lists the top 100 building owners who have racked up the most violations (like rats, roaches and dirty elevators, to name just a few) relative to the number of buildings they own. This data is gathered from the Department of Buildings and Department of Housing. Three of the city's five worst landlords according to the list have been on it for two years in a row. The top three offenders–Harry D. Silverstein, Allan Goldman, and Efstathios Valiotis–own buildings throughout the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. Silverstein received 2,032 HPD violations and 50 DOB violations over 575 units in eight buildings.
Find out if your landlord is on the list

October 14, 2016

Duplex penthouse with dramatic outdoor terrace and shower on the market for $14.9M

This Tribeca penthouse, at 39-41 North Moore Street, has been waiting patiently for a buyer. It first hit the market in 2012 for $21.5 million. In 2014, the price was down to $14.995 million. Now it's back, trying for $14.999 million. The sprawling apartment comes with 4,600 square feet of interior living space and 2,300 more square feet outside. The listing goes so far to call it "one of the city's most dramatic terraces." But when your terrace comes with an outdoor shower, outdoor kitchen, pergola and plenty of shaded seating areas, we'll admit that it's something to brag about.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

October 14, 2016

Bethenny Frankel sells $7M Tribeca loft in just one day

Being a reality TV star and having a broker who's one as well certainly didn't hurt Bethenny Frankel's odds of selling her luxe Tribeca loft. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reports that "Million Dollar Listing" agent Frederik Eklund sold the condo in just one day for its asking price of $6.95 million. As 6sqft noted last week when the loft at 195 Hudson Street hit the market, Frankel bought the four-bedroom spread in 2011 for just under $5 million, then spent $500,000 furnishing and renovating it. But when she and ex-husband Jason Hoppy decided to part ways, the apartment became the most contentious part of the divorce, resulting in a very public, four-year legal battle. With the home finally off her hands, the “Real Housewives of New York City” star and outspoken founder of the Skinny Girl empire told the Journal, "I’m glad that the real-estate gods were looking out for me saying, ‘let’s give her a break.’”
Check it out

October 13, 2016

‘City of Women’ turns the subway map into an homage to the city’s greatest females

Modern cities are filled with signs that mark history, and that history often bears men's names. In New York City, for example, we have Astor Place, Washington Square, Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, Rockefeller Center, and Bryant Park, just to name a few. In introducing a new book that addresses this status quo, The New Yorker points out that history-making women, on the other hand, "are anonymous people who changed fathers’ names for husbands’ as they married, who lived in private and were comparatively forgotten, with few exceptions," and that their names are notably missing from our streets. In their forthcoming book “Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas,” Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro offer us a New York City subway map that attempts to set the record right. “City of Women” pays homage "to some of the great and significant women of New York City" in the places they lived and made a difference.
See the full-size map here

City Living

October 13, 2016

Quirky two-bedroom co-op in Sunset Park is asking $520K

Sunset Park isn't a neighborhood particularly known for its grand co-op buildings, but this two-bedroom apartment comes from 570 44th Street, a 16-unit co-op built in 1914. The listing calls the building "one of the first Finnish co-ops in Sunset Park." In case you didn't know, parts of Sunset Park in the early 20th century were commonly known as "FinnTown," and the Finnish population built around 25 co-ops here. The building comes with original moldings and stained glass windows in the hallway. And this ground-floor apartment, which has just hit the market for $520,000, boasts some lovely details and quirks of its own.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

October 13, 2016

Where to see fall foliage in and around NYC; Why are hideous built-in air conditioners everywhere?

A timeline of how Margaret Sanger founded Planned Parenthood in NYC 100 years ago. [DNAinfo] Target and Dwell have collaborated on an affordable, 120-piece modern furniture and home accessories line. [Fast Co. Design] The landlord’s guide to gentrifying the city: how Steve Croman spent decades exploiting rent-control laws to bring in wealthier tenants. [Bloomberg] You’ve seen them–PTACs, those […]

Uncategorized

Live in Brooklyn’s tallest tower for $833/month, lottery launching for 150 units at 333 Schermerhorn

Rendering of The Hub via Dattner Architects (L); Construction shot as of December 2015 via Tectonic (R)

October 13, 2016

Live in Brooklyn’s tallest tower for $833/month, lottery launching for 150 units at 333 Schermerhorn

At 610 feet, Douglas Steiner's 333 Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn currently holds the title of tallest building in Brooklyn. Though it'll be surpassed by forthcoming supertalls like JDS' 9 DeKalb Avenue, the first 1,000+ foot tower in the borough, and the 700-foot 205 Montague Street, the 53-story slab apartment tower known as The Hub will certainly remain a much-sought-after address, especially considering its wealth of amenities and proximity to the BAM Cultural District. Of its 740 apartments, 150 are reserved for New Yorkers earning less than 60 percent of the area media income, and as of tomorrow the lottery is open for these units, which range from $833/month studios to $1,082/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Saddam Hussein had a secret torture chamber across from Mayor Bloomberg’s UES mansion

14 (left) and 12 East 79th Street

October 13, 2016

Saddam Hussein had a secret torture chamber across from Mayor Bloomberg’s UES mansion

Opulent Upper East Side mansions are not exactly what come to mind when one thinks of brutal dictatorships and torture chambers, but a piece in the Post reveals that Saddam Hussein kept a hidden detention room in the basement of the Mission of Iraq at 14 East 79th Street--just a block from Central Park and right across the street from former Mayor Bloomberg's home. Two Iraqi officials, who spoke anonymously, told the paper that when Hussein rose to power in 1979, he had the prison room installed so that his military intelligence officers (the Mukhabarat) could torture local Iraqis, "using them as leverage to get their relatives back in the homeland to surrender and cooperate with the tyrannical government."
It gets worse...

Celebrities

October 13, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 10/13-10/19

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! Architecture geeks rejoice, as Open House New York Weekend is finally here! It's time to reserve your spot to see some architectural gems normally closed off to the public. But if you're looking for something a little less hectic, head to Queens to check out a field of Christopher Walken busts at Socrates Sculpture Park. Clamp Art is also showing off Mark Yankus' gorgeous "portraits" of New York's buildings, and New York art world impresario Gregory de la Haba is also producing an evening opera at Carnegie Hall honoring Ireland's unsung hero, Lady Hazel Lavery. Plus for the bruncher with artistic inclinations, this Sunday you can learn more about art writers and curators (including me!) that make their living in New York. Details for these events, and even more of my picks, ahead.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

October 13, 2016

Brooklyn, Queens are more expensive than they’ve ever been; Manhattan rents are down

Market reports are in from the third quarter of this year, and sales numbers are setting new records, especially in Brooklyn and Queens. From Douglas Elliman, numbers show sales prices in Brooklyn and Queens climbing for the fourth year in a row across the board for condos, co-ops and one- to three-family homes, as well as luxury properties (defined as the upper 10 percent of the market). The median sales price rose 8.7 percent to $735,000; the average sales price went up 14.8 percent to $983,511; the median sales price for luxury properties rose 23.5 percent to $2.5 million. All three numbers represent record increases. The rising market has likely been the result of a healthy job market in New York City and population growth that's five years ahead of schedule.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

October 13, 2016

Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo make a sale on their sprawling Soho loft

Just six months after listing their Soho pad at 112 Greene Street, Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo have made a sale. As The Post first reports, the sexy pair has sold their sprawling floor-through apartment to shoe designer Nick Lucio for an impressive $5.4 million—a number just shy of their original $5.5 million asking price, but still nearly $1 million more than what they originally paid for the home in 2014. This good news also comes bundled with a bundle of joy, as the couple also welcomed their first baby, Dusty Rose, into the world just two weeks ago.
have a look inside their former pad

October 13, 2016

Waitlist opens for affordable, four-bedroom co-ops in Lincoln Center, from $102K

The Lincoln-Amsterdam House is a 25-story co-op building that stretches from West 64th to 65th Streets along the eastern side of West End Avenue, just one block away from Lincoln Center. It's a Mitchell-Lama development, which, as 6sqft previously explained, is a program "created in 1955 to provide affordable rental and cooperative housing to moderate- and middle-income families." As of today, the 100-name waitlist is open for four-bedroom units in the building to households with a minimum of six persons earning between $33,440 and $149,531 annually. The co-ops will sell from $102,814 to $109,545.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

October 13, 2016

$3.65M lavish Harlem townhouse is full of marble, mirrors, and chandeliers

Built in 1900, this lavishly restored townhouse at 148 West 119th Street is on one of Harlem's most desirable blocks in the Mount Morris Park Historic District. Constructed as part of one of the neighborhood's first developments, the four-story Italianate brownstone has been bestowed with a renovation worthy of a decorator show house, with no expense or luxury spared (and lots of marble, mirrors and chandeliers). Two fully loaded terraces add outdoor living to mix, and details like central air, radiant floor heat and high-end appliances keep everything running smoothly. Bonus: there's a studio apartment on the ground floor.
Tour this single-family masterpiece

Distinctive Homes

October 12, 2016

Construction update: Excavation underway for Annabelle Selldorf’s Bowlmor Lanes-replacing condos

By Ondel Hylton

William Macklowe Company's 22-story 21 East 12th Street (21E12) is poised to become the tallest ground-up condominium building in Greenwich Village upon completion in 2018. The development at the southwest corner of University Place and East 12th Street replaces the Bowlmor Lanes garage building, which, due to its height and incongruent massing, ruffled the feathers of watchful neighbors and community organizations. Nevertheless, the squat, five-story structure has been razed, and site excavation is well underway for New York's maiden of modernism, Annabelle Selldorf's, square, cast-stone tower.
Find out more here

October 12, 2016

Peek into the rooms of millennials around the world (PHOTOS)

By Diane Pham

While it's certainly fun to admire listing photos for pristine homes dressed up by famous designers, those images are nowhere near as interesting or insightful as getting a raw, unstaged look at how people really live. In a news series called "My Room Project," French filmmaker and photographer John Thackwray takes us into the private spaces of one of the world's most misunderstood groups: millennials.
inside 21 rooms this way

City Living

The 74

201 East 74th Street

Lenox Hill

Gracious Upper East Side condos with Central Park and skyline views

2 beds starting at $3,380,000
3 beds starting at $4,850,000
5 beds starting at $11,950,000

Learn More

October 12, 2016

Meet the ‘Mayor of Gramercy Park’; the world’s best bar is in FiDi

This woman makes $140,000 a year controlling who goes in and out of Gramercy Park. [NY1] Though mainstays like Tribeca and Soho remained at the top, a list of the city’s top 50 most expensive neighborhoods show that up-and-coming ‘hoods like DUMBO and Forest Hills Gardens are outpacing Manhattan. [Metro] Perkins Eastman Architects’ Michael Lew talks about […]

Uncategorized

October 12, 2016

New Renderings of Rogers Partners’ residence above historic Lower East Side bank building

At the end of last year, preservationists called on the city to landmark the Lower East Side's 1912 former bank building at the prominent corner of East Houston and Ludlow Streets. The request came after the owners revealed plans to construct a residential structure above the historic building. But despite much community opposition, they tapped Tribeca-based architects Rogers Partners to create a cantilevering, cube-like design (not unlike those we've seen of late from ODA) inspired by the work of artist Jasper Johns, who once lived and worked at the address. CityRealty now has new renderings of the 44,000-square-foot project at 225 East Houston Street, which will have 38 apartments and amenities including a roof deck, fitness center, residential lounge and terrace, bike storage, and laundry room.
Find out more

October 12, 2016

Christie Brinkley lists her dreamy Sag Harbor vacation home for $25 million

Supermodel Christie Brinkley has just listed her lovely Sag Harbor property for a cool $25 million. Originally built in 1843, the three-story Colonial home includes period details, like wide-plank pine floors and multiple fireplaces, and has been decorated as one of the most idyllic vacation homes ever. Even better, the sprawling four-acre property comes with 327 feet of beachfront that overlooks the harbor, yachts, sailboats, and open bay of the Hamptons.
Take the grand tour of her estate

My 2,400sqft: Tour two art world professionals’ curated Greenwich Village loft

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 the art-filled Greenwich Village loft of two art world professionals. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

October 12, 2016

My 2,400sqft: Tour two art world professionals’ curated Greenwich Village loft

When you step into this Greenwich Village loft, there's a welcoming feeling of calm amid the unexpected combinations of Western and Asian art, historic and contemporary furniture, and traditional and eclectic objects. This can be attributed to the keen curation skills of the owners, who are affiliated with Chambers Fine Art, a New York- and Beijing-based gallery that specializes in contemporary Chinese art. For 10 years they've called this spacious apartment home, and 6sqft recently took a tour of the space and got the inside scoop on some of their most prized art pieces.
Take the tour here

October 12, 2016

Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford to be George Clooney’s neighbor at Norman Foster’s Midtown tower