October 5, 2016

Apple Pay and Masterpass gets added to the MTA eTix

Beginning today, you won’t have to worry so much about “what’s in your wallet” before you hop on Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road. Govrnor Andrew Cuomo’s office announced on Tuesday the addition of Apple Pay and Masterpass digital wallet technology to MTA eTix, the mobile ticketing app. “By adding the use of cutting edge […]

October 5, 2016

Live in a massive $8M West Village loft for just $1 a month

Yes, you read that correctly--you can move into a luxury 3,400-square-foot West Village loft that cost $8 million and pay only $1 month. Metro brings us the deal of the century, which was posted by Rupert Hunt, Founder and CEO of SpareRoom.com, a platform that helps people find roommates and spare rooms. Hunt recently moved to NYC and is looking for two roommates to share the loft, which is located on Bleecker Street just off 7th Avenue South. Unbelievably, each of the available bedrooms has its own walk-in closet, private bathroom, and office area, as well as access to the massive, open-plan lounge/dining room/kitchen and the 1,500-square-foot roof terrace with 360-degree views and a 17-seat barbecue area. Why, you ask, is Hunt charging just a $1 in a neighborhood where rooms rent for around $1,800 (and probably much more for a giant, tricked-out apartment like this)? For starters, he doesn't need the money, and he's also really excited about living with roommates.
More on this insane deal and a look around the apartment
October 5, 2016

POLL: Which Penn Station scheme do you prefer, Governor Cuomo’s or Vishaan Chakrabarti’s?

When Governor Cuomo revealed his plans for a new Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex early last week, things seemed to be moving full steam towards a 2020 completion date thanks to flashy renderings and the selection of a high-profile developer-builder team. But architect Vishaan Chakrabarti was not convinced, and he and his firm the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism decided to create their own vision, one that repurposes Madison Square Garden, a facet of the plan he feels Cuomo failed to address.
Tell us which scheme you prefer
October 5, 2016

Macro Sea’s David Belt takes us inside New Lab, an 84,000-square-foot thinkspace in the Navy Yard

The Brooklyn Navy Yard has since its inception acted as a pole for the cutting edge and creative, from its time as the "The Can-Do Shipyard" where U.S. warships assembled, to present day as urban farmers, photographers and filmmakers carve out spaces for themselves on the campus' more than 300 acres. But the latest most notable addition to the Navy Yard is most certainly New Lab. New Lab is the creation of Macro Sea (who many will remember brought dumpster pools to NYC a few years ago) and is a revolutionary hub that turns an 84,000-square-foot former shipping building into a thinkspace for nearly 300 engineers and entrepreneurs working in advanced hardware and robotics. Here, members whose work include everything from designing nano microscopes to using synthetic biology to engineer cities can take their ideas from concept to prototype to production under one roof. It's what the founders are calling "a breakthrough ecosystem of shared resources." In this 6sqft feature, we speak to New Lab's co-founder and Macro Sea Executive Director and founder David Belt. David is also the founder and Managing Partner of DBI, which is currently managing the realization of the Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center, amongst other high-profile projects around the city. Ahead, he takes us through the new facility and gives us some intel on what inspired the design, the cutting edge companies that have taken up space, and what he ultimately hopes to achieve with New Lab.
Learn more about New Lab with David here
October 5, 2016

Jessica Chastain sells Greenwich Village duplex for $1.9M

After first hitting the market last September, Jessica Chastain's lovely Greenwich Village duplex has finally found a buyer according to city records. The actress bought the renovated two-bedroom at 250 Mercer Street in 2012 for $1.2 million and initially listed it as an $11,500/month rental before re-listing it for sale for $1.8 million in April. The buyer paid slightly over ask at $1.9 million.
See more here
October 5, 2016

Buried treasures from the city’s past will be on view at a new Manhattan research center

New York City has catalogued and created a digitized archive of the many buried artifacts from its past; Wednesday the Landmarks Preservation Commission is officially opening a repository of those countless artifacts. The New York Times reports that the Nan A. Rothschild Research Center–the first municipal archive devoted to a city’s archaeological collection, has found a home in Midtown Manhattan. More than a million artifacts will now be available for viewing by researchers and scholars by appointment; a digital archive is already available. The climate-controlled repository at 114 West 47th Street contains artifacts from 31 excavated sites from all five boroughs, including the city’s first major historical dig, the Stadt Huys (now 85 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan), which, when the artifacts were discovered in 1979, raised the idea that archaeological treasures were buried beneath old buildings.
Find out what you can dig up at the digital archive
October 5, 2016

$2.65M laid-back Carroll Gardens townhouse has historic charm and crayon-box cool

This unassuming townhouse at 189 Luquer Street starts out with the advantage of being in a particularly cool little section of otherwise postcard-perfect Carroll Gardens, near Gowanus and the Columbia Street Waterfront without being a hike to the subway and steps from some of the best restaurants in the borough (Buttermilk Channel, Frankie's). While the home may not be palatial at 1,848 square feet, there are four bedrooms and a lovely outdoor space. It's move-in-ready if not decked out in marble and European kitchen gear, and the current owners clearly know the value of colorful surroundings. Rather than the usual shades of pale, crayola colors wake the bedrooms from boredom, and bright pops of red and riots of pattern appear in unexpected places
Tour the rainbow
October 5, 2016

The NYPL’s iconic Rose Reading Room reopens to the public today!

The New York Public Library’s Rose Reading Room and Bill Blass Public Catalog Room officially reopened to the public today at 10 AM. Early this morning, NYPL staff held a ribbon-cutting celebration for two adjacent spaces located on the third floor of the iconic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 5th Avenue. Both rooms had been closed to the public for more than two years for repairs and restorations.
more details this way
October 4, 2016

289-acre Hudson Valley estate built for the Roosevelts and Astors asks $22M

Here in Manhattan, $22 million barely buys a townhouse, but not far away upstate in Dutchess County, it'll get you a whopping 289 acres, complete with a Georgian-style manor, Greek Temple-inspired pool house, equestrian facilities, and some serious historic pedigree. The Post reports that the 1851 Atalanta estate was built for Franklin Hughes Delano and his wife Laura Astor Delano (FDR's great uncle and aunt) as a wedding gift using land from the Astor's nearby Rokeby estate. It's now hit the market, providing a wealth of views inside the home and throughout the stunning Hudson Valley grounds.
Take a tour right here
October 4, 2016

Wood-Clad Long Island home by Bates Masi takes inspiration from Quaker architecture

Simplicity, humility and inner focus were key to early Quaker architecture, principles that also inspired Bates Masi + Architects' latest project. The beautiful Underhill home sits in Matinecock, a village within Oyster Bay, Long Island, on the site of an old Quaker settlement. It's composed of a series of interconnected wooden pavilions topped by angled gabled roofs, "each one focused inward on its own garden courtyard instead of out to the surrounding neighbors," according to the firm.
Learn more about this Quaker-inspired home
October 4, 2016

NJ’s first co-living concept coming to Journal Square; the NYC filming locations of Luke Cage

Here are the NYC filming locations for Luke Cage, Netflix’s new Marvel series set in Harlem. [Untapped] Co-living company Ollie, who is featured at the city’s first micro-housing development Carmel Place, is now bringing their all-inclusive co-living concept to Jersey City’s Journal Square. [6sqft inbox] Trader Joe’s will open in the base of Beyer Blinder Belle’s […]

October 4, 2016

Tribeca live/work loft with an impressive great room hits the market for $2.5M

The great room in this live/work Tribeca loft, at 6 Varick Street, is the epitome of "sprawling." Spanning 1,418 square feet, it fits a kitchen, living room and dining area with space to boot. A bedroom has been carved into the corner, separated by shelving and a curtain. And the whole thing benefits from loft details like exposed wooden beams, white painted brick walls, hardwood floors and huge windows. All that space is now on the market for $2.5 million, after previously going up for rent two years ago.
Time to take a tour
October 4, 2016

NYC bike lanes date back to 1899, and trucks blocked them then too

Vehicles parked smack in the middle of bike lanes are among the biggest scourges faced by city cyclists. It’s illegal (yes, there’s a $115 fine) though the law is rarely enforced–but it’s not just a modern obstruction. As it turns out, the main reason early bike lanes were created in the 1890s was because of lobbying by cyclists in the hopes getting more open riding space. New York City began paving whole streets and laying down asphalt strips specifically for cyclists–and, ironically, carts, wagons and other vehicles immediately began blocking them.
Naming and shaming the scofflaws
October 4, 2016

How Otis’ elevator made modern skyscrapers possible

Advances in engineering continue to push modern skyscrapers to dizzying new heights, but at the core of these structures, quite literally, is an often overlooked technology that’s been key to their proliferation: the elevator. The earliest known reference to the elevator was by Roman architect Vitruvius, who reported that Archimedes built his first elevator around 236 B.C. The design was fairly rudimentary, a platform using pulleys and hoisted by hand or by animal. While elevators found their way into countless buildings and homes in the centuries that followed, including that of Louis XV who used a private lift to connect his Versailles apartment to that of his mistress, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that their true potential was unlocked.
read more about the elevator here
October 4, 2016

Affordable housing applicants with low credit scores and legal history now protected from discrimination

In recent months, the city has been pushing for legislation that better protects tenants, including a bill that would guarantee lawyers for all low-income residents facing eviction and regulations over screening software services that leads to landlord discrimination. They're now taking this idea to affordable housing lotteries, where there's been a major uptick in activity over the past couple years due to the Mayor's goal to add or preserve 200,000 units over 10 years. As DNAinfo reports, the city is releasing today an online Marketing Handbook for the lotteries, and among the objectives are protections for applicants with low credit scores and those who have previously taken their landlords to court.
Find out more
October 4, 2016

For $9.6M, an elegant Spanish Colonial condo awaits on the Upper East Side

On the one hand, you could say this mansion-esque 3,100-square-foot Spanish Colonial Revival-style home embodies classic Upper East Side pre-war co-op charm–at a condo price. A Park Avenue address in Carnegie Hill usually means the former, as do the home's 1928 bones, sprawling, palatial layout and stunning entry foyer. But this $9.6 million condo at 1235 Park Avenue is newly-renovated and though the price may be steeper, it comes with the flexibility a condominium generally affords.
Tour the rooms
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October 4, 2016

New York Wheel’s four 500-ton legs arrive in New York harbor

Despite its opening being pushed to April 2018, the New York Wheel is marking a major milestone--the arrival of its first physical components. According to a press release, the Staten Island Ferris wheel's four legs arrive today to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT). When complete, the 60-story, 630-foot wheel will be the world’s tallest, so it makes sense that each leg weighs in at a whopping 500 tons and measures 18 feet wide and 275 feet tall.
See more photos this way
October 3, 2016

Geometric sound-absorbing wall panels are made from wood wool

Made from wood wool, a mix of leftover wood chips, cement, water and pigments, these sound absorbing wall panels come in assorted colors and shapes that can be arranged and re-arranged, turning any cookie-cutter apartment into a unique space. Designed by Swedish studio Form Us With Love and known as BAUX Träullit, they're a great example of how construction materials can also be functional and stunning.
Learn more about this lovely wall piece
October 3, 2016

Artist brings 4,000 redwood trees to Downtown Brooklyn

A big green sign that greets drivers from Manhattan coming over the Williamsburg Bridge reads, "Name It...We Got It!" Among the many things to which the borough can now lay claim: A dense grove of 4,000 redwood trees in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn's Metrotech Commons. It's this unlikely juxtaposition that has brought the trees, with roots in prehistoric times and known to grow bigger than the Flatiron Building and longer than the Brooklyn Bridge, to this spot steps from Shake Shack. The mini-redwood forest is called "Lost Man Creek," an art installation by Brooklyn-based artist Spencer Finch that opened on October 1. It's a scaled-down (to one hundredth the size) replica of a 790-acre section of California's Redwood National Park, planted in partnership with the Save the Redwoods League.
See more of this magical mini-forest
October 3, 2016

Escape to this Catskills school house for an idyllic upstate vacation

This historic, former school house is the perfect upstate escape, as it's nestled on five acres of land with access to a private river. Located between three different towns--Saugerties, Catskill and Hudson--the charming building has been comfortably renovated to hold up to four guests. The rustic interior boasts high cathedral ceilings over one big open room, while your surroundings include plenty of places to swim, hike and relax. If that sounds like a dream away from New York City, the property is rentable through Airbnb for $240 a night.
Go inside the school house
October 3, 2016

Madonna says in court papers that UWS co-op rules shouldn’t apply to her because she’s famous

"Express Yourself" is not a problem for Madonna when it comes to her real estate dramas. After getting caught posting fake "no parking" signs outside her Upper East Side mansion, she then sued the board of her Upper West Side co-op when they tried to enforce the rule that her children and staff can't use the apartment without her, the owner, present. The Post has now obtained court papers in which the diva asserts she should be exempt from the building rules since they knew she was a superstar when she moved there in 2004. "At that time, I was, and still am, a world-known performing artist... One West knew or should have known that I traveled extensively and owned other residences."
More from the court papers
October 3, 2016

Renters’ Rights 101: Know what your landlord is responsible for

No, you don't have to suffer in a sub-zero apartment this winter, nor do you need to dine with mice and roaches in your kitchen during the summer. If you're one of the many constantly finding themselves up in arms over a negligent landlord, rest assured there's more that you can do beyond grumbling to your friends. Indeed, in NYC tenants have a lot of power, and the city has established a number of regulations to protect you, your family, and especially young children living in rental properties. Ahead is 6sqft's list of the most common problems New York renters face—and some advice on how to get those issues fixed quickly.
Your rights here
October 3, 2016

Flood regulations may thwart plan to convert Lower Manhattan public spaces to retail

When plans surfaced last March for a rezoning of the Financial District that would allow property owners to bring in retail tenants to the underutilized public plazas and walkways at the base of their buildings, it was met with mixed reviews. While some felt it would increase foot traffic and create a more vibrant street presence, others thoughts it would result in a loss of public space, but a gain for developers. These concerns may be a moot point, however, as Crain's brings news today that the plan could be "upended by federal flood regulations being applied to more areas of the city since Superstorm Sandy."
What's the deal?
October 3, 2016

$5.75M Federal rowhouse in the West Village was once owned by Aaron Burr

It seems the hype of "Hamilton" the musical is having an affect on the real estate market. Just five months ago, the former East Village home of Alexander Hamilton, Jr. sold for $10 million, and now a rowhouse across town in the West Village that was once owned by Aaron Burr, who famously killed his father, is hitting the market for $5.75 million. The Post reports that the charming brick, Federal-style home at 17 Commerce Street sits on land that Burr owned just north of his country estate during the turn of the 18th century.
More history and a look through the house
October 3, 2016

For $2.6M, this Village loft has a floor plan that’s definitely off the grid

On a tree-lined Village block that's somewhere between bustling and quiet, with a certain unchanged kind of old school elegance, this three-bedroom co-op loft at 30 East 10th Street is spacious enough at 1,600 square feet, but expensive at $2.6 million. On the other hand, it's a corner loft, and well-proportioned–the co-op's layout is anything but cookie-cutter with big bedrooms nestled in their own orbits on opposite sides of the apartment.
Tour the loft
October 2, 2016

Historic upstate property with 15 acres sells itself as a $915K getaway for New Yorkers

This property is being sold as the perfect haven for a New Yorker who needs an escape upstate. Located at 287 Marcott Road, in Stone Ridge, it's a sprawling 15 acres that's just 80 minutes from Manhattan and 20 minutes from the Amtrak station. On all that land is an 1800s stone structure, which has been renovated and is used as the main house, a heated in-ground pool and a guest house, all surrounded by forest. And it's asking about the price of a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, $915,000.
Walk the grounds
October 1, 2016

September’s 10 most-read stories and this week’s features

September’s 10 Most-Read Stories Everything You Need to Know About Affordable Housing: Applying, Getting In, and Staying Put One month after anti-Trump sale, Keith Olbermann’s former Trump Palace condo returns for $3.9M The ‘empty mansions’ of Huguette Clark: Luxury and mystery of an era past The 10 Best Plants for Apartment Dwellers Live in SOM’s […]

September 30, 2016

Hexagonal Frank Lloyd Wright ‘Usonian’ house for sale for $995K in Glen Ridge, New Jersey

This unique listing should definitely get the attention of modern house lovers and math geeks. One of three remaining New Jersey homes (a fourth was moved to Arkansas in 2014) designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is up for sale for $995,000. The home was purchased by the current owners in 1996 and restored to "purists' standards" in 2006. The house follows the architect’s “Usonian” plan which incorporates native materials and strong visual connections between interiors and the exterior landscape.
Check it out
September 30, 2016

Vishaan Chakrabarti reveals idea to repurpose Madison Square Garden as part of the Penn Station overhaul

Earlier this week, Governor Cuomo revealed plans to transform a revamped Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex into a "world-class 21st century transportation hub." Despite the flashy new renderings and promise of a 2020 completion date, not everyone is sold on the plan, including Vishaan Chakrabarti, former principal of SHoP Architects and founder of the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism. As outlined in the Times, he feels that Cuomo's scheme has one glaring omission--Madison Square Garden. Instead of demolishing the arena, as earlier plans had called for, Chakrabarti proposes repurposing it and "using its stripped skeleton to make a glass pavilion, which becomes a neighborhood gathering spot, not just a station." The venue would then move to the west end of the Farley Building.
Lots more details and renderings ahead
September 30, 2016

The Urban Lens: Photographer Bob Estremera captures vestiges of the Lower East Side’s early days

When Bob lived briefly on the Lower East Side in 2011, he loved "walking its crumbling sidewalks and admiring it’s equally crumbling architecture." But the neighborhood's gentrification was already underway: "Tucked away among the little stores, restaurants, apartments and barber shops, upscale boutique restaurants were making themselves felt with prices and menus that could only be supported from clientele outside the neighborhood," he describes. So he decided to return to the LES and capture what he feels is the area's essence. In this resulting black-and-white series, he turns our attention to vestiges of the early days, "the decayed store fronts and once proud architecture and businesses that have vanished and others still clinging barely to life."
Hear more from Bob and see all the photos
September 30, 2016

Spotlight: Maya Valladares helps artists copy famous works at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

If you've ever visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art and watched an artist working at a canvas or sculpting amongst the museum's larger than life pieces, then you've seen the Copyist Program in action. Founded in 1872, two years after The Met first opened, the program has provided countless artists the opportunity to copy the great works that fill the museum's numerous galleries. The Copyist Program is overseen by The Met’s Department of Education, and Maya Valladares, an artist focusing on textiles, serves as the its Assistant Educator for Public Programs and Creative Practice. Her role requires her to create holistic experiences through the museum’s public programming, and through the Copyist Program, she works to enhance the experience of copying for the students and cohorts that come through the museum's doors. 6sqft recently spoke with Maya, who shared details about the program’s rich history, what copying offers artists, and what it’s like to duplicate the works of a world-class museum.
Read the interview here
September 30, 2016

Beloved Carnegie Deli will shutter at the end of the year

Iconic New York City restaurant the Carnegie Deli, which first opened in 1937, will close at the end of the year. Restaurant owner Marian Harper Levine told employees of the eatery’s closing Friday morning, reports said. “I’m very sad to close the Carnegie Deli but I’ve reached the time of my life when I need to take […]

September 30, 2016

Aerial gondola proposed to better connect Staten Island with Manhattan

With subway plans stalling and bus service failing, planners are turning their sites to alternate modes of urban transportation such as ferries and aerial gondolas. The latter has picked up steam over the past year thanks to the East River Skyway, which would run along the Brooklyn waterfront and into Manhattan, and it looks like the transit-starved folks over on Staten Island have taken note. Earlier this year, the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation launched a conceptual design competition for an aerial tramway that would better connect the borough to surrounding areas. As Untapped tells us, the winning proposal is a line that runs parallel to the Bayonne Bridge from Elm Park to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in Bayonne.
Find out more this way
September 30, 2016

Tishman Speyer officially files plans for Bjarke Ingels’ $3.2B Hudson Yards tower

Developer Tishman Speyer has officially filed plans with the Department of Buildings for Bjarke Ingels' Hudson Yards tower The Spiral at 509 West 34th Street. As reported by The Real Deal, the filing confirms that the office tower will rise 65 stories and 1,005 feet and encompass 2.2 million square feet. When renderings were first released of the $3.2 billion project, which is distinguished by cascading landscaped terraces and hanging gardens, Ingels said his design "combines the classic ziggurat silhouette of the premodern skyscraper with the slender proportions and efficient layouts of the modern high-rise."
More details ahead
September 30, 2016

Darling one-bedroom townhouse flat in Greenpoint asks just $660K

It's hard not to fall for Greenpoint's mix of waterfront loft energy and quaint, leafy old-school ethnic enclave. On a typically twee and tree-lined block in a prime spot between McCarren and McGolrick Parks, this one-bedroom-with-possibilities co-op at 100 Newel Street, asking $660K, is on the parlor floor of a totally charming building and has great prewar bones; the 800-square-foot apartment's layout, though, is somewhat in need of an update.
READ MORE
September 29, 2016

Brooklyn ‘eco triplex’ with natural swimming pool and green roof renting for $1,400/night

This Carroll Gardens townhouse may be the only one in Brooklyn that lays claim to a "natural" swimming pool in its backyard. It was renovated with eco-friendly features in mind and you can experience it yourself through Airbnb for $1,395 a night. Three floors overlook ecologically landscaped gardens and water features that include a natural pond with native fish and turtles. Atop the house is a green roof with its own pergola. And inside, the home is decked out with antique wood floors, clay walls, and large sunny rooms with views of the surrounding greenery.
Check out the interior
September 29, 2016

Skyline-altering tower to rise 928 feet along Fifth Avenue in Nomad

A near supertall skyscraper is coming to Nomad, according to a recent Department of Buildings filing for 262 Fifth Avenue. Boris Kuzinez, an Israeli-Russian billionaire, submitted plans last week for a 54-story, 928-foot-tall mixed-use tower on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 29th Street where a trio of pre-war buildings currently stand. The tower […]

September 29, 2016

Interactive map shows when and where to find fall foliage at its peak

If you want to know when and where you can experience autumn in all its glory, look no further than this incredible map from SmokyMountains.com. The predictive map is the ingenious creation of Wes Melton, an engineer who developed a complex algorithm that can compute several million data points—ranging from historical temperatures to historical precipitation and forecast temperatures—to forecast exactly when fall will reach its fiery perfection in any given county across the United States.
Give the interactive map a try here
September 29, 2016

NYC real estate causes Trump’s wealth to drop by $800 million; finally, a self-cleaning toilet

Turkey has officially files permits for a new, 35-story consulate and residential tower at the corner of 46th Street and First Avenue. [Yimby] One woman reveals the dirty secrets she found out after cleaning fancy Manhattan apartments. [Guardian] Donald Trump’s fortune is down to $3.7 billion, down $800 million from last year, due in large part […]

September 29, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week- 9/29-10/5

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! Starting this weekend, a miniature Redwood forest grows in Brooklyn thanks to the Public Art Fund. Female artists take on the self portrait at the Untitled Space, while Salomon Art Gallery hosts a Beggars Banquet. Countless artists open their doors for Bushwick Open Studios, where you're also welcome to channel your inner artist at Jacked Fashion Camp. The Queens Museum celebrates a book launch by Rebecca Solnit, and the City Reliquary highlights Philip Johnson's Queens landmark. Finally, add to your art collection and stop by the Affordable Art Fair in Manhattan all weekend long.
More on all the best events this way
September 29, 2016

New renderings for JDS and SHoP’s 1,000-foot Lower East Side supertall

Last 6sqft checked on the rental building at 247 Cherry Street in the Two Bridges area of the Lower East Side, it was revealed that the tower would rise to 1,000 feet, not surprising considering it comes from the supertall power team of JDS Development and SHoP Architects. And now, after a Community Board 3 meeting earlier this week where JDS and SHoP addressed the controversial project, CityRealty.com brings a new set of renderings that show close-ups of the 77-story building's green terra cotta facade and sky decks.
Check out all the new views
September 29, 2016

MTA board member asks who will pay for Penn Station overhaul

As 6sqft previously reported, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans early this week for a $1.6 billion overhaul of Penn Station, and further details revealed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would be responsible for $150 of the project's costs. Since those plans were released, questions have been raised about where that organization's share of the tab would be coming from in an already stretched budget.
So where is this money coming from?
September 29, 2016

Except for the $475K price, this charming studio embodies the old East Village spirit

Anyone who's been around long enough to remember what the East Village used to be like–before the days of shiny condos and SoulCycle–might say this rather romantic little 425-square-foot co-op studio at 88 East Third Street is just about as old school as you can get without having your bathtub in the kitchen. Yes, there’s a Starbucks on the corner, but this quintessentially quirky-cool block is still home to the infamous Hell’s Angels East Village clubhouse at number 77 (right next door to the New York Law School dorm). They won’t cause you any trouble, but those bad boys still ride, so we hope you like the sound of motorcycle engines.
Get a closer look
September 29, 2016

Matt Damon checks out Brooklyn’s most expensive house, a Brooklyn Heights mansion with a mayoral past

Way back in February 2015, 3 Pierrepont Place hit the market for $40 million, making it Brooklyn's most expensive listing ever. The Brooklyn Heights Promenade mansion boasts 17,500 square feet, 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and more than 9,000 square feet of garden and outdoor space, in addition to a wealth of period details. Plus it comes with a bit of historic pedigree; it was built in 1857 as the Low Mansion for businessman A.A. Low, whose son, Seth Low, became mayor of Brooklyn, mayor of New York City in 1902, and president of Columbia. Perhaps it's all these bragging rights that attracted Matt Damon, as the Post reports that he and wife Luciana Barroso recently toured the grand property.
See the entire mansion
September 28, 2016

New York’s 1940s ‘victory gardens’ yielded a whopping 200 million pounds of produce

During the Second World War the United States (and other European nations) experienced significant food shortages, as the majority of the country's food supply was being sent overseas to aid in the war effort. In response, government organizations encouraged citizens to plant "victory gardens" to help ease the burden. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson said "Food will win the war," and launched through the Bureau of Education a United States Garden Army. The program, funded by the War Department, began in 1943 and urbanites living in New York City collectively grabbed their shovels to adorn the bare concrete streets with a far more plentiful kind of landscaping.
learn more here

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