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Billy Joel is selling his 26-acre estate on Long Island's North Shore for $49,000,000. The "Piano Man" bought the first 14 acres of the sprawling property on Oyster Bay Harbor in 2002 for $22,500,000, and has since acquired more parcels of land, piecing together much of an original estate that was split up in the 1950s, as the Wall Street Journal reported.
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NYC’s historic Roosevelt Hotel becomes arrival center for asylum seekers

Photo by Billy Hathorn via Wikimedia Commons

May 15, 2023

NYC’s historic Roosevelt Hotel becomes arrival center for asylum seekers

A historic hotel in Midtown that has been closed since the start of the pandemic will become the city’s first arrival center for migrants, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Saturday. Located at 45 East 45th Street, The Roosevelt Hotel will serve as a “centralized intake center” for all arriving asylum seekers, providing them with legal, medical, and reconnection services and up to 175 rooms for children and families starting later this week. The new shelter is the ninth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center opened by the city; more migrants are expected to arrive in New York after the end of the pandemic-era rule Title 42, which let the U.S. quickly expel migrants without documentation.
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Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 15, 2023

Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

Rosie O'Donnell is trading Manhattan for Malibu. The comedian put her Midtown East penthouse on the market last week for $8,300,000, following a move to the West Coast, as the New York Times first reported. The Long Island native and longtime New York City resident paid $8,000,000 for the apartment in 2017. The home, located atop 255 East 49th Street, measures nearly 3,600 square feet across three levels, including an impressive private rooftop.
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This $13.5M Tribeca condo designed by Thierry Despont is a 21st-century version of Don Draper’s pad

Photo credit: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 15, 2023

This $13.5M Tribeca condo designed by Thierry Despont is a 21st-century version of Don Draper’s pad

Peerless in form and function, this dazzling condominium residence at 111 Murray Street was designed by world-renowned French architect and designer Thierry Despont. Asking $13,500,000, the Tribeca trophy home, with its open city and water views and magazine-worthy renovation, is the perfect setting for an updated rendition of "Zou Bisou, Bisou" against the glittering Manhattan skyline.
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Apply for 22 mixed-income apartments in the heart of Flatbush, from $1,576/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

May 12, 2023

Apply for 22 mixed-income apartments in the heart of Flatbush, from $1,576/month

Applications are being accepted for 22 mixed-income units at a new residential development in Brooklyn. Located at 1457 Flatbush Avenue, the development offers residents spacious and modern apartments with an expansive amenity suite. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $57,429 for a single person and $156,130 for a household of three, can apply for the units, which range from $1,576/month studios to $3,126/month one-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Novelist Erica Jong lists Upper East Side apartment for $4.25M

Photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker Warburg

May 12, 2023

Novelist Erica Jong lists Upper East Side apartment for $4.25M

Novelist Erica Jong is selling her high-floor Upper East Side home for $4,250,000. Jong, who has written more than 25 books but is best known for her 1973 feminist novel "Fear of Flying," bought the apartment with her husband for $1,490,000 in 1990, according to the New York Post. Located on the 27th floor of the Emery Roth-designed Imperial House at 150 East 69th Street, the apartment measures nearly 3,000 square feet, boasts a charming solarium with sweeping Central Park views, and has custom bookcases filled to the brim, fit for any writer.
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Housing targets in every NYC district would lead to more equitable development, City Council says

Image courtesy of Vlada Karpovich on Pexels

May 12, 2023

Housing targets in every NYC district would lead to more equitable development, City Council says

A new plan by the New York City Council aims to increase affordable housing production by setting development goals for each of the city's 59 community districts. Speaker Adrienne Adams on Thursday unveiled her "Fair Housing Framework" legislation, a plan reminiscent of Gov. Kathy Hochul's rejected proposal earlier this year that called for every locality in the state to meet home creation targets. Under Adams' plan, "high-opportunity," or wealthier, transit-rich neighborhoods in the city, would be required to produce more low-income affordable housing. According to the plan, the city's housing agencies would be responsible for setting targets for each district, which would be reevaluated every five years, starting in 2025.
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Where to work remotely outside in New York City

The plaza at BPL’s Central Library branch; Photo courtesy of Gregg Richards

May 11, 2023

Where to work remotely outside in New York City

By Lidia Ryan

As the weather warms up, WFH can become WFO — work from outside! Bad puns aside, the internet has become ubiquitous, with public internet hotspots popping up everywhere in recent years. Today, many public areas and parks — including National Parks — around the world offer free Wi-Fi. And in New York City, access is expanding.
See the spots

City Living

Distinctive Homes

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

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

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

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

From rental income to solar panels, this $3.5M Bed-Stuy brownstone checks all the boxes

This $2.7M Red Hook home brings color and creativity to townhouse living

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

For $1.4M, this full-floor Park Slope co-op comes with a private rooftop oasis

$1.5M Clinton Hill co-op is a modern home base in a classic loft space

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

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300-foot timber bridge connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall has been installed

All photos © 6sqft

May 11, 2023

300-foot timber bridge connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall has been installed

The elevated pathway that will connect the High Line to the new Moynihan Train Hall hit a major milestone this week. The 260-foot-long timber bridge has been craned into place and is currently suspended 25 feet over Dyer Avenue. The new footbridge connects Manhattan West's public plaza Magnolia Court to a pedestrian pathway at West 31st Street, providing an easier way of accessing the Moynihan Train Hall without having to cross multiple streets. The timber bridge will link to the so-called Woodland Bridge, which will extend east from the existing northern terminus of the High Line. The new linear park, dubbed the High Line-Moynihan Train Hall Connector, is expected to open in late June.
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$8M Flatiron co-op feels like a custom contemporary house in the middle of New York City

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 11, 2023

$8M Flatiron co-op feels like a custom contemporary house in the middle of New York City

With 4,100 square feet of living space and five bedrooms, this nine-room co-op at 6 West 20th Street in Manhattan's Flatiron district could easily be a custom-built family home in the suburbs, if it weren't in the middle of a vibrant Manhattan neighborhood. Asking $7,950,000, this renovated loft residence designed by West Chin Architects even has the layout of a modern house, with large rooms arranged around a central gallery.
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Distinctive Homes

May 11, 2023

Huge light installation coming to site of proposed Midtown East casino near the U.N.

An impressive light installation will debut this fall at the storied 7-acre vacant site near the United Nations in Midtown East. Stretching from 38th to 41st Streets on First Avenue, and designed by world-renowned artist Bruce Munro, "Field of Light" will include an array of 17,000 flower-like lights that will serve as a "beacon of freedom and hope around the world." Opening in September, the free and public installation is being paid for by the Soloviev Group, the firm which has proposed constructing a mixed-use development dubbed Freedom Plaza on the undeveloped property, anchored by one of three casinos planned for the New York City area.
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Events & Things To Do

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

May 10, 2023

40 last-minute Mother’s Day gifts

By Terri Williams

Your mom is unique and that’s why we’re presenting a variety of Mother’s Day gifts to choose from, whether she loves cooking, hates cleaning, or wants to trick out her home office or home entertainment center. We also included some options to help your mom relax – something she probably doesn’t do enough – and gifts that will just make her life easier. And these gifts, all available to purchase online, are also ideal for grandmothers, stepmothers, aunts – as well as wives, daughters, nieces, and friends.
What mom wants

$416M mixed-use development will bring 700 new apartments to Inwood

Renderings courtesy of the New York Governor’s Office

May 10, 2023

$416M mixed-use development will bring 700 new apartments to Inwood

A massive mixed-use development project will bring nearly 700 mixed-income housing units to Upper Manhattan. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced the two buildings, located at 405 and 407 West 206th Street in Inwood, will feature all-electric heating and cooling and other sustainable features to help the state reach its carbon reduction goals. The $416 million complex includes a mix of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, 281 of which will be reserved for residents earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income.
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El Dorado childhood home of Beastie Boys’ Mike D finds a buyer after $4.5M price chop

Photos from the 2022 listing courtesy of Rise Media

May 10, 2023

El Dorado childhood home of Beastie Boys’ Mike D finds a buyer after $4.5M price chop

The childhood home of Beastie Boys rapper Mike D has found a buyer, after a year on the market and a $4.5 million price cut. The apartment at the Upper West Side's enviable El Dorado building belonged to the estate of Hester and Harold Diamond, owners of one of the world’s finest art collections and parents of Mike Diamond. The duplex co-op hit the market in May 2022 for $19,500,000 and relisted this past March for $14,995,000 before entering contract on Tuesday, as first reported by the New York Post.
Details here

Real Estate Trends

New exhibition celebrates design icon Milton Glaser’s grooviest work

Questor. Annual report, 1969. Questor Corporation. All images courtesy of SVA

May 10, 2023

New exhibition celebrates design icon Milton Glaser’s grooviest work

A New York City exhibition is showing off rarely-seen whimsical work of famed late illustrator Milton Glaser. Hosted at the School of Visual Art's Gramercy Gallery, "Milton Glaser: POP" features nearly 150 items drawn from the Glaser archives, including book, album, and magazine covers as well as posters and advertisements. Many of these pieces have not been viewed since they were originally published, and some have never been published at all. Free and open to the public, the exhibition will be on view from Wednesday, May 17 through Monday, June 5.
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Events & Things To Do

Lottery opens for 106 senior units at 100% affordable development in the Bronx

Rendering courtesy Magnusson Architecture and Planning

May 9, 2023

Lottery opens for 106 senior units at 100% affordable development in the Bronx

A new 16-story tower at a public housing development in the Bronx launched a housing lottery for 106 senior apartments last week. Located within NYCHA's Sotomayor Houses in Soundview, Casa Celina includes 205 units for low-income seniors, with 30 percent reserved for formerly homeless New Yorkers, community facilities, and amenities, including a rooftop terrace. Applicants must have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older, qualifies for Section 8 benefits, and earns no more than $60,050 annually. Eligible New Yorkers will pay 30 percent of their income for the available studio and one-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

May 9, 2023

19 best spots in NYC for outdoor music this summer

The summer is one of the most lively times of the year in New York City, with fun events everywhere you look. The season is especially exciting for music lovers who can enjoy an extensive selection of both free and ticketed shows at outdoor venues across the five boroughs. We've rounded up the best open-air spots hosting concerts in the coming months, from a jam-packed season at Forest Hills Stadium in celebration of its 100th anniversary to Lincoln Center's botanically-transformed campus for its three-month-long arts festival.
Get ready to groove

NYC designates Bushwick’s first historic district

A block in Bushwick with a collection of intact rowhouses has been designated as the neighborhood's first historic district. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to landmark a stretch of Linden Street between Broadway and Bushwick Avenues that represent several architectural styles of the late 19th century, including Queen Anne, Renaissance Revival, and neo-Grec. According to the commission, the Linden Street Historic District represents the neighborhood's transition from farmland to residential and boasts a "unified streetscape with a strong sense of place."
Details here

Policy

This $2.5M loft in a former East Village synagogue once belonged to photographer William Wegman

Photo credit: Rachel Kuzma for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 9, 2023

This $2.5M loft in a former East Village synagogue once belonged to photographer William Wegman

Now on the market for $2,500,000, this East Village loft at 431 East 6th Street is one of three in a building with a history that's in keeping with its colorful downtown neighborhood. Available for the first time in 40 years, the apartment, belonging to model and interior designer Maria Von Hartz, represents the latest incarnation of what was once an abandoned synagogue. The building, which is a tenancy-in-common property, was purchased in the 1980s by a group of artists who transformed the abandoned house of worship into beautiful loft homes. Among these artist-owners was celebrated photographer William Wegman of whimsical Weimaraner fame.
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Distinctive Homes

NYC’s congestion pricing program gains key approval

Photo by Raidarmax on Wikimedia Commons

May 8, 2023

NYC’s congestion pricing program gains key approval

New York City's congestion pricing plan is finally moving forward after years of delays. President Joe Biden's administration last week approved the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's environmental review of their proposed Central Business District Tolling Program, which would charge drivers for entering certain parts of Manhattan at peak hours. With this initial approval from the Federal Highway Administration, a 30-day public review period is now open. The MTA said the new tolling system could launch as soon as spring 2024, as Politico reported.
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NYCxDESIGN 2023: What to see and do at New York City’s annual celebration of design

Photo: © 6sqft

May 8, 2023

NYCxDESIGN 2023: What to see and do at New York City’s annual celebration of design

NYCxDESIGN: The Festival, New York City's official celebration of design, returns to the city from May 18 to May 25. This major international design event, now in its 11th year, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to celebrate globally renowned creative accomplishments, discover new ideas, and inspire through design. Anchored by several major industry fairs, including ICFF and WantedDesign, the festival is packed with independent shows, open studios, and exhibitions that inspire audiences and showcase new talent. The annual festival promises to be an opportunity to discover the newest and most exciting contributions in furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories–many of which you'll be seeing in magazines, blogs, and showrooms for years to come–and an opportunity to get ideas for your own living space. Read on for a few highlights.
NYCXDesign Festival 2023 highlights, this way

At $25M, Chelsea’s most expensive townhouse will set a new record

Photo credit: Brown Harris Stevens

May 8, 2023

At $25M, Chelsea’s most expensive townhouse will set a new record

This four-story townhouse at 334 West 20th Street, asking $25,000,000 set a neighborhood record when it changed hands in 2021 for $22,500,000, according to the Wall Street Journal. Chelsea's priciest townhouse is on track to outdo its previous record if it fetches its current ask. From the cellar gym to the elevator to the sprawling rooftop terrace, AD100 firm Gachot made use of every inch of usable space in a redesign that turned the home into a modern Manhattan mansion while preserving its historic elegance.
Tour this modern Manhattan mansion

Distinctive Homes

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

May 5, 2023

MTA service alerts are back on Twitter

After suspending the use of Twitter for real-time service alerts just last week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has resumed posting on the social media platform. The decision comes after Twitter reversed plans to charge government agencies for using its application programming interface (API), which would have cost the MTA $50,000 per month.
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Mike Myers lists five-bedroom High Line penthouse for $20M

Photo courtesy of Will Ellis/COMPASS

May 5, 2023

Mike Myers lists five-bedroom High Line penthouse for $20M

Another of comedian and actor Mike Myers' fabulous homes is for sale. This 5,600-square-foot penthouse adjacent to the High Line at 505 West 19th Street in West Chelsea, asking $20,000,000, has two terraces and five bedrooms, with designer interiors courtesy of Thomas Juul Hansen, the building's architect. According to the Wall Street Journal, the “Shrek” star purchased the home for $15.35 million in 2017.
Take the penthouse tour

Two-tower Prospect Heights rental with huge public park launches lottery, from $2,290/month

All images courtesy of TF Cornerstone

May 5, 2023

Two-tower Prospect Heights rental with huge public park launches lottery, from $2,290/month

A housing lottery opened this week for 240 middle-income units at 595 Dean Street, the latest building to open at the Prospect Heights mega-development, Pacific Park. The two-tower, mixed-use project has 798 total rentals, 30 percent of which are designated below market rate, and is anchored by roughly 60,000 square feet of public open space. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $78,515 annually for a single person and $187,330 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $2,290/month studios to $3,360/month two-bedrooms.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

All aboard a charming $2M three-bedroom townhouse flat in historic Brooklyn Heights

Photo credit: Russ Ross Photography

May 4, 2023

All aboard a charming $2M three-bedroom townhouse flat in historic Brooklyn Heights

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

Though this three-bedroom co-op at 167 Clinton Street in the heart of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District might be a standard railroad flat, it's definitely in the first-class section: The one inconvenience of the room-after-room layout–having to walk through every room to get to the others–has already been remedied with a closet-lined hallway in the bedroom wing. Situated on the suitably grand parlor floor of a mid-1800s townhouse, there's plenty of space in this charming residence, asking $1,995,000, that spans the length of the main townhouse plus its rear carriage house.
Take the room-by-room tour

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

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NYC’s containerized trash program would eliminate 150,000 parking spaces

Image courtesy of m01229 on Flickr

May 4, 2023

NYC’s containerized trash program would eliminate 150,000 parking spaces

Containerization, storage of trash in sealed bins rather than in plastic bags, is possible on 89 percent of New York City's streets with residential properties. A new analysis released by the city's Department of Sanitation this week found installing collection receptacles across the city is actually feasible, but would require the elimination of roughly 150,000 parking spaces, or 10 percent of all curb space on blocks with residential buildings. As first reported by the New York Times, the city will launch a pilot program in West Harlem this fall that will include the installation of trash containers in parking spots on up to 10 blocks and at more than a dozen schools.
Find out more

May 4, 2023

New store selling all Brooklyn-made goods opening at Industry City

What started as a Brooklyn-themed holiday pop-up will now operate year-round. The 1,200-square-foot marketplace Brooklyn Made will open in Sunset Park's Industry City this month, with over 50 Brooklyn-based vendors selling merchandise, artwork, beauty products, houseware, and more. The shop will open in Industry City's Innovation Alley on Thursday, May 18.
Details here

Uncategorized

Community-created memorial honoring New Yorkers lost to Covid on view at Green-Wood Cemetery

All photos courtesy of Green-Wood Cemetery

May 4, 2023

Community-created memorial honoring New Yorkers lost to Covid on view at Green-Wood Cemetery

A massive new public art memorial at Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery honors lives lost during the Covid-19 pandemic. Curated by Naming The Lost Memorials and City Lore, the "The Many Losses from Covid-19" memorial is made up of personalized tributes to the 79,000 New Yorkers lost to the virus, as well as those suffering from long Covid. Created by 20 local community groups, the month-long display will be located alongside the cemetery's historic wrought-iron fence near the main entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street.
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Events & Things To Do

A suspended spherical concert hall will hang in The Shed at Hudson Yards

A rendering of Sonic Sphere in The Shed’s 115-foot-tall McCourt space, 2023. Courtesy The Shed.

May 3, 2023

A suspended spherical concert hall will hang in The Shed at Hudson Yards

A 65-foot-tall spherical concert hall will hang suspended inside The Shed in Hudson Yards. Created by avante-garde architects Ed Cooke, Merijn Royaards, and Nicholas Christie, the Sonic Sphere offers concertgoers a truly unique experience with immersive 3-D sound and light explorations of music that redefine the idea of a concert hall. Performances in the sphere will run from June 9 through July 7.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

Rent increase between 2% and 5% likely for NYC’s stabilized apartments

Photo by Avi Werde on Unsplash

May 3, 2023

Rent increase between 2% and 5% likely for NYC’s stabilized apartments

The roughly two million New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments will likely see rents go up by the largest percentage in 10 years. In a preliminary vote on Tuesday, the Rent Guidelines Board, a nine-member panel responsible for adjusting the cost of rent for stabilized apartments, approved increases on one-year leases between 2 and 5 percent and increases on two-year leases between 4 and 7 percent. A vote determining the final increases will take place in June; the board historically has adopted rent hike proposals that fall within the preliminary range.
Details here

Policy

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 3, 2023

British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

This 6,000-square-foot full-floor residence in the Beekman Regent condominium at 351 East 51st Street, currently asking $6,995,000 (down from $8,500,000 in 2021), may provide an opportunity for auction lovers: The penthouse with city views and five bedrooms is headed for online auction by the British government, with bids starting at $2,000,000. The penthouse has functioned as the British Consul General in New York's residence, so it's a given that its flexible floorplan and nearly 10-foot ceilings would add up to the perfect space for lavish parties and regal receptions.
Take a look inside

50+ must-have items to add to your wedding registry

Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels

May 2, 2023

50+ must-have items to add to your wedding registry

By Terri Williams

Marriage means not only sharing lives but also merging lifestyles. A wedding registry is an opportunity to create a wish list of the items you really need or want. They can be practical, stylish, comfortable, fun – basically, anything that you desire. A wedding registry also takes the guesswork out of shopping for wedding gifts, which makes it easier for friends and family members, so you can avoid receiving five toasters or 10 champagne glass sets. We compiled a list of wedding registry ideas that are sure to please every newlywed couple.
Our picks for the newlyweds

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Broadway Junction’s overhaul to include $500M in safety, public space, and accessibility upgrades

Image courtesy of Caroline Willis/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 2, 2023

Broadway Junction’s overhaul to include $500M in safety, public space, and accessibility upgrades

New York City is investing nearly $500 million to revitalize the area around one of Brooklyn's busiest transit hubs. The overhaul of East New York's Broadway Junction subway station includes accessibility upgrades, two new public plazas, and safety improvements as part of the city's effort to make the hub a regional transit center, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday. Work is expected to begin in 2027 and finish by 2030.
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Live above the nation’s first hip hop museum in the Bronx, from $465/month

Renderings courtesy of S9 Architecture

May 2, 2023

Live above the nation’s first hip hop museum in the Bronx, from $465/month

A housing lottery opened this week for 432 mixed-income units at Mott Haven's major waterfront project, Bronx Point. Located at 575 Exterior Street, Bronx Point is a 22-story mixed-use development with over 1,000 apartments, retail space, and the country's first permanent museum dedicated to hip hop. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 80, and 120 percent of the area median income, or between $18,515 annually for a single person and $198,600 for a household of seven, can apply for the apartments, priced from $465/month studios to $3,332/month three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

$25M Upper East Side carriage house was once J.P. Morgan’s garage

Photo credit: MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

May 2, 2023

$25M Upper East Side carriage house was once J.P. Morgan’s garage

This 25-foot-wide carriage house at 118 East 83rd Street has 7,500 square feet of living space, a private garage, a roof deck and terraces, an elevator–and an interesting New York City story. Situated on a leafy Upper East Side block lined with carriage houses, this particular one has several distinctions. Built in 1908, it was originally owned by the J.P. Morgan family and served as the noted financier's garage and staff quarters. Constructed at the dawn of the automobile era, the building was among the first to be built specifically to hold cars. After a complete renovation by the current owners, this four-story home is a modern mansion with peerless amenities–including a private garage–now listed for $25,000,000.
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Distinctive Homes

25 ways to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in NYC

Photo courtesy of 7beachbum on Flickr

May 1, 2023

25 ways to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in NYC

During May, the country marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to honor and recognize the achievements and culture of Asian Americans. Throughout the month, many of New York City's community organizations and cultural institutions will host activities and events celebrating the city's diverse Asian communities, from learning about Chinatown's historic monuments and making K-Pop-themed crafts to catching a set from an AAPI comedian and taking a virtual Vietnamese cooking class.
Our picks here

Events & Things To Do

Lottery opens for 70 mixed-income units at High Line-facing rental in Hudson Yards, from $772/month

Photo courtesy of The All-Nite Images on Flickr

May 1, 2023

Lottery opens for 70 mixed-income units at High Line-facing rental in Hudson Yards, from $772/month

A new high-rise tower in Hudson Yards launched a housing lottery last week for 70 mixed-income apartments. Dubbed the 30th and 11th Apartments, the mixed-use building at 606 West 30th Street sits across from the High Line and just south of New York City's newest neighborhood. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from $772/month studios to $2,592/month two-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

This $12.5M penthouse spans the entire floor of a 1930s Upper West Side hotel

Photo courtesy of Evan Joseph

May 1, 2023

This $12.5M penthouse spans the entire floor of a 1930s Upper West Side hotel

The building that began life as a "skyscraper church" and home to the storied Manhattan Towers Hotel at 2166 Broadway was converted to 113 co-ops–and one massive penthouse–in 1980. That penthouse–a rooftop villa with the interiors of a modern farmhouse mixed with a loft–is now on the market for $12,500,000. With a wrap-around terrace and a solarium, the sprawling five-bedroom co-op is blessed with unobstructed 360-degree views of Central Park, the Hudson River, the Midtown skyline, and the George Washington Bridge from every window as well as its dazzling outdoor spaces. A multi-level loft-like floor plan comprises the entire top floor, for endless space in addition to peerless views.
Discover this unusual aerie

Distinctive Homes

MTA suspends use of Twitter for service alerts, calls the platform ‘unreliable’

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

April 28, 2023

MTA suspends use of Twitter for service alerts, calls the platform ‘unreliable’

New York City commuters will no longer be able to check Twitter for service alerts. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday suspended the use of Twitter for posting service alerts, stating that the social media platform's reliability "can no longer be guaranteed." The transit agency's Twitter access through its application programming interface (API) was "involuntarily interrupted" twice in the last two weeks on April 14 and April 27.
Details here

SHOP THE LISTING: Full-floor Red Hook condo with a Mediterranean vibe and two terraces

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow

April 28, 2023

SHOP THE LISTING: Full-floor Red Hook condo with a Mediterranean vibe and two terraces

This 1,800-square-foot full-floor Brooklyn condo at 96 King Street, asking $2,950,000, offers three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. Organic architectural details like arched doorways and unique textures, shapes, and colors combine to give the newly-minted home a sunny, modern Mediterranean feel. Two terraces provide outdoor space for enjoying summer evenings in this lively and eclectic neighborhood; the three-unit building offers private parking for the car you’ll need for life in Red Hook. If you’re loving the interior design of this home, we’ve sourced a few key pieces that are identical or similar to the items in the listing photos. So you can get the look–without having to move.
Shop the listing, this way

Shop

Photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 27, 2023

This $4.9M unicorn of a Williamsburg townhouse has a guest suite, garage, art studio, and roof deck

If you've got $4,900,000, you don't have to choose between an artist's loft and a townhouse with room for guests or tenants, or between city living and having a garage. This rare north Brooklyn townhouse at 394 Union Avenue in the heart of Williamsburg offers two floors of townhouse living with plenty of flexibility. There's garage parking, a huge art/music studio, a guest suite with its own kitchen, and plenty of outdoor terrace space for entertaining.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Dine-in movie theater to open at Bjarke Ingels’ VIA 57 West

Image via WikiCommons

April 27, 2023

Dine-in movie theater to open at Bjarke Ingels’ VIA 57 West

A new dine-in movie theater is opening inside a luxury residential building in Midtown next month. Located within the Bjarke Ingels-designed and Durst Organization-developed VIA 57 WEST, Look Dine-In Cinema's new flagship location offers a premium movie experience with large screens, state-of-the-art sound systems, luxury seating, and extensive food and beverage options. The theater opens on Thursday, May 4.
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Get a sneak peek of AMNH’s Studio Gang-designed Gilder Center before it opens

The Staircase in the Kenneth C. Griffin Exploration Atrium. Photo courtesy of Iwan Baan

April 27, 2023

Get a sneak peek of AMNH’s Studio Gang-designed Gilder Center before it opens

The American Museum of Natural History's highly anticipated science center officially opens next week. Designed by Jeanne Gang's Studio Gang, the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation will serve as a space for scientific discovery with cutting-edge collections, research facilities, next-generation classrooms, and interactive exhibitions. Opening on Thursday, May 4, the Gilder Center is also New York City's latest architectural treasure, with its curving structure inspired by caves and canyons now nestled within the museum's existing historic campus.
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Spring + Thompson

83 Thompson Street

Soho

Loft-like residences in Soho designed by Selldorf Architects

2 beds starting at $4,975,000
4 beds starting at $14,850,000

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Photo credit: Kristina Crane with Evan Joseph Studios

April 27, 2023

NYPL president buys Parisian-like penthouse in Nomad for $2.45M

The latest notable New Yorker to own this unusual Nomad penthouse is Anthony W. Marx, president of the New York Public Library. Marx, who has overseen the nation's largest library system since 2011, picked up the pretty pad at 66 Madison Avenue this month for $2,450,000, according to city records. Previous owners of the one-bedroom co-op include an Emmy-award-winning casting director and a designer and fashion PR executive.
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Real Estate Trends

Lincoln Center to host public celebration of Harry Belafonte’s life

Photo via Wikimedia

April 26, 2023

Lincoln Center to host public celebration of Harry Belafonte’s life

New Yorkers will come together this week to remember one of their own. Harlem native Harry Belafonte, who died Tuesday at the age of 96, was not only a legendary performer and EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) winner but a political activist who befriended and supported Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Lincoln Center will host a public celebration of Belafonte's life and his influence.
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$3.2M Chelsea brownstone duplex has a magical private garden and a fireplace in every room

Photo courtesy of Rachel Kuzma for The Corcoran Group

April 26, 2023

$3.2M Chelsea brownstone duplex has a magical private garden and a fireplace in every room

A rambling, landscaped private garden with wisteria, ivy, and mature trees is a prize that often comes with townhouse living. This duplex co-op at 326 West 22nd Street, asking $3,200,000, offers that rare urban oasis in the middle of Chelsea, without the hassle and expense of owning an entire house. What's more, this beautifully-designed duplex within an 1840s Greek Revival townhome has a wood-burning fireplace in nearly every room, so it's just as dreamy in the indoor days of winter.
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Distinctive Homes

Half of NYC households can’t afford basic needs, new report finds

Photo via Wikimedia

April 25, 2023

Half of NYC households can’t afford basic needs, new report finds

Half of all New York City households are unable to afford their basic needs, according to a new report. Released this week by the Fund for the City of New York, the report found that 1,298,212 working households, or 2,991,973 people, do not earn enough to afford essential expenses like rent, health care, food, and transportation. The number of struggling households is up to 50 percent from 36 percent in 2021, a 38 percent increase over a two-year period, highlighting the pandemic's immense economic impact on New Yorkers.
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300 NYC blocks to go car-free under this year’s ‘Open Streets’ program

The 31st Avenue Open Street in Astoria is 100% run by volunteer residents. Photo courtesy of the 31st Avenue Open Street Collective

April 25, 2023

300 NYC blocks to go car-free under this year’s ‘Open Streets’ program