6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Last June, Mitsui Fudosan, one of the largest real estate companies in Japan, bought a majority stake in Taconic Investment Partners' 525 West 52nd Street, a $330 million rental development between 10th and 11th Avenues. As the Journal reported at the time, the two-towered Hell's Kitchen project (one is 22 stories, the other 14) will offer 392 apartments with 80 set aside for low-income residents, as it was developed through the city's 421-a program. Now, those affordable units have come online through the city's housing lottery, and they range from $913/month studios to $1,183/month two-bedrooms.
Find out what luxury perks the building offers

Affordable Housing

August 8, 2016

The 30-Year Evolution of Socrates Sculpture Park; Developer Aby Rosen Releases Anti-Trump Billboard

Despite his partnership with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, developer Aby Rosen put up a huge billboard in Noho urging New Yorkers to “Vote Your Conscience.” [TRD] The Four Seasons is hosting a Hamptons pop-up. [NYP] In 1986, Long Island City’s Socrates Sculpture Park was a landfill and illegal dumping ground. Today, it’s an urban artistic haven. [Dwell] Tour Anna […]

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August 8, 2016

27,000 Tons of Floating Concrete and Fabulous Feats of Engineering Make Pier 57 Peerless

In the summer of 1952, when the American economy was emerging with a roar from the stagnation of the Great Depression and World War II, engineer Emil H. Praeger was chosen to create a replacement for the Grace Line’s old Pier 57 which had been destroyed by fire. Described by the New York Times, the key to what makes the resulting replacement pier so special lies hidden below the pier shed in the Hudson River at the foot of West 15th Street; Rather than resting on a conventional pile field, the bulk of its weight is held up by three floating concrete boxes known as caissons, which are permanently anchored underwater. The unique foundation of the abandoned pier is the same foundation that will host a $350 million renovation of what is being called the SuperPier by RXR Realty and Youngwoo and Associates, thanks to a lease from the Hudson River Park Trust, with new tenants to include Google offices and Anthony Bourdain's new food market.
Find out more about how enormous blocks of concrete can float

August 8, 2016

Architecture Workshop’s 400-Square-Foot Studio Has a Secret Bedroom and Sleeps Six

Almost every New Yorker has been tasked with the challenge of smartly utilizing a tiny apartment. But Architecture Workshop takes the prize for the unbelievable challenge of transforming a 400-square-foot prewar studio into a modern space that hosts 10 for dinner, sleeps six, and includes a home office to boot. The firm created a multi-functional space with tons of cabinetry that blurs the line between furniture and architecture. The result, as the firm puts it, is "an airy modern apartment where everything has its place."
See how they did it

August 8, 2016

Apply Today for 24 Affordable Apartments Near Van Cortlandt Park, Starting at $1,292/Month

The third largest park in the city (behind Pelham Bay Park and the Staten Island Greenbelt), Van Cortlandt Park is not only adjacent to Woodlawn Cemetery, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo, but it's also home to the country's first public golf course, the oldest house in the borough, and the city's largest freshwater lake. If living near this 1,000+ acre oasis sounds appealing, an affordable housing lottery has just launched for 24 brand new units at 3677 White Plains Road in the Olinville neighborhood. One bedrooms are going for $1,292/ months and two-bedrooms for $1,458.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

August 8, 2016

Rent This Charming Cobble Hill Cottage With Private Garden and Backyard Studio for $7,250/Month

Constructed in the 1870s on a short, private block of Cobble Hill, the 34 modest Gothic cottages of Warren Place Mews were built by wealthy merchant, philanthropist and housing advocate Alfred Tredway White as homes for workingmen and their families. 21st century prices for these unique "private estates" that share an English courtyard have reached the millions; renting doesn’t come cheaply either, with the asking rent on the three-story, eleven-foot wide two-bedroom home at 1 Warren Place at $7,250/month. That may seem a bit more reasonable when you see the home’s gorgeous renovation helmed by Elizabeth Roberts Architecture & Design and landscaped yard with your own private “writers’ compound or tiny playroom” at the back.
Take a peek at this small, beautiful living space

August 7, 2016

Michael Haverland’s Mod Waterfront House Sits on the Highest Point of Shelter Island

Over four acres of waterfront land--atop the highest point on Shelter Island--sits this incredible beach house re-imagined by Michael Haverland Architect. The firm designed a modern but still contextual addition for the 6,000-square-foot home, with large steel casement windows and doors to best capture the surrounding views. While one end of the home looks like a traditional beach cottage, the other side is much bolder, brighter and all-around impressive.
Go inside

August 6, 2016

Brooklyn’s Tallest Tower Finishes Construction and Commences Leasing

By Ondel Hylton

Back in 2007, a run-of-the-mill row of three- to four-story walk-up buildings bounded by Willoughby, Bridge and Duffield Streets was ordered to vacate to make way for a soaring mixed-use skyscraper developed by AvalonBay Communities. Without warning, shopkeepers were given between 30 and 120 days to clear out or face court eviction, evidence of the impact of gentrification on Downtown Brooklyn. The district's 2004 rezoning sparked the development of thousands of new apartments (6,400 in the pipeline according to our latest count) and is finally getting a dusting of office space too. Now, after an arduous, decade-long journey of assembling an 11-parcel site, clearing and excavating it, and throwing up nearly one million square feet into the air, Avalon has finally finished construction and has kicked off leasing of the building's upper collection of homes called Avalon Willoughby Square.
Get the scoop on Avalon's deals

Distinctive Homes

Every inch of this $1.8M Fieldston home was hand-crafted by an artist resident

For $2.7M, this Crown Heights townhouse is a brilliant bohemian paradise designed for living

For $1.45M, this barrel-fronted Bay Ridge home offers three floors for living and lots of outdoor space

This $5.6M Tribeca condo in a former spice-grinding factory brings warmth to loft proportions

A grown-up townhouse with a Bushwick address–and a koi pond–asks $2M

The corner terrace at this $4.4M Stella Tower condo puts the city skyline at your feet

$11M historic West Village home offers the privacy, parking, and outdoor space you'd find in a suburban subdivision

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

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

For $1.5M, get (way) off the grid in Gilded Age style on your own private island in Alexandria Bay

VIEW ALL

August 6, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

Lottery Opens for 57 New Units Near Yankee Stadium, Starting at $494/Month Rent This Retro 50’s Trailer on a Catskills Farm for $125/Night Trump Opponents Plan to Build a 200-Foot Wall Outside the Donald’s Midtown Buildings Revealed: Rem Koolhaas’ First NYC Building in Gramercy $3M Prospect Park South Mansion on Michelle Williams’ Street Sold in […]

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August 5, 2016

Fernando Mastrangelo Carves Glacier-Inspired Furniture From Sand

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Brooklyn-based designer Fernando Mastrangelo, founder of design firm MMATERIAL, was inspired by the blue shades of majestic Patagonian glaciers like Perito Moreno for his Drift collection. These sculptural pieces of furniture look like carved stone, but are actually made from sand.
Learn more about this alkaline designs

Friday 5: Find Free Rent in Lovely Brooklyn Heights and Bed-Stuy

Every Friday 6sqft is rounding up five of the best rental deals showcased on CityRealty.com’s newly launched no-fee rentals page, a space where house hunters can find the best concessions being offered by landlords across the city.

August 5, 2016

Friday 5: Find Free Rent in Lovely Brooklyn Heights and Bed-Stuy

By 6sqft

If you're an urban dweller that appreciates the opportunity to disconnect from the craze of the city, Bed-Stuy or Brooklyn Heights are two of the best places to find respite. While these neighborhoods don't boast the same trendsetter vibes as other borough favorites like Williamsburg or DUMBO, they do offer an unparalleled beauty highlighted by leafy streets and rows and rows of historic brownstones and brick townhouses. Below we've rounded up five buildings in these two lovely locales offering free rent and more.
check them out here

Uncategorized

August 5, 2016

The Met Sets a New Attendance Record; Trump Denied the Housing Bubble

Despite layoffs and financial issues, the Met saw a 6.3 percent boost in attendance last year, totaling 6.7 million visitors across its three locations. [WSJ] Donald Trump told paying Trump University students that the real estate market wouldn’t take a hit, even though it had already begun to. [WNYC] One Manhattan Square, the tallest building between downtown […]

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August 5, 2016

Vacation at a Glass Cabin in the Woods of Upstate New York for $300/Night

This is a rural retreat like no other. Known as the Sixteen Doors House and designed by the firm Incorporated Architecture & Design, this is a modern cabin made practically transparent by the placement of sixteen doors and windows. Luckily, it's surrounded by six acres of forest in the foothills of the Berkshires so privacy is a non-issue. 6sqft profiled the design project back in 2014; now it's being offered as a vacation rental through Airbnb. For $300 a night, you can have your own tranquil experience at the Sixteen Doors House.
See inside

August 5, 2016

Spotlight: Climate Scientist Radley Horton Discusses Extreme Weather in NYC

By Susan Cohen

With increasing concerns about rising sea levels and the large quantity of greenhouse gas emitted into the atmosphere, Radley Horton's work is more important than ever. As a climate scientist at Columbia University, he's working on the applied end of climate change by examining data to make projections about the possibility of extreme weather events. Based on the data and ensuing models, he then considers the impacts these potential events and the overall changing climate might have in a variety of contexts that range from airports to the migration of pests. Radley is on the forefront of understanding what might happen and how cities, countries, and other entities can prepare even in the face of uncertainty. 6sqft recently spoke with Radley about his work, areas of climate concern in New York, and what we all can do to combat a changing planet.
Read the full interview here

August 5, 2016

Could This Glass-Enclosed Farm/Condo Grow on Rem Koolhaas’ High Line Site?

From multidisciplinary architectural firm Weston Baker Creative comes this vision of glass, grass and sass in the form of a mixed-use high-rise springing from the Rem Koolhaas parcel along Tenth Avenue and West 18th Street on banks of the High Line. As CityRealty reported, the mixed-use concept would include residences, an art gallery and ten levels of indoor farming terraces. The 12-story structure would rise from a grassy plaza, with the tower's concrete base meeting the High Line walkway in a full-floor, glass-enclosed gallery that would sit at eye level with the park.
Find out more

August 5, 2016

Donald Trump’s Poor Real Estate Investments Depleted His Wealth Threefold

Earlier this week, Donald Trump warned Americans not to invest in the stock market, reiterating his prediction that a "massive recession" is upon us. This is despite the fact that he's admitted to never being one for stocks. But when it comes to real estate, his investments have been plenty, though an analysis in the Washington Post shows us that quantity does not equal quality in this case. In fact, "had his portfolio kept pace with the real estate market over the past 40 years, he would be worth about three times as much today."
Get all the stats

Celebrities

August 5, 2016

Perfume Heiress Pauline Rochas Lists Trés Chic Williambsburg Loft for $2.6M

Perfume and fashion heiress Pauline Rochas and partner Carole Beaupré, the impossibly chic and creative photographer couple who currently own this 2,082-square-foot, one-bedroom-plus-office in Williamsburg’s Mill Building at 85 North Third Street, have listed the fashionably renovated loft for $2.585 million. Ms. Rochas is the granddaughter of the late Hélène Rochas, stylish socialite, perfumer and wife of couturier Marcel Rochas; she and Ms. Beaupré run a photography studio, Coolife, that specializes in shooting still-life beauty images for brands like Chanel and Ralph Lauren, and collaborated on a line of perfumes (h/t LLNYC). The pair purchased the home for $940,000 in 2007 and have since elevated it to a level of polished north Brooklyn cool befitting their lifestyle as well as their neighborhood.
Tour this chic Williamsburg loft

Distinctive Homes

A Shipping Container Tower Transformed this Brooklyn Carriage House

File this under kooky design schemes that actually work. Inhabitat NYC profiled a Clinton Hill carriage house completely transformed by a shipping container tower built inside. The homeowners, artist Markus Linnenbrink and art dealer Cindy Rucker, were on the hunt for an architect who could renovate with as many sustainable elements as possible. They picked the design firm LOT-EK due to their specialty in shipping container buildings. The result? A container tower that serves as the core of this retrofitted carriage house, and many more repurposed details throughout.
Check it out

August 4, 2016

Ikea Is Selling a Full Mini Kitchen for Only $112

6sqft has featured a couple compact kitchens before (like ChopChop and Gali), but they've both been concepts. Now, thanks to none other than Ikea, space-starved New Yorkers who actually prefer cooking to delivery can easily purchase a mini unit that offers everything a traditional kitchen would--a cooktop that can be removed to reveal countertop space, a mini fridge, a sink, and back rails to install various storage solutions (h/t Elle Decor). For those who want a bit more storage, Sunnersta also has a matching bar cart with three shelves for just $30.
Find out more

August 4, 2016

Rich People Have More Bugs; Is This the Most New York Dessert Ever?

Tour the world’s first commercial rooftop vineyard in Brooklyn. [Grub Street] Affluent areas tend to have more outdoor space and vegetation, leading to more arthropods that find their way into homes. [The Atlantic] The Everything Black is a $5 vanilla ice cream sandwich “that fuses the black-and-white cookie and the seasoning of an everything bagel.” [DNAinfo] A […]

Uncategorized

August 4, 2016

Trump Opponents Plan to Build a 200-Foot Wall Outside the Donald’s Midtown Buildings

All anti-Trumpers, mark your calendars for August 30th, as this is the day that a determined group of opponents plans to build a quarter-million pound, 200-foot-long sandbag wall across from Trump Tower. Designers David Haggerty and James Cazzoli have already received permits from the Central Park Conservancy (the wall will go up at West 59th Street and Avenue of the Americas, four blocks from Trump Tower and three blocks from the Trump International Hotel) and they've now launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign called "Wall in Trump" to raise the $60,000 it'll take to make this vision a reality.
Get all the details

Celebrities

August 4, 2016

Oscar-Winning Actress Lupita Nyong’o Checking Out Apartments in Pacific Park Brooklyn

Things are heating up over at Pacific Park Brooklyn, the 22-acre Prospect Heights site anchored by the Barclays Center and containing eight million square feet of mixed-use development. Last month, an affordable housing lottery kicked off for 300 units at the COOKFOX-designed 535 Carlton Avenue, and now the architects' other residential building at 550 Vanderbilt Avenue is making celebrity headlines. The Post reports that Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o was looking at apartments in the 17-story luxury condo, specifically a $2.89 million three-bedroom, corner unit.
Get the scoop on her potential purchase

Celebrities

August 4, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 8/4-8/10

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! The amazing experience that is Summer Streets has returned- walk car-free and carefree each Saturday along Park Avenue for the next three weeks. Grab a blanket to catch American Graffiti with a view at Brooklyn Bridge Park, or take in some literary genius outdoors at a community garden in Alphabet City. Get weird on Governors Island for a Klezmer workout, then celebrate the book release of Governors Island's famous FIGMENT Festival with its founder. Head upstate to check out artwork made from VHS tapes or to Brooklyn to witness the artwork of Naomi Campbell (no, not that one). Finally, spend every night in August experiencing Jherek Bischoff's Cistern in Times Square.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

August 4, 2016

Own the Chelsea House Where ‘The Night Before Christmas’ Was Written for $8.7M

Around the holidays, 6sqft recounted the local history of Clement Clarke Moore’s quintessential Christmas tale, “The Night Before Christmas," which was written right here in Chelsea in 1822. The author was a major landowner in the neighborhood and lived with his family on a huge estate at 23rd Street and 9th Avenue, then considered the backwoods of the city. Their home was at 348 West 22nd Street, but Moore sold it in 1835. Six years later, it was rebuilt as the Greek Revival townhouse that stands today, and according to the Post, it's now for sale for $8.65 million.
More on the house

August 4, 2016

If You’re Seeking Loft Perfection This $7,200/Month West Village Rental Is For You

This downtown Manhattan loft in a near-everything-cool spot at 321 West 13th Street between the West Village and the Meatpacking District may not be family-sized, but it definitely seems that no expense was spared in making this an authentic loft to call home. On the rental market for $7,200 a month ($7,500 furnished with Eames, Platner and an impressive art collection), the fifth-floor (by elevator), one-bedroom condo has a rare level of custom interior design that's understated and over-achieving when it comes to comfort and cool. Add open city views, a washer-dryer and plenty of closet space and you can see why that perfection theme keeps coming up.
View loft perfection from all angles

August 3, 2016

BLOCKS NYC Explores Greenwich Village From Bob Dylan to The Ramones in Coloring Book Pages

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

BLOCKS (full name: City Blocks Culture Collective) explores and celebrates the architecture of city neighborhoods, introducing stories of how historic landmarks have evolved and how they fit into the city’s cultural landscape. The organization’s Toronto-based founder Rafi Ghanaghounian’s love for music was sparked by a visit to Greenwich Village as a teen, when he experienced the music vibe, history, colorful street life and architecture of the city. BLOCKS NYC is a way to share this passion for music, art and New York City, from the 1940s jazz scene to the beat generation in the ’50s, the folk scene of the ’60s, and Ramones-era punk in the ’70s. The group’s latest project explores the neighborhood via a super-chill coloring book featuring album covers shot on Village streets in the ’60s and ’70s to celebrate the rich musical history of that era’s folk and rock scene.
Find out how you can help

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August 3, 2016

Take a Staycation at This Restored Bungalow in Rockaway Beach

You don't have to leave town if you're looking for a late summer getaway. You could just rent this restored Rockaway Beach bungalow, available on Airbnb for $130 a night. The two-bedroom pad, which the hosts call a "classic old bungalow," fits five guests. Lots of windows and a double-height ceiling mean the space has a lofty vibe, but mostly it's a charming and cozy place to shack up in New York City's surf town.
Take a look around

Getting Away

August 3, 2016

Arthur Ashe Stadium Unveils Retractable Roof; NYC’s Last Dairy Plant Closes

Arthur Ashe Stadium is ready for the US Open next month with its new, retractable roof. [Curbed] The apartment of the future will be built using these three innovations. [CityRealty.com] China’s street-straddling bus went for its first test drive. [CityLab] After 100 years in Jamaica, Queens, Elmhurst Dairy will close, putting 273 people out of work […]

Uncategorized

August 3, 2016

POLL: Have You Noticed Overcrowding in City Parks?

One day in May last year, Washington Square Park had 54,000 visitors, more than enough to fill Yankee Stadium. Annual attendance at the High Line more than tripled to 7.6 million visitors last year from two million in 2010. And Central Park expects to break records this year with 42 million visits. These statistics come from a New York Times article today that looks at how "more people than ever are jamming into the city’s public parks, pools and beaches, filling the most popular ones to bursting, creating noise and trash problems and making the experience altogether less enjoyable for those looking for a bit of serenity." This overcrowding has led the city to spend $6 million this year hiring an additional 500 seasonal workers. They're also extending beach and pool seasons past Labor Day and implementing more free programs like outdoor movies and yoga classes.
Have you noticed the overcrowding?

City Living

August 3, 2016

Interview: FXFOWLE’s Dan Kaplan on Building a More Sustainable New York City

By Diane Pham

Since opening in 1978, FXFOWLE has grown to become one of New York’s most prolific architecture firms, transforming the skyline with new and updated additions like the slick and sloping 35XV in Flatiron, showstoppers like 4 and 11 Times Square in Midtown, and their conversion of a massive Village medical complex into a luxurious celeb-filled residence called The Greenwich Lane. While FXFOWLE’s […]

August 3, 2016

Live in a Flashy New Tower Near Hudson Yards for $913/Month, Lottery Opens Tomorrow

Just this week, BKSK Architects' dapper new mixed-use tower in the Hudson Yards district topped off at 345 feet. Located at 509 West 38th Street and dubbed the Hi-Side, the 30-story building is just four blocks from the new 7 train stop and adjacent to the forthcoming Hudson Park Boulevard. When it opens its doors next year, it will offer 225 rentals, 46 of which will be reserved for New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area media income. As of tomorrow, the latter batch of residences will be up for grabs through the city's affordable housing lottery, with units ranging from $913/month studios to $1,183/month two-bedrooms.
Find out more right here

Affordable Housing

August 3, 2016

Find Prewar Manhattan Glamor in Modern Midtown for $10K a Month

For old-world Manhattan living it would be hard to argue with the Parc Vendome, from its award-winning formal English tea gardens to graciously-configured apartments—like this 2,000 square-foot, two-bed-plus-office beauty—with wood-burning fireplaces, entry galleries and capacious closets. Built in 1931, the elegant two-building complex at 333 West 56th Street was converted to condominium apartments in 1983. In addition to space and charm and a fortunate location blocks from both Lincoln Center and Central Park, you'll have an impossibly lovely south-facing private terrace and open city views, all for $10K a month (gas and electric are included).
Get a closer look

August 3, 2016

Landmarks Approves Morris Adjmi’s Debated Noho Office Building

Less than a month ago, the Landmarks Preservation Commission asked contextually proficient architect Morris Adjmi to modify his design for a 10-story, terra cotta office and community facility building in Noho. The site, at 363 Lafayette Street within the Noho Historic District, is controversial for the fact that it's adjacent to the live/work studio of artist Chuck Close, who filed a lawsuit in 2008 against the previous owner to prevent construction of a different office building that would've blocked his loft's natural light. Yesterday, Adjmi presented a revised version of the project, which the LPC this time approved, reports New York Yimby. The new design eliminates the five two-story setbacks and opts for slightly angular, less dramatic, floor-by-floor setbacks.
More details ahead

August 3, 2016

Lottery Opens for 57 New Units Near Yankee Stadium, Starting at $494/Month

Just three blocks from Yankee Stadium and a 20-minute walk from the newly opened High Bridge is Summit Ridge, a six-story, brick affordable housing building designed by Aufgang Architects. Its 57 units, now up for grabs through the city's lottery, are reserved for New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income, or $18,275 for individuals up to $63,060 for families of six. The apartments range from $494/month studios to $1,182/month three bedrooms and have access to the building's amenities that include bike storage, an outdoor terrace, laundry room, and community room.
More details this way

Affordable Housing

August 2, 2016

Famed Basketball Sportscaster Marv Albert Buys $10M Tribeca Penthouse

It was all the way back in the fall of 2014 that sportscaster Marv Albert sold his Lincoln Square penthouse for $15 million. We're not sure where he's been living since, but he's just picked up another penthouse, this time at 5 Franklin Place in Tribeca, the new luxury condo from ODA Architects. According to city records released today, "the voice of basketball" paid $10.3 million for the 3,700-square-foot, four-bedroom home that comes with an additional 660 square feet of terrace space.
See what the place looks like

August 2, 2016

Ana Arana’s Magnetic Room Dividers Have a Bit of ’90s Kitsch

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Room dividers are a great way to maximize space and privacy in small spaces, but in some cases, they can also add a decorative focal point, as well as a temporary storage solution. That's the case with Ana Arana's geometric and playful Tromploeil, which is made of separate perforated, white metal planes that are joined by magnets with colorful geometrical elements. The result has a fun, kitschy 1990s vibe that surely brighten up any cookie-cutter apartment.
Learn more about this playful room divider

August 2, 2016

Lottery Opens for 50 Middle-Income Units at High-End Rental West End Towers

Most of the affordable housing lotteries that have been coming online through the city's portal have served low-income New Yorkers. The latest, though, has a higher income range, catering to middle-income tenants who earn 130 percent of the area median income, or $70,732 for an individual up to $117,700 for a family of four. The 50 available units are located at West End Towers, a luxury 1,000-unit rental at West End Avenue and 63rd Street, less than a block away from Riverside Park and just two blocks from Lincoln Center. The apartments range from $2,024/month studios to $2,611/month two-bedrooms.
Learn about the high-end amenities

Affordable Housing

August 2, 2016

The Gentrification of Williamsburg’s Bedford Avenue; Frisbee Masters Headed to New York

The championship for Freestyle Frisbee–a combination of gymnastics, dance, performance art and Frisbee–is coming to Brooklyn. [WSJ] A survey of Williamsburg’s Bedford Avenue as it approaches “peak post-gentrification.” [Curbed] Inside Brooklyn’s first Apple store (on Bedford Avenue). [Architizer] Summer Streets returns this weekend, and there will be a three-story waterslide at Foley Square. [Gothamist]

Uncategorized

August 2, 2016

New Interactive Subway Game Lets You Build the Transit System of Your Dreams

A new interactive New York City subway planning game created by electrical engineer Jason Wright gives you a chance to try your hand at building the subway system of your dreams. Though based on a similar idea to Dinosaur Polo Club's Mini Metro, the game goes further and gives players a lot more to work with. “Brand New Subway” lets players start from scratch or use current subway maps, modify historic maps dating as far back as the 1900s or use maps from the future (like the planned 2025 subway system map pictured above) (h/t DNAinfo).
Try your hand at playing god of the subways

August 2, 2016

City Will Study Residential Rezoning of Gowanus, But Locals Want More Affordable Housing

When the area surrounding the Gowanus Canal was designated a Superfund site by the EPA in 2010, it seemed all but impossible that the contaminated, warehouse-laden neighborhood could get on par with the rest of Brooklyn. But recent years have brought major cleanup efforts along the 1.8-mile Canal, leading to new additions like a Whole Foods (quite possibly the first sign of gentrification) and subsequent interest from developers in creating higher end housing. This fall, reports DNAinfo, the Department of City Planning will launch a study to explore a rezoning of Gowanus that would allow for more residential developments in what is currently an industrial section. Locals, however, have similar concerns to those who opposed the recent, controversial East New York rezoning--that it will only incentive developers, causing displacement of longtime residents, and that any affordable housing put forth in the plan would still be out of reach for the lowest income residents. They've therefore created their own redevelopment plan called Bridging Gowanus, which, as the Times notes, calls for "greater density and more affordable apartments in return for improvements and guarantees that preserve the precarious soul of the district."
More details ahead

August 2, 2016

$1M Williamsburg Condo Delivers on Location, Space, Price–and a Huge Backyard

This 1,077 square-foot two-bedroom garden apartment at 206 Montrose Avenue on a convenient and colorful block in "hot, hot, hot East Williamsburg" has two spacious and quiet bedrooms with covetable closet space, plus two baths; there's an amazing amount of outdoor space in the form of a big patio and backyard. And it comes in at (just a hair) under $1 million at $999,000.
Check all the boxes...

Distinctive Homes

August 2, 2016

Tom Brady and Gisele Pick Up a $20M Pad in Robert A.M. Stern’s 70 Vestry

Pre-deflategate, in 2013, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen bought a sprawling apartment at glassy Flatiron tower One Madison. The following year, they put it on the market for $40,000 a month, and it rented out in just two days. But it looks like they'll soon be selling, as the Post reports that the power couple has picked up a $20 million+ pad at Robert A.M. Stern's forthcoming Tribeca project 70 Vestry Street. Though it's not confirmed which unit they acquired, sources say it's 5,000 square feet, on a high floor, and comes with a large terrace. Rumor also has it they chose the waterfront building because of the privacy that its covered porte-cochère entrance provides.
More this way

August 1, 2016

City Releases New Public Art Map With More Than 1,000 Sites

"New York City’s parks are host to the country’s greatest outdoor public art museum," says the Parks Department as an introduction to their new interactive Public Art Map and Guide. First spotted by Brokelyn, the map features more than 1,000 public art sites and monuments across the boroughs. It also plots temporary exhibits and gives a brief description of them.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

August 1, 2016

This Stylish Coffeemaker Lets You Reuse Your Coffee Grounds to Grow Mushrooms

The modern world never tires of discussing the best ways to brew coffee–and coming up with cute coffeemakers to do it with. Designers Adrián Pérez and Mauricio Carvajal have made the process much more efficient by putting the grounds to good use, too (h/t Inhabitat). The duo's HIFA coffee system repurposes coffee grounds to grow oyster mushrooms.
See how it works

520 Fifth Avenue

Midtown West

Live at the center of NYC

1 beds starting at $2,445,000
2 beds starting at $3,435,000
3 beds starting at $6,775,000

Learn More

August 1, 2016

Rent This Retro 50’s Trailer on a Catskills Farm for $125/Night

Just 90 miles north of the city is Outlier Inn, a 12-acre Catskills farm complete with a recording studio, greenhouse with seasonal produce for sale, pond, and plenty of furry friends (sheep, goats, alpaca, bunnies). 6sqft previously featured some of the funky properties up for rent here this summer-- a geodesic dome, 127-square-foot tiny house, and a 1930s farmhouse with its own yoga studio. The latest offering on the scenic property is this 1953 Spartenette Trailer, which remarkably can sleep four people. In addition to its space age-like metal shape, this vehicle has all the retro touches you'd expect, from teal leather banquets to vintage appliances, and it's available for $125 night on Airbnb.
See more of the trailer and the grounds

Getting Away

August 1, 2016

G Train Will Double in Length; Watch Hudson Yards’ Culture Shed in Action

Thanks to the looming L train shutdown, the G train will get improved service and double in length from four cars to eight. [NYT] Target will open a location on 14th Street in Extell’s new East Village residential and commercial development. [DNAinfo] New Yorkers may complain about noise, but in reality they’re addicted to it. [Nautilus] […]

Uncategorized

August 1, 2016

Two-Bedroom Williamsburg Condo With Pool Views Gets a Price Chop to $1.5M

The Williamsburg development 135 North 11th Street probably starts looking good to buyers every summer considering it boasts its own private pool, complete with lounge chairs and cabanas. This particular apartment, a two-bedroom unit, looks down upon the pool from a private balcony. The funky space has just gotten a price chop, reducing from its ask of $1.62 million to $1.495 million last week. It last sold in 2011 for $728,048.
Take a look around

August 1, 2016

Could Facebook’s Entry Into Residential Real Estate Offer a Model for Housing in Expensive Cities?

Facebook recently proposed a plan to create 1,500 apartments for employees near their Menlo Park, California campus, with 15 percent of the housing set aside for low-income families. According to Wired, "Urban planners and local developers call it a generous gesture that could bring sorely needed housing to the area." The company wants to construct two new office buildings and a hotel on land near its original campus to accommodate thousands of planned hires. Some people argue that the tech company getting into the property development game will actually drive up housing prices in a market that's already one of the nation's most expensive areas.
Would company housing help in New York City?

August 1, 2016

Uncovering the Past of Staten Island’s South Beach