6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

As 6sqft previously reported, "thirty-eight years after the publication of his acclaimed book 'Delirious New York,' Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his global architecture firm the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)... have finally landed their first ground-up New York City commission." And now, CityRealty.com has uncovered the first official renderings of the two-towered condo development, located at 122 East 23rd Street in Gramercy. The Pritzker Prize winner has designed a crystalline glass and concrete facade with a chiseled corner on the north building that exposes its glass edges. In between the two buildings will be a courtyard surrounded by private apartment terraces. The courtyard will lead into a pool area, children's play area, and screening and party rooms on the building's lower levels. There will also be a robotic parking system that brings cars to underground storage.
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Friday 5: Where to Find Free Rent and Deals in NYC’s Top Starchitect-Designed Buildings

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.

July 29, 2016

Friday 5: Where to Find Free Rent and Deals in NYC’s Top Starchitect-Designed Buildings

By 6sqft

No longer are New York's most distinguished and architecturally avant-garde residential buildings limited to condos and co-ops. With more design-attuned renters on the market, developers are tapping the world's best architects to make their rental properties stand out. A spate of renowned designers have hit the city's architectural scene as of late, including of-the-moment starchitect Bjarke Ingels, long-time favorite Robert A.M. Stern, and Pritzker Prize winner Christian de Portzamparc. While rental prices in these properties are usually higher than average, these buildings provide condo-level finishes, gracious and unique layouts, and all the amenities a renter could wish for. The slowing rental market and the influx of hundreds of new apartments have compelled landlords to offer some short-lived deals and incentives to attract lease-signers. See our list below of the five most stunning new rental buildings that are now offering rental concessions.
See all the deals here

Architecture And Design

July 29, 2016

The Bronx Dethrones Brooklyn for Most Residential Permits Issued

For the past four years, Brooklyn has had more residential permits issues through the Department of Buildings than any other borough. But according to a report from the New York Building Congress shared by DNAinfo, during the first six months of 2016, the Bronx has taken the lead, accounting for nearly 32 percent of all permitted units, a major jump from its 11 percent average over the past four years. For comparison, last year Brooklyn had a staggering 26,000 units permitted, but this year fell to 1,400; the Bronx had 1,900 units authorized this year. Brooklyn's sharp decrease is part of a city-wide drop after the 421-a program expired at the beginning of the year that caused developers to rush to get their permits in at the end of 2015. But the Bronx's surge is likely due to a huge affordable housing push: "More than 43 percent of the units that began construction in the first six months of this year under Mayor Bill de Blasio's ambitious affordable housing plan... were in the Bronx."
More on the trend

Real Estate Trends

July 29, 2016

Inside the Museum of Ice Cream; 45 Designers Create Pins for Hillary

The pop-up Museum of Ice Cream in the Meatpacking District opens today, and it’s already sold out. Have a look inside. [Eater] The Four Seasons auction topped $4.1 million, including a $10,000 bid for ashtrays. [NYT] Hillary Clinton’s campaign has launched the Forty-Five Pin Project, where 45 designers have created their version of a political button. […]

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July 29, 2016

Spotlight: Olympic Silver Medalist Tim Morehouse Hopes to Create a Fencing Hub on the UWS

By Susan Cohen

The opening ceremonies for the 2016 Rio Olympics are a week away, and for many of us it's all about the swimming, gymnastics, and track and field. But for Tim Morehouse, the main event is fencing, a sport with three weapons (sabre, foil, and epee) that has tremendous depth internationally. In 2008, Tim was part of the US men's sabre team that won silver in Beijing, and in 2012 in London, he reached the quarterfinals in the men's individual sabre event. Four years later, Tim has transitioned from a competitor to a fencing ambassador, aiming to raise the sport’s profile in the United States. To accomplish this, he founded and runs Fencing in the Schools, a non-profit organization that teaches physical education teachers the basics of fencing so they can introduce it to their students - especially those who might otherwise not have the opportunity to try it - with the hope of a few of them wanting to take it beyond gym class. In November 2015, Tim continued his mission by opening his own sabre club on the Upper West Side. Though less than a year old, the club is already making a name for itself on 91st, as well as way beyond; at the recent United States Fencing Association's National Championships in Dallas, two of club's students medalled. 6sqft recently spoke with Tim to discuss the Olympics, starting his own club, and his goals of making fencing accessible to everyone.
Read the full interview here

July 29, 2016

Floor-Through, Two-Bedroom With Historic Touches Asks $9,500/Month in the Village

Charm abounds at this two-bedroom West Village apartment, which spans a full floor of the 1875 brownstone building 69 Perry Street. The interior boasts some beautiful historic details like moldings, carved fireplace mantles and original shutters. The fully-furnished apartment also comes with the owner's impressive collection of antique mantel pieces, 19 century paintings and antiques, and an Italian ceramic collection. Overall, not a bad spot to cozy up for a year.
See more of the apartment

July 29, 2016

This Montauk Beach House, Reminiscent of the Salk Institute, Blends Naturally With the Shore

This beach house, designed on the shores of Montauk by John Pawson, is anything but flashy. Instead, the goal was to blend the building with its surroundings--"to engage naturally with the flow of the dune," as Pawson put it. It's almost reminiscent of the Salk Institute, a complex designed by Louis Kahn in La Jolla, California that powerfully engages with the Pacific Ocean. Here, the home barely peeks above all the beachfront brush surrounding the Atlantic. And from the interior, numerous decks look like they're extending naturally into the sand. This is the type of getaway that'll really make you feel one with nature.
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Architecture And Design

Distinctive Homes

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

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

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

For $3.25M, this compact Boerum Hill townhouse goes beyond the condo alternative with three levels and a yard

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

For $6.5M, this Sutton Place townhouse can be three apartments, one modernist mansion, or anything in between

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

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

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

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

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July 29, 2016

Lottery Opens For 75 Affordable Units in Fisher Brothers’ Glassy New Murray Hill Tower

Starting today, New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for 75 brand new units at 225 East 39th Street, the 36-story, curving glass high-rise from the Fisher Brothers and designed by Handel Architects. Located at an interesting crossroads of residential Murray Hill and tower-laden Midtown East, the 373-unit rental offers an impressive pack of amenities, including a fitness center, swimming pool, hot tub and sauna, yoga studio, game room, outdoor terrace, courtyard garden, roof deck with cabanas and barbecue stations, and on-site parking. The affordable units, which may be required to pay additional fees for some of these amenities, range from $833/month studios to $1,247/month three-bedrooms.
More on the building and application process

Affordable Housing

July 29, 2016

Drivers Wanted (Again) for This $4.5M Soho ‘Ferrari’ Bachelor Pad

Anchoring a Soho building that began life as a horse stable for the fire department, this two-story live/work space at 554 Broome Street, just listed for $4.5 million, has quite a few stories to tell–though by now they may be familiar ones, as this instantly-recognizable property is no stranger to the market. First, there's the story of the late Italian count, prince and duke who was also the relative of two popes, a Ferrari dealer, avid car collector, and playboy. Roffredo Gaetani (full name: Roffredo Gaetani di Laurenzana dell’Aquila d’Aragona Lovatelli) was also frequent gossip column fodder in the 1990s because he and Ivana Trump (Donald's first wife) were a high-profile item for a time. Gaetani died in a car crash in 2005, and his estate sold the racy pad to then-bachelor brothers Arash and Daniel Gohari, who are known for the far less gossip-worthy founding of the Xerxes Group real estate investment company.
If these walls could talk...

July 28, 2016

Hip Apartment With Spacious Private Balcony Asks $695K in Ridgewood

This super-stylish condo apartment comes from the Glenridge Mews, a complex in Ridgewood, Queens comprised of nine interconnected buildings with private walk-ways lined with lush greenery and landscaping. The outdoor space doesn't end at the apartment, as the 1,089-square-foot pad comes with a 75-square-foot private balcony large enough for a modest outdoor dinner party. And inside, tons of windows and exposures to the east, west and south ensure a bright, cheerful spot that's now asking $695K.
Take a tour

July 28, 2016

How to Research the History of Your Address in NYC

Have you ever wondered if someone famous used to live in your building? Or what architect built it? What about more dramatic things, like police activity and rat infestations? Verifying these facts–who once lived at your address, whether or not it was ever the scene of a crime, past construction work and violations, and its […]

July 28, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 7/28-8/3

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 beautiful hills of Governors Island has a new sculpture by British artist Rachel Whiteread, and it is yours to discover through the entire season. Bring a tote or a T and get a custom screen print by Brian Leo, or head to GHOST art lounge to talk all things about artists JMR and CRASH. Head outdoors for a day time dance party at MoMA PS1, for a French film at Tompkins Square Park or to the gorgeous Morris-Jumel Mansion for live art and jazz. Celebrate sound at Pioneer Works, or if you're feeling adventurous; hop a train to Asbury Park for sun, surf and the Art Star Craft Bazaar.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

July 28, 2016

MTA Likely to Implement Fare Hike to $3 by 2017

Start saving your quarters; the MTA all but definitively announced at its board meeting yesterday that it will raise subway and bus fares by 2017 in an effort to raise more than $300 million annually. This is part of their four-year financial plan that includes fare and toll hikes every two years to Jamison Dague of the nonprofit Citizens Budget Commission told the Daily News that if past increases are any indication, the MTA will likely raise fares from $2.75 to $3, a four percent increase that would bring in roughly $308 million through 2020. And if another increase was implemented in 2019, the cash-strapped agency would pull in an additional $594 million over two years.
More here

POLL: Will Whole Foods Drive Up Real Estate Values in Harlem?

A rendering of the new Harlem Whole Foods

July 28, 2016

POLL: Will Whole Foods Drive Up Real Estate Values in Harlem?

6sqft has previously written about the Whole Foods Effect--the pattern of real estate values increasing when a new grocery store opens nearby. In fact, national data from Yahoo! Finance showed that "homes with a Whole Foods in the ZIP code appreciated by nearly 34 percent." And here in New York, the Effect seems to be taking hold in Harlem, where a Whole Foods will open next year at 125th Street and Lenox Avenue in a six-story commercial building spanning over 200,000 square feet (other tenants will include Burlington Coat Factory, Nordstrom Rack, Olive Garden and TD Bank). Citi Habitats agent Chyann Sapp told the Post that "there’s a one-bedroom two blocks away for $1,800. And the owner said that once Whole Foods opens he thinks he could easily get $2,000, $2,100 for it." The store was first announced in 2012, at which time the area's price per square foot was $594, according to appraisal firm Miller Samuel. As of 2015, it had risen to $839. Similarly, townhouse prices have doubled from $2 million to $4 million in this time.
Is Whole Foods behind it?

Real Estate Trends

July 28, 2016

A Lack of Air Conditioning in Public Housing; Can an E Train Extension Mitigate the L Shutdown?

What Instagram reveals about enequality in New York. [CityLab] Less than half of NYCHA homes have air conditioning, compared with the 90 percent of all New Yorkers who do. [WNYC] A design studio wants to run the E train on the G tracks in North Brooklyn to mitigate the affects of the L train shutdown. […]

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July 28, 2016

Knicks Star Kristaps Porzingis Rents $8K/Month Penthouse in Fitness-Centric Midtown Building

Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis recently rented out an $8,000 a month penthouse at Midtown West's amenity-rich Sky. Located at 605 West 42nd Street, the glassy slab tower affords the 7-foot-3-inch Latvian player with a Carmelo Anthony-designed NBA regulation-sized basketball court, which is part of a 70,000-square-foot recreation facility that also boasts gyms, three pools, a café, yoga and cycling studios, billiards lounge, and a spa. As the Post tells us, "Godzingis" also rented out another two high-floor units for his brothers Martins and Janis.
See it all here

Celebrities

Time Lapse Video Shows How Midtown’s Tall Towers Will Cast Dark Shadows on the Park

A dozen supertalls (1,000 feet or higher) in the construction or planning stages in Manhattan include a significant number on the rise along the Billionaires’ Row strip just south of Central Park. This trend has been causing concern due to the shadows the looming towers will cast on the park. Now, a slightly ominous time-lapse video from Cube Cities shows how Billionaires' Row will have a sundial effect on the park (h/t Gothamist). The length and duration of the shadows will vary as the sun's angle changes with the seasons; fall and winter days are looking dark, with the tall towers' long shadows reaching as much as a mile into the park.
Watch the tall towers darken the park on a fall day in the future

New Developments

July 28, 2016

Rupert Murdoch’s Multi-Terraced West Village Townhouse Sells for $27.5M in Just Five Months

Last August 6sqft reported that News Corp. head and Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch had put his West Village townhouse–the one he'd bought just five months prior for $25 million–on the market. Now, just five months after listing the 25-foot-wide, four-story brick home for $28.9M, the house has found a buyer, the New York Observer reports. Whomever is behind the entity known as West 11th Street, LLC has purchased the 6,500-square-foot Greek Revival manse for $27.5 million. The deal represents a $2.5M profit for Murdoch (and we all know how much he needs a few more million).
See what else makes this townhouse so buy-able

July 27, 2016

In the 1980s a Group of Feisty Tenants Blocked Evictions by Donald Trump

It's no secret that Donald Trump has engaged in some shady real estate dealings over the years, from his fraught attempt to own the Empire State Building, to the "public" gardens at Trump Tower that allowed him to build taller, to a lost battle with China over two major office buildings (not to mention his many bankruptcies). But there was at least one snafu that he wasn't able to weasel himself out of, and it was all thanks to a group of feisty residential tenants. In the early 1980s, Trump planned to evict rent-controlled and rent-stabilized tenants from 100 Central Park South (now known as Trump Parc East) and build a larger tower on this site and that of the adjacent Barbizon Plaza Hotel. He hired a management firm that specialized in emptying buildings, and they began eviction proceedings. After claiming reduced services, a lack of repairs, and overall harassment, the tenants decided to fight back, and in the end 80 percent of them remained, leading to this revelation by the Donald: "What I've learned is that the better the location and the lower the rent, the harder people fight. If I were a tenant, I'd probably be a leader too."
Get the full story here

History

July 27, 2016

13 Chances to Live in a Cool Williamsburg Rental For As Low As $722/Month

Starting today, an affordable housing lottery is open for 13 units at Williamsburg's new rental the Brooklyn Grand. Located at 774 Grand Street, the Meshberg Group-designed building is eight stories tall with ground-floor retail and offers a total of 64 units, 20 percent of which are reserved for individuals earning 60 percent of the area median income. The units up for grabs range from $722/month studios to $900/month two-bedrooms, and tenants will have access to the building's roof terrace and fitness center and, for an additional fee, parking and bike storage.
See if you're qualified to apply

Affordable Housing

July 27, 2016

For $1.2M This Bright Village Loft Is at the Crossroads of Everything

This $1.195 million co-op at 9 East 13th Street just off Fifth Avenue is a classic vintage downtown Manhattan loft updated for the 21st century. In a bustling spot at the crossroads of old and new near NYU and Parsons and between Union Square and Washington Square Park, the building may be old but as with most lofts, this bright one-bedroom home's interiors are filled with light and lots of white, brick and pale wood. And this particular loft has the distinction of having an impressive amount of private finished outdoor space perched above the Village scene.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

July 27, 2016

Kelsey Grammer Lists Chelsea Condo in Jean Nouvel’s 100 Eleventh Avenue for $9.75M

While in the midst of a very public divorce from third wife Camille in 2010, actor Kelsey Grammer moved from their 15 Central Park West pad to a much more mod condo at Jean Nouvel's glassy 100 Eleventh Avenue in west Chelsea. Apparently, says the Observer, he tried to keep the $6.4 million purchase "top-secret" as he was "buying it for himself and his then-mistress Kayte Walsh." The "Frasier" star eventually married Walsh, and they now have two children together; his publicist confirmed that he's listed the three-bedroom spread for $9.75 million since they've "outgrown" the space.
Check it out

INTERVIEW: George Cominskie on the History and Future of the Westbeth Artist Community

Photo Credit: Fine Art America

July 27, 2016

INTERVIEW: George Cominskie on the History and Future of the Westbeth Artist Community

Westbeth Artists Housing at 55 Bethune Street in the West Village opened in 1970 to provide affordable live/work spaces for artists. A young Richard Meier took the project on as one of his first commissions, transforming the former home of Bell Laboratories into 384 units open to artists of all disciplines. Today, Westbeth remains home […]

July 27, 2016

Tribeca Mural Is a Tribute to Ellis Island; New Yorkers Meet Wi-Fi Kiosks With Mixed Reviews

Famed graffiti artist JR unveiled his latest mural at the upcoming condo project 100 Franklin Street in Tribeca. It’s a tribute to Ellis Island’s emotional past. [CityRealty.com] Momofuku Milk Bar owner Christina Tosi bought this appropriately fun and colorful Chelsea loft for $3.7 million. [LLNYC] An Ikea food truck is giving out free meatballs in Brooklyn all […]

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July 27, 2016

Should the MTA Consider These Gymnastics Ring-Like Straps in Their New Subway Design?

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

Every day, stoic straphangers face the crowds, dirt and other nasty stuff in the city's subway system (when it's running), and we don't often consider how the various moving parts of the commuting experience are designed. The old subway cars had straps to hang onto (hence the term) in addition to poles and horizontal rails; newer generations have nixed the strap altogether, including the new high-tech designs recently unveiled by Governor Cuomo. While it doesn't sound as cool as a self-driving bus, Keita Suzuki at the Japanese firm Product Design Studio has designed a transit strap that could add a little more comfort to the daily commute.
See more of a good idea

THE 6SQFT SHOP

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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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July 27, 2016

$2.5M Freestanding Italianate House Charms in Bay Ridge

The charm of a freestanding home in the middle of New York City will never get old. This Italiante home, at 237 77th Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bay Ridge, pretty much exudes all the charm and is now asking a cool $2.5 million. The 11-room house has a landscaped front yard that leads to a wrap-around porch. Once inside, a grand entrance leads you to a formal living room with hand-restored crown molding, the original windows, stained glass doors and a side entry back out to the porch. The rest of the house, too, is decked out with historic extravagances like stained glass, pocket doors and a wood-burning fireplace.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

July 27, 2016

Nearly 200 Affordable Units Up For Grabs in East New York, Starting at $788/Month

The affordable housing go-to's at Dattner Architects are at it again, this time with a six-building complex in East New York known as Stanley Commons, which includes five four-story buildings and one seven-story building surrounded by a large courtyard. There will also be a 19,000-square-foot community facility operated by Good Shepherds Services, a social service and youth development organization, and Man Up Inc., a local agency focusing on neighborhood improvement. The City Planning Commission recently approved a controversial rezoning of the neighborhood, part of de Blasio's push to increase affordable housing here, so it makes sense that 191 units are now up for grabs through the city's housing lottery for individuals earning 60 percent of the area media income. This ranges from a $788/month studio to $1,182/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

This Is What the Lower East Side Skyline Could Look Like, More Tall Towers Planned

L to R: One Manhattan Square, 247 Cherry Street, 260 South Street, and 271-283 South Street. The above image, created by CityRealty.com, depicts the possible massing of the new towers; No official design has been released

July 26, 2016

This Is What the Lower East Side Skyline Could Look Like, More Tall Towers Planned

The hotly contested Two Bridges neighborhood--the area along the East River, near the footings of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges where the Lower East Side meets Chinatown--has been making headlines nearly every week, whether it be for a new supertall tower or local residents' opposition to what they feel is out-of-scale development for the mostly low-rise and low-income neighborhood. Just yesterday, The Lo-Down obtained information through a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request that reveals preliminary plans for two more residential projects that together "would add more than 2,100 residential units and 1.7 million square feet" to the area. A building at 271-283 South Street may rise 60 stories, while another at 260 South Street could reach 66 stories. To put into perspective just how much this planned and under-construction new development will alter the LES skyline, CityRealty.com has put together this Google Earth rendering of all the proposed towers.
Get all the details right here

New Developments

My sqft: A British Expat and Aspiring Food Vlogger Makes a Home in Hamilton Heights

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Vanessa Lee’s lovely Hamilton Heights apartment. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

July 26, 2016

My sqft: A British Expat and Aspiring Food Vlogger Makes a Home in Hamilton Heights

By Diane Pham

Hamilton Heights isn’t quite the neighborhood you’d expect to find a London girl who’s new to the city, but expat Vanessa Lee revels in the distance of her out of the way ‘hood. “I'm one of the outliers that don't mind traveling over an hour across town to discover a cute little bar or coffee shop," she says, "I try somewhere new every opportunity I can.” Like most New York newbies, Vanessa was looking for an affordable place to live when she arrived. This meant that living alone was out of the question, and living in a neighborhood like Soho or Tribeca would mean squeezing into an expensive sardine can with several others. So rather than settling into any downtown address she could find, she turned her budgetary constraints into an opportunity for observation and discovery. Ahead she talks to 6sqft about her transition from London to NYC; why she chose out of the way Hamilton Heights; and how she's now using food and video as a way to explore and share her adventures around the city with others.
More from Vanessa this way

July 26, 2016

Maya Angelou’s Historic Harlem Brownstone Finds a Buyer for $4M

The historic Harlem brownstone of author, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou listed for $5.1 million in February, and after a drop to $4.95 million in March, it's now found a buyer for a reduced price of $4 million, The Real Deal tells us. Dr. Angelou purchased the four-story home, built in 1909 in the Mount Morris Park Historic District, sight unseen in 2002 to serve as her northeast residence when she wasn't teaching at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. But she didn't move in until 2004 (vandals had turned it into a "dilapidated shell"), when East Harlem-based architect Marc Anderson had completed a gut renovation that added contemporary amenities such as an elevator, two skylights, and a basement entertainment area, while retaining historic details like the original oak-front door, wainscoting, carved banister, and decorative fireplaces.
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July 26, 2016

$3M Art Deco Co-op Boasts Wrap-Around Terraces With Views of Central Park

It's one thing to have views of Central Park from your apartment. It's quite another when those views come from two wrap-around terraces that surround your penthouse. That's what happening at 336 Central Park West, where this 17th floor, one-bedroom pad is now on the market for $2.995 million. There's more square footage outside than there is inside--with 1,100 interior square feet and 1,720 exterior square feet. And the interior boasts twelve large windows, with the original steel-cased frames, that look out onto both incredible terrace spaces.
See more of this outdoor shangri-la

Distinctive Homes

July 26, 2016

De Blasio Ahead of Schedule on Ambitious Affordable Housing Plan

It looks like it's been another successful year for Mayor de Blasio's affordable housing goals. When he took office in 2014, he pledged to build or preserve 200,000 such units over 10 years. In a January 2015 speech, he announced that during his first year, the city exceeded its goal by 1,300 apartments, building or preserving a total of 17,300 units. Now, an announcement on Monday from his administration says that the city is ahead of schedule with its goals thus far, financing the creation or preservation of nearly 53,000 affordable apartments. As reported in the Times, "just in the fiscal year ending June 30, more affordable housing units — 23,284 — had been built or preserved than at any time since 1989." In a statement the Mayor said, "This engine is in full gear, financing enough affordable homes for 130,000 people in just two and a half years."
More details this way

July 26, 2016

A Brief History of E-ZPass; What You Need to Make Your Own Iced Coffee

From Soviet Russia to the Tappan Zee Bridge, a short history of the E-ZPass. [WNYC] These days it seems like every New Yorker is carrying around an iced coffee. Here’s everything you need to feed your habit at home. [Grub Street] Mapping rooftop solar panels across the country. [SolarPulse] The Guinness World Record holder for fastest time […]

Uncategorized

July 26, 2016

$7K/Month Chelsea Rental Gets Points for Townhouse Charm and a Private Garden

Chelsea living on a beautiful tree-lined street feels even better when the living is being done in an utterly charming pastel-tinted townhouse like the one at 353 West 22nd Street. Surrounded by equally lovely townhouse neighbors and near the High Line, the West Village and all of Chelsea, it's a great downtown location with tons of curb appeal. The apartment itself is also nothing like the average cookie-cutter rental space. With lots of warm wood and brick, impossibly high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling casement windows and a gem of a private garden, this $7,000/month two-bedroom bi-level rental may be on the small side but it gets points for charm and outdoor space.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

July 26, 2016

Lottery Opens for 13 Affordable Units in Washington Heights, Starting at $868/Month

In April 2015, developer Sutton Management applied to utilize the city's 421-a program for a new project at 607 West 161st Street in Washington Heights, just off the New York Presbyterian campus. They received approvals that 13 of the Jeffrey Cole Architects-designed building's 62 units would be reserved for those earning 60 percent or less than the area median income, and today these units have come online through the city's affordable housing lottery. They range from $868/month studios to $1,085 two-bedrooms, and for an additional fee, lottery residents will have access to a fitness center and bicycle room.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

July 26, 2016

Underwater New York Offers Found Objects From NYC Waterways to Spark Imagination and Art

The collectors of curious things at Atlas Obscura bring us the work of Underwater New York, a fascinating catalogue of all the weird stuff that’s been found bobbing, sinking or washed-up from the murky depths of the city’s waterways, from a giraffe skeleton to a grand piano, with a bag of lottery tickets thrown in for good measure. In a fascinating study in what-is-it-and-where-is-it-coming from, founder Nicki Pombier Berger and the site's editors and contributors (artists, filmmakers, musicians, photographers and other storytellers) create contexts for the curiosities that find their way to this aquatic lost and found. New York City waterways, like the swampy southern Brooklyn beach known as Dead Horse Bay, and their submerged treasures are the inspiration for works in this digital gallery of sorts. Berger and fellow editors Helen Georgas and Nicole Haroutunian compile a growing list (it currently contains 150 objects) of waterfront finds that they've discovered via everything from news articles to anecdotes. Contributors are encouraged to use the objects to weave their stories in whatever medium they choose.
Find out more of the bizarre items found beneath the waves

Events & Things To Do

July 25, 2016

Gigi Hadid Now a Resident of Trendy 10 Bond Street in Noho

Last summer, after a stalker tried to break into her apartment at 250 Bowery in Nolita, supermodel Gigi Hadid listed the home for $2.45 million. It closed in January for $2.3 million, around which time Hadid and then-new flame Zayn Malik were seen checking out a $6.5 million apartment nearby at Noho's 10 Bond Street. Seven months later, it look like Gigi's officially shacked up in the Annabelle Selldorf-designed building, as she and Malik have been exiting the building together to a swarm of paparazzi.
What's it look like inside?

Celebrities

July 25, 2016

MTA Announces Details on L Train Shutdown To Begin in 2019

The MTA plans to announce today that the long-dreaded L train shutdown for repairs needed on the Canarsie tunnel that runs beneath the East River will commence in 2019 and take the line out of service from Manhattan to the Bedford Avenue station in Brooklyn for 18 months, as reported by the New York Times. The 18-month option was the expected choice, the alternative being a partial three-year shutdown that would give about one in five passengers service to Manhattan (20 percent of current service). The agency needs to do major repairs on damage done by the 2012 superstorm Sandy, and while the tunnel is “not in grave danger of collapse,” according to the MTA, it can’t go untreated. As 6sqft previously reported, night and weekend service is off the table because of the amount of work that needs to be done, and building a third tube would be time- and cost-prohibitive.
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Transit

July 25, 2016

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Former West Village Apartment Up For Rent Asking $10,250/Month

Acclaimed actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who tragically died from a drug overdose in February 2014, was a regular fixture in his West Village community, sitting out on his stoop, frequenting local coffee shops, and helping to establish the neighborhood's LAByrinth Theater. He moved into his apartment at the Pickwick House, a former 19th century printing plant, in October 2013, after splitting from his wife. The unit first hit the market for $10,500 a month just a month after his passing, but even after dropping to $9,995, it couldn't find a tenant. It's now trying again reports the Post, asking $10,250 a month.
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July 25, 2016

Apply for 53 Affordable Units in Historic Harlem, Starting at $494/Month

The lottery is open for 53 brand new affordable units at 275 West 140th Street in central Harlem. The building, dubbed Strivers Plaza in reference to its proximity to the nearby historic homes of Striver’s Row, is an eight-story structure designed by affordable housing gurus Aufgang Architects. As previously reported by Yimby, Radson Development was able to build bigger than zoning would normally allow due to the inclusion of the below-market rate units, as well as an 8,000-square foot supermarket in what's considered a "food desert." Available units go from $494/month studios to $2,405/month two-bedrooms for people with a wide range of annual earnings -- 40 to 165 percent of the area median income.
See if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

July 25, 2016

For $12M This West Village Townhouse/Condo Has It All, Plus a Rooftop Pool

For amenities that rival those shared by residents of the city's top luxury condo buildings–a gym, sun deck with hot tub and privacy cabana, laundry, media room–you won’t even need to get dressed, because all those things are under your roof. But if you should choose to venture from your 4,382-square-foot, four-bedroom triplex "townhouse" at 385 West 12th Street, a whole other level of amenities awaits; the boutique condo building offers a roof-deck with a 50-foot lap pool, an expansive spa, an outdoor shower, two gas grills and a dining area. Should you exit the premises completely rather than just letting the whole world just come to you, you’re on a pretty cobblestoned street in the West Village. So for the $11.995 million this supercondo is asking, it’s pretty much win/win/win.
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Distinctive Homes

July 25, 2016

Happy 100th Birthday to the NYC Zoning Resolution; Madonna Slammed by UWS Co-op

100 years ago today, the city enacted its first Zoning Resolution, which dictated building heights and setbacks, as well as usage. [NYT] To compete with UberPool and Lyft Line, the taxi industry is launching ride-sharing for half its fleet through two apps. [DNAinfo] This year has seen a 23 percent increase in the number of stop-work […]

Uncategorized

July 25, 2016

Lottery Launches for 76 Affordable Units at 300 Ashland Place, From $889/Month

By Ondel Hylton

It's been 14 years since Enrique Norten's ship-like design was chosen to sail upon a triangular site in an ambitious arts district planned for the area around the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Initially proposed as an eight-story glass building to house the Brooklyn Library for the Visual and Performing Arts, the project was altered to a mixed-use high-rise when Two Trees Management was brought onboard during the economic downturn in 2008. Now officially known as 300 Ashland Place, the slab-shaped tower is a silvery 32-story icon that architecture critic Carter Horsley praises as a "gleaming, but mysterious steed" in the emerging Downtown Brooklyn skyline. It will house a smattering of public uses in addition to 379 apartments above. Earlier this July, leasing began on the 300 market-rate apartments that go for roughly $2,850/month for studios, $3,600/month for one-bedrooms and $5,750/month for two-bedrooms. And now, a housing lottery has launched for the 76 affordable units that include $889/month studios, $949/month one-bedrooms, and $1,087/month two-bedrooms.
Find out here if you qualify

The 74

201 East 74th Street

Lenox Hill

Gracious Upper East Side condos with Central Park and skyline views

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

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July 24, 2016

The Location is Good and the Price Is Right for This Cozy $440K Prospect Heights Co-op

This one-bedroom co-op at 786 Washington Avenue may have its limits–space and windows, for example–but the Prospect Heights neighborhood is a winner, a slice of old-meets-new-Brooklyn with a collection of grocery stores, cafes, restaurants and bars that grows daily, and just a few blocks from Prospect Park, Crown Heights and Park Slope for even more options. The street's a bit busy, but then again you're on the third floor where it's quieter, and if you like exposed brick, you're in luck–possibly for less per month than lots of folks are paying in rent for a one-bedroom–or even a studio.
See this little Brooklyn pad from all angles

Distinctive Homes

July 23, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

New High-Tech Subway Station and Car Designs Unveiled by Governor Cuomo $4.5M Industrial Tribeca Loft Is Both Cavernous and Airy See Day and Night Views From 1,400 Feet in the Air at 432 Park! 432 Park Reveals Renderings of Rafael Viñoly-Designed Amenity Spaces New Photos of NYC’s First Residential Urban Farm at Urby Staten Island […]

Uncategorized

July 22, 2016

Grand Mansion on Michelle Williams’ Street With a Huge Ballroom Asks $3M

Actress Michelle Williams' exquisite taste in real estate has had us swooning over each of the extraordinary properties she's bought and/or transformed–and renovation plans for the pixie-haired star's historic 18-room Colonial Revival-style mansion on Albemarle Road were recently approved. In quiet Prospect Park South, her fame has paved the way for a new level of exposure for historic homes like this one at 1305 Albemarle, which hit the market yesterday for a neighborhood record-setting $2.98 million. The unusual and somewhat haunting (though hopefully not haunted) 10,000-plus-square-foot, 23-room mansion would turn a few heads on its own, but a celebrity neighbor certainly doesn't hurt. The impressive home has 10 bedrooms, six full baths and floors of pine, cherry, mahogany and oak. There’s a two-car garage and decks galore, including one with a six-person hot tub. But the Oscar for cool house features definitely goes to the unbelievably massive and dramatic third floor ballroom, complete with wet bar.
Is this antebellum manse cool, or creepy? You decide.

July 22, 2016

What You Need to Know When Buying a Townhouse in New York City

By Diane Pham

Historic details, gardens, privacy, numerous bedrooms and bathrooms… In a crowded city like New York where quarters often come cramped, townhouse living is truly what real estate dreams are made of. However, while townhouses can offer far more space and flexibility than say an apartment in a glass tower, unlike buying into a condo or a co-op, they also come with a whole other […]

Real Estate Trends

July 22, 2016

Dreamy Hamptons Vacation Home Designed by Mid-Century Architect Andrew Geller Asks $2M