6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Observation decks boasting panoramic city views have been to date the way to add a "thrill-seeking" element to new developments, but here's a new proposal that really wants visitors to throw their arms up in excitement. As the Daily News first reports, two Brooklyn developers want to turn the top of Penn Station into the world's tallest free-fall tower ride, an idea that would be developed alongside all the renovations planned for the outdated transit hub. "Halo," as it would be called, is the work of AE Superlab and would rise an incredible 1,200 feet from the roof of Madison Square, or be tacked onto the back of the adjacent Farley Post Office, which is slated to be converted into a waiting hall to support expanding station. And in addition to Halo's towering height (to put that 1,200 feet in perspective, the Empire State Building is 1,250 feet at its parapet), the ride's 11 cars would boast adjustable speeds. Cars could be modified to move as quickly as 100 miles per hour giving it a top-to-base free fall of about six seconds.
find out more here

June 15, 2016

Design Teams Propose Inflatable Tunnel, New Train Lines As Solutions to L Train Shutdown

Among the proposals gaining steam to mitigate the imminent L train shutdown are the East River Skyway, an aerial gondola system that would run along the Brooklyn waterfront and into Manhattan, and a car-free 14th Street. But the Van Alen Institute wanted to open the brainstorming to the wider public. As part of their "L Train Shutdown Charrette," this past Sunday, six interdisciplinary design teams who were selected as finalists presented their creative and fanciful proposals, including everything from a floating inflatable tunnel to an all-access transportation pass called Lemonade Line. The winning design "Transient Transit – Revitalizing Industrial Infrastructure" comes from Kohn Pedersen Fox and Happold Engineering, who propose utilizing Newtown Creek for a water shuttle and the LIRR freight tracks for passenger service.
More on the winner and some of the notable honorable mentions

June 15, 2016

LaGuardia Airport Overhaul Will Cost More Than $7B, Cuomo Releases New Renderings

Since Governor Cuomo announced his plans last July for LaGuardia Airport's long-awaited revamp, the price tag has been set at $4 billion, but yesterday at a groundbreaking for the project, that number rose to a whopping $7 billion, reports The Real Deal. Alongside Vice President Biden, the Governor explained that phase one, which includes the replacement of the Central Terminal Building (Terminal B), will carry the $4 billion cost, while the redevelopment of Delta's Terminals C and D will require another $3 billion. And that's not all; the new AirTrain and 24-hour ferry service will require even more funds. Aside from the updated cost estimates, Tuesday's affair also brought new details and renderings.
See them all here

June 15, 2016

Historic Home Upgraded by High-End Furniture Designer Asks $2.995M in Bed-Stuy

588 Madison Street is a French Neo-Grec brownstone built in 1889 by the architect William Godfrey. While the single-family, Bed-Stuy home is steeped in history, a recent owner has brought it stylishly into modern day. The owner/developer, a principle at the design firm KGBL, specializes in designing high-end furniture. Here, they played off the existing historic details to add some unique, modern touches. And the mashup of historic and modern is asking nearly $3 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

June 15, 2016

Construction Kicks Off on a Pair of Condo Buildings in the Columbia Street Waterfront District

Avery Hall Investments and co-developer OTL Enterprises are forging ahead with the development of pair of understated five-story condominium buildings at 161-163 Columbia Street in Cobble Hill's Columbia Street Waterfront District. The team picked up the lots in 2014 through a unique deal with the nonprofit Carroll Gardens Association where proceeds of the sale would be used to preserve below-market rate rents for 28 units on the street and possibly develop 70 more affordable units in nearby Red Hook.
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June 15, 2016

Millennials Should Live in Philadelphia; Boozy Sunday Brunch Can Now Start at 10am

One in five millennials want to live in New York, but they should actually move to Philly (though less than one percent want to). [Forbes] Yoga in aisle three: grocery stores are adding incentives like fitness classes and spa treatments to lure customers. [WSJ] City restaurants can now serve booze starting at 10am on Sundays. […]

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The Four Seasons: Photo via Le Travelist

June 15, 2016

Modernist Treasures From Iconic Four Seasons Restaurant Headed for Auction

News of the iconic restaurant's impending demise surfaced last summer, as 6sqft previously reported, when Seagram Building owner Aby Rosen did not renew the lease for what has been seen as the quintessential Midtown “power lunch” spot for the last decades of the 20th century since it opened in 1959. The restaurant's interiors feature designs by Pritzker Prize-winner Philip Johnson, furniture, tableware and other items by Seagram Building designer Mies Van der Rohe, Hans J. Wegner and others and custom-made Knoll furniture. Those items will be included in the 500 lots headed for auction on July 26. Dezeen highlights critics' frustration at what Aaron Betsky, leading US architecture critic and dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture rues as the dispersal of "one of the rarest phenomena in Modernism: a place where the architecture, the furniture, the table settings, the service, the food, and even the clientele was of a piece."
Find out more about why critics are so upset by the auction of the iconic restaurant's interiors

June 15, 2016

242-Square-Foot West Village Love Nest Asks $3K/Month

6sqft previously featured this 242-square-foot love nest at 352 West 12th Street, tucked into a dreamy cobblestoned corner of the West Village, as a fine example of brilliant interior design and creative small-space living. The apartment has served as home sweet home for newlywed couple Jourdan and Tobin Ludwig–she works in business development and he's a purveyor of artisanal bitters–who have lived in what they call their "wee cottage" since moving in together six years ago. Jourdan bought the co-op in 2011 for $270,000, and the couple invested $300,000 in a sanity-saving renovation. After spending their "best years in in the city" here, the owners have listed the home for $3,000 a month, reports the Post.
Take a look at how cool small can be

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

This $2.2M Bed-Stuy townhouse is a 19th-century beauty seeking a 21st-century life

This $2.5M Bed-Stuy home is a reimagined vision of the classic 19th-century townhouse

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

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

Asking $4.5M, this eclectic Bridgehampton home and artists' studio was once a potato barn

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

For $11M, this Cobble Hill townhouse offers modern comforts, elevated design, and a garage

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

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

Here's a $7.35M chance to live in the Annabelle Selldorf-designed Chelsea condo with an automated Sky Garage

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June 15, 2016

First Look at BKSK Architect’s Upcoming Condo Tower Planned For 200 East 21st Street

It seems every major intersection in Gramercy between East 20th and 23rd Streets is being redeveloped these days. Last fall, 6sqft reported that a humble set of walk-up buildings at the southeast corner of East 21st Street and Third Avenue were hitting the chopping block. Since then, a new building application has been filed to construct a 20-story condominium designed by BKSK Architects with Alfa Development at the helm. A new rendering of the structure, addressed officially as 200 East 21st Street, was published on the project's EB-5 investors page and shows a two-tiered metal and glass building. There will be 29 one-bedroom units, 24 two-bedrooms, seven three-bedrooms, and three four-bedrooms, for a total of 63 apartments spread across 80,000 square feet. The ground level will host retail spaces and a shortlist of residential amenities includes a 24-hour doorman, concierge, tenants' storage, a bike room, fitness center, and residents' lounge.
Find out more

June 14, 2016

Check Out the Manhattan Skyline in 2020! New Development Sales to Hit $8.4B This Year

As part of their Manhattan New Development Report, CityRealty has released a trio of skyline renderings that show how the city will appear in 2020 -- looking south from the Lower East Side, north from the tip of the island, and of course, down on Central Park South's Billionaires' Row. The eye-popping images underscore the fact that new developments have been "markedly above the average price of all other Manhattan condos since 2013." The average sales price in new developments is expected to hit $4.4 million this year and $5.7 million by 2018. By comparison, the expected average price of a non-new development condo for 2016 is $2.65 million. Moreover, new development sales totaled $5.4 billion last year, up from 2014's $4.1 billion. This figure is expected to reach $8.4 billion this year and more than $10 billion by 2018.
See all the renderings and find out which buildings are leading the pack

June 14, 2016

Lottery Launches for 10 Brand New Theater District Apartments, Two-Bedrooms from $1,486

Ten affordable apartments, literally steps away from Times Square, will be up for grabs starting tomorrow for qualifying applicants. Located at 301 West 46th Street, the units are part of the newly-opened Riu Times Square, a $106 million luxury hotel development that includes eight condos and an HPD housing component that distributes the ten aforementioned below-market units across seven floors of the 29-story tower. Rents start at $1,486/month for two-bedrooms, and $1,709/month for three-bedrooms. Apartments have been priced for households of two to six people earning between $52,355 and $84,100.
More info here

Affordable Housing

June 14, 2016

Landmarks Approves Roman Abramovich’s $80M UES Makeshift Mansion

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich started assembling his $78 million trio of Upper East Side townhouses at 11-15 East 75th Street back in January of 2015, but it wasn't until this past March that he first released his proposal to combine the townhouses into a giant mansion. The Department of Buildings rejected his initial, $6 million proposal, which called for "an 18,255-square-foot mansion with a six-foot front yard, 30-foot backyard, and pool in the cellar," as 6sqft previously reported. But since the homes are located within the Upper East Side Historic District, it's the Landmarks Preservation Commission who has the final say. The LPC also rejected Abramovich's first proposal in April, but today they reviewed and approved a revised plan from his architect Steven Wang, along with big-name firm Herzog & de Meuron as design consultant. It calls for a modified restoration of the current facades and the removal of the rear yard building elements to be replaced with a garden and new glass facade that unites the three homes.
More details this way

June 14, 2016

Construction on LaGuardia AirTrain Kicks Off This Afternoon

Earlier this month, it was announced that work on Governor Cuomo's $4 billion overhaul of LaGuardia Airport would begin this summer, and today NY1 reports that a groundbreaking ceremony for the new AirTrain (part of the overall modernization plan) is taking place this afternoon. It will span 1.5 miles along the Grand Central Parkway, connecting with the 7 train and Long Island Railroad at Willets Point. A 2015 estimate put its cost at $450 million.
Find out more

June 14, 2016

Landmarks Approves ODA’s Wall Replacement for Former DUMBO Sugar Factory Building

Last summer, the Landmark Preservation Commission approved ODA Architecture's sugar crystal-inspired vision for a DUMBO commercial loft building at 10 Jay Street. Today the team went back before the LPC and received approvals to replace the building's deteriorated east wall that has been covered in stucco since the 1970s and is in dire need of structural repair. Developer Glacier Global Partners previously fancied condos for the 19th century sugar factory building, but the robust Brooklyn office market led the developers to a change of heart, envisioning 200,000 square feet of class-A office space instead.
Get all the details right here

June 14, 2016

Alan Cumming Sells $2.2M East Village Co-op in a Month

Star of "The Good Wife" Alan Cumming has sold his four-bedroom East Village co-op at 297 East 10th Street in just a month's time, the Observer tells us. After reports that he and his husband, graphic designer Grant Shaffer, were renovating a nearby 19th century townhouse they bought in 2013 for or $4.65 million, the couple listed the charming East Village apartment for $2.2 million last month. They bought the home on the third floor of a brick rowhouse in 2005 for $1.7 million and undertook some renovations, but were sure to maintain the historic details like an original wood-burning fireplace with a carved wooden mantel, wide-plank hardwood floors, architectural moldings, and beautiful built-ins.
See the whole apartment

June 14, 2016

$1.4M Williamsburg ‘Penthouse’ Has On-Trend Finishes, Two Terraces and Skyline Views

With its pretty, rustic-meets-modern kitchen, tons of outdoor space on two levels and glass accordion doors framing gorgeous city views, this 956-square-foot condo at 150 Richardson Street has the makings of a smart little home in a coveted Williamsburg spot. A $1.425 million ask for the top-floor walk-up is likely based on that location, in a neighborhood that has become one of the borough's–if not the city's–priciest. Let's take a closer look at what you get with your prime 'burg pad.
Outdoor space, views, and smart finishes this way

Distinctive Homes

June 14, 2016

One-bedroom With Shower in the Kitchen Wants $1,850/Month in Williamsburg

Yep, it's a real one-bedroom, separate kitchen and all. Which is a good thing, because that's where the shower is. It seems as if we just got done marveling at that Lower East Side pad with a similar setup; now, Real Estate Weekly informs us, we're invited to behold this red hot value of a listing at 255 Powers Street. Let's take a look at what's included in that sounds-too-good-to-be-true rent in the L train-friendly environs of East Williamsburg.
Get a look

A Master Plan for LES ‘Development Frenzy;’ Serbian Orthodox Cathedral to Be Demolished

The Brooklyn War Memorial lists 11,500 names, but it’s in a location where few are admitted. [NYT] With an influx of new, supertall towers set for the Two Bridges waterfront area of the Lower East Side, local residents and elected officials are calling for a master plan to examine the projects’ impact on the community. […]

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June 14, 2016

$1.6M Floor-Through Loft Is All About Minimalism in the East Village

When an apartment has really good bones, there's no need to crowd it with stuff. Or at least that's the thinking behind the interiors at this floor-through loft in the East Village at 432 East 10th Street. Now on the market for $1.595 million, the two-bedroom, 1,400-square-foot pad basks in details like high ceilings, big windows, and exposed brick. (Even the brick's been painted white to minimize its appearance.) Top that off with smart, if sparse, design, and it makes for an impressive space.
See more of the interior

Distinctive Homes

June 14, 2016

EŌS, The City’s Shortest Skyscraper, Now Renting From $4,705/Month in Midtown West

EŌS, the mixed-use tower in Midtown West that 6sqft knighted as the shortest skyscraper in the city, is approaching its construction finish line and after a decade in the making, its 300 rental units are coming online. Countering our superlative, the fully launched website leads with an image of a bath-robed woman perched high above the city looking to the east - the building is named after the Greek winged goddess of the dawn afterall. The site also publishes new renderings of apartment interiors, some of the building's many amenities, and its far-reaching views across the city. The 500-foot-tall sleek glass slab was designed by COOKFOX Architects and developed by the Durst Organization. Though quite anonymous from the outside, across its 47 stories are an array of uses that include 122,000 square feet of commercial space that Nike is reportedly anchoring, 70,000 square feet of retail, and 375 residential units above (20 percent of which are designated as affordable).
Get more details

June 14, 2016

Aerial Photographer Peter Massini Captures NYC’s Hidden Rooftop Patios and Gardens

Peter Massini is a multi-disciplinary photographer, working on architecture, landscapes, and graphic patterns. But his specialty is aerial views, for which he hangs from the open door of a helicopter on almost a daily basis. 6sqft got a look at one of his recent aerial collections of New York City's rooftop patios and gardens that he shot from 1,500 feet in the air. These hidden oases reveal an entirely unique mashup of concrete jungle and green space. "What led me to shoot these from above was my interest in true green roofs and their benefits for the eye as well as the environment," Peter told us.
See all the photographs this way

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June 13, 2016

Live in Molly Ringwald’s Stylish East Village Duplex for $1.8M

Molly Ringwald has come a long way since her Brat Pack days of awkward teenage angst, evidenced by her super stylish and grown-up East Village pied-a-terre, which she's listed for $1.8 million, according to the Observer. The duplex co-op at 122 East 10th Street is located in an historic townhouse along the Renwick Triangle in the St. Marks Historic District. These Anglo-Italianate houses were designed by famed architect James Renwick, Jr. in 1861, and historic details like ten-foot exposed beam ceilings, antique wood windows, and two wood-burning fireplaces still exist.
Take a look around

June 13, 2016

Taylor Swift Staying in a $40K/Month Village House During Tribeca Penthouse Renovations

Looks like Taylor Swift really knows how to "shake it off" after her public breakup with Calvin Harris. The Post reports that the pop star is undertaking a $535,000 renovation on her Tribeca penthouse, according to permits filed with the DOB. And TMZ got the scoop on where she'll be residing during construction -- the West Village carriage house of Soho House executive David Aldea, which is renting for $40,000 a month. Aldea renovated the five-story home at 23 Cornelia Street a few years ago, outfitting it with an indoor swimming pool, two master bedrooms, a two-story patio, private garage, and tastefully moody decor.
Check out the whole house

Celebrities

June 13, 2016

Get Rid of Mosquitoes and Stop Bites This Summer With These Simple Tips

6sqft’s series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we’ve rounded up tips on how to get rid of and deal with mosquitoes this summer. New York's hot and humid summers bring all sorts of agony, but the bites of unrelenting mosquitoes may be the worst of all. While in past years these buzzers haven't been much more than a itchy nuisance, this year, the Zika virus has everyone on high alert. In February, the World Health Organization declared the virus a threat to public health across the globe. To date, no vaccine exists. As of June 8th, there have been 133 cases of Zika reported in NYC. However, the species of mosquito spreading Zika (the Aedes aegypti) has not yet been spotted in the city and all cases caught the virus while abroad. Nonetheless, with a potential threat looming, the city has launched a campaign to get New Yorkers to do their part, which includes tips on how to prevent the mosquito population from propagating. Ahead we'll cover some of the same ground, on top of other tips to keep mosquitoes from entering your home and attacking your body—because any way you look at it, mosquito bites are no fun!
What you can do, this way

June 13, 2016

Pitfalls of Preconstruction: Why a Woman Paid $1.4M for a View of a Brick Wall

We're always hearing about big-ticket condo buildings selling out–or nearly so–almost as soon as the first shovel hits the ground. While there's plenty of proof that preconstruction purchasing is a way to get in on the ground floor–so to speak–of a building whose value often skyrockets as soon as its elegant, move-in-ready homes hit the market, handing over a pile of cash and/or a big financial commitment based on a glossy brochure is still a huge leap of faith. Case in point, the New York Post brings us the tale of a buyer who took the leap for a $1.39 million Tribeca apartment with sweeping city views–and landed a pad with views of the brick wall next door.
Find out what happened

Policy

June 13, 2016

The NYC ‘Ghostbusters’ Service Map Transforms the Subway System With Film Nostalgia

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

If you missed the chance to visit the recent "Ghostbusters" headquarters recreation in Williamsburg, 6sqft has dug up a fun map that'll provide a dose of movie nostalgia. The New York City Ghostbusters Service Map was created by print and product designer Anthony Petrie as a witty version of the subway map, complete with notable locations from the film like Hook & Ladder 8 in Tribeca, Holy Trinity Church, the Public Library, and 55 Central Park West where Dana's apartment was. The subway lines spell out ECTO-1 and are titled as various particle beams, and stations stops are changed to names such as Destructor Drive, Clairvoyance Cove, Sanctum of Slime Street, and Who Ya Gonna Call Cul-De-Sac.
Get a look at the full-size map

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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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June 13, 2016

$850K for a Romantic Top-Floor Townhouse Apartment in the West Village

There's definitely something dreamy about being perched on the top floor of a West Village townhouse, looking at the neighborhood's charming residential streets from above. At 226 West 11th Street, a 19th century townhouse, the top-floor co-op apartment is now for sale, priced just under $1 million. The one-bedroom pad is just as romantic as the neighborhood below it--the listing even goes so far as to call West 11th Street "the most romantic enclave in the West Village."
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

June 13, 2016

Where NYC’s Salvaged Architectural Artifacts Live; Mapping Restaurant Grades

Architect David Adjaye is teaming up with his musician brother to create a vinyl record that fuses his architectural projects and music. [Curbed] New York’s oldest witchcraft store has been selling “enchantments” in the East Village for 34 years. [The Guardian] A guide to NYC’s farmers markets. [Thrillist] In this sleepy Connecticut city, a former piano-key […]

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June 13, 2016

Fashion Designer’s Chelsea Townhouse Renovated by Winka Dubbeldam Asks $13.75M

When Tia Cibani, creative director of popular Canadian fashion brand Ports 1961, left the label after the birth of a new baby, she was far from abandoning her fashion career. The young international designer launched her eponymous label in 2013. Though a creative career and family life are a lot to balance, being able to call this four-story, 5,000-square-foot West Chelsea townhouse home certainly didn't hurt. When Cibani purchased the home for $4.4 million in 2007, it needed a total overhaul, and noted Dutch architect Winka Dubbeldam, designer of Tribeca's V33 and the Greenwich Street Project at 497 Greenwich Street, was just the innovative force the project needed. The 1910 townhouse–with colorful contemporary interiors that are anything but stodgy–is now on the market for $13.75 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

June 12, 2016

First Look at New 10-Unit Rental Planned for Washington Heights

By Dejah Mcgibbon

Last fall, permits were filed to construct a six-story, 10-unit residential building at 563 West 170th Street in Washington Heights. The single-story garage building that occupied the mid-block site between Audubon and St. Nicholas Avenues has been removed and will soon be replaced by a sleek glass and metal building developed by Michael Reznik of Central Park Capital Group and designed by Charles Diehl.
READ MORE

June 11, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

Brooklyn Design Firm Creates Dramatic Living Spaces Inside a Williamsburg Loft Another Luxury Development May Rise on Billionaires’ Row New ‘Solar Canopy’ Can Be Installed Atop Any NYC Building to Provide Solar Power Apply Now For 63 Affordable Units Next to Woodlawn Cemetery, Starting at $865/Month Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick Pay $34.5M for […]

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June 10, 2016

Archilier Architects Design Empire State Building-Sized Tower for Former Subway Inn Site

Earlier this year, 6sqft showed you new renderings of Archilier Architects' "Hudson Rise" mixed-use skyscraper planned for Manhattan's west side. Now the design firm has published their vision for a soaring, super-thin supertall at the former site of beloved dive bar Subway Inn at 151 East 60th Street. Kuafu Properties owns the 28,619-square-foot, six-building assemblage at 143-161 East 60th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues, which they acquired from the World Wide Group last year for $300 million, according to The Real Deal. Kuafu is one of the developers behind the Archilier-designed Hudson Rise development, thus these released renderings may indeed be working images of the planned project. The slender tower shown would encompass 411,700 gross square feet of area and rise 1,240 feet high, just 10 feet shy of the Empire State Building's height of 1,250 feet, despite containing just one-fifth of the floor space. The tower would technically be the tallest building on the Upper East Side (by far), but would be 158 feet shorter than nearby 432 Park Avenue in Midtown.
More details ahead

June 10, 2016

Grand Loft on Grand Street With Original Cast Iron Columns Asks $17,500/Month

This Lower East Side loft is so grand you need a wide-angled lens to capture all its lofty goodness in a photo. The apartment comes from 345 Grand Street, a cast iron building that is now a six-unit condo. It's just been listed for rent for a hefty $17,500 a month. With all that money comes excellent features—the original wood beamed joist ceilings, a wood-burning fireplace, a private terrace—as well as 2,500 square feet of space to spread out. Another bonus: this well-designed space will come fully furnished for the lucky renter.
Take a peek

June 10, 2016

Spotlight: ‘New Yorker’ Cartoonist Roz Chast Reflects on the City and Her Work

By Cait Etherington

Photograph of Roz Chast in her Studio, 2015, by Jeremy Clowe. Norman Rockwell Collections In April, the Museum of the City of New York opened a new exhibit featuring the work of Roz Chast. While not every New Yorker may know Roz by name, most New Yorkers are familiar with her illustrations. In 1978, just a year after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Art and Design, Roz dropped off her portfolio at The New Yorker. The magazine not only selected one of her drawings for publication but also told Roz to keep the work coming. Since then, she has published over 1,200 works in The New Yorker, including 18 covers. And perhaps more than any other contemporary illustrator, Chast—a born and raised New Yorker—has consistently managed to capture the humor, beauty and at times, the sheer difficulty of living in the city. Ahead we catch up with Roz, who reflects on her New York upbringing, her love for interiors, and what makes NYC so different from other cities.
read our interview with roz chast here

June 10, 2016

VIDEO: Spend a Night in a 300-Square-Foot Micro-Apartment at Carmel Place

Just yesterday, 6sqft took a look at the available market-rate units at Carmel Place, the city's first micro-housing development. If you're debating submitting an application for one of these apartments--which at less than half the size of traditional studios are still asking from $2,570 to $3,200 per month--this video from the Times may help firm your decision. In it, reporter Penelope Green spends a night in a 302-square-foot unit that rents for $2,670 a month and features the building's host of space-saving furniture like a sofa-wall bed combo (which, though surprisingly comfortable, will give you your daily upper body workout) and a 17-inch deep desk that extends to a 10-person dining table.
Watch the full video here

New Developments

June 10, 2016

KPF’s William Pedersen Designs an Ultra-Modern Doghouse With Green Roof

KPF is best known for transforming cities with supertall towers, but for the firm's founding Design Partner and Principal, William Pedersen, there's no scale that should be left unchallenged. Pedersen teamed up with fellow KPF architect Trent Tesch to create the One Jackson Square (OJS) Doghouse, a pint-sized structure for pets that boasts a striking curved form. According to the KPF pair, the OJS is "designed for the city dog, the country dog, and the spoiled dog."
more on the design here

June 10, 2016

Apply for 20 Affordable Apartments on East 165th Street, Starting at $690/Month

Applications are now being accepted for 20 brand new affordable homes at 491 East 165th Street in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. The 10-story building will house eight studio apartments priced at $690 per month for qualified applicants earning between $24,995 and $38,100 annually. Six one-bedroom units are priced at $775/month and are available to one- or two-family households earning between $27,943 and $43,500 per year, and six two-bedroom units will go for $950/month for two- to four-person households earning between $33,943 and $54,360 per year.
Get more info right here

June 10, 2016

Diane von Furstenberg Will Help Fund New Statue of Liberty Museum

Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and husband Barry Diller are well known in the philanthropic circuit as supporters of cultural public spaces. They were early funders of the High Line, and construction is soon to commence on Diller's $150 million+ futuristic offshore park known as Pier 55. Their latest endeavor will be backing a new Statue of Liberty museum, as the Wall Street Journal reports that von Furstenberg has joined the board of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation and agreed to assist with fundraising. The announcement for a new, free-standing museum designed by FXFOWLE comes as the Statue of Liberty nears its 130th anniversary in October. Currently, the exhibition space is housed in the statue's pedestal, but because of its size and security concerns only about 20 percent of the 4.3 million annual visitors can access this museum. The National Park Service, in an environmental review put out last month, said the 15,000-square-foot project is "intended to increase public access to exhibits on the history, construction and legacy of the statue, and provide additional shelter during inclement weather."
More details on the building

June 10, 2016

NYC Gets Its First Official Iconography; Can Empty Restaurants Double as Co-Working Spaces?

Amidst a very public divorce, Johnny Depp is auctioning off nine of his personal Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings. [Page Six] Believe it or not, the city has never had official iconography. But now NYC & Company has launched 250 pictograms, as well as a redesigned website and two new typefaces. [Fast Co. Design] There are 2,000 empty restaurants during the […]

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June 10, 2016

The Historic Henry F. Spaulding Estate in Riverdale Looks Like it Belongs Upstate

Riverdale is a neighborhood known for its incredible mansion properties. But this one at 4970 Independence Avenue--now on the market asking $3.69 million--really stands out among them all. First there's the architecture -- the home is a fine example of the Stick-Eastlake style, rarely seen in New York City. Then there's its "utterly fascinating history," as reported by Cured. Known as the Henry F. Spaulding Estate, it was constructed in 1880 in Riverdale when the area was a private community of country estates. To make way for the development of Wave Hill, the sprawling property was picked up and moved to its current location in 1909. If all that sounds interesting, just wait until you see the interior.
Take a tour

June 9, 2016

VIDEO: Frank Lloyd Wright on His Arrogance and the ‘Greed’ That Built NYC

"Fellow architects have called him everything from a great poet to an insupportable windbag," begins Mike Wallace in a 1957 interview with Frank Lloyd Wright. This is the setup for a talk with the famous architect in which he asserts he could rebuild the entire country if he had 15 more years and that the New York City skyline is nothing more than a "race for rent," a monument to "the power of money and greed," and completely lacking any ideas. In this animated video from PBS Digital Studio (h/t Reddit), set to the historic interview, we learn why Wright thinks centuries of architecture failed, what he feels is wrong with St. Patrick's Cathedral, and how he believes he received the title of "arrogant."
Watch the full video here

Architecture And Design

June 9, 2016

$2.8M Condo at Former Greenwich Village Horse Stable Boasts Great Windows and Exposed Brick

49 Downing Street is a building of note in Greenwich Village for a number of reasons. The late 1800s horse stable is on the National Register of Historic Places. And as a 10-unit co-op, it has housed Yoko Ono, who bought an apartment in 1995 for her son Sean Lennon and sold in 2014 for $8.3 million. The latest apartment to hit the market here is this two-bedroom unit, asking $2.8 million, which boasts stunning windows that decorate the stable's historic facade.
See more of the interior

June 9, 2016

MAP: Visualizing Urban Development from 3700 B.C. to 2000 A.D.

Previously, 6sqft featured an interactive map from Esri that showed how the world's population boomed over the course of 2,000 years. Now comes a new paper and visualization (h/t CityLab) from Scientific Data that takes population and archeological records from as far back as 2250 B.C. and transforms them into a fascinating map that reveals the world's first recorded urban centers, and how they've distributed themselves over 6,000 years.
the complete map here

City Living

June 9, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/9-6/15

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! Warm weather is here and there are plenty of fun, outdoorsy art activities to keep you busy and inspired. Grab a drink and chill outside for Saya Woolfalk's trippy film, which enlivens Times Square each night this month. The Van Alen Institute presents four days of design events for their annual Spring Festival, while the Welling Court Mural Project returns with a chance to see artists in action during a fun block party. Artist Peter Gronquist presents a departure from his taxidermy works and a foray into painting at Joseph Gross Gallery, and Miya Ando shows off two new bodies of work inspired by her Japanese heritage at Sundaram Tagore. Drew Conrad's beautifully brash dystopian installations take residence at Kustera Projects in Red Hook. Head to Brookfield Place with the family to test out The Swings, a kinetic installation that plays music when you swing on it. Finally, the event I look forward to all year, the Philip Johnson Glass House Summer Party which invites guests to picnic amidst the mid -century modern gem.
More on all the best events this way

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

Learn More

June 9, 2016

Micro-Apartments at Carmel Place Starting from $2,570 and Offering a Month Free

For you minimalist gurus who also relish on-site amenities, there is a now a building for you. Earlier this spring, leasing kicked off for the city's first micro-housing development, Carmel Place (formerly known as My Micro NY) at 335 East 27th Street. Developed by Monadnock Development and designed by nARCHITECTS, the newly finished no-fee building is a prototype meant to test compact and efficient living arrangements within the city's tight housing market, as well as accommodate the city’s growing population of one- and two-person households. Thee leasing team led by Citi-Habitats is offering one month free on all 12- and 24-month leases. According to CityRealty, there are seven micro-studios available ranging from 265 to 360 square feet. Though the units are nearly half the size of typical studio apartments, monthly rents are not analogously micro with current asking prices ranging from $2,570 to $2,920 per month. That's an average of $110 per square foot, significantly more than $83 per square foot median studio price in Murray Hill and $60 per square foot in Gramercy.
Find out more this way

June 9, 2016

A Rare Historic Townhouse in Long Island City Asks $2.4M

Long Island City is a neighborhood better known for its warehouses and new waterfront development than it is historic townhouses. But there are a few blocks of the neighborhood that look more Brooklyn than Queens, with 19th century townhouses along tree-lined streets. It's not everyday that one of these gems hits the market--here's a charming home that was listed this spring--but this one at 45-10 11th Street is now asking $2.395 million. It's been in the same family for 34 years and still has lovely interior details from when the home was constructed in 1911.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

June 9, 2016

Zen Out in Your Apartment With the Meditation Tipi

Even the most cynical, high-strung New Yorkers need a little "namaste" time. If committing to a yoga membership seems like too much, why not get one of these Meditation Tipis, which allow you to "create your own sacred space for meditation, connection, writing, reading and more." Made in Bozeman, Montana by Little Turtle's Tipi, these handmade canvas teepees come with an imitation fur rug and a salt crystal aroma lamp for your favorite essential oils. And with a diameter of only six feet and height of seven, they're perfect for even the smallest apartments.
Find out how to get your own

June 9, 2016

Work Begins on Times Square ‘Activity Areas’ to Confine Characters and Performers

Mayor de Blasio first started pushing to corral the costumed characters and topless performers in Times Square last August, and now almost a year later work has begun on a reconfiguration of the area, reports the Daily News. A preliminary map that divided the plazas into three zones was released in September, but a new, final version was issued on Wednesday. Called "TSq Plaza Rules Cheat Sheet," it splits the tourist mecca into Chill Zones (places to "sit, nosh, meditate, take in the sites"), De$ignated Activity Zones ("commercial activities, street entertainment, posing for photos, vendors of expressive matter... in exchange for compensation, donation, or tips"), and Express Lanes ("pedestrian through lanes, NYC style"). After the City Council passed legislation eight weeks ago that gave the Department of Transportation the power to relocate the performers and ticket sellers, workers began painting the colored lines to delineate the zones on Wednesday night.
See the full map

Policy

June 9, 2016

Time Warner Actually Is the Worst; Can ‘Hamilton’ Beat the Robots?