July 8, 2016

Go Glamping in a Geodesic Dome on a Catskills Farm for $350/Night

Looking for an upstate weekend getaway, but don't want to deal with the mosquitoes and unpredictable weather that often go with traditional camping? This geodesic dome in the Catskills promises to be an "incredible glamping space," and its funky design and foodie-focused community only sweeten the deal. Available on Airbnb for $350/night, the dome is located on a farm in Sullivan County. It has wooden floors and screened-in windows, but you'll need to BYObed if you have more than two guests. There's also outdoor double hot showers, a sink, and a clawfoot tub, as well as a full outdoor kitchen with a grill, fridge, sink, and fire pit.
Get the full experience
July 8, 2016

Spotlight: Alex Gomberg Keeps Up the Tradition at 63-Year-Old Brooklyn Seltzer Boys

When Alex Gomberg says "I have seltzer in my blood,” he's not referring to the quantity of seltzer he drinks, but rather describing how deep the seltzer tradition runs in his family. It began in 1953 with his great-grandfather, Moe Gomberg, who opened up Gomberg Seltzer Works, a seltzer bottling plant in Brooklyn. The term seltzer man may be new to some, but it refers to someone who delivers seltzer in glass bottles right to your door; no supermarket needed. Over the years, seltzer delivery went out of favor and the family business, currently run by Alex’s father Kenny Gomberg and uncle Irv Resnick, continued to bottle for others, but was no longer doing delivery routes themselves. Four years ago, Alex joined Gomberg Seltzer Works and felt strongly that company should return to its delivery roots. He helped developed a delivery branch, aptly named Brooklyn Seltzer Boys, and today, Alex is well on his way to becoming many New Yorkers’ 21st century seltzer man. His idea of returning to delivery service was right on the mark as the company is benefitting from a myriad of factors including nostalgia, a focus on curated, well made items, and the popularity of home delivery. 6sqft recently spoke with Alex to find out about Gomberg’s seltzer, what it’s like to be a seltzer man, and how he's bringing seltzer delivery back to New York.
Read the full interview here
July 8, 2016

Friday Five: 5 Buildings in the Heart of Brooklyn Offering Free Rent

Rental deals have become increasingly tough to find but they're most definitely still out there. Starting today, every Friday 6sqft is rounding up five of the best deals showcased on CityRealty's newly launched no-fee rental offers page, where NYC house hunters can find the latest and most generous concessions being offered by landlords across the city. This week, we've culled five fabulous buildings in prime Brooklyn that are currently offering FREE RENT on new leases. Among the offers ahead, check out a newly renovated two-bedroom with yard in pretty Carroll Gardens offering a month rent-free on an already reasonable $2,700/month price tag.
Check them out here
July 7, 2016

Rare Opportunity to Apply for New Upscale Condos in Clinton Hill, Priced From $156,000

Here's your rare opportunity to purchase a NYC condominium in an upscale building for a fraction of market-rate prices. The developers of Clinton Hill's under-construction condo Waverly Brooklyn are now accepting applications for 11 subsidized homes priced as low as $156,444. Qualified applicants have a chance to purchase the deal of a lifetime with studio, one- and two-bedroom homes priced 86-percent below the neighborhood's market-rate medians. The condos are available to households earning between $32,617 to $48,923.
More details ahead
July 7, 2016

New Jersey’s Oldest and Largest Frank Lloyd Wright House Listed for $2.2M

During his prolific career, Frank Lloyd Wright built four houses in the Garden State, the first and largest being the 2,000-square-foot James B. Christie House in Bernardsville, which dates to 1940. At the time, Wright, who coined the term "organic architecture," told his client to find a site with "as much individuality as to topography and features—stream, trees, etc. and as much freedom from adjacent buildings as is possible." Christie obliged, and the resulting home sits on seven acres of secluded woodland. For the physical architecture, Wright employed his Usonian principles of simplicity, practicality, and a connection to nature. As Curbed reports, after selling in 2014 to a private buyer for $1,700,000, the Christie House is now on the market for $2.2 million after receiving a new roof and heating system.
Tour the property
July 7, 2016

Find Out if a Building Has Rats Using the City’s Interactive Map

From the fine folks at the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene comes this most informative interactive map of the five boroughs that tells you whether you'll need to keep an eye on your pizza. The Rat Information Portal (RIP) gives you the facts about rats in NYC—where they are and what you can do about them. You can search the city, building by building—handy if you're thinking of renting or buying an apartment—to get the 411 on potential pest problems of the furry kind.
Let's find some rats
July 7, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 7/7-7/13

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! July is heating up in the art world (and on the thermometer!). Take the month to check out my curatorial debut with Times Square Arts every night on the ad screens, head to City Hall Park to enjoy a new sculpture series, and definitely be sure to frolic in the balloon room by Martin Creed at the Park Avenue Armory. Check out the 1920s Chinese screen siren Ruan Lingyu in a film set to a live score by Gary Lucas, or head outdoors for a screening of April and the Extraordinary World in Riverside Park. Head to the Bronx for an all-female show at Wall Works Gallery, or if you're in the Hamptons, spend a day at Market Art and Design at the Bridgehampton Museum.
More on all the best events this way
July 7, 2016

Manhattan View Condo Launches Full Website, Touting Luxury Amenities and Far-Reaching Views

Co-developers Kuafu Properties and SCG America have fully launched their website marketing 151 Jamie Drake-designed condos called Manhattan View. For those in search of an upscale home in Midtown West, it's unlikely that Manhattan View can escape your radar for long. The residences are perched on 13 floors atop the Arquitectonica-designed MiMA Tower at 460 West 42nd Street, and the exclusive collection of apartments will provide richly appointed amenities and far-reaching views of the city and waterways. The new website leads with a fun and quirky film of the building that tours its apartments and amenities and grants a view of the lifestyle it hopes to provide its residents.
More details and the full video ahead
July 7, 2016

Conserve and Reuse Pre-Shower Water With Aguawell

On days like today, a cold shower is often the only way to cool down, but this overindulgence can get quite wasteful, especially if you're guilty of letting the shower run before hopping in. In fact, designboom tells us that those moments of adjusting the temperature can add up to 12 liters of lost water per minute. That's where Aguawell comes in. The simple, practical unit catches clean water before it hits the drain, so you can then use it for everything from watering plants to keeping pets hydrated.
Find out more
July 7, 2016

$15,000/Month Firehouse Offers a Sprawling Live/Work Space in Williamsburg

Check out this 5,000-square-foot live/work space at 246 Frost Street, a former 19th century Williamsburg firehouse. While the historic facade remains intact, the interior has pretty much been transformed into a lofty, two-floor apartment with plenty of exposed brick to go around. And it's full of bonus space: a finished basement, an extra sleeping loft, a deck, parking garage, recording studio and fully-functioning dark room. For all that, it'll cost a cool $15,000 a month.
Take a look
July 7, 2016

Flirt, Frolic and Shower Outside at This Indulgent $1.5M Village Co-op

When a listing is advertised as having a "Soho House meets The Standard Hotel design motif,” we already know who the target audience is. But just to be sure, an accompanying video features a pair of bed-headed hotties–one of whom is the listing broker–who would look right at home at either of those establishments as they frolic about the apartment in a steamy state. The smitten pair caress the home's custom fixtures and invite the viewer to imagine a puzzlingly effort-free existence in this chic $1.495 million sixth-floor co-op at 303 Mercer Street's Snug Harbor.
They're gonna need that central air...
July 6, 2016

NYC May Get a Big Ugly Wall Instead of Bjarke Ingels’ Storm Protection System

"Not only is New York City going to build the cheapest, ugliest version of the big dumb wall, there’s a very good possibility that it won’t even be big enough." According to a recent Rolling Stone article titled "Can New York Be Saved in the Era of Global Warming?" the level of storm protection put in place to protect the city from future superstorms may fall short of the elegant solution that was originally promised. According to the story, the city funded a proposal–Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)'s winning submission in the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Rebuild by Design contest–that involved a 10-mile barrier system that would protect Lower Manhattan from the ruinous effects of storm surges and sea-level rise. Called the Big U, the $540 million infrastructure project would be designed to contain parks and public spaces. But because of cost issues, the project may not materialize as planned.
Find out how the proposal may have changed
July 6, 2016

The History of Bowery Bay Beach, the ‘Coney Island of Queens’

This past holiday weekend, New Yorkers flocked to Coney Island for the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, the fireworks display, and to enjoy the beach and boardwalk. For some, though, traveling all the way out to the end of Brooklyn with beach chairs and coolers is daunting, which is why it's sad to learn that back in the 19th century, there was another amusement destination in the city, at the site of present-day LaGuardia Airport. Bowery Bay Beach (later named North Beach) opened in 1886 on the shores of Bowery and Flushing Bays. Built by noted piano manufacturer William Steinway in partnership with brewer George Ehret, it included beaches, swimming pavilions, a huge beer hall, zoo, and the Gala Amusement Park. At one time it was more popular than the parks in Brooklyn, earning it the moniker "the Coney Island of Queens."
So what happened?
July 6, 2016

LES Residents Propose Turning Lowline Site Into a Bus Depot During L Train Shutdown

There's been no lack of ideas for how to deal with the impending L train shutdown, from realistic proposals like the East River Skyway to some more out-there concepts like a giant inflatable tunnel. The latest suggestion was presented at a recent public meeting between the MTA and Manhattan's Community Board 3. DNAinfo reports that local residents discussed taking the old underground trolley station at Delancey and Essex Streets (the same site that's been long proposed for the Lowline) and turning it into a transportation hub for the B39 bus that operates between Williamsburg and the Lower East Side.
Find out more
July 6, 2016

Hello Albermarle’s ‘Avant-Garde-on-a-Budget’ Condos Take Flight in Flatbush

Hello Living is extending their Bauhaus-inspired magic deeper into Brooklyn with their latest project Hello Albermarle. It rises from a former parking lot located near the renewed Loew’s Kings Theatre and another upcoming high-rise development by the firm Hello Nostrand. Now having ascended four floors out of its concrete pit, the 44-unit condominium tower will ultimately tower 12 stories and 140 feet over its cozy Flatbush community.
More info ahead
July 6, 2016

Playful Moiré Lights Reveal Magical Patterns As They Rotate

Transform your space from stuffy to spectacular with one of these mesmerizing Moiré Lights by designer David Derksen. This artsy yet functional piece takes lighting to a new level by using perforated discs to create a lamp that projects moving patterns as it rotates and glows. As you may have guessed by the name, the hypnotic visage of each lamp is inspired by the Moiré effect.
Learn more about this magical lamp
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July 6, 2016

$1.4M Townhouse in Rising-Star Sunset Park Includes a Magical Backyard Studio

While it may not be palatial, this sweet three-bedroom, two-story (plus finished basement) townhouse at 455 37th Street in Sunset Park on a lovely street of tidy 1900s row houses would make a terrific “condo alternative.” Sunset Park, which the listing reminds us was recently dubbed the nation's number one "edgy cool" neighborhood, is indeed a rising star. With exciting projects in the works at Industry City, an amazingly diverse mix of residents, proximity to transportation, parks and the waterfront and even a recent turn as the winter home of the Brooklyn Flea, Sunset Park is one of those places you might wish you’d moved to years ago. But there are still deals to be had among the just-as-diverse housing choices, like this well-preserved home asking $1.405 million. And a magical back yard with an utterly charming garden studio are definitely something you won't find in most condos.
Take a look inside
July 6, 2016

POLL: Should the New York State Pavilion Get a Creative Makeover?

Yesterday, 6sqft shared some of the best and wackiest proposals from an ideas competition reimagining Philip Johnson's iconic New York State Pavilion. Built for the 1964-65 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, it's struggled in recent years to find financial support, and the competition is a way to drum up enthusiasm for the necessary $52 restoration. The ideas ranged from the expected (elevated parks, event spaces) to the socially conscious (refugee housing, a homeless shelter) to the totally out there (a cheeseburger museum, a UFO landing pad). And while a new incarnation for the historic site would certainly draw visitors and interest, is that the appropriate way to honor the cultural and architectural merit of a structure that was built for a specific purpose at a very special point in time? Plus, preservationists have already secured close to $6 million for repairs, and the structure got a $3 million paint job last year.
Tell us what you think
July 6, 2016

Jimmy Choo Co-Founder Offers UES Mansion Penthouse for $60K/Month

Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon has long been trying to sell her palatial penthouse pad, which sits atop the Carhart Mansion at 3 East 95th Street. The Carnegie Hill apartment, which boasts five bedrooms and one of the most impressive shoe closets of all time, recently reduced its price from $34 million to $27 million. And now it's on the rental market for $60,000 a month. The 7,000-square-foot penthouse has a long line of impressive owners—Mellon bought this from the Seagram heir Charles Bronfman Jr.
Check out that closet
July 5, 2016

Competition Reimagines New York State Pavilion As a Cheeseburger Museum, Hanging Meadow

Philip Johnson's iconic New York State Pavilion in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was built for the 1964-65 World’s Fair, but has struggled in recent decades to find its purpose. Because of its architectural and cultural merit, however, preservations have made great strides in the past several years: a restoration task force secured $5.8 million for repairs in 2014; it received a $3 million paint job last fall; and now it's creating quite the buzz thanks to an ideas competition put on by the the National Trust for Historic Preservation and People for the Pavilion (h/t WSJ). The competition, which organizers hope could help drum up enough enthusiasm to aid in the $52 million total restoration, has drawn more than 250 submission, including wacky ideas like a cheeseburger museum, a giant time-telling machine, and a UFO landing pad to more practical functions like a brewery, hanging gardens, live-work space for artists, and event venues.
See some of the entries here
July 5, 2016

‘Periodic Table of NYC Trash’ Identifies the City’s Garbage and Odors

Easily put a name to New York’s discarded paraphernalia and putrid odors with the help of the Periodic Table of NYC Trash. This nifty design, created by writer Molly Young and graphic designer Teddy Blanks, places 118 recurring New York City elements into a handy tabular array that, like the real periodic table that inspired it, provides a useful framework for analyzing behavior (in this case, that of New Yorkers). All of the trash depicted in the poster was pulled straight off our city's filthy streets and photographed by Young and Blanks. What's featured includes everything from an innocuous Metro Card and stray baby sock to gag-inducing finds like a dead rat and a bottle of pee. Everything has also been handily divvied up into nine different categories that include apparel, beverage, food, hygiene, household, lifestyle, municipal, packing, and vices.
See the full size version here
July 5, 2016

Immigration Map Shows Migration Patterns for Every Country in the World

Puzzled at how many conversations about international issues turned to the subject of immigration no matter what the original context might have been, NYC-based entrepreneur and data visualization geek Max Galka created a map showing the flow of immigration to and from each of the world’s nations to better visualize where the patterns really lay. In addition to topics like terrorism, Brexit, this year’s presidential race and the refugee crisis, according to Galka, immigration was "being mentioned in connection with all sorts of topics I never would have expected.” Finding that the debates on immigration, though sometimes heated, were lacking in factual information, he hopes that his mapping efforts, brought to us via his blog Metrocosm, can provide some real-world context on questions like, "how many migrants are there? Where are they coming from? And where are they going?"
Take a look at the map to see who's coming and going
July 5, 2016

Location and a Roof Deck With a View Elevate This $1.55M Center Slope Walk-Up

This lofted "duplex" on a gorgeous tree-lined brownstone block right in the center of Park Slope may not have a lot of usable space to spread out, but what it does have has been customized with modern details and creature comforts. For $1.55 million, the fifth floor condo at 486 Third Street could use an elevator (especially given the neighborhood's appeal to families who come with strollers, groceries and plenty of gear), but once you're inside this home in the treetops, great light and a private roof deck make a pretty compelling case.
Take the tour
July 5, 2016

The Shrine Is a Cubic Cabinet That Will Keep Your Valuables Safe

We all have those precious items that we want to keep safe -- grandpa's watch, a childhood diary, a stash of foreign money -- but in cramped apartments it's hard to find adequate space to stash them all. Sigurd Larsen's cubic cabinet called the Shrine, however, has plenty of compartments to keep valuables safe. It's simply a wooden box full of drawers and doors of varying sizes that are only accessible with keys.
Learn more about this intricate cabinet of curiosities
July 5, 2016

$625K for This Charming Two Bedroom in a Prewar Co-op of Jackson Heights

The prewar cooperatives of Jackson Heights are well-known for their interior courtyards, not to mention lovely apartments with generous floor plans. This two bedroom comes from the Fillmore at 83-10 35th Avenue, which was built in 1935 by the architect Thomas K. Reinhart in the Art Deco style and includes a glorious planted courtyard that's shared by residents. This particular apartment, asking $625,000, is sitting pretty on the top floor of the building.
See the interior and the courtyard
July 5, 2016

Lottery Opens for 259 Affordable Units in East New York, Starting at $494/Month

As part of his city-wide campaign, Mayor de Blasio has made a push for affordable housing in East New York, where the City Planning Commission recently approved a controversial rezoning. Local residents cited concerns that the changes would lead to displacement and gentrification in a neighborhood where the median income is $35,000 annually. But the city's latest housing lottery offers a whopping 259 units for households earning between $18,275 (single persons) and $71,760 (eight people). The apartments, 50 percent of which are reserved for local residents, range from $494/month studios to $1,322/month four-bedrooms. These units are within the third phase of Gateway Elton Street, a new multi-building affordable housing development with ground-floor retail and community facility space in the Spring Creek section of East New York. In total, it will offer 659 apartments and roughly 70,000 square feet of commercial space. Phase three, located at 1062 Elton Street and 475 Locke Street, was designed by Dattner Architects, who organized the two-building site around a central courtyard with parking and outdoor recreation areas.
More on the development here
July 5, 2016

Where to Find the Most Incredible Staircases in New York City

Stairs let interior designers show off their best combination of form and function. The flagship stores, public works, and designer condos of New York make for the perfect opportunities to test the boundaries of practicality and beauty in design. Here are seven of the most beautiful and interesting staircase designs to be found in New York City.
See our staircase gallery here
July 4, 2016

See Inside This 1833 West Village Townhouse, Now Asking $5.975 Million

232 West 10th Street is a brick townhouse in the West Village, constructed way back in 1833. The builder was John C. Blauvelt, who was earning a living as a cartman and built his home "typical of the Federal-style homes being built at the time" according to Daytonian in Manhattan. All these years later the brick facade has remained remarkably in tact. And now that it's on the market, asking nearly $6 million, we can take a peek inside the well-preserved interior, too.
Check it out
July 3, 2016

COOKFOX’s Massive Affordable Housing Development Pushes Forward in the Bronx

Last month, 6sqft reported on the COOKFOX-designed development Park House, the first phase of a two-building affordable and supportive housing complex in the Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx. Since then, the 12-story building has topped off and foundation work is quickly moving along for its adjacent fraternal building dubbed the Webster Residence. The development is being pushed forward by Breaking Ground, a non-profit committed to ending homelessness. This development will be the organization's first venture in the South Bronx.
READ MORE
July 3, 2016

Hell’s Kitchen’s 535W43 Kicks Off Leasing and Offers One Month’s Free Rent

CetraRuddy's through-block rental development 535W43 is now complete, and this past Thursday the development team threw a grand opening event inside the Hell’s Kitchen haven. The finished product ranks as one of the neighborhood's most handsome new additions, comprised of two 14-story towers whose street-facing facades are clad in an industrial-inspired skin of multi-tone bricks, grand casement windows, and dark metal accents. Across its 263,300 square feet of floor area are 180 no-fee apartments ranging from studios to two-bedrooms. For a limited time, the leasing team headed by Douglas Elliman is offering new renters one month free on newly signed leases. Seven apartments are now on the market with net-effective rents starting at $3,000/month for studios, $4,080 for one-bedrooms, and $6,785 for two-bedrooms.
Find out more
July 2, 2016

June’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features

June’s 10 Most-Read Stories Lottery Opens for 41 Units at Related’s Hudson Square Rental, Starting at $788/Month Landmarks Approves Roman Abramovich’s $80M UES Makeshift Mansion Taylor Swift Staying in a $40K/Month Village House During Tribeca Penthouse Renovations My 1200sqft: Inside Model Summer Rayne Oakes’ Williamsburg Oasis Filled With 500+ Plants POLL: Do You Prefer Bjarke […]

July 1, 2016

Own a Collection of Eight Private Islands off the Connecticut Coast for $78 Million

Hey, big spender...before you close on that trophy penthouse condo or townhouse duo, take a look at this extraordinary listing. When you've got billions–or even lots of millions–your real estate options are many. From a penthouse in the sky in a Billionaire's Row skyscraper to a townhouse or two on the Upper East Side or a Hamptons manse with acres of beachfront property, modern-day palaces await. For that eight-figure outlay, this listing is unusual even among the real estate deals of the superrich. The Post tells us of a private archipelago off the Connecticut coastline, owned by Christine and Edmund Stoecklein, on the market for $78 million. Known as the Thimble Islands, this surprising collection of eight islands boasts beautiful restored 19th century mansions, pools, guest houses, docking for yachts both small and large, a commercial-level greenhouse facility, tennis courts and a golf putting green and tees designed by Jack Nicklaus. The property is at most a ten-minute boat ride from the Connecticut shoreline or a twenty minute helicopter jaunt from Manhattan.
What you'll find on these secret island enclaves
July 1, 2016

Gene Kaufman’s Church-Incorporating Hotel Rises on West 36th Street

Over the past decade, developer Sam Chang and his McSam Hotel Group have built an astonishing number of hotels in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and in the process have built up quite the reputation for pockmarking the city with characterless tower blocks that diminish their surroundings. One of the developer's latest ventures is a 26-story, 566-room hotel beginning excavation work at 334 West 36th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Once occupied by the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, the mid-block English Gothic structure was built as the Christ Church Memorial Building in 1905. The savvy developer purchased the 15,000-square-foot site in 2013 for $50.8 million in anticipation for yet another hotel. Local preservationists connected with Community Board 4 to convince Chang to save the church facade and incorporate it with the new building. Surprisingly, he obliged, but the Gene Kaufman-designed structure is not quite a miracle.
Find out more
July 1, 2016

Find Peace and Quiet at Home With the Whisper Noise Canceler

Noisy neighbors keeping you up at night? Garbage trucks blaring before the alarm? Drunk revelers making it hard to hear the television? Soundproof your apartment by installing the Whisper Noise Canceler, an innovative acoustical system that promises to silence indoor noise. It works with an outdoor unit that is mounted on the exterior of a wall, door, or window and detects external noise. A corresponding indoor device emits anti-phase sound waves to counterbalance this and reduce the noise.
Learn more about Whisper
July 1, 2016

The Perils of Sidewalk Gridlock; $10M Lawsuit Over Sean Lennon’s Tree Ongoing

New York’s sidewalks are so packed, pedestrians are taking to the streets. [NYT] Obama chooses NYC-based architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien to design his presidential library. [ArchDaily] Marisa Tomei’s parents and John Lennon’s son are still fighting over a tree. [NYP] SKY, Manhattan’s largest rental building opens, offering one month free rent and spectacular amenities. [CityRealty] Old-school […]

July 1, 2016

Matt Lauer Unloading Southampton Beach Cottage for $4M

On Monday, 6sqft reported that "Today" anchor Matt Lauer had scooped up Richard Gere's Hamptons estate for an impressive $36 million. He's wasted no time trying to unload his other properties on the island, as the Post reveals today that his Southampton beach cottage has hit the market for $4 million. Located at 67 Scotts Landing Road, the charming waterfront home sits on .75 acres within a community "where houses are generally passed on to the next generation," according to the listing. This exclusive neighborhood offers tennis courts and access to a bay beach with a pavilion that puts on events.
Check out the cottage
July 1, 2016

Spotlight: Pyro Spectaculars’ Gary Souza on the Art of Creating Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks

When America celebrates her 240th birthday on Monday, Gary Souza will be marking the occasion in a very big way. As a fireworks designer for Pyro Spectaculars, he is responsible for creating and overseeing the wondrous fireworks that make the nation ooh and aah during Macy's 4th of July Fireworks. This year’s show will be Macy’s 40th annual production, a huge milestone for the department store, and will take place over the East River in Midtown and Lower Manhattan. Pyro Spectaculars is a multigenerational family business begun by Manuel de Sousa after he immigrated from Portugal to the San Francisco area in the early 1900s. Over the years, the business has grown tremendously from creating small fireworks displays to a company that now spans five generations and is responsible for providing fireworks for some of the biggest names in the sports and entertainment industries, including the Winter and Summer Olympics, Super Bowls, Disney, and at concerts for icons such as the Rolling Stones. When it comes to Macy’s, Pyro Spectaculars has a 35-year collaboration with the store that has propelled the fireworks company to develop technology that allows for safer, more elaborate firework creations to come to life. 6sqft recently spoke with Gary to learn about the magnificence of fireworks, what it takes to produce the Macy's show, and some of the exciting new elements at this year’s display.
Read the interview here
July 1, 2016

Live in Holly Hunter’s Former Greenwich Village Co-op for $14,750/Month

Holly Hunter bought this two-bedroom co-op at 21 East 11th Street in 2002, but three years later she sold it to Dan Weatherill Barber for $3 million after purchasing Julia Roberts' beautiful apartment at nearby 43 Fifth Avenue for $4.1 million (which she then sold for $7.6 million in 2014). Her original Greenwich Village digs, however, are now available as a $14,750/month rental reports the Observer.
See the rest of the apartment
June 30, 2016

Court Temporarily Stops Construction on Barry Diller’s Futuristic Offshore Park

Last summer, a civic group known as City Club of New York slapped Barry Diller's Pier 55 with a lawsuit, claiming he and the Hudson River Park Trust had failed to thoroughly evaluate the environmental impact of the 2.7-acre offshore park. In April of this year, the Manhattan Supreme Court dismissed the case, and later that same month news broke that construction on the $130 million project would begin this summer after gaining regulatory approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, DNAinfo reports that today an appellate court issued an injunction that says work must temporarily stop until at least September when the opponents present their case again.
More details ahead
June 30, 2016

World Trade Center Performing Arts Complex Gets $75M Gift From Billionaire Ronald Perelman

Billionaire businessman and philanthropist Ronald O. Perelman has made a $75 million gift towards the Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center (PACWTC) reports the New York Times. The donation will finally make one of the last unfinished projects at the site a reality, and the Center will therefore be named for Perelman. "I think that this is a project that must happen. It is more than just a pure artistic center to serve a community. It is that, but at the same time it’s much more than that," he said. This is not Perelman's first time donating to the World Trade Center site. Under the Bloomberg administration he gave $5 million for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum and said then that he was interested in making the lead gift for a performing arts center at the site.
Find out more this way
June 30, 2016

INTERVIEW: Deborah Berke on Becoming Dean of Yale Architecture School, and Her New Book

July is a big month for Deborah Berke, the founder of the New York-based architecture and design firm Deborah Berke Partners. Not only will Ms. Berke become Dean of the Yale Architecture School on July 1st (the first woman to do so in the school’s 100-year history), taking over for Robert A.M. Stern, but her new […]

June 30, 2016

Renovation of This $1.25M Greenwich Village Co-op Maximized Its Space to the Fullest

When it comes to maximizing all your space in an apartment, nothing does the trick like adding a loft. This one-bedroom apartment, at the Greenwich Village co-op 35 East 10th Street, did just that in a recent renovation. A well-designed loft of glass, steel and wood creates a nice big living room below, with a spacious sleeping alcove above. On top of that, a wall of glass in the rear of the apartment offers a seamless transition out to its own private patio. Amazingly, this unit sold for $500,000 just three years ago, and now it's on the market post-reno for more than twice that amount.
Take the tour
June 30, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – July 4th Edition

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 Fourth of July is typically for house parties and rooftop barbecues, but if you're too lazy to organize your own party, there are a few choice ways to celebrate in style, whilst also catching the area fireworks. Channel your inner pin-up girl at the DL or sit poolside at the luxe McCarren Hotel. Head down to the revamped South Street Seaport, which has become a cultural center for arts, music and food. Splurge and set sail around Manhattan, and dance dance dance at a secret location- or at the beautiful House of Yes in Bushwick. Independence Day is all about friends and family, so have fun no matter what you do, and be safe!
More on all the best events this way
June 30, 2016

Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo’s $5.5M Soho Loft Finds a Buyer in Less Than Three Months

The 2,800-square-foot Soho loft at 112 Green Street belonging to Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine and supermodel Behati Prinsloo has already been sold at its asking price, the Observer reports. 6sqft took a look at the pretty pad belonging to the new-parents-to-be when it was listed at $5.5 million–$1 million more than they bought it for two years ago. The loft, offered complete with its casual-contemporary mix of furniture–is a picture of downtown perfection with unspoiled original details like cast-iron columns, classic loft radiators, exposed brick and 13-foot tin ceilings. The rocker also just listed his 7,100-square-foot Beverly Hills estate for $17.5 million, so we're assuming the head-turning pair are on the hunt for a more family-friendly space.
Take a last look
June 30, 2016

The Upper East Side Townhouse Where Henry Fonda Married a Countess Asks $11M

This elegant five-story single-family townhouse at 151 East 74th Street has been a home to a president's son (Captain Kermit Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt) and Hollywood royalty. The late, great actor Henry Fonda called the nearly 6,000-square-foot townhouse home and hosted his wedding to 23-year-old Italian countess Afdera Franchetti here in 1957. Built in 1878, the brick Colonial Revival style home remains an elegant address, and is on the market for $11.225 million. There have been recent improvements and upgrades, with plenty of potential left for transformation. With that many floors, two decks, a landscaped backyard and a prime Upper East Side location on a gorgeous townhouse block near Central Park, the landmarked home might be just the one for a certain outgoing president who has expressed interest in living in New York City after leaving the White House. There's definitely plenty of room for college kids and their friends, dogs, staff and security personnel.
Tour the townhouse
June 30, 2016

Apply Today for Six $947/Month Apartments in Astoria’s Artsy Welling Court

Welling Court is a tiny enclave in Astoria, tucked between 30th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard, near the base of Astoria Park. It's best known for the funky street art that adorns its building's walls. Organized by the Welling Court Mural Project, there are now more than 140 murals from international artists, and each June the group puts on a huge block party to celebrate that year's art. If this arsty community appeals to you, a new rental building has recently gone up in Welling Court, and it comes with six low-income apartments that are now up for grabs through the city's housing lottery. 11-07 Welling Court is a six-story, 27-unit building from Architects Studio and developer Halil Todic. The affordable residences, created through the city's 421-a program, are $947 a month for individuals earning between $32,469 and $38,100 annually or two-person households earning between $32,469 and $43,500.
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