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Original mahogany and oak paneling, inlaid parquet floors, carved mantels and a grand staircase. That's the lowdown at 315 West 78th Street, an impressive townhouse in the Riverside Drive/West End Avenue area of the Upper West Side. It's a huge house, with 4,000 square feet, 11 rooms, five bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. It also has an impressive number of historic details intact. The home has been offered as a rental for a few years now, priced between $15,499 and $16,000 a month. It's back on the market asking $16,000 and is being offered furnished or not. It's also available short term, for a minimum of a six-month stay. This is a spot we definitely wouldn't mind hanging for six months.
See the interior

December 18, 2015

MAP: How Much Do Murders Decrease Home Values?

We know that in New York City, living next to the deceased does little to earn you a discount on your rent or a price chop on a condo. But when it comes to murders, the story is quite different. Finder.com recently culled data from University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and popular real estate websites to find out just how much a murder that occurred on a property can affect the value of a home.
more here

December 18, 2015

Foodies Remember the Four Seasons; What Will Replace the Hipster?

As the closing of the Four Seasons approaches, five regulars remember the iconic landmarked restaurant. [Grub Street] What will replace the hipster? Will it be yuccies, cutesters, or maybe health goths? [Vice] Traveling through Grand Central on the 25th? Hidden bar the Campbell Apartment will be open on Christmas for the first time. [Gothamist] Architect […]

Uncategorized

December 18, 2015

Mass Transit Commuters in NY Will Save Hundreds Thanks to New Federal Bill

Work for a business with 20 or more employees? Soon you can kiss that $116/month Metrocard allotment goodbye. This week's federal spending and tax-cut agreement will likely put into effect a permanent law that almost doubles the pre-tax earnings that New York mass-transit commuters can spend on fares, thereby saving them hundreds of dollars a year. As Crain's reports, "The provision nearly doubles the maximum amount of pre-tax income they can use to pay transit fares. Currently $130 a month, the limit will be raised to match the amount that people who drive to work can spend in untaxed earnings on parking fees—$255 per month in 2016." Plus, if Congress passes the bill as expected, the amount will continue to rise with the cost of living.
Find out more right here

December 18, 2015

Get a Look at the South Village’s Upcoming Boutique Condo, 54 MacDougal Street

Excavation is nearly complete at 54 MacDougal Street, a ground-up, six-story condominium being developed by Valyrian Capital and Ajax Partners. Up until 2013, a humble three-story townhouse stood at the 2,500-square-foot lot for nearly 200 years, dating its creation to around 1820 when it was built on land formerly owned by Aaron Burr. The building lot is within a once working-class and immigrant neighborhood referred to by some as the South Village. Unlike large swaths of Greenwich Village to the north and cast iron sections of Soho to the west, the motley mixture of low-rise, pre-war buildings for years lacked landmark protections. Since 2006, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) has urged the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate a 35-block stretch of the neighborhood as an historic district, making it the city’s first tenement-based landmarked district. To date, two of the three phases of the district have been designated.
More details ahead

December 17, 2015

Edible Real Estate: These Amazing Gingerbread Houses Are Totally Turnkey

What could be better than real estate you can eat? Though these (mostly) edible homes are way too pretty to take a bite of, there’s just something about the idea of frosting on the roof… Ahead, check out some of the sweet, scaled-down edifices we've scouted across the web and NYC, including a gingerbread version of the Hogwarts School, Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic Fallingwater, and the Guggenheim, which, as they say, takes the cake!
More amazing cookie creations this way

December 17, 2015

Median Manhattan Apartment Price Climbs Past $1M for First Time

"For the second year in a row, Manhattan real estate prices soared, setting new records. For the first time, the median price for an apartment—including both co-ops and condos—was above $1 million." This is according to CityRealty's newly released Year-End Manhattan Market Report, which puts the median price at $1.1 million, 13 percent higher than last year and 60 percent higher than 2005. Additionally, the average apartment sales price ($1.9 million), the average condo price ($2.6 million), and the average co-op price ($1.4 million) all broke 2014's records by $100,000.
See the report's infographic this way

Real Estate Trends

Distinctive Homes

An artist's Upper East Side condo is a palace-sized riot of joyful color for $8.75M

$475K Bed-Stuy co-op is a cozy home in a historic mansion

Watch the seasons of Central Park change from this $3.4M top-floor Upper West Side co-op

For $1.65M, this Prospect Heights pre-war co-op can expand to hold a classic six

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

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

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

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

This $25M Greenwich Village townhouse has been an artist's refuge for well over a century

SHOP THE LISTING: Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy's $9.75M West Village townhouse is an all-season urban refuge

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December 17, 2015

Colorful and Quirky Four-Bedroom With Pre-War Charm Asks $775K in Hamilton Heights

Some are saying that the next Harlem Renaissance is poised to happen in Hamilton Heights. And everyone's got their eye on Columbia University's planned 6.8 million-square-foot expansion into neighboring Manhattanville—it's expected to bring an influx of new residents. If you're looking to get in a little early—or you're just looking for a decent amount of living space in Manhattan that doesn't cost millions, this quirky four-bedroom co-op at 616 West 137th Street could be your lucky break.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

December 17, 2015

Andy Warhol’s Former Estate Sells for $50M; Redesigning the Sidewalk Shed

Backyard labyrinths are a thing now. [WSJ] Four alternative designs for the sidewalk shed. [Curbed] The Montauk estate once owned by Andy Warhol has sold for $50 million. The property was first listed for $85 million. [WSJ] The newest title-holder of the world’s most expensive home is a $310 million mansion that just sold outside Paris. […]

Real Estate Trends

December 17, 2015

A 1924 Proposal Would Have Drained the Entire East River to Reduce Congestion

Remember 6sqft's post about a madcap engineer who wanted to pave over the East River in 1911 in order to create a "Mega-Manhattan?" Well, 13 years later, John A. Harris, deputy police commissioner in charge of traffic, came up with his own proposal for incorporating the river into the streetscape of the city: draining it entirely. Published in Popular Science, the never-realized scheme addressed New York's growing traffic congestion problem, said to have been costing the city $1.5 million a day. It would have transformed the waterway into "a five-mile system of automobile and motor-truck highways, subway lines, parking spaces, and city centers." Two concrete dams were to be erected, one near the Williamsburg Bridge and one near Hell Gate, and the riverbed would be "bridged with levels supported by steel uprights," thereby connecting the four boroughs.
More on the idea and the full drawing

December 17, 2015

$1.6 Million Dumbo Apartment Comes With Awesome Views of the Brooklyn Bridge

Views! Views! Views! Seriously, that's what you're getting with this two-bedroom apartment at 70 Washington Street, a former Dumbo warehouse that has been converted into 225 condo apartments. It was converted by Two Trees Management, prominent developers in the neighborhood, who built out luxury loft apartments and included a 24-hour concierge, doorman, fitness room, and roof deck with the building. This apartment has windows in both the living room and bedroom that offer an incredible look out onto the entire stretch of the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan skyline. There's a total of 1,310 square feet and a lofty, open floor plan. A view like that in a neighborhood as popular as Dumbo doesn't come cheap -- although you can still find the occasional apartment in the area for under $1 million without the impressive views, of course. This one is on the market for $1.6 million, after last selling in 2007 for $1,055,926.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

December 17, 2015

Netflix Socks Pause Your Show When You Fall Asleep; There’s a Santacon for Dogs

How to celebrate the Winter Solstice like a real New York Wiccan. [DNAinfo] This Saturday there’s a SantaCon for dogs in the East Village. Hopefully the canines will keep the drunken antics to a minimum. [EV Grieve] There’s a room in Chinatown filled with hundreds of big red balloons, and you can play in it […]

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December 17, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 12/17-12/23

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 founderLori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Before you take advantage of the open bar at your company's holiday party, pack in some art appreciation. This week, celebrate the genius of Michael Alan and experience the last Living Installation of the year (think figure drawing on acid, but without the acid and a big party thrown in). Fantastical art supply warehouse Materials for the Arts will also be sharing the fruits of their labor with an exhibition of their artist in residence. Nightlife icon Susanne Bartsch is throwing a special holiday party on the 22nd that benefits living work of art Domonique Echeverria. And Swoon will debut a sustainable bamboo house she's created with the Lower East Side Girls Club as a prototype for rebuilding Haiti. You can also still squeeze in some last minute shopping if you celebrate Christmas—first by trolling the gift shop at the epic Star Wars Costumes exhibition, and then perusing the artists selling wares at the Shwick Holiday Market.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

December 17, 2015

Williamsberry’s Modern Mini-Me at 79 South Fifth Street Gets Glassed

Over in South Williamsburg, construction is moving apace on Mona Gora's noodle factory-to-nests condo conversion known as Williamsberry. While the building’s name has picked up a fair bit of ridicule, we think its ambiguity represents the neighborhood well; like that over-processed frozen yogurt flavor that's tangy to some, bitter to others, but too intriguing to stop tasting. The project is composed of an eight-story, former noodle factory building that is being transformed into 54 high-ceilinged residences topped by a rooftop solar farm. Alongside the conversion, the team is constructing a modern yet complementary six-story building at 79 South Fifth Street, which is also being designed by Workshop DA with interiors by Paris Forino.
Lots more details and renderings

December 16, 2015

Where I Work: Artist Nancy Pantirer shows us around her imaginative Tribeca loft

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we take a tour of painter and sculptor Nancy Pantirer’s imaginative Tribeca studio. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! When artist Nancy B. Pantirer opened up her studio for this year's Inside Tribeca Loft Tour, guests were swooning over everything from the high ceilings to the eclectic furniture, and of course, her incredible paintings, many of which are done in a large-scale format. But what really left an impression was Nancy's welcoming nature, evident as she chatted with almost everyone who passed through her space, telling them a bit about herself, her work, and the neighborhood. Eager to share this with our readers, 6sqft was lucky enough to get a private tour of Nancy's space, where she filled us in on her process, design choices, and how she feels Tribeca has changed since she arrived in 1995.
Take our tour right this way

SHoP Architects’ Controversial Seaport Tower Won’t Move Ahead

Rendering of the proposed 494-foot tower via SHoP Architects

December 16, 2015

SHoP Architects’ Controversial Seaport Tower Won’t Move Ahead

The long-plagued condo tower designed by SHoP Architects for the Fulton Fish Market site at the South Street Seaport has been nixed, according to statements made by the Howard Hughes Corporation at a community board meeting last night. DNAinfo, who first reported on the fate of the 494-foot tower, says that the developer will instead construct a "not tall" commercial building at what's now known as the New Market Building site.
More details

Real Estate Trends

Streit’s Matzo Factory Will be Turned Into Condos; Students Are Putting Their Dorms on Airbnb

The condos going up next to Katz’s Deli will cost $1M. [Curbed] Pier57 plan receives support from Governor Cuomo. [DNA Info] Five Greenpoint projects will benefit from a $4.25M ExxonMobile settlement. [DNA Info] Students have started renting out their door rooms on Airbnb to make extra cash. [Fast Co.] Streit’s Matzo Factory is being renovated into condos. [TRD] Images: A […]

Real Estate Trends

December 16, 2015

Beautiful Brownstone Rental in Fort Greene Sports Historic Details and a Spacious Kitchen

If you're going to inhabit a couple of floors of a brownstone, the top choice is definitely a parlor-garden combo; you get the grandeur of high ceilings, huge rooms and lots of light on the parlor floor, and then–ideally–you get a lower level that opens out to a pretty backyard. If you're extra lucky, the parlor floor has access down to the yard as well. This beautifully-restored duplex at 75 Willoughby Avenue in Fort Greene is just that perfect combination–hence the $7K a month rent. But what you get–three bedrooms, two baths, a gorgeous private backyard accessible from both floors in a mint-condition historic townhouse with all the trimmings–is about as good as it gets.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

December 16, 2015

Whimsical Balloon Coffee Table By Duffy London Will Lift Your Spirits

By Annie Doge

One look at this charming table and you'll probably find yourself humming the 1980s hit "99 Red Balloons." The dreamy design of studio Duffy London, the "UP Coffee Table" explores the concepts of levitation and buoyancy to create a trompe l'oeil effect of a glass tabletop being suspended by balloons. Plus it kind of looks like a cross between a Banksy balloon and a Jeff Koons puppy, don't you think?
more views of the table here

December 16, 2015

POLL: Should Broadway Become a Giant Park?

Earlier this week, 6sqft brought you a proposal by Perkins Eastman Architects to turn a 40-block-long stretch of Broadway into a linear park. Stretching from Columbus Circle to Union Square, the Green Line concept would connect these hubs with Times Square, Herald Square, and Madison Square. As we noted, “Unlike other linear parks like the […]

Architecture And Design

December 16, 2015

130-Year-Old Limestone Townhouse on the Upper West Side Asks $12.95 Million

It's hard not to be impressed by this 130-year-old limestone townhouse, built at 64 West 87th Street on the Upper West Side. The Jacobean Revival townhouse was designed by the 1890s architect Clarence Fagan True as a set of three—but this one is "the star of the show," according to Daytonian in Manhattan. There's an intricately carved facade with a four-story bay and an imposing stone porch with balustraded railings. It sold in 1895 to Lucius Nathan Littauer, a close friend of Theodore Roosevelt with his own political ambitions, and is known as the L. N. Littauer Mansion. Today, the facade is intact and the interior has been completely renovated by Zivkovic Connolly Architects to add some modern upgrades to the old world charm. Despite the modern upgrades, there are plenty of historic goodies left, including a truly impressive plaster ceiling that sits atop a ceramic-faced fireplace and parquet floors.
See more

<b>Designer Gift Guide: 10 NYC Creatives Share What They’re Giving (and Want) This Holiday</b>

Image: skyline illustration adapted from Linda Eliasen’s “There’s no place like home.” Prints available for purchase here.

December 16, 2015

Designer Gift Guide: 10 NYC Creatives Share What They’re Giving (and Want) This Holiday

Who better to ask for unique gift ideas than those with an eye for the amazing? This year, 6sqft asked 10 New York City designers, architects and artists to share five things that they're gifting this holiday season—as well as what they'd love to get their hands on for themselves! Ahead you'll find 50 fantastic gift ideas for every budget and for every kind of person on your gift list, from the techie to the design buff to your pal with kids to the hip hop and "Star Wars" nerds in your life. Start checking off your holiday shopping list here!
Check out all the gifts here

December 16, 2015

Get Personal With Selfie Wrapping Paper; M66 Bus Wins Annual Pokey Award for Slowness

This Japanese room spray will make your home smell like a cat’s head. [Bored Panda] Gift Wrap My Face lets you wrap all your holiday gifts in selfies. [Racked] Apartment “quirks” that only a New Yorker would understand. [Thrillist] Starting next month, the Brooklyn Museum will offer free admission on Thursdays. [DNAinfo] The city’s slowest […]

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December 15, 2015

NYC Municipal ID Card Holders Will Get Even More Free Stuff in 2016

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

If you're one of the 670,000 people who took the time to apply for a NY municipal ID last year, give yourself a pat on the back and rejoice, because your industrious spirit will be rewarded for yet another year. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced yesterday that card holders will continue to benefit from free access and discounts to 33 cultural institutions and a slew of New York services through 2016. On top of that, seven top tier names have joined the ID benefits roster, including The Guggenheim, the New Museum, the MoMA, the Metropolitan Opera, the Museum of Chinese in America, BRIC Arts Media and the Pregones Theater. Yay, free stuff!
find out what else was added and how to apply if you haven't already

THE 6SQFT SHOP

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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

VIEW ALL

December 15, 2015

Designer’s Boldly Renovated West Village Pad Asks $1.15M

Let's start by saying we just might live in a paper grocery bag if it were on this street. Now that we've got that out of the way–this barely-big-enough one-bedroom co-op on a dreamy West Village block at 68 Barrow Street has more than location going for it. The double-exposure floor-through got a snappy makeover in 2013 by NYC designer/developers ASH–its owner is company founder Ari Heckman–and has been featured in New York Magazine among others. Bold design choices and a modern aesthetic set this co-op apart from the average Village aerie.
Check it out here

Distinctive Homes

December 15, 2015

Pearl River Mart’s Closing Date; Greenpoint’s Gingerbread House

It looks like Soho’s beloved Pearl River Mart may close in February. [Vanishing NY] Why people are pissed at Tina Fey about the Natural History Museum’s expansion. [DNA Info] Meet the guy who owns the gigantic gingerbread Christmas house in Greenpoint. [DNA Info] Mapping 2015’s celebrity moves. [Curbed] Images: Pearl River Mart (L); Greenpoint gingerbread house […]

Real Estate Trends

December 15, 2015

Ditch the Laundromat With This Eco-Friendly, Foot-Powered Washing Machine

Admit it–you've been that person who's gone out and bought new underwear to avoid lugging 40 pounds of dirty clothes down to the laundromat. But now you can avoid this wasteful temptation thanks to a compact, eco-friendly washing machine called Drumi. Plus, it's foot-powered, so you can burn some calories while watching Netflix. First spotted by TreeHugger, the machine was created Yirego, a Toronto-based sustainable household design company. It's electricity-free and low-water and can wash a five-pound load in just five minutes. Of course, this isn't much (it equates to one pair of jeans or eight pairs of boxers), but it'll certainly save you from having to wear a bathing suit as undergarments.
Find out more

December 15, 2015

Gramercy Duplex With Three Exposures and Lots of Light Asks $7,500/Month

There's a certain prestige that comes with living in the Gramercy Park neighborhood. Sure, if you're renting an apartment a block away you're not going to get one of the prized keys into the park. But still, it's nice to walk by and take a peek at how the other half lives. This rental apartment, a duplex at 228 East 22nd Street, sure isn't inexpensive—it's asking $7,500 a month—but it's still less than the millions you'd pay to live in a condo off the park. Best of all, this apartment comes with plenty of exposures and big windows to soak in the beautiful neighborhood around you.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

December 15, 2015

The Most-Stolen Items at NYC Restaurants; Second Avenue Subway Faces Another Delay

Brooklyn now has a liquid nitrogen ice cream shop. [Brooklyn Based] Salt and pepper shakers, copper mugs, even entire place settings — these are the most stolen items from NYC restaurants. [NYP] How deaf-blind audience members are experiencing the revival of “Spring Awakening.” [WSJ] An engineer told the MTA that there’s a “moderate risk” of […]

Uncategorized

December 15, 2015

New York in the ’60s: Political Upheaval Takes a Turn for the Worst in the Village

By Penelope Bareau

"New York in the ’60s" is a memoir series by a longtime New Yorker who moved to the city after college in 1960. From $90/month apartments to working in the real “Mad Men” world, each installment explores the city through the eyes of a spunky, driven female. In the first two pieces we saw how different and similar house hunting was 50 years ago and visited her first apartment on the Upper East Side. Then, we learned about her career at an advertising magazine and accompanied her to Fire Island in the summer. Our character next decided to make the big move downtown, but it wasn’t quite what she expected. She then took us through how the media world reacted to JFK’s assassination, as well as the rise and fall of the tobacco industry, the changing face of print media, and how women were treated in the workplace. Now, she takes us from the March on Washington to her encounter with a now-famous political tragedy that happened right in the Village–the explosion at the Weather Underground house.
Read all about it

History

December 15, 2015

REVEALED: Domino Sugar Factory’s Tiny New Neighbor at 349 Kent Avenue

In the shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge and across from the massive Domino Sugar Factory redevelopment underway by Two Trees, a tiny corner site at 349 Kent Avenue and South 5th Street will give rise to a six-story, 10-unit residential building designed by Brooklyn-based Workshop DA. The 4,000 square-foot lot was purchased for $1.3 million by Eugene Bushinger's 351 Kent Realty LLC in early 2011 and in May, it was reported that building permits were filed for a 15,300 square-foot residential building. The pre-existing, two-story structure that once provided a welcome splash of color along the Brooklyn Greenway has since been demolished. Its worn, brick faced boasted a geometric and robot-infused mural painted by R. Nicholas Kuszyk (a.k.a. RRobotsollaboration) with How and Nosm in 2011.
find out more about the development here

December 14, 2015

What if Broadway Was Turned Into a Giant Linear Park?

New York has undertaken several projects over the years in an effort to beautify its stark, gridded streets. There was the Park Avenue Malls, turning major intersections like those at Madison Square and Times Square into seating and entertainment areas, bike lanes, and Summer Streets. But this new proposal from Perkins Eastman Architects certainly puts the rest to shame, as they'd like to turn a more-than-40-block stretch of Broadway into one big linear park. First spotted by Dezeen, the Green Line concept envisions a park that stretches along Broadway from Columbus Circle to Union Square, connecting these two hubs with Madison Square, Herald Square, and Times Square. The park would be open only to pedestrians and bicyclists, save for emergency vehicles needing to bypass traffic. Unlike other linear parks like the High Line and Lowline, the Green Line would be at street level, creating what the architects feel is "much needed active and passive recreational space in the heart of the city."
More details and renderings ahead

Living in a Micro Apartment Could Be Harmful to Your Health

New rendering of Carmel Place interiors, via Monadnock Development/nARCHITECTS

December 14, 2015

Living in a Micro Apartment Could Be Harmful to Your Health

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but living in a micro apartment may drive you to seek professional psychological help. A recent article in The Atlantic takes a look at the tiny living trend that has taken the nation—and in particular New York, with developments like My Micro NY and teeny renovations like this one—by storm, and finds that squeezing into an extra-small space could lead to health risks. “Sure, these micro-apartments may be fantastic for young professionals in their 20's,” says Dak Kopec, director of design for human health at Boston Architectural College and author of Environmental Psychology for Design, to the magazine. “But they definitely can be unhealthy for older people, say in their 30’s and 40’s, who face different stress factors that can make tight living conditions a problem.”
find out more here

December 14, 2015

Pizza Ovens and Real Estate; How Close Do You Live to a NYC Gang?

Cluster-housing program for the homeless will receive $200M from the de Blasio administration. [Crain’s] Who knew an 1800s pizza oven could be the main selling point for signing a lease on a space. [NYP] DUMBO’S 51 Jay Street tops out. [6sqft inbox] How close do you live to the gangs and street crews of NYC? This map will tell you. […]

Real Estate Trends

December 14, 2015

Famed Tiny Transforming ‘Life Edited’ Apartment Sells for $790K

By Annie Doge

Early last year eco-entrepreneur Graham Hill placed what might be the world's most famous tiny apartment at 150 Sullivan Street (it's been featured in the Times, it's won awards, and it even has its own TED Talk) on the market for just under $1 million. While some people balked at the asking price that gave way to a price per square foot of $2,369, Hill has managed to make a sale—albeit for a much discounted $790,000. The lucky new owner will have plenty to muse over in this micro-dwelling, which packs the functional equivalent of eight rooms into just 420 square feet.
more this way

December 14, 2015

Staten Island Ferris Wheel Projected to Bring in More Revenue Than the Empire State Building

Despite controversy, several delays, and a $30 million crowdfunding attempt, the New York Wheel is projecting major first-year revenue. According to The Real Deal, developers of the 630-foot Staten Island ferris wheel expect to bring in a staggering $127.85 million in 2017, a figure that will make it more lucrative than the Empire State Building's observation deck, which raked in $111.5 million last year. Of the total revenue, $96 million is projected to come from admission fees (which come in at $35 a person, as compared to the Empire State Building's $32); $10 million from sponsorships; and $8.7 million from gift shop sales. And if you're impressed by these numbers, annual revenue will likely grow to $166.52 million by 2021!
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

December 14, 2015

VIDEO: 10 Days and 120 Subway Stations in Two Minutes

Most New Yorkers would be overjoyed if they only had to witness their subway station for a hot second. But since we can't teleport, this video from Snowday is the next best way to live out our fantasies (h/t Fast Co. Design). Titled "Stations: A Quick Scan Through NYC," this two-minute video was shot over ten days at 120 subway stations throughout the five boroughs, compiling footage as if the viewer were changing television channels. The quick scan, which features a somewhat odd blend of scripted scenes and documentary footage, is meant to evoke the "unique texture of New York...in a new and compelling way."
Watch the full video this way

Transit

December 14, 2015

The ‘New Yawk’ Accent and Politics; Take a Nap With This Fake Hand

IDNYC cardholders will get additional perks this year, like annual memberships for the Guggenheim, MoMA, and the Metropolitan Opera. [amNY] Getting to know NYC’s Christmas tree vendors. [Thrillist] How the “New Yawk” accent is playing into the presidential race. [Daily Intelligencer] This fake hand will let you take sneaky naps at work. [Design You Trust] The ghosts of […]

Uncategorized

December 14, 2015

A Massive Living Room Defines This Two-Bedroom Soho Co-op, Asking $2 Million

This two-bedroom, two-bathroom loft comes from a historic building at 37B Crosby Street, between Broome and Grand in Soho, that's been converted to a cooperative. Like many other downtown loft apartments, it is distinguished by its massive "great room"–an open living room, dining room and kitchen. Unlike the traditional loft, the bedrooms are built out in separate spaces. The design is completely modern and refined, paired with those great old loft details like high ceilings, big windows and exposed brick (there are even two working fireplaces throughout the apartment). It's all up for sale asking a cool $2 million. The apartment last sold in 2008 for $1.495 million.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

December 14, 2015

Soho Loft Perfection ‘By the Same Designer as Barneys’ Asks $8.77M

This 3,162 square-foot three-bedroom loft at 104 Wooster Street hits all the high notes when it comes to just-right modern interior design and what we love about lovely Soho lofts. With interiors, according to the listing, "by the same designer as Barneys," the apartment last changed hands in 2012 for $5.35 million (below its $5.7M ask) to a partner in a commercial law firm; it looks to have gotten its expertly turned-out design upgrade since then–perhaps part of the reason for the $3M price-bump. Ascending by key-locked elevator to the fourth floor of this eight-unit boutique condo building on a quintessential Soho block, you'll immediately notice the light from a wall of windows and the presence of condo comforts like central air, built-in speakers and a home automation system. For celebrity cred, Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson ("Rain Man," "Diner," "Bugsy") owns a loft two floors below.
Get more loft inspiration this way

Distinctive Homes

December 13, 2015

Newly-Renovated Townhouse Duplex Asks $6,500 a Month on the Upper West Side

You'd be hard pressed to find an architecture-loving New Yorker who hasn't dreamt about living in one of the incredible townhouses that line Central Park, especially those on the side streets of Central Park West. Here's one to start drooling over if you can't afford the multi-million-dollar price tag and are looking to rent. 14 West 95th Street is an elegant, four-story limestone townhouse that has been broken down into rental units. As for the location, the listing calls it "perfectly situated" and we'd have to agree–right on 95th Street, directly off of Central Park West. The rental apartment that's now on the market has been renovated, so it looks more modern than old-world New York. For three bedrooms and two bathrooms over both floors, it's asking $6,500 a month.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

December 12, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

Could This Otherworldly 102-Story Tower Covered in Ornaments Be Coming to 57th Street? Chart Compares Suburb and City Commute Times–and How Much Extra We Pay for Convenience Mapping the Depressing Annual Salaries of Millennials Across the U.S. VIDEO: Watch Ironworkers Set Panels on Bjarke Ingels’ Via Tetrahedron This Pint-Sized Penthouse Has Two Terraces and a […]

Uncategorized

520 Fifth Avenue

Midtown West

Live at the center of NYC

1 beds starting at $2,445,000
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December 11, 2015

A Wood Boat Hull Makes Up the Mezzanine of This Colorful Chelsea Loft

By Rebecca Paul

There is an abundance of cool lofts in Chelsea, and we love exploring the interiors of these impressive open spaces. The best part is that the design of each individual unit is often left up to the tenants, resulting in some truly unique layouts. However, it's not so often that we see two units with different owners following they same program, but for the families living in these two adjacent apartments it was the perfect solution. Together they hired SYSTEMarchitects to create two bedrooms in each of their narrow spaces, as well as access to an exterior deck that maximizes natural light and air. Plus, both spaces' 11-foot ceilings gave the design team enough room to create a sleeping and storage mezzanine, which was inspired by a wood boat hull.
See the entire space

December 11, 2015

Manure Heaps, Fat Melting, and Offensive Privies: Mapping NYC’s 19th Century Nuisances

A New York City nuisance map today would consist of things like text-walking zombies, pizza rats, and Soul Cycle locations. But back in the 19th century, people had bigger problems, such as manure heaps, hog pens, and 400 families wading through "a disgusting deposit of filthy refuse" just to get home. Atlas Obscura uncovered these amazing maps that were created in 1865 by the Citizen’s Association of New York as part of a 300-page report on the city's sanitation and public health conditions in the wake of the smallpox and typhoid epidemics. "Rapid population growth, overcrowded apartment buildings, dirty streets and poor sanitation standards had meant that New York in 1860 had the mortality rate of medieval London," according to the blog.
See the maps and learn more

History

December 11, 2015

This $23 Million Soho Loft Comes With Designer Furniture and a Motorized Headboard

This enormous and undeniably awe-inspiring condominium at 50 Wooster Street seems pretty straightforward: A huge Soho loft with a sleek and expensive-looking contemporary renovation. And you have a choice! You can rent this gleaming 4,800 square-foot downtown pleasure palace for $40k a month, or just buy it for a mere $23.3 million.
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Spotlight: Meet Chef Jon Lovitch, Builder of the World’s Largest Gingerbread Village

Portrait of Jon by Keith Hodan, adapted by 6sqft

December 11, 2015

Spotlight: Meet Chef Jon Lovitch, Builder of the World’s Largest Gingerbread Village

By Susan Cohen

Chef Jon Lovitch is no amateur when it comes to building gingerbread houses. In fact, every year Jon constructs an entire village called GingerBread Lane that takes nearly 12 months to make. It's a holiday tradition he first started twenty years ago in Kansas City, Missouri, with just 12 houses, and he's since grown the project into an epic display of sweets shown everywhere from Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and now New York. Two years ago, GingerBread Lane found a local home at the New York Hall of Science in Corona, Queens, where Jon’s villages set Guinness World Records in 2013 and 2014 for the world's largest gingerbread exhibit. This year's village just set another Guinness record on November 17th with its 1,102 houses. But beyond seeking a world title, Jon hopes his labor of gingerbread love inspires kids and adults of all ages to get creative and start building projects of their own. 6sqft recently spoke with Jon to find out the history behind this tasty tradition, and what it takes to build an enormous gingerbread village each year.
Read the interview with NYC's gingerbread man here

December 11, 2015

Demolition Begins on 500-Foot UES Condo Replacing the Art & Design Building