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Is the city's tallest residential tower seeing a slowdown in sales? Crain's reports that 432 Park developers CIM and Harry Macklowe have begun splitting full-floor apartments at the 1,396-foot-tall tower into two with the hopes of attracting smaller ticket buyers who can't swing $80 million for a posh pad—but wouldn't be opposed to shelling out $40 million. The paper adds that the move "may signal a slowdown in sales for $50 million-plus apartments," particularly as the market gets inundated with ultra-luxe developments. "There is some concern that there aren't enough buyers who can afford apartments priced in the tens of millions of dollars—an increasingly common figure for the latest crop of ultra-luxury condos."
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November 10, 2015

Combine the Joys of an Adult Coloring Book With the Convenience of a Notebook

As adults, most of our time is spent at work, and it seems unfair that we're no longer given the opportunity to delve into our creative side as often as when we were children. However the trend of adult coloring books it helping to right this injustice, and new to its roster of titles is the "Coloring Notebook." This clever take combines all of the joys of a coloring book with the convenience of a compact notebook.
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November 10, 2015

VIDEO: Travel to India and See How NYC’s Manhole Covers Are Made

Manhole covers fall into that category of things New Yorkers walk by (and in this case, walk on) every day, but rarely notice. If you look closely, though, you'll see that right under "N.Y.C. Sewer" they say "Made in India." Fascinated by this interesting pairing on one of the city's most iconic urban elements, filmmaker and anthropologist Natasha Raheja traveled to Howrah, India (a city of one million full of foundries from the British Colonial era) to document how these manhole covers are made and to "learn more about the labor infrastructure concealed in the built infrastructure of our cities." Raheja's resulting 26-minute documentary called "Cast In India" provides a glimpse into the physical labor of manhole covers, as well as the lives of the men creating them. In the trailer, (h/t Gothamist) we see barefoot workers in a dirt-floor factory using their feet to press the shape into the 300-pound metal covers, carrying buckets of pig iron on their heads, pouring molten metal from the buckets, and more.
Watch the video here

City Living

Interview: Ansonia Insider Michel Madie Shares Stories of the Iconic NYC Building

Photo of the Ansonia by Jeffrey Zeldman

November 10, 2015

Interview: Ansonia Insider Michel Madie Shares Stories of the Iconic NYC Building

By 6sqft

Today, the Upper West Side's Ansonia is considered one of the city's most iconic and prestigious addresses. With former residents ranging from Sergei Rachmaninoff, Gustav Mahler, Babe Ruth and more recently Natalie Portman, its history reaches far back. And along its more than century-old ride, it's no surprise that it has also attracted plenty of strange activity, including playing host to what probably was the city's first rooftop farm in 1904 and a debaucherous sex club known as Plato's Retreat. While there's lots of ground to cover when looking back on this 111-year-old building, we decided to tap an insider for his take on this storied structure. Michel Madie of Michel Madie Real Estate Services has over the years become an unofficial historian of sorts to the Ansonia. Madie moved from France to New York in 1984 and almost immediately fell in love with the French-inspired building. However, being near-penniless at the time, the thought of ever taking up space in such a grand building seemed like just a dream. But as he found success in the real estate business, he focused his attention on the Ansonia. He eventually purchased an apartment and then spent decades tending to the architecture, restoring its original layouts and recreating original finishes and fixtures in the building's many units whenever the opportunity would arise. During this time, Madie also learned a thing or two about the residence, stories which he shares with 6sqft ahead.
stories from michel this way

November 10, 2015

Architect Lee Mindel Lists Penthouse; Chinese Finger Trap-Like Hotel Proposed for Hudson Yards

Remember this $10.7M sculptural penthouse featured on 6sqft? Turns out the owner is architect Lee Mindel. [WSJ] Here are all the marketing stops Extell is pulling to attract foreign buyers to One Manhattan Square. [BB] Blackhouse Development has tapped L.A. architecture firm M-Rad to design a wild 740-foot tall hotel at the Hudson Yards. “Imagine a hotel that can move […]

Real Estate Trends

November 10, 2015

A Modern Reno Inside This Modest Clinton Hill Townhouse, Asking $1.8 Million

This Clinton Hill townhouse is looking to stand out— it even has its very own website. Although it's got a modest, albeit historic, three-story facade, a renovation has left its imprint on seemingly every room of the house. The floorplan has been opened up, the staircase rebuilt, and the fixtures replaced by materials imported from Italy. Pretty much everything has a modern touch while the exterior remains well preserved. If you're a townhouse purist it may not be your cup of tea, but you'll have to admit it's unique. It's currently on the market with a price tag of $1.795 million.
See more of it here

Distinctive Homes

November 10, 2015

Pretty West Village Duplex Wants a Pretty Penny for Design, Location and a Private Roof Deck

This one-bedroom, 872-square-foot duplex condominium at 387 Bleecker Street couldn’t possibly be cuter, or in a better location. Tucked above trendy luxury handbag shop Mulberry in a 1817 townhouse, on a postcard-ready historic West Village street, it radiates designer charm everywhere from its sleek, white kitchen to its private roof terrace. So if this picture-perfect apartment is perfect enough for you, and you’re in possession of $3.15 million, this could be your new home.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

A world traveler's Catskills haven is now a $2M mountaintop home

This $3.15M co-op embodies East Village cool, all grown up

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

This six-story $13.9M Upper West Side townhouse has all of life's luxuries under one roof, with an elevator to get there

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

$4.5M Central Park West duplex in Hotel des Artistes gets color just right

This $8.75M Village townhouse is a downtown dream home with an elevator, three terraces, and a rooftop office suite

For $20.5M, West Village townhouse meets suburban mansion behind a historic facade

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

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

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November 10, 2015

World’s Only Jet Pack Flies Around the Statue of Liberty; The History of the NYC Grid

Gerard Koeppel, author of “City on a Grid: How New York Became New York,” is giving a lecture and book signing tonight at the Museum of the City of New York. [MCNY] The man who owns the world’s only real jetpack just flew it around the Statue of Liberty and made a video of it. […]

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November 9, 2015

Rendering Revealed for Brooklyn’s First 1,000-Foot Tower

News broke back in August that Brooklyn's first tower over 1,000 feet might rise in Downtown Brooklyn as the result of the $90 million acquisition of Brooklyn’s landmarked Dime Savings Bank building by JDS Development. Previously, they bought the site next door for $43 million, and combined with the bank's 300,000 square feet of development rights, they acquired the means to build a tower of nearly 600,000 square feet at 340 Flatbush Avenue Extension. 6sqft got a taste of what's to come when we revealed a video that showed the insane views from the top of the could-be tower, but now Yimby has unveiled the official renderings and specs for the project, which come courtesy of starchitects SHoP. As previously speculated, it will reach 1,000 feet, making it the tallest building in the outer boroughs. The 90-story, vaguely Art Deco tower will have 466,000 square feet of residential space, amounting to 550 condo units, as well as 140,000 square feet of commercial space.
More on the development ahead

November 9, 2015

Tiny House ‘MUJI Huts’ Will Start at Just $25,000

For lovers of the tiny house movement and eco-design, it was pretty big news when environmentally conscious, "no-brand" Japanese household company MUJI announced that they'd be launching three tiny prefab cabins called MUJI Hut. The three models are of varying materials (wood, cork, and aluminum) and size, created by three well-known designers (Naoto Fukasawa, Jasper Morrison, and Konstantin Grcic). One is envisioned as a true tiny home for living off the grid, another as a vacation retreat, and the third as a place to temporarily escape. The models first launched last week at Tokyo Design Week, but now Spoon & Tomago has uncovered the pricing, which ranges from $25,000 to $40,000.
Get inside all three designs

November 9, 2015

Furnished Nolita Loft in Moby’s Former Building Will Cost You $12,500 a Month

262 Mott Street is a Nolita condo building that was formerly an 1850s armory. More recently, the building has gained notoriety for its creative loft spaces, with an apartment featuring moveable bookshelf walls and another with translucent partitions. Moby once owned one such space in the building, which he bought in 1996 for $215,750 and then sold for around $2 million last year. This apartment, a two bedroom, feels much more like a loft than Moby's modern pad, with wood beams galore and a nice open "great room." It's being offered as a six-month furnished rental for the not-so-low rent of $12,500 a month. Nobody said living in such a famously creative building–with some awesome furniture to boot–would come cheap.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

November 9, 2015

New York’s Tunnel Dwellers; High Line-Hugging Solar Carve Tower Approved

The story of New York’s legendary mole people. [Narratively] Here’s what your New York buck will get you in L.A. when it comes to real estate. [LA Curbed] Studio Gang’s Solar Carve tower has gotten the go-ahead for construction. The cutting-edge design will rise atop a prime site along the High Line. [Curbed] Has Miami become a suburb […]

Real Estate Trends

November 9, 2015

Sitskie’s Innovative Wood Furniture Mimics Memory Foam to Conform to Your Body

Buying furniture can be a significant investment, so you want to make sure you're putting your money towards something that will last. While fluffy upholstered pieces can help you take a load off at the end of a busy day, fabric furniture is often more difficult to care for and maintain than wood. Designer Adam Friedman from Los Angeles' Sitskie design studio, who spent years working in furniture sales, has created a new line of furniture that aims to solve this problem. His solid wood pieces conform to the body like memory foam, giving users the best of both worlds.
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November 9, 2015

Hipsters Get a Stache Shield; Gowanus Canal May Have Spawned a Three-Eyed Fish

Libraries in New York and Seattle are battling for the title of fastest book sorter. [NYT] A man fishing in the Gowanus Canal claims he caught a three-eyed catfish and plans to eat it. [Gothamist] Calling all hipsters: here’s a device called the Stache Shield that will keep your beard clean of latte foam and hotdog […]

Uncategorized

November 9, 2015

Seven Floors of One57 Hit the Market for $250 Million

It may not be the penultimate $100 million penthouse, but an investor with enough dough can still make headlines buying into the city's most expensive condo tower. According to the Journal, Extell is selling a block of 38 rentals in its blockbuster One57 for $250 million. The paper writes that unloading the units will bring the developer $3,800 a square foot, or an average of more than $6.5 million per apartment—more than double the $1,800 average of Manhattan condos sold during the third quarter.
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November 9, 2015

‘Scrubs’ and ‘Clueless’ Star Donald Faison Sells $2.5M Harlem Brownstone

By Annie Doge

Depending upon your age, you may know actor Donald Faison best for his role as Murray on "Clueless" or as Dr. Chris Turk on "Scrubs." But long before he became a household face, Faison grew up right here in Harlem, with his parents active in the National Black Theatre in Harlem. In 2010, he returned to his roots and bought a historic townhouse at 206 West 137th Street for $1.4 million, but The Real Deal reports that he's now sold the six-bedroom home, last listed for $2.5 million.
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Noroof Architects Transformed This $1.6M Historic Bed-Stuy Home With Modern Appeal

No matter how lavish, developer and flipper renovations rarely hold a candle to the custom designs executed by architects for their clients' homes–even more so when the architects are the clients and the homes are their own. This unassuming townhouse at 702 Monroe Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, on the market for $1.635 million, is a prime example. In this case, the innovative pair behind architecture firm noroof (they received national recognition for their "Slot House" and specialize in designing small spaces) worked their creative and practical magic on a comparatively compact historic Brooklyn townhouse with a unique front porch and a lot of potential charm. Based on love and respect for the porch as a gathering, sheltering and enhancing element, they've named the resulting project "porchouse," an elegantly-designed home with a clean, modern interior that's perfect for family living–with plenty of curb appeal.
See how the magic happened

November 8, 2015

$350K Catskills Colonial Was an Underground Railroad Safe House

Built in 1795 in a "central chimney, post and Beam Colonial style," this home in the Catskills village of Andes was originally used as a tavern. It then had lives as a farmhouse, meeting house during the Anti-Rent War (a tenants' revolt in the early 19th century), and, most impressively, a safe house for the Underground Railroad (h/t CIRCA). In its most recent incarnation, it's served as a private home, with the current owners preserving its historic integrity, including five fireplaces, beamed ceilings, hardwood floors, and .62 acres of conservation land. They've now listed the property for $350,000.
Check it all out

November 8, 2015

Morris Adjmi’s 465 Pacific Street Now 50 Percent in Contract

By Ondel Hylton

Just one month after kicking off sales, Boerum Hill's hottest new condominium development, 465 Pacific Street has already signed half of its 30 units into contract. Even more impressive is that the $55 million development is slated for completion some 18-months from now, with foundation pouring just commencing last month. The project is conceived by a partnership between Avery Hall Investments and ARIA Development Group who paid $18 million ($373 per buildable square foot) for the L-shaped lot in May 2013, a record for a large Brooklyn parcel according to Crain's New York.
more on the project

November 7, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

Rent a Literal Dumpster Apartment in Williamsburg for $1,200 a Month–or $200 a Night The World’s Most Expensive Dollhouse Will Be On Show at Columbus Circle This Month 220 Central Park South Costs $5,000 Per Foot to Build, Now 50 Percent Sold Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Reportedly Showing Cracks in Its 1,400-Foot Facade Renderings Revealed […]

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November 6, 2015

Yet Another Burial Vault Uncovered Near Washington Square Park, Comes Filled With Coffins

Employees of the Department of Design and Construction are definitely being kept on their toes this week. After uncovering a hidden vault containing the skeletal remains of at least a dozen people believed to be approximately 200 years old, workers have uncovered a second burial vault, this one filled with wood coffins. Workers tasked with upgrading 19th-century water mains under the park stumbled upon the latest burial ground Wednesday night, a day after their first finding at the corner of Waverly Place and Washington Square Park East.
find out more here

History

November 6, 2015

$4.25M Forest Hills Mansion Has Multiple Personalities

Check out this Tudor mansion at 70 Greenway South in Forest Hills Gardens. This Queens enclave is home to some of the finest–and most magnificent–freestanding Tudor homes in all of New York, and the neighborhood's quiet and winding streets feel way more like a suburb than most of the city. This house, according to the listing, was "awarded First Prize for excellence in design and civic value in 1929." While we couldn't find more details on the award, it sure sounds fancy– there's even a plaque up on the facade. The exterior is really impressive, with inlaid stone, a turret above the entryway, and a highly-pitched roof. You also can't go wrong with a yard and a stone walkway out front, with another yard and two-car garage in back. But inside, this house is having an identity crisis. It's medieval with a hint of...something.
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More Manhattan Rentals Are Listed Above $15,000 Than Under $2,000

Graph courtesy of The Real Deal

November 6, 2015

More Manhattan Rentals Are Listed Above $15,000 Than Under $2,000

Looking for a rental under $2,000 a month? Keep your fingers crossed and head to the Upper East Side. In a new analysis of on-line residential exclusive listings data as of October 8th, The Real Deal concludes that there are more Manhattan rentals priced above $15,000 than there are under $2,000, further proving that the uber-luxury market is not letting up. But for the latter category, the neighborhoods of Yorkville, Carnegie Hill, and Lenox Hill are the best bet. In fact, the UES has more listings below $2,000 than all of Manhattan south of Central Park.
More on the trends this way

Real Estate Trends

November 6, 2015

Buy Actor Steve Martin’s Cast-Off Furniture, Items Going for $249–$70,000

It looks like comedian/actor/author/musician Steve Martin is cleaning house. Martin has joined forces with online furniture consignment shop One Kings Lane to curate a collection of his personal furniture and other pieces of decor for their Tastemakers Tag Sale. Martin's picks are wide-ranging with weird, kooky and classic stuff making his list, including a "camelback couch," bronze snakes, hand-painted chairs, and even a pencil portrait of the actor himself. But as you may have guessed, the items aren't quite priced like those at Goodwill. The cheapest piece in the bunch is a blue bucket and planter going for $249, while the priciest, an original set of artwork from Robert Crumb, rings in at a whopping $69,995. There's also a set of drapes going for $1,300.
See what Martin is selling here

November 6, 2015

Did You Know Brooklyn Has Its Own Saint?

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

Neither did we. But the New York Times sheds some light on Raphael Hawaweeny, a Syrian (not Catholic or European) who helped bring the Eastern Orthodox Church to America, and who is being celebrated tonight and tomorrow to mark the 100th anniversary of his death. In 1904, Saint Raphael of Brooklyn became the first Orthodox Christian bishop consecrated in North America, leading him to found the present-day Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. The first of its 29 parishes was and is located in Boerum Hill–the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Brooklyn–not far from what was then Little Syria. The Archdiocese describes him as "neither a wonder-worker nor a clairvoyant elder, St. Raphael embraced a life of total abandonment of self for the service of God and his fellow man: a life of true spiritual asceticism."
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THE 6SQFT SHOP

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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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November 6, 2015

WSP Burial Vaults Belonged to a Church; Natural History Museum Expansion ‘Part Dr. Seuss, Part Jurassic Park’

The recently uncovered Washington Square Park burial vaults belonged to the Pearl Street Church or the Cedar Street Church, say archaeologists. [DNAinfo] Watch the 78-foot Rockefeller Center Christmas tree make its way into 30 Rock. [Reddit] Michael Kimmelman calls the Jeanne Gang-designed American Museum of Natural History expansion “part Dr. Seuss, part Jurassic Park, part parametric extravaganza,” […]

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November 6, 2015

Spotlight: Brian Whiting Shares How the USO of Metropolitan New York Supports Our Troops

By Susan Cohen

On November 11th, the country will gather to honor those who have heroically served in the armed forces. In New York, Veterans Day will be marked with a parade down Fifth Avenue. And during this time when Americans reflect on service, it's important to think about the many men and women who are actively serving around the globe. One organization that looks after the needs of troops and their families is the USO. While many associate the organization with Bob Hope and its renowned Show Troupe, entertainment is only one part of its mission. On a daily basis the USO runs centers around the world, providing a wide range of important services and programs, from keeping families in touch during deployment to supporting wounded warriors back home. Brian Whiting, the President and CEO of USO of Metropolitan New York, is responsible for the organization's work in the tri-state area, as well as managing the operations for two national programs: the renowned USO Show Troupe and Operation That’s My Dress, which provides military families access to dresses for proms and formals. With Veterans Day approaching, 6sqft spoke with Brian to learn more about the USO's mission and work, the New York chapter's services, and ways New Yorkers can support the troops throughout the year.
Hear from Brian this way

November 6, 2015

Construction Update: FXFowle’s Circle-Hugging Harlem Condominium Rises Over Central Park

By Heather Cooper Vivares

Artimus Construction's upcoming Harlem condo development Circa Central Park is rapidly rising skyward. After lengthy site remediation work due to a pre-existing BP gas station, the structure is finally above ground and already beginning to frame its sixth floor. Ultimately, the building will stand 11 stories/140 feet high and will contain some 126,362 square feet of total floor area. Artimus picked up the 13,500-square-foot site at 2040 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (285 West 110th Street) for $25 million in late 2013 after being selected through a bidding process conducted by the city's Economic Development Corporation. As part of the deal, Artimus must build space for the local Millennium Dance Company, which will occupy 8,000 square feet of the ground floor, and 20 percent of the building's 51 apartments must be designated as affordable housing.
More details ahead

November 6, 2015

LAST DAY: Three Chances to Win a Copy of ‘Culture+Typography’ by Nikki Villagomez!

By Alyssa Alimurung

Whether you've been a long-time typography enthusiast or just recently jumped on the bandwagon of Helvetica fans and Comic Sans haters, you'll love this new book from South Carolina-based graphic designer Nikki Villagomez. Titled "Culture+Typography How Culture Affects Typography," her book investigates how design choices from type selection, color usage and more can be informed by the language of the cultural surroundings. If you're looking for a new great design for your brand or you're just a font fanatic, this book will be a great addition to your collection or your coffee table. We've teamed up with Nikki and are giving away THREE of her books to three lucky readers! To enter, all you need to do is: 1. Subscribe to our newsletter (if you haven't already) Email Address First Name Last Name 2. Comment below answering this question: "What is your favorite font and why?" And that's it! You have three chances to win, so be sure to invite your friends to enter. The deadline to enter is TODAY Friday, November 6th. Find out more about the book and why typography is so important from the author herself ahead.
More details about the author this way

Uncategorized

November 6, 2015

Iconic Plastic Armchair Sells at Sotheby’s Auction for $409,000

At a recent Sotheby's auction in London, the Miss Blanche armchair, from the Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata, sold for a whopping £269,000 ($409,000 U.S. dollars). The iconic plastic resin chair was named after Blanche Dubois from Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire" and was created in 1988, three years before the artist's death. The production of the chair was rather complex, as it required each artificial rose to be held in place for long periods of time so the resin could harden around it. The artist also experimented with using actual roses, but the acrylic resin ruined the flowers before setting. Ultimately it was decided that "fake" materials were more appropriate because Blanch Dubois was in fact superficial.
More on the chair

November 6, 2015

Listings Launch for Nomad’s 212 Fifth Avenue Condo Conversion

Though sales began a few weeks ago, listings are up for 212 Fifth Avenue, the highly-anticipated in-progress Nomad condo conversion by NYC-based firm Helpern consisting of 48 two-, three- and four-bedroom residences in a landmarked 1912 neo-Gothic building at the northwest corner of Madison Square Park. Listings with Town Residential–16 currently–range from 5C, a $3.9 million fifth-floor two-bedroom home, to $16.1 million for one of the building's 4,000-square-foot+ four-bedroom residences on the 15th floor. Floors 3-13 of the 24-story building offer three units per floor while floors 14-19 offer two; two immense triplex penthouses with Empire State Building and city skyline views are still to come. All homes boast multi-zoned heat and air, vented kitchens and bathrooms and smart home technology. Interior finishes were created by renowned designers Pembrooke & Ives and include eight-foot doors, book-matched marble, solid oak floors and custom cabinetry.
Floor plans and renderings this way

November 5, 2015

Hidden Burial Vault and the Skeletal Remains of 12 Found Under Washington Square Park

It's pretty well known that Washington Square Park started out as a potters field, a burial ground for the poor, and later as a resting place for those who died from yellow fever. But this has always been something out of the history books. Until now. Recently, a group of city workers in the process of upgrading water mains under the park came upon a hidden vault containing the skeletal remains of at least a dozen people believed to be approximately 200 years old. According to officials from the Department of Design and Construction, the vault is eight feet deep, 15 feet wide, and 20 feet long. While the exact details are unknown right now, a team of anthropologists and and archaeologists will be requested to evaluate and determine the age of both the remains and the vault.
Find out more

History

November 5, 2015

Renderings Revealed for Jeanne Gang’s $325M Museum of Natural History Expansion

One of the many things that makes the American Museum of Natural History so fascinating is its combination of architecture–very different styles from varying time periods that together make up 25 separate structures. The original Victorian Gothic building was erected in 1877, followed and eclipsed quickly by the southern neo-Romanesque stretch. Then, in 1936, the grand Beaux-Arts entrance was added, and in 2000 the famous glass box known as the Rose Center for Earth and Space was built. Now, the museum is growing yet again, reports the Times, this time with a $325 million expansion courtesy of Studio Gang. In addition to its hefty price tag and undulating form, the addition is significant for the fact that it will be the first female-led project associated with the museum structure, as the firm is headed up by starchitect Jeanne Gang. The Times calls the concept for the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation "both cautious and audacious," noting that it "consumes less coveted park space than expected, while introducing a contemporary aesthetic that evokes Frank Gehry’s museum in Bilbao, Spain, in its undulating exterior and Turkey’s underground city of Cappadocia in its cavelike interior." The new 218,00-square-foot Center will help solve circulation issues (it will create more than 30 access points across ten buildings) and will be an integrated space for museum activities and research.
More renderings and details ahead

Architecture And Design

November 5, 2015

Check Out the Retro Kitchen in This Otherwise Historic Italianate Brooklyn Brownstone

When it comes to historic Brooklyn brownstones, most of them look pretty similar: a beautiful, high-ceilinged parlor floor, moldings, fireplaces, some woodwork and backyards. Over the years, owners have obviously updated the kitchens, but usually it's a run-of-the-mill open kitchen located in the back of the parlor floor. Not so at this brownstone in Fort Greene, at 30 South Portland Avenue. This property is pretty much the creme de la creme of Brooklyn real estate: a well-preserved, spacious brownstone on one of the prettiest blocks of one of the most in-demand neighborhoods. (That is why it's on the market for a whopping $5.25 million.) It also comes with a surprise: a retro kitchen that looks like it's straight out of a 1950s diner!
See it here

Distinctive Homes

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 11/5-11/11

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!

November 5, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 11/5-11/11

By Lori Zimmer

If you missed out on the '90s heyday of the Tunnel nightclub, this weekend you can experience its new use as an art center and venue for the Editions/Artists Book Fair. Performa15 also comes to town, and lands in Times Square with a new Midnight Moment flick and a performance of live opera. Brookfield Place in Battery Park hosts the annual Canstruction exhibition, where food donated to City Harvest becomes innovative sculptures before becoming a hot meal. Brooklyn's Cotton Candy Machine eeks out another great event before it closes–a mini comic book festival–while around the corner an art show proves that punk rock is not dead. Lastly, iconic photographer Sandy Skoglund recreates an accidental performance that once enlivened a Little Italy window in 1979, this time touching modernity in a Chelsea art gallery window.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

November 5, 2015

Tracking Williamsburg’s Mafia; Grand Central Commuter Rail Project Will Cost $1M a Foot

Williamsburg’s now forgotten mafia ties. [Vice] Artist Abby Leigh, widow of Tony Award-winning composer Mitch “Man of La Mancha” Leigh, just purchased an $8M apartment at 455 Central Park West. [NYP] Related’s ultra-luxe Carnegie Park is now 75 percent sold. [6sqft inbox] The East Side Access, a commuter rail project that will offer connect the […]

Real Estate Trends

November 5, 2015

Wobble-Up Will Be Your Favorite Seat and Carpet All-in-One

Anybody who's moved apartments in NYC has likely asked themselves the question, "How did we even get that in here?" And it's not uncommon in this city for people to literally give away their furniture to any party willing to deal with its relocation. Enter Wobble-up, a transforming carpet-to-chair that will not only fit through any hallway, but also adorn your floors and provide a comfy place to relax. Wobble-up was developed by Sam Linders, a recent graduate from the Design Academy Eindhoven, and was inspired by her preference to sit on her carpet rather than the sofa while watching TV.
more on the design here

November 5, 2015

Should NYC Employ Liverpool’s Fast Walking Lanes?

We already have express buses and subways, so why not fast track NYC's most widely used mode of transportation–walking. New Yorkers have long been known for their speedy strides, but with our population growing and texting addicts clogging up sidewalks, it's becoming increasingly difficult to get around slowpokes. Which is exactly why Liverpool just debuted Britain's first-ever fast pedestrian lane, "following research that claims 47% of the nation finds slow walking the most annoying aspect of high-street shopping," reports the Independent.
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November 5, 2015

When Pizza Rat Strikes in Your Own Home; Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Chosen

Your worst nightmare come true: Watch a “subway-sized rat” make a visit to a Williamsburg apartment. [Reddit] Hank Penza, the beloved owner of now-shuttered Mars Bar, has passed away. [Bowery Boogie] The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has already been cut down in Gardiner, NY. This video shows the 78-foot Norway Spruce on its journey. [NYDN] […]

Uncategorized

November 5, 2015

Port Authority Mulls Fee for Curbside Access to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Airports

If you're someone who takes advantage of curbside pick up/drop off at NYC's airports as a way to avoid parking fees, that prudent sidestep could soon be coming to an end. CBS reports that the Port Authority is considering access fees as a way to reduce congestion outside airport terminals. Traffic is said to have become a real problem as services like Lyft and Uber have begun using the front of the terminals as prime spots to pick up business. “The operations of For-Hire-Vehicles and taxis at our airports are evolving rapidly and we are in the early stages of review,” the Port Authority noted in a statement. They also added that NYC's airports are one of the very few in the U.S. that do not charge curbside access fees, and where tolls are implemented, car services usually just pass the buck onto riders—meaning services and taxi drivers shouldn't worry about lost fare, but you will be shelling out even more cash to make up the difference when you get in their cars.
more here

Transit

November 5, 2015

Rent This Bright and Lovely Duplex Loft in an Historic East Village Artists’ Haven

Distinctive Homes

November 4, 2015

Rent a Literal Dumpster Apartment in Williamsburg for $1,200 a Month–or $200 a Night

Calling all "hipster types!" The home of your Instagram dreams is awaiting you in a lot in Williamsburg. Spotted by redditors early this morning on Craigslist, the apartment is being described as an "art deco hipster retro mini apt from a converted dumpster is green friendly and sustainable. .and trendy...1200 month. Or 200 per night." Because why commit to a whole month?
find out more here

November 4, 2015

Where I Work: Tour KUSHNER Studios’ smart and quirky Chinatown office

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 architect Adam Kushner's quirky and intelligent Chinatown office space. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! You might remember hearing from Adam Kushner a little over a year ago when 6sqft interviewed him about building the world's first 3D-printed estate. And while this is certainly a huge project for the architect, it's only one of many that he and his three firms are working on. In addition to architecture/design practice KUSHNER Studios, which he founded in 1994, Adam heads up construction practice In House Group Inc. and 3D-printing company D-Shape Enterprises New York. What these practices have in common, other than their intellectual creativity, is that they're housed in a quirky-yet-functional Chinatown office. Adam recently took us on a tour of his office, giving us the story behind the studio's unconventional models, his vintage scooter collection, and the giant plane jutting out of the wall.
Look around the creative space

The 74

201 East 74th Street

Lenox Hill

Gracious Upper East Side condos with Central Park and skyline views

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

Learn More

November 4, 2015

One57 Leads New Report of Manhattan’s Top 100 Condo Buildings

Six months may not seem like a long time, but a lot can happen in the Manhattan building market in 180 days, which is why CityRealty has released its new CR100 report, "an index comprised of the top 100 condominium buildings in Manhattan." The data tracks the performance of these buildings through the second and third quarters of 2015, and, not surprisingly, One57 has come out on top. The Billionaires' Row powerhouse has surpassed long-time leader 15 Central Park West as the most expensive condo on the island, coming in at $6,010 per square foot over the past 12 months, as compared to 15 CPW's $5,726. It also steals the spotlight for the majority of the last six months' most expensive sales.
More condo data ahead

Real Estate Trends

November 4, 2015

‘Veronica Mars’ Actor Lists Village Loft Featuring Cast Iron Columns and Double Height Ceilings

Cast iron is prevalent throughout 67 East 11th Street, a Greenwich Village building built in 1868 and converted to a co-op in 1973. Back in the late 19th century, it was home to the James McCreery Dry Goods Store; the facade has beautiful cast iron details like Corinthian columns as well as big arched windows, and this apartment owned by actor Chris Lowell of "Veronica Mars" fame is now on the market for $1.195 million. The unit is a two bedroom, with the master bedroom located in a sleeping loft above the living room. The lofted space allows for 16-foot ceilings and incredible oversized windows.
Take a tour

November 4, 2015

56 Leonard (Maybe?) Sells All Its Penthouses; Paris Wishes It Was Brooklyn

It looked like the Herzog & De Meuron-designed 56 Leonard sold its last two penthouses, but a rep for the building said this wasn’t so and declined to comment further. [Curbed] Luciano Pavarotti’s Hampshire House co-op has been pulled from the market. The 2,000-square-foot home was listing 11 months ago for $13.7M and last asked $11.5M. […]

Real Estate Trends

November 4, 2015

Petite Upper East Side Apartment Boasts Uptown Class With Downtown Style

The Upper East Side is often associated with the traditional design aesthetic of old New York. However, the interior design for this Upper East Side apartment, from The New Design Project, is a modern and welcomed departure from the norm. This young studio brings a fresh perspective and out-of-the-box approach to their work, and we love what they've come up with. From the unconventional wall art to the up-cycled bar stools and coffee table, this home is packed full of smart design that is both hip and elegant.
See it all

November 4, 2015

220 Central Park South Costs $5,000 Per Foot to Build, Now 50 Percent Sold