6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

If you think your neighborhood has changed since you moved in, step back and have a look at this incredible map to get some real perspective. One of the many maps maintained within the NYPL's Map Warper project, this particular cartogram dubbed the 1855 New York Business Map shows the location of more than 3,000 mid-19th century New York businesses—as well as some other fun stuff like stables, churches and schools. Want to know what life was like in your neighborhood way back in 1855? Jump ahead for more.
Access the map here

History

New Yorker Spotlight: Corey William Schneider Turns New Yorkers Into Explorers at the NY Adventure Club

Corey and the Loew’s Valencia Theatre

September 25, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Corey William Schneider Turns New Yorkers Into Explorers at the NY Adventure Club

By Susan Cohen

When New Yorkers think about going on an adventure, they might envision heading west, abroad, or at least outside the city. In New York, the only adventure they're likely to take is navigating the grid (or lack thereof in certain neighborhoods) during rush hour. But Corey William Schneider is on a mission to turn the five boroughs into a land of exploration for city residents. As the founder of New York Adventure Club, Corey helps New Yorkers get in touch with their inner explorers through unique walking tours and events. His goal is to awaken city dwellers' curiosity by offering them the chance to uncover, experience, and engage with the city and tri-state area's numerous hidden treasures. We recently spoke with Corey to find out why New Yorkers are secretly longing for adventure and how his club is helping them broaden their local horizons.
Our chat with Corey

September 25, 2015

Watch Videos of Morgan Stanley’s New Times Square LED Screens That Replaced Its Iconic Zipper

Last week, Morgan Stanley unveiled a set of seven modernized LED signs at the base of its headquarters building at 1585 Broadway in Times Square. The digital billboards, which took five months to replace, feature six million LED pixels that can display up to 281 trillion colors. The screens replace the iconic amber ticker that stood at the lower three floors of the Gwathmey, Siegel & Associates-designed building for more than 20 years. Since the sign was inspired by similar signage at Bloomberg's 731 Lexington Avenue, the bank spent nine months working with Bloomberg's internal creative agency to develop its content. With custom-built technology by British-based Framestore, the screens can display updated imagery and data at all times. The sign's fact sheet (PDF) notes that the displays will be operational 19 hours a day and will display 2,100 pieces of distinct content, including 855 news headlines and real-time data of eight global indices.
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September 25, 2015

Noho Apartment Boasts Vintage Detailing and Doubles as a Performance Venue

New York City is known for its multi-functional spaces, but seeing how the concept is incorporated into homes on an individual basis is always an exciting venture, and this transitional space in Noho is no exception. Designed by Wettling Architects, the very cool apartment was renovated to be both a home and a gathering hall for performances and benefits. Plus, it's full of vintage accessories reminiscent of an an old school New York many of us have only seen on TV, an interesting fact considering it was once home to "Law & Order: SVU" star B.D. Wong.
See more of this fun space

September 25, 2015

Check Out These Insane Views From Brooklyn’s First 1,000+ Foot Tower

Seeing the boroughs from sky-high heights is nothing new thanks to all the supertall towers in Manhattan, but it's not as common to have a panoramic view of our main island, which is why we had to share this video. JDS Development posted the short clip on their Instagram stream yesterday that shows potential views from their upcoming mixed-use skyscraper planned for Downtown Brooklyn using air rights from the Dime Savings Bank site. If constructed as intended, it will be the first 1,000+ foot tower outside of Manhattan. The nine-second video, whose camera height seems nearly eye-level to the 1,368-foot roof of One World Trade Center, depicts far-reaching, panoramic views to the west and northwest over Manhattan and beyond.
Check it out here

September 25, 2015

Wallpockets: Cool Cardboard Wall Decor That Doubles as Storage

No home feels complete without a little wall decor, and what better way to decorate your city digs than with art that doubles as storage! These colorful pentagon-shaped pockets for your wall were brought to you by industrial design students Tim Karoleff and Shea Springer, known collectively to the world as Ampersand.
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September 25, 2015

VIDEO: Why Did the Nazis Want to Destroy This Secret Power Substation Below Grand Central?

"In the past, if you'd stepped into this elevator by mistake, you faced being shot at the other end, in case you told anyone what you saw," says the narrator of this video from the Science Channel. And this is, essentially, what happened to two German spies when they tried to attack this hidden power substation below Grand Central. But let's back up. When Grand Central was built in 1913, part of the plan was to add a top-secret power substation. After tunneling down through ten stories of solid bedrock, engineers blasted and carved out a top-secret chamber known as M42, almost as wide as the terminal itself and covering 22,000 square feet. Here, nine rotary converters each weighing 15 tons and reaching heights of 20 feet, transferred 11,000 volts of alternating current to power the trains above. In 1941, when America joined WWII, the secrecy paid off.
Find out how Adolf Hitler almost destroyed the substation

History

September 25, 2015

TWA Flight Center Hotel Will Cost $265M, Open in 2018; Are These the 100 Worst New Yorkers?

The Port Authority issued a 75-year lease to Jet Blue and a developer for the new TWA Flight Center Hotel at JFK. Construction on the $265 million project will start next year with a 2018 opening date. [NYDN] In her new memoir “Good Mourning,” Elizabeth Meyer chronicles her career serving the 1 percent at a funeral parlor on […]

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Distinctive Homes

For $8.5M, this Gramercy townhouse is a slender slice of reclaimed history

For $5.5M, this Flatiron condo with four-bedroom potential is a prize for loft-lovers

For $5.8M, this Fifth Avenue co-op has 'Mad Men'-era vibes and Central Park views

This $3.6M Spuyten Duyvil home is a tranquil refuge indoors and out, within New York City limits

For $1.5M, get (way) off the grid in Gilded Age style on your own private island in Alexandria Bay

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

A grown-up townhouse with a Bushwick address–and a koi pond–asks $2M

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

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

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

VIEW ALL

September 25, 2015

Gorgeous Brooklyn Townhouse Featured on the Cover of House Beautiful Asks $4.5 Million

Get ready to swoon. This Carroll Gardens townhouse at 396 Sackett Street was restored and renovated in 2011 by the Brooklyn firm Baxt Ingui Architects, and it is still looking fine. Gorgeous details, high ceilings, big windows and a fancy kitchen—what's not to like? The listing even says the home earned the cover of House Beautiful back in 2013. This impressive townhouse could be all yours, as long as you've got $4.5 million to spare.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

September 25, 2015

Study Shows That 75 Percent of Manhattan’s All-Cash Buyers Have Chinese Last Names

For wealthy Chinese, Manhattan real estate has long served as a secure place to stash their cash, with these investors gobbling up high-end properties. In fact, "foreign direct investment in U.S. real estate rose to $104 billion in a 12-month period ending March 2015, a 10.4 percent rise over the prior year," according to The Real Deal. Of these foreign buyers nationwide, the Chinese make up 16 percent. And accompanying this rise, at least in NYC, is the rise of the all-cash buy. To show just how prominent this trend has become, RealtyTrac released data that shows in the first half of the year, 75 percent of Manhattan's cash buyers had Asian surnames.
More details here

Real Estate Trends

September 25, 2015

Soap Star’s Renovated, Family-Friendly Harlem Brownstone Back on the Market for $2.9M

There's something compelling about a great-looking home without a superlative in sight, neither painstakingly restored to historic glory, cutting-edge contemporary or irresistibly luxurious. And for a busy city family, kid-friendly good looks and low-maintenance comfort go a long way. This 4,000-square-foot Harlem brownstone at 136 West 130th Street fit the bill and then some when Emmy-nominated "All My Children" regular (and more recently talk show correspondent and reality TV host) Cameron Mathison and his wife, Vanessa, happened upon it in 2004, and subsequently purchased it for $1.2 million. The couple had ventured into Harlem when apartment hunting (with a new baby) and fallen for the neighborhood's "Sesame Street" vibe. A developer had done most of the renovation work, and they added the finishing touches. Interviewed in the Times in 2009, the actor explains that the couple had "envisioned being in this place forever;" that plan changed when the TV show moved studios to Los Angeles. Mathison listed the turn-key renovated home for $2.7 million and headed west. There weren't any takers at the time, and the four-story townhouse is back, asking $2.9 million–albeit in a very different market, especially in Central Harlem, than that of 2009.
See more of this turnkey uptown home

Richard Silver’s Vertical Panoramic Photos of New York Churches Are Vertigo-Inducing

L to R: Church of St. Francis Xavier, Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Monica’s Church

September 24, 2015

Richard Silver’s Vertical Panoramic Photos of New York Churches Are Vertigo-Inducing

When 6sqft has mentioned vertigo-inducing photographs in the past, it's been in reference to the daredevil Instagrammers who climb to the top of some of the city's tallest structures. But this mesmerizing series (h/t Colossal) does the exact opposite, taking forward- and upward-looking vertical panoramic shots of New York City churches. And though they're not looking down a thousand feet, these photos still might send your head spinning. Photographer Richard Silver, a born-and-bred New Yorker, is known for his architectural and travel shots, where he likes to "present our everyday world in an altered visual context" through techniques such as Tilt Shift, Vertical Panoramas and Time Slice. And just in time for Pope Francis' historic visit to the city, he's released his church series.
See more photos and learn about Silver's process

Architecture And Design

September 24, 2015

VIDEO: Go Inside Rachael Ray’s Colorful and Unbelievably Cute East Village Home

We're not quite sure what type of home we imagined Rachael Ray would be living in, but we definitely envisioned her kitchen to be way bigger. Ray, who is celebrating the 10th season of her talk show this year, as well as a mega-media empire that includes everything from cookbooks to pet food, recently invited the Journal into her home for an exclusive video tour of the adorable East Village abode she shares with husband John Cusimano and her pitbull, Isaboo. Though her property is six stories tall, it measures a mere 1,800 square feet (definitely small by celeb standards) with just one room per floor. And her kitchen? It's only big enough for a half-pivot! “When people come over for the first time to my apartment, I think they’re shocked at how tiny my kitchen is,” the award-winning celeb chef muses in the video.
Take the video tour here

September 24, 2015

$3M Mansion Has a 130-Foot-Long Bomb-Proof Underground Tunnel

At first glance, this Voorhees, NJ home known as the Alton Estate seems like your average, over-the-top, suburban mega-mansion, with its ridiculous amenities like a Grecian-inspired pool, two-story pool house that connects to the main house via an above-ground ramp, 12-person Jacuzzi, DJ booth, full gym with cedar-lined sauna, soundproof movie theater, and 42-seat bar. But then it gets really interesting. First noted by Curbed, the listing touts a 130-foot-long, solid concrete, underground bomb-proof tunnel. It's not clear why the owners installed this insane panic room, but for those who live in fear of the Apocalypse, and have $2.9 to spare, here's your dream home.
See the rest of this eccentric mansion

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/24-9/29

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!

September 24, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/24-9/29

By Lori Zimmer

'Tis a weekend of open studios, and if you are art-thletic enough, you can hit them all. Non-profit chashama is offering free ferry rides to check out the studios of 85 artists (including 6sqft friend Barry Rosenthal!) at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Hop on the Governors Island Ferry to the LMCC open studios, or get yourself to DUMBO for Smack Mellon's open studios. The work week just got a little better for those of you in the Garment District, as the annual UrbanSpace market opens for the season, offering up tasty delights. Roving gallery Standard Practice is at it again, with a new opening in Williamsburg, and Harlem's Hi-ART kicks off their season with a photo show. If you're going to the World Maker Faire, be sure to check out FIGMENT Festival's David Koren as he talks about co-creating your own reality. Finish off the week with the Public Art Fund's talk at the New School with exhibiting artist Jeppe Hein. And that's a wrap!
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

September 24, 2015

Why Chinatown Hasn’t Changed; NYC’s Priciest Homes Up for Sale

A look at why the real estate and retail landscape of Chinatown hasn’t changed, even as its bordering neighbors have. [NY Mag] The 25 most expensive homes on the market. [Curbed] Music exec Clive Davis nabs a $2M apartment at the Ritz. [NYP] The MTA will run extra trains into the Manhattan for Pope’s visit. […]

Real Estate Trends

September 24, 2015

Clever Skyline Wrapping Paper Turns Gifts Into City Buildings From Around the World

We're suckers for almost anything boasting a city skyline, and this cleverly illustrated skyline gift wrap from Suck UK is no exception. The super-sized gift wrap is printed with building facades from around the world. And since most gift boxes are already shaped like buildings, it will be easy to turn any birthday party or holiday celebration into an urban landscape.
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Live Your Versailles Fantasies in This Gilded Upper East Side Mansion for $60K/Month

There are undoubtedly many grand mansions of this kind in the rarified environs of the Upper East Side, some even grander and gold-er–but they don't pop up among the rental listings too often. This triplex palace at 10 East 62nd Street is clearly in search of someone who is looking to make an impression. The rental bill is steep at $60,000 a month, but, again, there are plenty of big-ticket rentals around. What you're getting for your monthly outlay is less about substance than it is about 5,600 square feet of gold-and-marble-covered, let-them-eat-cake opulence–in addition to four bedrooms, two living rooms, two kitchens, and an elevator, just to start with. The home has been on and off the rental market for several years–on the last go-round it was asking $48k (which is still in the listing title, though the listing body names the higher rent), and that was just a year ago. So whomever's behind the pricing has faith in the city's booming economy.
More of this gilded palace

Distinctive Homes

September 24, 2015

Extell’s Church-Encroaching 10th Avenue Tower Tops Out, New Interior Renderings Revealed

With the opening of the 7 train extension earlier this month, things are finally starting to look up for Manhattan's far West Side–literally. Hudson Yard's Coach Tower is nearing its 900-foot apex, and Gary Barnett's Extell Development has topped off construction on its 610-foot high skyscraper at 555 Tenth Avenue. Extell's rental/dormitory project anchors a full block-front between West 40th and 41st streets, and cozies up next to (and above) the neo-gothic Church of Saints Cyril & Methodius and Saint Raphael, from which the savvy developer purchased 140,000 square feet of air rights from in 2012 for $16.5 million. According to previous reports, Barnett obtained the rights to build on the 18,000 square-foot parcel after signing a 99-year ground lease from the estate of Sol Goldman in 2011. The $480 million project is partly financed by means of $100 million from EB5 equity investors.
find out more here

September 24, 2015

How to Fit the World’s Largest Dinosaur in a Museum; Pope Francis Vows to Eat Pizza in NYC

An Upper East Side heiress left $50,000 to her favorite nail salon technician. [NYDN] Paleontologist Mark Norell talks about how the biggest dinosaur to ever walk the earth will fit into the Museum of Natural History. [Wired] Yogi Berra’s #8 jersey is on view at City Hall. [Gothamist] Pope Francis has said he wants to try […]

Uncategorized

September 24, 2015

This Oh-So-Sweet Co-Op in Greenwich Village Is on the Market for $2 Million

There's simply nothing to hate about this Greenwich Village co-op, located in the charming pre-war building 140 West 10th Street on a lovely leafy street. The apartment still has its historic details intact, some nicely done renovations, and big windows with views over the surrounding townhouses and backyards. The only thing we're not crazy about? The steep asking price of $2.295 million.
See the rest

Distinctive Homes

September 24, 2015

Bright Harlem Apartment Features Transformative Rooms and Is Wheelchair Accessible

6sqft often covers space-saving design and multi-functional furniture, but it's not everyday that we get to share interior design and architecture that has the potential to significantly impact someone's quality of life. However, the renovation of this 1,500-square-foot Harlem apartment, led by the architecture firm Ten to One, is a great example of this type of universal design. The apartment was designed to provide distinct access for a family member who is in a wheelchair. The redesign features clever architectural detailing that gives each room the ability to blend together or be separate and surfaces that can act as figures or enclosures. It also introduced a system of walls and ceilings that cut through the existing structure to expose new depths.
Check it out

September 24, 2015

Wild Walk, an Upstate Treetop Trail, Was Inspired by the High Line

The High Line has inspired countless urban projects, from local ideas like the QueensWay to international schemes like the Chapultepec Project in Mexico City, but it's not as often that we see the elevated park cited as inspiration for rural projects. But that's the case for Wild Walk, an upstate treetop trail nestled in the Adirondacks, according to Dezeen. The trail is located at the Wild Center, a 79-acre nature reserve within Adirondack Park, the largest natural park in the lower 48 states. Wild Walk is elevated between 30 and 40 feet off the ground and is a series of bridges and paths supported by pointed towers made from pre-rusted steel tubes, which resemble the cabin-like architecture one would expect to find in the mountains.
Learn all about this treetop trail

Architecture And Design

September 23, 2015

Rent Jessica Chastain’s Sparkling Greenwich Village Duplex for $11,500 a Month

While the home doesn't quite compare to her spectacular new spread at the Osborne, Jessica Chastain's former digs at 250 Mercer Street are certainly nothing to sneeze at. According to TODAY, the Oscar-nominated actress has put the duplex she left for Leonard Bernstein's old home on the rental market, asking a cool $11,500 a month. Described by its listing as "Exceptional in every way," the two-bedroom has been fully renovated and offers tons of luxurious finishes, and above all, a pretty sweet location in the heart of the Village.
Take a look inside

September 23, 2015

Elizabeth Roberts Combines Styles for a Traditional Yet Hip Park Slope Brownstone

One of the best things about design and architecture in New York City is the constant flow of culture and influence, and the combination of styles and custom architectural detailing found inside this Italianate brownstone reflects this ever-present vibrancy and rhythm. The home is situated on quaint Bergen Street in Park Slope and recently underwent a gut renovation led by the design team at Elizabeth Roberts Design/Ensemble Architecture. The structure that now boasts four bedrooms is perfect for a growing family (plus it has a rental apartment on the garden level), and its interior is decorated with a combination of cool muted tones and dark bold accents.
Tour the home

September 23, 2015

Infographic Shows How Much Income Tax People Pay in the World’s Major Cities

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

You might want to think twice before complaining about your tax statement this year. While Americans, and New Yorkers especially, tend to think they're coughing up a ludicrous amount of their salary to Uncle Sam, this infographic (h/t Business Insider) shows how much other major cities across the world pay in income tax and social security contributions. For example, income taxes in Copenhagen are at 44.7 percent and in Stockholm at 27 percent, while New York City is 13.8 . On the other end of the spectrum, the rate in Dubai, Buenos Aires, and Lima is 0 percent.
Check out the full infographic

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THE 6SQFT SHOP

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The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

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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

VIEW ALL

September 23, 2015

Enormous Greenwich Village Loft Above an Art House Cinema Awaits Your Vision

This raw-edged, sprawling 3,250 square-foot loft at 34 West 13th Street, on a bustling yet somehow old-school Greenwich Village street is on the market for the first time since the building became a cooperative in the 1970s. Formerly an acting school–there are two stages built in, which could be kind of cool if you're the theatrical type–the space is currently configured as a two bedroom with a laundry room, a big open kitchen/dining room, a living area and a hall gallery. Located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, it's above the Quad Cinema indie theater (set to reopen with a big renovation this fall), which is also great if you love the movies. The ask is $5.25 million, and there are several suggested floor plans (see the photo gallery ahead), should you want to create a three- or four-bedroom home.
Find out more about this huge loft space

Distinctive Homes

September 23, 2015

Can the Pope Help Stop Extell’s South Street Tower?; Christina Aguilera Tours a $105M Condo

Inside the NY apartment linked to an investigation of Malaysia’s prime minister. [Quartz] Predictions for the fall real estate market. [DNA Info] Locals want the Pope’s help in stopping Extell’s controversial 800-foot tower neighboring the Manhattan Bridge. [Bowery Boogie] Christina Aguilera reportedly toured the $105M penthouse at 100 Barclay Street. The unit sits atop the Ralph […]

Real Estate Trends

September 23, 2015

Modern ‘House on the Hill’ Sits in an Open Meadow Miles Away From Any City

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The owners of the "House on the Hill" in upstate New York are a couple of NYC-based art collectors who for the past twenty-five years have spent their weekends in an old farmhouse in Columbia County. In love with the sweeping views and the near-untouched landscape that greeted them every time they made the trip up, they decided they wanted to build an eco-friendly passive house in the middle of a forest clearing nearby. With the idea of living a simpler and more efficient life in mind, they asked Gates Merkulova Architects to build them a shelter designed with materials that would age as gracefully as they hoped to with time.
Learn more about this modern retirement home

September 23, 2015

These Lamps Are Made From Old Espresso Machine Boilers

6sqft has featured lamps made from natural elements like mushrooms and seaweed, but it's always nice to see design that upcycles materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Though you wouldn't know it by looking at these beautiful pendant and standing lights, they were created from discarded espresso machine boilers. According to Design Milk, Finnish designer Willem Heeffer embarked on a project called "The City as a Mine," which explores ways to turn trash from local factories in Helsinki into stylish home decor products; these copper Boiler Lamps served their first incarnation for ten years at the Paulig coffee factory.
More on the lamps

September 23, 2015

POLL: Are You Going to See the Pope?

The Pope has landed, and New Yorkers of all faiths are eagerly awaiting his arrival to the city tomorrow evening. But even some of the most devout Catholics won’t get a chance to see Pope Francis, either because they didn’t win tickets or they don’t want to deal with the possible chaos and mobs of […]

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September 23, 2015

$7.4 Million Noho Loft Wins Award for Coolest Windows Ever

What's a loft apartment without the big windows? In this case, at a co-op for sale in Noho, windows are everything. Located inside Bleecker Tower at 644 Broadway, it's a sprawling, open loft with floor-to-ceiling arched windows reaching 13 feet high and spanning 20 feet wide. That's paired with upgrades and restorations to the space, which was formerly known as the Manhattan Savings Institute bank building when it was built in 1898. As a residence, it's so impressive that it won the American Institute of Architects award for Outstanding Interiors in 2015. And you can now own it for $7.495 million.
See more

Distinctive Homes

September 23, 2015

Go on a Scavenger Hunt in Woodlawn Cemetery; Best Apple Picking Spots Near NYC

“Hi, I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.” The caption that works on all New Yorker cartoons. [Slate] This Saturday, partake in a scavenger hunt in the Bronx’s historic Woodlawn Cemetery. [HDC] Milkshake squirrel is the new pizza rat. [Gothamist] Map shows that America’s leading immigrant cities also have best economies. [CityLab] Here’s the best […]

Uncategorized

September 23, 2015

New York City Now Has Over 1,000 Miles of Bike Lanes!

1,010.2 miles to be exact. Yesterday morning, NYC reached the milestone figure with the painting of its latest lane in the Lower East Side along Clinton Street. In addition to this, the Department of Transportation announced that yet another 12 miles of protected lanes would be completed by the year's end between West 14th Street and West 33rd Street. The number is above the city's five-mile annual target, and the highest amount ever installed in any year. The news, a blessing to cyclists citywide, certainly supports the fact that New York is set on strengthening the cycling culture of the city—which has already been named by Bicycling Magazine as 2015's best American city for bikes.
More here

Transit

September 22, 2015

SHoP’s Billionaires’ Row Supertall Gets a Spectacular Real-Life Mockup

Rendering versus reality? SHoP can certainly boast that the real thing will look as good, if not better, than the drawings they've put out. Yesterday afternoon, JDS Development Instagrammed (h/t Curbed) an amazing shot of a scale model facade of their ultra-skinny tower going up at 111 West 57th Street. The mockup features the same materials and finishes that will be applied to the actual construction, and by any stretch of the imagination, if you multiply this beauty's terracotta, glass, and bronze filigree to its 1,428-foot potential, it will certainly be one of the city's most striking buildings. Who says architects don't care about detail anymore?
More this way

Architecture And Design

September 22, 2015

10 ways to make a studio apartment feel bigger

Our new series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we look at the space and storage struggles that come with studio living. Every New Yorker knows far too well the challenges associated with small living spaces. However, for the folks living in studio apartments, they need to be experts. While we love the beautiful vintage furniture and lush apartment plants that spruce up our digs, when thinking about decorating a studio, one should first start with the basics of good planning and smart design. For our many space-challenged readers, we've put together some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your limited square footage.
10 tips to try out here

September 22, 2015

Jude Law’s Former Greenwich Village Penthouse in Gorgeous Church Conversion Asks $12.5M

Remember all that hoopla over Jude Law flinging fruit from his Greenwich Village penthouse onto ogling NYU students? Well, here's where it happened, ironically, in a former house of worship. Built in 1860 as a Methodist church, 135 West 4th Street underwent an incredible condo conversion by FLAnk Architecture in 2006, where they beautifully preserved original church features such as stained glass windows and exposed beams, but added all the modern luxuries an A-list celeb would want. The aforementioned penthouse first sold for $6 million to entrepreneur Mark Kress and was then listed for resale for $8.5 million in 2009. It ended up selling the following year for a much-reduced $6.3 million, and then found a renter in Jude Law. Now, the duplex is back on the market asking $12,495,000, and it can be all yours (assuming you keep your orange lobbing at bay).
Check out the entire pad

September 22, 2015

Park Slope Brownstone Renovation by Ben Herzog Adds Open Space and Natural Light

Compared with traditional suburban living, the densely packed rowhouses that populate many Brooklyn streets might seem dark claustrophobic. Therefore, it's no surprise that the owners of this narrow Park Slope brownstone wanted their renovation by Architect Ben Herzog to add as much natural light as possible. The first order of business was to remove walls, open up the rear facade, and increase the amount of glass and light. Many other changes were made along the way, and the resulting interior is a brightly lit, airy space that feels welcoming and fresh.
Take a look around

September 22, 2015

Lawsuit Against Brooklyn Pierhouse Dismissed; The Queens Nabe Where Donald Trump Grew Up

The lawsuit against the Brooklyn Pierhouse over a 30-foot bulkhead blocking views has been dismissed. [Brownstoner] Rent the Williamsburg space that housed the now-shuttered Trash Bar for $20K a month. [Brokelyn] The Times delves deep into the Queens neighborhood where Donald Trump grew up—the wealthy enclave of Jamaica Estates. [NYT] The Second Avenue subway could be […]

Real Estate Trends

September 22, 2015

Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale Buy a $2.2M Boerum Hill Townhouse

Hollywood power couple Rose Byrne (best known for "Bridesmaids" and the television show "Damages") and Bobby Cannavale (Emmy award winner for "Boardwalk Empire") have scooped up a $2.2 million Boerum Hill townhouse, according to The Real Deal. Interestingly, the couple, who have been dating since 2012, bought the home at 453 Warren Street from another pair of actors, Annie Parisse and Paul Sparks. Sparks appeared on "Boardwalk Empire" with Cannavale; he and Parisse bought the property in 2013 for $1.79 million.
Have a look inside the couple's new love nest

September 22, 2015

Downtown’s Beekman Residences Tower Is Ready for Its Crowns – Now 50 Percent Sold

Rising from the birthplace of the romantic skyscraper, a svelte 51-story condominium known as the Beekman Residences will soon receive its twin pyramidal crowns. The to-be-illuminated, open-air pinnacles will bring the building's 599-foot roof height up an additional 51 feet, granting us skyline-watchers a new silhouette to gaze upon. While the tower's height is unremarkable in today's world of kilometer-high skyscrapers (it's only the 24th tallest building now under construction in the city), its peculiar design and prominent location overlooking Park Row is sure to add to the exceptional urban room created by the variously-styled towers surrounding City Hall Park.
More details ahead

September 22, 2015

Nendo’s Carbon Fiber Nest Shelf Can Expand to Fit Any Size Room

Built-in book cases can take any space from drab to fab. Unfortunately, these custom-built units are often expensive—and if you don't own your home, not worth the investment. Now thanks to the Japanese design firm Nendo, and their new shelving unit called Nest, you can have a set of book cases adjusted exactly for your living space. This ingenious shelf stretches to accommodate any size. Each unit is made from carbon fiber materials, so it will hold up under extremely large amounts of weight. Plus, unlike built-ins, when it's time to move, you can take these customizable pieces with you to adorn your new home.
learn more about the design here

September 22, 2015

A Gigantic Duplex Loft Is Priced at $14.95 Million in SoHo

When it comes to this condo listing at 158 Mercer Street in SoHo, it is go big or go home. The apartment is actually a combination of two units, making for a duplex with an impressive 7,000 (!) square feet. Throw in five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and direct elevator access, and you've got one very fancy, very huge loft apartment. As you may guess, something like this doesn't come cheap. It's now on the market for $14.95 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

September 22, 2015

Americans Are Spending More on Rent and There’s No Relief in Sight

Complaining about high rents is nothing new for New Yorkers, but we're actually not alone in our misery. According to a new study from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and Enterprise Community Partners, reported in the Washington Post, "nearly 15 million [U.S.] households could be 'severely cost-burdened' by 2025, meaning they'll be spending more than half their money on housing." Today, that statistic applies to 11.2 million households (one in four households), which increased by three million since 2012.
What's leading to this staggering rise?

Spring + Thompson

83 Thompson Street

Soho

Loft-like residences in Soho designed by Selldorf Architects

2 beds starting at $4,975,000
4 beds starting at $14,850,000

Learn More

September 22, 2015

Subway #PizzaRat Takes Over the Internet; New Play Recounts the Demolition of Penn Station

If you haven’t yet seen the video of a rat carrying an entire slice of pizza down the subway stairs, you must watch immediately. [DNAinfo] The Pope will cruise through Central Park in a tricked-out Jeep Wrangler. [NYP] Searching for the “grey market” foods of NYC, the allegedly illicit provisions that range from Fujianese rice wine to Mimolette cheese. […]

Uncategorized

September 22, 2015

Andy Cohen Picks Up Fourth Co-op in West Village Building, Is Now Neighbors With Sally Field

The "Real Housewives" franchise must be doing well, because Bravo brainchild Andy Cohen has picked up a fourth apartment in his West Village building, 2 Horatio Street. And his latest buy, a $900,000 studio, makes him next door neighbors with none other than Sally Field, reports Variety. According to the source, Cohen's other real estate holdings in the pre-war co-op include a high-floor studio that he bought in 2003 for an unknown sum, a not-contiguous two-bedroom unit on the same floor that he bought in 2010 (and which was photographed for the New York Times) and another two-bedroom, directly above the one previously mentioned, for which he shelled out $2.6 million in 2014. His most recent acquisition is directly next door to the 2014 pad. Though this sounds a bit like a game of Jenga, we're sure there's a method to the reality guru's madness.
See the studio interior

September 21, 2015

VIDEO: The History of the Upper East Side Mansion Where the Pope Is Staying

Talk surrounding the Pope's Upper East Side crash pad has been mainly focused on street closures and insane security precautions, but this video by Regis High School (h/t Carl Quintanilla) provides the interesting history of the townhouse, providing a behind-the-scenes look at Pope Francis' "home away from Rome." Built in 1894, 20 East 72nd Street was originally home to Julia Murphy Grant, daughter of U.S. Senator Edward Murphy of New York, and Hugh J. Grant, the youngest man ever elected mayor of New York City. When Grant died in 1910, he left behind a $9 million estate to his wife. Being devoutly Catholic, she used the money to establish Regis High School before her death in 1944. In 1975, their son Hugh Grant, Jr. donated his parents' former home to the Archdiocese of New York. Since then, it's been the home of the Vatican's representative to the United Nations, and beginning with Pope John Paul II’s visit to New York City in 1979, it has served as the official residence of visiting pontiffs.
Watch the video here

History

September 21, 2015

This Beautifully Preserved Park Slope Brownstone Was Once a NYC Mayor’s Mansion

On an impossibly lovely landmarked brownstone block near the border between north Park Slope and Prospect Heights, the 1890s townhouse at 212 Saint Johns Place is a testament to the idea that they don't make them like this anymore. This historic brownstone, on the market for $3.895 million, will definitely appeal to anyone smitten with the idea of living in a beautifully preserved home from the 19th century rather than constructing a modern interior with contemporary flair. Once the home of New York City mayor William J. Gaynor (1910-1913), this two-family neo-Grec townhouse is filled with original architectural details from parquet wood floors, richly-carved mahogany trim and ten-foot parlor floor doors to the exquisite wood-carved cabinet built into the third floor landing.
Tour this historic home, this way

Infographic: The Most Popular Housing Typology in Major Cities Across the U.S.

Created by the Washington Post

September 21, 2015

Infographic: The Most Popular Housing Typology in Major Cities Across the U.S.