6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that $42 million will be allocated to new technology in New York City, Tampa, and the state of Wyoming that allows vehicles to "talk" to one another and their surroundings "in order to reduce congestion, prevent accidents, and cut emissions," according to Daily Intelligencer. The city is receiving $20 million of the funds, with which it will create "connected vehicles" that can hopefully reduce traffic accidents by up to 80 percent. By gaining access to real-time traffic data, both drivers and pedestrians will be alerted (or do the alerting) of potential hazards.
Learn about the specifics of what this technology entails

September 15, 2015

Emoji Designed for New Yorkers; Go-To Navigation App HopStop Closes After 10 Years

HopStop, the life-saving navigation app used by everyone new to the city, will be no more. [NYDN] Historic photos of Rosh Hashanah through the years on the Lower East Side. [Bowery Boogie] Wouldn’t it be great if there was a Metrocard emoji? Or how about a black & white cookie? [Village Voice] Map shows the most […]

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New Report Says Landmarked Districts Don’t Protect Affordable Housing

Historic brownstones in Brooklyn Heights via City Realty

September 15, 2015

New Report Says Landmarked Districts Don’t Protect Affordable Housing

The war wages on between the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and citywide preservationists. Many thought the contention between the groups over whether or not historic districts lessen affordable housing was a personal sentiment of former REBNY president Steven Spinola. But his successor John Banks has released a new report that claims landmarking doesn't protect affordable housing. The report looks at the number of rent-stabilized units in landmarked and non-landmarked districts between 2007 and 2014, finding that "citywide, landmarked properties lost rent stabilized units (-22.5%) at a much higher rate (-5.1%) than non-landmarked properties." Of course preservationists quickly fired back. Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) calls the study "bogus" and says it does nothing to address how many units would have been lost had these areas not been landmarked.
More on the report

September 14, 2015

Russian Castle on Long Island With 35 Bathrooms Asks a Whopping $100M

Find out about her very eventful move downtown

Imagine stepping into an overly opulent palace in St. Petersburg where you find an indoor lazy river, myriad fountains, a two-story built-in dollhouse, a private shooting range, 13 bedrooms and 35 bathrooms. You'd probably guess you had stumbled upon the estate of a former czar. But then imagine you weren't actually in Russia, but on Long Island, New York, and the property's owner had no royal lineage, but rather made his fortune in the NYC real estate market. This is the Estate at Kings Point, an over-the-top estate designed to resemble the Peterhof Grand Palace in St. Petersburg, built in 1928 by the late Soviet Union billionaire Tamir Sapir as a display of his wealth (and possibly his ego). An unknown buyer (shielded by an LLC) bought the palace from Sapir in 2013 for $15.85 million, and they're now looking to make an unfathomable profit, re-listing the home for $100 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Check out the unbelievable estate

Our series “New York in the ’60s” is a memoir by a longtime New Yorker who moved to the city after college in 1960. Each installment will take us through her journey during a pivotal decade. From $90/month apartments to working in the real “Mad Men” world, we’ll explore the city through the eyes of a spunky, driven female. In our first two installments we visited her first apartment on the Upper East Side and saw how different and similar house hunting was 50 years ago. Then, we learned about her career at an advertising magazine… looking in on the Donald Drapers of the time. In our fourth installment, we accompanied her to Fire Island during the warm summer months. Now, our main character decides to make the big move downtown, but it’s not quite what she expected.

September 14, 2015

New York in the ’60s: Moving Downtown Comes With Colorful Characters and Sex Parties

By Penelope Bareau

History

September 14, 2015

Historic Soho Townhouse With Massive Rec Room and Skylights Galore Asks $16.3M

By Michelle Cohen

We'd figure that a large and lovely townhouse on a prime Soho block would have a hefty price tag just by virtue of its location; this four-story, 20-foot-wide-by-100-foot-deep home is no exception. But for your $16.3 million, you're getting an 1832 house that, after a three-year gut renovation, achieves a rare level of near-perfection. The couple who purchased the house at at 27 Vandam Street from revered choreographer Paul Taylor in 2009 for a (relatively) mere 3.3 million reconfigured what was at the time four apartments into one grand single-family residence while retaining its historic character. The result: Every detail–and there are many–in this home is state-of-the-art and every inch has been custom-designed for maximum comfort, convenience and peerless good looks.
Tour the interior of this beautiful house

September 14, 2015

VIDEO: Take a Sweeping Drone Tour of Bjarke Ingels’ West Side Pyramid

Few NYC projects are as architecturally exciting as the massive tetrahedron on the rise along West 57th Street. The design, which is the creation of starchitect-of-the-moment Bjarke Ingels, will soar 460-feet from its site (fun fact: the Great Pyramid of Giza stands 455 feet tall) and is slated for completion later this year. While the final form can already be appreciated by passersby from street level at this point—the architect has by now led camera crews through what he calls the "courtscraper" ("the lovechild of a courtyard building and a skyscraper," to be exact)—here's a spectacular, and quite poetic we might add, new video produced by Dark Horse that gives us expansive ariel views of the whole thing through the eye of a drone.
watch the drone tour here

September 14, 2015

Will Brooklyn Soon See a Slowdown?; Smorgasburg and BK Flea Are Moving to Sunset Park

New NY rulings say that your apartment might be rent-stabilized after all. Brick Underground has the details. [BU] Office rents being paid at 425 Park Avenue could be the highest in history at $300 per square foot. [Crain’s] Real estate experts are warning about a possible housing glut in Brooklyn. [WSJ] Here are some places where you […]

Real Estate Trends

Distinctive Homes

Andy Cohen lists West Village duplex for $14M

Minetta Lane townhouse with an 83-foot rock climbing wall asks $20M

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

A Victoria's Secret model's angelic East Village flat with a solarium and terrace asks $2.9M

For $1.45M, this barrel-fronted Bay Ridge home offers three floors for living and lots of outdoor space

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

From rental income to solar panels, this $3.5M Bed-Stuy brownstone checks all the boxes

Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi lists Chelsea condo for $5.9M

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

Bill Murray's former Snedens Landing home asks $3.7M

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September 14, 2015

Studio Cheha’s Awesome BULBING LED Lamps Are Actually 2D Cutouts

Talk about space-saving design. We're all for products and furniture that help us use space efficiently, but we like these 2-dimensional LED desk lamps either way. At first glance it's difficult to understand how this lamp is flat, but at closer inspection you'll see the 3D illusion is achieved with a flat laser-carved acrylic surface. The clever desk accessory comes from Studio Cheha, a design firm located in Tel Aviv, and can be pre-ordered through their Kickstarter project.
More on the lamps

September 14, 2015

Pile: Transforming, Space-Saving Furniture for Life on the Ground

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

German designer Karl Frederik Scholz joined Israeli Michal Blutrich to create Pile, a stackable space-saving furniture system for relaxation and conversation right on the floor. Perfect for small apartments, the collection features different shaped and colored items that can be arranged into various horizontal, vertical or compact combinations. Pile also has seat cushions, a table, and a lamp that adapt to different needs and put a multi-hued, sculptural twist on traditional Japanese tatami mats.
Learn more about this multifunctional furniture system

Shop

September 14, 2015

Resolution: 4 Architecture’s Romantic Brooklyn Townhouse Renovation Is a Bevy of Soft Textures

This beautiful four-bedroom Brooklyn townhouse was renovated by the New York architecture firm and 6sqft favorite Resolution: 4 Architecture. The project added a significant addition to a traditional single family row house, bringing with it a new roof deck and sleek media room. The interior palette consists mostly of white and neutral wood tones enhanced with poppy adornments like large floral wall art or boldly colored accent walls. Expansive windows dominate the communal areas, making each space feel open and airy regardless of the square footage.
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September 14, 2015

Explore the Met From Your Desktop With This Interactive Hand-Illustrated Map

Now that adult coloring books are sweeping the nation, we don't have to hide our love for youthful illustrations and activities--like this new hand-drawn map of the Metropolitan Museum of Art called MetKids Map. The fun interactive platform is dotted with yellow and red circles for which children search and click, opening a separate window full of information about a gallery or work of art.
See more of the fun illustration and learn how it works

Events & Things To Do

September 14, 2015

You Can Be Carnegie Deli’s Pickle Mascot; Opening Day of the New 7 Train Extension

Famed pastrami spot Carnegie Deli will hold auditions for a pickle mascot before it reopens next month. [NYP] Enter to win special access to tour the Javits Center and a tour of its green roof, the second largest in the country. [NY Adventure Club] Rare snapshots of the East Village in its infamous 1980s heyday. […]

Uncategorized

September 14, 2015

Carriage House Apartment in Chelsea With Lush Landscaped Roof Wants $1.3 Million

We know every broker uses the word "charming" to describe their listing, but this co-op apartment at 337 West 20th Street, in Chelsea, really is. It is located in the Muffin House, a building where the Thomas family originally baked English muffins in the late 1800s. Now it's a co-op, located on a lovely and quiet residential block, that has eleven units, three of which are in the carriage house. The co-op also boasts an interior cobblestone courtyard, lined with hydrangeas, that leads back to this tucked-away carriage house apartment. Are you charmed yet?
See more

September 13, 2015

Get to Know New NYC Neighborhoods Through Food With Like A Local

If you're like most New Yorkers, you probably keep within a ten block radius of your home when you have downtime, maybe venturing out on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. A tired routine? Well, here's the perfect opportunity to spread your wings a bit. Like A Local is a cool startup that invites folks to chow on some of the best eats a neighborhood has to offer, while also giving them a taste of a place's history—from the art to architecture to the origin of what they're biting down on. Basically if you love eating and you love learning, they've got four tours worth your time.
Find out more here

September 12, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

Mapping the Never-Built Highways of NYC from Robert Moses and Others You Can Call One of Manhattan’s Last Skybridges Home Hamptons Island Could Go for $1B, Despite Being Contaminated With Foot-And-Mouth Disease Norah Jones Is Buyer of $6.25M ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ Carriage House in Cobble Hill Turn Hot Coffee to Iced in Minutes With the […]

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September 11, 2015

You Can Rent Lady Gaga’s Former LES Apartment for $2,000

Lady Gaga's old Lower East Side apartment is on the market once again. This time around, the rent-stabilized pad at 176 Stanton Street is going for a very reasonable $2,000 a month. In addition to its obvious star cachet, the unit offers a sizable bedroom with two windows, a kitchenette with new appliances, french doors, a bathroom with a full tub (ooh la la), and the place has even got a skylight. Okay, so it's not quite as glam as the pop star, but we've definitely seen worse for this price.
See more inside here

New Yorker Spotlight: William Helmreich Went on the Ultimate 6,000-Mile Walking Tour of NYC

By Susan Cohen

New Yorkers are known for spending their free time taking leisurely strolls through the city's numerous neighborhoods. They even use their feet as a means to learn by going on weekend walking tours to discover the history, the mystery, as well as the evolution of their favorite places—and there are certainly plenty of tours out there to serve all sorts of curiosities. But when William Helmreich decided he wanted to learn more about New York on foot, he took walking tours to another level. In fact, he decided to walk the entire city. William is a sociology professor at The City College of New York and also teaches at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Over the course of four years, he has walked just about every block in New York City. It was an adventure William was primed for as a lifelong New Yorker who possesses a research interest in urban studies; his background allowed him to be at ease while speaking with city residents in the five boroughs, and he had the eagerness necessary to uncover hidden gems in the lesser known nooks and crannies of our metropolis. The culmination of William's journey is his book, "The New York Nobody Knows: Walking 6,000 Miles in New York City," which was published in 2013 and released last month in paperback. We recently spoke with William about his long walk, and to find out what it taught him about New York.
Meet William here

New Renderings of Vinoly’s 125 Greenwich Street, Downtown’s Future Tallest Residential Skyscraper

Rendering by ArX Solutions

September 11, 2015

New Renderings of Vinoly’s 125 Greenwich Street, Downtown’s Future Tallest Residential Skyscraper

By Ondel Hylton

On the 14th anniversary of the day that caused the city to question our skyward building ambitions, we give you a new look at lower Manhattan's future tallest apartment tower, 125 Greenwich Street. Not only has the city regained its confidence in building high again, but it has now been feverishly erecting 1,000-plus-foot supertall towers at a faster rate than nearly any other global metropolis. This particular residential spire will soar 77 stories and roughly 1,100 feet high, some 200 feet taller than downtown's next tallest ground-up residential buildings, 30 Park Place (937 feet) and New York by Gehry (870 feet).
Find out more here

September 11, 2015

Behold the City Skyline From a Room of Curved Glass Atop This $12.5M Chelsea Penthouse

By Michelle Cohen

We're fairly certain that if you look in the dictionary under "cool modern Chelsea penthouse," there's a picture of this apartment–because this duplex co-op at 143 West 20th Street pretty much nails the concept. Though there are certainly pricier pads, at over $12M, this four-bedroom stunner would certainly be someone's idea of a trophy–and it lives up to the job. Beginning on the 12th floor of an historic 1910 loft building at the classic Manhattan neighborhood's heart, the apartment's design treads the line between high-end generic contemporary and an attempt at hat-tipping the modernism of earlier decades via sleek minimal luxe. The listing says, "...one needs to walk through the space to experience it fully." But the pictures definitely get our attention with what looks a lot like a modern art museum that would be fun to live in.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

September 11, 2015

Muebloc Introduces a Variety of Wood Finishes to the World of LEGO Furniture

We're first on line when it comes to LEGO-esque furniture, so we were especially excited to stumble upon Muebloc. Not only does this modular furniture system feature blocks that can create different combinations--including bedside tables, dressers, wardrobes, and desks--each block is available in a variety of wood finishes. And although we love the brightly colored blocks from some of Mueblocs competitors, we're happy to welcome a more neutral palette to the LEGO furniture family.
Click here for more from Muebloc

September 11, 2015

Lavish Lenox Hill Pad of Late Socialite and Philanthropist Carroll Petrie Lists for $30M

The lavish pad of the late socialite and philanthropist Carroll Petrie at big-name favorite 834 Fifth Avenue has just hit the market, and it's asking a very impressive $30 million. The big question is, where will the sale money go when the time comes? Carroll, who was married to the late retailing giant Milton Petrie, passed away in February, but drama quickly started brewing over her $100 million will. She left $12.5 million to her daughter Andrea Portago, whom she had with her former late husband, Spanish race car driver Alfonso de Portago, but with an odd stipulation based on their contentious relationship. The bulk of her estate was left to her Carroll Petrie Foundation, which supports the Dog Rescue Project of the ASPCA. But this likely isn't sitting well with Andrea, who already retained estates and trust attorney Harvey E. Corn (he also worked on the cases of Brooke Astor and Huguette Clark). Whatever the legal outcome, the 11-room home will certainly make its new owner feel like NYC royalty.
Take a look around the impressive apartment

September 11, 2015

Kim Hoover’s Sustainable Upstate Home Has Fossilized Bamboo Floors and a ‘Cool Roof’

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Architect Kim Hoover, principal at Hoover Architecture, built a bold sustainable house and guesthouse within the picturesque Hudson Valley. The two-level property takes inspiration from a tree house, which is reflected through its open, casual spaces, use of wood and the great outdoor views it frames through its many windows. But the home's most interesting details aren't what you'd expect. This unique space boasts recycled porcelain tiles, fossilized bamboo floors and it has a reflecting "cool roof."
Learn more about this design

September 11, 2015

‘True Size Map’ Will Change Everything You Think About World Geography

"Did you know that California is more than four times the size of Portugal? Or that you could fit China, the U.S. and India into the continent of Africa, with room to spare?" The Huffington Post shares these mind-blowing facts in a reveal of the "True Size Map," which shows countries in their true, relative sizes and lets users move them (along with states) around to compare sizes. This layout is as opposed to the Mercator projection, our typical map, which, because it's translating a spherical planet into a flat 2D representation, distorts many countries. For example, nations near the poles appear larger than they actually are while those close to the equator are smaller.
Check out new views of the world here

Uncategorized

September 11, 2015

Ground Zero Rescue Dog Gets Touching 16th Birthday Party; The Oldest Stuff in New York State

Bretagne, the golden retriever who was one of 100 rescue dogs at Ground Zero (and is reportedly the last one living), got a pretty amazing 16th birthday party. [DNAinfo] The oldest stuff in the state of New York, from pizza to newspaper to lighthouse. [Thrillist] Chinese artist Yi Yang has finished his mural that features the face of […]

Uncategorized

September 11, 2015

Historic Harlem Townhouse, Restored to Victorian Standards, Asks $2.795 Million

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

Here's a Harlem townhouse that's been in the news before. Its former owner, Hugh Crean, is a professional preservationist and a MET curator that painstakingly restored the house "to Victorian specifications," according to Curbed. While under his ownership, it was elaborately designed and decorated, and eventually hit the market in 2009 for $1.595 million. It sold the next year for $1.55 million and now is back on the market again. Of course, in today's market, you should expect the price to have skyrocketed -- it's now asking $2.795 million. The current owners don't have it decked out like it used to be, but the house still retains its impressive interior details.
Keep looking

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Times Square Characters and Performers May Get Confined to Designated ‘Activity Areas’

Map courtesy of the Times Square Alliance

September 11, 2015

Times Square Characters and Performers May Get Confined to Designated ‘Activity Areas’

It looks like Mayor de Blasio's wish of coralling the costumed characters and topless performers in Times Square may be coming true. The Daily News reports that the Times Square Alliance has endorsed the "Times Square Commons" plan, which Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilmen Daniel Garodnick and Corey Johnson publicized in an op-ed in the paper yesterday. The proposal would rezone Times Square's pedestrian plaza so that instead of being mapped as a street it would become a special district called Times Square Commons. This area would be divided into three zones: general civic zones, which would feature tables and chairs and arts events; pedestrian traffic flow zones, areas to walk with no physical obstructions; and the aforementioned designated activity zones, small slivers of space that "would allow any activity involving the immediate exchange of money for goods, services or entertainment."
More this way

Policy

You Can Call One of Manhattan’s Last Skybridges Home

Image via vivnsect’s flickr

September 10, 2015

You Can Call One of Manhattan’s Last Skybridges Home

We've seen our fair share of quirky listings before, but a personal skybridge included with an apartment is a first. Gothamist reports that, in a very serendipitous twist of fate, the two Tribeca residences (one a townhouse, one an apartment) on either side of the Staple Street skybridge are currently for sale. And according to the Post, the whole package will cost you $30 million. In a recent newsletter, Town Real Estate noted the unusual offering: "By way of total coincidence, 9 Jay Street and 67 Hudson #3B are being offered for sale, off market, by one of those guys on 'Million Dollar Listing.' This will include the bridge connecting 9 Jay to the third floor apartment across Staple Street. Yes—the bridge will be all yours. The interiors are extremely bare, and open, compared to the historical exteriors. The price is available by request only."
More on the historic skybridge

September 10, 2015

Mapping the Never-Built Highways of NYC from Robert Moses and Others

If there's one thing most people attribute to Robert Moses it's highways. The master planner built 13 expressways throughout New York, including the Cross Bronx Expressway, Brooklyn Queens Expressway, the FDR Drive, and the West Side Highway. Love him or hate him, this was a pretty profound feat of urban planning. But had he been granted free rein, Moses would've constructed even more highways. The two failed attempts that remain most notorious are the Lower Manhattan Expressway, which would've cut east-west along the residential areas of Broome Street, as well as a Mid-Manhattan Expressway, a proposed six-lane elevated highway along 30th Street. After mapping these aforementioned Moses proposals, cartographer Andrew Lynch decided to take his project one step further and create a map series of all the never-built highways in NYC, both from Moses and others.
Check out the full-size maps here

Transit

September 10, 2015

A Totally Modern Brooklyn Townhouse With a Rock Climbing Wall Asks $4.25M

The best thing about shiny new modern townhouses? They can be really fun. Take this townhouse at 113A Columbia Street, along the Columbia Street Waterfront in Brooklyn, for example. It's a new-construction home, built in 2010. And over five stories you get lots of unique, fun custom details that really make this house one of a kind. The design, most of all, is kid friendly, with a rock-climbing wall making for one of the coolest kid's rooms ever.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/10-9/16

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 10, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/10-9/16

By Lori Zimmer

No matter what age you are, for everyone, September has that overwhelming feeling of "Back to School." Educate yourself (while supporting female artists) and listen to Grimanesa Amorós speak about her work at El Museo del Barrio, or bone up on your French with the last free French film screening of the season at Columbia. Art galleries are back in full swing, and I'm personally looking forward to Tahiti Pehrson's epic paper cuts at Joseph Gross, Elias Sime's remixing of elements from Ethiopia at James Cohan Gallery and the heart-wrenching portraits investigating prostitution around the globe by Yapci Ramos at Catinca Tabacaru. Visitors are welcome to taste the boom of the Williamsburg/Greenpoint neighborhood—literally, and you can also relive the New York classic "The Warriors" for a grandiose reunion and day-long celebration at Coney Island. Finish the week with No Longer Empty's contribution to the newly redeveloped South Street Seaport with an installation about the converging of waters.
All the best events to check out here

September 10, 2015

Turn Hot Coffee to Iced in Minutes With the Coil

New Yorkers love to drink coffee, and while most can manage the time and effort required to brew a pot, getting the bubbling liquid cold is another story. Many of us are willing to spend upwards to four or even six dollars if someone can ice it for us. Well, fellow coffee addicts, thanks to the Coil, a chiller that drops the temperature of coffee within minutes, your days of over-priced joe have come to an end.
READ MORE

September 10, 2015

Bushwick Gets Cheaper; Interview With 9/11 Memorial Designer Michael Arad

Bushwick rents have dropped 16 percent as new apartments have been added to the market. [DNA Info] With retail rents rising across the city, shop owners are increasingly considering the second floor to sell their wares. [Crain’s] Four top NYC hotels are heading to the auction block. [NYDN] Meet the designer who dreamt up the National […]

Real Estate Trends

September 10, 2015

Lose Yourself In History at the Notorious Grey Gardens Estate for $175K/Month

If you love historic homes and the macabre, it really doesn't get any better than the Grey Gardens Estate in East Hampton. As the Post reports, the beautiful home steeped in infamy is again up for rent starting September 15th through July of next year. The asking? You better dig deep into your pockets because it's going for an incredible $175,000 a month. Quite pricey, yes, but if you consider that designer Liz Lange has been paying $250,000 a month to call it her summer escape, it's kind of a deal.
Find out more here

September 10, 2015

3,000 ‘Nerdy Knitters’ to Unite Next Weekend; Wear a T-Shirt of Your City’s Map

Next weekend, the three-day NYC Yarn Crawl will take up to 3,000 “nerdy knitters” from yarn shop to yarn shop. [DNAinfo] Citees are wearable maps of more than 80 global cities. [CityLab] Airbnb now has an Apple TV app for trip planning. [Mashable] Fodor’s published its first Brooklyn guide, and the illustrations are pretty great. [Brownstoner] The world’s largest […]

Uncategorized

September 10, 2015

Jon Bon Jovi Scoops Up a 10-Room Village Condo for $12.9M

By Ondel Hylton and Heather Cooper Vivares

It looks like Jon Bon Jovi has no plans on leaving New York behind. After finally unloading his $34 million Soho penthouse earlier this year, according to the Observer, the rocker has just paid $12.88 million for a sprawling ten-room apartment at the brand new 150 Charles Street in the West Village. There are no photos of the […]

September 10, 2015

Construction Update: Related Companies’ Rental Tower at Hudson Yards’ Front Door Begins to Rise

Related Companies' new mixed-use rental tower at the front door of Hudson Yards is forging ahead. Located at 530 West 30th Street, just south of the towering Coach Tower (10 Hudson Yards) and west of the recently finished Abington House (also developed by Related), the 28-story building will bring 174 new rental homes to the rapidly evolving neighborhood. 530 West 30th shares its lot with 529 West 29th Street, an all-affordable, 126-unit building Related opened last year with apartments set aside for artists, seniors, and local residents of Community District 4.
More details

September 10, 2015

Soccer Star Frank Lampard Checks Out a $52,000/Month Pad at 15 Central Park West

It certainly is the season for international soccer stars to get in on the NYC real estate game. First, hunky player Cristiano Ronaldo bought an $18.5 million loft at Trump Tower shortly after it was rumored that he'd be moving from Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team to the MLS (the United States soccer league). Then just ten days later, Italian player Andrea Pirlo scoped out a $29,995/month penthouse at 205 East 59th Street, as he had recently joined the New York City Football Club. And now, the Post reports that English footballer Frank Lampard was seen checking out a $52,000/month pad at 15 Central Park West. Lampard, often considered one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, is the all-time leading goalscorer for Chelsea. As of this year, he signed a two-year contract with the New York City Football Club, so it makes perfect sense why he's now house hunting. He reportedly looked at the 2,761-square-foot apartment with his fiancée, Northern Irish broadcaster Christine Bleakley.
Take a look around the loft

September 10, 2015

Traditional Japanese Design Defines This $2.7M West Side Maisonette With Two Tea Rooms

By Michelle Cohen

In the world of modern interiors, traditional Japanese design concepts have led to some very innovative interpretations that also meet residents' needs such as providing a peaceful retreat, keeping the flow of life organized, or, as in this case, offering flexibility of space and rooms that serve multiple functions. This duplex maisonette, however, would be counted among the more traditional end of the spectrum in its execution. Though having a nine-room apartment certainly helps when it comes to versatility, this particular space achieves its goals and more. The home's $2.7 million ask seems reasonable for this large duplex loft at 419 West 55th Street in increasingly popular West Midtown; though monthly maintenance fees seem a bit high for a condo at $4,333 (with no mention of taxes) when compared to the price, those generally reflect unit size, and–though no square footage is listed–there's no denying that attribute. So, pros and cons aside, let's take a look at this carefully-crafted testament to the owners’ vision of creating a loft space with a Japanese aesthetic.
Take the tour this way, shoes off, please

September 9, 2015

Live in Kate Moss and Johnny Depp’s Former ’90s Love Nest for $14.9 Million

Here's a blast from the past that's sure to get you nostalgic for the '90s. A 6sqft tipster has pointed out that the beautiful NYC townhouse that equally beautiful Johnny Depp and Kate Moss rented in when they were engaged 20-plus years ago is now on the market. Priced at $14.9 million, the brick-clad stunner at 112 Waverly Palace is an historic 1820s structure spanning five levels with four income-producing units that include a duplex penthouse, a 925-square-foot one-bedroom, a garden duplex, and, of course, the spectacular carriage house that Moss and Depp canoodled in during the mid-90's. Let's have a look inside, shall we?
Go inside here

Fall House Tours: Go Inside Tribeca Lofts, Victorian Mansions, and Google’s Headquarters

Brookmill Farm in Lambertville via C.C. Chapman/Flickr

September 9, 2015

Fall House Tours: Go Inside Tribeca Lofts, Victorian Mansions, and Google’s Headquarters

While spring is the main season for house tours, the fall also offers up some great options to satisfy design-loving New Yorkers. From Tribeca lofts to New Jersey Victorians and mid-century modern estates to World's Fair relics, this October's tours have a little something for everyone. To help you plan your schedule, we've put together all the tours we could find.
Get the full Fall house tour lineup

REVEALED: First Look at 1399 Park Avenue, 23-Story Tower Coming to East Harlem

Google Streetview of buildings that previously stood at the site (L); Rendering of the new building via Goldstein Hill & West Architects (R)

September 9, 2015

REVEALED: First Look at 1399 Park Avenue, 23-Story Tower Coming to East Harlem

By Ondel Hylton

Here's our first look at Heritage Real Estate Partners' 23-story, 108-unit residential building underway at 1399 Park Avenue in East Harlem. Designed by Goldstein Hill & West Architects (GHWA), the 253-foot tall, glass and cast-stone tower is expressed as a stack of variably-sized, staggered volumes creating numerous terraces that face north towards the East River and west towards Central Park. Fittingly, Heritage has filed permits under the alias "Heritage on the Park LLC," possibly hinting at the official name for the tower.
More details ahead

September 9, 2015

Norah Jones Is Buyer of $6.25M ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ Carriage House in Cobble Hill

We knew in May that the famous Cobble Hill carriage house from the Julia Roberts movie "Eat, Pray, Love" had found a buyer at $6.25 million. But now the Daily News is reporting that this mystery buyer is Norah Jones, who purchased the historic home under an LLC. The singer is no stranger to the neighborhood; she also owns a house around the corner at 166 Amity Street, which she bought in 2009 for $4.9 million. Her new converted 1840s fire house comes complete with a magical secret garden, a glassy greenhouse, second-floor terrace, and giant exposed wood beams.
Take a tour of the unique home

September 9, 2015

Find Out When Your Nabe Will Be Sprayed for West Nile; How Important Are Big Name Brokers to Their Firms?

Activists are taking a stand against billionaire Barry Diller’s plan to build a floating park. [NY Post] How much do big firms rely on their top name brokers for revenue? [TRD] Here’s the city’s schedule of “West Nile Spraying Events.” Find out when your neighborhood is up. [NYC.gov] The artist-owned NY Studio Gallery at 154 Stanton Street in the Lower […]

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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

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September 9, 2015

Lauren McGrath’s Upper East Side Pied-a-Terre Is an Elegant Mix of Traditional and Contemporary

Keeping business in the family is extremely common, but it's not everyday that you meet a mother-daughter interior design team with taste this impeccable. Lauren McGrath and her mother Suzanne, who make up the aptly titled firm McGrath II, are already known for their stunning townhouses, country homes and pied-a-terres, so when it came time to revamp her own Upper East Side apartment, Lauren led the way without hesitation.
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September 9, 2015

Space-Saving Chair Pops Up From a Single Sheet of Bamboo

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

"To what degree is the object you're creating capable of dictating its own design? Is it even possible for an object to 'tell' for which form its best suited? And if so, what will the end result be?" Following this train of thought, designer Robert Van Embricqs created The Rising Chair, a bamboo seat that assembles in just a few seconds. Made from interconnected, renewable bamboo slats, this pop-up seat starts off as a flat surface and only needs to be pulled upwards to create a chair.
Learn more about this sculptural bamboo seat

September 9, 2015

Colorful Dot Maps Paint a Picture of Immigration in the U.S.

First spotted by CityLab, these dot maps called Mapping Immigrant America are colorful in two senses of the word. Kyle Walker, assistant professor of geography at Texas Christian University, used census tract data to map America's immigrant population. The nine countries of origin (Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, East and Southeast Asia, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Southwest Asia, Europe, Oceania, and Canada) are represented with a different hued dot, creating a picture of diversity and ethnic enclaves. With each dot standing in for 20 immigrants, a quick look at a city's color palette tells a lot about its cultural makeup.
More maps ahead

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September 9, 2015

No Walls in Sight at the Ultimate Loft, Asking $1.3 Million in Tribeca

What more could you ask from a loft apartment? A big space, tall ceilings, exposed brick, quirky details and no full walls. It's all here at 10 Leonard Street in Tribeca, a co-op apartment that is now on the market for $1.345 million. Although you don't have any separating walls, the apartment is large enough to create distinct spaces–as the listing puts it, "With great bones and a flexible layout, the possibilities abound for your creative vision." While a renovator could build out separate rooms here, this is the type of apartment where you've just got to embrace the loft living.
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Distinctive Homes

September 9, 2015

Mapping the Average Hottest Day in America; Aerial Photos of Rockaway Beach Reveal Clever Marketing