6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

What happens when you let four ladies run loose in a four-story Clinton Hill townhouse? Closets, corners and a pantry spilling over with shoes and coats, apparently. "There are shoes lining the kitchen pantry shelves; the tiny third bedroom upstairs that resembles a Swiss chalet in the twilight zone is filled with racks of vintage frocks, coats and designer handbags. You can really tell almost everyone in this house either works in fashion or hoards it," says owner and 6sqft writer extraordinaire Michelle Cohen. We recently visited Michelle in her Brooklyn home to see the pretty amazing setup she has created for herself. Michelle, whose house you've certainly seen on our site before, is currently undertaking a major renovation that will turn her and her fiance Stanley's brick-clad buy into a modern-meets-historic home with a rental garden apartment. But while Michelle's poring over drawings with her architect, she's found a few friends to share the journey, and the house; namely three fabulous women with wonderfully different personalities. "Stanley likes to call it a sorority for outstanding ascendant young creative professional women," she muses. Jump ahead to meet Michelle and the girls—who range from a Vogue fashion stylist to a creative producer to a journalist who covers evolution, disease and health policy—in their home to get a closer look.
See more here

February 10, 2015

New Fly-Through Video of 190 Bowery Gives Us a Peek at How Photographer Jay Maisel Lived

One of New York’s most mysterious buildings continues to come further into light, now with a brand new marketing video (h/t EV Grieve) that not only shows us images of the building completely graffiti-free, but how its former owner, photographer Jay Maisel, had set up his work and living spaces. The three-minute video offers up […]

February 10, 2015

RAAD Studio’s Centre Street Loft Redesign with Stunning Wooden Dome Is…Arresting

Perhaps one of the most beautiful buildings in New York City, the Beaux-Arts style former police headquarters located at 240 Centre Street sometimes seems to have flown under the “great buildings in Manhattan” radar for much of its 100-plus years. But we’re pretty sure those lucky enough to reside in one of the 55 luxury apartments created when the building was converted to condominiums in the late 1980s have a true appreciation for the grandeur of this hidden gem. RAAD Studio recently redesigned one of those apartments, and there’s no way this transformation could go unnoticed.
More pics of this 'arresting' home

February 10, 2015

Tucked Away Behind a Landmarked Courtyard Is This Enchanting 1850s West Village Townhouse

Forget about curb appeal, this warm and cozy three-bedroom townhouse built in the 1850s has courtyard appeal. That’s because you can only discover this hidden West Village gem at 5C Carmine Street by walking through its gated entry and into the tranquil–and landmarked–courtyard. The unique and historic house listed at $4.5M is located directly across the street from the beautifully restored Father Demo Square. Modeled after a traditional piazza in Italy, this lively community gathering place is only steps away should you ever tire of the exquisite seclusion this home’s outdoor spaces afford.
See more of this hidden gem

Distinctive Homes

February 10, 2015

Buy Your Sweetie an Empty Lot in Newark for $1000; Inside Brooklyn’s First Net Zero Condo Building

The city of Newark has announced a “Valentine’s Day Land Sale” of 100 city-owned empty lots at $1,000 apiece. [Brick Underground] Tour R-951, Brooklyn’s first net zero-capable solar-powered passive house condo building in Prospect Heights. [Inhabitat NYC] First look at the hotel planned for the huge hole near the Lorimer stop. [Curbed] A controversial plan to […]

Real Estate Trends

New York’s Airports Come In Last for Mass-Transit Accessibility

Photo via Continental Airlines Boeing 737-500; N16617@LGA;05.02.2008/498af via photopin (license)

February 10, 2015

New York’s Airports Come In Last for Mass-Transit Accessibility

If you've ever endured the long ride to any of the area's airports, all the while lugging your suitcase and anxiously wondering if you'd miss your flight, then this statistic probably comes as no surprise. According to a study by the Global Gateway Alliance, "John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports rank last and third-to-last, respectively, in mass-transit accessibility compared with 30 of the world's busiest airports," reports Crain's. The analysis looked at total travel time for public transit users, mode of transportation and number of transfers and cost, scoring them from 0 to 100. And if Anthony Weiner is correct, the new LaGuardia AirTrain will only increase travel times–not good news those for us who prefer not to sit in insane taxi traffic or fork over $99 for a private helicopter ride.
More on the study here

Transit

February 10, 2015

What Would NYC Look Like If Sea Levels Rose 100 Feet?

We know that rising sea levels are one of the scarier parts of global climate change. Just take a walk past the beachfront houses in the Rockaways or on Staten Island that have been raised on stilts. According to the Real Deal, "the US Geological Survey estimates that if all the world’s glaciers melted, sea level would rise by about 80 meters, or more than 260 feet." Though this could take thousands of years, it would make unrecognizable many of the world's coastal cities, including New York City. A stunning map series created by Jeffrey Linn, a Seattle resident with a background in geography and urban planning, visualizes major US cities in "this doomsday scenario" using actual geographic data. In New York City, after sea levels rose just 100 feet, the island of Manhattan is almost submerged; Brooklyn and Queens look like little archipelagos; and the Statue of Liberty is out to sea.
More details ahead

City Living

February 10, 2015

Mapping NYC’s Basketball History; Is LoLeEaSi a Neighborhood Now?

The NBA released an interactive map of NYC basketball history. [NYDN] Looking for an unusual gift for your Valentine? Why not name a cockroach after him or her? [DNAinfo] But if you want something more traditional, here are the 20 most romantic hotels in the city. [BI] Despite what some feel is a “misleading tactic,” the […]

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Distinctive Homes

Behold the breathtaking views from this $18M home on the Montauk coastline

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

For $3.25M, this compact Boerum Hill townhouse goes beyond the condo alternative with three levels and a yard

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

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

Color, texture, and pre-war details define this decorator's dream of a $4.85M Village co-op

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

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

For $32.5K/month, rent a five-story designer townhouse in Gramercy

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

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February 10, 2015

50 Building Inspectors and Contractors to Be Charged in Bribery Scheme

It's not going to be a good day for up to 50 city building inspectors and contractors, as well as two mob associates, who are expected to be charged today in "one of the biggest corruption crackdowns in years." After a year-long investigation into projects that have been fast-tracked and received certificates of occupancies in return for cash, the Department of Investigation (DOI) and the Manhattan district attorney plan to charge 12 crooked city inspectors and nearly 40 contractors, according to the Daily News. Early this morning, the charged parties surrendered to authorities
More details on the charges

Policy

February 10, 2015

Modern Bucolic Townhouse in Cobble Hill Asks $4M

It’s homes like these that make us appreciate the diverse architecture of New York. A glance at these photos would have you think you’re looking at an idyllic countryside setting, but don’t get out your riding boots just yet. You’re in Cobble Hill. That’s right, this Brooklyn townhouse has all the old-style charm you could dream of in a modern package with a convenient location, and it’s asking $3.995 million.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

February 9, 2015

PlaceInvaders Invites You to Have Dinner in NYC’s Most Extraordinary Private Homes

There's definitely no shortage of amazing homes to ogle over from your desktop (especially when on 6sqft), but how often do you actually get to experience one of these places up close and personal? PlaceInvaders is a cool new local startup that gives us regular folks the keys to some of the city's most incredible apartments. Here individuals are invited to schmooze with fellow NYC inhabitants while also wining and dining on often experimental fare. PlaceInvaders recently brought foodies into Cindy Gallop's infamous “Black Apartment,” while another event found a group eating delicious moose pot pie (yes, you read that right) in an artist's loft overlooking the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Find out how to sign up here

February 9, 2015

Joan Rivers’ Legendary Upper East Side Penthouse Is on the Market for $28M

By Annie Doge

Joan Rivers' Upper East Side triplex penthouse, where she lived for 25 years, is opulent to say the least, with a huge Louis XIV-inspired ballroom, a bordello-esque master bedroom and gilded details galore. And we wouldn't expect any less from the late, great comedienne, who once said of her lavish Spencer Condominium apartment at 1 East 62nd Street, "It's what Marie Antoinette would have done, if she had money," and described the décor as "Louis XIV meets Fred and Ginger." After Rivers' daughter Melissa inherited her mother's apartment in October, it's now officially hit the market for $28 million, reports the Daily News.
Tour the legendary home

February 9, 2015

Mapping Where in NYC Millennials Live

The initial results may not surprise you–young adults living in New York City tend to set up shop in North Brooklyn, the Far West Side, the Upper East Side, the East Village and western Queens. This data is courtesy of a new mapping project from the University of Waterloo School of Planning in Ontario called Generationed City. Using census and crowd-sourced data, the project compares demographic patterns of millennials (typically defined as those born between 1980 and 2000) to that of older generations like baby boomers. It looks at North American cities with populations over 1 million where it's commonly accepted that millennials live in central parts of cities. While the largest chunk of NYC-based data is pretty on par with what we already knew, there are some other trends, both within the city and compared with other cities, that are a bit more curious.
More findings ahead

February 9, 2015

Building on Sunnyside Yards Comes with a Slew of Political, Cost and Engineering Complications

Of the new city initiatives laid out by Bill de Blasio last week during his State of the City address, few were as ambitious as the mayor's plan to build 11,250 affordable apartments on Sunnyside Yards. But, as it turns out, more than just the mayor are looking to turn the 200-acre property into their legacy project. Crain's reports that since the plan was announced, Governor Cuomo has emerged with his own ideas, namely tunnels that would bring the Long Island Rail Road into the heart of Midtown. Former Bloomberg administration Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff has also chimed in with a plan of his own that encompasses a huge new money-spinning convention center. But it doesn't stop there; the clashing of ideas is just one of the burdens that comes with building on this coveted site—meaning we probably won't see any affordable housing here for more than several decades.
More on the complications here

Real Estate Trends

February 9, 2015

There Were Nearly 600 Manhole Fires Last Week; The Psychology behind NYC’s Wildest Wardrobes

Last week, thanks to salt in melting snow, there were 570 manhole explosions, fires, and other incidents. [DNAinfo] Just in time for Valentine’s Day, take a culinary tour of 15 Harlem bakeries. [Untapped] The past and present of Park Slope’s Plaza Hotel. [Brownstoner] Check out this handmade rope screen at a new Chelsea restaurant. [Contemporist] […]

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Foreign Shell Companies Hide the Names of the Seedy Buyers of NY’s Luxury Real Estate

The Time Warner Center

February 9, 2015

Foreign Shell Companies Hide the Names of the Seedy Buyers of NY’s Luxury Real Estate

We've been talking a lot lately about foreign investors with their hands in the NYC real estate market, but a story in the Times took the investigating one step further by uncovering the secrecy of more than 200 shell companies at the Time Warner Center, documenting "a decade of ownership in this iconic Manhattan way station for global money transforming the city’s real estate market." Though most of these were simply wealthy Americans, at least 16 were rich foreigners who "have been the subject of government inquiries around the world, either personally or as heads of companies," ranging from environmental violations to financial fraud. In 2014, around 50 percent of all $5 million+ sales were to shell companies, but at the Time Warner Center it was 80 percent. With this growing trend, however, the government hasn't taken a closer look at the money being used to buy luxury real estate, allowing shell companies to make the movement of foreign funds largely untraceable.
Find out more about Mr. Low and this real estate trend

Real Estate Trends

February 9, 2015

Colorful Chic Furnished Loft in the Ice House Asks $7,500/Month

There’s a really chic loft available for rent in the Ice House in Nolita, right on the edge of Soho and the Lower East Side, and it’s asking $7,500 a month. This 1,033-square-foot space has the potential for two bedrooms, along with all the classic loft must-haves like reclaimed oak floors throughout, 10-foot beamed ceilings, and exposed brick walls. And the best part? It's available fully furnished.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

Adrian Grenier Buys Five-Story Clinton Hill Townhouse for $2.1 Million

By Michelle Cohen

Recently it was reported that filmmaker, actor and Entourage star–and sometime boutique brewer and Brooklyn renovator Adrian Grenier had been spotted checking out a three-bedroom co-op in Chelsea, accompanied by his mom, Brown Harris Stevens broker Karesse Grenier. While Chelsea may be in their sights as well, city records show that the pair recently inked a deal on a huge, historic five-story townhouse in prime Clinton Hill at 112 Gates Avenue, not far from the house he brought back to life with a green reno in 2007.
More on the story this way

February 9, 2015

Photographer/Pillsbury Heir Snaps Up Turnkey Clinton Hill Flip for $3.5 Million

By Michelle Cohen

We’ve been a bit obsessed with the house at 102 Gates Avenue–a Brownstoner House of the Day not once but twice–since it hit the market as an estate sale back in 2013; lines stretched down the block and 350 people showed up on one Sunday to view the house, which was asking $1,295,000, a great price at a time when townhouse prices in the area were hitting their recent hot streak. The house, in estate condition but dripping with gorgeous original details, set off a bidding war and sold in a matter of weeks for $1,555,000, becoming a poster child of sorts for the frenzied brownstone Brooklyn townhouse market. After a high-end renovation that spared no detail, the house, a two-unit stunner with a sweet garden apartment and a beautifully restored triplex plus landscaped yard and deck, re-emerged less than one year later at the head-turning asking price of $3.35 million.
More on this brownstone Brooklyn Cinderella tale this way

February 8, 2015

Sebastian Errazuriz’s Bizarre Magistral Chest Hides Valuables Behind Its Spiky Skin

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Chilean-born, New York-based artist, designer, and activist Sebastian Errazuriz isn't happy simply designing nice things to please the eye. Through his work, the internationally acclaimed creator wants to provoke some thoughts and make exceptional pieces, tackling everything from political artworks to experimental furniture. Just take a look (but do you dare to touch?) at his Magistral Chest, a porcupine-like chest of drawers that can hide and protect your most valuable treasures inside its spiky shell.
Learn more about this spiky chest of drawers

February 8, 2015

MADE IN BROOKLYN: A Rep for Authenticity and Excellence That’s Well-Earned–and Far from New

By Michelle Cohen

The story behind cheese-aging facility Crown Finish Caves in Crown Heights tells of an enormous amount of risk and dedication to making something on a small scale; to doing one thing well. It also once again stirs the hive of buzz around today’s Brooklyn. Article after article raises the idea that Brooklyn’s moment as the new hot spot for excellence in food, culture and authentic, hand-crafted goods, is in some quarters regarded as trite and trendy hype with little substance to it. For some, the underground cheese caves are just one more example: Cheese caves. How Brooklyn. Thirty feet below street level, in the lagering tunnels of a former brewery beneath the Monti Building in Crown Heights, Benton Brown and Susan Boyle spent several years renovating and creating “Brooklyn’s premier cheese-aging facility” complete with state-of-the-art humidity control and cooling systems. The couple created the 70-foot space with advice from the world’s top cheese experts; Crown Finish Caves opened in 2014. On an article in Cheese Notes, a commenter raves: “If I were a mouse, I would move to Crown Heights.”
More excellence and authenticity this way

History

February 7, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Map Revealed for de Blasio’s City-Wide Ferry System Developers Rush to Break Ground and Add Affordable Housing Before Tax Incentives End What Would Happen if New York Let Everyone Ride the Subway for Free? Wake Up Over and Over Again in This $6M Yorkville Townhouse with Soaring Vaulted Ceiling Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Listing Ever: A […]

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February 6, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: CurlNYC Has Brought Curling to New York and They Want You to Try It

By Susan Cohen

Maybe it's the throwing, or the sweeping, or just the way the athletes yell down the ice, but something about curling intrigues us every four years during the Winter Olympics. And now, thanks to the efforts of CurlNYC, New Yorkers can try their hand at the game. Since 2013, CurlNYC has been on a mission to get the city hooked on the sport. The visionaries behind this start-up are Dean Roth, Dean Gemmell, a former U.S. Curling National Champion who competed at the 2012 World Championships, and Chad McMullan. Their eventual goal is to build the first ice facility in the five boroughs dedicated to the sport, and they're well on their way. Upsilon Ventures hired the group to manage the curling program at LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Brooklyn's Prospect Park and the South Street Seaport. CurlNYC has a roster of curling instructors, like husband-and-wife duo Luke Hansen and Kendall Speten-Hansen, to introduce the sport through demonstrations at both locations and during league play at Lakeside. We recently spoke with U.S. National Champion Dean Gemmell and curling instructors Kendall and Luke to find out why New York and curling are a winning combination.
Read the full interview here

February 6, 2015

The NYC Subway Is Filled with Bacteria and DNA from Unidentifiable Organisms

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

If you're a hand sanitizer-wielding New Yorker who often finds yourself ridiculed by friends for your hypochondriac germaphobe ways, good news, because you've got the last laugh—sort of. A team of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College spent the past 17 months mapping the DNA found in the New York City subway system, and what they uncovered will certainly make your skin crawl. Not only were some bacteria samples associated with bubonic plague and anthrax, but they also found that nearly half of the DNA found on subway infrastructure—we're talking turnstiles and ticket kiosks amongst other things—did not match any known organism.
Find out more here

February 6, 2015

Facebook Expands Its Midtown Office; Buy a Condo at the Oosten and Get a Free Trip to Amsterdam

By Annie Doge

Facebook is expanding its offices. The social media giant will add 80,000 square feet—at $100 per square foot—at its 770 Broadway locale. [Crain’s] If you buy a condo at the Oosten in Williamsburg, you’ll get a free trip to Amsterdam. [Brick Underground] How many jobs are accessible from your neighborhood? [DNA Info] The East River Waterfront […]

Real Estate Trends

February 6, 2015

Cubitat: Sleek Plug-and-Play Unit Shelters a Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom and Living Room

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

A new plug-in home station for small-space living has just made its global debut. Called Cubitat, this giant "Rubik’s Cube" by Italian designer Luca Nichetto and developer Urban Capital, packs every modern convenience you need into a compact construction. The minimal storage container is divided by function, sheltering a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom and a living room inside its sleek silver shell.
Learn more about this magical cube

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As Developers Favor Large Apartments, Studio Prices Are on the Rise

Studio 505N at 540 West 49th Street, available for $815,000 via Halstead

February 6, 2015

As Developers Favor Large Apartments, Studio Prices Are on the Rise

As anyone who lives in a studio apartment can tell you, it's often the best–if not the only–way to live without a roommate in New York. But with developers finding it much more profitable to build large apartments, studio apartments may be heading to extinction. And those existing one-room units are seeing steep price increases as demand is outpacing supply. As the Daily News reports, "Listings for new studios compose just 4% of the units in Manhattan — down from 15% in 2013... As of January, just 30 such apartments were on the market, compared with 161 in January 2012." The median price for a new Manhattan studio rose over the past year to $930,000, a whopping 60 percent increase. Comparatively, the median price for a new one-bedroom unit rose 30 percent and for a two-bedroom home it dropped by 11 percent.
More on the real estate trend here

Real Estate Trends

February 6, 2015

$2.75M Victorian Brownstone’s Original Coal Stove Is a Park Slope Cover Girl

All around the city new structures of glass and steel are rising up as bastions of modernity, often dwarfing neighboring turn-of-the-century buildings that experienced a different kind of rise–that of New York City as an economic and cultural center of the world. Standing the test of time, homes like this 1893 Romanesque Revival style brownstone call to mind the saying “they don’t make them like they used to.” While it’s true there’s nothing quite like Manhattan’s gleaming skyline, the original details in this classic Victorian residence at 585 11th Street in Park Slope are every bit as breathtaking.
See more of this home's gorgeous original details

February 6, 2015

Offbeat Valentine’s Day Activities in NYC; Modern Pinball Brings Arcade Fun to Kips Bay

Here’s ten alternative, off-the-beaten-path Valentine’s Day activities you can use to woo your crush. [Untapped] Leave your selfie stick at home when visiting NYC museums. [Gothamist] Get your pinball game on in Kips Bay. [Brooklyn Based] Taking a look at the history of Castle Clinton in the Battery. [Daytonian in Manhattan] Check out designer Kate […]

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Interiors winner WORKac’s Wieden+Kennedy NY © Bruce Damonte

February 6, 2015

ArchDaily Announces Winners of Its Building of the Year 2015 Contest

By Alyssa Alimurung

The votes are in, and the people of the architecture and design community have spoken. ArchDaily has announced the winners of its Building of the Year 2015 contest. The winners of the 14 categories included NYC-based firm WORKac’s Wieden+Kennedy NY headquarters for Interiors (which have been featured on 6sqft before), Herzog & de Meuron’s Arena do Morro for […]

Chinese Real Estate Investors Expanding Their Search to the Long Island Suburbs

Old Westbury Gardens, a Gold Coast mansion also known as “the Gatsby House”, © Old Westbury Gardens

February 6, 2015

Chinese Real Estate Investors Expanding Their Search to the Long Island Suburbs

In recent years, the Manhattan real estate scene has had a major upswing in the amount of wealthy buyers from China, who feel that New York City condos and other properties are a safe place for their money. In fact, high-profile real estate firms are even tapping Chinese brokers to cater to this growing clientele. But now the trend is moving east, with Chinese buyers eyeing the stately mansions that make up the Gold Coast suburbs of Long Island. According to the Times, "Some Chinese buyers are parking money in what they see as a low-risk investment. Others are seeking a trophy home. Still others are intent on living in these places full time while their children attend the area’s high-performing schools."
More details ahead

Real Estate Trends

February 6, 2015

Photographer Jay Maisel Officially Sells 190 Bowery for $55M

It's being considered one of the greatest returns on investment in New York City real estate history, reports the Daily News. Photographer Jay Maisel bought the now-famous graffiti-covered home at 190 Bowery back in 1966 when it was abandoned for only $102,000, and he's now officially sold the Gilded Age bank building to developer Aby Rosen of RFR Realty for $55 million. Developers have been urging Maisel to sell ever since the Bowery changed from a seedy row of drugs and flop houses to a trendy destination for foodie-favorite restaurants and high-end boutiques. Rosen finally convinced the artist, who lived in the six-story, 72-room mansion with his wife and daughter, to sell on the basis that it had no heat and was in disrepair.
More on the epic sale

Real Estate Trends

February 6, 2015

Bask in Exquisite Finishes and Views for Days in This $20M East Asian-Inspired Penthouse

Brace yourself, because we’re about to take you on a tour of an MTV Cribs-worthy pad. This 3,600-square-foot duplex penthouse was purchased by a philanthropic millionaire named Drew Katz back in 2007. He and his wife paid $6.125 million for the fairly raw space, then brought in Cooper, Robertson & Partners architect Edward Siegel and designer Ernest de la Torre to create an East Asian-inspired abode so brilliant you almost can’t stare directly at it without burning your corneas. But what good is a life without risks? So let’s stare away at all of its glory.
Let's take a look

Distinctive Homes

February 5, 2015

Andrés Jaque/Office for Political Innovation wins the 2015 Young Architects Program at MoMA

MoMA PS1 has just announced the winning design for this year's Young Architects Program (YAP), which will be featured this summer in the Long Island City museum's outdoor courtyard, setting the stage for the Warm Up summer music series. The top spot goes to Andrés Jaque of the Office for Political Innovation for COSMO: Give me a pipe and I will move/celebrate the Earth, a moveable environmental artifact made out of customized irrigation components that will make visible and enjoyable the typically hidden urbanism of pipes. According to MoMA PS1, COSMO "is engineered to filter and purify 3,000 gallons of water, eliminating suspended particles and nitrates, balancing the PH, and increasing the level of dissolved oxygen. It takes four days for the 3,000 gallons of water to become purified, then the cycle continues with the same body of water, becoming more purified with every cycle."
More on the winning design

February 5, 2015

Grand Central Owner Enlists Harvard Professor to Stop 1 Vanderbilt and ‘Unconstitutional’ Seizing of His Rights

Discord around the construction of One Vanderbilt continues to grow, and the latest contender to enter the ring is Harvard Law professor, "liberal constitutional scholar" and President Barack Obama's former educator, Laurence H. Tribe. Grand Central owner Andrew Penson has tapped the big-time lawyer to battle the city in his fight against the 1,514-foot supertall, according to The New York Times. Yesterday, with Tribe in tow, Penson went head-to-head—yet again—with the tower's developer SL Green at the City Planning Commission hearing. The meeting got as heated as one would expect, and "unconstitutional" and "ridiculous" were just a couple of the words thrown around.
Find out more here

Real Estate Trends

February 5, 2015

Listings Launch at Fort Greene Church Conversion 232 Adelphi Street

When we first got a look inside the church conversion at 232 Adelphi Street we were blown away by the amount of original architecture retained from the structure's holy days, including stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings with exposed steel beams, arched doorways, reclaimed hardwood floors, and plenty of exposed brick. And now that listings have launched at the Fort Greene rental building, we have even more to ogle at. Formerly the Carlton Mews Church, the landmarked 1888 Gothic Revival Church was completely restored by RSVP Studio to feature 12 distinct apartments, including studios, one- and two-bedroom duplexes, and three-bedroom triplexes.
Take a look at the offerings here

February 5, 2015

First Penthouse at the Oosten Hits the Market for $6.4M; ‘Bargain’ Condos Coming to the Market

One of four penthouses in the Piet Boon-designed Oosten is up for grabs at $6.4 million. [6sqft inbox] “Bargain” condos are coming to the market. Expect these to be priced $3 million and under. [Bloomberg] Guoqing Chen, the founder of China’s largest private airline company, has bought a full-floor condo at One57 for $47.4 million. [TRD] […]

Real Estate Trends

February 5, 2015

Adam Charlap Hyman’s Eclectic NYC Apartment Is Like a Design Version of ‘I Spy’

If you’ve ever been to a three-ring circus you know how difficult it can be to pay attention to everything that’s going on. You don’t want to miss a single part of the show. Well, touring designer Adam Charlap Hyman’s New York City apartment is more like a ten ring circus because everywhere you turn you will find magical little treasures and you don’t want to miss any of his eclectic and amusing aesthetic.
We spy a beautiful home right this way

February 5, 2015

Musical Data Project is the Soundtrack to Income Inequality Along the Subway

While we love a good infographic or interactive map, this "musical data-viz project" really sparked our interest as a new way of looking at geographic trends. Artist and programmer Brian Foo translated a 1.5-hour subway ride on the 2 train into a 4.5 minute song that rises and falls based on the income of the neighborhood the train is passing through. What results is an audibly beautiful rendition of the often not-so-pretty diversity in the city's income levels.
Listen to the full song here

February 5, 2015

92 Years of Architecture Through Time Magazine Covers; NY Accent on Its Way Out

Brush up on architectural history through Time magazine covers from 1923 to now. [Curbed] Most New Yorkers leave their houses at 8am, according to this interactive map of when Americans leave for work. [FlowingData] If this isn’t romantic, we don’t know what is. Take a Valentine’s Day tour of the Newtown Creek sewage plant’s digester eggs. [Gothamist] Sean Lennon’s […]

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February 5, 2015

Rents in Harlem Shoot Up, Brooklyn Studios Expensive as Ever

MNS has just released their 2014 report pointing to rental performance in the Manhattan and Brooklyn markets over past year. And as you've probably already guessed there are no surprises here—rents were up. Leading the charge in growth were Harlem where new luxury listings gave the area a major boost, and of course Brooklyn which continued see growth at remarkable rates, particularly with studio units which were up more than 20 percent in some nabes.
Find out more here

Real Estate Trends

February 5, 2015

Renderings Revealed for Sustainable Hudson Square Park by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects

Back in June, the Hudson Square Connection (a neighborhood BID) announced their plans to turn Soho Square, the half-acre open space at the intersection of Spring Street and Sixth Avenue in Hudson Square, into a public park. Since then, the Business Improvement District, in partnership with the city and neighborhood stakeholders, has been seeking input from the community to inform the $6 million renovation. Just last night, the design by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects was presented to the Community Board 2 Parks Committee, and it features sustainable, green infrastructure, storm water management, and more.
Check out the renderings here

February 5, 2015

You Can Live Right by the High Line for Just $550K

Here’s a cute one-bedroom apartment at 333 West 21st Street near the High Line, asking $550,000. The home has attractive features like wood beamed ceilings and exposed brick walls, and with enough wall space to hang a multitude of pictures and a décor that’s vaguely reminiscent of the Golden Girls, this charmer is definitely worth a look.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

February 4, 2015

Map Revealed for de Blasio’s City-Wide Ferry System

While there were plenty of highlights in Mayor de Blasio's State of the City address yesterday–from affordable housing to raising the minimum wage–it was undoubtedly the announcement of a city-wide ferry system that really got New Yorkers talking. De Blasio said that the ferry service will open in 2017, with pricing on par with the Metrocard, as a way to accommodate the growing population of New York. It will serve neighborhoods including the Lower East Side, Astoria, the Rockaways, Sunset Park, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Bay Ridge, Red Hook, and Soundview, among others. A new map released today shows the entirety of the system, breaking down existing ferry lines, those planned for 2017 and 2018, and those proposed.
More details and the full interactive map ahead

222 LES Tower + Lofts

222 East Broadway

Lower East Side

Art Deco romance meets 21st-century convenience

Studios starting at $799,000
1 bed starting at $1,100,000
2 beds starting at $1,955,000
3 beds starting at $2,875,000

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February 4, 2015

Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Listing Ever: A $40 Million Mansion with a Mayoral Past

There's no shortage of beauty inside, out, or around this stunning Brooklyn Heights mansion which has just hit the market for a record $40 million—the most expensive residential property ever listed in the borough. While that amount may make our mere mortal hearts skip a beat, the price tag is certainly warranted when you consider the following: It encompasses 17,500 square feet, there are 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and more than 9,000 square feet of garden and outdoor space, and it boasts enough original details to make even the biggest history buff's head spin. As the listing so aptly states, "Much like a long awaited centennial celebration, a residential sale of this magnitude comes around very seldom, and when it does, quite often history is made."
Tour the spectacular $40M home here

February 4, 2015

Why 5 Pointz Couldn’t Be Saved; Construction on Staten Island’s Giant Observation Wheel Starts Soon

5 Pointz was once a legendary venue for street art, but today is nothing more than rubble. Why couldn’t the art icon be saved? [Failed Architecture] Construction on Staten Island‘s New York Wheel will start next month. [DNA Info] A duplex penthouse in the celebrity-filled El Dorado has hit the market asking $29 million. The […]

Real Estate Trends

February 4, 2015

Govert Flint’s Futuristic Computer Chairs Allow You to Click with a Kick

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Although our bodies are designed to move, the furniture we possess is usually based on a monofunctional posture. Day to day, we tend to segregate our basic bodily needs and just stare at screens, often forgetting how important it is to keep joints and muscles moving. To compensate for this inertia, we'd like to introduce you to "Segregation of Joy" by Govert Flint. This innovative skeletal seat allows you to take different postures and move freely, and boost your health and happiness, all from the comfort of your chair.
Learn more about this interactive seat

February 4, 2015

A $10 Million Tree Grows in Sean Lennon’s West 13th Street Front Yard

By Annie Doge

Well, at least that's what one disgruntled Greenwich Village neighbor is hoping. Gary and Addie Tomei, parents of actress Marisa Tomei, have filed a lawsuit against next-door neighbor Sean Lennon, son of John and Yoko, alleging that a tree on his property (153 West 13th Street) has spread its roots onto their property (155 West 13th Street), cracking the stoop, breaking the railings, and coming through the basement floor of their townhouse. Sure, they want Lennon to chop the tree down, but they also want $10 million, according to the Post.
More details on the neighborly beef

February 4, 2015

Tiny East Village Treasure Is Huge on Charm and Priced Well Under $1M