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We get frustrated every time we try to use Saran Wrap on the leftover half of a lemon, so we can't imagine shrink-wrapping the entire ground floor of a building. But that's exactly what design firm SO-IL did at the Storefront for Art and Architecture. The installation is part of Storefront's latest exhibit BLUEPRINT, which showcases 50 blueprints from various disciplines dating from 1961 to 2013. The show was also curated by SO-IL. By wrapping the exterior of the space, the gallery is "totally open, yet perpetually closed and fixed... wrapped in time and in space."
More on the exhibit and installation

January 28, 2015

BergDesign Architecture Transforms a Williamsburg Mechanics Garage into a Multi-Use Space with a Hidden Bar

A multi-disciplinary event/performance space, retail store, and hidden bar all in one–we must be in Williamsburg. Located at 94 Wythe Avenue, in a slower-to-gentrify, industrial section of the neighborhood, this outpost of Kinfolk Studios was transformed by BergDesign Architecture from a mechanics garage into a space that feels like "it was designed for an off-the-grid Pacific Northwest hippy mathematician" by adding wood-clad geodesic dome shell structures to divide the space into separate functions.
Find out more about this impressive design

Architecture And Design

January 28, 2015

18th Century Colonial Farmhouse in Claverack Sits on Ten Acres with Its Own Pond

Today we’re going to venture to the idyllic town of Claverack, New York, where a four-bedroom side-hall Colonial farmhouse awaits, asking $695,000. The 2,900-square-foot home sits on an expansive 10-acre lot with rolling hills and beautiful trees, but the prime selling point is having your own one-acre, spring fed, aerated pond.
There’s even more after the jump

Distinctive Homes

January 28, 2015

It’s Time for the Slush Lagoons; Dating Advice from NYC Bartenders

Did you buy ten loaves of bread and four gallons of milk at Trader Joes in anticipation of snopocalypse? You can donate your blizzard leftovers. [Blizzard Leftovers, via NYT] City snow is pretty for about one hour. Then it’s time for the slush lagoons. [Gothamist] NYC bartenders have heard it all. Now they spill on […]

Uncategorized

January 28, 2015

POLL: Should Frank Gehry Design the New South Street Seaport?

Before 9/11, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum planned a new outpost on the East River in Lower Manhattan, sculpted by none other than starchitect Frank Gehry. But after the tragedy, the project was scratched. Now, the planned South Street Seaport project would replace the area’s main pier with a lower, glass structure that looks like a surburban mall […]

January 28, 2015

Striking Duplex Penthouse in North Tribeca Asks $7.5 Million

If you’re looking to drop $7.5 million on a showstopper in a prime location, you’re going to love this North Tribeca duplex penthouse at 39 Vestry Street. The Jessica Shaw-designed home sets the bar high with a northern skylight climbing from 11 feet to 22 feet and covering the entire living and dining areas. And it only gets better from there.
More inside

Distinctive Homes

As Younger Renters Move to the UES, Trendy Commercial Tenants Follow

Say goodbye to afternoon tea and hello to happy hour, via roboppy via photopin cc

January 27, 2015

As Younger Renters Move to the UES, Trendy Commercial Tenants Follow

You don't have to tell us twice that the Upper East Side is trading its reputation as a stodgy, ladies-who-lunch spot for a younger, more hip vibe. Not only do we think it's a hidden hot spot for artists, but we recently profiled the unofficial "new" Upper East Side, the high 80s and 90s, clustered between Park and 1st Avenues. And let's not forget how the Second Avenue subway is already shaking things up. But with a new generation of Upper East Siders gobbling up the surprisingly affordable real estate offerings, it's no surprise that trendy commercial spots are also getting in on the action. Small, local shops and restaurants create little communities that you might expect to find in brownstone Brooklyn, and larger, big-name businesses like Warby Parker and Whole Foods promise to make it a neighborhood to rival Union Square or Chelsea.
More on the real estate trend ahead

Park Here: Eyeing the Real Estate Surrounding Two of NYC’s Most Splendid State Parks

Riverbank State Park. Image via Dattner Architects

January 27, 2015

Park Here: Eyeing the Real Estate Surrounding Two of NYC’s Most Splendid State Parks

By Lauren Price

In a city that moves so fast that the Sunday edition of the New York Times comes out on Saturday, it is not surprising that New Yorkers might overlook some interesting factoids. For instance, New York City is home seven state parks! So, instead of enjoying a day inside other state parks filled with the ubiquitous lush greenery and a plethora of activities that might surely mean a couple of hours of driving—cityside state parks are but a subway ride away or possibly a short walk to the likes of the East River State Park on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, the Clay Pit Ponds State Park in Staten Island and the Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx. One of the most popular, with its grassy stretches of pastoral idyll against a spectacular backdrop, is the 28-acre Riverbank State Park near 143rd Street (seen in the two images above). A multi-level facility set 69 feet above the Hudson River on Riverside Drive, it opened in 1993. What’s more, this park is the only one of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Inspired by Japan’s urban rooftop designs, it was created on top of a now-odorless sewage treatment facility on the Hudson.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

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

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

For $25M, a Flatiron penthouse in a golden cupola, with Manhattan at your feet

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

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

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

Every inch of this $1.8M Fieldston home was hand-crafted by an artist resident

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

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

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

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January 27, 2015

Photographer Jaka Vinsek Captures the Desolate Streets of New York During Last Night’s Blizzard

While the rest of us were bundled up indoors last night in anticipation of Snor'easter Juno, Brooklyn photographer Jaka Vinsek set out on a journey to capture New York's streets covered in snow. "I started at 10pm and got home at 7am," he says. "I walked on foot around nine miles." With transit shuttered at 7pm Monday, and a city-wide ban on vehicles (except emergency) beginning at 11pm, what Vinsek captures on camera is a desolate but eerily beautiful city. His photos feature unlikely scenes, including a completely empty Grand Central, as well as some wonderful moments of lone souls roaming amidst the city's dedicated workers pounding the pavement. Vinsek's photos show another, more peaceful side to our city that we often forget exists.
See more of the photos here

Events & Things To Do

January 27, 2015

‘Rent Is Too Damn High’ Patriot Receives Eviction Notice; Live in an Incredible Brooklyn Church Conversion

Jimmy Mcmillan, a.k.a. founder of the ‘Rent Is Too Damn High’ movement, receives an eviction notice. [NYDN] Leasing starts tomorrow at the incredible Cartlon Mews church conversion development. [Brownstoner] The HPD is selling a coveted piece of land in Fort Greene near BAM to Jonathan Rose Companies for $1. In return the company must build a […]

Real Estate Trends

January 27, 2015

Enchanting Upstate Stone House Is a Year-Round Weekend Getaway

Just a stone's throw away from NYC in Brewster, NY, this charming Tudor-style home sits atop a rock bluff on four private acres of lush grass, Japanese maple trees, enchanting woods and seasonal streams. Built in 1940 by architect Manus Imber, and featuring three bedrooms and 1,273 square feet of space, this is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The Stone House is chock full of original details like the stone fireplace and hearth, wide pine floors, Dutch doors, built-ins, and decorative wood trims.
The magic continues here

January 27, 2015

Ienami Bonkei Planters Are Tiny Houses with Green Roofs

We're big fans of green roofs here at 6sqft, so we were pretty excited when we found these planters that let us have our own miniature green roof right on our desks. A design of Metaphys, the Ienami Bonkei planters are simplistic models of homes with actual planted green roofs or gardens. The Japanese art of Bonkei refers to 3D, miniature landscapes created using dry materials like rock, cement, or sand. They often feature tiny figurines of people, buildings, and other outdoor elements.
More details on the Bonkei planters

January 27, 2015

Let Your Imagination Run Wild in This Wacky $8.3M East Village Home

By Stephanie Hoina

Located just a few steps off the Bowery, this five-story home at 4 East 2nd Street in the East Village, currently functioning as four separate units, offers a multitude of options. Looking to stretch out and have nearly 6,000 square feet all to yourself? Go right ahead, as the house will be delivered vacant and is ready for your personal touch. Or perhaps you’d prefer to keep the parlor floor as a gallery space and make do with the remaining few thousand square feet to accommodate your humble abode. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
See more of this imaginative home

January 27, 2015

13 Secrets of the Brooklyn Museum; Turn Your Cat’s Litter Box into a Sled

Those star-shaped snowflakes you thought you saw last night were real. [HuffPo] Did you know the statues in front of the Brooklyn Museum came from the Manhattan Bridge? Find out 12 more secrets of the iconic institution. [amNY] Mapping classic Village businesses that closed in the past year. [DNAinfo] No sled? No problem. Here’s the best household […]

Uncategorized

January 27, 2015

Actor Vincent Gallo Asks $2.95M for His Chelsea Pad at Jean Nouvel Building

By Annie Doge

Actor and filmmaker Vincent Gallo is ready to bid adieu to his Chelsea pad. According to the NYDN, Gallo has listed his apartment for $2.95 million—about a $1 million more than what he paid for it two years ago. The one-bedroom home is located on the fifth floor of starchitect Jean Nouvel's glassy creation at 100 Eleventh Avenue. A few highlights of Gallo's space include a curved wall of glass and a floor-to-ceiling pivoting glass door that opens to a den with a private terrace.
Have a look inside this Nouvel gem

January 27, 2015

Modern Loft in Long Island City’s Powerhouse Asks $1.2M

We’re going to switch things up a bit and head into increasingly-coveted Long Island City where a 1,010-square-foot duplex is asking $1.15 million. This Powerhouse loft features 20-foot ceilings, a home office and a lofted sleeping area, giving you a modern two-bedroom if privacy isn’t an issue. But its impeccable finishes and attention to detail make it a standout, and who are we kidding? Just look at that colossal window.
Let's take a look

Distinctive Homes

Street Fight Round Two: What’s with All the Broadways in the Outer Boroughs?

Broadway in Brooklyn via wallyg via photopin cc

January 26, 2015

Street Fight Round Two: What’s with All the Broadways in the Outer Boroughs?

Last week we took a look at why there are three Broadways in Manhattan–the thoroughfare proper, East Broadway and West Broadway– and learned that Broadway actually extends through the Bronx and into Westchester. There's even a one-block street in Harlem called Old Broadway. As if that weren't enough confusion, though, there are four other Broadways in the outer boroughs–one in Brooklyn, one in Staten Island, and two in Queens.
Learn about these outer-borough Broadways

How Long Are the Elevator Commutes in the Tallest Towers?

The race to build the tallest residential building seems to never end. In NYC, One57 briefly held the title at 1,005 feet before it was outdone by 432 Park at 1,396 feet. But both of these supertall towers are expected to be beat by the Nordstrom Tower, which will come in at 1,775 feet. Across the world, though, towers rise even higher; World One in Mumbai, India is 1,450 feet, the 106 Tower in Dubai is 1,421 feet, and the mixed-use Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia will hit 167 stories and 3,281 feet. In fact, according to The Real Deal, "of the 445 residential towers in the world over 650 feet that are built or under construction, only 12 are located in Manhattan." With these dizzying heights becoming the new normal, the elevator becomes perhaps the most important construction element, and a feature in the Wall Street Journal calculates the annual "elevator miles" logged by residents of supertall condo towers around the world.
Check out the mileage here

Architecture And Design

January 26, 2015

Billionaire’s DIY Mansion Likely to Hit a Roadblock with the LPC; Summing Up the ‘Save the View’ Debate

Billionaire Roman Abramovich will likely butt heads with the Landmarks Preservation Commission over the creation of his makeshift mansion. [Observer] All the layers of the ‘Save the View’ controversy happening by the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn Heights. [Curbed] More than 32 contracts for homes priced at $4 million or more were signed last week. [TRD] City Tower, […]

Real Estate Trends

January 26, 2015

Hilla Shamia Blends Tree Trunks and Aluminum into Beautifully Imperfect Furniture

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Tel Aviv-based designer Hilla Shamia has a thing for what she calls "controlled imperfections." And this particular interest is what makes her Wood Casting furniture line so poetic and special. Hilla's unique tables, stools, and benches are made by casting molten aluminum into wood—an unusual pairing of two very different elements that when fused not only reveal surprising details, but a third element born from the unlikely marriage.
Learn more about these striking designs

January 26, 2015

Talking to NY’s Last Seltzer Man; Supermarket Chaos Before the Blizzard

With perfect timing, the new Snow Monsters art installation arrives at Flatiron Plaza. [Untapped] Seltzer deliverymen used to be commonplace in the city, but now there’s just one left. [The Awl] The popular photo-documentary series Humans of New York has raised close to $700,000 to help underprivileged students in Brownsville, Brooklyn visit Harvard. [Gothamist] A […]

Uncategorized

January 26, 2015

Park Slope Townhouse Boasts Its Very Own ‘Red Room’ for $3.8M

By Stephanie Hoina

Did we get your attention? With the upcoming release of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, a wider audience will no doubt become familiar with Christian Grey's infamous "red room". But we're guessing a very different kind of decadence is likely to be served up in the partially red (okay, it was a bit of a stretch) and very proper formal dining room located on the parlor level of this neo-Italian Renaissance limestone townhouse at 593 3rd Street in Park Slope.
Check out the 'red room' and more

Distinctive Homes

January 26, 2015

Tribeca Townhouse with Wild and Fiery Facade by System Architects Will Soon Come to Life

This isn't the sort of design we'd expect to see in Tribeca, but lo and behold, this bold statement by architect Jeremy Edmiston is about to become a reality along its brick and mortar block. The Tribeca Citizen reports that the single-family residence located at 187 Franklin Street is moving forward with construction on the kooky design which was first proposed in 2010. The project will see the building's facade removed and replaced with an undulating red facade complemented by silvery, net-like balconies.
READ MORE

Architecture And Design

January 26, 2015

This Awesome $10.8M Soho Pad Will Make Your Head Swim

There’s an impressive new listing at 45 Greene Street in Soho’s Cast Iron District, asking $10.8 million. For that sum, you can get a two-bedroom duplex penthouse loft with 5,400 square feet of space, two terraces, and one of New York’s rarest and most treasured gems: a swimming pool. Do we have your attention now?
More pics here

Distinctive Homes

January 26, 2015

New Residential Building in East Williamsburg by James Cleary Architecture Will Have a Double-Height Solar Shade

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

A new residential building is going up on an East Williamsburg street that's already an eclectic mix of modern buildings, single-family homes with vinyl siding, and classic tenement apartment buildings. Designed by James Cleary Architecture, 237 Devoe Street will add some creative environmental design to the mix, thanks to its signature element--a double-height solar shade, clad with reclaimed barn wood, that opens onto the street.
More details on the project

January 25, 2015

Stay at the Dreamy White Pine Camp President Calvin Coolidge Once Called His Secret Retreat

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

If you need a few days out of the city to disconnect from the world and reconnect with nature, we can recommend a gorgeous spot in the most magical of pine-scented locales. Situated right in the heart of the Adirondacks and immersed in a forest of majestic trees, the White Pine Camp is a lovingly restored, historic accommodation built by the rich and powerful of the Gilded Age. Featuring a number of cozy cabins and cottages for rent, this rustically grandiose retreat also once served as the secret summer house of President Calvin Coolidge.
Learn more about this pine-scented spot in the Adirondacks

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VIEW ALL

January 24, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Photo Series Captures Three Years of NYC Subway Cars Being Dumped in the Atlantic Ocean Most Millennials Would Rather Live in the Suburbs Than in a City Condo This Turn-Key Cobble Hill Townhome Comes with a Backyard Playhouse Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich Buys Up Three UES Townhouses to Build a Makeshift Mansion Take a Peek […]

Uncategorized

January 23, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Maya Jankelowitz of Jack’s Wife Freda on Creating Restaurants That Feel Like Home

By Susan Cohen

If you're an Instagram-loving New Yorker, then you've likely seen, or maybe even posted, photos of the salads, egg dishes, and even the menus at the downtown restaurant Jack's Wife Freda. Through the app, diners at Jack's Wife Freda have been spreading the word about the establishment's food and polished-yet-relaxed atmosphere. These sepia-toned photos certainly caught our attention, especially the beautiful meals plated on crisp white dishes. The visionaries behind the restaurant are husband-and-wife team Dean and Maya Jankelowitz. The pair opened Jack's Wife Freda three years ago on Lafayette Street in Soho, and just opened a second location on Carmine Street in the West Village. Together, the two restaurants are designed for New Yorkers to sit down and enjoy simple dishes that remind Dean and Maya of their families and respective countries, South Africa and Israel. For the couple, it's only a perk that they are getting so much attention on social media, as their primary goal has always been the two H's: hospitality and happiness. We recently spoke with Maya at the new Carmine location to find out about running two restaurants in the city with her husband and what it means to give New Yorkers a restaurant to call "their spot."
Read the full interview here

January 23, 2015

Churchill’s Granddaughter, Sculptor Edwina Sandys, Relists One-of-a-Kind Soho Loft for $10M

You know an apartment is exceptional when Philip Johnson once referred to it as "the most beautiful loft in Soho." Home to sculptor Edwina Sandys, the granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill, and her husband, architect Richard Kaplan, this one-of-a-kind space at 565 Broadway was also the location for the original season of "The Real World" in 1992 and has since seen the likes of architects Richard Meier and Rafael Vinoly, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Massimo Vignelli and Christine Ebersole pass through its doors for high-society parties hosted by Sandys and Kaplan. But the real draw here is the simply stunning historic architecture. Originally home to Ball Black & Co., the top 19th century jeweler before Tiffany's, the five-bedroom duplex boasts a double-height, 17-foot, exposed-brick vault ceiling, stately Corinthian columns, and a Carrara marble floor, which certainly justifies the $10 million price tag.
READ MORE

January 23, 2015

VIDEO: Visit the Wonderfully Weird Lower East Side of 1995

It's hard to imagine the Lower East Side without all of its barflies and bros, but get ready for a blast from the past. Bowery Boogie has found an amazing video that gives us a glimpse into the neighborhood's quirky past—well before it became a nightlife mecca for New York's downtown set. The four-minute film, aptly titled "Planet Ludlow," takes us through the block via Ludlow Street circa 1995.
Watch the video here

History

January 23, 2015

Bed-Stuy Locals Talk About Their Nabe with the ‘Times;’ Historic Park Slope Building Gets a New Lease on Life as Condos

The New York Times visits Bed-Stuy, the first neighborhood featured in their new “Block by Block” series. [NYT] An historic building at 187 Seventh Avenue in Park Slope will be turned into condos. [NYT] A “Joie de Vivre” hotel is on the rise at 50 Bowery. [Bowery Boogie] A landmarked Brooklyn bathhouse, the Brooklyn Lyceum, will […]

Real Estate Trends

January 23, 2015

Take a Private Tour of the Long Island City Elevator Historical Society Museum This Weekend

Even true New York City culture buffs may have never heard of the Elevator Historical Society Museum (or known that such a society exists), so if you really want to impress a crowd with your knowledge of little-known urban trivia, be sure to sign up for tomorrow's tour of the Long Island City museum. The private tour, hosted by the New York Adventure Club, is being led by the museum's founder and curator Patrick Carrajat, who has collected more than 2,000 pieces of elevator ephemera like manuals, metal identification plates, pop culture paraphernalia, and obscure mechanical parts from the early days of vertical travel.
More on the museum and tour here

January 23, 2015

La Cabine: A Hidden Bathroom Inside an Elegant Oak Wardrobe

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

It's hard to believe, but hidden at the heart of this elegant oak wardrobe is a fully functioning bathroom. Minimal, space saving, and very classy, this stand-alone design shelters everything an average bathroom has. Designed by French bathroom designers Line Art together with high-end product manufacturer La Fonction, "La Cabine" can bring the intimacy of a bathroom into any room.
Learn more about this innovative bathroom

January 23, 2015

The History of NYC’s Drinking Fountains; Pig Out on Donuts While Getting Your Car Washed

The design history of New York City’s public drinking fountains. [re:form] Inside Underwest Donuts, a boutique donut shop in a West Side car wash. [Untapped] What you can see from the tallest observation decks on Earth. [Gizmodo] China constructs the world’s first 3D-printed apartment building. [CNET] Images: Drinking fountain (L); West Side Highway Car Wash […]

Uncategorized

January 23, 2015

Stunning Mahogany Woodwork Steals the Show in This $3.5M Park Slope Brownstone

By Stephanie Hoina

It’s everything you imagine a classic brownstone to be. For nearly 50 years this townhouse at 266 Berkeley Place in Park Slope has been under the careful stewardship of a single owner, and the love they showered on their home is evident in every one of its four floors—even the basement is immaculate with its whitewashed walls and brick archways.
take a tour here

Distinctive Homes

January 23, 2015

Grab Your Architect and Race to This $4M Chelsea Loft

Let your imagination run wild in this 4,050-square-foot loft at 141 West 26th Street, right in the heart of Chelsea. This loft has 12-foot ceilings, oak wood floors, tons of light from multiple exposures, and enough space to create your dream home, all for $3.95 million.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

January 23, 2015

Politician Peter Kostmayer Buys $2M Clinton Hill Brownstone

By Annie Doge

Democratic politician Peter H. Kostmayer, best known for his seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and for his infamous 1992 divorce during which his ex wife publicly endorsed his Republican opponent, bought a lovely Clinton Hill townhouse for $2,144,000, according to city records. Located at 14 Saint James Place, the four-story Italianate brownstone recently underwent a gut renovation that combines historic details like crown moldings and mantles in every room with modern conveniences like a perfect-for-entertaining backyard and high-end appliances.
Check out the rest of Kostmayer's new home here

Unleash Gehry: Give Frank the East River and Churn the Lower Manhattan Pot

Image: Frank Gehry against his design for the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain

January 22, 2015

Unleash Gehry: Give Frank the East River and Churn the Lower Manhattan Pot

By Carter B. Horsley

The Foundation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Bologne in Paris recently opened and was another kudo for architect Frank O. Gehry whose Bilbao, Spain, branch of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1999 was widely regarded as the most important architecture project since the opening of the Pompidou Center in Paris in 1975. All these projects are Deconstructivist; they don’t fit easily into boxes and are not symmetrical. Their aesthetic tends to be chaotic, disorganized, aggressive, random and definitely unconventional, but also absolutely heroic, proud and defiant. The Pompidou Center was huge and intimidating, a gargantuan power plant for some unfinished but gaily painted super ocean liner. By comparison, the Guggenheim was a shiny swirl of silvery metal cascading by its riverfront location in a staccato flurry of flamenco stomps. Vuitton is a whole other gesture altogether; an organic amorphous form about to devour a city, formed of glass, wood and concrete in rearing and overlapping fashion, a mad dash about enclosure. All of these might just amount to a sophisticated bowl of cherries for architecture aficionados, except that this project was a baby of Bernard Arnault, the head of the luxury conglomerate that runs not only Louis Vuitton, the purser, but also bubbler Moët & Chandon, sipper Hennessy, dazzler Bulgari and fashionistas Dior, Fendi and Givenchy—all One-Percent darlings. These, of course, are not the only platinum brands but they'll certainly do in an all-so-sizzling and svelte pinch. You may now ask what has all this to do with our city.
Read more here

January 22, 2015

East Village’s Historic Meseritz Synagogue Gets Ready for Restoration and Condo Conversion

At the turn of the century, the Lower East Side/East Village was home to 75 percent of the 2.5 million Ashkenazi Jews that immigrated to the U.S. They quickly established synagogues, many of which were "tenement synagogues," aptly named because they were built on the narrow lots between tenements and served the mostly-impoverished people who lived in the surrounding, overcrowded buildings. Only one of these tenement synagogues is still in operation–the Congregation Meseritz Synagogue (or Anshei Meseritz) at 515 East 6th Street. Narrowly saved from the wrecking ball in 2012, Meseritz is now undergoing a total overhaul. Real estate developer East River Partners is adding three luxury apartments, including an 11-foot-tall penthouse, to the top of the structure. Though the plan was initially contested by some neighbors and local community and preservation groups, the developer is undertaking a multimillion-dollar gut renovation of the ground floor, creating a new home out of which the congregation can worship.
More details ahead

January 22, 2015

Enjoy the Ultimate Brooklyn Loft Experience in This $2.3M Ensemble Architects-Designed Duplex

On a gorgeous, tree-lined street in Brooklyn Heights lies this fully-renovated apartment at the top of the landmarked former YMCA building at 62 Joralemon Street. As we wrote about in September, the loft-style duplex was given new life by Elizabeth Roberts of Ensemble Architects, who used a combination of salvaged and new materials to create the ultimate Brooklyn pad. And it can now be yours for $2.295 million.
Let's take a look

Distinctive Homes

January 22, 2015

Billionaire Roman Abramovich’s DIY Mansion Getting Bigger; A Gramercy Park Building Wants $200M

After holding a 199-unit apartment building in Gramercy Park for nearly 70 years, the owner has put it on the market for $200 million. [Crain’s] Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s makeshift mansion could be even bigger than initially reported. Word is he’s purchased yet another building on East 75th Street. [NYP] Designer Michael Kors is purchasing a posh penthouse at […]

Real Estate Trends

January 22, 2015

Aviator’s Villa by Urban Office Architecture Was Built for a Pilot Using Salvaged Airplane Parts

This house is about as close as one can get to living among the clouds, so it makes perfect sense that it was built for a retired pilot. Designed by Urban Office Architecture, the geometric Aviator's Villa in Dutchess County, New York "explores the thought of flight as a strong motivator for architectural darings." Through the use of salvaged airplane parts and minimal, glass-encased structures, the firm was able to create the feeling of flying through the sky. And like a plane, the home is exposed to the elements on all sides and appears to be soaring above water, as it's suspended on stilts, straddling a pool and a small lake.
READ MORE

January 22, 2015

Most Millennials Would Rather Live in the Suburbs Than in a City Condo

Has the pendulum swung back to favoring life in the 'burbs? A new poll conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reveals that millennials would rather buy a home in the suburbs than squeeze into a cramped condo in the city. The survey showed that 66 percent would prefer to live in the suburbs, 24 percent want to live in rural areas, and just 10 percent want to live in a city center. The NAHB used a sample of 1,506 people born since 1977 to come to their conclusions.
More from the study here

January 22, 2015

Visiting Harry Houdini’s Grave in Queens; A Subway Ride Will Now Cost $2.75

Did you know Harry Houdini is buried in Glendale, Queens? Naturally, there’s some controversy surrounding his grave. [Queens Brownstoner] If you’ve ever wondered how to build a squash court in the middle of Grand Central, here’s a time-lapse video showing you how. [WSJ] Start saving (or ask for a raise); the MTA fare hikes will take […]

Uncategorized

520 Fifth Avenue

Midtown West

Live at the center of NYC

1 beds starting at $2,445,000
2 beds starting at $3,435,000
3 beds starting at $6,775,000

Learn More

January 22, 2015

Tall Tin Ceilings Charm in This $1.4M Chelsea Loft

This $1.395 million, 1,000-square-foot, newly renovated loft at 136 West 24th Street has a flexible layout, making a second bedroom or home office a possibility, all within running distance of the Shake Shack line when it comes back. And Snoopy will love your close proximity to the park and the dog run (and let’s be honest, hamburger crumbs).
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

January 22, 2015

Nearly Half of Luxury Condos Set to Hit the Market This Year Are Already in Contract

We know very well that 2015 will see a huge influx of new super-luxury condo units, but what we didn't know until now was that nearly half of these high-end homes set to hit the market are already in contract, making this year's forecast widely overblown. According to Crain's, a new report from Halstead Property Development Marketing suggests that of the 6,500 new condo listings that have been projected for 2015, only about 3,500 will actually be available for sale in the next 11 months, as 3,000 of them are already taken.
READ MORE

Real Estate Trends

January 22, 2015

New LaGuardia AirTrain Will Actually Increase Travel Times, Anthony Weiner Weighs In