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Since the 1990s, the Regional Plan Association has been advocating for the restoration of passenger service to a rail line known as the Bay Ridge Branch that runs from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Astoria, Queens and is now used as a freight line. The MTA has announced that it will begin a feasibility study to "evaluate the potential for subway, commuter rail, light rail or bus service" along the line, which the agency notes would create the potential for reverse commuting and connect to 19 subway lines and the LIRR. In October, the RPA's Kate Slevin explained to NY1, "We don't have unlimited resources here in New York City, as we know, so the fact that we already have tracks there, that are underutilized, really means a lot."
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Transit

For $875K, this bright two-bedroom with lots of exposed brick is a Lower East Side classic

Image credit: RISE Media courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

January 23, 2020

For $875K, this bright two-bedroom with lots of exposed brick is a Lower East Side classic

It's a challenge to find a nice apartment of any size for under $1 million–save perhaps a studio–in prime downtown neighborhoods like the Lower East Side. This two-bedroom co-op at 85 Stanton Street is a classic tenement walk-up with a small second bedroom; but in addition to location, it has a sparkling renovation on its side plus lots of brick and pre-war charm, and it's only asking $875,000.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

Rent a 9,600-square-foot Nolita mansion in a former convent for $65K a month

Photo credit: Elizabeth Dooley for The Trentham Team, courtesy of Compass.

January 22, 2020

Rent a 9,600-square-foot Nolita mansion in a former convent for $65K a month

This rare historic mansion right in the middle of Nolita on the Soho border at 38 Prince Street is on the rental market for a princely $65,000 per month. The historic Federal-style Manhattan townhouse, built in 1826, is unique in many ways. It was once the Saint Patrick's Convent dating back to 1826. The building has seen a thorough overhaul with no expense spared, and it's now a five-story, 9,600-square-foot mansion with an elevator and top-quality finishes throughout, anchored by a dramatic spiral staircase at its midst. Also here: A Pilates room, a "zen pillow room," a music room–and more!
Explore the many rooms of this Soho mansion

Rendering courtesy of Murr Architekten

January 22, 2020

Finalists announced for this year’s City of Dreams pavilion on Roosevelt Island

Arts organization FIGMENT, the Emerging New York Architects Committee (ENYA) of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (AIANY), and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) have just announced the finalists in the 2020 City of Dreams Pavilion Design Competition. The competition is an annual program that invites designers to create a temporary architectural pavilion that is efficient and sustainable while considering the life cycle of the building materials used. This year's pavilion will be in Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island.
See more of the winning entries

Preservationists suggest the Frick should buy Jeffrey Epstein’s Upper East Side mansion

Image via Google Maps

January 22, 2020

Preservationists suggest the Frick should buy Jeffrey Epstein’s Upper East Side mansion

Preservationists who have long fought against the Frick Collection's planned expansion are proposing a rather unique solution: the museum could take over Jeffrey Epstein's "cursed mansion" across the street instead. "The fact that it’s so convenient to the museum means that the Frick could potentially lay Jeffrey Epstein’s name to rest by purchasing it and changing the function," architect Theodore Grunewald, who runs preservationist group Save The Frick, told the Daily News. "It could essentially be cleansing the house."
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MTA unveils first look at new open-gangway subway cars

Photo courtesy of the MTA on Flickr

January 22, 2020

MTA unveils first look at new open-gangway subway cars

Straphangers will soon be able to move freely between some subway cars. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday released photos of the city's newest subway fleet which features an "open-gangway" design, or accordion-like walls located at the ends of cars. The R211 car design is meant to increase capacity by allowing for better movement and "customer flow." Expected to be partially delivered later this year, the new subway cars are part of a nearly $4 billion contract awarded to Kawasaki Industries in 2018.
See it here

Transit

Meryl Streep’s waterfront Tribeca penthouse finds a buyer for $15.8M

Listing images by Travis Mark; courtesy of Sotheby’s International Realty

January 22, 2020

Meryl Streep’s waterfront Tribeca penthouse finds a buyer for $15.8M

Roughly a year and a half after it was first listed, Meryl Streep has sold her Tribeca penthouse for $15.8 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. Located in the waterfront River Lofts condominium, the 4,000-square-foot residence has four bedrooms and a landscaped terrace that wraps around three sides of the penthouse. The revered Oscar winner bought the home with her husband, Donald Gummer, for $10.13 million in 2006. It was initially listed for $24.6 million in the summer of 2018. Following a broker switch, the price was slashed to $18.25 million, and it was relisted last August. Listing agent Juliette Janssens of Sotheby's International Realty—who held the most recent listing with Allison Koffman—told the Journal that despite selling for 36 percent less than the original asking price, the final sale still reflects a "very strong number" for today's market.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

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

This $2.2M Bed-Stuy townhouse is a 19th-century beauty seeking a 21st-century life

For $5.1M, this pretty Gramercy condo comes with a key to the private park

An art historian's Village loft with pieces by Ai Weiwei and more asks $4.2M

$1.95M duplex co-op is an East Village idyll gone luxe

'Stonehurst' is a perfect name for this historic $2.5M Gothic Revival home in Rockland County

Here's a $7.35M chance to live in the Annabelle Selldorf-designed Chelsea condo with an automated Sky Garage

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

For $3.25M, this West Village duplex puts angles and corners in their best light

Bethenny Frankel lists her Bridgehampton property for $6M

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LPC approves COOKFOX’s plans to convert Chelsea’s historic Terminal Warehouse into an office complex

All renderings by COOKFOX

January 22, 2020

LPC approves COOKFOX’s plans to convert Chelsea’s historic Terminal Warehouse into an office complex

The entire city block bound by 11th and 12th Avenues and 27th to 28th Streets in West Chelsea is occupied by the Terminal Warehouse complex, a former freight distribution hub built in 1891. After losing its place in the shipping industry in the 1930s, it then became infamous in the 1980s and '90s as the home of The Tunnel nightclub. Now, after years as a mini-storage facility and commercial offices, the structure will once again see new life, this time as a wholistic, modern office complex. L&L Holding and Normandy Real Estate Partners have partnered with COOKFOX architects to adaptively reuse the building, preserving and restoring its historic elements, as well as to add shops and restaurants on street level, a central courtyard, and a contemporary glass addition. Yesterday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the plans.
More looks and details

Beloved Upper West Side shop Book Culture closes for good

Book Culture on Columbus on Thursday 1/9/20, taken by 6sqft

January 21, 2020

Beloved Upper West Side shop Book Culture closes for good

Drawing comparisons to "The Shop Around the Corner" in the movie "You've Got Mail" (which is also set on the Upper West Side), Book Culture became a beloved neighborhood shop for its whimsical atmosphere, great selection of books, and cozy children's reading room. But this past year, the store's owner penned a letter to city officials asking for a $500,000 loan to stay afloat amid unpaid vendor debts and loans. Earlier this month, a city marshal seized the store for "eviction action" due to unpaid rent, West Side Rag reported. Though the store was hopeful it could find a solution to remain open (even starting a Post-it Note campaign where customers left their support on the storefront), they announced today in an email that their doors are shut forever.
What happened?

Real Estate Trends

In Park Slope, this $500K compact co-op has a working fireplace and lots of brownstone charm

Image credit: RISE Media courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

January 21, 2020

In Park Slope, this $500K compact co-op has a working fireplace and lots of brownstone charm

This one-bedroom, pre-war co-op at 19 7th Avenue is just one flight up from a classic north Park Slope street. Asking $499,000, it has the proper postcard charm of a lovely landmarked brownstone–working fireplace included–and it's just a few blocks from Prospect Park.
Brooklyn brownstone charm, this way

Distinctive Homes

Cuomo taps Martin Luther King III, Lucy Liu, and Lin-Manuel Miranda to lead 2020 census campaign

Image by Maciek Lulko via Flickr

January 21, 2020

Cuomo taps Martin Luther King III, Lucy Liu, and Lin-Manuel Miranda to lead 2020 census campaign

As part of the city’s ongoing efforts to count every New Yorker in the upcoming 2020 census, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday the creation of the Census Council, which will coordinate the state’s campaign to “get out the count.” Martin Luther King III, Lucy Liu, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have been tapped to serve as co-chairs for the council. They will “act as the state’s coordinating arm” to oversee outreach efforts and make sure the count is as complete as possible. Cuomo also proposed adding an additional $10 million to the state’s effort, bringing the total up to $70 million.
Details here

Policy

In debate over $119B sea wall to protect NYC from superstorms, Trump says ‘get your mops’

Flooded Battery Park Tunnel after Hurricane Sandy. Image: Timothy Krause via Flickr.

January 21, 2020

In debate over $119B sea wall to protect NYC from superstorms, Trump says ‘get your mops’

A barrier wall proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers as one of several options being evaluated to shield the New York area from rare storms–which may well become less rare and more destructive with global warming–is the subject of a heated debate among planners and environmental experts. Supporters suggest that a barrier be constructed in the outer New York Harbor where it's mostly hidden from view, saying it would go the farthest in protecting people, land and valuable landmarks along the waterfront from a storm surge. Others fear the idea is a short-sighted measure that doesn't address major climate threats–and could even worsen matters by trapping sewage and toxins during flooding from high tides and storm runoff. President Donald Trump, however, remains the sole proponent of the mop-and-bucket approach, as the New York Daily News reports.
What will save us from a tweetstorm?

MTA announces $750M plan to overhaul 42nd Street subway stations

Renderings courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority

January 21, 2020

MTA announces $750M plan to overhaul 42nd Street subway stations

The MTA has unveiled a new plan to integrate all the planned work along the 42nd Street corridor—at the Grand Central, Bryant Park, and Times Square stations—into one project. In doing so, the agency expects the newly bundled 42nd Street Connection project will both cut costs and speed up the schedule. The plan encompasses several rehabilitation projects along one of the city’s busiest transportation corridors, including the redesign and rebuild of the 42nd Street shuttle.
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Transit

Rendering of 1277 East 14th Street by Maqe

January 21, 2020

91 middle-income units up for grabs at brand new Midwood rental, from $2,346/month

A housing lottery launched Tuesday for 91 middle-income apartments at a newly constructed building in Midwood. Located at 1277 East 14th Street in the central Brooklyn neighborhood, the building sits on the former site of Vitagraph Studios, an acclaimed production company founded in the borough in 1897. The Vitagraph Apartments, which opened last summer, contain 302 units and amenities like a landscaped roof deck and fitness center. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which includes $2,346/month one-bedrooms and $2,830/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Check out The Sill’s first Brooklyn brick-and-mortar in Cobble Hill

Photos by Tory Williams, courtesy of The Sill

January 17, 2020

Check out The Sill’s first Brooklyn brick-and-mortar in Cobble Hill

Cobble Hill got a little more green with the opening of The Sill's first brick-and-mortar in Brooklyn (they also have a recently opened kiosk at City Point). The outpost at 195 Pacific Street features an apartment-friendly collection of succulents, cacti, and tropical plants that can be potted in the store's own line of planters or purchased on their own. And to make it easy for newbies, each plant has straight-forward labels that you know how much sunlight and water it needs, as well as if it's pet-friendly.
More info

Uncategorized

This $529K co-op tucked between Columbia and Riverside Park could be a smart move

Image credit: RISE Media courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

January 17, 2020

This $529K co-op tucked between Columbia and Riverside Park could be a smart move

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Asking $529,000, this first-floor home at 606 West 113th Street is on a pretty tree-lined street in Morningside Heights between Riverside Park and Columbia University/Barnard College. Located in an historic co-op building with a gorgeous lobby and plenty of pre-war details, this charming one-bedroom apartment has bay windows, 10-foot ceilings, and exposed brick in the living room and bedroom.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

From Civil War generals to Oscar winners: 7 historic figures who called 14-16 Fifth Avenue home

Madison Realty Capital filed plans last month to demolish 14-16 Fifth Avenue, a five-story apartment building constructed in 1848, and replace it with a 244-foot-tall tower. Because it is located within the Greenwich Village Historic District, it can only be demolished if the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission rules that the building itself is of no historic or architectural merit, and does not contribute to the character of the district (the public hearings where this would be debated and decided have not yet been scheduled). What may seem like a nondescript apartment building actually has an incredibly rich and varied history. Throughout its 170-year history, 14-16 Fifth Avenue was home to Civil War generals, Gold Rush writers, Oscar-winning actors, railroad magnates, pioneering industrialists, inventors, and politicians. What follows is just some of the history behind this easily-overlooked lower Fifth Avenue landmark.
One building, tons of history

Image courtesy of Gammahaus

January 17, 2020

New looks revealed for 3 Hudson Boulevard, the next office tower to rise at Hudson Yards

A new design–the third so far–has been revealed for 3 Hudson Boulevard, the next office tower to rise at Hudson Yards. Located at the northwest corner of West 34th Street and Hudson Boulevard, the tower, which has long been in planning stages, will have 1.85 million square feet of office space. The latest designs reveal a height of just under 1,000 feet with 56 stories, the New York Post reports. Some floors will have ceilings of almost 30 feet with terraces at the end.
Find out more

$5.2M Chelsea loft is a showcase of design talent, with endless room options

Images courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

January 17, 2020

$5.2M Chelsea loft is a showcase of design talent, with endless room options

This renovated loft, asking $5.175 million, spans the full ninth floor of a classic early 1900s building at 142 West 26th Street in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. The 4,000-square-foot co-op apartment was designed by Fernando Santangelo, who is known for the famous Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles. In addition to reflecting a brilliant eye for color and detail, the home hits every luxury loft high note, from 11-foot ceilings to vast room proportions. Though it's currently set up with three "official" bedrooms, its current collection of spaces--including a formal living room, a great room, and a library--offer room for many more (see the "alternate" floor plan in the gallery below for just one version).
Tour the fabulous, flexible loft

Distinctive Homes

Gorgeous West Village townhouse once owned by Hilary Swank hits the market at $11M

Listing images courtesy of Halstead Real Estate

January 16, 2020

Gorgeous West Village townhouse once owned by Hilary Swank hits the market at $11M

The charming West Village townhouse that was once home to Hilary Swank is back on the market for $10.995 million (h/t Curbed). Swank and her then-husband Chad Lowe bought the four-story property at 33 Charles Street for $3.9 million in 2002 and sold it four years later for $8.25 million, a significant profit. The current owner is Harry A. Lawton III, the president of Macy's, who closed on the home in 2017 for $10.5 million, just under the current asking price.
Take a look around

The Rite Aid at 81 1st Avenue. Photo © Adam Friedberg

January 16, 2020

Photo exhibit highlights the disappearing single-story buildings of the East Village and LES

In 2015, photographer Adam Friedberg was passing through Astor Place and took notice of the two single-story buildings on Third Avenue and St. Marks Place--the one that housed Continental Bar and the other a McDonald's. From there, Friedberg began a project to photograph all the single-story buildings throughout the changing East Village and Lower East Side neighborhoods and the negative space they created. After capturing 97 of the roughly 105 structures, his work is now on view at the Center for Architecture in an exhibit titled "Single-Story Project."
See more of the photos

Events & Things To Do

Photo by Caleb Minear on Unsplash

January 16, 2020

10 best places to work remotely in NYC

By Rebecca Fishbein

One of the best things about freelancing in New York City is not having to fight with the subway to get to my desk on time, something I did almost daily when I had an office job. One of the worst things, though, is feeling permanently stuck in my cramped apartment. Luckily, this city has lots of great, airy spaces that lend themselves well to remote work, whether you do it full time or are just looking to spend the day free of fluorescent lighting and Gary from HR. Ahead, discover 10 of our favorites.
See the full list

City Living

Developer scraps Bjarke Ingels-designed 2 WTC for revamped Norman Foster tower

Previous rendering of 2 World Center via DBOX, courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group

January 16, 2020

Developer scraps Bjarke Ingels-designed 2 WTC for revamped Norman Foster tower

It looks like Norman Foster's design for 2 World Trade Center might rise after all. First unveiled in 2006, the original Foster + Partners proposal was scrapped in 2015 for Bjarke Ingels' stacked tower, which was deemed more suitable to prospective media tenants. After leases with Fox and News Corp. fell through in 2016, the future of the tenant-less tower has remained uncertain. Absent any takers, developer Larry Silverstein is now pivoting back to the Foster vision, the New York Post reports. The old design is being "significantly modified to be more reflective of contemporary needs and taste," Silverstein said.
More details

Photo credit: MW Studio for Compass

January 16, 2020

For $520K, this customized Murray Hill studio has a sleeping alcove, built-ins, and plenty of personality

Located on the 10th floor of Lindley House at 123 East 37th Street, this pre-war studio, asking $520,000, is that rare NYC apartment that has been recently renovated yet retains its classic details, with colorful uniqueness added. Though not a large space, the co-op has a sleeping alcove separated by doors, a separate kitchen, and lots of thoughtfully-designed storage
More cool studio surprises, this way

Distinctive Homes

City likely to rename Bronx block outside of Yankee Stadium after Derek Jeter

Photo by Daniel Vargas on Unsplash

January 16, 2020

City likely to rename Bronx block outside of Yankee Stadium after Derek Jeter

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

Although he's moved on to a new team and city, former Yankee Derek Jeter will always be a Bronx Bomber in the eyes of fans. As a way to honor the star shortstop and current Miami Marlins coach, two Bronx Council Members are introducing legislation to rename East 161st Street, the block in front of the stadium, "Jeter Street," as amNY first reported.
More details here

Celebrities

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Snag the Greenest Seat in Town: Gufram's 1972 Pratone Chair is Shaped Like a Patch of Grass

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All photos courtesy of Wagstaff New York/The Howard Hughes Corportation

January 15, 2020

Head to Pier 17 to ride a sonic wave of illuminated seesaws in a new public art installation

All photos courtesy of Wagstaff New York/The Howard Hughes Corportation As 6sqft shared last week, The Garment District Alliance unveiled its latest public art installation, a collection of 12 oversized, illuminated seesaws titled “Impulse,” that emit various sounds as New Yorkers play on them. If you're looking for even more giant interactive seesaws, you're in luck: Wave-Field is now lighting up the lower Manhattan night. Now through the end of March, you'll find the installation of illuminated musical seesaws at Seaport Square next to Pier 17.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

See the proposed revamp for Rockefeller Center

Renderings by Gabellini Sheppard Associates courtesy Tishman Speyer; via NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

January 15, 2020

See the proposed revamp for Rockefeller Center

Tishman Speyer proposed a plan to revamp certain aspects of Rockefeller Center during a hearing at the Landmark Preservation Commission on Tuesday, as CityRealty reported. With Gabellini Sheppard Associates at the helm, the design proposal makes tweaks to the gardens and outdoor plaza spaces at the 22-acre site. The upgrades—which mostly seek to improve circulation—come as city officials have been discussing the permanent restriction of traffic around Rockefeller Center following the successful pedestrianization of the area during the recent holiday season.
More details

Architecture And Design

January 15, 2020

17 spots to celebrate Lunar New Year 2020 in NYC

The two-week-long celebration of Lunar New Year begins next week, considered one of New York City's most festive events of the year. The welcoming of the Year of the Rat, the first zodiac animal and said to be a sign of wealth, kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 25 and is followed by 15 days of festivities, including lots of parades, performances, and firework displays. With several Chinatowns and many Asian communities found across the five boroughs, there are fun Lunar New Year activities for all New Yorkers, from Lower Manhattan's 21st annual Chinatown parade to the first-ever Asian comedy festival.
Our favorites ahead

Events & Things To Do

January 15, 2020

Carroll Gardens’ one-time most expensive house returns for $10M

Back in 2014, an oversized, four-story townhouse replaced an old garage at 181 President Street in Carroll Gardens, and it became known as one of the most "lavish" homes in Brooklyn thanks to its 5,356-square-foot layout, elevator, landscaped roof deck, wine cellar, home gym, two-car garage with a Tesla charging station, and more. So it was no surprise when it set a neighborhood record upon selling for $9.15 million in 2018. The five-bedroom home is now back on the market, asking a pretty comparable $9,995,000.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

January 15, 2020

Soho-based fashion mecca Opening Ceremony will close its stores this year

The close of the last decade also saw the demise of a few retail icons that have made New York City dear to every fashionista’s heart. If Barneys was the cutting-edge couture go-to for a well-heeled international set, Soho’s Opening Ceremony was the chic street-style crossover hit of the early 21st century. The brand, whose stores include the Howard Street flagship and an Ace Hotel outpost as well as stores in Los Angeles, London and Tokyo–announced Tuesday that it would be shutting down its retail stores this year after being acquired by the New Guards Group, a streetwear conglomerate in turn owned by online fashion platform Farfetch, The Cut reports.
Find out more

City Living

Group of Coney Island boardwalk businesses could see up to 400 percent increase in rent

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

January 15, 2020

Group of Coney Island boardwalk businesses could see up to 400 percent increase in rent

Owners of six small businesses in Coney Island, Lola Star Boutique, Nathan's Famous, Ruby's Bar & Grill, Paul's Daughter, Tom's Restaurant, and the Coney Island Beach Shop, are currently negotiating new 10-year lease agreements with amusement park operator Zamperla. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the boardwalk businesses are facing rent increases of between 50 and 400 percent each. "We care about Coney Island and its future, and we are dedicated to making it as strong a community as possible," Alessandro Zamperla, the president of the company, told the Times. "This is why we've been working with our tenants to ensure their success and preserve the character of Coney Island." Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration has not come forward with a plan to mediate; according to the newspaper, the rent increases do not violate the agreement between Zamperla and the city.
Find out more

Real Estate Trends

Photos courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

January 15, 2020

Tiffany & Co. moves into a temporary location next door to iconic Fifth Avenue flagship

Under the watchful eyes of 30 security officers and 300 surveillance cameras, Tiffany & Company moved 114,179 pieces of jewelry from their iconic Fifth Avenue flagship store over the weekend to prepare the building for a renovation. Everything was taken to the adjacent storefront at 6 East 57th Street—a former Nike store—that will host a temporary location of the jewelry store until the renovation wraps up in 2021. Cheekily dubbed The Tiffany Flagship Next Door, the jeweler's new home centers around a central atrium that will feature a rotating schedule of "periodic installations and exclusive partnerships."
More details

Uncategorized

January 14, 2020

Pioneering juice bar Liquiteria appears to shutter all NYC locations

The Liquiteria at Fourth Avenue and 13th Street closed down last week, the last of five remaining New York City locations that have now shuttered, Eater reports. The juice bar chain opened its first location in the East Village at Second Avenue and East 11th Street in 1996, making it an early pioneer in the celebrity-fueled juice craze that eventually followed. There has been no mention of the closures from the company (their social media accounts haven't been active in months or years, depending on the platform) but their website is no longer active and phones at every location are disconnected. The Fourth Avenue storefront appears largely emptied in photos captured by EV Grieve.
More details

Food & Dining

January 14, 2020

20 fascinating photos of New York City in the 1920s

By Lucie Levine

Welcome back to the Roaring '20s, New York! Now that the new decade has officially dawned, we're turning the clock back 100 years to see what the city was like the last time the calendar struck 20. If you're looking for a little inspiration for your next Great Gatsby-themed bash, ahead find 20 fantastic photos of New York during the Jazz Age, depicting everything from old Ebbets Field to the height of Prohibition.
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History

In Westchester, an 1860s barn was converted to a mid-century estate for $1.25M

All listing photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

January 14, 2020

In Westchester, an 1860s barn was converted to a mid-century estate for $1.25M

Located in Pound Ridge, a quaint town in northeastern Westchester just an hour's drive from NYC, this sprawling estate set on nearly six acres is asking $1,250,000 (h/t Curbed). The New York Times wrote of Pound Ridge's "wooded slopes, streams and lakes and 19th-century stone walls," all of which create a "bucolic feel" that this home at 39 Old Snake Hill Road also embodies. Originally an 1860s barn, the listing tells us that the property was converted by Vito Fosella, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, into a charming mid-century residence "ideal for weekend or year-round living."
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

See inside the amenity spaces at Philip Johnson’s 550 Madison Avenue

Rendering courtesy of Rockwell Group

January 14, 2020

See inside the amenity spaces at Philip Johnson’s 550 Madison Avenue

The Olayan Group released a new batch of renderings giving us a sneak peek inside the amenity floor at 550 Madison Avenue. Designed by Rockwell Group, the seventh floor offers a mix of “hospitality-driven” spaces for tenants, including food and beverage options, lounges, shared workspaces, and fitness and wellness areas. The center of it all will be the iconic Philip Johnson-designed oculus—which greets visitors as soon as they step off the elevator on the club floor—framed by two floor-to-ceiling artworks by Dorothea Rockburne, which were commissioned in 1993 specifically for the building.
Have a look around

Architecture And Design

This $3.5M wood-frame house in Fort Greene has high-end finishes and a delicious mint kitchen

Photo credit: DDreps for The Hudson Advisory Team courtesy of Compass

January 14, 2020

This $3.5M wood-frame house in Fort Greene has high-end finishes and a delicious mint kitchen

Built in 1870, this historic wood-frame home on a block of gorgeous landmarked townhouses a few blocks from Fort Greene Park is asking $3,495,000. It's had a recent renovation that bestowed updates like well-concealed central air and an intercom system and high-end finishes like herringbone wood flooring, arriving at that magic mix of contemporary comfort and historic charm. Within the single-family home are four bedrooms, each with its own bath, plus grand entertaining rooms and plenty of family space. A large landscaped rear yard joins a patio and wood deck for indoor-outdoor living in season.
Take the townhouse tour

New-York Historical Society hosting an after-hours ‘Roaring 20s’ party this weekend

Photo courtesy of Dandy Wellington

January 13, 2020

New-York Historical Society hosting an after-hours ‘Roaring 20s’ party this weekend

Photo courtesy of Dandy Wellington The New-York Historical Society is calling all "fabulous flappers and dapper dandies" for a Roaring 20s-themed fete this Saturday. The Jazz Age soiree will come to life with music from Dandy Wellington and encouragement for attendees to wear their most festive costumes. There will also be an open bar, snacks, and a photo booth.
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Events & Things To Do

Bushwick rezoning stalled after city dismisses community plan

Photo by Mike Steele on Flickr

January 13, 2020

Bushwick rezoning stalled after city dismisses community plan

The plan to rezone Bushwick hit a possibly fatal roadblock Monday after city officials and local politicians failed to reach an agreement on affordable housing requirements. The city said it will not study the Bushwick Community Plan (BCP), first envisioned by the community in 2014 to address out-of-context development, as part of its proposal, effectively postponing the rezoning. After years of Bushwick residents calling for a study of the area's growing gentrification, the city released its official rezoning plan last April. But local stakeholders and leaders, including Council Members Antonio Reynoso and Rafel Espinal Jr., said the city's plan fell short of the vision laid out in the BCP.
Details here

Policy

Midtown East’s newest cocktail bar was designed by SHoP Architects with a nod to old New York glamour

Photos of Bergamo’s by Rachel Vanni

January 13, 2020

Midtown East’s newest cocktail bar was designed by SHoP Architects with a nod to old New York glamour

Busy but relatively dry Midtown East got a new cocktail bar last week with Bergamo’s at 26 Vanderbilt Avenue. Located on the ground floor of the Company building—a tech incubator designed by SHoP Architects—the sprawling 8,530-square-foot lounge was inspired by old New York glamour and features a vaulted ceiling with custom tiles that nod to the historic Guastavino vaults at nearby Grand Central Terminal.
More details

Food & Dining

A guide to joining your local New York City community board

Photo by who?du!nelson on Unsplash

January 13, 2020

A guide to joining your local New York City community board

If you're looking for a way to become more involved in your neighborhood and the decisions that shape New York City, the city's community boards are a good place to start. New York City is comprised of 59 community districts across the five boroughs: 12 in Manhattan, 12 in the Bronx, 18 in Brooklyn, 14 in Queens, and 3 in Staten Island. Formed in 1977, community boards are the city's most local form of representative government. Though they're strictly advisory–they don't have official authority to make or enforce laws–community boards weigh in on vital issues from zoning and landmarks to transportation and parks to education and neighborhood services. Below, we outline what these city government organizations actually do–and how you can join yours.
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NYPL reveals its 10 most borrowed books of all time

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

January 13, 2020

NYPL reveals its 10 most borrowed books of all time

Brooklyn-born author Ezra Jack Keats' beloved children's story The Snowy Day is the most checked out book of all time at the New York Public Library. In celebration of its 125th anniversary, the library on Monday released a list of the 10 most borrowed books at its 92 branches since its founding in 1895. A team of experts at NYPL put together the list by looking at checkout and circulation data, overall trends, current events, popularity, and length of time in print, and presence in the catalog.
Which books made the list

City Living

The 74

201 East 74th Street

Lenox Hill

Gracious Upper East Side condos with Central Park and skyline views

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The city helps save Queens’ 190-year-old Neir’s Tavern from closing

Photo by CaptJayRuffins on Wikimedia Commons

January 13, 2020

The city helps save Queens’ 190-year-old Neir’s Tavern from closing

This past October, Neir's Tavern in Woodhaven, Queens celebrated its 190th anniversary. But last week, the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society reported on Twitter that the beloved and historic establishment would close its doors for good on Sunday. Originally opened in 1829 as a saloon called the "Old Blue Pump House," Neir's considers itself NYC's oldest bar. When the tavern was in danger of closing in 2009, a local FDNY member and a group of friends bought and restored it, but in December of 2018, the building was sold unbeknownst to them. According to a Facebook post by Neir's, they were unable to negotiate a new "affordable long-term lease" with the new owners. But when Mayor de Blasio heard the news, he and the city stepped in and saved the bar from closing.
How'd they do it?

Food & Dining

Photo credit: Rich Caplan for Compass

January 13, 2020

This $700K West Village loft is a compact, colorful co-op

Downtown style and bohemian flair allow for clever use of space in this West Village studio. Asking $700,000, the color-filled home at 9 Barrow Street is tucked into an 1895 building with an elevator and a doorman in true gracious pre-war fashion.
Find out more about this little gem

Distinctive Homes

L train service will be interrupted over the course of three upcoming weekends

Image by Jason Eppink via Flickr

January 13, 2020

L train service will be interrupted over the course of three upcoming weekends

The rehabilitation of the Canarsie Tunnel is on track to wrap up months ahead of schedule and restore full L train service by April—roughly one year after the revised “slowdown” started—but service will get a little worse before it gets better. As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) prepares to finish their work, partial L outages will impact service during three weekends in January, February, and March.
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Transit

MTA blames subway door problems on faulty locking mechanism

A R179 A train at Broad Channel; Photo by Mtattrain on Wikimedia

January 10, 2020

MTA blames subway door problems on faulty locking mechanism