Search Results for: brooklyn history

October 26, 2015

Live in a Landmarked Fairytale Castle With Round Rooms and a Storied Past for $10M

Such is the state of real estate in New York City that there is no shortage of homes of every size and stripe upon which you could drop $10 million. And though the ask may seem relatively ambitious for a single-story residence, this particular listing at 455 Central Park West doesn't need to reach far for the adjectives required to command such an outlay (Just for starters: It looks like a fairytale castle). And while the Manhattan Valley location may be a little "far uptown" for some late-to-the party folks, its village-y vibe is getting lots of love of late, and, really, Central Park West is Central Park West. Between the amazing architecture and fascinating–if somewhat macabre–history as the former New York City Cancer Hospital, 2,360 square feet of space including two enormous circular opposite wings, private courtyards, and a peerless menu of building amenities including a pool, spa and drive-up entry courtyard, very few boxes remain unchecked in this unquestionably unique four-bedroom condominium.
Take a look a...round
October 22, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/22-10/28

This month, meet Detroit's art power-house 1xRun before they finish their New York residency at two great takeover events at Reed Space and at my show "Calm Before the Storm." Focus your art gaze south at FiDi's World Trade Gallery, or head to Dark Victoriana for a history-meets-Halloweeny experience. The Aperture Foundation has their annual extravaganza at Terminal 5, and Michael Arenella gives us a time machine of Old New York at the classic Algonquin Hotel. The Wythe Hotel will host a screening of "Notorious Mr. Bout" followed by cocktails and live music. Finish it off by donning your best nautical-inspired gear and grab a cocktail at Sailors, Sirens and Sea Monsters, a closing party for "Calm Before the Storm"—hosted by me!
All the best events to check out here
October 16, 2015

Robert Stuart Fills His West Village Condo With Thoughtful Details for a Past Reimagined

This gorgeous, rustic West Village condo belongs to designer Robert Stuart from Rob Stuart Interiors. Located on Perry Street, his city oasis was used as a warehouse in the 1980s, so was in desperate need of some personality when he moved in. With his own home as his canvas, the designer took advantage of the massively high ceilings, wood burning fireplace, and panoramic NYC views. Before renovations were installed, the space was stripped down to its bare bones and every corner and detail was put in place to design a home of the past reimagined.
See it all here
October 13, 2015

18th Century Farmhouse, With Art Gallery and Pool Additions, Costs Less Than Most NYC Apartments

Does the price of New York City real estate get you down? Then consider this: an organic farm nestled within the Catskill Mountains with additions like a pool and art gallery, plus barns, an equestrian facility and enough land to hold 200 cows. And this isn't just any farm–Charlotte Valley Organic Farm, as it's called, has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest and this very website for the merits of the modern residential addition built in 1992. So what's the cost for this unique upstate property? Take a deep breath. The price tag comes in at $998,000 for the house, garage, two barns and 10 acres -- the price of many small one-bedroom apartments in Manhattan. For $1.75 million, you get the entire property, which spans 464 acres.
Take a tour
October 13, 2015

Historic Ship May Become Real Estate Development in Gowanus; Halloween Windows at Bergdorf

Department store windows aren’t just for Christmas anymore. Bergdorf Goodman has created a spooky Halloween display inspired by the horror film “Crimson Peak.” [Town & Country] Inside this massive Gowanus garage, a man is collecting and repairing 58 classic cars from the ’40s and ’50s. [Core 77] Two years after the Village Voice moved from its […]

October 9, 2015

This $4.7M Historic Park Slope Brownstone by MESH Architectures Has the Heart of a Loft

When the owners of this North Slope townhouse at 144 Lincoln Place purchased it in 2005 for $2.1 million, they'd had their hearts set on a loft; after choosing a Victorian brownstone instead, they worked with MESH architectures to create their dream space without having to give up their dreams. The result? The architects explain how the home is "consistent with contemporary family life but does not erase the original structures. Instead a layered, more complex spatial composition balances gravity with lightness, old with new, raw with finished." Now on the market for $4.7 million, this 3,300-square-foot classic-on-the-outside 1882 townhouse consists of a spacious and creatively designed owners’ triplex over an adorable garden-floor apartment (in a high-rent neighborhood). The landscaped back garden paradise alone is a show-stopper. The interior of the house was thoroughly reimagined, and the resulting “vertical loft” is a unique home that’s a fit for both daily life and the pages of a design book.
Check out this history-meets-industry dream house
October 8, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/8-10/15

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Times Square is abuzz this month, first with a new #MidnightMoment art flick taking over the ad screens and then with a partnership with Juxtapoz Magazine that brings a pop-up old-timey newsstand back to the area. Donald Judd’s former Soho abode welcomes guests to peruse a collection of his vibrant prints, while another artist from the very same era, John Havens Thornton, makes his first appearance back in New York since 1967. Joseph Gross Gallery opens a new ground-floor location with bold Mexican craft-inspired murals by Jet Martinez, and David Hinton explains the beauty of Chinese philosophy and art at the Rubin Museum. Sunday becomes funday with Pioneer Works' monthly open studio party complete with live music, and for architecture nerds, the Architecture and Design Film Festival takes over theaters on 23rd Street–with a discount offered to our readers.
All the best events to check out here
October 6, 2015

Mapping Uber’s 2015 Pick Ups; Remembering the Great Fire of 1776

A six-year-old on the Upper West Side developed Pops for Pups, a lemonade stand-like dog treat business that donates its proceeds to a no-kill shelter. [DNAinfo] Map shows all Uber pick ups between January and June 2015. Not surprisingly, 73% were in Manhattan. [Politico] Don’t miss the annual Harlem Harvest Festival this Sunday. There will be […]

October 1, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/1-10/7

If you’re feeling fancy, head to The Peninsula for a pricey cocktail and to check out the gorgeous light installation by Grimanesa Amoros on the façade. Lower Manhattan’s Brookfield Place is being taken over by art and fashion this weekend, with interactive projects by fashion stars like Diane Von Furstenberg and Cynthia Rowley, paired with art stars like Olaf Breuning and Rob Pruitt. Take your art experience to the next level with fire, by catching one of Flambeaux’s performances at Hearts of Fire, or get schooled by artist Sarah Sze at Tanya Bonakdar. The new Seaport District is hosting a talk with author David Crabb, and Ridgewood is celebrating its new Night Market of fun. Finish off the weekend by experiencing Michael Alan’s Living Installation, an art-making, living-art party that helps to benefit the artist’s recent personal tragedy—a flood that took his home and art works.
All the best events to check out here
September 29, 2015

New Yorker Book Review Calls 432 Park the Oligarch’s Erection

"Cities can’t win. When they do well, people resent them as citadels of inequality; when they do badly, they are cesspools of hopelessness." This is the opening line to Adam Gopnik's New Yorker review of three forthcoming urban history books: Gerard Koeppel's "City on a Grid: How New York Became New York," which tells the history of the city's famous 1811 street grid plan and explores how that forever shaped life in the city; Evan Friss' "The Cycling City: Bicycles and Urban America in the 1890s," which recounts the rise and fall of bicycle culture in the late 19th century; and David Maraniss' "Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story." These very specific topics lend themselves to larger themes about the current state of our city, and in exploring these, Gopnik came out with an incredible one liner: The things that give cities a bad conscience are self-evident: seeing the rise of 432 Park Avenue, the tallest, ugliest, and among the most expensive private residences in the city’s history—the Oligarch’s Erection, as it should be known—as a catchment for the rich from which to look down on everyone else, it is hard not to feel that the civic virtues of commonality have been betrayed.
More thought-provoking themes from the review
September 29, 2015

Cobble Hill Brownstone by Budding Designer Blair Harris Mixes Vintage Finds With Modern Details

The gorgeous interior of this Cobble Hill townhouse was completed by Blair Harris Interior Design. The home is an eclectic yet elegant combination of classic vintage pieces and crisp modern detailing, all of which is a tribute to the hard work of this budding designer. Harris entered the New York design scene in 2005 after receiving her BFA in Art History. She then spent the next six years honing her skills working at The Jeffrey Design Group before breaking out on her own in the winter of 2011.
Check out one of Harris' beautiful designs
September 28, 2015

City Will Use Eminent Domain to Seize Coney Island Land for New Amusements

Eminent domain, defined as "the right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use," is typically enacted to build projects such as bridges, highways, or schools. But the De Blasio administration plans to use it to erect an amusement park. According to the Post, the city is "frustrated by stubborn Coney Island landowners" and "plans to seize property under the city’s rarely used power of eminent domain in order to spur long-stalled economic development in the People’s Playground." The land in question is three vacant beachfront sites and two smaller adjacent sites on West 12th and West 23rd Streets that total 75,000 square feet, largely comprised of the 60,000-square-foot site where the original Thunderbolt once stood (immortalized in Woody Allen's "Annie Hall"). Under the plan, the Parks Department will oversee new amusements and amenities, details of which haven't been shared.
READ MORE
September 25, 2015

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

When New Yorkers think about going on an adventure, they might envision heading west, abroad, or at least outside the city. In New York, the only adventure they're likely to take is navigating the grid (or lack thereof in certain neighborhoods) during rush hour. But Corey William Schneider is on a mission to turn the five boroughs into a land of exploration for city residents. As the founder of  New York Adventure Club, Corey helps New Yorkers get in touch with their inner explorers through unique walking tours and events. His goal is to awaken city dwellers' curiosity by offering them the chance to uncover, experience, and engage with the city and tri-state area's numerous hidden treasures. We recently spoke with Corey to find out why New Yorkers are secretly longing for adventure and how his club is helping them broaden their local horizons.
Our chat with Corey
September 25, 2015

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

"In the past, if you'd stepped into this elevator by mistake, you faced being shot at the other end, in case you told anyone what you saw," says the narrator of this video from the Science Channel. And this is, essentially, what happened to two German spies when they tried to attack this hidden power substation below Grand Central. But let's back up. When Grand Central was built in 1913, part of the plan was to add a top-secret power substation. After tunneling down through ten stories of solid bedrock, engineers blasted and carved out a top-secret chamber known as M42, almost as wide as the terminal itself and covering 22,000 square feet. Here, nine rotary converters each weighing 15 tons and reaching heights of 20 feet, transferred 11,000 volts of alternating current to power the trains above. In 1941, when America joined WWII, the secrecy paid off.
Find out how Adolf Hitler almost destroyed the substation
September 24, 2015

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

'Tis a weekend of open studios, and if you are art-thletic enough, you can hit them all. Non-profit chashama is offering free ferry rides to check out the studios of 85 artists (including 6sqft friend Barry Rosenthal!) at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Hop on the Governors Island Ferry to the LMCC open studios, or get yourself to DUMBO for Smack Mellon's open studios. The work week just got a little better for those of you in the Garment District, as the annual UrbanSpace market opens for the season, offering up tasty delights. Roving gallery Standard Practice is at it again, with a new opening in Williamsburg, and Harlem's Hi-ART kicks off their season with a photo show. If you're going to the World Maker Faire, be sure to check out FIGMENT Festival's David Koren as he talks about co-creating your own reality. Finish off the week with the Public Art Fund's talk at the New School with exhibiting artist Jeppe Hein. And that's a wrap!
All the best events to check out here
September 21, 2015

Water-Filtering Garden Floats in the Gowanus; It’s the Best Month to Go to the Farmers Market

GrowOnUs, a water-filtering garden that also collects rainwater to irrigate the plants growing atop it, is floating in the Gowanus Canal. [Inhabitat] Speaking of the Gowanus, here’s an interview with Joseph Alexiou, author of the forthcoming history book about the polluted canal. [Brownstoner] Local politicians want to make Christopher Park, across from the Stonewall Inn, a […]

September 17, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/17-9/22

The time has come again for me to flex my curatorial muscle and shamelessly self-promote your next favorite exhibition. This Friday and Saturday, join me in celebrating the work of Tim Okamura and Chris Marshall at our two day pop-up show. But if you can't make that, there is of course other art to be had this week; revisit the beautiful sculpture in Madison Square Park with a live poetry accompaniment, brave the crowds for Shepard Fairey's new show in Chelsea, or check out a curated night of performance, art and socializing at The Happening. For something ENTIRELY different, help support testicular cancer (while taking a look at some extraordinary dick pics) at Soraya Doolbaz's Dicture Gallery. The incredible world of night life maven Susanne Bartsch will take over the Museum at FIT, and the Met Opera welcomes all to its opening night performance, which will be transmitted live to screens in Times Square.
All the best events to check out here
September 16, 2015

Where I Work: Inside Made in Americana’s Bed-Stuy workshop and collaborative

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we meet the founders of Brooklyn's Made in Americana. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! Many of us come to New York with certain goals in mind, but more often than not we're at the whim of the city which has plans of its own. But this is not always a bad thing. Case in point: When college friends Jordan Johnson and Joey Grimm moved to NYC a few years ago, they wanted to be performance artists; now they're running a burgeoning furniture business called Made in Americana. Today, the pair work out of a massive industrial studio at the border of Hasidic Bed-Stuy and Bed-Stuy Bedford, designing custom interiors and building modern pieces meant to last for generations. But that's not all, they've opened their very large and very well-equipped space to other newbie BK designers to create a collaborative environment that gives others the opportunity to not just get their works made, but refine them with top-of-the-line sustainable materials to get them showroom-ready—with their help, of course. Jump ahead to learn more about what Jordan and Joey are doing, exactly how they got to where they're at, and of course to tour of their quirky, and quite cool, DIY studio space.
Go inside their awesome studio here
September 16, 2015

Bright, Modern Clinton Hill Three-Bedroom on Biggie’s Old Block Offers Lots of Options for $950K

It's not often that a three-bedroom apartment in prime Brooklyn rings in at under a million; if it does, it's likely to be a co-op with a steep monthly fee, and/or badly in need of an update. This pre-war condo in the heart of Clinton Hill is the rare exception: tastefully renovated, it offers pretty pre-war details, three bedrooms, and a location that's hard to beat. 207 Saint James Place is on one of this historic neighborhood's most beautiful streets, lined with 150-year-old brownstones and wood-frames, carriage houses and churches. There's plenty of colorful local history as well: The childhood home of Biggie Smalls is in a similar building just across the street at number 226–the late rapper's former apartment sold for $725k in 2013. Having survived the ravages of the late 20th century, these ornate 1930s limestone apartment buildings can be a great place to find lovely and livable–and somewhat rare–apartments like this one.
Take a look, this way...
September 15, 2015

Never-Built Coney Island Globe Tower Would Have Been a Massive Boardwalk in the Air

In 1906, architect Samuel Friede announced his plans to build the Coney Island Globe Tower, a 700-foot-tall, 11-story structure that would have contained the Brooklyn neighborhood's attractions in one giant globe in the air. A New York Tribune cover revealing the project said investors were being offered "a ground floor chance to share profits in the largest steel structure ever erected...the greatest amusement enterprise in the whole world...the best real estate venture." Had the $1,500,000 plan gone through, the whimsical structure (part Unisphere, part Eiffel Tower) would have contained restaurants (one of which would rotate), an observatory, the United States Weather Observation Bureau and Wireless Telegraph Station, a vaudeville theater, the world's largest ballroom, bowling alley, roller skating rink, casinos, 50,000-room hotel, 5,000-seat hippodrome, and a four large circus rings.
Read the rest of the history
September 13, 2015

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

If you're like most New Yorkers, you probably keep within a ten block radius of your home when you have downtime, maybe venturing out on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. A tired routine? Well, here's the perfect opportunity to spread your wings a bit. Like A Local is a cool startup that invites folks to chow on some of the best eats a neighborhood has to offer, while also giving them a taste of a place's history—from the art to architecture to the origin of what they're biting down on. Basically if you love eating and you love learning, they've got four tours worth your time.
Find out more here
September 11, 2015

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

New Yorkers are known for spending their free time taking leisurely strolls through the city's numerous neighborhoods. They even use their feet as a means to learn by going on weekend walking tours to discover the history, the mystery, as well as the evolution of their favorite places—and there are certainly plenty of tours out there to serve all sorts of curiosities. But when William Helmreich decided he wanted to learn more about New York on foot, he took walking tours to another level. In fact, he decided to walk the entire city. William is a sociology professor at The City College of New York and also teaches at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Over the course of four years, he has walked just about every block in New York City. It was an adventure William was primed for as a lifelong New Yorker who possesses a research interest in urban studies; his background allowed him to be at ease while speaking with city residents in the five boroughs, and he had the eagerness necessary to uncover hidden gems in the lesser known nooks and crannies of our metropolis. The culmination of William's journey is his book, "The New York Nobody Knows: Walking 6,000 Miles in New York City," which was published in 2013 and released last month in paperback. We recently spoke with William about his long walk, and to find out what it taught him about New York.
Meet William here
September 10, 2015

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

No matter what age you are, for everyone, September has that overwhelming feeling of "Back to School." Educate yourself (while supporting female artists) and listen to Grimanesa Amorós speak about her work at El Museo del Barrio, or bone up on your French with the last free French film screening of the season at Columbia. Art galleries are back in full swing, and I'm personally looking forward to Tahiti Pehrson's epic paper cuts at Joseph Gross, Elias Sime's remixing of elements from Ethiopia at James Cohan Gallery and the heart-wrenching portraits investigating prostitution around the globe by Yapci Ramos at Catinca Tabacaru. Visitors are welcome to taste the boom of the Williamsburg/Greenpoint neighborhood—literally, and you can also relive the New York classic "The Warriors" for a grandiose reunion and day-long celebration at Coney Island. Finish the week with No Longer Empty's contribution to the newly redeveloped South Street Seaport with an installation about the converging of waters.
All the best events to check out here
September 3, 2015

Miraculously Unscathed by Time, This Historic Wooden UES Townhouse Seeks Tenants

Townhouses available for rent have a way of seeming decadent and dreamy, the perfect home for a collective of friends or a lucky city family. Their monthly bill is often but a dream for many as well, and this Upper East Side home asking $18,500 a month is no exception; the house itself, however, is quite exceptional. The amazingly preserved home at 120 East 92nd Street, as well as its neighbor at number 122, and a third, a block over at number 160, comprise a trio of wooden houses built between 1859 and 1871, before the city sprung up on all sides. This collection of dainty wooden houses presents an utterly charming shock of nostalgia amid the brick, stone and steel of Manhattan's Upper East. One of the last wood-frame houses to be built in Manhattan, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission called 120 East 92nd "...a delightful surprise. Time and change have passed it by." But change, in this case, has been good: The three-story, four-bedroom home's longtime owners have renovated it for comfort and livability–and preserved it with the utmost care; it boasts every modern convenience while keeping its historic beauty.
Take a look inside this rare historic home