Search Results for: garden

There's something a little intimidating about an 8,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom single-family mansion that once belonged to "the father of the West Side" himself. The property in question is 327 West 76th Street, in the Riverside Drive area of the Upper West Side. The home was built in 1892 and quickly sold to Cyrus Clark, a businessman who retired from the silk business and went into real estate, making it his mission to campaign on behalf of developing Manhattan's West Side. The house wasn't distinct just for its owner, but because the exterior architecture stands out so distinctly in a row of more refined townhouses. For years the home was broken up into apartments, but developer Leonard Zelin converted it back to a single-family a few years back. Now he's hoping the investment will pay off: Zelin bought the townhouse for $8.8 million in 2010 and it's now asking an impressive $18.995 million.
Take a look around

February 8, 2016

MAPS: Where to Find the Best Studio Bargains in NYC Right Now

Let's face it, if you're the average New Yorker and aren't shacked up or down with having a roommate, a studio is probably where you're heading. According to data from CityRealty, the median price for available studio condominiums in Manhattan and northern Brooklyn stands at $782,000. While there are a paltry number of these apartments available, roughly 200, these pint-sized units allow many first-time condo buyers and those with smaller budgets to enter the condo market. For neighborhoods with more than two studio condo units on the market, Washington Heights has the cheapest median average, coming in at just $633 per square foot, less than half the city's median of $1,389 per square foot. Soho, on the other hand, with its 18 availabilities, has the city's most expensive studios with a median price per square foot of $2,025. Keep in mind, however, that many downtown studios are "studios" in name only. For instance, the most expensive such unit in the city right now is a $6.75 million penthouse loft at 37 Greene Street, encompassing 3,200 square feet of raw space and a 2,400-square-foot rooftop terrace--likely not what that minimalist, low carbon footprint-seeking buyer has in mind. So, below is a list of the five best individual studio deals on the market right now, and a map showing the studios priced farthest below their neighborhood median averages.
See it all here

Distinctive Homes

February 8, 2016

The On Leong Tong Building: Chinese Architecture Brought to Life in NYC

By Penelope Bareau

If you're planning to head down to Chinatown for the celebration of the Lunar New Year, you'll likely amble past the corner of Mott and Canal Streets, where there is a remarkable building like no other in New York. It's called On Leong Tong, or, in English, the Merchants' Association building. Built in 1950, it combines modernism (though you wouldn't know it to look at it) with familiar Chinese architectural features—the pagoda roof, balconies, colorful columns and so on. Once you've seen it, you won't forget it.
Read the full history of this building

February 8, 2016

Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Rental Ups Its Price to $29K/Month

The listing calls this 6,300-square-foot Brooklyn Heights townhouse at 11 Cranberry Street, for rent at $29,000 a month, "five floors of fabulous.com." We'd hope it lives up to the praise: The meticulously restored and painstakingly designed historic home is available furnished, for short or long term, and the asking rent (up from last summer's $25K monthly ask) makes it the borough's most expensive rental. The pretty–and pricey–neighborhood, transcendent bridge and river views, and proximity to Brooklyn Bridge Park already count for a premium. In addition to historic bones and soaring ceilings, the home has designer flair and up-to-the-millisecond modern conveniences like "an epic 5 zone Sonos music system" (though with five stories, we're noting the lack of an elevator).
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

February 8, 2016

Bjarke Ingels Reveals Design for Supertall Cascading Hudson Yards Tower, the Spiral

It seems safe to say at this point that two of starchitect Bjarke Ingels' favorite architectural elements are stepped facades and integrated natural spaces. His latest creation, an office tower appropriately dubbed the Spiral, incorporates both of these features, with a "cascading series of landscaped terraces and hanging gardens as its signature element," according to a press release sent out today. The 1,005-foot-tall, 65-story tower will rise at 66 Hudson Boulevard, at the intersection of the High Line and Hudson Yards, occupying the full block bound by West 34th Street, West 35th Street, 10th Avenue, and the four-acre Hudson Boulevard Park (BIG is also designing a pair of towers at the southern end of the High Line). Ingels said his conceptual design "combines the classic ziggurat silhouette of the premodern skyscraper with the slender proportions and efficient layouts of the modern high-rise."
Check out more views of the Spiral

February 7, 2016

$6M Newswalk Duplex Loft Has a Private Screening Room

The somewhat anomalous Newswalk building at 535 Dean Street in Prospect Heights was developed by the somewhat notorious Shaya Boymelgreen (who, for the record, is not known for aesthetically pleasing designs) just before the neighborhood became popular. The condo conversion named for its former life as the 1927-built New York Daily News printing plant doesn’t fit into any of the latest crop of easily dismissible residential building categories. There’s a certain credibility to be had, both from an invasive and a pioneering spirit in this complex neighborhood. And that makes its residences unique if a little confusing. This latest offering is no exception. The two-bedroom penthouse loft's interior design looks more Manhattan than Brooklyn, which may help explain the asking price of $5.9 million. Private outdoor space goes on for days, as does the list of building amenities–and there are a few surprises.
So what's with that home theater?

Distinctive Homes

February 5, 2016

UES Townhouse With Hermès Leather Walls and Smoking Room Could Set Record at $84.5M

Somerset Partners’ Keith Rubenstein just put his 15,000-square-foot townhouse at 8 East 62nd Street on the market for $84.5 million, outdoing Carlos Slim's $80 million listing. The luxury-filled Upper East Side home is one of the city's priciest townhouse listings ever (h/t WSJ), and if it fetches the listing price it would set a Manhattan townhouse record, besting the Harkness Mansion’s 2006 $53 million sale. In addition to marquetry flooring inspired by those at Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg, there are his and hers suites, a basement spa and gym, and a pretty unique modern art collection (see the massive KAWS bunny sculpture in the living room). Some off-the-wall features include red Hermès leather walls, a smoking room equipped with ventilation system, and a dressing room with a lighted handbag display and temperature-controlled fur vault.
Check out the rest of the zany house

February 5, 2016

Combine This Matched Pair of UES Townhouses for a $22M Mega-Mansion

Last year, three massive UES townhouses were marketed for megamansion potential and listed for $120 million, and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought this sprawling townhouse combo for his own makeshift manse. Now, here's an opportunity to combine a pair of more modest–though by no means small–late-1800s townhouses for an Upper East Side mansion of your own, albeit on–let's call it a more human scale (forgetting for a moment that some lucky human gets to live in 6,700 square feet with 38 feet of frontage.). When you first see this matched pair of houses side-by-side at 159-161 East 82nd Street, you're struck by their charm and how much they epitomize the neighborhood's tree-shaded, brownstone-lined blocks. The fact that both four-story homes are for sale as a package deal for $22 million presents a mind-boggling list of options. There are even alternate plans that show you where to put a cellar pool (plus a sauna and a gym)!
Take a look inside

February 4, 2016

Sarah Jessica Parker Peeps Shephard Condo Conversion in West Village

She's no Little Bo Peep, but according to the Post, SJP and hubby Matthew Broderick may be flocking to the Shephard, a new condo conversion at 275 West 10th Street. The 19th century warehouse and former rental building is in the process of being converted to luxury condominiums by Naftali Group. On a pretty tree-lined West Village street, the 38-unit Shephard boasts interior design by Gachot and oversized arched windows; a definite possibility for Parker would be one of three penthouses currently listed at the building, starting at $18.5 million. The pair sold their Greenwich Village townhouse for $18.25 million last year (they'd bought it for $19 million in 2011–and apparently never moved in.)
See what's cool about the Shephard

Celebrities

February 2, 2016

The Urban Lens: Documenting Gentrification’s Toll on the Mom-and-Pops of Greenwich Village

By James and Karla Murray

6sqft's new series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. To kick things off, award-winning authors and photographers James and Karla Murray bring us 15 years of images documenting the changing storefronts of Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. Are you a photographer who'd like to see your work featured on 6sqft? Get in touch with us at [email protected] Bleecker Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenue South was once a huge Italian enclave with many traditional "mom and pop" stores catering to the large Italian families who resided in the neighborhood. By the late 1930s, it also had a significant bohemian population with many artists, writers, poets and musicians living in the area who set up galleries, coffee houses and music shops. Due to widespread gentrification and escalating real-estate values, the neighborhood has changed drastically and its unique appearance and character is suffering. We are here to take you on visual tour to experience how many of the truly authentic shops remain on this venerable Greenwich Village street, and to show you what has replaced the ones that have vanished. Many of the shops you'll encounter ahead have been featured with full-color photographs and insightful interviews with the store owners in three of our widely acclaimed books on the subject, but we've also rounded up several more ahead.
Walk the Greenwich Village of yesteryear and present

February 2, 2016

Construction Update: BKSK Architects’ ‘Hi-Side’ Tower Goes Vertical on the Far West Side

BKSK Architects have designed a robust steel- and brick-faced building at 509 West 38th Street, slated to open in 2017. After a failed condo proposal, a foreclosure, and a developer switch, the project is finally ascending and is already seven stories out of the ground since we last checked a week ago. Dubbed "The Hi-Side," the 158,000-square-foot, mixed-use tower is being developed by investment firm Imperial Companies, who picked up the site from Iliad Development in an undisclosed deal. Fast forward nearly eight years, and a 30-floor, 345-foot building is rising at the site. Situated at the eastern block front of the future Hudson Park Boulevard, bands of ribbon windows along its western face will provide residents with sweeping views of the Hudson River. The base of the tower, which will feature a restaurant, is clad in a muscular rhythm of exposed steel, brick spandrels, and large multi-pane windows.
Find out more

February 2, 2016

Lofty Park Slope Co-op Boasts Double-Height Ceilings and a Spiral Staircase

Forget the brownstones with historic detailing that dominate Park Slope. This apartment, located at the co-op building 302 5th Avenue, is modernly renovated and downright lofty, with double-height ceilings and a raised space above the kitchen. The sleek spiral staircase also adds a contemporary touch. And with two bedrooms, 1,700 square feet over three floors, and a garden, there is plenty of room to spread out. The triplex has just hit the market for $1.5 million.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

February 1, 2016

Maya Angelou’s Historic Harlem Brownstone Lists for $5M

During the last decade of her life, author, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou split her time between Winston-Salem, NC (she taught American studies at Wake Forest University) and New York. While in the Northeast, she resided in an historic Harlem brownstone, located at 58 West 120th Street in the Mount Morris Park Historic District, according to the Times, which is now on the market for $5.1 million. The four-story home was built in the early 1900s, but when Dr. Angelou purchased it sight unseen in 2002, "it was a dilapidated shell...the victim of vandals, with missing stairs and rotting floor beams." She hired architect Marc Anderson of East Harlem-based firm M. Anderson Design to oversee a gut renovation that preserved the brownstone's historic details while adding contemporary amenities.
See the whole house

January 28, 2016

City Mistakenly Gave Away $10M in Tax Rebates to Condos and Co-ops

In a city where time is money, it's hard to believe that for four years the city’s Finance Department was mistakenly giving away tax rebates reserved for residential condo and co-op owners to those that are corporate-owned, totaling more than $10 million between 2013 and 2016. The Post reports that the program gave out money to "indoor parking garages, gardens, cabanas and even storage spaces," as well as "three office buildings and two retail shops," according to a recent audit. More than 1,000 building owners were improperly awarded the tax abatements, accounting for up to 28.1 percent of their total annual tax bills.
How did it happen?

Policy

January 23, 2016

$2M Historic Bed-Stuy Brownstone Comes With an Ethereal Interior

There really is something dreamy about the interior of this Bed-Stuy home at 231 Decatur Street. From the outside, it looks like a well-kept, historic townhouse -- prominent Brooklyn architects Axel Hedman and Eli Bishop designed this barrel-front, Renaissance Revival-style brownstone in 1897. The interior is chock full of historic detailing, too, like intricate mantels and woodwork, decorative fireplaces and stained-glass windows. The design, very bright and white, compliments those old details well, and gives the spaces an ethereal feel. If we could pick any Brooklyn brownstone to show up in our dreams, this would be the one.
See the interior

Distinctive Homes

January 22, 2016

NJ Loses Out Big Time to NY for Sandy Money; How Winter Storm Jonas Is a Marketing Ploy

Evidence of an African burial ground was discovered on 126th Street. [NYT] Of the $181 million in federal post-Sandy disaster planning money to be split between New Jersey and New York, the Garden State got a mere $15 million. [Mass Transit Mag] Attend a Community Board 1 meeting next week and get into One World […]

Uncategorized

January 21, 2016

Drab Tribeca Office Building to Get Pocket Parks and Rooftop Lounges for Employees

Basking in the star-power of Herzog & de Meuron's 56 Leonard, the mid-century Tribeca office block at 250 Church Street is prepping for a major overhaul by its owner Philips International. Now that the city's Human Resources Administration/ Department of Social Services (HRA/DSS) has hightailed it out of the building to consolidate its offices inside 4 World Trade Center, the Philip Pilevsky-led team will transform the full block-front property into a sleek, amenity-filled workhouse in the hopes of luring young techies and media companies.
See more of the project

January 20, 2016

Units Come Online for 180 East 88th Street, Tallest Building Between 72nd Street and Albany

In spite of a bristling array of glass spires erupting into our man-made mountain range and a global high-rise boom remodeling world cities into alien, cutting-edge anonymity, Manhattan stubbornly manages to appear tellurian. But Joseph McMillan's integrated real estate investment and design company DDG has emerged as one firm genuinely committed to nurturing and progressing our architectural zoo of a city. Their past projects–345 Meatpacking, 41 Bond Street, XOCO 325, and 12 Warren– transcend common architectural styles, clad in a unique palette of materials and composed of an uncanny mashup of parts informed by context, nature, and technology. DDG's latest exotic specimen comes to the architecturally conservative Upper East Side 'hood of Yorkville, at 180 East 88th Street (1558-1556 Third Avenue). The 32-story, 521-foot development will not only be the team's first uptown building, but also their first high-rise. DDG purchased the three-lot parcel from Muss Development for $70 million in 2013, and groundwork earnestly began last spring.
Lots more details and renderings this way

January 15, 2016

With a Cool Renovation and a Sunroom, This Tiny East Village Home Transcends the Ordinary

It's probably a good idea to start off by saying that this quirky co-op at 228 East 13th Street is comprised of 300 square feet of interior space. That's about the same as the "large" model in most luggage sets. Ok, it's actually bigger than a suitcase, but not by much; that fact aside, there's a lot you can do with a small space. And if you're going to live in one, it might as well be a good one, in a great location–like a gorgeous brick-and-brownstone block of the East Village a few blocks from Union Square and actually near subways. With something special–like a sunroom.
Definitely worth further investigation

Distinctive Homes

January 15, 2016

Behind a Boring Facade Are Cool, Lofty Apartments in Greenpoint

The four-story townhouse at 106 Dupont Street in Greenpoint is nothing to write home about. In fact, it's straight up boring, and it'd be fair to assume the interior was, too. But the building, which was gut renovated in 2006, actually holds some cool apartments inside. It was separated into three units: a super lofty, top-floor duplex with three bedrooms; a middle floor-through apartment with two bedrooms; and a first-floor, floor-through unit with two bedrooms and a private garden. The listing is marketing this as a good investment for "an end-user who wants to collect great rental income," as it's currently occupied by tenants. But they'll have to cough up a lot of cash first: the property is asking $3.78 million.
See the apartments

Distinctive Homes

January 14, 2016

For $450K There’s a Lot to Love About This Sweet Cornelia Street Studio

It's not Valentine's Day yet, but for anyone who's dreamed of a lovely little garrett in the West Village, with plenty of whitewashed brick and an enchanted garden, we can see this impossibly charming studio co-op at 24 Cornelia Street tucked into a heart-shaped box. And the price, a fairly lovable $450,000, might set hearts aflutter, too; it's hard enough to find any apartment in New York City for under $500,000, let alone in the West Village.
See more of this sweet Village studio

Distinctive Homes

January 14, 2016

Two-Bedroom East Village Co-op Asks Just $695,000, but There’s a Catch

In normal circumstances, it would be easy-as-pie to find a buyer for this East Village co-op, located in the five-story building at 268 East 4th Street. The apartment isn't fancy, but it has two bedrooms and 700 square feet. The ask comes in at a very reasonable $695,000, and that's topped with a very reasonable monthly maintenance of $575. But like all things that sound too good to be true in New York City real estate, there's a catch, and it's not even that this is a fourth-floor walkup. The unit comes from an HDFC regulated cooperative, which means that a buyer must meet certain income guidelines to own it.
More details on the cap

January 13, 2016

Plenty of Period Splendor at This $5.5M Park Slope Brownstone