Search Results for: garden

On Monday, the New York Times reported about the listing of an Upper West Side house at 24 West 71st Street – "a historically significant granite-and-iron-spot-brick townhouse with fanciful terra-cotta embellishments and distinctive interior millwork." The stately residence sold for $4.3 million back in 1996, setting a record for the neighborhood. Now, 20 years later, it's back and is looking to reclaim its title of most expensive townhouse sale on the UWS. The home is asking $29 million, more than the current record holder 247 Central Park West, which sold for $25 million earlier this year. The 7,134-square-foot house was built in 1892 by architects Lamb and Rich, and it underwent a $1 million renovation in 1988 that turned it from a ten-unit apartment building back to a single-family mansion, surely helping seal the record-breaking sale in '96 to current owners Arrien and Robin Schiltkamp. According to the just-launched listing, "Immaculately maintained, the six-bedroom, six and a half-bath townhouse has retained the gorgeous original details that infuse every corner, while augmenting them with opulence by Jonathan Rosen Interiors." Some enviable features of the home include six bedrooms; an elevator; a private, south-facing back garden; top-floor terrace; almost all of the original woodwork; stained glass windows; a 400-pound original door; ten gas fireplaces; and a Japanese-inspired spa.
Find out all about the townhouse

August 11, 2015

My 350sqft: A Modern Bachelor Opens Up His Creative and Clever Brooklyn Heights Studio

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Brooklyn Heights. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch! When we typically think of bachelor pads, we imagine dark rooms, garbage bags full of empty beer cans, and heaping piles of clothes that aren't discernibly clean or dirty. But today's generation of single man is out to dispel the frat-guy stereotype. Take for example investor relations associate Owen Boyle, whose colorful Brooklyn Heights studio is perfectly curated and ridiculously organized. Though the first-floor pad on Pineapple Street is only 350 square feet, the mix of creative decor and clever design make for a home that is sure to entice any interior design-loving lady. Owen worked with a good friend and designer to transform his first solo apartment into a funky mix of Jersey Shore nostalgia (where he grew up), Brooklyn hip (there's a record player), and laid-back professionalism (see his impressive tie collection). He recently let us in his home, where everything from his shoehorn to the American flag has personal meaning.
Tour this modern bachelor pad here

August 11, 2015

One-Bedroom Co-Op Inside a Romanesque Revival Mansion Asks $665K

If you can't afford a mansion in Brooklyn, that doesn't mean you can't own an apartment inside of one. This one-bedroom co-op is nestled within a Romanesque Revival mansion located at 784 Carroll Street in Park Slope. It was designed by the architect Charles Werner in 1889, who has other work in Park Slope, Fort Greene, Prospect Park South and Prospect Heights. The listing, of course, speaks highly of the unique building: "784 Carroll Street's captivating facade combines lush greenery with picturesque nineteenth century architecture." The asking price of this unit is $665,000, significantly lower than an actual mansion, not to mention much of the real estate now on the market in Park Slope.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

August 11, 2015

Developer Avoids Rent-Stabilized Tenants by Building Luxury Condos on Top of Them

By Diane Pham

Here's a clever new move for the developer playbook: If you want to keep rent-stabilized tenants from interfering with your plans for ultra-posh condos, just build your pricey pads on top of them. According to the Times, the Department of Buildings (DOB) recently approved the construction of a 10-story luxury condo directly above a 1950s six-story apartment structure at 711 West End Avenue. Because the rent-stabilized tenants in the existing building are protected by law from getting the boot, Kaled Management and developer P2B Ventures dreamt up this sly alternative to buying out tenants, or waiting for unit de-regulation to build anew.
More on their plan here

New Developments

August 11, 2015

Be Woody Allen’s Neighbor for $80K a Month in This Historic Upper East Side Townhouse

Trophy purchase, short-term refuge, or family home? Take your pick. This impressive and unique townhouse at 116 East 70th Street was previously owned by philanthropist George Soros’s ex, Susan Weber Soros, who bought the 5,688-square-foot home in 2012 for $22.5 million and proceeded to see it through a thorough renovation, updating infrastructure and interiors and installing every 21st-century comfort known to stratospherically-priced townhouse-owning man (or woman, as the case was). Post-renovation, the barrel-fronted, copper-clad townhouse changed hands in an off-market deal to an anonymous LLC for $31 million. The house was back on the market again for $33 million last February after only four months. With its price pared down to $28 million, it’s still seeking a buyer, but is now having a go at the rental market, too. The stunning single-family manse–all five floors of it–is being offered for $80,000 a month, which comes with the caché of calling Woody Allen your next-door neighbor.
Tour the house, this way

Another 1,000-Foot-Plus Tower Moves Forward Near South Street Seaport

Rendering created by CityRealty based on the reported height

August 7, 2015

Another 1,000-Foot-Plus Tower Moves Forward Near South Street Seaport

By Diane Pham

There's no slowing down the city's supertall boom. Crain's reports yet another 1,000-foot plus tall tower could soon be joining the New York City skyline, rising at the combined sites of 80 South Street and 163 Front Street. Chinese investment company China Oceanwide Holdings released a statement saying they would be purchasing the development parcels for $390 million through a U.S. subsidiary from current owner Howard Hughes Corporation. The new tower will sit just south of the South Street Seaport, and amid a grouping of other tall, but not quite as tall, towers.
FInd out more here

August 7, 2015

Live in This Cool, Summery Duplex Located in an 1851 Church for $8,750

One thing we can say about this apartment currently for rent at 215 Degraw Street (a.k.a. 56 Strong Place) in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn: The listing broker likes it. She writes, and we quote: "...this incredible 3 bedroom 3 bath duplex offers more to one lucky renter than this writer can ever hope to convey." But she gives it a shot just the same, explaining that for a mere $8,750 a month, you can bag "The triple Crown of Rentals!" She says more, too, but let's take a look at what's causing all this excitement. First, Landmark at Strong Place is a circa 1851 Gothic Revival church that was converted into a 23-unit condominium in 2010. So already it's more interesting than your average apartment.
And there's more! (this way)

Distinctive Homes

August 6, 2015

Bold Renovation by Ghislaine Viñas Seeks to Make This the Coolest Townhouse in Tribeca

Where to even begin with the renovation of this Tribeca townhouse on Warren Street? The neon colors? The insane art collection? The spiral staircase? The sheep? Needless to say, this project by Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design, also of Tribeca, nearly defies description. It's big, it's bold, it's fun, it looks like something out of a storybook. In fact, the design firm is no stranger to this kind of work–they designed the infamous 80-foot slide that winds through a FiDi penthouse. Do we dare say that this renovation, sans slide, looks like just as much fun?
See more

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 8/6-8/8

Michael Alan’s Living Installation

August 6, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 8/6-8/8

By Lori Zimmer

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 end of week picks for 6sqft readers! One of the busiest art shows I've ever seen returns to New York this week- Spoke Art's annual Wes Anderson-themed exhibition "Bad Dads," which attracts collectors, fans and those who love to dress like his characters (always a lot of fun). Artist Brian Leo's colorful myriad of cartoony drawings open at Amy Li, a massive group show curated by Melissa Mccain-Welles kicks off at Azart Gallery, and cutesy arty toy store My Plastic Heart hosts a two-person East vs. West Coast Show. The gorgeous grounds of Wave Hill in the Bronx invite guests to chat with artists in their current show after perusing the gardens, and Michael Alan brings his "living installation" for visitors to become a part of for its 13th anniversary.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

August 6, 2015

BuzzFeed Editor Picks Up a $2.25M Harlem Townhouse

By Annie Doge

Listicles must certainly be profitable. Mark Schoofs, BuzzFeed News' investigations and projects editor, just picked up a $2.25 two-family Harlem townhouse, according to property records released today. The buy comes just a few months after we uncovered that New York Times editor Frank Bruni bought an Upper West Side apartment for $1.65, leaving many wondering just how "struggling" are writers these days? Schoofs' new home was constructed only seven years ago and has two units on six floors. The larger five-bedroom residence, where we assume the homeowner will live, occupies the top four floors and has three balconies, a terrace, and a duplex roof deck. The other two-bedroom unit on the first two floors has access to the back patio and garden.
Take a look around

August 6, 2015

Michael Hilgers’ BalKonzept Will Turn Your Fire Escape Into an Outdoor Office

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

City dwellers who are lucky enough to have a balcony (or maybe just a fire escape) and who also work at home now have the perfect setup for the warmer months. German designer Michael Hilgers created a brilliant balcony desk that hooks onto the railing to hold a laptop or papers. Dubbed BalKonzept, this extremely lightweight design comes complete with an integrated flowerbox, so you can have both a perfect outdoor workstation and a garden.
Learn more about this makeshift balcony desk

August 6, 2015

First Look at 22-Story Expansion of Downtown Brooklyn’s Hampton Inn Hotel

By Ondel Hylton

We all know Brooklyn's residential market is scorching hot, but its hotel market is booming as well. Two hotels recently opened at the borough's Manhattan Bridge entryway, the 174-room Dazzler Brooklyn Hotel and the 116-room Hampton Inn. The latter has just begun construction on a 145-room expansion on an adjacent lot at 156 Tillary Street, and we've uncovered the first look at what the 22-story Stonehill & Taylor Architects-designed tower will look like (an encore to the striped-brick banality that rose in the first phase).
More details ahead

August 6, 2015

Huge Head Made of Reclaimed Materials Lands in Tribeca; 131 Years of the Dakota

By Alyssa Alimurung

Artist Nicholas Holiber crafts a big head out of reclaimed materials that’ll be on display in Tribeca Park until September. [Contemporist] From brothels to boutiques, GreeneStreet.nyc maps out 400 years of one Soho street’s gentrification. [WIRED] CUNY professor William Helmreich did something meshuga (our new favorite word): He walked every block in every borough. [CBS […]

Uncategorized

August 5, 2015

The Many Lives, and Miraculous Recovery, of NYC’s First Cancer Hospital

Walking down Central Park West from the north end of the park, it's hard to miss the castle-like structure on the corner of 105th Street. The facade is dominated by great conical towers, majestic turrets, deep red brick, and a soft Belleville brownstone. A closer look reveals stained glass windows and intricate stonework, all convincing details that someone went out to build a fairy-tale castle on the perimeter of Central Park. Among the surrounding townhouses and co-op buildings, it's a stunning piece of architecture that looks like it doesn't quite belong. Indeed, the story of how this building, constructed at 455 Central Park West in 1887, still stands is an unlikely one that is rooted in medical history–a dark medical history, at that. This was New York's first cancer hospital, and the first hospital in the United States dedicated specifically to its treatment. This was a time when cancer treatment was unfamiliar to most doctors–in the back of the castle was a crematorium and smokestack that was often in use. After the hospital's closure in 1955, it became a notorious nursing home known for mistreating its patients. When investigations caused the nursing home to close in 1974, the building was left to rot. Not until a redevelopment plan took off in 2000 was it restored into a luxury condo development. Today, despite its grim past, it remains an important piece of New York's medical and architectural history.
Keep reading for the full story

August 5, 2015

Brooklyn’s Greenest Blocks Are in Bed-Stuy and Fort Greene; LES Getting Second Cat Cafe

Here’s why NYC airports have so many delays. [Business Insider] The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has announced the winners of its annual Greenest Block contest, and the winners are in Bed-Stuy and Fort Greene. [Curbed] A year after the Meow Parlour opened, the Lower East Side is getting its second cat cafe. [Bowery Boogie] Have a […]

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Want to Enter an Affordable Housing Lottery? You’ll Be up Against 696 Other Applicants

Photo via Wiki Commons

August 4, 2015

Want to Enter an Affordable Housing Lottery? You’ll Be up Against 696 Other Applicants

By Heather Cooper Vivares and Amanda Cozens

Photo via Wiki Commons According to a new report from the Daily News, for every affordable apartment offered through the city's housing lotteries since 2013, there were 696 applicants, leaving you with a measly 0.14 percent chance of being selected. "All told, there were 2.9 million applications for 4,174 affordable units available from 72 lotteries run by the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)," says the News, yet another signifier that average New Yorkers are struggling to pay ever-increasing rents.
Find out more here

August 3, 2015

Actors and Filmmakers of Tribeca: The Movie Mecca Downtown

With its cobblestone streets, quirky artists' lofts and industrial-chic architecture, Tribeca is a hot spot for filming movies and television scenes. This past spring, we did a round up of the musicians that call Tribeca home; now we're taking a look at the flock of actors and filmmakers who have made the move to the 'hood's picturesque streets. Tribeca's most famous resident, Robert De Niro, is often credited with transforming the neighborhood into the vibrant place we know today by opening multiple restaurants, developing property, and most notably creating the world-famous Tribeca Film Festival. In addition to De Niro, we mapped out Tribeca's celebrity residents who are famous onscreen and behind the scenes. Ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow's "fuzzy nap zones" with river views to Lena Dunham's artist loft from "Tiny Furniture," it's clear that celebrities feel at home in Tribeca.
More details and our celeb map

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 7/30-8/2

Image via Wendy Perrin

July 30, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 7/30-8/2

By Lori Zimmer

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 end of week picks for 6sqft readers! A weekend of adventure awaits your beckoning call. Choose your own adventure: a cruise on the high seas whilst dressed as a sea monster (or sea siren if that's your preference), sleep amidst the taxidermy animals at an adult sleepover hosted by the American Museum of Natural History, or get dirty and explore "Old New York" through trash at Dead Horse Bay with Abandoned NYC. Feeling less adventurous? You can always learn about our ever-changing city at Van Alen's latest exhibition with the Gentrification Lab NYC, which reconnects the role of architecture with expansion. Try out a different kind of studio visit with dancer and artist Jillian Peña, who will perform her new architecturally-influenced dance and actually take time to explain it to visitors, or check a screening of the Swedish film making waves with its representation of transgender life at Pioneer Works. Enjoy the new José Parlá pieces outdoors at The Standard High Line while sipping cocktails from the garden. Lastly, trek to Times Square late at night as artists Os Gemeos take over the ad screens for Midnight Moment all month long.
All the best events to check out here

July 30, 2015

Historic Grandeur and an Architect’s Eye for Modern Design Meet in This Prospect Heights Townhouse

We've featured the work of this home's current owners–principals at WE Design–before, including the architects' previous home, and this latest oeuvre (or possibly magnum opus) is yet another impressive example. Though the luck of having a great house to begin with helps, this 4,100-square-foot, four-story beauty at 390 Sterling Place, on what is arguably the prettiest street in prime Prospect Heights, hits all the high notes after an amazing renovation. For lovers of historic homes there are pristine original details at every turn. For modern interior design fans the renovation has meant the latest and greatest in appliances and fixtures (including central A/C and "new everything") and a perfectly on-trend clean and modern look throughout. At $4.25 million, it's a big price tag, but the location is super-prime–and so is the home.
Tour this grand and gorgeous home, this way

Distinctive Homes

July 30, 2015

Former Nets Star Deron Williams Lists Trophy Tribeca Penthouse for $33.5M

By Annie Doge

Now that he's taking over as the starting point guard for the Dallas Mavericks, Deron Williams is parting ways with his massive Tribeca penthouse. The Post reports that the former Nets star has listed the 6,800-square-foot duplex at 35 North Moore Street for $33.5 million. The stunning, six-bedroom "trophy" apartment also boasts 3,000 square feet of private outdoor gardens, huge 17-foot ceilings with wrap-around skylights, a climate-controlled wine room, and a custom-made floating staircase.
Check it out here

July 30, 2015

Bidding Wars and Over-Ask Sales on the Rise in Brownstone Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Homes in brownstone Brooklyn neighborhoods have been selling over the asking price and bidding wars are becoming even more commonplace, according to DNAinfo. In the second quarter of 2015, for example, homes in Prospect Heights and Park Slope were selling for 4 percent over their asking price–the highest percentage seen in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
Find out where to expect bidding wars

Real Estate Trends

My 1,000sqft: Tour an Interior Designer’s Classic Greenwich Village Apartment and Terrace

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the heart of Greenwich Village. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch!

July 29, 2015

My 1,000sqft: Tour an Interior Designer’s Classic Greenwich Village Apartment and Terrace

Sylvia Jacobson used to walk around Greenwich Village's winding, leafy streets, admiring the old buildings and dreaming that one day she'd live in the picturesque neighborhood. And 38 years ago, she did just that. When she and her husband moved into their fifth-floor walkup they had a lot of work to do–from putting up shelves and drawers in the little kitchen, to creating a multi-purpose room that could serve as a den as well as a studio for Sylvia's writing and interior design careers, to creating a usable terrace on an empty rooftop space. Now, almost four decades later, the apartment has withstood the test of time, bringing together clever design ideas and classic decor. We were lucky enough to get a tour of this 1,000-square-foot home and its stunning 500-square-foot terrace, complete with views of neighboring buildings and even One World Trade Center. Join us to see how elegant, tasteful design never goes out of style.
Step inside Sylvia's home here

July 29, 2015

Modern Mansion Spanning 8,000 Square Feet Asks $13 Million on the Upper West Side