Search Results for: garden

April 19, 2018

Middle-income housing lottery in Bed-Stuy saves renters close to nothing

For the second time in two days, the city's affordable housing portal has opened the application process for a middle-income lottery that's basically no cheaper than the building's regular market-rate units. For example, this opportunity at 867 DeKalb Avenue, a recently constructed rental in Bed-Stuy, is offering 11 units to those earning 115, 125, and 130 percent of the area median income. The "affordable" apartments range from $2,163/month one-bedrooms to $2,716/month two-bedrooms. By comparison, the market-rate units start at $2,100 for one-bedrooms and $2,744 for two-bedrooms.
What's up with that?
April 19, 2018

Why Weehawken? Short commutes and NYC skyline views along the waterfront

Lin Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical phenom Hamilton, tweeted in January that he changed three lyrics for the show’s London opening: John Adams, the Potomac River and Weehawken. According to Miranda, those words were too specific to America. According to Broadway Buzz, “Burr's proposal of a duel in ‘Your Obedient Servant’ now specifically points to New Jersey rather than the town of Weehawken. The Broadway lyric "Weehawken, dawn, guns drawn" has become ‘New Jersey, dawn, guns drawn.’” In July 1804, Alexander Hamilton was mortally wounded during a duel with Aaron Burr in Weehawken and died the following day in New York City. Tragically, Hamilton’s son was killed on the same spot three years earlier. One of the plaques in Alexander Hamilton Park describes many of the other unknown “duelists” who “all came to Weehawken to defend their honor according to the custom of the day. Located on the Hudson River, Weehawken does have a very “American” history but it should be highlighted, not diminished. Ahead, learn the ins and outs of Weehawken, from its historic waterfront parks and duel grounds to its burgeoning real estate scene.
Learn more
April 18, 2018

For only $950K, this tiny townhouse in Stuyvesant Heights has a backyard shed and modern updates

We’re sensing a tiny-townhouse-as-condo-alternative trend here; and why not? Low taxes, backyard space, and basement storage are hard to pass up. This particular version is a stylishly renovated three-bedroom home at 264 Bainbridge Street in pretty Stuyvesant Heights, with an even tinier–but no less adorable–backyard shed in the covetable backyard. It's asking a diminutive-seeming $950,000.
Take a look around
April 18, 2018

Our 2,200sqft: The founders of Ample Hills ice cream give the scoop on their sweet Boerum Hill home

If you've ever indulged in an Ample Hills ice cream cone, you know that their fanciful flavors (Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, the Munchies, and Snap Mallow Pop, just to name a few!) are perfectly matched by the Brooklyn company's whimsical shops. But founders Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith definitely didn't grow in seven years from their first storefront in Prospect Heights to nine locations, including one in Disney World, and a forthcoming Red Hook factory where they'll produce 1 million gallons a year, without a lot of hard work and business smarts. And it's this combination of playfulness and attention to detail that they've carried over to their adorable Boerum Hill home, which they moved into two years ago with their eight-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter. A triplex in a quintessential Brooklyn brownstone, their home has cheery pops of color, mid-century-modern furnishings, and an eclectic mix of decor and family mementos. 6sqft recently visited the couple to tour their space, hear why they love Brooklyn, and learn about Ample Hills' plans.
Tour this sweet home and hear from Brian and Jackie
April 18, 2018

Live in the heart of hip Williamsburg, from $865/month

Via Dattner Architects Although rental prices are dropping in Williamsburg due to the impending L-train shutdown, a recently launched lottery is offering up a can't-miss deal. A brand new building located at 105 South Fifth Street has 38 affordable units up for grabs. In addition to the housing units, the Datter Architects-designed mixed-use project features roughly 4,000 square feet of retail and a 1,000-square-foot medical facility. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for apartments ranging from an $865/month studio to a $1,121/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify
April 18, 2018

Living Lots map helps New Yorkers transform vacant land into community spaces

It's time to think about gardening–a seasonal rite that's something of a challenge for most city-dwellers. Living Lots NYC is a clearinghouse of information that New Yorkers can use to turn vacant land into community spaces. Begun as a pilot project that ran from 2011 to 2015, which led to the to the official transformation of 32 vacant lots, Living Lots NYC was created by community organization 596 Acres as a database that New Yorkers can use to find, unlock, and protect the shared resource of the city's vacant lots. According to the map, at this particular moment, there are 877 sites throughout 626 acres of vacant public land, 18 sites on 8 acres of private land opportunities, and 559 sites on 211 acres to which people have access.
Check out the city's green opportunities
April 16, 2018

100 chances to live at ODA’s Rheingold Brewery development in Bushwick, from $913/month

A lottery launched this week for 100 affordable units at 10 Montieth Street, part of the massive ODA-designed Rheingold Brewery development in Bushwick. The seven-story, 392-unit building topped out last September, with its distinct modular form, sloping rooftop garden and colorful frames. Amenities at the building include a climbing wall, laundry room, interior courtyard, game room, bike storage, children's playroom, art studios and much more. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from $913/studios to $1,183/two-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify
April 12, 2018

For $3.2M, costume jewelry connoisseur Kenneth Jay Lane’s former Stanford White-designed duplex

The two-bedroom duplex owned by late designer Kenneth Jay Lane, best remembered for creating sought-after costume jewelry, hit the market for $3.2 million. The apartment, located at 23 Park Avenue in the James H. and Cornelia V. Robb House, was designed by legendary architect Stanford White. Constructed in 1891, the mansion boasts a beautiful Italian Renaissance Palazzo style. The co-op, where Lane passed away in 2007 at age 85, sits on the second and third floors of the landmarked building, as the New York Post reported.
See inside
April 12, 2018

The 15 best gyms in NYC residential buildings

Jay Wright, founder and CEO of The Wright Fit, a gym design and management consultancy, is behind many of the gorgeous gyms in high-end NYC residential buildings, from 15 Central Park West to 56 Leonard. The Wright Fit has a very specific philosophy that guides their design and programming for their clients’ facilities. “That philosophy is called centerpoint strategy. The goal of is to create balance, functional longevity, and optimal quality of life for our clients and the residents of the building. We are trying to get people off of fixed path motion machines, where the actual machines define the path of motion, and teach people about their bodies. We like to challenge people to evolve their way of thinking.” Wright says that time and proximity are the biggest barriers to working out. By creating gorgeous gyms in residential buildings, those two barriers are eliminated. So if you live one of these buildings with amazing gyms, let us envy you as you run down the stairs (forget the elevator) and start sweating. Ahead, we've rounded up the 15 best residential gyms that are getting New Yorkers' heart rates pumping.
Check out our list without breaking a sweat
April 12, 2018

Upper East Side townhouse asks $30M in U.S. dollars or $45M in Bitcoin

Last month, New York City had its first cryptocurrency real estate closing. The next week, an owner of the Plaza floated the idea of selling a "Plaza Token" to a group of foreign investors. Now, hedge fund founder and tech investor Claudio Guazzoni de Zanett, the owner of the landmarked townhouse at 10 East 76th Street, is asking one price in US dollars and a higher value in digital currencies due to their volatility. He is willing to accept bitcoin, Ethereum or Ripple. "I’m a true believer in these networks, but it’s very volatile," Zanett told the Wall Street Journal. "They could be down 60% in two weeks."
Find out more
April 10, 2018

First look at 3 World Trade Center’s huge outdoor terrace

Rendering via Silverstein Properties New renderings have been unveiled for an 11,000-square-foot outdoor terrace at 3 World Trade Center, expected to open when the skyscraper does so in June. Designed by Ken Smith Workshop, the space will be fully landscaped and feature a lush garden. As the first outdoor terrace on the World Trade Center campus, 3 WTC tenants will enjoy unbeatable views of 1 WTC and the WTC Transportation Hub. Another perk? A special operator will serve coffee to tenants in a furnished, canopied area on the terrace.
Find out more
April 10, 2018

With Pfizer as an anchor tenant, construction on Bjarke Ingels’ Spiral tower will begin in June

Rendering via Tishman Speyer With an anchor tenant and necessary financing secured, Tishman Speyer announced on Tuesday plans to officially begin construction this June on Bjarke Ingels' 65-story office tower planned for Hudson Yards, the Spiral. The developer has reached a deal with Pfizer, a biopharmaceutical company, for an 800,000 square-foot lease at the Spiral, and has secured funding for the $3.7 billion project. The Spiral will reach 1,031 feet high and boast a facade of cascading landscaped terraces and hanging gardens. The tower will spread an entire block, stretching from West 34th to West 35th Streets and 10th Avenue to the Hudson Park and Boulevard.
More this way
April 9, 2018

This $4M Park Slope Passive House is as green and efficient as it is chic and livable

Though it would be an enviable Brooklyn townhouse even without the certification, this unique  home at 331 8th Street in Park Slope got a complete Passive House retrofit in 2013. It's a shining 21st century energy-efficient example; better yet, the home's many period details were preserved. Asking $4 million, the 3,675 square-foot three-story home has wood molding, original doors and slate mantles across four bedrooms, three full baths, a powder room and a fully finished basement. A total of four outdoor spaces multiplies what we love about townhouse living.
Take the tour
April 9, 2018

Six things you didn’t know about Arthur Avenue and Bronx Little Italy

This post is part of a series by the Historic Districts Council, exploring the groups selected for their Six to Celebrate program, New York’s only targeted citywide list of preservation priorities. The Bronx's Belmont community can date its history all the way back to 1792, when French tobacconist Pierre Abraham Lorillard opened the Lorillard Snuff Mill as the first tobacco firm in the country, and possibly the world. European influences continued to proliferate in the area, and at the turn of the 19th century, flocks of Italian immigrants moved to Belmont to take jobs in the newly opened Botanical Gardens and Bronx Zoo. By 1913, the neighborhood was referred to as the Italian "colonies" in the Bronx. Today, Belmont's main artery, Arthur Avenue, still thrives as a bustling Italian center, with countless restaurants, pastry shops, butchers, and more. But there's a lot more to Belmont than just spaghetti and cannoli. From the origins of a pasta shop's sign that's now featured on Broadway to a Neapolitan restaurant that was born in Cairo, Egypt, the Belmont BID shares six secrets of this saucy neighborhood.
Uncover the history ahead
April 5, 2018

REVEALED: New renderings of Domino Sugar Factory’s waterfront park and esplanade

Almost a year to date since the first renderings were revealed for Domino Park, the 11-acre park and waterfront esplanade that will anchor the three-million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development at the Domino Sugar Factory site, a new batch of views has been released by developer Two Trees, and they showcase everything from an urban "beach" to a better look at how preserved artifacts from the historic factory will be incorporated throughout. Designed by James Corner Field Operations (of the High Line fame), the park is scheduled to open this summer, ahead of most of the buildings.
All the renderings and details ahead
April 5, 2018

Renderings revealed for Annabelle Selldorf’s $160M Frick Collection expansion

The Frick Collection has unveiled its $160 million Selldorf Architects-designed upgrade and expansion, which will open up the private living quarters of Henry Clay Frick's original 1914 home to the public for the first time. As the New York Times explained, the renderings illustrate a plan to expand the existing building's second level, add two set-back stories above the music room, and an addition behind the library that will match its seven-story height. These will house a 220-seat underground auditorium, an education center with classrooms, in addition to a renovated lobby and larger museum shop.
More details and renderings ahead
April 4, 2018

ODA’s proposed Chinatown ‘Dragon Gate’ pavilion interweaves tradition and modernity

As many other New York City ethnic neighborhoods have diminished or disappeared over the years, Chinatown continues to grow and prosper. Roughly bound by borders at Hester and Worth Streets to the north and south, and Essex and Broadway to the east and west, Chinatown is home to largest ethnic Chinese population outside of Asia. With this in mind, architecture firm ODA New York, known for prioritizing people over architecture, has proposed a unique and beautiful new gateway to the neighborhood at the Canal Street Triangle. ODA’s typical designs can be a bit boxy, constructed with heavier materials, but there is always a lightness to them, whether through the infusion of glass, archways, or greenery. Combining new technology with traditional Chinese symbolism, “Dragon Gate” will delicately weave the duality of Chinatown’s old and new into a strong structure, both in symbolism and material.
More renderings and details ahead
April 3, 2018

15 art museums outside NYC worth the trip

New York City is filled with amazing art so why go any further? Because there are some spectacular museums with extraordinary collections set in nearby locales that demand attention. Art can be appreciated for the work itself but taken within its context and history, it can be so much more. 6sqft found a variety of incredibly interesting art destinations in the tri-state area that are worth a trip. Perhaps when planning your next staycation or day-trip, choose one of these museums to set your itinerary.
Check out our list of the top 15
April 3, 2018

La Central, 992-unit affordable Bronx development, ramps up construction

As 6sqft previously reported, after getting the green light for La Central, a new development that would bring nearly 1,000 units of affordable housing to the site of the Bronx Zoo-bordering Lambert Houses, construction on phase 1 of the project is well underway. Welcome2TheBronx reports that a 160-unit building D at Bergen Avenue and 152nd Street, a supportive housing building for formerly homeless individuals, is almost topped out and is scheduled to be finished by the summer of 2019. Two more buildings in the 992 unit, 1.1-million-square-foot Hudson Companies, Inc, development have broken ground.
Find out more
March 30, 2018

Brooklyn Army Terminal getting a solar panel pilot program; Largest Chick-fil-A ever opens in FiDi

An outdoor sculpture garden made of trash is coming to the City Reliquary. [Untapped Cities] The city is looking to cover a 100,000-square-foot rooftop at the Brooklyn Army Terminal with solar panels. Residents and business owners would pay for the solar power through a monthly membership fee. [amNY] A five-story + rooftop terrace Chik-fil-A–the largest […]

March 29, 2018

Lottery launches for 124 middle-income units in East Harlem, from $822/month

A brand new East Harlem mixed-use development, known as Acacia Gardens, now has 124 middle- income apartments up for grabs. The 12-story brick building at 411 East 120th Street, the site of a former parking lot, includes over 180,000 square feet of residential space. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from an $822/month studio to a $1,706/month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify
March 29, 2018

Essex Street Market announces more vendors for new Essex Crossing location

This week's announcement of more vendors that will make up the inaugural roster for Essex Street Market's new home at the Essex Crossing mega-development included some favorites from around the city along with current faces, reports Bedford + Bowery. New to the market when the 24-story building at 115 Delancey Street opens will be Williamsburg's Middle Eastern takeout spot Samesa, East Village herbal apothecary Roots, Fort Greene florist Saffron and Union Square Greenmarket regular Josephine's Feast!
What else is in the works?
March 28, 2018

The final frontier of history and hip: Developments and amenities shaping the Lower East Side

For many New Yorkers, the Lower East Side is one neighborhood that still has a lot of authenticities and good 'ole New York grit left. It has been described as Manhattan’s "last frontier of cool. The promised land of old as well as new... Where the Godfather lives side by side with a hipster movie." Put more tangibly by Benjamin Baccash of Taconic Investment Partners, the developer of LES's Essex Crossing, "The Lower East Side has wonderful restaurants, art galleries, and great street life. It’s a real neighborhood and that’s what a lot of people are looking for." In addition to great diversity, personality, and transportation, the city is undertaking huge improvements on the east river waterfront, and developers are erecting new developments at all corners of the 'hood. Ahead, 6sqft takes a look at everything that's keeping the Lower East Side a vestige of old New York during its contemporary resurgence, from massive projects like Essex Crossing to a booming art gallery scene.
As Irving Berlin once said, “Everybody ought to have a Lower East Side in their life.”
March 27, 2018

A baronial co-op belonging to designer Francine Coffey asks $2.25M on the Upper East Side

Designer Francine Coffey brought an elegant aestheitc--inspired by American history and the Federal era--to her co-op spanning the full parlor floor of the Upper East Side mansion at 36 East 69th Street. The prewar, baronial-feeling home spans 1,425 square feet, all of it dripping with lavish details that include fireplaces, French doors, wood moldings and decorative ceilings. Coffey has listed the grand spread for a grand total of $2.25 million.
Go inside
March 27, 2018

The best stylish suburban staycations outside NYC

A staycation used to be a term people used when they were staying home and trying to make their non-vacation seem less pathetic when everyone else was hopping on a plane to an exciting locale. Now, the definition has broadened to not going far away. Thankfully, there are many staycation options to choose from in the New York City orbit - even if you limit the distance to the surrounding suburbs. Although a suburban staycation may not come to mind when you think “luxurious getaway,” not only are there amazing local options for gorgeous retreats but think of how relaxed you will be without all the headaches of travel. 6sqft found three luxurious suburban retreats less than an hour from Grand Central that can rival any five-star destination abroad. These inns are only “suburban” in their locale. Everything from their level of service to their design-forward decor will transport you far from your daily grind.
Start making your staycation plans