Search Results for: garden

Looking for beachfront living that's only a train ride away from Manhattan? Here's your answer. This three-bedroom condo has hit the market in the Far Rockaways, at 124-11 Rockaway Beach Boulevard. It's got all the right beachy interior details: open floorplan, big windows, two outdoor spaces, private parking, and a washer/dryer unit to clean your swimsuits and towels. Because, of course, the location is just a mere block from the Rockaway boardwalk and beachfront. After selling in 2015 for $492,000, it's now asking a hair under $600,000.
Take a tour inside

Distinctive Homes

July 31, 2017

INTERVIEW: Architect Rick Cook on the legacy of COOKFOX’s sustainable design in NYC

Since its founding in 1990, COOKFOX Architects has become one of the most recognized names in New York City real estate. In the firm's early days, founding partner Rick Cook found a niche in historically-sensitive building design, looking for opportunities to "[fill] in the missing voids of the streetscape," as he put it. After teaming up with Bob Fox in 2003, the pair worked to establish COOKFOX as an expert in both contextual and sustainable development. They designed the first LEED Platinum skyscraper in New York City with the Durst family, the Bank of America Tower, then took on a number of projects with the goal of designing healthier workplaces. The firm also got attention for its work in landmarks districts, winning AIA-New York State awards for its mixed-use development at 401 West 14th Street (better known as the Apple store) and its revamp of the the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. (The firm also made it the first LEED-certified theater in the city.)
6sqft's conversation with Rick fox here

July 30, 2017

Bright apartment on the full floor of a West Village townhouse asks $6,500/month

Somewhere along the line, the historic Federal period townhouse at 428 Hudson Street was broken up into four apartments. And now theres' the opportunity to rent this one, which occupies the townhouse's entire third floor. If you don't mind the walk-up, the apartment offers two bedrooms and two bathrooms over 1,200 square feet. The large, open living space is decorated with a fireplace and hardwood floors, while sunshine comes in from exposures to the east and west. For this calm, quiet pad perched atop a West Village townhouse, it'll cost $6,500 per month.
Take a look

July 27, 2017

Billionaires are clamoring to move into this Montauk trailer park

Owning a "box of air on the land" at the Montauk Shores trailer park has become the ultimate status symbol for summering rich and famous, reports the New York Post. From "glorified changing room" after a day at the beach to compact escape chamber, denizens of the boho-chic beach town have snapped up so many modular mobile homes at the Montauk trailer park that it now has its own "Billionaires' Corner." The trailer park wasn't always trendy; it began as a pop-up tent campsite in the 1940s and ’50s, eventually becoming a resort of sorts for police and firefighters, teachers and fishermen.
More history of this hip mobile hideaway

July 27, 2017

CetraRuddy proposes sustainable designs for first office building along the Village’s ‘Silicon Alley’

By Dana Schulz

An "oversized Silicon Alley" is what some are calling Mayor de Blasio's plan to transform Union Square and its southern stretches into the city's next tech hub. The main component so far is the massive Union Square Tech Hub proposed to replace the P.C. Richard & Son building on East 14th Street, but Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation are advocating that, in exchange for the building, the city rezone the surrounding blocks to prevent an influx of out-of-scale development. Despite their oppositions, CetraRuddy has revealed on their site two environmentally friendly proposals for the site at 799 Broadway, the former home of the St. Denis Hotel at the southwest corner of East 11th Street. Spotted by CityRealty, the 240-foot, 17-story office building would be the first catering to the Mayor's tech dreams, though the renderings are merely conceptual at this point.
All the renderings and details ahead

July 25, 2017

$350K UES studio designed in the ’80s by Adam Tihany resembles a luxury train car

A quirky studio designed by the interior designer Adam Tihany, praised as one of the greatest American interior architects by the New York Times, has hit the market for $350,000. The design has essentially remained unchanged since the apartment was featured in an early 1980s issue of Metropolitan Home, which compared the design to that of a luxury train car. According to the listing, this modest interior, packed with inventive storage, is an early example of Tihany's world renowned hotel work (some of his commissions include the Mandarin Oriental in Vegas, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and two Four Seasons in Dubai). It's located in the 16-unit Upper East Side co-op 223 East 78th Street, which has one more studio for sale asking $315,000.
Check it all out

Distinctive Homes

A rejected design for Central Park from 1858 shows colorful, whimsical topiaries

John Rink’s rejected design proposal for Central Park, via NY Historical Society

July 24, 2017

A rejected design for Central Park from 1858 shows colorful, whimsical topiaries

Central Park, which celebrated its 164th anniversary this month, required elaborate planning to make it what it is today: the most visited urban park in the country. New York City launched a design competition in 1857 for the development of the open space between Manhattan’s 59th and 110th Streets. Most New Yorkers know that out of 33 total entrants, the city chose Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's "Greensward Plan." However, just five of the losing designs survived and can be seen at the New York Historical Society. One particularly unique design was submitted by park engineer John Rink, who planned Central Park to be highly decorated with whimsically shaped sections dominated by topiaries (h/t Slate).
Find out more

July 21, 2017

In Williamsburg, an 1800s brick townhouse built for dockworkers asks $2M

This Williamsburg property comes from a row of townhomes along North 9th Street originally built in the 1870s for dockworkers. Those days are long gone, and the three-bedroom home is now asking $1.995 million. The interior, admittedly, isn't stunning--as the listing says, you'll need to "bring your architect and/or designer to realize this property's full potential." But the house does come with a prime 'burg location, air rights to build an addition, and a wonderfully deep, lush backyard garden.
You have to see this green space

Distinctive Homes

New City Council bill would create a comprehensive urban agriculture plan for New York

Image courtesy of Gotham Greens.

July 21, 2017

New City Council bill would create a comprehensive urban agriculture plan for New York

A new bill introduced in New York City Council Thursday addresses the need for an urban agriculture plan that doesn't fall through the cracks of the city's zoning and building regulations, the Wall Street Journal reports. The bill, introduced by Councilman Rafael Espinal and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and assigned to the Land Use Committee, also raises the possibility of an office of urban agriculture. If a New York City farm bill seems surprising, you may also be surprised to know that NYC has the country's largest urban agriculture system, including community gardens, rooftop farms and greenhouses.
Outgrowing the system

July 20, 2017

Colorful Pop art-filled East Village townhouse designed by Annabelle Selldorf asks $7.5M

The neighborhood is known for its tiny, cramped apartments, so living in an East Village townhouse already seems impossibly fortunate. But this four-story, 5,200-square-foot townhouse at 26 East 5th Street has the extra bragging rights to a top-to-toe renovation by starchitect Annabelle Selldorf. Built in 1900, this single-family home uses a 35-foot deep extension to add light and square footage, and the current residents have packed those square feet with a colorful Pop art collection and perfectly imperfect details. Minus the art, it's asking $7.5 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

July 19, 2017

Strikingly modern duplex rents for $15,000/month in a historic West Village co-op

A renter gets the best of both worlds at this West Village apartment: a modern duplex with lofty, white interiors set in a historic, 1848 Greek Revival building along a cobblestone street. The building in question is 288 West 12th Street, a five-floor, eight-unit co-op. This particular three-bedroom can be rented for a cool $15,000 a month. Over 1,525 square feet, there are details like a wood-burning fireplace, 18-foot ceilings, and customized closets, not to mention access to a 350-square-foot private garden space.
See more of the modern pad

Distinctive Homes

July 19, 2017

New York State gets approved for $550M loan for new Moynihan Station

The first phase of Governor Cuomo’s plan to revamp Penn Station wrapped up last month with two new entrances opening on the corners of West 31st and West 33rd Streets and Eighth Avenue. Plus, the West End Concourse was expanded and now boasts a new color scheme, LED screens and murals. Adding to the project's progress, the state was approved for a federal loan on Tuesday for up to $550 million for the second phase of the plan, which will convert the Farley Post Office across the street into Moynihan Train Hall, expanding Penn Station floor space by 50 percent, as reported by Politico NY.
Find out more

July 18, 2017

Asking $6,800/month, this compact Nolita penthouse has a sweet rooftop terrace

This effervescent and efficient top-floor apartment at 14 Prince Street in chic downtown boutique district Nolita has just arrived on the rental market. For $6,800 a month the compact, smartly renovated "penthouse" spans 920 square feet, has one (big) bedroom and offers the rare-in-NYC bonus of a private terrace.
See the rest of this bright Nolita pad

July 17, 2017

‘Mad Men’-looking studio along Brooklyn Bridge Park asks $810K

This studio apartment at One Brooklyn Bridge Park looks straight off the set of "Mad Men." The owner managed to pack plenty of mid-century modern design into just 589 square feet while creating an inventive layout that creates some private spaces within the apartment. Best yet, the studio comes with a big wall of windows, a common feature throughout the Brooklyn Heights development, which leads out to a private terrace. After last selling in 2013 for $672,045, the studio is now on the market asking $810,000.
Check out the creative layout

Distinctive Homes

Beekeeping finds a home throughout NYC’s five boroughs

Image via The Co-Op Group Urban Bees’ Revolution

July 17, 2017

Beekeeping finds a home throughout NYC’s five boroughs

By Cait Etherington

On June 1, the United Nations joined a growing local trend—they installed three apiary yards, better known as beehives, on their grounds in midtown Manhattan. The UN is hopeful that by summer’s end, their 150 bees will turn into a thriving colony of 250,000 bees. If this happens, the UN bees will not be alone. There are millions of bees buzzing around the five boroughs and not only in the backyards of earthy residents in neighborhoods like Park Slope and Greenpoint. From the rooftops of high-rises in Manhattan to community gardens stretching from the Bronx to Staten Island, New York City is home to thousands of active beehives, but this wasn’t always the case Prior to a 2010 ruling, beekeeping existed in the five boroughs but only under the radar. At the time, the city deemed beekeeping to be as dangerous as keeping cobras, tarantulas, or hyenas on one’s property. Indeed, if caught, underground beekeepers faced hefty fines of up to $2000. Since the 2010 ruling that legalized beekeeping, both bees and beekeepers have been on the rise citywide and so have organizations and services designed to help residents explore apiculture.
learn more about beekeeping in the city

July 17, 2017

Emma Stone’s former Chelsea townhouse gets a price chop and new looks inside

Back in January 6sqft reported that the 25-by-85-foot landmarked Greek Revival townhouse at 436 West 20th Street--with 9,000 square feet of interior space and a fully-stacked celebrity pedigree--had been re-listed for $19.75 million. The home, whose residents have included Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield, Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Glenn Close, Courtney Love and Olivier Sarkozy, has been on the market since 2010. Returning this summer for $18.75 million, the Chelsea home's five-unit configuration might prove daunting to prospective buyers, though a thorough structural and aesthetic renovation in 2013 plus the promise of almost $600,000 a year in rent certainly sound like positive attributes.
Take a look

July 13, 2017

Sunny co-op with lots of exposed brick asks $510K in Prospect Heights

This bright Brooklyn co-op is worth the two floor walkup. The unit comes from the prewar, 16-unit cooperative 786 Washington Avenue, on the border of Prospect Heights. The price has gone up significantly over the years--in 2004 the apartment sold for $164,800, in 2014 it sold for $320,000 and now it's listed for $510,000. Over the years the one bedroom has gotten updates, like mosaic tile flooring in the bathroom. But it still retains wonderful historic details that includes tons of exposed brick.
Right this way for more photos

Distinctive Homes

The top 10 neighborhoods NYC artists are moving to

Image via Kid Monkey for the Bushwick Collective

July 13, 2017

The top 10 neighborhoods NYC artists are moving to

According to a new analysis by the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), the number of artists in New York City has grown in almost every discipline, borough and neighborhood between 2000 and 2015. Citywide, the number of artists has increased by an all-time high of 17.4 percent, to 56,268 as of 2015. Since 2000, the Bronx saw the number of visual and performing artists nearly double, to 2,920 from 1,524, while Manhattan saw a decline of 10 percent, from 28,454 artists to 25,650. On the other hand, Brooklyn grew 72 percent to 17,605, Queens grew at 35 percent to 8,726 and Staten Island experienced an 8 percent growth to total 1,367 in 2015.
Find out more

July 13, 2017

10 artsy daycation escapes from NYC to visit this summer

By Lori Zimmer

For some of us, the idea of a summer vacation is a fantastical memory from childhood, now seeming a far cry from demanding jobs and lack of PTO. But the same cultural rejuvenation can be yours—if only for a day. Whether by bus, train or if you want to get fancy and rent a car, an art-filled daycation could be just what you need this summer to get that vacation glow. From Jackson Pollock's Hamptons studio and Dia Beacon's minimalist art collection to the Rockefeller family's historic mansion Kykuit and the Gilded Age ruins of Bannerman Castle, we've rounded up 10 artsy day trips that are just a stone's throw from NYC.
All the best escape here

July 13, 2017

Design concept replaces Rikers jail with community-based ‘justice hubs’

Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice, along with the Van Alen Institute, released a set of guidelines to decentralize Rikers Island and improve city jails in every borough. The "Justice in Design" report outlines recommendations for healthier jails, including interior and exterior design elements, greater amenities, and ways to better integrate the jail with the surrounding neighborhood. As one of the first steps to permanently closing Rikers, these new justice hubs, or decentralized borough-based jails, would be tailored to the needs of detainees, officers, lawyers, visitors and community members.
See the design concepts

July 12, 2017

Rent the lavish parlor floor of this 1900s Soho townhouse for $6,500/month

Not every Soho apartment is a former warehouse loft--and here's proof. This one-bedroom unit takes up the parlor floor of the 20-foot-wide 1900s townhouse located at 200 6th Avenue, one block south of Houston Street. Stretching over 1,300 square feet, the interior is loaded with drool-worthy prewar details that include herringbone hardwood floors, two working fireplaces, crown molding, antique chandeliers and wall-mounted candelabras. For good measure, there's a nice display of exposed brick in the bedroom--a typical feature of the traditional Soho loft. The condo is up for rent for either six months or a year, asking $6,500 per month.
Go inside

First look at Central Park Tower’s palatial amenity spaces and apartment layouts

Central Park Tower renderings (Extell / AS+GG)

July 12, 2017

First look at Central Park Tower’s palatial amenity spaces and apartment layouts

We expected that Central Park Tower, the city's tallest-tower-to-be swiftly rising at 225 West 57th Street, would be giving Midtown record-smashers like 432 Park Avenue a run for their trophy-tower money. And now newly-revealed details uncovered from the building's EB-5 brochure offer a first glimpse of what the upcoming supertall's rivals could be up against. The preliminary overseas marketing images spotted by CityRealty show off the 1,550-foot-tall building's apartment layouts and the ultra-luxe amenity spaces that will sit high above the hotel and Nordstrom, the building's flagship retail tenant. Developer Gary Barnett's new condo development is the most expensive ever attempted in the city and is projecting a $4 billion sellout including retail and hotel tenants.
Sky palaces and amazing amenities this way

July 12, 2017

For $1.2M this little Bed-Stuy townhouse is ready for front porch rocking and backyard croquet