The Monthly Update - June 2023

The Luxury and New Development Sectors are Thriving

This year's spring market has had more than its share of ups and downs for most NYC sellers. One surprising bright spot has been the luxury new development sector which has been relatively reliable this spring. Just last week, there were a total of 32 contracts signed in the luxury sector (homes priced at $4 million and up), which surpasses the 10-year average for the week leading up to the Memorial weekend holiday by six contracts. Also, the 40 contracts signed the week of May 8, 2023, was the highest one-week total in a year.

Overall, the luxury market has been more reliable this spring, and the condo segment, in particular, has driven much of the activity. More than 70% of the luxury contracts signed over the last four weeks have been for condominium homes. (That's significant, considering roughly 75% of NYC buildings are co-ops.) Some of May's notable new development condominium sales include a penthouse at Yorkville's new 360 East 89th Street, which was listed at $22.5 million and went into contract within a month of being listed. The Keller, a new luxury development in the West Village, also had numerous contract signings in May. 

The luxury and new development activity in May looks to be on par with the hottest months of the 2021 post-COVID rebound. Now, all the data is not in yet, so this info could be somewhat skewed, but it's definitely looking like it will be a strong month for these sectors. We're even seeing it right here at the Hoffman Team: One of our top-producing agents is currently working with a $40 million budget for a buyer expected to submit a backup offer on an ultra-luxury residence that's already received two other offers in just two weeks. At the $35 million level! 

So, why is this happening? Is the top one percent of the one percent looking to park money somewhere other than the volatile stock market? It's true that many people got extremely wealthy during the pandemic, but to invest in Manhattan real estate is somewhat surprising given the difficult ride most sellers are experiencing in today's market. That said, a recent report showed that real estate investments, in general, have supplied higher, more reliable returns during three recent downturns — the 1990s recession, the dot-com bubble and the 2008 financial crisis. During those periods, real estate generated a 5.9% annualized return versus a 3.8% annualized return for risk-free Treasury bonds.

New York City residents and homeowners love to hear this news! Moreover, if the rest of the market sees the positive luxury and new condo sales trends, it can help pull buyers off the sidelines. New York City real estate generally follows the way of the luxury sector. The trickle-down effect can take some time, but given all this happened over the past year with interest rates, politics, crime and homelessness, it's nice to see many still believe in New York City as the rest of us do — even if the ultra-rich are simply using real estate to shelter their money.

Local Happenings

PRIDE MARCH

JUNE 25, 2023: New York City celebrates Pride every year by bringing millions together to celebrate and advocate for equality. This year, rainbow-clad activists and allies will take to the streets in support of global LGBTQ rights at the NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 25. The first March was held in 1970 and now, it’s the largest it’s ever been with more than 700 groups and millions of spectators.

Click HERE for more details.

MUSEUM MILE FESTIVAL

JUNE 13, 2023: Billed by festival organizers as New York's biggest block party, the Museum Mile Festival in New York City is a mile-long celebration of art and culture. This year, the milestone 45th annual Museum Mile Festival will offer free admission to some of the world's finest art collections along 5th Avenue during extended evening hours.

Click HERE for more details.

Lifestyle Tips and Tricks

Living Room Improvements That Help Sell Your Home For More Money

The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but the living room is the hub. It’s where everyone convenes to relax and enjoy quality time with each other (or with the TV).

Read More

11 Home Organizing Products from Amazon that Professional Organizers Swear By

Having plenty of options is a good thing, but when it comes to shopping for organization products on Amazon, it can feel like overload. That’s why we tapped a panel of professional organizers to help narrow it down.

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MTA Proposal: Increase Fares To $2.90 By The End Of The Summer

New York City commuters will likely pay more for subway, bus, and commuter rail trips by the end of the summer. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday unveiled its proposal for fare increases across the system. The cost of a single subway and bus trip would increase by 5 percent from $2.75 to $2.90, the first base fare increase since 2015.

Under the proposal, the seven-day pass would increase by 3 percent from $33 to $34, and the 30-day unlimited pass by 4 percent from $127 to $132. The express bus base fare would jump from $6.75 to $7 and the seven-day pass from $62 to $64.

According to the MTA, the unlimited pass customers, particularly the seven-day pass users, are “generally more low- and middle-income,” which is why those fares will see the lowest percentage increase.

Photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash

Fares on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North and tolls on MTA bridges and tunnels would also increase.

With a vote on the proposal expected sometime in July, the MTA said the new rates would take effect “no later than Labor Day.” The MTA will hold six public hearings before the final vote.

Prior to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget, the MTA faced a $600 million budget deficit. The final budget approved earlier this month included new revenues dedicated to the MTA to address its budget woes, including a payroll tax on the city’s largest businesses and a one-time payment of $300 million by the state. Later on, the MTA will also receive revenue from the three downstate casinos opening in the next few years.

The last fare hike came in 2019 when the price of a monthly subway and bus pass rose from $121 to $127 and a weekly pass from $32 to $33. The base fare last increased in 2015 when it went from $2.50 per trip to $2.75.

While the MTA has biennial fare hikes incorporated into its operating budgets, fares did not increase in 2021 because of the pandemic.

NYC subway, bus fare to increase to $2.90 by end of summer, under MTA proposal

POSTED ON TUE, MAY 23, 2023

BY DEVIN GANNON

Photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash

MTA Unveils New NYC Subway Turnstile

To deter the roughly 400,000 subway riders who don’t pay the fare every day, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to redesign the turnstiles for the first time in modern history. The agency on Wednesday unveiled a potential design of a new subway fare gate that includes glass doors that slide open, replacing the rotating turnstiles that have been part of the system since its inception. The new gates would remove the need for emergency exit doors, which the MTA said accounts for more than half of all fare evasion.

The reveal of the turnstile prototype follows the release of a report by the MTA’s Blue-Ribbon Panel on Fare Evasion. The report found the MTA lost $690 million in unpaid fares and tolls across the system last year, with subway fare evasion costing the transit agency roughly $285 million in 2022. Approximately 400,000 daily riders, or 10 to 15 percent of riders, did not pay a fare last year.

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

In 2022, fare evasion on NYC buses cost the transit agency more than on the subway system, with the MTA losing an estimated $310 million in revenue. Approximately 700,000 bus riders failed to pay the fair, making up 37 percent of all bus riders on an average weekday. The panel recommended an expansion of NYC Transit’s Eagle Team, civil agents who work on Select Bus Service routes and enforce fare payment. The MTA plans to hire an additional 100 agents and deploy them on bus routes that experience the highest rates of fare evasion.

“Fare and toll evasion isn’t just an economics problem: it tears at the social contract that supports mass transit in New York City. New Yorkers are sick of feeling like suckers seeing their neighbors beat the fare or cheat the toll while they pony up their fair share,” Janno Lieber, MTA Chair and CEO said.

“The report findings address this emerging crisis with a comprehensive plan across all MTA services, while also acknowledging that enforcement alone will not solve this problem. The MTA will look to implement some of the Panel’s key recommendations, and we thank them for their tremendous work.”

While the installation of these new modernized gates is a long-term project, the MTA is exploring immediate solutions to make the system better equipped to combat evasion.

The agency has coordinated with the NYPD to carry out “precision enforcement” in the subway system for fare evaders. Over the past year, the number of summonses for fare evaders has risen nearly 60 percent. The panel has called for the use of emerging technology and data sources to focus on fare evasion hotspots and to align itself with local organizations that will help promote fare payment.

An additional recommendation by the panel includes doubling the eligibility threshold for Fair Fares to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, which will allow 500,000 more New Yorkers to pay half-priced fares for public transit.

Transit officials have stated they will also work to educate New Yorkers on top of enforcing the payment of fares. Part of the reason the panel was formed was to address the concerns of advocacy groups who spoke about the historically disproportionate fare evasion enforcement of people of color.

NYPD data revealed that 93 percent of people arrested for fare evasion in the subway system in the last three months of 2022 were Black or Hispanic, and 66 percent of those issued summonses for fare evasion were Black and Hispanic, according to Gothamist. Lieber has said that the MTA is planning on working with the NYPD to ensure that their crackdown on fare evasion doesn’t target people of color.

As amNY reported, four companies presented prototype turnstiles this week and will be subject to a competitive procurement process.

MTA unveils redesign of NYC subway turnstile as fare evasion solution

POSTED TODAY, MAY 18, 2023

BY AARON GINSBURG

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

201 East 21st Street, Unit 9E

201 East 21st Street, Unit 9E

GRAMERCY PARK, MANHATTAN

$699,000

1 Bed  |  1 Bath | Co-op

 

Create your one-bedroom, one-bathroom Gramercy dream home at Quaker Ridge, one of the area's most desired cooperatives.

Offered in original condition, this spacious and bright home enjoys a wonderfully oversized layout with excellent storage and plenty of room for a home office area. An ideal corner position within the building grants the home with northern and western views, while hardwood floors accentuate the bright and airy ambiance. A gracious foyer opens to an expansive dining area flanked by a wide closet. Ahead, the 20-foot-long living room accommodates a comfortable seating area alongside wide art walls and big windows. In the windowed kitchen, discover great cabinet space with limitless possibilities to make it your own. Sleep soundly in the king-size bedroom, where you can easily incorporate a large dresser, plus a seating, desk or fitness area. Two closets here and one leading to the adjacent windowed bathroom ensure storage will never be a concern.

There's plenty to love about Quaker Ridge, a revered postwar co-op known for its excellent financials and prime Gramercy location. Residents enjoy full-time doorman service and live-in superintendent, modern laundry facilities, private storage, bike storage and a residents-only parking garage with direct access to the building. Quaker Ridge allows co-purchasing and pets but does not permit guarantors or pieds-à-terres. Please note, there is a monthly energy charge of $124 already included in the maintenance, which adjusts quarterly. There is currently a monthly assessment of $338.

Here in the heart of Gramercy — just minutes from Union Square, the Flatiron District and NoMad — you're at the epicenter of exciting Manhattan living with abundant shops, restaurants, services and outdoor space at every turn. Union Square and Madison Square Park put a dog park, greenmarkets and year-round events mere blocks away, and foodies will love the proximity to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Eataly and numerous Michelin-starred restaurants. Access to transportation is fantastic with 4/5/6, N/Q/R/W and L trains, excellent bus service and CitiBikes nearby.

300-Foot Timber Bridge Now Connects The High Line and Moynihan Train Hall

The elevated pathway that will connect the High Line to the new Moynihan Train Hall hit a major milestone this week. The 260-foot-long timber bridge has been craned into place and is currently suspended 25 feet over Dyer Avenue. The new footbridge connects Manhattan West’s public plaza Magnolia Court to a pedestrian pathway at West 31st Street, providing an easier way of accessing the Moynihan Train Hall without having to cross multiple streets. The timber bridge will link to the so-called Woodlands Bridge, which will extend east from the existing northern terminus of the High Line. The new linear park, dubbed the High Line-Moynihan Train Hall Connector, is expected to open in late June.

Photos © 6sqft

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with landscape architects at James Field Corner Operations, the 260-foot bridge is made of 163 beams of Alaskan yellow cedar wood from British Columbia, according to W42ST. Work on the bridge began at the street level in April.

Paired with the timber bridge is the woodland bridge, a 340-foot-long path that runs along 30th Street. The bridge is made of concrete panels and supported by steel and features deep soil beds and a design that allows for rainwater to drip down to water plantings, creating a perfect space for lush greenery to grow.

Upon exiting Moynhian, visitors and commuters can cross 9th Avenue and enter Manhattan West’s public plaza on the south end of West 31st Street. From here, visitors will take the timber bridge along Dyer Avenue, turn 90 degrees onto the woodland bridge on 30th Street, and arrive at the Spur of the High Line.

The High Line Moynihan Connector is being constructed through a public-private partnership made up of Empire State Development, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Brookfield Properties Group, and Friends of the High Line.

Rendering © SOM, JCFO | Miysis

The $50 million project will connect Chelsea with other West Side destinations like Hudson Yards, Penn Station, and the Javits Center.

Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled designs for the footbridge in September 2021. Plans for a footbridge were first proposed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in January 2021 as part of his vision of redeveloping Midtown West.

The next phase of the High Line’s extension will connect it to Hell’s Kitchen by creating a pathway from West 34th Street and the Western Rail Yard up 12th Avenue and across the West Side Highway to end at Pier 76.

300-foot timber bridge connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall has been installed

POSTED ON THU, MAY 11, 2023

BY AARON GINSBURG

313 West 82nd Street, Unit C

313 West 82nd Street, Unit C

UPPER WEST SIDE, MANHATTAN

$849,000

1 Bed  |  1 Bath | Co-op

 

Experience verdant garden surroundings on a park-side block in this stunning one-bedroom plus home office, one-bathroom co-op featuring updated designer interiors and a lush private yard just inches from Riverside Park.

Step inside this garden retreat to discover hardwood floors, soaring ceilings and gorgeous millwork, including tall baseboards, high wainscoting and crown molding. The gracious foyer boasts a wide closet, while the beautiful living room provides a generous footprint for seating and dining areas alongside charming garden views. Elevate your culinary experience in the renovated gourmet kitchen featuring custom cabinetry, quartz counters and marble backsplashes and high-end stainless steel appliances, including a Bertazzoni range, Fisher & Paykel refrigerator and built-in microwave. Dazzling encaustic-style floor tiles carry from the kitchen into the updated full bathroom, where you'll find a tub/shower with glass doors, a contemporary open vanity with matching shelving, and built-in floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets.

From the living room, step up to the serene king-sized bedroom featuring two roomy closets and a lovely ceiling fan. This sunny bedchamber provides plenty of room for dressers or a desk/vanity area, while the spacious home office area could easily serve as a formal dining room if desired. Outside, your private garden oasis awaits with an oversized deck, tall fencing and a stone wall. Towering trees rise from expansive flower beds ideal for urban gardening. Wood cladding flows from the fencing across the façade, creating a chic backdrop for al fresco dining and entertaining. Mini-split HVAC and a large storage unit add wonderful convenience to this exquisite Upper West Side sanctuary.

Built in 1887 in the bold Romanesque Revival style, 313 West 82nd Street sits among a row of four brownstone and Roman brick buildings with lovely gardens, L-shaped stoops and gas lamps. Originally used as single-family homes, the buildings were used as a boarding house for women in the 1930s and converted to apartments beginning in the 1950s. Today, residents of the beautifully maintained boutique cooperative enjoy a secure key code entry, laundry and storage. Pets, guarantors and pieds-à-terre permitted with board approval.

$700M Climate Research Campus Coming to Governors Island

New York City has revealed its vision for a first-in-the-nation climate research hub on Governors Island. Led by Stony Brook University, the New York Climate Exchange will be a nonprofit organization dedicated to climate research and solutions and serve as a center for climate education and green job training. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the 400,000-square-foot campus includes classrooms, laboratories, new open space, student and faculty housing, university hotel rooms, and more. Construction on the $700 million project is expected to begin in 2025, with the first phase slated for completion in 2028.

Mayor Eric Adams on Monday, joined by the president of the Trust for Governors Island, Clare Newman, announced the selection of Stony Brook’s proposal as the anchor institution of the Center for Climate Solutions initiative, following a two-year bidding process. The initiative is expected to create thousands of permanent jobs as well as roughly $1 billion in economic impact for the city, according to the mayor.

View from the academic center across new open spaces toward the student housing in the restored historic Liggett Hall. © SOM | Miysis

“Today, here in the heart of New York Harbor, we are taking a giant leap toward a cleaner, greener, more prosperous future for every New Yorker with the ‘New York Climate Exchange,’” Adams said.

“This first-of-its-kind project will make New York City a global leader in developing solutions for climate change while creating thousands of good-paying green jobs for New Yorkers and infusing $1 billion into our city’s economy. Where some people see challenges, New Yorkers see opportunities, and this team and this project are leading the charge.”

Renovated Yankee Pier leading toward a new public plaza and new mass timber academic and research buildings at the Exchange. © SOM | Brick Visual

The campus will also include two newly constructed classrooms and research buildings across three acres of the island’s eastern development zone. More than 170,000 square feet of space within historic buildings like Liggett Hall and the Fort Jay Theater will be restored.

As part of the project, the Exchange will create 4.5 acres of new open space as part of Phase 1 of its construction plan, adding to Governors Island’s existing 120 acres of public space. Additionally, the construction of the campus will be designed to better connect its preexisting 43-acre park.

Once the campus opens to the public, the Exchange is expected to serve roughly 600 postsecondary students, 4,500 K-12 students, 6,000 workforce trainees, and 250 faculty and researchers each year while supporting up to 30 businesses through its incubator program.

Research and education at the Exchange will be centered around the themes of environmental justice and inclusion, the impacts of the use of food, water, and energy on climate change, and sustainable and resilient cities.

The Exchange will host comprehensive workforce development and training programs that will provide New Yorkers with the skills and knowledge to make a career in the city’s growing climate sector. The center’s partners include the Georgia Institute of Technology, Pace University, Pratt Institute, University of Washington, Boston Consulting Group, Good Old Lower East Side, and IBM.

Public walkway and landscape between the new mass timber academic and research buildings. © SOM | Brick Visual

The total costs of construction are estimated to be roughly $700 million in total, with $150 million in previously allocated city capital funding, $100 million from the Simons Foundation, and $50 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The remaining funding for development and operational costs will be raised by the Exchange.

Maurie McInnis, president of Stony Brook University, said the new institution will make New York the world leader on climate change.

View across a new public space along Division Road, looking toward the renovated historic theater. © SOM | Miysis

“Up until now, the development of climate solutions has been siloed, with world leaders separate from expert scientists separate from the on-the-ground green workforce,” McInnis said. “As an international leader on climate and as the leading public research institution in New York, Stony Brook University will bring stakeholders together from the academic, government, and business communities to make the Climate Exchange the center of research, innovation, education, and collaboration to address this global crisis.”

Conceived by SOM in collaboration with MNLA, Buro Happold, and Langan Engineering, the design of the Exchange features “energy positive” elements, including mass timber construction and solar power generation. According to the architects, the buildings on the campus will be among the first in the country to achieve True Zero Waste certification, meet 100 percent of its non-potable water demand with rainwater and treated wastewater, and run totally on electricity generated on-site.

The architects created a design that complements the natural landscape of Governors Island and the urban landscape of New York City, weaving a “living laboratory” into the beloved parkland.

“Our design for this new campus embodies the stewardship necessary to solve the climate crisis by weaving sinuous mass timber pavilions through the rolling landscape of the park and reusing the historic building fabric of Governors Island,” SOM Design Partner Colin Koop said.

“Together, these spaces will cultivate advances in climate research and pilot new technologies that can be deployed across the city, and eventually the world.”

Public design lab to engage the community along the restored central arch of historic Liggett Hall. © SOM | Miysis

First used by the Lenape Tribe of Manhattan for camping and fishing, Governors Island was later settled by the Dutch in 1624 and used for several centuries by the military. In 2003, the federal government sold the remaining 150 acres of Governors Island to the people of New York, with a deed ensuring much of it be used for public benefit. The island officially opened to the public in 2005 and a master plan in 2010 resulted in a park, ball fields, cultural institutions, food vendors, and public programs.

In October 2019, the city began seeking proposals for a “major center for climate adaptation research, commercialization, conversation, and policymaking” to be built on Governors Island, as 6sqft previously reported.

The Trust revealed its initial proposal for the climate research center in September 2020. The monumental project required a rezoning of Governors Island’s southern end, approved by the City Council in 2021, which allows for 4 million square feet of development.

The Exchange will serve as the anchor institution for the Cen­ter for Cli­mate Solu­tions on Gov­er­nors Island, part of Adams’ ​”Rebuild, Renew, Rein­vent: A Blue­print for NYC’s Eco­nom­ic Recov­ery” plan.

$700M climate research campus designed by SOM headed to Governors Island

POSTED ON MON, APRIL 24, 2023

BY AARON GINSBURG
All photos: © SOM

304 West 89th Street, Unit 8A

304 West 89th Street, Unit 8A

upper west side, MANHATTAN

$1,095,000

2 Bed  |  1 Bath | Co-op

 

This is a stunning Upper West Side cooperative that features a beautifully updated two-bedroom, one-bathroom home that spans approximately 1,000 square feet. The home seamlessly blends prewar details and contemporary updates, offering an expansive living room with Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, 9-foot-tall coved ceilings, handsome millwork, and eastern windows newly fitted with custom blinds.

The open windowed chef's kitchen boasts abundant cabinetry, granite counters, glass tile backsplashes, and upscale stainless steel appliances, including a vented Bertazzoni range, Liebherr refrigerator, a panelled Miele dishwasher, and a Marvel wine refrigerator. The home features two spacious bedrooms with custom cellular shades, Closet Factory closets, and extraordinary northern, open-sky views that stretch across the Upper West Side's historic rooftops. The main bedroom features a 10-foot wide custom closet with lots of bells and whistles, including multiple shelves, 28 shoe compartments, and pull-out racks for belts/jewelry/ties and a pull-out bar for dry cleaning.

The windowed bathroom is filled with charming tile and marble and built-in cabinetry, an extra closet, and designer lighting. The co-op offers residents a live-in superintendent who receives packages, a laundry room, storage lockers, and a bike room. Pets are allowed, and board policies permit 80 percent financing, parents buying for children, gifting, co-purchases, and guarantors with approval.

Located on a tree-lined street near the corner of West End Avenue, the home is at the center of the Riverside-West End Historic District, surrounded by delightful architecture on all sides. Residents enjoy quick and easy access to transportation with 1/2/3 trains and abundant bus service nearby. The home is just seconds from Riverside Park and less than a half-mile from Central Park, with renowned dining, nightlife, shopping, and a new grocery store (coming soon) all within reach.

A Suspended Spherical Concert Hall Will Hang in The Shed at Hudson Yards

A 65-foot-tall spherical concert hall will hang suspended inside The Shed in Hudson Yards. Created by avante-garde architects Ed Cooke, Merijn Royaards, and Nicholas Christie, the Sonic Sphere offers concertgoers a truly unique experience with immersive 3-D sound and light explorations of music that redefine the idea of a concert hall. Performances in the sphere will run from June 9 through July 7.

The Shed at Hudson Yards. Photo by Iwan Baan, courtesy of The Shed

Located within the art center’s iconic 115-foot-tall McCourt space, the sphere can hold up to 250 audience members who will be surrounded by more than 100 speakers that move sound “above, below, through, and around” the audience’s bodies, according to a press release. Dynamic lighting on the sphere’s surface adds to the multisensory, immersive musical journey.

The event includes 45-minute live and recorded performances held every day, including live performances by electronic music artist Madame Gandhi on June 9, singer-songwriter yunè pinku on June 14 and 16, and world-renowned pianist Igor Levit on June 30 and July 1. The performers have been carefully selected by Alex Poots, the artistic director of The Shed.

“In a visually orientated age, Sonic Sphere centers the wonder of sound and music in an interdisciplinary experience,” Poots said in a statement. “The creative invention and sheer ambition of Sonic Sphere offers such a range of possibilities to explore for years to come.”

Additional performances include listening sessions of the xx’s self-titled debut album which was released in 2009 but remastered for the Sonic Sphere, and composer Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians.

Composer Karlheinz Stockhausen first conceived of an idea for a spherical concert hall, with the first rendition of the idea taking form as the Kugelauditorium at the 1970 World Expo in Japan, according to the New York Times. While hundreds of thousands of visitors experienced the sphere over the course of the exhibition, the concept never gained widespread support.

“As a teenager I had read in an obscure book of Stockhausen’s Kugelauditorium, which appeared at the 1970 World Expo Osaka fair, alongside the first mobile phone. It was obviously a ridiculously cool idea, far more interesting and important than the phone,” Ed Cooke, co-founder of Sonic Sphere, said. “In the decades that followed, I became increasingly confused that since 1970 our society had created 15 billion mobile phones but no further spherical concert halls.”

“The Sonic Sphere project aims to re-prioritize shared real-world experience and to make the outer horizons of consciousness accessible to all, in the name of new modes of perception and action for a world that requires them.”

The sphere, which will be installed at The Shed next month, is the 11th and largest iteration of the design yet. Previous versions of varying size and technological sophistication have appeared in London, Mexico, and Miami, Florida.

“We are excited to bring this architectural, experiential statement to the middle of the most vibrant city in the world. This spherical concert hall asks questions about the type of architecture that best serves our cities and communities. How can it adapt to our changing societal needs, bringing us together at a time when technology is driving us apart,” the team behind the Sonic Sphere said.

Tickets for the Sonic Sphere go on sale on May 5, with a presale beginning on May 3 for The Shed members.

A suspended spherical concert hall will hang in The Shed at Hudson Yards

POSTED ON WED, MAY 3, 2023

BY AARON GINSBURG

Top Photo: A rendering of Sonic Sphere in The Shed’s 115-foot-tall McCourt space, 2023. Courtesy The Shed.

Article Photo: The Shed at Hudson Yards. Photo by Iwan Baan, courtesy of The Shed

155 Duane Street

155 Duane Street

Tribeca, MANHATTAN

$7,900,000

 

Perfectly positioned in the heart of Tribeca, this mixed-use townhouse is an unprecedented opportunity in a historic building that's housed everyone from Civil War soap makers to 70s punk rockers and modern-day Hollywood A-listers. Featuring two floors of commercial/retail/office space on the ground and cellar levels, plus four floors of residential space topped by a magnificent rooftop terrace, the possibilities are endless at 155 Duane Street.

A separate entrance opens to the commercial space, featuring a light and bright 662-square-foot main level filled with painted brick, a wall-of south-facing windows, 10.5-foot-tall ceilings and a handsome kitchenette/coffee bar complete with a sink, two mini fridges and a dishwasher. An open stair leads to the 1,013-square-foot cellar with storage rooms, a half-bath and additional workspace. The two-level commercial unit is ideal for a boutique, gallery, office, café or any other Group 6 establishments.

Above, discover four floors of updated townhouse living combining beautiful contemporary style with coveted industrial chic details. The first floor of the 2,604-square-foot residential space is currently configured as a flexible bedroom with a built-in Murphy bed and a gorgeous full bathroom featuring designer tile, a marble vanity and walk-in shower. The 24.5-foot-wide building's signature blackened steel staircase invites you upstairs to a level currently used as a formal dining/meeting room with retractable glass walls, a built-in mini bar, closet and powder room. The third floor is the heart of the home — a stunning full-floor eat-in kitchen with painted black-and-white checkerboard floors. Crisp new cabinetry trimmed with marble counters and herringbone tile surround upscale appliances, while a long row of banquette seating invites you to enjoy casual meals alongside southern exposures. The top floor acts as a dramatic living room lounge complete with a powder room, a glamorous bar and the home's historic hoist. A classic spiral staircase leads to the crowning glory — a 650-square-foot roof deck wrapped in iconic views that stretch from historic mid-rises and City Center spires to the Woolworth Building and One World Trade.

Dating back to the early 1800s, this beautiful building boasts swaths of exposed brick, oak floors, notched pine beams and a mechanical hoist used to carry materials between floors well before electricity was commonplace in the city. Once a home to soapmaking and dry goods companies in the 19th century, the building also housed a restaurant in the 1940s. In the 1970s, the notorious dive bar Barnabas Rex occupied the lower floors. Well known for its pool table, jukebox and volleyball net strung across Duane Street on warm summer days, Barnabas Rex attracted an eclectic crowd, including local construction workers and bikers to artists and punks. The building was later used as an attorney's live/work residence, and it once welcomed renter Channing Tatum for a summer.

This unbeatable Tribeca location is surrounded by the best of downtown living. Phenomenal shopping, dining and nightlife venues line the nearby blocks, including The Odeon, Sushi of Gari, Frenchette and Locanda Verde. The Tribeca Whole Foods, Target, Brookfield Place and Westfield World Trade are all close by, and you'll never lack outdoor space or recreation with Duane Park, Washington Market Park and massive Hudson River Park blocks away. Access to transportation is effortless with A/C/E, 1/2/3, R/W and PATH trains, excellent bus service and CitiBikes all nearby.

The Monthly Update - May 2023

Macro-Markets (The Rental Market)

in Manhattan (and Brooklyn)

The Manhattan real estate market is one of the most competitive, dynamic markets in the world, and last month underscored that fact. With 1,911 apartments coming on the market and close to 1,200 going into contract, Manhattan once again defied macroeconomic conditions and marched to its own drum. That said, there were a few bumps in the road last month. Specifically, there was a one-week period when new listings and apartments going under contract both dropped by approximately 50%, according to UrbanDigs.com. However, the Manhattan market recovered significantly the following week with double-digit gains in both categories. Whew! But what’s the outlook for May?

With the Fed meeting this week, both Reuters and Forbes predict a 0.25% jump in interest rates but expect this to be the final one of the year. Short term, this might give buyers the jitters at the beginning of the month. However, many think those buyers will settle into the new normal of 5% to 6% interest rates — just like they did towards the end of 2022. If those predictions hold, homebuyers will feel more determined and focused on purchasing Manhattan and Brooklyn real estate, especially as the year progresses. So, May could start slow, but the combination of a tight rental market with expected rent price increases and buyers settling for the new interest rates, buyers could come screaming back into the sales market by mid-to-late May. 

And with that, the rental sector becomes the one market within the entire New York City real estate landscape that can be the savior and difference maker, even while there’s so much uncertainty on the global stage. Because our city is so transient, people come and go at all times of the year, particularly during spring. If the rental market is too hot, renters become buyers. We’ve already seen some of that, but some are predicting even more buyers will emerge from the rental market, as rental prices are on pace to get hotter — just like the weather — putting pressure on the sales market, in a good way! 

As we all know, macroeconomic conditions can impact real estate markets. Manhattan can be particularly vulnerable to downturns on Wall Street. So then, if the rental market can be considered the savior, Wall Street can be viewed as the kryptonite for Manhattan, and even Brooklyn. That said, Manhattan and Brooklyn can also act very independently, particularly in response to national economic concerns. Even though New York City is thought of as very international, the real estate market here tends to react uniquely compared to most national and global geopolitical events and issues that can wreak havoc in other locales. New York City has already been weathering bank closures and mass layoffs all spring long. I expect it to endure future storms as we stay on course for a healthy spring – all things considered. 

Local Happenings

NYCxDESIGN: The Festival

MAY 18-25, 2023

The NYCxDESIGN Festival returns on May 18-25, 2023! Be part of the design week that attracts thousands of visitors to New York City to celebrate global creative accomplishments, share new ideas, and inspire through design.
Click HERE for events and registration.

Kickoff to Summer

MAY 27, 2023

The end of the month brings everyone’s favorite kickoff to summer: the opening of the City’s beaches! Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of beach season in the City. Head to Brighton Beach and Coney Island to people-watch, Rockaway Beach to surf and Orchard Beach to observe a range of wildlife.
Click HERE for more information.

Lifestyle Tips and Tricks

25 Top Interior Design Trends for 2023

If you've been searching for the right opportunity to add more style, vigor and comfort to your space, you'll appreciate this list.

Courtesy of Good Housekeeping

Ready to Remodel? Here Are The Home Projects That Will Get You The Best Return On Your Investment

Even when they don’t buy a fixer-upper, most people will end up doing some amount of repairs on a new home. About 95% of homeowners said they plan to take on a major home improvement project in the next five years, according to a recent report by Real Estate Witch. However, only 50% said they can afford it at the moment.

Courtesy of CNBC

Listing Spotlight

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80+ Free Performances In Times Square This Summer

New York City’s annual celebration of its diverse creative community returns to Times Square this May. Hosted by the Times Square Alliance, TSQ Live will offer over 80 free, open-air performances at plazas throughout the neighborhood, allowing performers to show their craft on one of the world’s most public stages. Running through September, TSQ Live features a variety of events, including live DJ sets, concerts, and dance performances from NYC institutions like Carnegie Hall, Pioneer Works, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Every summer, the Times Square Alliance honors the five borough’s creative community with a series of free, easily-accessible events. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and visitors in Times Square are invited to enjoy the medley of music, dance, and performance art. The program is the largest free performance series in NYC.

“This summer we have the chance to turn over Times Square to the artists, musicians, and performers that make New York City such an incredible place,” Jean Cooney, Times Square Art Director, said.

“In turn, the plazas of Times Square become a stage for over 80 free events – from punk shows to classical music; West African dance workshops to voguing classes – all timed to reach the millions in Times Square this summer heading home from work, to a show, or visiting for the very first time.”

Presented by Rash Bar, Soul Summit, and Elsewhere, the live DJ sets will be hosted every Tuesday for the duration of the festival from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Broadway and 43rd Street.

Live jazz music, presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center, will be hosted on Thursdays at 5 p.m. at Broadway and 46th Street. Featured musicians include Christopher McBride, the Mariel Bildsten Septet, and the Roxy Coss Quartet.

Carnegie Hall will be presenting musical performances on June 9 and June 16 at 5 p.m. at Broadway and 46th Street. Performers include singer, songwriter, and accordionist Gregoria Uribe, and Trio Fadolin, a string ensemble consisting of Sabina Torosjan on violin, Valeriya Sholokhova on cello, and Ljova on the fadolin.

Dance workshops, presented by Ailey Extension, will take place on May 5, 12, 26, and June 2, and 30 at 5 p.m. at Broadway and 46th Street. In celebration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary, a special dance workshop will be held on August 10. Workshops will offer instruction on a wide variety of dance styles, including Broadway jazz, hip-hop, and West-African dance.

Every Friday night, Times Square will host concerts highlighting up-and-coming talent from NYC and beyond. Highlights include a punk rock show by arts organization NEW INC, singer and songwriters Madison Watkins and Brooke Alexx, and NYC native Julia Wolf.

80+ free outdoor performances happening in Times Square this summer

POSTED ON APRIL 20, 2023

BY AARON GINSBURG

Images courtesy of the Times Square Alliance

Eataly's Flatiron Rooftop Restaurant Is Inspired By The Italian Countryside

Eataly Flatiron’s seasonal rooftop restaurant has undergone a floral transformation for spring. Located on the 14th-floor rooftop of the esteemed Italian food and beverage marketplace, Serra by Birreria opened for the season on Thursday. The restaurant’s lush, intricate design was created and installed by Less Than 3 Studio and is inspired by Southern Italy’s countryside. Over the course of these warmer months, Serra will host a jam-packed schedule of programming and events, including live DJ sets, and the restaurant’s first-ever zodiac night.

When designing Serra’s new interior, Less Than 3 Studio tried to encapsulate a “chic countryside ambiance” inspired by Southern Italy, with wide use of foliage, citrus, and rustic elements throughout the restaurant. Highlights of the interior design include distressed walls, rough linen sails, vintage furniture, modern chandeliers, and lemon streets that span from the floor to the ceiling.

Serra’s updated menu features a fresh take on traditional Italian cuisine with a focus on vegetable-based dishes and a broader selection of piattini, or small plates. This wider selection of small plates promotes a more fun and collaborative approach to the dining experience.

Piattini options include Zucchine, made with marinated zucchini, white balsamic vinegar, basil, and mint, and Fritto Misto, made with calamari, shrimp, seasonal vegetables, and fresh herbs. Other options include Gamberi, grilled prawns with garlic pesto, and Piselli, sugar snap peas with pecorino romano cheese, and mint.

Many of the most decadent, “showstopper” dishes can be found on Serra’s new dessert menu, with options like Vasio di Cioccolato and Vaso di Trutta, two flavors of cookies, cream, and cake served in a flower pot and topped with edible floral decor.

The menu also includes a revamped drink selection, with new additions featuring fresh, floral ingredients to match the restaurant’s lush decor. Drink highlights include Effetto Farfalla, made with gin, Galliano, butterfly pea syrup, lemon, club soda, and blackberries, and Spritz Riff, made with orange and bergamot ‘cello, tonic, and prosecco.

This season, Serra will host a variety of special events, including the restaurant’s first-ever zodiac night. As part of the event, the restaurant will serve a special zodiac sign-themed cocktail menu every other Thursday night featuring carefully-crafted cocktails mixed and poured tableside.

Serra is available for group dining and private events where the newly added menu items can be enjoyed family-style for both big and small gatherings.

Eataly Flatiron unveils rooftop restaurant inspired by the Italian countryside

POSTED ON APRIL 21, 2023

BY AARON GINSBURG

All photos courtesy of Eataly

305 West 55th Street, Unit 2A

305 West 55th Street, Unit 2A

Midtown west, MANHATTAN

$625,000

1 Bed  |  1 Bath | Co-op

 

Discover incredible warmth and charming prewar details in this spectacular alcove studio in the heart of Midtown West/Hell's Kitchen, just four blocks from Central Park.

Inside this sun-splashed studio, 11-foot-tall ceilings soar above rich oak floors, exposed brick walls and oversized south-facing windows. The main living space offers an expansive footprint for living, dining and home office areas, while a ceiling fan and working wood-burning fireplace ensure year-round comfort. The crisp white pass-through kitchen offers abundant cabinetry and counter space, and the full bathroom is finished with a large tub/shower and roomy vanity cabinet. Storage will never be a concern thanks to wide closets, ceiling-height cupboards and a space-saving alcove sleeping loft.

The Ashfield is a pet-friendly building where residents enjoy a Butterfly video intercom system and on-site laundry facilities. Located on a stunning Hell's Kitchen block lined by trees and handsome brick buildings, this home is surrounded by the best of Manhattan living. Enjoy easy access to world-class entertainment at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Theater District. Explore magnificent outdoor space at Central Park and Hudson River Park or take in luxury shopping and five-start dining at the Shops at Columbus Circle. Transportation options are unbeatable with A/C/E, B/D, 1 and N/Q/R/W trains, excellent bus service and CitiBike stations all nearby.

Lincoln Center’s Summer Arts Festival Will Feature Free Outdoor Events

The Garden by Clint Ramos. Renderings by Evan Alexander

A three-month-long arts festival will return to Lincoln Center this summer, with its iconic campus transformed into a botanical-inspired oasis. After a successful debut season last year, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts announced on Monday the second annual “Summer for the City” festival, which will feature hundreds of free events and thousands of artists across 16 acres of outdoor space from June to August. And for the first time in its history, Lincoln Center’s outdoor spaces will be reimagined by a single designer: Creative director and designer Clint Ramos.

“Summer for the City” will honor New York City’s diverse communities with new works and “reimagined classics,” including a week-long celebration of Korean culture during Korean Arts Week, the NYC premiere of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, and Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra concerts. The festival concludes with a week-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop with performances by Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, J. PERIOD, a trap choir, and more.

The Garden by Clint Ramos. Renderings by Evan Alexander

“This summer builds on a city reimagining itself–finding hope in community and planting seeds for the future,” Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer of LCPA, said in a statement. “For three months, we welcome all New Yorkers to come dance, love, and celebrate together with long-standing traditions of social dance and classical music, and new traditions, like our wedding for hundreds of couples, and a ‘second line’ processional to honor lives lost.”

Thake continued: “Together with visionary artist Clint Ramos, we are opening all of our spaces wide with playful designs, and, of course, the return of the 10-foot disco ball. Whether it’s having a lunch break at any of our outdoor dining options, taking selfies with the installation of 200 flamingos, or staying late for a silent disco, we invite New Yorkers to come together, see themselves, and find their home away from home.”

The iconic Dance Floor at Josie Robertson Plaza with its 10-foot disco ball and the speakeasy-inspired space Underground at Jaffe Drive which debuted last year will be joined by additional spaces designed by Ramos.

The Garden, reminiscent of a greenhouse, is located near Damrosch Park and provides a space for quiet contemplation and meditation, with lush greenery and plantings designed in collaboration with Donyale Werle Design.

The space includes colorful lights and designs with outdoor games, dining options, and a performance space that wraps around a display of 200 flamingos in the Paul Milstein Reflecting Pool.

The campus is seamlessly connected with lush flowers and botanicals installed on walkways and building facades, serving as the “connective tissue” of the festival’s design.

“They say that when there’s an apocalypse, nature takes over. It’s aesthetically disruptive, and it’s beautiful,” Ramos said.

“That is the inspiration behind this design—after such a time of upheaval, we are finding our way back and making way for new growth, bursting with possibility. Through greenery, mirrors, colored lights, and abstracted botanicals we evoke the idea of nature reflecting on itself, transforming the entire campus into a vibrant oasis.”

Summer for the City 2022. Photo credit: Lawrence Sumulong

The festival’s second season builds upon the success of last year’s “Summer for the City,” which saw more than 300,000 visitors to the Lincoln Center campus, more than three-quarters of whom had never before purchased a ticket to a performance at the art center before.

The event also builds on the “Restart Stages” initiative, which created an outdoor performing arts center that allowed in-person art performances to continue during the pandemic.

“Nothing captures the spirit of New York better than our arts, and this summer, thanks to Lincoln Center, thousands of New Yorkers will have access to hundreds of free cultural events,” Mayor Eric Adams said.

“‘Summer for the City’ will include performances by critically acclaimed music artists and curators and be a celebration of our city’s creativity, diversity, and, most importantly, our resilience. New York City isn’t coming back—New York City is back. And we can’t wait to see everyone enjoying the arts the city has to offer.”

Most of the “Summer for the City” events will be free on a first-come, first-served basis, with select indoor performances available for choose-what-you-pay prices.

The festival kicks off on June 14 and runs through August 12. Get the full lineup of events here.

Lincoln Center’s summer arts festival to feature free events and garden-like outdoor spaces

POSTED ON MON, APRIL 17, 2023

BY AARON GINSBURG
Renderings by Evan Alexander

320 East 72nd Street, Unit 2C

320 East 72nd Street, Unit 2C

UPPER EAST SIDE, MANHATTAN

$2,473,000

4 Bed  |  4 Bath | Co-op

 

Welcome home to this Classic 7 beauty (converted from the original Classic 8), in a lovely white glove pre-war co-op. At over 2600 square feet, 2C is a sprawling apartment that truly lives like a home. The elevator opens to your private landing, perfect for umbrellas, strollers, and heavy coats. From your landing, enter your home through the generous foyer with a very sizable coat closet and an easy flow to the entertaining areas of the home and the fourth bedroom (currently configured as an enormous home office) with an en suite bath. The generous living room’s beautiful pre-war details include beamed ceilings, hardwood oak flooring, double wide doorways, a gorgeous arched wooden built in bookcase, original to the home, and features a working wood burning fireplace, inspected and maintained by the building. From the living room, pass into the formal dining room, easily large enough to accommodate a table for 10 and with plenty of storage space along the walls. Both the living room and dining room face north over 72nd Street, allowing for beautiful light all day long and perfect for people watching. From the dining room, head straight into the kitchen or back to the foyer. The kitchen has enough space for an intimate eat-in set up and features a large Butler’s Pantry with a ton of storage and a second sink, perfect for extra prep work or a wet bar. Heading back to the foyer, a hallway with both a walk-in cedar closet and a full linen closet along one side, leads to the private space. The three back bedrooms each have two closets and their own ensuite baths.

320 East 72nd is a quintessential white glove, upper East Side co-op. The full staff includes doormen, porters, a handyman, and a live-in super, many of whom have been with the building for years. This pet friendly building features laundry in the building, a bike room, a coat closet off the lobby for building guest use, and private storage. A large 5’ X 9’ cage transfers with the unit. This building is conveniently situated around the corner from an elevator entrance to the express Q train and is right on the routes of the M15 and M72 buses. The Lexington Avenue 4, 5, and 6 lines are just 2 avenues away. With great restaurants, cafes, florists and supermarkets all within a few blocks, the neighborhood has all you need.

Please note, the building is currently undergoing local law 11 facade work.

There is a 2% flip tax in the building. The building allows 65% financing

In unit W/D permitted with board approval

210 Central Park South, Unit 10D

210 Central Park South, Unit 10D

MIDTOWN EAST, MANHATTAN

$1,195,000

2 Bed  |  2 Bath | Co-op

 

Central Park becomes your daily backdrop and personal playground in this breathtaking two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom Central Park South residence beautifully reimagined by Stuart Parr Design.

A gracious entry gallery lined with custom-built Boffi closets invites you into this designer showplace to discover gleaming chevron hardwood floors and ceilings dotted with recessed lighting. Ahead, you'll arrive in the expansive living room where the beauty of Central Park unfolds at your feet. Enjoy a generous footprint for seating areas, or step onto the 26.5-foot-wide terrace for al fresco meals alongside treetop outlooks. Chefs will adore the sleek Boffi kitchen's fleet of Gaggenau appliances, including a cooktop, wall oven, dishwasher, microwave drawer and wine refrigerator. The adjacent dining room welcomes lavish entertaining and intimate dinners with equal ease.

Head to the owner's suite, where every day begins with park vistas and coffee on the terrace. A custom-designed bed and night tables add chic designer style, and four custom Boffi closets attend to wardrobe needs. In the en suite bathroom, you'll find swaths of Italian slab marble, radiant heat floors, a double vanity and gorgeous contemporary fixtures. The south-facing secondary bedroom features excellent closet space and custom built-ins of its own, plus another en suite marble bath. An in-unit washer-dryer and zoned HVAC add comfort and convenience. Enjoy an outstanding media experience with a home theater speaker system in the living room, plus built-in speakers in the living room, dining room, and the primary bed and bath. A Savant smart home system controls lights, shades, air conditioning and A/V equipment from your phone, tablet or remote.

210 Central Park South is an illustrious postwar co-op where residents enjoy 24-hour white glove doorman and elevator service, a live-in superintendent, an on-site attended parking garage and a new rooftop deck with an outdoor kitchen.

From this commanding Central Park South location, you're just inches from 840 acres of iconic outdoor space and Midtown accessibility. Enjoy front-row access to world-class shopping, five-star dining and spectacular Theater District and Lincoln Center entertainment. Transportation is effortless thanks to F, N/Q/R/W, A/C, B/D, 1 and E, excellent bus service and CitiBike stations all nearby.

Check Out This Art Installation And 'Climb' A NYC Brownstone

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Jersey City’s Liberty Science Center is launching one of its most ambitious exhibitions yet. The center is kicking off its Big Art initiative, a new art program with two inaugural installations by Argentine conceptual artist Leandro Erlich and Brooklyn-based artist and Pioneer Works founder Dustin Yellin. Titled The Building, Erlich’s interactive installation features a model of a New York City brownstone on the ground, allowing visitors to climb across its facade and pretend to hang from the fire escapes. A giant mirror reflects the scene, creating an optical illusion.

Photo by Gus Powell, courtesy of the Liberty Science Center

Erlich’s The Building is a site-specific installment inspired by a New York City apartment buulding, complete with a deli on the ground floor. The art piece is an optical illusion, allowing visitors, or “spect-actors” as Erlich calls them, to hang off balconies and appear as if they are hovering high above the ground.

Photo by Gus Powell, courtesy of the Liberty Science Center

Known for his architecturally-scaled creations, The Building is part of Erlich’s renowned Bâtiment series. The series of creations have already been brought to cities like Paris, London, Buenos Aires, and the Echigo-Tsumari region of Japan.

“Much of my work, including the Bâtiment series—and, by extension, The Building —finds its basis in questions I have about the way we perceive reality,” Erlich said in a statement. “I’m excited to be showing this piece at the Liberty Science Center, because art, the way I conceive of it, exists to pose questions about our understanding of the world; in many ways science achieves what we know it to the same way — by asking those very same questions.”

Yellin’s The Politics of Eternity is a 10,000-pound, seven-piece art installation that “crystallizes the artist’s inquiry into humanity and the world it inhabits as a collection of enmeshed networks.” The installation uses Yellin’s signature technique of embedding paint and print media onto multiple canvases of laminated glass. The piece took the artist 20,000 hours to complete.

The Politics of Eternity tells a story in three “narrative acts,” with the first showing a fictitious community gathering around an ancient totem and the second depicting a society in the distant future zipping around a futuristic metropolis with jetpacks. The final act is displayed on a set of lower panels that show the “march of modernity,” with ships and supertankers floating in a central sea that is fed on both ends by waterfalls coming out of the upper panels.

“Interdisciplinarity as a method of exploration often yields findings more interesting than when things function in isolation from one another,” Yellin said in a statement. “With the new arts program, Liberty Science Center demonstrates its fundamental belief in the ability of ideas to exist fluidly across different domains, inviting us to consider the different ways in which an understanding of our universe can be expressed, and to feel the expanses of our minds.”

Photo by Gus Powell, courtesy of the Liberty Science Center

“Science, too often, is presented as a series of results, as opposed to the long, torturous process of someone toiling away in a lab for days, months, years on end to prove an educated hunch they had,” Paul Hoffman, CEO and President of the LSC, said. “Such processes are more often associated with art, which, in turn, is rarely acknowledged to pose questions the way science does”

Hoffman continued: “There’s a binary drawn between the two — they’re understood to exist on polar ends of the spectrum of how humans relate to the world, while in truth they have a lot more in common. By bringing Big Art to the Center, we hope to break down this boundary and further our pursuit of inspiring the next generation of innovators by emphasizing imagination and inspiration.

The Building will be on display through the summer and The Politics of Eternity will be on view through the next year.


This art installation makes it look like visitors are climbing a four-story NYC brownstone

POSTED ON FRI, APRIL 7, 2023

BY AARON GINSBURG

Photos by Gus Powell, courtesy of the Liberty Science Center

339 East 58th Street, Unit 9AB

339 East 58th Street, Unit 9AB

MIDTOWN EAST, MANHATTAN

$1,195,000

2 Bed  |  2 Bath | Co-op

 

Luxurious Sutton Place living awaits in this expansive two-bedroom, two-bathroom residence in an elite full-service prewar cooperative. Comprised of two beautifully combined units, this home is perfect for single-family or multigenerational use, a comfortable live/work arrangement, or a primary residence and private guest suite.

Inside the sprawling showplace, you'll find coveted historic architectural details, including original hardwood floors, archways and tall beamed ceilings trimmed with crown molding. Solid oak doors boast crystal doorknobs and chrome hinges, while 15 windows line three exposures in this corner unit, adding exceptional air flow and sunlight. Recessed lighting, integrated speakers and an abundance of enlarged California closets provide convenience in this thoughtfully updated home.

A gracious foyer opens to an expansive open-plan living room flanked by northern and southern outlooks. Relax alongside the opulent French marble fireplace, or host lively dinner parties under a gorgeous crystal chandelier. Below the sunny south-facing windows, built-in file cabinets and shelves add stylish storage. In the kitchen, west-facing windows frame western Billionaire's Row views from Bloomberg Tower to ultra-tall Steinway Tower. Sleek white cabinetry and black granite countertops surround excellent appliances, including a Miele dishwasher. Head to the primary bedroom to find a king-size layout, marble-topped built-ins and an oversized closet. Across the hall, the spa bathroom impresses with a frameless glass rain shower and Neptune soaking tub with chromotherapy lighting, music and micro-jets. A waterfall faucet is topped by a medicine cabinet with interior electrical outlets and a Swarovski crystal lighting. Glass shelving and floor-to-ceiling Carrara marble with matching crown molding add an elegant touch to the serene space.

Near the foyer, a large closet offers wine storage and concealed access to the home's flexible eastern wing. Here, a 20-foot-long living space is ideal for seating, dining, sleeping and home office areas. Folding doors reveal a windowed kitchenette stocked with cabinets, a granite counter, microwave, mini-fridge and small range. In the hall, you'll find a roomy California closet and another well-appointed marble bathroom with a pedestal sink and walk-in shower.

339 East 58th Street is a spectacular prewar building designed by the prolific Manhattan architect George G. Miller in 1927 and converted to cooperative use in 1988. Residents enjoy an ornate brick and stone façade, a regal lobby, 24-hour doorman service, a live-in superintendent, mail and package room, courtyard, laundry, storage and bike room. Pets, co-purchasing and guarantors, plus pieds-à-terre and subletting after two years, are permitted with board approval.

Known as one of New York City's most desirable enclaves, Sutton Place is surrounded by Midtown convenience and some of the city's best shopping, dining and nightlife. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and the luxury boutiques of Madison and 57th Street are all nearby, and Central Park and the East River Promenade provide wonderful outdoor space. Transportation from this central district is outstanding with N/R/Q/W, 4/5/6, E and M/F trains, excellent bus service, CitiBikes, the FDR and 59th Street Bridge all within reach.

Waterfront Food Hall Opening at Hudson River Park’s Pier 57

photos courtesy of Pier 57

New York City’s newest food hall will open to the public at Pier 57 this weekend. Located within Hudson River Park, Market 57 includes 15 food vendors run by chefs and entrepreneurs who have been historically underrepresented in the industry. Curated by the James Beard Foundation (JBF) with developer Jamestown, the market aims to be an incubator for new culinary talent. The food hall and community spaces opened on April 1.

The new food hall is part of the $410 million redevelopment of Pier 57, in which Google is the anchor office tenant. Led by RXR Realty, Youngwoo & Associates, and The Baupost Group, the project also includes an events space, classroom and gallery space for the Hudson River Park Trust, two full-service restaurants, and a public rooftop park.

City Winery opened a new, flagship venue location in Pier 57 in 2020 and the two-acre rooftop park opened last April.

photos courtesy of Pier 57

Located on the ground floor, Market 57 includes Good To Go by JBF, a kiosk that features rotating menus from vendors that represent JBF’s values. Vendors will offer food that is sustainable, ethically sourced, and accessible to all. The market will also host a modern showcase kitchen for culinary arts education and programming, including a rotating chefs-in residency that is set to begin in May.

“This is a momentous occasion for the James Beard Foundation as we embark on a new culinary journey at one of NYC’s most anticipated food destinations,” Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation, said in a statement.

photos courtesy of Pier 57

“We are extending our mission and brand to a global audience year-round, and bringing ‘Good Food For Good’ to life, like never before. We thank Google, Jamestown, and all our supporters, for making this project possible–and look forward to welcoming visitors to celebrate the best in American food culture, and a more sustainable, equitable, and delicious food future for all.”

Ammi

  • Bessou

  • Bird & Branch

  • Due Madri

  • Local Roots

  • LoLo’s on the Water

  • Malai

  • Mijo

  • Mothershuckers

  • Nom Wah

  • Harlem Hops

  • The Galley by Lobster Place

  • The Good Batch

  • Ras Plant Based

  • Zaab Zaab

The grand opening includes new community spaces that will be used to “promote gathering, dialogue, and learning,” according to a press release. The spaces include three bookable classrooms that can be used by local organizations and nonprofits free of charge with the support of Google.

The “living room” is a 7,400-square-foot gathering space on the pier’s southern edge that will feature seating and tables with direct Hudson River and park views.

photos courtesy of Pier 57

As 6sqft previously reported, Pier 57, constructed in 1952, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for the innovative engineering techniques used that allowed the structure to stay afloat on the Hudson River. First operating as a terminal for Grace Line followed by becoming the Hudson Pier Depot for the New York City Transit Authority, the pier has been shuttered since 2003.

In 2008, the Hudson River Park Trust issued a request for proposals seeking a partner to convert the historic pier into a section of the waterfront park.

“The reactivation of Pier 57 marks the start of a bright, new chapter along the New York waterfront and serves as a reminder of what makes our state so great,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “From its world-class eateries showcasing the talents of emerging chefs and entrepreneurs to its vibrant classrooms, galleries, and community spaces, the new Pier 57 promises to be a destination that serves New Yorkers and visitors alike.”

Starting Sunday, April 2, Market 57 will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The rooftop park and “living room” space will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

See the waterfront food hall opening at Hudson River Park’s Pier 57

POSTED ON FRI, MARCH 31, 2023

BY AARON GINSBURG
All photos courtesy of Pier 57

Your new home awaits.