Bed-Stuy

Mayor Bill de Blasio declared Wednesday that he wanted "more rat corpses" in a $32 million crusade to rid the city's most plagued neighborhoods of the scurrying scourge. The New York Times reports that parts of lower Manhattan, the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx are the focus of the latest campaign that hopes to reduce the number of rats in those areas by 70 percent by the close of 2018. Among the battle's newly-forged weapons are 336 $7,000 solar-powered rat-proof garbage bins and an EPA-approved–and apparently very effective–method of killing rats in their holes using dry ice.
Psst...hey...pizza over here

City Living

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

Located on one of those charmingly scruffy Bed-Stuy streets that seems to span three centuries with some "Little House on the Prairie" thrown in, this seriously detached house at 659 Madison Street, though it's only two stories high and 2,244 square feet, sits on a 25-by-100-foot lot. Asking $1.2 million, the three-bedroom home is still a lot bigger than the average condo–and what condo comes with a wrap-around porch? Though the listing says it's a single-family, it's actually a two-unit building, so there's even income potential.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

July 10, 2017

Two chances to live in hip Bed-Stuy from $947/month

Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for an affordable one-bedroom for $947/month or a two-bedroom for $1072/month at 452 Lafayette Avenue in Bedford-Stuy. Located at the intersection of Lafayette and Franklin Avenues, this apartment building sits near the Pratt Institute as well as plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants. Amenities include a roof terrace and laundry room, along with being just steps away from the G train.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

July 7, 2017

Extell’s Central Park Tower will have a $95M penthouse and 100th-floor ballroom

With massive condominiums, private elevators and a 100th-floor ballroom that overlooks Central Park, Gary Barnett and Extell Development won’t have much trouble luring the world’s richest to their ambitious $4 billion Central Park Tower. Although the building at 217 West 57th Street, slated to be the tallest residential tower on Earth and most expensive in NYC, won’t be completed until 2019, the Real Deal discovered the building’s floorplans and the price breakdown for each unit. According to filed documents, 20 of the 179 condominiums in the building have a price tag of $60 million and above. The most expensive unit listed? A $95 million penthouse that contains four bedrooms, a 2,000-square-foot terrace and an outdoor pool.
See the floorplans

July 6, 2017

Two chances to live in prime Bed-Stuy for $1,114/month

Starting today, New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for two, $1,114/month two-bedroom apartments at 183 Tompkins Avenue in Bed-Stuy, quite the deal considering market-rate two-bedrooms are renting for $2,600. The new six-story building has just 10 units total and is a five-minute walk from the Myrtle- Willoughby G train and 10 minutes from the Myrtle Ave J, M, and Z. Apartments have large windows, high ceilings, wood floors, and kitchens with dishwashers and stainless steel appliances, and the building offers some private balconies, a rooftop, and a virtual doorman.
The full details

Affordable Housing

June 30, 2017

This Stuyvesant Heights brownstone with a perfect Brooklyn back yard asks $4,500/month

This compact brownstone rental in Bed-Stuy's pretty Stuyvesant Heights historic district of awaits summer festivities on a landscaped private back terrace. $4,500 a month gets you three bedrooms on two stories and a finished basement plus covetable private outdoor space in one of the borough's most buzzed-about neighborhoods.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Apply for 14 affordable apartments in Bed-Stuy’s luxury Atrium rental, from $833/month

785 Dekalb Avenue via Durukan Design

May 15, 2017

Apply for 14 affordable apartments in Bed-Stuy’s luxury Atrium rental, from $833/month

Located in the hub of Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, 14 newly constructed affordable units are available to rent at The Atrium at 785 Dekalb Avenue. The six-story lavish rental contains 70 units and features a six-story brick atrium in the lobby, fitness center, lounge, wet room, game room and a spacious open roof deck. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $833/month studios to $1,043/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 12, 2017

Skyscraper proposal drapes Billionaires’ Row tower with flexible materials

Yesterday, 6sqft shared a proposal for an inside-out Midtown tower that received an honorable mention in Evolo's 2017 Skyscraper Competition. Another that made the list is the Flexible Materials Skyscraper, an idea for a Billionaires' Row supertall with an exterior made of a new material that can be folded, cut, sewed, and turned over, falling into a pattern. The designers called it “draping,” and hope building skyscrapers with flexible materials will allow architects to explore a new model of building while also cutting down on the construction process.
See renderings of the skyscraper

Architecture And Design

April 5, 2017

Where I Work: Go inside Square Roots’ futuristic shipping container farm in Bed-Stuy

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we take a tour of the Bed-Stuy urban farm Square Roots. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! In a Bed-Stuy parking lot, across from the Marcy Houses (you'll know this as Jay-Z's childhood home) and behind the hulking Pfizer Building, is an urban farming accelerator that's collectively producing the equivalent of a 20-acre farm. An assuming eye may see merely a collection of 10 shipping containers, but inside each of these is a hydroponic, climate-controlled farm growing GMO-free, spray-free, greens--"real food," as Square Roots calls it. The incubator opened just this past November, a response by co-founders Kimbal Musk (Yes, Elon's brother) and Tobias Peggs against the industrial food system as a way to bring local food to urban settings. Each vertical farm is run by its own entrepreneur who runs his or her own sustainable business, selling directly to consumers. 6sqft recently visited Square Roots, went inside entrepreneur Paul Philpott's farm, and chatted with Tobias about the evolution of the company, its larger goals, and how food culture is changing.
Take a tour of Square Roots and get the full story from Tobias

April 4, 2017

Noroof Architects’ Bed-Stuy porcHouse re-imagines the classic American front porch

By Rebecca Paul

"The great American front porch was just there, open and sociable, an unassigned part of the house that belonged to everyone and no one, a place for family and friends to pass the time," said architect Davida Rochlin in her essay "Home, Sweet Home." It was this idea that Brooklyn-based firm Noroof Architects kept in mind when redesigning this 1879 two-story, wood-frame home in Bed-Stuy. It was structurally sound and maintained original details like its covered porch with original cornice and trim, marble mantels, and carved stair balusters, but mechanically required a full gut renovation. To complete their "porcHouse" vision, Noroof added a two-story addition at the rear that they say "creates a kind of ‘interior portico.’"
See the whole place

Architecture And Design

March 30, 2017

Renaissance Revival brownstone in Bed-Stuy has original ‘speaking tubes’ dating back to 1895

You pretty much step back in time walking into this Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone, located in the eastern portion of the neighborhood at 538 Decatur Street. It is an 1895 Renaissance Revival, bay-fronted brownstone that is 18 feet wide with three stories and a two-story extension. When the listing brags that the interior boasts an "astonishing wealth of original detail" they aren't kidding--everything from carved fireplace mantles to oak pocket doors to beveled glass. The home even has its original "speaking tubes," which the original owners would have used to call to servants working on the garden floor of the home.
You must see this historic interior

Construction update: Extell’s Central Park Tower gets its fluted glass curtain wall

West 58th Street elevation of Nordstom’s podium; CityRealty

March 27, 2017

Construction update: Extell’s Central Park Tower gets its fluted glass curtain wall

When it reaches its projected 1,550-foot height, Extell Development’s Central Park Tower will have the highest roof-line of any residential building in the Western Hemisphere, besting the current record holder 432 Park. Though the $2.98 billion project won't be complete until 2019, construction is moving ahead along Billionaires' Row, reports CityRealty. The 58th Street side, which will hold a 285,000-square-foot, seven-story Nordstrom store, is currently receiving its fluted-glass skin, a "Waveforms Facade."
See more views here

New Developments

March 17, 2017

Oiio’s ‘Big Bend’ proposal for Billionaires’ Row would be the world’s longest building

New York City Architecture firm Oiio has proposed a conceptual skyscraper that would curve at the top and then return to the ground, becoming what the firm believes to be the “longest” building to ever be created. As reported by dezeen, their "Big Bend" proposal challenges Manhattan’s obsession with supertall skyscrapers by substituting extreme height with length—stretching 4,000 feet from end to end. If they are able to design this building, Oiio hopes it could potentially provide a solution to the height limitations imposed by city zoning laws.
See the renderings here

Architecture And Design

March 15, 2017

Governor Cuomo’s $1.4B Central Brooklyn plan stokes gentrification debate

Governor Cuomo announced a $1.4 billion initiative last week to bring resources like health care services and new jobs to Central Brooklyn. According to the governor, the plan, called “Vital Brooklyn,” will bring 7,600 jobs and more than 3,000 new affordable housing units to Brownsville, East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. And while Cuomo’s administration found these neighborhoods to be some of the most disadvantaged in the state, residents worry about the possible gentrification and displacement effects (h/t NY Times).
Learn more about Vital Brooklyn here

March 13, 2017

$2M garage conversion in Bed-Stuy has a zen atrium and industrial glamour

Although this listing looks like a basic garage from the outside, inside 222 Madison Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant is actually a single-family home on the market for just over $1.9 million. The cured cement floors, exposed white-washed brick wall, and high ceilings topped by skylights add plenty of industrial glamour, while a private garage, multiple sleeping areas, and 3,000-square-foot open layout retain all the functionality one could hope for in a residence.
Check out the unique space

Distinctive Homes

February 28, 2017

Spacious $860K loft is in a Bed-Stuy building known for its quirky apartments

This loft apartment comes from the well-known Brooklyn condo the Chocolate Factory Lofts at 689 Myrtle Avenue. (The building was once, not surprisingly, a chocolate factory.) The Bed-Stuy pad, asking $860,000, is much like the other units that have hit the market: spacious, 13-foot ceilings and oversized casement windows. The building's also known for its creative owners who deck out their apartments (just check out this apartment on the market last summer with a "floating" closet and custom staircase) and this latest apartment is no different.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

February 24, 2017

Glamorous modern condo inside a historic Bed-Stuy townhouse asks $855K

Talk about an apartment with good bones. This modern condo was carved from the historic four-story townhouse at 347 Gates Avenue, in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The condo conversion brought sleek finishes to each floor-through apartment, and this one on the third floor is now asking $855,000. It is located on a block of Bed-Stuy lined with picturesque townhouses, just a half block from the main drag of Bedford Avenue and close to the A/C trains on the Nostrand stop.
See more of the apartment

February 14, 2017

432 Park owner attempts to sell $20M apartment with iPhone photos

By Diane Pham

If you've been as curious as we have to know what the inside of 432 Park looks like IRL, look no further than unit #52C, now for sale by owner. LLNYC spotted the listing today which boldly ditches professionally staged photos for somewhat sloppy phone snapshots of the interiors. As the mag points out, 432's developers have been keen on putting the luxury tower's best foot forward, revealing only sleek renderings or retouched images of impeccably outfitted model units to press and onlookers.
more inside here

Distinctive Homes

January 19, 2017

Pop singer Santigold lists her ornate Bed-Stuy brownstone for $1.95 million

By Annie Doge

Singer and songwriter Santi "Santigold" White—best known for her singles "Creator" and "LES Artistes," and more recently her video "Can't Get Enough of Myself" which featured cameos by Jay Z, Pharrell, Olivia Wilde, amongst other A-listers—has just listed her stunning Bed-Stuy brownstone for $1,950,000. White originally purchased the property back in 2010 for just $775,000, meaning if she can make a sale, she'll walk away with quite a tidy profit. With that said, the home at 786 Putnam Avenue should have no issues drawing in buyers. In addition to offering generous quarters as a "one-of-a-kind 2-family brownstone, currently used as an extra-large one-family residence," plenty of lavish details make this home a standout.
Get a closer look inside here

January 6, 2017

This $840K duplex condo in Bed-Stuy comes with its own private backyard and deck

Though the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant is best known for its historic townhouses, you can still find a cute condo in the area. Cue this apartment from 156 Pulaski Street, a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom unit now asking $840,000. There's 1,150 interior square feet plus a big added bonus: a private backyard and patio space that'll make you long for summer.
See more

Distinctive Homes

November 11, 2016

432 Park Avenue will become a beacon of light beginning Monday

By Diane Pham

Just in case you had trouble spotting the Western Hemisphere's tallest residential tower, beginning Monday, 432 Park Avenue will debut a brand new lighting feature that will turn the 1,396-foot supertall into a glowing beacon. As LLNYC reports, 32 LEDs will fill the tower's five open-air "drum floors" where the building's mechanicals are situated. 432 Park's starchitect, Rafael Viñoly, worked with HDLC Architectural Lighting Design to develop the scheme.
more details here

Architecture And Design

November 8, 2016

Even more pricey condos are coming to Billionaires’ Row

By Diane Pham

Back in September, there were murmurs that the Feil Organization had plans to convert a 57th Street office building into residences. As it turns out, Billionaires' Row will indeed soon find itself with another 34 high-end condos in tow. As Yimby first reports, plans were filed last week to convert a 14-story, 1907 commercial tower at 140 West 57th Street into a mixed-use property that would keep an existing grocery story at its base, but transform the building's upper 12 floors into 70,885 square feet of upscale living space.
more details here

October 20, 2016

Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower is getting the first of its intricate, diagrid skin

News at starchitect Jean Nouvel's condominium MoMA Tower (officially called 53W53) has been relatively quiet since units hit the market just over a year ago. But CityRealty brings us an update from the Billionaires' Row construction site, where the 1,050-foot-tall, tapered tower is currently getting the first of its intricate, diagrid skin, which the architect once said will resemble blood running the veins with its nighttime lighting.
More details and views this way

September 27, 2016

More luxury condos may head to Billionaire’s Row as office tenants are vacated across from One57

Recent reports that the luxury housing market is slowing down may soon be dismissing Billionaires' Row, where several sites are in question to add to the strip's uber-high end array of residential offerings. The latest is at 140 West 57th Street, the Feil Organization's office tower right across from One57. The Post tells us that leases are not being renewed for tenants in the 14-story, landmarked building, where the developer "is said to have already drawn up floor plans for apartments."
The full story ahead

New Developments

September 16, 2016

Saudi billionaire seals the deal on the city’s highest home for record $88M