Gramercy

June 8, 2017

Clever use of space is key in this fully customized $450K Gramercy studio

If you're looking for a (Manhattan) budget-friendly studio in a neighborhood like Gramercy Park, chances are you'll be seeing lots of tiny spaces. But we've seen some genius ways to turn a tiny apartment into a great place to live, and this studio co-op at 22 Irving Place (where everyone's favorite downtown Manhattan neighborhoods merge) showcases some fine examples. Outfitted with custom cabinetry that often does double duty and also looks great, this diminutive dwelling packs storage and modern amenities into a bright and cheerful home with treetop views overlooking a private garden.
See more of this clever studio
May 3, 2017

$825K Gramercy studio has 325 square feet of private outdoor space, great views included

If you're stuck on the idea of living in Manhattan, in a super-desirable neighborhood near just about everything great, but you're on a budget of under $1 million, you're probably checking out studios. And if you're good with studio living, this gorgeous little pre-war co-op at 1 Rutherford Place in Gramercy Park would be hard to turn down. Besides being in a lovely building and possessed of custom details like a wall of steel and glass, you get a private outdoor terrace that's almost as big as the apartment itself.
Check it out
April 23, 2017

Gramercy maisonette with a gorgeous garden and wine cellar asks $3.2M

This two-floor two-bedroom garden apartment in an elegant Gramercy townhouse at 134 East 16th Street makes great use of subterranean space for more than just laundry, adding a cedar wine cellar, screening room and more for $3.15 million. The main garden floor is even more impressive with a gorgeous hinged glass wall that opens onto 1,000 square feet of pretty city garden.
See more of this amazing maisonette
February 23, 2017

For $9.5M, this sprawling Gramercy co-op has a sunken living room and keys to the park

At a house-sized 3,809 square feet, this jumbo co-op at 50 Gramercy Park North, on the market for $9.5 million, is likely two apartments that were combined. As a result, there's more room for bedrooms, living and entertaining space and more floor-to-ceiling glass to take in the view. The building is also home to the Gramercy Park Hotel, so you get hotel-level amenities as part of the deal, along with a coveted key to the park.
Big rooms and big views this way
January 26, 2017

Rem Koolhaas’ Gramercy condo reveals interior renderings, launches sales

Right before the new year, the highly anticipated condo from Toll Brothers City Living at 121 East 22nd Street in Gramercy reached its full height, providing the first real views of its glassy facade and chiseled corner that resembles a giant crystal. And what makes the structure even more special is the fact that it's the first NYC project from Pritzker Prize-winning Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas's firm the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA).CityRealty now tells us that sales have officially begun, currently ranging from $1.5 million, 761-square-foot one-bedrooms to $4.7 million,2,402-square-foot three-bedrooms, and along with the launch comes the first set of interior renderings and some fresh looks at the exterior and amenity spaces.
More details and all the renderings
December 21, 2016

The Urban Lens: Visiting Gramercy’s Pete’s Tavern, where O. Henry penned ‘The Gift of the Magi’

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, award-winning photographers James and Karla Murray return with a look inside Pete's Tavern, a Gramercy favorite with beautiful holiday decorations and an interesting historical connection to Christmas. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at tips@6sqft.com. Pete's Tavern lays claim to being NYC's oldest continuously operating bar and restaurant. Established in 1864, it's become famous for the fact that O. Henry is said to have written the classic short Christmas story "The Gift of the Magi" while dining and drinking here. We recently visited Pete's to photograph its lovely holiday decorations and to chat with restaurateur Gary Egan and manager A.C. about the establishment's unique history, connection to O. Henry, and time as a speakeasy during Prohibition.
All the photos and the interview
December 20, 2016

Chic Gramercy loft stretching over two floors hits the market for $1.75M

This apartment checks the boxes to qualify as a dreamy loft apartment: two sprawling floors with high ceilings, exposed brick, and floor-to-ceiling windows that lead to some private outdoor space. The pad is located at 215 East 24th Street, also known as the Penny Lane cooperative, in Gramercy Park. For a total of three bedrooms and three bathrooms, it'll cost you $1.75 million. It last sold in 2013 for $1.36 million.
Take a look around
December 13, 2016

Historic districts and landmarking: What they mean and how they could affect you

In New York City, where buying and selling real estate is a high-stakes endeavor, the topic of historic and landmark designation is frequently raised. There are heated discussions on the subject of listing neighborhoods or buildings on the State and National Register of Historic Places or having them designated by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. It's important to know what those organizations do and the distinctions between them. You could even be eligible for significant financial aid for your renovations if you own property in an historic district.
Find out what these designations mean, how you could benefit from them and why they're sometimes controversial.
December 6, 2016

Charming, compact triplex with a roof deck asks less than $1M in Gramercy

Over at 160 East 26th Street in Gramercy Park you'll find quite this charming one-bedroom apartment with some outdoor space and a decent price tag. The apartment--which is one of the most compact triplex units we've ever seen--is asking $850,000. On the first level it manages it hold a living area, dining area and kitchen, then there's a bedroom above, and finally a private roof deck that is sure to charm you.
Take a look inside
December 2, 2016

Jemima Kirke’s dad, ‘Bad Company’ Drummer Simon Kirke, buys $1.3M Gramercy co-op

English drummer Simon Kirke, of Free and Bad Company and father to "Girls" actress Jemima Kirke, sold his Hamptons beach cottage for almost $1.4 million over the summer, and it looks like he's used those earnings to buy a Manhattan home. Though he allegedly toured a $1.7 million spread at the famed Dakota in August, the Observer reports that Kirke spent of $1.3 million on a corner co-op at 201 East 17th Street in Gramercy.
READ MORE
November 1, 2016

Uma Thurman makes a big profit on her Gramercy Park duplex

Uma Thurman's Gramercy Park duplex went into contract in May after hitting the market for $6.25 million less than two months prior. Considering the co-op at 1 Lexington Avenue came with five bedrooms, a classically elegant look, and a coveted key to the park, it's no shock that it actually closed for $6.61 million, more than five percent over ask, according to the Observer, and well over the $2.65 million the actress paid for it in 2006.
Take a look around
October 28, 2016

Church details adorn this $6.35M triplex condo in Gramercy

The St. George’s Church conversion, at 205 East 16th Street in Gramercy, did an amazing job of preserving church details as well as integrating them into residential units. Now known as the Abbey Condominium, it's not unusual for these luxury units to boast stained glass, pews or wrought iron lantern lights. This triplex, which has just hit the market, is decked out with remnants from the church--even in the apartment's solarium--and it's asking $6.35 million.
Go inside
October 6, 2016

Comedian Rachel Dratch sells off Gramercy co-op for $925K

About one year ago 6sqft reported that funny woman Rachel Dratch snatched up a somewhat bland two-bedroom at 230 East 15th Street in Gramercy. While we imagined that Dratch would transform the space into quirky quarters to match her equally vibrant personality, as it turns out, Dratch has long been the owner of another similar but smaller unit in the building with a shared aesthetic. According to city records, the comedienne just shed the one-bedroom property for $925,000.
see more here
September 27, 2016

1890s carriage house fronts a glass-walled Gramercy home with six terraces for $16.8M

A block from Gramercy Park, 150 East 22nd Street lies just outside the borders of the Gramercy Park Historic District, but the property's owners have preserved and restored one of the most substantial carriage houses still in existence in the coveted neighborhood. The original carriage house, commissioned by one Miss E.L. Breese, a prominent New York socialite known for her rare (for the time) level of independence, was constructed in the Neo-Flemish style in 1893. It now functions as a private garage for the home, its uniquely decorative façade enveloping the front of a thoroughly modern five-story townhouse–on the market for $16.8 million–that spans nearly 7,000 square feet and boasts an elevator, six bedrooms and six terraces including an amazing rooftop paradise.
Check out this amazing combination
September 22, 2016

Adele might be saying ‘Hello’ to swanky Gramercy duplex

Between performing this week at Madison Square Garden, Adele has been keeping herself busy checking out real estate around the city. The Post reports that she inquired about a five-and-half bedroom duplex at the new Gramercy condominium 234 East 23rd Street. Her people had supposedly asked about short-term rentals, but the "sky duplex" is about to hit the market for $12 million.
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July 31, 2016

Revealed: Rem Koolhaas’ First NYC Building in Gramercy

As 6sqft previously reported, "thirty-eight years after the publication of his acclaimed book 'Delirious New York,' Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his global architecture firm the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)... have finally landed their first ground-up New York City commission." And now, CityRealty.com has uncovered the first official renderings of the two-towered condo development, located at 122 East 23rd Street in Gramercy. The Pritzker Prize winner has designed a crystalline glass and concrete facade with a chiseled corner on the north building that exposes its glass edges. In between the two buildings will be a courtyard surrounded by private apartment terraces. The courtyard will lead into a pool area, children's play area, and screening and party rooms on the building's lower levels. There will also be a robotic parking system that brings cars to underground storage.
More details
June 27, 2016

Gramercy Tudor Castle Co-op, Now Twice the Size, Is Back for $6.25M

Built in 1929 and designed by architecture firm Schwartz & Gross, the landmarked 16-story building at 44 Gramercy Park North is "distinguished and eclectic," according to architecture critic Carter Horsley. Those adjectives certainly describe this out-of-the-ordinary home currently listed at $6.25 million, which 6sqft covered previously, marveling at the co-op's elaborate "Downton Abbey"-esque Tudor stylings. The sprawling 12th floor apartment was the residence of the building's owner/developer, so no expense was spared in its creation, which explains Neo-Gothic details like a limestone arch and casement windows, terra-cotta panels and brickwork. The home's current owners have lived here nearly 50 years. In its newest incarnation the apartment's listing offers a combination of units 12A and 12D, turning the size of this Gramercy aerie from grand to palatial at 2,500 square feet, claiming the largest amount of frontage (88 feet) facing south onto Gramercy Park through 14 enormous handcrafted stained glass windows. And the two-in-one situation looks like quite a find for the buyer who likes options.
Check out the amazing original details
June 15, 2016

First Look at BKSK Architect’s Upcoming Condo Tower Planned For 200 East 21st Street

It seems every major intersection in Gramercy between East 20th and 23rd Streets is being redeveloped these days. Last fall, 6sqft reported that a humble set of walk-up buildings at the southeast corner of East 21st Street and Third Avenue were hitting the chopping block. Since then, a new building application has been filed to construct a 20-story condominium designed by BKSK Architects with Alfa Development at the helm. A new rendering of the structure, addressed officially as 200 East 21st Street, was published on the project's EB-5 investors page and shows a two-tiered metal and glass building. There will be 29 one-bedroom units, 24 two-bedrooms, seven three-bedrooms, and three four-bedrooms, for a total of 63 apartments spread across 80,000 square feet. The ground level will host retail spaces and a shortlist of residential amenities includes a 24-hour doorman, concierge, tenants' storage, a bike room, fitness center, and residents' lounge.
Find out more
June 10, 2016

VIDEO: Spend a Night in a 300-Square-Foot Micro-Apartment at Carmel Place

Just yesterday, 6sqft took a look at the available market-rate units at Carmel Place, the city's first micro-housing development. If you're debating submitting an application for one of these apartments--which at less than half the size of traditional studios are still asking from $2,570 to $3,200 per month--this video from the Times may help firm your decision. In it, reporter Penelope Green spends a night in a 302-square-foot unit that rents for $2,670 a month and features the building's host of space-saving furniture like a sofa-wall bed combo (which, though surprisingly comfortable, will give you your daily upper body workout) and a 17-inch deep desk that extends to a 10-person dining table.
Watch the full video here
June 9, 2016

Micro-Apartments at Carmel Place Starting from $2,570 and Offering a Month Free

For you minimalist gurus who also relish on-site amenities, there is a now a building for you. Earlier this spring, leasing kicked off for the city's first micro-housing development, Carmel Place (formerly known as My Micro NY) at 335 East 27th Street. Developed by Monadnock Development and designed by nARCHITECTS, the newly finished no-fee building is a prototype meant to test compact and efficient living arrangements within the city's tight housing market, as well as accommodate the city’s growing population of one- and two-person households. Thee leasing team led by Citi-Habitats is offering one month free on all 12- and 24-month leases. According to CityRealty, there are seven micro-studios available ranging from 265 to 360 square feet. Though the units are nearly half the size of typical studio apartments, monthly rents are not analogously micro with current asking prices ranging from $2,570 to $2,920 per month. That's an average of $110 per square foot, significantly more than $83 per square foot median studio price in Murray Hill and $60 per square foot in Gramercy.
Find out more this way
June 8, 2016

$19.75M for the Former Gramercy Home of the Catholic Sisters of the Immaculate Heart

Yet another religious property has hit the market, although this is no typical church. These two townhouses, at 238 East 15th Street in Gramercy, have long served as the home for the Catholic Sisters of the Immaculate Heart. The sisters bought the first townhouse in 1948 and the second in 1952, combining them with a doorway on each floor. In the years that followed, according to the NY Times, hundreds of the sisters of the Immaculati Cordis Mariae (which began in Belgian) have passed through, decorating the townhouse interiors with souvenirs from missions around the world. Only one sister now lives in the 15,600-square-foot property, which has just hit the market for nearly $20 million.
See the interior
May 20, 2016

Strand Bookstore Owner Lists Elegant 1848 Gramercy Townhouse for $7.5M

If you're a lover of timelessly elegant Manhattan living and you're lucky enough to live in Gramercy, you probably love your home just that much more. And if your Gramercy spot is anything like this classically lovely townhouse at 236 East 19th Street, on the market for $7.5 million, we'd say that's a bit like hitting the jackpot. Built in 1848, the four-story Anglo-Italianate home was owned by the Baer family from the 1860s until the current owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, co-owner of the famous Strand bookstore, purchased it for $4,700,000 in 2011. We're guessing Mrs. Wyden—she co-owns the store with her father, Fred Bass, whose father, Ben, founded the Strand in 1927—may be selling the house to spend more time in Oregon with her husband, Senator Ron Wyden, who is that state's senior U.S. senator. The couple have several small children, and if the house looks this good we'd say it must be child-proof. There's a luxurious wood-paneled library–fitting for the first family of one of the city's most iconic bookstores–and though there's plenty of play space and five bedrooms, the home's intricate historic details have been restored beautifully with added finishes (like walls of glass and several private outdoor spaces) for modern-day livability.
Take the tour
May 19, 2016

Alcove Studio Asking $465K in Gramercy Packs in the Prewar Charm

Just because an apartment is small doesn't mean it can't have lots of personality. That's the case for this alcove studio at The Gramercy House, a co-op at 235 East 22nd Street in Gramercy Park. The building itself makes quite a statement; it was designed by architects George and Edward Blum in 1931 as an impressive Art Deco apartment building. Historic interior details have managed to carry over into this apartment, with moldings, hardwood floors and even a corner wood-burning fireplace.
Take a look
May 6, 2016

Rare and Spectacular Light-Filled Penthouse Overlooking Gramercy Park Asks $2.5M

From the outside, the Gramercy Park townhouse at 132 East 19th Street is immediately impressive. According to this Streetscapes column, it was a brownstone completely redesigned in 1908 by the innovative architect Frederick Sterner. Now the facade boasts a light stucco and huge windows that lend to lovely, bright apartments. The building's penthouse unit has hit the market and is showing off massive floor-to-ceiling clerestory windows, under 14-foot ceilings, that offer a view over the other landmarked townhouses of Gramercy Park.
Take a look
April 14, 2016

As Rem Koolhaas Finally Designs First NYC Building, A Look Back at His Unbuilt Proposals

Thirty-eight years after the publication of his acclaimed book "Delirious New York," Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his global architecture firm the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) seem to have finally landed their first ground-up New York City commission. Excavation is already underway at the 22,000-square-foot project site located at 122 East 23rd Street and will soon host a pair of block-through residential towers articulated by faceted elevations and chiseled corners. While there has been no official announcement that Koolhaas is on board, several consultant websites and Linkedin profiles indicate that the Pritzker Prize-winner has been tapped, while New York-based SLCE will serve as the architects of record. To mark the occasion, and as we eagerly await the design unveiling, 6sqft has rounded up Koolhaas' prior unlucky attempts to build in the city. The proposals befell to the usual suspects that typically stymie bold architecture in the city—community opposition, economic downturns, and the conservative nature of the city's developers and public sector. *Update 4/21: OMA has confirmed their involvement in the project and share that Shohei Shigematsu, partner and director of the firm's New York office, is leading the design effort.
See it all right here