Midtown East

The United Nations General Assembly already began on Sept. 17 but Midtown has yet to experience the traffic nightmare that will hit the neighborhood next week. With meetings taking place through Sept. 30, the city has designated weekdays between Sept. 23 and Sept. 30 as gridlock alert days. On top of UNGA, Climate Week events will add to the congestion. “Drivers should leave their cars at home next week if they can—and try walking, taking mass transit, or getting on a bicycle," Polly Trottenberg, commissioner of the Department of Transportation, said in a statement. Here's a handy guide to getting around the city during the busy week ahead, including street closures and traffic updates for those of you with nerves of steel.
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One Vanderbilt tops out at 1,401 feet, becomes tallest office building in Midtown

Photo of One Vanderbilt © 6sqft

September 17, 2019

One Vanderbilt tops out at 1,401 feet, becomes tallest office building in Midtown

The Grand Central Terminal-adjacent supertall One Vanderbilt officially topped out this week, reaching its full 1,401-foot height. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, the tower is now Midtown's tallest office building and the fourth-tallest skyscraper in New York City. One Vanderbilt, developed by SL Green, measures 1.7 million square feet and boasts a unique terra cotta facade as well as the fourth-highest observation deck in the city.
Another supertall makes its mark

Iconic New York Public Library lions to get a laser cleaning as part of conservation effort

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL.

August 12, 2019

Iconic New York Public Library lions to get a laser cleaning as part of conservation effort

The iconic lions standing guard outside the The New York Public Library’s 42nd Street location are getting some much-needed grooming this fall. The majestic pair–named Patience and Fortitude–have been in place since 1911 as international symbols for access to knowledge and information. As part of a conservation effort that happens every 7 to 10 years, the stone sentries will receive repairs to cracks and chips and laser cleanings.
A bit of history, this way

City Living

$825K Turtle Bay pad has a floating staircase and glass-bottom sleeping loft

Photo credit: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty.

August 6, 2019

$825K Turtle Bay pad has a floating staircase and glass-bottom sleeping loft

This one-bedroom home in Turtle Bay Towers at 310 East 46th Street, asking $825,000, plays with creative design and dramatic custom construction to give it the feel of an industrial loft. Steel and tempered glass surround a floating staircase, and grand dimensions and open spaces make this condop stand out from the average full-service midtown Manhattan pack.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

$11.5M Beekman Place duplex is a rare piece of Manhattan social history, Warhol connection included

Listing photos by Donna Dotan, courtesy of Compass

August 5, 2019

$11.5M Beekman Place duplex is a rare piece of Manhattan social history, Warhol connection included

This 5,200-square-foot duplex at 1 Beekman Place, on the market for the first time in 50 years, is a rare piece of NYC history. The seller is socialite and one-time Warhol muse Barbara Allen de Kwiatkowski. With 60 linear feet of windows overlooking the East River on each level, this palatial 12-room co-op offers five bedrooms, three fireplaces, a private balcony, two terraces overlooking the East River and a one-bedroom staff apartment on a separate floor.
More of the grand tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

Empire State Building unveils second floor immersive observatory experience

Photo credit: Evan Joseph for Empire State Realty Trust.

July 29, 2019

Empire State Building unveils second floor immersive observatory experience

The Empire State Building unveiled today the second phase of a freshly reimagined $165 million Observatory Experience. The new second-floor gallery treats visitors to a series of nine individual exhibits, taking them on a digitally enhanced, experiential journey from the building’s construction to its current iconic cultural status. The 10,000-square-foot gallery's redesign was led by experience designer Thinc along with team members IDEO, Squint Opera, Beneville Studios, Diversified, Intersection, Kubik Maltbie, Otis Elevator Company and Tenguerian Model.
Photos this way

Grand Central photography exhibit shows iconic landmarks on empty NYC streets

Image © Marc Yankus

July 23, 2019

Grand Central photography exhibit shows iconic landmarks on empty NYC streets

By Nicole Mondrus

Last Thursday, MTA Arts and Design announced a new installation going up in Grand Central Terminal. “Landmark City” showcases photographs of iconic landmark buildings that have been altered to appear on completely empty streets. The installation, by acclaimed photographer Marc Yankus, is set to run for a year in GCT’s East Dining Concourse.
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Events & Things To Do

15 ways to celebrate Bastille Day in NYC

Images courtesy of Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, and Pexels

July 10, 2019

15 ways to celebrate Bastille Day in NYC

By Nicole Mondrus

Independence Day may have been last week, but if you haven’t had your fill of red, white, and blue festivities, Bastille Day is this Sunday. Whether you’re a history aficionado or just appreciate French culture and cuisine, there is plenty to do this weekend to celebrate the 230th storming of the Bastille.
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Events & Things To Do

Celebrate pride after hours at the library for talks, a literary drag show, cocktails and more

The Library After Hours. Image courtesy of NYPL.

June 19, 2019

Celebrate pride after hours at the library for talks, a literary drag show, cocktails and more

Celebrate Pride Month at the library! As part of the New York Public Library's "Love & Resistance: Stonewall 50" exhibition, the doors at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building are staying open on Friday, June 21 for the "city's most cerebral happy hour." The after-hours event offers access to the Rose Main Reading Room and other gorgeous library spaces, artist and curator talks, readings from the archives by special guests, a literary drag show with Drag Queen Story Hour, music, food, drinks and more.
All the info, this way

Events & Things To Do

Waldorf Astoria condos will launch sales in the fall

Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft.

June 11, 2019

Waldorf Astoria condos will launch sales in the fall

The redeveloped Waldorf Astoria residences have a new teaser website, and according to an announcement by the historic hotel's owner, Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group Co., the new condos will be called The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria. The Wall Street Journal reports that sales of 375 private residences at the storied hotel will begin in the fall.
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The Four Seasons is closing this week, less than a year after $40M reopening

Photo via Wikimedia

June 10, 2019

The Four Seasons is closing this week, less than a year after $40M reopening

Less than a year after moving out of the historic Seagram Building and reopening a new space, the famed Four Seasons Restaurant will close Tuesday, the New York Times reported. The news comes after the restaurant reopened last year on East 52nd Street with a $40 million renovation. And last December, former managing partner Julian Niccolini resigned after pleading guilty to sexual assault in 2016.
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Food & Dining

NYC Council approves JPMorgan’s 70-story Midtown East tower

Via Flickr

May 9, 2019

NYC Council approves JPMorgan’s 70-story Midtown East tower

The New York City Council on Wednesday approved the first supertall to be constructed under the Midtown East rezoning. JPMorgan Chase will build a new 70-story headquarters at the site of its current offices at 270 Park Avenue. The rezoning, adopted by the city in 2017, affects more than 70 blocks around Grand Central Terminal and encourages the construction of taller, more modern office towers in the neighborhood. Designed by Norman Foster's Foster + Partners, the 1,400-foot building is set to become one of the tallest structures in the city and the tallest office building by roof height.
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Policy

Proposed project from Vornado and Rudin calls for 1,450-foot tower in Midtown East

Via Vornado Realty Trust and Rudin Management Company

May 6, 2019

Proposed project from Vornado and Rudin calls for 1,450-foot tower in Midtown East

A tentative joint venture between two developers could bring another supertall to Midtown East. Vornado Realty Trust and Rudin Management Company may team up to develop a 1,450-foot office tower at 350 Park Avenue, the Real Deal reported Friday. A leaked brochure for the potential project includes renderings of the proposed tower, revealing a glassy building with a series of setbacks that would allow for outdoor terraces and floorplates of various sizes.
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Real Estate Trends

Plans for second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere move forward with demolition permits

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

April 15, 2019

Plans for second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere move forward with demolition permits

Just one month after closing on 5 East 51st Street, a six-floor rental across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, developer Harry Macklowe has filed demolition permits with the city, as CityRealty reported. This move brings Macklowe one step closer to realizing his vision for Tower Fifth, a 1,556-foot office tower that, if approved, will become the second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, surpassing Macklowe’s own 432 Park Avenue and coming in just short of One World Trade Center. (Tower Fifth's roofline would actually be 216 feet above One World Trade Center's but since its mast brings the building's official height to 1,776 feet it would retain the title of the city's tallest building.)
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New Developments

Aby Rosen says he’ll add an observation deck to the Chrysler Building

Photo via Max Pixel

April 3, 2019

Aby Rosen says he’ll add an observation deck to the Chrysler Building

By Dana Schulz

“I see the building as a Sleeping Beauty: It needs to be woken up and revitalized,” developer Aby Rosen told the Post about his plans for the Chrysler Building. His firm RFR Realty, in partnership with Signa Holding, bought the landmark for $150 million last month . His plans include restoring the 1930s Art Deco interiors by way of a series of restaurants that will take inspiration from Chrysler's original Cloud Club, as well as adding a '"fashionable food hall" (of course) and retail spaces. The biggest news, though, is that he also wants to incorporate a new observation deck, joining the ranks of 30 Hudson Yards, One Vanderbilt, and Chrysler's one-time rival the Empire State Building.
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New Developments

March 28, 2019

Photos capture the historic glamour of the Waldorf Astoria before its renovation

By Dana Schulz

To the dismay of many New Yorkers, the Waldorf Astoria closed its doors in 2017 for a huge renovation project that will ultimately create larger hotel rooms and add a new set of luxury condos. After the plans were announced, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the hotel's first three floors as an interior landmark, meaning the new owners will need to preserve the 1931 Art Deco spaces. But after a four-year hiatus (the hotel will reopen in 2021) and a completely new vibe, it's not clear if those interiors will have the same glamorous, old-school New York vibe that they were once famous for. Luckily, photographers James and Karla Murray captured the Waldorf in all its glory before it closed its doors. Ahead, take a tour of the old Waldorf, from its iconic, two-ton lobby clock to the three-tiered grand ballroom.
Take the tour

March 25, 2019

For $345K, a Tudor City studio with views of the park

Listing images by Ben Fitchett Tudor City, the Turtle Bay apartment complex built in the 1920s, is known for its tiny apartments that are priced to match. While this studio at 25 Tudor City Place doesn't offer a lot of extra space, the unit comes with a generously-sized kitchenette, a new renovation, and views of the private and lush Tudor City park. It's now on the market for $345,000 after selling in 2014 for $272,500.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

Photo exhibit shows 10 years of subway cars dropped in the Atlantic Ocean to become artificial reefs

Air Break, 2008. Photo by Stephen Mallon.

March 15, 2019

Photo exhibit shows 10 years of subway cars dropped in the Atlantic Ocean to become artificial reefs

By now you may have seen Stephen Mallon’s mind-bending photo series showing thousands of decommissioned NYC subway cars being tossed into the Atlantic Ocean. The MTA initiative was undertaken more than 10 years ago with the goal of creating artificial reefs that would support sea life along the eastern seabed. The amazing photo series, briefly on view at NYU’s Kimmel Galleries, documented the train cars being heaved into the briny deep from Delaware to South Carolina over three years. Now, a new exhibit, "Sea Train: Subway Reef Photos by Stephen Mallon," opening March 20th at the New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery, features 19 large-format photographs that capture the iconic subway cars, dropped like toy trains from hulking barges as they're being deployed as sea-life-sustaining artificial reefs,
More amazing photos and their story, this way

Events & Things To Do

East River Esplanade projects to receive $75M in mayoral funding

Image: Wikimedia commons.

February 25, 2019

East River Esplanade projects to receive $75M in mayoral funding

NYC Parks has announced that Mayor Bill de Blasio has allocated $75 million in additional funding for ongoing East River Esplanade reconstruction projects underway from East Midtown through East Harlem. The new funding has been allocated to three distinct esplanade projects: East Harlem from 114th to East 117th Streets, the Upper East Side from East 90th to East 94th Streets and Midtown East from East 62nd to East 63rd Streets.
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Uncategorized

JPMorgan Chase will revise design of 270 Park Avenue tower to increase open public space

Image via Flickr

February 15, 2019

JPMorgan Chase will revise design of 270 Park Avenue tower to increase open public space

In response to pushback, JPMorgan Chase will be redesigning its planned 1,400-foot office tower at 270 Park Avenue with additional open public space, as Crain’s first reported. Under the East Midtown rezoning, new developments are required to provide 10,000 square feet of public space, but because two-thirds of the site sits above the Grand Central Terminal train shed, architects for the project argued they could only come up with 7,000 square feet. This notion was challenged by members of Manhattan Community Board 5 and elected officials. JPMorgan has now agreed to submit new designs increasing the size of the public space to 10,000 square feet and making it an open-air area instead of enclosed as it was in the initial design proposal.
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New Developments

Grand Hyatt, Trump’s first major Manhattan real estate coup, to be torn down for new office tower

Image: Jennifer Rotner via Flickr.

February 8, 2019

Grand Hyatt, Trump’s first major Manhattan real estate coup, to be torn down for new office tower

Developer TF Cornerstone and investment firm MSD Partners have announced plans to purchase and tear down the Grand Hyatt building adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, the Wall Street Journal reports. The hotel brand will eventually return to the site in a form different from the smoked glass-clad building that was Donald Trump’s first major Manhattan development. In its place will rise a mixed-use project that includes 2 million square feet of high-octane office space. The planned development is one of four new towers in the works as a result of a 2017 Midtown East rezoning aimed at encouraging new office buildings as well as infrastructure improvements in the east side business district.
The times they are a-changin' in East Midtown

New Developments

February 5, 2019

For $335K, a compact but efficient studio in charming Tudor City

25 Tudor City Place, also known as Tudor Tower, was one of the original buildings built at Tudor City, one of Manhattan's largest residential developments conceived by visionary real estate developer Frederick F. French in 1927 as a “suburb in the city.” The building retains its old-world charm with a well-maintained Gothic lobby and historic details in all 443 units, including beamed ceilings, hardwood floors, and casement windows. Like many of the pint-sized units that Tudor City is well-known for, this one, on the market for $335,000, offers a price tag to match.
Get the tour

Distinctive Homes

January 23, 2019

Late playwright Neil Simon’s three apartments at the Ritz Tower are for sale

A group of apartments in Midtown owned by late Broadway playwright Neil Simon are on the market, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The three apartments are in the Ritz Tower, an Emery Roth-designed 42-story building in Midtown East and range in price from $1.5 million to $2.8 million. Simon, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who was best known for plays like "The Odd Couple," died at age 91 last August.
Take a look around

Second-tallest tower in the Western Hemisphere may rise across from St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Tower Fifth rendering by TMRW courtesy Gensler

January 23, 2019

Second-tallest tower in the Western Hemisphere may rise across from St. Patrick’s Cathedral

The developers behind the distinct supertall at 432 Park Avenue want to take a second shot at altering New York City's skyline. Harry Macklowe submitted a preliminary application to the city's planning department for a 1,551-foot-tall skyscraper between 51st and 52nd Streets in Midtown across from St. Patrick's Cathedral, the New York Times reported. If the city approves the project, Tower Fifth, the name given to the proposed tower by Macklowe Properties, would become the second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
See inside the proposed supertall

Demolition permits filed for world’s tallest teardown at 270 Park Avenue

The existing 270 Park Avenue, MikePScott via Flickr

January 17, 2019

Demolition permits filed for world’s tallest teardown at 270 Park Avenue