WILLIAMSBURG—The crane is now looming large over the sprawling Edge site on the Williamsburg waterfront. Steel is also being put in place behind the fence, so it's probably only a few more weeks before Edge starts rising for real. [CurbedWire Staff]
EVERYWHERE—Here's something for early Sunday morning risers who are real estate addicts: a new show on CW 11 at 9AM on Sundays that will debut in June called NY Residential TV. Per the promo material, the hosts "bring eager couples, interested viewers, brokers and real estate experts together as they scan all five boroughs of New York City for the perfect home. There will be segments on flipping, green buildings, open houses and more, including "lavish new development opening parties." The trailer is here. [CurbedWire Inbox]
STUY TOWN—There appear to be a lot of surplus plants at Stuy Town. A tipster emails: "this is from a fellow dog owner from stuyvesent park who got it from the gardner of the park - apparently tishman speyer has purchased way too many plants and trees so they are leaving the extra's to wilt and die at 14th street and ave. a. they are there for the taking - just tell them 'christy sent me'." Interesting. We'd heard the password was "Hudson Yards." [CurbedWire Inbox]
HARLEM—We do love renderings, especially ones that come with shilly, relentlessly cheerful emails. This is the green roof of a condo called Observatory Place. The email says, "Today’s New Yorkers in search of fresh air and cool breezes can buy a condo at Observatory Place… We don’t want to brag or anything, but check out the funky rendering and great green rooftop...Historical maps of the area show that not far from Observatory Place was a park in Harlem called Observatory Place Park, a haven of peace and quiet at the turn of the century where busy New Yorkers could get away from the bustle of the city to enjoy the fresh air and river views. Things never change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" We think the exclamation point key got stuckkkkkk. [CurbedWire Inbox]
CHELSEA—Something is up at the Sixth Ave. building housing Bed Bath and Beyond. Per an email: "Workers are constructing temporary scaffolding above the existing building to approximate a 20+ story addition. Since the site is in an historic district, I suspect that landmarks is requiring this 'Potemkin' structure as a way of analyzing the impact of a proposed future addition. Our offices look out over the site. It's facinating....I've never seen anything like this before." [CurbedWire Inbox]
TRIBECA—The Zinc Building is getting stoned. Literally. A CurbedWire Correspondent reports: "The nearly-complete Zinc Building in North Tribeca has a chunk of open space where Canal and Watts Streets converge. Perfect place for a patch of green, right? Nah, Canal Street traffic fumes would probably just kill it. So presto! A mini-plaza rock thingy. But are the stones made of zinc?" [CurbedWire Staff]
GREENWOOD HEIGHTS—It has been a long time since the fight over preserving the view from the statue of Minerva in Green-Wood cemetery was decided in Greenwood Heights and a view-blocking Robert Scarano building was rejected. Tomorrow, there's going to be a "building mock-up test" to demonstrate that a new building at Seventh Avenue and 23rd Street won't block the view between Minerva and the Statue of Liberty. Per a press release: "The test involves use of a bucket truck that will lift workmen more than 40 feet in the air at the site of the planned condo construction." Everyone can check out the view in the cemetery to make sure it won't be blocked. The Minerva statue commemorates the Battle of Brooklyn. [CurbedWire Inbox]
PROSPECT HEIGHTS—The jockeying for position continues. Today started with an avalanche of Atlantic Yards news and now the atlanticlots.com website, which is a production of the Municipal Art Society and Brooklyn Speaks has gone live. There are high quality renderings of a non-B1 future framing the opposition argument that Atlantic Yards needs to be put on hold while it's clarified. [CurbedWire Inbox]
MIDTOWN WEST—The Orion condo continues to dwell in the seventh circle of Flipper Hell and people continue to take note. A reader writes: "I don't know if anyone noticed, but a quick browse on the Corcoran website shows 22 Apts up for sale!...That's just on the Corcoran website! Where's everyone going??" Natefind is showing 29 listings, a few of them with PriceChops from the original asks. [CurbedWire Inbox]
MIDTOWN WEST—Sure, it's promotional, but an email notes that a summer concert series for residents is kicking off tonight on the roof of the Atlas, a 48-story rental building on West 38th Street and Sixth Avenue: "Live musical acts are to perform bi-weekly and will embody a whole new concept of 'home' entertainment." This is not the first music to grace the Atlas roof. [CurbedWire Inbox]
CHELSEA—Remember that strip of businesses on Ninth Avenue that are faced with eviction because the landlord wants to replace them with "newer, upscale businesses"? Well, there's a rally tomorrow to keep this little slice of the old city in place and it'll include Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Council Speaker Christine Quinn and a ton of West Side groups, which is a lot of people coming to the aid of two small groceries, a gift store, a barber shop and a liquor store. Per an email from Andrew Berman (the one from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation): "Residents are worried that with the disappearance of these stores, along with many other older business in recent years, Chelsea is losing its character..." It happens tomorrow from 1-3 on Ninth Ave. between 17th & 18th Streets. [CurbedWire Inbox]
HARLEM—Anyone who thinks they've got it bad with city project that drag on, should consider Frederick Douglass Circle at 110th Street, where work has been going on for four years with no end in sight. A reader emails: "Do you know when this never ending project will end? The sidewalk entrance into Central Park looks almost complete—at least the sidewalk has opened up again as of last week. But there hasn’t been any progress with the circle in the middle—it’s still covered up." The plans look nice, though. [CurbedWire Inbox]
MIDTOWN—This car went up in smoke at 49th and Fifth over the weekend. The tipster who sends the pic writes: "Weird. One week after a cab blew up outside St Pats, a Town Car goes up on the same block." [CurbedWire Inbox]
CHELSEA—Well, one hotel mystery has been solved. "The hotel that has been under construction for a looooong time on the north side of 26th street between 6th and 7th got its sign this week... we're proud to welcome a new Holiday Inn to our neighborhood. The lot under construction on the south side of the same block is going to be hotel also, which a broker for the adjacent building told us will likely be a Four Seasons. We didn't really believe him then (The Four Seasons Chelsea?), but what are the chances of that now??!!" [CurbedWire Inbox]
WEST VILLAGE—Uh, stay away from the Sex and the City townhouse on Perry Street. Or not. Per a reader: "I was walking my dog yesterday down Perry Street, past the "Sex and the City" townhouse and lo and behold, there was an obnoxious chain across the steps to the townhouse with a sign that said if you sat on the steps you were TRESPASSING. I guess in order to get your photo there, you have to pay to get on the SATC tour and pay your 30 bucks. It is the first time I have seen a chain like that up in the W. Village, having lived here for many years." [CurbedWire Inbox]
HARLEM—When last we heard from Fifth on the Park development, it was via a shilly email proclaiming it half full. Well, we have a new one about the huge sign telling all the commuters on Metro North they'd be home if they lived in Harlem instead of Connecticut. Per the email: "Fifth on the Park Condo developers put up six-story high sign that faces the trains and Harlem’s 125th station platform and can be seen for miles away. (There is another sign – closer to street level at the corner of 120th and Fifth Avenue.)" Also, it is now slightly more than half full. [CurbedWire Inbox]
UES—An update on the 17,000 square foot, three house "combined" Upper East Side McMansion we posted about yesterday: "Yesterday (April 22) all Landmarks commissioners criticized the proposal and sent it back to be modified by the LPC staff and the architects (DÁquino Monaco). Chair Tierney said there would be a future public hearing. Many neighborhood residents attended the hearing and spoke against the proposal (as they had at Community Board 8 the week before) and urged that they be kept informed and consulted on the changes. As you can see, they need to be radical and this process will be very interesting." [Curbed Wire Inbox]
VILLAGE—Speaking of Karl Fischer, demolition work has started on the site of a Fischer hotel on W. 13th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. As previously noted, the hotel will rise at 52-54 West 13th Street. It's located across the street from a New School building on a site that was occupied by Taste of Tokyo and La Dolce Vita. Projected completion is 2009. Why should Brooklyn have all the fun? [CurbedWire Inbox]
EVERYWHERE—Sometimes half the fun of writing city government is seeing what kind of form e-mail comes back. Are reader writes: "I wrote the Mayor a letter (an email) via the NYC.gov website regarding my concerns about the housing projects. I expressed my opinion about the obvious drain on resources, and the less than stellar results of this program...I asked whether they have ever considered selling off some, or turning them into co-ops, or something similar. I received a letter a few weeks later indicating that the city is pursuing a number of options regarding housing projects, and that there are some test developments converting to ownership. Go to the website and send an email to the Mayor detailing the same sorts of questions regarding the housing projects. In a few weeks, you will receive the same, or similar, letter, with a list of the housing projects that are now in transition." [CurbedWire Inbox]
HUDSON SQUARE—On this glorious Spring day, a reader sends a photo of the New Museum as seen from a distance. He writes: "Just digging the New Museum in this April mid-day light. View looking east from Hudson Square." Hell yes. [CurbedWire Inbox]
BRONX—For those that recall the disappearance of parks and upset about distribution of community benefits associated with the building of the new Yankee Stadium, there was a ribbon cutting today to promote the opening of a renovated playground and playing fields. The city wants everyone to know that "the $2.4 million playground and ballfield renovation marks the first completed permanent project associated with the Yankee Stadium Redevelopment" and that it "covered a formerly barren asphalt yard" with synthetic turf, etc. About 21 acres of Macombs Dam Park and Mullaly Parks went for the stadium and associated facilities. [CurbedWire Inbox]
MePa—The students wearing hipster-looking chalk shoes today? It was the Chalk Walk, an event sponsored by Friends of the Highline for our favorite soon-to-be elevated urban park. Per our special Curbed correspondent who was on the scene: "If you noticed some big splotchy chalk arrows in MePa today, the culprits were a group of happy and pleasant eighth graders from the Lab School who strapped on Julia Mandle-designed green chalk shoes and dragged their feet from 8th Avenue over to the High Line to promote a future park on the old West Side rail lines. The stunt was coordinated with Friends of the High Line. The kids started out on both sides of 14th Street at 8th Avenue and met at 9th Avenue to regroup and apparently swarm all of the unsuspecting outdoor diners. Spirits were high (and most passers-by seemed charmed) and the chalk shoes were surprisingly sturdy—there was only one tumble during the whole procession, and the victim shook it off admirably. Then, they split into three groups to head to the different future High Line access points at 14th, 18th, and Gansevoort Streets to point their shoes at the construction site, cheer, and sign their names on the sidewalk. No vandalism arrests have been made. Yet." Gallery show to come. [CurbedWire Staff]
CHELSEA—There is significant progress, of a sort on Jean Nouvel's hole. The tipster who sends the construction photo explains, "1 and a half years of watching the building and they finished excavating last week. Today...they built that shed in one day. Progress. Perhaps the units will all be sheds." [CurbedWire Inbox]
GRAMERCY—The tipster who sent the photo here (click to enlarge) believes there's a little bit of a problem with the building pictured: "Doesn't anyone pay attention to the Sliver law??? 316 E 22nd Street is building up 75 feet on a lot only 40 feet wide. The sliver law applies to lots under 45 feet and that limits this build to 60 feet. Is DOB so inefficient they don't know their own rules? Somebody should audit their application and issue a Stop Work Order immediately." [CurbedWire Inbox]
EVERYWHERE—As it turns out, a huge number of foreclosures in New York City last year involved two- to four-family buildings or multi-family dwelling. The Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy reports that almost 60 percent of the 15,000 foreclosure filings fell into that category. About 76,000 people live in buildings that entered foreclosure in 2007 and about 38,000 of them were living in rental units. The majority of renters living in foreclosed buildings are in Brooklyn and Queens. [CurbedWire Inbox]
HARLEM—It looks like it's time to ratchet up the pressure to approve the rezoning of 125th Street. Today, Community Board 11 sent out a press release announcing a $1.4 million deal reached in mid-March with Vornado over its Harlem Park building that will include Major League Baseball's cable network as a tenant. The money will be divvied up for things like job training and streetscape improvements. The rezoning got conditional support from Community Boards 9 & 11 and conditional disapproval from Community Board 10. Per an email from Community Board 11, which approved the deal with Vornado: "The development team was looking for community support for an amendment to the New York City Department of City Planning’s 125th Street Corridor Rezoning Plan." [CurbedWire Inbox]
IN THE PARKS—In another sign that Spring is here, tomorrow is the official opening day for ballfields in parks around the city. Also, for those keeping track, cricket fields also open tomorrow. Here are some other opening days: lawn bowling & croquet fields on April 26, beaches on May 24 and pools on June 27. [CurbedWire Inbox]
