Exciting Development Happening….In Staten Island!

Staten Island is the latest borough to see a surge in waterfront redevelopment.  Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens have all seen their fair share of projects ranging from Extell’s various projects on the Upper West Side to TF Cornerstone in Long Island City.  Waterfront property throughout New York City has seen a brilliant resurgence over the last two decades.  Like all redevelopment, things have not been equally distributed. Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan have taken the largest share of the pot, but  It appears that the tables are turning, or at least they are trying to.

Staten Island has long been known as the least desirable borough, even when compared to New Jersey.  For those of you who do not remember, Mayor Bloomberg advocated for these redevelopment plans a few years back.  Now they are starting to really take shape.  A 630-foot ferris wheel, 190-room hotel, and massive outlet mall are all expected to open in 2016.  Take a look at Empire Outlet’s “Future of Staten Island Video” for a better look at what is currently in the works just a ferry ride away from Manhattan.

Fulton Transit Station (Finally) Set To Open Monday, 11/10 at 5PM.

After more than a decade of planning, the 10-line, 300,000+ daily passenger station is set to open its doors.  The station is set to open just days after One World Trade welcomed its first 175 Conde Nast employees this past Monday.

Things are really starting to take shape in the forever developing Financial District.  I cannot wait to see the neighborhood change over the next year.  Finally, long delayed projects will begin pumping new and creative life into the suit and tie dominated area.  The creative rebirth of Lower Manhattan is upon us!

(Photos via Curbed)

 

 

The Next Brooklyn?

The largest population shift since the rise of suburbia has begun!  Americans, young (especially young…) and old alike are moving back into cities at higher rates.  Whether it’s New York, Los Angeles, or even Kansas City, the city is the place to be.  The repopulation of America’s urban core has led to massive gentrification on a scale never seen before.

Brooklyn Baby!  This borough is the poster child for urban redevelopment.  The rise of neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Bushwick, DUMBO, and so many more, have quickly transformed desolate and often abandoned city blocks into reinvented breeding grounds for the creative class.  While Brooklyn was the first, it certainly will not be the last urban neighborhood to rise from the ashes.

The Real Deal published a great article looking into this phenomenon and asks what’s next.  Whether it’s “Brooklyn by the Bay,” Center City, Philadelphia, or a growing list of other cities, this article helps explain the real estate shifts occuring in this country, and gives great insight in to what is to come.  Take a look at the full article here.

PHOTO: Manhattan At Sunset

This photo was taken a few days ago from Long Island City. I have made it my goal to check out Queens. Too often you hear about Brooklyn and Manhattan rather than the city’s other boroughs. Did you know that every recognized religion in the world is spoken in Queens? Has anyone been on a bike tour? I think that could be

Scaffolding Down – Reveals a (Nearly Complete) Hotel Ludlow

Construction on the exterior of the building is quickly wrapping up. This hotel project is just one of many boutique hotels being built on the Lower East Side. If this project looks familiar to The Bowery Hotel, you’re correct, it’s the same development

PHOTO: Taxis of the Future Appear On Houston

The taxi of the future has been spotted today! These two cabs were seen driving on Houston and Avenue A, and are part of a pilot program. The cab design is sleek, modern and surprisingly, does not look too minivan-esque like the original model. Expect to see a fleet of cabs (13,000 strong!) hitting the streets next year when the program launches.

Gut-Renovation in SoHo

Caught a rare glimpse inside 250 Broadway today as workers renovate the vacant retail space. While a tenant has yet to be announced, work is being done to prepare the site once again. New York City construction codes require construction crews to close off their work spaces and shield the public from any unwarranted noise and pollution.

TF Cornerstone’s Pepsi Project

TF Cornerstone’s latest  project is progressing nicely along the East River.  The 41-story building is part of a larger 2,000+ unit project featuring both sales and rentals.  The latest rendering you see below will have 820 studio, through three-bedroom apartments  “Studios start at $2,125/month, one-bedrooms at $2,645/month, two-bedrooms at $3,875/month, and three-bedrooms at$5,390/month” (Curbed)

Gantry Plaza State Park houses the iconic Pepsi sign you see in the rendering.  The recently expanded park was once a Pepsi factory.  I highly suggest heading out to the park for amazing views of the city, or to check out the sign itself.  The picture you see below was taken from TF Cornerstone’s website.  With views like that, it is easy to see how the project is commanding those prices.

Take a look at the rooftop amenity spaces in the rendering below.