PHOTO: Second Avenue Subway Taking Shape Quickly (via @trdny)

The Second Avenue Subway project has been either proposed/in planning for almost a century now.  it appears that work is finally starting to take shape as the largest subway expansion in over 50 years passes some significant milestones.  Mayor Bloomberg expressed his both optimism and dismay with the project’s slow progress.  While there is a “50/50 chance [he] will see the subway come to fruition,” Phase 1 has a completion date of December 2016.  While a significant amount of work still remains, a clear foundation and infrastructure has been completed as a rough outline of the project takes shape. The project reached a milestone earlier this year after wrapping up all blasting for the initial Phase 1 (out of four total segments).

Assuming work continues on schedule, (which surprisingly enough, has been the case for the past four years now…) Phase 1 will extend the Q train across 63rd Street up to 95th Street three years from now.  Phase 2 will extend the Q train all the way up to 125th Street.  Phase 3 will be the longest segment  and will create – the T line – running from 63rd and Second Avenue down to Houston Street.  The fourth and final phase will extend the T line down to Hanover Square at the bottom of Manhattan.  

All in all, this project will eventually come to revolutionize the East Side.  Look for an increase in real estate prices as the project nears its completion date.  Not only will noise and other construction complaints begin to subside, but foot traffic, local business development, and of course access to an entirely new train route will bring large amounts into this area of Manhattan.  As the project moves further downtown, expect areas in Midtown East, Alphabet City, and the Lower East Side to benefit as well.  Granted the  entire project does not have a completion date…these changes are most certainly off in the distant future.  Hopefully work will continue on schedule!

Two Ace Hotel Projects Coming To The Lower East Side

The Ace Hotel is quietly moving forward with not one, but TWO projects on the Lower East Side.  The first project is located at the end of Orchard Street (and Canal), while the second building under renovation is located at 225 Bowery.   The Bowery Boogie has the complete story, however I was able to speak with a real estate broker who is organizing the Bowery deal.

The broker, who chose to remain anonymous, first reported that he was working a deal at 225 back in June.  He told me a “high end and well-known hotel” was scouting the Bowery location for a new project.  It was also mentioned that they are in the city already and have an interest in at least three locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.  Apparently things are really moving forward with the deal.  No completion date has been announced, however I have been reassured it will NOT be for the next year at least.  More to come as the project really starts to take shape.

A little more on the Ace Hotel – The New York Ace Hotel is located in the trendy NoMad neighborhood (North of Madison Square Park).  This chain is a personal favorite of mine.  Similar to the Standard Hotel chain, The Ace features beautiful public spaces (the lobby also has free Wi-fi and is a great place to see and be seen) as well as an Opening Ceremony, Stumptown Coffee, and the Breslin restaurant.  

The boutique chain also has locations in London, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and a growing list of other locations.

 

“The real purpose of these drawings is not to predict the future. Their real goal is to control it.” NYT

A great article was published today in the TImes today regarding the importance of a good rendering.  Take a look at the difference between supporters and naysayers of a new mega-development project that has been proposed for the Greenpoint waterfront.  

 

 

The article does a great job of expressing the difficulties architect’s face when designing a new building.  Not only must they develop a building, but they also have to present a project that can gain approval from the city.  It is a rare occurrence for a rendering to be “lifelike,” because a tower simply wouldn’t stand out.  Take a look at these renderings and see if they are truly lifelike.

 

REal

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.

Staying Cool on the Lower East Side

Photo Credit: Bowery Boogie

My Lower East Side

Not to be confused with overlapping and ever-growing Chinatown, the Lower East Side is one of the most happening neighborhoods in all of New York City. Houston divides the East Village from the Lower East side on the north side, while Bowery acts as a western border for the neighborhood. Basically the rest of Manhattan located south and east of these two borders can be labeled the Lower East Side.Run Down: First and foremost, the neighborhood is experiencing one of the fastest transformations in all of the city. As areas like the Bowery, East Village, even Alphabet City climb beyond price ranges of many potential renters, the Lower East Side has suddenly become a great option to fall back on. If you are looking for a summer sublet, a cheaper (by New York City standards) apartment, or simply a neighborhood that has yet to be heavily influenced materialism, this is the place for you. I have found that the area is particularly popular with recent NYU grads. I can hardly walk down the street without running into someone I used to go to school with. The area is young, hip, and heavily involved in all things downtown.

Apartments: Famous for being the melting pot of almost every New York City immigrant group, the Lower East Side’s architecture is primarily composed of small, former tenement, walk ups that have been converted to meet modern housing standards. There has been an increase of new construction as of late, however even the newer buildings rarely stand above 15-stories tall. These older buildings were some of the first tenements in all of New York. The older infrastructure means a lot of the apartments feature exposed brick, interesting layouts, and sometimes beautiful gut-renovations.

Renovations come at a price, while those who are a little flexible on size, layout, and updates can really find some deals. (My two-bedroom apartment, while being pretty small, is $2,350/month!) The LES is one of the last pockets of affordable real estate in a market that simply cannot be tamed. To find a Manhattan neighborhood with similar affordability, you will need to travel 100+ blocks uptown into Harlem/Washington Heights. The LES is affordable even when compared to Brooklyn. Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, etc. are all pricier than my hood, not to mention the fact that they are in Brooklyn…

Feel: The feel of the Lower East Side is nothing short of cool. Hipsters walk alongside a large Chinese population that has spilled over from neighboring Chinatown to create an atmosphere only possible in a city like New York. These two groups are intermingled with a shrinking Latino population found on the eastern border of the neighborhood, creating a mosaic of immigrant patterns. Independently owned art galleries, coffee shops, and restaurants line streets like Orchard, Allen, and the Bowery, while new developments along Rivington and Stanton cement the neighborhood’s upscale transformation.

Hundred of new boutique hotel units are nearing completion throughout the neighborhood. The Bowery Hotel developers are wrapping up construction of a very similar property just a few blocks away from the swanky Bowery Hotel. In addition, nightlife here is amazing. Whether you’re looking for a dive bar with $2.50 PBR’s, bottle service at The Box, or something in between, the Lower East Side (“Lower East Packing”) is quickly becoming a destination neighborhood. While I have only lived in the neighborhood for two months, here are a few places on my list that have quickly become some of my favorite places.

Hot Spots:

88 Orchard: Breakfast here is a MUST. The corner coffee shop offers bold flavors at affordable prices while the floor to ceiling windows and expose brick create an atmosphere of creativity, comfort, and community. The bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich is making my mouth water!

Noodle Bar: (Stanton and Orchard) If you like Thai, eat here. The cash only restaurant features some of the spiciest, tangiest, and most appetizing entrees at very affordable prices. They also have another location in the West Village.

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum: (Delancey and Orchard) is a must see for anyone interested in the areas history. The museum explains how the neighborhood came to be and shows visitors into actual tenement apartments.

Katz’s Deli: Made famous by Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally,” this Jewish deli does NOT disappoint. Lo this is a great place to hit up if you want to see the more developed part of the Lower East Side.

Co-Op: (Rivington and Essex) By far one of the coolest spots on the LES. Located in Hotel Rivington, this bar/restaurant is somewhat like a Lower East Side Standard Hotel. Endless drunk brunch on Sundays followed by swanky cocktail parties as day turns to night. Check this place out.

169 Bar: (East Broadway and Rutgers) One of the best bars in New York City. Drinks are cheap, good, and the bar is never too busy like some of the neighborhood’s more fashionable venues. If you are looking for a fun place to chill, let lose, and eat some delicious $2 dumplings, this is your place.

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.

Running The Manhattan Bridge

After recently moving to the Lower East Side, I decided to explore the area and go for a nice, long, run.  Manhattan Bridge is an amazing architectural achievement  While the bridge may be the ugly step sister of the Brooklyn Bridge, the views along its running and bike paths are nothing short of amazing.

One building off the bridge gives even the 5 Pointz a run for its money:

The bridge also cuts over East Broadway, allowing for some sick photos of Chinatown.

And If those shots are cool enough, here is what you look at during you 2+ mile long bridge.

“Everybody ought to have a Lower East Side in their life.” – Irving Berlin

Especially true after living there for just two months, this area is one of the coolest parts of New York City, hands down.

Quote of the Day

“New York City is a great monument to the power of money and greed… a race for rent.” Frank Lloyd WrightEarlier this week, I went on a run uptown and caught a glimpse at the soon to be completed One57, Gary Barnett’s latest development.  The tower’s penthouse is currently in contract for $90+ million.  The building itself has also seen its rise in popularity after Hurricane Sandy left the construction crane dangling roughly 1,000 ft. above the streets of New York.  If money, greed, and beauty were to all mix, I would say this building, and New York in general, form the perfect mosaic.