If you have listed your apartment on Airbnb, you might want to review the state’s “multiple dwellings” law: it turns out a good number of listings are illegal in New York.

According to a report in Crain’s, about 30,000 New Yorkers are signed up as hosts. Last year, those New Yorkers hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors. An average stay was around six nights.

Crain’s noted that the majority of listings are outside of the hotel-packed commercial area between 14th and 59th street, which allows tourism dollars to be spent in neighborhoods that don’t typical see that revenue.

But a state law enacted in 2011 is prompting some trouble. The law was meant to prevent developers from buying up buildings zoned as residential, and then running them as hotels, without adhering to the regulations that apply to buildings zoned as hotels. But now it seems it could be getting in the way of short-term sublets by tenants, like those booked on Airbnb.

Lobbyists are now working in Albany on behalf of Airbnb to change that law to make it more amenable to New Yorkers using Airbnb.

Airbnb and its proponents argue  that the law even as it stands now doesn’t necessarily apply to people who are sharing their homes, as opposed to renting out their entire apartment while they’re not there.

A spokesperson for Airbnb said that “87 percent of Airbnb hosts in New York list a home they live in.”

“They are average New Yorkers trying to pay their monthly bills and we are working with leaders in New York towards a more consistent, fair, and progressive set of laws that will allow the community of travelers and hosts who rely on Airbnb to continue to flourish.”

The repercussions of the multiple dwellings law are all too real for one East Village resident. Nigel Warren is currently fighting fines from the Department of Buildings because of he rented out his apartment for three nights using Airbnb, according to a report from WNYC.

WNYC reported that Warren is worried the fines could total $30,000, but fines listed by a judge last week added up to $7,000.

The Department of Buildings would not provide comment on the lawsuit with Nigel Warren, nor explain why Warren was singled out among all Airbnb users.

The Warren case, however, is not specifically connected to Airbnb. It stems from a complaint the city reportedly received about Warren’s apartment, that prompted an investigation and subsequent violation notice by the Department of Buildings.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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A Central Park West condo board is not happy with a couple who bragged online about making money off of renting out their apartment on Airbnb.com, DNAinfo reports.

The condo board has gone so far as to bring a suit against the couple in Manhattan Supreme Court accusing Gavin and Jodi Samuels of hosting large Shabbat dinners, cooking classes, and renting out the apartment for over 30 days at a time without board approval.

The board’s lawyers allege that these practices are in violation of the condo’s bylaws .

In January, boardmembers scoured the sites to find the couple had rented out the apartment five times in 2012, usually for under two weeks.

“As usual, we rent out our New York apartment at a premium…it actually pays for us to go away,” Jodi Samuels had on Metroimma, a website for Jewish mothers.

The couple already received a $5,500 fine by the board when they did not heed to a order to stop using the apartment as a bed-and-breakfast.

According to the suit, the couple hosted regular Shabbat cooking class where they charged $15 per person, as well as Shabbat dinners that served around 40 people per meal, at $25 to $30 a head.

The board’s lawyers estimate that adds up to about 1,000 dinner guests per year, and complain of the increased burden that places on the building’s elevators and staff, as well as bothersome foot traffic in the hallways.

The board’s lawyers also reportedly noted that city frowns on subletting apartments through websites like airbnb.com and homeaway.com.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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A documentary filmmaker is reportedly suing Ariana Huffington, on the grounds that she “trashed” his Chelsea apartment while leasing it, according to AP reports.

The suit was apparently filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday, asking for $275,000 in damages.

Filmmaker Eric Steel reportedly contends “the walls of the apartment were gouged, stained and otherwise damaged,” during Huffington’s two-year stay.

Steel insists the terms of the lease agreement forbade Huffington from using the loft for business or parties.

Huffington has denied the allegations, and said that Steel “happily” renewed the lease twice and visited the apartment.

In the same statement, she reported that Steel had refused to return her $93,000 deposit.

The apartment was reportedly designed by Steel’s stepfather, modernist architect Charles Gwathmey.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Times are a-changing, Biggie.

“Call the crib, same number same ‘hood. It’s all good,” Biggie rhymed in one of his most popular songs, “Juicy.”

The ‘hood, though, is not quite the same.

What Notorious B.I.G. once referred to as his “one-room shack” is now being sold for $725,000.

Before he became one of music’s most loved rappers, a young Christopher Wallace lived at 226 St. James Place, apartment 3L, in the Bed-Stuy area of Brooklyn, which comes up in many of his songs.

That apartment is listed as a “three-bedroom plus den/office condominium” that was renovated a few years ago while preserving traditional styling. The area is now referred to as Clinton Hill.

Daily Intelligencer asked listing agent Judith Lief is she knew about the condo’s significance in music.

“You must be kidding,” she said.

She added that she didn’t want the apartment’s past to affect its future and that “very lovable people” own the place now.

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

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Martin Scorcese is the latest addition to a long list of old-school New Yorkers and artists fighting to protect the Bowery.

In a recent letter to the City Planning Commission, Scorcese credited “the grittiness, the ambience, the vivid atmosphere” of the neighborhood with inspiring his best work.

“Having grown up in Elizabeth Street, the neighborhood and residents of the Bowery became clear catalysts for turning me into a storyteller,” Scorcese wrote in a plea to acknowledge a plan from the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors to preserve the east side of the Bowery.

The area has been on the State Registry of Historic Places since October 2011, and cause for new celebration arose just a month ago, when the Bowery was added to the National Registry, joining such American historical institutions as Beacon Hill in Boston and New Orleans’ French Quarter.

But the National Registry is only honorific: it merely recognizes the value of a place, but does not instate any development restrictions or protections, which is why some residents of the neighborhood continue to plead with the City Planning Commission to review their East Bowery Preservation Plan.

The Plan stipulates that all buildings would have a maximum height of 85 feet, or eight stories, to remain in line with the late 18th and early 19th century buildings.

The wide street has significance dating as far back as 1626, with a rich history encompassing everything from tap dance and vaudeville to abstract expressionism and punk music. Once the home of a rich Yiddish Theater scene, some say the only remnant of the once vibrant arts community is the Bowery Poetry Club.

A letter from Bruce Lee Gallanter of Downtown Music Gallery, a quirky record store that was once located on the street, mourned the loss of CBGB’s, the Bouwerie Theatre, and his own displaced shop, insisting, “Something must be done in order to preserve the creative spirit that once defined this historic area.”

Lou DiGennaro, a Brooklyn resident who has been visiting the Bowery area frequently since childhood, noted that while the area is safer and cleaner, and the buildings taller, “some of the character is lost.”

“It’s lost a little energy,” DiGennaro said. “It’s pushing out a lot of people who are more creative.”

Mark Nourieli, 57, has owned a restaurant equipment store on the Bowery for 20 years, and said he and other restaurant equipment businesses along the block will have to relocate within a year to a year and a half.

Nourieli didn’t mince words: “The millionaires came in and they bought all the real estate,” he said. “They sold the building and we have to move.”

“They destroyed us,” Nourieli added. “The Bowery is finished.”

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Despite support from the City Planning Commission to rezone Crown Heights to preserve its historical character and encourage affordable housing, Community Board 8 has opted not to support a bid by a group of artists to convert a warehouse into a residential building, according to a report from DNAinfo.

The warehouse at 964 Dean St. was reportedly in foreclosure when the artists bought it in the hope that they could remain in the area despite escalating housing prices.

CB8 reportedly based their denial on the same reasoning as the Planning Commission’s, citing a concern for preservation of character and affordable housing.

One of the owners, Nicola Lopez, denied that would be an issue.

“It’s been a desire of those of us who are working together to make this happen — not to flood the market with these really high-end apartments, not to make a killing on selling this, but so we can establish a place where we can continue to live and work,” Lopez said.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Arthur Wood, the infamous octogenarian artist who is fighting to remain in his iconic Clinton Hill artwork-cum-abode, has been granted an extra two weeks in his home, as a small housing court victory last week pushed his eviction date back to March 31st.

Neighbors and community activists organized two fundraising events for Wood this past Friday: first, a “block party” in his own backyard from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with hot food, a DJ, live musicians and a guest appearance by Reverend Billy; then a late-night dance party a little ways off in Fort Greene.

The block party turnout was impressive, but the party afterward was small, according to organizer Kara Blossom.

Despite that, Blossom said they were able to raise a good amount of money in donations, thanks in large part to Arthur’s decision at the end of the night to auction off some of his art.

“He just sort of climbed up this ladder and was like, ‘does anyone want to buy this?’” Blossom said. “Then Reverend Billy auctioned it off, it was very impromptu and cute.”

The block party appeared to have a strong Occupy Wall Street And Occupy Sandy Relief presence, from a table of Occupy-related pamphlets in the backyard, to a station wagon with “Occupy Sandy Relief” written on the windows parked outside.

Wood’s son, Christopher, could be seen earlier during the event testing a projector aimed out of one of the upper floors of the building against the side of a nearby building. The elder Wood himself stood in front of his building in a red-hooded sweatshirt as reporters hovered around him.

Wood’s son expressed gratitude for the turnout, and said it meant a lot to his father to have the community come out for him in such numbers.

He acknowledged the extension on the eviction date, but maintained the crux of the problem remains: as it stands now, his father will be evicted and the house could be destroyed forever.

A petition against Wood’s eviction was rapidly accumulating signatures, but the younger Wood was not sure what steps were being taken, other than his father’s continuous legal battles.

One of Arthur’s supporters at the block party on Friday. (Credit: Danielle Tcholakian.)

According to Elisabeth de Bourbon, a spokesperson at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Commission has not received any requests to consider the building for landmark designation.

Wood’s son expressed interest in the idea, gazing at his childhood home on Friday.

“I guess it would just have to stay this way, though, right?” the younger Wood mused. “We couldn’t build it back like it was again?”

According to reports from Gothamist, Wood’s son has expressed ambivalence about continuing to fight for the house, and recounted struggles growing up in the structure.

“Cops were always getting called because they saw a five-year-old kid running around the building,” the younger Wood told Gothamist. “We had to hide every time the fire department responded to our wood stove … We hid in the closet with my sister.”

“At least it’s coming to some type of conclusion,” he added. “At least you have a point to move on from.”

The elder Wood repeated his possible plans to go to China, expanding on some architectural ambitions.

“A building a mile and a quarter tall, It’s the tallest building that’s ever existed,” Wood said. “It has levels at approximately 230 feet up, and those sections are sealed up from each other” so if a fire starts in one section, all the others would be safe.

The note about the fire-proof layout is especially poignant given the building’s history: the majority of Wood’s troubles with the city were set off by a fire in 2006, that resulted in the Department of Buildings demanding he tear down the top half of the structure, which once reached to over 100 feet.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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After three decades and several legal battles, the iconic Broken Angel House may have its wings clipped for good.

Long-time owner Arthur Wood, who built the house with his wife, will be evicted this Friday, March 15.

“It’s very poetic, March 15th is the Ides of March,” Wood quipped, as his son Christopher loaded up a U-Haul truck with his artwork and valued possessions last Friday.

Wood and his wife Cynthia moved into the building at 4 Downing Street in 1979, and lived there for over 30 years before her death from cancer in 2010.

Wood, now 81 years old, blames lawsuits with the city for his wife’s death.

“They dragged us out of this house because of a $100 fine,” Wood asserted. “They locked up our house and put us out on the street to die.”

Wood said they were declared ineligible for the city’s shelter system because they technically owned property, even though they were barred from living there.

The trouble apparently started with a fire in 2006 that drew the attention of the Department of Buildings. DOB reportedly determined that the upper portion of the building and the fourth floor needed to be demolished.

Watching his son load his possessions into the U-Haul, Wood said affectionately, “That’s my little boy.”
Surveying the full truck, the younger Wood joked that it looked like “a new Broken Angel might appear in Beacon, NY,” where he lives. (Credit: Danielle Tcholakian.)

Local City Councilmember Letitia James represented Wood in court during this process, and helped arrange the settlement to remove the parts of the structure said to be in violation of building codes.

Wood decided to partner with local developer Shahn Andersen, and they secured $4 million in funding to develop part of the property into condos, but apparently struggled to stay on schedule.

“Arthur is a very creative artist, but trying to get him to work inside the legal framework of the New York City Buildings Code and Zoning Resolution was very difficult,” Andersen said. “Many of the things he wanted us to do could not be done legally.”

The loan was declared in default around the same time as the Lehman Brothers collapse, and the general tightening of credit markets. The property was foreclosed on last year.

“I still have a lot of admiration for Arthur,” Andersen insisted. “I have thought about Broken Angel a lot over the years, and when I think of Arthur and that building, I always have the same thought: you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t keep it from drowning itself once it gets there.”

What happens now?

Councilwoman James called the building “a piece of art” and “an iconic structure in the community,” and spoke of Wood as a beloved fixture in the neighborhood.

“It’s unfortunate because he built the Broken Angel with his bare hands,” James said. “We would hope that whoever has taken over the property would work with him so that he could remain on the premises for the rest of his life.”

A recently registered LLC by the name of 4-8 Downing Purchaser bought the property for a little over $2 million this January, according to public records.

According to a spokesperson, Shane Kavanagh, “the owner is now pursuing a remedy through the proper legal process that will allow them to control the property.”

Kavanagh confirmed that “proper legal process” meant Wood’s eviction.

81-year-old artist Arthur Wood will be evicted this Friday from the home he built over 30 years ago. (Credit: Danielle Tcholakian.)

The fate of the property is unclear: 4-8 Downing Purchaser LLC bought the property as an investment from the bank, and will now attempt to re-sell it.

According to the property listing, the vacant lot next to Wood’s building, located at 8 Downing Street, can be “developed” into a two-unit building, but the existing structure at 4 Downing Street can be “converted” into an eight-unit building.

CPEX Real Estate, the firm that listed the property, refused to say whether the existing structure can be demolished, or if it must remain standing to be “converted.”

What does the future hold for Wood?

For his part, Wood is determined to keep up his various legal battles.

“My case is still going strong,” Wood declared. “I’m gonna win it.”

He paused, then looked downward, smiling. “Maybe,” he conceded.

In fact, he prematurely filed with the Supreme Court, despite having not gone through the necessary lower courts.

“The law’s an art and in all art,  a new approach — you can try whatever you want,” Wood shrugged. “I arrived at my destination and then I figured out how to get there.”

Wood said he was assured once he had gone through all the lower courts, his appeals case would still be open and waiting.

As the younger Wood walked by carrying a visibly weighty four-foot-tall curlicued steel cross, his father’s eyes lit up.

“I made that,” he said proudly. “I’m going to give it to St. John the Divine.”

Asked where he’ll go come Friday, Wood shrugged.

“I have no idea. I was thinking of going to China.”

DNAinfo.com reported that neighbors will be throwing a send-off block party for Wood this Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. Broken Angel House served as the backdrop for Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, released in 2005.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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A 22-year-old real estate analyst was killed by a hit-and-run driver early Saturday as he tried to cross the West Side Highway.

Andrew Quinn, a recent graduate of Cornell University, was struck just before 3 a.m. at the corner of W. 23rd Street. He was then rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.

No arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon.

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Two Trees Management Company, the developers for the controversial site of the old Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg, released a new plan for the waterfront site today, designed by SHoP Architects.

Two Trees is best known for their development work in DUMBO, and the Domino Sugar Factory site is best known for the degree to which neighborhood residents fought its development. While there are already previously approved plans in place, those plans were, Curbed noted, met with such ire that the new SHoP plans were sought in an effort to ameliorate public sentiment on the project.

The new SHoP plan has less residential space and fewer residential units, more office space, less retail space, fewer parking spaces, vastly more public open space, taller buildings, and an overall 230,256 more gross square feet — and that’s just by the numbers.

The proposal outlines a mixed-use complex that would be active 24/7, and include integrated affordable housing and new tree-lined pedestrian walkways connecting the waterfront to the street, rather than circuits of closed internal walkways.

Two Trees is planning for 500,000 square feet of new office space, hoping to host 3000 to 4000 more permanent jobs. The figure has a historical connection: it would return the site to its peak level of jobs once hosted at the factory: more than 4,000 in the early 20th century, reportedly. The figure declined to 1,500 after World War II and less than 300 in 2001.

It will also include a school, a recreation center, and opportunities for “small, independent retailers.”

Outdoor enthusiasts can look forward to over five acres of park space, including sports fields, lawns, gardens and seating areas, and an “activated” waterfront esplanade with a kayak launch and a floating pool.

And for those who still fret about the loss of neighborhood history, the plan details the preservation of historic factory artifacts, including cranes and syrup tanks, to be incorporated into an elevated “artifact walk” that apparently aims to be the High Line of Williamsburg.

And true to the Williamsburg spirit, the architects boast that their plan will mean fewer cars, more bikes: something all the fixed-gear riders can cheer about.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Work on the third and final section of Chelsea’s High Line Park is on schedule, according to reports from Crains, set to be finished a year and a half before the first building in the Hudson Yards, the neighborhood being built around it, is completed.

Peter Mullan, Vice President for planning and design at Friends of the High Line, told Crains “the big idea right now is to get to 34th Street as quickly as we possibly can.”

“The big prize here is that the entire length of the High Line is going to be complete much quicker than anyone thought,” Mullan said.

Crains reported that construction crews spent the last two weeks completing sandblasting the steel strestle and applying thick coats of paint in the custom High Line hue “greenblack.”

Nearly 800 gallons of paint have been used on the part extending to 12 Avenue alone.

More than half of the third section is going to be a simple, temporary walkway when it opens, leaving the current, unlandscaped vegetation untouched, Crains reported. Although temporary, the walkway could remain for 15 years, depending on how construction on the Hudson Yards progresses.

Workers are currently busy digging up the “urban fill” that accumulated in the rail yards: 150,000 cubic feet of soil since the last train used it to carry frozen turkeys in 1980, according to Crains.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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The line between décor and art often blurs. And within that margin sits Dream House. This home décor startup launched this month via an exhibition at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, which included Dream House co-founder Molly Rosner’s paintings, photographs and small sculptures. Cleverly, the BU senior and Dream House partner Julie Jackson turned the senior showcase into Dream House’s launch. So in addition to artifacts, the exhibit included inventory.

“We wanted to see if people would be interested,” says Jackson. “Rather than do a focus group, we saw what the reaction was at an exhibition. It was great; lots of people put in orders.”

Jackson says Rosner’s  work can cater to both big spenders and students on a budget.

“Dream House is about making art accessible to people our age with prints of Molly’s work,” she says. “But we also want to sell the more expensive original art as well. That might appeal to a different demographic outside of college. But whoever is buying, it’s wall art, but personal.”

Jackson, a business student, says Dream House’s prints, photographs and original art will expand into other originally designed household goods and accessories. Their design and business inspiration is mass-produced art master Andy Warhol.

“It’s pop art and vintage glamour. Molly’s work is very straightforward. It’s meant to put a smile on your face.”

The pair got serious about Dream House last October and word soon spread via what was also once just a Massachusetts campus start-up, Facebook. This move brought in fellow B.U. students as their first customers.
Buzz at B.U. isn’t their business plan, though.

“It would be great to some day have a physical space, or sell in other stores,” says Jackson, “or show at other galleries. We invited some gallery owners to the exhibit and got a great response. That proved to us that we have a market beyond students and people our age.”

As for the response, Jackson says it has been almost prohibitively good.

“The response has been so overwhelming that we haven’t had time to get our website up, but we will. We need to go beyond social media and school to be a real business,” says Jackson. “This is what we hope will be an empire.”

Check out Dream House on Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

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The Department of Education wants to sell two schools on the Upper West Side to developers, to be demolished and replaced with high-rise apartment buildings, DNAinfo reports.

The DOE apparently advertised the locations via a request in Crain’s New York in November, but did not mention that the “prime development sites” being hocked were P.S. 191 and P.s. 199.

Officials reportedly said students will be relocated during construction, and developers will be obligated to include a new school at the base of the towers.

The DOE is also offering up the School of Cooperative Technical Education, attended by 11th and 12th graders at 321 E. 96th Street. Developers can purchase all three schools as a package deal, or just one.

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The city’s Board of Standards and Appeals will determine Tuesday whether a developer can keep a fifth floor at the only known Underground Railroad site in Manhattan.

Neighborhood politicians and historic preservationists have long fought against the addition to the building, located on W. 29th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues, which once housed Quaker abolitionists.

According to news reports, the developer continued with construction even after being ordered to stop by the city.

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Bigger isn’t always better. In Manhattan, some gems are too tiny to notice, yet too fantastic to miss. Certain spots maximize the little amount of real estate they have. Think they’re undersized? Think again. If you can stand the squeeze, these smaller than usual treasures are worth trying.
 
Nook Restaurant
746 Ninth Avenue between 50th & 51st Streets, Hell’s Kitchen
Tiny 20-seat café with somewhat limited menu, but fresh, delicious food & BYOB (yes that’s bring your own booze) with no corkage fee. The unisex bathroom is in the kitchen. All quirks aside, it’s one of my favorite, intimate New York dining experiences.

Laura Lobdell
83 1/8 West 10th Street, Village
Artisan jewelry boutique sells pieces inspired by everyday objects including champagne rings, guitar picks, pull-tabs and more. Teenie canine companion Xiao greets customers as they enter the creatively decorated eighth of a store.

Biddy’s Pub
301 East 91st Street, Yorkville
An authentic Irish pub off Second Avenue with a small bar, about six tables, and a dartboard, Biddy’s attracts a no-nonsense crowd. Bartenders are always friendly, and patrons are usually local. With no room for a kitchen, order delivery from any of the surrounding restaurants in the hood. Biddy won’t mind.

Westsider Rare & Used Books
2246 Broadway between 80th & 81st Streets, Upper West Side
Specializing in fiction, literature, art, architecture, children’s books and more, Westsider buys, sells and trades. An Uptown fixture, they stay open late most every night.

Viand Coffee Shop
673 Madison Avenue @ 61st Street, Upper East Side
This old New York haunt with terrific diner food, slightly abrupt service, and loads of character in the middle of hoity toity Madison Avenue never disappoints.

Abraco Espresso
86 East 7th Street, East Village
Quaint cafe located in the hip East Village serving coffees, homemade plates, and pastries beyond the expected for a neighborhood joint.

 
Abraco Espresso
 

For more about life in New York, follow me on Twitter, or on Tracy’s New York Life.

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“It’s always been the case that certain areas of Manhattan are more desirable; now, certain areas of Brooklyn are more desirable,” says Andrew Barrocas, CEO of MNS. “Williamsburg and DUMBO now have that desirability, whereas there are some parts in Manhattan that haven’t kept up.” Barrocas cites Manhattan’s Upper East Side and the Financial District as having considerably lower rents because of transport and building issues.

Amir Korangy, publisher of New York real estate magazine The Real Deal, agrees.

“While most people assume Manhattan is the most expensive borough to live in, areas like Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Park Slope and now Williamsburg are all on par with parts of Manhattan. With real estate in New York, neighborhoods tend to impact the price more so than the borough.”

As millions of development dollars flood both the Financial District and the Upper East Side, Barrocas thinks prices will rise there within five years. In Brooklyn, he predicts higher rents will spread out: “Other areas of Brooklyn will absolutely go up,” he insists.

“It’s interesting,” Barrocas adds. “Twelve years ago, people moved to Williamsburg for lower rent. Now people are moving there because they want to live there and are willing to pay premium prices.”

On the up-and-up

There’s no good news for renters in either Brooklyn or Manhattan.
   
MNS predicts rents will rise across the board in 2012. 2011 saw mean increases of 9.6 percent for a one-bed in Brooklyn, raising an average rent of $2,018 to $2,211. In Manhattan, rents generally rose by around $200 per month for a one-bed, too, but in the Financial District, less desirable buildings saw rents drop by around 3.6 percent for one-bedrooms.

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As a longstanding hub of commercial activity, the area essentially ran on office hours, seemingly deserted after 6 p.m. — despite easy access to public transportation that could bring in visitors from other areas. Now, according to Aptsandlofts.com’s President David Maundrell, “It’s starting to come into its own as a well-rounded neighborhood with a steady increase in residential activity. … People are really excited about it.”

The residential invasion into the neighborhood has been diverse in coming from both the rental and sales fronts. Led by mega-condos such as 38-story Toren at 150 Myrtle Ave. and nearby 40-story Oro at 306 Gold St., buyers looking for the next hot neighborhood to invest in are seeing prices nearly $200 per square-foot less than neighboring DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights.

The new downtown

The attack on the highest elevations of the Brooklyn skyline has been led in full force by a flood of rental towers, including 369-unit 80 DeKalb and 631-unit Avalon Fort Greene, where renters look to enjoy luxury amenities without Manhattan prices. The most notable project to rise up has been the Brooklyner, a 515-foot rental building which took over as Brooklyn’s tallest building upon completion just two years ago. That record stands to be broken, though, with two new projects breaking ground in 2012 that are both designed to be nearly 100 feet taller.

For those with doubts that a neighborhood comprising skyscrapers can create an attractive community feeling, the new retail/restaurant scene that is slowly emerging inspires hope that later hours and potential for nightlife could reach the area soon. The opening of Shake Shack and The American Beer Co. on Adams Street, along with the recent announcement of NYU’s Polytechnic Institute coming to the Metrotech Center, should be just the start of what could become a scene for restaurateurs and retailers to find their next jackpot.

Worried that yet another Brooklyn neighborhood is being overdeveloped? Hopefully the increase in inventory will keep prices affordable for consumers and boost the local economy. And if you’ve been around for a while, you know you still have Junior’s, which has been serving Fulton Street since 1950. Having that on top of better quality apartments and job opportunities? That’s the icing on the (world-famous) cheesecake.

New buildings

Two new buildings will be breaking ground in 2012, both designed by SLCE Architects, with plans
to stand above the rest of the already gargantuan buildings of DoBro. Here’s a quick look
at them:

388 Bridge St.:
590 feet, comprising 234 rentals on lower floors and 144 condos on upper floors
Developer: Stahl Real Estate

Avalon Willoughby West:
596 feet, 861 rental units,
rising 57 stories
Developer: Avalon Bay

The post Downtown Brooklyn takes a stand appeared first on Metro.us.

Construction financing is still the biggest hurdle facing developers, explains Stephen Kliegerman, President of Terra Development Marketing. “Being able to make the banks feel comfortable with large projects and their ability to be absorbed into the marketplace is a challenge, and there is a lack of developable land that could support large-scale complexes.”

For those that have financing in place, construction costs have risen at a faster pace than in past years — up 3.55 percent in 2011 according to Engineering News-Record’s Building Cost Index. This has made larger projects harder to justify, making developers tend toward smaller buildings and conversions.

Nevertheless, all hope is not lost, as a few new projects promise to change the Manhattan skyline. Here’s a look at what you can expect to see climbing upwards in  the next two years.

One57 sits at the top

Extell Development’s 1,005-foot Park Hyatt/Condo residence project at 57th Street and Sixth Avenue is by far the most talked-about new development in years, as it will rise as the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere upon completion in 2013. This 13-year-in-the-making behemoth is already past its 27th floor, and the penthouses are rumored to be priced at $98 million.
www.one57.com

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The median price of newly built condos that sold this past spring was $535,000, a 9.9 percent jump from a year earlier, New York appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and broker Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate said Thursday in a joint report.

The median price of all Brooklyn condos, co-ops and one- to three-family houses increased 3.7 percent to $480,000.

The outlook in Queens, however, isn’t so rosy.

There, sales plunged 41 percent this spring to 2,361, and the median price climbed 2.1 percent to $342,000, according to Miller Samuel and Prudential. Homes stayed on the market 19 percent longer than a year ago.

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Nicknames like ProCro, Nolita and DUMBO might become a thing of the past, thanks to Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, who introduced the Neighborhood Integrity Act to the state Legislature yesterday. His bill would require the city to create a legally defined map of neighborhoods.

If Jeffries has his way, brokers who don’t obey these definitions when listing apartments could lose their license or face $1,000 fines.

“The practice of brokers creating neighborhoods out of thin air has become increasingly frequent,” said Jeffries, who cited SoHa, SoBro and Greenwood Heights as examples.

“Many of these neighborhoods are working class, and brokers have decided they needed to rename them to make them more attractive to affluent New Yorkers,” he continued. This causes gentrification, he said, and some New Yorkers getting priced out of their homes.

His campaign already sports a victory against real estate giant Corcoran. After getting a letter from Jeffries, CEO Pam Liebman of the Corcoran Group pledged to properly distinguish the difference between Prospect Heights and Crown Heights.

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro.

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What makes a broker “green”?

While there are many certifications out there, two reliable ones are LEEDS Green Associate and EcoBroker. A green agent should have at least one of these certificates and it must be renewed every year or two (depending on certification). And don’t get taken by greenwash. “You have to ask agents, ‘What kind of training have you taken?’ Did they sit in class for a couple hours or did they go for three days, take tests, do the homework and keep up on it every year?” says Dr. John Beldock, chief technology officer of EcoBroker.com, which provides green training and education for real estate professionals. 

Health benefits

“I got into it because my customers were asking about it; they’re concerned about their families. A lot of materials used for construction are terrible. You know that new paint smell?  That’s VOC [volatile organic compounds, which can lead to respiratory problems and other health issues],” says Jeff Schleider, founder of Miron Properties — a socially responsible, green real estate company. He’s the third person certified in New York through EcoBroker. Currently 250 real estate professionals in New York have EcoBroker certification.

Greener pockets

“Not everyone knows that buying or renting a green home can save you money in the long run,” explains Lidia Lander, an EcoBroker at CitiHabitats. Lander says that energy-efficient homes end up costing less because homeowners will spend less money on utility bills. She also says that there’s financing available (such as the ENERGY STAR mortgage) if you invest in an energy-efficient home.

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Wrecking crews began razing the 25-room Gold Coast mansion on Saturday to make way for a five-lot subdivision.

“I didn’t want to tear down the house, but it’s over $4,000 a day to maintain,” Land’s End owner Bert Brodsky told Metro. “Who’s footing the bill for it?  I am.  It’s too expensive.”

Check out TheRealDeal.com for the video.

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Nestled between the BQE and the East River, the area has been often discussed as a ‘the next (insert trendy outer-borough).’ However, the six-block trek to the nearest G-line train, and associations with the industrial commotion surrounding it, have kept the masses away. In 2007, a resident was quoted in the New York Times as saying, “This will never be a restaurant row …  unless they give us some help.”

Enter the Bloomberg Administration, with the help the community had been hoping for. On March 13, they released a ten-year comprehensive plan for the Brooklyn waterfront, including commitment to the development of the long-awaited Columbia Street Park in the next two years. The new park will likely be both an entry point for residents to the rest of the waterfront’s offerings and a destination for residents of other areas. While the design hasn’t been finalized, a dog park, concession stand and sculpture garden are some of the proposed ideas.

The past year has also seen an influx of development in the area, with new condominiums popping up where factories once stood — many designed in the spirit of the nearby brownstone culture. “It’s an undiscovered secret, like a little enclave. You have to be in-the-know,” said Roberta Benzilio, Executive Director of Sales for Halstead Property in Brooklyn, whose Columbia Commons project is almost all occupied. Families are flocking to buildings like this and 100 Congress St. for the aforementioned neighborhood value as well as a great school district, PS 29.  It may take time for the word to spread, but with lower prices than its neighbors, this could finally be the year that the Columbia Street Waterfront District is done being ‘next’ and gets some love now.

Living in the CSWD

There are currently 16 available apartments on the market for sale in the CSWD, according to StreetEasy.com. The median price for listings in the area is $599,500, at an average of $601 per square foot.

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“The Internet is the first step. But then the natural progression is an open house,” says Gary Sefferman of Nickian Home Staging in New York. “People want to see and touch [their potential new home], and an open house facilitates the most amount of people being able to do that in the shortest amount of time.”

With an open house, buyers don’t have to schedule an appointment or feel pressure from a meeting with a seller or broker — they can just show up and blend into the crowd.

“I put myself in the mind of the buyer and try to understand what they would want when attending an open house,” says Anthony Menounos, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential in Boston. “I’m not pushy — I just provide information.” Since almost all buyers browse the Web first, Sefferman recommends hiring a professional photographer to make sure any photos you post are “stellar.”

“Your property needs to stand out online, or people are not going to invest the time to come see it,” adds Menounos.

Menounos predicts buyers will be eager to visit open houses this spring, after a snowy winter spent bundled up inside, checking out homes online.

But as John Kriza, sales manager for Philadelphia developments The Residences at Dockside and Siena Place, says there is one person who always benefits from an open house: the realtor. “It’s a good source of prospects.” 

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Felice Cohen lives in a studio apartment in New York’s Upper West Side and pays only $700 a month. Wondering how? (Or, if you live in Boston or Philly, wondering why that’s a big deal?) It’s because her apartment is nine feet by 12 feet:

Could you live in an apartment that small, or is no city worth it? (via Neatorama)

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View the individual
“It’s really all about the individual agent [not the company he or she works for],” says David Schlamm, founder and CEO of real-estate firm City Connections and someone who Donald Trump described as the “second-best deal ­maker in the city.” Schlamm encourages clients to pick an experienced agent who works within a REBNY (Real Estate Board of New York) firm and is very informative on all things real estate. Like a doctor, if an agent can’t answer a question, it’s a warning sign.

Get referrals — make sure the agent is motivated
“Word of mouth is the most important way to pick a broker,” says Michele Kleier, president of Gumley Haft Kleier.  “Just because a broker has a good website or a press agent doesn’t mean that they’re a good broker. Above all, you want somebody who is honest, who is going to pay attention to you, who’s not too busy to respond to your calls and e-mails — and who is really going to take care of you.” Kleier, who has over 25 years in the business, is also a star of HGTV’s hit reality TV show, “Selling New York.” “Real estate is a 24/7 job,” she says. “You want somebody that really wants to succeed. You don’t want somebody going into this because they’re bored or they want to say at a dinner party, ‘I’m not just a stay-at-home mom.’ Not that there’s anything wrong with being a stay-at-home mom. You want somebody who is motivated.”

It’s a lot like dating
Finding a good agent is a lot like finding a potential partner. “Let’s pretend you go on Match.com. If I put [a misleading photo] on the site and you came in and saw me 40 pounds heavier with some of my hair gone, that’s like a bait-and-switch scam,” explains Schlamm. He says to watch out for  agents who post photos of apartments from other listings and tell potential tenants that the listed apartment is gone but they could show another.
We all want a partner who listens — same goes for an agent. “Both buyers and sellers want agents that will communicate with them,” explains Dolly Lenz, vice chairman at Prudential Douglas Elliman. She also advises you pick an agent with a track record with properties that are similar to your liking.

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In Lucas’ Nolita apartment, there’s decades of artwork packed in every corner and a bathtub in the kitchen. She sleeps in a loft bed, which she has to climb over piles of artwork to get into. Her easel sits beside her stove, and when she wants to work she puts a board over the tub for a table.

You may think she’s crazy, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I moved to New York to fulfill my dreams of becoming an artist. The single most important thing in my career was this apartment,” said Lucas, who has an art opening this Tuesday at the renowned Esopus Space. “It enabled me to work part-time my whole life so I could create my art.”

But living in tight quarters may not always be the best for mental health, according to one therapist.

“People put up with this because they don’t have a choice — rents are sky-high,” says therapist Jonathan Alpert. “Small space hugely impacts relationships. This then leads to coping in unhealthy ways, such as marijuana and excess drinking. I’m convinced small space breeds pathology.”

And be warned, couples who try to save money by moving in together:

“Weekly I have new couples coming to see me who have tension. I often hear, ‘I feel like I don’t have any space’,” said Alpert. “These people are living in 400-square-foot studios or even smaller.”

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter at @EmilyatMetro.

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The Commerce Department said yesterday sales of new single-family homes dropped 16.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted 250,000-unit annual rate, the lowest since records began in 1963, after a 301,000-unit pace in January.

Despite the surprise plunge in sales, economists did not believe a new downturn in the housing market was underway, with some suggesting bad weather might have been a factor.

“We do not believe the housing sector is on the verge of renewed contraction. Rather, we continue to expect the recovery in housing to be disappointingly and frustratingly slow,” said Michelle Girard, an economist at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut.

Analysts do not see the housing weakness derailing the economic recovery. However, it could be slowing growth as plummeting home values erode consumer confidence and hurt spending at a time when there are signs the economy is picking up. 

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You don’t have to tell this to the Vella Group and C3D Architecture, the team behind 949 Park, a new 16-story condo between 81st and 82nd that looks to merge the appeal of new condo finishings and luxuries with the classic feel of its very traditional co-op neighbors. Each of the building’s six floor-through, two-bedroom duplexes feature 10-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and private outdoor space. Plus, elevators open up into the individual apartments.  

Despite these attractive amenities — and the ability to live on Park Avenue without dealing with a co-op board — comparisons to nearby glassy condo 1055 Park, which nearly faced foreclosure late last year, have been hard to escape. However, the developer has worked hard to suppress this association: 949 includes limestone in the building’s facade (which help it blend in ever-so-slightly with the historic feel of the ‘hood), units are wider than those seen in the aforementioned building —  and then there’s the pricing. “These two buildings aren’t apples to apples,” says Leonel Piraino of Prudential Douglas Elliman, who is marketing the project. “We’ve combined the comfort of the new world with the luxuries of the old world, and these units were priced well from the get-go.”

Pricing

While initial pricing for the duplexes at 949 Park were offered to the public in October, the building only recently started giving tours. Units start at $2,350 per square foot, ranging from $4,675,000-$6,570,000.

For more information, visit: www.949park.com

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Why all the hype? A former parking garage, the 38-unit (plus a three-story townhouse), nine-story building has high-end amenities galore: white oak flooring, gas fireplaces, vast windows, skylights and custom-made kitchen cabinets. And let’s not forget the beautiful, wrap-around terraces.

“The terraces have stunning views of northern and southern Manhattan and the Hudson River,” says Steven Carter, leasing manager for 55 Thompson. There are also spacious closets, as well as top-of-the-line appliances such as Bosch dishwashers, Bertazzoni gas ranges, Whirlpool washers and dryers and Sub-Zero fridges. Rents ranges from $7,000 for a one-bedroom to $25,000 for a three-bedroom.

“Instead of staying in hotels, [people] are renting here.  They want the same quality of living that a hotel provides,” says Carter. To create that hotel vibe, 55 Thompson has a convenient, 24-hour concierge service called Sky’s The Limit. “They’ll do reservations to restaurants, theaters and shows as well as dog-walking, babysitting, whatever you want. Some [services] are complimentary, others you pay for, depending on the package,” explains Carter.

Tenants tend to be in the financial field or entrepreneurs who have businesses in Los Angeles and New York City — and are aware that when it comes to  high-end price ranges, it’s a renter’s, not buyer’s, market.

“Buying expensive homes right now is in a flux, so they’re deciding to rent for a year, maybe two years. Financially, it makes more sense for them to rent,” says Carter. 

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