Tag: Corcoran

Finding a pet-friendly home in NYC

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Recently I took my dog with me to work, and (coincidentally or not) began working with a customer whose priority in her search for a new home was her small dog. This process led me to think about something that has been a part of my life here in New York City for decades: finding an apartment in the city that accepts your pet, in a neighborhood that supports your pet.

So how hard it is to find an apartment in the city that accepts your pet? Not very, if you are willing to be flexible. If you are working with a good agent who understands that your pet being welcome is fundamental to your search for a new home, you won’t even look at apartments that haven’t already met that criterion. Don’t assume that simply because you have seen residents with pets in a building, they are accepted: some buildings have changed their pet policies but have “grandfathered” in the pets of residents who are already in the building. Some buildings accept pets, but only under a certain weight limit. Again, a good agent can screen for those restrictions before you are shown apartments.

An interesting thing to keep in mind is that some buildings require a “pet interview” (generally coops, although some condos may also require it). This may be true whether you are buying into the building, or renting. The purpose of having the entire board, or a representative from it, meeting your pet  is to be sure that the pet seems socialized and within weight limitations (if that was a condition of allowing a pet). I had a rather rambunctious beagle many years ago that I had to bring to a pet interview before being allowed to move into a condo on the Upper East Side. I had him groomed prior to the interview, and then walked him to the point of taking the edge off his energy level, and he passed the test. I would recommend the same if you need to undergo a pet interview – have your pet as presentable, physically and behaviorally, as possible at the interview. Some buildings or landlords may require an additional pet deposit even after your pet has been accepted into the building; if there is no pet related damage, you may get it returned when you leave the apartment.

If having outdoor space, like a patio or garden, is important to you and your pet, you will need to be more patient in your search. However, such spaces do exist, such as townhomes or garden level apartments, and both as purchases as well as rentals. I was able to find a two bedroom rental for a recent customer with a small dog that had a private garden of several hundred square feet attached. This customer brought her dog to all apartments that we viewed, and I would recommend that as well: you can get a better feeling of what it is like to have your pet in the building, meeting other residents in the lobby, etc.

The neighborhood you choose to live in, as well as the specific location within a neighborhood, can affect how easy to it to walk and care of your pet. Have your agent show you the pet stores, groomers, and/or doggy day care (yes, this exists) in the area around the apartments you view, and keep in mind the proximity to public parks that may have either enclosed dog runs or off-leash hours. Of course, part of being a responsible dog owner in New York City is following leash laws, keeping records of vaccinations and licensing, and of course, cleaning up after your pet. Some parks, though, do allow pets off leash during certain hours, and if you have a pet that won’t disappear chasing the nearest squirrel, this is a fantastic perk to living close to these parks. Central Park is the ultimate example of a park with off-leash hours –  from 6 AM to 9 AM, and again from 9 PM to 1 AM. There is a wonderful online pdf about the rules for having your dog in Central Park (http://www.centralparknyc.org/assets/pdfs/dogfriendlyareas.pdf) and I can say that my early morning walks with my dog Linus are some of my favorite moments in Central Park. Even more common are dog runs, enclosed areas where dogs can be let off leash and socialize with each other. I have had dogs that preferred being off leash, and others that needed the confines of a dog run, so knowing your own pet is the best way to decide your priorities. Some parks (like Carl Schurz Park in Yorkville) even have separate dog runs for large dogs (or small dogs who aren’t intimidated) and small dogs (generally, up to 25 pounds). A  complete list of NYC parks with off-leash hours and/or dog runs can be found at http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogareas.

I have taken advantage of both dog runs and off-leash hours during many years of living in New York City with my dogs. If you are looking for a home in the city that will also be an optimal situation for your pet, I would be happy to help you in your search. Although some may find the idea of a pet in the “urban jungle” to be counter-intuitive, in fact the city is full of pampered pets. Since our pets live in close quarters with us, rather than spending time in a fenced yard as they might in the suburbs, they become even more fully integrated into our lives as family members. Diane Ackerman has suggested that the farther from nature humans get, the more they seek to bring nature to them, such as having plants or companion animals in high-rise apartments. This suggests that our pets may be crucial to our mental health, and in fact many scientific studies have demonstrated reduction in blood pressure and other markers of stress relief when people are with pets. For those who have a pet, or who would like to get one, the building policies and neighborhood opportunities regarding pets will likely be one of the most – if not the most – important aspects of their search for a home in New York City.

offleash

Battery Park City

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Battery Park city

A few months ago, I wrote about an unplanned walk through an urban environment (a dérive) I had taken through one of the hottest neighborhoods in Manhattan – Tribeca. Today’s derive starts where Tribeca, the Financial District, and Battery Park City intersect, at Chambers and West Streets. I often like to write about the history of the area I will be walking through, but Battery Park City, the site of today’s journey, is a newborn compared to most of New York City. Battery Park City sits on land created in large part from soil and rock excavated during the building of the original World Trade Center in the early 1970’s. One of the earliest uses of the newly created land was for seating areas to watch the “Operation Sail” flotilla during the celebration of the American Bicentennial in 1976. Construction of residential buildings began in the 1980’s and has continued since then, with 11 buildings constructed in the 2000’s and three new buildings so far in this decade.

Crossing busy West Street over the pedestrian Tribeca Bridge, you realize what spectacular views this neighborhood has of the new One World Trade Center building (recently officially declared the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, besting the Willis Tower in Chicago after a contentious ruling about  antennae versus spires). Stuyvesant High School  lies just over the west side of the bridge. This elite public high school boasts four Nobel laureates among its alumni, and only about 3% of all applicants who take the rigorous standardized admissions test are lucky enough to attend, with no tuition. The high school’s building was erected in the early 1990’s, and marks the northernmost edge of Battery Park City.

Between Stuyvesant and the Hudson River sits the entrance to Nelson Rockefeller Park, a gorgeous spacious park with views of Tribeca and sailboats to the north, and Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty to the south. This park, on the sunny summer weekend day I was there, was filled with bikers, sunbathers, families with strollers, pets walking their humans, and people playing games from basketball to chess – the area was vibrant and welcoming. All along the east side of the park, tall apartment buildings face the Hudson, with occasional views of One World Trade framed in intersections a few more blocks to the east.

Just beyond the residential buildings to the east lies the Goldman Sachs complex, and continuing south, Brookfield Place, which holds several financial companies as well as the Winter Garden, which holds free concerts and other events throughout the year. Near the Winter Garden is a yacht harbor. The businesses in the area contribute to the restaurants and shops that support the area’s residents as well. Continuing south, the bulk of the residential buildings exist in three developments, Gateway Plaza, Rector Place, and Battery Place.

One thing that is important to know is that all the buildings in Battery Park City lease their land from the city rather than knowing it outright, but your broker and attorney can  explain how that affects a particular building you might be interested in. In addition, there is no direct subway service to Battery Park City, but there are bus lines, and the subway and PATH lines servicing the financial district are only a few blocks to the east. The surprising thing about this neighborhood is how quiet and peaceful it seems, just a few blocks from the center of the financial district. Although the real estate value has rebounded in the last few years, there is still a variety of apartments available at many price points. If you are interested in potentially moving to this area, I would recommend visiting it a few times, on a busy weekend afternoon and perhaps also on a weekday evening. I wrote a few months ago about the value of an iconic city view, and if this appeals to you, it is hard to imagine a view more iconic than that of the Statue of Liberty, just one of the advantages to this new and vibrant neighborhood in Manhattan.

The Upper West Side: from Central Park to Riverside Park

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UpperWest

In a past dérive (an unplanned walk through an urban environment), I started at the corner of Central Park West and 81st Street, and walked south on CPW to Columbus Circle. For this dérive, the starting location is the same, but this walk goes from one great park to another: from incomparable Central Park west to the delightful Riverside Park, on the Hudson River. This walk illustrates why the Upper West Side continues to be a top location for residential real estate in Manhattan – it’s a primarily residential neighborhood, with a variety of different types of homes, and with all the neighborhood amenities one needs to enjoy life.

Starting at Central Park West and W. 81st Street, the Museum of Natural History dominates to the south. Founded in 1869 by a group including Theodore Roosevelt, Senior (father of President Teddy) to increase knowledge of the natural world in a time when zoos were relatively rare and limited in scope, and travel to see many of the wildlife shown was impossible for nearly everyone, it is a classic – but it can be a bit jarring to modern eyes to see stuffed and preserved animals, many of which are now endangered. Teddy Roosevelt became an iconic part of the museum, donating two elephants from one of his expeditions and eventually being honored by his image in the towering statue that welcomes visitors to the main building. Walking along W. 81st, however, eventually the Rose Center for Earth and Space, housing the Hayden Planetarium as well as many interactive educational displays, can be seen through the thick August foliage. It’s quite a change from the winter, when the glowing blue globe within a transparent cube can be seen from many directions through the leafless tree branches.

Behind the museum, on this Sunday afternoon, there is a greenmarket set up, with locally grown produce, honey, cheese, and bread. These greenmarkets are a wonderful addition to New York City life, and you can find out their locations and times at http://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket.

Turning west on W. 82nd, the characteristic nature of this neighborhood becomes apparent: larger stately apartment buildings on the Avenues and on the corners, and charming brownstones filling in the cross streets. The material covering brownstones is a type of sandstone from the Jurassic or Triassic eras, so having an abundance of brownstones so near the dinosaur skeletons at the American Museum of Natural History seems only fitting.

Passing Broadway, and then West End Avenue, I smile as I remember a recent conversation with an Australian looking for an apartment near Riverside Park. He wondered where all the theatres were, and eventually I had to explain that Broadway was only “Broadway” as he thought of it in the 40’s and 50’s, and that “West End” bore no resemblance to the same area in London! In fact, as you get closer to Riverside Park, the neighborhood becomes more peaceful and residential, eventually leading to the pastoral beauty of Riverside Park.

The Upper West Side holds a variety of choices for someone looking for a home – running the gamut from the stately views of Central Park or Riverside Park in the majestic buildings on Central Park West and Riverside Drive, to the quiet and sometimes quirky floor-through apartments in brownstones on quiet cross streets. I recently helped a customer find a pet-friendly home near Riverside Park (with its off-leash hours and dog runs), and was delighted when she saw the 500 square feet of outdoor space in a certain brownstone garden apartment and knew that she and her dog had found their perfect home. Everyone looking for a home in New York City deserves the same result, and with the abundance of different neighborhoods and types of residences, with patience and the help of a good broker, it should be possible.

In the Heights

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WashingtonHeights

This week’s dérive (an unplanned walk through an urban environment) takes place in a Manhattan neighborhood that holds Manhattan’s oldest surviving mansion, has a safer crime rate than Greenwich Village, is only 20 minutes from Times Square via express subway, and was the subject of a recent Tony Award winning musical – Washington Heights. Surprised? It’s time to take a closer look at this northern Manhattan neighborhood while there is still value to be had in this rapidly-evolving area.

Washington Heights lies just above Harlem, just below Inwood (the very top of Manhattan), and between the Hudson and Harlem Rivers. It is in named for Fort Washington, the highest spot in Manhattan and the site of a major battle with the British during the American Revolution (we lost that battle, but of course won the war). Currently the area has a large Dominican population (who descriptively call the neighborhood, “El Alto” for its hills and elevation), and the conflict between the existing residents and the process of gentrification was one of the themes of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award winning musical, “In the Heights.” New developments are beginning to be built in the area – I recently sold such an apartment to investors and will be renting it out for them. After taking photographs of the apartment, it was time to take an unplanned walk in the neighborhood and discover its personality.

Starting at W. 168th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, I will note that Washington Heights is actually easier to get to than some neighborhoods closer to midtown but without as many public transportation options. The A train (express) can get you to midtown in 20 minutes, and the C (local) and the 1 makes several stops along the Broadway line in the Heights. Dominating the area at the 168th Street stop is Columbia Medical Center. Surprisingly, the land it sits on was once the home of Hilltop Park, the home of the New York Highlanders baseball team from 1903-1912. They eventually moved their ballpark to the Bronx and changed their name – to the New York Yankees.

Walking east along W. 167 Street to Edgecombe Avenue, you dead end at a surprisingly pastoral park along a high bluff. Huge sections of the Manhattan schist left over from when the ice age receded form the edge, and tower to your left as you walk south along Edgecombe. At 162 Street, I was intrigued by a sign to the right for the Morris-Jumel Mansion, and walked along 162nd before turning onto Jumel Terrace to see a large white mansion with pillars. Built in 1765, it was used by George Washington for his headquarters for a few months in 1776, and at various times hosted guests as illustrious as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. A National Historic Landmark since 1961, it is now a museum decorated entirely in the Georgian style, with a bed that supposedly belonged to Napoleon.

Continuing along W. 160th Street after turning from Jumel Terrace, there are beautiful rows of townhouses as well as a few large prewar apartment buildings. Turning south on Broadway, a bustling, but not overly crowded, thoroughfare awaits with plenty of shopping and restaurants. At W. 155th Street, the southern edge of Washington Heights, I was surprised to see a large (over two full blocks) cemetery, part of Trinity Church Wall Street but created in 1842 because they had run out of space in their downtown location. Still in use (recent additions were Mayor Ed Koch and Jerry Orbach), it has a large monument for John James Audubon, the famed naturalist best known for his detailed illustrations of birds. His name graces a nearby micro-neighborhood within Washington Heights – Audubon Terrace, a series of eight Beaux-Arts buildings in what was once his land. The nearby apartment buildings on Riverside where it makes a sharp eastward turn between 155th and 158th Streets represent a hidden gem within Manhattan real estate, a C train stop to get you to the rest of the city, but seemingly quiet and removed from it.

Taking the C back downtown, I reflect on the surprising variety of experiences available in this less-known (and perhaps misunderstood) area of Manhattan. Regardless of how long a person has been living in New York City, the richness and uniqueness of its many neighborhoods always allows for fresh discoveries – and in this case, the potential for great value in real estate.

Flatiron District

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Flatiron

Some neighborhoods in New York City are named after their geographic location (Upper East Side, for instance), others for historic reasons (Greenwich Village was once Groenwijck, or green district, in the time of New Amsterdam and was in fact a village), but today’s dérive (an unplanned walk through an urban environment) is in a district named instead for an iconic building – the Flatiron. Because of the diagonal swath that Broadway cuts across the grid system in Manhattan, occasionally interesting intersections occur. Times Square is the result of the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, and the iconic Flatiron Building occupies the triangle formed when Broadway and Fifth Avenues cross between 22nd and 23rd Streets.

Surprisingly, the location of the Flatiron Building was an early sort of prototype for Times Square. The Cumberland, a seven-story apartment building on the site in the 19th Century, leased out the top four floors to advertisers, including the New York Times, who created a sign made up of electric lights. The owners of the lot eventually put up a canvas and projected an array of advertising photographs on the side of the building. In 1901, construction on a new skyscraper (22 stories!) was started, and the building was finished a year later. This part of Manhattan is in the section where the bedrock, or schist, is much deeper from the surface than in lower Manhattan or midtown, so when the Flatiron Building (technically named the Fuller Building, but the inevitable nickname stuck) was being built locals took bets on how far the debris would fall when the building collapsed. However, the steel skeleton used for the building, and the elegant Chicago-school Greek column construction, has ensured that it has sturdily anchored the area over well over a century.

So what is the Flatiron District? As a informal name to a neighborhood, there are no set boundaries, and in fact the term only gained popularity in the 1980’s. Originally an industrial area with an abundance of photography studios due to the low rents, and sometimes called the “Toy District” because of several toy manufacturers, the neighborhood has evolved into one of New York’s top residential areas downtown. As the area gentrified and became more residential, real estate agents needed a term to describe the neighborhood, roughly from 20th to 25th Street and from Sixth or Seventh Avenue to Lexington, and naming it after the landmarked Flatiron Building made the location clear.

Starting a walk through the neighborhood by standing in front of its namesake (where else?), it’s hard to decide which way to go, with Eataly (Mario Batali’s emporium to Italian food and drink, with various restaurants – or purchase products for home use) beckoning at Fifth and 23rd, and the original Shake Shack nestled in Madison Square Park at about Madison and 24th Street. Walking through the park, one is reminded that this is the source of the name for Madison Square Garden, originally just north of the park but now in its fourth location above Penn Station. The MetLife Tower at Madison and Fifth was once the tallest building in the world (700 feet tall) until being unseated by the Woolworth Building in 1913. The enormous clock on the top is visible from far away (I recently saw one of the new penthouses in the Puck Building in SoHo with a direct view of this clock from the bedroom) and a symbol of the neighborhood. Of course, many of the new apartments at One Madison would have a terrific view of the clock.

The Flatiron district combines residential use with shops, restaurants, and businesses. Many of the tech companies in the district and surrounding areas have led to a description of this as New York’s “Silicon Alley,” and there are also many advertising and financial firms in the area.

Williamsburg

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Williamsburg

My previous blog posts about taking a dérive (an unplanned walk through an urban environment) have all happened to be located in Manhattan. However, it’s time to get off the island and explore one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city. Bordered by Greenpoint, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, and the East River, Williamsburg has rapidly evolved in the past decade, with the housing price increases to prove it.

The area of Williamsburgh (yes, there was once an extra h) was within the town of Bushwick during the days of New Amsterdam. It became the city of Williamsburg in 1852, and was annexed into Brooklyn just three years later. Cornelius Vanderbilt built a mansion in the area next to the river in the late 19th century, and the economy boomed with factories (in a perfect reflection of the area’s change, the old Domino’s Sugar Factory was recently the site of a large scale public art project by Kara Walker). The building of the Williamsburg Bridge in 1903 led to swarms of immigrants from Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and Williamsburg became the most densely populated area of New York City (itself the most densely populated area in the United States). After World War II, the neighborhood became run down, and although many artists settled there, it took a major rezoning in 2005 to spur redevelopment of the abandoned warehouses into residential buildings.

The first subway stop in Brooklyn on the L Canarsie train is Bedford Avenue, and it’s a perfect place to start exploring this charming area. Walking north along Bedford, you immediately get the feeling of the neighborhood. Generally, low rise buildings and rows of townhouses predominate until you reach larger warehouses and new development high rises near the river. Shops tend to be unique rather than branches of mega-chains. Bedford eventually dead-ends at McCarren Park, which borders Williamsburg and Greenpoint and hosts the SummerScreen free movie festival (you are too late to see Zoolander this summer but Cry Baby, Heathers, and The Big Lebowski are still ahead).

Turning west toward the river on 11th Street, within a few blocks you can smell the hops at Brooklyn Brewery before you see it. Their small batch tour (Monday-Thursday at 5) is highly recommended, but you have to reserve online a month in advance or will likely not get in (each tour is limited to 30 people). Your $10 admission pays for a guided tour of the working brewery and curated tastings of four of their beers. On Fridays there are no tours but people line up to purchase tokens ($5 each) and taste very fresh cask beer. Saturdays and Sundays there are free tours, and beer available for purchase ($5 per token). The hieroglyphs on the side of the brewery say, “Beer has dispelled the illness which was in me,” so a stop at Brooklyn Brewery could perhaps be seen as a necessity for your health (that’s my story, anyway).

Turning south on Kent Avenue, you can see the Manhattan skyline just over the East River. The most spectacular view of Manhattan I have ever seen was from the rooftop garden of an apartment building on Berry Street in Williamsburg, but I don’t personally believe that a view of Manhattan is what Williamsburg is about. Passing the Music Hall of Williamsburg on 6th Street when heading back to the subway, I remember fantastic concerts I have attended and notice five or six places I would like to return to and stop for food or drinks. Williamsburg is easy to get to from Manhattan, and vice versa, but it doesn’t need Manhattan to charm a visitor, or perhaps to turn a visitor into a resident.

New York City real estate for the foreign purchaser

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Just last week, I was fortunate enough to be in London, a city I truly love and have been able to get to know over numerous visits. As an agent in New York City, I wanted to meet with the team at W.A. Ellis and learn about the similarities and differences between our markets. In the process of our conversation, Lucy Morton, Senior Partner at W. A. Ellis, invited me to write a guest article about the process of structuring a real estate transaction for foreign purchasers in New York City. I am happy to do so, and also pleased to note that the United States taxation and capital gains laws are quite favorable for foreign purchasers. The New York City real estate market is unique, however, and a little knowledge in advance of beginning the process of purchasing can be very helpful.

The rules for taxation and capital gains are the same for foreign nationals as they are for citizens or resident aliens. If a property produces rental income, foreign nationals are only required to file and pay income taxes on U.S. source income. Foreign nationals are similarly subject to estate taxes and gift taxes only on their U.S. assets. When selling a U.S. property, foreign nationals are held to the same capital gains taxation as citizens or resident aliens. The only difference is that foreign nationals selling their property are subject to FIRPTA (Foreign Investment in Real Estate Act), in which the purchaser withholds 10% of the gross sales price and either sends it to the IRS places it in an attorney’s escrow account until the capital gains tax has been paid, at which point the seller receives a refund of the remaining funds minus the capital gains tax.

So what to do if you have decided to take the plunge and purchase a home in New York City, whether to live in, use as a pied-a-terre, or as an investment? The first step I would recommend is to assemble a team of professionals to help you in the process. A real estate agent is the logical first member of the team, and can also help you assemble the other key members – a real estate attorney (required to deal with a contract, and useful if you want to consider buying as a limited liability corporation, or LLC), an accountant to help with matters of taxation and estate planning, and perhaps a bank loan officer (although, for reasons discussed later, most transactions with foreign nationals are all-cash). A good real estate agent will be able to provide the names of recommended professionals who are familiar with the nuances of a transaction with a foreign purchaser. Let me also note that I am a real estate agent, not an attorney or an accountant, so all legal or accounting information in this article is subject to review by those more qualified members of your team.

The next step would be in deciding whether you are looking for a townhouse, condominium, or a cooperative apartment. A townhouse is real property, solely owned by one entity (either an individual or an LLC), and you are personally responsible for the payment of all maintenance, utilities, real estate taxes, and insurance for the home. Although townhouses are relatively rare in New York City, they can be an excellent choice for foreign nationals since there is no application package, and no limits on renting out the property for income.

A condominium is also real property, and the purchaser owns the interior space of the apartment as well as a share of the building’s common areas. Real estate taxes are paid directly based on the assessed value of the apartment, and in addition, there are monthly common charges that pay for the upkeep of the common areas. There is an application process, but rejection is generally limited to the board’s right of first refusal. Condominiums traditionally have been less restrictive regarding the application process and rules regarding renting out the apartment, but today some condominiums can have an extensive board package and stringent rules. A good real estate agent can let you know in advance how difficult a particular condominium building can be, particularly important if you plan to rent out the apartment for income. A sponsor apartment in a new development can be particularly attractive to foreign investors, since there is no board package required in this situation. Closing costs can be higher in sponsor apartments, however, since transfer taxes are generally paid by the seller but are paid by the purchaser in a sponsor apartment.

Cooperative apartments are very common in New York City, but rare elsewhere. In a coop, the entire building is owned by a corporation, and purchasers receive shares of stock equal to the value of their apartment. In addition, the buyer receives a proprietary lease that allows residency in the apartment. Real estate taxes are paid by the corporation, and the shareholder pays a monthly maintenance that includes their share of real estate taxes, interest on any underlying mortgages on the building, and the cost of running the building (a percentage of this is tax deductible). Coops are run by an elected board from within the pool of shareholders, and most have lengthy board applications and require an interview. A potential buyer can be turned down by a coop board without being given a reason, and many coops (but not all) are less likely to approve a foreign purchaser because of the difficulty in verifying income and assets. Coops generally do not allow subleasing for rental income, or have restrictions on doing so.

Is it difficult for foreign purchasers to move money into the United States? Generally not – many experienced attorneys have escrow accounts and allow the buyers to wire the deposit, purchase price, and closing costs to this account and write the checks for the buyer. Getting a mortgage as a foreign purchaser can be less easy – often there is a maximum loan amount of $1.5 million, a requirement of a 12-24 month cash reserve and large deposit held at the bank, and it can be difficult to verify employment and assets. For these reasons, most foreign purchases of real estate are all-cash.

The intellectual reasons for owning property in New York City as a foreign national are real: favorable tax treatment, and a historically strong appreciation of value. However, as a resident of New York City, I would like to add that there are a multitude of intangible reasons to own a part of this vibrant city as well. If you are interested in finding out more about purchasing real estate in New York City, feel free to contact me.

Alphabet City

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AlphabetCity

In a recent blog post about taking a dérive (an unplanned walk through an urban environment) on Sutton Place, I mentioned that, because of the geography of Manhattan, there are occasionally Avenues east of First. I was recently in one of these areas; a subdivision of the East Village informally called “Alphabet City.” Avenues A, B, C, and D stretch between Houston Street to the south and 14th Street to the north, between First Avenue and the East River. Avenue A later reemerges as Beekman Place, Sutton Place, York Avenue, and Pleasant Avenue at various points to the north, while Avenue B reappears briefly as East End Avenue between 79th Street and 92nd Street – Avenues C and D are the easternmost parts of the island of Manhattan and only exist in Alphabet City.

Interestingly enough, the area was originally a saltwater marsh, but was drained and developed in the early 1800’s. In the mid-19th century, it became a hub for German immigrants, but after they decamped for Yorkville in the 1880’s, the neighborhood grew into one of the most densely populated areas of Manhattan. By the 1980’s Alphabet City was home to many struggling artists (immortalized in Jonathan Larson’s Rent), but since then, has been increasingly gentrified (with the increased housing prices to prove it).

For this dérive, I began by walking from Second Avenue and 3rd Street in the East Village, until hitting Avenue A. Just on the east side of Avenue A is the entrance to Upright Citizen’s Brigade East. One of three theaters run by UCB (the other two are in Chelsea and in Los Angeles); UCBEast showcases improv and sketch comedy seven days a week – at very affordable prices. The streets in Alphabet City are surprisingly quiet and tree-lined, although many garage doors and brick walls have become the canvas for expressionistic and colorful murals. This street art is such a part of the character of this neighborhood that there is even a children’s book called Alphabet City –Out on the Streets (by Michael de Feo) that illustrates the alphabet with the backdrop of street scenes in the neighborhood.

Continuing past Avenue B, turn north on Avenue C to experience the most bustling ambiance of the avenues in Alphabet City, every block showcasing trendy boutiques, restaurants, or bars. At Avenue C and 10th Street, stop inside the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) for a reminder of the community activism that has long been a part of this neighborhood’s character. MoRUS also holds exhibitions relating to the historical implications of housing cycles within different urban neighborhoods. Closed Monday and Wednesday, but open other days from 11-7, there is a $5 suggested donation for admission, well worth it to support a volunteer organization that promotes ecologically-sound urban environments. MoRUS also supports the network of community gardens that flourish throughout the Lower East Side. These community gardens sum up the feeling of Alphabet City today – a community with an abundance of opportunities for entertainment but also with pockets of quiet. Street art, nightlife, and gardens – all part of the complicated mix that makes Alphabet City another unique place to live in New York City. Viva la vie bohème!

Washington Square Park

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Washington Square Park>
On a beautiful early summer weekend afternoon, I decided to take a dérive (an unplanned walk through an urban environment) in Greenwich Village. Getting off the 4 at Union Square meant being immediately immersed in a hub of activity – on this day, an extensive pet adoption event, but on other days, Greenmarkets, or a rally for political or social justice causes. Passing by the usual assortment of street performers (of note on this day was a group of older men performing 1950’s doo wop songs), I headed down University Place. Originally part of Wooster Street, this short stretch (from Washington Square to 14th Street) was renamed University Place a year after New York University was founded in 1838. Although the street is packed with places to eat and drink, I found myself magnetically drawn to Washington Square Park, beckoning to me a few blocks to the south.

Although all the surrounding blocks are named after the Square itself (Washington Square North, South, East and West), it is more helpful to think of the park as being bordered by Waverly Place and 4th Street to the north and south, and University Place and MacDougal Street to the east and west. Once a cemetery, and in fact the place that yellow fever victims were buried in the early 1800’s to contain the spread of the disease, in 1826 the square was leveled and turned into a militia parade ground. By the 1830’s, the city’s populace had begun to expand from the southernmost tip of Manhattan, and the Georgian revival homes along Washington Square North date from these times.

In 1889, a temporary arch was constructed in the park to commemorate the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration, followed in 1892 by the permanent Stanford White-designed arch that dominates the north end of the park today. Clearly inspired by the Arc d’Triomphe in Paris, it stands 77 feet tall. The two statues of George Washington visible on the north side were added later, in 1918. On the day I was there, a man played a grand piano (in hopes of tips, of course) just under the arch – I wish now I had asked him how he gets the piano to that spot and away again (and are the tips sufficient to be worth it?).

Washington Square Park is not truly a park that glorifies nature (most of it is paved over), but is more an urban park that encourages people to gather. On most days, but particularly on weekend days in warmer months, it is impossible to be in the park without experiencing several street performers. On this day, a woman was creating enormous bubble displays to the delight of several children, and in the drained fountain in the center of the park, a group of acrobats performed an elaborate show along with crowd participation. It is certainly possible to relax here and imagine Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson discussing the joys of fame (as they did, according to Twain), but I find that Washington Square Park is more energizing that relaxing. Greenwich Village deserves several different dérives, since it varies dramatically from the surreal small town quiet of Washington Mews just one block north of the square, to bustling Bleecker Street, and runs the gamut between. Washington Square Park is certainly Greenwich Village’s hub, however, and always an entertaining way for residents and visitors alike to spend time and feel a part of this vibrant neighborhood.

A peek at the Puck Penthouses

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

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A few days ago, I was fortunate enough to be part of a group of agents who were given a tour of the extraordinary new Puck building penthouses. The Puck building, built beginning in 1885 by Albert Wagner in the Nolita/Soho neighborhood of lower Manhattan, is adorned by two statues of Shakespeare’s character Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and was once the home of Puck magazine. The penthouses (there are only six) have their own entrance, 295 Lafayette Street. When waiting for the elevator, a charming stained-glass portrait of Puck sets the tone for these penthouses – a blend of old-world, artisanal, and modern.

Of the six penthouses, we were originally told we would see three of them, including one fully staged, but during the tour we saw the duplex roof penthouse, with enormous terrace space (including a hot tub outdoors with a view downtown of One World Trade and the Woolworth Building). Although they are still putting the finishing touches on this one, it is simply spectacular (and could be yours for less than $60 million; contact me if you are interested). All of the penthouses have delightful architectural details (such as brick barrel-vault ceilings and fluted iron columns) that respect the historic nature of the building, juxtaposed with the most modern amenities possible. I was impressed with the level of care and detail that had clearly been a constant in the development of these homes.

I snapped some photos while on the tour, and while they are not of the quality that the marketing materials for these penthouses have, they will give you an idea of the feel of these stunning residences.

DISCLAIMER: I do not represent the seller of these properties, and all views expressed are my personal opinion.

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