The blocks surrounding Grand Central are about to become a 20-year construction zone. Brace yourself! (Getty Images)
Life in this city moves pretty fast! In the words of the immortal Ferris Bueller, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. To keep you up to speed, we’ve compiled a quick roundup of what One Block Over’s editors have been reading, discussing, and buzzing about this week. Here’s what’s happening in NYC real estate:
When Your Home Becomes a TV Star
Many house-proud NYC homeowners dream of their beloved dwelling being used as a film or television set. The New York Times Real Estate section provides a fascinating insight into that dream in this piece by Helene Stapinski, who happily allowed Fox to shoot a series pilot in her Windsor Terrace townhouse. When that pilot got picked up by the network, though, Stapinski was treated to the very surreal (and somewhat disturbing) experience of seeing an exact replica of her family’s real-life home built on a soundstage miles away.
The Waldorf Goes Condo
Curbed New York’s Amy Plitt offered a first look at the fabled Waldorf-Astoria Hotel’s brand-new condo conversions. The hotel closed its doors back in 2017 in preparation, and the 375 luxury residences are finally set to hit the market early next year. The apartments will be designed by renowned decorator Jean-Louis Deniot, and their residents will reportedly have a separate entrance from the main hotel and access to amenities like an 82-foot lap pool and a private porte cochere (that’s a covered driveway, for those of us who don’t speak Waldorf).
Manhattan 1BRs Under $800K Article continues below
Get Ready for 20 Years of Construction in Midtown
Brace yourselves, brave residents of Midtown: As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the MTA has announced an enormous new project that will bring a whopping 20 years of construction headaches to the area surrounding Grand Central Terminal. Set to begin in May 2020, the project will enable necessary infrastructure repairs to a massive (75 acres!) underground train shed and cost about $2 billion. Ooof.
Future Tycoons in the South Bronx
In happier news, some high-school students in the Bronx are getting a jump on their future careers as real-estate tycoons, reported CNBC real-estate correspondent Diana Olick. The nonprofit program Project Destined helps students from inner-city areas learn about real-estate development — and feel more invested in their own communities — by teaching them the fundamentals and then letting them participate in, and even potentially make money from, area deals in which the program invests.
Brooklyn 1BRs Under $800K Article continues below
Finally, one thing we have been buzzing about all week is the upcoming event in our First-Time Home-Buyers’ Series, set for Tuesday evening in Chelsea. We know it’s confusing, and we’re here to help: If you are considering buying your first home in NYC, click here to register for the seminar. You’ll get tips, advice, insight and more from a variety of market experts, it’s completely free, and yes, there will be refreshments!
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