Sorry, Mayor Bloomberg, even your wheeling-dealing couldn't stop this: The MTA's deal with Tishman Speyer to develop the West Side rail yards is dead. Here's the statement:The MTA met today with Tishman Speyer. Despite the best efforts of both sides, a final agreement could not be reached. The MTA has now re-entered discussions with other interested developers and remains committed to timely development of these unique and valuable parcels of land on Manhattan's Far......

The Bronx houseboat, measuring in at only 250-square-feet, really should have cleaned up ship and entered this contest. Apartment Therapy's Smallest, Coolest Apartment Contest is underway for a fourth year, and below are some of the New York City entries, all under 850-square-feet. Design solutions for cramped living quarters never cease to amaze, and apparently a key factor to maximizing your minimal space is to add a sheepskin throw -- as just about every entrant......

Mayor Bloomberg tried to rally hopes for a happy ending to the saga of the West Side rail yards by telling reporters, "The plan isn’t dead by any means. Hudson Yards is the most exciting opportunity New York has.” On Thursday night, the MTA issued a statement saying that negotiations wit developer Tishman Speyer had "reached an impasse" and that Tishman "no longer" had "development rights" to the 26 acres a few blocks west......

Photograph of the Windermere by edEx on Flickr A judge ordered that the second-oldest apartment building in New York City must be repaired by its owners. The Windermere, at West 57th Street and Ninth Avenue, has been the scene of of landlord and tenant struggles and evacuations as the fire department has found its conditions unsafe. The NY Times reports that Judge Karen Smith ordered "the permanent repair and restoration" of the building. The......

As tenants and landlords await to see what the rent hikes for rent-stabilized apartments will be, the NY Times looks at a new breed landlords: Private equity firms that buy buildings with rent-regulated apartments. The strategy seems to be for the firms to "recapture" the rent-regulated apartments by somehow increasing the vacancy rate from the more typical 5% to 20-30%. And tenants' advocates indicate equity firms do that by making tenants' lives hell to the......

This evening, the MTA released a press release signaling that the plan to turn the West Side Rail Yards into Hudson Yards won't be happening any time soon. Apparently, developer Tishman Speyer, which won the bidding with a $1.004 billion proposal, got too grabby. At least, that's what the MTA"s statement seems to suggest:Late this afternoon, negotiations between the MTA and Tishman Speyer over the development of the Rail Yards on Manhattan's Far West......

Rendering of retail space via Prudential Douglas Elliman. Just after Apple turned sour on New York (and vice versa) over the city's green apple logo, Microsoft is primed to plug into the retail racket with their very own outlet. The Brooklyn Paper reports that the nation's first Microsoft store might be in Brooklyn; the company is eyeing the ground floor of the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank. If they seal the deal, they'll be taking......

Last night, the Rent Guidelines Board recommended to increase rents for rent-stabilized apartments by 3.5-7% for one-year leases and 5.5-9.5% for two-year leases. This figure was deemed too high by tenants and not high enough by landlords. This proposed increase is higher than last year's (3% for 1-year, 5.75% for 2-year leases), reflecting the rising costs landlords face. The Post noted the meeting last night followed "a well-worn script" with tenants asking for a rent......

Yesterday, the police were called during a charged meeting that saw the City Council approve Harlem rezoning in a 47 to 2 vote. Opponents of the plan yelled "sellout" and "liar," prompting their removal from the Council's balcony. The plan will usher in new development around 125th Street, with denser and taller buildings. City Council member Inez Dickens, who represents the area and decided to approve the plan after the Planning Commission agreed to make......

Wall Street tycoon Dr. Mitchell Blutt is at the center of a Manhattan mansion controversy: He purchased two town houses east of his home on East 90th Street between Park and Madison in hopes of combining them into one giant abode. The NY Times reports that "three Romanesque Revival, four-story town houses," upon merging into one, would create a 17,000-square-foot mansion. The triple Brownstone residential combo is a rare one, and needless to say it's......

A real estate developer with close religious and social ties to the Lubavitcher Hasidim community managed to swindle 40 families out of their homes in what the Daily News describes as one of the biggest scams of the recent housing crisis. Eliyahu Ezagui sold pre-construction homes to 40 different families in Crown Heights, and years after the buildings were in place and the families moved in, he took out mortgages on the condos and left......

Do New Yorkers have a love-hate relationship with their outdoor spaces? Believe it or not, it seems they do. While many would put themselves in a compromising position for a few square-feet of greenery, The NY Times reports on a few who find their outdoor space a burden. Many patio-privelaged are allegedly "turning their backs on their balconies" -- blasphemy! One Chelsea resident, Vera Sampson, sees her open space as "a magnet for dust and......

A class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court yesterday, alleging that real estate firm "Brown Harris Stevens Brooklyn LLC (BHS) and its senior vice president and two real estate agents discriminate against families with children attempting to rent apartments in Brooklyn." Park Slope parents, and even soon-to-be stroller pushers, may be having a hard time finding the perfect brownstone. Seems Brown Harris Stevens, and other real estate agents (see: Craigslist), are discriminating......

Why would a triplex in the West Village, measuring about 3360 sq ft, go abandoned for decades? More importantly, what's inside? amNY takes a look at the mystery of 43 MacDougal Street, which has had locals rumor-mongering about it for ages."I heard that it used to be a hangout for the mafia, and there was a police shootout there, and they had to close it for evidence," said Tal Kon, 22, who has lived on......

Ricky Kenig, owner of Ricky's (you've probably bought a Halloween costume there before), is leaving his Brooklyn home at 409 Eighth Street. Just last fall it was reported that he'd be expanding his chain to the neighborhood after purchasing a $1.3 million home there; he was said to be "enamored" with the borough. Now, less than a year later, the 19-foot-wide town house (circa 1899) has undergone a $1 million facelift and will be back......

Now that the glory days of moving to Brooklyn after being priced out of Manhattan are all but gone, the question remains: where do Manhattanites move? The above I.R.S. graph is based on net migration and shows a clear trend; while Staten Island seems to be a last resort for the priced-out set, The Bronx has attracted more Manhattanites than Brooklyn since the beginning of the decade.From 2001 through 2006, over 23,380 Manhattanites relocated to......

Photo of Spitzer and Sen. Schumer, by aboutmattlaw at flickr Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has emerged from his upstate seclusion and now has his nose back to the grindstone--this time in the private sector. There was no need to polish his resumé, however, as his new boss is his father. Bernard Spitzer, who is 83 years old and suffering from Alzheimer's, amassed a half-billion dollar real estate and money management empire during......

On the heels of Florent's closure comes news that another one of the Meatpacking District’s pre-millennial hang-outs will walk the plank: The Hog Pit, a Southern dive bar and BBQ joint that opened in the late '90s, is the latest casualty of the neighborhood’s astronomical rent increases. Co-owner Felisa Dell sent an email to Eater today confirming the closure, which was brought on by a triple rent increase to 40K per month. The Hog Pit’s......

Photograph of the Cheyenne's exterior at night by Goggla on Flickr The Cheyenne Diner is closing for good today, to make room for another Manhattan residential building. The 68-year-old diner fell victim to the city's own successes and spiraling real estate costs. The owner of the property, George Papas, who owns the nearby Skylight Diner, figures that no matter how successful the Cheyenne is (a hamburger is $4.50, the lumberjack breakfast--two eggs, pancakes or......

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio recently purchased a unit at the David Rockwell-designed Riverhouse building in Battery Park City. The building is designed to be ecologically friendly while still luxurious. Details about the film star's specific residence weren't disclosed, but the Riverhouse has 264 units, including three bedroom duplexes that are still available. DiCaprio is well known for his eco-consciousness and speaks out on pro-environmental issues frequently. Riverhouse has its own water treatment and air filtration systems,......

Seems like 50 Cent doesn't want to put another dime into his ex-girlfriend and their son's living situation. Fitty (real name Curtis Jackson) allegedly bought the $1.5 million Long Island home (pictured) for Shaniqua Tompkins and their 10-year-old son, but now the rapper is sending them to the streets. Tompkins filed a lawsuit in Manhattan accusing her ex of evicting her from the home, claiming "breach of contract." When closing on the house last year,......

Florent, the beloved Meatpacking District hangout set to close this summer after almost twenty three years in business, will at least be going out in style, according to Frank Bruni, who spoke with owner Florent Morellet yesterday. The bistro's long goodbye will last five weeks, with each week dedicated to one of the Kubler-Ross stages of grief. Week One, starting Monday, May 26, will be Denial, with the remaining four weeks themed as Anger, Bargaining,......

The Manhattan real estate market was more expensive than ever during the first quarter according to reports from real estate brokerages. There were "record" highs for Manhattan, in sharp contrast to what the rest of the nation's housing market is going through. However, there are some mitigating factors: Though the median prices of apartments has risen to $917,000 from $840,000, that's because three times as many apartments over $10 million sold during this first quarter,......

Many have characterized New York City's real estate boom as insane, and this latest chapter adheres to that theme. The imposing and occasionally frightening-looking Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital on Manhattan's 1st Ave. may be transformed into a luxury hotel. According to the NYC Economic Development Corporation and Health and Hospitals Corporation, the current building would make an excellent location for a hotel and conference center to serve the medical and life sciences industry that has clustered......

As the creative class has grown in Brooklyn, it has been equally growing in the East Bay area of San Francisco. The NY Times is reporting on a bi-coastal trend that has Brooklynites flocking to the Bay Area, and vice versa, as both of the locales appeal to the DIY generation of freelancers. But what's this, SFers are calling their East Coast doppelgänger ugly? One Facebook employee residing on the sunny side of the......

Now that the MTA has selected Tishman Speyer to develop the West Side rail yards into Hudson Yards, a new period of public scrutiny will begin. The developer's plans will need to go through the city's public review process to rezone the western section, leaving plenty of time for potential modifications and opposition. One decided opponent of the plan is NY Times critic Nicolai Ouroussoff. After being depressed by the five proposed designs, Ouroussoff lets......

This month many have been fooled into thinking this house, which is in Toronto, was actually in Brooklyn, NY. While the tiny abode is nowhere near any of the five boroughs, there are some little residential gems amongst us (albeit still bigger than most city apartments). liQcity points out "The smallest house in Long Island City" on Courthouse Sq, Hunters Point (pictured), and in the past we've seen a tiny houseboat in the Bronx, the......

Proposed Hudson yards renderings: Tishman Speyer's at left, Durst-Vornado's at right In spite of rumors suggesting Tishman Speyer, the real estate developer behind Rockefeller Center and Stuyvesant Town, has the upper-hand, the MTA is still seriously considering the bid from joint bid from Durst-Vornado for the 26-acre Hudson Yards. The NY Times explains that while Tishman has the higher offer, the Durst-Vornado offer is only $30 million less. And the Durst-Vornado bid still brings......

For those who can't decide between the suburban and the urban lifestyle, there's a simple solution: build a vinyl-sided house on the top of an old Brooklyn apartment building (which is way better than a trailer on Willoughby Avenue). This gem has been around for a while and is just East of Bedford on the southside of Williamsburg. While its residents most likely enjoy unobstructed city views from their rooftop abode, according to a Google......

MTA officials are reportedly in negotiations with Tishman Speyer Properties this weekend in preparation to award the real estate firm the winning bid on the 26 acre Hudson Yards property. An official announcement is expected at the MTA's board meeting next Wednesday, which will initiate four months of more detailed negotiations about the sale. The winning bidder will acquire the rights to develop commercial and residential properties at the site. A platform will also need......