Manhattan apartment residents looking to settle down in studio apartments can expect a big (or small) surprise now that officials are looking to make these pint-size dwellings even smaller. On Monday Mayor Bloomberg disclosed a real estate proposition that would allow developers to bid for a parking lot in that would be used to construct studio apartments which are, reportedly, going to resemble college dormitories. Guidelines for the innovative project request that 75% of the units in the building be micro-units, measuring between 275 and 300 square-feet. This is a striking change from Manhattan’s usual studio apartments, which estimate around 400 square feet at the smallest. Eliminating the use of hallways, floor plans will consist of a bedroom area that will double as a living room and workspace.

Enter Battery Park City, the world of business professionals and a choice condo market in Manhattan. With its close proximity to theFinancial District and all the stirrings of Wall Street, the neighborhood is a hotbed of activity, filled with the discussions of bank analysts and the activities and young professionals and new families. A progressive neighborhood through and through, Battery Park City is filled with residents that exhibit a youthful and forward-thinking lifestyle, and Battery Park City’s condo market is an trendy choice for residents seeking to experience the liveliness of Lower Manhattan.

It was only a matter of time until the $100 million NYC apartment sale barrier was broken. As expected by New Construction Manhattan, the most expensive sale of a New York City residential unit in history has transpired at the , a new Manhattan condominium that has already accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars in apartment sales. Expected to shell out $250 million in total, Qatar’s powerful prime minister, Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, is purchasing the city’s most expensive penthouse, along with four separate full-floor condos in the 90-story building.

Condo and co-op owners can breathe easy; the 17.5 percent abatement on real estate taxes will still be coming their way this year. While it seemed as though the tax reduction was in danger of expiring a few months ago, city officials have decided to keep the abatement in the budget for the 2012 fiscal year. However, this could change in years to come, as the future of tax breaks for Manhattan apartment owners could face alterations.

New York City parents looking for a family-friendly place to raise their children have greatly influenced Manhattan real estate developers as they begin to include outdoor playgrounds as an amenity to newly constructed apartment buildings. In a city where parents used to have to walk numerous blocks in order to take their children to a local park, now luxury condominiums and homes have noticed the benefits to integrating private playgrounds for residents. Providing both convenience and safety for residents, building playgrounds is now a strategic way to get families interested in buying an apartment.

Tribeca is going through quite the growth spurt. The area is slated for a slew of developments, with newly constructed apartments and businesses set to spring up. The area’s popularity is a product of high demand existing in a small area with limited inventory. , Manhattan residents feel that Tribeca is currently the trendiest place to be, with large industrial spaces that are soaring in popularity, especially among celebrities. This incoming wave of development truly proves Tribeca’s nature as a still-evolving neighborhood, capable of supporting new construction while other areas in Manhattan have already become static and fixed.

If you are searching to buy a townhouse in Manhattan, you may be surprised to find that you’re not the only one. Recent numbers have shown a sharp spike in sales for luxury townhouses in the Manhattan area. Between the months of January and May, 69 townhouses were sold totaling up to $340.6 million dollars, increasing sales from this past year by nearly 50%. Whether looking to yield a high profit of return or just looking for a place to live, the popularity of Manhattan townhouses is clearly skyrocketing with no clear end in sight.

While the have been hot topics on New Construction Manhattan, the domestic buying market is finally stepping up its game. Looking at the numbers, seven of the twelve Manhattan homes selling for more than $35 million went to Americans since 2010, and this pace is expected to remain steady. American buyers have been closing deals for Manhattan’s most expensive apartments, with a recent transaction by a domestic purchaser being cited as the second-most expensive sale in city history. It's time to recognize that the conversation about ultra-wealthy internationals pushing the envelope of high-end sales of Manhattan condos should include home-grown buyers too.

Buying Manhattan property has never looked so appealing. As rents in the city soar to record heights, the price gap that separates renting and buying an apartment is currently the smallest it’s been since 2006. And with Manhattan still exhibiting the highest cost of buying relative to renting in the United States, the fact that renting apartments is falling in popularity is truly saying a lot. Yet for many residents, buying propertywith a mortgage is beginning to seem immensely preferable to paying ever-increasing rents. While residents are showing more and more distaste for continuing to rent property, there’s an increasing willingness to bite the bullet and buy a condo or co-op.