150 Rivington

For nearly a century, 150 Rivington Street has been the home of Streit’s matzo factory. However, times have changed on the Lower East Side since 1925, and a combination of rising prices and the inconvenience of operating a factory in Manhattan has finally forced the family-owned company to relocate. 

Essex Crossing is a combined residential-retail space in the making.  Expected to cover the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, the $1.1 billion megaproject will sit across 1.65 million square feet, replacing the current scene of parking lots and fewer tenement buildings with a grander, glassy-sleek cityscape.  Architectural firms SHoP Architects, Beyer Blinder Belle, and Handel Architects have been tapped to raise the long-neglected area.  

In June of this year, the New York State Legislature legalized gay marriage, ending a decades-long fight over marriage equality and making New York the sixth state to have gender-neutral marriage (we’ll avoid dealing with the California situation for now). In terms of real estate, this is actually an interesting and promising development, especially when considering the long history that this small, yet powerful, demographic has had in terms of development, gentrification, and neighborhood revitalization. Further, the fact that same-sex marriage is now legal in America’s largest city means that many couples will move to New York, in most cases Manhattan, bringing with them significant disposable income and a need for luxury housing on this already heavily-populated island.

You live in an apartment in the Financial District. Or a condo on the Lower East Side. Or are browsing East Village condo listings. Congratulations: you have good taste, both in Manhattan neighborhoods and in NYC real estate listings sites. Let's continue. You're looking for a Manhattan apartment that offers more than, you know, an apartment and a fistful of amenities. You'd like some green space in your neighborhood. Check. You like to jog. Check. You play basketball, say, soccer. Check. You enjoy lounging, or fishing, just taking in some river views. Check, check, check please. There is a park near your apartment where you can do all these things. Check... almost. Yes, work on the East River Park is almost done.