Kim Velsey

New York

Real Estate Reporter at Curbed

Columnist and Contributor at The New York Times

Reporter @NYMag's @curbed. Formerly of the New York Times, the New York Observer and the Hartford Courant.

Articles

Russian Billionaires Sell Plaza Apartment Combo at a Loss

1 week ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

The living room of the Kogans’ Plaza combo unit, as shown in listing photos, was expensively renovated with gold leaf and onyx but sold for less than what they paid in 2007. A lavish five-bedroom apartment at the Plaza with ornate gold detailing has sold for $21 million, according to city records — $5 million less than a company linked to Russian airport billionaires Valery Kogan and his wife, Olga, paid in 2007.
A Baz Luhrmann Townhouse Is Very Different From a Baz Luhrmann Film

2 weeks ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

The dining room of Baz Luhrmann’s Gramercy Park townhouse, as shown in listing photos, had several hallmarks of his style: red velvet furniture, ornate patterned carpets, heavy baroque wallpaper, and an Art Deco–inspired chandelier.
The Baffling Return of Adam Neumann, Megalandlord

3 weeks ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

When Adam Neumann launched Flow, his residential real-estate venture, a little over three years ago, a lot of people were skeptical. The man who had run WeWork into the ground in spectacular fashion was launching another vague, vibe-y real-estate start-up? And people were once again throwing money at him to do it?
That Decrepit Mansion Next to the Gowanus Whole Foods Is for Sale

3 weeks ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

The Coignet building at the intersection of Third and 3rd in Gowanus has beguiled passersby for more than a century. It’s now on the market with a restored exterior and more a reasonable price than six years ago.
A Sunset Park Two-Bedroom That Feels Like a Treehouse for $800K

3 weeks ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

The living room of this two-bedroom, as shown in listing photos, overlooks Sunset Park, which the Finnish co-op building sits directly on. For under a million dollars, one can find all sorts of housing configurations: park- and subway-adjacent studios, one-bedrooms hidden in carriage houses or former shoe factories, and even the occasional true two-bedroom.
Carroll Gardens Townhouses Are Having a Moment

4 weeks ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

A multifamily townhouse at 17 3rd Street, as shown in listing photos, is one of the several unrenovated homes in the neighborhood pitched to buyers as a gut-reno single-family conversion. Carroll Gardens has not been what most people would call affordable for several decades now. By 2012, brownstones there were already trading for upwards of $2 million and rents for brownstone apartments were creeping into the $3,000s.
Amazon Is Gobbling Up Midtown

1 month ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

Amazon, which already owns one midtown office building, bought another one at 522 Fifth last week. Last week, Amazon bought 522 Fifth from Aby Rosen’s RFR — a 600,000-square-foot office building that Rosen purchased from Morgan Stanley in March 2020, but which couldn’t find another full-building tenant for after the investment company’s departure. It’s just five blocks north of Amazon’s main headquarters in the old Lord & Taylor building, which it opened in 2023.
The Battle Over Harry Macklowe’s $32 Million Hamptons House May Soon Be Over

1 month ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

After buying the Georgica Pond house, as seen in listing photos, Macklowe painted it a blinding white (not in violation of any zoning laws) and removed native plantings (very much a no-no). For the past six years, developer Harry Macklowe has been at war with the village of East Hampton over his Georgica Pond mansion and the 2.7 acres of protected wetlands it sits on — land he cleared and modified without permits after purchasing it for $10.35 million in 2017.
A Clinton Hill One-Bed With Arched Windows for $750K

1 month ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

This Clinton Hill one-bedroom, as shown in listing photos, has a living room with an unusual amount of original 1905 details, including moldings, picture rails, and refinished-brass light fixtures. For under a million dollars, one can find all sorts of housing configurations: park- and subway-adjacent studios, one-bedrooms hidden in carriage houses or former shoe factories, and even the occasional true two-bedroom.
Rich NYC Buyers Aren’t Scared Off by Tariffs

1 month ago | curbed.com | Kim Velsey

In New York, the impact of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs on the real-estate market was immediate: panic, followed by a pause. As the stock market plummeted, brokers reported that buyers were canceling showings, holding off on contract signings, and in some cases even backing out of deals. Sellers understandably were reluctant to list under such circumstances.