Is Facebook leaving Astor Place?

Facebook is reportedly in talks to lease space at the revamped Farley Building (the former James A. Farley Post Office) across from Madison Square Garden, according to Lois Weiss at the Post.

The company had also been said to be looking at Hudson Yards.

So why are we writing about this? To the Post!

It’s unclear what will happen to Facebook’s current NYC offices, including 758,000 square feet at 770 Broadway and 266,000 square feet at 225 Park Avenue. So.

Both Farley and 770 Broadway are owned by Vornado and its chairman Steve Roth, who has been wining and dining tech companies for years in an effort to lease them the top floors of the post office.

Roth, whose reps didn’t immediately return a request for comment, could cut Facebook a deal for Farley that also lets it off the hook for its current East Village lease, which expires in 2025.

Oh!

As you may recall, Kmart downsized its space at 770 Broadway, the landmarked building on Astor Place, in early 2018. There were reports in late 2017 and early 2018 that Vornado bought Kmart out of its lease on the second floor, which was revamped from low-price to high-tech for Facebook.

The smaller Kmart still has 82,000 square feet in building, including most of the property's ground-floor retail space as well as basement level.

Also, as you'll see in the top photo, Kmart recently unveiled a new logo on the building.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Kmart staying on Astor Place, minus the 2nd floor (for Facebook?)

Spencer Tunick brings #WeTheNipple to Astor Place in message to Facebook and Instagram

Spencer Tunick has orchestrated another mass photo shoot, this time on Astor Place early today.

Tunick has joined forces with the National Coalition Against Censorship for a project called #WeTheNipple. As artnet noted last month, "the effort is a direct challenge to Facebook and Instagram’s community guidelines, which prohibit nudity, regardless of artistic merit."

Tunick, who has organized and photographed more than 120 large groups of nude people around the world, has been at odds with the two social media platforms in recent years.

As he told Esquire in April:

"I get it. I don’t want my daughters on an Instagram full of pornography. But there has to be a way artists can have a voice to show their works. There has to be some formula, whether it’s the YouTube way where you’re reviewed and there’s an 18-or-older button that’s pressed. Or, for starters, equalize the male and female nipple and not deem the female nipple as violent."

And this morning on Astor Place, Tunick and between 100 to 200 nude models gathered to send a message to Facebook, who has offices at 770 Broadway (somewhere above the Kmart!).

Per the Instagram post on the action:

"These are all male nipple stickers covering female presenting nipples and male nipple cards covering all the participant’s genitalia. There is no reason for Facebook or Instagram to censor this video or block from hashtags."

View this post on Instagram

#WeTheNipple Art Action in front of @Facebook and @Instagram offices this Morning. #StopCensorship These are all male nipple stickers covering female presenting nipples and male nipple cards covering all the participant’s genitalia. There is no reason for Facebook or Instagram to censor this video or block from hashtags. @NCACensorship @chadsmithofficial @bravoandy @pagmi #AndresSerrano @theadamgoldberg @RonKuby #FuckCensorship Link in Bio.

A post shared by Spencer Tunick (@spencertunick) on Jun 2, 2019 at 4:18am PDT

H/T Carol from East 5th Street!

Updated 4:30 p.m.

Here's some more coverage of the action (thanks Daniel!)...

• The Daily Mail

• CNN


[Image by Fay Fox via]

Here's more about Facebook's takeover of Kmart's 2nd floor at 770 Broadway

[EVG photo from January]

As you may know, Kmart recently vacated the second floor at 770 Broadway, the landmarked building on Astor Place.

The three-level store had recently condensed its wares to the main floor and lower level — reportedly to allow for Facebook to expand its presence (by 78,000 square feet) in the building.

The Commercial Observer has more on the deal, announced during landlord Vornado Realty Trust's fourth quarter earnings call yesterday.

Per the Observer:

The deal grows Facebook’s total footprint at the building to 513,000 square feet, Vornado Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steven Roth said on the earnings call.

The space was made available for Facebook after Vornado bought Kmart out of its lease on the floor, which Roth said had 18 years remaining at rents of $33.50 per square foot. Kmart still has 82,000 square feet at 770 Broadway.

Yes, but do they still have pajamas?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Kmart staying on Astor Place, minus the 2nd floor (for Facebook?)

Status update: Facebook signs the priciest deal ever for Midtown South in Astor Place

Some news from Friday to note via Crain's.

The social media giant, which has surpassed $200 billion in market value, will add 80,000 square feet at 770 Broadway, the large office building south of Union Square where it first took space almost two years ago.

The building’s rents have risen substantially since then. According to sources, Facebook is paying rates above $100 per square foot for the new space—at least 20% or 30% more than the price of the space it initially leased. Indeed, the deal is among the priciest ever signed in midtown south.

In total, Facebook now rents 270,000 square feet of the 1.2 million-square-foot building on Broadway/Lafayette and East Ninth Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Facebook unveils its new office tonight in Midtown South on Astor Place

Facebook is moving into the neighborhood; Midtown South expands its boundaries, apparently

Report: Maps show that Midtown South does NOT include the East Village/Astor Place

Facebook unveils its new office tonight in Midtown South on Astor Place

Facebook is throwing its official unveiling ceremony tonight to show off its new 185,000-square-foot space at 770 Broadway and East Ninth Street... an area of the city that the media likes to refer to as Midtown South. (We've gone over all this before.)

The headline in The Wall Street Journal today reads — Facebook Sees Midtown South Office as Recruitment Tool.

What can the 500 Facebook employees expect on the 3-floor space?

Food and coffee are focal points. The coffee bar, which at evening events can double as a real bar, serves four kinds of coffee and offers five different preparation methods.

The daily cafeteria menu is created by Facebook New York’s executive chef, Nate Eckhaus, who has worked at such city restaurants as Eleven Madison Park and Blue Smoke. At different stations, labels note the provenance of the fare — as in, organic red cabbage from a New Jersey farm or shaved organic fennel from Pennsylvania.

And what about the Facebook effect on this Midtown South neighborhood?

“A company like that would have influence wherever they go, between the local retail and local businesses,” said Jim Wenk, executive vice president at real estate service firm JLL. “They also have a lot of high-paying jobs.”

Previously on EV Grieve:
Facebook is moving into the neighborhood; Midtown South expands its boundaries, apparently

Report: Maps show that Midtown South does NOT include the East Village/Astor Place

Like? Facebook has arrived in the neighborhood

Yesterday marked Facebook's first day at 770 Broadway at East 9th Street. According to TechCrunch:

Right now, Facebook has more than 100 engineers in the New York offices working on Pages, Location, Newsfeed, mobile, AI, and infrastructure, but 2014 represents a growth year in terms of NYC hires. More than 320 people work in FBNY overall. With more space in the office, and plans to hire more engineers, that number should rapidly grow throughout the next year.

Facebook reportedly signed a 10-year lease for 100,000 square feet at 770 Broadway, whose current tenants include AOL, Billboard, J Crew and the Huffington Post.

You can find a lot more photos of the (not-quite-done) Frank Gehry-designed office space over at Curbed.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village — the new Midtown?

Facebook is moving into the neighborhood; Midtown South expands its boundaries, apparently

Facebook is moving into the neighborhood; Midtown South expands its boundaries, apparently

From The Wall Street Journal this morning:

Facebook Inc. is moving its New York office south and nearly doubling its space, marking the latest technology company to set up shop in the city's Midtown South neighborhood.

Facebook, a popular social media site where users share "Game of Thrones" spoilers, is moving into 770 Broadway at East Ninth Street, an area of New York also known, randomly, as Astor Place, the East Village, NYU, WeAs (West of Astor), LeLa (left of Lafayette Street) and Where is that Starbucks with the restroom?

Facebook reportedly signed a 10-year lease for 100,000 square feet at 770 Broadway, whose current tenants include AOL, J Crew and the Huffington Post. Facebook and its 200 New York employees currently must do with a 55,000-square-foot space on two floors at 335 Madison Ave.

The new space sounds like it will be very Facebooky.

Architect Frank Gehry will design the space, which will include a cafeteria with its own chef, smaller kitchens with snacks and drinks and an open floor plan.

Meanwhile, the new tenant-wanting office building at 51 Astor Place sits directly across the street.

Oh, and will anyone notice a difference with the 200 new tenants? Here's the Voice's take:

Facebook employees will probably just blend in with the existing NYU students, only they'll have nicer living arrangements and more expensive sneakers.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village — the new Midtown?

Stranded East River cat now has a Facebook page

Yesterday, we passed along word of a cat stuck on a barge in the East River just off the shore ... Since then, someone has created a Facebook page for the stranded kitty ...

Per the Facebook page, it appears that some volunteers are at the scene to try to rescue the cat.