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

Don't mind the fake dead horse on the set of Steven Soderbergh's 'The Knick'

[Photo via The Lo-Down]

As you may have heard/read/seen/smelled yesterday, parts of Orchard Street and the Lower East Side were transformed into the early 1900s for "The Knick," a Steven Soderbergh-directed miniseries starring Clive Owen.

Perhaps our favorite photo from the shoot came via Reddit ...



You can find more photos at BoweryBoogie ... The Lo-Down ... Gothamist... and DNAinfo.

Filming continues today.

To EV Lambo, thanks for the "memories"

Previously.

33 endangered, threatened sea turtles released into Gulf waters

Early last evening.


(And yes, I know the headline doesn't match the photo...)

Should have known

Superdive: "a total shitshow" and "impressively chaotic"

From the Eater tipline:

"I was there on Saturday night for about fifteen minutes getting change...it was a total shitshow. People couldn't figure out who worked there and who didn't. The mixed drink area was packed but no one could figure out how they were being charged for drinks. At one point I saw two pitchers of the same beer go for totally different prices. It was impressively chaotic."

Previously.

Noted

From the Strong Buzz via Eater:

If you’ve had enough of Red Mango, Flurt, YogoMonster and the dozen or other Pinkberry clones that have opened at warp speed around town, it’s time for you to check out Daydream, Union Square’s newest chef-driven frozen yogurt shop.
Owned by Gwen Butler and partners, the shop is fashioned like an old-school ice cream parlor with elegant Italian celeste marble tables and counters, walls and ceiling painted as a windswept blue sky, dark tiled flooring and glossy white high wood wainscoting.Their yogurt is prepared in four flavors from live cultures: green tea, pomegranate, and two styles of plain—one is low-fat with a creamy texture and the other is a light-textured nonfat ($3/$5/$6 for plain flavors, $4/$5/$7 for flavored yogurts).
But the hook at this shop is the toppings (30-85 cents each) which are all made in-house by chef Greg Pena (and some by Ian Russo) like butter rum crunch, peanut butter crumble, and chocolate covered pretzel bits. More unique toppings include infused and spiced wild honeys, organic fruit dust, dehydrated espresso, milled flax seed, honey roasted wheat germ, and chocolate block shavings grated to order. All their nuts are double-roasted for extra flavor, and we toast our coconut as well. Coming soon, they’ll be serving "moffles" which are mochi waffles.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dare to Daydream! -- and eat Fro-Yo

John Varvatos saw the light

The Post has a special commercial real estate section today. (And it's not online.) The cover story is titled "New Lease of Life," about how landmark buildings require special tenants.

Here's a passage from the article:

Even though CBGBs was not landmarked and he could have ripped it all out, John Varvatos maintained in his shop many of the funky features of the former punk palace.

"John loves music anyway and it was perfect because so much of his business is entertainment related," said his broker, Robert Cohen, executive vice president of Robert K. Futterman & Associates. "We ... had been looking for a second location but uptown, and even if it wasn't CBGB, the Bowery wouldn't have been an option."

Cohen noted that nobody wanted to install a bank or an "ugly" restaurant or anything that would degrade the character and the history of what had taken place in the building.

"John saw the light," Cohen said.

In fact, brokers all said that if a client walks into a historical space and doesn't "get it," the space won't work for them.