Transform Your Home with 200+ Plants: A Tour with the Plant Queen in Brooklyn

Step into the vibrant world of Christopher, the Plant Queen, as he takes us on a tour of his lush, plant-filled one-bedroom apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. This video reveals how Christopher has masterfully incorporated over 200 plants into his living space, creating a green sanctuary that is both beautiful and therapeutic.

Key Points Summary

• A Green Sanctuary in Brooklyn: Christopher, the Plant Queen, welcomes us into his colorful and vibrant home filled with over 200 plants. His space is not just a home but a living, breathing garden that offers a sensory experience from the moment you step inside.

• The Journey to Green Living: Christopher began his journey to green up his space in 2020, starting as a personal passion that grew into an educational endeavor. His home now serves as a testament to his dedication and love for plants.

• Daily Plant Care Routine: Taking care of such a large plant family requires routine and dedication. Christopher integrates plant care into his daily life, pruning and tending to his plants while enjoying his morning coffee.

• Creating a Microclimate: Despite living in a city apartment, Christopher has created microclimates for his diverse plant collection. He emphasizes that with dedication, anyone can cultivate a thriving indoor garden regardless of their living situation.

• Personal and Emotional Connection: The tour also highlights Christopher's personal spaces, including a shrine dedicated to his late mother. This area, filled with plants, serves as a reminder of his family's support and love.

• Designing with Plants: With the help of his friend and interior designer Calvin Resnik, Christopher has crafted a space that reflects his personality—vibrant, playful, and lush. The collaboration has resulted in a home that is both aesthetically pleasing and deeply personal.

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220 East 9th Street, Downtown's Next Iconic Condo, Now Under Construction

Downtown Manhattan is about to welcome a striking new addition with the arrival of 220 East 9th Street—a boutique, architecturally distinct condominium that blends classic industrial charm with modern luxury. Rising at the convergence of Astor Place, the East Village, NoHo, and Greenwich Village, this red-brick gem from Arcus, the team behind 150 Wooster and The Wythe Lane Townhouses, is designed to stand the test of time. The hand-laid façade features oversized arched and factory-style windows, nodding to the area’s iconic loft aesthetic while offering a refined residential experience unlike anything else on the market.

Inside, each of the 18 one- to four-bedroom homes is uniquely laid out and appointed with soaring board-formed concrete ceilings, custom oak kitchens, and American-made finishes that emphasize both quality and craft. With seven residences featuring large private terraces—including three exceptional penthouses—220e9th offers indoor-outdoor living that’s as rare as it is luxurious. Amenities include a 24-hour attended lobby, a fitness center with a dedicated Pilates studio, a sauna, a pet grooming station, and a Japanese-style viewing garden, all tailored to elevate the daily experience of its future residents.

Now under construction, 220e9th is slated to launch sales this fall, exclusively with The Hudson Advisory Team at Compass (Clayton Orrigo & Stephen Ferrara). With private on-site parking and a location that blends the energy of Downtown with the tranquility of a tree-lined street, this development is already being hailed as one of the most thoughtfully designed new builds in the city.

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Designing and Developing 32-34 Walker Street in Tribeca

By Cedric Abboud, Principal of Urban Capital Group and SOMA Projects

Tribeca remains one of New York’s most architecturally distinct neighborhoods, celebrated for its 19th-century cast-iron buildings, loft style luxury living, and vibrant, close-knit community. For architects and developers, building in a landmarked district like Tribeca means more than creating something new. It means respecting the neighborhood’s industrial legacy while contributing thoughtful, contemporary design.

At 32 Walker Street, we faced a unique challenge, we set out to merge a historic cast-iron building from 1850, once a textile warehouse, with a new structure to create a unified building that is contextual, visually striking, and financially viable. The result is an irreplicable boutique luxury residence in the landmark district, offering ceiling heights ranging from 12 to 16 feet, direct southwest exposure, and rare unobstructed views within the architectural fabric of Tribeca.

By collaborating early with Higgins Quasebart, our historic Consultant, under the oversight of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), we embraced a design approach that sought dialogue rather than disruption. We began by studying the block’s architectural DNA, repetitive window rhythms, and richly textured façades. Tribeca’s industrial buildings are timeless, defined by generous proportions, large volumes, and oversized windows. Our first move was to follow the window pattern of the original structure and align the floor levels, ensuring the new and historic elements read as a single, cohesive building.

Natural limestone gradually evolved as the right material choice, a subtle nod to the area’s classical heritage and the character of old New York. The design draws inspiration from Judd House, the quintessential cast-iron reference, as well as from Tadao Ando’s 152 Elizabeth and One Kensington Gardens in London by David Chipperfield, with an emphasis on simplicity and elegance. Inside, the architecture is guided by a principle of quiet luxury, with high ceilings, restrained detailing, and robust, natural materials. The interiors feature natural oak, natural stone, and top-tier fixtures sourced from some of the finest vendors and fabricators in the world.

Designing in a landmark district inevitably comes with challenges. A building’s bulk and visibility are closely scrutinized by the LPC. These factors directly impact sellable square footage and the overall feasibility of a project. There was significant skepticism early on about whether the penthouse floor would be approved as proposed. As the project advanced and gained traction as we partnered with Prosper Property Group on the development, and then engaged with The Turett Collaborative (TTC), a New York architecture firm with extensive experience in Tribeca to succeed in the process. The team’s expertise was instrumental in refining the design, addressing regulatory requirements, and navigating the Department of Buildings process.  Through close collaboration, we earned unanimous LPC support. 

Tribeca is not just a neighborhood. It is an archive of New York’s mercantile and architectural history. Every new project should enhance that legacy by being contextual to its neighborhood and a positive addition. At 32 Walker, we are proud to add a quiet, confident new chapter. By honoring the site’s history, simplifying complexity at every stage, and embracing collaboration, we have achieved an optimized design with layouts that support modern living, all while aiming to deliver the project under budget and at record speed for the historic district.

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