All articles by Dana Schulz

Dana is a writer and preservationist with a passion for all things New York.  After graduating from New York University with a BA in Urban Design & Architecture Studies, she worked at the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, where she planned the organization's public programs and wrote for their blog Off the Grid. In her free time, she leads walking tours about the social and cultural history of city neighborhoods. Follow her on Twitter @danaschulzNYC.
March’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features
April 2, 2016

March’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features

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March’s 10 Most-Read Stories Skyscraper Proposal Digs Out Central Park and Surrounds It With 1,000-Foot Glass Structure Apply for One of Stuyvesant Town’s Affordable Apartments, Starting at $1,200/Month Katie Couric Buys $12M Upper East Side Condo Apply for 83 Affordable Apartments in Astoria, Starting at $895/Month Queens’ New Skyline: A Rundown of the 30 Developments […]

In 1927, NYC Almost Got a 16-Mile Highway Along Building Rooftops
April 1, 2016

In 1927, NYC Almost Got a 16-Mile Highway Along Building Rooftops

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In the early 20th century, engineers and architects were certainly thinking outside the box when it came to city planning here in New York. There was the proposal to fill in the Hudson River for traffic and housing, the idea to create a giant conveyor belt to carry people between Grand Central and Times Square, and the plan to stack the city like a layered cake. Though these ideas sound whacky, they were born from the rise of the automobile and suburbinization. With many Americans moving out of urban centers, planners sought new ways to reimagine the modern city and entice car-loving prospects. Another such idea is this 1927 one for a 16-mile elevated highway that would have traveled across building rooftops from the Battery all the way to Yonkers. Conceived by engineer John K. Hencken, it required all buildings to be uniform at 12 stories. Within them would have been standard uses -- residences, offices, schools, theaters, restaurants -- and elevators to take cars from the street to the skyway.
READ MORE
Slopebottom and Wegmansville Are Brooklyn’s New ‘Hoods; Free ‘Hamilton’ Show in the Park
April 1, 2016

Slopebottom and Wegmansville Are Brooklyn’s New ‘Hoods; Free ‘Hamilton’ Show in the Park

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With the busy spring real estate season upon us, brokers have coined five new Brooklyn neighborhoods — GarGo Triangle, Greenwood Village, Slopebottom, Wegmansville, and Bushwick Heights. [Brownstoner] Catch a free performance of “Hamilton” in Prospect Park this summer! [Brokelyn] Now, in real news, Central Park’s lawns and fields are set to open this weekend. [West Side Rag] […]

Average Sales Price in Manhattan Exceeds $2M For the First Time
April 1, 2016

Average Sales Price in Manhattan Exceeds $2M For the First Time

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Last July, the average Manhattan sales price hit a record of $1.8 million, which signaled it was only a matter of time before it crossed the $2 million mark for the first time ever. Eight months later, that's exactly what's happened, notes DNAinfo. According to Douglas Elliman's 2016 first quarter Manhattan sales report, the average sales price climbed $2,051,321, a five percent increase from 2015's fourth quarter average of $1.9 million and an 18 percent increase from the same time last year when the average was $1.7 million. Additionally, the average price per square foot is now $1,713, a 35.6 percent from last year. The rise is attributed to limited resale inventory and increased closings in new developments, further evidenced by the fact the average sales price in this high-end market is $3.9 million, and the number of closings nearly doubled over the past year. And when we look at the luxury market, average sale prices hit a whopping $8.3 million.
More facts and figures this way
FDNY Fireboat Getting Turned Into a Restaurant; Nostalgia Trains for Baseball Season
March 31, 2016

FDNY Fireboat Getting Turned Into a Restaurant; Nostalgia Trains for Baseball Season

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A new interactive map lets you find buildings in your neighborhood with lead paint violations. [Huff Post] The 62-year-old fireboat that the city was auctioning off for $510 was ultimately purchased for $57,400 by two Westchester restaurant owners who plan to use it for another eating establishment. [Gothamist] This smart luggage can weigh itself, charge phones, and let […]

Take a Virtual Tour of Don Draper’s Mod Park Avenue Apartment from ‘Mad Men’
March 31, 2016

Take a Virtual Tour of Don Draper’s Mod Park Avenue Apartment from ‘Mad Men’

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It's been almost a year since "Mad Men" ended its seven-season run, but if you're jonesing for a fix of mid-century nostalgia, it's your lucky day. ArchDaily, in collaboration with Archilogic, has created a virtual tour of Don Draper's swanky Upper East Side apartment that he moved into in season five with his new wife Megan. From the sunken living room and orange kitchen cabinets to the white carpet and retro window treatments, set designer Claudette Didul didn't miss a beat when designing an authentic 1966 residence. But as ArchDaily points out, she also managed to create "a psychogram of a man who is about to fall apart at the seams."
See and learn more about Don Draper's pad
The Country’s First Botanic Garden Was on 20 Wooded Acres at Today’s Rockefeller Center

View of Elgin Botanic Garden in 1801

March 30, 2016

The Country’s First Botanic Garden Was on 20 Wooded Acres at Today’s Rockefeller Center

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Today, New Yorkers get to enjoy lush landscapes and beautiful plantings at the 250-acre New York Botanical Garden and the 52-acre Brooklyn Botanic Garden, but these outdoor oases weren't founded until 1891 and 1910, respectively. About 100 years prior, a public botanic garden sprouted up on 20 acres of land at what is today Rockefeller Center, and it was the first such garden in the nation. Elgin Botanic Garden was founded in 1801 by Dr. David Hosack, a physician, botanist, and educator, perhaps best known for serving as the doctor to Alexander Hamilton after his duel with Aaron Burr in 1804. He used his own money to purchase and landscape the grounds, and by 1805 it was home to more than 1,500 plant species, which he studied for medicinal purposes.
The full history of Hosack and the Elgin Botanic Garden
Apply Today for Two $939/Month One Bedrooms Near the Best Bronx Attractions

Google Street View of the site while still under construction

March 30, 2016

Apply Today for Two $939/Month One Bedrooms Near the Best Bronx Attractions

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The Bronx is having a moment, thanks in part to popular institutions like the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden, and Italian food mecca along Arthur Avenue. If you want to get in on the action, you can now enter the lottery for newly constructed, $938/month affordable apartments nearby at 863 Fairmount Place in Tremont. There's just one little catch -- only two units are available.
Find out if you qualify
POLL: Are Floating Parks the Future of Public Space in NYC?
March 30, 2016

POLL: Are Floating Parks the Future of Public Space in NYC?

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Yesterday, 6sqft uncovered conceptual renderings for a nine-acre island/pier in the Hudson River that would serve as a final terminus for the High Line. It would be a circular-shaped cultural and recreational center, dotted with five interconnected pyramid-shaped buildings, as well as an elevated promenade and a marina. It’s quite similar in design and theory to Barry Diller’s […]

Middle-Income Housing Lottery Opens for 16 Newly Renovated Apartments in Harlem

152 West 124th Street (L); 70 East 127th Street (R). Via Google Street View.

March 29, 2016

Middle-Income Housing Lottery Opens for 16 Newly Renovated Apartments in Harlem

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The Third Party Transfer Program (TPT) is an initiative of the NYC Department of Housing and Preservation Development that was created in 1966 where the city forecloses on properties with unpaid taxes and eventually transfers ownership to a developer who must rehabilitate the building if necessary and manage it as affordable housing. Two Harlem buildings, 152 West 124th Street and 70 East 127th Street, were renovated under this program and are now offering 16 middle-income units through the city's housing lottery. They range from $1,040/month studios to $2,165 two-bedrooms for persons earning anywhere between $36,995 and $107,875 annually, depending on household size.
Find out if you qualify
Plaza Foreclosure Auction Cancelled; Millennials Have an Affinity For Paper Towels
March 29, 2016

Plaza Foreclosure Auction Cancelled; Millennials Have an Affinity For Paper Towels

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Sean “Diddy” Combs is opening a charter school in Harlem this fall. [DNAinfo] Next month’s foreclosure auction for the Plaza was cancelled after the mortgage lenders granted an extension. [Crain’s] Millennials are killing the napkin industry, opting for evil paper towels instead. [Washington Post] A new book celebrates Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre, including its history, decline, […]

New Looks for Staten Island’s $200M Mixed-Use Complex Lighthouse Point
March 28, 2016

New Looks for Staten Island’s $200M Mixed-Use Complex Lighthouse Point

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Earlier this year, after a decade of delays, Triangle Equities received $16.5 million in state subsidies for their three-acre mixed-use development on Staten Island known as Lighthouse Point. They also partnered with real estate investment fund Lubert Adler LLP to secure another large sum of private financing, before breaking ground last month. With construction underway, Yimby uncovered new renderings that show the residential, retail, and commercial components of the $200 million development. As 6sqft previously reported, "Along with the New York Wheel, Empire Outlets, and New Stapleton Waterfront, Lighthouse Point is a key element of NYCEDC’s ongoing efforts to transform the St. George waterfront into a vibrant community."
All the renderings and details ahead

The NYC Easter Parade in 1904, via Wikimedia Commons

March 27, 2016

PHOTOS: The NYC Easter Parade Through Time

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As more people break from traditional religious affiliations, certain holidays become less and less significant. Perhaps the best example of that modern-day cultural shift is Easter. Technically the highest holy day of the year for Christians, the holiday has become one of the most overlooked. Up until the 1960s, Easter Sunday was a 40-day ritual, complete with fasting on Fridays, attending Palm Sunday services, and putting together the perfect pastel outfit to go with one's Easter bonnet. In New York City, the tradition hasn't all been lost, as the annual Easter Parade still kicks off at St. Patrick's Cathedral and marches up Fifth Avenue to 55th Street every year. In addition to its traditional affiliations, the parade also welcomes the Bonnet Festival, where participants show off their wackiest head gear. With just a few days left until Easter Sunday, we decided to take a look back at the history of the parade, showcasing some great historic images of the tradition.
Check out all the photos here
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff
March 26, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

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Skyscraper Proposal Digs Out Central Park and Surrounds It With 1,000-Foot Glass Structure How Horse Poop Inspired the New York City Stoop Apply for 83 Affordable Apartments in Astoria, Starting at $895/Month Yankee Legend Lou Gehrig’s New Rochelle Family Home Is for Sale for Just $300K Curvaceous ‘Morph Tower’ Begins Its Rise at 15 Hudson […]

Imagining 432 Park As a Giant Drone Control Terminal
March 25, 2016

Imagining 432 Park As a Giant Drone Control Terminal

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Yesterday 6sqft brought you the winning design from Evolo's 2016 Skyscraper Competition, a proposal to dig down below Central Park, exposing the bedrock beneath and thereby freeing up space to build a horizontal skyscraper around its entire perimeter. The second-place entry is more traditional in the sense that it builds up, but it's more outside-the-box when it comes to function. Titled The Hive, the project reimagines 432 Park Avenue, the city's tallest and most expensive residential building, as "a vertical control terminal for advanced flying drones that will provide personal and commercial services to residents of New York City." By covering its facade in docking and charging stations, the building gets its hive-like appearance with the drones buzzing around like bees.
How does 432 Park get transformed into a giant drone control terminal?
Find Out if You’ll Be Poor With This Economic Risk Calculator
March 25, 2016

Find Out if You’ll Be Poor With This Economic Risk Calculator

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6sqft once presented readers with the Wealthometer, a tool that analyzes your assets to determine where you fall in the distribution of wealth. In today's society, however, we're often more concerned about our future status than where we are currently, which is where this economic risk calculator comes in. Created by the New York Times, it addresses anxieties about "widespread economic insecurity and soaring levels of income inequality." The not-so-upbeat tool culled data from hundreds of thousands of American case records that began as a study in 1968. It uses a mere four factors -- race, education, age, and marital status -- to determine the likelihood of one falling below the poverty line in the next five, 10, or 15 years.
Get a look into your future economic risk
Skyscraper Proposal Digs Out Central Park and Surrounds It With 1,000-Foot Glass Structure
March 24, 2016

Skyscraper Proposal Digs Out Central Park and Surrounds It With 1,000-Foot Glass Structure

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Evolo has announced the winners of its 2016 Skyscraper Competition, and, somewhat ironically, the number-one spot goes to a proposal that doesn't build up at all, but rather digs down. New York Horizon was imagined by Yitan Sun and Jianshi Wu as a means to "reverse the traditional relationship between landscape and architecture, in a way that every occupiable space has direct connection to the nature." The idea is to dig down, exposing the bedrock beneath Central Park and thereby freeing up space to build a horizontal skyscraper around its entire perimeter. The resulting structure would rise 1,000 feet and create seven square miles of interior space, 80 times that of the Empire State Building.
The rest of the specifics, this way
Apply for 83 Affordable Apartments in Astoria, Starting at $895/Month
March 22, 2016

Apply for 83 Affordable Apartments in Astoria, Starting at $895/Month

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The affordable housing lottery has commenced for 83 brand new apartments at the Steinway Estates in Astoria, per the NYC HPD. Units will range from $895/month studios to $2,586/month three-bedrooms, with annual income requirements varying from $32,023 for a single-person household to $130,260 for a six-person household. The development at 19-80 Steinway Street is on the edge of the Steinway IBZ (Industrial Business Zone) and was originally known as the Vesta or Vesta Q when it first surfaced as a mixed-use project back in 2008. Exact details on the building aren't clear, but renderings from Garrett Gourlay Architect show a four-story, corner-lot structure with landscaped outdoor areas and contemporary apartments.
Find out more about Steinway Estates
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