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.
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
July 11, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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Katie Holmes and Suri Renting a $25,000 Penthouse in Chelsea Construction Update: NYC’s First Micro Apartment Complex Is Now Fully Stacked Jet-Setting Fashionista’s Sprawling Tribeca Loft Shines with Bold Decor VIDEO: Port Authority Was Considered a ‘Milestone of the Century’ When It Opened Construction Update: Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Begins Race into […]

On the Grid Is a Neighborhood Guide Curated by Local Designers
July 10, 2015

On the Grid Is a Neighborhood Guide Curated by Local Designers

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These days when we travel we look for recommendations from real people, whether it be through friends or poring over online reviews. Brooklyn design firm Hyperakt recognized this trend and created a new platform that calls itself the "designer’s neighborhood guide." Dubbed On the Grid, the site is a place "where local design firms contribute personalized descriptions for their favorite places," according to Gizmodo. Along with the picks and reviews, Hyperakt adds sharp photos, maps, and fun illustrations of local landmarks. They also categorize the picks with icons like a wine glass for bars, paint palette for cultural spots, and dumbbell for fitness outposts. Though On the Grid wasn't designed as an app, it works just as nicely on a mobile device as it does on a regular computer screen.
See more features of this fun new guide
NYPL Fountains Are Back in Action; How Often Does Your Subway Station Get Cleaned?
July 10, 2015

NYPL Fountains Are Back in Action; How Often Does Your Subway Station Get Cleaned?

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Patience and Fortitude, the NYPL’s marble lions, are now joined by Beauty and Truth, the grand fountains flanking the entrance that just started flowing again. [NYT] Smorgasburg Queens launches tomorrow in Long Island City. [Brownstoner Queens] The designers of the subway station poster talk about the Transit Authority Graphic Standards Manual, Massimo Vignelli, and people’s love […]

My 425sqft: Tour a Bubbly Packaging Designer’s Boerum Hill Studio Filled with Eclectic Finds

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch!

July 9, 2015

My 425sqft: Tour a Bubbly Packaging Designer’s Boerum Hill Studio Filled with Eclectic Finds

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When we heard that freelance packaging designer Amy Sprague has traveled to 25 countries, we assumed her apartment would be filled to the brim with souvenirs from far-off places including Morocco, Germany, Cambodia, Australia, and Japan. We thought this would be even more true when we learned of her love for antiquing. But the charming Boerum Hill studio is perfectly edited, providing just the right amount of eclectic touches, while still maintaining the feeling of a calm oasis. This is especially true of her lovely outdoor space, where a canopy of trees provides a serene escape from bustling Brooklyn. Amy lived for several years in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan, but after dividing her time in 2013 and 2014 between New York and Offenbach, Germany (a small city outside Frankfurt), she decided to make the move across the East River. We recently visited Amy at her 425-square-foot studio and saw that her apartment's decor is just as fun and bubbly as she is. Let's have a look at how this design-minded gal was able to tastefully display her collection of antiques and travel mementos.
Tour the super-cute space right here
Build Your Own Mathematically Accurate Geodesic Dome with Hubs
July 9, 2015

Build Your Own Mathematically Accurate Geodesic Dome with Hubs

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Last month we introduced Kodama Zomes, a unique hanging lounger shaped like a geodesic dome that's perfect for reading, meditating, or just plain relaxing outside on a summer day. But for the more scientifically inclined, we've now found a build-it-yourself geodesic dome. The product may not come with built-in cushions, but it is mathematically accurate and educational. First spotted by designboom, Hubs makes building a dome so simple that one can be erected in under 30 minutes.
Find out how it works here
Park Slope Townhouse by Etelamaki Architecture Uses a Nondescript Facade to Stand Out
July 8, 2015

Park Slope Townhouse by Etelamaki Architecture Uses a Nondescript Facade to Stand Out

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This renovation of a Park Slope townhouse by Etelamaki Architecture puts into practice the old saying "less is more." According to Contemporist, the recently completed project "maximizes the potential of a non-descript building shell, and limited budget, to create a modern, light filled home that acknowledges the building’s past, while envisioning the neighborhood’s future." Since the block is filled with a mix of early 20th century apartment buildings and newer condos, the architects didn't have to worry as much about maintaining a historic style, giving them the opportunity to create something totally new and bold. The top three floors were transformed into an owner's duplex and the ground-floor into a rental.
Get a look inside here
Lawsuit Against City Wants to End Affordable Housing Allotments to Certain Communities
July 8, 2015

Lawsuit Against City Wants to End Affordable Housing Allotments to Certain Communities

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Currently, the city allots half of its new affordable housing stock to residents of the specific community district where the project is being built and who meet the income requirements. But the Anti-Discrimination Center says this "community preference" policy violates the 1968 Fair Housing Act, "which prohibits discrimination in housing sales, rentals and financing based on race or national origin," according to an article today in the Wall Street Journal. The New York-based group filed a suit against the city on these grounds, claiming that it adds to existing segregation patterns. If they are successful, the verdict would undoubtedly impact Mayor de Blasio's plan of adding 80,000 new affordable housing units in the next ten years.
More details ahead
July 7, 2015

VIDEO: Port Authority Was Considered a ‘Milestone of the Century’ When It Opened

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When Port Authority bus terminal opened in 1950 it was considered "among the miracles of transport and the milestones of the century." Though we're pretty sure this sentiment is entirely lost today, it's still interesting to see how shiny and new Port Authority was regarded as 65 years ago. This video was a promotional newsreel for the terminal, and it notes that Port Authority wasn't just built to keep buses off the busy Manhattan streets, but because "the states of New York and New Jersey also wanted to make life pleasanter for the traveler."
Watch the video here
New York Was the First City to Dial 9-1-1 for Emergencies
July 6, 2015

New York Was the First City to Dial 9-1-1 for Emergencies

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Around the country, little children are taught to dial 9-1-1 in case of an emergency as soon as they know their ABCs and 123s. But, believe it or not, this universal number hasn't even been around for 50 years. It was first implemented right here in New York City in July of 1968. Before that, New Yorkers had to call the police department's main phone line at 440-1234. At first, it was only for police calls; it wasn't until 1970 that the three-digit number also reached the fire department and ambulance services.
READ MORE
Studio Museum in Harlem Reveals New 125th Street Building; Remembering Coney Island’s Elephant Hotel
July 6, 2015

Studio Museum in Harlem Reveals New 125th Street Building; Remembering Coney Island’s Elephant Hotel

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ShelfPack is a genius suitcase that pulls out into a series of collapsible shelves, which means you never have to actually unpack. [Travel + Leisure] The Studio Museum in Harlem reveals renderings for its new $122 million David Adjaye-designed building on 125th Street. [NYT] Check out the New York Hall of Science’s renovated Great Hall, designed to […]

June’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features
July 4, 2015

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

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June’s 10 Most-Read Stories Own a Mansion with Celebrity History on a Private Island Overlooking NYC for $11M Beastie Boy Mike D’s Brilliant Brooklyn Townhouse Can Be Yours for $5.7M Queen Elizabeth Comes to NYC: Royal Family Picks up $8M Apartment at 50 UN Plaza Winston Marshall, Banjoist for Mumford & Sons, Buys $3.2M Nolita […]

A Hungarian Princess Once Kept a Pet Lion Cub at the Plaza

The Plaza (L) and Goldfleck’s headstone at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery (R)

July 2, 2015

A Hungarian Princess Once Kept a Pet Lion Cub at the Plaza

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Last week, we explored the history of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, America's oldest and largest cemetery of its kind. We mentioned that beloved pets laid to rest in this upstate burial ground include much more than just cats and dogs. One of the most notable unconventional pets is Goldfleck, a lion cub who lived the life of royalty in the Plaza Hotel. Goldfleck belonged to Princess Elisabeth Vilma Lwoff-Parlaghy of Hungary. She was a well-known portrait painter with a love for animals. After visiting New York twice, she moved to the city permanently in 1909, taking up residence in a 14-room suite on the third floor of the Plaza. She had seen a cute lion cub at the Ringling Brothers circus, but when she asked to buy him, the circus owners refused. They did, however, agree to sell him to Daniel E. Sickles, a Civil War hero whose portrait the Princess had just painted. He immediately turned the cub over to Princess Elisabeth.
Find out the rest of the story
NYC Makes Up 5 Percent of the Nation’s Property Value
July 1, 2015

NYC Makes Up 5 Percent of the Nation’s Property Value

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We know New York City is ridiculously expensive, but what about its property values? Because of the city's confusing "market value" system, true property values are often grossly underestimated. To provide a more accurate look, the data buffs over at Metrocosm have put together these visually telling cartograms of real property values in NYC, substituting land area for total property value. The maps not only compare values in New York with those throughout the rest of the country, but they also look at how property values are concentrated within the five boroughs. The data reveals some striking facts. New York City makes up a whopping 5 percent of the nation's property value, coming in at $1.5 trillion. When you single out Manhattan's $733 billion, it could be the 14th most valuable state in the country. The Upper East Side, which occupies less than one square mile, has $96 billion in housing value–more than entire states like New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming and Alaska.
More findings, maps, and graphs ahead
432 Park Unveils Model Unit; Renderings for Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 Condos
July 1, 2015

432 Park Unveils Model Unit; Renderings for Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 Condos

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The model unit at 432 Park is unveiled on the 38th floor of the almost-completed building. [TRD] Developers secure a $725 million loan for their supertall and super-skinny tower 111 West 57th Street. [Crain’s] Renderings revealed for Brooklyn Bridge Park’s controversial Pier 6 condos, designed by ODA Architecture. [Gothamist] A ten-story condo will rise on the […]

Wave Cabinet by Sebastian Errazuriz Opens and Closes in One Fluid Motion
July 1, 2015

Wave Cabinet by Sebastian Errazuriz Opens and Closes in One Fluid Motion

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Sebastian Errazuriz is one of the most diverse designers around. Not only does he create quirky, functional furniture like this spiky-skinned chest, but he also comes up with unique public art works such as last year's giant golden cow piñata and the more recent yawning video installation in Times Square. His most recent thought-provoker is the Wave Cabinet, a furniture piece that opens and closes in one fluid motion. Made from lacquered baltic birch, steel, and glass, the "functional sculpture" can open in various movements thanks to 100 linked slats, each of which pulls on the following one like a paper fan.
Watch a video of the cabinet in action
Average Sales Price in Manhattan Hits Record High of $1.8M
July 1, 2015

Average Sales Price in Manhattan Hits Record High of $1.8M

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The second-quarter market report from Douglas Elliman is fresh off the presses, and it shows that Manhattan sales have never been more expensive, averaging $1.87 million for all apartments, which is an 11.4 percent jump from this time last year. New developments averaged $2,011 per square foot, which is the first time ever prices have exceeded the $2,000 per square foot mark. Other records set during this quarter are for median co-op sale price ($795,000, up 9.7 percent from last year) and average price for luxury apartments ($8.2 million, up 12.8 percent from last year).
More from the report here
$12.8M Upstate Castle May Look Medieval, but It’s Only 30 Years Old
June 30, 2015

$12.8M Upstate Castle May Look Medieval, but It’s Only 30 Years Old

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Knights, turrets, life-size lion statues, secret passageways...this stone castle looks like something straight out of "Game of Thrones." But, believe it or not, the upstate mansion is not medieval at all; it was built just 30 years ago. Located in Bolton Landing, New York, up in the Adirondacks and overlooking Lake George, Highlands Castle was conceived by John Lavender, a man who (for some unknown reason) told his then-three-year-old son that he'd build him a castle. A decade later, he did just that, and he's now listed the one-of-a-kind home for $12.8 million.
Explore the castle here
NYU Expansion Plan Gets the Final Green Light from Court of Appeals
June 30, 2015

NYU Expansion Plan Gets the Final Green Light from Court of Appeals

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Last October, the appellate court overturned a previous decision by the New York Supreme Court that prohibited NYU’s $6 billion, 1.9 million-square-foot Greenwich Village expansion plan. But in Feburary, opponents of the plan (including community groups like GVSHP, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, local residents, NYU Faculty against the Sexton Plan, and even actor Mark Ruffalo) announced that the New York State Court of Appeals would hear their case one final time. According to DNAinfo, though, today the state's highest court ruled in favor of NYU, giving the expansion plan the final go ahead.
Find out more about the ruling
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