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.
‘Amazing Race’-esque Challenge Coming to Harlem; The Logic Behind Manhattan’s Major Cross Streets
April 8, 2015

‘Amazing Race’-esque Challenge Coming to Harlem; The Logic Behind Manhattan’s Major Cross Streets

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An “Amazing Race” inspired scavenger hunt coming to Harlem includes hot yoga, blind taste tests, and painting. [DNAinfo] The history of the Leslie Apartments in Forest Hills Gardens. [Brownstoner Queens] NYC once again is ranked the most walkable city in the country. [CityLab] The block on which Norman Rockwell was born, West 103rd Street between […]

Developer Vornado Plans to Spend Hundreds of Millions on Revitalizing Penn Station Area
April 8, 2015

Developer Vornado Plans to Spend Hundreds of Millions on Revitalizing Penn Station Area

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Most New Yorkers only venture to the area around Penn Station when it's absolutely necessary–traveling to New Jersey or Long Island, going to a business meeting at Penn Plaza, or seeing a Rangers game. Otherwise, we avoid it like the plague. But Vornado Realty Trust, one of the country's largest office landlords–they own roughly nine million square feet around Penn Station worth $5.5 billion–is hoping to do a complete 180 on the area by "investing hundreds of millions of dollars in new retail space, public plazas and other infrastructure, according to real-estate executives briefed on the plans," according to the Wall Street Journal.
More details ahead
One World Observatory Opens on Friday, May 29th!
April 7, 2015

One World Observatory Opens on Friday, May 29th!

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Yesterday, an insider over at Curbed noticed entrance signage for One World Trade Center's observatory. And now, just a day later, it's been officially announced that One World Observatory will open on Friday, May 29. The press release also shares that tickets, which will cost $32 for an adult, will go on sale tomorrow at 10am. The three-floor observation deck will sit 1,250 feet above ground on floors 100, 101, and 102 and cover 125,000 square feet.
More details here
Where Bill Nye the Science Guy Lives; Edward Snowden Hologram Pops Up in Fort Greene Park
April 7, 2015

Where Bill Nye the Science Guy Lives; Edward Snowden Hologram Pops Up in Fort Greene Park

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New website consolidates information about donations and resources following the Second Avenue explosion. [East Village Relief] Calling all ’90s kids–check out the most special items in Bill Nye the Science Guy’s Chelsea apartment. [NYT] A Buffalo restaurant offers a 10 percent discount to patrons who stay off their smartphones. [NYDN] 35 years ago this week, the MTA went […]

Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Condo Relists for $32M, Is So Large Owners Can’t Find Each Other
April 7, 2015

Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Condo Relists for $32M, Is So Large Owners Can’t Find Each Other

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Imagine this: You and your spouse have both been home for three hours, but neither one of you knows the other is there because your home is that big. It's a "problem" most New Yorkers can't fathom, but for one Brooklyn couple it's encouraged them to relist their 11,000-square-foot triplex for $32 million, making it the borough's most expensive condo listing ever. Stuart and Claire Leaf originally listed their home in May, but then took it off the market in February after getting cold feet about moving. As the Wall Street Journal reports, "The apartment is a combination of no less than nine units spanning the 10th, 11th and 12th floors of the waterfront condo One Brooklyn Bridge Park." It includes six bedrooms, two deeded parking spaces, a 3,500-bottle wine room, a gym with a rock-climbing wall, a screening room, and a 75-foot-long terrace.
Take a look around the mega-home here
Mercer Street Loft by DHD Interiors Brings a Bit of Whimsy to a Classic Soho Space
April 6, 2015

Mercer Street Loft by DHD Interiors Brings a Bit of Whimsy to a Classic Soho Space

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After looking at a few projects from the talent over at DHD Interiors, we're realizing that what draws us to the firm's work is their ability to infuse an unexpected sense of whimsy into otherwise classic spaces, and their Mercer Street Loft is no exception. From the curious wall mural to the fanciful oversized chair in the living room, this Soho space surprises you when you least expect it. DHD was commissioned by the client to create a home that "celebrates both classic, historical elements and modern twists." They were also asked to incorporate art and the client's "adventurous, eclectic tastes," while maintaining original features like the hardwood floors, stripped cast iron columns, and tin ceilings.
See the end result here
Can a Thai Restaurant Convince New York Hipsters to Move to Detroit?

Photo via Katoi

April 6, 2015

Can a Thai Restaurant Convince New York Hipsters to Move to Detroit?

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Can a Detroit Thai restaurant's New York City marketing campaign convince East Coast hipsters to move to the Motor City? That's what Philip Kafka of Prince Media Co., the boutique billboard company behind the campaign, is hoping. Business Insider reports that New York-based Kafka is a partner in a forthcoming Thai restaurant in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood called KATOI, and he's looking to hire between 15 and 20 people. Of course, the publicity for his new venture can't hurt, but he said it's really a separate campaign "to encourage people–particularly artists and young creatives–to move to the financially troubled city," where he owns property and feels a renaissance is occurring among millennials.
Check out the billboards here
‘Skinny House’ Nominated for National Landmark Designation; Is It Safe to Lean on Subway Doors?
April 6, 2015

‘Skinny House’ Nominated for National Landmark Designation; Is It Safe to Lean on Subway Doors?

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Third Avenue between 104th to 125th Streets in East Harlem is a relic of discount stores with audacious branding. Check out the best signage. [A Fine Blog] The “World Trade Center Ship” will dock permanently at the New York State Museum in Albany. [NYT] Five eclectic New York City-area places are nominated for the National Register of Historic Places, […]

Landmarked Religious Institutions in Midtown East Look to Change Air Rights Rules

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, via Wiki Commons

April 6, 2015

Landmarked Religious Institutions in Midtown East Look to Change Air Rights Rules

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With declining memberships, it has become a common issue among New York City religious institutions that they're land-rich but cash-poor. To solve the problem, religious leaders are turning to the sale of air rights, allowing developers to build on unused land or above the existing structure or altogether transferring the rights to an adjacent property. It's the latter trend that's become the center of debate with St. Patrick's Cathedral, along with other landmarked institutions, as they're looking to change the air rights rules to allow transfers to properties that are not directly adjacent. The Wall Street Journal takes a close look at this trend and a city plan that would allow East Midtown landmarks to sell their air rights to sites that are several blocks away.
More details ahead
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
April 4, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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This Trailer Home in the Hamptons Wants $1.2 Million New Rendering and Teaser Site Released for 111 West 57th Street Design Vidal’s Peter Hassler Breathes New Life into an Historic Bed-Stuy Brownstone 10-Foot-Wide ‘Skinny House’ in Mamaroneck Is an Historic Work with a Heart-Warming Story Chinatown, Once Unchanged, Now Attracting Hipsters–and Real Estate Developers Believe […]

Goodyear Wanted to Create a Giant Conveyor Belt to Carry People Between Grand Central and Times Square

Via NYCVintage

April 3, 2015

Goodyear Wanted to Create a Giant Conveyor Belt to Carry People Between Grand Central and Times Square

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Those shuttle trains between Grand Central and Times Square can certainly get crowded during rush hour, so imagine bypassing the underground connection and hopping on a giant conveyor belt in clear, gondola-like cars? We're not exactly sure if this sounds more or less appealing, but it's exactly what the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company proposed in 1951, hoping to transport 60,000 New Yorkers daily a third faster than the subway thanks to a continuous loop.
More on this never-built conveyor belt
$2.5M Hamilton Heights Musée Maison Mixes Historic Charm with a Myriad of Curious Artwork
April 3, 2015

$2.5M Hamilton Heights Musée Maison Mixes Historic Charm with a Myriad of Curious Artwork

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Portuguese-born architect/artist Luis Da Cruz bought the run-down brownstone at 532 West 148th Street in 2006 for $995,000. He then embarked on a complete renovation, turning the three-family home into his own personal playground. Cruz beautifully restored original features of the 1920 house like carved wood stairways and railings, gorgeous moldings, five fireplaces, beamed ceilings, and exposed brick walls. But on that historic canvas he overlaid his signature art pieces made with repurposed objects and decorated the space in an industrial/Victorian mash up. Luis also used the townhouse, dubbed Musée Maison (aptly, Museum House), as his studio and workshop and often hosted art shows there (including trapeze shows in which he participated) where all of the work was for sale. He's now put the 3,500-square-foot Hamilton Heights house on the market, asking $2.5 million.
See the rest of this one-of-a-kind home
Hillary Clinton Sets Up Campaign Headquarters in BK Heights; How Chocolate Bunnies Became Associated with Easter
April 3, 2015

Hillary Clinton Sets Up Campaign Headquarters in BK Heights; How Chocolate Bunnies Became Associated with Easter

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The first major exhibition of Brooklyn-born artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s notebooks opens today. [Brooklyn Museum] Sources are reporting that Hillary Clinton’s campaign headquarters will work out of two full floors at 1 Pierrepont Plaza in Brooklyn Heights. [Politico] This 1974 government document shows how to make a proper cocktail. [Washington Post] There’s an Occupy Wall Street walking tour. […]

Manhattan Millennials Who Can Afford to Buy Are Still Choosing to Rent

via 20071110_0213 via photopin (license)

April 3, 2015

Manhattan Millennials Who Can Afford to Buy Are Still Choosing to Rent

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Young professionals living in Manhattan who have the means to make a down payment on a seven-figure property are still opting to rent. Why make payments towards someone else's mortgage when you can be paying your own? It's a lifestyle choice, the Observer notes in a new article exploring the trend. "With their increasingly mobile jobs and lifestyles, successful New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s are shying away from making a commitment to one city, let alone one apartment. And despite Manhattan’s astronomical rents, it’s costlier still to buy here, with the average Manhattan apartment now going for $1.73 million."
More on the trend ahead
Sotheby’s New York Sale: The Weirdest and Most Wonderful Things That Sold (and Didn’t)

L to R: Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda’s original NYC Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual; Mets Bullpen Cart; Gage Gold Freedom Box

April 2, 2015

Sotheby’s New York Sale: The Weirdest and Most Wonderful Things That Sold (and Didn’t)

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The highly anticipated New York Sale, an online auction hosted by eBay and Sotheby's, took place yesterday. The first platform of its kind, the sale offered 91 NYC-related lots, including many photographs and artworks, as well as rare city mementos like Andy Warhol's 1963 lease for his first studio on 87th Street (which sold for $13,750, over the $12,000 high-end estimate). Not only does the auction site feature pricing information for the items, but it offers thorough descriptions and historic information about them, accompanied by relevant media. In total, the sale raked in $2,101,814 for Sotheby's, with the most expensive item being a replica of Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi's clay model of "La liberté éclairant le monde"(the Statue of Liberty) that sold for $970,000. Other top sellers include a gold "freedom box," the Mets Bullpen Cart, and a Tiffany & Co. silver Art Deco cigar box.
See all the top sales and those that didn't make the cut here
Innocad’s Ultra-Modern Chelsea Penthouse Pays Homage to Marilyn Monroe
April 2, 2015

Innocad’s Ultra-Modern Chelsea Penthouse Pays Homage to Marilyn Monroe

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The super-modern, asymmetrical building at 459 West 18th Street undoubtedly makes a statement in the Chelsea streetscape, but all those angles present a very untraditional interior composition. So when designing the penthouse, the architects at Innocad made a conscious decision to embrace the building's angled individuality, mixing European design and New York lifestyle to create a fresh atmosphere. They also added a very unexpected and subtle art piece that pays homage to Marilyn Monroe (can you spot it?).
Take a look around
EVENT: Tour the Jewish Lower East Side and Enjoy a Passover Feast at the Museum at Eldridge Street

Image courtesy of OHNY

April 2, 2015

EVENT: Tour the Jewish Lower East Side and Enjoy a Passover Feast at the Museum at Eldridge Street

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The Museum at Eldridge Street clearly knows that the best way to keep a crowd's attention is to offer a little something to eat. That's why their upcoming tour, Passover Nosh & Stroll – Jewish Landmarks of the Lower East Side, sounds like the best way to celebrate the Pesach holiday. Beginning at the landmarked synagogue "with a kosher-for-Passover 'feast' of matzo, cream cheese, jam, pickles and chocolate from Streit’s Matzo and The Pickle Guys," the tour will then visit the historic and culinary institutions of the old Jewish Lower East Side, including the Forward Newspaper Building, Jarmulowsky Bank, Loew’s Theatre, Bes Medrash Hagadol Synagogue and Economy Candy.
More details here
Is the Meatpacking District the Next Midtown?

Rendering of 860 Washington Street, via James Carpenter Design Associates

April 1, 2015

Is the Meatpacking District the Next Midtown?

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We tend to think of the Meatpacking District as more of an after-hours or weekend destination for cocktails and shopping, but a piece in the Times today looks at the "influx of office space and more" moving into the neighborhood. In addition to the much-anticipated opening on May 1st of Renzo Piano's new Whitney Museum along the High Line, a James Carpenter-designed 10-story glass commercial tower and Samsung's six-story flagship building are taking shape across from the Standard Hotel. And let's not forget about Pier 55, the $130 million futuristic floating park that is expected to break ground in 2016 off West 14th Street. With all of these new cultural attractions that will undoubtedly attract tourists, coupled with big-name companies joining the likes of Google in the area, is the Meatpacking District the new Midtown?
More ahead
Hop on Over to the Bunny Beauty Pageant; Mapping the Neighborhoods Most Used as Film Locations
April 1, 2015

Hop on Over to the Bunny Beauty Pageant; Mapping the Neighborhoods Most Used as Film Locations

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Just by reorienting subway benches, researchers have discovered they can prevent drunken subway accidents by up to 90%. [Fast Co. Design] Calling all rabbit owners, you don’t want to miss tomorrow’s Bunny Beauty Pageant. [NYDN] Midtown, Williamsburg, and the Financial District have been used as filming locations the most over the past few years, according to […]

April 1, 2015

POLL: Is Chinatown the Next Hip ‘Hood?

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Yesterday, we took a look at a Wall Street Journal article that reported on a new crop of shops, galleries, and condos popping up in Chinatown, attracting both a hipster crowd and real estate developers. While developments like Essex Crossing are definitely setting parts of the neighborhood on the gentrification track, other areas are still full of open-air […]

City Council Task Force Will Look at Park Shadows Cast by Supertall Towers

What the NYC skyline could look like in 2018, via CityRealty  

March 31, 2015

City Council Task Force Will Look at Park Shadows Cast by Supertall Towers

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It comes up every time a rendering is released for the latest supertall tower –how will the massive structure impede the views of its neighbors and what kind of obstructive shadows will it cast below? With a dozen supertalls (1,000 feet or higher) in the construction or planning stages in Manhattan, the threats are imminent and unavoidable, but Councilman Mark Levine hopes to get ahead of the issue moving forward. Levine, who chairs the parks committee, will introduce legislation today to create a task force that will examine, as he put it, "the looming threat of shadows falling on our parks from the rising number of skyscrapers," according to Capital New York.
More information here
VIDEO: Take a Look Inside Design Legend Milton Glaser’s Colorful Murray Hill Studio
March 31, 2015

VIDEO: Take a Look Inside Design Legend Milton Glaser’s Colorful Murray Hill Studio

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In the graphic design world, no one is more synonymous with New York than Milton Glaser. From creating the world-famous I ♥ NY logo and Bob Dylan poster to co-founding New York magazine, the 85-year-old legend embodies the creative force of the city. He's now opened up his longtime Murray Hill studio to the New York Times in an insightful video that shows his warm, colorful, and cluttered yet organized home, as well as offers shots of Glaser discussing his inspirations, how he got his start, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.
Watch the video here
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