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.
6sqft Gift Guide: Oyster Mushroom Log
December 4, 2014

6sqft Gift Guide: Oyster Mushroom Log

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Sure, we'd all love to be able to give our fungus-loving friends a nice, big truffle for the holidays (or even this $1 million beauty), but that's not really the most economical gift idea. So to cure our mushroom cravings, we've found the next best thing. The Oyster Mushroom Log from Williams-Sonoma is a hardwood log pre-inoculated with oyster mushroom spores. Just keep it damp and stored in a dark place, and the delicious mushrooms will sprout every two months for up to three years.
More on the culinary gift here
December 4, 2014

NYC Sees a 24 Percent Increase in Construction Loans, Especially in Brownstone Brooklyn

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It's that time again when everyone starts looking back on the year as it comes to a close, but it's also the time to look ahead to the new year. We already know 2015 will bring a slew of new developments to the New York City skyline, and right on trend with that forecast, Bloomberg has reported that construction loans are up 24 percent in the city. On-the-rise neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy and Harlem are being aided by the construction loan boom, especially for the renovation of multi-family buildings. The loans, often well over $1 million, are appealing for gentrifying areas because they usually require borrowers to only begin making interest payments once the renovation is complete. For example, a Clinton Hill resident secured a $800,000 construction loan to renovate a century-old multi-family brownstone and estimates that the value of the home will more than double to at least $2.2 million after the renovation.
More information here
Lowline Underground Park Creators Want to Open “Lowline Lab,” a Research Hub and Exhibition Spot
December 4, 2014

Lowline Underground Park Creators Want to Open “Lowline Lab,” a Research Hub and Exhibition Spot

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Four years ago, likely inspired by the wildly successful High Line, architects James Ramsey and Dan Barasch revealed their plan to turn the forgotten historic trolley terminal below Delancey Street on the Lower East Side into a solar-powered underground park. By 2012, the Lowline had raised over $155,000 from 3,300 donors on Kickstarter, setting a record for the largest number of supporters for an urban design project on the platform. And now, with design competitions, support from elected officials, and planning studies under their belt, the Lowline team is aiming to complete negotiations with the MTA and the city by 2017, anticipating a 2018 opening. But the latest component of the $55 million project is the development by May 2015 of the "Lowline Lab," a year-round nucleus serving as a research hub and exhibition spot, and going by the success of their previous crowdfunding campaign, the team is once again reaching out to the public to fund the initiative.
More details on the Lowline Lab ahead
Roman and Williams-Designed Brooklyn Brownstone is an Eclectic Mix of Curiosities
December 3, 2014

Roman and Williams-Designed Brooklyn Brownstone is an Eclectic Mix of Curiosities

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Interior design buffs are undoubtedly familiar with J. Crew Creative Director Jenna Lyons's former home; it was featured in countless magazines and blogs, hailed for its mix of traditional pieces with mid-century modern and pops of color. But in 2012, after a bidding war that included prospective buyers being asked to write personal essays, she sold the 19th century Park Slope pad for $4 million to Vince Clarke, founder of Depeche Mode, and his wife Tracy Martin, CEO of the Morbid Anatomy Museum. And needless to say, they gave the 4,000-square-foot home quite the overhaul, infusing it with a mix of historic styles and curious touches that could serve double duty in Martin's taxidermy-filled museum. The masterminds behind the transformation were Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, the founders of design firm Roman and Williams, who created a home that looks like it was furnished in the last century. Their goal was to embrace the home’s historic details while achieving an idiosyncratic and moody approach.
Tour the curiosity-filled home here
6sqft Gift Guide: Nokero’s Solar Light Bulb with Phone Charger
December 3, 2014

6sqft Gift Guide: Nokero’s Solar Light Bulb with Phone Charger

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Aren't we all a little sick of receiving holiday gifts that are completely useless and end up collecting dust in the junk drawer? Well, here's a gift idea that's extremely useful, but still an exciting product to unwrap, thanks to its sleek design and fun, bulbous shape. Nokero's solar lights are perfect for camping, traveling, or everyday use in a poorly-lit apartment. The Huron N222 (pictured above) can charge a cell phone while it illuminates an entire room, while the Start N182 is compact enough to fit in your pocket (hello, stocking stuffer) but strong enough to light up a small space.
More on Nokero's solar products here
Andy Warhol Museum Coming to the Controversial Essex Crossing Development on the Bowery

The Andy Warhol Museum via nooccar via photopin cc.

December 3, 2014

Andy Warhol Museum Coming to the Controversial Essex Crossing Development on the Bowery

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Since 1994, the 88,000-square-foot Andy Warhol Museum has been one of Pittsburgh's main attractions, the largest museum in the country dedicated to a single artist. And though Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, he spent most of his formative years in New York City, a fact that has sparked plans for a satellite museum on the Bowery. In Miami for Art Basel, museum director Eric Shiner told The Observer last night that the Lower East Side museum would be 10,000 square feet and part of the controversial Essex Crossing development. Its anticipated opening is 2017.
More details here
Brooklyn Artists Plan a Dance Party Funeral for Williamsburg

Funeral invitation via CHERYL

December 3, 2014

Brooklyn Artists Plan a Dance Party Funeral for Williamsburg

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We've all been talking and writing about the "death" of Williamsburg for years now, and every time a new neighborhood is compared to it (i.e. Quooklyn) we begin the debate anew. But now the Brooklyn-based artists' collective CHERYL is taking matters into their own hands, hosting a dance party funeral in memoriam of the hip 'hood that once was. As the Daily News states, they're "dancing on Williamsburg's grave." The cause of death? "The cancer of mass gentrification and the proliferation of the luxury condo."
READ MORE
95 Historic Sites in Jeopardy After Landmarks Commission Proposes Mass “De-Calendaring”

The currently calendared Pepsi sign in Long Island City via gigi_nyc via photopin cc

December 2, 2014

95 Historic Sites in Jeopardy After Landmarks Commission Proposes Mass “De-Calendaring”

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Just a month before the year-long celebration of the landmarks law's 50th anniversary is set to commence, the preservation community was dealt what is perhaps its biggest blow since the demolition of Penn Station. The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission revealed in its public review meeting last Wednesday that it would de-calendar 95 historic sites and two historic districts throughout the five boroughs, removing the historic buildings and spaces from the landmarking to-do list and leaving them completely unprotected. Proponents of the plan argue that many places on the list have been there for 50 years, and their removal would free up the LPC's backlog. Preservationists dismiss this claim, citing that the fact that the historic sites have sat unlandmarked for so long is all the more reason this out-of-nowhere proposal is bad public policy. Some of the more high-profile locations under consideration include Long Island City’s Pepsi sign, Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman building, and Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
More on the de-calendaring and what it means
ThyssenKrupp’s New Elevator Could Revolutionize Skyscraper Design with Its Horizontal Capabilities
December 2, 2014

ThyssenKrupp’s New Elevator Could Revolutionize Skyscraper Design with Its Horizontal Capabilities

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We've been spending a lot of time lately looking at NYC's skyscraper boom and what's to come for our skyline. And if the soaring towers and geometric architecture continue, the traditional elevator is just not going to cut it. That's where ThyssenKrupp's new elevator innovation comes in. The cable-free, multi-car, multi-directional elevator operates with magnetic technology similar to that of Maglev trains. Each cabin runs on its own individual motor, and the "MULTI" elevator systems allows them to move both vertically and horizontally, creating the potential for multiple cabins to run on a single system.
More on the ground-breaking elevator here
6sqft Gift Guide: Neighborwoods Map Coasters
December 2, 2014

6sqft Gift Guide: Neighborwoods Map Coasters

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Coasters are definitely high on the list of "gifts for people who you don't know what to give," and if you're like us, you're always searching for sets that aren't the standard square cloths or round pieces of wood. So, we've found the perfect coasters--not only are they unique and visually appealing, but they have a personal touch. Neighborwoods Map Coasters were created by San Francisco graphic designer Aymie Spitzer, who has a passion for hand-lettered vernacular and antique maps. The cedar wood coasters celebrate the special neighborhoods of some of the country's biggest urban sites, including Manhattan and Brooklyn.
More on Neighborwoods Coasters here
Beat the Winter Blues and Bring the Sunlight Inside with the Sunn Light
December 1, 2014

Beat the Winter Blues and Bring the Sunlight Inside with the Sunn Light

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As soon as the clocks get set back in the fall, we can't help longing for sunny days and bright evenings. But we still have a long, dark winter ahead of us, so the new Sunn Light could be exactly what we need to help us beat the winter blues. The Sunn Light mimics the sun in that it continuously changes color and brightness with the sun's rhythm, thereby promoting healthy living and creating cheerful, vibrant indoor spaces. And when we say mimic, we're not kidding, as Sunn sets itself by what the sun is doing down to the minute.
More on the Sunn Light
Daily Link Fix: All the Proposals for NYC Rivers; An Expandable Suitcase Perfect for Holiday Travel
December 1, 2014

Daily Link Fix: All the Proposals for NYC Rivers; An Expandable Suitcase Perfect for Holiday Travel

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A round-up of nine river-based proposals for NYC. [Web Urbanist] When traveling, doesn’t it always seem like your belongings multiply on the way back? There’s a suitcase for that. [Dornob] Here’s what Christmas shopping in New York looked like 100 years ago. [Ephemeral NY] If you miss having an entire house to decorate for the holidays, you […]

This Map Shows the Holiday Craziness of NYC Airport Taxi Trips
December 1, 2014

This Map Shows the Holiday Craziness of NYC Airport Taxi Trips

By
Still recovering from a Thanksgiving travel fiasco? Or maybe you haven't even made it home yet. Either way, this map is probably not going to make you feel better. It's a visualization of taxi trips from NYC-area airports between Thanksgiving and New Year's. The project was inspired by a previous mapping endeavor, NYC Taxis: A Day in the Life, and was created by designers at ImageWork Technologies. They looked at taxi trips originating from JFK and LaGuardia in 2013, and even have a feature that allows users to filter the results by individual airline terminals.
More details ahead
10 Sullivan Street Leads Western Soho Residential Development
December 1, 2014

10 Sullivan Street Leads Western Soho Residential Development

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Back in June, units at 10 Sullivan Street in Soho hit the market. The 16-story, Cary Tamarkin-designed building is shaped like a mini Flatiron Building, and due to its height and scale, many consider it grossly out of place. But regardless of one's opinion, the scheduled completion of the triangular condo in late 2015 will cement western Soho's turn from primarily commercial to residential, a trend shared with adjacent neighborhood Hudson Square.
More on 10 Sullivan Street and western Soho's transformation
November’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features
November 30, 2014

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

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November’s Top 10 Stories ESPN NFL Guru Adam Caplan Swaps Almost-Identical Tribeca Apartments New York Festival of Light Is Illuminating DUMBO Starting Tomorrow Night Fashion Stylist Scott Newkirk Goes Unplugged in His 14×14 Rough-Hewn Cabin INTERVIEW: Behind the Magic of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Creative Director Wesley Whatley New York City’s Residential Skyscraper Boom: […]

<b>What About NYC Are You Most Thankful For? We Ask 10 New Yorkers</b>
November 27, 2014

What About NYC Are You Most Thankful For? We Ask 10 New Yorkers

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That's the question that we've been asking 6sqft's friends and Twitter followers leading up to Thanksgiving. It's easy to get pulled into the NYC complaining vortex (The 6 train is delayed again?! You're raising my rent how much?!), but the reality is that we live in the greatest city in the entire world, and there's plenty here to be thankful for, whether it's something as small as seeing a cute dog on the street or as large as visiting famous museums.
Read the responses we got here
Real Estate Wire: Is Jersey City the Next Cultural Hub?; Landmarks Denies Glass Topper for Tammany Hall
November 26, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Is Jersey City the Next Cultural Hub?; Landmarks Denies Glass Topper for Tammany Hall

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Taking a look at the cultural rise of Jersey City. [NYT] Why are Brooklyn neighborhoods getting so hard to tell apart? [NYO] Landmarks Preservation Commission denies BKSK Architect’s glass topper proposal for Tammany Hall. [Curbed] Manhattan’s getting 14 million square feet of office space by 2019. [WSJ] Images: Jersey City via Singing With Light via photopin […]

November 26, 2014

POLL: Are You Eating Turkey for Thanksgiving?

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On Monday, we spotlighted Zaid Kurdieh, Greenmarket farmer of Norwich Meadows Farm and talked to him about how he’s preparing for the Thanksgiving turkey rush. There’s a lot more that goes into it than you might think, especially since the farm’s animals are raised halal and humanely. But we were surprised when Zaid mentioned that this […]

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

Ironworkers attach the “Old Glory” flag to the final Oculus rafter piece before installation

November 26, 2014

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

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Just weeks after One World Trade Center and the Fulton Center Subway Station opened their doors for business, the last of the 114 steel rafters was installed on Santiago Calatrava's long-overdue, majorly over-budget flying bird-looking transportation hub. This is just one of many steel components in the project; it’s made up of 618 steel pieces which weigh more than 12,000 tons. The rafters were supposed to be completed by August, but though they were three months behind schedule, the hub is still expected to open in late 2015.
Read more here
NYC Dumpster Transforms into an Inflatable Urban Education Classroom
November 26, 2014

NYC Dumpster Transforms into an Inflatable Urban Education Classroom

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Well, this gives a whole new meaning to the term "dumpster diving." In Morningside Heights, at 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, the New York-based architect John Locke, of the Department of Urban Betterment, has created "inflato dumpster," a blow-up urban education classroom inside of a typical city dumpster. The design team was inspired by the "contemporary fascination with transforming existing street structures into utilitarian spaces for habitation," which led to their combining the seemingly invisible lightness of the inflatable material with the hard, gritty, steel dumpster.
More details on the inflatable dumpster
Thomas Heatherwick Reveals the Inspiration Behind Pier 55 Floating Park
November 25, 2014

Thomas Heatherwick Reveals the Inspiration Behind Pier 55 Floating Park

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Last week, news broke that billionaire media mogul Barry Diller had been working with the Hudson River Park Trust for the past two years on an idea for an offshore park and performance space in the Hudson River. And though it seemed far-fetched at first, the fact that Diller had personally committed $130 million to the project and that detailed renderings had been created made it see much more plausible. And now Thomas Heatherwick, the British designer behind the Pier 55 floating park, is opening up about how the decrepit West Side piers inspired his vision for the undulating, landscaped "aquatic High Line."
Hear what Heatherwick has to say
Real Estate Wire: Debate Continues over Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6; Looking at Coney Island Boardwalk’s Surrounding Neighborhoods
November 25, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Debate Continues over Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6; Looking at Coney Island Boardwalk’s Surrounding Neighborhoods

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Brooklyn Bridge Park Corp. defends Pier 6 development with need for potential revenue. [Crain’s] Actor Mark Ruffalo joins the fight against the NYU expansion plan. [NY Post] Coney Island’s boardwalk is experiencing a renaissance, but what about the surrounding neighborhoods? [WSJ] City Council approves the controversial Astoria Cove project. [NYO] Upper East Side residents who […]

Jellyfish Barge Floating Greenhouse Purifies Polluted Water While Growing Edibles
November 25, 2014

Jellyfish Barge Floating Greenhouse Purifies Polluted Water While Growing Edibles

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Influenced by the World Bank's prediction that the world population will grow to almost 10 billion in the next four decades, and the fact that arable land is scarcest in many of the areas with the highest rates of population growth, the director of the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology and the architects at Studio Mobile have created the Jellyfish Barge, a floating greenhouse. At only 229 square feet, the sustainably-made, octagonal Jellyfish Barge can purify salt, brackish, or polluted water using solar energy, thereby acting as a module for crop cultivation that doesn’t rely on soil, fresh water, and chemical energy consumption.
More on the floating green house here
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