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.

D.C.’s Newseum is closing, but it won’t give WTC Antenna to 9/11 Museum

Photo by Sagie / Flickr

October 22, 2019

D.C.’s Newseum is closing, but it won’t give WTC Antenna to 9/11 Museum

By Dana Schulz

The Newseum in Washington D.C. will close for good at the end of this year due to financial issues, and when it does, it will put a piece of the World Trade Center antenna in storage instead of giving it to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum here in New York City, as Gothamist reports. The 360-foot television and radio antenna, which was located on the North Tower, has been part of the Newseum's September 11th exhibit since it opened at its current location in 2008.
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Events & Things To Do

All renderings courtesy of Gensler

October 22, 2019

New lobby renderings revealed for Phillip Johnson’s 550 Madison Avenue

By Dana Schulz

It's been two years since developers unveiled their plans for a $300 million renovation of 550 Madison Avenue, helmed by architecture firm Snøhetta. Built in 1984 to the designs of Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the 647-foot building was the world’s first postmodern skyscraper. After several revisions, the renovation plans were approved by the LPC in February, and now, developer the Olayan Group has revealed the first renderings of the lobby. Most notably, the interior designs respect the 110-foot arched entryway and vaulted ceilings and add a window overlooking the proposed new public garden in the rear arcade.
More details ahead

Architecture And Design

Midtown’s Paris Theatre will temporarily reopen for a Netflix screening

Photo by Ajay Suresh on Flickr

October 21, 2019

Midtown’s Paris Theatre will temporarily reopen for a Netflix screening

By Dana Schulz

In August, Midtown's 71-year-old Paris Theatre closed its doors when its lease with developer Sheldon Solow ended. The 581-seat theater was NYC's last single-screen movie house and was known for showing indie and foreign, especially French, films. But the iconic establishment on 58th Street will open its doors once more next month; Deadline reports that Netflix has worked out a deal with Solow to screen its upcoming movie "Marriage Story" in the Paris when it premiers on November 6th.
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City Living

October 17, 2019

Famous hot chocolate spot City Bakery may close its doors

By Dana Schulz

As it approaches its 29th anniversary, Union Square-area favorite City Bakery may soon close its doors for good. The bakery and cafe opened in 1990 at 22 West 17th Street (it moved to its current 3 West 18th Street location in 2001) and has become well known over the years for its pretzel croissants, chocolate chip cookies, and decadent hot chocolate that comes with the option to add a massive, homemade marshmallow for $2, as well as the hot chocolate festival it hosted every February. However, as the Post first spotted, a two-part Instagram post last week explains that the bakery is in some serious financial trouble. "We have too much debt, debt which is like quicksand," they wrote.
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Food & Dining

Photo of 25 Kent by Ty Cole

October 16, 2019

Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea will set up for the winter at Williamsburg’s new 25 Kent

By Dana Schulz

Earlier this month, we got a look at the completed 25 Kent, Williamsburg’s first ground-up commercial project in 50+ years. The eight-story building is notable for its bi-partite, ziggurat-like design, as well as its prime waterfront location and open space--all of which make it the perfect spot for an outpost of Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea. The markets announced today that beginning November 2nd and lasting through March 2020, they'll be operating out of a 25,000-square-foot, top-floor space at the building.
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Events & Things To Do

The Arches of Harlem aims to turn the Riverside Drive Viaduct into a public light-art installation

Renderings by Focus Lighting

October 15, 2019

The Arches of Harlem aims to turn the Riverside Drive Viaduct into a public light-art installation

By Dana Schulz

Harlem-based architectural lighting firm Focus Lighting has worked on some pretty impressive projects here in NYC, from the Times Square ball to the Waldorf Astoria. But they're also getting involved in their local community, thinking about how they can transform the Riverside Drive Viaduct--a 50-foot-tall elevated steel roadway that runs from 125th to 135th Streets. As the firm notes, during the day, the structure's grand arches serve as a picturesque background to the neighborhood and the Hudson River, but at night, they "go completely unlit and unutilized." Their proposal, called The Arches of Harlem, seeks to incorporate a new programmable lighting composition every three months, each one "inspired by select works of historic artists and emerging local talent."
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PHOTOS: Take a fall foray through the Union Square Greenmarket

All photos by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft.

October 14, 2019

PHOTOS: Take a fall foray through the Union Square Greenmarket

By Dana Schulz

When the Union Square Greenmarket opened in 1976 as GrowNYC's second-ever market, there were only seven farmers set up. At the time, the area was quite empty and crime-ridden, but the market, along with the opening of Danny Meyer's Union Square Cafe and a major renovation by the city in the '80s, is credited with turning Union Square into the vibrant hub that we now know. Today, there can be as many as 140 vendors, selling everything from produce to fish to meat to cheese to lavender, as well as 60,000 shoppers (and local chefs!) on a given day. And though every season is beautiful and fruitful at the market, fall is perhaps the most colorful, which is why photographers James and Karla Murray thought it would be the perfect time to capture the essence of the market and get to know some of the vendors personally.
Take a tour and watch a special video

Insider Tours

City will bring affordable co-living projects to East Harlem and East New York

Rendering courtesy of Common and L+M Development Partners

October 10, 2019

City will bring affordable co-living projects to East Harlem and East New York

By Dana Schulz

A year ago, the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced plans for an affordable co-living pilot program. Known as ShareNYC, the initiative "lets developers seek public financing in exchange for creating affordable, shared-housing developments," as 6sqft previously reported. The city has now selected three proposals that will create or preserve accommodations for roughly 300 residents. Two of the projects, including one by co-living giant Common, will be located in East Harlem, while the third will be in East New York.
Learn about all the projects

132-year-old Peter Luger decides to start taking online reservations

Photo via Leonard J. DeFrancisci/Wiki Commons

October 9, 2019

132-year-old Peter Luger decides to start taking online reservations

By Dana Schulz

The world-famous steakhouse in the shadows of the Williamsburg Bridge will finally start accepting online reservations, amNY reports. Opened 132 years ago, Peter Luger is the third oldest steakhouse in New York City, best known for its dry-aged steaks. After installing a new phone system, the restaurant learned first-hand that many diners were experiencing hours-long wait times trying to get a reservation. In fact, they were receiving up to 6,000 calls each day.
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Food & Dining

MTA report says subway speeds should be increased by 50 percent

Photo by Ed Schipul / Flickr cc

October 9, 2019

MTA report says subway speeds should be increased by 50 percent

By Dana Schulz

In June, Governor Cuomo advocated for an MTA task force that would specifically address issues related to subway speeds. After an initial analysis, the Speed and Safety Task Force found that subways in 2019 were running slower than they did 20 years ago due in large part to a flawed signal system and deficient posting of speed limits. Using that information, the Task Force released this week its preliminary findings, which note that "train speeds could be increased by as much as 50 percent" if these issues are fixed.
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Brooklyn’s tallest office tower tops out; see new interior renderings

By Dana Schulz

Brooklyn just keeps getting bigger. In April, the borough's tallest tower, the condo tower Brooklyn Point, topped out at 720 feet. Now, Brooklyn's tallest office tower has also reached its full 495-foot height. One Willoughby Square (or 1WSQ as it's now being called) is expected to open at the end of 2020, at which time its architect, FXCollaborative, will also become the anchor tenant. The 34-story building will contain 500,000 square feet of office space; all of the floor plans are column-free and many floors have private outdoor terraces.
More looks and details

Uber Copter launches $200 helicopter rides from Manhattan to JFK

Photo via Neo_II / Flickr cc

October 3, 2019

Uber Copter launches $200 helicopter rides from Manhattan to JFK

By Dana Schulz

As of today, New Yorkers who want to get to JFK Airport as quickly as possible can do so via a private helicopter ride. In an email sent out to customers today, Uber Technologies announced the full launch of Uber Copter, a helicopter that you can book via the app that will take you from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to JFK for $200-$225. The program opened on July 9th, but now any Uber member can book a chopper on weekday afternoons between 1pm and 6pm. Though you'll need to get to/from the heliport in lower Manhattan and your terminal, the flight itself is only eight minutes.
Get the scoop

CetraRuddy’s new tower will bring affordable rentals to Downtown Brooklyn

Rendering of 22 Chapel Street courtesy of CetraRuddy

October 3, 2019

CetraRuddy’s new tower will bring affordable rentals to Downtown Brooklyn

By Dana Schulz

After breaking ground last month, the mixed-use development at 22 Chapel Street near the Manhattan Bridge now has more details to share. Designed by CetraRuddy, the 20-story tower will bring 180 rental units to Downtown Brooklyn, 45 of which will be affordable. Among other amenities, it will have a rooftop pool and terrace, along with ground-floor retail space and a new headquarters for the START organization. Completion is expected in 2021.
More details

For $3M, this 125-acre upstate farm has a barn and a log cabin pool house

All listing photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

October 2, 2019

For $3M, this 125-acre upstate farm has a barn and a log cabin pool house

By Dana Schulz

Two hours north of the city in the Dutchess County town of Wassaic, you can own an entire 125-acre farm for the price of a three-bedroom Manhattan condo. Known as Avalon Farm, the $2,950,000 property has a nearly 3,000-square-foot contemporary main house, along with a fully functional barn, an in-ground pool and adjacent log cabin pool house, tennis court, and its own stream. It's definitely secluded, but the farm is a quick drive to downtown Amenia, which is full of restaurants, antique shops, and even a drive-in movie theater.
Get a look around

Distinctive Homes

Listing photos courtesy of Halstead Real Estate

October 1, 2019

Old-world Victorian decor fills every inch of this $325K Bronx co-op

By Dana Schulz

Located in the University Heights section of the Bronx, this co-op could easily pass for a Victorian period museum. From House of Hackney wallpaper to reclaimed 19th-century doors to a painting that is Louvre-approved (literally!), nearly every inch of the 1,250-square-foot home is filled with old-world furniture and decor. And even if this isn't quite your style, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom layout and $325,000 price tag will surely grab your attention.
Even the bathrooms are worth checking out

Upper West Side group wants a stretch of Broadway to go car-free

Photo by 6sqft

September 30, 2019

Upper West Side group wants a stretch of Broadway to go car-free

By Dana Schulz

It's been 10 years since Times Square went car-free along Broadway, with pedestrian plazas at Herald Square, Madison Square, Union Square North, Grand Army Plaza, and many more soon following. And now, a local Upper West Side group hopes the city will agree to do the same for the northbound stretch of Broadway from 73rd to 79th streets. As Streetsblog reported, last weekend, Streetopia Upper West Side hosted an event, “Celebrate Broadway,” where they closed this portion of the road and filled it with tables and hosted performances in hopes that the enthusiasm will lead to a permanent closure of traffic.
More details

City’s Gowanus Canal cleanup plan gets squashed by Trump’s EPA

Photo by Danny Navarro / Flickr cc

September 25, 2019

City’s Gowanus Canal cleanup plan gets squashed by Trump’s EPA

By Dana Schulz

Photo by Danny Navarro / Flickr cc Since taking office, Donald Trump and his administration have been proposing cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would decrease funding for the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal. Declared a federal Superfund site in 2010, the Canal has a major issue with combined sewer overflow (CSO), which occurs when heavy rainfall overtaxes the sewer system and causes stormwater runoff and wastewater to empty into the waterway. As Brooklyn Eagle reports, the city's proposal to mitigate this issue was to "replace two [CSO] retention tanks holding 8 and 4 million gallons with a 16 million-gallon CSO tunnel running beneath the upper portion of the canal." However, in a letter obtained by the Eagle, Trump EPA appointee Pete Lopez said that they would instead install two large retention tanks along the Canal walls.
What next?

Policy

The making of Hudson Yards’ Spanish market: Meet the team behind Mercado Little Spain

All photos taken by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft.

September 25, 2019

The making of Hudson Yards’ Spanish market: Meet the team behind Mercado Little Spain

By Dana Schulz

When New York Times food critic Pete Wells visited José Andrés' Mercado Little Spain, he declared that it had "more great food and drinks per square foot than anywhere else in New York." From Ibérico hams and Peking duck to the seemingly simple yet ever-pleasing pan con tomate, the food at Hudson Yards' Spanish market has certainly made its mark on the gastronomy scene. But what sets Andrés apart from other chefs and restauranteurs is his entire vision. Mercado Little Spain is designed as a series of "streets," with the various kiosks leading guests on a curated experience. Most of the design elements and materials were sourced from Spain, and the artists commissioned represent different regions of the country. To bring his vision to life, Andrés assembled a stellar team, including Michael Doneff, the Chief Marketing Officer at his ThinkFoodGroup; Juli Capella, co-founder of Spanish architecture and design firm Capella Garcia Architecture; and NYC-based design studio (and NYC food hall experts) ICRAVE. Ahead, take a behind-the-scenes tour of Mercado Little Spain and hear from all these amazing and talented collaborators on what it was like working on the project.
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New City of Women map assigns a significant female figure to all 424 subway stations

A portion of the map by Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

September 23, 2019

New City of Women map assigns a significant female figure to all 424 subway stations

By Dana Schulz

Three years ago, journalist Rebecca Solnit and geographer/writer Joshua Jelly-Schapiro created City of Women, a subway map that replaces stations with significant women in NYC's history and cultural landscape. The map was originally part of their book “Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas,” but they've now done an updated version that's currently for sale at the New York Transit Museum. In this revamp, they've assigned a woman to all 424 subway stations and have added 80 names, including Cardi B and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ahead, we chat with Joshua to learn more about the inspiration behind the map, how they chose the names, and what's next.
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Where I Work

Rendering of the larger, 30-story tower by Dattner Architects

September 19, 2019

Designs revealed for major mixed-use project on Lower East Side synagogue site

By Dana Schulz

In 2017, the Lower East Side's abandoned 1850 Beth Hamedrash Hagadol synagogue, which once housed the city's oldest Jewish Orthodox congregation, was severely damaged in a fire. The following year, the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) and developer Gotham Organization began floating plans for a two-towered, mixed-use development on the site, and they've now announced that the project is entering the city's uniform land use review procedure (ULURP). The plan includes a new headquarters for the CPC, retail space, and 488 new rental units, 208 of which will be permanently affordable with 115 set aside for affordable senior housing. Dattner Architects will also incorporate the remains of the former synagogue into a new meeting space and cultural heritage center for the congregation.
All the details this way

September 18, 2019

REVEALED: $150M renovation of Central Park North includes new pool, skating rink, and more

By Dana Schulz

The north end of Central Park around the Harlem Meer is one of its most beautiful vistas, but because of the large, obtrusive Lasker Rink and Pool, it is currently disconnected from the North Woods below it, as well as the rest of the park. To better connect the area, the Central Park Conservancy and the City of New York today revealed a $150 million project to build a new pool and rink that will bring year-round recreation, as well as integrate into the surrounding landscape and restore lost pedestrian connections.
See all the renderings and plans

Robert A. M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South passes $1B in sales

Via Vornado Realty Trust and Robert A.M. Stern Architects

September 18, 2019

Robert A. M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South passes $1B in sales

By Dana Schulz

Since its first closing nearly a year ago, Robert A.M. Stern's 220 Central Park South has now surpassed the $1 billion mark in sales according to data compiled by CityRealty. The milestone is definitely not surprising considering this is the same building where Billionaire Ken Griffin bought the country's most expensive home ever sold for $239,958,219. And with an average sales price of $6,934 per square foot for its 39 total closings, 220 is also the city's most expensive condo building.
More info ahead

Real Estate Trends

Join the cash mob to help save St. Mark’s bodega Gem Spa

Photo by Alex Lozupone on Wiki Commons

September 13, 2019

Join the cash mob to help save St. Mark’s bodega Gem Spa

By Dana Schulz

The East Village's Gem Spa first opened in the 1920s on the corner of St. Mark's Place and 2nd Avenue and received its current moniker in the 1950s. The shop became famous when it was frequented by Beat writers such as Allen Ginsberg and featured in a painting by Jean-Michelle Basquiat and then later as an all-night punk hangout and tourist stop for egg creams. Today, however, the store is struggling to stay afloat due to the ever-increasing gentrification of the neighborhood and losing its cigarette and lottery licenses in the spring. In an effort to save the icon, small business advocacy group #SaveNYC is hosting a cash mob this Saturday. In preparation, a faux storefront was installed that reads "Schitibank coming soon," in reference to rumors that Citibank is trying to take over the storefront.
All the details

Uncategorized

James Baldwin’s former Upper West Side home receives national landmark status

Photos: (l) Tax photo of 137 West 71st Street, 1964 (a year before James Baldwin bought the building). Courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives; (r) 137 West 71st Street, on the Upper West Side, 2016. Credit: Christopher D. Brazee/NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

September 12, 2019

James Baldwin’s former Upper West Side home receives national landmark status

By Dana Schulz

In June, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission designated six sites significant to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, including the former home of James Baldwin on the Upper West Side. Now, the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project tells us that the Baldwin residence at 137 West 71st Street has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, which recognizes his role nationally as relates to LGBT and civil rights history.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

September 10, 2019

My 400sqft: How a lifestyle blogger and her husband make small-space living work for them

By Dana Schulz

A lot of couples in NYC count down the days until they can pack up their studio for more spacious digs, but for Raechel and Ryan Lambert, they have no plans to upsize. The couple has been living in studio apartments for the past seven years--first in San Francisco, now in Hell's Kitchen--and they're doing it to maximize in other areas of their lives, such as travel and saving. Rae, a product marketer for tech companies, also runs the blog Small Space, Big Taste, where she embraces her minimalist mindset and shares with readers her tips on finance, cooking, traveling, and interiors. From packing for an eight-day trip in one backpack to sharing everything one needs to know about Murphy beds, Rae's articles are best exemplified in her and Ryan's 400-square-foot apartment. When Rae invited us into her home, we were welcomed into an airy, comfortable apartment that was so well organized it had space for cooking, dining, lounging, sleeping, and even playing the piano. Thanks to a less-is-more philosophy and a great collection of multi-purpose and moveable furniture, this couple's savvy design may have you rethinking that one-bedroom listing.
Take a tour of Rae's apartment and get some first-hand tips

All articles by Dana Schulz

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