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.
September 17, 2018

Zuccotti Park gets a new rose sculpture; Sales launch at 111 West 57th and Bjarke Ingels’ The Xi

Acclaimed German artist Isa Genzken created a 26-foot-tall rose sculpture for Zuccotti Park. [6sqft inbox] Brooklyn Bridge Park’s long-plagued Squibb Bridge won’t be reopening any time soon. [BK Paper] Bjarke Ingels’ twisting condo The XI launched sales, ranging from a $2.85 million one-bedroom to a $28 million penthouse. [CityRealty] Sales also launched at 111 West 57th […]

September 17, 2018

Lottery opens for 95 affordable units in the Bronx’s Kingsbridge neighborhood, from $860/month

It's no wonder the city has spent the better part of the past decade trying to redevelop the former Kingsbridge Armory into the country’s largest ice skating complex--it's less than a block from the 4 train and three blocks from the D and B trains and a quick walk to the Fordham University campus. And for residents moving into the area, it's just a few blocks from the large Jerome Park, St. James Park, and Poe Park. With all this in mind, a new development has sprung up across from the Armory at 2700 Jerome Avenue. The 13-story, 134-unit building is a mix of affordable and supportive housing and retail, and as of today, New Yorkers who earn 60 or 90 percent of the median income can apply for 95 units that fall into the first category. The available apartments range from $860/month studios to $1,940/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
September 17, 2018

Apply for three middle-income units in Brooklyn’s historic Weeksville

After the state of New York State abolished slavery in 1827, the country's second-largest free black community was established in Brooklyn. Known as Weeksville, today the neighborhood falls a bit under the radar, surrounded by more sought-after neighborhoods like Crown Heights and Bed Stuy. But it's a charming little enclave, lined with many two-family homes and small brick rowhouses, that has done well to preserve its history. And just down the street from the Weeksville Heritage Center is a new 10-unit rental building at 1520 Prospect Place that just opened an affordable housing lottery for three $2,098/month one-bedrooms.
See the qualifications
September 14, 2018

New Bronx affordable housing lottery tries to make ‘Mott Haven North’ a thing

We've seen it all over Manhattan and Brooklyn--brokers come up with bizarre acronyms and new directional cues to hip-ify (aka gentrify) a neighborhood. Most recently, they tried their hand at SoHa--South Harlem, which certainly didn't stick. And now the trend has spread to the Bronx, though this time it's the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development behind the new moniker. In their defense, "Mott Haven North," was probably chosen for the latest affordable housing lottery based on their 1994 Mott Haven North Urban Renewal plan, but with this South Bronx neighborhood rapidly gentrifying, it's a slippery slope. Regardless, there are eight $1,379/month one-bedrooms up for grabs at 764 East 152nd Street, which, according to maps, is in the Woodstock area.
More info ahead
September 12, 2018

City Island cottage has two bedrooms and a big backyard for $385K

This cheery City Island cottage may look tiny, and while it's definitely not big, it manages to fit two bedrooms, a bonus loft space, several closets, and a high-end kitchen into its petite frame. Plus, it has a large backyard and is just blocks from a private beach. First spotted by Curbed, who notes that the yellow-shingled charmer is on "one of the heavily-residential side streets" of the Bronx island, the house is asking $385,000.
Get a look inside
September 12, 2018

102-year-old Orwasher’s Bakery is preserving NYC nostalgia while adapting to the times

There's a good chance that if you've walked into one of Orwasher's Bakery's Manhattan storefronts over the past decade you've assumed the 102-year-old business is still family owned. But the original Orwasher family sold it in 2007 to Keith Cohen. The likely confusion comes from Cohen's dedication to maintaining the mom-and-pop feel of his Upper East and West Side locations, along with the vintage recipes for New York staples such as rye bread, challah, and sourdough. But he's also used his business smarts to make some well-received updates, including a major expansion of the wholesale business, a new line of wine breads in collaboration with Long Island-based vineyard Channing Daughters, a formula for the perfect baguette (he even traveled to Paris to learn the art!), and, perhaps most impressively, the addition of the elusive New York bagel. 6sqft recently visited Cohen at the two-year-old Upper West Side location to learn a bit more about his journey as master baker and proprietor of one of NYC's most beloved old-school businesses and get a behind-the-scenes look at where the magic happens.
Start carbo-loading
September 11, 2018

‘Affordable’ Greenpoint apartments renting for the same price as the market-rate units

We've come to accept that many middle-income "affordable" housing lotteries are nothing more than a way for a building to cross-subsidize its "deeply affordable" units. Case in point, this new lottery that just launched at 216 Freeman Street in Greenpoint. Reserved for households earning 130 percent of the median income, one-bedrooms are $2,544/month and two-bedrooms $3,050. And while a market-rate one-bedroom is currently listed for the higher price $2,975, a two-bedroom is listed for the exact same price as the lottery unit.
Find out if you qualify
September 11, 2018

New Midtown mural honors 9/11 firefighter

The number of first responders who deserve to be honored for their courageous efforts after the September 11th attacks is many, but a new Midtown mural of one particular firefighter serves as a symbolic honor to all of those brave men and women. The Post first reported on the mural by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra, painted on eight-stories of a building on East 49th Street and Third Avenue. The image replicates a photo of FDNY member Mike Bellantoni "overcome with exhaustion and despair" on 9/11, originally taken by Post freelance photographer Matthew McDermott.
What did Bellantoni think of the photo?
September 10, 2018

Affordable housing lottery launches for 100 units at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6

Pier 6 and Brooklyn Bridge Park via MOSO Studio It's been just over a year since construction began at Brooklyn Bridge Park's two-towered Pier 6 development, and as of today, the affordable housing lottery has launched for 15 Bridge Park Drive, the 15-story tower (the other is 28 stories). The buildings are designed by ODA New York and have a slew of amenities, including a fitness facility, 4,000-square-foot landscaped roof terrace, and a children's playroom. 15 Bridge Park Drive has a total of 140 units; the 40 not included in the lottery are market-rate. The remaining 100 are reserved for households earning 80, 130, and 165 percent of the area median income and range from $1,394/month studios to $4,380/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
September 7, 2018

Destroyed on 9/11, Cortlandt Street subway station reopens this weekend

Three days before the 17th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Cortlandt Street subway station that was destroyed that day will reopen as the last piece of the WTC site. The MTA announced today that the new 1 train station, now dubbed WTC Cortlandt, will be back in use tomorrow, Saturday, September 8th, at noon.
All the details
September 6, 2018

Cuomo reveals new LIRR entrance and public plaza at Penn Station

Rendering via the Governor's office At a well-timed press event this morning, Governor Cuomo touted the state's $100 billion building program, the largest in the nation, and said if elected for another term, he'd increase that commitment to $150 billion. Among the many airport redesigns and the subway emergency plan, perhaps no project is more dear to Cuomo's heart than that of Penn Station. And after a tour of the Moynihan Train Hall, on budget and on track to open by the end of 2020, the Governor announced that the dire safety, security, and circulation situation at Penn Station cannot wait two more years. While construction wraps up at the LIRR and Amtrak's future home, the state will build a new LIRR facility in the existing Penn Station. The proposal will double access to the trains with new entrances and an enlarged concourse and will create a permanent public plaza at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue.
All the renderings and details ahead
September 6, 2018

PHOTOS: Get an up-close look at Moynihan Train Hall’s massive new skylights

At a construction tour of Moynihan Train Hall this morning, 6sqft had the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the massive skylights that will crown this new concourse. The transformation of the historic James A. Farley Post Office into a bright, modern transportation hub is on time and on budget for its late 2020 opening, at which time it will increase the footprint of Penn Station by 50 percent, providing a new home for the LIRR and Amtrak. To date, 800 people working every day have logged more than one million hours of labor, and the four, massive skylights are perhaps the most stunning example of their efforts.
See all the views
September 5, 2018

13 middle-income apartments up for grabs across from Greenpoint’s Transmitter Park

It's been a year since leasing launched at Greenpoint's 42-unit, no-fee rental 44 Kent Street, and now 13 of those apartments are available through the city's affordable housing lottery to households earning 130 percent of the area median income. In addition to being located just across the street from Transmitter Park, the building offers a fitness center, rooftop terrace, business center, and parking. The middle-income units range from $2,023/month studios to $2,612/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
September 4, 2018

Our 1,100sqft: A move to the Bay Ridge waterfront gave this couple serenity and space

Bay Ridge may not be on your list of top Brooklyn 'nabes, and that's exactly why it's such a peaceful enclave for those in the know. After living in a cramped West Village apartment, Daniel Saponaro and Kyle Hutchison set four must-haves in a new place to live--a bright and spacious home, green streets, proximity to transit, and great nearby restaurants. They found all of this and more in a beautiful pre-war apartment building on Bay Ridge's waterfront Shore Road. When they rented their 1,000-square-foot home in 2008, the couple always had a renovation in their back of their minds, and two years ago, when they were given the opportunity to purchase, these makeover dreams became a reality. Daniel, a fashion designer and women's clothing company owner, knew that it would take some work to sell his husband, a VP at a higher education consulting firm, on some of his remodeling ideas, from knocking down walls to coming up with creative ways to display their contemporary art and pottery collections. With the help of online decorating service Modsy, Daniel and Kyle created their perfect slice of serenity and learned a bit about their styles on the way. Ahead, hear more about the process and take a tour of this fun and functional home.
Take the tour
August 31, 2018

Apply for three middle-income units right off the 7 train in prime Long Island City

Away from the hustle and bustle of Court Square, the area of Long Island City around the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue subway stop is the perfect combination of the neighborhood's industrial past and current, amenity-filled reincarnation. Near hip spots like the Alewife Taproom, Tuk Tuk Thai restaurant, and Fifth Hammer Brewing Company, a middle-income housing lottery has just opened for three units at 10-44 Jackson Avenue. Reserved for households earning 130 percent of the area median income, there is one $2,201/month studio and two $2,320/month one-bedrooms. In addition to being close to plenty of food and drink options, this new 10-unit rental is less than a block away from the 7 train and a short walk to the newly opened Hunters Point South Park.
See the income requirements
August 31, 2018

New Mott Haven development opens lottery for 133 mixed-income units, from $464/month

In 2016, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. allocated nearly $3.3 million to create 851 affordable housing units across eight projects in the borough. One of these, MLK Plaza Apartments at 869 East 147th Street in ever-developing Mott Haven, received $500,000, and as of today 133 of its 165 units are up for grabs through the city's housing lottery. The mixed-income units range from $464/month studios to $1,289/month three-bedrooms and have access to the building's laundry room, fitness room, library and computer room, bike storage, and outdoor rec space and terrace.
Find out if you qualify
August 30, 2018

Five middle-income apartments available near Harlem’s historic Striver’s Row

Less than a half block outside the bounds of Central Harlem's Striver's Row historic district, five middle-income units are up for grabs for households earning 130 percent of the area median income. Once home to prominent African-American performers, artists, and professionals, the district's rows of stately brick rowhouses are about as charming as it gets. The building in question is 303 West 137th Street, a new 15-unit rental, which is also just one block from St. Nicholas Park and two blocks from the A, C, and B trains at 135th Street. The units range from $1,850/month studios to $2,695/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
August 30, 2018

Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages are getting ‘designated boarding areas’

In an effort to "reduce the amount of time that horses spend alongside vehicular traffic... thereby promoting the safety and well-being of the horses," the de Blasio administration announced today that Central Park's well-known (and equally notorious) horse-drawn carriages will only be able to pick up and drop off passengers at designated boarding areas within the park. But for many groups, this will not be enough to improve conditions for the horses.
All the info
August 30, 2018

In 1988, Donald Trump wanted to repair the Williamsburg Bridge, but the Mayor said no thanks

In addition to thinking he could own the Empire State Building and build the tallest building in the world, Donald Trump also had a pipedream of single-handedly repairing the Williamsburg Bridge in 1988. Yesterday, Gothamist's Editorial Director Jen Carlson tweeted a series of stories from the time detailing how the Donald presented the city with a proposition to get the necessary repairs (the then-85-year-old bridge was closed due to cracked and corroded beams) done quicker and cheaper. According to the Associated Press, "Trump said the deal could work the same way as [Central Park's Wollman Rink] construction in 1986 - he would advance the money, get the job done and be reimbursed for costs."
So how'd he screw this one up?
August 30, 2018

For $1.5M, this Bay Ridge colonial offers suburban living without giving up the subway

If there was ever a time to invest in Bay Ridge, now is it. The charming suburban neighborhood in the southwest corner of Brooklyn has always been served by the R train, but as of last year, it's also accessible via the NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn line. And average sales prices in the area rose 10 percent from 2016 to 2017. Take this charming colonial home at 150 78th Street, for example. It last sold in 2013 for $900,000, and it's now asking $1.5 million. Not only does the three-bedroom, freestanding house have a real backyard and detached garage, but it's just two blocks from the beautiful Shore Road Park and Narrows Botanical Garden and the quickly-expanding list of restaurants on Third Avenue.
Have a look around
August 29, 2018

Apply for three middle-income units off the 7 train in Sunnyside

Just a block from the 46thth Street-Bliss Street station on the 7 line, a middle-income housing lottery has opened up at a new mixed-use development at 47-16 Greenpoint Avenue. And with the enormous Sunnyside Yard project in the planning stages, it's a great time to get into the Queens neighborhood. The units up for grabs are a $2,251/month one-bedroom and two $2,714/month two-bedrooms. The building will have retail on the ground floor, a community facility on the second floor, and a total of 10 rentals on floors three and four. It offers laundry and a roof deck.
Find out if you qualify
August 29, 2018

FAO Schwarz will reopen this November in Rockefeller Center

It's been more than three years since FAO Schwarz closed its doors after 150 years, ending its run as the nation's oldest toy store. At the time, owner Toys “R” Us blamed rising rents at Midtown's General Motors Building, but assured the public they'd be looking for a new location. And since California-based firm ThreeSixty Group Inc. took over ownership in 2016, that day has finally come. According to the Wall Street Journal, FAO Schwarz will open a new 20,000-square-foot location in Rockefeller Center this November. Part of the company's new strategy is to bring a "sense of theater" to the store, which will include costumed employees, magicians and dancers, and product demonstrators.
Get a look at the new storefront
August 29, 2018

Asking $850,000, this cozy HDFC co-op on the Lower East Side is the perfect starter home

A prime Lower East Side location for under $1 million, a top-floor duplex layout with lots of windows, and a super-low maintenance fee of $498/month--no, it's not too good to be true. This charming unit at 208 Forsyth Street is an HDFC co-op, meaning that prospective buyers can't make more than a certain amount in order to qualify. And with loads of exposed brick and wood ceiling beams, an adorable spiral staircase, and a country-chic kitchen, this $850,000 is even more of a deal.
Check it out and learn the income requirements
August 28, 2018

Apply for 83 affordable units in the South Bronx, starting at $929/month

Via Wiki Commons The second housing lottery to open today in the South Bronx's Longwood section is at Thessalonia Manor, a two-building affordable project adjacent to the Thessalonia Baptist Church. The 120-unit development, from Urban Builders Collaborative and CMC Development, was announced two years ago, and now households earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for 83 of the units, ranging from $929/month one-bedrooms to $1,289/month three-bedrooms. Like the earlier lottery, the buildings at 960 Prospect Avenue and 961 Reverend James A. Polite Avenue are right near the family-friendly Bill Rainey Park and the 2 and 5 trains at Intervale Avenue. The buildings offer on-site laundry, a community room, courtyard, and roof top terrace.
See if you qualify
August 28, 2018

Nine middle-income apartments up for grabs in a family-friendly South Bronx corner, from $1,404/month

A recently completed 29-unit rental at 915 Dawson Street in the Longwood section of the South Bronx has opened up an affordable housing lottery for nine middle-income units reserved for households earning 130 percent of the area median income. The 1,404/month one-bedrooms and $1,575/month two-bedrooms not only offer the chance to live in a lovely new building, complete with a recreation room, laundry room, and parking, but the location just off Bill Rainey Park is the perfect enclave for families. The park has a baseball field, football field, and playground, and just a few blocks away are the 2, 5 trains at Intervale Avenue and the 6 at Hunts Point Avenue. Plus, the New York Public Library's Hunts Point branch is close, as are a myriad of schools, including Longwood Preparatory Academy, Success Academy Middle School, PS 333 The Museum School, PS 39, and PS 130.
See the income breakdown