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.
December 12, 2017

NYC establishes a digital hub for urban agriculture

The New York City council passed a bill today that will create the city’s first centralized digital hub meant specifically for urban agriculture. This hub will be run entirely by the city and will hopefully be seen as a resource for both new and established businesses. This bill, entitled 1661-A, is sponsored by council member […]

December 12, 2017

Where I Work: Glaser’s German bakery has been satisfying Yorkville’s sweet tooth for 115 years

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring Glaser's Bake Shop, a 115-year-old German bakery in Yorkville.Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! In the early 20th century, New York's German immigrants relocated from the East Village to the Upper East Side neighborhood of Yorkville, which soon became known as Germantown. The community was so culturally rich, that German was spoken more than English in this area. 86th Street was dubbed "Sauerkraut Boulevard" and was lined with German butchers, restaurants, and bakeries. After the dismantling of the Second and Third Avenue elevatrated trains in the 1940s and '50s, most of the German community moved out, but several of these old-time businesses still remain, one of which is Glaser's Bake Shop. When German immigrant John Glaser opened his bakery in 1902, there were half a dozen nearby competitors. 115 years later, the perfectly preserved storefront on First Avenue and 87th Street is the last of its kind in Yorkville, but it's still filled everyday with new neighbors and long-time residents alike, eager to satisfy their sweet tooths with the extra chocolately brownies, jelly donuts, Bavarian pastries, and their famous black-and-white cookies. Glaser's is now owned by John's grandsons Herbert and John, who are committed to keeping their family's traditions alive. 6sqft recently stopped by to watch Herb work on massive gingerbread village and chat with him more about the baker's history and how he's seen Yorkville change over the years.
Get a behind-the-scenes look and hear from Herb
December 11, 2017

NJ farm selling rainbow-colored Christmas trees; new MTA president ‘confident’ he can fix the subway

At this Jersey Christmas tree farm, have your conifer spray painted seven vibrant colors. [TONY] Three of the 26 new subway cars that cost taxpayers $2M each have failed tests and been pulled from the tracks. [NYDN] But Andy Byford, the MTA’s incoming transit president, has no doubt that he can get the subway system “to […]

December 8, 2017

The Macklowe Gallery’s Ben Macklowe shares the top reasons to start an antique collection

"Vintage" furniture and decor is no stranger to young, urban professionals, with the proliferation of markets like Brooklyn Flea and do-good stores like Housing Works. But rarely do fine antiques enter the equation, often being tossed aside for their higher price points. But the antiques market has undergone a major shift in recent years, and no one has been more privy to it than Ben Macklowe, the second-generation president of the Macklowe Gallery who describes collecting as "the intersection of passion, taste and happenstance." After standing as a fixture on Madison Avenue for nearly 50 years, gaining international recognition for its collection of French Art Nouveau furniture and objects, Tiffany lamps and glassware, and antique and estate jewelry, the gallery recently relocated to a 6,000-square-foot space on 57th Street and Park Avenue, which, according to Ben is “thanks to our existing clients and a new generation of passionate collectors.” For this new generation, Ben believes the time is ripe to start collecting. Antiques are sustainable by nature, they lend themselves to cultural exploration, and, because of a generational shift, are more affordable than ever. Ahead, we break down the top-three reasons to start an antique collection.
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December 6, 2017

Where I Work: Inside Let There Be Neon, the 46-year-old Tribeca workshop that revived neon arts

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Tribeca showroom and studio of Let There Be Neon, an international supplier and creator of custom neon for signage and artistic applications.  Back in the early '70s, neon had gone out of fashion, with cheaper fluorescent-lit and plastic signs taking over after World War II. But multimedia artist Rudi Stern was determined to revive the art and make it more accessible. He opened a showroom studio, Let There Be Neon, in 1972 on West Broadway and Prince Street in Soho, and soon attracted a client roster of artists including Keith Haring, Robert Rauschenberg, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He even outfitted Studio 54! By 1990, he'd moved to a charming brick storefront at 38 White Street in Tribeca and sold the business to his long-time friend and employee Jeff Friedman. Rudi Stern sadly passed away in 2006, but he would be happy to see the legacy that Friedman has maintained and how wildly successful the business is today. Not only does their client list still include a long list of contemporary artists, but they're the go-to sign restorers and recreators for classic NYC mom-and-pop businesses such as Russ & Daughters and Trash & Vaudeville, and Old Town Bar, and do projects with national companies like WeWork, Soul Cycle, and Uniqlo. 6sqft recently paid Let There Be Neon a visit to see their incredible fabrication work and chat more with Jeff Friedman about the art of neon.
Tour the studio and see how it's done
December 1, 2017

Lottery opens for middle-income condos at Essex Crossing’s 242 Broome, from $224,861

A high-end condo in a SHoP Architects-designed building on the hip Lower East Side for just $224,000? Yep, you read that right, and this middle-income lottery is now live for mega-development Essex Crossing's 242 Broome. The only one of the development's 10 towers to offer condos, 242 Broome will have a total of 55 residential units, 11 of which are available to households earning no more than 125 percent of the area median income and range from $224,861 one-bedrooms to $331,703 three-bedrooms (quite the deal considering market-rate units are going from $1.3 to $7 million). In addition to amenities like a roof deck, gym, and entertainment lounge, the 14-story building will also include a five-story base with retail and commercial tenants including The International Center of Photography Museum and Splitsville Luxury Lanes Bowling Alley.
Find out if you qualify
November 27, 2017

INTERVIEW: Holiday House founder Iris Dankner supports cancer research through interior design

Step into the Upper East Side's Academy Mansion until December 6th and you'll find a festive wonderland of interior design known as Holiday House NYC. The interior design show house is an undeniable display of top design talent, but what's perhaps less obvious is that the word "holiday" here has a much deeper meaning. Interior designer and Holiday House founder Iris Dankner is a 20-year breast cancer survivor. After her experience, she feels that every day is a holiday and a chance to celebrate life. With that outlook and the realization that there were no initiatives in the design industry to benefit breast cancer--a disease that impacts more than 250,000 women and 2,000 men in the U.S. each year--Iris started Holiday House a decade ago, asking each designer to draw inspiration for their room from a "holiday" or special moment in life. Now in its 10th year, Holiday House has launched its inaugural London outpost and released a coffee table book, and it's continuing its partnership with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, to which it's already donated more than $1 million. 6sqft recently visited Holiday House and talked with Iris about 10 years of Holiday House, her personal inspirations, and why "women supporting women is such a powerful tool."
Hear from Iris ahead
November 17, 2017

The Urban Lens: Wayne Sorce’s vivid photos capture the spirit of 1970s and ’80s NYC

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, the Joseph Bellows Gallery shares the late Wayne Sorce's "Urban Color" series. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Chicago-born photographer Wayne Sorce began capturing the people and places of urban landscapes while at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1960s. In the late '70s and early '80s he took large-scale color photos of his hometown and New York, capturing "a formal exactitude, the light, structures, and palette of these cities within a certain era," according to a press release from the Joseph Bellows Gallery in L.A. where this "Urban Color" series is currently on view. Not only do the vivid colors help express the spirit of the city at this time, but the way Sorce incorporates people exposes a unique energy in which they serve as "both inhabitants, as well as sculptural forms relating to a larger composed scene." From Manhattan barbershops and restaurants to the gritty, industrial streets of Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn, the photos transport the viewer to a bygone NYC.
See all of Sorce's photos here
November 15, 2017

Historic UES mansion with Michael Jackson and ‘Gossip Girl’ ties asks $39M

The celebrity connections at 4 East 74th Street date all the way back to its construction in 1898 when architect Alexander Welch was commissioned to design the Beaux-Arts townhouse. Welch served as the consulting architect on the restorations of Alexander Hamilton's Harlem home Hamilton Grange and George Washington's headquarters in White Plains. The Upper East Side home was bought by Francis Lynde Stetson and his wife. Corporate attorney Stetson was at one time the law partner of Grover Cleveland. According to Curbed, who first spotted the listing, in more recent years, the 16-room mansion has counted among its residents artist Marc Chagall and Michael Jackson, who rented it in the 90s. The house also stood in as the exterior of Nate Archibald’s residence in "Gossip Girl." It's now owned by billionaire Moroccan-born American hedge fund manager and Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, who's just listed it for $39 million.
Take a tour
November 14, 2017

New development sales in Manhattan expected to hit $12B by 2020

According to CityRealty's 2017 Manhattan New Development Report, things are really going to heat up over the next few years. While new development sales dropped to $8.3 billion in 2017 from $9.4 billion in 2016 (attributed to a softening in the luxury market), there are a number of new big-time buildings that will commence closings and have the potential to drive total sales up to a whopping $11.9 billion by 2020. One key player is Extell Development’s One Manhattan Square on the Lower East Side. With 815 apartments, it will be the largest condo by unit count ever constructed in the city. And up on Billionaires' Row, Extell's Central Park Tower will have the city's biggest sell-out ever at $4 billion, while Vornado's 220 Central Park South is looking to set the record for highest price per square foot ever in NYC.
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November 8, 2017

DXA Studio proposes prismatic glass addition for Willem de Kooning’s former Union Square home

Just a week after the pair of buildings at 827-831 Broadway was landmarked, not only for their cast-iron architecture but for their long cultural history that most notably includes serving as home to world-famous artist Willem de Kooning, the developer/owner has put forth a proposal for a four-story prismatic glass addition and landscaped roof terrace. Though the architects at DXA Studio say the modern topper's reflectivity is representative of two phases of de Kooning's work--his 1960s rural and pastoral landscapes as seen through the reflection of surrounding plantings and his late 1950s urban landscapes through the building reflections--local groups are not so convinced.
All the details ahead
November 8, 2017

Penn Station and MSG get reimagined as a landscaped cemetery

The rant that traveling via Penn Station is enough to kill you just took on a whole new meaning. Untapped Cities shared this vision from Columbia University's DeathLab (yes, this is a group dedicated to dealing with death in the city) that reimagines Penn Station and Madison Square Garden as a giant cemetery and public space. The general idea is to be more eco-friendly and accessible. Not only will the human remains be used to fertilize the gardens, but family members and the general public will be able to record digital memories to be stored on a central server.
Learn more about this proposal
November 7, 2017

MAP: Where to find free rent and concessions across NYC

Complimentary Netflix, reduced security deposits, amenity memberships, and best of all, free rent–there’s no shortage of concessions in the NYC rental market, but with landlords offering twice the amount of deals as last year, it’s hard to pinpoint where the best bargains are. Which is why CityRealty has put together a city-wide interactive map of leasing […]

November 6, 2017

Parks Department approves Central Park’s first monument to historic females

On the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote in New York state, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation will make an announcement today that it's moving ahead with a proposal to erect a monument to Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in Central Park. First reported by West Side Rag, the statue of the two suffragists will be Central Park's first monument to historic women and only the sixth in the entire city. It will be placed on the mall, which runs from 66th to 72nd Streets in the middle of the park, and will be unveiled on another important date--the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote nationally on August 26, 2020.
Get the full story
November 6, 2017

My 824sqft: Extell Development’s VP of Architecture moves into Hudson Square’s 70 Charlton

In 2013, the Hudson Square area was rezoned to allow residential development for the first time, and the first building to welcome tenants into the neighborhood was Extell Development's 70 Charlton Street. Though Beyer Blinder Belle are responsible for the industrial-style facade, it's actually Extell's team of in-house architects who got the ball rolling, as they do with all projects, from Billionaires' Row blockbusters like One57 and the Central Park Tower to downtown game changers like 555Ten and One Manhattan Square. For the past three years, Brooks McDaniel has worked as Extell's Vice President of Architecture. After experiencing first-hand their "level of design, quality of construction, and attention to detail," he decided to live in an Extell building. Wanting to move back to Manhattan from Brooklyn, he chose 70 Charlton for its clean, modern aesthetic and easy access to so many great areas. He recently gave us a tour of his custom-designed pad and filled us in on what it's like working for one of NYC's biggest developers.
Take the tour
November 3, 2017

The Urban Lens: ‘All the Queens Houses’ tells the story of NYC’s most diverse borough

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Rafael Herrin-Ferri shares a portion of his photographic survey “All the Queens Houses.” Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Spanish-born architect, artist, and Sunnyside resident Rafael Herrin-Ferri began photographing Queens' low-rise housing stock back in 2012 after being struck by the borough's unique combination of attached and detached houses and small apartment buildings. Inspired by the fact that Queens is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse places in the world, Herrin-Ferri wanted to capture the "layers of culture and the blending of neighborhoods" through these eclectic houses. Fast forward five years and 5,000 photographs and his work is now the focus of an Architectural League of New York exhibit "All the Queens Houses," which features 273 snapshots of individual houses in as many as 34 neighborhoods. Ahead, see Rafael Herrin-Ferri's favorite of the bunch and hear from him on how he got into the project and why he loves Queens.
All that ahead
November 1, 2017

One Vanderbilt’s outdoor observation deck may tie for highest in NYC

Nearly a year ago, developer SL Green confirmed that their 1,401-foot supertall One Vanderbilt, set to be the city's second tallest building behind One World Trade Center, would boast a 1,020-foot observation deck, which would have made it the third-highest indoor-outdoor observatory in the city after the forthcoming 1,100-foot deck at 30 Hudson Yards and the 1,050-foot deck at the Empire State Building (One World Observatory is at 1,250 feet, but it’s not outdoors). However, new details and diagrams uncovered by NY Yimby show that it may actually stand at 1,100 feet, tying for the city's highest.
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October 31, 2017

My 1,760sqft: Real estate mogul and jetsetter Emir Bahadir shows off his custom West Village loft

Growing up as an heir to a generations-old Turkish real estate empire, Emir Bahadir divided his time among London, Switzerland, Istanbul, and New York, and while being "exposed to all different types of fashion and arts from a very young age" got him hooked on design and art, it was the "energy" of NYC that ultimately got him. After moving here eight years ago to study at NYU, 25-year-old Emir has now founded his own brokerage and development firm, BHDR, and amassed an Instagram following of more than 600,000. Part of this media success stems from his personal brand Bahadiring, where he's able to "share his top-of-the-line lifestyle with the world... featuring everything from a clothing line to cosmetics." One representation of his luxurious taste is his West Village loft, which he describes as masculine, sleek, and bold. Emir embarked on a 14-month renovation with architect Mark Stumer after purchasing the home three years ago, and he's now opened the doors to give 6sqft a special look at his contemporary art collection, custom-made furniture including a library with leather shelves and drop-down movie theater, and family heirlooms.
Take the full tour
October 30, 2017

Roman Abramovich buys fourth townhouse on Upper East Side block for $96M mega-mansion

In the wake of Mayor de Blasio's claims that Russian oligarchs "basically stole the wealth of their country with the help of their government" and then used these "ill-gotten gains" to buy up property here in the city, one of the country's best-known billionaires, steel magnate and owner of the Chelsea Football Club Roman Abramovich, has purchased a fourth townhouse on a landmarked Upper East Side block in order to create an unprecedented mega-mansion. According to the Post, Abramovich's latest buy was a secret one but brought his total assemblage up to a whopping $96 million. Though he could've created the "biggest home the city has ever seen," reps for architect Stephen Wang tell us that the project will still remain a three-townhouse combination, now with a different trio included.
More details ahead
October 27, 2017

The Urban Lens: Remembering the darkness of Hurricane Sandy five years later

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Orestes Gonzalez shares his series "Dark Sandy," photos he took five years ago when lower Manhattan lost power during Hurricane Sandy. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. "Never had I seen Manhattan in such darkness... I had to get over there and experience this dark phenomenon with my camera," says Orestes Gonzalez of his series of photographs taken the night Hurricane Sandy hit New York City. As we now approach the fifth anniversary of the Superstorm, the photos are a reminder of how far we've come, and in some cases, how much work still needs to be done. In fact, 20% of the 12,713 families who enrolled in the city's Build it Back program are still waiting for construction to wrap up or for a property buyout. But despite some of the post-storm issues, in the wake of the disaster, Orestes remembers the "sense of camaraderie" he experienced during those dark times, a trait that New Yorkers have come to be known for.
Hear from Orestes and see the full series
October 27, 2017

First look at proposed Greenwich Village tower by Robert A.M. Stern

If there's one neighborhood in NYC where new developments face the most challenges it's Greenwich Village. One of the city's first historic districts and once home to preservation godmother Jane Jacobs, the low-scale community is arguably the most vocal and steadfast in the city. But it looks like Madison Realty Capital didn't get the memo, as they've tapped starchitect Robert A.M. Stern to design a hulking, 27-story condo tower at 14 Fifth Avenue, just a block north of Washington Square Park, according to NY Yimby. And while Stern's signature classy, limestone design fits in well with the stretch's other apartment buildings, the proposed 367-foot height will likely not sit well with locals. However, at this point, the tower is merely conceptual and will still require a public review need Landmarks Preservation Commission approvals.
More looks and details
October 25, 2017

262 Fifth Avenue, the tallest tower between Empire State Building and One WTC, gets new details

There will be a lot of firsts at 262 Fifth Avenue--Nomad's first supertall, Moscow-based firm Meganom's first U.S. project, and NYC's first Russian-designed supertall. 6sqft first uncovered renderings of the super-skinny, 1,009-foot skyscraper in May, revealing its aluminum and glass facade and "striking arched observation deck" at its top. Now, Yimby has gotten its hands on a new rendering, just a day after the Department of Buildings approved plans for the project.
See the new rendering in full
October 25, 2017

City launches online survey for New Yorkers to weigh in on controversial monuments

Almost two months after Mayor de Blasio announced the 18-member Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments and Markers, formed to assess controversial statues and public art on city-owned property, his administration has now revealed that they'll be welcoming feedback from all New Yorkers. According to the Daily News, the city has launched an online survey for the public to weigh in on which markers classify as "symbols of hate" and which should be kept, relocated, or altogether removed. In addition, survey participants can suggest if a monument should receive a contextual or educational plaque, as well as suggest ideas for totally new monuments.
More details ahead
October 24, 2017

De Blasio increases affordable housing goal by 100,000 units

When Mayor de Blasio took office in 2014, one of his main initiatives was his ambitious goal to build and protect 200,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years. But in an announcement today, he revealed that his administration will reach this goal two years early, by 2022, and therefore has set a new goal of 300,000 units by 2026, which will mean securing 25,000 affordable apartments annually by 2021. According to a press release, "the Mayor will unveil a battery of new programs designed to realize this new goal," one of which is the "Neighborhood Pillars" program that "deploy a $275 million public-private fund to target fast-changing neighborhoods where aggressive speculators threaten traditional rent-regulated apartment buildings."
All the details ahead