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 22, 2017

Huge South Bronx affordable housing complex will include Hip Hop Museum, food hall, and more

A vacant waterfront site in the booming South Bronx will give way to an enormous affordable housing complex with 1,045 residential units, a home for the much-hyped Universal Hip-Hop Museum, a waterfront esplanade and outdoor performance space, a multiplex theater, and, of course, a food hall, in this case curated by Anna Castellani of Brooklyn's wildly popular Dekalb Market Hall. The Real Deal reports that L+M Development Partners won the bid for the $200 million project, dubbed Bronx Point, which is located adjacent to Mill Pond Park and the 145th Street Bridge that runs into Manhattan.
More details ahead
September 21, 2017

Eight months after opening, Second Avenue Subway still doesn’t have its safety certificate

When the Second Avenue Subway opened this past New Year's Day, it was nothing short of a miracle. Not only had the $4 billion infrastructure project been 100 years in the making but in the months leading up to its deadline, there was much talk about delays related to the system’s “rigorous testing schedule" not being met. As it turns out, the testing wasn't met; the Times tells us that when the train opened on January 1st, "the fire alarm system was still being tested and more than 17,000 defects found during inspections had not been fixed." And eight months later, the train is still operating under a temporary safety certificate.
Get all the details
September 20, 2017

VIDEO: The story behind Port Authority’s secret public piano

Smack in the middle of the busiest bus terminal in the world is a funky, rainbow piano. Located on a platform that was once the terminal's operations control center but is now the Port Authority Bus Terminal Performing Arts Stage, the piano arrived last year via a collaboration with the nonprofit Sing for Hope. But the idea for this public performance opportunity is thanks to pianist and preservationist Adrian Untermyer, who originally saw pianos in train stations in Paris and thought it would be a great way to bring "light and joy and music to a space that we all know but may not particularly love." In the video ahead, Adrian tells us how his proposal became a reality and why Port Authority deserved a piano.
Watch 6sqft's video here
September 20, 2017

Massive penthouse in the Woolworth Building’s iconic copper ‘Pinnacle’ lists for $110M

When the neo-Gothic Woolworth Building was erected in 1913 as the world's tallest building, it cost a total of $13.5 million. Now, 104 years and a partial condo conversion later, its massive, seven-story penthouse has hit the market for an exorbitant $110 million. The Wall Street Journal first got wind of the not-yet-public listing, which could be the most expensive sale ever downtown, far surpassing the current $50.9 million record at Chelsea’s Walker Tower. Dubbed the Pinnacle for its location in the 792-foot tower's iconic green copper crown, the penthouse will encompass 9,710 square feet and boast a private elevator, 24-foot ceilings, a 400-square-foot open observatory, and views in every direction, from the World Trade Center to New Jersey to the East River.
More details ahead
September 19, 2017

The best day trips this fall, from cemetery tours to historic mansions to corn mazes

These pretty-much-perfect months are a great time to escape the city, and with so many fun, scenic, and informative offerings nearby, you can go for the day and not have to worry about spending money on lodging. To help plan your autumn itinerary, 6sqft has put together a list of the best day trips outside of New York. From touring the Rockefeller estate in Tarrytown to a lantern-lit cemetery tour in Sleepy Hollow, we've got you history buffs covered. And for those looking for some more traditional fall fun, there's fall foliage at Bear Mountain's Oktoberfest, apple and pumpkin picking in New Jersey, and artistically carved jack o' lanterns on Long Island.
Click here for 6sqft's full list of fall day trips
September 18, 2017

Jersey City’s Harborside boardwalk to get $75M makeover and new food hall

Over the past two decades, the Jersey City waterfront has seen a huge boom in both residential and commercial development, revealing an entirely new skyline of tall, glassy towers. And now real estate investor Mack-Cali wants to embrace this waterfront location in the way that new large-scale developments are doing in Manhattan (Waterline Square) and Brooklyn (Domino Sugar Factory). The firm's $75 million plan will piggyback on next month's opening of a new New York Waterway ferry station there and transform the waterfront promenade in front of their 4.3 million-square-foot Harborside office complex into a "one-of-a-kind cultural district" that will include a beer garden, European-style food hall known as The Marketplace, and the Harborside Atrium, an interconnected series of pedestrian routes and lobbies throughout the buildings that will also serve as cultural event space.
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September 15, 2017

Waitlist opens for middle-income apartments near Lincoln Center

Back in April, 6sqft shared an open waitlist for low-income units at the Brodsky Organization's One Columbus Place. The mid-90s tower, located at the amazing intersection of Lincoln Center, Central Park, and the Upper West Side, has 700 total apartments, with 179 reserved as below-market rate. The second batch of affordable units, these set aside for middle-income New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, are now also accepting applications for a 7,500-name waitlist for future vacancies. They range from $2,116/month studios to $2,733/month two-bedrooms, compared to the building's market-rate listings that range from $3,200/month studios to $6,300/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify and how to get your name on the list
September 15, 2017

New rental project brands Jersey City nabe as ‘Soho West’

Now that most of Brooklyn has been acronym-ized, developers are moving their marketing magic across state lines. First reported by Curbed, the latest moniker comes to us via developer Manhattan Building Company's "neighborhood concept" Soho West, so dubbed because it's south of Hoboken and west of NYC. The 'nabe name is part of their two-phase project. The first, The Cast Iron lofts, debuted 387 rentals and 20,000 square feet of hipster-fied retail (think a yoga studio, bilingual pre-school, and nonprofit theater) last year, and the second, Soho Lofts, will be ready next month. This rental will have 377 "industrial-inspired" residences starting in the $2,000/month range, as well as "resort-style" amenities such as an infinity pool with private cabanas, 10-person sauna, Zen garden, and an arcade lounge.
Get a look inside
September 15, 2017

The Urban Lens: Zach Gross layers current and historic views of Penn Station

The original Penn Station, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece completed by McKim, Mead & White in 1910, evoked the kind of grandeur one would expect upon arriving in one of the greatest cities in the world, complete with a grand facade made of massive Corinthian columns and a 15-story waiting room with a steel and glass roof. This structure was demolished in 1964 and replaced with our present version, lacking any of the architectural merit or civic design of its predecessor. But recent years have sparked a renewed interest in transforming the station into an updated and better functional transit hub, falling under a $1.6 billion plan from Governor Cuomo. Well aware of both the history and future of Penn Station, photographer Zach Gross recently completed a unique series that layers historic imagery of the site with contemporary photos. He feels that, though the station is currently dysfunctional, "there’s still hope for a grand, more unified and uplifting structure," and it's this hopeful sentiment that shines through in his work.
Hear more from Zach and see his photo series
September 14, 2017

712-foot observation tower proposed for Central Park would also clean the reservoir

Local creative studio DFA is proposing a 712-foot public observation tower in Central Park that would double as a sustainable filtration system to clean the decommissioned and hazardous Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir and turn it into a non-toxic, useable freshwater pond. The firm says their idea is "in response to [the] growing demand for public bird’s eye views in the world’s tallest cities and an increasing need for innovative environmental cleanup strategies." Though meant to be temporary, the prefabricated tower would be the world's tallest timber structure if completed, featuring a 56-foot-wide viewing platform and a glass oculus that showcases the tower's functional elements.
All the details and renderings ahead
September 13, 2017

‘Bodega’ mobile pantries want to replace your local convenience store

The loss of small businesses throughout cities nationwide is already an escalating issue to rising rents and online delivery platforms, but more and more new physical business models are also looking to edge out mom-and-pops and brick-and-mortar retail establishments in general. Take for example a new startup called Bodega, which, you guessed it, wants to replace your actual bodega (they've even made their logo a "bodega cat"). Started by two former Google employees, the concept puts unmanned pantries in offices, gyms, dorms, or apartment buildings and stocks them with convenience store staples like non-perishable snacks and beverages, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and even fitness equipment, using a special computer vision system to track purchases (h/t Fast Company).
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September 13, 2017

Our 1,100sqft: A food writer and a financial pro bring hotel design into their Chelsea co-op

When they started apartment hunting a few years ago, then newlyweds Lauren Shockey and Ross Fabricant knew they wanted to stay in Chelsea. But they also knew they wanted a place with character and with a layout conducive to cooking and entertaining, as the couple loves hosting dinner parties for their friends and Lauren is a food writer (you may recognize her name as the Village Voice's restaurant critic from 2010 to 2012 and as the author of the culinary memoir/cookbook "Four Kitchens"). When they happened upon this two-bedroom co-op in a historic Art Deco building, they fell in love with its architectural bones, as well as its brightness, openness, and opportunity for customization. Inspired by the calming, clean aesthetic of hotel design, Lauren and Ross completed a surprisingly smooth renovation that left them with a contemporary home full of colorful, personal touches.
Learn more from Lauren and Ross about the renovation process and check out their space
September 12, 2017

For less than $500K, live like you’re on vacation in this adorable City Island cottage

The seashore village of City Island, an island off the Bronx that's about a mile and a half long by a half mile wide, offers a lifestyle arguably not found anywhere else in NYC. It's like a less-touristy version of Cape Cod but is still accessible from Manhattan via the 6 train and an express bus. And if this nautical, vacation-type vibe is what you're looking for, then this fairy tale-esque cottage may be just the ticket. Plus, it's asking a hair under $500,000, an attribute definitely only found on island time.
Get a look around
September 12, 2017

Affordable housing lottery opens for 19 units at new South Slope rental, from $813/month

This stacked, Tetris-like facade is the type of thing we're used to seeing in neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Long Island City, but ND Architecture and Design has brought a similar look to the less-trendy and more industrial area where South Slope meets Gowanus. The mixed-use building known as the Alexy was recently completed and features commercial space, parking, and 95 rental units, a mix of market rate and affordable apartments. The latter group of 19 residences, ranging from $813/month studios to $1,016/month two-bedrooms, is now accepting applications from New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income, quite the deal considering market-rate units are renting from $2,400 to $5,100 a month.
Find out if you qualify and check out the amenity package
September 11, 2017

VIDEO: Photographer Richard Drew on his haunting 9/11 image ‘The Falling Man’

Video courtesy of TIME When Associated Press photographer Richard Drew emerged from the Chambers Street subway station on the morning of September 11, 2011, he saw both towers up in smoke. Despite the atrocity in front of him, he began snapping photos of the burning buildings, eventually noticing the people jumping from the upper floors. "I instinctively picked up my camera and started photographing them, following them as they came down, until I photographed what has become known as 'The Falling Man'" he told TIME. Ahead, Drew discusses the story and meaning behind his haunting photo that is one of the only to show someone dying on that day.
More here
September 8, 2017

De Blasio announces 18-member committee, including Harry Belafonte, to review controversial monuments

Three weeks after announcing the city would be conducting a 90-day review of “all symbols of hate on city property,” de Blasio has announced the 18-member Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments and Markers, which will "advise the Mayor on issues surrounding public art and historic monuments and markers on City-owned property" and "develop guidelines on how the City should address monuments seen as oppressive and inconsistent with the values of New York City," according to a press release. Ford Foundation president Darren Walker and the Mayor's cultural affairs commissioner Thomas Finkelpearl will co-chair the committee, which includes singer, civil rights leader, and long-time de Blasio supporter Harry Belafonte.
Find out who else has been selected
September 8, 2017

Extell reveals deluxe upper-floor ‘Skyscape Collection’ at One Manhattan Square

Living in any of One Manhattan Square's 815 units is a pretty extravagant opportunity; the 800-foot Two Bridges tower will boast more than 100,000 square feet of over-the-top indoor and outdoor amenities, ranging from a tree house with fire pits and stargazing observatory to a 70-seat movie theater and bowling alley. But those 25 condos on the upper floors will be afforded an even more luxurious lifestyle, with "limitless bird's eyes vistas" of the skyline, Brooklyn, New York harbor, and the East and Hudson Rivers. According to a press release from developer Extell announcing this Skyscape Collection, the deluxe residences are mainly three-bedroom homes, along with the building's five five-bedroom penthouses, two of which are duplexes (one of these already sold for $13 million).
Find out more right here
September 8, 2017

Shoe guru Steve Madden steps into a $12.2M Billionaires’ Row condo

Shoe brand honcho Steve Madden put his best foot forward and stepped into an impressive spread at 252 East 57th Street. The Journal reports that the company's founder and former CEO dropped $12.2 million on a five-bedroom condo at the 65-story Billionaires' Row tower designed by designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill. Not only does his new home have a 38-foot-long living/dining area, balcony, and all the swanky fixtures and finishing one could hope for, but its 61st-floor location affords it incredible north, east, and west exposures with skyline, Central Park, and East River views.
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September 7, 2017

Governor Cuomo’s new ‘Keep It Clean’ initiative doubles the fine for subway littering

A week from today, those who litter in the subway system will face a $100 penalty, double the current $50. The increased fine is part of Governor Cuomo's newly announced "Keep It Clean" initiative, which will discourage subway littering through a new public awareness campaign. Each year, 700 fire-related track incidents are caused by littering. And in just the past six months, incidents related to standing water conditions (litter hinders the MTA's ability to pump out millions of gallons of water daily) increased by 56 percent.
Learn more and watch the MTA's new PSA
September 7, 2017

Crown Heights’ controversial homeless shelter development opens lotto for 33 low-income units

Facing an unprecedented homelessness problem, in February, Mayor de Blasio announced plans to open 90 new shelters and expand 30 existing ones. But when it came down to which neighborhoods would house the developments, it became a not-in-my-backyard issue, especially in Crown Heights, an area already heavy with shelters and transitional houses, where the Mayor said three of the first five projects would be built. The animosity intensified shortly thereafter when it was announced that one such shelter would open in a new building at 267 Rogers Avenue, originally planned as a condo. But despite opposition from local residents and a temporary restraining order, the building began welcoming tenants over the summer, with space for 132 homeless families and another 33 units reserved for low-income New Yorkers. The latter, set aside for those earning 60 percent of the area median income, are now available through the city's affordable housing lottery and range from $931/month one-bedrooms to $1,292/month three-bedrooms.
See the qualifications
September 6, 2017

For $879K, a lovely loft in an East Village building designed by Central Park’s architect

Sure this East Village pad is cute--what with its exposed brick walls, reclaimed wood accents, pressed tin ceilings, and boho-chic kitchen--but what really sets it apart is its location at 307 East 12th Street, a landmarked Victorian Gothic/Flemish Revival structure designed in 1892 by the firm of Calvert Vaux, who co-designed Central and Prospect Parks. Built for the Children's Aid Society as a home and job-training center for abused young women, it was converted to co-ops in 1983, and today its lofty apartments boast high ceilings, double-height historic windows, and plenty of pre-war charm. This one-bedroom unit underwent a gut renovation last year and is now asking $879,000.
See it all here
September 6, 2017

First look at Riverside Galleria, huge retail development headed to Staten Island

Though the New York Wheel may be stalled, there are plenty of other large-scale projects moving ahead on Staten Island. In addition to a bevy of new residential developments like Urby and Lighthouse Point, Governor Cuomo recently announced a $151 million plan to build an elevated promenade to improve the east shores' coastal resiliency and just last month the city awarded a $23 million contract for construction of Freshkills Park's first major section. Now, Yimby has uncovered details and renderings for the borough's latest--a nearly 600,000-square-foot retail center headed to the south shore area of Charleston. Designed by Studio V Architecture and known as Riverside Galleria, the complex will not only have plenty of shopping but a supermarket, restaurants, a dine-in cinema, green roofs, a waterfront park, and a series of elevated walkways.
More on the project after the break
September 6, 2017

Albo Liberis’ Red Hook office concept proposes a colorful kaleidoscope next to the BQE

Unusual and flashy aren't words that come to mind when describing the industrial architecture of Red Hook, but a new proposal from the architects at Albo Liberis wants to infuse some colorful personality into the relatively sleepy waterfront 'hood. First spotted by CityRealty, the firm published renderings for a kaleidescope-looking, glassy office building at 150 Mill Street, right next to the BQE and less than a five-minute walk from Ikea and the NYC Ferry stop. And though the renderings are merely conceptual at this point (no permits have been filed), they certainly think outside the box, complete with a festive roof deck, their signature diaganal angles, and ground-floor retail.
More renderings right this way
September 5, 2017

Nine chances to live in a new Bushwick building for just $1,039/month

Permits were first filed for a new rental building at 810 Flushing Avenue in Bushwick, near the Bed-Stuy border and the Woodhull Medical Center, back in 2014, and nearly four years later the affordable housing lottery is open to New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income for its nine $1,039/month units. In addition to being just a few blocks from the J,M,Z trains, the building offers a roof deck, fitness center, attended parking, and a two-story glass retail base. Apartments have open kitchens with granite counters and stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, high ceilings and oversized windows, and, for certain residences, private balconies.
Find out if you qualify
September 1, 2017

Proposal divides Columbus Circle into three zones: Conquest, Slavery, and Immigration

Just two days after Mayor de Blasio spoke publicly of his idea to add contextual plaques to controversial statues around the city instead of razing them, Public Advocate candidate and Columbia University history professor David Eisenbach has proposed a completely different plan. In reference to City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito's call to remove Central Park’s Columbus statue based on accounts that the explorer enslaved and killed indigenous people, Eisenbach suggested an alternative where Columbus Circle would be divided into public educational "plazas." As reported by DNAinfo, these would include three parts of the Circle for "Conquest, Slavery, and Immigration." Instead of taking down the monument, he believes this would "tell the story of Columbus’ legacy, the good, the bad, and the ugly."
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