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.
March 27, 2017

Eight chances to live in a new East Williamsburg building, from $985/month

A state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga room, roof deck with cabanas, designer interiors, and a prime East Williamsburg location just a few blocks from the G, M, J, and L trains--this is all up for grabs for eight qualifying New Yorkers at 73 Montrose Avenue through the city's affordable housing lottery as of today. Those earning 60 percent of the area media income can apply for $985/month one-bedrooms and $1,114/month two-bedrooms.
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March 25, 2017

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

Swale floating park returns this spring with a new look Kushner Cos. vision for 666 Fifth Avenue has Zaha Hadid design and $12B ambitions Philip Johnson’s Rockefeller Guest House, a ‘secret’ modernist gem on Manhattan’s east side Artist who created Wall Street’s ‘Charging Bull’ angered by ‘Fearless Girl’ statue $5.5M ask for renovated Hamilton Heights […]

March 24, 2017

Judge once again stops work at Pier 55 over environmental concerns

If you thought the roller coaster that is Pier 55 was over since construction began in November, you may not want to step off the ride just yet. Just yesterday, a federal judge ruled in favor of the City Club of New York, who took legal action against the $200 million Barry Diller-funded offshore park way back in the summer of 2015. As reported by the Times, Judge Lorna G. Schofield agreed with the group's claim that the Army Corps of Engineers had not conducted a sufficient environmental review on how the 2.4-acre park would affect fish and wildlife. She ordered that work stop at the site and called for a review of alternatives for building along Hudson River Park, a maritime sanctuary.
Get the whole legal saga
March 24, 2017

Apply for 25 units at new affordable/supportive housing project in Brownsville, from $876/month

The Van Dyke Houses in Brownsville are a huge NYCHA compex, consisting of 24 buildings. Recently, a $56 million public/private investment went towards constructing the first new development here in decades, a 100-unit supportive and affordable housing building designed by Dattner Architects for a vacant parking lot on the site. Of these apartments, 45 will be leased to NYCHA tenants through a site-based waiting list, 30 to formerly homeless families, and 25 to those earning 60 percent of the area median income. This last group is now available through the city's housing lottery for $876/month one-bedrooms and $1,058/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify here
March 23, 2017

Former Citicorp Center might lose Sasaki fountain as part of plaza redesign

Earlier this month, 6sqft revealed renderings of 601 Lexington Avenue's (the Midtown East skyscraper formerly known as the Citicorp Center) new "Market Building," comprised of an interior atrium to hold dining/retail space and a new outdoor plaza and terraces. Though the LPC landmarked the building this past December, the Architect's Newspaper has learned of a loophole in the designation regarding the privately owned public space, which could mean that amid the renovation, the sunken plaza and cascading fountain designed by Hideo Sasaki's firm--one of the iconic landscape architect's few remaining works--may be demolished.
The full story ahead
March 23, 2017

Starting Monday, three Brooklyn R train stations will shut down for six months

Last January, Governor Cuomo announced a massive undertaking to "modernize and fundamentally transform" the MTA and the subway by adding more countdown clocks, contactless payment by next year, Wi-Fi at all stations (mission accomplished, here), and other high-tech features. It also included news that 30 stations would be revamped, requiring them to shut down entirely for six to 12 months, instead of just on nights and weekends. As of Monday, as amNY tells us, the first three on this list-- the R train stations at 53rd Street in Sunset Park, Bay Ridge Avenue, and Prospect Avenue--will close for half a year for a combined $72 million renovation.
Get the full scoop
March 22, 2017

National Academy’s trio of palatial UES buildings drops price to $79M, gets new pics

Nearly a year ago, the National Academy Museum & School listed their three stunning Carnegie Hill properties for $120 million--two interconnected townhouses at 1083 Fifth Avenue and 3 East 89th Street and a 65-foot-wide school building on East 89th Street. Though the original listing touted the possibility to create an epic, single-family mega-mansion, there have been no takers, and the buildings are now asking a reduced $78.5 million (h/t WSJ). Along with the price chop comes fresh interior images of the townhouses and their palatial layouts, intricate moldings, dripping chandeliers, and regal spiral staircase.
See more of these gorgeous properties
March 22, 2017

French bulldog keeps title of NYC’s favorite breed; first Citywide Ferry boat enroute to New York

Why Robert Moses just won’t go away. [NYT] For the third year in a row, NYC’s most popular dog breed is the French bulldog, followed by Labrador retrievers and standard bulldogs. [amNY] The Guardian scrapped plans to move its U.S. headquarters into a Kushner-owned Dumbo building after its reporters revolted. [Buzzfeed] This week’s New Yorker cover, “Shelf […]

March 22, 2017

Rent in the Greenwich Village building where Alexander Hamilton purportedly spent his final day

Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr may have dueled in Weehawken, New Jersey, but they also both left their mark on Greenwich Village. At the end of the 18th century, Burr began buying up land around Bedford and Downing Streets for his Richmond Hill country estate (a Federal rowhouse here recently hit the market for $5.75 million). Hamilton's connection is much less glamorous: On July 12, 1804, the day after the duel, he died in the home of his friend William Bayard. According to a plaque on the building, this took place at 82 Jane Street, where a listing for a $3,495/month one-bedroom also backs up the claim. But historians say Bayard actually lived a block north on Horatio Street.
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March 21, 2017

South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 to open in summer 2018; Jane Jacobs/Robert Moses star in new documentary

Pier 17, the centerpiece of the Howard Hughes Corporation’s $1.5 billion South Street Seaport redevelopment, is on track to open in summer 2018. [NYP] “Citizen Jane: Battle for the City” is a new documentary about the historic feud between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, produced by Robert Hammond, co-founder of the High Line. [Archinect] This month, […]

March 21, 2017

My 150sqft: Architect-turned-actor Anthony Triolo shows us his custom-designed tiny apartment

When Anthony Triolo moved into a 150-square-foot studio on the Upper West Side in 2010, he thought it would be a temporary money-saving move. Seven years later, he's changed careers from the architecture field to acting (you've seen him in "How I Met Your Mother" and "How to be Single" and he's currently filming the upcoming show "Bull") and transformed his tiny home into a custom-designed, multi-functional retreat. Anthony describes his style as "casual elegance" and believes smart shopping and mixing affordable finds with some more high-end buys is the key to creating a comfortable home no matter what the size.
Take the tiny tour and get some tips from Anthony
March 20, 2017

This charity delivers breakfast sandwiches to the homeless; design NYC’s next ‘I Voted’ sticker

Governor Cuomo unveiled a $1.8 billion plan to redesign the South Bronx’s Sheridan Expressway with pedestrian walkways providing access to Starlight Park and the Bronx River. [WSJ] Countdown clocks at the new Second Avenue Subway stations provide estimates, not real-time data. [NBC NY] Charity Hearty Start teams up with local bodegas to deliver breakfast sandwiches […]

March 20, 2017

‘Paris-on-the-Gowanus’ rental launches affordable housing lottery, units from $833/month

When the Lightstone Group revealed their two-building, 700-unit, $350 million rental project at 363-365 Bond Street, right on the banks of the notoriously toxic Gowanus Canal, president Mitchell Hochberg said it was inspired by a residential project in the Canal Saint-Martin neighborhood in Paris that helped create a “newly hip atmosphere” near a similarly polluted waterway. Despite the area's Superfund status, the promise of living in a trendy, up-and-coming area surely appealed to many; when the lottery opened for the 86 affordable units at #365, nearly 60,000 people applied. Now, the lottery is opening for the 54 below-market rate apartments at the under-construction #363, ranging from $833/month studios to $1,082/two-bedrooms, available to those earning 60 percent of the area median income.
Find out if you qualify
March 17, 2017

MetroCard fare hike starts Sunday; Museum of the Dog relocating to NYC

Live blogging St. Patrick’s Day at McSorley’s. [Eater] Don’t forget, starting Sunday the MTA fare hike takes effect–raising monthly and weekly MetroCard prices from $116.50 and $31 to $121 and $32. [Gothamist] New Yorkers chose “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as the winner of the “One Book, One New York” program. [Business Insider] The American […]

March 16, 2017

Kushner-Anbang deal gets murky; all the Irish pubs in Manhattan

$400M deal between Kushner Companies and Anbang for 666 Fifth Avenue raises eyebrows, insiders say the numbers don’t add up. [TRD] Pritzker Prize–winning architect Richard Meier launches a 12-piece lighting collection. [Architizer] Is Sixth Avenue the new Fifth Avenue? [NYP] Mapping the roughly 120 Irish pub in Manhattan. [Vine Pair] The Times Square police substation […]

March 16, 2017

Huge Whole Foods coming to Brookfield’s Manhattan West

Along with its glassy towers on the rise and big-name corporations leasing office space, the Hudson Yards district is now displaying another show of how the mega-development is pushing the once-desolate Midtown West area forward--the announcement of a 60,000-square-foot Whole Foods. The green grocer will move into Brookfield Property's eight-acre Manhattan West complex, located at 5 Manhattan West on the corner of 10th Avenue and West 31st Street, directly across from Related's Hudson Yards. Echoing the sentiment of the "Whole Foods effect"--the pattern of real estate values increasing when high-end grocery stores open nearby, both due to convenience and prestige--a press release from the developer says the news "is a significant first step in creating a first-of-its-kind global retail hub at Manhattan West."
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March 15, 2017

After 10 years on the market, Donald Trump’s trust looks to make $35M on lavish penthouse

The penthouse at Trump Park Avenue has been on and off the market for an entire decade, first listing for $45 million in 2007, and now returning for $35 million. As LL NYC reports, the President transferred ownership of the 6,278-square-foot apartment in January to the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, of which he's the exclusive beneficiary. The massive duplex is as ornate as you'd expect from Trump, complete with 22 arched windows, custom tray ceilings with intricate moldings and dripping crystal chandeliers, bathrooms bathed in marble, and two large terraces with panoramic views.
Take the tour and get the full scoop
March 15, 2017

St. Patrick’s Cathedral’s new geothermal plant is up and running

Nearly two years ago, St. Patrick's Cathedral removed the scaffolding that had been shrouding its neo-Gothic facade to reveal a restored landmark. The work was part of a larger four-year $177 million restoration and conservation that's also included an interior overhaul, renovation of the garden, and a new heating and cooling system. This last component is also now complete, as The Architect's Newspaper reports that the Cathedral has activated their new, state-of-the-art geothermal plant, just in time to warm things up for St. Patrick's Day. The system will cut the building’s energy consumption by more than 30 percent and reduce CO2 emissions by roughly 94,000 kilograms.
How did they accomplish this?
March 14, 2017

Norman Foster shares his personal life on Instagram; Where are Einstein’s eyeballs hiding?

 The 100 most influential people in Brooklyn culture 2017. [BK Mag] 81-year-old starchitect Norman Foster created an Instagram account to debunk imposters. [dezeen] Related founder Stephen Ross gives a behind-the-scenes look at Hudson Yards. [Fox5 NY] Why are Albert Einstein’s eyeballs in a safety deposit box in the city? [Untapped] Checking in on Robert A.M. Stern’s […]

March 14, 2017

Eight chances to live in East Williamsburg from $1,020/month

Starting tomorrow, New Yorkers earning between 50 and 60 percent of the area media income can apply for eight units in the heart of East Williamsburg. The apartments--six one-bedrooms for $1,020/month and two two-bedrooms for $1,224/month--are located at 845 Grand Street, a new contemporary rental building with high-end interiors and a bevy of trendy amenities, including a 4,000-square-foot roof deck with hammocks and a turf lawn, communal backyard, gym with yoga room, bike room, laundry room, and indoor lounge with pool tables.
See the interiors
March 13, 2017

Sale of 666 Fifth Avenue to Anbang, would net $400M for Kushner Companies

Anbang Insurance Group, the Chinese company who bought the Waldorf Astoria in late 2014 for nearly $2 billion, is now making headlines for another high-profile real estate transaction, this time against a controversial political backdrop. Bloomberg reports that Anbang is considering a stake in Vornado and Kushner Companies' office tower 666 Fifth Avenue, a deal that Jared Kushner reportedly set into motion before resigning as CEO of his family's company to serve as a presidential advisor to his father-in-law. If the deal goes through, not only will the Kushners profit some $400 million, but they'll receive an equity stake in the new partnership, which will refinance $1.5 billion in existing mortgage debt. The deal values the tower at $2.85 billion, and if Anbang's receives its proposed $4 billion construction loan to turn the top floors into condos, it will be the largest such loan for a single property in NYC history.
Find out more