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.

City reveals maps of proposed routes for Brooklyn-Queen streetcar

Rendering of the streetcar on Berry Street in Williamsburg

November 2, 2016

City reveals maps of proposed routes for Brooklyn-Queen streetcar

When the plan for a streetcar from Brooklyn to Queens was officially announced by the city in February, we knew that the $2.5 billion line would run 16 miles along the East River, from Astoria to Sunset Park, but the exact routes have remained a mystery, up until now. The Times reports that yesterday the city released a 25-page report that outlines these key details, as well as how the streetcar would traverse bridges to cross Newtown Creek and the Gowanus Canal and more logistical details. It also includes maps for the various routes through each neighborhood with a list of pros and cons (road width, proximity to existing subway stations, street and pedestrian traffic) for each possible street.
See the maps

Transit

Sales launch for Extell’s Lower East Side tower One Manhattan Square

November 2, 2016

Sales launch for Extell’s Lower East Side tower One Manhattan Square

Despite community opposition against the surge of new development in the Two Bridges neighborhood, things are moving full steam ahead in the Chinatown-meets-Lower East Side area. Curbed reports that the project that started it all, One Manhattan Square, has officially launched sales for the first batch of its 815 condos, and they range from a $1.18 million one-bedroom to a $4.4 million three-bedroom. It's prices like these, as well as the 823-foot height, that have angered residents of the mostly low-rise and low-income neighborhood, but nevertheless, the huge luxury building at with an insane amenity package is well on its way to opening its doors.
Find out more this way

Study says Jersey City is the most livable U.S. city; Meet the man who canoes to work in Manhattan

November 1, 2016

Study says Jersey City is the most livable U.S. city; Meet the man who canoes to work in Manhattan

A Barnes & Noble in Co-op City, the Bronx’s only bookstore, is closing by the end of the year. [New Yorker] This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a Norway Spruce from a backyard upstate in Oneonta. It’ll be cut down on November 10th and brought to the city on the 12th. [NBC NY] A new […]

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The world’s 12 richest people could buy all of Manhattan’s residential stock

November 1, 2016

The world’s 12 richest people could buy all of Manhattan’s residential stock

When it comes to the richest people in the world, the disparity is staggering, and what better way to exemplify this than by sizing these individuals up against the nation's most expensive real estate market, in a city that's home to more billionaires than anywhere else. PropertyShark took data from Forbes' World Billionaires List and created an infographic that shows how the world's 12 richest people have enough wealth to buy all of Manhattan's residential stock for $578 billion and still have some pocket change leftover.
See the full infographic here

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Hoteliers buy historic Hotel Chelsea for $250M, will redevelop as condos and hotel

Image via Wiki Commons

November 1, 2016

Hoteliers buy historic Hotel Chelsea for $250M, will redevelop as condos and hotel

After five years of ownership changes and tenant battles, a group of well-known hoteliers is betting on the future of the historic Hotel Chelsea. The Real Deal reports that a joint venture made up of BD Hotels’ Richard Born and Ira Drukier and Sean MacPherson (who owns, among others, the Bowery Hotel and Waverly Inn) has closed on the hotel for $250 million, and they plan to convert it to condos and a likely trendy hotel.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Celebrating Halloween in the West Village in 1993; St. Paul’s Chapel Unveils 9/11 Chapel of Remembrance

October 31, 2016

Celebrating Halloween in the West Village in 1993; St. Paul’s Chapel Unveils 9/11 Chapel of Remembrance

St. Paul’s Chapel, Manhattan’s oldest church that survived the September 11th attacks without even a broken window, marks its 250th anniversary by unveiling a 9/11 Chapel of Remembrance. [NBC] 10 “trumpkins” that are making Halloween great again. [Inhabitat] There are 47 gravestones at the Old Southampton Burial Ground on Long Island, but a cemetery-mapping service found close to […]

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Interior and amenity renderings revealed for Hub, Brooklyn’s tallest tower

October 31, 2016

Interior and amenity renderings revealed for Hub, Brooklyn’s tallest tower

For now, Downtown Brooklyn's Hub holds the title of tallest building in Brooklyn. Topping off at 610 feet, the Dattner Architects-designed, Douglas Steiner-developed slab tower at 333 Schermerhorn Street will offer 740 apartments, 150 of which became available through the city's affordable housing lottery earlier this month. But aside from its height and number of units, the 55-story building has been turning heads for its list of amenities--a landscaped outdoor terrace with sun deck, 75-foot pool, fitness center with yoga studio, dog run, grilling terrace, indoor and outdoor movie screens, children’s playroom, and bike storage for every unit. And Curbed has gotten its hands on the first set of renderings that show these swanky offerings, along with views of the apartments and news that leasing for the market-rate units will begin in January.
More details and renderings

MAP: East Williamsburg would be fined the most by new Airbnb law

October 31, 2016

MAP: East Williamsburg would be fined the most by new Airbnb law

After Governor Cuomo recently signed into effect a bill that would impose fines of up to $7,500 on those offering illegal short-term Airbnb rentals, the company filed a federal lawsuit against the legislation, saying it would "impose significant immediate burdens and irreparable harm." And according to an analysis from ValuePenguin, shared by DNAinfo, it's East Williamsburg that would be hit the hardest by the new regulations. The personal finance website says that, as of October 1st, the neighborhood (zip code 11211) has 314 full apartment rental listings, which could result in $2,355,000 in fines. It's followed by zip code 10003, which covers parts of Greenwich Village, Gramercy, and the East Village, the Lower East Side (10002) and Chelsea (10011).
More data ahead

Policy

Join the Society of Magicians on Halloween for a séance at Harry Houdini’s former Upper East Side home

October 30, 2016

Join the Society of Magicians on Halloween for a séance at Harry Houdini’s former Upper East Side home

Last week, a commemorative plaque was installed on the facade of the former Upper East Side home of Harry Houdini at 244 East 79th Street, marking the 90th anniversary of his death and celebrating National Magic Week. To coincide with this, the Society of American Magicians will meet tomorrow for a séance at the building's Sojourn restaurant in hopes of contacting the great illusionist. As the Wall Street Journal notes, when he and his family moved into the top-floor studio of the boardinghouse in 1887, a young Houdini practiced his tricks and escapes in the space that now holds the eatery.
The rest of the story here

Popular Articles

As the election nears, sales at Trump buildings decline

October 28, 2016

As the election nears, sales at Trump buildings decline

Now that we're nearer to the election, and since the negative press surrounding all things Donald Trump has come to a head, things are starting to crumble for his real estate empire. Not only did his personal hotel brand decide to drop his moniker, but a group of Trump Place tenants even went so far as to petition their board to remove his name from their buildings. A report out today in the Times takes a closer look at how sales are declining, and data from CityRealty confirms that from 2015 to 2016, there was a 17 percent decrease in the number of sales at Trump condos.
Find out more this way

Real Estate Trends

Domino Sugar Factory reveals renderings of creative office building The Refinery

October 28, 2016

Domino Sugar Factory reveals renderings of creative office building The Refinery

Commercial landlords looking to compete with cutting-edge co-working spaces like the Navy Yard's New Lab or amenity-filled developments like Industry City have their work cut out for them, and it looks like Two Trees is pulling out all the requisite stops for their new office building The Refinery at Williamsburg's massive, under-construction Domino Sugar Factory complex. Curbed got its hands on the first set of renderings of the 380,000-square-foot office space, which show how tenants can work with architects Beyer Blinder Belle to customize their spaces for "innovation" and "authenticity." The interiors preserve the former industrial details (exposed brick, ceilings beams), while incorporating creative perks such as suspended glass-and-steel office pods, an indoor skate park, and a bevy of common areas.
More details and renderings ahead

Nearly 9,000 apply for SpareRoom CEO’s $1/month shares in his $8M loft – meet two top applicants

October 27, 2016

Nearly 9,000 apply for SpareRoom CEO’s $1/month shares in his $8M loft – meet two top applicants

When SpareRoom CEO and founder Rupert Hunt announced earlier this month that he was looking for two roommates to share his $8 million West Village apartment--both of whom would be paying just $1 a month--we knew the interest would be high. And after a "SpeedRoommating" session on the 19th, the room share service's version of speed dating, we've learned that a whopping 8,795 people applied for a chance to live in the triplex loft. According to a press release, Hunt is narrowing it down to 10 lucky finalists, and he'll be hosting them next week at house party, where he can learn more about them and see who gets along best.
More on the deal of a lifetime

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Petition urges city to legalize bodega cats; MoMA adds original emoji to permanent collection

October 27, 2016

Petition urges city to legalize bodega cats; MoMA adds original emoji to permanent collection

After a bodega got a bad Yelp review because of its in-house feline, a petition is asking the city to legalize bodega cats. [Metro] And other New Yorkers are suing the state over a law that makes it a crime to photograph ballots in a polling booths (hence take selfies). [DNAinfo] 130 years ago, the Statue of Liberty […]

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MAP: Two thirds of landlords benefiting from 421-a tax breaks didn’t file rent regulation paperwork

View the map from ProPublica in its interactive form here >>

October 27, 2016

MAP: Two thirds of landlords benefiting from 421-a tax breaks didn’t file rent regulation paperwork

The city's 421-a program, which expired in January, provides tax breaks of up to 25 years to new residential buildings that reserve at least 20 percent of units as affordable. Proponents of the program feel it offers a much-needed incentive to build low- and moderate-income housing, but those not in favor think it gives unfair tax breaks to the wealthiest developers. The latter camp may be gaining steam, as a new report from ProPublica, outlined in Gothamist, says that nearly two thirds of the 6,400 rental buildings where landlords received tax reductions through 421-a didn't have required rent stabilization paperwork on file, meaning they could raise rents as much as they chose. ProPublica compiled this data in both an interactive map and searchable database.
Is your landlord cheating the system?

Former juvenile jail in Hunts Point will be replaced with $300M mixed-use affordable housing complex

Rendering courtesy of WXY Architecture + Urban Design

October 27, 2016

Former juvenile jail in Hunts Point will be replaced with $300M mixed-use affordable housing complex

The Spofford Juvenile Detention Center (later renamed Bridges Juvenile Center) was built in 1957 in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, quickly gaining a reputation for its poor conditions--the Daily News once described it as "vermin-infested" and said it "held about 100 youth in dark cells with no air conditioning." It was closed in 2011, at which time urban revitalization consultant Majora Carter began her quest to have the site transformed into a mixed-use housing complex. The city eventually stepped in, and today officials announced plans for the Peninsula, an affordable housing development that will rise on the five-acre site and offer 740 apartments, 52,000 square feet of open and recreational space, 49,000 square feet of light industrial space, 48,000 square feet for community facilities like health care providers, 21,000 square feet of retail, and 15,000 square feet of artist space, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Find out more right this way

Bjarke Ingels’ curving East Harlem rental breaks ground and gets new renderings

October 27, 2016

Bjarke Ingels’ curving East Harlem rental breaks ground and gets new renderings

When 6sqft first got a look at Bjarke Ingels' curved East Harlem rental, it sported a red corten steel facade reminiscent of the surrounding brick buildings, but a new set of renderings shows a blackened stainless steel exterior that the Danish starchitect told Curbed is "inspired by an elephant’s skin" and will capture and reflect sunlight. Now dubbed Gotham East 126th Residential, the 11-story structure from Blumenfeld Development Group broke ground yesterday, beginning its journey to offer 233 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, 46 of which will be affordable.
More details and renderings and the first view inside

20 years ago, the city told Donald Trump he couldn’t put his name on the Columbus Circle globe

October 27, 2016

20 years ago, the city told Donald Trump he couldn’t put his name on the Columbus Circle globe

These days, New Yorkers are going to great lengths to get Trump's name off their buildings, and even his company itself has personally shed his moniker from their hotel brand amid declining bookings. But back in the '80s and '90s, the Donald would freely slap his name on just about anything he wanted. That is until 1996, when the Giuliani administration (sense the irony here?) denied his request to brand the giant globe outside the Trump International Hotel & Tower. The Times recently got its hands on a 20-year-old City Planning Department memorandum that outlines how the agency deemed any lettering on the sculpture illegal.
Get the full story

Pier 55 appeal dismissed in court; park construction can move ahead

October 26, 2016

Pier 55 appeal dismissed in court; park construction can move ahead

After nearly a year and a half of yo-yo-ing back and forth between stop work orders and lawsuits, the Barry Diller-funded Pier 55 park can finally move ahead freely. The New York Law Journal reports that yesterday the state Court of Appeals denied the City Club of New York's appeal of September's ruling in favor of Pier 55 and the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) that said construction could continue on the 2.75-acre offshore park, dismissing the opponents' claims that the park failed to go through adequate environmental impact evaluations and violated the public trust doctrine by planning to host private events.
What this means for Pier 55

Pearl River Mart reopening in Tribeca next month; Brace yourself for Santacon 2016

October 26, 2016

Pearl River Mart reopening in Tribeca next month; Brace yourself for Santacon 2016

Soho’s beloved Pearl River Mart closed its doors in February after nearly 50 years in business, but it will reopen next month in Tribeca. [Crain’s] Santacon 2016 announces details that’ll bring 20,000 drunk revelers out to Williamsburg. DNAinfo] All the criminals (and gangsters, billionaires, and celebrities) who have called Trump Tower home. [Bloomberg] A Queens funeral […]

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POLL: Is Fifth Avenue losing its luster amid soaring rents and empty storefronts?

October 26, 2016

POLL: Is Fifth Avenue losing its luster amid soaring rents and empty storefronts?

Fifth Avenue is known around the world as the high-end shopping address, but rising rents are leading to an increase in vacant space along the retail corridor. According to data from Cushman & Wakefield reported by Crain's, the availability rate spiked to 15.9 percent in the third quarter of this year, up 10 percent from the same time last year. On the stretch that has the world's highest rents, from 49th to 60th streets, retail space is listed at an average of $3,213 per square foot, up from $2,075 in 2011. To put this in perspective, current rents in Times Square are $2,104 per square foot after tripling over the past four years.
Do you think Fifth Avenue can get over the hump?

Real Estate Trends

Gowanus Canal cleanup yields sunken boats and a tree; ‘Naked Trump’ statue sells for $22K at auction

October 25, 2016

Gowanus Canal cleanup yields sunken boats and a tree; ‘Naked Trump’ statue sells for $22K at auction

Using a 100,000-pound hydraulic excavator, crews started debris removal at the Gowanus Canal. So far they’ve uncovered two boats, a tree, and countless random objects like tires and bikes. [DNAinfo] What nine shoppers wore to the Williamsburg Whole Foods. [NYT] Remember that “Naked Trump” statue that appeared in Union Square and then near the Holland Tunnel? […]

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Columbia’s DeathLab proposes a suspended cemetery of pods under the Manhattan Bridge

October 25, 2016

Columbia’s DeathLab proposes a suspended cemetery of pods under the Manhattan Bridge

Each decade in the New York metropolitan area about 500,000 people are buried in cemetery plots, taking up a dwindling amount of land and outputting cremation smog into the air. With this growing issue in mind, a trans-disciplinary research and design group at Columbia University known as DeathLab has been working for the past five years to reconceive "how we live with death in the metropolis." One of their proposals is Constellation Park, a system of hundreds of burial pods suspended under the Manhattan Bridge that together create a twinkling public park. Atlas Obscura shared the design, which, if built, could reportedly accommodate around 10 percent of city deaths a year.
The surprising reason why these pods twinkle

MTA puts up flyers touting the W train’s November 7th return

October 24, 2016

MTA puts up flyers touting the W train’s November 7th return

6sqft revealed last month that the W train would be making its triumphant return on Monday, November 7th, restoring service from Astoria to Lower Manhattan. Now that the date is only a couple weeks away, the MTA is putting up flyers touting the new re-instated line, reports Pix 11. Designed to look like a flashy Broadway marquee, the poster was spotted by a Reddit user over the weekend at the 34th Street-Penn Station platform of the A,C,E train.
Learn what this means for subway service

Transit

Billy Bush selling Chelsea townhouse he just bought; Anthony Bourdain dishes on Super Pier food hall

October 24, 2016

Billy Bush selling Chelsea townhouse he just bought; Anthony Bourdain dishes on Super Pier food hall

Before being ousted from “Today,” Billy Bush bought a Chelsea townhouse so he could relocated from LA. But amid the scandal, sources say he’s already selling it. [NYP] Donald Trump‘s ancestors arrived in Castle Garden from Germany in 1885; here’s their immigrant story. [New Yorker] The cheapest condos in Dumbo are more expensive than properties in Manhattan ‘hoods […]

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