Where I Work

July 28, 2014

INTERVIEW: George Schieferdecker Talks to Us About One Vandam and BKSK’s Future Projects

When it comes designing for contextual relevance (and Landmarks love), BKSK is a firm favored by many developers. BKSK was founded back in 1985 when three Columbia architecture students decided they wanted to apply the progressive design principles they were seeing in their studies to the New York City landscape. Fast forward to nearly three decades later, and this trio has blossomed into a full-fledged, six-partner practice with a penchant for residential designs. One of BKSK's current condo projects, One Vandam, is now on the rise and is getting plenty of attention for its slab on base design and syncopated glass and limestone facade. Though the design is much more modern than their previous works, One Vandam does pay homage to its dynamic locale. We recently caught up with one of BKSK's partners, George Schieferdecker, to find out what inspired One Vandam's design, to hear a bit about how New York has changed since BKSK first started its practice in the 80s, and to get the scoop on what's up next for the studio.
Read our interview with George here

July 27, 2014

Is New York Really a Diverse City?

By Andrew Cotto

One of the things that eventually becomes obvious to an American urban dweller residing in a European city is the lack of diversity. As a New Yorker in Rome, it’s particularly obvious. Rome is full of Romans, and Romans are, essentially, of similar stripe. There are inhabitants of this city from foreign lands and of different hues, but they are not Romans. They are Bangladeshi, Senegalese, Romanian, Albanian, and more. Anything but Roman. And that will never change. While the myriad of ethnic and racial backgrounds that comprise New York’s population might be a hyphenated-American something-or-other, we are all, for the most part, fellow New Yorkers. It’s a beautiful thing, a fact many residents proudly proclaim when they speak of what makes New York so special. Diversity informs nearly every aspect of New York’s identity, and it is not exclusive. But as I look from abroad at New York’s diversity, it clearly spreads far and wide, but how deep does it go? I don’t need to look any farther than myself for a quick study.
Andrew reflects on New York's diversity

July 23, 2014

INTERVIEW: Renowned Architect Piet Boon on Bringing Dutch Design to NYC

By Tag Brum

Architect Piet Boon may hail from the Netherlands, but his status as a NYC starchitect is on the rise. Piet, who started his career as a builder, has over the years turned his practice to architecture and interiors, and today is a top choice amongst developers who want more than just a glass tower, but a building that promotes well-being through great design (oh-so-very Dutch). Piet recently sat down with us for an interview where he discussed everything from the differences he sees in Dutch and American design sensibilities, to his high profile Huys Penthouses project (which is almost sold out), to his new Oosten development for Williamsburg, to his definitively international style, which to our surprise he refers to as "barefoot chic."
Read our interview with Piet here

July 19, 2014

INTERVIEW: NYC Architect Drew Lang Gives Us the Scoop on Hudson Woods, A Private Eco-Community in the Catskills

By Dana Schulz

Move over Hamptons — there's a new second-home hotbed for New Yorkers: the Catskills. The four-season destination has been growing in popularity over the past several years, but is now reaching new heights thanks to Drew Lang and Lang Architecture's forest getaway community Hudson Woods. Located in Kerhonkson, New York, just two hours from New York City, the 131-acre development will feature 26 sustainably designed, site-specific dwellings, each located on its own spacious lot. Buyers can personalize their homes with curated upgrades including a pool and pool house, outdoor kitchen, vegetable garden, fruit tree grove, treehouse, and solar power energy system, among other things. Hudson Woods' tagline is "where design meets nature," and one look at the site makes this statement ring true. We sat down with Drew Lang to get an inside take on the project, and to learn more about the increasingly sought after Catskills community.
Read our full interview here

July 17, 2014

CityLiving in Rome: Big Love in the Eternal City for One New Yorker

By Andrew Cotto

I didn’t come to Rome looking for love. I got plenty of the good stuff back at home in New York City. There is where most of my closest friends and family reside, along with my beloved wife, daughter and son. It also happens to be the city that is the love of my residential life. So, love in Rome was not on the itinerary. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Forum and beyond. We might still be in the infatuation stage, but I got the big love for Roma right now, and that might not ever change, primarily because of the love it’s inspired in me.
Read more of Andrew's story here

July 11, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Lisle Richards and Eric Marx, The Duo Behind the Monarch Room Restaurant

By Susan Cohen

Opening one restaurant is hard, but two in a month is a serious feat. But this is New York City, and restaurateurs Lisle Richards and Eric Marx were ready for a challenge. Between January and February of this year the duo opened up two of Manhattan’s hippest and most most talked about new haunts: The Monarch Room and The Wayfarer.
Our interview with the restauranteurs here

July 7, 2014

Two for the Price of One: Our Interview with Father/Son Broker Team Siim and Rudi Hanja

By Dana Schulz

It’s hard not to become a jaded New Yorker when it comes to real estate. We’ve been duped by phony listing pictures, stood up at a random addresses by our brokers, and probably watched a little too much of the soap opera-like Million Dollar Listing. But it’s not all Photoshopped specs and inter-agency drama — something I quickly learned during my interview with Siim and Rudi Hanja, a father/son broker team at Brown Harris Stevens who are passionate about their careers, connection to downtown, and their relationship with each other. Siim Hanja has been a SoHo and Tribeca resident for the past 40 years. He’s considered an expert on the downtown residential market, and much of his client base includes people involved with the arts. He raised his daughter and son Rudi in SoHo, a neighborhood he is still proud to call home. Rudi was first introduced to real estate when he was around ten years old, filing papers at a small, boutique brokerage that Siim owned. After graduating from Boston University, Rudi took a summer job with the sales and marketing team at 120 Greenwich Street, where he worked with the exclusive broker and closed the final 30% of sales in the condo building. He then went on to work at another major real estate firm in the city until he and Siim decided to begin working together at Brown Harris Stevens.
Find out what team Hanja has to say

July 3, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Alina Cheung of Terracotta NY on How Her Investment Banking Past Inspired a Bowtie Business

By Susan Cohen

As investment banking analysts at Credit Suisse, Alina Cheung and Yidi Xu spent their days surrounded by men in ties. Little did they know that these men, and their ties, would later inspire them to leave investment banking behind. While crunching numbers and working on Excel spreadsheets, they found themselves thinking a lot about the prints on those ties. It was not long before Alina and Yidi realized they wanted the prints for themselves. And if they wanted them, they thought other women would too. With that thought, Terracotta New York, an accessories company, was born.
Read our interview with Alina here

June 29, 2014

Architect Morris Adjmi’s NYC Industrial Revolution – How One Architect Dares to Be Different

By Dana Schulz

Have you ever seen an interesting building and wondered if it was old, new, or somewhere in between? If so, there's a good chance you were looking at one of Morris Adjmi's creations. This is the brilliance of the architect--his buildings focus on the fundamentals of design, blending in with their historic surroundings, but still showcasing subtle, modern touches that make them unique. While Adjmi's contemporaries seem to be in a race to build the tallest, glassiest building in town, he has become the go-to architect for downtown developers thanks to his utilitarian- and industrial-influenced designs. After opening his own firm MA in 1997, Adjmi gained permanent notoriety with the Scholastic Building in SoHo, a 2001 project he collaborated on with Pritzker Prize winner Aldo Rossi. It was the first example of new construction in the SoHo Cast-Iron Historic District, and architecture Paul Goldberger said it was "a building that will teach generations of architects the proper way to respond to historic contexts."
More on Adjmi's work right ahead

June 27, 2014

INTERVIEW: Resolution: 4 Architecture’s Joseph Tanney Talks Prefab Homes and Designing NYC Apartments

By Patty Lee

Since it was founded in 1994, Resolution: 4 Architecture (RE4A) has been a game-changing force in the world of building and design. Founders Joseph Tanney and Robert Luntz were some of the first architects to embrace the idea of modular prefabricated homes, a concept that continues to grow in popularity for its cost0-efficiency, eco-friendly nature and versatility in design. The RE4A team has worked on numerous projects, ranging from envy-inducing vacation retreats to space-efficient lofts to the headquarters for Equinox gym. While they have helped design and build spaces across the nation, the firm calls New York City — specifically, Chelsea — home and plenty of Big Apple sensibilities show up in their work, which is bold, yet functional. We recently spoke with Tanney about RE4A's mission and upcoming work, plus his tips for creating a storage-friendly apartment.
Check out our full interview here

New Yorker Spotlight: Musician David Aaron Carpenter and the $45 Million ‘Macdonald’ Viola

By Susan Cohen

If you took a taxi this spring, violist David Aaron Carpenter may have joined you for the ride. Well, joined via the news segment in your taxi's television that is. When David played the 'Macdonald' viola made by Antonio Stradivari in 1719, which is currently up for sealed bid at Sotheby's with bidding starting at $45 million, news organizations took note. The ‘Macdonald’ is priced at $45 million for a reason. Sotheby’s explains on their website that “This exquisitely preserved and extremely rare viola is one of only ten complete violas Stradivari made during his lifetime and the only example from his golden period.” Contrast the number of violas Stradivari made with the approximately 600 violins he made, and it’s easy to see why a golden period in instrument bidding is about to occur. For David, playing the 'Macdonald' was an incredible opportunity to highlight this viola as well as the instrument in general. As the saying goes, the viola has long played second fiddle to the violin, but not if David can help it. He is on a mission to change how the public views violas.
Read our interview with David here

June 13, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Behind the Watch Counter at Christie’s with Mr. Reginald Brack

By Susan Cohen

Reginald Brack is keeping watch... On the international watch market that is. As Senior Vice President, International Head of Retail, Watches at Christie's, he travels the world in pursuit of that perfect watch. He focuses his time in private sales where he assists clients from New York to Geneva to Hong Kong with their buying and selling needs. Reginald's role at the auction house includes curating private boutiques, hosting events, and vetting watches for the newly launched Christie's Watch Shop. From this brief job description, it's clear that he has an expertise in things time related. Beyond his work at the auction house, I was interested in learning more about Reginald. How did he translate a love of watches into a career? My curiosity also extended into New York's relationship with timepieces. 6sqft met with Reginald in his office at Christie's to learn more about watches, collecting, and where Christie's fits into the watch market.
Read the interview with Reginald

June 6, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Natalie Vie, the Bushwick Artist and Olympic Hopeful

By Susan Cohen

“New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.” - Djuna Barnes Natalie Vie is an Olympic hopeful, a sculptor, and a resident of Bushwick. On any given day, she can be found fencing epee at Fencers Club in Chelsea, sculpting in her studio in Bushwick, curating a show, or out and about in her neighborhood's coffee shops and bookstores. What's interesting about Natalie is that she sounds like a native New Yorker; able to masterfully pursue multiple undertakings in a single day. However, she is actually a native of the desert. Natalie, 28, grew up in Phoenix where she earned a B.F.A in Sculpture at Arizona State University, and was on the University's club fencing team. She possesses a deep love for her home, but set her sights on New York. The city is home to a number of top ranked Women's Epee fencers, and Natalie wanted to train alongside them. Almost three years ago, she moved cross-country and immediately felt right at home. Fencing is referred to as physical chess. It's complex, rhythmic, and demanding. Epee, one of three fencing disciplines, has an entire body for target. Natalie can score a touch on the hand, the leg, or even the foot. When she fences, she must analyze her opponent's every move to find an opening and make a touch. Currently, she is in the midst of the World Cup season.
Our interview with Natalie here

May 30, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Photographer Barry Rosenthal on Living in the Financial District and Finding Inspiration in Nature

By Susan Cohen

Photographer and artist Barry Rosenthal is inspired by nature. His latest series, Found in Nature, is a response to what he was seeing and feeling while out on beaches. Barry, whose pieces can be found in the permanent collection of the MoMA in New York City and the Springfield Museum of Fine Art in Springfield, Massachusetts, is himself being found through Found in Nature. The series was recently featured in Brazil's National Geographic Magazine. Although Barry works in nature, he has lived in the caverns of the Financial District since 1987. Long before the neighborhood would become popular with young professionals and families, Barry and his wife, Elyn, found that the area — then made up primarily of office buildings — had just what they were looking for: space. Over the last 25 years, they and their daughter Macie, now 18, made the Financial District their home. The family was certainly ahead of the curve. As a New Yorker, I was curious to learn more about Barry. What was it like living in this neighborhood back in the '80s, especially from the perspective of a photographer and artist with a keen eye for observing the world? Why did he decide to head out of his studio and work in nature?
READ THE INTERVIEW WITH BARRY ROSENTHAL HERE

May 28, 2014

Field Trip to the American Dream (Via the Bronx)

By Andrew Cotto

My English composition class at a CUNY school resembles a Benetton ad minus the posing and singular fashion aesthetic. I could run the numbers, but I don’t need to make like Nate Silver to prove my class is almost entirely of immigrants or first generation Americans from a wide range of backgrounds. This makes things particularly interesting when we study the 'American Dream', for it’s far more relevant to my students than it is to, say, me — all snug and secure in my status as a second-generation American not living with the hope for citizenship nor the fear of deportation of myself or my loved ones. One of the materials I use when teaching the American Dream is an article from September of 2013 in The Times about Marco Saavedra, a young man brought here illegally as a toddler in the early ‘90s by his Mexican parents who own and operate a restaurant in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx. Under the auspices of his parents’ emphasis on education, Marco was able to thrive in the public schools’ of NYC and secure full scholarships to Deerfield Academy and then Kenyon College, from where he graduated in 2011. Impressive.
But then it all went south. Literally. More of Andrew's Story here

May 28, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Minton’s Chef Alexander Smalls Breathes New Life into Legendary Harlem Jazz Club

By Patty Lee

It was dinner party cocktail chatter that led long-time pals chef Alexander Smalls and former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons to launch a set of Harlem restaurants. Last fall, five years after that initial talk, the duo re-opened Minton’s, bringing the legendary jazz club back to its former glory, complete with Sunday jazz suppers. Around the same time, they also launched a brand new restaurant down the block called the Cecil, which boasts a cross-cultural menu inspired by Africa’s wide-spreading culinary influence. We sat down with Smalls, an opera-singer-turned chef and longtime Harlem resident, to get his thoughts on the changing neighborhood and what business owners can do to give back.
Read our interview with the culinary legend

May 25, 2014

Hell on Wheels: Misadventures as a NYC Bicyclist

By Andrew Cotto

I’ve been walking this town for over 20 years. It's one of my favorite things to do since it inspires my ideas as an author and informs my pride as a denizen. I also hate crowded subways and will do nearly anything to avoid the madness of rush hour (and this was before getting stuck on a packed subway car under the East River during the 2003 blackout). My connection to New York is most profound when walking the streets, meandering from neighborhood to neighborhood, taking in the show, taking in a bite to eat, all the while making ideas in my little factory of an imagination. I was more active in my walks of New York as a younger man, but even as a family man, I find time to take epic treks on days off or those rare weekend days that are available for leisure.
Cycling Manhattan? Brilliant idea or a lapse of sanity? Andrew's Story here

May 21, 2014

Call Me Halal: Palatable Advice Straight from the Streets of Downtown Brooklyn

By Andrew Cotto

One of the saddest things I heard in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 was told to me by the wife of an acquaintance. She said, with a smug sense of pride, that her family — in an act of patriotic protest to the recent attacks on America — would be ending their long-standing Thanksgiving tradition of serving assorted meat and vegetable pies from Damascus Bakery on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. It was a heartbreaking statement of staggering stupidity, offensive on so many levels, not the least of which was personal. I lived next door to Damascus Bakery in my first Brooklyn apartment. This was before Barney’s, Urban Outfitters and Trader Joe’s arrived. It was when that section of Atlantic Avenue was overwhelmingly Arabic, and I frequented the eateries as often as I could, feasting on delicacies from the Middle East, learning some geography and culture and a little Arabic along the way. And, of course, I met many wonderful people, including the family who owned and operated Damascus Bakery.
Read the rest of Andrew's story here

May 18, 2014

AndrewAndrew (And Andrew?) – Encountering the NYC Icons

By Andrew Cotto

I mingled as I should at the Lambs Club, meeting potential travel writing advocates at a private party in the back of the room, enjoying the playlist of AndrewAndrew, wondering if there was such a word as “Tripleganger.” 6sqft's Andrew Cotto — an author of two novels and a journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Men’s Journal, and Salon.com — will be sharing his experiences as he makes his way around New York City. Here, he describes his chance encounters with NYC icons AndrewAndrew.
Read about Andrew's encounter with the Andrews

May 13, 2014

Observations: Changes at the Center of the City (And World)

By Carter B. Horsley

The city’s most famous plazas straddle Fifth Avenue at 59th Street, and there’s a lot going on. One of the city’s great entrances is the large marquee facing Fifth Avenue at the Plaza Hotel between 58th Street and Central Park South surmounted by five large ”outrigger” flags, at least one of which is the American flag. This past Sunday, there were two American flags, one Canadian flag, the Fairmount Hotels & Resorts flag, and the Plaza Hotel flag. The two American flags, however, were not standard and the “canton” of white stars against a blue background. These had too much blue background at the edge. While pointing this out to the two doorman, Jarret Lazar, the manager of bell services, wandered by and expressed surprise at my observation. He said that the flags need to be changed every two or three weeks because they get ripped apart.
Taking in the changes of our great city

April 28, 2014

Hilarious Infographic of Manhattan Stereotypes is Spot-On

By Annie Doge

Every NYC neighborhood has its archetype, and this infographic by Apartment List perfectly depicts every Manhattan nabe to a tee. While you'll of course find the obvious characterizations like the Goldman Sachs associate who galavants around the Upper East Side, hilarious insights like what Chelsea residents do for fun ("People watching at the High Line, eating a popsicle") will give you a giggle. The infographic also provides useful info like the average cost of one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as how much cash you can save by sharing — all in terms any New Yorker can understand (ex. in Tribeca you can pocket $1,548/month; a.k.a. 19 pairs of Lullemon pants). And though Apartment List's creation just depicts Manhattan 'hoods right now, given the easy target that lies just across the East River, we're keeping our eyes peeled for their take on Brooklyn.
Check out the full-size version here

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