All articles by Dana Schulz

June 15, 2021

New York hits 70% vaccination rate, Cuomo lifts all Covid restrictions

Last week, Governor Cuomo announced that when New York hit a 70-percent vaccination rate among those 18+, he would lift reopening guidance across commercial and social settings. And as of today, the state has hit that milestone. In a celebratory press conference from the World Trade Center, the governor said, "We can now return to life as we know it." To mark the occasion, there will be 10 fireworks displays across the state tonight, including one in New York Harbor.
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$3.5M Park Slope townhouse has its own driveway, a backyard studio, and a bonus apartment

Listing photos by Allyson Lubow

June 15, 2021

$3.5M Park Slope townhouse has its own driveway, a backyard studio, and a bonus apartment

By Dana Schulz

This unique Park Slope property sits on a large 25-foot-wide lot, and its industrial-style garage doors open to a private driveway that leads to a heated two-car garage that's currently configured as an art studio/woodshop. On the market for $3,495,000, the two-family townhouse consists of a three-bedroom owner's duplex plus basement that has direct access to the big backyard, as well as a two-bedroom income-generating apartment on the top floor.
See the lovely interiors here

Distinctive Homes

$1.75M West Village co-op feels like a Provincial farmhouse

Listing photos by Ryan Lahiff

June 14, 2021

$1.75M West Village co-op feels like a Provincial farmhouse

By Dana Schulz

This West Village home looks like it came straight off a travel influencer's Instagram page. More Provincial farmhouse than Village co-op, the one-bedroom apartment comes complete with a landscaped garden that adds to the serene, getaway vibes. Located at 92 Horatio Street, it's asking $1,750,000 and was designed by renowned architects Fairfax and Sammons.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

19 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in New York City

Gregg Richards: Crowd carrying a “Say their names” banner gather at Grand Army Plaza for Black Lives Matter rally. Brooklyn Public Library’s Center for Brooklyn History.

June 11, 2021

19 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in New York City

By Dana Schulz

Celebrated on June 19, Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the United States in 1865, and it has been marked by African Americans across the country for more than 150 years. Last year, Governor Cuomo made Juneteenth an official state holiday, and Mayor de Blasio made it a city and school holiday. On this occasion of the holiday's first official year being observed, we've put together a list of events throughout New York City that celebrate and honor this sacred day, from film screenings and musical performances to panel discussions to walking tours.
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Events & Things To Do

Grand Dyker Heights home has a heated pool, outdoor kitchen, and two-car garage for $6.2M

Listing photos by Vistabee

June 11, 2021

Grand Dyker Heights home has a heated pool, outdoor kitchen, and two-car garage for $6.2M

By Dana Schulz

Dyker Heights is best known for its lavish Christmas light displays, not surprising since the Brooklyn neighborhood is a wonderful, family-friendly enclave full of large detached homes. This brick and limestone house at 1151 83rd Street has six bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, a two-car garage with an additional apartment, and a large patio complete with a heated gunite swimming pool and outdoor kitchen. Plus, it's raised above the street level, providing privacy and views. The home is on the market for $6,188,000.
Go inside

Distinctive Homes

For $13.75M, this huge Riverside duplex has a private pool overlooking the Hudson

Listing photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

June 10, 2021

For $13.75M, this huge Riverside duplex has a private pool overlooking the Hudson

By Dana Schulz

Seven bedrooms, eight-and-half bathrooms, a private elevator, double-height floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the Hudson River--this Upper West Side duplex already sounds incredible, right? What if we told you that it also has a 3,600+ square-foot landscaped terrace complete with a private swimming pool that's larger than many studio apartments? Located at luxury condominium The Aldyn, at 60 Riverside Boulevard between West 62nd and 63rd Streets, the home is on the market for $13,750,000.
See the interior

Distinctive Homes

Affordable housing lottery in East New York opens for 175 units, from $354/month

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

June 10, 2021

Affordable housing lottery in East New York opens for 175 units, from $354/month

By Dana Schulz

Not far from Brooklyn's Broadway Junction transit hub, a new building dubbed 50 Penn has launched an affordable housing lottery for 175 apartments, ranging from $354/month studios to $1,993/month three-bedrooms. Located at 2628 Fulton Street, it's in the East New York neighborhood, close to both Atlantic and Jamaica Avenues and a quick walk to Forest Park. The ground floor offers retail space, including a grocery store. The units are open to those earning 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80 percent of the area median income.
See the requirements

Affordable Housing

Kate Pierson of the B-52s lists her retro Catskills compound for $2.2M, kitschy furnishings included

Listing photos by David Coppola for Heather Croner Real Estate Sotheby’s International Realty

June 10, 2021

Kate Pierson of the B-52s lists her retro Catskills compound for $2.2M, kitschy furnishings included

By Dana Schulz

B-52s lead singer Kate Pierson and her wife, artist Monica Coleman, bought this 6.5-acre Catskills property in the early 2000s, turning it into a retro "love shack." With a total of 10 guest accommodations, the motel called Kate's Lazy Meadow is just outside Woodstock, New York. It was, coincidentally, built in 1952, and Pierson and Coleman outfitted the cabins with mid-century furnishings, bright colors, and loads of kitschy decor--all of which is included in the $2,200,000 sale.
See it all right here

Listing photos by R.J. Weinberger

June 9, 2021

For just $650K, you can own an entire historic three-bedroom house in Bayonne

By Dana Schulz

With prices climbing in Hoboken and Jersey City, commuters are looking for more affordable yet convenient options across the Hudson. Bayonne is situated between Staten Island and Jersey City and is easily accessible via the Light Rail. Though the city has seen a lot of luxury development along the waterfront, it also has a healthy stock of single-family homes that offer a cool combo of urban and somewhat suburban living. Take this three-bedroom townhouse; it was built in 1891 and today retains much of its historic architecture, along with gorgeous modern upgrades, a sunroom and a mudroom, a detached garage, and a large yard. The best part? It's asking just $650,000--which will barely get you a one-bedroom apartment on the other side of the river.
See the whole place

Distinctive Homes

Apply for 27 middle-income apartments in the heart of Greenpoint, from $1,208/month

Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

June 9, 2021

Apply for 27 middle-income apartments in the heart of Greenpoint, from $1,208/month

By Dana Schulz

New Yorkers earning 80 or 130 percent of the area median income can apply for 27 apartments in Greenpoint through the city's affordable housing lottery. The units at 1056 Manhattan Avenue range from $1,208/month studios to $2,592/month two-bedrooms. The recently completed building is in the heart of the neighborhood and offers spacious sunny apartments, a gym, roof deck, and parking options.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Historic brick rowhouse in Boerum Hill radiates cheerfulness for $2.75M

By Dana Schulz

Walking by this adorable baby-blue brick house in Boerum Hill, you can't help feel happy. And when you walk inside, the cheerful disposition continues. Built in 1812 and located at 112 Nevins Street, the two-bedroom, two-story home is on the market for $2,750,000. It's super bright, full of fun colors, and has a magical rear garden.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

Mid-century home in Westchester designed by David Henken asks $1.4M after new renovation

Listing photos courtesy of Compass

June 8, 2021

Mid-century home in Westchester designed by David Henken asks $1.4M after new renovation

By Dana Schulz

A three-bedroom home in Pleasantville, New York, designed in 1951 by Frank Lloyd Wright-disciple David Henken, is on the market for $1.4 million. It recently underwent a renovation that includes a new kitchen, refinished cypress walls and vaulted fir ceilings, and modern upgrades like electric heated floors and cedar-lined closets--all of which preserves it mid-century charm.
Get a look inside

Distinctive Homes

Jersey City is bringing back July 4th fireworks to the Hudson River this year

Photo from the 2019 fireworks display by Jennifer Brown/City of Jersey City

June 8, 2021

Jersey City is bringing back July 4th fireworks to the Hudson River this year

By Dana Schulz

Viewable from the New York and New Jersey waterfronts, a July 4th fireworks display will return to the Hudson River this year. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop made the announcement that the Freedom and Fireworks event will take place after being canceled in 2020 due to Covid. "Since we revived Jersey City’s Fourth of July event in 2013, we’ve become a destination for the annual celebration, and I think it’s important to restore those traditions for residents and visitors to have something to look forward to," said Mayor Fulop.
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Events & Things To Do

New York will lift all remaining Covid restrictions when vaccination rate hits 70%

Photo by Daniel Tong on Unsplash

June 7, 2021

New York will lift all remaining Covid restrictions when vaccination rate hits 70%

By Dana Schulz

New Yorkers can expect almost all Covid restrictions to be lifted very soon. The state's vaccination rate as of today is 68.6 percent; when it hits 70 percent, reopening guidance will be lifted across commercial and social settings. This includes capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, health screenings, and contact tracing information. Consistent with the CDC, current mask requirements will remain in place.
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Paris’ famous Pompidou Center will open its first North American outpost in Jersey City

Rendering of The Centre Pompidou X Jersey City, courtesy OMA

June 7, 2021

Paris’ famous Pompidou Center will open its first North American outpost in Jersey City

By Dana Schulz

When The Centre Pompidou (Pompidou Center in English) opened in Paris in 1977, it was the first collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe. Famous as much for its inside-out building designed by Renzo Piano as for its artwork, the museum has in recent years opened satellite locations in Málaga, Spain, Brussels, and Shanghai. And come 2024, they'll open their first North American outpost in Jersey City. According to a press release, the location "will launch a strong partnership aiming to reinvent, develop and activate Jersey City Journal Square’s iconic Pathside Building."
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Events & Things To Do

This $8.25M five-bedroom condo in Williamsburg has an outdoor kitchen overlooking the skyline

Listing photos by Allyson Lubow

June 2, 2021

This $8.25M five-bedroom condo in Williamsburg has an outdoor kitchen overlooking the skyline

By Dana Schulz

The condo building at 2 Northside Piers was one of the first residential developments along the Williamsburg waterfront, which has afforded it completely unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline. This 20th-floor, five-bedroom unit is perfect proof of this, with panoramic views of the river and the city. And in addition to three balconies, the duplex unit also has an 822-square-foot rooftop cabana complete with a full outdoor kitchen. It's for sale asking $8,250,000.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

Listing images courtesy of The Corcoran Group

May 28, 2021

This two-family brick rowhouse in Ridgewood was renovated to perfection for $1.6M

By Dana Schulz

Not only is Ridgewood, Queens desirable for its location on the Bushwick border, but it's got a great housing stock that's semi more suburban than surrounding neighborhoods. This little brick rowhouse has a cute front yard and a rear deck leading down to a private garden complete with a gas fire pit and pergola. It's currently set up as an owner's duplex and a second-floor apartment, and it's asking $1,625,000.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

The two-level terrace is a private getaway at this $2.1M Greenwich Village co-op

Listing photos by Krisztina Crane from Evan Joseph

May 27, 2021

The two-level terrace is a private getaway at this $2.1M Greenwich Village co-op

By Dana Schulz

The secluded, bi-level roof terrace at this two-bedroom Greenwich Village co-op is truly magical. Located at 49 East 12th Street, between University and Broadway, the seventh-floor outdoor space overlooks the low-scale neighborhood while still providing views of the larger skyline. The split-level interior is just as cozy, with a wood-burning fireplace, exposed brick walls, and a solarium bedroom. It's asking $2,095,000.
See inside, too

Distinctive Homes

May 26, 2021

Hudson Yards’ Vessel will reopen with a buddy system in place

By Dana Schulz

In January, Hudson Yards' 150-foot climbable sculpture Vessel closed after three people jumped to their deaths from the structure. According to a report in Gothamist, the attraction will reopen this Friday, but with new protocols in place. First, single people will no longer be able to enter Vessel; they will have to visit in groups of two or more. And instead of being free, most time slots will now cost $10 per person.
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Events & Things To Do

For $2.5M, this historic Victorian in Ditmas Park has a suburban yard and two-car garage

Listing photos by Al Seidman

May 26, 2021

For $2.5M, this historic Victorian in Ditmas Park has a suburban yard and two-car garage

By Dana Schulz

Ditmas Park is well known for its large, free-standing homes, but this $2,495,000 Victorian beauty takes suburban living in Brooklyn to another level. Located at 685 East 22nd Street, the six-bedroom, 2,400+ square-foot home is situated on a 50' x 100' corner lot, allowing for front, side, and rear yards, an enclosed front porch, and a two-car garage. And just wait until you see the beautifully preserved interiors, full of Arts and Crafts woodwork and stained glass, all dating to the home's turn-of-the-century construction.
Go inside

Distinctive Homes

Cupcake moldings are the icing on the cake at this sweet Carroll Gardens co-op, asking $1.7M

Listing photos by Hayley Ellen Day of DDreps

May 25, 2021

Cupcake moldings are the icing on the cake at this sweet Carroll Gardens co-op, asking $1.7M

By Dana Schulz

This two-bedroom Carroll Gardens co-op looks like something you'd find on a Pinterest board. Cupcake and crown moldings, marble fireplaces, pocket doors, and a grand pier mirror from the 1800s have all been maintained in pristine condition. And when mixed with the more modern, yet equally dreamy, decor, the 1,100-square-foot home is completely breathtaking. Located at 86 2nd Place, it's asking $1,695,000.
See the whole place

Distinctive Homes

Starting this weekend, you can get a Covid vaccine at a NYC beach

Rockaway Beach. Photo by Malaya Sadler on Unsplash

May 25, 2021

Starting this weekend, you can get a Covid vaccine at a NYC beach

By Dana Schulz

Just as it does every year, Memorial Day weekend will officially kick off beach season in New York City. But this year, New Yorkers will be able to enjoy the sun and get a Covid-19 vaccine. Mayor de Blasio announced today that starting this weekend, the city's mobile vaccine buses will be stationed at Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Orchard Beach, and the Rockaways.
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Policy

All the food and flea markets reopening this year

The Brooklyn Flea in Dumbo, photo by Noemie Trusty

May 25, 2021

All the food and flea markets reopening this year

By Dana Schulz

The city is slowly but surely coming to life again, and one of the ways New Yorkers can safely get out and about this summer is at one of the many food or flea markets that are reopening. From old standbys like the Grand Bazaar on the Upper West Side and Brooklyn Flea to newcomers like Fordham Flea and Smorgasburg Jersey City, there's a little something for everyone, whether you're looking for international cuisine, vintage clothing, or handmade housewares. Ahead, we've rounded up 13 markets you can visit, with more expected to announce opening dates soon.
The full list here

Events & Things To Do

‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ returns next month in front of a fully vaccinated audience

Photo by Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia Commons

May 24, 2021

‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ returns next month in front of a fully vaccinated audience

By Dana Schulz

When "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" returns to the Ed Sullivan Theater on June 14, it will be filmed in front of a live, full and fully vaccinated audience, CBS announced today, becoming the first network late-night show to make that move. Colbert was the first late-night host to return to the screen after the pandemic hit, broadcasting a total of 205 episodes remotely from his home in South Carolina and more recently from a small room at the Midtown theater.
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City Living

Full of raw materials and Scandinavian style, this Bed-Stuy townhouse is asking $3.9M

Listing photos by Elizabeth Dooley of Dooley Images

May 24, 2021

Full of raw materials and Scandinavian style, this Bed-Stuy townhouse is asking $3.9M

By Dana Schulz

Built in 1879, this Italianate rowhouse in Bed-Sty "has been meticulously restored while incorporating a modern flair," as the listing describes. TBo architects oversaw a rear extension that extends to all four floors, while Townhouse Therapy renovated the interiors. Now on the market for $3,895,000, the nearly 4,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home has unique industrial bones, including natural wood tones almost everywhere you look, original brick walls, and exposed concrete columns and beams. But to soften the look, the decor has a modern, Scandinavian feel. There's also an income-generating garden-level apartment.
See it all here

Distinctive Homes

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