All articles by Dana Schulz

January 15, 2016

The Secret Community of NYC Republicans; Name a Roach After Your Ex for $10 at the Bronx Zoo

Visiting the underground community of NYC republicans. [NYT] This Valentine’s Day, the Bronx Zoo is selling naming rights to its cockroaches for just $10. [BK Mag] Restaurateurs in Williamsburg and Bushwick are already mobilizing against the possible three-year L train shutdown. [Eater] Trump may be ahead in the polls, but new research shows his campaign is […]

January 14, 2016

The World Metro Map Mashes Up 214 Subway Systems

At first glance, it might look like a metro for some city you're not familiar with, perhaps Berlin or Beijing, but this map is actually a combination of almost all those cities that might come to mind. Titled The World Metro Map, it's a mashup of 214 subway systems, totaling 791 lines and 11,924 stations (h/t Cool Hunting). New York-based collective ArtCodeData teamed up with non-profit Open Access to create the map as a representation of "human mobility" explored through the unifying element of subways. The result is a "digital collage" that's colorful, geometric, and provides a new view of world transportation.
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January 13, 2016

The Federal Government Will Start Databasing Secret Buyers of NYC Luxury Real Estate

For the first time ever, the U.S. federal government will start identifying and tracking secret buyers of high-end real estate, requiring those making all-cash transactions or hiding behind an LLC to disclose their names for entry into a law enforcement database. The regulation is kicking off in Manhattan and Miami-Dade County, two hotbeds of foreign investment, according to the New York Times. "The initiative is part of a broader federal effort to increase the focus on money laundering in real estate. Treasury and federal law enforcement officials said they were putting greater resources into investigating luxury real estate sales that involve shell companies like limited liability companies, often known as L.L.C.s; partnerships; and other entities," the paper explains.
More details ahead
January 13, 2016

The Bronx Is Losing Its History Channel Sign; Download Free Space Sounds From NASA

Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena wins the 2016 Pritzker Prize. [ArchDaily] The Bronx’s iconic History Channel sign is coming down. [Welcome2theBronx] A Neuroscientist patiently explains the allure of the adult coloring book. [NY Mag] NASA posted a free library of space sounds (rockets, lightning on Jupiter, and interstellar plasma, to name a few) on SoundCloud. [CDM] This […]

January 12, 2016

Where I Work: Inside interior designer Ghislaine Viñas’ colorful, playful Tribeca loft

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we take a tour of designer Ghislaine Viñas' colorful and Tribeca loft. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! The work of interior designer Ghislaine Viñas is unmistakable; the bright colors, bold prints, and fun and funky decor have made her the go-to firm for both local Tribeca residents and international clients looking to jazz up their homes. After 25 years and winning countless awards (many of which celebrate her use of color), appearing on television stations like HGTV, and gracing the pages of publications from The New York Times to Vogue, Ghislaine is showing no signs of slowing down. Long fans of her work, 6sqft recently toured Ghislaine's live/work space, which, not surprisingly is the perfect example of her playful, yet modern, aesthetic. We learned about what influences her designs, how her team works together, and new product collaborations. We also got some tips on how to incorporate color into our homes like a pro.
All this and more ahead
January 12, 2016

David Bowie’s NYC; Coachella Music Fest Moved to Randall’s Island

Subway riders share their feelings about four-legged passengers. [NYT] Sales launch today at Herzog & de Meuron’s 160 Leroy with 50 percent already sold. [6sqft inbox] Here are five iconic David Bowie NYC moments and places. [Untapped] And here you can read the late artist’s personal reflections on being a New Yorker. [Vulture] After original plans to hold […]

January 12, 2016

Brooklyn’s Future Tallest Tower to Hit 1,066 Feet

Less than a month ago, developers Michael Stern and Joe Chetrit closed on Downtown Brooklyn's Dime Savings Bank building for $90 million, which provided them with the 300,000 square feet of air rights needed to construct Brooklyn's first 1,000+ foot tower at 340 Flatbush Avenue Extension. Since news of the future tallest building outside Manhattan first came to light in August, the exact height hadn't been reported. But now NY Yimby has uncovered the number, and it's a whopping 1,066 feet, amounting to 556,164 square feet of total space.
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January 11, 2016

Governor Cuomo to Transform the Subway With Free Wi-Fi, USB Chargers, and Mobile Payment

Is there anything in NYC that Governor Cuomo does like? He started his crusade to overhaul our infrastructure back in July when he revealed renderings for a $4 billion update to LaGuardia Airport. But this past week he pulled out all the stops, starting with a $3 billion redevelopment of Penn Station, a $1 billion expansion of the Javits Center, and now, a massive undertaking to "modernize and fundamentally transform" the MTA and the subway. Curbed reports that the Governor's latest plan includes expediting the addition of more countdown clocks, adding contactless payment by 2018, equipping all stations with Wi-Fi by the end of this year and cell phone service by the end of 2017, and outfitting both subways and buses with USB chargers.
More details right this way
January 9, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

$1.7B Light Rail Connecting the Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront Proposed Dr. Zizmor of Subway Ad Fame Retires and Sells Bronx Mansion All in One Day Britney Spears’ Former Penthouse Hits the Market for $7.6 Million Revealed: New Renderings of Renzo Piano’s SoHo Tower at 555 Broome Street The City’s First Wi-Fi Kiosks Unveiled Today! Renderings Revealed for […]

January 7, 2016

Renderings Revealed for Governor Cuomo’s $3B Penn Station Overhaul

6sqft asked readers yesterday if Governor Cuomo would finally be able to get the Penn Station overhaul off the ground, after various news outlets reported that he would be announcing a plan to do just this. The majority of you said it wasn't going to happen, but it looks like the long-envisioned project has just gotten one step closer to reality. During a press conference yesterday at Madison Square Garden, the Governor revealed that he'll be heading up a major revamp of Penn Station, which he called "un-New York," according to Gothamist. The more than $3 billion redevelopment has been dubbed the Empire Station Complex, and a request for proposals will go out this week, due back in 90 days (not good news for the decade-old deal with developers Related Cos. and Vornado Realty). As expected, it includes the long-stalled Moynihan Station project that will convert the adjacent Farley Post Office into a large waiting area, similar in size to the main room at Grand Central. This will increase the size of the nation's busiest transit hub by 50 percent and will connect to the current station by a network of underground tunnels. Though several options are on the table for a redesign, the renderings released by the Governor's office show a glassy and light structure that's quite unlike the current space that Cuomo described as "dark, constrained, ugly, a lost opportunity, a bleak warren of corridors… a miserable experience and a terrible first impression."
More details and renderings ahead
January 7, 2016

$1B Expansion Planned for the Javits Center

It seems like Governor Cuomo's had enough of ugly Manhattan buildings. Fresh off his announcement of a $3 billion overhaul of Penn Station comes another major redevelopment plan–a $1 billion expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Center, already the nation's largest meeting place. First reported by Curbed, the project will increase the building by 1.2 million square feet, adding five times the current meeting space and bringing the total square footage to a massive 3.3 million. Renderings from FXFOWLE show a glassy structure that will house a 58,000-square-foot ballroom (Cuomo says it will be the largest in the northeast), 22,000 square feet of outdoor event space, and a four-level truck garage that will supposedly get 20,000 vehicles off the streets.
See all the renderings
January 7, 2016

Housing Lottery for Two $918/Month Apartments Across From MoMA PS1 in LIC Starts Today

The affordable housing lottery for 21-03 46th Avenue in Long Island City officially opens today, and the brand new one-bedroom luxury units will be a mere $918, according to the NYC HPD. Apartments have private terraces, ten-foot ceilings, Brazilian cherry floors, chef's kitchens with stainless steel appliances, and in-unit washers/dryers. Plus, the address is right across from MoMA PS1 and just a block away from the E, M, 7 and G subways. The catch? The building only has eight units and only two of these are deemed affordable.
Feeling lucky? Find out if you qualify.
January 6, 2016

Online Lottery for ‘Hamilton’ Breaks the Internet; Tour Donald Trump’s 1987 Connecticut Mansion

The online lottery for “Hamilton” crashed after more than 50,000 people tried to score cheap tickets. For now, it’s back to the streets. [Vulture] Take a tour of Donald Trump’s Greenwich, Connecticut home in 1987. [Mashable] These trucks have rear screens that show oncoming traffic so other drivers can safely pass them. [Digital Synopsis] Exploring Harlem’s […]

January 6, 2016

POLL: Can Governor Cuomo Finally Get the Penn Station Overhaul off the Ground?

After chatter last month that the state may reboot the plan to expand Penn Station into the adjacent Farley Post Office, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Governor Cuomo will announce this week a full overhaul for the nation’s busiest transit hub. It’s expected that his plan will indeed include the projected $900 million post office redevelopment […]

January 6, 2016

Blackstone’s Purchase of Stuy Town Includes $625M in Air Rights

Photo via Wiki Commons Less than three months ago, the Blackstone Group and Ivanhoe Cambridge's colossal purchase of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village went public. At the time, it was revealed that as part of the $5.46 billion deal Blackstone would reserve 4,500 of the complex's 11,200 apartments for middle-income families for the next 20 years, with an additional 200 units set aside for low-income tenants. But what's just come to light is the $625 million worth of air rights that came along with the buy. The majority of the roughly one million square feet will be transferred elsewhere, but about 250,000 square feet will remain within Stuy Town. As the Post first reported, "These include 200,000 square feet for a community facility, 25,000 square feet for residential and 25,000 square feet for commercial use."
More details this way
January 5, 2016

Get a $100 Gold-Flaked, Champagne-Filled Donut Straight From Williamsburg

Image via Manila Social Club Apparently 2016 will not be the year we stop rolling our eyes at Williamsburg. In perhaps its most Brooklyn stunt yet, the 'hood is now offering a $100 gold-flaked, champagne-filled donut that just might boot the cronut from the in-crowd (h/t BKMag). Available at the newly opened Filipino spot the Manila Social Club, the Golden Cristal Ube Donut (as it's formally known) is described on the restaurant's Instagram as "infamous" and "adorned with icing made with Cristal champagne and filled with an ube mousse, champagne jelly, and covered with 24k Gold."
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January 5, 2016

Developer Uses Katz’s Deli to Sell Luxury Condos; Are Oceanscapers the Future of Architecture?

Developer Ben Shaoul is using hipster-fied images of Katz’s deli to sell his new condos at 196 Orchard Street. [Bowery Boogie] Forget the selfie stick, there’s now a selfie camera that’s worn like a bracelet. [Mashable] Architect Vincent Callebaut has conceived floating villages that are 3D printed from plastic waste and algae. Each underwater village could house […]

January 5, 2016

Median Sale Price in Manhattan Hits 27-Year High at $1.15M

If you thought you were going to get a deal on a Manhattan apartment this year, you might want to reconsider your big plans. A new report from Douglas Elliman shows that in the fourth quarter of 2015, the borough's median sale price jumped 17 percent to $1.15 million, breaking a 27-year record, according to The Real Deal. If that wasn't enough to make you pause, the report also shows that the average sale price increased 12 percent to $1.9 million and the average price per square foot rose more than 28 percent to $1,645, both record setters. And while co-op sales were down 4 percent, condo sales were up a staggering 28.6 percent, with a median price of $1.7 million. Luxury listings are in a class all their own; their median sale price reached $6 million, a 25 percent increase.
More on the trends ahead
January 4, 2016

Dr. Zizmor of Subway Ad Fame Retires and Sells Bronx Mansion All in One Day

Local celebrity Dr. Jonathan Zizmor has been both charming and perplexing subway riders for decades, thanks to his dermatology ads that subtly peddle cosmetic surgery against a rainbow background. But these will soon be a thing of the past, as the Daily News reported this morning that Dr. Zizmor has officially retired and closed his Upper East Side practice. And just hours later, Curbed broke the news that the doctor's Mediterranean Revival mansion in the Fieldston section of the Bronx has gone into contract for $3.075 million after three years on the market. (Bet you never thought you'd hear so much Dr. Zizmor news in day!)
Take a tour of his grand home
January 4, 2016

94 Years Ago Today, NYC Debuted the World’s First Three-Colored Traffic Lights

Did you know the three-colored traffic light, now a staple in most of the world, was invented right here in NYC? The year was 1922, and special deputy police commissioner Dr. John F. Harriss tested his system of lights to save time for "both the pedestrian and the motorist." Today, on the 94th anniversary of the lights' installation, the Times took a look back at a historic article the paper published at the time. It described how Harriss "began experimenting yesterday with powerful signal lights which will be installed from week to week until traffic in most of Manhattan will be simultaneously started and stopped by red, green and yellow lights all operated by a single switch in Times Square."
The rest of the history this way