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.
Giant LEGO Blocks Let You Build Anything from a Coffee Table to an Entire Room
September 2, 2015

Giant LEGO Blocks Let You Build Anything from a Coffee Table to an Entire Room

By
We've seen our fair share of adult LEGO projects, including architecturally themed sets of blocks, a full scale model of New York City, and even an entire bedroom made of 20,000 of the colorful modules. But none of these endeavors have quite the versatility of EverBlock, giant LEGOs that can be used to build tables, chairs, walls, and even full rooms and structures. As the company explains, "Anything you've constructed can be taken apart and re-assembled again, and the pieces can be re-used to build other objects, making EverBlock a unique green building method."
READ MORE
VIDEO: Riding the Subway in the 1940s Wasn’t Much Different From Today
September 2, 2015

VIDEO: Riding the Subway in the 1940s Wasn’t Much Different From Today

By
Here's a picture of the New York City subway–mobs of commuters crowding the platforms; train cars filled to the brim; passengers blocking the train doors; people walking while reading the paper, oblivious to their surroundings. Sounds like your commute this morning, right? But believe it or not, we're describing the subway from the 1940s. Unearthed today by Gothamist, this video from the New York Transit Museum archives shows just how little things have changed in the past 75 years.
Watch the video here
September 2, 2015

POLL: Would You Apply for an ‘Affordable’ $1,500/Month Studio in My Micro NY?

By

Yesterday, we reported that My Micro NY, the city’s first micro apartment complex, was accepting applications for its affordable units, which account for 22 of the building’s 55 studios. Located at 335 East 27th Street on the border of Gramercy and Kips Bay, the building has units that range in size from 260 to 360 square feet. One person […]

NYC’s First Micro Apartment Complex Now Accepting Applications, Units $950/Month
September 1, 2015

NYC’s First Micro Apartment Complex Now Accepting Applications, Units $950/Month

By
We knew this day was quickly approaching; just a couple of months ago, we reported that My Micro NY (also known as Carmel Place), the city's first micro apartment complex, was fully stacked, reaching its 120-foot height at 335 East 27th Street on the border of Gramercy and Kips Bay. Now, Brick Underground reports that the $17 million development began accepting applications this morning for its 260- to 360-square-foot affordable studios. According to the site, the available units are "11 $950/month studios for one person earning between $34,526 and $48,350, or two people making between $34,526 and $55,250; and three $1,492/month studios for one person making between $53,109 and $78,650, or two people making between $53,109 and $89,830."
Find out how to apply here
Infographic: The Correlation Between Income and Access to NYC Public Transit
September 1, 2015

Infographic: The Correlation Between Income and Access to NYC Public Transit

By
We already know that there are plenty of areas within the five boroughs that are underserved by public transportation, but a new visualization provides an interesting perspective on how this lack of service is related to income. The simple infographic by FiveThirtyEight shows how New Yorkers commute based on income and access to public transportation, revealing five broad categories that range from those with no good options at all to those who have their choice of Uber or public transportation.
READ MORE
The Most Tourist-Hating Cities; How New York is Your Bagel Order
August 31, 2015

The Most Tourist-Hating Cities; How New York is Your Bagel Order

By

New art piece atop Clinton Hill’s Broken Angel Condo pays tribute to the building’s history. [Brownstoner] City Comptroller Scott Stringer wants to make Stonewall Inn a national monument for its role in the modern LGBTQ movement. [NYP] A tweet-based comparison shows that residents of Arlington, Texas hate tourists more than New Yorkers. [CityLab] The gentrifier’s guide […]

Revealed: Floor Plans and Pricing for Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower
August 31, 2015

Revealed: Floor Plans and Pricing for Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower

By
After progress crept along for nearly ten years, Jean Nouvel's highly anticipated MoMA Tower, officially known as 53W53, is now inching closer to the finish line. A year ago we got a peak at unofficial penthouse floorplans, and the first interior renderings were revealed in February, followed by a pre-sales-launch video of the interiors in May. Now, the Post has uncovered floorplans and pricing for three of the units in the 1,050-foot, 82-story asymmetrical tower. They include a 3,846-square-foot, 55th-floor three-bedroom asking $21.7 million; a smaller 55th-floor three-bedroom for $14.42 million; and a 4,362-square-foot, 72nd-floor three-bedroom duplex going for $39.2 million.
More floorplans and pricing
August’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features
August 29, 2015

August’s 10 Most-Read Stories and This Week’s Features

By

August’s 10 Most-Read Stories NeighborhoodX’s 3D Map Reveals the Blocks Where Real Estate Prices Are Soaring Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo Nabs $18.5M Trump Tower Loft Supermodel and Daughter of Zipcar Founder, Cameron Russell Scoops Up a $1.5M Bed-Stuy Townhouse See NYC’s Subway Lines Superimposed Over an Aerial Photo of the City Construction Kicks Off at […]

Want to Dine Al Fresco Tonight? This Interactive Map Shows All 1,357 Sidewalk Cafés in NYC
August 28, 2015

Want to Dine Al Fresco Tonight? This Interactive Map Shows All 1,357 Sidewalk Cafés in NYC

By
This time of year, who wants to eat inside? New Yorkers are constantly on the hunt for a great al fresco restaurant where they can snag a table and enjoy the warm weather and people watch. And with this handy new map from the city, picking a spot just got a whole lot easier. The interactive platform plots all 1,357 sidewalk cafés in the city, as well as how many outdoor tables and chairs are allowed, pending applications, license status, and health grades. But interestingly enough, the Department of Consumer Affairs didn't create the map to make life easier for foodies; they want to "boost transparency and reduce confusion surrounding the licensing process," according to Crain's.
Find out more
Hudson Yards 7 Train Station Will Officially Open on September 13th

An aerial rendering of the new station

August 28, 2015

Hudson Yards 7 Train Station Will Officially Open on September 13th

By
We once had a friend who lived in midtown all the way over on 12th Avenue...and let's just say we rarely visited. But what was once a subway wasteland is finally getting its very own subway station. After years of delays, the new 7 train stop at 34th Street-Hudson Yards will officially open on September 13th, at 1:00pm to be exact. The extension from its current endpoint at Times Square has cost the city $2.4 billion since construction commenced in 2007.
More details
August 27, 2015

Before LaGuardia, There Was Glenn H. Curtiss Airport

By
Last month, Governor Cuomo revealed his $4 billion plan to overhaul LaGuardia Airport, the third-worst airport in the country that Vice President Biden recently likened to a third-world country. While today it's hard to imagine New York City without its sub-par airports (JFK is THE worst airport in the nation), they weren't always a fixture in the city. In fact, LaGuardia was preceded by a much more modest facility with links to world aviation history -- Glenn H. Curtiss Airport. It opened in 1929 as a private airfield off Flushing Bay; became a commercial airport called North Beach in 1935; and a decade later was changed to what we know today when then Mayor La Guardia wanted the city to have its own airport and not have to rely on Newark.
Get the full history right here
City’s Next Floating Park May Be a Giant Food Forest
August 26, 2015

City’s Next Floating Park May Be a Giant Food Forest

By
It seems the way to create new public spaces in New York these days is to float them in the rivers. First there was the +Pool, then Pier55, and now we introduce to you Swale, a floating food forest that may grace our waters next summer. The New York Observer reports that artist Mary Mattingly is looking to embark on the project, which will "be created with collaborators and built from repurposed shipping containers, will stretch 50 feet across and will feature a gangway entrance, walkways, and an edible forest garden." The floating garden will move around to different docks in the harbor to serve various communities. Local students and gardeners are working on a wetland plant base that will filter the river water to help grow edible plants.
More on the project ahead
INFOGRAPHIC: Ten Years of Trump
August 25, 2015

INFOGRAPHIC: Ten Years of Trump

By

Love him or hate him, not a day goes by anymore without Donald Trump making headlines. But the Donald was turning heads and raising eyebrows long before he launched his [fill in the blank] presidential campaign. As CityRealty notes, “Over the years, Donald Trump’s buildings have commanded a premium in New York’s pricey real estate […]

This $9 Device Can Save Drivers from the Much-Loathed Parking Ticket
August 25, 2015

This $9 Device Can Save Drivers from the Much-Loathed Parking Ticket

By
After driving around for what seems like an eternity, you finally find a parking spot. You read all the signs, double check that there's no yellow curbs or fire hydrants nearby, feed the meter, and go on your merry way. A few hours later, you walk back up to your car and see that tiny orange rectangle (the infamous NYC parking ticket) taunting you from the windshield. If this sounds familiar, here's your chance to stop shelling out $65 for being one minute over your last quarter. AwareCar, a smartphone app and Bluetooth device, keeps drivers in check by reminding them where they parked, when the meter is expiring, and at what time they need to leave to head back to their vehicle (h/t CityLab). And all this will only set you back $9.
Find out how this genius technology works
Surfers and New Residents Clash in the Rockaways; Times Square Pedestrian Plaza Reduces Traffic Injuries
August 25, 2015

Surfers and New Residents Clash in the Rockaways; Times Square Pedestrian Plaza Reduces Traffic Injuries

By

The surfing crowds are multiplying in the Rockaways, but residents of the huge new Arverne by the Sea development are eyeing the same stretch of beach. [NYT] Traffic injuries and casualties are down in Times Square since the 2009 pedestrian plaza conversion. [WSJ] And on that note, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer released a statement in […]

Estate of Huguette Clark, Famous Reclusive Heiress, Loses $95M Suit Against Beth Israel

In her middle years, Clark liked to take “self portraits” of herself at home; here, in her Fifth Avenue apartment. Photo: Estate of Huguette Clark from EmptyMansionsBook.com

August 25, 2015

Estate of Huguette Clark, Famous Reclusive Heiress, Loses $95M Suit Against Beth Israel

By
Copper heiress Huguette Clark did not live the life of luxury like so many other wealthy New Yorkers in her shoes. The famously reclusive figure died in 2011 at the age of 104, but instead of spending her last 20 years in her palatial, Gilded-Age co-op at 907 Fifth Avenue (which was filled to the brim with her doll, dollhouse, and art collections), she decided to live in a tiny hospital room at Beth Israel. Clark admitted herself to the hospital in 1991 for operable skin cancer, but then refused to leave. According to Gothamist, her estate, "made up of nineteen of Huguette's distant relatives, a private foundation in Huguette's name, and the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C.," didn't buy the hospital's story and sued Beth Israel in 2013 for $95 million. The suit claimed the hospital spent millions of dollars on unnecessary medical care and by forming "fake friendships" with the heiress who was known for writing out checks on a whim to people she just met. However, last week, Manhattan Surrogate Court Justice Nora Anderson ruled that the statute of limitations had run out on the case.
More on the ruling and Huguette Clark's legacy
The Phone-brella Makes Texting and Walking on Rainy Days a Cinch
August 20, 2015

The Phone-brella Makes Texting and Walking on Rainy Days a Cinch

By
Wasn't it just miserable getting to work this morning? Trying to walk, balance the umbrella, and text all at the same time? Thankfully, there are some people out there who understand this painful situation, like the folks over at Korean-based company kt. The wireless telecommunications giant developed the phone-brella, which, according to designboom, has "an ergonomic C-shaped handgrip that’s placed around the user’s wrist. The bottom half of the C pins acts as a counter-weight, balancing the object and helping the shoulder prop it up," leaving both hands free to text away.
Find out more and watch a video about phone-brella
22,000 New Apartments Coming to Northern Brooklyn by 2019

Google Earth rendering of the new residential buildings going up in Downtown Brooklyn, via CityRealty

August 18, 2015

22,000 New Apartments Coming to Northern Brooklyn by 2019

By
We recently reported that New York City was entering its biggest building boom since 1963. Building permits rose 156 percent over the last year, accounting for 52,618 new residential units. If that number seems large to you, keep in mind it's spread over the five boroughs, including the supertall towers of Manhattan. But a new report from CityRealty shows that northern Brooklyn alone with get 22,000 new apartments over the next four years. According to the report, which only looked at buildings with 20 or more units, "around 2,700 new units are expected to be delivered in 2015. That number will nearly double in 2016, when approximately 5,000 apartments will be ready for occupancy." The majority of these units, 29 percent or 6,412 apartments, will come to Downtown Brooklyn, followed by Williamsburg with 20 percent or 4,341 units.
More on the Brooklyn building boom
VIDEO: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Rats Coming up Your Toilet
August 18, 2015

VIDEO: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Rats Coming up Your Toilet

By
Warning: Explicit rat footage ahead. If you don't already live in fear of rats taking over your apartment, you will after this. A new video from National Geographic shows exactly how these rodents make their way up your toilet bowl, which is apparently quite a common city occurrence, according to Gothamist. Though we're used to seeing them scamper around near the garbage bins, rats are pretty aquatically adept; they can tread water for three days and stay underwater without breathing for three minutes. Plus, their ribs are hinged at the spine, meaning they can fit through even the narrowest of pipes.
Watch the video here if you dare
Pitch a story icon

Pitch a Story

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

Distinctive Post Form

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544
Contact us image

Get in Touch

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Send us a tip image
Delivering New York stories focused on design, lifestyle & real estate.

Send us a Tip

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams. It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo
or Call (212) 755-5544

Thinking about selling your home?

We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert.

CityRealty Logo

Sell a Home (Footer)

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Subscribe for NYC's Lastest Design, Lifestyle,
and Real Estate Trends!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Your Daily Dose
of NYC Life!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.