All articles by Dana Schulz

May 28, 2015

190 Bowery Art Show Was Closed to the Public to ‘Protect the Space and the Art’

The art opening at 190 Bowery took social media by storm a couple weekends ago when hundreds of people (who were likely more eager to get a look inside the iconic building than to peruse the art) lined up outside and were then promptly turned away when the event was changed from public to private. As The Lo-Down notes, curator and art dealer Vito Schnabel, who hosted the event with the building's developer Aby Rosen, has now spoken out in the New York Times about the last-minute change of plans, saying that his main concern was "protecting the space and the art."
Find out more here
May 27, 2015

REVEALED: 1 Park Lane Will Be the Next Supertall Central Park South Tower

Just a week after Manhattan's Community Board 5 called for a moratorium on shadow-casting Central Park skyscrapers taller than 600 feet, renderings have been revealed for the next supertall tower coming to the periphery of the park. New York Yimby first spotted the images for 1 Park Lane, the 1,210-foot-tall glassy condo that will replace the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel at 36 Central Park South and become the fourth-tallest residential building in the city.
More details ahead
May 27, 2015

For Under $1M You Can Buy a Dome Home in New Paltz That Rotates 360 Degrees

Long Island may be home to the the world’s largest geodesic dome house, but just two hours north of NYC in New Paltz is an eco-friendly wooden dome home that can rotate 360 degrees with the push of a button. And, as Curbed reports, it's now up for grabs for $950,000. Built in 1999, the 2,300-square-foot, three-bedroom, UFO-looking residence sits in the middle of a 28-acre forest at the base of the Mohonk Preserve. It spins in order to utilize passive solar energy and to take advantage of the picturesque views.
See what else this geodesic dome home has in store
May 27, 2015

Why a Spanish Monastery Was Left in a Brooklyn Warehouse; ‘Tis the Season for Dumpster Diving

The Spotted Pig owners will officially open a four-story restaurant at the top of 70 Pine Street. [NYP] William Randolph Hearst stored a 12th century Spanish monastery in a Brooklyn warehouse for 26 years. [Untapped] Take a look inside this artist couple’s bright, floral, and fantastical Soho loft. [Curbed] It’s that time of year again… dumpster diving […]

May 27, 2015

NYC Households Spend $130 a Month Funding the MTA

Today's dose of disheartening news about the MTA comes via the Daily News, who reports that the debt-ridden city agency collects $4.8 billion a year from city taxpayers through taxes, fees, and the city budget. This comes out to $130 a month for the average New York household, even more than the cost of a monthly Metrocard, according to a new report by Comptroller Scott Stringer. Keep in mind this is in addition to the $5.3 billion they collect from fares and tolls.
Find out more here
May 26, 2015

Own a Mansion with Celebrity History on a Private Island Overlooking NYC for $11M

Considering the fact that New York City townhouses go for tens of millions of dollars and luxury condos are climbing into the hundred million range, $11 million for an entire private island and mansion seems like quite the bargain. Tavern Island is a 3.5-acre piece of land located in the Long Island Sound near Rowayton, Connecticut, overlooking NYC. According to the Daily Mail, in the 1950s and '60s, theater impresario and lyricist Billy Rose owned the island and hosted lavish parties for the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Barbara Streisand. In addition to these epic bragging rights, the new owner of the island will gain a six-bedroom English Colonial mansion dating to 1900, private beach, swimming pool, and a docking area and boat for access the mainland.
Tour this unique island
May 26, 2015

Yayoi Kusama’s Polka Dot-Covered ‘Obliteration Room’ Shows for the First Time in the U.S.

This picture may look familiar to you, as the installation at the David Zwirner Gallery has been making the rounds on Instagram. The work of artist Yayoi Kasuma, "The Obliteration Room" is part of the larger exhibit "Give Me Love." It's the first time the wildly popular polka dot-covered room has been shown in the U.S., and New Yorkers are excited to be part of the interactive experience. The backdrop for "The Obliteration Room" is an all-white, familiar domestic setting located within a prefabricated suburban home. As guests enter the room they're handed stickers, round dots in various sizes and bright colors, and asked to place them anywhere they'd like.
More on the colorful installation
May 26, 2015

The Lost Dakota Stables; What Makes NY Bagels So Good?

Looking back at the lost Dakota Stables, built for the use of the Dakota tenants, as well as the UWS neighborhood. [Daytonian in Manhattan] Take a day trip upstate to Kykuit, the 40-room mansion and impressive sculpture garden that were once the Rockefeller family estate. [Curbed] Does NYC have the best bagels because of its soft water? Find […]

May 25, 2015

$700K Dutchess County Farmhouse Welcomed Four Presidents and Marie Curie

At first glance, you'll be drawn to this farmhouse's classic colonial facade and beautiful surrounding landscape. Once inside, you'll love the original architecture and old-time decor. But there's much more than meets the eye at this Dutchess County beauty. Located atop the historic Quaker Hill and built circa 1700, this home reportedly welcomed four Presidents–Washington, Coolidge, Hoover, and Roosevelt–and Marie Curie was a frequent house guest whose gifted backyard tree still stands today. And this amazing piece of history in Pawling, New York can be yours for $699,000.
Take a tour around the sprawling premises here
May 23, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Bradley Cooper Scopes Out an $8.5M Three-Bedroom in Tribeca’s Hubert Be the Third Family Ever to Own This 18th Century Dutch House in the Hudson Valley VIDEO: Preview the Interiors of Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower Ahead of This Week’s Sales Launch ‘Girls’ Star Zosia Mamet Buys Unimpressive Upper West Side Co-op for $1.2M Community Board […]

May 22, 2015

New York Public Library Releases Interactive Map of Its 80,000 Historic Photos

For us NYC history nerds, the New York Public Library's digital archive is one of the most valuable tools. We can search historic photos by address, building name, or neighborhood. This can get a little tedious, though, especially if a location no longer exists or we don't know the exact street number. But sleuthing for vintage pictures just got a whole lot easier thanks to a new mapping tool from the library's NYPL Labs team. OldNYC is an interactive map that features red dots on every location for which the collection has photos from the 1870s through the 1970s and lets you explore and interact with the images.
Find out more here
May 22, 2015

ICRAVE Mixes Cedar and Steel to Create This Modern Hamptons Pool House

If you're spending the holiday weekend out on the Hamptons, chances are you're in for crowded beaches, bustling restaurants, and high-energy parties. But for those of us looking for something a little more low key, this contemporary pool house and spa by ICRAVE couldn't be any more perfect (well, except for the fact that we're not invited over). The designers were tasked with creating a fresh outdoor space in Amagansett where their clients could entertain, and seeing as ICRAVE is responsible for such hospitality projects as the Borgota casino's Bask by Exhale Spa and eight STK restaurants, we're not surprised that the result is so flawless. A mix of natural cedar and industrial steel, the pool house is a modern oasis, highlighted by the central pool.
Get up close here
May 22, 2015

Fully-Furnished Rentals Launch at One57

In the past when we've talked about the latest occupancies at billionaires' row blockbuster One57 we were referring to the record-breaking $100 million condo sale (the most expensive in the city ever) or Bill Ackman's $91.5 million flip attempt. But now those looking to get in on the city's most expensive condo building can do so without dropping seven figures in one fell swoop. Extell Development, after selling most of the condos at One57, has quietly listed 38 fully-furnished apartments for rent on the building's seven lower residential floors. But don't get too excited if you're not in the billionaires' club; asking prices range from $13,350/month for a one-bedroom unit to $50,366 for a three-bedroom.
More details ahead
May 21, 2015

The Price of History: Looking at NYC’s Biggest Landmark Condo Conversions

This year is full of celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the New York City Landmarks Law, and in marking this milestone we tend to look at all of the historic buildings that have been perfectly preserved in their appearance and function. But what about those that retain their original character, yet have a new use? The folks over at CityRealty have taken a look at this group, focusing on city landmarks that have been converted from commercial spaces into condominiums. Zoning in on the five largest landmarks (by number of units), they found that owning a piece of history will cost you. In fact, the average unit price in these Manhattan landmarks was 45 percent higher than other condos; in Brooklyn, 26 percent.
Check out the full infographic here
May 21, 2015

studioMET Architects Turn a Brooklyn Parking Garage into a LEGO Art Studio

For most creatives, waking up and building things with LEGOs every day sounds like a dream. For artist Sean Kenney, it's a reality. Self-described as a "professional kid" who builds everything from lamps to portraits to entire rooms with the colorful bricks, Kenney needed a studio where he and his team could construct the fanciful works. He employed studioMET Architects to transform an old Brooklyn parking garage into his dream work space. With a project budget of less than $250,000, the firm designed a 4,000-square-foot artist studio with just as much personality as its owner's sculptures. The bright white, open space allows the fun creations and bins of colorful bricks (4 tons of them to be exact!) to stand out while still maintaining a logical, functional layout.
Find out more about this fun and functional artist studio
May 21, 2015

Roosevelt Island Gets a Technicolor Swimming Pool; Inside the Secret Subway WiFi Basement

Minnesota-based artist HOT TEA used 120 gallons of rainbow-colored paint to transform a Roosevelt Island swimming pool. [Colossal] Geodesic dome creator Buckminster Fuller had a pretty hefty FBI file. Find out what these documents say. [Gizmodo] Go inside the secret basement that powers New York’s wireless subway network. [Fast Co.] How the Twin Towers went from […]

May 20, 2015

Santiago Calatrava ‘Treated Like a Dog’ After WTC Transportation Hub Takes a Toll on His Reputation

Starchitect Santiago Calatrava has taken a media beating for the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, the long-delayed (it's nearly six years off schedule), incredibly-over-budget (final construction costs ring in around $4 billion, twice what was projected, making it the world's most expensive train station), flying bird-looking (though some critics think it looks more like a "rack of lamb") PATH station project that he designed as part of the WTC revitalization. It was recently announced that the hub would open next month, but as it comes to a close, Santiago Calatrava is stuck at a dead end, noting that the project has taken a major toll on his reputation. After living in NYC for 12 years, Calatrava has stopped being commissioned for work in the U.S. "I could not compete because people have not asked me to compete," he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview at his Park Avenue townhouse. "I have been treated like a dog."
How did Santiago Calatrava get here?
May 20, 2015

Great Neck Home Where F. Scott Fitzgerald Started Writing ‘The Great Gatsby’ Lists for $4M

Instead of just driving around Long Island's Gold Coast and ogling the Jazz Age mansions, pretending to be a character in The Great Gatsby, you can now live within the walls of perhaps the Gatsby-est home of them all. The Wall Street Journal reports that 6 Gateway Drive in Great Neck, the Mediterranean-style mansion where F. Scott Fitzgerald started writing his iconic novel, is for sale for $3,888,888. The author and his wife Zelda lived in the 5,174-square-foot home between October 1922 and and April 1924, smack in the middle of the Roaring Twenties scene that he depicted in his book.
Take a look around F. Scott Fitzgerald's former home
May 17, 2015

Be the Third Family Ever to Own This 18th Century Dutch House in the Hudson Valley

When the current owners of this 18th century Dutch saltbox bought the home in 1986 they were only the second family ever  to own it after the original builders and their ancestors. But they did make one little change–they moved it to a nearby piece of property. At the current location, they completely restored the 1747 Dutch vernacular-style main house, known as the Hall Christy House, and rebuilt the existing ca. 1750 Dutch gambrel home, called the Skidmore House, turning it into a garage and guest house. In addition to restoring and preserving the two beautiful historic structures, the owners also added to the 5.3-acre property impeccable landscaping, a lily pond, herb and vegetable gardens, a brick courtyard, a charming gazebo and a free-form pool resembling a natural lagoon. And now that they've completed all this hard work, you can own the stunning Hudson Valley property for $1,495,000.
READ MORE
May 13, 2015

Historic Fort Greene Carriage House in Need of Some TLC Gets over Asking Price

When we think of million dollar listings, visions of super modern or impeccably restored residences come to mind, but this Fort Greene carriage house fits into neither of those categories. In fact, it could easily serve as the backdrop for a ruin porn Instagram photo. But despite its fixer-upper status, two lucky ladies just picked up the 19th century home at 327 Vanderbilt Avenue for $2.6 million, $500k over the asking price, according to city records released today. When the listing first hit the market this past December, Curbed noted that it wasn't "exactly habitable at the moment," but fortunately for the new owners, the sale came with renderings for potential overhauls. It also comes with some surprising historic remnants from its days as a horse stable.
More details, plus find out the interesting history of this carriage house
May 13, 2015

POLL: Is the Reign of Whole Foods Coming to an End?

Last week, we learned that Whole Foods is planning to open a cheaper chain of stores, targeting millennials and vying to compete with other affordable stores like Trader Joes. And today, the internet is abuzz with the news that a Wegmans grocery store is coming to the Brooklyn Navy Yards. This northeast chain is popular […]