All articles by Dana Schulz

Extell Looks to Religion to Build Its Next 57th Street Supertall Tower

The possible skyline in 2018, via CityRealty

May 4, 2015

Extell Looks to Religion to Build Its Next 57th Street Supertall Tower

In the past, it was street names like Park Avenue and Central Park West that signaled a building's wealth and prestige, but these days it's gotten confined to a much shorter thoroughfare, 57th Street. Appropriately dubbed Billionaires' Row, the stretch has gotten much heat lately for its influx of supertall towers casting shadows on Central Park just to the north. Three of the towers in this sky-high lineup belong to Extell Development: the under-construction Nordstrom Tower at 217 West 57th Street, which will be the tallest residential building in the world when completed; 111 West 57th Street; and everyone's favorite One57. But now, as Crain's reveals, Extell is looking to expand its 57th Street portfolio with the site of the current Calvary Baptist Church and the Salisbury Hotel at 123 West 57th Street, on the same block as 111 West 57th and One57. As the paper reports, the church "will soon decide whether it will sell its sanctuary and 197-room hotel" to the developer.
More on the possible project here

West Village Rowhouse Once Home to Photographer Diane Arbus Lists for $13.5M

May 1, 2015

West Village Rowhouse Once Home to Photographer Diane Arbus Lists for $13.5M

If you've ever seen the work of legendary photographer Diane Arbus, you know her style is a little offbeat. Born into a rich NYC family in 1923, Arbus became famous for capturing "deviant and marginal people," those who would otherwise seem ugly to most, with her camera. Unfortunately, she's also remembered for taking her own life at the age of 48 while living at the Westbeth Artists Community. But before moving to the well-known artists' complex, Arbus lived in an appropriately "secret world," a West Village back house that was once a stable, hidden behind its classic, Federal-style rowhouse at 131 Charles Street. She moved into the rear carriage house in 1959 after separating from her husband Allan Arbus and lived there until around 1968. As the Wall Street Journal reports, both the front and back houses are now on the market for $13.5 million.
Look inside this magnificent, historic home

New Condo Project Rising at 629 Grand Street in Williamsburg

May 1, 2015

New Condo Project Rising at 629 Grand Street in Williamsburg

Just four blocks from the Lorimer Street station on the L train, a new condo project is rising at 629 Grand Street. The property is a conversion of an existing mixed-use building, having been extended both horizontally and vertically. It will feature seven units–one two-bedroom/two-bath residence and six one-bedroom/one-bath homes. There's also a ground-floor commercial unit that will house a vintage clothing store (how very Williamsburg).
More info here

Starbucks ‘Express’ Store Lands in Manhattan; Is This the Largest Personal LEGO Collection?

May 1, 2015

Starbucks ‘Express’ Store Lands in Manhattan; Is This the Largest Personal LEGO Collection?

Don’t miss Sunday’s annual Greenwich Village house tour…highlights include a famous artist’s studio and a townhouse that can link its history to the Croton Aqueduct. [GVSHP] Today on Wall Street, Starbucks has launched a model of its “express” store where your coffee will be ready by the time you get up to the counter. [Refinery29] A Seattle […]

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Hilarious Cartoon Pits NYC Against San Francisco

April 30, 2015

Hilarious Cartoon Pits NYC Against San Francisco

While we're constantly complaining about rising rents here in New York, it's important to remember that there's still one other place that's got us beat–San Francisco. Though the folks in the City by the Bay may shell out some more Benjamins every month, they also seem to work less, play more, and have an all-around better outlook on life than us... at least according to this hilarious new cartoon series by Sarah Cooper. As the artist says, "After living in New York for 5 years, I recently moved to San Francisco. Neither city is clearly superior, but there are some distinct differences."
See the LOL-worthy differences here

STOMP Is Leaving the East Village for Times Square; Beware of Your Resume Font

April 30, 2015

STOMP Is Leaving the East Village for Times Square; Beware of Your Resume Font

Hahaha vs. Hehehe. You’ll never text-laugh the same again after reading this. [New Yorker] After 21 years at the Orpheum Theatre, STOMP is leaving the East Village over “poor theater conditions.” [Bowery Boogie] Do your good deed for the month and help count how many people pass through Washington Square Park. The data will go […]

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Hell’s Kitchen, Once the ‘Wild West,’ Now Undergoing Rapid Gentrification

April 30, 2015

Hell’s Kitchen, Once the ‘Wild West,’ Now Undergoing Rapid Gentrification

There's yet to be an exact agreed-upon theory as to where the name Hell's Kitchen came from, but most historians agree that it had something to do with the poor tenement conditions and general filth of the neighborhood in the 19th century. Its reputation didn't get any better in the 20th century, though. After the repeal of prohibition, the area became overrun with organized crime, and until the 1980s it was known as a home base for several gangs. Today, Hell's Kitchen is no longer the "Wild West," but rather a rapidly gentrifying community ripe for new development. A neighborhood profile today in the Times looks at the transformation of the neighborhood, also called Clinton or Midtown West, which is generally defined as the area from Eighth Avenue to the Hudson River between 34th to 59th Streets. Summed up, "New buildings are going up, and older ones are being converted to high-end residences. The development of Hudson Yards and the High Line just to its south and the addition of the Time Warner Center on its northeast border have spurred growth. Prices have gone up but are still generally lower than in surrounding neighborhoods."
Find out more ahead

The Four Seasons: An Iconic Interior Landmark Faces an Uncertain Future

Photo via Le Travelist

April 29, 2015

The Four Seasons: An Iconic Interior Landmark Faces an Uncertain Future

As you probably already know, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the NYC landmarks law. And one of the ways the city is marking the historic event is with an exhibit at the New York School of Interior Design called Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York’s Landmark Interiors, which focuses on some of the 117 public spaces throughout the five boroughs that have been designated interior landmarks. In conjunction with this exhibit, Open House New York recently hosted an interior landmark scavenger hunt (for which 6sqft took eighth place out of 40 teams!), which brought participants to designated interior spaces in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn over the course of seven hours. One of the spots we visited was the Four Seasons restaurant inside the famed Seagram Building. Through our scavenger hunt challenges here, we learned just how groundbreaking this restaurant was for its innovative design and role as the quintessential Midtown "power lunch" spot. But the Four Seasons, despite its landmark status, is facing an uncertain future.
Learn about the past, present, and future of the Four Seasons here

Central Park Sunshine Task Force Meets to Speak Out Against Supertall Shadows

Rendering showing the location, size and massing of projects currently being developed along Central Park South, via MAS “Accidental Skyline” report

April 29, 2015

Central Park Sunshine Task Force Meets to Speak Out Against Supertall Shadows

There are a dozen supertalls (1,000 feet or higher) in the construction or planning stages in Manhattan, many of which are sprouting up along the billionaires' row hotbed south of Central Park. The trend has incensed many New Yorkers because of the shadows these giant towers will cast on the park. Last month, Councilman Mark Levine introduced legislation to create a task force that will examine, as he put it, “the looming threat of shadows falling on our parks from the rising number of skyscrapers.” A similar group of concerned parties, the Central Park Sunshine Task Force of Community Board 5, met last night to discuss the issue. As Curbed reports, in the standing-room-only town hall meeting at the New York Public Library the group covered issues including zoning laws, transparency in the building process, construction safety, matters of light and air, overdevelopment, and even the "'phallic' nature of the buildings themselves."
More on the meeting here

Popular Articles

Andy Warhol’s 1960s Screen Tests to Be Played on Times Square Billboards

From a 1965 screen test of Edie Sedgwick, via Andy Warhol Museum

April 29, 2015

Andy Warhol’s 1960s Screen Tests to Be Played on Times Square Billboards

Plans for a New York City branch of the Andy Warhol Museum may have been scrapped, but starting Friday the pop artist will take over Times Square for three minutes every night of the month. As Gothamist reports, Times Square Arts will show Warhol's rarely-seen 1960s Screen Tests on the electronic billboards every night at 11:57 p.m. as part of their monthly Midnight Moment series. Warhol's 500 Screen Tests are "revealing portraits of hundreds of different individuals," both famous and not, frequent visitors to the Factory and newcomers. Those on the Times Square roster include Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Lou Reed, Twist Jim Rosenquist, Harry Smith, and Edie Sedgwick.
More info here

Events & Things To Do

Fun Illustration Is Like a NYC ‘Where’s Waldo’; Americans Love Food Emojis

April 29, 2015

Fun Illustration Is Like a NYC ‘Where’s Waldo’; Americans Love Food Emojis

Can you spot the landmarks and pop culture references in this crazy detailed drawing? [Curbed] The most-used emojis by Americans are pizza and the chicken drumstick (hmmm…). Learn what emojis other nations favor. [WNYC] One third of NYC gas complaints aren’t fully inspected. Take a look at this unfortunate trend in map form. [WNYC] The MTA is […]

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April 29, 2015

POLL: Will Bjarke Ingels Take Over the Design for 2 World Trade Center?

Earlier this week, we reported that Bjarke Ingels was in talks to take over Norman Foster‘s design of 2 World Trade Center, noting that “if News Corporation and 21st Century Fox decide to move into 2 World Trade Center, as previously reported, developer Larry Silverstein may drop Foster’s design in favor of a new one […]

Five Luxury Towers Will Account for One-Third of New Development Sales over the Next Five Years

April 28, 2015

Five Luxury Towers Will Account for One-Third of New Development Sales over the Next Five Years

It's projected that over the next five years, new development sales in Manhattan condos will total $27.6-$33.6+ billion, but this sky-high figure is heavily skewed by prices in just five buildings. These luxury towers will account for one-third of the total projection. Three of the buildings -- 432 Park, 220 Central Park South, and 550 Madison Avenue (the former Sony Building) -- are located on billionaires' row and are expected to bring in a whopping $8 billion. The Greenwich Lane and 10 Madison Square West will also likely bring in close to $1.5 billion each. Along with this boost from the upper end of the market comes a trend where fewer units are selling, but prices are shooting up.
More info and CityRealty's full infographic here

Real Estate Trends

Yorkville Is NYC’s Most ‘Local’ Area; Meet the Woman Who Photographed Every Bodega in Manhattan

April 28, 2015

Yorkville Is NYC’s Most ‘Local’ Area; Meet the Woman Who Photographed Every Bodega in Manhattan

Chatting with a second generation steel casement window restoration craftsman. [Find Everything Historic] Using data from Yelp, this map shows the most local and touristy spots in 16 major cities. In NYC, Yorkville is the most local, and the Theater District is the most touristy. [Washington Post] On Friday night, for the first time, the Empire […]

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Detailed Chart Shows the World’s Tallest Building Constructed Every Year

April 28, 2015

Detailed Chart Shows the World’s Tallest Building Constructed Every Year

An infographic about the world's tallest buildings is not a new idea (in fact, we've featured a great one, as well an interactive version, here before). But the Economist's idea of looking at the race to the top connected with the times and world events is a fresh take. The highly detailed chart shows the tallest building constructed every year beginning in 1885. Each bar represents its height, and the color shows on what continent it was built. The chart also highlights exceptionally noteworthy buildings and certain world events that contributed to the ebb and flow of skyscraper construction over time.
More details ahead

Architecture And Design

These Psychedelic, Geometric Landscapes Are Actually Google Earth Images

April 27, 2015

These Psychedelic, Geometric Landscapes Are Actually Google Earth Images

Let's face it, Google Earth, while incredibly helpful, is not the most esthetically pleasing thing we've ever seen, which is why we were shocked to learn that these beautiful landscapes are actually satellite images from the site. Argentinian artist Federico Winer's new series "Ultradistancia" features Google Earth shots from around the world that have been edited with different magnitudes, perspectives, colors, and luminosity. Winer feels that the resulting psychedelic and geometric landscapes are about "taking infinite tours over our planet from the marvelous screens of Google Earth to the encounter of geometries, shapes and topographies, natural and humans."
See more of Winer's images

Events & Things To Do

Ikea’s Concept Kitchen 2025 Predicts We’ll Soon Use Smart Tables and Drone-Delivered Groceries

April 27, 2015

Ikea’s Concept Kitchen 2025 Predicts We’ll Soon Use Smart Tables and Drone-Delivered Groceries

As part of Milan Design Week, Ikea has revealed their Concept Kitchen 2025, created in collaboration with London-based design firm IDEO and students from Sweden's Lund and Eindhoven universities. The futuristic kitchen prototype is based on predictions about what the world will be like ten years from now. It assumes we'll all be living a much greener, reduced lifestyle and technology such as smart tables and drone-delivered groceries will run kitchen operations.
Learn all about the modern kitchen prototype

Secrets of Carnegie Hall; Bronx Residents Call 911 to Report UFO

April 27, 2015

Secrets of Carnegie Hall; Bronx Residents Call 911 to Report UFO

Friday night’s VIP grand opening of the new Whitney was so packed with 3,000 people that the museum was worried about the art. [NYP] Inside the World Trade Center showroom. [Tribeca Citizen] Rats take at least 2,800 steps a day, but rarely go more than 600 feet from their birthplace. Find out how NYC’s rats get where they’re […]

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WSP Eco Map Tracks the Hidden Minetta Creek and Trees of Washington Square Park

April 27, 2015

WSP Eco Map Tracks the Hidden Minetta Creek and Trees of Washington Square Park

It's easy to get distracted in Washington Square Park by all the NYU students and street performers, but there's a lot more than meets the eye in this historic public space. For instance, did you know the Minetta Creek runs under the park and through the surrounding neighborhood? Or what about all those beautiful trees, wouldn't it be fun to know a little more about them? With a new mobile map called the WSP Eco Map, you can identify the species of many trees in the park, locate other environmental park components like nesting boxes, and see exactly where the Minetta Brook/Creek is hiding.
Find out more here

Architecture And Design

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

April 25, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Interior Pictures Revealed for Demi Moore’s $75M San Remo Penthouse Subway Rent Map Shows Manhattan Rental Prices Along Each Train Line City’s First Micro-Apartment Project ‘MY Micro NY’ Ready for Stacking Charming ‘Back House’ Apartment Is a Tiny Treasure in the West Village New Renderings Revealed for 217 West 57th Street, the Will-Be Tallest Residential […]

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Maps Compare NYC’s Footprint to Other Cities Around the World

April 24, 2015

Maps Compare NYC’s Footprint to Other Cities Around the World

Considering that the world's population can fit inside New York City, it's easy to believe that our great metropolis is the biggest city around. But is that actually true? A fun new mapping series from storage site SpareFoot takes an overlay of NYC's footprint and places it over other major cities, countries, and landmarks from the around the world. The visuals are helpful in seeing how easily we can misrepresent size in our heads. For example, as SpareFoot notes, "New York's 8.4 million residents make it the 21st most populous city in the world (when measuring within the city limits) and of course first in the United States. By area, the 305 square miles of land delineated by its city limits make it the 24th largest city in the US by land area." And internationally, it doesn't even make the list of top 250 largest cities by land, reports Gothamist. Just look at London--it's nearly twice the size of New York. Yet Boston and San Francisco are about 1/6 the size of NYC.
See how NYC stacks up to the competition here

City Living

EVENT: FDNY to Mark Its 150th Anniversary with Citywide Firehouse Tour!

Engine 33 via Eric on Flickr

April 24, 2015

EVENT: FDNY to Mark Its 150th Anniversary with Citywide Firehouse Tour!

Firehouses represent some of the most beautiful architecture in New York City, and now instead of just peeking inside through the windows (or ogling the FDNY calendar) you'll have the chance to get up close and personal with these firehouses (and maybe even some of the calendar models). To mark its 150th anniversary, the FDNY is hosting a citywide open house on Saturday, May 2nd where the public will be welcomed inside.
Find out more here

Infographic: Here’s NYC’s Immigration Patterns over 387 Years

April 24, 2015

Infographic: Here’s NYC’s Immigration Patterns over 387 Years

We often talk about specific neighborhoods' immigration history–Little Germany in the East Village, El Barrio in East Harlem, or the capital of Jewish America on the Lower East Side. But when we look at the city as a whole, there's been some pretty interesting immigration patterns over its nearly-400-year history. To visualize this timeline, the data gurus over at Metrocosm have put together an interactive infographic that shows the change in these immigration waves from 1626 to 2013 and how they relate to world events regarding these given countries.
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Floridians Pay $8.5M a Year in NYC Parking Tickets; New York’s Biggest Import Is Diamonds

April 24, 2015

Floridians Pay $8.5M a Year in NYC Parking Tickets; New York’s Biggest Import Is Diamonds

Here’s five subway lines New York hasn’t built but should. [CityLab] The Tenement Museum is crowdfunding to preserve and repair its building at 97 Orchard Street. [Bowery Boogie] Floridians pay the most in NYC parking tickets outside of the Northeast. Those from Wyoming pay the least. See how much each state, and some countries, pay per year. [I Quant NY] Map […]

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