All articles by Dana Schulz

Helicopter Taxi Service Brings Commuters to JFK or Newark Airport in Six Minutes
February 27, 2015

Helicopter Taxi Service Brings Commuters to JFK or Newark Airport in Six Minutes

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And you thought taking an Uber to the airport was fancy. Gotham Air, a helicopter livery operator, has launched its airborne taxi service which can bring New Yorkers from Manhattan to JFK or Newark Airport in just six minutes. The service is currently priced at $149/flight for those who register for the BETA group, but standard fares will likely start at $219. So, pretty much the same as an Uber during surge pricing.
Find out more about the swanky new transportation service
Heartbeat Urban Drum to Become a ‘Heartseat;’ 53 New Citi Bike Stations for Brooklyn
February 27, 2015

Heartbeat Urban Drum to Become a ‘Heartseat;’ 53 New Citi Bike Stations for Brooklyn

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Stereotank’s heart-shaped urban drum in Times Square known as Heartbeat will turn into a “heartseat.” [Inhabitat] A Kickstarter campaign is raising funds for a documentary film about Horn & Hardart’s iconic Automat. [Gothamist] Mapping the 53 new Citi Bike stations coming to Williamsburg and Greenpoint. [BK Paper] A small shop in Ridgewood, Queens is the reason NYC […]

City Council Proposes New Law That Would Allow Tenants to Sue Landlords for Using Airbnb

Via Airbnb

February 27, 2015

City Council Proposes New Law That Would Allow Tenants to Sue Landlords for Using Airbnb

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One week ago we learned of the landmark ruling to evict a rent-stabilized tenant from his ultra-luxe 450 West 42nd Street building for listing the unit on Airbnb for nearly triple what he was paying, a show of just how serious the city is about the issue. Now they're getting even more aggressive, as two City Council members want to pass a new law that would let tenants sue their landlords for renting out neighboring apartments as illegal hotels through Airbnb.
More details ahead
Live in a Haunted, Grey Gardens-esque Staten Island Mansion for $2M
February 26, 2015

Live in a Haunted, Grey Gardens-esque Staten Island Mansion for $2M

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For many New Yorkers, living on Staten Island is scary enough (just kidding!), but for those looking for an extra thrill, a historic, landmarked haunted mansion just hit the market for $2.31 million. The 7,700-square-foot, 10-bedroom Italianate villa-style home is located at 2475 Richmond Road in Egbertville and is known as the Gustav Mayer House for its original owner, an inventor who created the recipe for Nabisco's Nilla Wafers. Built in 1885, the house served as a Grey Gardens-esque residence for Mayer's two daughters, who stayed sequestered inside until their 100th birthdays. It's said that their ghosts still roam the hallways, along with the presence of their father, according to the Post.
Get the full story here
A Comprehensive Database of Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture; New Yorkers Love French Bulldogs
February 26, 2015

A Comprehensive Database of Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture; New Yorkers Love French Bulldogs

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The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s website gets a beautiful overhaul that includes a comprehensive, searchable database of the architect’s works. [Fast Co. Design] Tour a tiny, pattern-filled Chinatown studio. [The Cut] The French bulldog was the most popular dog breed in NYC in 2014. See what breed reigned supreme in your neighborhood. [DNAinfo] Second annual Lower […]

The Only Two Living Things in NYC to Have Been Landmarked Are Trees

Magnolia Grandiflora via Wiki Commons (L); Weeping Beech Tree via NY State Archives (R)

February 25, 2015

The Only Two Living Things in NYC to Have Been Landmarked Are Trees

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Last week we looked at the city's oldest and tallest tree in Alley Pond, Queens, which got us thinking about one of the questions at the Preservation Trivia night we recently attended. What are the only two living things in NYC to have ever been landmarked? We'll admit, we were stumped. We guessed Peter Stuyvesant's pear tree and the World Trade Center Survivor Tree, which were both wrong. But they are trees: the Weeping Beech Tree in Flushing, Queens and the Magnolia Grandiflora in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. And to make it even more exclusive, only the latter still survives; the Beech Tree died and was cut down in 1999.
Find out the history of how these landmarks came to be
Is 212 Fifth Avenue the Ultimate Manhattan Address?
February 25, 2015

Is 212 Fifth Avenue the Ultimate Manhattan Address?

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That's what developers of a new condominium at 212 Fifth Avenue are hoping. The prestige of Fifth Avenue is world-famous (it also adds a 5- to 10-percent premium to the price of an apartment), and as anyone who was around back in the days of analog phone exchanges knows, 212 is synonymous with Manhattan. Reporting on the "New York-iest address," the Daily News mentions how even "Seinfeld"'s Elaine steals her dead neighbor's 212 phone number after she gets changed to a 646 area code. "The bearer of a 212 phone number looks like a longtime New Yorker. It's the ultimate luxury accessory," the paper says.
Is all the fuss justified?
Looking at Ramblersville, Queens, the City’s Smallest Neighborhood; Where To Go Seal Watching in NY
February 25, 2015

Looking at Ramblersville, Queens, the City’s Smallest Neighborhood; Where To Go Seal Watching in NY

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Have you heard of Ramblersville in Queens? If not, it could be because it’s the city’s smallest neighborhood. [Curbed] Architect Thomas Juul-Hansen (the interiors of One57 are just one of his projects) shares details about his personal and professional life, broken down by numbers. [NY Post] Looking for a fun cold-weather activity? Why not go seal […]

February 25, 2015

POLL: Will the NYU Expansion Plan Move Ahead?

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After years of contention, we learned yesterday that opponents of the controversial NYU expansion plan would receive their final day in court to try to block the massive redevelopment. While Villagers have long been known as preservation pioneers (Jane Jacobs’ successful fight against Robert Moses’ destructive plans for the area is probably the best-known example), […]

Renderings Revealed for West Village’s New Triangular Park That Will Feature AIDS Memorial

Park renderings via Hayes Davidson

February 25, 2015

Renderings Revealed for West Village’s New Triangular Park That Will Feature AIDS Memorial

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In 2011, Rudin Management inked a controversial deal to convert part of St. Vincent's Hospital into luxury condos, now known as The Greenwich Lane. Part of the deal was that the developer would build a public park on an adjacent piece of triangular land that would include the city's first major AIDS memorial, a feature that garnered tons of press thanks to a much-talked-about design competition. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Rudin has broken ground on the new 16,000-square-foot West Village green space, located on Seventh Avenue between Greenwich Avenue and West 12th Street. And along with this news comes renderings from M. Paul Friedberg & Partners, the architecture firm that designed the Greenwich Lane and is also designing the park, which show winding walkways, curving benches, plenty of trees, play areas, a lawn, and water jets.
More details ahead
NYU Expansion Plan Opponents Will Get Final Day in Court

A rendering of the expansion plan

February 24, 2015

NYU Expansion Plan Opponents Will Get Final Day in Court

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In October, the appellate court overturned a previous decision by the New York Supreme Court that prohibited NYU's $6 billion, 1.9 million-square-foot Greenwich Village expansion plan, but community groups vowed to appeal the decision. And they most certainly kept their word. In a press release sent today by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), we've learned that the New York State Court of Appeals agreed to hear an appeal by GVSHP, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan, Community Board 2, actor Mark Ruffalo, and other local concerned parties.
More info here
NYC Time Machine Lets Users Navigate Overlaid Maps from 1600 to Present Day

A 1776 map that shows Peter Stuyvesant’s farm in the present-day East Village

February 24, 2015

NYC Time Machine Lets Users Navigate Overlaid Maps from 1600 to Present Day

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Cartographers and history buffs will have a field day with this online tool known as NYC Time Machine. Using public data from the New York Public Library, the resource allows users to “navigate perfectly-overlaid maps of NYC from 1660 to present day.” The site is part of Vestiges of New York, which overlays historic photos and current images.
More details
Film Critic Jonathan Baumbach Sells Prospect Park South Victorian for $1.8M
February 24, 2015

Film Critic Jonathan Baumbach Sells Prospect Park South Victorian for $1.8M

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Film critic and novelist Jonathan Baumbach (you may know his son, film maker Noah Baumbach, or his first wife, Village Voice critic Georgia Brown) and his wife have sold their historic Prospect Park South Victorian home for $1.8 million, according to city records released today. Built in 1901, the five-bedroom property originally hit the market back in September 2014 for $2.27 million, but decreased its price twice in just five short months.
Take a look around this classic Victorian
Video: Footage Dating from 1896 Is the Oldest of NYC
February 23, 2015

Video: Footage Dating from 1896 Is the Oldest of NYC

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Can you visualize what New York City looked like in 1896? If not, a new video will let you step back in time. It shows shots of 28 locations from 1905 all the way back to 1896, making it the oldest known footage of the city. The absolute oldest shots were taken on May 11, 1896 and were of Herald Square. Since in many cases a lot has changed over the last century, pinpointed maps with dates provide a welcome commentary.
Watch the full video here
Interior Renderings Revealed for Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower

Interior rendering via Hayes Davidson

February 23, 2015

Interior Renderings Revealed for Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower

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The last time we got any insider knowledge about Jean Nouvel's MoMA Tower, known officially as 53W53, was back in September when the penthouse floor plans of the 82-story, 1,050-foot building were revealed. Now it's gotten even better with actual interior renderings surfacing courtesy of the New York Times. The rendering is accompanied by a full-scale unit model of a $10 million, two-bedroom, 32nd-floor apartment planned for the tower. Set in a Sunset Park warehouse, the mock up shows how the building's well-known zig-zag façade pattern (the "diagrid") will translate inside, which leads to tilting windows and slanted columns. These unusual architectural features will inform the interior designs of Thierry W. Despont, who has been tapped to craft the 140 condo interiors.
More details ahead
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff
February 21, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

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Orlando Bloom Looks to Flip His Tribeca Loft for $5.5M Douglas Manor Colonial for $2.7M Is Like Something Right out of ‘The Great Gatsby’ Proposed ‘Triboro Rx’ Subway Line Would Better Connect the Outer Boroughs Chinatown Loft by Buro Koray Duman Architects Mixes Tenement Details with Bright, Modern Geometry Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson Buys […]

February 20, 2015

NYC’s Oldest and Tallest Tree Grows in Alley Pond Park, Queens

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In case you haven't noticed, we typically talk about buildings here at 6sqft, but today we're taking a look at a different kind of structure important to the urban fabric of New York City–a tree. But not just any tree; this is the oldest and tallest tree in the entire city, and it can be found in Alley Pond Park in Queens, between Douglaston and Bayside. Known as the Queens Giant, the record holder is a 134-foot (when last measured in 2005) tulip poplar tree that is believed to be 450 years old, according to Untapped Cities. Despite its impressive status, however, even the most seasoned New Yorkers don't know about this gem, which is likely what has led to its longevity.
Find out more here
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How Times Square Operates; When 11th Avenue Was Death Avenue
February 20, 2015

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How Times Square Operates; When 11th Avenue Was Death Avenue

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Lower East Side artists jazz up containers and cement cubes from the East Houston construction. [Bowery Boogie] An interview with Times Square‘s Director of Production and Operations, who’s responsible for all on-the-ground activity in the Square. [Urban Omnibus] A Bushwick designer held a fashion show on the L train. [BK Paper] Stand on the historic stage of […]

New Waldorf Astoria Owners Will Add Luxury Condos to the Iconic Hotel

image via KerSaber

February 20, 2015

New Waldorf Astoria Owners Will Add Luxury Condos to the Iconic Hotel

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Back in October, it was revealed that Hilton Worldwide Holdings, who owned the landmark Waldorf Astoria since 1972, had agreed to sell the 1,232-room hotel to the Anbang Insurance Group Co., a financial and insurance company based in Beijing, for $1.95 billion. The deal closed just last week, and now the new owners are planning to convert part of the Art Deco building into luxury condominiums. According to The Real Deal, Anbang’s chairman Wu Xiaohui recently said: "We plan to renovate the two towers into luxury residential apartments with world-class amenities and finishes to reflect its culture and social status."
More details
Proposed ‘Triboro Rx’ Subway Line Would Better Connect the Outer Boroughs

Map of the Triboro RX via RPA

February 19, 2015

Proposed ‘Triboro Rx’ Subway Line Would Better Connect the Outer Boroughs

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The problem with moving to many affordable neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx is the lack of transportation options, but a new report from the Regional Plan Association calls for a Triboro RX subway line, which would weave together existing subway stops in far-reaching spots, as well as provide additional locations. And forget toll hikes to fund the line; it would run mostly above ground on existing freight train tracks, making implementation easy and cost effective.
More on the transportation proposal and see the full Triboro RX map
INTERVIEW: Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sara Valente of Stereotank on Fusing Architecture and Music

Marcelo and Sara at the unveiling of HeartBeat, image via Times Square NYC Flickr

February 18, 2015

INTERVIEW: Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sara Valente of Stereotank on Fusing Architecture and Music

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Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sara Valente want you to do more than just admire their architectural designs from afar–they want you to hear them. The Venezuelan-born designers are the brains behind the creative firm Stereotank, where they create public art installations that fuse the disciplines of architecture, music, environmental sciences and much more. From Taku-Tanku, a traveling, floating house made out of water tanks, to HeartBeat, an urban drum installation currently on view in Times Square, all of Stereotank's innovative work takes a fresh and playful approach to socially conscious designs that engage their audiences. We recently chatted with Marcelo and Sara about how they developed their unique design philosophy and what their creations mean to them and New Yorkers.
Read the interview here
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