All articles by Dana Schulz

June 16, 2020

For $30K/month, you can live in this converted East Village synagogue

From the outside, this East Village building still looks like a traditional tenement synagogue, but inside it's an incredible four-story home. Located at 317 East 8th Street, the former 8th Street Shul was built around 1900 and converted to a private residence in 2005. It's now available to rent for $30,000 a month. The new tenant will get to enjoy 22-foot cathedral ceilings in the living room, custom windows with a 19th-century backlit Star of David, a cantilevered balcony, and three outdoor terraces, including a landscaped roof deck with a hot tub.
Take the tour
June 15, 2020

Seven New York regions will be in phase 3 this week, gatherings of up to 25 now allowed

Last week, five New York regions entered phase three of reopening, which includes indoor dining and personal care services such as nail salons, tattoo parlors, and massage parlors. In addition to the North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier, Governor Cuomo announced today that Western New York will enter phase three tomorrow and the Capital Region on Wednesday. He also modified phase three to increase gatherings from 10 to 25 people.
More details here
June 15, 2020

12 virtual things to do this week: Juneteenth, restaurants, Gowanus, and more

This week's roster of virtual events pays attention to our current times, from a look at how the restaurant industry reopens with chef Marcus Samuelsson to a special food-based conversation around Juneteenth. In addition, the 92Y continues its "92Y Confronts Hate" series, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden streams a concert by composer-trombonist Craig Harris, whose music has been focused on the art of breathing since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. You can also take virtual tours of Gowanus and the mansions of the Hamptons.
Check out the full list
June 12, 2020

For $1.1M, a cottage-like Park Slope co-op with a roof deck

The pitched lapboard ceilings, exposed brick, and cozy nooks make this Park Slope co-op feel like a little cottage in the sky. But when you step onto the rooftop and peer across brownstone Brooklyn, you'll be reminded that you're still in the city. Located at 16 Montgomery Place, the two-bedroom apartment has even more lovely perks, including a wood-burning fireplace, three skylights, and tons of built-ins.
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June 12, 2020

Jersey City moves forward with $40M renovation of historic Loew’s Theatre

The historic Loew's Wonder Theatre in Jersey City is finally set to receive the restoration it's waited years for. Built in 1929 by architect George Rapp in a gilded, Baroque-Rococo style, the Loew's Jersey was as a lavish entertainment destination for decades, until it was converted to a triplex movie theater in the '70s and almost faced the wrecking ball in the '80s. But through a grassroots preservation effort, the city bought the theater in 1987, allowing the nonprofit Friends of the Loew’s to begin restoration and operate as a nonprofit arts center. Though the group has made incredible progress, a significant amount of work remains. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop is searching for a commercial operator to help with the $40 million restoration and modernization effort of the 3,000-seat theater.
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June 12, 2020

100-name waitlist opens for middle-income units at artsy rental in Flatbush, with 6 months free rent

On the border of East Flatbush and Crown Heights, a 100-name waitlist has just opened for middle-income apartments at 824 East New York Avenue. The building, known as the Ensemble, was built in 2018 and is known for its facade adorned with colorful murals. As Bklyner reported, the piece was done by Argentinian artists Ariel Rouco and Augusto Turallas, who worked with the owners to represent the area's different cultures. The units range from $1,800/month studios to $2,600/month two-bedrooms and are available to those earning 130 percent of the area median income. Those selected will receive six months free rent.
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June 11, 2020

$4.9M lakefront mansion was built for the founder of Tuxedo Park

Tuxedo Park is probably best known on the surface as the place where the tuxedo got its name, but the reason that this style landed here from English nobility is that this upstate gated community was home to Gilded Age mansions and their wealthy, high-society residents. Today, most of these incredible homes remain, including this one at 84 East Lake Road. In fact, the monolithic stone lake house was built for Pierre Lorillard, heir to the Lorillard Tobacco Company and founder of Tuxedo Park. Currently listed for $4,900,000, the incredible estate sits on four-and-a-half acres and boasts a grand oval living room with 24-foot ceilings, several stone outbuildings, a floating dock, barn, carriage trails, and more.
See the whole place
June 11, 2020

14 virtual Pride events in NYC this year

2020 marks 50 years since the first NYC Pride March was held, one year after the Stonewall riots. Though the LGBTQIA+ and New York City communities aren't able to celebrate in the big way that NYC Pride had planned, there will still be a special virtual March, along with many other ways to mark this momentous occasion from home, from panel discussions to a virtual 5K run to rallies and conferences.
The full list of events
June 11, 2020

New York’s first guidelines for indoor dining include 50% capacity

As it currently stands, restaurants in New York are allowed to reopen for outdoor dining in phase two, which will likely occur in early July in the city, and for indoor dining in phase three, which probably won't be any sooner than late July. In his press conference yesterday, Governor Cuomo laid out the first guidelines for indoor dining. Most notably, and expectedly, they include a 50-percent occupancy limit and rules for table spacing and table barriers.
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June 11, 2020

$2.5M Central Park South penthouse has a wrap-around rooftop with beer taps, grills, and a ‘lawn’

A heated pergola, outdoor kitchen with both barbecue and teppanyaki grills, beer taps, a wine fridge, entertainment center, outdoor lounge, and a recreation "lawn" -- this is just some of what you'll get at this Central Park South's wrap-around rooftop terrace. The two-bedroom penthouse at 152 West 58th Street also has incredible views of the adjacent skyscrapers along Billionaires' Row, including the famous Essex House sign that reflects into the glass of One57. The interiors are super open and sleek, and the home has just hit the market for $2,490,000
See more here
June 10, 2020

84 affordable senior apartments available at new green development in the Bronx’s Concourse Village

In a super convenient Bronx location, a brand new, sustainable development that was built as subsidized housing to help seniors "age in place" has just opened an affordable housing lottery for 84 apartments. Available to households with at least one member who is 62 years of age or older and who earn between $0 and $51,200 annually, the units will cost tenants 30 percent of their income. Designed by MAP at 122 East Clarke Place in the Concourse Village neighborhood, the building encourages social interaction through lounges on each floor, a roof terrace, and landscaped rear yard for outdoor cooking.
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June 10, 2020

With 8,000 units, Jersey City project will be the Tri-State’s largest mixed-income housing development

After receiving approval from the city, last week, developer BRP Companies revealed renderings for their Bayfront Redevelopment Project in Jersey City along the Hackensack River. Located on a former brownfield site, the 100-acre project will be built in phases, eventually resulting in 8,000 units of mixed-income housing (35 percent of which will be affordable), said to be the largest such project in the region. This fall, construction will kick off on the 16-acre first phase, known as Cove Pointe, which will bring 1,092 units of housing, with 382 set aside as affordable and workforce housing.
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June 9, 2020

$1.6M Tudor feels like a storybook castle in Westchester

Photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence This enchanting Tudor home in the Westchester town of Larchmont looks like something straight out of a fairytale, from its storybook facade to incredible architectural details like beamed and vaulted ceilings, arched stained-glass windows, and tons of moody work. Located at 1 Beechtree Drive on a quiet cul-de-sac, the six-bedroom home is asking $1,599,000 (h/t CIRCA).
Go inside
June 9, 2020

For just under $2M, this Hamilton Heights penthouse has a roof deck as large as the apartment

It's not uncommon to find apartments with outdoor space, but it is uncommon to find one with a roof deck as large as the interior. This two-bedroom condo in Hamilton Heights is 1,779 square feet inside and has a private roof deck that's an additional 1,619s square feet. Located at 458 West 146th Street, the penthouse unit's outdoor space boasts cherry trees, climbing ivy, evergreens, and plenty of space for outdoor lounging and dining. The interiors are bright, open, and classical yet modern.
See inside
June 8, 2020

Coveted townhouse in Queens’ enchanted Forest Hills Gardens lists for $2.5M

This magical enclave looks more like an English village than a part of Queens, but, in fact, Forest Hills Gardens was built in the early 20th century to resemble England's garden cities. The private community consists of more than 800 free-standing and attached houses, of which one of the latter has just hit the market for $2,485,000. The six-bedroom house at 34 Greenway Terrace has the neighborhood's signature Tudor style, as well as a front patio, rear private parking spot, finished basement, and plenty of preserved details.
Go on a tour here
June 5, 2020

My 3,000sqft: Architect Wid Chapman renovated his Upper East Side home using color and openness

Wid Chapman's parents were profound modernists, his father an architect who worked for Marcel Breuer, and his mother an artist who studied with Josef Albers. The career that Wid has built for himself as an architect and interior designer who specializes in hospitality design is uniquely his own but showcases the influences of his parents. When it came time to design his personal apartment on the Upper East Side, it was his own family who influenced the renovation. "Providing space intimate enough for our small immediate family but room for an extended one, the project reconfigures and reshapes extant spaces to defer to the apartment’s sweeping Central Park views," said Wid, adding that "color and materiality" were also central to the project. Ahead, take a full tour of this one-of-a-kind apartment and hear from Wid about his background and career and the specifics of the renovation.
Take the tour here
June 5, 2020

All New York regions other than NYC will be in phase two of reopening next week

As of Wednesday, seven of New York's 10 designated regions were in phase two of the state's four-part reopening plan--Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Southern Tier, Western New York (the Buffalo area), and the Capital Region. And yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced that the Mid-Hudson Valley is on track to enter phase two on Tuesday, June 9th and Long Island on Wednesday, June 10th. With state guidelines and social distancing measures in place, this allows office-based workers, real estate services, in-store retail shopping, outdoor dining, and some barbershop services to resume.
More details here
June 5, 2020

Crown Heights condo is a calming two-bedroom home for under $1M

Image Credit: Warburg Realty/Jamie Fedorko  The whitewashed brick walls and neutral color palette create a calming feel at this Crown Heights condo, located at 658 Park Place. In addition to its visual appeal, the two-bedroom also has a great layout for a small family; the open living area faces the street, while the bedrooms are separated down a hallway at the rear of the apartment.
Have a look
June 4, 2020

How this Brooklyn non-profit is producing 500,000+ isolation gowns for NYC hospitals

As of this week, Industry City-based nonprofit workforce development organization Course of Trade has produced 219,279 hand-sewn isolation gowns for New York City hospitals, with an ultimate contract of 520,800 from the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Course of Trade was started by Malia Mills’ production director Libby Mattern to offer free sewing instruction and job placement assistance in the garment industry. When COVID hit the city, Libby knew it was time to innovate yet again, and she put in place a partnership with the city in which a 300-person team across South Brooklyn is sewing these life-saving gowns.
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June 4, 2020

250-name waitlist opens for barely affordable units at East Harlem rental

When we wrote about the initial affordable housing lottery at 111 East 115th back at the beginning of 2018, we questioned how these "affordable" apartments provided any financial relief when they were, in some cases, even more expensive than the market-rate units. The same conundrum holds true now, as the East Harlem rental has just opened up a 250-name waitlist for those earning 130 percent of the area median income. The apartments include $2,253 - $2,675 one-bedrooms and $2,784 - $3,207 two-bedrooms. A recent market-rate one-bedroom rented for $2,575, while a two-bedroom rented for $2,716.
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June 4, 2020

Two-family Prospect Heights townhouse has outdoor space and an array of fun woodwork for $3.5M

The stand-out feature of this $3,495,000 Prospect Heights townhouse is the variety of woodwork found throughout, from the restored original carved staircase to fun new features like red-and-white oak flooring repurposed from Carolina horse barns and a terrace made from NYC water tower wood to the gigantic herringbone wall in the kitchen. On the practical side, the home at 154 Underhill Avenue is configured as an owners' duplex with an income-generating, garden-level rental. There's a beautiful backyard, as well as a front garden and terrace, along with plenty of other fun and functional touches.
Take the full tour
June 3, 2020

New York restaurants can open for outdoor dining during phase two of reopening

With seven of 10 regions across the state now in phase two of the reopening plan, Governor Cuomo announced today that he was adding outdoor dining at restaurants to the list of businesses and operations allowed during this second stage. Restaurants in these regions can begin this tomorrow June 4th, as long as outdoor tables are spaced six feet apart, all staff wear face coverings, and customers also wear face coverings when not seated.
Find out more
June 3, 2020

$1M East Williamsburg duplex has Scandinavian vibes and sunny terraces

We're loving how this $1,050,000 duplex mixes Scandinavian vibes with Brooklyn cool to create a very stylish yet understated home. The one-bedroom apartment at 199 Humboldt Street in East Williamsburg has a duplex layout, allowing for convenient separation of living and sleeping spaces. It also boasts two terraces for optimal outdoor space.
Go inside
June 3, 2020

Navigating rental leases in NYC during COVID: Negotiating, re-signing, moving

The summer months are typically the busiest when it comes to real estate in New York City, especially the rental market. But with the city still not out of the woods of the coronavirus crisis, and with so many facing job and financial uncertainty, the idea of signing or renewing a lease becomes increasingly complicated. With this in mind, 6sqft spoke to real estate agents and building managers to get their thoughts on how to navigate this situation, from requesting your lease go month-to-month to setting up a payment plan. We also provide information on what to do if you're struggling to pay rent.
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