All articles by Dana Schulz

Latest StuyTown lottery provides ‘affordable’ apartments for single people earning $120K

Via StuyTown Property Services

March 5, 2019

Latest StuyTown lottery provides ‘affordable’ apartments for single people earning $120K

You're a single New Yorker earning over $120,000 a year--do you really need subsidized housing? Apparently, yes. And apparently, a $2,975/month one-bedroom or a $3,695/month two-bedroom is now considered "affordable." These are the benchmarks for Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village's 2019 affordable housing lottery, which opens the waitlist for one- and two-bedroom units to households earning 165 percent of the area median income.
Get the scoop

Affordable Housing

After $13.4M beach replenishment, closed-off portion of Rockaway Beach set to reopen this summer

Photo via Flickr cc

March 5, 2019

After $13.4M beach replenishment, closed-off portion of Rockaway Beach set to reopen this summer

By Dana Schulz

Last summer, 11 blocks of Rockaway Beach were closed due to safety issues from erosion. The decision to shutter the half-mile stretch came just days before the city's beaches were set to open on Memorial Day weekend. Though the city said at the time that it might take years to get it reopened, a press release this week announces that the beach will reopen in time for this summer season, thanks to a $13.4 million beach replenishment project in which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will dredge 300,000 cubic yards of sand.
All the details

Uncategorized

Reservations to climb Hudson Yards’ giant public sculpture are open!

Rendering of the completed Vessel and plaza, courtesy of Heatherwick Studios for Related-Oxford

February 27, 2019

Reservations to climb Hudson Yards’ giant public sculpture are open!

By Dana Schulz

As of today, those who did not sign up for advanced tickets to enter Thomas Heatherwick's 150-foot-tall, honeycomb-shaped public art installation at Hudson Yards can reserve their one-hour time slot. Formerly known as The Vessel, (it's now awaiting an official name), the climbable sculpture officially opens along with the entire development this Friday. The free tickets must be reserved 14 days in advance, so chances are even though the structure can hold a whopping 1,000 people at a time, it's going to be a crowded spring.
More details

Events & Things To Do

My 1,300sqft: Artist Rob Wynne’s glass installations mix with eclectic decor in his Soho loft

Our series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to artist Rob Wynne’s Soho loft. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

February 27, 2019

My 1,300sqft: Artist Rob Wynne’s glass installations mix with eclectic decor in his Soho loft

By Dana Schulz

"If you have something to say, you figure out what material will help you fulfill that destiny," said artist Rob Wynne, referencing the various mediums in which he works, from hand-embroidered paintings to sculpture to molten glass. It's this "alchemy" that is currently being explored through his exhibit "FLOAT" at the Brooklyn Museum, a show of 16 works that "seemingly floating within the American Art galleries." But Wynne's talent is perhaps on display nowhere more so that his home and studio in Soho. Wynne moved to the artist's loft in the '70s, and what has resulted is an organic and eclectic mix of decor and furniture from decades of travel, meeting fellow NYC artists, and finding inspiration through various disciplines. 6sqft recently visited Rob at his home and explored his collections of curiosities. We also got an up-close look at the process behind his large-scale mirrored glass installations, as well as many of his other incredible works.
Hear more from Rob and explore his studio

February 22, 2019

Waterline Square’s Italian food hall will open on the Upper West Side this summer

By Dana Schulz

If getting to 23rd Street is tricky for you (or you'd just rather not deal with the Eataly tourists), another Italian food mecca will be opening on the Upper West Side this July or August. As 6sqft previously reported, GID Development Group tapped the Cipriani family to create a 28,000-square-foot "experiential food market" for their Waterline Square mega-development. After attending a recent Community Board 7 meeting, West Side Rag got more details about what the food hall will offer, including a full-service restaurant, pasta lab, bellini bar, and, of course, cheese shop.
READ MORE

INTERVIEW: Architect Nancy Ruddy on 30 years in NYC, adding to the skyline, and restaurant design

Photo courtesy of CetraRuddy

February 22, 2019

INTERVIEW: Architect Nancy Ruddy on 30 years in NYC, adding to the skyline, and restaurant design

By Dana Schulz

When Nancy Ruddy and her husband John Cetra formed architecture firm CetraRuddy in 1987, they wanted to "create inspirational spaces and buildings based upon the ideas of craft and the human touch." Thirty-one years later, and the 100-person firm has achieved this goal and then some, marking the skyline with their soaring One Madison tower, transforming Tribeca's 443 Greenwich Street into the hottest celebrity residence, and adapting historic buildings by prolific architects such as Ralph Walker and Rosario Candela. They've also distinguished themselves by combing architecture and design practices, which was most recently showcased at their designs for the new Time Warner Center restaurant Bluebird London. Ahead, 6sqft talks with Nancy Ruddy about how all of these successes came to be, where she sees the architectural landscape of NYC heading, and what it was like creating a destination dining space overlooking Central Park.
Hear from Nancy

Lottery opens for 38 affordable units in Hamilton Heights’ new Dance Theater of Harlem building

Rendering via BRP Companies

February 20, 2019

Lottery opens for 38 affordable units in Hamilton Heights’ new Dance Theater of Harlem building

By Dana Schulz

This affordable housing at 847 Saint Nicholas Avenue lottery checks all the boxes. Most importantly, the units are actually affordable, available to low-income households earning 40, 50, or 60 percent of the area median income and ranging from $475/month studios to $1,166/month two-bedrooms. It's in the beautiful Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill Northwest Historic District, is the new home to the Dance Theater of Harlem, and offers tenants a laundry room, fitness center, first-floor rear year, and seventh-floor terrace.
See the qualifications

Affordable Housing

No weeknight service on parts of the B and D lines in the Bronx for three weeks

Photo via Flickr cc

February 19, 2019

No weeknight service on parts of the B and D lines in the Bronx for three weeks

By Dana Schulz

Bronx residents who ride the B and D lines, take note: beginning today and lasting for three weeks, maintenance, cleaning, and repair work will cause the MTA to close stations between 161st Street-Yankee Stadium and Norwood-205th Street from 9:30pm to 5am as part of their larger Subway Action Plan.
All the details

Transit

The Urban Lens: ‘Manhattan Meltdown’ photo series aims to preserve and celebrate food of NYC

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Aaron Bernstein shares his “Manhattan Meltdown” photo series of famous NYC foods, frozen. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected].

February 15, 2019

The Urban Lens: ‘Manhattan Meltdown’ photo series aims to preserve and celebrate food of NYC

By Dana Schulz

Photographer Aaron Bernstein was overwhelmed when he first moved to New York City for his career in fashion. One way to adjust to his new home was through different food experiences. “Food was this daily thing that I could measure small successes with,” Aaron told us. “If I was able to cook for myself or buy myself a meal, I saw it as a tiny victory." And now as an Adobe Creative Resident, Aaron is exploring the intersection of food and art through the “digital guise” of “Hungry Boy,” an online platform that shows off his colorful, food-centric photos. Aaron recently shared with 6sqft his “Manhattan Meltdown” series, which features beloved food seen as synonymous with the city’s culture-- from Anthora coffee cups to black and white cookies from William Greenberg Desserts, all encased in ice. While the photos are fun and playful, they also represent a bigger truth about the disappearance of beloved Manhattan mom-and-pop shops due to skyrocketing rents and the growing popularity of big businesses. Ahead, get a taste of Aaron's work and hear what the photographer has planned next.
Meet Aaron and see his tasty work

Places

Country-chic West Village ‘house within a house’ asks $3.25M

Listing photos by Brynne Levy Photography for Compass

February 15, 2019

Country-chic West Village ‘house within a house’ asks $3.25M

By Dana Schulz

In the heart of the West Village at 53 Horatio Street, this three-bedroom home has just listed for $3.25 million. The 1834 Federal rowhouse was divided into six co-ops, but the units still retain their 19th-century charm. This residence spans an impressive four floors, hence why the listing describes it as a "house within a house." In addition to its spacious, vertical layout, the apartment is the perfect mix of country decor and contemporary amenities.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

$995K Williamsburg loft nails the contemporary western look

By Dana Schulz

For under $1 million, you can own this uber-trendy South Williamsburg loft at 138 Broadway, the historic Smith-Gray Building. Though the loft is technically a studio, it has a separate kitchen and plenty of room in its 925-square-foot layout for individual sleeping, living, and dining areas. But what makes this unit even more desirable is its impeccable contemporary-western vibes--a mix of historic elements such as whitewashed brick walls and wooden ceilings with modern nods to the style like lots of caramel leather furniture and bold, geometric textiles.
See some more

Distinctive Homes

Extell’s affordable Yorkville building opens lottery for 28 units, starting at $1,018/month

Rendering via Curtis + Ginsberg

February 13, 2019

Extell’s affordable Yorkville building opens lottery for 28 units, starting at $1,018/month

By Dana Schulz

At the corner of Second Avenue and 92nd Street, just a few short blocks from the Second Avenue Subway, Extell Development has completed their first all-affordable housing project. Located at 1768 Second Avenue and designed by Curtis + Ginsberg, the development is comprised of two separate buildings, one 11 stories and the other six stories, for a combined 28 units of below-market-rate housing. These units are reserved for households earning 70 or 80 percent of the area median income, ranging from $1,018/month studios to $1,740/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

February 11, 2019

$419K Upper East Side co-op packs pre-war charm and plenty of character into its studio layout

By Dana Schulz

A foyer, sunken living room, original parquet floors, and a separate modern kitchen are not attributes commonly associated with studios, but this alcove studio on the Upper East Side offers all that and more for just $419,000. Located in the 1930s Eastgate co-ops at 235 East 73rd Street, the apartment is bright and sunny and surprisingly spacious with a separate sleeping alcove and roughly 400 square feet of space to work with.
See some more

Distinctive Homes

NYC’s biggest trivia event is coming! Test your knowledge with these teaser questions

Via Queens Museum

February 8, 2019

NYC’s biggest trivia event is coming! Test your knowledge with these teaser questions

By Dana Schulz

Via Queens Museum It's that time of year again--grab your history buff pals, die-hard New Yorkers, or anyone who loves a good round of trivia and head out to the Queens Museum on Friday, March 1st for the 12th annual Panorama Challenge. Hosted by the City Reliquary, Queens Museum, and The Levys’ Unique New York, the event uses the Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum – a 1964 World's Fair relic that is the world’s largest architectural scale model – to test participants' knowledge on everything from Revolutionary NYC to Rock of Ages (geology) to Tunnel Time. To get ready, Quizmaster Jonathan Turer has shared a set of teaser questions, especially for 6sqft readers.
See how many you can answer. (No Googling allowed!)

Events & Things To Do

Photo via MTA/Flickr

February 7, 2019

GIVEAWAY! Win 2 tour tickets to “Art and Architecture of the Second Avenue Subway”

By Dana Schulz

It's been three years since the Second Avenue Subway's long-awaited opening, and with phase two finally inching forward, what better time to learn all about the past, present, and future of this incredible infrastructure project. Join 6sqft's managing editor Dana Schulz for a tour with the Municipal Art Society about the history, art, and architecture of the Second Avenue Subway. Taking place on Sunday, February 24th, the two-hour event will explore why it took nearly 100 years for the train's wheels to get rolling, how it was designed, and what engineering feats set it apart. Guests will also view the impressive collection of public art from Chuck Close, Sarah Sze, Vik Muniz, and Jean Shin, learning about these contemporary artists and the significance of their work.
Find out how you can win a pair of free tickets

Events & Things To Do

February 6, 2019

VIDEO: See how bean-to-bar chocolate gets made at the Institute of Culinary Education

By Dana Schulz

If you don't have chocolate on the mind yet, you soon will with Valentine's Day quickly approaching. And while there's plenty of trendy treats out there--think mushroom chocolate bars and a $375 spiked hot chocolate--there's nothing quite like keeping it simple with classic cacoa flavors and traditional cooking methods. Which is exactly the mindset behind the Institute of Culinary Education's bean-to-bar chocolate lab, the first in the nation. James Beard Award-winning chef and ICE’s Creative Director/head of the chocolate lab, recently gave us a private lesson in chocolate making, from roasting and crushing the beans to tempering the final product. Ahead, watch this entire tutorial and learn about the machinery that makes it happen, what makes "real" chocolate real, and how you can get in on the action in the lab.
Watch the video here

Food & Dining

Hudson Yards releases new details about restaurant and food options

View of estiatorio Milos’ outdoor terrace at the Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards, courtesy of Related-Oxford.

February 6, 2019

Hudson Yards releases new details about restaurant and food options

By Dana Schulz

Another day, another round of news leading up to Hudson Yards' March 15th opening date. This time, developer Related Companies is whetting our appetites with details about its dining collection. We knew the basics--celebrity chef José Andrés will operate a Spanish food hall and there will be outposts of already-popular spots like Estiatorio Milos, Momofuku, and Bouchon Bakery--but we're now getting the official restaurant names and more details on their concepts. There are also a slew of new names joining the ranks, like sweets from William Greenberg Desserts, Li-Lac Chocolate, and Dylan’s Candy Bar and some more local favorites including Citarella, Blue Bottle Coffee, Bluestone Lane, and Van Leeuwen ice cream.
More details this way

Food & Dining

My 500sqft: How an architect brought chic sensibility to her Hell’s Kitchen apartment

Our series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to architect and designer Nicky Chang’s Hell’s Kitchen apartment. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

February 6, 2019

My 500sqft: How an architect brought chic sensibility to her Hell’s Kitchen apartment

By Dana Schulz

Shanghai native Nicky Chang is nothing if not accomplished in her field, having graduated from the Yale School of Architecture and worked for firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. But when she had a chance to combine her passions of architecture, interior design, and culinary arts, she couldn't pass up the chance. Nicky is now the head of design and strategy at Junzi Kitchen, a fast-casual Northern Chinese restaurant founded on Yale's campus with locations in Morningside Heights, Greenwich Village, and soon at Bryant Park. When Nicky moved from New Haven to Hell's Kitchen, she was downsizing by three times. Luckily, as she jokes, "architects have mild OCD tendencies when it comes to organization," so she was able to maximize her 500-square-foot walk-up without sacrificing style. Ahead, take a tour of Nicky's calm, chic, and cozy home and hear from her about her plant collection, love of cooking, and what it's like to work in hospitality design.
Take the tour

In East Flatbush, a new middle-income housing lottery is throwing in ‘free rent’

Photo via CityRealty

February 5, 2019

In East Flatbush, a new middle-income housing lottery is throwing in ‘free rent’

By Dana Schulz

The next culprit in a long list of the city's non-affordable "affordable" housing lotteries is an opportunity for "middle-income" New Yorkers to apply for 28 units at East Flatbush's new rental Ensemble. It's available to New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the median income, which begs the question: Is a single person earning $95,000 a year really in need of subsidized housing? But the most questionable part of this lottery is that it's offering "six months free rent on the last six months of one and two-year leases." Rental concessions like this are typically reserved for market-rate buildings that are having trouble leasing or need to attract tenants in a slow market. But since these affordable rents are minimally lower than the market-rate, maybe it's operating as such.
Is $2,600/month affordable?

Affordable Housing

First housing lottery opens at the Bronx’s $600M affordable redevelopment of the Lambert Houses

A rendering of 988 East 180th Street, courtesy of the office of Ritchie Torres

February 4, 2019

First housing lottery opens at the Bronx’s $600M affordable redevelopment of the Lambert Houses

By Dana Schulz

It's been over two years since work got underway to demolish 14 building at the Bronx's 1970s-era Lambert Houses and replace them with taller towers that will hold 1,665 affordable apartments. In addition to doubling the site's number of affordable units, the $600 million project will have a public school and three times the amount of retail space. Though the entire overhaul won't be complete for another 11-12 years, applications are now being accepted for the first new residential building (h/t Welcome2TheBronx). The 49 below-market-rate residences are reserved for those earning 60 or 100 percent of the area median income and range from $761/month studios to $1,600/month two-bedrooms.
READ MORE

Affordable Housing

February 4, 2019

One-bedroom Hell’s Kitchen co-op has high style and a low $425K price tag

By Dana Schulz

The listing describes this Hell's Kitchen co-op as "a first time home buyers' dream" and when you consider it's chic, industrial-style interior and low $425,000 price tag, that sounds about right. Not only is it a true one-bedroom, but the apartment at 715 9th Avenue was also recently renovated. Being right on restaurant-lined 9th Avenue might sound like a lot, but you're just one block away from the C and E trains at 50th Street.
See more

Distinctive Homes

February 1, 2019

$2.8M Chelsea co-op has an enchanted two-level garden complete with a fire pit and pergola

By Dana Schulz

This magical Chelsea backyard has us dreaming of warm summer days filled with fire pits, barbecuing, gardening, and kicking back with the sun our faces. But for now, the interior of this duplex at 436 West 23rd Street is plenty spacious and beautiful to keep us safe from the cold. Located within the historic Fitzroy Townhouses, an incredibly intact row of 19th-century Italianate houses, the 1,250-square-foot co-op boasts a double-height living room with 17-foot ceilings, a modern and colorful renovation, and, of course, that incredible two-level garden.
Go inside

Distinctive Homes

Rendering of “Lost and Found” via Snark Park

January 31, 2019

Hudson Yards exhibit space Snark Park puts tickets on sale for its first show

By Dana Schulz

When Hudson Yards opens on March 15th, one of the many places New Yorkers will get to check out for the first time will be Snark Park, a permanent exhibition space for immersive installations. The space will reimagine "everyday objects and familiar settings," according to a press release from designers Snarkitecture, "creating unexpected and memorable moments that challenge the mind to reassess visual cues and investigate the commonplace with a fresh curiosity." If this sounds a little out-there to you, tickets to the first exhibit have just gone on sale, along with some more info. The inaugural showcase titled "Lost and Found" will be a modern interpretation of an enchanted forest, providing "audible, visual, and tactile experiences" within a series of "massive, inhabitable cylinders."
All the details

Events & Things To Do

TransitCenter maps out the next 50 subway stations that should be made accessible in NYC

Photo via Flickr cc

January 31, 2019

TransitCenter maps out the next 50 subway stations that should be made accessible in NYC

By Dana Schulz

Photo via Flickr cc Roughly 75 percent of New York City's 472 subway stations are not accessible--a fact that has long plagued disability advocates but has now taken on a more pressing call to action after 22-year-old Malaysia Goodson died after falling down the stairs carrying her baby in a stroller at one of these stations. To visualize this dire need, TransitCenter has put together a map that proposes the next 50 subway stations that should be made accessible under the MTA’s Fast Forward plan. If implemented, their plan would "more than triple the potential station-to-station trips riders who rely on elevators can make using accessible stations."
How did they choose these 50 stations?

Apply for 174 mixed-income units in the Parkchester area of the Bronx, from just $462/month

The Parkchester Oval, via Wiki Commons

January 31, 2019

Apply for 174 mixed-income units in the Parkchester area of the Bronx, from just $462/month

By Dana Schulz

Last week, it was announced that the Parkchester section of the Bronx, served only by the 6 train, would be receiving a new Metro-North station, connecting it to Penn Station. And for those New Yorkers who qualify for the city's newest affordable housing lottery--earning 40, 60, or 100 percent of the area median income--there's a chance to get into the neighborhood on the heels of this news. There are 174 mixed-income apartments up for grabs at the new, two-building development Westchester Mews, and they range from $462/month studios to $1,888/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

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