All articles by Dana Schulz

January 2, 2019

Greenpoint’s new ‘community-forward rental’ launches lottery for 60 affordable units

Ranging from $1,045/month studios to $2,795/month three-bedrooms, 60 low- and middle-income units at Greenpoint's new rental Otto have come online through the city's affordable housing lottery. The block-long, 197-unit building boasts that it is "community-forward," with amenities like a lounge, old-school game room, gym, and a large rooftop with a pool, hot tub, barbecues, and incredible Manhattan views. For comparison, market-rate apartments are renting from $2,279/month for studios to $4,704/month for three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

January 2, 2019

One block from Prospect Park, rent an entire three-bedroom house for $5,400/month

By Dana Schulz

For the price of a Manhattan apartment, this entire Windsor Terrace house--complete with three bedrooms, a rear garden, and a location on a private street just one block from Prospect Park--is up for rent. Listed for $5,400 a month, the rowhouse at 19 Temple Court recently underwent a total renovation, but it still has loads of charming details like a front bay window, brick fireplace, and original pine floors.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

Major 7 train disruptions between Long Island City and Manhattan in January and February

Photo via Flickr cc

December 26, 2018

Major 7 train disruptions between Long Island City and Manhattan in January and February

By Dana Schulz

On weeknights in January and the first week of February, as well as all weekends in January, the 7 train will not run between 34th Street-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza, the MTA announced. As 6sqft reported last month, after seven years of installing modern signals on the 7 line, the system failed the first day it went live. The upcoming work will address repairs needed on a 2,000-foot section of track near Grand Central, "where defects were discovered" during this recent Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) modern signaling system installation.
All the details

Transit

December 24, 2018

‘Remake the Holidays’ by turning your used wrapping paper into garland and other crafts

By Dana Schulz

We've all been there--the gifts have been opened and what's left is a heaping pile of wrapping paper, boxes, ribbons, and tissue paper. Instead of throwing it all into a garbage bag, the New York Hall of Science has a fun series of events running from December 27th-30th that will let you "Remake the Holidays." Workshop topics include turning wrapping paper and catalogs into garland; helping to build a Winter Wonderland using paper, textiles, and cardboard; and "tinkering" with toys and everyday materials to make new creations.
More on the events

Events & Things To Do

December 21, 2018

Chimneys and reindeer food: These maps optimize Santa’s Christmas Eve efficiency

By Dana Schulz

Santa may not have an engineering background, but he certainly knows his location intelligence, considering he's long been able to deliver billions of gifts around the world in just one night. But with population growing and delivery becoming faster and faster (ahem, Amazon), the team at Datastory decided to help him out and optimize his Christmas Eve travel. Using the metrics of population, fly times, fireplaces, cookies, milk, and reindeer food (aka grassy areas), they've suggested "distribution points that maximize access to everyone on the nice list," so that, in theory, "his elves could stage the gifts in just the right places, helping Santa complete the job in time."
Learn more about Santa's travels

Events & Things To Do

Get a one-bedroom right near Washington Heights’ historic sites for $1,900/month

Morris Jumel Mansion via Wiki Commons

December 21, 2018

Get a one-bedroom right near Washington Heights’ historic sites for $1,900/month

By Dana Schulz

Washington Heights has been in the news lately for its surge in millennial residents and upcoming food hall, but another draw to the neighborhood is its wealth of historic sites like the Morris-Jumel Mansion (Manhattan's oldest house!) and Sylvan Terrace (a hidden cobblestone street lined with 19th-century wooden row houses). And the latest affordable housing lottery to come online is just a few short blocks from these local landmarks. Located at 1980 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 158th and 159th Streets, this new 14-unit rental has five $1,900/month one-bedrooms available to households earning between $65,143 and $108,550 annually.
READ MORE

Affordable Housing

Be the first to reach Manhattan in this L train shutdown board game

Image courtesy of Hunter Fine

December 21, 2018

Be the first to reach Manhattan in this L train shutdown board game

By Dana Schulz

In reality, the L train shutdown will be no fun for anyone, but in this satirical board game, the doomsday situation gets a playful twist. Bushwick Daily first spotted the Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the game, which is called "Escape From Hell." After selecting a hipster character, players roll the dice and follow the path as they try to get from East New York to Manhattan by bus, ferry, bike, or alternate train service.
READ MORE

December 20, 2018

Elegant Greenwich Village rental with a secret terrace asks $8,950/month

By Dana Schulz

Nearly four years ago, 6sqft featured this enchanting parlor-floor rental at 34 West 9th Street. At the time, it was asking $9,850/month, but with a new batch of picture-perfect views, the price has dropped slightly to $8,950/month. The floor-through unit is located in a traditional townhouse and retains gorgeous historic details such as fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals, dentil moldings, intricate ceiling medallions, and two decorative hand-carved marble fireplaces. But best of all, this little slice of elegance comes with a private terrace overlooking the building's garden below.
Get a look around

Distinctive Homes

Grand Central train shed repairs could mean a mess for Midtown streets

Photo via Wiki Commons

December 20, 2018

Grand Central train shed repairs could mean a mess for Midtown streets

By Dana Schulz

The MTA recently purchased Grand Central Terminal for $35 million, a deal which gave the agency more control over development projects happening at the landmark. And in one of their first orders of business, it looks like they're mulling a massive undertaking to replace the train shed roof, according to Crain's sources. The shed is a two-level-deep underground space comprised of tracks, bridges, and viaducts used to stage and store Metro-North cars. It runs north of the terminal to East 57th Street and takes up an area larger than 20 football fields. Not only would the project cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take 20 years to complete, but Crain's notes that it would likely result in many Midtown streets being ripped up.
READ MORE

Transit

‘Solar-carving’ facade is complete at Jeanne Gang’s High Line tower

By Dana Schulz

Jeanne Gang's 12-story office building on the High Line has earned itself the nickname Solar Carve tower for its gem-like glass facade that was "sculpted by the angles of the sun" in order to eliminate shadows. And now, eight months after topping out, the building's signature glass curtain wall is complete, just in time to welcome tenants early this spring. In a press release announcing the milestone, Developers Aurora Capital Associates and William Gottlieb Real Estate said they believe the project, located at 40 Tenth Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets, will be "the office crown jewel of the Meatpacking District."
See more photos of the completed product

December 19, 2018

$395K Tudor City co-op is a man cave in waiting

By Dana Schulz

Woodstock Tower at 320 East 42nd Street is one of the most charming of Tudor City's collection of elegant co-op buildings, and in keeping with the complex's pre-war charm is this studio asking less than $400,000. Like so many of the itty-bitty units in Tudor City, this 240-square-foot makes the most of its footprint with a Murphy bed and built-in storage, and in this case, a very refined and handsome design that would make this the perfect man cave.
Find out more about the place

Distinctive Homes

Apply for 14 middle-income apartments on the Williamsburg-Bushwick border, from $2,081/month

Photo via Flickr cc

December 19, 2018

Apply for 14 middle-income apartments on the Williamsburg-Bushwick border, from $2,081/month

By Dana Schulz

With the L train shutdown looming, some of the best rental finds are those in parts of Williamsburg that have easy access to another train. Like this new 45-unit building at 46 Cook Street that's just two blocks from the M and J trains at Flushing Avenue but still a quick walk to cool 'spots like Roberta's, Sweet Science, and the Well. Even better, 14 middle-income units at the new, 12-story rental just came online through the city's affordable housing lottery. Available to New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, they range from $2,081/month one-bedrooms to $2,888/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

December 19, 2018

This subway-style map plots NYC parks

By Dana Schulz

Need a gift for the New Yorker who has it all? How about this fun map from the Parks Department that plots NYC parks in the style of a traditional subway map? Not only can you peruse the map online, but just for the holiday season, limited-edition, full-size posters of "Next Stop: NYC Parks" are available for purchase.
READ MORE

City Living

Washington Heights’ first food hall announces spring opening and vendors

An early rendering of North End Food Hall, via NADA

December 18, 2018

Washington Heights’ first food hall announces spring opening and vendors

By Dana Schulz

Earlier this year, the Post called Washington Heights “the new Williamsburg,” after census data revealed that the upper-Manhattan neighborhood has more millennials than any other area in the entire city. After being priced out of areas like Bushwick, the Heights is a cheaper but equally convenient place to settle down. And like any good up-and-coming NYC spot, Washington Heights will soon be getting its very own food hall. Eater reports that North End Food Hall will open this spring at 4300 Broadway, at 183rd Street, with local favorites like Dashi Ramen (from the team behind Jin Ramen), Harlem Public, and Salt and Bone Smokehouse.
Find out more

Food & Dining

On Christmas Eve, the public can go inside Gramercy Park for one hour

Photo via Flickr cc

December 18, 2018

On Christmas Eve, the public can go inside Gramercy Park for one hour

By Dana Schulz

Photo via Flickr cc From 6-7pm this Christmas Eve, the Gramercy Park Block Association will open the park's iron gates to the public for its annual holiday caroling hour with the local Parish of Calvary-St. George's. And though this may not seem like much time, it's probably the only chance New Yorkers will get; all other times, Gramercy Park is only accessible to those who live in the 39 building surrounding the square and are lucky enough to have one of the 400 keys.
READ MORE

Events & Things To Do

December 17, 2018

$2,500/month studio may be small, but it’s in the heart of the Upper West Side

By Dana Schulz

The age-old question for apartment-hunting New Yorkers is space or location? And if you fall into the latter camp, this bright and cozy studio on the Upper West Side at 140 West 69th Street may be for you. It's itty bitty, but there's still a functional kitchen, clever storage built-ins, a roomy living area, and a lofted bed to open things up. And best of all, it's located at the corner of 69th and Broadway, right near Lincoln Center, the 1/2/3 trains, Trader Joes, and Central Park and a quick walk to Columbus Circle and Riverside Park. Does all that warrant the small space's $2,500/month ask?
Decide for yourself

Distinctive Homes

My 280sqft: How a wellness expert used plants and DIY to open up her tiny West Village studio

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to wellness entrepreneur and innovation consultant Ilse Paanakker’s West Village studio. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

December 17, 2018

My 280sqft: How a wellness expert used plants and DIY to open up her tiny West Village studio

By Dana Schulz

"Wellness" is definitely a buzzword these days, but Ilse Paanakker, a self-described "habit-based wellness guru" is definitely not just talk. By day, Ilse works as an innovation consultant, but she's also the founder of Habit House, a wellness technology that helps women build healthy lifestyles one habit at a time. And it when it came to her 280-square-foot West Village studio, Ilse was sure to use her expertise to create a home that not only feels much larger than its tiny footprint but empowers her to maintain her personal healthy habits. From her beautifully curated collection of plants (it's "meditative to take care of them," she says) and DIY projects to her accountability board and streamlined kitchen that's perfect for meal-prep, Ilse's home is the true definition of a wellness lifestyle.
Take the tour!

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and businesses of New Yorkers. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch!

December 14, 2018

Where I Work: Ample Hills opens NYC’s largest ice cream factory in Red Hook

By Dana Schulz

This summer, Brooklyn ice cream phenomenon Ample Hills opened NYC's largest ice cream factory in Red Hook. Founders Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith wanted "to create a place where people from all over the world could come together, share a scoop and learn the magic behind making ice cream." From a single cart in Prospect Park eight years ago to the new 15,000-square-foot factory, museum, and shop that can produce 500,000 gallons of ice cream a day, Ample Hills certainly has delivered on this goal. 6sqft recently visited the factory and, of course, had a sampling of all the whimsical flavors (including the factory's signature flavor that is an homage to the Dutch settlers of Red Hook). We also took a tour of the space with Ample Hills' creative director Lauren Kaelin, who designed the space's interactive 22-foot-wide map of Brooklyn and educational exhibits. She took us behind-the-scenes in both the ice cream production side and the bakery (Ample Hills makes all its mix-ins by hand) and filled us in on some secrets of the sweet company.
Take the sweet tour

Announcing 6sqft’s 2018 Building of the Year!

Rendering via Hill West Architects; frame via Pixabay

December 13, 2018

Announcing 6sqft’s 2018 Building of the Year!

By Dana Schulz

The votes have been tallied, and it's time to name the 2018 Building of the Year! The winning title belongs to none other than Long Island City's Skyline Tower. The 778-foot-tall tower beat out 11 other significant NYC buildings in a competitive two-week competition held by 6sqft. Out of nearly 3,000 votes cast, the Hill West-designed structure took first place with a whopping 1,021 votes or 35.5% of the total. Was it the fact that the Skyline Tower is on course to become the borough’s tallest building? Or that it has an estimated $1.088 billion sellout, the first in the borough to break the one billion mark? Or perhaps it's the LIC location, the forthcoming home to 25,000 Amazon employees?
More on this year's winner!

MTA confirms that ‘disabled train’ announcement was really for a bathroom break

Photo via Flickr cc

December 12, 2018

MTA confirms that ‘disabled train’ announcement was really for a bathroom break

By Dana Schulz

In the summer of 2017, the MTA implemented a new policy to get rid of stock recordings ("we are delayed because of train traffic ahead of us” or “we are being held momentarily by the train’s dispatcher") and "give more detailed announcements" when trains are delayed. And it looks like they have now taken their honesty campaign to Twitter, correcting a rider that his train was not delayed by another disabled train but rather because "one train crew member had to make an emergency pitstop to the restroom."
It happens to the best of us

December 12, 2018

Is $1,850/month for this 272-square-foot Clinton Hill studio a deal for the location?

By Dana Schulz

It's hard to find a decent studio these days for under $2,000 a month, let alone one with 12-foot ceilings, original exposed brick, and plenty of natural light. But this Clinton Hill cutie at 126 Willoughby Avenue is asking $1,850. It is, however, less than 300-square-feet. But what it lacks in space it makes up for in location; it's just six blocks from Fort Greene Park, three blocks from the G at Clinton-Washington, and in the heart of all the neighborhood hotspots along DeKalb and Myrtle Avenues.
Some different angles

Distinctive Homes

December 12, 2018

For just $429K, this cheerful Sunnyside co-op is the perfect family starter pad

By Dana Schulz

Buying a home in NYC is rarely easy for young people, especially when they're looking for that coveted second bedroom. But this newly renovated co-op at 47-37 45th Street in Sunnyside might just be the diamond in the rough. Not only is the place a 15-minute subway ride from Midtown, but it has a small second bedroom/office (currently used as a nursery) and cool barn-style decor--all for the very reasonable price of $429,000.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

December 11, 2018

See this year’s completely outrageous Dyker Heights Christmas lights

By Dana Schulz

Where else can you see 25-foot toy soldiers, a two-story Santa, or a house decked out with 30,000 lights other than Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. The suburban neighborhood, historically a quiet, Italian-American enclave, has been putting on its legendary holiday spectacle since 1986, when Lucy Spata moved to the area. Her over-the-top Christmas displays started as a way to honor her mother's memory (she also loved holiday decorations) and quickly her neighbors followed suit. Today, Lucy is known around town as "Mrs. Claus" and the Dyker Heights lights attract up to 150,000 visitors each season. 6sqft's resident photographers, James and Karla Murray, recently visited Dyker Heights and captured the outrageous lights and decorations in all their glory. And they were even lucky enough to meet Lucy herself!
See this year's insane Christmas light extravaganza

GIVEWAY: Join a 6sqft editor for a special ‘Christmas History in Gramercy’ tour

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

December 7, 2018

GIVEWAY: Join a 6sqft editor for a special ‘Christmas History in Gramercy’ tour

By Dana Schulz

Did you know the nation's first public Christmas tree went up in NYC? Or how about the fact that Santa Claus was born here in both literature and drawing? And have you seen the famous restaurant decorated with 15,000 Christmas ornaments, 10,000 lights? Join 6sqft's managing editor Dana Schulz for her Christmas in Gramercy tour with the Municipal Art Society to see and learn about all this and more. Taking place, Saturday, December 15th, the two-hour event will reveal the surprising origins of our most beloved holiday traditions.
Enter to win tickets here!

Events & Things To Do

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