All articles by Dana Schulz

May 9, 2018

New York Wheel has four months to find funding to restart work

"[We are] committed to the completion of the project, which is the centerpiece of a Staten Island redevelopment project. This settlement will allow New York Wheel the opportunity to finalize its financing arrangements and re-commence the construction and completion of the Wheel," the New York Wheel said in a statement responding to a bankruptcy court stipulation that gives the project 120 days to find the required funds and hire a new contractor (h/t SI Advance). This comes after the project's design team walked off the job last June amidst a "bitter pay dispute" with the developer. The 630-foot Ferris wheel has been plagued by cost overruns and delays from the beginning, so if they're not able to get things back on track by September 5th, it could mean the end of what was planned to be a major revenue generator and attraction for Staten Island.
The whole saga
May 8, 2018

Lottery for 218 affordable units opens in new Bronx building with yoga pavilion and rooftop farm

Nearly a year ago, L+M Development Partners and Hornig Capital Partners broke ground on a $156 million, mixed-use development on the St. Barnabas Hospital campus in the Belmont section of the Bronx, adjacent to Little Italy's Arthur Avenue and just a short walk to the Bronx Zoo. A pair of all-affordable housing projects--an 11-story, 181-unit building at 4511 Third Avenue and a 12-story, 133-unit building down the street at 4439 Third Avenue--the Dattner Architects-designed complex aims to combine health care services, affordable housing, job creation, outdoor fitness areas, and healthy food options to low-income residents of the community. And these residents earning 60 percent of the area median income can now apply for 218 apartments, ranging from $865/month studios to $1,289/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
May 3, 2018

Live in Manhattan West’s massive Eugene rental for just $613 month, lottery opens for 103 units

Between the adjacent mega-developments Hudson Yards and Manhattan West, the far west side is banking on becoming a city within a city. And if this amenity-rich lifestyle appeals to you, here's a chance to get in on the action for less. Starting tomorrow, the second phase of the affordable housing lottery at Manhattan West's massive rental the Eugene will be open for 103 low- and middle-income apartments, ranging from $613/month studios to $2,519/month two-bedrooms. Designed by Skidmore Owings & Merill (SOM), the 62-story glass tower at 435 West 31st Street offers amenities like a rock climbing wall, "sky lounge," pet spa, and fitness center. These are in addition to Manhattan West's two-acre public park and 240,000 square feet of curated food, retail and other pop-up events
Find out if you qualify
May 3, 2018

750 mostly affordable apartments coming to the South Bronx near Yankee Stadium

The South Bronx's building boom is continuing with the announcement of a pair of developments near Yankee Stadium that will bring 750 mixed-use residential units to the area. As reported by The Real Deal, Maddd Equities is developing two sites across from each other at 1159 and 1184 River Avenue. The former will have 250 affordable and supportive housing units, and the latter will be a set of 17-story buildings with 500 apartments, most of which will be reserved for low-income households.
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May 2, 2018

My 480sqft: Real estate publicist Kelly Kreth lives in a red, black, and white wonderland in Yorkville

What's black and white and red all over? Kelly Kreth's Yorkville apartment. The real estate publicist pegs her OCD diagnosis for the strict color palette--"it makes me feel safe," she explains--but also the fact that her love for retro pieces, graphic art, and fashion-forward decor lends itself quite well to this tri-hued approach. We recently spent the afternoon getting to know Kelly and her dachshund puppy Biggie Smalls and learned more about what it's like to live in just three colors, why she chose this Upper East Side 'hood, and where she's been able to find some of her fun and funky finds.
Meet Kelly and tour her home
April 30, 2018

See exclusive construction photos of NYC’s highest outdoor observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards

After commencing construction on and releasing two dizzying renderings of the super-high observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards, developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group have now shared with 6sqft these vertigo-inducing construction photos of the 1,100-foot-tall deck. In addition to its sheer height, the deck, which will be the tallest outdoor observation deck in NYC and the fifth tallest in the world, will extend 65 feet away from the building with a window on the floor so thrill seekers can peer down.
See all the photos
April 30, 2018

Apply for 100+ affordable apartments at this flashy new tower near Grand Central, from $613/month

Reduced rent AND the opportunity to walk to work? That's the dream scenario up for grabs for Midtown East workers at Handel Architects' 222 East 44th Street, where a mixed-use affordable housing lottery for 109 units just came online. The handsome, 42-story torqued glass tower sits between Second and Third Avenues, fronting both 43rd and 44th Streets, meaning it's just a hop, skip, and jump away from Grand Central, the Chrysler Building, and the UN. The apartments are available to those earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income and range from $613/month studios to $2,733/month two-bedrooms. The lucky residents will also be treated to a bevy of amenities.
Find out if you qualify
April 27, 2018

The Urban Lens: How Stanley Kubrick’s early photography led to his iconic film career

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. This week’s installment comes courtesy of a new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, “Through a Different Lens: Stanley Kubrick Photographs.” Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Before he directed films like "A Clockwork Orange," "2001: A Space Odyssey," and "Dr. Strangelove" Stanley Kubrick worked as a staff photographer at LOOK magazine, where he developed a knack at storytelling through street photography. Kubrick "found inspiration in New York's characters and settings, sometimes glamorous, sometimes gritty," all of which is the subject of a new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. “Through a Different Lens: Stanley Kubrick Photographs,” tells the story of how a 17-year-old amateur photographer from the Bronx went on to become one of the most revered directors of the 20th century. The exhibit, on view from May 3rd through October, will display more than 120 photos taken between 1945 and 1950, during Kubrick's time at LOOK, and examine the connections between his photography and film work. Ahead, the exhibit curators share with 6sqft a sneak preview of the photographs and discuss their experience working on the show.
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April 26, 2018

Lottery opens for 28 affordable apartments in Alphabet City, from $596/month

A 110-unit, mixed-use project in Alphabet City is nearing completion, and with that, has just launched its affordable housing lottery for 28 apartments. The mixed-income units are available to those earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income and range from $596/month studios to $2,519/month two-bedrooms. The 75/25 project at 79 Avenue D offers a terrace, landscaped roof deck, fitness center, lounge, bike room, and, of course, proximity to all the trendy spots in the East Village and Lower East Side.
Find out if you qualify
April 24, 2018

Crown Heights middle-income housing lottery gets you near all the action

But it won't really save you enough to enjoy all this happening 'hood has to offer. The latest in a string of "affordable" middle-income lotteries, this offering for three $2,716/month two-bedroom units at 85 Rogers Avenue is reserved for households earning between $93,120 and $111,670 annually, or 130 percent of the area median income. For a single person earning the lower end of the range, this is more than a third of their yearly income before taxes. So hitting up nearby Barboncino for wood-fired pizza or Super Power for tiki cocktails, might not be the most economical idea.
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April 24, 2018

My 720sqft: A food and wine specialist serves up her retro, girly Jersey City studio

When Moira Sedgwick opens the door, everything about her--her outfit, personality, smile--is just as bubbly and colorful as her apartment. The top floor of a brownstone in Jersey City's Paulus Hook neighborhood, the 720-square-foot alcove studio is a mix of retro and mid-century finds (think 1950s red leather dining chairs and a collection of vintage Pyrex and milk glass) and girly accents (pink curtains with pompoms, floral silk pillows). Though Moira is passionate about the culinary and wine worlds--she produces national Food & Wine events for No Kid Hungry, in addition to growing her personal culinary talent management business--her other great love is interior design, which is quite apparent after touring her home that she describes as "unique, funky, and uber comfortable." Ahead, get a closer look at Moira's apartment and hear what she has to say about making the move across the Hudson, outfitting a studio for a chef's lifestyle, and mixing girly and retro decor.
Take the tour
April 23, 2018

Double-decker buses are coming to NYC

They'll be blue instead of red, but just like London, NYC will soon have double-decker buses cruising down its streets. As part of New York City Transit head Andy Byford's larger bus-improvement plan, the MTA will start testing its first two-story bus on Staten Island today, and if all goes well, they'll roll out on express routes in Manhattan soon. And to go along with the new design is a mobile app that provides seat availability information on express buses.
Learn about the whole plan
April 20, 2018

Bjarke Ingels reveals new renderings of twisting High Line condo ahead of May sales launch

Ahead of the just-announced May 7th sales launch, Bjarke Ingels and developer HFZ Capital have released to the Times several new renderings of the Eleventh, or the XI as it's been branded. The West Chelsea hotel/condo project is notable not only for being Ingels' first NYC condo project but for its asymmetrical, twisting silhouette. And in the new renderings, we're able to get a better look at the pair of towers and their skybridge, along with, for the first time, the central courtyard and an apartment interior.
All the renderings and details right this way
April 19, 2018

Middle-income housing lottery in Bed-Stuy saves renters close to nothing

For the second time in two days, the city's affordable housing portal has opened the application process for a middle-income lottery that's basically no cheaper than the building's regular market-rate units. For example, this opportunity at 867 DeKalb Avenue, a recently constructed rental in Bed-Stuy, is offering 11 units to those earning 115, 125, and 130 percent of the area median income. The "affordable" apartments range from $2,163/month one-bedrooms to $2,716/month two-bedrooms. By comparison, the market-rate units start at $2,100 for one-bedrooms and $2,744 for two-bedrooms.
What's up with that?
April 19, 2018

Would you pay $1,000/month for this ‘dorm-style, single room’ on the Upper West Side?

For such a stereotypically well-off and elegant neighborhood, the Upper West Side certainly has its share of much-less-than-glamorous listings. A couple months ago, we featured a 68-square-foot (yes, you read that right) SRO with a communal bathroom that was asking a whopping $950 a month. Now, a similarly dismal pad has hit the market asking $1,000 a month (h/t Brick Underground)! Though the listing doesn't reveal its square footage, it does make sure to specify, "this is not a studio it is a single room" and that it has a shared bathroom. But it also is quick to gloat that the "dorm-style" home comes with a mini fridge and hot plate.
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April 19, 2018

New looks for 3 World Trade Center ahead of June opening

Less than two weeks ago, developer Silverstein Properties released a pair of renderings of 3 World Trade Center's huge outdoor terrace, not only the first outdoor terrace in the WTC complex but the first and tallest private outdoor terrace in all of Lower Manhattan. Today, a fresh batch of views, these of the 1,079-foot-tall, 80-story building's exterior and interior, also come with a new list of superlatives. Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, 3 WTC will be the fifth tallest building in NYC, the only building in the world with a three-sided cable net wall, and the first building in the world with an annealed glass exterior.
See all the renderings
April 18, 2018

New RPA report calls for combining LIRR, NJ Transit and Metro-North into one rail network

When NYC's three commuter railroads--the Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Transit, and Metro-North--were built more than a century ago when the metropolitan area was less than half its current size. Today, the systems are crumbling, both in their physical infrastructure and politics. The latest suggestion for how to fix the issues comes from a new Regional Plan Association report that wants to take advantage of the fact that these railroads "share an amalgamation of rail lines" and thereby create one integrated regional rail network. Dubbed T-REX, short for Trans-Regional Express, the 30-year, $71.4 billion proposal would add 60 new train stations and more than 200 miles of new tracks.
We break it down
April 18, 2018

Our 2,200sqft: The founders of Ample Hills ice cream give the scoop on their sweet Boerum Hill home

If you've ever indulged in an Ample Hills ice cream cone, you know that their fanciful flavors (Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, the Munchies, and Snap Mallow Pop, just to name a few!) are perfectly matched by the Brooklyn company's whimsical shops. But founders Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith definitely didn't grow in seven years from their first storefront in Prospect Heights to nine locations, including one in Disney World, and a forthcoming Red Hook factory where they'll produce 1 million gallons a year, without a lot of hard work and business smarts. And it's this combination of playfulness and attention to detail that they've carried over to their adorable Boerum Hill home, which they moved into two years ago with their eight-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter. A triplex in a quintessential Brooklyn brownstone, their home has cheery pops of color, mid-century-modern furnishings, and an eclectic mix of decor and family mementos. 6sqft recently visited the couple to tour their space, hear why they love Brooklyn, and learn about Ample Hills' plans.
Tour this sweet home and hear from Brian and Jackie
April 17, 2018

Middle-income lottery opens for seven apartments in pretty Prospect-Lefferts Gardens

Here's your chance to live in pretty Prospect-Lefferts Gardens for, perhaps, less than the neighborhood's market-rate rents. An affordable housing lottery is opening for seven units in a new, eight-story building at 212 Linden Boulevard. As 6sqft recently uncovered, many middle-income apartments throughout the city serve more to subsidize the truly affordable units, and therefore, don't come in that much cheaper. Here, the homes are available to those earning 130 percent of the median income and range from $1,800/month studios to $2,714/month two-bedrooms. By comparison, the market-rate rentals range from $1,850/one bedrooms to $3,000/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
April 13, 2018

Where I Work: Architecture firm Woods Bagot shows off their ‘raw’ FiDi studio

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Financial District offices of architecture firm Woods Bagot, located on the seventh floor of the Continental Bank Building at 30 Broad Street. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! Internationally acclaimed architecture firm Woods Bagot opened their first office in 1869 in Adelaide, Australia. 150 years, 15 offices, and 850 staff members later, they've designed projects from a master plan for Perth to a mixed-use tech center in Singapore to a rental tower right here in Brooklyn. After opening their first NYC office a decade ago in Midtown, the rapidly expanding firm decided it was time to design a work space for themselves. So last summer, they moved into a brand new 11,000-square-foot home in Lower Manhattan. The vision of Woods Bagot's head of global workplace interiors, Sarah Kay, and head of global hotels, Wade Little, the studio has done such an impeccable job creating a "raw" feel that guests often think it's the original interior. Using a simple color palette of black and white, along with industrial elements like raw columns, exposed pipes, and cracked, stained concrete floors, they've managed to infuse "New York City grit" into their modern space, complete with virtual reality technology, 3D printing, and, most importantly, an industrial-strength espresso machine. 6sqft recently visited Woods Bagot to see the space in-person and chat with Sarah Kay about how she approached the design, what a typical day in the office is like, and what we can expect to see in the near future from this incredible firm.
Go on the tour
April 11, 2018

Lottery for middle-income apartments in Harlem raises the question of affordability

Just hours ago, 6sqft published an article about how many middle-income New Yorkers forego affordable housing opportunities because the "affordable" units are actually more expensive than their current market-rate homes. And now here's a perfect example. Five units are available through the city's housing lottery in the heart of Harlem, at 10 West 132nd Street, but the two studios are $1,900/month and the three one-bedrooms are $2,270/month. For a two-person household earning between $ 77,829 and $ 108,550 annually, is a $2,300 monthly rent payment really affordable?
All the details ahead
April 5, 2018

REVEALED: New renderings of Domino Sugar Factory’s waterfront park and esplanade

Almost a year to date since the first renderings were revealed for Domino Park, the 11-acre park and waterfront esplanade that will anchor the three-million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development at the Domino Sugar Factory site, a new batch of views has been released by developer Two Trees, and they showcase everything from an urban "beach" to a better look at how preserved artifacts from the historic factory will be incorporated throughout. Designed by James Corner Field Operations (of the High Line fame), the park is scheduled to open this summer, ahead of most of the buildings.
All the renderings and details ahead
April 4, 2018

David Adjaye’s first New York skyscraper begins its 800-foot rise in the Financial District

Four months after revealing renderings for his first NYC skyscraper, esteemed British architect David Adjaye is finally seeing the project get off the ground. CityRealty reports that construction at 130 William Street has reached street level, with a red kangaroo crane in the ready to begin its nearly 800-foot-tall rise. The Ghana-born architect, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and named one of TIME’s 2017 most influential people, has said the condo tower was inspired by the historic masonry architecture of the Financial District.
Find out more ahead
April 3, 2018

Hear MLK’s final speech replayed under the Washington Square arch tonight

Today, April 3rd, marks the 50th anniversary of when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his final speech, "I've Been to the Mountaintop," in Memphis, Tennessee. In response to the Memphis Sanitation Strike, he called for unity, economic action, and nonviolent protests. He also, eerily, alluded to an untimely death. The following day, April 4, 1968, he was assassinated. To commemorate this final speech, the city will tonight replay it in its entirety throughout Washington Square Park while Mayor de Blasio and First Lady McCray light the arch in MLK's honor.
Event details ahead
April 2, 2018

Owners of Donald Trump’s former Connecticut mansion try to unload it again for $45M

It looks like it's not just owners within Trump-branded condo buildings who are struggling to sell their homes, but the owners of individual homes with connections to the President, too. In 1998, financier Robert Steinberg and his wife Suzanne paid $15 million for this 5.8-acre Greenwich, Connecticut estate on its own peninsula. It was previously owned by a then-Democratic Donald Trump and his wife Ivana, but when they divorced in 1991, she kept the mansion. Likely not realizing what was yet to come, the Steinbergs first listed the home in early January 2016 for $54 million, dropping the price to $45 million in May. But according to the Wall Street Journal, when Trump's campaign "started heating up," they took the listing down. Although the fire has only grown, they've now decided to try again.
Get a look around