All articles by Dana Schulz

16 spring house tours to check out in and around NYC
April 26, 2017

16 spring house tours to check out in and around NYC

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It's that time of year again—house tour season! Architecture buffs, historic home junkies, and garden lovers revel in the spring lineup of events, and to make planning a bit easier, 6sqft has rounded up 16 tours in and around New York City. From Harlem brownstones and Park Slope townhouses to Hamptons estates and Nyack mansions to Jersey shore beachfront homes and Hoboken's secret gardens, there's a little something for everyone.
The full event roster, right this way
My 360sqft: Realtor Michael Miarecki brings calming beach vibes and clever storage to the Upper East Side

6sqft’s ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Upper East Side studio of real estate broker Michael Miarecki. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

April 25, 2017

My 360sqft: Realtor Michael Miarecki brings calming beach vibes and clever storage to the Upper East Side

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When Michael Miarecki moved from a huge house in Miami Beach to a 360-square-foot studio on the Upper East Side he knew he needed to get creative. As a busy real estate agent with Sotheby’s International, he says his space "is a good example of taking a small space and creating a big story in it." By combining a beachy vibe of neutral tones, light fabrics, and comfortable furniture with clever small-space fixes like his custom-built bed platform, hidden shelving, and a carefully curated selection of mementos, he's created a calming oasis that feels twice its size. He's even worked out how to host eight guests over for a movie, six for a dinner party, and four to sleep. 6sqft recently paid Michael a visit to see how he does it and what a typical day uptown is like for him.
Take the tour
Stay in a 180-square-foot ‘Glass House’ in the Hudson Valley for $145/night
April 22, 2017

Stay in a 180-square-foot ‘Glass House’ in the Hudson Valley for $145/night

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ESCAPE Homes, who build "travel-ready" tiny RVs, have put their latest offering in the Hudson Valley up on Airbnb for $145/night. Known as "The Glass House," the super-compact, 180-square-foot getaway shares the rectangular footprint and oversized windows of Philip Johnson's masterpiece, but other than that, this rental is one-of-a-kind. Solar powered and off-grid, it sits on 30 acres of rolling hills just 90 minutes from Manhattan and can fit a queen-size bed, fully functional kitchen, dining area, and full bath with a tub/shower in its itsy footprint.
READ MORE
Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff
April 22, 2017

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

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NBC News anchor Lester Holt lists classy Nomad apartment for $6.6M First look at Domino Sugar Factory’s 11-acre park and waterfront esplanade Mayor de Blasio christens New York’s first Citywide Ferry with a ride into Brooklyn Bridge Park First home designed by Philip Johnson seeks $1M and a preservation savior Affordable housing lottery for seniors […]

The history of NYC’s Quonset Huts, Robert Moses-era veterans housing

A row of Quonset huts in Canarsie, via Brooklyn Public Library

April 21, 2017

The history of NYC’s Quonset Huts, Robert Moses-era veterans housing

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When veterans returned to NYC from WWII, they were met with a Depression-era housing shortage that resulted from a nearly 15-year lack of new development. To immediately address the issue, "master builder" Robert Moses (who by this time was reigning over the city's public housing projects) proposed erecting Quonset huts on vacant land in Brooklyn and Queens. These curved, corrugated steel "shacks" were used in the Pacific as barracks and offices, as they were lightweight and quick and easy to assemble. As the Brownstone Detectives tell us, after much debate, the city agreed to use more than 500 Federal surplus huts as temporary public housing on land along the Belt Parkway in the South Brooklyn neighborhoods of Canarsie and Jamaica Bay, as well as in Jackson Heights, Middle Village, and Corona in Queens.
Get the whole history
Trump’s travel restrictions may result in $600M loss of foreign tourism spending in NYC
April 21, 2017

Trump’s travel restrictions may result in $600M loss of foreign tourism spending in NYC

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After Donald Trump put in place his strict and controversial travel restrictions, foreign travelers unsurprisingly became wary or coming to the U.S., notably student and youth groups and those from Mexico. In New York City, international visitors make up just 20 percent of tourists, but they account for more than 50 percent of spending, dropping an average of $2,000 each during their stays, which also include more stays in the outer boroughs. However, NYC & Company, the city’s tourism agency, expects the number of foreign tourists to drop by 300,000 fewer than 2016, when 12.7 million international visitors came to NYC, the first drop in seven years. According to the Daily News, this will result in $120 million less in tax revenue for the city and state and $600 million less spending in the city.
More details ahead
First look at Domino Sugar Factory’s 11-acre park and waterfront esplanade
April 20, 2017

First look at Domino Sugar Factory’s 11-acre park and waterfront esplanade

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With building construction well under way at the Domino Sugar Factory site, Two Trees Management has now released details about the 11-acre park that will anchor the three-million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development. To be known as Domino Park and designed by James Corner Field Operations, the quarter-mile open space will boast a new waterfront esplanade, six acres of parkland, a plethora of preserved artifacts, and easier waterfront access. In addition to sharing several new renderings, Two Trees also announced that the park will open in the summer of 2018.
All the details and renderings ahead
Enter the waitlist for $2,611/month middle-income apartments at creative Greenpoint rental Eleven33
April 20, 2017

Enter the waitlist for $2,611/month middle-income apartments at creative Greenpoint rental Eleven33

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The waitlist is open for $2,611/month two-bedroom apartments at Greenpoint's super-trendy rental Eleven33, which goes out of its way to check all the boxes in terms of "Brooklyn living" -- from a cyber café with an espresso bar to a landscaped rooftop terrace to a fitness center complete with CrossFit equipment. The affordable housing lottery is open to middle-income households of two, three, and four people earning between $106,080 and $158,550 annually.
Find out if you qualify here
The Apple Store’s iconic Fifth Avenue glass cube will be temporarily removed
April 20, 2017

The Apple Store’s iconic Fifth Avenue glass cube will be temporarily removed

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Boston Properties, who owns the former General Motors Building at 767 Fifth Avenue that has the Apple flagship located on its lower level, was issued a permit by the Department of Buildings to remove the iconic glass cube outside the store's entrance. The Post reports that it'll cost a staggering $2 million to take the structure down while Apple expands the Midtown location from 32,000 to 77,000 square feet.
READ MORE
10 chances to live in hip East Williamsburg from $833/month
April 19, 2017

10 chances to live in hip East Williamsburg from $833/month

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This rental building at 66 Ainslie Street may look like your quintessential warehouse conversion, but it was actually built from the ground up last year, designed by Aufgang Architects to blend in with East Williamsburg's trendy industrial vibe. Of its 50 apartments, 10 are reserved for those earning 60 percent of the area median income. These units include two $833/month studios and eight $895/month one-bedrooms and, as of tomorrow, are up for grabs through the city's affordable housing lottery.
Find out if you qualify
Apply for 20 affordable units near the Queensboro Bridge, starting at $1,254/month
April 17, 2017

Apply for 20 affordable units near the Queensboro Bridge, starting at $1,254/month

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The price is right, but the location may not be the most desirable for this new affordable housing building, as it's situated directly alongside the off-ramp to the Queensboro Bridge. Traffic views aside (we're hoping they installed sound-proof windows), these 20 apartments at 321 East 60th Street include $1,254/month one-bedrooms and $1,511/month two-bedrooms for those earning 80 percent of the area median income.
More on the project here
Affordable housing lottery for seniors opens at Essex Crossing, from $396/month
April 17, 2017

Affordable housing lottery for seniors opens at Essex Crossing, from $396/month

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At the beginning of last month, the first affordable housing lottery opened for Essex Crossing at Beyer Blinder Belle's huge mixed-use building 145 Clinton Street, where 104 below-market rate units were up for grabs. As of today, the second lottery is open, this time at Dattner Architects' 175 Delancey Street, a 14-story, 100-unit building at the megadevelopment's site 6 that will also offer ground-floor retail, medical offices for NYU Langone, and a senior center and job training facility from the Grand Street Settlement. These 99 one-bedroom apartments are set aside for one- and two-person households that have at least one resident who is 55 years of age or older. They're also earmarked for those earning 0, 30, 40, 60, and 90 percent of the area median income and range from $396/month to $1,254/month.
Find out if you qualify
The Urban Lens: Zooming in on New York’s captivating corner architecture
April 14, 2017

The Urban Lens: Zooming in on New York’s captivating corner architecture

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6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Sam Golanski highlights New York's unique narrow and corner buildings. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. 6sqft recently featured Sam Golanki's photography series "Park Avenue Doormen," where he gave the men who safeguard the Upper East Side's ritzy buildings a chance to step out from behind the velvet ropes and in front of the camera. He's now taken a similar approach--albeit this time with buildings, not people--in his collection "Narrow and Corner Buildings." Choosing to forego iconic structures like the Flatiron Building, Sam instead focuses on small structures off the beaten path that may otherwise be overlooked. "I realized the corner is the center of each block, a place for small businesses, barbershops, and coffee shops," he said, explaining that he didn't pre-plan the series, but rather was drawn to these unique structures while strolling the city.
Get a look at all the photos
‘Charging Bull’ sculptor takes action against ‘Fearless Girl’ statue; help raise $40K for a Jim Henson exhibit in Queens
April 12, 2017

‘Charging Bull’ sculptor takes action against ‘Fearless Girl’ statue; help raise $40K for a Jim Henson exhibit in Queens

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Upper East Side establishments that suffered during the Second Avenue Subway construction are now seeing an uptick in business. [am NY] Take an interactive walking tour of 42nd Street’s history. [NY Mag] Astoria’s Museum of the Moving Image is raising $40,000 on Kickstarter to open a permanent Jim Henson exhibit. [DNAinfo] Six landlords own one-third […]

‘Human Castell’ tower proposal turns the traditional skyscraper inside out
April 11, 2017

‘Human Castell’ tower proposal turns the traditional skyscraper inside out

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Evolo has announced the winners of its 2017 Skyscraper Competition, and though projects specific to NYC didn't take the top spots this year, several of the honorable mentions looked at new ways to build high-rise projects in New York. This one, the Human Castell Skyscraper, comes from a New Zealand-based team who wanted to address the question "where does art end and architecture begin?" Inspired by the castells of ancient Catalonia, the designers eliminated exterior walls for the Midtown tower to open its insides out towards the city, tapping into the history of architecture using sculptural expression to speak of its inhabitants' "myths and tales."
More on the proposal ahead
Lotto opens for Bushwick church conversion, 20 units available from $822/month
April 10, 2017

Lotto opens for Bushwick church conversion, 20 units available from $822/month

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It's been two years since Cayuga Capital's "horizontal addition" to the former St. Mark’s Lutheran School and Evangelical Church in Bushwick topped out, and now the 20 affordable apartments at the site are up for grabs through the city's housing lottery. The new, seven-story structure, along with the preserved 1890 Victorian Gothic church, and four-story former school building in between, will offer 99 rentals in total and have been dubbed The Saint Marks. The below-market rate units range from an $822/month studio to $1,071/month two-bedrooms, available to individuals earning 60 percent of the area median income.
Find out if you qualify
Why you shouldn’t walk on escalators; Manhattan’s most expensive townhouse will become offices
April 7, 2017

Why you shouldn’t walk on escalators; Manhattan’s most expensive townhouse will become offices

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Slow turn boxes, aka curb extensions, are part of a new pilot program at intersections where turning drivers are known to injure pedestrians. [Planetizen] Research finds that it’s more efficient if everyone stands on an escalator instead of some people walking on it. [NYT] Postal workers in Brooklyn and Flushing, Queens are among the most attacked […]

The Urban Lens: Sid Kaplan shares historic photos of the Third Avenue El coming down
April 7, 2017

The Urban Lens: Sid Kaplan shares historic photos of the Third Avenue El coming down

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6sqft’s ongoing 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 Transit Museum, "Deconstruction of the Third Avenue El: Photographs by Sid Kaplan." Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. After the city consolidated its underground subway lines in 1942 (they were previously owned by private companies), fewer New Yorkers were riding the elevated lines. This decreased ridership, along with the fact that the Els ate up valuable street-level real estate and created dangerous dark spaces, led to the city taking down the Second Avenue Elevated line in 1942. In 1955, the Third Avenue Elevated came down as well, catching the eye of a then 17-year-old Sid Kaplan, whose photos of the dismantling are currently on display at the Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery Annex. The museum tells us, "From his perch on the roof of an apartment building, or leaning out the window of an office, his images capture a unique perspective of the removal of a hulking steel structure, the hard-working people who dismantled it, and the ever-changing landscape of New York City."
More on the El history, Sid's work, and all the amazing photos
50 percent fewer homeless families being admitted to shelters after new requirements
April 7, 2017

50 percent fewer homeless families being admitted to shelters after new requirements

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In February Mayor de Blasio announced that he plans to open 90 new homeless shelters, but during this same month, only 38 percent of families seeking shelter through the Department of Homeless Services were approved, reports the Daily News. This is a 50 percent drop from the same time last year, which comes after the agency's Commissioner, Steven Banks, received approval from the state in November to require families seeking shelter to present "clear, convincing and credible evidence" that they absolutely have nowhere else to go.
Find out more
REVEALED: Inside the model residences of Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th Street
April 5, 2017

REVEALED: Inside the model residences of Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th Street

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Just a few days after the first anniversary of Zaha Hadid's death, developer Related Companies has revealed the first look inside the apartments at 520 West 28th Street--the Pritzker Prize-winning architect's first (and possibly only) NYC project. The first is a 4,500-square-foot, $15 million four-bedroom designed by Jennifer Post, combining her signature elegant, minimal aesthetic with Hadid's futuristic, architectural vision. The other is a 1,700-square-foot, $4.9 million unit from West Chin who employs his signature modern style in a way that complements the building's signature curves and organic indoor and outdoor architecture. Both spaces will serve as the building's sales gallery before the anticipated June 2017 move-in.
See all the renderings here
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