All articles by Dana Schulz

Join the Society of Magicians on Halloween for a séance at Harry Houdini’s former Upper East Side home
October 30, 2016

Join the Society of Magicians on Halloween for a séance at Harry Houdini’s former Upper East Side home

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Last week, a commemorative plaque was installed on the facade of the former Upper East Side home of Harry Houdini at 244 East 79th Street, marking the 90th anniversary of his death and celebrating National Magic Week. To coincide with this, the Society of American Magicians will meet tomorrow for a séance at the building's Sojourn restaurant in hopes of contacting the great illusionist. As the Wall Street Journal notes, when he and his family moved into the top-floor studio of the boardinghouse in 1887, a young Houdini practiced his tricks and escapes in the space that now holds the eatery.
The rest of the story here
October’s 10 most-read stories and this week’s features
October 29, 2016

October’s 10 most-read stories and this week’s features

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October’s 10 Most-Read Stories Saddam Hussein had a secret torture chamber across from Mayor Bloomberg’s UES mansion 41 affordable units up for grabs in Williamsburg, starting at $788/month Emily Blunt and John Krasinski drop $6M on a historic Park Slope townhouse Live in Brooklyn’s tallest tower for $833/month, lottery launching for 150 units at 333 […]

As the election nears, sales at Trump buildings decline
October 28, 2016

As the election nears, sales at Trump buildings decline

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Now that we're nearer to the election, and since the negative press surrounding all things Donald Trump has come to a head, things are starting to crumble for his real estate empire. Not only did his personal hotel brand decide to drop his moniker, but a group of Trump Place tenants even went so far as to petition their board to remove his name from their buildings. A report out today in the Times takes a closer look at how sales are declining, and data from CityRealty confirms that from 2015 to 2016, there was a 17 percent decrease in the number of sales at Trump condos.
Find out more this way
Domino Sugar Factory reveals renderings of creative office building The Refinery
October 28, 2016

Domino Sugar Factory reveals renderings of creative office building The Refinery

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Commercial landlords looking to compete with cutting-edge co-working spaces like the Navy Yard's New Lab or amenity-filled developments like Industry City have their work cut out for them, and it looks like Two Trees is pulling out all the requisite stops for their new office building The Refinery at Williamsburg's massive, under-construction Domino Sugar Factory complex. Curbed got its hands on the first set of renderings of the 380,000-square-foot office space, which show how tenants can work with architects Beyer Blinder Belle to customize their spaces for "innovation" and "authenticity." The interiors preserve the former industrial details (exposed brick, ceilings beams), while incorporating creative perks such as suspended glass-and-steel office pods, an indoor skate park, and a bevy of common areas.
More details and renderings ahead
Nearly 9,000 apply for SpareRoom CEO’s $1/month shares in his $8M loft – meet two top applicants
October 27, 2016

Nearly 9,000 apply for SpareRoom CEO’s $1/month shares in his $8M loft – meet two top applicants

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When SpareRoom CEO and founder Rupert Hunt announced earlier this month that he was looking for two roommates to share his $8 million West Village apartment--both of whom would be paying just $1 a month--we knew the interest would be high. And after a "SpeedRoommating" session on the 19th, the room share service's version of speed dating, we've learned that a whopping 8,795 people applied for a chance to live in the triplex loft. According to a press release, Hunt is narrowing it down to 10 lucky finalists, and he'll be hosting them next week at house party, where he can learn more about them and see who gets along best.
More on the deal of a lifetime
MAP: Two thirds of landlords benefiting from 421-a tax breaks didn’t file rent regulation paperwork

View the map from ProPublica in its interactive form here >>

October 27, 2016

MAP: Two thirds of landlords benefiting from 421-a tax breaks didn’t file rent regulation paperwork

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The city's 421-a program, which expired in January, provides tax breaks of up to 25 years to new residential buildings that reserve at least 20 percent of units as affordable. Proponents of the program feel it offers a much-needed incentive to build low- and moderate-income housing, but those not in favor think it gives unfair tax breaks to the wealthiest developers. The latter camp may be gaining steam, as a new report from ProPublica, outlined in Gothamist, says that nearly two thirds of the 6,400 rental buildings where landlords received tax reductions through 421-a didn't have required rent stabilization paperwork on file, meaning they could raise rents as much as they chose. ProPublica compiled this data in both an interactive map and searchable database.
Is your landlord cheating the system?
Former juvenile jail in Hunts Point will be replaced with $300M mixed-use affordable housing complex

Rendering courtesy of WXY Architecture + Urban Design

October 27, 2016

Former juvenile jail in Hunts Point will be replaced with $300M mixed-use affordable housing complex

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The Spofford Juvenile Detention Center (later renamed Bridges Juvenile Center) was built in 1957 in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, quickly gaining a reputation for its poor conditions--the Daily News once described it as "vermin-infested" and said it "held about 100 youth in dark cells with no air conditioning." It was closed in 2011, at which time urban revitalization consultant Majora Carter began her quest to have the site transformed into a mixed-use housing complex. The city eventually stepped in, and today officials announced plans for the Peninsula, an affordable housing development that will rise on the five-acre site and offer 740 apartments, 52,000 square feet of open and recreational space, 49,000 square feet of light industrial space, 48,000 square feet for community facilities like health care providers, 21,000 square feet of retail, and 15,000 square feet of artist space, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Find out more right this way
Bjarke Ingels’ curving East Harlem rental breaks ground and gets new renderings
October 27, 2016

Bjarke Ingels’ curving East Harlem rental breaks ground and gets new renderings

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When 6sqft first got a look at Bjarke Ingels' curved East Harlem rental, it sported a red corten steel facade reminiscent of the surrounding brick buildings, but a new set of renderings shows a blackened stainless steel exterior that the Danish starchitect told Curbed is "inspired by an elephant’s skin" and will capture and reflect sunlight. Now dubbed Gotham East 126th Residential, the 11-story structure from Blumenfeld Development Group broke ground yesterday, beginning its journey to offer 233 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, 46 of which will be affordable.
More details and renderings and the first view inside
20 years ago, the city told Donald Trump he couldn’t put his name on the Columbus Circle globe
October 27, 2016

20 years ago, the city told Donald Trump he couldn’t put his name on the Columbus Circle globe

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These days, New Yorkers are going to great lengths to get Trump's name off their buildings, and even his company itself has personally shed his moniker from their hotel brand amid declining bookings. But back in the '80s and '90s, the Donald would freely slap his name on just about anything he wanted. That is until 1996, when the Giuliani administration (sense the irony here?) denied his request to brand the giant globe outside the Trump International Hotel & Tower. The Times recently got its hands on a 20-year-old City Planning Department memorandum that outlines how the agency deemed any lettering on the sculpture illegal.
Get the full story
Pier 55 appeal dismissed in court; park construction can move ahead
October 26, 2016

Pier 55 appeal dismissed in court; park construction can move ahead

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After nearly a year and a half of yo-yo-ing back and forth between stop work orders and lawsuits, the Barry Diller-funded Pier 55 park can finally move ahead freely. The New York Law Journal reports that yesterday the state Court of Appeals denied the City Club of New York's appeal of September's ruling in favor of Pier 55 and the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) that said construction could continue on the 2.75-acre offshore park, dismissing the opponents' claims that the park failed to go through adequate environmental impact evaluations and violated the public trust doctrine by planning to host private events.
What this means for Pier 55
Pearl River Mart reopening in Tribeca next month; Brace yourself for Santacon 2016
October 26, 2016

Pearl River Mart reopening in Tribeca next month; Brace yourself for Santacon 2016

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Soho’s beloved Pearl River Mart closed its doors in February after nearly 50 years in business, but it will reopen next month in Tribeca. [Crain’s] Santacon 2016 announces details that’ll bring 20,000 drunk revelers out to Williamsburg. DNAinfo] All the criminals (and gangsters, billionaires, and celebrities) who have called Trump Tower home. [Bloomberg] A Queens funeral […]

POLL: Is Fifth Avenue losing its luster amid soaring rents and empty storefronts?
October 26, 2016

POLL: Is Fifth Avenue losing its luster amid soaring rents and empty storefronts?

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Fifth Avenue is known around the world as the high-end shopping address, but rising rents are leading to an increase in vacant space along the retail corridor. According to data from Cushman & Wakefield reported by Crain's, the availability rate spiked to 15.9 percent in the third quarter of this year, up 10 percent from the same time last year. On the stretch that has the world's highest rents, from 49th to 60th streets, retail space is listed at an average of $3,213 per square foot, up from $2,075 in 2011. To put this in perspective, current rents in Times Square are $2,104 per square foot after tripling over the past four years.
Do you think Fifth Avenue can get over the hump?
Gowanus Canal cleanup yields sunken boats and a tree; ‘Naked Trump’ statue sells for $22K at auction
October 25, 2016

Gowanus Canal cleanup yields sunken boats and a tree; ‘Naked Trump’ statue sells for $22K at auction

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Using a 100,000-pound hydraulic excavator, crews started debris removal at the Gowanus Canal. So far they’ve uncovered two boats, a tree, and countless random objects like tires and bikes. [DNAinfo] What nine shoppers wore to the Williamsburg Whole Foods. [NYT] Remember that “Naked Trump” statue that appeared in Union Square and then near the Holland Tunnel? […]

Columbia’s DeathLab proposes a suspended cemetery of pods under the Manhattan Bridge
October 25, 2016

Columbia’s DeathLab proposes a suspended cemetery of pods under the Manhattan Bridge

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Each decade in the New York metropolitan area about 500,000 people are buried in cemetery plots, taking up a dwindling amount of land and outputting cremation smog into the air. With this growing issue in mind, a trans-disciplinary research and design group at Columbia University known as DeathLab has been working for the past five years to reconceive "how we live with death in the metropolis." One of their proposals is Constellation Park, a system of hundreds of burial pods suspended under the Manhattan Bridge that together create a twinkling public park. Atlas Obscura shared the design, which, if built, could reportedly accommodate around 10 percent of city deaths a year.
The surprising reason why these pods twinkle
MTA puts up flyers touting the W train’s November 7th return
October 24, 2016

MTA puts up flyers touting the W train’s November 7th return

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6sqft revealed last month that the W train would be making its triumphant return on Monday, November 7th, restoring service from Astoria to Lower Manhattan. Now that the date is only a couple weeks away, the MTA is putting up flyers touting the new re-instated line, reports Pix 11. Designed to look like a flashy Broadway marquee, the poster was spotted by a Reddit user over the weekend at the 34th Street-Penn Station platform of the A,C,E train.
Learn what this means for subway service
Billy Bush selling Chelsea townhouse he just bought; Anthony Bourdain dishes on Super Pier food hall
October 24, 2016

Billy Bush selling Chelsea townhouse he just bought; Anthony Bourdain dishes on Super Pier food hall

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Before being ousted from “Today,” Billy Bush bought a Chelsea townhouse so he could relocated from LA. But amid the scandal, sources say he’s already selling it. [NYP] Donald Trump‘s ancestors arrived in Castle Garden from Germany in 1885; here’s their immigrant story. [New Yorker] The cheapest condos in Dumbo are more expensive than properties in Manhattan ‘hoods […]

Trinity Church reveals plans for $300M Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed tower to rise behind historic church
October 24, 2016

Trinity Church reveals plans for $300M Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed tower to rise behind historic church

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Trinity Church Wall Street was built in 1846 by Richard Upjohn and is considered one of the first and best examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the entire country. But behind its historic steeple, which made it the city's tallest building until 1890, will soon rise a modern, 26-story, mixed-use tower. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trinity has revealed its design for a Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed building, which will be linked to the church by a foot bridge over Trinity Place. The new 310,000-square-foot structure will house the Trinity Church Parish Center at its base, along with a cafe, gymnasium, flexible space for classrooms or art/music studios, and church offices. Above the Center, on floors 10 through 26, will be commercial office space
More details ahead
Airbnb files federal suit against Governor Cuomo’s $7,500 fines on illegal listings
October 24, 2016

Airbnb files federal suit against Governor Cuomo’s $7,500 fines on illegal listings

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Back in June, the NYC legislature passed a bill that would impose fines of up to $7,500 on those offering illegal short-term Airbnb rentals, and at the end of last week, Governor Cuomo signed the bill into effect, reports the Times. The new regulation piggybacks on what's been the state law since 2010--that apartments can't be rented out for less than 30 days if the lease holder isn't present. Despite the fact that a recent report estimates 56 percent of the site's 2015 listings fell into this category, Airbnb is taking aim against the Governor, filing a federal lawsuit that says the new law "would impose significant immediate burdens and irreparable harm on Airbnb."
Find out more this way
Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff
October 22, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

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Lottery opens for new Crotona Park East affordable development, units from $788/month SL Green breaks ground on One Vanderbilt, NYC’s second tallest tower – see new renderings Bethenny Frankel checks out Robert DeNiro’s former $20M West Village penthouse Amid declining bookings, new Trump hotel brand drops his name Listings go live for Extell’s amenity-filled Hudson […]

App would be the first to combine subway and bus maps; should the new Port Authority rise on the same site?
October 21, 2016

App would be the first to combine subway and bus maps; should the new Port Authority rise on the same site?

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Every single real estate reference on the first season of “Sex and the City.” [Brick Underground] Governor Cuomo is seeking artists to design an LGBT memorial in the West Village. [DNAinfo] When the Statue of Liberty was renovated in the ’80s, this man spent $3 million on 50,000+ pounds of discarded materials from the statue and a historic […]

Renderings revealed for Gensler’s communal sky lobby at One World Trade Center
October 21, 2016

Renderings revealed for Gensler’s communal sky lobby at One World Trade Center

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Tenants at One World Trade Center who occupy floors above 65 are required to change elevators at the 64th floor. When the building opened its doors two summers ago, the Durst Organization noticed that these elevator banks became a natural mingling area, and so decided to forego plans to make the space into offices and instead keep it open as an open sky lobby. Commercial Observer got a first look at renderings of the commons designed by Gensler, whose principal and design director Tom Vecchione referred to it as "a shared piazza for the entire building." In addition to a cafe, it will offer a game room and a 180-person meeting room that can be split into two or host fitness and yoga classes.
More renderings and details ahead
Annabelle Selldorf will design Frick Collection renovation
October 20, 2016

Annabelle Selldorf will design Frick Collection renovation

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It's been almost a year and a half since the Frick Collection scrapped plans for a controversial expansion from Davis Brody Bond that would have gotten rid of the property's gated garden to make way for a six-story addition. The Times reports today, though, that the Board is moving ahead with a new version of the renovation, selecting starchitect Annabelle Selldorf from a pool of 20 firms who submitted proposals. She's already worked on museum renovations at the Neue Galerie and the Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts, and according to Frick director Ian Wardropper, "She’s somebody who has a clear vision of respect for historical buildings but at the same time has a clean, elegant, modernist aesthetic that is very much about welcoming visitors today."
Get the full scoop
Donald Trump’s childhood home goes to auction; $82M penthouse could be 432 Park’s second most expensive
October 20, 2016

Donald Trump’s childhood home goes to auction; $82M penthouse could be 432 Park’s second most expensive

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The Tiles for America are back on display in Greenwich Village’s Mulry Square. [Untapped] Donald Trump‘s childhood home in Jamaica Estates has hit the auction block for $849,000, after originally listing for $1.65 million in July. [Crain’s] Explore Bob Dylan’s New York with this interactive map. [NYT] A 95th floor penthouse at 432 Park listed for $82 million, […]

Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower is getting the first of its intricate, diagrid skin
October 20, 2016

Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower is getting the first of its intricate, diagrid skin

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News at starchitect Jean Nouvel's condominium MoMA Tower (officially called 53W53) has been relatively quiet since units hit the market just over a year ago. But CityRealty brings us an update from the Billionaires' Row construction site, where the 1,050-foot-tall, tapered tower is currently getting the first of its intricate, diagrid skin, which the architect once said will resemble blood running the veins with its nighttime lighting.
More details and views this way
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