All articles by Dana Schulz

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff
August 20, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

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Food Network’s Ina Garten Buys Former House & Garden Editor’s Park Avenue Pad for $4.65M Live on the High Line for $596/Month, Lottery Launching for 75 Units at New West Chelsea Tower Hudson Heights’ Famed Cliffside ‘Pumpkin House’ Returns for $5.3M $700K Greenwich Village Studio Fits Maximum Storage Into 500 Square Feet Naomi Watts and […]

App-controlled toaster will sear emojis or the weather forecast onto your toast
August 19, 2016

App-controlled toaster will sear emojis or the weather forecast onto your toast

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Toast can be a bit boring, especially in the days of rainbow bagels and Eggs Benedict, but this app-controlled toaster offers quite a few ways to jazz up your standard morning bread. By working with bluetooth, not only can Toasteroid control the brownness of your toast from your smartphone, but its searing technology can print everything from weather forecasts, reminders, doodles, and emojis on your breakfast.
Find out more
Tour the American Copper Buildings’ skybridge and roof, first look at its floating lap pool
August 19, 2016

Tour the American Copper Buildings’ skybridge and roof, first look at its floating lap pool

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After last week's rush of news surrounding the American Copper Buildings--the launch of its affordable housing lottery for 160 units and the first reveal of its interior renderings--6sqft decided to take a tour inside the SHoP Architects-designed project. JDS Development Group's dancing East River towers have become best known for their copper facade (made up of 5,000 metal panels) and its three-story, amenity-filled skybridge that hovers 300 feet above the site at 626 First Avenue. Not only did we walk through the bridge, but we also took a peek at the buildings' already greening copper patina, had a first look at the lap pool on the 28th floor that will float between the towers, and also checked out the insane views from the roof.
See it all this way
Car company MINI creates stylish, micro co-living concept
August 19, 2016

Car company MINI creates stylish, micro co-living concept

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Automotive manufacturer MINI began as a solution to a global oil crisis, and now the company is looking to address another major issue--a lack of attractive, affordable housing in urban settings. Not surprisingly, they've turned to a micro version of co-living. Called MINI LIVING, the installation showcases 323-square-foot apartments with fold-out shelving units that serve multiple purposes and blur the lines behind public and private in what they're calling a larger "micro-neighborhood."
Take a look around the space
VIDEO: The MTA tells all about dumping its subway cars in the Atlantic Ocean
August 18, 2016

VIDEO: The MTA tells all about dumping its subway cars in the Atlantic Ocean

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6sqft first learned about the MTA's interesting history of dumping old subway cars into the Atlantic Ocean through Stephen Mallon's insane photo series. The initiative began in late 2000 as a way to create artificial reefs and revive marine life along the Eastern seabed. Today, 2,400 cars now rest on the ocean floor in six states from New Jersey to Georgia, and we even got a peek inside them thanks to footage from novice divers at Express Water Sports, who lead scuba tours of the Bill Perry Reef system in Myrtle Beach, SC. Now, a video from the MTA itself (h/t Tracks) explains the history of the program, its financial viability, the environmental measures involved in the process, and some concerns about the reefs in the future.
Watch the full video here
LEESER Architecture dreams up an 80-story supertall for Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s site
August 18, 2016

LEESER Architecture dreams up an 80-story supertall for Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s site

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In April, initial details were released about Downtown Brooklyn's Macy's $100 million interior makeover, which included new columns, fluted ceilings, metal and glass entrance canopies, and video screens surrounding the escalators. This came after Tishman Speyer inked a $170 million deal with the department store in January, in which they'll remodel the 11-story Art Deco building's top five floors into offices. As part of the deal, Tishman also took control of the connecting Hoyt Street parking garage, a site that was speculated may give way to a supertall, mixed-use tower. Today, CityRealty.com posted a set of renderings from architecture firm LEESER showing a glassy tower rising from the existing department store. Although it is not the design being considered by Tishman Speyer, it does give us a taste of the type of modern development that could climb from the coveted DoBro address.
See more renderings
Cuomo wants to revive 421-a program with wage subsidies
August 18, 2016

Cuomo wants to revive 421-a program with wage subsidies

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One of the biggest snags in Mayor de Blasio's ambitious affordable housing plan (to add/preserve 200,000 such units over the next decade) has been his contention with Governor Cuomo over the city's 421-a program, which provides tax breaks for up to 25 years to new residential buildings that reserve at least 20 percent of units as affordable. The program expired in January, fueling concerns that permits for new rental units would drop as developers face skyrocketing land prices and be replaced with even more luxury condos. Now, after months of uncertainty, the Times reports that the Governor "has offered developers and union officials a wage subsidy for construction workers in the hopes of reviving [421-a]." His proposal was sent out as a single-page memo to residential developers on Tuesday night, presumably unbeknownst to de Blasio. Though it doesn't require union work force or prevailing wages, it does set a $65/hour minimum for projects south of 96th Street in Manhattan with 300 or more units and a $50/hour minimum for those of the same size along the Brooklyn and Queens waterfronts, $15 of which will be paid for by the state. These projects will be required to set aside 25 to 30 percent of units as below-market rate rentals.
More details ahead
Prisma Coffeemaker Makes Cold Brew in Just 10 Minutes
August 17, 2016

Prisma Coffeemaker Makes Cold Brew in Just 10 Minutes

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Walk down any busy street in New York during the summer, and it seems like every other person is sipping an iced coffee. Over the past few years, the trend has shifted from the traditional cup of joe with some ice cubes to the more sophisticated cold brew, which is made by steeping grounds in cold or room temperature water for 12 to 24 hours to yield a more full-bodied, less-acidic coffee. Though tasty and a welcome caffeine boost, cold brew is often not the most economical (a regular-sized cup can easily set you back $5) and making your own can be an arduous task. This is where Prisma comes in (h/t Mental Floss). The cold brew coffeemaker from home appliance company FirstBuild can produce an entire carafe of the refreshing java in 10 minutes or less.
How do they do it?
How NJ Settled Donald Trump’s Casino Debt; Lineup Announced For Architecture and Design Film Festival
August 17, 2016

How NJ Settled Donald Trump’s Casino Debt; Lineup Announced For Architecture and Design Film Festival

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Investment firm bigwig Daren Metropoulos bought the Playboy mansion for $100 million, half the original asking price. [NYP] Tour this luxuriously sustainable new model apartment at Tribeca’s 60 White, which recycled 80 percent of its materials from the original structure. [Inhabitat] Donald Trump’s NJ casinos had a $30 million tax debt by 2010. But under Chris […]

POLL: Will the New York Wheel Revitalize Staten Island?
August 17, 2016

POLL: Will the New York Wheel Revitalize Staten Island?

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Though the New York Wheel got its first shipment of crane parts last month, its opening has been pushed back from late 2017 to April of 2018, reports DNAinfo. Construction on the $580 million Staten Island Ferris wheel is still on track to finish up next year, at which time it will resemble the renderings, but "the wheel requires rigorous testing and commissioning that must be conducted to the highest standards," said its CEO Rich Marin. This is not the first time the project has been delayed, and it's also been plagued by financial issues (it went $300 million over budget) and legal battles, but the developers are still optimistic. In fact, they're projecting that the attraction will be more lucrative than the Empire State Building’s observation deck and bring in more than four million visitors during its first year. But is a giant Ferris wheel enough to revitalize an entire borough, especially the one that's for so many years been the black sheep of NYC?
Share your opinion
Excavation Work Begins at One Vanderbilt, Follow Its Progress on Instagram
August 17, 2016

Excavation Work Begins at One Vanderbilt, Follow Its Progress on Instagram

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Last week, a $1.1 billion lawsuit against One Vanderbilt was settled, giving the green light to the 1,401-foot project. Investors at Grand Central Terminal led the suit, claiming that the tower would divest them of the value of their air rights if developer SL Green was was allowed to proceed with construction as it was cleared to do under the controversial Midtown East Rezoning. Now that it's been dismissed, NY Yimby reports that excavation work is underway at the site of Midtown's future tallest tower, at the corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue. And Curbed points out that architecture buffs can stay apprised of construction progress through the building's new Instagram page.
Check out some construction shots
VIDEO: Watch One of NYC’s Largest Trees Get Taken Down and Turned Into Lumber
August 16, 2016

VIDEO: Watch One of NYC’s Largest Trees Get Taken Down and Turned Into Lumber

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When the Parks Department recently declared one of the city's largest trees dead (and therefore dangerous to those walking by), they turned to the experts at RE-CO BKLYN, a Ridgewood-based company that reclaims fallen NYC trees and produces live edge slabs and custom furniture. The circa 1870 European Elm tree lived in Prospect Park and was 75 feet high and more than seven feet in diameter with 18- and 24-inch limbs that were starting to break off in extreme weather events. But instead of simply ripping the tree up and dumping it in a landfill, Andrew Ullman, Brooklyn’s Director of Forestry, decided to enlist RE-CO to mill it and turn it into dry lumber that will be used to create a custom conference table for the NYC Parks Prospect Park offices.
Watch the full video here
3D-Printed Replica of Syria’s Lost Palmyra Arch Arrives Next Month; NYC’s Most Beautiful Streets
August 16, 2016

3D-Printed Replica of Syria’s Lost Palmyra Arch Arrives Next Month; NYC’s Most Beautiful Streets

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The most beautiful streets in the city. [Thrillist] A 12-ton, 3D-printed replica of Syria’s Arch of Palmyra (destroyed last fall) is coming from London to Manhattan on September 19th. The location has yet to be determined. [Untapped] The World Trade Center Mall opens today! [NYP] The city’s Economic Development Corporation set aside $10 million for “emerging” real estate […]

Where I Work: Tour Brooklyn wallpaper company Flavor Paper’s fun and futuristic ‘lair’
August 16, 2016

Where I Work: Tour Brooklyn wallpaper company Flavor Paper’s fun and futuristic ‘lair’

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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 take a tour of the Cobble Hill studio of colorful wallpaper company Flavor Paper. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! Nestled among the charming streets and quaint rowhouses of Cobble Hill is the headquarters of a wallpaper company that's taken the art to a completely new level. Flavor Paper was founded in 2003 in New Orleans before moving to Brooklyn nine years ago. What started out as an attempt to salvage old equipment from a hand-screened wallpaper company on the Oregon coast has morphed into an internationally recognized brand--known for its bright colors, bold patterns, and plain-old fun aesthetic--with over 156 designs and collaborations with the likes of Lenny Kravitz and the Andy Warhol Foundation. 6sqft recently toured what the company calls their "Flavor Lair" (it houses their production facilities, offices and showroom) and chatted with founder Jon Sherman about what sets Flavor Paper apart from other wallpaper manufacturers, why he calls Brooklyn home, and the backstory on some of the most popular designs. We also got a sneak peak into Jon's personal home, a sexy abode located above the Skylab Architecture-designed Lair.
Take the tour this way
Harriet the Spy’s $5M Upper East Side Townhouse Finds a Buyer
August 16, 2016

Harriet the Spy’s $5M Upper East Side Townhouse Finds a Buyer

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In May, the Queen Anne-style townhouse said to have inspired the fictional Upper East Side home of "Harriet the Spy" hit the market for the first time in 70 years, asking $4.95 million. And in less than three months it's already entered entered contract, reports Curbed. Author Louise Fitzhugh lived on 85th Street, so it's no surprise that this gorgeous 1880s property at 558 East 87th Street sparked her creative juices. Located on the corner of a quiet and leafy Yorkville block in the Henderson Place Historic District, the 3,000-square-foot stunner overlooks Gracie Mansion, Carl Schurz Park, and the East River, "the perfect setting to get into covert shenanigans, à la Harriet," as 6sqft previously quipped.
See the whole place
Hudson Heights’ Famed Cliffside ‘Pumpkin House’ Returns for $5.3M
August 15, 2016

Hudson Heights’ Famed Cliffside ‘Pumpkin House’ Returns for $5.3M

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So titled for its window pattern that resembles a jack-o'-lantern (especially when lit up at night), this funky home in Hudson Heights has long been a hot topic in the real estate scene thanks to its unusual location extending over a cliff near the highest point in Manhattan, just north of the George Washington Bridge. Built around 1925, the 17-foot-wide brick house was purchased in 2000 for $1.1 million by interior decorator William Spink. After doing a good deal of structural renovation, he listed it for $3.45 million in 2005, but after failing to sell, tried again in 2010 for $3.9 million. It sold the following year and is now back on the market asking $5.25 million.
Take a look around and learn more about the Pumpkin House's history
The Evolution of Greenpoint: From Oil and Sewage to Gentrification
August 15, 2016

The Evolution of Greenpoint: From Oil and Sewage to Gentrification

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Since Greenpoint started to attract displaced Manhattanites in the early 1990s, the cost of renting in the neighborhood and nearby Williamsburg has shot up a staggering 78.7 percent. According to a 2015 study published by NYU’s Furman Center, Greenpoint/Williamsburg is the most rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in New York City. What many newcomers don’t realize is that […]

Live on the High Line for $596/Month, Lottery Launching for 75 Units at New West Chelsea Tower
August 15, 2016

Live on the High Line for $596/Month, Lottery Launching for 75 Units at New West Chelsea Tower

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As 6sqft reported last summer, "To provide a gradual transition from mid-rise West Chelsea to the enormous skyscrapers planned for the Far West Side, the Bloomberg administration in 2005 allowed more generous zoning between West 28th and 30th Streets along Tenth and Eleventh avenues." One of the projects that took advantage of this upzoning was what's now being called Maestro West Chelsea, a 35-story, 220-unit, mixed-use tower at 323 Tenth Avenue (the tallest in the neighborhood) and its two adjoining 13-story buildings at 507 West 28th Street, which are providing an additional 155 units. The two portions are on either ends of the High Line and were designed by Avinash K. Malhotra Architects. Starting tomorrow, qualifying New Yorkers earning 40 or 50 percent of the area media income have the chance to apply for 75 affordable units in the buildings. They range from $596/month studios to $979/month two-bedrooms, and amenities include an attended lobby, recreation room, roof deck, fitness center, and parking (not to mention a much-sought-after location on one of the city's biggest outdoor attractions).
Find out if you qualify here
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff
August 13, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

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79 Affordable Units Up For Grabs in New Luxury Hell’s Kitchen Project, Starting at $913/Month Architecture Workshop’s 400-Square-Foot Studio Has a Secret Bedroom and Sleeps Six Live in SHoP’s American Copper Buildings for $833/Month, Lottery Launching for 160 Affordable Units New Renderings of Bjarke Ingels’ High Line Towers Show Crowns and Amenity Bridges Revealed: Kenneth […]

POLL: Will Amenity-Filled Skybridges Become a New Architectural Trend?
August 12, 2016

POLL: Will Amenity-Filled Skybridges Become a New Architectural Trend?

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When the SHoP Architects-designed American Copper Buildings were first revealed, it wasn't as much their twisting silhouettes that made headlines as it was their diagonal, amenity-filled skybridge. The three-story bridge, boasting a lap pool and lounge and topped with private terraces, is located 300 feet above the street, the highest such structure in the city and a new concept in enticing residents to the luxury market. And just this week, Bjarke Ingels unveiled new views of his High Line towers, which will feature two skybridges. Though they're much closer to the ground, they're also planned as amenity spaces, which makes us wonder--is this architectural feature set to become a new trend in NYC?
Share your opinion here
Live in Riverdale’s Historic Fieldston Neighborhood For Just $1,230 a Month
August 12, 2016

Live in Riverdale’s Historic Fieldston Neighborhood For Just $1,230 a Month

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While the Bronx has been busting at the seams with affordable housing lotteries, most of them have been clustered in the southern areas of the borough. The latest, however, takes us up to the historic Fieldston neighborhood of Riverdale, considered one of the city’s best preserved early 20th century suburbs. These nine available units, $1,230/month one-bedrooms and $1,403/month two-bedrooms, may not be located in one of the area's signature revival style homes, but they are in a brand new building at 6155 Broadway, right on Van Cortlandt Park and steps away from the prestigious Horace Mann school.
See more interiors and find out if you qualify
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