All articles by Dana Schulz

Furbo: An Interactive Dog Camera That Lets You Talk to Your Pet and Dispense Treats
June 28, 2016

Furbo: An Interactive Dog Camera That Lets You Talk to Your Pet and Dispense Treats

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Pet cams are nothing new, but imagine instead of simply sitting at your desk monitoring your dog, you could reward him for good behavior or even talk to him? All that and more is available through Furbo, "an interactive dog camera with a connected app that lets you see, talk, and even give treats to your dog when you're away." The device comes from Seattle-based startup Tomofun and works using two-way audio, wide-angle live HD video streaming, barking alerts, and an interactive treat tosser, all controlled through a simple app.
Find out how it works
New Report Says 56 Percent of 2015’s Airbnb Listings Were Illegal
June 28, 2016

New Report Says 56 Percent of 2015’s Airbnb Listings Were Illegal

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Last week, both houses of the New York City legislature passed a bill that would fine advertisers of illegal short-term rentals on Airbnb up to $7,500. Current state law dictates that an apartment can't be rented out for less than 30 days if the lease holder isn't present. And a new report from two housing advocacy groups -- MFY Legal Services and Housing Conservation Coordinators -- shows that of Airbnb's 51,397 listings in 2015, 28,765, or 56 percent, fell into this illegal camp. Of those, 8,058 units were considered "impact listings," homes that "are rented out for brief periods for more than a third of a year, making them virtual hotels," according to the Post.
More findings
58 Chances to Live in a Morris Adjmi-Designed Flatiron Building for as Low as $913/Month
June 27, 2016

58 Chances to Live in a Morris Adjmi-Designed Flatiron Building for as Low as $913/Month

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The latest project to come online from contextual king Morris Adjmi is an 18-story, block-through building at 7 West 21st Street in the Flatiron District. The two-tower design features a shared second-floor courtyard with ground-floor lobby and retail space. The lower facade is made of stone while the middle and upper portions are glazed terracotta. There are 288 rental apartments, 20 percent of which are reserved for households with a combined annual income of up to 60 percent of the area median income. These 58 units, created through the city's 421-a program, include $913/month studios, $980 one-bedrooms, $1,183 two-bedrooms, and $1,359 three-bedrooms. In addition to a stellar location, these affordable prices come with a 24-hour doorman, landscaped garden, roof terrace, game room, fitness center and virtual golf, media lounge and video game room. For an additional fee there's also a 200-car underground parking garage.
Find out if you qualify
New Owners May Close Waldorf Astoria for Three Years for 1,100-Room Condo Conversion
June 27, 2016

New Owners May Close Waldorf Astoria for Three Years for 1,100-Room Condo Conversion

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Hilton Worldwide Holdings, who had owned the landmarked Waldorf Astoria since 1972, agreed in October 2014 to sell the 1,413-room hotel to Beijing-based financial and insurance company Anbang Insurance Group for $1.95 billion. The deal closed the following February, along with plans from the new owners to convert part of the Art Deco building into luxury condos, and now the Wall Street Journal brings additional details on the conversion. The overhaul, which could close the property for up to three years and cost upwards of $1 billion, would convert as many as 1,100 hotel rooms to condos, with the hotel portion featuring between 300 and 500 luxury guest rooms. Currently, the hotel employs about 1,500 people, but this major decline in hotel rooms will eliminate hundreds of jobs. Sources say Anbang and Hilton have already reached severance agreements totaling at least $100 million.
More details ahead
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff
June 25, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

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Donald Trump’s Secret ‘Public’ Gardens Gave Him Extra Height at Trump Tower Buy Christie Brinkley’s 21-Acre Hamptons Estate for $30M Sleep in a Cozy, Converted Taxi in Long Island City for Just $39 a Night Take in the Views From Extell’s 850-Foot-Tall One Manhattan Square Massive Maya Lin-Designed Tribeca Townhouse Gets Thumbs Up From Landmarks […]

Will the Brexit Vote Drive Up NYC Real Estate?
June 24, 2016

Will the Brexit Vote Drive Up NYC Real Estate?

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The vote by Britain to leave the European Union has shocked and confused the world to say the least. In addition to the political ramifications (Prime Minister David Cameron announced he will step down in October), the financial outcomes are staggering. The pound has already plummeted to its lowest level since 1985, with investors turning to the dollar and the yen and the entire European stock market dropping, according to reports from the Times. Though the Bank of England has earmarked roughly $344 million for potential stability measures, the world seems unsure of how the Brexit decision will affect international markets long term. London is currently one of the top locations for foreign real estate investment, but in the face of an uncertain future, Crain's presents the assertion that the vote could drive up real estate in New York City as "investors look for safe havens against the threat of a global recession."
More here
New Renderings Show Rooftop and Courtyards at ODA’s Massive Rheingold Brewery Project
June 24, 2016

New Renderings Show Rooftop and Courtyards at ODA’s Massive Rheingold Brewery Project

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In March of 2015, the cube-happy architects at ODA revealed their design for 10 Montieth Street, part of Bushwick's 10-block Bushwick's Rheingold Brewery site. The 400,000-square-foot, 400-unit rental building from the Rabsky Group has a bow-tie shape with a sloping zig-zagging green roof and amenity-laden courtyard. Last week, renderings were released for a second project from ODA at the Rheingold site, this one with developer All Year Management. Inspired by a "European Village" and dubbed Bushwick II, this rental one ups 10 Montieth; it will encompass one million square feet over two city blocks and have 800-900 units, as well as an entire system of interconnecting courtyards and common spaces that break from the street grid, an 18,000-square-foot central park, and a 60,000-square-foot rooftop with an urban farm and recreational spaces including a pool. Dezeen has uncovered additional renderings of Bushwick II that showcase these outdoor spaces, and they do not disappoint.
More details and renderings ahead
For Just $30, the AeroPress Coffee Maker Might Be the Next Big Thing in Brewing
June 24, 2016

For Just $30, the AeroPress Coffee Maker Might Be the Next Big Thing in Brewing

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Espresso machines can cost thousands, and traditional drip coffee pots (we're looking at you Mr. Coffee), while inexpensive, can often yield a subpar cup of Joe. But a $30 coffee maker is well on its way to providing a happy medium for caffeine aficionados. Business Insider took a look at the AeroPress coffee maker from Aerobie, which uses an airtight plunger to push coffee or espresso through the filter. The company claims its success is in the product's ability to brew under "ideal conditions"--proper temperature, total immersion, and rapid filtering.
Find out more
Take in the Views From Extell’s 823-Foot-Tall One Manhattan Square
June 23, 2016

Take in the Views From Extell’s 823-Foot-Tall One Manhattan Square

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Two Bridges, the area on the border of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, is seeing a wave of new, sky-high development, including a 900-foot tower from supertall team JDS and SHoP Architects and perhaps two 50-story buildings from L+M Partners. But the controversial surge in construction started with One Manhattan Square, an 823-foot tower from Extell. In anticipation of the 80-story condo building hitting the market this September, the developer has released a flashy new video that shows the sparkling Adamson Associates Architects-designed exterior, as well as the sweeping views from the upper floors. But as Curbed, who first spotted the video, notes, it ignores its potential supertall neighbors to make a point of just how much much it towers over its surroundings.
Watch the full video here
New Renderings of South Street Seaport’s Fulton Market Revamp From SHoP Architects
June 23, 2016

New Renderings of South Street Seaport’s Fulton Market Revamp From SHoP Architects

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Though they didn't have much luck with their controversial tower at the Seaport, SHoP Architects and the Howard Hughes Corporation have gotten approvals for their revamp of the historic, 1983 Fulton Market Building. Yimby reports that on Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the revised design for the building's exterior, which alters the signage from the original 2014 proposal. To show how the signs will look, SHoP prepared several new renderings of the site.
See them all here
Poll: Will Phase One of the Second Avenue Subway Open on Time?
June 22, 2016

Poll: Will Phase One of the Second Avenue Subway Open on Time?

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New Yorkers have learned to take deadlines and budgets from the MTA with a grain of salt, and the Second Avenue Subway may be the worst offender since it was first proposed all the way back in the 1920s. But the past couple years have restored some hope; in April 2015, it was announced that Phase I of the project was 82 percent complete and on track for its December 2016 opening, and last summer the MTA even went so far as to say the entire line could open sooner than originally planned. But yesterday the Post reported that there's a good chance the Second Avenue Subway won't be finished on time, blaming construction crews not showing up for work. This has put inspections behind schedule, and therefore "the agency has only completed 67 percent of the testing and needs to do another 1,100 checks by October."
What do you think this means for the deadline?
Sleep in a Cozy, Converted Taxi in Long Island City for Just $39 a Night
June 21, 2016

Sleep in a Cozy, Converted Taxi in Long Island City for Just $39 a Night

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Here's your chance to sleep in a yellow cab without worrying about the meter. A listing has popped up on Airbnb for a "cozy one-of-a-kind NYC taxi van" that's been "renovated into swanky living quarters." This renovation outfitted the vehicle with a full-size bed that comes with soft pillows and bright yellow sheets (how fitting), a portable wireless air conditioner, and, according to the reviews, a couple bottles of Fiji Water. The $39/night price tag also covers the Long Island City location with views of the Manhattan skyline that's walking distance to a bathroom and cafes with WiFi.
Find out more about these unusual accommodations
Booken Transforms Your Reading Material Into a Useful Table
June 21, 2016

Booken Transforms Your Reading Material Into a Useful Table

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By now, everyone has jumped on the bandwagon of organizing bookshelves by spine color. And while we love the look, it's refreshing to see a new, inventive way to display one's reading material. Booken was designed by Yael Mer & Shay Alkalay of Raw Edges as a way to exhibit the book "as an object that becomes material." It's the horizontal version of the traditional bookcase, and with the books hanging by their spines, they create a visually interesting and purposeful console table that doubles as a library.
Find out more
Donald Trump’s Secret ‘Public’ Gardens Gave Him Extra Height at Trump Tower
June 20, 2016

Donald Trump’s Secret ‘Public’ Gardens Gave Him Extra Height at Trump Tower

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In light of his media-circus presidential campaign, there seems to be endless exposes about Donald Trump's past real estate drama. From his failed attempt to own the Empire State Building to a lost battle with China over two bi-coastal skyscrapers, the Donald's development empire has very often skirted the rules. The latest saga dates back to 1979, when, as Crain's uncovers, Trump struck a deal with the city for a zoning variance to build an extra 200,000 square feet, or 20 stories, at Trump Tower. In return, he agreed to create a public atrium, as well as 15,000 square feet of public gardens. But these gardens, which yielded almost all of the 244,000 square feet of office and residential space that Trump still owns in the tower (worth roughly $530 million), are hidden, hard to access, and not maintained.
The full story, right this way
This Hive Lets Urbanites Raise Bees in Style
June 20, 2016

This Hive Lets Urbanites Raise Bees in Style

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When 6sqft interviewed beekeeper and founder of Andrew's Honey Andrew Coté, he described how when he first started beekeeping in the city he placed his beehives wherever he could -- "on top of the bridge cafe in the Financial District, community gardens, friends’ rooftops or balconies." Though he now has an entire system of rooftop hives, other New Yorkers looking to get buzzing can still employ his small-scale take on apiculture. It was with this urban beekeeper in mind that German illustrator Maria Emmrich designed her modular Manufaktur Eins, which takes up less room than a standard hive. Designboom notes that it "combines the natural needs of the insects and the ergonomic requirements of the beekeepers" to create a stylish way to raise honeybees anywhere from a balcony to a garden.
More on this design-friendly beehive
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff
June 18, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

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Landmarks Approves Roman Abramovich’s $80M UES Makeshift Mansion Taylor Swift Staying in a $40K/Month Village House During Tribeca Penthouse Renovations Design Teams Propose Inflatable Tunnel, New Train Lines As Solutions to L Train Shutdown Developer Wants to Erect the World’s Tallest Free-Fall Ride Atop Penn Station Lottery Launches for 10 Brand New Theater District Apartments, […]

Two Chances to Live in Trendy Bushwick for $947/Month
June 17, 2016

Two Chances to Live in Trendy Bushwick for $947/Month

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You know you've hit gold when your apartment is just three blocks away from Roberta's, and the city is offering two lucky renters the chance to live in this trendy Bushwick location for just $947 a month. Starting today, single persons earning between $32,469 and $38,100 annually and two-person households earning between $32,469 and $43,500 can apply for these units at 103 Varet Street through an affordable housing lottery. The four-story new construction building has a roof deck and laundry room, and units feature stainless appliances and dishwashers, hardwood floors, and marble bathrooms.
More info
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