City Living

September 9, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Mac Sillick and Sandy Hall of Black Tree, the LES ‘Farm to Sandwich’ Favorite

Plenty of new restaurants and bars have been popping up on the Lower East Side over the last few years, but one of the more recent standout eateries to appear is Black Tree. This Brooklyn transplant has only been around for a little more than a year, but their incredible menu has drawn in everyone from food critics at the Wall Street Journal and Zagat to Guy Fieri—who by the way can be seen dusting Black Tree sandwich crumbs from his goatee in an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We recently caught up with Mac Sillick and Sandy Hall, the owners and culinary creatives behind the delicious Downtown venture, to chat about their business. Find out about their "farm to sandwich" approach, why they only use locally sourced food, and why they moved their business from Crown Heights to the Lower East Side. **GIVEAWAY**: The fellas are also offering up one lucky reader 'drinks for two' at the Black Tree bar. Keep reading to find out how you can enjoy some organic cocktails on the house!
The interview and giveaway here

September 5, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Sue Chin on Designing for a Very Different Type of Client at the Wildlife Conservation Society

By Susan Cohen

Susan (Sue) A. Chin, FAIA is an architect and designer with a very different type of clientele. Currently, her roster includes tigers, gorillas, and sharks, all of whom have very specific design needs. As the Vice President of Planning & Design and Chief Architect at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Sue oversees the architectural and design needs of the Society's zoos and parks (Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo), as well as their conservation work around the globe. The organization currently has about 500 projects in 65 countries, which means her work is showcased as far away as Madagascar. 6sqft recently spoke with Sue about WCS, how she got into the field as a teenager, her clients (both human and non), and the exciting new exhibit under construction at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island.
Read our full interview with Sue here

Coffee Culture: Are Neighborhood Cafes the First Sign of Gentrification?

Photo: Cafe Grumpy in Greenpoint by Premshree Pillai cc

September 3, 2014

Coffee Culture: Are Neighborhood Cafes the First Sign of Gentrification?

By Michelle Cohen

From “coffices” to lab-like minimalist gourmet coffee meccas to cozy neighborhood hangouts, neighborhood cafes are a fine example of the essential “third place” mentioned in discussions of community dynamics: that place, neither work nor home, where regulars gather and everyone’s welcome. Along with yoga studios, art galleries, community gardens, vintage clothing shops, restaurants with pedigreed owners and adventurous menus and, some say, a change in the offerings on local grocery shelves, cafes are often the earliest sign of neighborhood change. The neighborhood cafe serves as a testing ground for community cohesiveness while adventurous entrepreneurs test the still-unfamiliar waters around them. Beyond the literal gesture of offering sustenance, cafes provide a place where you can actually see who your neighbors are and appreciate the fact that at least some of them are willing to make an investment locally.
Get a fleeting glimpse of old New York City cafe culture in the West Village, meet the future of coffee distribution in Red Hook.

September 2, 2014

INTERVIEW: Andrew Berman, Executive Director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

By Dana Schulz

There's been a lot of controversy around preservation in New York City as of late, and through it all, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) seems to always make its voice heard. From debunking myths about affordable housing and historic districts to advocating for the Village's next great landmark, GVSHP remains on the front lines of the field. Founded in 1980 to preserve the architectural heritage and cultural history of the Village, the organization now includes the East Village, South Village, Far West Village, Noho, and Meatpacking District in its purview. Part of the reason for GVSHP's expansion stems from the tireless efforts of its longtime Executive Director, Andrew Berman. Since 2002, he has overseen the research, educational programming, and advocacy of one of the city's leading preservation nonprofits. We recently sat down with Andrew to learn more about his views on the current state of preservation in the city and where he hopes to take GVSHP in the future.
Read our full interview here

September 2, 2014

Rudolf Stefanich’s SONO Could Help Block Out City Noise and Keep Your Home Quiet

By Diane Pham

If you're one of the many who love city living but constantly curse the stress-inducing sounds of construction, car horns, garbage trucks, and yelling children, SONO will restore your sanity and bring your home to the pin drop quiet, peaceful state only found in the suburbs. Designed by Rudolf Stefanich, this pebble-shaped device could be applied to all of your home's windows, turning them into a comprehensive noise canceling system.
Find out more here

August 29, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Bonnie Slotnick Takes Us Through Her Greenwich Village Cookbook Store

By Susan Cohen

Amongst the endlessly expanding restaurant options in Greenwich Village, there is another culinary experience cooking on West Tenth Street. Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks is devoted to out-of-print cookbooks of all shapes, sizes, and cuisines. And while Bonnie isn’t offering the latest cronut-esque obsession, she provides New Yorkers, and customers all over the world via the internet, something much more special--a chance to leaf through bygone cooking eras and own a piece of culinary history. Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks has been a go-to location for out-of-print books since opening in 1997 in a Village basement, when perusing the stock was by appointment only. In the current location, shelves are brimming with books from all over the world that date as far back as the 18th century. Bonnie was even called upon to provide cookbooks for the film Julie & Julia starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child. 6sqft recently stopped by to speak with Bonnie about the world of out-of-print cookbooks and what it means to live and work in Greenwich Village.
Read our full interview with Bonnie

August 26, 2014

From Broadway to Brokerage: Tom Postilio & Mickey Conlon of CORE on the Similarities of Show Biz and Real Estate

By Diane Pham

No need to rub your eyes, if Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon look familiar, it's probably because you've spent a season watching them run around Manhattan showing multi-million dollar properties to some of the world's richest. The pair, who also share a Broadway past, were one of the first to bring real estate reality television to the masses with HGTV's hugely popular Selling New York. But there's more to Tom and Mickey than their stage sheen. To date, the "Dream Team" has brought in over a $1.5 billion dollars in sales at CORE, securing the firm's spot as the #1 brokerage in town, and earning themselves CORE's 2013 Top Producer Award while at it. Charismatic and capable, it comes as no surprise that Tom and Mickey are a prime pick amongst developers and celebs looking for record-breaking results (David Sanborn, Lady Gaga, Jim Carey and Joan Collins are just a few of the names that make up their roster). We recently chatted with the powerhouse pair who gave us the scoop on everything from their first sales, to bringing what they learned on Broadway to the real estate business, to one of their most memorable closings involving a 7-foot fiberglass replica of the Statue of Liberty!
Read our interview with the dynamic duo here

August 22, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: We Visit Lillian Wright of Mimosa Floral Design in her Crown Heights Studio

By Susan Cohen

New York is known for having spectacular weddings of all shapes and sizes at every venue imaginable. Aside from the bride, the groom and the dress, flowers are often the center of attention at these affairs. And if you have attended one such wedding, Lilli Wright's centerpieces may have graced your table. As the owner of Mimosa Floral Design Studio based in Crown Heights, Lilli has become one of the city's most sought after florists. She recently did the flowers for a ceremony at the New York Public Library, and on another weekend she found herself designing flowers for five different weddings. Lilli—whose full name is Lillian—has always had a flower in her name, but it wasn't until a friend asked the then-actress to handle flowers at a wedding that she found her true calling. After a slew of floral-related adventures throughout the city, in 2010 Lilli became a bonafide Brooklyn entrepreneur when she started a flower business right out of her apartment. In June of this year, Lilli opened up a brand new storefront studio on Kingston Avenue. 6sqft recently caught up will Lilli at her Brooklyn studio to find out more about her new shop, Crown Heights' renaissance, and why the New York wedding scene is like no other.
Read our full interview with Lilli here

August 17, 2014

My Gay Summer: Maybe We Are Moving Forward After All

By Andrew Cotto

Last Saturday, I walked out of a Fire Island Pines liquor store just as a friend was walking in. “Hello, handsome,” I said without pause. My friend was less decorous. “What the f*%k are you doing here?!?” He asked, his face flushed with wonder. It was a legitimate question since The Pines is famously gay, and I’m neither famous nor gay; but, considering my summer so far, me in the company of gay men no longer seems wonder inducing to me.
Andrew's revelations this way

City Living

August 15, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Chloe Stinetorf on Her Delectable Cookie Dough Delivery Upstart, Chloe Doughy

By Susan Cohen

Chloe Stinetorf is the New York City cookie fairy. Each month, her company Chloe Doughy delivers two tubs of cookie dough to apartments and offices across Manhattan and in parts of Brooklyn. And while she doesn’t fly with sparkly wings to make deliveries, her staff can be found riding around on Citi Bikes. In return for her delectable service, all she asks is that New Yorkers focus on the important part of baking: being with friends and family. Of course, Chloe also wants bakers to enjoy all the fun that comes from scooping dough, eagerly waiting as the cookies bake, and that first fresh-out-of-the-oven bite. Thanks to Chloe Doughy’s membership delivery service, New Yorkers—who want to bake at midnight, need cookies for their children's school, or have to prepare dessert for that last minute-dinner party—can now bake without the hassle. Over iced teas in Chelsea, 6sqft spoke with Chloe and learned how Chloe Doughy is changing the way the city bakes cookies.
Read our interview with Chloe

How a ‘Buona Forchetta’ Stays Trim in NYC

By Andrew Cotto

Having just returned to New York City from another extended stay in Italy, I’m often asked about how I ate during my trip. I’m happy to accommodate such requests since I’m what Italians call a “Buona Forchetta” or “Good Fork” — someone who loves and knows food. Talking about food is one of my favorite things to do; it’s up there with eating food. And my passionate and detailed conversations about the food I’ve recently eaten often segues into curious inquiries about my somewhat surprising physique.
Read more of Andrew's story here

August 8, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Danny Wasserman of Tip Top Shoes, a Mom & Pop Outfitting the UWS for More than 50 Years

By Susan Cohen

Years ago, shoemaking was a family business handed down from one generation to the next. And while there may not be as many old school shoemakers practicing their craft in the city today, there is the Wasserman family and their Upper West Side shoe store. Tip Top Shoes, located on 72nd between Amsterdam and Columbus, has been taking care of New York's footwear needs since it first opened in 1940. Although the Wassermans are not the original owners, it's been in the family since Danny Wasserman's father purchased the store fifty years ago, continuing a family tradition that began in Europe. When Danny began working alongside his father, he was the third generation in the shoe business. His son and daughter are now the fourth. Together, Danny and his children are making sure customers have access to both classic shoes and the latest trends. Wearing a pair of Birkenstocks I purchased at Tip Top Shoes, I met with Danny to learn more about the family business.
Read our full interview with Danny

August 1, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Matthew Namie of Paris Framemakers on the Art of Framing

By Susan Cohen

Painters, portraitists, and photographers--the visual artists tend to get all the credit. But there is another type of art that goes into making a piece beautiful, and that is the art of framing. Most of us rarely think about this component, but for Matthew Namie, it’s always on his mind. As a salesperson at Paris Framemakers on the Upper West Side, he works with customers to make sure their prized artworks are framed just right. Paris Framemakers, located on 75th and Amsterdam, opened twenty years ago, and also has stores on 81st and Madison and 100th and Broadway. Matthew is a recent addition to Paris, but not to framing. He has seven years of experience under his belt and a keen eye when it comes to frames, mats, and glass. He will soon be heading across town to serve as the manager at the Upper East Side location. While working with Matthew on my own framing needs, I realized that many New Yorkers don't know the intricacies of this craft. So, I recently popped into Paris Framemakers to learn all about the art of framing and Matthew’s expertise.
Read the full interview right this way

July 28, 2014

INTERVIEW: George Schieferdecker Talks to Us About One Vandam and BKSK’s Future Projects

By Tag Brum

When it comes designing for contextual relevance (and Landmarks love), BKSK is a firm favored by many developers. BKSK was founded back in 1985 when three Columbia architecture students decided they wanted to apply the progressive design principles they were seeing in their studies to the New York City landscape. Fast forward to nearly three decades later, and this trio has blossomed into a full-fledged, six-partner practice with a penchant for residential designs. One of BKSK's current condo projects, One Vandam, is now on the rise and is getting plenty of attention for its slab on base design and syncopated glass and limestone facade. Though the design is much more modern than their previous works, One Vandam does pay homage to its dynamic locale. We recently caught up with one of BKSK's partners, George Schieferdecker, to find out what inspired One Vandam's design, to hear a bit about how New York has changed since BKSK first started its practice in the 80s, and to get the scoop on what's up next for the studio.
Read our interview with George here

July 27, 2014

Is New York Really a Diverse City?

By Andrew Cotto

One of the things that eventually becomes obvious to an American urban dweller residing in a European city is the lack of diversity. As a New Yorker in Rome, it’s particularly obvious. Rome is full of Romans, and Romans are, essentially, of similar stripe. There are inhabitants of this city from foreign lands and of different hues, but they are not Romans. They are Bangladeshi, Senegalese, Romanian, Albanian, and more. Anything but Roman. And that will never change. While the myriad of ethnic and racial backgrounds that comprise New York’s population might be a hyphenated-American something-or-other, we are all, for the most part, fellow New Yorkers. It’s a beautiful thing, a fact many residents proudly proclaim when they speak of what makes New York so special. Diversity informs nearly every aspect of New York’s identity, and it is not exclusive. But as I look from abroad at New York’s diversity, it clearly spreads far and wide, but how deep does it go? I don’t need to look any farther than myself for a quick study.
Andrew reflects on New York's diversity

July 19, 2014

INTERVIEW: NYC Architect Drew Lang Gives Us the Scoop on Hudson Woods, A Private Eco-Community in the Catskills

By Dana Schulz

Move over Hamptons — there's a new second-home hotbed for New Yorkers: the Catskills. The four-season destination has been growing in popularity over the past several years, but is now reaching new heights thanks to Drew Lang and Lang Architecture's forest getaway community Hudson Woods. Located in Kerhonkson, New York, just two hours from New York City, the 131-acre development will feature 26 sustainably designed, site-specific dwellings, each located on its own spacious lot. Buyers can personalize their homes with curated upgrades including a pool and pool house, outdoor kitchen, vegetable garden, fruit tree grove, treehouse, and solar power energy system, among other things. Hudson Woods' tagline is "where design meets nature," and one look at the site makes this statement ring true. We sat down with Drew Lang to get an inside take on the project, and to learn more about the increasingly sought after Catskills community.
Read our full interview here

July 17, 2014

CityLiving in Rome: Big Love in the Eternal City for One New Yorker

By Andrew Cotto

I didn’t come to Rome looking for love. I got plenty of the good stuff back at home in New York City. There is where most of my closest friends and family reside, along with my beloved wife, daughter and son. It also happens to be the city that is the love of my residential life. So, love in Rome was not on the itinerary. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Forum and beyond. We might still be in the infatuation stage, but I got the big love for Roma right now, and that might not ever change, primarily because of the love it’s inspired in me.
Read more of Andrew's story here

July 11, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Lisle Richards and Eric Marx, The Duo Behind the Monarch Room Restaurant

By Susan Cohen

Opening one restaurant is hard, but two in a month is a serious feat. But this is New York City, and restaurateurs Lisle Richards and Eric Marx were ready for a challenge. Between January and February of this year the duo opened up two of Manhattan’s hippest and most most talked about new haunts: The Monarch Room and The Wayfarer.
Our interview with the restauranteurs here

July 7, 2014

Two for the Price of One: Our Interview with Father/Son Broker Team Siim and Rudi Hanja

By Dana Schulz

It’s hard not to become a jaded New Yorker when it comes to real estate. We’ve been duped by phony listing pictures, stood up at a random addresses by our brokers, and probably watched a little too much of the soap opera-like Million Dollar Listing. But it’s not all Photoshopped specs and inter-agency drama — something I quickly learned during my interview with Siim and Rudi Hanja, a father/son broker team at Brown Harris Stevens who are passionate about their careers, connection to downtown, and their relationship with each other. Siim Hanja has been a SoHo and Tribeca resident for the past 40 years. He’s considered an expert on the downtown residential market, and much of his client base includes people involved with the arts. He raised his daughter and son Rudi in SoHo, a neighborhood he is still proud to call home. Rudi was first introduced to real estate when he was around ten years old, filing papers at a small, boutique brokerage that Siim owned. After graduating from Boston University, Rudi took a summer job with the sales and marketing team at 120 Greenwich Street, where he worked with the exclusive broker and closed the final 30% of sales in the condo building. He then went on to work at another major real estate firm in the city until he and Siim decided to begin working together at Brown Harris Stevens.
Find out what team Hanja has to say

July 3, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Alina Cheung of Terracotta NY on How Her Investment Banking Past Inspired a Bowtie Business

By Susan Cohen

As investment banking analysts at Credit Suisse, Alina Cheung and Yidi Xu spent their days surrounded by men in ties. Little did they know that these men, and their ties, would later inspire them to leave investment banking behind. While crunching numbers and working on Excel spreadsheets, they found themselves thinking a lot about the prints on those ties. It was not long before Alina and Yidi realized they wanted the prints for themselves. And if they wanted them, they thought other women would too. With that thought, Terracotta New York, an accessories company, was born.
Read our interview with Alina here

July 2, 2014

CityLiving in Rome: From New York to Eat. Eat. Eat.

By Andrew Cotto

Like the author Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat. Pray. Love. fame, I’ve embarked on an international excursion that includes an extended stay in Rome. Unlike Ms. Gilbert, I’m not on a three continent journey in search of pleasure, enlightenment and emotional connections, nor will I be visiting any other lands beyond the peninsular confines of Italy. I’m here for five weeks to teach a creative writing class at John Cabot University, but I share a sense of her aspirations, if only in a somewhat adjusted manner, so I feel entitled to appropriate parts of her narrative into my CityLiving column while I’m here. This first dispatch will be about food.
Follow Andrew as he eats his way through Rome

June 27, 2014

INTERVIEW: Resolution: 4 Architecture’s Joseph Tanney Talks Prefab Homes and Designing NYC Apartments

By Patty Lee

Since it was founded in 1994, Resolution: 4 Architecture (RE4A) has been a game-changing force in the world of building and design. Founders Joseph Tanney and Robert Luntz were some of the first architects to embrace the idea of modular prefabricated homes, a concept that continues to grow in popularity for its cost0-efficiency, eco-friendly nature and versatility in design. The RE4A team has worked on numerous projects, ranging from envy-inducing vacation retreats to space-efficient lofts to the headquarters for Equinox gym. While they have helped design and build spaces across the nation, the firm calls New York City — specifically, Chelsea — home and plenty of Big Apple sensibilities show up in their work, which is bold, yet functional. We recently spoke with Tanney about RE4A's mission and upcoming work, plus his tips for creating a storage-friendly apartment.
Check out our full interview here

June 26, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Musician David Aaron Carpenter and the $45 Million ‘Macdonald’ Viola

By Susan Cohen

If you took a taxi this spring, violist David Aaron Carpenter may have joined you for the ride. Well, joined via the news segment in your taxi's television that is. When David played the 'Macdonald' viola made by Antonio Stradivari in 1719, which is currently up for sealed bid at Sotheby's with bidding starting at $45 million, news organizations took note. The ‘Macdonald’ is priced at $45 million for a reason. Sotheby’s explains on their website that “This exquisitely preserved and extremely rare viola is one of only ten complete violas Stradivari made during his lifetime and the only example from his golden period.” Contrast the number of violas Stradivari made with the approximately 600 violins he made, and it’s easy to see why a golden period in instrument bidding is about to occur. For David, playing the 'Macdonald' was an incredible opportunity to highlight this viola as well as the instrument in general. As the saying goes, the viola has long played second fiddle to the violin, but not if David can help it. He is on a mission to change how the public views violas.
Read our interview with David here

June 25, 2014

Before DUMBO Had a Dumb Name: Eamon Loingsigh’s New Novel References the Neighborhood’s Seamy Past

By Andrew Cotto

There’s been a lot of novels set in New York City (guilty myself, two times). When done right, such work can serve as a portal to the past, when New York was a distinctly different place, one often defined by its era and often in direct contrast to the current conditions. In Eamon Loingsigh’s powerful new novel, Light of the Diddicoy, reference is made in the very first line to the area “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” Of course, any New Yorker worth his/her salted caramel custard from Shake Shack knows DUMBO, the Brooklyn nabe known for its pricey lofts and tony boutiques, its art galleries and swank eateries and a grassy park that sprawls along the water’s edge below the span of East River bridges. Lovely. The characters in Loingsigh’s novel aren’t so privileged, for they lived in DUMBO 100 years ago, long before any clunky acronyms, when the waterfront was a war zone, and the novel’s narrator, Liam Garrity, a displaced and desperate Irish immigrant, all of 14 years, fell in with a brutal gang as a matter of survival.
More about 'Light of the Diddicoy' here

June 13, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Behind the Watch Counter at Christie’s with Mr. Reginald Brack

By Susan Cohen

Reginald Brack is keeping watch... On the international watch market that is. As Senior Vice President, International Head of Retail, Watches at Christie's, he travels the world in pursuit of that perfect watch. He focuses his time in private sales where he assists clients from New York to Geneva to Hong Kong with their buying and selling needs. Reginald's role at the auction house includes curating private boutiques, hosting events, and vetting watches for the newly launched Christie's Watch Shop. From this brief job description, it's clear that he has an expertise in things time related. Beyond his work at the auction house, I was interested in learning more about Reginald. How did he translate a love of watches into a career? My curiosity also extended into New York's relationship with timepieces. 6sqft met with Reginald in his office at Christie's to learn more about watches, collecting, and where Christie's fits into the watch market.
Read the interview with Reginald

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