Eric Schneider may have transformed his 450-square-foot studio apartment in Manhattan with the help of some architects and a giant blue... thing, but that's totally not impressive if you know about Gary Chang's 344-square-foot "green" apartment in Hong Kong, that he gorgeously altered to encapsulate 24 separate rooms. Take a look (it glows!):
Are You Impressed With This Folding Apartment On The Upper West Side?
Video: Woman Shows Off 90-Square-Foot Apartment
The below video is making the rounds today (and, no, it's not an April Fool's joke), which shows a woman giving a tour of her studio apartment... all 90-square-feet of it. That's smaller than the previously proclaimed smallest apartment in New York! Felice Cohen (who we mentioned a year before this video was made—so she's been in there for quite some time!), has traded in not having a kitchen for being one block from Central Park, and having other city luxuries that are right outside her front door. Take a look at what $700 will get you on the Upper West Side:
Video: Studio 6B's Hidden Muppets
As the world readies for a new Late Night talk show host, here's a little history lesson on Jimmy Fallon's new set, which also housed Jack Paar's (and Johnny Carson's) Tonight Show. In the video below, circa 1984, Paar gives David Letterman a tour of his old studio, where Letterman's Late Night desk also sat. One door inside of a dressing room that remained locked for 20 years is opened to reveal some masterfully adorned pipes, a tribute from Jim Henson and the Muppets to Paar. Fallon confirms that the pipes are still there, and says "We're preserving it and putting it behind plexi."
Daptone Records Robbed, But Still Running
Last Monday night, Daptone Records in Bushwick was robbed and the details of the break-in were released shortly after in an email to friends of the studio. The email stated, in part, that "there was a lot of equipment stolen and damaged. And, no, we did not have insurance. We had been shopping around with different companies earlier this month but had not signed a check." They had been in the building for 7 years, and, despite not having an alarm system, hadn't been robbed until last week.
Phish Spotted in NYC Studio
In September, the band Phish (assumed to have still been disbanded at the time) reunited at friend/former road manager Brad Sand's wedding, giving hope to the hemp set that the foursome would soon have a proper reunion. Miracles do happen, and it was announced soon after that the band would play three concerts in Hampton, Virginia next March. Well, for those of you who haven't hit up Jambands.com in a couple days, you may have missed out on this little nugget: That photo is allegedly of the band rehearsing in a Brooklyn studio.
Kaufman Astoria Studios Break Ground on Big Expansion
After about a decade of delays, Kaufman Astoria Studios broke ground today on a $22 million expansion. The new building will be located diagonally across the street from Kaufman Astoria’s current building and will house an 18,000-square-foot sound stage, as well as an additional 22,000 square feet of offices, dressing rooms and carpentry shops, Crain's reports. Kaufman Astoria president Hal Rosenbluth had originally announced plans to expand in 1999, but put the project on hold after the 9/11 attacks. The studio is moving forward now with a $5 million grant from the city, at a time when the city is swarming with TV and movie productions, in part due to a recent increase in New York State tax breaks. Currently filming at Kaufman Astoria—which opened in 1920 as Famous Player Lasky—are Sesame Street, Life on Mars and Showtime’s new series, Nurse Jackie.
Columbia's 30th Street Studio Revisited
The Morrison Hotel Gallery (Soho loft) has announced their latest upcoming exhibit, opening later this month on July 18th. The installation will explore the history of Columbia Records 30th Street Studio through photographs. The space, which was converted from an Armenian church, is where Dylan recorded Highway 61, Miles made Kind of Blue, and Leonard Bernstein created West Side Story.
UES Studio Bought for $14,000: This Actually Happened
School teacher and aspiring novelist Matthew Thomas won the jackpot in the New York apartment lottery when he scored his Upper East Side studio apartment, around the corner from Elaine’s, for just $14,000. Literally; the man won the right to buy the apartment in a lottery that makes available a minuscule number of apartments to people with incomes under $49,625. The units are part of 24 Mitchell-Lama co-op buildings in Manhattan and most applicants wait a decade for a shot at one.

