By Michelle Cohen, Thu, November 18, 2021 Photo: FAD Holiday Market
Even a pandemic can’t keep a New York City shopper down. The city’s retail landscape may look different now, but that hasn’t dimmed the sparkle of beautiful baubles, clever crafts, and the company of fellow shoppers. While most of the city’s holiday markets went virtual last year, many of our favorites have returned in their fabulous original form. The big Manhattan markets at Union Square, Bryant Park, and Columbus Circle are still impressive, but smaller, more intimate neighborhood gems shine brightly on their own. They’re all great places to find seasonal delights like ice skating, live music, drinks, food, and family fun designed to keep shoppers’ spirits bright.
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By Devin Gannon, Mon, October 4, 2021 The new modern office building that replaced the St. Denis Hotel in Greenwich Village is nearing completion. The ground-up development 799 Broadway sits where the Village and Union Square meet, a burgeoning tech hub known as “Silicon Alley.” As a majority of construction work on the building wraps up in the coming weeks, Columbia Property Trust, Inc. announced on Monday it has secured its first lease at the building.
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By Devin Gannon, Tue, August 3, 2021 Photo by Liz Ligon
A huge nature-themed street mural was installed along the 14th Street Busway in Union Square this week. Titled “Collective Vision,” the mural was painted on the pedestrian areas of the busway between Broadway and Union Square West. Brooklyn-based street artists GERALUZ and WERC designed the piece to highlight the strength of nature and unity, with a ruby-throated hummingbird at the center representing the “power of resilience in standing together against injustice and extinction.” Over the last five days, community volunteers have helped the artists fill in the vibrant colors of the mural.
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By Dana Schulz, Thu, April 22, 2021 Listing photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens
The funky barrel-vaulted ceilings at this Union Square loft set the stage for a truly unique home, which has even been featured in Elle Decor. A greenhouse-windowed skylight, a spiral staircase, and an eclectic, colorful mix of decor add to the cool vibe, as does the roof deck that’s right below the building’s vintage water tower and trusses. Located at 13 East 16th Street, the two-bedroom condo is asking $2,175,000.
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By Devin Gannon, Fri, March 26, 2021 Courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development
Here’s an opportunity to live in a luxury Manhattan rental at a discount. A housing lottery launched this month for a dozen middle-income units at One Union Square South, a Related Companies-developed building most recognizable for the massive electronic clock art piece on its facade. While it’s hard to call this lottery affordable, the available apartments do offer significant savings compared to the building’s market-rate units. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which include $2,523/month studios, $2,700/month one-bedrooms, and $3,235/month two-bedrooms.
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By Dana Schulz, Thu, February 11, 2021 Rendering by Brdar
When it comes to a prime downtown location, the corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue is pretty darn good. On the northeast corner, the new 50-unit condo at 540 6th Avenue was designed inside and out by Morris Adjmi, replacing a lower-scale building that held a long-time dance studio (one home to Merce Cunningham) and an outpost of Moscot eyewear. The 12-story condo, which topped out this past November, has now launched a teaser site as it gears up to launch sales. It’s also been dubbed Förena, the Swedish word for “unite,” a nod to the building’s location at the nexus of Greenwich Village, Union Square, and Chelsea.
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By Dana Schulz, Mon, November 16, 2020 Photo by Christopher Payne | ESTO
If you’ve walked by Union Square over the past year, you might have spotted something different. Rising atop Reading International’s landmarked Tammany Hall is a modern glass-and-steel dome. BKSK Architects designed the addition, which can house a variety of commercial uses, with the building’s history in mind. Though many associate Tammany Hall’s history with political corruption, BKSK wanted people to understand that its namesake is actually Lenape Chief Tammanend, who worked towards a peaceful relationship with 17th-century European settlers. Ahead, see amazing photos of the dome’s exterior and interior and hear from BKSK partner Todd Poisson about its construction and how it was conceived to resemble a turtle breaking out of water.
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By Devin Gannon, Wed, November 4, 2020 Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr
Another New York City tradition has been canceled this year because of the coronavirus. The Union Square Holiday Market, a city staple for more than 25 years, will not open this season. And the Columbus Circle Holiday Market will also be closed this year, according to Urbanspace, which operates both markets.
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By Devin Gannon, Fri, October 23, 2020 Photo by Brianne Sperber on Wikimedia
One of New York City’s largest and most beloved independent bookstores is asking for help. Citing a decline in foot traffic, a lack of tourists, and zero in-store events because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Strand Bookstore’s revenue has dropped nearly 70 percent compared to last year, owner Nancy Bass Wyden said on Friday. According to Bass Wyden, the business, one of the last bookstores of Union Square’s former “Book Row,” is not currently sustainable.
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By Dana Schulz, Thu, October 22, 2020 Non-profit Village Preservation has launched a new online platform called Virtual Village, which is part of their larger efforts seeking landmarks protections for the “South of Union Square” area, where Greenwich Village meets the East Village. The interactive online tool offers 36 free, guided walking tours of the neighborhood, ranging from architectural topics like the Cast Iron Tour to cultural topics like the German History Tour to social topics like the Women’s History and LGBTQ Tours.
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