All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Trump said he’d restore Gateway funding if New York renames Penn Station after him

Photo of Penn Station by Don Ramey Logan via WikiCommons

February 6, 2026

Trump said he’d restore Gateway funding if New York renames Penn Station after him

President Donald Trump told Sen. Chuck Schumer last month that he'd resume funding for the Gateway project, but only if New York's Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport are renamed after him. Trump said he would release $16 billion in previously allocated federal funds for the critical infrastructure project on that condition, as CNN reported. Funding, which had been secured under the Biden administration, was frozen during October’s government shutdown. Construction on the project will stop at 5 p.m. on Friday if the funding does not resume.
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Michelangelo Sistine Chapel sketch sells for $27.2M, setting new auction record

Credit: Touhey Photography

February 6, 2026

Michelangelo Sistine Chapel sketch sells for $27.2M, setting new auction record

By Aaron Ginsburg

A recently discovered Michelangelo drawing tied to the Sistine Chapel has sold at auction for more than $27 million, shattering its $1.5 million to $2 million estimate and setting a new auction record for the artist. The drawing—a study for the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl—is the first unrecorded study of the famed ceiling ever to come to auction, and one of only about 10 Michelangelo drawings known to be in private hands. On Thursday, the sketch sold for $27.2 million after a 45-minute bidding war at Christie’s New York, surpassing the artist’s previous auction record of $24.3 million.
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Architecture And Design

Advocates push for restoration of weekend G train service to Forest Hills

Credit: Adam Moss on Flickr

February 5, 2026

Advocates push for restoration of weekend G train service to Forest Hills

By Aaron Ginsburg

A coalition of public transit advocates is pushing the MTA to extend the G train to Forest Hills, bringing the line to central Queens for the first time since 2010. In a letter sent Thursday, more than 30 advocacy organizations and business leaders, including the New York Mets, urged city and state officials to bring back weekend G train service to Forest Hills–71st Avenue, arguing it would be a transformative improvement for outer-borough riders long underserved by a Manhattan-centric transit system. The group also noted that G train ridership has surged since service to Forest Hills was cut, with an increase of roughly 50,000 riders—one of the fastest growth rates in the subway system.
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NYC invests nearly $40M to bring clean heat pumps to Rockaways NYCHA complex

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

February 5, 2026

NYC invests nearly $40M to bring clean heat pumps to Rockaways NYCHA complex

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is investing nearly $40 million to bring clean heating and cooling to more than 700 homes at a public housing complex in the Rockaways. Announced on Wednesday by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the $38.4 million investment will install clean, reliable heat pumps in 712 apartments at NYCHA’s Beach 41st Houses in Edgemere, among the first NYCHA residences to receive custom-designed heat pumps under the agency’s “Clean Heat for All” initiative. The initiative aims to expand clean heat pump installations to more than 10,000 NYCHA apartments by 2030.
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Policy

February 4, 2026

NYC opens low-barrier shelter with 100+ units in Lower Manhattan

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has opened a new safe haven shelter in the South Street Seaport, offering secure temporary housing to more than 100 unhoused New Yorkers, as deaths linked to the city’s ongoing stretch of extreme cold continue to rise. On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the opening of a long-stalled shelter at 320 Pearl Street, offering 106 beds, on-site services, and no curfews or similar restrictions in an effort to encourage more homeless New Yorkers to come in from the cold, according to Gothamist. The new shelter is part of a series of measures Mamdani has enacted since the city entered this historic cold snap, including the opening of 50 additional shelter units in Upper Manhattan on Monday.
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Policy

NY and NJ sue Trump administration for withholding Gateway funding

Credit: Gateway Development Commission

February 4, 2026

NY and NJ sue Trump administration for withholding Gateway funding

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York and New Jersey are suing the Trump administration for withholding $15 billion in federal funding previously set aside for the transformative Gateway project. Announced Tuesday, the lawsuit seeks emergency relief to prevent the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) from continuing to withhold critical funding for the project, which is building a new rail tunnel and rehabilitating a dilapidated one. The legal action follows the Gateway Development Commission’s announcement last week that work would stop on February 6 unless federal funding is restored.
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Schomburg Center releases special list of 100 books by Black authors

Credit: NYPL

February 3, 2026

Schomburg Center releases special list of 100 books by Black authors

By Aaron Ginsburg

Marking the start of Black History Month and its centennial, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has released a curated list of 100 Black-authored books from the past century. The "100 Black Voices: Schomburg Centennial Reading List" is now available at the New York Public Library’s circulating and research branches, with instant e-book and audiobook access to select recommendations and book giveaways at participating locations. The selections were curated by the Schomburg Center’s reference division and feature recommendations from leading figures in Black history, literature, scholarship, and art.
see the list

Events & Things To Do

20-story Murray Hill luxury rental opens lottery for 48 apartments, from $1,842/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

February 3, 2026

20-story Murray Hill luxury rental opens lottery for 48 apartments, from $1,842/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are now being accepted for 48 mixed-income apartments at a new CetraRuddy-designed luxury rental development in Murray Hill. Rising 20 stories at 255 East 39th Street, The Lotus is a sustainability-focused building whose cutting-edge amenities, modern residences, and building systems are all designed in accordance with “vegan principles,” according to Brause Realty. New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $1,842/month studios to $4,518/month two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Vornado and Newmark to expand Penn District with more retail

Seventh Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets. Photo © 6sqft

February 2, 2026

Vornado and Newmark to expand Penn District with more retail

By Aaron Ginsburg

Vornado Realty Trust’s Penn District in Midtown East will grow further as the firm teams up with another major real estate company to create a new retail corridor along Seventh Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets. On Monday, Vornado announced that Newmark has been named the exclusive leasing agent for the next stage of the Penn District, which will feature a street-level "retail experience" alongside existing anchors Macy’s and Primark, whose 78,000-square-foot flagship is set to open this spring. Newmark will also assist Vornado in developing the Moynihan Retail Corridor, the primary commercial hub of Moynihan Train Hall.
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Real Estate Trends

Shuttered Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s becomes pulsing light installation

By Aaron Ginsburg

The shuttered Macy’s in Downtown Brooklyn now hosts an interactive light installation that pulses along to the soundtrack of Fulton Street. Unveiled on Friday, "In Every Transition, A Pattern" illuminates the windows of the former department store with rhythmic patterns and kaleidoscopic displays that respond to the energy of the streetscape. On view through March 16, the installation brings new life to the now-empty Macy's, which closed along with four other NYC locations in January 2025.
see it here

NYC passes landmark street vendor reform, including expanding permit cap

Credit: Hiroko Nishimura on Unsplash

January 30, 2026

NYC passes landmark street vendor reform, including expanding permit cap

By Aaron Ginsburg

Legislation to reform New York City street vending officially passed this week, after the City Council overrode Mayor Eric Adams' vetoes. One of the bills, Intro. 0431, sponsored by Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez, makes an additional 2,200 supervisory license applications available annually from 2026 through 2031 and creates 10,500 new general vending licenses in 2027. The legislation package was part of 19 bills vetoed by former Mayor Eric Adams on his last day in office, despite Council approval in December. This week, the Council overrode 17 of the 19 vetoes.
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Policy

Filmmaker John Sayles’ former Hoboken townhouse lists for $2.5M

Images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 29, 2026

Filmmaker John Sayles’ former Hoboken townhouse lists for $2.5M

By Aaron Ginsburg

The longtime Hoboken home of acclaimed indie filmmaker and novelist John Sayles is on the market for $2,500,000. The red-brick rowhouse at 210 13th Street offers roughly 1,800 square feet across three stories, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a partially finished basement, and a cozy outdoor space. Sayles bought the home, which retains many original features, with his wife in 1981.
take the tour

Rare Sistine Chapel drawing on display in NYC ahead of auction

All photos by Touhey Photography, unless noted otherwise

January 29, 2026

Rare Sistine Chapel drawing on display in NYC ahead of auction

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers can view a recently discovered Michelangelo draft, later reflected in the Sistine Chapel, during a free exhibition ahead of its auction next week. On view through February 5 at Christie’s New York at 20 Rockefeller Plaza, the newly identified drawing—a study for the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl—is the first unrecorded study for the famed ceiling ever to come to auction and one of only about 10 Michelangelo drawings known to be in private hands. The work will be auctioned off as part of Christie’s Old Master Drawings sale, with an estimated price tag of $1.5 million to $2 million.
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Full Amtrak service from NYC to Albany resumes in March, Metro-North expansion scrapped

Credit: Phil Richards on Flickr

January 29, 2026

Full Amtrak service from NYC to Albany resumes in March, Metro-North expansion scrapped

By Aaron Ginsburg

Full Amtrak service between New York City and Albany will resume in March, ending plans for a more affordable Metro-North expansion. In response to reduced service between the city and Albany due to ongoing repair work on the East River Tunnel, Gov. Kathy Hochul last October announced plans to run Metro-North service between Grand Central and Albany starting this spring. But with the full restoration of Empire service, Amtrak has walked back plans for added Metro-North service.
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Work on Gateway project will stop next week unless Trump restores funding

In December 2025, the Tonnelle Ave bridge structure was completed, opening the passage beneath the highway that will be used to bring the TBM components in for assembly. Credit: Gateway Development Commission

January 28, 2026

Work on Gateway project will stop next week unless Trump restores funding

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction of a crucial rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey will stop next week unless federal funding is restored. The Gateway Development Commission announced on Tuesday that funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project will run out on February 6. President Donald Trump's administration initially paused funding until the project's contracts were reviewed for compliance with new rules governing businesses owned by women and minorities—rules the GDC has pledged to follow—but funding has still not been restored, according to the New York Times.
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NYC Ferry service suspended because of ice in the East and Hudson Rivers

View of the icy East River from Williamsburg on Tuesday. Photo © Karen Palacios

January 28, 2026

NYC Ferry service suspended because of ice in the East and Hudson Rivers

By Aaron Ginsburg

NYC Ferry has suspended service on Wednesday because of ice in the East and Hudson Rivers and across the New York Harbor. The ferry announced the suspension in a post on X, citing "significant, continuing ice build-up" in surrounding waterways. Crews will continue monitoring conditions, but officials warned the shutdown could last several days as freezing temperatures persist.
details here

During extreme cold, NYC will expand warming centers, homeless outreach

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 27, 2026

During extreme cold, NYC will expand warming centers, homeless outreach

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is stepping up efforts to protect its most vulnerable residents amid this week’s extreme cold. On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced 10 new warming centers, 10 warming buses, and expanded outreach to help connect people experiencing homelessness with shelter. The measures come as at least 10 New Yorkers have been found dead outdoors amid potentially life-threatening cold, with wind chills expected to reach 9 degrees below zero by Wednesday morning, according to NBC New York.
FIND A WARMING CENTER

Policy

NYC landlords must now disclose if buildings have rent-stabilized apartments

Credit: Matthew Moloney on Unsplash

January 27, 2026

NYC landlords must now disclose if buildings have rent-stabilized apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City renters are now legally entitled to clear, accessible information about whether stabilized apartments exist in their buildings. Last week, Local Law 86, aka the Rent Transparency Act, took effect, requiring landlords of buildings with at least one stabilized unit to post notices in common areas informing tenants that units may be rent-stabilized and how to get more information. The law aims to empower renters to know if they are being illegally overcharged.
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Policy

NYC’s Museum of Jewish Heritage to light facade, host events for Holocaust Remembrance Day

The museum launched Collections Online, a new digital portal providing free public access to more than 10,000 digitized artifacts from its permanent collection. Photo credit: Museum of Jewish Heritage

January 27, 2026

NYC’s Museum of Jewish Heritage to light facade, host events for Holocaust Remembrance Day

By Aaron Ginsburg

For International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorated on January 27 to mark the liberation of Auschwitz, the Museum of Jewish Heritage will illuminate its facade in vibrant yellow and host a weeklong series of programs. The Battery Park City museum will be symbolically lit on Tuesday, anchoring exhibitions and events running from Sunday, January 25, through Thursday, January 29. The museum has honored the day annually since 1997, and this year’s programming reflects the urgency of preserving the stories of Holocaust survivors as their generation continues to dwindle.
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Events & Things To Do

January 26, 2026

Extell to purchase Park Ave development site

By Aaron Ginsburg

Extell Development’s Manhattan expansion continues as the firm moves to acquire a prime Midtown site and air rights from an adjacent synagogue. On Sunday, Gary Barnett's firm entered a contract to purchase 405–415 Park Avenue and air rights from Central Synagogue, as first reported by The Promote. The company is also reportedly negotiating to acquire the adjacent office building at 110 East 55th Street, which, combined with the Park Avenue site, could become a major new mixed-use or office development in Midtown.
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Real Estate Trends

Manhattan’s first purpose-built film and TV studio opens in Hell’s Kitchen

All photos courtesy of Sunset Studios

January 26, 2026

Manhattan’s first purpose-built film and TV studio opens in Hell’s Kitchen

By Aaron Ginsburg

The cameras are now rolling at Pier 94 in Hell's Kitchen, where Manhattan’s first purpose-built film and TV studio complex has officially opened. Last week, Sunset Pier 94 Studios debuted its 232,000-square-foot production campus, which includes six soundstages, production support and office space, as well as public waterfront open space along Manhattan’s West Side. The studio has already secured its first tenant, with a lease signed for the second season of "Dexter: Resurrection," and additional productions are expected to be announced soon.
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Architecture And Design

New bill requires air conditioning in most NYC apartments by 2030

Credit: Thomas Layland on Unsplash

January 23, 2026

New bill requires air conditioning in most NYC apartments by 2030

By Aaron Ginsburg

It may seem ludicrous to think about turning on your air conditioner during this bitter cold, but a new bill passed this week will eventually require most New York City apartments to have one—though it will be a few years before it takes effect. Enacted last weekend, the bill requires landlords to provide air conditioning, prompted by hotter summers and rising heat-related illnesses and deaths. The bill gives landlords until 2030 to comply, after which the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will enforce the rule, Council Member Lincoln Restler, the bill’s sponsor, told Gothamist.
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Policy

New rental at Gowanus Wharf opens lottery for 65 apartments, from $903/month

Credit: Fogarty Finger Architects

January 23, 2026

New rental at Gowanus Wharf opens lottery for 65 apartments, from $903/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new 15-story rental at a growing residential complex along the Gowanus Canal has launched a housing lottery for 65 mixed-income apartments. Located at 251 Douglass Street, Douglass Port is the newest phase of Gowanus Wharf, a four-building development bringing 1,000 new residences, modern amenities, and a public waterfront esplanade to the neighborhood. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $903/month studios to $3,048/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Colorful mural added behind Richmond Barthé’s Kingsborough Houses frieze

All photos by Tameek Williams, unless noted otherwise

January 23, 2026

Colorful mural added behind Richmond Barthé’s Kingsborough Houses frieze

By Aaron Ginsburg

A colorful mural now adorns the backside of the recently restored Richmond Barthé frieze at the Kingsborough Houses in Crown Heights. On Thursday, the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF), the city's Housing Authority (NYCHA), and local artists Gerard Pefung and Greg Roberson unveiled "From Weeksville to Kingsborough: Still We Rise," a vibrant tribute to the two neighborhoods’ histories and the enduring legacies of their residents. The piece sits directly behind Harlem Renaissance sculptor Richmond Barthé’s "Exodus and Dance" frieze, which was restored in August after 80 years on display.
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Architecture And Design

All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

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