All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers borrowed these library books the most in 2025

Credit: The New York Public Library

December 16, 2025

New Yorkers borrowed these library books the most in 2025

These are the books New Yorkers couldn't get enough of in 2025. The city's three public library systems—the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library—have released their annual lists of most borrowed books. Across all three systems, "James" by Percival Everett was the most checked out title, followed by "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore and "Onyx Storm" by Rebecca Yarros.
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Events & Things To Do

Construction begins on Lionsgate Newark, NJ’s first purpose-built film production studio

Renderings courtesy of Lionsgate/Great Point Studios

December 16, 2025

Construction begins on Lionsgate Newark, NJ’s first purpose-built film production studio

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction has officially begun on New Jersey’s first purpose-built film and television production studio in Newark. Last week, Lionsgate, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), and the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) marked the start of work on the Lionsgate Newark film studio, a major investment expected to bring hundreds of new jobs to the city’s South Ward. Located on the former Seth Boyden Housing complex, the 12-acre site represents the largest new development in the neighborhood in decades.
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New York board gives gaming licenses to 3 NYC casinos

(L) Metropolitan Park. Credit: SHoP Architects, Field Operations; (M) Bally’s Bronx casino. Credit: Bally’s Bronx; (R) Resorts World NYC. Credit: Resorts World NYC

December 16, 2025

New York board gives gaming licenses to 3 NYC casinos

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is officially getting three casinos. The State Gaming Commission on Monday awarded licenses for Metropolitan Park across from Citi Field, Resorts World NYC at the Aqueduct Racetrack, and Bally's Bronx casino in Ferry Point Park. The decision marks the culmination of a years-long competition for the downstate licenses.
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Policy

MTA puts 350,000 square feet of air rights in Lower Manhattan up for sale

Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Patrick Cashin on Flickr

December 15, 2025

MTA puts 350,000 square feet of air rights in Lower Manhattan up for sale

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is selling over 300,000 square feet of landmarked air rights in Lower Manhattan. As first reported by The Real Deal, the MTA issued a request for proposals (RFP) on Friday seeking a buyer for up to 350,000 square feet of air rights tied to the Fulton Center and the neighboring Corbin Building. Buyers must acquire the rights either through City Planning Commission certification or a zoning lot merger with an adjacent property.
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Real Estate Trends

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph

December 15, 2025

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

By Aaron Ginsburg

Amy Schumer has sold her Brooklyn Heights townhouse for $11 million, well below its original asking price. City records filed Thursday show the actress and comedian took a $1.25 million loss on the property. Schumer first listed the iconic 19th-century home at 19 Cranberry Street—featured in the 1987 film "Moonstruck"—for $14 million in March, after purchasing the property with her husband, Chris Fischer, for $12.25 million in 2022. In July, the asking price was reduced by $1.25 million.
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See inside Queens’ tallest tower, a 70-story rental with a massive ‘backyard’

Renderings courtesy of Binyan Studios

December 15, 2025

See inside Queens’ tallest tower, a 70-story rental with a massive ‘backyard’

By Aaron Ginsburg

The tallest tower in Queens is getting ready for its first residents. The Orchard is a 70-story rental in Long Island City with 824 apartments and more than 100,000 square feet of amenities, including a massive backyard space with a swimming pool and apple orchard. The building, which topped out last November and launched a housing lottery earlier this month, will officially begin leasing next month, with move-ins expected in February. Ahead of the launch, 6sqft got an exclusive look at The Orchard, from the incredible outdoor space to its sky-high New York City views.
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December 12, 2025

Whole Foods to open first Queens location in Ridgewood

By Aaron Ginsburg

Queens is set to get its first-ever Whole Foods, as the popular grocery chain signed a lease in Ridgewood this week. As first reported by Crain's, the Amazon-owned supermarket on Wednesday signed a 15-year deal for 28,000 square feet inside the former Beaux-Arts bank building at 55-60 Myrtle Avenue. The grocery store will take over a space previously occupied by Rite Aid, which filed for bankruptcy for the second time in May.
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Real Estate Trends

Coney Island boardwalk to get $1 billion revamp

Credit: Danny Policarpo on Unsplash

December 11, 2025

Coney Island boardwalk to get $1 billion revamp

By Aaron Ginsburg

Coney Island’s landmarked Riegelmann Boardwalk will undergo a $1 billion reconstruction. During a Brooklyn Community Board 13 meeting on Monday, NYC Parks Program Director Grace Tang announced that the department received funding to fully reconstruct the 2.7-mile boardwalk, replace utilities and structural piles, and elevate it in certain areas. Mayor Eric Adams announced plans for the reconstruction as part of his "Coney Island West" plan, which aims to bring thousands of new homes, retail spaces, and infrastructure improvements to the neighborhood.
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Architecture And Design

Manhattan median rent prices set new highs in November, reaching nearly $4,800/month

The West Village. Photo by Ana Lanza on Unsplash

December 11, 2025

Manhattan median rent prices set new highs in November, reaching nearly $4,800/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Manhattan rents hit new highs again in November, with the median price almost reaching $4,800, a 13 percent year-over-year jump, according to a new report released this week. Prepared by appraisal firm Miller Samuel for Douglas Elliman, the November 2025 Elliman Report shows the median rent price rose more than 3 percent from $4,600 in October. The borough’s average rent climbed to a record $5,686, up nearly 1 percent from last month and almost 13 percent annually, while the average price per square foot reached a new high of $95 after rising 5.6 percent since October and 10.1 percent from last November.
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Real Estate Trends

Here are NYC’s most dangerous intersections

By Aaron Ginsburg

There are nearly 120 intersections across New York City where five or more New Yorkers have been killed or seriously injured over the last three years, new data shows. The map, released on Tuesday by Transportation Alternatives, highlights these high-risk intersections across the five boroughs, where nearly three million pedestrians live within a half-mile of at least one. Street safety advocates are calling on the City Council to pass a bill requiring universal daylighting at every intersection—a measure introduced more than a year ago but not yet brought to a vote.
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World’s largest menorah returns to Central Park for Hanukkah

Credit: Chabad.org

December 10, 2025

World’s largest menorah returns to Central Park for Hanukkah

By Aaron Ginsburg

The world’s largest menorah was lifted into place near Central Park on Wednesday, ahead of the start of Hanukkah. At the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, across from the Plaza Hotel, the 36-foot-tall menorah will be lit nightly from December 14 to 21 as part of the Jewish Festival of Lights. Each evening, the Lubavitch Youth Organization will host a lighting ceremony, complete with live music, dancing, and classic Hanukkah treats like donuts and chocolate gelt.
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Events & Things To Do

City breaks ground on new jade-colored public library in Rego Park

All images courtesy of Weiss/Manfredi, unless noted otherwise

December 10, 2025

City breaks ground on new jade-colored public library in Rego Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction of a new $39 million Rego Park public library, one of the busiest Queens Public Library branches, is now underway. On Tuesday, city officials broke ground on the new library at 91-41 63rd Drive, which will replace the existing one-story, 7,500-square-foot branch with a three-story, 18,000-square-foot facility featuring expanded programming space. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi and managed by the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) on behalf of QPL, the project is slated for completion by the end of 2028.
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Architecture And Design

Astoria’s 31st Street bike lane must be removed, judge rules

Credit: DOT

December 9, 2025

Astoria’s 31st Street bike lane must be removed, judge rules

By Aaron Ginsburg

A partially-installed protected bike lane along 31st Street in Astoria must be removed after a Queens judge ruled the city failed to follow proper procedures. In a ruling issued Friday, Judge Cheree Buggs ordered that the corridor be returned to its original state, despite work on the project already being underway. The judge found that the Department of Transportation (DOT) failed to show the project met legal certification requirements for notifying the FDNY, the Department of Small Business Services, and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. The court sided with local businesses and residents who filed the lawsuit, which argued the bike lane would compromise the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, despite city data suggesting otherwise, as Streetsblog reported.
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City taps developer to replace 100 Gold Street with 3,700 apartments

100 Gold Street. Photo courtesy of NYCEDC

December 9, 2025

City taps developer to replace 100 Gold Street with 3,700 apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has chosen a developer to redevelop an outdated Financial District government building into thousands of new apartments. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced that GFP Real Estate will redevelop the nine-story 100 Gold Street into a mixed-use development with 3,700 new homes, including 25 percent permanently affordable units, and a new senior center. The total number of housing units at the site increased substantially from the original 1,000+ apartments announced in March.
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Williamsburg diner relocates to movie studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Photos courtesy of Diane Bondareff Photography

December 9, 2025

Williamsburg diner relocates to movie studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard

By Aaron Ginsburg

An iconic Williamsburg diner that has been a neighborhood fixture for nearly 60 years was lifted off its foundation and relocated to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where it will get new life as a movie set. The Wythe Diner on Monday was hoisted by crane and transported to Steiner Studios’ waterfront lot, where it will serve permanently as a film set, extending the retro restaurant's long history on the big screen. The diner had faced demolition for years amid plans for a new apartment building, prompting a deal to physically relocate it and preserve the beloved structure.
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Architecture And Design

New live music and arts venue coming to Sunset Park’s Bush Terminal

Photos by Max Kütz

December 8, 2025

New live music and arts venue coming to Sunset Park’s Bush Terminal

By Aaron Ginsburg

Bush Terminal in Sunset Park is set to add a state-of-the-art live music and arts venue, the latest step in its transformation into a creative hub. The city's Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) last week announced a partnership with the founders of Gowanus' Public Records music venue to bring a 1,000-capacity space to MADE Bush Terminal's Building A. Slated to open in late 2026, the venue will host live performances, large-scale art exhibitions, and a variety of public and private events, advancing the revitalization of the 20-acre waterfront campus.
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Architecture And Design

Visionary architect Frank Gehry dies at 96

(L) Frank Gehry, image via WikiCommons; (R) 8 Spruce Street, Image via WikiCommons

December 8, 2025

Visionary architect Frank Gehry dies at 96

By Aaron Ginsburg

Frank Gehry, the visionary architect whose sculptural, undulating designs created some of the world's most striking buildings, died last Friday at the age of 96. While maybe best remembered for his crowning achievement, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, Gehry also left a lasting mark on New York City, designing the eye-catching 8 Spruce Street in the Financial District, which opened as the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere when it debuted in 2011, and Chelsea's IAC Building. Gehry reportedly died at his home in Santa Monica, California, following a brief respiratory illness, according to the New York Post.
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Architecture And Design

December 5, 2025

NYC’s most festive holiday bars and restaurants

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nowhere is as picturesque as New York City during the holidays, with iconic attractions like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, Bryant Park's Winter Village, the Dyker Heights Christmas lights, and festive decorations brightening every street corner. Whether you're looking for a cozy spot to sip on seasonal cocktails or somewhere to enjoy over-the-top holiday-themed decor, the city offers many options to revel in holiday cheer. Ahead, find a list of festive bars and restaurants across NYC that will help you get into the holiday spirit (and spirits) this season.
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NYC sees 23 percent more new homes in first year of City of Yes

Credit: Daniel Lee on Unsplash

December 5, 2025

NYC sees 23 percent more new homes in first year of City of Yes

By Aaron Ginsburg

Housing production in New York City rose 23 percent in the first 10 months of 2025, since the passage of Mayor Eric Adams’ "City of Yes" housing plan, according to city data. Coinciding with the first anniversary of the plan's passage on Friday, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of City Planning Commissioner Dan Garodnick released new statistics showing that the city has permitted roughly 17,600 new homes through late October, a 22.8 percent increase from the same period in 2024. Key reforms under the plan include the legalization of accessory dwelling units, affordable housing bonuses, new zoning districts, reduced parking mandates, and more.
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Queens’ tallest building opens lottery for 248 apartments, from $2,912/month

Renderings courtesy of Binyan

December 5, 2025

Queens’ tallest building opens lottery for 248 apartments, from $2,912/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Here’s a chance to live in elevated style: the tallest building in Queens has launched a housing lottery for 248 middle-income apartments. Located at Orchard Street and Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, the Orchard is a 70-story rental tower boasting over 100,000 square feet of amenities, including a sprawling backyard with a swimming pool, three pickleball courts, a sky lounge, and more. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $2,912/month studios to $4,925/month three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Prospect Park will get Brooklyn’s first ‘Bluebelt’ to protect area from flooding

Images courtesy of NYC DEP

December 4, 2025

Prospect Park will get Brooklyn’s first ‘Bluebelt’ to protect area from flooding

By Aaron Ginsburg

To protect Prospect Park and nearby Brooklyn neighborhoods from flooding, New York City will spend $68 million on new infrastructure, including the borough’s first Bluebelt. Announced on Wednesday, the investment will fund nature-based solutions—like enhanced lakes and wetlands—to better manage extreme rainfall fueled by climate change. The project will safeguard the Prospect Park Zoo, which closed for eight months in 2023 due to flood damage, and protect surrounding neighborhoods from future flooding.
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New Washington Heights pedestrian plaza opens with mural honoring Dominican community

All photos courtesy of NYC DOT on Flickr

December 4, 2025

New Washington Heights pedestrian plaza opens with mural honoring Dominican community

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new pedestrian plaza and mural in Washington Heights opened this week, setting a city record for the most temporary public art installations on city land. On Thursday, Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez celebrated the opening of a new pedestrian plaza on Audubon Avenue between 165th and 166th Streets, adding 10,890 square feet of car-free space, and unveiled “De Lo Mio,” a vibrant asphalt mural honoring Dominican culture by artist Talisa Almonte. The artwork marks a record 151 temporary public art pieces installed across DOT property.
details here

See plan for 27-story rental tower above historic Fort Greene church

Proposed view looking west. Credit: FXCollaborative

December 3, 2025

See plan for 27-story rental tower above historic Fort Greene church

By Aaron Ginsburg

A developer is looking to build an apartment tower on top of a historic Fort Greene church. Strekte presented a proposal to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday for a 27-story tower above the landmarked Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church. During the hearing, the commission reviewed plans to restore the facade of the church at 144 St. Felix Street and perform demolitions necessary to construct a 27-story tower above it. After extensive public feedback, including concerns from neighboring One Hanson Place condo residents about blocked views, the LPC asked the development team to return at a later date once it had reviewed the points raised during the testimony.
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December 3, 2025

500 affordable homes coming to East Harlem 125th Street development

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new addition to East Harlem's East 125th Street Development will bring nearly 500 affordable homes to the neighborhood. New York City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala announced on Monday the details for 2319 Third Avenue, a mixed-use project with more than 400 affordable rental units and roughly 80 affordable homeownership units. The new building completes a three-phase development, which included the adjacent One East Harlem, a 19-story tower with 400 apartments, more than half of which were designated as affordable, and the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute.
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All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

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