All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

17 NYC businesses that feel like old New York

August 5, 2026

17 NYC businesses that feel like old New York

By Aaron Ginsburg

Each year, New York City loses another piece of its history as beloved neighborhood establishments and longtime businesses close their doors, like Caputo Bakery in Carroll Gardens and Barbetta in the Theater District. But despite this constant evolution, many historic establishments have survived decades, and even centuries of change, still offering a glimpse into the city's past. Ahead, we found some New York City institutions that still feel like classic New York, from charming Jewish delis and old-school steakhouses to century-old ice cream parlors, cafes, and shops.
Step back in time

NYC Guides

96 supportive and affordable homes coming to Hunts Point

Credit: The Doe Fund

August 4, 2026

96 supportive and affordable homes coming to Hunts Point

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new housing development in Hunts Point will deliver 96 supportive and affordable homes for formerly unhoused New Yorkers. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday broke ground on the Doe Fund’s Casanova Residence at 658-674 Casanova Street in the Bronx. Of the 96 homes, 38 affordable units will be available through the city’s housing lottery system, while the remaining 58 units will be reserved for vulnerable populations.
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East New York affordable development opens lottery for 200+ units, from $830/month

Credit: Urban Architects Initiative

August 4, 2026

East New York affordable development opens lottery for 200+ units, from $830/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery launched last week for 209 affordable apartments as part of a huge new mixed-use community taking shape in East New York. The available units at 882 Fountain Avenue are part of the second phase of the Alafia development, a new 27-acre neighborhood with thousands of apartments and health and wellness amenities. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 70 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $830/month studios to $2,745/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

NYC extends pied-à-terre tax exemption deadline by 4 weeks amid confusion

Credit: Garrett Lawrence on Unsplash

August 3, 2026

NYC extends pied-à-terre tax exemption deadline by 4 weeks amid confusion

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has given homeowners who received notices that they may be subject to the new pied-à-terre surcharge an extra four weeks to apply for exemptions, following criticism over the rollout of the notices. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Richard Lee on Saturday announced the deadline extension, which gives eligible property owners until September 18 to submit exemption applications for surcharges on their non-primary residences. The city began notifying eligible property owners late last month, and the rollout came under heavy criticism from some homeowners who said they received notices despite not qualifying for the new tax.
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East River’s self-filtering floating pool delayed until 2027

+ POOL Rendering. Designed by Family New York & Playlab, Inc. Image: Family New York. Courtesy of Friends of + POOL

July 31, 2026

East River’s self-filtering floating pool delayed until 2027

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers will have to wait a little longer for the self-filtering floating pool in the East River. Initially slated for a pilot this summer, the +POOL team announced on X on Wednesday that while construction is nearly complete, ongoing work on the Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resilience project will delay testing of the prototype until at least 2027. More than 15 years in the making, the project reached a major milestone in summer 2024, when Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Mayor Eric Adams selected Pier 35 as its official location.
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Policy

NYC releases map of city-owned sites where 50,000 new homes are in the works

Settlement Housing Fund and Kalel Companies are redeveloping the Grand Concourse library at 155 East 173rd Street into a mixed-use tower with 113 affordable homes. Image courtesy of Secchi Smith.

July 31, 2026

NYC releases map of city-owned sites where 50,000 new homes are in the works

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has released an interactive map identifying more than 100 city-owned sites where it plans to build over 50,000 new homes. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg on Thursday released the Land Inventory Fast Track (LIFT) Tracker, a tool providing New Yorkers with the first detailed look at the administration’s plans to develop underutilized, city-owned properties. The LIFT task force identified the sites after Mamdani established the group on his first day in office to find city-owned properties suitable for residential development.
SEe THE MAP

Vending machines to replace vacant newsstands at 26 NYC subway stations

Credit: CC Vending II

July 30, 2026

Vending machines to replace vacant newsstands at 26 NYC subway stations

By Aaron Ginsburg

New vending machines will be installed at over two dozen New York City subway stations as a modern alternative to traditional newsstands that have dwindled over the years. CC Vending will open automated, cashless retail spaces that will sell drinks, snacks, and everyday essentials as part of a partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Coca-Cola. The initial rollout will bring 60 machines to 26 high-traffic stations, with the first now operating at the Second Avenue-East Houston, 23rd Street-Broadway, and 116th Street-Lexington Avenue stations.
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City unveils plan for Long Island City vacant lot to become 980 new apartments, majority affordable

Rendering credit: Marvel

July 30, 2026

City unveils plan for Long Island City vacant lot to become 980 new apartments, majority affordable

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of the last remaining vacant waterfront parcels in Long Island City will become nearly 1,000 new homes, a majority of which will be priced below market rate. The city on Wednesday announced that Slate Property Group, The Hudson Companies, and Volunteers of America-Greater New York will build The Orion, a three-building development with 980 apartments, of which roughly 66 percent will be affordable for New Yorkers earning extremely low to moderate income. Designed by Marvel, the development will also include community facility space, including a daycare and a workforce development center, an indoor community pool, and new commercial retail. The project will rise on the sixth of seven sites of the city's ongoing 30-acre Hunter's Point South redevelopment.
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New rental in Yorkville has a $45K/month penthouse

Renderings courtesy of Streetsense

July 29, 2026

New rental in Yorkville has a $45K/month penthouse

By Aaron Ginsburg

Leasing has launched at one of the few new rental buildings on the Upper East Side. The Langdon, a 24-story tower at 288 East 88th Street in Yorkville, has 45 two- to five-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $12,400 to $45,000 per month, as first reported by the New York Post. Developed by Alchemy-ABR Investment Partners and designed by Hill West Architects, the project aims to fill what the developer describes as a shortage of spacious, high-quality rental apartments on the Upper East Side, amid a Manhattan rental vacancy rate of just 1.49 percent.
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Tribeca’s latest luxury condo is a 24-story tower designed by COOKFOX

Renderings courtesy of Sky Equity Group

July 29, 2026

Tribeca’s latest luxury condo is a 24-story tower designed by COOKFOX

By Aaron Ginsburg

A 24-story luxury condo tower is taking shape in Tribeca. Developed by Sky Equity Group, 65 Franklin Street broke ground in April and is now starting to rise at the corner of Franklin Street and Broadway. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the 106-unit building features a hand-laid brick facade, landscaped loggias, and will be all-electric and "ultra-low energy." Amenities include a pool, porte-cochère, and private parking.
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Popular Articles

MTA completes Park Avenue Viaduct replacement 60 months early

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 28, 2026

MTA completes Park Avenue Viaduct replacement 60 months early

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work on the Park Avenue Viaduct, a critical Metro-North corridor in Upper Manhattan, has been completed 60 months ahead of schedule and $195 million under budget. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced the completion of the project, which replaced 196 bridge structures and more than 12,600 feet of railroad infrastructure over 28 weekends. The $765 million project aims to strengthen the reliability of the corridor, which carries 98 percent of Metro-North service and all trains traveling to and from Grand Central Terminal.
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SOM to lead $200M redevelopment of 460 Park Avenue

Renderings credit: VMI

July 28, 2026

SOM to lead $200M redevelopment of 460 Park Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

An aging Park Avenue office building will undergo a $200 million renovation to turn the property into a state-of-the-art modern workplace. The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on Monday began the redevelopment of 460 Park Avenue, which involves stripping the mid-20th-century structure down to its steel frame before rebuilding it with cutting-edge infrastructure and 350,000 square feet of premier office space. Led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the project will include a new lobby, modern elevators, and a floor-to-ceiling glass facade, with completion scheduled for the second quarter of 2028.
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World Trade Center Oculus to host 10 days of events for 10th anniversary

Images courtesy of Westfield World Trade Center

July 27, 2026

World Trade Center Oculus to host 10 days of events for 10th anniversary

By Aaron Ginsburg

The World Trade Center Oculus will mark its 10th anniversary next month with 10 straight days of celebrations honoring the architectural landmark. Running from Friday, August 7 through Monday, August 17, festivities at the Lower Manhattan transit hub will include the unveiling of a new floral sculpture, giveaways, live music, artwork created on-site, and other free offerings open to the public. The event series kicks off with an exclusive rededication ceremony and the unveiling of the 10-foot “TEN IN BLOOM” floral installation, designed by world-renowned floral design company Fleurs de Villes.
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Events & Things To Do

Manhattan West to open two-story food hall this fall

Renderings courtesy of Brookfield Properties unless otherwise noted

July 27, 2026

Manhattan West to open two-story food hall this fall

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new two-story food hall featuring established New York City institutions and emerging culinary vendors is slated to open this fall at Manhattan West. Brookfield Properties last week unveiled The Market Hall, a 34,000-square-foot food hall featuring 12 casual food concepts, a full-service restaurant, and a rooftop terrace bar at 398 10th Avenue. The market replaces the development's original food hall, Citizens New York, which closed in April 2025.
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Food & Dining

1, 2, and 3 subway riders to face five weekends of service disruptions

Image via WikiCommons

July 24, 2026

1, 2, and 3 subway riders to face five weekends of service disruptions

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City subway riders on the 1, 2, and 3 subway lines are in for commute headaches over the next five weekends. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday announced that switch replacement work will suspend 1 trains south of 14th Street, 2 trains south of 34th Street, and all 3 train service from Friday nights through 5 a.m. Mondays through August 24. The service disruptions begin Friday, July 24, at around 9:30 p.m.
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NYC begins notifying pied-à-terre owners about new tax

Photo by Brett Wharton on Unsplash

July 24, 2026

NYC begins notifying pied-à-terre owners about new tax

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has begun alerting pied-à-terre owners about a potential surcharge, marking the first step toward implementing the city's new tax on non-primary luxury homes. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Richard Lee last week announced that the city has started notifying property owners by mail that they may be subject to the new tax. The annual tax, approved in May, applies to one- to three-family homes valued at $5 million or more and condominiums and co-ops valued at $1 million and above, whose owners maintain a separate primary residence. The rollout has come under heavy criticism, with some homeowners claiming they received notices despite not qualifying for the new tax.
details here

NBA championship trophy on display at Natural History Museum

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 23, 2026

NBA championship trophy on display at Natural History Museum

By Aaron Ginsburg

When the New York Knicks said they would bring their first championship in 53 years back to the five boroughs, they meant it. Starting Monday, July 27, the American Museum of Natural History will display the NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy, where it will remain on view through January 3, 2027. The glittering 30-pound trophy, engraved with the Knicks' championship details, joins the museum's "For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence" exhibition, which celebrates some of the greatest achievements in sports history.
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Events & Things To Do

Governors Island seeks developers to revitalize two historic buildings as arts and recreation hubs

Current exterior of Building B330. Credit: Timothy Schenck

July 23, 2026

Governors Island seeks developers to revitalize two historic buildings as arts and recreation hubs

By Aaron Ginsburg

Two historic military buildings on Governors Island could be transformed into arts and cultural centers or public recreation facilities. The Trust for Governors Island on Thursday released a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) seeking proposals to transform the vacant properties, Buildings 324 and 330. The initiative continues the Trust's broader effort to establish Governors Island as a year-round destination by repurposing former military buildings into dining establishments, event spaces, and other attractions.
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Brooklyn’s oldest underground subway station is now accessible

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 23, 2026

Brooklyn’s oldest underground subway station is now accessible

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of New York City's oldest subway stations is now ADA-accessible. On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority completed a $106 million renovation of Downtown Brooklyn's Borough Hall station, which now has three new elevators that make all of its platforms fully accessible and flood-mitigation measures that prevent water from running down stairs and grates during heavy rain. The project also repaired a section of the station's ceiling that collapsed in 2018 and hit a woman.
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Roy Lichtenstein exhibition at the Whitney will explore the evolution of images

Roy Lichtenstein, Crying Girl, 1963. Offset lithograph: sheet, 17 3/4 × 23 3/4 in. (45.1 × 60.3 cm); image, 17 1/4 × 23 1/8 in. (43.8 × 58.7 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Scott Newman 2021.135. © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein/DACS 2026

July 22, 2026

Roy Lichtenstein exhibition at the Whitney will explore the evolution of images

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Whitney Museum of American Art is set to host a career-spanning exhibition this fall celebrating legendary pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, featuring more than 130 works exploring the evolution of his artistic career. Opening October 11, "Roy Lichtenstein: Like New" will examine the artist's engagement with mass culture and his belief that no work is ever truly "stable," but instead exists in a constant state of duplication, reproduction, and being "made new." The featured works span from the early 1940s through the 1990s and offer a reconsideration of Lichtenstein's relationship with image culture at a time when images are endlessly "cropped, filtered, reposted, and recirculated."
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JetBlue wins auction to bring flights back to LaGuardia’s historic Marine Air Terminal

Marine Air Terminal in 1974. Image via WikiCommons

July 22, 2026

JetBlue wins auction to bring flights back to LaGuardia’s historic Marine Air Terminal

By Aaron Ginsburg

JetBlue could soon bring passenger service back to LaGuardia Airport's historic Marine Air Terminal after winning an auction for gates previously operated by the bankrupt Spirit Airlines. On Monday, JetBlue's $58.5 million bid secured 22 arrival and departure slots at the landmarked Art Deco terminal, vacant since Spirit moved out in May amid bankruptcy proceedings, as first reported by CNBC. The transaction would increase the carrier's slot allocation at LaGuardia from 31 combined daily arrival and departure rights to 53. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, followed by a final sale order expected no later than Aug. 5.
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Transit

World Cup brought billions in economic impact to NYC region

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 21, 2026

World Cup brought billions in economic impact to NYC region

By Aaron Ginsburg

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially come to a close, bringing hundreds of thousands of soccer fans to the New York-New Jersey area for eight matches at MetLife Stadium. Now, city and state officials are assessing whether the projected economic impact of hosting the tournament materialized. While the region’s overall economic impact goals will likely be met, some projections, including a boost in hotel occupancy, fell short of expectations.
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Policy

Mamdani launches campaign to help tenants organize for safer housing

Credit: Bradley Andrews on Unsplash

July 21, 2026

Mamdani launches campaign to help tenants organize for safer housing

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday launched a new canvassing effort to connect tenants living in buildings with housing code violations with resources and information on organizing for better living conditions. The "Talk to Tenants" campaign will deploy volunteers with the Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement who will inform residents about advocating for safe and well-maintained homes, as well as forming tenant unions. The initiative will begin in East Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, and Flatbush before expanding to communities across the five boroughs.
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Policy

Long-vacant East Harlem lot to become 140 mixed-income homes

Streetview of Second Avenue between East 125th and East 126th Streets © Google 2024

July 21, 2026

Long-vacant East Harlem lot to become 140 mixed-income homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is seeking a developer to transform a city-owned site in East Harlem, vacant for nearly 20 years, into 140 homes. The city's Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Monday released a request for proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of an empty lot known as "B-East," located on Second Avenue between East 125th and East 126th Streets, that presents a "significant opportunity" to deliver mixed-income housing, retail, and other community uses. Upon redevelopment, the lot, a key component of the 2008 East 125th Street rezoning, is estimated to deliver roughly 140 housing units.
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New Developments

This Brooklyn playground features paths made of recycled wine corks from NYC restaurants

Photos courtesy of Tameek Williams

July 20, 2026

This Brooklyn playground features paths made of recycled wine corks from NYC restaurants

By Aaron Ginsburg

A first-of-its-kind playground, crafted from hundreds of thousands of wine and champagne corks sourced from New York City restaurants, has opened at a public housing complex in Brooklyn. Unveiled last week at Gravesend's Marlboro Houses, "Village Vibes" delivers custom play features, stormwater mitigation measures, and soft, accessible pathways made from roughly 450,000 recycled corks. The installation is the first initiative from the Cork Collective, which seeks to repurpose the material for civic improvement projects across the country.
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Architecture And Design

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