All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

July 2, 2026

Where to watch the Macy’s July 4th fireworks for free

The Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show is set for its largest display in its 50-year history in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Commemorating the occasion, Macy's will launch more than 85,000 shells from three locations: the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River near the South Street Seaport, and the Hudson River in collaboration with Jersey City. While there are many ticketed watch parties planned across the five boroughs, the show’s record-breaking scale also means more free viewing locations than in previous years.
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Events & Things To Do

50-story Brooklyn Heights mixed-use tower with 136 apartments and a jazz club breaks ground

Images courtesy of One Montague Place

July 2, 2026

50-story Brooklyn Heights mixed-use tower with 136 apartments and a jazz club breaks ground

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction began this week on what will become one of Brooklyn's tallest buildings. Located at 205 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, One Montague Place will rise roughly 50 stories and include 46 condominiums, 90 rentals, 40,000 square feet of retail, and an ultra-luxe amenity package, including a jazz club. Developed by Landau Properties in partnership with Third Millennium Group and Midtown Equities, and designed by Hill West Architects, One Montague Place will reach 672 feet, making it one of the tallest towers in the borough.
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Bob Dylan’s historic Harlem townhouse sells for $2.8M

Photo Credit: Chestnut Productions/Yuri Semenyuk for Sotheby’s International Realty. All others courtesy of Allyson Lubow for Sotheby’s International Realty.

July 1, 2026

Bob Dylan’s historic Harlem townhouse sells for $2.8M

By Aaron Ginsburg

A landmarked 1893 Harlem townhouse on Strivers’ Row that was once home to Bob Dylan has sold for $2.8 million after nearly a year on the market. The McKim Mead & White-designed residence at 265 West 139th Street was occupied by the legendary folk singer from 1986 to 2000, when he sold it for $560,000. The home hit the market for $3.7 million in 2017, as 6sqft previously reported, and then for $3 million last July. The five-bedroom home blends 132 years of cultural and architectural history on the iconic tree-lined block with modern upgrades suitable for the 21st-century homeowner.
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NYC begins work on Avenue B Open Street redesign, adding pedestrian space, bike connections

New Yorkers on the Avenue B Open Street. Credit: Street Lab

July 1, 2026

NYC begins work on Avenue B Open Street redesign, adding pedestrian space, bike connections

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work has begun on the redesign of the East Village’s popular Avenue B Open Street, bringing expanded pedestrian space, new cycling connections, and safety upgrades. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) on Monday announced the start of construction on the project, which will upgrade the corridor from East 4th Street to East 12th Street. The redesign includes intersection improvements, new loading zones, and one-way traffic reversals aimed at reducing vehicle volumes along Avenue B and improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
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NYC expands heat wave protections for 4th of July weekend

Photo by Marco on Flickr

July 1, 2026

NYC expands heat wave protections for 4th of July weekend

By Aaron Ginsburg

As New York City enters a dangerous heat wave, officials are rolling out a series of measures to help New Yorkers stay cool. Temperatures over 100 degrees are expected to hit the five boroughs starting Thursday, prompting Mayor Zohran Mamdani to activate the city's emergency heat plan. The mayor announced additional measures, including opening more cooling centers, extending pool hours, intensifying outreach, and encouraging New Yorkers to check on their neighbors.
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Policy

New NYC housing voucher program to be created as part of city budget deal

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 30, 2026

New NYC housing voucher program to be created as part of city budget deal

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will create a new program for housing vouchers that will expand rental assistance under a handshake budget agreement announced on Tuesday. The mayor and the City Council announced a $125.8 billion budget deal, which invests $300 million over two years in a new voucher program that could reach about 30,000 more New Yorkers. The agreement also requires Mayor Zohran Mamdani to drop his appeal of a court ruling ordering the expansion of the voucher program known as CityFHEPS, ending a legal battle that began under former Mayor Eric Adams over ballooning costs.
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Policy

$5B plan unveiled to finish Brooklyn’s Pacific Park megadevelopment

Photo by CityLimitsJunction via WikiCommons

June 30, 2026

$5B plan unveiled to finish Brooklyn’s Pacific Park megadevelopment

By Aaron Ginsburg

Brooklyn's long-stalled Pacific Park megadevelopment inched closer to the finish line this week as developers unveiled a $5 billion plan to complete the project. Empire State Development, Cirrus Workforce Housing, and LCOR released a plan on Monday for the second phase of the project, formerly called Atlantic Yards, calling for seven new towers with 5,600 housing units, including roughly 1,242 affordable homes for low- and moderate-income households. The plan marks the start of the final chapter of the delayed megaproject, which saw its future thrown into doubt after a foreclosure and a change in developers last October.
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How to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in NYC

Credit: Circle Line

June 30, 2026

How to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

On July 4, America celebrates its 250th anniversary, a momentous occasion marked by patriotic celebrations across the country. New York City festivities will be especially memorable this year. The Macy's 4th of July fireworks show is set to be its biggest ever, with fireworks launching from three separate locations for the first time. The largest parade of tall ships ever assembled takes to the New York Harbor, with more than 40 tall ships from around the world and 30 naval vessels. Ahead, find some of the best 4th of July celebrations for America's semiquincentennial, from ship tours and exhibits exploring NYC's Revolutionary past and immigrant history to firework watch parties on rooftops and observation decks.
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Events & Things To Do

1,500-unit Downtown Brooklyn complex to enter public review next month

Renderings courtesy of Alloy Development

June 29, 2026

1,500-unit Downtown Brooklyn complex to enter public review next month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A proposed four-building development in Downtown Brooklyn with roughly 1,500 apartments is set to enter public review next month. The Department of City Planning (DCP) on Friday issued a 30-day certification notice for 240 Nassau Street, a mixed-use development near the Brooklyn Navy Yard with 1,500 homes, a new K–8 public school, a community center, a cultural center, retail space, and public open space. The development team, consisting of NYC Educational Construction Fund (ECF), Alloy Development, and GFB Development, is looking to rezone the site to allow for the 1.4 million-square-foot mixed-use development. The uniform land use review procedure (ULURP) will begin in July, with construction anticipated to start in 2027.
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Monitor Point rezoning moves forward with 660+ affordable apartments on Greenpoint waterfront

Credit: NYC Parks / Hannah Mrakovčić

June 26, 2026

Monitor Point rezoning moves forward with 660+ affordable apartments on Greenpoint waterfront

By Aaron Ginsburg

More than 660 affordable homes are coming to the Greenpoint waterfront after a New York City Council committee on Thursday approved the major Monitor Point rezoning. First announced in 2021, the project will bring a new mixed-use complex to an MTA-owned waterfront site, with 50 percent of its 1,324 total units designated as permanently affordable following negotiations between the developer and the City Council. The rezoning also includes public green space as part of Bushwick Inlet Park, along with investments in transit and climate resiliency measures.
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Two-year rent freeze for NYC stabilized apartments approved by Rent Guidelines Board

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Rent Guidelines Board on Thursday voted to approve a rent freeze for one- and two-year leases for New York City's one million stabilized apartments, the first time the panel has ever backed 0 percent increases on multiple-year leases. The new guidelines, which will apply to leases that begin on or after October 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027, fulfill a key campaign promise from Mayor Zohran Mamdani just six months into his first term.
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Policy

MTA and Amtrak at odds over Penn Station redesign

All images courtesy of PAU

June 25, 2026

MTA and Amtrak at odds over Penn Station redesign

By Aaron Ginsburg

After being removed from the Penn Station reconstruction project by the federal government, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has rejected an offer from Amtrak to rejoin the effort. Andy Byford, senior adviser at Amtrak, sent a letter to MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber on Monday formally inviting the MTA to return as a “fully involved” partner after the agency was taken off the project last year and its original reconstruction plan was scrapped. Lieber declined to sign an agreement to join, questioning whether President Donald Trump and Amtrak would follow through on the development.
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Rent Guidelines Board member resigns hours before vote on possible rent freeze

Credit: Sebastian Jacobsen on Unsplash

June 25, 2026

Rent Guidelines Board member resigns hours before vote on possible rent freeze

By Aaron Ginsburg

A member of the city’s Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) resigned just hours before the board was set to vote on a possible rent freeze for the roughly two million New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments. Christina Smyth, a landlord representative on the board who was appointed by former Mayor Eric Adams last year, submitted her resignation Thursday morning ahead of the board’s scheduled 7 p.m. vote, as first reported by Crain’s. Smyth said the RGB has stopped being a “fact-finding body” and instead “starts with an answer” and works backward to justify it, adding that most of the board’s nine members have been appointed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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Policy

Morris Adjmi’s Soho tower could rise to 21 stories in exchange for Canal Street subway upgrades

All images courtesy of Morris Adjmi Architects

June 24, 2026

Morris Adjmi’s Soho tower could rise to 21 stories in exchange for Canal Street subway upgrades

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday reviewed a proposal to make a Morris Adjmi-designed Soho project larger in exchange for nearby subway station upgrades. United American Land released plans in 2023 to build a 13-story building with 100 apartments at 277 Canal Street, which the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission approved that year. The revised plan presented to the LPC on Tuesday calls for a 21-story building with 159 units, made possible if granted a floor area bonus from the city in exchange for accessibility upgrades to the Canal Street subway station. The commission sent the 277 Canal team back to the drawing board after some commissioners took issue with the building's increased height.
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‘Clutch’ orange bag of Knicks playoff run on view at the Guggenheim

Photo: Davia de Croix, Courtesy of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

June 24, 2026

‘Clutch’ orange bag of Knicks playoff run on view at the Guggenheim

By Aaron Ginsburg

The lucky orange bag that followed the New York Knicks throughout their historic playoff run is now on view at the Guggenheim Museum. Designed and carried by Jordyn Woods, fiancée of Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns, the Tux Clutch Mini bag became a viral good luck charm during the team's 13-game playoff winning streak and its Game 5 Finals-clinching victory. Woods even carried the bag during last week's ticker-tape parade held by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The accessory is on display at the museum's Café Rebay for five days only, through June 28.
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Events & Things To Do

Extell secures density bonus for 71-story mixed-use project at Wellington Hotel site

Rendering of proposed tower at 871 7th Avenue. Credit: NYC CPC

June 23, 2026

Extell secures density bonus for 71-story mixed-use project at Wellington Hotel site

By Aaron Ginsburg

Extell Development last week secured a zoning bonus from the city required for the firm's proposed 1,130-foot-tall tower at the site of Midtown’s former Wellington Hotel. The City Planning Commission last week granted the project at 871 7th Avenue a nearly 120,000-square-foot density bonus; in exchange, Extell will upgrade the nearby 50th Street subway station to be fully accessible. The approval allows for the project to expand by 20 percent, transforming it from a 27-story hotel into a 71-story mixed-use tower with 130 residential units and 156 hotel rooms. As first reported by Crain's, the expansion utilizes the city’s Zoning for Accessibility (ZFA) program, which offers density bonuses to developers in exchange for transit improvements.
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Brooklyn Public Library releases limited-edition Jay-Z library cards

Images courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library

June 23, 2026

Brooklyn Public Library releases limited-edition Jay-Z library cards

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Brooklyn Public Library is releasing a limited-edition Jay-Z library card in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Brooklyn-born rapper’s debut album. Starting Thursday, the JAŸ-Z 30 Limited Edition Library Card will be available at BPL branches systemwide on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. Created in collaboration with Roc Nation, the card celebrates the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt” and comes ahead of the rapper’s three highly anticipated performances at Yankee Stadium next month.
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Events & Things To Do

New York Historical opens $175M democracy wing designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects

The Tisch Gallery. All photos © Bridgit Beyer

June 22, 2026

New York Historical opens $175M democracy wing designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects

By Aaron Ginsburg

The newest wing at New York’s oldest museum officially opened this week following a 71,000-square-foot expansion. Completed just in time for the nation's 250th birthday, the $175 million Tang Wing for American Democracy at The New York Historical, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), marks the first expansion of the landmarked campus in nearly a century. The new wing adds space for exhibitions, programming, and democracy education, including the first dedicated home for the American LGBTQ+ Museum, the institution's Patricia D. Klingenstein Library collection, a courtyard, and a rooftop garden with Central Park views.
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New McGuinness Boulevard mural highlights safety upgrades

Credit: Ben Wolf

June 22, 2026

New McGuinness Boulevard mural highlights safety upgrades

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new temporary public art installation on McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint seeks to draw attention to the safety improvements being implemented as part of the corridor's redesign. Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn last week announced the completion of artist Kevin Cincotta's mural at Father Studzinski Square, which transforms 1,600 square feet of asphalt and 80 linear feet of concrete bike barriers into a public artwork. The boulevard is currently undergoing a major redesign that includes parking-protected bike lanes along the notoriously dangerous corridor between Meeker Avenue and the Pulaski Bridge.
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63-block dedicated bus lane proposed for 6th Avenue

Photo of 6th Avenue and 56th Street. Photo by Tdorante10 via Wikimedia Commons

June 19, 2026

63-block dedicated bus lane proposed for 6th Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city wants to add 63 blocks of offset bus lanes along Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) on Friday unveiled a proposal for a dedicated bus lane that runs from Watts Street in Soho to 58th Street in Midtown, along with a wider bike lane from 36th Street to 59th Street. As first reported by amNY, the city presented the plan to Manhattan Community Board 4 this week and will release a final proposal incorporating feedback before installation.
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City to stream World Cup matches on 200 LinkNYC kiosks

Photo by Elvert Barnes on Flickr; map courtesy of NYC Mayor’s Office

June 19, 2026

City to stream World Cup matches on 200 LinkNYC kiosks

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will stream five key FIFA World Cup matches on LinkNYC kiosks across the city. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday announced that 200 kiosks will show five marquee matches, including the World Cup Final on July 19, as part of a partnership with Telemundo. The Spanish-language broadcasts will be shown for free on World Cup-branded kiosks; the city released this map highlighting the locations of each kiosk streaming the matches.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC Council to hold hearing on Ryder’s Law after fatal Central Park horse-drawn carriage accident

Credit: Bee on Unsplash

June 19, 2026

NYC Council to hold hearing on Ryder’s Law after fatal Central Park horse-drawn carriage accident

By Aaron Ginsburg

The City Council will hold a hearing next month on Ryder’s Law, a bill that would phase out horse-drawn carriage rides, after a teenager was thrown from a carriage in Central Park and died this week. Speaker Julie Menin on Wednesday announced a July hearing on the legislation, which would phase out the city's horse-drawn carriage industry. A Council subcommittee nixed a previous version of the law in November despite support from former Mayor Eric Adams. In addition to the death of the 18-year-old tourist on Wednesday, there have been seven additional horse-related incidents over the last 13 months, including last week when a carriage horse had a medical emergency and died, according to the New York Times.
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1,000-unit affordable and supportive housing project breaks ground in East Flatbush

Aerial rendering of Sparrow Square. Credit: Phillip Van Nostrand

June 18, 2026

1,000-unit affordable and supportive housing project breaks ground in East Flatbush

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work on a major affordable and supportive housing project with roughly 1,000 new homes officially broke ground in East Flatbush this week. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced the start of work on the first phase of Sparrow Square, a redevelopment of the Kingsboro Psychiatric Center Campus, as part of the Vital Brooklyn initiative to build 4,000 affordable homes in Central Brooklyn. Designed by Adjaye Associates with Hill West Architects as architect of record, the first phase includes two 10-story buildings with 261 affordable apartments, including 117 supportive homes for formerly homeless New Yorkers.
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Knicks-themed Penn Station subway entrance will stay orange and blue through next season

Images courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

June 18, 2026

Knicks-themed Penn Station subway entrance will stay orange and blue through next season

By Aaron Ginsburg

A subway entrance at 34th Street and 8th Avenue that was transformed during the New York Knicks' playoff run will stay painted orange and blue through at least next season. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA this week announced the spirited entrance will be preserved through the 2026-2027 season in celebration of the team's first NBA championship in five decades. Transformed by the MTA earlier this month, the Knicks-themed station, which included turning the lamp globes into basketballs, became a viral sensation and a destination for fans and those attending games at Madison Square Garden.
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NYC launches program to preserve 39K supportive housing units

Credit: Matthew Moloney on Unsplash

June 17, 2026

NYC launches program to preserve 39K supportive housing units

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has launched a program aimed at preserving existing supportive housing units for the most vulnerable New Yorkers. The Supportive Preservation Program (SPP), launched on Wednesday by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), will provide tax exemptions, below-market loans, and other financial assistance to ensure the long-term stability of supportive housing projects. The program is a key part of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “Block by Block” housing plan, which seeks to preserve the city’s roughly 39,000 supportive homes.
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All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

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