All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Hunts Point plaza gets $12M makeover with new public space and traffic improvements

Photos courtesy of NYC DDC

January 14, 2026

Hunts Point plaza gets $12M makeover with new public space and traffic improvements

By Aaron Ginsburg

A busy Bronx intersection known for pedestrian-vehicle conflicts has received a $12 million upgrade, improving safety and creating a vibrant public space for residents. Last week, the city's Departments of Transportation (DOT), Parks, and Design and Construction (DDC) announced the completion of upgrades to Hunts Point’s Monsignor Raul Del Valle Square, finished on time and nearly 20 percent under its $14.8 million budget. The project realigned the roadway to ease traffic on East 163rd Street and added a new lane on Hunts Point Avenue, addressing issues with illegal turns, inadequate signage, and long crossing distances.
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Second Avenue Subway to expand west on 125th Street with three new stations

A view of the tunnel under construction for the Second Avenue Subway’s second phase. Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

January 14, 2026

Second Avenue Subway to expand west on 125th Street with three new stations

By Aaron Ginsburg

The next phase of the Second Avenue Subway, originally planned to continue down Manhattan’s Second Avenue, will instead run west along 125th Street, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday. The announcement, delivered during Hochul’s 2026 State of the State address, marks a major departure from the century-old plan to extend the Second Avenue Subway all the way to lower Manhattan. Instead, the Q train will be rerouted west along 125th Street, adding three new stations and ending at Broadway in Morningside Heights.
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NYC to activate red-light cameras at 450 intersections by end of 2026

Credit: NYC DOT

January 13, 2026

NYC to activate red-light cameras at 450 intersections by end of 2026

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is ramping up its red-light camera program, aiming to quadruple the number of cameras at intersections by the end of the year. On Friday, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn announced the city will activate cameras at 50 new intersections per week for the next five weeks. Red-light cameras are currently installed at 150 intersections—the maximum previously allowed under law—but state legislation passed in 2024 now permits the expansion to reach the full 600.
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43-story Downtown Brooklyn rental opens lottery for 89 apartments, from $3,543/month

Images courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

January 13, 2026

43-story Downtown Brooklyn rental opens lottery for 89 apartments, from $3,543/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A striking new high-rise rental tower in Downtown Brooklyn designed with young professionals in mind has launched a housing lottery for 89 middle-income apartments. Rising 43 stories at 55 Willoughby Street, House 55 features sleek residential interiors and a suite of amenities tailored to a work-from-home lifestyle. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $3,543/month studios to $4,518/month two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Extell adds 25-story tower to Upper West Side’s former ABC campus redevelopment

Streetview of 37 West 66th Street © 2024 Google

January 12, 2026

Extell adds 25-story tower to Upper West Side’s former ABC campus redevelopment

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a busy year, Extell Development is planning a major new residential project at the former Disney Campus on the Upper West Side. The firm has filed plans with the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) to construct a 25-story, 58-unit tower at 37 West 66th Street in Lincoln Square, as reported by Crain's. Extell has already begun redeveloping the site, including a 90-story skyscraper at 77 West 66th Street that would become the neighborhood’s tallest, surpassing the firm’s existing controversial building across the street at 50 West 66th Street.
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Mamdani unveils $4M pilot program to expand public restroom access in NYC

Bryant Park’s public restroom, one of the nicest in the city. Image via WikiCommons

January 12, 2026

Mamdani unveils $4M pilot program to expand public restroom access in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers on the go often face a familiar dilemma: finding a public restroom in a city of immense luxury yet with too few facilities across the five boroughs. On Saturday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a $4 million pilot program to address the shortage, publishing a request for proposals (RFP) for high-quality modular public restrooms that can be installed quickly and more cheaply than traditional public facilities. Similar to facilities already in use in cities like Los Angeles and Portland, the modular units can operate without direct connection to the city’s sewer and water lines, speeding installation.
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Policy

NYC Restaurant Week returns with special prix-fixe menus at nearly 600 spots

Beauty Essex, Manhattan. Photo by Evan Angelastro

January 12, 2026

NYC Restaurant Week returns with special prix-fixe menus at nearly 600 spots

By Aaron Ginsburg

Escape the bitter New York City cold with a cheap, delicious meal. Reservations are now open for winter’s NYC Restaurant Week, the city’s beloved semi-annual dining program that lets New Yorkers enjoy special, prix-fixe menus at nearly 600 participating establishments across the five boroughs. Running from January 20 through February 12, this year’s program offers two-course lunches and three-course dinners priced at $30, $45, and $60.
A great bite ahead

Events & Things To Do

Under the Radar theater festival to distribute 1,500 free tickets

Christopher-Rashee Stevenson and Stephanie Weeks in the world premiere of “Ulysses” at the Fischer Center at Bard in 2024. Photos by Maria Baranova

January 9, 2026

Under the Radar theater festival to distribute 1,500 free tickets

By Aaron Ginsburg

Under the Radar, the theater festival that brightens New York City every January with more than 30 free and affordable shows citywide, returns this month for its biggest edition yet. Running through January 25, the event features boundary-pushing productions, from a tasteful adaptation of James Joyce’s "Ulysses" at The Public Theater to performances at Lincoln Center, the Irish Arts Center, and more. On Friday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the festival will offer 1,500 free tickets to New Yorkers, as the festival aligns with the administration’s push for greater accessibility and affordability in the arts.
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Events & Things To Do

City blocked from halting sale of neglectful landlord’s rent-stabilized apartments

Mayor Zohran Mamdani touring a unit in a Pinnacle Flatbush building last week. Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 9, 2026

City blocked from halting sale of neglectful landlord’s rent-stabilized apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

A federal bankruptcy judge has denied Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s bid to halt the sale of thousands of rent-stabilized apartments owned by a notorious landlord, a move aimed at preventing the buildings from falling into the hands of another negligent owner. On Monday, Mamdani asked the court to delay a bankruptcy auction scheduled for Thursday, arguing the city needed more time to evaluate a deal that would give ownership to Summit Properties USA. Despite the mayor's claim that the city is a major creditor in the case—Pinnacle owes the city millions in unpaid fines—the judge rejected the request, likely ensuring Summit's potential purchase of nearly 90 buildings, pending court approval at a January 15 hearing.
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Policy

Mamdani restarts bike lane redesign on Astoria’s 31st Street

Credit: DOT

January 8, 2026

Mamdani restarts bike lane redesign on Astoria’s 31st Street

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is reviving another street safety plan delayed or scrapped under his predecessor. The mayor announced the city will restart the redesign process for Astoria's 31st Street, which had briefly seen construction on a partially-protected bike lane before a Queens judge ruled the city had failed to follow proper protocols and ordered its removal. The Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to address the legal issues that previously stalled the project and ensure improved safety on the notoriously dangerous corridor, which ranks among the top 10 most dangerous streets in Queens.
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Popular Articles

MTA is looking into using AI to monitor transit system cameras

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

January 8, 2026

MTA is looking into using AI to monitor transit system cameras

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has started exploring how artificial intelligence could be used to monitor the system's more than 15,000 cameras to detect and predict unsafe behaviors, identify weapons or other dangerous objects, and recognize unattended items. As first reported by The City, the MTA said there's been "interest across the board" from tech firms following a request for information issued by the agency in early December.
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Policy

Andy Cohen honored with a corner and trash can in Hudson Square

Photos by Emma Milligan

January 7, 2026

Andy Cohen honored with a corner and trash can in Hudson Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has long honored notable residents with street co-namings. Hudson Square is taking a different approach for TV personality Andy Cohen by commemorating the Bravo host with a trash can. The Hudson Square Business Improvement District paid tribute to Cohen, whose long-running show "Watch What Happens Live" has been filmed in the neighborhood since 2009, by renaming a garbage can on the corner of Vandam and Hudson Streets. Cohen attended the ribbon-cutting for the newly dubbed "Andy Cohen’s Corner," where he received a commemorative plaque and a key to the neighborhood that opens nothing.
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Policy

NYC paves infamous bike path bump at foot of Williamsburg Bridge

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 7, 2026

NYC paves infamous bike path bump at foot of Williamsburg Bridge

By Aaron Ginsburg

A small bump on the bike path at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge in Manhattan—notorious for sending cyclists flying over their handlebars—has finally been fixed. On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) paved over the hazard on Delancey Street, which had forced riders to slam on their brakes and risk crashes. The effort joins other transit-related improvements Mamdani has overseen during his first week in office, including the restoration of the full “road-diet” plan for McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, which features expanded protected bike lanes.
bump begone!

Huge Broadway Triangle development opens lottery for 120 apartments, from $812/month

Credit: Fischer + Makooi

January 7, 2026

Huge Broadway Triangle development opens lottery for 120 apartments, from $812/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A huge mixed-use development in the Broadway Triangle section of Williamsburg opened a housing lottery for 120 affordable apartments. Developed by Rabsky Group, the project includes eight buildings across two blocks at a site formerly occupied by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The development has been constructed in phases, with the latest bringing a 10-story affordable rental building to 11 Gerry Street. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $812/month one-bedrooms to $3,298/month four-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Mamdani orders city to close or renovate migrant shelters

The Roosevelt Hotel closed during the pandemic and became an emergency shelter center for asylum seekers. Image via WikiCommons

January 7, 2026

Mamdani orders city to close or renovate migrant shelters

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city has 45 days to create a plan to close or renovate its emergency migrant shelters under a new executive order signed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday. The Departments of Social Services and Homeless Services (DHS), working with the Law Department, have until February 19 to create a plan to bring all emergency shelters into compliance with city law, including maximum capacity limits and requirements for cooking facilities in shelters housing families and children. Former Mayor Eric Adams suspended those rules through a series of emergency executive orders beginning in October 2022, as the city grappled with the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers.
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Policy

Williamsburg Wharf launches leasing for newest waterfront rental, from $3,980/month

Renderings courtesy of Naftali Group

January 6, 2026

Williamsburg Wharf launches leasing for newest waterfront rental, from $3,980/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Leasing has launched for 128 market-rate apartments at the newest luxury rental building to open at the Brooklyn waterfront's Williamsburg Wharf complex. On Tuesday, Naftali Group announced the start of leasing for Four Williamsburg Wharf, designed by Brandon Haw Architecture and Hill West Architects with interior design by Studio Munge, marking the completion of the development’s first phase. Pricing starts at $3,980/month for studios and $4,925/month for one-bedroom units.
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Real Estate Trends

Avdoo plans luxury residential tower in hot Hudson Square

Streetview of 68 King Street © 2024 Google

January 6, 2026

Avdoo plans luxury residential tower in hot Hudson Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new development promising an "elevated residential experience" is moving forward in Hudson Square. Avdoo last week closed on 68 King Street for $63 million, with financing from Valley National Bank. The developer is planning a 200,000-square-foot luxury residential building, with the use of 125,000 square feet of development rights, and will pursue additional air rights purchases and a transit improvement–related bonus, as Yimby reported.
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New Developments

NYC’s 10 best-selling residential buildings of 2025

January 5, 2026

NYC’s 10 best-selling residential buildings of 2025

By Aaron Ginsburg

CityRealty has released its annual report highlighting New York City's best-selling residential buildings of the year. In 2025, Manhattan recorded just over 11,000 signed residential contracts, with the overall average last asking price at $2.32 million and the average price per square foot across all property types at $1,636. Many of the top-selling buildings have been on the market for several years and are nearing sellout. Across New York City, some of the fastest-selling developments include One Domino Square, 255 East 77th Street, and 140 Jane Street, among others, which together accounted for nearly 100 signed contracts in 2025.
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Real Estate Trends

McGuinness Boulevard to be redesigned with two protected bike lanes, after all

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 5, 2026

McGuinness Boulevard to be redesigned with two protected bike lanes, after all

By Aaron Ginsburg

Greenpoint’s notoriously dangerous McGuinness Boulevard will receive its originally planned safety upgrades, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Saturday. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) will move forward with its plan to install protected bike lanes along the entirety of McGuinness Boulevard, extending existing protected lanes between Meeker and Calyer Streets up to the Pulaski Bridge. The move fulfills a campaign pledge Mamdani made in August to complete the original project and follows a corruption scandal under former Mayor Eric Adams, in which the redesign was scaled back amid allegations that a neighborhood film production company bribed a senior administration official, as Gothamist reported.
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Here’s how to tour the abandoned City Hall subway station

Photo © James and Karla Murray

January 2, 2026

Here’s how to tour the abandoned City Hall subway station

By Aaron Ginsburg

You don't have to be the mayor to tour the abandoned City Hall subway station, but you do have to be a member of the New York Transit Museum. After Mayor Zohran Mamdani's midnight swearing-in at the old subway station in Lower Manhattan gave New Yorkers a peek at the historic underground space this week, the museum announced tickets will go on sale January 14 for upcoming tours, which are the only way to see the City Hall's grand interiors (if you're not the mayor). The landmarked station, the showpiece of the city's first subway ride and which has been decommissioned since the 1940s, is known for its ornate vaulted Guastavino-tiled ceilings, chandeliers, and skylights hidden beneath the city streets.
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Mamdani signs housing, tenant protection orders on first day

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 2, 2026

Mamdani signs housing, tenant protection orders on first day

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has wasted little time advancing his campaign agenda, signing a series of executive orders on his first day in office, including three aimed at building new housing and protecting tenants. On Thursday, Mamdani signed the orders, which revamp the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and create two new task forces focused on streamlining housing construction, connecting New Yorkers to homes more quickly, and increasing supply by identifying qualifying city-owned properties. He also appointed Cea Weaver, executive director of Housing Justice for All and the New York State Tenant Block, as director of the revitalized Office to Protect Tenants.
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It’s the end of the line for the MetroCard

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

December 31, 2025

It’s the end of the line for the MetroCard

By Aaron Ginsburg

The MetroCard, the iconic fare payment method for New York City’s public transit system, is now officially a thing of the past. On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) retired the card, ending the era of the signature transit payment method that replaced tokens and became a cultural icon since its debut in 1994, and marking a major step in the MTA's transition to the tap-and-go OMNY system.
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Mets star Francisco Lindor pays $21.2M for UES penthouse

Renderings courtesy of DBOX

December 31, 2025

Mets star Francisco Lindor pays $21.2M for UES penthouse

By Aaron Ginsburg

While several New York Mets stars left the team this year, shortstop Francisco Lindor is here to stay. As first reported by the New York Post, Lindor paid $21.2 million for a penthouse at 200 East 75th Street on the Upper East Side. The All-Star shortstop first entered a contract for Penthouse 5, a 5,300-square-foot residence with six bedrooms, last December.
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Citi Bike prices to increase again

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

December 30, 2025

Citi Bike prices to increase again

By Aaron Ginsburg

Citi Bike is raising its prices again, marking the fifth consecutive year New York City bike-sharing will become more expensive. Starting January 5, 2026, the bike-share service, operated by Lyft, will increase the price of e-bike and classic bike overage fees to 27 cents per minute for members. Annual memberships will also rise roughly nine percent, or $20, to $239, effective January 28. The company cited fleet expansion across the five boroughs and rising costs from tariffs as reasons for the price hikes.
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First housing phase of NYC’s net-zero Far Rockaway development moves forward

Credit: FX Collaborative

December 30, 2025

First housing phase of NYC’s net-zero Far Rockaway development moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

The development team behind New York City’s first net-zero community in Far Rockaway has secured $278.8 million for its first phase, which will bring 320 new homes to the neighborhood. On Monday, L+M Development Partners, Urbane Development, and other project stakeholders announced the closing of financing for Arverne East Building D, the first phase of housing of the larger revitalization of a 116-acre oceanfront site in Edgemere into a mixed-use community. Upon completion in 2028, the 355,000-square-foot building will deliver 230 affordable rentals and 90 homes designated for ownership.
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