All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

MTA launches new app with real-time subway and bus tracking

Images courtesy of the MTA

March 26, 2026

MTA launches new app with real-time subway and bus tracking

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has revamped its mobile app to provide more accurate, real-time information for subway and bus riders. The update, rolled out on Wednesday, allows riders to track trains and buses, receive service alerts, and connect with customer support agents available 24/7. It also introduces new features such as station wayfinding, transfer information, and the ability to save favorite subway lines and bus routes.
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Mamdani appeals housing voucher expansion, breaking campaign pledge

Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to the press during February’s state budget hearing. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 26, 2026

Mamdani appeals housing voucher expansion, breaking campaign pledge

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After failing to reach a deal with housing advocates, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appealed a court ruling that ordered New York City to expand its housing voucher program, a move that departs from one of his key campaign pledges. Filed on Tuesday, the appeal puts Mamdani in the position once held by former Mayor Eric Adams, whose initial opposition sparked a legal battle that has stretched for nearly three years. In February, Mamdani indicated he no longer intended to support the program’s expansion due to the city’s projected $7 billion budget deficit, and after negotiations failed, his appeal now extends the legal battle indefinitely.
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New protected two-way bike lane will connect the Brooklyn Bridge and Union Square

Images courtesy of NYC DOT

March 26, 2026

New protected two-way bike lane will connect the Brooklyn Bridge and Union Square

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New York City has begun a series of bike lane and pedestrian space upgrades that will add a safer link between the Brooklyn Bridge and Union Square. On Wednesday, DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn announced the start of work in Noho, the East Village, and Union Square, including a continuous north-south bike connection from the Brooklyn Bridge to Astor Place and Union Square. Officials say the most significant improvements will be completed before the FIFA World Cup in July, when the already busy area is expected to see a surge in visitors.
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First major Raphael exhibition in the U.S. opens at The Met

Installation view of Raphael: Sublime Poetry, on view March 29–June 28, 2026, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All installation view photos are by Eileen Travell, Courtesy of The Met.

March 25, 2026

First major Raphael exhibition in the U.S. opens at The Met

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Iconic works by Italian Renaissance master Raphael will go on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, bringing many of the artist’s most celebrated pieces to the United States for the first time. On view from March 29 through June 28, "Raphael: Sublime Poetry" is the first comprehensive international loan exhibition in the country dedicated to the artist. Spanning his full career, the exhibition will feature more than 200 works, including over 170 drawings, paintings, tapestries, and decorative arts from public and private collections around the world.
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NYC breaks ground on Bronx crosstown bus service upgrades around Yankee Stadium

Credit: NYC DOT

March 25, 2026

NYC breaks ground on Bronx crosstown bus service upgrades around Yankee Stadium

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New York City has broken ground on a project that will improve crosstown Bronx bus service and enhance street safety near Yankee Stadium, ahead of baseball season’s opening day on Wednesday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced the project, which will add westbound bus-only lanes, including converting the 161st Street underpass to bus-only use. The redesign will also include pedestrian safety upgrades and new amenities for bus riders, such as shelters, benches, and leaning bars, along with infrastructure to make boarding buses safer and more accessible.
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NYC tourism generated $84.7B in 2025 despite decline in international visitors

Credit: Jun Ren on Unsplash

March 24, 2026

NYC tourism generated $84.7B in 2025 despite decline in international visitors

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New York City’s tourism industry generated $84.7 billion in economic impact in 2025, despite a decline in international visitors amid ongoing immigration crackdowns under the Trump administration. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYC Tourism + Conventions President and CEO Julie Coker released on Tuesday the city's annual tourism report, which found that the five boroughs welcomed 65 million visitors last year, a modest 0.7 percent increase from 2024. The report also found that the industry generated $55.6 billion in direct spending, $7.5 billion in tax revenue, and supported 397,000 jobs.
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New community space opens at Wagner Park Pavilion in Battery Park City

Images courtesy of Battery Park City Authority

March 24, 2026

New community space opens at Wagner Park Pavilion in Battery Park City

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A new community space with sweeping views of New York Harbor opened Monday at the Pavilion in Battery Park City’s Wagner Park. Dubbed "The Classroom," the 1,200-square-foot space is designed for public engagements, private rentals, catered events, and business meetings. The addition marks the latest phase of Wagner Park Pavilion’s revitalization, following a two-year overhaul that included reopening the park in July, after elevating it by 10 feet and incorporating hidden flood protection measures as part of a nearly $300 million project.
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Take a retro NYC subway ride to the Mets and Yankees home opener games

All photos courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

March 24, 2026

Take a retro NYC subway ride to the Mets and Yankees home opener games

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Baseball is back! Celebrate by taking a retro subway ride to the Mets and Yankees home opener games. The New York Transit Museum will once again run vintage trains for the first home games of the season, March 26 at Citi Field and April 3 at Yankee Stadium. Costing the typical $3 to ride, retro trains will depart from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to Mets-Willets Point, and from Grand Central-42nd Street to 161st Street-Yankee Stadium.
ALL ABOARD!
NYC begins redesign of Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen

Images courtesy of NYC DOT

March 20, 2026

NYC begins redesign of Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen

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Ninth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen will join a growing number of Manhattan corridors slated for redesigns, the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Thursday. The project will immediately begin along a stretch from West 34th to West 50th Streets, where pedestrian space will be expanded, the protected bike lane widened, and the bus lane extended and repainted to 50th Street. The improvements are expected to be completed ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer, when sidewalk overcrowding in the area is expected to increase.
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MTA to replace more than 2,000 NYC subway cars, largest order in agency history

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

March 20, 2026

MTA to replace more than 2,000 NYC subway cars, largest order in agency history

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is seeking a manufacturer to deliver 2,390 new subway cars, the largest order in the transit system’s history. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the request for proposals (RFP) on Friday, which calls for a base order of 1,140 R262 cars to replace the R62 and R62A fleets on the 1, 3, and 6 lines. An additional 1,250 cars could be ordered to replace the R142 and R142A fleets on the 2, 4, and 5 lines.
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New Museum opens OMA-designed expansion

Photo: Jason Keen. All images courtesy New Museum.

March 20, 2026

New Museum opens OMA-designed expansion

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After two years, the New Museum will reopen its doors this weekend, as its long-awaited $82 million expansion is finally complete. The seven-story, 60,000-square-foot addition, designed by OMA’s Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, one of the few projects combining the work of two living Pritzker Prize-winning architects, opens to the public on Saturday, March 21. Seamlessly combining with the existing SANAA-designed flagship on the Bowery at Prince Street, the project doubles the New Museum's gallery space, adds a permanent home for its cultural incubator NEW INC, and introduces a new outdoor plaza and a 100-seat all-day cafe and restaurant.
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Hamptons oceanfront estate owned by late diamond dealer lists for $45M

Credit: Real Shot Studios / Miles Bouckoms

March 19, 2026

Hamptons oceanfront estate owned by late diamond dealer lists for $45M

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An oceanfront Hamptons estate once owned by a diamond magnate has hit the market for $45 million. As first reported by the New York Post, the home at 15 Dune Road in Bridgehampton was built by the late Ara Arslanian, a Belgian-American diamond dealer who bought the property in the early 1980s and died in November. Designed by Mark C. Matthews Architecture and Francis D’Haene of D’Apostrophe Design, the seven-bedroom residence features a linear shoreline layout, with every principal room offering sweeping sunrise and sunset views over the water.
see inside
24-story rental tower above historic Fort Greene church approved by Landmarks

144 Saint Felix, view looking up from the south. All images courtesy of FXCollaborative.

March 19, 2026

24-story rental tower above historic Fort Greene church approved by Landmarks

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After revising their original proposal, developers won Landmarks Preservation Commission approval Tuesday to build an apartment building on top of a historic Fort Greene church. Developer Stretke, along with architects FXCollaborative and ADP Architects, got the green light for the project at 144 St. Felix Street, which will restore the facade of the landmarked Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church and construct a 24-story tower above it. The developers were asked to address concerns about the building’s height and massing, which the local community board and residents called “inappropriate” for the site and the surrounding Brooklyn Academy of Music Historic District. The revised proposal lowered the height by about 30 feet, from 27 stories to 24 stories.
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NYC to end criminal summonses for minor e-bike and cycling offenses

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

March 19, 2026

NYC to end criminal summonses for minor e-bike and cycling offenses

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E-bike riders and cyclists will no longer face criminal summonses for low-level offenses, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani rolls back a policy of his predecessor. On Wednesday, Mamdani announced that, beginning March 27, the NYPD will rescind a policy introduced under former Mayor Eric Adams that issued criminal summonses for minor violations, like running a stop sign, which required riders to appear in criminal court. Instead, officers will issue standard traffic tickets to cyclists, the same given to drivers.
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Meta to open first NYC flagship store on Fifth Avenue

Images courtesy of Meta

March 18, 2026

Meta to open first NYC flagship store on Fifth Avenue

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Meta will open its first flagship store in New York City. Vornado Realty Trust on Wednesday announced retail store Meta Lab will occupy the five-story townhouse at 697 Fifth Avenue, next to the St. Regis Hotel. Last November, the company opened a pop-up shop at the building, which was painted bright blue and offered Meta's AI glasses and virtual-reality headsets to test. With existing office space at The Farley Building, Meta's 10-year agreement with Vornado adds to its NYC footprint.
details here
Citi Field to host women’s pro soccer match ahead of World Cup final

Photo courtesy of Gotham FC

March 18, 2026

Citi Field to host women’s pro soccer match ahead of World Cup final

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Citi Field will host one of women’s professional soccer’s biggest rivalries this summer. On Tuesday, Gotham FC announced that it will face off against the Washington Spirit on July 15 as part of "The Queens Classic," a highly anticipated rematch of the 2025 NWSL Championship and the first women’s sporting event held at the home of the New York Mets. The match comes four days before the men’s FIFA World Cup Final arrives at MetLife Stadium, adding to the wave of soccer events set to sweep the tri-state region this summer.
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MTA sues Trump administration over frozen Second Avenue Subway funding

Photo courtesy of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr.

March 17, 2026

MTA sues Trump administration over frozen Second Avenue Subway funding

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is suing President Donald Trump's administration after it failed to resume federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway expansion. Filed Tuesday in the Federal Court of Claims, the lawsuit claims the federal government breached a contract with the MTA and threatens the $7 billion project to extend the Q line from 96th Street to 125th Street in East Harlem by blocking the agency from awarding its next excavation contract for two new stations. The MTA had warned the federal government late last month that it would take legal action if more than $58 million owed for the project was not restored within a week.
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$37.5M restoration of Prospect Park’s Vale begins

Prospect Park Vale Pollinator Meadow + Arbor. All images courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance.

March 17, 2026

$37.5M restoration of Prospect Park’s Vale begins

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Work to restore Prospect Park’s Vale of Cashmere, a once-scenic area in the northeast corner of the park that has fallen into disrepair, kicked off on Monday. Led by the Prospect Park Alliance, NYC Parks, and the city's Economic Development Corporation, the $37.5 million project will transform eight acres of the Vale in its first major restoration in more than 50 years, revitalizing the historic Children’s Pool and former rose garden and adding new amenities, including a pollinator garden, a planted arbor, and a wooden pavilion. Using funds allocated by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, the project is the largest single capital investment in Prospect Park since Lakeside in 2010. The restoration is expected to be completed in 2027.
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NYC to reduce speed limit to 15 mph in 800 school zones this year

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 17, 2026

NYC to reduce speed limit to 15 mph in 800 school zones this year

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New York City will lower the speed limit to 15 miles per hour at 800 school zones this year, with plans for so-called slow zones at all 2,300 school locations by 2029. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Monday plans to use Sammy's Law, state legislation that allows the city to lower speed limits, to expand slow zones for schools.
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19 affordable co-ops in Harlem available, from $220K

357 West 115th Street under renovation. © 2024 Google

March 16, 2026

19 affordable co-ops in Harlem available, from $220K

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Here's a rare opportunity to buy an affordable apartment in Manhattan. City-owned buildings in Harlem, at 357 West 115th Street and 321 West 116th Street, have been redeveloped and converted into affordable two- and three-bedroom co-ops through the Affordable Neighborhood Co-operative Program (ANCP). The city opened a housing lottery for 19 co-ops, priced from $220,000 and available to New Yorkers earning up to 80 percent of the area median income.
FIND OUT IF YOU QUALIFY
Mamdani creates NYC’s first LGBTQIA+ office

Credit: Kara McCurdy | Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 16, 2026

Mamdani creates NYC’s first LGBTQIA+ office

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday signed an executive order establishing the city’s first Mayor’s Office for LGBTQIA+ Affairs and appointed the first transgender person to lead a New York City office. Led by Taylor Brown, now the highest-ranking trans person in city government history, the office will focus on advancing policies that ensure city agencies serve queer New Yorkers while upholding sanctuary protections and supporting individuals fleeing anti-LGBTQIA+ oppression. The move comes amid growing attacks on LGBTQIA+ protections and resources under President Donald Trump’s administration, including incidents in NYC.
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Full NJ Transit service to resume with new Portal North Bridge opening

The project in 2024. Photo courtesy of Amtrak

March 13, 2026

Full NJ Transit service to resume with new Portal North Bridge opening

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Some good news for New Jersey Transit riders: Full service to and from New York City will resume Sunday as the agency finishes replacing the century-old Portal Bridge. Service has been cut by 50 percent since February 15, while rail operations switched from the old bridge to the new $1.5 billion Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River. A key part of the Gateway Project, the bridge will improve service by allowing trains to travel up to 90 mph, up from the previous 60 mph limit, according to Gothamist.
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Smorgasburg returns for 16th year this April with 22 new vendors

Credit: Sam Hollenshead

March 13, 2026

Smorgasburg returns for 16th year this April with 22 new vendors

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Smorgasburg has unveiled its lineup of vendors ahead of its return next month, kicking off its 16th season the first weekend in April. The beloved outdoor food market will host 74 vendors, including 22 making their Smorasburg debut. The market opens in Williamsburg’s Marsha P. Johnson State Park on Saturday, April 4, followed by Prospect Park’s Breeze Hill on Sunday.
get the lineup
Gracie Abrams drops $4.5M on another Greenwich Village penthouse

(L) Gracie Abrams. Credit: Justin Higuchi on Flickr (R) 1 Fifth Avenue. Image via WikiCommons

March 13, 2026

Gracie Abrams drops $4.5M on another Greenwich Village penthouse

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Gracie Abrams has purchased another unit at Greenwich Village’s 1 Fifth Avenue co-op, a year after buying a $5.5 million penthouse in the building, with plans to combine the two. The pop star paid $4.5 million for the 18th-floor penthouse, which was once two separate units and now includes one bedroom, two bathrooms, and two terraces. If combined with the other unit, Abrams' residence in the building could span five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and five terraces, according to The Real Deal.
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Historic ruling forces Bronx landlord to pay $2.1M, fix violations within a month

919 Prospect Avenue © 2024 Google

March 12, 2026

Historic ruling forces Bronx landlord to pay $2.1M, fix violations within a month

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A South Bronx landlord must pay $2.1 million and fix severe, long-standing violations within a month following a historic court judgment. On Thursday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the first-of-its-kind ruling against the owners of 919 Prospect Avenue, imposing the maximum penalties under the city’s Nuisance Abatement Law. The landlord must address the most severe violations within two weeks, correct all remaining issues within a month, and pay $1,000 for each day the property remained a public nuisance, including a retroactive penalty of $2,174,000.
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