All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

NYC unveils first permanently gated ‘School Street’ in Hudson Square

Photos courtesy of NYC DOT

October 8, 2026

NYC unveils first permanently gated ‘School Street’ in Hudson Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

A car-free street next to a Manhattan public school got even safer for students this week. The city on Tuesday installed the first swing gate outside of City-As-School/M721 on Clarkson Street in Hudson Square, a designated "School Street," a pedestrianized block next to schools. The permanent swing-arm gate eliminates the need to set up and take down metal barricades. Modeled after similar gates used at schools in Paris, the gate blocks traffic during the school day and opens outside school hours.
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$17.8M renovation will turn historic Cobble Hill firehouse into music school

Renderings courtesy of MBB Architects

October 8, 2026

$17.8M renovation will turn historic Cobble Hill firehouse into music school

By Aaron Ginsburg

A long-vacant Cobble Hill firehouse will get new life as a permanent home for a music school. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced the start of a $17.8 million transformation of the former Engine Company 204 firehouse at 299 Degraw Street, which has sat empty since 2003 due to budget cuts. The project will convert the building into a new home for the Noel Pointer Foundation (NPF), a music school dedicated to expanding music education for youth in historically underserved neighborhoods.
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Architecture And Design

MTA to bring new fare gates to 20 more subway stations after 35% drop in evasion

Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul on Flickr

October 7, 2026

MTA to bring new fare gates to 20 more subway stations after 35% drop in evasion

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a pilot program of new fare gates at select New York City subway stations led to a 35 percent drop in fare evasion, the MTA plans to install them at 20 additional stations this year. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced the pilot results, as well as the next 20 stations to receive the modernized gates, which feature elements that make it much harder for commuters to hop over. The MTA has invited design firms Cubic, STraffic, and Conduent to submit bids for the next batch of gates, which are slated to be installed by the end of 2026.
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Chrysler Building will get major revamp under new owner

Credit: Jason Krieger on Unsplash

October 7, 2026

Chrysler Building will get major revamp under new owner

By Aaron Ginsburg

After more than a year of uncertainty surrounding its fate, New York City's famed Chrysler Building has a new owner with major renovation plans. Tishman Speyer announced on Wednesday plans to buy the iconic Art Deco skyscraper and restore the office building inside and out. The commercial firm will invest $235 million in the building, plus ground lease payments to The Cooper Union, which has owned the land under the Chrysler Building since 1902. The transaction marks the end of a tumultuous period for the landmark, which was put back on the market in May 2025 for the first time since 2019 after its previous owners fell behind on more than $21 million in rent owed to Cooper Union.
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Clinton Hill townhouse sells for $9.4M, a new neighborhood record

Photos courtesy of Kendall Gregory from DD Reps

October 6, 2026

Clinton Hill townhouse sells for $9.4M, a new neighborhood record

By Aaron Ginsburg

A renovated Clinton Hill townhouse has sold for $9.4 million in an off-market deal, setting a new neighborhood record. As first reported by Curbed, the 25-foot-wide residence at 374 Washington Avenue measures more than 7,000 square feet and includes five bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet. The sale just tops the previous record at 280 Washington Avenue, known as the Pfizer Mansion, which sold for $9.05 million in 2021.
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Real Estate Trends

NJ Transit to cut service for five weeks as final Portal Bridge cutover begins

The project in 2024. Photos courtesy of Amtrak

October 6, 2026

NJ Transit to cut service for five weeks as final Portal Bridge cutover begins

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Jersey Transit riders will face five weeks of service disruptions starting this weekend as work begins on the final component of the Portal Bridge cutover project. From October 11 through November 14, all weekday Midtown Direct service will terminate in Hoboken as crews begin work. This will be the final service disruption caused by the project, which is switching rail operations from the 116-year-old bridge to the new $1.5 billion Portal North Bridge. Once the cutover is complete, trains will be able to travel across the new bridge at speeds of up to 90 mph.
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NYC Ferry fare will increase to $5 this month

Credit: Sam Jotham Sutharson on Unsplash

October 5, 2026

NYC Ferry fare will increase to $5 this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

The price to ride NYC Ferry will go up later this month. The city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Monday announced the fare hike, which takes effect October 19, increasing the base one-way fare from $4.50 to $5 and the 10-trip pass from $29 to $30. The reduced one-way fare will increase from $1.45 to $1.50, while the two-day unlimited ticket will become a permanent fare product, maintaining its $15 price.
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Mamdani announces $607M renovation of NYCHA’s Nostrand Houses via public trust

Nostrand Houses. Photo by GK tramrunner RU on Flickr

October 5, 2026

Mamdani announces $607M renovation of NYCHA’s Nostrand Houses via public trust

By Aaron Ginsburg

More than 1,100 public housing apartments in Sheepshead Bay will undergo much-needed repairs as part of a $607 million comprehensive rehabilitation project. Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week announced the closing of financing for the renovation of Nostrand Houses, which will fund decades of capital needs for 1,148 apartments across its 16 buildings. The plans mark the first-ever financial closing through the city's Public Housing Preservation Trust, which was created in 2022 to help fund upgrades and repairs at NYCHA properties. Residents of Nostrand Houses, home to roughly 2,000 people, were the first to vote to join the Trust in 2023.
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Policy

New Brownsville community center has green roofs and large-scale public artwork

Images courtesy of NYC Mayor’s Office

October 2, 2026

New Brownsville community center has green roofs and large-scale public artwork

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new $128 million community center in Brownsville has been completed two years ahead of schedule and $10 million under budget. Unveiled Monday at 444 Thomas S. Boyland Street, the new Brownsville Multi-Service Center is a four-story, all-electric facility with 10 office spaces, flexible conference rooms, a community garden, green roofs, and other spaces designed to serve community-based organizations and Brooklyn Community Board 16. Adorning the building is “I Am Protected,” a four-part, large-scale public art installation by East New York-native artist Jazmine Hayes.
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Architecture And Design

Jackson Pollock’s former Greenwich Village loft returns to market for $1.99M

All photos courtesy of DDReps unless noted otherwise

October 2, 2026

Jackson Pollock’s former Greenwich Village loft returns to market for $1.99M

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Greenwich Village loft where Jackson Pollock once lived has returned to the market for the first time in a decade, asking $1,990,000. Located on the top floor of 46 Carmine Street, the historic 1827 Federal-style townhouse was home to Pollock and his brother Charles in 1932, serving as both their living space and studio. Bought off-market in 2021 by current owner Fergus Hurley, the 650-square-foot residence has since been modernized while retaining its historic character. Hurley has also filled the space with a new collection of artwork that draws on the artistic legacy of the home.
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Popular Articles

Halloween ‘Trick-or-Streets’ return to NYC with 160 car-free streets

Photo © 6sqft

October 2, 2026

Halloween ‘Trick-or-Streets’ return to NYC with 160 car-free streets

By Aaron Ginsburg

Halloween returns to New York City’s streets at its largest scale yet, with 160 streets and public spaces closing to vehicles for spooky celebrations. Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Wednesday announced the return of "Trick-or-Streets," an annual initiative that closes streets, plazas, and other commercial corridors across the five boroughs to cars, providing safe space for free programming, trick-or-treating, and other Halloween activities.
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A long-promised waterfront park in Greenpoint is finally taking shape

Images courtesy of the NYC Mayor’s Office

October 1, 2026

A long-promised waterfront park in Greenpoint is finally taking shape

By Aaron Ginsburg

A former parking lot in Greenpoint will become a public green space, fulfilling a promise made by the city 20 years ago to transform the underutilized waterfront site. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced the start of work on Box Street Park, delivering on a commitment made as part of the 2005 Williamsburg-Greenpoint waterfront upzoning to address a shortage of public green space in the neighborhood. Slated for completion by the end of summer 2028, the $40 million project will transform the former MTA facility into a 2.5-acre public park with new plantings, recreational amenities, and open space.
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Architecture And Design

These 12 NYC neighborhoods will see affordable housing projects fast-tracked

Photo by Ricky Singh on Unsplash

October 1, 2026

These 12 NYC neighborhoods will see affordable housing projects fast-tracked

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City neighborhoods that have produced the least amount of affordable housing will see new projects streamlined under a new process that takes effect next year. The Department of City Planning on Thursday published a list of 12 community districts that will be eligible for the Affordable Housing Fast Track, a measure approved by voters last November that speeds up the approval process for affordable housing by cutting out input from the City Council, reducing the review time from seven months to three months. The city identified the neighborhoods, which range from the South Shore on Staten Island to the Upper West Side, by looking at affordable housing production relative to each district's existing housing stock over the last five years.
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$1B reconstruction of Coney Island boardwalk moves forward

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

October 1, 2026

$1B reconstruction of Coney Island boardwalk moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is seeking a design team to lead the $1 billion reconstruction of Coney Island’s iconic Riegelmann Boardwalk. The city’s Economic Development Corporation and Department of Parks on Wednesday released a request for qualifications (RFQ) seeking a “progressive design-build team” to oversee the full reconstruction of the landmarked boardwalk, a project first announced in December. The project will reconstruct the 2.7-mile boardwalk, replace utilities and structural piles, and elevate portions of it.
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City Council unveils plan for 5,000 new homes on Staten Island’s North Shore

Credit: Alex Krales/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

September 30, 2026

City Council unveils plan for 5,000 new homes on Staten Island’s North Shore

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council has unveiled a plan to transform Staten Island’s North Shore into a vibrant “downtown,” with more than 5,000 new homes, public realm upgrades, and jobs. Unveiled Friday by Speaker Julie Menin and Majority Whip Kamillah Hanks, "NorthShoreNYC" draws inspiration from similar initiatives in Jersey City and Hoboken, envisioning vacant and underutilized city-owned land along the waterfront as sites for mixed-use housing, public improvements, and new jobs. The project builds upon former Mayor Eric Adams' 2023 North Shore Action Plan while addressing how current zoning rules, a historical lack of coordinated planning, and inadequate public investment have prevented the waterfront area from becoming a walkable community.
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Affordable Housing

NYC must redo pied-à-terre tax rollout, judge rules

Credit: Jermaine Ee on Unsplash

September 30, 2026

NYC must redo pied-à-terre tax rollout, judge rules

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City must redo its rollout of the controversial pied-à-terre tax after a Staten Island judge ruled Tuesday that the Mamdani administration mishandled the program’s launch. Issued by Judge Wayne M. Ozzi, the ruling sides with homeowners who sued the city over what they described as “mass confusion” surrounding the surcharge. Many New Yorkers who were ineligible for the tax received notices saying they may be subject to it, while the city also released a roll listing more than 900,000 properties that some mistakenly believed were all subject to the tax. The administration has already appealed the ruling, temporarily blocking an order that would force the city to restart its notification process.
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Policy

Battery Bikeway reopens with completion of $221M flood-resiliency project

Photos courtesy of BPCA

September 29, 2026

Battery Bikeway reopens with completion of $221M flood-resiliency project

By Aaron Ginsburg

A restored bikeway has reopened in Manhattan’s South Battery Park City, marking the completion of a transformative project that has turned the area into a buffer against rising sea levels and flooding. Unveiled last week, the Battery Bikeway offers cyclists a dedicated pathway with scenic views of New York Harbor as it winds along the borough’s southern tip. The bike path is the final component of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project (SBPCR), the city’s multi-year effort to prepare Manhattan’s southern edge for rising sea levels and severe storms by elevating the waterfront, improving stormwater management, and more.
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Proposed nine-story building next to Merchant’s House Museum returns to Landmarks

All images courtesy of the NYC LPC unless noted otherwise

September 29, 2026

Proposed nine-story building next to Merchant’s House Museum returns to Landmarks

By Aaron Ginsburg

A proposal to demolish and replace a parking garage next to Noho’s landmarked Merchant’s House Museum returned to the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday, after the previous hearing ended inconclusively following hours of public testimony. Proposed by Kalodop II Park Corp. at 27 East 4th Street, the project would erect a nine-story mixed-use building adjacent to the 1832 house museum, which preservationists and museum officials say could threaten the historic structure during construction. Since the engineering review for the proposal is incomplete, the LPC will vote at a future public meeting.
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Upper East Side carriage house-turned-condo launches sales, from $1.25M

Images courtesy of Trove Partners

September 28, 2026

Upper East Side carriage house-turned-condo launches sales, from $1.25M

By Aaron Ginsburg

Sales are underway at a 16-unit boutique condominium inside a converted Upper East Side carriage house. Located at 439 East 77th Street, Elodie rises seven stories on the site of a former carriage house that was later used as a parking garage. Developer GCRE and Visabe Corp. and ARC Architecture + Design have transformed the property into a collection of condos that blends its historic character with contemporary design, including two three-level townhouses and a full-floor penthouse. Current availabilities range from $1.25 million for one-bedroom units to $8.5 million for the penthouse.
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Tunnel boring for $16B Hudson River tunnel project begins

Credit: Don Pollard/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul on Flickr

September 28, 2026

Tunnel boring for $16B Hudson River tunnel project begins

By Aaron Ginsburg

After more than a decade of planning, work on a new rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey has finally begun. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced the start of tunnel boring for the Hudson Tunnel Project, with the first of two hulking tunnel boring machines (TBMs) set to begin carving through the Palisades Cliffs and the second to follow soon after. The milestone comes after nearly three years of construction work and a months-long funding freeze by the Trump administration that briefly halted the project before a federal court ordered the funding restored.
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NYC Council announces slate of bills aimed at regulating AI

Credit: NYC Council on Flickr

September 25, 2026

NYC Council announces slate of bills aimed at regulating AI

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council has unveiled a slate of bills aimed at regulating artificial intelligence ahead of a rare full Council hearing with industry officials early next month. Speaker Julie Menin on Friday announced the proposals, which include measures that would prohibit businesses from deploying AI systems without third-party validation, require all AI systems deployed in the city to have a “kill switch,” and establish a first-in-the-nation incentive program allowing whistleblowers to receive a portion of fines or penalties recovered from AI companies. The Council is set to hold a “Committee of the Whole” hearing on October 5, with Meta confirmed to attend, along with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
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Policy

4.7 million people rode the NYC subway in a single day this week, a new post-pandemic record

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 25, 2026

4.7 million people rode the NYC subway in a single day this week, a new post-pandemic record

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nearly 4.7 million people rode the New York City subway on Wednesday, marking the system's highest ridership on a single day since before the pandemic. The milestone came during the United Nations General Assembly, when the city strongly encourages New Yorkers to take public transit amid heavy traffic and street closures. The tally sets a new post-pandemic ridership record, surpassing the previous high of 4.61 million riders set in December 2025.
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NYC is giving away 70,000 Met Opera tickets to New Yorkers

Credit: Robert Brands on Flickr

September 24, 2026

NYC is giving away 70,000 Met Opera tickets to New Yorkers

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is giving away 70,000 tickets to the Metropolitan Opera, making performances more accessible to those who might not otherwise be able to afford them. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced "Opera for All," a partnership with the Met that will release 10,000 free tickets each month during the 2026-27 season. New Yorkers who have never purchased a Met Opera ticket can enter the monthly ticket lotteries through the Met’s app or the city's website.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC Council bill would create ‘low-traffic neighborhoods’ across the city

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

September 24, 2026

NYC Council bill would create ‘low-traffic neighborhoods’ across the city

By Aaron Ginsburg

Some New York City Council members want to transform several areas into “low-traffic neighborhoods” by redesigning streets to divert through-traffic away from residential blocks. The bill, set to be introduced on Thursday by Council Member Shaun Abreu, chair of the council’s Transportation Committee, would require the city to install at least two types of “traffic-calming devices” in each neighborhood, such as speed bumps, medians, or barriers at intersections, as first reported by Gothamist. The measures are intended to slow traffic and discourage drivers from cutting through residential streets while maintaining access for emergency vehicles and delivery trucks.
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10 NYC streets and parks that take you back in time

September 23, 2026

10 NYC streets and parks that take you back in time

By Aaron Ginsburg

The streets of New York City are constantly evolving, as gleaming new residential towers and other buildings reshape the cityscape. Despite the constant waves of modernization, development, and the push for bigger and better, there are still many places across the five boroughs that evoke the city's storied past. From Tribeca’s famed skybridge street to Central Park’s scenic Bethesda Terrace, these public spaces offer a glimpse of old-school New York.
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