All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

City Council to override Adams’ veto of street vending bill

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

August 1, 2025

City Council to override Adams’ veto of street vending bill

By Aaron Ginsburg

The City Council intends to override Mayor Eric Adams' veto of a bill that would decriminalize most street vending violations in New York City. Intro. 47-B, passed by the Council in June with a veto-proof majority of 40-8 and three abstentions, was vetoed by Adams last Wednesday. He argued the bill “sends the wrong message” amid the city’s increased enforcement against illegal vending. The override vote is expected at the Council’s full meeting on August 14, according to Spectrum News.
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Policy

30 apartments available at all-electric, wellness-driven Harlem rental, from $3,300/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 1, 2025

30 apartments available at all-electric, wellness-driven Harlem rental, from $3,300/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery launched this week for 30 middle-income apartments at a new all-electric residential building in Harlem. Located at 1975 Madison Avenue, the eight-story development offers brand-new, spacious residences with wellness-focused amenities in the heart of the neighborhood. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $3,300/month one bedrooms to $4,250/month two bedrooms.
fIND OUT IF YOU QUALIFY

Affordable Housing

MTA awards $166M design contract for Interborough Express

Credit: MTA / Trent Reeves on Flickr

July 31, 2025

MTA awards $166M design contract for Interborough Express

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Interborough Express is one step closer to bridging numerous transit-deprived neighborhoods across Brooklyn and Queens, as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday approved the project’s full design. At its monthly board meeting, the MTA awarded a nearly $166 million design contract to the joint engineering venture Jacobs/HDR, according to amNY. The two-year agreement will begin preliminary design development and includes a "comprehensive scope of work"—such as surveys, geotechnical and environmental investigations, and structural inspections—to move the project forward.
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Adams vetoes City Council’s rejection of Bally’s Bronx casino bid

Credit: Bally’s Bronx

July 31, 2025

Adams vetoes City Council’s rejection of Bally’s Bronx casino bid

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed the City Council's rejection of Bally's Bronx casino proposal, potentially reviving the bid. On Wednesday, Adams announced his veto of the Council’s recent vote, which denied a crucial rezoning needed for the proposed gaming facility at the former Trump-owned Ferry Point Park. The Council now has 10 days to secure the 34 votes required to override the veto.
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Policy

NYC subway and bus fare will likely rise to $3 in 2026

Credit: Patrick J. Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Flickr

July 31, 2025

NYC subway and bus fare will likely rise to $3 in 2026

By Aaron Ginsburg

The price to ride New York City subways and buses will likely increase to $3 in January, MTA officials said during the agency's monthly board meeting on Wednesday. Originally planned for August, the proposed fare hike was delayed to allow for a required public comment period. The increase will coincide with the end of MetroCard sales as the MTA transitions fully to its OMNY tap-and-go system. While the increase is widely expected to pass, it still requires final approval from the MTA board following public hearings this fall.
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Upper West Side public library to be redeveloped with new branch and 850 apartments

Bloomingdale branch. Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

July 30, 2025

Upper West Side public library to be redeveloped with new branch and 850 apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

As New York City explores every option to ease its housing crisis, officials are looking to build mixed-income housing atop a new library branch on the Upper West Side. As first reported by West Side Rag, the city plans to raze and replace the Bloomingdale Library at 150 West 100th Street with a new library, health services facility, and 850 units of housing. The project follows the model of other co-located housing developments at public libraries in Sunset Park and Inwood.
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Elevated by 10 feet, Battery Park City’s Wagner Park reopens with new flood protection

All images courtesy of Battery Park City Authority

July 30, 2025

Elevated by 10 feet, Battery Park City’s Wagner Park reopens with new flood protection

By Aaron Ginsburg

Wagner Park in Battery Park City reopened on Tuesday after a two-year overhaul to better protect the park and Lower Manhattan from coastal flooding. As part of the Battery Coastal Resilience Project, much of the 3.5-acre park was elevated by 10 feet to hide a buried floodwall under the central lawn that will protect against storm surge. There's a 63,000-gallon underground cistern for rainwater reuse and lush gardens planted with native, salt-resistant species. The park's flood risk reduction system includes both passive and deployable measures, designed to withstand a 100-year storm and projected to protect from severe storms through the 2050s based on anticipated sea level rise.
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Architecture And Design

NYC announces $3M design study to make 14th Street a ‘people-first’ corridor

The West 14th Street Promenade debuted in the Meatpacking District in June. The space repurposed the curb lane between 9th and 10th Avenues as new gathering spaces. Courtesy Meatpacking BID, Credit: BreakThrough Media

July 30, 2025

NYC announces $3M design study to make 14th Street a ‘people-first’ corridor

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is looking to improve another iconic Manhattan corridor. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced $3 million in public and private funding for a design study that will evaluate ways to enhance 14th Street for pedestrians, commuters, and businesses. Taking about two years to complete and involving collaboration among several groups, the study will consider upgrades to landscaping, pedestrian space, greenery, safety, and the existing 14th Street busway.
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Policy

New York flags at half-staff in memory of Midtown Manhattan office shooting victims

City Hall in 20178. Photo credit: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office on Flickr

July 29, 2025

New York flags at half-staff in memory of Midtown Manhattan office shooting victims

By Aaron Ginsburg

Flags across New York are flying at half-staff to honor the victims of Monday’s deadly Midtown office shooting. On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams ordered the tribute to continue until all four victims—including an NYPD officer—are laid to rest. A fifth person remains in critical condition. The shooting occurred at 345 Park Avenue, an office building with tenants like Rudin Management, Blackstone, and the National Football League.
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Policy

G train signal upgrades delayed until 2029

Credit: Steve on Flickr

July 29, 2025

G train signal upgrades delayed until 2029

By Aaron Ginsburg

G train riders may have to wait an additional two years for long-promised signal upgrades that would speed up service. The $624 million project aims to replace the line’s 1930s-era signal system with communications-based train control (CBTC). Work is scheduled to be completed north of Hoyt-Schermerhorn by the end of 2027, and between Hoyt-Schermerhorn and Church Avenue by 2028. However, the upgraded system won’t be activated until 2029, due to delays in installing 5G radio technology in subway cars—a requirement for CBTC to function across both trains and tracks, agency officials said during an MTA committee meeting Monday.
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Popular Articles

200+ affordable apartments available at the Bronx’s border with Westchester, from $465/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

July 29, 2025

200+ affordable apartments available at the Bronx’s border with Westchester, from $465/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

More than 200 affordable apartments are available at a new transit-oriented development in New York City's northernmost neighborhood. Located on the border of Westchester County at 4641 Furman Avenue in the Bronx, Wakefield Yards brings deeply affordable housing to a convenient neighborhood, with the 2 train across the street and the Metro-North Harlem line a few blocks east. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 60, and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $465/month studios to $2,534/month three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

NYC wants to build 3,000 new homes at former Flushing Airport site

All renderings courtesy of S9 Architecture/Starr Whitehouse

July 28, 2025

NYC wants to build 3,000 new homes at former Flushing Airport site

By Aaron Ginsburg

A massive housing proposal in Queens would transform the long-vacant Flushing Airport into 3,000 new homes. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday unveiled a plan to turn the 80-acre city-owned site in College Point, which has been inactive since 1984, into a mixed-income development with affordable and market-rate workforce housing, as first reported by amNY. Owned by the city's Economic Development Corporation, the land has reverted to a wetland, which will be preserved as part of the new development, according to the city.
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New Developments

Take your cat to see the Brooklyn Cyclones play

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 25, 2025

Take your cat to see the Brooklyn Cyclones play

By Aaron Ginsburg

We may be in the dog days of summer, but next Tuesday will be for the cats. The Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team will host its first-ever "PURRRRfect Game" on Tuesday, July 29, allowing fans to bring their feline friends to Maimonides Park to watch the team take on the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. The event follows the success of "Bark in the Park," which welcomes dogs to the ballpark.
catter up!

Events & Things To Do

Trump signs executive order making it easier for cities to forcibly remove homeless residents

Photo by Robert V. Ruggiero on Unsplash

July 25, 2025

Trump signs executive order making it easier for cities to forcibly remove homeless residents

By Aaron Ginsburg

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order calling for tougher enforcement on homelessness, including expanded use of involuntary commitment of people living on the streets. The "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets" directive urges cities and states to clear encampments and place people into mental health or addiction treatment programs. It also proposes shifting federal grants away from housing-first initiatives and toward programs that mandate sobriety or treatment, as well as to cities that enforce encampment bans.
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Policy

28-story luxury rental opens lottery for 147 apartments in West Harlem, from $2,950/month

Credit: GLUCK+

July 25, 2025

28-story luxury rental opens lottery for 147 apartments in West Harlem, from $2,950/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A luxury high-rise rental in West Harlem opened a lottery this week for 147 middle-income apartments. The 28-story building at 1440 Amsterdam Avenue sits on the campus of the New York City Housing Authority's Manhattanville Houses and was developed as part of a deal to help repair and upgrade the complex's six existing buildings. Located near City College and Columbia University, the new development offers high-end finishes, extensive indoor and outdoor amenities, and a new supermarket. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $2,950/month studios to $4,568/month two bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Gowanus luxury rental 544 Carroll launches leasing, including $25K/month duplex

All renderings courtesy of Avery Hall, unless noted otherwise

July 24, 2025

Gowanus luxury rental 544 Carroll launches leasing, including $25K/month duplex

By Aaron Ginsburg

The future of Gowanus is looking expensive. Developed and designed by Avery Hall, 544 Carroll Street launched leasing this week for 133 apartments, including a duplex that could go for as much as $25,000/month. As first reported by the New York Post, the four-bedroom measures nearly 2,400 square feet plus outdoor space and surpasses the next priciest apartment in the rapidly developing neighborhood by more than $13,500.
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Real Estate Trends

Bronx landlord fined $10M for hazardous conditions

Streetview of 2410 Washington Avenue. © 2025 Google

July 24, 2025

Bronx landlord fined $10M for hazardous conditions

By Aaron Ginsburg

A Bronx landlord has been fined $10.14 million over hazardous conditions in a Belmont apartment building, one of the largest housing court judgments in city history. The order, issued Wednesday by Judge Diane Lutwak, resolves a case brought by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) against Karan Singh, owner of the 15-story Fordham Towers at 2410 Washington Avenue. According to Gothamist, Singh failed to provide heat on 10 days and hot water on 17 days between 2023 and 2024. The building currently has 540 open violations, 145 of which are classified as “immediately hazardous.”
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Policy

NYC subway hits 4 million riders three days straight, first time since 2019

Credit: Matthew Stephenson on Unsplash

July 23, 2025

NYC subway hits 4 million riders three days straight, first time since 2019

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's subway system surpassed four million riders for three consecutive summer days for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced that from Tuesday, July 15 through Thursday, July 17, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority recorded 4,046,610, 4,029,692, and 4,121,751 riders, respectively—the last figure marking a new post-pandemic summer ridership high. The milestone came during the same week as near record-breaking rainfall on Monday, July 14, with transit crews working overnight to quickly restore service.
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Developer wants to build huge South Bronx project with more than 1,100 affordable apartments

Credit: Aufgang Architects

July 23, 2025

Developer wants to build huge South Bronx project with more than 1,100 affordable apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

The developer behind the redevelopment of the historic Kingsbridge Armory and other major Bronx projects wants to rezone a large site in the borough to allow for a pair of mixed-use towers with over 1,000 affordable apartments. Last week, William Bollinger, a development consultant with Maddd Equities, filed a rezoning application with the Department of City Planning (DCP) for 1014 Brook Avenue in Morrisania. The 1.2 million-square-foot project includes 1,128 affordable units across 22- and 26-story towers. As first reported by Crain's, the rezoning would permit both residential and manufacturing uses, as the site currently allows manufacturing only.
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12 more NYC subway stations to get accessibility upgrades

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 23, 2025

12 more NYC subway stations to get accessibility upgrades

By Aaron Ginsburg

A dozen more New York City subway stations will receive accessibility upgrades under the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 2025-2029 capital plan. Announced Tuesday, upgrades include new elevators and other ADA-accessible features. The MTA says the new plan aims to make at least 60 percent more stations accessible and ensure that 70 percent of all subway trips begin or end at an accessible station. The accessibility projects are a result of a lawsuit settled by the MTA that required 95 percent of all stations to be accessible by 2055.
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Landmarks approves design for Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment

Images courtesy of FXCollaborative/ NYCEDC

July 22, 2025

Landmarks approves design for Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment

By Aaron Ginsburg

Plans to transform the historic and long-vacant Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx into a community and cultural hub are moving forward. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to approve the design for the adaptive reuse of the massive armory, which will include a new event venue, recreation center, sports fields, public plaza, and 500 affordable apartments next door. Led by the city's Economic Development Corporation, the major project, dubbed El Centro Kingsbridge, calls for extensive restoration and expansion of the armory itself, featuring new and expanded masonry and facade work, as well as a new public plaza, landscaping, and signage.
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Waldorf Astoria New York reopens for the first time since 2017

All images courtesy of the Waldorf Astoria New York, unless noted otherwise

July 22, 2025

Waldorf Astoria New York reopens for the first time since 2017

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's legendary Waldorf Astoria has finally reopened after a major restoration project that transformed the 1,400-room hotel into 375 luxury condos and 375 hotel rooms. The landmarked Art Deco icon closed in 2017 and was originally scheduled for completion in 2021. Led by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the restoration refreshed many of the hotel’s most iconic fixtures while introducing new elements that reflect the original vision of architects Schultze & Weaver, as the New York Times reported.
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Greenwich Village building home to Bob Dylan’s first NYC apartment lists for $8.25M

All photos courtesy of Avison Young / Icon Realty Management

July 22, 2025

Greenwich Village building home to Bob Dylan’s first NYC apartment lists for $8.25M

By Aaron Ginsburg

Bob Dylan's first New York City apartment building is for sale. The singer lived in the rear third-floor apartment at 161 West 4th Street in Greenwich Village when he moved to the city in the early 1960s. Listed for $8.25 million, the four-story mixed-use building currently has five recently renovated apartments and two retail spaces.
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MTA has installed platform barriers at more than 50 NYC subway stations

Platform barriers at the Park Place 2/3 station. Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 21, 2025

MTA has installed platform barriers at more than 50 NYC subway stations

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has installed platform barriers at dozens of subway stations in New York City to prevent people from falling onto the tracks. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA announced last week that 56 stations across the five boroughs now have the barriers, with a goal of over 100 stations by the end of the year.
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New Yorkers with SNAP benefits to get free Museum of Natural History membership

Image via WikiCommons

July 18, 2025

New Yorkers with SNAP benefits to get free Museum of Natural History membership

By Aaron Ginsburg

The American Museum of Natural History on Friday announced a free membership for New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The new "Discoverer" membership level includes free general admission plus entry to one ticketed exhibition during every visit. The initiative is a joint effort by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs, Human Resources Administration, and Department of Social Services.
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