All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

First look at the food hall opening at NYC’s Lord & Taylor building

Renderings courtesy of ICRAVE

April 28, 2025

First look at the food hall opening at NYC’s Lord & Taylor building

New York City's landmarked Lord & Taylor building will be publicly accessible for the first time since the flagship department store closed in 2019. A 35,000-square-foot food hall, dubbed Shaver Hall, will open later this year on the ground floor of the historic Fifth Avenue building. Amazon bought the property in 2020 and converted the space into offices in 2023. Newly released renderings are showing off the food hall's 11 curated stalls, wine and cheese bar, and "modern bodega."
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Food & Dining

Lottery opens for 91 apartments at new Long Island City rental tower, from $2,750/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

April 17, 2025

Lottery opens for 91 apartments at new Long Island City rental tower, from $2,750/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery launched this week for 91 middle-income apartments at a new residential development in Long Island City. Located at 43-14 Queens Street in the neighborhood's Court Square section, the 19-story building marks the second phase of the expansive Eagle Loft complex, which has converted the former Eagle Electric factory into hundreds of luxury apartments. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced at $2,750/month for studios and $3,475/month for one bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Three works by sculptor John Chamberlain make their U.S. debut at Rockefeller Center

All photos courtesy of Tishman Speyer

April 16, 2025

Three works by sculptor John Chamberlain make their U.S. debut at Rockefeller Center

By Aaron Ginsburg

Large-scale sculptures by the late American artist John Chamberlain are making their first United States appearance at Rockefeller Center. On view from April 16 through May 29, "Chamberlain Goes Outdoors at Rockefeller Center" showcases three sculptures by Chamberlain, who was best known for his distinctive works made of scrap metal and aluminium foil. Free and open to the public, the installation offers a rare opportunity to experience one of Chamberlain’s final bodies of work.
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Events & Things To Do

Amtrak, NJ Transit reveal progress in fixing equipment that caused outages last summer

Credit: David Wilson on Flickr

April 16, 2025

Amtrak, NJ Transit reveal progress in fixing equipment that caused outages last summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

Amtrak and NJ Transit say they’re making significant progress on infrastructure improvements to avoid the breakdowns and delays that plagued the rail lines last summer. At a working summit on Tuesday, rail officials announced that more than $12 million in upgrades and repairs have been completed, including the inspection and repair of overhead wires that power both rail companies’ trains. The improvements target key "hot spots" near Penn Station and in Secaucus, New Jersey, where trains frequently break down.
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Under new NYC law, charging an illegal broker fee could result in $750 fine

Photo by Daryan Shamkhali on Unsplash

April 16, 2025

Under new NYC law, charging an illegal broker fee could result in $750 fine

By Aaron Ginsburg

When a new city law banning forced broker fees takes effect this June, landlords and brokers who charge tenants a fee could face fines starting at $750. As first reported by Crain's, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) on Monday proposed penalties for violating the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act, which was passed by the City Council last year and shifts the payment of broker fees to the party who hired the real estate agent. The law is set to take effect June 11, unless a lawsuit by a real estate lobbying group blocks implementation.
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Policy

Forest Hills Stadium summer concerts back on following deal with residents

Photo courtesy of Chris Lavado

April 15, 2025

Forest Hills Stadium summer concerts back on following deal with residents

By Aaron Ginsburg

The shows at Forest Hills Stadium will go on this season, as neighborhood residents and venue officials have reached a deal in their long-running dispute. On Monday, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced that Tiebreaker Productions, the stadium's concert partner, has agreed to hire private security to patrol the privately owned streets around the venue—satisfying demands from the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation (FHGC), which in March blocked the city from accessing those roads. Last month, the venue had reportedly been denied amplification permits, putting the entire concert season at risk.
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Tompkins Square Park’s infamous bathrooms reopen after $5.6M renovation

All photos courtesy of NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

April 15, 2025

Tompkins Square Park’s infamous bathrooms reopen after $5.6M renovation

By Aaron Ginsburg

You no longer have to hold your nose when using the bathroom at Tompkins Square Park—at least for now. On Monday, the city’s Parks Department reopened the East Village park’s field house following a two-year, $5.6 million renovation, finally restoring the restrooms after years of being known as some of the filthiest facilities in the five boroughs. The project included a full overhaul of the four bathrooms, with upgrades to the building’s electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems, as well as improvements to accessibility and the building’s exterior.
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Architecture And Design

Lincoln Center announces hundreds of free events as part of ‘Summer for the City’ festival

Credit: Lawrence Sumulong

April 15, 2025

Lincoln Center announces hundreds of free events as part of ‘Summer for the City’ festival

By Aaron Ginsburg

Lincoln Center has announced the lineup for its fourth annual Summer for the City festival, with hundreds of free events and performances at the world-renowned cultural hub. Running from June 11 through August 9, the festival features a slate of events spanning dance, theater, opera, and more that celebrate the diversity of New York City's cultural landscape. Summer for the City will activate every corner of the Lincoln Center campus, with events held across indoor and outdoor spaces at the famed arts center.
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Events & Things To Do

City Planning Commission advances $12B Hudson Yards casino plan

Renderings courtesy of Related Companies and Wynn Resorts

April 14, 2025

City Planning Commission advances $12B Hudson Yards casino plan

By Aaron Ginsburg

A $12 billion proposal to bring a casino complex to Hudson Yards just cleared a key step in the approval process. On Wednesday, the City Planning Commission (CPC) voted 9-2 to advance Related Companies and Wynn Resorts' "Hudson Yards West" plan, which calls for a resort and casino, a 5.6-acre public park, a public school, office space, and hundreds of new affordable homes atop the site’s undeveloped western rail yards. The proposal seeks to amend a 2009 plan that envisioned a primarily residential neighborhood with more than 5,000 new homes—a figure that has since been reduced to just over 1,500.
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Policy

71 affordable apartments available at Passive House development in Bed-Stuy, from $556/month

652 DeKalb Avenue. Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

April 14, 2025

71 affordable apartments available at Passive House development in Bed-Stuy, from $556/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new residential development in Bed-Stuy launched a housing lottery this week for 71 affordable apartments. Dekalb Commons is a three-building complex with 85 affordable residences and commercial space, designed to meet Passive House standards. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 60, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $556/month studios to $2,974/month three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

NYPD to launch unit targeting ‘quality-of-life’ issues

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new NYPD division focused on quality-of-life issues like illegal parking, noise complaints, and homeless encampments will begin work across New York City next week. Starting Monday, the new units, called "Q Teams," will begin work in five precincts and a public housing development, covering neighborhoods like the South Bronx, Far Rockaway, Coney Island, Union Square, and East New York. Officers will respond to a growing number of 311 complaints, even as major crime declines. Some New Yorkers fear the units will unfairly target low-income communities, drawing comparisons to Giuliani-era street crime squads that harassed Black and Latino men, as the New York Times reported.
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Policy

Image courtesy of Warren LeMay on Flickr

April 11, 2025

Saks Fifth Avenue drops casino proposal

By Aaron Ginsburg

Saks Fifth Avenue has folded its bid for a gaming license, ending the company's plan of adding a casino atop its Midtown flagship store. As first reported by Crain's, the department store withdrew its bid for one of three coveted downstate gaming licenses expected to be awarded by the end of the year, with a Saks spokesperson saying the company is now "focused on other strategic priorities." In recent months, minimal communication between Saks’ parent company, Saks Global, and those involved in the casino process had suggested that the retailer was abandoning its proposal.
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Policy

Council approves bill to double number of public bathrooms in NYC

The Beaux Arts-style public bathroom in Bryant Park is one of the city’s nicest. Photo by SnowFire via Wikimedia Commons.

April 11, 2025

Council approves bill to double number of public bathrooms in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Finding a public bathroom in New York City may get a bit easier, thanks to new legislation passed this week. The City Council on Thursday voted to approve a bill expanding public restroom access across the five boroughs by doubling the current number of facilities from roughly 1,100 to 2,120 over the next decade. NYC currently has among the fewest public restrooms per capita in the country, with around one bathroom for every 7,800 residents. Proponents of the legislation aim to raise that number to one restroom for every 2,000 residents.
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Policy

April 10, 2025

Easter and Passover 2025: Where to order takeout in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Springtime in New York City brings longer days, blossoming flowers, and festive meals shared with friends and family. This year, April also ushers in the holidays of Easter and Passover, along with the often daunting task of hosting loved ones. Fortunately, plenty of restaurants and culinary spots across the five boroughs offer full, festive meal packages to take the pressure off. Ahead, we've rounded up some of the top places in NYC providing Easter and Passover meal packages so you can enjoy the holidays without the hassle of cooking or cleanup.
our picks, here

April 10, 2025

NYC seizes building from negligent landlord for first time in seven years

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has taken ownership of a building from a negligent landlord for the first time in over seven years. After a decade of organizing by tenants against landlord David Kornitzer, the city has foreclosed on the 49-unit building at 2201–2205 Davidson Avenue in the University Heights section of the Bronx, as first reported by Gothamist. Kornitzer had racked up numerous housing violations and financial penalties, owing the city $28 million in back taxes, emergency repairs, and other fees as of February.
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Policy

NYPL’s World Literature & Arts Festival returns

All images courtesy of Robert Krevolin/The New York Public Library

April 9, 2025

NYPL’s World Literature & Arts Festival returns

By Aaron Ginsburg

A celebration of storytelling across the world's diverse cultures and languages is returning to the New York Public Library (NYPL) next week. Running from April 14 through 30, the fifth annual World Literature & Arts Festival is a library system-wide event series highlighting New York City's vibrant immigrant communities across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island in honor of Immigrant Heritage Week. The festival spotlights the city's diversity through engaging author talks, performances, culinary experiences, writing workshops, and more.
details here

Events & Things To Do

Brooklyn Bridge Park opens new Pier 1 pavilion and plaza

All photos courtesy of Brooklyn Bridge Park / Alexa Hoyer

April 9, 2025

Brooklyn Bridge Park opens new Pier 1 pavilion and plaza

By Aaron Ginsburg

Marking its 15th anniversary, Brooklyn Bridge Park debuted a scenic and accessible new gateway into the beloved waterfront park this week. Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the new pavilion acts as a front porch to the rest of the 85-acre park, featuring lush landscaping and an elevated view of the East River and Manhattan. The pavilion and plaza's opening marks another chapter in the park's evolution, from its gritty industrial beginnings to becoming one of the city's most treasured public green spaces.
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April 8, 2025

New rental tower on Gowanus Canal opens lottery for 45 mixed-income apartments, from $874/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new residential development on the Gowanus Canal has launched a housing lottery for 45 mixed-income apartments. Society Brooklyn consists of two 21-story towers with more than 500 apartments and a waterfront esplanade. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 100, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the available units at 504 Sackett Street, priced from $874/month one-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

NYC’s congestion pricing could continue into the fall

Credit: Jorge Ramírez on Unsplash

April 8, 2025

NYC’s congestion pricing could continue into the fall

By Aaron Ginsburg

President Donald Trump's administration and New York transit officials reached a deal to allow the city’s congestion pricing program to continue until at least mid-summer and likely through the fall, according to new court filings. Both parties will present their arguments under a newly determined timeline expected to extend until at least October as part of a lawsuit filed by the MTA against the federal government. The Trump administration originally gave the state until March 21 to end the program but granted a 30-day extension one day before the deadline.
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NYC metro area could lose 80,000 homes to flooding by 2040

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

April 7, 2025

NYC metro area could lose 80,000 homes to flooding by 2040

By Aaron Ginsburg

More than 80,000 homes in New York City’s low-lying neighborhoods and surrounding suburbs are at risk of being lost to flooding in the next 15 years, according to a new report. Released Monday by the Regional Plan Association (RPA), the report warns that the region's housing shortage could reach 1.2 million homes by 2040, as heightened flood risks render large portions of land across the five boroughs undevelopable. While Long Island is projected to face the most significant impact overall, waterfront neighborhoods in southeast Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island are among the most vulnerable.
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Upper West Side’s Metro Theater on track to reopen after 20 years

Photo by london road on Flickr

April 7, 2025

Upper West Side’s Metro Theater on track to reopen after 20 years

By Aaron Ginsburg

A long-vacant, landmark movie theater on the Upper West Side finally has new owners following a $3.5 million funding boost from Gov. Kathy Hochul. The nonprofit Upper West Side Cinema Center on Sunday purchased the Metro Theater for $6.9 million, with help from Hochul and an additional $500,000 in grants from the State Senate. The nonprofit plans to restore the historic Art Deco building, located on Broadway near 99th Street, with five new screens, a lobby lounge, an education center, and a public cafe.
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City Living

Towering steel sculptures take ‘root’ in the Garment District

All photos courtesy of Alexandre Ayer / @DiversityPics for the Garment District Alliance

April 4, 2025

Towering steel sculptures take ‘root’ in the Garment District

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new striking sculptural installation has taken 'root' in Midtown. The Garment District Alliance on Thursday unveiled "New York Roots," a series of seven towering steel sculptures that invite viewers to reflect on how relationships, families, and communities intertwine to support a common purpose—much like roots that strengthen and sustain a tree. Created by conceptual artist Steve Tobin, the installation is now on view along the Broadway plazas in the Garment District, between 39th and 40th Streets and 40th and 41st Streets.
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Events & Things To Do

23 best flea and food markets in NYC to visit this spring

Photo by Caroline Culler on Wikimedia

April 4, 2025

23 best flea and food markets in NYC to visit this spring

By Aaron Ginsburg

It's officially spring in New York City, even if it may not feel like it yet. New Yorkers will shake off their winter blues and get ready for the months of outdoor fun that lie ahead. One of the best ways to get out and enjoy the nice weather is by heading to an outdoor market to browse troves of unique treasures or try a tasty treat. We've rounded up some of our favorite outdoor spring and summer markets, whether you're looking for fresh, locally grown produce at the city's Greenmarkets or one-of-a-kind vintage finds at flea markets in Brooklyn and Queens.
Great shopping, ahead

Car-free Earth Day celebration kicks off NYC’s Open Streets season

Credit: NYC Department of Transportation on Flickr

April 4, 2025

Car-free Earth Day celebration kicks off NYC’s Open Streets season

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's Open Streets season kicks off on April 26 with its largest Car-Free Earth Day celebration ever, turning more than 54 streets across the five boroughs into vibrant public spaces. The Department of Transportation (DOT) on Thursday announced that the city's annual Car-Free Earth Day will include a record-breaking 54 streets and plazas, along with expanded programming in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
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New York to issue liquor licenses to outdoor dining restaurants amid delays

Credit: Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

April 3, 2025

New York to issue liquor licenses to outdoor dining restaurants amid delays

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers no longer have to dread a boozeless outdoor dining experience this season. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced that the State Liquor Authority (SLA) will now accept conditional approvals issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to restaurants participating in the city's Dining Out NYC program, allowing them to serve alcohol in their outdoor dining areas while their applications are being reviewed. The processing of liquor license applications has been significantly delayed, with only seven out of roughly 3,000 applicants receiving approval as of Saturday.
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All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

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