All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Former Beth Israel hospital building in Gramercy opens lottery for 22 rentals, from $963/month

313 East 17th Street. Photo © Ondel Hylton

October 23, 2025

Former Beth Israel hospital building in Gramercy opens lottery for 22 rentals, from $963/month

Twenty-two mixed-income apartments are available next to the shuttered Mount Sinai Beth Israel campus in Gramercy. The former hospital facility at 313 East 17th Street has been converted into 96 apartments, the first redevelopment project at the campus since Beth Israel shut its doors in April following a disputed closure process. New Yorkers earning 40, 80, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $963/month studios to $3,323/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Noho block named after Jean-Michel Basquiat

Credit: Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

October 23, 2025

Noho block named after Jean-Michel Basquiat

By Aaron Ginsburg

A Noho block has been co-named for artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, officially recognizing the site of his former studio and home. The New York City Council and the estate of the late artist on Tuesday unveiled "Jean-Michel Basquiat Way" on the corner of Great Jones Street and Bowery. Basquiat lived and worked at 57 Great Jones Street, renting a second-floor space from Andy Warhol, from 1983 until his death in 1988 at age 27, according to ARTnews.
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Policy

Adams unveils plan to transform ‘The Hole’ with new drainage system, 5,000 homes

Credit: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 22, 2025

Adams unveils plan to transform ‘The Hole’ with new drainage system, 5,000 homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

A long-neglected, low-lying area on the Brooklyn-Queens border known as “The Hole” may finally be getting attention from the city. On Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams announced a $146 million investment in the area, also known as the Jewel Streets, to install a long-needed sewage system in the neighborhood, which regularly floods even after light rainfall. The plan also calls for a 17-acre city-owned site to become 1,400 housing units, a rezoning to unlock an additional 3,600 homes, and other flood-prevention infrastructure.
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October 22, 2025

NYC wants to redesign Chinatown’s chaotic Chatham Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has a plan to redesign Chinatown's notoriously chaotic Chatham Square as a safer and more welcoming pedestrian space. The Department of Transportation (DOT) on Tuesday released new renderings of the proposal, which would significantly expand pedestrian areas, simplify the complex intersection, and improve safety for both pedestrians and drivers. The plan also introduces more trees and greenery, including upgrades to Kimlau Square, the park at the center of Chatham Square.
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Developer’s plan for 30-story tower behind row of 19th-century homes in Downtown Brooklyn is stalled for now

The Duffield Street Houses at 182-188 Duffield Street. Photo by Epicgenius on Wikimedia

October 22, 2025

Developer’s plan for 30-story tower behind row of 19th-century homes in Downtown Brooklyn is stalled for now

By Aaron Ginsburg

A developer's plan to build a 30-story tower behind a row of landmarked homes in Downtown Brooklyn has been sent back to the drawing board. On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on Watermark Capital’s proposal for a glass and beige brick tower on a small lot behind the historic homes at 182-188 Duffield Street, four individual landmarks dating to the 1830s and 1840s. Commissioners and preservationists were skeptical of the proposal, which involves removing the rear facades of the four properties while combining the interiors to create a community space and a lobby for the 99-unit building behind them. The commission took no action on Tuesday and directed the developers to revise the design so it does not "overwhelm" the block's historic character.
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Village Halloween Parade. Photo by Steven Pisano on Flickr

October 21, 2025

NYC’s best Halloween events

By Aaron Ginsburg

From the famous Village Halloween Parade to festive celebrations at the iconic cultural institutions and museums to neighborhood trick-or-treating and over-the-top costume parties, New York City is one of the best places to celebrate spooky season. Ahead, discover some of the best Halloween happenings across the five boroughs this year.
festive frights, ahead

Events & Things To Do

JPMorgan opens soaring 60-story NYC headquarters at 270 Park Avenue

Skyline view of JPMorganChase’s world headquarters in New York City. Photo credit: Max Touhey for JPMorganChase.

October 21, 2025

JPMorgan opens soaring 60-story NYC headquarters at 270 Park Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

JPMorganChase’s massive Midtown East headquarters, the tallest all-electric skyscraper in New York City, is now open. Designed by Norman Foster's Foster + Partners, the 1,400-foot-tall building at 270 Park Avenue can accommodate 10,000 employees across 2.5 million square feet of workspace. Rising 60 stories, the $3 billion skyscraper features a striking “fan-column” design that rises about 80 feet above street level and provides 2.5 times more outdoor space than its predecessor.
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Architecture And Design

24-story East Village rental opens lottery for 60 apartments, from $1,777/month

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

October 20, 2025

24-story East Village rental opens lottery for 60 apartments, from $1,777/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery has launched for 60 mixed-income apartments in a new 24-story tower in the East Village. The East, located at 644 East 14th Street, offers 196 studio to two-bedroom apartments and luxury amenities, including a roof deck with East River views. New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $1,777/month studios to $4,315/month two bedrooms.
fIND OUT IF YOU QUALIFY

Affordable Housing

Corpse flower to bloom at New York Botanical Garden in time for Halloween

Credit: New York Botanical Garden

October 17, 2025

Corpse flower to bloom at New York Botanical Garden in time for Halloween

By Aaron Ginsburg

A rare corpse flower is set to bloom at the New York Botanical Garden, just in time for Halloween. The notorious flower, "Amorphophallus gigas," gets its name from the rotting-flesh odor it emits. It blooms every three to five years for just three days, with its distinctive scent reaching its peak during that brief window. The bloom is expected in about two weeks in the garden’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
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Events & Things To Do

Judge orders $34M in counterterrorism funds for NYC subway be restored

Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

October 17, 2025

Judge orders $34M in counterterrorism funds for NYC subway be restored

By Aaron Ginsburg

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to release nearly $34 million in counterterrorism and transit security funding for New York City’s subway and regional rail systems that it had been withholding. In the ruling, the judge described the withholding of funds as “arbitrary, capricious and a blatant violation of the law,” issuing a permanent injunction that requires the government to release the money to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, according to the New York Times. Last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul and State Attorney General Letitia James sued to restore the funding, which the MTA was slated to receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
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Trump says Gateway project is ‘terminated,’ but DOT denies program is canceled

By Aaron Ginsburg

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his administration on Thursday had "terminated" funding for Gateway, a project that includes two new tunnels under the Hudson River and is considered the most urgent infrastructure project in the country. During a White House press conference, Trump said his administration had used the federal shutdown to kill federally funded projects, particularly in Democratic states, including the $16 billion tunnel program. But, as Politico reported, the Transportation Department has no current plans to end the program, and construction continues.
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Interborough Express enters environmental review process

Credit: MTA

October 16, 2025

Interborough Express enters environmental review process

By Aaron Ginsburg

The environmental assessment for the transformative Interborough Express (IBX) has officially begun, bringing the long-anticipated transit connection between Brooklyn and Queens one step closer to reality. On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the start of the review process under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), marking another major milestone for the project after it entered the preliminary engineering and design phase in August. The MTA will host two in-person public meetings to outline the project scope and review process on October 29 and November 6, followed by a virtual session on November 12.
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MTA unveils tribute to late Zabar’s owner at 79th Street subway station

Credit: MTA on Flickr

October 15, 2025

MTA unveils tribute to late Zabar’s owner at 79th Street subway station

By Aaron Ginsburg

The subway station at 79th Street now honors an Upper West Side icon. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority unveiled a tribute to Saul Zabar, the owner of the famed Zabar's deli, who passed away last week at the age of 97. The agency has put up vinyl posters of Zabar in his signature white coat along the 1 train platform. The deli recently collaborated with the MTA to celebrate the subway’s 120th anniversary and Zabar’s 90th birthday.
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Transit

Brooklyn Mirage files for demolition following permit and financial issues

Credit: Chris Lavado

October 15, 2025

Brooklyn Mirage files for demolition following permit and financial issues

By Aaron Ginsburg

East Williamsburg's Brooklyn Mirage, the outdoor music venue that canceled its entire summer lineup amid permit issues and bankruptcy, may be closing permanently. As first reported by The Real Deal, the venue’s operator has filed full demolition permits for the roughly 32,000-square-foot venue, part of its larger Avant Gardner complex. The company filed for bankruptcy in August, citing “several months of financial distress," exacerbated by the Mirage’s failed reopening, scheduled for May following a major renovation and called off just hours before.
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Policy

Rendering courtesy of MGM Resorts

October 15, 2025

MGM abruptly drops Yonkers casino bid

By Aaron Ginsburg

After advancing as one of only four casino proposals to move forward, MGM Empire City in Yonkers has abruptly withdrawn its bid. On Tuesday, MGM Resorts announced it would pull its proposal, citing a “newly defined competitive landscape” that “challenges the returns” the company had anticipated from the project, as well as recent changes that would limit the casino license to 15 years instead of 30. The Yonkers proposal had been considered a leading contender for a license and was among the first to receive unanimous approval from its community advisory committee late last month.
details here

Policy

Hochul criticizes Trump for withholding $34M in counterterrorism funds

Credit: Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

October 10, 2025

Hochul criticizes Trump for withholding $34M in counterterrorism funds

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday criticized the Trump administration for withholding $34 million in transit security funding for New York City’s subway and regional rail systems. According to a press release, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had been slated to receive the funds through the federal Transit Security Grant Program, established after 9/11 to support critical counterterrorism and transit security operations. But the agency was notified last week that it would be the only one among 21 applicants nationwide to be denied funding.
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New legislation would make NYC outdoor dining year-round again

Credit: Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

October 10, 2025

New legislation would make NYC outdoor dining year-round again

By Aaron Ginsburg

New legislation aims to restore New York City’s outdoor dining program to its pandemic-era scale by eliminating seasonal restrictions. Council Member Lincoln Restler on Thursday introduced Intro. 1421 to restore year-round outdoor dining, which ended following new rules and restrictions approved by the Council last year. The legislation would also allow grocery stores to apply for sidewalk cafe licenses, eliminate seasonal limits on roadway cafes, and permit certain cafes to expand their frontage with approval. The proposal seeks to scale back aspects of Dining Out NYC, the city’s current outdoor dining program. According to Restler, the seasonal schedule and stricter rules have made it difficult for many businesses to participate.
details here

Pacific Park gets new developers and $12M for affordable housing

Barclays Center & Pacific Park in 2020. Photo by CityLimitsJunction via WikiCommons

October 9, 2025

Pacific Park gets new developers and $12M for affordable housing

By Aaron Ginsburg

Pacific Park, Brooklyn’s years-long stalled megadevelopment, could finally move forward after securing new funding and a fresh development team. This week, Cirrus Real Estate and LCOR acquired the development rights to six Brooklyn rail yard sites at a foreclosure auction, after Greenland USA, the project’s former developer, defaulted on nearly $350 million in loans, as first reported by The Real Deal. The new developers have also contributed $12 million to an affordable housing fund, compensating for penalties that were not enforced against Greenland USA for failing to complete 876 affordable apartments by May 2025. The move represents a significant step forward for the project, which was launched more than two decades ago.
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Housing code violations at NYCHA buildings are now public

East River Houses Credit: Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

October 9, 2025

Housing code violations at NYCHA buildings are now public

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time, New York City public housing residents can see housing code violations for their buildings online. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development began posting violations at NYCHA buildings on an online public portal this week and via NYC Open Data, following a June legal settlement. The records include more than 500 violations documented through court-ordered inspections since September 15. Housing advocates are hailing the portal for providing the same access to information long available to private tenants, just a week after a partial collapse at a Mott Haven NYCHA building.
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Policy

‘Humans of New York’ photo exhibit takes over Grand Central

All photos courtesy of Ahmed Gaber for Dear New York

October 8, 2025

‘Humans of New York’ photo exhibit takes over Grand Central

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of the most famous photography projects in the world has taken over Grand Central Terminal. This week, Brandon Stanton of "Humans of New York," the long-running online portrait series featuring the stories of everyday New Yorkers, opened the installation "Dear New York," a sweeping "love letter" to the city. The exhibit includes 50-foot-tall photographs from the Humans of New York portfolio displayed across the terminal, including the main concourse, the subway station, Vanderbilt Hall, and 150 digital screens. The two-week installation is on view through October 19.
see it here

Jamaica rental with sculpture garden opens lottery for 185 apartments, from $1,843/month

Credit: Bezier

October 8, 2025

Jamaica rental with sculpture garden opens lottery for 185 apartments, from $1,843/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are now being accepted for 185 mixed-income apartments at a massive development in Jamaica, Queens. Located at 166-20 90th Avenue, the two-building complex dubbed Ruby Square has over 600 apartments and nearly one acre of lush public and private outdoor spaces, including a tranquil interior courtyard with a sculpture garden. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, with rents starting at $2,688/month for studios, $1,843/month for one-bedrooms, and $2,188/month for two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Works begins on Newark Airport’s new $3.5B AirTrain

Rendering courtesy of Tutor Perini/O&G

October 7, 2025

Works begins on Newark Airport’s new $3.5B AirTrain

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work has begun on revitalizing Newark Liberty Airport's aging AirTrain—one part of the larger plan to rebuild the international airport. On Tuesday, Port Authority Chair Kevin O’Toole announced the groundbreaking for the new AirTrain, kicking off a long-awaited refresh of the 1990s-era system that will speed up and improve travel to the airport via public transit. The $3.5 billion project is part of the EWR Vision Plan, a long-term effort to rebuild the airport, including a new Terminal B, upgrades to Terminal C, fixes to the airport’s complex roadway network, and replacement of the AirTrain.
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October 7, 2025

The best design tours to book during Archtober 2025

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's annual Archtober festival, which celebrates the city’s defining architecture, has returned for its 15th year. This year’s theme, "Shared Spaces," invites participants to rethink how New Yorkers “move, connect, and live together.” As part of the festival, Archtober’s Building of the Day series lets visitors embark on architect-led tours of featured projects across all five boroughs. Ahead, discover a selection of tours not to be missed, from the transformation of Chelsea’s historic Terminal Warehouse to the nation’s largest office-to-residential conversion in the Financial District.
book a tour

NYC announces nearly 140 car-free Halloween events

Credit: NYC DOT

October 6, 2025

NYC announces nearly 140 car-free Halloween events

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's Halloween open streets program returns for another record-breaking season, with nearly 140 participating locations over two weeks. On Monday, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the "Trick-or-Streets" program, which will close streets, plazas, and other corridors across the five boroughs to vehicles, opening the spaces for spooky (and safe) festivities from October 17 through 31.
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October 6, 2025

Upscale event venue to be first tenant at Chelsea’s redeveloped Terminal Warehouse

By Aaron Ginsburg

Chelsea’s landmarked Terminal Warehouse, a nearly 135-year-old building recently transformed into a commercial and events space, has officially landed its first tenant. Convene Hospitality Group signed a 50,000-square-foot lease for a three-level luxury event space, "The Mallory," named after George Mallory, the architect of the original building in 1891. Located in the building's northwest corner at 12th Avenue and West 28th Street, and accessed via the warehouse's famed tunnel, the venue will have space for up to 550 guests and include a reception lounge with a 25-foot bar, a grand event hall, special suites, and a gallery with movable walls.
see it here

Architecture And Design

All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

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