All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

New subway photo exhibition reveals the behind-the-scenes work that keeps NYC moving

Photo captured at the MTA’s 207th Street Overhaul Shop; Client: New York Times. © Christopher Payne. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design for the exhibition “In Service: MTA Photographs by Christopher Payne.”

September 23, 2026

New subway photo exhibition reveals the behind-the-scenes work that keeps NYC moving

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A new photography series in the New York City subway system seeks to illuminate the workers and infrastructure that keep New Yorkers moving behind the scenes. Unveiled Tuesday by MTA Arts & Design, "In Service: MTA Photographs by Christopher Payne" features images shot at 13 MTA facilities and manufacturing plants across four states, revealing the work and coordination required to keep the city's transit system running. The series of 50 photographs is displayed on 52 decommissioned advertising lightboxes at five major transit hubs, marking the first time the agency has presented a single photographer's work across its entire network.
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NYC Marathon will change its route for first time in 15 years

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 22, 2026

NYC Marathon will change its route for first time in 15 years

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The New York City Marathon returns to the five boroughs next month with a new route for the first time in 15 years. Taking place on Sunday, November 1, the race will send tens of thousands of participants along a slightly different course in the Bronx, cutting the number of turns runners must make from seven to five and minimizing the event's impact on Mott Haven residents. In previous years, the roughly one-mile-long stretch in the borough looped around a block containing a supermarket and laundromat, cutting off local residents from accessing them. The new route will redirect runners around the block, maintaining access to the businesses while reducing the number of turns they must make.
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Mamdani and Trump take Sunnyside Yard talks to ‘new level’ but announce no new details

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 22, 2026

Mamdani and Trump take Sunnyside Yard talks to ‘new level’ but announce no new details

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During a meeting at Gracie Mansion on Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump said they spoke about plans to build 12,000 homes atop a city-owned rail yard in Queens but announced no new details on the proposed project. In a joint press conference following the meeting, their third since November, Mamdani said he and the president "agreed to set up a new level of that conversation" between City Hall and the White House on Sunnyside Yard, a proposal to build a deck over the 180-acre rail yard in Queens to create a new community with affordable apartments, schools, and public space. The proposal is years in the making. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio shelved an earlier version because of the pandemic, but Mamdani revived the project and pitched it to Trump during a White House visit in February.
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Apply for 44 affordable units at new Hell’s Kitchen rental, from $863/month

Credit: CityRealty

September 21, 2026

Apply for 44 affordable units at new Hell’s Kitchen rental, from $863/month

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More than 40 permanently affordable apartments are available at a new development in Hell's Kitchen. Standing nine stories at 806 Ninth Avenue, The Lirio transforms a parking lot into much-needed affordable housing, along with supportive units for formerly unhoused residents and office space for the MTA. New Yorkers earning 30, 77, 80, 100, or 120 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, with two-bedrooms priced between $863 and $3,650/month and three-bedrooms priced at $3,186/month.
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New York moves to protect historic African burial ground in Elmhurst

Credit: Queens Borough President’s Office

September 21, 2026

New York moves to protect historic African burial ground in Elmhurst

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New York wants to ensure a historic burial ground of formerly enslaved people in Queens finally receives the protection and recognition it deserves. Attorney General Letitia James on Friday filed a motion to intervene in a pending foreclosure action involving 47-11 90th Street in Elmhurst, a site where nearly 300 freed African slaves were buried in the early 19th century, seeking a court order requiring any prospective buyer to be notified of the human remains on the property and their legal obligations to protect them. Dating back to 1818, the site was rediscovered in 2006 and has since been paved over and disturbed during subsequent development. Now that the property is once again up for sale, the state is seeking to ensure the burial ground is respected by its next owner.
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Track New York’s fall foliage with this weekly report

Courtesy of I LOVE NY

September 18, 2026

Track New York’s fall foliage with this weekly report

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Fall is on the horizon, bringing with it the brilliant autumn colors that will soon blanket the treetops across New York. The state this week released the season's first Fall Foliage report, an annual interactive map and guide documenting the changing leaves across New York, informed by a team of nearly 100 volunteers who provide on-site accounts of the progression of foliage. Updated every Wednesday throughout the season, the report allows New Yorkers to stay up-to-date on the status of fall foliage across the Empire State’s regions, including the Adirondacks, Catskills, Capital-Saratoga, the Finger Lakes, and New York City.
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Long Island City’s first new waterfront condo in a decade launches sales, from $765K

Renderings courtesy of Redundant Pixel

September 18, 2026

Long Island City’s first new waterfront condo in a decade launches sales, from $765K

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Sales have officially launched at the first new condo development to rise on the Long Island City waterfront in more than a decade. Standing 23 stories at 45-40 Vernon Boulevard, the 182-unit Paragon incorporates the historic Paragon Paint Factory into its base. The tower was designed by Archimaera, with interiors by March and White Design (MAWD), and offers residences ranging from studios to penthouses. Developed by ZD Jasper, current available residences at Paragon start at $765,000 for studios, $965,000 for one-bedrooms, $1.5 million for two-bedrooms, and $2.075 million for three-bedrooms.
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Renovation of Downtown Brooklyn’s Pacific Library restores skylight, adds solarium

Renderings courtesy of Safdie Architects

September 17, 2026

Renovation of Downtown Brooklyn’s Pacific Library restores skylight, adds solarium

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Here is a look at the redesign of Downtown Brooklyn's Pacific Library, the borough’s first public library financed by philanthropist and business magnate Andrew Carnegie. Safdie Architects on Thursday released images of its restoration of the 120-year-old branch at 25 4th Avenue and Pacific Street, which will restore the building’s original conical roof and skylight, expand the interior, add outdoor gardens, and build a two-story solarium. The project is part of the Brooklyn Public Library’s broader effort to restore its Carnegie branches, a network of 67 branches across the city’s three public library systems built at the turn of the 20th century.
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Hudson Square gets a colorful pedestrian plaza

Photos courtesy of Hudson Square BID

September 17, 2026

Hudson Square gets a colorful pedestrian plaza

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A new pedestrian plaza officially opened in Hudson Square last week, adding 6,500 square feet of car-free space to the Manhattan neighborhood. Painted with a rainbow mural, the colorful plaza runs between Little Sixth and Dominick Street and expands the adjacent Spring Street Park. The roadway features seating, tables, free WiFi, and space for community programming. Designed by Hudson Square Business Improvement District with the city's Department of Transportation, the plaza was funded through a $744,000 NY Forward state grant awarded in 2024.
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17 free public restrooms installed in NYC

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 17, 2026

17 free public restrooms installed in NYC

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Seventeen free, accessible public restrooms are coming to New York City, helping New Yorkers relieve themselves while also relieving the city’s shortage of the facilities. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced that installation has begun on the public restrooms in public plazas and high-traffic areas where New Yorkers currently lack reliable access to a bathroom, as part of a $4 million pilot program the mayor unveiled in January. To access the toilet, users must either text or scan a QR code on their cell phone or tap a key card provided by local businesses or nonprofit groups.
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20-story affordable development in Soho approved by Landmarks

Images courtesy of BKSK Architects

September 16, 2026

20-story affordable development in Soho approved by Landmarks

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A 20-story residential development with 100 percent affordable housing is moving forward on Canal Street in Soho. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved the project at 257 Canal Street, which would bring 88 permanently affordable apartments to the site, including 54 supportive housing units for young adults aging out of the foster care system. The commission approved the project after applicants followed their recommendations to use warmer brick in the facade to complement the historic district and reduce the floor-to-floor heights.
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City Council to convene rare special hearing on AI risks, with industry leaders invited

Credit: NYC Council on Flickr

September 16, 2026

City Council to convene rare special hearing on AI risks, with industry leaders invited

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Amid growing concerns about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, the full New York City Council will convene early next month to examine the technology’s potential risks, with AI industry leaders invited to testify. Speaker Julie Menin on Tuesday sent letters to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, inviting them to join the Council on October 5 for a special public hearing on AI. The hearing follows a recent incident in which OpenAI agents went rogue and hacked into a company’s infrastructure, as well as warnings from leading industry figures that AI could cause catastrophic harm, including human extinction.
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Work underway to convert former Chelsea prison into 131-unit affordable housing project

Rendering courtesy of COOKFOX

September 15, 2026

Work underway to convert former Chelsea prison into 131-unit affordable housing project

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Work to convert a former state prison in Chelsea into permanently affordable housing is officially underway. Developed by Camber Property Group and Osborne Association and designed by COOKFOX, Chelsea Beacon transforms the long-vacant Bayview Correctional Facility at 550 West 20th Street into 130 permanently affordable homes, including supportive units and short-term transitional residences. The $167 million project, which broke ground this summer, redevelops an eight-story Art Deco building that was built in the 1930s as dorms for sailors, preserving its historic brick facade and second-floor chapel, while also adding an expansion to the original structure.
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Mamdani unveils revamped Vision Zero plan with 100+ policy goals

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

September 15, 2026

Mamdani unveils revamped Vision Zero plan with 100+ policy goals

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Vision Zero is getting an overhaul. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday released "Vision Zero Reimagined," a plan that builds on the original initiative's goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries and introduces 100 policy goals for the next decade. The safety commitments are organized around eight “big-picture goals,” including pedestrian-only zones, safety redesigns for nearly 200 untreated Vision Zero priority corridors citywide, and stronger enforcement against reckless drivers.
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23-foot Earth sculpture to hang inside Cathedral of St. John the Divine

“Gaia” at Tewkesbury Abbey, UK, 2024. Photo © Jack Boskett Media Ltd.

September 14, 2026

23-foot Earth sculpture to hang inside Cathedral of St. John the Divine

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A massive, detailed sculpture of the Earth will hang inside Morningside Heights’ grand Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Created by UK artist Luke Jerram, "Gaia" measures 23 feet in diameter and features NASA imagery of the planet’s surface as it slowly rotates in the cathedral’s nave, offering a three-dimensional view of Earth floating in space. Installed to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, the sculpture will be celebrated with a special opening reception on Friday, September 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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NYC detects second Legionnaires’ outbreak of summer in the South Bronx

Credit: Shannon McNay on Unsplash

September 14, 2026

NYC detects second Legionnaires’ outbreak of summer in the South Bronx

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New York City has detected its second Legionnaires’ disease outbreak of the summer, prompting the cleaning and disinfection of 10 cooling towers in the South Bronx. On Sunday, the city's Health Department announced that the towers were being cleaned in ZIP codes 10451 and 10456, which cover Melrose and Morrisania. The agency told The City Reporter that 10 people had been diagnosed with the disease as of Sunday, including one person who died. The new community cluster marks the second outbreak in recent months, after the first sickened at least 76 people and killed four across the Upper East Side in June and July.
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LinkNYC kiosks share stories of New Yorkers who helped 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts

Photo © 6sqft

September 11, 2026

LinkNYC kiosks share stories of New Yorkers who helped 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts

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LinkNYC kiosks across New York City will share the inspiring stories of New Yorkers who aided in rescue and recovery efforts on September 11, right from the locations where they sprang into action. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced "Memory Markers: 9/11," a citywide initiative that turns streets into "walking tributes" with geolocated stories about people who helped on 9/11. The interactive map highlights sites including the Fresh Kills landfill, where 1.5 million tons of debris were sifted by hand, and an Upper West Side police precinct and fire station, where an MTA bus driver suddenly became a transporter for police officers, firefighters, and medical supplies headed to Ground Zero.
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City advances 21-story Forest Hills tower with 390 apartments on top of the subway

Credit: NYC CPC

September 10, 2026

City advances 21-story Forest Hills tower with 390 apartments on top of the subway

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A strip of retail and commercial businesses along Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills is slated to be replaced by a 390-unit high-rise apartment building with nearly 100 affordable homes directly above a subway station. The City Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a rezoning to make way for a new 21-story multi-family building at 100-12 Queens Boulevard. Dubbed The Frances, the project would feature public realm improvements and updated retail storefronts, while the 67th Avenue subway station, served by the M and R trains, sits immediately below the site.
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New Interborough Express renderings show modern stations for proposed rail line between Brooklyn and Queens
September 10, 2026

New Interborough Express renderings show modern stations for proposed rail line between Brooklyn and Queens

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Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA this week released new renderings of the proposed rail line between Brooklyn and Queens, as the design process moves "ahead of schedule." The images of the Interborough Express reveal modern outdoor train stations for the light rail, which will include 18 fully accessible stations between Bay Ridge and Jackson Heights. Following the design and engineering phase, the agency plans to release a draft environmental impact statement later this year. The MTA also launched a revamped website for the project.
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Brooklyn developer must repay $6M+ to condo buyers after illegal sales

Streetview of 427 Marcy Avenue © Google 2024

September 9, 2026

Brooklyn developer must repay $6M+ to condo buyers after illegal sales

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A Brooklyn condo developer who cheated tenants out of more than $6 million in down payments must repay the money and is banned from selling property in New York for six years. Attorney General Letitia James last week announced that the state secured the funds from 425 Marcy, LLC, and its principal, Ezra Unger, who she said unlawfully sold units and collected down payments for apartments in Williamsburg before he was legally permitted to do so. Unger then illegally used buyers' down payments for various expenses instead of keeping the money in escrow.
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Carnegie Deli to reopen in Midtown after 10 years

Carnegie Deli in 2006. Credit: hobbs_luton on Flickr

September 8, 2026

Carnegie Deli to reopen in Midtown after 10 years

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The legendary Carnegie Deli is slated to reopen this month after shuttering its longtime Midtown home in 2016. The restaurant's new location, just a block away from the original spot, has been meticulously restored to recreate the beloved deli's atmosphere. Located on Seventh Avenue between West 53rd and 54th Streets, the new restaurant features Carnegie Deli's signature illuminated sign, wood-paneled walls, and the classic Wall of Fame filled with celebrity patrons who have dined there, according to the Daily News. An exact opening date has yet to be announced, though sources told the Daily News that the restaurant is expected to open in early September.
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Mamdani releases 170,000 pages of long-shielded records on Ground Zero air quality after 9/11

Photo courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division. Library of Congress.”For information see “Unattributed 9/11 Photographs,” http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.297.unat

September 8, 2026

Mamdani releases 170,000 pages of long-shielded records on Ground Zero air quality after 9/11

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For nearly 25 years, 68 boxes of records related to New York City's response to the 9/11 terror attacks remained out of public view in a city office. Now, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to see documents that shed new light on what government officials knew about the dangers posed by toxic air around Ground Zero and what information was withheld from the public. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday released more than 170,000 pages of records through a public portal, including documents related to air quality, health concerns, and the city's response to the attacks. The release settles two Freedom of Information Law requests (FOIL) over access to the records and includes the "Harding Memo," a 2001 internal city document that warned the city could face as many as 35,000 potential liability claims related to the aftermath of 9/11.
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Three Crown Heights buildings transferred from negligent landlord

Streetview of 1392 Sterling Place © Google 2024

September 4, 2026

Three Crown Heights buildings transferred from negligent landlord

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Three rent-stabilized apartment buildings in Crown Heights have been transferred away from their negligent owners, paving the way for improvements for tenants across 88 apartments. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced the transfer of 1018 Eastern Parkway, 1074 Eastern Parkway, and 1392 Sterling Place, which under landlord Rubin Dukler had a combined total of nearly 1,000 open code violations. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will work with the buildings' new owner, Mark Schwartz, to implement critical repairs and resolve hazardous conditions that tenants have had to deal with for years.
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Tom Fruin’s iconic water tower sculpture in Brooklyn Bridge Park to be restored

Photos by Matthew Pugliese

September 4, 2026

Tom Fruin’s iconic water tower sculpture in Brooklyn Bridge Park to be restored

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The colorful water tower sculpture in Brooklyn Bridge Park has been removed. But don't worry, it will return next year. Designed by Tom Fruin and installed 12 years ago, the Plexiglas and steel artwork on top of the park's administrative building at 334 Furman Street was dismantled and taken down on Tuesday ahead of a renovation of the building. Like the building, the sculpture, which honors NYC's water towers, will also be restored, as first reported by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. "Watertower 3: R.V. Ingersoll" will be repaired and rehabilitated after more than a decade of exposure to sun, snow, and rain and reinstalled in the fall of 2027.
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Kips Bay groups rally to save AMC theater from closure

Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

September 3, 2026

Kips Bay groups rally to save AMC theater from closure

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A coalition of Kips Bay neighborhood organizations is fighting to save its beloved AMC movie theater from closure. On Thursday, the Save Kips Bay coalition sent a letter to NYU Langone urging the hospital system to work with residents on an outcome that will spare the AMC Kips Bay 15 multiplex from shuttering by the end of the year. AMC confirmed the closure late last month, saying the property owner had terminated its lease before the scheduled expiration. The owner was later revealed to be NYU Langone, which purchased the property more than a year ago. A community board meeting is scheduled for next week, giving local residents and moviegoers a chance to speak on the closure.
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