All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Here are the library books New Yorkers borrowed the most in 2024

Photo credit: Peter Frasco/ The New York Public Library

December 18, 2024

Here are the library books New Yorkers borrowed the most in 2024

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New York City's three public library systems revealed the annual most borrowed books of 2024. Across all three of the systems—the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library—the most checked-out title was "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin, followed by "Happy Place" by Emily Henry and "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yaros.
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Breuer Building up for individual, interior landmark designation

Image via WikiCommons

December 17, 2024

Breuer Building up for individual, interior landmark designation

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The interiors of the Whitney Museum's former Brutalist home may be preserved ahead of a planned renovation. The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar the Breuer Building at 945 Madison Avenue for consideration as an individual and interior landmark. Calendaring comes as the auction house Sotheby's prepares to relocate its headquarters to the Marcel Breuer-designed building; news of a renovation set to begin next year prompted preservationists to urge the agency to landmark the interiors.
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17 ways to celebrate Hanukkah in NYC

Credit: Brookfield Place

December 17, 2024

17 ways to celebrate Hanukkah in NYC

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With Hanukkah coinciding with Christmas this year, New York City is transforming into a festive hub of holiday celebrations. This year, the Festival of Lights begins at sunset on Wednesday, December 25, and lasts until sunset on Thursday, January 2. Across the five boroughs, there are many ways to enjoy the eight-night holiday, from menorah lighting celebrations to live music performances. Ahead, discover ways to celebrate Hanukkah in the Big Apple, from competing giant menorah lightings to live klezmer band performances at Brookfield Place.
Find ways to celebrate ahead
MTA to start retiring subway trains with retro orange-and-yellow seats in 2025

Photo by David Goehring on Flickr

December 16, 2024

MTA to start retiring subway trains with retro orange-and-yellow seats in 2025

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The New York City subway system's classic orange-and-yellow seat cars are entering their twilight years, set to begin gradually disappearing from the tracks in 2025. Starting next year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to slowly retire the R46, R62, and R68 subway cars—part of the MTA's "B Division" fleet—known for their colorful L-shaped, back-to-back seating, according to PIX11. The outdated cars will be replaced with the new R211 cars, as outlined in an NYC Transit order form.
here's why
Citi Bike to expand in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx next fall

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

December 16, 2024

Citi Bike to expand in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx next fall

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Citi Bike is set for a major expansion, bringing the bike-share service to 900,000 more New Yorkers in the outer boroughs. Mayor Eric Adams on Friday announced that starting in the fall of 2025, Citi Bike will roll out to underserved neighborhoods like Brownsville and Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, Norwood and Riverdale in the Bronx, and areas west of Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. The expansion will also add docking stations in high-demand areas to accommodate growing ridership.
See where Citi Bike is expanding
Upper East Side luxury rental opens lottery for 33 apartments, from $914/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

December 16, 2024

Upper East Side luxury rental opens lottery for 33 apartments, from $914/month

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A new luxury rental on the Upper East Side launched a housing lottery last week for 33 mixed-income apartments. As a modern interpretation of Manhattan's Art Deco buildings, The Delecor at 250 East 83rd Street in Yorkville offers a pre-war-inspired design with 128 apartments and 25,000 square feet of residential amenities, including a rooftop lounge and indoor pool. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $914/month for studios to $4,020/month for two bedrooms.
Learn if you qualify
New Brooklyn Public Library exhibit features rare photographs of James Baldwin flourishing in Turkey

Baldwin sitting in a Triumph Herald on the Bosphorus Ferry © Sedat Pakay

December 13, 2024

New Brooklyn Public Library exhibit features rare photographs of James Baldwin flourishing in Turkey

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The Brooklyn Public Library is celebrating the centennial of civil rights activist and writer James Baldwin’s birth with a special exhibition of never-before-seen photographs. Called "Turkey Saved My Life - Baldwin in Istanbul, 1961-1971," the installation features photographs by Turkish photographer Sedat Pakay that shed light on a fertile period in Baldwin’s life when he traveled to the country to distance himself from the racism and homophobia present in America. The exhibition is on view in the lobby of the Central Library through February 28, 2025.
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NYC is selling more ‘Cornelia Street’ signs on Taylor Swift’s birthday

Credit: NYC DOT

December 13, 2024

NYC is selling more ‘Cornelia Street’ signs on Taylor Swift’s birthday

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Here's a chance to make the Swiftie in your life very happy this holiday season. Back by popular demand, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) is selling a limited quantity of authentic, commemorative Cornelia Street signs as part of its monthly "sign drops." The signs, which cost $75, will be available for purchase starting Friday, December 13 at 12:13 p.m., coinciding with the pop star's birthday. Taylor Swift once rented a home on the Greenwich Village street, which she name-dropped in her 2019 song "Cornelia Street."
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NYC has seized 73,000+ ‘ghost cars’ and illegal vehicles during Adams administration

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

December 12, 2024

NYC has seized 73,000+ ‘ghost cars’ and illegal vehicles during Adams administration

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New York City is cracking down on cars with illegal plates and other untraceable vehicles. Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced that a new task force made up of the city's police department (NYPD) and Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has removed over 7,500 "ghost cars"—vehicles with forged or altered license plates that evade traffic cameras and toll readers—and 27,000 unregistered motorized vehicles in just 12 weeks. Since the start of the Adams administration, more than 73,000 ghost cars and illegal motorized vehicles have been seized.
details here
The duplex apartment in Paul Rudolph’s Modulightor Building may be landmarked

Exterior photo courtesy of the Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture; interior photo courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

December 12, 2024

The duplex apartment in Paul Rudolph’s Modulightor Building may be landmarked

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A year ago, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Modulightor Building, a Midtown East building designed by renowned architect Paul Rudolph, as a New York City landmark. Now, the agency will consider landmarking the interior of the building as well. On Tuesday, the agency voted to calendar a duplex apartment on the third and fourth floors of 246 East 58th Street designed by Rudolph. According to the commission, the apartment is a "complex, multi-layered late modern residential interior unlike any in New York City."
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NYC to close 25 migrant shelters, including Floyd Bennett Field

Photo via Wikimedia

December 11, 2024

NYC to close 25 migrant shelters, including Floyd Bennett Field

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The massive migrant shelter at Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field will close in January as the number of migrants entering New York City reaches its lowest point in 17 months. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced that the 2,000-bed Marine Park shelter, along with 24 other facilities, will shutter over the next two months as the number of asylum seekers in city shelters has declined for 22 straight weeks. The city wants to close the shelter, located on federal land, to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from revoking the facility’s lease in January or launching immigration raids once he takes office, the New York Times reported.
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Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor to buy $20M UES penthouse

Renderings courtesy of DBOX

December 11, 2024

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor to buy $20M UES penthouse

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Another New York Mets contract is grabbing headlines. Shortstop Francisco Lindor is set to score a $20 million penthouse at a boutique new condo building on the Upper East Side. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Lindor signed a contract for a 5,000-square-foot penthouse at 200 East 75th Street, an under-construction 18-story tower developed by EJS Group. Penthouse 5, which has six bedrooms and multiple terraces, is likely the baseball star's new home.
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National Black Theatre’s new 21-story home in Harlem opens lottery for 58 apartments, from $834/month

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

December 10, 2024

National Black Theatre’s new 21-story home in Harlem opens lottery for 58 apartments, from $834/month

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A 21-story mixed-use tower in Harlem that will soon house the historic National Black Theatre (NBT) and over 200 apartments opened an affordable housing lottery last week. On the corner of 125th Street and 5th Avenue, the new development, Ray Harlem, will include 27,000 square feet for NBT, the city's longest-running Black theater founded in the neighborhood in 1968, 222 residences, and commercial space. About a quarter of the apartments are designated affordable. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $834/month for studios to $3,643/month for two bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
New Lots Library redesign will recognize site’s legacy as an African Burial Ground

Renderings courtesy of MASS Design & Marble Fairbanks Architects

December 9, 2024

New Lots Library redesign will recognize site’s legacy as an African Burial Ground

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A transformational library redesign in East New York will honor the site's legacy as an African Burial Ground. The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) on Saturday revealed plans for the redesigned New Lots Library by MASS Design and Marble Fairbanks, designed to better serve local residents and recognize the formerly unacknowledged African Burial Ground while celebrating African American culture. The library is slated to close for construction in fall 2025.
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Largest and most expensive Stegosaurus fossil now on view at AMNH

The Apex Stegosaurus on view in the American Museum of Natural History’s Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. Alvaro Keding & Daniel Kim/© AMNH

December 6, 2024

Largest and most expensive Stegosaurus fossil now on view at AMNH

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One of the largest and most complete Stegosaurus fossils ever discovered—and the most expensive—is now on display at the American Museum of Natural History. Known as Apex, the 150-million-year-old fossil, measuring 11.5 feet tall and 27 feet long, was unveiled on Thursday just inside the entrance to the museum's Richard Gilder Center in the Kenneth C. Griffin Exploration Atrium. Nearly 80 percent complete, the fossil was loaned to AMNH by Griffin, who purchased it for a record-breaking $44.6 million at a Sotheby’s auction in July, according to Gothamist.
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NYC Council passes ‘City of Yes,’ paving the way for 82K new homes

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

December 6, 2024

NYC Council passes ‘City of Yes,’ paving the way for 82K new homes

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The City Council on Thursday voted 31-20 to approve Mayor Eric Adams' landmark "City of Yes" housing proposal, marking a major step forward in addressing New York City's critical housing shortage. The final version of the plan largely resembles the mayor's original vision but includes amendments by the Council that lower the projected number of new homes from 109,000 to roughly 82,000 over the next 15 years. The plan also includes significant investments in affordable housing, homeownership, tenant protections, and sewer, street, and open space infrastructure development across the five boroughs.
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Feds approve $10B Port Authority Bus Terminal redesign

Renderings courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

December 5, 2024

Feds approve $10B Port Authority Bus Terminal redesign

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A $10 billion plan to transform Midtown's aging Port Authority Bus Terminal into a world-class transit hub has received approval from the federal government and the city of New York. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) on Wednesday was issued a record of decision by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) after an "exhaustive" environmental review. The first phase of work, which will construct deck-overs above Dyers Avenue, is slated to begin early next year.
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Long Island City luxury tower opens lottery for 72 apartments, from $3,423/month

Credit: Fogarty Finger

December 5, 2024

Long Island City luxury tower opens lottery for 72 apartments, from $3,423/month

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A new 35-story luxury tower in Long Island City has launched a housing lottery for 72 middle-income apartments. Located at 23-10 42nd Road, Aura combines curated boutique residences with spacious layouts and an expansive amenities package not commonly seen in other developments in the neighborhood. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $3,423/month for studios to $4,376/month two bedrooms.
Learn if you qualify
Williamsburg’s first waterfront ice skating rink opens in Domino Square

All photos courtesy of Two Trees Management

December 4, 2024

Williamsburg’s first waterfront ice skating rink opens in Domino Square

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The first ice skating rink on the Williamsburg waterfront is now open. Located within the newly-completed public plaza Domino Square, the 7,000-square-foot rink offers skaters stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and East River. The rink offers public skating, themed events, and private rentals, with holiday-themed skate nights and live DJ sessions throughout the season.
LET'S SKATE
New Year’s Eve fireworks in Central Park and Prospect Park canceled this year because of drought

Fireworks at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park. Photo courtesy of Andrew Gardner

December 4, 2024

New Year’s Eve fireworks in Central Park and Prospect Park canceled this year because of drought

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New York City's parks will be unusually quiet this New Year's Eve. Due to the ongoing drought, firework shows will not take place in Central Park or Prospect Park this year, as first reported by the New York Times. Running non-profit New York Road Runners said City Hall and the Parks Department instructed them to forgo this year's fireworks display during the annual New Year's Eve race in Central Park. In Prospect Park, the traditional fireworks show has been swapped for a drone light show, featuring images of iconic NYC landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
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The best Christmas trees in New York City
December 3, 2024

The best Christmas trees in New York City

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With holiday festivities ramping up in New York City, neighborhoods across the five boroughs are coming alive with dazzling displays of festive cheer. The city's Christmas and holiday trees, whose allure brings visitors from all corners of the world during the holiday season, all come with their own festive flare. Discover some of the city's most stunning holiday trees, from Rockefeller Center's world-famous tree to lesser-known—but just as elegant—trees at the South Street Seaport and Luna Park.
Find the holiday magic
Conversion of Bushwick’s 19th-century William Ulmer Brewery into a mixed-use development begins

Renderings courtesy of DXA Studio

December 3, 2024

Conversion of Bushwick’s 19th-century William Ulmer Brewery into a mixed-use development begins

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Work has begun to transform Bushwick's landmarked William Ulmer Brewery into a mixed-use development. Developed by Rivington Company and designed by DXA Studio, the two-phase project restores the 19th-century building's ground floor and three cellar levels for commercial use, while converting the second, third, fourth, and penthouse levels into apartments. The project will also breathe new life into the building's exterior, with a rehabilitation of its masonry and a new roof.
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MTA rolls out first-ever festive ‘holiday train’ on Metro-North

Credit: MTA / Emily Moser on Flickr

December 2, 2024

MTA rolls out first-ever festive ‘holiday train’ on Metro-North

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is spreading holiday cheer across the tri-state region, offering commuters a festive way to ride the rails. The transit agency on Friday introduced the first-ever Holiday Lights Train on the Metro-North, operating on random rotation on the Hudson Line, Harlem Line, and New Haven Line at all times through the New Year. The festive trains are decked out with colorful exterior lights and play special holiday-themed safety messages at select stations.
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Apple leases additional 61K square feet at 11 Penn Plaza

Streetview of 11 Penn Plaza, Map data © 2022 Google

 

December 2, 2024

Apple leases additional 61K square feet at 11 Penn Plaza

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Apple has expanded its footprint in Vornado's Penn 11 office tower in Midtown, acquiring an additional 61,000 square feet. As reported by The Real Deal, the tech giant has signed a new lease that brings its total space in the building to 460,000 square feet and extends its occupancy through the expiration of Macy's lease in 2035. The company now spans the fourth through 14th floors of the 26-story tower, located at 11 Penn Plaza between West 31st and 32nd Streets on Seventh Avenue.
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The 23 best NYC holiday markets this year

FAD Holiday Market at Dumbo Empire Stores. Photo courtesy of FAD Market.

November 27, 2024

The 23 best NYC holiday markets this year

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The holiday season has officially arrived in New York City, bringing with it the quest for the perfect gift. Whether you're searching for one-of-a-kind jewelry or artwork, or are craving a festive treat, the city's holiday markets will have something special for everyone. Ahead, find some of the best spots to find unique and meaningful gifts for loved ones this holiday season, from long-standing markets at Bryant Park, Union Square, and Columbus Circle to exciting newcomers like Macy's Holiday Square.
your gift hunt starts here
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