All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Times Square food festival is back with more than a dozen restaurants

Photos by Sara Kerens

August 9, 2024

Times Square food festival is back with more than a dozen restaurants

By Aaron Ginsburg

Flavors from around the world will converge on Times Square next month. For the first time since 2019, the Times Square Alliance will host Taste of Times Square, an outdoor food and music festival featuring over 25 restaurants with diverse cuisines. To bring side-street restaurants to the heart of the bustling district, the festival will be set up at Broadway Plaza and Duffy Square between 45th and 48th Streets. The event takes place on Monday, September 9 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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Grand Central Terminal joins ‘Summer Streets’ for the first time

All photos courtesy of Grand Central Terminal/MTA

August 8, 2024

Grand Central Terminal joins ‘Summer Streets’ for the first time

By Aaron Ginsburg

Grand Central Terminal is participating in New York City's "Summer Streets" program for the first time ever. The annual event closes several miles of streets to cars to make space for outdoor recreation and activities. On August 10 and 17, the iconic train hall will host "The Grand Lawn," at 40th Street and Park Avenue, offering free outdoor lawn games and food and drink provided by Grand Central eateries.
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What you need to know about NYC’s Dominican Day Parade

Photo Credit: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office on Flickr

August 8, 2024

What you need to know about NYC’s Dominican Day Parade

By Aaron Ginsburg

The 42nd annual National Dominican Day Parade returns in vibrant colors to Midtown on Sunday, August 11. The parade celebrates New York City's Dominican community, the largest in the United States, and Dominican heritage with live music, parade floats, striking costumes, traditional food, dance, and much more. This year's parade theme, "Merengue Nuestro Ritmo" (Merengue Our Rhythm), honors the rich history and cultural significance of the iconic Caribbean dance style, with the legendary merengue band Los Hermanos Rosario serving as the grand marshal.
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Events & Things To Do

These vibrant artworks will brighten up NYC scaffolding

Clockwise from top left: Ebony Bolt, “The Jungle and The City;” Lauren Camara, “Paper Stories;” Neko Jiang, “Hidden Forest;” Venazir “Hannah Martinez,” The Shaping of New York; “Annette Weintraub,” The Myrtle Walks; “Zazu Swistel,” The Urbanite’s Clinic For Decadence and Decay; “Nikki Scioscia,” Plant Walk; “Bayeté Ross Smith,” Our Kind of People. Image courtesy of DCLA

August 7, 2024

These vibrant artworks will brighten up NYC scaffolding

By Aaron Ginsburg

Unsightly scaffolding and sidewalk sheds in New York City are getting a makeover. The city unveiled eight pre-approved vibrant artworks available to building owners looking to transform the green eyesores into platforms for beautiful public art. Overseen by the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), the City Canvas program aims to improve the pedestrian experience and provide local artists an opportunity to display their work in prominent locations.
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NYC floating pool coming to the Lower East Side (eventually)

+ POOL, designed by Family New York & PLAYLAB, INC. Rendering by Luxigon.

August 7, 2024

NYC floating pool coming to the Lower East Side (eventually)

By Aaron Ginsburg

Plans to bring a self-filtering floating pool to the East River are taking a small step forward this month. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams named Pier 35 on the Lower East Side as the official location for the +POOL, a first-of-its-kind swimming pool that uses a unique filtration system to provide safe swimming. Thanks to joint funding from the city and state, a three-month water filtration demonstration project will begin this month. A prototype of the +POOL structure could be ready by the summer of 2025.
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Policy

Adams announces more funding to help NYC homeowners build accessory dwelling units

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 6, 2024

Adams announces more funding to help NYC homeowners build accessory dwelling units

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will expand a pilot program that helps homeowners build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their properties. Mayor Eric Adams this week announced an additional $4 million in state funding for the pilot program "Plus One ADU," launched last November. With the additional funds, the program will provide $395,000 to up to 35 homeowners to build or convert an ADU on their property.
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Live in a new Upper East Side rental tower, from $1,655/month

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 6, 2024

Live in a new Upper East Side rental tower, from $1,655/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Here's a chance to live affordably in one of New York City's most desirable neighborhoods. A housing lottery opened at 300 East 83rd Street in the Yorkville section of the Upper East Side. The 22-story luxury rental, dubbed the Duchess, offers apartments with high-end finishes and amenities like a fitness center, rooftop terrace, and more. New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $1,655/month for studios to $4,020/month for two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Historic Governors Island building to become year-round restaurant and event space

Rendering by OSD (Office of Strategy + Design)

August 5, 2024

Historic Governors Island building to become year-round restaurant and event space

By Aaron Ginsburg

A former military building on Governors Island will be transformed into a SHoP Architects-designed restaurant and event space. The Trust for Governors Island last week unveiled plans for Taco Vista, which has operated on the island seasonally since 2018, to run three distinct venues in Building 140, which was constructed in the 19th century as a munitions warehouse. The 10,000-square-foot space project restores the historic building and adds a cafe and bar, an indoor-outdoor restaurant with event space, and a reimagined Taco Vista.
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NYC outdoor dining to shrink by over 80 percent under new rules

Miss Lily’s on Avenue A in 2020. Credit: Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

August 5, 2024

NYC outdoor dining to shrink by over 80 percent under new rules

By Aaron Ginsburg

Outdoor dining as New Yorkers have come to know it might be over. New York City restaurants with roadway and sidewalk dining setups that did not apply for the city's new program by the August 3 deadline must now remove their structures, many of which have been in place since 2020. According to the Daily News, about 2,500 restaurants, or about 15 percent, of the roughly 13,000 restaurants that had utilized outdoor dining have applied to keep their al fresco seating. The huge decline in participants in the program, which helped keep restaurants in business during the pandemic, comes after the city approved new guidelines to make the program seasonal, requiring restaurants to disassemble and store the structure during the winter, in addition to new fees and design requirements.
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600,000+ balloons take over Park Avenue Armory

Photos by Andrew Shelley

August 2, 2024

600,000+ balloons take over Park Avenue Armory

By Aaron Ginsburg

Over 600,000 vibrantly colored balloons have taken over the Upper East Side's Park Avenue Armory as part of a new pop-up art installation. The family-friendly "Balloon Story" exhibit has "balloonified" the armory, featuring intricate sculptures of animals, iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, and other imaginative designs set against balloon-filled landscapes. On view through Saturday, August 24, the exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Fridays through Sundays.
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Events & Things To Do

Popular Articles

NYC Council loses lawsuit over housing voucher expansion

Photo courtesy of Boran Pang on Unsplash

August 2, 2024

NYC Council loses lawsuit over housing voucher expansion

By Aaron Ginsburg

A state judge on Thursday rejected a lawsuit from the New York City Council that sought to force Mayor Eric Adams to expand a housing voucher program. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Lyle E. Frank on Thursday ruled the City Council lacks the legal authority to expand the program, a 2023 law originally vetoed by Adams, The City reported. The judge sided with Adams, stating the Council's bill was invalid, "preempted by the state's social services law," and the council had no authority to expand the program.
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In heart of Harlem, new rental tower opens lottery for 117 affordable apartments, from $788/month

Photo of Marcus Garvey Village. © Ondel Hylton

August 2, 2024

In heart of Harlem, new rental tower opens lottery for 117 affordable apartments, from $788/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery has launched for 117 affordable apartments at a new rental tower in the heart of Harlem. Located at 212 West 124th Street within the Marcus Garvey Village complex, the 17-story building is 100 percent affordable to low- and moderate-income residents and offers state-of-the-art amenities and modern homes. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 70 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $788/month for studios to $2,232/month for two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Whole Foods to open two new Manhattan locations

Rendering courtesy of Whole Foods

August 1, 2024

Whole Foods to open two new Manhattan locations

By Aaron Ginsburg

Two new Whole Foods stores are coming to Manhattan. The supermarket chain last month announced plans to open another small-format "Whole Foods Market Daily Shop" at 301 West 50th Street in Hell's Kitchen as part of their broader expansion across the five boroughs. The grocery chain has also signed a lease to open a new 20,000-square-foot store at 409 East 14th Street in the East Village, as the New York Post first reported.
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Food & Dining

Vacant East Village church to become 500+ affordable housing units

Streetview of 181 Avenue D. © 2022 Google

August 1, 2024

Vacant East Village church to become 500+ affordable housing units

By Aaron Ginsburg

A former Catholic church in the East Village is set to become a residential development with more than 500 affordable housing units. The Archdiocese of New York on Wednesday announced the Parish of St. Brigid-St. Emeric sold the vacant church and school campus at 181 Avenue D to a joint venture led by Community Access, Spatial Equity, Duvernay + Brooks, and Cooper Square Committee. The project will include homes for seniors and formerly homeless individuals, including those with special needs who qualify for supportive services.
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Affordable Housing

New Snøhetta-designed public library opens in Far Rockaway

Photos courtesy of Matthew Lapiska/DDC

July 31, 2024

New Snøhetta-designed public library opens in Far Rockaway

By Aaron Ginsburg

Far Rockaway's new public library officially opened this week. Designed by acclaimed architecture firm Snøhetta, the two-story Queens Public Library branch at 1637 Central Avenue is twice the size of the previous library, which closed in 2018, and features a striking sunrise-inspired glass facade and central atrium that lets natural light fill the building. The $39 million library is part of the broader 2017 Downtown Far Rockaway rezoning to bring more housing, retail, and amenities to the neighborhood.
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Architecture And Design

A colossal pigeon will soon perch above the High Line

Iván Argote, “Dinosaur,” 2024 (rendering). A High Line Plinth commission. On view October 2024— Spring 2026. Images courtesy of the artist and the High Line.

July 31, 2024

A colossal pigeon will soon perch above the High Line

By Aaron Ginsburg

A giant pigeon sculpture will soon tower over 10th Avenue from its perch on the High Line. The High Line on Wednesday revealed its selection of artist Iván Argote’s "Dinosaur," a 16-foot-tall, hyper-realistic sculpture of a pigeon cast in aluminum, as its next High Line Plinth commission. The monumental bird will be installed above the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street this October and remain on view for 18 months.
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Events & Things To Do

Controversial Clinton Hill migrant shelter may become 600+ apartments

Streetview of 47 Hall Street. © 2023 Google

July 30, 2024

Controversial Clinton Hill migrant shelter may become 600+ apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

A controversial migrant center in Clinton Hill could be converted into a new mixed-use complex with hundreds of apartments and commercial space. RXR Realty on Friday filed plans with the Department of City Planning (DCP) to transform a block-long campus of 10 former manufacturing buildings at 47 Hall Street into a mixed-use campus with 611 apartments as Crain's New York first reported. Since last July, portions of the site have served as a temporary humanitarian emergency response and relief center, currently home to around 3,000 asylum seekers.
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Second Avenue Subway work resumes after Hochul allocates $54M

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 30, 2024

Second Avenue Subway work resumes after Hochul allocates $54M

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday allocated $54 million to immediately restart work on the Second Avenue Subway extension, which will bring the Q train from 96th Street to 125th Street in East Harlem. The new funding allows the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to relocate utility lines along Second Avenue in preparation for the next phase of the transit project. The MTA stopped work on the project last month after the governor indefinitely paused the start of congestion pricing; the $1 billion in projected annual revenue from the program was intended to fund the project.
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NYC financed the most new affordable homes on record this fiscal year

Photo courtesy of Joshua Armstrong on Unsplash

July 30, 2024

NYC financed the most new affordable homes on record this fiscal year

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has produced a record-breaking number of affordable housing units for back-to-back years, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday. In the fiscal year 2024, the city financed 28,944 affordable and public housing units through new construction and preservation efforts, the highest for any fiscal year. The mayor also touted his administration's effort to move a record number of homeless New Yorkers into permanent housing, streamline the housing lottery system, and build the most supportive homes and homes for homeless New Yorkers in the city's history.
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Affordable Housing

Rockefeller Center transformed into Parisian ‘Viewing Village’ for the Olympics

All photos courtesy of Tishman Speyer

July 29, 2024

Rockefeller Center transformed into Parisian ‘Viewing Village’ for the Olympics

By Aaron Ginsburg

Rockefeller Center has turned into a hub for Team USA during the 2024 Olympics. NBCUniversal transformed The Rink into an "Olympics Viewing Village," with a Paris-themed patio, French food, watch parties, photo-ops with an Eiffel Tower replica and medal podium, and special appearances by athletes. The interactive experience, which also includes a Parisian-inspired bar sponsored by Michelob ULTRA, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. until the closing ceremony on August 11.
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Events & Things To Do

Affordable senior housing project next to Google’s new NYC headquarters moves forward

Rendering by COOKFOX Architects

July 29, 2024

Affordable senior housing project next to Google’s new NYC headquarters moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

An affordable senior housing development in the West Village is moving forward. Jonathan Rose Companies and Atlas Capital Group last week announced they closed on financing for 570 Washington Street, a new development with 175 units of housing for seniors earning 50 percent of the area median income or less. Located next to Google's new Hudson Square headquarters, 570 Washington is the affordable housing component of the two-tower project 80 Clarkson, which will include over 100 luxury condos.
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56 affordable apartments available at luxury Williamsburg rental, from $1,757/month

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

July 26, 2024

56 affordable apartments available at luxury Williamsburg rental, from $1,757/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are being accepted for 56 below-market-rate apartments at a new luxury rental in Williamsburg. The nine-story building at 597 Grand Street offers residents spacious units with modern amenities, like a fitness center and rooftop terrace. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $1,757/month for studios to $3,963/month for two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Shakespeare in the Park returns to new Delacorte Theater next summer with star-studded cast

Renderings courtesy of the Public Theater

July 26, 2024

Shakespeare in the Park returns to new Delacorte Theater next summer with star-studded cast

By Aaron Ginsburg

Shakespeare in the Park's much-anticipated return to the revitalized Delacorte Theater will feature a star-studded cast. The Public Theater on Thursday announced the lineup for next year's free Shakespeare in the Park program, which will reopen with a production of the classic comedy "Twelfth Night" featuring stars including Peter Dinklage, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Sandra Oh. Shakespeare in the Park is set to return to its home in Central Park in August 2025.
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Hochul is sued over congestion pricing pause

Photo Credit: Layla Melendez/Office of NYC Comptroller on Flickr

July 25, 2024

Hochul is sued over congestion pricing pause

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and a coalition of local advocacy groups and lawyers filed two lawsuits against Gov. Kathy Hochul, claiming she didn't have the legal authority to pause the tolling program last month, as reported by Gothamist. The program was originally scheduled to begin on June 30 but was delayed last minute by Hochul.
DETAILS HERE

New Student OMNY cards expand free rides to 24 hours a day

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 25, 2024

New Student OMNY cards expand free rides to 24 hours a day

By Aaron Ginsburg

Taking public transportation will soon be easier for New York City public school students. City officials on Tuesday announced Student OMNY cards will replace MetroCards, allowing for tap-and-go trips on the subway and bus. Plus, the new cards will be valid for four free rides per day, 24 hours a day, all year long. Previously, student MetroCards were limited to three free rides a day, from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and only on days when school was open.
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