All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Second Avenue Subway extension to East Harlem gets funding boost from Biden administration

Image courtesy of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

November 6, 2023

Second Avenue Subway extension to East Harlem gets funding boost from Biden administration

The plan to extend the Q train to East Harlem received a funding boost this weekend. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Saturday announced a $3.4 billion federal grant for the Second Avenue Subway extension, covering nearly half of the project's estimated total cost of $7.7 billion. The plan will extend the Q by 1.8 miles and connect its current endpoint at 96th Street on the Upper East Side to 125th Street in Harlem, with fully accessible stations between them at 106th and 116th Streets.
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Construction officially begins on Hudson River tunnel project

Photo courtesy of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office on Flickr

November 3, 2023

Construction officially begins on Hudson River tunnel project

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work to replace a decaying rail tunnel under the Hudson River is moving ahead after receiving $3.8 billion in federal funding. Gov. Kathy Hochul, United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Chuck Schumer and other officials on Friday announced the start of the first phase of the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project, part of the Gateway Program. This early phase of the project will create concrete casings for trains to travel under the Hudson River and through to Pennsylvania Station and will raise a section of road in New Jersey that will feed into the mouth of the new tunnel.
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Morris Adjmi’s 100-unit Soho project approved by LPC, the first under rezoning

Rendering courtesy of Morris Adjmi Architects

November 2, 2023

Morris Adjmi’s 100-unit Soho project approved by LPC, the first under rezoning

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans for a 13-story mixed-use building with 100 housing units at 277 Canal Street, a landmarked three-story building atop the Canal Street subway station. Developed by United American Land (UAL) and designed by Morris Adjmi, the project is the first development to be approved for the historic district following the Soho/Noho rezoning that passed in 2021.
Details here

New Developments

All-electric 30-story tower with 324 apartments and academic space breaks ground in Downtown Brooklyn

Rendering courtesy of RXR

November 2, 2023

All-electric 30-story tower with 324 apartments and academic space breaks ground in Downtown Brooklyn

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction has begun on an all-electric residential building in Downtown Brooklyn that includes 324 apartments and academic space for Long Island University. RXR on Monday broke ground on the 30-story tower at 89 Dekalb Avenue, which is set to be one of the developer's most sustainable projects as the building is fully electric, features a smart glass facade system, and has electric vehicle charging stations.
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6-acre light installation at proposed Midtown East casino site to open in December

All renderings courtesy of the Soloviev Foundation

November 2, 2023

6-acre light installation at proposed Midtown East casino site to open in December

By Aaron Ginsburg

A sprawling light installation coming to the site of a proposed casino in Midtown East is opening next month. Designed by Bruce Munro, Field of Light at Freedom Plaza includes 17,000 low-light, fiber-optic stemmed spheres that change hues and create a dreamlike landscape across six acres near the United Nations headquarters. Free tickets are now available to book to visit the installation, which officially debuts December 15. The display is financed by the Soloviev Group, which owns the vacant land and is looking to build a mixed-use development called Freedom Plaza, anchored by a casino.
learn more about the installation

Coney Island’s Luna Park will stay open this winter for the first time ever

Photo courtesy of Luna Park

November 1, 2023

Coney Island’s Luna Park will stay open this winter for the first time ever

By Aaron Ginsburg

Luna Park in Coney Island will stay open this winter for the first time in its 120-year history for an exciting holiday celebration. Starting on November 18, Luna Park will be home to Frost Fest, a winter festival that will let visitors ride some of the amusement park's iconic rides and attractions, glide across a brand-new ice skating rink, enjoy holiday shopping, eat festive food, and much more. Frost Fest runs through January 7.
learn more about frost fest

Events & Things To Do

A first look at this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Image courtesy of Tishman Speyer

November 1, 2023

A first look at this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

By Aaron Ginsburg

The 2023 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has officially been selected. The 80-foot-tall Norway Spruce comes from Vestal, a suburb of Binghamton, and will be cut down next Thursday and arrive at Rockefeller Center on Saturday, November 11. After the world-famous tree is decorated with thousands of sparkling lights and crowned with its Swarovski star, the annual tree lighting ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 29.
read more about this year's tree

Events & Things To Do

Lottery opens for 40 middle-income units near the park in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, from $2,350/month

Rendering courtesy of Hill West Architects

November 1, 2023

Lottery opens for 40 middle-income units near the park in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, from $2,350/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery opened this week for 40 middle-income units at a new residential development in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. Located at 210 Clarkson Avenue, the eight-story mixed-use rental building offers residents modern apartments with state-of-the-art amenities and easy access to Prospect Park. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $80,572 for a single person and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced at $2,350/month for one bedrooms and $2,750/month for two bedrooms.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Beautiful ‘ofrenda’ on display at Rockefeller Center for Day of the Dead celebration

All photos courtesy of Tequila Casa Dragones

October 31, 2023

Beautiful ‘ofrenda’ on display at Rockefeller Center for Day of the Dead celebration

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mexico Week has returned to Rockefeller Center for the third year in a row, giving New Yorkers an opportunity to honor Mexican heritage and Día de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, over the course of a week-long celebration. As part of the annual celebration, guests can experience Mexican art, food, music, and culture across the Rockefeller Center campus through a series of free events. Mexico Week runs through November 2.
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Events & Things To Do

MTA rolls out OMNY card machines at select subway stations

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

October 30, 2023

MTA rolls out OMNY card machines at select subway stations

By Aaron Ginsburg

The time has come. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday installed the first OMNY vending machines at select subway stations across the city, marking a major step in the retirement of the MetroCard. The new machines allow people who pay with cash to purchase a tappable card to use at the turnstiles, which are all equipped with tap-to-pay technology. The installation of OMNY vending machines, which will also accept cards and digital wallets, in all 472 stations will continue through 2024.
learn more about the new machines

New R211 subway cars taken out of service due to faulty gears

By Aaron Ginsburg

Due to technical issues, almost all of the subway system's new futuristic cars have been taken off the rails. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week confirmed that six out of the seven new R211 subway cars had been taken out of service due to malfunctioning gearboxes which caused the car's wheels to lock up, drag along the tracks, and flatten, as first reported by Gothamist. The cars are expected to be back in service in a few weeks after being repaired.
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Village home and studio of Roy Lichtenstein opens after renovation, honored with historic plaque

Photo courtesy of Village Preservation on Flickr

October 27, 2023

Village home and studio of Roy Lichtenstein opens after renovation, honored with historic plaque

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Whitney Museum of American Art and Village Preservation on Thursday unveiled a historic plaque at the Greenwich Village home and studio of the renowned artist Roy Lichtenstein. Lichtenstein lived and worked at the 11,000-square-foot building at 741-745 Washington Street from 1988 until his passing in 1997. The building, constructed in 1912 as a metalworking shop, has officially reopened after receiving a full renovation by Los Angeles-based architects Johnston Marklee. The building now serves as the first permanent home for the museum's Independent Study Program (ISP), which supports future artists and scholars.
learn more about the famed studio

All photos courtesy of Caroline Ourso

October 26, 2023

Prospect Park reopens Fallkill Waterfall trail after nearly 30 years

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers can now access a waterfall in Prospect Park without having to hop a fence for the first time in decades. The Prospect Park Alliance on Thursday opened Fallkill Trail, a new woodland pathway leading to the scenic Fallkill Waterfall that has been behind fencing since 1995. The new trail was created by staff and volunteers from Prospect Park Alliance who worked to remove invasive plants, plant native species, haul logs, grade paths, and form the trail.
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Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

Image courtesy of the Coney Island History Project

October 26, 2023

Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

By Aaron Ginsburg

Celebrate Coney Island's 200th anniversary by honoring the neighborhood's oldest surviving artifact this weekend. The Coney Island History Project, located at 3059 West 12th Street next to the entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, is displaying the 200-year-old Coney Island Toll House sign from 1823. The artifact will be on view on Saturday, October 28, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
MORE ON CONEY ISLAND's 200-YEAR HISTORY HERE

NYC breaks ground on Inwood performing arts center dedicated to immigrant experience

Renderings courtesy of the People’s Theatre Project

October 26, 2023

NYC breaks ground on Inwood performing arts center dedicated to immigrant experience

By Aaron Ginsburg

Officials on Wednesday celebrated the groundbreaking of The People's Theatre: Centro Cultural Immigrante, a 19,000-square-foot performing arts and research center in Inwood dedicated to immigrants and the immigrant experience. Designed by woman-and-immigrant-owned architecture firm WORKac and theater and acoustics consultant Charcoalblue, the center will feature a flexible midsize theater, a smaller performance space, rehearsal studios, a soundproof practice room, gallery space, and educational programming. Centro Cultural Immigrante, located within a huge mixed-use development at 405-407 West 206th Street, is scheduled to open its doors in 2026.
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Events & Things To Do

Supportive housing development for homeless LGBTQ young adults opens in Harlem

Image courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

October 25, 2023

Supportive housing development for homeless LGBTQ young adults opens in Harlem

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new housing development with supportive services for LGBTQIA+ young adults opened in Harlem this week. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday the completion of Homeward Central Harlem, a residential project with 50 apartments and on-site services provided by Homeward NYC, a non-profit that provides housing and support for homeless New Yorkers. The nine-story building at 15 West 118th Street will offer counseling, case management, group activities, skills-building programs, and connections to community resources.
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Affordable Housing

New York approves three offshore wind projects in historic renewable energy investment

Photo courtesy of (vincent desjardins) on Flickr

October 25, 2023

New York approves three offshore wind projects in historic renewable energy investment

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York is making the largest-ever state investment in renewable energy in the United States. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced the state has awarded contracts for three new offshore wind farms that are expected to generate 4,032 megawatts of clean energy, lowering CO2 emissions by more than 7 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of removing 1.6 million cars from the road annually. The wind projects paired with 22 land-based renewable energy projects will create enough clean energy to power 2.6 million homes in New York, or 12 percent of the state's electricity needs.
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Policy

RXR opens 27-story South Bronx rental with 200 apartments

All renderings courtesy of RXR unless noted otherwise

October 24, 2023

RXR opens 27-story South Bronx rental with 200 apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

Another residential development has opened in Mott Haven. RXR last week opened Maven, a new 27-story rental tower located on the South Bronx waterfront. Located at 2413 Third Avenue, the 145,643-square-foot building is the developer's first project in the Bronx. Designed by CetraRuddy, the tower contains a total of 200 rental units, 60 of which are affordable for middle-income households.
read more about maven

Next to a transit hub and historic park in Jamaica, 67 mixed-income luxury units are available, from $1,585/month

Rendering courtesy of Zara Realty

October 24, 2023

Next to a transit hub and historic park in Jamaica, 67 mixed-income luxury units are available, from $1,585/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new rental in Queens is now accepting applications for 67 mixed-income apartments. Located at 153-10 88th Avenue in the heart of Jamaica, The 88 includes luxury units and amenities, including two landscaped rooftop decks. The building sits next to Rufus King Park and is near several public transit lines. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $57,292 for a single person annually and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $1,585/month studios to $3,075/month two bedrooms.
do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

October 23, 2023

The best ways to celebrate Halloween 2023 in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers, it's spooky season. New York City is known to go all out for Halloween, with over-the-top parades, epic trick-or-treating, and spirited parties in every neighborhood. Ahead, find some of this year's best-haunted happenings for all ages, from kid-approved activities and dog costume contests to devilish dance parties and brews and booze.
HAUNTED HAPPENINGS, HERE

Events & Things To Do

NYC’s proposed outdoor dining rules ban enclosed structures

The outdoor dining shed at Maiden Korea, 316 5th Avenue, in 2021. Photo courtesy of Alfresco NYC.

October 20, 2023

NYC’s proposed outdoor dining rules ban enclosed structures

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city wants to shed its outdoor dining shacks. Under draft rules for the permanent outdoor dining program released by the city on Thursday, fully enclosed "streeteries" would no longer be permitted. Instead, structures on roadways can have umbrellas, awnings, or some other covering that can easily be removed. The city on Thursday launched a 30-day comment period to get feedback from restaurants and the public on the proposed rules. The first approved outdoor dining setups are expected to be installed in spring 2024.
read more about the future of outdoor dining

The best bar in North America is on the Lower East Side

Double Chicken Please, image courtesy of World’s 50 Best Bars

October 19, 2023

The best bar in North America is on the Lower East Side

By Aaron Ginsburg

The best bar in North America is in New York City. The annual list of the world's 50 best bars was unveiled this week and the Lower East Side's Double Chicken Please took second place, making it the best bar on this continent. Two other Manhattan bars made the list: Overstory in the Financial District at 17 and and Katana Kitten in Greenwich Village at 27.
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NYC on track to build just 11,000 homes this year, half of 2022 total, report finds

Brooklyn Point in Downtown Brooklyn offers 421-a benefits through 2045; Rendering by Williams New York.

October 19, 2023

NYC on track to build just 11,000 homes this year, half of 2022 total, report finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will build just 11,000 new units of housing this year, a sharp decline from the year before and way below the number of homes needed to address the city's current housing crisis. According to a report released Wednesday by the NY Building Congress, construction of new residential units dropped by 62 percent in 2023, due to the expiration of the 421-a tax abatement in combination with high interest rates.
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Wegmans officially opens in the East Village

All images courtesy of Wegmans

October 18, 2023

Wegmans officially opens in the East Village

By Aaron Ginsburg

Manhattan's first Wegmans grocery store has finally opened its doors. Located at 770 Broadway in the East Village, the 87,500-square-foot Wegmans Astor Place offers the grocer's signature affordable prices and prepared food options, as well as Next Door, a 94-seat restaurant with a sushi bar and Champagne-oyster bar which is expected to open during the first half of 2024. The grocery store, which replaced a Kmart, is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
See INSIDE

Food & Dining

Sewer alligator sculpture in Union Square channels century-old New York City myth

All photos courtesy of Jane Kratochvil

October 18, 2023

Sewer alligator sculpture in Union Square channels century-old New York City myth

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new sculpture in Union Square Park plays on the century-old myth that alligators live in New York City's sewer system. Created by Swedish artist Alexander Klingspor in collaboration with Mollbrinks Gallery, "NYC Legend" is a bronze sculpture depicting a life-sized alligator sitting atop a manhole cover. The artwork is inspired by an urban legend that originated 100 years ago claiming New Yorkers set pet baby alligators loose in the sewers after they grew too large to handle. The installation is on display through June 2024.
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All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

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