All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

August 29, 2024

12 museums just outside NYC perfect for a day trip

New York City is celebrated as one of the world's art capitals, with travelers coming far and wide to visit its world-class museums. However, you can find many cultural gems beyond the borders of the five boroughs. Ahead, here are some of the best museums worth visiting on a day trip from NYC, from the expansive sculpture fields of Storm King Art Center and Art Omi to the historic charm of house museums at the Olana State Historic Site and Philip Johnson's Glass House.
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NYC’s Open Streets will expand to 70+ schools

School children participate in activities with Street Lab on an Open Street: School. Credit: Street Lab

August 29, 2024

NYC’s Open Streets will expand to 70+ schools

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's Open Streets program is expanding to more than 70 schools this year. The city's Department of Transportation on Thursday announced a record-breaking expansion of the program, with 71 schools across the five boroughs set to gain additional outdoor space for students to learn and play. This initiative will improve safety by simplifying the pick-up and drop-off process. Most of the new open streets will be located outside of schools in underserved communities in the outer boroughs, including 12 in the Bronx, 12 in Brooklyn, and 20 in Queens.
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As nearly half of NYC bus riders don’t pay, MTA deploys inspectors to combat fare evasion

Photo by Marc A. Hermann/ MTA on Flickr

August 28, 2024

As nearly half of NYC bus riders don’t pay, MTA deploys inspectors to combat fare evasion

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is ramping up its efforts to stop fare evasion in the bus system following a report that nearly half of all riders are not paying. The MTA on Monday revealed that new unarmed fare inspectors will be deployed on local buses throughout the city to enforce fare payment, with fare evaders being asked to leave the bus and potentially facing a summons or arrest. The city bus system has the worst fare evasion problem of any major city in the world, costing the transit agency more than $300 million every year.
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Modulightor. Image credit: Joe Polowczuk

August 28, 2024

The Met to host first major museum exhibition dedicated to architect Paul Rudolph

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will host the first-ever major museum exhibition dedicated to the works of influential architect Paul Rudolph. Running from September 30 through March 16, 2025, "Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph" examines the career and legacy of the Modernist architect and how his contributions to architecture continue to inspire innovative designs in cities across the globe. The exhibition will feature over 80 works, ranging from small objects he collected throughout his life to drawings, models, furniture, material samples, and photographs.
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Lottery opens for 90 mixed-income apartments at first Gowanus rezoning project, from $784/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 27, 2024

Lottery opens for 90 mixed-income apartments at first Gowanus rezoning project, from $784/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery launched this week for 90 mixed-income apartments at the first residential project developed under the Gowanus rezoning. The two-tower rental at 420 Carroll Street includes 360 apartments, 25 percent of which are priced below market rate, commercial space, and a new public promenade along the Gowanus Canal. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 100, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $784/month for studios to $3,298/month for three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

NYC seeks proposals for redesign of Park Avenue medians

Image by Fabio Fistarol on Unsplash

August 27, 2024

NYC seeks proposals for redesign of Park Avenue medians

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is moving forward with a plan to put the "park" back in Park Avenue. The Department of Transportation released a request for proposals (RFP) on Tuesday seeking designs to transform the traffic medians on Park Avenue between East 46th Street and East 57th Street with more green space and pedestrian-friendly areas.
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Architecture And Design

Babe Ruth’s ‘called-shot’ Yankees jersey sells for $24M at auction

All images courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com

August 27, 2024

Babe Ruth’s ‘called-shot’ Yankees jersey sells for $24M at auction

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York Yankees jersey worn by Babe Ruth when he "called his shot" during the 1932 World Series sold in an auction for $24.12 million, a new record for the most expensive sports collectible. After a bidding war that lasted over six hours, the jersey, which Ruth wore when he pointed to the outfield and proceeded to hit a home run to deep center field, sold on Sunday at Heritage Auctions. The jersey was recently photo-matched by multiple third parties using images from Getty Images and the Chicago Daily News, which show Ruth wearing it in the Wrigley Field dugout on October 1, 1932.
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City Living

$120M project to close gap in Manhattan’s East River greenway moves forward

Image courtesy of the NYC Economic Development Corporation

August 26, 2024

$120M project to close gap in Manhattan’s East River greenway moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

A decade-old plan to fill in the gap in the East River greenway near the United Nations is finally moving forward. The city's Economic Development Corporation last week issued a request for proposals (RFP) from contractors to supervise the construction of the proposed esplanade, which will span less than a mile between East 41st and East 53rd Streets, as first reported by Gothamist. The project is the city's latest effort to reach its goal of creating a 32-mile cycling and pedestrian path along Manhattan's waterfront.
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Policy

Coney Island Cyclone shut down indefinitely after mid-ride breakdown

Photo courtesy of Luna Park

August 26, 2024

Coney Island Cyclone shut down indefinitely after mid-ride breakdown

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Coney Island Cyclone has been closed indefinitely after a mechanical failure caused the iconic roller coaster to halt mid-ride. While the famous Luna Park coaster ascended to its drop on Thursday, an operator stopped the ride after noticing a damaged chain sprocket in its motor room, as reported by the Associated Press. The nearly century-old attraction is currently undergoing repairs and will reopen once the work is complete and the ride passes an inspection by the city's Department of Buildings (DOB), according to Luna Park.
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Policy

165 affordable apartments available at new Brownsville housing complex, from $454/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 23, 2024

165 affordable apartments available at new Brownsville housing complex, from $454/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are now being accepted for 165 affordable apartments at a new housing complex in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Located at 589 Christopher Avenue, the building is the second and final phase of Ebenezer Plaza, a sprawling mixed-use development bringing much-needed affordable housing to the community. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $454/month for studios to $2,949/month for three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Barneys New York returns to Soho for a New York Fashion Week pop-up

By Aaron Ginsburg

Attention New Yorkers: Barneys New York is returning to Soho, but only for a limited time. The beloved luxury retailer will host a five-week-long pop-up at 14 Prince Street from September 5 through October 11, to coincide with New York Fashion Week. Managed by beauty brand Hourglass Cosmetics, the 1,500-square-foot pop-up will feature a selection of both established and up-and-coming brands, including Marc Jacobs, Thom Browne, Christopher John Rogers, and Khaite, and newcomers Reome, Perfumehead, and AKT, according to Retail TouchPoints.
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Events & Things To Do

New Jersey Symphony gets a permanent home in Jersey City

Renderings courtesy of the New Jersey Symphony

August 22, 2024

New Jersey Symphony gets a permanent home in Jersey City

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New Jersey Symphony will soon have its first-ever permanent home at a new cutting-edge theater in downtown Jersey City. Mayor Steven Fulop and the New Jersey Symphony on Wednesday announced the Symphony will relocate to a 44,000-square-foot performance space on the corner of Provost and Morgan Streets in the Powerhouse Arts District in spring 2026. The 550-seat theater, dubbed Symphony Center, will also offer educational and community programs and include 8,000 square feet of office space.
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Architecture And Design

NYC secures largest civil rights settlement in city history for housing discrimination

Parkchester, East Bronx. Photo by TheBronxNYC on Wikimedia

August 22, 2024

NYC secures largest civil rights settlement in city history for housing discrimination

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has secured the largest civil rights settlement in history, holding a prominent landlord accountable for rampant discrimination against housing voucher holders. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the landmark settlement, which imposed $1 million in civil penalties against Parkchester Preservation Management and secured 850 apartments to be set aside for voucher holders. The settlement represents the highest fine and largest number of apartments secured in a settlement by the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
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Policy

Magnolia Bakery lands at LaGuardia Airport

Images courtesy of Magnolia Bakery

August 21, 2024

Magnolia Bakery lands at LaGuardia Airport

By Aaron Ginsburg

Flying out of LaGuardia Airport just got sweeter. New York City icon Magnolia Bakery will open at Delta's Terminal C this week, marking the shop's first airport location. Starting Thursday, the bakery will sell its world-famous banana pudding as well as other tasty treats as part of a new food hall in the terminal.
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Food & Dining

City moves forward with scaled-back McGuinness Boulevard redesign

McGuinness Boulevard. Courtesy of NYC DOT

August 21, 2024

City moves forward with scaled-back McGuinness Boulevard redesign

By Aaron Ginsburg

A plan to take away lanes of traffic and add protected bike lanes on busy McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint will be scaled back. The Department of Transportation shared its plan with elected officials on Tuesday for the street's redesign, which will extend a bike lane to the southern half of McGuinness but not reduce the number of traffic lanes or create a protected bike path as originally proposed, The City reported. According to reports, Mayor Eric Adams' administration pushed for the watered-down redesign, citing community concerns over the plan.
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Cathedral of St. John the Divine gets $1.5M grant to transform historic building into community hub

Photos by Brian Kutner

August 20, 2024

Cathedral of St. John the Divine gets $1.5M grant to transform historic building into community hub

By Aaron Ginsburg

A historic, underutilized building on the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine campus will become a social services center for New Yorkers facing poverty. The Morningside Heights church on Tuesday announced it received $1.5 million in city funding to support the renovation of Synod Hall, transforming it into an expanded hub for Cathedral Community Cares (CCC), the cathedral's social services arm that focuses on combating poverty with preventative services, education, and advocacy, with a focus on issues of health and hunger.
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Architecture And Design

Harris proposes 3 million new homes, $25K in down payment assistance

Image courtesy of Wake Technical Community College on Flickr

August 20, 2024

Harris proposes 3 million new homes, $25K in down payment assistance

By Aaron Ginsburg

Vice President Kamala Harris last week released several proposals to lower housing costs for Americans if elected. During a speech in North Carolina on Friday, Harris outlined her plans to construct three million new housing units, expand tax incentives for developers who build affordable rentals, encourage the construction of starter homes for first-time homebuyers, and provide $25,000 in down-payment assistance for first-time buyers.
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Landlords register more rent-stabilized units to avoid fines

Image courtesy of Ruoyu Li on Unsplash

August 19, 2024

Landlords register more rent-stabilized units to avoid fines

By Aaron Ginsburg

Thousands more rent-stabilized apartments have been filed with the state of New York this year after a new law passed last year that fines landlords who fail to register units, as The City first reported. So far in 2024, roughly 919,500 apartments have been registered, up from between 750,000 and 800,000 registrations in recent years.
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Luxury rental near Fordham University opens lottery for 50 apartments, from $2,200/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 19, 2024

Luxury rental near Fordham University opens lottery for 50 apartments, from $2,200/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery has opened for 50 mixed-income apartments at a new luxury rental near Fordham University in the Bronx. Located at 4720 3rd Avenue in Belmont, the Arabella offers residents brand-new units and modern amenities, all in a prime location. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $2,206/month for one-bedroom apartments to $3,950/month for three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

New signs along Flatbush Avenue honor Brooklyn’s African heritage

Photo courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation on Flickr

August 19, 2024

New signs along Flatbush Avenue honor Brooklyn’s African heritage

By Aaron Ginsburg

New cultural signs honoring Brooklyn's rich African heritage have been installed along Flatbush Avenue. The signs mark the beginning of the Black History + Heritage Corridors project, which connects the Lefferts Historic House and the Flatbush African Burial Ground and celebrates the history and culture of Brooklynites of African descent.
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Architecture And Design

New York Botanical Garden to host ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’-inspired light trail this fall

Rendering of Disney “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” Light Trail. Credit: LETSGO COMPANY, Creative Director: Felype de Lima, Illustrator: Borja Arrufat

August 16, 2024

New York Botanical Garden to host ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’-inspired light trail this fall

By Aaron Ginsburg

A Tim Burton-themed light trail is coming to the New York Botanical Garden this fall. Running on select nights from September 27 through November 30, the light experience inspired by "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" will illuminate the garden with iconic characters, scenes, and songs from the classic Disney film. The immersive outdoor experience features over 8,300 square feet of stunning light installations, interactive video projections, LED lighting, and 3D-printed sculptures of Jack Skellington, Sally, and other beloved characters from the movie.
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August 16, 2024

Hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach on a Ramones-themed NYC Ferry

By Aaron Ginsburg

You can "hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach" on a Ramones-themed ferry ride this weekend. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary punk band's first performance at the East Village dive bar CBGB, Rhino Entertainment and NYC Ferry are offering three Ramones-themed ferry rides to the Rockaways. The limited rides include an exclusive "50 Years of Ramones" sticker, a Ramones digital takeover, free samples from Rockaway Soda, and a raffle for a special Ramones prize pack.
GO TO Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach

Events & Things To Do

NYC Council approves East Bronx rezoning that will add 7,000 new homes

An illustration of the rezoning’s potential effects along Eastchester Road. Image courtesy of DCP.

August 16, 2024

NYC Council approves East Bronx rezoning that will add 7,000 new homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Thursday approved a major rezoning that will bring thousands of homes and $500 million in investments to the East Bronx. The Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan targets 46 blocks around four new Metro-North stations planned for Co-op City, Hunts Point, Morris Park, and Parkchester/Van Nest. The rezoning, which includes over a million square feet of commercial space and retail space, and 10,000 new permanent jobs, is the first approved under Mayor Eric Adams.
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Eataly is opening in Hudson Yards next year

Eataly opened at 200 Lafayette Street in Soho last fall. Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

August 15, 2024

Eataly is opening in Hudson Yards next year

By Aaron Ginsburg

Eataly's fourth New York City outpost is coming to Hudson Yards next year. The beloved Italian marketplace on Wednesday announced it will continue its Big Apple expansion by opening its fourth Manhattan store in the Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards in spring 2025. The company currently operates 12 North American locations and over 50 stores worldwide.
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Food & Dining

Scaffolding costs Manhattan businesses $9.5K in monthly revenue, study finds

Photo courtesy of Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

August 15, 2024

Scaffolding costs Manhattan businesses $9.5K in monthly revenue, study finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

Scaffolding and sidewalk sheds cost Manhattan businesses up to $10,000 in monthly revenue. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday released a study conducted in collaboration with Mastercard that found cardholders spend between $3,900 and $9,500 less every month at Manhattan businesses covered by scaffolding and sidewalk sheds. Restaurants and bars are hit the hardest, with a 3.5 to 9.7 percent decrease in weekly transactions during the six months following the construction of sidewalk sheds.
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Policy

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