All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

NJ lawmaker calls for riders to get refunds for Amtrak, NJ Transit delays

NJ Transit hall in Penn Station. Photo by Chris Rycroft on Flickr.

August 15, 2024

NJ lawmaker calls for riders to get refunds for Amtrak, NJ Transit delays

By Aaron Ginsburg

A New Jersey official wants Amtrak and NJ Transit to refund riders when their travel plans are delayed or canceled. NJ Rep. Josh Gottheimer on Monday introduced the All Aboard Act, which includes a "Rail Passenger Bill of Rights" that guarantees refunds to riders experiencing transit disruptions, as reported by Gothamist. If passed, the legislation would require the rail company to invest in improving maintenance issues and service times. In the meantime, Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday announced NJ Transit trains and buses will be free for one week at the end of August to thank commuters for putting up with a summer of service problems.
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How hot is your NYC bus stop? A new report reveals the city’s most sweltering stops

A bus shelter on Fulton Street in Brooklyn. Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 14, 2024

How hot is your NYC bus stop? A new report reveals the city’s most sweltering stops

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's hottest bus stops are 14.5 degrees hotter than its coolest stops, with most of the sweltering stations found in low-income neighborhoods of color, according to a new report. Transportation Alternatives (TA) collaborated with NASA to analyze summer daytime temperatures at city bus stops using thermal heat imaging satellites. The study found that bus riders in Black, Latino, Asian, and high-poverty communities, particularly in Queens and the Bronx, experienced the warmest waits. The report identified 100 bus stops and three routes in need of intervention and recommended ways to cool them down.
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New Yorkers launch fundraising effort to save West Village diner La Bonbonniere

Photos © 6sqft

August 14, 2024

New Yorkers launch fundraising effort to save West Village diner La Bonbonniere

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers are fighting to save an iconic West Village diner from closing. A group of New Yorkers launched a GoFundMe to help La Bonbonniere, a century-old, cash-only luncheonette on 8th Avenue, renovate the restaurant and disassemble the eatery's outdoor dining curbside structure. While outdoor dining helped the diner survive the pandemic, owner Gus Maroulletis said the new guidelines surrounding outdoor structures have made it difficult to participate in the program.
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Food & Dining

Brooklyn Children’s Museum begins $15 million garden makeover

The Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s terrace, courtyard, and outdoor spaces will be modernized under the project. Rendering courtesy of Gans and Company / NYC DDC

August 14, 2024

Brooklyn Children’s Museum begins $15 million garden makeover

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work has begun on the $15 million revitalization of outdoor space at the Brooklyn Children's Museum. The city's Departments of Cultural Affairs and Design and Construction this week broke ground on the project to beautify the Crown Heights museum's courtyards and terraces and create 20,000 square feet of accessible outdoor programming space for young New Yorkers and their families. The project is being funded by the Mayor's Office, City Council, and the Brooklyn Borough President's office.
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Architecture And Design

8 iconic NYC venues still hosting live music

Cafe Wha? Photo by Meredith Ryncarz

August 13, 2024

8 iconic NYC venues still hosting live music

By Aaron Ginsburg

Live music has always been an integral part of New York City's identity, with many of the last century's cultural movements taking root in the basements and stages of iconic music venues. While a lot of these historic spots have disappeared, a few continue to host live performances today. Ahead, we dive into the best music venues in NYC that are still rocking, from the recently restored Brooklyn Paramount to iconic places like Cafe Wha? and the Bitter End in Greenwich Village, where legendary performers like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix got their start.
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Converted 19th-century St. John’s College building in Bed-Stuy opens lottery, from $2,495/month

All renderings courtesy of Woods Bagot

August 13, 2024

Converted 19th-century St. John’s College building in Bed-Stuy opens lottery, from $2,495/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A 19th-century Romanesque Revival building in Bed-Stuy originally home to St. John's College is now a luxury rental building. The Hartby, located on the corner of Willoughby and Lewis Avenues, is an adaptive reuse conversion of the former school, designed in the 1870s by Patrick Keely, a prolific architect for the Catholic Church. Developed by Property Resources Corporation and designed by Woods Bagot, the Hartby opened a housing lottery for 62 rent-stabilized apartments this week. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the residences, priced from $2,495/month for studios, $2,795/month for one-bedroom units, and $3,939/month for two-bedroom units.
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NYC’s first Dominican arts and cultural center coming to Inwood

Gov. Kathy Hochul marches in the 2024 Dominican Day Parade. Photo credit: Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

August 12, 2024

NYC’s first Dominican arts and cultural center coming to Inwood

By Aaron Ginsburg

Upper Manhattan will soon be home to the city’s first-ever institution dedicated to the vibrant arts and culture of the Dominican Republic. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday announced $12.5 million in funding to help establish the Dominican Center for the Arts and Culture at 375 West 207th Street. The center will include a museum and exhibition space featuring Dominican artists, a theater space, a children's library, and an oral history and archives project preserving the cultural history of Inwood/Washington Heights, the most populous Dominican neighborhood in the country.
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Policy

Hudson Yards high-rise opens lottery for 114 apartments, from $1,655/month

Renderings courtesy of Conway + Partners

August 9, 2024

Hudson Yards high-rise opens lottery for 114 apartments, from $1,655/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new luxury rental in Hudson Yards opened a lottery this week for 114 mixed-income apartments. Rising 46 stories at 550 Tenth Avenue, the Maybury offers 453 residences with incredible views and 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, including a rooftop sky lounge. New Yorkers earning 70 and 125 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $1,655/month for studios to $3,861/month for two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

NYC launches multi-agency taskforce to improve public safety on East 14th Street

1st Avenue and 14th Street. Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Wikimedia

August 9, 2024

NYC launches multi-agency taskforce to improve public safety on East 14th Street

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is launching a multi-agency initiative to crack down on crime and improve the quality of life along East 14th Street. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday introduced the "14th Street Community Improvement Coalition," a task force designed to address various public safety concerns along the East Village corridor, including illegal vending, theft, substance use, mental health crises, unlicensed cannabis shops, and more. To support these efforts, the NYPD will set up a $1 million mobile outpost on East 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.
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Policy

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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Popular Articles

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

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

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