All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

‘Soccer streets’ coming to 50 NYC public school blocks

Credit: Kara McCurdy / Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 12, 2026

‘Soccer streets’ coming to 50 NYC public school blocks

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Open streets outside 50 public schools across New York City will be transformed into soccer pitches ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer. On Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced "Soccer Streets," a traveling series of field days that will convert car-free streets into soccer pitches, art stations, and block-party celebrations. The initiative launched on May 1 and will visit a different school each day through the end of the school year on June 26.
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NYCHA tenants can voice concerns in new forum series with city officials

Wilson Houses in East Harlem. Photo credit: Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

May 11, 2026

NYCHA tenants can voice concerns in new forum series with city officials

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New York City public housing residents will be able to raise concerns directly with city officials as part of a new engagement campaign. Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week announced “NYCHA in Your Neighborhood,” a series of events in May and June that will allow residents to speak with agency officials about issues including repairs, community programming, pests and waste, faulty elevators, lead, and public safety. The forums will focus on neighborhood-wide clusters of NYCHA developments rather than individual properties. The first event will take place in the Bronx on May 20, followed by meetings in Brooklyn on June 3 and Manhattan on June 17.
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NJ Transit cuts World Cup train fare to MetLife by 30%

Credit: Charley Lhasa on Flickr

May 8, 2026

NJ Transit cuts World Cup train fare to MetLife by 30%

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After fierce backlash over its controversial $150 round-trip fare for service to FIFA World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium, NJ Transit has lowered the train tickets to $105. As first reported by The Athletic, the agency reduced fares for the 18-mile trip by 30 percent after securing new sponsorships, CEO Kris Kolluri confirmed Thursday. After NJ Transit unveiled the original $150 price tag last month, Mikie Sherrill directed the agency to find alternative funding sources to ease costs for soccer fans and ensure New Jersey residents do not bear the cost of the tournament.
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City-owned site in Bed-Stuy to become 100% affordable housing and community space

The vacant city-owned lot. Credit: HPD

May 7, 2026

City-owned site in Bed-Stuy to become 100% affordable housing and community space

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The city began the community engagement process for a new development coming to public land in Bed-Stuy. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on Thursday announced plans to redevelop the run-down Bedford-Stuyvesant Multi-Service Center (MSC) and neighboring vacant city-owned land on Fulton Street into a mixed-use project with 100 percent affordable housing and social services. The project, called “Fulton-Howard West,” is the first public development site under Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration.
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FiDi office-to-residential conversion with nearly 800 units launches leasing

Images courtesy of StreetSense

May 7, 2026

FiDi office-to-residential conversion with nearly 800 units launches leasing

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A massive office-to-residential conversion in the Financial District has launched leasing for nearly 800 luxury rental apartments. Located at 222 Broadway, the 32-story tower, formerly home to tenants including Bank of America, Santander, and American Express, has been transformed by GFP Development and architect CetraRuddy into "Wrey," a residential tower with 788 units and a five-floor amenities club. Prices range from $4,588/month for studios with home offices to $12,088/month for three-bedroom units.
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Cobble Hill’s most expensive home finds a buyer

Photos by DD Reps

May 7, 2026

Cobble Hill’s most expensive home finds a buyer

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Cobble Hill's most expensive home, a five-story brownstone last asking just under $17 million, has entered contract. The 1850s home at 205 Clinton Street reportedly found a buyer after first hitting the market for $22 million last fall. In addition to being a new neighborhood record, if the home fetches near the 16.995 million ask, the property would be the most priciest deal in Brooklyn this year, surpassing the $16.25 million penthouse sale at Olympia Dumbo in February.
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MTA rolls out modern fare enforcement on NYC buses

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

May 6, 2026

MTA rolls out modern fare enforcement on NYC buses

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New York City is ramping up efforts to curb bus fare evasion, with agents now using handheld devices to verify payments. During a Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board meeting last week, NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said that with the adoption of the tap-and-go OMNY system, the transit system’s EAGLE fare enforcers will use “onboard validation devices” that check whether customers paid using an OMNY card or cellphone. The technology has been used on Select Bus Service (SBS) routes, where 52.7 percent of riders do not pay, and the MTA now plans to expand its use to all bus routes, including local lines, where fare evasion is 48.6 percent, according to the New York Times.
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Bike boulevards planned for Brooklyn’s Bergen and Dean Streets

Mamdani joins the Bergen Bike Bus in Brooklyn on National Bike & Roll to School Day. Photo credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 6, 2026

Bike boulevards planned for Brooklyn’s Bergen and Dean Streets

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani took to Brooklyn on two wheels Wednesday to announce plans for 10-mile "bike boulevards" along Bergen and Dean Streets. Joining the Bergen Bike Bus, a weekly caravan of parents and students who bike to school together, Mamdani said the city’s Department of Transportation will redesign the two streets between Court Street and East New York Avenue to prioritize cyclists and pedestrians while maintaining local vehicle access. The multi-phase project is still in its early stages, with DOT beginning public outreach through an online feedback portal as it develops design plans expected to be released later this year.
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This year’s 14th Street Busway mural urges New Yorkers to ‘get outside’

Photos by Colossal Media

May 5, 2026

This year’s 14th Street Busway mural urges New Yorkers to ‘get outside’

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With spring weather finally blossoming in New York City, so too has the annual mural on Union Square’s 14th Street Busway. Now in its sixth year, the corridor has received a vibrant makeover, this time featuring artist Shantell Martin’s “Get Outside,” a mural encouraging viewers to reconnect with the outdoors and their communities while celebrating Union Square’s historic role as a hub for gatherings. The 7,500-square-foot artwork was hand-painted by Brooklyn-based Colossal Media and is part of Merrell’s “Outside in the City” program, which frames the outdoors as a vital part of city life rather than a distant destination.
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Lottery opens for 51 low-income units at Midtown East supportive housing project, from $1,122/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

May 5, 2026

Lottery opens for 51 low-income units at Midtown East supportive housing project, from $1,122/month

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A new 21-story Midtown East building combining affordable and supportive housing for unhoused women launched a lottery this week for 51 low-income apartments. Located at 225 East 45th Street, in between Grand Central and the United Nations headquarters, Willow Tree Residences has 130 residential apartments and shares the building with the New Providence Women’s Shelter, a 170-bed facility that offers on-site services. New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the studio apartments, priced at $1,122/month.
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PATH fare hike takes effect ahead of return of 7-day service

Newark PATH station. Photo courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Flickr

May 4, 2026

PATH fare hike takes effect ahead of return of 7-day service

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The cost to ride PATH trains officially increased from $3 to $3.25 on Monday as part of the system's transformative service upgrades. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the fare hike will help fund its $45 billion 2026-2035 Capital Plan, which has modernized the 118-year-old system’s infrastructure and enabled the return of 7-day service on all lines for the first time in 25 years, with additional improvements to come. Fares are expected to rise in 25-cent increments, reaching $4 in 2029. Reduced fare for riders ages 65 and older, as well as those with disabilities, also increased by 10 cents, from $1.50 to $1.60.
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149-unit rental building coming to Hudson Square parking lot

Credit: MAG Partners

May 4, 2026

149-unit rental building coming to Hudson Square parking lot

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Two prominent New York City developers have teamed up to build a 149-unit rental tower on a parking lot in Hudson Square. MAG Partners and Global Holdings last week signed a long-term lease with Trinity Church for 122 Varick Street, where the joint venture plans to construct a 192,000-square-foot project employing the 485-x tax abatement program. The development will include more than 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, and 25 percent of the units will be permanently affordable as required by the tax incentive program.
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New sculpture in FiDi honors ‘Little Syria,’ NYC’s first Arabic-speaking community

Photos courtesy of NYC Parks / Daniel Avila, unless noted otherwise

May 1, 2026

New sculpture in FiDi honors ‘Little Syria,’ NYC’s first Arabic-speaking community

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A new public art installation in Lower Manhattan pays tribute to "Little Syria," New York City’s first Arabic-speaking community, which was displaced in the 1940s when the area was largely demolished to make way for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel.  On Thursday, the city’s Parks Department unveiled “Al Qalam: Poets in the Park” by artist Sara Ouhaddou at Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza in the Financial District. The piece honors the once-thriving neighborhood, which from the 1880s to the 1940s was home to a vibrant community of influential poets and writers. Ouhaddou reflects on that legacy through abstract calligraphy inspired by Islamic architecture, with the names of nine notable authors inscribed on the sculpture’s surface.
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NYC pied-à-terre tax could raise less than Hochul’s $500M estimate, report finds

Credit: Andy on Unsplash

May 1, 2026

NYC pied-à-terre tax could raise less than Hochul’s $500M estimate, report finds

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Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed pied-à-terre tax could generate up to $500 million annually, but multiple variables could affect the final revenue, according to a report released Thursday by New York City Comptroller Mark Levine. Introduced last month, the governor's proposed tax, which would place a surcharge on secondary homes in the five boroughs valued at $5 million and above, could generate nearly $500 million from just over 11,200 properties. The comptroller's analysis examines several factors, including exclusions for rented units and "behavioral responses" to the tax, which could lower the actual revenue to between $340 million and $380 million.
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Macy’s Flower Show returns to Herald Square celebrating America’s gardens

All photos courtesy of Macy’s, Inc.

April 30, 2026

Macy’s Flower Show returns to Herald Square celebrating America’s gardens

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The annual Macy’s Flower Show opened last week in Herald Square, transforming the famed department store's flagship with lush floral art that celebrates America's gardens. In its 51st year, the event features regional botanicals and large-scale displays designed to highlight the country’s diverse floral landscapes. Running through May 10, this year’s show also includes a partnership with Valentino Beauty, which is presenting an exhibit that transports guests to a reimagined Roman palazzo, complete with immersive fragrance experiences, stunning floral arrangements, and other striking design elements.
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Knicks hosting playoff watch party in and outside MSG for Game 3 of Round 2

Credit: MSG Sports

April 30, 2026

Knicks hosting playoff watch party in and outside MSG for Game 3 of Round 2

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The New York Knicks are hosting watch parties for game three of their second-round NBA playoff series. Fans can venture to Madison Square Garden on Friday night to watch the game inside the world's most famous arena or outside the venue on giant screens starting at 7 p.m. The team heads into tonight's game against the Philadelphia 76ers up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
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NYC wants your feedback on Park Avenue redesign

Photo by Leslie Cross via Unsplash

April 29, 2026

NYC wants your feedback on Park Avenue redesign

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The proposed redesign of Park Avenue could bring back lush green spaces to the iconic corridor's medians. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled two potential plans to overhaul an 11-block stretch from East 46th to East 57th Streets, both of which would widen the medians and remove one traffic lane in each direction to create pedestrian space. Renderings released on Wednesday show expanded sidewalks, additional trees, benches, and bike lanes in one of the proposals. To gain feedback from New Yorkers, DOT released an online survey seeking public feedback for both design concepts.
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Resorts World opens as first casino to offer live table games in NYC

Photo courtesy of Gee

April 29, 2026

Resorts World opens as first casino to offer live table games in NYC

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New York City's first full casino has arrived. After many years and a competition for downstate gaming licenses, Resorts World New York City opened in Queens on Tuesday as the first casino in the five boroughs to offer live table games. Located next to the Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, the existing gambling facility, which opened in 2011, has expanded into a full-scale casino, transforming its third floor with more than 240 table games and thousands of slot machines, with more to come later this year. The casino also led a hiring and training effort that created 1,250 new jobs, including 950 table-game dealers, ahead of its launch following final testing by the New York State Gaming Commission.
roll the dice
With G train shutdown pitched for third straight summer, Brooklyn officials urge MTA to rethink plan

A rally calling on the MTA to limit G train closures was held in Greenpoint. Photo Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

April 29, 2026

With G train shutdown pitched for third straight summer, Brooklyn officials urge MTA to rethink plan

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As G train riders may face the third straight summer of service disruptions, Brooklyn officials on Tuesday called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to limit future shutdowns to overnight hours. The agency last week shared plans with local lawmakers to shut down G train service for 10 weekends and overnight on more than two dozen weekdays. Commuters have endured repeated service disruptions in recent years as work to modernize the line’s antiquated signaling system continues to be delayed. Council Member Lincoln Restler and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso rallied with local businesses in Greenpoint on Tuesday to demand that the MTA find a better plan.
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First look at The Morgan, an 18-story luxury condo rising on a tree-lined block in Murray Hill

Renderings courtesy of We Are Visuals

April 29, 2026

First look at The Morgan, an 18-story luxury condo rising on a tree-lined block in Murray Hill

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The first images have been revealed for a new 18-story luxury condo taking shape on a tree-lined block in Murray Hill. Developed by the Continuum Company and Aksoy Holding and designed by INC Architecture & Design, The Morgan at 38 East 35th Street will include contemporary residences ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, along with select duplexes and penthouses. The developer has also launched a teaser website for the building along with the newly released renderings.
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Colossal Buddha sculpture opens on the High Line

Tuan Andrew Nguyen, The Light That Shines Through the Universe, 2026. A High Line Plinth commission. On view April 2026 – Fall 2027. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.

April 28, 2026

Colossal Buddha sculpture opens on the High Line

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A 27-foot-tall recreation of a Buddha statue destroyed by the Taliban 25 years ago now towers over 10th Avenue from the High Line. The High Line installed Tuan Andrew Nguyen's "The Light That Shines Through the Universe" last week above the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street as part of its Plinth program. Carved in Vietnam, the sandstone sculpture recreates one of the Bamiyan Buddha statues destroyed in Afghanistan in 2001 and serves as a monument to cultural loss and resilience. The commission, which replaces the popular giant pigeon sculpture "Dinosaur," will be on view for 18 months.
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Electric ‘air taxis’ are traveling between JFK Airport and Manhattan this week

Images courtesy of Joby Aviation

April 27, 2026

Electric ‘air taxis’ are traveling between JFK Airport and Manhattan this week

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New York City’s airspace, one of the nation’s busiest, is getting a new addition: electric flying taxis between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Manhattan. Joby Aviation on Monday announced the completion of the first point-to-point trip of its electric air taxi, developed as part of a federal program aimed at accelerating the introduction of air taxis into U.S. airspace, according to Bloomberg. Starting this week, the test flights, meant to demonstrate the zero-emission, ultra-quiet vehicle, will include human pilots but no passengers, running between JFK and Manhattan destinations at West 30th Street and East 34th Street, as well as the downtown heliport.
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Council proposes construction code updates to build 35,000 new homes on thousands of small lots across NYC

The project “System for Narrow Living”  by Only If Architecture was a finalist in the city’s 2019 competition “Big Ideas for Small Lots.” The design calls for a 4,900-square-foot building with seven units.

April 27, 2026

Council proposes construction code updates to build 35,000 new homes on thousands of small lots across NYC

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The New York City Council is advancing reforms that could unlock up to 35,000 new homes on small and oddly-shaped lots across the five boroughs. During an American Institute of Architects (AIA) luncheon on Friday, Council Speaker Julie Menin proposed changes to the city’s construction codes that would allow for new housing on roughly 3,000 tiny, underutilized lots without requiring lengthy zoning approvals. Menin also announced the creation of a new panel, the Council Advisory Group on Housing Affordability, to help guide the Council's policies addressing the city’s housing crisis.
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Work on Madison Avenue bus lane redesign begins

Credit: NYC DOT

April 24, 2026

Work on Madison Avenue bus lane redesign begins

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Work finally began this week on long-delayed dedicated bus lanes along a congested stretch of Madison Avenue. On Friday, the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn announced that work has started on extending double bus lanes along the avenue from 23rd to 42nd Streets, a project aimed at improving commutes for about 92,000 daily riders who often deal with bus speeds as low as 4.5 miles per hour. The agency expects the project to be finished over the next several weeks.
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Extell files plans for 86-story, 430-unit apartment building on the Upper West Side

Looking at West 66th Stret from Columbus Avenue. Photo © Ondel Hylton

April 24, 2026

Extell files plans for 86-story, 430-unit apartment building on the Upper West Side

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Extell Development this week filed plans for an 86-story residential tower on the Upper West Side, advancing a proposal for the neighborhood's next tallest building. Plans filed Wednesday with the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) call for a 1,200-foot-tall tower with 430 apartments at 80 West 67th Street, also known as 77 West 66th Street, on the former Disney campus. The project would surpass Extell’s tower across the street at 55 West 66th Street by more than 400 feet, becoming the tallest building in the neighborhood.
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