All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

June 3, 2024

COOKFOX-designed 188-unit tower tops out at Chelsea’s Penn South co-op

The seven-story apartment building that replaced an aging commercial building at Chelsea's sprawling Penn South co-op topped out last week. Designed by COOKFOX, 335 Eighth Avenue is an 188-unit mixed-use development with a 23,000-square-foot Lidl grocery store on the ground floor. Penn South, a limited equity co-op made up of 10 buildings between West 23rd and West 29th Streets, tapped MAG Partners in 2021 to raze and redevelop the run-down corner building. Developed under the state's Affordable NY Program, the project will set aside 30 percent of units for low- and middle-income New Yorkers.
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May 31, 2024

NYC Pride 2024: The best ways to celebrate

Pride Month has arrived in New York City, and with it, an endless number of ways to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community. As the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, kickstarted by the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, the five boroughs can be counted on to advocate for a future without discrimination and celebrate our diverse communities. Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit organization that plans and produces NYC's official Pride celebrations every year, offers a calendar to help you find different events. Ahead, 6sqft put together a guide to Pride in New York City, with parades, parties, performances, and more, happening throughout June.
happy pride, nyc
May 30, 2024

First look inside Thomas Juul-Hansen’s 850-foot-tall condo Sutton Tower

Skyline altering condo Sutton Tower is now complete. New images released this week provide a look inside the Thomas Juul-Hansen-designed 850-foot-tall tower, the tallest in the east-side enclave of Sutton Place. The first skyscraper designed by the Danish designer, Sutton Tower features striking Art Deco-inspired architecture and a facade of Bavarian limestone. For the first time, we're seeing inside the residences, with model units curated by three design teams, Vesta, Urban Casa, and Eichholtz, each to reflect the diversity of lifestyles possible at the building.
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May 29, 2024

Bed-Stuy rental with huge roof deck opens lottery for 70 units, from $1,585/month

A new rental development in Bed-Stuy with a huge 12th-floor roof deck opened a lottery for 70 below-market-rate apartments. Located at 1100 Myrtle Avenue on the border of Bushwick, the MC rises 11 stories and stretches a full block from Myrtle to Vernon Avenues. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income, between $57,258 for a single person and $218,010 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced from $1,585/month studios to $3,800/month two bedrooms.
see if you qualify
May 29, 2024

Landmarks receives $500K grant to protect historic flood-prone areas from future storms

With the start of hurricane season this weekend, New York City is bolstering its defenses against storm damage in its historic waterfront areas. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday launched the LPC Climate Resiliency Initiative, an agency-wide effort that will make it easier for the city to respond to future climate-related weather events. LPC received a $500,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to identify historic properties that may be flood-prone in case of severe weather.
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May 28, 2024

Nearly a million NYC households could lose affordable high-speed internet

Nearly one million New York City households could lose access to affordable high-speed internet unless funding for a vital federal program is restored. As reported by Gothamist, a new report from the Center for an Urban Future details the impact the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will have on the New Yorkers enrolled in the initiative. The program, which launched in 2021 and ran out of funding last month, paid a monthly credit to internet providers on behalf of customers who earn at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level or enrolled in public assistance programs. According to CUF, NYC neighborhoods with the lowest income levels saw the highest enrollment in the program.
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May 28, 2024

NYC’s Fotografiska museum to close and relocate, historic Park Ave South building to hit market

Swedish photography museum Fotografiska New York will close its New York City location with plans to relocate to a larger spot, the museum announced last week. Fotografiska opened at the historic Gramercy building at 281 Park Avenue South in 2019 and later was joined by the restaurant Verōnika and the Chapel Bar. The museum's last day in the current building will be September 29 and the restaurant and bar will close in June. As Crain's reported, 281 Park Avenue South owner, Aby Rosen's RFR Holding, will put the architecturally stunning building on the market this week for an undisclosed amount.
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May 23, 2024

On Bed-Stuy-Bushwick border, lottery opens for 90 affordable units, from $486/month

Applications are now being accepted for 90 affordable apartments at a new residential development on the border of Bed-Stuy and Bushwick in Brooklyn. Located at 1510 Broadway, the eight-story building contains 108 affordable apartments and a landscaped courtyard. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 60, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $19,578 for a single person and $154,080 for a household of seven, can apply for the apartments, which range from $486/month studios to $2,664/month three bedrooms.
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May 23, 2024

What to know about visiting NYC beaches this summer

New York City's 14 miles of public beaches are set to open for swimming this Memorial Day weekend, welcoming in a summer season of fun in the sun. The city's public beaches are free and open for the season starting Saturday, May 25 through September 8. Swimming hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with swimming only permitted when lifeguards are on duty and not allowed in closed sections of the beach. Ahead, find everything you need to know about visiting a beach in the five boroughs this summer.
FIND OUT MORE
May 22, 2024

Whitney Museum’s new project pairs art from 1932 with present-day scenes of NYC

The Whitney Museum on Wednesday launched "Putting Artists On The Map," a new project celebrating the museum's landmark Biennial exhibition that has been held regularly since 1932. The interactive digital map pairs paintings depicting New York City from the very first Biennial with photos of the same scenes in the present day. The map also provides a snapshot of Whitney Biennial moments across the city, including the locations where artists from past exhibitions had studios and the subway stations where works by Biennial artists were installed.
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May 21, 2024

NYCHA to reopen Section 8 voucher waitlist for first time in 15 years

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will accept applications for its Section 8 housing voucher program for the first time in 15 years. The Housing Choice Voucher (HVC) program allows families to pay no more than 40 percent of their monthly income for rent, with NYCHA covering the remaining amount. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced the reopening of the waitlist, which has been closed since 2009, allowing low-income households to apply for rental subsidies on the private market. Eligible households may apply to the program starting Monday, June 3 at 12 a.m. through Sunday, June 9 at 11:59 p.m.
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May 21, 2024

How to spend Memorial Day weekend in NYC

While it marks the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day was created to honor the brave men and women in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Fortunately, in New York City, there are plenty of ways to commemorate the holiday while also enjoying the long weekend, with activities including live music aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid, a military history boat cruise in the New York Harbor, and the largest Memorial Day parade in the country.
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May 20, 2024

Fantastical flowers and peculiar plants: New York Botanical Garden opens ‘Wonderland’ exhibit

The New York Botanical Garden has fallen down the rabbit hole. The enchanting exhibition "Wonderland: Curious Nature" debuted on Saturday, transforming the garden's 250 acres into a whimsical paradise inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic children's tale "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and its sequel stories. On view through October 27, the exhibition includes a 12-foot White Rabbit made of plants, larger-than-life mushrooms, gardens of the Victorian era, a large-scale chess set designed by Yoko Ono, and more.
peer through the looking glass
May 20, 2024

Prospect Park to debut ‘Ancestral Whispers’ art installation, honoring Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family

The inaugural work of the Lefferts Historic House museum's first artist-in-residence debuts in Prospect Park next month. Artist Adama Delphine Fawundu's "Ancestral Whispers" is a site-specific installation honoring the heroism of the individuals enslaved by the Lefferts family from the farmhouse's construction in 1783 to the abolition of slavery in New York in 1827. Inspired by research conducted by the Prospect Park Alliance, Fawundu created 25 fabric banners to be displayed on the museum's Flatbush Avenue facade. The installation will be on view starting June 9.
details here
May 16, 2024

See inside Boerum Hill’s Bergen project, Frida Escobedo’s first condo

Interior images have been revealed for a new block-long condo development in Boerum Hill. Located between 3rd and 4th Avenues in the Brooklyn neighborhood, residential project Bergen is the first condo building designed by Mexico-based architecture studio Taller Frida Escobedo. Residence interiors, conceived by design studio Workstead, complement the tower's rustic exterior, with a palette of warm earth tones and soft textures throughout.
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May 16, 2024

Enjoy free weekly movies at four outdoor spots in Brooklyn this summer

Catch free film screenings at four of Brooklyn's most popular outdoor spaces this summer. In partnership with Paramount+ and BSE Global, Brooklyn Magazine on Tuesday announced the return of "Paramount+ Movie Nights in Brooklyn," a free film screening series hosted in Prospect Park, McCarren Park, Fort Greene Park, and for the first time, Coney Island. The series will kick off June 7 in Williamsburg, with weekly screenings at the four locations throughout the summer.
plan a movie night
May 16, 2024

Prospect Park Zoo to reopen Memorial Day weekend after 8-month closure

After being closed for nearly eight months due to flood damage, the Prospect Park Zoo will reopen this month. The Wildlife Conservation Society on Tuesday announced the Brooklyn zoo will open on Saturday, May 25 following $6.5 million in repairs needed after Tropical Storm Ophelia in September 2023. The storm dumped over 7 inches of rainfall on the zoo and caused major issues for its boilers, HVAC, electrical, and other systems.
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May 15, 2024

Bryant Park to host 30+ free yoga classes this summer

Free yoga classes are returning to the lawn at Bryant Park this summer. Presented by performance apparel brand Calia, the classes kick off on May 29, with sessions hosted on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. on the park's upper terrace and on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. on the lawn. Running through September 25, the classes will be led by some of the city's most sought-after yoga instructors and open to participants of all experience levels.
NAMASTE THIS WAY
May 15, 2024

MTA rolls out 60 electric buses for Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island

Dozens of new all-electric buses will soon hit the road in Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday introduced a fleet of 60 electric buses that will operate on routes in neighborhoods most vulnerable to poor air quality, according to a press release. The buses are part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's goal of operating a 100 percent zero-emission bus fleet by 2040.
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May 15, 2024

Park Slope development with 305 new apartments approved by City Council

Park Slope will soon see the addition of two high-rise rentals, bringing more than 300 new apartments to the neighborhood. The City Council last month approved a rezoning application from Stellar Management to construct two new buildings at 341 10th Street, in addition to the existing apartment building on the site the developer already owns. The project includes new 17- and 19-story buildings that would wrap around the subway covering where the F and G trains go below ground, as The Real Deal reported. The project adds 305 new apartments, 162 of which will be income-restricted, bringing the total number of units from 154 to 459 at the property.
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May 14, 2024

Vintage photos look back on the futuristic 1964 New York World’s Fair in Queens

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. Taking place just 25 years after the 1939 World’s Fair in the same location, the World’s Fair was the largest international exhibition ever constructed in the United States, with 140 pavilions representing 80 nations, 24 U.S. states, and more than 45 corporations across 656 acres. The event, which took place for two six-month seasons between April 1964 and October 1965, provided a sense of optimism for a country embroiled in unrest both at home and abroad. Led by "master-builder" Robert Moses, the fair embraced the Space Age era, which included a creative, futuristic aesthetic inspired by advancing technologies and innovative architecture. Ahead, explore the World’s Fair with historic photos and hear from World's Fair expert, Bill Cotter, on the lasting legacy of the event in New York and beyond.
SEE WHAT THE FAIR WAS LIKE
May 14, 2024

NYC to redevelop 122-acre stretch of Brooklyn coastline

New York City is transforming a 122-acre stretch of Brooklyn's coastline into a dynamic, mixed-use community and modern maritime port. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced an agreement that gives the city full control of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, enabling its redevelopment into a vibrant community hub with housing, retail, green space, and a modern port. The development zone, primarily controlled by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, spans over a mile from the southern edge of Brooklyn Bridge Park down to Red Hook, as Bloomberg reported. The deal is the city's largest real estate transaction in terms of size in 20 years.
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May 14, 2024

Lottery opens for 101 apartments at ODA’s new Williamsburg project, from $3,105/month

Here's a chance to live at a new residential development in Williamsburg designed by architecture firm ODA. A lottery opened this week for 101 middle-income apartments at the "Williamsburg Apex," part of a curvy, two-building project at the corner of Lorimer Street and Boerum Street in Broadway Triangle. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, between $105,458 for a single person and $218,010 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced at $3,105/month studios, $3,317/month one-bedrooms, and $3,963/month two-bedrooms.
see if you qualify
May 13, 2024

MTA releases Ice Spice MetroCards to celebrate Bronx rapper’s debut album

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has released a limited-edition MetroCard featuring rapper, and Bronx-native, Ice Spice to celebrate her debut album "Y2K." In collaboration with Capital Records, the MTA has loaded MetroCard machines at four select stations in the Bronx and Manhattan with 50,000 limited edition cards featuring the "Munch" artist.
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May 13, 2024

Central Park installs new pizza box recycling bins

Central Park has a solution to a very New York problem. As first reported by NY1, the Central Park Conservancy introduced a clever recycling bin designed specifically to fit pizza boxes to address the pileup from picnics and parties. Located in the busy East Pinetum section of the park, near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the bin can store up to 50 pizza boxes. Conservancy staff will check the bin up to three times a day.
check it out