All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Pickleball is coming next to the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo

Rendering courtesy of NYC Parks

June 12, 2024

Pickleball is coming next to the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo

Closed to the public for 15 years, two parking lots underneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo will transform into a pickleball hub. NYC Parks on Wednesday selected CityPickle to revitalize Anchorage Plaza, a space located on Old Fulton and Washington Streets and connected by a ramp known as "Ash Alley." CityPickle, which currently has courts in Central Park, Long Island City, and Industry City, is expected to operate at the plaza seasonally from March through November next year. Amenities like a dog run, food trucks, public art, and seating would be available year-round, under the proposal.
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Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade returns this month

All photos courtesy of Norman Blake

June 12, 2024

Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade returns this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's colorful Mermaid Parade returns to the Coney Island boardwalk this month. Hosted by Coney Island USA, the spectacle is considered the nation's largest "art parade," attracting 3,000 participants wearing handmade sea-themed costumes and marching next to mythical floats. The 42nd annual Mermaid Parade takes place on Saturday, June 22, at 1 p.m., rain or shine.
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Events & Things To Do

Photo by Curt Saunders, @curthoranesaunders. Courtesy of Weeksville Heritage Center / Black Owned Brooklyn

June 11, 2024

15 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Juneteenth commemorates the day President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas, effectively ending slavery in the United States. Although it only became a nationally recognized holiday in 2021, Black Americans in New York City and across the country have long celebrated the holiday, an opportunity to uplift communities and share Black culture. Ahead, find Juneteenth events happening in NYC this year, from live gospel performances and celebrations of Black music to food festivals and 5K runs.
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Events & Things To Do

Windsor Terrace rental overlooking Prospect Park launches leasing, from $3,637/month

Renderings courtesy of Williams New York

June 11, 2024

Windsor Terrace rental overlooking Prospect Park launches leasing, from $3,637/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new luxury rental tower overlooking Prospect Park launched leasing this week. Located at 11 Ocean Parkway in Windsor Terrace, the 13-story One Park Point offers tenants spacious layouts, a large amenities suite, and a prime spot steps from Brooklyn's backyard. Available one-bedrooms start at $3,637/month and two-bedrooms at $4,754/month.
take a look

All photos courtesy of Veselka

June 10, 2024

Veselka opens first Brooklyn location

By Aaron Ginsburg

Brooklyn residents no longer need to trek to the East Village for their pierogi fix. Veselka, the beloved Ukrainian diner serving New Yorkers for seven decades, opened its highly-anticipated Williamsburg location last week. Veselka's first location in the borough, the 4,000-square-foot restaurant is located at 646 Lorimer Street. In addition to its famous Ukrainian soul food, the business will sell Veselka-branded merchandise.
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Food & Dining

Christopher Street subway station renamed in honor of Stonewall

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

June 6, 2024

Christopher Street subway station renamed in honor of Stonewall

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Christopher Street-Sheridan Square subway station in Greenwich Village was renamed in honor of the Stonewall National Monument. A bill sponsored by Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Deborah Glick passed the New York State Senate earlier this month, directing the MTA to rename the station to "Christopher Street-Stonewall National Monument Station" to memorialize the site's crucial role in launching the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement. The unveiling on Friday marks the 55th anniversary of the historic uprising.
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125 affordable apartments available at massive Morris Heights complex, from $616/month

Rendering courtesy of Marvel Architects

June 6, 2024

125 affordable apartments available at massive Morris Heights complex, from $616/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery launched this week for 125 affordable apartments at a huge residential complex in the Bronx. Located at 1600 Grand Avenue in Morris Heights, the 14-story building is phase one of the Starhill development, an affordable housing complex with a total of 570 affordable apartments. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $24,446 for a single person and $134,160 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $616/month for one-bedrooms to $2,066/month two-bedrooms.
see if you qualify

Affordable Housing

First major exhibit dedicated to Shirley Chisholm opening at Museum of the City of New York

Chisholm on the Congressional Rules Committee, A. Dev O’Neill and K. Jewell, 1970s, Reproduction, Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries

June 5, 2024

First major exhibit dedicated to Shirley Chisholm opening at Museum of the City of New York

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York honors the life and legacy of pioneering politician and Brooklyn native Shirley Chisholm. Opening on June 14, "Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100" is the first-ever major museum presentation dedicated to Chisholm; it coincides with the 100th anniversary of her birth. Located on the museum's second-floor North Gallery, the exhibition explores the life of the late trailblazer, the first Black woman elected to Congress, through historical artifacts, photographs, art, and archival footage.
details here

Events & Things To Do

Hochul pauses congestion pricing plan ‘indefinitely’

Photo by Pranay Pareek on Unsplash

June 5, 2024

Hochul pauses congestion pricing plan ‘indefinitely’

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday officially paused New York City's congestion pricing program, just weeks before it was set to begin. According to Politico, the governor voiced concerns about how the program, which would have charged drivers $15 for entering Manhattan south of 60th Street starting June 30, might hurt Democrats in upcoming House races later this year. In a pre-taped video, Hochul said "circumstances have changed" since the program was approved in 2019 and cited the effects of the pandemic and high inflation on New Yorkers as reasoning behind halting congestion pricing "indefinitely."
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How to apply for NYC’s Section 8 voucher waitlist

Image courtesy of edwardhblake on Flickr

June 4, 2024

How to apply for NYC’s Section 8 voucher waitlist

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Housing Authority's Section 8 housing voucher waitlist reopened on Monday for the first time in 15 years, allowing low-income families to apply for rental subsidies. The waitlist's reopening comes as New Yorkers struggle to afford the cost of living amid skyrocketing rent prices due to the city's housing crisis. Once the application period closes on June 9, NYCHA will randomly place 200,000 applications on the waitlist. As of Tuesday morning, nearly 313,000 applications were already submitted. Ahead, find out what you should know about applying for the Section 8 housing voucher waitlist, including eligibility requirements, deadlines, and waitlist preferences.
how to apply

NYC will sell commemorative street signs every month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Here's a chance to hang an authentic piece of New York City on your wall. On Monday, the city's Department of Transportation launched the first monthly "sign drops," selling limited-edition, hand-made street signs from iconic corridors across the five boroughs. To celebrate the start of Pride Month, the first batch of signs featured Christopher Street/Stonewall Place and hit the NYC CityStore for $75 each. The signs sold out in under three hours, according to Gothamist.
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Transit

NYC creates map of public restrooms, announces plan to build more bathrooms

Image courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 4, 2024

NYC creates map of public restrooms, announces plan to build more bathrooms

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers know the struggle of finding a public bathroom, with just around 1,100 public toilets for over 8.6 million residents. To address this ongoing issue, Mayor Eric Adams on Monday launched "Ur in Luck," a new effort to expand public restroom accessibility across the five boroughs by building 46 new public restrooms and renovating 36 existing ones over the next five years. The city is also making it easier to find public restrooms by adding a new layer to Google Maps that New Yorkers can use to locate publicly accessible restrooms.
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Policy

Marlboro Agricultural Education Center (MAEC), view from West 11th Street. © Studio Gang

June 3, 2024

Studio Gang’s agricultural education hub at Gravesend NYCHA complex breaks ground

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work has begun on a Studio Gang-designed urban agricultural education center that will teach young Brooklyn residents about nutrition and provide healthy food. City officials on Saturday broke ground on the 9,900-square-foot Marlboro Agricultural Education Center (MAEC) at the New York City Housing Authority's Marlboro Houses in Gravesend. The $18.2 million facility, located on West 11th Street between Avenues W and X, includes a rooftop greenhouse to raise fish and plants, a teaching kitchen, a pantry where greens will be grown on-site and then delivered to residents, and multi-purpose room for programs and workshops.
green in gravesend

Architecture And Design

Art from the Whitney Museum on view in NYC subway stations this summer

Image courtesy of Trent Reeves / MTA on Flickr

June 3, 2024

Art from the Whitney Museum on view in NYC subway stations this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Whitney Museum of American Art is bringing its landmark Biennial exhibition into the New York City subway system. The museum and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday revealed "Making It Here: New York and the Whitney Biennial," a showcase of work by artists who have been, or are currently featured, in the Whitney Biennial, which has been hosted regularly since 1932. The art, displayed on vacant newsstands and former retail spaces, can be found at three subway stations: West 4th Street in Manhattan, Jay Street-MetroTech in Brooklyn, and Fordham Road in the Bronx.
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COOKFOX-designed 188-unit tower tops out at Chelsea’s Penn South co-op

Rendering courtesy of COOKFOX

June 3, 2024

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

By Aaron Ginsburg

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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NYC Pride 2024: The best ways to celebrate

Image courtesy of Steven Pisano on Flickr

May 31, 2024

NYC Pride 2024: The best ways to celebrate

By Aaron Ginsburg

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

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

Exterior photos courtesy of Astra Studios. Interior Photos courtesy of Kate Glicksberg.

May 30, 2024

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

By Aaron Ginsburg

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

All photos by Alchemy Studio: Ab Soba

May 29, 2024

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

By Aaron Ginsburg

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

Affordable Housing

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

Image courtesy of Sergei Gussev on Flickr

May 29, 2024

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

By Aaron Ginsburg

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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Policy

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

Image courtesy of Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

May 28, 2024

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

By Aaron Ginsburg

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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Policy

Photo via WikiCommons

May 28, 2024

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

By Aaron Ginsburg

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

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

May 23, 2024

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

By Aaron Ginsburg

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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Affordable Housing

What to know about visiting NYC beaches this summer

Rockaway Beach, the only legal surf spot in NYC. Photo by Hayley Pfitzer on Unsplash

May 23, 2024

What to know about visiting NYC beaches this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

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.
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Events & Things To Do

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

George C. Ault, “Hudson Street” (northwest view of Hudson and Gansevoort Streets). Image courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art

May 22, 2024

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

By Aaron Ginsburg

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

Image courtesy of Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

May 21, 2024

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

By Aaron Ginsburg

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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All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

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