All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

January 26, 2024

Roberta’s new location next to Penn Station will open this spring

Roberta's, one of New York's most well-known pizzerias, will finally open its new location next to Madison Square Garden this year. As first reported by Eater New York, the Bushwick-born restaurant signed a lease in November 2022 for a 5,200-square-foot space within the Vornado Realty Trust-developed Penn District, a new mixed-use campus around Penn Station, with plans to open last fall. New signage on the building, located at Penn 1 East between 33rd and 34th Streets says Roberta's will now open this spring.
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January 25, 2024

Four new skateparks opening in Brooklyn and the Bronx

New York City is working with legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk to develop four new skateparks in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Mayor Eric Adams during his State of the City address on Wednesday announced a partnership with The Skatepark Project, a nonprofit founded by Hawk, to bring four skateparks in communities lacking access to public recreation spaces. The project is being fast-tracked for completion in just three years. The plan involves renovating two existing skateparks, at Brower Park and Bronx Park, and constructing two new ones, at Mount Prospect Park and Soundview Park.
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January 25, 2024

Chinatown’s Kimlau Square to receive $56M revamp

Chinatown's chaotic Kimlau Square is set to receive a $55.8 million redesign, as first reported by amNewYork. During his State of the City address on Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams announced Kimlau Square will be renovated in three phases: an expansion of the square into a pedestrian plaza with shortened street crossings, the beautification of Park Row between the plaza and the Brooklyn Bridge, and the creation of an archway that welcomes people into the neighborhood. The project aims to straighten out the confusing six-way intersection that surrounds the plaza and increase the size of the space from 12,000 to 20,000 square feet.
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January 24, 2024

Marine science-themed playground with giant climbable fish opens in Hudson River Park

A new marine science-inspired playground opened in Hudson River Park this week. Designed by OLIN, the Pier 26 Science Playground features large-scale structures in the shape of two endangered sturgeon species native to the Hudson River, the Atlantic sturgeon and the shortnose sturgeon, climbing nets, and other nature-inspired equipment. Located on North Moore Street, the 4,000-square-foot play area also aims to educate New Yorkers about the ecological importance of the Hudson River.
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January 23, 2024

Leasing begins at Brooklyn’s all-electric skyscraper 505 State Street, from $3,475/month

Leasing officially launched on Monday at New York City's first all-electric skyscraper. Developed by Alloy Development, 505 State Street (formerly called 100 Flatbush) is a 44-story tower with 441 apartments in Downtown Brooklyn. The building, which replaces all functions that would normally run on gas with electricity, is part of Alloy Block, a mixed-use development of five old and new buildings that will bring residential, office, retail, and the city's first two Passive House-certified public schools to the neighborhood. Available rentals at the building start at $3,475/month for a studio and go up to $11,200/month for a three-bedroom.
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January 23, 2024

Lunar New Year 2024: How to celebrate the Year of the Dragon in NYC

Lunar New Year, the two-week-long festival that ushers in spring and new beginnings, starts on February 10 and runs until February 24. This year marks the Year of the Dragon, which is the fifth animal in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiacs and is said to possess the sharpest sense of self among all other zodiac signs. Ahead, find many ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year in New York City, from taking craft lessons from master artisans at the Chinese Institute in America's family festival to attending Chinatown's annual parade and firecracker celebration.
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January 22, 2024

Promising ‘more house than high rise,’ Downtown Brooklyn condo Nine Chapel launches sales

Sales officially launched at Downtown Brooklyn's Nine Chapel Street, a new boutique condo tower taking an innovative approach to outdoor space. Developed by Tankhouse and designed by SO-IL, the 14-story building contains 27 luxury residences and creative outdoor space, including open-air terraces that act like front porches and weather-protected loggias. Pricing for the one- to four-bedroom residences starts at $1,040,000.
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January 22, 2024

MTA installs new subway platform barriers at 191st Street station

Commuters should now feel more secure waiting for the 1 train at the 191st Street subway station. This weekend, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority installed new barriers on the edge of the platform at the Washington Heights station, as part of a pilot program aimed at improving safety and preventing people from falling onto the tracks. The station is the first of four to get the barriers under the program.
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January 18, 2024

Colorful tulle sculptures in Madison Square Park brighten the winter cityscape

New vibrant sculptures made of tulle are adding brightness to the city's bleak winter landscape. On display in Madison Square Park through March, artist Ana María Hernando's exhibition, titled "To Let the Sky Know/Dejar que el cielo sepa," includes a series of large-scale atmospheric clouds and one cascading waterfall, all made of flowing, colorful tulle. The exhibition marks the 20th anniversary of the Madison Square Park Conservancy's public art program.
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January 17, 2024

City launches initiative to ‘rainproof’ NYC

State and city agencies, nonprofits, and community leaders will join forces to develop ideas aimed at dealing with New York City's heavy rainfall problem. The Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice on Tuesday launched "Rainproof NYC," a collaborative initiative to come up with policies and programs addressing the high frequency of heavy rainfall due to climate change. The initiative will complement ongoing Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) projects that are underway across the state, including sewer upgrades, green infrastructure, cloudburst projects, and Bluebelts.
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January 17, 2024

G train may be suspended for 6 weeks this summer

The G train could shut down for at least six weeks this summer to allow for signal improvements. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week revealed the next part of its effort to modernize the subway system's signaling system and replace all of the existing signals with communications-based train control (CBTC), which allows trains to run closer together and increase service frequency. As Greenpointers reported, the proposal calls for three partial shutdowns along the line between June 28 and September 2.
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January 16, 2024

139 beachfront apartments available in Coney Island, from $1,640/month

About a block from the Atlantic Ocean and the world-famous Riegelmann Boardwalk, a new Coney Island rental has opened a lottery for 139 mixed-income apartments. Located at 1515 Surf Avenue, the 16-story development is the city's first multi-family geothermal project, meaning it uses the Earth to heat and cool the building instead of fossil fuels. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $60,069 for a single person and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, ranging from $1,640/month one-bedrooms to $3,013/month two-bedrooms.
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January 16, 2024

Stunning video art projected onto the Manhattan Bridge, BQE in Dumbo

Immersive video art can now be seen gracing Dumbo's famous infrastructure as part of Brooklyn's largest projection project ever. Presented by the Dumbo Improvement District, the Dumbo Projection Project casts world-class video art on both the Pearl and Adams Streets sides of the Manhattan Bridge and along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park. The projections will run through April 20 and be on view Thursdays through Saturdays from dusk to 10 p.m.
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January 12, 2024

Trump name removed from Bronx golf course

A sign bearing Donald Trump's name has been removed from the Bronx golf course previously operated by the former president. New manager Bally's Corporation rebranded the course, previously called the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, Bally's Links, and celebrated with a new sign reveal and ribbon cutting on Thursday. Bally's purchased the lease for the course last September for $60 million and will operate the city-owned site as part of an effort to secure one of the region's three casino licenses.
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January 12, 2024

Brooklyn Bridge towers illuminated with new LED lights

The Brooklyn Bridge is starting the New Year with a major "glow up." The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled on Thursday a new lighting system on the iconic landmark that includes 56 new energy-efficient LED lights illuminating its famous towers. The new lights are part of a four-year, $300 million restoration project to remove dirt and restore the mortar between every stone on the bridge, returning the towers to their original light gray color.
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January 11, 2024

New York has big plans for the state’s first total solar eclipse in 99 years

New York is going all out for its first total solar eclipse in 99 years. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday revealed the state's plans for the April 8 total eclipse, when the moon will pass between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun and turning day to night for up to four minutes. Five regions in New York will experience the path of totality, including the Adirondacks, Greater Niagra, Chautauqua-Allegheny, Thousand Islands-Seaway, and the Finger Lakes. Other parts of the state outside of the path, like New York City and Long Island, will see a partial eclipse.
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January 11, 2024

NYC subway train derails in Brooklyn, the second incident within a week

A New York City subway train derailed in South Brooklyn on Wednesday, marking the second derailment in the system in less than a week. A Manhattan-bound F train went off the elevated tracks between Coney Island's West 8th Street and Neptune Avenue stations just before 12: 30 p.m., according to transit officials. None of the 34 passengers or three MTA crew members on board the train sustained injuries during the event. F train service was restored with delays as of Thursday morning.
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January 11, 2024

Central Park’s Bow Bridge reopens with new wood decking

The iconic Bow Bridge in Central Park reopened this week after a two-month-long renovation project. Led by the Central Park Conservancy, the project replaced the decking with new, more durable wood and bolstered several beams under the deck to stabilize them and prevent future corrosion. The Conservancy researched historic photographs of the bridge, originally constructed in 1862, to identify the number of planks and the decking size of the bridge floor.
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January 10, 2024

AIA New York announces winners of 2024 Design Awards

The winners of the 2024 AIA New York Design Awards have been revealed, with 13 of the 22 winning projects located in New York. Each submitted project had to be completed by an AIANY member, an architect or designer practicing in NY, or be a NY project designed by an architect or designer from elsewhere. The winning projects range from temporary installations and exhibitions to large-scale urban interventions and are awarded in four categories, including Architecture, Interiors, Projects, and Urban Design.
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January 10, 2024

Hochul calls for replacement and extension of 421-a tax abatement in NYC

As housing production in New York City hits new lows, Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling once again for a replacement of the 421-a tax abatement program that expired in 2022. During her 2024 State of the State address on Tuesday, the governor said she plans to introduce legislation permitting the city to offer a tax break to developers of new rental construction, as well as an extension of the completion deadline of the expired program. Hochul's previous proposals to replace the program in 2022 and 2023 failed to move forward.
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January 9, 2024

Art collection of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz will be on view at the Brooklyn Museum

Next month you'll be able to view a world-class selection of artworks from the personal collection of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz at the Brooklyn Museum. The exhibition, called "Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys," features more than 100 major artworks from world-renowned Black American, African, and African diasporic artists, including Gordon Parks, Kehinde Wiley, Esther Mahlangu, Barkley L. Hendricks, Lorna Simpson, and more. "Giants" will be on view at the Brooklyn Museum from February 10 through July 7.
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January 9, 2024

NYC seeks feedback on rezoning plan around new Bronx Metro-North stations

City officials want New Yorkers to weigh in on a rezoning plan that proposes 6,000 new homes for the area surrounding four new Metro-North Stations in the East Bronx. The Department of City Planning (DCP) on Wednesday will host an online informational session for the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan, a rezoning effort proposed for Morris Park, Parkchester/Van Nest, Hunts Point, and Co-Op City. During the meeting, DCP officials will hear feedback and answer questions given by the community about the proposed land use changes ahead of the start of the official public review process.
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January 8, 2024

How to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in NYC

On the third Monday in January, the nation honors the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. First established in 1983, MLK Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated by Congress as a national day of service. While many Americans have off from school and work, the holiday is seen as a "day on, not a day off," and provides opportunities to volunteer and give back to communities across the five boroughs. Ahead, we've found some ways to celebrate MLK Day in NYC, from volunteer service in Highland Park and Forest Park to listening to performances by the world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir.
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