All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Lottery opens for new senior apartments in Chelsea, from $686/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 28, 2023

Lottery opens for new senior apartments in Chelsea, from $686/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery opened this week at a new apartment building in Chelsea. Located at 278 Eighth Avenue, the 14-story mixed-use building will have 190 total apartments, with 25 percent set aside for seniors, and a ground-floor Target store. Through the lottery, 44 apartments are available to those who are, or have a family member who is, at least 62 years of age and earns 40, 60, and 80 percent of the area median income. An additional four apartments are open to those who earn 130 percent of the area median income. Apartments are priced from $686/month studios to $3,753/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

100 percent affordable housing to replace two Boerum Hill parking lots

Image courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 28, 2023

100 percent affordable housing to replace two Boerum Hill parking lots

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is moving forward with a development plan that will bring hundreds of new affordable apartments to a bustling part of Brooklyn. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development last week began community outreach for two 100 percent affordable developments on city-owned parking lots in Boerum Hill. The sites, located at 153 Nevins Street and 108-114 Third Avenue, will include 125 new apartments for families and seniors.
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Affordable Housing

NYC’s Gramercy Park Hotel to reopen with rooftop bar and Danny Meyer restaurant

Image via WikiCommons

August 28, 2023

NYC’s Gramercy Park Hotel to reopen with rooftop bar and Danny Meyer restaurant

By Aaron Ginsburg

After closing during the pandemic, Manhattan's famed Gramercy Park Hotel will reopen under new ownership, the Wall Street Journal reported. MCR Hotels, the nation's third-largest hotel owner and operator, has purchased a 99-year lease to the hotel, located directly across from the exclusive Gramercy Park, for roughly $50 million and expects to reopen the property as one of the city's most luxurious hotels in 2025 following renovations. Plans include upgrades to the lobby, the 197 guest rooms, the first-floor restaurant (Danny Meyer's Maialino), and the 7,000-square-foot rooftop bar.
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Tap-to-pay OMNY system finally comes to the Roosevelt Island Tram

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 25, 2023

Tap-to-pay OMNY system finally comes to the Roosevelt Island Tram

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers are now able to tap to pay to board the Roosevelt Island Tramway. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday announced the tram, which takes riders 250 feet above the East River between Manhattan's east side and Roosevelt Island in just four minutes, is the first non-MTA-operated service to accept OMNY. To pay the fare, riders can now tap their credit cards or mobile devices at the 59th Street and 2nd Avenue tram station in Manhattan and at Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island.
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13,000+ rent-stabilized units in NYC have been vacant for multiple years

Photo © 6sqft

August 25, 2023

13,000+ rent-stabilized units in NYC have been vacant for multiple years

By Aaron Ginsburg

Upwards of 13,000 rent-stabilized homes in New York City have sat vacant over the past two years, according to a new report. Out of 42,275 rent-stabilized apartments listed in April 2022, many of which were marked as "newly vacant," 13,362 units remained empty for two consecutive years, up from 12,300 in 2021, according to the report by the city's Independent Budget Office. These data points are making officials question whether the units are vacant due to tenants moving in and out or whether they have been "warehoused," or deliberately taken off the market, according to Gothamist.
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NYC unveils ‘home for retired playground animals’ in Queens

All photos courtesy of NYC Parks

August 24, 2023

NYC unveils ‘home for retired playground animals’ in Queens

By Aaron Ginsburg

Six treasured playground animal sculptures have retired to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. Located next to the park's iconic Unisphere, the "Home for Retired Playground Animals," will now house the past-their-prime statues that have been enjoyed by kids in city parks for decades. Currently on display in the space are one aardvark, one camel, one frog, one elephant, and two dolphin sculptures.
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Architecture And Design

60 middle-income apartments available at new South Bronx waterfront rental, from $2,700/month

All images courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 24, 2023

60 middle-income apartments available at new South Bronx waterfront rental, from $2,700/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery opened this week for 60 middle-income units in a new high-rise residential tower on the South Bronx waterfront. Located at 2413 Third Avenue in Mott Haven, the building, dubbed the Maven, offers 200 brand-new luxury units and expansive indoor and outdoor amenities. New Yorkers earning 130 of the area median income, or between $92,572 for a single person annually and $227,630 for a household of seven, can apply for the apartments, priced at $2,700/month for one-bedrooms, $3,235/month for two-bedrooms, and $3,500/month for three-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

The Met announces major Harlem Renaissance exhibition

Archibald J. Motley, Jr. (American, 1891–1981), Black Belt, 1934, Oil on canvas, Framed: 33 in. × 40 5/8 in. × 1 3/4 in. (83.8 × 103.2 × 4.4 cm), Collection of the Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Virginia, © Estate of Archibald John Motley Jr. All reserved rights 2023 / Bridgeman Images Image courtesy Hampton University

August 23, 2023

The Met announces major Harlem Renaissance exhibition

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Museum of Art next year will host an exhibition establishing the Harlem Renaissance as the first-ever African-American-led international art movement. Debuting in February 2024, "The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism" will explore the ways in which Black artists depicted everyday life in the new Black cities that developed across the United States from the 1920s through the 1940s, like New York City's Harlem and Chicago's South Side. As the first art museum survey of the Harlem Renaissance in the city since 1987, the exhibition includes roughly 160 works of painting, sculpture, film, photography, and more.
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Events & Things To Do

Feds approve asylum seeker shelter at Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field

Photo via Wikimedia

August 22, 2023

Feds approve asylum seeker shelter at Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field

By Aaron Ginsburg

Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field will be home to New York City's latest migrant shelter. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced a deal was reached for the federal government to provide New York State with a proposed lease of the former naval air station in Marine Park. The governor said the new Humanitarian Emergency Relief and Response Center (HERRC) will be able to house up to 2,000 single adult asylum seekers. While the governor initially requested that the federal government pick up the bill for constructing and staffing the shelter, the state agreed to cover the expenses, according to Gothamist.
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Policy

Pedestrian, public space upgrades slated for Broadway near Union Square

Broadway north of Madison Square, part of the Broadway Vision phase completed earlier this year. Image courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation

August 22, 2023

Pedestrian, public space upgrades slated for Broadway near Union Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City wants to better connect the Flatiron District and Union Square. As part of an expansion of the city's "Broadway Vision" plan, Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced plans to upgrade public space on Broadway from East 21st Street to East 17th Street, including bike lanes, pedestrian space, and expanded outdoor dining. The Department of Transportation will launch public outreach for the expansion this week, gathering feedback on the improvements, specifically, a new two-way bike boulevard.
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Policy

Popular Articles

$80M penthouse sale at 220 Central Park South is one of year’s biggest deals

Photo of 220 Central Park South in front of 111 West 57th Street (cropped) by Jim Henderson via Wikimedia Commons

August 21, 2023

$80M penthouse sale at 220 Central Park South is one of year’s biggest deals

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of New York City's best-selling condo buildings locked in one of the biggest deals of the year so far. An 8,000-square-foot duplex penthouse at 220 Central Park South on Billionaires' Row is selling for roughly $80 million, the Wall Street Journal first reported. The seller is linked to investment firm Nima Capital, which paid around $65.6 million for the property in October 2020.
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Real Estate Trends

Pre-Civil War church in Bed-Stuy to be demolished

Streetview © 2023 Google

August 21, 2023

Pre-Civil War church in Bed-Stuy to be demolished

By Aaron Ginsburg

A historic church in Bed-Stuy constructed in 1856 is set to be razed and will likely be replaced with apartments, according to Brownstoner. Last week an application was filed for the full demolition of the St. Lucy-St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church at 295 Willoughby Avenue and 920 Kent Avenue. The church agreed to sell the property in July for $12.25 million to developer Water Capital Group. Due to the size of the lot and zoning in the area, investment firm JLL marketed the site as a "rare opportunity to develop a sizable luxury residential building in a burgeoning Brooklyn neighborhood."
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Adams announces Midtown South rezoning, plan to convert offices to housing

Midtown Manhattan. Photo by Phil Hauser on Unsplash

August 17, 2023

Adams announces Midtown South rezoning, plan to convert offices to housing

By Aaron Ginsburg

New housing will be allowed in parts of Midtown Manhattan for the first time in decades under a plan announced by Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday. The mayor wants to update zoning rules to allow for the construction of new apartments in a 42-block area stretching from 23rd Street to 40th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue, which is currently designated for manufacturing use. The start of the rezoning effort joins another proposal from the Adams administration to facilitate and expedite office-to-housing conversions across every borough, as the city continues to face a housing shortage.
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Live above Inwood’s new public library, from $397/month

Rendering of The Eliza courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 17, 2023

Live above Inwood’s new public library, from $397/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Attention New York bookworms: Here's a chance to live above a brand-new city library. A housing lottery opened this week for 138 affordable apartments at The Eliza, a 14-story rental in Inwood. Located at 4790 Broadway, the development includes deeply affordable apartments and a two-level New York Public Library branch at its base. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, and 60 percent of the area median income, or between $16,183 for a single person annually and $105,060 for a household of seven, can apply for the apartments, which range from $397/month studios to $1,841/month three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Plan to bring Van Cortlandt Park’s Tibbetts Brook above ground moves forward

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection

August 17, 2023

Plan to bring Van Cortlandt Park’s Tibbetts Brook above ground moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

A plan to unearth parts of a body of water in the Bronx that has been covered for more than a century is moving forward. The New York City Public Design Commission on Monday unanimously approved the preliminary design plan for the Tibbetts Brook Daylight and Greenway Project in Van Cortlandt Park, a project that will help remove the brook's clean water from the sewer system and ultimately reduce flooding and sewage overflow into the Harlem River. The $133 million project could face delays due to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which owns the land that is part of the construction project, according to the City.
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Two Bronx parks with fascinating NYC history may become landmarks

Joseph Rodman Drake Park and Enslaved African Burial Ground. Photo courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

August 16, 2023

Two Bronx parks with fascinating NYC history may become landmarks

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar two Bronx parks with unique New York City history for possible landmark status. The Joseph Rodman Drake Park and Enslaved African Burial Ground is a colonial-era burial ground that includes the long-forgotten site of a cemetery for enslaved people. The Old Croton Aqueduct Walk is a popular walking path on top of the famous aqueduct that brought the city its first direct source of water in 1842.
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Policy

East Harlem tower opens lottery for 40 mixed-income apartments, from $763/month

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 15, 2023

East Harlem tower opens lottery for 40 mixed-income apartments, from $763/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are now being accepted for 40 mixed-income units at a new residential development in East Harlem. Located at 88 East 127th Street, the 19-story building is conveniently located near several public transit options, the 16-acre Marcus Garvey Park, and lots of restaurants and shopping. New Yorkers earning 40 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $29,109 for a single person annually and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced from $763/month studios to $3,773/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

NYC pushing for bigger, wider electric cargo bikes

Image courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation on Flickr

August 14, 2023

NYC pushing for bigger, wider electric cargo bikes

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is looking to permit bigger electric cargo bikes to deliver more goods more sustainably. The city's Department of Transportation on Monday announced a proposed rule allowing the use of pedal-assist bikes that are up to 48 inches wide with four wheels, compared to the currently permitted 36-inch-wide bikes with three wheels. The extra width and wheel would make the bikes easier to use, reducing the number of delivery trucks on city streets and cutting vehicle emissions and traffic. The announcement kicks off the 30-day public comment period, with a public hearing scheduled for next month.
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Chandeliers made of repurposed plastic bottles hang above Park Avenue

All photos courtesy of Zach Pontz

August 14, 2023

Chandeliers made of repurposed plastic bottles hang above Park Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new installation along Park Avenue transforms trash into environmentally-mindful works of art. Artist Willie Cole designed four large-scale chandeliers made of 9,000 recycled plastic water bottles that can now be seen on the medians at 69th and 70th Streets. Titled "3000 Buddha Chandelier," "Liberty Lantern," "Soul Catcher," and "Dirt Devil," the sculptures aim to address the need for clean drinking water while recognizing the environmental damage caused by plastic bottles.
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Events & Things To Do

MTA to boost subway service on 1 and 6 trains

Photo via WikiCommons

August 11, 2023

MTA to boost subway service on 1 and 6 trains

By Aaron Ginsburg

The 1 and 6 lines on the New York City subway system will start running faster this weekend. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday announced that starting on Saturday, August 12, the 1 and 6 subway lines will start running every six minutes instead of every eight minutes during weekend service. The service enhancement was made possible by $35 million in funding designated for the MTA in the Fiscal Year 2024 State Budget.
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Transit

Here’s everything you need to know about NYC’s Dominican Day Parade

Dominican Day Parade 2019. Photo courtesy of S Pakhrin on Flickr

August 11, 2023

Here’s everything you need to know about NYC’s Dominican Day Parade

By Aaron Ginsburg

The 41st annual Dominican Day Parade returns to Midtown this Sunday, August 13. The parade brings together New York City’s Dominican community, the largest in the country, to celebrate their heritage with live music, parade floats, vibrant costumes, traditional dance, food, and more. First held in 1982, the parade started as a small celebration in Washington Heights. Hosted on the second Sunday in August, the parade commemorates the start of the Dominican Republic's fight for independence from Spain in 1863. The theme for this year’s event is “Our History, Our People,” and for the first time in the parade’s history, the procession will be headed by Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, who will serve as Grand Marshal.
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Events & Things To Do

See breathtaking photos of humpback whales in front of the NYC skyline

Photo © Sarah Trabue, WCS Ocean Giants/Activities conducted pursuant to NMFS ESA/MMP Permit No. 27507

August 11, 2023

See breathtaking photos of humpback whales in front of the NYC skyline

By Aaron Ginsburg

With the waters around New York City both cleaner and warmer in recent years, whale and dolphin spottings are becoming more common. The Wildlife Conservation Society this week released photos showing humpback whales just a few miles off New York City’s coasts. The images were taken on Wednesday, August 2 on a clear day roughly five miles from Coney Island’s New York Aquarium with the Manhattan skyline visible in the background.
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Events & Things To Do

Affordable senior housing to replace Prospect Heights parking lot

Rendering of the proposed plans for 542 Dean Street shows the new entrance to the park and public space created as part of the design for the affordable senior housing project. Courtesy of GRAPH.

August 10, 2023

Affordable senior housing to replace Prospect Heights parking lot

By Aaron Ginsburg

A plan to replace a Prospect Heights parking lot with affordable housing for low-income and homeless seniors is moving forward. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on Tuesday announced its selection of Jobe Development, Corp., Mega Group Development, and the Institute of Community Living Room to convert a city-owned parking lot at 542 Dean Street into the residential development "Park Edge." The redevelopment is part of the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan (AAMUP), which found a community desire for new affordable housing projects on city-owned properties.
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Affordable Housing

NYC opening 2,000-bed migrant shelter on Randall’s Island

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

August 10, 2023

NYC opening 2,000-bed migrant shelter on Randall’s Island

By Aaron Ginsburg

It's round two for a shelter on Randall's Island. Mayor Eric Adams this week announced plans to construct a new humanitarian relief center for 2,000 single adult men seeking asylum. The city opened a shelter for migrants on Randall's Island in November but shut it down a month later after it sat mostly empty. As the crisis continues for the city, which has received nearly 100,000 people since last spring, Adams said a shelter of this scale is necessary.
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Policy

Open-air night market returns to Chinatown with 30+ vendors

Photo credit: Adrian Childress

August 9, 2023

Open-air night market returns to Chinatown with 30+ vendors

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Chinatown Night Market is returning this week with its largest outing yet. Taking place on Friday, August 11 in Forsyth Plaza, the Chinatown Night Market is a free monthly summer series hosted by Think!Chinatown. This month's event, which will run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., includes more than 30 vendors offering delicious food, breathtaking live performances, and folk art.
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