All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

A pop-up ‘beach’ returns to the Seaport this month

All photos courtesy of Mike Szpot, The Howard Hughes Corporation

July 20, 2023

A pop-up ‘beach’ returns to the Seaport this month

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New Yorkers don't have to travel far this summer to bury their feet in the sand and bask in the sun. The Seaport Beach Fest is back for 2023, with oversized sandboxes for lounging, food trucks, live performances, and DJ sets. The event takes place at Seaport Square, located at 89 South Street between Piers 16 & 17, from Friday, July 28 through Sunday, July 30.
Get the details
NYC launches first-ever subway performer contest

Afro Dominicano. Credit: Michael Ferguson

July 20, 2023

NYC launches first-ever subway performer contest

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New Yorkers now have the opportunity to vote for their favorite New York City subway performer. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday helped launch the first-ever "Riders' Choice Award," a competition among artists who are in the MTA's Music Under New York program to win a free recording session with Atlantic Records. New Yorkers can cast their votes for their favorite performer here through July 26 with a winner announced on July 27.
Cast your vote
Alamo Cube returns to Astor Place in full spinning glory

Image courtesy of New York City Council on Flickr

July 19, 2023

Alamo Cube returns to Astor Place in full spinning glory

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Astor Place's beloved Alamo Cube has returned to its rightful place and is ready to be spun once again. After removing the sculpture to repair its spinning mechanisms in May, the city reinstalled the public art sculpture in the East Village this week. Officially called "Alamo," the 1,800-pound cube was sculpted by artist Tony Rosenthal and first installed at Astor Plaza Place in 1967. Rosenthal's estate paid for the sculpture's repair bill, estimated to be $100,000, according to EV Grieve.
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40 blocks of Manhattan’s Third Avenue to be transformed with bike and bus lanes

Photo by Marek Rygielski on Flickr

July 19, 2023

40 blocks of Manhattan’s Third Avenue to be transformed with bike and bus lanes

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New York City is moving forward with its redesign of a 1.9-mile stretch of Manhattan's Third Avenue. Construction will begin next week on the "complete street," which will span from East 59th Street to 96th Street and include a new dedicated lane for buses and a parking-protected bike lane, the Department of Transportation announced. The redesign aims to make Third Avenue safer for pedestrians and cyclists; according to DOT, six pedestrians and one cyclist have been killed between 59th and 96th Street since 2016.
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Russ & Daughters opens new location in Hudson Yards

Russ & Daughters on the Lower East Side; Photo by  on Flickr

July 18, 2023

Russ & Daughters opens new location in Hudson Yards

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The 110-year-old Lower East Side icon Russ & Daughters officially opened a new location in Hudson Yards this week. Located on the ground floor of the skyscraper 50 Hudson Yards at 34th Street and 10th Avenue, the 4,500-square-foot shop sells its signature Jewish specialties like smoked fish, bagels, bialys, and babka and offers seat-yourself dining and soon-to-open caviar and champagne bar.
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NYC approves design for Shirley Chisholm monument in Prospect Park

Renderings courtesy of Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous/ NYC Public Design Commission

July 18, 2023

NYC approves design for Shirley Chisholm monument in Prospect Park

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New York City this week approved the design for a monument to Shirley Chisholm, a Brooklyn native who became the first Black woman to serve in the United States Congress. The city's Public Design Commission on Monday unanimously approved plans for the monument: a 32-foot-tall sculpture depicting the congresswoman designed by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous installed at the southeast entrance of Prospect Park. The artists were selected for the monument's design in 2019, but the process was delayed because of the pandemic.
Take a look
MTA announces 5 fare-free bus routes

Image courtesy of Patrick J. Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Flickr

July 18, 2023

MTA announces 5 fare-free bus routes

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New York City is testing out free fares on bus routes in every borough this fall. As part of a pilot program launching in late September, five bus lines will be free to riders for between six and 12 months, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA announced Monday. The routes, which serve roughly 43,900 daily riders on an average weekday, were selected based on ridership, fare evasion, service quality, equity for low-income communities, and access to employment and commercial areas, according to the MTA.
Details here
NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

The Randall’s Island tent shelter last October. Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 17, 2023

NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

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New York City is looking to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens. According to The City, facilities will be constructed at the state-owned Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village and at the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park. Both sites, which have not officially been announced yet, are projected to house roughly 1,000 adults and could open within the next two to three weeks.
Details here
NYC Restaurant Week returns this summer with nearly 500 restaurants

The restaurant Kru in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is participating in Restaurant Week. Image courtesy of NYC Tourism + Conventions

July 17, 2023

NYC Restaurant Week returns this summer with nearly 500 restaurants

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Hungry New Yorkers will be thrilled to hear New York City's Restaurant Week is back this summer. NYC Tourism + Conventions, the city's tourism agency, announced that the program, which allows patrons to eat at hundreds of the city's best restaurants with discounted, prix-fixe menus, would return to the five boroughs this summer with nearly 500 participating establishments. The four-week program will run from Monday, July 24 through Sunday, August 20.
Plan your Restaurant Week rendezvous
Brooklyn Public Library opens surprise installation honoring Jay-Z

Photo © 6sqft

July 14, 2023

Brooklyn Public Library opens surprise installation honoring Jay-Z

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The Brooklyn Public Library on Friday opened a new installation celebrating the life and legacy of Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, from his beginnings in Bed-Stuy's Marcy Projects to worldwide fame. Located at the library's Central Branch next to Prospect Park, the exhibition, titled "The Book of HOV," features art, images, ephemera, and memorabilia from the rapper's archives that pay tribute to his incredible life and career and highlight the ways he helped redefine hip-hop, music, and culture on a global scale. The experience is free and open to the public for a limited time starting July 14.
See more here
Rise Up NYC returns to the five boroughs with 8 free concerts

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 14, 2023

Rise Up NYC returns to the five boroughs with 8 free concerts

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"Rise up NYC," a series of free concert events, is returning to New York City after debuting last summer. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the second year of the event series, which will bring eight easily-accessible live performances to all of the five boroughs. This year's Rise Up NYC will kick off on Wednesday, July 19, and run through Sunday, August 20, featuring critically acclaimed artists like K. Michelle, Stokley, Farmer Nappy, and Hot 97 Disc Jockey Funk Flex, with more performers to be announced.
Find out more
Fort Greene’s historic Paramount Theatre to reopen as live music venue next year

Image used by Permission of Long Island University

July 13, 2023

Fort Greene’s historic Paramount Theatre to reopen as live music venue next year

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The gilded Brooklyn Paramount Theatre is being restored to its original glory and will reopen as a world-class entertainment venue next year. Entertainment giant Live Nation, which will revive and operate the nearly 100-year-old theater, revealed plans and new renderings during a community board meeting last month. According to the company, the LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre will be able to accommodate 2,600 people. Located at 385 Flatbush Avenue Extension, the theater is scheduled to open in the first or second quarter of 2024, as first reported by Brownstoner.
See more here
NYCHA says it needs nearly $80 billion for repairs

Image via WikiCommons

July 13, 2023

NYCHA says it needs nearly $80 billion for repairs

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New York City's public housing agency needs more than $78 billion to make much-needed repairs to its dilapidated housing stock, according to a new 20-year assessment released Wednesday. The estimation for the apartment repairs is a whopping 73 percent higher than NYCHA's last assessment of $45.2 billion calculated in 2017. According to the agency, nearly 40 percent of NYCHA apartments require more than $500,000 in work per unit.
Details here
New migrant shelter in Clinton Hill could serve at least 2,000 people

Streetview of 47 Hall Street. © 2023 Google

July 12, 2023

New migrant shelter in Clinton Hill could serve at least 2,000 people

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New York City is opening two more emergency shelters to accommodate the thousands of migrants that continue to arrive in the five boroughs, one of which is set to become the largest dormitory-style shelter in the city's history. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced the opening of two more humanitarian relief shelters, one at an existing respite center at 47 Hall Street in Brooklyn, which adds additional space to serve roughly 1,400 more migrant adults, and another at the Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York hotel in Queens, which will serve more than 330 families with children seeking asylum.
Find out more
Global Citizen reveals lineup for its 2023 festival in Central Park

Photo of Global Citizen Festival in Central by Anthony Quintano on Flickr

July 11, 2023

Global Citizen reveals lineup for its 2023 festival in Central Park

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The lineup for the 11th annual Global Citizen Festival in New York City has been revealed. Taking place on Central Park's Great Lawn on Saturday, September 23, this year's event includes headliners the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ms. Lauryn Hill, with Megan Thee Stallion, Conan Gray, and the Stray Kids also set to perform. The free ticketed event connects music and activism, with a focus on tackling issues related to extreme poverty around the world, including empowering women and girls, fighting climate action, and alleviating the hunger crisis.
See the lineup
Angelina Jolie renting Jean-Michel Basquiat’s former Noho studio

Photo by Beyond My Ken on Wikimedia Commons

July 11, 2023

Angelina Jolie renting Jean-Michel Basquiat’s former Noho studio

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Angelina Jolie is opening a new collaborative space for artisans and fashion designers at Jean-Michel Basquiat's former Noho studio. Opening this fall at 57 Great Jones Street, Atelier Jolie will serve as "a creative collection for self-expression," giving underrepresented tailors and designers the ability to showcase their work, as first reported by EV Grieve. The two-floor building was once owned by Andy Warhol, who rented it out to Basquiat until the artist's untimely death in 1988 at the age of 27.
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56 apartments for low-income seniors available in Inwood

Renderings courtesy of Coconut Properties

July 10, 2023

56 apartments for low-income seniors available in Inwood

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56 affordable units designed for seniors are available at a new senior supportive housing project in Manhattan. Located at 37 Hillside Avenue in Inwood, the building offers senior residents social services, space to worship, and plenty of outdoor green space. Applicants must have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older, qualifies for Section 8 benefits, and earns no more than $60,050 annually. Eligible New Yorkers will pay 30 percent of their income for the available studio and one-bedroom apartments.
See more here
NYC libraries celebrate 50 years of hip-hop with special edition library cards

Image courtesy of Jonathan Blanc

July 10, 2023

NYC libraries celebrate 50 years of hip-hop with special edition library cards

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The New York Public Library (NYPL) and Queens Public Library (QPL) are releasing new limited-edition library cards in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. The new cards honor the genre and commemorate New York City's integral role in its rise to global fame. The cards will be available at branches across the NYPL and QPL systems starting on Friday, July 14.
See more here
How to celebrate Bastille Day 2023 in NYC

A past Bastille Day event hosted by the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) Photo by Julieta Cervantes

July 7, 2023

How to celebrate Bastille Day 2023 in NYC

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Bastille Day is a celebration of the day French revolutionaries stormed the Bastille prison in Paris, a pivotal moment in the French Revolution. Taking place on July 14, Bastille Day, or La Fête Nationale, is France's national holiday, and many of New York City's French businesses and institutions host exciting celebrations to honor the day. Ahead, find a round-up of Bastille Day celebrations across the five boroughs, from street fairs and concerts to French automobile parades and specials at French restaurants throughout the city.
See more here
85 brand-new affordable units available in Morris Heights, from $532/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

July 7, 2023

85 brand-new affordable units available in Morris Heights, from $532/month

By
Applications are now being accepted for 85 affordable units at a new residential development in the Bronx. Located at 1544 Shakespeare Avenue in Morris Heights, St. Francis Commons offers residents brand-new apartments and a variety of amenities. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 30, 50, and 70 of the area median income, or between $21,155 for a single person annually and $122,570 for a household of seven, are eligible to apply for the apartments, which range from $532/month one-bedrooms to $2,188/month three bedrooms.
Find out more
A crew of weed-eating goats returns to Riverside Park this week

Image courtesy of the Riverside Park Conservancy

July 6, 2023

A crew of weed-eating goats returns to Riverside Park this week

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A voracious crew of goats will return to the Upper West Side on Friday to help clear out hard-to-reach weeds in Riverside Park. Known as "Goatham," the event marks the fourth consecutive year that the Riverside Park Conservancy has welcomed in a team of goats to clear out invasive species. This year's celebration has been made more grandiose with the first-ever Goatham Festival on Friday, July 7 at 11 a.m., which will host four esteemed goats as guests for a "ribbon chewing" ceremony for the opening of the new Compost Compound on 95th Street.
See more here
MTA moves forward with expansion of Second Avenue Subway

Rendering of the 125th Street entrance, looking south. All renderings courtesy of the MTA

July 6, 2023

MTA moves forward with expansion of Second Avenue Subway

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New York City is moving forward with its highly-anticipated expansion of the Second Avenue Subway. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is soliciting the first contract for the 1.5-mile extension of the Second Avenue Subway to 125th Street and unveiled new renderings of the project. The roughly $7 billion extension will connect the line's current endpoint at 96th Street on the Upper West Side to a new station at 125th Street in Harlem, with two more fully accessible stations created along the way at 106th and 116th Streets.
See more here
New Louis Armstrong Center opens in Corona

Image courtesy of Albert Vercerka/Esto

July 5, 2023

New Louis Armstrong Center opens in Corona

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A new center dedicated to jazz legend Louis Armstrong has opened in Queens. Located at 34-40 107th Street in Corona, the Louis Armstrong Center will feature a 60,000-piece permanent collection of historical items relating to Louis and Lucille Armstrong, a rotating exhibition space, and a 75-seat venue for performances, lectures, films, and educational experiences. Part of the existing Louis Armstrong House Museum, the new building opened on Thursday, July 6.
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Asking $19.5M, a penthouse in Richard Rogers’ first U.S. residential project in FiDi

Images courtesy of Evan Joseph

July 3, 2023

Asking $19.5M, a penthouse in Richard Rogers’ first U.S. residential project in FiDi

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This newly finished penthouse is located within award-winning architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners' No. 33 Park Row, the firm's first and only residential project in New York City. The park-front landmark joins RSHP's roster of celebrated projects, such as One Hyde Park in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Asking $19,500,000, the five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom duplex Penthouse 3 offers residents dramatic 21-foot-tall ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a stunning loggia terrace with sweeping views of City Hall Park and Tribeca.
Find out more
NYC’s shelter system reaches a record 100,000 occupants

Image courtesy of mari small on Unsplash

June 30, 2023

NYC’s shelter system reaches a record 100,000 occupants

By
New York City's shelter system has surpassed 100,000 occupants for the first time, more than half of whom are asylum seekers, city officials announced this week. NYC is currently spending roughly $8 million a day on its shelter system, which has expanded to include 166 new emergency facilities to accommodate the surge in asylum seekers that began in the spring of 2022. The city is expected to spend more than $4 billion on its shelter system by 2024, according to the New York Times.
See more here
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