All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Mulchfest is back: Here’s how to recycle your Christmas tree in NYC

Photo credit: NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

January 3, 2023

Mulchfest is back: Here’s how to recycle your Christmas tree in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

With the holidays behind us, there's no better way to officially wrap up the season than sustainably disposing of your Christmas tree. The Parks Department's annual Mulchfest started on December 26 and will run through January 8, with 73 drop-off sites across the five boroughs for New Yorkers to bid "fir-well" to the holidays. On January 7 and 8 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., residents can bring their trees to one of the city's 35 chipping sites, watch them be chipped, and take a bag of mulch home.
Find out more

City Winery’s Gilded Age-inspired restaurant Cornelius opens in Grand Central

All photos of Cornelius courtesy of City Winery

December 29, 2022

City Winery’s Gilded Age-inspired restaurant Cornelius opens in Grand Central

By Aaron Ginsburg

Cornelius, a new high-end restaurant by City Winery, opened in Grand Central Terminal last week. The 75-seat restaurant offers patrons farm-to-table fare inspired by Gilded Age menus and created by Chef Zach Bondy. The restaurant joins two other concepts from City Winery, including a signature experience with tasting bars and City Jams, which has a first-of-its-kind wine-to-go program and an all-day menu.
Find out more

Food & Dining

Everything you need to know about the Times Square ball drop this New Year’s Eve

Image by Anthony Quintano via Flickr

December 29, 2022

Everything you need to know about the Times Square ball drop this New Year’s Eve

By Aaron Ginsburg

On December 31, tens of thousands of revelers will converge on Times Square to welcome in 2023. Spectators will vie for the best spot to gaze up at the 11,875-pound crystal ball as it makes its way down the pole on One Times Square and rings in the new year at midnight. The annual event is back at full capacity this year after two years of scaled-back celebrations due to the pandemic. Ahead, find everything you need to know about the 2022 Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop. (And for those avoiding the Times Square crowds this year, find a list of fun NYE events, dance parties, and champagne toasts happening across the city here.)
Get the details

Events & Things To Do

Snøhetta-designed Bronx library features a green glass facade inspired by trees

The Library’s fritted glass facade is wrapped in a graphic print inspired by the verdant tree canopies of The Bronx. Credit: © Snøhetta & LMNB

December 29, 2022

Snøhetta-designed Bronx library features a green glass facade inspired by trees

By Aaron Ginsburg

World-renowned architecture firm Snøhetta last week unveiled its design for a new library in the Bronx. The 12,000-square-foot Westchester Square Library, which will sit next to the historic Huntington Free Library on Glebe Avenue, will feature a striking green glass facade with abstract views of the neighborhood's trees, a way to pay homage to the Bronx's status as the city's "greenest borough," according to the firm. The library is being developed with the city's Department of Design and Construction and the New York Public Library.
See the design

Architecture And Design

NYC lost over 100,000 rent-stabilized units since 2019, according to report

Photo by Avi Werde on Unsplash

December 27, 2022

NYC lost over 100,000 rent-stabilized units since 2019, according to report

By Aaron Ginsburg

Despite a 2019 state law that largely prohibits landlords from deregulating rent-regulated apartments, the number of rent-stabilized units in New York City has dropped significantly, as first reported by The City. These findings indicate that there are potentially thousands of tenants who are currently paying rent that is more than the previously regulated amounts. These tenants also lack the rights given to New Yorkers living in rent-regulated units, like guaranteed lease renewals and restricted rent hikes.
See more here

Lottery opens for 45 mixed-income rentals a block from Green-Wood Cemetery, from $1,473/month

Image courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

December 23, 2022

Lottery opens for 45 mixed-income rentals a block from Green-Wood Cemetery, from $1,473/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery opened this week for 45 mixed-income units at a new residential development in Brooklyn. Located at 875 4th Avenue in Greenwood, the luxury rental rises eight stories and has 150 apartments. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $53,863 for a single person and $187,330 for a household of five people, can apply for the apartments, priced from $1,473/month studios to $2,975/month two bedrooms.
See more here

Affordable Housing

20 ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2022 in NYC

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels

December 22, 2022

20 ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2022 in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

For New Yorkers who want to avoid Times Square during the New Year's Eve ball drop, there are still plenty of other options to celebrate the New Year. Ahead, find a few ways to say goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023 in New York City, from feasting on Singaporean cuisine at the new food hall Urban Hawker and gazing up at the glowing sky during a firework display at Prospect Park to dance parties and champagne toasts at festive venues across the city.
Our NYE in NYC picks here

Events & Things To Do

‘2023’ numerals arrive in Times Square

All images courtesy of Times Square Alliance

December 21, 2022

‘2023’ numerals arrive in Times Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

It's almost the New Year in New York. The signature seven-foot-tall shining numerals that sit underneath the New Year's Eve crystal ball arrived in Times Square this week. The numbers are available for viewing at Times Square Plaza between 46th and 47th Street until noon on December 23 when they take their place on top of One Times Square.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Will New York City see a White Christmas this year?

Snow in Central Park; Photo courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy

December 21, 2022

Will New York City see a White Christmas this year?

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers who fantasize about opening their blinds on Christmas morning to a sprawling landscape of snow will likely be disappointed this year. According to the "White Christmas Calculator," a tool created by the Omni Calculator Project that gives the likelihood of snowfall in major cities, the probability that New York City sees at least one inch of snow on December 25 is approximately 13.2 percent. However, there are a few other cities located nearby with a near or over 50 percent chance of seeing flurries.
Dreaming of a White Christmas?

Events & Things To Do

MTA to cut Monday and Friday subway service on some lines

Photo via WikiCommons

December 20, 2022

MTA to cut Monday and Friday subway service on some lines

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will modify subway service on seven lines to better accommodate post-pandemic transit ridership trends. The agency on Monday said starting next June it would increase scheduled trips on the weekends and decrease trips on Mondays and Fridays, two days where ridership recovery has been the slowest.
DETAILS HERE

Popular Articles

Central Park’s first named gate since 1862 honors the exonerated ‘Central Park Five’

All photos courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy

December 20, 2022

Central Park’s first named gate since 1862 honors the exonerated ‘Central Park Five’

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new gate in Central Park will permanently honor the "Central Park Five," the five Black and Latino teens who in 1989 were convicted of a crime they didn't commit. "The Gate of the Exonerated" commemorates the exoneration of all five men, each of whom unjustly served between six and 12 years in prison before being cleared in 2002. Located on 110th Street between Malcolm X Boulevard and Fifth Avenue, the new entrance was unveiled on Monday, exactly 20 years after their convictions were overturned, marking the first named gate in Central Park since 1862.
See more here

Uncategorized

Here are the library books New Yorkers borrowed the most in 2022

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL

December 19, 2022

Here are the library books New Yorkers borrowed the most in 2022

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's three public library systems released their annual lists for their most checked-out titles of 2022. At the New York Public Library, the most borrowed book of the year was Matt Haig's The Midnight Library: A Novel. In Brooklyn, the top checkout was Laura Dave's The Last Thing He Told Me: A Novel, and in Queens, The Paris Apartment: A Novel by Lucy Foley.
See the list

City Living

NYC proposes pedestrian-friendly path on Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park

Conceptual renderings from one proposal for a reimagined Fifth Avenue. Credit: Fifth Avenue Association

December 19, 2022

NYC proposes pedestrian-friendly path on Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday released a plan that reimagines a stretch of Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park at 42nd Street to Central Park at 59th Street as a pedestrian-focused space that prioritizes safety, mass transit, and the public realm. This new vision of one of the world's most iconic tourist destinations and commercial districts is part of a broader plan to make the area more appealing to new residents and workers and builds upon the recent closure of Fifth Avenue this month for the holidays.
See the plan

Casino mogul Steve Wynn lists Central Park South penthouse for $90M

Photo of 50 Central Park South via WikiCommons

December 16, 2022

Casino mogul Steve Wynn lists Central Park South penthouse for $90M

By Aaron Ginsburg

Casino mogul and billionaire Steve Wynn is selling his Central Park South penthouse for $90,000,000. The home is located on the 30th and 31st floors of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at 50 Central Park South. The sprawling duplex, which Wynn picked up for $70,000,000 in 2012, measures 11,000 square feet and features unparalleled views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. If the residence fetches the asking price, it would be the most expensive sale in the building's history.
See more here

Tony Awards will be held at historic United Palace theater in Washington Heights

All photos taken by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft

December 15, 2022

Tony Awards will be held at historic United Palace theater in Washington Heights

By Aaron Ginsburg

Next year's Tony Awards will be held outside of Manhattan's theater district for the first time in 75 years. The presenters of the Tony Awards on Tuesday announced that this year's ceremony will move uptown to Washington Heights. The event will be hosted at the historic United Palace theater on Sunday, June 11, 2023.
Details here

Events & Things To Do

Proposal calls for transforming NYC’s commercial districts into 24/7 destinations

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

December 15, 2022

Proposal calls for transforming NYC’s commercial districts into 24/7 destinations

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced a new plan to improve New York City as a place to live and work and help prepare it for a post-pandemic world. An essential part of the plan involves the reimagination of the city's central business districts, Midtown and Lower Manhattan, by transforming them into dynamic, mixed-use neighborhoods that will draw more residents, businesses, and tourists. The plan also includes proposals to transform public space by expanding preexisting pedestrian spaces and envisioning new projects for the public realm.
See more here

$87M restoration of historic Orchard Beach Pavilion kicks off in the Bronx

View of the Upper and Lower Promenades, Cafeteria, and South Loggia, Looking South (1936); Images courtesy of Marvel/ NYC Parks/ NYCEDC

December 14, 2022

$87M restoration of historic Orchard Beach Pavilion kicks off in the Bronx

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction kicked off this week on a project to reconstruct the historic bathhouse and pavilion at Orchard Beach in the Bronx. The city's Parks Department and the Economic Development Corporation on Tuesday broke ground on the $87 million reconstruction of the 140,000 square-foot landmarked pavilion, which includes a major renovation of its historic architecture, new amenities for the community, and increased accessibility.
See more here

NYC designates Flatbush block with distinctive ‘Kinko houses’ as historic district

Photo of Parkside Avenue courtesy of LPC

December 14, 2022

NYC designates Flatbush block with distinctive ‘Kinko houses’ as historic district

By Aaron Ginsburg

Brooklyn gained another historic district this week. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to designate the Melrose Parkside Historic District, which includes a collection of 38 intact single and two-family homes built by two renowned Brooklyn architects, Benjamin Driesler and Axel S. Hedman. Located on Parkside Avenue between Flatbush and Bedford Avenue in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, the row of homes has a "distinctive appearance and sense of place," deriving from the two architects' use of "then popular Neoclassical vocabulary in their designs to harmonize three different types of residences," according to the commission.
Find out more

Policy

The Mermaid Inn opens expansive new location in Times Square

All images courtesy of Alex Staniloff

December 13, 2022

The Mermaid Inn opens expansive new location in Times Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Mermaid Oyster Bar, a new outpost of the beloved Manhattan seafood restaurant family The Mermaid Inn, opened in Times Square on Tuesday. Located at 127 West 43rd Street, the restaurant is the Mermaid's largest location yet, three times larger than any of its other Manhattan branches. Owners Danny Abrams and Cindy Smiths have opened the new location alongside restaurateur Jeffrey Bank, CEO of Alicart Restaurant Group.
Details here

Food & Dining

Interact with nearly 1M NYC trees through a new digital map

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

December 12, 2022

Interact with nearly 1M NYC trees through a new digital map

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers will now be able to interact with nearly one million of New York City's trees through a new first-of-its-kind digital map. The NYC Parks Department last week released the NYC Tree Map, an interactive map that allows New Yorkers to see the unique IDs, species information, and maintenance status of more than 800,000 of the city's street and park trees.
See more here

City Living

Adams unveils plan to create 500K new homes by 2032

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

December 9, 2022

Adams unveils plan to create 500K new homes by 2032

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday unveiled a new, three-part strategy to tackle the city's affordable housing crisis. Dubbed "Get Stuff Built," the plan aims to address the housing crisis by accelerating the creation of new housing, setting a "moonshot" goal of creating 500,000 new homes over the next decade.
See more here

Museum of Jewish Heritage to host its first-ever New York Jewish Book Festival

© John Halpern Courtesy of the Museum of Jewish Heritage

December 9, 2022

Museum of Jewish Heritage to host its first-ever New York Jewish Book Festival

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is hosting its first-ever New York Jewish Book Festival this weekend. Kicking off on Sunday, December 11 at 10 a.m., the full-day event will feature talks, panels, author signings, and other programs that explore themes of Jewish heritage, culture, history, and more. The festival is free to attend and will be held at the museum's location at 36 Battery Place in Battery Park City.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

How to avoid NYC SantaCon 2022

Photo courtesy of Anthony Quintano on Flickr

December 8, 2022

How to avoid NYC SantaCon 2022

By Aaron Ginsburg

Manhattan residents may be pleasantly surprised or significantly perturbed when a horde of red-and-white-clad SantaCon 2022 participants flood the streets of Midtown, Murray Hill, and the East Village this Saturday. The annual cosplay event draws thousands of festively-dressed participants into the borough for a day of drunken shenanigans all in the name of charity. The pub crawl is a blast for all of those involved, and not so fun for residents of the neighborhoods and people who need to travel through these areas. Ahead are a few suggestions for those looking to avoid the action during this year's SantaCon.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

City Council approves Boerum Hill rezoning that will create 450 affordable housing units

Street view of 280 Bergen Street © Google

December 8, 2022

City Council approves Boerum Hill rezoning that will create 450 affordable housing units

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to approve the rezoning of nearly an entire block in Boerum Hill that will make way for 450 new housing units, roughly 50 percent of which will be fully affordable. The rezoning includes a stretch of Nevins Street to Bond Street between Wyckoff Street and Bergen Street, the last manufacturing block in Boerum Hill.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finally reopens at the World Trade Center

All photos © Alan Karchmer for Santiago Calatrava unless otherwise noted

December 8, 2022

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finally reopens at the World Trade Center

By Aaron Ginsburg

The only house of worship that was totally destroyed during the September 11 attacks finally reopened to the public this week. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, now located at 130 Liberty Street, resumed regular parish life with a prayer service on Monday. Inspired by Byzantine architecture, Calatrava designed a facade that appears to glow from within; the church will be illuminated every night as a beacon of hope at the site.
More here

65
66
67
68
69