All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

MTA to install security cameras in every subway car

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 20, 2022

MTA to install security cameras in every subway car

By Aaron Ginsburg

Two security cameras will be installed in every subway car in New York City, under a new initiative announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA on Tuesday. The $5.5 million project, paid in part by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, includes the installation of nearly 13,000 cameras on 6,355 train cars by 2025. The enhanced security measure is an expansion of a pilot program that launched this summer following a mass shooting on the subway in Brooklyn in April. There are surveillance cameras in the more than 470 subway stations across the city, but none in cars before the program.
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NYC will provide free high-speed internet and cable to most NYCHA tenants

Image via WikiCommons

September 20, 2022

NYC will provide free high-speed internet and cable to most NYCHA tenants

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced the launch of "Big Apple Connect," a program that will provide free high-speed internet and cable television to roughly 300,000 New Yorkers living in more than 200 of the city's public housing developments by the end of next year. The program is the result of a partnership between the city's Office of Technology and Innovation and Optimum.
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Policy

New York’s first Singapore-style hawker center opens in Midtown next week

Image courtesy of Max Flatow

September 20, 2022

New York’s first Singapore-style hawker center opens in Midtown next week

By Aaron Ginsburg

After nearly five years of planning, the city's first Singaporean hawker center is set to open next week. Created by Urbanspace and KF Seetoh, who is the founder of Makansutra and operator of numerous food courts in Singapore, the Urban Hawker food hall will feature 17 vendors offering a diverse variety of cuisines, including 11 Singapore-based vendors. Located at 135 West 50th Street, the market officially opens to the public on Wednesday, September 28, operating daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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Food & Dining

East Harlem street where Cicely Tyson grew up has been renamed after the pioneering actress

Photo of Cicely Tyson via Wikimedia; Google Street View of East 101st Street, Map data © Google

September 16, 2022

East Harlem street where Cicely Tyson grew up has been renamed after the pioneering actress

By Aaron Ginsburg

A stretch of street in East Harlem was renamed Cicely Tyson Way in honor of the late trailblazing actress. Tyson, who grew up in a fifth-floor railroad flat at 178 East 101st Street, died last January at the age of 96. Throughout her 70-year award-winning career, Tyson defied racial stereotypes and became famous for her depiction of strong Black women in theater and film.
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Celebrities

10 NYC museums are offering free admission this Saturday

© John Halpern Courtesy of the Museum of Jewish Heritage

September 16, 2022

10 NYC museums are offering free admission this Saturday

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Smithsonian Magazine's 18th annual Museum Day is taking place on Saturday, September 17, with 10 New York City museums participating in this year's celebration. As part of the special day, hundreds of museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free admission to any guest with a Museum Day ticket.
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Events & Things To Do

‘Little Amal’ arrives in New York City, bringing attention to world’s refugees

Little Amal in Jamaica with the Jamaica Centers for Arts and Learning. Photo courtesy of The Respective Collective / The Walk Productions / St. Ann’s Warehouse

September 15, 2022

‘Little Amal’ arrives in New York City, bringing attention to world’s refugees

By Aaron Ginsburg

Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee, has come to New York City to bring attention to the needs of migrants and refugees. After landing at JFK Airport with her big green suitcase on Wednesday, Amal began her 17-day tour across all five boroughs in which she will take part in 55 unique events, considered one of the largest public art festivals in the city's history.
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Events & Things To Do

See inside the ‘secret’ sushi restaurant now open in Grand Central

All photos courtesy of Eric Vitale Photography

September 15, 2022

See inside the ‘secret’ sushi restaurant now open in Grand Central

By Aaron Ginsburg

Jōji, a new sushi restaurant housed underneath Midtown's One Vanderbilt skyscraper, opened its doors to the public on Wednesday. Located within an alcove in Grand Central Terminal, the restaurant offers sushi lovers an "intimate omakase dining experience," as 6sqft reported last month. Jōji is run by Chef George Ruan, the former sushi chef of Masa, and Chef Daniel Boulud.
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Food & Dining

New York’s 2022 fall foliage map has arrived

Image courtesy of I LOVE NY

September 15, 2022

New York’s 2022 fall foliage map has arrived

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York State has begun its colorful transformation into fall. The first signs of autumn can already be seen in the Adirondacks, with the rest of the state to soon follow suit. To help New Yorkers follow the cycle of foliage, the state released this week its annual Fall Foliage Report. The interactive map is updated weekly using observations and reports from a state-wide group of volunteers known as "leaf peepers," as 6sqft previously reported.
Get ready to leaf-peep

Lottery opens for 129 affordable units at new fully electric building in East New York, from $397/month

Rendering by Nightnurse Images, courtesy of Magnusson Architecture and Planning

September 14, 2022

Lottery opens for 129 affordable units at new fully electric building in East New York, from $397/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery opened this week for 129 affordable apartments at a new energy-efficient residential development in East New York. Located at 573 Emerald Street, the development is the second phase of the affordable and supportive multi-building housing project Linden Terrace. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 60, and 70 percent of the area median income, or between $16,183 for a single person and $115,850 for a household of seven, can apply for the apartments, which range from $397/month for studios to $1,865/month three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Immersive art museum Hall des Lumières officially opens at landmarked Lower Manhattan bank hall

All images courtesy of Mark Zhelezoglo for Hall des Lumières

September 14, 2022

Immersive art museum Hall des Lumières officially opens at landmarked Lower Manhattan bank hall

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new permanent museum dedicated to immersive digital art experiences opened inside a New York City landmark on Wednesday. Located in Tribeca at 49 Chambers Street, Hall des Lumières sits within the former Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank, which was constructed in 1911 in a Beaux-Arts architectural style. The museum's inaugural exhibition, Gustav Klimt: Gold in Motion, will feature animated projections of paintings by the famous Viennese painter across the former bank hall's marble walls and columns. The exhibition also includes a presentation about the Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank's history and original design.
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Events & Things To Do

Popular Articles

16 ways to mark Hispanic Heritage Month in NYC

School of Dance students at A La Calle Block Party 2019. Photo courtesy of Billy Pennant

September 13, 2022

16 ways to mark Hispanic Heritage Month in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Observed from September 15 through October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of the rich, diverse culture and contributions of Hispanic Americans in the United States. New York City has one of the world's most thriving Hispanic communities, making up more than a quarter of its population. Ahead, learn about 16 events across the five boroughs that celebrate Hispanic heritage, from the Hispanic Day Parade to the Latinx Culture Carnival.
Full list ahead

Events & Things To Do

126 middle-income units available at waterfront rental Astoria West, from $2,350/month

Rendering courtesy of Binyan Studio

September 12, 2022

126 middle-income units available at waterfront rental Astoria West, from $2,350/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are now being accepted for 126 middle-income units at a new residential development in Queens. Developed by Cape Advisors, Astoria West, located on Vernon Boulevard and 30th Drive, includes three buildings across 2.5 acres along the East River. The housing lottery falls under the project's second phase; a lottery launched at the building in March for 36 units. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $80,572 for a single person and $187,330 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced from $2,350/month for studios to $3,287/month for two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

NYC clears water for drinking at the Jacob Riis Houses after false alarm over arsenic results

Photo courtesy of edenpictures on Flickr

September 12, 2022

NYC clears water for drinking at the Jacob Riis Houses after false alarm over arsenic results

By Aaron Ginsburg

Positive test results showing dangerous levels of arsenic in an East Village public housing complex were false. Environmental Monitoring and Technologies Inc., the testing firm that originally reported unsafe levels of arsenic at the Jacob Riis Houses, said there had been "trace levels" of arsenic introduced into the original testing samples analyzed on August 26, resulting in a false positive test, as Gothamist reported. The city on Saturday announced the tap water was cleared for drinking following new tests of the original water sample.
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Affordable Housing

Travel back in time on vintage NYC subway trains this month

Photo courtesy of Ron Yee

September 9, 2022

Travel back in time on vintage NYC subway trains this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Here's a rare opportunity to ride on some of New York City's oldest subway trains spanning over a century of the city's transportation history. The New York Transit Museum's Parade of Trains returns this month, offering transit buffs a chance to travel on four historic trains from the museum's collection of vintage fleets. The rides will run continuously from Brooklyn's Brighton Beach B and Q express train platforms from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 17 and September 18. Admission is free with subway fare.
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New York pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Photo of the Freedom Tower; courtesy of Don Pollard/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

September 9, 2022

New York pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

By Aaron Ginsburg

To honor the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday at the age of 96, landmarks across New York were illuminated purple. Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered all flags on state buildings to be flown at half-staff on Friday; Mayor Eric Adams also directed all flags on city buildings and stationary flagstaffs to be lowered.
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City Living

Baz Luhrmann’s Gramercy townhouse hits the rental market for $75K/month

All photos courtesy of Nina Poon/MW Studio for the Corcoran Group

September 8, 2022

Baz Luhrmann’s Gramercy townhouse hits the rental market for $75K/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Famed director Baz Luhrmann's Gramercy Park townhouse could be yours to rent for $75,000/month. Located at 243 East 17th Street, the six-bedroom home spans five stories and overlooks Stuyvesant Square Park. The extravagant townhouse is also available for purchase. Luhrmann and his wife Catherine Martin first listed the home for $19,995,000 in March but later dropped the price to $18,999,500, as first spotted by the New York Post.
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New MCNY exhibit explores what New Yorkers eat and why it matters

Mary Mattingly, Biosphere, 2015. Courtesy of Mary Mattingly, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de la Habana

September 8, 2022

New MCNY exhibit explores what New Yorkers eat and why it matters

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York dives into the "powerful connections" between New Yorkers and food. Called Food in New York: Bigger Than the Plate, the indoor-outdoor show features the work of more than 20 artists that explores the city's food systems and the challenges that come with it. Food in New York opens on September 16.
Details here

Events & Things To Do

New York lifts mask mandate on public transit

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

September 7, 2022

New York lifts mask mandate on public transit

By Aaron Ginsburg

Masks are no longer required on public transportation in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday. During a press conference in Harlem, the governor said masks are now optional for riders traveling on New York City's subways and buses, as well as MetroNorth and Long Island Rail Road. The state's mandate has been in place since April 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Memorial honoring Black lives lost to acts of racism will open in Central Park

Image courtesy of Si B on Flickr

September 7, 2022

Memorial honoring Black lives lost to acts of racism will open in Central Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new exhibition honoring Black lives lost to racial injustice in the United States will open this month in New York City's historical Seneca Village, once home to a thriving black community that was displaced by the city to make way for Central Park in the 1850s. Presented by the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (SDAAMFA), the Say Their Names Memorial Exhibition is a month-long augmented reality experience debuting on Saturday, September 17 at West 85th Street in Central Park.
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History

15 best places to celebrate Oktoberfest in NYC

September 6, 2022

15 best places to celebrate Oktoberfest in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

After two years of cancellations due to the pandemic, the legendary Oktoberfest returns to Germany. While it may not compare to the massive, two-week celebration in Munich, New York City offers many of the same attractions—beer, traditional food, and live music. Ahead, find 15 spots to celebrate the iconic festival, from a month-long event on Pier 15 to German beer gardens throughout the city.
Full list ahead

MTA to replace all MetroCard vending machines with OMNY by end of next year

Photo by Arun D on Flickr

September 6, 2022

MTA to replace all MetroCard vending machines with OMNY by end of next year

By Aaron Ginsburg

After 23 years of service, the New York City subway system's iconic MetroCard vending machines will be replaced. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will start swapping out the classic machines for OMNY ("One Metro New York") vending machines during the first half of 2023 after finalizing hardware and software testing, as NY1 reported. The entire MetroCard system is expected to be replaced by the end of 2023.
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Investigation underway after arsenic is found in water at East Village public housing complex

Image courtesy of edenpictures on Flickr

September 6, 2022

Investigation underway after arsenic is found in water at East Village public housing complex

By Aaron Ginsburg

Residents of the Jacob Riis Houses in the East Village may have been exposed to water with dangerous levels of arsenic for more than a week without being notified by the city's public housing authority (NYCHA) until last Friday, as first reported by the non-profit news site, The City. While recent tests indicate there are no longer high levels of arsenic in the water, the public housing complex's roughly 2,600 residents still lack clean water. The federal monitor overseeing NYCHA opened an investigation this past weekend into the agency's actions surrounding the test results.
Details here

Affordable Housing

For $3M, a chalet-style estate in the heart of wine country on Long Island’s North Fork

All photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman Realty

September 1, 2022

For $3M, a chalet-style estate in the heart of wine country on Long Island’s North Fork

By Aaron Ginsburg

An expansive chalet-style estate overlooking vineyards on Long Island's North Fork has hit the market for $2,995,000. Located at 2905 Arbor Lane in the hamlet of Mattituck, the four-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom home sits on a gated five-acre estate with views of greenery as far as the eye can see. Recently renovated in 2021, the home has an indoor and an outdoor pool, and is located just two miles away from North Fork beaches.
Tour the home

Distinctive Homes

NYC Comptroller proposes framework to legalize basement apartments

September 3, 2021: Gov. Kathy Hochul toured several homes in East Elmhurst, Queens that flooded from torrential rains brought on by Hurricane Ida. Photo by Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor on Flickr

September 1, 2022

NYC Comptroller proposes framework to legalize basement apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida, Comptroller Brad Lander on Tuesday released a new report that lays the groundwork for legalizing New York City's basement apartments. On September 1, 2021, the hurricane hit the city with record rainfall and historic flooding that ultimately killed more than a dozen New Yorkers, a majority of whom lived in basement units, many of them unregulated. Modeled after New York's Loft Law, Lander's proposed "Basement Resident Protection Law" temporarily legalizes existing basement apartments, requires owners to provide basic safety measures, like smoke detectors and backflow preventers, and creates a "Basement Board" to oversee rights.
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A restored mid-century modern NJ home designed by prefab pioneer Carl Koch lists for $1.5M

All images courtesy of Robert Manella

August 31, 2022

A restored mid-century modern NJ home designed by prefab pioneer Carl Koch lists for $1.5M

By Aaron Ginsburg

A mid-century modern home in New Jersey originally designed in the 1950s by American architect Carl Koch, known as the "grandfather of prefab," and since rebuilt and restored has hit the market. Located at 12 Pardoe Road in Princeton, the three-bedroom, three-bath residence capitalizes on its sunny half-acre corner lot with an abundance of large windows, which bring in lots of natural lighting and serene leafy views. Now available for $1,475,000, the home was revitalized by the current owner, who took it "down to the studs and rebuilt" the property while respecting Koch's original design.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

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