All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Enjoy unlimited food and rich history at Brooklyn’s landmarked Lott House

Photo courtesy of Friends of the Lott House, Alyssa Loorya

June 2, 2022

Enjoy unlimited food and rich history at Brooklyn’s landmarked Lott House

By Aaron Ginsburg

Come enjoy unlimited dining from food trucks at the longest continually owned and occupied single-family home in New York City. Located in Marine Park, Brooklyn, the historic Hendrick I. Lott House is a rare surviving Dutch-American farmhouse situated on a parcel of land first purchased in 1719. The non-profit organization that preserves the grounds, Friends of the Lott House, this month will host "Taste the Neighborhood," a special ticketed event that includes unlimited food from local food trucks and encourages exploration of the historic site. The event will be held on June 12 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 1940 East 36th Street.
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Developers behind Harlem’s One45 withdraw plan after opposition from local council member

Rendering courtesy of SHoP Architects

June 1, 2022

Developers behind Harlem’s One45 withdraw plan after opposition from local council member

By Aaron Ginsburg

A proposal to bring two new residential towers with hundreds of affordable housing units to a largely vacant lot in Harlem was scrapped by developers this week. Late on Monday, the developer withdrew the project, known as One45, a few hours before it was set to be voted on by a City Council committee, as Patch first reported. The plan involved two mixed-use towers on the corner of West 145th Street and Lenox Avenue with a total of 915 apartments. The proposal faced fierce opposition from local Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan, who argued that the new development would displace Harlem's Black residents and contribute to gentrification. Without the zoning changes needed to build One45, the developers could construct a condo building with no affordable housing, a self-storage facility, and a community facility.
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Affordable Housing

MTA’s East Side Access project renamed ‘Grand Central Madison’

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

June 1, 2022

MTA’s East Side Access project renamed ‘Grand Central Madison’

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's long-awaited 700,000-square-foot East Side Access Project will be renamed "Grand Central Madison." The project, which brings Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal, will increase LIRR service systemwide by 40 percent during morning peak service and significantly increase reverse peak service. Grand Central Madison is expected to open in December.
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New street mural promoting peace has been installed on 14th Street in Union Square

All photos courtesy of Jane Kratochvil

May 31, 2022

New street mural promoting peace has been installed on 14th Street in Union Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new street mural was unveiled last week along the 14th Street Busway in Union Square. Designed by Brooklyn-based artist Ji Yong Kim, Ripples of Peace and Calm is inspired by traditional East Asian paintings, depicting lotus flowers, floating leaves, and swimming koi fish. The mural's serene qualities are meant to represent the "antithesis of hate" and promote peace and calm, particularly at a time when the city continues to see a spike in violence against Asian New Yorkers. Presented by the city's Department of Transportation and the Union Square Partnership, the mural was installed over the course of five days last week with help from Brooklyn-based urban planning and design firm Street Plans, community groups, and volunteers.
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Events & Things To Do

Lottery opens for 23 middle-income units next to Van Cortlandt Park in Riverdale, from $1,800/month

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

May 31, 2022

Lottery opens for 23 middle-income units next to Van Cortlandt Park in Riverdale, from $1,800/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are being accepted for 23 middle-income units at a new residential development in the Bronx. Located at 6375 Broadway in North Riverdale, the seven-story building sits across the street from Van Cortlandt Park, the city's third-largest park at more than a thousand acres. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income–or between $61,715 annually for a single person and $187,330 for a family of five–are eligible to apply for the apartments, which range from $1,800/month studios to $2,350/month two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

First permanent museum dedicated to hip hop tops off on the South Bronx waterfront

Rendering: S9 Architecture

May 31, 2022

First permanent museum dedicated to hip hop tops off on the South Bronx waterfront

By Aaron Ginsburg

The country's first permanent museum dedicated to hip hop hit a major construction milestone last week. The Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) topped out in the South Bronx last week as part of the huge mixed-use project Bronx Point. The museum, located at Exterior Street and East 150th Street, aims to serve as a "living document" that will chronicle the history of the music genre in the borough where it was invented 50 years ago.
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Construction begins on massive $100M affordable complex in Far Rockaway

All renderings by Aufgang Architects

May 27, 2022

Construction begins on massive $100M affordable complex in Far Rockaway

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction officially kicked off on a huge housing development that will rise on a former hospital site in Far Rockaway. Edgemere Commons is an 11-building complex with more than 2,000 affordable homes, retail, community space, medical facilities, and outdoor public space planned. The first phase involves the construction of a 17-story building with 194 homes.
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See the new stucco sculpture by Jan Hooss on display in the Upper East Side’s tallest tower

Photo courtesy of Alex Stein

May 26, 2022

See the new stucco sculpture by Jan Hooss on display in the Upper East Side’s tallest tower

By Aaron Ginsburg

World-renowned plaster artist Jan Hooss has installed a custom stucco art installation in the lobby of 180 East 88th Street, a new condo tower designed by Joe McMillan's DDG. Inspired by an architectural style widely used on the Upper East Side at the beginning of the 20th century, the art piece "fuses a rococo design with a whimsically modern aesthetic," according to a press release. The stucco sculpture sits above the vaulted lobby's fireplace, contrasting its flowing, water-like quality with the fire below.
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Subway ridership almost at 90% of pre-pandemic levels in NYC’s working-class neighborhoods

Photo by Jenna Day on Unsplash

May 26, 2022

Subway ridership almost at 90% of pre-pandemic levels in NYC’s working-class neighborhoods

By Aaron Ginsburg

Subway ridership has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels in New York City's working-class neighborhoods. During the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's monthly board meeting on Wednesday, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in most working-class neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs, subway ridership has climbed back up to 70, 80, and for some, 90 percent of pre-pandemic ridership levels. But in the city's major business districts, subway ridership remains way below pre-Covid-19 levels.
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25 ideas for your New York City bucket list

May 25, 2022

25 ideas for your New York City bucket list

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is one of the most visited cities in the world, and for good reason. There is no shortage of attention-worthy landmarks, buildings, and activities to spend time exploring. Ahead, find 25 fun ideas deserving a spot on your NYC bucket list, from secret waterfalls and iconic roller coasters to sky-high observation decks and covert speakeasies. This list is by no means comprehensive but should be a good starting point.
See the full list here

Popular Articles

You can pick your own tulips on Park Avenue

Photo courtesy of East Midtown Partnership on Flickr

May 24, 2022

You can pick your own tulips on Park Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

Get your trowels ready! The Park Avenue Tulip Dig is back, giving New Yorkers the opportunity to dig up and take home tulip bulbs planted along the famed thoroughfare between the north side of East 54th Street and the south side of East 86th Street. Approximately 60,000 tulips are planted every year in a new color by the non-profit Fund for Park Avenue, as reported by Patch. This year's flowers are a pink tulip known as "Darwin Hybrid Apricot Pride."
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Group of NYC building owners sue city over greenhouse gas emissions cap

Looking north towards Billionaires’ Row © 6sqft

May 24, 2022

Group of NYC building owners sue city over greenhouse gas emissions cap

By Aaron Ginsburg

A group of New York City building owners is suing the city in an effort to block a 2019 law that requires large buildings to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Local Law 97 mandates owners of buildings more than 25,000 square feet to cap their property's greenhouse gas emissions or face fines. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday by two co-ops in Queens and a mixed-use building owner in Manhattan, claims the new law is "excessive and disproportionate to the purported offense," as first reported by Crain's New York. Under the law, owners have until 2024 to ensure their property's compliance, with the ultimate goal of reducing the emissions produced by the city’s largest buildings 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.
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Policy

NYC public libraries want you to read these 10 commonly banned books

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

May 23, 2022

NYC public libraries want you to read these 10 commonly banned books

By Aaron Ginsburg

Public libraries in New York City are calling on New Yorkers to take a stand against book banning. The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library on Monday launched the citywide "Banned Books Challenge," urging New Yorkers to read 10 books that explore issues of race, sexuality, religion, and history, subjects that have been targeted for censorship in recent months. To kick off the challenge, the libraries made Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, available for free with no waits on e-reader apps until June 26.
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City Living

People’s Theatre Project will run NYC’s first immigrant research and performing arts center

Photo by kathryn on Flickr

May 20, 2022

People’s Theatre Project will run NYC’s first immigrant research and performing arts center

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Upper Manhattan-based People's Theatre Project (PTP) will run the city's first research and arts center dedicated to immigrants and the immigrant experience in New York. On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams announced the selection of the PTP Company, an immigrant and women-led nonprofit, to own and manage the Immigrant Research and Performing Arts Center (IRPAC), which is expected to open in Inwood in 2027. The city will grant the company $15 million to put towards the creation of the new 17,000-square-foot center, which will be developed by LMXD, MSquared, and Taconic Partners.
Details here

Events & Things To Do

Century 21 to reopen flagship store in the Financial District

Photo by ajay_suresh on Wikimedia

May 19, 2022

Century 21 to reopen flagship store in the Financial District

By Aaron Ginsburg

A favorite shopping destination of New Yorkers is coming back home. After undergoing a major renovation, and filing for bankruptcy in 2020, the famed department store Century 21 will return to its flagship location at 22 Cortlandt Street in the Financial District next spring. The new store will encompass four main floors, offering men's, women's, and children's apparel, including footwear, outerwear, handbags, accessories, and fragrances, according to a press release. And to emphasize its connection to the city, Century 21 is adding "NYC" to its logo.
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Real Estate Trends

Architect Bjarke Ingels buys Brooklyn Heights penthouse for $2.16M

Streetview of 111 Hicks Street; © Google 2022

May 18, 2022

Architect Bjarke Ingels buys Brooklyn Heights penthouse for $2.16M

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of the world's most famous architects has closed on a Brooklyn penthouse he's eyed for years. Denmark-born architect Bjarke Ingels has purchased a penthouse in the St. George Tower in Brooklyn Heights for $2,163,525, as reported by the New York Post and confirmed by property records. The apartment, located on the 29th and 30th floors at 111 Hicks Street, has been on the market since 2010 when it was listed for $2,490,000.
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NYC to celebrate Biggie Smalls’ 50th birthday with Empire State Building tribute, special MetroCards

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

May 18, 2022

NYC to celebrate Biggie Smalls’ 50th birthday with Empire State Building tribute, special MetroCards

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of hip-hop's most influential artists will be paid tribute by his hometown this weekend. On May 21, the Empire State Building will turn its lighting to red and white, with a crown spinning atop its mast, in honor of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., who would have turned 50 on Saturday. In Brooklyn, videos of Biggie Smalls, born Christopher Wallace, will be shown at the Barclays Center entrance and special MetroCards featuring the icon will be sold at three nearby subway stations, Variety reports.
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New public art exhibit in Brooklyn Bridge Park explores ‘hybrid identities’ created by diaspora

Kiyan Williams, “Ruins of Empire,” 2022. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Nicholas Knight, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY Kiyan Williams, “Ruins of Empire” was commissioned by Public Art Fund and presented as part of Black Atlantic at Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York City, May 17–November 27, 2022

May 17, 2022

New public art exhibit in Brooklyn Bridge Park explores ‘hybrid identities’ created by diaspora

By Aaron Ginsburg

Spread across three piers at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Black Atlantic is a new outdoor art exhibition inspired by the diaspora across the Atlantic Ocean and which proposes "an open, multifaceted, and heterogeneous idea" of Black identity in the United States today. Co-curated by artist Hugh Hayden and Public Art Fund Adjunct Curator Daniel S. Palmer, Black Atlantic features work from Hayden, and artists Leilah Babirye, Dozie Kanu, Tau Lewis, and Kiyan Williams. The exhibition is on view through November 27.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC recommends masks indoors again as ‘high’ alert level is reached

Image courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

May 17, 2022

NYC recommends masks indoors again as ‘high’ alert level is reached

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City on Tuesday officially hit a "high" Covid-19 alert level, meaning there's increased community spread of the virus and significant pressure on the health care system. The new risk level comes a day after city Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan issued an advisory recommending all New Yorkers wear masks in indoor public settings and that those at risk of severe illness avoid crowds. In response to rising cases, the city said it will distribute an additional 16.5 million at-home tests and one million high-quality masks to public schools, community organizations, cultural institutions, libraries, and houses of worship. Although hitting the "high" alert level comes with the recommendation of a mask mandate, the city is not requiring face coverings yet.
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Policy

The Loisaida Festival returns to the Lower East Side after two-year Covid hiatus

All images courtesy of Loisaida Inc.

May 16, 2022

The Loisaida Festival returns to the Lower East Side after two-year Covid hiatus

By Aaron Ginsburg

After two years of virtual celebrations, the annual parade honoring the Lower East Side's Puerto Rican and Caribbean community will take place in person. Hosted by the Loisaida Center in partnership with the Acacia Network, the Loisaida Festival is returning for its 35th year this Memorial Day Weekend. The event will kick off on Sunday, May 29 at 11:30 a.m. with a parade showcasing organizations, community figures, artists, and performers before moving north up to the main stage on 12th Street. The festival will be held from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Avenue C between 5th and 12th Streets.
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Events & Things To Do

AMNH’s revamped Northwest Coast Hall features exhibits curated by Indigenous communities

All images © D. Finnin/AMNH

May 16, 2022

AMNH’s revamped Northwest Coast Hall features exhibits curated by Indigenous communities

By Aaron Ginsburg

Five years and a $19 million renovation later, the American Museum of Natural History's oldest gallery reopened to the public last week. Developed alongside curators from Native Nations of the Northwest Coast, the new 10,200 square-foot Northwest Coast Hall showcases the history of the Pacific Northwest with a focus on the "scholarship and material culture of the Northwest Coast communities," according to a press release. The gallery contains more than 1,000 artifacts including a 63-foot-long canoe, the largest Pacific Northwest dugout canoe existing today, and a diverse collection of art, from monumental carvings up to 17 feet tall to contemporary works of art from Native artists.
Details here

Tribeca Film Festival announces free outdoor screenings in NYC

Image courtesy of Natalie Aders

May 13, 2022

Tribeca Film Festival announces free outdoor screenings in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Tribeca Film Festival this week announced its line-up of free outdoor screenings for the 2022 season. Taking place at the newly opened rooftop park Pier 57 and Brookfield Place from June 8 to June 19, programming features films across a wide variety of genres and themes, highlighting movies connected to Juneteenth, LGBTQ+, Latinx communities, the environment, music, and includes family-friendly films for audiences of all ages.
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Events & Things To Do

Several blocks of Rockaway Beach will be closed this summer due to construction

Photo by Malaya Sadler on Unsplash

May 13, 2022

Several blocks of Rockaway Beach will be closed this summer due to construction

By Aaron Ginsburg

With just two weeks until the unofficial start of summer, the city announced it would close several blocks of Rockaway Beach. NYC Parks on Thursday said six blocks will be temporarily closed with no sand, swim, or recreation access from May through September as part of an ongoing resiliency project to protect the coast from severe storms.
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City Living

51 middle-income rentals available in East Harlem, from $2,200/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

May 12, 2022

51 middle-income rentals available in East Harlem, from $2,200/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are currently being accepted for 51 middle-income units at a new residential development in Upper Manhattan. Located at 1998 Second Avenue in East Harlem, the 12-story building gives residents access to a host of amenities and the Upper East Side's wide variety of restaurants and stores. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income-- or between $75,429 annually for a single person and $215,150 for a family of seven--are eligible to apply for the apartments, which range from $2,200/month studios to $3,750/month three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

NYC announces first-ever parade celebrating Asian American heritage

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 12, 2022

NYC announces first-ever parade celebrating Asian American heritage

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city's first-ever parade celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander New Yorkers will take place this weekend, Mayor Eric Adams announced Wednesday. On Sunday, May 15, the AAPI Cultural and Heritage Parade will start in Midtown at 6th Avenue and West 44th Street and head north to West 55th Street. New York City's newest parade comes during AAPI Heritage Month and as the city continues to experience a spike in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
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Events & Things To Do

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