All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Here are NYC’s new Open Street locations for the 2022 season

Queens’ 34th Avenue was recognized as one of the best Open Streets last year; Courtesy of Alfresco NYC

April 28, 2022

Here are NYC’s new Open Street locations for the 2022 season

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More than 300 blocks will be closed to cars for pedestrian use as part of the city's 2022 Open Streets program, the Department of Transportation announced last week. This year's program--considered the largest of its kind in the country--has expanded to include 21 new locations, with a total of 156 locations throughout the five boroughs. All of the open streets will be active by the summer of 2022.
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City Winery to open a new location in Grand Central

Photo courtesy of Stephen H on Unsplash

April 27, 2022

City Winery to open a new location in Grand Central

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Performance venue and restaurant chain City Winery will open a new location at one of the city's busiest transit hubs. As first reported by Gothamist, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday approved a license for a restaurant and bar to take up nearly 16,000 square feet of space in Grand Central Terminal, at the western end of Vanderbilt Hall.
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Adams adds record $171M in budget to fund 1,400 shelter beds for homeless New Yorkers

Photo by Filip Mishevski on Flickr

April 27, 2022

Adams adds record $171M in budget to fund 1,400 shelter beds for homeless New Yorkers

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Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday announced an additional $171 million for homeless services in his proposed executive budget for the fiscal year 2023. The mayor says the investment will pay for 1,400 Safe Haven and stabilization beds, small-scale alternatives to traditional shelter settings, the creation of three drop-in centers, and improving ongoing outreach efforts. The investment, which City Hall says would be the largest of its kind to be made by the city, will be allocated every year beginning next fiscal year.
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Sustainable waterfront office tower 555 Greenwich Street tops out in Hudson Square

All renderings courtesy of Vocon

April 26, 2022

Sustainable waterfront office tower 555 Greenwich Street tops out in Hudson Square

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Hudson Square Properties, a joint venture of Trinity Church Wall Street and Norges Bank Investment Management with Hines, on Tuesday announced the topping out of their new office tower in Hudson Square. Located at 555 Greenwich Street, the 270,000 square-foot, 16-story office tower will eventually connect with the adjacent 345 Hudson to form a single, full-block building. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the new building will utilize state-of-the-art wellness and sustainability-focused features to reach and exceed New York City's 2030 climate targets for office buildings by more than 45 percent.
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Lottery opens for 225 mixed-income units at massive development near Yankee Stadium, from $375/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

April 26, 2022

Lottery opens for 225 mixed-income units at massive development near Yankee Stadium, from $375/month

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A housing lottery opened this week for 225 mixed-income units at a new residential development just a few blocks from Yankee Stadium. Located at 1164 River Avenue in the South Bronx, the 17-story building is part of a larger residential project known as River Crest Apartments, which will bring nearly 750 units of affordable housing to the block. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $15,429 for a single person and $132,400 for a household of seven people, are eligible to apply for the apartments, which range from $375/month studios to $2,059/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualfify
Adams announces nearly $1B investment for NYC Streets Plan

Image courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

April 25, 2022

Adams announces nearly $1B investment for NYC Streets Plan

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City officials are continuing their efforts to ensure the safety of New Yorkers traveling the streets. Mayor Eric Adams on Saturday announced a historic $904 million investment to help fund the NYC Streets Plan and address the city's traffic violence problem by creating a safer and more environmentally friendly transportation infrastructure. Over the next five years, the investment will be used to expand bike lanes and bus lanes throughout the city and will be put towards the creation of new pedestrian spaces.
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NYC’s oldest gay bar honored with historic plaque

All images courtesy of the Village Preservation

April 25, 2022

NYC’s oldest gay bar honored with historic plaque

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The site of a monumental event in the LGBTQ community's fight against anti-gay discrimination was honored last week with a historic plaque. The Village Preservation and the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project on Thursday unveiled the plaque at Julius' Bar at 159 West 10th Street. The bar was the site of the first "Sip-In," an act of defiance in which members of gay rights groups entered the bar and asked to be served drinks while announcing they were homosexuals, going against the discriminatory regulations of the New York State Liquor Authority which at the time prohibited bars from serving gay or lesbian patrons.
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44 units available at new Williamsburg building designed for seniors, from $1,041/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

April 22, 2022

44 units available at new Williamsburg building designed for seniors, from $1,041/month

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Applications are currently being accepted for 44 low-income units at a new senior-housing development in Brooklyn. Located at 64 Scholes Street in Williamsburg, the 8-story building is dedicated to providing senior residents with affordable housing. New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income, or between $38,263 annually for a single person and $57,300 for a household of two, are eligible to apply for the apartments, which cost $1,041 per month.
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NYC finally launches containerized trash bin pilot

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

April 21, 2022

NYC finally launches containerized trash bin pilot

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Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Wednesday unveiled a new containerized waste bin that the city will eventually deploy across all five boroughs in hopes of thwarting rats, making more room on the sidewalks, and improving the overall quality of life for residents. The new bins are part of the city's Clean Curbs Pilot program, which was announced two years ago. The first bins were installed in Times Square on Wednesday.
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Lincoln Center to host summer festival with outdoor dance floor, film screenings, and a speakeasy

The Oasis dance floor, designed by Clint Ramos. Rendering courtesy of Ali Kashfi

April 21, 2022

Lincoln Center to host summer festival with outdoor dance floor, film screenings, and a speakeasy

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A three-month-long festival that aims to bring New Yorkers together through art will take place at Lincoln Center this summer. The first-ever "Summer for the City" will feature 300 events with more than 1,000 artists across 10 outdoor stages. Running between May and August, the festival includes the city's largest outdoor dance floor, film screenings, and a "speakeasy," a pop-up bar and performance space in the center's underground driveway.
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Chef Daniel Boulud to open casual French restaurant Le Gratin at The Beekman

Courtesy of The Beekman Hotel

April 21, 2022

Chef Daniel Boulud to open casual French restaurant Le Gratin at The Beekman

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Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud is opening a new restaurant in one of New York City's most iconic spaces. Located on the ground floor of the Beekman Hotel in the Financial District, Le Gratin will offer a casual dining experience inspired by the bistros of Boulud's hometown, Lyon, France. The menu will feature classic French and Lyonnais specialties and an extensive wine list with over 100 selections. Guillaume Ginther, former chef of New York's Le Coq Rico Bistro and Boulud's Restaurant Daniel, will take up executive chef duties. Boulud's new restaurant is set to open its doors on May 6; reservations will open on Resy on Thursday.
Details this way
NYC doormen union, building owners reach historic deal to avoid strike

Image courtesy of Jamie Grafton on Flickr

April 20, 2022

NYC doormen union, building owners reach historic deal to avoid strike

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After a massive rally and a threat of a strike, building service workers and landlords have reached a historic agreement. 32BJ SEIU and the Realty Advisory Board (RAB) on April 19 reached a tentative agreement that secures significant wins for building workers, including a nearly 12.6 percent wage increase over the next four years, the highest pay raise in the history of the union. Other victories include a $3,000 bonus for essential workers to counter inflation, 100 percent employer-paid healthcare, and protection of sick leave and paid vacation time. The deal must still be approved by 32BJ members, but the agreement guarantees workers will show up to work as usual on April 21.
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NYC restores alternate-side parking to clean streets and bike lanes

All images courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

April 19, 2022

NYC restores alternate-side parking to clean streets and bike lanes

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New York City officials announced plans to allocate millions of dollars to better clean city streets and bike lanes. Mayor Eric Adams and just-appointed Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Monday announced an $11 million investment for new street cleaning initiatives and better mobility for the sanitation department. Under the initiative, alternate-side parking will return in full force starting July 5. New Yorkers will have to move their cars twice per week, up from once a week during the pandemic, to clear the way for street sweepers and avoid getting a parking ticket.
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MTA keeps mask mandate for NYC subway, despite lift of federal requirement on mass transit

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

April 19, 2022

MTA keeps mask mandate for NYC subway, despite lift of federal requirement on mass transit

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While mask mandates are being lifted in public transit systems around the country, New Yorkers should expect to wait a little longer to ride the subway unmasked. According to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the agency will require masks to be worn throughout the subway, bus, Metro-North, and Long Island Rail Road systems, despite a recent ruling from a federal judge striking down the national mask mandate for airplanes, trains, buses, and other forms of mass transit.
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These giant sculptures in the Garment District ‘wave hello’ to New Yorkers

All images courtesy of Alexandre Ayer / @DiversityPics for the Garment District Alliance

April 18, 2022

These giant sculptures in the Garment District ‘wave hello’ to New Yorkers

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New Yorkers will be greeted with outstretched arms the next time they walk through Midtown. Located on Broadway between 38th and 41st Streets, Here is a public art exhibition featuring 14 oversized sculptures with their hands raised high above their heads. Created by artist Santi Flores, Here is meant to represent unity, diversity, and individuality, and is dedicated to all New Yorkers. The installation is the latest public art exhibition to be sponsored by the Garment District Alliance and is free and open to the public until August 29.
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A cherry blossom festival with Japanese treats and sake is coming to Green-Wood Cemetery

Cherry Blossoms at Green-Wood. Photo by David Berkowitz via Flickr

April 18, 2022

A cherry blossom festival with Japanese treats and sake is coming to Green-Wood Cemetery

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Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery is welcoming in the natural beauty of spring with its own "Hanami," or flower-viewing festival. After hours on April 20, Green-Wood Cemetery will be treating guests to a night of live music, food, entertainment, and educational programs about the cemetery's diverse variety of trees and wildlife. Visitors will travel down winding paths lined with 172 blooming cherry trees, among which are the Yoshino Cherry and Kanzan Japanese Flowering cherry trees, two species of cherry trees commonly celebrated in Hanami Festivals, a tradition of enjoying the blooming of cherry blossoms that began in Japan.
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A roller skating rink is now open at Rockefeller Center

Credit: © Albert Vecerka/Esto

April 15, 2022

A roller skating rink is now open at Rockefeller Center

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Rockefeller Center's ice rink has been transformed just in time for the warm weather. Starting Friday, The Rink at Rockefeller Center will instead be Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace, a retro-themed outdoor roller skating rink that will include a food program, viewing deck, and a retail store. Opened by Liberty Ross, the rink will include weekly and seasonal programming, DJ sets, and live music.
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This UES locksmith and shoe repair store is actually a chic cocktail bar

All images courtesy of Melissa Hom

April 15, 2022

This UES locksmith and shoe repair store is actually a chic cocktail bar

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An inconspicuous locksmith and shoe repair storefront on the Upper East Side is actually home to a chic cocktail lounge. Located at 1488 Second Avenue, the speakeasy Keys & Heels comes from Massimo Lusardi, the restauranteur behind Uva and Uva Next Door. Hidden behind the facade of a locksmith and shoe repair store, Keys & Heels features a creative cocktail menu and a food menu that complements the bar's "low-key" ambiance.
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Rent Guidelines Board recommends increases between 2.7% and 9% for rent-stabilized units

Image courtesy of Creative Commons

April 14, 2022

Rent Guidelines Board recommends increases between 2.7% and 9% for rent-stabilized units

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The city's Rent Guidelines Board on Thursday released a report recommending a rent hike for rent-stabilized apartments due to an increase in operating costs for landlords over the last 12 months. According to the agency's 2022 Price Index of Operating Costs report, owners saw costs rise by 4.2 percent. Using three formulas, the board recommended an increase in rent of between 2.7 percent and 4.5 percent for one-year leases and between 4.3 percent and 9 percent for two-year leases. The suggested rent increase comes after the board voted to not raise rents for six months last year and fully freeze rents in 2020.
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More than 30,000 of NYC’s luxury building workers could go on strike

All images courtesy of 32BJ SEIU

April 14, 2022

More than 30,000 of NYC’s luxury building workers could go on strike

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Tens of thousands of doormen and other residential building service workers in New York City could go on strike if a deal is not reached on a new collective bargaining agreement by April 20. Members of the union 32BJ SEIU on Wednesday voted to authorize the committee to call for a strike if the Realty Advisory Board (RAB) does not create a new contract for the city's 32,000 building workers with fair wage increases and full employer-paid healthcare. The strike authorization followed a rally of nearly 10,000 32BJ SEIU members down Park Avenue.
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Lottery opens for 35 units at new Astoria building designed for low-income seniors

Photo courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

April 13, 2022

Lottery opens for 35 units at new Astoria building designed for low-income seniors

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A housing lottery opened this week for 35 very-low-income units at a new development in Queens. Located at 23-11 31st Road in Astoria, the Bishop Valero Residence is a six-story building designed with senior residents in mind. Developed by Catholic Charities and designed by Dattner Architects, the project includes on-site supportive social services accessible through the ground floor's 200-seat community senior center. New Yorkers who are 62 years or older and earn 40 or 50 percent of the area median income, (no more than $33,440 annually for a single person or no more than $53,700 for a household of three) can apply for the units.
Do you qualify?
NYC public libraries fight book banning by giving readers across the U.S. access to free e-books

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Blanc / NYPL

April 13, 2022

NYC public libraries fight book banning by giving readers across the U.S. access to free e-books

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New York City's public libraries are taking on book banning. The New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library this week announced separate initiatives to provide access to books to readers across the country. Under its "Books for All" effort, the NYPL made electronic copies of commonly banned books, including The Catcher in the Rye and Speak, available through their e-reading app, SimplyE, to anyone in the United States. Similarly, the BPL launched "Books UnBanned," which gives free digital library cards to teens and young adults nationwide.
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Crown Heights residents sue LPC over apartment complex on site of landmarked ‘crown jewel’

All renderings courtesy of Morris Adjmi Architects via the Landmarks Preservation Commission

April 12, 2022

Crown Heights residents sue LPC over apartment complex on site of landmarked ‘crown jewel’

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A coalition of Crown Heights residents and preservationists last week filed a lawsuit against the Landmarks Preservation Commission for approving a major residential project on a historic Brooklyn property. Developed by Hope Street Capital and designed by Morris Adjmi Architects, 959 Sterling Place (aka 920 Park Place) consists of a seven-story complex with 158 apartments and community space that will replace a landmarked 19th-century building. On Friday, attorneys representing the coalition of opponents filed a lawsuit against the LPC and Hope Street Capital, claiming the commission violated the law by failing to hold a public hearing.
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New public orchard on Governors Island grows fruit not found in NYC for centuries

Rendering of The Open Orchard project site on Governors Island in full bloom; courtesy of Sam Van Aken

April 11, 2022

New public orchard on Governors Island grows fruit not found in NYC for centuries

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An orchard with trees containing fruit varieties native to the New York City region will open to the public this month on Governors Island. Created by artist Sam Van Aken, the artwork, The Open Orchard, consists of 102 trees bearing fruits grown in the state within the past 400 years but which have gone extinct due to climate change and industrialization. The orchard will serve as a gene bank for rare fruit species that can no longer be found naturally here, allowing New Yorkers to taste fruit that has not existed for hundreds of years, while also preserving them for future generations. The Open Orchard will officially open on Arbor Day, April 29, the Trust for Governors Island announced on Monday.
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