All articles by Devin Gannon

City begins construction on first busway in the Bronx

Photo courtesy of DOT

August 14, 2026

City begins construction on first busway in the Bronx

Starting next month, 39,000 bus riders in the Bronx will have a faster daily commute. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) this week officially started construction on the Tremont Avenue Busway, a mile-long, car-free lane designated for the Bx36 bus from Third Avenue to Southern Boulevard. The busway, the eighth to be installed in the city, aims to speed up commutes by 60 percent for the bus route, which currently travels at less than five miles per hour.
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Year-round outdoor dining is coming back to NYC

In 2020, Rockwell Group debuted an outdoor dining block on Chinatown’s Mott Street. Photo courtesy of Emily Andrews for Rockwell Group

August 13, 2026

Year-round outdoor dining is coming back to NYC

By Devin Gannon

Year-round outdoor dining is coming back to the five boroughs. The New York City Council on Thursday passed legislation that allows restaurants to offer roadway dining in the winter, reviving a program that first launched as a way to keep businesses afloat during the start of the pandemic when indoor dining was prohibited. Current rules, approved by the Council in 2023, restrict roadway dining to April through November and force restaurants to follow specific design standards and disassemble and store the dining structures.
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Elizabeth Street Garden deal saves green space, shifts affordable housing to Suffolk Street

Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft. Photos are not to be reproduced without written permission from 6sqft

August 12, 2026

Elizabeth Street Garden deal saves green space, shifts affordable housing to Suffolk Street

By Devin Gannon

Affordable senior housing will not be built on the site of a Nolita community garden. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is expected to reach a settlement with developers that cancels the Haven Green project, a 123-unit rental for low-income seniors on the site of the Elizabeth Street Garden, in exchange for a new affordable development on a vacant Lower East Side lot. On Wednesday, Mamdani said the actions of former Mayor Eric Adams, who designated the city-owned site as parkland last year, requiring state legislature approval for development, made it "nearly impossible" to move ahead with the housing project.
details this way

Policy

Explore how ‘The Odyssey’ is depicted in art at the Met

Photo by Rebecca Schear, Courtesy of The Met

August 10, 2026

Explore how ‘The Odyssey’ is depicted in art at the Met

By Devin Gannon

If you haven't been able to snag one of the elusive tickets to see Christopher Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" in IMAX 70-millimeter film at AMC Lincoln Square (join the club), a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art may temporarily suffice. The museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than 30,000 works, including several related to Homer's epic poem, a story that has inspired artists for thousands of years. Ahead, discover pieces currently on view at the Met that retell the story of Odysseus' 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
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MTA to retrofit every NYC bus with area for open strollers

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 7, 2026

MTA to retrofit every NYC bus with area for open strollers

By Devin Gannon

Traveling around New York City with small children will soon get a little easier. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday announced that every bus will have an open stroller area, a designated space for parents and caregivers to hold a stroller without having to fold it up, which was previously required to ride. The agency said about 75 percent of its 5,800 buses have been retrofitted with the open stroller area, with the rest to be installed by the end of the year.
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How New York City plans to crack down on illegal e-bikes and scooters

Photo by Thomas Loizeau on Unsplash

August 6, 2026

How New York City plans to crack down on illegal e-bikes and scooters

By Devin Gannon

More than a dozen new bills will be introduced in the New York City Council this fall that aim to curb illegal electric bikes and scooters, one week after a 17-year-old riding an illegal motorized bike was hit and killed by an SUV. Speaker Julie Menin and several other council members announced plans to hold a hearing on September 30 on e-bike and e-scooter safety. Menin also released a list of 17 bills to be considered next month, including legislation that bans class 3 bikes traveling at 25 miles per hour, requires more rider data from third-party delivery apps, increases enforcement, and creates a task force to study street design, among others.
details here

MTA is auctioning off MetroCard vending machines

By Tdorante10 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Via Wikimedia

August 5, 2026

MTA is auctioning off MetroCard vending machines

By Devin Gannon

The sturdy steel vending machines with giant buttons and colorful hardware that spit out MetroCards to commuting New Yorkers for 30 years are now a thing of the past, with the ubiquitous rollout of OMNY. But some transit enthusiasts can relive the glory days of the devices: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday said it is auctioning off a limited number of MetroCard Vending Machines and MetroCard Express Machines. Note that the winning bidder must pick up the machines, which weigh over 1,000 pounds, themselves.
Details here

The greenest block in Brooklyn is in Crown Heights again

Photos by Jeremy Weine.

August 4, 2026

The greenest block in Brooklyn is in Crown Heights again

By Devin Gannon

Crown Heights takes the crown for the best landscaped block in Brooklyn once again. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Tuesday named Lincoln Place between New York Avenue and Nostrand Avenue as the winner of its annual "Greenest Block in Brooklyn" competition, the fourth time the block has come in first. As a whole, the neighborhood is no stranger to the green accolades: a residential block in Crown Heights has won four of the last five contests.
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City Living

Lower East Side’s former Essex Street Market to become 99-unit rental

Renderings courtesy of BFC Partners and S9 Architecture.

August 3, 2026

Lower East Side’s former Essex Street Market to become 99-unit rental

By Devin Gannon

The site of the historic Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side is slated to become a mixed-use development with 99 apartments. As one of the last remaining undeveloped parcels in the city's decade-long Essex Crossing redevelopment, 100 Essex Street will rise 10 stories and include 26 affordable apartments, ground-floor retail, and a new elevator and escalator for the Delancey Street subway station. Developed by Delancey Street Associates and designed by S9 Architecture, the new building will rise on the site of the historic market, which opened in 1940 and closed its doors in 2019. Many vendors moved to a new and larger Essex Street Market across the street as part of the redevelopment.
details here

NYC auctions off ‘Champions Way’ street sign from Knicks championship parade

Photo credit: NYC DOT

July 29, 2026

NYC auctions off ‘Champions Way’ street sign from Knicks championship parade

By Devin Gannon

If you didn't snag a limited-edition replica miniature of the Knicks-themed 34th Street subway station or an orange-and-blue trash can before they sold out, here's another opportunity to buy a piece of New York Knicks history. The city is auctioning off one "Champions Way" sign that hung on Broadway during the ticker-tape parade celebrating the 2026 NBA champs. The sign is one of 30 installed along the Canyon of Heroes for the June 18 event, attended by an estimated two million people. Bidding kicked off on Wednesday at $100 and will run through 8 p.m. on August 12.
knicks in five

Policy

Macy’s giant shopping bag sign is removed, revealing 100-year-old building hidden for decades

By Devin Gannon

The giant shopping bag sign proclaiming Macy's Herald Square as "The World's Largest Store" was removed over the weekend, revealing a 100-year-old building that had been hidden for decades. The red-and-white billboard, which had wrapped around the corner of the building on 34th Street and Broadway for 60 years (through several iterations over the years), will be replaced with something more modern, as the New York Post first reported, but it's unclear exactly what will be displayed. For a short time, though, the 240,000 pedestrians who pass the corner every day will get a peek for the first time at what was behind the iconic sign: a five-story building that is one of the city's most famous "holdouts" in real estate.
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Mamdani’s city-owned grocery stores to offer 30 percent discount on basics

Photo courtesy of Kara McCurdy | Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 27, 2026

Mamdani’s city-owned grocery stores to offer 30 percent discount on basics

By Devin Gannon

The city's publicly owned grocery stores will offer a 30 percent discount on basics, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Monday. One of his key campaign promises to tackle affordability, the mayor plans to establish five city-run food stores, one in every borough, as a way to bring down food costs, the first model of its kind in the United States. A collection of essentials, including all fresh produce, meat, and seafood, will be priced 30 percent below typical retail prices. Other basics like cheese, milk, and bread will be 20 percent off, with other products priced at market rate.
details here

Mamdani announces major expansion of NYC coastal resilience bureau with $43M investment

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 24, 2026

Mamdani announces major expansion of NYC coastal resilience bureau with $43M investment

By Devin Gannon

The Bureau of Coastal Resilience was established by the Department of Environmental Protection in 2023 to prepare and protect New York City's 520 miles of coastline. Since then, the agency has managed with six staff members and a budget of $1 million. As the threat of climate change, along with rising sea levels and extreme weather, only intensifies, Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday announced he plans to significantly expand the Bureau by investing $43.2 million to hire 69 more staff, which will include engineers, flood experts, city planners, and others, and to fund new studies on a long-term coastal resilience strategy.
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Policy

July 23, 2026

From a waterfront park to an outdoor pool, Society Brooklyn brings resort-style living to Gowanus

By Devin Gannon

A waterfront park, resort-style outdoor pool, and over 500 luxury apartments have arrived on the Gowanus Canal. Society Brooklyn is a new two-tower development bringing a unique kind of Brooklyn waterfront living to one of the borough's most exciting neighborhoods. Current availabilities start at $3,321/month for a studio.
take the tour

NYC landlords sue Rent Guidelines Board to stop rent freeze

Photo credit: Denis Ibarra for Tenant Bloc

July 22, 2026

NYC landlords sue Rent Guidelines Board to stop rent freeze

By Devin Gannon

The first legal challenge to the Rent Guidelines Board's (RGB) decision to freeze the rent for New York City's stabilized apartments was filed this week. A group of landlords filed a petition in New York State Supreme Court on Staten Island to annul the board's June 25 approval of 0 percent increases on one- and two-year leases. The suit claims the board manipulated data to overstate property income for owners to meet Mayor Zohran Mamdani's rent freeze promise.
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Policy

Upscale food hall will open in the landmarked hall of Brooklyn’s Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

Renderings courtesy of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment unless otherwise noted

July 21, 2026

Upscale food hall will open in the landmarked hall of Brooklyn’s Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

By Devin Gannon

A high-end food hall is coming to a Brooklyn landmark. Miami-based hospitality brand Casa Tua will open Cucina by Casa Tua inside the former banking hall of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, also known as One Hanson Place, bringing Italian fare and fine goods to Downtown Brooklyn. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to approve designs for the new food hall, which will preserve the landmarked interiors, keeping its cathedral-inspired design, and add new spaces for dining and gathering.
details here

Food & Dining

Renderings reveal Greenwich Village’s tallest building, a 30-story condo with 34 homes

Renderings credit: Binyan

July 17, 2026

Renderings reveal Greenwich Village’s tallest building, a 30-story condo with 34 homes

By Devin Gannon

New renderings released this week provide a first look at the tallest building in Greenwich Village. The condominium planned for 11 West 13th Street will rise roughly 530 feet, about 200 feet above the neighborhood's current tallest building. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the tower, officially branded as the Greenwich Spire, will contain just 34 residences across 30 floors, offering exclusive living in one of Manhattan's most sought-after neighborhoods.
see it here

New Developments

This luxury Fort Greene rental offers rent-stabilized apartments with a $1 amenity fee

All photos courtesy of Verdant Fort Greene.

July 16, 2026

This luxury Fort Greene rental offers rent-stabilized apartments with a $1 amenity fee

By Devin Gannon

With rents at an all-time high in New York City, don't miss this opportunity to live in a rent-stabilized apartment in Brooklyn. Located on the 30-acre Fort Greene Park, the luxury development Verdant Fort Greene is now leasing its below-market-rate apartments, ranging from studios to two-bedroom units. Qualified New Yorkers earning between $107,383 and $238,160 can apply for the apartments. Units are priced from $2,990/month studios to $4,347/month two-bedroom units.
how to apply

Sponsored Content

Airbnb buys landmarked Gramercy building for $81.5M

Photo by Beyond My Ken on Wikimedia

July 15, 2026

Airbnb buys landmarked Gramercy building for $81.5M

By Devin Gannon

Airbnb plans to turn a New York City landmark into office space. The short-term rental company paid $81.5 million for the six-story limestone building at 281 Park Avenue South. Known as the Church Missions House, the property was built in the 1890s for the Episcopal Church and most recently housed the Swedish photography museum Fotografiska, which closed its doors in 2024.
details here

Real Estate Trends

July 8, 2026

Pfizer’s former headquarters in Midtown is stable after buckled columns led to evacuations

By Devin Gannon

The city's Department of Buildings on Tuesday said a high-rise tower under construction in Midtown is now stable after structural columns buckled. The building, Pfizer's former headquarters on 42nd Street, which is currently being converted into a new residential development, was found to be structurally compromised, prompting the city to evacuate several buildings in the area and close surrounding streets. DOB Commissioner Ahmed Tigani on Tuesday night said crews were able to enter and stabilize the impacted floors as part of an emergency intervention. As of Thursday, temporary shoring has been installed from the 9th floor to the underside of the roof, with additional steel columns installed on multiple floors, according to the city.
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Policy

NYC co-names streets after New York Knicks players

All photos courtesy of NYC DOT

June 29, 2026

NYC co-names streets after New York Knicks players

By Devin Gannon

In commemoration of the team's first NBA championship in over 50 years, New York City has temporarily co-named streets in Manhattan for every player on the 2026 New York Knicks. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) on Monday unveiled 18 new blue-and-orange signs installed at locations across Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The signs feature a player's name and jersey number, which corresponds to the street where it's installed, creating a "championship route through the heart of Manhattan," according to the city.
go new york go new york

Events & Things To Do

NYC to give out 100,000 free tickets to Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show

South Street Seaport. 2019 fireworks. Photo credit: Jane Kratochvil

June 26, 2026

NYC to give out 100,000 free tickets to Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday opened a lottery for 100,000 free tickets to the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show next week. In celebration of its 50th July 4th event, and coinciding with America 250, Macy's will expand the show to the East River, the Hudson River, and the Brooklyn Bridge. The event is free to watch without a ticket, but those who are selected by the lottery will get a front-row seat to the spectacle, which includes more than 85,000 shells and 30 colors. The lottery is open now through Monday, June 29, at 11:59 p.m.
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Events & Things To Do

June 18, 2026

NY attorney general sues Brooklyn landlords for overcharging rent-stabilized tenants

By Devin Gannon

Two landlords in Brooklyn are the first to be sued by the state as part of a new program enforcing "de facto" rent stabilization. New York Attorney General Letitia James this week announced a lawsuit against John Anderson and Claudette Henry for failing to register units in buildings in Crown Heights and Brownsville and charging market-rate rents for apartments that should be stabilized. The suit also alleges the landlords attempted to illegally evict tenants and violated harassment laws. The effort comes after the Office of the Attorney General in 2025 launched a compliance program to enforce a law that allows buildings built before 1974 with six or more dwelling units to become rent-regulated.
details here

Policy

Murray Hill high-rise rental opens lottery for 40 affordable apartments, from $969/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

June 15, 2026

Murray Hill high-rise rental opens lottery for 40 affordable apartments, from $969/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are currently being accepted for 40 mixed-income units at a new high-rise rental in Murray Hill. The Dian, located at 162 East 36th Street, is a 22-story luxury building with 160 apartments. Designed by Ismael Leyva Architects, the tower's design pays tribute to the city's Art Deco legacy with a facade of layered brick, limestone, and granite. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from $969/month for a studio to $4,484/month for a two-bedroom.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

NYPD closes area around MSG for Knicks game

Fans celebrated after the Knicks won Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 3. Photo credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 10, 2026

NYPD closes area around MSG for Knicks game

By Devin Gannon

The New York Police Department will once again close several blocks around Madison Square Garden during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. In a post on X, the NYPD said the same "secure zone" implemented around the arena on Monday, when President Donald Trump attended the game, will be in effect. While originally a ticketed watch party was scheduled for outside MSG, Knicks owner James Dolan canceled the event, blaming Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the NYPD for not allowing more than 1,000 spectators.
details here

All articles by Devin Gannon

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