All articles by Devin Gannon

New Queens-to-Manhattan NYC Ferry route launches today
August 29, 2017

New Queens-to-Manhattan NYC Ferry route launches today

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The Astoria route of the NYC Ferry officially launched today, the fourth route introduced by the city this year. The service stops in Astoria, Roosevelt Island, Long Island City, East 34th Street and Wall Street, the complete trip totaling 47 minutes. While the ferries have been popular with commuters, two extra boats were added and fleets under construction were redesigned to be larger in June, concerns about recreational boaters coexisting without colliding into ferries have grown. As the New York Times reported, one free kayaking class won’t run their program until deciding it’s safe enough to do so.
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‘Citymapper’ app translates confusing MTA alerts into easy-to-read alternative directions

Graphic via Citymapper

August 28, 2017

‘Citymapper’ app translates confusing MTA alerts into easy-to-read alternative directions

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With subway disruptions and delays becoming a part of daily life in New York City, even lifelong New Yorkers sometimes have trouble finding alternative routes when their F train switches to a different line. Thankfully, there’s now an app that aims to make commuting in NYC a little less confusing. Citymapper, a transportation software start-up based in the UK, uses artificial intelligence to recommend new routes in response to MTA alert statuses. As CityLab reported, the app’s “bot” reads the complicated message from the authority and uses the relevant information to offer a clearer route change to avoid the problem.
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The ‘summer of hell’ at Penn Station will finish on time, Amtrak says

Photo via Kev Harb via Flickr

August 25, 2017

The ‘summer of hell’ at Penn Station will finish on time, Amtrak says

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The emergency Penn Station repairs that began in July will be completed on time with regular operating service resuming on Sept. 5, Amtrak announced Thursday. After delays and a few train derailments, Amtrak closed 21 tracks at Penn earlier this summer. Nearly seven weeks of the eight scheduled weeks of repair work for this “summer of hell” have been completed thus far.
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Congressman introduces bill that would offer tax credits to rent-burdened Americans

Photos via Wikimedia (l) and Pixbay (r)

August 25, 2017

Congressman introduces bill that would offer tax credits to rent-burdened Americans

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Rep. Joeseph Crowley announced federal legislation this week that aims to create two refundable tax credits for low- and middle-income renters. For rental households across the U.S. with incomes of $125,000 or less, the Rent Relief Act would provide them with one of two tax credits, if the bill becomes law. According to the Democratic congressman, who represents part of the Bronx and Queens in New York’s 14th congressional district, roughly 111 million Americans live in rental housing, with about two-thirds of all households in New York City currently renting, twice the national average.
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$2B redevelopment of Times Square’s Palace Theater gets new renderings

Rendering of the Palace Theatre entrance via Maefield Development

August 24, 2017

$2B redevelopment of Times Square’s Palace Theater gets new renderings

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Two years since the plan’s approval by the LPC, the redevelopment of the historic Palace Theatre at 1568 Broadway is nearly ready to take off. The theater will be raised 29 feet above its current level, making room for 70,000 square feet of new retail and entertainment space. With help earlier this month from L&L Holding Company, who became an equity and development partner, the ambitious project continues to progress; as CityRealty discovered, new renderings show the theater enveloped by an expanded Doubletree Guest Suites hotel, a new glass facade, and a sweeping LED screen at its podium. And though the gilded Beaux-Arts interiors will be preserved (they're interior landmarks), some preservationists have expressed concerns that moving the actual structure is a bit too aggressive.
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New renderings of South Bronx passive house feature vegetated roof deck and solar shading

Rendering of 425 Grand Concourse, courtesy of Dattner Architects

August 24, 2017

New renderings of South Bronx passive house feature vegetated roof deck and solar shading

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Adding to the passive house development push happening in New York City, Dattner Architects released new renderings of their energy-saving project at 425 Grand Concourse in the South Bronx’s Mott Haven neighborhood. Formerly the site of the Gothic-style P.S. 31, the mixed-use and mixed-income development will sit at the corner of Grand Concourse and East 144th Street. According to CityRealty, when it opens in 2020, this project will be the tallest in Mott Haven and the largest development of its kind in the country (though East Harlem's massive Sendero Verde complex will steal the title soon after). The highly-insulated building features a vegetated roof deck, solar shading, solar panels, cogen power generation, and an energy recovery system.
See the design
Cuomo calls de Blasio’s millionaires tax plan ‘dead on arrival’

Photo © Governor Andrew Cuomo/Flickr

August 23, 2017

Cuomo calls de Blasio’s millionaires tax plan ‘dead on arrival’

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As the dilemmas of New York City's subway system continue, so does the public feud between Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio. Cuomo on Tuesday called de Blasio’s plan for the wealthiest New Yorkers to fund the MTA’s emergency action plan “dead on arrival” because of Republican opposition in Albany. As the Daily News reported, Cuomo’s remarks come just a day after de Blasio said he does not "believe in" congestion pricing, an idea the governor said he will be pushing for in January.
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Zaha Hadid’s futuristic 520 West 28th Street gets rental listings, from $15,000/month

520 West 28th Street via Zaha Hadid Architects

August 22, 2017

Zaha Hadid’s futuristic 520 West 28th Street gets rental listings, from $15,000/month

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Just last month, closings began on Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th Street, a structure 6sqft crowned as Building of the Year in 2016. Now, rental apartments at the luxury residential building have officially hit the market (h/t Curbed NY). The late architect’s signature curved and organic architectural style is complemented with interiors like a marble-clad kitchen island, glass walls and energy-efficient lighting. In total, the building has 39 units, with three currently on the rental market: Units No. 31, No. 17 and No. 18. The three units range from $15,000 per month to $22,500 per month.
Take a peek inside
To avoid the PATH, will Hoboken commuters pay for pricey ferry service?

NY Waterway Ferry via Wikimedia

August 22, 2017

To avoid the PATH, will Hoboken commuters pay for pricey ferry service?

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As 6sqft reported in April, NY Waterway launched an additional ferry route running from Hoboken to Midtown Manhattan in response to a train derailment and delays at Penn Station. And since Amtrak closed a few tracks for repairs, more commuters have opted to take the scenic ferry as an alternative. While the eight-minute ride was normally only available during transit crisis, it will become a permanent transit option on Sept. 5. And although the ferry is perhaps a quicker and more scenic alternative, it comes with a steep price of $274.50 per month, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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90 apartments up for grabs at Extell’s 555Ten in Hudson Yards from $613/month
August 22, 2017

90 apartments up for grabs at Extell’s 555Ten in Hudson Yards from $613/month

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Applications are currently being accepted for the second phase of affordable apartments at 555 Tenth Avenue and 41st Street in booming Hudson Yards on Manhttan's West Side. Extell Development’s luxurious 610-foot-tall, the mixed-use tower includes 56 stories and spans 725,000 square feet. The amenities seem endless, with residential access to the building’s 24-hour fitness center with a yoga studio, indoor pool, outdoor rooftop pool, outdoor landscaped space, a bowling alley and a putting green. New Yorkers earning 40 and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $613 per month studios to $2,875 three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
EVENT: Attend free movie screenings at Central Park and Marcus Garvey Park this week

Photo of the Central Park Conservancy Film Festival via Shinya Suzuki’s Flickr

August 21, 2017

EVENT: Attend free movie screenings at Central Park and Marcus Garvey Park this week

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Celebrate the end of summer with the 2017 Central Park Conservancy Film Festival, which kicks off Monday night with the showing of the 2014 remake of “Annie.” In addition to Central Park screenings, the film festival will include free outdoor screenings in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park and Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways. This year’s lineup features movies filmed in New York, including “The Wiz,” The Great Gatsby,” and “The Godfather.” All of the movie screenings are free to attend and tickets are not necessary.
More details here
Loss of affordability at Coney Island’s Trump Village highlights issues with the city’s Mitchell-Lama program

Photo of Trump Village West via Trump 4 West

August 21, 2017

Loss of affordability at Coney Island’s Trump Village highlights issues with the city’s Mitchell-Lama program

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Built by Donald Trump’s father, Fred, in 1964, Trump Village in Coney Island features seven 23-story towers with 3,700 co-op and rental apartments. To pay for the $70 million project, which would total $564 million today, Fred Trump used Mitchell-Lama, a government program that granted financial incentives in exchange for setting aside affordable housing. The typical rental contract lasts 20 years, and after that, landlords can opt-out of the program. As Crain’s reported, Trump Village became one of the first co-ops to exit the Mitchell-Lama program in 2007, letting residents sell their apartments for whatever the market allowed. Owners of 38,000 Mitchell-Lama apartments, representing 28% of the program's housing, have left in the past 20 years. But as the value of these apartments, which were once affordable, keeps rising, New Yorkers looking for affordable housing there, and other former Mitchell-Lama apartments, may be out of luck.
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Take a free tour of City Island, Bronx with the ‘land ferry’

City Island Diner, courtesy of cisc1970 via photopin

August 18, 2017

Take a free tour of City Island, Bronx with the ‘land ferry’

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A small town in the northeastern part of the Bronx, City Island sits about 1.5 miles long by half of a mile wide. While its quaint nautical-vibe seems out of place in New York City, City Island is very much a part of the Bronx’s history. Thanks to the City Island Chamber of Commerce, New Yorkers who want to learn about the island can ride the “land ferry,” or a decorated minibus, on the island for a free tour of the neighborhood’s artistic and musical sites, as amNY reported. The blue painted bus with wood paneling picks up riders, from April to December, at the end of the No. 6 train in Pelham Bay Park on the first Friday of every month.
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Watch The Shed, an 8-million-pound structure, glide effortlessly alongside the High Line
August 18, 2017

Watch The Shed, an 8-million-pound structure, glide effortlessly alongside the High Line

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The Shed courtesy of Diller Scofidio +Renfro, via The New York Times Construction of The Shed, a six-level flexible structure that can adapt to different art forms and technologies, continues to progress where the High Line meets Hudson Yards. While the building, an independent non-profit cultural organization, has an expected opening date of 2019, the massive eight-million-pound structure can now slide along the High Line for five minutes on a half-dozen exposed steel wheels that measure six-feet in diameter (h/t NY Times). The Shed, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, in collaboration with Rockwell Group, features a movable shell on rails that sits over the fixed base of the building, allowing for it to change size depending on the type of event.
See the Shed slide
Apply for 43 new affordable units in Highbridge, from $558/month

Photo by Shinya Suzuki / Flickr

August 17, 2017

Apply for 43 new affordable units in Highbridge, from $558/month

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Applications are now being accepted for 43 newly constructed units at the Excelsior II, an affordable housing building in the Highbridge section of the Bronx. Designed by SLCE Architects, the building at 120-126 West 169th Street rises nine stories and features 60 units. New Yorkers earning 40, 50 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $558 per month one-bedrooms to a $1,065 per month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
De Blasio and Cuomo announce plans to eradicate ‘symbols of hate’ in New York

Image via Alisdare Hickson/flickr

August 17, 2017

De Blasio and Cuomo announce plans to eradicate ‘symbols of hate’ in New York

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After a violent weekend led by white supremacist groups in Charlottesville, Virginia, New York officials have announced plans to review and remove controversial public structures. Mayor de Blasio said on Wednesday the city will conduct a 90-day review of “all symbols of hate on city property,” by putting together a panel of experts and community leaders who will make recommendations for items to take down (h/t NY Post). On Wednesday, Governor Cuomo called upon the United States Army to reconsider its decision to keep the street names that honor Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, two Confederate leaders, at Fort Hamilton. Cuomo also announced the removal of the busts of Lee and Jackson from CUNY’s Hall of Fame for Great Americans in the Bronx.
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108 affordable apartments up for grabs in Downtown Brooklyn’s 33 Bond Street, from $613/month

Rendering via TF Cornerstone

August 17, 2017

108 affordable apartments up for grabs in Downtown Brooklyn’s 33 Bond Street, from $613/month

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Applications are currently being accepted for the second phase of affordable apartments at 33 Bond Street, a building nestled among the bustling neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill. The 25-story building sits just one or two blocks from all major subway lines and is within walking distance to Fort Greene Park and the Barclays Center. New Yorkers earning 40 and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $613 per month studio to a $2,519 per month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify
On this day in 1974, the Ramones played their first gig at CBGB in the East Village

The Ramones outside of CBGB, photo via CBGB

August 16, 2017

On this day in 1974, the Ramones played their first gig at CBGB in the East Village

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On August 16, 1974, four men dressed in leather motorcycle jackets and Converse high-tops hit the stage at CBGB, an iconic East Village dive bar, for the very first time. After this debut performance, the Ramones, who hailed from Forest Hills, Queens, became the first regulars at CBGB, a spot known for the cutting edge punk rock musicians that played there, like Talking Heads, Patti Smith and Blondie. In the year 1974 alone, the Ramones played there over 70 times.
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Apply for 88 affordable apartments in Downtown Jamaica, from $494/ month

92-61 165th Street, Rendering via NHS Development Corporation

August 16, 2017

Apply for 88 affordable apartments in Downtown Jamaica, from $494/ month

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With new residential and commercial developments and transit options, Jamaica, Queens is on the brink of renewal, after many years of neglect. Adding to the area’s revitalization, the construction of a new 14-story affordable housing building was finished last fall. Now, applications are being accepted at the building for 88 affordable apartments at 92-61 165th Street in Jamaica Center, Queens. New Yorkers earning 40 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $494 per month studio to a $1182 per month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify
Two plaques honoring Robert E. Lee in Brooklyn will be removed

General Lee Avenue and Robert E. Lee’s former home on Fort Hamilton, via Jeremy Bender/Business Insider

August 16, 2017

Two plaques honoring Robert E. Lee in Brooklyn will be removed

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Following the tragic events in Charlottesville, Va. last weekend, officials announced Tuesday that two plaques honoring Gen. Robert E. Lee outside of a Brooklyn church would be taken down. The plaques, tacked to a maple tree, belonged to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Fort Hamilton, although the church has been closed since 2014. As Newsday reported, the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island owns the church and will sell it.
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NYC lawyers once gifted Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin a tenement in Brooklyn

>Google Street View of 541 Clinton Street. Map data © 2019 Google

August 15, 2017

NYC lawyers once gifted Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin a tenement in Brooklyn

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>Google Street View of 541 Clinton Street. Map data © 2019 Google In the 1940s, two attorneys from Manhattan let the mortgage payments lapse on a building they owned in Carroll Gardens. Julius Freilicher and Martin Auslander had a $3,300 mortgage with Dime Savings Bank on their tenement at 541 Clinton Street. Believing it was a better idea to not pay the mortgage, the two lawyers decided the best thing was to file a deed of gift, as the Brownstone Detectives reported. The receivers of this gift? Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
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Enter the waitlist for middle-income apartments near Lincoln Center from $2,300/month

33 West End Avenue via CityRealty

August 15, 2017

Enter the waitlist for middle-income apartments near Lincoln Center from $2,300/month

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The waitlist is open for $2,300 per month studios and $2,800 one-bedrooms at 33 West End Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The building, near Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle and Central Park, features 24-hour concierge service, a fitness center, a shared lounge and bike storage. The waitlist is accepting applications from New Yorkers who earn between $80,743 and $126,060 annually.
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New rendering of Extell’s Central Park Tower shows sparkling all-glass facade

Rendering of Central Park Tower via Extell Development

August 15, 2017

New rendering of Extell’s Central Park Tower shows sparkling all-glass facade

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A new rendering of Central Park Tower, slated to be the tallest residential tower on Earth, shows the most sparkling image of the residential building yet. Construction for Extell Development’s supertall, located at 225 West 57th Street on Billionaires’ Row, is underway and when completed, the tower is projected to be 1,550-feet tall. As CityRealty reported, the all-glass rendering appears to be taken about 900-feet above Central Park and leaves out rivaling towers, 432 Park Avenue and 111 West 57th Street. The $2.98 billion project is expected to be completed in 2019.
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Chinese immigrants use slang names and maps to navigate the streets of NYC

Chinatown, image © Chaz Langley

August 14, 2017

Chinese immigrants use slang names and maps to navigate the streets of NYC

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Many New Yorkers navigate Chinatown by its famous street names; East Broadway, Mulberry, Canal and Orchard. However, for many Chinese immigrants living in the area who do not speak English, these names are not used. Instead, descriptive nicknames (translated from Chinese) exist like “Hatseller Street,” “Garbage Street,” and “Dead Person Street.” Even more interesting, to help Chinese New Yorkers navigate the city, maps with these streets labeled in their Chinese nicknames are made and distributed. A reporter from This American Life, Aaron Reiss, began collecting these maps and discovered the lesser-known nicknames for a lot of these city streets, many which have four or five different labels.
More this way
Cuomo to offer a congestion pricing plan to fund transit repairs

Photo via Lucas Klappas on Flickr

August 14, 2017

Cuomo to offer a congestion pricing plan to fund transit repairs

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With New York City’s subway system currently in a state of emergency, public officials and advocates have been developing ways to pay for its urgent repairs. According to the New York Times, Governor Cuomo is planning to release a congestion pricing plan as a way to provide a dedicated source of funding for the transit system, as well as a way to reduce traffic on some of the country’s busiest streets. Ten years ago, Mayor Bloomberg pushed for a similar plan, charging drivers $8 to enter the most congested parts of Manhattan during peak commuting hours, but the legislation faced resistance and was never brought to a vote.
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