All articles by Devin Gannon

Brooklyn’s greenest block is in Crown Heights

Lincoln Place. Photo by Artchan Nadura

August 6, 2024

Brooklyn’s greenest block is in Crown Heights

By Devin Gannon

The greenest block in Brooklyn is in Crown Heights. And so is the second-greenest block. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Tuesday crowned Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues as the winner of its Greenest Block competition, an annual contest open to all blocks and community gardens in the borough. Another win for the neighborhood, the garden awarded Eastern Parkway between Bedford and Franklin Avenues second place.
and the winners are

NYC to extend lifeguard shifts during heat waves

Rockaway Beach. Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

July 31, 2024

NYC to extend lifeguard shifts during heat waves

By Devin Gannon

New York City will extend lifeguard shifts at public beaches during heat waves after a series of drownings this summer. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday said 66 lifeguards will be on call for emergencies until 8 p.m., two hours after beaches close, during extreme heat. Swimming will still not be permitted after 6 p.m. and lifeguards will not sit on the stands so they don't "give the false impression that the beaches are open and that it's safe to swim," Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi said.
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Policy

13 places to go hiking in New York City

Photo of Marine Park via Wikimedia

July 24, 2024

13 places to go hiking in New York City

By Devin Gannon

Forget the rental car or Metro-North trip, all you need to go hiking is subway or bus fare. Home to over 30,000 acres of parkland, New York City offers hundreds of nature trails to explore in parks across the five boroughs. New Yorkers do not have to travel very far to connect with the great outdoors, from the Staten Island Greenbelt, which is three times the size of Central Park, to ecologically diverse forests in Van Cortlandt Park, to the salt marshes of Marine Park Preserve. Ahead, discover some of the best trails to hike in every borough.
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NYC Ferry fares to increase this fall

Photo by The All-Nite Images on Flickr

July 23, 2024

NYC Ferry fares to increase this fall

By Devin Gannon

Ferry fares are going up this fall. The city's Economic Development Corporation announced that single-trip tickets will increase from $4 to $4.50 and the 10-trip pass will increase from $27.50 to $29, starting September 9. The new fare structure aims to reduce the system's huge public subsidy while making the ferry more equitable.
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First project under Gowanus rezoning launches leasing for luxury apartments

Renderings courtesy of VUW

July 22, 2024

First project under Gowanus rezoning launches leasing for luxury apartments

By Devin Gannon

The first project developed under the Gowanus rezoning has launched leasing. Developed by Domain Companies and VOREA Group, 420 Carroll consists of a 21-story tower and a 16-story tower connected by an underground tunnel. Situated on the Gowanus Canal, the development includes 360 apartments, with market-rate rentals currently priced from $3,925/month for studios to $9,600/month for three bedrooms. Approved by the city in 2021, the rezoning upzoned 82 blocks of the neighborhood to create 8,500 units of housing and new open space.
more here

New Developments

Experience a kaleidoscopic NYC skyline atop Hudson Yards’ Edge

Photos courtesy of Edge

July 19, 2024

Experience a kaleidoscopic NYC skyline atop Hudson Yards’ Edge

By Devin Gannon

A new installation at the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere saturates the New York City skyline in a new light. "Shades" debuted this week at Edge, the 100th-floor indoor/outdoor sky deck at 30 Hudson Yards, with sections of transparent colors splashed across the observation deck, transforming the view. The immersive exhibit challenges visitors to explore how changing vantage points alter the perception of the city around them.
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Events & Things To Do

You can step inside iconic Edward Hopper paintings this weekend

Photo courtesy of the Meatpacking BID

July 18, 2024

You can step inside iconic Edward Hopper paintings this weekend

By Devin Gannon

Celebrate Edward Hopper's birthday by becoming a subject in one of his paintings. This weekend, life-size 3D recreations of three Hopper paintings will pop up on Gansevoort Plaza in the Meatpacking District, inviting New Yorkers to step inside the artwork. Hosted by the Meatpacking BID and the Whitney Museum of American Art, the installations will be on display from July 19 through July 22.
get the details

Events & Things To Do

Emery Roth’s pre-war UWS tower is reimagined as 131 luxury condos, priced from $1M

All renderings courtesy of VMI Studio

July 18, 2024

Emery Roth’s pre-war UWS tower is reimagined as 131 luxury condos, priced from $1M

By Devin Gannon

A 100-year-old Upper West Side building that once served as a hotel and a senior center is now a luxury condominium. The Emery Roth-designed tower at 720 West End Avenue has been reimagined by Thomas Juul-Hansen and renovated by BP Architects to become 131 modern residences. Sales officially launched this week at the building, with homes starting at roughly $1 million to over $12 million.
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New Developments

Brooklyn Heights townhouse closes for $22.1M, second priciest single-family home sale in the borough

Photo credit: Matthew Williams

July 17, 2024

Brooklyn Heights townhouse closes for $22.1M, second priciest single-family home sale in the borough

By Devin Gannon

The second priciest single-family home ever sold in Brooklyn has officially closed. The Anglo-Italianate five-bedroom townhouse at 1 Sidney Place in Brooklyn Heights sold for $22.1 million in April; Glossier founder Emily Weiss was identified as the buyer. About a half mile away, the borough's most expensive single-family sale remains 8 Montague Terrace, which sold for $25.5 million in 2020.
see it here

Real Estate Trends

Biden proposes nationwide rent cap

Photo by Julie Ricard on Unsplash

July 17, 2024

Biden proposes nationwide rent cap

By Devin Gannon

President Joe Biden this week unveiled a proposal to cap rent at 5 percent annually for apartments owned by corporate landlords. The plan would apply to landlords who own more than 50 units in their portfolio, covering about 20 million units nationwide, roughly half of all rentals. The legislation requires congressional approval, including from the Republican-controlled House, to move forward.
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Policy

Popular Articles

Rental at historic Crown Heights site opens lottery for 48 apartments, from $3,128/month

All renderings courtesy of Morris Adjmi Architects

July 16, 2024

Rental at historic Crown Heights site opens lottery for 48 apartments, from $3,128/month

By Devin Gannon

A lottery opened this week at a new luxury rental building on a historic site in Crown Heights. Designed by Morris Adjmi Architects, Mason Gray is a mixed-use development at 959 Sterling Place consisting of a seven-story brick building with 158 apartments. Landmarked as part of the Crown Heights Historic District, the property is home to a 19th-century Romanesque Revival complex currently occupied by the Hebron Seventh Day Adventist Church and School. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced at $3,128/month for studios, $3,345/month for one-bedrooms, and $4,000/month for two-bedrooms.
how to apply

Affordable Housing

NYC announces 18 free outdoor concerts in expanded ‘Rise Up’ summer series

Rise Up concert in 2022. Photo Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 15, 2024

NYC announces 18 free outdoor concerts in expanded ‘Rise Up’ summer series

By Devin Gannon

Summer in the city means lots of free outdoor music, from picnic performances in Bryant Park to shows in Prospect Park. Mayor Eric Adams is joining in on the fun by expanding "Rise Up NYC," an annual summer concert series hosted in all five boroughs. There will be 18 performances through the end of August, up from eight shows last year.
details here

Events & Things To Do

Colorful lanterns sparkle over Broadway in the Garment District

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

July 15, 2024

Colorful lanterns sparkle over Broadway in the Garment District

By Devin Gannon

A series of colorful lanterns are now sparkling above Broadway as part of a new public art installation in Midtown. The Garment District Alliance last week unveiled "New Start, New Hope," an exhibition featuring 135 colorful lanterns illuminating three plazas between 36th and 39th Streets. Created by local artist Xin Song, the installation adds brightness and a sense of calm to one of the city's busiest areas.
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Events & Things To Do

Kips Bay condo fits personal and professional under one roof, studios from $895K

Renderings courtesy of CORE Real Estate

July 12, 2024

Kips Bay condo fits personal and professional under one roof, studios from $895K

By Devin Gannon

A new condominium in Kips Bay combines the personal and professional under one roof. On the corner of Second Avenue and 29th Street, Hendrix House offers 60 residences and an amenity package that is extremely functional for the modern New Yorker. Not only is there a stunning co-working space and lobby with an adjacent courtyard for al-fresco work, but residences have carefully crafted home offices with custom furniture and shelving. Sales recently launched at Hendrix House, with studios priced from $895,000.
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New Developments

Tracks Bar is reopening in Penn Station

Renderings courtesy of Tracks/ Alpreda Architecture

July 11, 2024

Tracks Bar is reopening in Penn Station

By Devin Gannon

As Penn Station continues its much-needed makeover, a beloved mainstay from its past is returning. Tracks Raw Bar & Grill will reopen at the Long Island Rail Road Concourse in Penn Station, five years after its iconic underground location closed to make way for a new entrance to the station. Expected to open by the end of the year, Tracks will occupy a 3,150-square-foot space that will recreate the restaurant's original "train-themed" decor and celebrate the history of the Long Island Rail Road with vintage prints and murals.
get the details

Aman New York penthouse sells for $135M

Photos courtesy of Aman New York

July 10, 2024

Aman New York penthouse sells for $135M

By Devin Gannon

A five-story penthouse at the Aman New York at 730 Fifth Avenue has sold for $135 million, marking New York City's most expensive sale of the year. As first reported by Bloomberg, the deal surpasses a $115 million penthouse at Central Park Tower that closed in June. The 12,500-square-foot sky mansion aptly sits in the actual crown of the 100-year-old Midtown Manhattan tower, known as the Crown Building for its gilded exterior. Opened in 2022, the Aman New York is an ultra-luxury hotel-condo with 83 hotel rooms and 22 residences. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday identified Vladislav Doronin, the billionaire and founder of OKO Group, the developer of the Aman, as the buyer of the record-breaking penthouse.
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Sunday service is back at these NYC libraries this weekend

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in Manhattan will reopen on Sunday, July 14. Photo © John Bartelstone courtesy of the NYPL

July 9, 2024

Sunday service is back at these NYC libraries this weekend

By Devin Gannon

For the first time since late last year, Sunday service will return to some New York City public library branches this weekend. Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council last month agreed to a budget for fiscal year 2025 that restores $58.3 million in funding for the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library. The libraries will reinstate Sunday service at branches that previously offered it on a rolling basis starting July 14.
full list here

One High Line is complete: See inside Bjarke Ingels’ twisting Chelsea condo

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph

July 5, 2024

One High Line is complete: See inside Bjarke Ingels’ twisting Chelsea condo

By Devin Gannon

After a foreclosure, a rebrand, and a sales relaunch, the condo project One High Line is officially complete. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the residential building at 500 West 18th Street features two travertine towers that twist away from one another, reducing their bulk and creating a gap between them that allows for open High Line and Hudson River views. Following several bumps in the road, One High Line is finally finished; newly released images provide a look inside the project, including its 18,000-square-foot amenity space.
details here

MTA boosts weekend subway service to Rockaway Beach

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

July 3, 2024

MTA boosts weekend subway service to Rockaway Beach

By Devin Gannon

Getting to the beach without a car will be a little easier this summer. Service will expand on the Rockaway Park Shuttle on weekends, allowing beachgoers to board any A train and get a transfer to Rockaway Beach, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced. On Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day, the shuttle will also operate with 10 cars, doubling its normal capacity.
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Transit

NYC opens 50 outdoor pools for summer

Astoria Pool in Queens. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 27, 2024

NYC opens 50 outdoor pools for summer

By Devin Gannon

School is out, pools are open, and summer is here. New York City opened 50 free outdoor public pools on Thursday, officially kicking off the swimming season. For Queens residents, summer is a little cooler this year as the city reopened Astoria Pool following a $19 million renovation that closed the pool, the five borough's largest, last year.
take a dip

Events & Things To Do

Macy’s July 4th fireworks: NYC to give out free tickets for front-row views of the show

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks 2023- Photo by Kent Miller for Macy’s, Inc

June 25, 2024

Macy’s July 4th fireworks: NYC to give out free tickets for front-row views of the show

By Devin Gannon

The annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks is set to dazzle New York City once again, with the spectacle taking place over the Hudson River for the first time in a decade. The Independence Day show's 48th edition will feature 60,000 shells and more than 30 colors, fired from five barges between West 14th Street and West 34th Street on the river. While there are plenty of viewing spots open to the public, Mayor Eric Adams this week announced the city will give away 10,000 free tickets for a front-row fireworks experience to be distributed on Wednesday on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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Events & Things To Do

Newark, NJ home featured in ‘The Sopranos’ can be yours for $580K

All photos courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate Group

June 24, 2024

Newark, NJ home featured in ‘The Sopranos’ can be yours for $580K

By Devin Gannon

The New Jersey home of fictional mobster Tony Soprano's uncle is for sale. The center-hall Colonial at 380 Highland Avenue in Newark appeared in the HBO show "The Sopranos" as the home of Corrado John "Junior" Soprano, the boss of the DiMeo crime family. Asking $579,900, the four-bedroom property is located in the charming neighborhood of Forest Hill, a tree-lined suburban area north of downtown Newark.
see it here

Distinctive Homes

NYC’s Russ & Daughters and Morgenstern’s team up for deli-style ice cream treats

Photo courtesy of Morgenstern’s

June 19, 2024

NYC’s Russ & Daughters and Morgenstern’s team up for deli-style ice cream treats

By Devin Gannon

A cool New York City collaboration was released this week just in time for the first heat wave of the summer. Century-old appetizing store Russ & Daughters is teaming up with another city favorite, Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream, on a new collection of frozen treats sure to please New Yorkers. Available this Wednesday through the end of the summer, the ice cream treats are inspired by Russ & Daughters deli classics: bagels, halva, and babka.
sweet treats this way

Food & Dining

Rent to increase for NYC’s one million stabilized apartments for third year in a row

Photo courtesy of Maxim Pierre on Flickr

June 18, 2024

Rent to increase for NYC’s one million stabilized apartments for third year in a row

By Devin Gannon

Rent is going up for about one million regulated apartments in New York City. The Rent Guidelines Board on Monday approved rent hikes of 2.75 percent for one-year leases and 5.25 percent on two-year leases. The increase will affect the leases of about two million New Yorkers and marks the third year in a row that rents on stabilized apartments will increase.
Details Here

Policy

Central Park Tower penthouse closes for $115M

Image courtesy of Extell

June 17, 2024

Central Park Tower penthouse closes for $115M

By Devin Gannon

A penthouse at Central Park Tower closed for $115 million, becoming New York City's fourth priciest apartment sale on record. Taking up the 107th and 108th floors of the tallest tower in the Western Hemisphere, the duplex condo on Billionaires' Row was first listed for $175 million last March and entered contract early this year.
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Real Estate Trends

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