All articles by Devin Gannon

Running at the slowest pace in the country, NYC buses lost 100 million passengers since 2008

A Brooklyn-bound bus, photo via Wikimedia

November 28, 2017

Running at the slowest pace in the country, NYC buses lost 100 million passengers since 2008

By Devin Gannon

Among large cities, New York City’s bus system runs at the slowest pace in the nation, traveling at just 7.4 miles per hour, according to a report released by City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Monday. Due to an outdated fleet, inefficient routes and buses running at near-crawling speeds, the system lost 100 million passengers over the last eight years. And while it serves more than two million passengers each day, more than the daily ridership of LIRR, MetroNorth, PATH and NJ Transit combined, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has largely ignored the system’s failures. In his report, Stringer urges the MTA and city to better coordinate to address the bus system's crisis and lists 19 recommendations, which includes updating routes, replacing old buses and introducing all-door boarding and tap-and-go fare payment options.
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Snøhetta reveals ‘excavated’ bronze tower that will be the Upper West Side’s tallest

Rendering of 50 West 66th Street courtesy of Binyan Studios/ Snøhetta

November 27, 2017

Snøhetta reveals ‘excavated’ bronze tower that will be the Upper West Side’s tallest

By Devin Gannon

Of-the-moment firm Snøhetta has revealed their design for a 775-foot condominium tower at 50 West 66th Street, set to be the tallest on the Upper West Side (h/t Wallpaper) The Extell-developed building will feature 127 units and a series of "sculptural excavations" that the architects say are "evocative of the chiseled stone of Manhattan’s geologic legacy." On the lower levels, the tower will be clad in textured limestone with bronze window frames; its narrower upper portion will have a glassy facade and chamfered corners that create a series of open-air loggias.
More renderings and details

Apply for a middle-income apartment in Alphabet City, from $2,116/month

Photo of 101 Avenue D courtesy of Arabella 101

November 27, 2017

Apply for a middle-income apartment in Alphabet City, from $2,116/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are currently being accepted for middle-income studio and one-bedroom apartments at 101 Avenue D in the Alphabet City section of the East Village. The 78-unit building, known as Arabella 101, is a post-war rental located between East 7th Street and East 8th Street. In addition to its prime downtown Manhattan location, residents can enjoy a roof deck, laundry room, bike room and fitness center. Qualifying New Yorkers earning between $74, 435 and $116,900 can apply for a $2,116 per month studio and those earning between $74-435 and $133, 700 can apply for $2,270 per month one-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Narofsky Architecture built this Long Island home using trees knocked down during Hurricane Irene

November 21, 2017

Narofsky Architecture built this Long Island home using trees knocked down during Hurricane Irene

By Devin Gannon

In the summer of 2011, Hurricane Irene landed in New York City and on Long Island, heavily damaging the area, the storm's heavy rainfall and strong winds knocking down trees and causing major power outages. Turning destruction into art, Narofsky Architecture designed a house on an Irene-destroyed site using the wood from fallen trees (h/t dezeen). Based in Nassau County, the home features black locust, a rot-resistant wood, for its exterior paneling and shower benches and darkened pin oak for floors throughout the home. Even some of the home's furniture was made from fallen trees, including its bookcases, mantels, dining table, and cabinetry.
Take a tour

New York City food banks face shortages ahead of Thanksgiving

Photo via U.S. Air Force

November 21, 2017

New York City food banks face shortages ahead of Thanksgiving

By Devin Gannon

A report released by the Food Bank for New York City on Monday found more than half of its pantries and soup kitchens do not have a sufficient amount of food to serve residents, with 35 percent of food banks forced to turn away those in need, when looking at data from September. The city has also seen an uptick in the number of New Yorkers who require the food bank’s services, now serving about one out of every five people citywide. According to amNY, throughout the five boroughs, the food banks have been used by more residents than normal, following a cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), food stamps, in 2013. According to the report, New York City's food-insecurity rate is 21 percent higher than the national average and 19 percent higher than the rate of the rest of the state.
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City Living

Long Island City’s Jackson Park will feature two pools, full-size basketball court, and a 1.6-acre park

Rendering of Jackson Park courtesy of Tishman Speyer

November 20, 2017

Long Island City’s Jackson Park will feature two pools, full-size basketball court, and a 1.6-acre park

By Devin Gannon

As the Long Island City skyline continues to grow, so does the list of amenities developments are offering residents in the booming Queens neighborhood. New renderings of the massive, three-tower, 1,871-unit rental complex, Jackson Park, reveal extravagant luxuries like two swimming pools, a gaming area, a full-size basketball/volleyball and squash court, and much more, as the New York Post reported. With move-ins expected in January, leasing has officially begun at the Tishman Speyer-complex, with net rents starting at $1,915 per month studios, $2,335 per month one-bedrooms, $3,555 per month for two-bedrooms, $4,745 per month for three-bedrooms and $7,310 per month for four-bedrooms.
Take a peek

Number of tourists visiting NYC hits record high despite drop in international visitors

Photo via pixabay

November 20, 2017

Number of tourists visiting NYC hits record high despite drop in international visitors

By Devin Gannon

New estimates from the city’s tourism promotion agency, NYC & Company, show that the number of visitors to New York City will increase again this year, making 2017 the eighth straight year of record-high tourism. As the New York Times reported, the city will take in 61.8 million visitors this year, an increase from 60.5 million visitors in 2016. However, the agency does expect the first drop in international visitors to the city since 2009, due to President Donald Trump’s “America First” rhetoric and his revised restricted travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries.
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Policy

New York lawmakers have underinvested in the subway system for decades, report finds

Image © 6sqft

November 20, 2017

New York lawmakers have underinvested in the subway system for decades, report finds

By Devin Gannon

The crumbling of New York City’s subway system didn’t happen overnight. According to an investigation by the New York Times, the system’s current problems stem from nearly three decades of underinvestment by transit officials and elected politicians, who, despite its aging signals and equipment, have actually directed funding away from much-needed repairs. Now, New York’s subway has the worst on-time performance of any major rapid transit system in the world when looking at the data of the 20 biggest systems. Only 65 percent of weekday trains reach their destinations on time, the lowest rate since the transit crisis of the 1970s.
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$5.2M Queen Anne Victorian in Nyack comes with its own Hudson River pier

November 17, 2017

$5.2M Queen Anne Victorian in Nyack comes with its own Hudson River pier

By Devin Gannon

A six-bedroom Queen Anne Victorian in Upper Nyack has hit the market for $5.2 million (h/t Curbed). Although the 1887 residence, known as the Bennett-Deyrup House, underwent a major $4 million renovation 10 years ago, many of its historic details--like embossed "lincrusta" ceilings and walls, stained glass windows and tile glass--remain. Just a quick, 30-minutes outside New York City, the home sits on the Hudson River and includes its own rocky beach and stoned pier.
Take a tour

Second phase of Hunters Point South development moves forward with 960 affordable unit proposal

Rendering of Hunters Point South courtesy of Handel Architects

November 17, 2017

Second phase of Hunters Point South development moves forward with 960 affordable unit proposal

By Devin Gannon

Plans to redevelop Hunters Point South, a project first proposed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is finally making some headway. The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Housing Development Corp. on Thursday selected a proposal that will bring a 1,120-unit apartment complex, with 80 percent of them permanently affordable, to the southern tip of the Long Island City neighborhood. According to the Wall Street Journal, the $500 million, two-tower project is being developed by Gotham and RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc.
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Popular Articles

Plan for LaGuardia AirTrain inches forward with $55M lift from Port Authority

Rendering of LaGuardia Airport via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

November 17, 2017

Plan for LaGuardia AirTrain inches forward with $55M lift from Port Authority

By Devin Gannon

The Port Authority on Thursday approved $55 million in funding for the second phase of planning for an AirTrain to LaGuardia airport, a project first announced nearly three years ago. The authority previously allocated $20 million for the AirTrain which would run between Mets-Willets Point and the airport, one part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to revamp LaGuardia. According to the Daily News, the total $75 million will go towards technical planning, design work and developing an environmental impact report. Despite this new investment, the AirTrain still has no final cost estimate or a completed study, but previous estimates price the project at $1 billion.
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Policy

Crown Building’s $100M penthouse will have two indoor pools and a piano lounge

Penthouse rendering courtesy of Aman Resorts

November 16, 2017

Crown Building’s $100M penthouse will have two indoor pools and a piano lounge

By Devin Gannon

Floor plans of the Crown Building's crown jewel, its five-story penthouse, have revealed what $100 million will buy you at one of the city's most desirable locations for the super-rich. As the Real Deal learned, the penthouse features two swimming pools, a piano lounge and a full-floor master suite. The 14,000-square-foot pad sits in the actual crown of the building, spanning floors 22-26. The rest of the Billionaires' Row building at 730 Fifth Avenue isn't too shabby either; the building includes an 83-key luxury Aman Resorts hotel with a three-story spa, a jazz and cigar club, a few restaurants and 20 luxury condos.
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City Planning gives the go ahead for controversial 800-foot Sutton Place tower

The original rendering of 3 Sutton Place by Foster + Partners

November 16, 2017

City Planning gives the go ahead for controversial 800-foot Sutton Place tower

By Devin Gannon

The City Planning Commission approved a resident-proposed plan to curb the development of supertall, skinny towers in Sutton Place on Wednesday, capping the height of future buildings. However, because of a clause inserted by the commission, projects already under construction will be grandfathered into the current zoning rules. This comes as good news for Gamma Real Estate, the developer currently constructing an 800-foot-tall residential tower, now called Sutton 58, at 3 Sutton Place. Gamma needs to finish the foundation planned for their luxury condominium tower before the city votes on the rezoning proposal, to be immune from new height restrictions (h/t Crain's).
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15 apartments up for grabs near the Williamsburg waterfront, from $867/month

Rendering of 94 North 3rd Street courtesy of Hudson Companies Inc.

November 15, 2017

15 apartments up for grabs near the Williamsburg waterfront, from $867/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are now being accepted for 15 newly constructed, affordable apartments in a mixed-use development in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. With 75 total units and more than 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, the building at 94 North 3rd Street sits just a few blocks from the waterfront and bustling Metropolitan Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for studios for $867 per month, one-bedrooms for $931 per month and two-bedrooms listed for $1123 monthly.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

New affordable Bronx development will feature a rooftop aquaponics greenhouse

Rendering of the Bedford Green House courtesy of Edelman Sultan Knox Wood/Architects LLP and Hollister Construction Services

November 15, 2017

New affordable Bronx development will feature a rooftop aquaponics greenhouse

By Devin Gannon

The construction of a 13-story supportive housing development in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx will begin Thursday when federal, state and city officials join nonprofit Project Renewal in a groundbreaking ceremony at the site. Located at 2880 Jerome Avenue, the Bedford Green House will feature 118 units of affordable housing for families, seniors, and singles. To connect its residents to nature, the building will be covered in carbon sequestering plants and have an operational rooftop greenhouse where residents will be able to raise fresh fish and produce, partake in healthy cooking demos, and enjoy a community playground.
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MTA to introduce ‘customer service ambassadors’ to help riders navigate the subway

MTA customer service ambassadors, photo courtesy of MTA New York City Transit / Marc A. Hermann

November 15, 2017

MTA to introduce ‘customer service ambassadors’ to help riders navigate the subway

By Devin Gannon

The first phase of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan to modernize the subway focuses on improving communication between workers and riders. Last week, the MTA announced it would distribute about 230 iPhones to platform workers and train operators to pass along helpful information to straphangers about train problems and also provide alternative routes. Now, according to amNY, customer service ambassadors will roam subway stations to offer assistance, instead of staying in the booth. Over the next several weeks, ambassadors will be selected, trained and then placed at busy stations, especially those with a lot of tourists like Grand Central Terminal and Times Square.
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Transit

Anable Basin proposal envisions a massive mixed-use district along the Long Island City waterfront

Rendering courtesy of WXY architecture + urban design

November 14, 2017

Anable Basin proposal envisions a massive mixed-use district along the Long Island City waterfront

By Devin Gannon

The plastics company, Plaxall, announced on Tuesday a massive rezoning proposal to allow for a mixed-use district in Anable Basin, the area surrounding a 149-year-old inlet located in Long Island City. Since founding the company more than 70 years ago, the Plaxall family has purchased and rehabilitated properties in the neighborhood and currently manages over one million square feet of space. Achieved through rezoning, the proposal calls for 335,000 square feet for industrial uses, 4,955 housing units with 25 percent of them affordable, a 700+ seat public school and a new, elevated promenade. If the rezoning is approved, construction is anticipated to begin in 2020 with a completion date in 2034, but no official timeline has been set.
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Amid decline in ridership, MTA boosts service on six train lines

The 7-train will be getting the biggest boost in service this spring, photo via Wikimedia

November 14, 2017

Amid decline in ridership, MTA boosts service on six train lines

By Devin Gannon

In an attempt to increase subway ridership, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority next spring will add trains to six lines: the 2, 3, 7, N, W, and Q trains. The boost in service comes after data released by the MTA revealed that riders are opting for alternative transportation, like Uber, Lyft or Citibike, instead of dealing with the often delayed and disrupted subways and buses. According to amNY, the additional trains, which will cost the MTA $5 million annually, will run on nights and weekends, times when the authority believes demand is not being effectively met.
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Second phase of Penn Station track work will not bring a winter of hell

Amtrak workers setting concrete on track 10 at Penn Station this summer, image via Amtrak

November 14, 2017

Second phase of Penn Station track work will not bring a winter of hell

By Devin Gannon

Amtrak announced on Monday its plan for the second phase of track renewal projects for Penn Station, set to begin this winter. Between January 5 and May 28 of next year, there will be continuous single-track closures, affecting Amtrak and commuter train operation at the Midtown transit hub. While similar to the infrastructure repairs that took place for eight weeks this past June, dubbed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the “summer of hell,” the impact will be less severe for commuters and most of the work will take place on the weekends.
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MAP: Where to find all 300 works in Ai Weiwei’s ‘Good Fences Make Good Neighbors’ exhibition

Ai Weiwei: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, The Arch, courtesy of the Public Art Fund

November 13, 2017

MAP: Where to find all 300 works in Ai Weiwei’s ‘Good Fences Make Good Neighbors’ exhibition

By Devin Gannon

Ai Weiwei's New York City art installation, "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors," is expansive: it features ten large fence-themed structures, more than 90 smaller installations and 200 banners found in all five boroughs. While the multi-site, multi-media exhibition might seem like a lot to explore, the Public Art Fund, which commissioned the project, has made enjoying Weiwei's sprawling exhibition easy. The fund has created an interactive map that displays all 300 of the famed artist-activist's artworks currently found at public spaces, transit sites, lampposts and monuments all over the city, as well as additional information for each.
Explore the map

Events & Things To Do

Brooklyn Queens Connector unveils first streetcar prototype

Photo courtesy of Friends of the BQX

November 13, 2017

Brooklyn Queens Connector unveils first streetcar prototype

By Devin Gannon

A group of public officials and advocates joined the Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) today to unveil the inaugural prototype of the streetcar proposed to run between Astoria and Sunset Park. First backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in February 2016, the BQX project, expected to cost $2.5 billion, would connect Brooklyn and Queens along the East River. Despite significant setbacks, including a bleak assessment about the finances and logistics of the project from Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen in April, BQX supporters are urging the de Blasio administration to make the project a priority during his second term.
See the streetcar

MTA’s new cardless fare system could benefit low-income New Yorkers

Image via WNYC

November 13, 2017

MTA’s new cardless fare system could benefit low-income New Yorkers

By Devin Gannon

Not only would the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new electronic fare payment system make commuting more efficient, it might also save money for low-income straphangers. According to amNY, advocates and experts say the new “contactless” technology could make the system more equitable through a policy called fare capping: riders pay per ride until the daily or weekly capping rates are reached, with every ride being free after that.
Find out how it works

Live in a Dattner Architects-designed affordable rental in the South Bronx, from $864/month

Rendering of East 162nd Street Court via L&M Development

November 10, 2017

Live in a Dattner Architects-designed affordable rental in the South Bronx, from $864/month

By Devin Gannon

In a partnership between L&M Development and B&S Supportive Services for the Underserved, a new 12-story affordable housing project is now accepting applications for 88 units at 294 East 162nd Street. Designed by Dattner Architects, the South Bronx building, called East 162nd Street Court, offers 126 mixed-income rental apartments, with 37 reserved for formerly homeless families. The remaining units available will be set aside for New Yorkers earning 60 and 80 percent of the area median income for units ranging from an $864 per month studio to a $1,829 three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Demolition papers filed for Lower East Side’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema

Photo of the Landmark Sunshine Cinema, courtesy of Wikimedia

November 10, 2017

Demolition papers filed for Lower East Side’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema

By Devin Gannon

Plans to demolish the Landmark Sunshine Cinema, a staple of the Lower East Side since 1909, were filed with the city Wednesday. Although the new owners of the historic theater, East End Capital and K Property Group, planned in May to redevelop the space as a mixed-use building with retail and office space, the developers, who paid about $35 million for the site, have changed their mind, the Lo-Down reports. The demolition application calls for a “full demolition of a 3-story commercial building.” The iconic cinema’s doors will close for good in January 2018, when its lease expires.
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New Developments

Heating 101: How to keep your apartment warm during NYC’s coldest months

Image via Pexels

November 10, 2017

Heating 101: How to keep your apartment warm during NYC’s coldest months

By Devin Gannon

With the sun setting earlier each night and the temperature quickly dropping, it’s time to make the seasonal swap from sandals to boots and from air conditioning to heating. To prepare for the city’s coldest months, New York City renters should know the basic laws of heating an apartment, as well as the best products and decor to supplement a less-than-adequate system. Ahead, follow 6sqft’s heating guide to keeping things toasty all winter long.
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