All articles by Devin Gannon

Midtown East casino proposal adds Bjarke Ingels and 500 affordable apartments

Rendering of Freedom Tower by Negativ

October 23, 2023

Midtown East casino proposal adds Bjarke Ingels and 500 affordable apartments

A developer hoping to build a casino near the United Nations is adding two components to its plan to appeal to New Yorkers: a famous architect and hundreds of affordable apartments. Soloviev Group last week announced its proposed mixed-use development in Midtown East dubbed Freedom Plaza will include 1,325 apartments with more than 500 of them permanently affordable. Plus, as the New York Times first reported, starchitect Bjarke Ingels will design the project, which includes a hotel, museum, public green space, and an underground casino.
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Policy

Bronx Point phase one opens with 542 new homes and a waterfront park

Photo credit: Sylvester Zawadzki

October 20, 2023

Bronx Point phase one opens with 542 new homes and a waterfront park

By Devin Gannon

The first phase of a major mixed-use development in the South Bronx has officially opened. Officials on Thursday unveiled 542 new units of affordable housing and a 2.8-acre waterfront public park now complete as part of the $349 million Bronx Point project. The development will also be home to the Universal Hip Hop Museum, which will open in 2025 as the first museum of its kind in the country.
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Mayor Adams to host haunted Halloween party at Gracie Mansion

Halloween at Gracie Mansion 2021. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 20, 2023

Mayor Adams to host haunted Halloween party at Gracie Mansion

By Devin Gannon

The grounds of Gracie Mansion are getting a haunted makeover this Halloween. Mayor Eric Adams will open the People's House to young New Yorkers for trick-or-treating, a corn maze, and a spooky graveyard. Adams, who previously said he thinks ghosts reside at the Yorkville mansion, has set aside tickets to the two-day event for about 300 families in the city's shelter system and those seeking asylum.
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Events & Things To Do

Restoration of Richard Haas’ trompe-l’oeil mural in Soho begins

112 Prince Street mural in 1974 (left) and during the current restoration project (right). Photos: CITYarts

October 19, 2023

Restoration of Richard Haas’ trompe-l’oeil mural in Soho begins

By Devin Gannon

After years of deterioration, Richard Haas' iconic mural on the outside of a building in Soho will be restored. Painted in 1975, the five-story-high mural depicts a faux cast-iron facade painted to look like a continuation of the late 19th-century building at 112 Prince Street. Natural elements, time, and graffiti have made the mural unrecognizable, with the artwork almost completely faded. Work to bring the mural back to life began this week, with the project expected to be completed in November.
details here

For $3.1M, an authentic condo loft in a Tribeca landmark

Photo credit: Rise Media for The Corcoran Group

October 18, 2023

For $3.1M, an authentic condo loft in a Tribeca landmark

By Devin Gannon

With its Corinthian columns and soaring tin ceilings, this Tribeca apartment checks all the boxes of a classic industrial loft. Located at 79 Worth Street within the landmarked Tribeca Lofts condominium, the two-bedroom, two-bath home measures a little over 1,900 square feet, with its generous open layout allowing for maximum flexibility. The condo loft is now on the market for $3,100,000.
take a look around

Distinctive Homes

Cozy West Village co-op has pre-war charm and modern amenities for $1.6M

Photo credit: @bradsteinphoto of @hudsonadvisory

October 17, 2023

Cozy West Village co-op has pre-war charm and modern amenities for $1.6M

By Devin Gannon

In one of New York City's most charming neighborhoods, an equally charming apartment is now on the market. The two-bedroom co-op at 211 West 10th Street is an example of what makes the West Village so desirable: it's attractive and historic but also boasts must-have contemporary luxuries. For $1,595,000, live out your Manhattan pre-war fantasies with the help of exposed brick, crown molding, and tree-top views.
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Distinctive Homes

Anthony Rapp of ‘Rent’ lists East Village condo for $3.85M

All photos courtesy of Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

October 16, 2023

Anthony Rapp of ‘Rent’ lists East Village condo for $3.85M

By Devin Gannon

Anthony Rapp, who played the leading role of Mark Cohen in Broadway's "Rent," has put his East Village condo on the market for $3.85 million. Located within the luxury boutique building 32 East 1st Street, the actor's three-bedroom, three-bath home features designer-crafted details across roughly 1,500 square feet. According to the New York Post, Rapp, who also starred in the comedy "Dazed and Confused," bought the apartment for $3.57 million in October 2021.
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Gothic Gramercy Park townhouse of late fashion designer Oleg Cassini asks $13.95M

All photos by Tim Waltman/Evan Joseph Studios unless otherwise noted.

October 12, 2023

Gothic Gramercy Park townhouse of late fashion designer Oleg Cassini asks $13.95M

By Devin Gannon

The neo-Gothic townhouse once owned by late fashion designer Oleg Cassini is for sale. The five-story home at 135 East 19th Street became part of an estate battle between the daughter and widow of Cassini following his death in 2006, ending only last year when it was sold in an auction for just $5 million. Now on the market for $13,950,000, the quirky townhouse measures nearly 7,000 square feet and features a double-height living room with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and massive stone fireplace, stained glass windows on every floor, a glass solarium, and more unique elements.
tour the townhouse

Bad Bunny is renting a $150K/month penthouse at Chelsea’s Jardim condo

All photos courtesy of Tim Waltman

October 11, 2023

Bad Bunny is renting a $150K/month penthouse at Chelsea’s Jardim condo

By Devin Gannon

Superstar rapper Bad Bunny is renting at one of Chelsea's most unique condo buildings. The Puerto Rican musician has moved into a penthouse at the Jardim, a pair of buildings at 527 West 27th Street designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld. The apartment was last asking $150,000 per month, as the New York Post first reported. The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath apartment offers a perfect indoor-outdoor lifestyle, with sliding glass curtain wall windows leading to nearly 4,600 square feet of private outdoor space across four terraces.
take a look around

Museum of the City of New York celebrates its 100th birthday with weekend-long party

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr.

October 10, 2023

Museum of the City of New York celebrates its 100th birthday with weekend-long party

By Devin Gannon

The Museum of the City of New York turns 100 this year and to celebrate this milestone, the institution is hosting a weekend-long birthday bash. The party kicks off October 13 through October 15 and includes Roaring Twenties-themed concerts, a scavenger hunt for movie lovers, and a family day with lots of fun arts and crafts, dancing, and other events. The celebration coincides with the opening of the museum's new exhibit, "People, Place, and Influence: The Collection at 100," which explores its mission to capture New York and highlights its unique collection of over 750,000 items.
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Events & Things To Do

Open House New York Weekend is here: Get behind-the-scenes tours of 350 NYC sites

By Devin Gannon

It's Christmas in October for fans of architecture and design. In addition to the monthlong Archtober festival, Open House New York Weekend takes place this month. The annual five-borough event offers free behind-the-scenes tours of New York City spaces, unlocking sites that are often off-limits to the public. Hosted over three days from October 20 through October 22, this year's OHNY Weekend line-up is the largest ever, with nearly 350 insider tours of cultural spaces like the new Perelman Performing Arts Center, iconic institutions like the United Nations headquarters, historic homes of Greenwich Village, and so much more.
see the line-up

Events & Things To Do

JFK AirTrain will finally accept tap-and-go OMNY payments

Photo © Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons

October 4, 2023

JFK AirTrain will finally accept tap-and-go OMNY payments

By Devin Gannon

It just got slightly more convenient to get to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport via public transportation. The JFK AirTrain will accept tap-and-go payments using OMNY starting Tuesday, October 10, nearly three years after the system was installed in every subway station. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday said only select gates in both the Jamaica and Howard Beach stations will have the contactless payment readers as part of the initial rollout.
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Transit

12 acres of Central Park’s Great Lawn closed until April after damage from Global Citizen Festival

Photo via WikiCommons

October 3, 2023

12 acres of Central Park’s Great Lawn closed until April after damage from Global Citizen Festival

By Devin Gannon

A large section of Central Park's Great Lawn will be closed through at least April after damage caused by the Global Citizen Festival and heavy rain. As first reported by West Side Rag, the "combination of heavy rain, foot traffic, and machinery" during the September 23 event destroyed one-third of the grassy area, leading to its immediate closure and need for re-seeding.
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Policy

Gansevoort Peninsula at the southern edge with upland sandy bluff and “Day’s End.” Photo credit: Barrett Doherty

October 2, 2023

Manhattan’s first public ‘beach’ opens at Hudson River Park

By Devin Gannon

Every borough in New York City now has a beach. Sort of. On Monday, the Gansevoort Peninsula officially opened at Little West 12th Street and 13th Avenue at Hudson River Park. The new 5.5-acre waterfront public park in the Meatpacking District includes a sandy beach with umbrellas, chairs, misting features, places to picnic, kayak access, and a rocky seating edge. But, unlike at other city beaches, swimming will not be allowed at Gansevoort Peninsula due to the Hudson River's polluted water. The green space is the largest standalone recreational space within the four-mile Hudson River Park.
get the details

Architecture And Design

How NYC public libraries are fighting censorship

Photo of the plaza at Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library courtesy of Gregg Richards

October 2, 2023

How NYC public libraries are fighting censorship

By Devin Gannon

Book bans continue to increase nationwide, with public libraries now a major target of challenges. According to the American Library Association (ALA), there were 695 attempts to censor library materials with challenges to 1,915 unique titles during the first eight months of 2023, an increase of 20 percent from the same period last year. Challenges to books in public libraries accounted for 49 percent of all challenges, compared to just 16 percent last year. In response, New York City libraries are launching anti-censorship campaigns directed at young people across the five boroughs and beyond, coinciding with Banned Books Week, which runs from October 1 through October 7.
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Events & Things To Do

Major flooding disrupts NYC subway service as Hochul and Adams declare state of emergency

A 2018 storm. Photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office.

September 29, 2023

Major flooding disrupts NYC subway service as Hochul and Adams declare state of emergency

By Devin Gannon

Nearly every subway line is experiencing service disruptions on Friday morning as extreme rainfall and flooding slam New York City. In a post on X, formerly called Twitter, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said "there is only extremely limited subway service," with several lines suspended or partially suspended due to water on the tracks. In response to the heavy rainfall and extreme flooding, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a state of emergency for New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island.
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Policy

Real estate industry leads on return-to-office in Manhattan

Photo by Tomas Anton Escobar on Unsplash

September 26, 2023

Real estate industry leads on return-to-office in Manhattan

By Devin Gannon

Real estate employees are in the office more often than any other office workers in Manhattan, according to the results of a new survey. The Partnership for New York City found that 75 percent of workers in the real estate industry are in their Manhattan workplace daily, compared to 58 percent of office workers in the borough across all fields. However, across the board, the survey found the extent of remote work far less than previously assumed with an estimate of 59 percent as the "new normal" for workers at their desks on an average weekday.
get the details

Real Estate Trends

Photo credit: OLIN/ Trevor Lee

September 22, 2023

Archtober 2023: 10 best architecture tours to check out

By Devin Gannon

Archtober, the annual festival dedicated to architecture and design in New York City, is just around the corner and it's time to start planning the events, exhibitions, and talks you want to attend. The very popular "Building of the Day" series is back with 31 architect-led behind-the-scenes tours of projects across the city every day in October. Ahead, find 10 public spaces, parks, and museums that made our must-see list for this year, from the eco-friendly pier at Hudson River Park to the newly opened Louis Armstrong Center in Corona, Queens. All of the tours on this list are free or cost $10 to attend and require advanced registration.
our picks here

Mayor Adams unveils sweeping plan to create 100K new housing units across NYC

All renderings courtesy of New York City Department of City Planning

September 21, 2023

Mayor Adams unveils sweeping plan to create 100K new housing units across NYC

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday unveiled major reforms to New York City's zoning code to make it easier to build more housing across every neighborhood. The "City of Yes for Housing Opportunity" plan could create 100,000 new apartments over the next 15 years by updating restrictive zoning rules. This could mean allowing new homes above commercial businesses and on campuses, accessory dwelling units, office-to-residential conversions, and other proposals to create "a little more housing in every neighborhood."
find out more

All NYC businesses required to containerize trash

Photo courtesy of m01229 on Flickr

September 19, 2023

All NYC businesses required to containerize trash

By Devin Gannon

Roughly 20 million pounds of trash will be tucked away in containers instead of in trash bags piled up on New York City sidewalks next year. As part of the latest effort to curb the city's rat problem, all businesses will be required to put garbage in lidded containers beginning next March, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday. About 25 percent of the city's businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores as well as chain businesses, are currently mandated to containerize trash; when the newest proposed rule takes effect, the requirement will apply to 100 percent of businesses.
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Policy

See Amazon’s new NYC office at historic Lord & Taylor building

Photo credit: Bilyana Dimitrova, courtesy WRNS Studio.

September 13, 2023

See Amazon’s new NYC office at historic Lord & Taylor building

By Devin Gannon

A historic Fifth Avenue department store is now a modern office building. Amazon this week debuted its new digs at the former Lord & Taylor store in Midtown, which was built in 1914 and served as its flagship location for more than a century. After purchasing the building in March 2020 for nearly $1 billion, Amazon hired WRNS Studio to design the landmark as a 21st-century workplace that embraces its fashionable roots. Three years later, in the midst of Midtown's recovery from the pandemic, the renovated building is now home to 2,000 employees.
see it here

Real Estate Trends

NYC’s Atlantic Avenue rezoning plan calls for 4,000 new homes and more open space

Preliminary vision of Atlantic Avenue looking west. Courtesy of NYC Planning.

September 11, 2023

NYC’s Atlantic Avenue rezoning plan calls for 4,000 new homes and more open space

By Devin Gannon

The city wants to bring 4,000 new apartments to a stretch of Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue currently home to vacant lots and auto shops. The Department of City Planning last week released the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, a preliminary rezoning framework for 13 blocks of an industrially zoned area that runs through Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Fort Greene, and Bed-Stuy. The rezoning would allow for higher destiny residential and commercial use, with the potential for up to 1,550 income-restricted homes. Following additional community meetings and an environmental review, the proposal could enter the public review process in the spring of next year.
details here

$22M Upper East Side townhouse has picture-perfect private garden

Photos courtesy of Evan Joseph and Douglas Elliman

August 28, 2023

$22M Upper East Side townhouse has picture-perfect private garden

By Devin Gannon

A posh Upper East Side townhouse with five floors, over 8,000 square feet, and a pretty, private landscaped garden is available for $22,000,000. Located in one of New York City's most coveted neighborhoods, the 20-foot-wide property at 14 East 81st Street combines classic elements of the city's Gilded Age with a totally renovated interior for 21st-century living. Not even a block from the Met Museum and Central Park, this historic mansion is surrounded by the neighborhood's renowned art and cultural institutions.
see it here

Distinctive Homes

569-unit rental planned next to Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Crown Heights

Rendering via JLL

August 15, 2023

569-unit rental planned next to Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Crown Heights

By Devin Gannon

Plans for a 17-story mixed-use project with 569 rentals in Crown Heights are moving ahead. Carmel Partners acquired $233 million in construction financing for the development of the new building at 54 Crown Street, which sits just one block east of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Work has already begun on the complex, which will include both commercial and community space as well as parking for 170 vehicles.
See it here

New Developments

$28M Midtown duplex has epic private terrace and 5-star hotel perks

All photos courtesy of DDreps

August 8, 2023

$28M Midtown duplex has epic private terrace and 5-star hotel perks

By Devin Gannon

This duplex apartment offers the seemingly impossible: more than 3,000 square feet of private outdoor space in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Located on the 18th and 19th floors of the elegant Baccarat Hotel & Residences on West 53rd Street, this mansion-in-the-sky, asking $27,950,000, has been gut renovated with top-of-the-line everything and is wrapped by a marble-capped terrace that is surrounded by iconic cityscape. Residents have access to the five-star hotel's amenities, including 24-hour room service, a heated pool, a fitness center, and the notable La Mer spa.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

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