All articles by Devin Gannon

May 11, 2022

The 92nd Street Y rebrands as 92NY and kicks off $200M redevelopment

A New York institution is getting a makeover---and a new name. The 92nd Street Y announced on Tuesday it has rebranded to 92nd Street Y, New York (with a nickname of 92NY), as part of a post-pandemic transformation that also involves a major revamp and new online programs. This month, a $200 million redevelopment of the organization's Upper East Side home at 1395 Lexington Avenue led by Beyer Blinder Belle will begin, starting with a renovation of its public performance space, a new dance center, and improvements to the gym.
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May 10, 2022

A new Caribbean market and food hall will celebrate its grand opening in Flatbush this weekend

A beloved Caribbean market in Brooklyn is hosting a grand opening event this weekend, celebrating the return to its original home. The Flatbush Central Caribbean Marketplace, formerly known as Flatbush Caton Market, will host a weekend-long party with shopping, live music, food tastings, dance performances, panel discussions, art classes, and more, starting on Friday, May 13 through Saturday, May 14. The marketplace sits on the ground floor of Caton Flats, a new 14-story mixed-use development on 800 Flatbush Avenue that replaced the former market.
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May 10, 2022

NYC subway ridership hits highest level since start of Covid

Ridership on the New York City subway reached a new pandemic-era milestone last week, the Metropolitan Transporation Authority announced. On Thursday, 3,497,122 riders swiped into the system, surpassing the last record set during the pandemic in December 2021. While the new record is a positive sign for the city's recovery, Thursday's ridership is still well below the 2019 weekday average of 5.5 million straphangers.
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May 6, 2022

$500M One Times Square revamp includes outdoor viewing deck, museum, and even more ads

One of the most valuable advertising locations in the world will cash in on its prime location even further. One Times Square, home of the New Year's Eve ball drop, will undergo a $500 million redevelopment to become a new visitor center with a viewing deck, museum, and 12 floors of interactive "branded" experiences, developer Jamestown announced on Friday. While the 26-story building, located at 42nd Street and 7th Avenue, has been vacant for years, its exterior is covered in giant billboards. As part of the half-a-billion-dollar project, advertisers will be able to reach more consumers through immersive "digital, virtual, and augmented reality integrations" inside One Times Square.
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May 5, 2022

Lottery opens for 80 units at Morris Adjmi’s new Clinton Hill tower, from $1,320/month

A 29-story mixed-use tower in Brooklyn designed by Morris Adjmi Architects is now accepting applications for 80 affordable apartments. Located on the corner of Atlantic and Clinton Avenues in Clinton Hill, 539 Vanderbilt Avenue (also known as 550 Clinton Avenue), contains 284 total apartments and 60,000 square feet of commercial space. New Yorkers earning 70, 80, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from $1,320/month studios to $3,897/month three-bedrooms.
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May 5, 2022

$12M Flatiron penthouse has two levels of outstanding year-round outdoor space

This luxury penthouse in the Flatiron District takes urban outdoor living to new heights. The three-bedroom duplex at 21 West 20th Street boasts nearly 1,000 square feet of private outdoor space that stretches across two levels and includes a six-person hot tub, built-in kitchen, outdoor shower, and unobstructed city views. Thanks to heated floors, heat lamps, and a gas fireplace, the space can be enjoyed year-round. The penthouse is now asking $11,995,000.
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May 3, 2022

NYC gives billionaire Bill Ackman green light to build rooftop penthouse on Central Park West

Billionaire Bill Ackman is getting his Central Park-facing rooftop glass penthouse designed by Norman Foster after all. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans from the hedge fund founder to build a glass penthouse addition on top of a 100-year-old Upper West Side co-op building where he owns an apartment. First presented last November as a two-level glass box on the roof of 6-16 West 77th Street, the approved proposal includes a scaled-down design and more muted materials.
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May 2, 2022

Plan to convert vacant hotels into affordable housing backed by Mayor Adams

Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday called on Albany to pass legislation that makes it easier for New York City to convert vacant and underused hotels into affordable housing. Introduced earlier this year by Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz and State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, the bill creates an exemption to zoning rules that require developers to undergo the city's lengthy land use review process or complete major renovations for hotels to become permanent housing. While the idea of converting hotels into housing has been floated by lawmakers for years without getting off the ground, the city's growing housing and homelessness crises have renewed a push from officials.
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April 26, 2022

30 Rock’s new ‘skylift’ observation platform and rooftop ride approved by Landmarks

A popular New York City observation deck will soon offer a new point of view. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved plans for several upgrades to the Top of the Rock at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, including a rotating ride, a rooftop beacon, and a new "skylift" viewing platform that takes visitors above the 70th floor and offers uninterrupted 360-degree views.
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April 20, 2022

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s $18M Nolita home finds buyer

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen have sold their two penthouses in Nolita, CityRealty first reported. The over 6,100-square-foot, six-bedroom spread is located at 374 Broome Street, a landmarked six-story former carriage house converted in 2005 into a nine-unit condominium. The couple listed the two apartments, which occupy the full sixth floor and half of the fifth floor, in January for $18 million.
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April 19, 2022

New two-acre rooftop public park opens at Pier 57 in Chelsea

More than 10 years and over $400 million later, an 80,000-square-foot public park is now open on the rooftop of Pier 57 in Hudson River Park. Formerly a maritime port and bus depot, the pier has been transformed into a mixed-use development with office space for Google and a new food hall curated by the James Beard Foundation. The new two-acre green space, the largest of its kind in New York City, will be open to the public daily from 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
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April 15, 2022

10 fun things to do near Citi Field

If you're headed to a Mets game at Citi Field this season, take advantage of being in one of the most ethnically diverse urban areas in the world and plan some pre- or post-ball game activities. The Queens ballpark sits next to the enormous Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, home to World's Fair relics, museums, and a seasonal open-air night market. Whether it's touring Louis Armstrong's home in Corona, eating your way through Jackson Heights, or visiting the oldest living organism in New York City, there is no shortage of fun things to do near Citi Field, in addition to cheering on the Amazin' Mets.
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April 14, 2022

JPMorgan’s 60-story Midtown East tower will be NYC’s largest all-electric skyscraper

JPMorgan Chase on Thursday unveiled the design for its massive new global headquarters in Midtown East, set to become one of New York City's tallest buildings. Roughly three years after the project was approved by the city and a year after construction began, fresh renderings show off the Foster + Partners-designed tower at 270 Park Avenue, which will soar nearly 1,400 feet and be all-electric. The building, which will house up to 14,000 employees, boasts a unique "fan-column" structure that is lifted about 80 feet above street level as well as a new public plaza on Madison Avenue.
See the supertall
April 13, 2022

After Sunset Park shooting, Adams ‘doubles’ number of police officers on subway

Mayor Eric Adams said he will double the number of police officers patrolling the transit system after a mass shooting at a subway station in Sunset Park left over two dozen people injured. Police on Wednesday identified 62-year-old Frank James as the suspect; they believe James detonated a smoke device and began shooting on an N train during rush hour Tuesday morning. The additional deployment comes after Adams deployed 1,000 additional officers earlier this year because of a recent uptick in crime on the subway.
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April 11, 2022

Trump Organization can keep running Bronx golf course, judge rules

A judge on Friday said the Trump Organization can continue to operate its golf course in the Bronx, ruling the city wrongfully ended the company's contract. A few days after the January 6 insurrection, former Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans to terminate several agreements with Donald Trump's company, including the contract for Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. Last June, the Trump Organization sued New York City, arguing the city's effort was politically motivated and had no legal merit.
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April 8, 2022

10 fun things to do near Yankee Stadium

With the baseball season officially here, it's time to start planning a visit to the House that Ruth Built. But as New Yorkers know, the Bronx is more than just baseball. It's a borough full of art, culture, historic spots, green space, and diverse cuisine, all of which can be found around Yankee Stadium. Ahead of the home opener for the Bronx Bombers, 6sqft put together a list of places to visit near the ballpark, on game day or during the offseason, from the city's oldest surviving bridge and the site of the former Polo Grounds to Arthur Avenue's Italian restaurants and the legendary sports bars on River Avenue.
Before you play ball
April 7, 2022

Landmark legislation banning natural gas in new buildings in New York cut from state budget

Landmark legislation that would have banned the use of natural gas in new buildings across New York was cut from this year's state budget, according to Hudson Valley-based news site The River. While it looked like the legislation, dubbed the All-Electric Buildings Act, would make it into the final budget, which is already a week late, a staffer close to negotiations told The River "the gas ban is officially dead in the budget."
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April 5, 2022

Ralph Lauren picks up $4M co-op in his UES building of 40 years

Ralph Lauren and his wife Ricky have bought a second apartment in the same Upper East Side building where the couple has lived for the past four decades. As first reported by the New York Post and confirmed by property records, the fashion designer paid $4,000,000 for a co-op at 1107 Fifth Avenue, a 14-story building on the corner of East 92nd Street in the Carnegie Hill Historic District.
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April 1, 2022

NYC’s Museum of Chinese in America unveils new $118M building designed by Maya Lin

The Museum of Chinese in America on Friday unveiled plans for a new headquarters designed by renowned architect Maya Lin. The new nine-story museum, to rise on the site of MOCA's current Centre Street location in Chinatown, will expand its current footprint from 12,000 square feet to about 68,000 square feet. Lin's design involves a puzzle-like exterior made of metal and perforated panels, a two-story lecture hall, a light-filled atrium, community space, and exhibitions dedicated to the history of the Chinese diaspora in the U.S. As Bloomberg first reported, the new museum will cost $118 million and is expected to open in 2025.
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March 31, 2022

Target opens new store in the heart of Times Square

Target next month will open a new location in one of the busiest pedestrian blocks in the city. The company's 92nd store in the greater New York City area opens in Times Square on Monday, April 3, bringing a 33,000-square-foot location to 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. Fitting in with its neon neighbors, the exterior of the new store features an illuminated sign of the company mascot Bullseye.
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March 30, 2022

NYC has cleared over 230 homeless encampments in less than two weeks

Under Mayor Eric Adams' plan to crack down on street homelessness, the city has cleaned 239 homeless encampments since the program began less than two weeks ago. On Wednesday, the mayor, along with a task force made up of officials from the city's parks, sanitation, police, and homeless services departments, said the first phase of the city's effort to remove make-shift shelters from public spaces concluded, with the second phase, which will involve recanvassing the sites identified, beginning tomorrow.
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March 29, 2022

MTA releases revised design for new bus network in Queens

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday released a revised redesign of Queens' sprawling bus network, aimed at making service faster and more reliable for commuters. After the agency's first draft plan in 2019 was not received well by the public (and garnered an unprecedented 11,000 comments of feedback), the MTA returned to the drawing board. The updated proposal for the bus network, which has not been significantly updated in over 100 years, includes revamped routes, new interborough connections, and removing or consolidating other lines.
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March 24, 2022

NYC’s unvaccinated athletes and performers are now exempt from vaccine mandate, Adams announces

New York City's unvaccinated athletes and performers will be able to compete and perform at local venues under a new order reversing part of the city's private-sector vaccine mandate. Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday the city will expand a current exemption that has allowed unvaccinated players and entertainers who lived outside of the city to perform or play in New York to hometown athletes and performers. The decision comes just two weeks before the start of the Major League Baseball season, allowing Yankees and Mets players who have not confirmed their vaccination status to take the field at home, as well as confirmed unvaccinated Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving to play at the Barclays Center.
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March 22, 2022

$3.5M parlor-level condo in this 120-year-old East Village townhouse aptly mixes new and old

A condo that maintains original elements but manages to look brand new is not an easy task, but this two-bedroom home in the East Village does just that. Located on the parlor floor of a Greek Revival townhouse that was built in 1900, the apartment boasts original details like crown moldings, baseboards, and medallions, while keeping things modern with top-of-the-line appliances, heating and cooling systems, and stunning built-ins. The condo at 219 East 12th Street is now available for $3,495,000.
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