All articles by Devin Gannon

Track the blooming buds and flowering trees of spring in NYC

Magnolias in Herbert Von King Park (2020). Photo courtesy of NYC Parks

March 22, 2022

Track the blooming buds and flowering trees of spring in NYC

By Devin Gannon

A reward for getting through winter, the first blooms of spring have been spotted in New York City, ushering in a new season of warmer, longer days and outdoor activities. While cherry blossoms are a definite favorite, there are a variety of flowers and trees that bring new life and vibrancy to parks in every borough. The city's Parks Department last week released a "signs of spring" timeline to keep track of the season's flowering plants. Plus, the cherry blossom trackers from both the New York Botanical Garden and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which follow the progress of trees from bud to blossom, are back for the season.
Find what's blooming near you

City Living

$4.25M modern farmhouse in the Hudson Valley comes fully furnished with 40 acres of land

All photos by Todd Norwood for Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty

March 17, 2022

$4.25M modern farmhouse in the Hudson Valley comes fully furnished with 40 acres of land

By Devin Gannon

A newly built home in the Hudson Valley that offers the comfort of a country home coupled with the convenience of a modern oasis is now available for $4,250,000. Located at 270 Pond Road in the charming town of Rhinebeck, this five-bedroom property sits on 40 acres of land and comes fully furnished. Inside, find soaring vaulted ceilings, a wood-burning fireplace, contemporary technology, and cozy spaces ideal for get-togethers.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

NYC Comptroller calls for end of 421-a tax break, estimated to cost city $1.8B in revenue this year

Brooklyn Point in Downtown Brooklyn offers 421-a benefits through 2045; Rendering by Williams New York

March 17, 2022

NYC Comptroller calls for end of 421-a tax break, estimated to cost city $1.8B in revenue this year

By Devin Gannon

The controversial 421-a tax abatement program that provides a tax break to developers who set aside affordable housing at new developments should not be replaced when it expires in June, says New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. According to an analysis released Wednesday by Lander's office, the tax program will cost the city $1.77 billion in forgone tax revenue in 2022, without creating homes that are affordable to most New Yorkers. While Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a replacement plan as part of her budget, the comptroller, along with other elected officials, called the governor's proposal too "modest" and instead wants deeper structural reform of the property tax system.
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Policy

What you should know about this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC

Photo by James Felder on Flickr

March 16, 2022

What you should know about this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC

By Devin Gannon

The world's largest Saint Patrick's Day Parade is back after two years of pandemic-related disruptions. On March 17, roughly 150,000 people will march up Fifth Avenue for the 260th event honoring St. Patrick and Irish culture in New York City. In March 2020, the city's St. Patrick's Day Parade was one of the first major events to be canceled because of Covid. In 2021, the parade was held virtually. This year, the parade, which typically attracts about two million spectators, will return to Manhattan in full force, according to organizers.
Get the details

Events & Things To Do

36% of New York City residents have received a Covid booster shot

Map courtesy of NYC Department of Health

March 14, 2022

36% of New York City residents have received a Covid booster shot

By Devin Gannon

Just over a third of New York City residents have received a coronavirus booster shot, according to newly published data released by the city's health department this week. While roughly 77 percent of New Yorkers are fully vaccinated, just 36 percent have received an additional dose of the Covid vaccine. The data also reveals racial disparities among vaccination rates citywide, with 57 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander residents getting boosted compared to 24 percent of Black New Yorkers.
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Policy

See the new $550M home for the New York Philharmonic, set to open in October

Looking East; Rendering: DBOX

March 9, 2022

See the new $550M home for the New York Philharmonic, set to open in October

By Devin Gannon

Nearly two decades after the project was first proposed, the New York Philharmonic's new state-of-the-art concert hall will open this October, two years ahead of schedule, officials announced Wednesday. The revamped David Geffen Hall aims to create a more intimate space, "a living room for New York City," as a press release describes, by moving the audience closer to the stage and improving sightlines. Plus, the project fixes the hall's poor acoustics and reduces the total number of seats by about 500. In addition to announcing the $550 million project was finishing on time, officials also released new renderings of the theater and public space.
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Architecture And Design

Gloria Vanderbilt’s childhood home on the UES has sold for $32.2M

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

March 8, 2022

Gloria Vanderbilt’s childhood home on the UES has sold for $32.2M

By Devin Gannon

After hitting the market for $50 million in 2019, the seven-story Gilded-Age Upper East Side townhouse where late socialite Gloria Vanderbilt lived as a child has sold for $32.2 million. According to the New York Post, a group of Russian investors bought the 27-foot-wide mansion for $19 million in 2014 with plans to transform the property into three separate condo units and sell for $70 million. The investors sold the home at 39 East 72nd Street to an unknown buyer using an LLC, according to the newspaper.
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Director Baz Luhrmann lists vibrant Gramercy townhouse for $20M

All photos courtesy of Nina Poon/MW Studio for the Corcoran Group

March 4, 2022

Director Baz Luhrmann lists vibrant Gramercy townhouse for $20M

By Devin Gannon

Writer and director Baz Luhrmann and his wife, costume designer Catherine Martin, are selling their Gramercy Park townhouse for $19,995,000, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. Located at 243 East 17th Street, the 28-foot-wide Anglo-Italianate-style six-bedroom home sits on Stuyvesant Square Park, within the area's historic district. Inside, the Australian couple put their own creative touch on the 19th-century home, with dramatic, patterned wallpaper, bright colors, and carefully curated furniture.
See inside

Brooklyn Museum’s iconic ‘OY/YO’ sculpture is wrapped in blue fabric to show support for Ukraine

Deborah Kass (American, born 1952). OY/YO, 2015. Painted aluminum, 96 x 19 5 x 54 ½ in (243.8 x 495.3 x 138.4 cm). Courtesy of the artist. © 2018 Deborah Kass/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum

March 3, 2022

Brooklyn Museum’s iconic ‘OY/YO’ sculpture is wrapped in blue fabric to show support for Ukraine

By Devin Gannon

The bright yellow OY/YO sculpture that sits in front of The Brooklyn Museum has been partially wrapped in blue fabric to show solidarity with Ukraine. Deborah Kass, the New York artist behind the piece, joined museum staff on Wednesday to cover the letter "O" with the fabric, a nod to the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag. According to an Instagram post published by the museum, Kass' activation "aligns with her original motivation in creating this sculpture—to connect communities and to see our commonalities."
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Events & Things To Do

Photo by Daniel Lee on Unsplash

March 2, 2022

City intensifies enforcement at 250 apartment buildings with 40,000 open violations

By Devin Gannon

New York City will increase enforcement at 250 apartment buildings that together have roughly 40,000 open housing maintenance code violations. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development on Tuesday announced the buildings, which include more than 5,000 households, will be placed in the city's Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP), which aims to hold bad landlords accountable and improve living conditions for tenants.
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Policy

Popular Articles

Harlem’s massive $700M Taystee Lab Building is complete

Renderings courtesy of Janus Property Group unless otherwise noted

March 1, 2022

Harlem’s massive $700M Taystee Lab Building is complete

By Devin Gannon

A state-of-the-art building built for life science, academic, and creative tenants is officially complete in Harlem, serving as the anchor of a major new commercial district in the neighborhood. The 350,000-square-foot Taystee Lab Building, named after the bread bakery that once occupied the lot, is the largest building in the Manhattanville Factory District, a master-planned, multi-building campus stretching from West 125th Street to West 128th Street with dedicated commercial and community space.
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New Developments

Pebble Bar to open at historic four-story townhouse at Rockefeller Center

Interior photos courtesy of Nicole Franzen, unless otherwise noted

February 25, 2022

Pebble Bar to open at historic four-story townhouse at Rockefeller Center

By Devin Gannon

A 19th-century townhouse once home to a beloved Irish saloon that refused to move during the construction of Rockefeller Center is getting a new life as a glamorous multi-level bar. Set to open on February 28, Pebble Bar will stretch across three floors at 67 West 49th Street, where the pub named Hurley's served New Yorkers for over 100 years. Designed by Gachot Studios, Pebble Bar features a bar overlooking Sixth Avenue, a moody 35-seat dining room with a marble-lined oyster bar, and fourth-floor flexible event space and "secret" entrance.
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Food & Dining

Jon Bon Jovi finds a buyer for $22M Greenwich Village condo

Photo credit: COMPASS / Shannon Dupré

February 24, 2022

Jon Bon Jovi finds a buyer for $22M Greenwich Village condo

By Devin Gannon

Just a few weeks after hitting the market, the four-bedroom Greenwich Village home of musician Jon Bon Jovi has sold for $22 million. The New Jersey native listed his corner condo unit at the Greenwich Lane building earlier this month. As CityRealty reports, the apartment fetched the asking price.
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NYC Marathon to return at full capacity this year with 50,000 runners

Photo by Martineric on Flickr

February 24, 2022

NYC Marathon to return at full capacity this year with 50,000 runners

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Marathon will return in full force this fall, race organizers announced Thursday, after limiting capacity last year and canceling the year before. The world's largest marathon will take place on November 6 with 50,000 runners competing. All runners participating in the race must be fully vaccinated.
Get the details

Events & Things To Do

Beachy bungalow in Montauk has modern interiors and cute backyard for $1.7M

All photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

February 22, 2022

Beachy bungalow in Montauk has modern interiors and cute backyard for $1.7M

By Devin Gannon

Just moments from the hub of the hamlet of Montauk, this charming Hamptons cottage offers a quaint and quiet escape without sacrificing convenience. The two-bedroom home, located on Fort Pond at 100 Edgemere Street, feels like a beachy bungalow due to its relaxed layout and use of natural textures but is still stylish enough to entertain and host visitors. The home is now available for $1,695,000.
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Distinctive Homes

NYC announces plan to stop homeless New Yorkers from sheltering on the subway

Photo by Charles16e on Flickr

February 18, 2022

NYC announces plan to stop homeless New Yorkers from sheltering on the subway

By Devin Gannon

New York City will increase enforcement of certain rules in the subway system as part of a broader safety plan to address homelessness announced by Mayor Eric Adams and the MTA on Friday. The NYPD will boost their enforcement of the "rules of conduct," which includes the prohibition of lying down or sleeping in a way that interferes with others, exhibiting aggressive behavior, spitting, smoking, using drugs, and "using the subway for any purpose other than transportation," according to the 17-page plan. "No more just doing whatever you want," Adams said on Friday. "Those days are over. Swipe your MetroCard, ride the system, and get off at your destination."
Get the details

In the exclusive enclave of Sutton Place, an elegant co-op with extra space asks $1.9M

Photos by Krisztina Crane for Evan Joseph Images

February 17, 2022

In the exclusive enclave of Sutton Place, an elegant co-op with extra space asks $1.9M

By Devin Gannon

Here's an opportunity to live in a Manhattan neighborhood that offers a small-town feel with big-city perks. Asking $1,895,000, this stylish high-floor co-op at 419 East 57th Street in Sutton Place has been renovated but successfully maintains its elegant pre-war aura. Currently set up as a two-bedroom, with the flexibility to make a third, the apartment also comes with a coveted office/staff room on the first floor of the building.
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Distinctive Homes

Kerry Washington’s former palatial penthouse rental on the UWS asks $25M

Photos by Will Ellis for DDreps

February 16, 2022

Kerry Washington’s former palatial penthouse rental on the UWS asks $25M

By Devin Gannon

An Upper West Side penthouse actress Kerry Washington once rented is now on the market for $25,000,000. Located at the luxury condominium building One Riverside Park, the exquisite full-floor mansion-in-the-sky boasts six bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms, and unobstructed views of the Hudson River.
See inside

Distinctive Homes

Britney Spears’s former Noho penthouse is on the market for $7M

Photo credit: Compass | Evan Joseph Studios

February 15, 2022

Britney Spears’s former Noho penthouse is on the market for $7M

By Devin Gannon

The Noho penthouse Britney Spears called home nearly 20 years ago is on the market for $6,995,000. The four-level apartment is in the Silk Building, an early 20th-century factory-turned condominium building located at 14 East 4th Street. As first reported by the New York Post, the home has a celebrity-filled history, with Cher, Russell Simmons, and Keith Richards among the A-listers who once lived at this address.
Take the tour

NYC commits $75M to Fair Fares program, makes it a permanent part of budget

Photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash

February 15, 2022

NYC commits $75M to Fair Fares program, makes it a permanent part of budget

By Devin Gannon

Funding for New York City's Fair Fares program, which offers a 50 percent discount on subway and bus trips for low-income New Yorkers, has been secured annually for the first time ever. Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams on Monday announced an agreement to baseline $75 million in funding for the program for the upcoming fiscal year 2023 budget. Fair Fares was originally funded at $106 million in 2020, but pandemic-related budget cuts reduced funding for the program to just over $40 million.
Details here

Futuristic movie studio designed by Bjarke Ingels moves forward in Astoria

All images by Synosis, courtesy of BIG

February 14, 2022

Futuristic movie studio designed by Bjarke Ingels moves forward in Astoria

By Devin Gannon

Construction of a massive $600 million movie studio in Queens backed by actor Robert De Niro can officially begin after the city granted the project a building permit earlier this month. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Wildflower Studios will measure roughly 775,000 square feet on a five-acre lot in Astoria, next to the Steinway Pianos manufacturing warehouse. The seven-story building is considered to be the world's first "vertical commercial film, television, and film studio," according to the architects.
Get the details

Jon Bon Jovi lists Greenwich Village condo for $22M

All photos courtesy of COMPASS / Shannon Dupré

February 11, 2022

Jon Bon Jovi lists Greenwich Village condo for $22M

By Devin Gannon

Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi put his Greenwich Village apartment on the market this week for $22,000,000, the Wall Street Journal first reported. The four-bedroom home sits on a high floor of The Greenwich Lane, a condominium located at 155 West 11th Street, and has panoramic views of Downtown Manhattan and direct elevator access. The musician bought the pad in 2017 for just over $18,940,000, records show.
Take a tour

Central Park takes center stage at this $5.9M condo above Lincoln Center

All photos: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

February 10, 2022

Central Park takes center stage at this $5.9M condo above Lincoln Center

By Devin Gannon

From its expansive, unobstructed views of Central Park to its location above Lincoln Center, this duplex condo has a flair for the dramatic. Located at 3 Lincoln Center, the only residential building within the renowned performing arts complex, the home boasts a 27-foot-long great room with direct views of Central Park and a south-facing dining room with sights of the Empire State Building. The interior views aren't too shabby either; award-winning architecture firm Jennifer Post Design put their signature sophisticated touch on the nearly 2,000-square-foot two-bedroom home. It can be yours for $5,975,000.
See inside

Distinctive Homes

Apply for 219 affordable units at new sustainable rental in Cypress Hills, from $202/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

February 2, 2022

Apply for 219 affordable units at new sustainable rental in Cypress Hills, from $202/month

By Devin Gannon

On the border of Brooklyn's East New York and Cypress Hills neighborhoods, a newly constructed rental building designed to meet Passive House standards is now accepting applications for 219 affordable apartments. Located at 110 Dinsmore Place, Chestnut Commons rises 14-stories and contains housing for low-income and formerly homeless New Yorkers. Those earning 20, 40, 50, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from $202/month studios to $2,037/month three-bedrooms.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

$5.7M penthouse sale sets new record in Jersey City

Exterior of 75 Park Lane Jersey City (Photo: Business Wire)

February 1, 2022

$5.7M penthouse sale sets new record in Jersey City

By Devin Gannon

Jersey City has a new most expensive condo. A four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath penthouse at 75 Park Lane closed for $5,700,000, Strategic Capital, the developer of the high-rise, announced on Tuesday. This sale takes the title from the previous record-holder in the city, 99 Hudson Street, where a penthouse sold for $4,438,500 last October.
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Real Estate Trends

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