All articles by Devin Gannon

Dumbo penthouse closes for $16.25M, new record for Brooklyn sponsor condo

All photos courtesy of Pavel Bendov for Olympia DUMBO

February 26, 2026

Dumbo penthouse closes for $16.25M, new record for Brooklyn sponsor condo

A full-floor penthouse at Dumbo's tallest tower officially closed this week, setting a new record for the borough. Penthouse B at Olympia, a 33-story condo at 30 Front Street, sold for $16.25 million, becoming the highest price-per-square-foot ($3,297) deal ever for a Brooklyn sponsor condo. The home might look familiar; the condo was featured in Spike Lee's 2025 movie "Highest 2 Lowest" as Denzel Washington's fictional apartment.
READ MORE

Real Estate Trends

Six Coasts replaces Island Oyster, which closed in 2025. Photo © Julienne Schaer

February 24, 2026

Pan-American coastal restaurant opening on Governors Island

By Devin Gannon

Just weeks after Bad Bunny highlighted the diversity of the Americas during his Super Bowl halftime show, a new restaurant in New York City aims to celebrate Pan-American flavors. Run by Smorgasburg, Six Coasts will occupy a 32,000-square-foot waterfront space on Governors Island and offer food and drinks inspired by "six coastal identities across the Americas." The restaurant, which replaces Island Oyster, will open in May, the Trust for Governors Island announced Tuesday.
details this way

Food & Dining

Ahead of blizzard, NYC announces snow day for schools, travel restrictions

Photo of Owl’s Head Park in Bay Ridge courtesy of NYC Parks/ Daniel Avila

February 22, 2026

Ahead of blizzard, NYC announces snow day for schools, travel restrictions

By Devin Gannon

Ahead of New York's first blizzard in a decade, Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday declared a state of emergency, announcing closure of public schools and citywide travel restrictions. The National Weather Service predicts snowfall totals of 16 to 24 inches, with the highest totals at the coast, and strong winds up to 40 miles per hour. The mayor announced public schools will be closed on Monday, with no remote learning, giving students the first real snow day since 2019. Schools will be back open on Tuesday, the mayor announced.
READ MORE

Policy

Mott Haven housing development is first to undergo new expedited review process

Rendering courtesy of STAT Architecture PC

February 20, 2026

Mott Haven housing development is first to undergo new expedited review process

By Devin Gannon

In last November's election, New Yorkers voted to approve four housing ballot measures, including one that speeds up construction by reducing the time it takes to review projects. On Friday, the city announced that the first-ever project to go through the new Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP), which shortens the review process from seven months to just 90 days, will be an affordable housing development in Mott Haven. Located at 351 Powers Avenue, the Powerhouse Apartments, first unveiled in 2024, will turn an empty city-owned lot into more than 80 affordable apartments, a community theater, and outdoor green space.
details here

Carnegie Hill co-op owned by MoMA’s original director lists for $2.3M

Listing photos are virtually staged. Photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker Warburg

February 19, 2026

Carnegie Hill co-op owned by MoMA’s original director lists for $2.3M

By Devin Gannon

The Carnegie Hill apartment that once belonged to one of the most influential figures of the modern art movement has hit the market. Alfred Barr Jr. was the original director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) when it opened in 1929, where he championed all forms of art and became known for bringing Pablo Picasso's work to the United States. During his tenure as director, Barr lived in a high-floor three-bedroom co-op at 49 East 96th Street, which recently became available for $2,295,000.
see it here

Distinctive Homes

Work begins on East Harlem tower with 340 affordable apartments and new arts center

Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

February 18, 2026

Work begins on East Harlem tower with 340 affordable apartments and new arts center

By Devin Gannon

An affordable housing project first conceived as part of the East Harlem rezoning 10 years ago has finally kicked off construction. The city on Wednesday broke ground on Timbale Terrace, a 100 percent affordable tower with 341 apartments and a new theater and performing arts center for Belongó, formerly known as the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance. Located at East 118th Street and Park Avenue, the site sat vacant for decades before most recently serving as a police department parking lot.
details this way

Trump releases Gateway Tunnel funding, work can resume next week

Governor Hochul rallied with construction workers at the Gateway Tunnel site on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Darren McGee/ Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

February 18, 2026

Trump releases Gateway Tunnel funding, work can resume next week

By Devin Gannon

President Donald Trump has released the remaining federal funding for the Gateway Tunnel project, allowing work to resume on the new rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey next week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday. In a statement, the governor said "preliminary court victories and repeated conversations" with the president pushed the federal government to release the remaining $127 million in overdue funding for the $16 billion project.
READ MORE

Policy

NYC rent freeze likely: Mamdani announces six appointees to Rent Guidelines Board

Photo by Niv Rozenberg on Unsplash

February 18, 2026

NYC rent freeze likely: Mamdani announces six appointees to Rent Guidelines Board

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced the appointment of six members to the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB), making his central campaign pledge of freezing rents for stabilized apartments much closer to reality. The nine-member board, appointed by the mayor, sets the lease guidelines annually for New York City's one million rent-stabilized apartments by considering the economic conditions for tenants and landlords.
READ MORE

Policy

Mamdani floats 9.5 percent property tax hike to close NYC budget gap

Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photo Office on Flickr

February 17, 2026

Mamdani floats 9.5 percent property tax hike to close NYC budget gap

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said New York City would raise property taxes if Albany doesn't tax the rich. The mayor on Tuesday released his first preliminary budget, presenting a grim outlook for the city's fiscal health, including a $5.4 billion budget gap. Mamdani framed the proposed 9.5 percent property tax as a "last resort" if he cannot convince Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers to increase income taxes on New York's richest residents.
details here

Policy

February 17, 2026

125 affordable apartments to replace long-vacant Clinton Hill building

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Kathy Hochul last week unveiled plans to raze and replace an abandoned building in Clinton Hill with a new mixed-use tower with 125 affordable apartments. Following a request for proposals issued last year, the state has tapped a partnership of nonprofit groups, Fifth Avenue Committee, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, and One Brooklyn Health, to redevelop 1024 Fulton Street. Officials have tried several times to revamp the site between Grand and Classon Avenues since the 1990s.
details here

New Underground Railroad stop discovered at Merchant’s House Museum in Manhattan

By Devin Gannon

A previously unknown site connected to the Underground Railroad was discovered in Manhattan this week. The Merchant's House Museum, a well-preserved 19th-century home-turned-museum on East 4th Street in Noho, unveiled a narrow passageway hidden beneath a built-in chest of drawers on the second floor that descends 15 feet to the ground floor. As NY1 first reported, the link to the Underground Railroad is the first uncovered in the city in over a century.
READ MORE

Manhattan rents hit another high, median price near $4.7K/month

Photo by Chanan Greenblatt on Unsplash

February 12, 2026

Manhattan rents hit another high, median price near $4.7K/month

By Devin Gannon

While January is normally the best time to find deals on apartments, New Yorkers continued to face record-high rents in the first month of 2026. In January, the Manhattan median rent hit $4,695/month, according to the monthly rental report prepared by Miller Samuel for Douglas Elliman. While the price is down slightly from December, which saw median rents for the borough at $4,720, January marked the third-highest rent on record for Manhattan.
READ MORE

Real Estate Trends

City opens Studio Gang-designed Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in Flatbush

All photos © Alexander Severin unless otherwise noted

February 10, 2026

City opens Studio Gang-designed Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in Flatbush

By Devin Gannon

Brooklyn's largest recreation center officially opened its doors in East Flatbush this week. Located within Nostrand Playground, the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center measures 74,000 square feet and includes an indoor pool, basketball court, full gym, a media lab, outdoor spaces, and more. Designed by Studio Gang, the firm behind the Gilder Center at the Museum of Natural History and Brooklyn residential tower 11 Hoyt, the building features large arched windows, a curving brick facade, and a green roof.
see it here

The rentals reshaping Gowanus: A guide to the neighborhood’s new apartment buildings

Photo by Alan Harris on Flickr

February 9, 2026

The rentals reshaping Gowanus: A guide to the neighborhood’s new apartment buildings

By Devin Gannon

Thanks to a 2021 rezoning expected to create 9,000 new apartments, paired with an environmental clean-up of the long-contaminated canal, Gowanus is booming. More than 140 residential buildings are planned for the neighborhood, and several are already completed, attracting individuals and families seeking amenity-rich buildings and easy access to Manhattan and other parts of Brooklyn, while being relatively more affordable than neighboring Carroll Gardens and Park Slope. At the center of the community is the Gowanus Canal, which, as its federally-mandated Superfund cleanup continues, is expected to become a new waterfront park, flanked by a promenade, retail, and recreational space. As development continues to reshape the neighborhood, we're taking a look at the best new rental projects in Gowanus.
READ MORE

NYC Council will bring back year-round outdoor dining

King, a restaurant in the Village. Photo by GuardianKC, CC BY-SA 4.0

February 5, 2026

NYC Council will bring back year-round outdoor dining

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council will make outdoor dining year-round again. During a speech at A Better New York's (ABNY) Power Breakfast on Wednesday, City Council Speaker Julie Menin said she plans to advance legislation introduced last year that would bring back the pandemic-era program, allowing for roadway dining in winter and reducing the cost to businesses.
READ MORE

$17.5M Dumbo penthouse seen in Denzel Washington’s ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ movie finds a buyer

All photos courtesy of Pavel Bendov for Olympia DUMBO

February 4, 2026

$17.5M Dumbo penthouse seen in Denzel Washington’s ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ movie finds a buyer

By Devin Gannon

Denzel Washington's fictional home in the 2025 movie "Highest 2 Lowest" has found a real-life buyer. A full-floor penthouse at Olympia, a sail-like condominium at 30 Front Street in Dumbo, entered contract this week. Last asking $17,500,000, the home's incredible views of the Manhattan skyline are on full display in the Spike Lee thriller, which stars Washington, A$AP Rocky, and Ilfenesh Hadera.
see the views

Real Estate Trends

Manhattan Municipal Building to open rooftop for free tours

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

February 2, 2026

Manhattan Municipal Building to open rooftop for free tours

By Devin Gannon

One of New York City's first skyscrapers will open its rooftop to the public for the first time this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced that the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building, the grand Beaux-Arts government building at 1 Centre Street, will offer free guided tours of its 36th-floor cupola starting in June. The mayor also announced a $6 million renovation of the building to prepare for its new public observation deck.
details here

See the Flatiron Building’s first publicly listed apartments

All images courtesy of the Flatiron Building

January 28, 2026

See the Flatiron Building’s first publicly listed apartments

By Devin Gannon

As condos at the iconic Flatiron Building continue to be snapped up off-market, new details emerged this week about the first publicly listed apartments at the landmarked tower. The 22-story Fifth Avenue building is currently being converted from offices to 38 condominiums, with many units entering contract without being publicly advertised. This week, though, two four-bedroom apartments hit the market: a south-facing unit for $16 million and another north-facing for $18.9 million.
details here

New Developments

How does the MTA deal with snowstorms? Jet engine-powered snow blowers

LIRR jet snow blower at Jamaica. Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

January 26, 2026

How does the MTA deal with snowstorms? Jet engine-powered snow blowers

By Devin Gannon

New York City's biggest snowstorm in several years brought nearly a foot of snow to Central Park this weekend, with a mix of snowfall and sleet hitting all five boroughs and the broader region. While a travel advisory remains in effect through Monday, the city's subways, buses, and commuter rail services are running, although with some delays, thanks to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's fleet of super-powered snow throwers, jet-powered snow blowers, and specially designed de-icing cars.
More this way

4/ 5 subway lines to see major service changes in January and February

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

January 9, 2026

4/ 5 subway lines to see major service changes in January and February

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority this week announced major service changes on the 4 and 5 subway lines throughout January and February as the agency works to replace switches along the Jerome Avenue line. The 37-year-old switches will be swapped for new ones that will last for the next two decades, improving the daily commutes of roughly 1.1 million riders, according to the MTA.
know before you go

Amy Schumer paid $6.25M for Central Park West condo

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 6, 2026

Amy Schumer paid $6.25M for Central Park West condo

By Devin Gannon

After a short stint in Brooklyn, Amy Schumer is back on the Upper West Side. The comedian and actress recently sold her Brooklyn Heights townhouse for $11 million, with plans to move back to Manhattan to be close to her son's school. As the New York Post first reported, Schumer bought a corner condo unit at 279 Central Park West for $6,250,000 about a year ago. The three-bedroom condo offers Central Park views from every room, most notably in the 36-foot-long living room.
see more

One year of congestion pricing in NYC, 27 million fewer vehicles, $550M in revenue

Photo by Pranay Pareek on Unsplash

January 5, 2026

One year of congestion pricing in NYC, 27 million fewer vehicles, $550M in revenue

By Devin Gannon

By nearly every measure, congestion pricing is working. In the first year of the program, 27 million fewer vehicles entered Manhattan south of 60th Street, resulting in an 11 percent reduction in traffic. The program, which began on January 5, 2025, is on track to generate $550 million in revenue for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, about $50 million more than originally projected. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA on Monday released a report detailing the successes of congestion pricing during its first year, even as nearly a dozen lawsuits have attempted to stop the program.
get the data

NYC renters can share apartment complaints during series of public hearings

Photo by Bret Lama on Unsplash

January 5, 2026

NYC renters can share apartment complaints during series of public hearings

By Devin Gannon

New York City renters dealing with poor living conditions or bad landlords will have an opportunity to share their apartment complaints directly with the city. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday announced plans to host "rental rip-off" hearings across the five boroughs to hear from tenants on challenges they are facing in their homes. Following the hearings, the city will put together a report examining common issues and use the testimony to inform future policies.
details here

Policy

For $2.25M, a historic timber and stone cottage in Southampton

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 2, 2026

For $2.25M, a historic timber and stone cottage in Southampton

By Devin Gannon

A unique timber and stone cottage in the Hamptons hit the market this week. Swiss-born carpenter Julius Frederic Imer built the home at 10 John Street in the early 1900s for himself. Imer designed the half-timber property to resemble the Alpine house where he was born, according to the Southampton History Museum, with timber, local stones, and wooden shingles. Asking $2,250,000, the home sits on about a quarter of an acre and has five bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths.
see inside

Mamdani to use 19th-century Quran from the New York Public Library at swearing-in ceremony

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Blanc/The New York Public Library

December 31, 2025

Mamdani to use 19th-century Quran from the New York Public Library at swearing-in ceremony

By Devin Gannon

At his swearing-in ceremony at midnight on New Year's Eve, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will use a 19th-century Quran from the collections of the New York Public Library. Mamdani, New York City's first Muslim mayor, will put his hand on a Quran that belonged to Arturo Schomburg, a historian and writer whose collection of Black literature, art, and other materials formed the foundation of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
READ MORE

All articles by Devin Gannon

Pitch a Story

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Distinctive Post Form

Get in Touch

Send us a Tip

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Thinking about selling your home?

Sell a Home (Footer)

Before You Move On from this Page.

Your Daily Doseof NYC Life!

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Your Daily Dose
of NYC Life!