All articles by Devin Gannon

Thomas Jefferson statue will be removed from NYC Council chambers but new location undecided

Photo by Glenn Castellano. Courtesy of NYC Public Design Commission

October 19, 2021

Thomas Jefferson statue will be removed from NYC Council chambers but new location undecided

By Devin Gannon

A 7-foot-tall statue of Thomas Jefferson will be removed from the New York City Council's legislative chambers after residing there for nearly 100 years. The city's Public Design Commission voted on Monday to take down the statue from the chambers but did not decide where it should be relocated. Calls to remove the statue of Jefferson, who owned more than 600 slaves, first came about two decades ago but intensified in recent years as more attention was paid to memorials and monuments honoring racists and racist symbols.
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Policy

36 mixed-income apartments available in the East Village, from $857/month

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

October 19, 2021

36 mixed-income apartments available in the East Village, from $857/month

By Devin Gannon

A housing lottery opened this week for 36 apartments at a new East Village rental. Located at 302 East 2nd Street, the 14-story building, called "East Village Homes," was developed by Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), a nonprofit that serves low-income immigrant communities across the city. New Yorkers earning 50, 80, and 140 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from $857/month one-bedrooms to $2,774/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Former Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa lists her Brooklyn Heights duplex for $2.6M

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

October 19, 2021

Former Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa lists her Brooklyn Heights duplex for $2.6M

By Devin Gannon

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's top aide Melissa DeRosa is selling her Brooklyn Heights duplex two months after leaving her job with the state. Located on the fourth floor of 22 Pierrepont Street, the three-bedroom home is asking $2.59 million. DeRosa jointly owns the apartment with her husband Matthew Wing, but, as the New York Post first reported, the couple recently split.
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Distinctive Homes

NYC subway ridership topped 3.2 million riders in one day for the first time since Covid

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

October 18, 2021

NYC subway ridership topped 3.2 million riders in one day for the first time since Covid

By Devin Gannon

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the New York City subway saw over 3.2 million riders in one day. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday announced 3,236,904 customers rode the subway on October 14, passing the previous record made a week prior by 50,000 customers. The record set last week still remains far below pre-pandemic levels; average weekday ridership regularly exceeded 5.5 million trips before Covid.
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For $7.5M, a family-friendly Brooklyn brownstone on a park block

All photos by Evan Joseph

October 18, 2021

For $7.5M, a family-friendly Brooklyn brownstone on a park block

By Devin Gannon

A recently renovated brownstone located on a park block with eight bedrooms, four baths, and private outdoor space? This home checks all of the boxes. Asking $7.49 million, the townhouse at 541 1st Street in Park Slope was professionally designed and furnished, with attention paid to not only preserving historic details but also complementing them with modern upgrades. In addition to the designer-curated interiors, the home boasts a charming rear garden and a parlor-level deck.
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Distinctive Homes

Sales launch at curvy Olympia Dumbo, to be tallest and priciest condo in the neighborhood

Renderings courtesy of Marchmade

October 15, 2021

Sales launch at curvy Olympia Dumbo, to be tallest and priciest condo in the neighborhood

By Devin Gannon

The curvy, twisting tower rising in Dumbo launched sales this week, with condos starting at $1.75 million. Developed by Fortis Property Group and designed by Hill West Architects, Olympia Dumbo contains 76 residences ranging from one- to five-bedroom apartments. According to a spokesperson for the project, the building's top-floor penthouses, which will list for $16 million and $15.5 million, could become the neighborhood's most expensive condos ever sold if they sell at the asking prices.
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This $7.25M loft in a star-studded Tribeca building is both beautiful and livable

October 15, 2021

This $7.25M loft in a star-studded Tribeca building is both beautiful and livable

By Devin Gannon

A classic Tribeca loft is available at a building known for its A-list residents. The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath apartment at 155 Franklin Street, a condo Taylor Swift, Orlando Bloom, Aziz Ansari, and others have all called home, is on the market for $7.25 million. Not only does the home boast designer-curated interiors, but the space is super livable, thanks to the flow of the living area and the addition of a home office and closet space.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

NYC’s historic Five Points neighborhood is officially recognized with street co-naming

Photo on the left courtesy of Lloyd Trufelman; Photo on right courtesy of Wikimedia

October 14, 2021

NYC’s historic Five Points neighborhood is officially recognized with street co-naming

By Devin Gannon

The intersection that formed the notorious Five Points neighborhood in Manhattan will now be officially part of New York City's street grid. The city has installed a sign at Baxter and Worth Streets in Lower Manhattan, marking the exact location of the original Five Points, a notorious 19th-century slum that was home to a diverse group of immigrants. Before this year's street co-naming, there was no official marker at the site to honor the historic spot, considered to be one of the country's first "melting pots." But a successful effort spearheaded by Lloyd Trufelman, who is a tour guide with the Municipal Art Society of New York, along with groups like the New York Adventure Club and the Historic Districts Council led to the street co-naming, symbolizing the return of Five Points to the city 125 years later. Ahead, hear from Trufelman about his campaign to recognize the legendary neighborhood and learn how to sign up for his upcoming walking tour.
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History

Lottery opens for 69 affordable apartments next to Jamaica’s Rufus King Park, from $1,599/month

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

October 14, 2021

Lottery opens for 69 affordable apartments next to Jamaica’s Rufus King Park, from $1,599/month

By Devin Gannon

A housing lottery opened this week for 69 apartments designated for New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income. Located at 153-19 Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, the newly constructed 19-story building sits across from the historic Rufus King Park and is also just one block from the subway. Available apartments include 37 studios priced at $1,599/month and 32 one-bedrooms for $1,708/month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

An architect’s glass-walled hilltop Hudson Valley home asks $5.9M

All photos by Dan Milstein

October 13, 2021

An architect’s glass-walled hilltop Hudson Valley home asks $5.9M

By Devin Gannon

An architect's Hudson Valley home with soaring ceilings, glass walls, and multiple terraces can be yours for $5.9 million. Designed by a Westchester-based architect, the unique property at 18 Bramblebush Road in Croton-on-Hudson is perched atop a hillside and boasts a glass facade, allowing for uninterrupted river and mountain views.
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Distinctive Homes

Popular Articles

Brooklyn Public Library opens new branch under the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo

All photos by Gregg Richards

October 13, 2021

Brooklyn Public Library opens new branch under the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo

By Devin Gannon

At the Brooklyn Public Library's newest branch, reading comes with a view. The library opened the Adams Street Library in Dumbo this week, marking the first new library built in the borough in nearly 40 years and the first branch to open in the neighborhood. Bordering Brooklyn Bridge Park and tucked underneath the Manhattan Bridge, the library has 15-foot windows that face the East River and lower Manhattan skyline.
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NYC’s open streets program falls short of 100-mile promise, report says

Photo: Transportation Alternatives

October 12, 2021

NYC’s open streets program falls short of 100-mile promise, report says

By Devin Gannon

In the summer of 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city would close 100 miles of streets to cars for use by pedestrians, a policy formed in response to the pandemic and the need for safe, socially distanced outdoor space. Over a year later, just over 24 miles of Open Streets are currently active, according to a report released this week by the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives (TA).
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This $1.9M Upper West Side brownstone co-op has a soaking tub and sunny private garden

All photos: Rich Caplan

October 12, 2021

This $1.9M Upper West Side brownstone co-op has a soaking tub and sunny private garden

By Devin Gannon

While this Upper West Side co-op is just a few blocks from Central Park, the apartment at 136 West 70th Street comes with its own slice of green space. Asking $1,895,000, the two-bedroom home takes up three floors of a pre-war brownstone, with even more space found in the spacious landscaped backyard. The sunny south-facing garden measures 700 square feet and features lots of plantings and plenty of space to entertain.
See it here

Distinctive Homes

80-unit affordable building for seniors opens in East New York

October 11, 2021

80-unit affordable building for seniors opens in East New York

By Devin Gannon

Photo: James Shanks Photography An affordable housing building for seniors opened in East New York last week, one of the final pieces of a long-awaited development project. Located at 516 Schroeders Avenue, the building is the sixth phase of the Nehemiah Spring Creek development, which includes the transformation of 45-acres of undeveloped wetlands and landfills into mixed-use, mixed-income Brooklyn community.
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Affordable Housing

Apply for 227 affordable apartments at new Far Rockaway complex, from $535/month

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

October 11, 2021

Apply for 227 affordable apartments at new Far Rockaway complex, from $535/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are now being accepted for 227 affordable apartments across two buildings in Downtown Far Rockaway in Queens. The new complex, dubbed RadRoc, consists of two 10-story mixed-use structures, a steel and plank building at 19-38 Cornaga Avenue and a modular construction building at 10-18 Beach 20th Street. Qualifying New Yorkers earning between 40 and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from $535/month studios to $2,059/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Plant pro The Sill opens new shop in the heart of Williamsburg

Photo credit: Tory Williams

October 8, 2021

Plant pro The Sill opens new shop in the heart of Williamsburg

By Devin Gannon

Williamsburg residents will soon be able to fill their stylish pads with plants to match. The Sill, the popular direct-to-consumer houseplant company, opened its second location in Brooklyn this week. Located in the heart of the neighborhood at 190 Berry Street, the store is full of the company's best-selling items, from potted succulents and cacti to tropical plants and ferns.
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City Living

See Jean-Georges’ new dining destination opening at NYC’s former Fulton Fish Market

The Central Market; Renderings courtesy of Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors

October 7, 2021

See Jean-Georges’ new dining destination opening at NYC’s former Fulton Fish Market

By Devin Gannon

Ahead of next year's opening of the huge foodie destination from world-renowned Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in the South Street Seaport, we're getting a first look at the 53,000-square-foot space. Several restaurants and bars, fast-casual concepts, and a sprawling central market will open at the Tin Building, a restored early 20th-century waterfront structure that once housed the iconic Fulton Fish Market.
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Food & Dining

600-unit final tower of Journal Squared complex breaks ground in Jersey City

Rendering: KRE Group

October 7, 2021

600-unit final tower of Journal Squared complex breaks ground in Jersey City

By Devin Gannon

The final tower of a massive three-building luxury complex in Journal Square broke ground this week, which will eventually add hundreds of apartments to Jersey City's burgeoning residential neighborhood. Dubbed Journal Squared, the development at the intersection of Pavonia and Summit Avenues includes three high-rise rentals, two of which have already opened. This week local officials joined Kushner Real Estate (KRE) Group and National Real Estate Advisors to celebrate the completed leasing of the 704-unit second phase tower and break ground on the third and last tower, a 60-story structure with 600 residences.
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Real Estate Trends

Manhattan apartment sales hit a 32-year high

Photo by Jason Krieger on Unsplash

October 6, 2021

Manhattan apartment sales hit a 32-year high

By Devin Gannon

More apartments sold in Manhattan in the third quarter of 2021 than at any point during the last 30+ years of tracking, a new real estate market report says. According to a Douglas Elliman report published this week, there were 4,523 closed co-op and condos sales in the quarter, more than triple the same period last year and 76.5 percent higher than the same time in 2019. Even more indicative of the market turnaround following Covid-19, this quarter passed the previous sales record of 3,939 reported in the second quarter of 2007. And in its own market report, The Corcoran Group found sales volume in Manhattan topped $9.5 billion, the highest quarterly volume total ever recorded. This passes the previous record of $8.54 billion set in the second quarter of 2019.
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Real Estate Trends

NYC commits $170M to preserve Chinatown’s historic 70 Mulberry Street after fire

Map data © 2020 Google

October 6, 2021

NYC commits $170M to preserve Chinatown’s historic 70 Mulberry Street after fire

By Devin Gannon

The city will nearly double its investment in the restoration of a historic Chinatown building that was destroyed in a fire last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. After committing $80 million last July to the rebuilding of 70 Mulberry Street, a former public school constructed in the 1890s, the mayor said the city will tack on another $90 million, for a total of $170 million. In January 2020, a fire significantly damaged the site, forcing out five nonprofit organizations. According to the city, all of the groups will be welcomed back as tenants.
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Policy

The 2021 Village Halloween Parade is officially back on

Photo of 2019 Village Halloween Parade by Steven Pisano on Flickr

October 5, 2021

The 2021 Village Halloween Parade is officially back on

By Devin Gannon

The Village Halloween Parade is officially back this year thanks to a major donation. The beloved event was scheduled to return after a pandemic-related hiatus, but a lack of funds threatened to cancel the 2021 parade, according to organizers. The parade set a fundraising goal of $150,000 by October 5, and with the help of 183 donors who contributed over $11,000 and Jason Feldman and his wife Missy who made up the difference, the spooky show will go on.
Details here

Events & Things To Do

Late fees canceled at all of NYC’s public libraries

Brooklyn Public Library’s recently renovated Central Branch. Photo by Gregg Richards

October 5, 2021

Late fees canceled at all of NYC’s public libraries

By Devin Gannon

All of New York City's public libraries have permanently eliminated late fees and will not charge for overdue books and other materials starting Tuesday. This shift in policy, which was first established at the start of the coronavirus pandemic last March, aims to create a more equitable and open system for communities in need, according to an announcement by library officials. Combined, the city's three library systems, made up of over 200 branches, are now the largest municipality in the country to eliminate fees.
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NYC is offering low-income, first-time homebuyers $100K toward down payments

Photo by Rachel Martin on Unsplash

October 5, 2021

NYC is offering low-income, first-time homebuyers $100K toward down payments

By Devin Gannon

With the goal of making the home buying process in New York more equitable, the city is expanding its existing down payment assistance program by more than double. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced on Monday it will offer up to $100,000 toward down payments or closing costs to first-time homebuyers who earn up to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), a major increase from the $40,000 in forgivable loan offered by the city previously.
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Policy

Zig-zagging office tower in Greenwich Village’s ‘Silicon Alley’ nabe nears completion

October 4, 2021

Zig-zagging office tower in Greenwich Village’s ‘Silicon Alley’ nabe nears completion

By Devin Gannon

The new modern office building that replaced the St. Denis Hotel in Greenwich Village is nearing completion. The ground-up development 799 Broadway sits where the Village and Union Square meet, a burgeoning tech hub known as "Silicon Alley." As a majority of construction work on the building wraps up in the coming weeks, Columbia Property Trust, Inc. announced on Monday it has secured its first lease at the building.
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New Developments

Historic Neir’s Tavern honored with street co-naming in Queens

Photos courtesy of Neir’s Tavern

October 4, 2021

Historic Neir’s Tavern honored with street co-naming in Queens

By Devin Gannon

After a rent increase and the coronavirus pandemic left the fate of Neir's Tavern in question, the history of the nearly 192-year-old Queens establishment will be preserved forever following a street co-naming ceremony Saturday. The intersection of 78th Street and 88th Avenue in Woodhaven is now known as "Neir's Tavern Way," honoring the waterhole that opened on the corner in 1829 and is considered New York City's oldest bar.
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Food & Dining

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