All articles by Devin Gannon

Take a tour of Untermyer Gardens, one of the world’s finest Persian gardens, just north of NYC

Photo © 6sqft

August 24, 2021

Take a tour of Untermyer Gardens, one of the world’s finest Persian gardens, just north of NYC

By Devin Gannon

Located just over an hour from Grand Central Terminal on Metro North’s Hudson line, the renowned Untermyer Gardens is a 43-acre historic park in Yonkers that features a Persian Paradise garden, a small amphitheater, a classical pavilion, the “Temple of Love,” and a “Vista” staircase. The park was developed in the early 20th century by philanthropist Samuel Untermyer, who purchased the estate in 1899. For 40 years, Untermyer transformed the sprawling greenery into some of the most acclaimed gardens in the United States, known today as “America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden.” Following his death, the property was not well maintained and fell into disrepair. For the last ten years, the Untermyer Garden Conservancy has worked to restore the site to its former glory and to provide a beautiful public space for all.
Find out more

The Grand Central Oyster Bar will reopen after 17-month closure

Photo by Jazz Guy on Flickr

August 24, 2021

The Grand Central Oyster Bar will reopen after 17-month closure

By Devin Gannon

The subterranean, century-old oyster bar in Grand Central Terminal will finally reopen next month after nearly a year and a half. The historic Grand Central Oyster Bar announced it will open its doors on September 7 at 100 percent capacity, as Gothamist first reported. After a temporary Covid-related closure last March, the Midtown East restaurant and bar resumed indoor dining that September, only to close again less than two weeks later.
Get the details

Food & Dining

Original copy of the Bill of Rights, lock of Beethoven’s hair on display at new NYPL treasures exhibit

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL

August 23, 2021

Original copy of the Bill of Rights, lock of Beethoven’s hair on display at new NYPL treasures exhibit

By Devin Gannon

The New York Public Library's much-anticipated permanent exhibition of rotating rare objects and artifacts finally opens to the public next month. First announced in 2018, the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures features 250 unique, historic items from the library's incredible holdings, which includes more than 45 million objects in its research collections. Highlights include Thomas Jefferson's handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence, Charles Dickens' writing desk, a letter written by James Baldwin to Angela Davis, the 1811 Comissioners' Map and Survey of Manhattan Island, and much more.
More details here

New York City mandates Covid vaccinations for all public school teachers, staff

Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

August 23, 2021

New York City mandates Covid vaccinations for all public school teachers, staff

By Devin Gannon

New York City is requiring Department of Education employees to receive their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine by September 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday. The new mandate applies to the agency's 148,000 employees, including teachers, custodians, and central office workers and comes three weeks before the first day of school for the city's one million public school students. The policy takes away the option for DOE staff to submit for weekly testing instead of being vaccinated, which was part of a previous order announced last month.
Find out more

Policy

Manhattan’s first legal whiskey distillery since Prohibition is now open

The distillery’s atrium; Photos courtesy of Great Jones Distilling Co.

August 23, 2021

Manhattan’s first legal whiskey distillery since Prohibition is now open

By Devin Gannon

Manhattan's first legal whiskey distillery in over 100 years is now open. Great Jones Distilling Company officially opened on Saturday at a stunning four-level space at 686 Broadway in Noho, overcoming city regulations and construction issues to build the first legitimate whiskey distillery in the city since the Prohibition era. At the space, visitors can enjoy tours and tastings, as well as an underground speakeasy, a private event space, and a restaurant helmed by Chef Adam Raksin, all set to open in the coming weeks.
See inside

Food & Dining

You can ride an 11-story Ferris wheel in the middle of Times Square

Artist rendering by Anthony George

August 20, 2021

You can ride an 11-story Ferris wheel in the middle of Times Square

By Devin Gannon

A new attraction coming to Times Square next week hopes to wheel in tourists. A 110-foot high outdoor Ferris wheel will open next Tuesday on the plaza between West 47th and West 48th Streets, as the New York Post first reported. Dubbed the Times Square Wheel, the limited experience runs from August 24 through September 12. The pop-up attraction is part of a larger effort by the Times Square Alliance to promote the neighborhood as the city continues to recover from the pandemic.
Get the details

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka list their five-story Harlem townhouse for $7.3M

All photos courtesy of Will Ellis / DDreps

August 20, 2021

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka list their five-story Harlem townhouse for $7.3M

By Devin Gannon

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka are selling their five-story townhouse in Harlem for $7,325,000. The couple paid $4,000,000 in 2013 for the 19th-century home at 2036 Fifth Avenue, which was renovated by interior designer Trace Lehnhoff in collaboration with architecture firm Povero & Company. Designed for entertaining, the five-bedroom townhouse has a theater, music room, wine cellar, a rear garden, third-floor deck with an outdoor jacuzzi, and an irrigated rooftop.
Take the tour

75% of adults in NYC have received at least one Covid vaccine dose

Photo courtesy of the New York National Guard on Flickr

August 19, 2021

75% of adults in NYC have received at least one Covid vaccine dose

By Devin Gannon

New York City hit a major milestone in its vaccination campaign this week. According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, 75 percent of all adults have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. "This is a big, big deal," the mayor said on Thursday. "This is the kind of number we want to see." The city's vaccination rate is slightly above the nationwide percentage of adults vaccinated, which is 72.3 percent with at least one dose.
Find out more

Policy

NYC’s West Indian American Day, Mermaid Parades canceled over Covid

Mermaid Parade 2018; Photo Credit: © Norman Blake

August 19, 2021

NYC’s West Indian American Day, Mermaid Parades canceled over Covid

By Devin Gannon

Two of New York City's most vibrant parades won't take place in person this summer for the second year in a row. Due to the spike in coronavirus cases, organizers of both the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island and the West Indian American Day Carnival along Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway have postponed their in-person parades until next year.
Find out more

What New Yorkers need to know about the Covid-19 booster shot

Courtesy of Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Flickr

August 18, 2021

What New Yorkers need to know about the Covid-19 booster shot

By Devin Gannon

President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday said most Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus should get a third shot of the vaccine. Citing concerns over the highly contagious Delta variant and the reduction in the protection of the vaccine over time, officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said booster shots will be available to all residents as early as September 20 and administered to individuals eight months after receiving the second dose. In response, Mayor Bill de Blasio this week said New York City is more than prepared to deliver and administer the vaccine quickly to New Yorkers.
Get the details

Policy

Popular Articles

Jeff Bezos buys fifth apartment at Flatiron building for $23M

Rendering of 212 Fifth Avenue by Visualhouse; Photo of Jeff Bezos via Wiki Commons

August 18, 2021

Jeff Bezos buys fifth apartment at Flatiron building for $23M

By Devin Gannon

Shortly after returning to Earth following a quick journey into space last month, billionaire Jeff Bezos bought another apartment at a Flatiron building for an otherworldly $23 million. As first reported by the New York Post, Bezos has picked up a four-bedroom unit at 212 Fifth Avenue, where he already owns a three-story penthouse and three residences below it. With this latest addition to his real estate portfolio, the Amazon founder now owns $119 million worth of apartments in this condo building.
More here

New NYC Ferry route connecting Staten Island and Midtown West launches this month

Photo: NYC Ferry

August 17, 2021

New NYC Ferry route connecting Staten Island and Midtown West launches this month

By Devin Gannon

Starting next week, commuters from Staten Island will have another way to get to Manhattan. Launching Monday, August 23, the newest NYC Ferry route takes riders up the Hudson River for the first time and stops in Midtown West, with a total travel time of about 35 minutes from St. George. With this latest route, NYC Ferry now officially serves all five boroughs.
Learn more

Transit

1,300-foot-high duplex at Central Park Tower asks $150M

Courtesy of Extell Development

August 17, 2021

1,300-foot-high duplex at Central Park Tower asks $150M

By Devin Gannon

For $150,000,000, a luxury apartment situated 1,300 feet above ground can be yours. As first reported by Bloomberg, the available duplex is located on the 127th and 128th floors of Central Park Tower, the tallest residential building in the world. According to the listing, the eight-bedroom "trophy home" is the highest duplex in the skyscraper, which stands more than 1,500 feet tall over Central Park. If it fetches the asking price, it would become the third most expensive sale in New York City ever.
Get the details

Distinctive Homes

Museum of Broadway to open in Times Square next summer

Rendering by Paul Bennett Architects PC

August 16, 2021

Museum of Broadway to open in Times Square next summer

By Devin Gannon

The first permanent museum dedicated to Broadway will open in Times Square next year. Originally scheduled to debut in 2020 but delayed because of the pandemic, the Museum of Broadway will open at 145 West 45th Street in the summer of 2022, officials announced on Monday. The interactive experience will explore and celebrate the history and legacy of Broadway musicals, plays, and theatres.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

All the places in NYC requiring proof of vaccination

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

August 16, 2021

All the places in NYC requiring proof of vaccination

By Devin Gannon

Starting Tuesday, New Yorkers aged 12 and older must be vaccinated against the coronavirus to partake in indoor dining, fitness, and entertainment. The Key to NYC initiative, which applies to bars, fitness centers, movie theaters, museums, and other indoor venues, requires visitors to show proof of at least one dose of the vaccine. The policy will go into effect on August 17 with enforcement beginning the week of September 13.
Learn more

600 affordable homes and new Afro-Latin Music and Arts Center coming to East Harlem

Rendering of Timbale Terrace courtesy of Lantern Organization, Mega Development, Urban Architectural Initiatives, HPD

August 16, 2021

600 affordable homes and new Afro-Latin Music and Arts Center coming to East Harlem

By Devin Gannon

Nearly 600 affordable homes and a new performing arts center are planned for two sites in East Harlem, the New York City Department of Housing and Preservation announced Friday. The projects include a 330-unit residential building with a new arts center for the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance and a 250-unit development that will have an expanded East Harlem Multi-Service Center. The projects are among the first major developments under the East Harlem rezoning, which was approved in 2017.
Find out more

Green-Wood Cemetery honors Battle of Brooklyn’s 245th anniversary with revolutionary event

Battle of Brooklyn reenactment in Green-Wood Cemetery; Photo by Allison Meier on Flickr

August 13, 2021

Green-Wood Cemetery honors Battle of Brooklyn’s 245th anniversary with revolutionary event

By Devin Gannon

The first major battle to take place during the Revolutionary War after the United States declared independence took place in Brooklyn on August 27, 1776. During the Battle of Brooklyn, fighting took place across the borough, including throughout present-day Prospect Park, Fulton Ferry Landing, and Green-Wood Cemetery. To commemorate the 245th anniversary of the historic struggle, Green-Wood Cemetery is hosting a family-friendly event this month with Revolutionary War reenactors, music, demonstrations, and other activities.
Learn more

Supreme Court blocks part of New York’s eviction moratorium

Photo by Rachel Martin on Unsplash

August 13, 2021

Supreme Court blocks part of New York’s eviction moratorium

By Devin Gannon

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday partially blocked New York's eviction moratorium, striking down the part of the law which protects tenants who have filed a declaration of hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since December of last year, the state's COVID Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act suspended eviction proceedings if renters declared a loss of income or health risk to protect themselves against eviction. The court said the moratorium, which was set to expire on August 31, was likely unconstitutional as landlords had no way to challenge a tenant's hardship claim.
Get the details

Policy

50,000 New Yorkers have received the $100 Covid vaccine incentive so far

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

August 13, 2021

50,000 New Yorkers have received the $100 Covid vaccine incentive so far

By Devin Gannon

In just two weeks, 50,000 New Yorkers have pocketed $100 after receiving the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday. The incentive program, which launched on July 30, gives New York City residents who get the shot at a city-run vaccination site a $100 pre-paid debit card. The incentive is part of the mayor's effort to boost the city's vaccination rate as a way to fight the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus, which has led to an increase in Covid-19 cases across New York and the country.
More details here

Policy

New Roosevelt Island cocktail bar has panoramic views of NYC and the Queensboro Bridge

Photo credit: Noah Fecks

August 12, 2021

New Roosevelt Island cocktail bar has panoramic views of NYC and the Queensboro Bridge

By Devin Gannon

New York City is full of rooftop bars, most offering a sky-high snapshot of the Big Apple's expansive skyline. But a new cocktail lounge on Roosevelt Island is providing an even bigger picture, with 360-degree views of three boroughs and a unique perspective of the Queensboro Bridge. Opening this Friday, the aptly named Panorama Room sits on the 18th-floor of the Graduate Roosevelt Island, the first hotel to open on the island.
Find out more

Former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann sells Greenwich Village townhouse for $13.65M

Streetview of 41 West 11th Street; Map data © 2021 Google

August 12, 2021

Former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann sells Greenwich Village townhouse for $13.65M

By Devin Gannon

WeWork founder and former chief executive Adam Neumann has sold another property in his portfolio. The Greek Revival-style townhouse at 41 West 11th Street in Greenwich Village has sold for $13,650,000, according to property records. Neumann, who was ousted as the company's CEO in 2019, and his wife, Rebekah Paltrow Neumann, paid $10.5 million for the home in 2013. The sale was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Get the details

KAWS unveils new 18-foot sculpture at Rockefeller Center

Courtesy of Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman Speyer

August 12, 2021

KAWS unveils new 18-foot sculpture at Rockefeller Center

By Devin Gannon

The distinct art of KAWS is now on display at Rockefeller Center. The 18-foot tall bronze sculpture, dubbed SHARE, features two of the artist's signature cartoon-like figures, Companion and BFF. The installation, which coincides with the current sweeping exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, "KAWS: WHAT PARTY," will be on view at the Center Plaza until October 29.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Central Park’s famous carousel will reopen with Coney Island’s Luna Park as operator

Photo by ajay_suresh on Flickr

August 11, 2021

Central Park’s famous carousel will reopen with Coney Island’s Luna Park as operator

By Devin Gannon

One of the country's most popular carousels will soon spin again. Central Park's Friedsam Memorial Carousel will reopen to riders this fall after being closed since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. As first reported by amNY, the operators of Coney Island's Luna Park, Central Amusement International, will operate the merry-go-round, replacing the Trump Organization, which had its contracts with the city canceled earlier this year after the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Details here

City Living

Free at-home Covid-19 testing now available for seniors and immunocompromised New Yorkers

Mayor Bill de Blasio is tested for COVID-19.June 16, 2020. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 11, 2021

Free at-home Covid-19 testing now available for seniors and immunocompromised New Yorkers

By Devin Gannon

New York City is expanding its at-home coronavirus testing program. The city's Health Department on Tuesday announced the free service will now be available to all immunocompromised New Yorkers and those aged 65 and older. In March, the at-home appointments first became available for those who had close contact with someone diagnosed with the virus. The expansion comes as the city sees an increase in new Covid-19 cases, and with it, the demand for testing.
Learn more

Policy

1 million daffodils will be planted around NYC to honor victims of 9/11

Photos courtesy of New Yorkers for Parks

August 11, 2021

1 million daffodils will be planted around NYC to honor victims of 9/11

By Devin Gannon

Daffodil bulbs will once again be planted across New York City this fall as part of a living memorial to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Led by open space advocacy group New Yorkers for Parks, the Daffodil Project launched in the spring after 9/11 and has continued every year since, with more than 8 million daffodil bulbs distributed for free and planted by volunteers. As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the organization will hand out more than one million daffodil bulbs, double the amount from the year prior. The project's expansion this year will also honor lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic.
Get the details

Events & Things To Do

34
35
36
37
38