All articles by Devin Gannon

Hamilton Heights brownstone from ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ can be booked on Airbnb for $20/night

All photos courtesy of Regina Fleming Photography

May 19, 2021

Hamilton Heights brownstone from ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ can be booked on Airbnb for $20/night

Last week, the Hamilton Heights house made famous in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums hit the rental market for $20,000 per month. This week, Airbnb announced the iconic mansion will be available to book this Memorial Day Weekend for just $20 per night. Bookings will open on May 26 at noon for one, two-night stay at the 1899 brownstone beginning May 29.
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May 18, 2021

Former NAACP headquarters in Greenwich Village is now a New York City landmark

By Devin Gannon

A building in Greenwich Village that once served as the headquarters for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and housed W.E.B. DuBois' trailblazing magazine The Crisis, is now a New York City landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to designate 70 Fifth Avenue, a Neoclassical Beaux-Arts building designed by Charles A. Rich and built between 1912 and 1914. The commission on Tuesday also landmarked the Holyrood Episcopal Church-Iglesia Santa Cruz in Washington Heights.
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Policy

NYC’s plan to rezone Soho and Noho moves forward

A rendering of West Broadway in Soho, looking downtown; courtesy of City Planning Commission

May 18, 2021

NYC’s plan to rezone Soho and Noho moves forward

By Devin Gannon

A proposal to bring more affordable housing in two of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods is moving forward. The City Planning Commission on Monday certified the application to rezone Soho and Noho, kicking off the public review process. The plan replaces existing 1970s-era zoning rules with medium- to high-density mixed-use districts that could create as many as 3,500 new homes, with 900 units of permanently affordable housing.
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Policy

60 Wall Street revamp swaps out postmodern atrium for a skylight and massive 100-foot green wall

New atrium proposed for 60 Wall Street; Conceptual renderings courtesy of Paramount Group

May 18, 2021

60 Wall Street revamp swaps out postmodern atrium for a skylight and massive 100-foot green wall

By Devin Gannon

The eccentric 1980s atrium at the Financial District office tower 60 Wall Street is getting a 21st-century makeover. As part of a major renovation, owner Paramount Group is ditching the indoor palm trees and man-made rock displays and creating a public space they feel is more attractive in a post-pandemic era. With designs from Kohn Pedersen Fox, the updated atrium of the 47-story tower will boast a new skylight and a 100-foot-tall, block-long interior green wall.
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Real Estate Trends

The NYC Marathon returns this November at 60% capacity

The lead female runners at 81st Street and 1st Avenue in 2015, photo © 6sqft

May 17, 2021

The NYC Marathon returns this November at 60% capacity

By Devin Gannon

Runners, take your mark. The annual New York City Marathon will be held this fall after last year's event was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced the world's largest marathon will take place on November 7, the 50th running of the race. Participation will be limited to 60 percent capacity, or 33,000 runners, according to the governor.
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24/7 subway service resumes in New York City

NYC Transit employees remove overnight closure signs. Courtesy of MTA on Flickr

May 17, 2021

24/7 subway service resumes in New York City

By Devin Gannon

New York City's subway system resumed 24-hour service on Monday for the first time in over a year. Last May, Gov. Andrew Cuomo closed the subway overnight as part of a disinfection plan created in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first time the trains closed overnight since the subway first opened 116 years ago. The return of 24/7 service this week comes just two days before most capacity restrictions in New York are lifted and as rates of COVID have fallen across the state.
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Jing Fong will stay in Chinatown with new downsized location

Photo by josh s jackson via Flickr cc

May 14, 2021

Jing Fong will stay in Chinatown with new downsized location

By Devin Gannon

New York City's largest Chinese restaurant is downsizing. This Sunday, Jing Fong, will close its Elizabeth Street location, the 20,000-square-foot restaurant known for its 800-person dining room and as a hot spot for dim sum. Thankfully, the iconic spot will be staying in Chinatown, as Eater NY reported, with a new 125-seat restaurant opening in July.
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Food & Dining

You can have a sleepover at Monica and Rachel’s ‘Friends’ apartment

Photo courtesy of Booking.com

May 14, 2021

You can have a sleepover at Monica and Rachel’s ‘Friends’ apartment

By Devin Gannon

Here's a chance to fulfill your Friends fantasy. The Friends Experience, the interactive exhibit featuring those too-good-to-be-true apartments and iconic scenes from the television series, has teamed up with travel company Booking.com to provide the "ultimate sleepover." Fans have the chance to book two overnight stays at a set re-creation of Monica and Rachel's apartment this month for just $19.94, a nod to the year the sitcom first premiered.
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You can roller skate outside on the TWA Hotel’s tarmac

All photos courtesy of TWA Hotel unless otherwise noted

May 13, 2021

You can roller skate outside on the TWA Hotel’s tarmac

By Devin Gannon

Roller skating is having a major moment, brought on by the pandemic and possibly quarantine boredom. New Yorkers can now embrace the nostalgia at one of the most fitting places in the city: the TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy Airport. The retro 1960s-inspired hotel is opening a roller skating rink this month on the tarmac outside of the 1958 Lockheed Constellation "Connie" airplane-turned cocktail bar. Roll-A-Rama at the Runway Rink launches May 14 and will operate on weekends.
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Tavern on the Green to host concert series featuring Broadway stars

Photo courtesy Tavern on the Green

May 13, 2021

Tavern on the Green to host concert series featuring Broadway stars

By Devin Gannon

Broadway is back, even sooner than planned. Ahead of the Great White Way's official reopening on September 14, Central Park's iconic Tavern on the Green is offering a sneak peek of the magic to come this fall. The Upper West Side restaurant will host a pop-up concert series, Broadway at Tavern, featuring stars of Broadway, with performances starting on May 25. The event will run through the summer and into the fall.
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Events & Things To Do

Here are the New York City sites vaccinating kids 12+

By Devin Gannon

With approval from an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, the Pfizer vaccine is now available for children ages 12 to 15. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has authorized all New York providers to open eligibility for the vaccine to this age group. In New York City, there are over 200 sites offering Pfizer, the only vaccine approved for those aged 12 to 17, including at dozens of pharmacies across the five boroughs and some state-run sites.
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Policy

New ‘Open Boulevards’ will bring dining, performances, art and more to NYC streets

Photo courtesy of the Belmont Business Improvement District

May 12, 2021

New ‘Open Boulevards’ will bring dining, performances, art and more to NYC streets

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday announced plans to reimagine New York City streets once again with "Open Boulevards," an expansion of the popular Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs that launched at the start of the pandemic. The mayor said the initiative "supercharges" the existing program with "multiple blocks in a row filled with restaurants, performances, and community activities." The Open Boulevards announcement continues City Hall's "Streets Week!," which so far has included new plans to lower speed limits and add protected bike lanes.
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170-year-old Greenwich Village buildings will be razed and replaced with high-rise condo tower

Rendering courtesy of Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Acheson Doyle Partners, Hill West Architects

May 12, 2021

170-year-old Greenwich Village buildings will be razed and replaced with high-rise condo tower

By Devin Gannon

Two five-story apartment buildings in the Greenwich Village Historic District will be demolished to make way for a 213-foot-tall luxury condo tower. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans from Madison Realty Capital and City Urban Realty to raze 14-16 Fifth Avenue, an apartment building that sits just north of Washington Square Park. Preservationists campaigned against the demolition of the building since the project was first announced in 2017, citing the history of the 170-year-old structure as significant enough for protection.
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Policy

A self-filtering floating pool is officially coming to the East River

+ POOL, designed by Family New York & PLAYLAB, INC. Rendering by Luxigon

May 11, 2021

A self-filtering floating pool is officially coming to the East River

By Devin Gannon

A plan to build a swimming pool on the East River is finally moving forward after being in the works for over a decade. In an Instagram post published on Saturday, the nonprofit +POOL announced the group had received confirmation from the city to proceed with due diligence on their project: a floating, self-filtering pool on the south side of Pier 35 on the Lower East Side.
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New design for Marsha P. Johnson State Park adds more greenery, scraps rainbow-striped mural

All renderings courtesy of NY State Parks/ Starr Whitehouse, unless otherwise noted

May 11, 2021

New design for Marsha P. Johnson State Park adds more greenery, scraps rainbow-striped mural

By Devin Gannon

A new design was unveiled last week for Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg following backlash regarding the state's original proposal. During the local community board's Parks and Waterfront Committee meeting last Thursday, Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners presented a revised plan that incorporates more greenery and plantings to the Brooklyn waterfront site and ditches the rainbow-striped plastic mural that opponents criticized, as first reported by Brooklyn Paper.
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Policy

Jersey City’s Harborside complex reveals waterfront outdoor space and perks like Smorgasburg

All images courtesy of Mack-Cali, unless otherwise noted

May 10, 2021

Jersey City’s Harborside complex reveals waterfront outdoor space and perks like Smorgasburg

By Devin Gannon

Jersey City's office complex Harborside hopes to appeal to tenants post-pandemic by offering a number of health and wellness amenities, part of a nearly complete renovation. Developer of the waterfront site Mack-Cali on Monday unveiled the latest phase of the Harborside campus makeover, highlighting new public spaces, upcoming cultural events, and the launch of Smorgasburg's first-ever New Jersey location.
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Real Estate Trends

All U.S. residents aged 16+ can get the COVID vaccine in New York

Mayor Bill de Blasio tours the new vaccine site at the American Museum of Natural History on April 23, 2021. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 10, 2021

All U.S. residents aged 16+ can get the COVID vaccine in New York

By Devin Gannon

Any resident of the United States who is at least 16 years old is now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine in New York. In vaccination guidance updated last week, the state's Department of Health ditched the work or residency requirement to previously needed to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The policy change comes as Mayor Bill de Blasio said he wants to set up mobile vaccination hubs at popular tourist destinations, like Central Park and Times Square, to vaccinate visitors to the Big Apple.
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Policy

New exhibit projects photos of pandemic parenting moments onto the Manhattan Bridge

Photo by Andy Lin

May 7, 2021

New exhibit projects photos of pandemic parenting moments onto the Manhattan Bridge

By Devin Gannon

The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, but especially so on parents who have had to help their children deal with this time of uncertainty and stress. A new photo exhibition launched in Brooklyn this week that pays tribute to the many "at-home heroes" of New York. The Dumbo Improvement District, in partnership with Photoville, is projecting photos of COVID-caregiving in action onto the Manhattan Bridge every night between Mother's Day this Sunday and Father's Day on June 20.
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Events & Things To Do

$348M restoration of Riverside Park is part of largest investment in 90 years

Photo of Riverside Park by Momos on Wikimedia

May 6, 2021

$348M restoration of Riverside Park is part of largest investment in 90 years

By Devin Gannon

The city announced this week plans to provide $348 million in funding for the rehabilitation of major infrastructure in Riverside Park, marking one of the largest investments at the waterfront park since the 1930s. The project restores the "overbuild," a series of bridge structures built over the Amtrak tunnels between West 72nd and West 123rd Streets. The deteriorated structure has damaged pathways and affected the park's usability, according to the city.
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Architecture And Design

New York City wants to vaccinate tourists in Times Square and Central Park

Photo of Mayor Bill de Blasio at the Empire State Building on May 1, 2021 courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

May 6, 2021

New York City wants to vaccinate tourists in Times Square and Central Park

By Devin Gannon

With tourism expected to ramp up this summer, New York City wants to be able to vaccinate visitors. On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans to set up mobile coronavirus vaccination sites at tourist hotspots, like Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and Central Park. While the mayor said these hubs could be set up as early as this weekend, the state must first approve the plan as well as change a rule to allow non-New Yorkers to receive the vaccine.
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Policy

25-foot tall sculpture designed by Sanford Biggers takes over Rockefeller Center

All photos courtesy of Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman Speyer

May 6, 2021

25-foot tall sculpture designed by Sanford Biggers takes over Rockefeller Center

By Devin Gannon

A massive bronze sculpture has been installed at Rockefeller Center as part of a new multi-part public art exhibition. Designed by Sanford Biggers, Oracle stands 25 feet tall at the foot of the Channel Gardens and is a continuation of the artist's recent Chimera sculpture series. As the first campus-wide takeover by a solo artist at Rockefeller Center, the exhibition also includes a flag installation at the iconic flagpoles, small-scale sculptures, a virtual experience, and murals, in addition to the sculpture that weighs over 15,000 pounds.
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Events & Things To Do

See restoration plans for the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion in the Bronx

View of the Upper and Lower Promenades, Cafeteria, and South Loggia, Looking South (1936); Images courtesy of Marvel/ NYC Parks/ NYCEDC

May 5, 2021

See restoration plans for the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion in the Bronx

By Devin Gannon

The landmarked bathhouse and pavilion at Orchard Beach in the Bronx will be restored to its original 1930s design and become more accessible to the public. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to approve plans from architecture firm Marvel, the Parks Department, and the city's Economic Development Corporation to reconstruct the deteriorating architectural gem. The project includes reinstalling and restoring limestone cladding, repairing the upper-level loggias, adding an ADA accessible ramp, and building an enclosed restaurant or event space.
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Landmarks approves scaled-down South Street Seaport mixed-use project

The approved design. All renderings courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill / Howard Hughes Corporation

May 5, 2021

Landmarks approves scaled-down South Street Seaport mixed-use project

By Devin Gannon

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to approve plans for a debated mixed-use project and a new museum in the South Street Seaport. The Howard Hughes Corporation presented a revised proposal for 250 Water Street that includes one 324-foot tower to be built on a parking lot instead of the two 470-foot structures originally proposed in January. The project also involves constructing a new building for the South Street Seaport Museum at 89 South Street.
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$7.9M hilltop brick mansion on Long Island has its own heliport

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

May 4, 2021

$7.9M hilltop brick mansion on Long Island has its own heliport

By Devin Gannon

Not comfortable traveling via commercial airline yet? A mansion on Long Island with a private heliport is now available for $7,950,000. The grand property is found at 18 Gwynne Road in Melville, a wealthy hamlet located within the town of Huntington. In addition to the easy access to personal air travel, other special features of the home include an in-ground pool, home theater, indoor basketball court, and a fitness center.
Full tour here

Distinctive Homes

Most capacity restrictions to be lifted in New York on May 19

Via Public Domain

May 3, 2021

Most capacity restrictions to be lifted in New York on May 19

By Devin Gannon

Most state-mandated capacity restrictions in New York will be lifted on May 19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday. According to the governor, this means restaurants, stores, gyms, salons, amusement parks, and offices can reopen at 100 percent capacity for the first time in 14 months. The six-foot social distancing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will remain in effect at these places, which could still limit capacity depending on the space available. In anticipation of the reopening, on May 17, 24/7 subway service will resume.
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All articles by Devin Gannon

Hamilton Heights brownstone from ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ can be booked on Airbnb for $20/night

Former NAACP headquarters in Greenwich Village is now a New York City landmark

NYC’s plan to rezone Soho and Noho moves forward

60 Wall Street revamp swaps out postmodern atrium for a skylight and massive 100-foot green wall

The NYC Marathon returns this November at 60% capacity

24/7 subway service resumes in New York City

Jing Fong will stay in Chinatown with new downsized location

You can have a sleepover at Monica and Rachel’s ‘Friends’ apartment

You can roller skate outside on the TWA Hotel’s tarmac

Tavern on the Green to host concert series featuring Broadway stars

Here are the New York City sites vaccinating kids 12+

New ‘Open Boulevards’ will bring dining, performances, art and more to NYC streets

170-year-old Greenwich Village buildings will be razed and replaced with high-rise condo tower

A self-filtering floating pool is officially coming to the East River

New design for Marsha P. Johnson State Park adds more greenery, scraps rainbow-striped mural

Make this lofty $1.5M Chelsea co-op your own

Jersey City’s Harborside complex reveals waterfront outdoor space and perks like Smorgasburg

All U.S. residents aged 16+ can get the COVID vaccine in New York

New exhibit projects photos of pandemic parenting moments onto the Manhattan Bridge

$348M restoration of Riverside Park is part of largest investment in 90 years

New York City wants to vaccinate tourists in Times Square and Central Park

25-foot tall sculpture designed by Sanford Biggers takes over Rockefeller Center

See restoration plans for the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion in the Bronx

Landmarks approves scaled-down South Street Seaport mixed-use project

$7.9M hilltop brick mansion on Long Island has its own heliport

Most capacity restrictions to be lifted in New York on May 19

144 Vanderbilt Avenue in Clinton Hill

All articles by Devin Gannon

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