All articles by Devin Gannon

February 4, 2021

Nomad’s glassy Virgin Hotel will have a rooftop pool and bar

As the New York City hospitality industry continues to reel from the effects the coronavirus pandemic has had on tourism and business travel, plans are moving forward for a massive new hotel in Nomad. Fresh renderings of the 510-foot Virgin Hotel at 1225 Broadway, the first in the city, were recently released, showing off the hotel's resort-like rooftop pool and bar.
See it here
February 4, 2021

The best ways to celebrate Black History Month 2021 in NYC

During the month of February, the nation observes Black History Month as a way to celebrate and honor African American history and culture. While this year's commemoration will be different because of the pandemic, many New York City organizations and institutions are hosting virtual events, lectures, and exhibitions. Learn about the achievements and influence of Black Americans with an online walking tour featuring Black artists of Greenwich Village, a concert honoring composers of the Harlem Renaissance, a class on Black archaeology in New York City, and much more.
Get the full list
February 3, 2021

NJ loosens COVID-19 restrictions on indoor gatherings, lifts restaurant curfew

Starting Friday, New Jersey restaurants and bars can serve more customers and stay open later. Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday signed an executive order relaxing some coronavirus restrictions for indoor gatherings, pointing to a decrease in new daily cases and hospitalizations across the state. Under the order, which goes into effect ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, indoor dining capacity can increase from 25 percent to 35 percent and the 10 p.m. curfew at restaurants will be lifted.
Find out more
February 3, 2021

Artist Swoon transformed a box truck into a diorama-style outdoor sculpture that will travel around NYC

A roving public art installation that explores the American experience has hit the streets of New York City. As part of the "American Portrait" initiative from PBS, Brooklyn-based artist Caledonia Curry, also known as Swoon, has designed a diorama-inspired sculpture on top of a 14-foot box truck. The installation, titled The House Our Families Built, features paintings and cutouts portraying domestic life. The sculpture debuted at Brooklyn Bridge Park last weekend and will travel to Prospect Park on February 6-7, Flushing Meadows Corona Park on February 13-14, and Union Square on February 21.
Find out more
February 2, 2021

19th-century abolitionist home in Downtown Brooklyn is now a city landmark

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to designate a Brooklyn property that was home to known abolitionists, likely saving it from demolition. Harriet and Thomas Truesdell, members of the anti-slavery movement before the Civil War, lived at the Greek-Revival row house at 227 Duffield Street from 1851 to 1863. The commission recommended 227 Duffield for designation because it represents a rare surviving home to known abolitionists and marks Brooklyn's pre-Civil War abolitionist movement. The push for landmarking the site was accelerated in 2019 when a developer filed permits to raze the three-story structure and replace it with a much taller mixed-use building.
Learn more
February 1, 2021

NYC vaccination data shows ‘profound’ racial gaps

Black and Latino residents in New York City have received far fewer doses of the coronavirus vaccine than white New Yorkers, according to preliminary data released by the city on Sunday. Of the roughly 300,000 city residents vaccinated with at least one dose, 48 percent of them were white, 15 percent Asian, 15 percent Latino, and 11 percent Black. Mayor Bill de Blasio called the racial disparities "profound," since Latino and Black residents make up 29 and 24 percent of the city's population, respectively.
Find out more
January 29, 2021

Bike lanes to replace car lanes on the Brooklyn and Queensboro bridges

New York City plans to ban cars from part of two major East River bridges and reserve them for cyclists. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday unveiled a proposal to transform the innermost lane of the Brooklyn Bridge into a two-way protected bike lane and convert the north outer roadway of the Queensboro Bridge into a two-way bike-only lane. The "Bridges for the People" plan was announced as part of the mayor's final State of the City address, "A Recovery for All of Us."
Find out more
January 28, 2021

Offshore park Little Island announces resident artists ahead of spring opening

Developers of the new public park under construction in the Hudson River announced on Wednesday the participants of its first-ever artists-in-residence program. Artists Ayodele Casel, Tina Landeau, Michael McElroy, and PigPen Theatre Co., will perform, direct, and/or curate cultural events for Little Island, the two-acre offshore park at Hudson River Park's Pier 55 expected to open this spring.
Find out more
January 28, 2021

Bjarke Ingels’ 66-story Spiral tower tops out at Hudson Yards

Bjarke Ingels' new office tower with twisting terraces officially topped out at Hudson Yards this week. Aptly named The Spiral, the 66-story skyscraper reached its 1,031-foot pinnacle, developer Tishman Speyer announced on Tuesday. Upon its completion in 2022, the tower at 66 Hudson Boulevard will stretch a full block between West 34th and 35th Streets and contain 2.8 million square feet of office space and ground-floor retail.
Find out more
January 27, 2021

Historic cast-iron building in Soho once owned by William Waldorf Astor asks $17M

A 19th-century custom-designed Soho building once owned by William Waldorf Astor is on the market for $17 million. Located at 435 Broome Street, the Victorian Gothic building was built in 1873 by famed architect William Appleton Potter and features five tall loft stories framed by exterior cast-iron colonnettes and capitals. As the listing describes, the property, located between Broadway and Crosby Street, is the "perfect multi-functioning property for retail, office, or residential mixed-use."
More this way
January 26, 2021

A former artists’ compound in exclusive Snedens Landing asks $3M

A Palisades estate owned by the late artist Grace Knowlton is now on the market for $2.99 million. The property was transformed into a compound for artists by Knowlton, who was known for her spherical sculptures and lived at the site for nearly 50 years. Located in the secluded enclave of Snedens Landing, the four-acre estate includes a restored barn that serves as the main residence, a cottage, an industrial machine shop, and a pottery studio, all across the landscaped gardens.
See it here
January 26, 2021

Plans for abolitionist memorial in Downtown Brooklyn park delayed again

After being in the works for nearly two decades, plans to build a public park in Downtown Brooklyn with a memorial to the neighborhood's abolitionist history are delayed once again. The Public Design Commission last week tabled a conceptual proposal from artist Kameelah Janan Rasheed after preservationists and community members during an intense public hearing criticized both the design for missing details and the city's lack of transparency.
Get the details
January 25, 2021

MTA unveils digital memorial honoring over 100 transit workers lost to COVID-19

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday unveiled a memorial dedicated to the 136 employees who have died from the coronavirus since March. The tribute, named "Travels Far: A Memorial Honoring Our Colleagues Lost to COVID-19" after a poem by Tracy K. Smith commissioned for the project, includes an eight-minute video featuring photographs of the frontline MTA workers who lost their lives to the virus. The video will run on 138 three-panel digital screens at 107 subway stations across the city starting Monday.
Find out more
January 25, 2021

For $398K, this Cold Spring cottage is full of cozy character

A charming cottage on the edge of Cold Spring can be yours for $397,500. What the two-bedroom, one-bath home at 337 Main Street lacks in space it makes up in character. Constructed in 1890, the saltbox home features wide-planked floorboards, built-in shelves, and a reading nook. Plus, the property includes a large fenced-in backyard with a fire pit, outdoor deck, and a unique barrel sauna.
See inside
January 25, 2021

Preservationists, pols fight to save Washington Heights home with Underground Railroad ties

Preservationists and local politicians are pushing the city to reverse their decision to not landmark a historic home with abolitionist history in Washington Heights. The two-story wood-frame home at 857 Riverside Drive in Upper Manhattan was owned by anti-slavery activist Dennis Harris who may have also been an Underground Railroad conductor. Despite a demolition permit filed by the current owner, the Landmarks Preservation Commission last November still rejected landmark status for the home because of the architectural alterations made to the original structure.
Learn more
January 22, 2021

NYC Restaurant Week returns with 570 local restaurants and to-go options

New York City Restaurant Week is now Restaurant Month. Due to popular demand, NYC Restaurant Week To Go, which launched on Monday, will run through February 28 instead of on Sunday as originally planned. During the month, diners can buy one bargain meal for delivery or takeout for $20.21, which includes an entree and at least one side, from each restaurant. According to NYC & Company, the city's tourism agency behind the program, a record 570 restaurants in over 100 neighborhoods are participating this year.
Find out more
January 22, 2021

Port Authority reveals plan to raze and replace Midtown bus terminal

Nearly ten years and 30 proposals later, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Thursday unveiled a plan to replace the dilapidated Midtown bus terminal. The agency on Thursday presented its final scoping report for the project, which involves demolishing the existing bus station to make way for a larger, state-of-the-art terminal. According to the Port Authority, the new plan would increase the capacity for commuter and intercity buses at the world's busiest bus terminal by nearly 40 percent.
More here
January 21, 2021

North Shore mansion with nearly 900 feet of water frontage asks $14.6M

A stunning mansion on 15 acres overlooking the Long Island Sound is on the market for $14.6 million. Located at 2 Wallis Lane in the North Shore village of Nissequogue, the estate, known as Somerset, boasts a seven-bedroom main brick manor residence and nearly 900 feet of water frontage. The 1930s era home has preserved lots of its charm, from its curvy staircase to the intricate moldings.
Take the tour
January 21, 2021

Big Gay Ice Cream’s first location in the East Village will not reopen

Big Gay Ice Cream's first brick-and-mortar location has permanently closed, as EV Grieve reported on Thursday. The East Village store at 125 East 7th Street opened its doors in 2011 after operating as an ice cream truck for two years. According to the neighborhood blog, the store has been closed since Gov. Andrew Cuomo's coronavirus pandemic "pause" order in March and now a for-rent sign hangs in the window.
Find out more
January 20, 2021

How Joe Biden will affect NYC’s renters, real estate, and recovery

After Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, his immediate focus will be getting the coronavirus pandemic under control and providing direct relief to Americans. In addition to immediate actions related to COVID-19, Biden's Day 1 housing priorities include extending the federal nationwide moratorium on residential evictions through the end of September and sending an additional $25 billion in rental assistance to states. Down the road, Biden has proposed fewer developer-friendly policies than his predecessor, including a repeal of the 1031 exchange and reform of the Opportunity Zone tax program. But overall, there is optimism among New York City real estate industry experts who see a Biden Administration as a way to restore stability and consumer confidence. With a pledge to defeat COVID-19 and send federal support to New York City, there's hope on the horizon for the city's recovery.
Learn more
January 19, 2021

$100M proposal aims to turn Union Square into NYC’s ‘most accessible’ space

Open space around Union Square would increase by more than 33 percent under a new proposal to transform the Manhattan neighborhood into New York City's "most accessible space." The Union Square Partnership on Tuesday released a plan that expands Union Square Park by about two acres to the edges around the square and connects landscaped plazas with safe, pedestrian-friendly space. Designed in collaboration with Marvel, the proposal is the result of a two-year community out-reach process.
Find out more
January 19, 2021

NYC offers free rides to COVID-19 vaccine sites for seniors

New York seniors who are unable to get to and from their coronavirus vaccine appointments will now be provided a free ride from the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday. Residents aged 65 and older who are unable to make their own arrangements to a city-operated vaccination site can sign up for transportation starting Monday. According to the city, about 10,000 rides will be offered each week.
Find out more
January 15, 2021

New York City’s tributes to Martin Luther King Jr.

While some of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most memorable moments of his career happened further South, like the Montgomery bus boycott and his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, support for his goals hailed first from advocacy organizations based in New York City, like the National Urban League. King held sermons at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights, led a march from Central Park to the United Nations in protest of the Vietnam War, and received a Medallion of Honor from Mayor Robert Wagner. As a way to honor King and his immense impact on the advancement of civil rights, the city has named streets, parks, playgrounds, and more after the icon. On MLK Day this Monday, celebrate by learning about memorials dedicated to him citywide.
Learn more about NYC's MLK memorials here
January 15, 2021

Cuomo reveals $51B plan to redevelop Midtown West, replace Port Authority

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday unveiled an ambitious plan to transform over 100 acres of Midtown West as part of a new "transit-oriented" development. The $51 billion proposal adds a new train hall south of Penn Station, replaces the Port Authority Bus Terminal, extends the High Line, and adds up to 1,400 units of new affordable housing. The project is one part of the governor's proposed $306 billion infrastructure plan, introduced on Thursday during his fourth 2021 State of the State address.
Find out more