All articles by Devin Gannon

NYC pol calls for rent relief, permanent outdoor dining, and other small business-saving measures

Gem Spa in the East Village permanently closed in May; Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

July 27, 2020

NYC pol calls for rent relief, permanent outdoor dining, and other small business-saving measures

By Devin Gannon

Small businesses in New York City are struggling to stay afloat, especially those still unable to reopen because of the coronavirus pandemic. A survey from the Hospitality Alliance found that only 19 percent of city businesses paid June rent and only 26 percent of landlords waived rent. Council Member Keith Powers on Monday released a report detailing ways to save small businesses and prepare for a post-COVID-19 world by providing emergency rent relief using federal funds, waiving the commercial rent tax, making outdoor dining permanent, and other measures.
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Policy

New York suspends liquor licenses of six NYC bars in violation of COVID-19 regulations

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

July 27, 2020

New York suspends liquor licenses of six NYC bars in violation of COVID-19 regulations

By Devin Gannon

Six more bars and restaurants in New York City temporarily lost their liquor license last week for violating social distancing regulations. Following a statewide compliance check between July 21 and July 23, the State Liquor Authority found violations at 84 establishments and suspended the liquor licenses of 10 bars, of which six were in the five boroughs, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday. Over the weekend, an additional 105 violations were issued to bars and restaurants, the governor said on Sunday.
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De Blasio adds ‘play streets’ to some car-free blocks, but cuts nearly 3 miles from the program

Photo courtesy of city’s Department of Transportation on Flickr

July 24, 2020

De Blasio adds ‘play streets’ to some car-free blocks, but cuts nearly 3 miles from the program

By Devin Gannon

While the city is adding just under two miles of open streets to its roster of car-free blocks, nearly three miles will be removed from the program. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday announced 1.72 miles of open streets across the five boroughs, as well as a new initiative called "Play Streets," which will offer families a number of contactless activities, sports, and arts and crafts on 12 streets currently closed to cars. However, the mayor failed to mention during the press briefing that 2.77 miles will be cut from the program and returned to normal vehicle traffic at "underused locations."
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Inwood rezoning plan can move forward, appeals court rules

Photo of Inwood Hill Park by Dana on Flickr

July 24, 2020

Inwood rezoning plan can move forward, appeals court rules

By Devin Gannon

The plan to rezone Inwood can move forward, a state appeals court ruled on Thursday. The decision comes after a judge in December overturned the land-use changes approved by the City Council in 2018 to rezone 59 blocks of the northern Manhattan neighborhood. But in their decision, the appellate court said the City Council "acted properly and consistently" with review procedures.
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Policy

Return of 24/7 subway service in NYC would be required under new legislation

Photo: Patrick Cashin / MTA New York City Transit

July 23, 2020

Return of 24/7 subway service in NYC would be required under new legislation

By Devin Gannon

In May, for the first time in its history, the New York City subway system shut down overnight as part of a nightly disinfection plan to kill traces of the coronavirus on trains and buses. To ensure the subway resumes 24/7 service, seen as an integral part of the city that never sleeps' DNA, the State Senate on Thursday passed legislation that would require nonstop subway service when a state of emergency is not in effect.
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NJ yoga, pilates, and martial arts studios can reopen for indoor classes

A yoga class at Pier A in Hoboken courtesy of the City of Hoboken

July 23, 2020

NJ yoga, pilates, and martial arts studios can reopen for indoor classes

By Devin Gannon

Some fitness studios in New Jersey can resume indoor classes at limited capacity, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Wednesday. The governor clarified an executive order issued this week that allowed for outdoor control drills and practices to resume for "high-risk" organized sports, including football, cheerleading, wrestling, and others.
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Policy

Susan Sarandon lists massive Chelsea duplex for $7.9M

Photos: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

July 22, 2020

Susan Sarandon lists massive Chelsea duplex for $7.9M

By Devin Gannon

The dramatic Chelsea duplex owned by actress Susan Sarandon for nearly 30 years has hit the market for $7.9 million. Located at 147 West 15th Street within the luxury co-op building La Fabrique, the massive 6,000-square-foot apartment boasts a flexible layout with six bedrooms, four exposures, and a gallery foyer on the eighth floor. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the Academy Award winner, a native of Queens, said she plans to downsize to a smaller pad nearby and has no intention of leaving the city. "I’ve always been a New Yorker and I’ll continue to be a New Yorker," Sarandon said.
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No reopening plans for NJ’s American Dream mall as tenants flee and owner skips mortgage payments

Rendering courtesy of Triple Five Group

July 22, 2020

No reopening plans for NJ’s American Dream mall as tenants flee and owner skips mortgage payments

By Devin Gannon

After nearly two decades of construction delays, New Jersey's mega-mall American Dream partially opened last October. Six months later, the three-million-square-foot venue was forced to close its doors because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, even as the state continues its gradual reopening, there is still no reopening date for the $5 billion mall. As NJ.com reported, owner Triple Five Group has missed three consecutive mortgage payments and retail tenants are getting out of their leases at the space.
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New Developments

10 iconic streets and spots in NYC open for outdoor dining

July 22, 2020

10 iconic streets and spots in NYC open for outdoor dining

By Devin Gannon

Since Mayor Bill de Blasio rolled out the open restaurants program last month, allowing eateries to serve diners on sidewalks and in adjacent parking spots, over 9,000 eateries have reopened for outdoor dining. Offering another lifeline to the struggling industry, especially now that indoor dining has been postponed indefinitely, the city has also closed more than 40 blocks to traffic for its weekend-only open streets dining program, overseen by community organizations and neighborhood Business Improvement Districts. With so many al fresco dining options available, we're rounding up the most iconic New York City streets and establishments now open for outdoor dining, from the most photographed block in Brooklyn and New York's oldest bar in Queens to open-air plazas with views of city landmarks.
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Food & Dining

Popular Articles

Field of sunflowers exhibit takes over Four Freedoms Park to honor 100 years of women’s suffrage

Courtesy of FDR Four Freedoms Park Conservancy

July 21, 2020

Field of sunflowers exhibit takes over Four Freedoms Park to honor 100 years of women’s suffrage

By Devin Gannon

A massive field of sunflowers has been installed at the monumental staircase at FDR Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. The park's new exhibit, which was created together with the New-York Historical Society and the League of Women Voters, comes ahead of the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment's ratification and aims to symbolize the continued push for full equality today. The installation measures 12 feet by 100 feet and features text from the amendment, which was ratified on August 18, 1920: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."
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Events & Things To Do

NYC’s latest Whole Foods store opens at new Hudson Yards development

Outdoor seating at Whole Food’s 5 Manhattan West location; Photo © CityRealty

July 20, 2020

NYC’s latest Whole Foods store opens at new Hudson Yards development

By Devin Gannon

New York City's newest Whole Foods Market opened in Hudson Yards on Friday, becoming the grocery store chain's 14th Big Apple location. Located at 450 West 33rd Street, the market sits on the ground level of 5 Manhattan West, a 15-story office tower that is part of the six-building complex Manhattan West. The new Whole Foods measures more than 60,200 square feet and features a number of local vendors, like Threes Brewing, Café Grumpy, and Beecher's Handmade Cheese, as well as a spacious set up for outdoor dining.
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Uncategorized

322-unit affordable complex with healthcare center and courtyard planned for East Flatbush

July 17, 2020

322-unit affordable complex with healthcare center and courtyard planned for East Flatbush

By Devin Gannon

Another proposal has been chosen for a new affordable development in East Flatbush as part of the state's effort to revitalize neighborhoods in Central Brooklyn. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced plans for a 322-unit complex called "Utica Crescent" that will be constructed on a lot next to the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. The project is part of the $1.4 billion Vital Brooklyn initiative that will ultimately bring 4,000 units of affordable housing, improved health and wellness options, jobs, and additional open space to underserved Brooklyn neighborhoods.
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1,500 maps showing 450 years of development in Brooklyn now available online

Created by the Olmsted and Vaux firm, this map shows the original plans for Prospect Park, as well as the historic reservoir at Grand Army Plaza (1871)

July 17, 2020

1,500 maps showing 450 years of development in Brooklyn now available online

By Devin Gannon

The Center for Brooklyn History, a collaboration between the Brooklyn Historical Society and the Brooklyn Public Library, launched a user-friendly online portal that contains the institution's collection of nearly 1,500 maps of Brooklyn dating back to 1562. While researchers will no doubt appreciate the new accessibility to the unique maps, the tool is also a fun way for all residents of the borough to explore the evolution of their neighborhood over the last four centuries. From rare Revolutionary War maps and original plans for Prospect Park to a subway map detailing how to get to Ebbets Field, the maps span more than 450 years and include transit maps, cultural maps, survey charts, and more.
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History

During the pandemic’s peak, low-income New Yorkers lacked access to quality green space

Photo of Sheep Meadow in Central Park on May 4, 2020 © 6sqft

July 16, 2020

During the pandemic’s peak, low-income New Yorkers lacked access to quality green space

By Devin Gannon

Parks and public green space proved to be a lifeline for New Yorkers during the peak of the pandemic, for both their physical and mental wellbeings. But not all parks are created equal, as reports from the city's Independent Budget Office and the Trust for Public Land found. In many low-income and minority neighborhoods, where cases and rates of death from COVID-19 were experienced disproportionately, residents lacked access to quality green space, especially when space like playgrounds and basketball courts, closed for nearly three months.
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Policy

The highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere is set to reopen at Hudson Yards

Photo © Dana Schulz for 6sqft

July 16, 2020

The highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere is set to reopen at Hudson Yards

By Devin Gannon

Edge, the 1,100-foot-tall outdoor observation deck at Hudson Yards, is expected to reopen next week with safety precautions taken to "new heights." The sky-high deck first opened to the public on the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards in March, only to close two days later because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, as New York City prepares to enter phase four of reopening, Related Companies says visitors could start experiencing Edge as soon as July 20, with new timed-entry tickets and public health measures created in collaboration with the Mount Sinai Health System.
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City Living

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will reopen August 29

Photo by Alex Proimos on Wikimedia

July 16, 2020

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will reopen August 29

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will reopen to the public on August 29, as part of the city's phase four of reopening. The museum closed all three of its locations in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Met's Fifth Avenue building will open its doors five days a week, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. While The Cloisters is expected to open in September, museum officials last month announced that the Met Breuer will not reopen at all, with the building instead serving as the temporary home of the Frick Collection.
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Crown Heights residents rally against proposed 182-unit complex at site of 19th-century senior home

Southern facade; Photo credit: Simia Rassouli

July 15, 2020

Crown Heights residents rally against proposed 182-unit complex at site of 19th-century senior home

By Devin Gannon

The fight continues over a proposed new development on a large stretch of land in the Crown Heights North Historic District II with an online petition opposing the project collecting over 4,000 signatures. A neighborhood group, Friends of 920 Park, hopes to stop the construction of a seven-story, 182-unit apartment building on land at 959 Sterling Place (920 Park Place), originally the site of the Methodist Home for the Aged and currently the home of the Hebron French Speaking Seventh Day Adventist School. The renewed fight against the project comes ahead of a Brooklyn Community Board 8 and Landmarks Preservation Commission public hearing on the plan later this summer.
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Real Estate Trends

Open-air cafe proposed along the East River in historic South Street Seaport

View from John Street Rendering courtesy of Woods Bagot/ NYC Parks

July 15, 2020

Open-air cafe proposed along the East River in historic South Street Seaport

By Devin Gannon

An open-air waterfront restaurant and bar could be coming to the South Street Seaport Historic District. The Howard Hughes Corporation and the city's Parks Department on Tuesday presented a proposal to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a new concession along the East River Esplanade under the FDR Drive overpass. Designed by Woods Bagot, the "Blockhouse Bar" would be a year-round establishment, with plans to add decking over the pavement, planters, and vinyl coverings during the winter months.
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How to apply for New York’s new COVID-19 rent relief program

Via CityRealty

July 14, 2020

How to apply for New York’s new COVID-19 rent relief program

By Devin Gannon

Update 7/31/20: The deadline to apply for the rent relief program has been extended by one week to Thursday, August 6. A new rent relief program launched Tuesday that provides subsidies to eligible low-income New Yorkers financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic. First signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last month, the assistance program helps low-income households experiencing increased rent burden due to a loss of income because of COVID-19 by sending a one-time subsidy directly to landlords. The payment covers the difference between a household's rent burden on March 1 and the increase in rent burden for up to four months. Applicants must meet several eligibility requirements to qualify for the program.
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High Line Nine galleries transform into socially-distanced ‘living storefronts’

Image by Vicky Barranguet

July 14, 2020

High Line Nine galleries transform into socially-distanced ‘living storefronts’

By Devin Gannon

As New York City slowly reopens with some semblance of normalcy, art galleries are also returning. Earlier this month, the High Line Nine introduced a new initiative that transforms five of its galleries into "living storefronts." The High Line Nine Artist Residency, titled "Dare to Reimagine," allows visitors to walk through the corridor in Chelsea and view artists at work through glass-walled studios. And all works on display will be available for purchase through scannable QR-codes on-site.
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Smorgasburg returns to Williamsburg next week as takeout-only ‘Smorg To Go’

2018 Smorgasburg; Photo by Scott Lynch

July 14, 2020

Smorgasburg returns to Williamsburg next week as takeout-only ‘Smorg To Go’

By Devin Gannon

Popular outdoor food market Smorgasburg returns to Williamsburg next week with a new takeout-only model. As Eater New York first reported, "Smorg To Go" will launch on Monday, July 20, with 10 vendors serving fare at 51 North 6th Street at Kent Avenue, a block from the market's typical summer location at Marsha P. Johnson State Park. The new takeout market will operate seven days per week with a rotating list of vendors.
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Empire State Building’s observatory reopens next week with new air purification system

Photo by Neil Cooper on Unsplash

July 14, 2020

Empire State Building’s observatory reopens next week with new air purification system

By Devin Gannon

One of the world's most iconic buildings will reopen its observatory to the public next week. The Empire State Building announced on Monday that visitors can return to the skyscraper's 86th- and 102nd-floor observatory spaces starting Monday, July 20. Capacity will be reduced by more than 80 percent, temperatures will be checked, and face coverings will be required. Plus, the building is deploying a number of improvements for ventilation, including MERV 13 filters, an air purification system, and mechanisms to bring fresh air into the space. New York City could enter phase four as early as July 20, but no official announcement has been made yet.
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City Living

Six-acre private island in Connecticut with a charming cottage asks $2.5M

Photo by Carlos Marques, Marcott Studios

July 13, 2020

Six-acre private island in Connecticut with a charming cottage asks $2.5M

By Devin Gannon

A nearly six-acre private island off the coast of Norwalk, Connecticut has hit the market for $2.5 million. The property, called Copps Island, features an adorable three-bedroom, two-bath cottage with a huge screened-in porch. The home, which measures about 2,620 square feet, sits on the island's highest point, providing serene views of the Long Island Sound from every room.
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Distinctive Homes

NYC public libraries reopen 22 branches for grab-and-go service

Photo of Todt Hill-Westerleigh branch; credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL

July 13, 2020

NYC public libraries reopen 22 branches for grab-and-go service

By Devin Gannon

New York City's public libraries on Monday opened 22 branches for limited grab-and-go service as part of a phased reopening process. The joint plan involves a gradual reopening of physical locations in stages, with seven to eight branches opening for contactless pickups and book returns to start. All libraries were forced to close in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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