All articles by Devin Gannon

December 9, 2019

Waitlist opens for affordable units in Murray Hill rental near Grand Central, from $858/month

Applications are now being accepted for a 150-person waitlist for a luxury rental building in Murray Hill. Located at 200 East 39th Street, the building, known as Frontier, rises 19 stories and contains just under 100 apartments. Perks include a landscaped rooftop terrace, a fitness center, and a gaming lounge. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply to be placed on the waitlist for affordable units ranging from an $858/month studio to a $1,381/month two-bedroom.
Do you qualify?
December 9, 2019

State recognizes TWA Hotel as historic site, nominates two other NYC buildings

The state last week awarded ten projects with historic preservation awards, and nominated a dozen other sites to be nominated for the state and national historic places registers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation recognized the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport for its preservation of Eero Saarinen's Trans World Airlines terminal, which serves as the lobby for a new 512-room hotel.
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December 9, 2019

A vendor in Soho is selling Christmas trees for as much as $6,500 each

A Christmas tree vendor in Manhattan is selling 20-foot Fraser firs for $6,500 each, most likely the most expensive evergreen in the city, the New York Post reported Sunday. Scott Lechner, the manager of Soho Trees, located near Canal Street, told the newspaper that the exorbitant prices aren't slowing sales. "We're sold out," he said. The steep price tag includes delivery and installation.
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December 6, 2019

Facebook in talks for office space at former Farley Post Office in Midtown

Facebook is looking to expand its New York City footprint once again. The social media company is in talks to lease about 700,000 square feet at the former James A. Farley Post Office, a city landmark in Midtown currently being converted into a mixed-use building. If the deal is inked, Facebook would become one of the largest corporate tenants in the city with 3 million square feet of office space leased, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
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December 5, 2019

Take a bus tour of NYC through the eyes of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’

Fans of the Amazon series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" will soon be able to tour famed New York City locations featured in the show. Starting Dec. 16, On Locations Tours, which runs television and movie-themed tours in NYC and Boston, is offering a bus tour that stops at filming locations of the popular show, coinciding with the release of its third season this week. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the tours will be held three times a week and cost $52.
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December 5, 2019

Target announces new Times Square store, its 10th Manhattan location

New York City is getting another Target. The retailer announced on Thursday plans to open a small-format store in Times Square, its 10th store in Manhattan. The 33,000-square-foot location will be located at a five-level retail complex on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The property, owned and managed by Tishman Realty, is currently undergoing a $60 million renovation. The 42nd Street shop is expected to open in 2022.
The Target takeover continues
December 5, 2019

Electric cargo bikes will replace some delivery trucks in NYC

Nearly two million packages on average are delivered in New York City each day, causing vans and trucks to clog already congested streets. Looking to address delivery-related traffic, as well as cut vehicle emissions, the city announced on Wednesday a pilot program that would encourage companies to use cargo bikes instead of trucks to deliver parcels in Manhattan below 60th Street.
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December 4, 2019

David Rockwell-designed food hall to open at Manhattan West complex

A new food hall designed by David Rockwell is coming to Manhattan's West Side. Brookfield Properties announced on Tuesday plans to open a 40,000-square-foot venue at Manhattan West, a six-building development currently under construction that includes space for office, residential, retail, and a hotel between 9th and 10th Avenues. Dubbed "Citizens" and run by hospitality company sbe, the concept includes two full-service restaurants, multiple bars, and a fast-casual market.
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December 4, 2019

New looks for Thomas Heatherwick’s quirky Lantern House condos on the High Line

New renderings were released this week of Thomas Heatherwick's first residential project in the United States, providing a peek inside one of New York City's most unique new buildings. Developed by Related Companies, Lantern House consists of two High Line-flanking towers, one at 10 stories and the other at 22 stories, both with glassy bubbled exteriors. Four new images reveal its freestanding glass lobby pavilion which connects the two buildings and is pierced by two beams from the elevated park above.
See inside
December 4, 2019

New map shows over 600 languages spoken in NYC

More than 600 languages are spoken in the New York metropolitan area, making it one of the most linguistically diverse regions in the world. The Endangered Language Alliance (ELA), a non-profit that aims to protect endangered languages across the city and New Jersey, released this week a comprehensive map of the area's 637 languages and dialects at nearly 1,000 sites. As first reported by Gothamist, the map coincides with the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages, declared by the United Nations in 2016, as well as the upcoming 2020 census.
Explore the map
December 3, 2019

Lottery launches for 55 middle-income apartments at chic Clinton Hill rental, from $1,097/month

At the nexus of Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy, a new rental in Clinton Hill launched an affordable housing lottery this week for 55 middle-income units. Located across the street from the Franklin Avenue C, S subway station at 1134 Fulton Street, the building offers residents a gym, on-site laundry, parking, and rooftop access. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from $1,097/month studios to $2,400/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
December 2, 2019

Design unveiled for New York Philharmonic’s $550M revamped concert hall

A plan to redesign the New York Philharmonic's concert hall was unveiled on Monday, nearly two decades after the project was first proposed. The $550 million plan aims to create a more intimate experience, acoustically and visually, at David Geffen Hall by moving the stage closer to the audience, improving sightlines, and reducing the seating capacity. Officials estimate the new hall will open in March of 2024.
More here
December 2, 2019

Empire State Building opens 80th-floor observatory, completing $165M redevelopment

With the opening of the 80th-floor observatory last week, the $165 million, four-year redevelopment of the Empire State Building is now complete. In partnership with the city's tourism agency, NYC & Company, Empire State Realty Trust created an interactive, visitor-focused experience, which includes personalized digital itineraries, the building's classic viewfinders, film, original artwork, and more. The Trust unveiled the 102nd-floor observatory to the public in October, with the second-floor museum opening earlier in the summer.
See it here
November 27, 2019

Vintage photos document the origins of Black Friday shopping in NYC

Black Friday marks the start of frantic holiday shopping, the day when retailers offer their best deals of the season to lure in eager shoppers. While some gift-givers now choose to digitally add items to shopping carts from the comfort of bed instead, many still line up outside of stores at the crack of dawn in search of major discounts. This is not a modern phenomenon, as these photographs from the Library of Congress of 20th century New York City reveal. Like today, New Yorkers of the early 1900s were drawn to the magical window shops and displays. Ahead, explore vintage photos of shoppers browsing New York City stores looking for the perfect presents, postcards and more.
See the photos here
November 27, 2019

200 spots open on waitlist for middle-income units at ritzy Upper West Side rental

A housing lottery launched this week to replenish the waitlist at a high-end apartment building on the Upper West Side. Applications are currently being accepted for a 200-spot waitlist for the West End Towers, a two-tower, 1,000-unit complex at 75 West End Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the available units, studios between $1,997 and $2,137 per month and one-bedrooms between $2,224 and $2,601 per month. Eligible applicants will be randomly selected and placed on the waitlist for future vacancies.
How to apply
November 27, 2019

Live between Central Park and Morningside Park in Harlem, from $2,357/month

Located in between two of Manhattan's best green spaces, Morningside Park and Central Park, a new rental has launched a lottery for 32 middle-income apartments. The 13-story building at 251 West 117th Street in Harlem sits behind the former St. Thomas the Apostle Church, which has been restored and converted into a community and performance space. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which include $2,357/month studios, $2,526/month one-bedrooms, and $3,044/month two bedrooms.
Do you qualify?
November 26, 2019

141 middle-income units up for grabs at Prospect-Lefferts’ tallest tower, from $2,156/month

A housing lottery launched this week for 141 middle-income apartments at a newly constructed building that borders Brooklyn's Flatbush and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens neighborhoods. Dubbed "PLG," the 26-story tower at 123 Linden Boulevard sits a few blocks from the southern end of Prospect Park and boasts 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space. As the tallest building in the neighborhood at 320 feet, PLG offers unobstructed panoramic views of Prospect Park, the Manhattan skyline, and the Verrazano Bridge. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $2,156/month studios to $3,122/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
November 26, 2019

Disability rights group files lawsuit challenging inaccessibility of new Long Island City library

A disability rights group filed a lawsuit on Tuesday that claims a new public library in Queens does not provide full access for those with mobility disabilities. The civil suit, filed by the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York and the Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), says the newly constructed Hunters Point Library in Long Island City, which took nearly a decade to build and cost more than $41 million, violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While the library opened in September to praise from architecture critics for its innovative design, visitors immediately criticized the building's third level fiction section, accessible only by stairs.
Details here
November 25, 2019

A number of NY Waterway ferries still suspended for safety issues

After the U.S. Coast Guard halted service on nearly two dozen New York Waterway ferries for safety issues over the weekend, commuters on Monday faced extensive delays and modified routes. On Sunday, the Coast Guard said it suspended 23 of 32 ferries operated by the company after multiple inspections found them to be "operationally unfit." As of Monday afternoon, 15 ferries remained out of service.
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November 25, 2019

Kaleidoscope-like holiday installation opens in Flatiron plaza

A bright and colorful public art installation has opened in front of the Flatiron Building just in time for the holiday season. Ziggy from New York-based firm Hou de Sousa was selected last week as the winner of the annual Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition by the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and the Van Alen Institute. The structure is made up of painted rebar and 27,000 feet of iridescent cord and allows visitors to walk through, sit down, and peek through its vibrant openings. "Hou de Sousa’s spectacular installation invites us to rethink how we interact with public space, and with one another, "Deborah Marton, Van Alen's executive director, said. "Their design creates delightful and unexpected ways to connect with others."
See it here
November 22, 2019

NYC to close streets around Rockefeller Center to cars during holiday season

The city will expand pedestrian space around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall during the holiday season, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Friday. Starting Nov. 29, 49th and 50th Streets, as well as Fifth and Sixth Avenues, will be partially closed to cars to alleviate congestion caused by the roughly 800,000 people who visit the Christmas Tree every day during the season. The expansion marks the first time the city has created a defined pedestrian space for the area.
More here
November 22, 2019

Lottery launches for East Village rental with a roof deck and Trader Joe’s, from $674/month

Street View of 433 East 13th Street in June 2019; Map Data © 2019 Google It's your chance to snag an affordable apartment in a prime section of the East Village. A lottery launched this week for 30 mixed-income units at a newly constructed building called EVE NYC, located at 433 East 13th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A. Not only is the building within walking distance of an abundance of restaurants and bars, but it also offers one of the best perks inside of it: a Trader Joe's will open on the ground floor of its 14th Street side. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $674/month studios to $2,991/month two-bedrooms.
Do you qualify?
November 21, 2019

See the design for the new Made in NY campus in Sunset Park

The city released on Thursday designs for the fashion and film production complex planned for the Sunset Park waterfront. The new Made in NY Campus at Bush Terminal in Brooklyn involves the restoration of existing city-owned industrial buildings that will serve as a manufacturing hub for the garment industry, as well as the construction of a 100,000-square-foot media facility. The $136 million development, which will house between 20 and 30 companies from the fashion industry, will open in the spring of 2021.
See it here
November 21, 2019

Starting next year, big NYC buildings will display letter grades based on energy efficiency

Certain New York City buildings next year will be forced to share how energy efficient they are with the public. As part of the Climate Mobilization Act, passed by the city in April, structures that are 25,000 square feet and larger will be graded based on energy efficiency and mandated to post the rating in a "conspicuous" place in the building. As the New York Times reported, more than 40,000 of the city's one million buildings will be issued report cards, similar to how the Health Department issues restaurants a prominently displayed food safety rating.
Details here
November 20, 2019

Weeks before winter begins, thousands of NYCHA residents have been without heat or hot water

Thousands of public housing residents did not have heat and hot water on Tuesday, making it the second widespread outage in less than two weeks. As first reported by Gothamist, 10,000 New York City Housing Authority tenants across six complexes suffered from the outages this week. And last week, when temperatures dropped below freezing, roughly 23,000 NYCHA residents did not have heat or hot water at some point.
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