All articles by Devin Gannon

Staten Island, Coney Island to be added to NYC Ferry system

Via NYC Ferry

January 10, 2019

Staten Island, Coney Island to be added to NYC Ferry system

By Devin Gannon

The city will launch two new ferry routes by 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday during his State of the City address. Staten Island and Coney Island will be added to the NYC Ferry system, providing a much faster commute to Manhattan for outer-borough New Yorkers. "It shouldn't be this hard to get around in the greatest city in the world," de Blasio said. "And so we’re giving people more and better options." With the addition of the Staten Island route, all five boroughs will be a part of the NYC Ferry system by next year.
Get the details

Transit

De Blasio promises to increase NYC bus speeds and number of designated lanes

January 10, 2019

De Blasio promises to increase NYC bus speeds and number of designated lanes

By Devin Gannon

Significant improvements will be made over the next two years to the New York City's outdated bus system, Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to announce during his State of the City address on Thursday. A report released by City Comptroller Scott Stringer in 2017 found the city's buses run at the slowest pace in the nation among large cities, traveling at just 7.4 miles per hour on average. The mayor aims to increase the bus speeds by 25 percent to just over 9 miles per hour by the end of 2020, as amNY first reported.
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Lottery launches for 52 affordable units at a beachfront rental in Coney Island, from $759/month

Rendering via Concern for Independent Living

January 9, 2019

Lottery launches for 52 affordable units at a beachfront rental in Coney Island, from $759/month

By Devin Gannon

An affordable housing lottery launched on Wednesday at a mixed-use development located in Coney Island one block from both the beach and the recently-landmarked Riegelmann Boardwalk. The nine-story development at 3003 West 21st Street, dubbed Surf Vets Place, offers residents a 24-hour attended lobby, sun terrace, a fitness center, computer lounge, and party rooms. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 50 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, ranging from a $759/month one bedroom to a $1,289/month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Council bill would require NYC developers to disclose relationships with public officials

January 9, 2019

Council bill would require NYC developers to disclose relationships with public officials

By Devin Gannon

Real estate developers would be required to disclose prior relationships with politicians before signing any deals with the city under a new bill being introduced Wednesday by Council Member Ben Kallos. The legislation would also make developers reveal their ownership interests and their Minority Women Business Enterprise status. "Well-connected developers should not be getting sweetheart deals on the taxpayer's dime," Kallos said in an email.
About the bill

Policy

The Chrysler Building is for sale

Via Creative Commons

January 9, 2019

The Chrysler Building is for sale

By Devin Gannon

New York City's iconic Chrysler Building is on the market. The owners of the 1930 Art Deco landmark, Tishman Speyer Properties and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, have hired real estate firm CBRE Group to sell the property, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The Abu Dhabi government purchased its majority stake in the Chrysler for $800 million in 2008, but real estate experts told the WSJ it would be difficult to recover.
Details here

Real Estate Trends

Lin-Manuel Miranda and NYC team up to save Theater District’s 100-year-old Drama Book Shop

Via Google Street View

January 8, 2019

Lin-Manuel Miranda and NYC team up to save Theater District’s 100-year-old Drama Book Shop

By Devin Gannon

One of New York City's go-to spots for thespians and Broadway lovers will remain open after all, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Lin-Manuel Miranda and three "Hamilton" associates, along with the city, have purchased the Drama Book Shop, saving it from impending closure. The independent bookseller announced in October it would have to close its doors due to rising rents in the Times Square neighborhood. But with investment from Miranda and his team, and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), the Drama Book Shop will reopen this fall at a new location within the theater district.
More here

Uncategorized

Sales launch at Brooklyn Heights library-replacing condo tower, from $1.1M

Renderings via Noe and Associates/ The Boundary

January 8, 2019

Sales launch at Brooklyn Heights library-replacing condo tower, from $1.1M

By Devin Gannon

Nearly four years after the Brooklyn Public Library announced the sale of its Brooklyn Heights branch, sales have started at the 38-story condo building that replaced it. The Hudson Companies, the developer who bought the site in 2015 for $52 million, launched on Tuesday sales for 133 one- to five-bedroom residences at One Clinton, ranging in price from $1.088 million to roughly $5.26 million for a four bedroom. Five-bedroom and penthouse pricing will be released in the coming months.
See inside

Council Speaker Corey Johnson kicks off five-day, five-borough tour of NYC subway stations

Via City Council Speaker Corey Johnson

January 7, 2019

Council Speaker Corey Johnson kicks off five-day, five-borough tour of NYC subway stations

By Devin Gannon

On Monday, Corey Johnson, the speaker of the New York City Council and Acting Public Advocate, kicked off a five-day tour of the city's subway system. Johnson, who will hold both posts until the public advocate special election on Feb.26, plans on traveling to stations in all five boroughs to get feedback from real New Yorkers all over the city. "New York City deserves a world-class transportation system, but unfortunately, due to years of neglect and mismanagement, we don't have one," Johnson wrote on the City Council's website.
Take the survey

Transit

Checking in on the tallest building at Cobble Hill’s River Park development

Editor’s note: A previous version of this post included renderings and details that do not represent the final project and have been removed.

January 7, 2019

Checking in on the tallest building at Cobble Hill’s River Park development

By Devin Gannon

The second phase of Fortis Property Group's five-building project in Cobble Hill will continue into the new year, with the complex's tallest tower expected to enter the market soon. 2 River Park, located at 91 Pacific Street, will top out at 28 stories, 475 feet tall. In addition to being the tallest at River Park, the condo tower will become the tallest in South Brooklyn, which contains Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Park Slope, and Red Hook.
Check it out

New Developments

Government shutdown could cost MTA $150M per month in federal funds

January 7, 2019

Government shutdown could cost MTA $150M per month in federal funds

By Devin Gannon

With each passing month of the partial government shutdown--currently in its third week--the Metropolitan Transportation Authority stands to lose $150 million per month in federal funds, Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday. Without funds from Washington, which are allocated for track repair work and construction projects, the MTA may have to cut back service or borrow money, if the shutdown continues. "They can last another four weeks, but after that, [the MTA has] got real trouble," Schumer said during a news conference, as the New York Post reported. "They may have to borrow which would increase their costs. They may have to cut back, which would be a very bad thing."
More here

Popular Articles

Cuomo says MTA board must sign off on L train plan, one day after it was presented as a done deal

January 4, 2019

Cuomo says MTA board must sign off on L train plan, one day after it was presented as a done deal

By Devin Gannon

The dreaded 15-month L train shutdown, planned and studied for three years, is canceled. Or is it? Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday presented a proposal for a new L train plan that would no longer require a 15-month closure of the Carnasie Tunnel, the link between Manhattan and Brooklyn and which was damaged by saltwater floods during Hurricane Sandy. During the news conference, Cuomo, along with a panel of experts, engineers, and the acting chair of the MTA, Fernando Ferrer, touted the project as being the shortest and best way to fix the tunnel. But in a conference call with reporters on Friday, the governor called on the MTA board to hold an emergency meeting to vote yay or nay on his new plan, of which most had heard about on the same day it was announced.
More here

This $799K Bed-Stuy condo ‘shakes’ things up with a clawfoot tub, wood stove, and roof deck

January 4, 2019

This $799K Bed-Stuy condo ‘shakes’ things up with a clawfoot tub, wood stove, and roof deck

By Devin Gannon

A condo full of Shaker woodwork detail in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood has hit the market for $799,000. The two-bedroom, two bath home at 464 Hancock Street boasts 10-foot-high ceilings, a functioning wood stove, and an envy-inducing windowed clawfoot tub. The sunlight-drenched home also features Shaker woodwork peg racks in most of the rooms and along the hallways, making for a unique storage addition.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Judge blocks NYC law that forces Airbnb to disclose names and addresses of hosts

Via Creative Commons

January 3, 2019

Judge blocks NYC law that forces Airbnb to disclose names and addresses of hosts

By Devin Gannon

In a win for Airbnb, a federal judge on Thursday blocked a New York City law aimed at curbing illegal short-term rentals, the New York Times reported. The law, signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio last August and originally expected to take effect in February, would have required Airbnb and similar home-share companies to disclose the names and addresses of its hosts to the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement monthly. Soon after, Airbnb filed a lawsuit against the city claiming an "extraordinary act of government overreach." U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer granted the company's request for a temporary injunction against the law, which he wrote was likely unconstitutional.
More here

Policy

With no details from de Blasio, Fair Fares pilot program misses Jan. 1 start date

January 3, 2019

With no details from de Blasio, Fair Fares pilot program misses Jan. 1 start date

By Devin Gannon

A program to provide discounted MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers missed its target start date of Jan. 1, and the city has not provided any concrete details on its rollout, amNY reported Wednesday. The Fair Fares pilot program, which was agreed upon in June by Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, would provide half-price MetroCards for those who fall below the federal poverty line. One day after the original launch date passed, the mayor on Wednesday told reporters that more information on how to apply for the program will be provided "in literally just a few days."
More on the Fair Fares flop

January 3, 2019

Snag an affordable apartment in the South Bronx, from $590/month

By Devin Gannon

A housing lottery launched this week for 32 affordable apartments in the Morrisania neighborhood of the South Bronx. The new building located on the corner of Third Avenue at 545 East 166th Street sits on the same block as the recently-expanded Estella Diggs Park, which has greenery, pathways, and new play equipment. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 50, 60, or 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $590/studio to a $1,643/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

New renderings released of Long Island City’s Skyline Tower, Queens’ soon-to-be-tallest

Rendering via Binyan Studios

January 2, 2019

New renderings released of Long Island City’s Skyline Tower, Queens’ soon-to-be-tallest

By Devin Gannon

The Skyline Tower, a 67-story condo building under construction in Long Island City, ended the year on a very high note. In addition to being named 6sqft's 2018 Building of the Year, the Hill West Architects-designed, 778-foot-tall tower became the first in Queens to pass $1 billion in total sell out. Plus, the property, which developer United Construction & Development Group first filed plans for in 2016, sits across the street from One Court Square, where Amazon is leasing one million square feet of office space before the company moves to its new HQ2 complex along the waterfront. On Wednesday, new renderings of Skyline Tower were released, showing off the interiors, views, and new subway entrance at the future tallest tower in Queens.
See the renderings

McNally Jackson bookstore staying put on Prince Street

Photo of McNally Jackson via Flickr

January 2, 2019

McNally Jackson bookstore staying put on Prince Street

By Devin Gannon

Beloved independent bookstore McNally Jackson will not be closing its Soho location after all, the Bowery Boogie reported on Wednesday. The good news comes just a few months after the bookseller announced it would have to move out of the neighborhood, its home for the last 14 years, due to a 136 percent rent increase.
More here

Uncategorized

Thousands sign online petition to rename stretch of Fifth Ave in front of Trump Tower after Obama

December 31, 2018

Thousands sign online petition to rename stretch of Fifth Ave in front of Trump Tower after Obama

By Devin Gannon

Over 3,800 people have signed a petition to rename the block in front of Trump Tower after President Barack Obama. Without specifically mentioning the Midtown building developed by President Donald Trump, the MoveOn.org appeal requests the City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio rename the part of Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Street "President Barack H. Obama Avenue."
Get the details

Uncategorized

Celebrate Kwanzaa in NYC with a live-drawing event, music and dancing, and an artisan market

December 28, 2018

Celebrate Kwanzaa in NYC with a live-drawing event, music and dancing, and an artisan market

By Devin Gannon

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is hosting its annual Kwanzaa festival on Saturday, celebrating African-American heritage with programs that focus on community, culture, and creativity. Free with admission, the event takes place on Dec. 29 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the museum's Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.
Get more info

Events & Things To Do

City Council votes to name NYC streets after Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, and Woodie Guthrie

December 27, 2018

City Council votes to name NYC streets after Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, and Woodie Guthrie

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council last week unanimously voted to co-name streets in honor of three NYC music icons, Notorious B.I.G., the Wu-Tang Clan, and folk singer Woody Guthrie, Gothamist reported. If the bills are signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, the block in Brooklyn where B.I.G. grew up will be called Christopher Wallace Way, after the rapper's birth name, Staten Island's Vanderbilt Avenue and Targee Street will be known as the Wu-Tang Clan District, and Woodie Guthrie Way will be found on Mermaid Avenue, marking where the singer lived in Coney Island.
More here

Policy

Statue of Liberty will stay open during government shutdown

Photo via NPS

December 24, 2018

Statue of Liberty will stay open during government shutdown

By Devin Gannon

The third partial federal government shutdown of 2018 kicked off this weekend after Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill. As with the first two that occurred earlier this year, the government shutdown can affect New York City by temporarily closing its national parks and some of its federally-funded museums, leaving thousands of federal workers in the city without pay. But one major landmark will remain open throughout the duration of the shutdown. With help from the state, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will stay open during the shutdown, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday.
More on the shutdown

Policy

What are the chances of a White Christmas in NYC this year?

Photo via Marianne O’Leary on Flickr

December 19, 2018

What are the chances of a White Christmas in NYC this year?

By Devin Gannon

The chance of getting a White Christmas in New York City this year is sadly unlikely, but not impossible. The team behind the Omni Calculator Project created an online tool that provides the probability of snowfall in major cities across the United States as well as the closest White Christmas--meaning at least one inch of snowfall on Dec. 25--near that city. While the White Christmas Calculator says NYC has a roughly 12 percent chance of seeing snow next Tuesday, there are four nearby cities with a nearly 50 percent chance of enjoying some flurries.
Dreaming of a White Christmas?

Events & Things To Do

MTA to close two Washington Heights subway stations for one year

December 18, 2018

MTA to close two Washington Heights subway stations for one year

By Devin Gannon

Two subway stations in Manhattan will close for one year each starting next month, although not at the same time, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Tuesday. The long-term closures are the result of major elevator replacement projects planned for five stations, including 168th, both 181st, 191st, and 190th Street 1/A stations in Washington Heights. According to the MTA, three of the stations are more than a century old, with most of the elevator components close to 100 years old.
Details here

Transit

Ride back in time on vintage NYC trains and buses this holiday season

Via Victoria Pickering on Flickr

December 18, 2018

Ride back in time on vintage NYC trains and buses this holiday season

By Devin Gannon

Feeling whimsical? Holiday Nostalgia rides are back this season, with vintage train cars and buses replacing regular service through New Year's. The New York Transit Museum invites New Yorkers and visitors alike to celebrate the magic of the city during the holidays with train rides that run along the F line from 6th Avenue to 47th-50th-Rockefeller Center, with stops at stations like Columbus Circle and 125th Street, all spots known for being major holiday shopping centers.
Roll this way

Events & Things To Do

Nitehawk Cinema will open in Park Slope this week with 7 theaters and bar with Prospect Park views

December 17, 2018

Nitehawk Cinema will open in Park Slope this week with 7 theaters and bar with Prospect Park views

By Devin Gannon

The Nitehawk Cinema will open a second location of its popular theater in Brooklyn this week after two years of renovation work. The theater will open on Wednesday in Park Slope at a refurbished Pavilion Theater, an iconic cinema that was built in 1928 and shuttered in 2016. Dubbed Nitehawk Prospect Park, the 34,000-square-foot facility includes seven theaters and a second-floor cocktail bar that overlooks Prospect Park.
More this way

New Developments

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