City Living

NYC’s containerized trash program would eliminate 150,000 parking spaces

Image courtesy of m01229 on Flickr

May 4, 2023

NYC’s containerized trash program would eliminate 150,000 parking spaces

By Aaron Ginsburg

Containerization, storage of trash in sealed bins rather than in plastic bags, is possible on 89 percent of New York City's streets with residential properties. A new analysis released by the city's Department of Sanitation this week found installing collection receptacles across the city is actually feasible, but would require the elimination of roughly 150,000 parking spaces, or 10 percent of all curb space on blocks with residential buildings. As first reported by the New York Times, the city will launch a pilot program in West Harlem this fall that will include the installation of trash containers in parking spots on up to 10 blocks and at more than a dozen schools.
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Dine-in movie theater to open at Bjarke Ingels’ VIA 57 West

Image via WikiCommons

April 27, 2023

Dine-in movie theater to open at Bjarke Ingels’ VIA 57 West

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new dine-in movie theater is opening inside a luxury residential building in Midtown next month. Located within the Bjarke Ingels-designed and Durst Organization-developed VIA 57 WEST, Look Dine-In Cinema's new flagship location offers a premium movie experience with large screens, state-of-the-art sound systems, luxury seating, and extensive food and beverage options. The theater opens on Thursday, May 4.
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Knicks, Nets, Devils, Islanders, and Rangers all in playoffs for the first time since 1994

Image via WikiCommons

April 17, 2023

Knicks, Nets, Devils, Islanders, and Rangers all in playoffs for the first time since 1994

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York-area sports fans rejoice: All five local hockey and basketball teams made the playoffs this year for the first time in nearly 30 years. The Knicks, Nets, Devils, Rangers, and Islanders are kicking off their postseasons, the first time all teams have been in the playoffs together since 1994 when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup and the Knicks lost to the Houston Rockets in a seven-game series in the NBA Finals.
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New York City hires its first-ever ‘rat czar’

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

April 13, 2023

New York City hires its first-ever ‘rat czar’

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has finally found the rat vanquisher it's been looking for. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday appointed Kathleen Corradi as the city's first-ever director of rodent mitigation, also referred to as the "rat czar." Corradi, who will earn $155,000, will work with city government agencies, community organizations, and private sector companies to effectively reduce the rat population across the five boroughs.
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Beach closures scheduled in the Rockaways this summer, but boardwalk will fully open

Photo courtesy of Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

April 6, 2023

Beach closures scheduled in the Rockaways this summer, but boardwalk will fully open

By Aaron Ginsburg

Beach closures at the Rockaways are scheduled once again this summer, but city officials say the shutdown won't be as disruptive as last year. Starting on Memorial Day weekend, 10 to 15 blocks of the beach will temporarily close on a rolling basis throughout the summer, the city's Parks Department announced this week. Closures, necessary for continued work on the Atlantic Shorefront Resiliency Project, will shift as necessary, moving west from Beach 116th Street and east from Beach 143rd Street, according to the agency. The Rockway boardwalk and its concessions will remain fully open.
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City Living

NYC to host largest-ever car-free Earth Day celebration

Photo courtesy of the New York City Department of Transportation on Flickr

April 5, 2023

NYC to host largest-ever car-free Earth Day celebration

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is marking Earth Day with its largest car-free celebration yet. The city's Department of Transportation's annual Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day event connects 100 open streets across the city, 22 plazas, and over 1,000 miles of the five borough's bike network to promote environmental activism and sustainable forms of transportation. This year's celebration will be held on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and include seven separate signature event locations and 23 community-produced locations featuring live performances, fitness instruction, giveaways, and educational programming.
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City designates these NYC neighborhoods as ‘rat mitigation zones’

Photo by Ludovic Bertron on Flickr

April 5, 2023

City designates these NYC neighborhoods as ‘rat mitigation zones’

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City this week named eight rat-prone neighborhoods as part of Mayor Eric Adams' quest to control the rodent population. According to a notice posted by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Monday, the "rat mitigation zones," which are areas with "high levels of rat activity," include Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, Grand Concourse in the Bronx, and Chinatown, the East Village, the Lower East Side, and Harlem in Manhattan. As Crain's reported, these identified zones will be the focus of a multiagency effort to address the rats and the conditions that cause them, according to the city.
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Adams proposes NYC’s first composting mandate

Image courtesy of the Department of Sanitation

March 27, 2023

Adams proposes NYC’s first composting mandate

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time ever, New York City residents will be required to separate their organic waste from their other garbage or face fines. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday proposed NYC's first composting mandate, a new policy that will require New Yorkers with yards to separate yard waste, which are biodegradable materials like leaves, flowers, twigs, and grass clippings, into a separate bin for pickup by the NYC Department of Sanitation. Residents who fail to do so will have to pay fines similar to the penalties for failing to recycle properly.
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New York reimagines Milton Glaser’s ‘I ♥ NY’ campaign for post-pandemic NYC

All images courtesy of WeLoveNYC

March 20, 2023

New York reimagines Milton Glaser’s ‘I ♥ NY’ campaign for post-pandemic NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York officials announced a new campaign using an adaptation of Milton Glaser's iconic "I ♥ NY" slogan. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams on Monday kicked off the new "We ♥ NYC" campaign, aimed to "inspire optimism and civic action" among New Yorkers post-pandemic.
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New plan aims to crack down on NYC’s unsightly scaffolding

Photo courtesy of Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

March 7, 2023

New plan aims to crack down on NYC’s unsightly scaffolding

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new plan aims to cut down the amount of time scaffolding spends hovering over New York City sidewalks. Released this week by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and City Council Member Keith Powers, the "Shed the Shed" report recommends several strategies aimed at taking down sidewalk sheds quickly, including accelerating construction on buildings, reducing permitting delays, reforming design standards, and holding buildings more accountable by increasing penalties.
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Popular Articles

Central Park’s iconic Loeb Boathouse set to reopen this summer

Photo by Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia Commons

February 16, 2023

Central Park’s iconic Loeb Boathouse set to reopen this summer

By Devin Gannon

After closing its doors last year, the iconic Loeb Boathouse in Central Park will reopen this summer with a new operator. Mayor Eric Adams and the city's Parks Department on Thursday announced Legends Hospitality, the group that operates at Yankee Stadium and One World Observatory, has been selected to manage the Boathouse as part of a 10-year lease. If the contract is approved by the city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee next month, the venue could be open to the public as early as June.
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Latest casino proposed for NYC includes a giant Ferris wheel near the U.N.

Rendering of Freedom Plaza. Credit: Soloviev Group.

February 1, 2023

Latest casino proposed for NYC includes a giant Ferris wheel near the U.N.

By Michelle Cohen

As the competition for three New York City casino licenses heats up, the latest contender, Soloviev Group, announced this week a partnership with Mohegan in a plan that would include a partially subterranean casino anchoring a Midtown entertainment district near the United Nations headquarters. In addition to the casino, the mixed-use development known as Freedom Plaza would include a hotel, two residential towers, green space, a performance venue, a giant Ferris wheel, and–because nothing says "democracy" like a casino and a Ferris wheel–a museum dedicated to democracy.
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City Living

NYC’s urban wineries connect the vineyard to the city for date night

Red Hook Winery. Photo credit: Sava Studio

January 31, 2023

NYC’s urban wineries connect the vineyard to the city for date night

When asked why a couple should spend Valentine’s Day at City Winery, CEO and founder, Michael Dorf responded, "Wine not?" Puns aside, he believes "there's this romantic vibe to wooden barrels — something sexy about a winery." It’s what he attributes to City Winery hosting so many weddings. Plus, he joked, if you get engaged at his winery, you’re guaranteed to stay married. Time might tell whether or not that’s true, but when it comes to planning a date night, urban wineries are like a more romantic version of the ever-popular urban brewery.
Where to wine and dine

NYC unveils first restored national medallions along Manhattan’s Avenue of the Americas

Photos courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation

January 31, 2023

NYC unveils first restored national medallions along Manhattan’s Avenue of the Americas

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city's Department of Transportation this week unveiled the first restored medallions installed along the Avenue of the Americas on lampposts from 42nd Street to 59th Street. The medallions, which were first displayed in 1959, depict the emblems of each nation and territory in the Western Hemisphere. After years of neglect, the medallions had fallen into disrepair, leaving just 18 of the original 300 medallions remaining. Last fall, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced plans to create new medallions. On Monday, the city installed the first nine of 45 new medallions, representing the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Argentina, St. Lucia, and Uruguay.
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City Living

NYC breaks 50-year record for longest snowless streak

Photo by Joseph Pearson on Unsplash

January 30, 2023

NYC breaks 50-year record for longest snowless streak

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has broken the record for the longest start to a winter season without snow, with no considerable amount of snow hitting the five boroughs for 327 days. If no measurable snowfall, considered at least a tenth of an inch, falls by February 4, the city will break its record for the longest streak of consecutive days without measurable snow, according to the New York Times.
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City Living

NYC’s curbside composting program coming to all five boroughs

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 26, 2023

NYC’s curbside composting program coming to all five boroughs

By Aaron Ginsburg

Following the notable success of the program in Queens, curbside composting will soon expand to all of New York City, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday during his State of the City address. The program will launch in Brooklyn this October, followed by the Bronx and Staten Island in March 2024 and Manhattan in October 2024. According to the mayor, the program will be the nation's largest curbside composting program.
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See what a casino atop Saks Fifth Avenue could look like

Renderings courtesy of Hudson’s Bay Company

January 25, 2023

See what a casino atop Saks Fifth Avenue could look like

By Aaron Ginsburg

Last week, plans to build a casino atop Saks Fifth Avenue in Midtown were released. Hudson's Bay Company announced it would pursue a gaming license in order to convert the upper floors of the flagship store at 611 Fifth Avenue into a casino. New conceptual renderings of the casino, first spotted by the New York Post, reveal a red carpet-lined entrance, lavish interiors, and a rooftop space that overlooks Rockefeller Center.
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City Living

Lunar New Year brings celebrations and joy to NYC’s Chinatown

All photos courtesy of Welcome to Chinatown unless otherwise noted

January 18, 2023

Lunar New Year brings celebrations and joy to NYC’s Chinatown

In early 2020, Vic Lee, who grew up in Manhattan's Chinatown, noticed that there was less foot traffic in her neighborhood. "It was obvious something was going on that Lunar New Year,” Lee said. “We talked to business owners, and it was because of xenophobia and racist rhetoric." During the height of the coronavirus pandemic in March of that year, she co-founded Welcome to Chinatown as a way to amplify small businesses and entrepreneurs in Chinatown via their Longevity Fund. The organization also has a meal donation program for underserved residents and does research and data collection. And this month, for the third year, Welcome to Chinatown will be hosting Lunar New Year celebrations to usher in the Year of the Rabbit, which begins January 22. We spoke to Lee about what to expect and what Lunar New Year means to her, as well as the Chinatown community.
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Saks Fifth Avenue proposes casino atop flagship store in Midtown

Image courtesy of Warren LeMay on Flickr

January 17, 2023

Saks Fifth Avenue proposes casino atop flagship store in Midtown

By Aaron Ginsburg

The owner of one of the world's most iconic department stores wants to open a casino at its iconic New York City flagship. Hudson's Bay Company, the owner of the Saks Fifth Avenue, announced last week it would pursue a gaming license to convert the top three floors of its store at 611 Fifth Avenue into a casino, as first reported by the New York Times.
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City Living

Hochul’s 14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ connecting Brooklyn and Queens will use light rail

View of the Bay Ridge Branch from below 5th Ave, which would be incorporated in the proposed Interborough Express. Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann/MTA on Flickr

January 11, 2023

Hochul’s 14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ connecting Brooklyn and Queens will use light rail

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Interborough Express, a highly-anticipated train line that will connect Brooklyn and Queens, will use light rail, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in her State of the State address on Tuesday. While the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is still conducting its environmental review of the project, Hochul stated that selecting light rail would "provide the best service for customers at the lowest cost per rider," according to a press release.
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Rooftop bar made of ice opens on the Brooklyn waterfront

All photos courtesy of 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge

January 9, 2023

Rooftop bar made of ice opens on the Brooklyn waterfront

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers will soon be able to relax in an ice lounge with cool views of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. Located atop the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Polar Lounge at Harriet's Rooftop offers patrons a glacial experience with seating, sculptures, and drinks made from ice. The lounge opens to the public on Thursday, January 12, and will stay open until February 26.
How to book

First Wegmans store in Manhattan will have a seafood restaurant and sushi bar

Wegmans’ opening day in Brooklyn Credit: Steiner NYC

January 5, 2023

First Wegmans store in Manhattan will have a seafood restaurant and sushi bar

By Aaron Ginsburg

Manhattan's first-ever Wegmans grocery store is opening this year. Located at Vornado Realty Trust's 770 Broadway in the East Village, the grocery store chain, beloved for its prepared food options and affordable prices, will replace the Kmart on Astor Place, which closed in 2021. In addition to its usual offerings, the store will feature a 94-seat seafood restaurant with an oyster counter and a 10-seat sushi bar, as first reported by Eater New York. The store is expected to open during the second half of 2023.
Details here

City Living

NYC’s highest ice skating rink to open at Hudson Yards’ observation deck Edge

Images courtesy of Edge

January 5, 2023

NYC’s highest ice skating rink to open at Hudson Yards’ observation deck Edge

By Aaron Ginsburg

A sky-high ice skating rink is opening at 30 Hudson Yards this month. Located within the indoor section of the skyscraper's observation deck Edge, "Sky Skate" is a 1,024-square-foot rink made of synthetic ice and surrounded by breathtaking views of the city skyline. At 1,131 feet in the air, the Sky Skate will be the highest ice skating rink in New York City.
Take skating to new heights

Mulchfest is back: Here’s how to recycle your Christmas tree in NYC

Photo credit: NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

January 3, 2023

Mulchfest is back: Here’s how to recycle your Christmas tree in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

With the holidays behind us, there's no better way to officially wrap up the season than sustainably disposing of your Christmas tree. The Parks Department's annual Mulchfest started on December 26 and will run through January 8, with 73 drop-off sites across the five boroughs for New Yorkers to bid "fir-well" to the holidays. On January 7 and 8 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., residents can bring their trees to one of the city's 35 chipping sites, watch them be chipped, and take a bag of mulch home.
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Here are the library books New Yorkers borrowed the most in 2022

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL

December 19, 2022

Here are the library books New Yorkers borrowed the most in 2022

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's three public library systems released their annual lists for their most checked-out titles of 2022. At the New York Public Library, the most borrowed book of the year was Matt Haig's The Midnight Library: A Novel. In Brooklyn, the top checkout was Laura Dave's The Last Thing He Told Me: A Novel, and in Queens, The Paris Apartment: A Novel by Lucy Foley.
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City Living

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