Policy

After Marble Hill ICE shooting, DHS head takes aim at Mamdani and New York’s sanctuary policies

Mayor Mamdani held a press conference on ICE shooting in Marble Hill on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Photo courtesy of Kara McCurdy | Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 9, 2026

After Marble Hill ICE shooting, DHS head takes aim at Mamdani and New York’s sanctuary policies

By Michelle Cohen

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday called for ICE to end its enforcement efforts in New York City after a federal ICE agent shot a man in a car with his five-year-old son in Manhattan. Department of Homeland Security head Markwayne Mullin, in a press conference Friday, attacked New York's sanctuary city policies, as the New York Times reports: "When you have sanctuary cities and sanctuary politicians, you endanger the safety of the public.”
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Policy

NYC unveils first permanently gated ‘School Street’ in Hudson Square

Photos courtesy of NYC DOT

October 8, 2026

NYC unveils first permanently gated ‘School Street’ in Hudson Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

A car-free street next to a Manhattan public school got even safer for students this week. The city on Tuesday installed the first swing gate outside of City-As-School/M721 on Clarkson Street in Hudson Square, a designated "School Street," a pedestrianized block next to schools. The permanent swing-arm gate eliminates the need to set up and take down metal barricades. Modeled after similar gates used at schools in Paris, the gate blocks traffic during the school day and opens outside school hours.
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MTA to bring new fare gates to 20 more subway stations after 35% drop in evasion

Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul on Flickr

October 7, 2026

MTA to bring new fare gates to 20 more subway stations after 35% drop in evasion

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a pilot program of new fare gates at select New York City subway stations led to a 35 percent drop in fare evasion, the MTA plans to install them at 20 additional stations this year. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced the pilot results, as well as the next 20 stations to receive the modernized gates, which feature elements that make it much harder for commuters to hop over. The MTA has invited design firms Cubic, STraffic, and Conduent to submit bids for the next batch of gates, which are slated to be installed by the end of 2026.
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Chrysler Building will get major revamp under new owner

Credit: Jason Krieger on Unsplash

October 7, 2026

Chrysler Building will get major revamp under new owner

By Aaron Ginsburg

After more than a year of uncertainty surrounding its fate, New York City's famed Chrysler Building has a new owner with major renovation plans. Tishman Speyer announced on Wednesday plans to buy the iconic Art Deco skyscraper and restore the office building inside and out. The commercial firm will invest $235 million in the building, plus ground lease payments to The Cooper Union, which has owned the land under the Chrysler Building since 1902. The transaction marks the end of a tumultuous period for the landmark, which was put back on the market in May 2025 for the first time since 2019 after its previous owners fell behind on more than $21 million in rent owed to Cooper Union.
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NJ Transit to cut service for five weeks as final Portal Bridge cutover begins

The project in 2024. Photos courtesy of Amtrak

October 6, 2026

NJ Transit to cut service for five weeks as final Portal Bridge cutover begins

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Jersey Transit riders will face five weeks of service disruptions starting this weekend as work begins on the final component of the Portal Bridge cutover project. From October 11 through November 14, all weekday Midtown Direct service will terminate in Hoboken as crews begin work. This will be the final service disruption caused by the project, which is switching rail operations from the 116-year-old bridge to the new $1.5 billion Portal North Bridge. Once the cutover is complete, trains will be able to travel across the new bridge at speeds of up to 90 mph.
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NYC extends late-night pick-up soccer at five fields

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 6, 2026

NYC extends late-night pick-up soccer at five fields

By Devin Gannon

The lights will stay on at soccer fields across New York City, extending a pilot program launched during the FIFA World Cup this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced he will extend the NYC Open Play pilot, which let one pitch in every borough stay open overnight for 24/7 pick-up games. Instead of running all night, the program, which will take place through November this year and then return from April through September 2027, will allow games to be scheduled between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
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NYC Ferry fare will increase to $5 this month

Credit: Sam Jotham Sutharson on Unsplash

October 5, 2026

NYC Ferry fare will increase to $5 this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

The price to ride NYC Ferry will go up later this month. The city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Monday announced the fare hike, which takes effect October 19, increasing the base one-way fare from $4.50 to $5 and the 10-trip pass from $29 to $30. The reduced one-way fare will increase from $1.45 to $1.50, while the two-day unlimited ticket will become a permanent fare product, maintaining its $15 price.
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Mamdani announces $607M renovation of NYCHA’s Nostrand Houses via public trust

Nostrand Houses. Photo by GK tramrunner RU on Flickr

October 5, 2026

Mamdani announces $607M renovation of NYCHA’s Nostrand Houses via public trust

By Aaron Ginsburg

More than 1,100 public housing apartments in Sheepshead Bay will undergo much-needed repairs as part of a $607 million comprehensive rehabilitation project. Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week announced the closing of financing for the renovation of Nostrand Houses, which will fund decades of capital needs for 1,148 apartments across its 16 buildings. The plans mark the first-ever financial closing through the city's Public Housing Preservation Trust, which was created in 2022 to help fund upgrades and repairs at NYCHA properties. Residents of Nostrand Houses, home to roughly 2,000 people, were the first to vote to join the Trust in 2023.
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Policy

Halloween ‘Trick-or-Streets’ return to NYC with 160 car-free streets

Photo © 6sqft

October 2, 2026

Halloween ‘Trick-or-Streets’ return to NYC with 160 car-free streets

By Aaron Ginsburg

Halloween returns to New York City’s streets at its largest scale yet, with 160 streets and public spaces closing to vehicles for spooky celebrations. Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Wednesday announced the return of "Trick-or-Streets," an annual initiative that closes streets, plazas, and other commercial corridors across the five boroughs to cars, providing safe space for free programming, trick-or-treating, and other Halloween activities.
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These 12 NYC neighborhoods will see affordable housing projects fast-tracked

Photo by Ricky Singh on Unsplash

October 1, 2026

These 12 NYC neighborhoods will see affordable housing projects fast-tracked

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City neighborhoods that have produced the least amount of affordable housing will see new projects streamlined under a new process that takes effect next year. The Department of City Planning on Thursday published a list of 12 community districts that will be eligible for the Affordable Housing Fast Track, a measure approved by voters last November that speeds up the approval process for affordable housing by cutting out input from the City Council, reducing the review time from seven months to three months. The city identified the neighborhoods, which range from the South Shore on Staten Island to the Upper West Side, by looking at affordable housing production relative to each district's existing housing stock over the last five years.
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$1B reconstruction of Coney Island boardwalk moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is seeking a design team to lead the $1 billion reconstruction of Coney Island’s iconic Riegelmann Boardwalk. The city’s Economic Development Corporation and Department of Parks on Wednesday released a request for qualifications (RFQ) seeking a “progressive design-build team” to oversee the full reconstruction of the landmarked boardwalk, a project first announced in December. The project will reconstruct the 2.7-mile boardwalk, replace utilities and structural piles, and elevate portions of it.
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NYC must redo pied-à-terre tax rollout, judge rules

Credit: Jermaine Ee on Unsplash

September 30, 2026

NYC must redo pied-à-terre tax rollout, judge rules

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City must redo its rollout of the controversial pied-à-terre tax after a Staten Island judge ruled Tuesday that the Mamdani administration mishandled the program’s launch. Issued by Judge Wayne M. Ozzi, the ruling sides with homeowners who sued the city over what they described as “mass confusion” surrounding the surcharge. Many New Yorkers who were ineligible for the tax received notices saying they may be subject to it, while the city also released a roll listing more than 900,000 properties that some mistakenly believed were all subject to the tax. The administration has already appealed the ruling, temporarily blocking an order that would force the city to restart its notification process.
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Policy

Proposed nine-story building next to Merchant’s House Museum returns to Landmarks

All images courtesy of the NYC LPC unless noted otherwise

September 29, 2026

Proposed nine-story building next to Merchant’s House Museum returns to Landmarks

By Aaron Ginsburg

A proposal to demolish and replace a parking garage next to Noho’s landmarked Merchant’s House Museum returned to the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday, after the previous hearing ended inconclusively following hours of public testimony. Proposed by Kalodop II Park Corp. at 27 East 4th Street, the project would erect a nine-story mixed-use building adjacent to the 1832 house museum, which preservationists and museum officials say could threaten the historic structure during construction. Since the engineering review for the proposal is incomplete, the LPC will vote at a future public meeting.
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September 29, 2026

Brooklyn landlord will return Crown Heights building to rent stabilization, first deal reached under new program

By Devin Gannon

A Brooklyn landlord will return all units in his Crown Heights apartment building to rent stabilization as part of the first settlement reached under a new state program. New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday announced that John Anderson will provide every tenant of his building at 1075 Dean Street with rent-stabilized leases and fix any hazardous conditions. The deal comes after James sued Anderson and another landlord in June for failing to register units as rent stabilized and overcharging tenants, the first case brought under a new compliance program launched by the state to enforce de facto rent stabilization. Since its launch in May 2025, the program has prevented 27 evictions and secured the return of 131 units to rent stabilization.
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Policy

Tunnel boring for $16B Hudson River tunnel project begins

Credit: Don Pollard/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul on Flickr

September 28, 2026

Tunnel boring for $16B Hudson River tunnel project begins

By Aaron Ginsburg

After more than a decade of planning, work on a new rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey has finally begun. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced the start of tunnel boring for the Hudson Tunnel Project, with the first of two hulking tunnel boring machines (TBMs) set to begin carving through the Palisades Cliffs and the second to follow soon after. The milestone comes after nearly three years of construction work and a months-long funding freeze by the Trump administration that briefly halted the project before a federal court ordered the funding restored.
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NYC Council announces slate of bills aimed at regulating AI

Credit: NYC Council on Flickr

September 25, 2026

NYC Council announces slate of bills aimed at regulating AI

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council has unveiled a slate of bills aimed at regulating artificial intelligence ahead of a rare full Council hearing with industry officials early next month. Speaker Julie Menin on Friday announced the proposals, which include measures that would prohibit businesses from deploying AI systems without third-party validation, require all AI systems deployed in the city to have a “kill switch,” and establish a first-in-the-nation incentive program allowing whistleblowers to receive a portion of fines or penalties recovered from AI companies. The Council is set to hold a “Committee of the Whole” hearing on October 5, with Meta confirmed to attend, along with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
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Policy

4.7 million people rode the NYC subway in a single day this week, a new post-pandemic record

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 25, 2026

4.7 million people rode the NYC subway in a single day this week, a new post-pandemic record

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nearly 4.7 million people rode the New York City subway on Wednesday, marking the system's highest ridership on a single day since before the pandemic. The milestone came during the United Nations General Assembly, when the city strongly encourages New Yorkers to take public transit amid heavy traffic and street closures. The tally sets a new post-pandemic ridership record, surpassing the previous high of 4.61 million riders set in December 2025.
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NYC Council bill would create ‘low-traffic neighborhoods’ across the city

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

September 24, 2026

NYC Council bill would create ‘low-traffic neighborhoods’ across the city

By Aaron Ginsburg

Some New York City Council members want to transform several areas into “low-traffic neighborhoods” by redesigning streets to divert through-traffic away from residential blocks. The bill, set to be introduced on Thursday by Council Member Shaun Abreu, chair of the council’s Transportation Committee, would require the city to install at least two types of “traffic-calming devices” in each neighborhood, such as speed bumps, medians, or barriers at intersections, as first reported by Gothamist. The measures are intended to slow traffic and discourage drivers from cutting through residential streets while maintaining access for emergency vehicles and delivery trucks.
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City expands 100 Gold Street redevelopment to nearly 4,000 new homes

Rendering: CetraRuddy Architects

September 22, 2026

City expands 100 Gold Street redevelopment to nearly 4,000 new homes

By Devin Gannon

A project that converts a Financial District office building into housing will now have 4,000 apartments, an increase of about 300 units from the original plan, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday. First revealed by the city last year, the project replaces 100 Gold Street with a high-rise mixed-use development with new homes and a senior center. The updated plan comes ahead of the public review process and is part of a deal reached by the former administration to add new housing to the district in exchange for scrapping the development at Elizabeth Street Garden.
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Mamdani and Trump take Sunnyside Yard talks to ‘new level’ but announce no new details

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 22, 2026

Mamdani and Trump take Sunnyside Yard talks to ‘new level’ but announce no new details

By Aaron Ginsburg

During a meeting at Gracie Mansion on Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump said they spoke about plans to build 12,000 homes atop a city-owned rail yard in Queens but announced no new details on the proposed project. In a joint press conference following the meeting, their third since November, Mamdani said he and the president "agreed to set up a new level of that conversation" between City Hall and the White House on Sunnyside Yard, a proposal to build a deck over the 180-acre rail yard in Queens to create a new community with affordable apartments, schools, and public space. The proposal is years in the making. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio shelved an earlier version because of the pandemic, but Mamdani revived the project and pitched it to Trump during a White House visit in February.
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New York moves to protect historic African burial ground in Elmhurst

Credit: Queens Borough President’s Office

September 21, 2026

New York moves to protect historic African burial ground in Elmhurst

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York wants to ensure a historic burial ground of formerly enslaved people in Queens finally receives the protection and recognition it deserves. Attorney General Letitia James on Friday filed a motion to intervene in a pending foreclosure action involving 47-11 90th Street in Elmhurst, a site where nearly 300 freed African slaves were buried in the early 19th century, seeking a court order requiring any prospective buyer to be notified of the human remains on the property and their legal obligations to protect them. Dating back to 1818, the site was rediscovered in 2006 and has since been paved over and disturbed during subsequent development. Now that the property is once again up for sale, the state is seeking to ensure the burial ground is respected by its next owner.
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Policy

See the final vision for Park Avenue’s green redesign

Bosque median at 50th Street. All renderings courtesy of Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners

September 18, 2026

See the final vision for Park Avenue’s green redesign

By Devin Gannon

Plans to reimagine Park Avenue as a green oasis in the heart of Manhattan are moving forward. The city's Department of Transportation this week released the final design concept for the 11-block stretch of the corridor, which intends to bring the "park back to Park Avenue" by widening the traffic medians and adding greenery and seating. After gathering feedback from the public this spring, the city, along with Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners, the team leading the design, updated the concept to move the originally proposed two-way bike lane along the median into dedicated space, leaving enough room for both cyclists and pedestrians.
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17 free public restrooms installed in NYC

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 17, 2026

17 free public restrooms installed in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Seventeen free, accessible public restrooms are coming to New York City, helping New Yorkers relieve themselves while also relieving the city’s shortage of the facilities. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced that installation has begun on the public restrooms in public plazas and high-traffic areas where New Yorkers currently lack reliable access to a bathroom, as part of a $4 million pilot program the mayor unveiled in January. To access the toilet, users must either text or scan a QR code on their cell phone or tap a key card provided by local businesses or nonprofit groups.
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Policy

20-story affordable development in Soho approved by Landmarks

Images courtesy of BKSK Architects

September 16, 2026

20-story affordable development in Soho approved by Landmarks

By Aaron Ginsburg

A 20-story residential development with 100 percent affordable housing is moving forward on Canal Street in Soho. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved the project at 257 Canal Street, which would bring 88 permanently affordable apartments to the site, including 54 supportive housing units for young adults aging out of the foster care system. The commission approved the project after applicants followed their recommendations to use warmer brick in the facade to complement the historic district and reduce the floor-to-floor heights.
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City Council to convene rare special hearing on AI risks, with industry leaders invited

Credit: NYC Council on Flickr

September 16, 2026

City Council to convene rare special hearing on AI risks, with industry leaders invited

By Aaron Ginsburg

Amid growing concerns about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, the full New York City Council will convene early next month to examine the technology’s potential risks, with AI industry leaders invited to testify. Speaker Julie Menin on Tuesday sent letters to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, inviting them to join the Council on October 5 for a special public hearing on AI. The hearing follows a recent incident in which OpenAI agents went rogue and hacked into a company’s infrastructure, as well as warnings from leading industry figures that AI could cause catastrophic harm, including human extinction.
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