Policy

New legislation would make NYC outdoor dining year-round again

Credit: Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

October 10, 2025

New legislation would make NYC outdoor dining year-round again

By Aaron Ginsburg

New legislation aims to restore New York City’s outdoor dining program to its pandemic-era scale by eliminating seasonal restrictions. Council Member Lincoln Restler on Thursday introduced Intro. 1421 to restore year-round outdoor dining, which ended following new rules and restrictions approved by the Council last year. The legislation would also allow grocery stores to apply for sidewalk cafe licenses, eliminate seasonal limits on roadway cafes, and permit certain cafes to expand their frontage with approval. The proposal seeks to scale back aspects of Dining Out NYC, the city’s current outdoor dining program. According to Restler, the seasonal schedule and stricter rules have made it difficult for many businesses to participate.
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Housing code violations at NYCHA buildings are now public

East River Houses Credit: Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

October 9, 2025

Housing code violations at NYCHA buildings are now public

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time, New York City public housing residents can see housing code violations for their buildings online. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development began posting violations at NYCHA buildings on an online public portal this week and via NYC Open Data, following a June legal settlement. The records include more than 500 violations documented through court-ordered inspections since September 15. Housing advocates are hailing the portal for providing the same access to information long available to private tenants, just a week after a partial collapse at a Mott Haven NYCHA building.
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Policy

Midtown office tower to become 107 studio apartments, first major conversion under rezoning

Streetview of 29 West 35th Street, © Google 2025

October 8, 2025

Midtown office tower to become 107 studio apartments, first major conversion under rezoning

By Devin Gannon

An underutilized Midtown office building is set to become over 100 studio apartments in its next life. Infinite Global Real Estate and Buttonwood Development, in partnership with 400 Capital Management, have acquired 29 West 35th Street, with plans to turn the 12-story tower into a rental building. The project marks the first major office-to-residential conversion in the neighborhood following the Midtown South rezoning, approved by the City Council this summer.
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Works begins on Newark Airport’s new $3.5B AirTrain

Rendering courtesy of Tutor Perini/O&G

October 7, 2025

Works begins on Newark Airport’s new $3.5B AirTrain

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work has begun on revitalizing Newark Liberty Airport's aging AirTrain—one part of the larger plan to rebuild the international airport. On Tuesday, Port Authority Chair Kevin O’Toole announced the groundbreaking for the new AirTrain, kicking off a long-awaited refresh of the 1990s-era system that will speed up and improve travel to the airport via public transit. The $3.5 billion project is part of the EWR Vision Plan, a long-term effort to rebuild the airport, including a new Terminal B, upgrades to Terminal C, fixes to the airport’s complex roadway network, and replacement of the AirTrain.
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NYC announces nearly 140 car-free Halloween events

Credit: NYC DOT

October 6, 2025

NYC announces nearly 140 car-free Halloween events

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's Halloween open streets program returns for another record-breaking season, with nearly 140 participating locations over two weeks. On Monday, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the "Trick-or-Streets" program, which will close streets, plazas, and other corridors across the five boroughs to vehicles, opening the spaces for spooky (and safe) festivities from October 17 through 31.
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Corlears Hook Bridge, amphitheater, and new sports fields reopen at East River Park

All photos courtesy of NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

October 3, 2025

Corlears Hook Bridge, amphitheater, and new sports fields reopen at East River Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

City officials last weekend celebrated the reopening of the Corlears Hook Bridge, amphitheater, and restored sports field at East River Park. The reopening is part of the broader East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) initiative, which is elevating and rebuilding the park to protect the Lower East Side from rising sea levels. In May, the park’s south end reopened after closing in 2021, with new picnic and barbecue areas, a passive lawn, six tennis courts, two basketball courts, a nature exploration area, and a multi-use area.
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Statue of Liberty to stay open during federal shutdown, Trump says

Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

October 2, 2025

Statue of Liberty to stay open during federal shutdown, Trump says

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Statue of Liberty will remain open during the U.S. government shutdown, President Donald Trump's administration said Thursday. The shutdown leaves federal workers without pay and closes federally funded museums and monuments, like Lady Liberty. After Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state would not pay to maintain the monument during the shutdown, the Trump administration announced the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island would remain open.
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Policy

Trump withholds $18B for Second Avenue subway, Gateway tunnel projects

Rendering courtesy of the MTA

October 1, 2025

Trump withholds $18B for Second Avenue subway, Gateway tunnel projects

By Devin Gannon

President Donald Trump's administration announced it is withholding $18 billion for two critical New York City infrastructure projects, the Second Avenue Subway and the Hudson River Gateway Tunnel, citing the state's "unconstitutional DEI principles." In a statement, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said funds for the two projects are frozen until the department can review what it calls "discriminatory, unconstitutional contracting processes." The move from Trump came hours after the federal government shutdown.
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Policy

NYC subway and bus fare to increase to $3

Photo by Felicity Tai from Pexels

October 1, 2025

NYC subway and bus fare to increase to $3

By Aaron Ginsburg

It will officially cost you 10 more cents to ride New York City subways and buses starting in January. On Tuesday, the MTA Board voted 11-0, with two abstentions, to approve fare hikes raising the base fare from $2.90 to $3. Reduced fares will go up from $1.45 to $1.50 and express bus fares from $7 to $7.25. The agency did scale back increases to its 7-day fare-capping program from $36 to $35 in response to rider feedback.
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Mott Haven NYCHA building partially collapses

Photo via NYC Emergency Management on X

October 1, 2025

Mott Haven NYCHA building partially collapses

By Devin Gannon

A high-rise public housing building in Mott Haven partially collapsed on Wednesday morning. The Fire Department arrived at the scene just after 8 a.m. to find the incinerator shaft at 205 Alexander Avenue, a 20-story tower that is part of NYCHA's Mitchel Houses, had collapsed. Officials said the incident is tied to the chimney connected to the boiler, but an investigation remains underway. No injuries were reported.
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Policy

$8B Citi Field casino proposal moves forward

Credit: SHoP Architects, Field Operations

September 30, 2025

$8B Citi Field casino proposal moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

Some good news for New York Mets owner Steve Cohen. The billionaire's vision of a casino complex next to Citi Field is one step closer to becoming reality. On Tuesday, the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) overseeing the bid unanimously approved "Metropolitan Park," advancing the proposal to the final stage: securing one of the state’s coveted downstate gaming licenses. Cohen's bid joins three other CAC-approved proposals: Bally's Bronx casino, MGM Empire City in Yonkers, and Resorts World NYC in Jamaica, Queens.
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Policy

NYC homeowners can now apply to build basement, backyard apartments

Image courtesy of NYC HPD

September 30, 2025

NYC homeowners can now apply to build basement, backyard apartments

By Devin Gannon

New York City homeowners can now apply to add basement, attic, and backyard apartments to their existing properties. On Tuesday, the city launched an applications portal for ancillary dwelling units (ADUs) at one- and two-family homes across the five boroughs, a key part of Mayor Eric Adams' City of Yes housing plan that passed last year. Adams also announced the "ADU For You" program to provide guidance and resources, including design help, to homeowners building ADUs.
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Policy

F and M trains will swap routes between Manhattan and Queens

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 30, 2025

F and M trains will swap routes between Manhattan and Queens

By Aaron Ginsburg

Subway riders traveling between Manhattan and Queens should prepare for changes to their commute come December, when the MTA swaps the F and M lines to ease notorious delays at Queens Plaza. Starting December 8, the F and M lines will trade East River tunnels, separating express and local service and eliminating a bottleneck at Queens Plaza that delays up to 20 percent of rush-hour E, M, and R trains, the agency announced on Monday. The changes will apply on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., improving trips for the 1.2 million riders who use the lines each day.
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Coney Island casino rejected, but Bally’s Bronx bid moves forward

The Coney. Credit: Thor Equities

September 29, 2025

Coney Island casino rejected, but Bally’s Bronx bid moves forward

Brooklyn won't be getting a casino any time soon, but the Bronx might. Hours apart on Monday, community advisory committees voted in favor of the Bally's Bronx proposal and voted against The Coney, a $3.4 billion project from Thor Equities and the only Brooklyn bid.
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Policy

MTA looking into cooling subway stations with geothermal technology

181st Street Station. Photo by Famartin via Wikimedia

September 29, 2025

MTA looking into cooling subway stations with geothermal technology

By Aaron Ginsburg

The MTA is exploring a new way to cool sweltering subway stations: geothermal technology. According to a request for information (RFI) published last week, the agency is considering a system that would use the Earth’s subsurface to transfer heat out of stations and store it elsewhere, to keep platforms between 82 and 85 degrees on hot days. As first reported by The City, the MTA is targeting the 1 line’s 168th Street and 181st Street stations, which rank among the system’s hottest because of their depth.
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MTA revises proposed fare hikes, following public feedback

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 29, 2025

MTA revises proposed fare hikes, following public feedback

By Aaron Ginsburg

The MTA is scaling back part of its planned fare hikes in response to feedback from riders, transit advocates, and elected officials. On Saturday, the agency announced that after a six-week public outreach period that collected nearly 1,400 comments, the fare cap for seven days of unlimited travel on subways and buses will go up by $1, to $35, instead of the originally planned $36. After 12 trips in any seven-day period, customers get unlimited free rides the rest of the week. The cost of a single ride, however, is still expected to increase from $2.90 to $3.
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Yonkers and Jamaica casino proposals advance

Rendering courtesy of MGM Resorts

September 26, 2025

Yonkers and Jamaica casino proposals advance

By Aaron Ginsburg

After several high-profile New York City casino proposals were rejected this month, two bids, in Queens and Yonkers, have advanced in the approval process. On Thursday, Resorts World NYC in Jamaica and MGM Empire City in Yonkers won unanimous approval from community advisory committees, sending the proposals to the state board. Both bids aim to convert existing gaming facilities into full-scale casinos, unlike other remaining plans, such as those in the Bronx and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which include entirely new developments.
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Policy

NYC on track to complete more than 50,000 new homes this year

Photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash

September 24, 2025

NYC on track to complete more than 50,000 new homes this year

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is on pace to complete 50,000 new homes this year, according to newly released data from the Department of City Planning. In the first half of 2025, developers completed 25,674 residential units, putting the city on track to meet the 50,000 homes needed per year to reach Mayor Eric Adams' "moonshot" goal of 500,000 new homes over the next decade. As first spotted by Crain's, the projected total would far exceed last year’s 34,000 units, which marked the highest number of new homes built in the city since 1965.
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Policy

15 mph e-bike speed limit to take effect in October

Credit: Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

September 24, 2025

15 mph e-bike speed limit to take effect in October

By Aaron Ginsburg

A 15-mile-per-hour speed limit on e-bikes and e-scooters will take effect in October, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday. Starting October 24, the new rule lowers the speed limit for vehicles from 25 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour, a pledge Adams made in June. It remains unclear how the limit will be enforced and what the possible fines would be for speeding.
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New ‘super-express’ Metro-North trips travel between NYC and Poughkeepsie in under 90 minutes

Image via WikiCommons

September 23, 2025

New ‘super-express’ Metro-North trips travel between NYC and Poughkeepsie in under 90 minutes

By Aaron Ginsburg

Metro-North is launching faster "super-express" trains on the Hudson Line next month, zipping passengers between New York City and Poughkeepsie in under 90 minutes. Starting October 6, the service will offer the fastest trip ever between New York City and Poughkeepsie, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. Originally slated for 2026 and first unveiled in her 2025 State of the State address, the early launch comes after work was completed ahead of schedule.
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$3.5B Brooklyn Marine Terminal redevelopment moves forward

Credit: Caroline Rubinstein-Willis/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 22, 2025

$3.5B Brooklyn Marine Terminal redevelopment moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

A plan to redevelop 122 acres of Brooklyn’s industrial waterfront—adding thousands of apartments and a modern port—just cleared a major hurdle. A task force overseeing the $3.5 billion redevelopment of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal on Monday voted to advance the project, which includes a 60-acre all-electric port, 6,000 new apartments, and 28 acres of open space from Cobble Hill to Red Hook. The vote followed five previous postponements and comes just before the deadline to secure city and federal funding, according to The City.
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Five-alarm fire destroys 150-year-old Red Hook artist warehouse

Credit: FDNY

September 22, 2025

Five-alarm fire destroys 150-year-old Red Hook artist warehouse

By Aaron Ginsburg

A 19th-century warehouse in Red Hook that has been a hub for artists for decades was engulfed in a five-alarm fire last week. Located at 481 Van Brunt Street, the four-story wood-framed warehouse contained dozens of studios and design businesses, as well as the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC). According to the New York Times, the fire broke out shortly before midnight on Wednesday and escalated quickly, drawing more than 250 firefighters who battled the flames into the night.
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Policy

Casino next to the United Nations will not move forward

Freedom Plaza river view looking east. Courtesy of Negativ

September 22, 2025

Casino next to the United Nations will not move forward

By Devin Gannon

Freedom Plaza, the Soloviev Group's plan to bring a mixed-use development with a gaming facility on a vacant lot next to the United Nations, was rejected by the community advisory committee (CAC) on Monday. Since casinos pitched for Hell's Kitchen and Times Square also failed to advance last week, Manhattan won't be getting a casino after all, with the five bids remaining for the three downstate licenses are in the outer boroughs and Westchester.
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Policy

Adams backs horse-drawn carriage ban, calls for electric alternatives

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

September 18, 2025

Adams backs horse-drawn carriage ban, calls for electric alternatives

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams this week came out in support of a law banning horse-drawn carriages in Central Park and said the tourist attraction could be replaced with "electric alternatives." The issue of carriages resurfaced this summer after a horse collapsed and died in Hell's Kitchen, prompting outcry from animal advocates and the Central Park Conservancy to endorse prohibiting carriages for the first time. In a statement, Adams pushed for the City Council to pass Ryder's Law, which phases out horse-drawn carriages by 2026 and said his administration would explore a new program for electric carriages, "so New Yorkers and visitors can continue to enjoy the majesty of Central Park."
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Canal Street to get ‘super sidewalks’ and other pedestrian upgrades under proposed redesign

All photos courtesy of NYC DOT

September 18, 2025

Canal Street to get ‘super sidewalks’ and other pedestrian upgrades under proposed redesign

By Aaron Ginsburg

Canal Street will soon join the roster of major New York City corridors slated for major upgrades. The city's Department of Transportation plans to redesign the Lower Manhattan thoroughfare from West Street to Bowery with "super sidewalks," which widen the sidewalk across several blocks, a new protected bike lane, and more public space, according to the agency's design proposal. The agency first revealed the project to local stakeholders in August and expects to complete it by next summer.
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