Policy

Flatbush Avenue redesign to begin this fall

A rendering of NYC DOT’s Flatbush Avenue bus lane proposal at Flatbush Avenue and Park Place. Credit: NYC DOT

September 5, 2025

Flatbush Avenue redesign to begin this fall

By
Flatbush Avenue is getting faster (and safer). Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Friday announced work will begin this fall on center-running bus lanes along the busy Brooklyn corridor, from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza. The overhaul aims to speed up trips for 132,000 daily riders, where buses now average less than 4 miles per hour. Slated for completion in 2026, the project also includes pedestrian islands with covered seating, shorter crossing times, and updated curb regulations to support local businesses.
Learn more
Trump reportedly wants to take over the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Photo by Kaabii Kiseki on Unsplash

September 5, 2025

Trump reportedly wants to take over the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

By
President Donald Trump is considering taking federal control of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum after victims’ families criticized the site’s funding and management. As first reported by the New York Times, two White House officials said preliminary discussions have begun, though it remains unclear how the federal government would assume control. During his campaign last year, Trump pitched designating the site as a national monument, and at a rally last September, said he wanted to ensure the "hallowed ground" and the memory of those who perished would be "preserved for all time."
can he do that?
City Planning Commission approves Long Island City rezoning

Photo © Ondel Hylton

September 3, 2025

City Planning Commission approves Long Island City rezoning

By
The proposal to rezone Long Island City, which could bring tens of thousands of new homes to the Queens neighborhood, advanced this week with a key approval. On Wednesday, the City Planning Commission voted to approve the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan, which would rezone a 54-block industrial section of the waterfront to make way for 14,700 homes, with at least 4,300 of them permanently affordable, the most homes created by a neighborhood rezoning in 25 years. The plan also calls for more than 3.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial space, as well as a continuous, publicly accessible waterfront from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park.
DETAILS ON THE PLAN
Penn Station revamp to begin in late 2027, Trump says

Photo by Don Ramey Logan on Wikimedia

August 28, 2025

Penn Station revamp to begin in late 2027, Trump says

By
Construction on the long-delayed revamp of Penn Station will start in late 2027, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said proposals will be accepted starting in October for the redevelopment of the busy train hall, with a goal to start construction in two years. The news comes after the feds put Amtrak in control of the project over Gov. Kathy Hochul in April. It's unclear how much the project will now cost under the updated timeline and possibly new design, but previous estimates from the MTA listed a $7 billion price tag.
Learn more
145-year-old footbridge connecting Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach reopens after revamp

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

August 27, 2025

145-year-old footbridge connecting Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach reopens after revamp

By
A 145-year-old footbridge connecting Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach has reopened after a long-overdue revitalization. Last week, Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez cut the ribbon on the new Ocean Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, originally built in 1880 and last repaired in 1930. As part of the project, in-house crews replaced the deck and walking boards, vertical supports, railings, and stringers, repainted the structure, and restored its decorative lighting.
learn more
Amtrak launches new Acela trains, with higher speeds and elevated amenities

All photos courtesy of Amtrak

August 26, 2025

Amtrak launches new Acela trains, with higher speeds and elevated amenities

By
The fastest train in the United States is getting faster. This week, Amtrak will roll out the "NextGen" Acela, a new fleet of sleek trains traveling between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. at 160 miles per hour, up from the Acela's current 150 miles per hour. Not only will the trains move faster, but the NextGen Acela will also offer better onboard features, including ergonomic seating, extra legroom, large windows, high-speed WiFi, and new wayfinding screens. The first day of service for the new trains is Thursday, August 28.
learn more
City begins $44M project to rebuild busy stretch of Grand Concourse

Credit: Department of Design and Construction

August 26, 2025

City begins $44M project to rebuild busy stretch of Grand Concourse

By
New York City has broken ground on a $44 million project to bring major street safety upgrades to a stretch of Grand Concourse, one of the Bronx’s busiest corridors. Announced on Monday by the city, phase five includes an overhaul of the roadway from East Fordham Road to East 198th Street by adding new bike lanes, wider medians, bollards, better lighting, and improved pedestrian access. The project builds upon four earlier phases and is part of a broader effort to improve safety and ease traffic along the bustling corridor.
Find out more
Tunnel boring for Hudson River tunnel project to begin next summer

Credit: Gateway Development Commission

August 25, 2025

Tunnel boring for Hudson River tunnel project to begin next summer

By
Tunnel boring for the Hudson Tunnel Project, which will build a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey and rehabilitate the existing tunnel, is set to begin next summer. The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) announced last week that two massive tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will arrive early next year to start digging the 2.4-mile connection to Penn Station. The machines are expected to take about a year to dig the first mile of tunnel from Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, where crews have spent the past two years preparing the site, to an access shaft in Hudson County, which is currently under construction.
Learn more
Waymo to test self-driving cars in NYC

In 2021, Waymo mapped certain streets in Manhattan to learn its busy traffic patterns and features. Photo courtesy of Waymo

August 22, 2025

Waymo to test self-driving cars in NYC

By
Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, is coming to New York City. The company received a permit to begin testing a limited number of autonomous vehicles (AV) in parts of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, Mayor Eric Adams and the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Friday. Current state law does not allow for fully driverless riding, so a trained specialist will be behind the steering wheel at all times during the pilot run.
READ MORE
A new proposal may make the Gowanus Canal safe for swimming

Photo © Ondel Hylton

August 21, 2025

A new proposal may make the Gowanus Canal safe for swimming

By
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation is attempting to get the Gowanus Canal reclassified to a degree of quality that would compel the city to clean it up enough for swimming, according to Crain's. The Brooklyn Superfund site is currently classified as a Class SD waterway, which supports fishing; a proposal that includes raising the quality of 30 waterways would redesignate the waterway as Class SC, allowing for swimming and boating. But are we ready to leave the banks for a swim in the canal's fragrant waters?
Don't dive in just yet
Federal Transit Administration again threatens MTA funds over safety risks

Retrofitting the platform at the Broadway Junction L train station. Photo courtesy of MTA/Megan Armas on Flickr

August 20, 2025

Federal Transit Administration again threatens MTA funds over safety risks

By
President Donald Trump's administration is once again threatening to withhold funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Tuesday accused the agency of using "flawed analytical approaches" in a safety plan and said it fails to reflect actual safety risk to subway workers. The FTA required the MTA to develop a new safety plan after a subway track worker was struck and killed by a train in 2023 and another worker was seriously injured the following year. The feds are threatening to withhold up to 25 percent of the financial assistance given to the MTA if safety is not improved for workers.
READ MORE
NYC beaches closed for swimming due to dangerous conditions from Hurricane Erin

Photo by Jessica Sheridan on Wikimedia

August 20, 2025

NYC beaches closed for swimming due to dangerous conditions from Hurricane Erin

By
New York City beaches will be closed for swimming on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as Hurricane Erin is expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to much of the East Coast. Mayor Eric Adams announced swimming is prohibited at all city beaches on August 20 and August 21; the sand remains open. The National Weather Service predicts waves could reach between 9 and 13 feet on Thursday, with the highest waves expected in the Rockaways. Several beaches along the Jersey Shore and on Long Island have also banned swimming.
what to know
Next Greenpoint Landing phase includes 1,000 apartments across three towers

Courtesy of C. Taylor Crothers / CTC Creative

August 19, 2025

Next Greenpoint Landing phase includes 1,000 apartments across three towers

By
More than 1,000 new apartments are headed to the Greenpoint waterfront. The Domain Companies, LMXD, and Park Tower Group announced a joint venture partnership to build the next phase of Greenpoint Landing, a development along a 22-acre stretch of the East River that will eventually be home to 5,500 apartments. The next phase, "Block C" of the master plan, includes three mixed-income rental buildings, 20,000 square feet of retail space, and a waterfront public park.
READ MORE
Second Avenue Subway extension moves ahead in Harlem with $2B contract

106th Street. Rendering courtesy of the MTA

August 18, 2025

Second Avenue Subway extension moves ahead in Harlem with $2B contract

By
East Harlem is one major step closer to having better subway access for the first time since the 1940s. The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday approved a nearly $2 billion tunnel-boring contract for the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway, which extends the Q train from 96th Street to 125th Street. The tunneling contract marks the largest awarded in agency history.
learn more
New Jersey development is a blueprint for neuroinclusive housing nationwide
August 18, 2025

New Jersey development is a blueprint for neuroinclusive housing nationwide

By
Neurodivergent individuals comprise between 15 and 20 percent of the U.S. population, according to the American Enterprise Institute. Yet, some estimates say that up to 40 percent of this population faces unemployment, partly because there is a significant shortage of supportive housing for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorders (LD), and other diagnoses. This is why a new, first-of-its-kind neuroinclusive apartment building currently under construction in Red Bank, NJ, is such an exciting development.
details this way
City Council approves Midtown South rezoning, unlocking 9,500 new homes

8th Avenue below 40th Street. © Ondel Hylton

August 15, 2025

City Council approves Midtown South rezoning, unlocking 9,500 new homes

By
The New York City Council on Thursday voted to approve the rezoning of Midtown South, permitting thousands of new homes to be built in the commercial neighborhood. The plan, the largest residential rezoning in the city in 20 years, updates zoning rules for 42 blocks, potentially unlocking 9,500 new apartments, with 2,800 affordable units.
more on the midtown plan
Plan to build huge 72-story tower at 395 Flatbush Avenue enters public review

All renderings courtesy of Binyan Studio and TenBerke Architects

August 14, 2025

Plan to build huge 72-story tower at 395 Flatbush Avenue enters public review

By
The proposal to turn an outdated Downtown Brooklyn office building into a 72-story tower with over 1,000 apartments officially entered public review this week. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced that 395 Flatbush Avenue Extension has begun the seven-month uniform land-use review procedure (ULURP). The tower would be the second-tallest in the borough after the Brooklyn Tower, and feature roughly 1,200 mixed-income residences, with at least 25 percent set aside as permanently affordable for households earning 60 percent of the area median income.
Find out more
NYC releases greenway master plan with 40 miles of new paths

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

August 14, 2025

NYC releases greenway master plan with 40 miles of new paths

By
New York City has an ambitious vision to expand its greenways by 40 miles, offering a continuous walk around Manhattan and car-free cycling from Brooklyn to Far Rockaway. Released on Wednesday, the "Greater Greenways" plan is the city’s first master plan for its greenway network in more than 30 years. The plan assesses the existing 500 miles of paths and proposes new pedestrian and cycling routes to fill in existing gaps across the five boroughs, with construction on some short-term projects beginning as early as 2028.
Learn more
Central Park Conservancy endorses horse-drawn carriage ban

Photo by Fernando Gonzalez on Pexels

August 13, 2025

Central Park Conservancy endorses horse-drawn carriage ban

By
For the first time, the Central Park Conservancy has taken a side in the city’s horse-drawn carriage debate, backing a City Council bill that would ban the rides from the park. On Tuesday, the nonprofit publicly called for the end of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, calling them unsafe, damaging to the park's roads, and incompatible with the growing crowds. The bill, known as “Ryder’s Law,” would phase out carriage horses by 2026 and help drivers transition to other jobs, according to Gothamist. The Conservancy's endorsement comes a week after a horse collapsed and died in Hell’s Kitchen, reigniting debate over the future of horse-drawn carriages.
details here
New York’s first hybrid-electric ferry sails to Governors Island

Credit: Timothy Schenck

August 13, 2025

New York’s first hybrid-electric ferry sails to Governors Island

By
The first hybrid-electric public ferry in New York is now taking passengers to and from Governors Island. On Tuesday, the Trust for Governors Island debuted the Harbor Charger, a $33 million vessel equipped with a hybrid propulsion system that will cut carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 600 tons annually, as 6sqft previously reported. The ferry, the first of its kind in the state, can travel up to 66 percent faster than current diesel-powered vessels, offering visitors a quicker and more sustainable trip to the island.
Find out more
City landmarks five Garment District buildings ahead of major changes in Midtown

The Furcraft Building on West 30th Street. All photos courtesy of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.

August 12, 2025

City landmarks five Garment District buildings ahead of major changes in Midtown

By
Midtown South could look a lot different in the coming years, with a neighborhood rezoning imminent, but at least five buildings will remain protected. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to designate five buildings that not only are unique architecturally, but also reflect the development of the Garment District and the importance of the fashion industry to New York City. The designation comes as the City Council prepares to vote on the Midtown South Mixed-Use plan this week.
details this way
110th Street subway station in Harlem renamed for Malcolm X

Photo courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office on Flickr

August 12, 2025

110th Street subway station in Harlem renamed for Malcolm X

By
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the Harlem Renaissance and the birth of Malcolm X. To celebrate, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed two pieces of legislation renaming the 110th Street-Central Park North subway station after the civil rights icon and designating the Harlem Renaissance Cultural District, officially recognizing the area for its significance.
details here
Track work to disrupt 4, 5, and 6 subway service for two weekends this month

Credit: Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

August 8, 2025

Track work to disrupt 4, 5, and 6 subway service for two weekends this month

By
Riders on the 4, 5, and 6 subway lines are in for two weekends of major service disruptions this month. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday announced track work will shut down service south of Grand Central–42nd Street from 11:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday on the weekends of August 15 through 18 and August 22 through 25. Crews will be replacing the concrete beneath switches north of 14th Street.
Learn more
Midtown South rezoning moves forward, 34th Street busway and protection for Garment District workers included

Photo © 6sqft

August 7, 2025

Midtown South rezoning moves forward, 34th Street busway and protection for Garment District workers included

By
The Midtown South rezoning received key approval this week, with new community and infrastructure improvements included in the deal. The City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on Wednesday voted to approve the Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) plan, which updates zoning rules for 42 blocks of the neighborhood to allow for 9,535 new homes, including 2,842 permanently affordable apartments, in an area where housing development has been largely restricted. In addition to lowering the residential density allowed on certain blocks in the original plan, the City Council and City Hall agreed to $488 million in community infrastructure investments, including a busway on 34th Street and protection for Garment District workers.
FInd out more
The rise of the next Williamsburg: How Gowanus went from eyesore to eye-popping prices

Photo by LogicalRailfan on Wikimedia

August 5, 2025

The rise of the next Williamsburg: How Gowanus went from eyesore to eye-popping prices

By
It’s been 20 years since The New York Times reported that city officials voted "to let developers turn the decaying north Brooklyn waterfront, with its relics of Brooklyn's industrial past, into a neighborhood of residential towers with a parklike esplanade along the East River." In the two decades since, this version of Williamsburg was replaced by the first generation of "hipsters," glassy condo towers with Manhattan views, and throngs of Manhattanites crowding the L train to hit up Union Pool and Maison Premiere. Now, a new rezoning is putting another Brooklyn neighborhood on the same path. This time, the waterfront is the once-toxic Superfund-designated Gowanus Canal.
there goes gowanus?
Pitch a story icon

Pitch a Story

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

Distinctive Post Form

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544
Contact us image

Get in Touch

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Send us a tip image
Delivering New York stories focused on design, lifestyle & real estate.

Send us a Tip

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams. It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo
or Call (212) 755-5544

Thinking about selling your home?

We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert.

CityRealty Logo

Sell a Home (Footer)

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Subscribe for NYC's Lastest Design, Lifestyle,
and Real Estate Trends!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Your Passport to NYC:
Subscribe for Local Insights and Stories!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.