Policy

December 7, 2016

NYC will have free Wi-Fi in all underground subway stations by year’s end

NYC Subway riders will soon be less able to blame their subway commute for not being able to immediately answer that all-important email or text. Last January 6sqft highlighted Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to get all MTA subway stations connected with free Wi-Fi by the end of this year as part of a comprehensive plan to upgrade subway infrastructure. According to AMNewYork, plans to implement free Wi-Fi in all 279 of the city’s subway stations are on track for the end of this year; as of Tuesday, 250 of them are already up and running.
It's all part of an ambitious plan

December 6, 2016

New bill could limit sidewalk scaffolding to six months or less

By Michelle Cohen

Like an unwanted visitor, well-intentioned but present well after becoming a daily nuisance, New York City's familiar green sidewalk scaffolding seems to contradict the laws of gravity: It goes up but never really seems to come down. Now, the New York Times reports, a new City Council bill would require that scaffolding be taken down after six months–sooner if no work is being done.
Find out the details

December 5, 2016

Before Repeal Day ended Prohibition in 1933: Speakeasies and medicinal whiskey were all the rage

By Tracy A. Marciano

The last time a political outcome stunned the country with such a polarizing impact was in 1919, when the 18th amendment—prohibiting the production, sale, and distribution of alcohol—was ratified. After a 70-year campaign led by several groups known as The Drys, who insisted alcohol corrupted society, the ban on alcohol arrived in 1920 and was enforced by the Volstead Act. But the Noble Experiment did little to keep people from drinking. Indeed, Prohibition led citizens to dream up creative ways to circumvent the law, turning the ban into a profitable black market where mobsters, rum-runners, moonshiners, speakeasies, the invention of cocktails, and innovative ways to market alcohol took the country by storm. Prohibition in many ways fueled the roaring twenties, and it made things especially exciting in New York City. December 5th marks the 83rd anniversary of Repeal Day, when 13 long years of Prohibition finally came to a close.
Read on about Prohibition and the Repeal

December 5, 2016

Airbnb settles with NYC over $7,500 fines, how other cities are cracking down

By Dana Schulz

After settling with New York state two weeks ago, Airbnb has now also dropped its case against the city, reports the Times. The company filed the lawsuits after Governor Cuomo passed a bill in October that would impose fines of up to $7,500 for illegal short-term rental listings--those rented out for fewer than 30 days without the lease holder present--on the site. The company agreed to settle on the grounds that the city only hold hosts responsible for the fines, not Airbnb. And they're facing similar situations in cities like Berlin, Amsterdam, and London, who will likely look to the New York case as they move forward with their own regulations.
Find out more this way

Policy

December 2, 2016

Smoking ban placed on New York and U.S. public housing

By Metro New York

Smoking anywhere inside New York City Housing Authority buildings, and in public housing across the country, will be illegal at some point during the next 18 months. The new rule, designed to to minimize health and fire risks, will impact 400,000 NYCHA residents, according to the advocacy group NYC Smoke-Free. Smoking causes 100,000 fires across […]

Policy

December 2, 2016

How 100 years of zoning has shaped New York City

By Cait Etherington

In October, city officials unveiled plans to rezone a large swath of East Harlem. The major thrust of the rezoning initiative is to bring more high-rise buildings to a corridor running several blocks along Park, Second, and Third avenues. By building up, city officials hope the neighborhood will increase its housing stock, including its affordable […]

November 28, 2016

‘Sixth Borough’ map shows 14,000+ city-owned and leased properties that equal the size of Brooklyn

By Dana Schulz

The Municipal Art Society of New York sent out a press release today that announces their new interactive map of the more than 14,000 city-owned and leased properties. Fittingly titled "The Sixth Borough," it shows how these sites amount to 43,000 acres, a land area the size of Brooklyn or one-third of the city's total land area, and the extent to which these public holdings--22 percent of which are listed as having no current use--affect the environment, infrastructure, landmarks, population, and neighborhood rezonings.
All the findings ahead

Policy

November 28, 2016

Locals push for Sutton Place rezoning ahead of auction for site of planned 950-foot tower

By Dana Schulz

Despite the fact that the site is headed to the auction block next month, local residents and elected officials are rallying to prevent the possible construction of a 950-foot condo tower on East 58th Street in tony Sutton Place. Curbed reports that the group, which includes Councilmen Ben Kallos and Dan Garodnick and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, have submitted a plan to the City Planning Commission that proposes a height cap of 260 feet for the area bounded by East 52nd and East 59th streets east of First Avenue where there is currently no limit on how tall apartment towers can be.
READ MORE

November 23, 2016

Airbnb settles suit against the state, but will continue to fight the city

By Dana Schulz

When the state passed a bill in October that would impose fines of up to $7,500 on those who list illegal short-term rentals on Airbnb, the company fired back, filing a federal lawsuit on the grounds that the new law "would impose significant immediate burdens and irreparable harm on Airbnb." They've since withdrawn the suit against the state, reports the Journal, instead focusing their efforts on New York City, as they feel it's the city's jurisdiction under which these regulations fall and that they're violating Airbnb's First Amendment rights.
All the details

Policy

November 23, 2016

City may take a 20 percent cut from Midtown East landmarks that sell their air rights

By Dana Schulz

At the end of August, the city released its long-awaited, very controversial Midtown East Rezoning plan. In addition to allowing 16 new towers to spring up in the area bound by Madison and Third Avenues and 39th and 50th Streets, the upzoning will "permit owners of landmarked buildings to sell their air rights across the district, rather than just to adjacent properties like the current law dictates," as 6sqft previously explained. The following month, the city embarked on a study of these unused development rights, which would amount to an additional 3.6 million square feet over the next 20 years. And part of their conclusion is that they're considering taking a 20 percent cut of these air rights sales, reports Politico.
Find out more

Policy

178 residential buildings may lose 421-a tax breaks if they don’t file as rent regulated

By Dana Schulz

A recent report detailed how nearly two thirds of the city's 6,400 rental buildings where landlords received 421-a tax breaks didn't file properly as rent stabilized, meaning they could raise the rents as much as they chose. Now, 178 of these buildings may lose the coveted exemptions if they don't start complying with the regulations. The Post reports that the Department of Housing Preservation and Development sent out warning letters to these landlords, who altogether represent 1,400 apartments, telling them if they don't comply within 90 days their benefits will be "revoked retroactively."
Find out more

November 21, 2016

Cuomo sets aside $300M in tax-exempt bonds for NYC affordable housing

By Dana Schulz

As of the summer, Mayor de Blasio was ahead of schedule on his ambitious plan to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years, having financed nearly 53,000 such apartments. His goal will now be even closer in grasp thanks to the additional $300 million in federally tax-exempt bonds the Governor has allocated to subsidize the cost of new construction, which brings the city's total bond capacity to $771 million, according to the Daily News, an 11 percent increase over 2o15.
Learn more

November 18, 2016

Over 97 percent of fines issued to deadbeat landlords never collected, audit shows

By Michelle Cohen

A recent audit by Comptroller Scott Stringer found that the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) only collected 2.46 percent of the $35.1 million in overdue fines sent to its enforcement unit in the past two years, meaning that tens of millions of dollars owed by bad landlords remained unpaid by October of 2015. Landlords get hit with fines of up to $1,000 a day for failing to fix items like a lack of heat or lead paint, but the audit charged that building owners are getting away with dodging the fines, the New York Daily News reports.
'A free pass to break the law'

Policy

November 17, 2016

City Planning Commission votes to raise fee for Theater District air rights transfers

By Michelle Cohen

The City Planning Commission has voted to up the cost of air rights transfers in the special Midtown Manhattan district that includes Broadway's theaters, The Real Deal reports. Currently, when developers purchase air rights from theaters between West 40th and West 57th Streets from Sixth to Eighth Avenues, they pay $17.60 per square foot to the Theater Subdistrict Fund. Transferable development rights can usually only be used for adjacent properties, but the city created the special district in 1998 to help the theater industry thrive amid sharply rising real estate prices; within the district, air rights can be moved more freely in a larger area outside the usual “arms length” restrictions.
What does this mean for Broadway theaters?

Policy

November 15, 2016

See new photos inside the world’s tallest modular tower; leasing kicks off at 461 Dean

By Diane Pham

It's been a long an tumultuous journey for 461 Dean, also know as the B2 tower, and better known as the world's tallest prefab tower. The fire-engine-red stacked building has seen numerous delays in the last four years thanks to lawsuits, leaks, and alignment issues. Its developer Forest City Ratner even opted to exit the modular business last month—although that's not to say that the technology developed is any less valuable (more on that ahead). But now that celebratory champagne bottle can finally be popped, as this afternoon the developer held a grand opening ceremony to kick off the official start of leasing.
more details here

#NotMyAIA: Architects reject AIA statement pledging to ‘work with’ Trump

Promises and reality: Trump’s failed attempts to build the world’s tallest buildings in NYC

November 15, 2016

#NotMyAIA: Architects reject AIA statement pledging to ‘work with’ Trump

By Michelle Cohen

. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) issued a statement last Wednesday pledging that "The AIA and its 89,000 members are committed to working with president-elect Trump to address the issues our country faces, particularly strengthening the nation's aging infrastructure." The statement issued by organization chief Robert Ivy assured that the country's architects would help the incoming president and congress with construction industry-related matters: "During the campaign, president-elect Trump called for committing at least $500 billion to infrastructure spending over five years,” said Ivy–possibly providing an imperative for the message. But that does not appear to be reason enough for members, who say they do not necessarily "stand ready to work with him and with the incoming 115th Congress.” A swift and indignant backlash led to an apology by Ivy released early this week.
Read on

Trump Tower residents are sick of protestors; problem unlikely to improve

Photo via Kristal T/Flickr

November 11, 2016

Trump Tower residents are sick of protestors; problem unlikely to improve

By Diane Pham

Since Donald Trump announced his run for office, Trump Tower, where the President-elect both lives and keeps his political headquarters, has been a hotspot for protestors. While in the past few months, inconveniences haven't escalated far beyond anti-Trumpers stopping by to give the building the finger, after the 2016 election results were announced, it's become veritable zoo outside the 5th Avenue tower as thousands have convened to denounce (and to be sure, support) a Trump presidency. The situation has become a major disruption for residents of the luxury skyscraper who are now annoyed with the crowds. As The Post so fittingly writes, "It’s not so easy being a member of the 1 percent if you live at Trump Tower."
more on the complaints here

November 11, 2016

Cuomo’s revised 421-a plan will move ahead as REBNY and construction trades come to agreement

By Dana Schulz

Ever since the city's 421-a tax exemption program expired in January, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) have been negotiating under what terms to extend and/or modify the program. Both groups took part in what the city believes were "secret talks" with Governor Cuomo over the summer, after which he released his proposal to revise 421-a with wage subsidies for construction workers. REBNY was concerned about this stipulation, claiming it would increase construction costs by up to 30 percent, but a press release sent yesterday evening reports that they've reached an agreement with the Trades Council to move ahead with Cuomo's version of the plan, which, in addition to setting a $60 hourly wage for qualifying projects in Manhattan and $45 in Brooklyn and Queens, extends the tax breaks up to 35 years (up from de Blasio's proposed 25 years) and mandates newly created affordable units be kept in place for 40 years.
More details this way

November 10, 2016

UWS school rezoning proposal aims to reduce crowding and increase integration

By Metro New York

After 25 meetings in two years and amid a mix of public outcry and support, the New York City Department of Education unveiled its final proposal to rezone District 3 on the Upper West Side Wednesday. The move hopes to lessen overcrowding and nurture integration at 11 schools from West 59th Street to West 116th Street. […]

November 10, 2016

Real estate industry likely to benefit from a Trump presidency

By Michelle Cohen

The city's real estate industry isn't too worried about a Donald Trump presidency. Real estate insiders feel that the man whose family's fortune was made in the industry and padded by its favorable tax breaks, foreign investments and still-rising market will be unlikely to bite the hand that has fed it so well, Crains reports.
Loopholes safe; affordable housing not so much

‘Not my president’: Thousands join Anti-Trump protests across New York City

Image via Rachel Maddow Blog on twitter

November 10, 2016

‘Not my president’: Thousands join Anti-Trump protests across New York City

By Diane Pham

Demonstrations broke out across the country yesterday evening as hundreds of thousands gathered to protest the election of Donald Trump for president. NYC itself was largely activated by two groups, Socialist Alternative and Answer Coalition, who used social media to call upon New Yorkers to gather at Union Square and Columbus Circle, near Trump International Tower. Thousands of participants held signs emblazoned with a swath of issues now under threat, from LGBT to Black Lives Matter to the environment. Chants like "Not my president!" "Trump Makes America Hate" and "Don't Lose Hope" rang through the streets as protestors marched through Midtown to convene at Trump Tower. Among the crowds, however, were also Trump supporters who showed up to celebrate the victory.
more photos from the demonstrations

City says under-construction 421-a buildings must include housing for the homeless

555Ten, an Extell building that would be affected by the 421-a changes

November 7, 2016

City says under-construction 421-a buildings must include housing for the homeless

By Dana Schulz

As 6sqft reported last week, Governor Cuomo, developers, and unions have been engaging in closed-door talks to bring forth his revision of the city's 421-a program that includes wage subsidies and an extension of the previous 25-year tax break up to 45 years. Glaringly (but not surprisingly) absent from the negotiations is Mayor de Blasio, but he's now taking matters into his own hands, at least when it comes to those under-construction buildings that got in to the program before it expired in January. According to the Times, the de Blasio administration introduced a new policy that says these projects must include housing for some of the 60,000 New Yorkers currently living in homeless shelters, but developers, particularly Extell's Gary Barnett, are not happy about the changes.
Find out more

November 4, 2016

POLL: Should Cuomo’s revised 421-a plan move forward?

By Dana Schulz

The city's hotly debated 421-a tax abatement program expired in January after a 44-year run. CityRealty reports that the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development has seen the number of applications for tax exemption decrease by 45 percent from that time to September 2016, costing the city $1.2 billion this fiscal year. Over the summer, the Governor presented a revised version of the program that would offer wage subsidies to construction workers, but this drew concern from the Real Estate Board of New York, who say the proposal would cause construction costs to rise by up to 30 percent. Now, Politico reports that Cuomo, developers, and unions have been engaging in closed-door negotiations to bring his plan forward and extend the previous 25-year tax break up to 45 years (REBNY and the Mayor had presented a 35-year extension last summer).
Tell us if you think the Governor's plan should move ahead

October 31, 2016

René Lalique’s windows saved this Fifth Avenue building from destruction in the 1980s

By Tracy A. Marciano

In 1984, a series of grime-covered windows at 714 Fifth Avenue caught the attention of an architectural historian by the name of Andrew Dolkart. Seemingly innocuous, and almost industrial in aesthetic—at least from afar—the glass panes would later become the foundation for a preservation victory.
more this way

October 31, 2016

MAP: East Williamsburg would be fined the most by new Airbnb law

By Dana Schulz

After Governor Cuomo recently signed into effect a bill that would impose fines of up to $7,500 on those offering illegal short-term Airbnb rentals, the company filed a federal lawsuit against the legislation, saying it would "impose significant immediate burdens and irreparable harm." And according to an analysis from ValuePenguin, shared by DNAinfo, it's East Williamsburg that would be hit the hardest by the new regulations. The personal finance website says that, as of October 1st, the neighborhood (zip code 11211) has 314 full apartment rental listings, which could result in $2,355,000 in fines. It's followed by zip code 10003, which covers parts of Greenwich Village, Gramercy, and the East Village, the Lower East Side (10002) and Chelsea (10011).
More data ahead

Policy

Policy

Pitch a Story

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Distinctive Post Form

Get in Touch

Send us a Tip

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Thinking about selling your home?

Sell a Home (Footer)

Before You Move On from this Page.

Your Daily Doseof NYC Life!

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Your Daily Dose
of NYC Life!