Manhattan

The first full-fledged restaurant to ever open on Governors Island will close this year. Island Oyster opened its doors in 2017 and became a summer destination for seafood, island-inspired cocktails, and stunning skyline views. This week the Trust for Governors Island issued a request for proposals seeking a new seasonal food and beverage operator for the 32,000-square-foot waterfront site starting in 2026. The James Beard award-nominated Island Oyster will operate one final season before ending its run on October 31, 2025.
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Food & Dining

One and Two United Nations Plaza in center; United Nations Secretariat Building to the left; Photo via WikiCommons

February 4, 2025

UN Plaza buildings to get $500M revamp

Two United Nations buildings will undergo a $500 million revitalization, creating over 1,800 jobs and boosting New York City's economy by billions, New York officials announced this week. Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and the UN Development Corporation (UNDC) on Monday announced plans for the redevelopment, which will modernize One and Two United Nations Plaza—built in the 1970s and 80s—while consolidating its office space. As part of the plan, the UN has committed to long-term leases at the site.
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Real Estate Trends

City unveils design of new Hudson Square public plaza

Photo of existing Hudson-Houston Plaza by Tdorante10 on WikiCommons

February 4, 2025

City unveils design of new Hudson Square public plaza

New York City is moving forward with plans to turn part of a parking lot in Hudson Square into a new public plaza. The city's Parks Department, DEP, and the Hudson Square Business Improvement District this week unveiled the design for Hudson-Houston Plaza, a new 0.26-acre open space at the intersection of Hudson and Houston Streets that will provide a much-needed public area for the neighborhood while allowing for continued DEP operations below ground. The northern half of the city-owned site will become an affordable housing development, known as 388 Hudson Street.
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Architecture And Design

Waitlist opens for affordable apartments at Bjarke Ingels’ Harlem rental, from $1,056/month

Photo © CityRealty

February 3, 2025

Waitlist opens for affordable apartments at Bjarke Ingels’ Harlem rental, from $1,056/month

Applications are now being accepted to replenish a waitlist for affordable apartments at The Smile, an 11-story rental in East Harlem designed by renowned architect Bjarke Ingels. Named for its grin-like shape, the building opened in 2020 and contains 233 apartments, 77 of which are priced below market-rate. New Yorkers earning 60 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply to be considered for current and future vacancies; prices range from $1,056/month for studios to $2,849/month for two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Fordham’s Lincoln Center sculpture garden debuts new exhibition, including iconic ‘Hippo Ballerina’

“The Magis Sculpture Exhibition” at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. All images courtesy of Taylor Ha, Fordham University

February 3, 2025

Fordham’s Lincoln Center sculpture garden debuts new exhibition, including iconic ‘Hippo Ballerina’

New York City's beloved hippo sculpture, and other whimsical works of art, can now be found at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus. On display through December, "The Magis Sculpture Exhibition" adds 11 new pieces to the university's outdoor sculpture garden, between West 60th and West 62nd Streets. Inspired by fables, art history, music, modern animation, and more, the exhibition complements the garden's 10 sculptures on permanent display. A highlight of the new installation is Bjørn Okholm Skaarup’s "Hippo Ballerina"—a 15-foot hippo sculpture that draws inspiration from Edgar Degas’ "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" and the dancing hippos from Walt Disney’s "Fantasia."
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Planet Hollywood returns to NYC with 360-degree video screens instead of movie memorabilia

All photos courtesy of Planet Hollywood

February 3, 2025

Planet Hollywood returns to NYC with 360-degree video screens instead of movie memorabilia

Planet Hollywood, the iconic movie-themed restaurant chain that launched in the 1990s and closed during the pandemic, reopened in Times Square following a $20 million transformation. The new iteration of the restaurant won't be a total 90s throwback, with the walls and ceilings covered in high-definition screens that will transport diners to "thematic worlds" to make "every meal an epic journey." The reopening marks a fresh chapter for Planet Hollywood and the restaurant will replace its signature movie memorabilia-filled interior with over 692 video tiles showing interactive videos.
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Food & Dining

The highest private pool in NYC unveiled at Rafael Viñoly’s 88-story FiDi condo

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph unless otherwise noted

January 31, 2025

The highest private pool in NYC unveiled at Rafael Viñoly’s 88-story FiDi condo

Care for a sky-high swim? The highest private pool in New York City is now complete at a new 88-story condo tower in the Financial District. The Greenwich by Rafael Viñoly this week unveiled "The 88," a stunning amenities suite occupying the building's 86th, 87th, and 88th floors, considered the highest condo perk package in the city. Designed by acclaimed firm MAWD, the exclusive space offers residents a private members club experience, featuring wellness, entertainment, and fitness areas, including a 50-foot indoor lap pool, all complemented by luxurious furnishings from Molteni&C, Poltrona Frau, Boffi DePadova, and Poliform.
Luxury in the sky, ahead

Nation’s largest office-to-residential conversion starts leasing for 1,300 apartments in FiDi

All renderings courtesy of Streetsense

January 30, 2025

Nation’s largest office-to-residential conversion starts leasing for 1,300 apartments in FiDi

The largest office-to-residential conversion in the country officially began leasing in the Financial District. The former 1960s office tower at 25 Water Street, once home to JPMorgan Chase and the New York Daily News, is now a luxury apartment building with 1,320 homes and 100,000 square feet of amenities, following a two-year redevelopment designed by CetraRuddy. Dubbed "SoMA," for its location in "South Manhattan," according to a press release, the rental is the first to take advantage of the 467-m tax break, a new incentive for converting offices to residential space.
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City seeks proposals for Meatpacking District development with 600 apartments

Rendering courtesy of NYC Mayor’s Office

January 29, 2025

City seeks proposals for Meatpacking District development with 600 apartments

A plan to replace a Manhattan meat market with hundreds of apartments, retail, and open space is moving ahead. Mayor Eric Adams and the city's Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Wednesday released a request for proposals for Gansevoort Square, a proposed mixed-use development with 600 apartments, half of which would be affordable, and retail on Little West 12th Street between Washington Street and 10th Avenue in the Meatpacking District. The project is part of the mayor's recently announced "Manhattan Plan," which aims to add 100,000 new homes in the borough over the next decade.
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Affordable Housing

The Frick announces April reopening date of Upper East Side mansion

The Frick Collection from East 70th Street; rendering courtesy of Selldorf Architects

January 28, 2025

The Frick announces April reopening date of Upper East Side mansion

The Frick Collection officially has a reopening date. The museum announced it will return to its historic Upper East Side home on April 17, following a five-year renovation of its mansion at 1 East 70th Street by Selldorf Architects and Beyer Blinder Belle. The project restored the original galleries, added new galleries to the second floor, expanded exhibition space, and revived the 70th Street garden. During the renovation, the Frick temporarily resided in the iconic Breuer Building from 2021 until March 2024.
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Bryant Park Grill closing this spring, will be replaced by a Jean-Georges restaurant

Credit: John Wisniewski on Flickr

January 28, 2025

Bryant Park Grill closing this spring, will be replaced by a Jean-Georges restaurant

After 30 years in business, the Bryant Park Grill is set to close and be replaced by a new Jean-Georges Vongerichten venture. As first reported by Crain's New York, the iconic 1,000-seat restaurant, which sits behind the New York Public Library and generates nearly $30 million in sales annually, will not have its lease renewed by the Bryant Park Corporation when it expires in May. Bryant Park officials said the restaurant had become "tired" and that it was time for a fresh start with a new operator.
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Food & Dining

Elevate your workout in the rooftop gym above this $9.5M Upper East Side mansion

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 28, 2025

Elevate your workout in the rooftop gym above this $9.5M Upper East Side mansion

Behind an unassuming facade, this 6,600-square-foot Upper East Side townhouse at 161 East 74th Street opens to reveal a Manhattan mansion loaded with understated luxury on six floors. Asking $9,500,000, the two-family property is currently configured as a single-family residence with plenty of space for family, friends, staff, and guests and an elevator to move them from the garden floor to the skylit rec room/gym and rooftop deck.
six floors of townhouse living, this way

Distinctive Homes

First look at Chinatown’s new 16-story jail

All images courtesy of Tutor Perini Corporation/HOK

January 28, 2025

First look at Chinatown’s new 16-story jail

With office buildings in New York City still feeling the effects of the pandemic, the sight of a new, imposing office tower going up in Chinatown may leave you scratching your head. However, this generic-looking glass tower is a new jail. As first spotted by NY1, Los Angeles-based architectural firm Tutor Perini and O&G Industries released a video showing the preliminary design of the new Manhattan Detention Center, a 16-story facility set to rise at 124-125 White Street as part of the city's plan to replace the Rikers Island complex with four borough-based jails.
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Architecture And Design

First full-scale recreation of Anne Frank annex opens in NYC

All photos courtesy of John Halpern

January 27, 2025

First full-scale recreation of Anne Frank annex opens in NYC

One of Europe's most visited historical sites has come to New York City. Coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, "Anne Frank The Exhibition" opened at the Center for Jewish History on Monday, marking the first full-scale recreation of the secret annex where Anne Frank and her family spent two years hiding during World War II. Through a mix of artifacts, photos and videos, sound clips, and a replica of the annex, the stirring exhibit covers Anne's early years in Frankfurt and the rise of the Nazis, her move to Amsterdam, and her arrest, deportation, and death at a concentration camp in Germany at age 15.
details here

Events & Things To Do

Conversion of historic Nomad office building into 65 condos moves forward

The Emmet Building at 95 Madison Avenue. Photo by Epicgenius on Wikimedia.

January 24, 2025

Conversion of historic Nomad office building into 65 condos moves forward

The conversion of a landmarked Nomad office building into luxury condos is moving forward after receiving a $99 million construction loan. As reported by The Real Deal, Sunlight Development and NuVerse secured the loan for their office-to-residential conversion of the historic Emmet Building at 95 Madison Avenue into 65 luxury homes. BHI, the U.S. arm of Bank Hapoalim, provided a $40 million senior loan, while two other financial firms provided the rest of the capital.
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Rent ‘Million Dollar Listing’ alum Steve Gold’s Soho loft for $49k per month

All photos courtesy of Nina Poon

January 24, 2025

Rent ‘Million Dollar Listing’ alum Steve Gold’s Soho loft for $49k per month

If you want the full Soho loft experience–without the inconvenient DIY elements–this three-bedroom penthouse at 22 Wooster Street could be worth the $49,000 per month. Featured in Architectural Digest, this sophisticated top-floor co-op is ready for your downtown life–furniture included. Beyond good looks and expensive finishes, you'll find what you need to make your days run smoothly–like a kitchen where your chef and staff can make a mess, allowing the main kitchen to be a stylish gathering space. Steve Gold, a real estate broker with the Corcoran Group and former cast member of the Bravo show "Million Dollar Listing," is the owner. Gold currently stars in the new Netflix series "Selling the City," a spin-off of "Selling Sunset."
take the tour

January 23, 2025

Macaulay Culkin sells full-floor Noho loft for $7.75M

A sprawling Noho loft purchased by "Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin as a teenager has sold for $7.75 million, city records show. As first reported by the New York Post, the full-floor loft at 704 Broadway was purchased by the former child star in 1999 for $1.75 million—about $3.36 million today when adjusted for inflation. The home features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a spacious L-shaped living area spanning the kitchen, dining, and living rooms.
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Wollman Rink to celebrate 75th anniversary with year-long festivities

Credit: Pawan Thapa on Unsplash

January 22, 2025

Wollman Rink to celebrate 75th anniversary with year-long festivities

Central Park's iconic Wollman Rink is kicking off a year-long celebration in honor of its 75th birthday. Festivities begin on Saturday, January 25 with a "nostalgia-laced" party, featuring discount skating admission, an immersive photographic journey through the rink's history, and classic treats inspired by the past seven decades of winter fun.
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Events & Things To Do

Midtown South rezoning plan to build 10,000 new homes begins public review

Garment District. Photo © Ondel Hylton

January 22, 2025

Midtown South rezoning plan to build 10,000 new homes begins public review

The plan to transform Midtown South into dynamic mixed-use neighborhoods with thousands of new homes is moving forward. Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of City Planning (DCP) on Tuesday announced the start of the public review process for the Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) plan, a proposal to rezone 42 blocks of the neighborhood to allow for roughly 9,700 new homes in areas where housing was largely prohibited under old zoning rules. The rezoning is part of the mayor's "Manhattan Plan" introduced in his State of the City address last week to add 100,000 new homes to the borough over the next decade.
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Policy

All photos courtesy of Chelsea Market

January 21, 2025

Japanese brand Muji opens first U.S. food market in Chelsea Market

Beloved Japanese brand Muji just launched its first-ever food market in the United States at Chelsea Market. The Muji Food Market, which opened on Monday, features Japanese-style sandwiches, specialty beverages, and an AI-powered coffee-making robot, all complementing the store's signature decor, beauty, apparel, and other popular products.
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Food & Dining

Port Authority secures $1.9B federal loan for bus terminal replacement before Trump takes office

Rendering credit: Foster + Partners & Epstein

January 16, 2025

Port Authority secures $1.9B federal loan for bus terminal replacement before Trump takes office

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey secured a major loan from the federal government for its Midtown bus terminal replacement project this week, just days before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The agency will receive $1.9 billion from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund the first phase of the $10 billion project. The Port Authority has scrambled to get the necessary federal approvals before Trump's inauguration, fearing he would halt the project.
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Times Square’s iconic New Year’s Eve ball is retired

Photo by Alex Lozupone via WikiCommons

January 16, 2025

Times Square’s iconic New Year’s Eve ball is retired

After 17 years of ringing in the new year, the New Year's Eve ball in Times Square is hanging up its crystal hat. The ball, which has been in use since 2008, was officially retired on Wednesday due to its "antiquated" lighting system, the New York Times reported. The ball—along with its predecessors—will be on display this fall in a new "time travel history experience" inside the newly revamped One Times Square. A replacement ball is already in production, according to Michael Phillips, president of Jamestown, the real estate firm that owns One Times Square.
more this way

Architecture And Design

The oldest house in the West Village is on the market for $12M

Photos courtesy of Stefano Ukmar for Brown Harris Stevens

January 15, 2025

The oldest house in the West Village is on the market for $12M

Known as the Isaacs-Hendricks House, this four-story home at 77 Bedford Street, built in 1799, is the oldest house in the West Village–and one of the oldest remaining buildings in Manhattan. Asking $12 million, the single-family townhouse, standing among some of the city's loveliest historic properties, has retained some of its original architecture and added modern conveniences and details that pay homage to the era of its construction.
historic townhouse tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

This $1.3M condo keeps the classic East Village spirit alive

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

January 15, 2025

This $1.3M condo keeps the classic East Village spirit alive

It's hard to find an apartment in today's East Village with the cozy, historic feel that once defined the neighborhood's living spaces. This (potential) two-bedroom condo at 102 First Avenue has the iconic exposed brick, white walls, and quirky geometry–and a flexible layout that requires adding a wall to obtain a second bedroom, in true East Village style. Asking $1,300,000, the top-floor home is blessed with skylights and a view of the Empire State Building; on the other hand–also in true East Village style–it's a walkup.
have a look around

Distinctive Homes

Financial District condo One Park Row launches sales, from $850K

Renderings courtesy of SERHANT. unless otherwise noted.

January 15, 2025

Financial District condo One Park Row launches sales, from $850K

Sales launched this week at a new luxury residential development at the intersection of Tribeca and the Financial District. Developed by Circle F Capital and designed by Fogarty Finger, One Park Row is a 23-story mixed-use building offering 58 condos ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments, with stunning views and a prime location across from City Hall Park and only blocks from the World Trade Center. Pricing starts at $850,000 for a studio.
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New Developments

City approves gate for Village townhouse to keep ‘Sex and the City’ fans out

66 Perry Street in 2022. Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

January 14, 2025

City approves gate for Village townhouse to keep ‘Sex and the City’ fans out