Manhattan

East River Park section reopens with new passive lawn, picnic areas, and courts

All photos courtesy of DDC

May 30, 2025

East River Park section reopens with new passive lawn, picnic areas, and courts

By Aaron Ginsburg

City officials on Thursday celebrated the opening of new public spaces in East River Park, just in time for summer. Closed since 2021 as part of the project to protect the Lower East Side from rising sea levels, the south end of the park's new amenities include picnic and barbecue areas, six tennis courts, two basketball courts, a passive lawn, a nature exploration area, and a multi-use area. These areas are currently only accessible via the new Delancey Street pedestrian bridge.
plan your park visit

Construction begins on new $10B Port Authority Bus Terminal

Gov. Kathy Hochul, Gov. Phil Murphy, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey broke ground on the Dyer Avenue deckovers. Photo courtesy of PANYNJ on Flickr

May 29, 2025

Construction begins on new $10B Port Authority Bus Terminal

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction began on the first phase of the new $10 billion Port Authority Bus Terminal on Thursday, marking an important milestone for the long-awaited project. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Gov. Phil Murphy joined the Port Authority in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Dyer Avenue deck-overs, which will be used for staging buses during construction and will eventually become a public green space when the new terminal opens. The first phase deck-overs, along with new ramps and a bus storage facility, are expected to be completed by 2028, with the full terminal opening in 2032.
details here

For $12M, a restored Soho merchant house with a rare historic authenticity

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 29, 2025

For $12M, a restored Soho merchant house with a rare historic authenticity

By Michelle Cohen

When we visit Manhattan townhomes featured in Architectural Digest, we expect great bones, updated with modern design. The townhouse at 203 Prince Street is one of three surviving merchant houses in Soho's Sullivan-Thompson Historic District, built in the transitional Federal/Greek Revival style; it reveals layers of past lives both inside and out. Asking $11,950,000, the home was restored by music-world consultant Andrea Anson to a style that embraces historic elegance.
Step inside for a tour

Distinctive Homes

Silverstein unveils new wavy design for 785-foot-tall casino complex across from Javits Center

Renderings courtesy of Silverstein Properties / Binyan Studios

May 28, 2025

Silverstein unveils new wavy design for 785-foot-tall casino complex across from Javits Center

By Aaron Ginsburg

Silverstein Properties this week unveiled a new design for its casino project proposed for an empty lot across from the Javits Center. The Avenir would rise 785 feet at 41st Street and 11th Avenue and include a 1,000-room luxury hotel, restaurants, a food hall, and a gaming facility, if the developer secures one of the three downstate casino licenses expected to be awarded this year. Designed by CetraRuddy Architecture and Steelman Partners, the project includes a podium with a facade of "gentle harmonious waves" topped by a sculpted 45-story tower. The design revises the original proposal, which called for two 46-story towers, following community feedback.
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NYC to host first ticker-tape parade honoring post-9/11 veterans next July

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 23, 2025

NYC to host first ticker-tape parade honoring post-9/11 veterans next July

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will host the nation’s first-ever ticker-tape parade honoring post-9/11 veterans next summer. On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) Commissioner James Hendon announced that the parade, “Homecoming of Heroes,” will take place on July 6, 2026, as a tribute to the service and sacrifices of American servicemembers who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The event will mark the first time NYC—or any major U.S. city—has formally recognized these veterans with a celebration of this kind. The parade will take place along the "Canyon of Heroes" in Lower Manhattan between Bowling Green and City Hall.
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Events & Things To Do

The Met to reopen Rockefeller Wing with free, all-day festival

Arts of the Ancient Americas collection. Photo by Brigit Beyer

May 23, 2025

The Met to reopen Rockefeller Wing with free, all-day festival

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will celebrate the long-awaited reopening of its Michael C. Rockefeller Wing this month with a free festival. Taking place on May 31, the all-day event will celebrate the unveiling of newly reimagined galleries for the Arts of Africa, ancient Americas, and Oceania following a four-year, $70 million renovation. Visitors can enjoy live music, interactive art-making, gallery chats, and more at the Met, all inspired by the stunning art and cultures showcased in the updated wing.
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Times Square office tower to become 1,250 apartments

5 Times Square. Photo via WikiCommons

May 22, 2025

Times Square office tower to become 1,250 apartments

By Devin Gannon

A largely vacant office tower in Times Square is set to become a mixed-use development with 1,250 new homes. The Empire State Development (ESD) on Thursday voted to approve the conversion of 5 Times Square, a 38-story building on 7th Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets. About 313 apartments will be permanently affordable to New Yorkers earning up to 80 percent of the area median income in exchange for a tax exemption under a new office-to-housing incentive, 467-m.
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New Developments

Central Park launches new Ranger Corps to encourage better public behavior

Credit: Central Park Conservancy

May 22, 2025

Central Park launches new Ranger Corps to encourage better public behavior

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new team of park rangers has been patrolling Central Park for the past six weeks, helping visitors and ensuring the beloved green space remains safe, clean, and welcoming. Managed by the Central Park Conservancy, the Ranger Corps has been on duty since early spring, addressing visitor concerns and quality-of-life issues, including noise complaints, illegal vending, assisting unhoused individuals, reuniting lost children with their families, and more.
Find out more

Policy

14th Street Busway mural honors Union Square as hub for connection, above and below ground

Photos by Jane Kratochvil

May 22, 2025

14th Street Busway mural honors Union Square as hub for connection, above and below ground

By Aaron Ginsburg

This year’s 14th Street Busway mural has officially been unveiled, bringing vibrant colors to the corridor and celebrating Union Square’s role as a hub for connection and exploration. Designed by New York-based artist Yuke Li, "Turning Point" features bold, abstract compositions and retro-inspired hues, with fluid shapes that mirror the movement of people and energy through the space. The mural was completed on Friday after five days of work, in collaboration with Brooklyn-based urban planning and design firm Street Plans, local volunteers, and community groups.
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Architecture And Design

The Chrysler Building is now on the market

Credit: Mitch Hodiono on Unsplash

May 21, 2025

The Chrysler Building is now on the market

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Chrysler Building is officially up for sale after a drawn-out legal battle between RFR Holding and Cooper Union. As first reported by The Promote, the leasehold for the iconic Art Deco skyscraper is on the market for the first time since 2019, after a judge terminated RFR’s lease in January and evicted the firm for falling more than $21 million behind on rent owed to Cooper Union, which owns the land beneath the tower. Cooper Union has since tapped real estate firm Savills to find a new operator to take over the lease.
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Real Estate Trends

Valentino co-founder Giancarlo Giammetti’s $17.5M Sutton Place penthouse embodies Manhattan elegance

Photo by Yoo Jean Han

May 21, 2025

Valentino co-founder Giancarlo Giammetti’s $17.5M Sutton Place penthouse embodies Manhattan elegance

By Michelle Cohen

The building itself is a modern icon, designed by architect César Pelli, and this 3,700 square-foot penthouse on the 54th floor of One Beacon Court at 151 East 58th Street is the picture of classically modern Manhattan glamor. Asking $17,500,000, the condo's seller is Giancarlo Giammetti, co-founder, with Valentino Garavani, of fashion house Valentino. Interiors are the work of noted interior designer Jacques Grange; the dazzling cityscapes visible from every window are 100 percent New York City.
check out the view from up here

Distinctive Homes

Adams announces $250M more for Fifth Avenue redesign plan

Images by Field Operations, courtesy of City Hall

May 21, 2025

Adams announces $250M more for Fifth Avenue redesign plan

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is investing another $250 million to transform Fifth Avenue into a pedestrian-centric corridor. Mayor Eric Adams announced the new funding on Wednesday, bringing the total investment in the project to $400 million, including $152 million the city had previously committed. Focused on the stretch between Central Park and Bryant Park, the Fifth Avenue redesign will reduce traffic lanes from five to three, nearly double the width of sidewalks, shorten crosswalks, and add more than 230 trees, as well as new seating and improved lighting.
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NYC unveils plan for dedicated busway on 34th Street

Images courtesy of NYC DOT

May 21, 2025

NYC unveils plan for dedicated busway on 34th Street

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City plans to transform a busy stretch of 34th Street in Manhattan into a busway to improve sluggish crosstown commutes. The Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled plans for a dedicated lane along 34th Street between Third and Ninth Avenues for buses, trucks, and emergency vehicles, which could boost speeds by up to 15 percent for the more than two dozen bus routes that use the corridor. Modeled after the successful 14th Street busway, the plan would still permit other vehicles to enter but require them to make the next available legal turn off the street.
see the plan

Breuer Building gets landmarked before Sotheby’s opens headquarters

Photo courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

May 21, 2025

Breuer Building gets landmarked before Sotheby’s opens headquarters

By Devin Gannon

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted on Tuesday to designate the Breuer Building on the Upper East Side as an individual and interior landmark, protecting the Brutalist icon before auction house Sotheby's opens its global headquarters there. Designed by innovative architect Marcel Breuer, the building at 945 Madison Avenue was home to the Whitney Museum of American Art from 1966 to 2014. Sotheby's acquired the building in 2023; Herzog & de Meuron are currently leading a renovation and restoration of the space.
more this way

Before Chelsea, there was Midtown: The lost art galleries of 57th Street

All photos courtesy Municipal Archives, City of New York

May 20, 2025

Before Chelsea, there was Midtown: The lost art galleries of 57th Street

By Michelle Young

In the interwar years in New York City, the cultural epicenter of New York, particularly its art galleries, was centered around 57th Street. One block, in particular, between Fifth and Madison Avenues was the crème de la crème of addresses. Today, the short 450-foot stretch is populated by luxury brands like Tiffany’s, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Burberry. The cluster of art galleries is part of the subject of my new book "The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland," which covers the flight of Picasso’s art dealer, Paul Rosenberg, and his family to New York City during World War II.
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History

Related drops casino from Hudson Yards plan, but keeps proposal for 4,000 new homes

Renderings courtesy of Related Companies and Wynn Resorts

May 20, 2025

Related drops casino from Hudson Yards plan, but keeps proposal for 4,000 new homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

Related Companies is dropping the casino from its project proposed for the undeveloped section of Hudson Yards, the developer announced Monday. In partnership with Wynn Resorts, Related previously pitched a $12 billion mixed-use development anchored by a casino, dubbed "Hudson Yards West," as part of its bid for one of the state's three downstate gaming licenses. Due to opposition from the community and local elected officials, Related and Wynn announced they would no longer pursue a gaming license. However, the developer plans to move forward with a plan to build 4,000 apartments, nearly 50 percent of which will be affordable under a tentative agreement with the Adams administration.
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Policy

Lincoln Center unveils design for revamped Amsterdam Avenue side of campus

Aerial view from Amsterdam Avenue looking east; visible are new streetscape, gardens, and theater. Rendering by Brooklyn Digital Foundry

May 19, 2025

Lincoln Center unveils design for revamped Amsterdam Avenue side of campus

By Aaron Ginsburg

New renderings reveal a reimagined west side of Lincoln Center, part of a project aimed at making the campus more welcoming and accessible. Lincoln Center for Performing Arts (LCPA) on Monday unveiled a preliminary design for the transformation of its Amsterdam Avenue-facing side, led by Hood Design Studio, Weiss/Manfredi, and Moody Nolan. The proposal includes an outdoor performance venue, new community park spaces, and the removal of a longstanding wall, which cuts the campus off from the rest of the neighborhood.
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Architecture And Design

For $1.25M, aspirational Murray Hill penthouse has an atrium, spa, and impossibly huge roof terrace

Photos courtesy Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group

May 19, 2025

For $1.25M, aspirational Murray Hill penthouse has an atrium, spa, and impossibly huge roof terrace

By Michelle Cohen

Small but mighty, this one-bedroom top-floor condo at 71 Park Avenue, asking $1,250,000, has all the charm you'd expect in a Park Avenue address that hasn't changed hands in over 25 years. Ambitious architectural features like glass atrium skylights give it character, and a private terrace that's bigger than the 700-square-foot apartment itself is a bountiful surprise.
step inside, step outside

Distinctive Homes

If you buy this $19.85M West Village penthouse, you won’t need a yacht

All photos by Matthew Gordon

May 16, 2025

If you buy this $19.85M West Village penthouse, you won’t need a yacht

By Michelle Cohen

The penthouse condo atop a historic converted hotel at The Keller at 150 Barrow Street gives the impression of living surrounded by water, sunset and city views included. Asking $19,850,000, this 4,287-square-foot corner duplex, reimagined by interior design pros frenchCALIFORNIA, sits along the Hudson River. A wrap-around terrace of nearly 2,000 square feet makes waterfront entertaining on a grand scale a daily possibility.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

High Line to host festival celebrating NYC pigeons

Iván Argote, Dinosaur, 2024. A High Line Plinth commission. On view October 2024 – Spring 2026. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.

May 16, 2025

High Line to host festival celebrating NYC pigeons

By Aaron Ginsburg

Celebrate the winged icon of New York City’s gritty streets at the High Line next month. On Saturday, June 14—also National Pigeon Day—Pigeon Fest will take over the elevated park along 30th Street and the Spur with a day of free programming, including games, art workshops, a pigeon impersonation pageant, and more. The festival centers around Iván Argote’s "Dinosaur," a 16-foot-tall hyper-realistic pigeon sculpture installed at the park in October above the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

MTA proposes 684-unit development above future Second Avenue Subway terminus in East Harlem

Streetview of East 125th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues, Map data © 2024 Google

May 15, 2025

MTA proposes 684-unit development above future Second Avenue Subway terminus in East Harlem

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to rezone a block in East Harlem to allow for a nearly 700-unit residential building above the future terminus of the Second Avenue Subway. The MTA filed plans on Tuesday to rezone the south side of East 125th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues, where the station for the last stop on the Q line will eventually open as part of the Second Avenue Subway extension. As first reported by Crain's, the MTA plans to partner with a private developer to build an apartment tower with up to 684 units on the block's west side, an MTA-owned property.
details here

World Trade Center to host free watch parties for Yankees-Mets series

Photo courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

May 15, 2025

World Trade Center to host free watch parties for Yankees-Mets series

By Devin Gannon

It's a big weekend for New York baseball fans. The first Subway Series of the season kicks off on Friday, with the Yankees and Mets facing off as part of Major League Baseball's inaugural "Rivalry Weekend." With both teams currently taking the top spot in their division, and Juan Soto returning to the Bronx for the first time since signing with the crosstown foe for $765 million, the games promise to be can't-miss television. To revel in the rivalry, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will broadcast all three games on giant screens (with sound) at the North Oculus Plaza on the World Trade Center campus.
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Events & Things To Do

Egg rolls, egg creams, and empanadas: Lower East Side street festival returns for 24th year

Photos courtesy of Museum at Eldridge Street

May 14, 2025

Egg rolls, egg creams, and empanadas: Lower East Side street festival returns for 24th year

By Devin Gannon

A street festival celebrating the diverse cultures of the Lower East Side takes place next month. Hosted by the Museum at Eldridge Street, the 24th annual Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival brings together Jewish, Chinese, and Puerto Rican heritage with a day of food, music, crafts, and more. The block party takes place on Sunday, June 15.
details this way

Events & Things To Do

Vacant parking lot in Harlem to become 75 apartments

Credit: Haussmann Development

May 14, 2025

Vacant parking lot in Harlem to become 75 apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

A vacant parking lot in Harlem will soon become a residential building. Haussmann Development on Monday announced it closed on a land purchase at 16–20 Convent Avenue for $7.5 million. Haussmann plans to build a 10-story residential building with 75 one- and two-bedroom apartments, including 15 affordable units for households earning 60 percent of the area median income.
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Affordable Housing

New public art exhibition in Midtown East explores what it means to be American

All photos courtesy of The Soloviev Group, unless noted otherwise

May 13, 2025

New public art exhibition in Midtown East explores what it means to be American

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new public art installation in Midtown East celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States with stories of veterans, farmers, activists, and other everyday heroes. Designed by C&G Partners, the nearly 7-acre exhibition, "Path of Liberty: That Which Unites US," immerses visitors in 55 personal stories brought to life through striking visuals and interactive elements. Opening on May 15, the installation is located at the site of the Soloviev Group's proposed Freedom Plaza casino on First Avenue between 38th and 41st Streets.
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Adams allocates $52M to replace West Village rec center in proposed budget

Tony Dapolito Recreation Center. Tdorante10 via Wikimedia Commons

May 12, 2025

Adams allocates $52M to replace West Village rec center in proposed budget

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams is allocating $51.8 million to rebuild a beloved, but run-down, recreation center in the West Village. The 100-year-old Tony Dapolito Recreation Center has been closed since 2019 due to significant structural issues, including foundation damage. Under his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, Adams includes funding for the Parks Department to demolish the existing building on Clarkson Street and construct a modern facility across the street as part of a new mixed-use development.
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It’s time to nosh: Jewish food festival coming to Governors Island

All photos courtesy of The Great Knosh

May 8, 2025

It’s time to nosh: Jewish food festival coming to Governors Island

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City’s top restaurants are heading to Governors Island this summer for a one-day-only Jewish food and culture festival. Taking place Sunday, June 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Great Nosh is a picnic-style party with collaborations between some of the city's most iconic restaurants, including Katz’s Deli, Russ & Daughters, Apollo Bagels, and Morgenstern’s.
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