Manhattan

The Carnegie Hill apartment that once belonged to one of the most influential figures of the modern art movement has hit the market. Alfred Barr Jr. was the original director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) when it opened in 1929, where he championed all forms of art and became known for bringing Pablo Picasso's work to the United States. During his tenure as director, Barr lived in a high-floor three-bedroom co-op at 49 East 96th Street, which recently became available for $2,295,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Work begins on East Harlem tower with 340 affordable apartments and new arts center

Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

February 18, 2026

Work begins on East Harlem tower with 340 affordable apartments and new arts center

An affordable housing project first conceived as part of the East Harlem rezoning 10 years ago has finally kicked off construction. The city on Wednesday broke ground on Timbale Terrace, a 100 percent affordable tower with 341 apartments and a new theater and performing arts center for Belongó, formerly known as the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance. Located at East 118th Street and Park Avenue, the site sat vacant for decades before most recently serving as a police department parking lot.
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For $2.45M, an artist’s downtown Manhattan loft is a blank slate with a modern frame

All photos courtesy of Bettina Werner and Douglas Elliman

February 18, 2026

For $2.45M, an artist’s downtown Manhattan loft is a blank slate with a modern frame

This one-bedroom-plus-office condo in the amenity-packed Downtown by Starck residence at 15 Broad Street is a high-floor haven, currently home to Italian artist Bettina Werner, who is known for her unique salt crystal artworks. The Fidi condo, asking $2,450,000, offers 1,809 square feet of living space, with the kind of white-box vibe that you'd expect from an art gallery, framed by 11-foot beamed ceilings. The building is also known for its peerless menu of luxury perks, including a pool and spa, a ball court, and a gorgeous rooftop park with a reflecting pool.
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Distinctive Homes

New Underground Railroad stop discovered at Merchant’s House Museum in Manhattan

All photos courtesy of the Merchant’s House Museum

February 13, 2026

New Underground Railroad stop discovered at Merchant’s House Museum in Manhattan

A previously unknown site connected to the Underground Railroad was discovered in Manhattan this week. The Merchant's House Museum, a well-preserved 19th-century home-turned-museum on East 4th Street in Noho, unveiled a narrow passageway hidden beneath a built-in chest of drawers on the second floor that descends 15 feet to the ground floor. As NY1 first reported, the link to the Underground Railroad is the first uncovered in the city in over a century.
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This $15M penthouse is a 9,000-square-foot mansion in the Midtown sky

Photo credit: Tim Waltman – Evan Joseph Photography

February 12, 2026

This $15M penthouse is a 9,000-square-foot mansion in the Midtown sky

If you're thinking a townhouse is too small, this dazzling duplex high above Manhattan's east side at 500 Park Avenue, asking $15 million, might do. With over 9,000 square feet of living space, it's easy to get lost among the rooms that span two floors of this Midtown condo with four exposures, panoramic views, and a massive terrace. Currently owned by architect Wendy Evans Joseph, who has designed projects for noted museums and cultural institutions, including the new Canarsie Library, NYC's first public mass timber building, the home's interiors reflect a level of design sophistication not found in the average Manhattan penthouse.
limitless space, dazzling views, this way

Distinctive Homes

MetroCard artwork on view at new Grand Central exhibition

Nina Boesch, courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

February 11, 2026

MetroCard artwork on view at new Grand Central exhibition

While you can no longer swipe them to ride, New York City’s iconic MetroCard will once again be in the spotlight as part of a new exhibition at Grand Central Terminal next month. Opening March 16 at the New York Transit Museum's Grand Central Gallery and Store, "Inspired by MetroCard" shows how artists and designers have transformed the retired transit card into an artistic medium over its three-decade history. Drawing from the museum’s collections and contemporary works, the exhibition features fashion, sculpture, painting, and collage, along with limited-edition collector cards decorated with original artwork.
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NYC officials re-raise Pride flag at Stonewall

NYC Council Members and Speaker Julie Menin hold a protest over the removal of the LGBTQIA+ flag from the Stonewall National Monument. Photo Credit: Will Alatriste/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

February 11, 2026

NYC officials re-raise Pride flag at Stonewall

New York City officials followed through on their promise to restore the Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village, re-raising it Thursday after the National Park Service removed it earlier in the week. The flag was first taken down on Monday by the agency, which has overseen the site since it was designated a national monument by former President Barack Obama in 2016. The agency told Gay City News that the removal was required under policy permitting only the U.S. flag and other "congressionally or departmentally authorized flags" to fly on NPS flagpoles, despite the site’s recognition as the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, which the Pride flag symbolizes.
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Policy

30-story condo will be the tallest building in Greenwich Village

11 West 13th Street in July 2025, ahead of construction. © Ondel Hylton

February 10, 2026

30-story condo will be the tallest building in Greenwich Village

The tallest building in Greenwich Village is moving forward. Construction financing was secured last week for a new luxury condominium at 11 West 13th Street, a planned 30-story tower with 34 residences that will rise well above the neighborhood's next tallest buildings. Despite backlash from preservationist groups, which filed a zoning challenge with the Department of Buildings, the project is moving ahead, after developers Legion Investment Group and EJS Group secured $190 million in construction financing last week.
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Judge allows Trump’s Gateway funding freeze to continue until Thursday

Credit: Gateway Development Commission

February 9, 2026

Judge allows Trump’s Gateway funding freeze to continue until Thursday

After ordering the Trump administration to resume funding for the Gateway project, a federal judge has agreed to temporarily allow the funding freeze to continue while an appeal moves forward. The order, issued Friday by Manhattan Judge Jeannette Vargas, follows a lawsuit filed by NY and NJ seeking emergency relief to stop the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) from withholding funds for the project. However, after the administration filed an appeal Sunday, Vargas agreed to pause the order until February 12 to allow the appeal to proceed, according to New Jersey Monitor.
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Trump said he’d restore Gateway funding if New York renames Penn Station after him

Photo of Penn Station by Don Ramey Logan via WikiCommons

February 6, 2026

Trump said he’d restore Gateway funding if New York renames Penn Station after him

President Donald Trump told Sen. Chuck Schumer last month that he'd resume funding for the Gateway project, but only if New York's Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport are renamed after him. Trump said he would release $16 billion in previously allocated federal funds for the critical infrastructure project on that condition, as CNN reported. Funding, which had been secured under the Biden administration, was frozen during October’s government shutdown. Construction on the project will stop at 5 p.m. on Friday if the funding does not resume.
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For $3M, this charming Nomad loft has a rooftop deck with an outdoor shower

Photo credit: Francisco Rosario, DD-Reps

February 6, 2026

For $3M, this charming Nomad loft has a rooftop deck with an outdoor shower

In the heart of bustling Nomad, this three-bedroom condo at 138 Lexington Avenue comprises the top three floors of a 1920 townhouse. Asking $2,995,000, the triplex has the cozy appeal of a downtown loft. The home's highest floor is its most covetable: a sunny studio is flanked by a landscaped roof deck with an outdoor shower.
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Distinctive Homes

February 4, 2026

NYC opens low-barrier shelter with 100+ units in Lower Manhattan

New York City has opened a new safe haven shelter in the South Street Seaport, offering secure temporary housing to more than 100 unhoused New Yorkers, as deaths linked to the city’s ongoing stretch of extreme cold continue to rise. On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the opening of a long-stalled shelter at 320 Pearl Street, offering 106 beds, on-site services, and no curfews or similar restrictions in an effort to encourage more homeless New Yorkers to come in from the cold, according to Gothamist. The new shelter is part of a series of measures Mamdani has enacted since the city entered this historic cold snap, including the opening of 50 additional shelter units in Upper Manhattan on Monday.
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Policy

NY and NJ sue Trump administration for withholding Gateway funding

Credit: Gateway Development Commission

February 4, 2026

NY and NJ sue Trump administration for withholding Gateway funding

New York and New Jersey are suing the Trump administration for withholding $15 billion in federal funding previously set aside for the transformative Gateway project. Announced Tuesday, the lawsuit seeks emergency relief to prevent the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) from continuing to withhold critical funding for the project, which is building a new rail tunnel and rehabilitating a dilapidated one. The legal action follows the Gateway Development Commission’s announcement last week that work would stop on February 6 unless federal funding is restored.
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20-story Murray Hill luxury rental opens lottery for 48 apartments, from $1,842/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

February 3, 2026

20-story Murray Hill luxury rental opens lottery for 48 apartments, from $1,842/month

Applications are now being accepted for 48 mixed-income apartments at a new CetraRuddy-designed luxury rental development in Murray Hill. Rising 20 stories at 255 East 39th Street, The Lotus is a sustainability-focused building whose cutting-edge amenities, modern residences, and building systems are all designed in accordance with “vegan principles,” according to Brause Realty. New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $1,842/month studios to $4,518/month two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Manhattan Municipal Building to open rooftop for free tours

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

February 2, 2026

Manhattan Municipal Building to open rooftop for free tours

One of New York City's first skyscrapers will open its rooftop to the public for the first time this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced that the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, the grand Beaux-Arts government building at 1 Centre Street, will offer free guided tours of its 36th-floor cupola starting in June. The mayor also announced a $6 million renovation of the building to prepare for its new public observation deck.
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SHOP THE LISTING: This $3.75M co-op is an architect-designed masterpiece in a classic Village loft

Photo credit: Michael Weinstein

January 30, 2026

SHOP THE LISTING: This $3.75M co-op is an architect-designed masterpiece in a classic Village loft

Loft proportions give this Village apartment at 35 East 10th Street a head start in life, with tall ceilings and gracefully arched windows overlooking the downtown Manhattan street scene below. Masterfully designed interiors, courtesy of AD 100 design firm RP Miller, give this two-bedroom home star power. Asking $3,750,000, this pre-war co-op is a showcase of stellar design trends that not only stand out but also stand the test of time. If you love the interior design of this home, we’ve sourced a few key pieces that are identical or similar to the items in the listing photos, so you can get the look for your own space.
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Rare Sistine Chapel drawing on display in NYC ahead of auction

All photos by Touhey Photography, unless noted otherwise

January 29, 2026

Rare Sistine Chapel drawing on display in NYC ahead of auction

New Yorkers can view a recently discovered Michelangelo draft, later reflected in the Sistine Chapel, during a free exhibition ahead of its auction next week. On view through February 5 at Christie’s New York at 20 Rockefeller Plaza, the newly identified drawing—a study for the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl—is the first unrecorded study for the famed ceiling ever to come to auction and one of only about 10 Michelangelo drawings known to be in private hands. The work will be auctioned off as part of Christie’s Old Master Drawings sale, with an estimated price tag of $1.5 million to $2 million.
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See the Flatiron Building’s first publicly listed apartments

All images courtesy of the Flatiron Building

January 28, 2026

See the Flatiron Building’s first publicly listed apartments

As condos at the iconic Flatiron Building continue to be snapped up off-market, new details emerged this week about the first publicly listed apartments at the landmarked tower. The 22-story Fifth Avenue building is currently being converted from offices to 38 condominiums, with many units entering contract without being publicly advertised. This week, though, two four-bedroom apartments hit the market: a south-facing unit for $16 million and another north-facing for $18.9 million.
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New Developments

This $9.75M Harlem brownstone reflects neighborhood history with five floors of 19th-century elegance

Credit: Russ Ross for The Corcoran Group

January 28, 2026

This $9.75M Harlem brownstone reflects neighborhood history with five floors of 19th-century elegance

This Middlesex brownstone-clad townhouse at 12 Mount Morris Park West is a five-floor single-family home with a history that has been preserved with care. Set within the Mount Morris Park Historic District, overlooking Marcus Garvey Memorial Park, the distinctive home was built in 1888, designed by James E. Ware. Asking $9.75 million, the 25-foot-wide Queen Anne-style was last listed for $8.2M in 2021. According to the current listing, it has had only three owners in its over-a-century-long existence.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

Work on Gateway project will stop next week unless Trump restores funding

In December 2025, the Tonnelle Ave bridge structure was completed, opening the passage beneath the highway that will be used to bring the TBM components in for assembly. Credit: Gateway Development Commission

January 28, 2026

Work on Gateway project will stop next week unless Trump restores funding

Construction of a crucial rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey will stop next week unless federal funding is restored. The Gateway Development Commission announced on Tuesday that funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project will run out on February 6. President Donald Trump's administration initially paused funding until the project's contracts were reviewed for compliance with new rules governing businesses owned by women and minorities—rules the GDC has pledged to follow—but funding has still not been restored, according to the New York Times.
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Steve Madden’s former Trump Palace pad lists for $11.5M

Photo credit: Brown Harris Stevens

January 27, 2026

Steve Madden’s former Trump Palace pad lists for $11.5M

The 47th-floor condo at 200 East 69th Street, with six balconies and six bedrooms, once owned by legendary shoe designer Steve Madden, has 360-degree views of Central Park, both rivers, and the city skyline. And at $11,500,000–the fashion mogul paid $15 million for the apartment in 2013–you could even call it a deal. The Lenox Hill home is a combination of two units within Trump Palace, a 57-story building completed in 1991.
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Distinctive Homes

NYC’s Museum of Jewish Heritage to light facade, host events for Holocaust Remembrance Day

The museum launched Collections Online, a new digital portal providing free public access to more than 10,000 digitized artifacts from its permanent collection. Photo credit: Museum of Jewish Heritage

January 27, 2026

NYC’s Museum of Jewish Heritage to light facade, host events for Holocaust Remembrance Day

For International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorated on January 27 to mark the liberation of Auschwitz, the Museum of Jewish Heritage will illuminate its facade in vibrant yellow and host a weeklong series of programs. The Battery Park City museum will be symbolically lit on Tuesday, anchoring exhibitions and events running from Sunday, January 25, through Thursday, January 29. The museum has honored the day annually since 1997, and this year’s programming reflects the urgency of preserving the stories of Holocaust survivors as their generation continues to dwindle.
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Events & Things To Do

January 26, 2026

Extell to purchase Park Ave development site

Extell Development’s Manhattan expansion continues as the firm moves to acquire a prime Midtown site and air rights from an adjacent synagogue. On Sunday, Gary Barnett's firm entered a contract to purchase 405–415 Park Avenue and air rights from Central Synagogue, as first reported by The Promote. The company is also reportedly negotiating to acquire the adjacent office building at 110 East 55th Street, which, combined with the Park Avenue site, could become a major new mixed-use or office development in Midtown.
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Real Estate Trends

Manhattan’s first purpose-built film and TV studio opens in Hell’s Kitchen

All photos courtesy of Sunset Studios

January 26, 2026

Manhattan’s first purpose-built film and TV studio opens in Hell’s Kitchen

The cameras are now rolling at Pier 94 in Hell's Kitchen, where Manhattan’s first purpose-built film and TV studio complex has officially opened. Last week, Sunset Pier 94 Studios debuted its 232,000-square-foot production campus, which includes six soundstages, production support and office space, as well as public waterfront open space along Manhattan’s West Side. The studio has already secured its first tenant, with a lease signed for the second season of "Dexter: Resurrection," and additional productions are expected to be announced soon.
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Architecture And Design

Photo courtesy of Edward Menashy, Evan Joseph Studio

January 21, 2026

For $8M, a proper Park Avenue penthouse with an artistic pedigree

Among the many coveted residences of the Upper East Side, 535 Park Avenue was among the first Park Avenue cooperatives built by the original shareholders. Asking $7.95 million, the building's highest home was designed to be the residence and studio of society portraitist Lydia Field Emmet. Enhanced by a spare-no-expense renovation, the two-bedroom home's pre-war architecture and expansive terrace overlooking Park Avenue remain peerless in the 21st century.
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Distinctive Homes

From cozy to bold, this $10M Soho condo embodies post-loft luxury

Photo credit: Andrew Brincka | DDreps

January 16, 2026

From cozy to bold, this $10M Soho condo embodies post-loft luxury