Manhattan

September 9, 2020

You can win a private session at Grand Central Terminal’s ‘hidden’ tennis courts

A contest launched on Tuesday that is tailor-made for lovers of tennis and quirky New York City history. Grand Central Terminal's "Game, Set, & Match" contest will provide one winner and a partner an hour to play tennis at the iconic transit hub's Vanderbilt Tennis Club, located in a hard-to-find location on the terminal's fourth floor. In addition to the free match, the winner will receive $300 in gift cards for Grand Central Terminal vendors.
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September 8, 2020

Annual 9/11 dance tribute at Lincoln Center will be live streamed

An annual dance performance in New York City commemorating September 11 will be live-streamed this year. On Friday, the Buglisi Dance Theatre and Lincoln Center, in partnership with Dance/NYC, will present a "reimagined" Table of Silence Project 9/11, a multi-cultural performance calling for peace and global unity. Created and choreographed by Jacqulyn Buglisi, the yearly performance first debuted in 2011, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
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September 8, 2020

Chelsea Flea returns this weekend with new Smorgasburg vendors

After closing in December and being unable to reopen this spring due to the pandemic, the beloved Chelsea Flea is returning this weekend. The outdoor flea market will have more than 40 antique and vintage dealers (some old favorites, some new), as well as a new partnership with Smorgasburg that will bring some great food options.
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September 8, 2020

$2.8M Upper West Side penthouse has a 3,000-square-foot terrace and a solarium

For classic Upper West Side living, there's nothing quite like the co-ops that line West End Avenue. But this penthouse at 465 West End Avenue takes things a step further, exuding all the pre-war elegance you'd hope for, along with a glass solarium and a massive, 2,900-square-foot terrace. It's currently asking $2,775,000.
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September 3, 2020

U Thant Island: Manhattan’s smallest island that’s off limits to the public

Between the United Nations building and Long Island City sits a tiny 100-by-200 foot piece of land, known as U Thant Island. The East River man-made enclave is just south of Roosevelt Island and legally part of Manhattan. As Atlas Obscura discovered, the land did not exist until the 1800s when a trolley tunnel was dug beneath the River to connect Manhattan and Queens. While U Thant looks like a nice place to get some sun and relax, the island remains closed to the public as a bird sanctuary.
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September 2, 2020

Free outdoor sculpture garden opens at Rockefeller Center

Another free public art installation has opened at Rockefeller Center. In its second year, the Frieze Sculpture at Rockefeller Center opened on Tuesday as an outdoor sculpture garden with works from six major international artists. Originally scheduled to open this past spring as part of art programs offered by Frieze New York, the installation was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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September 2, 2020

Hudson Yards’ Vessel and Edge reopen today

Hudson Yards announced that both Vessel and Edge reopen today. The 150-foot-tall climbable public art piece and the observation deck that's 1,100 feet in the air (the highest in the Western Hemisphere) have been closed since March, only two days after Edge officially opened to the public. Both attractions will operate at 25 percent capacity and have numerous health and social distancing protocols in place.
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September 2, 2020

$5.75M brownstone in historic Harlem has a secret garden

The brownstones of Harlem's Mount Morris Park Historic District are some of the most beautiful in Manhattan, like this one at 105 West 122nd Street, which is breathtaking inside and out. This grand, Italianate home was built in 1920 and underwent a gut renovation in 2008 in which historic details like stained glass, woodwork, and moldings were all restored. It also included a new design for the rear garden, which is now a magical retreat. The five-bedroom home is now listed for $5,750,000.
Take the tour
September 1, 2020

66-year-old East Village restaurant Veselka shares its COVID struggles

After closing in March, Veselka reopened for takeout and delivery at the end of April, and both their main location and their secondary spot in the Market Line food hall are open for outdoor dining. But like so many others across the city, the 66-year-old Ukrainian restaurant is struggling without indoor dining. In a video interview with photographers James and Karla Murray, second-generation co-owner Tom Birchard said, "We need to have more tables than we have right now to survive long-term."
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August 27, 2020

This year’s Met roof garden installation tackles ‘the wall’

When the Metropolitan Museum of Art reopens on August 29, this year's eighth annual installation on the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden will also be on view. Titled Lattice Detour, the work by Mexican artist Héctor Zamora tackles a prevalent symbol in today's society--the wall. The 11-foot-tall work deliberately screens views of Central Park and the skyline to evoke the feeling of a barrier to viewers. But the bricks are stacked on their sides, thereby letting in light and air and referencing the latticed celosía walls that are used for shade and ventilation in the Middle East, Africa, Iberia, and Latin America.
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August 27, 2020

Massive Two Bridges projects can move forward without City Council approval

Three projects that include the construction of four towers and the creation of nearly 3,000 housing units in Two Bridges meet all zoning requirements and can move forward without City Council approval, an appeals court ruled Thursday. The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court reversed a lower court's ruling that had stopped the Manhattan megaproject from going ahead.
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August 27, 2020

The best NYC apartments for sale under $500K

Like New York City, the real estate market is slowly starting to recover, with hundreds of new apartment listings posted each day. With some industry experts calling it a buyer's market due to an increase in inventory citywide, we're taking a look at some of the best deals for apartments on the market that are listed for under $500,000. From a spacious two-bedroom with a balcony and an outdoor pool in Riverdale to a charming studio with unique architectural details in Prospect Heights, find out what $500,000 can get you in NYC right now.
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August 26, 2020

$2.3M West Village studio is a ‘zen cocoon’ designed for fashion lovers

This cool West Village home is not your average studio apartment. For one, the interior has been designed as what the listing describes as a "zen suite," complete with carved wooden doors from Bali, grasscloth and leather walls, and a flat-screen TV that ascends from the foot of the bed. Secondly, the bedroom alcove has been transformed into a custom dressing room/closet fit for a fashionista. Located at 400 West 12th Street, the famous Superior Ink condo, the 943-square-foot home is asking $2.3 million.
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August 26, 2020

Central Park’s first statue of historical women unveiled

The "bronze ceiling" has officially been broken in New York City's most famous park. A new statue depicting women's rights activists Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton was unveiled in Central Park on Wednesday, becoming the park's first monument of real-life women. The new statue comes on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, which granted some women the right to vote.
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August 26, 2020

Krispy Kreme unveils new Times Square flagship

Just like their doughnuts, Krispy Kreme says its new 24-hour Times Square flagship will be "fresh and one-of-a-kind." Opening on September 15, the massive, immersive new shop will feature the world's largest glaze waterfall, a doughnut-making theater, and the ability to produce 4,560 doughnuts an hour.
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August 26, 2020

There’s a giant gorilla sculpture in Hudson Yards

To raise awareness and funds for the critically endangered gorilla species, public artists Gillie and Marc Schattner have created a massive sculpture of the animal that arrived this week in Hudson Yards' Bella Abzug Park. Titled King Nyani, Swahili for gorilla, it's the world's largest bronze gorilla sculpture and can fit two to three humans just in its hands.
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August 25, 2020

Inside the stunning, abandoned City Hall subway station

When the New York City subway opened on October 27th, 1904, it was the magnificent City Hall station that served as the backdrop for the festivities, with its arched Guastavino-tiled ceiling and skylights. But by 1945, the newer, longer subway cars could no longer fit on the station's curved tracks, so it was closed. Today, the New York City Transit Museum occasionally offers tours of the abandoned station, which is how photographers James and Karla Murray were able to capture these beautiful photos. Ahead, see more of the station and learn all about its history.
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August 24, 2020

Inside a new luxury Upper West Side condo located on a hidden cul-de-sac

The condo building at 350 West 71st Street manages to maintain its historic allure while providing residents all of the perks of modern living. Designed by DXA Studio, the seven-story development on the Upper West Side measures just 75,000 square feet, but still packs in an impressive amenity package, including a library, fitness center, playroom, and large landscaped rooftop with grill and lounge areas. The boutique building sits within the West 71st Historic District, designated 30 years ago for its uniqueness as a tree-lined cul-de-sac and the distinct Beaux-Arts architecture found across the properties.
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August 24, 2020

New condo at East Village gas explosion site launches sales from $1.35M

It's been five-and-a-half years since the buildings at 119, 121, and 123 Second Avenue were destroyed in a deadly gas explosion caused by an illegal tap into the gas main. The corner site at 45 East 7th Street now has a new life as a boutique condo by architect Morris Adjmi who, in his firm's trademark, designed a building sympathetic to its surroundings. Dubbed No45e7, the 21-unit East Village building just launched sales, which range from $1.35 million one-bedrooms to $4 million two- and three-bedrooms, along with an $8.3 million penthouse. A major perk of the project is that each apartment has its own private terrace.
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August 24, 2020

Tiffany & Co. reveals plans for a glass addition to Fifth Avenue flagship

At the beginning of the year, Tiffany & Company moved after 80 years from its Fifth Avenue flagship to a temporary spot next door while the original location at 727 Fifth Avenue began a renovation. Today, the iconic jewelry company revealed the three-story glass addition that will top their reimagined home, designed by Rem Koolhaas' Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA).
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August 24, 2020

$1.3M West Village co-op feels like a ‘Hollywood bungalow’

The graceful arches, dark floors mixed with painted ceilings, and natural light from three exposures make this West Village co-op feel like a "Hollywood bungalow," as the listing says. Listed for $1,320,000, the one-bedroom home is located at 75 Bank Street. The Art Deco building is known as Abingdon Court and is right across from both Bleecker Playground and Abingdon Square Park.
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August 21, 2020

The Met reveals facade banners designed by Yoko Ono

For the first time, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is displaying artist-designed banners on its Fifth Avenue facade, and they're from none other than Yoko Ono. Titled DREAM TOGETHER, the 24' x 26' banners read "DREAM" and "TOGETHER," and were revealed in anticipation of the museum's reopening on August 29th. Ono created the piece in response to the global COVID-19 crisis, offering "a powerful message of hope and unity to the world," according to the Met.
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August 19, 2020

Hudson Yards reveals two huge murals near the Vessel

As part of its HYxOffTheWall initiative to bring "vibrant and interactive displays and murals" to Hudson Yards, the mega-development has revealed two new public art installations that will remain on view for the rest of the year. Street artist ELLE worked on a 2,900-square-foot semicircular stretch of wall, and mural artist KEY DETAIL worked on a four-sided standing rectangle that rises behind it. According to a press release, the two works "celebrate inclusion and togetherness, inspired by a belief that New York’s happiest moments are the ones we spend together—something we have been consistently reminded of during our time apart."
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August 19, 2020

This is what a landscaped ‘green block’ would look like in the Flatiron District

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic in New York City, fewer cars were on the road, leading to cleaner air and less noise pollution. And with nearly everything temporarily shut down, New Yorkers sought solace in open green spaces, parks, and open streets closed to cars. As the city is in the midst of reopening, WATG, a global multidisciplinary design firm, has proposed a plan to make the streets of New York greener while helping small businesses recover in the process.
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August 19, 2020

Amazon will hire 2,000 NYC employees at new Lord & Taylor building location

Despite a national shift towards working from home, Amazon announced a $1.4 billion plan to hire 3,500 employees across six major U.S. cities, a 10-percent expansion of its current corporate workforce of 35,000, according to the New York Times. This includes 2,000 employees in New York City, who will work from the e-commerce behemoth's newly acquired location at the historic Lord & Taylor building on Fifth Avenue. WeWork bought the landmarked building in 2017 for $850 million, but after a troubling few years, they sold it to Amazon in March for a reported $1.15 billion.
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