By Devin Gannon, Tue, August 4, 2020 - By Devin Gannon
- , August 4, 2020
Photo by Peter Burka on Flickr
New York City small businesses are barely hanging on. More than 2,800 have closed permanently since March 1, the New York Times reported. And when the pandemic eventually subsides, as many as one-third of the city’s 230,000 small businesses may not reopen, according to a report from the Partnership for New York City. Despite the city reaching the final and fourth phase of reopening, the distribution of millions of dollars in aid, and creative measures to help shops survive, thousands of businesses remain at risk.
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By Dana Schulz, Tue, August 4, 2020 - By Dana Schulz
- , August 4, 2020
Photo of The Greens courtesy of The Howard Hughes Corporation
Social distancing guidelines have definitely gotten restaurants to be extra creative, like The Rooftop at Pier 17 which has just opened a new dining experience where guests can book one of 28 “mini-lawns.” Called The Greens, the experience has transformed the South Street Seaport rooftop venue into private cabana-style plots, each of which can accommodate eight guests.
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By Devin Gannon, Tue, August 4, 2020 - By Devin Gannon
- , August 4, 2020
Rendering courtesy of Vornado Realty Trust
Facebook has signed a lease for 730,000 square feet at the former James A. Farley Post Office, a Midtown landmark currently being converted into a mixed-use building, Vornado Realty Trust announced Monday. Reports of the deal first surfaced last December, but the coronavirus pandemic put into question the need for massive office space with thousands of workers. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the deal shows New York’s resilience as the city recovers from the crisis. “Vornado’s and Facebook’s investment in New York and commitment to further putting down roots here – even in the midst of a global pandemic – is a signal to the world that our brightest days are still ahead and we are open for business,” Cuomo said in a statement. “This public-private partnership fortifies New York as an international center of innovation.”
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By Dana Schulz, Tue, August 4, 2020 - By Dana Schulz
- , August 4, 2020
All photos courtesy of Compass
In 2016, Jennifer Lawrence picked up a $15.6 million penthouse on the Upper East Side. She must have really wanted to offload it, because last summer, she listed it for $15,450,000 and dropped it to $12 million earlier this month. According to city property records, the Oscar-winning actress ultimately sold the home at 400 East 67th Street for $9,900,000, taking a nearly $6 million loss. Listing agent Pamela D’Arc of Compass declined to comment on the sale.
Go inside
By Dana Schulz, Mon, August 3, 2020 - By Dana Schulz
- , August 3, 2020
All photos courtesy of Governor Andrew Cuomo/Flickr
It’s been nearly 20 years since St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine was lost in the attacks on 9/11, but today, Governor Cuomo announced the restart of construction on the new Santiago Calatrava-designed church. Work originally began in 2015, but stalled in late 2017 when the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America ran out of funding.
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By Devin Gannon, Mon, August 3, 2020 - By Devin Gannon
- , August 3, 2020
Photo courtesy of Lower East Side Partnership
Last month, Katz’s Delicatessen opened for outdoor dining for the first time in its 132-year history. And last week, the legendary Lower East Side eatery launched its own local delivery service, dodging the excessive fees charged by third-party companies. As first reported by the Bowery Boogie, diners can order from Katz’s classic menu directly from their website, including pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, matzoh ball soup, and square potato knishes.
More details here
By Dana Schulz, Mon, August 3, 2020 - By Dana Schulz
- , August 3, 2020
Outdoor dining on West 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus. Photo by 6sqft.
In a press conference this morning, Mayor de Blasio announced that the city’s popular Open Restaurants program will return on June 1, 2021, if not earlier in the spring. He recently expanded this year’s outdoor dining program through October 31 after it was found to be successful and safe and after the state indefinitely postponed indoor dining in New York City. De Blasio said that an estimated 80,000 jobs from more than 9,000 participating businesses have been saved since the program launched on June 22 when the city entered phase two of reopening.
More details ahead
By Devin Gannon, Mon, August 3, 2020 - By Devin Gannon
- , August 3, 2020
Courtesy of Tishman Speyer
The iconic flags that surround the Rink at Rockefeller Center got a makeover over the weekend. Public art initiative “The Flag Project” opened on Saturday with 193 new flags designed by the public, as well as a number of well-known artists and designers. Led by Tishman Speyer, the installation aims to celebrate New York City as the city continues its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
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By Dana Schulz, Mon, August 3, 2020 - By Dana Schulz
- , August 3, 2020
Open streets outdoor dining along West 47th Street, photo by CityRealty
On Friday, Mayor de Blasio announced that an additional 15 locations would be closing to traffic and opening their streets for outdoor dining through a combination of the city’s Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs. This brings the total to 62 participating streets. Some of the latest include 13 blocks along Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side, another stretch in Chinatown, Koreatown, a few in Noho/Soho, and five blocks along Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. Since restaurants were first able to open for outdoor dining when phase two began on June 22, more than 9,500 have signed on to participate.
The full list of open streets
By Devin Gannon, Mon, August 3, 2020 - By Devin Gannon
- , August 3, 2020
The Market Line Patio; Credit: Greater Studio
With nearly 10,000 New York City restaurants open for outdoor dining, now even food halls are getting in on the Open Restaurants program. The Market Line at Essex Crossing on Friday opened a spacious outdoor patio and a menu made up of a mix of vendors from the Lower East Side food hall. And Time Out Market will reopen its fifth-floor rooftop and seating along the waterfront in Dumbo this week.
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