February 3, 2023

For $5.7M, this renovated Soho loft has the layout and luxurious finishes of a townhouse

This magnificently renovated Soho co-op at 14 Wooster Street has the bones–and the beams–of the downtown neighborhood's old-school loft spaces, with wide-plank oak floors and 40 feet of windows overlooking the cobblestones of Wooster Street. Though the sprawling 3,800-square-foot space spans the building's entire second floor, it offers the privacy and convenient configuration of a Village townhouse. The $5,700,000 co-op has been designed with a sophisticated mix of lacquered wood-paneled walls, marble and plaster details, and 21st-century conveniences.
Take the townhouse-in-a-loft tour
February 3, 2023

A pop-up roller disco is opening at Brooklyn’s Atlantic Terminal Mall

An indoor roller rink is coming to the heart of Brooklyn. Set to open on February 11 at the Atlantic Terminal Mall, The Roller Wave will offer a 24,000-square-foot venue with skating, live performances, DJs, food and beverage options, and an arcade. Founded by NYC native Harry Martin, the Roller Wave is a traveling pop-up roller skating experience. The rink, which will be open through June 4, will be the Roller Wave's first true location.
Get the details
February 2, 2023

For $2.4M, this Park Slope home is renovated with an enviable rooftop

This Park Slope apartment is just a quarter of a mile to the tip of Prospect Park. But with a private finished roof deck that runs the length of the building, who needs Brooklyn's backyard, anyway? Asking $2,395,000, the top-floor co-op at 801 Union Street has undergone a recent renovation inside and out, including the landscaped roof deck that is a paradise of leisure and entertainment.
Look inside
February 2, 2023

Heart-shaped hedges blossom with real roses as part of Valentine’s Day installation in Times Square

Love is in bloom in Times Square this February. As part of its 15th annual Love & Design competition, Times Square Arts on Wednesday unveiled a new public art installation on Duffy Square that invites visitors to get lost in love. This year's winner, Almost Studio, created an interactive configuration of four artificial hedge rows that form a maze-like structure with heart-shaped interiors. Called Love’s h|Edge, the sculpture features illuminated benches and trellises, the latter of which will be filled with fresh roses by passersby.
Take a look
February 2, 2023

Manhattan borough president sees the city’s vacancies as opportunities for creating new housing

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine released a report this week outlining 171 locations in the borough he believes can be turned into more than 73,000 new homes. The report, titled "Housing Manhattanites," seeks to address Manhattan's housing shortage and answer a critical question: "Where in our borough can we build the housing that Manhattanites so desperately need?" Of these housing opportunities, Levine explained to the New York Times: "Some of it is hiding in plain sight. There has been a Post Office that has been closed. There’s an abandoned bus depot that is not being used. There’s manufacturing space which is empty. There are buildings that landlords surrendered to the city for back taxes decades ago."
Find out more
February 2, 2023

Lottery opens for 144 mixed-income units at new Chelsea rental with lots of green space, from $1,329/month

Applications are now being accepted for 144 mixed-income apartments at the currently under-construction development known as Ruby at 241 West 28th Street in Chelsea. Upon completion later this year, the 25-story mixed-use building will have 480 rental apartments, 8,500 square feet of ground-floor retail, landscaped gardens, and an impressive menu of amenities including rooftop pools, terraces, and lounges. The affordable units are available to New Yorkers earning between 70 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $48,138 for a single person and $130,046 for a five-person household. Apartments range from $1,329/month for studios to $3,793 for two bedrooms.
Find out if you're eligible
February 1, 2023

20 ways to celebrate Black History Month 2023 in NYC

February is a month dedicated to the celebration of Black culture and achievements in the United States. In New York City, you can commemorate Black History Month with special events and programs at museums, theaters, art galleries, pop-up markets, parks, and more. From listening to the Harlem Chamber Players perform pieces by legendary Black composers to viewing period rooms inspired by homes from Seneca Village at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, here are 20 ways to celebrate Black history throughout February.
See the list here
February 1, 2023

Anish Kapoor’s bean sculpture is finally complete in Tribeca

New York City finally got its bean. About five years and several delays later, Anish Kapoor's mirrored sculpture was unveiled to the public this week, seemingly propping up Tribeca's "Jenga Building" at 56 Leonard Street. As first reported by Tribeca Citizen, and confirmed by 6sqft, the longstanding barriers and scaffolding have been removed, with the monumental permanent public artwork taking its rightful place on the corner of Church and Leonard Streets.
See the sculpture
February 1, 2023

In New York, Biden touts $300M investment for Hudson River rail project

President Joe Biden made an appearance at Hudson Yards on Tuesday to announce a $292 million investment for a project that would fix a century-old rail tunnel and build a new one under the river between New York and New Jersey. The $16 billion Hudson River tunnel project is just one part of the broader $30 billion Gateway Project, which includes new bridges and the expansion of Penn Station. The funding announced by Biden will go toward a $649 million project that extends the concrete casing for the tunnels between Penn Station and the Hudson River before any work on the tunnels can actually begin.
Get the details
February 1, 2023

Latest casino proposed for NYC includes a giant Ferris wheel near the U.N.

As the competition for three New York City casino licenses heats up, the latest contender, Soloviev Group, announced this week a partnership with Mohegan in a plan that would include a partially subterranean casino anchoring a Midtown entertainment district near the United Nations headquarters. In addition to the casino, the mixed-use development known as Freedom Plaza would include a hotel, two residential towers, green space, a performance venue, a giant Ferris wheel, and–because nothing says "democracy" like a casino and a Ferris wheel–a museum dedicated to democracy.
Find out more
January 31, 2023

NYC’s urban wineries connect the vineyard to the city for date night

When asked why a couple should spend Valentine’s Day at City Winery, CEO and founder, Michael Dorf responded, "Wine not?" Puns aside, he believes "there's this romantic vibe to wooden barrels — something sexy about a winery." It’s what he attributes to City Winery hosting so many weddings. Plus, he joked, if you get engaged at his winery, you’re guaranteed to stay married. Time might tell whether or not that’s true, but when it comes to planning a date night, urban wineries are like a more romantic version of the ever-popular urban brewery.
Where to wine and dine
January 31, 2023

Army Corps of Engineers releases first renderings of NYC sea walls for coastal storm protection plan

Late last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the $52 billion proposal that will represent the most comprehensive effort to date to protect the city from storm surges and the only existing plan for protecting the entire New York Harbor area. The Army Corps recently revealed a new series of renderings that provide a visual glance at how some of these projects might transform the New York City waterfront. Renderings show barriers, gates, sea walls, and raised promenades at Flushing Bay in Queens, at Greenpoint Public Park, and Coney Island in Brooklyn, among others, as THE CITY first reported.
More renderings, this way
January 31, 2023

NYC unveils first restored national medallions along Manhattan’s Avenue of the Americas

The city's Department of Transportation this week unveiled the first restored medallions installed along the Avenue of the Americas on lampposts from 42nd Street to 59th Street. The medallions, which were first displayed in 1959, depict the emblems of each nation and territory in the Western Hemisphere. After years of neglect, the medallions had fallen into disrepair, leaving just 18 of the original 300 medallions remaining. Last fall, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced plans to create new medallions. On Monday, the city installed the first nine of 45 new medallions, representing the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Argentina, St. Lucia, and Uruguay.
See more here
January 31, 2023

Savannah Guthrie is selling her full-floor Tribeca loft for $7.1M

"Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie and her husband, communications pro Michael Feldman, have put their turn-key Tribeca loft on the market for $7,100,000. The full-floor four-bedroom received a modern renovation by AD100 architects Ike Kligerman Barkley and AD100 interior designer Monique Gibson. After calling the apartment home for over five years, the couple has decided to sell because they have a "vision and dream of living in a townhouse," Guthrie told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the listing.
Get a better look
January 30, 2023

NYC will require Uber and Lyft to go fully electric by 2030

All New York City Uber and Lyft rideshare vehicles must go 100 percent electric by 2030, Mayor Eric Adams announced during his State of the City address last week. The decision will affect roughly 100,000 drivers for the two rideshare platforms, which both applauded the city's announcement, as first reported by The Verge.
GET THE DETAILS
January 30, 2023

New Jersey home seen in ‘The Amityville Horror’ sells for $1.5M

The New Jersey home seen in the 1979 film "The Amityville Horror" has found a buyer. Located in Toms River in Ocean County, the waterfront property at 18 Brooks Road was used as a stand-in in the horror movie for the real-life "haunted" house on Long Island. After first listing for $1.7 million this past September, the four-bedroom home recently closed for $1.46 million.
Details here
January 30, 2023

NYC breaks 50-year record for longest snowless streak

New York City has broken the record for the longest start to a winter season without snow, with no considerable amount of snow hitting the five boroughs for 327 days. If no measurable snowfall, considered at least a tenth of an inch, falls by February 4, the city will break its record for the longest streak of consecutive days without measurable snow, according to the New York Times.
Learn more here
January 27, 2023

NYPL acquires archive of Joan Didion’s papers including personal photos, letters, and more

The New York Public Library (NYPL) has acquired an extensive collection of papers and personal items belonging to writer Joan Didion and her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne. The archive of writings, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera provides a rich portrait of the celebrated couples' life and work.
Find out more about the collection
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January 27, 2023

New 34th Street station entrance features mosaic depicting clock from old Penn Station

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday unveiled new accessibility improvements at Penn Station. In addition to four newly modernized elevators, the new, fully accessible entrance at 7th Avenue and 33rd Street features artwork by Diana Al-Hadid. Measuring nearly 15 feet tall, the glass mosaic, called The Time Telling, was inspired by a photograph of the clock that hung at the entrance of the old Penn Station.
Learn more here
January 27, 2023

NYC announces plan for $20M biotech hub at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

During his State of the City address, Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced plans to open a $20 million biotech innovation hub at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The "first-in-the-nation incubator" would include 50,000 square feet of office, lab, and programming space for biotech startups and companies at the former shipyard, as THE CITY first reported.
See more here
January 27, 2023

Plan to resurrect NYC’s iconic Brooklyn Banks skate park moves forward

Tony Hawk’s The Skatepark Project announced plans Thursday to bring the much-loved Brooklyn Banks skate park back to life in a partnership with the nonprofit Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan/Create Gotham Park project. The organizations have joined an ongoing initiative to develop Gotham Park and return the iconic skateboarding mecca to the community by creating a new public park under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. During his State of the City speech on Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams voiced his support for the new public space.
Find out more about bringing back the Banks
January 26, 2023

Pool sharks and party people: Don’t sleep on this $8M Soho pad

Bachelor/ettes with a taste for a certain kind of downtown Manhattan living will be lining up for this classic loft co-op at 515 Broadway (also known as 84 Mercer Street): $8,000,000 snags a 6,100-square-foot party-ready spot in the heart of Soho, complete with Corinthian columns and soaring ceilings, a ballroom-sized living room, a music studio, home gym and billiards room, a burled walnut wet bar and a giant walk-in dressing room for your sneaker collection.
Classic Soho loft living, this way
January 26, 2023

NYC’s curbside composting program coming to all five boroughs

Following the notable success of the program in Queens, curbside composting will soon expand to all of New York City, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday during his State of the City address. The program will launch in Brooklyn this October, followed by the Bronx and Staten Island in March 2024 and Manhattan in October 2024. According to the mayor, the program will be the nation's largest curbside composting program.
Learn more
January 26, 2023

Pretty pre-war co-op on a tree-lined Park Slope block asks $1.75M

This Park Slope co-op is what real estate dreams are made of. Located on the third floor of a 120-year-old building a block from Prospect Park, this updated three-bedroom at 259 Garfield Place offers the best of Brooklyn living. Asking $1,750,000, the home is where gorgeous parquet hardwood floors and original woodwork meet a modern kitchen and renovated bathroom.
Details here
January 26, 2023

Sunset Park senior rental launches lottery for 57 affordable apartments

A housing lottery launched this week for 57 affordable apartments at a new senior housing project in Sunset Park. Located at 6309 4th Avenue on the site of the former Zion Lutheran Church, the Sunset Ridge Senior Apartments comprises a new nine-story building and two existing adjacent townhomes. Applicants must have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older, qualify for Section 8 benefits, and earn no more than $60,500 as a family of three. Eligible New Yorkers will pay 30 percent of their income for the available studio and one-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify
January 25, 2023

The best local chocolate shops in NYC

It doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to crave chocolate. But the sugar-coated holiday certainly provides a good excuse to indulge. Far beyond the red-wrapped drugstore box, creating the sweet (or bitter) treat is now recognized as a craft all its own. Chocolate purveyors range from the old-fashioned to the eco-conscious to makers who hand-mix exotic ingredients and flavors. If you're really hooked, you can make an event of it at a chocolate-themed restaurant, factory tour, or private tasting. Whether you're looking for a last-minute gift for someone special or just a sweet snack, the New York City establishments listed here have something for every chocolate lover–and you can order online or visit the source right in your borough.
Find the chocolate of your dreams, this way
January 25, 2023

Live in Zaha Hadid’s Chelsea masterpiece with four bedrooms and a curvy balcony for $10.5M

This four-bedroom condo in The Residences by Zaha Hadid at 520 West 28th Street is a rare opportunity to live in the late starchitect's residential masterpiece. The unique loft-like 3,840-square-foot residence, asking $10,495,000, features Hadid's signature curves, curated amenities, and a balcony with views of the architecturally significant Chelsea skyline. Details include 10-foot-wide motorized windows with distinctive curved detailing, high ceilings, and generous proportions.
Tour this curvy, curated Chelsea home
January 25, 2023

New uniforms for Empire State Building workers take cue from the skyscraper’s Art Deco flair

Employees of the Empire State Building's 86th-floor Observatory will look a little different the next time you see them. The uniforms of Observatory hosts and gift shop attendants have been given a modern makeover, courtesy of fashion designer Peyman Umay, who for the last two years worked to create a look that would complement the style of the iconic Art Deco building and the observatory's exhibit galleries. Replacing the previous burgundy and black attire, the new uniforms are light gray with blue trimming on the lapels, collars, and pocket flaps.
See more here
January 25, 2023

See what a casino atop Saks Fifth Avenue could look like

Last week, plans to build a casino atop Saks Fifth Avenue in Midtown were released. Hudson's Bay Company announced it would pursue a gaming license in order to convert the upper floors of the flagship store at 611 Fifth Avenue into a casino. New conceptual renderings of the casino, first spotted by the New York Post, reveal a red carpet-lined entrance, lavish interiors, and a rooftop space that overlooks Rockefeller Center.
See the renderings
January 24, 2023

$27.5M palatial penthouse has a front-row view of Central Park and beyond

You can wake up to picture-perfect New York City views every day at this regal penthouse on the Upper West Side. Not only does the apartment at 115 Central Park West offer sweeping park and city vistas from nearly every room, but the home also boasts a whopping 900 square feet of outdoor space, including a 100-foot-long terrace that appears to hover over the world's most famous green space. Asking $27,500,000, the corner penthouse measures 6,000 square feet inside and has five bedrooms and five and a half baths.
Take a look around
January 24, 2023

Lottery launches for 53 luxury apartments at new Crown Heights rental, from $1,576/month

Applications are currently being accepted for 53 mixed-income apartments at a new luxury rental in Crown Heights. Located between Grand and Classon Avenues, the building at 1010 Pacific Street, dubbed Pacific House, rises nine stories, contains 175 total units, and offers residents a fitness center, a unique library room, and a large landscaped rooftop. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from $1,576/month for studios.
Do you qualify?
January 24, 2023

LIRR service to Grand Central Madison starts this week

After a month-long delay due to vent exhaust problems, Grand Central Madison will officially open this week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Tuesday. The first Long Island Rail Road train with service to Manhattan's east side is scheduled to leave Jamaica at 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday and arrive at the new terminal at 11:07 a.m. As part of the initial roll-out, there will be limited shuttle service between the two stations to help commuters get familiar with the new terminal, which cost roughly $12 billion, according to the transit agency.
Find out more
January 24, 2023

This $950K Midtown co-op has the colorful, creative look of a classic Manhattan loft

If this colorful studio at 529 West 42nd Street embodies the creative-industrial vibe of a classic New York City loft, it might be because the home's current owner, Lisa Menichino, is a downtown nightlife denizen; Menichino runs Cubbyhole in the West Village, the city's best-known lesbian bar. Located in The Armory, a true live/work building, the $950,000 co-op has pre-war charm and a clean, modern interior.
Get a closer look
January 23, 2023

Michelin-starred restaurateur to open new dining concept at 550 Madison Avenue

Simon Kim, the restaurateur who founded the Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse, will be opening a new dining concept inside the landmark 550 Madison Avenue. The new "multi-faceted" concept will span 15,000 square feet across three floors at the tower's base, boast soaring 60-foot ceilings, and provide direct access to the building's new landscaped, half-acre public garden. Olayan Group is currently leading a renovation of 550 Madison Avenue, which was designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee in the 1980s as the world's first postmodern skyscraper.
See more here
January 23, 2023

Latest luxury rental on the Lower East Side has three floors of ‘micro-units’

A big new residential development on the Lower East Side is going small. When it opens this spring, the 30-story 55 Suffolk Street will offer three floors of "micro-units," apartments that measure between 315 and 350 square feet and feature space-saving built-in furniture and storage. Developed by the Gotham Organization, the building, dubbed The Suffolk, includes 378 total residences, indoor and outdoor amenities, and a new home for the Chinese-American Planning Council. This week, the building released a teaser site and 6sqft got a first look at the unique new development.
More here
January 23, 2023

NYC to open relief center for migrants at cruise terminal in Red Hook

About a week after declaring there is no more room for migrants in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams announced the opening of a fifth emergency response and relief center to accommodate the growing number of asylum seekers. The new center will open at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook in the coming weeks and serve roughly 1,000 single adult men, providing them shelter and medical, food, laundry, and reconnective services. The men will be relocated to the terminal from the Watson Hotel, which will be used to house families with children instead. An opening date for the center has not been announced yet.
Get the details
January 23, 2023

This $4.5M historic Riverdale home overlooks the Hudson River from an elegant veranda

Known as the Henry Atherton Villa, this extraordinary home at 5247 Independence Avenue was known at the turn of the 20th century as a gathering place for artists, poets, and society notables. Looking out over the Hudson River and the Palisades beyond, the property is 15 minutes away from Midtown Manhattan, surrounded by the verdant historic Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale. Built in 1830, the Gothic Revival style home received a Colonial Revival addition at the turn of the century. Asking $4,500,000, the home spans 10,000 square feet, with nine bedrooms, gracious lawns, a solarium, and a veranda with breathtaking river views.
See more of this historic Riverdale home
January 20, 2023

An iridescent sculpture seen at Burning Man is now on view at Brookfield Place

A new iridescent public art installation on the lower Manhattan waterfront shines with transforming colors and casts colored shadows that shift with the time of day. Created by world-renowned sculpture artist Davis McCarty, Pulse Portal is a 20-foot archway made of material that can change color depending on how the light hits it and the perspective of the viewer. Pulse Portal is on view at Brookfield Place's Waterfront Plaza through March 10.
See more here
January 20, 2023

New York’s second legal weed dispensary is opening on Bleecker Street

New York's second legal recreational cannabis shop is set to open in Greenwich Village next week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday. Smacked LLC, located inside a nearly 200-year-old building at 144 Bleecker Street, will open its doors to the public on January 24 at 10 a.m. The store is the first in the state to be opened by an entrepreneur with a cannabis conviction, as part of a program to ensure equity in licensing. Owned and operated by Roland Conner, Smacked LLC will operate as a soft "popup" through February 20 and re-open as a long-term business at a later date.
Find out more
January 20, 2023

$10M penthouse at Robert A.M. Stern’s Claremont Hall sets sales record for Morningside Heights

A penthouse at a Robert A.M. Stern-designed tower in Morningside Heights is in contract for $10 million, marking a record for the Manhattan neighborhood. The full-floor residence sits atop Claremont Hall, a 41-story building located within the campus of Union Theological Seminary. Positioned at one of the highest points in the area, Penthouse 41 is a four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home with stunning city, park, and river views.
Find out more
January 20, 2023

Everything’s big in this $3.75M Ditmas Park home, from the porch to the yard, driveway and garage

This three-story house on a corner lot in historic Ditmas Park offers a perfect way to enjoy a lush yard, a sprawling wrap-around porch, a long driveway, and a spacious garage while living in the middle of bustling Brooklyn. Inside, you'll find 7,480 square feet of living space with eight bedrooms and a finished basement, all with historic details beautifully preserved and renovated for 21st-century living. Built in 1909, the Flatbush townhouse is asking $3,750,000.
Take a closer look
January 19, 2023

NYC subway stations near rivers have worst air quality in the system

New York City subway stations that lie beneath the city's rivers may expose commuters to higher levels of harmful pollutants compared to other stations, according to a study published this month. Known as the "river-tunnel" effect by researchers, tunnels that are beneath water have limited ventilation, which ends up trapping harmful particles, according to scientists from New York University's Grossman School of Medicine. According to the research, stations neighboring river tunnels had 80 to 130 percent higher concentrations of potentially dangerous particles compared to stations only a few stops away.
See more here
January 19, 2023

Hell’s Kitchen church home to first Black Catholic parish in the north sells for $16M

The first Black Catholic church to open above the Mason-Dixon line has been sold for $16 million, as first reported by Bisnow New York. Located at 342 West 53rd Street in Hell's Kitchen, the former St. Benedict the Moor church was constructed in 1869 as the only church for Black Roman Catholics. The property was sold by the Archdiocese of New York to developer Walter Wang's JMM Charitable Foundation, whose future plans for the site are unknown, according to W42ST.
Learn more here
January 19, 2023

In Harlem, controversial truck depot opens on site of failed housing project

On the Harlem lot where a residential development with hundreds of housing units was once proposed, a truck depot opened this week. As Patch first reported, the first trucks drove on Wednesday to the stop on West 145th Street, the site of the One45 proposal. After the council member refused to support the new mixed-use development, citing gentrification and lack of affordable housing, the developer scrapped the plan in May and moved forward with one that did not require zoning changes. The depot can hold up to 200 vehicles.
Find out more
January 19, 2023

‘Living’ lantern installation offers a moment of zen in Midtown

A new animated public art installation is radiating light and tranquility in Midtown. Located on the Broadway pedestrian plazas between 39th and 40th Streets, Living Lantern is a dynamic sculpture with wooden pieces that move with the wind. Measuring roughly 14 feet tall and 20 feet wide, the illuminated lantern evokes a calming effect through shifting colors and movements. Created by NEON and Frankie Boyle, the installation is meant to serve as a beacon of hope, brightness, and a guiding light in Midtown. Open to the public for free through February 24, Living Lantern is the latest public art exhibition sponsored by the Garment District Alliance.
See more here
January 18, 2023

Enjoy panoramic Manhattan views from the bath in this $20M Flatiron duplex

Is nearly 6,000 square feet of living space and 360-degree New York City vistas from the bath worth $20 million to you? If so, this dramatic duplex in the sky at 45 East 22nd Street in the Madison Square Park Tower awaits. Asking $19,995,000, the four-bedroom condominium offers iconic river-to-river views that will never fail to impress.
Take the tour
January 18, 2023

NYC’s first all-electric skyscraper tops out in Downtown Brooklyn

New York City's first fully electric skyscraper topped out in Downtown Brooklyn this week. The 44-story building 100 Flatbush is part of the first phase of Alloy Block, a mixed-use five-building development designed by Alloy Development to have 850 apartments, 200,000 square feet of office space, and two public schools. 100 Flatbush will contain 441 mixed-income residences, 396 of which will be market-rate rentals and 45 separate affordable residences, and 30,000 square feet of retail space.
See more here
January 18, 2023

Lunar New Year brings celebrations and joy to NYC’s Chinatown

In early 2020, Vic Lee, who grew up in Manhattan's Chinatown, noticed that there was less foot traffic in her neighborhood. "It was obvious something was going on that Lunar New Year,” Lee said. “We talked to business owners, and it was because of xenophobia and racist rhetoric." During the height of the coronavirus pandemic in March of that year, she co-founded Welcome to Chinatown as a way to amplify small businesses and entrepreneurs in Chinatown via their Longevity Fund. The organization also has a meal donation program for underserved residents and does research and data collection. And this month, for the third year, Welcome to Chinatown will be hosting Lunar New Year celebrations to usher in the Year of the Rabbit, which begins January 22. We spoke to Lee about what to expect and what Lunar New Year means to her, as well as the Chinatown community.
Read more here
January 18, 2023

NYC signs $275M deal to provide hotel rooms for migrants

Mayor Eric Adams has agreed to a $275 million contract with the Hotel Association of New York City to provide housing for at least 5,000 migrants–$55,000 per asylum-seeker–the New York Post reports. The emergency agreement between the city's Department of Homeless Services and the Hotel Association, which put in a formal bid to provide shelter amid the current migrant crisis, will include up to 55 smaller hotels, according to the association's president, Vijay Dandapani.
Find out more
January 17, 2023

Saks Fifth Avenue proposes casino atop flagship store in Midtown

The owner of one of the world's most iconic department stores wants to open a casino at its iconic New York City flagship. Hudson's Bay Company, the owner of the Saks Fifth Avenue, announced last week it would pursue a gaming license to convert the top three floors of its store at 611 Fifth Avenue into a casino, as first reported by the New York Times.
Details this way

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