6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

New York City is preparing to house asylum seekers in a recreation center in Brooklyn's McCarren Park starting this weekend, Politico reports. Roughly 80 to 100 people will be housed within one wing of the Williamsburg rec center. Officials say public access to the pool and fitness center will not be impacted by the new shelter.
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Policy

NYC outdoor dining made permanent with new regulations

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

August 4, 2023

NYC outdoor dining made permanent with new regulations

The New York City Council on Thursday voted to establish a permanent outdoor dining program that aims to better regulate the popular pandemic-era initiative. Under the approved legislation, restaurants can operate outdoor dining sheds known as "streeteries" for eight months of the year but must remove the structures during the winter. Sidewalk dining will be allowed year-round. According to city officials, the new program makes it easier for businesses to apply and will open the program up to more restaurants.
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NYC’s latest pickleball club coming to Downtown Brooklyn’s City Point

Renderings courtesy of Court 16.

August 4, 2023

NYC’s latest pickleball club coming to Downtown Brooklyn’s City Point

Downtown Brooklyn will be home to New York City's newest pickleball club. Located on the fourth floor of the mixed-use complex City Point, the 26,000-square-foot Court 16 will offer seven tennis and pickleball courts for kids and adults, with each court ranging in size from 36 feet for young players to full-sized courts for experienced players. The club’s August 28 grand opening coincides with the start of the 2023 U.S. Open Tennis Tournament finals.
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Events & Things To Do

Dumbo’s most photographed block gets ‘BIG’ upgrade

Photos courtesy of Hassan Mokaddam

August 3, 2023

Dumbo’s most photographed block gets ‘BIG’ upgrade

One of New York City's most photographed blocks got a makeover this week. The Dumbo Improvement District on Thursday unveiled new streetscape furnishings for Washington Street, the iconic stretch of street that perfectly frames the Manhattan Bridge and is a popular spot among tourists. Bjarke Ingels Group designed new modular benches for the street, which is closed to cars during certain hours as part of the city's Open Street program.
See it here

Adams touts affordable housing production as city runs out of room for migrants

Photo Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 3, 2023

Adams touts affordable housing production as city runs out of room for migrants

New York City created more supportive housing and homes for formerly homeless New Yorkers during fiscal year 2023 than any year on record, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. Between June 2022 and June 2023, the mayor said the city produced 27,000 affordable homes, including new construction and preservation of existing homes, and connected the largest number of people to permanent housing using the CityFHEPS vouchers in the program's history. The announcement comes just days after Adams announced the city had run out of space to house the thousands of asylum seekers arriving weekly, leading to many migrants sleeping outside of the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown this week.
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$899K eco-friendly East Village co-op has a 400-plant green wall

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

August 3, 2023

$899K eco-friendly East Village co-op has a 400-plant green wall

Living more sustainably can start at home, as seen in this East Village apartment. The eco-conscious two-bedroom co-op at 315 East 12th Street features formaldehyde-free cabinets, doors made of recycled plastics, and at the center, a living wall with 400 plants, which purify the air and create a sense of well-being. Asking $899,000, the apartment is efficient, with hidden closets, sliding doors, a Murphy bed, and a dining area with a table that pops up from the floor.
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Distinctive Homes

Photo credit: Russ Ross Photography for The Corcoran Group

August 2, 2023

This $1.2M Clinton Hill prewar triplex condo unfolds beneath the arches of a former seminary

This one-bedroom home at the rarely-available Cathedral Condominiums at 555 Washington Avenue on the border between Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights has a unique history to go with its dramatic architecture. Built in 1914, the striking building was first home to Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception. Converted to a 53-unit condominium in 1988, the building is a neighborhood landmark, noted for its Gothic design. In addition to access to the building's lushly landscaped common courtyard, the unit, asking $1,195,000, has a private, fenced-in brick patio for entertaining or growing one's own tranquil seminary garden.
More this way

Distinctive Homes

Trevor Noah finds buyer for Hell’s Kitchen penthouse with plunge pool, last asking $11M

Photos courtesy of Shannon Dupre’

August 1, 2023

Trevor Noah finds buyer for Hell’s Kitchen penthouse with plunge pool, last asking $11M

Trevor Noah's penthouse in Hell's Kitchen entered contract this week for $10,995,000, after hitting the market last fall, CityRealty reports. The comedian and former host of "The Daily Show" first listed the sprawling duplex at the Art Deco Stella Tower at 425 West 50th Street last October for $12,950,000, soon after announcing his departure from the Comedy Central show. The three-bedroom duplex condo, which Noah bought for $10 million in 2017, offers expansive views of Manhattan and a 1,000-square-foot landscaped terrace with a heated plunge pool with built-in speakers and a wet bar.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

Live in a fashion designer's historic atelier and studio in the Catskills for $645K

This 1834 sea captain's home in Connecticut was redesigned as a $6M modern retreat that remembers its roots

This $8M Rye estate has a private dock on the Long Island Sound

For $5.25M, this Gramercy townhouse has a live-work option for a very short commute

Is this $4M NJ farmhouse your 'Green Acres'?

Bob Dylan's historic Harlem townhouse sells for $2.8M

185-acre equestrian estate that once belonged to the Carnegie family heads to auction

Brooklyn Heights townhouse sells for $24.5M, the borough's priciest sale of 2026

For $2.3M, this Amzi Hill-designed Bed-Stuy brownstone gives you plenty of options

For $2.75M, this West Village co-op exemplifies timeless, sophisticated design

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See plan to convert FiDi office tower 55 Broad into 571 market-rate apartments

Image courtesy of Joe Woolhead

August 1, 2023

See plan to convert FiDi office tower 55 Broad into 571 market-rate apartments

The plan to convert the Financial District office tower at 55 Broad Street into apartments is finally moving forward, with a closed deal and the release of new renderings this week. Silverstein Properties and Metro Loft Management on Monday announced they bought the tower for $172.5 million with plans to turn the 30-story office tower into a residential building with 571 market-rate apartments; upon completion, it will be one of New York City's largest office-to-residential conversions ever. Construction is expected to start in August and take roughly two years.
See more here

Real Estate Trends

$1.5M Upper West Side brownstone co-op has a cozy cottage vibe

Photo credit: Gabriel Sebastian/Five7 Media for The Corcoran Group

August 1, 2023

$1.5M Upper West Side brownstone co-op has a cozy cottage vibe

Located on a tree-lined Upper West Side street less than a block from Central Park, this eye-pleasing co-op at 71 West 83rd Street is one of those non-cookie-cutter Manhattan apartments everyone dreams of–but rarely finds. Asking $1,450,000, the two-bedroom home is blessed with rustic exposed brick walls, arched windows, and large, sunny rooms in a gracious floor plan. There's even a terrace for an outdoor version of the French country villa effect.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Lower East Side corner named for Economy Candy founder

Photo courtesy of the New York City Council

July 31, 2023

Lower East Side corner named for Economy Candy founder

The corner of Rivington and Essex Streets on the Lower East Side has been co-named "Morris 'Moishe' Cohen Way" to honor the founder of New York City's oldest candy shop. After returning home from World War II, Cohen took over Economy Candy, which quickly became a neighborhood staple, serving candy, chocolate, nuts, and gift baskets. His family has pushed for the co-naming since Cohen's death at the age of 97 in 2015. After the City Council approved the naming earlier this year, the street corner was officially renamed on Saturday.
Details here

Policy

14 ways to celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary in NYC

Photo of Big Pun mural in the Bronx by Nicholas Knight

July 31, 2023

14 ways to celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary in NYC

On August 11, 1973, when DJing his sister's back-to-school party at an apartment building in the Bronx, DJ Kool Herc tried something new on the turntables, switching back and forth repeatedly between the same record. The pioneering technique, now known as the breakbeat, led to the creation of hip-hop. Now 50 years later, the genre has become a cultural phenomenon beyond music. As the birthplace of hip-hop, New York City has a ton in store for the genre's 50th anniversary, from massive concerts and block parties to immersive art and film screenings.
All the hip-hop happenings here

Events & Things To Do

For $11M, live in a Brooklyn Heights mansion with perfectly restored details and a literary past

All photos courtesy of SERHANT. Studios

July 31, 2023

For $11M, live in a Brooklyn Heights mansion with perfectly restored details and a literary past

From the wine cellar to the landscaped roof deck, this 19th-century Greek Revival mansion represents five stories of pristine restoration, with historic flourishes accenting modern style and ease of living. Asking $11,500,000, the 6,094-square-foot two-family townhouse at 20 Remsen Street in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District has some notable literary history: Norman Mailer had his writing studio here. The house was also, according to the listing, the inspiration for Mailer's 1951 novel "Barbary Shore."
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

The book giveaway from 2022. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Blanc / NYPL

July 28, 2023

NYC libraries to give out 15,000 free books this weekend

New York City public libraries are giving away 15,000 books to families this weekend. The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library are gifting the books as part of the annual summer reading and learning programs, which motivate kids and teens to maintain their reading and critical thinking skills while on summer break. The free books will be available on a first-come first-served basis at select library branches on Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

NYC memorial honoring Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire victims to be unveiled this fall

Renderings courtesy of Uri Wegman and Richard Joon Yoo

July 28, 2023

NYC memorial honoring Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire victims to be unveiled this fall

A permanent memorial in Greenwich Village honoring the lives lost to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire will finally be built. Designed by artists Richard Joon Yoo and Uri Wegman and commissioned nearly a decade ago by the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, the tribute will feature the names of all 146 workers who died, cut into steel panels outside of 23-29 Washington Place, the building where the tragedy happened over 100 years ago. As first reported by the New York Times, a dedication ceremony for the new memorial is scheduled for October 11.
Details here

You can board a pre-World War II vessel at the South Street Seaport

Photo courtesy of the United States Coast Guard Academy on Wikimedia

July 27, 2023

You can board a pre-World War II vessel at the South Street Seaport

New Yorkers are invited to board a pre-World War II United States Coast Guard ship as it docks at the South Street Seaport this weekend. Known as the Eagle, the vessel is America's largest tall ship and the only active square-rigger currently in the country's service. The Coast Guard is inviting New Yorkers to board the Eagle, which will be docked at the Heineken Riverdeck at Pier 17 from Saturday, July 29 through Monday, July 31.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

400 units of affordable housing approved for 5 World Trade Center

Renderings of 5 World Trade Center courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

July 27, 2023

400 units of affordable housing approved for 5 World Trade Center

The 900-foot-tall mixed-use skyscraper planned for 5 World Trade Center will include 400 units of affordable housing, a slight increase from the original proposal. After stalled negotiations, the Public Authorities Control Board on Thursday approved the mixed-use development at 130 Liberty Street, which calls for 1,200 new apartments, one-third of which will be permanently affordable to New Yorkers earning between 40 and 120 percent of the area median income. Plus, 20 percent of the affordable apartments will be offered to individuals who lived or worked in the neighborhood on September 11, including first responders and families of victims. Construction is scheduled to start next year, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
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Wegmans announces October opening for first Manhattan store

Mark your calendars. Manhattan's first Wegmans grocery store will officially open on October 18, the company announced Thursday. The 87,500-square-foot store will open at 770 Broadway in the East Village, replacing the Kmart on Astor Place, which closed in 2021. Not only will the store offer the grocer's signature affordable prices and prepared food options, but Wegmans Astor Place will also have a 94-seat restaurant with a sushi bar and Champagne-oyster bar.
Get ready

Food & Dining

This $2M garden flat in Margaret Mead’s former home is the picture of cozy West Village charm

Photo credit: Compass

July 27, 2023

This $2M garden flat in Margaret Mead’s former home is the picture of cozy West Village charm

On a postcard-perfect West Village street among the neighborhood's historic brownstones, this garden co-op at 72 Perry Street is a rare chance to live a bohemian dream not often found in today's New York City. Asking $1,995,000, the two-bedroom home in a restored townhouse has a landscaped private back garden as the almost-too-good-to-be-true addition to the elegance of its interior living spaces. The boutique co-op building is known as Mead House in honor of one-time resident Margaret Mead. The famous anthropologist lived in the townhouse with her husband Gregory Bateson and other colleagues from 1941 to 1955.
West Village charm, this way

Distinctive Homes

8 ways to stay cool (and safe) during NYC’s heat wave

Photo by Barney Bishop on Flickr

July 26, 2023

8 ways to stay cool (and safe) during NYC’s heat wave

Another heat wave is here. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for New York City starting this week, with high heat and humidity leading to real-feel temperatures near or exceeding 100 degrees Monday through Wednesday. Staying cool on a hot day is no joke, as heat contributes to the deaths of roughly 350 New Yorkers each year. Ahead, find some ways to beat the heat, from swimming in one of the city's free outdoor pools to running through spray showers and sprinklers at your local park.
Beat the heat

All photos courtesy of Compass

July 26, 2023

WeWork founder Adam Neumann relists Gramercy penthouse for $32M

Adam Neumann has relisted his Gramercy Park penthouse for $32 million, $5.5 million cheaper than when it last hit the market in 2020. In 2017, the founder and former chief executive of WeWork and his wife Rebekah Paltrow Neumann paid $27.5 million for the duplex penthouse at 78 Irving Place and the unit below it; the couple also picked up two additional apartments on the ground floor for $7.2 million.
Details here

6 injured after crane collapses in Hudson Yards

Photo © Ondel Hylton

July 26, 2023

6 injured after crane collapses in Hudson Yards

Four civilians and two firefighters sustained minor injuries on Wednesday morning when a construction crane on the border of Hudson Yards and Hell's Kitchen caught fire and partially collapsed onto Tenth Avenue. The fire occurred 45 stories above the construction site at 550 Tenth Avenue at roughly 7:25 a.m. when the engine compartment of the crane caught fire. The fire gradually weakened the crane's cable and sent 16 tons of concrete and the crane's boom plummeting to the ground, causing damage to 555 Tenth Avenue on its descent, according to the fire department.
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Uncategorized

Upper East Side rental to be razed and replaced with high-end condo from Eliot Spitzer

Rendering courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

July 25, 2023

Upper East Side rental to be razed and replaced with high-end condo from Eliot Spitzer

An Upper East Side rental will be demolished and replaced with a new luxury condominium developed by former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's firm. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans from Spitzer Enterprises to raze the 25-story, 46-unit building at 985 Fifth Avenue and build a completely new tower with just 26 apartments. The commission concluded the existing building does not contribute to the cohesion of the Metropolitan Museum Historic District, allowing demolition to proceed. Designed by Studio Sofield and SLCE, the new condo building would rise 19 stories and feature a limestone facade with setbacks, according to The Real Deal.
Details here

Industrial chic and Soho street life meet in this $4.4M loft condo

Photo credit: Yale Wagner for Sotheby’s International Realty

July 25, 2023

Industrial chic and Soho street life meet in this $4.4M loft condo

If you've often strolled the streets of Soho admiring the iconic former warehouses and tall-windowed lofts within, this concrete and steel-filled condominium at 487 Greenwich Street could be your dream come true. Asking $4,400,000, the sprawling 4,000-square-foot-plus renovated duplex in the former Tetley Tea Company warehouse offers open-plan living on a grand scale with impossibly high ceilings, concrete columns, and beams–and a sauna in the basement.
Loft living, this way

10 best under-the-radar picnic spots in NYC

Photo by Tatiana Rodriguez on Unsplash

July 25, 2023

10 best under-the-radar picnic spots in NYC

Snag the Greenest Seat in Town: Gufram's 1972 Pratone Chair is Shaped Like a Patch of Grass

The city is filled with picnic possibilities in the form of parks and gardens. New York City is also known for its accessible secrets, and our shortlist of urban escapes–whether hidden in plain sight or tucked away–are great to visit any time, but as off-the-beaten-path picnic spots, they shine.
Discover a new favorite picnic place

July 24, 2023

The best free museum days in New York City

By 6sqft

When living in one of the most expensive cities in the country, it’s helpful to know the places in New York City that offer discounts and freebies. Thankfully, many of the Big Apple’s world-class museums and galleries offer free admission on certain days, from the tiny Mmuseumm in Chinatown to the iconic Guggenheim Museum. Ahead, we've rounded up some of the best free museum days in NYC to let you pinch pennies and get your culture fix at the same time.
See the full list

Events & Things To Do

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

Raising chickens in NYC: Laws, tips, and everything else you need to know

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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Photo credit: Nina Poon for The Corcoran Group

July 24, 2023

$7.9M Soho penthouse feels like a country estate with a magical rooftop garden, hot tub included

This 3,121-square-foot Soho co-op at 80 Greene Street is the real downtown loft deal, disguised as a perfectly decorated home (enchanted 1,200-square-foot roof terrace with hot tub included). The three-bedroom triplex tops a classic Soho cast-iron building on a historic Belgian block street. Comprised of a designer-renovated main floor, mezzanine, and dramatic top-floor bedroom suite, the tranquil apartment, asking $7,900,000, is bathed in white, with outdoor space to rival a country manor.
Take the triplex tour

Distinctive Homes

Brower Park Library reopens within the Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Photos courtesy of Gregg Richards

July 24, 2023

Brower Park Library reopens within the Brooklyn Children’s Museum

The Brooklyn Public Library's Brower Park branch has joined forces with another Crown Heights institution: the Brooklyn Children's Museum. After facing a hefty price tag of $5.6 million to make necessary improvements at its existing building, the library instead moved to the ground floor of the museum, according to Patch, with the branch officially open as of last week. Located at 155 Brooklyn Avenue, the library includes a main reading room, a community room, a colorful children's space for both reading and play, as well as an outdoor reading terrace.
See more here

Uncategorized

Adams latest mayor to tackle NYC’s 400 miles of scaffolding with ‘get sheds down’ plan

Photo by Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

July 24, 2023

Adams latest mayor to tackle NYC’s 400 miles of scaffolding with ‘get sheds down’ plan

New York City officials have a plan to remove sidewalks sheds and scaffolding from city streets. Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo on Monday revealed "Get Sheds Down," a comprehensive overhaul of the city's scaffolding policies that aim to hastily remove longstanding sidewalk sheds and redesign them to be less intrusive using alternatives like safety netting. Under the new policy, property owners will face bigger fines if their sidewalk sheds occupy space for too long.
Details here

Policy

New Jersey sues to block NYC’s congestion pricing plan

Photo by Raidarmax on Wikimedia

July 21, 2023

New Jersey sues to block NYC’s congestion pricing plan

New Jersey is suing to block New York's congestion pricing program. Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Friday a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, claiming the plan to charge drivers entering certain parts of Manhattan is unfair to Garden State residents. In the complaint, the state said the agencies did not conduct a full environmental review.
Details here

The Dead Rabbit to open contemporary Irish pub in Moynihan Train Hall

Photo courtesy of Crown Creative/The Dead Rabbit

July 21, 2023

The Dead Rabbit to open contemporary Irish pub in Moynihan Train Hall

The Dead Rabbit, one of New York City's most famous bars, is opening a new outpost in Moynihan Train Hall this September. Jack McGarry, who founded the decade-old pub in the Financial District with business partner Sean Muldoon in 2013, will open the Irish Exit, a 216-seat bar serving Irish spirits, boilermakers, Guinness on draft, and the Dead Rabbit's signature Irish coffees, according to Eater New York. The bar will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until midnight.
Find out more

Food & Dining

Ridgewood’s tallest tower opens lottery for 40 luxury apartments, from $2,750/month

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

July 21, 2023

Ridgewood’s tallest tower opens lottery for 40 luxury apartments, from $2,750/month

A housing lottery opened this week for 40 middle-income units at a new luxury residential development in Ridgewood. At 17 stories, the Ridgewood Apartments at 1607 Woodbine Street is one of the tallest residential properties in the neighborhood. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $94,286 for a single person annually and $198,250 for a household of five, are eligible to apply for the units, which include $2,750/month one-bedrooms and $3,599/month two-bedrooms.
See more here

Affordable Housing

This $1.2M Princeton home is a modernist gem designed by Otto Kolb

Photo credit: Robert Manella/Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty

July 20, 2023

This $1.2M Princeton home is a modernist gem designed by Otto Kolb

This Otto Kolb original home at 140 Heather Lane, asking $1,195,000, is tucked into a wooded 2.39-acre lot on a quiet Princeton street. The Swiss-born Modernist architect designed this one-of-a-kind jewel box of a single-story home in 1959. Rooms in the five-bedroom house wrap around two courtyards, surrounding them with nature and sunlight.
Get a closer look at this Modernist masterpiece

Distinctive Homes

Historic NYC restaurant Delmonico’s reopening in the Financial District

Photo courtesy of Delmonico’s

July 20, 2023

Historic NYC restaurant Delmonico’s reopening in the Financial District

A New York City culinary icon is reopening its doors this September. Delmonico's, considered one of the country's first fine dining establishments when it opened in 1837, will once again welcome diners at its original location at 56 Beaver Street in the Financial District. Shuttered since the early days of the pandemic in 2020, the restaurant has since been renovated and features an updated menu created by Chef Edward J. Hong.
Get the details

Food & Dining

NYC announces major public space and transit improvements for Downtown Brooklyn

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 20, 2023

NYC announces major public space and transit improvements for Downtown Brooklyn

New York City is investing over $40 million in street safety improvements and new public spaces in Downtown Brooklyn. On Thursday Mayor Eric Adams said the investment will be put towards transformative improvements along Fulton Street and Flatbush Avenue, with plans for improved pedestrian space, bus service, new public art, and safety upgrades to the streetscape.
More here

A pop-up ‘beach’ returns to the Seaport this month

All photos courtesy of Mike Szpot, The Howard Hughes Corporation

July 20, 2023

A pop-up ‘beach’ returns to the Seaport this month

New Yorkers don't have to travel far this summer to bury their feet in the sand and bask in the sun. The Seaport Beach Fest is back for 2023, with oversized sandboxes for lounging, food trucks, live performances, and DJ sets. The event takes place at Seaport Square, located at 89 South Street between Piers 16 & 17, from Friday, July 28 through Sunday, July 30.
Get the details

Events & Things To Do

Afro Dominicano. Credit: Michael Ferguson

July 20, 2023

NYC launches first-ever subway performer contest

New Yorkers now have the opportunity to vote for their favorite New York City subway performer. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday helped launch the first-ever "Riders' Choice Award," a competition among artists who are in the MTA's Music Under New York program to win a free recording session with Atlantic Records. New Yorkers can cast their votes for their favorite performer here through July 26 with a winner announced on July 27.
Cast your vote

NYC subway fare to increase to $2.90 in August

Photo by Charles16e on Flickr

July 19, 2023

NYC subway fare to increase to $2.90 in August

The base fare for the subway will increase next month for the first time since 2015. The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday approved a 5 percent increase for the cost of a single subway or bus trip, rising from $2.75 to $2.90. The fare hike goes into effect on August 20.
Read more

Alamo Cube returns to Astor Place in full spinning glory

Image courtesy of New York City Council on Flickr

July 19, 2023

Alamo Cube returns to Astor Place in full spinning glory

Astor Place's beloved Alamo Cube has returned to its rightful place and is ready to be spun once again. After removing the sculpture to repair its spinning mechanisms in May, the city reinstalled the public art sculpture in the East Village this week. Officially called "Alamo," the 1,800-pound cube was sculpted by artist Tony Rosenthal and first installed at Astor Plaza Place in 1967. Rosenthal's estate paid for the sculpture's repair bill, estimated to be $100,000, according to EV Grieve.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

40 blocks of Manhattan’s Third Avenue to be transformed with bike and bus lanes

Photo by Marek Rygielski on Flickr

July 19, 2023

40 blocks of Manhattan’s Third Avenue to be transformed with bike and bus lanes

New York City is moving forward with its redesign of a 1.9-mile stretch of Manhattan's Third Avenue. Construction will begin next week on the "complete street," which will span from East 59th Street to 96th Street and include a new dedicated lane for buses and a parking-protected bike lane, the Department of Transportation announced. The redesign aims to make Third Avenue safer for pedestrians and cyclists; according to DOT, six pedestrians and one cyclist have been killed between 59th and 96th Street since 2016.
See more here

Benefits of 421-a tax break extended to Gowanus developers

Photo by Danny Navarro / Flickr cc

July 19, 2023

Benefits of 421-a tax break extended to Gowanus developers

Developers of certain residential buildings in Gowanus will qualify for a tax break with benefits similar to 421-a, the program which expired last year, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday. As part of an executive action issued by the governor, projects in the Brooklyn neighborhood that qualified for 421-a before it lapsed but won't meet the 2026 completion deadline would qualify for tax breaks. The order is one of several Hochul announced as a way to spur residential construction after state lawmakers failed to reach a deal on a housing plan.
Learn more

Policy

Russ & Daughters opens new location in Hudson Yards

Russ & Daughters on the Lower East Side; Photo by Sali Sasaki on Flickr

July 18, 2023

Russ & Daughters opens new location in Hudson Yards

The 110-year-old Lower East Side icon Russ & Daughters officially opened a new location in Hudson Yards this week. Located on the ground floor of the skyscraper 50 Hudson Yards at 34th Street and 10th Avenue, the 4,500-square-foot shop sells its signature Jewish specialties like smoked fish, bagels, bialys, and babka and offers seat-yourself dining and soon-to-open caviar and champagne bar.
More here

Food & Dining

NYC approves design for Shirley Chisholm monument in Prospect Park

Renderings courtesy of Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous/ NYC Public Design Commission

July 18, 2023

NYC approves design for Shirley Chisholm monument in Prospect Park

New York City this week approved the design for a monument to Shirley Chisholm, a Brooklyn native who became the first Black woman to serve in the United States Congress. The city's Public Design Commission on Monday unanimously approved plans for the monument: a 32-foot-tall sculpture depicting the congresswoman designed by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous installed at the southeast entrance of Prospect Park. The artists were selected for the monument's design in 2019, but the process was delayed because of the pandemic.
Take a look

Events & Things To Do

A retreat reborn in Bridgehampton, this $6M home has every detail covered–including the furniture

Photo credit: Ryan Scott Fitzgerald

July 18, 2023

A retreat reborn in Bridgehampton, this $6M home has every detail covered–including the furniture

While older Hamptons properties are often torn down to make way for new construction, this modern estate at 325 Mitchell Lane was reimagined with architectural finesse in a complete renovation. Now on the market for $5,995,000, the iconic Bridgehampton house, grounds, and pool were painstakingly redesigned with every detail considered, right down to the furniture, which is available to purchase as well.
Take the tour

Bergen Brooklyn

323 Bergen Street

Boerum Hill

World-class design rooted in Brooklyn charm

studios starting at $825,000
1 beds starting at $1,200,000
2 beds starting at $1,925,000
3 beds starting at $3,050,000
4 beds starting at $6,000,000

Learn More

Image courtesy of Patrick J. Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Flickr

July 18, 2023

MTA announces 5 fare-free bus routes

New York City is testing out free fares on bus routes in every borough this fall. As part of a pilot program launching in late September, five bus lines will be free to riders for between six and 12 months, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA announced Monday. The routes, which serve roughly 43,900 daily riders on an average weekday, were selected based on ridership, fare evasion, service quality, equity for low-income communities, and access to employment and commercial areas, according to the MTA.
Details here

NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

The Randall’s Island tent shelter last October. Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 17, 2023

NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

New York City is looking to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens. According to The City, facilities will be constructed at the state-owned Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village and at the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park. Both sites, which have not officially been announced yet, are projected to house roughly 1,000 adults and could open within the next two to three weeks.
Details here

Policy

$15M penthouse loft with multi-level roof deck floats above the West Village

Photos by Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty unless otherwise noted

July 17, 2023

$15M penthouse loft with multi-level roof deck floats above the West Village

Atop a historic co-op building in downtown Manhattan, this modern light-filled loft feels like a private residence. Asking $14,950,000, the triplex penthouse at 652 Hudson Street measures over 6,100 square feet inside, with an additional 1,500 square feet of outdoor space, which comes in the form of a multi-level roof deck that overlooks the surrounding West Village neighborhood.
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Distinctive Homes

NYC Restaurant Week returns this summer with nearly 500 restaurants

The restaurant Kru in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is participating in Restaurant Week. Image courtesy of NYC Tourism + Conventions

July 17, 2023

NYC Restaurant Week returns this summer with nearly 500 restaurants

Hungry New Yorkers will be thrilled to hear New York City's Restaurant Week is back this summer. NYC Tourism + Conventions, the city's tourism agency, announced that the program, which allows patrons to eat at hundreds of the city's best restaurants with discounted, prix-fixe menus, would return to the five boroughs this summer with nearly 500 participating establishments. The four-week program will run from Monday, July 24 through Sunday, August 20.
Plan your Restaurant Week rendezvous

For $2.8M, this two-family Red Hook home with endless outdoor space is a modern townhouse dream

Photo credit: Anastazia Swerer-McNutt for The Corcoran Group

July 14, 2023

For $2.8M, this two-family Red Hook home with endless outdoor space is a modern townhouse dream