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In 2026, Times Square’s New Year’s Eve ball will drop twice for the first time, with a second descent glowing in red, white, and blue in honor of America’s 250th birthday. After the traditional midnight countdown, the new "Constellation Ball" will be relit around 12:04 a.m. and then rise above the illuminated "2026" numerals. The celebration will feature 2,000 pounds of red, white, and blue confetti and a pyrotechnic show set to Ray Charles’ rendition of “America the Beautiful." The patriotic ball returns for a second time on the eve of Independence Day, July 3, marking the first time the ball will drop outside of New Year's Eve.
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Events & Things To Do

Announcing 6sqft’s 2025 Building of the Year!

Exterior photo by Evan Joseph, amenity photo by Chris Cooper|ArchExplorer, and penthouse photo by William Jess Laird

December 30, 2025

Announcing 6sqft’s 2025 Building of the Year!

The votes are in! 6sqft's 2025 Building of the Year is One Domino Square, a two-tower residential development on the southern end of Domino Park in Williamsburg. Developed by Two Trees Management and designed by Annabelle Selldorf of Selldorf Architects, One Domino Square received 167 votes of the total 661 votes cast. Located on the Brooklyn waterfront at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge, the porcelain-clad towers include a 39-story condo building and a 55-story rental building, the latter of which is the tallest tower in Williamsburg.
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New Developments

11 free New Year’s events and activities in NYC

Photo by Kohei Kanno on Flickr

December 29, 2025

11 free New Year’s events and activities in NYC

New York City is arguably the world’s capital of New Year’s Eve celebrations, with over-the-top festivities happening across all five boroughs. But you don't have to break the bank to ring in 2026. Here are some of the best free ways to celebrate the new year in NYC, from dazzling firework displays above Prospect Park to scenic hikes and meditations in lush city parks.
Say goodbye to 2025!

Events & Things To Do

December 29, 2025

6sqft’s top stories of 2025!

As we say goodbye to 2025, 6sqft is reflecting on the stories that resonated the most with our readers. From JPMorgan's new Midtown headquarters and the Flatiron Building's conversion into condos, you stayed updated on new projects shaping our city. You ate up articles about celebrity penthouse purchases, record-setting real estate, and new trash policies. Readers debated New York's best pastrami spots and learned about new legislation to address the housing crisis, from rezonings and ADUs to bringing back single-room occupancy apartments. Below, find our most-read stories of the year. Thanks, as always, for reading!
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Broadway Junction development with 1,000 affordable units moves ahead after Council approval

All images courtesy of WXY Studio, unless noted otherwise

December 29, 2025

Broadway Junction development with 1,000 affordable units moves ahead after Council approval

A major redevelopment planned for a two-acre site surrounding the Broadway Junction transit hub in East New York advanced this month. The Council approved plans to build Herkimer-Williams, a four-building complex with up to 1,000 affordable homes, retail, community facilities, and open space. Developed by Totem, the mixed-use project has been shaped by nearly three years of public outreach, including over 100 meetings with residents and stakeholders.
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New transit-oriented Cypress Hills project has 200+ affordable units

Credit: Think! Architecture + Design PLLC6

December 24, 2025

New transit-oriented Cypress Hills project has 200+ affordable units

A mixed-use residential project in Cypress Hills, set to deliver more than 200 affordable apartments just steps from the subway, moved ahead this week. On Tuesday, a joint venture of Slate Property Group, Thorobird Companies, and Bangladeshi American Community Development & Youth Services (BACDYS) closed on 570 Eldert Lane, a transit-oriented development that will add 213 homes adjacent to the A train at Grant Avenue. The property will also include 10,000 square feet of community space operated by BACDYS, along with on-site supportive services from the non-profit Urban Pathways.
details here

Bergdorf Goodman. Photo courtesy of Angela Pham.

December 24, 2025

Dine in style while you peruse the Fifth Avenue displays

By Lidia Ryan

The holidays are in full swing, and the week between Christmas and New Year’s is prime time to soak in all the holiday cheer on Fifth Avenue. Behind the iconic window displays of Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman by Central Park are stylish, upscale restaurants, perfect places to recharge before braving the crowds.
dine in style

Converted former brewery in Murray Hill opens lottery for 28 apartments, from $940/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

December 24, 2025

Converted former brewery in Murray Hill opens lottery for 28 apartments, from $940/month

A former brewing company headquarters in Murray Hill, later converted into medical offices, has been reimagined once again. Now a residential development, the building at 650 First Avenue opened a housing lottery for 28 mixed-income apartments. The 11-story building first served as the Kips Bay Brewing Company's headquarters more than 120 years ago, and has been transformed by developer Lalezarian Properties into 111 residences, according to CityRealty. New Yorkers earning 40, 80, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $940/month studios to $3,290/month two bedrooms.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Distinctive Homes

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

1860s Sag Harbor cottage has a designer's take on a lived-in vibe for $5.35M

Seagram heir's Soho penthouse rents for $120K a month, a neighborhood record

Make this lofty $1.5M Chelsea co-op your own

Drew Barrymore's amazing 12-acre Westchester estate asks $5M

For $8M, this newly-constructed Williamsburg townhouse has every design trend covered

Live in perpetual sunlight in this $5M contemporary Crown Heights townhouse

Sting's former Central Park West pad is back on the market for $45M

Asking $4.25M, this five-story Crown Heights mansion is filled with gorgeous historic details

For $3.35M, this 40-acre upstate retreat embodies the spirit of modernist architecture

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Work to begin on $1.6B life sciences hub in Kips Bay next year

All renderings courtesy of SOM / Miysis

December 23, 2025

Work to begin on $1.6B life sciences hub in Kips Bay next year

Work on a huge new life sciences campus in Kips Bay, aimed at cementing New York City as a national leader in the field, is getting ready to kick off. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced a timeline for construction of the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay at East 25th Street and First Avenue, with deconstruction of the current campus planned for February 2026 and construction of the new campus the following year. The $1.6 billion project will provide modern facilities for 4,500 City University of New York students and create a clear pathway to careers in the life sciences sector. The campus will include an ambulatory care center, a Health + Hospitals training facility, a health sciences high school, and a training center for forensic pathologists.
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New Developments

Starting in 2026, NYC’s rent-stabilized apartments will be easier to find

Credit: Tyler Donaghy on Unsplash

December 23, 2025

Starting in 2026, NYC’s rent-stabilized apartments will be easier to find

Apartment hunters in New York City will have an easier time finding rent-stabilized units next year, as a new city law takes effect on January 1. Passed in June, Intro. 1037, also known as the Rent Transparency Act, requires landlords to more clearly publicize rent-stabilized units in their buildings and explain how prospective tenants can access further information. Sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse, the bill requires that a sign be posted in building common areas and made available in both English and Spanish.
details this way

14.8 million travelers expected to use NYC airports and crossings during holidays

An upgraded Terminal B at LGA. Credit: PANYNJ

December 23, 2025

14.8 million travelers expected to use NYC airports and crossings during holidays

A record number of travelers will use New York City airports and vehicle crossings during the holidays, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced. Between Monday, December 22, and Sunday, January 4, 2026, 14.8 million people are expected at Port Authority airports and vehicle crossings, up 1 percent compared to last year.
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Transit

All photos courtesy of Anastasios Mentis Photography for The Corcoran Group

December 23, 2025

For $2.2M, this two-family Bed-Stuy townhouse has three levels of outdoor space

Built in 1899, the historic wood-frame townhouse at 681 Decatur Street gets curb appeal points for its moody, modern, slate-grey exterior. Located in the Ocean Hill section of Bed-Stuy, the two-unit property has been thoroughly renovated on the inside, featuring a two-floor owners' duplex above a two-bedroom garden flat. Asking $2,199,995, the 20-foot-wide townhouse has abundant outdoor space in the form of a parlor-floor deck, a rear garden with a new horizontal wood privacy fence, and a finished rooftop space.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Mamdani to host inauguration block party on Broadway

(L) Zohran Mamdani, image via WikiCommons; (R) NYC City Hall, image via WikiCommons

December 22, 2025

Mamdani to host inauguration block party on Broadway

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will celebrate his swearing-in on January 1 with New York City's first-ever inauguration block party. The seven-block celebration along Broadway in Lower Manhattan is expected to draw over 40,000 spectators. Mamdani’s public swearing-in takes place at 1 p.m. on the steps of City Hall, alongside a massive block party between Murray and Liberty Streets. About 4,000 tickets will be available for the City Hall ceremony, while 40,000 tickets will allow attendees to watch the ceremony on big screens at the adjacent block party.
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Events & Things To Do

Former Midtown hotel to become 579 affordable apartments

Photos courtesy of Slate Property Group unless otherwise noted.

December 22, 2025

Former Midtown hotel to become 579 affordable apartments

A former Midtown hotel is slated to become a permanently affordable housing building with nearly 600 units. On Monday, Slate Property Group and Breaking Ground announced the acquisition of the Stewart Hotel at 371 Seventh Avenue, which will be converted into 579 affordable apartments for low-income households and formerly homeless individuals. The purchase underscores an emerging strategy to address the city’s housing crisis by converting underused hotels into affordable housing, following the opening last week of the city’s first such development at the former JFK Hilton in South Jamaica, Queens.
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December 19, 2025

Vote for 6sqft’s 2025 Building of the Year!

No matter what the rest of the world looks like, interest in real estate in New York City remains one of the few constants in life. In 2025, the market remained resilient, with long-anticipated projects hitting major milestones, from the sales launch at the Flatiron Building to the reopening of the Waldorf Astoria. Downtown Manhattan dominated this year, with several buildings in the running for record-breaking sales, including the potential first nine-figure deal below 14th Street at 80 Clarkson Street. While the skyline is always evolving, the mark of Robert A.M. Stern, who died this year at 86, is ever-present, with two limestone-clad towers on this year's list that serve as tributes to classic New York. 6sqft has narrowed our picks down to 14 of the most notable residential projects of the year. Which do you think deserves to be crowned the 2025 Building of the Year? Polls for our 11th annual competition will remain open through 5 p.m. on Monday, December 29. A winner will be announced on Tuesday, December 30. Happy voting!
cast your vote

NYC will study feasibility of affordable housing on Wards Island

Aerial view of Randall’s and Wards Islands. Image via WikiCommons

December 19, 2025

NYC will study feasibility of affordable housing on Wards Island

A new City Council bill passed this week will explore the feasibility of creating affordable housing on Wards Island. Sponsored by Council Member Gale Brewer, Intro. 0571 directs the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to publish a study assessing the potential for residential development on the 255-acre island at the northern end of the East River between Manhattan and Queens. Due by July 1, 2027, the study will examine costs, land-use restrictions, and the provision of services and amenities on Wards Island.
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Adams stacks Rent Guidelines Board, jeopardizing Mamdani’s rent freeze pledge

Credit: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photo Office on Flickr

December 19, 2025

Adams stacks Rent Guidelines Board, jeopardizing Mamdani’s rent freeze pledge

With just two weeks left in office, Mayor Eric Adams has appointed and reappointed four members to the city’s Rent Guidelines Board, in an effort to block Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s push for a rent freeze. With these appointments and reappointments, Adams' allies now hold a majority on the nine-member board, which sets rent increases for the city’s one million rent-stabilized apartments.
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Policy

NYC reveals plan for first combination affordable housing and rec center project

New York City has selected a development team to build the city's first-ever combination affordable housing and recreation center project. The city announced on Thursday that Camber Property Group, Services for the UnderServed (S:US), and Essence Development will build "Hudson Mosaic," a mixed-use project with 280 affordable homes and a new community center on a vacant city-owned lot at 388 Hudson Street. The selection follows a request for proposals issued in February, which called for the redevelopment of the site’s northern portion, while a new public plaza is planned for the southern end.
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This $3M Williamsburg home is the rare condo with all of its loft charm intact

Photo credit: Tim Darwish from DDreps for The Corcoran Group

December 19, 2025

This $3M Williamsburg home is the rare condo with all of its loft charm intact

This 1,800-square-foot loft in the iconic Mill Building at 85 North Third Street has all the top-shelf elements of modern condo living, wrapped in the industrial charm of a pre-war loft. Details like original wood beams and 11-foot ceilings have been updated with 21st-century luxuries. Asking $2,995,000, the North Brooklyn home also has loft flexibility, with a great room large enough to carve out space for a third bedroom.
williamsburg loft living, this way

Distinctive Homes

NY’s first hotel-to-affordable housing conversion near JFK Airport is now complete

Credit: Slate Property Group

December 18, 2025

NY’s first hotel-to-affordable housing conversion near JFK Airport is now complete

The transformation of a vacant hotel near John F. Kennedy International Airport into affordable housing is complete, marking New York’s first development of its kind. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced the completion of the Baisley Pond Park Residences in South Jamaica, which has turned the former JFK Hilton into 318 affordable and supportive apartments. The $167 million project—the first in the state to repurpose a hotel for affordable housing—features an indoor healing garden, on-site social services, and is fully electric.
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Affordable Housing

NYC’s creative industry at risk amid affordability crisis, report finds

The Rubin Museum in Chelsea closed in 2024. It now operates as a global institution with traveling exhibitions. Photo by David de Armas, courtesy of the Rubin Museum of Art.

December 18, 2025

NYC’s creative industry at risk amid affordability crisis, report finds

The future of New York City's celebrated creative scene is in jeopardy, as rising living costs make sustaining a career in the industry increasingly unfeasible, a new report says. Released this month by the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), the "Creative New York" report finds that despite the creative sector’s importance to the city’s economy, the number of people working in creative fields has decreased substantially since the pandemic, following decades of growth. Employing more than 326,000 New Yorkers and attracting millions of tourists each year, the city's creative sector is an integral part of its character, but without reform, this trend could drive a large portion of the industry out of the five boroughs, according to the report.
read the report

Policy

$129M deal at 80 Clarkson could be downtown Manhattan’s biggest

Rendering courtesy of DBOX

December 18, 2025

$129M deal at 80 Clarkson could be downtown Manhattan’s biggest

One of New York City's best-selling buildings of the year is about to set a real estate record. As first reported by The Real Deal, a contract has been signed for a $129 million deal at 80 Clarkson Street, a new condo development in the West Village by Zeckendorf Development and Atlas Capital Group. The sale, if it closes at that price, would become the most expensive deal below 14th Street, surpassing a Greenwich Village townhouse that sold for $72.5 million in 2024.
details here

The highest penthouse in Brooklyn’s tallest residence lists for $16.75M

All photos courtesy of Sean Hemmerle unless otherwise noted

December 18, 2025

The highest penthouse in Brooklyn’s tallest residence lists for $16.75M

Silverstein Properties has just unveiled Penthouse 92 at The Brooklyn Tower at 85 Fleet Street, the borough's tallest building and its only supertall. Listed for $16,750,000, the four-bedroom 92nd-floor condominium comprises the entire floor, a dizzying 1,000 feet above Downtown Brooklyn, with 360-degree New York City views.
get a closer look

Ricky Martin sells Upper East Side apartment for $6.15M

Photos courtesy of Compass

December 17, 2025

Ricky Martin sells Upper East Side apartment for $6.15M

Ricky Martin has sold his Upper East Side apartment for $6.15 million after eight years on and off the market. As first reported by the New York Post, the Latin music icon parted ways with his four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom residence at 170 East End Avenue in Yorkville. Martin purchased the home in 2012 for $5.9 million and first listed it in 2017 for $8.4 million.
take a look

MTA to add spikes and paddles at most NYC subway stations to curb fare evasion

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

December 17, 2025

MTA to add spikes and paddles at most NYC subway stations to curb fare evasion

Almost every New York City subway turnstile will soon feature protective fins, sleeves, and spikes to prevent fare evasion, the MTA said Monday. NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow told the MTA board that the agency plans to spend $7.3 million to install the technology at 129 additional stations by January, adding to the 327 of the city’s 472 subway stations that already have it. According to Crichlow, stations equipped with the technology, designed to make it harder to hop or slip around a turnstile, have seen fare evasion drop by up to 60 percent.
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December 17, 2025

Designers pick the best gifts: NYC creatives share their favorite finds

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

6sqft asked New York City designers, architects, and artists for their gift inspirations this holiday season–a selection of the stuff they’d love to give (or get). Below, you'll find a collection of out-of-the-ordinary items chosen by a few of the city’s most talented creatives. We hope you'll be inspired in your search for the perfect gifts.
NYC creatives' gift picks, this way

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

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

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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New Yorkers borrowed these library books the most in 2025

Credit: The New York Public Library

December 16, 2025

New Yorkers borrowed these library books the most in 2025

These are the books New Yorkers couldn't get enough of in 2025. The city's three public library systems—the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library—have released their annual lists of most borrowed books. Across all three systems, "James" by Percival Everett was the most checked out title, followed by "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore and "Onyx Storm" by Rebecca Yarros.
find your next read

Events & Things To Do

Construction begins on Lionsgate Newark, NJ’s first purpose-built film production studio

Renderings courtesy of Lionsgate/Great Point Studios

December 16, 2025

Construction begins on Lionsgate Newark, NJ’s first purpose-built film production studio

Construction has officially begun on New Jersey’s first purpose-built film and television production studio in Newark. Last week, Lionsgate, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), and the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) marked the start of work on the Lionsgate Newark film studio, a major investment expected to bring hundreds of new jobs to the city’s South Ward. Located on the former Seth Boyden Housing complex, the 12-acre site represents the largest new development in the neighborhood in decades.
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New York board gives gaming licenses to 3 NYC casinos

(L) Metropolitan Park. Credit: SHoP Architects, Field Operations; (M) Bally’s Bronx casino. Credit: Bally’s Bronx; (R) Resorts World NYC. Credit: Resorts World NYC

December 16, 2025

New York board gives gaming licenses to 3 NYC casinos

New York City is officially getting three casinos. The State Gaming Commission on Monday awarded licenses for Metropolitan Park across from Citi Field, Resorts World NYC at the Aqueduct Racetrack, and Bally's Bronx casino in Ferry Point Park. The decision marks the culmination of a years-long competition for the downstate licenses.
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Policy

MTA puts 350,000 square feet of air rights in Lower Manhattan up for sale

Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Patrick Cashin on Flickr

December 15, 2025

MTA puts 350,000 square feet of air rights in Lower Manhattan up for sale

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is selling over 300,000 square feet of landmarked air rights in Lower Manhattan. As first reported by The Real Deal, the MTA issued a request for proposals (RFP) on Friday seeking a buyer for up to 350,000 square feet of air rights tied to the Fulton Center and the neighboring Corbin Building. Buyers must acquire the rights either through City Planning Commission certification or a zoning lot merger with an adjacent property.
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Real Estate Trends

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph

December 15, 2025

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

Amy Schumer has sold her Brooklyn Heights townhouse for $11 million, well below its original asking price. City records filed Thursday show the actress and comedian took a $1.25 million loss on the property. Schumer first listed the iconic 19th-century home at 19 Cranberry Street—featured in the 1987 film "Moonstruck"—for $14 million in March, after purchasing the property with her husband, Chris Fischer, for $12.25 million in 2022. In July, the asking price was reduced by $1.25 million.
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See inside Queens’ tallest tower, a 70-story rental with a massive ‘backyard’

Renderings courtesy of Binyan Studios

December 15, 2025

See inside Queens’ tallest tower, a 70-story rental with a massive ‘backyard’

The tallest tower in Queens is getting ready for its first residents. The Orchard is a 70-story rental in Long Island City with 824 apartments and more than 100,000 square feet of amenities, including a massive backyard space with a swimming pool and apple orchard. The building, which topped out last November and launched a housing lottery earlier this month, will officially begin leasing next month, with move-ins expected in February. Ahead of the launch, 6sqft got an exclusive look at The Orchard, from the incredible outdoor space to its sky-high New York City views.
see it here

Doors of steel and glass make this $3M Soho loft feel like a box of light

All photos courtesy of Alejandro Leon, DD-Reps

December 12, 2025

Doors of steel and glass make this $3M Soho loft feel like a box of light

This light-filled loft at 75 Grand Street, right in the middle of Soho, has plenty of options. Asking $2,995,000, the pre-war co-op has loft proportions with the flexibility of having two or three bedrooms; well-designed renovations add warmth, while preserving architectural details like tin ceilings.
loft chic, this way

Distinctive Homes

Commuter gift guide: 7 ideas for on-the-go New Yorkers

Photo by Documerica on Unsplash

December 12, 2025

Commuter gift guide: 7 ideas for on-the-go New Yorkers

By Lidia Ryan

New Yorkers braving the daily subway and walking grind of the concrete jungle. Suburbanites who tirelessly hop on Metro-North, NJ Transit, or the LIRR each morning. These everyday hustlers deserve a little something to make the commute more enjoyable. Here are a few gift ideas for the commuter in your life.
ideas this way

Shop

December 12, 2025

Whole Foods to open first Queens location in Ridgewood

Queens is set to get its first-ever Whole Foods, as the popular grocery chain signed a lease in Ridgewood this week. As first reported by Crain's, the Amazon-owned supermarket on Wednesday signed a 15-year deal for 28,000 square feet inside the former Beaux-Arts bank building at 55-60 Myrtle Avenue. The grocery store will take over a space previously occupied by Rite Aid, which filed for bankruptcy for the second time in May.
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Real Estate Trends

Coney Island boardwalk to get $1 billion revamp

Credit: Danny Policarpo on Unsplash

December 11, 2025

Coney Island boardwalk to get $1 billion revamp

Coney Island’s landmarked Riegelmann Boardwalk will undergo a $1 billion reconstruction. During a Brooklyn Community Board 13 meeting on Monday, NYC Parks Program Director Grace Tang announced that the department received funding to fully reconstruct the 2.7-mile boardwalk, replace utilities and structural piles, and elevate it in certain areas. Mayor Eric Adams announced plans for the reconstruction as part of his "Coney Island West" plan, which aims to bring thousands of new homes, retail spaces, and infrastructure improvements to the neighborhood.
details here

Architecture And Design

For $6.75M, everything you’d want in a Park Slope brownstone

All photos courtesy of Shannon Dupre, DD-reps

December 11, 2025

For $6.75M, everything you’d want in a Park Slope brownstone

If you wanted to show a flawless example of Park Slope brownstone living, this four-story townhouse at 100 6th Avenue would serve you well. Asking $6,750,000, the 19th-century two-family home on a landmarked North Slope block is filled with historic details like Italianate marble mantels and original oak flooring with mahogany inlays. Layered on top are luxury modern additions, like a multi-zoned HVAC and upgraded Marvin windows.
park slope brownstone living, this way

Distinctive Homes

Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

December 11, 2025

10 ‘secrets’ of Gracie Mansion

By Lucie Levine

Gracie Mansion, the gracious Federal-style mansion that overlooks the East River from Yorkville’s Carl Schurz Park, has been New York’s Mayoral residence since 1942. But the house had a long history before it started hosting municipal magistrates. Since construction began in 1799, Gracie Mansion has served as a residence, a museum, and even an ice cream stand. As the city prepares to welcome a new mayor to the mansion, here are 10 secrets of the People’s House.
Get all the history

History

Manhattan median rent prices set new highs in November, reaching nearly $4,800/month

The West Village. Photo by Ana Lanza on Unsplash

December 11, 2025

Manhattan median rent prices set new highs in November, reaching nearly $4,800/month

Manhattan rents hit new highs again in November, with the median price almost reaching $4,800, a 13 percent year-over-year jump, according to a new report released this week. Prepared by appraisal firm Miller Samuel for Douglas Elliman, the November 2025 Elliman Report shows the median rent price rose more than 3 percent from $4,600 in October. The borough’s average rent climbed to a record $5,686, up nearly 1 percent from last month and almost 13 percent annually, while the average price per square foot reached a new high of $95 after rising 5.6 percent since October and 10.1 percent from last November.
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Real Estate Trends

Here are NYC’s most dangerous intersections

Looking from Avenue H, Nostrand Avenue and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

December 10, 2025

Here are NYC’s most dangerous intersections

There are nearly 120 intersections across New York City where five or more New Yorkers have been killed or seriously injured over the last three years, new data shows. The map, released on Tuesday by Transportation Alternatives, highlights these high-risk intersections across the five boroughs, where nearly three million pedestrians live within a half-mile of at least one. Street safety advocates are calling on the City Council to pass a bill requiring universal daylighting at every intersection—a measure introduced more than a year ago but not yet brought to a vote.
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City unveils plan for 600 affordable homes, soccer field, and STEM center on vacant Inwood lot

Renderings courtesy of La Ostra Development Team

December 10, 2025

City unveils plan for 600 affordable homes, soccer field, and STEM center on vacant Inwood lot

A plan to build hundreds of affordable homes on a vacant lot in Inwood is moving forward. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on Wednesday announced Slate Property Group, Xenolith Partners, and Comunilife Inc. will develop "La Ostra" at 4095 9th Avenue. Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC (MAP), the Harlem River waterfront development will feature more than 600 affordable homes for low-income New Yorkers and seniors and a marine science and STEM education center operated by the Billion Oyster Project and BioBus.
get the details

World’s largest menorah returns to Central Park for Hanukkah

Credit: Chabad.org

December 10, 2025

World’s largest menorah returns to Central Park for Hanukkah

The world’s largest menorah was lifted into place near Central Park on Wednesday, ahead of the start of Hanukkah. At the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, across from the Plaza Hotel, the 36-foot-tall menorah will be lit nightly from December 14 to 21 as part of the Jewish Festival of Lights. Each evening, the Lubavitch Youth Organization will host a lighting ceremony, complete with live music, dancing, and classic Hanukkah treats like donuts and chocolate gelt.
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Events & Things To Do

City breaks ground on new jade-colored public library in Rego Park

All images courtesy of Weiss/Manfredi, unless noted otherwise

December 10, 2025

City breaks ground on new jade-colored public library in Rego Park

Construction of a new $39 million Rego Park public library, one of the busiest Queens Public Library branches, is now underway. On Tuesday, city officials broke ground on the new library at 91-41 63rd Drive, which will replace the existing one-story, 7,500-square-foot branch with a three-story, 18,000-square-foot facility featuring expanded programming space. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi and managed by the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) on behalf of QPL, the project is slated for completion by the end of 2028.
see the design

Architecture And Design

255 East 77th Street

Lenox Hill

Upper East Side condos with Central Park views

3 beds starting at $5,300,000
4 beds starting at $7,400,000
5 beds starting at $8,750,000

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Astoria’s 31st Street bike lane must be removed, judge rules

Credit: DOT

December 9, 2025

Astoria’s 31st Street bike lane must be removed, judge rules

A partially-installed protected bike lane along 31st Street in Astoria must be removed after a Queens judge ruled the city failed to follow proper procedures. In a ruling issued Friday, Judge Cheree Buggs ordered that the corridor be returned to its original state, despite work on the project already being underway. The judge found that the Department of Transportation (DOT) failed to show the project met legal certification requirements for notifying the FDNY, the Department of Small Business Services, and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. The court sided with local businesses and residents who filed the lawsuit, which argued the bike lane would compromise the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, despite city data suggesting otherwise, as Streetsblog reported.
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City taps developer to replace 100 Gold Street with 3,700 apartments

100 Gold Street. Photo courtesy of NYCEDC

December 9, 2025

City taps developer to replace 100 Gold Street with 3,700 apartments

New York City has chosen a developer to turn an outdated Financial District government building into thousands of new apartments. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced that GFP Real Estate will redevelop the nine-story 100 Gold Street into a mixed-use development with 3,700 new homes, including 25 percent permanently affordable units, and a new senior center. The total number of housing units at the site increased substantially from the original 1,000+ apartments announced in March.
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12 things you never knew about the Radio City Rockettes

Photos courtesy of MSG Entertainment

December 9, 2025

12 things you never knew about the Radio City Rockettes

By Dana Schulz

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Rockettes. And while this momentous occasion probably brings to mind Radio City and those famously in-sync high kicks, there’s so much more to this iconic dance troupe. For example, did you know the Rockettes actually began in the Midwest, not New York City? Or that they’re required to wear red lipstick? Read on for all the secrets and little-known facts about the Radio City Rockettes.
high kicks and red lips, this way

Williamsburg diner relocates to movie studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Photos courtesy of Diane Bondareff Photography

December 9, 2025

Williamsburg diner relocates to movie studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard

An iconic Williamsburg diner that has been a neighborhood fixture for nearly 60 years was lifted off its foundation and relocated to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where it will get new life as a movie set. The Wythe Diner on Monday was hoisted by crane and transported to Steiner Studios’ waterfront lot, where it will serve permanently as a film set, extending the retro restaurant's long history on the big screen. The diner had faced demolition for years amid plans for a new apartment building, prompting a deal to physically relocate it and preserve the beloved structure.
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Architecture And Design

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

December 9, 2025

This $4.5M Lenox Hill duplex combines pre-war elegance with architectural drama