Zohran Mamdani

NYC expands free rooftop tours at historic Manhattan Municipal Building

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 28, 2026

NYC expands free rooftop tours at historic Manhattan Municipal Building

By Aaron Ginsburg

Larger groups are now permitted to attend the city's free tours of the historic David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building following growing demand. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei on Friday announced expanded access to “Centre 360,” a panoramic experience inside the Beaux-Arts government building's 36th-floor cupola, increasing the maximum group size from five to eight. The move comes just months after the tours launched in June following a $6 million renovation, with reservations for the experience selling out in less than two minutes.
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Three Queens medians to become green ‘sponges’ to help curb flooding

Credit: NYC Mayor’s Office

August 28, 2026

Three Queens medians to become green ‘sponges’ to help curb flooding

By Aaron Ginsburg

Several concrete roadway medians throughout Queens are being transformed into green infrastructure “sponges” designed to reduce flooding. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced an $8.4 million investment that will turn medians in Whitestone, Forest Hills, and Queens Village into landscaped green spaces. Together, the green medians will capture an estimated five million gallons of stormwater each year, reducing strain on sewer systems and improving water quality in the East River, Flushing Bay, and Jamaica Bay.
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Policy

NYC extends pied-à-terre tax deadline again amid lawsuit

Credit: Rebecca Hankins on Unsplash

August 27, 2026

NYC extends pied-à-terre tax deadline again amid lawsuit

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has once again extended the deadline for homeowners notified they may be subject to the new pied-à-terre surcharge, giving them nearly three additional weeks to apply for an exemption. A Tuesday court filing shows that the Department of Finance (DOF) has moved the deadline from September 18 to October 6, after previously pushing it back four weeks from its original August 21 deadline earlier this month. The extension comes as legal proceedings continue over a lawsuit filed by a coalition of property owners challenging the rollout of the surcharge. After a Staten Island Supreme Court judge granted a temporary restraining order to pause the surcharge, the city appealed the decision, which stayed the order while a higher court reviews the matter.
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Policy

NYC to speed up housing court cases for tenants facing worst conditions

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 26, 2026

NYC to speed up housing court cases for tenants facing worst conditions

By Aaron Ginsburg

Some of the most serious cases of landlord neglect will be “fast-tracked” under a new city directive instituted this week. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced the policy, which will allow housing court judges to expedite cases involving vacate orders, critically hazardous building conditions, elevator outages, and proceedings in which the city or tenants seek the appointment of a third-party building manager amid landlord neglect. These cases will be assigned to a judge on the same day they are filed, and once landlords are notified, they will be required to appear in court within five days.
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Policy

Mamdani announces 1,000 discounted U.S. Open tickets for NYC residents

Photo by Kate Tann on Flickr

August 25, 2026

Mamdani announces 1,000 discounted U.S. Open tickets for NYC residents

By Aaron Ginsburg

Amid backlash over high U.S. Open ticket prices, Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced he secured discounted tickets to the tournament for New York City residents. The mayor and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) will offer 1,000 tickets priced at $100 to see main-draw matches taking place from Sunday, August 30, through Tuesday, September 8. The tickets, which go on sale on this Wednesday at 10 a.m., will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible New Yorkers. New Yorkers will be able to purchase two tickets each.
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Events & Things To Do

Mamdani assembles ‘renew crew’ to make fast repairs to NYC playgrounds and parks

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 24, 2026

Mamdani assembles ‘renew crew’ to make fast repairs to NYC playgrounds and parks

By Aaron Ginsburg

A crew of painters, electricians, plumbers, and other specialists has been assembled to make speedy upgrades to playgrounds and recreation spaces across New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced the launch of Renew Crew, a team of 24 trade specialists who will improve conditions at city parks by repairing playground equipment, replacing flooring, fixing amenities, and making other upgrades. The team will complete as many as 30 projects per year, with each effort taking three weeks or less.
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Policy

NYC announces $4B plan to fix city-owned portion of BQE

Credit: Mary and Andrew on Flickr

August 24, 2026

NYC announces $4B plan to fix city-owned portion of BQE

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will move forward with repairs to the decrepit, city-owned section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway following decades of delays. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Monday announced plans to fix the aging corridor between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street by installing temporary bypass structures that will allow the DOT to repair the structure while ensuring minimal disruption to traffic flow. The move marks the first major action to rehabilitate the 70-year-old triple-cantilevered portion of the BQE, where each year of inaction adds an estimated $160 million to the cost of rehabilitation.
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City begins construction on first busway in the Bronx

Photo courtesy of DOT

August 14, 2026

City begins construction on first busway in the Bronx

By Devin Gannon

Starting next month, 39,000 bus riders in the Bronx will have a faster daily commute. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) this week officially started construction on the Tremont Avenue Busway, a mile-long, car-free lane designated for the Bx36 bus from Third Avenue to Southern Boulevard. The busway, the eighth to be installed in the city, aims to speed up commutes by 60 percent for the bus route, which currently travels at less than five miles per hour.
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New York will test new thermal tech that cools down NYC subway platforms

All photos courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 11, 2026

New York will test new thermal tech that cools down NYC subway platforms

By Michelle Cohen

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and state officials this week announced plans to cool New York City subway platforms that turn into saunas during the summer. The mayor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority are teaming up to study thermal energy networks (TENs) at the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and Chamber Street complex, among the city's hottest subway platforms. The technology, the first in the nation installed in a transit system, involves capturing, storing, and recycling the excess heat to surrounding buildings in the winter. The TENs study will be part of a thorough renovation of the Chambers Street station, one of the city's oldest.
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Transit

NYC homeowners sue the city for ‘mass confusion’ over pied-à-terre tax

Billionaires’ Row from Harlem. Photo by joiseyshowaa on Wikimedia

August 10, 2026

NYC homeowners sue the city for ‘mass confusion’ over pied-à-terre tax

By Michelle Cohen

A handful of property owners have begun a legal challenge against New York City over Mayor Zohran Mamdani's rollout of the new pied-à-terre tax, claiming the "chaotic" rollout of the measure caused mass confusion, as Gothamist reported. The surcharge, aimed at people who own second homes valued at over $5 million for one-to-three family homes and over $1 million for condos or co-ops, began with the publication of a Department of Finance (DOF) database of 900,000 properties, many of which were not actually subject to the tax. The complaint alleges that the city violated state law by subsequently sending 17,000 letters to homeowners alerting them that they may be subject to the high-value property tax. On Monday, a State Supreme Court judge on Staten Island granted a temporary restraining order on behalf of the homeowners, briefly putting a pause on the tax rollout, but city officials quickly filed an appeal, which served to block the judge's order pending review by a higher court.
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Policy

96 supportive and affordable homes coming to Hunts Point

Credit: The Doe Fund

August 4, 2026

96 supportive and affordable homes coming to Hunts Point

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new housing development in Hunts Point will deliver 96 supportive and affordable homes for formerly unhoused New Yorkers. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday broke ground on the Doe Fund’s Casanova Residence at 658-674 Casanova Street in the Bronx. Of the 96 homes, 38 affordable units will be available through the city’s housing lottery system, while the remaining 58 units will be reserved for vulnerable populations.
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NYC extends pied-à-terre tax exemption deadline by 4 weeks amid confusion

Credit: Garrett Lawrence on Unsplash

August 3, 2026

NYC extends pied-à-terre tax exemption deadline by 4 weeks amid confusion

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has given homeowners who received notices that they may be subject to the new pied-à-terre surcharge an extra four weeks to apply for exemptions, following criticism over the rollout of the notices. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Richard Lee on Saturday announced the deadline extension, which gives eligible property owners until September 18 to submit exemption applications for surcharges on their non-primary residences. The city began notifying eligible property owners late last month, and the rollout came under heavy criticism from some homeowners who said they received notices despite not qualifying for the new tax.
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NYC releases map of city-owned sites where 50,000 new homes are in the works

Settlement Housing Fund and Kalel Companies are redeveloping the Grand Concourse library at 155 East 173rd Street into a mixed-use tower with 113 affordable homes. Image courtesy of Secchi Smith.

July 31, 2026

NYC releases map of city-owned sites where 50,000 new homes are in the works

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has released an interactive map identifying more than 100 city-owned sites where it plans to build over 50,000 new homes. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg on Thursday released the Land Inventory Fast Track (LIFT) Tracker, a tool providing New Yorkers with the first detailed look at the administration’s plans to develop underutilized, city-owned properties. The LIFT task force identified the sites after Mamdani established the group on his first day in office to find city-owned properties suitable for residential development.
SEe THE MAP

City unveils plan for Long Island City vacant lot to become 980 new apartments, majority affordable

Rendering credit: Marvel

July 30, 2026

City unveils plan for Long Island City vacant lot to become 980 new apartments, majority affordable

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of the last remaining vacant waterfront parcels in Long Island City will become nearly 1,000 new homes, a majority of which will be priced below market rate. The city on Wednesday announced that Slate Property Group, The Hudson Companies, and Volunteers of America-Greater New York will build The Orion, a three-building development with 980 apartments, of which roughly 66 percent will be affordable for New Yorkers earning extremely low to moderate income. Designed by Marvel, the development will also include community facility space, including a daycare and a workforce development center, an indoor community pool, and new commercial retail. The project will rise on the sixth of seven sites of the city's ongoing 30-acre Hunter's Point South redevelopment.
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Mamdani’s city-owned grocery stores to offer 30 percent discount on basics

Photo courtesy of Kara McCurdy | Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 27, 2026

Mamdani’s city-owned grocery stores to offer 30 percent discount on basics

By Devin Gannon

The city's publicly owned grocery stores will offer a 30 percent discount on basics, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Monday. One of his key campaign promises to tackle affordability, the mayor plans to establish five city-run food stores, one in every borough, as a way to bring down food costs, the first model of its kind in the United States. A collection of essentials, including all fresh produce, meat, and seafood, will be priced 30 percent below typical retail prices. Other basics like cheese, milk, and bread will be 20 percent off, with other products priced at market rate.
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Mamdani announces major expansion of NYC coastal resilience bureau with $43M investment

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 24, 2026

Mamdani announces major expansion of NYC coastal resilience bureau with $43M investment

By Devin Gannon

The Bureau of Coastal Resilience was established by the Department of Environmental Protection in 2023 to prepare and protect New York City's 520 miles of coastline. Since then, the agency has managed with six staff members and a budget of $1 million. As the threat of climate change, along with rising sea levels and extreme weather, only intensifies, Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday announced he plans to significantly expand the Bureau by investing $43.2 million to hire 69 more staff, which will include engineers, flood experts, city planners, and others, and to fund new studies on a long-term coastal resilience strategy.
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Policy

NYC begins notifying pied-à-terre owners about new tax

Photo by Brett Wharton on Unsplash

July 24, 2026

NYC begins notifying pied-à-terre owners about new tax

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has begun alerting pied-à-terre owners about a potential surcharge, marking the first step toward implementing the city's new tax on non-primary luxury homes. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Richard Lee last week announced that the city has started notifying property owners by mail that they may be subject to the new tax. The annual tax, approved in May, applies to one- to three-family homes valued at $5 million or more and condominiums and co-ops valued at $1 million and above, whose owners maintain a separate primary residence. The rollout has come under heavy criticism, with some homeowners claiming they received notices despite not qualifying for the new tax.
details here

NYC landlords sue Rent Guidelines Board to stop rent freeze

Photo credit: Denis Ibarra for Tenant Bloc

July 22, 2026

NYC landlords sue Rent Guidelines Board to stop rent freeze

By Devin Gannon

The first legal challenge to the Rent Guidelines Board's (RGB) decision to freeze the rent for New York City's stabilized apartments was filed this week. A group of landlords filed a petition in New York State Supreme Court on Staten Island to annul the board's June 25 approval of 0 percent increases on one- and two-year leases. The suit claims the board manipulated data to overstate property income for owners to meet Mayor Zohran Mamdani's rent freeze promise.
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Policy

Mamdani launches campaign to help tenants organize for safer housing

Credit: Bradley Andrews on Unsplash

July 21, 2026

Mamdani launches campaign to help tenants organize for safer housing

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday launched a new canvassing effort to connect tenants living in buildings with housing code violations with resources and information on organizing for better living conditions. The "Talk to Tenants" campaign will deploy volunteers with the Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement who will inform residents about advocating for safe and well-maintained homes, as well as forming tenant unions. The initiative will begin in East Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, and Flatbush before expanding to communities across the five boroughs.
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Policy

Mamdani’s ‘rental rip-off’ report outlines 23 actions to address tenant concerns

Credit: Mike Petrucci on Unsplash

July 16, 2026

Mamdani’s ‘rental rip-off’ report outlines 23 actions to address tenant concerns

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City tenants have spoken. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday released a new report shaped by testimony from thousands of renters who shared their experiences during the "Rental Rip-Off" hearings held across the five boroughs. The 68-page report outlines 23 policy changes aimed at strengthening tenant protections, improving housing quality, and targeting negligent landlords while curbing hazardous conditions and deceptive practices.
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Policy

NYC moves forward with first busway in the Bronx, Central Brooklyn bus upgrades

Work underway on new center-running bus lanes along Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 16, 2026

NYC moves forward with first busway in the Bronx, Central Brooklyn bus upgrades

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is advancing four major public transit projects in the Bronx and Brooklyn that are expected to cut commutes by up to six minutes for nearly 200,000 daily riders. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced that the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) will begin construction of the long-delayed Tremont Avenue busway later this year and launch community engagement for improvements along Flatbush, Utica, and Church avenues in Brooklyn, three of the borough’s busiest bus corridors. The projects build on last week's unveiling of the "Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service" plan, which aims to speed up service on 50 bus routes across the five boroughs.
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New York unveils plan to speed up NYC buses across 50 priority corridors

Photo by Sal Media on Unsplash

July 8, 2026

New York unveils plan to speed up NYC buses across 50 priority corridors

By Aaron Ginsburg

Riders on 50 bus routes across New York City could see their commutes cut by up to six minutes under a new proposal aimed at boosting bus speeds. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and the MTA on Wednesday released "Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service," a plan outlining service upgrades that transit officials say will improve speed, reliability, and the rider experience citywide. Through a combination of service changes, traffic enforcement upgrades, and road redesigns, officials say the plan could reduce travel times by 20 percent across at least 50 bus corridors.
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NYC to release addresses of Upper East Side buildings linked to Legionnaires’ disease outbreak

Credit: Clay LeConey on Unsplash

July 8, 2026

NYC to release addresses of Upper East Side buildings linked to Legionnaires’ disease outbreak

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is implementing emergency measures after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease on the Upper East Side sickened at least 76 people and killed four as of Monday, July 20. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday, July 7 directed the city's Department of Health to begin testing cooling towers across the affected area and mobilize more than 100 staff members for community outreach. In an unprecedented move, the administration will publicly release the addresses of buildings whose cooling towers test positive for the bacteria and order property owners to immediately drain, clean, and disinfect the systems to prevent further exposure.
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Policy

NYC expands heat wave protections for 4th of July weekend

Photo by Marco on Flickr

July 1, 2026

NYC expands heat wave protections for 4th of July weekend

By Aaron Ginsburg

As New York City enters a dangerous heat wave, officials are rolling out a series of measures to help New Yorkers stay cool. Temperatures over 100 degrees are expected to hit the five boroughs starting Thursday, prompting Mayor Zohran Mamdani to activate the city's emergency heat plan. The mayor announced additional measures, including opening more cooling centers, extending pool hours, intensifying outreach, and encouraging New Yorkers to check on their neighbors.
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Policy

New NYC housing voucher program to be created as part of city budget deal

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 30, 2026

New NYC housing voucher program to be created as part of city budget deal

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will create a new program for housing vouchers that will expand rental assistance under a handshake budget agreement announced on Tuesday. The mayor and the City Council announced a $125.8 billion budget deal, which invests $300 million over two years in a new voucher program that could reach about 30,000 more New Yorkers. The agreement also requires Mayor Zohran Mamdani to drop his appeal of a court ruling ordering the expansion of the voucher program known as CityFHEPS, ending a legal battle that began under former Mayor Eric Adams over ballooning costs.
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Policy

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