Search Results for: brooklyn history

As the summer's heat and humidity gradually give way to the cool breeze of autumn, New York City undergoes a stunning transformation. New Yorkers put away their shorts and t-shirts until next year, and pull on their cozy sweaters as they venture out underneath a breathtaking canopy of red, yellow, orange, and brown. Ahead, find our guide to the best of fall in NYC and beyond, from corn mazes and hay rides at farms across the tri-state to mug-holding competitions and oompah music at one of the city's many Oktoberfest celebrations.
the best of fall in nyc

Events & Things To Do

19 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in New York City

Gregg Richards: Crowd carrying a “Say their names” banner gather at Grand Army Plaza for Black Lives Matter rally. Brooklyn Public Library’s Center for Brooklyn History.

June 11, 2021

19 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in New York City

Celebrated on June 19, Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the United States in 1865, and it has been marked by African Americans across the country for more than 150 years. Last year, Governor Cuomo made Juneteenth an official state holiday, and Mayor de Blasio made it a city and school holiday. On this occasion of the holiday's first official year being observed, we've put together a list of events throughout New York City that celebrate and honor this sacred day, from film screenings and musical performances to panel discussions to walking tours.
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Events & Things To Do

Six things you didn’t know about the Prospect Heights Apartment House District

Photo courtesy of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council

January 26, 2018

Six things you didn’t know about the Prospect Heights Apartment House District

By Historic Districts Council

This post is part of a series by the Historic Districts Council, exploring the groups selected for their Six to Celebrate program, New York’s only targeted citywide list of preservation priorities. Constructed on a lost fragment of the original footprint of Prospect Park, the Prospect Heights Apartment House District is a concentration of 82 apartment buildings dating from 1909-1929. This development was promoted by the Prospect Park Commissioners to attract high-quality construction to complement the nearby Park, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Brooklyn Public Library. The buildings, representative of a period in Brooklyn history when building patterns shifted to accommodate a rising middle class, remain exemplary for their architectural integrity and as housing stock for a diverse population. As one of this year's Six to Celebrate recipients, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council and the Cultural Row Block Association on Eastern Parkway are working to garner local support and submit a proposal for historic district status from the LPC.
Find out six little-known facts about this handsome district

History

October 12, 2015

This Well-Preserved $1.95M Ditmas Park Victorian Has Lots of Perfect Spots to Soak Up Some Sun

This well-preserved two-and-a-half-story (plus basement), six-bedroom single-family Victorian house at 447 Rugby Road in Ditmas Park has a small-town vibe–from the big, wide front porch that's just waiting for that porch swing to the very chill upstairs sun porch perfect for catching the last warm autumn rays. But there's big-city subway access and plenty to do within a few blocks, and a citified price of $1.95 million, a number that wouldn't have been seen in this lovely and historic neighborhood a few years back.
Tour this pretty piece of Brooklyn history

April 30, 2015

$2.5M Clinton Hill Townhouse Is Dripping with Historic Details

By Emily Nonko

This beautiful Brooklyn townhouse, located at 181 St. James Place, is right in the heart of the Clinton Hill Historic District. The single-family property itself is historic inside and out–all three buildings were designed by the prominent Brooklyn architect William Tubby. No. 181 is the centerpiece, a combo of both Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne styles with an oeil-de-boeuf (bulls-eye) with four keystones at the center of the gable. The interior is decked out with incredibly restored historic details... a carved wooden staircase, fireplaces, stained glass windows, even a claw foot tub. To live in this piece of Brooklyn history, it's going to cost you $2.545 million.
Tour the interior right here

My 3,900sqft: Four Ladies Turn a Clinton Hill Townhouse into a ‘Pop-Up Mansion’

Our new series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. On our first interior adventure, we check out a home in Clinton Hill.

February 10, 2015

My 3,900sqft: Four Ladies Turn a Clinton Hill Townhouse into a ‘Pop-Up Mansion’

By Diane Pham

What happens when you let four ladies run loose in a four-story Clinton Hill townhouse? Closets, corners and a pantry spilling over with shoes and coats, apparently. "There are shoes lining the kitchen pantry shelves; the tiny third bedroom upstairs that resembles a Swiss chalet in the twilight zone is filled with racks of vintage frocks, coats and designer handbags. You can really tell almost everyone in this house either works in fashion or hoards it," says owner and 6sqft writer extraordinaire Michelle Cohen. We recently visited Michelle in her Brooklyn home to see the pretty amazing setup she has created for herself. Michelle, whose house you've certainly seen on our site before, is currently undertaking a major renovation that will turn her and her fiance Stanley's brick-clad buy into a modern-meets-historic home with a rental garden apartment. But while Michelle's poring over drawings with her architect, she's found a few friends to share the journey, and the house; namely three fabulous women with wonderfully different personalities. "Stanley likes to call it a sorority for outstanding ascendant young creative professional women," she muses. Jump ahead to meet Michelle and the girls—who range from a Vogue fashion stylist to a creative producer to a journalist who covers evolution, disease and health policy—in their home to get a closer look.
See more here

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

NYC sees 23 percent more new homes in first year of City of Yes

Credit: Daniel Lee on Unsplash

December 5, 2025

NYC sees 23 percent more new homes in first year of City of Yes

Housing production in New York City rose 23 percent in the first 10 months of 2025, since the passage of Mayor Eric Adams’ "City of Yes" housing plan, according to city data. Coinciding with the first anniversary of the plan's passage on Friday, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of City Planning Commissioner Dan Garodnick released new statistics showing that the city has permitted roughly 17,600 new homes through late October, a 22.8 percent increase from the same period in 2024. Key reforms under the plan include the legalization of accessory dwelling units, affordable housing bonuses, new zoning districts, reduced parking mandates, and more.
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Say ‘farewell’ to the MetroCard at New York Transit Museum exhibit

Credit: Lucas Klappas on Flickr

December 2, 2025

Say ‘farewell’ to the MetroCard at New York Transit Museum exhibit

Before the MetroCard is retired this month, the New York Transit Museum is saying goodbye to the iconic transit payment method with a special exhibit. Opening on December 17, "FAREwell, MetroCard" explores the MetroCard’s history, from its creation and adoption to the technology behind it, and highlights how it has become a cultural artifact for millions of New Yorkers. The exhibition also offers insight into what was, at the time, a cutting-edge technology that eliminated the need for tokens, ahead of December 31, when the MTA will stop selling MetroCards as the system continues its transition to OMNY.
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Starbucks to pay $39 million in historic settlement over violation of NYC labor law

Photo by Anthony Fomin on Unsplash

December 2, 2025

Starbucks to pay $39 million in historic settlement over violation of NYC labor law

Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga announced on Monday a $38.9 million settlement with Starbucks over violations of New York City’s law that guarantees fair working conditions. According to city officials, the resolution was the largest worker protection settlement in the city’s history. Starbucks agreed to the settlement after an investigation by DCWP showed the company had denied thousands of workers the legal right to stable schedules as well as the right to pick up additional hours, arbitrarily cutting schedules to prioritize their own bottom line over workers’ rights.
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Policy

11 classic New York songs that capture the spirit of the city

Photo by Maxim Klimashin on Unsplash

November 25, 2025

11 classic New York songs that capture the spirit of the city

Type "New York" into a Spotify search, and you’ll get a list of hundreds and hundreds of titles (and those are just the ones with the city name in their title). Of course, the greatest city on Earth has inspired countless songs. After all, it’s the birthplace of hip-hop, punk rock, and disco, and was the launching pad of Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, and Jay-Z, to name just a few. But some tunes have made a more indelible mark on city life than others, which is why we’ve put together this list of 11 classic New York songs that capture the spirit of the city.
listen to them here

Victorian Flatbush gains two new historic districts

The Ditmas Park West Historic District. Credit: Landmarks Preservation Commission

November 25, 2025

Victorian Flatbush gains two new historic districts

New York City's newest historic districts are two well-preserved areas of homes in suburban Flatbush. On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Beverley Square West and Ditmas Park West Historic Districts, which together include 247 freestanding homes built between 1894 and 1910, showcasing early 20th-century suburban architecture in the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles, or a mixture of the two. The most recent iteration of the districts includes minor boundary adjustments that exclude homes that do not share the same historic integrity as the rest of the district.
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November 24, 2025

Ice rink opens at Central Park’s new Davis Center

Ice skating is back on the north end of Central Park. The new Gottesman Rink at the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer debuted this weekend, replacing the outdated Lasker Rink as part of the larger new facility that opened earlier this year. The rink offers affordable public skating sessions, community-led programs, and ice time for local schools and organizations.
let's skate

Events & Things To Do

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

Clockwise from top left, photo credits: Beacon’s Closet, Astoria Bookshop, Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store, Friends NYC, Coming Soon NY, Michele Varian Shop

November 21, 2025

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

We do so much of our shopping online that we sometimes forget the excitement of finding the just-right gift right in front of our eyes. New York City still considers shopping a high art, and some of the best shops on the planet are just around the corner from wherever you are. You’re sure to find a treasure for everyone on your list from the local shops below.
100% amazon-free shopping, this way

Shop

The 7 absolute best pastrami spots in NYC—and the stories behind them

A pastrami sandwich at Katz’s Deli. Photo by City Foodsters on Flickr

November 18, 2025

The 7 absolute best pastrami spots in NYC—and the stories behind them

Other than the $1 slice of pizza, a bagel with lox, or a street cart hot dog, is there any food more synonymous with New York City than a pastrami sandwich on rye bread? The classic deli staple has been featured on Seinfeld, Saturday Night Live, and, of course, who can forget that famous scene in Katz’s from When Harry Met Sally? But pastrami’s legacy in the Big Apple began long before these pop culture moments.
order up!

PATH to get major service boost, but fare will reach $4 by 2029

Credit: LunchboxLarry on Flickr

November 14, 2025

PATH to get major service boost, but fare will reach $4 by 2029

For the first time in 25 years, all PATH lines will operate seven days a week, one of the largest service increases in its history. To help pay for the system improvements, fares are expected to rise to $4 by 2029. On Thursday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey released its proposed $45 billion 2026–2035 Capital Plan, which outlines major service upgrades between Manhattan and New Jersey. Improvements include eliminating transfers between Hoboken and the World Trade Center by mid-2026 and increasing weekend service. To fund the plan, the agency is proposing a 33 percent fare increase from the current $3 base fare, rising in 25-cent increments starting next summer and reaching $4 in 2029.
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A long-neglected Clinton Hill townhouse gets a total glow-up and a $5.5M ask

Photo credit: Hayley Ellen Day

November 14, 2025

A long-neglected Clinton Hill townhouse gets a total glow-up and a $5.5M ask

Built in 1899, the pale green wood-frame townhouse at 175 St. James Place has, for years, stood in a neglected state, leaving passersby to wonder what its fate would be. After a lengthy top-to-toe renovation, the three-story, single-family townhouse is dressed and ready for its 21st-century debut, asking $5,500,000. The 22-foot-wide home spans 4,500 square feet, along with a large private backyard.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Turning cubicles to condos: The pros and cons of office-to-residential conversions in NYC

SoMA at 25 Water Street is the largest office-to-residential conversion in the U.S. to date. Rendering courtesy of Streetsense

November 13, 2025

Turning cubicles to condos: The pros and cons of office-to-residential conversions in NYC

Across New York City’s five boroughs, office space occupies 730 million square feet (600 million of which is in Manhattan), according to CoStar data obtained by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. This is the most of any North American city; runner-up Los Angeles has only 432 million square feet of office space. So, it’s no wonder that the conversation around post-Covid commercial real estate vacancies is such a hot-button issue, especially considering that Manhattan’s residential vacancy rate is just 1.2 percent.
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Village Halloween Parade. Photo by Steven Pisano on Flickr

October 21, 2025

NYC’s best Halloween events

From the famous Village Halloween Parade to festive celebrations at the iconic cultural institutions and museums to neighborhood trick-or-treating and over-the-top costume parties, New York City is one of the best places to celebrate spooky season. Ahead, discover some of the best Halloween happenings across the five boroughs this year.
festive frights, ahead

Events & Things To Do

‘Humans of New York’ photo exhibit takes over Grand Central

All photos courtesy of Ahmed Gaber for Dear New York

October 8, 2025

‘Humans of New York’ photo exhibit takes over Grand Central

One of the most famous photography projects in the world has taken over Grand Central Terminal. This week, Brandon Stanton of "Humans of New York," the long-running online portrait series featuring the stories of everyday New Yorkers, opened the installation "Dear New York," a sweeping "love letter" to the city. The exhibit includes 50-foot-tall photographs from the Humans of New York portfolio displayed across the terminal, including the main concourse, the subway station, Vanderbilt Hall, and 150 digital screens. The two-week installation is on view through October 19.
see it here

For $950K, a condo with a terrace that puts the ‘green’ in Greenpoint

All photos courtesy of Russ Ross

October 7, 2025

For $950K, a condo with a terrace that puts the ‘green’ in Greenpoint

In an enviable spot just across from the wide green expanse of McCarren Park, this north Brooklyn condo at 607 Manhattan Avenue has an outdoor oasis of its own. In addition to thoroughly modern interiors, the one-bedroom home in Greenpoint, asking $950,000, offers 600 square feet of landscaped, private outdoor living.
step inside, step outside

Distinctive Homes

Coney Island casino rejected, but Bally’s Bronx bid moves forward

The Coney. Credit: Thor Equities

September 29, 2025

Coney Island casino rejected, but Bally’s Bronx bid moves forward

By 6sqft

Brooklyn won't be getting a casino any time soon, but the Bronx might. Hours apart on Monday, community advisory committees voted in favor of the Bally's Bronx proposal and voted against The Coney, a $3.4 billion project from Thor Equities and the only Brooklyn bid.
Find out more

Policy

Adams targets city-owned sites in Williamsburg and East Harlem for 1,700 homes

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 25, 2025

Adams targets city-owned sites in Williamsburg and East Harlem for 1,700 homes

Two city-owned sites could be redeveloped into at least 1,700 new homes. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday said the city will issue requests for proposals for 900 homes at 390 Kent Avenue, one of the last underutilized waterfront sites in Williamsburg, and 800 homes at 1880 First Avenue in East Harlem, currently a parking lot for NYC Health + Hospitals. The two properties were identified through an executive order Adams signed in August 2024, directing city agencies to determine if housing could be built on any properties they owned.
get the details

Bensonhurst library to become new modern branch with 100% affordable housing

Photo by QuasyBoy via WikiCommons

September 25, 2025

Bensonhurst library to become new modern branch with 100% affordable housing