The Bronx

NYC seizes building from negligent landlord for first time in seven years

Streetview of 2205 Davidson Avenue, Map data © 2024 Google

April 10, 2025

NYC seizes building from negligent landlord for first time in seven years

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has taken ownership of a building from a negligent landlord for the first time in over seven years. After a decade of organizing by tenants against landlord David Kornitzer, the city has foreclosed on the 49-unit building at 2201–2205 Davidson Avenue in the University Heights section of the Bronx, as first reported by Gothamist. Kornitzer had racked up numerous housing violations and financial penalties, owing the city $28 million in back taxes, emergency repairs, and other fees as of February.
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Policy

Behind the Mexican Modernism of Luis Barragán that inspired this year’s NYBG Orchid Show

“The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism.” Photo courtesy of the New York Botanical Garden.

April 1, 2025

Behind the Mexican Modernism of Luis Barragán that inspired this year’s NYBG Orchid Show

"We want people who know his work to come and say 'Oh yeah, that is Barragán pink,'" Michaela Wright, director of Exhibition Content and Interpretation, said of this year's orchid show at the New York Botanical Garden. She’s talking about renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragán. "By the time of his death in 1988, his persona and way of working had attained almost mythical status, and the interest in his oeuvre has increased ever since," as described by the Luis Barragán Foundation. The hallmark of his designs are clean, painted stucco walls in contrast — yet harmony — with the natural surroundings. Some of his prominent works in Mexico City include the Barragán House, Las Arboledas, Fuente de los Amantes, and Cuadra San Cristobal. This legacy of color and Mexican Modernism was the inspiration for this year’s orchid show and accompanying photo exhibit, running through April 27.
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For $1.3M, a 1926 apartment in the Bronx that feels like an Italian hillside villa

All photos courtesy of Rinze van Brug; some photos are virtually staged.

March 26, 2025

For $1.3M, a 1926 apartment in the Bronx that feels like an Italian hillside villa

By Michelle Cohen

With a hilltop view of the Hudson River and the Palisades, the romantically-named Villa Charlotte Bronte at 2501 Palisade Avenue is a hidden gem within New York City limits. Built in 1926, the 17-unit complex is perched along steep cliffs, surrounded by greenery, and blessed with several stone patios for private enjoyment. Asking $1,315,000, this three-bedroom home offers living on three floors, including a light-filled garret in keeping with its charm.
the villa awaits

Distinctive Homes

This year’s NYBG Orchid Show brings the vibrancy of Mexican modernism to the Bronx

“The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism.” All photos courtesy of the New York Botanical Garden

February 21, 2025

This year’s NYBG Orchid Show brings the vibrancy of Mexican modernism to the Bronx

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York Botanical Garden’s beloved Orchid Show officially opened this weekend, bringing the bold colors of Mexican modernism to the Bronx. Inspired by the work of Mexican modernist architect Luis Barragán, "The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism" turns the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory into a vibrant landscape of thousands of orchids, tropical plants, and succulents like cacti and agave. The breathtaking display is on view through April 27.
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City and state select team to transform historic Kingsbridge Armory into community hub with 450 affordable homes

Credit: FXCollaborative

January 8, 2025

City and state select team to transform historic Kingsbridge Armory into community hub with 450 affordable homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

A historic and long-vacant Bronx armory will be transformed into a state-of-the-art community hub with affordable apartments. City and state officials announced Tuesday the development team that will redevelop the century-old Kingsbridge Armory as an event space, sports field, cultural center, and 450 new affordable homes. Developed by 8th Regiment Partners LLC, a joint venture between real estate firm Maddd Equities LLC and Joy Construction, the project, dubbed El Centro Kingsbridge, is scheduled for completion in 2032.
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New Developments

Citi Bike to expand in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx next fall

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

December 16, 2024

Citi Bike to expand in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx next fall

By Aaron Ginsburg

Citi Bike is set for a major expansion, bringing the bike-share service to 900,000 more New Yorkers in the outer boroughs. Mayor Eric Adams on Friday announced that starting in the fall of 2025, Citi Bike will roll out to underserved neighborhoods like Brownsville and Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, Norwood and Riverdale in the Bronx, and areas west of Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. The expansion will also add docking stations in high-demand areas to accommodate growing ridership.
See where Citi Bike is expanding

NYBG’s Holiday Train Show is a tribute to NYC’s architectural heritage

A model train passing by the NYC skyline. Courtesy of the New York Botanical Garden

November 13, 2024

NYBG’s Holiday Train Show is a tribute to NYC’s architectural heritage

By Aaron Ginsburg

A quintessential New York City holiday tradition is back for its 33rd year. The New York Botanical Garden's beloved Holiday Train Show enchants guests with G-scale miniature trains that zip through nearly 200 plant-based models of iconic city landmarks, displayed inside the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and outdoors. For the first time, guests can experience the show in a new light with Holiday Train Nights, where the trains and displays twinkle under the night sky. The show runs from November 16 through January 20, 2025.
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This $3.6M Spuyten Duyvil home is a tranquil refuge indoors and out, within New York City limits

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

November 6, 2024

This $3.6M Spuyten Duyvil home is a tranquil refuge indoors and out, within New York City limits

By Michelle Cohen

In the leafy Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood in the Bronx, this charming 20th-century residence at 800 West 231st Street was built in 1935 with updated interiors for 21st-century living on four levels. Stone walls and a slate roof give the single-family home, asking $3,600,000, a rustic-yet-modern charm that's subtly unique. Just south of Riverdale, the five-bedroom property is surrounded by a landscaped garden, and a stone patio frames a large outdoor pool.
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Distinctive Homes

MTA releases Olivia Rodrigo MetroCards as second-to-last custom card

Credit: Rahul Bhatt

October 28, 2024

MTA releases Olivia Rodrigo MetroCards as second-to-last custom card

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released its second-to-last limited-edition MetroCard before fully transitioning to the tap-and-go OMNY system. In collaboration with Sony, the special cards will feature pop star Olivia Rodrigo wearing the new Sony Linkbuds in her signature purple aesthetic. The MTA on Monday loaded machines at seven subway stations across the city with 50,000 limited-edition cards.
find out where to get them

Bronx Music Hall: The borough’s first new music venue in over 50 years is now open

Photos courtesy of Bronx Music Hall

October 18, 2024

Bronx Music Hall: The borough’s first new music venue in over 50 years is now open

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time in over 50 years, a new independent music venue has opened in the Bronx. The Bronx Music Hall on Friday celebrated its grand opening, introducing a new 14,000-square-foot performance hall and community cultural center committed to promoting music, dance, theater, and interdisciplinary arts. Located at 438 East 163rd Street in Melrose, the facility, part of the mixed-use Bronx Commons development, includes a 250-seat theater, a grand lobby and exhibition hall, a multipurpose room and dance studio, and more.
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Architecture And Design

NYC to close Randall’s Island migrant shelter in February

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 10, 2024

NYC to close Randall’s Island migrant shelter in February

By Aaron Ginsburg

The migrant shelter on Randall's Island that once housed 3,000 adults will close early next year as the number of asylum seekers arriving in New York City declines. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced the humanitarian relief center will shut down at the end of February, following a 14-week decline in the number of migrants living in city shelters, which is now at its lowest point in over a year. In the coming months, the city will gradually reduce the center’s population and begin restoring the island’s athletic fields and parkland.
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Policy

NYC’s curbside compost program expands to all five boroughs

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 7, 2024

NYC’s curbside compost program expands to all five boroughs

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's compost program is now underway in all five boroughs. On Sunday, curbside compost collection began in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, requiring buildings with four or more units to provide storage areas and labeled bins for yard and food waste collection by Department of Sanitation workers. The program’s final expansion follows its success in Queens and Brooklyn and aims to prevent rat infestations while promoting sustainability.
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Policy

Washington Bridge dedicated bus and protected bike lanes now open

Images courtesy of NYC DOT

September 17, 2024

Washington Bridge dedicated bus and protected bike lanes now open

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Washington Bridge has undergone a transformative redesign, ensuring safety for pedestrians and cyclists while also speeding up bus service. Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Monday announced the completion of a redesigned intersection at the bridge's approach, along with a dedicated bus lane and a two-way protected bike lane, stretching from Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights to University Avenue in the Bronx. The project will deliver quicker, more reliable bus service to the 68,000 daily riders who travel along the corridor.
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Every inch of this $1.8M Fieldston home was hand-crafted by an artist resident

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

September 10, 2024

Every inch of this $1.8M Fieldston home was hand-crafted by an artist resident

By Michelle Cohen

You could say this unusual house at 4675 Tibbett Avenue in the Fieldston section of Riverdale in the Bronx is the opposite of a cookie-cutter home. Its current owners, a textile designer who has worked for Martha Stewart and a noted contemporary artist, renovated the property themselves, giving their creative turn to its hand-carved stairs, hand-crafted kitchen cabinets, stained-glass windows, and hidden doors. Asking $1,800,000, the home mixes art and comfort, including cozy perks like an artist studio in its lofty garret.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Luxury rental near Fordham University opens lottery for 50 apartments, from $2,200/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 19, 2024

Luxury rental near Fordham University opens lottery for 50 apartments, from $2,200/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery has opened for 50 mixed-income apartments at a new luxury rental near Fordham University in the Bronx. Located at 4720 3rd Avenue in Belmont, the Arabella offers residents brand-new units and modern amenities, all in a prime location. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $2,206/month for one-bedroom apartments to $3,950/month for three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

New York Botanical Garden to host ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’-inspired light trail this fall

Rendering of Disney “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” Light Trail. Credit: LETSGO COMPANY, Creative Director: Felype de Lima, Illustrator: Borja Arrufat

August 16, 2024

New York Botanical Garden to host ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’-inspired light trail this fall

By Aaron Ginsburg

A Tim Burton-themed light trail is coming to the New York Botanical Garden this fall. Running on select nights from September 27 through November 30, the light experience inspired by "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" will illuminate the garden with iconic characters, scenes, and songs from the classic Disney film. The immersive outdoor experience features over 8,300 square feet of stunning light installations, interactive video projections, LED lighting, and 3D-printed sculptures of Jack Skellington, Sally, and other beloved characters from the movie.
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NYC Council approves East Bronx rezoning that will add 7,000 new homes

An illustration of the rezoning’s potential effects along Eastchester Road. Image courtesy of DCP.

August 16, 2024

NYC Council approves East Bronx rezoning that will add 7,000 new homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Thursday approved a major rezoning that will bring thousands of homes and $500 million in investments to the East Bronx. The Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan targets 46 blocks around four new Metro-North stations planned for Co-op City, Hunts Point, Morris Park, and Parkchester/Van Nest. The rezoning, which includes over a million square feet of commercial space and retail space, and 10,000 new permanent jobs, is the first approved under Mayor Eric Adams.
details here

Bankside Park opens, giving Mott Haven residents waterfront access for the first time in a century

Photos courtesy of Jakob Dahlin

June 14, 2024

Bankside Park opens, giving Mott Haven residents waterfront access for the first time in a century

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new public waterfront park officially opened at the sprawling Bankside development in the South Bronx. Brookfield Properties on Thursday cut the ribbon on Bankside Park, a green space and esplanade designed by landscape architects MPFP that stretches over an acre along the Harlem River. Located on a former brownfield site, the new park provides Mott Haven residents direct access to the waterfront for the first time in over a century. Bankside Park is a key component of the 4.3-acre Bankside, a $950 million seven-tower, mixed-use development.
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125 affordable apartments available at massive Morris Heights complex, from $616/month

Rendering courtesy of Marvel Architects

June 6, 2024

125 affordable apartments available at massive Morris Heights complex, from $616/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery launched this week for 125 affordable apartments at a huge residential complex in the Bronx. Located at 1600 Grand Avenue in Morris Heights, the 14-story building is phase one of the Starhill development, an affordable housing complex with a total of 570 affordable apartments. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $24,446 for a single person and $134,160 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $616/month for one-bedrooms to $2,066/month two-bedrooms.
see if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Fantastical flowers and peculiar plants: New York Botanical Garden opens ‘Wonderland’ exhibit

A 12-foot-tall White Rabbit at the Leon Levy Visitor Center, Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal, Steel frame, geraniums, sedum

May 20, 2024

Fantastical flowers and peculiar plants: New York Botanical Garden opens ‘Wonderland’ exhibit

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York Botanical Garden has fallen down the rabbit hole. The enchanting exhibition "Wonderland: Curious Nature" debuted on Saturday, transforming the garden's 250 acres into a whimsical paradise inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic children's tale "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and its sequel stories. On view through October 27, the exhibition includes a 12-foot White Rabbit made of plants, larger-than-life mushrooms, gardens of the Victorian era, a large-scale chess set designed by Yoko Ono, and more.
peer through the looking glass

The historic Bronx Post Office is for sale again

All photos courtesy of Avison Young

May 7, 2024

The historic Bronx Post Office is for sale again

By Devin Gannon

One of the most iconic buildings in the Bronx is for sale again. The Bronx General Post Office at 558 Grand Concourse is looking for a buyer five years after a deal to buy the landmark fell through. Developer Young Woo & Associates purchased the property from the United States Postal Service in 2014 with plans to revitalize the 90-year-old building and transform it into a mixed-use development with a food market. After a sale failed in 2019, the property has returned to the market, advertised as having the potential to become residential or a hotel with retail space.
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135 middle-income apartments available in Mott Haven, from $3,088/month

Rendering courtesy of Michaelis Boyd

May 2, 2024

135 middle-income apartments available in Mott Haven, from $3,088/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery has launched for 135 middle-income apartments at a new luxury residential project in Mott Haven. Located at 138 Bruckner Boulevard in the South Bronx, the 12-story mixed-use building offers spacious units, luxurious amenities, and proximity to the Bronx waterfront. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $105,875/month for a single person and $218,010 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $3,088/month studios to $3,939/month two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

New ‘Legendary Yankees’ mural honors living Black baseball icons

Aaron Judge and C.C. Sabathia with artist André Trenier. All photos courtesy of the New York Yankees

April 29, 2024

New ‘Legendary Yankees’ mural honors living Black baseball icons

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Bronx Children's Museum last week unveiled "Exhibiting Possibilities: Legendary Yankees," an outdoor mural featuring six living Black baseball legends and former Yankees, including Willie Randolph, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Derek Jeter, C.C. Sabathia, and Aaron Judge. Created by Bronx native André Trenier, the artwork is part of a larger project from the museum to inspire children in the neighborhood to dream big.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC to redevelop Grand Concourse library with 100% affordable housing

Photo courtesy of NYC Housing Preservation and Development

April 10, 2024

NYC to redevelop Grand Concourse library with 100% affordable housing

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York Public Library announced plans to transform the Grand Concourse branch into a state-of-the-art library with affordable housing on top. This week the city kicked off the community engagement process for the project, which falls under Mayor Eric Adams' "24 in 24" plan to advance 24 affordable housing projects in 2024.
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Ride a vintage NYC subway car to the home opener at Yankee Stadium

Photo by Marc A. Hermann/ MTA on Flickr

March 14, 2024

Ride a vintage NYC subway car to the home opener at Yankee Stadium

By Aaron Ginsburg

Baseball lovers can travel to Yankee Stadium in retro style aboard vintage NYC subway trains. The New York Transit Museum is running its beloved 1917 IRT Lo-V train and Train of Many Colors on Friday, April 5, offering baseball fans a special way to arrive at the Yankees home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. The event is free with subway fare and departs from Grand Central Terminal at 11 a.m., giving Yankee fans more than enough time to catch the first pitch at 1:05 p.m.
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120-year-old Carnegie library in the Bronx is now a city landmark

NYPL’s Tremont Branch. Photo courtesy of NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

March 5, 2024

120-year-old Carnegie library in the Bronx is now a city landmark

By Aaron Ginsburg

A Bronx public library that has served as a vital community space for more than a century is New York City's newest landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to designate the New York Public Library's Tremont Branch as an individual landmark. Constructed in 1905, the library at 1866 Washington Avenue was financed by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and designed by acclaimed firm Carrère and Hastings, the architects behind the library's iconic main branch at 42nd Street and 5th Avenue. The library is regarded for its significance as a critical space for the neighborhood, in addition to its architectural importance, according to the LPC.
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All-electric affordable housing project planned for Mott Haven parking lot

Renderings courtesy of STAT Architecture PC

February 20, 2024

All-electric affordable housing project planned for Mott Haven parking lot

By Aaron Ginsburg

A project that will bring an all-electric affordable housing development and a new community theater to Mott Haven is moving forward. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) last week selected the team that will convert a city-owned parking lot at 351 Powers Avenue into a 90-unit, fully-electric affordable housing development dubbed the Powerhouse Apartments. The South Bronx development is part of Mayor Eric Adams' "24 in 24" plan, which calls for two dozen affordable housing developments on public land to advance this year.
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Affordable Housing

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Spring + Thompson

83 Thompson Street

Soho

Loft-like residences in Soho designed by Selldorf Architects

2 beds starting at $4,975,000
4 beds starting at $14,850,000