6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is reviving another street safety plan delayed or scrapped under his predecessor. The mayor announced the city will restart the redesign process for Astoria's 31st Street, which had briefly seen construction on a partially-protected bike lane before a Queens judge ruled the city had failed to follow proper protocols and ordered its removal. The Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to address the legal issues that previously stalled the project and ensure improved safety on the notoriously dangerous corridor, which ranks among the top 10 most dangerous streets in Queens.
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MTA is looking into using AI to monitor transit system cameras

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

January 8, 2026

MTA is looking into using AI to monitor transit system cameras

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has started exploring how artificial intelligence could be used to monitor the system's more than 15,000 cameras to detect and predict unsafe behaviors, identify weapons or other dangerous objects, and recognize unattended items. As first reported by The City, the MTA said there's been "interest across the board" from tech firms following a request for information issued by the agency in early December.
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Policy

Andy Cohen honored with a corner and trash can in Hudson Square

Photos by Emma Milligan

January 7, 2026

Andy Cohen honored with a corner and trash can in Hudson Square

New York City has long honored notable residents with street co-namings. Hudson Square is taking a different approach for TV personality Andy Cohen by commemorating the Bravo host with a trash can. The Hudson Square Business Improvement District paid tribute to Cohen, whose long-running show "Watch What Happens Live" has been filmed in the neighborhood since 2009, by renaming a garbage can on the corner of Vandam and Hudson Streets. Cohen attended the ribbon-cutting for the newly dubbed "Andy Cohen’s Corner," where he received a commemorative plaque and a key to the neighborhood that opens nothing.
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Policy

NYC paves infamous bike path bump at foot of Williamsburg Bridge

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 7, 2026

NYC paves infamous bike path bump at foot of Williamsburg Bridge

A small bump on the bike path at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge in Manhattan—notorious for sending cyclists flying over their handlebars—has finally been fixed. On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) paved over the hazard on Delancey Street, which had forced riders to slam on their brakes and risk crashes. The effort joins other transit-related improvements Mamdani has overseen during his first week in office, including the restoration of the full “road-diet” plan for McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, which features expanded protected bike lanes.
bump begone!

Huge Broadway Triangle development opens lottery for 120 apartments, from $812/month

Credit: Fischer + Makooi

January 7, 2026

Huge Broadway Triangle development opens lottery for 120 apartments, from $812/month

A huge mixed-use development in the Broadway Triangle section of Williamsburg opened a housing lottery for 120 affordable apartments. Developed by Rabsky Group, the project includes eight buildings across two blocks at a site formerly occupied by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The development has been constructed in phases, with the latest bringing a 10-story affordable rental building to 11 Gerry Street. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $812/month one-bedrooms to $3,298/month four-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Mamdani orders city to close or renovate migrant shelters

The Roosevelt Hotel closed during the pandemic and became an emergency shelter center for asylum seekers. Image via WikiCommons

January 7, 2026

Mamdani orders city to close or renovate migrant shelters

The city has 45 days to create a plan to close or renovate its emergency migrant shelters under a new executive order signed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday. The Departments of Social Services and Homeless Services (DHS), working with the Law Department, have until February 19 to create a plan to bring all emergency shelters into compliance with city law, including maximum capacity limits and requirements for cooking facilities in shelters housing families and children. Former Mayor Eric Adams suspended those rules through a series of emergency executive orders beginning in October 2022, as the city grappled with the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers.
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Policy

Williamsburg Wharf launches leasing for newest waterfront rental, from $3,980/month

Renderings courtesy of Naftali Group

January 6, 2026

Williamsburg Wharf launches leasing for newest waterfront rental, from $3,980/month

Leasing has launched for 128 market-rate apartments at the newest luxury rental building to open at the Brooklyn waterfront's Williamsburg Wharf complex. On Tuesday, Naftali Group announced the start of leasing for Four Williamsburg Wharf, designed by Brandon Haw Architecture and Hill West Architects with interior design by Studio Munge, marking the completion of the development’s first phase. Pricing starts at $3,980/month for studios and $4,925/month for one-bedroom units.
get the details

Real Estate Trends

Photos courtesy of Will Ellis

January 6, 2026

This $7M Gilded-Age mansion on the Upper West Side has a private garage and a theatrical history

The 11,670-square-foot home at 323 West 80th Street is a head-turning masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance Revival style, as well as being a true city mansion with an underground private garage, a gym, and a roof terrace. Built in 1897, the 43-foot-wide landmarked brick and limestone townhouse, asking $6,999,000, has been thoroughly renovated by a family with a theatrical legacy and a creative eye.
tour this unique manhattan mansion

Distinctive Homes

January 6, 2026

Avdoo plans luxury residential tower in hot Hudson Square

A new development promising an "elevated residential experience" is moving forward in Hudson Square. Avdoo last week closed on 68 King Street for $63 million, with financing from Valley National Bank. The developer is planning a 200,000-square-foot luxury residential building, with the use of 125,000 square feet of development rights, and will pursue additional air rights purchases and a transit improvement–related bonus, as Yimby reported.
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New Developments

Distinctive Homes

This $7M Gilded-Age mansion on the Upper West Side has a private garage and a theatrical history

Amy Schumer paid $6.25M for Central Park West condo

Ricky Martin sells Upper East Side apartment for $6.15M

Lily Allen's Brooklyn townhouse is for sale for $8M

For $2M, a Boerum Hill co-op with a colorful Scandi kitchen

$4M Prospect Heights penthouse has three bedrooms, a wraparound terrace, and views in every direction

Amy Schumer sells Brooklyn Heights townhouse at $1.25M loss

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

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

'Secret' live-work compound on Tribeca's skybridge street lists for $30M

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NYC street vendor advocates push to lift cap on licenses after Adams veto

Photo by Anton on Unsplash

January 5, 2026

NYC street vendor advocates push to lift cap on licenses after Adams veto

The city's street vendors are often in the news for their struggle to stay on the right side of the law–and stay in business. Last month, the City Council passed a bill that would add significantly to the existing caps on licenses and permits for vendors. The New York Times reported that the limit placed on general vendor licenses would be raised to over 11,000 in 2027. By 2031, there would be nearly 17,000 food vendor permits available, and almost 1,300 permits would be set aside for vendors who are veterans or disabled. However, the new law faced another obstacle; it was among 19 bills vetoed by Mayor Eric Adams on his last day in office.
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Policy

January 5, 2026

NYC’s 10 best-selling residential buildings of 2025

CityRealty has released its annual report highlighting New York City's best-selling residential buildings of the year. In 2025, Manhattan recorded just over 11,000 signed residential contracts, with the overall average last asking price at $2.32 million and the average price per square foot across all property types at $1,636. Many of the top-selling buildings have been on the market for several years and are nearing sellout. Across New York City, some of the fastest-selling developments include One Domino Square, 255 East 77th Street, and 140 Jane Street, among others, which together accounted for nearly 100 signed contracts in 2025.
see the list

Real Estate Trends

NYC renters can share apartment complaints during series of public hearings

Photo by Bret Lama on Unsplash

January 5, 2026

NYC renters can share apartment complaints during series of public hearings

New York City renters dealing with poor living conditions or bad landlords will have an opportunity to share their apartment complaints directly with the city. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday announced plans to host "rental rip-off" hearings across the five boroughs to hear from tenants on challenges they are facing in their homes. Following the hearings, the city will put together a report examining common issues and use the testimony to inform future policies.
details here

Policy

McGuinness Boulevard to be redesigned with two protected bike lanes, after all

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 5, 2026

McGuinness Boulevard to be redesigned with two protected bike lanes, after all

Greenpoint’s notoriously dangerous McGuinness Boulevard will receive its originally planned safety upgrades, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Saturday. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) will move forward with its plan to install protected bike lanes along the entirety of McGuinness Boulevard, extending existing protected lanes between Meeker and Calyer Streets up to the Pulaski Bridge. The move fulfills a campaign pledge Mamdani made in August to complete the original project and follows a corruption scandal under former Mayor Eric Adams, in which the redesign was scaled back amid allegations that a neighborhood film production company bribed a senior administration official, as Gothamist reported.
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Here’s how to tour the abandoned City Hall subway station

Photo © James and Karla Murray

January 2, 2026

Here’s how to tour the abandoned City Hall subway station

You don't have to be the mayor to tour the abandoned City Hall subway station, but you do have to be a member of the New York Transit Museum. After Mayor Zohran Mamdani's midnight swearing-in at the old subway station in Lower Manhattan gave New Yorkers a peek at the historic underground space this week, the museum announced tickets will go on sale January 14 for upcoming tours, which are the only way to see the City Hall's grand interiors (if you're not the mayor). The landmarked station, the showpiece of the city's first subway ride and which has been decommissioned since the 1940s, is known for its ornate vaulted Guastavino-tiled ceilings, chandeliers, and skylights hidden beneath the city streets.
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For $2.25M, a historic timber and stone cottage in Southampton

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 2, 2026

For $2.25M, a historic timber and stone cottage in Southampton

A unique timber and stone cottage in the Hamptons hit the market this week. Swiss-born carpenter Julius Frederic Imer built the home at 10 John Street in the early 1900s for himself. Imer designed the half-timber property to resemble the Alpine house where he was born, according to the Southampton History Museum, with timber, local stones, and wooden shingles. Asking $2,250,000, the home sits on about a quarter of an acre and has five bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths.
see inside

Mamdani signs housing, tenant protection orders on first day

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 2, 2026

Mamdani signs housing, tenant protection orders on first day

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has wasted little time advancing his campaign agenda, signing a series of executive orders on his first day in office, including three aimed at building new housing and protecting tenants. On Thursday, Mamdani signed the orders, which revamp the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and create two new task forces focused on streamlining housing construction, connecting New Yorkers to homes more quickly, and increasing supply by identifying qualifying city-owned properties. He also appointed Cea Weaver, executive director of Housing Justice for All and the New York State Tenant Block, as director of the revitalized Office to Protect Tenants.
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It’s the end of the line for the MetroCard

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

December 31, 2025

It’s the end of the line for the MetroCard

The MetroCard, the iconic fare payment method for New York City’s public transit system, is now officially a thing of the past. On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) retired the card, ending the era of the signature transit payment method that replaced tokens and became a cultural icon since its debut in 1994, and marking a major step in the MTA's transition to the tap-and-go OMNY system.
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Mamdani to use 19th-century Quran from the New York Public Library at swearing-in ceremony

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Blanc/The New York Public Library

December 31, 2025

Mamdani to use 19th-century Quran from the New York Public Library at swearing-in ceremony

At his swearing-in ceremony at midnight on New Year's Eve, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will use a 19th-century Quran from the collections of the New York Public Library. Mamdani, New York City's first Muslim mayor, will put his hand on a Quran that belonged to Arturo Schomburg, a historian and writer whose collection of Black literature, art, and other materials formed the foundation of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
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Mets star Francisco Lindor pays $21.2M for UES penthouse

While several New York Mets stars left the team this year, shortstop Francisco Lindor is here to stay. As first reported by the New York Post, Lindor paid $21.2 million for a penthouse at 200 East 75th Street on the Upper East Side. The All-Star shortstop first entered a contract for Penthouse 5, a 5,300-square-foot residence with six bedrooms, last December.
details here

December 31, 2025

10 listings 6sqft readers loved in 2025

In 2025, 6sqft published nearly 170 stories on "distinctive homes," special New York City properties with interiors that inspired us and prices that made our jaws drop. Interestingly, five of our 10 most-read stories this year featured homes outside of the city, with a $975,000 mid-century modern home designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright topping the list. Readers also enjoyed renovated Brooklyn brownstones with big price tags, penthouses with outdoor pools, and Jackie Gleason’s UFO house in Westchester. Ahead, take a look at 6sqft's most popular stories on homes that hit the market this year.
take the tours

Distinctive Homes

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

December 30, 2025

Citi Bike prices to increase again

Citi Bike is raising its prices again, marking the fifth consecutive year New York City bike-sharing will become more expensive. Starting January 5, 2026, the bike-share service, operated by Lyft, will increase the price of e-bike and classic bike overage fees to 27 cents per minute for members. Annual memberships will also rise roughly nine percent, or $20, to $239, effective January 28. The company cited fleet expansion across the five boroughs and rising costs from tariffs as reasons for the price hikes.
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First housing phase of NYC’s net-zero Far Rockaway development moves forward

Credit: FX Collaborative

December 30, 2025

First housing phase of NYC’s net-zero Far Rockaway development moves forward

The development team behind New York City’s first net-zero community in Far Rockaway has secured $278.8 million for its first phase, which will bring 320 new homes to the neighborhood. On Monday, L+M Development Partners, Urbane Development, and other project stakeholders announced the closing of financing for Arverne East Building D, the first phase of housing of the larger revitalization of a 116-acre oceanfront site in Edgemere into a mixed-use community. Upon completion in 2028, the 355,000-square-foot building will deliver 230 affordable rentals and 90 homes designated for ownership.
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Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball will drop twice in 2026

Photos by the Times Square Alliance

December 30, 2025

Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball will drop twice in 2026

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.
get the details

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

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

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.
Discover more

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

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

New York City's best holiday markets of 2023

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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

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

Renderings courtesy of the Hudson Mosaic Development Team

December 19, 2025

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.
Discover more

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

The Greenwich by Rafael Vinoly

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.
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125 Greenwich Street

Financial District

The new altitude of downtown living

studios starting at $1,110,000
1 beds starting at $1,495,000
2 beds starting at $2,785,000
3 beds starting at $3,600,000

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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.
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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

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

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.
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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