All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Jane’s Walk NYC returns with nearly 200 free walking tours across all five boroughs

A 2023 Jane’s Walk tour. Photo by The Municipal Art Society of New York/Aslan Chalom on Flickr

April 15, 2024

Jane’s Walk NYC returns with nearly 200 free walking tours across all five boroughs

By Aaron Ginsburg

Jane's Walk returns to New York City next month, with more than 190 walking tours in all five boroughs led by New Yorkers. Presented by the Municipal Art Society of New York, the volunteer-led three-day festival, which runs from May 3-5, offers free guided tours through some of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods. This year's events include bike rides in the Bronx, a walk of World's Fair sites in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in time for the event's 60th anniversary, and architecture tours of Central Park West, Brutalist Tribeca buildings, and Queen Anne-style homes in Richmond Hill.
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New Windsor Terrace rental opens lottery for 95 units next to Prospect Park, from $874/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

April 15, 2024

New Windsor Terrace rental opens lottery for 95 units next to Prospect Park, from $874/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Steps from Prospect Park, a new rental building in Windsor Terrace is accepting applications for 95 affordable apartments. Located on the southwest side of the park, the 13-story mixed-use building at 11 Ocean Parkway, called 1 Park Point, has 375 rental units with thoughtful layouts, a suite of luxury amenities, and a prime location right next to Prospect Park. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 100 percent of the area median income, or between $33,806 for a single person and $152,500 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $874/month for one-bedrooms to $2,832/month for two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

NYC releases details for ‘City of Yes’ housing reform, with new affordability mandates

Image courtesy of amanderson2 on Flickr

April 12, 2024

NYC releases details for ‘City of Yes’ housing reform, with new affordability mandates

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city this week released updated text for its major housing reform proposal, with new mandates for deeper affordability levels. The Department of City Planning (DCP) on Thursday released the annotated draft zoning text of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, Mayor Eric Adams' plan to add housing in every neighborhood through various zoning changes. The text includes revising the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program to allow for the deep affordability choice to be a standalone option. Plus, under the proposal, developers who utilize the Universal Affordable Preference to make their buildings bigger must make all additional homes permanently affordable.
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City Council approves NYC’s first-ever pro soccer stadium in Queens

Renderings courtesy of NYCFC

April 11, 2024

City Council approves NYC’s first-ever pro soccer stadium in Queens

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's first-ever professional soccer stadium in Queens is moving forward. The City Council on Thursday voted to approve a sweeping 23-acre mixed-use development in Willets Point that will bring a seven-story soccer stadium for the NYC Football Club (NYCFC), 2,500 affordable housing units, a school, and a hotel to the neighborhood, once known for its junkyards and landfills. The 25,000-seat stadium is slated for completion just in time for the 2027 season.
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NYC unveils secure sidewalk locker program to prevent package theft

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

April 11, 2024

NYC unveils secure sidewalk locker program to prevent package theft

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is installing secure package lockers across the five boroughs to prevent theft and reduce delivery truck traffic. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced "LockerNYC," a pilot program to install seven package lockers with 25 safe compartments and security cameras to combat theft. The lockers will be installed on sidewalks at select locations and available for free through a variety of delivery carriers. New Yorkers can sign up and manage orders here.
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Queens Theatre to celebrate 60th anniversary of the World’s Fair with special tours, food tastings

Photo by Roger W on Flickr

April 11, 2024

Queens Theatre to celebrate 60th anniversary of the World’s Fair with special tours, food tastings

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new event series celebrating the 60th anniversary of the 1964-1965 World's Fair in New York is set to kick off later this month. Queens Theatre on Thursday announced Theaterama!, a monthly series of special events looking back at the wonders of the World's Fair in Flushing Meadow Corona Park. Starting in April and running through October, the events include historical tours, pop-up performances, film screenings, food tastings, and more.
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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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Fifth Avenue’s tallest residential tower launches sales, from $1.7M

Rendering courtesy of Binyan Studios

April 10, 2024

Fifth Avenue’s tallest residential tower launches sales, from $1.7M

By Aaron Ginsburg

Sales launched this week at 520 Fifth Avenue, the tallest residential tower on Fifth Avenue. Developed by Rabina and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the 88-story skyscraper soars 1,000 feet above Midtown and features boutique office floors on the lower levels, a luxury members-only hospitality club, and 100 condos starting on the 42nd floor. Residences range from one to four bedrooms, with prices starting at $1.7 million.
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New Developments

Visit the studios of 150+ artists in Dumbo this weekend

Photos by Giles Ashford

April 10, 2024

Visit the studios of 150+ artists in Dumbo this weekend

By Aaron Ginsburg

This weekend, over 150 artists will open their Brooklyn studios to the public. Taking place on April 13 and 14, DUMBO Open Studios provides a behind-the-scenes look at the neighborhood's art scene as well as conversations with artists about their latest creations. The annual event also features interactive guides on this year's participant artists and their artworks and 11 gallery exhibitions. The event will conclude with video art projections on the Manhattan Bridge and along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC experiences its strongest earthquake in 140 years

Image courtesy of PunkToad on Flickr

April 5, 2024

NYC experiences its strongest earthquake in 140 years

By Aaron Ginsburg

No, it wasn't merely the rumbling of a subway train or a nearby construction site. At roughly 10:23 a.m. on Friday, New York City experienced a 4.8 magnitude earthquake, marking the largest quake felt across the five boroughs in 140 years, since a 5 magnitude quake shook the city in 1884. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) identified the epicenter in northern New Jersey, about 50 miles from the city. No major damage to infrastructure, injuries, or deaths have been reported so far, according to city and state officials.
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City Living

Popular Articles

Black Comic Book Festival returns to NYC this month

All photos courtesy of Bob Gore

April 5, 2024

Black Comic Book Festival returns to NYC this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A festival highlighting the work of Black comic book creators is back and bigger than ever. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will host the 12th annual Black Comic Book Festival on April 26 and 27, attracting thousands of comic enthusiasts and giving a platform to Black comic book and graphic novel creators. Attendees can immerse themselves in panel discussions, workshops, a cosplay showcase, and more fun activities during the two-day event.
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Events & Things To Do

A 100% affordable rental opens in Greenpoint

Photos courtesy of Lester Ali

April 4, 2024

A 100% affordable rental opens in Greenpoint

By Aaron Ginsburg

A fully affordable apartment building officially opened in Greenpoint this week, bringing income-restricted homes to one of Brooklyn's most expensive neighborhoods. City officials on Wednesday cut the ribbon at 35 Commercial Street, a 22-story tower with 374 affordable apartments, including 57 units for formerly homeless New Yorkers. The building is the 11th completed building in Greenpoint Landing, a 22-acre development with 5,500 new homes and five acres of public open space.
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Affordable Housing

Historic Crown Heights school is now a 40-unit luxury rental

Rendering courtesy of PKSB Architects

April 4, 2024

Historic Crown Heights school is now a 40-unit luxury rental

By Aaron Ginsburg

A former Catholic school in Crown Heights is now a 40-unit rental building. The Gregory at 991 St. John's Place sits within the St. Gregory the Great Roman Catholic Church complex, designed by Frank J. Helmle and Harvey Wiley Corbett in the 1920s. GEMA Capital Partners and PKSB Architects oversaw the conversion of the historic schoolhouse into a multi-family rental. Leasing has kicked off for the project's mix of studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes, starting at $3,437/month.
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Williamsburg’s porcelain-clad condo One Domino Square launches sales, from $1.25M

Renderings courtesy of Two Trees Management

April 4, 2024

Williamsburg’s porcelain-clad condo One Domino Square launches sales, from $1.25M

By Aaron Ginsburg

Sales launched this week at One Domino Square, a new residential tower within the former Domino Sugar Factory site on the Williamsburg waterfront. Developed by Two Trees Management and designed by Selldorf Architects, the building, clad in a "pearl-like porcelain tile," consists of a 39-story tower with 160 condos and a 55-story rental with 400 units, the tallest building in Williamsburg. Condos range from one- to three-bedrooms, with prices starting at $1,250,000.
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New Developments

MTA wants NYC Marathon to pay $750K for Verrazzano Bridge tolls

The TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

April 3, 2024

MTA wants NYC Marathon to pay $750K for Verrazzano Bridge tolls

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Marathon's spectacular starting point on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge may have a spectacular price tag. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants the New York Road Runners, the organizers of the race, to cough up $750,000 a year to make up for lost toll revenue when the bridge closes to traffic for the marathon, as the New York Times first reported. The MTA threatened to restrict the race to just one level of the bridge if the organization refused to agree to some form of payment.
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50+ streets in NYC to go car-free for Earth Day

Image courtesy of NYC DOT on Flickr

April 3, 2024

50+ streets in NYC to go car-free for Earth Day

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's car-free Earth Day event is back and better than ever. On Saturday, April 20, 53 streets and plazas across the five boroughs will be closed to cars and open for pedestrians and cyclists, nearly doubling the number of locations from last year. Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the annual Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day includes seven signature event locations and 46 partner-produced open street locations, featuring public art, community programming, live performances, and more.
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New-York Historical Society exhibit looks back at NYC’s lost landmarks

Unidentified photographer, Manhattan: the Hippodrome, Sixth Avenue between, 43rd Street and 44th Street, 1905. Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, New-York Historical Society

April 2, 2024

New-York Historical Society exhibit looks back at NYC’s lost landmarks

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new installation at the New-York Historical Society explores the forgotten places that once defined New York City. The installation, called "Lost New York," brings to life the city's lost landmarks, including the original Penn Station, the Croton Reservoir, the Chinese Theater, and river bathhouses, through more than 90 items from the museum's collections and first-hand accounts from community voices. On view from April 19 through September 29, the museum is launching a new pay-as-you-wish program on Friday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to coincide with the new exhibition.
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Leasing begins at luxury Chelsea rental with a ground-floor Target, homes from $4,500/month

Renderings courtesy of Redundant Pixel

April 2, 2024

Leasing begins at luxury Chelsea rental with a ground-floor Target, homes from $4,500/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Leasing launched this week for 190 luxury apartments in the heart of Chelsea. Located at 280 West 24th Street, Chelsea Canvas is a new block-long rental building offering modern homes with interior design by INC Architecture and Design, an exclusive amenities package, and a Target on the ground floor. The building has a mix of studios, one, two, and three bedrooms; pricing currently starts at roughly $4,500/month.
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New Developments

Major East New York development opens lottery for 203 low-income apartments, from $465/month

Rendering: NYC Department of Housing Development and Preservation

April 2, 2024

Major East New York development opens lottery for 203 low-income apartments, from $465/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are now being accepted for 203 affordable apartments at a new residential development in East New York. The development is the final part of phase four of Nehemiah Spring Creek, a decades-long project led by the city to transform former marshland and landfill into a sprawling mixed-income and mixed-use community. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 70, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $18,480 for a single person and $122,000 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments. Units start at $465/month for studios, $591/month for one-bedrooms, and $700/month for two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

See inside the Brooklyn Paramount as historic theater reopens after 60 years

Image courtesy of Evan Joseph

April 1, 2024

See inside the Brooklyn Paramount as historic theater reopens after 60 years

By Aaron Ginsburg

Fort Greene's historic Brooklyn Paramount Theater, which once hosted legendary artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Duke Ellington, reopened last week for its first season in 60 years. A multi-million dollar restoration modernized the venue while preserving its opulent latticework ceiling, hand-crafted statues, and other Baroque features. For its first show in six decades, the Paramount hosted brothers Damian and Stephen Marley, who performed at the theater during their co-headlining Traffic Jam Tour.
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Brooklyn Tower faces foreclosure

Photo courtesy of Evan Joseph

April 1, 2024

Brooklyn Tower faces foreclosure

By Aaron Ginsburg

Despite setting a record for Brooklyn's most expensive studio last week, the Brooklyn Tower is facing foreclosure. JDS Development has defaulted on a $240 million mezzanine loan issued by Silverstein Capital Partners in 2019 for the 93-story development, as reported by The Real Deal. Silverstein has scheduled a foreclosure auction for June 10.
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Real Estate Trends

City revives ‘She Built NYC,’ launches open call for artists to design four statues of women

Rendering courtesy of Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous/ NYC Public Design Commission

March 29, 2024

City revives ‘She Built NYC,’ launches open call for artists to design four statues of women

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is reviving a campaign to honor influential women integral to the city's history with monuments. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the city will resume the She Built NYC initiative, which includes building new statues of Dr. Helen Rodriguez Trías in the Bronx, Elizabeth Jennings Graham in Manhattan, Billie Holiday in Queens, and Katherine Walker on Staten Island. The four projects were announced in 2019 but were delayed due to the pandemic and never reached the first phase of planning.
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Policy

$24M revamp of Lower East Side’s Nuyorican Poets Café is underway

Renderings courtesy of the NYC DCLA

March 29, 2024

$24M revamp of Lower East Side’s Nuyorican Poets Café is underway

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Nuyorican Poets Café, a beloved performance space on the Lower East Side for half a century, is undergoing a $24.1 million transformation. The city's Department of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Design and Construction on Thursday kicked off the project, which will renovate and expand the cultural institution's lobby, add new performance spaces and offices, improve accessibility, and perform extensive repairs on the building's exterior. Designed by Rice+Lipka Architects, the reconstruction project is slated for completion in spring 2026.
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Architecture And Design

NYC to test gun detectors in the subway system

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

March 28, 2024

NYC to test gun detectors in the subway system

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will test weapon-detecting scanners in the subway system to make commuters feel safer after a string of violent incidents. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday unveiled a portable scanner designed to detect guns carried by riders. The pilot program can begin following a 90-day waiting period during which the public can share their thoughts on the technology. The mayor also said the city will hire more clinicians to connect people with severe mental illness in the transit system to treatment and care.
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NYC proposes new high-density zoning districts if state lifts floor-to-area ratio cap

The San Remo on the Upper West Side could not be built today under the existing 12 FAR cap. Photo by Bert Sagi on Unsplash

March 28, 2024

NYC proposes new high-density zoning districts if state lifts floor-to-area ratio cap

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams is calling on the state to lift a policy restricting the density of residential towers to allow for bigger apartment buildings and more affordable housing in New York City. Enacted in 1961, the existing floor-to-area ratio, or FAR, cap allows buildings up to 12 times the size of their lot. On Thursday, the Adams administration called on state lawmakers to eliminate the cap and proposed two new zoning districts in NYC that would permit buildings to be constructed up to 15 and 18 times their lot size, while also including affordable housing.
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