All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

NYC’s most festive holiday bars and restaurants

November 21, 2024

NYC’s most festive holiday bars and restaurants

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nowhere is as picturesque as New York City during the holidays, with iconic attractions like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, Bryant Park's Winter Village, the Dyker Heights Christmas lights, and festive decorations brightening every street corner. Whether you're looking for a cozy spot to sip on seasonal cocktails or somewhere to enjoy over-the-top holiday-themed decor, the city offers many options to revel in holiday cheer. Ahead, find a list of festive bars and restaurants across NYC that will help you get into the holiday spirit (and spirits) this season.
Find out where the festivities are

See inside Williamsburg’s tallest penthouse at One Domino Square

All photos courtesy of William Jess Laird unless otherwise noted.

November 21, 2024

See inside Williamsburg’s tallest penthouse at One Domino Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

Here's a first look at a custom-designed penthouse in One Domino Square, the tallest condo in Williamsburg. The three-bedroom, three-bath home is the first penthouse designed by acclaimed Irish furniture brand Orior, with interiors that echo the luxurious yet simplistic design of the Selldorf Architects-designed residential skyscraper and magnificent views stretching beyond the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines.
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Architecture And Design

NYC’s first Passive House public schools open in Downtown Brooklyn

Credit: James Ewing / JBSA

November 21, 2024

NYC’s first Passive House public schools open in Downtown Brooklyn

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's first Passive House-certified public schools have opened in Downtown Brooklyn, setting the bar for sustainable education. Designed by Architecture Research Office (ARO), the ultra-low-energy-use building houses two schools: the Khalil Gibran International Academy, the nation’s first English-Arabic public high school, and the Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers (aka P.S. 456). Part of the mixed-use development Alloy Block, the facility consumes less than a third of the energy of a typical NYC public school.
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Architecture And Design

Holiday nostalgia rides on vintage NYC subway cars are back this December

Holiday Nostalgia Train at 2nd Avenue station. Photo courtesy of New York Transit Museum.

November 20, 2024

Holiday nostalgia rides on vintage NYC subway cars are back this December

By Aaron Ginsburg

Step back in time and embark on a festive journey aboard an old-school New York City subway car this holiday season. The New York Transit Museum's beloved Holiday Nostalgia Rides, which includes eight cars from the 1930s that ran along lettered lines through the late 1970s, will run every Sunday in December from 2nd Avenue on the uptown F platform and 96th Street on the downtown Q platform.
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Live next to the Staten Island Ferry at this new waterfront rental, from $903/month

Images courtesy of Triangle Equities

November 19, 2024

Live next to the Staten Island Ferry at this new waterfront rental, from $903/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery launched this week for 30 mixed-income apartments at a new luxury rental on the North Shore of Staten Island. Located across from the street from the Staten Island Ferry, the Residences at Lighthouse Point is part of a mixed-use development rising on the Stapleton waterfront, as well as the broader ongoing effort to revitalize the neighborhood. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $903/month studios to $4,001/month two bedrooms.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Andy Warhol’s Trump Tower painting, which Trump never paid for, sells at auction

Left: Trump Tower via WikiCommons. Right: Andy Warhol’s “New York Skyscrapers,” courtesy of Phillips.

November 19, 2024

Andy Warhol’s Trump Tower painting, which Trump never paid for, sells at auction

By Aaron Ginsburg

An Andy Warhol painting of Trump Tower commissioned by Donald Trump—but never paid for—has sold at auction. Requested in 1981 by the then up-and-coming real estate developer to hang in the lobby of his new Fifth Avenue skyscraper, the artwork is one of eight portraits from Warhol's "New York Skyscrapers" series depicting Trump’s first namesake development. The auction, first reported by Artnet, took place on November 19 at 5 p.m., and sold for $952,000, well beyond its originally projected $500,000 to $700,000 price range.
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Architecture And Design

American Museum of Natural History’s origami holiday tree features 1,000 pouncing paper animals

D. Finnin / ©AMNH

November 18, 2024

American Museum of Natural History’s origami holiday tree features 1,000 pouncing paper animals

By Aaron Ginsburg

The American Museum of Natural History’s beloved Origami Holiday Tree returns this year, featuring over 1,000 hand-folded paper models inspired by the world’s leaping critters. In honor of the leap year's end, this year's theme is "Jumping for Joy," celebrating animals that hop, from rabbits, grasshoppers, and kangaroos to frogs, squirrels, and the newly-discovered leaping leech. The 13-foot tree will be on display in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery on the first floor starting November 25 through mid-January.
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More public space opens under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan

Images courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation

November 18, 2024

More public space opens under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers can now enjoy more public space under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. The latest phase of "The Arches" opened on Monday, adding 15,000 square feet of park space to an area closed to the public for more than a decade, the city's Department of Transportation announced. The space, now with lush greenery and new seating, had been closed for nearly 15 years while serving as a staging site for several bridge restoration projects. The Arches sits next to the Brooklyn Banks, a haven for skateboarders that partially reopened last year.
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Upper West Side’s Metro Theater may finally reopen

Photo by london road on Flickr

November 15, 2024

Upper West Side’s Metro Theater may finally reopen

By Aaron Ginsburg

A landmarked Upper West Side movie theater that has been vacant for nearly two decades may soon be returned to its former glory—as long as its buyers can raise $7 million by the end of the year. As reported by the New York Times, the nonprofit Upper West Side Cinema Center on Friday announced it reached a deal with the current owners of the Metro Theater, located on Broadway near 99th Street, to purchase the theater, contingent on securing the required funds.
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City Living

MTA to offer free shuttle buses, discounted LIRR rides during Rockaway A line shutdown

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

November 15, 2024

MTA to offer free shuttle buses, discounted LIRR rides during Rockaway A line shutdown

By Aaron Ginsburg

Rockaway residents won't be left stranded this winter while the A and S subway lines undergo rehabilitation. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced a substitute service plan to ensure reliable transit options for Rockaway residents while the MTA conducts vital resilience upgrades to the A and S lines. The plan includes two free shuttle buses, heavily discounted Long Island Rail Road fares, and a free Rockaway subway shuttle train serving all stations on the peninsula between Far Rockaway and Rockaway Park.
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Popular Articles

The tallest building in Queens tops out over 800 feet

Images courtesy of Binyan unless otherwise noted

November 14, 2024

The tallest building in Queens tops out over 800 feet

By Aaron Ginsburg

The tallest building in Queens topped out this week at over 823 feet. Developed by BLDG Management Company and designed by Perkins Eastman, the Orchard is a 70-story rental in Long Island City with 824 studio to three-bedroom apartments, 248 of which are designated as affordable. Located at Orchard Street and Jackson Avenue in the Court Square section of the neighborhood, the rental boasts over 100,000 square feet of amenities, including a huge backyard with a swimming pool, three pickleball courts, an outdoor movie theater, and more.
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Architecture And Design

Congestion pricing to start in January with $9 toll, Hochul announces

Photo by Pranay Pareek on Unsplash

November 14, 2024

Congestion pricing to start in January with $9 toll, Hochul announces

By Aaron Ginsburg

Congestion pricing will resume by early January with a lower toll of $9, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday, in an attempt to save the program before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The new plan, which cuts the toll by 40 percent from the original $15 fee, is fast-tracked for implementation and has been approved by the MTA board. Hochul abruptly paused the program in June, weeks before it was scheduled to begin, citing inflation and economic conditions. The fee will go into effect starting the morning of Sunday, January 5.
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NYC Council votes to end forced broker fees

Council Member Chi Ossé held a press conference before the City Council voted on the FARE Act. Photo credit: Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

November 13, 2024

NYC Council votes to end forced broker fees

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City renters may soon no longer have to pay a broker fee when leasing an apartment. The Council on Wednesday voted to approve the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act, which shifts the payment of broker fees to the party who hired the broker, typically landlords or the management company. The bill was passed with a veto-proof majority of 42-8.
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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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Luxury rental in Astoria launches lottery for 90 apartments, from $828/month

Rendering courtesy of MNS

November 13, 2024

Luxury rental in Astoria launches lottery for 90 apartments, from $828/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are now being accepted for 90 mixed-income apartments in a new luxury rental building in Astoria. Located at 34-35 44th Street on the border of Long Island City, the 13-story Hearthstone offers residents thoughtfully designed units with top-tier amenities, blocks from bustling Steinway Street. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 100, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, with one bedrooms ranging from $828/month to 3,298/month and two bedrooms from $967/month to $2,768/month.
learn if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Saks Fifth Avenue cancels holiday light show

Credit: Matt Kieffer on Flickr

November 12, 2024

Saks Fifth Avenue cancels holiday light show

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time in nearly two decades, Saks Fifth Avenue's holiday light show—a beloved New York City tradition—will go dark this year. As first reported by the New York Post, the festive experience, which attracts hordes of holiday shoppers and tourists to Midtown, has been canceled this year to save money during what has been a "challenging year" for luxury stores, according to the company.
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Events & Things To Do

Prospect Park wildfire scorches two acres amid record-breaking dry spell

Images courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance

November 11, 2024

Prospect Park wildfire scorches two acres amid record-breaking dry spell

By Aaron Ginsburg

More than 100 firefighters battled a brush fire in Prospect Park on Friday night that charred two acres of greenery, occurring during one of the longest dry spells in New York City's history. The blaze, which broke out in the Nethermead near the Prospect Park Boathouse, was reported around 6:40 p.m., according to AMNY. After the fire, Mayor Eric Adams banned grilling in city parks as the five boroughs remain under a drought watch.
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Policy

Hochul considers resuming congestion pricing after Trump win

Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

November 11, 2024

Hochul considers resuming congestion pricing after Trump win

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul is reportedly exploring ways to revive congestion pricing before President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to eliminate the plan, takes office. As first reported by Politico, the governor's office has asked the U.S. Department of Transportation about potentially lowering the proposed toll from $15 to $9 and whether this change would require another lengthy environmental review process.
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Everything you need to know about the 2024 Veterans Day Parade in NYC

Photo by Sgt. Randall A. Clinton for MarineCorps New York on Flickr

November 8, 2024

Everything you need to know about the 2024 Veterans Day Parade in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

This year's Veterans Day returns to New York City on Monday, November 11. As the country's largest Veterans Day commemoration, the event features 20,000 marchers and over 150 vehicles traveling down Fifth Avenue in tribute to our armed forces. The 105th annual parade starts at 12:30 p.m. at 26th Street and Fifth Avenue and heads north until ending at 47th Street. The United States Marine Corps is this year's featured service.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC issues drought watch following second-longest dry spell on record

Photo courtesy of Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

November 8, 2024

NYC issues drought watch following second-longest dry spell on record

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has issued a drought watch amid its second-longest dry spell on record. Mayor Eric Adams and the city's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala on Sunday issued a citywide drought watch, instructing city agencies to update water conservation measures and prepare to implement them, while urging the public to conserve water as much as possible. The announcement follows a historically dry October, marked by the second-longest rainless streak in city records dating back to 1869.
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Policy

20 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

Credit: West Side Campaign Against Hunger

November 7, 2024

20 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

By Aaron Ginsburg

As the holiday season rolls around and we enjoy time with loved ones, it's easy to overlook New Yorkers facing hunger, unemployment, homelessness, or health challenges. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to lend a hand across the five boroughs—whether it's serving at food pantries or helping deliver meals to seniors. Ahead, discover volunteer opportunities in NYC where you can make a meaningful difference this holiday season and beyond.
give back

Hochul shows no signs of resuming congestion pricing before Trump takes office

Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

November 7, 2024

Hochul shows no signs of resuming congestion pricing before Trump takes office

By Aaron Ginsburg

Transit advocates are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to fund congestion pricing before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has promised to terminate the program during his first week in office. During a press conference on Wednesday, Hochul said she could only provide updates on MTA funding later this year and did not address the fate of congestion pricing, while still acknowledging the limited time before Trump takes office.
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$50M penthouse is the last residence available at the Upper East Side’s famed Surrey Hotel

All renderings courtesy of Noë & Associates with V1

November 7, 2024

$50M penthouse is the last residence available at the Upper East Side’s famed Surrey Hotel

By Aaron Ginsburg

Manhattan's famed Surrey Hotel is making a comeback. Following bankruptcy proceedings, new owners, and a renovation, the 100-year-old Art Deco landmark at 20 East 76th Street on the Upper East Side reopened last month as a condo hotel, with 100 hotel rooms and 14 condos, part of the Surrey Residences. Now, after a whisper sales campaign, just one remaining apartment is about to hit the market: a three-bedroom duplex penthouse asking $50,000,000. The sprawling residence, the building's most expensive, offers 5,195 square feet plus 2,346 square feet across three terraces and a private rooftop.
tour the penthouse

Abortion rights protected in New York constitution, Adams’ ballot proposals pass

Credit: Nick Fewings on Unsplash

November 6, 2024

Abortion rights protected in New York constitution, Adams’ ballot proposals pass

By Aaron Ginsburg

A proposition to enshrine abortion rights in New York passed on Tuesday, according to election results published by the Associated Press. New Yorkers also voted to approve four of the five proposals that change the City Charter pushed for by Mayor Eric Adams, who called the polls an "overwhelming success" for his administration.
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Policy

58 apartments available at Gowanus rental, from $848/month

Renderings courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

November 6, 2024

58 apartments available at Gowanus rental, from $848/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery launched this week for 58 mixed-income apartments at a brand-new rental near the Gowanus Canal. Located at 240 3rd Avenue, Union Channel offers tenants light-filled apartments complemented by an impressive suite of amenities. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 100, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, with studios priced from $848/month, one bedrooms from $903, two bedrooms from $1,071, and three bedrooms from $1,225.
learn if you qualify

Affordable Housing

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