All articles by Devin Gannon

Apply for 88 affordable apartments in Downtown Jamaica, from $494/ month

92-61 165th Street, Rendering via NHS Development Corporation

August 16, 2017

Apply for 88 affordable apartments in Downtown Jamaica, from $494/ month

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With new residential and commercial developments and transit options, Jamaica, Queens is on the brink of renewal, after many years of neglect. Adding to the area’s revitalization, the construction of a new 14-story affordable housing building was finished last fall. Now, applications are being accepted at the building for 88 affordable apartments at 92-61 165th Street in Jamaica Center, Queens. New Yorkers earning 40 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $494 per month studio to a $1182 per month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify
Two plaques honoring Robert E. Lee in Brooklyn will be removed

General Lee Avenue and Robert E. Lee’s former home on Fort Hamilton, via Jeremy Bender/Business Insider

August 16, 2017

Two plaques honoring Robert E. Lee in Brooklyn will be removed

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Following the tragic events in Charlottesville, Va. last weekend, officials announced Tuesday that two plaques honoring Gen. Robert E. Lee outside of a Brooklyn church would be taken down. The plaques, tacked to a maple tree, belonged to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Fort Hamilton, although the church has been closed since 2014. As Newsday reported, the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island owns the church and will sell it.
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NYC lawyers once gifted Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin a tenement in Brooklyn

>Google Street View of 541 Clinton Street. Map data © 2019 Google

August 15, 2017

NYC lawyers once gifted Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin a tenement in Brooklyn

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>Google Street View of 541 Clinton Street. Map data © 2019 Google In the 1940s, two attorneys from Manhattan let the mortgage payments lapse on a building they owned in Carroll Gardens. Julius Freilicher and Martin Auslander had a $3,300 mortgage with Dime Savings Bank on their tenement at 541 Clinton Street. Believing it was a better idea to not pay the mortgage, the two lawyers decided the best thing was to file a deed of gift, as the Brownstone Detectives reported. The receivers of this gift? Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
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Enter the waitlist for middle-income apartments near Lincoln Center from $2,300/month

33 West End Avenue via CityRealty

August 15, 2017

Enter the waitlist for middle-income apartments near Lincoln Center from $2,300/month

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The waitlist is open for $2,300 per month studios and $2,800 one-bedrooms at 33 West End Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The building, near Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle and Central Park, features 24-hour concierge service, a fitness center, a shared lounge and bike storage. The waitlist is accepting applications from New Yorkers who earn between $80,743 and $126,060 annually.
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New rendering of Extell’s Central Park Tower shows sparkling all-glass facade

Rendering of Central Park Tower via Extell Development

August 15, 2017

New rendering of Extell’s Central Park Tower shows sparkling all-glass facade

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A new rendering of Central Park Tower, slated to be the tallest residential tower on Earth, shows the most sparkling image of the residential building yet. Construction for Extell Development’s supertall, located at 225 West 57th Street on Billionaires’ Row, is underway and when completed, the tower is projected to be 1,550-feet tall. As CityRealty reported, the all-glass rendering appears to be taken about 900-feet above Central Park and leaves out rivaling towers, 432 Park Avenue and 111 West 57th Street. The $2.98 billion project is expected to be completed in 2019.
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Chinese immigrants use slang names and maps to navigate the streets of NYC

Chinatown, image © Chaz Langley

August 14, 2017

Chinese immigrants use slang names and maps to navigate the streets of NYC

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Many New Yorkers navigate Chinatown by its famous street names; East Broadway, Mulberry, Canal and Orchard. However, for many Chinese immigrants living in the area who do not speak English, these names are not used. Instead, descriptive nicknames (translated from Chinese) exist like “Hatseller Street,” “Garbage Street,” and “Dead Person Street.” Even more interesting, to help Chinese New Yorkers navigate the city, maps with these streets labeled in their Chinese nicknames are made and distributed. A reporter from This American Life, Aaron Reiss, began collecting these maps and discovered the lesser-known nicknames for a lot of these city streets, many which have four or five different labels.
More this way
Cuomo to offer a congestion pricing plan to fund transit repairs

Photo via Lucas Klappas on Flickr

August 14, 2017

Cuomo to offer a congestion pricing plan to fund transit repairs

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With New York City’s subway system currently in a state of emergency, public officials and advocates have been developing ways to pay for its urgent repairs. According to the New York Times, Governor Cuomo is planning to release a congestion pricing plan as a way to provide a dedicated source of funding for the transit system, as well as a way to reduce traffic on some of the country’s busiest streets. Ten years ago, Mayor Bloomberg pushed for a similar plan, charging drivers $8 to enter the most congested parts of Manhattan during peak commuting hours, but the legislation faced resistance and was never brought to a vote.
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‘NoiseAware’ sensors alert landlords when tenants are too loud

Photo via NoiseAware

August 11, 2017

‘NoiseAware’ sensors alert landlords when tenants are too loud

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As the number of short-term rentals skyrockets across the country so does the chance of noisy tenants, and with that, complaints from neighbors. A new startup has developed a way for property owners to become more courteous neighbors. NoiseAware, founded by two short term rental managers, developed noise-tracking software that distinguishes noise from true nuisance and alerts landlords with a text message when it violates the threshold (h/t Fast Co.Design). Users of the software, what the company calls a "smoke detector for noise," can customize quiet hours, the noise threshold and alert preferences.
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New report says more New Yorkers are moving to Los Angeles

Los Angeles via Wikimedia

August 11, 2017

New report says more New Yorkers are moving to Los Angeles

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The East Coast versus West Coast rivalry may be slowly fading away. New Yorkers are making the cross-country leap from New York City to Los Angeles at a higher rate, in pursuit of cheaper rents, blossoming creative communities and, of course, all of that sunshine. According to LA Weekly, a new report by LinkedIn shows NYC as the top out-of-state feeder for LA transplants. For every 10,000 Angelenos on LinkedIn, about 7.3 of them just moved there from the Big Apple.
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Camp out in Central Park for free next weekend

Camping in Central Park, photo via Downtown Traveler

August 10, 2017

Camp out in Central Park for free next weekend

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Connect with nature under a Manhattan starry night with a camping trip in Central Park next Saturday, August 19th. This usually illegal activity is totally lawful through a free event hosted by the city’s Urban Park Rangers. The family camping program happens every summer at select venues, like Central Park in Manhattan, Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, Mccarren Park in Brooklyn and Fort Totten Park in Queens.
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From oysters to falafel: The complete history of street vending in NYC
August 10, 2017

From oysters to falafel: The complete history of street vending in NYC

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To fully experience New York City, you have to eat. And then eat some more. So inextricably linked with its food, the city’s social and cultural history requires an exploration of its endless cuisines. And while street food is not unique to New York, the city provides some of the most diverse dining options in the world, with over 10,000 people make a living by street vending. But this tradition dates all the way back to the 1600s when European settlers enjoyed eating shellfish on the streets. Food vendors took on a more formal incarnation in the early 1800s on the Lower East Side and have changed with every new immigrant group that's landed here since. From oysters and knishes to hot dogs and Halal, the city's street vendors reflect its constant evolution and also what brings New Yorkers together.
Dive in to the full history
City Council unanimously approves Midtown East rezoning plan

Conceptual image depicting all of the proposed sites of the East Midtown rezoning fully built out, via CityRealty

August 10, 2017

City Council unanimously approves Midtown East rezoning plan

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After five years, the City Council approved a rezoning for Manhattan’s Midtown East on Wednesday, by a 42-0 vote. The proposal will rezone roughly 78 blocks, running from East 39th Street to East 57th Street and from Third Avenue to Madison Avenue, clearing the way for 6.5 million square feet of office space in the area. A new updated zoning code is expected to incentivize new, dense development, allowing Midtown to compete with other booming business districts in the borough like Hudson Yards and the Financial District. As the New York Times reported, this change which lets developers build to a higher floor area ratio could result in new supertall towers.
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Hamptons shore house combines the intimacy of the woods with the openness of the bay
August 9, 2017

Hamptons shore house combines the intimacy of the woods with the openness of the bay

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On a sloped plot of land in North Haven, a small village in the town of Southampton, sits a home covered in cedar, with woods on one side and a river on another. Designed by Leroy Street Studio, the Shore House sits at a spot where the forest opens onto the Peconic River. As Dezeen learned, the home, accessible through a path that winds through the forest, is perfect for big family parties or as a more private retreat. Its water side features large glass panels that open to a covered outdoor courtyard.
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Donald Trump’s childhood home in Queens is renting for $725/night on Airbnb

Photo courtesy of Laffey Fine Homes from a previous listing

August 9, 2017

Donald Trump’s childhood home in Queens is renting for $725/night on Airbnb

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President Trump, who is currently in New Jersey on a 17-day vacation, announced that he will travel to Trump Tower this Sunday. While his Midtown penthouse will be getting a lot of attention this weekend, his childhood home in Queens is also making headlines. The home at 85-15 Wareham Place is up for rent on Airbnb, according to a recent listing on the company’s website (h/t NY Post). The modest Tudor style home in Jamaica Estates is listed for as much as $725 per night. The home features five bedrooms, sleeps 20 people, and includes a life-size cut out of POTUS in the living room. Even though the president only lived there until he was four years old, according to the listing, “this is a unique and special opportunity to stay in the home of a sitting president.”
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Elizabeth Arden’s former Sutton Place townhouse hits the market for $16M
August 8, 2017

Elizabeth Arden’s former Sutton Place townhouse hits the market for $16M

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A single-family townhouse in affluent Sutton Place has hit the market for $16 million. The home, located at 4 Sutton Square, was built in 1921 for Henry Sprague, the inventor of the Sprague gas meter. Beauty entrepreneur Florence M. Lewis, better known professionally as Elizabeth Arden, and Michael Jeffries, president of Abercrombie & Fitch, have also called the exclusive, five-story pad home. Last year, the 4,000-square-foot, four bedroom home was on the market for $19.95 million.
See inside
Updated view of 3 Hudson Boulevard adds 300-foot spire, making it tallest in Hudson Yards

Rendering of 3 Hudson Boulevard courtesy of FX FOWLE

August 8, 2017

Updated view of 3 Hudson Boulevard adds 300-foot spire, making it tallest in Hudson Yards

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The supertall skyscraper at 3 Hudson Boulevard just got a major upgrade. New renderings of the tower reveal a new crown, a 300-foot spire, which would make it the tallest in the Hudson Yards neighborhood, as well as an updated design. As YIMBY discovered, 3 Hudson Boulevard, formerly known as The Girasole, may rise to 1,350 feet tall, rivaling many supertalls like 30 Hudson Yards and 432 Park Avenue, the city’s fifth tallest building.
Details ahead
U.S. Army won’t remove Confederate street names in Brooklyn

General Lee Avenue and Robert E. Lee’s former home on Fort Hamilton, via Jeremy Bender/Business Insider

August 8, 2017

U.S. Army won’t remove Confederate street names in Brooklyn

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Despite a push from advocates and politicians, the United States Army decided to keep the names of two streets in Brooklyn that honor Confederate generals. The streets, General Lee Avenue and Stonewall Jackson Drive, can be found in Fort Hamilton, the city’s last remaining active military base. Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, along with U.S. Reps Jerrold Nadler, Nydia Velazquez and Hakeem Jeffries, had written to the Army in June asking them to consider changing the street names. As the Daily News reported, the Army said the names will stay because they remain an “inextricable part of our military history.”
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‘X-ray’ subway station maps help navigate NYC’s complex underground paths

Sketch of 59th Street-Columbus Circle via Candy Chan

August 8, 2017

‘X-ray’ subway station maps help navigate NYC’s complex underground paths

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While the official map of the New York City subway clearly labels which station comes next, it’s not very good at showing the actual geographic distance between stations or what the paths and tunnels look like in order to take the right exit. Like many New Yorkers, architect Candy Chan developed a love-hate relationship with the subway. As CityLab shares, after feeling constantly lost when trying to navigate the city underground, Chan created Project NYC Subway, which includes photographs, architectural drawings, and a series of three-dimensional sketches that display what the complex stations really look like.
See the x-ray-esque drawings
Why Central Park hasn’t had a six-figure crowd since Garth Brooks’ concert 20 years ago

Via Stephiejeanne on Pixabay and Steve Jurvetson on Flickr

August 7, 2017

Why Central Park hasn’t had a six-figure crowd since Garth Brooks’ concert 20 years ago

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On Aug. 7, 1997, country-music superstar Garth Brooks held a free concert in Central Park, known as “Garthstock,” as part of his 1996-1998 world tour. The show was a hit, featuring special guests Billy Joel and Don McLean, and was streamed live on HBO. The massive crowd filled the park’s North Meadow to capacity, holding a record number of 750,000 total concert-goers. However, Garth’s show became the last six-figure crowd to attend a concert in Central Park because, after that, city officials started to count crowds more accurately. Twenty years later, we know now that Garth’s concert most likely drew nowhere near that staggering number of fans, despite what authorities first reported.
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De Blasio wants to tax rich New Yorkers to fund subway repairs

Image Public Domain

August 7, 2017

De Blasio wants to tax rich New Yorkers to fund subway repairs

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Continuing this summer’s subway saga, Mayor de Blasio announced a plan on Sunday that would tax the wealthiest 1 percent of New Yorkers to fund the system’s much-need repairs and renovations. The proposal, which requires Albany’s approval, would also provide half-price MetroCards for low-income straphangers. As the New York Times reported, the “millionaires tax” would increase the tax rate of the city’s wealthiest residents to 4.4 percent from roughly 3.9 percent for married couples with incomes over $1 million and for individuals who make more than $500,000 annually.
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After lease dispute, Secret Service vacates Trump Tower for trailer outside

Photo of Trump Tower via Krystal T’s Flickr

August 4, 2017

After lease dispute, Secret Service vacates Trump Tower for trailer outside

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The Secret Service has left its central command post inside Trump Tower after an argument between the agency and the Trump Organization over the lease agreement for the space. While the Secret Service previously placed its supervisors and backup agents one floor below the president's apartment, the Washington Post reported that in early July, the agents were relegated to a trailer on the sidewalk. Although President Trump has not been to his eponymous tower since he was inaugurated in January, the Secret Service still treats Trump Tower as the president’s permanent residence.
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ARCHIPORN is an interactive map for lovers of architecture and design

Map via archipornguide.com

August 3, 2017

ARCHIPORN is an interactive map for lovers of architecture and design

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While it may sound NSFW, the online guide ARCHIPORN is simply an informative guide to the world’s most beautiful architectural works, including various bookshops and institutions that specialize in architecture. First developed in 2008 by Brazilian architects Marcio Novaes Coelho Jr. and Silvio Sguizzardi, the project aims to identify and share information about iconic works from professionals around the world. The guide is chronologically organized, with different colors representing different eras. According to ArchDaily, cateogories range from before the year 1750, prior to the Machine Age, to recent works of 2010 and beyond.
Explore the map
Celebrate Coney Island’s history with free events at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park this Saturday

Deno’s Wonder Wheel courtesy of kzoop’s Flickr

August 3, 2017

Celebrate Coney Island’s history with free events at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park this Saturday

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While New Yorkers have been celebrating the historic seaside resort all summer long, this weekend the Coney Island History Project is hosting its seventh annual history day. On Saturday, August 5, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., attendees can learn about all of the classic rides and attractions of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, take a self-guided tour, and listen to free folksy music. Since it was built in 1920, more than 40 million people have experienced the park’s iconic Wonder Wheel.
Details ahead
Despite legal troubles, the first units at 111 West 57th Street go into contract

Rendering of 111 West 57th Street via Property Markets Group

August 3, 2017

Despite legal troubles, the first units at 111 West 57th Street go into contract

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Just last week, 6sqft covered the financial and legal woes of Property Markets Group and JDS Development’s super tall and slender tower at 111 West 57th Street. Despite reports that construction had stalled over budget overruns and a potential foreclosure, the first condominiums, at what is lined up to be the world’s future tallest residential skyscraper, just went into contract (h/t The Real Deal). While Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, which issued a $325 million mezzanine loan for the project, did not share exactly how many units out of 60 are under contract, CEO Stuart Rothstein told TRD, they sold at “prices well over (Apollo’s) basis.”
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After four years on the market, $125M Pierre penthouse sells for a paltry $44M
August 2, 2017

After four years on the market, $125M Pierre penthouse sells for a paltry $44M

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The 16 room triplex that takes up the 41st, 42nd and 43rd floors of the legendary Pierre Hotel has finally sold for $44 million, a huge drop from its original $125 million asking price. Located at 795 Fifth Avenue, the penthouse was owned by Barbara Zweig, the widow of financier Martin Zweig, who first listed the property in 2013 after her husband’s death. According to The Real Deal, the pad features a library, four terraces, private elevator and costs $51,840 per month to maintain.
See inside
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