All articles by Devin Gannon

April 9, 2021

‘Whispering Libraries’ broadcasts music and poetry from hidden outdoor speakers across Brooklyn

While the city's public libraries remain open for grab-and-go lobby service only, a new initiative brings poetry and literature right to you. The Brooklyn Public Library this month launched Whispering Libraries, an outdoor audio experience featuring a collection of oral histories, podcast excerpts, spoken word, and more, broadcast from hidden speakers at branches across the borough. The curated playlists can be heard up to five times per day at 10 select branches.
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For $4.8M, a classic loft in Soho mixes pre-war details with modern upgrades

All photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 9, 2021

For $4.8M, a classic loft in Soho mixes pre-war details with modern upgrades

By Devin Gannon

A huge full-floor loft in Soho with both historic and modern details is now available for $4,795,000. Located at 351 West Broadway, the three-bedroom, two-bath condo measures an impressive 2,800 square feet and boasts a massive great room with loads of potential.
Full tour ahead

Distinctive Homes

Prospect Park’s colorful Concert Grove Pavilion with star-shaped stained-glass skylight reopens

Photos by Paul Martinka for the Prospect Park Alliance

April 8, 2021

Prospect Park’s colorful Concert Grove Pavilion with star-shaped stained-glass skylight reopens

By Devin Gannon

After being closed to the public for nearly seven years, the historic Concert Grove Pavilion in Prospect Park reopened this week following a restoration. Designed in 1874 by Calvert Vaux, who co-designed the Brooklyn park with Frederick Law Olmsted, the stunning structure features colorfully painted wood ceilings and iron columns, ornate wooden trim, and a star-patterned stained-glass dome.
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Architecture And Design

Condo sales relaunch at 200 Amsterdam after court delays

Rendering courtesy of Binyan Studios

April 8, 2021

Condo sales relaunch at 200 Amsterdam after court delays

By Devin Gannon

Sales have resumed at 200 Amsterdam Avenue, the 52-story Upper West Side tower that has faced a series of legal challenges since 2017. Developed in partnership by SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan, the building is 668 feet tall, the tallest in the neighborhood. The tower nearly lost that superlative after a judge in February 2020 ruled that as many as 20 floors may have to be chopped from the building for violating zoning rules. But last month, the New York State Appellate Court reversed that decision and declared the developer's permit valid.
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The history behind NYC’s iconic Anthora coffee cups

Photo via banjo d’s Flickr

April 7, 2021

The history behind NYC’s iconic Anthora coffee cups

By Devin Gannon

In a city full of symbolism, from bright yellow taxis to black-and-white cookies, New Yorkers also find comfort and nostalgia in a certain cardboard coffee cup. Known as the Anthora, the blue-and-white drinking vessel first became an icon of New York City in 1963 when Leslie Buck, a Czech-American immigrant, designed the first-ever to-go coffee cup to appeal to Greek-owned coffee shops and diners. With its customer-friendly “We Are Happy to Serve You” inscription and Greek-style letters, the Anthora has become an important part of the city's identity.
The whole history here

History

NYC beaches will open for Memorial Day Weekend

Photo of Coney Island by Dan DeLuca on Flickr

April 7, 2021

NYC beaches will open for Memorial Day Weekend

By Devin Gannon

After a shortened season in 2020, New York City's public pools and beaches will open on time this summer, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday. All eight city beaches will open for the season starting Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 29, with 48 outdoor pools welcoming swimmers beginning on June 26. Last year, beaches and pools did not open for swimming until July 1 and August 1, respectively, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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City Living

Pop-up pools proposed for NYC’s open streets this summer

A “dumpster pool” opened on Park Avenue in 2010 as part of the city’s Summer Streets initiative, courtesy of NYC DOT on Flickr

April 7, 2021

Pop-up pools proposed for NYC’s open streets this summer

By Devin Gannon

Last year, New York City public beaches and pools did not open until July because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, city comptroller and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer wants to make sure New Yorkers from all boroughs can enjoy the summer season by making pools, beaches, and the city's waterfront more accessible. In a proposal announced on Tuesday, Stringer called on the city to bring a series of pop-up pools to Open Streets and vacant lots in neighborhoods that lack green space.
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Vaccinations should come with meal, museum, and MetroCard vouchers, mayoral candidate proposes

Photo by Eden, Janine, and Jim on Flickr

April 6, 2021

Vaccinations should come with meal, museum, and MetroCard vouchers, mayoral candidate proposes

By Devin Gannon

New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer on Monday proposed a new way to give a "booster shot" to the city's economy. The program would give New Yorkers receiving a coronavirus vaccine shot "VaxPacks," a swag bag of vouchers for local businesses, cultural venues, and a two-trip MetroCard. Stringer said the initiative encourages vaccinations and supports small businesses, while also increasing subway and bus ridership, which has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Details here

City Living

Governors Island reopens May 1 with new ferry stops and art exhibits

Photo by Kreg Holt

April 2, 2021

Governors Island reopens May 1 with new ferry stops and art exhibits

By Devin Gannon

Following a shortened season last year, Governors Island will reopen for the entire six months of the 2021 season starting May 1. Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Trust for Governors Island announced on Thursday that the 172-acre site will return to its "pre-pandemic season calendar," with dozens of art exhibitions and cultural programs offered through October 31. For the first time ever, ferries to Governors Island will run from two stops in Brooklyn on weekends, at Brooklyn Bridge Park and Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, in addition to daily service from Manhattan.
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Events & Things To Do

Smorgasburg to open new flea market at former Hester Street Fair site

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

April 1, 2021

Smorgasburg to open new flea market at former Hester Street Fair site

By Devin Gannon

Outdoor food market operator Smorgasburg announced on Wednesday that it will open a new flea market at a location already familiar to most New Yorkers. Hester Flea will set up shop on the Lower East Side at Hester and Essex Streets, the same place where the Hester Street Fair operated for the last decade, organizers said in an email. As Curbed first reported, the Seward Park Co-op board did not renew the longtime LES fair's lease after their agreement ended last year.
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Events & Things To Do

Reclaim the Roaring 20s this summer at the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island

By Devin Gannon

Obviously, the start of this decade did not go according to plan. But this summer, as New York City returns in all of its vaccinated glory, there's a chance to reclaim some of what was lost in 2020. The annual Prohibition Era-inspired Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island is taking place in June, for one weekend full of 1920s music, dancing, vintage cocktails, and flapper fashion.
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Events & Things To Do

$950M South Bronx development Bankside set to open first residential tower this year

Renderings courtesy of ArX Solutions

March 31, 2021

$950M South Bronx development Bankside set to open first residential tower this year

By Devin Gannon

The most expensive private development in the Bronx continues to progress. Brookfield Properties announced this month that the final tower at the phase one site of Bankside, a seven-tower waterfront complex in Mott Haven, has topped out. The $950 million mixed-use project takes up two parcels on either side of the Third Avenue Bridge on the Harlem River. Third at Bankside, located at 2401 Third Avenue, has officially topped out and developers have broken ground at Lincoln at Bankside, located at 101 Lincoln Avenue.
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Tribeca Film Festival returns this summer with 12 days of outdoor screenings in every borough

The Battery; Photo Credit: Overland Entertainment

March 30, 2021

Tribeca Film Festival returns this summer with 12 days of outdoor screenings in every borough

By Devin Gannon

The Tribeca Film Festival first launched in 2002 following the September 11 terrorist attacks, part of an effort to fuel Lower Manhattan's comeback. Now after a devastating year for New York, the film festival hopes to bring the city together once again for its 20th anniversary. From June 9 to June 20, there will be 12 days of outdoor, in-person screenings with events taking place in every borough.
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Events & Things To Do

West Elm opens first NYC outlet store at Industry City

All photos courtesy of Industry City

March 30, 2021

West Elm opens first NYC outlet store at Industry City

By Devin Gannon

Furniture and decor retailer West Elm on Monday opened its first outlet store in New York City. The store occupies 15,000 square feet in Sunset Park's Industry City complex, which already houses the company's massive "Makers Studio" workshop. The six million square foot Brooklyn campus is home to a number of furniture and design outlets, including ABC Carpet + Home and Design Within Reach.
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Uncategorized

96 affordable apartments available for seniors in the South Bronx

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

March 30, 2021

96 affordable apartments available for seniors in the South Bronx

By Devin Gannon

A lottery opened this week for nearly 100 affordable units set aside for seniors at a newly constructed building in the South Bronx. Located at 1080 Washington Avenue in Morrisania, the development features a 5,400-square-foot community facility space, on-site social services, fitness center, laundry, and a sunroom with plantings. Applicants must have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older, qualify for Section 8 benefits, and earn $51,200 or less, annually. Eligible New Yorkers will pay 30 percent of their income for the studio and one-bedroom apartments.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Broadway stars to perform in NYC rooftop concert series

Photo courtesy of TodayTix

March 26, 2021

Broadway stars to perform in NYC rooftop concert series

By Devin Gannon

Welcoming back the return of live performance in New York City is an outdoor concert series featuring Broadway stars. Next month, ticket-selling company TodayTix will host in-person performances by Lauren Patten and Derek Klena from Jagged Little Pill, Ana Villafañe from On Your Feet!, and The Lion King's Bradley Gibson on the rooftop of a Manhattan building. The shows mark one of the first live ticketed events to take place in the city after over a year.
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Lottery opens for ‘affordable’ units at luxury Union Square rental, from $2,523/month

Courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

March 26, 2021

Lottery opens for ‘affordable’ units at luxury Union Square rental, from $2,523/month

By Devin Gannon

Here's an opportunity to live in a luxury Manhattan rental at a discount. A housing lottery launched this month for a dozen middle-income units at One Union Square South, a Related Companies-developed building most recognizable for the massive electronic clock art piece on its facade. While it's hard to call this lottery affordable, the available apartments do offer significant savings compared to the building's market-rate units. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which include $2,523/month studios, $2,700/month one-bedrooms, and $3,235/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Mary Tyler Moore’s former upstate estate turned equestrian center asks $3.9M

Photos by Tim Lee, courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

March 26, 2021

Mary Tyler Moore’s former upstate estate turned equestrian center asks $3.9M

By Devin Gannon

An 85-acre estate with one of the best equestrian facilities in Dutchess County is on the market for $3.95 million. Not only is the property at 23 Altamont Road in Millbrook a haven for horse lovers, but part of it also once belonged to late actress Mary Tyler Moore. Now known as Grace Hill Farm, the estate includes a barn with an indoor heated arena, a 14-stall stable, a viewing lounge, an outdoor jumping area and field, as well as a four-bedroom farmhouse.
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Hudson River tow pound at Pier 76 to open as a public park in June

All photos courtesy of NY State Parks on Flickr

March 24, 2021

Hudson River tow pound at Pier 76 to open as a public park in June

By Devin Gannon

A former New York City Police Department tow-pound on the Hudson River will open as a public park this summer, more than 20 years after the state designated the lot as future open space. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday said work at Pier 76 has already begun, with an expected opening date as early as June 1. The plan for the 5.6-acre park aligns with the governor's ambitious $51 billion redevelopment of over 100 acres of Midtown West, announced earlier this year.
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Architecture And Design

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Photo courtesy of AptDeco

March 23, 2021

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

By Devin Gannon

Spring is the perfect time to reset, rearrange, and reimagine your living space. In addition to the annual deep clean that commences as the weather warms, updating the style and decor of your New York City apartment provides a much-needed physical and mental refresh for the months ahead. Whether this means selling furniture you're tired of looking at or buying gently used designer and vintage items to personalize your abode, there are several websites to help New Yorkers in the process.
Full list here

44 affordable senior apartments available at new rental in Williamsburg

Rendering of Debevoise Senior Housing, Courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

March 22, 2021

44 affordable senior apartments available at new rental in Williamsburg

By Devin Gannon

Applications are currently being accepted for 44 affordable units in Brooklyn that are designated for seniors. The Debevoise Senior Housing building, located at 40 Debevoise Street on the border of Williamsburg and Bushwick, rises eight stories and includes on-site laundry, a recreation room, community center, and common outdoor space. To apply, applicants must have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older, qualify for Section 8 benefits, and earn $51,200 or less, annually. Eligible applicants will pay 30 percent of their income for the studio and one-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

New Yorkers aged 50+ will be eligible for the COVID vaccine

Dr. Michelle Chester of Northwell Health in Queens prepares to administer the first coronavirus vaccine in New York State; Photo: Scott Heagedins for the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Flickr

March 22, 2021

New Yorkers aged 50+ will be eligible for the COVID vaccine

By Devin Gannon

The group of New Yorkers eligible for the coronavirus vaccine is set to expand again this week. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced that New Yorkers aged 50 years and older will be able to sign up for a vaccine appointment starting 8 a.m. on March 23. "We are dropping the age as we're vaccinating more people," the governor said during an event at the Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon.
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Policy

New York pharmacies can now vaccinate those with underlying conditions

Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 22, 2021

New York pharmacies can now vaccinate those with underlying conditions

By Devin Gannon

New Yorkers with certain underlying health conditions can now receive the coronavirus vaccine at pharmacies across the state, greatly expanding the number of people these stores are able to serve. Previously, pharmacies in the state were only able to administer the vaccine to those 60 years and older and teachers. The state's eligibility expansion comes as more than 7.5 million total COVID vaccine doses have been administered across New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday.
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Policy

A former brickyard in Kingston is now luxury hotel cabins on the Hudson River

Cabin interiors; Photo courtesy of Hutton Brickyards

March 19, 2021

A former brickyard in Kingston is now luxury hotel cabins on the Hudson River

By Devin Gannon

For years, New Yorkers have been drawn to the Hudson Valley city of Kingston for its rich history, arts and culture, and proximity to nature, ideal for both a weekend getaway and year-round residence. A new hotel just north of New York City is set to open this spring that will offer 31 individual cabins across 73 acres of lush landscape, providing a coronavirus-safe escape for city dwellers. Located on the site of a former brick factory, Hutton Brickyards has been transformed from a manufacturing property into a laid-back but luxurious riverfront resort with private cabins, a spa, restaurant, and events space.
Details here

NYC’s ‘Open Culture’ program kicks off this weekend with outdoor performances

Mayor Bill de Blasio announces the opening of the Open Culture Program to allow live performances on designated streets. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 19, 2021

NYC’s ‘Open Culture’ program kicks off this weekend with outdoor performances

By Devin Gannon

More than 100 streets in New York can become stages under the city's Open Culture program that launched this month. Modeled after the Open Streets and Open Restaurant initiatives that close some streets to cars and let restaurants set up creative outdoor dining seating, this new permit type allows ticketed, socially distanced performances, rehearsals, classes, and workshops to take place on blocks in every borough. Mayor Bill de Blasio this week said the first three performances under the program would take place on Friday, with events in Mott Haven, Williamsburg, and Harlem.
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All articles by Devin Gannon

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