All articles by Devin Gannon

$100M proposal aims to turn Union Square into NYC’s ‘most accessible’ space

All images: Marvel courtesy of Union Square Partnership

January 19, 2021

$100M proposal aims to turn Union Square into NYC’s ‘most accessible’ space

Open space around Union Square would increase by more than 33 percent under a new proposal to transform the Manhattan neighborhood into New York City's "most accessible space." The Union Square Partnership on Tuesday released a plan that expands Union Square Park by about two acres to the edges around the square and connects landscaped plazas with safe, pedestrian-friendly space. Designed in collaboration with Marvel, the proposal is the result of a two-year community out-reach process.
Find out more

Uncategorized

NYC offers free rides to COVID-19 vaccine sites for seniors

Mayor Bill de Blasio visits a vaccination site at Hillcrest High School, Queens. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

January 19, 2021

NYC offers free rides to COVID-19 vaccine sites for seniors

By Devin Gannon

New York seniors who are unable to get to and from their coronavirus vaccine appointments will now be provided a free ride from the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday. Residents aged 65 and older who are unable to make their own arrangements to a city-operated vaccination site can sign up for transportation starting Monday. According to the city, about 10,000 rides will be offered each week.
Find out more

Policy

New York City’s tributes to Martin Luther King Jr.

Stanziola, P. (1964) Mayor Wagner greets Dr. & Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr. at City Hall / World-Telegram & Sun photo by Phil Stanziola. 1964. [Photograph]; Courtesy of the Library of Congress

January 15, 2021

New York City’s tributes to Martin Luther King Jr.

By Devin Gannon

While some of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most memorable moments of his career happened further South, like the Montgomery bus boycott and his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, support for his goals hailed first from advocacy organizations based in New York City, like the National Urban League. King held sermons at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights, led a march from Central Park to the United Nations in protest of the Vietnam War, and received a Medallion of Honor from Mayor Robert Wagner. As a way to honor King and his immense impact on the advancement of civil rights, the city has named streets, parks, playgrounds, and more after the icon. On MLK Day this Monday, celebrate by learning about memorials dedicated to him citywide.
Learn more about NYC's MLK memorials here

Cuomo reveals $51B plan to redevelop Midtown West, replace Port Authority

All renderings courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

January 15, 2021

Cuomo reveals $51B plan to redevelop Midtown West, replace Port Authority

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday unveiled an ambitious plan to transform over 100 acres of Midtown West as part of a new "transit-oriented" development. The $51 billion proposal adds a new train hall south of Penn Station, replaces the Port Authority Bus Terminal, extends the High Line, and adds up to 1,400 units of new affordable housing. The project is one part of the governor's proposed $306 billion infrastructure plan, introduced on Thursday during his fourth 2021 State of the State address.
Find out more

Queens Night Market will return to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this spring

Photo credit: Storm Garner

January 14, 2021

Queens Night Market will return to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this spring

By Devin Gannon

After canceling its 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Queens Night Market is set to return this spring. John Wang, founder of the popular open-air market, said he plans to kick off the event on April 17 at the New York Hall of Science at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, while keeping an eye on the city's COVID-19 metrics. The food market, open on Saturday nights, will tentatively run through October 30.
Find out more

Photo courtesy of Empire State Realty Trust

January 14, 2021

Empire State Building’s heartbeat light show returns for nationwide COVID-19 memorial

By Devin Gannon

A memorial honoring the lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic will be held at the Lincoln Memorial next week and cities and towns are invited to join the tribute with ceremonies of their own. President-elect Joe Biden's Presidential Inaugural Committee announced plans to feature a lighting around the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. on January 19, the evening before the inauguration. The Empire State Building will participate by playing its red heartbeat light show, which first debuted last year as a tribute to the city's frontline workers.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

See the mass vaccination site now open at the Javits Center

All photos courtesy of Don Pollard/ Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Flickr

January 13, 2021

See the mass vaccination site now open at the Javits Center

By Devin Gannon

Nearly 10 months after the Jacob K. Javits Center became a temporary hospital during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in New York, the convention center has now opened as a mass vaccination hub. The state-run Manhattan site officially opened on Wednesday for those eligible under expanded phases 1A and 1B, which includes healthcare workers, essential workers, and New Yorkers aged 65 and older. Appointments are required at the Javits Center site. Find out if you are eligible to receive the vaccine and schedule an appointment here.
See more

Policy

Hudson Yards’ 150-foot Vessel temporarily closes after third suicide

Photo © James and Karla Murray for 6sqft

January 13, 2021

Hudson Yards’ 150-foot Vessel temporarily closes after third suicide

By Devin Gannon

After the third suicide in less than a year was reported at the Vessel this week, the 150-foot climbable structure has temporarily closed. On Monday, a 21-year-old man from Texas jumped to his death from the bronzed steel and concrete sculpture. Hudson Yards developer Related Companies is now looking to address ways to prevent future tragedies at the Manhattan site, as Patch first reported.
Find out more

Policy

Photo of Wollman Rink by subherwal on Flickr

January 13, 2021

NYC will cancel Trump Organization contracts after Capitol riot

By Devin Gannon

New York City will cancel three contracts with the Trump Organization after last week's deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday announced plans to terminate agreements for two ice rinks at Central Park, the Central Park Carousel, and the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx. President Donald Trump still owns the organization but has given his sons Eric and Donald Jr. control over the business. "Goodbye to the Trump Organization," de Blasio said during a press briefing. "We're not doing any business with you."
Get the details

Policy

Cuomo’s ‘Arts Revival’ initiative will bring outdoor pop-up performances and events across New York

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

January 12, 2021

Cuomo’s ‘Arts Revival’ initiative will bring outdoor pop-up performances and events across New York

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday unveiled the "New York Arts Revival" initiative, a plan to bring art and culture back to the state after the coronavirus pandemic has brought much of the industry to a standstill. As part of a public-private partnership, the effort will bring a series of pop-up performances and arts events across New York starting February 4. According to the governor, who made the announcement during his multi-day State of the State address, the events will feature performers like Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Wynton Marsalis, Renée Fleming, Hugh Jackman, and others. "We will not let the curtain fall on their careers or the future of our cities," Cuomo said.
Get the details

$2.6M English-style estate in Connecticut has a 50-foot underground swim tunnel leading to the pool

By Devin Gannon

A $2.6 million estate that "transports you to the pastoral English countryside" is for sale in Weston, Connecticut. The historic eight-acre property at 5 Norfield Road was once home to Alice DeLamar, an heiress and patron of the arts who was once considered America's richest woman. DeLamar built the home, later named Stonebrook, in 1930. The estate includes a 10-room main residence, a guest cottage, a horse barn, and a 50-foot-long swim tunnel that leads from the basement to the oversized outdoor pool.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

24/7 mass vaccination site will open at Citi Field this month

A mass vaccination site at NYC Health + Hospitals/ Bathgate in the Bronx; Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 12, 2021

24/7 mass vaccination site will open at Citi Field this month

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday announced some "Amazin'" news. A 24/7 coronavirus vaccination site will launch at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens later this month with the capacity to vaccinate between 5,000 and 7,000 people each day. "The Mets organization has stepped up to the plate to help us out," de Blasio said during a press briefing. "I really appreciate the fact that the Mets wanted to do this. They wanted to be part of solving this problem, helping the Queens community, and helping all of New York City." Launching the week of January 25, the vaccine hub will be run by NYC Health + Hospitals and open to New Yorkers eligible under the first phase of distribution, "even Yankees fans," the mayor said.
Find out more

Policy

See Cuomo’s proposal to extend the High Line to the new Moynihan Train Hall

Courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

January 11, 2021

See Cuomo’s proposal to extend the High Line to the new Moynihan Train Hall

By Devin Gannon

The High Line will be extended from its current 10th Avenue terminus to the entrance of the newly opened Moynihan Train Hall, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to announce during his 2021 State of the State address on Monday. As the New York Times first reported, a new L-shaped elevated walkway will link the existing public park at 30th Street to a pedestrian plaza at Manhattan West, a six-building mixed-use development from Brookfield Property Group that stretches from 9th and 10th Avenues and 31st to 33rd Streets.
Find out more

Policy

Petition launches to save artifacts of Dead Horse Bay ahead of radioactive waste cleanup

Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft

January 8, 2021

Petition launches to save artifacts of Dead Horse Bay ahead of radioactive waste cleanup

By Devin Gannon

Covered with bottles, ceramics, and other 1950s household items and debris, Dead Horse Bay is a treasure trove in southern Brooklyn for collectors and historians. Last August, the National Park Service closed the southern part of the refuse-filled spot after finding radioactive contamination. Now, a petition has launched urging the NPS to collect and preserve as much as the debris as possible at Dead Horse Bay ahead of its planned cleanup of the site.
Find out more

Uncategorized

Arts and Crafts Hamptons estate designed by ‘House & Garden’ founder Wilson Eyre asks $13M

All photos by LPG courtesy of Douglas Elliman

January 8, 2021

Arts and Crafts Hamptons estate designed by ‘House & Garden’ founder Wilson Eyre asks $13M

By Devin Gannon

A turn-of-the-century mansion in Southampton designed by celebrated architect Wilson Eyre, founder of House & Garden magazine, is asking $13 million. Located at 767 Montauk Highway in Quiogue, the Arts and Crafts-style home measures 9,000 square feet, contains eight bedrooms and seven-and-a-half baths, and overlooks the serene Quantuck Bay. Dubbed Meadowcroft, the 7-acre estate is "an extraordinary example of the holistic approach to the joining of landscape and built form," as the listing describes.
See inside

Distinctive Homes

For $5.2M, this 13-acre Connecticut compound has a lodge-style home, guest cottage, and greenhouse

All photos courtesy of Borgatta Photography

January 7, 2021

For $5.2M, this 13-acre Connecticut compound has a lodge-style home, guest cottage, and greenhouse

By Devin Gannon

In Fairfield County, a 13-acre compound with a grand six-bedroom main residence, guest cottage, greenhouse, and a barn-style detached garage is now on the market for $5.195 million. Known as Byebrook, the sprawling property at 232 Newtown Turnpike was once home to late New York City real estate mogul Lawrence Wien, who used the property as a hunting lodge, as Westport News first reported. Surrounded by nature, the estate sits along the Saugatuck River and is near the Devil's Den Nature Preserve, while still being just a 75-minute drive to Midtown Manhattan.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

New looks for the Taystee Lab Building, a life science campus opening in Harlem

All renderings courtesy of Janus Property Company

January 7, 2021

New looks for the Taystee Lab Building, a life science campus opening in Harlem

By Devin Gannon

As the construction of New York City's newest life science building nears completion, we're getting a fresh look at the innovative structure. Developed by the Janus Property Company, the 11-story Taystee Lab Building is part of the Manhattanville Factory District, a West Harlem neighborhood once full of breweries and factories that is now being transformed into a modern commercial and office hub. The 350,000-square-foot Taystee Lab Building, named after the bread bakery that once occupied the site, will provide mixed-use space for life science, academic, and creative tenants.
Get the details

New Developments

IKEA’s first small-format location opens in Queens

All photos courtesy of IKEA

January 7, 2021

IKEA’s first small-format location opens in Queens

By Devin Gannon

The first small-format IKEA in the United States will open in Queens this month. The retailer, known for its affordable flat-pack furniture, will take up 115,000 square feet at a shopping mall in Rego Park. Expected to open sometime in early January, the new store is the third IKEA in New York City, joining existing locations in Red Hook and on the Upper East Side.
Find out more

Uncategorized

Kushner’s controversial One Journal Square project receives approval to bring 1,700 units to Jersey City

All renderings by Woods Bagot

January 6, 2021

Kushner’s controversial One Journal Square project receives approval to bring 1,700 units to Jersey City

By Devin Gannon

After sitting vacant for over a decade, a large site in Jersey City's Journal Square will soon be home to two 710-foot towers with over 1,700 units of housing. The Jersey City Planning Board on Tuesday approved Kushner Companies' controversial One Journal Square project, signaling the beginning of the end of this development saga. The approval came after the city and the developer reached a settlement agreement last October over a lawsuit filed in 2018 against the city by Kushner Companies, run by the family of White House advisor Jared Kushner, that claimed officials stalled the project over "anti-Trump" sentiment.
READ MORE

New Developments

Construction set to begin at huge South Bronx complex with Universal Hip Hop Museum

Rendering courtesy of S9 Architecture

January 6, 2021

Construction set to begin at huge South Bronx complex with Universal Hip Hop Museum

By Devin Gannon

Construction of the South Bronx mixed-use project that will have over 1,000 units of housing, a waterfront esplanade, and a permanent home for the Universal Hip Hop Museum is set to begin in the coming weeks. Developed by L+M Development Partners, Type A Projects, BronxWorks, and the city of New York in a public-private partnership, the project, known as Bronx Point, secured $349 million in financing last week. S9 Architecture is leading the design of the 22-story development, with the publicly-accessible open space along the Harlem River designed by Marvel Architects and Abel Bainnson Butz.
More this way

See new renderings of controversial South Street Seaport towers and museum expansion

All renderings courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill / Howard Hughes Corporation

January 5, 2021

See new renderings of controversial South Street Seaport towers and museum expansion

By Devin Gannon

Plans to construct two 470-foot towers and expand a museum in the historic South Street Seaport neighborhood were met with mixed feedback during a public Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing on Tuesday. The Howard Hughes Corporation presented a proposal for a $1.4 billion mixed-use project consisting of rentals, condos, and office space at 250 Water Street, as well as a new building for the South Street Seaport Museum at 89 South Street. While those in favor of the project say it will bring much-needed affordable housing to a neighborhood that has almost none and help the museum stay open, opponents claim the project is out of scale with the rest of the district. New renderings of the proposed expanded museum show plans for a copper-clad exterior, flexible gallery space, an outdoor terrace, and a connection to the historic structure.
More here

You can buy Gem Spa’s iconic storefront sign, egg cream machines

All photos courtesy of Gem Spa

January 4, 2021

You can buy Gem Spa’s iconic storefront sign, egg cream machines

By Devin Gannon

While you can no longer order an egg cream at Gem Spa in the East Village, which closed its doors for good in May, you can own a piece of the legendary institution. The landmark newsstand, which has been located on the corner of St. Marks Place and Second Avenue for a century, is auctioning off iconic memorabilia and signage from the store, including its bright yellow storefront sign, egg cream equipment, and gates with designs by the artist Paul Kostabi. The auction has been extended to January 7 at 10 p.m.
Details this way

City Living

January 4, 2021

Running from NYC to Canada, 750-mile Empire State Trail is now complete

By Devin Gannon

The longest multi-use state trail in the United States officially opened in New York last week. Running from New York City north to Canada and from Albany to Buffalo along the Erie Canal, the 750-mile Empire State Trail offers off-road trails for cyclists, hikers, runners, cross-country skiers, and snow-shoers. The Trail, which connects 20 regional trails to create a continuous statewide route, will be open year-round.
More here

Uncategorized

NYC wants to offer renters alternatives to lump-sum security deposits

Photo by Jeffrey Blum on Unsplash

January 4, 2021

NYC wants to offer renters alternatives to lump-sum security deposits

By Devin Gannon

Before lawmakers passed sweeping rent reform legislation in 2019, New York City renters moving to a new apartment paid a hefty lump sum, typically including an application fee, broker fee, and a security deposit. With the new law limiting application fees to $20 (and broker fees next on the chopping block), city officials are now looking to make it even easier to move into a new home. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Housing Development Corporation last week issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) seeking companies that would provide alternatives to paying a security deposit all at once at city-financed affordable properties.
Find out more

Policy

December 30, 2020

See inside the new light-filled Moynihan Train Hall

By Devin Gannon

As one of the few bright spots during a very dark time in New York, the new Moynihan Train Hall opens to the public on Friday. The new transit hub expands Penn Station into the landmarked James A. Farley Post Office Building on Eighth Avenue, increasing capacity at the busiest railroad station in the country by 50 percent. On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo celebrated the opening of Moynihan Train Hall, which was inspired by the design of the original Penn Station that was demolished in the 1960s. Ahead, get a look inside the new train hall, including the 92-foot-high massive skylights that total one acre and the new waiting areas for the Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak.
Get the details

All articles by Devin Gannon

Pitch a Story

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Distinctive Post Form

Get in Touch

Send us a Tip

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Thinking about selling your home?

Sell a Home (Footer)

Before You Move On from this Page.

Your Daily Doseof NYC Life!

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Your Daily Dose
of NYC Life!