All articles by Devin Gannon

October 29, 2020

Manhattan’s only production brewery is now open in Soho

A massive new brewery and restaurant opened in Soho last week, becoming the only production brewery in Manhattan. Located at 12 Vandam Street, Torch & Crown Brewing Company measures 9,000 square feet over three levels and boasts soaring ceilings, ivy-covered walls, and enough seating for 250 people inside and 180 people in their heated outdoor space. Although the brewery's original May opening date was delayed because of the coronavirus, the team managed to stay afloat by launching a direct beer delivery service in the city.
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October 29, 2020

For $1.1M, a mid-century time capsule in Connecticut with pink accents and a retro bar

With its vaulted ceilings, wood paneling, pink details, and retro rec room, this 1960-built home in Greenwich, Connecticut is the textbook definition of mid-century modern design. In addition to the attractive interiors, the home features a patio and is also set back from the road, which provides privacy and additional outdoor space. Located at 261 Cognewaugh Road in Cos Cob, the three-bedroom, two-bath home is now on the market for $1.125 million.
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October 28, 2020

Smash and smush your old pumpkins into compost at Hudson River Park

What better way to celebrate fall, relieve some 2020 related-stress, and benefit the environment than smashing old pumpkins into compost. Hudson River Park's third-annual "smash it, don't trash it" Pumpkin Smash event returns next month, which invites New Yorkers to take a bat to post-Halloween gourds to dispose of them in an eco-friendly way.
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October 28, 2020

Upper West Side condo tower that replaced century-old synagogue reveals new looks

New renderings of the Upper West Side condo tower that replaced one of New York City's oldest synagogues were revealed this week. In 2017, Congregation Shaare Zedek sold its synagogue at 212 West 93rd Street to developers Leyton Properties and Landsea Homes. Some local residents and preservation groups opposed the sale and pushed for the nearly 100-year-old building to be landmarked, but their efforts fell short. Now as the project nears completion, we're getting an updated preview of the 14-story mixed-use condo designed by Eran Chen's ODA New York and a peek inside its 20 luxury residences, 70 percent of which will have private outdoor space.
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October 27, 2020

New sculpture in Madison Square Park uses Lady Liberty’s torch to symbolize city’s struggles

From 1876 to 1882, the Statue of Liberty's torch-holding arm was on view in Madison Square Park as a way to garner enthusiasm for the project before it arrived from France. Nearly 150 years later, the torch has returned, reimagined for a different purpose. Commissioned by the Madison Square Park Conservancy, Abigail DeVille's "Light of Freedom" sculpture includes a 13-foot-high torch encased in scaffolding and filled with a bell and the arms of mannequins. The work aims to reflect the current struggles New York City is facing with the pandemic, protests, and political climate while acknowledging the way in which conflict can create change.
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October 27, 2020

This $8.8M Westchester Colonial estate has indoor and outdoor basketball courts

In Westchester County, a 14-room Colonial with two basketball courts has hit the market for $8.795 million. The estate is located at 35 Morris Lane in Scarsdale, the second wealthiest town in the United States, according to Bloomberg. Measuring over 10,000 square feet on nearly two acres of land, the seven-bedroom home is nothing short of extravagant, from the custom-built interiors to the outdoor in-ground pool and adjacent cabana.
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October 27, 2020

See inside the ‘bubble’ apartments at the High Line’s new Lantern House condo

While we've been following the progression of Thomas Heatherwick's first residential project in the United States from its unique exterior, new photos are providing a first peek inside the bubbles. Located at 515 West 18th Street, Lantern House features two condo towers that straddle the High Line in Chelsea, one rising 10 stories and the other 22 stories, both with facades designed to resemble a lantern. Ahead, see the model home designed by staging experts ASH NYC, which was able to complement the building's unique architecture with a mix of bold, contemporary furniture and vintage details.
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October 26, 2020

Newark rolls back reopening after resurgence of COVID-19 cases

Starting Tuesday, New Jersey's largest city will implement new coronavirus restrictions after reporting an uptick in coronavirus cases. Non-essential businesses and indoor dining will now have to close at 8 p.m. and beauty salons and barbershops will be appointment-only, Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced on Monday. The new measures come as Newark reported a test positivity rate of 11.2 percent over three days, compared to New Jersey's statewide rate of 5.28 percent.
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October 26, 2020

Astor Place Hairstylists to close next month after 75 years

Another New York City institution will close its doors this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Astor Place Hairstylists in the East Village, which opened in the 1940s and is known for its affordable prices, multilingual stylists, and celebrity clientele, will shutter at the end of November, as the New York Post reported. Hair salons and barbershops were allowed to open in June as part of the city's second phase of reopening, but a lack of business, and no additional federal funding, has forced the iconic barbershop to close.
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October 23, 2020

NYC’s iconic Strand Bookstore says it’s struggling to survive because of COVID-19

One of New York City's largest and most beloved independent bookstores is asking for help. Citing a decline in foot traffic, a lack of tourists, and zero in-store events because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Strand Bookstore's revenue has dropped nearly 70 percent compared to last year, owner Nancy Bass Wyden said on Friday. According to Bass Wyden, the business, one of the last bookstores of Union Square's former "Book Row," is not currently sustainable.
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October 23, 2020

Explore the 200 craft breweries found along New York’s Empire State Trail

Home to more than 460 breweries statewide, New York knows beer. To make it easier to find a beer near you, the New York State Brewers Association in 2017 launched an app that allows users to find breweries across the state, check-in digitally, and earn stamps on their "tasting passport." To encourage support of local beer makers and the use of the under-construction 750-mile Empire State Trail, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday a new passport program specifically targeting 200 craft breweries found along the trail.
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October 23, 2020

On October 23, 1915, tens of thousands of NYC women marched for the right to vote

This August marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, which gave some women the right to vote. In New York, a hotbed of suffragist activity in the mid 19th- and early 20th-century, women won the vote a few years earlier in 1917. While New York women were on the frontlines of the suffrage movement early on, one event served as a major turning point in winning the vote. On October 23, 1915, tens of thousands of New Yorkers dressed in all white took to Fifth Avenue, marching roughly three miles from Washington Square to 59th Street. It was the largest suffrage parade to date, with city officials at the time estimating between 25,000 and 60,000 participants.
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October 22, 2020

$1.4B South Street Seaport proposal includes two mixed-use towers with affordable units

The Howard Hughes Corporation on Thursday unveiled its latest effort to redevelop the South Street Seaport neighborhood. The $1.4 billion proposal includes the construction of two 470-foot towers which would contain rentals, condos, and office space on a parking lot at 250 Water Street. Initial plans from the developer called for a single tower that would rise nearly 1,000 feet, but local residents and Community Board 1 opposed it. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the two towers would include 360 units, with at least 100 apartments set aside for families earning 40 percent of the area median income. It would be the first affordable housing built in the community under the city's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program.
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October 22, 2020

7 NYC apartments with fireplaces for under $1M

Make staying home this winter more enjoyable with your very own working fireplace. While the city's stock of apartments with wood-burning fireplaces won't be getting larger after the city banned the construction of them a few years ago, there are still plenty of apartments that offer a cozy fireside amenity. Despite being somewhat of a rarity, owning a home with a fireplace doesn't have to break the bank. We've found seven apartments with working fireplaces currently on the market for under $1 million.
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October 21, 2020

Cuomo eases some restrictions in Brooklyn and Queens COVID-19 clusters

The state will loosen some restrictions in coronavirus clusters in parts of Brooklyn and Queens after positive infection rates decreased, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday. As a way to contain the spread of the virus in hot spots across New York, the state earlier this month divided the clusters into three categories depending on positivity rates, with red, orange, and yellow zones determining the level of restrictions. According to Cuomo, all clusters in Queens can exit the red zone and enter yellow, meaning businesses and schools can reopen and houses of worship can increase capacity to 50 percent. But in Brooklyn, the red zone will remain red, with orange and yellow zones now both yellow.
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October 21, 2020

24 percent of NYC subway and bus workers have had COVID-19, survey says

Nearly a quarter of New York City subway and bus workers reported contracting the coronavirus, according to a survey released on Tuesday. Of the roughly 650 Transport Workers Union Local 100 members surveyed as part of a pilot study led by New York University, 24 percent said they had the virus at some point since the start of the pandemic. The new report suggests more transit workers had the virus than previously thought. In May, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said about 14 percent of transit workers tested positive for antibodies.
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October 20, 2020

Archtober’s annual gourd-carving Pumpkitecture event is virtual and open to everyone

Every year, New York City-based architecture firms face off in a spirited pumpkin carving competition in quest of the PritzkerPumpkin prize. This year, because of the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on gatherings, Pumpkitecture will take place virtually. And the contest won't be limited to just architects and designers, but anyone with an "eerie eye for design" can enter.
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October 20, 2020

MTA launches first real-time digital subway map

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday released a new digital map of the New York City subway system that provides service updates to riders in real-time. As first reported by Curbed, this map uses data from the MTA to update as service changes are happening, allowing users to click on stations and individual train lines to see the actual wait time for the next train. When zoomed in on the map, little gray blocks move along the colored lines, depicting the train's actual movement from station to station. Created by design and technology firm Work & Co., the map modernizes both Massimo Vignelli's iconic 1972 map and the current map designed by Michael Hertz, combining the geometric and graphic design-friendly Vignelli map with the geographical elements of Hertz. The new live map is the first major redesign of the NYC subway map in 40 years.
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October 19, 2020

Dyckman Farmhouse Museum opens new art exhibit exploring untold history of NYC’s Black communities

The last remaining farmhouse in Manhattan will explore a new side of its over 200-year history with an art exhibit. Inwood's landmarked Dyckman Farmhouse Museum on Tuesday will open the exhibition Unspoken Voices: Honoring the Legacy of Black America, which will highlight the history of the enslaved and free Black residents that lived and worked at the farm. Unspoken Voices, which coincides with the museum's reopening, includes work by five local artists who hope to bring these previously untold stories to light.
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October 19, 2020

Ice skating rink and holiday market to open at Bryant Park’s Winter Village this month

When the ice skating rink and holiday market opens at Bryant Park this month, things will look a little different than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, the Bank of America Winter Village will require face coverings, reservations for the rink, and will debut a new layout of shops for optimal distancing. Now in its 19th year, the winter village will open on October 30 and run through March 7, 2021.
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October 16, 2020

You can help beautify dozens of NYC parks this weekend

More than 60 parks organizations and community groups are leading cleanups at green spaces across the city this weekend, in response to a growing trash problem at parks. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, park use in New York soared, as it was one of the safest activities available to residents during the peak of the crisis. But the increase in visitors put additional strain on park management, which is struggling to keep up because of COVID-19 related budget cuts. On October 17, New Yorkers for Parks, City Parks Foundation, Partnership for Parks, and NYC Parks are encouraging New Yorkers to volunteer for a day of cleaning and beautifying the city's parks in every borough.
How to participate
October 16, 2020

NYC makes outdoor dining permanent, lifts ban on propane heaters at restaurants

The New York City Council on Thursday voted to make outdoor dining permanent and year-round and lifted the ban on portable propane heaters. The legislation approved by the Council extends the city's current Open Restaurants program, in which more than 10,500 restaurants have enrolled since June, until September 30, 2021, and requires it to be replaced with a permanent program. Under the program, restaurants will also be able to use portable propane heaters, which were previously banned.
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October 16, 2020

See inside the carefully-curated residences at Brooklyn’s tallest tower

From its sky-high outdoor infinity pool to the chic interior finishes designed by Katherine Newman, no details were overlooked at Brooklyn Point, the 720-foot residential tower in Downtown Brooklyn. After topping out last spring, officially becoming the borough's tallest tower, and commencing closings and first move-ins this summer, new photos of the building's model unit were released in September, which show off the eclectic interiors by designer Charlie Ferrer.
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October 15, 2020

Lower East Side’s glassy new condo 150 Rivington has a rooftop with a fireplace and city views

Once an enclave for immigrants and the working class, and later a haven for artists, the Lower East Side's evolution continues into the 21st century as a destination for luxury developments. While major projects like the Essex Crossing mega-development and One Manhattan Square have hogged the spotlight, more modest new buildings are also making their mark on the neighborhood, including 150 Rivington. The approachable seven-story apartment building boasts a modern glassy facade, contains 45 condo units, and a cozy landscaped rooftop with an outdoor kitchen, fireplace, and endless city views.
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October 13, 2020

City Winery to open flagship venue at Pier 57 this week

The massive new flagship of entertainment venue and restaurant City Winery will open this week at Hudson River Park's Pier 57. Starting October 15, the restaurant will accept reservations for limited capacity indoor and outdoor dining, with 200 seats available inside and 70 seats outside. City Winery was forced to move from its longtime Varick Street location last year after the Walt Disney Company purchased the property with plans to open new production space and offices there.
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