All articles by Devin Gannon

December 13, 2019

NYC may set aside at least 15 percent of new apartments for homeless New Yorkers

The New York City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration have reached an agreement to provide more housing for homeless New Yorkers. As first reported by Politico, the legislation, expected to pass next week, would require developers of new housing developments that receive city financing to set aside at least 15 percent of units for homeless individuals and families. The new law could create about 1,000 new apartments each year for those experiencing homelessness.
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Find landmarks of the anti-slavery movement in NYC

Screenshot of the map courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

December 13, 2019

Find landmarks of the anti-slavery movement in NYC

By Devin Gannon

For roughly 200 years, between 1626 and 1827, New York City was home to more enslaved Africans than almost every other city in the country. But after abolishing slavery nearly 40 years before the nation, the city became a major player of the national abolitionist movement, housing anti-slavery activists and organizations, as well as many stops on the Underground Railroad. Now 400 years after the first enslaved Africans arrived in the United States, the Landmarks Preservation Commission released this week an interactive story map highlighting designated city landmarks tied to the abolitionist movement.
Explore the map

All renderings © James Corner Field Operations and BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, courtesy of Two Trees Management

December 12, 2019

Massive Bjarke Ingels-designed apartment towers and public beach planned for Williamsburg

By Devin Gannon

Two new mixed-use towers with 1,000 units of housing and six acres of public space have been proposed for the North Brooklyn waterfront. Two Trees Management on Thursday unveiled plans to bring two Bjarke Ingels Group-designed buildings, one at 650 feet and the other at 600 feet, on River Street between North 1st and North 3rd Street in Williamsburg. The buildings, with Metropolitan Avenue running between them, will serve as an entrance to the new waterfront space, part of a master plan designed in collaboration with BIG and James Corner Field Operations. The park and public beach would close the gap between Grand Ferry Park and North Fifth Park, eventually providing continuous access to the East River between South Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
Check out the whole project

December 11, 2019

Residents say Columbia’s plan for 34-story tower breaks promise to redevelop public school

By Devin Gannon

Columbia University this week filed plans to build a 34-story residential building in Harlem, as the school continues its campus expansion into the neighborhood. According to documents filed with the city's Department of Buildings, the project at 600 West 125th Street, formerly home to a McDonald's, would measure just under 400 feet tall and contain 142 apartments. But as Gothamist reported on Wednesday, local residents argue the plan breaks a longstanding promise from the university to redevelop a public school at the site.
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New app launches for dollar vans that serve NYC’s transit deserts

A dollar van in Union City, NJ; Photo by Nightscream on Flickr

December 11, 2019

New app launches for dollar vans that serve NYC’s transit deserts

By Devin Gannon

A new app wants to make it easier for riders and operators of New York City's unofficial transportation system to get around, the New York Times reported. Since 1980, dollar vans have catered to communities underserved by the city's subway and bus system, offering commuters in neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens an affordable (a trip typically costs $2 compared to the subway's $2.75) way to travel. Since much of the system operates underground, riders learn of routes and pick-up spots through word-of-mouth. Developers of a new app, Dollaride, hope to make finding a ride easier for the 120,000 daily dollar van commuters, as well as open up the service to more people.
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Transit

New NYC buildings must be constructed with bird-friendly materials

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

December 11, 2019

New NYC buildings must be constructed with bird-friendly materials

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council approved on Tuesday a bill requiring new buildings to be constructed with bird-friendly materials. Considered the most extensive policy of its kind in the country, the initiative mandates new glass buildings, as well as projects undergoing a major renovation, to be equipped with materials that are easier for birds to see. Each year, between roughly 90,000 and 230,000 birds die each year in New York City from colliding with glass buildings, according to the NYC Audubon.
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Nomad’s Tin Pan Alley, birthplace of American pop music, gains five landmarks

Tin Pan Alley buildings; Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

December 10, 2019

Nomad’s Tin Pan Alley, birthplace of American pop music, gains five landmarks

By Devin Gannon

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday designated five Nomad buildings linked to the birthplace of American pop music. Tin Pan Alley, a stretch of West 28th Street named to describe the sound of piano music heard from street level, served as an epicenter for musicians, composers, and sheet music publishers between 1893 and 1910. During this nearly two-decade period, some of the most memorable songs of the last century were produced, including "God Bless America" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
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December 9, 2019

Waitlist opens for affordable units in Murray Hill rental near Grand Central, from $858/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are now being accepted for a 150-person waitlist for a luxury rental building in Murray Hill. Located at 200 East 39th Street, the building, known as Frontier, rises 19 stories and contains just under 100 apartments. Perks include a landscaped rooftop terrace, a fitness center, and a gaming lounge. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply to be placed on the waitlist for affordable units ranging from an $858/month studio to a $1,381/month two-bedroom.
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Affordable Housing

State recognizes TWA Hotel as historic site, nominates two other NYC buildings

Photo: TWA Hotel/David Mitchell

December 9, 2019

State recognizes TWA Hotel as historic site, nominates two other NYC buildings

By Devin Gannon

The state last week awarded ten projects with historic preservation awards, and nominated a dozen other sites to be nominated for the state and national historic places registers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation recognized the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport for its preservation of Eero Saarinen's Trans World Airlines terminal, which serves as the lobby for a new 512-room hotel.
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A vendor in Soho is selling Christmas trees for as much as $6,500 each

Good luck finding a Christmas tree in NYC for under $75 this year; Photo by Billy Williams on Unsplash

December 9, 2019

A vendor in Soho is selling Christmas trees for as much as $6,500 each

By Devin Gannon

A Christmas tree vendor in Manhattan is selling 20-foot Fraser firs for $6,500 each, most likely the most expensive evergreen in the city, the New York Post reported Sunday. Scott Lechner, the manager of Soho Trees, located near Canal Street, told the newspaper that the exorbitant prices aren't slowing sales. "We're sold out," he said. The steep price tag includes delivery and installation.
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Events & Things To Do

Facebook in talks for office space at former Farley Post Office in Midtown

By Devin Gannon

Facebook is looking to expand its New York City footprint once again. The social media company is in talks to lease about 700,000 square feet at the former James A. Farley Post Office, a city landmark in Midtown currently being converted into a mixed-use building. If the deal is inked, Facebook would become one of the largest corporate tenants in the city with 3 million square feet of office space leased, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
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Real Estate Trends

Take a bus tour of NYC through the eyes of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’

In the show, Midge Maisel visits New York City’s oldest bar, McSorley’s Old Ale House. In reality, the establishment barred women until 1970. Photo © James and Karla Murray for 6sqft

December 5, 2019

Take a bus tour of NYC through the eyes of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’

By Devin Gannon

Fans of the Amazon series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" will soon be able to tour famed New York City locations featured in the show. Starting Dec. 16, On Locations Tours, which runs television and movie-themed tours in NYC and Boston, is offering a bus tour that stops at filming locations of the popular show, coinciding with the release of its third season this week. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the tours will be held three times a week and cost $52.
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Target announces new Times Square store, its 10th Manhattan location

Rendering courtesy of Target

December 5, 2019

Target announces new Times Square store, its 10th Manhattan location

By Devin Gannon

New York City is getting another Target. The retailer announced on Thursday plans to open a small-format store in Times Square, its 10th store in Manhattan. The 33,000-square-foot location will be located at a five-level retail complex on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The property, owned and managed by Tishman Realty, is currently undergoing a $60 million renovation. The 42nd Street shop is expected to open in 2022.
The Target takeover continues

Uncategorized

Electric cargo bikes will replace some delivery trucks in NYC

Photo courtesy of the Department of Transportation

December 5, 2019

Electric cargo bikes will replace some delivery trucks in NYC

By Devin Gannon

Nearly two million packages on average are delivered in New York City each day, causing vans and trucks to clog already congested streets. Looking to address delivery-related traffic, as well as cut vehicle emissions, the city announced on Wednesday a pilot program that would encourage companies to use cargo bikes instead of trucks to deliver parcels in Manhattan below 60th Street.
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David Rockwell-designed food hall to open at Manhattan West complex

Rendering courtesy of Brookfield Properties

December 4, 2019

David Rockwell-designed food hall to open at Manhattan West complex

By Devin Gannon

A new food hall designed by David Rockwell is coming to Manhattan's West Side. Brookfield Properties announced on Tuesday plans to open a 40,000-square-foot venue at Manhattan West, a six-building development currently under construction that includes space for office, residential, retail, and a hotel between 9th and 10th Avenues. Dubbed "Citizens" and run by hospitality company sbe, the concept includes two full-service restaurants, multiple bars, and a fast-casual market.
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Food & Dining

New looks for Thomas Heatherwick’s quirky Lantern House condos on the High Line

Rendering courtesy of Related Companies

December 4, 2019

New looks for Thomas Heatherwick’s quirky Lantern House condos on the High Line

By Devin Gannon

New renderings were released this week of Thomas Heatherwick's first residential project in the United States, providing a peek inside one of New York City's most unique new buildings. Developed by Related Companies, Lantern House consists of two High Line-flanking towers, one at 10 stories and the other at 22 stories, both with glassy bubbled exteriors. Four new images reveal its freestanding glass lobby pavilion which connects the two buildings and is pierced by two beams from the elevated park above.
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New map shows over 600 languages spoken in NYC

Screenshot of the NYC language map courtesy of the Endangered Language Alliance

December 4, 2019

New map shows over 600 languages spoken in NYC

By Devin Gannon

More than 600 languages are spoken in the New York metropolitan area, making it one of the most linguistically diverse regions in the world. The Endangered Language Alliance (ELA), a non-profit that aims to protect endangered languages across the city and New Jersey, released this week a comprehensive map of the area's 637 languages and dialects at nearly 1,000 sites. As first reported by Gothamist, the map coincides with the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages, declared by the United Nations in 2016, as well as the upcoming 2020 census.
Explore the map

City Living

December 3, 2019

Lottery launches for 55 middle-income apartments at chic Clinton Hill rental, from $1,097/month

By Devin Gannon

At the nexus of Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy, a new rental in Clinton Hill launched an affordable housing lottery this week for 55 middle-income units. Located across the street from the Franklin Avenue C, S subway station at 1134 Fulton Street, the building offers residents a gym, on-site laundry, parking, and rooftop access. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from $1,097/month studios to $2,400/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Design unveiled for New York Philharmonic’s $550M revamped concert hall

Renderings courtesy of the New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center

December 2, 2019

Design unveiled for New York Philharmonic’s $550M revamped concert hall

By Devin Gannon

A plan to redesign the New York Philharmonic's concert hall was unveiled on Monday, nearly two decades after the project was first proposed. The $550 million plan aims to create a more intimate experience, acoustically and visually, at David Geffen Hall by moving the stage closer to the audience, improving sightlines, and reducing the seating capacity. Officials estimate the new hall will open in March of 2024.
More here

Architecture And Design

Empire State Building opens 80th-floor observatory, completing $165M redevelopment

Photo by Evan Joseph for Empire State Realty Trust

December 2, 2019

Empire State Building opens 80th-floor observatory, completing $165M redevelopment

By Devin Gannon

With the opening of the 80th-floor observatory last week, the $165 million, four-year redevelopment of the Empire State Building is now complete. In partnership with the city's tourism agency, NYC & Company, Empire State Realty Trust created an interactive, visitor-focused experience, which includes personalized digital itineraries, the building's classic viewfinders, film, original artwork, and more. The Trust unveiled the 102nd-floor observatory to the public in October, with the second-floor museum opening earlier in the summer.
See it here

Architecture And Design

Vintage photos document the origins of Black Friday shopping in NYC

Christmas shoppers on 6th Avenue (1910) via Library of Congress

November 27, 2019

Vintage photos document the origins of Black Friday shopping in NYC

By Devin Gannon

Black Friday marks the start of frantic holiday shopping, the day when retailers offer their best deals of the season to lure in eager shoppers. While some gift-givers now choose to digitally add items to shopping carts from the comfort of bed instead, many still line up outside of stores at the crack of dawn in search of major discounts. This is not a modern phenomenon, as these photographs from the Library of Congress of 20th century New York City reveal. Like today, New Yorkers of the early 1900s were drawn to the magical window shops and displays. Ahead, explore vintage photos of shoppers browsing New York City stores looking for the perfect presents, postcards and more.
See the photos here

200 spots open on waitlist for middle-income units at ritzy Upper West Side rental

Photo by Peter Burka on Flickr

November 27, 2019

200 spots open on waitlist for middle-income units at ritzy Upper West Side rental

By Devin Gannon

A housing lottery launched this week to replenish the waitlist at a high-end apartment building on the Upper West Side. Applications are currently being accepted for a 200-spot waitlist for the West End Towers, a two-tower, 1,000-unit complex at 75 West End Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the available units, studios between $1,997 and $2,137 per month and one-bedrooms between $2,224 and $2,601 per month. Eligible applicants will be randomly selected and placed on the waitlist for future vacancies.
How to apply

Affordable Housing

Live between Central Park and Morningside Park in Harlem, from $2,357/month

Photo by Allie Smith on Unsplash

November 27, 2019

Live between Central Park and Morningside Park in Harlem, from $2,357/month

By Devin Gannon

Located in between two of Manhattan's best green spaces, Morningside Park and Central Park, a new rental has launched a lottery for 32 middle-income apartments. The 13-story building at 251 West 117th Street in Harlem sits behind the former St. Thomas the Apostle Church, which has been restored and converted into a community and performance space. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which include $2,357/month studios, $2,526/month one-bedrooms, and $3,044/month two bedrooms.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

141 middle-income units up for grabs at Prospect-Lefferts’ tallest tower, from $2,156/month

Rendering courtesy of ArX Solutions

November 26, 2019

141 middle-income units up for grabs at Prospect-Lefferts’ tallest tower, from $2,156/month

By Devin Gannon

A housing lottery launched this week for 141 middle-income apartments at a newly constructed building that borders Brooklyn's Flatbush and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens neighborhoods. Dubbed "PLG," the 26-story tower at 123 Linden Boulevard sits a few blocks from the southern end of Prospect Park and boasts 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space. As the tallest building in the neighborhood at 320 feet, PLG offers unobstructed panoramic views of Prospect Park, the Manhattan skyline, and the Verrazano Bridge. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $2,156/month studios to $3,122/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

November 26, 2019

Disability rights group files lawsuit challenging inaccessibility of new Long Island City library

By Devin Gannon

A disability rights group filed a lawsuit on Tuesday that claims a new public library in Queens does not provide full access for those with mobility disabilities. The civil suit, filed by the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York and the Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), says the newly constructed Hunters Point Library in Long Island City, which took nearly a decade to build and cost more than $41 million, violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While the library opened in September to praise from architecture critics for its innovative design, visitors immediately criticized the building's third level fiction section, accessible only by stairs.
Details here

Policy

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