All articles by Devin Gannon

November 14, 2023

2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: What you need to know

The 97th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is ready to kick off the holiday season. Taking place on Thursday, November 23, the parade this year will run an extra 30 minutes (with a start time of 8:30 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.) and include a performance by Cher (who will open for the real star of the show, Santa Claus). This year's parade features 32 novelty and heritage inflatables, 16 giant character balloons, 26 floats, 12 marching bands, 700 clowns, and eight performance groups, all made possible thanks to roughly 5,000 volunteers.
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November 7, 2023

Mets owner reveals ‘Metropolitan Park’ proposal for $8B casino complex next to Citi Field

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen on Tuesday unveiled new details for his plan to build a casino across the street from Citi Field. The billionaire hedge fund manager has teamed up with Hard Rock International on the proposed "Metropolitan Park," a sports and entertainment development planned for 50 acres of what is currently parking lots next to the Flushing, Queens baseball stadium. The $8 billion proposal includes a Hard Rock-run entertainment complex with a hotel, live music venue, restaurants, and a casino, 20 acres of public space, a Queens-themed food hall, a renovated transit station, and more.
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November 7, 2023

NYC holiday open streets return to Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center

Visiting Midtown during the holidays will be more festive and less stressful this year. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced plans to fully pedestrianize Fifth Avenue from 48th and 59th Streets on three Sundays in December, expanding the open street by three blocks to reach Central Park. Plus, certain streets around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall will be closed to cars every day throughout the holiday season, reducing crowds and making it safer for the hundreds of thousands of people visiting the iconic Christmas Tree, holiday window displays, and the Rockettes.
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November 3, 2023

A guide to the 2023 New York City Marathon

The largest marathon in the world returns to New York City this Sunday. On November 5, 50,000 runners will participate in the annual TCS New York City Marathon, a race that travels 26.2 miles and runs through every borough, starting on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and ending in Central Park. Ahead, learn everything you need to know about this year's event, from the route and start times to the best viewing spots for spectators and scheduled road closures.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
October 31, 2023

Dramatic triplex condo on historic Stuyvesant Square in Gramercy asks $1.5M

Here's an opportunity to own a renovated one-bedroom condo in one of the most attractive buildings in Gramercy. Facing the historic Stuyvesant Square Park, the home takes up three levels (including a bonus attic space) at 305 Second Avenue, a building also known as Rutherford Place. Designed by prolific architect R. H. Robertson, the 10-story building was built as a hospital in 1902 and gifted to the city by J.P. Morgan. Asking $1,545,000, the available residence features 20-foot ceilings, park views, a mullioned glass wall, and 21st-century amenities.
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October 26, 2023

190-year-old West Village wooden house with storied history asks $6M

A 19th-century wooden house in the West Village that has lived many lives over its nearly 190-year-old history is now on the market. Built in 1834, the property at 392 West Street (also known as 6 Weehawken Street) was originally part of the open-air Greenwich Market and later operated as a tavern, cigar store, pool hall, speakeasy, and two gay bars. The building's last owner, Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois, made headlines in recent years after claiming he would leave the home to the Lenape people, the original Manhattanites. But when Bourgeois died last year, the house went to his estate and is now on the market for $6,000,000, as Gothamist reported.
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October 25, 2023

The best spots to see fall foliage in NYC

The beautiful yet fleeting season of fall has officially begun in New York City. While a trip to the Catskill or Adirondack mountains makes for a fun weekend, New Yorkers don't have to travel outside city limits to enjoy the colorful fall foliage. Typically, peak foliage in the city takes place at the end of October through early November and lasts only a few days. Ahead, find some of the best parks and gardens across the five boroughs to take in the beauty of the season.
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October 25, 2023

Bjarke Ingels’ terrace-wrapped office tower The Spiral opens in Hudson Yards

It's BIG's biggest yet. Bjarke Ingels Group on Tuesday announced the completion of The Spiral, a 66-story office tower in Hudson Yards. The skyscraper at 66 Hudson Boulevard measures 2.8 million square feet and rises just over 1,031 feet tall, making it the architecture firm's first completed supertall. In addition to its soaring height, The Spiral stands out for its series of cascading terraces that wrap around the building, "like a 1,000-foot-tall vine at the scale of the city's skyline," as the architect described.
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October 23, 2023

Midtown East casino proposal adds Bjarke Ingels and 500 affordable apartments

A developer hoping to build a casino near the United Nations is adding two components to its plan to appeal to New Yorkers: a famous architect and hundreds of affordable apartments. Soloviev Group last week announced its proposed mixed-use development in Midtown East dubbed Freedom Plaza will include 1,325 apartments with more than 500 of them permanently affordable. Plus, as the New York Times first reported, starchitect Bjarke Ingels will design the project, which includes a hotel, museum, public green space, and an underground casino.
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October 20, 2023

Bronx Point phase one opens with 542 new homes and a waterfront park

The first phase of a major mixed-use development in the South Bronx has officially opened. Officials on Thursday unveiled 542 new units of affordable housing and a 2.8-acre waterfront public park now complete as part of the $349 million Bronx Point project. The development will also be home to the Universal Hip Hop Museum, which will open in 2025 as the first museum of its kind in the country.
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October 20, 2023

Mayor Adams to host haunted Halloween party at Gracie Mansion

The grounds of Gracie Mansion are getting a haunted makeover this Halloween. Mayor Eric Adams will open the People's House to young New Yorkers for trick-or-treating, a corn maze, and a spooky graveyard. Adams, who previously said he thinks ghosts reside at the Yorkville mansion, has set aside tickets to the two-day event for about 300 families in the city's shelter system and those seeking asylum.
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October 19, 2023

Restoration of Richard Haas’ trompe-l’oeil mural in Soho begins

After years of deterioration, Richard Haas' iconic mural on the outside of a building in Soho will be restored. Painted in 1975, the five-story-high mural depicts a faux cast-iron facade painted to look like a continuation of the late 19th-century building at 112 Prince Street. Natural elements, time, and graffiti have made the mural unrecognizable, with the artwork almost completely faded. Work to bring the mural back to life began this week, with the project expected to be completed in November.
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October 18, 2023

For $3.1M, an authentic condo loft in a Tribeca landmark

With its Corinthian columns and soaring tin ceilings, this Tribeca apartment checks all the boxes of a classic industrial loft. Located at 79 Worth Street within the landmarked Tribeca Lofts condominium, the two-bedroom, two-bath home measures a little over 1,900 square feet, with its generous open layout allowing for maximum flexibility. The condo loft is now on the market for $3,100,000.
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October 17, 2023

Cozy West Village co-op has pre-war charm and modern amenities for $1.6M

In one of New York City's most charming neighborhoods, an equally charming apartment is now on the market. The two-bedroom co-op at 211 West 10th Street is an example of what makes the West Village so desirable: it's attractive and historic but also boasts must-have contemporary luxuries. For $1,595,000, live out your Manhattan pre-war fantasies with the help of exposed brick, crown molding, and tree-top views.
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October 16, 2023

Anthony Rapp of ‘Rent’ lists East Village condo for $3.85M

Anthony Rapp, who played the leading role of Mark Cohen in Broadway's "Rent," has put his East Village condo on the market for $3.85 million. Located within the luxury boutique building 32 East 1st Street, the actor's three-bedroom, three-bath home features designer-crafted details across roughly 1,500 square feet. According to the New York Post, Rapp, who also starred in the comedy "Dazed and Confused," bought the apartment for $3.57 million in October 2021.
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October 12, 2023

Gothic Gramercy Park townhouse of late fashion designer Oleg Cassini asks $13.95M

The neo-Gothic townhouse once owned by late fashion designer Oleg Cassini is for sale. The five-story home at 135 East 19th Street became part of an estate battle between the daughter and widow of Cassini following his death in 2006, ending only last year when it was sold in an auction for just $5 million. Now on the market for $13,950,000, the quirky townhouse measures nearly 7,000 square feet and features a double-height living room with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and massive stone fireplace, stained glass windows on every floor, a glass solarium, and more unique elements.
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October 11, 2023

Bad Bunny is renting a $150K/month penthouse at Chelsea’s Jardim condo

Superstar rapper Bad Bunny is renting at one of Chelsea's most unique condo buildings. The Puerto Rican musician has moved into a penthouse at the Jardim, a pair of buildings at 527 West 27th Street designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld. The apartment was last asking $150,000 per month, as the New York Post first reported. The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath apartment offers a perfect indoor-outdoor lifestyle, with sliding glass curtain wall windows leading to nearly 4,600 square feet of private outdoor space across four terraces.
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October 10, 2023

Museum of the City of New York celebrates its 100th birthday with weekend-long party

The Museum of the City of New York turns 100 this year and to celebrate this milestone, the institution is hosting a weekend-long birthday bash. The party kicks off October 13 through October 15 and includes Roaring Twenties-themed concerts, a scavenger hunt for movie lovers, and a family day with lots of fun arts and crafts, dancing, and other events. The celebration coincides with the opening of the museum's new exhibit, "People, Place, and Influence: The Collection at 100," which explores its mission to capture New York and highlights its unique collection of over 750,000 items.
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October 5, 2023

Open House New York Weekend is here: Get behind-the-scenes tours of 350 NYC sites

It's Christmas in October for fans of architecture and design. In addition to the monthlong Archtober festival, Open House New York Weekend takes place this month. The annual five-borough event offers free behind-the-scenes tours of New York City spaces, unlocking sites that are often off-limits to the public. Hosted over three days from October 20 through October 22, this year's OHNY Weekend line-up is the largest ever, with nearly 350 insider tours of cultural spaces like the new Perelman Performing Arts Center, iconic institutions like the United Nations headquarters, historic homes of Greenwich Village, and so much more.
see the line-up
October 4, 2023

JFK AirTrain will finally accept tap-and-go OMNY payments

It just got slightly more convenient to get to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport via public transportation. The JFK AirTrain will accept tap-and-go payments using OMNY starting Tuesday, October 10, nearly three years after the system was installed in every subway station. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday said only select gates in both the Jamaica and Howard Beach stations will have the contactless payment readers as part of the initial rollout.
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October 3, 2023

12 acres of Central Park’s Great Lawn closed until April after damage from Global Citizen Festival

A large section of Central Park's Great Lawn will be closed through at least April after damage caused by the Global Citizen Festival and heavy rain. As first reported by West Side Rag, the "combination of heavy rain, foot traffic, and machinery" during the September 23 event destroyed one-third of the grassy area, leading to its immediate closure and need for re-seeding.
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October 2, 2023

Manhattan’s first public ‘beach’ opens at Hudson River Park

Every borough in New York City now has a beach. Sort of. On Monday, the Gansevoort Peninsula officially opened at Little West 12th Street and 13th Avenue at Hudson River Park. The new 5.5-acre waterfront public park in the Meatpacking District includes a sandy beach with umbrellas, chairs, misting features, places to picnic, kayak access, and a rocky seating edge. But, unlike at other city beaches, swimming will not be allowed at Gansevoort Peninsula due to the Hudson River's polluted water. The green space is the largest standalone recreational space within the four-mile Hudson River Park.
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October 2, 2023

How NYC public libraries are fighting censorship

Book bans continue to increase nationwide, with public libraries now a major target of challenges. According to the American Library Association (ALA), there were 695 attempts to censor library materials with challenges to 1,915 unique titles during the first eight months of 2023, an increase of 20 percent from the same period last year. Challenges to books in public libraries accounted for 49 percent of all challenges, compared to just 16 percent last year. In response, New York City libraries are launching anti-censorship campaigns directed at young people across the five boroughs and beyond, coinciding with Banned Books Week, which runs from October 1 through October 7.
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September 29, 2023

Major flooding disrupts NYC subway service as Hochul and Adams declare state of emergency

Nearly every subway line is experiencing service disruptions on Friday morning as extreme rainfall and flooding slam New York City. In a post on X, formerly called Twitter, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said "there is only extremely limited subway service," with several lines suspended or partially suspended due to water on the tracks. In response to the heavy rainfall and extreme flooding, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a state of emergency for New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island.
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