City Living

New York pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Photo of the Freedom Tower; courtesy of Don Pollard/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

September 9, 2022

New York pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

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To honor the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday at the age of 96, landmarks across New York were illuminated purple. Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered all flags on state buildings to be flown at half-staff on Friday; Mayor Eric Adams also directed all flags on city buildings and stationary flagstaffs to be lowered.
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Free classes taught by immigrant professors and experts return to Prospect Park

Photo credit: Gregg Richards

September 2, 2022

Free classes taught by immigrant professors and experts return to Prospect Park

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A "pop-up university" offering free classes and workshops taught by immigrant professors and experts from around the world returns to Brooklyn this month. Organized by the Brooklyn Public Library and the Prospect Park Alliance, University Open Air provides immigrant teachers, professors, and academics who were trained outside of the country a chance to share their knowledge with the public during free courses held outdoors in Prospect Park. University Open Air takes place on the lawn outside of the Boathouse in Prospect Park on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from September 8 through September 18.
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NYC Comptroller proposes framework to legalize basement apartments

September 3, 2021: Gov. Kathy Hochul toured several homes in East Elmhurst, Queens that flooded from torrential rains brought on by Hurricane Ida. Photo by Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor on Flickr

September 1, 2022

NYC Comptroller proposes framework to legalize basement apartments

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Ahead of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida, Comptroller Brad Lander on Tuesday released a new report that lays the groundwork for legalizing New York City's basement apartments. On September 1, 2021, the hurricane hit the city with record rainfall and historic flooding that ultimately killed more than a dozen New Yorkers, a majority of whom lived in basement units, many of them unregulated. Modeled after New York's Loft Law, Lander's proposed "Basement Resident Protection Law" temporarily legalizes existing basement apartments, requires owners to provide basic safety measures, like smoke detectors and backflow preventers, and creates a "Basement Board" to oversee rights.
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Inside Peachy Keen, a ’70s-inspired Times Square restaurant with funky decor and comfort food

All photos courtesy of Alejandro Ramos

August 30, 2022

Inside Peachy Keen, a ’70s-inspired Times Square restaurant with funky decor and comfort food

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An over-the-top dining experience bursting at the seams with color, patterns, and nostalgia opened in Times Square this summer. Peachy Keen is a sprawling restaurant with exaggerated 1970s-inspired interiors, decked out in a vibrant color scheme of coral, turquoise, orange, and pink with design elements like white ceramic tiles with pink grout and neon signs. The team behind the delightfully retro restaurant's design is Wid Chapman Architects, the hospitality experts who designed New York City hot spots like Dhamaka and the restaurant inside 70 Pine Street. Serving up inventive comfort food and funky cocktails, the all-day eatery is massive with a little over 140 seats, but pockets of tucked-away seating and banquettes provide space for private moments, too. Ahead, hear from architect Wid Chapman on how Peachy Keen's colorful menu inspired the restaurant's technicolor vibe, as well as the firm's design process and his favorite thing to order from the new restaurant.
A Times Square throwback
Independent bookstore McNally Jackson to open new flagship location at Rockefeller Center

McNally Jackson’s South Street Seaport location; Photo by Yvonne Brooks

August 24, 2022

Independent bookstore McNally Jackson to open new flagship location at Rockefeller Center

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Bookworms will soon have a new reason to visit Rockefeller Center. This December, beloved independent bookstore McNally Jackson will open a new flagship location at the iconic commercial complex in Midtown, Tishman Speyer announced this month. The new bookstore will measure 7,000 square feet and include McNally Jackson's stationary store, Goods For The Study.
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NYC receives $7M federal grant to expand greenway network in underserved communities

Image courtesy of Elvert Barnes on Flickr

August 23, 2022

NYC receives $7M federal grant to expand greenway network in underserved communities

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New York City received a $7.25 million federal grant that will be put towards the expansion of the city's greenway network, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday. The expansion aims to improve the greenway network's reach in historically underserved, lower-income neighborhoods that lack access to public transportation and jobs by filling in "critical gaps" in the network, improving cyclist and pedestrian safety, and enhancing green transportation alternatives and waterfront access.
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Free pop-up performances by Broadway stars to take place across NYC next week

Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 19, 2022

Free pop-up performances by Broadway stars to take place across NYC next week

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Next week, you can enjoy Broadway performances for free. Four pop-up concerts will take place at plazas throughout New York City as part of "Broadway Forever," an initiative launched by NY Forever, a non-profit group that aims to help New York recover in the aftermath of Covid. The performances will run for four days starting on Tuesday, August 23 through Friday, August 26.
Details this way
‘Gatsby’-inspired Art Deco theater with state-of-the-art technology opens at Manhattan West

Photo courtesy of Jason Greenspan

August 18, 2022

‘Gatsby’-inspired Art Deco theater with state-of-the-art technology opens at Manhattan West

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A new theater opening in Midtown next month adds a modern twist to a classic New York City experience. Opening on September 21 at Brookfield Properties' mixed-use development Manhattan West, Midnight Theatre is a 160-seat performance venue that flaunts an Art Deco-inspired interior coupled with state-of-the-art technology. The theater includes a 270-degree immersive projection system that can alter the appearance of the venue's interior and can "transport visitors anywhere as part of a performance's narrative or needs." Conceptualized by creative director Warren Adcock, the venue will be a hotspot for music, theatre, performance art, and magic.
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The history behind NYC’s water towers

Photo of water towers on East 57th Street via Wikimedia

August 17, 2022

The history behind NYC’s water towers

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For over 100 years, water towers have been a seamless part of New York City’s skyline. So seamless, in fact, they often go unnoticed, usually overshadowed by their glassy supertall neighbors. While these wooden relics look like a thing of the past, the same water pumping structure is still built today, originating from just three family-run companies, two of which have been operating for nearly this entire century-long history. With up to 17,000 water tanks scattered throughout NYC, 6sqft decided to explore these icons, from their history and construction to modern projects that are bringing the structures into the mainstream.
Everything you need to know
Target opens new store in Soho

All photos courtesy of Target

August 10, 2022

Target opens new store in Soho

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Target this week will open a new location in Soho, the company's 95th store in the greater New York City area. The store, which will be tailored for the surrounding community, will offer an assortment of Target's top-owned and national brands, as well as a contactless pickup order and same-delivery system. Located at 600 Broadway, the new store will open on Sunday, August 14.
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You can browse and borrow vinyl records at the Brooklyn Public Library

Photo credit to Gregg Richards, courtesy of Brooklyn Public Library

August 4, 2022

You can browse and borrow vinyl records at the Brooklyn Public Library

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The Brooklyn Public Library is launching a new pilot program this month for music lovers. Starting on August 9, BPL patrons can visit the Central Library branch in Park Slope and browse, listen to, and borrow a diverse collection of nearly 400 records. The vinyl collection and listening stations will be in the New & Noteworthy room on the first floor of the recently-renovated Central Library. Teen and adult cardholders can take out up to three records for three weeks.
Learn more here
Amtrak launches direct service from NYC to Burlington, Vermont

Photo Credit: Amtrak / Hello Burlington

July 29, 2022

Amtrak launches direct service from NYC to Burlington, Vermont

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For New Yorkers looking for an escape from the city without dealing with traffic or chaos at the airport, Amtrak on Friday launched new train service from New York City to the city of Burlington, Vermont. The scenic trip takes around 7.5 hours and travels through the Hudson Valley, Green Mountains, and along Lake Champlain, with new stops in Middlebury and Ferrisburgh-Vergennes before ending in Burlington, a small city with New England charm and vibrant culture. It's the first time since 1953 that Amtrak service will connect New York City and Burlington.
Details this way
NYC to host 10 free concerts across the five boroughs as part of ‘Rise Up’ series

RISE UP Summer Concert Series at Wingate Park in Brooklyn. Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 28, 2022

NYC to host 10 free concerts across the five boroughs as part of ‘Rise Up’ series

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A new concert series that will take place in every borough throughout the summer officially kicked off on Wednesday. The "Rise Up NYC' series involves 10 free community concerts in parks and outdoor spaces across the city. According to Mayor Eric Adams, the series is meant to "encourage New Yorkers to explore all of the city and reconnect with one another as the city emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic." The "Rise Up" series was announced with less fanfare than last year's "Homecoming" concert in Central Park, which was headlined by Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson, and Bruce Springsteen and meant to celebrate NYC's recovery from Covid but later called off in the middle of it because of severe weather.
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This year’s ‘Summer Streets’ will extend car-free blocks to East Harlem for the first time

Summer Streets 2019. Photo credit: New York City Department of Transportation on Flickr

July 26, 2022

This year’s ‘Summer Streets’ will extend car-free blocks to East Harlem for the first time

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New York City's annual "Summer Streets" program, which closes several miles of streets in Manhattan to cars, will expand to East Harlem this year for the first time ever. Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced last week plans to extend the initiative by nearly two miles to East 109th Street. On three Saturdays in August, New Yorkers will be able to enjoy outdoor recreation, performances, fitness classes, and arts and crafts on more than eight miles of open streets spanning from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park.
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Central Park’s Loeb Boathouse to close permanently

Image courtesy of ajay_suresh on Flickr

July 21, 2022

Central Park’s Loeb Boathouse to close permanently

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Loeb Boathouse, Central Park's iconic lakeside restaurant which has operated for nearly 70 years, will be closing permanently on October 16. According to a notice filed with the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) by the venue's owner, the establishment will be closing its doors and laying off all of its 163 employees due to what owner Dean Poll calls, "rising labor and costs of goods."
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NYC approves renaming Lower East Side intersection ‘Beastie Boys Square’

The intersection of Ludlow and Rivington Streets on the LEs; Photo courtesy of Simon O’Brien on Flickr

July 20, 2022

NYC approves renaming Lower East Side intersection ‘Beastie Boys Square’

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The New York City Council last week voted to rename the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington Streets on the Lower East Side to "Beastie Boys Square," an ode to the NYC hip-hop trio who immortalized the corner of the two streets on the cover of their 1989 album, Paul's Boutique. The bill is currently awaiting the signature of Mayor Eric Adams.
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Rockaway Beach reopens after shark sightings prompted temporary closure

Image courtesy of Lars Plougmann on Flickr

July 20, 2022

Rockaway Beach reopens after shark sightings prompted temporary closure

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New Yorkers trying to escape the heat on Tuesday were disappointed when the city closed all of Rockaway's beaches to swimming due to a number of shark sightings. A city lifeguard told Gothamist there were at least two reports of shark sightings: a surfer who reported that a shark had collided with his surfboard at Beach 67th Street and a lifeguard who reported seeing a shark off of 102nd Street. By Tuesday evening, city officials reopened the beaches.
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During NYC’s heat wave, find a cooling center near you

Screenshot was taken on 7/19/22 of NYC Cooling Center Finder

July 19, 2022

During NYC’s heat wave, find a cooling center near you

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With the heat index possibly hitting 100 degrees several days this week, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for New York City through Sunday. An advisory is issued when the combination of heat and humidity is expected to make it feel like it is 95 to 99 degrees for two or more days in a row or 100 to 104 degrees for any length of time. To keep New Yorkers safe from excessive heat, the city opened hundreds of cooling centers across the five boroughs on Tuesday. With this interactive map, you can find all of the air-conditioned public facilities in your neighborhood (and which ones accept your furry friends).
Here's how to beat the heat
Where to see the final Manhattanhenge of 2022

Photo by Dan Nguyen on Flickr

July 8, 2022

Where to see the final Manhattanhenge of 2022

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Twice every year, the setting sun aligns perfectly with Manhattan's street grid, making for a picturesque moment that brings New Yorkers a much-needed moment of calm. This effect, dubbed Manhattanhenge by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, first blanketed the city streets with the sun's glow on May 29 before making its final appearance on July 12.
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This new tropical ‘beach club’ brings Tulum to NYC’s Governors Island

All images courtesy of Gitano Island

July 6, 2022

This new tropical ‘beach club’ brings Tulum to NYC’s Governors Island

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A new tropical restaurant has opened on Governors Island, promising to transport New Yorkers to Tulum, a town on the coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Grupo Gitano announced last week the opening of Gitano Island, a tranquil 27,000-square-foot sandy getaway with Mexican cuisine, live music, and lush plants and palm trees, all just a boat ride away from Manhattan.
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Macy’s fireworks by the numbers: The tricks and stats behind the nation’s largest 4th of July show

Image via Flickr cc

June 30, 2022

Macy’s fireworks by the numbers: The tricks and stats behind the nation’s largest 4th of July show

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America's largest 4th of July fireworks show is getting ready to light up the New York sky; Macy’s 46th annual Fourth of July live fireworks extravaganza happens Monday, July 4th at 8 P.M., Plans are being hatched to snag a spot at one of the city's better viewing locations (or in front of a bigger screen; the show is being broadcast live) to watch the amazing choreography of pyrotechnics throughout the two-hour display. The fireworks are set to sail skyward from five barges stationed on the East River centered around Midtown Manhattan starting at about 9:25 P.M.–and the numbers behind the show are even more impressive this year.
Check the figures behind the fireworks
NYC is putting the last ‘Redbird’ subway car up for auction

R33 #9075 on display at Queens Borough Hall; Photo via Wikimedia

June 23, 2022

NYC is putting the last ‘Redbird’ subway car up for auction

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Here's a chance to own a piece of New York City history. The city's Department of Citywide Administrative Services is selling the last remaining "Redbird" subway car, which was in use from the 1960s until it was retired in 2003. The historic subway car is now up for auction online, with a starting bid of $6,500.
You can own an NYC icon
Broadway will drop mask mandate for month of July

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

June 22, 2022

Broadway will drop mask mandate for month of July

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Masks will no longer be required at all of Broadway's 41 theaters next month, the Broadway League announced Tuesday. Starting July 1, masks will be optional for audiences at shows. The League said masking protocols for August and beyond will be reviewed on a monthly basis, with an updated decision made in mid-July. While masks will not be required, audience members are still encouraged to wear them.
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NYC’s iconic High Bridge will stay open later this summer

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

June 20, 2022

NYC’s iconic High Bridge will stay open later this summer

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New York City's oldest surviving bridge will be open for two additional hours this summer. A new pilot program will extend the hours of the High Bridge, which provides a pedestrian link between Manhattan and the Bronx, to 10 p.m. daily through the end of September. Announced by Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue last week, the new pilot moves the bridge's closing time from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., allowing New Yorkers to enjoy the scenic walkway over the Harlem River for longer during the hot summer months.
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