City Living

It's been 33 years since Keith Haring painted his "Crack is Wack" mural on a handball court near the Harlem River Drive in East Harlem, and now the iconic work is getting a much-needed restoration, as amNY reported. Inspired by his studio assistant Benny—who was struggling with addiction but later recovered—Haring painted the 16-foot by 26-foot mural on June 27, 1986, at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic and intended the piece to function as a warning to young users. Celebrated as one of Haring's most important works, the mural has been shielded by protective coverings in recent years during reconstruction work on the Harlem River Drive.
More details

Iconic New York Public Library lions to get a laser cleaning as part of conservation effort

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL.

August 12, 2019

Iconic New York Public Library lions to get a laser cleaning as part of conservation effort

The iconic lions standing guard outside the The New York Public Library’s 42nd Street location are getting some much-needed grooming this fall. The majestic pair–named Patience and Fortitude–have been in place since 1911 as international symbols for access to knowledge and information. As part of a conservation effort that happens every 7 to 10 years, the stone sentries will receive repairs to cracks and chips and laser cleanings.
A bit of history, this way

City Living

New study finds reasons for storefront vacancy are as varied as NYC neighborhoods themselves

Image: Steven Pisano via Flickr.

August 9, 2019

New study finds reasons for storefront vacancy are as varied as NYC neighborhoods themselves

Amid discussions of gentrification and astronomical rents, it's impossible not to notice the alarming appearance of vacant storefronts in what seems like every neighborhood in New York City. A new report from the Department of City Planning (DCP) has attempted to get a closer look at the data behind this phenomenon to get a better understanding of how the city's retail and storefront uses may be changing. The report, titled "Assessing Storefront Vacancy in NYC," looks at 24 neighborhoods as case studies. The very detailed study found that, overall, storefront vacancy may not be a one-answer citywide problem. Vacancies were found to be concentrated in certain neighborhoods, and the reasons appear to be as many and varied as the neighborhoods themselves.
More fascinating findings, this way

Queens locals say Billie Holiday monument should be in historic Addisleigh Park, not Kew Gardens

Photo via Wikimedia

August 5, 2019

Queens locals say Billie Holiday monument should be in historic Addisleigh Park, not Kew Gardens

Residents in southeast Queens are pushing the city to place a monument of jazz artist Billie Holiday in their neighborhood, instead of Kew Gardens, as the city proposed. In March, First lady Chirlane McCray announced plans to erect four statues of trailblazing women across the boroughs, including commissioning one of Holiday near Queens Borough Hall. But as Patch reported this week, locals want the monument to be in the Addisleigh Park Historic District, where Holiday, as well as many other prominent jazz musicians, lived in the late 1940s and '50s.
More here

City Living

Katz’s iconic deli fare pops up at The Met this month

Image: City Foodsters via Flickr.

August 1, 2019

Katz’s iconic deli fare pops up at The Met this month

Starting August 2, visitors at Manhattan’s venerable Metropolitan Museum of Art will be able to indulge in a taste of the iconic Lower East Side deli in a pop-up within the museum's cafeteria, Food & Wine reports. Through the end of summer, hungry culture vultures can choose from turkey or pastrami sandwiches, potato salad, pickles and a selection of Dr. Brown's soda. “Expert cutters” will even be on-site to serve up the hand-carved platters. The pop-up will occupy a temporary version of the downtown delicatessen, complete with a mini Katz's lightbox on display. The pop-up will be open Thursday through Monday starting at 11:30 A.M.
Still hungry? find out more

Is this marker in Woodside, Queens really the center of NYC?

Photos via Nicole Mondrus for 6sqft

July 30, 2019

Is this marker in Woodside, Queens really the center of NYC?

By Nicole Mondrus

Located in the middle of a traffic median on Queens Boulevard and 58th Street in Woodside, a marker set in the pavement makes a bold claim: “The Geographic Center of NYC.” The math used to calculate geographical centers is fairly complicated and doesn’t quite account for other environmental factors. However, there seems to be a fair consensus as to the streetside marker in Woodside: It isn’t the geographical center at all.
What's the deal?

City Living

Out of 7,000 potential NYC school sites, special task force says only 2 are viable

Photo via Flickr cc

July 30, 2019

Out of 7,000 potential NYC school sites, special task force says only 2 are viable

New York City has assembled a task force to find sites for new public schools, but the search is proving to be exceedingly difficult, as the Wall Street Journal reports. The School Siting Task Force said at a meeting on Monday that out of 7,000 city-owned properties they looked at, they found only two to be viable possibilities. Citing an urgent need, city officials said they would be putting out a Request for Proposals for private properties in the next few weeks as the School Construction Authority anticipates a need for 45,000 seats within the next five years and is looking to find 70 sites for new schools.
More info

City Living

Trump’s labor relations board continues fight against Scabby the Rat

Via Flickr

July 29, 2019

Trump’s labor relations board continues fight against Scabby the Rat

The giant inflatable rodent set up by unions outside of New York City construction projects is getting challenged in court. An advice memo from the general counsel at the National Labor Relations Board says inflatables, including famed Scabby the Rat, should be illegal for unions to use in protest. As Gothamist reported, Peter Robb, the President Donald Trump-appointed general counsel for the NLRB, said the big balloons like Scabby are "coercive" and "unlawful."
More this way

Asbury Park’s second act: How developer iStar is transforming this Jersey Shore town

Photo of Asbury Park’s Convention Hall by Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons

July 26, 2019

Asbury Park’s second act: How developer iStar is transforming this Jersey Shore town

By Dana Schulz

If you lived along the Jersey Shore in the '80s and '90s, Asbury Park was not a place you went. After getting its start in the late 1800s as a summer escape for wealthy residents of NYC and Philly, the 1.6-square-mile town boomed again in the '50s and '60s as a grungey, artsy hangout. But after the race riots in the 1970s, the town fell into disrepair and was forgotten by local stakeholders. Fast forward to today, and Asbury is booming--we once aptly described it as "Williamsburg meets Bruce Springsteen-land meets Venice Beach." Like many gentrifying/revitalized areas, the change can be attributed to a developer with foresight. In this case, the team at iStar realized the opportunity nine years ago. They now own 35 acres of land in Asbury, including 70 percent of the waterfront, and are investing more than $1 billion in the town. Their projects include the luxury condo Monroe, the renovated Asbury Lanes bowling alley/performance venue, The Asbury Hotel, and, most recently, the Asbury Ocean Club, a hotel-condo hybrid that made headlines for its $1,050/night suite. Unsurprisingly, iStar has received its share of criticism, but that hasn't stopped New Yorkers from flooding the seaside city in the summertime. Ahead, we delve into the social and cultural landscape of Asbury and talk with iStar's Brian Cheripka about the lesser-known politics behind their plans, why they decided to invest in Asbury Park, and what we can expect to see in the future.
READ MORE

How much do you need to earn to afford a two-bedroom in NYC?

Manhattan requires the second-highest income in the country to afford an average two-bedroom apartment. A new report from SmartAsset analyzed how much a household needs to make in order to afford rent in the 25 largest cities in the United States. In Manhattan, New Yorkers would need to earn an annual salary of at least $162,857 to afford the average two-bedroom rent in the borough, currently around $3,800 per month.
Dig into the data

Settlement promises curb cuts will be installed or upgraded at every corner in NYC

Image via Disability Rights Advocates

July 24, 2019

Settlement promises curb cuts will be installed or upgraded at every corner in NYC

A settlement in Manhattan Federal Court yesterday has established a plan to improve sidewalk accessibility throughout New York by making all 162,000 street corners in the city fully accessible within 15 years. Judge George B. Daniels mandated a comprehensive citywide survey to identify which corners need curb cuts installed or upgraded, which must be completed by October. This marks an important step toward making the city's streets easier to access and safer for the disabled community—and all New Yorkers.
More info

To protect their Empire State Building views, these Chelsea loft owners forked over $11M for air rights

Image via Google Maps shows 206 West 17th Street in 2016. Now, the handful of single and four-story buildings has been replaced by a short, glassy retail space.

July 22, 2019

To protect their Empire State Building views, these Chelsea loft owners forked over $11M for air rights

Air rights can be bought by whoever values them the most. In most scenarios, that ends up being a developer, but that’s not always the case. The New York Times recently reported on a rather unusual deal made in 2016 when a group of Chelsea loft owners refused to let a proposed condominium tower obstruct their natural light and Empire State Building views. Instead, they came together and made a substantial offer to buy the air rights themselves: $11 million.
How much is a view worth?

City demands answers from Con Edison after heat wave power outages

Image: Consumerist dot com via Flickr.

July 22, 2019

City demands answers from Con Edison after heat wave power outages

After thousands of New Yorkers lost power this weekend as temperatures soared through the 90s, the city looked to Con Ed for answers, including Mayor Bill De Blasio, who said in a Monday briefing that he was "extremely disappointed" in the utility provider, Gothamist reports. The latest shortfall, which saw over 50,000 customers in a swath of southeast Brooklyn without power this weekend, was apparently no accident; Con Ed throttled power to its customers in a "preemptive move to take those customers in southeast Brooklyn out of service in order to protect vital equipment and to help restore power as soon as possible."
What's the story, Con Ed?

City Living

Persistent tech failure blamed for Friday’s subway shutdown that left riders stranded in the heat

Image ©6sqft.

July 22, 2019

Persistent tech failure blamed for Friday’s subway shutdown that left riders stranded in the heat

At the start of the Friday evening rush hour last week, about a third of the New York City subway system–the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and Times Square shuttle lines–ground to a halt, leaving commuters stranded–some for as long as 90 minutes–in the sweltering heat. AM New York reports that the cause of the breakdown was a computer glitch the MTA has been fighting for months.
Delays and more delays this way

As this weekend’s heat wave sweeps over the city, here are some ways to beat the heat

Image via Flickr

July 19, 2019

As this weekend’s heat wave sweeps over the city, here are some ways to beat the heat

After a toasty week, the city's first heatwave of the year is about to get even hotter, with Friday’s expected heat index reaching 98 degrees and as high as 109 degrees over the weekend. The city is taking precautions to keep residents safe as the temperatures continue to heat up. Mayor Bill de Blasio declared an official heat emergency and directed office buildings and residents to set their AC to 78 degrees in order to prevent another power outage. The city's annual Triathlon, originally scheduled to take place on Sunday, was just canceled for the first time in its history. While the best advice is still to stay indoors as much as possible, out of the sun, and well hydrated, there are some ways to beat the heat in the city, all for free.
More info

City Living

Deluge of dirty water from construction site next door floods Queens subway station

Image courtesy of @subwaycreatures via Youtube.

July 19, 2019

Deluge of dirty water from construction site next door floods Queens subway station

A rush of brown water flooded into the Court Square-23rd Street station in Long Island City Wednesday night, making for a soggy commute–and a dangerous one for one passenger who was nearly swept onto the tracks. The MTA said the unfortunate overflow was caused by a plywood construction wall in a nearby building site, where the skyscraper known as Skyline Tower is rising, giving way in the recent downpour, the Daily News reports.
More subway surfing, this way

Newly uncovered report finds ties between city’s affordable housing policy and segregation

Image via Wiki Commons

July 16, 2019

Newly uncovered report finds ties between city’s affordable housing policy and segregation

Following years of efforts to keep a report about segregation in the city’s affordable housing lottery system under wraps, a federal court ruling finally led to the report’s release on Monday. As the New York Times first reported, the findings, written by Queens College sociology professor Andrew A. Beveridge, found unequivocal racial disparities at every stage of the process and in every community district where a majority of residents are of one race or ethnicity.
More details

Con Ed warns of potential blackouts from impending NYC heat wave

Governor Cuomo announces power has been fully restored following the widespread power outage in Midtown Manhattan. Photo: Gov. Andrew Cuomo/Flickr

July 16, 2019

Con Ed warns of potential blackouts from impending NYC heat wave

The most recent intel on Saturday's power outage that left the country's densest urban area dark from 72nd Street south to 30th Street is that a burning 13,000-volt cable at a substation near West 65th Street was the culprit, according to the New York Times. Consolidated Edison said Monday that the burning cable shut down the flow of electricity to more than 72,000 Midtown Manhattan customers. And while the blackout wasn't a direct result of an overtaxed grid, the New York Post reports, Con Ed warned Monday that mind-melting temperatures in the 90s expected this weekend–Saturday's 97 degrees will feel like 106–could lead to service outages.
What havoc will the heat wreak

City Living

JetBlue’s ‘Soar with Reading’ initiative brings free book vending machines for kids across NYC

The founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks 14-year-old Marley Dias (pictured above), has partnered with the initiative as an ambassador; photo courtesy of JetBlue

July 15, 2019

JetBlue’s ‘Soar with Reading’ initiative brings free book vending machines for kids across NYC

After runs in cities like Detroit, San Francisco, Oakland, and Washington D.C., JetBlue’s free book vending machine program "Soar with Reading" is coming to New York City. The literacy initiative aims to create more access to age-appropriate books in underserved communities. JetBlue will install six vending machines—one in each borough and two in Queens—and will restock and rotate new titles every two weeks, with options available in both English and Spanish.
More details

City Living

Final Manhattanhenge of the year returns tonight

Via Flickr

July 11, 2019

Final Manhattanhenge of the year returns tonight

An event that makes even locals stop and stare returns to New York City tomorrow night. Manhattanhenge, when the sunset aligns with the east-west streets of the borough's grid, happened on May 29th and 30th, and the final two days of the phenomenon returns for the last time this year tonight and tomorrow at 8:20 p.m. and 8:21 p.m., respectively. Not only does the setting sun sit perfectly between Manhattan's many skyscrapers during this biannual event, but an orange-yellow glow hits north and south side streets, creating a picture-perfect moment.
More here

First-ever squirrel census finds 2,300+ squirrels call Central Park home

A Central Park squirrel, via Wiki Commons

June 28, 2019

First-ever squirrel census finds 2,300+ squirrels call Central Park home

Last October, as 6sqft reported, an organization called Squirrel Census, headed by Jamie Allen, began the multimedia, science, design, and storytelling endeavor of figuring out how many squirrels–specifically eastern gray squirrels–call the 843 acres of Central Park home, and put out a call for critter-counting volunteers. Though attempting to fathom the magnitude of the park's squirrelscape began with some curiosity and a bit of tongue in cheek, according to Citylab, the methods used to tally the cheeky rodents–and the resulting findings–are as fun as they are fascinating.
More than just a head count

City Living

Owner of Book Culture says stores are in danger of closing, urges the city for assistance

Photos courtesy of Book Culture

June 26, 2019

Owner of Book Culture says stores are in danger of closing, urges the city for assistance

Photos courtesy of Book Culture The latest independent bookstore in danger of closing is the Upper West Side's beloved Book Culture. Owner Chris Doeblin issued an open letter earlier this week in which he urges the city to provide assistance in the form of an immediate loan. Despite good business—they've been able to expand to three storefronts uptown and one in Long Island City—Doeblin has stated that he would need a minimum of $500,000 to keep things afloat and fend off the "awful spiral" of unpaid vendor debts and loans.
More info

City Living

Midtown’s 71-year-old Paris Theatre may be closing before the end of the summer

Image via Flickr

June 20, 2019

Midtown’s 71-year-old Paris Theatre may be closing before the end of the summer

The last standing single-screen movie theatre in the city, Midtown’s Paris Theatre, may be shuttering as early as July or August, Deadline reports. According to “buzz on the Gotham arthouse theater circuit,” the last screening of Ron Howard’s Pavarotti on June 27 could be the last at the arthouse theatre on 58th Street, unless “something drastic happens.” The 586-seat theatre opened across the street from the Plaza Hotel in 1948, with a ribbon-cutting by actress Marlene Dietrich. Its since been a go-to spot for indie and foreign films, with a predilection, as its name implies, for French titles.
Get the scoop

City Living

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL.

June 18, 2019

NYPL officially rolls out new bookmobile in time for summer