Midtown East

6-acre light installation at proposed Midtown East casino site to open in December

All renderings courtesy of the Soloviev Foundation

November 2, 2023

6-acre light installation at proposed Midtown East casino site to open in December

By Aaron Ginsburg

A sprawling light installation coming to the site of a proposed casino in Midtown East is opening next month. Designed by Bruce Munro, Field of Light at Freedom Plaza includes 17,000 low-light, fiber-optic stemmed spheres that change hues and create a dreamlike landscape across six acres near the United Nations headquarters. Free tickets are now available to book to visit the installation, which officially debuts December 15. The display is financed by the Soloviev Group, which owns the vacant land and is looking to build a mixed-use development called Freedom Plaza, anchored by a casino.
learn more about the installation

Midtown East casino proposal adds Bjarke Ingels and 500 affordable apartments

Rendering of Freedom Tower by Negativ

October 23, 2023

Midtown East casino proposal adds Bjarke Ingels and 500 affordable apartments

By Devin Gannon

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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Policy

Last year’s holiday open streets in Midtown drove $3M in spending at local businesses

Image courtesy of Violet Mendelsund/Mayoral Photo Office on Flickr

October 12, 2023

Last year’s holiday open streets in Midtown drove $3M in spending at local businesses

By Aaron Ginsburg

Banning cars on blocks around holiday hotspots in Midtown last year led to an additional $3 million in spending at businesses on the pedestrianized streets, according to a new report. Mayor Eric Adams this week announced the 2022 holiday-specific Open Street program, which opened 11 blocks to pedestrians during the busiest time of the year, created more foot traffic and led to an increase of 13.9 percent in transactions at local businesses along open streets. The study conducted by Mastercard found merchants on pedestrianized streets saw an average of $90,000 in additional spending per day. The success of the car-free holiday streets program laid the groundwork for a permanent redesign of Fifth Avenue, said Adams, who has selected a team for the design process.
READ MORE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF FIFTH AVE

Policy

Paul Rudolph’s modernist Modulightor Building may become NYC landmark

Photo © Joe Polowczuk, Archives of the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation

October 3, 2023

Paul Rudolph’s modernist Modulightor Building may become NYC landmark

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar an iconic building in Midtown East designed by renowned modernist architect Paul Rudolph. Located at 246 East 58th Street, the Modulightor Building was built between 1989 and 1993 to house the lighting company of the same name Rudolph founded with German physicist Ernst Wagner. Rudolph designed the duplex apartment on floors three and four, which is the only Rudolph-designed space regularly open to the public.
read more about the modulightor building

Architecture And Design

Veselka opens new outpost in Grand Central Terminal

Photo courtesy of Bradley Skaggs

September 26, 2023

Veselka opens new outpost in Grand Central Terminal

By Aaron Ginsburg

The East Village's legendary Veselka restaurant is now serving up its signature Ukrainian delicacies in Grand Central Terminal. Located in the dining concourse in the historic terminal, the kiosk offers Veselka classics to-go, like borscht, cabbage rolls, and, of course, pierogi. Perfect for the commuter crowd, the outpost also sells coffee and breakfast items, including bacon, egg, and cheese pierogi, a fried egg sandwich on a challah knot, bagels, and muffins.
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Food & Dining

Tap-to-pay OMNY system finally comes to the Roosevelt Island Tram

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 25, 2023

Tap-to-pay OMNY system finally comes to the Roosevelt Island Tram

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers are now able to tap to pay to board the Roosevelt Island Tramway. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday announced the tram, which takes riders 250 feet above the East River between Manhattan's east side and Roosevelt Island in just four minutes, is the first non-MTA-operated service to accept OMNY. To pay the fare, riders can now tap their credit cards or mobile devices at the 59th Street and 2nd Avenue tram station in Manhattan and at Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island.
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The Four Seasons in Midtown set to reopen next fall

Photo by Acediscovery on Wikimedia

August 8, 2023

The Four Seasons in Midtown set to reopen next fall

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Four Seasons hotel in Midtown will reopen next year after being closed since 2020. Following a dispute, hotel owner Ty Warner and Four Seasons management on Thursday announced an agreement was reached to reopen the hotel in the fall of 2024. Located at 57 East 57th Street, the 52-story building designed by I.M. Pei closed in March 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and is one of the last high-end hotels to reopen. Early on during the pandemic, the hotel was used as an emergency location for doctors caring for Covid-19 patients coming from the Upper East Side.
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Stephen Sondheim’s Turtle Bay townhouse is on the market for $7M

Photo credit: Compass

July 13, 2023

Stephen Sondheim’s Turtle Bay townhouse is on the market for $7M

By Michelle Cohen

The Turtle Bay townhouse at 246 East 49th Street that was home to late songwriter Stephen Sondheim is now on the market, asking $7,000,000. The celebrated songsmith, who received eight Tonys, eight Grammys, an Oscar, and a Pulitzer for the iconic words and melodies to Broadway hits like “West Side Story,” "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," and many more, bought the historic townhouse in 1960. Sondheim needed the privacy of a townhouse, according to Curbed, so he could finesse melodies on the piano without bothering the neighbors.
A home filled with Broadway history, this way

NYC’s historic Roosevelt Hotel becomes arrival center for asylum seekers

Photo by Billy Hathorn via Wikimedia Commons

May 15, 2023

NYC’s historic Roosevelt Hotel becomes arrival center for asylum seekers

By Aaron Ginsburg

A historic hotel in Midtown that has been closed since the start of the pandemic will become the city’s first arrival center for migrants, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Saturday. Located at 45 East 45th Street, The Roosevelt Hotel will serve as a “centralized intake center” for all arriving asylum seekers, providing them with legal, medical, and reconnection services and up to 175 rooms for children and families starting later this week. The new shelter is the ninth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center opened by the city; more migrants are expected to arrive in New York after the end of the pandemic-era rule Title 42, which let the U.S. quickly expel migrants without documentation.
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Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 15, 2023

Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

By Devin Gannon

Rosie O'Donnell is trading Manhattan for Malibu. The comedian put her Midtown East penthouse on the market last week for $8,300,000, following a move to the West Coast, as the New York Times first reported. The Long Island native and longtime New York City resident paid $8,000,000 for the apartment in 2017. The home, located atop 255 East 49th Street, measures nearly 3,600 square feet across three levels, including an impressive private rooftop.
Take a look here

Huge light installation coming to site of proposed Midtown East casino near the U.N.

Longwood Gardens, P.A USA – Copyright © 2022 Bruce Munro. All rights reserved. Image courtesy of Serena Munro

May 11, 2023

Huge light installation coming to site of proposed Midtown East casino near the U.N.

By Aaron Ginsburg

An impressive light installation will debut this fall at the storied 7-acre vacant site near the United Nations in Midtown East. Stretching from 38th to 41st Streets on First Avenue, and designed by world-renowned artist Bruce Munro, "Field of Light" will include an array of 17,000 flower-like lights that will serve as a "beacon of freedom and hope around the world." Opening in September, the free and public installation is being paid for by the Soloviev Group, the firm which has proposed constructing a mixed-use development dubbed Freedom Plaza on the undeveloped property, anchored by one of three casinos planned for the New York City area.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 3, 2023

British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

By Michelle Cohen

This 6,000-square-foot full-floor residence in the Beekman Regent condominium at 351 East 51st Street, currently asking $6,995,000 (down from $8,500,000 in 2021), may provide an opportunity for auction lovers: The penthouse with city views and five bedrooms is headed for online auction by the British government, with bids starting at $2,000,000. The penthouse has functioned as the British Consul General in New York's residence, so it's a given that its flexible floorplan and nearly 10-foot ceilings would add up to the perfect space for lavish parties and regal receptions.
Take a look inside

$3.5M four-bedroom Sutton Place co-op has the sophisticated good looks of a designer show house

Photo credit: DDreps for Sotheby’s International Realty

March 28, 2023

$3.5M four-bedroom Sutton Place co-op has the sophisticated good looks of a designer show house

By Michelle Cohen

In the quietly covetable east side enclave of Sutton Place, this jumbo four-bedroom home at 345 East 57th Street is the result of a combination of two apartments. But unlike some combo units, there are no awkward turns and oddly-placed bathrooms, just an enormous amount of space, every inch of it forged with an eye for chic interior design and ease of living. Asking $3,475,000, the eleventh-floor co-op is pretty on the outside, too, blessed with dramatic southern views.
Tour this sprawling Sutton Place home

Distinctive Homes

Full LIRR service begins at Grand Central Madison

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermnan / MTA on Flickr

February 27, 2023

Full LIRR service begins at Grand Central Madison

By Aaron Ginsburg

Grand Central Madison finally opened with full Long Island Rail Road service on Monday, with a totally new schedule for commuters and a 41 percent increase in service levels. Starting February 27, an additional 271 LIRR trains per day have been added to the system for a total of up to 936 trains per day; 296 of these trains will be traveling to and from Grand Central Madison, with the remaining to Penn Station. According to officials, the new terminal will make commutes for LIRR riders up to 40 minutes shorter.
More here

A mini version of NYC’s Hippo Ballerina sculpture is now in Turtle Bay

Photos courtesy of Cavalier Galleries

February 16, 2023

A mini version of NYC’s Hippo Ballerina sculpture is now in Turtle Bay

By Aaron Ginsburg

A smaller version of New York City's Hippo Ballerina sculpture debuted this week in Turtle Bay. Created by Danish artist Bjørn Okholm Skaarup, Hippo Ballerina is a 15-foot-tall sculpture that has been seen over the years in front of Grand Central Terminal, the Flatiron Building, and Lincoln Center. The new mini sculpture, along with Hippo Ballerina, pirouette and Rhino Harlequin, pirouette, can now be found in front of the skyscraper at 885 Second Avenue in Midtown through March 2024.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

This $7M Sutton Place co-op honors the pre-war building’s Rosario Candela design

Photo credit: Evan Joseph

February 8, 2023

This $7M Sutton Place co-op honors the pre-war building’s Rosario Candela design

By Michelle Cohen

The 1928 co-op at 447 East 57th Street in quietly elegant Sutton Place is about as classic pre-war Manhattan as it gets. The 15-story building, designed by notable architect Rosario Candela, contains only 23 apartments, and this available sprawling four-bedroom co-op occupies the entire top floor. Asking $6,950,000, the nine-room residence is currently home to architect Stephen Corelli, who redesigned the space with an eye to Candela's legacy, while installing 21st-century amenities and timeless style.
Tour this Sutton Place home

Distinctive Homes

Latest casino proposed for NYC includes a giant Ferris wheel near the U.N.

Rendering of Freedom Plaza. Credit: Soloviev Group.

February 1, 2023

Latest casino proposed for NYC includes a giant Ferris wheel near the U.N.

By Michelle Cohen

As the competition for three New York City casino licenses heats up, the latest contender, Soloviev Group, announced this week a partnership with Mohegan in a plan that would include a partially subterranean casino anchoring a Midtown entertainment district near the United Nations headquarters. In addition to the casino, the mixed-use development known as Freedom Plaza would include a hotel, two residential towers, green space, a performance venue, a giant Ferris wheel, and–because nothing says "democracy" like a casino and a Ferris wheel–a museum dedicated to democracy.
Find out more

City Living

NYPL acquires archive of Joan Didion’s papers including personal photos, letters, and more

Joan Didion, undated.

January 27, 2023

NYPL acquires archive of Joan Didion’s papers including personal photos, letters, and more

By Michelle Cohen

The New York Public Library (NYPL) has acquired an extensive collection of papers and personal items belonging to writer Joan Didion and her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne. The archive of writings, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera provides a rich portrait of the celebrated couples' life and work.
Find out more about the collection

History

New uniforms for Empire State Building workers take cue from the skyscraper’s Art Deco flair

All photos courtesy of the Empire State Building

January 25, 2023

New uniforms for Empire State Building workers take cue from the skyscraper’s Art Deco flair

By Aaron Ginsburg

Employees of the Empire State Building's 86th-floor Observatory will look a little different the next time you see them. The uniforms of Observatory hosts and gift shop attendants have been given a modern makeover, courtesy of fashion designer Peyman Umay, who for the last two years worked to create a look that would complement the style of the iconic Art Deco building and the observatory's exhibit galleries. Replacing the previous burgundy and black attire, the new uniforms are light gray with blue trimming on the lapels, collars, and pocket flaps.
See more here

Uncategorized

LIRR service to Grand Central Madison starts this week

Photo of Grand Central Madison in December 2022; Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

January 24, 2023

LIRR service to Grand Central Madison starts this week

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a month-long delay due to vent exhaust problems, Grand Central Madison will officially open this week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Tuesday. The first Long Island Rail Road train with service to Manhattan's east side is scheduled to leave Jamaica at 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday and arrive at the new terminal at 11:07 a.m. As part of the initial roll-out, there will be limited shuttle service between the two stations to help commuters get familiar with the new terminal, which cost roughly $12 billion, according to the transit agency.
Find out more

Michelin-starred restaurateur to open new dining concept at 550 Madison Avenue

Image courtesy of Alex Fradkin

January 23, 2023

Michelin-starred restaurateur to open new dining concept at 550 Madison Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

Simon Kim, the restaurateur who founded the Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse, will be opening a new dining concept inside the landmark 550 Madison Avenue. The new "multi-faceted" concept will span 15,000 square feet across three floors at the tower's base, boast soaring 60-foot ceilings, and provide direct access to the building's new landscaped, half-acre public garden. Olayan Group is currently leading a renovation of 550 Madison Avenue, which was designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee in the 1980s as the world's first postmodern skyscraper.
See more here

Food & Dining

City Winery’s Gilded Age-inspired restaurant Cornelius opens in Grand Central

All photos of Cornelius courtesy of City Winery

December 29, 2022

City Winery’s Gilded Age-inspired restaurant Cornelius opens in Grand Central

By Aaron Ginsburg

Cornelius, a new high-end restaurant by City Winery, opened in Grand Central Terminal last week. The 75-seat restaurant offers patrons farm-to-table fare inspired by Gilded Age menus and created by Chef Zach Bondy. The restaurant joins two other concepts from City Winery, including a signature experience with tasting bars and City Jams, which has a first-of-its-kind wine-to-go program and an all-day menu.
Find out more

Food & Dining

NYC proposes pedestrian-friendly path on Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park

Conceptual renderings from one proposal for a reimagined Fifth Avenue. Credit: Fifth Avenue Association

December 19, 2022

NYC proposes pedestrian-friendly path on Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday released a plan that reimagines a stretch of Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park at 42nd Street to Central Park at 59th Street as a pedestrian-focused space that prioritizes safety, mass transit, and the public realm. This new vision of one of the world's most iconic tourist destinations and commercial districts is part of a broader plan to make the area more appealing to new residents and workers and builds upon the recent closure of Fifth Avenue this month for the holidays.
See the plan

This $2.5M Park Avenue classic six is a book lover’s dream

All photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

December 16, 2022

This $2.5M Park Avenue classic six is a book lover’s dream

By Michelle Cohen

It's rare to find a classic deco-era co-op that has been beautifully renovated, yet retains every bit of its pre-war charm and grace. This three-bedroom home at the Emery Roth-designed 480 Park Avenue is just such a find. Asking $2,495,000, this six-room residence boasts a 28-foot living room, a formal dining area, oversized proportions, high ceilings, and hardwood floors. Beyond the elegant features and architectural details, built-in bookshelves that line several of the rooms make this a perfect home for your treasured book collection.
Read on

Distinctive Homes

Official Grand Central Terminal tours return after pandemic hiatus

All photos courtesy of Walks

December 2, 2022

Official Grand Central Terminal tours return after pandemic hiatus

By Aaron Ginsburg

Official guided tours of Grand Central Terminal are returning for the first time since the start of the pandemic. MTA Metro-North announced this week City Experiences's sightseeing company "Walks" will become the new operator of the official tour of Grand Central. Tours of the historic landmark are available daily, starting at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for adults and $30 for children.
Find out more

Transit

Santa Claus is coming to the Empire State Building’s observation deck

All images courtesy of the Empire State Realty Trust

November 30, 2022

Santa Claus is coming to the Empire State Building’s observation deck

By Aaron Ginsburg

Santa Claus will be visiting the Empire State Building Observatory for the first time ever this holiday season. On two days in December, visitors can meet Santa and share their Christmas wishes on the iconic building's 80th floor. The landmark skyscraper will be decked out with festive decor and offer musical performances.
How to meet Santa

Events & Things To Do

See Snøhetta’s lush public garden now open at 550 Madison Avenue

All photos courtesy of Barret Doherty unless otherwise noted

November 17, 2022

See Snøhetta’s lush public garden now open at 550 Madison Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

The new public garden at Philip Johnson's 550 Madison Avenue building opened this week, the final component of the postmodern landmark's renovation led by the Olayan Group. Designed by Snøhetta, the lush privately-owned public space (POPS) is located adjacent to 550 Madison in a formerly enclosed mid-block passageway. Increasing the public space at the site by 50 percent, the half-acre garden is now the largest in Midtown East.
See more here

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