March 9, 2018

Shake Shack heading to Hudson Yards; City suspends 421-a tax breaks for 1,700 properties

Shake Shack is the latest in a long-list of foodie favorites to plan a Hudson Yards outpost. [TRD] The city appointed its first nightlife mayor, 47-year-old Ariel Palitz. She’ll be tasked with promoting industry and dealing with relations between after-hours spots and neighbors. [NYT] Google Maps now lets businesses promote themselves as women-led. [Reuters] More […]

March 7, 2018

Two Nomad buildings become landmarks; How much does it cost to get married in Brooklyn?

The LPC has designated two historic Nomad buildings as individual landmarks, the Beaux-Arts Hotel Seville (today the Nomad Hotel) and the Emmet Building, a 1912 Neo-Renaissance commercial skyscraper. [NYC LPC] Chelsea’s Joyce Theater is trying out a new pay-what-you-wish initiative. [WSJ] Donald Trump fell 222 places on Forbes’ annual world billionaires list. [The Cut] A guide […]

March 5, 2018

De Blasio’s affordable housing agenda sees a record year; A guide to Brooklyn distilleries

Excavation work has begun on Long Island City’s Court Square City View, Queens’ future tallest tower. [CityRealty] Tribeca’s Farm.One is an indoor vertical farm that grows 100 ingredients for some of NYC’s top restaurants. [Cool Hunting] Despite tax code changes under the Trump administration, Mayor de Blasio is plugging away at his affordable housing plan, spending a record […]

February 27, 2018

Stream 30,000 free movies from the NYPL; East End Avenue’s building boom

Have a library card? You can now stream 30,000 films for free from the New York and Brooklyn Public Libraries. [Time Out NY] What it’s like living in one of NYC’s turrets. [NY Mag] NYC now has 7,500 tech companies employing 120,000 people, 60% more than a decade ago. [Crain’s] A new children’s book tells the story […]

February 22, 2018

NYC is the dirtiest city in the country; Italian-American group wants to landmark Christopher Columbus statue

New York is the dirtiest city in the nation, topping the categories of litter and pests. [NBC] And its residents smoke more weed than any other city in the world. [Brokelyn] The Columbus Heritage Coalition is petitioning the LPC to landmark the controversial Christopher Columbus statue. [amNY] Related’s Stephen Ross discusses Hudson Yards’ centerpiece, the Vessel. […]

February 20, 2018

Taylor Swift has ‘bad blood’ with her Tribeca neighbors; Inside David Adjaye’s Midtown spy museum

Taylor Swift’s Tribeca neighbors are not happy about her recent real estate hoopla, even posting “Taylor Swift Can Go F–k Herself” signs. [NYP] A proposed law would force NYC businesses to accept credit cards for transactions over $10. [Time Out NY] See inside David Adjaye’s Spyscape museum of espionage in Midtown. [Dezeen] New York state has 400 breweries, breaking […]

February 14, 2018

A love letter to NYC pigeons; Are these the New Yorkiest Valentine’s cards?

They’re romantic, they’re ubiquitous, and they have crazy visual abilities–why you should love NYC pigeons. [WNYC] For the third time, Jersey City was ranked the most diverse city in the country. [NJ.com] Celeb-favorite sweets emporium Sugar Factory will open a Museum of Candy in the old Limelight Church. [NYP] Inside one of Bushwick’s last remaining […]

February 12, 2018

How to celebrate the Chinese New Year in NYC; The fight to save the Frederick Law Olmsted house

Of course, an all-avocado restaurant has made its way to Manhattan. Avocado Appetit is now open in Chinatown. [Eater] Friday kicks off the Year of the Dog. Here are 10 alternative events to celebrate the Chinese New Year in NYC. [Untapped Cities] NYC has 400 outreach workers whose job is to build trust with people living on the streets […]

February 7, 2018

Inside the construction at the TWA Flight Center Hotel; Help eat the world’s biggest bagel and lox

Healthcare workers who use mass transit have a median commute of 51.2 minutes—the longest of any workers in NYC’s private sector. [Center for an Urban Future] Mapping the West Village’s 150 shuttered storefronts. [Medium] Residents of a Flatiron condo building are suing the Soul Cycle downstairs over constant “bowling-ball”-like thuds. [NYP] Help consume the world’s biggest bagel & […]

January 31, 2018

Staten Island is getting a massive rooftop farm; Waterline Square’s tallest tower gets glassed

Brooklyn Grange is opening a 40,000-square-foot organic rooftop farm in Staten Island. [Untapped Cities] Ikea is experimenting with renting out and buying back their own furniture. [Curbed] The fascinating and tragic history of the Wythe Hotel. [Greenpointers] KPF’s Two Waterline Square, which will be the complex’s largest tower, is starting to get its reflective blue skin. [CityRealty] […]

January 26, 2018

MTA wants some Twitter love; Hosting the Grammys in NYC costs $8M more than LA

MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota says the Freedom Ticket, which provides riders a seamless and slightly cheaper transfer between the Long Island Railroad and the city’s bus and subway system, will launch this year. [amNY] He also wants the MTA’s Twitter feeds to “be a little bit more positive than they are.” [NYDN] It’s costing $6 million to […]

January 25, 2018

You can complain to 311 via Twitter 24/7; East Village bar will kick you out for saying ‘literally’

Screenshot of 311’s Twitter page (L); Google Street View of Continental bar (R) 311’s Twitter account will start taking requests 24 hours a day, seven days a week. [amNY] Two new laws focusing on vacant land throughout the city are aimed at identifying lots and buildings that could be used for affordable housing. [CityLand] New York Magazine’s […]

January 23, 2018

Attend a public meeting about the L train shutdown; Does NYC have a food hall ‘glut’?

This Etsy shop will build a Lego replica of your home. [Apartment Therapy] The first major exhibition about the borough’s waterfront is now open at the Brooklyn Historical Society DUMBO. [Untapped Cities] The city has named four public artists in residence who will tackle the social issues of domestic violence, discrimination, prison reform, and probation through […]

January 12, 2018

Lower East Side’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema closes next week; G train already suffering from L shutdown

Chelsea Piers is opening the borough’s largest fitness facility in Downtown Brooklyn. [NYT] Go into the crumbling, disaster-prone tunnels beneath Penn Station. [Bloomberg] The Lower East Side’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema will screen its final reel on Sunday, January 21st. [Deadline] The 20 best cheap things to do this weekend. [Brokelyn] Nearly three million people rode the NYC ferry […]

January 10, 2018

MTA rolls out its all-electric bus pilot; Secretive buyers made up 70% of Trump’s 2017 real estate transactions

The MTA kicked off a three-year pilot of 10 all-electric buses in an attempt to reduce emissions. [amNY] Despite being considered for landmarking, demolition started on the AT&T Building lobby. [The Architect’s Newspaper] Last year, 70 percent of Trump condos were sold to hidden shell companies. [USA Today] Penn Station’s new West End Concourse is already […]

January 5, 2018

No Pants Subway Ride scheduled for Sunday; Jeanne Gang’s High Line tower officially on the rise

Not bothered by bare legs in sub-arctic temps? The annual No-Pants Subway Ride takes place this Sunday. [amNY] The most expensive home in America is now this $500 million Bel Air estate. [Apartment Therapy] A closer look at the fitness industry boom in urban settings. [CityLab] Fred Bass, who transformed his father’s small used-book store […]

January 3, 2018

All 471 subway stations now have countdown clocks; First Rikers jail to close this summer

Did you know today is National Returns Day? UPS says it will handle a record 1.4 million returns on Wednesday alone. [WP] After 50 years of advocacy, Prospect Park is officially car-free. [Streetsblog] All 471 subway stations now have countdown clocks, 11 years after the MTA started the project. [NYDN] Permits have been filed with the […]

December 28, 2017

The biggest celebrity move-ins of 2017; Get free tickets to de Blasio’s inaugural ceremony

These celebs spent the most on NYC homes this year. [CityRealty] “How I Met Your Mother” actress Cobie Smulders drops the price of her Battery Park City penthouse. [NYP] Here are 25 Brooklyn New Year’s Eve parties to help you welcome 2018. [Brokelyn] If you’re willing to brave the cold at City Hall Plaza, you can […]

Pitch a story icon Know of something cool happening in New York? Let us know:
December 27, 2017

How to get rid of your Christmas tree; A walking guide for tourists

Here’s a guide to disposing or recycling your Christmas tree. [NYDN] “Parking Under the Mistletoe” is a photo series that showcases the holiday decorations of NYC’s parking garages. [CityLab] Meet some of the 1,500 short- and longer-term residents who live in the 92nd Street Y’s dorm-style housing. [NYT] Chelsea’s famous “hugging dog” and her owner lost […]

December 22, 2017

Nutella cafe coming to Greenwich Village; Record-breaking number of skyscrapers went up in 2017

144 skyscrapers were completed in 2017, the most ever in a year. More than half were in China. [CityLab] To prove that 2017 wasn’t all bad, here’s a long list of reasons to love New York. [NY Mag] Hazelnut-cocoa fans rejoice: Nutella is opening a cafe and coffee bar next year on University Place. [TONY] Did you […]

December 21, 2017

Barney’s is fighting for its Madison Avenue flagship; No one wants to golf at Trump’s Bronx course

Mayor de Blasio met with reporters from Gothamist and DNAinfo to discuss NYC journalism and the issues affecting the city. [Medium] If Barney’s landlord raises its $20,000/month rent it may have to relocate its flagship location. [NYP] Governor Cuomo vetoed a bill that would’ve given commuters a third free subway transfer. [NYDN] Rounds played at Trump’s […]

December 19, 2017

Legendary Lincoln Plaza Cinema to close next month; food truck industry won’t get legislative boost

Photo via Megan Morris/Flickr (R) Kwanzaa Crawl returns this month to support Black-owned Brooklyn bars. [Brokelyn] After the building owner declined to renew its lease, art house movie theater Lincoln Plaza Cinema announced it will close. [NYT] Mapping the city’s top-10 tax abatement condos. [CityRealty] Renzo Piano explains why he decided to design the New York Times […]

December 15, 2017

$1.8B LIRR expansion gets underway; Meet the men operating NYC’s manual elevators

Only a few dozen of New York’s 69,381 passenger elevators are still manually operated–here’s what it’s like to control them. [NYT] New York state is a hard-cider capital, but you can now enjoy the beverage with upstate apples right in Brooklyn. [Grub Street] After lacking inspections for four years, 81 percent of NYCHA apartments have a potential […]

December 13, 2017

‘Affordable’ Whole Foods opens next month in Downtown Brooklyn; How the Poinsettia made its way to NYC

Joining the new Apple store, the East Coast’s first Whole Foods Market 365, an affordable, no-frills version of the grocer, will open on January 31st at 300 Ashland Place. [6sqft inbox] The MTA is hiring a contractor to build the subway’s first platform safetey barrier. [NYDN] This holiday, give the gift of rat extermination. [Brokelyn] […]

December 11, 2017

NJ farm selling rainbow-colored Christmas trees; new MTA president ‘confident’ he can fix the subway

At this Jersey Christmas tree farm, have your conifer spray painted seven vibrant colors. [TONY] Three of the 26 new subway cars that cost taxpayers $2M each have failed tests and been pulled from the tracks. [NYDN] But Andy Byford, the MTA’s incoming transit president, has no doubt that he can get the subway system “to […]

Our Mission

More than just current events, here you'll learn about the places, people, and ideas that are shaping your city.