All articles by Devin Gannon

New legislation would legalize NYC bodega cats

Photo by Seth Werkheiser via Wikimedia Commons

June 12, 2025

New legislation would legalize NYC bodega cats

New legislation would protect some of New York City's most beloved residents: bodega cats. City Council Member Keith Powers on Thursday said he plans to introduce a bill that would legalize convenience store cats, which are technically barred from places that sell food, but have become neighborhood fixtures for their cuteness and ability to deter rodents.
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Policy

Brooklyn Tower relaunches sales, with studios from $965K

Photo credit: Evan Joseph

June 10, 2025

Brooklyn Tower relaunches sales, with studios from $965K

By Devin Gannon

Nearly a year after Silverstein Properties took control, Brooklyn Tower has relaunched sales, with a new marketing team and a new address. The supertall skyscraper at 85 Fleet Street (formerly 9 Dekalb Avenue) first launched sales in 2022 but struggled to make much headway, with just 23 of the 143 condos sold to date. Now, with Corcoran Sunshine leading sales efforts, listings at the tower are once again live, with condos priced from $965,000 for a studio.
get the details

$8.9M restoration of Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza Arch is complete

Photos courtesy of NYC Parks / Malcolm Pinckney

June 6, 2025

$8.9M restoration of Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza Arch is complete

By Devin Gannon

A Brooklyn icon has been restored. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza reopened on Thursday following a $8.9 million renovation, the city's Parks Department and the Prospect Park Alliance announced. The two-year project replaced the arch's roof, cleaned and replaced the brick and stone structure, repaired interiors, including the cast-iron spiral staircase, and added new lighting. The landscape surrounding the arch was also revitalized with new plants, trees, paving, and an accessible curb cut.
details this way

Architecture And Design

Upper East Side pre-war co-op owned by champion of Central Park asks $4.95M

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

June 5, 2025

Upper East Side pre-war co-op owned by champion of Central Park asks $4.95M

By Devin Gannon

The longtime Upper East Side co-op of a key Central Park supporter is on the market. Norma Dana, who passed away last year, founded the Central Park Conservancy's Women's Committee and led fundraising efforts for several improvement and restoration projects in the park, including the creation of the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center with her husband. The park champion's three-bedroom apartment at 550 Park Avenue hit the market this spring for $4,950,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Bjarke Ingels unveils cascading concrete tower with 1,000 apartments along the Gowanus Canal

All renderings by bucharest.studio

June 3, 2025

Bjarke Ingels unveils cascading concrete tower with 1,000 apartments along the Gowanus Canal

By Devin Gannon

It's going to be BIG. Architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) this week unveiled designs for a 1,000-unit mixed-use tower at 175 Third Street in Gowanus, expected to be the largest building in the neighborhood. Situated along the canal, the concrete-clad building will take a horseshoe shape and rise 27 stories in a series of cascading volumes. The u-shape design opens towards the canal, where a park and esplanade will offer public open space and flood protection.
see the design

Times Square office tower to become 1,250 apartments

5 Times Square. Photo via WikiCommons

May 22, 2025

Times Square office tower to become 1,250 apartments

By Devin Gannon

A largely vacant office tower in Times Square is set to become a mixed-use development with 1,250 new homes. The Empire State Development (ESD) on Thursday voted to approve the conversion of 5 Times Square, a 38-story building on 7th Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets. About 313 apartments will be permanently affordable to New Yorkers earning up to 80 percent of the area median income in exchange for a tax exemption under a new office-to-housing incentive, 467-m.
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New Developments

Manhattan streets renamed after New York Knicks players for playoff run

Photos courtesy of NY Knicks/MSG Sports

May 21, 2025

Manhattan streets renamed after New York Knicks players for playoff run

By Devin Gannon

While fans took over Manhattan streets after the New York Knicks won game six against the Celtics last week, it's the players' turn now. Streets across the borough have been temporarily co-named after Knicks players ahead of the first Eastern Conference finals game on Wednesday. Mayor Eric Adams and the city's Department of Transportation, along with Madison Square Garden and the Knicks, unveiled 15 blue and orange street signs featuring the name and jersey number of current players.
go new york go new york

Events & Things To Do

Breuer Building gets landmarked before Sotheby’s opens headquarters

Photo courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

May 21, 2025

Breuer Building gets landmarked before Sotheby’s opens headquarters

By Devin Gannon

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted on Tuesday to designate the Breuer Building on the Upper East Side as an individual and interior landmark, protecting the Brutalist icon before auction house Sotheby's opens its global headquarters there. Designed by innovative architect Marcel Breuer, the building at 945 Madison Avenue was home to the Whitney Museum of American Art from 1966 to 2014. Sotheby's acquired the building in 2023; Herzog & de Meuron are currently leading a renovation and restoration of the space.
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Officials begin investigation into Brooklyn Bridge ship crash

Mayor Eric Adams visited the Mexican Navy tall ship after it collided with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 19, 2025

Officials begin investigation into Brooklyn Bridge ship crash

By Devin Gannon

New York and federal officials have begun an investigation into why a Mexican Navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. About five minutes after the Cuauhtémoc left Pier 17 with the intention of traveling south, the vessel drifted in the wrong direction and its soaring masts struck the iconic 142-year-old structure. The accident left two sailors dead and more than a dozen crew members injured. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that a "multidisciplinary" team is conducting a safety investigation.
details here

Policy

Lottery opens for 189 apartments at Far Rockaway development, from $544/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

May 15, 2025

Lottery opens for 189 apartments at Far Rockaway development, from $544/month

By Devin Gannon

Another lottery opened for affordable apartments at the huge Far Rockaway development, Edgemere Commons. Currently under construction, the 11-building complex will deliver 2,000 affordable homes, retail, community facilities, and open public space to the Rockaway peninsula. The latest rental, located at 5119 Beach Channel Drive, has 189 apartments available through the housing lottery for New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 60, and 80 percent of the area median income. Homes are priced from $544/month for a studio to $2,949/month for a three-bedroom.
do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

World Trade Center to host free watch parties for Yankees-Mets series

By Devin Gannon

It's a big weekend for New York baseball fans. The first Subway Series of the season kicks off on Friday, with the Yankees and Mets facing off as part of Major League Baseball's inaugural "Rivalry Weekend." With both teams currently taking the top spot in their division, and Juan Soto returning to the Bronx for the first time since signing with the crosstown foe for $765 million, the games promise to be can't-miss television. To revel in the rivalry, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will broadcast all three games on giant screens (with sound) at the North Oculus Plaza on the World Trade Center campus.
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Events & Things To Do

Egg rolls, egg creams, and empanadas: Lower East Side street festival returns for 24th year

Photos courtesy of Museum at Eldridge Street

May 14, 2025

Egg rolls, egg creams, and empanadas: Lower East Side street festival returns for 24th year

By Devin Gannon

A street festival celebrating the diverse cultures of the Lower East Side takes place next month. Hosted by the Museum at Eldridge Street, the 24th annual Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival brings together Jewish, Chinese, and Puerto Rican heritage with a day of food, music, crafts, and more. The block party takes place on Sunday, June 15.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC officials predict 17 percent drop in international tourists due to Trump policies

Photo by Lerone Pieters on Pexels

May 9, 2025

NYC officials predict 17 percent drop in international tourists due to Trump policies

By Devin Gannon

After a strong tourism year in 2024 when New York City saw nearly 65 million visitors, the second highest figure in the city's history, officials predicted an even better 2025. Last year, New York City Tourism + Conventions projected the five boroughs would make almost a full economic and tourist recovery from the pandemic. And then President Donald Trump took office. With the administration's tariffs, detainment of immigrants, and threats to Canada's sovereignty, the city revised its forecast to reflect a 17 percent drop in international travelers this year.
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Policy

Real estate icon Barbara Corcoran lists Upper East Side penthouse for $12M

Photography by Melanie Greene, Greenehouse NYC for The Corcoran Group

May 8, 2025

Real estate icon Barbara Corcoran lists Upper East Side penthouse for $12M

By Devin Gannon

Real estate whiz and investor Barbara Corcoran is parting ways with her penthouse overlooking Central Park on the Upper East Side. Corcoran, founder of The Corcoran Group and star of "Shark Tank," paid $10 million in 2015 for the 11-room duplex co-op at 1158 Fifth Avenue. The home, which has a glass solarium dining room, custom-designed library, and landscaped terrace, is now on the market for $12,000,000.
take the tour

Rosie O’Donnell sells Midtown East penthouse for $4.75M

Photos represent a previous listing. Courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 6, 2025

Rosie O’Donnell sells Midtown East penthouse for $4.75M

By Devin Gannon

Rosie O'Donnell has found a buyer for her Manhattan penthouse, two years after first listing it and a few months after moving to Ireland. The comedian first put her home at 255 East 49th Street on the market for $8,300,000 in 2023; it entered contract for $4,750,000 earlier this spring.
get the details

Hudson Valley’s Storm King Art Center reopens after $53M renovation

An entrance path connects the Outdoor Lobby and visitor pavilions to Storm King’s grounds. Artwork: Chakaia Booker, “A Moment in Time,” 2004. Photo © Richard Barnes

May 2, 2025

Hudson Valley’s Storm King Art Center reopens after $53M renovation

By Devin Gannon

Storm King Art Center, the popular 500-acre outdoor museum in the Hudson Valley, reopened this week following a $53 million renovation and expansion. The sculpture museum's first-ever capital project, a response to its rapid visitor growth, added five acres of landscape for art, a new visitor arrival area with more accessible amenities, streamlined parking, and a conservation and fabrication building. Storm King officially opens for the season on Wednesday, May 7.
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Former sculpture studio turned enchanting live-work space in Kips Bay asks $7.95M

Photos courtesy of Andrew Frasz for Sotheby’s International Realty

April 30, 2025

Former sculpture studio turned enchanting live-work space in Kips Bay asks $7.95M

By Devin Gannon

Every so often, we come across an only-in-New York City-type listing, and this townhouse certainly falls under that category. The four-story home at 218 East 25th Street belonged to the sculpture studio Rochette & Parzini for over six decades. In addition to living quarters, the current owner, photographer Clara Aich, has used the majestic space to host musical performances, plays, and other cultural gatherings that benefit from its soaring ceilings, massive skylights, and loft-like proportions. The unique home hit the market this week for $7,950,000.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Leasing begins for apartments above new National Black Theatre in Harlem, studios from $3,145/month

All images courtesy of Ray

April 29, 2025

Leasing begins for apartments above new National Black Theatre in Harlem, studios from $3,145/month

By Devin Gannon

Here's a chance to live above a legendary Harlem theater. Leasing kicked off on Tuesday for apartments at Ray Harlem, a new 21-story mixed-use development at 125th Street and Fifth Avenue that includes 222 units and a new home for the National Black Theatre, the longest continuously running Black theater in New York City. The gross rent for the apartments, available in June, starts at $3,145/month for studios.
details here

New Developments

Central Park opens stunning year-round rec center that seamlessly connects to the landscape

Courtesy of Central Park Conservancy

April 25, 2025

Central Park opens stunning year-round rec center that seamlessly connects to the landscape

By Devin Gannon

A new recreation center has finally opened on the northern end of Central Park. The $160 million Davis Center at the Harlem Meer is a year-round facility integrated into the park's historic landscape with the ability to transform each season, from a pool in the summer, an ice rink in the winter, and a green lawn in the spring and fall.
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NYC Council approves legislation regulating helicopter trips after deadly crash

Photo by SnippyHolloW on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0

April 25, 2025

NYC Council approves legislation regulating helicopter trips after deadly crash

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council this week passed legislation regulating certain helicopter flights, two weeks after a tourist flight crashed, killing six people. Sponsored by Council Member Amanda Farías, Intro 26-A prohibits helicopters that do not meet stringent federal noise standards from operating for non-essential purposes out of city-owned heliports. The ban would take effect in 2029.
details here

Policy

NYC could landmark five Garment District skyscrapers ahead of Midtown South rezoning

On left: Lefcourt Clothing Center, photo by Eden, Janine, and Jim on Flickr; On right: Barbey Building and Fashion Tower, courtesy of Landmarks Preservation Commission

April 24, 2025

NYC could landmark five Garment District skyscrapers ahead of Midtown South rezoning

By Devin Gannon

Several notable skyscrapers in the Garment District are up for landmark status. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to calendar five buildings in Midtown that are architecturally notable, as well as significant to the history of the neighborhood. The potential landmarking comes as Mayor Eric Adams' plan to rezone Midtown South, which would allow for up to 10,000 new homes, enters public review.
Find out more

April 24, 2025

Ai Weiwei installation coming to Roosevelt Island

By Devin Gannon

Artist and activist Ai Weiwei will unveil his first major artwork in New York City since 2017 this fall. Four Freedoms Park Conservancy on Thursday announced it had commissioned the Chinese artist for a monumental installation on Roosevelt Island that will open this September. "Camouflage" will take over all 3.5 acres of FDR Four Freedoms State Park, with an open architectural structure that rises above its granite walls and is draped in camouflage netting.
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Events & Things To Do

Knicks to host playoff watch party outside of MSG

All photos courtesy of MSG Sports

April 24, 2025

Knicks to host playoff watch party outside of MSG

By Devin Gannon

The New York Knicks are hosting another free watch party for game five of the first round of the NBA playoffs. While the team plays the Pistons in Detroit on Tuesday night, Knicks fans can still head to Midtown to watch the games on giant screens outside of Madison Square Garden. The team heads into tonight up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
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Events & Things To Do

Frank Lloyd Wright’s corner apartment at the Plaza finds a buyer

Photo credit: The Charlie Attias Team / Compass

April 23, 2025

Frank Lloyd Wright’s corner apartment at the Plaza finds a buyer

By Devin Gannon

Frank Lloyd Wright's former apartment at the Plaza Hotel has found a buyer. Listed for $18,900,000 in February, the 4,000-square-foot home entered contract on Tuesday, as first spotted by the New York Post. The architect lived in the corner residence at 1 Central Park South from 1954 to 1959 while he was working on the Guggenheim Museum.
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Real Estate Trends

Take in 65,000 colorful tulips, and pick your own, at Queens Farm

Photos courtesy of Queens County Farm Museum

April 23, 2025

Take in 65,000 colorful tulips, and pick your own, at Queens Farm

By Devin Gannon

While cherry blossoms usually steal the spotlight every spring, tulips provide some of the most vibrant signs of the season. The Queens County Farm Museum is once again turning into a tulip wonderland, with a display of over 65,000 flowers in full bloom. As part of "Blooms at Queens Farm," visitors can pick their own flowers to bring home on Saturdays and Sundays through May 4.
details here

Events & Things To Do

All articles by Devin Gannon

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