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The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the demolition of two mid-20th-century commercial buildings in Tribeca’s historic district to make way for a luxury residential development. Proposed by SilverLining Development, the 8-story project at 31–35 Lispenard Street in the Tribeca East Historic District will feature 19 apartments, likely rentals, as Tribeca Citizen first reported, with a facade inspired by the cast-iron buildings in neighboring Soho. Aden Wiener, founder of SilverLining, said the development will introduce a “new concept of living” to the area, with ground-floor retail and a boutique collection of “highly amenitized” loft residences.

SilverLining purchased the two-lot parcel for $7.5 million in an off-market transaction. The deal also included the purchase of air rights from an adjacent property at 325 Church Street. The seller was real estate investment firm Urban Standard Capital, which had planned a seven-story residential building with ground-floor retail at the site. LPC approved that plan in 2019, but it was never built.

Both corner businesses, the Dominican diner Westside Coffeeshop and a barber shop at the site, closed in fall 2024, according to Tribeca Citizen.

The previous proposal featured a limestone facade with horizontal reveals carved into the building, a penthouse floor and bulkhead designed to match the overall color of the building, and a rear brick facade.

Marin Architecture has been tapped to design the project in collaboration with Charlap Hyman & Herrero. Marin designed 685 Fifth Avenue, the former Gucci headquarters, which it later transformed in 2024 into the 29-story Mandarin Oriental Residences. The firm also designed Brooklyn’s first Apple store at 247 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg.

The residential building will feature four units on the second and third floors: two studios, a one-bedroom, and a two-bedroom. The fourth through sixth floors will contain two one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit per floor, while the seventh and eighth floors will house two duplex units.

The facade will feature metal cladding, a material that has drawn concern from local advocacy groups. In Tuesday’s presentation, Christina Conroy of the Victorian Society New York said the group supports many aspects of the proposal but questioned the use of metal cladding in a district where masonry is the dominant historic facade material.

“A new building in any historic district should be considered not just on its own merits, but for the way it relates to the streetscape,” Conroy said. “This proposal seems to have strayed into the neighborhood from the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District, so we urge the applicant and the commission to rethink this aspect of the design.”

The applicant’s spokesperson said they understood concerns about the metal palette and assured those worried about the design that the team plans to use high-quality materials and is in discussions with manufacturers to determine the ideal thickness of the aluminum panels.

While the two lots, measuring roughly 3,120 square feet, reside within the historic district, the buildings were never a contributor to the historic character of the area.

The district’s 1992 designation report lists 35 Lispenard’s original architect as Mac L. Reiser, who designed it between 1954 and 1956. An alteration during that period demolished two upper stories of a brick building previously occupied by merchants of cloaks and suits. It was later converted into a boarding house, and subsequently into a ground-floor saloon with storage and factory space above.

The building’s current marble facade is the result of an alteration application filed in 1969, though the work was not completed until 1991. During the 1960s, the space operated as a retail store and was later replaced by a restaurant.

Construction is expected to begin this summer, although no building permits have been filed yet. The building is as-of-right and does not require additional approvals or zoning changes.

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Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday proposed a yearly tax on non-primary residences in New York City. After resisting calls to tax high-income earners led by progressive leaders like Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the governor is now embracing a surcharge on secondary homes in the five boroughs valued at $5 million and above. Known as pieds-à-terre, these properties are occupied by part-time residents who usually stay there while working or visiting the city. While it’s not the first time such a tax has been proposed in recent years, the new push for the surcharge comes as the city deals with a multibillion-dollar budget gap.

Homeowners who do not live or work full-time in New York City do not pay income taxes, limiting their contributions to public services, including fire and police departments, sanitation, parks, and transit systems. According to Hochul, the new pied-à-terre tax could generate at least $500 million annually in revenue for the city, which is currently facing a $5.4 billion budget gap.

“New York City is the greatest city in the world, and the people who call it home should not be left carrying the burden alone,” Hochul said.

“As Governor, I understand the importance of stabilizing the city’s finances without compromising on essential services New Yorkers count on. If you can afford a $5 million second home that sits empty most of the year, you can afford to contribute like every other New Yorker.”

As reported by the New York Times, Hochul plans to include the tax in the state’s budget, which was due April 1 and is still being negotiated. Details on the new surcharge were not released as of Wednesday, but previous proposals included a sliding scale model, with a higher tax on the most expensive properties.

Officials have called for a tax on luxury secondary homes since 2014, when Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, then a state senator, drafted legislation. The bill failed to move forward, but the effort was renewed in 2019 after Ken Griffin bought a $238 million apartment at 220 Central Park South as a “place to stay when he’s in town,” reviving interest in the tax.

Another part of a complicated tax system, city co-ops and condos are not taxed at market value, but instead are assessed by looking at comparable rental buildings. As 6sqft previously reported, that means Griffin’s apartment was assessed at $9.4 million, only 3.9 percent of the purchase price.

In 2017, there were 75,000 pieds-à-terre, according to the New York City Housing and Vacancy. The most recent survey by the group, with findings from 2023, found a significant drop off, with 59,000 units.

Several cities have implemented a tax on second homes, including Paris, Singapore, and Vancouver, not only to raise funds but also to return “empty or under-used properties to more active use as long-term rental homes,” according to a 2019 report from the Fiscal Policy Institute.

Hochul on Wednesday said it’s a matter of fairness to the residents who actually live in New York City.

“Those who benefit from the city without living in a full-time capacity should contribute to the costs that it takes to run the city: public safety, world-class parks, amenities, the roads, the subway system,” the governor said.

“This proposal simply ensures that they’re contributing in a meaningful way to keeping New York City the greatest city in the world.”

During his campaign, the mayor said he would call for taxes to be raised on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for his agenda of free buses and childcare. Earlier this year, Mamdani released his first preliminary budget, which included a $5.4 bullion budget gap.

He said if Albany does not raise taxes, the city would raise property taxes by 9.5 percent and tap into the city’s reserves to close the budget gap. Both ideas received criticism, and Mamdani backed away from the tax hike.

In February, Hochul announced an additional $1.5 billion over two years to help New York City’s fiscal crisis. In March, Mamdani announced that city agencies identified $1.7 billion more in savings.

“Thanks to the support of Governor Hochul, we are one step closer to balancing our budget by taxing the ultra-wealthy and global elites with a pied-à-terre tax — the first of its kind in our state,” Mamdani said.

“Alongside the governor, our administration is fighting every day to make sure we address this fiscal deficit fairly, where the wealthy contribute what they owe and our budget reflects our commitment to the working New Yorkers being priced out of our city.”

RELATED:

• Mamdani floats 9.5 percent property tax hike to close NYC budget gap
• Pied-à-terre tax backed by NYC Council members
• Billionaires’ Row condo sells for $82.5M, NYC’s priciest deal of the year

The post Hochul proposes pied-à-terre tax on NYC second homes worth over $5M first appeared on 6sqft.

With FIFA World Cup ticket prices already high, fans attending matches at MetLife Stadium this summer could face additional costs, as NJ Transit considers charging more than $100 for return rail tickets. As first reported by the Athletic, fares for the 18-mile trip could rise sevenfold, from $12.90 to more than $100, without standard discounts for seniors, children, and riders with disabilities. However, ticket prices have yet to be confirmed, with final transportation costs expected to be announced in the coming days, according to an agency spokesperson.

MetLife Stadium is hosting eight World Cup matches this summer, including five group-stage games on June 13, 16, 22, 26, and 27, a round of 32 match on June 30, a round of 16 match on July 5, and the final on July 19, as 6sqft previously reported.

The tri-state area is expected to see an influx of visitors as soccer fans from around the world converge for the tournament. NJ Transit has been preparing for the event, including plans to restrict access to parts of New York’s Penn Station to ticket holders for several hours before matches, then shuttle attendees to Secaucus Junction, where they will transfer to trains bound for the stadium.

An anonymous NJ Transit source told The Athletic that providing rail service for the eight matches, including accounting for disruptions, could cost the agency up to $48 million. The source also said FIFA’s security requirements are so strict that the matches will require the highest level security perimeter of any event hosted in New Jersey.

As a result, the agency says it may have to pass those costs on to either taxpayers or event attendees. Officials say the pricing structure is not intended for profit but to avoid losses or additional burden on local taxpayers.

The NY/NJ Host Committee and NJ Transit did not respond to requests for comment from The Athletic on whether discounted fares will be offered for children, seniors, or riders with disabilities, which are typically available on NJ Transit trips from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium.

Rail service will be critical to attendees, as no public parking will be available in the lots surrounding the venue. Instead, the lots will instead be used for “fan engagement” and “enhanced security,” significantly limiting parking capacity, according to NJ.com.

The higher rates mark another hefty price tag added to World Cup attendees’ expenses. According to NPR, the most expensive “Category 1” ticket to the final now costs $10,990, significantly higher than the $6,730 price when sales first launched last year.

In a post on X, Chuck Schumer called on FIFA to cover transportation costs for host cities, saying fans should not be “gouged” on travel.

“FIFA is set to reap nearly $11 billion from this summer’s World Cup, yet New York area commuters and residents are being handed the bill,” Schumer said. “The least FIFA can do is ensure New York residents can go to the stadium without being gouged at the turnstile.”

“I am demanding FIFA step up and cover transportation costs for host cities and states. New York commuters and residents should not subsidize an $11 billion windfall,” he added.

NJ joins several other U.S. states and cities in increasing transportation costs for World Cup ticket holders this summer. Last month, the Massachusetts MBTA said it planned to raise fares for travel from Boston to Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium from the usual $20 to more than $75.

That pricing was confirmed last week, when the MBTA announced return trips would cost $80. Separately, the agency also indicated that its alternative bus service to the stadium would cost $95 per seat, according to The Athletic.

RELATED:

• NJ Transit access to be restricted at Penn Station during World Cup
• Citi Field to host women’s pro soccer match ahead of World Cup final
• NYC’s first pro soccer stadium tops out in Queens

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Bronx residents will have easier access to the New York Botanical Garden thanks to a new pedestrian access ramp that opened Monday. The $4 million project transformed the pedestrian overpass over the Bronx River Parkway, long plagued by safety and accessibility issues, into a fully ADA-compliant ramp with handrails, landings, and stairs. The new walkway ensures visitors of all ages and abilities can safely access the garden.

“Every New Yorker deserves equal access to the incredible green spaces our city has to offer, and this project delivers exactly that,” NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura said.

“The new ADA-compliant ramp at Bronx Park East removes a long-standing barrier between local residents and one of the world’s great botanical gardens, making travel safer and more welcoming for seniors, families with young children, and people of all abilities.”

Backed by $4 million in City Council funding, design work on the project began in June 2022. Procurement started in July 2023, with an initial estimated completion date of July 2024, though the phase was not completed until February 2025. Construction began last March.

The finished project was designed to weave around the area’s existing trees, featuring an accessible ramp system with ADA-compliant grading, handrails on both sides, and intermittent landings that allow visitors to rest and safely traverse the overpass in all weather conditions and regardless of physical ability.

“This investment is about making sure every Bronx resident can fully experience the spaces that make our borough special. The new ADA-accessible ramp at Bronx Park East removes long-standing barriers and creates a safer, more welcoming connection to New York Botanical Garden for seniors, families, and individuals with disabilities alike,” Council Member Kevin C. Riley said. 

“By prioritizing accessibility and thoughtful design, we are expanding opportunity and ensuring our public spaces reflect the needs of the entire community.”

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• City to restart Flatbush Avenue redesign this month

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On a leafy Greenpoint block, the pretty brick townhouse at 143 Milton Street fits right in with its historic neighbors. Inside, the completely renovated three-bedroom home, asking $4,195,00, offers four levels of comfortable living from day one, with an elevator providing easy access to all floors. Classic contemporary design won’t go out of style, and plenty of private outdoor space takes advantage of the neighborhood’s greenery.

The garden level holds a private entertaining space with a large rec room/bar and a full bath. At the back, step out onto a private landscaped garden for outdoor gatherings.

The parlor floor is, in keeping with townhouse tradition, the home’s formal living and entertaining space. An elegant south-facing living room, framed by deep decorative molding and pale wood floors, opens onto another private garden. A sleek, well-appointed kitchen fills a rear extension.

The primary suite is on the second floor, enhanced by custom closets and an elegant, renovated bath. A smaller bedroom on this floor makes a perfect nursery or extra-large dressing room.

On the home’s highest level, you’ll find a skylit bedroom with access to a private balcony. There is a full bath on this floor as well.

Elegant finishes, outdoor space, and elevator access are complemented by central A/C and a washer/dryer. In its newest incarnation, the 1899 townhouse represents the timelessness of the city’s beautifully preserved historic architecture.

[Listing details: 143 Milton Street by Nicholas Maclean Lounsbury, Justin Hopwood, Adrian Radomski, and Julio Izquierdo of Compass]

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The post An elevator makes this $4.2M Greenpoint townhouse a timeless forever home first appeared on 6sqft.

A colorful mural opened at Lincoln Center on Monday, part of an ongoing effort to transform its western edge into a more welcoming public space. Designed by artist Vanesa Álvarez and assistant artist Derval Fairweather in collaboration with ArtBridge, “The Future We Create” draws on themes and imagery shaped by community input. The mural is installed on construction fencing along the perimeter of Damrosch Park, where Lincoln Center plans to remove longstanding barriers separating its campus from Amsterdam Avenue and improve access to surrounding neighborhoods.

According to W42ST, the 4,000-square-foot mural translates drawings, memories, and ideas gathered from locals through community workshops into vibrant graphic figures. The artwork features present-day residents alongside references to San Juan Hill, the predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood razed in the 1950s to make way for Lincoln Center.

It replaces a stretch of fencing that once displayed the Ex Vandals’ San Juan Hill mural, which will be converted into a digital format and displayed inside David Geffen Hall.

“I’m so thrilled to unveil ‘The Future We Create,’” Álvarez said.

“This is more than a piece of art—it’s a story. Behind this mural is a history of community: of joy, of color, of people spending time together, creating together, believing in the arts, and being part of making it.”

The mural’s unveiling marks an important step in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Lincoln Center West Initiative, first announced in 2023. Led by Hood Design Studio, Weiss/Manfredi, and Moody Nolan, the project focuses on the campus’s Amsterdam Avenue-facing side, where a five-foot wall at 62nd Street rises to 20 feet at 65th Street, acting as a barrier between the campus and neighborhoods to the west.

For decades, residents of NYCHA’s Amsterdam Houses and Addition, along with students at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and the five schools within the Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex, have been physically separated from the Lincoln Center campus, lacking the same access found on the east side.

The project also includes changes to Damrosch Park, which is city-owned and operated by Lincoln Center. After a participatory planning process that included feedback from more than 3,400 New Yorkers, the design team was selected to transform the space into a public park with a modern performance venue, as 6sqft previously reported.

New gardens at the park’s entrance will provide public seating, while new art and light installations will enhance the concourse connecting Amsterdam Avenue to the 1 train entrance on Broadway. Much of the park’s new geometry echoes the historic forms of Lincoln Center’s iconic modernist design.

Anchoring the new park will be a performance venue featuring a permanent theater and an open plaza with seating for about 2,000 guests, designed for both artistic and community use.

“The new design for Damrosch Park will repair what for so long has been one of the great failures of Lincoln Center, the cold shoulder it turns toward its neighbors to the west, replacing an uninviting open space with a vibrant new park gracefully connected to its surroundings,” Paul Goldberger, architectural scholar and historian, said, according to Lincoln Center.

The project is supported by a $335 million capital campaign, with 65 percent of the funds raised as of last May. Support has come from the LCPA Board of Directors, who championed the project from the start, as well as a $10 million commitment from the State of New York.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is a founding partner in the project, awarding a $75 million grant. The gift includes early support when the initiative first launched and builds on the foundation’s backing of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City free programming.

The mural will remain in place for about two years while construction on the project continues, which is slated for completion in 2028.

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• Lincoln Center unveils design for revamped Amsterdam Avenue side of campus
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The post Lincoln Center unveils new mural honoring San Juan Hill ahead of major renovation first appeared on 6sqft.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced plans to build a city-owned grocery store in East Harlem, advancing one of his core campaign promises. Located under the Park Avenue Viaduct between 111th and 116th Streets, La Marqueta was opened by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1936 as one of the city’s original public markets. Over the years, the marketplace has struggled and has shrunk its footprint and its number of vendors. As the New York Times first reported, the city plans to spend $30 million to build the store at the site of La Marqueta, which is expected to open by 2029.

LaGuardia opened the Park Avenue Retail Market in 1936 to bring hundreds of the neighborhood’s pushcart vendors under one roof, allowing food to remain affordable and conditions to be more sanitary. According to the city, as the neighborhood “transformed from Italian Harlem to Spanish Harlem,” the market became known as La Marqueta. In addition to selling Latin American and Caribbean goods, the market has served as a retail and cultural anchor in East Harlem.

According to Mamdani, grocery prices increased in New York City by nearly 66 percent between 2013 and 2023. The city-supported store, to be run by a private operator that “answers to standards” set by the city, according to the mayor, will require that basic staple groceries like eggs and bread be discounted. The city will waive rent and real estate taxes. The private operator will be selected through a request for proposals.

“Just as LaGuardia used government to respond to the challenges of the Great Depression, we will use government to respond to rising prices and unaffordable groceries,” Mandani said during a press conference on Tuesday.

The mayor said 65,000 New Yorkers live within a 10-minute walk of La Marqueta, including 5,000 NYCHA residents on either side of Park Avenue. About 40 percent of East Harlem residents received public assistance or SNAP benefits in the last year.

“At its peak, La Marqueta served 25,000 customers per day,” Mamdani said. “We hope to make a similar impact in this very neighborhood, continuing LaGuardia’s legacy.”

The East Harlem grocery store will be built on a vacant, city-owned lot and will not displace any existing vendors, according to the Times. Mamdani proposed $70 million in capital funds to open five grocery stores, one in every borough, by the end of 2029. The plan requires approval by the City Council.

The first city-owned store will open within an existing building in a different borough by the end of 2027. It’s unclear, as of now, where this store will be located.

Overseen by the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the city’s network of public markets includes Essex Market, Moore Street Market, Arthur Avenue Market, Gourmet Glatt, and Jamaica Farmers Market.

The EDC will oversee the construction of the new La Marqueta store.

“Today, we take the first major step in delivering New York City’s first public grocery stores and NYCEDC is proud to work with Mayor Mamdani and his administration in delivering these public stores that will help address food insecurity and affordability while ensuring good paying, quality jobs and a dignified, enjoyable shopping experience for New Yorkers,” NYCEDC Interim President & CEO Jeanny Pak said.

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The Pride flag will be displayed permanently at Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village after the Trump administration agreed to reverse its decision to remove it. As part of a court settlement reached on Monday, the federal government agreed to reinstall three flags on the monument’s flagpole within a week, according to the Associated Press. Filed by a group of nonprofits after the flag’s removal on February 9, the lawsuit argued that the administration illegally targeted LGBTQIA+ people and violated a policy allowing the National Park Service (NPS) to display “non-agency” flags at federal sites when they provide historical context.

“This is a victory for the LGBTQ+ community and for our entire city. It’s a reminder that New Yorkers won’t let our history be rewritten,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a post on X. “Our administration will keep working to ensure LGBTQ+ New Yorkers can live safely and with dignity in our city.”

The flag was removed in February due to a January 21 guidance issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, which stated the NPS may fly “only the US Flag, flags of the DOI, and the POW/MIA flag.” This includes limited exceptions for flags “provide historical context, such as earlier versions of the U.S. flag at a historic fort, or are part of historic reenactments or living history programs.”

On February 17, a coalition of nonprofits led by a foundation honoring Gilbert Baker, the artist who created the Pride flag in 1978, filed a federal lawsuit against the administration in an effort to restore the symbol. The suit argued that the Pride flag falls under those limited exceptions allowing “historical context” at federal sites, as reported by the New York Times.

The coalition, which also includes Village Preservation and Equality New York, argued that the decision to remove the flag was not about adhering to the guidance but instead another attack on the LGBTQIA+ community by the Trump administration.

Days after it was removed, NYC officials and hundreds of New Yorkers re-raised the flag at the site, where it has since flown in an unofficial capacity, though it could have been removed at any time. Weeks later, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Dan Goldman introduced legislation to make the Pride flag congressionally authorized, seeking to amend the guidance.

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who helped organize February’s flag re-raising, celebrated the settlement.

“We fought the Trump administration—and we won. I’m thrilled that after we rallied and re raised the Pride flag with elected officials and advocates on February 13, the Trump administration has blinked and backed down from its contemptuous attempt to erase American history,” he said.

Located next to the historic Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, the monument commemorates the June 28, 1969, police raid that sparked three days of protests and ignited the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, as 6sqft previously reported.

In 2016, former President Barack Obama designated the site, including the bar, Christopher Park, and surrounding streets, as a national monument. During the Biden administration, advocates successfully pushed the federal government to allow a Pride flag to fly on federal land within the park, according to Gay City News.

The flag’s removal in February marked a continued assault on the LGBTQIA+ community by the Trump administration.

Last year, the NPS also removed transgender references from its Stonewall National Monument webpage. The agency deleted the words “transgender” and “queer” from the LGBTQ+ acronym on the site, following a series of executive actions by Trump that rolled back transgender rights, including banning trans people from women’s sports, the military, and minors from receiving gender-affirming care, as 6sqft previously reported.

Months later, the NPS removed several references to the word “bisexual” from the site. In 2025, the administration also discontinued the existing Pride flag design, which displayed black and brown stripes and Trans flag colors, and permitted only the standard Pride flag to fly on the flagpole.

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The post Trump administration agrees to display Pride flag at Stonewall after lawsuit first appeared on 6sqft.

The World Series of New York City trivia returns to the Queens Museum for its 15th anniversary this Friday. Hosted by the City Reliquary, the Panorama Challenge uses the museum’s iconic Panorama of the City of New York, a huge scale model of the five boroughs created for the 1964-65 World’s Fair, to test participants’ knowledge of places and events tied to neighborhoods across the city. Taking place on April 17, this year’s competition will feature a new set of NYC-themed questions, including viral moments, Broadway, and other facets of the city’s cultural history and lore.

Teams of returning pros and new challengers will work to answer the questions, reinforcing the City Reliquary’s mission to highlight how every city block is rich with stories and meaning. The City Reliquary hosted the first Panorama Challenge in 2007 to engage the public in that mission, turning knowledge of the city into a participatory cultural experience.

The winning team will have its name etched onto the Panorama Challenge trophy alongside previous victors, becoming a part of the event’s history.

This year’s panel of judges includes Kevin Walsh of Forgotten New York, former Manhattan Borough Historian and sewer alligator expert Michael Miscione, tattoo artist and Daredevil Tattoo owner Michelle Myers, and other local figures. Quizmaster Jonathan Turer and emcee Gary Dennis return to run the game and have devised a set of challenging questions.

“Reaching the 15th installment of the City Reliquary’s Panorama Challenge feels really special to me,” Turer said. “Every year I look forward to crafting the questions. I love digging into the strange, wonderful details of New York history and turning them into puzzles that make people look a little closer at the city around them.”

“Seeing players connect the dots, argue over clues, and get excited when something clicks is incredibly rewarding. After all these years, it still feels like a celebration of curiosity, community, and the endless stories hidden throughout the five boroughs.”

The trivia utilizes the famed Panorama of NYC, currently on long-term view at the museum. Conceived by urban planner Robert Moses and created for the 1964–65 World’s Fair, the model was built by a team of more than 100 people at the acclaimed architectural model-making firm Raymond Lester & Associates over the course of three years.

Ticketing and team registration are still open. Admission is $25 in advance, $30 at the door, and $20 for City Reliquary members.

A free shuttle will run between the 111th Street 7 train station and the Queens Museum.

“The Panorama Challenge really captures what the City Reliquary is all about,” Dave Herman, founder of the City Reliquary, said. “It invites people to look more closely at the city around them. It turns curiosity into a game and brings together people who love the strange, overlooked, and fascinating details of New York life.”

He added, “Reaching the 15th edition of the Panorama Challenge is a huge milestone, and it’s exciting to see how much enthusiasm the community still brings to it every year. It’s a perfect example of how a small, quirky idea can grow into a beloved tradition.”

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High on a Columbia County hilltop overlooking the Taconic and Helderberg mountain ranges, this secluded 40-acre property at 411 Texas Hill Road is a modernist’s dream. The seller, Mark McDonald, known as “Mr. Modernism,” has been instrumental in creating a market for 20th-century modern design in America for over four decades. Asking $3,350,000, the estate features a 1966 mid-century main house designed by architect George Post.

At the end of a long driveway, the three-bedroom main house is served by a guest suite, an artist’s studio with a sauna, and a bespoke barn. Surrounding 4,000 square feet of total living space are gardens, walking trails, and spring-fed ponds.

The main house offers three bedrooms, a guest suite, and a two-car garage. The spaces are connected by covered walkways. The home has been updated for the 21st century with central air and radiant heated floors throughout.

The main living room, dining room, and kitchen form a large great room anchored by a central stone fireplace. Sliding glass doors that wrap the room offer views of the surrounding landscape. A vaulted wood ceiling, walnut hardwood floors, and custom built-ins add architectural integrity and warmth, highlighted by iconic designer lighting throughout.

The kitchen maintains its mid-century feel with minimalist cabinetry and stainless steel countertops. The kitchen is served by a mudroom and laundry room.

Down the home’s central hallway is a primary bedroom with an ensuite bath. Glass doors slide open onto a private patio. There are two more bedrooms, each with a bath.

From the main house, a covered walkway leads to the one-bedroom guest suite with its own living room, kitchen, and full bath. In a separate building, an artist’s studio offers a private sauna. A craftsman-style barn offers even more possibilities for living space or storage.

The lovingly landscaped grounds feature stone patios, fire pits, native and exotic trees and shrubs, rock outcroppings, a swimming pond, and wooded walking trails.

Providing a special modernist touch is a front gate designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The private Hudson Valley estate is just 20 minutes from the town of Hudson.

[Listing details: 411 Texas Hill Road by Marina Schindler and Stephen Kingsley of Compass]

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The post For $3.35M, this 40-acre upstate retreat embodies the spirit of modernist architecture first appeared on 6sqft.

Pink bought a yellow Greenwich Village townhouse. The pop star paid $21.5 million for the historic six-story home at 125 West 11th Street, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. Built in 1849, the cheerfully painted Greek Revival mansion has served as a haven for artists for over a century, most recently the same family for 70 years. Following a three-year renovation, the roughly 7,900-square-foot home first hit the market for $25 million in 2024 before being reduced by $3.5 million last fall.

According to the WSJ, Pink, aka Alecia Beth Moore, relocated to New York so her teenage daughter could study theater and experience Broadway. The musician and her family continue the trend of artists living in the Greenwich Village home.

As 6sqft previously reported, Daniel Chester French, the sculptor who created the Abraham Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., lived there in the late 1880s. French designed and built the home’s paneled studio, which measures 54 feet deep with soaring ceilings and three huge skylights. In this studio, decades later, dancer Valerie Bettis created choreographic routines for Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth.

The Fonseca family has owned the home for the last 70 years, starting with Uruguayan sculptor Gonzalo Fonseca and painter Elizabeth Kaplan Fonseca and their children, one of whom is author Isabel Fonseca, as the New York Times reported.

The 22-foot-wide single-family home has an elevator that connects all six floors, including the rooftop terrace with sweeping city views.

The garden level’s stunning artist studio steals the show, accessible via exterior wrought-iron doors. The sprawling space features two 30-foot peaks with three colossal skylights. A lofted area is reached by a spiral staircase.

On this floor, there are two wood-burning fireplaces, a kitchenette, a full bath, a washer and dryer, and access to the cellar. French doors lead to a back patio.

Up the classic stoop, the parlor level features a spacious living room with 10-foot ceilings and one of the three wood-burning fireplaces. This level also includes a well-equipped kitchen, a dining area, and a powder room.

With lots of space to work with, the home could easily deliver seven bedrooms. Currently, the third floor is configured as two bedrooms with a shared bathroom, but could become the primary suite or home office.

Facing the tree-lined street, the primary bedroom takes up the fourth floor and includes a large dressing room and an en-suite bath with a double marble vanity, soaking tub, and separate shower. The fifth floor features two more bedrooms, one of which has access to a private south-facing terrace.

The top floor offers beamed ceilings reaching over 13 feet high and casement windows. There’s a wet bar with a wine fridge, a full bath, and a rooftop terrace offering views across lower Manhattan.

[Listing details: 125 West 11th Street at CityRealty]

[At Compass by Nick Gavin and Mary Ellen Cashman]

RELATED:

• This $25M Greenwich Village townhouse has been an artist’s refuge for well over a century

The post Pink buys historic yellow Greenwich Village townhouse for $21.5M first appeared on 6sqft.

New York City wants to close a chaotic street between Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park, connecting the plaza to the 585-acre green space with a new car-free pedestrian space. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced a proposal to remove the four-way crossing next to the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch and ban cars from Union Street to Eastern Parkway along the plaza’s southern edge. The redesign also includes new bike lanes and bus priority upgrades aimed at improving service on the B41 and B6, two of Brooklyn’s busiest routes.

Grand Army Plaza was designed in 1867 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as the formal entrance to Prospect Park.

Those who visit the plaza’s iconic arch and Prospect Park are familiar with the hectic experience of crossing the wide avenue between the landmark and the green space, where Park Slope and Prospect Heights converge, and the main entrance to the park.

Residents and advocacy groups have complained about traffic in the area for decades. In 1955, one publication described the traffic circle as “the only concrete asphalt and roulette wheel in the world,” according to the New York Times. Between 2021 and 2025, there were 219 traffic injuries along the plaza’s roadways and outer ring.

The proposal seeks to address these long-standing concerns by making the experience of visiting the arch and park less stressful. The redesign would add roughly three-quarters of an acre to the 14-acre plaza, a 42 percent expansion, and reduce the number of pedestrian crossings from 39 to 24.

Redesigning the roadway would also improve bus speeds, the Department of Transportation (DOT) told the Times, as the project would ease congestion in and around the circular roadway. The effort would be complemented by the ongoing redesign of Flatbush Avenue, which connects to Grand Army Plaza and includes center-running bus lanes.

“Grand Army Plaza is the gateway to Brooklyn’s backyard, Prospect Park—and it should welcome New Yorkers with street design that puts safety first,” Mamdani said.

“Anyone who’s tried to cross here knows how dangerous and chaotic the streets can be. This redesign is long overdue and will provide a sense of ease and enjoyment to one of Brooklyn’s most important public spaces.”

Plans to redesign the plaza began circulating in 2022 under former Mayor Eric Adams, but have since stalled. The project has now been revived under the Mamdani administration. The selected plan would remove cars from the plaza’s southern edge and divert traffic to adjacent streets.

In 2024, workshops showed substantial community support for the project, with over 85 percent of the 3,600 survey respondents supporting a plan that would better connect the park and plaza to the arch.

“We’re ecstatic that NYC will be connecting Grand Army Plaza’s arch to the rest of Prospect Park,” Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said. “This is a major step forward for everyone who visits Brooklyn’s backyard, and a restoration of Olmsted’s original vision for his favorite park.

Furnas added: “With this proposal, one of Brooklyn’s most confusing and harrowing intersections will transform into a new marquee public space for all to enjoy—on foot, on a bike or on the bus.”

The DOT will finalize the project’s design through a series of public workshops beginning April 23. More information and a public survey will be posted online on the day of the workshops and will be available online through May 31.

Once capital project scope development concludes this year, the DOT will explore ways to reconstruct the roadway to include new pedestrian and cyclist amenities.

The April 23 workshop will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the DOT tent south of the archway in Grand Army Plaza. In case of rain, the event will move to the Grand Lobby of the Brooklyn Public Library. On April 25, another workshop will take place at the same location from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On April 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the DOT will host a virtual workshop on Zoom. You can register here.

Last summer, the city and the Prospect Park Alliance announced the completion of a $8.9 milion renovation of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch. As 6sqft reported, the project replaced the arch’s roof, cleaned the brick and stone structure, repaired interiors, like 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.

RELATED:

• NYC is considering making Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza car-free
• Prospect Park’s east side is getting a protected bike lane, pedestrian plaza
• $37.5M restoration of Prospect Park’s Vale begins
• $8.9M restoration of Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza Arch is complete

The post NYC to connect Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park with car-free pedestrian space first appeared on 6sqft.

An affordable housing lottery launched this week for 75 mixed-income apartments at a 38-story residential tower in the Financial District. Developed by the Moinian Group, Aria 7 Platt at 7 Platt Street offers light-filled luxury residences and a range of indoor and outdoor amenities. New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $1,819/month studios to $4,484/month two-bedrooms.

Constructed by AECOM Tishman, the 250-unit tower is one of the last projects completed under the now-expired 421-a tax abatement program, which incentivized developers to include affordable housing in exchange for property tax exemptions.

Hill West is serving as the project architect and Rockwell Group as project designer for the 250,000-square-foot tower. Residences offer a fine blend of modern comfort and elevated design.

Indoor amenities include a penthouse lounge, fitness center, library, work pods, resident lounges, private dining spaces with terrace access, a gaming and virtual reality room, a communal kitchen, and laundry facilities.

Outdoor amenities include a rooftop sundeck with chaise lounges, a landscaped garden lounge, an outdoor movie screening area, dining spaces, and a co-working area.

ARIA 7 Platt is located near a range of public transit options, including the 1, 2, 3, R, W, J, and Z subway lines, multiple bus routes, and the NYC Ferry.

Leasing for market-rate units at the building launched in January. Current availability for these apartments starts at $4,491/month for a studio.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the apartments until June 8, 2026. Complete details on how to apply are available here.

Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

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• First phase of major East New York development opens lottery for 291 apartments, from $561/month
• 19 affordable co-ops in Harlem available, from $220K

The post Lottery opens for 75 apartments at 38-story FiDi tower, from $1,819/month first appeared on 6sqft.

A Jersey City icon will reopen its doors this year. Loew’s Jersey Theatre announced this week that the historic venue will return this fall, following a $130 million restoration. New renderings provide an updated look at the 1929 theater’s transformation into a year-round entertainment destination in Journal Square, more than 40 years after preservation efforts began. Led by OTJ Architects, the project rehabilitates and modernizes the space while retaining its ornate historical details, with upgrades that include new sound and lighting systems and flexible seating for between 2,600 and 4,000 guests.

Built by architect George Rapp in a gilded Baroque-Rococo style, the theater is one of five Loew’s Wonder Theatres constructed between 1929-30 across the tri-state area, along with the Loew’s Paradise in the Bronx, the Loew’s Kings in Brooklyn, the Loew’s Valencia in Queens, and the Loew’s 175th Street, now known as the United Palace Theatre, as 6sqft previously reported.

The series of grand movie palaces was built to establish Loews Corporation’s stature in the film industry, but also as an escape for people from all walks of life, especially during the Great Depression and World War II.

Jersey City’s theater served as an entertainment hub for decades before being converted into a triplex movie theater in the 1970s and nearly facing demolition in the 1980s. Pressure from grassroots preservation efforts ultimately led the city to buy the theater in 1987, allowing the nonprofit Friends of the Loew’s to begin the restoration and operate it as a nonprofit arts center.

However, the project has been hampered by delays for decades. In a 2018 interview, Friends of the Loew’s executive director Colin Egan said that while the city matched a $1 million state grant awarded at the start of the project, the combined $2 million was not even enough to cover basic costs such as restoring heat or making the bathrooms operational.

To compensate for the lack of funding, volunteers worked on the theater every weekend until 1996, tackling projects ranging from mechanical and lighting systems to mapping every seat and scraping, priming, and repainting them.

By 2001, enough work had been completed to allow the theater to partially reopen for the first time in 15 years. Until its closure for restoration, it hosted live performances, events, and film screenings, according to the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs.

“These renderings offer a glimpse into the quality of the restoration and an insight into what our patrons, promoters, partners, performers, and neighbors will see when they first step into this very special venue,” Bruce Wheeler, general manager of Loew’s Jersey Theatre, said.

The restoration project is a collaboration between the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, the State of New Jersey, and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), with which the city entered into a lease agreement in 2021 to renovate, manage, and operate the theater. In 2022, the theater was officially designated a National Historic Landmark. Interior and exterior restoration work has been ongoing.

In 2020, former Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop estimated the project at $40 million. The following year, the city said it had reached a $72 million agreement for the renovation. Last May, it was announced that due to multiple stops and starts and rising material costs, the price tag had nearly doubled to $130 million, according to NJ.com.

When it reopens, the venue is expected to host roughly 150 events annually, including live music, comedy, touring performances, sporting events, and community and educational programming.

“The Loew’s Jersey Theatre is a symbol of Jersey City’s past and future. For decades, Journal Square has been the heart of our city, home to working families, immigrants, and dreamers, and this restoration is a testament to their resilience and to the neighborhood they never gave up on,” Mayor James Solomon said. 

“The Friends of Loews fought to bring this iconic Wonder Theatre back to life—proving that communities thrive when properly invested in.”

OTJ Architects is restoring both the exterior and interior while modernizing the stage, backstage, and public areas. The orchestra level floor is being reconfigured with flexible tiers that can be arranged for seated shows or cleared for general admission. Off the Record Collective is handling the interiors for the artist and backstage spaces.

Additionally, the rear of the theater will feature an upgraded loading dock and expanded back-of-house support spaces, along with enhancements to front-of-house areas.

Restoration work is being reviewed by the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission, the NJ Historic Preservation Office, and the National Park Service, and will meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Structures. Construction is overseen by Phelps Construction Group.

RELATED:

• Behind the scenes at the Loew’s Jersey City: How a 1929 Wonder Theatre was brought back to life
• Jersey City announces $72M restoration of historic Loew’s Theatre
• Jersey City moves forward with $40M renovation of historic Loew’s Theatre
• Tours of Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theatre are back

The post Jersey City’s historic Loew’s Theatre to reopen this fall after $130M restoration first appeared on 6sqft.

A report released Thursday is calling for reforms to New York City’s leasing process, finding that some affordable housing buildings can take up to 14 months to reach full occupancy due to delays. Published by Enterprise, the report highlights how even amid the city’s housing crisis, newly built affordable units can sit vacant for months as tenants and owners navigate the “lease-up process,” the period between when a building is ready for move-ins and when it reaches capacity. As first reported by The City, the report outlines a series of recommendations, including reforms to CityFHEPS, the city’s Housing Connect lottery system, and streamlining of the homeless placement process.

Enterprise, a national nonprofit focused on increasing affordable housing supply and advancing racial equity, found that 100 percent of the affordable housing developments it financed in NYC between 2021 and 2024 experienced delays, with an average lease-up time of more than 14 months.

Last year, the organization convened a group of marketing agents, affordable housing owners, policy experts, housing navigators, New Yorkers, and nonprofit organizations who have experienced these issues as applicants. The report documents their findings and policy recommendations aimed at connecting tenants to homes faster.

More than 800 affordable housing projects nationwide were analyzed, including 50 in the five boroughs, revealing a median of 439 days between apartment completion and tenant move-in. Lease-up periods ranged from roughly 8.5 months to more than two years.

According to the report, the city has more severe lease-up delays than any other community where Enterprise operates. The nonprofit found that it takes three times longer to lease up an affordable housing building in NYC than the national median of 156 days. The average lease-up delay in the city is 285 days, compared with a national median of 110 days.

These long lease-up times leave New Yorkers in shelters or other unstable housing situations for longer periods and increase costs for landlords, with delayed projects costing owners an average of $500,000 in lost tax credit equity. These costs are further compounded by additional expenses, including extended construction loan interest and payments.

The report’s first recommendation aims to reduce bureaucracy surrounding Housing Connect, the city’s housing lottery system. In 2024, six million New Yorkers applied for 10,000 affordable units through the lottery.

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), the agencies that set marketing and lottery rules, have recently made changes to reduce documentation requirements, back-end audits, and income verification in an effort to streamline the process.

Before a lottery launches, the marketing plan for a development must be approved. This process typically begins when a project is about 70 percent complete, with the goal of aligning the lottery with building completion. However, the report finds this timeline to be unrealistic, citing too many steps and excessive administrative burden.

Enterprise recommends that the city streamline approvals by adopting a universal marketing plan template that can be completed within the Housing Connect system and finalized with city agencies at closing. It also recommends involving HPD marketing staff earlier in the process, rather than during construction.

Next, the report outlines reforms to the referral process for set-aside units for homeless placements. In 2020, the city began requiring city-financed affordable housing developments to set aside at least 15 percent of units for individuals experiencing homelessness.

According to the 2025 Mayor’s Management Report, a record 3,743 homeless households were placed into newly constructed affordable housing last year. However, those moves took an average of 235 days to complete.

Enterprise says the process requires too much interagency involvement, leading to vacant units and delayed move-ins. These delays leave homeless households waiting longer for stable housing and can also create financial consequences for tax credit properties that fail to meet lease-up deadlines.

The report recommends that, instead of being directly involved in the placement process, city agencies outsource coordination to third-party housing navigation organizations. These groups would liaise between shelters and housing opportunities, taking on responsibilities currently handled by HPD’s Homeless Services Unit and Department of Homeless Services staff, in order to improve efficiency.

Third-party navigators would focus on working with shelter residents and staff to ensure appropriate housing matches, which the report says would lead to higher rates of successful placements.

Additionally, direct referrals from shelters into affordable housing should be allowed when the shelter and housing operators are the same organization, when the shelter is co-located with an affordable housing site, or when a housing provider has a relationship with a local shelter. It also urges housing owners to accept referrals beyond these direct sources.

Finally, the report calls for a series of reforms to the CityFHEPS program, which allows low-income New Yorkers to pay 30 percent of their income toward rent, with the city covering the remainder. The program is a lifeline for the roughly 65,000 households, or about 140,000 people, who currently use the vouchers, as 6sqft previously reported.

First, Enterprise says the income verification process must be streamlined. Currently, income verification and rebudgeting are triggered when a household’s income changes by more than $100 between initial voucher approval and lease-up, creating delays that can result in lost units or apartments sitting vacant for months.

The process is burdensome for all parties involved, requiring tenants to gather and submit documentation, service providers to review and process paperwork, and city staff to approve rebudgeting and final package submissions.

To reduce this burden, the city could increase the rebudgeting threshold, allow community partners to handle rebudgeting, or permit the income determined at the initial eligibility stage to carry through until package submission or even after move-in, particularly in cases where approval has been delayed for more than a month.

In addition, the report outlines a series of inspection reforms for CityFHEPS. After hearing about inconsistent understanding of the G704 waiver for new construction units, which allows for inspection waivers and virtual inspections, Enterprise says the city should clarify and better publicize these waivers.

The city could also implement an apartment review checklist (ARC) and inspection hierarchy that would allow move-ins with non-hazardous “fails” and provide clearer guidance to inspectors on which issues require immediate resolution versus those that should not delay a tenant’s move-in.

Certain types of issues could still require an inspection after move-in to confirm resolution. In these cases, move-in would proceed at the tenant’s discretion, with appropriate sign-off.

Most units require an ARC inspection completed by a contracted provider, but certain units, such as ground-floor residences, must be inspected by the Department of Social Services’ CAR unit, adding a substantial amount of time to the approval process.

Eliminating this requirement for new construction or renovations that go through a new Department of Buildings (DOB) inspection and adding ARC-specific items to the DOB checklist would streamline the process. ARC inspections could also stand for six months to prevent the need for re-inspections after a tenant declines an apartment or a lease-up falls through.

Subsidized affordable housing properties with regulatory agreements could shift from unit-by-unit submissions to a building-wide registration process, significantly streamlining landlord package submissions. Improved coordination between HPD, HDC, and HSS would allow for seamless registration and eliminate the need for separate submissions for each unit.

With these reforms, Enterprise estimates that median lease-up time would be cut from 14 to six months, average homeless placement timelines from more than seven months to two months, and CityFHEPS approval and move-in times from more than nine months to one month.

City Hall has been exploring ways to improve the lease-up process. On his first day in office, Mayor Zohran Mamdani created the Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development Task Force to identify ways to accelerate housing development and leasing. The task force is expected to release its findings on Saturday, but City Hall has since said the report will instead be published in a few weeks.

RELATED:

• NYC to fast-track affordable housing on city-owned land
• Hundreds of NYCHA apartments taken over by squatters as vacancies soar, report finds
• Majority of affordable housing in NYC built in just 10 of 51 NYC Council districts, new report finds

The post Even amid NYC’s housing crisis, new affordable units sit vacant for over 14 months first appeared on 6sqft.

Mariah Carey is selling her triplex atop 90 Franklin Street, which was featured in Architectural Digest and “MTV Cribs” and exemplifies the rarified experience of penthouse living. Asking $27 million, the three-floor, 12,700-square-foot home has 1,100 square feet of outdoor space, wrapped by dazzling Hudson River and Manhattan skyline views in every direction. With interiors designed by Mario Buatta, the Art Deco residence is no less opulent today.

In 1999, the “Queen of Christmas” paid $9 million for two top-floor units, the penthouse and a full-floor unit below, at the 100-year-old bank building Franklin Tower, which was converted from offices to apartments. The listing marks the first time the home will be available since Carey lived there.

The world first got a look at her glamorous penthouse in an iconic episode of “MTV Cribs” in 2002, where the singer famously exercised in stilettos and took a bath. In the episode, Carey also mentioned, but did not reveal, Marilyn Monroe’s white baby grand piano, which she paid over $660,000 for in 1999.

In 2022, as 6sqft reported, Carey hosted “Mariah’s Ultimate Holiday Experience,” a Booking.com partnership that included a Christmas-themed photoshoot in the penthouse.

For space alone, the possibilities are about as endless as you’d imagine in a home this size. The 16th floor is a downtown paradise on its own. The two floors above add up to a sky mansion topped by an endless private terrace. Combined, it’s an estate of epic proportions.

The listing description says the next owner can “enjoy it as one expansive private home or reimagine it as an exceptional blank canvas for a developer or design-minded buyer.”

Surrounding a stunning glass-wrapped rotunda, the jewel atop this trophy-level downtown crown is a vast roof terrace. The airstrip-sized patio features an indoor/outdoor room with a fireplace for multi-season use.

The condominium tops a 17-story Art Deco brick tower built as a bank in 1915. Historic details like high, beamed ceilings and exposed brick give the space a graceful pre-war elegance.

Amenities include a doorman, a concierge, and a gym.

[Listing details: 90 Franklin Street, PH, at CityRealty]

[At Core by Emily Beare and Lexi Alper]

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• Musicians of Tribeca: The City’s Hottest ‘Hood for Pop Stars

The post Mariah Carey lists Tribeca penthouse for $27M first appeared on 6sqft.

Two of celebrated street artist Keith Haring’s iconic art cars will be rolling into New York City for the first time. Opening on Friday, the exhibition “Keith Haring: In the Street” will display the artist’s 1963 Buick Special and a Land Rover Series III from the 1983 Montreux Jazz Festival, for 10 days only. On view from April 10 to 19 at the CART Department gallery, Free Parking, the exhibit celebrates the new book, “Keith Haring in 3D” from Larry Warsh and Glenn Adamson. The exhibition also marks the first show for Free Parking, a 3,000-square-foot gallery inside a West Village carriage house.

This rare view of Haring’s three-dimensional work will include original works and photographs, accompanied by events and appearances by artists, writers, and others in Haring’s orbit.

On April 11, “Stories from the Street” offers a conversation between choreographer Muna Tseng and culture critic Carlo McCormick about 1980s downtown New York City. A kick-off party for the event, featuring G-Bo The Pro, will begin at 2 p.m.

On April 18, Brad Gooch, author of “Raidant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring,” will be in conversation with Larry Warsh on his new book.

The exhibition also celebrates the upcoming “Keith Haring Exhibition in 3D,” which will open in June at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.

“Keith Haring: In the Street” will be at Free Parking at 16 Morton Street from April 10-19. Gallery hours are 12-6 p.m.; panels require an RSVP.

To go even deeper, check out a major exhibition of Haring’s work at the Brant Foundation‘s East Village space through May 31. The exhibition, which features pieces that predated the artist’s rise to fame, brings the work back to a neighborhood that inspired Haring’s artistic upbringing.

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• Trucks of Art returns: DSNY invites artists to decorate NYC garbage trucks
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• First major Raphael exhibition in the U.S. opens at The Met
• New Museum opens OMA-designed expansion

The post Keith Haring’s iconic art cars headed to NYC gallery first appeared on 6sqft.

Work to redesign Brooklyn’s Flatbush Avenue will resume this month, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Thursday. The project will create dedicated center lanes along the notoriously congested and dangerous corridor from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza, and is expected to speed up commutes for 132,000 daily bus riders, who currently travel at average speeds of under 4 miles per hour. Initial work on the four-phase project began last fall, but DOT suspended construction because of winter weather. Construction will restart at the end of April and continue into the fall of 2026, weather permitting.

Designated a Vision Zero Priority Corridor and considered one of the borough’s most dangerous streets, Flatbush Avenue has seen 55 people killed or seriously injured since 2019. The stretch between Livingston Street and Grand Army Plaza is also plagued by some of the slowest bus speeds in the city, as 6sqft previously reported.

Additionally, nearly 60 percent of households along Flatbush Avenue lack access to a personal vehicle, making reliable bus service critical. Buses along the corridor primarily serve Black, female, and low-income riders. Most live in surrounding zip codes and have household incomes below $80,000, according to a Pratt Center study.

Many riders have described long wait times for the bus in extreme weather, and one in three say slow service has led to them being reprimanded at work, losing pay, or even being fired.

Bus routes set to benefit include the B41, B67, B69, B63, B45, and B103. Citywide, the DOT has seen similar projects produce strong results. On 161st Street in the Bronx, bus speeds increased by up to 43 percent, while on Edward L. Grant Highway, pedestrian and cycling injuries fell by 29 percent, with total injuries down 17 percent.

The project will also add dedicated loading zones with covered public seating, shorten crossing times, update curb regulations to support local businesses, and create 29,000 square feet of new pedestrian space along the avenue.

Phase one includes the removal of two concrete islands at Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. Phase two involves reconstructing one side of the corridor, including removing existing roadway markings, installing concrete elements, and adding temporary markings, bus stops, and reroutes.

Phase three will reconstruct the opposite side of the avenue, while phase four will install final roadway markings, signage, signals, and street elements such as bike corrals and flexible posts.

“Time is money, and too often, our city has taken both from working people who rely on our buses,” Mamdani said. “These center-running bus lanes will give New Yorkers back something precious: time with their families, time at work, time in their communities.”

“Long waits and unreliable service are not inevitable — they are the result of political choices. Today, we are choosing a system that puts bus riders first and builds safer streets for everyone,” he added.

The DOT will maintain clear signage and protections throughout construction to ensure safe conditions for drivers and workers. During construction, drivers are encouraged to take alternative routes, use public transit, or allow for additional travel time.

“For the more than 130,000 people who rely on Flatbush Avenue every day, this project puts bus riders first with faster, more reliable service and safer streets,” Council Member Shahana Hanif said.

“This is what prioritizing everyday New Yorkers who depend on buses looks like. Center-running bus lanes will speed up commutes, improve reliability and make our streets safer.”

Flatbush Avenue joins a growing number of major NYC corridors receiving or slated for bus improvements. In May, DOT unveiled plans for a dedicated busway on 34th Street between Third and Ninth Avenues in Manhattan. Modeled after the successful 14th Street busway, the redesign could increase speeds by up to 15 percent for the more than two dozen bus routes that serve the corridor.

The DOT also announced in January that it would complete the long-delayed redesign of Madison Avenue, extending double bus lanes from 23rd to 42nd Streets. The upgrades are expected to improve commutes for the avenue’s 92,000 daily riders along a stretch where buses crawl at speeds as low as 4.5 miles per hour.

RELATED:

• Flatbush Avenue redesign to begin this fall
• Flatbush Avenue overhaul includes center-running bus lanes and pedestrian islands
• New protected two-way bike lane will connect the Brooklyn Bridge and Union Square

The post City to restart Flatbush Avenue redesign this month first appeared on 6sqft.

A former newsstand in City Hall Park is now a rest stop for New York City delivery workers. The city’s first “deliverista hub” was unveiled at 249 Broadway on Tuesday, offering some of the city’s 80,000 delivery workers a place to rest inside, safely charge e-bike batteries, and access other resources (except, notably, a bathroom). The $1 million worker-designed hub, the first in the country, will be staffed by the Worker’s Justice Project five days a week.

“Delivery workers keep this city running — through the cold, the rain, and every storm that comes our way,” Mamdani said. “They make it possible for families across all five boroughs to sit down to a warm meal or get the groceries they need right on time.”

“After long hours on the street, workers deserve a place to rest, access resources, charge their e-bike batteries safely and be in community. This space provides all that and more. In opening this hub, we’re building a dedicated place for the city to take care of its own.”

Designed by FANTÁSTICA and built by Boyce Technologies, the hub features a cabinet capable of charging 48 e-bike batteries, as well as an interior space roughly the size of two large bus shelters where workers can rest, receive free bike tune-ups, and access legal advice on issues such as wage theft and what to do after traffic accidents, according to Gothamist.

The kiosk at City Hall is not open yet since there isn’t power yet, but organizers told Gothamist they hope to “resolve the issue in the next two weeks.”

The hub is part of an October 2022 pilot program announced by former Mayor Eric Adams and Sen. Chuck Schumer to transform underused structures across the city, such as vacant newsstands, into “Street Deliverista Hubs.” The program is intended to serve the city’s roughly 80,000 app-based delivery workers, though its rollout has been slow.

The City Hall facility was constructed despite opposition from the local Community Board, which raised concerns that it did not fit in with the surrounding landmarked buildings.

The facility addresses a long-standing safety issue affecting delivery workers and e-bikes: lithium-ion battery fires. Faulty batteries have been responsible for hundreds of fast-moving fires, with the FDNY reporting 296 such fires in 2025, the highest number caused by lithium-ion batteries in the past four years, according to Gothamist.

The space also aims to improve delivery worker safety. According to a press release, one in five delivery workers is injured on the job, and the fatality rate is five times higher than that of construction workers.

Funding for the hub was provided through Sen. Schumer’s office via a $1 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The site is intended to serve as a model for future infrastructure supporting the city’s growing delivery workforce.

“For years, I’ve worked to bring critical infrastructure to the tens of thousands of app-based delivery workers who serve our city day and night,” Schumer said. “I’m proud to have secured $1 million in federal funding for this first-of-its-kind deliverista hub, which will improve access to e-bike charging, shelter, bike repair and much more.”

LPC approved the hub, located within the African Burial Grounds and the Commons Historical District, in April 2024. The city’s Parks Department provided the site location, while the Department of Transportation added bike parking and a street access zone on Broadway near City Hall.

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The post Rest hub for NYC delivery workers unveiled in City Hall Park first appeared on 6sqft.

Here’s a first look at the new condo rising on one of the largest last undeveloped waterfront sites in West Chelsea. Developer Legion Investment Group last week announced Thomas Juul-Hansen as the architect of 550 West 21st Street, a 22-story, limestone-clad tower situated between Hudson River Park and the High Line. The development includes 83 residences, starting at $2.5 million. Sales will launch this year, and construction is expected to wrap up late 2027.

Legion paid $87.4 million for the 200,000-square-foot site in 2024 and later filed plans for a residential tower, as Crain’s reported. The developer reportedly added another 11,000 square feet in exchange for a donation to the West Chelsea Affordable Housing Fund.

Designed by Juul-Hansen, the Copenhagen-born architect who has designed many residential buildings in New York, including the 62-story Sutton Tower and the interiors of the supertall One57, 550 West 21st Street will feature a hand-laid Italian brick and limestone base that runs the full length of the ground floor. The project will offer unobstructed Hudson River views and direct access to Hudson River Park.

“Our goal was to create a building defined by integrity—where the highest quality materials and construction meet a deeply considered functionality, resulting in a timeless presence in West Chelsea,” Juul-Hansen said.

A trellis along the sidewalk adjacent to the motor court gate is visible from both the street and inside as residents pass through on the eastern side. At the western edge, a pedestrian entrance features an alabaster awning, while cerused stone art panels add a subtle layer of craftsmanship that runs the full length of the base, as a press release describes.

Inside, the motor court opens onto a landscaped courtyard anchored by a central grove of birch trees and tiered planting beds that rise along the perimeter.

As it rises, the building features a series of setbacks that carve out private loggias and terraces for a majority of residences. The facade steps back with each level, softening the building’s profile and framing views in three directions. The brick and limestone exterior continues up to the crown.

From the upper floors, residents can take in sweeping, uninterrupted views of the Hudson River stretching south to New York Harbor, as well as Little Island, Hudson River Park below, and the New Jersey Palisades. Glass railings on the private outdoor spaces preserve the views.

Legion’s portfolio includes several ground-up condo developments, including 1122 Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side and 38 Gramercy Park East in Gramercy Park. The developer is also behind the tallest building in Greenwich Village, a 30-story condo at 11 West 13th Street that recently secured construction financing.

“At 550 West 21st Street, we set out to create a building aligned with the creative spirit of West Chelsea while designing for the level of livability and precision that today’s most discerning buyers expect,” Victor Sigoura, founder and CEO of Legion Investment Group, said.

“More than 75 percent of residences will have private outdoor space and two thirds of the homes feature views of the Hudson River. The remaining residences will enjoy equally compelling views to the northeast over the historic district and the Midtown skyline, and to the southwest down the length of the river.”

Sales are expected to launch this year and will be exclusively managed by Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group. Residences will start at $2.5 million, with completion slated for late 2027.

The building joins several other architecturally notable buildings to pop up in West Chelsea in recent years, like One High Line, Lantern House, 520 West 28th Street, and The Cortland.

As 6sqft reported in February, Toll Brothers picked up a vacant lot at 118 10th Avenue with plans to build an 85,000-square-foot condo building.

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The post Thomas Juul-Hansen to design 22-story condo in West Chelsea first appeared on 6sqft.

Three buildings in New York City with long histories of serving immigrant communities have been designated as individual landmarks. On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted to designate Public School 15 Annex in Downtown Brooklyn, the Church of Saint Mary on the Lower East Side, and the Lithuanian Alliance Building in Midtown as landmarks, citing their “value as part of the development, heritage, and cultural characteristics” of the city. The designations come amid a heightened crackdown on immigration under the Trump administration.

“Immigrants built New York City. Their stories live in every block, every neighborhood, every corner of the five boroughs,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement.

“Today, I’m proud to recognize three more sites that carry that legacy forward—places that, for generations, have opened their doors to newcomers and helped define what it means to belong in the greatest city in the world.”

P.S. 15 Annex at 372 Schermerhorn Street was built in 1889 and designed by Irish-born architect James W. Naughton in the Romanesque Revival style with Queen Anne features. Naughton immigrated to the country as a child and later became superintendent of the Brooklyn Board of Education, during which he led the construction of more than 100 schools.

The original school building on the site was constructed in 1859 on what was previously farmland. It served as a local school until the 1880s, when overcrowding required an expansion. The annex was built in 1889, which, according to the LPC, made the school “one of the handsomest in the city.”

In the mid-1920s, the surrounding Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood was home to a largely immigrant population from Europe, including communities from Lithuania, Italy, Poland, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The school’s students reflected that diversity, as did its teaching staff, which was composed largely of immigrants or the children of immigrants.

The Girls’ Continuation School provided continuing education for children under the age of 18, who, until 1919, often had no legal right to schooling and instead entered the workforce in dangerous, low-paying jobs. Continuation schools are regarded historically as the “forefront of democracy,” expanding access to education as a right for all children.

The school also addressed the specific challenges faced by girls, including expectations to care for their families and manage households. Students learned home remedies, dressmaking, and household budgeting, while also studying bookkeeping, stenography, nursing, and other subjects requiring technical training.

Notably, the school was so successful that it opened a women’s summer school that attracted students of all ages who needed an income during the Great Depression. In the 1930s, the school also became an evening vocational school for both men and women, teaching English and vocational skills to immigrant students.

In the late 1930s, as child labor laws tightened and the Depression ended, schooling became the primary occupation for most children. As a result, enrollment at the continuation school declined, and the institution eventually closed in 1942.

The building later became a Department of Education outpatient clinic for child psychology, reflecting early efforts to incorporate mental health services into schools. In the 1990s, it housed a specialized business high school, and in 2007 it became home to the Khalil Gibran International Academy, the first English-Arabic public school in the country focused on Arabic language and culture.

The school is part of the broader Alloy Block development, a sprawling mixed-use project of five old and new buildings that will bring 900 apartments, office space, retail, and two schools to the neighborhood, as 6sqft previously reported.

“For more than a century, the P.S. 15 Annex has stood in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn as a community anchor, making it well deserving of landmark designation,” Jared Della Valle, CEO of Alloy, said.

“When we first started working on this site 10 years ago, we committed to preserving the P.S. 15 Annex and over time, our connection to this historic building has only strengthened. From its wealth of original details to its ornate architecture, the P.S. 15 Annex is an important symbol of public education in NYC and deserves to be protected for generations to come,” he added.

Located at 440 Grand Street, the Church of Saint Mary is Manhattan’s third-oldest Catholic parish, founded in 1826 to serve the city’s rapidly growing Irish population on the Lower East Side.

After a wave of anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiment led to the destruction of the parish’s first home in a former Presbyterian church, the current building, completed in 1933, became the Lower East Side’s first Roman Catholic church building and is the second-oldest existing Catholic church building in the borough.

In 1864, as the parish continued to grow, it commissioned renowned cathedral architect Patrick Charles Keely, an Irish immigrant, to expand the church and redesign its facade. Though he lacked formal architectural training, Keely went on to design more than 600 churches across the northeastern United States over the course of his career.

Less than a decade later, in 1871, further growth prompted another expansion, this time designed by architect Lawrence J. O’Connor.

The church’s brick facade, original fieldstone side walls, dual bell towers, and late 19th-century stained glass make it a striking example of Romanesque Revival architecture and a lasting reminder of NYC’s early Catholic history and the neighborhood’s immigrant heritage.

Today, it continues to serve as an active community institution for newer generations of Catholic immigrants, including many from Spanish-speaking countries.

“St. Mary’s Church tells the story of Lower Manhattan. It is one of NYC’s earliest Catholic parishes, built by and for immigrants, and it has remained a vital institution on the Lower East Side for nearly two centuries,” Council Member Christopher Marte said.

“St. Mary’s reflects the history, resilience, and diversity of our neighborhood. This designation is a recognition that this history matters and must be preserved.”

Located at 307 West 30th Street, the Lithuanian Alliance Building was constructed in 1876–77 in the Neo-Grec style by James C. Springstead. The Lithuanian Alliance has occupied the building for more than a century, supporting the area’s historic Lithuanian community through services including insurance programs, health benefits, and loans.

Like many fraternal organizations of the era, the Alliance was founded to help fellow immigrants navigate the challenges of life in the United States. In 1910, the group purchased the West 30th Street property, citing its proximity to Ellis Island. From 1910 to 1971, the building housed the printing operations of Tėvynė, the Alliance’s weekly newspaper covering Lithuanian news for immigrants.

The building was altered in 1976 as part of a modernization plan that painted the facade white and added metal panels at the ground level. In 2018, those panels were removed under the guidance of preservation architect Dean Koga, restoring the building’s original features. In 2022, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Lithuanian Americans in New York love and cherish their only Lithuanian-owned building in the greater NYC area. Being recognized by the LPC is a great honor and one that recognizes our efforts to preserve the building as it was when we acquired it in 1910,” Danius Glinskis, a Lithuanian Alliance of America board member, said.

“Landmark status will strengthen our efforts to continue to preserve our building for the Lithuanian community far into the future.”

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The post Three buildings linked to New York City’s immigrant history designated as landmarks first appeared on 6sqft.

You’ve probably never seen Times Square like this before. One Times Square, home of the New Year’s Eve Ball, opened a new observation deck this week that puts visitors 19 floors above Broadway, at the center of one of the world’s most iconic destinations. Dubbed the Times Square Skywalk, the new experience provides a unique perspective of the city from a 360-degree wraparound viewing deck, offering peeks of both rivers, Central Park, and the crowds below. The skywalk is part of a broader $500 million redevelopment of One Times Square, which opens up most of the building to the public for the first time in 50 years.

Upon arriving at One Times Square on Broadway and 42nd Street, visitors will ascend to the 19th floor on a glass-enclosed elevator. On this level, guests can get an up-close look at elements of the New Year’s Eve ball drop, including the Centennial Ball, which rang in the 100th anniversary of the Times Square Ball drop tradition in 2007, and the seven-foot-tall New Year’s Eve Numerals.

Visitors can also write their wishes on a piece of confetti that will be dropped during the next ball drop.

Outside, the viewing deck offers 360-degree views of Manhattan and beyond. A glass-floored walkway provides a birds-eye view of Times Square below.

“The Times Square Skywalk allows visitors to experience the magic and excitement of Times Square from a new vantage point,” Delfin Ortiz, general manager of One Times Square, said.

“We’re thrilled to share this elevated perspective of the Crossroads of the World and give visitors the chance to connect with the history, joy, and wonder of the New Year’s Eve celebration year-round.”

Tickets to the Times Square Skywalk Experience start at $30. A discounted ticket offer will be available to New York City residents.

One Times Square first debuted the skywalk last December as part of a limited preview. In February, the building opened iCandy NYC, a Big Apple-themed candy installation.

Other experiences will open in the coming months, including a multi-floor interactive museum exploring the history of One Times Square, the neighborhood, and the storied New Year’s Eve celebration. As 6sqft previously reported, the NYE ball that was retired last year will be on display with its predecessors as part of the new experience. One Times Square will also be home to EVER, a venue that will host weddings, vow renewals, proposals, and “all kinds of celebrations of love.”

Built in 1904 as the headquarters for the New York Times, the 26-story One Times Square was one of the tallest towers in the city when it opened. The building, which has served as the centerpiece of the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop since 1907, has been vacant for years, with only billboards covering its exterior.

Jamestown, which has owned the property since 1997, kicked off a $500 million redevelopment of the building in 2022 to turn it into a year-round tourism destination and visitor hub.

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The post New Times Square observation deck offers unique NYC views, 19 floors above Broadway first appeared on 6sqft.

This duplex condo atop Pickwick House at 35 Bethune Street may be in the heart of downtown Manhattan’s coveted West Village, but details like exposed brick and hefty beams give it the feeling of a home in the high desert. Private terraces surrounded by tall grass magnify the desert paradise effect even more. Asking $5.2 million, it’s a rare oasis in the city.

On the main level of the duplex, 13-foot wood-beamed ceilings and oversized windows frame a large living space. A wood-burning fire place adds warmth and anchors the room. Custom glass-and-steel doors open onto one of the home’s two terraces.

There’s plenty of room for both formal and casual dining. The open main space includes a large modern kitchen with open shelving and stone worktops.

Upstairs, a luxurious primary suite features downtown skyline views via a wall of windows; electric shades wrap the room in privacy at the touch of a button. This bedroom is served by custom closet-lined dressing room and a renovated bathroom with a Speakman dual shower system.

The best thing about this Village retreat may be the landscaped terrace with an integrated irrigation system. Step out and settle in for sunrises and sunsets over the city and views on three sides.

There is also a second bedroom with its own renovated bath. An extra space is carved out on the home’s mezzanine level for use as a home office, den or spare bedroom.

Built in 1880, the quintessential loft building–now a 21-unit condominium–is part of the historic neighborhood, surrounded by parks, restaurants and a vibrant street scene. Amenities include a key-locked elevator, a video intercom system, a washer/dryer on each floor, and a superintendent on-site during the week.

[Listing details: 35 Bethune Street, PHB at CityRealty]

[At The Corcoran Group by Alexandra Rhodie]

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The post This $5.2M penthouse brings a western vibe to the West Village first appeared on 6sqft.

New York City baseball fans will find plenty of new food options this season, as both the Yankees and Mets have rolled out updated menus at their stadiums. At Yankee Stadium, offerings include longtime favorites like celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s “Bobby’s Burgers” and Christian Petroni’s “Parm to Table,” along with local newcomers such as Magnolia Bakery. At Citi Field, which has been nominated for best ballpark food by USA Today for the fourth consecutive year, fans can try 37 new dishes, including concepts from chef Kwame Onwuachi, who is introducing a chopped cheese patty served on coco bread.

New food offerings at Yankee Stadium:

Magnolia Bakery
Known far and wide for its signature banana pudding, NYC’s own Magnolia Bakery is making its Yankee Stadium debut this season. While it’s not offering the pudding at the stadium, it will be offering its beloved brownies and blondies, offering a sweet treat for baseball lovers.

Treat House
Another new addition to the stadium’s lineup, Treat House will serve creative takes on the classic rice crispy treat. The vendor will offer a range of gourmet flavors for fans seeking a sweeter alternative to traditional ballpark fare like hot dogs and pretzels.

Brooklyn Dumpling Shop
A returning favorite, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is introducing two new menu items this season: an apple pie dumpling filled with apple pie and topped with caramel, cinnamon, and powdered sugar, and a mac and cheese dumpling made with ditalini pasta and a three-cheese blend.

King’s Hawaiian’s
For the 2026 season, King’s Hawaiian’s will offer an “Angry Lobster Roll” and a chicken parm sandwich made with flash-fried chicken, basil marinara, and mozzarella on a soft pretzel bun. The “It’s 99 Burger” will also return, featuring two four-ounce American Wagyu beef patties, American cheese, caramelized onions, dill pickles, and secret sauce on a pretzel bun.

Christian Petroni’s “Parm to Table”
Bronx native Christian Petroni’s “Parm to Table” concept brings his Italian-inspired dishes to Yankee Stadium. New this year is an antipasto salad featuring artisanal cured meats and cheeses, flash-fried house mozzarella with eight-hour marinara sauce, a selection of pasta dishes, and the “Petroni Affogato,” made with Mister Softee vanilla panna, Nutella, and espresso. The “Petroni Tiramisu,” served in a souvenir helmet cup, will also return this season.

Legends Global
Legends Global, Yankee Stadium’s official food, beverage, merchandise, and operations partner, will introduce a range of new dishes and drinks across the venue. Led by executive chef Robert Flowers, new offerings include an “MVP Burger,” a new take on the 99 Burger; apple pie nachos; a “Diamond Deal” featuring 12 chicken tenders, fries, and four Pepsi drinks served on a souvenir tray; and a mini dessert “chicken” bucket with drumstick-shaped ice cream.

Lobel’s
Upper East Side butcher institution Lobel’s is bringing its menu of signature offerings back to the Bronx this season, along with new pastrami fries available exclusively in section 132. Returning items include BBQ filet tip loaded tater tots, a prime pastrami sandwich, steak-topped fries, a USDA Prime burger, and a prime steak sandwich.

Skimmers
Skimmer’s will bring its signature vodka iced tea to Yankee Stadium, made with real tea and Cutwater vodka. Options will include a standard vodka iced tea or a half-and-half version mixed with lemonade.

A full list of Yankee Stadium’s culinary offerings this season can be found here.

New food offerings at Citi Field:

“Legacy Catering” by Mookie Wilson
Legendary Mets player Mookie Wilson, who hit the ground ball that famously went through Bill Buckner’s legs in the 1986 World Series, allowing the Mets to tie the series and force a seventh game they ultimately won, is bringing a selection of new culinary offerings to the ballpark this season. Items include smoked pulled chicken sliders, bread & butter pickles, Martin’s slider bun, and classic golden BBQ sauce.

Pat LaFrieda’s Chop House
One of the nation’s most renowned meat purveyors is turning Citi Field into a steakhouse this season, serving customized tomahawk steaks for baseball fans. The vendor will also offer apple pie cheesecake, delivering a classic NY steakhouse experience inside the ballpark.

Pigs Beach BBQ
The NYC barbecue institution is venturing north this season, serving its smoky meats for Mets fans. The purveyor is offering loaded cornbread, featuring warm cornbread topped with cheddar cheese sauce, barbecue sauce, and pulled pork.

Shake Shack
The burger chain is serving its signature veggie burger at Citi Field this season, expanding the stadium’s vegetarian offerings. It will also offer a “Home Run Apple Pie Shake,” made with vanilla frozen custard and apple pie filling and topped with sprinkles.

Napoli’s Pizza Co.
Napoli’s is bringing its slices to Queens this season with a Philadelphia twist, offering its signature Squares Chiddy’s Cheesesteak. The pizza features steak from the Long Island-based, Philly-inspired cheesesteak brand Chiddy’s, topped with sautéed onions, Cheez Whiz, and a mozzarella-provolone blend. Those who’d rather keep their taste buds in the five boroughs can opt for a classic cheese slice.

Citi Field Sweets
Mets fans with a sweet tooth will have plenty of options to choose from this season. The dessert vendor will offer a “Home Run Candy Apple,” an homage to the Citi Field fixture, along with a “Mr. Met Chocolate Whoopie Pie,” Hildenbrandt Ice Cream (including a stadium-exclusive flavor), and New York cheesecake on a stick dipped in either strawberry chocolate with strawberry shortcake crunch or chocolate with Oreo crunch.

Chef Kwame’s Patty Palace
James Beard Award-winning chef and Top Chef alum Kwame Onwuachi is putting a creative spin on a NYC staple: the chopped cheese. The dish features a chopped cheese patty topped with shredded romaine lettuce, tomato, and house sauce.

Eat in the cave
Another addition to Citi Field’s vegetarian offerings, the savory “Veggie Nada” is a creative twist on the classic snack, stuffed with a blend of rice, cilantro, sweet pumpkin, chickpeas, and potato.

The 9-9-9 Challenge
This year, the Mets are introducing their own take on the viral “9-9-9 challenge,” which requires fans to consume nine hot dogs and nine beers in nine innings. The Mets’ challenge includes nine mini Nathan’s hot dogs and nine 4-ounce beers.

A full list of Citi Field’s culinary offerings this season can be found here.

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The post See the new food and drink options at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field this season first appeared on 6sqft.

According to Pew Research Center data, 79 percent of people make New Year’s resolutions that focus on health, exercise, or diet. At-home fitness equipment and tech can help achieve some of your health, exercise, and fitness goals. The convenience of working out at home eliminates the need to make it to the gym before it closes, and you never have to wait for someone else to get off of your preferred equipment. Plus, weather, traffic, and public transit delays are no longer valid excuses. Thinking of setting up a home gym? Certified personal trainer and BowFlex fitness advisor Amy Kiser Schemper tells us it really only takes a few items.

“Most of us don’t need multiple pieces of equipment or fancy, novel exercise machines; we need equipment that creates consistency, confidence, and adaptability,” Schemper says.

Schemper recommends focusing on equipment that lets you get set up easily, work out without a lot of switching or adjusting, and make the most of the time you have available.

“First, define your fitness goals: are you hoping to get stronger through resistance training? Improve cardiovascular endurance? Increase mobility and flexibility? General health and fitness, and consistency of moving your body?”

After defining your goals and the types of workouts you hope to do, she says this will help you decide which equipment would be best for you.

Next, Schemper recommends examining your space. “If you’ll be working out in a garage or basement with a cement floor, rubber mats or flooring might be helpful.”

If you’ll be exercising in your living room or bedroom, where space is limited, Schemper advises focusing on smaller pieces of equipment that store easily in a closet or corner. “When it comes to home workouts, having enough space to move effectively is more important than fancy equipment,” she explains.

As a trainer, Schemper recommends starting simple and adding more items later if you desire. “A set of dumbbells, a mat, and some resistance bands are a great starting point,” she says. “Resistance bands are versatile and inexpensive, and don’t take up much space.”

Schemper says one of the most effective training tools for beginners is a set of dumbbells – especially adjustable dumbbells. “With dumbbells, there’s no machine adjustment or adding weights to a bar, and you can easily work all your major movement patterns.”

In addition, adjustable dumbbells allow you to start slow and low, then progress incrementally as you get stronger. “Adjustable dumbbells grow with you, and are perfect for the at-home exerciser,” she notes.

Additional workout tips from Schemper:

• If you are starting a home fitness routine, focus on starting slow with shorter workouts to build consistency. Even just ten minutes a day can build healthy habits. Going too hard, too fast, can lead to burnout.
• With strength training, focus on functional movement patterns such as squats, hinges, lunges, upper-body push and pull, and rotation. Aim for 1-2 sets of 8-12 reps as you gain strength and range of motion.
• Keep your workout equipment visible and accessible, so fitness is top of mind, and getting set up doesn’t feel overwhelming.
• Use “habit stacking” by pairing your workout with something you really enjoy, like listening to a podcast or watching a favorite TV show.

These are some of the best home gym items to help reach your exercise and fitness goals:

All of these products have been hand-selected by Team 6sqft. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these affiliate links. All prices reflect those at the time of publishing.

Equipment

Many treadmills are big, bulky, and take up too much space – especially in the average New York apartment, where every square foot holds importance. However, this compact, low-profile treadmill folds out of the way when not in use, so you can slide it under your bed or sofa. You can walk or run on the treadmill, and if you have an adjustable standing desk, you can even use the treadmill as a walking pad while working. The LED display lets you monitor calories burned, steps taken, speed, and distance.
UREVO Strol 2E Smart 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill, $221/ Sale $200 at Amazon

Each of these two dumbbells is actually the equivalent of five dumbbells. It’s easy to adjust each dumbbell by 5 pounds, up to 25 pounds. However, the compact design is a convenient and stable rack.
PowerUp Plus Dumbbells (5-25 lb Adjustable), $290/Sale $164 at Lifepro

For weights that adjust from 5 pounds to 52.5 pounds, each of these two dumbbells is the equivalent of 15 dumbbells. By adjusting the dials, you can switch between the various weight increments per dumbbell. The dumbbells are made of premium metal components and have a secure locking mechanism, as well as an ergonomic non-slip handle.
BowFlex Results Series 522 SelectTech Dumbbells, $430/Sale $400 at Amazon

You can ride a stationary bike any time of the day. And since this one has a low noise level, you don’t have to worry about disturbing others in your home. The bike is recommended for those 4’8” to 6’2” in height, and the inseam height is adjustable from 28” to 38.” Other features include dual water bottle holders, transport wheels, a dumbbell rack, and an iPad holder.
MERACH Exercise Bike, $300/Sale $240 at Amazon

You can use this exercise ball for core and balance training, basic ball workout routines, yoga, and also sit on it while working, gaming, and more. Since the ball is made of PVC with closed-cell foaming, it gradually releases air to deflate slowly. The ball comes in 5 sizes (S to XXL) to accommodate various heights.
Trideer Exercise Ball, $19 to $29 depending on color, at Amazon

Jumping rope can burn 1,000 calories in an hour, making it one of the most effective aerobic exercises. This jump rope is made of PVC steel wire that resists tangling and has foam handles. You can customize the rope length. And since it’s a smart jump rope, the LCD screen on the handle (which also has HD night vision), displays data from one of three jump modes: free jump, time countdown, and numbers countdown. Connecting with the app allows you to analyze and track periodic workout data.
RENPHO Smart Jump Rope, $23/Sale $18 at Amazon

At first glance, it’s hard to believe that this 36.2” by 17.2” board can take the place of a home gym. However, it consists of the training base (push-up board), two push-up handles, four resistance bands, a collapsible barbell, a non-slip wheel, a door anchor, two padded Velcro ankle straps, and 12 rubber feet (all of these items integrate with the training base). Also included: an exercise mat and a carry bag. The training base has a 265-pound weight limit.
Lifepro Portable Home Gym with Push Up Training Board, $137 at Amazon

Tech

This military-quality smartwatch has 150 sports modes, so it can track you running, cycling, rope skipping, and more. The watch has a Corning Gorilla Glass screen and amoled display. It’s also dust and shock-resistant, and waterproof up to 10ATM, so there’s no need to worry about accidentally knocking over your water bottle. The watch can monitor your heart rate, blood oxygen, and help with breath training. It can also track your sleep habits. When outside, you can use the GPS satellite and the altitude barometer. The battery lasts for 60 days in standby mode and 20 days in daily mode.
Mibro GS Explorer 5 Military Smartwatch with Titanium, $300 at Amazon

Another option is this smartwatch, which also provides 24/7 health monitoring, including heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, along with sleep tracking, and has a one-tap health check feature. The watch has 160 freestyle training modes, and you can also make and take calls, and receive notifications. Battery life is up to 14-15 days with regular use. The watch has a multifunction dial, three-icon theme options, and customizable shortcut cards. The military-grade watch has a stainless-steel body and Corning Gorilla 9H double-layer glass. It’s designed to withstand water (10ATM), and extreme heat and cold. There’s also another model – the Kospet Magic R10, which is 5ATM waterproof, has a 12-day typical battery life, and also tracks menstrual cycles.
Kospet Tank T4 Smart Watch, $210 at Amazon

Earbuds can help you focus, and also allow others in your home to opt out of your music choices. These earbuds have dual drivers and hi-res audio, and the hybrid active noise cancellation feature lets you drown out external sounds – or let them in. The earbuds are rated to endure sweat and dirt, and have an earhook, so you don’t have to worry about them falling out when you’re working out. Connecting to the app lets you customize settings.
JLab Epic Air Sport ANC 3 Wireless Earbuds, $100/ Sale $65 at Amazon

Unlike earbuds (which go in your ears), bone conduction headphones (also known as open ear headphones, or earphones) sit on the outside of your ears, and transmit sound using vibrations from your temporal bones to your inner ears. This allows you to hear what’s going on around you. The waterproof bone conduction headphones are made of a lightweight silicone and titanium memory alloy, so they’re lightweight and have a 10-hour battery life. There’s a built-in microphone so you can take phone calls.
Creative Outlier Free Pro+ Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones, $90 at Amazon

These sweat-resistant, open-ear earbuds have thin nickel-titanium memory wire ear hooks, so you don’t have to worry about dropping them. The open-ear earbuds are sweat-resistant and coated with a skin-friendly, ultra-soft supramolecular liquid silicone. The active noise cancellation feature blocks out exterior noise, and the battery lasts for 30 hours. The earbuds also glow, making them a good choice if you’re exercising outdoors at night. Connecting to the app lets you view battery life, choose sound modes, and more. Color choices are purple, green, and grey.
ACEFAST Acefit Pro Open-Ear Headphones, $80/ $50 at Amazon

Workout and recovery

You can be comfortable working out – and look good when you leave the house with these high-top sneakers. They have a magic rigid wedge: the footbed provides support and stability while reducing foot fatigue, and also provides cushioning for comfort. The mesh top cover of the rigid wedge provides breathability and moisture management. The breathable canvas is lightweight, breathable, and durable.
P.F. Flyers All-American Retro Black High Top Sneakers, $90 at Amazon

It’s important to stay hydrated when you’re working out at home. This 35-ounce water bottle has a 100% leakproof lid, a stainless-steel straw (to reduce bacteria), and a soft-sip straw that’s gentle on your lips and teeth. The water bottle can keep your beverage cold for over 24 hours. The comfort-grip handle makes the bottle easy to carry, and the swappable silicone sleeve prevents dings and dents to the water bottle. There are over a dozen color choices, including nightfall blue, lilac dust, mocha, onyx leopard, and pineapple.
BrüMate Rise 25oz Water Bottle, $38 at Amazon

If there are pollutants in your drinking water, this BPA-free 22-oz water bottle has a dual filtration system. It has a membrane microfilter (which lasts 1,000 gallons) that protects against Cryptosporidium, pesticides, microplastics, dirt, and more. The carbon filter (which lasts up to 26 gallons) reduces chlorine, odors, and organic chemical matter. Color choices include Icelandic blue, Laguna teal, Kyoto orange, Oxford ivy, and several more options.
Lifestraw Go Series 22 oz Water Bottle, $45/Sale $36 at Amazon

When sweating, you lose more than water. These powdered packets contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphorus, and sodium, plus vitamin C and zinc. The sugar-free packets are sweetened with stevia leaf extract and infused with real fruit flavors. The ultimate variety pack, which contains 36 packets, lets you try the watermelon, blue raspberry, pink lemonade, passionfruit, orange, lemonade, grape, and cherry pomegranate flavors.
Ultima Ultimate Variety Pack Daily Electrolyte Powder Hydration 36- Packets, $36/ Sale $29 at Amazon

After exercising, you may have some temporary aches and pains. This heating pad relieves sore legs, back pain, shoulder aches, and abdominal cramps. It warms up to 140 degrees F in just seconds. There’s also an option to dampen the heating pad for deeper muscle relief.
Pure Enrichment PureRelief Ultra-Wide Microplush Heating Pad, $50 at Amazon

The post 24 fitness essentials for better at-home workouts first appeared on 6sqft.

Gary Ross, director of Hollywood hits like “The Hunger Games” and “Big,” and his wife, designer Claudia Solti, have just put their Brooklyn townhouse at 197 Clinton Street on the market. Asking $10,600,000, the stately brick home offers 6,474 square feet of living space on six floors, from the private screening room to a top-floor “penthouse” with a patio. Behind its 1850s facade, the home has all the architecture and design features buyers look for in modern townhouse living, without having to change a thing.

Rooms are framed by 12-foot ceilings enhanced by subtle recessed lighting. Refined details like herringbone floors, working fireplaces, and custom storage (there’s even a working dumbwaiter) complement a gracious, light-filled layout.

Up a classic stoop, the parlor floor begins with a classic brownstone living room. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the street below. At the rear, walls of glass frame a formal dining room overlooking the private patio beyond.

On the garden floor, a sleek, European-style kitchen is a natural gathering zone, framed by custom cabinetry and served by a dining island, integrated appliances, and a walk-in pantry. Full-wall glazing leads to a professionally-landscaped outdoor oasis. There is also a guest bedroom on this level.

On the home’s third floor are two bedrooms with en-suite baths. For added convenience, there’s a home office and a laundry room as well.

The fourth floor is home to a luxurious primary suite with a large, lovely bath, a dressing room, and a separate closet. High ceilings, recessed lighting, and designer fixtures enhance even the intimate sleeping spaces.

On the highest floor is a private “penthouse.” This townhouse-topping aerie offers a convenient auxiliary kitchen and a private patio in addition to flexible rooms for living.

On the home’s lowest floor, a “wellness retreat” offers a gym and home theater, served by a spa bathroom with a sauna. This floor also accesses the back patio for outdoor yoga or a post-sauna sunbath.

Located at the border of Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, this turnkey home represents modern townhouse living with all the trimmings. Rare perks like a finished lower level and a top-floor suite (not to mention Hollywood cachet) make this a listing that’s sure to get plenty of attention.

[Listing: 197 Clinton Street at CityRealty]

[At Compass by Marta Maletz and Carl Gambino]

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The post ‘Hunger Games’ director Gary Ross lists his Cobble Hill townhouse for $10.6M first appeared on 6sqft.

New renderings of Fifth Avenue’s tallest residential building were released this week as sales kick off at the condominium. Developed by Five Points Development and designed by Meganom, 262 Fifth Avenue is a 52-story tower in Nomad with only 26 full-floor and duplex residences. In addition to new images, the developer launched a teaser website for the building and announced a new sales team from Sotheby’s International Realty.

About a decade in the works, the super-skinny structure, with a footprint of just 5,000 square feet, will have an incredible observation deck-like rooftop with an infinity pool and exceptional views of Manhattan to the north and south.

Five Points has tapped Nikki Field and Ben Pofcher of the Field Team at Sotheby’s International Realty to lead sales, working in collaboration with Sotheby’s International Realty Development Advisors.

Field and Pofcher previously led sales at 111 West 57th Street, also a skinny skyscraper where 21 residences sold within 18 months after they joined the team in July 2024.

“Positioned on one of the world’s most iconic avenues, this project carries a level of prestige that deeply resonates with today’s selective buyers. What distinguishes this residence is not only its revolutionary architecture and engineering, but its intentional focus on wellness and longevity,” Field said.

Featuring interior design by Norm Architects, the firm’s first New York project, condos at 262 Fifth Avenue are designed to maximize space, light, and privacy. Each home offers column-free interiors with sweeping, uninterrupted views of the Manhattan skyline.

Plans for the supertall were first filed in September 2016 by Israeli-Russian billionaire Boris Kuzinez, who is known for transforming Moscow’s Ostozhenka Street into a “Russian Billionaires’ Row.” Initial plans called for a 54-story, 928-foot mixed-use tower, but the design changed a few times, with the height increasing to over 1,000 feet before being reduced to its current 860 feet.

Two vacant prewar buildings at 262 and 264 Fifth Avenue were demolished to make way for the project, while a historic 12-story structure is being incorporated into the new building’s base.

Amenities include a fitness center, a common terrace, an arched rooftop terrace offering views similar to those enjoyed from the Empire State Building’s Observation Deck, and an infinity pool.

Private showings are set to begin next month. Pricing will start at $7.5 million for full-floor units, $8.75 million for mezzanine residences, and $18 million for duplex residences.

“Realized by a highly integrated team across architecture, design and engineering, the building reflects both design brilliance and a forward-thinking approach to sustainable, responsible living,” Kuzinez said in a statement.

“As we near completion, we will begin engaging a select group of buyers, presenting a limited and highly considered residential offering.”

When the building topped out in 2024, some New Yorkers criticized the tower for blocking long-cherished views. According to the New York Times, 262 Fifth Avenue obstructs views of the Empire State Building from the pedestrian plaza just south of Madison Square Park.

RELATED:

• 262 Fifth Avenue, the tallest tower between Empire State Building and One WTC, gets new details
• Moscow-based Meganom reveals designs for 1,001-foot skinny supertall in Nomad
• Skyline-altering tower to rise 928 feet along Fifth Avenue in Nomad

The post New look at Fifth Avenue’s tallest residential tower, 262 Fifth Ave first appeared on 6sqft.

In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, Village Preservation has launched an interactive map charting a century of jazz history across Greenwich Village, the East Village, and Noho. Released on Wednesday, the map allows users to explore more than 100 sites, including music venues, recording studios, and artists’ residences across the three neighborhoods, along with historical context for each location.

“We’re thrilled to provide this never-before-available resource that commemorates the century-long history of jazz in our neighborhoods and connects the public to the key role our neighborhoods played in popularizing and shaping this music,” Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation, said.

“As we celebrate jazz in April and 250 years of American achievements in 2026, this map shows the remarkable impact that musicians, recording studios, and performance venues located in these neighborhoods had in transforming and propelling forward this quintessentially American art form.”

The history of the three Lower Manhattan neighborhoods is closely intertwined with the development of jazz, as nightclubs across the area introduced the music to new audiences and served as key spaces for the genre’s evolution.

Many legendary jazz musicians made these neighborhoods their home and, thanks to their proximity and abundance of venues, collaborated on projects that helped shape jazz history.

The map builds on this legacy by highlighting local venues, recording studios, archives, and musicians who lived in the area. Each entry includes images, audio samples, and descriptions of the role these places and individuals played in the development of jazz.

Users can search entries by musician, venue, style, or decade to focus on specific eras, or build customized tours based on their interests. These tools allow users to explore how the jazz movement unfolded across the neighborhoods and how the music evolved from the 1920s through the 1980s.

While the three neighborhoods have changed significantly over time, many venues remain in operation. The map includes a filter highlighting current sites, underscoring jazz’s continued presence in the Village.

Some of the highlighted entries include Charlie Parker’s townhouse at 151 Avenue B; Café Society at 2 Sheridan Square, considered the first integrated club in the country and the venue where Billie Holiday debuted her signature song “Strange Fruit”; and the home of George Gershwin at 91 Second Avenue, where he wrote dozens of jazz standards.

Also included on the map is the Columbia Phonograph Company at 55 Fifth Avenue, where producer John Hammond oversaw Billie Holiday’s first recording session, early hits by Benny Goodman, and one of the first integrated recording sessions in history.

While Lower Manhattan was home to many influential jazz figures, the genre’s pioneers also had a strong presence in Queens. In September 2024, Flushing Town Hall released the Digital Queens Jazz Trail Map, highlighting 125 jazz legends who once called the borough home. The map also features key sites such as the Louis Armstrong House Museum and the Black American Heritage Foundation’s Music History Archive.

The map also joins dozens of other interactive maps created by Village Preservation, which shed light on the history of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. Other projects document important sites connected to hip-hop, women’s suffrage, and civil rights and social justice movements.

RELATED:

• Explore the Queens homes of over 100 famous Jazz musicians
• Interactive map reveals the famous New Yorkers behind 2,500 co-named streets
• NYC gains three landmarks related to history of jazz

The post Explore 100 years of jazz history in the Village with this new interactive map first appeared on 6sqft.

Diesel-powered refrigeration units that have long emitted air pollution in the Bronx will be replaced by cleaner models, funded by revenue from New York City’s congestion pricing program. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced 20 diesel-powered transport refrigeration units (TRUs) at the Hunts Point Produce Market will be replaced with cleaner diesel and hybrid units, which are projected to cut annual particulate matter emissions by 99.7 percent and nitrogen oxide by 66 percent. Replacing just one diesel-powered TRU with a newer model eliminates the equivalent particulate matter emissions of 330 truck trips per day on the Cross Bronx Expressway.

“Congestion pricing has been a once-in-a-lifetime success story, leading to cleaner air, better transit, and faster and safer traffic throughout the city,” Hochul said. “We knew that to do this right, we had to bring real air quality improvements directly to parts of NYC that have been neglected for far too long.”

“These new refrigeration units will be a game changer for Hunts Point market, with air quality improvements equivalent to removing thousands of truck trips on our roads every day, making the Bronx’s air cleaner and improving quality of life.”

The TRU replacements are part of the mitigation package included in the environmental assessment for congestion pricing. Under the program, drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street pay a base toll of $9, a fee designed to discourage vehicle travel through the borough’s central business district and reduce traffic, as 6sqft previously reported.

The city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) has been accepting new units on a rolling basis since December, when the first was delivered. An additional 75 units are slated for replacement this year, with $15 million allocated for the air quality initiative.

Marking the first major mitigation investment funded by congestion pricing, the effort builds on environmental gains linked to the toll system. In 2025, more than 27 million fewer vehicles entered Manhattan’s congestion relief zone, contributing to improved air quality, reduced noise, and fewer pedestrian accidents.

On any given day, about 73,000 fewer vehicles are entering the zone, an average decline of 11 percent. Officials also said concerns about increased traffic in the Bronx have not materialized.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and project sponsors are in the last stages of developing the final mitigation plan required under the program’s environmental review process. The plan will outline specific locations for each mitigation measure, as well as the allocation of funds. It is slated for release this spring.

Roughly 70 percent of funds set aside for mitigation measures under “place-based mitigation” will be invested in the Bronx.

In addition to the TRUs, other initiatives include a $20 million Bronx Asthma Initiative, a $20 million effort to expand electric truck charging infrastructure, $20 million for the NYC Clean Trucks Program, $10 million for roadside vegetation, $10 million for installing air filtration units in NYC and Newark schools near highways, and $5 million to expand the DOT’s Off-Hours Delivery Program.

Congestion pricing recently secured a legal victory over the federal government after the Trump administration sought to end the toll system. In March, a judge ruled that U.S. Transportation (U.S. DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy’s move to terminate the program was “arbitrary and capricious.” The MTA filed suit against the U.S. DOT in February 2025 to block the effort, allowing the program to continue operating indefinitely

RELATED:

• Congestion pricing lives on after federal judge rules Trump’s effort to end program unlawful
• One year of congestion pricing in NYC, 27 million fewer vehicles, $550M in revenue
• 17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered Manhattan since congestion pricing launched this year

The post Congestion pricing funds major air quality upgrades at Bronx’s Hunts Point Market first appeared on 6sqft.

On one of the neighborhood’s coveted 131-foot-deep lots, what was once a 19th-century carriage house and stable at 497 Saint Johns Place has been re-created by its architect owners as a modern sanctuary. Asking $5,895,000, the Crown Heights property hosts 4,000 square feet of live/work space that includes a separate guest house and spa and a two-car garage with a lift, all just minutes from Prospect Park.

All living spaces have been designed for 21st-century living, with a level of warmth and sustainability rarely seen in renovated city townhouses. Rooms are framed by radiant-heated, wide-plank walnut floors, yellow leaf heart pine beams, reclaimed sequoia, exposed brick, hot-rolled steel, and Venetian plaster.

The 25-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep main residence begins on the ground floor, anchored by a sculptural floating wooden staircase. A rear den gets plenty of light from tall Loewen windows and added warmth from a cast-iron wood-burning stove. Wood-framed glass doors open onto the home’s private back garden.

On the second floor, a bespoke kitchen features walnut cabinetry and a ceiling of pressed tin. At its heart is a wood-fired pizza oven.

On the top floor are three bedrooms and two baths. Bathrooms feature architects’ additions like hidden slot drains and a vintage copper tub.

At the back of the extra-long yard is the surprise of a 25-foot-wide custom-built guesthouse. This unusual space consists of two wings. On one side is a garden-facing studio; on the other is a Japanese-inspired spa with a steam room, open shower, and radiant-heated floor.

Behind the scenes, the future-ready home has been outfitted with zoned HVAC, on-demand hot water, a new insulated roof, underground utilities, and a climate-controlled wine cellar. A two-car garage makes use of a lift. There is also substantial unused FAR for the home’s next owners to expand the property.

[Listing details: 497 Saint John’s Place at CityRealty]

[At The Corcoran Group by Linda Peng and Dwayne Powell]

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• This three-story modern townhouse with a yard in Fort Greene asks $2.75M

The post For $5.9M, this architect-designed former Crown Heights carriage house has a guest studio and garage first appeared on 6sqft.

An Upper East Side townhouse tied to late fashion designer Oleg Cassini has sold for $34.5 million, bringing a years-long legal and bankruptcy battle to a close. The five-story home at 15 East 63rd Street was at the center of a high-profile dispute involving Cassini’s widow, Marianne Nestor, and her sister, Peggy Nestor, who filed for bankruptcy in 2023 after creditors moved to foreclose on the Beaux Arts limestone townhouse. The pair had filed, and lost, nearly 20 court appeals to delay the case and keep the residence, according to Crain’s.

The contentious legal battle stems from the 1984 purchase of the townhouse, which came 12 years after Marianne’s secret marriage to Cassini. Cassini is best known for designing Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ signature “pillbox-topped” look while she was first lady. He had a studio in the townhouse until his death in 2006 at age 92, according to Business Insider.

When Cassini died, a lengthy legal battle over his estate began and continues today. In 2016, a surrogate Long Island judge removed Marianne as executor, citing mismanagement, which she denied. Cassini’s clothing and perfume lines were also ordered into receivership.

According to a 2024 court filing, Marianne owes more than $133 million in civil judgments. The widow was also imprisoned for refusing to comply with court orders. As the litigation continued, additional debts accumulated against the townhouse.

In 2023, one day before a state judge scheduled the property for sale to cover $17 million in mortgage arrears, Peggy filed for bankruptcy, delaying the process. Though they initially agreed to sell the home, the sisters later sued their attorney, arguing they were too old to be evicted and that they were protected under New York rent-stabilization laws. The argument was rejected multiple times in federal bankruptcy court and by appellate judges.

Marianne sought to create a “litigation cloud,” Albert Togut, a lawyer who served as trustee for the estate, told Crain’s. This was intended to dissuade prospective buyers from moving forward with the sale and keep the home for themselves. The widow filed and lost nearly 20 appeals over the course of the foreclosure case. At one point, the sisters’ attorney withdrew from the case, and they proceeded without representation.

The sisters were evicted from the home two years ago by U.S. Marshals, who also changed the locks to prevent their reentry.

Last month, bankruptcy Judge Michael Wiles approved the final liquidation plan for the home, rejecting a request by the sisters to match the buyer’s $34.5 million cash offer after they failed to demonstrate they had the funds.

The home first hit the market in 2024 for $65 million, represented by Sotheby’s. Togut later hired Brown Harris Stevens to relist the property, which went on the market for $39.5 million last January. The buyer acquired the property through the entity 63rd St Townhouse LLC and plans to live in the home, Crain’s reported.

Judge Wiles approved the bankruptcy sale on March 13. The case was closed on March 26 by Judge Jesse Furman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, who oversaw the proceedings.

Constructed in 1901 for financier and philanthropist Elias Asiel, the more than 11,000-square-foot home was designed by prominent architect John H. Duncan, who also designed Grant’s Tomb in Morningside Heights, as 6sqft previously reported.

The building’s limestone facade features floral garlands, arched windows, and three terraces beneath a copper mansard roof, including two rooftop terraces with stunning city views.

On the first floor, an entrance gallery with gleaming white marble floors is framed by 12-foot ceilings. At its center, a curved marble staircase leads to glass-paneled doors opening into a circular dining room with herringbone floors and a fireplace.

The second floor is anchored by a gallery with 17-foot ceilings and decorative moldings and cartouches. This level also includes a terrace, a conservatory, and a wood-paneled library with ornate detailing.

The third floor contains a sitting room and the primary bedroom, which features a fireplace and an en-suite bathroom beneath 12-foot ceilings. The fourth floor offers additional bedrooms and a sitting room, all with fireplaces. The fifth floor features a double-height sitting room that opens to the level above and is lit by two arched windows. Two bedrooms share an adjacent kitchenette.

On the top level is another bedroom with an en-suite bath. Double doors open onto a large terrace with panoramic Manhattan views.

[Listing details: 15 East 63rd Street at CityRealty]

[At Brown Harris Stevens by Sami Hassoumi]

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The post Oleg Cassini’s former UES mansion sells for $34.5M after lengthy bankruptcy battle first appeared on 6sqft.

MoMA PS1 is hosting a free block party next month to celebrate its 50th anniversary, bringing live music, food, and special programming to its longtime home in Long Island City. The event will take place across the museum’s plaza, courtyard, and galleries on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and include curator-led talks, artist activations, performances, and offerings from local food vendors. The celebration coincides with the opening weekend of “Greater New York,” the museum’s signature survey of working NYC artists, which highlights more than 50 multidisciplinary creatives in the early stages of their careers.

Graffiti artist and painter Lady Pink, the Ecuadorian-born, Astoria-raised creative whose work has transformed subway cars, city walls, and galleries, will lead three mural workshops at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. The 10:30 a.m. session is recommended for families with children ages 10 and older, the 12:30 p.m. session is open to all ages, and the 2:30 p.m. session is geared toward teens.

At 4 p.m., Red Canary Song, a grassroots collective of migrant massage workers, sex workers, and Asian diaspora allies, will present a screening of “Fly in Power,” a film that follows members of the community and highlights their work around care, survival, and organizing in response to incarceration and anti-trafficking systems.

A panel discussion with organizers from Red Canary Song and Centro Corona will follow the screening.

Other participating organizations include Discolocas NYC Fiesta Club, FAD Market, the Lower Eastside Girls Club, Make the Road, Malikah, Nuevayorkinos, Queens Night Market, Queensboro Dance Festival, Queensbridge Photo Collective, and St. James Joy.

During the block party, visitors can also experience the opening weekend of the museum’s “Greater New York” exhibition. Organized for the first time by MoMA PS1’s full curatorial team, the survey of NYC artists features site-specific commissions, new works, performances, and recent pieces addressing contemporary cultural issues.

This year’s exhibition focuses on the forces shaping daily life in NYC, as well as strategies of resistance and adaptation in response to heightened surveillance, economic uncertainty, and evolving technology.

MoMA PS1 is also hosting a range of special programs and celebrations for its 50th anniversary. This year, the museum launched free admission for all visitors for three years, made possible by a $900,000 gift from art collector Sonya Yu. Admission has been free for New Yorkers since 2015 and suggested for all other visitors.

In addition to “Greater New York,” programming includes a major outdoor commission by Precious Okoyomon in the courtyard, a historic survey of Black artists working in abstraction, an archival exhibition examining the history of fashion at PS1, a publication tied to the museum’s Homeroom program, and the first U.S. survey of Teresa Margolles, organized in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art.

Their anniversary year also includes a special season of Warm Up, the museum’s signature summer music series, as well as the 50th Anniversary Gala honoring founder Alanna Heiss and former MoMA director Glenn Lowry.

Admission to the block party is free. Reserve a spot here.

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The post MoMA PS1 to host free block party for 50th anniversary first appeared on 6sqft.

A vacant two-story Midtown South commercial building will become a 32-story residential tower, marking the first permits filed in New York City for a high-density development under new zoning laws. On Monday, Sioni Group filed plans to construct a 95-unit apartment building at 28 West 37th Street, the commercial building the group applied to demolish in February, according to Crain’s. The project is the first to take advantage of the R-12 high-density zoning, introduced after the state lifted the floor area ratio (FAR) cap to allow greater residential density.

According to the city’s Department of City Planning, the permits filed by Sioni Group mark the first for a high-density R12 apartment building.

“For decades, the FAR cap limited the size of new buildings. Now, with the cap repealed & Midtown South Plan in place, two stories on 37th St will become 32 — with permanently affordable housing,” the agency wrote in a post on X.

Sioni Group plans to build an approximately 86,000-square-foot mixed-use building at the site, which would include 95 apartments, about 450 square feet of commercial space, and a 20-foot rear yard. C3D Architecture’s Damir Sehic is listed as the architect of record.

The new R-12 districts were created under former Mayor Eric Adams’ “City of Yes” housing plan, passed by the City Council in December 2024. After the state lifted the 12 FAR cap for residential buildings, the landmark zoning overhaul introduced citywide reforms aimed at boosting housing production, including the creation of the R-11 and R-12 districts, which allow for high-density development with floor area ratio (FAR) caps of 15 and 18, respectively.

The project also falls within the broader Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) plan, which rezones 42 blocks, allowing for approximately 9,500 new homes. The rezoning spans four quadrants of Midtown between 23rd and 40th Streets and 5th and 8th Avenues, an area home to more than 7,000 businesses and 135,000 jobs.

Office-to-residential conversions, another key tool in the MSMX plan, are expected to add roughly 781 homes, according to The Real Deal.

As 6sqft previously reported, the first residential project coming to Midtown South following the rezoning is an office-to-residential conversion at 29 West 35th Street. Developers will turn the century-old building into 107 studio apartments, with 27 designated affordable via the 467-m tax abatement program.

RELATED:

• Midtown office tower to become 107 studio apartments, first major conversion under rezoning
• City Council approves Midtown South rezoning, unlocking 9,500 new homes

The post Two-story Midtown South building to become 32-story tower with 95 apartments first appeared on 6sqft.

After a seven-year sober spell, Staten Island Ferry riders can once again booze on board. Last week, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that beer, hard seltzers, and canned cocktails will be sold on the ferry for the first time since 2019, alongside expanded snack options like pretzels and popcorn. The offerings debuted on the MV SSG Michael H. Ollis and are slated to roll out to the Sandy Ground and Dorothy Day ferries in the coming weeks.

Alcohol sales were halted in 2019 after a vendor contract lapsed and were further delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which many feared would end the tradition for good, as reported by the New York Times.

In December 2024, DOT resumed onboard food service with coffee and snacks. The expanded menu is intended to further enhance the passenger experience, giving riders a way to unwind during their trip.

“Whether you’re a Staten Islander commuting home after a long work day or a visitor taking in the harbor views, the Staten Island Ferry is not just a critical piece of city infrastructure, it is an experience,” Jeanny Pak, interim president of the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), said.

The Staten Island Ferry is the largest municipal ferry service in the United States, carrying more than 16 million riders annually and roughly 45,000 on an average weekday. The city’s NYC Ferry already serves alcohol on board.

Unlike most transit options, the Staten Island Ferry remains one of the few in New York without an admission fee, offering free rides to all passengers. Heavily subsidized by the city, the ferry is not designed to generate revenue.

The city signed a 10-year lease agreement with the ferry’s new vendor, a Dunkin’ franchise, which is paying the city $27,000 per month to operate the concessions, according to the Times.

In a statement, Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said the return of alcohol sales will help increase ridership and energize the service.

“Countless Staten Island residents and visitors utilize the ferry daily, and the return of on-board alcoholic beverage sales is a great initiative to get riders excited about utilizing this transportation service, helping increase ridership and generating revenue for a Staten Island staple,” said Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton.

“Thank you to all who played a role in the return of this long-awaited service. I’m looking forward to enjoying a cold beer to partake in a time-honored tradition.”

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• Staten Island Ferry to offer food and drinks for the first time since Covid
• Brooklyn Bridge to get separate bike and pedestrian entrances in Manhattan
• NYC breaks ground on Bronx crosstown bus service upgrades around Yankee Stadium

The post Booze is back on board the Staten Island Ferry first appeared on 6sqft.

Work has begun on the second phase of a long-awaited Upper West Side development offering affordable homes for low-income and formerly homeless seniors. On Friday, the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH) announced the start of the second phase of its West 108 development, an 84-unit permanently supportive housing project at 105 West 108th Street. The 22 studios and 61 one-bedrooms will be set aside for seniors ages 62 and older earning at or below 50 percent of the area median income, as well as adults ages 55 and older who have experienced homelessness and are living with serious mental health or substance use disorders.

First announced in 2016, the development replaces a city-owned, long-vacant parking garage. Some residents contested the project for removing affordable parking from the neighborhood, but the building received approvals in 2018.

The project’s first phase, the Valley Lodge, opened in October 2022. The 193,000-square-foot complex at 145 West 108th Street includes on-site supportive services, a range of amenities, and 199 homes for low-income families and formerly homeless seniors.

Designed by Dattner Architects to meet Passive House energy standards, the new building will achieve a 30 percent reduction in energy use compared to a typical NYC residential building.

Residents will benefit from on-site social services, property management, a 24/7 staffed front desk, a community room, a landscaped rear yard, and communal laundry facilities. The building is also located near public transit, NYC older adult centers, and the adjacent Aníbal Avilés Park.

Tenants will pay no more than 30 percent of their income in rent through project-based Section 8 vouchers. Of the 83 units, 40 are set aside for formerly unhoused individuals through the city’s Department of Homeless Services and the Human Resources Administration.

The remaining 43 units will be available through NYC Housing Connect, the city’s affordable housing lottery system. The project’s first phase launched a lottery for 79 affordable apartments, which received more than 60,000 applications.

WSFSSH at West 108 addresses the city’s ongoing shortage of affordable senior housing. More than 520,000 applications are currently on file citywide, including about 300,000 people on waitlists for subsidized apartments, according to a 2024 report by LiveOn NY. 

“With the average rents in Manhattan hitting $5,000 for the first time, it has never been so important to create deeply affordable, supportive housing for older New Yorkers,” NYC Comptroller Mark Levine said.

“I have long supported this project, because WSFSSH at West 108 will help ensure that seniors—including those who have experienced homelessness—can age with dignity, stability, and access to the care they deserve. WSFSSH continues to lead the way in showing how thoughtful investment can strengthen communities and change lives.”

The project is financed through a subsidy from the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development under the Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program, and a discretionary capital award from Levine and Council Member Shaun Abreu.

Additional funding sources include a construction loan from JPMorgan Chase, a Freddie Mac forward commitment from Bellwether Enterprise, and equity from Enterprise Community Partners and the HPD-NYSERDA Future Housing Initiative.

The project will also receive 9 percent federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and 83 Section 8 project-based vouchers covering all rental units, along with funding from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Homeless Housing Assistance Program.

RELATED:

• 199-unit supportive housing complex for seniors and families opens on the Upper West Side
• Affordable housing lottery opens for 79 units on the Upper West Side, from $456/month
• Mamdani pitches 12,000-unit Sunnyside Yard development to Trump

The post Upper West Side affordable senior housing project breaks ground first appeared on 6sqft.

Rolex on Monday announced its new 30-story flagship at 665 Fifth Avenue will open this fall. Inspired by the watch brand’s signature fluted bezel, the building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Sir David Chipperfield, will feature a stacked facade with four terraces at each step-back. The 165,000-square-foot building will include a multi-level Rolex retail space, topped by office floors and additional retail tenants, along with amenities such as a restaurant and event space.

Chipperfield, who designed the condominium The Bryant in 2017, won a competition to rebuild the U.S. Rolex headquarters in 2019. The new tower replaces the 12-story building occupied by the company since the 1970s.

Situated on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and East 53rd Street, the Rolex Building features a stacked design composed of five volumes and four terraces at each setback. The New York Post first reported the building’s fall opening.

“In a city of towers, we have enjoyed the challenge of designing the new Rolex tower. With this project we hope to make our own contribution embodying Rolex’s values of precision, quality, and innovation as fundamental principles integrated into every aspect of the building—from its form and silhouette to its structure, materials, and the way it is built,” Chipperfield said.

Targeting LEED and WELL Platinum certifications, the project will feature all-electric operations along with on-site rainwater and greywater recycling systems. A double-skin facade improves thermal performance, and an advanced heating and cooling system circulates temperature-controlled water through ceiling pipes.

Rolex will share the office floors with Angeles Wealth Management, which will establish its first New York office in the tower.

In a statement, Luca Bernasconi, CEO of Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc., said the tower reflects Rolex’s “clear commitment” to the city.

“New York City and Fifth Avenue, in particular, have long been crucial to Rolex in the US. The Rolex Building at 665 Fifth Avenue is a clear expres­sion of our enduring commitment to this city: a beautiful example of modern architecture that will serve our team and tenants, as well as welcome clients for decades to come.”

Bernasconi added: “Sir David Chipperfield’s design captures the excellence, precision, and longev­ity that define Rolex, while setting a new standard for an exceptional workplace experience in the heart of Midtown.”

The Rolex Building is one of several luxury fashion brands developing new flagships on Fifth Avenue. As 6sqft previously reported, Prada plans to build a mixed-use tower at 724 Fifth Avenue, with a store at its base, with company offices and condominiums above.

Last fall, Louis Vuitton filed plans for a 25-story tower at 1 East 57th Street, replacing its existing 20-story building. In 2024, as Curbed reported, the Kering Group, which owns Gucci, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen, signed a deal to buy the retail portion at 715-717 Fifth Avenue for $963 million.

“It’s become an arms race. It’s not good enough to have a Champs-Élysées or Fifth Avenue address; it has to be a flagship with suitable prominence to stand for the brand,” Mark A. Cohen, the director of retail studies at Columbia Business School, told Curbed in 2024.

RELATED:

• Meta to open first NYC flagship store on Fifth Avenue
• Prada plans Fifth Avenue skyscraper with ultra-luxury apartments
• Louis Vuitton files plans for 25-story Fifth Avenue flagship

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Etihad Park, New York City’s first-ever professional soccer stadium in Queens, topped out this week. The NYC Football Club (NYCFC) laid the final steel beam on Wednesday, completing the 25,000-seat stadium’s frame on schedule after construction began in December 2024. Developed by NYCFC, Related Companies, and Sterling Equities and designed by HOK, the seven-story, fully electric stadium is expected to open for the 2027–28 Major League Soccer season as NYCFC’s official home in the five boroughs.

“Etihad Park represents everything we envisioned for soccer in the largest market in the country—a world-class, fan-first stadium that will elevate NYCFC and Major League Soccer,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said.

“This is a transformational project that will be a cathedral for the sport, an anchor in the city’s sports landscape, and an inspiration for the next generation of players and fans across New York. The impact of this stadium will be felt for decades to come.”

Located across from Citi Field, the stadium will feature a striking, “activated cube” entranceway, which will be illuminated on match days with vibrant colors and imagery to provide a dynamic experience for visitors. S9 Architecture and Turner Construction Company are design and construction partners on the project, as 6sqft previously reported.

Etihad Park will be the first fully electric stadium in Major League Soccer and the first fully electric professional sports venue in NYC. Its $780 million construction is fully financed by NYCFC and built entirely with union labor. The city will lease the land to the soccer club and its development partners for 49 years, with an option to extend the lease by an additional 25 years.

When it opens, it will be operated by unions 32BJ and UNITE HERE Local 100. Since breaking ground in 2024, the project has employed more than 300 Queens residents.

Wednesday’s topping-out ceremony included a tree placed atop the final beam, following a centuries-old tradition symbolizing growth, resilience, and good fortune for the building and its visitors.

“Today marks an important milestone towards finally giving New York soccer fans our own stadium,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

“I want to thank all of the workers who have gotten us to this point, including the more than 300 hard-working men and women from Queens who have been hired on this project. Etihad Park represents more than just a soccer stadium—it’s the type of project we want to see: fully electric and union-made by and for New Yorkers.”

Etihad Park is a central piece of the broader Willets Point redevelopment, which is transforming a neighborhood long known for junkyards and decades of disinvestment into a sprawling mixed-use community.

The project will include 2,500 housing units across multiple buildings, 1,400 of which will be subsidized or below-market rate, making it the largest affordable housing development in NYC in four decades.

The second phase of the redevelopment will add a 650-seat public school, 40,000 square feet of public open space, retail space, and a 250-key hotel, as 6sqft previously reported.

RELATED:

• Citi Field to host women’s pro soccer match ahead of World Cup final
• City Council approves NYC’s first-ever pro soccer stadium in Queens
• New renderings show off NYC’s first professional soccer stadium

The post NYC’s first pro soccer stadium tops out in Queens first appeared on 6sqft.

The Rent Guidelines Board (RGB), the nine-member group that decides annual rent adjustments for New York City’s one million stabilized apartments, kicked off its annual review of economic conditions for both landlords and tenants this week. During the first of many sessions before a final vote on rent changes this summer, the board on Thursday released a report detailing the 2024 incomes and expenses of the city’s rent-stabilized housing stock. According to the data, the net operating income (NOI), or the amount of revenue landlords received after operating costs, rose 6.2 percent between 2023 and 2024 citywide, the third year in a row that NOI increased.

According to the report, NOI increased at different rates across the boroughs. On Staten Island, landlords of rent-stabilized units saw incomes increase by 15.1 percent, in the “core” of Manhattan, west of 110th Street and south of East 96th Street, by 10 percent, and in Upper Manhattan, by 9.1 percent.

Landlords in Brooklyn and Queens saw increases of 4.4 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively. In the Bronx, NOI fell by 0.1 percent.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani made freezing the rent a central pledge of his campaign last year, and in February, he appointed six members to the RGB, a step toward making his promise a reality. The board consists of two members to represent tenant interests, two to represent owner interests, and five members to represent the general public.

As mayor, Mamdani has refrained from explicitly saying the board should freeze the rent, since the members operate independently. But in a video posted on social media on Thursday following the board’s first meeting, the mayor encouraged tenants to testify at public meetings.

“You probably know how I feel about what should happen to the rent, but this is the chance to have your voices heard by the people who make the final decision,” Mamdani said.

Sumathy Kumar, the director of NYS Tenant Bloc, which formed last year to organize on behalf of tenants across the state, said the new data shows the need for a rent freeze.

“A rent freeze is the common sense first step to making sure that the New Yorkers who keep this city running aren’t priced out of our homes,” Kumar said. “Tenants are the majority of New York City and we are ready to win the rent freeze we deserve.”

But property owners said that NOI is a “flawed metric” for small rent-stabilized buildings as it does not factor in mortgage debt and major capital expenses. Plus, profits are lower for older buildings with a majority of stabilized apartments, in contrast to those with a mix of stabilized and market-rate rentals.

According to the report, income increased 4 percent in buildings with 50 percent stabilized apartments, 3.5 percent in buildings with 80 percent stabilized, and 2.4 percent in buildings with 100 percent stabilized units.

The study found 9 percent of buildings to be distressed, meaning the owner is losing income, slightly down from the year prior, with a vast majority of distressed properties built prior to 1974.

“This data is an average, so just imagine the thousands of small properties that are operating in the red,” Ann Korchak, board president of Small Property Owners of New York (SPONY), said in a statement.

“We need a more accurate and transparent analysis that uses more timely information and reflects the economic distress of small property owners.”

Last year, the board voted to raise rents by 3 percent for one-year leases and 4.5 percent for two-year leases, the fourth consecutive year of rent increases.

The board will release more reports and hold more public hearings in the coming weeks ahead of a preliminary vote on rent adjustments in May. See the schedule of meetings here.

RELATED:

• NYC rent freeze likely: Mamdani announces six appointees to Rent Guidelines Board
• Rent Guidelines Board approves increase up to 4.5 percent for stabilized apartments

The post Landlord income up 6 percent as board considers rent adjustments for NYC’s stabilized apartments first appeared on 6sqft.

New York City this week launched another new street safety project ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer. Starting in April, the city will fully separate the cyclist and pedestrian entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan for the first time, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Friday. Dedicated cyclist and pedestrian entrances from Centre Street and Park Row will allow bike riders to access the bridge without cutting through crowds. Slated for completion in June, the redesign will also convert a left-turn bay on Centre Street between Chambers Street and the bridge entrance into a two-way protected bike lane.

The DOT first proposed the plan in September 2024 under former Mayor Eric Adams, but it was never implemented, according to Streetsblog.

A protected bike lane installed in 2021 at the bridge’s approach has become a popular route, nearly doubling daily rides from 2,652 in 2021 to 5,625 in 2025. The new plan aims to fix a key oversight: cyclists currently must make a tight turn into pedestrian traffic as they exit the lane from the bridge.

At Friday’s press conference announcing the project, Mamdani emphasized both the safety benefits and enhancements to the iconic bridge.

“This is an experience that too many New Yorkers have had when they’re looking to take the healthiest way to cross this bridge—one that comes at the expense of their peace of mind, sanity, and sometimes their safety,” Mamdani said.

“Today, we are meeting that challenge and delivering for New Yorkers to ensure that this continues to be a bridge that we can not only take in as a stunning view, but also one that we can easily and seamlessly cross,” he added.

The project is expected to be completed before the July tournament, joining a series of similar street safety improvements that the city has undertaken to better accommodate the projected surge of visitors this summer.

On Thursday, DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn announced work in Noho, the East Village, and Union Square to create a continuous north-south bike connection from the Brooklyn Bridge to Astor Place and Union Square, with the most significant upgrades set to be finished before the tournament.

Last week, the DOT announced a redesign of West 34th to West 50th Streets along Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, a notoriously congested stretch expected to see even more sidewalk overcrowding in July. The project will expand pedestrian space, widen the protected bike lane, and extend and repaint the bus lane to 50th Street.

“As we prepare for millions of visitors this summer for the World Cup, New Yorkers can expect a number of permanent improvements to our streetscapes that will make our streets safer and more accessible long after the tournament ends,” Maya Handa, the city’s World Cup Czar, said in a press release.

“Our goal is to ensure that whether it’s through improved streets or neighborhood activations throughout the summer, all New Yorkers benefit from the World Cup.”

The initiative is also part of a broader push by Mamdani to revive street safety projects delayed or shelved under Adams. In January, Mamdani announced the DOT would move forward with its original plan to install protected bike lanes along Greenpoint’s McGuinness Boulevard, a proposal previously scaled back amid allegations of bribery.

He has also restarted the redesign of Astoria’s 31st Street to add a partially protected bike lane and will move ahead with a long-delayed plan to give buses a dedicated lane along Madison Avenue from 23rd to 42nd Streets.

RELATED:

• New protected two-way bike lane will connect the Brooklyn Bridge and Union Square
• NYC breaks ground on Bronx crosstown bus service upgrades around Yankee Stadium
• NYC begins redesign of Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen

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A longtime advocate for New York City’s street vendors will now represent the small businesses at City Hall. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday officially launched the Office of Street Vendor Services and appointed Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, co-director of the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, as its first executive director. As part of the Department of Small Business Services, the new office will conduct outreach to the city’s roughly 23,000 street vendors and educate them on local laws and the permitting process. Legislation reforming street vending that passed the City Council last year mandated the creation of the new office.

Kaufman-Gutierrez has spent seven years advocating on behalf of street vendors, conducting outreach to understand their concerns with the city’s policies while keeping them informed about an often complex network of local vending laws, according to Gothamist.

Most recently, she served as co-director of the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, an advocacy group. She frequently visited vending hot spots, handing out fliers and using tools like measuring tapes to ensure vendors’ stands met size requirements and were positioned at the required distance from driveways and crosswalks to avoid fines and tickets.

“Street vendors have long fought for both recognition and support from city government, and I’m honored to join SBS and the Administration in centering the needs of our city’s smallest businesses at Office of Street Vendor Services,” Kaufman-Gutierrez said.

“Together with street vendors, interagency partners, community-based organizations, and local stakeholders at the table, we can build a more vibrant, and equitable street vending ecosystem across the five boroughs.”

Kaufman-Gutierrez’s new role comes at a time when the city’s street vending system is undergoing significant change. According to the New York Times, while the city has more than 20,000 vendors, there are only 6,880 permits and 853 general vendor licenses, figures that have barely changed since 1979.

Last December, the Council passed a legislative package aimed at cutting through the red tape and bureaucracy that have long hampered the permitting process, measures Kaufman-Gutierrez advocated for during her time at the Street Vendor Project.

One of the bills makes an additional 22,000 supervisory licenses available annually from 2026 through 2031 and creates 10,500 new general vending licenses in 2027.

The Council overrode Adams’ veto of the legislation in January, which he issued on his last day in office.

The legislation also builds on a similar policy passed in July that decriminalized most street vending violations in NYC, removing misdemeanor penalties for general and food vendors and reducing them to civil offenses. Under Adams, officers issued more than 9,300 tickets to vendors in 2024, more than double the total in 2023, as 6sqft previously reported.

Despite the law, The City reported that some street vendors are still receiving criminal summonses for violations, suggesting the NYPD has not fully trained officers on the new policy.

According to the Street Vendor Project, seven summonses were issued to five vendors in Manhattan and Brooklyn for violations including failing to display a license or food prices and operating too close to a bus stop, curb, or hydrant—all of which should be treated as civil offenses under the new law.

In a statement to The City, an NYPD spokesperson said the department is “continuing to train officers on the change in the law,” but noted that the new policy “does not entirely prohibit the issuance of criminal court summonses for unlicensed general vending,” adding that repeat offenders could still face criminal charges.

With Kaufman-Gutierrez’s appointment, Mamdani said he hopes to “fundamentally transform” the relationship between street vendors and the city, helping their work “thrive” instead of making it harder.

“Our street vendors are not a problem to solve—they are a community to support. They feed us, employ us, and give our streets life at every hour,” Mamdani said. “Many New Yorkers’ fondest memories are of grabbing late-night food at their local taco truck or halal cart. But City Hall has too often made their work harder instead of helping it thrive. That changes now.”

“With this office and with Carina’s leadership, we will fundamentally transform the relationship that street vendors have with the city,” he added. “By streamlining bureaucracy and working closely with street vendors themselves, we can lower costs for vendors and their customers alike.”

RELATED:

• NYC passes landmark street vendor reform, including expanding permit cap
• NYC street vendor advocates push to lift cap on licenses after Adams veto
• New legislation ends criminal penalties for NYC street vendors

The post Mamdani launches new office to support NYC street vendors first appeared on 6sqft.

This 12-acre estate at 19 Winfield Avenue in Harrison is currently owned by Drew Barrymore, but her influence goes beyond just celebrity cachet. The actress, producer, director, and talk show host curated every detail of the three homes on the property as part of her Beautiful by Drew design brand. Asking $4,995,000, the estate’s living spaces have an unusual level of considered charm. The property contains five lots, any of which can be sold off for additional income. In addition to the historic main house, the estate includes a guest house and a pool house, surrounded by a combination of wooded land, lawns, and landscaped gardens.

Barrymore wanted both a more convenient home base for commuting to Manhattan for her talk show and more time with nature.

“I had desperately wanted a place outside the city because I had been working for years at this point inside of a studio with no windows,” she told Rue in an interview published earlier this month. “I’m from California, and I just had this urge to find nature.”

She paid $4.4 million for the property in 2024 and spent two years completing a renovation, which turned out to be a much bigger project than anticipated. By the time the renovation wrapped up, the actress realized her family’s needs had changed, and she decided to sell, as The Wall Street Journal first reported.

Behind a private gate, one of southern Westchester’s largest property collections radiates charm. The main house, built in 1747, has maintained its sense of history while being transformed into a showcase of modern design and comfort.

With an infinitely flexible floor plan, open spaces flow together and access the outdoors. A cozy foyer anchored by a limestone fireplace opens into the high drama of a great room with 30-foot ceilings, walls of windows, and floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

A warm, rustic kitchen moves effortlessly into a sun-filled dining room. For even more of an indoor/outdoor effect, a glass-wrapped conservatory allows you to gaze at the sky through a glass-domed ceiling. Additional entertaining spaces include a casual family room and an expansive living room, all blessed with fireplaces, skylights, and views of the surrounding greenery.

A dream of a primary suite gets a sitting room, a walk-in closet, two bathrooms and a Juliet balcony. A massive picture window frames the rolling lawn beyond. There are three more bedrooms–each with its own design theme–two baths, and a finished attic.

A compact guest cottage has a lofted space, a living room, a kitchen, and a full bath. As with the main house, windows and glass doors provide sunlight and outdoor vistas from every angle.

The pool house is sunny inside and out, with a clean, sophisticated design theme. This petite retreat contains a chic Parisian-style kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, a full bath, and laundry facilities.

The pool house opens onto a heated freeform gunite pool surrounded by wildflower gardens. The surrounding acreage is a mix of level lawns and wooded areas, all just 35 minutes from New York City.

[Listing details: 19 Winfield Avenue by Kori Sassower and Brian K. Lewis of Compass]

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• For $480K, this converted school in upstate New York is a magical country hideaway surrounded by wildflower gardens
• This $1.5M Woodstock compound was a recording studio for rock icons from Ozzy Osbourne to R.E.M.

The post Drew Barrymore’s amazing 12-acre Westchester estate asks $5M first appeared on 6sqft.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has revamped its mobile app to provide more accurate, real-time information for subway and bus riders. The update, rolled out on Wednesday, allows riders to track trains and buses, receive service alerts, and connect with customer support agents available 24/7. It also introduces new features such as station wayfinding, transfer information, and the ability to save favorite subway lines and bus routes.

Replacing the 2024 version built by an outside contractor, the new app was developed in-house by MTA staff at minimal cost, enabling the agency to make regular updates without relying on third parties. The revamp, designed specifically for subway and bus users, is part of a broader effort to improve the transit experience for New Yorkers.

The app’s developers reportedly ride the transit system themselves, bringing an authentic New York commuter perspective to its design, according to Curbed. The agency also tested the app extensively with outside participants to ensure it accommodates the city’s diverse commuting patterns.

While it presents a new, streamlined appearance, the app retains some of its predecessors’ popular features, including favorited lines, routes, and stops, per-station arrival times for specific trains and buses, improved user location accuracy, and an in-app trip planner.

The app does not store any user data, including location. While it is tailored for subway and bus riders, railroad customers can continue to use the TrainTime App, which allows them to buy and use Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North tickets, plan trips, and track trains.

Access to key information, such as real-time subway arrivals, station wayfinding, and transfer details, has been enhanced to make navigating the subway system faster and easier.

The app also provides more accurate, higher-frequency updates on subway arrival times and locations. It also offers a clearer view of stations with multiple levels and lines, highlights service changes affecting specific lines at individual stations, and shows riders where to stand on platforms for boarding and exiting.

Commuters with disabilities will also benefit from a new accessibility mode. By tapping the wheelchair icon, users can highlight accessible stations, monitor elevator and escalator status, and take advantage of screen reader and font-scaling features. The app also continues to allow users to book and manage Access-A-Ride trips.

Additional improvements include clearer subway direction labels, upgraded service alert icons, and live arrival times for subway-to-subway and subway-to-bus transfers. The app also provides a direct link to the MTA’s official lost-and-found page, making it easier for riders to file claims for lost property.

The new app does not yet allow users to refill OMNY cards or accounts or check their balances, though the MTA told Curbed that this feature is likely to be added within the year.

“The new MTA App is all about giving subway and bus customers the smoothest ride possible. Having quick access to real-time arrivals, clearer station layouts, and better transfer information makes it easier to move through the system with confidence. Rider experience is at the heart of everything we do, and the new MTA App reflects that commitment,” Shanifah Rieara, MTA Chief Customer Officer, said.

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The post MTA launches new app with real-time subway and bus tracking first appeared on 6sqft.

After failing to reach a deal with housing advocates, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appealed a court ruling that ordered New York City to expand its housing voucher program, a move that departs from one of his key campaign pledges. Filed on Tuesday, the appeal puts Mamdani in the position once held by former Mayor Eric Adams, whose initial opposition sparked a legal battle that has stretched for nearly three years. In February, Mamdani indicated he no longer intended to support the program’s expansion due to the city’s projected $7 billion budget deficit, and after negotiations failed, his appeal now extends the legal battle indefinitely.

The program, known as CityFHEPS, is one of the largest rental assistance programs in the nation. It allows low-income New Yorkers to pay 30 percent of their income toward rent, with the city covering the remainder. The program is a lifeline for the roughly 65,000 households, or about 140,000 people, who currently use the vouchers, as 6sqft previously reported.

In May 2023, the City Council passed legislation expanding eligibility for the vouchers. Adams vetoed the package, but the Council overrode his veto. The administration then filed a lawsuit citing policy concerns and the program’s estimated $17 billion cost.

The expansion would make an additional 47,000 households eligible. It also removes the requirement that unhoused individuals spend at least 90 days in a shelter before qualifying, allows applicants to demonstrate eviction risk with a rent demand letter, and raises income eligibility from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to 50 percent of the area median income.

The program is projected to add $17 billion in expenses over the next five years, according to a January 2024 estimate from the city’s Independent Budget Office. Even before the City Council passed the 2023 expansion legislation, the program’s cost had already surged, from about $25 million in 2019 to more than $1.2 billion in 2025, as reported by the New York Times.

In February, while announcing a projected $7 billion budget deficit, down from the $12.6 billion gap Mamdani had cited two weeks earlier, which he attributed to Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the mayor reversed a previous campaign promise.

Last July, after securing the Democratic nomination, Mamdani called Adams’ pushback on CityFHEPS a “ridiculous waste of time during a housing crisis” in a post on X. His campaign website also pledged: “Zohran will drop lawsuits against CityFHEPS and ensure expansion proceeds as scheduled and per city law,” as 6sqft previously reported.

Housing advocates argue that expanding the program is essential to addressing the city’s affordability crisis, which has been worsened by recent cuts to federal rental assistance under the Trump administration.

Win, the city’s largest provider of shelter and supportive housing for homeless families, released a report last month warning that housing people in shelters costs the city far more than investing in CityFHEPS vouchers, since families without permanent housing often cycle back into shelters.

In a statement, Christine Quinn, president and CEO of Win, criticized the mayor for what she called a “blunt reversal” of his previous commitments to CityFHEPS.

“The city’s failure to settle its challenge to codified CityFHEPS expansions is nothing short of a betrayal. Mamdani promised time and time again to drop this suit,” Quinn said. “This blunt reversal of that commitment is an abject failure when it comes to meeting the most basic needs of homeless families—the very population these vouchers are meant to serve.”

“This lack of leadership means more families stuck in shelter, more trauma, and skyrocketing shelter costs for the city. Let it be understood under no uncertain terms: we will not back down until the city has reversed course, dropped the suit, and pledged money to the CityFHEPS voucher program,” she added.

According to City Limits, while Mamdani has filed the appeal, negotiations are expected to continue through the state and city budget sessions, which end in April and June, respectively. During talks, the administration reportedly proposed keeping income eligibility the same, maintaining work requirements, and expanding vouchers to residents of rent-stabilized apartments.

The City Council and legal aid groups rejected that offer, leaving the administration looking for more time. Potential compromises could include limiting the number of vouchers or “phasing in” the expansion to gradually cover a larger pool of eligible New Yorkers.

In its appeal, the city’s Law Department criticized former Mayor Adams while reiterating arguments from his administration, which maintained that the City Council lacks authority to legislate on CityFHEPS.

“When the mayoralty changed hands in January, there was no plan to fully fund CityFHEPS in its current form, let alone in an expanded form. This case is not about the policy merits of expanding CityFHEPS. It instead concerns who holds authority to determine whether and how to do so,” the city’s lawyers wrote in their brief, as reported by City Limits.

However, Joe Calvello, the mayor’s press secretary, told Gothamist that the administration is still seeking a resolution.

“This is not the end of negotiations,” he said. “As the budget process advances, we will continue working toward a resolution while advancing a comprehensive, whole-of-government response to the city’s housing and homelessness crisis.”

RELATED:

• Mamdani looks to narrow housing voucher program, reneging on campaign promise
• NYC invests nearly $40M to bring clean heat pumps to Rockaways NYCHA complex
• Mamdani bans hidden ‘junk fees’ at NYC hotels

The post Mamdani appeals housing voucher expansion, breaking campaign pledge first appeared on 6sqft.