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Manhattan’s 42nd Street and several other major thoroughfares will become temporary bus and shuttle corridors for use on World Cup match days this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday announced a Midtown transportation plan to ensure smooth travel to and from MetLife Stadium during the tournament, including converting 42nd Street, portions of Fifth and Sixth Avenues, and West 40th Street into dedicated transit lanes. The streets will be limited to shuttle buses, official World Cup affiliate vehicles, MTA buses, and emergency vehicles beginning six hours before kickoff and continuing until three hours after each match.

“NYC is ready to welcome the World Cup to our backyard,” Mamdani said. “But even as the eyes of the world turn to our city, our responsibility remains the same to make sure New Yorkers can still get where they need to go safely, affordably and without unnecessary disruption.”

“Whether you’re heading to the stadium for a match, the park for a pick-up game or the office like any other day, our streets will work for everyone,” he added.

The plan is being coordinated with the NYNJ Host Committee, the MTA, NJ Transit, and the Port Authority to keep the city moving safely on World Cup match days. The tournament includes five group-stage matches 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.

NYC is expected to see a substantial influx of visitors for the tournament, leading to increased congestion and traffic delays, particularly in Midtown around Penn Station.

The Mamdani administration is warning New Yorkers to plan for these disruptions, as well as changes to street and bus routes. Residents are also urged to walk, bike, or take the subway instead of driving for non-essential trips when possible.

On game days, World Cup-related travel will be routed through designated Midtown corridors, streamlining access to MetLife Stadium while minimizing disruption for commuters. 

Each match day will be designated a “Gridlock Alert Day” to discourage non-essential travel, and the city will work with local businesses to limit truck deliveries in Midtown during matches and encourage the use of public transportation.

NYC plans to convert 42nd Street into a bus and shuttle corridor from First Avenue to 12th Avenue. It will also dedicate the two easternmost lanes of Sixth Avenue as bus and shuttle lanes between 42nd and 59th Streets.

Existing bus lanes along Fifth Avenue between 42nd and 59th Streets will also be reserved for shuttle service. West 40th Street between Eighth and 11th Avenues and West 41st Street between Eighth and 10th Avenues will be converted into bus and shuttle-only blocks.

Travelers using NJ Transit should also be aware of major service changes on match days. Roughly four hours before kickoff, NJ Transit will limit outbound rail service from Penn Station to the World Cup.

Match tickets and NJ Transit tickets will be validated before entry into the station, prompting street closures around Penn Station. The city will close 33rd Street between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue to vehicles, as well as 32nd Street between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue.

Street closures will begin at least six hours before each match, with most streets reopening shortly afterward. The section of 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues will reopen three hours after each match ends.

Travelers not attending matches with New York as a transit origin or destination will be able to use their rail tickets or passes for alternative transit options at no additional cost, including PATH service from 33rd Street and NJ Transit buses from the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

The transportation plan builds on permanent streetscape improvements by the Mamdani administration ahead of the World Cup. Last week, Mamdani announced that Sixth Avenue’s protected bike lane would be widened along one of its most congested stretches.

A week earlier, the administration said it would install a center-running eastbound bus lane along Broadway between 69th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, a busy corridor used by roughly 9,000 daily riders on the Q70-SBS, also known as the “LaGuardia Link.”

Other projects include the redesign of Ninth Avenue from West 34th to West 50th Streets in Hell’s Kitchen, and new bike and pedestrian entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan.

RELATED:

• NYC to widen protected bike lane on Sixth Avenue before World Cup
• NYC to create dedicated bus lane for Q70 to LaGuardia Airport
• Brooklyn Bridge to get separate bike and pedestrian entrances in Manhattan

The post 42nd Street to become dedicated ‘bus corridor’ during World Cup matches first appeared on 6sqft.

The historic Orchard Beach Pavilion in the Bronx partially reopened to the public earlier this month, restoring access to the landmarked beachfront destination for the first time in 17 years after a $114 million reconstruction. Beginning in December 2022, work on the 140,000-square-foot project involved preserving the pavilion’s 1930s-era architecture while adding new community amenities and accessibility upgrades. The seaside landmark, located at the only public beach in the Bronx, reopened ahead of the summer season and the opening of city beaches last weekend. Additional features remain under construction, with a full reopening expected later this summer.

“We are proud to have restored the Orchard Beach Pavilion to its former glory, with a level of investment that the Bronx deserves,” NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura said in a statement.

“Thanks to this project, the pavilion is more accessible to all visitors, will offer improved amenities and has a revived look that highlights its striking architectural features. After being closed off to public access for more than 17 years, we’re thrilled to welcome New Yorkers back to the pavilion this summer.”

Orchard Beach was envisioned by former Parks Commissioner Robert Moses and built between 1934 and 1937 as part of the New Deal, as 6sqft previously reported. The city landmarked the beach house and promenade in 2006, recognizing its striking columns, bright blue tiling, and terrazzo flooring.

Plans by architectural firm Marvel, NYC Parks, and the NYCEDC to restore the pavilion were approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in May 2021.

The project reconstructed the pavilion’s structural concrete roofs with additional exterior finishes, recasting elements using historic materials such as limestone cladding, glazed terracotta, terrazzo, cement plaster, and metalwork.

The ground floor is now open to the public and includes upgraded restrooms. Visitors can access the upper balconies and take in views of the beach and Long Island Sound.

Improving accessibility was a key goal of the effort. The architects implemented ramps on both the land and beach sides of the pavilion and regraded pathways leading to the site to create a more gradual change in elevation, according to Marvel.

On the beach side, a curved brick accessible ramp connects the upper level to the lower plaza near the shoreline, while the land-side entrance features ramps leading to the pavilion’s upper level. More trees have been planted, and new lighting installations will better illuminate the area in line with the pavilion’s updated accessibility standards.

The historic concession spaces within the pavilion have also been revamped and now host new food and retail vendors, along with upgraded mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to improve long-term resiliency.

The concession spaces are slated to open later this summer, while the pavilion’s restaurant space will not open until 2027.

Located within Pelham Bay Park, the largest park in New York City, Orchard Beach has a nature center where visitors can learn about local wildlife through Urban Park Ranger programs, exhibits, and live marine displays. The 1.1-mile beach also features playgrounds, picnic areas, a soccer field, and courts for basketball, volleyball, and handball.

“The Orchard Beach Pavilion is one of New York City’s most beautiful destinations, and we are thrilled of the work we have done to renovate this historic space that will be enjoyed by many New Yorkers when beach season officially begins,” Jeanny Pak, interim president and CEO of NYCEDC, said.

“With these renovations, the ‘Riviera of New York’ will once again become a public amenity that is fitted for modern times, and we look forward to welcoming families to this landmark destination to relax, rest, and play,” she added.

The project was funded by the Mayor’s Office, the Bronx Borough President’s Office, the City Council, and the state. Gilbane provided construction management services.

RELATED:

• $87M restoration of historic Orchard Beach Pavilion kicks off in the Bronx
• See restoration plans for the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion in the Bronx
• $50M restoration of Jacob Riis Art Deco bathhouse adds restaurants, pool, and hotel rooms

The post NYC reopens Orchard Beach Pavilion after 17 years and $114M restoration first appeared on 6sqft.

If you’ve ever dreamed of spending summer days and nights in a laid-back surf cottage like one you’d find in Malibu or Venice, but you’re a committed New York City dreamer, this Rockaway Beach rarity could be just what you need. Half a block from the Atlantic Ocean, this townhouse at 144 Beach 93rd Street is no ramshackle shack. Though the vibe is 100 percent surf chic, it has been designed for 21st-century comfort, including bespoke wellness perks like a Finnish sauna and plunge pool, plus a music studio and a roof deck with ocean views. Asking $1,550,000, this laid-back home is surrounded by seaside tranquility, yet less than an hour from Manhattan.

Steps from the sea, this unusual townhouse blends creativity and boho beach style with innovative design, modern comforts, and maximum access to the surrounding nature. Half a block away is Rockaway’s 97th Street surf break and boardwalk, making it a new-age refuge within an old-school getaway. Wellness-enhancing amenities, energy-efficient systems, and easy indoor-outdoor living make this an all-season sanctuary.

The home sits on a 25-by-100-foot lot with the rare perk of private parking. The surrounding professionally-designed landscape includes native edible plantings like blueberry, plum, and chokeberry.

Dreamy interiors focus on creative additions like barn hemlock floors, handcrafted stained glass windows, and a vintage front door from a 1950s Portuguese speakeasy. The home is available furnished or unfurnished.

On the main floor, the living room is an inviting gathering space anchored by a wood-burning fireplace. The ocean-inspired kitchen features a cement countertop inlaid with Japanese sea glass and an iridescent blue backsplash.

A NanaWall accordion glass wall allows the main living space to open onto a screened porch, perfect for an indoor-outdoor gathering. Additional upgrades include split-system heating and cooling, Runtal baseboard heating, and a new instant Navien water heater.

On the second floor, a bedroom is filled with light from a wall of reclaimed windows. A media lounge is central to the floor, which is served by a full bath with a Japanese soaking tub. The second floor has two balconies, one with ocean views.

Behind a secret door, the home’s top floor contains a full-floor sanctuary framed by pale pine floors and Italian plaster walls. An open wet room features a stone-floor rain shower. A massive skylight opens to bring in sea air and blue sky views.

Up a ladder from the top floor is a finished roof deck. From here, enjoy panoramic views across Rockaway Beach to the Atlantic and New York City.

The home’s lowest floor is a restorative retreat for wellness and creativity. A six-person Finnish cedar sauna is joined by a cold plunge tub with a dedicated ice machine and a Japanese soaking tub. Also down here is a professionally soundproofed music studio.

The home’s outdoor spaces are as magical as its interiors. Landscaped patios and balconies join a generous front porch to invite everyone outdoors as soon as the weather allows–and it’s impossible to forget the ocean just around the corner.

Nearby, the Beach 90th Street shuttle stop, and the NYC Ferry to Wall Street provide access to Manhattan in under an hour.

[Listing details: 144 Beach 93rd Street by Olivia Ionescu and Michael Kololyan of The Corcoran Group]

RELATED:

• This tiny house in Red Hook feels like a California surf shack for $1.6M
• California dreamin’ in a unique Bay Ridge townhouse for $1.3M
• Inside the trendy Rockaway Hotel, a laid-back beach getaway in NYC

The post For $1.6M, this magical Rockaway Beach ‘surf shack’ has a sauna, plunge pool, and music studio first appeared on 6sqft.

New York City is getting its pied-à-terre tax. State lawmakers on Wednesday approved the $268.5 billion 2027 state budget, which included a new annual surcharge on second homes in the city valued at $5 million or more. First announced last month by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the new tax will take effect July 1 and could potentially generate $500 million in revenue for the city each year. According to the governor, the tax ensures those who own luxury properties as their second homes are still “fairly contributing towards the funding of essential services,” like police and fire departments, sanitations, parks, and more.

Determining the value of non-primary residential properties in the city will take effect in two phases. For the first two years, starting July 1, co-ops and condos valued at $1 million or above by the city’s Department of Finance will face the tax.

Because of a peculiar tax system, city co-ops and condos are not taxed at the true market value, but instead are assessed by looking at comparable rental buildings. The governor’s office has claimed $1 million market value is the equivalent to a sales value of $5 million.

As 6sqft previously reported, the difference can be even more significant. For example, Ken Griffin’s $238 million apartment at 220 Central Park South was assessed at $9.4 million, 3.9 percent of the purchase price, in 2019. The city valued the home at $15.5 million for the 2026-2027 tax year.

Under the new tax, as first reported by the New York Times, properties worth between $1 million and $3 million will see a 4 percent annual tax. Properties between $3 million and $5 million will face a 5.25 percent tax. Apartments worth above $5 million will face a 6.5 percent tax.

Starting in 2028, the city will evaluate properties by looking at comparable sales and then update the tax. After the adjustment, properties will be taxed as follows:

• between $5 million and $15 million, 0.8 percent
• between $15 million and $25 million, 1.05 percent
• over $25 million, 1.3 percent

As CNBC reported, Griffin’s property tax bill would double to $1.87 million during the first two years of the new tax. During the next two years, his bill would rise to just under $4 million.

“Our new pied-à-terre tax will have the ultra-wealthy elite — those who own $5 million apartments in New York City but don’t actually live here — pay their fair share,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a post on X supporting the tax.

While Hochul says the new tax will generate $500 million in annual revenue, there are multiple factors at play that could reduce the total earnings. A report from NYC Comptroller Mark Levine released this month found the real revenue could be somewhere between $340 and $380 million after considering exclusions for rented units and behavioral responses to the tax.

The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) argues the new tax will hurt New York’s economy and discourage investment.

“The tax on second homes will dampen market activity, reduce property values, hurt new development, and weaken the City’s economy,” James Whelan, president of REBNY, said in a statement on Thursday.

“State spending increased nearly six percent this year, and now stands over $268 billion – with tougher fiscal decisions awaiting State leaders down the road. New York cannot continue down its path of rising spending and higher taxes if it wants to remain an attractive place to live, work, invest, and build a business.”

RELATED:

• Hochul proposes pied-à-terre tax on NYC second homes worth over $5M
• NYC pied-à-terre tax could raise less than Hochul’s $500M estimate, report finds
• Hochul signs reforms to New York’s environmental law to accelerate new housing development

The post New York passes pied-à-terre tax for luxury NYC second homes first appeared on 6sqft.

New York City wants to make it easier for young people to find free and low-cost activities this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani this week launched “Summer in N.Y.C.,” a website that matches users with activities happening in their neighborhood, ranging from free painting and photography classes to sports leagues, summer jobs, and FIFA World Cup watch parties. The initiative is part of a broader effort by the administration to keep young New Yorkers safe during the summer, when gun violence sees an uptick, as CBS News reported.

“Too often, we tell young people what not to do—but don’t tell them what they should do,” Mamdani said. “This website is about connecting kids and teens to programs they’ll actually be excited about whether that’s basketball, photography, music or art—and making it easy for families to find opportunities close to home.”

“With summer fast approaching, we are using every tool available to keep young New Yorkers safe, listened to rather than lectured at, and surrounded by community.”

Users can search for events by age, ZIP code, interests, and travel distance. The platform also highlights free summer meals and citywide World Cup celebrations.

The announcement builds on recent outreach efforts from Mamdani, including a video conversation last week with members of True 2 Life, a Staten Island-based organization within the city’s Crisis Management System that uses peer mentorship and evidence-based intervention to prevent violence and address its root causes.

This summer, the Office of Neighborhood Safety, in collaboration with DYCD and community-based organizations, is launching a coordinated safety plan aimed at reducing youth violence and expanding opportunities for young people.

Through the Crisis Management System, outreach teams will increase engagement in neighborhoods most impacted by violence, with expanded mediation efforts, extended evening programming, youth listening sessions, and rapid-response activations during high-risk periods and large gatherings.

The plan also expands access to safe spaces, mentorship, recreation, and workforce opportunities, aiming to connect young New Yorkers to supportive resources throughout the summer months.

“Summer is a time for making the core memories that shape us. It’s a time for exploration, growth and fun for every young person in our City,” Renita Francois, deputy mayor for community safety, said.

“Delivering that means providing safe, meaningful, and free opportunities in all corners of the five boroughs and making them accessible,” she added. “We created Summer in NYC to put young people just a click away from favorite and new hobbies, experiences, and connections along with critical life skills such as conflict management and emotional regulation.”

RELATED:

• NYPD pulls permits for Knicks watch parties outside MSG, but fans still celebrate
• NYC restaurants to offer $26 dining deals during World Cup
• NYC residents can enter lottery for $50 World Cup tickets

The post NYC launches interactive website to help young New Yorkers find free summer activities first appeared on 6sqft.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office last week released the findings of an audit examining how city agencies adhere to the city’s sanctuary laws in the face of growing federal immigration enforcement efforts under the current Trump administration. The report showed that immigration enforcement activity has increased dramatically, with a 71 percent jump in arrests between January 2025 and March 2026 compared to the same number of days under former President Joe Biden. Findings include a sharply escalating number of detainer requests, targeting of city shelters, and a rise in aggressive enforcement tactics.

In February 2026, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed Executive Order 13 reaffirming the city’s existing sanctuary commitment in response to federal immigration enforcement, as 6sqft previously reported. These sanctuary policies remain a point of legal and political conflict between the city and the federal government. The order established the Interagency Response Committee (IRC) to coordinate the city’s response to crises, and mandated definitive actions to strengthen compliance with local laws.

As a first step, the order called for a public safety audit reviewing agency compliance with policies related to civil immigration enforcement in order to gain a better understanding of city agency interactions with federal immigration authorities in a shifting enforcement landscape, and to get immediate and long-term recommendations from the agencies.

The audit covered six city agencies: the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), Department of Correction (DOC), Department of Probation (DOP), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Department of Social Services (DSS), and the New York Police Department (NYPD), and recommended that New York City Health + Hospitals (H+H) participate voluntarily.

Among other findings, the multi-agency audit process revealed that federal immigration authorities have drastically increased their issuance of detainer requests to DOC and NYPD, heightened their targeting of city shelters, and engaged in numerous aggressive and misleading tactics.

The data revealed that between January 20, 2025, and March 10, 2026, ICE arrested 5,567 individuals in the New York City area, a 71 percent increase compared to the same number of days at the end of the previous administration.

ICE conducted over half of these arrests at the immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza. About 15 percent of arrests were tied to Alternatives to Detention (ATD), ICE’s electronic monitoring program, indicating that the arrests were made at a check-in process that complied with the requirements of supervision.

DOC saw a 120 percent increase in detainer requests in 2025 compared to 2024. The report revealed that it also sent daily reports to ICE on noncitizens in custody.

ICE’s detainer requests to the NYPD increased dramatically as well. ICE sent the NYPD detainer requests at a rate 36 times higher than the previous year, from 99 requests in FY24 to 3,627 requests in FY25.

Only where authorized under certain exceptions pursuant to city laws, DOC responded to 24 of these requests by providing notification of an individual’s release and facilitating their transfer to ICE custody. DOC did not keep anyone detained beyond the term of their sentence.

The report also revealed that federal agencies not historically focused on civil immigration enforcement–like Homeland Security Investigations and the Office of Refugee Resettlement–have stepped into a greater role in civil immigration enforcement, further expanding the widening enforcement net.

In response to the audit report, Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, praised the mayor for conducting the audit and making it public.

“At a time when immigrant New Yorkers are under attack from the federal government–and over 5,000 ICE arrests of New Yorkers since Trump came back into office–it is critical to enact stronger protections, oversight, and monitoring to prevent inappropriate, unauthorized or illegal involvement by ICE.”

Each agency involved in the audit provided the mayor with a comprehensive outline of key agency-specific issues and recommendations developed with support from the IRC. In some instances, the IRC is conducting further assessments as part of an ongoing review process.

Next steps will include updating the agencies’ processes as recommended, publicly posting policies, updating training protocols for public-facing city employees, public education and outreach, and implementing mechanisms for ongoing review, among others.

“Executive Order 13 reflects Mayor Mamdani’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, and protections for our immigrant communities,” MOIA Commissioner Faiza N. Ali said in a statement.

“The findings and recommendations released today will strengthen city agencies’ protocols when interacting with federal authorities and ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, can safely access the city services they deserve. I look forward to working with our government partners and all stakeholders to implement the changes identified in this audit and bolster our city’s support for immigrant New Yorkers.”

According to an investigation released by local news site The City this week, the current federal enforcement campaign has disproportionately targeted people from Latin American countries during street arrests. When analyzing more than 1,200 lawsuits, reporters found ICE agents in the field have seized Latinos in numbers far beyond their representation in the undocumented population.

The number of emergency lawsuits filed by immigrants challenging the legality of their detention–known as habeas corpus petitions–has increased dramatically with the current Trump administration’s enforcement campaign. Records of these lawsuits often contain important details about the arrests, including the circumstances and demographics of the individuals detained.

The City looked at each emergency lawsuit filed by immigrants in three federal courts from October 15, 2025, to March 15, 2026. In the database of petitions, 430 street arrests across the New York metro area were identified, including those in Long Island and New Jersey.

Street arrests often attract little public attention compared with the ICE arrests that happen inside the immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza in front of court observers, elected officials, and photographers. Yet during the five-month review period of the habeas petitions, street arrests were found to be far more common than immigration court arrests.

Although individuals from Latin American countries make up 66 percent of immigrants without legal status in the region, more than 93 percent of those who filed suit after being seized on the street by federal agents were Latinos.

As The City noted, street arrests unfold in minutes, often on quiet residential streets away from open public view. These arrests are often surprise encounters that have left immigrants stunned, afraid they were being kidnapped. According to court filings, some individuals ran in terror from menacing masked agents. Other encounters turned violent as officers deployed taser guns and smashed car windows. In some cases, agents shouted racial epithets during the arrest.

While a federal judge recently barred most ICE arrests at immigration courthouses in New York City, Trump border czar Tom Homan has threatened to “flood the zone” with ICE agents. This could mean that, along with street arrests, racially-targeted arrests could continue to rise.

RELATED:

• What makes New York a sanctuary city—and is its status under threat?
• Mamdani releases blueprint to build 200,000 new affordable homes, target bad landlords
• First city-owned grocery store to open next year at mixed-use development in Hunts Point

The post Mayor’s audit shows aggressive ICE tactics are on the rise in NYC, with arrests up 71 percent first appeared on 6sqft.

The luxury bar is being set ever higher for the once humble Brooklyn brownstone, and this 6,300-square-foot home at 168 Pacific Street, asking $16.65 million, is a fine example. The 25-foot-wide Greek Revival home offers six elevator-accessible levels of living, starting with a wine cave and gym and topped by a dazzling penthouse suite with skyline views. Just in time for summer entertaining, outdoor spaces include a south-facing garden, multiple terraces, and roof decks.

The 1830s townhouse sits on a 100-foot-deep lot in the postcard-perfect Cobble Hill Historic District. The home has seen a complete renovation with new mechanical systems and structural upgrades, using passive house principles for maximum energy efficiency.

Twenty-first-century enhancements include historically correct window restoration, a new front stoop, cornice, and ironwork, and dramatic rear and rooftop additions. A private elevator connects all six levels from the cellar to the penthouse.

Behind an elegant brick-and-brownstone façade, innovative interior design by Peter Guthrie’s Yellowtrees Studio sets the home apart from its would-be imitators. Bespoke construction lends sophistication to white oak window walls, Marvin historic double-hung windows, German white oak flooring, solid pulled plaster detailing, restored wood-burning fireplaces, and elegant brass hardware.

The parlor level is the home’s main entertaining space in true brownstone style. A light-filled double-height great room is framed by unique fixtures, handmade lighting, and architectural details both new and historic.

A simple, elegant kitchen features quartz and marble worktops, integrated appliances, and pale wood custom cabinetry. The kitchen opens onto a terrace that leads down to the verdant backyard.

Take the elevator or the curving staircase down to the garden level. This expansive casual living space includes a guest bedroom suite, an intimate media room, and a large, open family room/lounge that flows out onto the landscaped rear garden.

Private living quarters occupy two upper floors. A full-floor primary suite boasts a large dressing room, a peerless marble-clad bath with a fireplace, and a private terrace.

Topping the townhouse is a peerless penthouse with 360-degree skyline views from the terrace. Within is room for a home office or entertainment space, plus a bedroom with a full bath.

The home’s lowest level (also elevator-accessible) offers another collection of amenities befitting a private club. Down here, you’ll find a gym, a sauna, a wine cave, a wet bar, and laundry facilities.

The townhouse sits at the crossroads of Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill for convenience to shopping, dining, and transportation. Brooklyn Bridge Park and a ferry landing are just steps away.

[Listing details: 168 Pacific Street at CityRealty]

[At Compass by Lindsay Barrett and Christopher Mohr]

RELATED:

• $22M Cobble Hill brownstone is five floors of architectural perfection, from the wine cellar to the rooftop deck
• For $11M, this Cobble Hill townhouse offers modern comforts, elevated design, and a garage
• For $3M, a two-bedroom Cobble Hill condo with a private roof deck and room to expand
• Enjoy effortless brownstone living at this $2.15M Cobble Hill condo

The post This $16.7M Cobble Hill home is like having your own private club in a Brooklyn brownstone first appeared on 6sqft.

Drew Barrymore’s stunning 12-acre estate in Harrison has found a buyer after just two months on the market. Barrymore purchased the expansive property at 19 Winfield Avenue for $4.4 million in 2024 and spent two years revamping the estate and its three homes, curating every detail of each dwelling as part of her Beautiful by Drew design brand. The actor, producer, and talk show host decided to sell the property due to changing family needs. The buyer and final sale price have not been disclosed, but the estate was last listed for $4,995,000.

One of southern Westchester’s largest properties, the estate contains five lots, any of which can be sold off for additional income, as 6sqft previously reported. In addition to a historic main house built in 1747, the property includes a guest house and a pool house surrounded by wooded land, lawns, and landscaped gardens.

Despite its recent modernization, the main house retains its historic charm. The flexible floor plan features open spaces that flow together and open directly to the outdoors. A foyer anchored by a limestone fireplace leads into a great room with 30-foot ceilings, massive window walls, and floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

A cozy, rustic kitchen opens into a sunlit dining room, while a glass-wrapped conservatory features a domed ceiling. Additional entertaining spaces include a family room and a large living room, each with fireplaces, skylights, and views of the lush grounds.

The primary suite offers a sitting room, a walk-in closet, two bathrooms, and a Juliet balcony. There are three additional bedrooms, each with a unique design theme, along with two bathrooms and a finished attic.

A guest cottage features a lofted space, living room, kitchen, and full bath. Like the main house, the cottage has large windows and glass doors that provide abundant natural light and views from every angle.

The pool house features a sophisticated design theme, with a Parisian-style kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, a full bath, and laundry facilities. It opens onto a heated freeform gunite pool surrounded by wildflower gardens.

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

RELATED:

• Drew Barrymore’s amazing 12-acre Westchester estate asks $5M
• Kurt Weill’s former New York country estate with a creative pedigree asks $2.3M
• After a thorough renovation, this peerless Park Slope mansion asks $13.5M

The post Drew Barrymore finds buyer for gut-renovated Westchester estate first appeared on 6sqft.

Whether you’re leaving the nest, graduating from college, or experiencing some other type of life event, moving into your first apartment can be an exciting time and a fresh start. You want to make your apartment comfortable, practical, and fun, the type of place you want to spend time in, and invite friends over to enjoy as well. Here are some of the best items you’ll want in your first apartment.

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.

Kitchen

Depending on how much you’re paying in rent, you may not be eating out as much as you’d like, and a good cookware set can help you save money and hone your cooking skills. This 10-piece French cookware set is gorgeous, with gently curved sides and smooth, rounded edges. The 18/10 stainless steel is durable and resists rust, corrosion, stains, and chemical reactions while cooking. The set includes a 1.5-quart saucepan with lid, a 3-quart saucepan with lid, a 3-quart sauté pan with lid, a 5-quart casserole pan with lid, a 10-inch skillet, and a 12-inch skillet.
Sur La Table Classic 5-Ply Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set, $569 at Amazon

If this is your first time paying rent, you may also want to limit trips to your favorite coffee shop. However, this space-saving espresso machine lets you enjoy your favorites at home. It has a 15-bar pressure pump and two programmable settings for single-serve espresso or drip coffee. The espresso machine uses capsules, so you don’t have to worry about measuring coffee or dumping out coffee grounds.
illy Easy Espresso Machine, $279 at Amazon

Another must-have for coffee lovers is this 8-cup drip coffee maker. It even has a cold brew function. The aluminum alloy body is durable, and the removable water tank is easy to fill, empty, and clean. The coffee maker maintains a temperature range between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit and has an adjustable flow control. The anti-drip design eliminates mess, and the hot plate keeps coffee warm for up to 40 minutes.
Kismile 8-Cup Drip Coffee Maker, $180/ Sale $110 at Amazon

This 12-piece wooden utensil set is handmade and eco-friendly. The natural teak wood is also BPA-free and non-toxic. The non-stick set includes a large wooden turner, a spatula, a slotted spatula, a skimmer, a slotted round spatula, a mixing spoon, a soup ladle, a scraper, a fork/spoon, and a serving spoon, along with nine 3-inch hanging hooks, a spoon rest, and a caddy.
Woodenhouse 12-Piece Teak Wooden Utensil Set, $55 at Amazon

If you like color choices, this electric stand mixer comes in black, red, aqua blue, rose, and silver. It’s perfect for cakes, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and more. The stand mixer has 7 speeds to handle everything from slowly folding and combining ingredients to whipping cream. The stand mixer has nonslip feet, a tilt-up head, and includes a dough hook, whisk, flat beater, and a stainless steel 4-quart bowl with a removable splatter shield.
Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer, $127 at Amazon

Always drink pure water with this countertop water filter pitcher. It reduces 99.6% of lead, as well as PFOS, PFOA, chloride, microplastics, benzene, and more. The pitcher has a 15-cup capacity, so you don’t have to constantly refill it, and can dispense 8 ounces of water in just 20 seconds. Each filter lasts for 200 gallons, and this combo includes 4 filters.
Waterdrop ED01W Electric Water Filter Pitcher, $100/ Sale $86 at Amazon

For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, toast can work at any time. This 4-slice toaster has 9 shade settings and presets for defrost, bagel, and cancel. There are dual controls to operate each side of the toaster separately, as well as separate crumb trays. The wide slots can accommodate artisan bread, English muffins, bagels, waffles, and other bread types. Color choices are white, red, and silver.
Kenmore Toaster 4-Slice, $105/Sale $89 at Amazon

A complete knife set always comes in handy. This one includes the following: an 8-inch Chef knife, 8-inch santoku knife, 8-inch bread knife, 8-inch carving knife, 5.5-inch utility knife, 4-inch paring knife, kitchen shears, honing rod, and 6 serrated steak knives (5-inch). The stainless steel knives have solid pakkawood handles. The knife set fits securely in the included natural walnut wood block.
Cutluxe 15-Piece Knife Set, $150 at Amazon

This set of three bowls is made of Acacia wood and includes a large 12-inch, medium 10-inch, and small 8-inch bowl. The bowls are perfect for serving snacks and salads.
Woodenhouse 3-Piece Wooden Salad Bowl Set, $74 at Amazon

Bed and bath

Don’t waste time trying to find matching bedding pieces. This 7-piece bedding set includes a comforter, flat sheet, fitted sheet, two pillowcases, and two shams. Color choices are emerald green, beige, bright white, black, brown, ivory, bright orange, blush pink, dusty blue, grayish teal, dark oatmeal, and several other colors.
Litanika 7-Piece Bed in a Bag Comforter Set, $48/Sale $36 at Amazon

If your new apartment has hard floors, a large rug can add softness and texture. This rug, made of plush fibers with a 1.4-inch soft top, has a non-slip backing to keep it from sliding around. Size options range from 3 feet by 5 feet to 9 feet by 12 feet. Color choices are plentiful and include geometric light grey/white, geometric camel/white, tie-dyed dark grey, tie-dyed peacock blue, tie-dyed pink, solid dark blue, solid emerald green, and more.
Litanika 8 x 10 Geometric Shag Area Rug, $89/Sale $85 at Amazon

If you sleep under the covers in every season, this cool-to-the-touch comforter has a breathable fabric that’s designed for hot sleepers. The moisture-wicking comforter is not only temperature-regulating, but also odor-resistant. It’s also hypoallergenic and machine-washable.
Miracle Made Cool-to-the-Touch Comforter, $130 at Amazon

This 8-piece comforter set adds an elegant look to your bedroom. The luxurious textured jacquard material with a damask medallion design isn’t just pretty. It’s colorfast, wrinkle-resistant, durable, and can also be laundered in the washing machine. The 8-piece set includes a comforter, bedskirt, two standard shams, two euro shams, and two decorative pillows. Color choices are silver/gray, tan/ivory, aqua/gray, and navy/gray.
Madison Park Odette Comforter Set Jacquard Damask, $136 at Amazon

Absorbent, quick-drying towels are another essential for a first apartment. Made from 100% American-grown Supima cotton, this towel set is designed to be 45% stronger than the average cotton towel. The waffle weave is airy and breathable, so the towels dry quickly and stay fresh longer, compared to traditional terry towels. The set includes a bath sheet, face towel, and hand towel. Color choices are oatmeal, cinder grey, and denim blue.
ONSEN Supima 3-Piece Waffle Bath Sheet Set, $110 at Amazon

Another option is this 800 GSM (grams per square meter) thick and absorbent towel set that provides a spa-like feel. The 100% long-staple cotton towels have double-ply loops and double-stitched side hems. Available in a variety of colors, the set includes two bath towels, two hand towels, and four washcloths.
Madison Park 800GSM 8-Piece Towel Set, $53 at Amazon

Miscelleanous

A cordless stick vacuum can make cleaning so much easier. This one has a 40-minute runtime and can be used on both carpet and hard floors. It has powerful suction and a bristle brushroll to easily remove pet hair and other debris. The XL dust cup reduces the times you’ll need to stop and empty the vacuum cleaner, and the LED headlights on the front reveal debris on the floor that you might otherwise miss. The vacuum also transforms into a handheld model, and the crevice tool and pet multi tool attachments can vacuum upholstery, car seats, and more.
Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum, $127 at Amazon

This 3-speed turntable supports 45, 78, and 33 1/3 vinyl records. It streams wirelessly and has dual built-in speakers, and can also connect to Bluetooth speakers. Connectivity options include RCA output, AUX-in, and headphone jacks. The record player also has built-in volume control and an MDF case and a clear dust cover.
RadioShack Retro Turntable 4001797, $130 at Amazon

This 80W leather and metal speaker looks vintage, but is thoroughly modern. The rechargeable speaker is compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 for streaming. The plug-and-play speaker also lets you play MP3 files from a USB, and the AUX-in can provide a wired connection when desired. The microphone input is fun for karaoke, and there’s a remote control.
RadioShack Retro Bluetooth Speaker with Microphone Input, $144 at Amazon

Another speaker option is this stylish touch control speaker, which provides 360-degree sound. It has four full-range drivers, eight passive bass radiators, and a high-powered bass driver for rich, full sound. The speaker can connect via Bluetooth, instantly pair via NFC, or you can use the AUX input for a wired connection. The speaker has a 22-hour battery life. There are three EQ modes, and touch controls on the top make selections and adjustments easy.
TREBLAB HD-360 Pro Speaker, $128 at Amazon

Moving into a new apartment, you don’t know the noise level in your surroundings, and a pair of headphones can greatly reduce any unexpected sounds you might encounter. These lightweight headphones have memory foam cushions for all-day comfort and a 64-hour battery life. The built-in microphone also lets you speak and hear clearly on phone calls and during virtual meetings.
TREBLAB U5 Noise Cancelling Headphones, $90/Sale $67 at Amazon

For working or gaming, this wireless Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo is an inexpensive option for upgrading your desk space. The multi-device combo can switch between three different devices (laptop, tablet, PC), making it a good choice for students and WFH employees. Both the keyboard and mouse are ergonomic and quiet.
seenda Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard Mouse Combo, $34/ Sale $30 at Amazon

Keep your apartment safe and secure with this set of two wireless cameras. Each one has an ultra-wide 145-degree lens and provides sharp, 2K video – even at night. The 8X digital zoom lets you focus on details, and the 210-day battery means you rarely need to worry about recharging.
Baseus Security Camera N1 2-Cam Kit, $60 at Amazon

If you need more bathroom storage space, this bamboo storage cabinet has four open tiers, and the 5th tier has a door for hidden storage. The tall and slim cabinet doesn’t take up much space. Use it in other rooms to hold books and decorative items, or as a plant rack.
SONGMICS Bamboo Bathroom Storage Cabinet, $66 at Amazon

For cutting open all of those moving boxes – as well as opening ongoing deliveries – the electric cardboard cutter makes it easy to open boxes, and also break down and flatten them for compact storage or recycling. The industrial-grade cardboard cutter has a 40W electric motor and comes with a battery and charger. It can cut boxes up to 1/4 inch thick and is designed to reduce the risk of accidental cuts.
BoxBlayde Electric Cardboard Cutter, $100 at Amazon

When it gets hot, a tower fan can help to cool you off. This fan oscillates 90 degrees and reaches 27 feet, so it can reach you from across the room. There are 6 speeds, and 4 modes: normal, auto, natural, and sleep – and the sleep mode produces literally no noise. Maintenance is quick and easy: there’s a removable rear grill that snaps off and can be rinsed in the sink. The fan has touch controls, and also a remote control – along with a convenient, onboard remote-control holder.
Antarctic Star T36 Tower Fan, $70/Sale $60 at Amazon

Instead of a cumbersome iron and ironing board, this 3-in-1 handheld garment steamer lets you tend to yourself anywhere. It has three modes: steam, flat iron, and dry press, so it can handle all of your needs. The titanium-infused ceramic soleplates resist scratches and glide smoothly over clothes to remove wrinkles in cotton, linen, denim, and more. The plates press on both sides of clothes simultaneously to remove wrinkles faster, and the handle is ergonomic.
CHI SteamPress 3-in-1 Handheld Garment Steamer, $88 at Walmart

Clean your air with this smart air purifier, which can be controlled and adjusted via onboard controls, the app, or voice assistants. It can purify rooms up to 1050 sq ft in just 30 minutes, and 434 sq ft rooms in 12.5 minutes. The 5-stage filtration system includes a washable pre-filter, antibacterial filter, H13 True HEPA filter, activated carbon filter, and antimicrobial UVC-light. The air purifier has 4 fan speeds, a sleep mode, and it can capture up to 99.97% of dust and allergens.
Pure Enrichment PureZone Turbo Smart Air Purifier, $170 at Amazon

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The post Everything you need for your first apartment first appeared on 6sqft.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday released a comprehensive plan to address the city’s current housing crisis, detailing a goal to build 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade, the most ambitious target by a New York City mayor ever. The housing plan, dubbed “Block by Block,” says $22 billion in capital investments will fund new affordable housing for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 and help preserve another 200,000 existing homes. The report also details the expansion of tenant protections and homeownership opportunities, as well as the largest capital investment in NYCHA in recent history.

“Block by block, we will build once again,” Mamdani said on Tuesday. “We will prove that the belief we hold that every person deserves a dignified home is more than an ideal, it’s a responsibility that the government can, and will, fulfill.”

With the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s expanded budget, the city expects to build 8,000 affordable homes per year for the next two years. That’s a 35 percent increase in production compared to 2024 and 2025.

The city wants to ensure New Yorkers who earn the least have access to new housing. Of the 8,000 new homes financed by the city, 30 percent will be set aside for extremely low-income households, or those who earn less than 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), which is considered $45,810 for a family of three.

Another 20 percent will serve very low-income households, which covers New Yorkers earning between 31 percent and 50 percent of the AMI.

The city also wants to lower the rent for tenants considered extremely low-income. According to the plan, the way rent is calculated for those earning less than 30 percent of AMI and who receive a new home financed by HPD will change. The city will size their monthly rent at 25 percent of their monthly income. The new rent calculation, which will not apply to households with vouchers, will be for HPD-financed projects that close on financing as of June.

Mamdani plans to boost the number of housing units for seniors, increasing production to 1,000 new homes per year for FY27 and FY28. These projects would include a new pilot that builds senior homes alongside non-age-restricted homes, creating “multi-generational communities within a single housing development,” as the report details.

In addition to the new investments, the city will rely on rezonings to build more housing as well as new tools permitted under the city charter changes approved by voters last November. Last week, the mayor announced the first two neighborhood rezoning efforts would target White Plains Road in the Bronx and areas south of Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

The administration will also explore “micro” rezoning plans, instead of larger neighborhood-wide plans, that would target several blocks or other smaller areas where a larger plan is not possible.

Other notable parts of the plan include programs to expand affordable homeownership opportunities, including doubling the size of the Open Door program, and launching “Our Home,” which will convert rental buildings into create permanently affordable co-ops.

Mamdani also plans to support the city’s public housing system and its 500,000 residents by dedicating $5.6 billion over five years, the most for NYCHA in recent history, according to the mayor. The city will use the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, which partners with private developers, and the Public Housing Preservation Trust, a public entity that leases NYCHA buildings, to make much-needed upgrades at NYCHA developments.

The city plans to gut-renovate 25,000 apartments, starting with Nostrand Houses in Brooklyn and Bronx River Addition in the Bronx, with direct input from residents.

The city also wants to improve the lives of renters by making it easier for the city to identify and fix housing code issues. This year, HPD will launch “Fix the City,” a new program that will take enforcement actions on landlords who “speculate on buildings, persistently disregard repairs, and refuse to improve or change their business practices.” The program will start investigations into at least 10 housing portfolios with long-standing violations.

“Mayor Mamdani’s housing plan places renewed emphasis on the vital role of NYCHA in our city and the residents we serve,” Lisa Bova-Hiatt, NYCHA Chief Executive Officer, said.

“The administration’s plan, which represents one of the largest city investments in NYCHA in recent history, will directly support our shared commitment to strengthening resident engagement, improving service delivery, and accelerating long-needed repairs and improvements across our portfolio.”

James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), questioned the mayor’s potential reliance on Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), which are collective bargaining agreements that establish terms and conditions of employment for workers on city-financed projects.

“Mayor Mamdani has put forward a wide-ranging housing plan that we look forward to reviewing and assessing how its pieces come together to drive production and improve affordability,” James Whelan, president of REBNY, said.

“At a time when we need to build as much housing as possible, we question why the City would choose to make projects more expensive to build and finance through the addition of costly and inflexible Project Labor Agreements. New York won’t solve its housing supply crisis by undercutting its own laudable production goals.”

Read the full “Block by Block” report here.

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The post Mamdani releases blueprint to build 200,000 new affordable homes, target bad landlords first appeared on 6sqft.

Sixth Avenue’s protected bike lane will be widened along one of its most congested stretches as part of a series of street safety projects launched by the Mamdani administration ahead of the World Cup this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday that the corridor’s bike lane will expand from six to 10 feet between 14th Street and West 31st Street, removing one travel lane and allowing for safer passing and side-by-side biking, as first reported by Streetsblog. The project had previously been announced under former Mayor Eric Adams but was never implemented.

Sixth Avenue is designated as a Vision Zero corridor and ranks among the most dangerous in the five boroughs. According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), there were 29 traffic deaths and serious injuries between 13th and 35th Streets from 2019 to 2023.

The thoroughfare was the site of the city’s first on-street protected bike lane in 1980. Upon returning from a trip to China, then-Mayor Ed Koch directed the DOT to install a curb-protected lane in Midtown. The project was highly controversial at the time and was removed six months later.

In 2024, the DOT installed a double-wide protected bike lane on Sixth Avenue from Lispenard Street in Tribeca to West 13th Street in Greenwich Village, closing a major gap in the city’s bike network. The new project will extend the protected lane farther into Midtown.

Between 31st and 35th Streets, the project will maintain the existing five-foot protected bike lane and add nine feet of pedestrian space through a painted sidewalk extension. Similar redesigns have been shown to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 30 percent for all road users and by 31.7 percent for pedestrians.

The DOT intends to finish the project before the World Cup begins in June. The tournament, hosted at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, includes five group-stage matches 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. 

“What better way to welcome the World Cup than by making our streets safer and more accessible for everyone who uses them?” Mamdani said. “From Sixth Avenue in Manhattan to Broadway in Queens and the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, we’re redesigning our streets to better protect pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike.”

“Long after the sun sets on this summer of celebration, these improvements will continue serving New Yorkers every single day,” he added.

The initiative joins several other street safety projects launched by the Mamdani administration ahead of the World Cup. Last week, the city announced it would install a center-running eastbound bus lane along Broadway between 69th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, a busy corridor used by roughly 9,000 daily riders on the Q70-SBS, also known as the “LaGuardia Link.”

Other projects include the redesign of Ninth Avenue from West 34th to West 50th Streets in Hell’s Kitchen, and new bike and pedestrian entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan.

It also comes as bike ridership across New York City continues to grow. Daily bike trips over the East River bridges reached a record high of nearly 29,000 riders in 2025, almost 18 times the number recorded in 1980, when the city first began tracking bridge bike traffic.

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The post NYC to widen protected bike lane on Sixth Avenue before World Cup first appeared on 6sqft.

Work on an $11 million skatepark in Brooklyn’s Mount Prospect Park could begin next spring after New York City’s Public Design Commission and the local community board approved the project last month. Known as the Brooklyn Skate Garden, the project is one of four skateparks planned across the five boroughs through a partnership with legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk to bring public skating facilities to underserved communities. Originally planned at roughly 40,000 square feet, the park was scaled back to 19,500 square feet following opposition from some residents, according to BKReader.

With approval from the PDC and Brooklyn Community Board 8 last month, the project will now enter the procurement phase over the coming months. Brooklyn Skate Garden officials are optimistic that groundbreaking and construction will begin in spring 2027 and continue into 2028.

“This is a defining moment for the Brooklyn Skate Garden at Mount Prospect Park and the New York City skateboarding community,” Loren Michelle, executive director of Brooklyn Skate Garden and the Pablo Ramirez Foundation, told BKReader.

“I couldn’t be prouder that all wheeled riders will finally have a world-class Skate Garden to call home that is safe and environmentally responsible.”

Prospects for the skate garden first surfaced in 2019 with an online petition and a successful 2021 participatory budgeting campaign led by the Pablo Ramirez Foundation, an organization honoring professional skater Pablo Ramirez. Hawk’s nonprofit, The Skatepark Project, is working with the foundation to develop the Brooklyn Skate Garden.

Officially announced in 2024, the project aims to create a safe and welcoming space for skaters, neighbors, and visitors while enhancing the park, which is located at one of the highest points in the borough, with new trees, native landscaping, seating, walkable pathways, and gathering spaces.

Located between Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum, the skatepark will be designed for all wheeled sports, including BMX biking, rollerskating, and inline skating, as well as skateboarding.

The Parks Department says it will plant 19 new trees, along with additional shrubs and plantings, and implement a green infrastructure system to manage on-site drainage. The project will also include upgraded security lighting, pavement, and circulation pathways, as well as new drinking fountains and waste receptacles, BKReader reported.

According to NYC Parks, the skate garden will act as a “braid,” weaving together the park’s quiet, shady areas and more active, sunny sections. It will also introduce a “ribbon” of flowering trees through the center of the garden, building on existing plantings throughout the park.

While the project has backing from the Brooklyn skating community, some residents have opposed the plan due to concerns about its impact on the park and a lack of public input. F

Friends of Mount Prospect Park have argued that it would reduce green space and create a “heat island,” since much of the skatepark would be constructed from concrete.

As a result, the proposed park has been downsized by nearly half, from roughly 40,000 square feet to 19,500 square feet.

The Brooklyn Skate Garden will join several skateparks that have opened or are in the works in recent years. The three other skateparks included in The Skatepark Project are the Soundview Skatepark, which will replace a vacant asphalt roller rink in the Bronx’s Soundview Park, and redesigns of existing skateparks in the Bronx’s Allerton Park and Crown Heights’ Brower Park.

Since May 2023, the city has been gradually reopening and revitalizing the Brooklyn Banks skating and BMX hub beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Chinatown.

A popular destination for skaters in the 1980s, it closed in 2010. Last June, the city reopened an additional two acres of the site, including a refurbished “Big Banks.”

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The post Work on skate park in Mount Prospect Park could begin next spring first appeared on 6sqft.

An affordable housing project that would have taken seven months of review before being approved got the green light from the New York City Council this week after just 90 days. Thanks to the new Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP), a ballot measure approved by voters last November, 351 Powers Avenue in Mott Haven received the fastest land-use approval in decades. The project, which entered review in February, will transform a vacant city-owned lot into more than 80 apartments, a community theater, and public outdoor space, as 6sqft previously reported.

“With new tools like ELURP, we can deliver more affordable housing, more quickly across New York City. I’m thrilled to see this project receive approval just three months after entering ELURP, and grateful for Council Member Elsie Encarnacion and the City Council’s support,” Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg said.

“This is just a preview of the investment in affordable housing that we can deploy together across New York City in the years to come.”

For certain eligible projects, ELURP can speed up review by consolidating the local community board and the borough president’s review to two months, shortening the review by the City Planning Commission to one month, rather than 60 days, and eliminating the City Council review.

But, as 6sqft reported, because the Powers Avenue project involves the disposition of city-owned land, City Council approval was required. This new process involved a 60-day review by the community board and borough president and a 30-day review by the City Council.

Ahead of the review process, the project had gone through six months of community engagement and outreach starting in 2021. The city later released a community visioning report and released a request for proposals. In 2024, the city selected a team of developers to turn the parking lot into an 8-story housing development.

Powerhouse Apartments will include 84 homes for low-income New Yorkers, made up of 24 studios, 18 one-bedrooms, 31 two-bedrooms, and 11 three-bedroom units. There will be 30 units set aside for formerly homeless residents.

Designed by STAT Architecture, the project will incorporate sustainable elements, including high-efficiency heat pumps, light-colored materials, solar panels, green roofs, and plantings. Recessed, angled windows will be oriented away from the sun to reduce heat gain and maximize views of nearby Saint Mary’s Park.

The building will also include a workforce development center with programming for young adults, along with more than 6,400 square feet of outdoor green space.

In a statement, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the new procedure reflects the administration’s continued efforts to confront the city’s housing crisis.

“Our administration is treating the housing crisis with the urgency New Yorkers deserve,” Mamdani said. “By using the city’s first-ever Expedited Land Use Review Procedure, we cut months off the pre-development process to deliver desperately needed affordable housing in Mott Haven faster.”

“And this is only the beginning. We will continue bringing every part of city government together to confront the housing crisis head-on,” he added.

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The post Mott Haven affordable development approved after just 90 days, thanks to new expedited review first appeared on 6sqft.

Listed as the “largest two-bed in Manhattan,” this 7,000-square-foot loft condo at 345 West 13th Street in the historic Astor House is big enough to get lost in. Asking $25,750,000, the home offers the strictly 21st-century perk of a dedicated wellness wing with a private spa suite fitted out with a steam room, dry sauna, Jacuzzi, reflexology path, plus a 1,000-square-foot pro-grade gym and a soundproofed recording studio.

Wellness optimization continues throughout the home with a Crestron automation system, circadian lighting, advanced air and water purification, and posture-optimized flooring. The layout is in keeping with classic loft style, with a huge great room flanked by two private bedroom wings.

This highly calibrated lifestyle infrastructure is framed by a classic loft conversion that was built in 1890 for John Jacob Astor’s estate; it originally held the Mines Press printing company. Traces of its industrial heritage remain in the form of 12-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls, original cast iron columns, and hefty timber beams.

A sprawling great room functions as the home’s living, dining, and kitchen spaces. The living space is framed by 10-foot ceilings and 35 double-height windows. A stylish kitchen features custom cabinetry and integrated appliances; a hefty stone-topped dining island anchors the space.

The dining area is big enough for the whole crew. If you’ve misplaced your mobile, you can call it from the working 1953 phone booth rather than have to search all 7,000 square feet of living space.

Bedrooms are located in separate wings for optimal privacy. Each has its own luxurious bath and a customized dressing room.

The aforementioned wellness wing covers both physical health and creative satisfaction. A fully-stocked gym and a steam room, sauna, and Jacuzzi keep the body in tune, while a fully soundproofed recording studio/library nourishes the soul.

The building’s classic industrial façade was once part of the Astor Estate. The loft’s massive arched entry doors were custom-made for the apartment; the bell was installed in the 1970s to call the residents’ dog at dinnertime.

Additional amenities include a 24-hour doorman and a rooftop terrace. Located at the border of the West Village and the Meatpacking District, the surrounding neighborhood is among the city’s most coveted for cultural vibrancy and transit access.

[Listing details: 345 West 13th Street #2E at CityRealty]

[At SERHANT. by Peter Ocean]

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The post 7,000-square-foot ‘wellness loft’ in the West Village asks $25.8M, working phone booth included first appeared on 6sqft.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced that his administration had secured 1,000 World Cup tickets, which will be made available to New Yorkers for $50 through a lottery system. As first reported by The Athletic, 150 tickets will be distributed for each of the five group stage matches and two knockout round matches at MetLife. The $50 ticket includes free round-trip bus fare to the stadium. The lottery opens May 25 at 10 a.m. and closes May 30 at 5 p.m., with up to 50,000 entries accepted daily. Winners will be able to purchase up to two tickets each.

“A World Cup is coming to our backyard, and we want to ensure working-class New Yorkers have the opportunity to be part of it,” Mamdani said.

“We sat down with the Host Committee to make certain this tournament belongs to the people who make this city what it is. Today, 1,000 New Yorkers are going to get into those stands for fifty dollars and a free bus ride. I’m proud that New York City is leading the way.”

The tickets will be the cheapest offered for the entire tournament and the only affordable ticket program negotiated by a host city for this year’s competition. They will be located in the upper bowl of the 82,000-capacity stadium. Fans will not be required to provide income information, only proof that they live in the five boroughs.

Tickets will be valid for five group-stage matches on June 13, 16, 22, 25, and 27, as well as a Round of 32 match on June 30 and a Round of 16 match on July 5.

Mamdani, a lifelong soccer fan, has been a critic of the high ticket prices for the tournament. As reported by Front Office Sports, FIFA has listed tickets for the July 19 final on its official platform as high as $32,970.

On the campaign trail in September, he said FIFA was prioritizing revenue over accessibility, adding that the costs have a “real impact on the potential for the atmosphere of the World Cup,” according to The Guardian.

The initiative is being framed as a collaboration between the Mayor’s Office and the New York/New Jersey World Cup host committee, led by CEO Alex Lasry, rather than FIFA.

“This program exists because the Mayor was determined to make sure working New Yorkers would be in the stands when the World Cup comes home to New York,” NYC World Cup Czar Maya Handa said.

“A kid in the Bronx, a security guard in Queens, a restaurant worker in Brooklyn or Staten Island—they are going to walk into the stadium this summer because their city fought for them to be there.”

FIFA has responded to criticism over ticket prices by releasing a limited batch of $60 tickets, accounting for roughly 1.6 percent of total tickets for sale. The federation had originally set $60 as the lowest price for World Cup tickets, but dynamic pricing has since driven costs significantly higher.

The cost of attending World Cup matches has not been the only financial concern tied to the tournament. When it released its final transportation plan, NJ Transit initially priced round-trip train fares to MetLife Stadium at $150. After the backlash, the agency reduced the fare to $105, and later to $98.

NYC has also reduced costs for round-trip bus tickets to the tournament. Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that, with financial support from the state and other sponsors, round-trip fares will cost $20, down from the previously announced $80.

The lottery opens at www.regnyctix.com on Monday, May 25, at 10 a.m. and closes Saturday, May 30, at midnight. New Yorkers ages 15 and older can enter once per day for a chance to purchase tickets. To prevent scalping, tickets will be nontransferable and distributed directly to winners at the official boarding location on each matchday.

Randomly selected winners will be notified by email on June 3. Winners will have 48 hours to purchase tickets.

“Mayor Mamdani has been unwavering in his commitment to making sure New Yorkers could be part of this historic moment in a real and meaningful way,” Alex Lasry, CEO of the FIFA World Cup 2026 NY/NJ Host Committee, said.

“From the beginning, we pushed for a program that prioritized affordability and access for New Yorkers and worked closely together to help make that possible,” he added. “The World Cup will bring the eyes of the world to our region, and it was important to all of us that the people who define NYC could experience it firsthand.”

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Two decades ago, Scott Sicari was approached to design a reunion set for a show called “Manhattan Moms.” “We set up in the Russian Tea Room with some guy that nobody knew named Andy Cohen,” he said. The show, rebranded as “The Real Housewives of New York City,” would become a cornerstone of the Bravo reality TV phenomenon. Sicari has stayed for the ride. “It’s been a nice, really unexpected, beautiful twist in my career,” he said.

Sicari has been a TV host and a production designer for 30 years, previously at MTV and VH1, working on music videos and commercials. Today, he works with Bravo production companies, including Truly Original, which produces “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” “The Real Housewives of Dubai,” and “Summer House,” among others.

The company also produced the New York City-based “Summer House” spinoff “In the City,” which premiered this week after the “Summer House” season finale.

While some reunion sets have been over-the-top — bringing in sand for “The Real Housewives of Dubai” and koi fish for “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” — the “Summer House” sets are quite predictable as it was established early on that they would all take place in a recreation of the show’s Hampton’s house backyard with variations each season, usually themed to the cast parties (“Snoozefest” comes to mind). This year, however, the reunion was not a party.

All eyes will be on the “Summer House” season 10 reunion when it airs on May 26 — part one is even scheduled to be shown on the big screen at AMC in Flatiron. For those not in the know, in March, cast members Amanda Batula and West Wilson confirmed rumors that the two have been secretly romantically involved, prompting swift backlash as Wilson and castmate and close friend of Batula’s, Ciara Miller, have had a will-they-won’t-they relationship.

Batula recently split from husband and castmate Kyle Cooke, the news of which broke shortly before the season premiered. Leading up to the highly anticipated reunion, there were even audio leaks, revealing the tension in the room. Even Sicari, who typically does not stay for the duration of the reunion tapings (which can last upwards of 12 hours and result in three-episode reunions), stayed for this one.

“The energy leading up was incredibly stressful for all of us and for the cast to anticipate it for three weeks since the bomb dropped,” Lauren Eskelin, “Summer House” executive producer and EVP of Programming at Truly Original, said.

“But I think [the cast was] looking forward to getting it behind them … For the cast, this is a real-life tight group of friends, and they had to address really, really hard things. We have a lot of compassion for everyone in that situation. It’s not easy for them.”

As such, the set is not as campy and fun as it has been in the past.

“We knew this was not going to be a kitschy, silly, funny setting for some pretty heavy stuff that our cast was dealing with, so the set needed to reflect that and not distract from it,” Eskelin said.

“We kept it classy,” Sicari added.

The trailer, which dropped this week, shows white hydrangeas as a backdrop for intense discussion. The cast’s outfits give another glimpse into the vibe for the reunion. Miller’s outfit was the first to be revealed, with many dubbing it her “revenge” dress a la Ariana Madix from “Vanderpump Rules.”

Miller, a model/nurse and TV host, donned a white midriff-bearing gown for the event. Batula is in a yellow two-piece, Lindsay Hubbard is in bright red, and light-colored suits were the fashion choice du jour for the men.

The dress code for the “Summer House” cast is always “summer chic,” said Eskelin.

While Bravo stars choose their own outfits and styling for reunions, some dress code and guidance were implemented early on to create a vibe and a level of cohesion.

“It’s taken on a life of its own,” said Sicari, referring to some of the “theatrics” of the fashion at reunion sets. “In the beginning, it was jeans and sweaters, and they did their own makeup, and now it’s glam teams. It’s really an intense part of the reunion, the fashion.”

Early on, he said, conversations about color schemes (including the color of the couch and how it will match the outfits) happen.

It’s not just fashion that’s evolved. What started as a few couches in a room has become a full-scale production beginning months in advance, even before the season airs. The concept for the set design of reunions usually comes from a cast trip or a big moment in the season.

The latest “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” reunion, for example, recreated a Greek island. Sicari might create a mood board or even renderings for approval before sourcing and building begins.

“I have a set shop in New Jersey where we build everything, and we store things we can repurpose to keep our footprint as nice as possible. I do all the sourcing personally,” he said. It usually takes about two weeks to build the set on a soundstage in New York City.

“When the cast walks out, they don’t know what the design is going to be,” said Eskelin. “And even in ‘Summer House,’ where they pretty much know they’re going to be in their backyard, when they see it and they react to it and they notice all the details on the set, it just sets the stage for the whole day.”

Having done about 120 reunion sets, Sicari said the best part is when Cohen walks out and says, “‘Scott, this is amazing’ after seeing a million of them.”

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Penn Station’s overhaul took a big step forward on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Transportation and Amtrak announced the selection of Penn Transformation Partners, a team led by Halmar International and Skanska, as the master developer of the project following a bidding process. The developer will build a “brand-new world-class station,” according to an announcement on Wednesday, with open concourses and expanded track capacity, while keeping Madison Square Garden in its current location. The news comes a day after Transportation Secretary Duffy announced the federal government would spend $8 billion to rebuild Penn Station.

Few details were in the announcement put out on Wednesday, but a press release said the redesign from Penn Transformation Partners will include a grand entrance on Eighth Avenue, “open, beautiful concourses” replacing the current cramped walkways, and passenger experience improvements, like new retail and better wayfinding.

The design will also expand track capacity, including possibly through-running on the regional rail network to increase efficiency.

The new design will take inspiration from the original Penn Station, a Beaux-Arts building designed by McKim, Mead & White in 1910 and demolished in the 1960s.

“The new design takes inspiration from this lost architectural gem while fitting with the major structures there currently, particularly Madison Square Garden and Moynihan Train Hall,” the press release states.

“In selecting Penn Transformation Partners (Halmar) and their innovative plan, we are one step closer to delivering a world-class travel hub that daily commuters and travelers have dreamed of for decades,” Duffy said. “Under President Trump’s historic leadership, the days of Penn Station’s cramped hallways, broken infrastructure, and snarled rail lines are numbered. 2027 can’t come soon enough.”

Halmar International is the construction arm of ASTM Group, which released a proposal to rebuild Penn in 2023. In that design from the architects at Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) and HOK, two main train halls would be accessible by a new entrance on Eighth Avenue. The new entrance, which replaces the existing Hulu Theater, would have soaring 55-foot-high ceilings and a glass-wrapped mid-block hall with large windows and skylights.

The design also called for keeping MSG in place and wrapping it in a massive stone facade reminiscent of the McKim, Mead & White-designed Moynihan Train Hall across the street on Eighth Avenue, as 6sqft previously reported.

The project team includes Skaska, HNTB New York Engineering, Vornado, Severud Associates, and Langan.

The exact cost has not been announced, but Duffy told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand during a Senate hearing on Tuesday that the government is “going to give $8 billion to rebuild Penn Station.” Duffy said the Federal Railroad Administrator (FRA) will also provide $200 million in additional funding for the project through the Partnership-Northeast Corridor Program.

“FRA is investing $200 million to support critical design and permitting work on the New York Penn Transformation. The new station will be an architectural icon that fuels further development in the Nation’s financial capital while accommodating more passengers during critical rush periods,” FRA Administrator David Fink said.

The funding allows work to begin before the end of 2027, according to Amtrak and U.S. DOT.

Hochul, who pitched President Trump on funding the project last year, said she plans to “thoroughly review” the proposal.

“To be successful, this project must accomplish two things: dramatically improve the experience for every rider who passes through Penn Station, from the A train to the Acela, while protecting the record performance of the LIRR and ensuring the costs are not borne by New York commuters or taxpayers,” Hochul said in a statement. “I will accept nothing less.”

Last year, the federal government ousted the MTA from the project and gave it to Amtrak to take over. The agency had come up with its own plan to replace Penn Station with a single-level facility, but progress was delayed for years.

Another plan that was not chosen, “Grand Penn,” called for recreating the original station and relocating MSG across the street.

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• Trump administration says it will take over Penn Station reconstruction project from MTA
• Private firm unveils Penn Station redesign plan, claims it’s $1B cheaper than MTA’s

The post Penn Station redesign moves forward with selection of master developer first appeared on 6sqft.

Known as Brook House, this five-acre estate at 16 South Mountain Road is an important part of local creative history. Located within the South Mountain Road artist community, the charming country property anchored by an 1880 main house is the former home of legendary composer Kurt Weill, known for penning the popular song “Mack the Knife,” as part of The Threepenny Opera. Previously, the property was owned by Rollo Peters, a major force in American theater stage production. Asking $2,295,000, the property remains a refuge of 19th-century architecture and 20th-century creativity.

Kurt Weill and singer Lotte Lenya lived here for over 30 years. The home’s current owners have undertaken a full restoration to bring 21st-century structural integrity and comfort to mid-19th-century charm.

Working with interior designer Gail Jacobs, who designed the interiors at Leonard Bernstein’s apartment at the Dakota in NYC, the owners built a collection of bespoke items that can be purchased separately, including antique Holophane-style lighting fixtures that can be found throughout.

“Brook House offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own a residence where architecture, landscape and cultural history converge in one of the Northeast’s most quietly legendary artist communities,” listing agent Richard Ellis of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty said.

“The result is a rare blend of historic authenticity, wonderful provenance, artistic legacy and refined country design.”

The main three-bedroom house has hand-hewn beams and walls made from old stones from the property and four fireplaces. In the living room, tall ceilings and wide-plank white oak floors frame the room, and French doors open onto the garden. Bedrooms and baths retain their old-world charm without sacrificing comfort.

Outbuildings offer space for guests, a creative studio, or rental income. A large garage is currently in use as a workshop. There’s an old brick potting shed, a large garden shed, and a chicken coop.

The guest house has a cozy living room, a full kitchen, two bedrooms, and a lower-level den. The living room features a working fireplace, and the house has been updated for modern living.

The five-acre parcel is a private arboretum of flowering gardens, ancient stone walls, and rolling fields. Highlights include an artisan well and an arch-supported stone bridge across the west branch of the Hackensack River.

The property is surrounded by eight acres of West Branch Conservation Land Trust, which borders the 91-acre Davenport Preserve, ensuring permanent privacy.

The South Mountain Road artist community reflects the legacy of neighbors like playwright Maxwell Anderson, sculptor John Mowbray-Clark and painter Arthur B Davies, Burgess Meredith, Adolf Zucker, John Huston, Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, and more.

High Tor State Park, with hiking trails and panoramic New York City views, is nearby, as is the 18-hole Paramount Country Club golf course.

[Listing details: 116 South Mountain Road by Richard Ellis of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty]

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The post Kurt Weill’s former New York country estate with a creative pedigree asks $2.3M first appeared on 6sqft.

After nearly 80 years hidden from the public, a “secret” dining room at Katz’s Deli has reopened following a restoration. The Ludlow Room, a 68-seat space that once served generations of New Yorkers, opened Tuesday after being closed in 1949 and converted into a giant walk-in refrigerator amid postwar demand for deli meats. Restored to reflect its original appearance, the Ludlow Room features original tin ceilings and period-inspired lighting, as well as the same freight scale used to measure every pound of meat served at Katz’s for eight decades.

Katz’s was first established in 1888 at 207 East Houston Street, across from its current location on Ludlow Street. During the 1920s, construction of the IRT subway line, now the F train, prompted the deli to relocate to 205 East Houston Street.

For more than three decades, patrons gathered in the Ludlow Room, enjoying Katz’s famed pastrami and corned beef sandwiches through the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II. However, it later disappeared from public view and instead became an integral part of the deli’s operations.

“We’ve always said Katz’s is more than a deli, it’s a living piece of New York history,” Jake Dell, owner of Katz’s, said. “Reopening this room feels like uncovering a forgotten chapter of our own story.”

“For decades, this space helped support the demand that made Katz’s what it is today, but very few people ever got to see it,” he added. “Bringing it back to life is a way of honoring the generations before us while creating something new for the generations still to come.”

The space will offer additional seating during regular hours and also be available for private events.

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The post Katz’s Deli reopens ‘secret’ dining room closed to public for nearly 80 years first appeared on 6sqft.

The first rezoning proposal under Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration will target Brooklyn neighborhoods south of Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery. As first reported by Gothamist, the Department of City Planning on Wednesday kicked off the community planning process for updating zoning rules on commercial stretches of Coney Island Avenue and McDonald Avenue in Kensington and surrounding areas, to allow new housing to be built.

The neighborhood plan, dubbed “South of Prospect,” will target McDonald Avenue, roughly from Fort Hamilton Parkway to Avenue I and Coney Island Avenue, from Caton Avenue to Avenue I. These corridors currently have “outdated single-use zoning” that has limited new housing.

“Growing up in Kensington as the daughter of immigrants, I saw how neighborhoods like ours are built and sustained by working families, small businesses, and neighbors who look out for one another,” Council Member Shahana Hanif said in a statement.

“I also saw how rising costs and decades of disinvestment have made it harder for longtime residents to stay in the communities they helped build. I’m grateful to Mayor Mamdani and the DCP for advancing a neighborhood study spanning Kensington that centers community input and engagement from the very beginning.”

In a post on X, NYC Planning said the agency will work “with community members to update restrictive zoning that limits housing and drives up rent.” The plan will include income-restricted housing and neighborhood investments, according to the city.

NYC Planning Director Sideya Sherman told Gothamist the neighborhood plan will take into consideration the Interborough Express (IBX), a 14-mile light rail that will connect Brooklyn and Queens. The project, which entered environmental review last year, connects Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights, with stops in south Brooklyn neighborhoods like Borough Park, Kensington, and Midwood.

“There’s an opportunity to create potentially thousands of housing units for our city,” Sherman told Gothamist. “South of Prospect Park is a neighborhood that is transit-rich, and also potentially will intersect with the IBX, which is exciting.”

Residents can provide feedback and priorities for the South of Prospect plan at this online survey.

The city on Wednesday also announced plans to advance the White Plains Road rezoning in the north Bronx, which began last year under former Mayor Eric Adams. The plan focuses on White Plains Road from Adee Avenue to the border of the Bronx and Mount Vernon, which is an area with a range of transit options, including the 2 and 5 trains, Metro-North, and several buses.

“We know that White Plains Road needs more investment, but how we get there makes all the difference,” Council Member Eric Dinowitz said. “This community-driven process must deliver truly affordable housing, protect the small businesses that are on this corridor, and ensure that longtime residents benefit from future development. I will be focused on making sure this plan gets that balance right.”

A public “walkshop” will be held in June for residents to provide feedback on the White Plains Road neighborhood plan. A zoning concept map will be released later this year.

“New Yorkers are being pushed out of the neighborhoods they built because our city has spent decades refusing to build enough housing where people actually want and need to live,” said Mayor Mamdani.

“These plans are about changing that. Along major transit corridors in the Bronx and Brooklyn, we have an opportunity to build more homes, create permanently affordable housing, support small businesses and invest in public spaces and infrastructure that communities deserve. And we are going to do it with New Yorkers leading the process every step of the way.”

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The post NYC looks to rezone neighborhoods south of Prospect Park for new housing first appeared on 6sqft.

New York City ferry service is receiving a major boost this summer, just in time for the FIFA World Cup. The summer schedule for NYC Ferry will offer the most extensive service in the system’s history ahead of an expected influx of visitors for the soccer tournament at MetLife Stadium, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s Economic Development Corporation announced on Tuesday. Running now through September 13, the extra service includes additional route connections, expanded weekend service, and the return of the Rockaway Rocket and Rockaway Reserve ticket programs. The city also unveiled five wrapped vessels featuring World Cup-inspired branding that highlights each borough.

“The world is coming to NYC—and NYC is ready,” Mamdani said. “We are investing in the infrastructure that keeps this city moving: new bus lanes, safer streets, greener public spaces and now the most ferry service in City history.”

“Whether you’re headed to a World Cup match a neighborhood block party, or one of our world-class public beaches, NYC Ferry will get you there quickly, safely and in style all summer long,” he added.

Riders can expect more weekend trips, reducing wait and travel times, along with larger vessels on high-demand routes during peak periods to accommodate additional passengers. The schedule also expands high-frequency beach service alongside the existing Rockaway-Soundview route.

There are also new seasonal summer routes that improve access to some of the city’s top destinations, including direct, high-capacity service to Governors Island from Pier 11, with free transfers available from other routes. Extended weekend local service on the South Brooklyn route from Bay Ridge and Brooklyn Army Terminal will also improve access to Red Hook and points farther north.

The system’s popular Rockaway Reserve and Rockaway Rocket services also return this year, allowing riders to book seats in advance to the beach, building on the NYCEDC’s expansion of the program last May. Starting May 23, riders departing from Pier 11 can book Rockaway Reserve tickets for select weekend and holiday outings.

Rockaway Rocket will return in early July and run through Labor Day, offering express, all-reserved service for beachgoers traveling from Long Island City and Greenpoint directly to the Rockaways. Tickets for both services will cost $12 per rider.

Additionally, five new NYC Ferry vessels are now in service, wrapped in custom World Cup branding that celebrates the diversity of the five boroughs. The vessels will travel throughout New York Harbor and remain in service through the end of the summer.

The expansion of summer ferry service comes as seasonal ridership continues to grow across the system. Just this past weekend, the East River route recorded its two highest-ridership days ever, surpassing 40,000 boardings, driven by improved operations and increased capacity.

The surge builds on a record-breaking summer last year, when the system set new daily, weekly, and monthly ridership highs, with August marking the highest single-month total in its history.

In 2025, Rockaway Reserve sold 30,000 tickets, generating more than $360,000 in revenue, while Rockaway Rocket sold over 17,000 tickets and brought in more than $200,000. Average daily Rockaway Rocket sales rose 19 percent in 2024.

The service enhancements complement the 2025 NYC Ferry Optimization Plan, the first comprehensive redesign of the 70-nautical-mile network since its 2017 launch.

The ferry service also builds on the Mamdani administration’s broader efforts to prepare the five boroughs for the World Cup. Other projects include new dedicated cyclist and pedestrian entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan, as well as a new center-running eastbound bus lane for the Q70-SBS route to and from LaGuardia Airport.

“The World Cup coming to New York City this summer marks one of the most exciting moments in our city’s history, and I am very glad to see the World Cup being promoted on these brand new vessels,” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said.

“With expanded weekend service on the South Brooklyn route, more Brooklynites will be able to enjoy the ferry to get to World Cup viewings across the borough,” he added.

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The post NYC Ferry boosts service this summer ahead of the FIFA World Cup first appeared on 6sqft.

6sqft featured this five-story beauty at 60 Montgomery Place in 2019, when it was asking just under $6 million. Designed in the late 1800s by notable architect C. P. H. Gilbert, the 5,000-square-foot Prospect Park-adjacent home is a dramatic example of the neighborhood’s finest architecture. With a new top-to-toe renovation behind its historic limestone facade with a dramatic three-story turret, the single-family home is back on the market for $13.5 million. In addition to five floors of living space, the 22-foot-wide townhouse has two fully landscaped outdoor spaces, including a roof terrace with Manhattan views.

Throughout the home, modern enhancements like triple-pane windows, central AC, radiant heat floors, and a home theater complement carefully-sourced materials like stone and marble. A private, street-level entry door opens into the garden floor, introducing a recreation space with a guest room and access to the home’s rear garden.

Highlights include radiant heated floors, soapstone accents, and custom cabinets. On this floor you’ll also find the aforementioned home theater with a BenQ projector and integrated ceiling speakers, a bathroom, and a laundry room with Samsung washer and dryer units.

Reach the parlor level via an elegant floating staircase. This floor is a showcase of opulent details like original paneling in the dining room, enhanced by an Art Deco-inspired wet bar and a custom Form LA marble dining table beneath a dramatic Lindsey Adelman light fixture.

A stunning kitchen is outfitted for creating, gathering, and entertaining with Maya Quartzite countertops, Wolf ovens, a convection oven, a microwave, Miele dishwashers, and a Sub-Zero refrigerator with freezer drawers. Tall patio doors open onto the parlor deck overlooking the garden below.

On the third floor is an intimate library/music room and two bedrooms, each with an ensuite bath. There’s a second washer and dryer here for extra convenience.

The fourth floor is anchored by a sunny central den, served by a powder room. The two bedrooms on this level have ensuite baths.

The top floor introduces the home’s primary suite. This full-floor refuge has radiant floor heat, generous custom closets finished, and a spa-inspired bath. A dedicated office is ready for a short commute, and there’s a private landscaped terrace on this floor.

Atop the townhouse is a landscaped roof deck with planting beds and natural grass accents. From here, enjoy panoramic Prospect Park and Manhattan skyline views. This rooftop aerie is served by a kitchenette/coffee station with a wine refrigerator and dishwasher on the floor below, making it perfect for entertaining.

On a picture-perfect parkside block, the townhouse has Prospect Park as a backyard. Just steps away, you’ll find all of the convenience of Brooklyn living, including Grand Army Plaza, the Brooklyn Public Library, the Greenmarket, and nearly all forms of transportation.

[Listing details: 60 Montgomery Place by Nadia Bartolucci and Brandon Moore of Douglas Elliman]

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The post After a thorough renovation, this peerless Park Slope mansion asks $13.5M first appeared on 6sqft.

More than seven years after it was first commissioned, a monument honoring Billie Holiday in New York City is moving forward. The city’s Department of Cultural Affairs on Tuesday unveiled proposals from six artists for a new permanent artwork celebrating the jazz legend that will be installed at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens. The monument is part of a long-delayed effort to increase the representation of influential women in public spaces across the five boroughs. The public can review the proposals and submit feedback through the end of May. An artist will be chosen this summer.

While she was born in Philadelphia, Billie Holiday moved to Harlem with her mother and began singing in nightclubs as a teenager, as 6sqft previously reported.

She rose to fame in the 1930s, transforming American music through her distinctive voice and emotional depth. Her song “Strange Fruit” remains one of the most powerful works of political expression in American music and was named “song of the century” by Time magazine.

Holiday also broke racial barriers, becoming the first Black woman to perform with integrated white bands. Her honors include several Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She later lived and performed in Queens, and the monument aims to honor her connection to the borough.

“Of all the music titans who have called Queens home, few stand taller or shine brighter than Billie Holiday. More than 65 years after her passing, her unmistakable voice and dynamic legacy continue to inspire performers across borough, city, state, nation, and world,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said.

“It’s only right that she be forever honored at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, a venue she would have undoubtedly loved. Thank you to the incredible artists who have put forth stunning proposals honoring Billie’s memory, and I encourage all our neighbors to make their thoughts known through the end of the month.”

The monument was originally part of the She Built NYC campaign, which first launched in June 2018 with the goal of ensuring half of the city’s statues honor women. At the time, just five of the city’s 150 statues depicted women. The first wave included statues for Billie Holiday, Shirley Chisholm, Elizabeth Jennings Graham, Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías, and Katherine Walker.

Stalled during the pandemic, the initiative remained inactive until March 2024, when former Mayor Eric Adams revived the effort. The artworks are commissioned through the DCLA’s Percent for Art program, with a panel convening in late 2025 to invite six artists to develop proposals.

Since then, the artists have participated in orientation sessions, site visits, and discussions with Billie Holiday experts and family members, alongside ongoing guidance from DCLA staff as they refined their concepts.

The final design will be selected by a Percent for Art panel made up of representatives from city agencies, local leaders, community members, public art professionals, and stakeholders committed to preserving Holiday’s legacy. The decision is set to be announced this summer.

See the proposals for the Billie Holiday monument below:

La Vaughn Belle: “Billie Holiday: Still, at the Crossing” (working title)

La Vaughn Belle, one of the finalists, has proposed “Billie Holiday: Still, at the Crossing,” which presents the singer in a moment of “self-possession.” Emerging from the ground at the edge of a reflective pool, the sculpture depicts Holiday at the intersection of her public and private life, shifting focus to a “pre-stage” moment, with the singer elegantly dressed for a public appearance but wrapped in a private garment.

Nikesha Breeze: “Lady Sings the Truth: A Monument to Billie Holiday” (working title)

Nekisha Breeze has proposed “Lady Sings the Truth: A Monument to Billie Holiday.” Carved in Nero Marquina marble, the monument honors Holiday’s voice, elegance, song style, advocacy for racial justice, and ties to Queens. The use of black marble reflects her legacy and symbolic power.

The sculpture depicts her standing mid-song, with a gown cascading into an integrated seat that functions as a stone amphitheater and resonance chamber. White marble gardenias sit in her hair and float in a reflecting pool below. The work is engraved with the phrase “Sing the Truth.”

Nekisha Durrett: “Bending the Note” (working title)

Nekisha Durrett has proposed “Bending the Note,” which reimagines Holiday as a white marble gardenia petal rising from a thin stem. Its gentle bend reveals a gold underside that refracts light. Beneath, a circular granite plinth transforms her life into “concentric revolutions of memory, sound, and story,” etched in gold and silver and developed in collaboration with her family to “set the record straight.”

Tanda Francis: “Blood at the Root” (working title)

“Blood at the Root” by Tanda Francis honors Holiday’s role as a “spiritual godmother” to those who suffered as she did. Gardenia petals spiral outward from her crown above a healing pond, whose water is intended to “cleanse” and “bear witness.” Blood-red tiles at its base honor the pain she experienced. Community members will inscribe personal tribulations and triumphs onto the petals through workshops.

Thomas J. Price: “Held Within” (working title)

Thomas J. Price has created “Held Within,” which looks past Holiday’s immense fame and depicts her as wholly unguarded and entirely herself. The sculpture is inspired by a private photograph of Holiday pressing her face into a small dog she loved. Two simplified bronze forms mirror that gesture, stripped of likeness, costume, and era. The smaller form is intentionally ambiguous and can be read as a dog, a child, or a beloved person.

Tavares Strachan: “The Very Thought of You” (working title)

“The Very Thought of You” by Tavares Strachan is a stone sculpture inspired by Billie Holiday, named after one of her famed recordings. Based on a historic photographic profile, the proposal transforms her silhouette into an “infinite, vessel-like form,” where mirrored profiles fan outward across a central void. The sculpture is intended as a container for “sound, memory, and presence.”

“For much of her life, Billie Holiday considered NYC her creative home. It’s appropriate the city is now honoring her with a monument that will symbolize her enduring contribution not only to the city but to American culture,” Paul Alexander, author of “Bitter Crop: The Heartache and Triumph of Billie Holiday’s Last Year,” said.

Members of the public are invited to review the final proposals and submit feedback through an online form. Responses from the survey will be shared with the Percent for Art selection panel to help inform the final decision.

An exhibition of the proposal renderings will be on view in the lobby of the Jamaica Performing Arts Center for the rest of the month. The display will be open May 22 to 25 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., May 27 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., May 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and May 31 from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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The post NYC reveals design proposals for Billie Holiday monument in Queens first appeared on 6sqft.

Here’s an exclusive look at the first new condo development built on the Long Island City waterfront in more than a decade. Developed by ZD Jasper and designed by Archimaera, the 23-story Paragon at 45-40 Vernon Boulevard incorporates the historic Paragon Paint Factory into the tower’s base. Residences will range from studios to four-bedrooms and feature interiors by March and White Design (MAWD), with ceiling heights of up to 10 feet and floor-to-ceiling windows offering up views of the Manhattan skyline and East River. Adjacent to Anable Basin, the project also includes a large public open space with a waterfront park and walkway connecting the neighborhood to the East River.

Located next to Anable Basin, the tower’s design draws on the neighborhood’s industrial past, with its name inspired by the Paragon Paint Factory, which has been integrated into its base. The factory, which was built in the 1930s, sat abandoned after the owner died in 2004.

The tower’s design also references the area’s new glass residential towers through a staggered box motif with copper-toned projecting frames.

“The property’s outsized potential was clear from the start,” Jasper Wu, vice president of ZD Jasper, said.

“We’ve painstakingly designed an exceptional residential experience with our talented partners in one of NYC’s most dramatically-evolved, central neighborhoods, and we’re thrilled to finally unveil this outstanding condominium.”

For the building’s 186 residences, MAWD took a careful approach to interior design, ensuring that light, proportion, and circulation are resolved at both the building and unit levels.

Materials are consistent throughout, with soaring ceiling heights, five-foot-wide oak plank flooring, and triple-paned windows with high-quality sound and thermal insulation.

Kitchens boast natural marble stone with full-height backsplashes, with Estremoz Calcatta stone and integrated Bosch appliances in standard residences, and Breccia Capraia marble and Gaggenau appliances in penthouses.

Primary bathrooms include porcelain slab tile, custom mirrored medicine cabinets, and GESSI fixtures, with most residences also featuring TOTO Neorest automatic toilets.

The property offers a range of amenities, including a pickleball court, fitness center, golf simulator, and karaoke room. Residents also have access to a landscaped roof terrace with grills and a sky lounge with indoor and outdoor seating, all set beneath a solar canopy.

Other conveniences include a 24-hour attended lobby, LATCH keyless entry system, NEST Learning thermostats, a package room with cold storage, an Amazon hub, and bike storage.

SERHANT. New Development is leading sales and marketing for Paragon, with occupancy expected this fall.

In an interview with CityRealty last month, SERHANT. agent Kayla Lee said Paragon stands out for being the “only condo that directly touches the water at Anable Basin.”

“We’ve built an interest list of several hundred people, which is something we haven’t seen before,” Lee told CityRealty. “There’s a lot of demand for something that feels new, polished, and elevated in LIC, and this really delivers that.”

According to CityRealty, prices for the 186 apartments will start at $655,000 for studios, $940,000 for one-bedrooms, $1.5 million for two-bedrooms, and $2.15 million for three-bedrooms. The first move-ins are estimated for Q4 2026.

“Paragon sets a new standard in LIC. It’s actually wild how desperately a condo of this caliber was needed in this location. We’re working through a backlist of locals who would never leave LIC and are eager to level up,” Ryan Serhant, founder and CEO of SERHANT., said.

“The market has been waiting over ten years for this tower, and we anticipate a rapid sellout.”

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The post First look at Paragon, Long Island City’s first new waterfront condo in a decade first appeared on 6sqft.

Bryant Park is throwing a reading party on its iconic lawn next month. “Read on the Lawn Day” takes place on June 1 as part of programming at the park’s Reading Room, a curated selection of books, newspapers, and magazines available for visitors to enjoy for free outside. Hosted in partnership with Reading Rhythms, the event will include quiet reading periods followed by book discussions.

Founded in Brooklyn in 2023, Reading Rhythms hosts reading parties for those who love to read, or want to make time for reading, but also want to socialize. Unlike book clubs, attendees can bring any book they want. Since launching, Reading Rhythms events have been hosted in 20 cities worldwide.

Read on the Lawn Day will take place at Bryant Park on Monday, June 1, from 6 p.m. to 8 pm. Pre-registration is recommended.

Bryant Park is a fitting spot for a reading party. The public library and the Parks Department opened an outdoor library in Bryant Park in 1935, offering homeless and unemployed New Yorkers free reading material and a source of entertainment during the Great Depression. Staffed by librarians paid by the Works Progress Administration, the library closed in 1942 due to World War II-related cuts.

As the New York Times reported at the time, in 2003, the idea resurfaced as the park’s “Reading Room,” which provides free books, newspapers, and magazines in a peaceful open-air setting. In addition to the materials, the Reading Room hosts free weekly programming, including film talks, author panels, poetry readings, book clubs, children’s storytime, and writing workshops.

The Reading Room is open through October from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. See the full schedule here.

“The Reading Room has long been a favorite among Bryant Park visitors, providing a welcoming space where New Yorkers and tourists alike can slow down and enjoy the pleasure of reading outdoors,” Nancy Ng, Director of Special Projects at Bryant Park, said.

“Each season, we’re proud to expand the experience with a diverse lineup of free literary programming offering even more ways for people to connect with books, ideas, and each other in the park.”

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• Signs of spring in NYC: Bryant Park’s famed lawn is installed
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Long Island Rail Road service will resume at 12 p.m. on Tuesday after the five unions behind the agency’s first strike in more than 30 years reached a tentative deal with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday night that the two sides had reached a “fair deal” that would not require additional fare hikes or tax increases. Details of the tentative agreement have not yet been released, as the deal must still be ratified by union members and approved by the MTA board.

“I would not accept a deal that would compromise affordability for Long Islanders,” Hochul said. “At a time when everything is going up, I was not going to allow taxes or fares to go up. That’s why we stood firm for a deal that would not require any additional fare increases or tax increases.”

“This contract will ensure that 3,500 Long Island Rail Road employees will be paid fairly for their labor,” she added. “I want them to know this, I deeply value and respect the hard work they do. Their work is critical for the entire region, and they deserve a fair wage.”

Limited service resumes on Tuesday, but commuters are still encouraged to work from home. The first trains will operate on the Babylon, Huntington, Port Washington, and Ronkonkoma branches starting at 12:14 p.m. The MTA also ran limited shuttle bus service on Tuesday from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. to Manhattan and to Long Island from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The five-union coalition went on strike Saturday after years of unsuccessful negotiations with the MTA over a new contract. The unions have not had a contract since 2023. Talks repeatedly stalled over wages and healthcare premiums, with workers pushing for a 14.5 percent raise over four years, which they say is necessary to keep pace with inflation.

A strike was narrowly avoided last September after the unions asked the Trump administration to establish an emergency board to help broker a deal with the MTA over wage increases, but the effort did not result in an agreement.

The coalition is made up of 3,500 workers from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the Transportation Communications Union.

Before the strike began Saturday, both sides had agreed to retroactive wage increases of 3 to 3.5 percent for each of the past three years. However, a pay increase for this year remained a sticking point, with unions originally seeking a 6.5 percent raise and the MTA seeking to cap it closer to 3 percent, according to Time.

Janno Lieber, chairman and CEO of the MTA, said the union’s wage demands would “implode” the agency’s budget, noting that the average salary for workers in the five unions is $136,000, among the highest for rail workers nationwide, as 6sqft previously reported.

While details of the agreement have not been released, the MTA reportedly pushed for several work-rule reforms, according to Gothamist. These include eliminating double pay for engineers who drive a diesel and electric locomotive during the same shift, and restrictions that prevent ticket clerks from performing additional tasks, as most LIRR customers pay their fares digitally.

The four-year agreement includes retroactive pay but expires in July 2027, according to Gothamist. In a statement, Mark Wallace, president of the BLET and the Teamsters Rail Conference, praised the agreement and the dedication of rail workers.

“Throughout these negotiations, our members stood together for a fair agreement that recognizes the dedication and sacrifices railroad workers make every day while keeping pace with the rising cost of living,” Wallace said.

“This was never about seeking more than what is fair—it was about securing the respect and economic security our members have earned,” he added.

LIRR service remained suspended Tuesday morning because there was not enough time for the agency to deploy crews to operate trains.

The three-day strike was the first since 1994, when LIRR workers walked off the job for two days over pay and work-related rules. The strike ended with then-MTA Chairman Peter E. Stangl conceding to the union’s demands, as 6sqft previously reported.

RELATED:

• Long Island Rail Road workers strike for first time in more than 30 years
• LIRR strike avoided for now after unions ask Trump to intervene
• LIRR strike: Here’s what riders need to know

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced that New York City’s first city-owned grocery store will open next year at a new affordable housing development in the South Bronx. The store will be located at The Peninsula, a Bronx project transforming the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center in Hunts Point into a mixed-use development with 740 affordable apartments. The announcement builds on Mamdani’s campaign pledge to open five city-owned grocery stores, one in each borough, and follows a plan announced last month for a store in East Harlem.

The 20,000-square-foot store will improve access to affordable food in Hunts Point, where more than half of households have relied on public assistance in the past year, and 77 percent struggle to afford necessities.

“Working families in the Bronx have been forced to pay the price for a city that keeps getting more expensive while government looks the other way,” Mamdani said. “That has to change. Our administration is putting communities like Hunts Point at the center of our work to address the affordability crisis.”

“We are proud to begin this work in the South Bronx and remain committed to opening a store in every borough before the end of our first term,” he added.

The administration has selected The Peninsula to house the new store. Developed by Gilbane Development Company, Hudson Companies, and the Mutual Housing Association of New York, the five-acre, multi-phase project is revitalizing the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center.

Known for reports of harsh conditions and cruelty to children, the center, also known as the Bridges Juvenile Center, closed in 2011 after more than 50 years in operation following years of advocacy from criminal justice reform groups and nonprofit organizations, as 6sqft previously reported.

Overall, the mixed-use project will include 740 units of 100 percent affordable housing, more than 50,000 square feet of new public open space, 30,000 square feet of light industrial space, and over 50,000 square feet of community space.

The complex launched a housing lottery earlier this month for 300 deeply affordable units at 1221 and 1225 Spofford Avenue. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $465/month studios to $2,936/month three-bedrooms.

“No family in the Bronx should have to choose between rent and groceries,” Julie Su, deputy mayor for economic justice, said. “This is what public investment looks like when it is done right—government setting the terms, holding to a timeline, and making sure the benefits reach the families who need them most.”

Last month, Mamdani announced plans to build a city-owned grocery store under the Park Avenue Viaduct between 111th and 116th Streets in East Harlem. The site, known as La Marqueta, was one of the city’s original public markets, opened by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1936.

Over the years, the marketplace has struggled and shrunk in both footprint and number of vendors. According to the New York Times, the city plans to spend $30 million on the project, which is expected to open by 2029.

Alongside the East Harlem announcement, Mamdani also launched the NYC Groceries Sites portal to identify potential locations for future stores in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Property owners with eligible sites can submit them for consideration as the program expands.

The new stores are part of the NYC Groceries Project, led by the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). Announced in April, the initiative fulfills a key campaign pledge by Mamdani to improve food affordability through the creation of five city-owned grocery stores. The mayor has proposed allocating $70 million in capital funding for the program.

While the new stores are designed to improve the affordability of necessities like food, some have expressed opposition to Mamdani’s plan to build city-owned grocery stores. Small business owners and economists have raised concerns that the stores could hurt smaller supermarkets, arguing that a better approach would be lowering grocery prices, according to the Times.

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Known for their privacy and old-world Manhattan cachet, maisonettes often sound better in theory than in reality. But this massive 5,000-square-foot home at 2 East 70th Street on the Upper East Side, asking $22,500,000, delivers a reality that includes a private four-bedroom Fifth Avenue address, two floors of townhouse-style living, Central Park views, and all the perks that come with one of the city’s most coveted Rosario Candela co-ops.

Divided over two floors, each with its own private entrance, the first peerless attribute you may notice is the Central Park vista that’s framed by every western-facing window. A Fifth Avenue entrance to the home itself sits beside an entrance to the co-op building’s discreet, quiet lobby.

Within, interiors by Peter Pennoyer Architects represent a painstaking renovation that spared no expense on design perfection and contemporary comfort. On the ground floor, 11-foot ceilings rise above a grand gallery and elegant dining room with views of Central Park and the stunning Frick Collection gardens.

Warmth from walls clad in Fiddleback Sycamore complements Calacatta marble in the magazine-cover-ready kitchen. In the dining room, a crystal chandelier suspended from a domed ceiling highlights walls done in sage Gracie chinoiserie wall coverings.

Arched doorways create a graceful flow between the dining room, kitchen, and wood-paneled living room beyond, where you’ll find the intimacy of a private library lined with bookshelves. A dramatic powder room completes the lower floor.

Upstairs, the walls of a 30-foot great room rise to meet a lacquered ceiling, with a fireplace adding warmth. French casement doors open onto Central Park views. Other highlights include a wet bar and an executive-ready home office.

Four bedrooms remind us of the home’s impressive size; each has an ensuite bath. The primary suite has a coffered ceiling, a capacious walk-in closet, and those endless unobstructed views of Central Park.

Design details that complement the home’s pre-war charm include carefully-sourced antiques, a custom bronze railing and balustrade staircase, ebony quarter-sawn oak floors, and wall treatments of French silk, Venetian plaster, leather, and suede.

Function is as important as fashion: Seven-zone HVAC with automatic humidity control, radiant heat, a Lutron lighting system, custom closets, and a sophisticated AV system with professional-grade humidification have been integrated behind the scenes.

The full-service white-glove cooperative building offers a doorman, a private gym, and windowed storage on the building’s service level. Infrastructure is in place for a private elevator.

[Listing details: 2 East 70th Street #MAISONETTE  at CityRealty]

[At Brown Harris Stevens by Louise Phillips Forbes, Madeleine McGregor, and Elisabeth Slaten]

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The post This $22.5M maisonette offers townhouse privacy with classic Upper East Side co-op luxury first appeared on 6sqft.

A former juvenile jail in the Bronx that is being transformed into a mixed-use development opened a housing lottery last week for 303 low-income apartments. Phase two of The Peninsula, located at 1221 and 1225 Spofford Avenue in Hunts Point, brings deeply affordable homes to the site of the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center, which closed in 2011 following reports of abuse and poor conditions. The development is also getting New York City’s first city-owned grocery store. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Monday that a 20,000-square-foot supermarket will open next year as one of five city-owned grocery stores opening in every borough. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $465/month studios to $2,936/month three-bedrooms.

Known for reports of harsh conditions and cruelty to children, the Spofford Juvenile Detention Center, or the Bridges Juvenile Center, closed in 2011 after more than 50 years in operation, following years of advocacy from criminal justice reform groups and nonprofit organizations.

In 2016, the city’s Economic Development Corporation issued a request for expressions of interest from developers interested in transforming the site into a mixed-use community with affordable housing.

Ultimately, the EDC selected Gilbane Development Company, Hudson Companies, and the Mutual Housing Association of New York to develop the five-acre, multi-phase project. WXY Architecture + Urban Design and Body Lawson Associates are collaborating on the design, as 6sqft previously reported.

The complex includes several community facilities, including a black-box theater, art studio, and spaces for The Point CDC and Urban Health Plan to operate. These residential and community programs are connected by a 54,000-square-foot plaza linking the complex and are open to the entire Hunts Point community.

As part of phase two, which topped out last year, buildings 2A and 2B include 359 affordable apartments, from studios to four-bedrooms. About 15 percent of the units are set aside for formerly homeless New Yorkers.

Amenities include a 40,000-square-foot landscaped public pedestrian plaza, a garage with 155 parking spaces, and 20,000 square feet of community facility space. Construction completion is projected for July 2026.

Phase one of the project included 56,000 square feet of industrial space for small or medium-sized manufacturing businesses and 183 apartments for tenants with incomes considered extremely low, very low, and low. Work on the $121.5 million first phase was completed in November 2021.

Upon completion, The Peninsula will include four mixed-use buildings with 740 affordable apartments.

Nearby public transit options include the 2, 5, and 6 subway lines, as well as the Bx5, Bx6, Bx19, and Bx46 bus routes.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the apartments until July 7, 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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The post 300 affordable apartments available in Hunts Point, from $465/month first appeared on 6sqft.

Commutes for more than 250,000 daily Long Island Rail Road riders were upended Monday as workers at the nation’s busiest commuter rail service remained on strike amid a wage dispute. More than 3,500 workers represented by five unions walked off the job Saturday, shutting down rail service as they pushed for a 14.5 percent raise over four years, which union leaders say is necessary to keep pace with inflation, according to ABC News. A full day of negotiations that began Sunday and ran into Monday morning failed to produce an agreement, forcing commuters to rely on alternate transportation or work from home while talks continue.

The strike, the agency’s first in more than 30 years, has been building for months. The unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have been negotiating a new contract since 2023, with talks repeatedly stalling over wages and healthcare premiums, according to the Associated Press.

Last September, a strike was narrowly avoided after the unions asked the Trump administration to establish an emergency board to help broker a deal with the MTA over wage increases.

The five unions involved are the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Transportation Communications Union.

Before the strike began Saturday, both sides attempted to avoid service disruptions, agreeing to retroactive wage increases of 3 to 3.5 percent for each of the past three years. However, a pay increase for this year remains the sticking point, with unions originally seeking a 6.5 percent raise while the MTA is seeking to cap it closer to 3 percent, according to Time.

According to a BRS press release, the unions agreed to lower their demand from 6.5 percent to 5 percent in March, and as of May 15, had brought it down to the upper 4 percent range, while the MTA’s offer stood in the mid-3 percent range.

Janno Lieber, chairman and CEO of the MTA, said the unions’ wage demands would “implode” the agency’s budget, adding that the average salary for workers in the five unions is $136,000, among the highest for rail workers nationwide.

“Obviously, this is not the result we were looking for. Like Governor Hochul said, everybody loses in a strike – the MTA, the thousands of workers who are going to lose wages, and most of all, the riders who rely on the railroad every day,” Lieber said in a statement on Saturday.

“I—and this MTA Board—have been clear that we cannot responsibly make a deal that implodes MTA’s budget. We refuse to make a deal that puts it on riders and taxpayers to fund outsized wage increases—far beyond what anyone else at the MTA is getting —and for folks who are already the highest-paid railroad workers in the country.”

During a press conference on Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she values the work of LIRR workers and believes they deserve fair wages. But, she added, the MTA has “made multiple generous offers with real wage increases.”

“New York, everyone knows, is a pro-labor state. We believe in working men and women receiving a fair wage and benefits,” Hochul said. “But the MTA cannot agree to a contract that would raise fares as much as 8 percent and risk hiking taxes for Long Islanders. I have worked too long and hard to reduce costs for our residents, and I will not allow that to be undone.”

Since Saturday, striking LIRR workers have picketed outside the Long Island Rail Road entrance to Penn Station, calling for fair wages, a fair contract, and “dignity,” according to the BBC.

“This strike would not have happened if the MTA and LIRR offered our members the reasonable terms the government recommended multiple times. But management refused,” Mark Wallace, president of BLET and the Teamsters Rail Conference, said in a press release.

“We hope LIRR gets serious soon to avoid further unnecessary disruptions for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. They know where to find us when they’re ready: on the streets,” he added.

During the strike, the MTA is running limited weekday shuttle bus service for essential workers and those unable to work from home. Buses will operate during peak hours—toward Manhattan from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and toward Long Island from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.—from six locations, with limited reverse-peak service available on select routes.

Peak and reverse peak direction service:

• Bay Shore to Howard Beach-JFK Airport
• Huntington to Jamaica-179th Street at Hillside Avenue and 179th Street
• Ronkonkoma to Jamaica-179th Street at Hillside Avenue and 179th Street

Peak direction service only:

• Hempstead Lake State Park, near Lakeview, to Howard Beach-JFK Airport
• Hicksville to Howard Beach-JFK Airport
• Mineola to Howard Beach-JFK Airport 

The MTA will also issue refunds to riders with monthly rail passes for business days without train service, pending approval from the agency’s board, according to the New York Times.

The last time LIRR workers went on strike was in 1994, a two-day work stoppage over pay and work-related rules. The strike ended with then-MTA Chairman Peter E. Stangl conceding to the union’s demands, as 6sqft previously reported.

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The post Long Island Rail Road workers strike for first time in more than 30 years first appeared on 6sqft.

With a proud history of immigration through Ellis Island, New York City is home to more than three million foreign-born residents, 38 percent of the population, and over 500,000 undocumented immigrants, according to the Center for Migration Studies. With a long-held reputation as a safe haven, the city prides itself on being a “sanctuary city,” with policies firmly in place that aim to protect anyone targeted by immigration authorities, regardless of their status, except those with serious criminal convictions. New York City offers some of the nation’s most robust protection, but state legislation has lagged behind. What do sanctuary laws actually accomplish—and what’s being done to improve their reach?

Under President Donald Trump’s administration, immigration control has attained top priority status in keeping with the president’s campaign promises, with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the enforcement agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), leading a mass deportation initiative. The agency’s budget and mission have been significantly expanded, including $75 billion in multi-year funding, and the possibility of $70 billion in additional funding is on the way. ICE has been deployed at an unprecedented level, with an aggressive presence that has sparked fear as well as civil unrest in cities across the nation; this presence captured the public spotlight when two protesters were shot and killed by ICE and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis this year.

New York City is among the nation’s hotspots for some of this growing unrest, despite its immigrant-friendly history. Earlier this month, a video surfaced showing police clashing violently with protesters outside the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick as ICE agents made an arrest. An ICE spokesperson told ABC News that ICE agents arrested Chidozie Wilson Okeke, a Nigerian man “with previous arrests for assault and criminal drug possession,” whose visa had expired.

The NYPD said it had no involvement in this operation, but that police were called when the surrounding crowd grew disorderly. However, Council Member Sandy Nurse, who was at the scene, said on X: “What I witnessed during the discharge appeared to be direct coordination between ICE and the NYPD, with officers cordoning off the ambulance bay to allow ICE to move the individual into their vehicles and leave.”

In an unrelated press conference following the incident, Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters there was no prior coordination or planning between the NYPD and ICE, but that NYPD officers were responding to 911 calls regarding a protest outside of the hospital.

“Our laws leave no room for interpretation about the fact that our NYPD will not participate in civil immigration enforcement,” Mamdani said. “And I’ve also been very clear about my views on ICE raids as a whole. I think that they are cruel, I think that they are inhumane, I think that they do not serve any interest of public safety.”

What is a sanctuary city?

While not a legal designation, the term “sanctuary city” refers to municipalities that have adopted a set of local laws and executive orders that provide some degree of protection to undocumented immigrants if federal agents seek to detain or deport them, mainly by limiting cooperation between city agencies, like law enforcement, and federal immigration agencies such as ICE. There are currently over 1,000 sanctuary jurisdictions throughout the country.

Sanctuary policies act as a barrier to communication between immigration agents and city employees who work with undocumented immigrants. The first sanctuary laws were created to encourage immigrants to seek out city services like medical treatment and school enrollment, and to report crimes without fear of detention. To this end, immigrant rights advocates say these policies are vitally important to general public safety.

What are New York City’s current sanctuary policies?

• The NYC laws prohibit local law enforcement from honoring most ICE detainer requests unless a warrant is issued or for serious crimes.
• The NYPD does not inquire about immigration status or assist in federal immigration enforcement, allowing undocumented residents to report crimes without fear.
• City agencies are generally prohibited from sharing information about a person’s immigration status with federal authorities unless it’s part of a criminal investigation.
• Federal agents must present a judicial warrant to enter non-public areas of city property, such as schools and shelters.
• The city provides services, including free legal aid through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project and access to essential benefits such as medical care, schools, and police protection, regardless of status, without fear of deportation.

The policies above don’t legally prohibit ICE from detaining and deporting people. But they have curtailed their ability to do so.

According to the New York Times, the 2014 enactment of stronger sanctuary laws significantly reduced the practice of transferring immigrants from jail to ICE custody. Previously, detainer requests led the Department of Corrections and the Police Department to shuttle thousands of immigrants into ICE custody each year.

A brief history and a mayor’s legacy

New York City is not only the nation’s largest sanctuary city, but it is also the nation’s oldest, with sanctuary policies in place since the 1980s, when Mayor Edward Koch issued an executive order prohibiting information about immigrants who were not suspected of criminal activity from being shared with federal authorities. Subsequent mayors renewed the order.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani unsuccessfully defended the order in court after a 1996 congressional law was passed that prevented local governments from withholding information from federal agents. Mayor Michael Bloomberg found a way around the federal law by issuing a slightly different order forbidding city employees from asking anyone their immigration status, with certain exceptions.

In 2014, drastically expanded sanctuary laws were introduced when Mayor Bill de Blasio signed laws that all but stopped the city’s police and jails from aiding federal agents in the deportation of undocumented immigrants.

At that time, deportations had reached record highs under President Barack Obama’s administration, with about 400,000 immigrants deported throughout the U.S. each year, according to the New York Times. One reason for the increase in deportations: ICE was collaborating with local officials to speedily transfer immigrants arrested on criminal charges to ICE custody after being released from local prisons and jails using detainer requests.

Some Democratic officials became aware of this uptick in apprehensions and insisted that city resources should not be used to help the federal government deport people. In response, de Blasio enacted laws that ejected ICE from the offices they maintained at the Rikers Island jail, and strictly curtailed communication allowed between ICE and the city’s Department of Correction.

In addition, the laws prohibited city agencies from honoring ICE detainer requests, except for those involving people who had been convicted of any of 170 serious crimes. With each request, ICE would be required to present a warrant signed by a federal judge. Despite vehement opposition by ICE, they are still in effect today.

De Blasio followed up with more restrictions when Donald J. Trump was elected president in 2016, including guidelines that require ICE to present judicial warrants to enter city buildings like schools and homeless shelters. In 2020, a state law was passed that barred ICE officers from apprehending people at state, city, and municipal courthouses.

A heightened challenge for sanctuary policies

The Trump administration has accelerated the use of federal agencies that had generally been focused on criminal law enforcement to focus on its deportation agenda. Although the city continues to honor only a small number of them, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported a 400 percent increase in ICE detainers issued in NYC in early 2025 compared to the previous administration’s term.

In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice sued New York City, aiming to invalidate regulations that limit police cooperation with federal agents, arguing that sanctuary policies unconstitutionally obstruct federal immigration enforcement, violate the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, and jeopardize public safety. The case is ongoing.

Within the city, then-Mayor Eric Adams argued that the de Blasio-era laws were an overreach, saying that the city should be able to turn over immigrants who have not yet been convicted of crimes, suggesting that constitutional due process rights should not apply to people who entered the country illegally. Through an executive order, Adams attempted to allow more cooperation with the federal administration’s mass deportation agenda and to return an ICE office to Rikers Island.

Immigrant advocates and the City Council fought back, and an order from the New York Supreme Court struck down the executive order. In addition, the City Council enacted the Safer Sanctuary Act, introduced by Council Member Tiffany Cabán, which overrode a mayoral veto and went into effect in January of 2026.

According to the Immigrant Defense Project, this legislation keeps federal agents from having an office on any Department of Correction property, including, of course, Rikers Island. It also updates the definitions of terms used in the current laws to reflect the federal government’s utilization of various arms of government to target people for deportation.

In February 2026, Mamdani signed a ceremonial executive order reaffirming the city’s sanctuary commitment, but these policies remain a central point of legal and political conflict between the city and the federal government.

A new set of state-level sanctuary provisions

New York City has the most robust sanctuary provisions in the state, but state laws differ from those in place within city limits. New York is one of 17 sanctuary states in the US, but advocacy groups have been looking to Gov. Kathy Hochul to match the city’s level of immigrant protection.

A growing number of states prohibit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. New Jersey, Washington, Illinois, and California already have state-wide sanctuary policies. New York state relied upon a loose collection of executive orders that restricted the sharing of information between the federal government and state law enforcement agencies, as well as the arrest of immigrants in state facilities.

Some Republican strongholds, like Nassau County on Long Island, have working relationships with ICE and favor helping the federal government carry out mass deportations. Rensselaer County has even entered into a formal agreement with ICE in a 287(g) program that can deputize local officers to do immigration enforcement duty.

In Albany, immigration activists have been lobbying the State Capitol to adopt the New York for All Act, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Karines Reyes, which would limit all state and local agencies from cooperating with ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Hochul also introduced the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which would end 287(g) contracts between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration agents, and would restrict ICE agents from entering government-run “sensitive locations,” like schools and public hospitals, without a judicial warrant.

This month, Hochul announced a package of what she introduced as “comprehensive immigrant protections” as part of New York’s $268 billion budget proposal. Though Hochul announced that she had reached a compromise with legislative leaders on the spending plan, budget negotiations are still ongoing in Albany.

Based on the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, the new immigration protection laws will:

• Prohibit local law enforcement from being deputized by ICE for federal civil immigration enforcement by eliminating 287(g) agreements, barring state and local police from acting as civil immigration agents, or using taxpayer-funded resources or personnel to carry out federal civil immigration enforcement and detention.
• Establish a state right to sue federal, state, and local officials, including ICE officers, for constitutional violations.
• Deny ICE permission to enter sensitive locations–including schools, libraries, health care facilities, polling locations, and homes–without a judicial warrant.
• Ban federal, state, and local law enforcement from wearing masks while on duty.
  Strictly prohibit the use of state, local, or school civil resources—including employee time—for civil immigration enforcement activities.
• Ensure all students can access education without fear of ICE interference, codifying the right to a free public education regardless of immigration status.

In her announcement, Hochul said the changes were in response to the Trump administration’s campaign targeting immigrants:

“They didn’t just target hardened criminals and gang members, which I would have supported–we did support. They also targeted mothers still nursing their infants, separating them; an 85-year-old widow in her nightgown,” adding, “New York will no longer stand for it.”

While glad to see the state adopt a more definitive policy, advocates for stronger state legislation point out that the new rules do not restrict unofficial communications between law enforcement and ICE the way New York City’s sanctuary laws do. There are also calls from advocates to create a right to legal representation in immigration courts for those at risk of deportation.

Community information and resources

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused by the latest developments in immigration and sanctuary city laws in New York City and beyond, here are several resources to stay informed and involved:

• New York City immigration policy updates is a dedicated page from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs that shares basic information and resources on the latest federal immigration policy updates.
• The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs / Know your rights and legal resources
  Learn about immigrant rights with ICE, if you or a family member is detained, and sanctuary city laws in NYC. Find out how to volunteer by distributing information about MOIA services, providing interpretation, or serving as an English language facilitator.
• The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) is a non-profit organization focused on combatting the targeting of immigrants for mass imprisonment and deportation and ending the current era of unprecedented mass criminalization, detention, and deportation through advocacy, litigation, legal advice and training, community defense, grassroots alliances, and strategic communications.
• New York Immigration Coalition community resources: Be prepared and aware
  This statewide member-led coalition of immigrant and refugee organizations works to organize and educate the community and advocate for opportunity and justice with workshops and presentations on immigration law, guidance to community groups, advocates, and legal providers, low-cost legal and health services, and more.
• Hands Off NYC offers resources to help you speak out, care for one another, organize locally, and navigate specific situations, such as how to protest safely, how to protect shops and workers in your neighborhood, and what to do when you have to interact with federal agents.

The post What makes New York a sanctuary city—and is its status under threat? first appeared on 6sqft.

A new dedicated bus lane along Broadway in Queens will speed commutes to and from LaGuardia Airport, just in time for an influx of visitors ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) would begin installing a center-running eastbound bus lane along Broadway between 69th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, a busy corridor used by roughly 9,000 daily riders on the Q70-SBS, also known as the “LaGuardia Link.” The plan would maintain one travel lane in each direction for general traffic while improving bus speeds, which currently drop to as low as 2.7 mph during evening rush hour, slower than walking pace.

“The World Cup may come and go, but the investments we made to our streets and public transit must serve New Yorkers for decades to come,” Mamdani said. “Arriving in New York City should be fast, affordable and reliable all year round—not just during major events.”

“This new bus lane will help welcome visitors from around the world this summer while delivering faster commutes every day for the thousands of working-class New Yorkers who rely on the Q70,” he added.

DOT will present the proposal to the local community board later this month and expects to complete the project before World Cup matches begin in June.

The project is one of several street upgrades the Mamdani administration has advanced in anticipation of the World Cup. The tournament, hosted at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, includes five group-stage matches 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. 

Other initiatives include the redesign of Ninth Avenue from West 34th to West 50th Streets in Hell’s Kitchen, and new bike and pedestrian entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan.

The plan also builds on a broader series of bus lane upgrades undertaken by the administration since January. In March, the DOT broke ground on Bronx crosstown bus service upgrades and street safety improvements around Yankee Stadium, adding westbound bus-only lanes and converting the 161st Street underpass to bus-only use.

In April, the DOT began work on the long-delayed redesign of Madison Avenue with dedicated bus lanes and restarted the redesign of Brooklyn’s Flatbush Avenue with center-running bus lanes.

That same month, the agency also announced that parts of Brooklyn’s Linden Boulevard, one of the borough’s most dangerous corridors, would be redesigned with center-running bus lanes and other safety upgrades by 2027.

It also follows the release of a $160 million plan in March 2025 to fund the expansion of bus service to and from LaGuardia. Recommended by an expert panel in 2023, the proposed upgrades include creating a bus-only lane, installing traffic signals that prioritize the Q70 bus, increasing service during peak hours, adding a dedicated pick-up and drop-off zone at LaGuardia, and improving lighting and signage.

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The post NYC to create dedicated bus lane for Q70 to LaGuardia Airport first appeared on 6sqft.

Each spring, the spotlight returns to New York City as a major hub for global design. The 2026 NYCxDESIGN Festival runs from May 14 to May 20, drawing over 163,000 industry pros, brands, designers, creators, and lovers of interior design from all corners of the world and from the city’s own vibrant design scene. Anchored by iconic trade fairs and exhibitions like ICFF and WANTED, a full calendar of tours, talks, and product debuts will be happening throughout the five boroughs. The festival offers a sneak peek at tomorrow’s design trends and provides a chance to discover new talent in the worlds of furniture, lighting, textiles, and objects. Read on for a guide to this year’s top design fair picks.

New York City is an influential design destination, as well as being home to the world’s largest concentration of creatives per capita. The not-for-profit umbrella organization NYCxDESIGN plays an important role in promoting the success of the city’s diverse creative design community. The annual festival brings together the very people who embody their creative energy.

In addition to the mega-fairs, the annual Festival offers low-key cocktail events and sunset gatherings city-wide. International brand stores and local studios hold open-to-the-public events. Important cultural issues are the focus of panel discussions and workshops. Visit the Festival website for a complete calendar.

1. ICFF and WANTED design fairs

ICFF NYC
North America’s top platform for contemporary furnishing design welcomes the international design world to New York City as the global entry point for international brands. Attendants at the ICFF 2025 fair included over 3,000 architecture and interior design firms. The fair takes place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from May 17-19. This year’s theme is “Common Ground: A Global Dialogue on Design and Shared Values.”

WANTED
The WANTED fair-within-a-fair at ICFF celebrates the best of new design, and what’s on the horizon. This curated showcase for innovative work includes Look Book, the best of North American design, Launch Pad, celebrating international emerging talent, and the Schools Showcase and Schools Workshop, introducing student work.

2. NYCxDESIGN opening party

The official kickoff of the 2026 Festival happens May 14 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at HALO 28 in Downtown Manhattan. Meet the city’s design community and visitors, view large-scale installations by kinetic sculptor BREAKFAST, and enjoy the culinary offerings of Pinch Food Design and beverages from Massican Wines and Fort Hamilton Distillery.

3. Soho Design Night

Showrooms, stores, and studios city-wide will stay open late to offer cocktails and conversation; open studios offer a rare look behind the scenes with designers and artisans. Soho Design Night (May 15 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.) is a collaboration of showrooms and galleries in the South of Houston Street downtown design Mecca. Participating brands will showcase product launches, design collections, and more. Participants include Roll & Hill, FLOS, Bang & Olufsen, Nordic Knots, Orior, Petra Hardware, and many more.

4. Creative Week

Creative Week features workshops and portfolio reviews, designed to foster discussion, reflection, and connection in the advertising and design industries as well as celebrate the best work of the past year by way of three internationally acclaimed award shows, The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, and the Young Ones Student Awards. There are also educational industry programs for everyone, from newbies to creative executives. Highlights include a client pitch competition and student portfolio reviews (bring your best work and get some feedback from top industry pros).

5. Tour: Dwelling and placemaking in Brownsville

City and local stakeholders, including affordable housing architect Mark Ginsberg, will host an open house and lead a tour that covers over six decades of public and affordable housing design and development on Brownsville’s Livonia Avenue, with an emphasis on connectivity and a collaborative, community-driven process for creating public spaces through streetscape design.

6. New York Sign Museum tour

Professional design association AIGA NY has teamed up with Noble Signs and the New York Sign Museum for a special behind-the-scenes tour of this working sign studio and historic collection, from rescued storefront signage to contemporary fabrication. Participants will explore both the museum’s impressive collection and Noble Signs’ active production floor.

7. Atlantic Avenue Day of Design

Running through the picturesque neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill, Atlantic Avenue possesses an especially high concentration of designers. On May 16 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., step inside any of the avenue’s chic shops to find standout products, art, and design. Spend an afternoon exploring the finest in jewelry, furniture, fragrance, apparel, lighting, ceramics, art, vintage items, and more. Start by checking in at the HQ at Hoyt Street and Atlantic Avenue from 12-3 p.m. for giveaways and guides.

8. Shopping: FAD Market and Brooklyn Made

FAD Market’s annual NYCxDESIGN pop-up takes place May 16–17 at St. Paul Hall in Cobble Hill. You’ll find the work of over 60 emerging designers, including home furnishings, tableware, apparel, jewelry, and more, framed by an 1838 architectural landmark.

Join Brooklyn Made at Industry City on May 16 from 1-4 p.m. to take a break at the immersive Oasiq lounge’s nature-inspired furniture in a curated outdoor seating area, and discover exclusive creations of Brooklyn Made’s Tokyo collab with Taisho University.

9. Rooftop Celebration for Award-Winning Landscape Architecture

Join ASLA-NY on May 14 from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in celebration of the 2026 Landscape Architecture Design Award Winners, along with food, drink, and conversation on the A&D Building’s 12th-floor rooftop. The event happens rain or shine (there’s an indoor showroom).

10. Design school tours for high school students

From May 15 to May 20, from 4 p.m.–5 p.m., NYCxDESIGN invites design-minded NYC high school students to tour the city’s top design colleges and get an up-close view of students’ annual exhibitions. Explore inspiring student offerings at Pratt, Parsons, FIT, NYSID, NYIT, and Cornell Tech; it’s a great way to experience the creativity of the schools shaping the next generation of designers.

11. DUMBO Design Day

On May 20, DUMBO Design Day will present over 25 events, including studios, insider tours, book talks, and exhibitions across the neighborhood’s famous design district. Highlights include an Art in DUMBO Tour featuring Yixuan Wu, Christopher Paul Jord, Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong, and Zander Schlacter, and open showrooms and studios from Fishs Eddy, Bliss Lau, Photoville and many more. The festivities will conclude with the Dumbo Design Day Closing Party from 6-9 p.m. at Superfine.

12. Future of Design Conference

There’s no doubt that AI will impact the future of design. On May 16 from 12-8 p.m. The Future of Design Conference will bring together designers, artists, founders, technologists, and students to explore and discuss the impact an AI-native world will have on design. Presenters include Vibescape Corp, Somya Gupta Events, Black Style Matters, Visionbrew Interactive, and Sanders Studios NYC.

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• Lincoln Center unveils Summer for the City lineup, with dance taking center stage
• Edge at Hudson Yards unveils new immersive installations of light and color

The post NYCxDESIGN 2026: 12 can’t-miss picks from New York City’s annual festival of design first appeared on 6sqft.

Summer is on the horizon in New York City, bringing with it poolside lounging and dips in the ocean. While the beach is great for a day trip, and hotel pools offer a fun experience, renters who are lucky enough to live in an apartment building with an outdoor pool can enjoy a resort-style getaway without ever leaving home. With the weather finally warming up, we took a look at the best rental buildings across New York City that offer outdoor pools.

Some of the properties featured here are part of paid partnerships, which help support our editorial work. All buildings are selected and independently reviewed by the 6sqft team.

One Domino Square
5 South 5th Street, Williamsburg

One Domino Square, Annabelle Selldorf’s first residential skyscraper and 6sqft’s 2025 Building of the Year, is a two-tower development offering both rental and condominium units with frontage on the Brooklyn waterfront. Developed by Two Trees Management, the porcelain-clad towers sit at the southern end of Domino Park in Williamsburg. The condominium building rises 39 stories, while the rental tower reaches 55 stories, making it the tallest in the neighborhood.

Residences offer an “elevated living standard,” featuring open-plan layouts with Caesarstone countertops and Bosch appliances, while large windows frame panoramic skyline views.

This elevated experience continues on to the development’s amenities, anchored by the 1DSQ Club, which takes up more than 45,000 square feet over five floors. The resort-style outdoor pool, which is heated for year-round dips, has picture-perfect views of Domino Park, the Williamsburg Bridge, and beyond.

Other perks include an indoor aquatics center, hot and cold plunge pools, a steam room, a sauna, co-working spaces, and more. Plus, Domino Park is just outside, providing public waterfront space for recreation and relaxation. The building also provides an exclusive shuttle to the L, J, and M subway lines.

Current availability for rentals at One Domino Square begins at $3,845/month (net effective) for studios, $6,284/month for one-bedrooms, and $9,750/month for two-bedroom units. Apartments lease up quickly at One Domino Square, so schedule a tour before the remaining inventory is gone.

655 Union
655 Union Street, Gowanus

Situated at the nexus of Gowanus, Park Slope, and Carroll Gardens, 655 Union offers 193 high-end apartments complemented by a wide range of amenities, including a relaxing rooftop pool. Flaunting 360-degree views, the landscaped roof terrace has a 25-yard lap pool, along with canopy beds, lounge chairs, grills, and an outdoor shower. The amenity space feels like a vacation without leaving home, with monogrammed towels and curated programming like DJs and happy hours.

Developed by Avery Hall and Gindi Capital, the 13-story building features one- and two-bedroom residences with spacious layouts and premium finishes throughout. Designed by L+Z Architecture, the building blends Gowanus’ historic industrial legacy with modern design elements. The deliberate use of concrete nods to the neighborhood’s industrial past, while being reinterpreted throughout the interior.

Inside the apartments, marble countertops, custom flooring, and wood cabinetry, in-unit washers and dryers, and oversized windows reinforce a sense of luxury and convenience.

Club Union, the building’s top-floor amenities suite, offers services on par with luxury fitness studios, boutique hotels, and members-only clubs. Residents have access to a Pilates studio, a work-from-home “study,” a shared media room, a private dining room, and a gym with a dedicated yoga space.

An emphasis on indoor-outdoor living begins with a lushly planted vestibule, setting the tone for the wellness-centric design features to come. In Club Union, interior and exterior spaces flow into one another, and on the second floor, a tranquil “Sunset Garden” flows into the wellness amenities.

The net-effective rents at 655 Union start at $3,964/month for a one-bedroom. See all availability at the building here.

The Riverie
1 Java Street, Greenpoint

As New York’s largest geothermal residential project, the Riverie brings a host of sustainable design features and wellness amenities to the Greenpoint waterfront, including an enviable rooftop pool. The geothermal-heated swimming pool offers an amazing perspective of the East River and Manhattan skyline.

Developed by Lendlease and designed by Marvel, the five-building development includes a 37-story tower and a 20-story tower connected by a mid-rise podium that spans an entire city block, with a total of 834 rental units. The development utilizes an all-electric design and a unique “vertical closed-loop geo-exchange system” that cuts annual carbon emissions from heating and cooling by 53 percent compared to traditional residential systems, as 6sqft previously reported.

Apartments include energy-efficient appliances, Caesarstone countertops, built-in shades, in-unit washers and dryers, smart thermostats, keyless entry, floor-to-ceiling windows, and private outdoor space in select units.

The Riverie offers more than 130,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, from functional areas like flexible co-working spaces and a fitness center with a yoga studio to creative spaces like a music room and podcast studio. The perks are even better outside, with the rooftop pool, fitness deck, and outdoor barbecue areas perfect for those summer days. The development also includes a new public waterfront esplanade, which reestablishes Greenpoint’s direct connection to the East River and features a “living shoreline” designed to protect the site from flooding.

Current availability at The Riverie starts at $3,365/month for studios, $4,315/month for one-bedrooms, and $7,615/month for two-bedrooms.

The Copper
626 First Avenue, Murray Hill

The Copper in Murray Hill features a luxury amenities suite that includes two impressive swimming pools: a 75-foot lap pool in a three-story sky bridge and a 42nd-floor members-only rooftop pool.

Atop the tower is AYRE, a members-only club with a rooftop pool. The space includes cabanas, grilling areas, and lounge seating, along with views in all directions. Membership for Copper residents costs $2,800, while outside members pay $3,250. Guest passes are available for $40 on weekdays and $60 on weekends and holidays.

Developed by JDS Development Group and designed by SHoP Architects, the pair of copper-and-glass-clad towers—one 41-story and the other 48-story—contains a total of 761 units. JDS sold the buildings for $837 million to GO Partners in 2022, according to The Real Deal.

In addition to the pools, residents have access to a two-story fitness center with a climbing wall, a residents’ lounge and bar with a screening room.

Current availability at The Copper starts at $4,135/month for studios, $6,497/month for one-bedrooms, and $7,406/month for two-bedrooms.

One South First
260 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg

One South First, another striking addition to the Williamsburg waterfront at Domino Park, aims to deliver a first-class lifestyle through its expansive amenities. This includes a top-floor roof deck with breathtaking views of the city. For ultimate resort living, the building offers private cabanas, grilling stations, and places to dine.

Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the 45-story residential tower has an iconic silhouette characterized by its interlocking design and honeycomb precast facade. Developed by Two Trees Management, the building was completed in 2019, delivering 332 luxury rental units to the area. One South First offers an integrated living experience with direct access to Domino Park and a connection to the office space at Ten Grand Street.

Additional amenities include a fitness center, workspaces, conference rooms, bike storage, and pet grooming stations.

One South First offers a variety of apartment layouts, from efficiently-designed studios to spacious one-and two-bedroom corner units. Residences feature floor-to-ceiling windows to maximize panoramic views, solar and blackout shades, washer/dryers, and keyless apartment access.

Net effective pricing for rentals at One South First currently starts at $4,331/month for studios, $5,862/month for one-bedrooms, and $8,950/month for two-bedrooms. Join the building’s priority waitlist to be the first to know about upcoming availability.

Mercedes House
550 West 54th Street, Hell’s Kitchen

In Hell’s Kitchen, Two Trees’ Mercedes House is a product of visionary architect Enrique Norten. The luxury development has 864 units and aims to deliver a “full-service” lifestyle through its extensive amenities package, which includes two pools.

Residents have access to 28,000 square feet of interior amenity space and 60,000 square feet of outdoor amenities. The Mercedes Club anchors the offerings, with indoor and outdoor pools, two outdoor decks with green space, and a private Pilates room.

Additional amenities include an on-site Playa Bowls cafe, 24-hour concierge service, and a private parking garage.

The building is known for its distinct architectural style, characterized by a unique Z-shape that rises from eight stories along 11th Avenue, where its two lowest floors are leased to luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, before reaching 32 stories at its eastern edge.

Rising on the western edge of Midtown above the Hudson River and the newly renovated Clinton Park, the building features 23 setbacks that create expansive outdoor terraces across multiple floors, along with a light-colored facade dotted with perforated screen panels that give the exterior a textured appearance, according to CityRealty.

Mercedes House offers a mix of apartment layouts, ranging from studios to generous two-bedroom units.

Apartments at Mercedes House currently start at around $3,750/month (net effective) for studios and go up to $9,000+/month for high-floor 2-bedroom residences with private terraces. See all available homes at the building here.

3Eleven
311 11th Avenue, West Chelsea

Hudson Yards’ high-rise 3Eleven offers a luxury living experience with amenities to match. Developed by Douglaston Development and designed by FXCollaborative, the 62-story tower includes more than 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space, anchored by an outdoor pool with lounge seating and semi-private cabanas overlooking the Hudson River.

There is also a 5,000-square-foot fitness center, a sky deck with a speakeasy, a children’s playroom, and a residents’ lounge, complemented by 24-hour concierge and doorman service for maximum convenience. Pets are also welcome, with a pet-care facility that includes two outdoor dog runs.

Current availability at 3Eleven ranges from $5,295/month for one-bedroom units to $8,995/month for two-bedroom units.

The Smile
148 East 126th Street, East Harlem

Designed by architect Bjarke Ingels, The Smile stands out in East Harlem for its concave facade clad in blackened stainless steel panels inspired by elephant skin, according to CityRealty. Its checkerboard exterior curves gently, forming a shape that resembles a smile.

Containing 223 rental units, 20 percent of which are designated affordable housing, the development was completed in 2020. Residents have access to amenities including a fitness center, outdoor movie theater, spa, and a rooftop swim club with skyline views overlooking the Harlem River and the Manhattan skyline.

Current availability starts at $3,238/month for studios, $3,943/month for one-bedrooms, and $5,631/month for two-bedrooms.

Brooklyn Crossing
18 Sixth Avenue, Prospect Heights

Designed by Perkins Eastman as part of the 22-acre Pacific Park mega-development in Prospect Heights, the 51-story Brooklyn Crossing residential tower is the tallest building in the complex. Perched atop the tower is the crown jewel of its amenities collection: a serene sky lounge and a rooftop pool with 360-degree views.

The tower contains 858 mixed-income units ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments, with the tower’s height allowing for a variety of configurations. Residents also have access to a fitness center, business center, workspace, and 24-hour doorman and concierge service.

Apartments at Brooklyn Crossing start at $3,350/month for a studio. Find all availabilities here.

Plank Road
662 Pacific Street, Prospect Heights

Another component of the Pacific Park development, the 27-story Plank Road, designed by Marvel, was the fifth building completed as part of the project. Ranging from studios to two-bedrooms, the residences feature open floor plans, hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, modern appliances, and views of Prospect Heights and beyond. The views are the best at the top of the building, which has a 700-square-foot outdoor pool.

The building offers a range of amenities, including laundry, bike storage, a 24-hour doorman and concierge service, an 18th-floor landscaped terrace, a children’s playroom, a fitness center, and a rooftop space with dining areas, grills, and a pool.

Current availability at Plank Road starts at $3,650/month for studios, $4,425/month for one-bedrooms, and $6,590/month for two-bedrooms.

1515 Surf
1515 Surf Avenue, Coney Island

Located just steps from the beach in Coney Island, 1515 Surf opened in September 2024 as the first multi-family geothermal project in the five boroughs. The property features a 100 percent electric design that uses the Earth to heat and cool and power its water systems, eliminating the need for equipment that would run on fossil fuels.

Developed by LCOR and designed by STUDIO V Architecture, the innovative two-tower property also features more than 35,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, including an outdoor pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Lower Manhattan skyline, and the historic boardwalk.

It also offers a fitness center, an indoor basketball and handball court, a children’s playroom, beach lockers, multiple residents’ lounges, co-working spaces, and on-site parking. Additionally, the site showcases several art installations and custom pieces by local artists SNOEMAN, Timothy Goodman, and Corey Paige, as 6sqft previously reported.

Current availability starts at $3,220/month (net-effective) for one-bedroom units, $3,199/month for a junior two-bedroom unit, and $4,595/month for a full two-bedroom unit.

Third at Bankside
2401 Third Avenue, Mott Haven

Third at Bankside is the first phase of the larger Bankside plan on the Mott Haven waterfront in the Bronx, a seven-tower project delivering 1,379 new homes to the borough. The $950 million development represents one of the largest private investments in Bronx history, built on a 4.3-acre stretch along the Harlem River.

Designed by Hill West Architects, Third at Bankside consists of three towers ranging from 17 to 25 stories, with a total of 486 units. Amenities include a pool deck, fitness center, multiple lounges, a game room, children’s playroom, an automated package delivery system, indoor bike storage, and on-site parking with valet service.

All units feature in-unit washers and dryers, stainless steel appliances, smart entry locks, and high-speed internet.

Current availability starts at $2,800.95/month for one-bedrooms and $3,297/month for two-bedroom units.

Astoria West
30-77 Vernon Boulevard, Astoria

Astoria West, designed by Fogarty Finger, consists of three buildings across 2.5 acres along the Queens waterfront. Its prime waterfront location is complemented by its amenities suite, the standout of which is a private rooftop pool club and deck boasting skyline views. Stretching over 40,000 square feet, other features include a landscaped courtyard, fitness center, yoga and dance studio, co-working communal spaces, and garden space.

Developed by Cape Advisors, residences at Astoria West are spacious and framed by oversized windows to fill living spaces with natural light. Living rooms and bedrooms feature 9-foot ceiling heights, wide plank style floors, and central heating and cooling. In-unit washers and dryers add to the elevated living experience.

Kitchens feature custom walnut cabinetry, quartz countertops, and premium stainless steel appliances. Bathrooms include large showers, polished chrome fixtures, custom vanities, and deep-soaking bathtubs.

Current availability starts at $3,577/month for one-bedrooms and $5,400/month for two-bedroom units.

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The post 13 best NYC rental buildings with outdoor pools first appeared on 6sqft.

Lincoln Center on Monday broke ground on a $335 million project that will transform the campus into an accessible performance arts park. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Lincoln Center West Initiative reimagines the Amsterdam Avenue side of the campus by removing the wall at Damrosch Park and replacing it with a more welcoming edge that connects to the rest of the institution. The redeveloped Damrosch Park will be centered around the Baron Theater, a 2,000-person outdoor venue that will be Lincoln Center’s first new freestanding theater in 50 years, and an inviting open plaza surrounded by gardens, groves, and a new water feature. The opening is scheduled for summer 2028.

Designed by Hood Design Studio, Weiss/Manfredi, and Moody Nolan, the project transforms the west side of the campus by eliminating the wall at Damrosch Park that stands five feet tall at 62nd Street and rises to 20 feet tall at 65th Street. Unlike the east side of the campus, home to Josie Robertson Plaza, the west side has no direct access to Lincoln Center, physically blocking residents of neighboring NYCHA developments and students from nearby schools.

“The arts shape the character and vitality of cities, and we are committed to contributing to a more expansive and inclusive future for all New Yorkers. The west side of Lincoln Center’s campus has, for too long, sent a message of exclusion—but today, we are proud to break ground on a project that will change that,” Mariko Silver, president and CEO of Lincoln Center, said.

“No matter where you enter the campus, you will be greeted with the sense of open welcome and possibility that arts and culture should offer for all. The construction around us today is temporary. The invitation to join us here on this incredible campus is permanent.”

The new design includes several upgrades around the west side entrance, including improvements to sidewalks and the bus waiting area, and an increase in greenery, shade, benches, and lighting.

The new Baron Theater will be integrated into the new performance gardens, which will be renamed the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Gardens. The green spaces will boast flowering trees and a twisting bench with seating facing Amsterdam Avenue and the theater.

The Starr Foundation Fountain will include a water feature with mist and water jets for relaxation and play.

The Baron Theater will face an inviting and open plaza for an audience of roughly 2,000 people. The state-of-the-art amphitheater will host free performances. When the seating is not set for shows, the John and Susan Hess Family Plaza can still serve as a community gathering space, with flexible seating and room for other small-scale programming.

“We’re thrilled to design Lincoln Center’s first freestanding theater in over 50 years; a theater in the park. This groundbreaking milestone signals a renewed commitment to bring music and performance into the heart of the community,” Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi said in a statement.

“The Baron Theater and its plaza are designed as an open invitation to gather, connect, and experience art. The silhouette of the theatre’s gently vaulted roof, paired with the sweeping arc of the trellis and tiered steps frame a welcoming setting for informal gatherings and the world-class productions for which Lincoln Center is renowned.”

Lincoln Center first announced plans to open up the Amsterdam Avenue edge of campus in 2023 and soon after launched a participatory planning process to engage with local residents. More than 7,000 individuals shared their ideas through pop-up events, online surveys, and focus groups. Construction is expected to wrap up in two years.

“Lincoln Center is one of the world’s premier cultural destinations, and this project will ensure it remains a place where every New Yorker feels welcome,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

“By investing in this transformative redevelopment, we’re opening up world-class arts and performance spaces to the surrounding community, creating new opportunities for free programming, and ensuring that the next generation of New Yorkers can experience the power of the arts right in their own neighborhood.”

The annual Summer for the City festival returns to Lincoln Center starting June 10 through August 8, offering hundreds of free and choose-what-you-pay events.

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Located within the former Ansonia Clock Factory at 443 12th Street in Park Slope, this two-bedroom co-op was redesigned in 2014 by architect Philippe Baumann. The result, asking $2,150,000, is a duplex across three volumes that offers clean lines, large, livable spaces, and a stunning loft aesthetic that’s in keeping with the history of the 20th-century factory warehouse.

The 1,915-square-foot street-level loft is filled with natural light, made even more dramatic by triple-height ceilings. Framed by exposed brick and original beams, the home’s open spaces retain the warmth of the historic building. Unlike many contemporary lofts, the co-op’s living spaces and private quarters are well-defined.

The space is comprised of a lower level that anchors two mezzanine levels. The architect’s redesign showcases timeless materials and contemporary design using hardwood flooring, details in steel and wood, integrated LED lighting, and custom elements like closets and workspaces.

The expansive lower level contains a sun-filled living room that opens beneath 24-foot ceilings. On one side is a primary suite with capacious closets and a full-sized laundry room. A glass-tiled en-suite bath has concrete flooring and a walk-in shower room.

A steel staircase connects this floor to the volumes above. The first upper level holds an open eat-in kitchen and dining area. Granite worktops frame colorful European-style custom cabinetry, anchored by massive brick columns that offset the volume’s “floating” effect.

The top level holds another bedroom with a closet and more storage. A brilliant system of accordion panels allows each level to control privacy, light, and sound.

The historic converted South Slope warehouse is just a block from Prospect Park. The pet-friendly co-operative offers a communal rooftop with elevator access for stunning views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

[Listing details: 443 12th Street, #1B at CityRealty

[At The Corcoran Group by Jessica Buchman, Bryan Rettaliata, Susanna Studwell, and Hannah Simpson]

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The post An architect’s vision transformed this $2.15M Park Slope loft with leveled-up modernist design first appeared on 6sqft.

Riding a shuttle bus to the FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium this summer just got much cheaper. On Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that, with financial support from the state and other sponsors, round-trip shuttle tickets will cost $20, down from the previously announced $80 fare, as first reported by The Athletic. Of the roughly 18,000 shuttle tickets available per match, 20 percent will be reserved for New York residents. NJ Transit has also lowered round-trip train fares to MetLife Stadium to $98, after initially setting prices at $150 before reducing them to $105 last week.f

“Hosting the World Cup is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for New Yorkers, and we are making this world-class event as affordable and accessible as possible,” Hochul said. “Cheaper shuttle bus service is a no-brainer—saving fans money and making it easier to get to matches, especially for New Yorkers who have access to exclusive tickets at this new, lower price.”

The buses will depart from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, with two additional pickup locations in Midtown East, just east of Grand Central Terminal, and Midtown North, just west of Central Park. Exact locations will be announced in the coming weeks.

In anticipation of higher-than-expected demand, bus capacity has been expanded from an initial 10,000 seats to 18,000 seats for five matches and 12,000 seats for three matches. To allow for this increased service, additional school buses were secured from Highland Electric Fleets.

Bus tickets are now on sale for match ticketholders and can be purchased here. Customers who previously purchased official stadium shuttle tickets for applicable matches will automatically receive a $60 refund.

“Creating a World Cup experience that is accessible for both fans visiting our region and the people who call New York and New Jersey home is a core priority for us,” Alex Lasry, CEO of the NYNJ FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Committee, said.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Gov. Hochul for helping us expand shuttle capacity and reduce round-trip fares from $80 to $20,” he added. “These improvements will provide an affordable and convenient transportation option while furthering our mission to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime event for residents and visitors alike.”

The announcement follows NJ Transit’s recent reductions to World Cup train fares. After initial backlash over the $150 round-trip price, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill directed the agency to identify alternative funding sources to reduce costs for fans and avoid passing expenses on to Garden State residents.

Last week, the agency cut fares by 30 percent to $105. On Tuesday, Sherrill announced in a post on X that the price had been reduced again to $98.

RELATED:

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• NJ Transit cuts World Cup train fare to MetLife by 30%
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The post NYC to MetLife bus fares for World Cup cut by 75% first appeared on 6sqft.

A landmarked building on Billionaires’ Row has been transformed into 47 luxury condos. Sales launched this week at Parc Beaufort, a 14-story tower at 140 West 57th Street originally built in 1908 as housing for artists. Led by the Feil Organization and MdeAS Architects, the conversion of the luxury condo preserved the building’s historic pre-war character while adding contemporary interiors by AD100 firm Stephen Sills Associates. Residences, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, start at $955,000.

Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style by Pollard & Steinam, the property was built to provide live-work space for artists, with its high ceilings and oversized windows.

The building’s duplex arrangement created seven double-height stories facing the street, with 12 stories at the rear. Its tall projecting bay windows are set in “geometrically ornamented” cast iron frames, drawing in the northern light prized by artists, according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s 1999 designation report.

This type of housing emerged as a model for both artists and non-artists, addressing a long-standing shortage of live-work spaces suitable for creative professionals. The neighborhood, home to the Art Students’ League and Carnegie Hall, was a prime location.

In 1944, the building became rentals. Macklowe, which purchased the building in the 1980s, converted the tower into offices in 1998. The Feil Organization acquired the Beaufort in 2009 for $57 million.

The building’s limestone and brick facade is being carefully restored by MdeAS, preserving its historic character and detailing. According to the New York Times, the architects are recreating the cornice, which had been removed years ago.

“Working with a historic landmark requires a deep respect for its original design,” Dan Shannon, principal at MdeAS Architects, said. “We sought to preserve the qualities that made it exceptional—unique volumes and double height spaces that permit extraordinary natural light —while adapting it for modern residential use.”

“The result is an architecture that feels both enduring and relevant, rooted in history but designed for how people live today,” he added.

As a residential building once again, the apartments feature soaring ceilings that now define dramatic living spaces measuring nearly 20 feet in height, while the original double-height windows bring in abundant natural light.

Each residence features a custom kitchen designed by Stephen Sills, with rift-sawn, wire-brushed oak cabinetry and honed Emperador marble countertops and backsplashes.

Primary bathrooms include honed travertine flooring and walls, custom white oak vanities, and bronze Gessi fixtures, all selected for their timeless aesthetic.

Amenity spaces include a double-height, vaulted 24-hour attended lobby with marble flooring, white oak paneling, blackened bronze metalwork, and custom crown moldings.

Other perks include a fitness center with an infrared sauna, a residents’ lounge overlooking West 57th Street, and a 1,600-square-foot landscaped roof deck with seating and an outdoor kitchen. Bike storage and private storage units are also available.

Residences at Parc Beaufort are priced from $995,000 for a studio, $1.2 million for a one-bedroom, $3.15 million for a two-bedroom, and $4.5 million for a three-bedroom.

Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group is handling marketing and sales for Parc Beaufort.

“The opportunity to own a prewar condominium atelier on Billionaires’ Row has galvanized the market,” Beth Fisher, senior managing director at Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, said.

“The historic character of these homes, including signature bay windows and double-height spaces, is breathtaking,” she added. “We are so pleased to represent Parc Beaufort—a one-of-a-kind piece of New York history.”

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The post Landmarked artists’ housing building on Billionaires’ Row is reborn as luxury condos first appeared on 6sqft.

The Met, the MoMA, the Guggenheim. The hallowed halls of these New York City institutions house some of the world’s most renowned works of art. But what if you’re really into posters? Or have a specific love for paintings of dogs? Well, there’s a place for everyone in this great city! Here are six niche museums to spend an afternoon.

The AKC Museum of the Dog

Dog lovers, perk up your ears! The American Kennel Club opened the Museum of the Dog in 2019 at the AKC headquarters near Grand Central. Inside, you’ll find classical and contemporary art honoring man’s best friend and interactive exhibits that are fun for kids and adult canine enthusiasts. Plus, dogs are invited to join in on Fridays; there are also “reactive” hours for dogs who don’t do well around their peers.

Visit if: “You want to discover one of New York City’s most delightfully unexpected cultural gems; a museum where world-class art, history and the joy of dogs collide. Whether you’re a devoted dog lover or simply looking for something uniquely New York, the Museum offers an experience that is playful, beautiful, surprisingly moving.” – Executive Director, Christopher E. Bromson

101 Park Avenue, Manhattan
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Brooklyn Seltzer Museum

Fizzy water fanatic? There’s a museum for that. The family-owned Brooklyn Seltzer Museum and factory gives visitors a peek into the science and history of the carbonated refreshment. In March, the museum hosts an annual SeltzerFest at Industry City with an egg cream invitational, won this year by Staten Island’s Egger’s Ice Cream Parlor.

Visit if: “You want a quirky, touching, unique deep-dive into Brooklyn history and one family’s four-generation quest to promote the effervescent story of seltzer water.” – Curator, Barry Joseph

474 Hemlock St., Brooklyn
Hours: Check website for tour availability

Poster House

Posters are not just something we tacked onto our walls in high school. They hold artistic, cultural, and historical significance. That’s what the first museum in the United States dedicated to the medium wants to show people. Current exhibitions at Poster House include “Act Black: Posters from Black American Stage & Screen,” “Love & Fury: New York’s Fight Against AIDS” and “Reading Under Fire: Arming Minds & Hearts During Wartime.”

Visit if: “You’re curious about how posters have historically influenced the world around us.. Our exhibitions explore everything from political propaganda and protest movements to film, travel, music, and advertising, showing how graphic design influences the way people think, communicate, and experience culture.” – Board President, Valerie Crosswhite

119 West 23rd Street, Manhattan
Hours: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

The Skyscraper Museum

If you’re constantly looking up and wondering, The Skyscraper Museum can answer the questions you have while gazing at New York’s skyline. Since 1996, the museum has been dedicated to the architecture, science, and history behind these tall buildings. The permanent collection features a large mural and miniature replicas of the city’s iconic buildings; the current exhibition is “The Invention of Park Avenue.”

Visit if: “You like big buildings and cities and are curious about how architects, engineers and builders have designed within a complex system of economics, technologies, zoning and public review to create the world’s most spectacular skyscrapers and skylines.” – Head of Programs & Operations, Daniel J. Borrero

39 Battery Place, Manhattan
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 12 p.m.- 6 p.m.

The New York Historical

This museum is dedicated to both the history of the Big Apple and the United States. This year, catch art exhibits for America’s 250th, a Picasso masterpiece, and paintings highlighting the fair city. The jewel of the museum is the Tiffany lamp gallery of 100 illuminated Tiffany lamps. “Regarded as one of the world’s largest and most encyclopedic, the Museum’s Tiffany Lamp collection includes multiple examples of the Dragonfly shade, a unique Dogwood floor lamp (ca. 1900–06), a Wisteria table lamp (ca. 1901), and a rare, elaborate Cobweb shade on a Narcissus mosaic base (ca. 1902), among many others,” the site describes.

Visit if: You love art, American history, and, of course, the city of New York (and the beauty of a Tiffany lamp).

170 Central Park West at 77th Street, Manhattan
Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Waterfront Museum

Step on a barge in Red Hook to immerse yourself in the seafaring history of New York City. The museum is located on the 1914 Lehigh Valley Barge #79, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “Many of the items in our collections are the remnants of maritime businesses in Red Hook…In addition to collecting and preserving artifacts and archival materials relating to lighterage and showboats, the Waterfront Museum has launched projects to collect oral histories from longshoremen who worked break bulk during the end of the transition to containerization,” the site explains. The barge is also available for private events and for school trips.

Visit if: “You want … a front row seat to the New York Harbor — a place where maritime history, live performance, art exhibitions, waterfront views, and community come together in one unforgettable setting. Whether you’re interested in history, architecture, theater, music, boats, photography, or simply finding a peaceful and inspiring place by the harbor, the barge offers something unlike anywhere else in the city. Visitors of all ages can explore a rare piece of working waterfront history while enjoying free and low-cost cultural programs.” – Executive Director, David Sharps

290 Conover St., Brooklyn
Hours: Tuesday, 4-8 p.m.; Thursday, 1- 5 p.m.

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Open streets outside 50 public schools across New York City will be transformed into soccer pitches ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer. On Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced “Soccer Streets,” a traveling series of field days that will convert car-free streets into soccer pitches, art stations, and block-party celebrations. The initiative launched on May 1 and will visit a different school each day through the end of the school year on June 26.

As part of the series, students will play pickup matches, run drills, paint team flags, and celebrate the arrival of the world’s biggest sporting event in the tri-state area.

New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium is set to host five group-stage matches 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 World Cup is coming to NYC, and we want every kid in this city to experience the joy of the game,” Mamdani said. “Soccer Streets takes that energy directly into our neighborhoods—closing streets to cars, opening them to play and making sure this celebration isn’t reserved for people who can afford a ticket.”

“Open Streets is one of the best tools we have to reclaim space for the public and these activations are another step toward bringing the World Cup to our young people,” he added.

The initiative builds on the Mamdani administration’s continued efforts to create World Cup-related events across the city. Last month, Zohran Mamdani announced a free, citywide lineup of official NYNJ Fan Events across all five boroughs. At each location, New Yorkers will be able to enjoy live match screenings, cultural programming, and interactive experiences.

The city is partnering with Street Lab and Chobani to bring Soccer Streets to schools across the five boroughs. Schools interested in participating should contact Street Lab for more information and to get involved.

“Open Streets for Schools hold a special promise for the future of the city,” Leslie Davol, executive director of Street Lab, said. “We’re seeing students, families, teachers, and neighbors, working side-by-side to transform streets into places to gather, bringing learning from out behind the walls, and inspiring the whole community.”

Soccer Streets is part of the city’s Department of Transportation Open Streets for Schools program, which allows schools to close adjacent streets to traffic for recess, outdoor learning, and safer pickup and drop-off. Several participating Soccer Streets locations are already Open Streets schools.

Applications for the 2026–27 school year are now open, as the city encourages more schools to participate in the program.

RELATED:

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If you think there is nothing worse than renting an apartment with windows and no view, think again. At one point in the city’s history, where one may now enjoy a small sliver of daylight and at least some fresh air, there was no light or air at all. Indeed, tenants’ windows looked out onto slits—sometimes a mere 28 inches wide—that were teeming with waste, rancid smells, and noise.

New Yorkers’ longstanding quest for air and light

The history of the air shafts is really a history of windows, and the city’s long struggle to enforce the window law. Until the mid-19th century, windows—at least exterior windows—were not required in every room. But forcing developers to construct buildings with external windows did not immediately fix the air and light deficit plaguing New Yorkers at the time. In fact, even after windows became part of the legal definition of a room, many city builders continued to construct tenements without exterior windows. To get around the law, they simply installed interior windows—for example, between a street-facing room and the adjoining room.

When exterior windows finally became mandatory in the 1880s, developers were naturally eager to comply with the city’s new building law, but without losing a significant amount of building space. For at least two decades, this led to the construction of buildings with interior air shafts so narrow that tenants could shake hands with their neighbors in adjoining buildings. However, few neighbors at the time were eagerly shaking hands across their air shafts. Rather than create a source of air and light, these narrow slots quickly evolved into sources of disease, noise, and dysfunction.

Air shafts condemned as a health hazard

Had 311 already existed in the 1880s to 1890s, there is no question that the air shaft would have drummed up a high number of daily complaints. In an age when indoor plumbing and other modern conveniences were still scarce, especially in tenements, the air shaft was adopted as a convenient place to dump everything from food scraps to human waste, and from all accounts, the accumulation of waste was great.

An 1885 article in the New York Times reported that when Mary Olsen, an Irish immigrant distraught about her husband’s late-night habits, attempted to jump to her death via her tenement’s air shaft, the garbage at the bottom was so copious that she escaped unharmed from the suicide attempt.

So, where did all the complaints about the city’s air shafts go in a pre-311 era?

Eventually, many irate tenants and housing reformers were able to air their complaints to the Tenement House Committee—a 1900 commission set up to collect vital data on the city’s housing situation. One witness who spoke to the Tenement House Committee claimed that air shafts should be renamed “foul air shafts.”

Dozens of other witnesses described the air shafts as festering tubes of disease. Indeed, the Tenement Commission’s final report found that “Practically all the witnesses who testified before the commission united in the opinion that the ‘air shaft’ was the most serious evil of the present tenement.”

Objections to air shafts were not limited to the poor quality of air they generated. The fire department also objected to the air shafts. While by no means a useful source of air for tenants, in the case of fire, the shafts did supply just enough oxygen to help spread fires more quickly.

Upon the Commission’s recommendation, new regulations were eventually introduced that limited developers to building on no more than 70 percent of any lot. While by no means offering lower-floor tenants a great view—brick walls are still a common feature in many walkups to this day—the construction of larger interior courtyards did at least mitigate the more serious dangers and nuisances produced by the earlier narrow air shafts.

The fight to preserve air shafts

Despite the air shaft’s long and dismal history, a few older city buildings still have narrow air shafts that date back to the nineteenth century, and at least some tenants have recently sought to make a case for their preservation. In a 2014 legal case, Leyin Ouyang v Cromelin, a couple living at 1664 Third Avenue objected after the owner of the building sealed up two air shafts measuring 58 inches by 36 inches, eliminating their access to the narrow shaft of air and light let in by the opening. An architect hired by the tenant and brought to court as an expert witness not only claimed that the air shafts had been improperly covered by the owner but also emphasized that their coverage would impact the tenant’s enjoyment of their home.

As reported in the case’s court documents, “Respondent’s architect testified that there are two windows in the subject premises that open up to airshafts, so that each airshaft can provide ventilation and light.” In this case, the court ruled in favor of the respondent and ordered that the narrow air shafts be unsealed.

Editor’s note: The original version of this article was published on October 16, 2017, and has since been updated.

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The post A short history of New York City’s foul air shafts first appeared on 6sqft.

The Park Avenue penthouse owned by Maurice Tempelsman, Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s longtime companion, is now on the market. Tempelsman, who died last summer at the age of 95, bought the top-floor co-op at 1155 Park Avenue in Carnegie Hill for $3.3 million in 1999, as the New York Times reported. Now asking $5.5 million, the two-bedroom pre-war apartment is surrounded by an enormous, landscaped terrace, providing a serene rooftop garden with views of Manhattan and Central Park.

Tempelsman, a Belgian-American diamond magnate, was Jackie O’s partner for more than a decade before she died in 1994, according to the Times.

When Tempelsman first toured the Park Avenue penthouse, his son Leon told the Times his father was “struck by the grand scale of the rooms” and the “enormous wraparound terrace.”

“He was walking through the apartment with the broker trying to put on a game face, then he turned around with his hand cupped over his mouth and said, ‘I love it,’” Leon told the newspaper. “It was love at first sight.”

The entry foyer is on the 12th floor, with a staircase leading to the dining room. The penthouse measures about 1,800 square feet and has two bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and a staff room. At roughly 3,600 square feet, the wraparound terrace is about twice the size of the apartment itself.

The dining room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors that lead to the terrace. The space seamlessly connects to the living room, which has a wood-burning fireplace and access to the outdoor space.

A spacious and sunny primary suite has two walk-in closets and an en-suite bath. A door leads out to the corner of the terrace with city-facing views.

Down the hall, you’ll find the second bedroom, which is currently being used as a library and home office. This room also comes with its own bath and direct terrace access.

A windowed galley kitchen gets the job done. The room is next to a staff room with a bathroom.

Accessible from every room, the magnificent outdoor space features an irrigation system, a fountain with koi, and is overflowing with plants. The Times reports the rooftop garden includes Japanese maple, weeping cherry, and crab apple trees, dogwoods, wisteria, and English ivy. The wide-open views and greenery make the terrace ideal for both moments of solititude and extravagant events.

Even more unique, the terrace has a wooden skiff from Martha’s Vineyard. “He loved telling people about the vertical journey involved in hoisting a 13-foot boat up 12 floors to the top of a New York City building,” Leon told the Times about his father. “This is most likely the first penthouse apartment to come with its very own skiff.”

The apartment building at 1155 Park Avenue was designed by Robert T. Lyons and built by Bing & Bing in 1915. According to CityRealty, architect Emery Roth later added the setback penthouses in 1915 and 1922. Amenities include a full-time doorman, concierge, live-in resident manager, a gym, package room, bike storage, and private storage for each unit.

[Listing details: 1155 Park Avenue, PH at CityRealty]

[At Sotheby’s International Realty by Allison B. Koffman, Juliette R. Janssens, and Nadia O’Reilly]

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The post Park Avenue penthouse with enormous terrace owned by Maurice Tempelsman lists for $5.5M first appeared on 6sqft.

New York City public housing residents will be able to raise concerns directly with city officials as part of a new engagement campaign. Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week announced “NYCHA in Your Neighborhood,” a series of events in May and June that will allow residents to speak with agency officials about issues including repairs, community programming, pests and waste, faulty elevators, lead, and public safety. The forums will focus on neighborhood-wide clusters of NYCHA developments rather than individual properties. The first event will take place in the Bronx on May 20, followed by meetings in Brooklyn on June 3 and Manhattan on June 17.

At the meetings, residents can participate in small-group discussions with NYCHA and city administration officials, as well as visit resource tables for one-on-one conversations with NYCHA staff about repairs, tenancy issues, environmental conditions, and other concerns.

Representatives from the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and city agencies, including the Departments of Social Services, Health and Mental Hygiene, Youth and Community Development, and the Department for the Aging, will also be present to answer questions.

“As we work to deliver the investments and improvements residents deserve, NYCHA in Your Neighborhood will help put public housing residents at the center of policymaking. These forums will give residents a new opportunity to weigh in on the issues that matter most to them and access services from a range of City agencies,” Mamdani said.

The initiative builds on ongoing efforts by the Mamdani administration to strengthen tenant protections and expand engagement with public housing residents. NYCHA residents currently have access to property management offices and on-site staff at every development, as well as 24/7 specialty teams that respond to emergency heating, elevator, and skilled-trades repair requests.

The effort also follows the mayor’s “Rental Ripoff” hearing series, announced in January. At those meetings, tenants were asked to share challenges they faced in their homes, which the city used to compile a report identifying common issues and inform future housing policy.

The first meeting in February in Downtown Brooklyn drew protests, including from Rev. Kevin McCall of Kingdom Justice Church, who held up a sign reading “the mayor don’t CARE about NYCHA,” according to Gothamist.

A Mamdani spokesperson said the new NYCHA forums were not developed in response to backlash and had been planned separately as part of the administration’s broader NYCHA engagement strategy.

The administration has also announced clean energy investments at NYCHA’s Beach 41st Houses in Edgemere. In February, Zohran Mamdani unveiled a $38.4 million investment to install clean heat pumps in 712 apartments at the Queens development, under NYCHA’s “Clean Heat for All” initiative. The program aims to reach more than 10,000 apartments by 2030.

NYCHA residents can register to attend the forums here.

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The post NYCHA tenants can voice concerns in new forum series with city officials first appeared on 6sqft.

This condo at 463 West 142nd Street begins with the unique details—like double-height ceilings and arched windows—that come with its former life as a church convent. This pre-war frame holds a loft-like interior with thoroughly modern infrastructure. Asking $2,075,000, the colorful space has the advantage of condo convenience, in the heart of historic Hamilton Heights.

The apartment building was built in 1912 as a convent for Our Lady of Lourdes church, which was landmarked by the city in 1975. According to the designation report from the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the church is one of the earliest examples of adaptive reuse in the city, with the use of architectural elements from three iconic 19th-century buildings: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the A.T. Stewart Mansion, and the National Academy of Design.

Following a conversion led by Alexander Compango Architecture, the convent now holds 14 apartments, with original elements beautifully preserved. Those historic details are what pulled in current owners Katharine and Joe Losavio, who toured just this one apartment before making an offer.

“We were drawn in by the Neo-Gothic arch, expansive space, and dramatic cathedral ceilings,” Katharine told 6sqft. And with the historic church next door, “when we look out the windows, we almost feel like we are transported to a romantic European city,” she added.

Katharine and Joe were able to preserve the home’s stunning original architecture while adding modern upgrades. To give the space the drama it deserves, the couple embraced a maximalist aesthetic, with jewel tones, contrasting geometric patterns, and metallics. For the main bedroom, a blend of “maximalist cottage/English country” was in order, adding vintage pieces, lighting, and candles to complement the neighboring church.

“We always knew that the space deserved all the drama possible, so we leaned into the maximalism while also keeping some elements simple to avoid tipping into grand-Maximal or Victorian,” Katharine said. “Ultimately, we had a ton of fun and are thrilled with the finished product!”

A dramatic great room is at the center of the home, opening beneath cove ceilings punctuated by massive refectory windows. The apartment is the only one in the building with fully preserved ceilings. Wide plank flooring in pale oak modernizes the space, framed by walls dressed in Adirondack green and crisp white.

The great room is comprised of living and dining areas. To one side, a spiral stair winds its way to the mezzanine above.

A sleek, capable kitchen is open to the great room, anchored by a seating island. There’s plenty of counter space along with integrated appliances and modern loft lighting.

Off one end of the kitchen, a private patio awaits al fresco dining and entertaining.

There are two bedrooms—one with a large walk-in closet. An open mezzanine space can be used as a bedroom or office. Three full baths add to the home’s flexibility.

The boutique condominium offers residents the security of a virtual doorman system. Additional perks include a package room and a shared, furnished roof deck.

The neighborhood is a perk on its own. The Losavios, who previously lived in Harlem, were drawn to Hamilton Heights for its greenery, history, and landmarked architecture.

“It has a rich history and is incredibly diverse. It is truly one of the most beautiful pockets in NYC,” Katharine said.

[Listing details: 463 West 142nd Street #2B at CityRealty]

[At Brown Harris Stevens by Michael Kelley-Bradford]

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• Living on Hallowed Ground: NYC Religious Buildings Being Converted to Luxury Housing
• $2.2M Brooklyn Heights Loft with Gothic-Style Stained Glass Windows Is Simply Heavenly

The post A colorful converted convent in Hamilton Heights asks $2M first appeared on 6sqft.

After fierce backlash over its controversial $150 round-trip fare for service to FIFA World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium, NJ Transit has lowered the train tickets to $105. As first reported by The Athletic, the agency reduced fares for the 18-mile trip by 30 percent after securing new sponsorships, CEO Kris Kolluri confirmed Thursday. After NJ Transit unveiled the original $150 price tag last month, Mikie Sherrill directed the agency to find alternative funding sources to ease costs for soccer fans and ensure New Jersey residents do not bear the cost of the tournament.

The journey from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium typically costs $12.90 for a round-trip ticket, but fares for the soccer tournament were initially increased more than elevenfold. The stadium is set to host eight World Cup matches this summer.

The lineup includes five group-stage matches 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. Only 40,000 tickets will be available for each match, with no additional tickets to be released once the initial batch sells out.

In April, Mikie Sherrill said FIFA should pay for fan transportation, arguing that the organization is expected to generate $11 billion from the tournament while NJ faces a $48 million transit bill. At the time, NJ Transit said it would have to pass those costs on to either taxpayers or event attendees.

FIFA reacted with “surprise,” citing a 2018 agreement with host cities that required free transportation for fans to matches. However, that agreement was revised in 2023, according to Yahoo Sports, as the governing body acknowledged the “financial strain” on host cities.

A FIFA spokesperson told Yahoo Sports that it was “not aware of any other major event previously held at MetLife Stadium, including other major sports and global concert tours, where organizers were required to pay for fan transportation,” they added.

The spokesperson also said NJ Transit’s pricing model could have a “chilling effect” on the tournament, warning of “increased congestion, late arrivals,” and broader ripple effects that could ultimately diminish the economic benefit and long-term legacy of hosting the FIFA World Cup, according to The Athletic.

Now, the transit agency says that, in collaboration with Mikie Sherrill’s administration, it has secured “sponsorship support” that will allow it to lower ticket costs without affecting fares for local commuters. The agency also continues to seek additional private funding sources to reduce prices further.

An official shuttle bus service will also be available, providing fans with a direct ride from the Port Authority Bus Terminal or the Midtown East Shuttle to MetLife Stadium. In NJ, a park-and-ride shuttle will operate from the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, allowing fans to travel directly to the stadium. Bus tickets cost $80 and are available for purchase here.

While train tickets may now be slightly cheaper, the overall cost of attending a World Cup match this summer is still sky-high. 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, according to NPR.

NJ Transit riders should also expect changes to Penn Station access on match days. Last month, it was revealed that commuters would not be able to board NJ-bound trains from the station for four hours before the start of the eight matches.

World Cup attendees will have their tickets checked at entrances on 32nd and 33rd Streets, while Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road riders will be directed to alternate entrances, as 6sqft previously reported.

Train ticket sales go live on Wednesday, May 13, and need to be booked in advance.

RELATED:

• NYC Council wants a ‘cultural passport,’ more public bathrooms, and Pelé Way for World Cup
• NJ Transit tickets to World Cup matches at MetLife will cost $150
• NJ Transit access to be restricted at Penn Station during World Cup

The post NJ Transit cuts World Cup train fare to MetLife by 30% first appeared on 6sqft.

In a preliminary vote on Thursday, the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) backed rent adjustments that included leases with no increases, advancing Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s promise of a rent freeze for New York City tenants living in one million stabilized apartments. It’s not a done deal. The nine-member board voted for proposed adjustments between 0 and 2 percent for one-year leases and 0 and 4 percent for two-year leases, leaving the door open for a potential increase. The final guidelines, likely falling somewhere in that range, will be voted on by the board on June 25.

Mamdani made freezing the rent for the two million New Yorkers living in stabilized housing a central pledge of his campaign last year. Despite former Mayor Eric Adams’ attempt to block him, the mayor earlier this year named six members to the RGB, which consists of two members to represent tenant interests, two for owner interests, and five members to represent the general public.

“New Yorkers are being crushed by the cost of living, and they need real relief,” Mamdani said in a statement. “I’m encouraged to see the Board taking seriously the data around affordability, operating expenses, and the pressures facing both tenants and small property owners as it sets this preliminary range.”

Every year, the board bases its rent adjustments on several metrics that reveal the current economic conditions for both landlords and tenants. The board’s report showed the Price Index of Operating Costs, which looks at taxes, labor costs, fuel, utilities, maintenance, administrative costs, and insurance costs in rent-stabilized properties, rose 5.3 percent this year.

But the net operating income (NOI) for landlords rose 6.2 percent between 2023 and 2024 citywide, the third consecutive year that NOI increased.

Landlords have long claimed NOI is a “flawed metric” for small rent-stabilized buildings because it does not factor in mortgage debt and major capital expenses. As 6sqft previously reported, profits are also 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 data showed that 9 percent of buildings are distressed, meaning the owner is losing income, slightly down from the year prior, with a vast majority of distressed properties built before 1974.

Small Property Owners of New York (SPONY) board president Ann Korchak said the board’s data is “distorted” because it combines majority-rent stabilized buildings with core-Manhattan and newer buildings that are more profitable. The group believes there should be separate lease adjustments for apartments in older buildings.

“The RGB, in its final vote in June, must provide separate rent orders for buildings constructed pre-1973, or these older properties are going to fall further into economic distress and ultimately into the hands of predatory landlords, or worse, the city will add this housing to its abysmal NYCHA portfolio,” Korchak said in a statement.

Korchak also hinted at taking legal action against the board. “Flouting its obligations, making decisions based on politics, and demonstrating a clear bias against small owners has serious legal implications,” she said. 

Last year, the board approved rent hikes for the fourth year in a row, with a 3 percent increase for one-year leases and a 4.5 percent increase for two-year leases.

During Adams’ tenure, the rent went up cumulatively by 12 percent for rent-stabilized units. Under Mayor Bill de Blasio, the board approved rent freezes several times. Rents went up just 6 percent during his eight years as mayor.

It’s important to note that during de Blasio’s tenure, until 2019, when the state outlawed vacancy decontrol, landlords were able to raise the rent by 20 percent on vacant apartments and remove them from rent stabilization once hitting a certain threshold.

Thursday’s preliminary vote marks the first time the board is considering a freeze on two-year leases, which tenant advocates say is needed amid the city’s growing affordability crisis. According to the NYS Tenant Bloc, which launched last year to campaign for a rent freeze and tenant-friendly candidates, with rent-stabilized tenants struggling to make ends meet, evictions up 12 percent in 2025, and the Trump administration’s cut of federal benefits like SNAP and housing aid, a rent freeze is a “common sense intervention.”

“When tenants get organized, participate in the political process, and use their political power, we can win,” Sumathy Kumar, NYS Tenant Bloc Director, said in a statement following the board’s vote on Thursday.

“Organized tenants helped put Zohran Mamdani in office, and organized tenants will ensure the Rent Guidelines Board delivers on a promise supported by over one million New Yorkers. A rent freeze on one and two-year leases is a common-sense intervention supported by the data and by tenants who make up the majority of New York City.”

The first public meeting on the lease adjustments will be held on May 21 at 9:30 a.m. at Spector Hall in Manhattan. There are four hearings scheduled on June 4, June 8, June 11, and June 16, where the public can testify. The final vote is scheduled for June 25 at 7 p.m. at El Museo del Barrio.

RELATED:

• Landlord income up 6 percent as board considers rent adjustments for NYC’s stabilized apartments
• 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 Rent freeze for stabilized apartments backed by NYC board in preliminary vote first appeared on 6sqft.

A new exhibition exploring the ritual of everyday objects opened along the waterfront in Brooklyn Bridge Park this week. Presented by the Public Art Fund, “Guardian Spirit” by Woody De Othello consists of three redwood totems, between 20 and 22 feet tall, and four large-scale bronze sculptures, inspired by “nkisi,” ritual objects from Western and Central Africa that “embody spiritual presences and channel protective or healing forces.” Located in Pier 1 and at the intersection of Washington Street and Plymouth Street in Dumbo, “Guardian Spirit” is De Othello’s first solo public exhibition in New York City.

The exhibition includes four large-scale bronze sculptures and three totemic redwood sculptures that are designed to respond to the park’s openness and proximity to the water. De Othello carved the totems from compressed blocks of wood using chainsaws and grinders, with each structure filled with symbolic reliefs.

There are outstretched hands depicting compassion, kneeling figures for reverence, ears for listening, and birds for freedom. The sculptures will weather with the environment and the passage of time.

De Othello typically works in clay and bronze, utilizing everyday objects like clocks and phones, and transforming them into something intimate.

“For me, anything in the material world has the potential to become a ritual object,” Othello said in a statement. “Before something exists physically, it begins as a thought. Sculpture is a way of pointing back to that unseen space, to the breath, the wind, the shared consciousness we’re all part of.”

The sculpture “thought in mind” consists of a large bronze phone and a comb, hinting at the objects’ outsized importance. “Capacity,” “inner knowing,” and “Involution” feature trumpet horn-shaped appendages merging with ears and hands, revealing a connection between sensation and emotion, inspired by nkisi.

“Woody De Othello creates sculptures that feel both intimate and monumental,” Jenée-Daria Strand, Assistant Curator at Public Art Fund, said.

“He invites us to consider how art can hold space: for protection, for memory, and for connection, while ensuring the work remains approachable and playful, through his use of recognizable objects. In Brooklyn Bridge Park, these works open outward, engaging the environment and the public.”

“Guardian Spirit” will be on view through March 8, 2027. Learn more about the exhibition here.

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The post Towering totems in Brooklyn Bridge Park explore the ritual of everyday objects first appeared on 6sqft.

The city began the community engagement process for a new development coming to public land in Bed-Stuy. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on Thursday announced plans to redevelop the run-down Bedford-Stuyvesant Multi-Service Center (MSC) and neighboring vacant city-owned land on Fulton Street into a mixed-use project with 100 percent affordable housing and social services. The project, called “Fulton-Howard West,” is the first public development site under Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration.

The development site includes the multi-service center, the former P.S. 28 school building, and its adjacent running track on Herkimer Street, as well as an additional vacant city-owned lot. The city’s Department of Housing Preservation (HPD) and Development has launched a public engagement process to gather resident feedback to help shape the project.

“This building will not only be in Bed-Stuy, it will be for Bed-Stuy,” HPD Commissioner Dina Levy said. “Starting today, we’ll be in the neighborhood at workshops and on the streets, engaging the community on what they want to see here. 100% percent affordable housing on public land with a dedicated community space designed for the residents that live here—that is the investment Bed-Stuy needs, and we are going to get it right.”

Built in 1912, the five-story building at 1958 Fulton Street has long served as a community hub hosting several local organizations, but it needs $60 million in capital repairs and upgrades, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

The site was designated as a potential affordable housing location in the 2020 Bedford-Stuyvesant Housing Plan.

Other components of the plan include The Norma, a 100 percent affordable homeownership development on Fulton Street and Howard Avenue, which the city announced in January 2022. The 11-story mixed-use project, aka Fulton-Howard East, will add 44 condo-style co-ops for first-time buyers.

Created by HPD, the plan aims to address a long-standing shortage of affordable rentals and homeownership opportunities in Bed-Stuy. According to city data, more than 27 percent of Bed-Stuy households earn less than 30 percent of the area median income (AMI) and are considered extremely low-income. Roughly 28 percent earn between 31 and 80 percent of AMI.

However, only 19 percent of rental units in the neighborhood are considered affordable to households earning 30 percent of the AMI or less, as reported by the Brooklyn Paper. More than half of Bed-Stuy residents are rent-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent, while 28.3 percent pay more than 50 percent.

The service center, which houses CAMBA HomeBase and Little Flower Children & Family Services, will include expanded space for those organizations and more. The city said those services will remain in operation throughout the development process and until construction begins. The organizations will eventually relocate to the newly constructed space.

Starting this spring and summer, the public engagement process will include online questionnaires, tabling events, a community workshop, and meetings with the community board and local stakeholders.

The project marks the first public site engagement initiative launched under the Mamdani administration and builds on broader efforts to create affordable housing on public land. The site was identified by the LIFT task force, established by Mamdani on his first day in office, to help identify city-owned sites suitable for affordable housing development.

“NYC is facing a dire housing crisis, and we are using every tool available to build the affordable homes New Yorkers need,” Mamdani said. “Fulton-Howard West shows what’s possible when we treat public land as a public good.”

“This project will help longtime Bed-Stuy residents stay in their neighborhood while creating new space for the organizations and services that communities rely on,” he added. “As this process moves forward, neighbors will help shape what gets built here, from the housing to the public space to the services that will serve this community for decades to come.”

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The post City-owned site in Bed-Stuy to become 100% affordable housing and community space first appeared on 6sqft.

A massive office-to-residential conversion in the Financial District has launched leasing for nearly 800 luxury rental apartments. Located at 222 Broadway, the 32-story tower, formerly home to tenants including Bank of America, Santander, and American Express, has been transformed by GFP Development and architect CetraRuddy into “Wrey,” a residential tower with 788 units and a five-floor amenities club. Prices range from $4,588/month for studios with home offices to $12,088/month for three-bedroom units.

For Wrey, CetraRuddy transformed the building’s former open floor plates and corner offices into spacious, light-filled residences designed to maximize sweeping views of City Hall Park, the Woolworth Building, the Hudson River, St. Paul’s Chapel, One World Trade Center, and the Oculus.

Designed for today’s “hybrid lifestyle,” the apartments feature ceiling heights of up to 9 feet 8 inches and refined interior finishes, including Calacatta quartz countertops and backsplashes, a full suite of Bertazzoni appliances, and bathrooms clad in Atlas Concorde tile.

Select homes also feature custom buildouts by Modular Closets, and each comes with an in-unit Bosch washer and dryer, blackout window shades, and keyless entry.

“We have created artfully crafted interiors rich in curated detail, layering warm, natural materials with the vibrancy and attitude inspired by Tribeca’s artistic legacy,” Ximena Rodriguez, principal and director of interior design at CetraRuddy, said.

Pricing starts at $4,588/month for studios with home offices, $7,638/month for one-bedrooms with home offices, $11,723/month for two-bedrooms, and $12,088/month for three-bedroom units.

Two Two Two, Wrey’s five-floor amenities suite, is designed to rival the city’s most exclusive private members’ clubs. At the building’s crown, The Penthouse and The Sundeck offer panoramic river and skyline views.

The Sundeck features a rooftop pool and shower, daybeds, chaise lounges, dining areas, bars, and an outdoor kitchen, complemented by The Penthouse’s interior lounge spaces.

On the 19th floor, The Park Lounge opens onto a fireside retreat with a co-working library and virtual meeting rooms, and a private dining room offers a catering kitchen. This space flows onto the Park Terrace, a well-appointed outdoor space with a social lounge, bar, and grill stations.

Wrey’s wellness and entertainment offerings are anchored on the lower levels, featuring a state-of-the-art fitness club, two private training studios, and a dedicated yoga studio.

Connected to these is The Wellness, a spa with a cold plunge, sauna, steam room, treatment room, waterfall lounge, and relaxation room. All of these amenities are centered around a 75-foot lap pool with an adjacent hot spa.

The Social features a sports simulator studio, game lounge, screening room, and karaoke room. Younger residents can enjoy a dedicated children’s playroom inspired by the site’s former life as P.T. Barnum’s American Museum. A music room completes the amenities suite.

Compass Development Marketing Group (CDMG) is serving as Wrey’s exclusive marketing and leasing partner.

“There is nowhere else in Manhattan where you can live at the nexus of two neighborhoods as compelling as Tribeca and the Financial District, with the connectivity Wrey offers,” Sarah Patton, co-head of CDMG, said. “This building embodies the very best of what downtown living has become,” she added.

GFP is a major player in New York City’s wave of office-to-residential conversions. The developer is behind 25 Water Street, the nation’s largest conversion project, which transformed the former 1960s office tower, once home to JPMorgan Chase and the New York Daily News, into 1,320 homes and 100,000 square feet of amenities.

The project was also designed by CetraRuddy, reflecting a growing partnership between the two firms on conversion work.

“With Wrey, we sought to create a residential experience that sets a new standard for luxury rental living in New York City,” Brian Steinwurtzel, co-CEO of GFP Development, said.

“From the moment we identified 222 Broadway, the opportunity was clear: a singular site at the intersection of Tribeca and Lower Manhattan, with views that cannot be replicated and a location that connects residents to the best the city has to offer,” he added.

GFP is also behind the planned conversion of the former New York Stock Exchange headquarters at 40 Exchange Place into 382 apartments and retail space. Permit applications for the 20-story building were filed in July.

The firm secured a $288 million construction loan for 222 Broadway in January 2025, as 6sqft previously reported.

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The post FiDi office-to-residential conversion with nearly 800 units launches leasing first appeared on 6sqft.

Cobble Hill’s most expensive home, a five-story brownstone last asking just under $17 million, has entered contract. The 1850s home at 205 Clinton Street reportedly found a buyer after first hitting the market for $22 million last fall. In addition to being a new neighborhood record, if the home fetches near the 16.995 million ask, the property would be the most priciest deal in Brooklyn this year, surpassing the $16.25 million penthouse sale at Olympia Dumbo in February.

The listing price dropped to $18.5 million last November and again to $17 million this past April, according to The Real Deal. The 25-foot-wide townhouse recently underwent a two-year renovation led by award-winning architect Mike Ingui that completely rebuilt the interior while preserving its historic frame.

Lindsay Barrett, the Compass agent with the listing, said the home attracted a buyer who appreciated its scale and design.

“This house is so unique and incredibly special. We found just the right buyer who appreciates the huge proportions and the integration of the living spaces,” Barrett said.

“And as people know well, Cobble Hill continues to be in very high demand. There is not a lot of high-quality product, so when it presents itself, we are finding that people are excited at the opportunity.”

The current record holder in Brooklyn in 2026 is a townhouse at 307 Hicks Street that closed for $15 million in February. In January, a townhouse at 170 Clinton Street, also in Brooklyn Heights, found a buyer for $14 million.

Light fills every corner of the seven-bedroom, seven-bath residence, thanks to ceiling heights of up to 14 feet, while original details such as fireplace mantels, repurposed stained glass windows, and a massive pier mirror are on full display.

Throughout the home are top-of-the-line finishes, including hand-sanded wide-plank white oak flooring, triple-pane windows, custom millwork, and marble surfaces. A dramatic hand-carved central staircase and mezzanines connect the floors, while an elevator provides direct access throughout the home.

Entry is through an expansive open parlor floor. The living room boasts a marble gas fireplace and a custom walnut and marble bar with a Sub-Zero wine cooler and ice maker.

Beyond a 30-foot-tall triple-height center atrium, the kitchen features bespoke walnut millwork and chef-grade appliances, including a stainless steel AGA Elise induction range, two Miele dishwashers, and a Sub-Zero refrigerator with freezer columns and drawers.

An integrated banquette is ideal for homework or lunch, while a marble-topped dining and prep island provides additional workspace and includes a concealed charging station and coffee bar.

Through massive doors, a rear patio and garden are designed for outdoor dining. The space is enhanced by an ipe pergola and an outdoor kitchen with a built-in gas grill.

On the garden level are a salon, a home office, and a powder room. Below, a great room with 13-foot ceilings features a wet bar and a 500-bottle wine cellar with a dedicated cooling system. A home gym and bathroom with a steam shower complete the level.

Above the parlor level, the primary suite features a windowed walk-in closet and a grand bathroom with a soaking tub, a benched shower, and heated floors. It opens onto a private terrace overlooking the yard, with a den/sitting area adjacent that includes a clean-fuel fireplace.

The fourth floor offers another suite, two additional bedrooms, and another bathroom. A laundry room offers two sets of large-capacity washer-dryers.

At its pinnacle is a top-floor “clubhouse” set beneath a 15-foot skylight, with a kitchenette and living spaces. Large sliding doors open onto a terrace with a fireplace and grill, while offering 360-degree views of the East River, skyline, and sunset.

[Listing: 205 Clinton Street at CityRealty

[At Compass by Lindsay Barrett, Taylor Schultz, and Christopher Mohr]

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• For $10.5M, a sunny yellow Mediterranean villa on the Upper East Side

The post Cobble Hill’s most expensive home finds a buyer first appeared on 6sqft.

This graceful four-story brownstone at 787 Carroll Street is among the rare Brooklyn finds of its kind, with all of the unspoiled architectural details history buffs crave and a stem-to-stern renovation that spared no expense. With an owner’s triplex above and a renovated garden flat below, there’s an opportunity for rental income, too. Does the covetable combination add up to the home’s $10.25 million ask, nearly $5 million more than it sold for last year?

Twenty-first-century upgrades include all-new electrical and plumbing, with gas lines extended to the street, new water heaters, and lead-free paint.

A zoned HVAC system provides easily controlled heating and cooling throughout. New windows mean energy efficiency and noise reduction.

The suitably grand parlor floor features a 32-foot-long south-facing living room fronted by bay windows overlooking the leafy Park Slope streetscape. Original herringbone hardwood floors, tall ceilings, restored ceiling murals, and bespoke millwork frame the light-filled space.

Other historic details include mantles with pier mirrors and stained glass accents.

Reimagined from the ground up, the parlor kitchen is both modern and timeless. Calacatta marble countertops and backsplash frame a suite of high-performance appliances, including refrigerator drawers and a wine fridge.

A separate butler’s kitchen takes advantage of every inch of the home’s gracious layout. For more convenience, a powder room was added to this floor.

Upstairs, an entire floor is devoted to the primary suite. A luxurious bath offers a spa-level infrared sauna and a soaking tub. The suite also gets an expanded walk-in closet and an integrated laundry room. The top floor offers more bedrooms and a full bath.

The garden level is a self-contained flat that could also be used as an extension of the upper triplex. A second kitchen has high-end appliances and designer details. Beyond, an open space works as a guest bedroom, den, or playroom. This level also has a full bath. As with the rest of the home, historic details—including the original icebox—add unique charm.

Even the fully-excavated cellar offers livable space. Reclaimed materials and exposed beams frame an ideal playroom, gym, or storage room.

The front garden welcomes visitors with a Granny Smith apple tree. In back, a lovely landscaped yard is topped by a custom steel and teak deck. Bluestone and brickwork are enhanced by integrated drainage systems, new fencing, and curated lighting, ready for garden parties and outdoor dining.

[Listing: 787 Carroll Street at CityRealty]

[At Compass by Debra Bondy and Jason Knight]

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The post This classic Park Slope townhouse sold for $5.3M in January. Now, it’s asking $10.25M first appeared on 6sqft.

With spring weather finally blossoming in New York City, so has the annual mural on Union Square’s 14th Street Busway. Now in its sixth year, the corridor has received a vibrant makeover, this time featuring artist Shantell Martin’s “Get Outside,” a mural encouraging viewers to reconnect with the outdoors and their communities while celebrating Union Square’s historic role as a hub for gatherings. The 7,500-square-foot artwork was hand-painted by Brooklyn-based Colossal Media and is part of Merrell’s “Outside in the City” program, which frames the outdoors as a vital part of city life rather than a distant destination.

The mural showcases Martin’s signature spontaneous linework style, a “continuously evolving” practice that blurs the lines between art, storytelling, and spatial transformation. It embodies the belief that people do not need permission to go outside and engage with the world.

“Get Outside” features white lines and icons on a black background accented with bursts of color and an orange thread that becomes a path, encouraging visitors to slow down and reconnect with their own journey.

“Union Square is a place I’ve returned to again and again, it’s full of movement, voices, and unexpected moments,” Martin said. “This work is about following that energy, encouraging people to walk, notice, and find their own path through the city.”

Presented by the NYC Department of Transportation’s Art Program, this year’s mural marks the sixth annual installation to transform the 14th Street Busway with eye-catching art. The program seeks to beautify the streetscape while planning for expanded pedestrian space in the neighborhood.

“Union Square has long been a canvas for artists to display their work, creating new ways for people to experience our public spaces,” Julie Stein, executive director of Union Square Partnership, said.

“The 14th Street busway mural, an award-winning program now in its sixth year, has become a popular public art installation that New Yorkers look forward to year after year,” she added. “We are excited to unveil this year’s piece alongside Shantell Martin, Merrell, the Department of Transportation Art program, and Colossal Media to the hundreds of thousands of residents, workers and visitors who move through the district each day.”

Last year, New York-based artist Yuke Li unveiled “Turning Point,” a mural featuring bold, abstract compositions and retro-inspired hues, with fluid shapes reflecting the movement of people through the space.

In 2024, Queens-based artist Talisa Almonte’s “Flowing Together” honored Union Square’s role as both a place to pass through and its historic ties to social movements.

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The post This year’s 14th Street Busway mural urges New Yorkers to ‘get outside’ first appeared on 6sqft.

The cost to ride PATH trains officially increased from $3 to $3.25 on Monday as part of the system’s transformative service upgrades. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the fare hike will help fund its $45 billion 2026-2035 Capital Plan, which has modernized the 118-year-old system’s infrastructure and enabled the return of 7-day service on all lines for the first time in 25 years, with additional improvements to come. Fares are expected to rise in 25-cent increments, reaching $4 in 2029. Reduced fare for riders ages 65 and older, as well as those with disabilities, also increased by 10 cents, from $1.50 to $1.60.

Starting May 17, the Journal Square–33rd Street service will run between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends, while direct Hoboken–World Trade Center service will resume on weekends for the first time in nearly 25 years. Dedicated weekend service will also operate on the Hoboken–33rd Street line.

The Journal Square–33rd Street and Hoboken–33rd Street lines will run every 10 minutes, while Hoboken–World Trade Center service will run every 20 minutes.

Other improvements include increased service frequency during rush hours and late nights. Friday night service will run every 20 minutes until 2 a.m., matching Saturday night service levels.

The changes mark the first time since 2001 that all four PATH lines will run seven days a week, part of an effort to improve weekend and off-peak service.

In March 2026, weekend wait times on the Journal Square–33rd Street line were reduced from 20 to 10 minutes between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., and weekday morning rush hour trains between Hoboken and the World Trade Center began arriving every six minutes instead of every eight.

The service enhancements follow the completion of the two-year $430 million “PATH Forward” program, which replaced more than 15,000 feet of track, installed three new rail switch systems, upgraded rail cars, and improved customer communications and outage response during major track work.

The program also made substantial upgrades to the Hoboken, Exchange Place, Newport, and Grove Street stations, including new floors, tiles, ceilings, and drainage and electrical systems.

“The return of seven-day service on all four PATH lines for the first time in nearly a quarter-century is a major milestone for our riders and our region,” Kevin O’Toole, chairman of the Port Authority, said.

“These significant improvements were only made possible thanks to our riders’ patience and support during the PATH Forward program. That focused and sustained investment, in infrastructure and in our riders, is what makes milestones like this possible.”

Additionally, unlimited 1-, 7-, and 30-day PATH passes are now available on the new TAPP Card, part of the system’s transition to a tap-and-go payment system similar to the MTA’s OMNY.

Paper SingleRide tickets will also be available from TAPP vending machines in stations, alongside existing 10-, 20-, and 40-trip options. Passes and trips can be added online or at any station vending machine. SmartLink SingleRide tickets are no longer available as of Monday.

“These game-changing service enhancements and improved fare payment options are continuing to provide more frequent and reliable service to our customers,” Clarelle DeGraffe, director/general manager at PATH, said. “Having seven-day service on all our lines is a blueprint for more frequent, faster, and more reliable service for our customers.”

PATH will end SmartLink unlimited pass sales in stations and online on May 31 for all riders except reduced-fare customers. Reduced-fare customers will be able to continue purchasing SmartLink products until the transition is completed this summer, with all remaining SmartLink balances required to be used by a fall 2026 deadline.

The agency will also launch a pilot program testing new ADA-accessible fare gates at the World Trade Center in an effort to curb fare evasion. PATH also plans to replace its network of 341 standard and ADA gates across its 13 stations. The agency’s board approved a $3.5 million investment in new gates and equipment at a March 2026 meeting.

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• PATH to get major service boost, but fare will reach $4 by 2029
• With G train shutdown pitched for third straight summer, Brooklyn officials urge MTA to rethink plan
• Electric ‘air taxis’ are traveling between JFK Airport and Manhattan this week

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This 4,500-square-foot townhouse at 126 East 74th Street on the Upper East Side, asking $10.5 million, has a unique architectural history in addition to a designer’s touch. Built in 1880, the home was constructed in the stately Victorian-era Italianate style of its neighbors. It was transformed in 1924 by William Shire, who created a facade resembling a Mediterranean villa while preserving the grand Victorian details within. The home’s unique facade remains remarkably unchanged since then, but its interiors have gotten a complete overhaul to meet modern standards in both design and livability.

The years since its construction saw the building occupied by a series of well-heeled residents, all of whom overhauled the home’s interiors. According to Daytonian in Manhattan, Eustace and Maud Seligman, who purchased the home in the 1920s, undertook renovations that were far more extensive than mere interior upgrades.

Architect Edward I. Shire was hired to modernize the classic brownstone; following the work of Frederick Junius Sterner, who was known for turning Victorian brownstones into Mediterranean- and Tudor-style villas, Shire created a stucco-clad Mediterranean villa for the new owners. Highlights include an ornate Spanish-style wrought iron grill, Palladian windows, a Doric loggia on the second floor with iron railings and three sets of French doors, and a pair of Spanish-tiled roofs.

More recently, renowned designer Miles Redd brought timeless style and modern convenience to the home’s interiors, which have been featured in Elle Décor.

The Mediterranean motif was repeated in twisted wrought iron fixtures and balusters, stuccoed walls, heavy beams, and ornate fireplaces. An elevator serves all floors and the roof, and the home’s basement holds updated mechanicals as well as room for storage and a full bath.

In keeping with the traditional townhouse configuration, the home’s kitchen anchors the garden floor, thoroughly renovated to 21st-century standards. Details include bespoke millwork, energy-efficient heated flooring, and plenty of storage. A built-in banquette invites casual dining, and a large dining room has a working fireplace.

The dining room provides access to a sunny, south-facing landscaped rear garden for outdoor living. This verdant private space offers bluestone pavers, a planted perimeter, and mature cherry blossom trees, surrounded by historic stone walls.

Beneath ceilings of nearly 12 feet, the open parlor floor is suitably glamorous. A 70-foot-long living room is framed by arched details and period moldings, enhanced by a wood-burning fireplace and a wet bar. In the back, a dramatic glass-walled loggia opens onto a terrace overlooking the garden.

The third floor is occupied by the primary suite and an attendant library. The bedroom has an adjacent sitting room that overlooks the garden below. A marble-clad ensuite bath has a walk-in shower and a soaking tub.

On the top floor are three more bedrooms and two full baths. Considered design details give each room a unique personality.

An elevator provides accessibility and convenience not often found in a townhouse. Looking toward the future, approved plans for a fifth-floor extension mean the possibility of added living space or a rooftop terrace.

[Listing details: 126 East 74th Street at CityRealty]

[At Sotheby’s International Realty-Eastside Manhattan Brokerage by Nikki Field and Jeanne H. Bucknam]

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A new public art installation in Lower Manhattan pays tribute to “Little Syria,” New York City’s first Arabic-speaking community, which was displaced in the 1940s when the area was largely demolished to make way for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel.  On Thursday, the city’s Parks Department unveiled “Al Qalam: Poets in the Park” by artist Sara Ouhaddou at Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza in the Financial District. The piece honors the once-thriving neighborhood, which from the 1880s to the 1940s was home to a vibrant community of influential poets and writers. Ouhaddou reflects on that legacy through abstract calligraphy inspired by Islamic architecture, with the names of nine notable authors inscribed on the sculpture’s surface.

“This project is deeply important to me not just because it is set in NYC—one of the most culturally rich cities in the world—but also because it is, in many ways, one of the defining projects of my life and my artistic practice,” Ouhaddou said.

“Questions of language, writing, translation, and diaspora have since become central to my practice and will never leave me,” she added. “With this work, I hope to offer something that might, in its own way, resonate with others, whether they are visitors, passersby, historians, or descendants connected to this very particular place.”

Located just south of the World Trade Center along Washington Street, Little Syria was the nation’s earliest and largest Arabic community. The enclave’s beginnings date back to 1880, when immigrants from modern-day Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine settled along Washington Street. The community was home to about 1,200 Syrians.

It was known for its Turkish coffeehouses, pastry shops, smoking parlors, dry goods merchants, silk stores, and a vibrant community of writers, as 6sqft previously reported.

Founded in 1916, al Rabita al Qalamiyya, a writers’ association, played an influential role in the Arab literary renaissance by developing innovative forms of modern Arabic literature.

However, following the Immigration Act of 1924, which imposed strict immigration restrictions on arrivals from Asia and the Middle East, and the start of construction on the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel in 1940, the once-thriving enclave faded.

Ouhaddou’s new artwork aims to celebrate the literary legacy of the neighborhood and shine a light on the often forgotten facets of the city’s diverse history. On the plaza’s central lawn, a three-dimensional representation of the Arabic word “al Qalam,” or “The Pen,” is depicted in abstract calligraphy inspired by the geometry of Islamic architecture.

Along the surface of the sculpture are the names of nine writers from the Little Syria community, transliterated into an “abstract alphabet.”

South of the sculpture, two gently curving mosaic panels function as backrests for existing stone benches. The mosaics feature excerpts from works by the honored writers, also rendered in Ouhaddou’s signature script.

Writers and poets featured on the sculpture include al Rabitah’s Elia Abu Madi, Naseeb Arida, Kahlil Gibran, Nadra Haddad, Mikhail Naimy, Ameen Rihani, as well as three prominent figures from the broader literary community who were not members: Abbas Abu Shakra, ‘Afifa Karam, and Agabia Malouf.

The Washington Street Historical Society has also created an augmented reality app that allows visitors to point their phones at the mosaics to hear or read excerpts in Arabic and English, along with short biographies of the writers.

Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza opened in 2021 and, like the sculpture it now hosts, pays homage to the legacy of Little Syria. The landscape is defined by undulating paths with irregular flagstone paving, an oval lawn, raised berms framed by curved rustic walls, cypress and cedar trees, and a variety of shrubs and perennials that offer a scenic refuge from the busy city streets.

These features evoke the landscapes and heritage of the Middle Eastern immigrants who settled in Little Syria in the 19th century.

In 2017, Ouhaddou was selected through a competition hosted by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs to create a site-specific artwork for the plaza. The Washington Street Historical Society sponsored the design, fabrication, and installation of the artworks and has established a maintenance fund for their ongoing care and preservation.

Fabrication was completed by UAP, EventScape, and Miotto Mosaic Art Studio, with installation handled by Harder Landscaping.

“The culture and history of New York City’s Little Syria will never be forgotten,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. “When the community was razed in the 1940s to make way for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, it did not disappear; it lives on across our city, from Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn to the literary legacy this artwork so beautifully celebrates.”

He added: “I am proud New Yorkers and visitors alike will be invited to rediscover the poetry, architecture and excellence of Little Syria through Sara Ouhaddou’s thoughtful tribute.”

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• The history of Little Syria and an immigrant community’s lasting legacy

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The New York Knicks are hosting a free watch party for game six of their first-round NBA playoff series. Fans can venture to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night to watch the game on giant screens outside the world’s most famous arena starting at 5:30 p.m. The team heads into tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

Free and open to the public, the watch party will be held at Plaza 33 on 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. The main entrance will be closest to Seventh Avenue near the Penn Station entrance.

A second viewing area will also be set up closer to Eighth Avenue, allowing additional fans to gather and watch on another screen. Fans can begin entering the space 90 minutes before tip-off.

Attendees can expect giveaways, a live DJ, appearances by Knicks alumni, and more.

No pre-registration is required. Fans may bring small bags and pack food or drinks, except alcoholic beverages. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket, as folding chairs are not permitted, and oversized bags are also prohibited.

For those who cannot make it to the watch party, the Knicks are also taking over bars across all five boroughs during playoff games, where fans can watch the game at full volume alongside other supporters. A list of participating locations can be found here.

For previous playoff games this round, the team has hosted parties inside Madison Square Garden and Central Park.

Plaza 33 is a pedestrian plaza in the heart of the Penn District that opened in 2024. Designed by MNLA, the space provides a public space with trees, seating, and lighting right next to Penn Station. The outdoor plaza offers free events, music, and workshops throughout the year and is surrounded by several new restaurants and retail stores, as 6sqft previously reported.

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The annual Macy’s Flower Show opened last week in Herald Square, transforming the famed department store’s flagship with lush floral art that celebrates America’s gardens. In its 51st year, the event features regional botanicals and large-scale displays designed to highlight the country’s diverse floral landscapes. Running through May 10, this year’s show also includes a partnership with Valentino Beauty, which is presenting an exhibit that transports guests to a reimagined Roman palazzo, complete with immersive fragrance experiences, stunning floral arrangements, and other striking design elements.

For more than five decades, the show has given visitors a chance to see thousands of vibrant flowers bloom together across the store’s iconic window displays, balconies, and main floor.

The show debuted in California in 1946 to promote fragrances in the cosmetics department before moving to Herald Square in 1975, where it quickly became an annual tradition, as 6sqft previously reported.

This year’s theme, “Homegrown,” celebrates America through flowers, fiber, and “timeless handicrafts,” coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary. The display features towering planters, stained-glass garden panels, and yarn-wrapped trees designed to reflect the country’s story through craftsmanship, artistry, and multisensory experiences.

Valentino Beauty, this year’s partner, will take over the flagship’s mezzanine with an immersive fragrance installation. Inspired by the brand’s Born in Roma collection, the experience recreates a palazzo centered on chromatic storytelling, where a “floral voyage” unfolds across multiple spaces tied to each scent and color profile.

Each room features curated design details, ranging from “velvet-draped” interiors to garden-inspired environments, creating a blend of nature and scent. Guests will be able to engage with the installation, which includes photo opportunities and other interactive elements.

“Valentino Beauty is thrilled to be partnering with Macy’s for their 2026 Flower Show, a true creative statement from a quintessential retailer,” Claudia Marcocci, global brand president of Valentino Beauty, said.

“Flowers bring beauty to this world, and we embrace this beauty with the contrasting story of Born In Roma: some delicate, some vibrant, some classic, and some modern.”

After the immersive journey, visitors are welcomed into a retail and gifting space designed by artist TABOO!, featuring vibrant, all-over artwork that captures expressions of love.

In celebration of Mother’s Day, the Herald Square store is hosting a series of customer events throughout the show, including storewide beauty and spring fashion activations, live styling demonstrations, beauty master classes, gifts with purchase, and more.

The celebrations continue nationwide on May 9 with “Celebrations Sunday,” when Macy’s will host in-store events across eight locations featuring brunch-themed styling, fragrance consultations, monogramming and engraving, hands-on activities, and brand-led experiences.

Visitors can also shop a limited-edition assortment of Flower Show merchandise, including apparel, tote bags, key chains, magnets, watercolor sets, Frango chocolates, and an exclusive Apotheke candle.

Select prix-fixe Mother’s Day brunch offerings will also be available at Stella 34 at Macy’s Herald Square.

The show has been brought to life in partnership with landscape design studio ManscapersNY, with fresh flowers provided by The Bouqs Co. Additional partners include LEGO Blooms & Beyond, EFFY Fine Jewelry, and Sunglass Hut.

“This year’s ‘Homegrown’ theme celebrates our country’s floral landscapes through an immersive journey across America brought to life with craftsmanship, artistry and multisensory experiences,” Sharon Otterman, chief marketing officer at Macy’s, said.

“From our iconic Herald Square beauty floor in partnership with Valentino Beauty to a new pop‑up at Macy’s State Street, we’re creating moments of surprise and delight that only Macy’s can deliver,” she added.

Last year’s celebration marked the 50th edition of the Macy’s Flower Show. In honor of its semicentennial, the show was extended to three weeks of programming. It featured a partnership with YSL Beauty, which created an immersive experience encouraging guests to embrace freedom and celebrate the transformative power of nature.

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The post Macy’s Flower Show returns to Herald Square celebrating America’s gardens first appeared on 6sqft.

At the secluded shoreline of Morris Cove, “East of Eden,” the Sag Harbor Village home at 10 Bluff Point Lane, is a perfect lazy summer retreat, complete with a private dock and bulkheaded frontage. Asking $7,150,000, the property is next door to the former estate of writer John Steinbeck and actress Elaine Steinbeck, defining the waterfront enclave’s laid-back creative cachet.

The property is anchored by an original 1930s cottage. The home has been redesigned for summers to come by architect James Merrell according to the owners’ creative vision, with custom redwood clapboard siding, topped by a copper roof.

Hidden from sight past historic wooden gates and down a quiet lane, the house is surrounded by mature trees and landscaped gardens. Added conveniences include three-car parking and EV charging for modern living, seamlessly integrated with its historic timelessness.

Within, details like aged Indonesian teak flooring, walls, and ceilings, and cedar-clad beams extend the indoor-outdoor experience. Every room delivers magical water and garden vistas.

Living and dining spaces are served by a bright and capable kitchen with water views. Two guest quarters make room for friends and family.

The primary suite hovers above the water for a front-row seat at sunset. The adjacent bath has radiant heat flooring and plenty of light.

At the lowest level is a waterfront guest room/lounge. Beyond is a flexible entertaining space clad in teakwood, perfect for a home office and gym. This unique bonus space is enhanced by a cedar-lined closet, a full bath, and a wine cellar. From here, step out onto a stone-clad patio.

On the grounds, a heated gunite plunge pool and a Balinese pavilion offer more summer respite. A private dock accommodating vessels up to 28 feet awaits both enjoyment and escape.

[Listing details: 10 Bluff Point Lane by Jack Pearson and Denise Wilder of Compass]

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The proposed redesign of Park Avenue could bring back lush green spaces to the iconic corridor’s medians. The city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled two potential plans to overhaul an 11-block stretch from East 46th to East 57th Streets, both of which would widen the medians and remove one traffic lane in each direction to create pedestrian space. Renderings released on Wednesday show expanded sidewalks, additional trees, benches, and bike lanes in one of the proposals. To gain feedback from New Yorkers, DOT released an online survey seeking public feedback for both design concepts.

The city is gathering comments from the public on the two design concepts and potential elements, like plantings, seating, and pedestrian and bicycling spaces. You can find the survey here.

“With this new redesign, we are putting the ‘Park’ back into Park Avenue and upgrading Midtown Manhattan by providing residents and visitors alike with more usable public space,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

“Our city’s public spaces must better serve the public, and my administration has made this a priority through bold infrastructure investments and street redesigns,” he added. “Working together with our partners across the City and State, we will ensure that NYC’s streets are the envy of the world.”

This iconic portion of Park Avenue sits above the Grand Central Terminal train shed, which is currently undergoing a major capital rehabilitation led by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad and requires the removal of the existing medians.

While the medians are already heavily planted, they are narrow and offer limited space for people to linger. Many may also be surprised that the redesign is not entirely new, but instead would return the avenue to an earlier configuration that featured more pedestrian space and less room for vehicles. In fact, the original park along the median gave the avenue its name, according to the New York Times.

The proposed redesigns were shaped by community engagement, including public surveys, stakeholder interviews, workshops, and meetings with community boards and local organizations. Throughout the process, participants expressed support for expanded public space, improved accessibility, and a more pedestrian-centric streetscape.

Park Avenue’s redesign effort began in 2018 with a competition sponsored by the Fisher Brothers to reimagine the corridor’s medians. Participants submitted ideas ranging from an aquarium to a High Line-style walkway. The winner, “Park Park,” envisioned a series of raised platforms designed to host concerts, art galleries, a restaurant, and more, as 6sqft previously reported.

In January 2022, City Council Member Keith Powers announced new plans to revitalize Park Avenue’s medians. The initiative aimed to gradually transform the avenue’s malls into “new, world-class, active open space” over a 20-year period as Metro-North continues work on the train shed.

In August 2024, DOT released a request for proposals (RFP) seeking designs to transform the traffic medians on Park Avenue between East 46th and East 57th Streets with more green space and pedestrian-friendly areas.

Last June, the DOT selected landscape architecture firm Starr Whitehouse to lead the project.

Additionally, the agency will host public events over the coming weeks to gather feedback. The first meeting was held on April 29, and the next meeting will be on May 2 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at St. Bartholomew’s Church.

The DOT will also hold a virtual meeting with Manhattan Community Board 6 on May 4 at 7 p.m., followed by another session on May 28, with additional details to be announced.

The project is part of a broader effort to expand public space in Midtown, launched under former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration. Another major initiative underway is a plan to revamp Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park.

Poised to be the first major alteration to the famed retail corridor in its 200-year history, city officials have described the vision for the boulevard as a grand shopping street similar to the Champs-Élysées in Paris and Ginza in Tokyo, as 6sqft previously reported.

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New York City’s first full casino has arrived. After many years and a competition for downstate gaming licenses, Resorts World New York City opened in Queens on Tuesday as the first casino in the five boroughs to offer live table games. Located next to the Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, the existing gambling facility, which opened in 2011, has expanded into a full-scale casino, transforming its third floor with more than 240 table games and thousands of slot machines, with more to come later this year. The casino also led a hiring and training effort that created 1,250 new jobs, including 950 table-game dealers, ahead of its launch following final testing by the New York State Gaming Commission.

“Once the Gaming Commission’s final testing is complete, live table games will be open and operating right here in Queens for the first time in the history of NYC. We are ready to welcome New Yorkers to this exciting new experience,” Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, which operates Resorts World, said.

“Resorts World now employs over 2,200 team members and have already doubled our workforce and expect thousands more as the integrated resort is developed over the next three years,” he added.

The workforce is also supported by Resorts World’s Introduction to Gaming workforce development program, which began in 2022 and has helped train more than 350 local residents in gaming operations. In addition, the casino’s World Dealer School has trained and hired more than 400 local residents, with another 500 graduates expected by May.

As 6sqft previously reported, the $5 billion expansion plan for Resorts World called for 6,000 slot machines, 800 gaming tables, a new hotel with 2,000 hotel rooms, 7,000 parking spaces, and 12 acres of new public green space.

The 5.6 million-square-foot proposal also included a 7,000-seat concert venue and an “innovation campus” featuring a sports academy for high school athletes led by Queens native and former professional basketball player and broadcaster Kenny “The Jet” Smith.

Beyond the casino site, Resorts World has also proposed a $2 billion community benefits package, including a commitment to build up to 50,000 units of workforce housing across the city, as well as a $100 million infrastructure improvement package.

The launch of live gaming at the casino is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority through its $500 million license fee, as well as additional tax revenue. Additional funds will also be directed to the state’s public education system, to which Resorts World has already contributed $5 billion since launching in 2011.

Tuesday’s grand opening was attended by a mix of elected officials, as well as hip-hop artist Nas, who has publicly backed the project.

Resorts World NYC was one of three downstate casino proposals awarded a license in December, following a lengthy and contentious approval process that saw several high-profile bids from some of the city’s most influential developers rise and fall.

The other winning bids include New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park proposal, the largest of the three projects, and Bally’s Bronx Casino at the former Trump-owned Ferry Point Park in Throggs Neck. That project advanced after surviving a City Council vote last July that initially rejected a key rezoning needed for approval.

Other rejected or abandoned casino proposals included the Bjarke Ingels’ Freedom Plaza near the U.N., “The Avenir” across from the Javits Center, a proposal in Coney Island called “The Coney,” and MGM Empire City in Yonkers.

While Resorts World was an existing facility, both Metropolitan Park and Bally’s Bronx are entirely new projects that will require construction from the ground up. Both casinos are expected to open in 2030.

All winning projects will be held accountable for commitments made during the application process through oversight by a third-party monitor.

“I have stood with Resorts World through every step of this process because I believed in the vision and I believed in their promise to Queens, given their 15-year record of delivering,” Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., chairman of the State Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, said.

“Today, that promise is fulfilled. The jobs are here, the investment is here, and the positive impact on our community starts with the first hand dealt and the first roll of dice.”

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As G train riders may face the third straight summer of service disruptions, Brooklyn officials on Tuesday called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to limit future shutdowns to overnight hours. The agency last week shared plans with local lawmakers to shut down G train service for 10 weekends and overnight on more than two dozen weekdays. Commuters have endured repeated service disruptions in recent years as work to modernize the line’s antiquated signaling system continues to be delayed. Council Member Lincoln Restler and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso rallied with local businesses in Greenpoint on Tuesday to demand that the MTA find a better plan.

Only served by the G train, Greenpoint and its small businesses are the most affected by any service disruptions.

“I do not accept another summer of shutdowns for G train riders. Enough is enough,” Reynoso said.

“From the World Cup to Pride, this is going to be an extremely busy June for NYC. This should be a boon for the local economy, but that’s impossible if North Brooklyn and Greenpoint are cut off from the rest of the city.”

The plan includes closing service north of the Bedford-Nostrand station on three weekends in June, two in August, one in September, and three in December.

The $624 million modernization effort is replacing the line’s 1930s-era signal system with communications-based train control (CBTC) technology, which the MTA says will improve speeds by allowing trains to run closer together. The project requires 24/7 service outages to install the new system.

During the outages, the MTA also carries out upgrades to the line, including repairs and deep cleaning at G train stations, as well as the installation of 5G cellular service in underground sections of the line, as 6sqft previously reported.

Service was first suspended in 2024 for six weeks, forcing riders to rely on free shuttle buses making stops at G stations. The outages have a particularly significant impact on Greenpoint residents, as the G train is the only subway line serving the neighborhood.

Last year, the MTA again scheduled summer disruptions on the line, including shutdowns between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand Avenues on select weeknights and weekends. According to Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, the MTA said the 2025 shutdown would be the last.

“These shutdowns impact social connections, weekend work shifts, and our wallets. They punish people for choosing to live in Greenpoint,” Gallagher said in a post on X.

“We were told that last year’s shutdowns would be the end. They made this schedule without communication, much less collaborative planning.”

An MTA representative told the New York Post that the disruptions are not confirmed and remain subject to change, and advised New Yorkers to monitor the agency’s website for updates.

While Greenpoint residents may look forward to the promised service improvements, they will have to wait longer than anticipated after the project’s initial 2027 completion date was pushed back.

In July, the MTA announced that work is scheduled for completion north of Hoyt-Schermerhorn by the end of 2027 and between Hoyt-Schermerhorn and Church Avenue by 2028, but the upgraded system will not be activated until 2029 due to delays in installing 5G radio technology in subway cars, which is required for CBTC to function across both trains and tracks.

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The first images have been revealed for a new 18-story luxury condo taking shape on a tree-lined block in Murray Hill. Developed by the Continuum Company and Aksoy Holding and designed by INC Architecture & Design, The Morgan at 38 East 35th Street will include contemporary residences ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, along with select duplexes and penthouses. The developer has also launched a teaser website for the building along with the newly released renderings.

Located on a quiet stretch of East 35th Street between Park and Madison, The Morgan offers 137 residences, with private outdoor space for select units. Every home is designed to maximize light, proportion, and flow, with large windows, ceiling heights of over 13 feet in some homes, and a curated material palette that includes white oak flooring, custom cabinetry, and fully integrated appliances.

The units are complemented by an amenity suite designed by Paul Duesing Partners that spans a full floor and extends into a private landscaped courtyard.

Conceived as a private members’ club, the space includes a fitness center, yoga studio, spa with a sauna and steam room, co-working rooms, as well as social spaces such as a private dining room, residents’ lounge, and “The Conservatory,” an event space with courtyard access. Other offerings include a 24-hour attended lobby, concierge, and on-site management.

“The Morgan is designed for living your best New York life, centrally located so you can get to Uptown or Soho in less than 15 minutes, with easy access to cultural destinations and the city’s best restaurants,” Ian Bruce Eichner, chairman and CEO of Continuum, said.

“Then, you can escape and come home to your private boutique building with a club-like experience.”

The building’s central location places residents near Nomad, Bryant Park, Grand Central Terminal, and Madison Square Park, offering easy access to world-class public spaces, dining, retail, and public transportation. Its namesake, the Morgan Library and Museum, is just one block north.

The building rises at the former site of a few historically significant structures, including the Metropolitan Synagogue and the Community Church of New York, one of the city’s oldest congregations dating to 1825, according to CityRealty.

Redevelopment of the property has been proposed for decades, including a failed plan by the church to construct a 70-story tower on the site. Preservationists successfully opposed the proposal, leading to a downzoning of the block.

In 2022, the congregation voted to sell the church and four adjacent brownstones to the Continuum Company for nearly $66 million. The state attorney general approved the sale of the nonprofit property to a for-profit developer that same year, and the deal closed in 2024.

Corcoran New Development’s Noble Black and Nick Riback are representing the building.

“The Morgan presents a rare opportunity to live between Park and Madison Avenues on a quiet, tree-lined street–an increasingly unique offering in Midtown Manhattan,” Jodie Stasse, executive vice president of Corcoran New Development, said.

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A 27-foot-tall recreation of a Buddha statue destroyed by the Taliban 25 years ago now towers over 10th Avenue from the High Line. The High Line installed Tuan Andrew Nguyen’s “The Light That Shines Through the Universe” last week above the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street as part of its Plinth program. Carved in Vietnam, the sandstone sculpture recreates one of the Bamiyan Buddha statues destroyed in Afghanistan in 2001 and serves as a monument to cultural loss and resilience. The commission, which replaces the popular giant pigeon sculpture “Dinosaur,” will be on view for 18 months.

“This sculpture is a towering, 27-foot call to remembrance, asserting that our collective memory and our shared humanity remain the most enduring antidote against those who seek to break and scatter the human spirit,” Alan van Capelle, executive director of Friends of the High Line, said.

“What happened to the Buddhas of Bamiyan is not unique and is particularly resonant for many people across this country today who face a real fear of erasure and cultural persecution. A work of this magnitude requires a platform of equal magnitude, and I hope its debut on the Plinth offers people a powerful place to connect and find strength in this moment.”

The installation references the Bamiyan Buddhas, two colossal 6th-century statues once located in central Afghanistan. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, all that remains are two empty cutouts in the mountain where the statues once stood.

Before their destruction, the statues held significance for a range of cultures and religions. They reflected centuries of cultural exchange along the Silk Road, as the Bamiyan Valley served as a key crossroads at the intersection of trade routes linking China, India, and Persia.

The sculpture’s title references the affectionate nickname local communities gave the larger statue, “Salsal,” which translates as “the light that shines through the universe.” Nguyen’s commission is not an exact replica of Salsal but an “echo,” intended to evoke the memory of the lost cultural relics.

In his work, Nguyen reimagines the Buddha’s hands, which were lost to centuries of damage long before the statues were fully destroyed. Cast from melted-down brass artillery shells and arranged in ritual gestures symbolizing “fearlessness” and “compassion,” the hands serve as symbols of healing and empathy.

Appearing prosthetic-like, they also evoke limb loss and ongoing humanitarian crises in war-torn regions. A visible gap between the hands and the body is intended to suggest that while some damage is irreparable, there remains hope for healing the land, spirit, and people affected by devastation.

Through the use of melted-down artillery shells, Nguyen, who lives in Vietnam, also examines the legacy of the Vietnam War and the continued violence and trauma that affect local communities today. Considered by many to be the largest aerial bombardment in history, the war left the country littered with unexploded bombs, shells, and grenades that failed to detonate.

Nguyen’s work explores themes of loss and transformation, repurposing symbols of violence by melting them down and reshaping them into expressions of healing, resilience, and hope.

Alongside the sculpture’s unveiling, the High Line will host a free monthly lecture and guided meditation series at the Plinth. Taking place from May through October and presented in partnership with the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, the series will include lessons on Buddhist mudras, lectures on healing through ritual, the history of Buddhism along the Silk Road, and more.

High Line Plinth is located at the Spur, a dedicated area for rotating contemporary art commissions. Opened in June 2019, the Spur is the final part of the original elevated rail to be converted into public space. It runs east along West 30th Street and ends above 10th Avenue, as 6sqft previously reported.

Nguyen’s work marks the fifth Plinth commission. The previous commission was a giant pigeon sculpture by Iván Argote. The 16-foot-tall hyper-realistic sculpture aimed to challenge the typical power dynamic between humans and birds by elevating the pigeon above car-filled streets and High Line visitors.

Other past installations include Simone Leigh’s “Brick House” in 2019, Sam Durant’s “Untitled (drone)” in 2021, and Pamela Rosenkranz’s “Old Tree” in 2023.

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• A colossal pigeon will soon perch above the High Line
• The High Line celebrates 15 years as a public park

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The palatial duplex at 15 Central Park West that once belonged to Sting is once again for sale. Spanning 5,417 square feet, the trophy home in the Robert A.M. Stern-designed “limestone Jesus” has dizzying park views in addition to its celebrity history. As 6sqft previously reported, the rocker bought the mansion-sized condo in 2008 for $27 million and sold it for a tidy profit in 2017 for $50 million. Nearly a decade later, the penthouse is asking $45 million.

Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, hired Lee Mindel to design the interiors. While the couple found a buyer for the home in 2017, no one actually ever moved in, according to the New York Post. The next owner will still find Sting’s “personal custom touches,” according to the paper, like the round glass fireplace in the great room.

“No one has lived there since Sting,” Douglas Elliman broker Michael Lorber, who has the listing, told the Post.

With 44 feet of Central Park frontage via oversized windows, it’s easy to see past the tranquil beige interiors. A 500-square-foot terrace extends the home’s made-for-entertaining capabilities.

The lower floor is anchored by a curving stair. A large, open living room opens onto the terrace through tall French doors. A modern two-sided fireplace divides the space into separate zones. A crimson powder room adds a splash of rock ‘ n ‘ roll energy.

As the more intimate half of the living space, a library has built-in shelving. A sleek, capable kitchen gets a second staircase for speedy access to the rooms upstairs.

On the second floor, the primary suite puts those Central Park views front and center. For convenience, there are two dressing rooms and two luxurious bathrooms, one with a private sauna.

There are two more bedrooms with en-suite baths on this floor. A large room with a bath could be a fourth bedroom or home office, served by the aforementioned second staircase. The home’s top floor can be accessed via elevator for maximum accessibility and privacy.

15 Central Park West offers residents a suite of amenities befitting its reputation. Top-tier perks include a landscaped motor court, on-site parking, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a skylit lap pool, spa facilities, a screening room, private dining and catering services, wine storage, a library, a business center, and more

[Listing details: 15 Central Park West 16/17B at CityRealty]

[At Douglas Elliman by Michael Lorber and Alexander Boriskin]

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The post Sting’s former Central Park West pad is back on the market for $45M first appeared on 6sqft.

The celebrated chefs behind some of New York City’s most acclaimed restaurants are opening a new spot in one of the city’s most iconic buildings. James Beard Award-winning duo Rita Sodi and Jody Williams will open a location of their Bar Pisellino at the base of the landmarked Flatiron Building, which is currently being converted from offices into condominiums. The new restaurant marks the first restaurant outside of the West Village for Sodi and Williams, who are behind beloved downtown restaurants Via Carota, I Sodi, Buvette, and The Commerce Inn.

Bar Pisellino, which opened on Grove Street and Seventh Avenue in 2019, is an all-day Italian cafe offering espresso, cocktails, and light bites.

Taking up the base of the Flatiron Building, the new outpost will have a “larger, more high-profile setting,” according to a spokesperson for the building. The restaurant, featuring “soaring ceilings and restored architectural arches,” will offer outdoor seating and direct access from Fifth Avenue and Broadway.

Bar Pisellino Flatiron is expected to open in 2027, with construction beginning this summer.

“The Flatiron Building’s legacy is such an iconic part of New York, and we are thrilled to be part of it,” Sodi and Williams said in a statement. “We cannot wait to bring that spirit to Bar Pisellino.”

In another impressive move, further uptown, the chefs were selected by the Metropolitan Museum of Art to reimagine its restaurant program. The museum announced last fall that Sodi and Williams will boost existing offerings and develop new dining concepts, starting in 2027 at the Met’s Fifth Avenue location and later, at the Trie Cafe at the Met Cloisters.

While it will be the first time the Flatiron Building will have apartments, the Beaux-Arts building did have a restaurant when it opened in 1902. The Flat Iron Restaurant and Cafe occupied the basement of the building, with reportedly enough space to serve 1,500 guests.

On the early 1900s menu? Oysters, clams, soups, and roasts. Later on, the restaurant/jazz club Taverne Louis opened, introducing ragtime to New Yorkers.

The Brodsky Organization and the Sorgente Group, with SLCE Architects, are leading the conversion of the former office building into 37 condominiums. More than 10 units have entered contract over the last year, including a sprawling five-bedroom apartment listed for $58.5 million.

AD100 designer William Sofield’s Studio Sofield is designing all residences, as well as the amenity spaces. And for the first time, the Flatiron Building will be illuminated at night when it reopens with a new LED lighting scheme from L’Observatoire International.

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This corner townhouse at 2102 Albemarle Terrace is a rare example of preserved historic character, set among Brooklyn’s most celebrated collection of 20th-century Colonial Revival architecture. Behind its architecturally significant facade, contemporary design and convenience make this Flatbush home as move-in ready as it is notable. Asking $2,999,999, the property offers another rare luxury: a driveway and a private garage.

As the largest home within the tree-lined Albemarle-Kenmore Terraces Historic District, the 3,300-square-foot townhouse has five bedrooms on three floors as well as two full baths and two half-baths. Major systems have been brought into the 21st century, including new electrical, plumbing, and roofing.

Within, you’ll find well-preserved original millwork and moldings, restored casement windows, and a mix of new and original hardwood floors. Arranged around a grand center hall, the parlor floor is anchored by a formal living room with herringbone flooring and a fireplace.

A formal dining room features built-in shelving. The dining room is served by a thoroughly modern kitchen. This floor also offers a powder room and access to the back yard for easy outdoor dining and entertaining.

On the second floor are two large bedrooms and a full bath. A third bedroom is smaller, but blessed with an attached, sun-filled “sleeping porch” space.

The home’s skylit top floor is occupied by a singularly luxurious primary suite. The main bedroom offers a dressing room, full bath, and another chamber perfect for use as a nursery or home office. A washer and dryer on this floor adds more convenience.

At the lowest level, a finished basement offers a large, open bonus space with a wet bar. Also down here are a second laundry room, a half bath, and storage.

This historic corner home is just a few blocks from Prospect Park. The Church Avenue subway station, with the B and Q trains, is a block away.

[Listing details: 2102 Albemarle Terrace by Louis Belisario and Joe Cruz of Revived Residential]

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The post This landmarked $3M Flatbush townhouse is architecturally significant and expansively livable, garage included first appeared on 6sqft.

Instead of paying sky-high ticket prices and $150 NJ Transit train fares, New York soccer fans can attend free World Cup watch parties hosted in every borough. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul, along with the NYNJ 2026 World Cup Host Committee, on Monday announced five official fan experiences to be held throughout the six-week tournament. “If you can’t get to the World Cup, the World Cup is coming to you,” Hochul said.

The events will be free to attend, but online registration is expected to be required. Some events last a few days, while others take place for several weeks.

The official FIFA fan events will take place at the following locations:

• Queens: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (June 11-June 27)
• Manhattan: Rockefeller Center (July 6- July 19)
• The Bronx: Bronx Terminal Market (June 13-June 14)
• Brooklyn: Brooklyn Bridge Park (June 13-July 19)
• Staten Island: Staten Island University Hospital Community Park (June 29-July 2)

Last fall, Rockefeller Center announced, in partnership with Telemundo, a two-week fan village as Manhattan’s flagship fan experience. As part of the event, the iconic ice rink will transform into a soccer pitch and the Channel Gardens will become a “living tribute to the eight nations that have lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy and the legends who defined those historic moments,” according to a press release.

“When I think back on my first World Cup, some of my most meaningful memories weren’t in the stadium, they were in the fan zones, surrounded by thousands of people brought together by a pure love of the game,” Mamdani said in a statement.

“That’s what we’re building here: a World Cup that belongs to New Yorkers. By bringing these free fan events to every borough, we’re making sure everyone can be part of that joy.”

Other live viewing events outside of the city will take place at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, Stony Brook University on Long Island, and Kensico Dam Plaza in Westchester. Canalside in Buffalo will also be home to three community parties to watch the U.S. Men’s National Team on June 12, June 19, and June 25.

Officials expect more than 1.2 million visitors to travel to the region for the World Cup, which will be the largest edition of the tournament ever, featuring 104 matches across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Some elected city officials and local neighborhood groups have expressed concern about a lack of coordination over public programming for both the World Cup and celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary on July 4. As 6sqft noted last week, an emergency order issued by the Parks Department and approved by the mayor gives the agency the ability to deny permits for new, large-scale events like concerts and festivals from June 11 to July 19. According to the New York Times, returning events would not be impacted.

On Monday, Mamdani said more fan events and pop-ups will be announced in the coming weeks, including a partnership with the Department of Transportation’s Open Streets program.

The City Council last week introduced a package of legislation to support local businesses during the tournament, including bills that would create a “cultural passport” to encourage visitors to check out local places and institutions across the city and another to launch a guide to festivals, parties, and cultural corridors tied to the participating teams.

Other bills call for an expansion of public restrooms with high foot traffic and the co-naming of several thoroughfares and public places, including “Thierry Henry Way” next to Rockefeller Center, and “Pelé Way” in Queens.

There will be eight matches played at MetLife, starting with the June 13 matchup of Brazil vs. Morocco and ending with the World Cup Final on July 19.

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New Yorkers know space is always at a premium in small kitchens. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on the stylish and functional items that make cooking easier. From kitchen appliances and tools to storage and organization, these are 21 items that can help you save space in a small kitchen.

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.

Appliances, cookware, bakeware

You can flip this toaster oven up and away when not in use, and it only takes up half the space in this position. The toaster oven has eight functions: air fry, roast, broil, bake, pizza, toast, bagel, and dehydrate. The appliance uses 75 percent less fat compared to traditional frying.
Nina Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo, 8-in-1, $250/Sale $150 at Amazon

You may have thought you’d never have enough room to grill in your kitchen. But this innovative and compact model lets you grill indoors without any smoke. The griddler has reversible plates, so it can be used as a half grill, half griddler, full grill, full griddler, contact grill, and a panini press. The grease-reducing plates mean there’s very little smoke ( and no smoke at lower temperatures). The temperature range is 175 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and there are pre-programmed settings for beef, fish, pork, and poultry.
Cuisinart Griddler with Smoke-Less Mode, $170/Sale $150 at Amazon

Slow cookers tend to be bulky, but this one has a slim, space-saving design. However, the 6-quart capacity makes plenty of food. There are presets for meat/stew, chili/beans, soup/broth, and poultry, as well as high, medium, low, and keep warm modes. The inner pot is made of ceramic, making it easy to sear and braise food. And unlike many slow cookers, the tempered glass lid lets you view the contents. Color choices include Atlantic blue, cabernet red, dusty moss, and more.
Thyme & Table 6-Qt Programmable Slow Cooker, $80 at Walmart

With this compact espresso maker that’s only 5 inches wide, you can enjoy delicious espresso drinks with sacrificing valuable countertop space. Features include a pressure gauge, removable tank, oversized cup warmer, and removable drip tray. There’s also a stainless-steel tamper and a dosing ring, pressure gauge, 20-bar Italian pump, and professional steam milk frother. The easy-to-use controls include only four buttons: one/off, 1 cup, 2 cup, and steam. Color choices are silver, black, and rose gold.
Maestri House Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker, $140/Sale $132

Make latte art-level microfoam for your latte and espresso drinks without a steam wand – and you can also use it for matcha, collagen powder, jams, and more. This slim, handheld device has a speed dial for precise texture control and turns milk to velvety foam in less than a minute. It has a USB-C rechargeable battery and can be stored on the compact stand. Color choices are black, space gray, Christmas green, dusty rose, metallic blue, and more.
Maestri House LunaFro Max Handheld Electric Foam Maker, $35 at Amazon

Loose baking pans and sheets can take up a lot of space. However, this 11-piece bakeware set includes two storage organizations to keep everything neat and organized without taking up much space. The set includes a muffin pan, loaf pan, square pan, two circle pans, rectangle pan, medium baking sheet, large baking sheet, and cooling rack. The nonstick bakeware is made of ceramic and is free from toxic materials. It’s oven-safe to 550 degrees, and provides even heat distribution. Color choices are cream, black, gray, sage, marigold, navy, slate, and perracotta.
Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Bakeware Set, $445 at Amazon

This 6-quart air fryer has a generous interior, but the circular design is space-saving. It has a 1800-watt heating system and high-heat air circulation. It can reach temperatures of up to 450 degrees, and the streamlined silhouette includes a viewing window. The 10 cooking functions are air fry, bake, roast, reheat, and dehydrate, and there are presets for meat, fish, poultry, fries, and veggies. Some of the many color choices include slate grey, Atlantic blue, sand white, faded rose, and dusty moss.
Thyme & Table 6-quart Air Fryer, $89 at Walmart

If you like choices when brewing coffee, this space-saving single-serve coffee maker can be used with K-Cup pods, but it is also compatible with ground coffee when you don’t want to use pods. The coffee maker can make classic, rich, specialty, and iced coffee. It has a 56-ounce removable water tank and can also brew several sizes, from 6 to 24 ounces. Also, the foldaway milk frother lets you make lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and more.
Ninja Pods & Grounds Specialty Single-Serve Coffee Maker, $130/Sale $100 at Amazon

If you’re pressed for space, and it may be difficult to reach a wall plug, this compact espresso machine is cordless and can heat 7 to 8 cups of espresso before it needs to be charged again. And although it’s compact, the 20-bar pressure pump extracts oils and aromas from the coffee and produces a generous crema layer. The espresso machine (which also includes a tamper kit) can heat cold water to 198 degrees Fahrenheit in 3 minutes. You can use it at home with the stand, but when on the go, you can just pour the coffee directly into your coffee cup or mug. Connecting to the app lets you adjust the water temperature, pressure, and pre-infusion time.
IKAPE KAPO K2 Pro Portable Espresso Maker, $219/Sale $197 at Amazon

Organization

If you don’t have room to dry your dishes on the countertop, this dish drying rack has extendable arms and goes over the sink. You have the option to extend the handles to hang it over the sink when the dishes are wet, and then retract the handles to store everything on one side of the sink when the dishes are dry. The container has areas for dishes, bowls, cups, and cutlery. It is waterproof and rustproof, and the handles include non-slip silicone. Accent color choices are silver, red, black, gold, and white.
JASIWAY Dish Drying Rack in Sink, $34/Sale $26 at Amazon

If you have a small kitchen but more space in the dining room or living area, consider this sideboard buffet cabinet, which has 2 shelves on each side, providing plenty of space for storing plate sets, cookware, and more. There’s also room on top for plants, lamps, photographs, and more. If you’re really pressed for space, you can put your TV on top of the sideboard.
CHITA 70” Sideboard Buffet Cabinet, $600/Sale $520 at Amazon

If you have just one drawer to donate to silverware, make it count with this compact utensil organizer. The drawer has five angled compartments and can hold up to 24 pieces of cutlery.
Joseph Joseph DrawerStore Compact Utensil Organizer for Kitchen Drawer, $14/Sale $10 at Amazon

This clear spice rack is made of durable acrylic and designed not to rust, stain, warp, brown, or turn yellow. The 4-tier set (which consists of eight pieces) is expandable from 13” to 25.” It can hold up to 56 4-ounce spice jars.
MIUKAA Clear Acrylic Spice Drawer Organizer, $33/Sale $25 at Amazon

This food storage container set is stackable in two ways: the containers can be stacked on top of each other, and when not in use, the bowls (and lids) nest neatly to save even more space. The borosilicate glass containers are BPA-free, oven and freezer-safe, and dishwasher safe. The containers are leak-proof and airtight. The lids also have a built-in steam valve for splatter-proof heating in the microwave. Color choices are white stone and desert sage.
Bentgo Signature 18-Piece Leak-Proof Glass Food Storage Container Set, $80 at Amazon

This steel wire organizer has five adjustable shelves, making it versatile enough to be used to hold appliances, bowls of fruit, paper towels, and pantry supplies. The durable wire organizer has a weight capacity of 1,750 pounds.
Amazon Basics 5-Shelf Adjustable Heavy Steel Wire Storage Shelves, $52 at Amazon

Other essentials

This stylish trash can is slim, so it can fit into narrow spaces. The stainless steel 13-gallon trash can has an inner bucket that is easy to remove. The stainless-steel trash can is fingerprint-resistant and has a sturdy step-on pedal, making it hands-free to operate. The soft-close lid is quiet, and the back handle makes it easy to transport the trash can. Color choices are silver, black, sandy beige, and white.
SONGMICS 13-Gallon Slim Trash Can, $90 at Amazon

Whether serving food in the kitchen or another room, this three-tier stackable serving stand holds up to 4 pounds per tier and has an anti-wobble design. Each of the three tiers has a stainless-steel food-safe platter (and divots to make it easy to remove the platters). The tiers can swivel 360 degrees, and the vertical design saves space. When not in use, the serving stand collapses to just 3 inches in height for compact storage.
3-Tier Stackable Serving Stand, $74 at Totem

Clean and wipe at the same time with this slim paper towel holder with a spray pump inside. The paper towel holder has a balanced tension arm with just the right amount of resistance to let you tear off the desired number of paper towels. At the center of the paper towel holder is the paper towel pump, which you can pull up by the finger hook. The 6-ounce pump reservoir can provide 175 pumps before the reservoir needs to be refilled.
Simplehuman Standing Paper Towel Holder with Spray Pump, $70/Sale $65 at Amazon

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The post 21 space-saving kitchen essentials that fit in your NYC apartment first appeared on 6sqft.

The New York City Council is advancing reforms that could unlock up to 35,000 new homes on small and oddly-shaped lots across the five boroughs. During an American Institute of Architects (AIA) luncheon on Friday, Council Speaker Julie Menin proposed changes to the city’s construction codes that would allow for new housing on roughly 3,000 tiny, underutilized lots without requiring lengthy zoning approvals. Menin also announced the creation of a new panel, the Council Advisory Group on Housing Affordability, to help guide the Council’s policies addressing the city’s housing crisis.

“Across the five boroughs, there are thousands of small, underutilized lots that have the potential to deliver tens of thousands of new homes, but outdated rules and unnecessary red tape are standing in the way,” Menin said.

“That’s why we’re taking a proactive approach by convening a first-of-its-kind Advisory Group on Housing Affordability and advancing smart, targeted reforms to our Construction Codes,” she added. “At a moment when vacancy is at historic lows and rents are at record highs, we have an obligation to act boldly and deliver real results for New Yorkers.”

According to the Council, about 2,850 small lots across the five boroughs are vacant or underbuilt. Under the proposed reforms, these sites could be developed as-of-right with housing in buildings up to eight stories, which are generally cheaper to build and tend to rent or sell at lower prices than taller buildings.

While the city’s construction codes are intended to ensure building safety, Menin said some regulations and red tape unnecessarily hinder housing development.

The proposed reforms would maintain safety on small lots while allowing new, “appropriately-sized” housing in buildings 15 to 27 feet wide.

Officials say developing these sites would create jobs and generate tax revenue, while converting often-abandoned, trash-filled lots into accessible housing for New Yorkers.

The plan comes as the city faces a continued housing shortage, with a 1.4 percent vacancy rate, the lowest in more than five decades. Additionally, median Manhattan rent is about $5,000 per month as of March, while active listings have declined for 19 consecutive months.

Menin added that the new advisory group, made up of subject matter experts, advocates, organized labor, and community organizations, will guide the reforms.

The group will be co-chaired by Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York; Barika Williams, executive director of the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development; and James Simmons III, CEO and founder of Asland Capital Partners.

“By taking a hard look at outdated rules and unlocking the potential of small lots across the five boroughs, we have a historic opportunity to create tens of thousands of new homes while putting thousands of New Yorkers to work in good-paying, union jobs,” LaBarbera said.

“As co-chair of this Advisory Group, I’m proud to partner with Speaker Menin, industry experts, and community stakeholders to make sure these reforms are smart, safe, and deliver for working people. Expanding housing supply and strengthening our workforce go hand in hand, and this initiative is a meaningful step forward on both fronts.”

This is not the first time the city has looked to small lots as a source of new housing. In 2019, the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development launched “Big Ideas for Small Lots NYC,” a design competition that solicited proposals for housing on 23 unusually small or narrow lots across the city.

While the city selected five finalists out of more than 400 proposals submitted, no designs were ultimately utilized by developers.

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• NYC to fast-track affordable housing on city-owned land

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Work finally began this week on long-delayed dedicated bus lanes along a congested stretch of Madison Avenue. On Friday, the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn announced that work has started on extending double bus lanes along the avenue from 23rd to 42nd Streets, a project aimed at improving commutes for about 92,000 daily riders who often deal with bus speeds as low as 4.5 miles per hour. The agency expects the project to be finished over the next several weeks.

Madison Avenue currently has two bus lanes, two travel lanes, and one parking lane from 60th Street to 42nd Street, serving 34 local and express bus routes. According to DOT data, buses along the corridor are frequently slowed by traffic below 42nd Street. Despite this, 55 percent of people are riding buses along the stretch, even though there is no dedicated lane for them.

To address the issue, the DOT proposed in 2025 extending the double bus lane design down to 23rd Street, with plans to complete the project last year. However, the project was indefinitely stalled under former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration after the city “missed the last painting season,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson told Gothamist in January.

DOT data shows that double bus lanes can significantly increase bus speeds. On nearby Fifth Avenue, the introduction of double lanes boosted local bus speeds by six to 12 percent and express bus speeds by 11 to 20 percent, as 6sqft previously reported.

Upon taking office in January, Mayor Zohran Mamdani directed the DOT to move forward with the long-delayed project. The move marks another transportation initiative stalled or killed under the Adams administration, which Mamdani has sought to revive early in his term.

That month, Mamdani also announced the city would restore the original “road-diet” plan for Greenpoint’s dangerous McGuinness Boulevard, which had been scaled back amid allegations that a neighborhood film production company bribed a senior administration official.

He has also revived the bike lane redesign for Astoria’s 31st Street, which was partially built under Adams but later ordered removed by a judge after the project was found to have failed to follow proper procedures.

“For too long, New Yorkers have been forced to watch critical infrastructure projects be slowed, scaled back, or scrapped altogether by an administration that lacked urgency. That ends now,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

“By moving forward with work on Madison, we are choosing a city that works for the many, not the few. Faster, more reliable buses mean thousands of working people get where they need to go on time. And by shortening commutes, we’re returning invaluable time to New Yorkers. That’s what a functional transit system should deliver for every New Yorker,” he added.

In addition to revisiting previously stalled projects, the Mamdani administration has advanced several other transportation initiatives since January. On Wednesday, the mayor announced that the DOT will begin installing center-running bus lanes along Brooklyn’s Linden Boulevard between Fountain Avenue and Conduit Avenue in East New York.

A similar project is also underway on Brooklyn’s Flatbush Avenue, which is receiving dedicated center lanes from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza. The redesign includes dedicated boarding areas with covered seating, shorter crossing distances, and 29,000 square feet of new pedestrian space along the corridor.

Last May, the DOT also unveiled plans for a dedicated lane on 34th Street between Third and Ninth Avenues for buses, trucks, and emergency vehicles, a project expected to improve speeds by up to 15 percent for more than two dozen bus routes that serve the corridor. The plan was halted in October after the Trump administration threatened to withhold funding for other projects due to the lack of coordination between city and state officials and the federal government, as 6sqft reported

RELATED:

• Brooklyn’s dangerous Linden Boulevard to get center-running bus lanes, pedestrian islands
• NYC to connect Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park with car-free pedestrian space
• City to restart Flatbush Avenue redesign this month

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday announced the creation of the city’s first-ever Office of Deed Theft Prevention to crack down on scammers who take ownership of homes through fraud and deception. The new office comes just days after Council Member Chi Ossé was arrested after defending a Bed-Stuy homeowner facing eviction from a brownstone she has called home for six decades.

Deed theft is when someone steals a house, usually by falsifying paperwork, forging signatures, or tricking owners into signing over deeds. Scammers, who target seniors, immigrants, and people of color, will then evict the homeowner and sell the property at a profit.

According to New York Attorney General Letitia James, complaints about deed theft have increased by 240 percent from 2023 to 2025, with the highest concentration in Central Brooklyn and Southeast Queens. Last year, there were 517 complaints registered, compared to 149 complaints in 2023.

Between 2013 and 2023, the New York City Sheriff’s Office reported at least 3,500 deed theft complaints.

In 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation making it easier for the attorney general and local district attorneys to investigate and litigate deed theft. The legislation, co-authored by James and sponsored by State Senator Zellnor Myrie and Assembly Member Landon C. Dais, established deed theft as a crime.

The city’s new Office of Deed Theft Prevention aims to complement the statewide laws by expanding enforcement, flagging suspicious property filings, conducting public education and outreach, and improving data-sharing across city agencies.

“The theft of a home is the theft of a family’s future,” Mamdani said. “Deed theft preys on the New Yorkers who can least afford it. Today, we are bringing the full force of City government to bear to stop it – to protect homeowners, defend generational wealth and make clear that this City will not tolerate the exploitation of our communities.”

The new office will be part of the Department of Finance and work with the Sheriff’s Office, the Commission on Human Rights, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, among others.

Mamdani appointed Peter White, an attorney with Access Justice Brooklyn who has worked to protect homeowners from foreclosure and deed theft, to lead the new office.

“I am deeply humbled to join the Mamdani administration as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Deed Theft Prevention,” White said. “I have worked to protect New York City homeowners throughout my career, and will carry that passion into my new role serving New Yorkers.”

On Wednesday, Ossé and three others were arrested after gathering in support of Carmella Charrington, who is facing eviction from her Bed-Stuy home. As the New York Times reported, law enforcement officers arrived at the home on Jefferson Avenue to execute a judge’s eviction order, but protesters blocked them from entering the building. Charrington was jailed at Rikers last week on civil contempt charges related to the dispute over the home’s ownership, according to the Times.

Attorney General James said her office reviewed the case and said it was not deed theft, but a property dispute involving a conservator representing her father, who received approval to sell the property to an LLC. The LLC moved to evict Charrington, who says it was a fake sale, beginning in 2024.

“I showed up because I could not, in good faith, allow the displacement of a Black family in my district,” Ossé said in a video posted on social media following his release.

The council member said Charrington’s legal measures had not been exhausted and that she “deserved due process.”

“Sometimes the perpetrators use illegal methods. Sometimes, their methods are technically legal. In all cases, the practice is cruel and wrong, and everything that is legal isn’t right or just,” he added.

Ossé has also urged Hochul to halt evictions from properties subject to deed theft complaints or during legal disputes.

Mamdani said the new deed theft prevention office would have a budget of $500,000 in the current fiscal year and $1 million for the next. He promised to create the new office as part of his platform while running for mayor last year, but had originally called for $10 million in funding.

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Smorgasburg’s 16th season may be its biggest yet. The long-running open-air market, which originated in Williamsburg, announced it is expanding to Central Park next month. Starting May 14, over 25 vendors will set up at the Columbus Circle entrance of the park. The new Smorgasburg location comes as the company prepares to open a new 32,000-square-foot Pan-American restaurant on Governors Island.

The Central Park market will take place every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday starting May 14. Running from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., the market will offer food and beverages from more than 25 vendors.

Smorgasburg returned for the season to Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg and Prospect Park’s Breeze Hill earlier this month. This year’s roster includes 52 returning favorites and 22 new vendors, many representing brands founded by immigrants or offering multigenerational family recipes, as 6sqft previously reported.

New vendors include 82 Bowl, a Korean BBQ concept, Ambo, offering Indian comfort food, and Chenzi, which sells Fuzhounese street food.

Every week through October, the Williamsburg location is open on Saturdays and Prospect Park on Sundays. Smorgasburg also operates a market at the World Trade Center on Thursdays and Fridays.

The Governors Island restaurant, Six Coasts, will offer food and drink inspired by the “six coastal identities across the Americas,” from Nova Scotia to Baja to Bahia and the Caribbean. The menu will include seasonal seafood and tropical cocktails, with a 100-seat outdoor bar on the waterfront. The restaurant is expected to open in May.

RELATED:

• Smorgasburg returns for 16th year this April with 22 new vendors
• Pan-American coastal restaurant opening on Governors Island

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This $4.95 million, three-bedroom condo at 160 Central Park South was the one-time home of rock icon David Bowie and model Iman, and views of the park and Manhattan from its windows are just as iconic. Built in 1929, the Essex House is the rare Art Deco residence that offers condominium convenience and privacy suitable for 21st-century rock royalty.

Bowie and Iman lived at the home from 1992 to 2002 before moving to Soho. As 6sqft previously reported, the home hit the market in 2017 for $6.95 million, with the musician’s Yamaha piano included in the deal.

Starting with an elegant foyer, the home’s layout balances space for entertaining and private living. At almost 2,000 square feet, the move-in-ready condo makes a perfect pied-à-terre or primary home, with plenty of options to reconfigure to your needs.

A 40-foot-long great room is served by a modern kitchen. It’s hard not to get distracted by the breathtaking views from every room.

Adjacent to the great room, a luxurious bedroom suite has the same views. Behind-the-scenes upgrades are framed by classic prewar details.

Opposite this wing, a quiet living space offers two south-facing bedrooms and two baths. There’s plenty of closet space and a washer and dryer for added convenience.

In true rock star style, the prestigious full-service condominium offers owners the rare perk of access to hotel amenities, including 24-hour room service and restaurant dining, housekeeping concierge service, a business center, and a spa, in addition to a state-of-the-art fitness center and valet parking. The Essex House permits short- and long-term rentals and pieds-a-terre.

[Listing details: 160 Central Park South #915 by Christina Soares Hungria Paschoal of Sotheby’s International Realty-East Side Manhattan Brokerage]

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• David Bowie’s former Central Park South condo lists for $6.5M with his personal piano included
• Live at the Plaza with hotel-style service and condo convenience for $9.5M; minimalists need not apply
• Casino mogul Steve Wynn lists Central Park South penthouse for $90M
• Looking for a New Home on Central Park South? Just Follow the Big, Red, Iconic Sign to Essex House

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Ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary this summer, the Brooklyn Public Library released this week a list of 250 notable books on American history. “250 for 250” features titles published between 1776 and 2025 and reflects a wide range of perspectives on American history and storytelling, beginning with Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.” More than 600 books were considered by a committee of nearly two dozen librarians.

“These are the books that we believe have influenced this country and contributed to where we are today,” Jess Harwick, the librarian who coordinated the selection committee, said.

“As librarians, we know that it’s not just about the books themselves, but rather what they represent—a wide variety of American perspectives and voices sharing the stories of our streets, neighborhoods, and nation as a whole.”

Additionally, a small group of notable Americans was asked to select a book from the list and write a short essay on its significance to them and the nation.

Participants include Ethan Hawke, who reflected on “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton; Constance Wu, who wrote about “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson; Julian Shapiro-Barnum, who discussed “American Born Chinese”; Ilana Glazer, who wrote about “The 1619 Project” by Nikole Hannah-Jones; and Britt Lower, who reflected on “Just Kids” by Patti Smith, among others.

In a statement, Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of BPL, said the list highlights the “full range” of the “human experience.”

“Books remain one of our most powerful tools for defending democracy. They help us understand ourselves, each other, and the world around us,” Johnson said. “Together, the books on this list tell a story of our nation, our commitment to the ideals of freedom and justice for all, and that ongoing search for common ground.”

“As we continue to pursue a perfect union, this extraordinary list considers the full range of the American—and human—experience,” she added.

The list adds renewed excitement to Independence Day in NYC, which already has a full slate of events planned for the nation’s semi-quincentennial. From July 3 to July 8, “Sail4th 250” will bring six days of festivities across the five boroughs, including the arrival of the largest fleet of tall ships ever to sail into New York Harbor.

In addition, the New York Public Library will display its rare copy of the Declaration of Independence from July 1 to July 3, one of the few surviving “fair copies” handwritten by Thomas Jefferson. The document will be shown as part of the library’s exhibition “Revolution: 1776 and Beyond,” which will explore New York’s role in the American Revolution and its influence on global revolutions.

RELATED:

• NYC Council wants a ‘cultural passport,’ more public bathrooms, and Pelé Way for World Cup
• Largest fleet of tall ships to sail into NYC next summer to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary
• NYPL to display rare Declaration of Independence draft for America’s 250th anniversary

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A new traveling pop-up exhibition from the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) will recreate New York City’s natural landscape as it appeared 400 years ago. Running Saturday, April 25 through November 15, “Before New York” will be on display in every borough, featuring digital renderings, large-scale photographs, and soundscapes that reconstruct the city’s landscape as it existed before Henry Hudson arrived in 1609, with experiences tailored to each borough. The exhibition will open at the garden’s Ross Gallery, with additional pop-up locations and programming expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

“Before New York” will feature panoramic images rendered using scientific data, depicting landmark features, plants, and landscapes as they appeared 400 years ago, before colonization, when the region was home to the Indigenous Lenape people. These images will be presented alongside current photos, offering context into how drastically nature has changed.

Data-driven soundscapes, including reconstructed bird calls, will evoke the region’s prehistoric geography and natural environment as it existed before the modern street grid. The exhibition will also examine how neighborhoods developed in relation to the landscape and natural features, alongside ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable urban environment.

The exhibition is based on research by NYC ecologist Dr. Eric W. Sanderson, vice president of urban conservation at the NYBG’s Center for Conservation and Restoration Ecology.

“I am immensely excited to bring ‘Before New York’ to NYC. The natural history of our own backyard has so much to teach us, in the face of grave threats to our Earth and biodiversity and the opportunities we all have to make a difference,” Sanderson said.

“It is my hope that this exhibition will bring to life the people, plants, animals, and landscape who have shaped our city’s past, present, and future—and inspire everyone who sees it to champion the conservation of nature into the future.”

Sanderson, as detailed in his book “Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City,” describes 17th-century Manhattan as having biodiversity per acre that rivaled modern national parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite. The landscape that became New York City, called “Welikia,” meaning “my good home” in the Munsee-Lenape language, was home to thousands of species and the Indigenous Lenape people for 8,000 to 10,000 years before Hudson arrived.

Sanderon’s The Welikia Project, an online resource maintained by the Urban Conservation team at NYBG, illustrates block-by-block ecosystems and geologic foundations of the land prior to colonization, pairing current landmarks with a rendering of what the site looked like 400 years ago. The project extended ecology studies from Manhattan to all five boroughs.

Sanderson will lead the opening lecture for “Before New York” on April 28 at 11 a.m. in Ross Hall. He will discuss how he and his colleagues spent 25 years reconstructing the Bronx’s features, plant life, and landscape as it existed four centuries ago.

Admission is free with garden grounds access. Register here.

The Urban Conservation team will also host special events at pop-up locations across the city, tailored to each borough. Programming will include a public lecture by Sanderson on the borough’s historical ecology, a guided neighborhood walking tour focused on restoration, and an arts program interpreting each borough’s ecological history and restoration efforts through creative practice.

“Before New York” is also informed by Sanderson’s 2009 book “Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York” and his forthcoming atlas and gazetteer, “Before New York: The Natural Geography of the City,” which is slated for release on November 3.

RELATED:

• Mapping Manahatta: 10 Lenape sites in New York City
• Hear the natural sounds that made up life in 17th century Manhattan (interactive)
• Explore Manhattan When It Was Just Forests and Creeks With the 1609 Welikia Map

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A state judge has paused Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan to relocate a men’s homeless intake shelter from the shuttered Bellevue facility in Kips Bay to the East Village after residents filed a lawsuit. Judge Sabrina Kraus issued the order on Wednesday, blocking the city from opening the intake center at 8 East Third Street on May 1 as originally planned and setting a May 7 court date for the administration and plaintiffs. Last month, Mamdani announced plans to close the Bellevue shelter, citing decades of neglect and deteriorating conditions, and to relocate its roughly 250 residents to existing shelters in the East Village.

Once the city’s largest men’s homeless shelter, the Bellevue facility on East 30th Street in Kips Bay served as an entry point for single men and adult families seeking emergency shelter in the city. The building, converted from Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric ward in 1984, can house up to 850 people.

The 1931 structure has long been plagued by fire safety violations, building code issues, and incidents of violence, with portions of the facility cordoned off due to maintenance issues, according to The City.

Efforts to shutter the site date back years. In 2008, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg sought to close the site, and the city’s Economic Development Corporation later proposed converting it into a luxury hotel and conference center, though those plans were eventually abandoned.

At the time, critics opposed relocating the shelter’s intake services to a site in Crown Heights, arguing that most street-homeless individuals live in Manhattan and would be less likely to travel to Brooklyn to seek services, as 6sqft previously reported.

With the shelter now empty, city officials this week gave Gothamist a look inside the dilapidated 9-story structure. The auditorium sits abandoned, with pigeons nesting in the windows, while exposed wiring, pipes, and large portions of the ceiling are missing from the ceiling of the former solarium.

Joseph Piwowarski, associate commissioner of the city’s Department of Design and Construction, told Gothamist that the building’s steam and plumbing systems are well beyond their lifespan and frequently leak. He added that, given the facility’s age, lead and asbestos are likely present throughout the facility.

A spokeswoman for City Hall told the New York Times that conditions at the shelter had been “unacceptable” for years.

“The decision to vacate was necessary for safety, and based on clear expert guidance,” she told the Times. “Now, we have an urgent obligation to act. Transferring shelter intake to 8 East Third Street is critical to ensuring that every New Yorker in need has access to safe, dignified shelter without delay.”

The city has already relocated residents to two shelters in Brooklyn and had planned to move intake services to two existing men’s shelters in the East Village on May 1.

A lawsuit filed Monday by Village Organization for the Integrity of Community Engagement, the group of residents seeking to block that plan, argues the administration has rushed the process without proper review or adequate public notice. The suit also raises concerns about whether the facilities would comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“This is an important start, and we appreciate the judge’s fast action on this crucially important matter,” Trisha Goff, a member of the group and a longtime neighborhood resident, said. “But it is only the beginning. There’s much more work to be done. Now there’s time for due process, to listen to the community, and to find a far better solution to this challenging problem.”

City officials note that both East Village sites have long operated as shelters and substance use treatment programs, run by the nonprofit group Project Renewal. The intake center would include 117 short-term beds for men, who typically stay less than 24 hours.

“Leaving people in a space that is falling apart is a failure of our responsibility to care for our fellow New Yorkers. The decision to vacate was necessary for safety, and based on clear expert guidance,” Sneha Choudhary, a City Hall spokesperson, told Gothamist. “We look forward to addressing the immediate need to relocate shelter intake with the court.”

While the judge’s order halts the relocation of intake services, construction at the site can continue. The next hearing is scheduled for May 7.

The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless issued a joint statement after the court’s ruling, criticizing residents’ opposition as “NIMBYism” while also raising concerns about the site’s accessibility.

“The site at 8 East Third Street has long served as a shelter and previously functioned as a men’s intake center, making its current use consistent with its history. Opposition from some neighbors lacks a good-faith basis and appears to be little more than NIMBYism, given both that history and the urgent need for a functioning, legally compliant shelter intake facility,” the groups said.

They added that they have “serious concerns” about the building’s accessibility and the city’s ability to comply with the Butler settlement, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and other disability protections, particularly given the accelerated timeline.

“The city has committed to making the site fully accessible, and we are actively negotiating the specific steps it will take to operate as an intake facility and to ensure the site is accessible to all single men seeking shelter,” the statement said.

RELATED:

• NYC’s largest men’s homeless shelter to close this month
• NYC opens low-barrier shelter with 100+ units in Lower Manhattan
• NYC opens 50 single-room shelter units for homeless New Yorkers amid historic cold stretch

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In Hamilton Heights, a co-op building opened a lottery this week for affordable apartments available for purchase. On the corner of West 142nd Street and Riverside Drive, the pre-war building was acquired by the city in 2003 and sold to a nonprofit group to rehabilitate and turn it into affordable housing as part of the city’s currently-paused Third Party Transfer (TPT) program. Earlier this month, a lottery opened for 24 units at 644 Riverside Drive, priced from $100,794 for a one-bedroom to $156,331 for a five-bedroom.

The Park Towers HDFC apartments available for purchase have been fully upgraded, with new stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors. The upper floors boast great views of the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge.

New Yorkers must earn 120 percent of the area median income to be considered eligible, which ranges from $70,462 annually for a single-person household to $303,360 for an 11-person household. Buyers must be first-time homeowners, have at least 10 percent for a down payment, and plan to live at the residence full-time.

There are nine one-bedrooms, nine two-bedrooms, two three-bedrooms, three four-bedrooms, and one five-bedroom unit available through the lottery. Amenities include a shared laundry room and an elevator.

Maintenance fees range from $1,209/month for one-bedrooms to $2,102/month for five-bedrooms.

Established in 1996, the TPT program allows the city’s Department of Finance and Department of Housing Preservation and Development to foreclose on financially and physically distressed rentals and transfer them to a third party to rehabilitate and turn them into cooperatives, if the tenants are interested.

A partnership between the nonprofit Urban Homesteading Assistance Board and Settlement Housing Fund, dubbed SHUHAB, took over 644 Riverside Drive and its sister property at 640 Riverside Drive in 2005. Tenants of the run-down buildings agreed to be part of the program with the promise that they could purchase their apartments for $2,500. Renovations on No. 644 began in 2006, but took more than eight years to complete, as DNAinfo reported at the time.

As of October 2024, No. 640 has not been converted to a tenant-owned co-op as promised two decades ago because of construction delays, according to the Columbia Spectator.

The city paused TPT in 2019 after complaints that the program disproportionately seized debt-ridden properties owned by Black and Brown homeowners and landlords. Council Member Pierina Sanchez introduced legislation this year to reform the program to expand the definition of distressed properties and add protections for smaller landlords who have been disproportionately targeted in the past.

Last April, the city seized its first building from a negligent landlord in seven years. As 6sqft reported, the 49-unit building at 2201-2205 Davidson Avenue in the Bronx was foreclosed on after a decade of tenant organizing. The landlord, David Kornitzer, owed $28 million in back taxes, emergency repairs, and other fees.

Nonprofit developer Neighborhood Restore and private manager Lemle and Wolff are renovating the building and helping current tenants transition to homeownership through permanently affordable co-ops.

An informational webinar on the co-op and application process for 644 Riverside will be held on Wednesday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. Register here. Seminar attendance is not mandatory to purchase.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the co-ops until May 26, 2026. Find more details on how to apply here. A 20 percent preference is given to applicants who live in Manhattan Community District 9, and 10 percent for city employees or military veterans.

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

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As New York City deals with rising sea levels, heavier rainfall, and aging infrastructure, officials are increasingly confronting a future that will be wetter and more climate-vulnerable. Efforts are underway to improve the resilience of the city against extreme weather driven by climate change while expanding greener and more accessible public spaces. These efforts come as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to cancel or freeze funding for programs that address climate change, including $325 million in disaster prevention funds for New York. In honor of Earth Day, we’ve put together a list of seven major green infrastructure projects that are working toward a safe and sustainable future for New Yorkers.

Vital Parks for All

Public green spaces have long been an important resource for New Yorkers, providing areas for recreation and respite. However, with many park facilities now past their intended lifespan and demand for park space increasing, the city’s Parks Department (NYC Parks) has undertaken major upgrades to ensure parks can accommodate current and future generations.

Vital Parks for All is the department’s $3.2 billion commitment to ensuring public spaces across the five boroughs remain the critical infrastructure that they are. Launched in June 2024, the plan seeks to preserve existing park facilities, equitably deliver new park resources to underserved communities, and educate New Yorkers on how they can celebrate and support their parks.

“Our parks and green spaces are critical public resources to providing a livable and equitable city, and our parks system is strongest when it is green, resilient, and supported by a community of engaged and empowered New Yorkers,” a spokesperson for NYC Parks told 6sqft.

“The Vital Parks initiative provides a framework for thinking about and driving change in our public green spaces, ensuring that we’re able to revitalize aging park facilities, deliver new resources where they’re needed most, and empower New Yorkers with the data they need to advocate for their parks.”

NYC Parks has made a $136 million investment to plant more street trees in the city’s most vulnerable communities, $80 million to acquire properties in underserved areas to improve livability and ecological resilience, and $100 million to advance 19 wetland restoration projects in at-risk neighborhoods.

Last month, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that 10 NYC parks in underserved neighborhoods will receive $50 million in new investments, continuing city efforts to expand access to green space. The improvements are expected to benefit more than 116,500 New Yorkers.

Alongside the plan, the agency also released an interactive map, the Vital Park Explorer. Through the tool, New Yorkers can explore city data to see their community board’s access to more than 20 park services, ranging from greenways and volunteer groups to dog runs and hiking trails.

Users can also view a Park Condition Score for each site, a composite measure that reflects factors such as cleanliness, safety, and amenities, including playground equipment, landscaping, and restroom facilities.

Prospect Park Bluebelt

Brooklyn is set to receive its first-ever Bluebelt, a nature-based flood prevention system that uses natural landscape features, such as streams, ponds, and wetlands, to better manage extreme rainfall fueled by climate change. In December, the city announced it would invest $68 million in the new infrastructure, which will help protect Prospect Park, nearby neighborhoods, and the Prospect Park Zoo, which closed for eight months in 2023 due to flood damage.

The project was shaped by a year-long study by the DEP into flooding in surrounding Brooklyn neighborhoods and stormwater flow through Prospect Park. Working with NYC Parks and the Prospect Park Alliance, the agencies analyzed the park’s landscape and water systems to identify ways to improve drainage, as 6sqft previously reported.

Bluebelts are an emerging stormwater infrastructure system in the five boroughs. The first was launched on Staten Island, where it spans much of the island’s southern half. As explained by NYC H2O, bluebelts often blend into surrounding parkland and can be mistaken for ordinary green space, rather than the sustainable infrastructure systems they are.

The systems have a wide range of landscape design measures and engineered features. Meandering streams slow the water naturally, allowing sediment that would otherwise be carried downstream to settle before reaching larger bodies of water.

Forebays are specially constructed, rock-lined basins where water is further slowed and sediment is captured. Waterfall-like features, such as step-pool systems, function in a similar way by reducing water velocity as it moves through a series of drops and pools.

DEP is expanding the Bluebelt system wherever feasible across all five boroughs. The agency currently manages 545 acres of bluebelts and natural areas in the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Construction on the Prospect Park project is scheduled to start in 2029 and finish in 2032.

Rain Gardens

Many New Yorkers may walk past these inconspicuous, fenced dirt patches along city streets without taking a moment to notice them, unaware that they are a critical tool in protecting neighborhoods from flooding.

Built by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), there are more than 11,000 rain gardens across the five boroughs. These small curbside installations are a cost-effective and resilient way to manage stormwater during extreme weather events.

Typically located next to stormwater catch basins, rain gardens contain highly porous engineered soil and a variety of plants selected for their ability to absorb water and thrive in urban conditions.

Together, these systems help capture and filter thousands of gallons of stormwater before it enters the sewer system, reducing the risk of combined sewer overflows into local waterways during storms. Rain gardens are estimated to collect roughly 8 million gallons of water per year, according to the DEP.

Beyond reducing stormwater overflow, rain gardens also help filter pollutants and improve water quality while adding greenery to city streets, particularly in low-lying, flood-prone areas.

“The DEP continues to expand nature‑based stormwater solutions across NYC. Green infrastructure, like planted curbside rain gardens and Bluebelts, helps drain rainwater off the streets to reduce neighborhood flooding and protect local waterways,” a DEP spokesperson told 6sqft.

South Brooklyn Marine Terminal + Empire Wind

An expansive, 122-acre swathe of Brooklyn’s historic industrial waterfront is poised to become one of the nation’s largest offshore wind ports, with the potential to remove more than 34 million tons of CO2 from the environment. Led by the city’s Economic Development Corporation, the $3.5 billion redevelopment project is transforming the dilapidated marine terminal into thousands of apartments and a 60-acre, all-electric port, as well as an interconnection site for Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 project.

Located roughly 30 miles southeast of Long Island, Empire Wind spans 80,000 acres and is being developed in two phases. Empire Wind 1 will deliver 810 megawatts of renewable energy to Brooklyn, powering about 500,000 NYC homes, and is expected to play a key role in the city’s goal of reaching 9 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2035 and 100 percent clean electricity by 2040.

Empire Wind will be the first offshore wind project to deliver power directly to the five boroughs, bringing it onshore at the Sunset Park Onshore Substation, next to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. Fifty-four turbines will be built as part of Phase 1, each with a 15-megawatt capacity, and each turbine rotation will generate enough energy to power a NY home for about 1.5 days.

As part of its agreement with the city, Equinor has agreed to contribute $5 million to an ecosystem fund that will help New Yorkers enter the offshore wind industry and accelerate wind innovation. The company will also open an offshore wind learning center at its Brooklyn office that will be open to the public, as 6sqft previously reported.

The project came under scrutiny from the Trump administration in December, when it froze five major offshore wind projects on the East Coast, citing “national security concerns.” Trump has also referred to offshore wind projects as “losers,” arguing they lose money, damage landscapes, and kill birds, according to the Associated Press.

In response, Equinor sued the federal government to resume construction. In January, District Judge Carl J. Nichols ruled that work on the project could continue while he considers the “merits” of the government’s order to suspend it, saying the government had not adequately addressed key arguments in the developer’s filings.

Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project

New York City’s coastal location has played a vital role in its development as a global city, with millions arriving in the five boroughs by ship through its harbor, passing landmarks like the Statue of Liberty with the skyline rising behind it. However, in the face of extreme weather events, flooding, and sea level rise driven by climate change, parts of the city will need to adapt to stay afloat.

To confront these risks, the city released the Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Study in 2019, which examined current and future climate threats across the area. It found that by the 2050s, 37 percent of Lower Manhattan buildings would be at risk of storm surge, rising to nearly 50 percent by 2100. By that time, 20 percent of streets could also face daily flooding due to a projected sea level rise of more than six feet.

Since then, the city has launched the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) project, a wide-ranging initiative aimed at reducing flood risk from coastal storms and sea level rise across Lower Manhattan.

With a projected cost of up to $7 billion, the LMCR includes five key components: Brooklyn Bridge–Montgomery Coastal Resilience, Seaport Coastal Resilience, Battery Park Coastal Resilience, East Side Coastal Resilience, and the North, South, and West Battery Park City Resilience projects.

As part of the Battery Park City project, workers are creating an integrated coastal flood risk management system along the northern border of Battery Park, across Pier A Plaza, through Wagner Park, and to the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

In July, Wagner Park reopened after a two-year overhaul that elevated it 10 feet to conceal a buried floodwall beneath the central lawn, protecting it from storm surge. It also features a 63,000-gallon underground cistern for rainwater reuse and gardens planted with native, salt-resistant species. The park is now designed to withstand a 100-year storm and is expected to offer protection against severe storms through the 2050s based on projected sea level rise.

“The Battery Park City Resiliency Projects are a critical part of the city’s broader initiative to protect Lower Manhattan residents, property and infrastructure against the rising threats of climate change,” a Battery Park City Authority spokesperson told 6sqft.

“With Wagner Park now reopened and construction advancing in North/West Battery Park City, we are proud to deliver a world-class integrated coastal flood protection system that sets a new standard for resilient waterfront design.”

Construction on the Brooklyn Bridge–Montgomery Coastal Resilience Project began in the fall of 2022, while the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resilience project opened its first two public areas in 2022 and 2023.

In May, two additional public spaces opened at East River Park, which is being elevated 8 to 10 feet to accommodate a floodwall beneath it. The previous summer, the city reopened Ballfields 1 and 2 with an upgraded drainage system and other improvements designed to withstand climate impacts.

Tibbetts Brook Daylighting

A stream in the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park, buried for more than a century, is being restored as part of an effort to improve water flow and reduce flooding and sewage overflow into the Harlem River. The process, known as “daylighting,” removes concrete and other coverings above waterways in an effort to restore natural flow and surrounding ecosystems, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Daylighting has grown in popularity as cities across the United States face increased flooding from more frequent and intense rainstorms. The process also brings additional benefits, allowing cities to introduce new plantings and create new green spaces. Environmentalists have advocated for the daylighting of Tibbetts Brook for decades.

Starting in Yonkers and running through Kingsbridge before reaching Spuyten Duyvil Creek, Tibbetts Brook once flowed entirely above ground before it was buried in 1912 to make space for development, according to Starr Whitehouse.

Since then, clean water from the buried stream has entered the Harlem River, adding about 2.2 billion gallons of freshwater to antiquated pipes that carry combined sewage and stormwater to treatment plants. In 2021, rainfall from Hurricane Ida overwhelmed the system, sending floodwaters up to six feet deep in Van Cortlandt Park and turning parts of the nearby Major Deegan Expressway into a river.

As part of the $133 million plan, roughly 1.8 miles of the stream will be brought back above ground from Hester and Piero’s Mill Pond to the river. The project is expected to prevent the brook’s clean water from entering the sewer system and reduce sewage overflow into the Harlem River by roughly 220 million gallons per year. It is also expected to be one of the city’s most cost-effective green infrastructure investments, leveraging natural systems to create a “greener, more connected public realm.”

Led by Starr Whitehouse in collaboration with Hazen and Sawyer, the project also includes ecological upgrades along the daylighted brook and extends the Putnam Greenway by 1.2 miles from Van Cortlandt Park to West 230th Street, complementing the ongoing expansion of the Harlem River Greenway. The improvements are expected to enhance park access and help reduce flooding by expanding green space.

While construction to daylight the brook was initially set to begin in 2025, the start was delayed as the city worked to complete key land deals and easements. In the meantime, the city has been removing invasive species from the area since August 2024, according to Secret NYC. The initiative is now expected to break ground this year, with the fully daylighted stream slated to open around 2030.

Arverne East

Currently taking shape on a formerly vacant 116-acre oceanfront site in the Arverne and Edgemere neighborhoods of Far Rockaway, Queens, Arverne East is slated to become NYC’s first net-zero community. With a price tag of nearly $1 billion, the project is expected to generate more energy than it consumes through passive house construction and an innovative geothermal system, making it a model for sustainable development across the five boroughs.

Spanning from Beach 32nd Street to Beach 56th Place, the site was acquired by the city and cleared for development in the 1970s, but remained largely untouched for about 50 years. The project will ultimately include 1,650 housing units, with a mix of affordable, market-rate, and homeownership opportunities.

It also includes a 35-acre nature preserve, designed by Starr Whitehouse, which opened to the public in April 2024 as part of the project’s first phase. Stretching between Beach 44th Street and Beach 56th Place, the preserve features a winding pathway that guides visitors through five distinct ecologies: maritime forest, shrubland, grassland, swale, and dunes.

The preserve also includes a 6,000-square-foot welcome center designed by WXY, which incorporates the same sustainability measures as the broader development and is fully fossil fuel-free, with a closed-loop geothermal system for heating and cooling and a rooftop solar array to power the building

Beyond the center, Arverne East will feature a range of resilient design elements to protect against flooding, which has historically impacted the Rockaways during extreme weather events. The development includes permeable surfaces, planted areas, and bioswales to manage stormwater, while buildings are elevated three to eight feet above existing grade, exceeding the city’s flood elevation standard by up to four feet.

Arverne East is being developed by L+M Development Partners, the Bluestone Organization, and Triangle Equities, in partnership with the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, NYC Parks, and the Department of Transportation.

Arverne East Building D, the first residential phase of the project, is slated to break ground at the end of April. The phase will deliver 320 homes, including 220 affordable rentals and 90 affordable homeownership units.

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• Car-Free Earth Day returns with free events across NYC
• NYC announces $50M to rebuild 10 parks in underserved neighborhoods
• Prospect Park will get Brooklyn’s first ‘Bluebelt’ to protect area from flooding

The post 7 green infrastructure projects shaping NYC’s climate future first appeared on 6sqft.

Parts of Brooklyn’s Linden Boulevard, one of the borough’s most dangerous corridors, will be redesigned with center-running bus lanes and other safety upgrades by 2027. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced that the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) will begin installing the lanes later this year along the stretch between Fountain and Conduit Avenues in East New York. The changes aim to improve safety along the corridor, which saw more than 440 traffic-related injuries and one death between 2021 and 2025. Those crashes have been linked to the road’s current design, which encourages speeding, forces pedestrians to cross multiple lanes of traffic, and leaves buses stuck behind double-parked cars, according to amNY.

“This project will deliver faster, more reliable buses for the 60,000 New Yorkers who rely on them every day — parents getting their kids to school, workers trying to clock in on time, families picking up groceries on the way home,” Mamdani said.

“And redesigning this historically dangerous corridor will make it safer for everyone who has to cross it. When we make our buses faster and our streets safer, we’re making a clear choice about the kind of city we want to be: one that puts people first,” he added.

Linden Boulevard is designated as a Vision Zero Priority Corridor and ranks among Brooklyn’s most dangerous streets for traffic deaths and injuries. Along this stretch, one person is injured in a traffic crash every four days, on average. Some lawmakers have begun referring to it as the “boulevard of death,” as reported by Gothamist.

A four-year-old was struck and killed by an SUV on Linden Boulevard and Rockaway Parkway last month. Two days later, a man standing on Linden was hit by a driver and killed, according to Gothamist.

Additionally, 54 percent of residents along the corridor commute by public transportation, and 57 percent of households do not have access to a private vehicle. With the nearest subway station more than half a mile away, many residents rely on buses serving the corridor, including the B13, B14, B15, B20, BM5, and Q8, which can move as slowly as 4 miles per hour.

To address these long-standing traffic conditions, the city will install eight new bus boarding islands, which will also serve as pedestrian refuge islands and shorten crossing distances. The DOT will also add two new signalized intersections at Pine and Emerald Streets to reduce gaps between crosswalks and better connect the East New York and Jewel Streets areas. In addition, five slip lanes will be closed or redesigned to improve safety and support bus operations.

According to the agency, the changes will make the boulevard safer for pedestrians and speed up bus service, better connecting riders to six nearby subway lines, including the A, C, J, Z, L, and 3 trains.

The redesign advances a community vision outlined in the city’s Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan, led by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. In addition to traffic safety upgrades, the plan calls for roughly 5,000 new homes, including 1,400 homes on a 17-acre city-owned site, a new sewage system for the neighborhood, which regularly floods.

DOT is currently reimagining the Conduit corridor, with the agency hosting a second round of public workshops starting this week.

The Linden Boulevard redesign should be completed by 2027, according to the city.

“Dedicated bus lanes keep buses moving and projects like the proposed redesign of Linden Boulevard are gamechangers to improve safety and bus service for riders,” MTA NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said.

“It’s a win for everyone using the roads — safer for pedestrians, bus operators, bus riders and motorists, and with connections to six bus routes and six subway lines, it strengthens the transit network overall.”

Linden Boulevard joins a growing list of major NYC corridors receiving traffic safety and bus speed upgrades. This month, work resumes on the redesign of Flatbush Avenue, which will also receive center-running bus lanes. The project is expected to speed up commutes for 132,000 daily bus riders, who currently travel at average speeds of under 4 miles per hour.

Last month, ground broke on a project to improve crosstown Bronx bus service and enhance street safety near Yankee Stadium. The project will add westbound bus-only lanes, including converting the 161st Street underpass for bus-only use. It will also include pedestrian safety upgrades, along with rider amenities such as shelters, benches, and leaning bars, as well as infrastructure to make bus boarding safer and more accessible.

Last 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, as 6sqft previously reported.

The plan was halted in October after the Trump administration threatened to withhold funding for other projects due to the lack of coordination between city and state officials and the federal government, as 6sqft reported. Federal Highway Administration Administrator Sean McMaster said the agency had several concerns with the busway, including the absence of a plan “to accommodate truckers” and “maintain access for emergency vehicles.” Because the street is connected to the National Highway System (NHS), the project falls within the purview of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

RELATED:

• NYC to connect Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park with car-free pedestrian space
• City to restart Flatbush Avenue redesign this month
• NYC breaks ground on Bronx crosstown bus service upgrades around Yankee Stadium

The post Brooklyn’s dangerous Linden Boulevard to get center-running bus lanes, pedestrian islands first appeared on 6sqft.

The New York City penthouse that acted as the fictional home of financial fraudster Jordan Belfort in the 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street” is back on the market. Located on the 32nd floor of the Midtown East condo building Milan at 300 East 55th Street, the luxurious, 2,700-square-foot penthouse serves as the setting of a pivotal scene where an associate of Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, dangles a butler over the balcony. The scene shows off the very real sweeping city views, especially of the Chrysler Building, from the three-bedroom home, which just hit the market for $4,950,000.

As reported by Mansion Global, the real-life owner is Bert E. Brodsky, who leads the real estate development and investment firm BEB Capital. Brodsky paid $4.5 million for the apartment in 2005. He doesn’t live there full-time, telling Mansion Global: “I don’t use it as a residence,” Brodsky said. “I use it more for showering and meeting people.”

The home, which has been used as a filming location for “Gossip Girl,” “The Good Wife,” and “Blue Bloods,” was first listed for $6.25 million in 2024 and then taken on and off the market a few times before listing for $4.95 million this week.

A large entry foyer leads to an expansive great room, measuring over 36 feet long and wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows. Two terraces sit on either side of the living and dining area; there’s also a tucked-away wet bar for easy entertaining.

The open chef’s kitchen features custom European cabinetry and Viking appliances.

On the other end of the apartment, the massive primary suite features a corner fireplace, two walk-in closets, and a spa-like bath. The two additional bedrooms also have their own en-suite baths and extra closet space.

The glass-clad tower was built in 2004. Amenities at the building include a 24-hour doorman and concierge, a landscaped garden, a fitness center, an on-site garage, a residents’ lounge, and a two-story lobby with a zen garden designed by Ken Smith.

[Listing details: Milan, 300 East 55th Street, #PHC at CityRealty]

[At Compass by Boris Fabrikant and Collin Bond of The Fabrikant Bond Team]

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The post Midtown East penthouse seen in ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ lists for $4.95M first appeared on 6sqft.

Among the oldest surviving wooden homes in Brooklyn Heights, this Federal-style home at 25 Cranberry Street was built around 1790 as a farmhouse. Beginning in 1995, preservation-minded residents carefully stripped away the layers to reveal many of the home’s original details that lay hidden for generations, from painted plaster to wood-plank flooring. Now asking $4.9 million, the four-story, 3,200-square-foot home is ready for 21st-century owners to appreciate the history behind its walls.

As Brownstoner reported, the street names and numbers of Brooklyn have changed over the years. The home at 25 Cranberry Street actually was 45 Cranberry Street until it was renumbered in the 1870s.

The townhouse offers four floors of living space containing 10 rooms, including four bedrooms. Details like wood-burning fireplaces provide the same warmth and beauty as they did centuries ago, though multi-zone recirculating hot water heat assures modern comfort.

The original layout has been retained; the home’s lower floors include a library and kitchen on the garden level. On the parlor floor are a more formal dining room and parlor.

Bedrooms occupy the top two floors. The primary chamber is on the second floor, along with a full bath. Every corner of the home gets sunlight from northern and southern exposures. There also is the option of raising the rear roof on the top floor for a unique sky view.

A quaint covered porch offers shelter and a view of the garden, where boundary stones remain from the original farmhouse. The coveted “fruit street” location has some of the city’s most breathtaking sunset views of the Manhattan skyline.

[Listing details: 25 Cranberry Street by Joan Goldberg of Brown Harris Stevens]

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• This $10M historic wood-frame in Brooklyn Heights is one of the neighborhood’s oldest homes
• A gently restored Greenpoint wood frame townhouse with history intact asks $3.75M
• Brooklyn Heights’ oldest home is back on the market with refreshed interiors for $4.25M
• Amy Schumer buys Brooklyn Heights townhouse from ‘Moonstruck,’ last listed for $11M

The post One of the oldest wood-frame houses in Brooklyn Heights asks $4.9M first appeared on 6sqft.

Tranquility and light are the main elements you’ll notice in this pretty co-op at 1110 Caton Avenue. The pre-war apartment has the generously-sized rooms of its era, with the timeless design update of a recent renovation. Asking $675,000, it’s currently configured as a one-bedroom home, but can easily become a two-bedroom with a dedicated home office. Prospect Park and the Parade Grounds are just steps away, providing a 585-acre front yard.

The apartment overlooks a verdant courtyard and gets lots of sunlight in its large, open rooms. while five closets provide clutter control. Joining considered details like custom radiator covers, high-tech upgrades include smart lighting throughout, and a keyless entry system.

The living room, dining room, and adjacent spaces flow together for effortless entertaining. A second bedroom will fit in easily here (it’s a legal two-bedroom) while still leaving plenty of room for dining and dancing.

A design-forward kitchen features a farmhouse sink and a suite of capable Bosch appliances. Penny tile flooring adds a vintage feel to clean, simple custom cabinetry. An LG washer and dryer are integrated here for maximum convenience.

A corner bedroom gets a large closet. Adjacent to the bedroom, a vintage-inspired bath combines octagon tile, subway tile, and a classic Kohler pedestal sink.

The pet-friendly building is part of a cooperative community that includes 5 Stratford Road for a total of 32 apartments. Perks for residents include two landscaped outdoor spaces, additional storage, and bike storage.

[Listing details: 1110 Caton Avenue, #11C at CityRealty]

[At The Corcoran Group by Steven Segretta]

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The post This $675K Flatbush co-op has a clean Scandinavian vibe and a flexible layout first appeared on 6sqft.

With the 2026 World Cup less than two months away, the New York City Council introduced a package of legislation last week to support local businesses during the nearly six-week tournament, which includes eight games at nearby MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. One of the proposed bills would create a “cultural passport program” to encourage those traveling to New York for the soccer matches to explore local businesses and institutions across the five boroughs; another would make a calendar of events to help visitors find festivals, parties, and cultural corridors tied to the participating teams. The new legislation comes as City Hall has restricted approving permits for large public events during the World Cup, as well as the 250th Anniversary of America on July 4.

Introduced by Council Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams, the legislation directs the city’s Economic Development Corporation to “develop and implement” a cultural passport program in consultation with the Department of Small Business Services, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York City Tourism + Conventions.

Williams said the program would help New York business owners and residents benefit from the eight World Cup matches held at MetLife from June 13 to July 19, which is estimated to generate $3.3 billion in total economic impact, according to the New York/New Jersey Host Committee.

“A cultural passport program creates a clear pathway to connect residents and visitors to institutions, small businesses, and community spaces across all five boroughs so the benefits of this moment are felt more equitably across the city,” Williams said in a statement.

“If we are moving forward with something of this magnitude, then it has to be done with a clear focus on who benefits and how. That means expanding opportunity, supporting local economies, and ensuring communities see a real return from an event happening in their own city.”

Another bill, introduced by Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, requires the city to publish a calendar of activities related to the World Cup, including “viewing parties, recreational events, performances, street festivals, and other cultural programming.” The bill calls for the city to create a map of neighborhoods with a significant concentration of residents or businesses that share connections to a participating nation in the tournament.

Officials expect more than 1.2 million visitors to travel to the region for the World Cup, which will be the largest edition of the tournament ever, expanding from 32 to 48 national teams and featuring 104 matches across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

The city has allocated $90 million for World Cup preparations, but specifics surrounding neighborhood events remain uncertain. In an op-ed published by Crain’s earlier this month, Council Member Virginia Maloney, chair of the council’s Economic Development Committee, said there’s a “lack of coordination” surrounding proposed public programming.

The city’s Economic Development Corporation received $15 million for public events, but little information has been made available to local stakeholders regarding the programming.

“Cultural institutions reported being left out of the process entirely until the last minute,” Maloney wrote. “Business Improvement Districts reported that a moratorium on public plaza permits, put in place to maximize FIFA site selection, left them unable to plan any programming in June and July, disrupting local events such as concerts and classes. BIDs are still waiting for approvals with 66 days to go.”

Maloney also noted that Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who appointed a World Cup Czar in January, has not yet appointed a president of the EDC.

The city has denied permits for new large events in NYC parks and other major gathering spaces for six weeks during the World Cup, as well as the Fourth of July, due to security concerns. According to the Daily News, the city has placed a moratorium on permitted events from May 24 through July 25, creating a problem for the city’s many business improvement districts (BIDs), which were hoping to capitalize on the major events.

The New York Times reported last week that there are applications for 25 new major events in NYC parks that could be denied by the city to conserve city resources. An emergency order issued by Parks and approved by the mayor last month, gives the department “broad latitude to deny applications for new, large-scale events like concerts and festivals from June 11 to July 19,” according to the Times, but returning events would not be impacted.

Jeffrey LeFrancois, the executive director of the Meatpacking District Management Association, told the Daily News he knows of six events that moved to other large cities because of delays from City Hall regarding permits.

“Depending on the size and scale, a lot of these events don’t even need city resources,” LeFrancois told the newspaper. “And a blanket ‘Wait and see’ from the city isn’t helping anybody. We need to be able to make decisions. There are brands that have money to spend on permits for events and want to leverage the World Cup, but they’re not getting approved here, so that money ends up going elsewhere.”

According to the Times, the city says most events, including birthday parties, picnics, weddings, and others, will not be affected. The newspaper reports Parks officials have approved over 1,340 event permits for this June and July.

Other bills included as part of the legislation package introduced in the Council last week include expanding access to public bathrooms in NYC, as well as promoting a list of locations of public facilities. The plan, as reported by Gothamist, would include installing temporary restrooms in areas of high foot traffic by June 1.

And Council Member Maloney wants to co-name several thoroughfares and public places, including “Thierry Henry Way” in Manhattan, next to the World Cup Fan Village opening at Rockefeller Center, and “Pelé Way” in Queens.

“I’m excited to introduce legislation naming Thierry Henry Way in Manhattan and Pelé Way in Queens, honoring two global soccer icons who helped shape the modern game,” Maloney said.

“Thierry Henry Way will be in the district I’m proud to represent, running alongside Rockefeller Center, where hundreds of thousands of fans will gather for free viewing parties. It’s fitting that we’re connecting this global moment to our local communities and businesses, ensuring that New Yorkers are a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, whether in our stadiums or on our streets.”

The following World Cup matches will be held at MetLife:

• June 13: Brazil vs. Morocco
• June 16: France vs. Senegal
• June 22: Norway vs. Senegal
• June 25: Ecuador vs. Germany
• June 27: Panama vs. England
• June 30: Round of 32
• July 5: Round of 16
• July 19: FIFA World Cup Final

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• NJ Transit tickets to World Cup matches at MetLife will cost $150
• 2026 World Cup Final will be held in New Jersey

The post NYC Council wants a ‘cultural passport,’ more public bathrooms, and Pelé Way for World Cup first appeared on 6sqft.

This meticulously renovated three-bedroom, three-bath home at 257 West 86th Street was the live/work studio of renowned dance teacher Raoul Gelabert. The subsequent architect/owners completely transformed the 2,800-square-foot co-op space into a three-bedroom duplex home that combines sophisticated design with meticulous craftsmanship. Asking $5.65 million, the loft-like residence retains its pre-war elegance, elevated by dramatic interiors and modern finishes.

Architect Morgan Rolontz and his wife Randie paid roughly $1.7 million for the property in 2021, according to city records. The duo went on to complete a total renovation of the home, taking it “down to its shell,” redesigning the layout, and adding modern amenities, storage, and bold colors throughout. See the before and after pictures of the project here.

Behind its standout interior style, the home offers every modern comfort and convenience, including an in-unit washer/dryer, custom closets, and built-in storage. All-new windows and zoned central A/C mean energy efficiency.

The entry foyer is an architectural showcase done in natural oak. Custom cabinetry and integrated artwork frame an upholstered bench; a glass rail borders an oak stairway. Two hidden storage closets slide conveniently under the stairs.

A double-height great room opens beneath a 20-foot ceiling. Bordering this dramatic space is an office gallery. A media room/den has a built-in Murphy bed, allowing it to double as a guest room or fourth bedroom.

The eat-in kitchen is as much a design showcase as a capable culinary lab. Anchored by a peninsula table, deep blue high-gloss lacquer cabinetry frames high-end appliances. Also on the first floor are three closets and a full bath.

Upstairs are three bedrooms and two full baths. Every inch of the space makes use of architectural innovation to make everyday living easy on the eyes.

The pet-friendly building is in a coveted Upper West Side spot between Riverside and Central Parks. The full-service cooperative offers a 24-hour doorman, a fitness center, and a landscaped roof deck.

[Listing details: 257 West 86th Street, #1/2A at CityRealty]

[At Sotheby’s International Realty by Epo I Manning and Florence Danforth-Meyer]

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The post For $5.65M, a ballet legend’s former UWS studio is now a three-bedroom home first appeared on 6sqft.

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine plans to invest $4 billion from the city’s public pension funds for affordable housing development. Levine on Thursday unveiled the “NYC Housing Investment Initiative,” which will more than double the funds’ current real estate portfolio and help finance thousands of new homes through mixed-income projects, office-to-residential conversions, and renovations, as first reported by the New York Times. The plan calls for roughly $1 billion in annual pension investments over the next four years.

The initiative seeks to address NYC’s current housing crisis. As of February 2024, the rental vacancy rate had fallen to 1.4 percent, the lowest level in more than 50 years. Data from Pew also shows that the city’s housing stock grew by only 4 percent between 2010 and 2018.

As part of the initiative’s first round of investments, Levine has directed the Bureau of Asset Management to bring $750 million in investments to the boards for approval to create new mixed-income affordable housing, preserve existing affordable homes, and support office-to-residential conversions.

He has called for a $500 million expansion of the Public Private Apartment Rehabilitation (PPAR) program to support the construction, preservation, and rehabilitation of housing across NYC and surrounding counties. Levine also announced a new 36-month rate lock and 40-year amortization schedule for both preservation and new construction.

Additionally, Levine recommended further investment for approval in the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust to finance large-scale multifamily and affordable housing projects in NYC using union labor. The AFL-CIO trust specifically finances middle-income housing built and operated by union workers, according to the Times.

Investments will require approval from each pension fund’s board of trustees.

“Too many New Yorkers are struggling just to keep a roof over their heads. Solving this crisis takes action on all fronts. We’ve advanced critical zoning changes, but without financing, housing doesn’t get built,” Levine said.

“The NYC Housing Investment Initiative is about closing that gap, delivering the homes New Yorkers need, and making sound investments for the NYC retirement systems,” he added.

NYC currently has five pension funds, which provide retirement benefits to police officers, teachers, firefighters, and other city workers. Totaling roughly $320 billion in assets, the funds invest in real estate across the city and around the world, as well as in stocks, bonds, and private equity.

Since the early 1990s, these investments have helped create or preserve 199,000 housing units, according to a press release. The new capital infusion is expected to support the creation or rehabilitation of thousands more units.

Previous projects funded through the program include Lily House, a Bronx building for domestic violence survivors, and The Rise, a Brooklyn building that houses formerly incarcerated women, according to the Times.

Pension funds are required to make investments that maximize returns, which has historically made affordable housing a less attractive option. Investors have often favored market-rate projects, where higher rents typically generate stronger returns.

However, a 2024 survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that pension funds have increased their investments in affordable housing in recent years, viewing it as more stable long-term than market-rate housing, according to the Times.

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The post NYC plans to invest $4B from pension funds for affordable housing first appeared on 6sqft.

With FIFA World Cup ticket prices already high, fans attending matches at MetLife Stadium this summer will face additional costs, as NJ Transit confirms round-trip rail tickets will cost $150. On Friday, the agency released its final transportation plan for the tournament, confirming earlier reports that rail tickets for the 18-mile trip to and from MetLife would cost more than $100. The tickets will go on sale May 13, with only 40,000 available for each match day and no additional tickets to be sold once the initial batch is gone.

Fans will need to purchase tickets in advance for specific boarding periods on NJ Transit’s mobile app, and tickets will be checked prior to boarding.

An official shuttle service will also be available, offering soccer fans a one-seat bus ride from the Port Authority Bus Terminal or the Midtown East Shuttle directly to the stadium. In NJ, a park-and-ride shuttle will operate from the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, allowing fans to travel directly to the stadium. Bus tickets cost $80 and are available for purchase here.

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 extremely limited public parking will be available in the lots surrounding the venue. Instead, most of the lots will be used for “fan engagement” and “enhanced security,” significantly limiting parking capacity, according to NJ.com. Premium parking at American Dream will be available on match days by advance purchase only.

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.

In a Wednesday post on X, NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill called on FIFA to help fund World Cup transportation, noting that while the organization is expected to generate $11 billion from the tournament, the Garden State is facing a $48 million transit bill.

“FIFA is making $11 billion off this World Cup and charging fans up to $10,000 for a single ticket for the final,” Sherrill said. “I won’t stick New Jersey’s commuters with that tab for years to come, that’s not fair. Here’s the bottom line: FIFA should pay for the rides, but if they don’t, I’m not going to let New Jersey commuters get taken for one.”

However, according to Gothamist, Sherrill said she would be prepared to approve the controversial NJ Transit fare hikes “if that’s what it takes,” in order to avoid placing the financial burden “on the backs of New Jerseyans.”

Editor’s Note 4/17/26: This article has been updated with final pricing information following NJ Transit’s announcement on Friday.

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