Bringing New Life to Empty Subway Shops
NEW YORK TIMES—Newsstands and other shops, the ghosts of a thriving economy, haunt New York City’s subway system. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has about 100 empty plots of real estate, many awkwardly shaped and lacking proper electricity, gas or plumbing. The M.T.A. wanted to give them new life, and in 2023, created the Vacant Unit […]
To fill empty apartments for homeless people, NYC will first start tracking them
GOTHAMIST—Each year, New York City and state agencies fund tens of thousands of apartments with on-site services for some of the city’s most vulnerable people. But as of June, more than 5,000 of those supportive housing units sat empty. Policymakers say new legislation could help change that. A measure approved by the City Council on Wednesday is […]
Summer problem has year-round solutions
DAILY NEWS—With Labor Day and the swimming season over, it’s understandable that many people put water safety out of mind with beach and pool days behind us. But for a country facing a national water safety crisis, this should be a year-round issue that demands our attention. Through strategic partnerships, targeted investments, and innovative programs, […]
Using NYC’s streets for all New Yorkers
DAILY NEWS—Zohran Mamdani’s campaign captured the attention of voters by promising to address the city’s affordability crisis and by connecting with New Yorkers on our streets. You don’t have to look hard to find city streets in just about every image of his campaign. He walked the length of Manhattan four nights before the primary. […]
Mission to Revive Abandoned Spaces With Art Expands to Public Housing
THE CITY—“Art on the Ave,” which provides artists with opportunities to showcase their work in vacant storefronts across the city, is opening its first NYCHA-based exhibit. Usually, a New York City vacant storefront has nothing to offer passersby but the dead and empty husk of what once was an alive and vibrant business. The nonprofit […]
NYPD head count doesn’t correlate to crime rates, data suggests, despite candidate rhetoric
GOTHAMIST—Whether or not to hire more police officers has been one of the more contentious policy arguments among New York City’s mayoral hopefuls — but a new report by a former NYPD executive shows that more cops don’t necessarily equal better public safety. The report, published Thursday by the group Vital City, shows crime declined consistently across […]
How You (Yes, You) Can Help New York City Thrive
VITAL CITY—Between a summer of punishing heat, the stress of spending more and getting less for the privilege of living here, a mayoral race that promises to be one of the nastiest in recent history, ominous ICE agents everywhere and the passage of a One Big Beautiful Bill that is anything but for New York […]
Does Anyone Answer New York’s Unemployment Hotline?
NEW YORK FOCUS—One week in June, only a third of the people who called the Labor Department’s unemployment help line reached a real person. Last December, Kyra Assibey-Bonsu realized that her stream of work as a freelance audio producer was “puttering out.” She went to file for unemployment with the state, only to find that […]
Homeowners Who Hope to Legalize Basement Apartments Can’t Even Apply
THE CITY—A signature Adams administration “City of Yes” housing program became law last month, but needed rules and a promised online portal still haven’t materialized. Vanita Maloney knows there’s more than enough room in her home in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, to house other New Yorkers. She’s eager to rent out her basement. But she can’t. […]
This neighborhood in Queens has a brilliant plan to turn a busy street into a park
FAST COMPANY—A design vision for making a New York City “Open Street” permanent has potential around the world. One of the most positive legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic stretches across 26 blocks in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens. The 34th Avenue Open Street emerged out of a New York City-sanctioned program in the early days of […]