Tall, well-lit construction sheds may become the norm for the city’s 9,000 scaffolding installations if new regulations proposed by City Council majority leader Keith Powers and council member Erik Bottcher, Shaun Abreu, and Chris Marte become law. Manhattan, with 4,000 of the sheds, has more than any other borough. Photo: Ralph Spielman Reach for the Sky: New Scaffold Bills Call for 50% Boost in Height and New LED Lighting New bills to overhaul scaffolds that now cover 280 miles of sidewalks in New York City would force builders to make them... News 19 Mar 2023 | 10:51
Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Chuck Schumer take a ride to the new Grand Central Madison terminal on Feb. 26 on the eve of its first full service commuter operation starting Monday, Feb. 27. Photo: Debbie Egin Chin Newsday/MTA ( Debbie Egan-Chin / Newsday) LIRR Ride to New Grand Central Madison Begins Full Service It’s been years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget, but the Long Island Railroad finally began full service... News 27 Feb 2023 | 12:29
By October 2020, six months after the outbreak of COVID, restaurants took creative steps to insure safe and healthy dining for their patrons. Here, in the Flatiron District one uses a Manhattan take on an igloo, transparent but enclosed. Photo: Ralph Spielman Debate Surrounds the Future of Outdoor Dining as City Council Ponders Fate of New Regs There’s a new word in our Manhattanese argot” “Streeteries.” Loosely defined as on-street outdoor dining establishments, usually... News 12 Feb 2023 | 11:52
Many scaffolds have become de facto outdoor bike sheds, narrowing sidewalks further. Photo: Ralph Spielman Scaffolding and Sidewalk Enclosures: Why So Many and Why Now? We are all too aware of the scaffolding and pedestrian sheds are forced to navigate during our days and nights, some good,... News 03 Feb 2023 | 02:14
Artist Derrick Adams portrays NYC dwellers in the common spaces of parks, open to every resident. HIs art just began gracing the Rotunda in the upper level of Penn Station as part of railway company’s Art at Amtrak program. Photo: Ralph Spielman Towering Works at Amtrak Inspired by Three City Parks Artist Derrick Adams, an urban visionary artist with 20 years of public displays to his credit, says the city’s parks are... News 29 Jan 2023 | 08:13
Subway doors blocked by carts among the many quality of life issues that afflict every day riders on the subway system. Photo: Ralph Spielman Elected Leaders Need to Do More to Clean Up Subways Before Asking for New Fare Hike In February, the MTA Board is expected to ask for a 5.5 percent subway and bus fare increase. Chairman John Lieber, Mayor... News 24 Jan 2023 | 02:55
The Panorama Room atop the Graduate Hotel on Roosevelt Island is a great place to watch the sun go down with 360 degree views of Manhattan and Queens. Photo: Graudate Roosevelt Hotel Hidden New York: Getaways to Enjoy without Leaving Town It’s January. The Holidays are over, 2022 is a memory, swimwear fashion and beach activities are a few months away and the... News 14 Jan 2023 | 12:27
The Pierre Hotel on the Upper East Side offers a truly full-on elegant stay. Photo via thepierreny.com Hotels for Visiting Friends and Family You dearly love your living space, of course. Unintended drama ensues when cousins come in from Philly to see the shows or... News 26 Dec 2022 | 10:09
While this rendition’s locale is fictitious, it bears a resemblance to parts of Amtrak’s Adirondack route between New York City and Montreal, suspended since the beginning of the pandemic and slated to be resumed. Photo courtesy of Amtrak Brand New Amtrak Trains Coming to Moynihan Hall Soon, the Moynihan Train Hall opposite Penn Station will celebrate its second anniversary. When it comes time for its fifth... News 16 Dec 2022 | 11:58
At the West 125th Street/Broadway Station, the Train of Many Colors, heading towards Chambers Street, stops to pick up passengers on November 27,2022. Photo: Ralph Spielman Nostalgia Train of Many Colors Rides Again After a hiatus of two years during the pandemic, the first trip on Sunday, November 27 went well, as did the one on December... News 05 Dec 2022 | 09:06
Above the upper level rotunda, Saya Woolfalk’s creatures engage the mind to a land far beyond delayed trains and angry commuters. Here, as part of her science fiction project, “The Empathics,” is a fictional race of women fused with plants. The collage is almost 30 feet across. Photo: Ralph Spielman The Art of Penn Station When you pass through the main areas of the Upper Level at Penn Station, and look up, you will notice a change for the better.... News 23 Jun 2022 | 04:50
Mina Kim, conductor of the Purchase Symphony Orchestra, was one of two pianists for the starting event of the day at Battery Park. Photo: Ralph Spielman Make Music America, New York Style June 21 dawned as an average day in Manhattan, but, by sunset, a lot of tired musicians and listeners had the rare experience... News 22 Jun 2022 | 12:19
Governor Kathy Hochul announces on Tuesday, May 31 that the East Side Access project from Long Island to Grand Central would open before the end of the year. With Rep. Carolyn Maloney (left), who was instrumental in obtaining federal funding for the project. Photo: Ralph Spielman Introducing Grand Central Madison In a press conference on Tuesday morning, held in the almost-completed 700,000-square-foot Long Island Rail Road terminal... News 02 Jun 2022 | 10:19
A brand new entrance at Times Square will benefit many subway riders. From here, accessible direct access is available to the Times Square Shuttle via a brand-new state of the art elevator. Photo: Ralph Spielman A New Entrance to the City’s Busiest Subway Station With a fully accessible ADA-compliant MTA Times Square Shuttle, a much-needed link in the revitalized facility opened on... News 18 May 2022 | 11:30
Don’t miss the train! From a Gustavo-tiled reproduction station to a Ric Burns documentary film about NYC’s transformation into a cultural and financial hub, it’s difficult to tell what is real and what is not in this picture. Photo: Ralph Spielman Rise NY is Worth the Visit Open as of March 2, RiseNY snaps the most jaded of Manhattanites out of a pandemic malaise with a transformation for everyone... News 04 Mar 2022 | 10:36
