New York

Northbound Amtrak

Amtrak Gives Ultimatum to States

States with Amtrak routes less than 750 miles (excludes lines within Northeast Corridor) will need to subsidize the budget shortfalls - the difference between fares and operating costs, or lose the route. States may cut some lines to prop-up others.

January 30, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Sandy Damaged Homes Sold 'As Is' for Millions

Homes in the Rockaways are being marketed and sold in the battered conditions that Hurricane Sandy left them, reports Elizabeth A. Harris. Existing residents view them as investment opportunities, but long-term market conditions are uncertain.

January 30, 2013 - The New York Times

Bicycle Commuting: Mainstream Mode or Extraordinary Endeavor?

Could a recent article in The New York Times that profiled extreme bicycle commutes of up to 40 miles (one way) be harmful to the advancement of bicycle use among ordinary individuals?

January 29, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Recounting One of America's Greatest Preservation Victories

As New York's Grand Central Terminal celebrates its 100th birthday, Kent Barwick recalls how he and a motley group of advocates including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis saved the building from being buried beneath a skyscraper.

January 29, 2013 - The New York Times

Parking Privatization Efforts Not Spreading Smoothly

In the wake of the problem-plagued privatization of Chicago's parking meters in 2008, two WSJ reporters assess conversions (or attempts) in Indianapolis (2010), Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Cincinnati and New York, as well as what went wrong in Chicago.

January 28, 2013 - The Wall Street Jounal

Bracing for Sandy's Second Impact

First came the floods from torrential rains and record storm surges. Now, long after the flood waters have receded, localities across the New York region are bracing for receding finances from declining property tax revenues.

January 26, 2013 - The New York Times

New York Goes to the Dogs

In its dogged pursuit of the most important stories in New York, WNYC has fetched the dog licensing records of the City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and produced an informative map of the most common names and breeds by zip code.

January 26, 2013 - WNYC

Katrina and Sandy: Devastating Storms, But That's Where the Similarities End

Roberta Brandes Gratz examines the many differences, and few similarities, between the two most devastating urban storms of recent memory. Among the most elemental differences: one devastated neighborhoods, one a city; one was man-made, one natural.

January 25, 2013 - Citiwire

Hudson Yards Construction Ballet Begins

Last week saw the second major groundbreaking on the west side of midtown Manhattan in the last two months, as the $4.5 billion "Manhattan West" project’s first phase officially began.

January 23, 2013 - A/N Blog

Iceberg

Looking at History and Seeing a Grim Future for the World's Coastal Cities

Justin Gillis tags along with researchers who are trying to pinpoint just how much of the world's coastlines will be inundated by dramatically rising sea levels. By looking at historical records scientists are beginning to paint a grim picture.

January 22, 2013 - The New York Times

Big Winner of Tiny Apartment Competition Unveiled

Today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the winner of a competition to build a micro-apartment pilot project in Manhattan. Consisting of 55 micro-units measuring between 250 and 375 square feet, the project will utilize modular construction.

January 22, 2013 - The New York Observer

Searching for Manhattan's Middle Class

With average rents $2,800 more than the rest of the country, and the average home costing $1.46 million, it's increasingly difficult for the non-wealthy to live in Manhattan. Amy O'Leary goes in search of the borough's vanishing middle class.

January 21, 2013 - The New York Times

Building Storm Defenses While Turning a Profit

The Rockefeller Foundation unveils its innovative plan to incentivize private investors to provide the infrastructure solutions for eight U.S. cities most vulnerable to extreme storms and rising seas.

January 21, 2013 - The Washington Post

One of New York's Grande Dames Turns 100

As the 100th anniversary of its opening approaches, The New York Times recounts the birth of one of the finest railway stations in the world - Grand Central Terminal.

January 21, 2013 - The New York Times

'Temporary' NYC Plazas Are Here to Stay

For those that've wondered about the fate of New York's "occasionally controversial" Plaza Program projects after the administration that's championed them leaves office: Have no fear, says Janette Sadik-Khan, "This is set in stone."

January 20, 2013 - The New York Observer

The Rise of the Trophy Rental

Renting out luxury homes has become an attractive choice in today's housing market. High-end renters get many of the benefits of owning a home, with greater built-in flexibility, and without the financial risk.

January 19, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Inaccessible Transit Turns NYC Into a Tribulation

In a short film for The New York Times, Jason DaSilva documents how New York's famed public transit system, which serves millions of riders every day, fails the city's disabled residents.

January 18, 2013 - The New York Times

NYC Unveils Plans for Cleaning Up One of Its Most Polluted Waterways

The EPA has released plans for how it intends to clean up Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal Superfund site. Branden Klayko reports on the $500 million, two pronged approach.

January 18, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

What the Sandy Recovery Bill Gets Wrong

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a two-part bill to fund the recovery from Hurricane Sandy. In an essay written prior to the vote, Rob Young criticizes the rush to approve rebuilding the entire coast as it was before the storm.

January 17, 2013 - Bloomberg

Sandy Already Changing How Buildings are Designed in NYC

From roof mounted gas-powered generators to emergency floodgates and watertight mechanical rooms, developers and their designers in New York are already incorporating preventative measures into new and revised designs for their buildings.

January 17, 2013 - The New York Times

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