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What does it take to convert office buildings into housing?

Feb 28, 2024
New York, like many cities, wants to provide more housing and soak up empty office space. But the transition can be complex and costly.
The former office building at 160 Water St. in New York City will be home to residential tenants who can afford Financial District rents.
Samantha Fields/Marketplace

Rents for New York retail space haven’t caught up to pre-pandemic highs

Jan 23, 2024
Retail rents in Manhattan in late 2023 were still 20% to 30% below 2019 levels, thanks in part to fewer tourists and office workers.
"Some of the retail corridors like Fifth Avenue and Times Square have a little bit more vacancy than they did," said Keith DeCoster of the Real Estate Board of New York.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Rent reporting is affecting tenants' credit scores

Jan 1, 2024
In New York City, there's been an uptick in landlords reporting tenants' rents to credit bureaus, and not all renters are happy about it.
"One of the biggest things that landlords look at when they're deciding whether or not to rent to a tenant is their credit score," Chang said. A lower credit score can affect one's ability to move out and find a new place to live.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

What a “de facto ban” on Airbnb means for New York City 

Sep 21, 2023
Will housing prices go down with fewer short-term renters around?
Airbnb has a long history in New York City. But New York's stance towards short-term rentals has just gone from one of the most relaxed policies out there, to one of the strictest.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

NYC is cracking down on short-term rentals. What does that mean for the housing market?

Sep 6, 2023
It's unclear whether reducing the number of short-term rentals will free up housing for city residents.
New York City's rules for short-term rentals went into effect on September 5, 2023.
Anthony Devlin/Getty Images

Can an Airbnb crackdown really make New York more affordable?

Aug 24, 2023
The explosion of short-term rentals has exacerbated the city's housing crisis.
A New York City study found that the larger the number of Airbnbs, the higher the rents in a neighborhood. Above, a view of the Manhattan skyline.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

In the Bronx, a bookstore on wheels is parking it at a new spot as the business expands

Jul 28, 2023
Come October, Latanya DeVaughn, owner of mobile bookstore Bronx Bound Books, anticipates author events and a permanent spot at the mall.
Bronx Bound Books' busiest period is August to December as it visits farmers markets and school book fairs.
Courtesy Latanya DeVaughn

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Hiring a cat? This organization can help

Jul 4, 2023
Hard Hat Cats places feral cats in breweries, bodegas and other businesses looking for organic pest prevention.
Dulce, a cat with a history of biting and scratching, was adopted by a Brooklyn brewery as a “working cat” through an organization called Hard Hat Cats.
Courtesy of Hard Hat Cats

NYC sets minimum wage for app-based delivery drivers

Jun 13, 2023
The workers currently earn $7 an hour on average. Starting in July, they'll make nearly $18 an hour before tips.
Starting in July, app delivery workers in New York City will make nearly $18 an hour before tips.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The resonance of New York's new anti-body discrimination law

Jun 5, 2023
The city's new anti-body discrimination law is aimed at revamping workplace protections.
Tracy Cox, a singer at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, said the city's new anti-body discrimination law would help combat weight discrimination in the workplace.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images