Mayor celebrates six blocks of ‘Broadway Vision’
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
Mayor Bill de Blasio cut the
ribbon on six blocks of
Broadway reconfi gured
to give more space for pedestrians,
cyclists, and seating on the famous
Manhattan thoroughfare Monday.
“Broadway is supposed to be for
people not just for cars and now
more than ever Broadway will be
for the people again,” said de Blasio
during a ceremony celebrating the
revamp next to the Flatiron Building
at 22nd Street on Oct. 25.
“This is going to make it better for
everyone. Right here in the heart
of the busiest and greatest city in
this nation, we’re showing that the
streets can be about the people
once again.”
The Department of Transportation
redesigned the half dozen
blocks of Broadway to add more pedestrian
space, reduce speed limits
to 5 miles per hour, and install bike
lanes as part of its so-called Broadway
Vision project, which seeks to
ultimately expand the redesigns to
six more blocks between Columbus
Circle and Union Square.
The second half of the program
is slated for 2022 — after de Blasio
is out of offi ce — according to DOT
Commissioner Hank Gutman.
DOT gave the treatment dubbed
“Shared” or “Slow Streets” to the
stretches between 21st to 23rd
Street, 38th to 39th, and 48th to
50th.
To slow down cars, the agency
has implemented so-called chicane
designs creating S-shaped lanes,
along with beige gravel to mark the
zone, and shortened crosswalks.
“This is a genuine sharing of the
streets responsibly and safely for all
New Yorkers,” Gutman said.
From 39th to 40th Streets, DOT
fully closed off the block to cars
creating a so-called “Plaza Block.”
One local politician said the city
should extend the initiative further
south to Astor Place.
“I have a very good feeling that
we’re going to be able to take this
vision even as far down to Astor
Place, so I want to keep it going,”
said Councilmember Carlina
Rivera.
PHOTO BY KEVIN DUGGAN
The city has redesigned Broadway between 22nd and 23rd Street to reduce speed limits
and give more space to pedestrians.
Manhattan areas see rent cuts in third quarter of 2021
BY VILDANA KHAMDULLINA
New York is trying to get back to
what it used to be before the COVID
19 pandemic in terms of real
estate. But according to a recent StreetEasy
Market Report, in the third quarter of 2021
lots of neighborhoods still have great deals
and the median asking rent is still about
$100 less than it used to be.
Manhattan is considered the most expensive
borough to rent an apartment, but
compared to two years ago there is still
some difference. Gramercy Park has a $599
difference in Q3 2021 Median rent than Q3
2019. Greenwich Village still has a difference
of $270. The Median Asking Rent in
2019 in Little Italy used to be $3,300 —
now it is $2,850. The Lower East Side does
not have a big differential; it appeared to be
just $68 and West Harlem is still $200 less
now than it was before Pandemic.
In spite of this, there were still places in
the city which increased in prices, the highest
“jump” appeared to be in the Financial
District. The rise came up to $634. Flatiron
now asks for rent more by $494.
Senior Communications Specialist
Emily McDonald mentioned in the report
that Brooklyn “has been hot all year” which
means that even now prices are lower, but
it won’t stay this way for a long time and
data has shown that some neighborhoods
already have a median price higher than it
was before. Such as Downtown Brooklyn
with a difference of $224; Greenpoint $100
and Williamsburg $85.
Best deals in Brooklyn would be in
PHYOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES
Boerum Hill with a difference of $538 and
Cobble Hill with $525. Brooklyn Heights
is still cheaper now by $289. And both
Bay Ridge and Prospect Heights have a
differential of $150.
Queens always had very affordable rentals.
The only neighborhood which already
has prices higher than pre-pandemic times
is Long Island City with a median of $70.
The biggest gap in price is in Ridgewood
right now which came to $199. Right after
one of the most famous neighborhoods of
Queens, Astoria with a difference of $132.
The least expensive neighborhood on the
list is Elmhurst which still has lowered its
price by $122, in Q3 2019, Median Rent
was $1,975 and now it is $1,853. And both
Jackson Heights and Sunnyside are cheaper
by a hundred dollars.
It is in benefi t for landlords to use the
market recovery and some already try to
raise their rent when they can. But NYC
still has a huge variety of affordable living.
Even now multiple listings on StreetEasy
are listed lower than they used to be in
2019 or earlier years.
The prices have gone down in New York
and now demand for living space is very
high which leads the real estate market
back up. StreetEasy economist Nancy Wu
said “… with the demand we’re currently
seeing, renters should always assume there
is someone else vying for the same apartment.
Use all the tools at your disposal to
your advantage during the rental search to
help save you time and money.”
To read the full report, visit streeteasy.
com.
44 October 28, 2021 SScchhnneeppss MMeeddiiaa