Roosevelt Island's first ever hotel is open for business: "For the first time in its history, Roosevelt Island now has a hotel, giving tourists and New Yorkers alike the chance to spend the night on the slim East River island. Graduate Roosevelt Island, an 18-story, 224-bed building, is part of the Graduate Hotels chain, which caters to college towns across more than two dozen U.S. cities." (Patch)
Tishamn hopes looks to a new record store to elevate public programming at Rockefeller Center: "Tishman Speyer has brought fabled record store Rough Trade to the Rockefeller Center in New York City. The real estate giant said the vinyl purveyor founded in London during the Punk Rock era, will occupy a 2,000 s/f store at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, a building originally occupied by radio pioneer RCA and home today to NBC and shows such as The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live. [...] Rough Trade – which opened June 1 – will co-develop live events at Rockefeller Center, host artist meet-and-greet signings and continue to sell new and limited-edition vinyl, with expert staff on hand to share their passion for music and NYC gig information." (REW)
Lucerne Hotel shelter to be shuttered: "The Lucerne Hotel will be closing its doors to the homeless men who have been residing at the 79th Street building since July 2020, a court ruled on Thursday. Three former Lucerne Hotel residents who’ve now secured separate housing accommodations had filed a petition to prevent the men who are still there from being relocated to the Radisson Hotel in the Financial District. But because these petitioners are no longer Lucerne residents, the judge presiding over the case dismissed their petition." (I Love the Upper West Side)
MTA Arts & Design unveils three new digital artwork and photo exhibitions: "As greater numbers of New Yorkers continue returning to the subway amid the MTA's #TakeTheTrain campaign, and the subway system breaks multiple pandemic-era ridership records per month, MTA Arts & Design today announced the unveiling of new digital art pieces and photographic exhibitions designed to enhance the transit experience, at Fulton Center, 42 St-Bryant Park and Atlantic Av-Barclays Center. [...] Stations Now Feature Pieces by Jaye Rhee and Photography by Karine Laval and Ruben Natal-San Miguel." (MTA Press Room)
Pier A's future is up for grabs: A longtime champion of downtown Manhattan wants to turn Pier A restaurant and some associated businesses into a security and welcoming center for the 4.5 million annual visitors to the Statue of Liberty. [...] Pier A is the city's last remaining historic pier, constructed in the 1880s by the city's Department of Docks. The Police Department's harbor patrol also used the pier, as did the Fire Department's marine division. In 1992 it was left vacant." (Crain's)
Community group's lawsuits against Two Bridges towers fail: "The New York Court of Appeals has rejected attempts by two community groups to stop developers from building four towers in Lower Manhattan, effectively putting an end to the legal challenges against the controversial project. Tenants United Fighting for the Lower East Side and Lower East Side Organized Neighbors had filed lawsuits asking the courts to annul the City Planning Commission’s decision approving applications from real estate firms to build their projects in Two Bridges. Although Justice Arthur Engoron of the state Supreme Court in Manhattan ruled in favor of the community groups in February 2020, the Appellate Division reversed his ruling about a year later, and the Court of Appeals has now declined to hear their cases." (Crain's)
