Local Community Boards are an integral part of the approval process to close down a City street for a block party. As the cold, gray dreariness of winter in New York City subsides and the summer weather brings the City streets back to life, block party season is right around the corner. Throughout the streets of New York City, thousands of street related-events are held annually. In the interests of ensuring safety and maintaining … <Read More>
Search Results for: Block Parties
DOT Announces “Trick or Streets” To Use Open Streets for Safe Halloween Activities
On October 31, 2022, almost 100 of the City’s Open Streets and pedestrian spaces will be open for safe Halloween activities to provide children with an opportunity to have fun on car-free streets. Through the Department of Transportation and community partners, open streets will be available from 4 to 8 pm on Halloween night through the “Trick or Streets” program.
Comment on Peyton v. NYC BSA
On December 17, 2020, by a 4-3 decision and over a strong dissent, the Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the Appellate Division in Peyton v. NYC Board of Standards and Appeals, 2020 N.Y. Slip Op. 07662. The decision is an unseemly show of deference to the Board of Standards and Appeals, a body that is widely viewed as captive to the real estate industry, on a pure question of law as to … <Read More>
Mapping the New Senate, Assembly & Congressional Districts
New York State in 2021 must redraw the State’s senate, assembly and congressional districts. The process will be different from the process used to draw legislative and congressional district lines in the past. Previously, the State legislature redrew the districts for its own members and for the State’s congressional members. After years of efforts to reform a process seen as too self-interested, New York State voters in 2014 approved an amendment to the State constitution … <Read More>
London Terrace case remanded
Landlord classified rental apartments as being destabilized and charged tenants market rate rents despite receiving J-51 tax benefits. London Terrace Gardens, located along West 23rd Street in Manhattan and built in 1930, occupies an entire block and has 1700 apartments. After the enactment of the Rent Regulation Reform Act of 1993, London Terrace Gardens began deregulating rent-stabilized apartments through high-rent vacancy decontrol. London Terrace Gardens subsequently received J-51 tax abatement and exemption benefits after … <Read More>
REBNY Challenges Department of State’s Memo Prohibiting Broker’s Fees
Real estate community in state of confusion over 2019 Rent laws. On February 10, 2020, the Real Estate Board of New York Inc. (“REBNY’”), the New York State Associations of Realtors (“NYSAR”) and a host of residential real estate brokerages were granted a temporary restraining order, blocking the New York State Department of State’s guidance on broker commissions. The TRO comes in conjunction with their Article 78 filing seeking to invalidate the memorandum’s entire section … <Read More>