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Neighborhoods, Real Estate

421-a Tax Abatement Only For Developments Paying Prevailing Wage For Construction Workers

   Developers and construction unions say the new 421a tax abatement is necessary to build new apartments in New York City — but critics disagree. “It’s extraordinarily expensive and it’s taken an inefficient program and made it more inefficient — some more affordable housing units, but mostly it’s just subsidizing […]

News

Uber in Nassau County, Long Island

Kevin McKenna, a dispatcher for Long Beach Taxi has had around a 50 percent drop in his business to Uber drivers operating illegally in Nassau County. “It’s sad. You know it’s hurting the business and all the way down to the individual drivers that don’t deserve it. These are guys […]

News

Analysis: Will Mayor’s Housing Plan Spur Gentrification in Far Rockaway?

Three months after Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled his long-awaited $91 million revitalization plan to redevelop downtown Far Rockaway, there’s growing speculation among residents and urban planners over whether it promotes gentrification, which is evident in other parts of the city that have been “revitalized.” In the Queens peninsula, which […]

News, Real Estate

Council committe passes jobs expansion bill for NYCHA residents

The New York City Council’s Public Housing Committee on Monday passed legislation seeking to expand the JobsPlus program to all public housing residents across the city, a pipeline officials say would boost employment opportunities and direct people to a stable career pathway. Councilmember Ritchie Torres, a Bronx Democrat who chairs […]

News

Housing Advocates Say More Regulation Needed for Small Living Spaces

Last week, New York City welcomed Carmel Place, its first building composed of micro-units. Stocked with kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces, all of the 32 tiny apartments that fill the Kips Bay building are smaller than 400 square feet. Buildings like Carmel Place aren’t the only way to create more […]

Education, News, Retail, Tech

What Employers are Looking for: Specialized Education

Having a college degree may not be a major factor in obtaining a job anymore, as specialized education has become widely popular in what employers are looking for future employees. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2015, only 33% of Americans actually have a bachelor’s degree or higher. […]

News, Retail

Former Owners Adjust to Life After Penn Books

For small business owners, Sam and Craig Newman, the closing of their bookstore, Penn Books in Penn Station, seemed bittersweet. The business had been in Craig’s family for 22 years and was passed down to him and his wife by his grandparents. After struggling with the increasing rent, competing with […]