Earlier this year Mayor Eric Adams announced NYC’s latest office-to-residential project, converting the former Daily News and JPMorgan Chase building into residential space, but in the coming years NYC will see way more apartment conversions than that!

According to data released by RentCafe, New York is set to create 3,987 apartments from conversion projects in the next few years–the second highest number after Los Angeles.

The conversion projects come as a result of the pandemic, which left many commercial and office spaces abandoned. To combat this issue, adaptive reuse emerged as the solution to rejuvenate these deserted buildings while also keeping up with the increased demand for housing.

Though while these conversion projects peaked in 2019 and 2020, they’ve since slowed down.

The interest in these projects, however, still remains high, and it’s expected to display impressive amount of growth in the coming years.

In fact, RentCafe data shows a whopping 122,000 rental apartments are currently undergoing conversion– a 63% increase compared to 2021. 45,000 of these apartments are office repurposing.

Out of NYC’s 3,987 future apartments, 2,609 of them will result from the conversion of former office buildings, with the rest being made in former NYC hotels.

And 758 of them are already under construction, so they’ll be livable soon enough.

“Hotels were built with a shallower core to window depth, which makes them quite easy to convert. Conversions to apartment from hotel that you’re seeing, come as a result of the almost death of the hotel industry during Covid,” said Steven Paynter, Principal at Gensler, one of the world’s largest design and architecture firms.

The post Conversion Projects Will Create 4,000 New York Apartments In The Next Few Years appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

A family business that first began in South Brooklyn 42 years ago opened its first brick-and-mortar outpost in New York City at Time Out Market on Friday, August 4. 

Morris Salomon and Abie Bitton’s grandparents’ wholesale bakery has supplied all manner of baked goods to top hotels, restaurants and caterers for special events like weddings in NYC and beyond since 1981. As travel plans, the hospitality industry and formal fêtes all stalled at the onset of the pandemic, the cousins began exploring opportunities to deliver those family recipes for treats like baklava directly to consumers, and Baklava Bakery was born.

The new address “represents an exciting milestone for the bakery,” Salomon says in an email. “The establishment of a physical location at such a prominent food market allows us to offer our authentic and delectable baklava to a broader audience in the heart of New York City. Our presence at Time Out Market not only signifies our commitment to delivering high-quality pastries but also presents an opportunity to showcase the rich flavors and cultural heritage of our products to locals and visitors alike.”

This first local locale for the biz will offer more than its perfected phyllo dough and pistachio signature sweets. The Middle Eastern bites, handheld crêpes, and cute “candy sushi” that’s just what you’d imagine will all appear on the menu. 

“We aim to create a memorable and enjoyable experience for every customer who steps through the door,” Salomon says. “We aspire to become a beloved destination for baklava enthusiasts, providing them with a warm and inviting atmosphere where they can savor our time-honored recipes. Additionally, we hope this venture will enable us to foster meaningful connections with the local community, cultivating a strong and loyal customer base.” 

Baklava Bakery is located on Time Out Market New York’s first floor at 55 Water Street in Brooklyn.

* This article was originally published here