Samantha Maldonado
@smaldo.bsky.social
Covering housing, development, climate, etc. for @thecityreporter.nyc Question or story idea? smaldonado@thecityreporter.nyc | @smaldo.11 on Signal
“I would seriously name him Jalen Brunson because that motherf-cker literally is the most important person in my life. But it doesn’t happen without Josh — they’re not there without him,” said a dad who named his baby Hart. www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/10/20/k...
The Knicks’ Championship Rings Are Finally Here. So Is a 'Jalen' Baby Name Boom in NYC.
Newborn name data from the city health department shows a lot of love for the team since June.
thecityreporter.nyc
This Is the You Can See Everything-related piece I’ve been waiting for www.vulture.com/article/lanc...
The 30-Year-Old Behind You Can See Everything
How Lance Oppenheim cold-emailed his way into making two of the best films of the year.
vulture.com
Great story by @clauirizarry.bsky.social, about real estate, paltry wages, how far people will go for the American Dream of homeownership and the changing demographics of an NYC-inflected Poconos town www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/10/20/e...
Welcome to Hotel RAV4: The Brutal Commute of New Yorkers Priced Out to the Poconos
The quest for an affordable home and a little peace and quiet has taken thousands of New Yorkers to eastern Pennsylvania, even as they keep their jobs in the Big Apple. Welcome to the three-state comm...
thecityreporter.nyc
I've been thinking about this guide for months, and I'm so happy it's now published. NYC parents: you probably already know that school admission season started this week! myself and the AMAZING @chalkbeat.org team create this guide for you! [🧵]
How to Vet a Public School in New York City
Choosing an NYC school for your child? Here’s what to look for and what questions to ask, according to education journalists at Chalkbeat and The City Reporter.
thecityreporter.nyc
What's at stake for NYC when pop goes the AI bubble? A scary amount of A LOT. "New York City has ridden the AI boom more than anyone in America except San Francisco,” said @nyccomptroller.bsky.social www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/10/06/n...
What Happens to New York City When the AI Bubble Bursts
The city’s budget is increasingly dependent on Wall Street profits, which would immediately contract if the AI boom turns into a bust.
thecityreporter.nyc
It's officially heat season and the Mamdani admin is changing the way it responds to complaints. citylimits.org/nyc-heat-sea...
NYC Promises a New Approach to Heat Complaints After Tenants Were Left Waiting - City Limits
Starting Oct 1, landlords are required to turn the heat on when the temperature drops below a certain threshold. Here’s what you need to know.
citylimits.org
Law abiding immigrants, with spouses and children who are US citizens, who dutifully show up for their “check-ins” with DHS, are being deported to countries where they know no one. www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/10/05/t...
'But I'm Not From Ghana': ICE Targets Longtime New Yorkers for Third-Country Deportation
Immigrants with protected status who've lived in the city for decades are finding themselves swept up, shackled and threatened with expulsion.
thecityreporter.nyc
City Council will question the heads of AI companies today. Already, city government systems are contending with automated attacks. www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/10/02/n...
NYC Already Battling AI Attacks as Council Prepares to Grill Industry Leaders
As lawmakers introduce new measures to get a handle on AI adoption in the city government, bots and agents are already attacking New York’s contracting and payment systems.
thecityreporter.nyc
The NY Department of Health says it will soon destroy its reserve of misoprostol pills, which is enough for 12,500 doses. That’s in contrast to California, which took steps to distribute its supply to providers, and Oregon, which reupped its stock at no cost. gothamist.com/news/new-yor...
New York state stockpiled abortion pills. Now they're all expired.
The state Department of Health says it will soon destroy its reserve of misoprostol pills, which is enough for 12,500 doses.
gothamist.com
Thousands of New Yorkers were at risk of losing their homes when the Trump admin decided to stop funding rental assistance vouchers years earlier than planned. But now NYC is set to get lots of $$ (thanks to Congress) to keep over 7,000 households in place. www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/10/01/h...
Millions From Congress to Cover Rent for Thousands Left in Chaos by Trump Defunding
It’s unclear how much of about $600 million will be used for Emergency Housing Vouchers in NYC.
thecityreporter.nyc
"The lawmakers’ visit comes after @thecityreporter.nyc broke the news last week that the city had turned down a federal grant to support the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence over concerns the award would have required the city to discriminate against transgender veterans." long live local news
Lawmakers Force Inspection of NYC Veterans Shelter Amid Federal Funding Tempest
Two City Council members entered the facility against the staff’s orders as the Mamdani administration confirmed how much money it declined over concerns about anti-transgender discrimination.
thecityreporter.nyc
The Guardian Angel founder is also a self-proclaimed expert on getting shot -- actually shot, by bullets. He survived being shot five times in June 1992. "I know about getting shot," he assured the mayor. abc7ny.com/post/nyc-may...
Mayor Mamdani holds hands with one-time rival Curtis Sliwa to get flu shot
An apparent bromance has continued to blossom for the one-time political rivals.
abc7ny.com
Green means GO - that is, new affordable housing projects will go through a faster process for approval in these 12 districts. The 12 blue neighborhoods together contributed more than half of the city's affordable housing in the past five years. www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/10/01/a...
A $650M plan to replace old warehouses and improve air quality for Bronx residents has fallen apart. It was supposed to be a major economic development achievement for Mamdani, annd now Bronx officials are trying to salvage a transformative project. gothamist.com/news/plan-to...
Plan to modernize NYC's diesel-spewing produce market falls apart under Mamdani
Bronx officials are scrambling to try to salvage a transformative project worth $650 million.
gothamist.com
CAN YOU DIG IT?!?! Tunnel-boring machine takes a spin in big step for Hudson River rail tunnel job. Story in @thecityreporter.nyc www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/09/28/g...
I was in Alberta this summer and saw billboards on the highway that read, "RAT ON RATS! Keep Alberta rat-free." www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
Alberta’s self-image as world’s only rat-free region shattered by discovery of rat
Province’s rat patrol called in to investigate as town of Bowden announces discovery of dead vermin
theguardian.com
New $5 ferry tickets coming on board! Taxpayers are still subsidizing about $8 per ride. www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/09/28/f...
NYC Ferry Price Hikes Are on the Horizon
A vote this week could bring higher prices on the city’s boats as soon as October.
thecityreporter.nyc
NYC Council releases 'downtown' Staten Island plan, with a dash of Jersey envy gothamist.com/news/nyc-cou...
NYC Council releases 'downtown' Staten Island plan, with a dash of Jersey envy
Councilmember Kamillah Hanks’ plan to rezone large sections of the North Shore draws inspiration from nearby New Jersey.
gothamist.com
The family wakes at 5 a.m. for the journey from their Staten Island shelter: first to one son's Bed-Stuy high school, then to another son's Canarsie elementary school, and finally to mom's work in East Flatbush. citylimits.org/for-some-kid...
citylimits.org
“We are working as expeditiously as we can to resolve this case," the judge said. "I’m not going to operate with a shotgun to my head.” www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/09/24/r...
Rent Freeze to Stay in Place For Now as Judge Holds Off on Decision
A Manhattan Supreme Court judge said he would likely not rule on a legal challenge by Oct.1, when the freeze goes into effect for rent-stabilized leases.
thecityreporter.nyc
As the crowd grew louder, party leaders kept pointing to security to have people removed from the auditorium. But Tatiana Dunlap, a public safety officer for CUNY, said that wasn’t her job. “This is your meeting,” she said. “We don’t arrest people for yelling.” @gwynnefitz.bsky.social's latest:
Raucous Brooklyn Party Meeting Rubber-Stamps Rule Changes That Judge Found Illegal
Embattled Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn didn’t attend Wednesday’s chaotic meeting, where four of her allies contended with an angry crowd of opposition leaders.
thecityreporter.nyc
Property tax abatements on the verge of expiring for ~66K units through 2030 mean condo, co-op and rental-apartment owners will pay higher taxes, and nearly 3,000 rent-stabilized apartments will become market rate. www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
Expiring Property Tax Breaks Are About to Make New York Even More Expensive
A phaseout of the city’s popular tax abatement means that residents in thousands of buildings face steep property tax hikes or rent increases.
wsj.com
The Trump administration’s war on offshore wind is leaving would-be workers on Long Island in limbo.
In New York, Offshore Wind Training Programs Face Uncertain Future
The Trump administration’s war on offshore wind leaves would-be workers in limbo.
nysfocus.com
Following a Q by @thecityreporter.nyc, the president said they discussed his administration’s decision to revoke Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from 13 countries. Trump didn’t commit to changes to the revocation, but noted “the mayor feels very strongly about it & he did bring it up.”
The City Reporter@thecityreporter.nyc · 4w agoDuring their meeting, Trump agreed to ramp up consultations about funding for Sunnyside Yard, which could bring up to 12,000 new homes built over a 190-acre Queens railyard.
Bay Ridge needs to build more housing. The Council member is about to lose power over approving it. So she's trying to get ahead and steer developers to a certain part of the neighborhood. Will it work? www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/09/17/h...
To Spur More Housing, NYC Voters Weakened Pols’ Power. One Still Wants a Say.
Councilmember Kayla Santosuosso wants to rezone a commercial area in Bay Ridge, which is expected to be one of 12 areas targeted for fast-tracking more homes.
thecityreporter.nyc
She’s frustrated, heartbroken and dealing with insomnia because of the stress of her mother's remains gone missing and the uphill push to locate them. “I feel so embarrassed and so hurt. My mom won’t let me sleep because she wants to be found." www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/09/16/g...
Her Mom’s Ashes Went Missing During NYCHA Renovations. They’re Still MIA.
Katrina Gorham said she lost many precious belongings when she and her three children temporarily moved as the Gowanus Houses were updated this summer.
thecityreporter.nyc
"As the tenants at these L&M properties learned, simply retrofitting older buildings with submeters does not necessarily give renters the ability to meaningfully reduce their bills." Great story, written by a former student who reported on this topic relentlessly. citylimits.org/manhattan-re...
Manhattan Renters Say Submetered Utilities Force Them to Pay for Buildings' Inefficiencies - City Limits
Tenants at five apartment complexes in Harlem and on Roosevelt Island say the switch to submetering has led to sky-high electricity bills.
citylimits.org
Bensonhurst is home to a large Chinese American population, and residents say the locations were laid out without warning or input from the community. They contend that the new trees could disrupt the neighborhood's feng shui. abc7ny.com/post/bensonh...
Bensonhurst residents object to New York City's tree planting plan over cultural impact
A city effort to plant more trees is facing opposition in Bensonhurst, where members of the Chinese American community say the placement of new trees could have an impact on feng shui.
abc7ny.com
