Daniel Trubman
@danieltrubman.bsky.social
Who wants to grab a beer and talk about land-use regulations and building codes?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieltrubman/
https://muckrack.com/daniel-trubman-1/portfolio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieltrubman/
https://muckrack.com/daniel-trubman-1/portfolio
Wouldn't it be cool if in a few decades the Bronx side of the Harlem River was a seamless mix of new residential towers and waterfront parks?
Of course, to really achieve that dream we'd need to cap, bury, or rip out the Major Deegan.
Of course, to really achieve that dream we'd need to cap, bury, or rip out the Major Deegan.
September 19, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Wouldn't it be cool if in a few decades the Bronx side of the Harlem River was a seamless mix of new residential towers and waterfront parks?
Of course, to really achieve that dream we'd need to cap, bury, or rip out the Major Deegan.
Of course, to really achieve that dream we'd need to cap, bury, or rip out the Major Deegan.
Couples doing engagement photoshoots in front of these skyscrapers represents a total culture victory for the pencil tower lovers.
September 17, 2026 at 9:40 PM
Couples doing engagement photoshoots in front of these skyscrapers represents a total culture victory for the pencil tower lovers.
I think rowhome and townhouse blocks can be so charming, and for the life of me I'll never understand why Sun Belt sprawl is so frequently built out as a bunch of detached houses with like a 2 foot gap between structures.
September 17, 2026 at 6:37 PM
I think rowhome and townhouse blocks can be so charming, and for the life of me I'll never understand why Sun Belt sprawl is so frequently built out as a bunch of detached houses with like a 2 foot gap between structures.
You might assume the jurisdiction of NYC’s Public Design Commission ends at the city line, but you’d be wrong.
Because the City owns its water supply infrastructure, historic restorations at Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers still have to clear PDC design review.
Because the City owns its water supply infrastructure, historic restorations at Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers still have to clear PDC design review.
September 17, 2026 at 5:40 PM
You might assume the jurisdiction of NYC’s Public Design Commission ends at the city line, but you’d be wrong.
Because the City owns its water supply infrastructure, historic restorations at Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers still have to clear PDC design review.
Because the City owns its water supply infrastructure, historic restorations at Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers still have to clear PDC design review.
🚨 UPDATE: Brooklyn CB7 voted 27–9 last night to SUPPORT this project (with conditions)!
Big step forward for replacing a vacant lot near Prospect Park with 71 new apartments.
Big step forward for replacing a vacant lot near Prospect Park with 71 new apartments.
What does it take to turn a vacant lot near Prospect Park into 71 apartments? A 2-year ULURP battle.
364 Coney Island Ave needs full discretionary review to replace C8 auto zoning with 12 stories & 18 MIH homes.
Check out my latest article 👇
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/zoned-for-...
364 Coney Island Ave needs full discretionary review to replace C8 auto zoning with 12 stories & 18 MIH homes.
Check out my latest article 👇
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/zoned-for-...
Zoned for a Gas Station, Across From Prospect Park
A Windsor Terrace corner has been empty since 2006. Brooklyn Community Board 7 votes Wednesday night on the rezoning that would put 71 apartments on it.
danieltrubman.substack.com
September 17, 2026 at 4:49 PM
🚨 UPDATE: Brooklyn CB7 voted 27–9 last night to SUPPORT this project (with conditions)!
Big step forward for replacing a vacant lot near Prospect Park with 71 new apartments.
Big step forward for replacing a vacant lot near Prospect Park with 71 new apartments.
It took 20 months to build 714 homes on the Mott Haven waterfront—helped along by borrowing floor area from state rail tracks.
The public park next door was mapped in 2009 and is still an unfinished work zone behind a fence.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/the-apartm...
The public park next door was mapped in 2009 and is still an unfinished work zone behind a fence.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/the-apartm...
The Apartments Are Ready. The Waterfront Park Isn't.
The South Bronx’s newest residential towers are opening applications along the Harlem River, while Mott Haven’s long-promised waterfront park remains behind a fence.
danieltrubman.substack.com
September 17, 2026 at 3:11 PM
It took 20 months to build 714 homes on the Mott Haven waterfront—helped along by borrowing floor area from state rail tracks.
The public park next door was mapped in 2009 and is still an unfinished work zone behind a fence.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/the-apartm...
The public park next door was mapped in 2009 and is still an unfinished work zone behind a fence.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/the-apartm...
The Elizabeth Langley Memorial Garden is generally closed during afternoons and evenings (and ZERO open hours today).
Crazy to me @nycparks.bsky.social owns all these sites in neighborhoods like Central Harlem, and instead of turning them into pocket parks just lets them stay locked up??
Crazy to me @nycparks.bsky.social owns all these sites in neighborhoods like Central Harlem, and instead of turning them into pocket parks just lets them stay locked up??
September 16, 2026 at 8:19 PM
The Elizabeth Langley Memorial Garden is generally closed during afternoons and evenings (and ZERO open hours today).
Crazy to me @nycparks.bsky.social owns all these sites in neighborhoods like Central Harlem, and instead of turning them into pocket parks just lets them stay locked up??
Crazy to me @nycparks.bsky.social owns all these sites in neighborhoods like Central Harlem, and instead of turning them into pocket parks just lets them stay locked up??
What does it take to turn a vacant lot near Prospect Park into 71 apartments? A 2-year ULURP battle.
364 Coney Island Ave needs full discretionary review to replace C8 auto zoning with 12 stories & 18 MIH homes.
Check out my latest article 👇
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/zoned-for-...
364 Coney Island Ave needs full discretionary review to replace C8 auto zoning with 12 stories & 18 MIH homes.
Check out my latest article 👇
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/zoned-for-...
Zoned for a Gas Station, Across From Prospect Park
A Windsor Terrace corner has been empty since 2006. Brooklyn Community Board 7 votes Wednesday night on the rezoning that would put 71 apartments on it.
danieltrubman.substack.com
September 16, 2026 at 3:40 PM
What does it take to turn a vacant lot near Prospect Park into 71 apartments? A 2-year ULURP battle.
364 Coney Island Ave needs full discretionary review to replace C8 auto zoning with 12 stories & 18 MIH homes.
Check out my latest article 👇
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/zoned-for-...
364 Coney Island Ave needs full discretionary review to replace C8 auto zoning with 12 stories & 18 MIH homes.
Check out my latest article 👇
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/zoned-for-...
Beautiful evening here in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx, so it's a shame the Dolorinda Lisante Community Garden is locked up.
No open hours posted on site. Online lists 10 hours/week (half the required minimum), but who knows if it’s actually open then.
No open hours posted on site. Online lists 10 hours/week (half the required minimum), but who knows if it’s actually open then.
September 14, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Beautiful evening here in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx, so it's a shame the Dolorinda Lisante Community Garden is locked up.
No open hours posted on site. Online lists 10 hours/week (half the required minimum), but who knows if it’s actually open then.
No open hours posted on site. Online lists 10 hours/week (half the required minimum), but who knows if it’s actually open then.
NYC needs more pencil towers south of Central Park because it's always so cool to see these skyscrapers fade into the clouds ☁️
September 13, 2026 at 5:59 PM
NYC needs more pencil towers south of Central Park because it's always so cool to see these skyscrapers fade into the clouds ☁️
After years sitting as a poured slab for a failed hotel, 1550 Bedford Ave in Crown Heights could finally see residential development.
My latest article breaks down the zoning history, lot constraints, and housing potential.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/could-hous...
My latest article breaks down the zoning history, lot constraints, and housing potential.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/could-hous...
Could Housing Finally Come to the Hole at Eastern Parkway and Bedford?
A Crown Heights corner has sat empty since 2014, holding an abandoned hotel foundation. The zoning permits car washes and self-storage, but not a single apartment.
danieltrubman.substack.com
September 10, 2026 at 7:38 PM
After years sitting as a poured slab for a failed hotel, 1550 Bedford Ave in Crown Heights could finally see residential development.
My latest article breaks down the zoning history, lot constraints, and housing potential.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/could-hous...
My latest article breaks down the zoning history, lot constraints, and housing potential.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/could-hous...
Kips Bay isn't my favorite neighborhood in Manhattan, but you can use the library bathroom without a key, code, or staff assistance.
Inspiring to live in a high-trust society.
Inspiring to live in a high-trust society.
September 10, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Kips Bay isn't my favorite neighborhood in Manhattan, but you can use the library bathroom without a key, code, or staff assistance.
Inspiring to live in a high-trust society.
Inspiring to live in a high-trust society.
There are plenty of NIMBY Councilmembers in NYC, but CM Marte zooming into this morning's City Planning Commission meeting to oppose the rulemaking that actually implements ELURP and the Affordable Housing Appeals Board (AHAB) is on another level.
September 9, 2026 at 3:49 PM
There are plenty of NIMBY Councilmembers in NYC, but CM Marte zooming into this morning's City Planning Commission meeting to oppose the rulemaking that actually implements ELURP and the Affordable Housing Appeals Board (AHAB) is on another level.
It’s amazing how easy it is to create a vibrant pedestrian space with basic street furniture and string lights IF you have the density to drive foot traffic.
Sadly, most US cities lack that prerequisite, but Manhattan is in a league of its own.
Sadly, most US cities lack that prerequisite, but Manhattan is in a league of its own.
September 8, 2026 at 7:38 PM
It’s amazing how easy it is to create a vibrant pedestrian space with basic street furniture and string lights IF you have the density to drive foot traffic.
Sadly, most US cities lack that prerequisite, but Manhattan is in a league of its own.
Sadly, most US cities lack that prerequisite, but Manhattan is in a league of its own.
Six feet of height above a Forest Hills subway station is the difference between 97 affordable homes and a 109-space parking garage.
Inside the fight over one extra story at 100-12 Queens Blvd—and why NYC zoning makes the "by-right" outcome so much worse.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/the-fight-...
Inside the fight over one extra story at 100-12 Queens Blvd—and why NYC zoning makes the "by-right" outcome so much worse.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/the-fight-...
The Fight for Six Feet on Queens Boulevard
How a two-year fight over one extra story above a Forest Hills subway stop exposes the absurdity of NYC land use.
danieltrubman.substack.com
September 8, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Six feet of height above a Forest Hills subway station is the difference between 97 affordable homes and a 109-space parking garage.
Inside the fight over one extra story at 100-12 Queens Blvd—and why NYC zoning makes the "by-right" outcome so much worse.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/the-fight-...
Inside the fight over one extra story at 100-12 Queens Blvd—and why NYC zoning makes the "by-right" outcome so much worse.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/the-fight-...
"Why not make all of the income-restricted units affordable at 30% AMI?" is the housing discourse equivalent of "why don't they build the whole plane out of the black box?"
September 8, 2026 at 1:42 AM
"Why not make all of the income-restricted units affordable at 30% AMI?" is the housing discourse equivalent of "why don't they build the whole plane out of the black box?"
Watching a recorded community board committee meeting in Queens and a NIMBY is explaining how they like the suburban nature of their neighborhood, while complaining about a proposal literally right next to a subway entrance 🙄
September 7, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Watching a recorded community board committee meeting in Queens and a NIMBY is explaining how they like the suburban nature of their neighborhood, while complaining about a proposal literally right next to a subway entrance 🙄
It's crazy how the CVS at 96th Street and Amsterdam in the Upper West Side isn't even the coolest one in Manhattan.
September 2, 2026 at 6:35 PM
It's crazy how the CVS at 96th Street and Amsterdam in the Upper West Side isn't even the coolest one in Manhattan.
Queens is so baffling because what do you mean there’s a full above-ground pool an 8-minute walk from a subway station??
September 2, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Queens is so baffling because what do you mean there’s a full above-ground pool an 8-minute walk from a subway station??
What’s the highest and best use of a surface parking lot near the subway in Brooklyn?
In Midwood, a new proposal replaces an underutilized lot near Avenue M with 229 new apartments.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/229-apartm...
In Midwood, a new proposal replaces an underutilized lot near Avenue M with 229 new apartments.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/229-apartm...
229 Apartments on a Midwood Parking Lot, With No Environmental Review
Fifteen years of asphalt on a block zoned for light industry, two blocks from the Q.
danieltrubman.substack.com
September 2, 2026 at 3:38 PM
What’s the highest and best use of a surface parking lot near the subway in Brooklyn?
In Midwood, a new proposal replaces an underutilized lot near Avenue M with 229 new apartments.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/229-apartm...
In Midwood, a new proposal replaces an underutilized lot near Avenue M with 229 new apartments.
danieltrubman.substack.com/p/229-apartm...
Such an aura loss when you notice the Black Hebrew Israelites are wearing sneakers along with their robes.
September 1, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Such an aura loss when you notice the Black Hebrew Israelites are wearing sneakers along with their robes.
It's amazing how much cooler cities can be when they're willing to clear traffic and on-street parking, at least for a few hours.
The first half of the Manayunk Wall from underneath the Norristown Line viaduct
August 31, 2026 at 2:10 AM
It's amazing how much cooler cities can be when they're willing to clear traffic and on-street parking, at least for a few hours.
Even if you're a big fan of community gardens having three @greenthumbnyc.bsky.social sites on the same block locked up on weekend afternoons ought to raise some serious questions.
Do you REALLY want to defend these parcels being kept locked up nearly all of the time?!
Do you REALLY want to defend these parcels being kept locked up nearly all of the time?!
August 30, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Even if you're a big fan of community gardens having three @greenthumbnyc.bsky.social sites on the same block locked up on weekend afternoons ought to raise some serious questions.
Do you REALLY want to defend these parcels being kept locked up nearly all of the time?!
Do you REALLY want to defend these parcels being kept locked up nearly all of the time?!
The fun part about walking around SoHo and NoHo on a gorgeous weekend is guessing if a particular line is for a trendy treat or streetwear pop-up.
August 29, 2026 at 9:04 PM
The fun part about walking around SoHo and NoHo on a gorgeous weekend is guessing if a particular line is for a trendy treat or streetwear pop-up.
Somehow I think strolling the High Line on an August evening is underrated.
August 28, 2026 at 1:23 AM
Somehow I think strolling the High Line on an August evening is underrated.