Dylan Hoffman | Andrew T. Corso | Bryan Pak | Amy Axelrod | Lisa Kobiolke | Zach Khalifeh | Thiago Belmont | Jaclyn Treinkman | David Yablon | Andrew Klima
Each year in December, scores of Christmas tree vendors descend on New York City from as far as Quebec to turn the city’s sidewalks into a virtual pop-up forest. What makes this seasonal opportunity so appealing? The “coniferous tree” exception, a City Council law dating from 1938, says vendors can sell and display Christmas trees on a sidewalk in December without a permit as long as they get an ok from adjacent building owners and they don’t block the sidewalk. Sellers lobby adjacent storefronts for permission, sometimes paying a fee and often in competition with other sellers. This year, as the New York Times reports, competition from chain stores–and other vendors jockeying for prime spots in parks and other public locations that come with high fees–are chopping into the profits for the army of tree sellers that descends on the city at holiday time. Costs get passed to consumers–and prices are soaring.
According to the Times, prices have actually been rising for a while: In 2008 the average buyer paid $36.50 for a Christmas tree in 2008; last year that number was $74.70. Mom-and-pop sellers are facing more competition from chains like Whole Foods, who can buy trees in bulk and is selling seven- to eight-foot-high Fraser firs for $34.99–a 40 percent discount.
Scott Lechner, who manages the stand in Washington Market Park and several other park locations auctioned by the city, said, “We’re an endangered species.” Other factors are at work, too, including scarcity. A shortage of trees can be traced back to the recession of 2008, when fewer trees were harvested to be sold, meaning fewer new trees were planted. Trees being trucked in from Canada are incurring an uptick in shipping costs. A high-stakes bidding process for permission to set up shop in a small number of available locations in the city’s parks can now cost vendors as much as $25,000 in fees.
Vermont farmer George Nash, who has been making the pilgrimage to sell Christmas trees in the Big Apple since the 1970s, prices his festive wares–highly desirable Douglas and Fraser firs–according to the neighborhood they’re being sold in. “Our high-end locations are subsidizing all our cheaper locations in the barrio, where we need to sell our trees for $35 to people who really don’t have much more than that.”
This year, there’s no reason to worry, but take note: Doug Hundley, a spokesman for the National Christmas Tree Association, said, “We’re not going to be short — everybody looking for a real tree will be able to get one. But it is a tight market, and prices will rise.”
These days, cars from ride-hailing services are as common on New York City streets as those ubiquitous yellow taxis, and if you’ve ever wondered where exactly New Yorkers are taking those cars, we’re about to let the cat out of the bag. Lyft just released its third annual Lyftie Awards, a tally of the company’s most-popular drop-off locations across the country, which increased from 24 cities last year to 32 this year and including cities from Honolulu to here.
The Award Goes To....
Compass just announced a $450M fundraise from the SoftBank Vision Fund, known for making bold investments in the technology companies transforming our world. With this investment, we will continue to reshape the real estate industry, elevate the client experience, and live out our mission – to help everyone find their place in the world.
Below is the first wave of press coverage on the SoftBank Vision Fund investment in Compass.
TechCrunch | Compass gets $450M from SoftBank; real estate portal now valued at $2.2B
Fast Company | SoftBank’s $450 million investment puts Compass on the global map
Business Insider | A NYC startup that wants to make finding a home easier just raised $450 million at a $2.2 billion valuation
CNBC | Softbank invests $450 million in real estate tech company Compass
Founder and executive chairman Ori AllonCompass, COO Maelle Gavet, and CEO Robert Reffkin.
Compass, the New York-based startup with the goal of disrupting the real-estate market, has raised $450 million at a $2.2 billion valuation.
The new money, which comes from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank's $100 billion tech fund, will be used to bring the Compass platform to more cities than the 11 areas where it now operates.
“With the support of the SoftBank Vision Fund, we will be able to move quickly to execute our ‘Compass Everywhere’ vision, partnering with top agents and their clients in every major U.S. city," Compass founder Ori Allon said in a statement shared with Business Insider. "Just last week, we launched in Chicago with the number one agent team in the State of Illinois, and we are continuing to gain momentum with top agents everywhere.”
Compass has now raised $775 million to date. And with a more than $2 billion valuation, SoftBank's investment propels the five-year-old company into the upper ranks of New York's most valuable tech startups.
While it employs traditional brokers, the main selling points of Compass are the leveraging of data to improve the efficiency of the real estate business along with a sleek mobile app for buyers and renters.
“Real estate is a huge asset class, but the sector has been relatively untouched by technology and remains inefficient and fragmented,” SoftBank's Justin Wilson said in a statement. “Compass is building a differentiated, end-to-end tech platform that aggregates across diverse data streams to support agents and homebuyers through the entire process, well beyond the initial home search. With disruptive technology and unique data advantages, Compass is well-positioned for future growth in a sector that represents trillions in transaction volume.”
The former penthouse of singer-songwriter superstar, Lady Gaga, has hit the rental market for $33,000 per month. Located in prestigious 40 Central Park South, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom features a sunken living room, two wood-burning fireplaces and a whopping four terraces. As the New York Post first reported, the sprawling duplex has been home to other celebrities like Liza Minnelli and Lance Armstrong. The apartment was featured in Lady Gaga’s recent documentary, “Gaga: Five Foot Two,” which is currently streaming on Netflix.
The 2,000-square-foot apartment has no neighbors on either side, making it the perfect private oasis. The foyer leads to a sunken living room that boasts oversized windows, allowing for panoramic Central Park views and lots of natural light. On this level, there is a granite chef’s kitchen, equipped with high-quality appliances, and a dining area.
The duplex features two spacious bedrooms, with a staircase leading to the master suite. The suite includes a second wood-burning fireplace, park views and a huge marble bathroom. The bathroom has a deep soaking pool, whirlpool and walk-in closet.
With its two balconies and two terraces, this penthouse offers an abundance of outdoor space. The terraces that surround the bedroom measure 750 square feet total.
In addition to an in-unit washer/dryer, amenities at 40 Central South include a keyed elevator, 24-hour doorman and fitness center.
[Via NY Post]
Although more recent data may hint at a slight pullback, overall, the national real estate profile has looked bullish for most of 2017. The Manhattan real estate market, on the other hand, was and is a more topsy-turvy affair — and that’s really the best word I can use to describe it.
For the most part, prices have been on the decline since 2015, and some data even shows today’s overall prices at 2014 levels. But what really makes our current real estate market so hard to pinpoint is Wall Street. With a real estate market so closely tied to our city’s No. 1 industry, why is everyone asking: Has there been a decline?
2017 started with a correction in the luxury market of properties priced at $4 million and up, due largely to an oversupply of and under-demand for luxury new development. Not surprisingly, this had a drastic effect on the resale luxury market. Some areas of the city report over 300 days-on-market averages for luxury listings, and there are still more homes being built in this segment, leading many to suggest a further glut. All that seems to send shockwaves through the city, causing a trickle-down effect, which in turn, makes the $2 million and $3 million dollar sector feel the pinch.
Buyers were extremely cautious at this segment. Deals were getting done, but at lower closing prices than expected, causing real estate brokers and their sellers to get creative to bring the deal to the closing table. But what has remained hot throughout 2017 has been the $1 million and under sector and the $1 million to $2 million range. These have markets have kept us busy all year. Dubbed the workingman's (person’s) apartment, these buyers have taken advantage of low interests rates and competitive pricing from the sellers. Closing prices haven’t really risen here, but there has been a record number of transactions in 2017, and the lower markets have driven the overall real estate market as a whole.
So, what do we foresee in 2018? Stay tuned as the crystal balls begin to glow and the talking heads tell us what to expect.
‘Tis the season for New Yorkers to unfurl their wallets in the spirit of giving—be it to donate or buy gifts for their loved ones—and while they may be sure-footed in that spending, many stumble when it comes to how much to tip their building’s staff.
While the holidays are still a ways off, most building attendants prefer to receive any niceties from residents in early December—so, basically now—so let’s get down to it.
A handy annual guide based on a memo sent out by Two Trees Management back in 2005 offers advice on how to dole out the dollars—original here, and years worth of Curbed tipping advice over here—but a memo that’s now over a decade old may be a less realistic guide for giving in New York City today.
Good thing Brick Underground has rolled out its comprehensive annual tipping guide that addresses the nuances of holiday tipping in this day and age.
The long and short of it: no, tipping isn’t a necessity, but after this doozy of a year it’s a meaningful way to show one’s appreciation for those that make day-to-day living a little bit easier. How much appreciation should be shown to staff depends on the size of the building, the quality of service, how long a staff member has been with the building, and whether the tipper owns or rents, among other personal factors like financial ability.
In 2016, Brick Underground polled more than 2,800 New Yorkers and found that majority of owners in doorman buildings set aside between about $250 and $500 for building staff, with majority of owners in non-doorman buildings allotting less than $250 for staffers. At that, two percent of owners in doorman building and nine percent of owners in non-doorman building tipped nothing. (Don’t be that guy.)
We’re thrilled to announce yet another milestone for Compass. Our mission to help everyone find their place in the world: keeping true to that we would like to announce the opening of our Chicago office!
This launch is the first of our 10 upcoming launches in pursuit of market leadership across the top 20 U.S. cities by 2020, and it’s our very first Midwest location!
Explore Chicago using our neighborhood guides below.....
After an unsuccessful stint on the sales market, Bethenny Frankel’s condo in Soho is now a $13,000 per month rental. Frankel, star of Real Housewives of New York City and founder of the Skinnygirl empire, first tried to sell the two-bedroom apartment at 22 Mercer Street for $5.25 million in February but to no avail. While it’s now listed as a rental, the apartment is still available for purchase at a slightly lower price of $4.95 million, Curbed reports. The loft spans 2,392 square feet and boasts a working wood-burning fireplace, a balcony and 14-foot ceilings.
The entry foyer leads into a spacious 25-foot wide sunken room that features super high ceilings and three east-facing double paned arched windows. This space also includes the wood-burning fireplace and a balcony that overlooks Broadway, the only apartment in the 16-unit building to have one.
The kitchen’s enormous center-island and countertops feature imported marble and the space is equipped with appliances by Miele, Subzero and Wolf. Plus, just off to the side, a pantry room contains dual wine refrigerators.
The listing calls the chic master bedroom a “pin drop sanctuary.” The walk-in closet was custom-made and features an abundance of storage. The master bathroom has a double vanity, deep soaking tub and a glass-enclosed steam shower. The guest room also offers custom closets and an en-suite bathroom.
Amenities include a multi-zoned central heat and air, a washer-dryer and a custom home Creston system with Sonos and speakers throughout. Located on a cobblestone block of Mercer Street, the building features a landscaped roof terrace for all of its residents to enjoy.
[Listing: 22 Mercer Street, 2D by Raphael De Niro for Douglas Elliman]
[Via Curbed NY]
We wanted to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving. The warmth of the season and the gathering of family and friends reminds us all of the many reasons we have to be thankful. We wanted to take this time and express our sincere appreciation for you.
Warmest Wishes,
P.S. Check out my new Compass agent page by clicking here.
A report released by the Food Bank for New York City on Monday found more than half of its pantries and soup kitchens do not have a sufficient amount of food to serve residents, with 35 percent of food banks forced to turn away those in need, when looking at data from September. The city has also seen an uptick in the number of New Yorkers who require the food bank’s services, now serving about one out of every five people citywide. According to amNY, throughout the five boroughs, the food banks have been used by more residents than normal, following a cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), food stamps, in 2013. According to the report, New York City’s food-insecurity rate is 21 percent higher than the national average and 19 percent higher than the rate of the rest of the state.
According to Swami Durga Das, who runs a food pantry called The River Fund in Richmond, Queens, supplies have dramatically dropped. River Fund typically receives roughly 90,000 pounds of food every week for the 800 families it serves, mostly relying on donations. Over the last several months, only about 50,000 pounds came in. “Securing the food is really becoming harder and harder,” Durga Das told amNY. “Right now we’re still kind of just about hanging in there with it, meeting the poundage, but we have actually in the last six months seen a decline in food.”
The report also detailed which neighborhoods in the city are considered the most food-insecure, which means there is a limited availability or access to food, especially foods that are nutritious. Brooklyn has the highest rate with nearly 19 percent of its population experiencing food-insecurity, and the Bronx following in second with 16 percent of residents.
Read the full report from the Food Bank for New York City here and learn ways to give to the organization from their website.
If you’re looking to get even more involved and help out fellow New Yorkers, check out 6sqft’s round-up of places to volunteer in NYC during the holiday season and beyond, including organizations like Meals on Wheels, City Harvest and Coalition for the Homeless.
You might be frantically putting the finishing touches on the Thanksgiving feast, stockpiling the “homemade” cookies you’ll bring for dessert, or making sure you’ve got the local pizza joint on speed dial, but Google News Lab knows what you’re up to, of course. Based on data from Google Maps and an analysis of the number of times people request directions to a location, you can find out how fellow New Yorkers (or Angelinos, or Baltimoreans) are planning to spend the precious hours of holiday weekend time.
Apparently, after all the things everyone’s looking for, New Yorkers are uniquely searching for a sports card store (we’re not even sure what that is, which may explain all the search action).
The holiday season is upon us and though Black Friday is still a few days away, the shopping frenzy has already begun, with retailers offering pre-Black Friday deals left and right. If you’re looking to gift your loved ones with something unique that will surely make them laugh, The 2018 NYC Taxi Drivers Calendaris here.
The calendar, created by Shannon and Philip Kirkman, features taxi drivers that hail from seven different countries, taking on traditional pin-up poses in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The calendar also supports a good cause and donates a portion of each calendar sale to University Settlement, a non-profit that provides over 30,000 immigrants and working families with services like literacy programs, housing, quality education, and wellness programs.
This year’s calendar is the fifth edition put forth by the Kirkmans’ and the idea is to bring visibility to the diverse group of people who drive cabs in New York City.
The calendar is now available for $14.99.
The day after President Trump and the House Republicans released their tax plan, Triplemint broker Collin Bond received the first call.
A client who’d just signed a contract on a $4 million home had one question: what does this all mean for her?
It was the first call of many for Bond, who joined Triplemint from Douglas Elliman six months ago, and prompted him to pull together an infographic illustrating how both the House and Senate tax plans would affect buyers with different incomes.
Bond’s infographic shows how households earning annual taxable incomes of between $250,000 up to $500,000 who bought a $1.25 million New York City apartment in January 2017 would fare under the current House and Senate plans, respectively. Bond’s scenario included a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 3.5 percent and $1,300 per month in real estate taxes.
“We wanted to put the important deductions that relate to home buyers in a vacuum,” said Nicholas Sher, a CPA who crunched the numbers for Triplemint.
They highlighted the $250,000 to $500,000 income brackets to reflect home buyers who rely the most on tax deductions from their purchases because, as Sher noted, “the couple that makes $1.5 million a year, while the mortgage interest helps them, it’s not a determinant in their decision.”
According to Bond and Sher’s calculations, a household with $250,000 annual taxable income — the minimum income you should be making “if you’re purchasing [a $1.25 million] apartment,” according to Bond — would bear the brunt of both plans with an additional $6,417 in taxes under the House plan, and $4,772 for the Senate’s. Higher incomes faced smaller tax increases.
Based on the analysis, the couple making $250,000 bears a “disproportionate” burden, Sher said. “We’re showing that the folks that make less get impacted more.”
Both Bond and Sher are quick to point out that their calculations only consider one part of the two proposed tax plans to the exclusion of other possible deductions individuals could file for, and only considers one aspect of a buyer’s financial circumstance — their gross annual income — without accounting for any investments or business ownership they may have.
“This is really a 30,000-foot view to give you an idea of where the pain points are,” said Bond.
That disclaimer aside, Bond and Sher each had different takeaways from the data.
Bond sees coastal areas, like Westchester, known for high taxes and quality schools, taking a hit if homeowners aren’t able to take mortgage and/or state-local income tax deductions they were planning for.
Meanwhile, Sher is considering how to adjust his advice to clients so they can take advantage of remaining loopholes or change their financial planning strategy. “I prefer to call them matters of legislative grace,” he said.
Story updated to include the apartment’s assumed monthly taxes.
See Bond’s infographic below:
The first phase of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan to modernize the subway focuses on improving communication between workers and riders. Last week, the MTA announced it would distribute about 230 iPhones to platform workers and train operators to pass along helpful information to straphangers about train problems and also provide alternative routes. Now, according to amNY, customer service ambassadors will roam subway stations to offer assistance, instead of staying in the booth. Over the next several weeks, ambassadors will be selected, trained and then placed at busy stations, especially those with a lot of tourists like Grand Central Terminal and Times Square.
The pilot program, expected to last one year, allows 355 current station agents to volunteer for the new customer service role. If selected, the worker would receive at least $1 more in wages per hour. Ambassadors selected for the new job will receive special training and wear recognizable uniforms. Their job will be to roam the stations, positively engage face-to-face with customers and give real-time information to the system.
After negotiating terms of the new job, the Transit Workers Union Local 100 and the MTA agreed to a set number of station agents and the wage increases for participants of the pilot program. Plus, any worker that leaves the booth to test out the ambassador job will be replaced by a new employee.
Tony Utano, president of the union, called it a mutually-beneficial agreement. “Riders will get better customer service and our members will get access to new, better-paying jobs.”
[Via amNY]
A group of public officials and advocates joined the Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) today to unveil the inaugural prototype of the streetcar proposed to run between Astoria and Sunset Park. First backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in February 2016, the BQX project, expected to cost $2.5 billion, would connect Brooklyn and Queens along the East River. Despite significant setbacks, including a bleak assessment about the finances and logistics of the project from Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen in April, BQX supporters are urging the de Blasio administration to make the project a priority during his second term.
The prototype was unveiled at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, one of the potential stops along the BQX route. According to a press release from the Friends of the BQX, the light rail would serve more than 400,000 New Yorkers who live along the proposed corridor and 300,000 who work near the routes, in neighborhoods like the Navy Yard, Industry City and Long Island City.
Measuring at 46 feet long and 8.7 feet wide, the prototype, manufactured by French firm Alstom, contains two cars, including the driver cab. The proposed light rail will board at street-level for those with mobility difficulties, run at higher average speeds than the MTA buses and feature higher capacity cars.
Ya-Ting Liu, the executive director of Friends of the BQX, said the new prototype provides New Yorkers the “first real taste of what the BQX would look and feel like.” She added, “It’s clear: now is the moment to move forward with this transformative project to connect hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, including over 40,000 public housing residents, to jobs, education, healthcare and recreation along the route. Today we can start to imagine what’s possible, and now it’s time for the city to make this a reality.”
The BQX project is currently undergoing a feasibility study to examine the system’s potential routes, as well as funding logistics. While the project was endorsed most recently by the Transport Workers Union and has the support of elected officials and transit and environmental advocates, funding for the project remains up in the air. A lengthy approval process remains for the BQX, but construction is expected to begin 2019, with service starting in 2024.
After struggling on and off the market for six years, the historic Greenwich Village townhouse made infamous when Courtney Love rented it for $27,000/month is trying again after a super-stylish makeover. Back in 2011, the owner of 250 West 10th Street, Donna Lyon, took Love to court on the grounds that she had done more than $100,000 worth of interior damages, including decorating it in a style not to the owner’s liking and setting a minor fire, as well as owed $54,000 in back rent. Love ended up winning the eviction battle, but soon thereafter moved out, from which time the place has been trying to find a buyer, first listing for $8.4 million, then jumping up to $11.5 and back down to $9. But it’s now received a super-stylish makeover more akin to its pre-Love look, which he been done by previous owner and architect/designer Steven Gambrel. With lacquered walls, six original marble fireplaces, and a newly renovated French-bistro outdoor patio, the home is now asking $11.25 million.
Steven Gambrel bought the 1826-built home in 2005 for $2.6 million and then undertook a lengthy renovation that converted it from an SRO back to a single-family residence. He sold it in 2010 to Lyon’s company Astor Street Partners for $7,640,000. Love moved in in early 2011, and 10 months later the legal drama began. At the time, Lyon told the Post:
[The house] was decorated by the previous owner, interior designer Steven Gambrel. One of the requirements of the lease is that nothing should be done to the interiors. Courtney has wallpapered and painted a large portion of the property without my consent. I learned about this when I wanted to sell the house and had photographs taken. They sent me the brochure and I said, “This can’t be my property.” I came to New York to see it and I was horrified by what she had done. The walls that had been hand-painted and glazed were ruined, covered in damask wallpaper and ice-blue paint.”
Ultimately, Love’s lawyer was able to prove that she did, in fact, pay her rent on time, but when her lease expired in February she moved out anyway.
By the looks of the new listing photos, Lyons has attempted to go back to the Gambrel vibes in an attempt to finally unload the place. Spread over 3,000 square feet, there are three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and two powder rooms. It’s been outfitted with the aforementioned lacquered walls and doors, Nanz custom hardware, and French milled floors, while preserving its historic details classical marble fireplaces, double-wide windows, and moldings and brickwork.
On the lower level, the eat-in kitchen boasts custom lacquered cabinets, stainless countertops, and a newly added stainless steel butler’s pantry. The brick walls and brick fireplace have been preserved with enough space for a cozy sitting area.
On the fourth floor is the master bedroom, which has its own wood-burning fireplace, a custom marble bathroom, and a large dressing room. The other bedroom on the fourth floor also has a fireplace, as well as a sky-lit bathroom and a custom closet with dressing room. Prior to moving to West 10th Street, Courtney Love rented another historic townhouse in Chelsea. Perhaps seeing her former homes on the market will give her the real estate bug again…
[Listing: 250 West 10th Street by John Gomes, Frederik Eklund, and Jordan Shea of Douglas Elliman]
Scott and Jillian are both already home owners but are looking to buy their first home as a couple. They know they want more space and they want to live in Harlem. But they also have a healthy difference on what kind of place they want. Let's see if broker John McGuinness can find a place in Harlem that’s just right. (Published Saturday, Nov 18, 2017)
No New Yorker’s life is complete without a MetroCard slipped into their wallet. For $2.75, it’ll get you from Brooklyn to the Bronx, and everywhere in between. But the lifespan of the MetroCard is perhaps shorter than you might think–the flimsy plastic card, complete with the Automated Fare Collection turnstiles, only became an everyday part of subway commuting in 1993. And in recent years, all signs point to the card becoming extinct. The testing phase of a mobile device scanning and payment system began this fall with plans to roll out a fully cardless system by 2020. And so in honor of the MetroCard’s brief lifespan as an essential commuter tool, 6sqft is delving into its history, iconic design, and the frustrations that come when that swipe just doesn’t go through.
Amazingly, the predecessor to the MetroCard, the subway token, wasn’t officially discontinued until 2003. The coin-based ticket has a long history with the NYC subway. When the system first opened in 1904, it only cost five cents to get on a train–you just inserted a nickel to catch a ride. In 1948, the fare was raised to ten cents, so NYC’s Transit Authority re-outfitted the turnstiles to accept dimes. But when the fare went up to fifteen cents, the city faced a problem without a fifteen cent coin. Hence, the token was invented in 1953, and it went through five different iterations before it was ultimately discontinued.
The MetroCard was a huge gamble when it was first introduced in the early 1990s to replace the token, according to Gizmodo. Tokens had worked well because the MTA could use the same turnstile technology for decades on end, plus a token system could easily accommodate fair increases. But a computerized system was certainly appealing to the MTA, as it could provide real-time data regarding the exact location, and time, every commuter entered the station or boarded a bus.
The MetroCard, then, was introduced in 1993, and the rest is history. It was a huge shift for transit users at the time. Jack Lusk, a senior vice president with the MTA, told the New York Times in 1993 that “this is going to be the biggest change in the culture of the subways since World War II, when the system was unified… we think the technology is working just fine. But it may take riders some getting used to.” It would take until May 14th, 1997, for the entire bus and subway system to get outfitted for the MetroCard.
Cubic Transportation Systems designed the magnetic-stripped, blue-and-yellow card to respond to a swipe-based system. Here’s how it works: each MetroCard is assigned a unique, permanent ten-digit serial number when it is manufactured. The value is stored magnetically on the card itself, while the card’s transaction history is held centrally in the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) Database. After that card is loaded with money and swiped through a turnstile, the value of the card is read, the new value is written, the rider goes through and the central database is updated with the new transaction.
The benefits of the new technology–and cards that could be loaded with data–were obvious. MTA had data on purchases and ridership. Payment data was kept on the card, meaning the value of the card would adjust with each swipe. Different types of MetroCards could be issued to students, seniors, or workers like police and firemen with specified data. Unlike a token, weekly and monthly cards provided an unlimited number of rides during a fixed period of time. Cards also allowed for free transfers between the bus and subway–a program originally billed as “MetroCard Gold.”
Another early perk to the MetroCard? The MTA got the opportunity in selling advertising. This begins in 1995, with ads appearing on the backs of cards as well as different commemorative designs coming out over the years.
In 2012, the MTA began offering up both the front and back of MetroCards to advertisers. Within a few years–and into present day–it’s become common to receive an ad-covered MetroCard. Some even became collectible, like the Supreme-branded cards released earlier this year.
But the difficulty of using the card–and swiping it just so–has persisted. The 1993 Timesreport detailed a new MetroCard user who “needed to swipe his ‘Metrocard’ through the electronic reader on a turnstile three times before the machine would let him pass and board the F train.” Not much has changed since then.
This October, the MTA took a significant step toward a more seamless and modern way for riders to pay their fares. And by late next year, New Yorkers will be able to commute by waving cellphones or certain kinds of credit or debit cards at the turnstiles in the subway or the fareboxes on buses. (The system is being adapted from the one used on the London Underground.) According to the MTA, new electronic readers will be installed in 500 subway turnstiles and 600 buses beginning in late 2018, with the ultimate goal of going into the entire transit system by late 2020.
Joe Lhota, chairman of the MTA, recently told the New York Times, “It’s the next step in bringing us into the 21st century, which we need to do. It’s going to be transformative.” It sounds a lot like the MTA back in 1993. But this time, we’re going to be saying goodbye to the MetroCard for good.
