Urban Explained

Urban Explained Deep dives on real estate, economics, and NYC’s future
(for people in a hurry 🏃‍♂️💨)
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Is the Hampton Jitney a good business? Better than you’d think: a $3.3M operating surplus, no public subsidy, and a near...
06/10/2026

Is the Hampton Jitney a good business? Better than you’d think: a $3.3M operating surplus, no public subsidy, and a near-monopoly for bus service to the East End.

But! The real story is why it exists. The LIRR’s electric trains stop short of the East End, leaving a slow, infrequent diesel crawl to the Hamptons that made a bus service viable.

Is the Hampton Jitney a good business? Better than you’d think: a $3.3M operating surplus, no public subsidy, and a near...
06/10/2026

Is the Hampton Jitney a good business? Better than you’d think: a $3.3M operating surplus, no public subsidy, and a near-monopoly on the East End.

But the real story is why it exists.

The LIRR’s electric trains stop short of the East End, leaving a slow, infrequent diesel crawl to the Hamptons that a bus easily beats.

06/03/2026

The MTA is piloting 30-second audio ads in its stations.

But for what? Ads barely dent a $21 billion budget.

The MTA says rider reaction decides whether they stay. So please join me in making some noise: tell them this is a horrible idea. Feedback form in bio.

06/03/2026

The MTA is piloting 30-second audio ads in its stations.

For what? Ads barely dent a $21 billion budget. And the MTA says rider reaction decides whether they stay.

So please join me in making some noise: tell them this is a horrible idea. Feedback form in bio.

06/02/2026

The fastest-growing film industry in America isn’t in California. It’s in New Jersey.

One tax credit is pulling billions in production across the Hudson, and the biggest studios are building BIG!

Penn Station found a developer. The NYPD is staring down a brutal summer. The city’s worst landlords got put on notice. ...
05/31/2026

Penn Station found a developer. The NYPD is staring down a brutal summer. The city’s worst landlords got put on notice.

Just a few of this week’s winners and losers in NYC, all under pressure.

05/28/2026

Two buildings going up on Billionaires’ Row. Same street, same size, two very different visions of what the city needs right now.

05/26/2026

I met up with Mayor Mamdani to discuss his highly ambitious housing plan: Block By Block. 200,000 units built BY the city.

This week’s winners and losers in New York City. May 18th - 24th 2026.
05/24/2026

This week’s winners and losers in New York City. May 18th - 24th 2026.

05/20/2026

NYC has 2,873 empty lots sitting in plain sight. All zoned for housing. All surrounded by housing. So why aren’t they being built on? The answer is buried in the city’s own construction code.

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