Friends! It's time for everybody's favorite summertime pool sport, Rumblings & Bumblings. The questions below were posed by actual readers. If you know the actual answer, send it along to tips@curbed.com?or drop a note in the comments below. Extra credit for sweet, sweet digital photographs. Many thanks.
1) Harlem: "Lenox and 126th Street (above) is big 'United Mutual Life Insurance' Building. Used to be Harlem Visitors Bureau, then charter school. Now everybody kicked out and scaffolding up. Details unknown except that will be M&T Bank branch. Building is owned by Professional Basketball Players Association so maybe there will be indoor court, who knows?"
2) East Village: "I live on Saint Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd, and within the last month scaffolding has been set up on the NE corner of Saint Marks and Third. No construction has seemed to take place yet… Any word on what type of construction is planned for this spot?"
3) Upper East Side: "With everyone's eyes on Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side, it got me thinking whether you have the scoop on what is going in to the space on the southwest corner of 87th & Madison?"
4) Lower East Side: "What's being built on the east side of Orchard between Hester and Grand (52 Orchard??). The steel skeleton of the building has topped off at about 9 stories, i assume they'll be condos. Judging by the size and ceiling heights, it looks like the they'll make nice lofts too. Hopefully it'll be better than the ugly condo building next door at 50 orchard."
5) Alphabet City: "How do I find out about a rumor? Housing projects on Avenue D going condo, for example?" You have come to the right place. Whaddya say, gang? Need more specifics, or does somebody care to show off?
6) Clinton Hill: "Do you guys know what huge structure is being erected on Myrtle in Clinton Hill, just west of Classon and down the street from the Associated (in the lot next to but across the street from the White Castle - maybe Steuben St.)? Similarly on Myrtle, do you guys know what structure is being built a block or two over from Taaffe (as you walk towards the Home Depot)? It's not far enough over to be the Scarano monolith, but something's going up - they've already got Pella windows in place." Was that English?