New York’s ridiculously high rents still a thing in 2020

Good morning, and welcome to New York Minute, a roundup of the New York City news you need to know about today. Send stories you think should be included to tips@curbed.com.

2020 kicked off with ridiculously high rents in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens

In a world that often feels chaotic and like there is so much happening all the time, one thing remains consistent: Rents in New York City are still really, really high. (We said consistent, not good.)

The latest rental report from Douglas Elliman is out, covering January 2020, and it paints a rosy picture for the real estate market—and one that’s a little trickier for tenants. “The city’s rental market has been robust for many months, and that certainly has continued into 2020 so far,” Jonathan Miller, the real estate data whiz who prepared the report, said in a press release.

In terms of numbers, the median rent in Manhattan is up 5 percent year-over-year, with the face rent (i.e. without concessions baked in) sitting at $3,595/month. In Brooklyn, it’s $2,987/month, a YOY increase of 5.5 percent; in Queens, it’s $2,993/month, a 6.3 percent increase. (The number of new developments pushes those numbers up, but still, that’s high.) According to Elliman, the net effective rent in Manhattan hasn’t declined in more than a year. The number of concessions being offered is dropping in all markets, as is the number of new leases signed—a sign that landlords are getting better at keeping tenants on for longer leases.

One thing these numbers don’t take into account is, of course, the not-actually-happening-yet broker’s fee ban—how that could affect rents if it’s upheld in court remains to be seen.

And in other news…

• Why broker’s fees should go away for good.
• There are a handful of very pink buildings throughout New York City—we still have a soft spot for Julian Schnabel’s Palazzo Chupi—and the New York Post found folks who live in ‘em.
• Another building is coming to the Bronx’s enormous La Central apartment complex.
• CNN anchor Don Lemon is selling his Harlem apartment.
• Comptroller Scott Stringer wants a Tenant’s Bill of Rights for New York.
• A busway underneath the M train could be in the cards.
• Gowanus residents claim the Union Street bridge, which dates back to 1905 and is in pretty bad shape, isn’t safe for kids to cross. (There haven’t been any major accidents from it in recent years, though.)
• And finally, check out photos from the last ride on the circa-1969 R42 subway cars, which featured a special announcement from everyone’s favorite Train Daddy.