Articles on Second Avenue Subway Construction

Real Estate Rewind: A Year-End Review of the NYC Market

Over the past year, New Construction Manhattan has reported on the top stories in New York City real estate. From new construction plans to top listings, and the state of the real estate market, the stories of the year touch on a number of layers that make up NYC real estate. With 2015 coming to a close, it’s an obvious choice to start from the beginning — the very beginning — in this year-end review.

NYC’s Major Subway Expansion Nearing Completion

The Upper East Side has long been famous for its expensive and luxurious homes. Not much has changed there in past years until recently. The biggest change occurring on the Upper East Side is its construction of the Second Avenue subway line. The completion of this project will mark the first major expansion of the New York City subway system in 50 years. Plans for the Second Avenue subway date all the way back to 1929. The extension of the subway line is predicted to be completed by December 2016.

Train of Thought: UES Buyers See Potential in Second Avenue Subway

Second Ave Subway UES
Photo Courtesy B. Kabak/Flickr

Typically a quiet neighborhood, the Upper East Side has been generating some substantial noise recently, both in the literal and figurative sense. Construction on the Second Avenue Subway, infamously known as “The Line That Time Forgot,” is moving along, with the first phase of the project on track for completion in December 2016. And with that progress, those shopping for a new home see the long-term potential of a home east of Lexington Avenue.

2nd Ave’s Subway-To-Be

Each day more than 5 million commuters ride the 209 mile-long subway lines. But in a city as wide as New York, 209 miles is far from being enough. Hence the project for the new 2nd Ave subway track, that will add 8.5 miles. Even if it appears to be a drop in the water the addition will tremendously relieve the 4,5,6 lines. 

Life Isn't Fare On The UES: Second Avenue Subway Reportedly Far Over-Budget, Far Behind Schedule, and Far From Reality

Upper East Side Subway ConstructionSomeday, it's going to happen. A clean, modern subway train is going to pull up, right on time, at a station below Second Avenue on the Upper East Side. And when that day comes, Upper East Siders of all stripes are going to be happy. Upper East Side green condos will be that much greener, given their newfound proximity to mass transit; Upper East Side residents will see their commutes made simpler, quicker and less excruciatingly packed; Upper East Side condominiums will appreciate in value. The sun will shine every day and every man, woman and child will get a pony. The first three outcomes of the long-awaited, currently in-progress Second Avenue Subway are actually pretty reasonable -- more mass transit access will mean a better Upper East Side, and more valuable Upper East Side apartments. But, in news that's both saddening and sadly unsurprising, it looks like UES residents are going to have to wait a little bit longer for the Second Avenue Subway. And by "little bit" we mean "two years."

Light at the End of the Tunnel For Upper East Siders: Second Avenue Subway Slated For Completion In 2016

Just last week, we discussed the impact of the expanded 7 train -- which will have a new terminus in West Chelsea come 2013 -- on real estate in West Chelsea and Clinton. It's really not hard to figure all that out -- condos in Chelsea would become significantly more valuable were they suddenly to be a short walk from a subway that connects them to the rest of Manhattan. The same would be true for condo listings in Clinton, Upper East Side Subway Constructionwhich is why NYC real estate developers are lobbying so hard for an additional 7 train stop at 41st Street and 10th Avenue. While we at New Construction Manhattan love us some Chelsea condos and Midtown West apartments, it's probably fair to say that the planned 7 train expansion is small potatoes compared to the opening of the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway line. While it hasn't hurt the market for or value of Upper East Side condos, one of the downsides to life on the UES is that the entire Upper East Side is served by just one subway line, which can make for some unappealing rush hours.