Apartment Choice

LEWISTON — The city is seeking a large federal grant that would address housing and other issues in the poorest areas of downtown Lewiston , and neighborhood advocates say the funds could go a long way toward implementing goals they've had for years.  If successful in its bid, Lewiston could receive $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and what's known as a  Choice Neighborhood Planning and Action Grant. The city council approved the application last week, and will commit $237,500 in local Community Development Block Grant funds during implementation if the grant is successful.  The city hopes the funding can lead to long-term changes in the downtown neighborhood , where nearly half of residents live below the federal poverty level . According to 2015 census figures, the median family incomes in downtown census tracts 201 and 203, are $12,417 and $16,047, respectively.  The main purpose of the funds is to plan and execute major housing...

On Aug. 9, 2007, Lansing police discovered the beaten body of 46-year-old Debra Renfors in her apartment in the 1000 block of North Washington Street . Renfors was the third woman to be bludgeoned to death in the city in two weeks, and a grim reality was beginning to set in. Det. Sgt. Joey Dionise confronted Captain Ray Hall , giving voice to a fear that had been bubbling for days. “Captain,” Dionise said, ”We have a serial killer. Years later, Hall still remembers the “sinking feeling” that accompanied that moment. Ten years ago this month, Lansing was in the grip of a killer who preyed on single women, using whatever was convenient to murder them, and, in some instances, sexually assaulting them. Before police caught him, he had killed five women in just over four weeks. A sixth woman would survive. Matthew Emmanuel Macon , then 27, was eventually convicted of two of the murders, and the assault of the surviving victim. When detectives got Macon in an interview room, it would take ...

Draft Scope of Work for the Inwood Rezoning Proposal A map from the Draft Scope of Work indicating red projected development sites (most likely) and blue potential development sites (less likely) by the year 2032. The de Blasio administration predicts its proposed rezoning of Inwood will stimulate the creation of 4,348 new apartments by 2032, of which a portion would be rent-restricted under the city’s mandatory inclusionary housing policy , according to a city document released last Friday. The rezoning is also expected to create 1,135,032 square feet of commercial space, 472,685 square feet of community facility space , and result in a loss of 50,614 square feet of industrial space. To give a sense of the scale, there are more apartments anticipated in the East New York rezoning area , but fewer in the downtown Far Rockaway rezoning area . The document in question is the rezoning’s Draft Scope of Work, which describes the details of the proposal, projects the rezoning’s develop...

New York City’s SoHo (shorthand for South of Houston Street) is synonymous with shopping thanks to its mix of major chains — Uniqlo, H&M, Victoria’s Secret —and high-end brands such as Marc Jacobs and Prada. But as one of Manhattan’s best-known neighborhoods, there’s also world-class food, drink and art as long as you know where to look. So check some of the best things to do: Where to eat and drink For breakfast, the single best place in SoHo is Balthazar, a French-style bistro where New York’s captains of industry have long come to make deals over freshly made croissants . Park on one of the red leather couches with coffee and the newspaper while keeping one eye on the room — you never know which A-lister might slide into the booth next to you. The line between SoHo and Little Italy is blurry, so take advantage of the neighborhood’s walkability with a visit to Lombardi’s, widely considered the first pizzeria in the United States. This sit-down establishment has been serving up w...

The historic LaSalle Bed and Breakfast Inn will have a new owner, but it will continue providing downtown innkeeping under the same name, its longtime owners and the buyer said. Clark and Rose- Aimee Butler sold the inn business and property Tuesday to Mike Anderson, a real estate investor who describes himself as an "old house nerd" whose West Central Properties business owns 175 residential units — including the Sheridan Court Apartments on Union Street — in the historic West Central neighborhood west of downtown. The sale price was not disclosed. The sale includes the LaSalle inn's historic main house at 517 W. Washington Blvd. and the even older Sion Bass House & Spa just east of it at 509 W. Washington Blvd. "What Clark and Rose-Aimee put together long ago still is going to ring true," Anderson said. The primary use of the buildings will remain a bed and breakfast inn, but a portion of the space will be set up as market- rate residential unit...

SUBHEAD: The Texas capital plan for sustainability does not include some minority neighborhoods. By Raj Mankad on 15 August 2017 for Grist - (https://grist.org/article/the-newer-greener-houston-isnt-for-everybody/) Image above: In some cases, little more than a fence separates Manchester homes from neighboring fossil fuel industry . Photo by Paul Hester. From original article. Juan Parras gives one hell of a tour of Houston’s east side. He’s charming and funny. Wearing a beret, he strikes an old-world look, like he might lead you to a cafe on a plaza. He doesn’t charge a fee for his services. After all, you’re on a “toxic tour,” and Parras is on a mission. Parras grew up in 1950s West Texas . He remembers segregated schools, the restaurants that wouldn’t serve him, the unpaved roads, and the people who lived closest to the local refinery. Those experiences led him to a career as a social justice advocate . The resident of Houston’s heavily industrial east side has worked in a ci...