In 2021, New York City came stuttering — then roaring — back to life, and how (and where) we live and get around became our central preoccupation once again. In this year’s list of Curbed’s most-read stories, readers wanted to know: Where did all the yellow cabs go? And where does mayor-elect Eric Adams actually live? In the realm of design, they also appreciated the grand scale of stories that reimagined New York City streets alongside the humble but lifesaving redesign of a U.S. postal truck. And everyone — and we do mean everyone — seems to have clicked on our exclusive interview with the young Roosevelt Island resident who removed her bathroom mirror and found an entire unoccupied three-bedroom apartment behind it. New Yorkers are known for having dreams about finding extra living space; this one turned out to be the real thing.
This list is measured by total collective minutes of audience engagement. It’s just a small sample of the work Curbed puts out, alongside New York’s print edition and its other five digital sites — Intelligencer, the Cut, Vulture, Grub Street, and the Strategist — and a growing portfolio of newsletters. For more of all of it, be sure to sign up for Curbed’s daily newsletter (along with our stellar listings edit, a highly curated list of the best rental deals across New York City) and to subscribe.
20. So Long to the Hotel Pennsylvania
A salute to Penn Station’s longtime neighbor: once lovely, now dowdy, soon to be gone. Read the story ➼
19. Perfecting the New York Street
We consulted architects and planners to create an achievable, replicable plan — one suited to a city embracing its public spaces as never before. Read the story ➼
18. Where Did All the Yellow Cabs Go?
Nearly two-thirds of New York’s taxis are gone, and a lot of them may never come back. Read the story ➼
17. We Staked Out Eric Adams’s House in Brooklyn
And he came home. Twice! Read the story ➼
16. Does L.A.’s Tiny-House Village Actually Solve Homelessness?
The city’s good intentions come with restrictions and, possibly, an ulterior motive. Read the story ➼
15. Meet the Teen Who Hates 432 Park More Than Anyone
She’s an 11th-grader in Vancouver. With opinions. Read the story ➼
14. Why Your Uber Ride Is Suddenly Costing a Fortune
A driver shortage, customer surplus, and harsh financial reality. Read the story ➼
13. Inside the Freak-out Housing Market of Upstate New York
“It just felt like drinking from a fire hose most days.” Read the story ➼
12. Surfside Towers Broke Building Code From the Beginning
“Flawed from day one,” reads one report. Read the story ➼
11. The Gut Renovation of Ryan Serhant
‘Million Dollar Listing’ — and a pandemic market — made a real-estate striver the plutocrat’s broker of choice. Read the story ➼
10. What’s Going On in Washington Square Park?
A 48-hour diary of the ten-acre park where, this summer, everything in the city — protest, jubilation, partying, drug abuse, police action — seemed to be happening at once. Read the story ➼
9. A Vibrant Reimagining of a 1960s Brooklyn Co-op
Cassandra Bromfield inherited the apartment from her mother and has made it her own. Read the story ➼
8. Every Big Vehicle Should Look Like the Weird New USPS Truck
We admit it’s goofy-looking, but it’s also a much better design for crowded cities. Read the story ➼
7. There’s One Thing We Can Learn From the Villages’ Success
The fastest-growing town in America is also one in which golf carts replace a lot of car trips. Read the story ➼
6. Yes, Build the Windowless, Bathroomless Dorm in My Backyard
Sure, let the dilettante billionaire have a crack at it. Read the story ➼
5. I Knew the Vessel Was Going to Have a Suicide Problem
How a private design process created a public space that is dangerous, even deadly. Read the story ➼
4. Revolt of the Delivery Workers
Exploited by apps, attacked by thieves, unprotected by cops: Delivery workers, 65,000 strong, have only themselves to count on. Read the story in English (o lea el reportaje en español aquí) ➼
3. The Still-Wild, Semi-Habitable McKibbin Lofts
Longtime tenants and new residents alike recall a generation’s worth of Four Loko parties, falling maggots, and first-floor strip clubs. Read the story ➼
2. The Parallel-Parking Job That Ignited the Internet
It prompted thousands of insults, threats, and moral judgments. Read the story ➼
1. We Spoke to the Woman From the Apartment-Behind-Mirror Saga
“I was kind of expecting there to be somebody.” Read the story ➼
