City Living

An early appreciation for science can lead to a lifelong passion for the subject, but it can be a challenge to get elementary, middle and high school students excited about the sciences from inside the classroom, which is where the BioBus comes in. The mobile science lab was founded in 2008 by Ben Dubin-Thaler, who has a PhD in Biology from Columbia University. The bus began “as an experiment to test his hypothesis that, given the opportunity to use research-microscopes to perform live experiments, anyone would be excited about science.” To test his hypothesis, he purchased a bus on Craigslist and transformed it into a mobile laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art microscopes that could travel to students. The bus now serves thousands of New York City students and has a sister in the BioBase, located at the Lower East Side Girls Club, a hub created so that bus's lessons can be expanded upon through additional programming. BioBus’s Chief Scientist Sarah Weisberg is a great example of what's possible with careers in science. While she originally envisioned working in academia as a researcher, she found her passion for science programming and advocacy through BioBus. She is now hard at work growing the organization and its mission of presenting science in a fun, accessible way to children. 6sqft recently spoke with Sarah to learn more about the BioBus and how it's helping young New Yorkers discover their inner scientists.
Read the interview with Sarah here

May 11, 2016

NYC Must Produce 20,000 New Housing Units a Year to Keep Up With Exploding Population

The 2015 census puts New York City's population at a record high of 8.6 million. This is a 375,000-person increase from 2010, the biggest spike since the 1920s. The rise is attributed to the nearly 250,000 jobs that were created in 2014 and 2015, the $7.3 billion in venture capital present in the city in 2015 (the second-highest level ever), and record-breaking tourism that's created a boom in the hospitality industry. And of course, with more people comes the need for more places to put them, and Commercial Observer estimates that the city "needs to produce at least 20,000 new housing units each year just to keep pace with demand and population growth."
What does this mean for NYC's housing stock?

May 9, 2016

Williamsburg Unsurprisingly Tops List of NYC’s 15 Fastest Gentrifying Neighborhoods

Williamsburg has become the poster child for the hipsterfication of Brooklyn and NYC gentrification in general, but behind the beards and beet smoothies are actual facts to back it up. NYU's Furman Center released a report that identifies the city's 15 gentrifying neighborhoods, out of 55 total, and finds that Williamsburg/Greenpoint comes in at number one (h/t DNAinfo). Of course, it's difficult to define gentrification, but the study looks at areas that were relatively low-income in 1990 (among the bottom 40% in the city), but experienced higher rent growth over the past 20 years than other neighborhoods, a trend that the Furman Center feels is of "greatest concern in lower-income neighborhoods." Williamsburg and Greenpoint had a startling 78.7 percent jump in rent over this time period, followed by Central Harlem at 53.2 percent and Chinatown/Lower East Side at 50.3 percent.
See the full list here

May 6, 2016

Spotlight: Alex Gregg Is the Upper East Side’s Go-To Comic Book and Sports Card Guy

At a time when Batman and Captain America are all over the big screens and sports culture is becoming increasingly digital, one might think superheroes' and athletes' presence on paper is waning. But collecting cards and comics is alive and well in Yorkville, where Alex's MVP Cards and Comics has everything an X-Men-, Archie-, or sport-loving aficionado could want. Alex Gregg first opened a store on the Upper East Side 27 years ago. The business grew out of his own personal collection and interest and is now the place to locate that latest rookie card, newest comic, or buy a piece of memorabilia. Alex certainly knows a great deal about history - particularly New York history - having worked for 22 years as a bartender at the famed (and now closed) establishment Elaine’s. 6sqft recently spoke with Alex about how cards and comics have both changed and remained the same and about his days at Elaine’s.
Read the interview with Alex

May 6, 2016

The Garden State of New York: Jerseyans Move to Manhattan and Brooklyn More Than Anyone

New Yorkers might want to stop hating on Jerseyans, because without the bridge and tunnel demographic the city would be a barren wasteland, at least according to this fun map from Very Small Array. First spotted by Brokelyn, the map uses census data to plot the state from which most people come in a given neighborhood (excluding those originally from New York). And as you can see, New Jersey makes up the majority of the city, followed not surprisingly by California. Florida, the third-place state, is a bit more unexpected, as is the fact that Mill Basin/Bergen Beach is full of Alaskans.
More data this way

City Living

Stuff You Should Know: How Eminent Domain Works

The Atlantic Yards (now known as Pacific Park) in Brooklyn where eminent domain was used to take property. Image via Atlantic Yards Report

May 4, 2016

Stuff You Should Know: How Eminent Domain Works

By Penelope Bareau

It has been called the most coercive public policy after the draft. It has also been said that without it, construction in major cities would come to a shuddering stop. What is this powerful, controversial tool? Can both statements be true? Eminent domain is the policy by which a governmental agency can acquire or "take" property from an owner unwilling to sell in order to build something else there, and it has been around for centuries. Some say it derives from the medieval concept of the divine right of kings, empowered by God the Almighty to be sovereign over all. And by inference, that includes the land, which individual owners occupy and trade at the king's sufferance. When he wants it back, it is his right to take it. So under eminent domain, all land theoretically belongs to the state, which can assume control at any time.
more on eminent domain here

May 3, 2016

The Whole Foods Effect: Does the Green Grocery Increase Home Values?

Fairway Market, considered by many the quintessential New York City supermarket, filed for bankruptcy yesterday, citing competition from "natural, organic and prepared food rivals" and "online ordering and home delivery services," according to the Wall Street Journal. Perhaps their biggest threats are Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, which both seem to be in a very different boat. Yahoo! Finance looked at data of four million homes in the U.S. that are located in a zip code with either one of these stores, "finding that average property values in a ZIP code with Trader Joe's appreciated by about 40 percent since they were purchased, while homes with a Whole Foods in the ZIP code appreciated by nearly 34 percent." The reasoning is quite simple -- people will pay a premium for the convenience of being near their favorite stores. And proximity to a store like Whole Foods, often thought of as more high-end than other grocery stores, adds an air of prestige to a neighborhood. But the science behind it is a bit of a chicken or the egg situation -- does a retailer directly affect home values, or are these companies able to identify locations where they'll generate the most interest?
Find out this way

May 3, 2016

VIDEO: A Visit to the ‘Creepy’ Depths of the ‘90s Subway Finds Some Things Haven’t Changed

Here’s a video that drops a subway token on the dark ages of 1990, when the city's underground transit system may have been a little “creepy,” but buses still took forever. While our ideas of what’s merely unruly (afterschool hordes) and what’s downright dangerous (the NYPD, eek!) may have been changed by the intervening years, it’s interesting to note the things that have stayed the same (capacity crowds on the Lexington Avenue line). Our host, a Fonzie-meets-Geraldo-esque Newsday columnist by the name of Ellis Henican, skims the surface of the many, many things that are going on below it in the city’s subway tunnels of the day, including ghost stations, locked restrooms and more.
Find out what's changed, what hasn't and what's still creepy

Spotlight: Mommy Poppins’ Anna Fader Shares Tips for Raising Kids in NYC

With school out for break this week, parents all over New York City have been looking for activities to occupy their youngsters. Many turn to Mommy Poppins, a local guide for the best preschools, classes, camps, events, trips, and generally fun stuff to do with kids in the city on every budget. The go-to site for parents was founded in 2007 by native New Yorker Anna Fader who wanted to share her vision for a "more artsy, educational, non-commercialized and community-oriented way to raise kids in New York City." It's since expanded to include Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, Connecticut, Boston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, as well as an app that helps parents find things like playgrounds and restaurants on the go. 6sqft recently caught up with Anna to learn about her personal experiences raising a family downtown and get some insider tips on the best things to do with kids in New York.
Read the interview here

April 29, 2016

Don’t Look Up: Would Traffic Signals in the Pavement Protect NYC Phone Gazers?

We've already seen the creation of texting lanes for smartphone addicts (in Antwerp, Belgium and Chongqing, China) so pedestrians don't have to be stuck behind someone hunting for the perfect emoji. Recently the German city of Augsburg has taken the step of actually installing traffic lights in the pavement so text-walkers could be made aware of when it's unsafe to walk–by which we mean they're about to walk into the path of a 50-ton train. The idea came about after a 15-year-old girl was fatally hit by an oncoming tram while wearing headphones and looking down at her smartphone. As reported in The Telegraph, the lights look like ordinary road markers, but flat to the ground. Bavarian public-works/transportation provider Stadtwerke Augsburg has installed the experimental earthbound traffic signals in two rail stations. The LED lights blink green when it's safe to walk and red when a train is approaching. They're visible from a distance, so they might even give pedestrians some lead time to realize an intersection is up ahead.
Find out more

Stuff You Should Know: How NYC School Zones and Districts Work

Photo by Mary Frost of the Brooklyn Eagle

April 28, 2016

Stuff You Should Know: How NYC School Zones and Districts Work

By Cait Etherington

It’s a longstanding New York City tradition—families relocating to live in a desirable school district or zone. Currently, all five of the city’s boroughs are divided into districts and zones and both come with their own currency. Districts, which usually cover large swaths of a borough, impact students’ middle school and in some cases, high school choices. Zones, by contrast, can run just a few blocks and are usually the sole criteria for assigning students to schools at the elementary level. Like many things in New York City, however, a block can make a world of difference.
more on School Zones and Districts here

April 26, 2016

NYC Millennials Earn 20 Percent Less, Have More Debt Than Previous Generations

If you were born between 1985 and 1996 and live in New York City, there's a good chance you're struggling. The Wall Street Journal looked at a report from city Comptroller Scott Stringer that examined the effects of the recession on millennials, which found they earn about 20 percent less than previous generations of their counterparts. Furthermore, the report says the economy has left this group with "greater debt than their parents" and "fewer high-wage job opportunities even as the cost of housing in the city has risen."
More good news ahead

City Living

April 25, 2016

FiDi Residents Get the Largest Tax Returns in the City, According to the IRS

It's time for Uncle Sam to start writing tax refund checks, and according to the IRS he'll be shelling out the most in the Financial District. As the Post reports, "One-percenters living in the Financial District have the highest taxable income, the biggest tax bills and get the largest refunds in New York City." Though zip codes 10012 and 10013 (which make up parts of the West Village, Soho, Tribeca and the Lower East Side) are the most expensive in terms of real estate, it's FiDi's 10005 that is the richest in terms of earnings. The average annual taxable income for residents here is $948,979, and they pay $254,835 in taxes and get refunded $74,079.
Which other neighborhoods topped the list?

City Living

April 22, 2016

Spotlight: The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay Talks Sports and Rules for Life in NYC

New Yorkers tend to have go-to writers who they read day in and day out -- with their morning coffee, on the subway, or winding down after a long day. For many, Jason Gay is on this team of journalists. As a sports columnist for The Wall Street Journal, he regularly provides sports coverage, insights, and opinions for the paper's readership. He writes extensively about specific players and teams, but also pens features that touch upon the human aspects and humor that can be found on and off the court. Jason has become known for his funny rule-centric columns, including the very popular "The 32 Rules of Thanksgiving Touch Football" and "The 27 Rules of Conquering the Gym." This passion for rules took shape as a book, "Little Victories: Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living," which takes seemingly banal topics -- parenthood, exercise, office life, travel, and the holidays -- and celebrates how the smallest accomplishments in life are often the most meaningful. 6sqft recently spoke to Jason about sports, writing for the Journal, and how "Yankees World Championships are like real estate closings."
Read the interview with Jason

April 20, 2016

How Long Should You Wait For the Subway Before Giving Up?

To wait or not to wait, that is the question that engineer Erik Bernhardsson answered in his recent analysis of the MTA's real-time API. In his post titled NY Subway Math he determined that if you're in a hurry, you should only wait for a train to arrive for 11 minutes (h/t Technically). At this point, the chance that there's a serious delay begins to rise. As he notes, "The interesting conclusion is that after about five minutes, the longer you wait, the longer you will have to wait. If you waited for 15 minutes, the median additional waiting time is another 8 minutes. But 8 minutes later if the train still hasn’t come, the median additional waiting time is now another 12 minutes.”
More on the conclusion

April 20, 2016

POLL: Would You Be Okay With the MTA Installing Audio Surveillance?

Have you ever noticed those signs on a train or bus that say “video and audio systems in use?” If not, you might want to start paying closer attention, because the notifications are actually warning you, the rider. NPR took a closer look at the use of video and audio surveillance on public transportation, the latter of […]

April 19, 2016

Annual Subway Ridership Hits 1.7 Billion, Highest Since 1948

The MTA has released its 2015 figures, which show the highest weekday subway ridership since 1948, reports the Daily News. Not only does this account for daily riders, which hit 5.7 million, but annual ridership as well, reaching 1.763 billion. Another interesting tidbit, especially considering the looming shutdown, is that L train usage decreased for the first time in about 20 years. This occurred from Third Avenue to Morgan Avenue in Brooklyn, resulting in a 4.2 percent increase along the J/Z and M lines.
More findings ahead

April 15, 2016

Spotlight: The Gefilteria’s Liz Alpern Is Making Gefilte Fish a Modern Passover Staple

As the co-founder and co-owner of The Gefilteria, a Brooklyn-based gefilte fish manufacturing business, Liz Alpern is hard at work making sure there's plenty of her product for her customers to serve at their Passover seders in just a week. Gefilte fish is a dish surrounded by lots of opinions; at seders, it's just as common for someone to ask for seconds as it is for others to kindly offer the dish to their neighbor. Liz understands this range of feelings, as she's found herself on both sides of it. When she was younger, she didn't partake in the course, but in adulthood, she was introduced to homemade gefilte fish-- instead of the pre-made variety found on store shelves--and a love affair began that developed into The Gefilteria, which she co-founded with Jeffrey Yoskowitz in 2012. 6sqft recently spoke with Liz to discuss the founding and evolution of The Gefilteria, how they're casting the Passover staple in a new light, and what it means to be part of her customers’ seders.
Read the full interview here

April 14, 2016

Mayor’s Affordable Housing Push Brings Tough Questions on Racial Integration

Affordability vs. racial inclusion may sound like an odd battle to be having, yet it's one that often simmers below the surface in discussions of neighborhood change. The words "Nearly 50 years after the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act..." are, of course, no small part of the reason. And in a city known for its diversity–one that often feels more racially integrated than it is–the question of how housing policy might affect racial makeup tends to be carefully sidestepped, but the New York Times opens that worm-can in a subsection called "Race/Related."
Is there a tradeoff between integration and affordability?

April 13, 2016

Tips for Keeping Pets Happy and Healthy in an Apartment

By Alyssa Alimurung

6sqft’s series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we offer up helpful tips on how to live with a furry family member (or members) from choosing the right furniture to actually getting your pet OK'd to move into a new place with you. Owning a dog or cat in the city is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Not only can small apartments and loud noises be stressful for humans, but animal anxiety can also be exacerbated by these external elements (and de-stressing for them isn't as easy for them as getting a massage or happy hour). On top of this, pet messes and their manic outbursts can seem exponentially larger when compacted into an home that's barely 500 square feet. Ahead, with the help of Erin McShane, owner of Manhattan's new cat cafe and teahouse Little Lions, we've rounded up a few tips and things to consider when it comes to making apartment living with dogs and cats comfortable for all—especially humans.
A happy home, happy pet and happy you this way

April 13, 2016

POLL: Will You Miss the MetroCard Swipe?

The ye-olde MetroCard swipe has made national headlines in recent weeks, thanks to Hilary Clinton’s inability to get through the turnstile and Bernie Sanders’ belief that we’re still in the dark ages using subway tokens. The fact that these snafus are so attention-grabbing goes to show how intrinsic the simple act of swiping a MetroCard is […]

April 12, 2016

Vinyl, Kale or Condos: It’s Your Move in the ‘Settlers of Brooklyn’ Board Game

In the Settlers of Brooklyn (pronounced inexplicably in the lost tongue of the High Middle Ages), an "award-winning game of entitlement, self-discovery and brunch," there are five resources available: coffee, vinyl, bicycles, skinny jeans, and kale. All of which sound like reasonably life-enhancing additions, but when combined with a tableful of flannel-wearing gits, such as those portrayed in the video below, set on engineering the perfect endless brunch, the whole picture begins to grate like the line outside Egg on a Sunday morning. So the best thing to do may be just to roll with it, which is the idea behind this quick video sendup from snarkmeisters Above Average.
Watch the full video here

City Living

Do Poor New Yorkers Live Longer? Study Says Yes, Despite the Income Gap

“The Association Between Income and Life Expectancy in the United States, 2001-2014,” by the Journal of the American Medical Association; Life expectancy for all income quartiles.

April 11, 2016

Do Poor New Yorkers Live Longer? Study Says Yes, Despite the Income Gap