City Living

Brooklyn is no longer the only borough making a name for itself in the local craft beer industry. Thanks to the Bronx Brewery, the northernmost borough is staking a claim in the market with a fun spot dedicated to making pale ales. Founded in 2011 by co-presidents Chris Gallant and Damian Brown, the Bronx Brewery is located in Port Morris, a mixed-use neighborhood near the Major Deegan Expressway. While still young, the brewery in the Boogie Down is certainly finding a following with its impressive lineup of year-round and seasonal beers that can be found on tap and in stores throughout the tri-state area. With a tasting room, tours, and a backyard to sit back and relax in, it's quickly becoming a popular spot for both locals and Manhattanites looking for a day trip. We recently spoke with Chris to learn how the Bronx Brewery came to be and how the company has evolved and grown over the last few years.
Our convo with Chris right this way

September 16, 2015

Liven Up Your Walls With Bike Art Inspired by the New York City Streets

By Rebecca Paul

Original art is a great way to adorn the walls in your home, but for some of us, it can also be outside of our budget. One excellent solution to this conundrum is to purchase original prints from local artists like Massimo Mongiardo. Mongiardo recieved his BFA in Illustration from the Massachusetts College of Art, and he now lives and works in New York City. His playful collection of bike prints were inspired by the bike culture he observed around his studio.
READ MORE

September 15, 2015

The Best Places to Buy Cheap Vintage and Antique Furniture in NYC

By Rebecca Paul

Finding the time and money to properly adorn your living space is challenging in any capacity, and living in a city as expensive as New York makes it that much more difficult. However, this bustling metropolis is not only filled with people, it's also home to all of their furniture! As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure, and New York is the perfect town to hunt for good deals on vintage pieces that are often better in quality and better looking than what you'd buy new from IKEA (minus the ferry ride). To save you time, we've put together this list of some of our favorite NYC spots to hunt for cheap vintage furniture and accessories. We also included a few new and not so new websites that also offer excellent deals.
The best shops to find great deals here

$20M Allocated to New Technology That Will Let NYC Vehicles ‘Talk’ to Each Other

Traffic jam photo via joiseyshowaa/flickr

September 15, 2015

$20M Allocated to New Technology That Will Let NYC Vehicles ‘Talk’ to Each Other

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that $42 million will be allocated to new technology in New York City, Tampa, and the state of Wyoming that allows vehicles to "talk" to one another and their surroundings "in order to reduce congestion, prevent accidents, and cut emissions," according to Daily Intelligencer. The city is receiving $20 million of the funds, with which it will create "connected vehicles" that can hopefully reduce traffic accidents by up to 80 percent. By gaining access to real-time traffic data, both drivers and pedestrians will be alerted (or do the alerting) of potential hazards.
Learn about the specifics of what this technology entails

September 13, 2015

Get to Know New NYC Neighborhoods Through Food With Like A Local

If you're like most New Yorkers, you probably keep within a ten block radius of your home when you have downtime, maybe venturing out on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. A tired routine? Well, here's the perfect opportunity to spread your wings a bit. Like A Local is a cool startup that invites folks to chow on some of the best eats a neighborhood has to offer, while also giving them a taste of a place's history—from the art to architecture to the origin of what they're biting down on. Basically if you love eating and you love learning, they've got four tours worth your time.
Find out more here

September 11, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: William Helmreich Went on the Ultimate 6,000-Mile Walking Tour of NYC

New Yorkers are known for spending their free time taking leisurely strolls through the city's numerous neighborhoods. They even use their feet as a means to learn by going on weekend walking tours to discover the history, the mystery, as well as the evolution of their favorite places—and there are certainly plenty of tours out there to serve all sorts of curiosities. But when William Helmreich decided he wanted to learn more about New York on foot, he took walking tours to another level. In fact, he decided to walk the entire city. William is a sociology professor at The City College of New York and also teaches at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Over the course of four years, he has walked just about every block in New York City. It was an adventure William was primed for as a lifelong New Yorker who possesses a research interest in urban studies; his background allowed him to be at ease while speaking with city residents in the five boroughs, and he had the eagerness necessary to uncover hidden gems in the lesser known nooks and crannies of our metropolis. The culmination of William's journey is his book, "The New York Nobody Knows: Walking 6,000 Miles in New York City," which was published in 2013 and released last month in paperback. We recently spoke with William about his long walk, and to find out what it taught him about New York.
Meet William here

September 10, 2015

Turn Hot Coffee to Iced in Minutes With the Coil

By Rebecca Paul

New Yorkers love to drink coffee, and while most can manage the time and effort required to brew a pot, getting the bubbling liquid cold is another story. Many of us are willing to spend upwards to four or even six dollars if someone can ice it for us. Well, fellow coffee addicts, thanks to the Coil, a chiller that drops the temperature of coffee within minutes, your days of over-priced joe have come to an end.
READ MORE

September 8, 2015

See Brooklyn Before and After Gentrification in This New Photo Series

Brooklyn's hipsterization is pretty much widely accepted as fact at this point, but still not a day goes by without some article, essay or artwork pointing to how the neighborhood has lost its authenticity. The latest photo series to emerge documenting the substitution of the borough's street cred for artisinal goods and overpriced organic cocktails is Kristy Chatelain's "Brooklyn Changing." Though Chatelain isn't quite what you'd call a longtime New Yorker—she moved to Greenpoint from New Orleans in 2006—unlike the rants of her fellow new-era Brooklynites who bemoan how different things are since they moved in, her series comes off as a thoughtful study in just how quickly things changed in North Brooklyn over just five years.
More photos here

New Yorker Spotlight: Ira Block Photographs World Treasures for National Geographic

Ira with a camel and a local in the desert of Morocco, © Connor Dugan

September 4, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Ira Block Photographs World Treasures for National Geographic

When Ira Block leaves his New York City apartment for work, he might find himself on the way to Bhutan or Mongolia. As a photojournalist who has covered more than 30 stories for National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Traveler, Ira travels the world photographing some of its greatest marvels. He's captured everything from far-off landscapes to people and animals to discoveries made at archaeology sites. In between trips to Asia, Ira spends time photographing baseball in Cuba. The project has afforded him the opportunity to catch the country on the cusp of change. His first images showing Cuba's passion for the sport, mixed in with its beautiful but complex landscape, are on display at the Sports Center at Chelsea Piers. We recently spoke with Ira about traveling the globe for work and how his career and passion have shaped his relationship with New York.
Our interview with Ira right this way

September 3, 2015

Here’s How Many Calories You’ll Burn if You Walk, Jog, or Cycle Instead of Taking the Subway

Looking to shed a few pounds after all the summer cookouts and outdoor happy hours? Perhaps you should consider ditching the old Metrocard and traveling by foot or bicycle instead. To put into perspective just how fit this will get you, the folks over at Treated have calculated how many calories you'll burn by walking, jogging, and cycling between subway stops. As Curbed notes, the analysis provides calorie info for every single subway stop and also charts the longest stops, which unsurprisingly are mostly over bridges, and the shortest stops, mostly located in lower Manhattan.
See the full map and calorie charts here

September 3, 2015

VIDEO: What Ever Happened to This 1927 Parallel Parking Solution?

If you don't have the bucks to fork over for a parking garage, having a car in the city can be quite the debacle thanks to alternate side of the street parking, indecipherable street signs, and the wrath of the meter maid. There's also the challenge of physically getting into the parking spot, which usually requires several attempts at parallel parking. But this 1927 video shows a car with wheels that turn sideways, making urban parallel parking a no brainer.
Watch the video

September 1, 2015

Infographic: The Correlation Between Income and Access to NYC Public Transit

We already know that there are plenty of areas within the five boroughs that are underserved by public transportation, but a new visualization provides an interesting perspective on how this lack of service is related to income. The simple infographic by FiveThirtyEight shows how New Yorkers commute based on income and access to public transportation, revealing five broad categories that range from those with no good options at all to those who have their choice of Uber or public transportation.
READ MORE

August 28, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Courtside at the Century-Old West Side Tennis Club With Roland Meier and Bob Ingersole

With the U.S. Open starting on Monday, tennis fever is once again sweeping across the city. Over the next two weeks, thousands of New Yorkers will hop on the 7 train or the Long Island Rail Road to watch the likes of Roger Federer and Serena Williams play in Flushing Meadows at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. However, prior to 1978, tennis players and fans found themselves playing and cheering at a different venue: The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills. The West Side Tennis Club was the former home of the U.S. Open. Founded in 1892 in Manhattan, the club moved to Forest Hills in 1913, where it played host to many great moments in tennis history. Following the U.S. Open's relocation, The West Side Tennis Club faced a number of challenges and retreated from the spotlight. But after years under the radar, the club's president Roland Meier and tennis director Bob Ingersole are helping The West Side Tennis Club re-emerge as a major player on the tennis scene. We recently spoke with Roland and Bob to learn how history and modernity mix in Forest Hills.
Read our interview with the pair here

August 28, 2015

Want to Dine Al Fresco Tonight? This Interactive Map Shows All 1,357 Sidewalk Cafés in NYC

This time of year, who wants to eat inside? New Yorkers are constantly on the hunt for a great al fresco restaurant where they can snag a table and enjoy the warm weather and people watch. And with this handy new map from the city, picking a spot just got a whole lot easier. The interactive platform plots all 1,357 sidewalk cafés in the city, as well as how many outdoor tables and chairs are allowed, pending applications, license status, and health grades. But interestingly enough, the Department of Consumer Affairs didn't create the map to make life easier for foodies; they want to "boost transparency and reduce confusion surrounding the licensing process," according to Crain's.
Find out more

August 25, 2015

This $9 Device Can Save Drivers from the Much-Loathed Parking Ticket

After driving around for what seems like an eternity, you finally find a parking spot. You read all the signs, double check that there's no yellow curbs or fire hydrants nearby, feed the meter, and go on your merry way. A few hours later, you walk back up to your car and see that tiny orange rectangle (the infamous NYC parking ticket) taunting you from the windshield. If this sounds familiar, here's your chance to stop shelling out $65 for being one minute over your last quarter. AwareCar, a smartphone app and Bluetooth device, keeps drivers in check by reminding them where they parked, when the meter is expiring, and at what time they need to leave to head back to their vehicle (h/t CityLab). And all this will only set you back $9.
Find out how this genius technology works

August 24, 2015

Are You Picking Up After Your Dog? Map Shows Neighborhoods With the Worst Offenders

Remember: Don't blame the dog, blame its lazy owner. On some NYC streets, navigating the crap that covers the sidewalks can be like running a gantlet. And as this map created by The Economist shows, there are definitely some neighborhoods that have it worse than others. Compiled from complaints submitted across all the boroughs, as seen above, the shittiest nabes of 2014 include Upper Manhattan on the east side, a good deal of the Bronx, Bed-Stuy and, unsurprisingly, Bushwick, where just last year neighborhood artists were glittering the deserted turds of their furry friends in gold.
find out more here

City Living

August 21, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: 100 GATES’s Natalie Raben on Beautifying the Dreary Metal Gates of the LES

Natalie Raben spends her days thinking about closing time, specifically the gates businesses roll down when they lock up for the night. For Natalie, these metal gates represent blank canvases waiting to tell stories. And over the last several months, she has been focusing on turning them into works of art as she oversees and manages the 100 GATES Project. Natalie spends much of her time connecting interested businesses with artists to support a collaboration that creates a sense of community each evening. With a mixture of well-known artists like Buff Monster and up-and-comers making their debut, these once-bland metallic gates are livening up the area, engaging residents visually as well as inspiring conversations around the works themselves. So far over 40 gates have been completed and more will be finished later this month. We recently spoke with Natalie to learn more about this unique project and how the neighborhood is responding to it.
Read our interview with Natalie here

August 21, 2015

Mayor de Blasio Proposes Ripping Out Times Square’s Pedestrian Plazas

There are a lot of nuisances to be found in Times Square, but apparently for Mayor de Blasio, none are as bothersome as the topless women and aggressive Elmos traipsing around the area's overly lit streets. As the NYDN reports, de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton have formed a special task force aimed at ridding the bustling tourist destination of its "jiggly panhandlers." And the solution at the top of their list is tearing up the pedestrian plazas and letting cars back in.
Find out more on the issue here, as well as alternative plans

August 18, 2015

VIDEO: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Rats Coming up Your Toilet

Warning: Explicit rat footage ahead. If you don't already live in fear of rats taking over your apartment, you will after this. A new video from National Geographic shows exactly how these rodents make their way up your toilet bowl, which is apparently quite a common city occurrence, according to Gothamist. Though we're used to seeing them scamper around near the garbage bins, rats are pretty aquatically adept; they can tread water for three days and stay underwater without breathing for three minutes. Plus, their ribs are hinged at the spine, meaning they can fit through even the narrowest of pipes.
Watch the video here if you dare

City Living

August 14, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: BriAnne Wills, Creator of the Latest Internet Sensation ‘Girls and Their Cats’

Cats are certainly having their moment. From memes to museum exhibits to full-page articles in major publications, felines are everywhere these days. And for the women who love their cats, there's a chance to join in on the fun thanks to fashion photographer BriAnne Wills. Earlier this year, BriAnne founded Girls and Their Cats, a photography series capturing the intimate bond between New York women and their kitty companions. She initially launched her work on a Tumblr page, expecting it to be a quick project before she got back to the fashion world. Instead, cat lovers found BriAnne, and she now has almost 4,000 followers on Girls and Their Cats' Instagram account. She is currently expanding the series to accommodate the growing community of like-minded women relishing their fondness for felines. We recently chatted with BriAnne about how her small project is quickly becoming a big one and why women and their cats are in the spotlight.
READ MORE

August 13, 2015

Study Says: The 4 Train Is the Worst Performing, the L Train the Best

The L train may be painfully packed during rush hour, but at least it can tout the title of being the best performing of all of NYC's subway lines—which appear only to be getting worse. The Journal reports that an audit recently conducted by the state comptroller’s office revealed that, on average, the subway system's on-time performance (how frequently a train reaches its last stop within five minutes of the scheduled time) is on the decline, falling to 74 percent on weekdays and 81 percent on weekends in 2014, from 81 percent and 85 percent in 2013. But the worst performing train of all? The 4 train.
More on the best and worst trains here

August 12, 2015

Map Lets Users Draw Where They Think Their Neighborhood Borders Are

Back in the day, there was no East Village; it was all the Lower East Side. The Upper West Side was one big neighborhood; there weren't subdivisions like Broadway Corridor or Riverside. Brokers didn't invent acronyms like NoMad and DoBro. As time goes on, areas in New York City seem to multiply, but this really all depends on who you're talking to. Since the city has no actual neighborhood boundaries (they divide the city by much larger community districts), everyone has their own idea of where one neighborhood ends and the other begins. And a new interactive map from DNAinfo allows New Yorkers to draw what they think their neighborhood borders are and see how their approximations compare to others.'
See how we did at our first attempt

City Living

August 11, 2015

New Census Fact Finder Sheds Surprising Light on Neighborhood Demographics

Think you live in a hipster 'hood? Constantly complaining about the stroller parades down your block? While you may think you have your neighbors pinpointed, a quick look at the hard facts may surprise you. Last week, the Department of City Planning revealed its updated Census Fact Finder, an interactive application that uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey to provide highly detailed neighborhood profiles. Take for example the Lower East Side, often thought of as a playground for well-off post-grads. As The Lo-Down noted, 47 percent of the neighborhood's population is unemployed, only 34 percent have a college degree, and 35 percent pay less than $500/month in rent.
More findings right here

City Living

August 7, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Lori Pailet of Aquaskills on Teaching Water-Fearing Adults to Swim