City Living

NYC’s landmarked Roosevelt Hotel will close after 96 years due to pandemic

Photo by Billy Hathorn via Wikimedia Commons

October 13, 2020

NYC’s landmarked Roosevelt Hotel will close after 96 years due to pandemic

When the Roosevelt Hotel opened on East 45th Street in 1924, it was connected to Grand Central via an underground tunnel, signaling its prominence among New York's Jazz Age society. But nearly 100 years later, the Midtown hotel will shut it doors for good on October 31. As CNN first reported, owner Pakistan International Airlines said in a statement that the decision stems from "the current, unprecedented environment and the continued uncertain impact from COVID-19."
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Broadway will remain closed through May 2021

Photo by Andrae Ricketts on Unsplash

October 9, 2020

Broadway will remain closed through May 2021

By Devin Gannon

Broadway theaters, which first closed in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, will stay dark until next May 30. The Broadway League, which represents theater owners and show producers, announced on Friday it was suspending ticket sales to all shows for another seven months.
Details here

City Living

Read before you vote! NYPL releases 200 book titles to get us election-ready

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

October 6, 2020

Read before you vote! NYPL releases 200 book titles to get us election-ready

By Dana Schulz

There's exactly one month until the presidential election, but that's still plenty of time to educate yourself about the issues at stake. To make things easier, the New York Public Library has released its 2020 Election Reading List, which features 200 titles for adults, teens, and children that "offer illuminating and engaging explorations of key voter issues, from climate change, foreign policy, and education to healthcare, political polarization, and movements toward greater justice and socioeconomic equality."
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City Living

Everything you need to know about houseboat living in NYC, from finding a boat to securing a slip

Photo of the 79th Street Boat Basin by Jim Henderson on Wikimedia

October 6, 2020

Everything you need to know about houseboat living in NYC, from finding a boat to securing a slip

By Cait Etherington

In Amsterdam, houseboats are considered an affordable way to live in the center of the city. They're also popular in other global cities, from London’s Little Venice to waterfront neighborhoods in Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Sydney. So why doesn’t New York City—with its 578 miles of coastline—have a thriving houseboat community, too? While it's impossible to know for certain, recent estimates for Manhattan suggest that year-round houseboat residents or “liveaboards” may now number fewer than 50.
More on houseboat living and how to do it yourself

City Living

October 2, 2020

Union Square’s cherished dinnerware store Fishs Eddy speaks out about COVID struggles

By Dana Schulz

"We’re like a fish gasping for air — literally," said Julie Gaines, the owner of Fishs Eddy, to the New York Post. The much-loved Union Square store has been in business since 1986, selling mix-and-match, reasonably priced dinnerware that includes NYC-themed items and quirky finds like Obama shot glasses and parking ticket plates. Since the pandemic hit, however, they've only been doing 30 percent of their usual business, much of which is based on tourists, which is making it harder and harder to afford their high rent.
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City Living

New York’s new COVID Alert app will tell you if you’ve come in contact with a positive person

Screenshots from the app on iPhone

October 1, 2020

New York’s new COVID Alert app will tell you if you’ve come in contact with a positive person

By Dana Schulz

Amid an uptick in cases in several clusters in Brooklyn and Rockland County, the New York Department of Health has launched a new, free app that will tell you if you've come in contact with a COVID-positive person. COVID Alert NY is available as of today for iPhone and Android. Using your phone's Bluetooth technology, it will alert you if you've been within six feet of an infected person for more than 10 minutes.
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Empire State Building is treating couples to a free photoshoot at its iconic observatory

Photo courtesy of the Empire Realty Trust

September 30, 2020

Empire State Building is treating couples to a free photoshoot at its iconic observatory

By Devin Gannon

One of the city's most romantic spots, both in the movies and in real life, is offering couples a free photoshoot. The Empire State Building will treat twosomes to a free photo session from a professional photographer at the iconic skyscraper's 86th-floor observatory. On October 10, visitors will receive a complimentary photoshoot with the price of admission to the main observatory.
Get the details

Everything you need to know about indoor dining in NYC

Photo by Fábio Alves on Unsplash

September 29, 2020

Everything you need to know about indoor dining in NYC

By Dana Schulz

After being shut down for more than six months, indoor dining in New York City returns tomorrow. The biggest difference is that restaurants can only operate at 25-percent capacity, but there is also a long list from the state of rules and regulations. Plus, Governor Cuomo has instituted a compliance component that will deploy 400 enforcement personnel and allow New Yorkers to fill out online complaint forms. If you're thinking about partaking in indoor dining, we've put together a guide that outlines everything you need to know.
All the info

These neighborhoods had the biggest rent drops since March

Fifth Avenue and East 75th Street; Photo by Eden, Janine, and Jim on Flickr

September 28, 2020

These neighborhoods had the biggest rent drops since March

By Devin Gannon

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March, rental prices in Manhattan have dropped by 24 percent. While the market is slowly recovering on the island, with asking rent slightly up over the last month, new data from CityRealty shows which neighborhoods are still reeling from the state-mandated lockdown and overall financial impact of the health crisis. According to the report, the Manhattan neighborhoods that experienced the largest drop in rental prices between March and September include the Upper East Side, specifically part of the southern portion of Fifth Avenue from 59th to 79th Street, and Noho.
Find out more

Metropolitan Opera announces it will stay closed for another year

Photo by Seth Hoffman on Unsplash

September 23, 2020

Metropolitan Opera announces it will stay closed for another year

By Dana Schulz

In an announcement that is sure to reverberate throughout the theater and performing arts worlds, the Metropolitan Opera said today that it will extend its COVID-inflicted closure and cancel its entire 2020-2021 season, not reopening until September of next year. As the New York Times, who first reported the news, said, the decision "sends a chilling signal that American cultural life is still far from resuming."
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City Living

New York pol calls on Cuomo to reopen comedy clubs

Photo by ajay_suresh on Flickr

September 22, 2020

New York pol calls on Cuomo to reopen comedy clubs

By Devin Gannon

New York gyms, malls, museums, and restaurants, have all been given the green light from officials to reopen. Why not comedy clubs? State Sen. Michael Gianaris is proposing new measures that would allow comedy venues to immediately reopen under the same coronavirus restriction placed on other indoor activities, which would include a 25 percent capacity limit. "I challenge anyone to explain why comedy clubs would be less safe to operate than restaurants or bowling alleys," Gianaris, who represents parts of Queens, told the New York Post.
Get the details

After 21 years, Tribeca’s Amish Market will close

Photo of Amish Market by Paul Sableman via Flickr cc

September 22, 2020

After 21 years, Tribeca’s Amish Market will close

By Dana Schulz

Photo of Amish Market by Paul Sableman via Flickr cc Amish Market opened in Tribeca in 1999 but after 21 years as a neighborhood staple, they, too, have fallen victim to COVID-19. Tribeca Citizen reported the news that the grocery story-meets-bodega (where Cardi-B was famously a cashier during high school) will likely close its doors by the 26th after a 90-percent drop in business.
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City Living

Help save the historic neon sign at the Bronx’s 64-year-old Palomba Academy of Music

Photo © James and Karla Murray

September 21, 2020

Help save the historic neon sign at the Bronx’s 64-year-old Palomba Academy of Music

By Dana Schulz

Palomba Academy of Music has been teaching music lessons from its storefront in the Williamsbridge section of the Bronx for 64 years, but they've sadly had to close due to COVID-19. However, there's a piece of this business that photographers James and Karla Murray hope to preserve. They are working with iconic NYC neon shop Let There Be Neon to remove Palomba's historic, 25-foot neon sign and have it relocated to the American Sign Museum in Cincinatti, Ohio. But they need your help...
Here's how you can contribute

City Living

Fall back in love with NYC through this new book of ‘hidden’ art treasures

Images courtesy of Running Press

September 18, 2020

Fall back in love with NYC through this new book of ‘hidden’ art treasures

By 6sqft

While New York City is home to some of the best and biggest cultural institutions in the world, it's the more obscure masterpieces found on streets, subway stations, and tucked away in bars and buildings that inspired author Lori Zimmer's latest book. In Art Hiding in New York: An Illustrated Guide to the City's Secret Masterpieces, Zimmer highlights 100 hidden-in-plain-sight and surprising spots across the city and explores the unique history of the art and the artists behind them. From a massive Roy Lichtenstein mural in the Times Square subway station to fragments of the Berlin Wall painted by artist Thierry Noir, incredible pieces of art can be found everywhere in New York, even beyond galleries and museums. Ahead, we chat with Zimmer about her guide to New York City's underground art world, the beautiful illustrations paired with each work, and the city's perpetual reinvention.
Learn more and meet the author

‘Ode to NYC’ poster campaign spreads love across the five boroughs with heartfelt artwork

New York Forever poster designed by Giona Maiarelli; Pizza poster designed by Dr. Crol Bentel

September 16, 2020

‘Ode to NYC’ poster campaign spreads love across the five boroughs with heartfelt artwork

By Devin Gannon

A new citywide poster campaign will launch next month as a tribute to New York City in response to one of the most challenging times in its history. NYCxDesign this week announced the "An Ode to NYC" campaign, a collection of posters designed by local artists that reflect their love for New York. The original artwork will be on display in design showrooms, restaurants, retail stores, and iconic spots across the five boroughs, including the Oculus at the World Trade Center.
Get the details

Photo courtesy of CV-19 ESSENTIAL

September 16, 2020

NYC’s first store dedicated to COVID essentials opens in Herald Square

By Dana Schulz

It was bound to happen--a store selling solely coronavirus-related products. CV-19 ESSENTIAL opened today in Herald Square, selling everything from masks and cell phone sanitizers to plexiglass dividers and UV lights. There's even a "Safe Zone" Interactive Experience Center where shoppers can try out the gadgets (we're assuming they'll be sanitized between uses).
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City Living

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

September 16, 2020

7 ways to soundproof a noisy apartment

By 6sqft

No matter how long we live in New York City, it's hard to get used to the sounds of jackhammers, children screaming, or our neighbors getting a little too, um, frisky on the other side of our apartment wall. And with noise complaints up a whopping 300 percent during the pandemic, many of us are actively seeking solutions to help muffle (or hopefully mute) these urban intrusions. From sound-proofing wall panels and curtains to white noise machines, we've rounded up some simple soundproofing home upgrades, as well as a couple more robust improvements, that will help you achieve a quieter household.
Get started soundproofing here

Sotheby’s hip hop auction includes Biggie Smalls’ crown from ‘King of New York’ photo & more gems

Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” leather jackets; Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

September 11, 2020

Sotheby’s hip hop auction includes Biggie Smalls’ crown from ‘King of New York’ photo & more gems

By Devin Gannon

Next week, Sotheby's will host its first-ever hip hop auction with iconic memorabilia from the music movement that got its start in New York City. One of the biggest items of the auction, which will be held live on September 15, is the crown worn by Brooklyn-born Biggie Smalls during the 1997 "King of New York" photo shoot, the last portrait of the rapper before he was killed just days later. Another amazing item at the auction includes over 20 love letters penned by a 16-year-old Tupac Shakur to his high school sweetheart.
Find out more

You can win a private session at Grand Central Terminal’s ‘hidden’ tennis courts

Photo courtesy of Grand Central Terminal

September 9, 2020

You can win a private session at Grand Central Terminal’s ‘hidden’ tennis courts

By Devin Gannon

A contest launched on Tuesday that is tailor-made for lovers of tennis and quirky New York City history. Grand Central Terminal's "Game, Set, & Match" contest will provide one winner and a partner an hour to play tennis at the iconic transit hub's Vanderbilt Tennis Club, located in a hard-to-find location on the terminal's fourth floor. In addition to the free match, the winner will receive $300 in gift cards for Grand Central Terminal vendors.
Get the details

City Living

First online-only Whole Foods ‘store’ opens in Brooklyn

Photo courtesy of Amazon/ Whole Foods

September 2, 2020

First online-only Whole Foods ‘store’ opens in Brooklyn

By Devin Gannon

While new Whole Foods stores in New York City typically open to fanfare from lovers of the grocery chain, a new location in Brooklyn won't get the same in-person hoopla. The first-ever online-only Whole Foods "store" opened in Brooklyn on Tuesday, dedicated exclusively to fulfilling online grocery orders. The new store, which has been in the works for over a year, will not allow any customers inside.
Get the details

City Living

Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center to serve as polling sites for 2020 election

Photo by ajay_suresh on Flickr

September 1, 2020

Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center to serve as polling sites for 2020 election

By Devin Gannon

Two major sports arenas in New York City will serve as polling sites for the general election in November, providing a socially distanced way for residents to vote in person. The city's Board of Elections announced that Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center will both be Early Voting and Election Day poll sites, the result of a deal made between players of the National Basketball Association and the league to resume playoffs after teams refused to play following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The agreement involved several social justice initiatives, including the use of NBA arenas across the country as voting locations for the upcoming election.
Details this way

As NYC parks see growing garbage problem, city launches anti-trash campaign

Photo by Timothy Krause on Flickr

August 31, 2020

As NYC parks see growing garbage problem, city launches anti-trash campaign

By Devin Gannon

Coronavirus-related budget cuts and an increase in use may be to blame for the growing garbage problem across New York City green spaces. As Gothamist reported, the number of 311 complaints about garbage and litter increased by 120 percent from the same period last summer. To address this increase in green space litter and to encourage New Yorkers to "show your park some love," the city's Parks Department launched a new "Toss Your Trash" campaign last week.
Find out more

New York Fashion Week is still on for next month

Photo by Art Comments on Flickr

August 25, 2020

New York Fashion Week is still on for next month

By Devin Gannon

One of fashion's biggest events will still take place in New York City next month. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced that New York Fashion Week will be held September 13-17 for a mix of live and virtual fashion shows, under stringent coronavirus restrictions and capacity limits. Indoor events will be able to take place at 50 percent capacity and with no spectators, according to the governor.
Details here

NYC cultural institutions would be allowed to put on performances outdoors, under proposed bill

Photo by Paulo Silva on Unsplash

August 25, 2020

NYC cultural institutions would be allowed to put on performances outdoors, under proposed bill

By Devin Gannon

A New York City Council member will introduce a bill this week that would allow cultural institutions to set up events and exhibits outdoor, the New York Daily News first reported. Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, who represents parts of Queens and is chair of the Cultural Affairs Committee, wants the city to give nonprofit groups space to perform on parking lots, streets, and parks. "The city of New York is the cultural capital of the world and right now it's a city that's a little sad," Van Bramer told the Daily News. "The city of New York without music and dance and theater is just not the same New York."
Get the details

Tour Central Park with this free virtual guide

Belvedere Castle; Courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy

August 20, 2020

Tour Central Park with this free virtual guide

By Devin Gannon

Exploring the 840+ acres of Central Park and all of its historic sites just got easier, thanks to a free new digital guide. The Central Park Conservancy this week launched a new guide to the park on the Bloomberg Connects app. Although official tours and programs are on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, green space lovers can still learn about the park's natural habitats, historic statues, and landmarked structures through photos, audio clips, and video, easily accessed from their smartphones.
Learn more

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