City Living

Electric cargo bikes will replace some delivery trucks in NYC

Photo courtesy of the Department of Transportation

December 5, 2019

Electric cargo bikes will replace some delivery trucks in NYC

Nearly two million packages on average are delivered in New York City each day, causing vans and trucks to clog already congested streets. Looking to address delivery-related traffic, as well as cut vehicle emissions, the city announced on Wednesday a pilot program that would encourage companies to use cargo bikes instead of trucks to deliver parcels in Manhattan below 60th Street.
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2019’s top Uber destinations included the Empire State Building–and the Queens Center Mall

Photo by Daniel Schwen via Wikimedia Commons

December 4, 2019

2019’s top Uber destinations included the Empire State Building–and the Queens Center Mall

By Michelle Cohen

Photo by Daniel Schwen via Wikimedia Commons Rideshare service Uber took a year-end look at some of its most requested destinations throughgout the world, revealing some surprising facts. For tourists using Uber, the Empire State Building stands as tall as it ever did: The Big Apple icon beat out the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Disneyland as the most requested endpoint on the planet (the Freedom Tower came in at second place). In the state of New York, the most requested destination overall wasn't a tall tower but a bustling mall in Elmhurst, Queens, according to the New York Post.
Where else did we go in 2019

New map shows over 600 languages spoken in NYC

Screenshot of the NYC language map courtesy of the Endangered Language Alliance

December 4, 2019

New map shows over 600 languages spoken in NYC

By Devin Gannon

More than 600 languages are spoken in the New York metropolitan area, making it one of the most linguistically diverse regions in the world. The Endangered Language Alliance (ELA), a non-profit that aims to protect endangered languages across the city and New Jersey, released this week a comprehensive map of the area's 637 languages and dialects at nearly 1,000 sites. As first reported by Gothamist, the map coincides with the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages, declared by the United Nations in 2016, as well as the upcoming 2020 census.
Explore the map

City Living

With a new ‘Arid Room’ focused on rare cacti and succulents, Tula is growing its roots in Greenpoint

Images courtesy of Tula Plants & Design

November 11, 2019

With a new ‘Arid Room’ focused on rare cacti and succulents, Tula is growing its roots in Greenpoint

By Alexandra Alexa

Less than a year after opening their new flagship in Greenpoint, Tula Plants & Design has expanded its lush storefront with a dedicated space for cacti and succulents. Owners Christan Summers and Ivan Martinez recently completed a 400-square-foot expansion in the nearly 100-year-old warehouse at 59 Meserole Avenue, adding a desert plant oasis to complement their tropical plant offerings. The “Arid Room” is packed with varieties young and old and specializes in sourcing rare, hard-to-find species.
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City Living

13 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

Photo by Rommel Demano for God’s Love We Deliver

November 11, 2019

13 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

By Michelle Cohen

The winter holiday season is a time of overflowing bounty for so many. While giving thanks and exchanging gifts, it's a fine opportunity to share the wealth, good cheer–and extra time off–with fellow New Yorkers in need. There are hundreds of ways to volunteer from now through the New Year (and beyond), and we've rounded up 13 ways to help this year, from meal delivery to serving Thanksgiving dinner to preparing your own putlock dish.
The list, this way

The city introduces a new branding initiative to unite NYC’s public markets

Photo of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market by Leonard J. DeFrancisci via Wikimedia Commons

November 11, 2019

The city introduces a new branding initiative to unite NYC’s public markets

By Michelle Cohen

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) last week unveiled a new brand strategy for the city's network of six public markets, which includes a multilingual ad campaign, a dynamic new website and social media presence, direct mail campaigns and more, all of which are designed to consolidate a network of historic markets under one city-wide brand. It's all part of the organization's comprehensive initiative to promote NYC's public markets--including Essex Market, the Bronx's Arthur Avenue Market, and Williamsburg's historic Moore Street Market--as "world class destinations for both local residents and tourists."
See what's in store

City Living

Essex Crossing’s Market Line food hall will open to the public before the end of the month

Images courtesy of QuallsBenson

November 11, 2019

Essex Crossing’s Market Line food hall will open to the public before the end of the month

By Alexandra Alexa

A few months after it was initially expected, Essex Crossing’s expansive and bazaar-like food hall, The Market Line, finally has an opening date. Phase one of the rollout is set to open its doors to the public on November 22, offering an initial mix of 30+ local vendors and restaurants, including NYC institutions like Ukrainian diner Veselka, family-run German butcher shop and Grocer Schaller & Weber, and 1920s tea parlor and bakery turned hip dim sum eatery Nom Wah.
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New York Public Library’s iconic lions are back on guard and better than ever

Photo from this afternoon, by 6sqft

November 1, 2019

New York Public Library’s iconic lions are back on guard and better than ever

By Alexandra Alexa

After spending the last two months outside of public view getting a “full spa treatment,” the New York Public Library’s majestic lions are back to guarding the institution. Patience and Fortitude have been in place since the 42nd Street Library opened in 1911 and were named by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia during the Depression to signify the characteristics New Yorkers needed to survive the tough times. The iconic duo was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers out of porous Tennessee pink marble, making them quite susceptible to the elements and the toll of time. The pair requires conservation efforts every seven to 10 years and were last restored in 2011. The last bits of the scaffolding will be removed during the day on Friday, just in time for the annual Library Lions fundraising gala on Monday, November 4.
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City Living

See inside The Collective’s ‘short stay’ co-living concept, now open in Long Island City

Images courtesy of The Collective

November 1, 2019

See inside The Collective’s ‘short stay’ co-living concept, now open in Long Island City

By Alexandra Alexa

London-based co-living company The Collective has opened its first U.S. location at the former Paper Factory Hotel in Long Island City. Designed in collaboration with Palette Architecture, the 125-room location will focus on a "short stay" model ranging from one-night to 29-day stays. Members will have access to communal living areas and wellness services, as well as a soon-to-launch restaurant and cultural programming. The company already has plans to expand on today’s opening by adding 100 additional rooms on top of the existing building by 2021.
Take a look around

City Living

The Shed, the Whitney, and the Apollo join IDNYC’s free membership program

Photo by Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia Commons

October 31, 2019

The Shed, the Whitney, and the Apollo join IDNYC’s free membership program

By Dana Schulz

Beginning in 2020, the list of 50+ cultural institutions offering free membership through the city's IDNYC program will grow to include the Apollo Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, National Sawdust, The Shed, and the Whitney Museum. Started in 2015 as a way to provide identification cards to those who may not otherwise have access, such as the homeless and undocumented immigrants, IDNYC now has more than 1.3 million cardholders (it's the country's largest municipal ID program) who have saved over $55 million on memberships, discounts, and other fees.
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25,000 shoppers flocked to Brooklyn’s Wegmans Sunday for record opening day sales

By Michelle Cohen

Fans of the Rochester-based Wegmans grocery chain were waiting in the rain before sunrise on Sunday for the new Brooklyn Navy Yard store to open, the New York Times reports. According to a store spokeswoman, more than 25,000 shoppers arrived for the grand opening, breaking the store chain's record for opening day sales.
More Wegmania, this way

Via Flickr

October 28, 2019

Stuck in traffic? Blame the internet.

By Michelle Cohen

Driving from point A to point B in New York City is actually getting slower despite brand new bridges, tolls, congestion pricing, and public transportation options, and it has a lot to do with all the stuff we're ordering online. A recent story in the New York Times outlines how massive growth in online ordering from companies like Amazon has added a whole new layer to the delivery truck traffic and parked vehicles that clog city streets each day. But the real news may be the new layer of infrastructure that's being added to the city's economy in the form of "last mile" fulfillment centers to get it all to consumers overnight.
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The restoration of Keith Haring’s ‘Crack is Wack’ mural is now complete

Images courtesy of NYC Parks

October 25, 2019

The restoration of Keith Haring’s ‘Crack is Wack’ mural is now complete

By Alexandra Alexa

After a couple of months of work, Keith Haring’s iconic “Crack is Wack” mural in East Harlem is now fully restored. As 6sqft previously reported, Haring painted the 16-foot by 26-foot mural on a handball court at East 128th Street and the Harlem River Drive in 1986 to draw attention to the crack cocaine epidemic. Composed with the artist’s signature kinetic figures and bold abstract forms, the piece has been celebrated as one of his most important works. It was refurbished and repainted by artists Louise Hunnicutt and William Tibbals, with support from the Keith Haring Foundation.
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October 25, 2019

PHOTOS: See the best costumes from this year’s Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade

By James and Karla Murray

Some were spooky, others political, all were adorable. The 29th annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade took place last Sunday, bringing together hundreds of New Yorkers and their furry friends from all over. While the parade is no longer really a parade nor held at Tompkins Square Park, the event remains one of the year's best. Photographers James and Karla Murray witnessed first hand the canine costumes and shared with 6sqft photos of the cutest and most creative choices, including the ultimate winners: two Yorkshire terries as Snoopy and the Red Baron.
More dressed-up pups this way

This year’s best NYC neighborhoods for Halloween trick-or-treating

The Halloween scarescape on West 69th Street in Manhattan. Photo © 6sqft

October 23, 2019

This year’s best NYC neighborhoods for Halloween trick-or-treating

By Michelle Cohen

October 31 brings New Yorkers of all sizes out of their crypts and crannies in search of treats and fun. This year, long-running favorite neighborhoods rise to the occasion once again, with a few recent additions. Trick-or-treating in the big city has its advantages: Apartment buildings can be like hitting the jackpot and friendly neighbors, stores, businesses and neighborhood events keep the little tricksters busy. Technology helps keep things safe and fun: Local-social site Nextdoor's annual trick-or-treat map is back; neighbors can add themselves to if they're handing out candy. Like so many other topics, New Yorkers love to argue over which neighborhoods offer the best bounty. Below are a few picks for the best treats.
Score more treats this Halloween

Midtown’s Paris Theatre will temporarily reopen for a Netflix screening

Photo by Ajay Suresh on Flickr

October 21, 2019

Midtown’s Paris Theatre will temporarily reopen for a Netflix screening

By Dana Schulz

In August, Midtown's 71-year-old Paris Theatre closed its doors when its lease with developer Sheldon Solow ended. The 581-seat theater was NYC's last single-screen movie house and was known for showing indie and foreign, especially French, films. But the iconic establishment on 58th Street will open its doors once more next month; Deadline reports that Netflix has worked out a deal with Solow to screen its upcoming movie "Marriage Story" in the Paris when it premiers on November 6th.
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City Living

Photo by Doug Davey via Flickr cc

October 17, 2019

DOB releases new, interactive map tracking after-hours construction permits throughout the city

By Alexandra Alexa

The City’s Department of Buildings has just released a new, interactive map that shows the location of all building construction projects that have been granted permits to proceed with work outside of normal business hours. These types of permits, known as an after-hours variance (AHV), apply to work taking place before 7 a.m., after 6 p.m., or anytime during the weekend. The DOB issued 18,866 AHV permits in 2018 and received 3,729 public complaints through the 311 system regarding construction work illegally performed after hours. The map will be updated daily and include links to further information about each project so that tenants have a way of confirming the status of construction projects on their block.
More information

Contest calls on New Yorkers to eat a slice of pizza in every borough in one day, using only public transit

Photo by City Foodsters on Flickr

September 6, 2019

Contest calls on New Yorkers to eat a slice of pizza in every borough in one day, using only public transit

By Devin Gannon

In what may be the most New York competition ever, the annual 5 Boro Pizza Challenge returns this month, asking participants to combine their love of slices and public transportation. The contest involves five pizzerias in five boroughs. On Saturday, Sept. 28, the list of shops will be revealed, sending racers off to plot their journeys. Another NYC twist? The use of cars to travel between destinations is not allowed.
More delicious details this way

Midtown’s iconic Paris Theatre has closed

Photo by Ajay Suresh on Flickr

August 29, 2019

Midtown’s iconic Paris Theatre has closed

By Devin Gannon

New York City's last single-screen movie theater shuttered this week. The Paris Theatre, which has been located on 58th Street since 1948, has officially closed its doors, according to the blog Jeremiah's Vanishing New York. The 568-seat theatre showed indie and foreign flicks, particularly French films.
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City Living

Rendering courtesy of Museum of Ice Cream

August 22, 2019

The future of retail: Museum of Ice Cream to launch 25,000-square-foot NYC Soho flagship

By Michelle Cohen

After a celebrity-sprinkled Meatpacking District pop-up three-years ago drew raves and Instagram likes from Beyonce and Kim Kardashian, The Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) will open a 25,000-square-foot "flagship" location at 558 Broadway in Soho. The three-story permanent paean to frozen dessert will feature 13 installations devoted to creating "IRL experiences" in New York; the museum calls it "the future of retail" in a press release–and given the number of vacant storefronts in the neighborhood, they could well be right.
MMore MOIC this way

City Living

Help plant 500,000 daffodils around NYC to remember 9/11

Image via Flickr cc

August 21, 2019

Help plant 500,000 daffodils around NYC to remember 9/11

By Alexandra Alexa

The annual Daffodil Project--launched by New Yorkers for Parks and NYC Parks in 2001 as a living memorial to September 11th--is now open for bulb requests. Each year, the initiative gives out approximately 500,000 free daffodil bulbs to individuals and groups to plant throughout New York City's public spaces—in parks, schoolyards, community gardens, and street tree pits. More than 7.5 million bulbs have been planted since the project started. If you're interested in participating, all you have to do is submit a request before September 5.
More details

Photo courtesy of the DOT via Flickr

August 16, 2019

This Saturday is your final chance to enjoy Summer Streets

By Nicole Mondrus

Now in its 12th year, Summer Streets returns this Saturday for its third and final hurrah, where New Yorkers can experience over seven miles of car-free streets. Park Avenue will be closed from Chambers Street all the way to 72nd, and the path will be open to cyclists and pedestrians alike. Five “rest stops” will be set up along the route, each with different activities, performances, and free snacks.
Car-free fun this way

New bill may bring hostels back to New York City

Image via CC.

August 13, 2019

New bill may bring hostels back to New York City

By Michelle Cohen

New York City could make hostels legal under a bill, set to be introduced this week in the City Council, that would permit the super-budget accommodations to operate again after a state law made them illegal, the Wall Street Journal reports. The bill would provide hostels with their own separate department and classification under city law. The city's hostels all but disappeared after a 2010 law covering multiple dwellings took aim at short-term rentals.
Will hostels thrive in the Airbnb era?

August 13, 2019

Where I Work: Shelly Fireman’s Redeye Grill has been serving the Carnegie Hall crowd for 25 years

By Dana Schulz

When Sheldon “Shelly” Fireman opened Redeye Grill across from Carnegie Hall 25 years ago, the term "restauranteur" didn't exist. But by that point, he'd already gained local celebrity status for Greenwich Village's all-night Hip Bagel and had the foresight to open Cafe Fiorello near recently completed Lincoln Center. Today, Shelly is the CEO of Fireman Hospitality Group, which operates six restaurants in NYC as well as two on the Potomac River in Maryland. And though he can most definitely be called a restauranteur now, Shelly stands out amongst the myriad food influencers in the city. Though his establishments exude an old-school New York charm and certain nostalgia, he has found the formula to withstand the test of time. After a 2018 kitchen fire, the iconic Redeye Grill reopened in July. We recently sat down to lunch with Shelly to hear more about his story and take a tour of this classic Midtown restaurant.
Have a look around and meet Shelly

Image via Wiki Commons

August 13, 2019

Birdbath in Soho’s iconic green Vesuvio Bakery has closed

By Michelle Cohen

City Bakery announced Friday that Birdbath bakery in the Vesuvio storefront at 160 Prince Street has closed for good, Gothamist reports. City Bakery founder Maury Rubin moved into the familiar green storefront in 2009 after the death of Anthony Dapolito, whose family created Vesuvio in 1920. Now, neighbors are wondering if new owners will alter the familiar face of the iconic Soho landmark.
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