City Living

December 19, 2016

The problem with privately owned public spaces (‘POPS’) and how we can improve them

The Atlantic and the New York Times recently exposed the privately owned public spaces (known as “POPS”) in the Trump Tower as being far from “public.” As both journalists demonstrated, most of the Trump Tower public spaces were either cordoned off or non-existent, most notably, the case of the missing bench. A long bench was […]

December 15, 2016

Interview: Friends of the Brooklyn-Queens Connector discuss bringing a streetcar to NYC

By Dana Schulz

After working for decades advocating for transit equity and environmental justice at various organizations, Ya-Ting Liu came on board as the Executive Director of Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector. It's been almost a year since the non-profit advocacy group first released a proposal for a streetcar to run along the borough's waterfront, and since that time the city has stepped in to back the estimated $2.5 billion project, even appointing a director and creating preliminary maps of the streetcar's possible routes. As one of several transportation undertakings on the table, the BQX certainly has a big year ahead. 6sqft recently sat down with Ya-Ting To get the scoop on what's to come, as well as some insider thoughts on the streetcar's common misconceptions.
Read the full interview this way

December 13, 2016

Historic districts and landmarking: What they mean and how they could affect you

By Michelle Cohen

In New York City, where buying and selling real estate is a high-stakes endeavor, the topic of historic and landmark designation is frequently raised. There are heated discussions on the subject of listing neighborhoods or buildings on the State and National Register of Historic Places or having them designated by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. It's important to know what those organizations do and the distinctions between them. You could even be eligible for significant financial aid for your renovations if you own property in an historic district.
Find out what these designations mean, how you could benefit from them and why they're sometimes controversial.

December 12, 2016

SOM’s Kenneth Lewis on redefining the city with One WTC, Time Warner Center, and sustainability

By Jillian Blume

In 1986, Kenneth Lewis began his career architecture firm SOM as a mere junior designer. Now fast forward to present day and Lewis can be found at the front-lines of the globally recognized company serving as a partner. Over his 30-year tenure with SOM, Lewis has been in involved in the realization of game-changing developments like the Time […]

December 8, 2016

ParkServe will share park data from 13,931 cities to help planners improve recreation space locally

By Diane Pham

Next year, urban planners across the country will have a handy new tool at their disposal to help better inform them on the placement of parks and other recreation in their respective cities. Together with ESRI, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) have been developing a new website called ParkServe that has culled park data from nearly 14,000 parks across the country. As Statescoop shares, in addition assisting in park planning through open-space advocacy and research, the new site will help citizens take advantage of, and have a say in the development of, local parks.
more on the new site

December 6, 2016

New documentary ‘Tree Man’ explores the lives of NYC’s Christmas tree sellers

By Michelle Cohen

One of the many signs that it's Christmastime in the city is the sight, sound and scent of the city's sidewalk tree vendors. The annual arrival of the (mostly) jovial tree purveyors reminds us that bell-ringing Santas, office secret Santas, and bar-crawling Santas aren't far behind. Each year thousands of trees are sold to New Yorkers to help them deck the halls for the season. But what about the people who sell those trees? A new documentary film, “Tree Man,” gives us a peek at the lives of the city's tree sellers, many of whom leave families behind to camp out in sometimes harsh living conditions for the sake of their business.
Watch a trailer for 'Tree Man'

December 6, 2016

New bill could limit sidewalk scaffolding to six months or less

By Michelle Cohen

Like an unwanted visitor, well-intentioned but present well after becoming a daily nuisance, New York City's familiar green sidewalk scaffolding seems to contradict the laws of gravity: It goes up but never really seems to come down. Now, the New York Times reports, a new City Council bill would require that scaffolding be taken down after six months–sooner if no work is being done.
Find out the details

A guide to tipping building staff during the holidays

Doorman at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel. Image Steven Pisano/flickr

December 5, 2016

A guide to tipping building staff during the holidays

By Cait Etherington

Every December, building staff across the city leave seasonal cards under residents’ doors. If you’re new to life in a full-service building, don’t be fooled—this card is not simply a chance for staff to extend holiday cheer to you and your family. These cards, which usually arrive in the first week of December and list […]

December 2, 2016

How 100 years of zoning has shaped New York City

By Cait Etherington

In October, city officials unveiled plans to rezone a large swath of East Harlem. The major thrust of the rezoning initiative is to bring more high-rise buildings to a corridor running several blocks along Park, Second, and Third avenues. By building up, city officials hope the neighborhood will increase its housing stock, including its affordable […]

November 30, 2016

For winterproof drinking, Nomad bar brings eight igloos to their rooftop

By Michelle Cohen

If you think you have to wait till the warmer months to enjoy skyline views from on high at any of the city’s many rooftop drinking establishments, think again. Popular Nomad boîte 230 Fifth returns this winter with a chill-out idea that keeps out the literal chill: The transparent rooftop igloo.
A new angle on rooftop cocktails

City Living

Central Park squirrels: Once exotic, now basically in charge

By Michelle Cohen

Squirrels may be so common in today’s city parks that they threaten to make off with our junk food, but at one time the creatures were rare and exotic visitors whose delightful presence was carefully encouraged. Dan Lewis of Now I Know tells us that the ubiquitous squirrel may have been indigenous to North America, but Central Park's squirrels didn't come with the territory: The bushy-tailed natives had become all but extinct on Manhattan island by the 1850s due to rapid development. Just a year before the park’s creation, one lone squirrel, heading down a tree trunk on its way to extinction, stopped traffic as charmed New Yorkers marveled at the antics of the "unusual visitor" to the extent that they had to be dispersed by police, according to accounts by a paper of the day.
So how did they get here?

Image timothygo_

November 15, 2016

Officials contemplate 5th Avenue shutdown whenever Donald Trump is in town

By Diane Pham

If you thought it was inconvenient whenever President Obama came to town, under a Trump presidency, things are going to get much worse. The Daily News reports that law enforcement officials are mulling a shutdown of 5th Avenue whenever the president-elect decides to stay in his penthouse in Trump Tower. As many know, the area is one of the busiest commercial hubs in the Manhattan, a mix of mid- and high-end retailers, paying top rents and pulling in millions of tourists annually. Moreover, it is also home to thousands of New Yorkers, a handful of which who live in Trump Tower and are already fed up with the disturbances that have emerged as of late. Immediately after the 2016 election results were announced, Trump Tower was swarmed by protestors—and guards wielding heavy ammunition.
what this could mean here

Trump Tower residents are sick of protestors; problem unlikely to improve

Photo via Kristal T/Flickr

November 11, 2016

Trump Tower residents are sick of protestors; problem unlikely to improve

By Diane Pham

Since Donald Trump announced his run for office, Trump Tower, where the President-elect both lives and keeps his political headquarters, has been a hotspot for protestors. While in the past few months, inconveniences haven't escalated far beyond anti-Trumpers stopping by to give the building the finger, after the 2016 election results were announced, it's become veritable zoo outside the 5th Avenue tower as thousands have convened to denounce (and to be sure, support) a Trump presidency. The situation has become a major disruption for residents of the luxury skyscraper who are now annoyed with the crowds. As The Post so fittingly writes, "It’s not so easy being a member of the 1 percent if you live at Trump Tower."
more on the complaints here

Subway Therapy let thousands of New Yorkers leave their election grief on Post-it notes

Photo via office of Governor Cuomo

November 10, 2016

Subway Therapy let thousands of New Yorkers leave their election grief on Post-it notes

By Dana Schulz

In addition to last night's anti-Trump rallies, the 14th Street-6th/7th Avenue subway tunnel was transformed into a post-election grieving center of sorts. Here, the artist Levee installed a temporary art installation called Subway Therapy that was a colorful collection of thousands of Post-it notes on the wall where people wrote in their feelings. "Because of how stressful the last couple of days were, I thought it would be nice to have something that people could do really quickly so they could maybe get something off their chest," Levee told ABC7.
See more photos of the installation

November 10, 2016

UWS school rezoning proposal aims to reduce crowding and increase integration

By Metro New York

After 25 meetings in two years and amid a mix of public outcry and support, the New York City Department of Education unveiled its final proposal to rezone District 3 on the Upper West Side Wednesday. The move hopes to lessen overcrowding and nurture integration at 11 schools from West 59th Street to West 116th Street. […]

‘Not my president’: Thousands join Anti-Trump protests across New York City

Image via Rachel Maddow Blog on twitter

November 10, 2016

‘Not my president’: Thousands join Anti-Trump protests across New York City

By Diane Pham

Demonstrations broke out across the country yesterday evening as hundreds of thousands gathered to protest the election of Donald Trump for president. NYC itself was largely activated by two groups, Socialist Alternative and Answer Coalition, who used social media to call upon New Yorkers to gather at Union Square and Columbus Circle, near Trump International Tower. Thousands of participants held signs emblazoned with a swath of issues now under threat, from LGBT to Black Lives Matter to the environment. Chants like "Not my president!" "Trump Makes America Hate" and "Don't Lose Hope" rang through the streets as protestors marched through Midtown to convene at Trump Tower. Among the crowds, however, were also Trump supporters who showed up to celebrate the victory.
more photos from the demonstrations

New York Botanical Garden breaks ground on new $28M ‘Edible Academy’ complex

An overhead rendering of the Edible Academy complex. Image: Cooper Robertson

November 7, 2016

New York Botanical Garden breaks ground on new $28M ‘Edible Academy’ complex

By Metro New York

The New York Botanical Garden’s Edible Academy—an agricultural education platform providing hands-on activities and interactive programs for children in the Bronx and Greater New York City area—broke ground on their new building complex last Thursday, October 27. The $28 million facility, which will be completed in the Spring of 2018, will double the number of on-site […]

City Living

November 7, 2016

Smart microphones are recording city sounds to help create a quieter New York

By Michelle Cohen

Researchers at New York University and Ohio State University are installing microphones at points throughout the city that will learn to recognize the pneumatic drills, bizarrely noisy Fresh Direct trucks and other street sounds that form our familiar daily cacophony. The recording devices use technology that was developed to identify migrating birds, the way the Shazam app records and identifies song snippets. The New York Times reports that the study will begin collecting 10-second bits of audio at random intervals, then begin labeling the urban din using UrbanEars, a machine-listening engine. The sensors are being trained to identify the many "sonic irritants" that plague city life, including the seasonal (snow plows, air conditioners) and the maddeningly ceaseless (garbage trucks, construction). The project, called Sounds of New York City (Sonyc) has the goal of creating an aural map that could help the city track and control noise pollution in addition to empowering residents to get involved.
Hear all about it

City Living

November 7, 2016

ODA’s Eran Chen on why ‘inclusive amenities’ are overplayed, and the need for better public spaces

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Some architects just consider the building they are working on. But Eran Chen, the founder and executive director of ODA, Office for Design and Architecture, takes a broader view. Not only does he focus on the specific architecture for each building project but he considers the spaces the building creates, the way the architecture can […]

November 4, 2016

The closing of neighborhood grocery stores is leaving local shoppers stranded

By Michelle Cohen

An important must-have when apartment hunting often involves the presence of a grocery store within a few blocks. A local food market, regardless of how harsh its fluorescent lighting or how narrow its aisles, is often the key to feeling part of civilization, especially when you've run out of milk for breakfast. The familiar branches of local chains–from Key Food to D'Agostino to the corner deli–are closing down across the city, in some cases leaving New Yorkers in something of a "grocery desert" surrounded by restaurants but without access to fresh ingredients and emergency baby supplies. According to the New York Times, the landscape is definitely shifting: Between 2005 and 2015, about 300, or eight percent, of the city's greengrocers–defined as "family-owned stores of less than about 7,000 square feet"–closed up shop and left the neighborhood.
What's causing the shift?

City Living

November 4, 2016

MAP: NYC has more than 666,000 street trees, up 12 percent since 2006

By Dana Schulz

The last time the city catalogued its street trees was back in 2005-2006, when they found about 592,130 trees on public streets, including their species, trunk thickness, and condition (you can explore a map of all this info). In the summer of 2015, the Parks Department put out a call for volunteers to help with the next round of data collection, and they received help from 2,241 individuals who completed a third of the work. They've now released the results of the 2015-2016 census, which shows an increase of 12.5 percent to 666,134 trees covering 209 species, and compiled their findings into an interactive map.
Learn more about the city's street trees

City Living

November 2, 2016

100 Barclay: Restoring and reinventing a historic Tribeca landmark

By Diane Pham

This post has been sponsored by 100 Barclay. To learn more about available condos or to schedule a tour, visit the official 100 Barclay website. Finished in 1927, 100 Barclay is one of New York City's most pivotal structures. Designed by one of our country's most esteemed architects, Ralph Walker, while he was an associate at McKenzie Voorhees & Gmelin, the tower began construction in 1923, during a time marked by a dramatic shift in architecture and the beginning of the Roaring Twenties. Originally known as the Barclay-Vesey Building, the 32-story building ascends to a height of nearly 500 feet, which made it one of the globe's tallest towers upon completion. The voluminous building was also built as the largest telephone company building in the world, encompassing more than 1.2 million square feet of office and telecommunication space. Its Hugh Ferris-inspired massing, and nature-influenced ornamentation stands as a monument to man's prowess and the machine age, and is widely recognized by architects and historians to be the first Art Deco skyscraper, a prototypical example of the style in its finest form.
hear from the architects who have worked on this project

November 1, 2016

Rat complaints are up at NYC restaurants, says new report

By Metro New York

New York may be one of the world’s greatest cities for dining out, but that doesn’t mean that every restaurant is up to par. The number of restaurant complaints to the city’s 311 call center rose for the second year in a row. There were 10,373 restaurant-related grievances called in during the fiscal year that ended June […]

October 28, 2016

For New York City rats, getting here is easy, surviving is tough

By Michelle Cohen

To investigate the question, “What is a New York City rat, and where did it come from?” the New York Times checks in with researchers at Fordham University, led by Jason Munshi-South, who have embarked on a rat-tracking study to find the answer to that very question (among others). It turns out that–much like the city's millions of two-legged inhabitants–the answer is "everywhere," from Galapagos and Brazil to New Zealand and Japan.
We're all immigrants at some point

City Living

October 27, 2016

‘Judgmental Maps’ unleash culture on the geography of modern cities

By Michelle Cohen

Residents of today's cities and neighborhoods are acutely aware of the cultural histories and social nuances that shape them almost as much as their streets and bridges, architecture and businesses. A few years ago Trent Gillaspie's "judgmental maps," from his site by the same name, hit a nerve and went viral; the totally unserious (but not necessarily inaccurate) maps pair geography with a snapshot of real life in modern cities, towns and neighborhoods. Gillaspie's "Judgmental New York City" was spot on in many ways with its Manhattan of "amply rich people," "super rich people," "aging punks" and the "worst train station ever" and a Brooklyn that went from Jay-Z to Zombies. Now, Gillaspie is releasing a book (h/t Untapped) of his signature reality-check maps, including an updated New York City map and the city's neighborhoods, decoded.
Your city, judged

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