City Living

Manhole covers fall into that category of things New Yorkers walk by (and in this case, walk on) every day, but rarely notice. If you look closely, though, you'll see that right under "N.Y.C. Sewer" they say "Made in India." Fascinated by this interesting pairing on one of the city's most iconic urban elements, filmmaker and anthropologist Natasha Raheja traveled to Howrah, India (a city of one million full of foundries from the British Colonial era) to document how these manhole covers are made and to "learn more about the labor infrastructure concealed in the built infrastructure of our cities." Raheja's resulting 26-minute documentary called "Cast In India" provides a glimpse into the physical labor of manhole covers, as well as the lives of the men creating them. In the trailer, (h/t Gothamist) we see barefoot workers in a dirt-floor factory using their feet to press the shape into the 300-pound metal covers, carrying buckets of pig iron on their heads, pouring molten metal from the buckets, and more.
Watch the video here

City Living

Interview: Ansonia Insider Michel Madie Shares Stories of the Iconic NYC Building

Photo of the Ansonia by Jeffrey Zeldman

November 10, 2015

Interview: Ansonia Insider Michel Madie Shares Stories of the Iconic NYC Building

By 6sqft

Today, the Upper West Side's Ansonia is considered one of the city's most iconic and prestigious addresses. With former residents ranging from Sergei Rachmaninoff, Gustav Mahler, Babe Ruth and more recently Natalie Portman, its history reaches far back. And along its more than century-old ride, it's no surprise that it has also attracted plenty of strange activity, including playing host to what probably was the city's first rooftop farm in 1904 and a debaucherous sex club known as Plato's Retreat. While there's lots of ground to cover when looking back on this 111-year-old building, we decided to tap an insider for his take on this storied structure. Michel Madie of Michel Madie Real Estate Services has over the years become an unofficial historian of sorts to the Ansonia. Madie moved from France to New York in 1984 and almost immediately fell in love with the French-inspired building. However, being near-penniless at the time, the thought of ever taking up space in such a grand building seemed like just a dream. But as he found success in the real estate business, he focused his attention on the Ansonia. He eventually purchased an apartment and then spent decades tending to the architecture, restoring its original layouts and recreating original finishes and fixtures in the building's many units whenever the opportunity would arise. During this time, Madie also learned a thing or two about the residence, stories which he shares with 6sqft ahead.
stories from michel this way

November 6, 2015

Spotlight: Brian Whiting Shares How the USO of Metropolitan New York Supports Our Troops

On November 11th, the country will gather to honor those who have heroically served in the armed forces. In New York, Veterans Day will be marked with a parade down Fifth Avenue. And during this time when Americans reflect on service, it's important to think about the many men and women who are actively serving around the globe. One organization that looks after the needs of troops and their families is the USO. While many associate the organization with Bob Hope and its renowned Show Troupe, entertainment is only one part of its mission. On a daily basis the USO runs centers around the world, providing a wide range of important services and programs, from keeping families in touch during deployment to supporting wounded warriors back home. Brian Whiting, the President and CEO of USO of Metropolitan New York, is responsible for the organization's work in the tri-state area, as well as managing the operations for two national programs: the renowned USO Show Troupe and Operation That’s My Dress, which provides military families access to dresses for proms and formals. With Veterans Day approaching, 6sqft spoke with Brian to learn more about the USO's mission and work, the New York chapter's services, and ways New Yorkers can support the troops throughout the year.
Hear from Brian this way

November 5, 2015

Should NYC Employ Liverpool’s Fast Walking Lanes?

We already have express buses and subways, so why not fast track NYC's most widely used mode of transportation–walking. New Yorkers have long been known for their speedy strides, but with our population growing and texting addicts clogging up sidewalks, it's becoming increasingly difficult to get around slowpokes. Which is exactly why Liverpool just debuted Britain's first-ever fast pedestrian lane, "following research that claims 47% of the nation finds slow walking the most annoying aspect of high-street shopping," reports the Independent.
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Spotlight: Witch Starr RavenHawk, Founder of the New York City Wiccan Family

Image © Laia Abril/Institute

October 30, 2015

Spotlight: Witch Starr RavenHawk, Founder of the New York City Wiccan Family

New York is a very diverse city, so it should be no surprise that within the city’s midst are witches—and we're not talking the kind starring on Broadway’s "Wicked." Witches is one term for women and men who practice the religion Wicca. (Of note, not everyone who practices Wicca refers to themselves as a witch—but more on this ahead). Starr RavenHawk is a witch and the founder of The New York City Wiccan Family Temple. On October 31st, Starr and fellow witches/Wiccans will celebrate Samhain, a holiday that marks their new year. While this happens to be on the same day as Halloween, Samhain is not about sweets, scaring people or merriment. Rather, the new year is a time to honor those who have passed away. As Starr explains, this is a very personal holiday and how one celebrates it will vary. This week 6sqft spoke with Starr to debunk some myths about witches and Wicca and to learn more about The New York City Wiccan Family Temple and Samhain.
Everything you need to know this way

October 28, 2015

Tommi Moilanen’s New Subway Map Design Makes It Easier to Navigate the City

By Rebecca Paul

The subway is one of New York City's greatest assets, but this only holds true if you can actually navigate through the various tunnels and platforms. And despite the countless transportation apps out there today, the good 'ole subway map is still the best way to find your way around. There's certainly been no shortage of map redesigns, but 6sqft is particularly impressed with the stylings of this new map by Tommi Moilanen, a Finnish industrial and interactive designer. His version uses the system's existing design language, but incorporates a fresh, modern aesthetic.
More details and the full map

INTERVIEW: Lowline Creator James Ramsey Discusses the Challenges of Building an Underground Park

James Ramsey (right) with co-founder Dan Barasch (left)

October 26, 2015

INTERVIEW: Lowline Creator James Ramsey Discusses the Challenges of Building an Underground Park

The hottest destination in the Lower East Side is not a bar, but rather a cutting edge installation hidden inside a vacant warehouse at 140 Essex Street. Just over a week ago, partners James Ramsey and Dan Barasch launched the Lowline Lab, a high-tech, miniaturized precursor to the city’s first underground park. James is the co-founder (alongside Dan) of the park, which will occupy a 40,000-square-foot abandoned trolley terminal below Delancey Street; and creator of the technology that will fill it—a remote skylight system that redirects light underground thorough a maze of optic tubes and diffuses it over a canopy to produce a subterranean environment where plants can grow and flourish (phew!). 6sqft recently took a private tour of the Lowline Lab alongside James, and he gave us some insight into the science, as well how he and Dan are approaching the challenges that come with bringing a park below ground to life. We of course asked all those questions you've been wondering about, like: Who's paying for this whole thing? And what about the rats?
Read our interview with James here

October 23, 2015

Spotlight: Frankie Stein Helps New Yorkers Fulfill Their Wildest Halloween Costume Fantasies

Frankie Stein transforms people for a living. At her aptly named costume shop Frankie Steinz, she turns New Yorkers into Marie Antoinette, Luke Skywalker, Mad Hatter, or whoever they desire to become. Available by appointment only, Frankie has a reputation as a costume maker extraordinaire. She's designed attire for a myriad of clients including television giants Nickelodeon and HBO ans corporations like American Express, as well as for non-profit organizations’ charity galas. Her work can even be seen in major films like “One True Thing” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” In her Tribeca studio she keeps a large inventory of rentals in every character imaginable, but if something is not in her collection she'll make it. With Halloween quickly approaching and New Yorkers dutifully searching for their perfect ensemble, we recently spoke with Frankie about her work, the costume requests she's been receiving this year, and why getting into character makes people so happy.
Read our interview with Frankie here

October 21, 2015

INTERVIEW: Captain Jonathan Boulware Sets Sail as the South Street Seaport Museum’s Executive Director

The South Street Seaport Museum may not be one of New York City's glitziest institutions, but it's certainly one of the most resilient and perhaps the one most closely tied to the founding of the city itself. Using actual historic buildings and ships to provide interactive exhibits and educational programs, the museum tells the story of New York's rise as a port city and how that led to the development of the entire country. But the seaport location became all too real in 2012 when Hurricane Sandy ravaged the entire historic district, leaving the museum with $20 million in damages and the loss of its institutional partner, the Museum of the City of New York. Now, three years later, the South Street Seaport Museum is sailing into new territory, thanks in large part to its recently appointed executive director Captain Jonathan Boulware, a lifelong sailor, marine educator, expert in historic ships, and all-around lover of maritime history and culture. In August, Boulware and his team landed a $10.4 million FEMA grant to repair the storm damage, and in May, the museum launched a $10.6 million city-funded project to restore Wavertree, one of the museum’s most significant historic ships. With these exciting developments underway, we caught up with Captain Boulware to learn a bit about his background, what visitors can expect at the museum, and where the institution is heading.
Read the interview

October 16, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Larry Berezin on Why You Should Never Pay a Parking Ticket No Questions Asked

New York may characteristically be a city of straphangers, but there are still millions of city residents who keep cars. If you're one of many who have taken on the (oftentimes regrettable) responsibility of car ownership, you know that the biggest challenge faced on the streets is the task of parking. Every year the city issues around 10 million parking tickets with fines running from $65 all the way up to $300. While no driver is ever shy about sharing their rage when being met with one of the pesky orange rectangles on their windshield, most will pay those violations no questions asked. And that's a problem, according to lawyer Larry Berezin, who says a very large percentage of NYC tickets are scam tickets. Larry is the CEO and founder of New York Parking Ticket, a consulting company with a website that provides comprehensive, easy to understand, FREE advice on how regular folks can beat the racket that is NYC parking. "There are ways to fight these tickets, but you need to be armed with the right information," Larry says. We recently spoke to Larry to find out more about what he does and to get some expert advice on how to beat that ticket currently hanging on your fridge.
Read the interview and get some tips from Larry here

October 15, 2015

POLL: Taxi TVs Are Gone. Were You Part of the 29 Percent Who Turned Them Off?

It’s official. Taxi TVs are no more. The Daily News reports that the Taxi and Limousine Commission voted unanimously to remove the screens in favor of a pilot payment system that will use tablets or smartphones. As 6sqft reported earlier this week, “officials have been ‘flooded’ for years with complaints about the TVs and they’ve also been […]

October 14, 2015

Tell NYC Officials What Neighborhood Improvements You Want to See Using the ‘Idea Collection Map’

There's a lot to complain about in New York, but few of us have the opportunity to make our voices heard. As such, the New York City Council has created the Idea Collection Map, a handy map tool that allows you to suggest improvements you'd like to see in your neighborhood, and anywhere else, right from your computer screen.
How to send in your suggestions here

October 13, 2015

This $30/Week Grimy Lower East Side Bar Bathroom Is a Hot Ticket

There's not a lot we haven't seen in terms of less-than-ideal but overpriced real estate, from an $1,800 Manhattan rental with a shower in the kitchen to a $1.2 million trailer in the Hamptons. And just last week, a story surfaced about a cupboard-like rental underneath a London stairwell going for $750 a month. To poke fun at the absurd lengths people go to in order to live in the city's best neighborhoods, Alana Reali, a bartender at Lower East Side dive bar Local 138, posted an ad on Craigslist advertising the bar's 15-square-foot graffiti-covered bathroom as a $30/week rental, reports the Post. Calling it a "hip artist loft," the listing says "room includes a window, a door, your very own bathroom and walls dressed with authentic NYC street art. Hot water included. I provide a space heater for the winter months." Shortly after posting, Reali was inundated with requests, like this one from a gullible NYU student: "This place is perfect for me and I am interested, only I did not really understand how the situation works. Can you please elaborate a bit?"
Read the full

City Living

We May Soon Be Free of Those Horrid Taxi TV Screens

Image via

October 13, 2015

We May Soon Be Free of Those Horrid Taxi TV Screens

Those annoying taxi TV screens that can turn a great night into one of frustration and fury as you fumble to hit the mute button may finally be silenced once and for all. According to the Post, the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) will vote this Thursday night on whether or not the screens should be removed in favor of smartphone or tablet payment systems. As it stands, sources say that the the proposal will most likely pass. Apparently officials have been "flooded" for years with complaints about the TVs and they've also been a big reason that riders opting for Ubers as an alternative to the yellow cab, the agency admits.
Find out more here

October 12, 2015

INTERVIEW: ADFF Founder Kyle Bergman Invites You to Revel in Architecture Films All This Week!

Attention all film, architecture and architecture film buffs! This week marks the start of the seventh annual Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF). For six glorious days, from October 13th-18th, New Yorkers are invited to enjoy more than 30 feature-length and short films centered on, you guessed it, architecture and design. While many of you may be thinking that watching a two-plus hour movie about a building is a guaranteed snoozer, ADFF's Kyle Bergman would most definitely argue otherwise. We recently caught up with the festival founder and architect who turned the once five-film gathering into a multi-city phenomenon that has captured the eyes, ears and hearts of not just design professionals, but folks from all walks of life looking to be inspired and moved by great cinema. Learn more about how the festival came to be and what's in store for this year's ADFF ahead. **BONUS: 6sqft readers can enjoy special discount on tickets! Just enter the code “FLOOR” at check out.**
read the interview with Kyle here

October 9, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Lee Schrager Unites the Culinary World at the NYC Wine & Food Festival

Pumpkin everything may be the hot foodie topic of the moment, but for serious gourmands and winos, it's all about the year's biggest culinary event. From October 15-18th, the eighth annual Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) presented by Food & Wine will bring together sommeliers with wine aficionados and chefs with foodies for four days of libation and food appreciation. Lee Schrager, a vice president at Southern Wine & Spirits of America, is the founder, director, and visionary behind NYCWFF; he launched the event in 2008 following the success of its sister festival, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Fast forward seven years, and the NYC festival’s dinners, master classes, and wine tastings are some of the hottest tickets in town. We recently spoke with Lee to find out why he brought NYCWFF to New York, how he approaches each year's programming, and what types of wining and dining New Yorkers can look forward to next week.
Read our interview here

Cities Would Take Up 37 Percent More Space if It Were Not for Public Transit

Image via Anorian

October 7, 2015

Cities Would Take Up 37 Percent More Space if It Were Not for Public Transit

The major benefits of public transportation are clear: riding the subway or bus is way cheaper than maintaing a car, and more often than not, it's a much faster means of getting from point A to point B. But as Streetsblog points out in this recent study by the Transportation Research Board, transit is a major of driver of density within a city, and it's something that incentivizes developers and city planners to put things closer together. While this may not be an earth-shattering revelation to you, if you quantify the effect, you just might be surprised. According to the report, U.S. cities on average would take up 37 percent more space to house current populations if it were not for public transit.
Find out more here

October 2, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: John Philis Serves Up Luncheonette History at Lexington Candy Shop

On the corner of 83rd Street and Lexington Avenue sits a luncheonette with a lot of history. Lexington Candy Shop was opened in 1925 by third-generation owner John Philis’ grandfather, and for nine decades the shop has served American classics to Upper East Siders. In a city that was once full of luncheonettes, this is believed to be the only one left in Manhattan. Perhaps it's because John is carrying on two traditions–keeping a family business alive and preserving a piece of American culture. He takes great pride in Lexington Candy Shop’s rich personal and national histories, especially since 2015 marked the shop's 90th year in business. We recently spoke with John to learn about the shop’s history and find out how the local gem mixes the past and present in every milkshake.
Get John's story this way

October 2, 2015

Should NYC Implement This Umbrella-Share Program for Surprise Downpours?

When you forget your umbrella on a day like today, your best option (other than trying to find a Duane Reade and getting soaked in the process) is to buy one of those $5 models on the corner, which will likely break at the first gust of wind. To make life easier for forgetful types, and for those sneak-attack downpours, a Canadian startup has set up an umbrella-share program in Vancouver called UmbraCity that allows users to borrow and return umbrellas at fully automated kiosks.
Could this umbrella sharing program take off in New York?

City Living

October 1, 2015

If Hurricane Joaquin Were to Hit NYC, Do You Know What Your Evacuation Zone Is?

With Hurricane Joaquin getting upgraded to Category 4 and New Jersey already declaring a state of emergency, panic is starting to set in. But to quell your fears, take a look at the city's official hurricane evacuation map. It color codes zones 1 (red-the most threat) through 6 (teal), as well as providing locations for evacuation centers (the blue dots). The non-colored areas are considered safe zones, so be sure to check to see if you have friends or family who live here.
Find out more

City Living

September 29, 2015

New Yorker Book Review Calls 432 Park the Oligarch’s Erection

"Cities can’t win. When they do well, people resent them as citadels of inequality; when they do badly, they are cesspools of hopelessness." This is the opening line to Adam Gopnik's New Yorker review of three forthcoming urban history books: Gerard Koeppel's "City on a Grid: How New York Became New York," which tells the history of the city's famous 1811 street grid plan and explores how that forever shaped life in the city; Evan Friss' "The Cycling City: Bicycles and Urban America in the 1890s," which recounts the rise and fall of bicycle culture in the late 19th century; and David Maraniss' "Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story." These very specific topics lend themselves to larger themes about the current state of our city, and in exploring these, Gopnik came out with an incredible one liner: The things that give cities a bad conscience are self-evident: seeing the rise of 432 Park Avenue, the tallest, ugliest, and among the most expensive private residences in the city’s history—the Oligarch’s Erection, as it should be known—as a catchment for the rich from which to look down on everyone else, it is hard not to feel that the civic virtues of commonality have been betrayed.
More thought-provoking themes from the review

City Living

September 29, 2015

Commute Alone on the NYC Subway With These DIY Blinkers

By Rebecca Paul

While we love to complain about the MTA and the New York City Subway system, it still gets us where we need to go on a pretty regular basis. That being said, the majority of the time we are commuting is spent underground in close proximity with our fellow New Yorkers—whether we like it or not. While in some regards this experience represents the true melting pot that is New York City, it's not always the most pleasant one. Now thanks to artist Imme van der Haak, if you're in the "I hate the subway" camp, you can at least avoid the communal part of the experience with her human blinker project "Open Source."
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New Yorker Spotlight: Corey William Schneider Turns New Yorkers Into Explorers at the NY Adventure Club

Corey and the Loew’s Valencia Theatre

September 25, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Corey William Schneider Turns New Yorkers Into Explorers at the NY Adventure Club