All articles by Alyssa Alimurung

Alyssa is a NYC-based Jane of all trades, but here at 6sqft she’s the blog’s Community Manager. Previously, she was the Operations Manager at Inhabitat and a contributing writer for Ecouterre and Inhabitots. And daily, she daydreams about owning her own vintage clothing store slash DIY taco bar. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @nahnah_alyssa.
March 16, 2017

Let us in on the good stuff: Send us tips!

We’re opening up the tipline. Send us everything from historic maps to useful websites to fun events and even newsworthy photos. We also love knowing about what’s happening in your neighborhood. Any new developments? A cool art installation?  Tip us off at tips [at] 6sqft [dot] com. Make sure to include any attachments, photos, and links. All tips […]

December 9, 2016

The Urban Lens: Harlan Erskine explores an eerie Midtown after midnight in 2008

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment Brooklyn resident Harlan Erskine highlights the Midtown lobbies and streets past midnight, during the Great Recession. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Though Midtown is now booming with larger-than-life skyscrapers and blockbuster condos along the likes of Billionaires' Row, 9 years ago at the peak of the Great Recession, it was a much different story. In 2008, Brooklyn photographer Harlan Erskine took to the city after dark and documented the ghost town that was Midtown. While New Yorkers are today used to seeing bustling crowds spilling into the streets at all hours, Harlan's photographs depict the polar opposite: empty office lobbies, streets and sidewalks.
photos this way
November 12, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

Subway Therapy let thousands of New Yorkers leave their election grief on Post-it notes Proposed Penn Station-topping free-fall ride gets new video, details $3.95M Yonkers castle with more than 20 rooms is out of this world Photographer Danica O. Kus provides new interior views of Bjarke Ingels’ Via 57 West Trump Tower residents are sick […]

November 11, 2016

Calatrava’s St. Nicholas National Shrine gets its dome roof; New Yorkers turn empty closets into bars

Construction continues on Santiago Calatrava‘s new Ground Zero church in the World Trade Center’s Liberty Park. [DNAinfo] These New Yorkers had unused closet space (?!), so they turned them into a bar, sound booth, and even another bedroom. [NYTimes] Did you know 40 Wall Street is owned by Donald Trump? Here are the top 10 secrets […]

September 25, 2016

Play with your pets and others’ pets with Petcube’s interactive camera

If you have four-legged family members, you've probably wondered what they're up to while you're at work all day. Sure, you can get yourself a regular camera, but Petcube takes pet monitoring to another level. Not only can you talk to, play with, and watch your dog or cat, you can do the same with other people's pets and even shelter animals via Petcube's app. And the best part? You don't need to own a unit to play.
Learn all about Petcube
August 27, 2016

Weekly highlights: Top picks from the 6sqft staff

‘Game of Thrones’ star Michiel Huisman conquers $2.2M Flatiron loft 163 years ago, an upstate chef accidentally invented potato chips Scarlett Johansson looks to the Cielo for an Upper East Side rental City releases Midtown East Rezoning plan; could add 16 new towers Here’s your chance to own off Central Park West for just $425K […]

August 26, 2016

‘Laundry-free linens’ perfect for super lazy college kids; Red Hook IKEA should adopt China’s naptime

Heading back to college and hate laundry day? Get your hands on these biodegradable linens that are meant to be thrown away after just a few weeks. [Business Insider] Here’s an idea for Red Hook’s IKEA: In China, IKEA shoppers are allowed to curl up on the furniture for a quick nap. [NYTimes] Hear Majora Carter talk about the […]

May 21, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

Jennifer Lawrence Scopes Out a $17.5M Duplex Penthouse in Tribeca Madison Equities Files Permit for 1,115-Foot Supertall Condo in the Financial District Glenwood’s Newest Lincoln Center-Adjacent Tower Starts Leasing With Discounted Rents Controversial Lower East Side Waterfront May Get Even More Tall Towers New Studies Show Historic Preservation Doesn’t Cause Gentrification Woes Richard Meier Flips […]

May 19, 2016

Trump Stars in MTA Courtesy Counts Posters; The Lucky Lady That Gets to Walk Henry the Tortoise

Looks like Trump sucks at following subway etiquette. Street artists, Major Bigtime have been sticking his face on the Courtesy Counts posters in the train. [PIX 11] Avocado toast for $21. In Williamsburg. Obviously. [Brooklyn Magazine] Remember this Craigslist ad seeking a tortoise walker and how basically everyone applied for the job? Meet the lucky gal that […]

April 13, 2016

Tips for Keeping Pets Happy and Healthy in an Apartment

6sqft’s series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we offer up helpful tips on how to live with a furry family member (or members) from choosing the right furniture to actually getting your pet OK'd to move into a new place with you. Owning a dog or cat in the city is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Not only can small apartments and loud noises be stressful for humans, but animal anxiety can also be exacerbated by these external elements (and de-stressing for them isn't as easy for them as getting a massage or happy hour). On top of this, pet messes and their manic outbursts can seem exponentially larger when compacted into an home that's barely 500 square feet. Ahead, with the help of Erin McShane, owner of Manhattan's new cat cafe and teahouse Little Lions, we've rounded up a few tips and things to consider when it comes to making apartment living with dogs and cats comfortable for all—especially humans.
A happy home, happy pet and happy you this way
February 29, 2016

10 Clever, Creative and Unexpected Storage Ideas for Apartment Dwellers

6sqft’s series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we offer up spots in your apartment that may be underutilized as storage. Unless you're living in a mega-mansion with amazing closet space, chances are your belongings are scattered across your apartment and overstuffed into drawers and cabinets. With spring right around the corner, you may want to rethink how you've been tackling clutter at home. Below we've rounded up 10 clever, creative and unexpected storage ideas that you can put into action in your apartment right now.
Spring cleaning organization this way
January 31, 2016

A New York Minute With Urban Revitalization Consultant Majora Carter

6sqft's new mini-series A New York Minute features influential New Yorkers answering spitfire (and sometimes very random) questions about their life in the big city. Want to nominate yourself or someone you know? Get in touch! The last time we checked in with Majora Carter she was spearheading a proposal to turn Spofford Juvenile Center in Hunts Point into mixed-income housing—but that's just a kernel on her resume. Majora is an urban revitalization strategy consultant, real estate developer, and Peabody Award winning broadcaster. Her 2006 TEDtalk "Greening the Ghetto," was one of the first six videos to ever appear on TED's website, and in it she passionately describes her solutions for environmental equality in the South Bronx. Now, fast forward ten years later, and she's still pushing for green infrastructure projects in her beloved neighborhood. We recently caught up with Majora to find out some fun facts, including what she loves, hates and would change about New York City.
Majora's NY minute this way
January 17, 2016

A New York Minute With Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

6sqft's new series A New York Minute features influential New Yorkers answering spitfire (and sometimes very random) questions about their life in the big city. Want to nominate yourself or someone you know? Get in touch! With the somewhat-recent arrivals of The Bronx Brewery and Trump Gold Links at Ferry Point, as well as talks of a Lowline-style park and bringing back streetcars, it's no wonder Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has described the borough as "The New Bronx." Though BP Diaz has only held his position for about seven years, he's a lifelong Bronxite, and he's taken some time out of his busy schedule to chat with 6sqft about what his life has been like in the Boogie Down.
BP Diaz's NY minute this way
January 10, 2016

A New York Minute With Architect Andre Kikoski

Last month, 6sqft kicked off a fun new series called A New York Minute, where we ask influential New Yorkers spitfire (and sometimes very random) questions about their life in the big city. Want to nominate yourself or someone you know? Get in touch! When 6sqft last heard from Andre Kikoski, he was itching to fly off to Niseko, Japan with his son for a ski trip; but it looks like the vacation may be on hold. Andre heads his own architecture firm, Andre Kikoski Architect, where they are currently working on a Nolita condo at 75 Kenmare, due to open in 2017. He's been living in Manhattan since 1995, making his way uptown from the Lower East Side to the Upper East Side. 6sqft shot him a few questions to find out more about his own New York experience.
Andre's NY minute this way
January 9, 2016

Like What You See? Like Us on Facebook!

If your company doesn’t block Facebook, we bet you’ve got a tab open to it right now. While you’re at it, why not “like” us so you can follow our top stories? You’ll then be able to like, share, comment and let us know what you love and what you loathe. Get to likin’!

November 11, 2015

A New York Minute With Gerard Koeppel, Author of ‘City on a Grid’

We're kicking off a fun new series called A New York Minute, where we ask influential New Yorkers spitfire (and sometimes very random) questions about their life in the big city. Want nominate yourself or someone you know? Get in touch! Gerard Koeppel is an author and historian of New York streetscapes and he's lived in NYC his entire life (he was actually born in a Manhattan hospital that's since been replaced by a high rise condo). Gerard just released a brand-spankin' new book yesterday, "City on a Grid: How New York Became New York," and between talks at the Museum of the City of New York and book signings, he was nice enough to answer some quick questions about his personal New York experience.
a NY minute this way
November 6, 2015

LAST DAY: Three Chances to Win a Copy of ‘Culture+Typography’ by Nikki Villagomez!

Whether you've been a long-time typography enthusiast or just recently jumped on the bandwagon of Helvetica fans and Comic Sans haters, you'll love this new book from South Carolina-based graphic designer Nikki Villagomez. Titled "Culture+Typography How Culture Affects Typography," her book investigates how design choices from type selection, color usage and more can be informed by the language of the cultural surroundings. If you're looking for a new great design for your brand or you're just a font fanatic, this book will be a great addition to your collection or your coffee table. We've teamed up with Nikki and are giving away THREE of her books to three lucky readers! To enter, all you need to do is: 1. Subscribe to our newsletter (if you haven't already) Email Address First Name Last Name 2. Comment below answering this question: "What is your favorite font and why?" And that's it! You have three chances to win, so be sure to invite your friends to enter. The deadline to enter is TODAY Friday, November 6th. Find out more about the book and why typography is so important from the author herself ahead.
More details about the author this way