All articles by Nicole Mondrus

August 6, 2021

The best international grocery stores in NYC

Not only can you eat nearly every type of cuisine in New York City, but you can also cook it. Thanks to the many specialty grocery stores across the five boroughs, no fare is off the table. Whether you hit popular stores like Kalustyan's selling Middle Eastern and Indian spices in Murray Hill or check out the more obscure shops, like Sri Lankan-supermarket Lanka Grocery on Staten Island, there are endless options when planning an international menu.
Get cooking

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

Interactive ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ arrives at the Paley Center

Photo via Marion Curtis/Starpix for the Paley Center for Media

August 9, 2019

Interactive ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ arrives at the Paley Center

By Nicole Mondrus

This Saturday, step back in time to 1950s New York City. The Emmy Award-winning comedy "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is coming to life at the Paley Center for Media’s newest exhibit, "Making Mrs. Maisel." From August 10th to September 6th, visitors can see the iconic costumes featured on the show, watch episodes from season two on the big screen, and even try their hand at stand-up comedy.
Read more

Events & Things To Do

City Winery opens outdoor garden pop-up at Rockefeller Center ahead of move

Photo via City Winery

August 7, 2019

City Winery opens outdoor garden pop-up at Rockefeller Center ahead of move

By Nicole Mondrus

City Winery’s SoHo location may officially be closed, but that doesn’t mean saying goodbye to the food and wine for which it's known. The restaurant and music venue has opened an outdoor garden pop-up at Rockefeller Center, serving up Mediterranean bites and locally-made wine on tap. As 6sqft previously reported, the restaurant and music venue will soon move from its long-time home on Varick Street to a new spot at Pier 57, after the Walt Disney Corporation purchased the property last year. The new Hudson River Park location isn’t expected to open until 2020. In the meantime, the seasonal pop-up in Midtown will meet your wine needs through the fall.
Find out more

Food & Dining

Did you know the country’s only floating pool is in the Bronx?

Photo by Danny Avila for NYC Parks

August 2, 2019

Did you know the country’s only floating pool is in the Bronx?

By Nicole Mondrus

Although it's technically safe, you may not want to swim in the East River. Swimming on the East River, however, is an entirely different story. The Floating Pool Lady is not just a pool. It’s a floating pool located in a retrofitted barge that’s currently docked in Barretto Point Park in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. Best of all, it's the only floating pool in the country.
Jump in

Architecture And Design

This weekend, take a trolley tour of the Bronx’s breweries with Woodlawn Cemetery

Photo via Bronx Brewery

July 31, 2019

This weekend, take a trolley tour of the Bronx’s breweries with Woodlawn Cemetery

By Nicole Mondrus

Tours of breweries in NYC are nothing new. But if you’re looking to shake things up, consider taking a tour of Bronx breweries that takes place on a trolley and starts at one of the largest cemeteries in the city. This Saturday, Woodlawn Cemetery, in partnership with the Bronx Historical Society, is offering a trolley tour that delves into the history behind the borough's beer-brewing legacy and takes guests into some of the Bronx’s newest breweries and beer halls.
Read more

Is this marker in Woodside, Queens really the center of NYC?

Photos via Nicole Mondrus for 6sqft

July 30, 2019

Is this marker in Woodside, Queens really the center of NYC?

By Nicole Mondrus

Located in the middle of a traffic median on Queens Boulevard and 58th Street in Woodside, a marker set in the pavement makes a bold claim: “The Geographic Center of NYC.” The math used to calculate geographical centers is fairly complicated and doesn’t quite account for other environmental factors. However, there seems to be a fair consensus as to the streetside marker in Woodside: It isn’t the geographical center at all.
What's the deal?

City Living

Sip, surf, and sunbathe: A guide to the Rockaways

Photo via Flickr

July 29, 2019

Sip, surf, and sunbathe: A guide to the Rockaways

By Nicole Mondrus

The Rockaways is the quintessential beach getaway for those looking to soak up some sun and still remain in the city. Once known as “New York’s Playground,” the Rockaways offers a 5.5 mile stretch of bustling boardwalk and over 120 acres of sandy beach. While definitely a go-to spot for city-dwellers, navigating the Rockaways can be daunting if you're unfamiliar with the Queens neighborhood. We’ve rounded up the best of the Rockaways, including how to get there, where to soak up the sun, and, of course, the best spots to wine and dine.
Rockaways this way

Events & Things To Do

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

July 24, 2019

Washington Heights’ Little Red Lighthouse will open for a rare public tour this weekend

By Nicole Mondrus

New Yorkers looking to learn a little more about the city’s history are in luck. This weekend, the NYC Parks Department is offering a tour of Washington Heights' Little Red Lighthouse. The lighthouse is rarely open to the public, but those interested can join the free tour with the Urban Park Rangers this Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Image © Marc Yankus

July 23, 2019

Grand Central photography exhibit shows iconic landmarks on empty NYC streets

By Nicole Mondrus

Last Thursday, MTA Arts and Design announced a new installation going up in Grand Central Terminal. “Landmark City” showcases photographs of iconic landmark buildings that have been altered to appear on completely empty streets. The installation, by acclaimed photographer Marc Yankus, is set to run for a year in GCT’s East Dining Concourse.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Nostalgia trains to roll into Coney Island this weekend

By Nicole Mondrus

This weekend, both history buffs and New Yorkers looking to hit the beach can ride on one of the NY Transit Museum’s vintage subway cars. Part of the museum’s “Nostalgia Rides,” on Saturday, passengers can board 1910s BMT B-Type Standards and 1930s IND R1-9 cars and ride them from the 96th Street/2nd Avenue station in Manhattan all the way to Coney Island.
Find out more

Photo via Blue Man Group

July 17, 2019

New Blue Man Group exhibit at MCNY lets visitors play their iconic pipes

By Nicole Mondrus

NYC’s favorite blue-painted performance group is getting its very own exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York. Starting this Friday and lasting until September 2nd, Blue Man Group will debut an exhibition that showcases their unique, paint-covered style. The exhibit is just as zany as the group, and features LED screens with endlessly scrolling text, an interactive camera, and their original 27-year-old PVC pipe instrument decorated with UV paint, on loan from the Group's archives. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the installation, as well as bang out some tunes of their own.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

All photos courtesy of the Garment District Alliance

July 12, 2019

An urban garden will grow on a Garment District block this summer

By Nicole Mondrus

One of the city’s busiest neighborhoods is getting a little slice of peace. The Garment District Alliance and the city's Department of Transportation unveiled a new street art installation Wednesday afternoon. The nearly 180-foot painting by artist Carla Torres, "Nymph Pond," takes up the stretch of Broadway between 37th and 38th Streets. The best part? The block with the mural is being temporarily set aside as an “urban garden” until the end of the summer.
See it here

Images courtesy of Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, and Pexels

July 10, 2019

15 ways to celebrate Bastille Day in NYC

By Nicole Mondrus

Independence Day may have been last week, but if you haven’t had your fill of red, white, and blue festivities, Bastille Day is this Sunday. Whether you’re a history aficionado or just appreciate French culture and cuisine, there is plenty to do this weekend to celebrate the 230th storming of the Bastille.
Find out more...

Events & Things To Do

July 8, 2019

The 10 best things to do on Governors Island

By Nicole Mondrus

Governors Island is one of New Yorkers' favorite places to visit come the warm weather. Less than a 15-minute ferry ride from downtown, the Island is both a national park and one of the few places in NYC where you won't find any cars, making it the perfect place to get away without really leaving. Pack your sunglasses and a picnic blanket, because we've rounded up the 10 best things to do on Governors Island, from kayaking and running a 10K to lounging in a hammock and taking yoga in a lavender field.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

Photo by Nicole Mondrus for 6sqft

June 28, 2019

NYPL will display a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence

By Nicole Mondrus

While hotels and parks around the city are getting ready for the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Show, the New York Public Library is going the historical route with their celebrations--by putting a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence on display. This copy, written in Thomas Jefferson’s handwriting, will be available to view for a limited time next Monday and Tuesday at their iconic Bryant Park location.
Find out when you can take a look...

19 iconic NYC sites will light up rainbow in honor of WorldPride

Photo of Madison Square Garden via NYC and Company

June 21, 2019

19 iconic NYC sites will light up rainbow in honor of WorldPride

By Nicole Mondrus

This month, 19 buildings throughout the five boroughs will be lighting up rainbow in honor of WorldPride and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The city-wide display is part of NYC and Company's Project Rainbow, a marketing initiative led by the city's official tourism organization. Among the sites listed are the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, and the World Trade Center.
Find out where to be on the lookout for Pride-themed lights...

Events & Things To Do

Photos by Nicole Mondrus for 6sqft

June 20, 2019

The world’s largest street art exhibition arrives in Williamsburg

By Nicole Mondrus

From June 21 to sometime in August, LA’s premier street art and graffiti exhibit will call Brooklyn home. “BEYOND THE STREETS” is a multimedia art exhibition that takes up two floors of 25 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg and is the biggest showcase of street art to date. With art by the likes of Fab 5 Freddy, The Beastie Boys, and the late Keith Haring, the exhibition celebrates the history of graffiti and street art and also examines public art as a means of protest and self-expression.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

June 14, 2019

From superheroes to speakeasies: 10 walking tours even New Yorkers will love

By Nicole Mondrus

There’s no better way to enjoy the warm weather and see all New York has to offer than by taking a walking tour. Not just for tourists anymore, you can learn more about city history, find a new favorite spot to eat, and even discover some Instagram-worthy views. Ahead, we’ve rounded up 10 of the most fun and information tours in NYC, from superheroes and ghosts to swing dance and pork buns.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

In Yorkville, Emery Roth-designed church and Colonial Dames mansion get landmark status

Photos courtesy of the LPC

June 11, 2019

In Yorkville, Emery Roth-designed church and Colonial Dames mansion get landmark status

By Nicole Mondrus

Members of the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted Tuesday in favor of landmarking two historic sites in Yorkville--the First Hungarian Reformed Church of New York at 344 East 69th Street and the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York at 215 East 71st Street. As 6sqft previously reported, the Hungarian Reformed Church was designed in 1916 by esteemed architect Emery Roth as one of his few religious buildings and his only Christian structure. The Colonial Dames headquarters is housed in an intact Georgian Revival-style mansion built in 1929.
Find out more

Policy

50 colorful public pianos pop up across NYC

Photo of Sing for Hope Pianos Launch courtesy of SFH

June 6, 2019

50 colorful public pianos pop up across NYC

By Nicole Mondrus

On Monday, Sing for Hope celebrated its 500th placement of the organization’s iconic painted pianos, free for the public to play. As part of its annual event, Sing for Hope sets up pianos in public spaces across the city and invites New Yorkers to drop by for an impromptu performance. This year marks the organization’s eighth year of the piano initiative. With the placement of Sing for Hope's 500th piano this month, NYC is now home to the most public pianos in the world. From June 4 to June 23, 50 artist-designed pianos will be found at parks and public spaces across the city.
Get the details

Events & Things To Do

Advocates support proposed LGBTQ landmarks, but want Walt Whitman’s Brooklyn home included

Top, left to right: GAA Firehouse, James Baldwin Residence, LGBT Community Center; Bottom, left to right: Audre Lorde Residence, Women’s Liberation Center, Caffe Cino; Photos courtesy of NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

June 5, 2019

Advocates support proposed LGBTQ landmarks, but want Walt Whitman’s Brooklyn home included

By Nicole Mondrus

During a hearing on Tuesday, New York City residents, members of the LGBTQ community, and elected officials voiced their support for the landmarking of six individual sites related to the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Advocates say the proposed landmarks would recognize groups and individuals who have advanced the LGBTQ rights movement. Ken Lustbader, co-director of the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, urged LPC to preserve the sites. "The Landmarks Preservation Commission's designation of these six LGBTQ sites has the power to provide both a tangible, visceral connection to what is often an unknown and invisible past and the intangible benefits of pride, memory, identity, continuity, and community,” Lustbader said on Tuesday.
Details here

All articles by Nicole Mondrus

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