By Devin Gannon, Mon, September 19, 2022 All renderings courtesy of the Trust for Public Land and Friends of the QueensWay
A proposal to convert an abanonded railway in Queens into a public park is moving forward. Mayor Eric Adams on Friday announced a $35 million investment for the first phase of the QueensWay, a High Line-like linear park built on the long-defunct Rockaway Beach Branch Line that will serve the neighborhoods of Rego Park, Forest Hills, Glendale, Forest Park, Woodhaven, and Ozone Park. The city’s investment covers an environmental review and construction of the first phase of the park.
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By Michelle Cohen, Thu, August 25, 2022 Photos © 6sqft
After a top-to-toe renovation of their 1870s Clinton Hill two-family townhouse that spanned two years (read all about it here), 6sqft writer Michelle Cohen and her husband, Stanley Peck, decided to relegate sprucing up their brownstone backyard to “phase 2.” They’d already added a rear terrace with steps to the yard and created a small roof deck above their lower extension. The couple certainly planned to address the neglected outdoor space–even though the existing weed-jungle-meets-mud-patch had a certain overgrown charm. Below, hear from Michelle about the results, along with professional advice for creating a verdant outdoor space in the city.
How to create an urban garden retreat
By Michelle Cohen, Thu, June 9, 2022 The Morgan Garden, view looking north. Courtesy of the Morgan Library & Museum, New York. © Brett Beyer, 2022.
The Morgan Library and Museum will unveil the recently restored exterior of the Morgan Library and the new Morgan Garden to the public this month. The six-year-long, $13 million project marks the first-ever comprehensive restoration of the historic 115-year-old library’s exterior. Designed by architect Charles Follen McKim for J.Pierpont Morgan, the library was completed in 1906 and later became a public institution. The project restores one of the nation’s finest examples of Neoclassical architecture, enhances the surrounding grounds, improves the building’s lighting, and enables public access to the grounds of the 36th street site for the first time ever.
Stroll the garden, this way
By Michelle Cohen, Tue, January 4, 2022 Image credit: NYCEDC
New York City has taken an important step toward protecting one of the country’s largest central business districts from the costly and destructive effects of climate change. The city’s Economic Development Corporation and the Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency recently released the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan. At a projected cost of up to $7 billion, this environmental blueprint for the Lower Manhattan shoreline imagines a resilient waterfront that can withstand severe storms and rising sea levels.
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By Aaron Ginsburg, Mon, December 20, 2021 Image courtesy of Diane Bondareff/AP Images for The Battery Conservancy
One of New York City’s largest sustainable parks officially opened last week. Following a 25-year initiative, the Battery Conservancy on Thursday opened the Battery Playscape, a 1.5-acre playground that triples the size of the former park and aims to reinforce sustainable practices in its users through its eco-friendly design and features.
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By Michelle Cohen, Mon, December 13, 2021 Photo credit: Max Guliani/Hudson River Park
The Tribeca Habitat Enhancement Project announced it has completed what has been the largest habitat enhancement project to date, and the first large-scale restoration initiative in Hudson River Park’s 400-acre Estuarine Sanctuary between Pier 26 and Pier 34. A key indicator of the project’s success: the installation of 11.2 million juvenile oysters to help support marine life in the Hudson River.
Many oysters, this way
By Devin Gannon, Tue, August 24, 2021 Photo © 6sqft
Located just over an hour from Grand Central Terminal on Metro North’s Hudson line, the renowned Untermyer Gardens is a 43-acre historic park in Yonkers that features a Persian Paradise garden, a small amphitheater, a classical pavilion, the “Temple of Love,” and a “Vista” staircase. The park was developed in the early 20th century by philanthropist Samuel Untermyer, who purchased the estate in 1899. For 40 years, Untermyer transformed the sprawling greenery into some of the most acclaimed gardens in the United States, known today as “America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden.” Following his death, the property was not well maintained and fell into disrepair. For the last ten years, the Untermyer Garden Conservancy has worked to restore the site to its former glory and to provide a beautiful public space for all.
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By Devin Gannon, Mon, June 21, 2021 All renderings courtesy of SeeThree and ODA
When the coronavirus pandemic hit New York City last spring, the city launched a successful effort to give pedestrians safe outdoor space through its”Open Streets” program, which closed some streets to cars. Extremely popular with New Yorkers, the initiative, along with its Open Restaurants and Open Culture counterparts, was expanded and made permanent this year. A local architecture firm is looking to capitalize on this reclamation of public city space with a new proposal aimed at reviving the once blossoming Flower District.
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By Devin Gannon, Tue, April 27, 2021 Rendering courtesy of NYC Parks
Construction officially kicked off this month at a new section of the Bushwick Inlet Park in Williamsburg. The long-awaited two-acre green space, dubbed 50 Kent, is scheduled to open in April 2022. Designs of the parkland, which was promised by the city as part of the 2005 rezoning of the Greenpoint and Williamsburg waterfront, were approved in 2018, but work stalled due to COVID-related budget cuts, as Brooklyn Paper reported.
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By Devin Gannon, Tue, April 13, 2021 While visiting the major, most popular attractions of New York City can be fun, it can also be stressful, overwhelming and full of selfie-taking tourists. However, the great thing about the Big Apple is that plenty of other attractions exist that are far less known or even hidden in plain sight. To go beyond the tourist-filled sites and tour the city like you’re seeing it for the very first time, check out 6sqft’s list ahead of the 20 best underground, secret spots in New York City.
More this way
