By Diane Pham, Thu, August 17, 2017 Image via NYC Parks and Recreation
The effort to turn Fresh Kills Landfill into a verdant and vibrant destination for wildlife and outdoor recreation received a huge boost on Monday (h/t DNA Info) as the city awarded a $22.9 million contract for the construction of the first major section of Freshkills Park. Up until now, the swath of Staten Island land—covering 2,200 acres of former dumping ground that has since undergone nearly two decades of remediation—has remained closed to the public, save for a few times a year when select areas are opened for “Discovery Days” that introduce visitors to the terrain and events that will eventually become mainstays of Freshkills when it is completed in 2036.
more details on what to expect
By Diane Pham, Thu, August 10, 2017 Image via The Met
If checking out The Cloisters has long been on your to-do list, there’s no better time to head north than for the museum’s MetFridays. On Friday, August 11th (that’s tomorrow!) and Friday, August 25th, The Met will host two hours of live 1930s jazz at sunset in their stunning medieval gardens. Performances will feature trumpeter Alex Nguyen, winner of the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Competition, and his quartet as they perform the same ditties that topped the charts when the museum was first constructed between 1934 and 1939.
more details here
By Michelle Cohen, Tue, August 8, 2017 Rendering: Only If + One Architecture
Back in June, the Regional Plan Association (RPA), an urban research and advocacy organization, in conjunction with the Rockefeller Foundation, announced a design competition asking for proposals that would transform various areas of the New York metropolitan region. One of the four ideas chosen to receive $45,000 was a transportation alternative that would serve the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. As 6sqft reported, the proposal, developed by New York-based firm Only If along with Netherlands-based firm One Architecture, focuses on using a light rail to move passengers between the outer boroughs to alleviate some of the overcrowding that has plagued the current subway system with delays. On August 4, the organizations held an event at Fort Tilden to mark the opening of a public presentation of the selected proposals. “4C: Four Corridors: Foreseeing the Region of the Future” spotlighted this plan to strengthen the Triboro Corridor, a plan to address the future of the suburbs, and more.
See the renderings and learn more
By Devin Gannon, Wed, August 2, 2017 Photo via Jessica Norman for the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
Spend just over an hour on Metro North’s Hudson line and reach the renowned Untermyer Gardens, 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 first developed in the early 20th century by philanthropist, Samuel Untermyer, who purchased the estate in 1899. For 40 years until his death, Untermyer transformed the sprawling greenery into the some of the most acclaimed gardens in the United States, known today as “America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden.”
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By Devin Gannon, Wed, July 26, 2017 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
By Michelle Cohen, Tue, July 11, 2017 This Sagaponack, NY home might just be the perfect antidote for the summer of hell; it would definitely make an insufferable commute worth it. Summerhill Landscapes, Steven Harris Architects and Rees Roberts + Partners designed the idyllic Hamptons retreat on a swath of meadowland where the tall grass is never far from the sea on the East End of Long Island.
See more of this Southampton summer vision
By Emily Nonko, Tue, June 20, 2017 Image by Elizabeth Jeegin Colley for the Prospect Park Alliance
Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux debuted Prospect Park to the Brooklyn masses in 1867. And this year, we get to celebrate. What has become Brooklyn’s most iconic park is in its 150th anniversary, and the history along the way is fascinating. Though Olmsted and Vaux had already designed Central Park, they considered this their masterpiece, and much of the pair’s innovative landscape design is still on display across all 585 acres. But it was the result of a lengthy, complicated construction process (Olmsted and Vaux weren’t even the original designers!) as well as investment and dedication from the city and local preservationists throughout the years. After challenges like demolition, neglect, and crime, the Parks Department has spent the past few decades not only maintaining the park but restoring as much of Olmsted and Vaux’s vision as possible.
It’s safe to say that these days, Prospect Park is just as impressive as when it first opened to the public. And of course, throughout its history the park has had no shortage of stories, secrets and little-known facts. 6sqft divulges the 10 things you might not have known.
All the juicy secrets ahead
By Michelle Cohen, Mon, June 19, 2017 Rendering courtesy of SCAPE Landscape Architecture
The Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC) has announced the launch of Gowanus Lowlands, a new comprehensive vision for the transformation of Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood and a ‘blueprint for NYC’s next great park.’ As 6sqft has previously reported, between developers eyeing the pricey parcel of southwest Brooklyn land as Paris on the Gowanus and the city’s ambitions to transform the long-embattled area into “Little Venice,” all eyes have been on the neighborhood and the once-toxic, steadily improving Superfund canal that anchors it. With an important rezoning on the horizon–the process kicked off last October with meetings to gauge community opinion–passions are running high. The conservancy has identified SCAPE landscape architecture studio to guide the Lowlands vision toward reality.
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By Devin Gannon, Mon, June 12, 2017 Central Park’s Belvedere Castle will undergo major renovations beginning this summer and early fall, to fix the 146-year-old structure’s cracked pavement, leaking roof and plumbing issues. While the plan to give the castle a face-lift was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission last month, the plan to make its path handicap-accessible has not yet been approved. According to the New York Times, preservationists are concerned about the Central Park Conservancy’s proposal to build a ramp-like elevated walkway to the castle’s entrance, saying it would alter the experience of Central Park.
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By Devin Gannon, Tue, May 23, 2017 Adding to its unique character, Extell’s One Manhattan Square will soon be home to NYC’s largest outdoor private garden, detailed in a new video released today by the developer. The proposal, designed by urban planning and landscape architecture firm West 8, includes more than an acre of garden space for residents to both work and socialize, boasting indoor and outdoor grilling spaces, ping-pong tables, a putting green, children’s playground, adult tree house, tea pavilion, and an observatory made for stargazing.
Watch the video here
