By Devin Gannon, Thu, December 5, 2019 In the show, Midge Maisel visits New York City’s oldest bar, McSorley’s Old Ale House. In reality, the establishment barred women until 1970. Photo © James and Karla Murray for 6sqft
Fans of the Amazon series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” will soon be able to tour famed New York City locations featured in the show. Starting Dec. 16, On Locations Tours, which runs television and movie-themed tours in NYC and Boston, is offering a bus tour that stops at filming locations of the popular show, coinciding with the release of its third season this week. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the tours will be held three times a week and cost $52.
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By Devin Gannon, Thu, December 5, 2019 Photo courtesy of the Department of Transportation
Nearly two million packages on average are delivered in New York City each day, causing vans and trucks to clog already congested streets. Looking to address delivery-related traffic, as well as cut vehicle emissions, the city announced on Wednesday a pilot program that would encourage companies to use cargo bikes instead of trucks to deliver parcels in Manhattan below 60th Street.
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By Michelle Cohen, Wed, December 4, 2019 Photo by Daniel Schwen via Wikimedia Commons
Rideshare service Uber took a year-end look at some of its most requested destinations throughgout the world, revealing some surprising facts. For tourists using Uber, the Empire State Building stands as tall as it ever did: The Big Apple icon beat out the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Disneyland as the most requested endpoint on the planet (the Freedom Tower came in at second place). In the state of New York, the most requested destination overall wasn’t a tall tower but a bustling mall in Elmhurst, Queens, according to the New York Post.
Where else did we go in 2019
By Devin Gannon, Wed, December 4, 2019 Screenshot of the NYC language map courtesy of the Endangered Language Alliance
More than 600 languages are spoken in the New York metropolitan area, making it one of the most linguistically diverse regions in the world. The Endangered Language Alliance (ELA), a non-profit that aims to protect endangered languages across the city and New Jersey, released this week a comprehensive map of the area’s 637 languages and dialects at nearly 1,000 sites. As first reported by Gothamist, the map coincides with the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages, declared by the United Nations in 2016, as well as the upcoming 2020 census.
Explore the map
By Devin Gannon, Tue, December 3, 2019 The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center may be the most popular conifer in New York City, with 125 million people visiting the tree each year, but it certainly is not the only one. Every holiday season, spruces adorned with colorful lights and ornaments pop up across the five boroughs. The city’s many holiday trees each offer a unique take on the tradition, which began in NYC in 1912 when the first public Christmas tree was erected in Madison Square Park. For those looking to skip the Midtown crowds this year, we’ve rounded up 20 of the best holiday trees and lighting ceremonies, from the origami tree at the American Museum of Natural History to the flotilla of trees in Central Park’s Harlem Meer.
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By Devin Gannon, Mon, December 2, 2019 A jet snow thrower in action via MTA’s Flickr
No matter how today’s weather pans out, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is more than ready to clear subways, buses, and commuter railways of snow. The MTA maintains a fleet of super-powered snow throwers, jet-powered snow blowers, and specially designed de-icing cars to tackle the icy mess. For today’s winter storm, there will be “more than 500 snow melting devices at switches, over 1,600 3rd rail heaters, about 10 snowthrowers, four jetblowers, and seven de-icer train cars,” according to the MTA.
More this way
By Alexandra Alexa, Mon, November 11, 2019 Images courtesy of Tula Plants & Design
Less than a year after opening their new flagship in Greenpoint, Tula Plants & Design has expanded its lush storefront with a dedicated space for cacti and succulents. Owners Christan Summers and Ivan Martinez recently completed a 400-square-foot expansion in the nearly 100-year-old warehouse at 59 Meserole Avenue, adding a desert plant oasis to complement their tropical plant offerings. The “Arid Room” is packed with varieties young and old and specializes in sourcing rare, hard-to-find species.
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By Michelle Cohen, Mon, November 11, 2019 Photo by Rommel Demano for God’s Love We Deliver
The winter holiday season is a time of overflowing bounty for so many. While giving thanks and exchanging gifts, it’s a fine opportunity to share the wealth, good cheer–and extra time off–with fellow New Yorkers in need. There are hundreds of ways to volunteer from now through the New Year (and beyond), and we’ve rounded up 13 ways to help this year, from meal delivery to serving Thanksgiving dinner to preparing your own putlock dish.
The list, this way
By Michelle Cohen, Mon, November 11, 2019 Photo of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market by Leonard J. DeFrancisci via Wikimedia Commons
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) last week unveiled a new brand strategy for the city’s network of six public markets, which includes a multilingual ad campaign, a dynamic new website and social media presence, direct mail campaigns and more, all of which are designed to consolidate a network of historic markets under one city-wide brand. It’s all part of the organization’s comprehensive initiative to promote NYC’s public markets–including Essex Market, the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue Market, and Williamsburg’s historic Moore Street Market–as “world class destinations for both local residents and tourists.”
See what’s in store
By Alexandra Alexa, Mon, November 11, 2019 Images courtesy of QuallsBenson
A few months after it was initially expected, Essex Crossing’s expansive and bazaar-like food hall, The Market Line, finally has an opening date. Phase one of the rollout is set to open its doors to the public on November 22, offering an initial mix of 30+ local vendors and restaurants, including NYC institutions like Ukrainian diner Veselka, family-run German butcher shop and Grocer Schaller & Weber, and 1920s tea parlor and bakery turned hip dim sum eatery Nom Wah.
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