Events &amp; Things To Do

Nothing says summer like a perfectly charred burger or buttery ear of corn, but for many New Yorkers these warm-weather goodies are reserved for weekend jaunts to the suburbs or sub-par restaurant versions. If you want to get in on the grilling action without leaving the boroughs, there are plenty of options to barbecue both outside and in. It'll just require a little insider knowledge of the city's rules and regulations, so to help in the process, 6sqft has done the research, as well as put together handy tips and some of the best products.
Things are heating up right this way

July 13, 2016

POLL: Would You Drop $2,000 to ‘Glamp’ in a Yurt on a NYC Terrace?

We're all for glamping here at 6sqft, though we typically reserve these outdoor adventures for places like the Catskills. But the W Hotel chain is hoping to capitalize on the trend and bring it to their Lexington Avenue location. A press release from the company announces their Outdoor Glamping Suite, part of the 17th floor Extreme Wow Suite, which makes nods to camping with "a 12-foot yurt bedecked in a kaleidoscope of fabrics and textures, glowing lanterns, rattan hanging chairs and a fire pit that lights up with a flip of a switch." The W teamed up with interior design company Laurel & Wolf to create the experience, which is going for a whopping $2,000 a night.
Would you spend that for a night of glamping in NYC?

July 9, 2016

Win a Pass to the NYT’s Cities for Tomorrow Conference (Worth $950)

Join the world’s leading urban-thinkers for the New York Times’ 3rd annual Cities for Tomorrow conference. 6sqft has teamed up with the Times to give one lucky reader a free pass (worth $950!) to the event happening July 18-19th in Midtown Manhattan. This year’s talks are centered on identifying and dissecting the best ideas that lead to flourishing cities. Speakers on the […]

July 7, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 7/7-7/13

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! July is heating up in the art world (and on the thermometer!). Take the month to check out my curatorial debut with Times Square Arts every night on the ad screens, head to City Hall Park to enjoy a new sculpture series, and definitely be sure to frolic in the balloon room by Martin Creed at the Park Avenue Armory. Check out the 1920s Chinese screen siren Ruan Lingyu in a film set to a live score by Gary Lucas, or head outdoors for a screening of April and the Extraordinary World in Riverside Park. Head to the Bronx for an all-female show at Wall Works Gallery, or if you're in the Hamptons, spend a day at Market Art and Design at the Bridgehampton Museum.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

July 1, 2016

Gene Kaufman’s Church-Incorporating Hotel Rises on West 36th Street

By Ondel Hylton

Over the past decade, developer Sam Chang and his McSam Hotel Group have built an astonishing number of hotels in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and in the process have built up quite the reputation for pockmarking the city with characterless tower blocks that diminish their surroundings. One of the developer's latest ventures is a 26-story, 566-room hotel beginning excavation work at 334 West 36th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Once occupied by the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, the mid-block English Gothic structure was built as the Christ Church Memorial Building in 1905. The savvy developer purchased the 15,000-square-foot site in 2013 for $50.8 million in anticipation for yet another hotel. Local preservationists connected with Community Board 4 to convince Chang to save the church facade and incorporate it with the new building. Surprisingly, he obliged, but the Gene Kaufman-designed structure is not quite a miracle.
Find out more

July 1, 2016

Spotlight: Pyro Spectaculars’ Gary Souza on the Art of Creating Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks

By Susan Cohen

When America celebrates her 240th birthday on Monday, Gary Souza will be marking the occasion in a very big way. As a fireworks designer for Pyro Spectaculars, he is responsible for creating and overseeing the wondrous fireworks that make the nation ooh and aah during Macy's 4th of July Fireworks. This year’s show will be Macy’s 40th annual production, a huge milestone for the department store, and will take place over the East River in Midtown and Lower Manhattan. Pyro Spectaculars is a multigenerational family business begun by Manuel de Sousa after he immigrated from Portugal to the San Francisco area in the early 1900s. Over the years, the business has grown tremendously from creating small fireworks displays to a company that now spans five generations and is responsible for providing fireworks for some of the biggest names in the sports and entertainment industries, including the Winter and Summer Olympics, Super Bowls, Disney, and at concerts for icons such as the Rolling Stones. When it comes to Macy’s, Pyro Spectaculars has a 35-year collaboration with the store that has propelled the fireworks company to develop technology that allows for safer, more elaborate firework creations to come to life. 6sqft recently spoke with Gary to learn about the magnificence of fireworks, what it takes to produce the Macy's show, and some of the exciting new elements at this year’s display.
Read the interview here

June 30, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – July 4th Edition

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! The Fourth of July is typically for house parties and rooftop barbecues, but if you're too lazy to organize your own party, there are a few choice ways to celebrate in style, whilst also catching the area fireworks. Channel your inner pin-up girl at the DL or sit poolside at the luxe McCarren Hotel. Head down to the revamped South Street Seaport, which has become a cultural center for arts, music and food. Splurge and set sail around Manhattan, and dance dance dance at a secret location- or at the beautiful House of Yes in Bushwick. Independence Day is all about friends and family, so have fun no matter what you do, and be safe!
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

June 30, 2016

Join the World’s Leading Urban Decision-Makers at the NYT’s Cities for Tomorrow Conference

Rapidly growing populations and increasingly scarce resources are two of the biggest challenges that cities face today. But how are policymakers, developers, entrepreneurs and designers responding to these issues? For the third year in a row, the New York Times’ Cities for Tomorrow conference will bring together the world’s top urban-thinkers to discuss what’s being done to enact change that will […]

25 Feet Above Street Level, World Trade Center’s Liberty Park Opens Today

By Michelle Cohen

The World Trade Center's Liberty Park, the new one-acre public park at 25 feet above ground level spanning Liberty Street between West and Greenwich Streets, opens today. NYYimby reports that the park is getting the last few finishing touches in preparation for its grand opening dedication ceremony. As part of the landscape design by Joseph E. Brown of architectural and engineering firm Aecom, a 300-foot-long "living wall" composed of 826 panels of varying plant types is a highlight of the new park, which also functions as a pleasant disguise for the entrance to the WTC’s security hub that sits beneath.
More of what you'll find in the new park

June 28, 2016

Tribeca Triplex With Original Keith Haring Mural Returns for $13M

By Annie Doge

This Tribeca triplex is a treasure for many reasons. Its size, for one; it occupies an insane 8,000 square feet of the classic, landmarked American Thread Building (among the first of Tribeca's luxury condo conversions) at 260 West Broadway. Possibly the most memorable reason is an original Keith Haring mural, made in 1978 during the late artist's days at SVA when the space was a student gallery, painted on a curving wall of the apartment’s main-floor entry gallery. Priced at a treasure-worthy $13 million, it isn’t the property’s first time to this rodeo. As with downtown Manhattan, this amazing loft has seen quite a few changes in the new millennium. The three-story unit was previously listed as #mais and #1/2C; the three story “maisonette” is TH1 in its newest incarnation.
Tour this fabulous loft

June 27, 2016

New Owners May Close Waldorf Astoria for Three Years for 1,100-Room Condo Conversion

Hilton Worldwide Holdings, who had owned the landmarked Waldorf Astoria since 1972, agreed in October 2014 to sell the 1,413-room hotel to Beijing-based financial and insurance company Anbang Insurance Group for $1.95 billion. The deal closed the following February, along with plans from the new owners to convert part of the Art Deco building into luxury condos, and now the Wall Street Journal brings additional details on the conversion. The overhaul, which could close the property for up to three years and cost upwards of $1 billion, would convert as many as 1,100 hotel rooms to condos, with the hotel portion featuring between 300 and 500 luxury guest rooms. Currently, the hotel employs about 1,500 people, but this major decline in hotel rooms will eliminate hundreds of jobs. Sources say Anbang and Hilton have already reached severance agreements totaling at least $100 million.
More details ahead

June 23, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/23-6/29

Events & Things To Do

June 16, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/16-6/22

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Get sexy with art twice this week, with House of Yes's LUST event where art, erotica, performance and food combine, or bust out your best clam shell bra for the 34th annual Mermaid Day Parade in Coney Island. Get schooled by some of the world's best creatives during the Awwwards Festival, learn how to focus your career with Hope McGrath, then get into the mind of threeASFOUR's Ange for an artist talk at Untitled. The International Print Center gears up for their Summer Show, and Williams Carmona reflects on Cuba at HG Contemporary. With summer here, the French Films on the Green are back, with free screenings each week in parks across the 5 boroughs.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

June 15, 2016

Lighting Science’s Fred Maxik Discusses How to Use Interior Light to Improve Sleep and Health

Studies have shown that getting a good night's sleep is critical to keeping one's self happy, healthy and fully functioning. But with advances in technology, modern humans have increasingly found themselves typing and swiping into the wee hours of the night without any regard for what time it is. Unfortunately, exposure to light before bed can have serious negative effects on our body, messing with our circadian rhythms and suppressing our ability to produce melatonin—the hormone that controls our sleep and wake cycles. But beyond feeling tired and irritable the next day, not getting enough sleep also has tremendous long-term effects that include, but are certainly not limited to, depression, immune stress, weight gain, premature aging and disease. Luckily, there are researchers out there harnessing the power of the light spectrum to engineer light bulbs that work with our bodies and environment, rather than against them. To help urban dwellers sleep better, we tapped Lighting Science Group founder and Chief Technology Officer Fred Maxik to learn more about the challenges we face when it comes to city and indoor light, as well as for some tips on how to improve health, productivity, sleep, and even happiness by simply switching bulbs. Lighting Science is one of the world’s leading LED manufacturers and they've worked with everyone from NASA to national sports teams to the creators of the Lowline Underground Park.
Learn more about what lighting is best for your home and health here

June 13, 2016

Get Rid of Mosquitoes and Stop Bites This Summer With These Simple Tips

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’ve rounded up tips on how to get rid of and deal with mosquitoes this summer. New York's hot and humid summers bring all sorts of agony, but the bites of unrelenting mosquitoes may be the worst of all. While in past years these buzzers haven't been much more than a itchy nuisance, this year, the Zika virus has everyone on high alert. In February, the World Health Organization declared the virus a threat to public health across the globe. To date, no vaccine exists. As of June 8th, there have been 133 cases of Zika reported in NYC. However, the species of mosquito spreading Zika (the Aedes aegypti) has not yet been spotted in the city and all cases caught the virus while abroad. Nonetheless, with a potential threat looming, the city has launched a campaign to get New Yorkers to do their part, which includes tips on how to prevent the mosquito population from propagating. Ahead we'll cover some of the same ground, on top of other tips to keep mosquitoes from entering your home and attacking your body—because any way you look at it, mosquito bites are no fun!
What you can do, this way

June 9, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/9-6/15

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Warm weather is here and there are plenty of fun, outdoorsy art activities to keep you busy and inspired. Grab a drink and chill outside for Saya Woolfalk's trippy film, which enlivens Times Square each night this month. The Van Alen Institute presents four days of design events for their annual Spring Festival, while the Welling Court Mural Project returns with a chance to see artists in action during a fun block party. Artist Peter Gronquist presents a departure from his taxidermy works and a foray into painting at Joseph Gross Gallery, and Miya Ando shows off two new bodies of work inspired by her Japanese heritage at Sundaram Tagore. Drew Conrad's beautifully brash dystopian installations take residence at Kustera Projects in Red Hook. Head to Brookfield Place with the family to test out The Swings, a kinetic installation that plays music when you swing on it. Finally, the event I look forward to all year, the Philip Johnson Glass House Summer Party which invites guests to picnic amidst the mid -century modern gem.
More on all the best events this way

6 Products to Make the Most Out of Your Fire Escape This Summer

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’ve found products that can help turn your fire escape into a mini warm weather oasis.

June 8, 2016

6 Products to Make the Most Out of Your Fire Escape This Summer

By Annie Doge

If your fire escape is the closest you'll get to a backyard this summer, fear not--6sqft has dug up some products that will turn this tiny space into much more than a place to set up some potted herbs. From grills to desks, we've found six clever items that require nothing more than the railing of your fire escape. Of course, consult your lease and talk to your landlord before installing them (technically putting objects on the fire escape is illegal, however they're becoming a thing of the past due to safety concerns), but once you get the go-ahead these designs are sure to maximize your outdoor enjoyment.
See them all this way

June 8, 2016

MoMA Announces Major Frank Lloyd Wright Retrospective in 2017 to Mark His 150th Birthday

Today is the 149th anniversary of prolific architect Frank Lloyd Wright's birth, and with next year being the big 150, the Museum of Modern Art has announced a major exhibition in 2017 that will feature roughly 450 works that he created from the 1890s through the 1950s. "Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive" will include architectural drawings, models, building fragments, films, television broadcasts, print media furniture, tableware, textiles, paintings, photographs, and scrapbooks, some of which have rarely or never been exhibited.
Find out more

June 6, 2016

A Giant Musical Swing Set Is Coming to Brookfield Place This Friday!

If you work downtown or are just looking for a break from the weekday hustle, head to Brookfield Place starting this Friday and channel your inner-child by hopping on one of the many swings of "The Swings: An Exercise in Musical Cooperation" installation. The traveling public artwork is debuting in Manhattan for the first time ever and will be on display for a month for New Yorkers to play on. Designed by studio Daily tous les jours, this interactive work consists of 21 swings, each representing a musical instrument (a harp, vibraphone, guitar or piano) and different notes. The cooperative element of the work requires that participants adjust their movements with respect to one another in order to unlock the perfect melody—a musical work that has been pre-composed by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh.
more on the swings here

June 2, 2016

Fusing Art and Luxury Real Estate, Two Pros Discuss Their Approach

With so many high-end and ultra-luxury towers coming to the market, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for developers to stand out in the crowd. While wild amenities have typically dominated as a way to distinguish one’s building, some developers are trying to extend their reach even further by appealing to the artistic sensibilities of the wealthy. As CityRealty writes, for […]

June 2, 2016

Emmut Properties Plans Another Faux-Loft Building in the Bowery’s Shrinking Lighting District

By Ondel Hylton

The future of the Bowery's "lighting district" continues to dim as Emmut Properties plans a second mixed-use building along the former Skid Row still home to more than a dozen lighting stores. Emmut's latest Lower East Side foray is planned at 331 Broome Street. According to the developer's website, the new building will ascend eight floors and feature ground level retail, hotel suites and apartments above.
More details this way

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/2-6/8

FIGMENT 2015, Billion Oyster Pavilion

June 1, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/2-6/8