Events &amp; Things To Do

Trump SoHo, a $450 million, 46-story hotel condominium at 246 Spring Street, has suffered from a sharp decline in corporate event bookings and an increase in staff layoffs. Documents reviewed by WYNC show the once $700-per-night hotel now offers rooms for under $400 a night, less than most of the city’s five- and even four-star rated accommodations. Plus, managers plan on laying off 12 room attendants out of the hotel’s 80 total housekeeping staff and removing turn-down service. While last year the hotel booked 29 large corporate events between January and mid-May, this year just 11 events were booked, with fewer well-known names.
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Events & Things To Do

May 25, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 5/25-5/31

Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top art, design and architecture event picks for 6sqft readers! Take advantage of this long weekend to get outside and enjoy the city. Sign up for a free walking tour of Central Park or Bryant Park, or head to Washington Square Park for the 82nd year of the Outdoor Art Exhibit. If adventure is your thing, ferry over to Governors Island for their new zip line adventure, or take the boat to Ellis Island for Untapped Cities’ insiders' tour. Check out a sculpture by the Strokes’ Fabrizio Moretti at the beautiful Elizabeth Street Garden, or role play with Ryohei Kawanishi at the Museum of Arts and Design. Finally, treat yourself to a free concert by the New York Philharmonic, inside the history St. John the Divine Cathedral on Memorial Day.
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The Shed via Wikipedia

May 24, 2017

Michael Bloomberg gives $75 million to Hudson Yards arts center The Shed

Michael R. Bloomberg has added a $75 million contribution to what the New York Times calls "New York's first new cultural institution in recent memory," the arts center known as The Shed, part of the new Hudson Yards development on Manhattan's far west side. The former mayor's gift brings the total raised for the project to $421 million of its $500 million capital campaign. The new arts center has gotten much of its funding from a small group of billionaires that includes Related Companies' Stephen M. Ross and media mogul Barry Diller. Set for completion in 2019, the eight-level structure, designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro in partnership with the Rockwell Group, will host performances, concerts, visual art, music and other events.
A 'tool kit for artists'

May 23, 2017

12 places for gardening, plant, and flowers classes in NYC

By Dana Schulz

With spring in NYC ushering in blooming trees, flowering plants, and blossoming gardens, many New Yorkers wish they had better access to these natural beauties. But even if you're not fortunate enough to have a backyard, garden, or terrace (or fire escape for that matter), there are loads of ways to get your green thumb on in the city. From flower arranging in a cute Williamsburg shop to landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden to a houseplant 101 class in Chelsea, 6sqft has rounded up a dozen of the best places for gardening, plant, and flower classes in the city.
Parouse the full list

52 wave sculptures designed by celebrities like Slash and Cara Delevigne hit NYC

Jason deCaires Taylor’s “Silent Evolution” wave via Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation

May 22, 2017

52 wave sculptures designed by celebrities like Slash and Cara Delevigne hit NYC

Ocean conservation nonprofit Project 0 has partnered with luxury skin care brand La Mer, to bring 52 wave-shaped sculptures designed by artists and entertainers like Keith Richards, Slash, Sienna Miller, Rita Ora, Cara Delevigne to NYC. Between May 20 and June 21, the La Mer Wave Walk will feature public art pieces throughout the five boroughs to raise awareness about ocean conservancy, as DNA Info learned. The installations will be up for auction on June 21, with all proceeds going to the charity La Mer Blue Heart Oceans Fund for Project 0.
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May 18, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 5/18-5/24

Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top art, design and architecture event picks for 6sqft readers! There’s nothing better than walking around the city when the weather is great, and this week’s round up will get you outdoors and enjoying the sun. Open studios abound on Saturday and Sunday, offering art lovers a chance to peek into the private studios of artists across the boroughs. The city's sacred sites—churches, synagogues and temples—are also swinging their doors open, inviting the public to bask in the beauty of their stained glass collections.
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Events & Things To Do

May 17, 2017

NYC’s 10 best historic house museums

By Dana Schulz

Did you know there are 23 house museums across the five boroughs? All of which are supported by the Historic House Trust, a nonprofit that works in conjunction with the Department of Parks & Recreation to preserve these sites of cultural and architectural significance. From farmer's cottages to gilded mansions, these public museums span 350 years of city history and offer fun additions such as art collections, historic holiday-themed events, and specialized tours. Ahead, 6sqft has put together a list of 10 house museums that represent some of NYC's most storied history.
Check out our favorite house museums

May 15, 2017

NYCxDesign 2017: The 6sqft guide to finding the best design events this month

NYCxDesign 2017, New York City’s official turn to celebrate all things design, hits town from May 3 – May 24. NYC is among the world’s design capitals and home to more designers than any other U.S. metro area. NYCxDesign spotlights the city’s diverse design community and its contributions to our economy and everyday life, and increases awareness of and appreciation for design with a collaborative mix of cultural, professional, educational and commercial offerings. This year’s celebration is the longest-running one to date. You can head in any direction and you'll stumble into a design-related event, but we've compiled a guide to a few of the top collaborative efforts and highlighted some of our picks.
Check out our NYCxD picks, this way

May 11, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 5/11-5/17

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! Get outside of the white cube this week and experience an art opening inside of a corporate lobby, or experience an architecture talk inside of an art museum. Celebrate Haiti’s rich culture with the kick off of their film fest, then check out future art stars at FIT’s graduate exhibition. Grace Exhibition Space hosts a five-hour performance art event, and the historic Salmagundi Club on Fifth Avenue opens its doors for the ARC Salon Exhibition. Head to the Bronx for JMR’s latest solo show, or spend the week at the architectural events lead by Van Alen’s Spring Festival.
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Where to buy affordable art in Brooklyn

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week, Art Nerd New York founder Lori Zimmer shares her top spots for scoring affordable art in Brooklyn. Brooklyn has become the place to be for creatives, especially as artists have migrated from Soho and the East Village to Williamsburg, Bushwick, and beyond. Now, blue-chip galleries are sprouting up Brooklyn locations, art fairs have Brooklyn outposts, and artists studios are thriving in neighborhoods all over the borough. Despite the rise of Brooklyn arts (and rents), there are still places to procure affordable art, all while supporting the artists struggling to survive in a very competitive market.
our list here

May 4, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 5/4-5/10

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! Another art fair week is descending onto New York, bringing in collectors, artists, and galleries from every corner of the globe. This year’s Frieze week is a little more chill than last year’s—the fair itself has shortened by a day, and several of the satellite fairs have declined to make a reappearance. However, despite a scaled down event, there are plenty of additional options to fill your social calendar, including sister fairs CONTEXT and Art New York, and a show entirely made up of immersive installations curated by SPRING/BREAK in Brooklyn. For those who are more into design and architecture, the Collective Design Fair opens with the very best from the fusion of the art and design worlds, while Times Square gives us a glimpse into the terrifying vision that Robert Moses had for Lower Manhattan through a new animation.
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Events & Things To Do

May 3, 2017

EVENT: Two food-centric tours explore the history and culture of the East Village

By 6sqft

When we point the finger at gentrifying neighborhoods, the East Village often gets a lot of heat thanks to its quickly climbing rents, shift from a more diverse population (today, roughly 40 percent of the ‘hood is between the ages of 20 and 34), and loss of small businesses. And though this final fact is certainly true, especially as it pertains to eateries (just this past year we said goodbye to Angelica Kitchen, The Redhead, and Lanza's), the East Vill still has a wealth of independent restaurants that pay homage to its rich immigrant history as well as a crop of new establishments that are sensitive to the community and represent the new wave of foodie culture. This weekend, two events will explore the past and future of the East Village through its food establishments--a walking tour led by 6sqft's Senior Editor Dana Schulz for GVSHP will take you through the Italian, Ukrainian/Eastern European, and Indian history and A Taste of 7th Street will offer a self-guided chance to taste samplings from 10 local favorites.
more details here

May 2, 2017

EVENT: Learn about the history of Tudor City, its micro-apartments, and its struggle to save its parks

By Diane Pham

Can you locate Tudor City on a map? Did you know it was a development used to clear out undesirable slums along the waterfront? Have you heard it contains more than 2,200 apartments smaller than 400 square feet—"the antique mother load of micro-living"? As far as New York City's hidden gems go, Tudor City is a neighborhood that is often overlooked. But if you're one who is interested in history, architecture, urban design, or all of the above, this verdant east side enclave is one that deserves at least an hour or two of exploration. On May 5th, 6th and 7th you'll get a chance delve deep into the history of this incredible 11-building development, as local historian and activist Brian K. Thompson leads several free public tours through early 20th-century development.
more details here

April 28, 2017

Shop and nosh your way through 20 of NYC’s best flea and food markets

With spring weather in full effect, the city's flea and food markets roll out the red carpet and the irresistible edibles, and it's pretty likely there's one happening near you. The shop-and-snack mecca Brooklyn Flea has changed locations yet again, a night market returns in Queens and antiquing, arts and local maker standbys in all corners of Manhattan offer more of what you didn't know you couldn't live without. The goods may be odd, but they're out there, and the list below rounds up 20 of the city's top food and flea picks. Just don't blame us for the tchotchke overload—or the calories.
Find a market this weekend

Events & Things To Do

April 27, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 4/27-5/3

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! Spring has sprung, and what better way to celebrate than an afternoon of leisure under the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden? You can also spend the day outdoors discovering the non-profit art centers of Soho, head upstate for a truly unique sound experience at Basilica Hudson, or join Creative Time at the Greenwood Cemetery for an event with artist Sophie Calle. Indoors, Stefan Falke’s photographs of artists living along the Mexico/U.S. border provide for a provocative gallery experience, while the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park hosts a group show curated by Antecedent Projects.
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Events & Things To Do

April 26, 2017

16 spring house tours to check out in and around NYC

By Dana Schulz

It's that time of year again—house tour season! Architecture buffs, historic home junkies, and garden lovers revel in the spring lineup of events, and to make planning a bit easier, 6sqft has rounded up 16 tours in and around New York City. From Harlem brownstones and Park Slope townhouses to Hamptons estates and Nyack mansions to Jersey shore beachfront homes and Hoboken's secret gardens, there's a little something for everyone.
The full event roster, right this way

April 26, 2017

New Jane Jacobs documentary spotlights her achievements in NYC and lessons to be carried forward

By Emily Nonko

One of the most iconic battles to decide the fate of New York City was waged, in the 1950s and '60s, by Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses. He, a Parks Commissioner turned power broker, was known for his aggressive urban renewal projects, tearing tenements down to build higher, denser housing. She, often dismissed as a housewife, emerged as his most vocal critic—not to mention a skilled organizer with the ability to stop some of Moses' most ambitious plans. A new documentary, Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, takes a close look at the groundbreaking work of Jane Jacobs and its importance in our urbanizing world today. Matt Tyrnauer, the director behind Valentino: The Last Emperor, compiled footage of both Jacobs and Moses alongside 1950s and '60s New York, which is paired with voiceovers of Marissa Tomei and Vincent D’Onofrio as the battling duo. Experts in urban planning—everyone from Paul Goldberger to Robert A.M. Stern—also discuss Jacobs’ massive influence on housing policy and urban planning, as the film makes a convincing argument that Jacobs' planning philosophies are needed now more than ever.
Read our review of the film

April 20, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 4/20-4/26

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! Photography lovers are in for a treat this week: New York legend Martha Cooper opens a new exhibition of her photographs of graffiti in the 1970s and 80s; historic works from India by iconic street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson are on show at the Rubin Museum; and touching portraits of West Africa by young photographer Anne Barlinckhoff are being showcased at The Quin. If you need a break from real life, take in the immersive and contemplative installation of Doug Wheeler, or float away on Pinaree Sanpitak’s meditative piece at Brookfield Place. Finally, join in on an Earth Day conversation in Times Square, or take in the work of “forgotten “ New York street artist Richard Hambelton in an event happening one night only.
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Events & Things To Do

Related’s Stephen Ross kicks off construction on Hudson Yards’ 150-foot climbable ‘Vessel’

First Piece of Vessel Installed 04.18.2017 – courtesy of Related-Oxford

April 18, 2017

Related’s Stephen Ross kicks off construction on Hudson Yards’ 150-foot climbable ‘Vessel’

The standard for public art spaces has officially reached new heights. Today, the installation has begun on Vessel, an innovative landmark designed by Heatherwick Studio at Hudson Yards. As 6sqft previously wrote, the project’s idea stems from Related Companies' chairman Stephen Ross, who chose Heatherwick to design the $200 million (up as of today from the original $150 million estimate) large-scale piece of art. After being fabricated and constructed in Monfalcone, Italy, the first ten pieces of the 150-foot-tall steel structure arrived in January at the Port of Newark via ship and then traveled across the Hudson River. And as of this morning, Ross was on site to mark the first of these massive components (they each weigh close to 100,000 pounds) being put into place by crane.
See photos from Vessel's installation and watch a video of Stephen Ross' remarks

April 17, 2017

The hotel industry prepares a national fight against Airbnb

With its value nearing $30 billion dollars, it’s hard to deny Airbnb’s influence and disruption in the American hotel industry. Since its founding in 2008, the short-term lodging company has serviced about 150 million travelers, in three million listings in more than 191 countries. And as the New York Times reported, the hotel industry has launched a plan to take action against the company’s growing market share. The plan includes a national campaign at the local, state and federal levels to counter Airbnb by lobbying politicians and attorneys general to reduce the number of Airbnb hosts and fund studies that show they do not collect hotel taxes and are not required to follow the same safety and security regulations that hotels must follow.
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April 13, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 4/13-4/19

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! This week, check out the legacy of the Department of Tropical Research Field Expeditions at the Drawing Center through a series of nature drawings that date back over a century, then speed into the future and explore androgyny at Prince Street Project Space. Amanda Marie’s Darger-esque pieces open at MARCY Projects, and The Corp shows off an exhibition made over one hellish evening. Art group The Happening is back for an evening to raise money for Planned Parenthood, and you can go goth to support the blog Art F City. Finally, grab a hard hat and explore the abandoned Ellis Island Hospital with Untapped Cities, then dive into a bag of popcorn as the Tribeca Film Festival comes back to town.
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Events & Things To Do

April 10, 2017

Boom in TV and film is lucrative for some New Yorkers, a nuisance for others

In response to the state’s film production tax break, a record number of TV and movie crews have scouted NYC locations for shoots. The mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment issued 149 location permits for 72 projects to film between March 9 and March 15 alone. And as reported by Crain’s, studios will pay residents hefty sums to rent their apartments or homes for shoots. While this can be quite profitable for those occupying the property, with location managers doling out anywhere between $5,000 and $20,000 per day, some neighbors are tired of the inconveniences these projects create on their block.
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5Pointz graffiti artists whose work was destroyed will get a chance to face developer in court

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

April 10, 2017

5Pointz graffiti artists whose work was destroyed will get a chance to face developer in court

Photo via Wikimedia Commons Starting with the news that the iconic graffiti-covered warehouse known as 5Pointz in Long Island City, Queens, visible from passing trains since its beginnings the 1990s as an artists' studio and exhibition space, was being razed and replaced by rental apartments, the building has been the subject of heated controversy. As 6sqft previously reported, in 2013 the complex was whitewashed of its colorful exterior murals under cover of night, and renderings surfaced for the rental towers that would replace it; as if to add insult to injury, the building's owner, Jerry Wolkoff of G&M Realty, revealed plans to use the name 5Pointz as a marketing angle for the new development. Several attempts were made at intervention–and prevention of a similar fate for artists' spaces since then. Now, the New York Times reports, a federal lawsuit filed by 23 5Pointz artists against Wolkoff, who ordered the art destroyed, is getting its day in court. On March 31, Judge Frederic Block of Federal District Court in Brooklyn ruled that the federal lawsuit against Wolkoff, who ordered the artwork destroyed–could have a jury trial, an incremental legal victory for the artists and a chance to confront Wolkoff in court to seek redress.
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April 6, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 4/6-4/12