Events & Things To Do

MAP: Where to find all 300 works in Ai Weiwei’s ‘Good Fences Make Good Neighbors’ exhibition

Ai Weiwei: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, The Arch, courtesy of the Public Art Fund

November 13, 2017

MAP: Where to find all 300 works in Ai Weiwei’s ‘Good Fences Make Good Neighbors’ exhibition

Ai Weiwei's New York City art installation, "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors," is expansive: it features ten large fence-themed structures, more than 90 smaller installations and 200 banners found in all five boroughs. While the multi-site, multi-media exhibition might seem like a lot to explore, the Public Art Fund, which commissioned the project, has made enjoying Weiwei's sprawling exhibition easy. The fund has created an interactive map that displays all 300 of the famed artist-activist's artworks currently found at public spaces, transit sites, lampposts and monuments all over the city, as well as additional information for each.
Explore the map

Events & Things To Do

Where to volunteer in NYC: Food banks, shelters, soup kitchens, and more

Image by acfb.org

November 13, 2017

Where to volunteer in NYC: Food banks, shelters, soup kitchens, and more

By Rebecca Paul

The holiday season is the time of year when seeing friends and family is hard to avoid. We also find ourselves with more vacation days during these winter months. However, even though these two holiday realities suggest cheer and relaxation, they don't always mean we're taking the necessary time to slow down and appreciate what really matters. Instead of just eating and drinking your way through the next weeks, why not harness the holiday spirit and take a pause to help your fellow New Yorkers in need? There are hundreds of opportunities to volunteer from now through the New Year, and the list we've compiled below is a good place to start.
6sqft's list this way

Waldorf Astoria will lose 1,000 hotel rooms in renovation

Photo via Wiki Commons

November 13, 2017

Waldorf Astoria will lose 1,000 hotel rooms in renovation

By Emily Nonko

In the coming weeks, the renovation of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel will finally begin--a three-year process to convert much of the building to luxury condos. Hilton Worldwide Holdings, who had owned the landmark since 1972, agreed in 2014 to sell the 1,413-room hotel to Beijing-based financial and insurance company Anbang Insurance Group for $1.95 billion. Since then, the interior was landmarked, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was tapped to design the project, and the building closed to begin work. Now the New York Post reports that post reno, the Waldorf will only hold 350 hotel rooms--a number that's "at the low end of recent estimates and much smaller than the number former Waldorf owner Hilton had expected," according to the paper.
It's caused some tension

Heating 101: How to keep your apartment warm during NYC’s coldest months

Image via Pexels

November 10, 2017

Heating 101: How to keep your apartment warm during NYC’s coldest months

By Devin Gannon

With the sun setting earlier each night and the temperature quickly dropping, it’s time to make the seasonal swap from sandals to boots and from air conditioning to heating. To prepare for the city’s coldest months, New York City renters should know the basic laws of heating an apartment, as well as the best products and decor to supplement a less-than-adequate system. Ahead, follow 6sqft’s heating guide to keeping things toasty all winter long.
More this way

Whitney Museum will host NYC’s first Andy Warhol retrospective in 30 years

Andy Warhol’s Campbells Soup cans at MoMA, via Brando/Flickr

November 9, 2017

Whitney Museum will host NYC’s first Andy Warhol retrospective in 30 years

By Emily Nonko

Andy Warhol, one of New York's most iconic artists, is getting the spotlight at an upcoming retrospective in the Whitney Museum. The museum announced it's planning the city’s first comprehensive Warhol retrospective in nearly 30 years--and they hope, according to ArtNet, that it'll change your opinion of the most famed Pop artist in the world. Donna De Salvo, the curator organizing the exhibition, told ArtNet that "I’ve always felt there was so much attention given to the persona of Warhol that we had trouble looking at the work—and that’s what this exhibition does." This showcasing of his work is scheduled to happen in November of 2018.
Here's what we know so far

Events & Things To Do

‘The Alamo’ turns 50: A history of the Astor Place cube

1980s photo of the Alamo surrounded by mural, vendors, & musicians. © Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Image Archive.

November 2, 2017

‘The Alamo’ turns 50: A history of the Astor Place cube

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

On November 1, 1967, an enigmatic 20-foot-tall cube first appeared on a lonely traffic island where Astor Place and 8th Street meet. Though several months before the release of "2001: A Space Odyssey," the one-ton Cor-Ten steel sculpture shared many qualities with the sci-fi classic’s inscrutable "black monolith," at once both opaque and impenetrable and yet strangely compelling, drawing passersby to touch or interact with it to unlock its mysteries. Fifty years later, Tony Rosenthal’s "Alamo" sculpture remains a beloved fixture in downtown New York. Like 2001’s monolith, it has witnessed a great deal of change, and yet continues to draw together the myriad people and communities which intersect at this location.
Learn about the cube's entire 50-year legacy

Photo courtesy of the UN

October 24, 2017

The history of the United Nations in NYC

By Devin Gannon

Every year on October 24th, 193 countries celebrate United Nations Day, the international holiday commemorating the anniversary of the ratification of the 1945 UN Charter. Beginning in 1948, the holiday is part of a broader United Nations Week, which runs from October 20th to 26th. While the day is a global holiday, the UN and UN Day continue to be unique to New York City, home to the peacekeeping organization’s headquarters since 1952.
More this way

NYC trick-or-treat: The best neighborhoods for sweets and scares

Screen capture of ‘Hocus Pocus’

October 23, 2017

NYC trick-or-treat: The best neighborhoods for sweets and scares

By Susan Cohen

Halloween is a lot like real estate; both the holiday and the industry place a premium on size and neighborhood, it's not unheard of to hear phrases like "tons of it" and "prime location" used to describe trick-or-treating or a new listing, and when it comes down to it, apartment hunters and trick-or-treaters want the same things: the best block, thoughtful exteriors, attention to details, and most importantly, value. Ahead, 6sqft has put together a list of some of the best blocks across the five boroughs to score sweets and scares. Just remember to bring along your broker parent and to count the square feet pieces of candy.
Where to spend Halloween this year

October 19, 2017

LAST CHANCE! Win 2 tickets to the Municipal Art Society’s architectural tour of Gowanus

By 6sqft

With cleanup efforts underway along the notoriously polluted Canal and a slew of new developments rising, Gowanus is undoubtedly one of the top neighborhoods to watch. But we can't talk about its future without also looking back at its history. On October 28th, the Municipal Art Society is hosting a walking tour of Gowanus led by architectural historian Matt Postal that will explore the area's past as an industrial shipping center and its transformation into a trendy, artistic enclave. Not only will the two-hour tour take you to the city's oldest concrete structure and oldest retractile bridge, but it'll make stops at the new residential and commercial spaces. Interested in attending for free? MAS is giving away two tickets to "Gowanus Grows in Brooklyn," but today is the last day to enter!
Find out how to enter here

Events & Things To Do

October 18, 2017

Where I Work: Inside the plaster and mural studios at Evergreene Architectural Arts

By Dana Schulz

6sqft’s new series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Industry City space of Evergreene Architectural Arts, one of the nation's foremost restoration and conservation firms. On Monday evening, the Historic Districts Council will present their 29th annual Landmarks Lion Award to Jeff Greene of EverGreene Architectural Arts, one of the nation's foremost experts in specialty contracting for both traditional and new, innovative techniques for restoring and conserving murals, ornamental plaster, and decorative finishes. "Jeff has been pivotal in restoring some of New York City’s most beloved landmarks to their proper glory," said HDC’s executive director Simeon Bankoff. And indeed, this is true; their commissions include the recent restoration of the New York Public Library’s Rose Reading Room, Brooklyn's Loew’s Kings Theater, the Eldridge Street Synagogue, and the McKim, Mead and White-designed University Club, where the event will be held, and this only scratches the surface of their hundreds of projects throughout the country. In anticipation of Jeff's recognition, 6sqft was given a behind-the-scenes tour of EverGreene's new office and studios in Industry City, where the firm's master artisans were hard at work painting murals, casting plaster moldings, and researching the history of several upcoming projects. We also spoke with Jeff himself about what inspired him to get into the field ("I ate the crayons before marking the walls," he says), how preservation has changed since he started the firm in 1978, and what some of his favorite projects have been.
Hear from Jeff and take a tour of EverGreene's incredible space

New Museum taps Rem Koolhaas’ OMA to design next phase of Bowery expansion

231 Bowery sits next to the New Museum, image via New Museum

October 11, 2017

New Museum taps Rem Koolhaas’ OMA to design next phase of Bowery expansion

By Devin Gannon

The New Museum Board of Trustees announced Wednesday that OMA's Rem Koolhaas and Shoehei Shigematsu will design the museum's new building at 231 Bowery as part of the institution's expansion. The new structure, purchased by the contemporary art museum in 2008, will link the museum's Sanaa-designed building and double their footprint on the Bowery, adding 50,000-square-feet of space. OMA's first public project in New York City, 231 Bowery is expected to break ground in 2019.
Find out more

October 10, 2017

A borough-by-borough guide to NYC’s food halls

By Devin Gannon

Cronuts. Raclette. Poke bowls. Avocado toast. While the list of trendy cuisines making a splash in New York City’s food scene appears endless, food halls are making it easier for New Yorkers to try a bit of everything all under one roof. The city is experiencing a boom in this casual dining style; real estate developers opt to anchor their buildings with food halls, as all-star chefs choose food halls to serve their celebrated dishes. Ahead, follow 6sqft’s guide to the city’s 24 current food halls, from old standby Chelsea Market to Downtown Brooklyn’s new DeKalb Market, as well as those in the pipeline, planned for hot spots like Hudson Yards and more far-flung locales like Staten Island.
More this way

Short Films Walk presents architecture and design films in Soho’s showrooms

“Ghost Story.” Director: Sarah Elgart. 2017 / 7:33 min / USA. Image via ADFF.

October 5, 2017

Short Films Walk presents architecture and design films in Soho’s showrooms

By Michelle Cohen

The annual Architecture & Design Film Festival is always one of the coolest offerings among the Center for Architecture's Archtober events. This year, the one-night Short Films Walk (SFW), happening on October 11th, will connect the film festival with Soho's creative design showrooms. The event features an ADFF-curated selection of short films about architecture and design, to be screened at each showroom as a 15-minute loop. You can catch the short films at these Soho showrooms (including Flos, Moroso, Artemide and Hästens) from 5 p.m. to 9.p.m.
More about the short films and a ADFF ticket giveaway, this way

MAP: Find the colorful fall foliage of Central Park’s 20,000 trees

Central Park in Autumn, photo via Anthony Quintano on Flickr

October 5, 2017

MAP: Find the colorful fall foliage of Central Park’s 20,000 trees

By Devin Gannon

Central Park's most dazzling and vibrant season has arrived. With over 20,000 trees and 150 species of trees spread across 843-acres, Central Park in autumn remains a cannot-miss spectacle for New Yorkers. Thankfully, the Central Park Conservancy created a fall foliage map making it easy to find the leaves with the brightest shades of gold, yellow, red and orange this season.
Check it out

Events & Things To Do

New details about JFK’s TWA Hotel revealed, on track to open in 18 months

Rendering of TWA Hotel via MCR

September 29, 2017

New details about JFK’s TWA Hotel revealed, on track to open in 18 months

By Devin Gannon

MCR Development officially launched the mid-century modern TWA Lounge on the 86th floor of One World Trade Center on Thursday and provided a deeper look into plans to convert Eero Saarinen’s historic TWA flight center at JFK Airport into a hotel, event space, and dining destination (there will even be a bar in a vintage aircraft parked outside). As part of a public-private partnership between MCR and the Port Authority, the project will rehabilitate the landmarked Queens flight center by restoring the majority of its 1960s Jet Age features and adding a crescent-shaped hotel with 505 rooms flanking the original building on each side. According to MCR's CEO Tyler Morse, construction of the hotel is on schedule; it will go vertical on Monday, top out in December, and have its curtainwall applied by January. If everything remains on schedule, the project is expected to open in 18 months.
More details and photos this way

Donald Trump’s Empire State Building doodle expected to fetch $12,000 at auction

Sketch via Julien’s Auctions; Donald Trump via Wiki Commons

September 28, 2017

Donald Trump’s Empire State Building doodle expected to fetch $12,000 at auction

By Dana Schulz

Update 10/20/17: Crain's reports that Trump’s doodle has sold at auction for $16,000. The buyer has not been named, but a portion of the sale will benefit Connecticut National Public Radio station WHDD-FM. He may not have had any formal political experience before taking office, but Donald Trump was certainly well versed in doodling. In July, a 2005 charity auction sketch he made of the NYC skyline, which not surprisingly depicts Trump Tower front and center among anonymous buildings, sold at auction for an incredible $29,184. And now, as reported by the Guardian, a similarly elementary sketch he did of the Empire State Building is also headed to auction, where it's expected to fetch up to $12,000, a portion of which will be donated to National Public Radio (NPR). Interestingly, Trump did the signed drawing in 1995, the year after he began his fraught attempt to take ownership of the landmark building.
Find out more

David Adjaye’s design for Harlem’s new Studio Museum building revealed

Exterior view from 125th Street Plaza. Courtesy Adjaye Associates

September 27, 2017

David Adjaye’s design for Harlem’s new Studio Museum building revealed

By Michelle Cohen

The Studio Museum in Harlem is scheduled to break ground on a new 82,000-square-foot home, designed by internationally renowned British architect David Adjaye, in late fall of 2018. Director and Chief Curator Thelma Golden and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Raymond J. Mc Guire unveiled designs for the new building Tuesday along with the announcement of a $175 million capital campaign to fund and maintain the new museum space. The groundbreaking coincides with the celebrated cultural institution's 50th anniversary year. In 2015, the museum announced that it would be working with Adjaye Associates in collaboration with Cooper Robertson on the new building, having outgrown its current home, a century-old building on West 125th Street that it has occupied since 1982.
See more renderings and find out more

Sarah Jessica Parker to lead NYC shoe-shopping tour for Airbnb

Bloomingdales via Wiki Commons; Sarah Jessica Parker via Wiki Commons

September 25, 2017

Sarah Jessica Parker to lead NYC shoe-shopping tour for Airbnb

By Dana Schulz

If there are two things Sarah Jessica Parker loves they're New York City and shoes, and she's now teamed up with Airbnb (yes, you read that right) to share her combined passions with the general public. Last year, the home sharing company launched its Social Impact Experiences, nonprofit-led tours and excursions for which the proceeds go back to the host organization, and recently, they expanded the program in NYC to feature celebrity-hosted events. Parker's October 6th experience--Sole of the City with SJP--will have only four open spots, each for $400 (h/t NYP). Guests will join the actress at Bloomingdales, where they'll get a pair of shoes from her collection that's sold there, eat frozen yogurt at the department store's Forty Carrots, and then head to Lincoln Center for the New York City Ballet. SJP is an NYC Ballet board member and the proceeds will benefit the dance company.
More right here

Ai Weiwei exhibit will displace Washington Square Christmas tree this holiday

Ai Weiwei’s installation will be underneath the Washington Square Arch beginning this October, rendering via Ai Weiwei and Public Art Fund

September 22, 2017

Ai Weiwei exhibit will displace Washington Square Christmas tree this holiday

By Devin Gannon

An art installation from internationally acclaimed artist-activist, Ai Weiwei, will be displayed at the same time as the Christmas tree underneath the Washington Square Arch this year, displacing the tree, which has been a holiday tradition since 1924. The exhibit serves as one part of the famed Chinese artist’s larger project, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors,” which will feature ten large fence-themed works and more than 90 smaller installations across the five boroughs. As Bedford + Bowery learned, the plan is moving forward, despite objections from the Washington Square Association, who sought an appeal to have the project withdrawn because it will disrupt the usual holiday celebration, the second oldest tree lighting ceremony in New York City.
More this way

September 22, 2017

Top 10 can’t-miss events for NYC’s Archtober 2017

By Michelle Cohen

Archtober is New York City’s annual month-long architecture and design festival of tours, lectures, films, and exhibitions taking place during October when a full calendar of events turns a focus on the importance of architecture and design throughout our city in everyday life. Organized by the Center for Architecture, in collaboration with over 60 partner organizations across the city, the festival raises awareness of the important role of design and the richness of New York’s built environment. Now in its seventh year, Archtober offers something for everyone—from the arch-intellectual who wants to talk Jane Jacobs to the armchair architect with a thing for skyscrapers, parks or historic buildings—in the 100+ event roster. Ahead, 6sqft has hand-picked 10 don't-miss highlights in this year’s program.
Learn about the architecture of NYC at these cool events

September 21, 2017

15 best spots to celebrate Oktoberfest in and around New York City

By Devin Gannon

As the weather cools and the fall foliage blooms, there is no better way to welcome autumn than listening to live music, drinking authentic German beer, and eating bratwurst and giant pretzels. Munich comes to New York City with tons of Oktoberfest events starting this month throughout the five boroughs, including some just a little further out of town. Celebrate Bavarian culture this year with events like traditional pig roasts, ceremonial keg tappings, "oompah" bands, stein-holding competitions and much more. Ahead, revel in the tradition of Oktoberfest and find the 15 best spots to grab authentic brews and brats this season with 6sqft's guide.
Beers and Brats this way

Events & Things To Do

VIDEO: The story behind Port Authority’s secret public piano

Adrian Untermyer plaing the piano, via Sing for Hope

September 20, 2017

VIDEO: The story behind Port Authority’s secret public piano

By Dana Schulz

Smack in the middle of the busiest bus terminal in the world is a funky, rainbow piano. Located on a platform that was once the terminal's operations control center but is now the Port Authority Bus Terminal Performing Arts Stage, the piano arrived last year via a collaboration with the nonprofit Sing for Hope. But the idea for this public performance opportunity is thanks to pianist and preservationist Adrian Untermyer, who originally saw pianos in train stations in Paris and thought it would be a great way to bring "light and joy and music to a space that we all know but may not particularly love." In the video ahead, Adrian tells us how his proposal became a reality and why Port Authority deserved a piano.
Watch 6sqft's video here

Over 1,000 museums nationwide will offer free admission this Saturday

The Bartlow-Pell Mansion Museum in the Bronx, photo courtesy of Richard Warren via NYC & Company

September 19, 2017

Over 1,000 museums nationwide will offer free admission this Saturday

By Devin Gannon

It’s that time of the year again! Smithsonian Magazine is hosting its annual “Museum Day Live!” event which provides free admission to over one thousand museums, art galleries and historic homes across the country on one day only: Saturday, Sept. 23. In New York City alone, 25 institutions and educational spaces are open to the public at no charge.
More details here

September 19, 2017

The best day trips this fall, from cemetery tours to historic mansions to corn mazes

By Dana Schulz

These pretty-much-perfect months are a great time to escape the city, and with so many fun, scenic, and informative offerings nearby, you can go for the day and not have to worry about spending money on lodging. To help plan your autumn itinerary, 6sqft has put together a list of the best day trips outside of New York. From touring the Rockefeller estate in Tarrytown to a lantern-lit cemetery tour in Sleepy Hollow, we've got you history buffs covered. And for those looking for some more traditional fall fun, there's fall foliage at Bear Mountain's Oktoberfest, apple and pumpkin picking in New Jersey, and artistically carved jack o' lanterns on Long Island.
Click here for 6sqft's full list of fall day trips

Events & Things To Do

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