Events & Things To Do

October 31, 2016

René Lalique’s windows saved this Fifth Avenue building from destruction in the 1980s

In 1984, a series of grime-covered windows at 714 Fifth Avenue caught the attention of an architectural historian by the name of Andrew Dolkart. Seemingly innocuous, and almost industrial in aesthetic—at least from afar—the glass panes would later become the foundation for a preservation victory.
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October 30, 2016

Join the Society of Magicians on Halloween for a séance at Harry Houdini’s former Upper East Side home

By Dana Schulz

Last week, a commemorative plaque was installed on the facade of the former Upper East Side home of Harry Houdini at 244 East 79th Street, marking the 90th anniversary of his death and celebrating National Magic Week. To coincide with this, the Society of American Magicians will meet tomorrow for a séance at the building's Sojourn restaurant in hopes of contacting the great illusionist. As the Wall Street Journal notes, when he and his family moved into the top-floor studio of the boardinghouse in 1887, a young Houdini practiced his tricks and escapes in the space that now holds the eatery.
The rest of the story here

October 28, 2016

The Urban Lens: A walk through the wild and wonderful Village Halloween Parade

By James and Karla Murray

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, award-winning photographers James and Karla Murray return with a series of snapshots from last year's debaucherous Village Halloween Parade. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Started by Greenwich Village mask maker and puppeteer Ralph Lee in 1973, the Village Halloween Parade began as a “wandering neighborhood puppet show.” The event was a walk from house to house in Lee's neighborhood, created for his children and their friends to enjoy. In the three years that followed, the parade took on new shapes and sizes, propelled first by George Bartenieff and Crystal Field of the Theater for the New City, who staged the production in its second year as part of their City in the Streets program; and then two years later when the parade became a non-profit with its own resources to put on a major show. By 1985, the parade morphed into an extravaganza that marched down Sixth Avenue, attracting 250,000 participants and onlookers. Today, the Village Halloween Parade is the largest celebration of its kind, considered by Festivals International to be "The Best Event in the World" for October 31st.
see more here

October 27, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 10/27-11/2

By Lori Zimmer

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! This week, come join me as I present comic abstraction artist Ellanah Sadkin before heading to enjoy Eric Helvie’s film noir surrealist paintings in Chelsea. Untapped Cities wants to share Eldridge Street’s secrets with you, and Emilio Perez wants to bring you inside one of his paintings across the Times Square screens. Halloween is also upon us, and Last Rites does it right with a massive macabre show and after party. And if you want to keep the party going after, you can join nightlife legend Susanne Bartsch for her annual ball at MoMA PS1—or succumb to artist collective CHERYL on Monday at Le Poisson Rouge. Finally, get glamorous at the National Arts Club for the Accessible Art Fair, which is making its New York debut after a successful run in Brussels.
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Events & Things To Do

October 25, 2016

The arty maps of ‘Nonstop Metropolis’ show NYC the way locals experience it

By Michelle Cohen

When writers and artists–particularly ones who have a keen understanding of cities–venture into the world of maps, you can bet the results will be fascinating and illuminating. "Nonstop Metropolis," a new atlas by Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro (6sqft recently discovered the “City of Women” subway map from the book) offers 26 New York City maps that “cue us into understanding who is here” according to Solnit. As Wired puts it in their review, the result is “a diverse array of deeply particular maps” that combine imaginative and fanciful imagery with the colorful cultural history beneath the city’s diverse neighborhoods and landmarks and the people who live among them.
Check out some fabulous maps

Events & Things To Do

October 25, 2016

Star Power: Celestial ceilings and zodiac symbols in New York architecture

By Tracy A. Marciano

These days if an architect were to ask a developer “What’s your sign?" they probably wouldn't be taken very seriously. But in the early 1900s, it was an entirely different story. A century ago, wealthy industrialists, bankers, businessmen and civic planners were erecting opulent buildings with the help of top architects and artists. And in addition to elaborate ornamentation, celestial ceilings with zodiac symbols were also requested in a number of iconic building designs. Ahead we point out six historic New York area buildings where you can still encounter these astral vestiges.
Where to find Zodiac signs in NYC

October 20, 2016

Have breakfast with penguins and panda bears at one of NYC’s zoos

By Metro New York

Start your day off by hanging out with penguins and tigers at Breakfast with the Animals. The Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the city’s animal attractions, is kicking off its fall breakfast series beginning October 23. Get entry to the attractions before they open to the public and enjoy a light continental-style meal (bagels, fruit, coffee […]

Events & Things To Do

October 20, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 10/20-10/26

By Lori Zimmer

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! You spent the summer posing next to Deborah Kass’s giant OY/YO sculpture, now spend the fall hunting down David Crumley’s DUMBO reflector as it makes its way around iconic landscapes in the neighborhood. Head to Times Square for a chance to walk on the clouds, then jaunt up to the Museum of Art and Design to take in a lecture on innovative ceramicist Peter Voulkos. The Pivot Gallery is opening a three-person show with different takes on sculpture, including a jewelry designer from Givenchy, and LMAK hosts Popel Coumou’s contemplative photographs on silent emptiness. Get on the waiting list to hear Ilana Glazer talk about intuition at the Rubin Museum of Art, and go to the gorgeous New York Public Library for a talk on the legendary Louise Nevelson, the only woman in New York to have a public plaza named after her. Finally, while you’re driving around the state in search of autumnal serenity, stop at Cornell in Ithaca to check out CODA’s incredible recycled chair pavilion that's snaking around the quad.
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Events & Things To Do

October 19, 2016

$16.75M townhouse owned by artist Angel ‘Vlady’ Oliveros boasts banisters from the Plaza Hotel

By Emily Nonko

This West Village townhouse, at 245 West 13th Street, has been given loads of personality by one of its owners, the artist Angel “Vlady” Oliveros. Not only did he do all the artwork for the striking home, he also sourced lots of historic items to complete the decor. To get to the the third and fourth floor bedroom levels, you travel up a restored staircase and vintage banisters sourced from New York's Plaza Hotel. A bathroom is outfitted with antique earthenware soaking tub from the 1920s. And there's lots more to gawk at inside the house, now on the market for $16.75 million.
Take the grand tour

My 1,400sqft: Inside Puppet Maker Ralph Lee’s Live/Work Space in Westbeth Artists Housing

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Westbeth Artists Housing in the West Village. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch!

October 19, 2016

My 1,400sqft: Inside Puppet Maker Ralph Lee’s Live/Work Space in Westbeth Artists Housing

By Dana Schulz

When the old Bell Telephone Laboratories building was transformed to the Westbeth affordable artists' housing in 1970, one of the original creatives to move in was Ralph Lee, a theater jack-of-all trades who is best known for his larger-than-life puppets and masks. His whimsical creations served as the props for the very first Village Halloween Parade, an event that has since grown into an annual, nationally-known event. Today, his characters from the early days of the parade adorn his eclectic live/work studio in Westbeth, where he still lives and continues to make puppets and masks for his company the Mettawee River Theatre. Ralph recently invited 6sqft into his space, where we got up close and personal with the puppets and were able to see how the magic happens.
Learn about Ralph's storied career and get a special look at his home and studio

Oldest map of New York may become most expensive map ever sold at $10M

By Dana Schulz

In 1531, Italian sailor and cartographer Vesconte Maggiolo created a "Portolan planisphere," a navigational chart of the known world, that included the first depiction of the eastern seaboard and therefore of New York harbor. Bloomberg tells us that the 6.7' x 3' map made of six goat skins is now in the possession of rare book and map dealer Daniel Crouch, who will put it up for sale for a whopping $10 million this Saturday at TEFAF art fair. If it fetches this price, it'll become the most expensive map ever publicly sold.
More on the map this way

October 17, 2016

Amid declining bookings, new Trump hotel brand drops his name

By Dana Schulz

Though sales at Donald Trump's Manhattan residential buildings are still selling at a premium, national real estate and business at his hotels are different stories. Politico reports that the Trump Organization--the umbrella under which all his self-branded ventures fall, from his clothing line to golf courses--has dubbed its newly launched hotel line Scion, clearly void of his moniker, but meaning "descendant of a notable family." Trump Hotels CEO Eric Danziger said in a press release, "We wanted a name that would be a nod to the Trump family and to the tremendous success it has had with its businesses, including Trump Hotels, while allowing for a clear distinction between our luxury and lifestyle brands." Though this may be true, it may also have something to do with the fact that, according to travel company Hipmunk, hotel bookings at Trump properties were down 58 percent in the first half of the year.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

October 17, 2016

Diego Rivera’s psychedelic Rockefeller Center mural was destroyed before it was finished, 1934

By Tracy A. Marciano

In 1932, Mexican artist Diego Rivera was commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller to add a mural to the soaring lobby of Rockefeller Center. Despite being known for his petulant temper and loyalty to Communism, Rivera was still one of the most highly sought after artists of his time, lauded for his creative genius and his detailed paintings. But politics, artistic vision, power and wealth collided in 1934 when a displeased Rockefeller had the very mural he commissioned from Rivera chiseled off the wall the night before it was to be completed.
read about the mysterious mural here

October 13, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 10/13-10/19

By Lori Zimmer

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! Architecture geeks rejoice, as Open House New York Weekend is finally here! It's time to reserve your spot to see some architectural gems normally closed off to the public. But if you're looking for something a little less hectic, head to Queens to check out a field of Christopher Walken busts at Socrates Sculpture Park. Clamp Art is also showing off Mark Yankus' gorgeous "portraits" of New York's buildings, and New York art world impresario Gregory de la Haba is also producing an evening opera at Carnegie Hall honoring Ireland's unsung hero, Lady Hazel Lavery. Plus for the bruncher with artistic inclinations, this Sunday you can learn more about art writers and curators (including me!) that make their living in New York. Details for these events, and even more of my picks, ahead.
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Events & Things To Do

October 11, 2016

The Rockefeller Center ice skating rink reopens today

By Diane Pham

Grab your skates kids, because the iconic ice rink at The Rockefeller Center is reopen for business today! This year The Rink at Rockefeller Center is celebrating its 80th year of operation (it opened on Christmas Day in 1936), and to mark the occasion the center held a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning with figure skater and Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen. While this mid-60s sweater weather may not feel quite as festive as that Christmastime nip, hitting the ice now does have a number of advantages—namely not having to bundle up, and not having to fight the lines. More than a quarter-million skaters are anticipated to visit the rink this year.
more info here

Events & Things To Do

In 1892, NYC celebrated an entire Columbus Week

The New York Public Library. Columbus Day parade, Union Square Retrieved from NYPL Digital Collections

October 10, 2016

In 1892, NYC celebrated an entire Columbus Week

By Dana Schulz

Annually, the Columbus Day parade draws nearly a million viewers to Fifth Avenue, but that's nothing compared to the festivities of 1892 when New Yorkers celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Italian explorer’s Caribbean landing for seven full days. Columbus Week was a completely decked out party with a Hudson River naval parade, Brooklyn Bridge fireworks, a music festival, and the first Columbus Day Parade, which consisted of 12,000 public school children, 5,500 Catholic school children, military drill squads, and 29 marching bands.
More history

October 6, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 10/6-10/12

By Lori Zimmer

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! October's cozy days are officially upon us, and we've got a slew of ways to celebrate. All month long, check out artist Chen Man's poignant and interactive Nao Nao pieces for Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the Peninsula Hotel, then head to Times Square for the melting poetry of Tim Etchells each night across the ad screens. Artist Joseph Grazi pens a love letter to Cecil the Lion and asks us to reevaluate the value of life, while the works of Richard Long take over the first floor of the iconic Donald Judd Foundation in Soho. Dan Efram shares stills of films he's never made, and a group of artists that favor paper talk techniques at Trestle Gallery. Lastly, spend a crisp day in the Hamptons for the 24th annual film festival and Patron Hosts' Art+Music Lounge, with a show curated by Natalie Kates and a party curated by Art Nerd!
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Events & Things To Do

October 5, 2016

The NYPL’s iconic Rose Reading Room reopens to the public today!

By Diane Pham

The New York Public Library’s Rose Reading Room and Bill Blass Public Catalog Room officially reopened to the public today at 10 AM. Early this morning, NYPL staff held a ribbon-cutting celebration for two adjacent spaces located on the third floor of the iconic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 5th Avenue. Both rooms had been closed to the public for more than two years for repairs and restorations.
more details this way

October 3, 2016

Artist brings 4,000 redwood trees to Downtown Brooklyn

By Michelle Cohen

A big green sign that greets drivers from Manhattan coming over the Williamsburg Bridge reads, "Name It...We Got It!" Among the many things to which the borough can now lay claim: A dense grove of 4,000 redwood trees in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn's Metrotech Commons. It's this unlikely juxtaposition that has brought the trees, with roots in prehistoric times and known to grow bigger than the Flatiron Building and longer than the Brooklyn Bridge, to this spot steps from Shake Shack. The mini-redwood forest is called "Lost Man Creek," an art installation by Brooklyn-based artist Spencer Finch that opened on October 1. It's a scaled-down (to one hundredth the size) replica of a 790-acre section of California's Redwood National Park, planted in partnership with the Save the Redwoods League.
See more of this magical mini-forest

Events & Things To Do

October 3, 2016

Renters’ Rights 101: Know what your landlord is responsible for

By Diane Pham

No, you don't have to suffer in a sub-zero apartment this winter, nor do you need to dine with mice and roaches in your kitchen during the summer. If you're one of the many constantly finding themselves up in arms over a negligent landlord, rest assured there's more that you can do beyond grumbling to your friends. Indeed, in NYC tenants have a lot of power, and the city has established a number of regulations to protect you, your family, and especially young children living in rental properties. Ahead is 6sqft's list of the most common problems New York renters face—and some advice on how to get those issues fixed quickly.
Your rights here

September 30, 2016

Spotlight: Maya Valladares helps artists copy famous works at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

By Susan Cohen

If you've ever visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art and watched an artist working at a canvas or sculpting amongst the museum's larger than life pieces, then you've seen the Copyist Program in action. Founded in 1872, two years after The Met first opened, the program has provided countless artists the opportunity to copy the great works that fill the museum's numerous galleries. The Copyist Program is overseen by The Met’s Department of Education, and Maya Valladares, an artist focusing on textiles, serves as the its Assistant Educator for Public Programs and Creative Practice. Her role requires her to create holistic experiences through the museum’s public programming, and through the Copyist Program, she works to enhance the experience of copying for the students and cohorts that come through the museum's doors. 6sqft recently spoke with Maya, who shared details about the program’s rich history, what copying offers artists, and what it’s like to duplicate the works of a world-class museum.
Read the interview here

September 29, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week- 9/29-10/5

By Lori Zimmer

Events & Things To Do

September 28, 2016

6sqft’s top 10 event picks for Archtober 2016

By Dana Schulz

Now in its sixth year, Archtober is a month-long festival of architecture activities, programs, and exhibitions in New York City. From walking tours and rare opportunities to go inside some of the city's most lauded buildings to panel discussions and film screenings, there's something for everyone in this 100+ event roster. But 6sqft has hand-picked 10 events that are sure to be highlights of this year's festival.
Check out our picks right here

Events & Things To Do

September 27, 2016

Where to get free coffee in NYC on National Coffee Day

By Metro New York

Everyday is national coffee day for lovers of the morning staple. But September 29th is officially the day to celebrate the drink, whether you like it hot or iced, or with sugar, cream or soy milk. Coffee lovers also have their preferred place to pick up that cup of Joe, and luckily many places are […]

Events & Things To Do

September 22, 2016

Unleash your inner foodie at this year’s Taste of Red Hook

By Metro New York

Ten years ago, five or six new restaurants brought their food to a house in Brooklyn. Less than 100 people bought tickets for a tasting of the new businesses wares. More than $10,000 was raised for the Red Hook Initiative, a community nonprofit. It was a success. This year, tickets for the Taste of Red Hook are on […]