Events &amp; Things To Do

Attention all film, architecture and architecture film buffs! This week marks the start of the seventh annual Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF). For six glorious days, from October 13th-18th, New Yorkers are invited to enjoy more than 30 feature-length and short films centered on, you guessed it, architecture and design. While many of you may be thinking that watching a two-plus hour movie about a building is a guaranteed snoozer, ADFF's Kyle Bergman would most definitely argue otherwise. We recently caught up with the festival founder and architect who turned the once five-film gathering into a multi-city phenomenon that has captured the eyes, ears and hearts of not just design professionals, but folks from all walks of life looking to be inspired and moved by great cinema. Learn more about how the festival came to be and what's in store for this year's ADFF ahead. **BONUS: 6sqft readers can enjoy special discount on tickets! Just enter the code “FLOOR” at check out.**
read the interview with Kyle here

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/8-10/15

Pioneer Works via the Lit Up Show

October 8, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/8-10/15

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! Times Square is abuzz this month, first with a new #MidnightMoment art flick taking over the ad screens and then with a partnership with Juxtapoz Magazine that brings a pop-up old-timey newsstand back to the area. Donald Judd’s former Soho abode welcomes guests to peruse a collection of his vibrant prints, while another artist from the very same era, John Havens Thornton, makes his first appearance back in New York since 1967. Joseph Gross Gallery opens a new ground-floor location with bold Mexican craft-inspired murals by Jet Martinez, and David Hinton explains the beauty of Chinese philosophy and art at the Rubin Museum. Sunday becomes funday with Pioneer Works' monthly open studio party complete with live music, and for architecture nerds, the Architecture and Design Film Festival takes over theaters on 23rd Street–with a discount offered to our readers.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

Tips From a Professional: Interior Designer Michael Herold on How to Personalize a Rental

Our 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 get tips from interior designer Michael Herold for making a rental feel like a personalized, permanent home. Michael’s work has appeared in Elle Décor, the New York Times, and Vogue, to name a few publications, and just this past spring he designed a room at the prestigious 2015 Kips Bay Decorator Show House.

October 7, 2015

Tips From a Professional: Interior Designer Michael Herold on How to Personalize a Rental

By Michael Herold

As a designer, I pride myself on my ability to bring a bold, modern approach to classic design, but working in the tri-state area (my office is based in Lambertville, NJ), I've encountered many rental properties where I don't have the option to make some of the permanent changes I normally would. Since this issue is more common in New York City than perhaps anywhere else, I've put together here some personal tips on how to dress up a rental.
All of the tips here

October 7, 2015

LAST DAY: Instagram Your Architectural Photos to Win an OHNY Weekend Passport

By Dana Schulz

For architecture buffs and design lovers, Open House New York Weekend is a veritable holiday. For two days every October, the doors to some of the five boroughs’ most important buildings are unlocked, allowing guests to experience the city in a new way and meet the people who design, build, and preserve New York. This […]

Events & Things To Do

October 5, 2015

October 18th Is Your LAST CHANCE to See the TWA Flight Terminal In All Its Glory

If you’re an architectural purist who’s somehow managed to miss exploring Eero Saarinen’s masterpiece at JFK in person all these year, you won't want to miss out on what will foreseeably be your last chance to experience the structure as it was meant to be. For one day only, the iconic building will open to the public for FREE for just four hours as part of the annual Open House New York Weekend festival. As written in an OHNY Weekend press release, Sunday, October 18th, "is likely to be the last time the TWA Flight Center will be open to the public in its current form." As 6sqft previously reported, the terminal will soon be redeveloped into a 505-room hotel by MCR Development and JetBlue.
FInd out more details here

October 1, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week,10/1-10/7

If you’re feeling fancy, head to The Peninsula for a pricey cocktail and to check out the gorgeous light installation by Grimanesa Amoros on the façade. Lower Manhattan’s Brookfield Place is being taken over by art and fashion this weekend, with interactive projects by fashion stars like Diane Von Furstenberg and Cynthia Rowley, paired with art stars like Olaf Breuning and Rob Pruitt. Take your art experience to the next level with fire, by catching one of Flambeaux’s performances at Hearts of Fire, or get schooled by artist Sarah Sze at Tanya Bonakdar. The new Seaport District is hosting a talk with author David Crabb, and Ridgewood is celebrating its new Night Market of fun. Finish off the weekend by experiencing Michael Alan’s Living Installation, an art-making, living-art party that helps to benefit the artist’s recent personal tragedy—a flood that took his home and art works.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

10 Great Places to Buy Affordable Art in New York City

Our new 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 explore ten great places to buy affordable, yet beautiful art.

September 29, 2015

10 Great Places to Buy Affordable Art in New York City

By Andrea Zlotowitz

In New York, we spend the bulk of our finances on our apartments, leaving little left in the budget for designer decor. But it can get quite dreary looking at those blank eggshell colored walls for months and months, especially during the colder seasons when we're stuck inside. So with fall officially in gear, it's time to kick off the lower temperatures with some great art. With the cash-strapped New Yorker in mind, 6sqft has put together a list of ten great places–local shops, online resources, and markets–that'll allow you to give your walls an added boost without breaking the bank.
See our recommendations here

Commute Alone on the NYC Subway With These DIY Blinkers

While we love to complain about the MTA and the New York City Subway system, it still gets us where we need to go on a pretty regular basis. That being said, the majority of the time we are commuting is spent underground in close proximity with our fellow New Yorkers—whether we like it or not. While in some regards this experience represents the true melting pot that is New York City, it's not always the most pleasant one. Now thanks to artist Imme van der Haak, if you're in the "I hate the subway" camp, you can at least avoid the communal part of the experience with her human blinker project "Open Source."
READ MORE

September 29, 2015

#Rorschmap Turns Any Address Into a Psychedelic ‘Rorschach Blot’

Yes, it's only Tuesday...The fact that we've barely made a dent in the week is probably about to send you (like us) spiraling into a mental breakdown. But don't fret, here's a fun way to check in on your emotional well-being while also killing some time from the convenience of your desk—and all powered by Google at that! Called the #Rorschmap, this fun app allows you punch in any address, and in return for your efforts, it'll offer up a mesmerizing kaleidoscopic design of your requested locale.
Take a mental break with the #Rorschmap here

Events & Things To Do

September 29, 2015

LAST CHANCE: Win Two V.I.P. Passes to the New York Media Festival Tech Crawl (Worth $2,200!)

By Alyssa Alimurung

The New York Media Festival is back again and better than ever, ready to offer everyday folks an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at NYC's top tech firms. The three-day event, held October 6–9th, will bring together more than 1,000 leaders in digital media, games, music, television, and more. Our partners at CityRealty are on the amazing list of participants, and as part of the Tech Crawl event—which will also take ticket-holders into the workspaces of iHeart Radio, Conde Nast Entertainment, DOTS and many, many others—they're hosting "Boozy History of New York City," featuring drinks from local breweries and distilleries accompanied by facts, figures and history on the neighborhoods from which they hail—all to make for an educational and enlightening evening through the lens of real estate tech, architecture, and, well, booze. We've teamed up with CityRealty and New York Media Festival to give one lucky 6sqft reader two V.I.P. all-access passes to the festival (WORTH $2,200), which includes all the fun going down at CityRealty on Wednesday, October 7th. To enter, all you need to do is: 1. Follow CityRealty on Twitter Follow @cityrealtyny // 2. Tweet this message "I want to throw one back with @cityrealtyny and learn about NYC brewery history!" Tweet And that's it—you're entered to win an all-access pass to the New York Media Festival! The deadline to enter is Wednesday, September 30th. Please note that the event at CityRealty will be held on Wednesday, October 7th. The conference takes place over three days from October 6-9th.
More details on the event this way

Events & Things To Do

September 28, 2015

These Brightly Colored Rugs Are Inspired by Graffiti and Patterns in Nature

When we think about decorating an apartment, most of us start with our walls, but with these new rug designs from Swedish artist Jonathan Josefsson you might want to consider your floor first. Josefsson is based in Gothenburg and has a background in graffiti. His brightly colored rugs take cues from his street art days and depict organic and playful patterns that will certainly liven up even the drabbest living space.
Find out more about the rugs

September 24, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/24-9/29

'Tis a weekend of open studios, and if you are art-thletic enough, you can hit them all. Non-profit chashama is offering free ferry rides to check out the studios of 85 artists (including 6sqft friend Barry Rosenthal!) at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Hop on the Governors Island Ferry to the LMCC open studios, or get yourself to DUMBO for Smack Mellon's open studios. The work week just got a little better for those of you in the Garment District, as the annual UrbanSpace market opens for the season, offering up tasty delights. Roving gallery Standard Practice is at it again, with a new opening in Williamsburg, and Harlem's Hi-ART kicks off their season with a photo show. If you're going to the World Maker Faire, be sure to check out FIGMENT Festival's David Koren as he talks about co-creating your own reality. Finish off the week with the Public Art Fund's talk at the New School with exhibiting artist Jeppe Hein. And that's a wrap!
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

September 22, 2015

10 ways to make a studio apartment feel bigger

Our new 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 look at the space and storage struggles that come with studio living. Every New Yorker knows far too well the challenges associated with small living spaces. However, for the folks living in studio apartments, they need to be experts. While we love the beautiful vintage furniture and lush apartment plants that spruce up our digs, when thinking about decorating a studio, one should first start with the basics of good planning and smart design. For our many space-challenged readers, we've put together some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your limited square footage.
10 tips to try out here

September 22, 2015

Downtown’s Beekman Residences Tower Is Ready for Its Crowns – Now 50 Percent Sold

By Ondel Hylton

Rising from the birthplace of the romantic skyscraper, a svelte 51-story condominium known as the Beekman Residences will soon receive its twin pyramidal crowns. The to-be-illuminated, open-air pinnacles will bring the building's 599-foot roof height up an additional 51 feet, granting us skyline-watchers a new silhouette to gaze upon. While the tower's height is unremarkable in today's world of kilometer-high skyscrapers (it's only the 24th tallest building now under construction in the city), its peculiar design and prominent location overlooking Park Row is sure to add to the exceptional urban room created by the variously-styled towers surrounding City Hall Park.
More details ahead

September 18, 2015

Grandiose Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown Helps You Relax and Restore Medieval-Style

Located at 400 Benedict Avenue in Tarrytown, NY, a short thirty minutes north of Manhattan, Castle Hotel & Spa sits atop one of the highest points in Westchester County. This majestic palace (h/t FEH) overlooks the Hudson River and quaint suburbs below. The Castle is over 100 years old and a visit will easily whisk you away to America's enchanted Gilded Age.
Learn more about the historic property

September 17, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/17-9/22

The time has come again for me to flex my curatorial muscle and shamelessly self-promote your next favorite exhibition. This Friday and Saturday, join me in celebrating the work of Tim Okamura and Chris Marshall at our two day pop-up show. But if you can't make that, there is of course other art to be had this week; revisit the beautiful sculpture in Madison Square Park with a live poetry accompaniment, brave the crowds for Shepard Fairey's new show in Chelsea, or check out a curated night of performance, art and socializing at The Happening. For something ENTIRELY different, help support testicular cancer (while taking a look at some extraordinary dick pics) at Soraya Doolbaz's Dicture Gallery. The incredible world of night life maven Susanne Bartsch will take over the Museum at FIT, and the Met Opera welcomes all to its opening night performance, which will be transmitted live to screens in Times Square.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

September 16, 2015

Liven Up Your Walls With Bike Art Inspired by the New York City Streets

Original art is a great way to adorn the walls in your home, but for some of us, it can also be outside of our budget. One excellent solution to this conundrum is to purchase original prints from local artists like Massimo Mongiardo. Mongiardo recieved his BFA in Illustration from the Massachusetts College of Art, and he now lives and works in New York City. His playful collection of bike prints were inspired by the bike culture he observed around his studio.
READ MORE

September 15, 2015

The Best Places to Buy Cheap Vintage and Antique Furniture in NYC

Finding the time and money to properly adorn your living space is challenging in any capacity, and living in a city as expensive as New York makes it that much more difficult. However, this bustling metropolis is not only filled with people, it's also home to all of their furniture! As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure, and New York is the perfect town to hunt for good deals on vintage pieces that are often better in quality and better looking than what you'd buy new from IKEA (minus the ferry ride). To save you time, we've put together this list of some of our favorite NYC spots to hunt for cheap vintage furniture and accessories. We also included a few new and not so new websites that also offer excellent deals.
The best shops to find great deals here

September 14, 2015

Explore the Met From Your Desktop With This Interactive Hand-Illustrated Map

By Dana Schulz

Now that adult coloring books are sweeping the nation, we don't have to hide our love for youthful illustrations and activities--like this new hand-drawn map of the Metropolitan Museum of Art called MetKids Map. The fun interactive platform is dotted with yellow and red circles for which children search and click, opening a separate window full of information about a gallery or work of art.
See more of the fun illustration and learn how it works

Events & Things To Do

September 10, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 9/10-9/16

No matter what age you are, for everyone, September has that overwhelming feeling of "Back to School." Educate yourself (while supporting female artists) and listen to Grimanesa Amorós speak about her work at El Museo del Barrio, or bone up on your French with the last free French film screening of the season at Columbia. Art galleries are back in full swing, and I'm personally looking forward to Tahiti Pehrson's epic paper cuts at Joseph Gross, Elias Sime's remixing of elements from Ethiopia at James Cohan Gallery and the heart-wrenching portraits investigating prostitution around the globe by Yapci Ramos at Catinca Tabacaru. Visitors are welcome to taste the boom of the Williamsburg/Greenpoint neighborhood—literally, and you can also relive the New York classic "The Warriors" for a grandiose reunion and day-long celebration at Coney Island. Finish the week with No Longer Empty's contribution to the newly redeveloped South Street Seaport with an installation about the converging of waters.
All the best events to check out here

Fall House Tours: Go Inside Tribeca Lofts, Victorian Mansions, and Google’s Headquarters

Brookmill Farm in Lambertville via C.C. Chapman/Flickr

September 9, 2015

Fall House Tours: Go Inside Tribeca Lofts, Victorian Mansions, and Google’s Headquarters

By Dana Schulz

While spring is the main season for house tours, the fall also offers up some great options to satisfy design-loving New Yorkers. From Tribeca lofts to New Jersey Victorians and mid-century modern estates to World's Fair relics, this October's tours have a little something for everyone. To help you plan your schedule, we've put together all the tours we could find.
Get the full Fall house tour lineup

September 8, 2015

See Brooklyn Before and After Gentrification in This New Photo Series