City Living

INTERVIEW: Why SpareRoom and Breaking Ground partnered to combat NYC’s homelessness crisis
November 28, 2017

INTERVIEW: Why SpareRoom and Breaking Ground partnered to combat NYC’s homelessness crisis

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Over the past few years, New York City's homeless crisis has gotten worse. A recent study reported a 39 percent increase in homelessness over 2016, making last year the highest homeless population since the survey began in 2005. While the city scrambles to address the rising population, a roommate company and nonprofit housing organization recently teamed up to help lessen the burden of New Yorkers who find themselves unable to afford housing. Despite operating on opposite ends of the housing market, roommate matching site SpareRoom partnered with Breaking Ground, the largest provider of supportive housing in NYC, this November. The partnership was suggested by the public after SpareRoom launched Live Rent Free, a contest where the company pays one roommate’s monthly rent and one person’s entire rent for a whole year. (It was inspired by founder Rupert Hunt's New York roommate search, in which he found two roomies to share his West Village loft for $1 a month.) The resulting partnership--which is running in tandem with the Live Rent Free contest--matches the monthly prize amount dollar-for-dollar with an in-kind donation to Breaking Ground to fund their Transitional Housing program. So far, SpareRoom has donated $3,314. With 6sqft, Matt Hutchinson, Director at SpareRoom, explained why the company felt motivated to address homelessness and its future plans to engage with Breaking Ground. Brenda Rosen, President and CEO of Breaking Ground, also explains how the organization's Transition Housing program works, and why the homelessness crisis is something all New Yorkers--regardless of what they pay in rent--should be aware of.
Continue reading for the Q&A
Mayor de Blasio makes it officially legal to dance if you want to

Jitterbug dancers via Wikipedia

November 28, 2017

Mayor de Blasio makes it officially legal to dance if you want to

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Mayor Bill de Blasio today signed legislation that repealed the city's 91-year-old Cabaret Law, making it legal to bust a move without getting busted in the city's drinking and gathering establishments. Though it's somewhat of a formality that's arguably trivial, the law's official demise represents an epic victory for decades of nightlife denizens. 6sqft previously reported on a petition started by the Dance Liberation Network and the NYC Artist Coalition calling for to repeal the onerous law with racist roots on the grounds that the law is out of place in a cultural Mecca like New York City.
Find out more
Trump dumps Soho hotel after glitzy launch and 11-year slump

Image: Trump Soho; Donald Trump via Wikimedia Commons.

November 27, 2017

Trump dumps Soho hotel after glitzy launch and 11-year slump

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New York City has never, barring perhaps a short stretch of the go-go '80s, been Trump country. But the Trump Organization's high-profile Midtown properties blend with the area's flow of international money and glamour-seeking tourists. Much further downtown, the Trump Soho condominium/hotel at 246 Spring Street has been at best a minor embarrassment in the neighborhood since the ambitious announcement of its birth on Donald J. Trump's TV show "The Apprentice" 11 years ago. Now, what was launched as "an awe-inspiring masterpiece," is being severed from the Trump fold, the New York Times reports. In addition to poor economic performance, the 46-story luxury hotel has attracted opposition from locals since its arrival, protests during Trump's candidacy and scrutiny after the election due to its ties to a Russian dealmaker.
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INTERVIEW: Holiday House founder Iris Dankner supports cancer research through interior design

Background: “Christmas Dinner” by Kim Radovich Interiors and Bernhardt, photo by Alan Barry. Photo of Iris Dankner by Richard Lewin.

November 27, 2017

INTERVIEW: Holiday House founder Iris Dankner supports cancer research through interior design

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Step into the Upper East Side's Academy Mansion until December 6th and you'll find a festive wonderland of interior design known as Holiday House NYC. The interior design show house is an undeniable display of top design talent, but what's perhaps less obvious is that the word "holiday" here has a much deeper meaning. Interior designer and Holiday House founder Iris Dankner is a 20-year breast cancer survivor. After her experience, she feels that every day is a holiday and a chance to celebrate life. With that outlook and the realization that there were no initiatives in the design industry to benefit breast cancer--a disease that impacts more than 250,000 women and 2,000 men in the U.S. each year--Iris started Holiday House a decade ago, asking each designer to draw inspiration for their room from a "holiday" or special moment in life. Now in its 10th year, Holiday House has launched its inaugural London outpost and released a coffee table book, and it's continuing its partnership with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, to which it's already donated more than $1 million. 6sqft recently visited Holiday House and talked with Iris about 10 years of Holiday House, her personal inspirations, and why "women supporting women is such a powerful tool."
Hear from Iris ahead
New York City food banks face shortages ahead of Thanksgiving

Photo via U.S. Air Force

November 21, 2017

New York City food banks face shortages ahead of Thanksgiving

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A report released by the Food Bank for New York City on Monday found more than half of its pantries and soup kitchens do not have a sufficient amount of food to serve residents, with 35 percent of food banks forced to turn away those in need, when looking at data from September. The city has also seen an uptick in the number of New Yorkers who require the food bank’s services, now serving about one out of every five people citywide. According to amNY, throughout the five boroughs, the food banks have been used by more residents than normal, following a cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), food stamps, in 2013. According to the report, New York City's food-insecurity rate is 21 percent higher than the national average and 19 percent higher than the rate of the rest of the state.
Find out more
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

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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
INTERVIEW: Architect Morris Adjmi talks standing out while fitting in and organizing art exhibits
November 7, 2017

INTERVIEW: Architect Morris Adjmi talks standing out while fitting in and organizing art exhibits

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In architect Morris Adjmi’s new book, "A Grid and a Conversation," he describes his ongoing conversation between context and design. On any project, Adjmi balances three factors: standing out while fitting in, respecting history while not being frozen in time, and creating “ambient” architecture while gaining popularity. 6sqft sat down with Adjmi to find out more about his work philosophy, art exhibits, love of Shaker design, and awesome opening night parties with custom-made drinks.
Hear from Morris Adjmi himself
November 7, 2017

The short life of NYC’s women-only subway cars

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In dealing with the examples of ill-behaved humanity that still plague the city's subway today, the powers that be in 1909 thought they were doing the ladies a favor when they suggested the addition of women-only subway cars, according to Ephemeral New York. Called "suffragette" cars (though women didn't win the right to vote in New York until 1917) they were introduced on trains of the Hudson Tubes running from Manhattan to Hoboken (today's PATH line). In trial runs, the last car in each train was reserved for women. Officials of the five-year-old IRT line began considering the idea–thought to be a success in its earliest trials–for the New York City subway.
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MAP: The best loops and trails for running in Central Park

Joggers in Central Park, via Wikimedia

November 2, 2017

MAP: The best loops and trails for running in Central Park

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If you're suddenly feeling inspired to start running with all the talk of the New York City Marathon, a map created by the Central Park Conservancy will help you get moving. While Central Park no longer serves as the only spot marathon contestants race through as it did during the city’s first marathon in 1970, it remains an oasis for runners of all experience levels. The conservancy's guide maps out the many loops and trails of the park to help you hit the ground running in preparation for next year's marathon, or even just starting a new hobby.
Find out more
FDR’s beloved dog is said to haunt Grand Central Terminal’s secret train track

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial featuring Fala, via Wikimedia

October 31, 2017

FDR’s beloved dog is said to haunt Grand Central Terminal’s secret train track

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While the subway can always be a bit creepy, there might be more behind those spooky feelings when standing underground than just frighteningly bad service. Allegedly, a ghost haunts Track 61, the secret track hidden under Grand Central Terminal, according to Phil Schoenberg, a New York City historian and founder of Ghost Walks NYC. And not just any ghost, but the spirit of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Scottish Terrier, Fala, who apparently roams the shuttered train track. The president famously used the private track as a way to escape the public eye, keeping his paralysis a secret (h/t WNYC).
Get the spooky scoop ahead
Proposal for gap along East River greenway calls for two wave-like lanes and flexible outdoor rooms
October 27, 2017

Proposal for gap along East River greenway calls for two wave-like lanes and flexible outdoor rooms

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In April, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city will spend $100 million on closing the gap that stretches from 53rd to 61st Street along the East River Greenway in Manhattan. Beginning in 2019, the city plans on connecting all 32-miles of the greenway's coastline with waterfront amenities for the public. As ArchDaily learned, an interdisciplinary design practice, wHY, has submitted a request for proposal to the New York City Development Corporation for the greenway’s 1.1 mile-long, undeveloped gap. The firm’s $70 million proposal calls for two lanes: a slow one for plants and pedestrians and a fast-lane for bikers and runners.
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MTA approves $574M MetroCard-replacing e-readers; new video and renderings

Cubic MTA payment system. Rendering courtesy of Cubic Corporation.

October 26, 2017

MTA approves $574M MetroCard-replacing e-readers; new video and renderings

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Cubic, the San Diego-based company who was awarded the job of creating the MTA's new cardless fare system, has just announced that the $539.5 million contract award (with additional options worth $33.9 million) has been approved by a vote of the MTA Board. As 6sqft previously reported, Cubic is the same company that developed the MetroCards that replaced subway tokens over 30 years ago. The new MTA system is modeled on the one that has been in use in London’s Underground and commuter railroads.
See the new fare payment system in action
Study: New York City could get hit with a flood every five years instead of every 500

Flooded Battery Park Tunnel after Hurricane Sandy. Image: Timothy Krause via Flickr.

October 24, 2017

Study: New York City could get hit with a flood every five years instead of every 500

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With the October 29th anniversary of superstorm Sandy approaching and storms leaving the world's coastlines waterlogged, 6sqft recently covered a new report predicting rising sea levels and a growing flood risk. Now a new study, published Monday, found that New York is almost halfway through a 500-year span of rising seas that began in 1800–and the worst is yet to come. But according to the Washington Post, this increased likelihood of flooding has a silver lining.
Find out more
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

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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
MTA’s new cardless fare system will be rolled out by 2020

Image: Phil Hollenback via Flickr.

October 23, 2017

MTA’s new cardless fare system will be rolled out by 2020

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6sqft previously reported on the launch of testing on a mobile device scanning and fare payment system with the goal of eventually phasing out the use of MetroCards in the New York City subway system. New turnstiles have already been installed in the Bowling Green and Wall Street Stations, where riders can make the transfer using scanners that allow them to swipe their phones. According to the New York Times, a rollout of the new fare system citywide is not far off: The new readers will hit 500 subway turnstiles and 600 bus fare boxes starting in late 2018; the remainder of subway stations and buses will have them by late 2020.
Find out more
New York ranks #1 in energy efficiency, says new study

Image via Pexels

October 19, 2017

New York ranks #1 in energy efficiency, says new study

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Image via Pexels Congratulations New York! You rank #1 in energy efficiency, according to a new study. You might be rolling your eyes at this news because of MTA issues, Penn Station problems, and other mass transportation debacles, but the state of New York ranked first overall—#1 for auto efficiency and #4 for energy efficiency […]

Where I Work: Inside the plaster and mural studios at Evergreene Architectural Arts
October 18, 2017

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

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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
Subway delays cost New Yorkers $1.23M a day in lost work time
October 13, 2017

Subway delays cost New Yorkers $1.23M a day in lost work time

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6sqft recently covered a report released by the city's Independent Budget Office that analyzed the impact of a growing number of subway delays and found that subway downtime could be costing the city up to $389 million annually in lost wages and productivity for businesses. According to the New York Times, the problem is getting worse, and it's affecting everyone's earnings. The cost of subway delays on a typical workday morning translates to $864,000 a day in lost work time for intra-city commuters, $257,000 for commuters who live beyond city borders and $109,000 for subway riders traveling for reasons other than work. The total daily cost: about $1.23 million. Multiplied by 250 working weekdays a year, that adds up to about $307 million that New Yorkers lose in work time every year.
Find out more
Stonewall Inn to get NYC’s first permanent LGBT pride flag

Stonewall Inn, photo via Wikimedia

October 10, 2017

Stonewall Inn to get NYC’s first permanent LGBT pride flag

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LGBT activists will unveil a rainbow flag outside the historic gay bar Stonewall Inn on Wednesday, marking the 30th anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The Greenwich Village bar at 53 Christopher Street is often credited with launching the gay rights movement after multiple violent police raids in the summer of 1969. President Barack Obama designated Stonewall as a national monument last year, the first National Park Service unit dedicated to the gay rights movement (h/t DNA info).  Stonewall's rainbow flag will be the first permanent LGBT pride flag in New York City. 
More this way
Quirky NYC Train Sign adds real-time subway data to home decor

Image courtesy of NYC Train Sign via Instagram

October 9, 2017

Quirky NYC Train Sign adds real-time subway data to home decor

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New York City life got easier when we could see live data on when the next subway train would arrive via signs on platforms, in stations and on our mobile phones. Now a Brooklyn-based startup called NYC Train Sign has created a way to display that data in our homes and businesses (h/t Curbed). In an interesting evolution of the wall clock, the company's flagship product is an artfully-designed countdown clock that displays real-time MTA data for trains in both directions for any train stop you choose. You can add a customized text slide, logo and real-time weather updates, too.
Cool. Where can I get one?
MTA begins testing of new subway fare system, first step to phasing out MetroCards

Image: Phil Hollenback via Flickr.

October 9, 2017

MTA begins testing of new subway fare system, first step to phasing out MetroCards

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With the goal of eventually phasing out the use of MetroCards in the New York City subway system, the MTA has begun the testing phase of a mobile device scanning and payment system. Untapped Cities reports that the first trials of a new mobile fare system are being installed at points where Metro-North commuters transfer to the subway, as an expansion of the Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road's eTix app. At specific stations, riders can make the transfer with turnstiles fitted with scanners that allow them to swipe their phones. The new turnstiles have already been installed in the Bowling Green and Wall Street Stations in lower Manhattan for a test run; the expansion is a pilot for the eventual phasing out of MetroCards altogether.
Find out when and where you can try out the new system
INTERVIEW: LOT-EK’s Giuseppe Lignano talks sustainability and shipping container architecture
October 4, 2017

INTERVIEW: LOT-EK’s Giuseppe Lignano talks sustainability and shipping container architecture

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After completing architecture school at Universita’ di Napoli, Italy, Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano fell in love with New York City, deciding in 1995 to establish an innovative firm in Manhattan called LOT-EK. Early experiments in the art world grew into a substantial architecture practice, but their philosophy has always been the same: Both Ada and Giuseppe are focused on a concept they call "up-cycling," taking existing objects and elevating them through art, design, and architecture. The firm has done its most innovative work re-using shipping containers and received a wave of attention this year for a Brooklyn residential project that utilized 21 shipping containers in surprising, stunning ways. The firm has just released its second monograph, LOT-EK: Objects and Operations, a photo-heavy showcase of dozens of projects the firm produced around the world over the past 15 years. "LOT-EK is a design practice that believes in being unoriginal, ugly, and cheap," the book states. "Also in being revolutionary, gorgeous, and completely luxurious." With 6sqft, co-founder Giuseppe Lignano talks about the early days of running a firm and waiting tables in 1990s New York, explains the firm's philosophy behind sustainability and re-use, and discusses the inspiration behind their notable Williamsburg project.
This way for the interview
INTERVIEW: Architect Lee H. Skolnick on designing New York City’s 9/11 Tribute Museum
September 29, 2017

INTERVIEW: Architect Lee H. Skolnick on designing New York City’s 9/11 Tribute Museum

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This summer, the 9/11 Tribute Museum opened in a brand-new space at 92 Greenwich Street in the Financial District. The 36,000-square-foot gallery became the second iteration of the museum which originally occupied the former Liberty Deli from 2006 until earlier this year. While many are more likely to be familiar with the 9/11 Memorial Museum just a few blocks up the street, the Tribute Museum differs in that rather than focusing on the implications of the tragedy, documenting the events as they unfolded and examining its lasting impact, it assumes a more inspired take, dedicating its exhibits and installations to the stories of the survivors, first responders, relatives of victims, and others with close connections to the tragedy who found hope in the terror and stepped up to help their fellow New Yorkers. Ahead, Lee Skolnick, principal of LHSA+DP and lead architect of the 9/11 Tribute Museum, speaks to 6sqft about the design and programming of this important institution, and how he hopes its message will inspire visitors to do good in their communities during these uncertain times.
read 6sqft's interview with Skolnick here
MTA bringing 40,000+ digital video ad screens to subway cars and stations

Digital screen rendering, courtesy MTA’s flickr

September 28, 2017

MTA bringing 40,000+ digital video ad screens to subway cars and stations

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If you thought those ads in taxicabs were annoying, wait until you see what's in store for NYC's beleaguered subway riders. The Post reports that the MTA has just announced that they'll be serving up ads on digital screens that will soon be appearing in subway stations and cars. Through a partnership with OUTFRONT Media, who will cover the $800 million installation, they plan to install nearly 14,000 screens in stations and platforms, 31,000 in 5,134 subway cars, and an additional 3,900 on LIRR and Metro North commuter trains.
You're kidding, right?
The most rainfall ever recorded in NYC fell on September 23, 1882

A rainy NYC day, photo courtesy of dalioPhoto on Flickr

September 20, 2017

The most rainfall ever recorded in NYC fell on September 23, 1882

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While it appears New York City avoided much of Hurricane Jose’s wrath this week, experiencing only slight showers and mild winds, New Yorkers weren't as lucky on an autumn day in 1882. According to the National Weather Service, Sept. 23, 1882 is considered the rainiest day in New York City's history, with 8.28 inches of rainfall recorded (h/t NY Times). As a Times article reported from the record-setting wet event: “Umbrellas were useless, and most of the thin rubber over-garments proved of little service in excluding the drenching, penetrating streams which hit the wayfarer from above and below, and, for that matter, in front and behind as well."
More this way
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