City Living

Yuccies = Young Urban Creatives. And according to Mashable, they're the new iteration of hipsters. The author describes his self-created and self-describing class as "a slice of Generation Y, borne of suburban comfort, indoctrinated with the transcendent power of education, and infected by the conviction that not only do we deserve to pursue our dreams; we should profit from them." Just think of your friends moving to Brooklyn these days. They probably work for a startup rather than as a furniture maker and they likely do Flywheel instead of hot yoga. It's a new type of free spiritedness, the love child of yuppie and hipster that is rooted in personal fulfillment while still maintaining a successful lifestyle (and Instagraming it along the way).
More on the yuccie trend ahead

June 8, 2015

Fill Your Home with the Scent of ‘Hot Garbage Radiance’ and Other Summertime City Fragrances

Before you get too excited (which we really hope you're not), let us tell you that these candles don't actually exist. They're a funny series from Mashable that parodies the stench of the city during a season when pleasant candle scents like "ocean breeze" and "fresh-cut peonies" take over shelves. While NYC doesn't generally smell like roses, the heat and humidity do a fine job at intensifying all of the gag-inducing odors one encounters while navigating a typical day. Candle scents illustrated here include Underfed Alley Cat Seduction, Eau du Subway Passenger, Rotting Produce, Formerly Fresh Baked Pizza, and a Gentle Gust of Garbage Truck, among some even more horrendous offenders.
Check the rest out here

City Living

June 5, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Michael Schneider on Telling Tales of Immigration on Ellis Island Using Technology

Modern-day storytelling ranges from the age-old tradition of oration to the modern take of 140 characters. But what happens when the story is a mix of old and new and is intended for an audience that ranges from elementary school students to centenarians? That's where ESI Design, a firm dedicated to enriching the human experience, steps in. ESI was founded in 1977 by Edwin Schlossberg. Their unique focus on melding traditional techniques with modern technology made them the perfect fit to design the recently launched Peopling of America Center at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. The center–conceived with the vision and support of the Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation and its president Stephen Briganti and the National Parks Service–highlights journeys undertaken before Ellis Island opened in 1892 with "Journeys: The Peopling of America - 1550s-1890," which opened in 2011. On May 20th, another wing called "The Journey: New Eras of Immigration" opened to give visitors the chance to look at immigration that took place after Ellis Island closed in 1954. One of the visionaries at ESI is senior designer of media and technology Michael Schneider. For the Peopling of America Center, he was responsible for figuring out which of the available technologies worked best for the new exhibits and their audience. We recently spoke with Michael to learn how ESI approaches storytelling and, specifically, how the firm designed the galleries for the Peopling of America Center.
Read our interview with Michael here

June 4, 2015

Mipsterz Are on the Rise in NYC, and They’re Cooler Than Your Average Hipster

We all have one of those friends: you ask them if they consider themselves a hipster (which by all accounts they are) and you're met with a very sardonic "I hate hipsters..." While it's pretty much an unspoken rule that those who knowingly fall within hipsterdom should never acknowledge such, there is a unique group of young folks in the city wholly embracing the label as part of their identity. In fact, they've come up with their own play on the word: Mipsterz, or Muslim hipsters.
more here

June 2, 2015

INTERVIEW: noroof Architects on Tackling Tiny Apartment Design in NYC

The tiny house movement seems to be taking over the nation, but living in modest quarters has pretty much always been the norm for the average New Yorker. One architecture studio that's focused their energies on the challenges of designing the super small—versus the super tall—is Fort Greene-based noroof Architects. Led by the duo of Margarita McGrath and Scott Oliver, the studio has been developing ingenious ideas that address the space challenges that come with living in a dense city—and they often involve transforming furniture. Jump ahead to learn more about how the pair approach downsized living and designing for families, where they find inspiration, and then get some ideas on how you can make your cramped apartment feel far more capacious.
Meet Margarita and Scott

May 29, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Peter Kaye Keeps the Turntables Spinning at Bleecker Street Records

In the age of streaming music, it may be surprising to learn that not only are record stores still in existence, but millennials are buying more than their fair share of albums. Perhaps it's because records are tangible and there is a movement for feeling and touching items, or maybe it's a natural progression of hipsterdom, but 20-something New Yorkers are buying the same records their parents listened to as well as current chart toppers—yes, even Taylor Swift releases vinyl. One of the happy observers of this resurgence is Peter Kaye, a manager at Bleecker Street Records in the West Village. For the last 18 years, Bleecker Street Records has been a go-to destination for those looking for records, CDs, and "extracurriculars" as Peter calls the posters, patches, pins, and playbills the store carries. While its address no longer matches its name, the musical mission at Bleecker Street Records remains the same. Peter has a very important hand in how the store runs. As both a manager and the LP guy, he's responsible for finding the records and serving as an in-store historian. He's able to put each record into context and explain why it matters, which helps lesser-known albums have their moment in the spotlight. We recently spoke with Peter to find out what it's like to manage a record store in a digital era.
read the interview with him here

May 27, 2015

NYC Households Spend $130 a Month Funding the MTA

Today's dose of disheartening news about the MTA comes via the Daily News, who reports that the debt-ridden city agency collects $4.8 billion a year from city taxpayers through taxes, fees, and the city budget. This comes out to $130 a month for the average New York household, even more than the cost of a monthly Metrocard, according to a new report by Comptroller Scott Stringer. Keep in mind this is in addition to the $5.3 billion they collect from fares and tolls.
Find out more here

May 26, 2015

Report Poorly Parked Cars and Bad Drivers with the ‘TowIt’ App

Few things are as enraging and unnerving as the way New Yorkers drive. And although no one wants to be a tattletale, there's finally a way to help better patrol bad drivers right from our smartphones. Called TowIt, this handy app allows concerned citizens to snap photos of motor violations, geo-tag them, and then send them in real-time for ticketing or towing by law enforcement and city officials.
Find out more and where to download the app

May 26, 2015

Rich NYC Buyers Now Requesting Luxury Panic Rooms

Call it the problems of 0.002 percent, but the Times reports that wealthy buyers are now requesting that "safe rooms" be installed as part of their multi-million dollar buys. Although when most of us envision these spaces we immediately think of the movie "Panic Room" where Jodie Foster and her on-screen daughter are hunkered down in a dark and cold metal encasement with bad lighting, the wealthy by comparison have no interest of slumming it even when under siege. The paper reports that these individuals are now putting their panic rooms in full view, and they're just as cushy as the rest of their ultra-luxe digs.
More on the trend here

MAPPED: Here’s What Americans Love to Eat the Most by State

Though we often chalk American cuisine down to hamburgers and apple pie, in reality folks across the country indulge in foods far more diverse. Foursquare and Mapbox have created a new map that reveals what foods Americans are statistically eating more of in every state. To make the map, they used an algorithm that analyzed Foursquare’s data set of menus, tips, and ratings—which represent stats from some 55 million users and two million businesses worldwide over the span of six years—and zoomed in on the food and drink items that appeared to be "disproportionately popular" across the states. In addition to getting what was uniquely popular to each state, they were also able to use the algorithm to determine just how much more—represented as a percentage—individuals seek out that favored food or drink item as compared to the national average. So, what do New York inhabitants crave the most? Hint: It's not pizza.
FInd out here

City Living

May 15, 2015

What Are New Yorkers Listening To? The Answer May Surprise You

Decades later, and New Yorkers are still gyrating to the tunes of the Rolling Stones. The Journal recently culled the top artists and songs played in bars and restaurants across the city (via e-jukebox vendor TouchTunes) into a map, and they found that although New York is about as diverse as they come, we pretty much all love the same music—or at least groove to the same stuff as we throw back a few.
Find out more here

City Living

May 14, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: ‘Wildman’ Steve Brill Takes Adventurous Folks Foraging in the City’s Parks

In the concrete jungle that is New York City, there's an entire world of wild, yet edible plants and mushrooms. For many, this is likely surprising news, but it's exactly the type of information the aptly named "Wildman" Steve Brill loves to share with New Yorkers. "Wildman" Steve has been foraging New York City's parks and surrounding areas for over 30 years. He even goes so far as to refer to them as his supermarket. However, he didn't always have wild in front of his name. In fact, it was a budding interest in cooking that led him to the edible world. Over the years, his interest blossomed into a business leading foraging tours in New York and beyond, where he introduces newbies to the activity and teaches them about ecology, nature, edible and medicinal plants, and mushrooms. His tours take him through many of New York City's parks including Central Park, Prospect Park, Inwood Hill Park, and Forest Park. "Wildman" Steve has the privilege of working on a regular basis with a wide range of New York schools, universities, institutions and camps, as well as hosting birthday parties for budding naturalists. We recently caught up with "Wildman" to learn all about foraging and the natural world that exists within the city (and even got a few recipes).
Hear about life as a professional NYC forager

May 13, 2015

POLL: Is the Reign of Whole Foods Coming to an End?

Last week, we learned that Whole Foods is planning to open a cheaper chain of stores, targeting millennials and vying to compete with other affordable stores like Trader Joes. And today, the internet is abuzz with the news that a Wegmans grocery store is coming to the Brooklyn Navy Yards. This northeast chain is popular […]

City Living

May 8, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Brian and Andy Marcus Carry On a Three-Generation Photography Tradition

May marks the beginning of wedding season, and for many of us that means attending multiple affairs in a short time frame. For father-and-son photography duo Andy and Brian Marcus, multiple is an understatement. Between now and November, they'll be watching many brides walk down the aisle, they'll capture that moment when grandma goes wild on the dance floor, and most importantly, they'll document those romantic glances between the newlyweds. The Marcus men are carrying on a photography legacy started by Fred Marcus, Andy's father and Brian's grandfather, who opened Fred Marcus Studio in 1941 on the Upper West Side. What began as a small photography studio has grown extensively over the years, becoming not only a sought-after company for baby, bar and bat mitzvah, engagement, and wedding photography, but also a tradition in many New York families. Andy grew up around the studio, began working there after college with his father Fred, and later took over the business. Brian, who's beginning to take over from Andy, is not only carrying on a family business, but doing so at a time when few young people can say they work at a business their grandfather started. The family-oriented nature of the business extends to the clients; it's not uncommon for the Marcus men to have photographed the grandparents' wedding, then their children's milestones, and now their grandchildren. We recently stopped by the studio and spoke to Andy and Brian about carrying on a family legacy and what it takes to capture all the excitement and intimacy of a wedding.
Hear all about life at Fred Marcus Studio here

May 6, 2015

Two Artists Turn Famous U.S. Landmarks into Fun Animations

Looking for a midday mental break? Fix your gaze on these adorable animations created by illustrators Kirk Wallace and Latham Arnott. Using their artistic skills and backgrounds in computer science, the duo have turned a handful of America's most recognizable landmarks—like the Statue of Liberty, The Golden Gate Bridge and Seattle's Space Needle—into wonderful works of art with loads of personality.
more adorable animations this way

May 5, 2015

3D-Printed Hawks and Owls Are Scaring Away NYC Pigeons

Are you in the "rats with wings" camp of not being too fond of New York City pigeons? Well then you'll welcome this modern take on the "pigeon scarecrow." The Observer recently took a look at the 3D-printed hawks and owls from Robox, noting that "they’ve found that pigeons are so frightened by the watchful and intimidating gazes of the 3D printed birds that even the incentive of food isn’t enough to convince stray pigeons to stick around in their presence." But if you happen to be a pigeon lover, have no fear, these little objects are seen as a much better way to curb the spread of diseases from pigeons than traps and repellents.
Find out how you can get your own 3D-printed pigeon scarecrow

May 4, 2015

Westward Ho! More and More New Yorkers Are Moving to Los Angeles

New York and Los Angeles have long been rivals, but while New York has historically emerged as the center of all things cool, the tides seem to be turning. The Times reports that more and more of the city's creatives are turning to Los Angeles as a place to call home, spurring a renaissance in a town once considered a cultural wasteland. No longer is L.A. a sun-soaked land littered with dejected actors and models, but instead it's emerging as a haven for those looking to experiment with their art without struggling to make ends meet. Read: The rents are cheap!
Find out more here

New Yorker Spotlight: Behind the Reference Desk at the New York Public Library with Philip Sutton

Philip Sutton and the Irma and Paul Milstein Division, via NYPL

May 1, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Behind the Reference Desk at the New York Public Library with Philip Sutton

Though we're living in the digital age where we can do a tremendous amount of research online, sometimes we still need the library, and more importantly, the help of an actual person. If you happen to be researching your family or interested in learning the history of a particular building in New York, then perhaps you've stopped by the reference desk at the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy of the New York Public Library and asked librarian Philip Sutton for help. Philip has worked in the Milstein Division for almost five years as a reference librarian. On a daily basis, he takes the journey with New Yorkers looking to learn more about their city and more often than not, to answer deeply personal questions about their families. It's a unique position to be in, and one that he takes very seriously. Originally from London, Philip has a particular expertise in helping people conduct research on building history in New York. He writes blog posts on the topic for the library and teaches a bi-monthly course aptly titled, “Who Lives in a House Like This? How to Research the History of Your New York City Home,” during which he instructs New Yorkers how to get started with their research. We recently spoke to Philip about his role at the library, and, as expected, he was full of helpful resources.
Read our full interview here

May 1, 2015

Public Shaming: New Campaign Uses DNA to Recreate the Faces of Litterbugs

We've all seen those folks who callously toss their garbage into the street when there's a trashcan just ten steps away. While most of us usually remain hush and pick up the slack, there's a group out there that's fed up with litter and they most certainly aren't afraid to point fingers. As part of a campaign developed by Ogilvy to help clean the streets of Hong Kong, activists including Hong Kong Cleanup, Ecozine, and The Nature Conservancy joined forces to give a face—or literally, faces—to the problem plaguing cities worldwide.
find out more about this genius campaign here

April 30, 2015

Hilarious Cartoon Pits NYC Against San Francisco

While we're constantly complaining about rising rents here in New York, it's important to remember that there's still one other place that's got us beat–San Francisco. Though the folks in the City by the Bay may shell out some more Benjamins every month, they also seem to work less, play more, and have an all-around better outlook on life than us... at least according to this hilarious new cartoon series by Sarah Cooper. As the artist says, "After living in New York for 5 years, I recently moved to San Francisco. Neither city is clearly superior, but there are some distinct differences."
See the LOL-worthy differences here

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 4/30-5/6

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 dance party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for ArtNerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers, beginning this evening.

April 30, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 4/30-5/6

By Lori Zimmer

This week, I recommend taking a magical vintage-inspired boat ride set to romantic music, or experiencing old New York with an exhibition at the historic Westbeth Artists Housing's gallery. You can also gawk at the ill-fated Edie Sedgwick's beauty as Andy Warhol's Screen Tests take over Times Square, commemorate the life of urban activist—and Robert Moses nemesis—Jane Jacobs with over 200 free walking tours, or celebrate the vigor of the city with Michael Sorgatz's paintings. Leave your comfort zone and head to New Jersey–zip into Newark for the Gateway Project's ribbon cutting and party, or spend the day taking in the 1 million square feet of art space at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City.
All the best events here

April 30, 2015

Hell’s Kitchen, Once the ‘Wild West,’ Now Undergoing Rapid Gentrification

There's yet to be an exact agreed-upon theory as to where the name Hell's Kitchen came from, but most historians agree that it had something to do with the poor tenement conditions and general filth of the neighborhood in the 19th century. Its reputation didn't get any better in the 20th century, though. After the repeal of prohibition, the area became overrun with organized crime, and until the 1980s it was known as a home base for several gangs. Today, Hell's Kitchen is no longer the "Wild West," but rather a rapidly gentrifying community ripe for new development. A neighborhood profile today in the Times looks at the transformation of the neighborhood, also called Clinton or Midtown West, which is generally defined as the area from Eighth Avenue to the Hudson River between 34th to 59th Streets. Summed up, "New buildings are going up, and older ones are being converted to high-end residences. The development of Hudson Yards and the High Line just to its south and the addition of the Time Warner Center on its northeast border have spurred growth. Prices have gone up but are still generally lower than in surrounding neighborhoods."
Find out more ahead

April 24, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Guy Zoda – a.k.a. King Henry – Entertains Brooklyn Cyclones Fans

Baseball season is back in full swing, and though much of the sports chatter has been about the Mets' strong start and A-Rod's return after a season-long suspension, we have our attention focused on the city's two minor league teams–the Mets- affiliated Brooklyn Cyclones and the Yankees-affiliated Staten Island Yankees. Come June 19th, these two teams will be starting their seasons with a game against each other. With the big game under two months away, Guy Zoda is getting ready to reprise his role in community outreach and promotions for the Brooklyn Cyclones, or, more specifically, as fan favorite King Henry. As an entertainer and performer, Guy came up with the character King Henry years ago. He produced and starred in a community access show called “The King Henry Show,” which aired in 30 cities from New York to Hawaii and won a home video award in 2008. On a whim in the early 2000s, he donned his King Henry costume and made his royal presence known at a Cyclones game. What started out as fun for fans later turned into professional entertaining at home games and a community position with the team. We recently spoke with Guy about Brooklyn, his love for entertaining, and what makes minor league baseball special.
See what King Henry has to say

April 24, 2015

Maps Compare NYC’s Footprint to Other Cities Around the World