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If you're staying in the city over this long Labor Day weekend, start September off right by giving in to your cultural lust. Head to Times Square to sample the newest art film for #MidnightMoment or kick off the reopening of galleries with DUMBO's first Thursday Gallery Walk of the season. Sample artist Boy Kong's museum-influenced show at Gitler and the Affordable Art Fair, or hit up one of the Metropolitan Opera's free screenings al fresco outside of Lincoln Center. You can also experience Washington Square Park as Jackson Pollock did with the annual outdoor art exhibition, and combine two things you never thought would mix at the Public Address Gallery: conceptual art and karaoke. And don't forget the long-standing multi-cultural tradition of the epic West Indian-American Day Carnival and Parade (bring feathers and glitter!).
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

August 25, 2015

My 770sqft: Tour a Media Executive’s Urban Zen Upper West Side Apartment

By Alyssa Alimurung

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 the Upper West Side. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch! Carlos Alimurung has been calling Manhattan home for nearly all of his life; he's lived in Midtown East, the West Village, and today he can be found in the Upper West Side. But for Carlos, the neighborhood is more than just a place to lay his head. Rather, he feels a very special connection with it: his parents met at a party there in the 1970s and he has fond memories of eating freshly sliced hot pastrami at Zabar's as a kid. As such, in 2007, while hunting for a new home to settle into, Carlos decided to replant his roots along 88th Street in a one-bedroom apartment in a pre-war condo conversion. As a media executive and a passionate traveler, Carlos has been around the globe and back, collecting art, baubles and all sorts of worldly items along the way. But while world travelers are often susceptible to hoarding goods, Carlos has created an ultra-zen space in the city that feels like a museum without all the "do not touch" signs. From the South American and Asian artifacts he's collected during his expat days to mementos from his parents' time living in NYC to gifts from the friends he's met on his journeys, see how this cultured minimalist has outfitted his 770-square-foot Upper West Side pad.
Tour this well-traveled residence

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 8/13-8/19

Image via Amusing Planet

August 13, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 8/13-8/19

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 end of week picks for 6sqft readers! This week, time travel to relive two iconic, yet very different, New York moments. Head to Times Square to recreate the 1945 sailor kiss that became famous on the cover of LIFE Magazine, or scoot up to the Bronx for the restaging of City Maze, the seminal exhibition from 1980 during the dawn of street art. Revive Marcel Duchamp at the Queens Museum, experience the exciting new present of an art-infused South Street Seaport, or get a glimpse of the future by spotting a dude walking around in an air conditioned suit (we swear it's art). You can live in the now and see what Brooklyn’s Cotton Candy Machine is up to, or see if athletes can really cut it in contemporary art.
All the best events to check out here

Events & Things To Do

August 7, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Lori Pailet of Aquaskills on Teaching Water-Fearing Adults to Swim

Like many who work in the Financial District, Lori Pailet heads to work before the sun is up. But instead of jumping into an early meeting at an investment bank or law office, Lori meets her clients poolside for a morning dip. As the owner and director of Aquaskills, she spends her days helping New Yorkers reach their aquatic potential. A former artist and designer, Lori has been sharing her passion for swimming since Aquaskills was founded in the early 2000s. She is driven by a desire to help individuals engage safely and happily with the water. Through her hard work and determination, the school has become a go-to for all walks of life looking to learn to swim for the first time, or refine their technique. Along with a team of trained instructors, Lori offers a wide range of classes and lessons depending on skill level, but specializes in adults who either have aquaphobia or who never even learned to dog paddle. Lori was even featured in a NY Times piece last summer about aquaphobia, the story following drummer Attis Clopton as he overcame his fear of water. We spoke with Lori to find out more on her own journey into the pool, and how she approaches those learning to swim for the first time.
Read our interview with Lori here

July 31, 2015

Documenting the Changing Coney Island Boardwalk; Potholes Cost Taxpayers $138M in Six Years

By Alyssa Alimurung

Photo essay by Nathan Kensinger documents the changing Coney Island boardwalk. [Curbed] The city’s 10 oldest surviving commercial real estate dynasties. [BisNow] Thomas Heatherwick’s designs may be unique and evocative (just look at the renderings for his Pier 55 floating park), but at what price? [NYTimes] A new infographic from the Design Trust links urban agriculture to positive […]

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July 10, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Doug Steinberg Keeps the Doors Open at 110-Year-Old New York Central Art Supply

In 1905, Benjamin Steinberg opened up a store on Third Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets. Little did he know then that one day artists like Willem de Kooning would walk through its doors. For the last 110 years, New York Central Art Supply has served the needs of New York's amateur and professional artists. Three generations of the Steinberg family have supplied paper, paints, brushes, and canvases to everyone from first-year art students to Keith Haring. And over the last year, Doug Steinberg, Benjamin's great-grandson, has taken a more active role at New York Central, planning for the store's future. While Doug never formally joined the family business (he currently owns and runs his own company), New York Central has been a constant in his life. He says he's worked there "on and off since I was born," and has a deep appreciation for what his great-grandfather started and his father Steve grew in the '60s and '70s. We recently spoke with Doug to learn about New York Central's rich history, why so many well-known artists purchased and continue to purchase supplies here, and how the store is preparing for its 21st century evolution.
Read the interview right here

Get to Know Chinatown Through These Iconic Cultural, Gastronomic and Architectural Spots

Image by Madhu Nair via Flickr

July 1, 2015

Get to Know Chinatown Through These Iconic Cultural, Gastronomic and Architectural Spots

By Shiloh Frederick

Back in March, we took a look at how Chinatown is predicted to undergo rapid changes within the next decade, transforming it into another haven for hipsters and real estate developers. As of right now, these changes are hard to see–luxury condos like Hester Gardens stand alone among the array of colorful shops and signs covered in Chinese characters. In fact, a past poll shows that readers are equally divided on Chinatown's future. As with all gentrifying neighborhoods, one of residents' biggest fears is that the neighborhood will lose the cultural characteristics that make it unique. With this in mind, we're taking stock of the iconic places that make Chinatown what it is. We've highlighted some of the neighborhood's best restaurants and shops (think Economy Candy and Joe's Shanghai), along with a few standout structures (the largest Buddhist temple in New York City, to name just one) that make this neighborhood unlike any other in the city.
See which places made the list here

Food & Dining

June 30, 2015

My 800sqft: A Cute Design Couple Fill Their Ridgewood Railroad Apartment with Whimsy

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 Ridgewood, Queens. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch! Few neighborhoods have gotten as much buzz in the past year as Ridgewood. Considered the next frontier for cool kids getting priced out of hip areas like Williamsburg and Bushwick, Ridgewood sits at the top of NYC's list of ones to watch. But even with all the hoopla, how many of you actually know someone who lives off this stretch of the L? In our latest installment of My sqft, we meet Sean and Liz, a couple of Greenpoint expats who've made their way into a beautiful, historic brick construction along a peaceful block in the heart of this up-and-comer. Living large in a very bright and airy 800-square-foot railroad apartment, these two really don't face the same space challenges that plague the rest of us New Yorkers, and as such they've found the freedom to infuse their space with lots of personality (toy bunnies, illustrations of "nerd weapons" and quirky art from across the globe) and all the furniture they've collected over the last decade (lots of covetable mid-century modern pieces and antiques). Jump ahead to meet this perky pair and see how they've created that perfect old-meets-new-meets-endearing balance that we all strive for but pretty much have no clue how to make happen in our own homes.
Go inside their adorable home here

June 11, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 6/11-6/17

This week I invite you to enjoy a free glass of wine while getting to know my curatorial side at the Roger Smith Hotel in Midtown. A shameless self-promotion, I'm excited to bring the work of Mark John Smith before the eyes of 47th Street. If you don't feel like meeting me, you can still catch Smith's work along with his colleagues on Rivington Street, or sample an interactive experience at the Park Avenue Armory. This week you can also catch a sample of short films about street dancing (What time is it? IT'S SHOW TIME!), or gear up on the joys of tech and design at the Hudson 3D fest in Lower Manhattan. Saturday, get outside and celebrate street art in Astoria, or take Van Alen-led tours of Central Park.
All the best events here

Events & Things To Do

June 4, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 6/4-6/10

Kim Gordon, the unstoppable, inspirational Jane-of-all-trades leads the week with the opening of her latest fine art exhibition—as if playing in two bands and penning a best-selling memoir were not enough already. Novice art collectors can have their day at Cotton Candy for their very popular annual Tiny Trifecta, where all works by renowned artists are just $100. And being thrifty is in the air with the Museum Mile Festival which is offering free admission to nine museums along 5th Avenue. But if art isn't your thing, there's still lots more to do: get cultured with a French flick in Washington Square Park, or schooled at Lost Lectures as it returns to a secret, former ship-building warehouse somewhere in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
All the best events here

Events & Things To Do

Fantasy Floorplans Bring to Life Your Favorite TV Show Homes from ‘Friends’ to ‘Mad Men’

Monica and Rachel’s apartment from “Friends” © Brandi Roberts/Fantasy Floorplans

May 29, 2015

Fantasy Floorplans Bring to Life Your Favorite TV Show Homes from ‘Friends’ to ‘Mad Men’

Do you get distracted watching your favorite television shows because you're too busy trying to figure out Don Draper's address or how the heck Monica and Rachel afford that massive Greenwich Village apartment? If so, we've got the perfect piece of wall art for you. Fantasy Floorplans (h/t Bezar) are hand-drawn blueprints of the apartments and homes in your favorite TV shows. From "Friends" to "Mad Men" to "Sex and the City" to "The Jeffersons," tons of popular NYC-based television shows are included. And for our friends outside the big apple, the floorplans cover locations throughout the country from shows that aired as far back as the 1950s.
Find out more ahead

May 21, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 5/21-5/27

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, beginning tonight! It's almost Memorial Day, which means your weekend is probably already chock full of picnics, barbecues and outdoor drinking activities. But in case it isn't, we've rounded up some arty- and some Memorial Day-themed activities to keep the long weekend packed full of fun. Cool off with some public art in Brooklyn Bridge Park, be the first to hop over to Governors Island this season, or see Tom Cruise on the deck of the Intrepid. You can also get outside of your borough comfort zone and head to Far Rockaway to celebrate surf and photography, hear from some women in downtown rock, or try out your best dance moves at a hip hop party sponsored by the Museum of the City of New York. Then round out the weekend with the serenity—and opulence—of Buddhist art from Kashmir. There, weekend sorted.
All the best events here

Events & Things To Do

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

New Yorker Spotlight: Getting the Scoop with Jennie Dundas of Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream

Blue Marble co-founders Alexis Gallivan (L) and Jennie Dundas (R) in one of their scoop shops, via Blue Marble

April 17, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Getting the Scoop with Jennie Dundas of Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream

Spring may have taken its time this year, but the sun is shining, the trees are finally starting to bloom, and this means one thing–it's officially ice cream season. If you're looking for the perfect local scoop, which also happens to be consciously sourced and organic, then you might just stop by Blue Marble Ice Cream's Cobble Hill or Prospect Heights shops or pick up one of their pints on your next grocery store trip. Blue Marble Ice Cream was co-founded in 2007 by former roommates turned entrepreneurs Jennie Dundas and Alexis Gallivan. For Jennie and Alexis, who originally connected on Craiglist, a love of ice cream inspired them to open a scoop shop. And while neither had a business background, they were determined and opened up in Brooklyn. Fast forward several years, and Blue Marble is ready to expand nationwide after being picked up by a number of major supermarket chains. On a local scale, they're part of a wave of businesses helping to transform Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, something of which the company is extremely proud. We recently spoke with Jennie to get the scoop on Blue Marble's founding, its headquarters in Industry City, and of course, to find out why ice cream is everyone's favorite warm-weather (or year-round!) treat.
Read our interview with Jennie here

April 14, 2015

Enormous ‘Authentic and Locally Curated’ Food Hall Coming to Downtown Brooklyn

Amongst the city's more delectable real estate news comes word that the developer of City Point has plans to bring a 26,000-square-foot foodie haven to their massive Downtown Brooklyn project. Dubbed the Dekalb Market Hall, the space will host somewhere between 35 and 55 "authentic and locally curated" vendors at the basement level of the 1.8-million-square-foot mixed-use development along Dekalb Avenue. Though leasing is still in the works, more than a handful of food purveyors have already signed on to stir what's sure to be a culinary revolution for an area more commonly associated with chains like Starbucks and Applebee's. So yes, put your best sweatpants on, friends, there will be artisanal doughnuts and barbecue.
More on who's moving in

Real Estate Trends

April 13, 2015

VIDEO: RuPaul Takes Us Around the 1980s Meatpacking District and the Jane Hotel

We know all about the Meatpacking District's beginnings as the Gansevoort Market and the epicenter of meat marketers, as well as its current status as a burgeoning office tower district, but in the 1980s, this neighborhood was one to which most people didn't pay much mind. It was fairly run down, with its industrial tenants having moved out, and became notorious for prostitution, sex clubs, and drug dealing. But there was much more to the area, including an accepting LGBT community and a downtown music and entertainment scene. In this video we found from 1986, a young RuPaul takes us into his penthouse suite at the Jane Hotel, then known as the Jane West Hotel and far seedier than it is today, as well as walks around the gritty streets of the Meatpacking District and into his friend's 9th Avenue rowhouse, which will undoubtedly look familiar to anyone who's walked these cobblestone streets.
Watch the video here

History

My 500sqft: Artist Hector Castaneda Invites Us into His Spanish Harlem One-Bedroom ‘Museum’

Our new 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 Spanish Harlem. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch!

April 8, 2015

My 500sqft: Artist Hector Castaneda Invites Us into His Spanish Harlem One-Bedroom ‘Museum’

Located in an unassuming low-rise walk-up in Spanish Harlem is a tiny apartment with no views, a small living room, and thousands of pieces of one-of-a-kind art from around the world. Its owner, Hector Castaneda, is a world traveller who's visited more than 50 countries over the last 15 years. While most folks are happy simply snapping a few photos and heading home after a week or two, Hector is all about immersion and spends months at a time in some of the world's most exotic and extreme locales. As Hector travels the world he picks up art, tapestry, sculptures, furniture, and musical instruments from every country, which today magically fill every nook and cranny of his 500-square-foot apartment. "He is the only person I know who can turn a dingy walk-up building apartment into a work of art—it's really a private New York Museum and Hector is the curator," his friend Lisa Monroig told us. Once we heard that, we knew we had to pay him a visit.
Tour this miniature museum in the heart of Spanish Harlem here

April 3, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Meet the Human Behind The Dogist, Elias Weiss Friedman

Elias Weiss Friedman has devoted himself to photographing everyday New Yorkers. His subjects are diverse, come in all shapes and sizes, and they also happen to be dogs. In a city that is estimated to have 600,000 dogs, it's only fitting that Elias developed The Dogist, a photo-documentary series capturing New York's four-legged friends. His work highlights the canines that bring so much character to the city, yet rarely get the recognition they deserve. As a photographer, blogger, and "dog humanitarian," Elias is committed to introducing the Big Apple's dogs to the world. We recently caught up with Elias to find out how The Dogist came to be, and to find out what it takes for a pup to grab his attention.
Our interview with The Dogist here

March 21, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Construction Update: COOKFOX’s 855 Sixth Avenue Tops Off, Ties for City’s ‘Shortest Skyscraper’ Supermodel Freja Beha Erichsen Snags a Stunning $3M Carroll Gardens Townhouse Move Over Brooklyn, Hoboken Is the Hipster Capital of America Sales Launch at the Long-Awaited 52 Lispenard Street in Tribeca Railfan Atlas Maps Train Porn Photos from All Over the World […]

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New Yorker Spotlight: Paleontologist Mark Norell Spends His Days with Dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History

Photo © AMNH

February 27, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Paleontologist Mark Norell Spends His Days with Dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History

While the closest to dinosaurs most of us come is plastic toys and the occasional viewing of Jurassic Park, Mark Norell gets up close and personal with these prehistoric creatures on a daily basis, and it's fair to say he has one of the most interesting jobs in New York. As the division chair and curator-in-charge of the American Museum of Natural History’s Division of Paleontology and professor at Richard Gilder Graduate School, Mark's work is very exciting. He studies not just dinosaurs, but a wide range of fossils from various time periods, and conducts research that benefits our understanding of both the prehistoric and modern world. And an extra perk of the job is surely his office–he occupies the entire top floor of the museum's historic turret on the corner of 77th Street and Central Park West (we don't recall Ross Geller getting an office like that!). We recently spoke with Mark to learn more about paleontology and what it's like to work at the museum.
Read the full interview here

February 20, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Min Liao of Whole Foods on Ditching Take-Out and Cooking Fresh at Home

For many, Whole Foods still automatically means "Whole Paycheck," but Min Liao is set on changing our thinking that fresh, organic food and fine dining are reserved for just a few. Min is the Culinary Center director at the Whole Foods Market (WFM) on Bowery and the brains behind the school's incredible course offering where menus range from handmade pasta dishes to "Les Essentiels-Chocolate" and whipping up eggs the way the Israelis do. The center is a delight designed specifically for the average New Yorker, focusing on growing culinary confidence, even in a small kitchen that might not have all the right tools. And best of all? The classes are inexpensive and often cost no more than $50. (There are even free ones!) We recently caught up with Min to find out how she got into the business of food and to find out what makes the WFM Culinary Center different from other cooking schools in the city. Keep reading for our interview ahead, and if you want to give a class a try, enter our latest giveaway. Min and her team are hosting a "Dumplings of the World" private cooking class for eight 6sqft readers at the center (enter here).
Let's get cookin' with Min here

January 29, 2015

Bushwick Buzz: A Look at the Neighborhood That’s Dethroned Williamsburg as Brooklyn’s Most Hipster

By Lauren Price

Of Brooklyn's gentrifying neighborhoods, few have seen such rapid change as Bushwick. The neighborhood, which sits in the northern portion of the borough, running from Flushing Avenue to Broadway to Conway Street and the Cemetery of the Evergreens, has grown as a natural extension of Williamsburg—a haven for creatives and young folks looking for lower rents. But well before its trendy vibe put it on the map, Bushwick was a forested enclave originally settled by the Dutch—its name is derived from a Dutch word "Boswijck,"defined as “little town in the woods”—and later, German immigrants who began building breweries and factories. Unfortunately, as the breweries along Brewer’s Row and factories closed and farms disappeared, derelict buildings and crime took hold—with the looting, arson and rioting after the city’s blackout during the summer of 1977 playing a starring role. According to the New York Times, "In a five-year period in the late 1960s and early 70s, the Bushwick neighborhood was transformed from a neatly maintained community of wood houses into what often approached a no man's land of abandoned buildings, empty lots, drugs and arson.”
More on Bushwick's past... and present

History

January 23, 2015

Take a Private Tour of the Long Island City Elevator Historical Society Museum This Weekend