Mysterious Brooklyn Heights Brownstone Actually Hides a Secret Underground Portal – PHOTOS

Mysterious Brooklyn Heights Brownstone Actually Hides a Secret Underground Portal – PHOTOS

Walking around Brooklyn Heights, it's hard not to find your gaze captivated by the beautiful, historic brownstones that line the street. But if you've ever found yourself along Joralemon Street, you've probably spotted this bizarre three-story row house with blacked out windows and a massive steel lock holding its door shut. While you may think these are tell-tale signs of a paranoid NYC shut-in, this red brick row home actually conceals a secret portal to the NYC underground!
 

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Ideas City Festival Livens Up the Bowery With Green Installations and Sustainable Fun

Ideas City Festival Livens Up the Bowery With Green Installations and Sustainable Fun

Last weekend, the New Museum's Ideas City Festival brought an action packed array of sustainable events and exhibitions to the Bowery. Visitors marveled as treetops and skyscrapers were brought within arm’s reach by Davidson Rafailidis’ Mirror Mirror installation, while others hung out inside Raumlabor’s inflatable bubble pavilion. Inhabitat joined the hundreds of New Yorkers who enjoyed the sustainable art installations, forums, and creative recycling initiatives - click through our gallery to see what we saw!
 

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Roller Coaster Sunk by Hurricane Sandy Set to Be Removed Next Week

Roller Coaster Sunk by Hurricane Sandy Set to Be Removed Next Week

The famous Jersey Shore roller coaster that ended up in the Atlantic Ocean after Hurricane Sandy is slated to be removed from the waters by this time next week. The coaster, which has since become an iconic symbol of the October 29th storm, will be removed

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Garrison Architects’ Flood-Proof, Modular Beach Buildings Are Coming to NYC This Summer

Garrison Architects’ Flood-Proof, Modular Beach Buildings Are Coming to NYC This Summer

This summer, some of the NYC beaches hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy will get a new start with the opening of 37 flood-proof, prefab lifeguard stations, comfort stations and offices designed by Garrison Architects. After the superstorm, Rockaway Beach, Coney Island, Midland Beach, Wolfe's Pond Park and Cedar Grove were left with just the tattered shambles of what used to be their restrooms and other beach structures. The city knew that it had to rebuild in order to open these popular beaches back to their communities for summer 2013, but fast-tracking the design and construction of these buildings to a matter of months proved to be a challenge. Architect Jim Garrison and his firm were called in to tackle the task, and we're happy to say that they're making impressive progress towards their Memorial Day deadline. We stopped by the Garrison booth yesterday at BKLYN Designs and got to see some 3D models of the modular beach buildings in person. Click through our gallery to see the photos we snapped as well as renderings of the final designs.
 

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Battery Park Conservancy Announces 50 Mobile Seating Designs for Its “Draw Up a Chair” Competition

Battery Park Conservancy Announces 50 Mobile Seating Designs for Its “Draw Up a Chair” Competition

The Battery Conservancy and NYC Parks recently selected the top 50 designs for their “Draw Up a Chair” design competition. The challenge called on students and professionals from around the world to design an iconic movable outdoor seating element for Manhattan’s Battery Park, and the jury will soon select a winner from the 50 contestants. Click through the gallery above see a selection of the designs in the running to become actual chairs in Battery Park!
 

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Announcing the Winners of Inhabitat’s Green Design Awards at BKLYN Designs!

Announcing the Winners of Inhabitat’s Green Design Awards at BKLYN Designs!

We came, we saw, and we wrote all about our favorite green designers at BKLYN Designs 2013, and after 3 days of voting and deliberating, we finally have our winners! This year's crop of locally grown but internationally known furniture, home and environmental designs were some of the most impressive yet, and more than half of the designers showed a commitment to using reclaimed or sustainable materials and processes in their work. It wasn't easy, but we've finally chosen one of these auspicious designs as the winner of our Inhabitat Green Design Editor's Choice Award, and you, the readers, have voiced your choice for the #1 popular vote pick - so read on to find out which two Brooklyn-based designers took home the top prizes!

Annnnnd the winners are...

 

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Awesome Locally-Made Green Designs from BKLYN Designs 2013!

Awesome Locally-Made Green Designs from BKLYN Designs 2013!

BKLYN Designs really wowed us this weekend with over 30 Brooklyn-based designers showcasing their latest work at St. Ann's Warehouse in DUMBO. Inhabitat made the rounds and we were excited to see so many sustainable options. From rustic tables made from recycled aluminium to chairs made from reclaimed wood to adjustable, magnetic lights, we're highlighting some of our favorites from this year's show. Check them all out ahead!
 

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1 World Trade Center Topped Off, Now the Tallest Building in the Western Hemisphere

1 World Trade Center Topped Off, Now the Tallest Building in the Western Hemisphere

Nearly twelve years after the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers fell, construction workers have finally topped off 1 World Trade Center with an iconic spire. The capping of the 1,776-foot-tall building brings the structure to its full height, adding what

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New York City Council to Give Green Light to Cornell’s Tech Campus

New York City Council to Give Green Light to Cornell’s Tech Campus

Back in March the NYC Planning Commission approved plans for Cornell’s new tech campus located on Roosevelt Island – and now it looks like the university is about to jump its final hurdle. The City Council just announced that it will vote to approve the 2-million-square-foot

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New Museum Censors Controversial Crytome Posters Questioning Gentrification of the Bowery

New Museum Censors Controversial Crytome Posters Questioning Gentrification of the Bowery

When architects John Young and Deborah Natsios of Cryptome were asked to create a work of art in collaboration with the New Museum and the Bowery Mission to debut at this past weekend's StreetFest, they didn't expect to be censored. The series of eight crafted panels-- titled “Partywall”-- questioned the relationship between the Bowery Mission, its neighbor the New Museum, and the rapidly changing character of the Bowery. Unfortunately, the artwork never made it in front of the street festival audience. The eight Partywall panels were installed April 30 and were still in place at 3pm May 2, over 48hrs later. They were removed sometime in the following 24hrs, by 1pm May 3, after Young and Natsios we were told by Bowery Mission that the New Museum had sent them an email questioning the project.
 

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Show Off Your Upcycled Art and Designs at reMADE NYC’s Pop-Up Gallery!

Show Off Your Upcycled Art and Designs at reMADE NYC’s Pop-Up Gallery!

Calling all green designers, artists and creators! reMade NYC, a New York–based art, design and innovation studio, is looking for local designers to showcase at their upcoming pop-up gallery show taking place the week of May 19–26. They’re looking for

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PHOTOS: Peek Inside the Sweet Walls of the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg

PHOTOS: Peek Inside the Sweet Walls of the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg

With Two Trees Management set to transform Brooklyn's famed Domino Sugar Refinery into an affordable housing complex, there isn't much time left to enjoy it in its original state. Luckily, arts organization Creative Time gave the old factory a chance to shine by opening its sticky-sweet doors to hundreds of guests for its annual gala. The cavernous warehouse has yet to be gutted, and still bears a thick coating of burnt sugar on its ceilings and walls, filling the space with a delightful saccharine scent. We joined in on this unique opportunity to experience the factory one last time - check out our photo gallery to follow along!
 

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Rockwell Group Unveils Plans to Build Treehouse-Inspired Playground in Brownsville

Rockwell Group Unveils Plans to Build Treehouse-Inspired Playground in Brownsville

This week, the Rockwell Group announced exciting plans to build a treehouse-inspired Imagination Playground in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Brownsville. The firm is working with NYC Parks to transform a 1.5-acre section of Betsy Head Park into an active

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“Under the Elevated” Seeks to Transform Space Beneath NYC Bridges and Subways into Usable, Non-Scary Areas

“Under the Elevated” Seeks to Transform Space Beneath NYC Bridges and Subways into Usable, Non-Scary Areas

The High Line made a name for itself by turning land atop an elevated rail line into a flourishing park, but can the same be done for spaces underneath these kinds of structures? The Design Trust for Public Space is embarking on a plan to transform areas under

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$10 Two-Bedroom Apartment Deal Comes Through for Old Mars Bar Tenants

$10 Two-Bedroom Apartment Deal Comes Through for Old Mars Bar Tenants

In an expensive city like New York, $10 doesn’t get you much. But for nine tenants who occupied two small buildings along Second Avenue for decades, their ten bucks will buy them a two bedroom, tax-free apartment in a fancy pants luxury high-rise. The tenants

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Viral Voices Panel Will Explore the Impact of Social Media, Technology and Device Culture on the Design Process

Viral Voices Panel Will Explore the Impact of Social Media, Technology and Device Culture on the Design Process

JOIN US Thursday, May 2nd, 2013, in NYC!

There’s no question that social media and mobile devices have a daily impact upon our lives – but what effects do these relatively recent technologies have on the design process? Next week, the AIANY Global

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GIVEAWAY: Win This Fun Secret Compartment Cabinet + a Copy of DIY Book Past and Present!

GIVEAWAY: Win This Fun Secret Compartment Cabinet + a Copy of DIY Book Past and Present!

What do Victorian-style taxidermy, the Palladian columns of our government buildings and terrariums have in common? Besides being fascinating, they're all included in Past & Present, a new book by Amy Azzarito that takes 24 special moments in decorative arts history and turns them into modern DIY projects that you can create for your own home! You might recognize Amy as the managing editor of one of Inhabitat's favorite websites, Design*Sponge, and she's channeled all of her interior decor expertise as well as her rolodex of famous design personalities like Todd Oldham, Jonathan Adler, and Grace Bonney into this entertaining and educational read. The team behind Past & Present is offering Inhabitat readers the opportunity to win one of the most popular DIY projects from the book - the one-of-a-kind hidden compartment cabinet you see above - as well as a copy of the book itself, so read on to see how you can score this amazing prize bundle!
 

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Abandoned Rockaway Courthouse to Be Resurrected into State-of-the-Art Hospital

Abandoned Rockaway Courthouse to Be Resurrected into State-of-the-Art Hospital

Rockaway Courthouse has sat empty for decades, but plans are now in the works to give it new life as a much-needed hospital in a community that faced the 2012 closure of a major health center, not to mention the blows of Hurricane Sandy. Mayor Michael Bloomberg

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One World Trade Center Set to Become Tallest Building in Western Hemisphere Today

One World Trade Center Set to Become Tallest Building in Western Hemisphere Today

Edit: As of mid-morning, 1 WTC’s plan to become the tallest building in the western hemisphere today was scrapped due to high winds but the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the completing pieces of the structure will be lifted at a later date.

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See Caleb Zipperer’s Modern Tetris-Inspired Furniture at BKLYN Designs 2013

See Caleb Zipperer’s Modern Tetris-Inspired Furniture at BKLYN Designs 2013

With BKLYN Designs 2013 just around the corner, we’ve been tooting the horns of some of our favorite NYC-based green designers who will present their work at the fair this year — and we’re excited to announce that Caleb Zipperer will be on the scene with

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INTERVIEW: David Maundrell Gives Us the Scoop on aptsandlofts.com’s Beautifully Renovated Cobble Hill Office

INTERVIEW: David Maundrell Gives Us the Scoop on aptsandlofts.com’s Beautifully Renovated Cobble Hill Office

Most people know aptsandlofts.com as a go-to resource when searching for prime New York City real estate, so it makes sense that its digs are just as impressive as the ones it offers up to clients. The Brooklyn-based company recently opened up its second street-level office at 236 Court St. in Cobble Hill, and the beautifully renovated 2,000 sq. ft. space retains much of the character of its former life as a grocery store while showcasing the work of local brands and contractors. We recently got a chance to pick the brain of aptandlofts.com founder (and born-and-raised Brooklynite) David Maundrell about his elegant new storefront, the demand for green homes in New York City and the Brooklyn Brownstone boom. Read on for his thoughts and to see photos of the space's double-height, brick-walled interior.
 

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All the Buildings in New York is a Delightful Collection of Drawings Illustrating NY Architecture

All the Buildings in New York is a Delightful Collection of Drawings Illustrating NY Architecture

When Australian illustrator James Gulliver Hancock first moved to New York, he decided the best way to get acclimated was to sketch out the iconic architecture that he saw all around him. His intricate drawings and watercolor paintings gave him a chance to stop and smell the brownstone amidst the hustle and bustle of his new city. Now Hancock has shared his delightful architectural sketches in a new book called “All the Buildings in New York,” which aims to make the big city more relatable, one architectural gem at a time.
 

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This Charming West Village Townhouse Boasts a Backyard Treehouse Above Its Garden

This Charming West Village Townhouse Boasts a Backyard Treehouse Above Its Garden

New York apartments come with all kinds of amenities, but it's not every day that you see one with its own treehouse! Nestled in the city's West Village, this lovely townhouse recently became available on the market and offers the perfect melding of city living with an escape to nature right in the back yard. Buyers attracted to the charm of this local jewel should expect to pay a pretty penny for a home with a bit of green real estate attached. The listing price for this treasure we discovered via Curbed NY is a whopping $5,995,000, but click through the gallery to take your own (free) tour.
 

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Mayor Bloomberg Announces Kingsbridge Armory to Be Transformed into World’s Largest Indoor Ice Facility

Mayor Bloomberg Announces Kingsbridge Armory to Be Transformed into World’s Largest Indoor Ice Facility

This morning, Mayor Bloomberg announced plans to transform the Bronx’s Kingsbridge Armory into the world’s largest indoor ice facility. The design calls for the historic landmark, which has been vacant since 1996, to be redeveloped into the Kingsbridge National

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PHOTOS: Spiraling SeaGlass Carousel Will Let You Ride Giant Glass Fishes in Battery Park

PHOTOS: Spiraling SeaGlass Carousel Will Let You Ride Giant Glass Fishes in Battery Park

Visitors to Battery Park will soon be able to enjoy a swirling, aquatic-themed carousel in addition to the stellar views of the Statue of Liberty. Called SeaGlass, the oceanic attraction was designed by WXY Architecture for The Battery Conservancy, and promises to be an experience of movement, light and sound. Inhabitat was on the scene last week as workers placed the last panel on SeaGlass's roof, and while the sea creatures themselves aren't yet in place, you can flip through our gallery to get a closer look at this enchanting upcoming structure.
 

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