Morgana Matus | Inhabitat New York City

Did New York Largely Ignore 30-Year-Old Warnings About Hurricane Sandy?

They say hindsight is 20/20, but what if we had been warned about Hurricane Sandy as far back as thirty years ago? A report by AP now shows that New York actually began working on new legislation to prepare for scenarios that seem strangely similar to what

MTA Announces Free H Shuttle Train to the Rockaways

Finally, a bit of good news for folks in the Rockaways. After facing several more months of delayed service due to Hurricane Sandy, the MTA launched a temporary, free “H Shuttle” this morning between the Far Rockaway-Mott Ave. station and Beach 90th Street. “The A train tracks from Howard Beach to the Rockaways were almost completely destroyed by the storm, and replacing them is a tremendous undertaking,” explained Governor Cuomo today. “While that work continues, this new shuttle service will help improve travel for people in the Rockaways who are still recovering from Sandy’s effects.”

Maniac Pumpkin Carvers Create Spectacular and Spooky Jack-O-Lanterns in NYC

New York artists Marc Evan and Chris Soria began their pumpkin carving business, Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, eight years ago in an effort to tap local bars and restaurants during autumn. What resulted was a booming reputation that brought in commissions from big

NY Department of Health Finds Lead Contamination in Locally-Sourced Eggs

New Yorkers may have more to worry about than their cholesterol when sitting down to their next plate of eggs. After testing eggs sourced from chickens in NYC neighborhood gardens, the New York State Department of Health found that many from Brooklyn, the

Michigan Woman Creates Tree-Hugging 9/11 Memorial Plaques That Expand as Trees Grow

One of the most striking features of New York City’s 9/11 Memorial is the hundreds of swamp white oaks trees that symbolize birth and renewal. The memorial’s planners wanted to find a way to place plaques honoring those who lost their lives in the tragedy

MTA Puts Ads on Fronts of NYC MetroCards to Raise Revenue

As of this Sunday, New Yorkers will see ads on the fronts of their MetroCards as well as the backs. The change will be an extra way for the MTA to raise funds for the subway system without having to print large posters or find additional ad real estate on

Barclay Tower to Be NYC’s First Intelligent Energy Storage-Powered High Rise Building

Glenwood Management announced last week that Manhattan’s Barclay Tower will become the first battery-based, intelligent energy storage high rise in NYC. The tower will feature the Joule.System™, developed by Demand Energy Networks, Inc., which is capable

The Newtown Creek Armada Launches Radio-Controlled Boats Down a Polluted NYC Superfund Waterway

A Superfund site is not the first place one would think of to host an art installation. Yet, that is exactly where Nathan Kensinger, Laura Chipley, and Sarah Nelson Wright are staging their interactive piece, “The Newtown Creek Armada“. Located along the border of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City, Newtown Creek’s water is some of the most polluted in the United States, appearing more as a mass of oily sludge than a clear liquid. Throughout the month of September, the artists will deploy nine remote-controlled boats with GoPro cameras on board, inviting the public to drive them down the stretch of muck in an effort to raise awareness and encourage restoration.

Feedback Farms is a High-Tech Brooklyn Garden That Tells Farmers How Much Water It Needs

Enjoy a little technology with your tomatoes or some code with your cucumbers? Brooklyn-based Feedback Farms is bringing cultivation into the computer age by using sensor-embedded planters that remotely monitor the soil conditions of their vegetable beds. The

Eco-Friendly “Bright N’ Green” Condos Coming Soon to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn

Sustainable homes have been popping up in many Brooklyn nabes and now a new eco-condo complex called Bright N’ Green is putting Brighton Beach on the sustainable property map too. The 15,000 square foot, NYC Green Property-certified building by Scarano

The Abandoned Bike Project Showcases NYC’s Neglected Bicycles as Art

Abandoned bicycles are a common sight on the streets of New York City, but now these forgotten eyesores are being given a second life as artwork through the Abandoned Bike Project. Started as a joint venture between WNYC, the city’s Department of Sanitation

Artist Mia Liu Recycles 1000s of Guggenheim Museum Admission Tickets into Astonishing Works of Art

In her work, Mia Liu enjoys exploring the hidden world of every day objects. By examining mundane items through a different angle, like these thousands of admission tickets to the Guggenheim, Liu reconstructs the simple and ordinary into the elaborate. As