Russell Simmons Wants to Open Quality Access Groceries to Combat Food Deserts in NYC

Russell Simmons Wants to Open Quality Access Groceries to Combat Food Deserts in NYC

Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons has his sights set on tackling food deserts in New York City by bringing quality food to low-income neighborhoods. Simmons has teamed up with Hajj Hasaun Muhammad and his partner Luanna Williams to launch “Quality Access Grocery,”

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NYC’s “Stop Idling” Campaign Cracks Down on Drivers at Schools with Highest Asthma Rates

NYC’s “Stop Idling” Campaign Cracks Down on Drivers at Schools with Highest Asthma Rates

NYC is stepping up its commitment to reducing kids’ exposure to pollutants by implementing a “Stop Idling” campaign at some of the city’s most trafficked schools. Commissioner Carter Strickland of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently

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Can Mayor Bloomberg’s Steel Panels Save New York From Flooding During the Next Super Storm?

Can Mayor Bloomberg’s Steel Panels Save New York From Flooding During the Next Super Storm?

With only seven months before he makes his final departure from his post as mayor, there is speculation that Mayor Bloomberg wants to end his term by building barriers along they NYC waterfront to protect against future storms. A number of sources say that

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Airbnb Rentals Deemed Illegal in NYC by Judge

Airbnb Rentals Deemed Illegal in NYC by Judge

Airbnb has proven to be an invaluable resource for visitors to New York City, but a court ruling is now flipping the short-term apartment rental service on its head. An NYC judge recently found that a local resident who rented out his condominium through

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Souda’s Luminous Bubble Chandelier is Made From Bottles Collected by NYC’s Homeless

Souda’s Luminous Bubble Chandelier is Made From Bottles Collected by NYC’s Homeless

Inhabitat was really excited to see Brooklyn’s own Souda in person at this year’s ICFF. The young collective’s gorgeous Bubble Chandelier is not only made from recycled soda bottles, but also provides jobs to New York City’s homeless population. Souda works with non-profit SURE WE CAN’s homeless-friendly bottle redemption center to source the bottles, giving a portion back to the homeless population that collects them.

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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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6 Perfect Picnic Spots to Visit in NYC

6 Perfect Picnic Spots to Visit in NYC

You don’t have to leave town in order to escape from the hustle and bustle of NYC life. There are plenty of fabulous picnic spots right in the 5 boroughs to bring a few sammiches and a bottle of wine to unwind for the day. Bring your checkered blanket to Prospect Park or hit the trails for an adventurous hike up Moses Mountain. Wherever you decide to park your picnic basket, click through our gallery to discover our favorite city park escapes.

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Expanded Free Ferry Service to Red Hook Kicks Off Memorial Day Weekend!

Expanded Free Ferry Service to Red Hook Kicks Off Memorial Day Weekend!

Looking for something fun to do this summer in NYC? How about a free ferry ride that also supports a neighborhood that was knocked off its feet after Hurricane Sandy? Mayor Bloomberg joined other city officials this week to announce the launch of a free Red

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Today is Bike to Work Day in New York!

Today is Bike to Work Day in New York!

Photo from Shutterstock

Throw your suit in a messenger bag and strap on your helmet because today is Bike to Work Day! Thousands of New Yorkers will be trading in their car, bus or subway commutes for a zero-energy alternative that is also a blast – and

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Greenpoint, Brooklyn Residents Surprisingly Don’t Hate Mysterious Crowing Rooster

Greenpoint, Brooklyn Residents Surprisingly Don’t Hate Mysterious Crowing Rooster

It’s not the sounds of the city or early morning trash removal that forces some Greenpoint, Brooklyn residents out of bed in the morning. Instead, a neighborhood rooster has become a local town favorite by bringing a bit of the countryside to the Kingsborough.

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Salad Wheel Cooks Up Tasty Vegan Lunch Options Inside a Former Bushwick Nightclub

Salad Wheel Cooks Up Tasty Vegan Lunch Options Inside a Former Bushwick Nightclub

What should I have for lunch? It's a simple question, but one that had many Bushwickians on the hunt for healthy, meat-free options scratching their heads for quite some time now. Entrepreneur Kevin Reynolds saw the lack of nutritious, on-the-go food around the Myrtle Ave. station in Brooklyn, and decided to fill the gap with a new vegan-centric eatery and juice bar offering tasty wraps, salads, drinks and more. Called Salad Wheel, the warm and friendly restaurant features a "modern rustic farmhouse" feel, and provides a communal space for the neighborhood's commuters, artists and other professionals to congregate over fresh, homemade bites. We recently had a chance to visit the space and learn more about its reclaimed interior, storied past and promising future.

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PHOTOS: Bower Debuts Fun & Flexible Magnetic Polaris Light at BKLYN Designs

PHOTOS: Bower Debuts Fun & Flexible Magnetic Polaris Light at BKLYN Designs

Bower's magnetic Polaris lamp is one of the BKLYN Designs product unveils we've really been looking forward to, and yesterday we finally got the chance to try out the light's sticking power at the show. The Polaris is made up of pieces of scrap wood that have been cut and fit to form its multi-faceted shape. Each lamp has been embedded with small but powerful magnets, allowing it to be adhered to any magnetic surface at many different angles depending on task and mood. We spoke to Danny Giannella and Tammer Hijazi, the two man team behind Bower, about the Polaris and some of the other cool wares showcased at their site - read on to see what we found out!

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Lamacek Shows Off Fun Phelt Wall Clusters at BKLYN Designs 2013

Lamacek Shows Off Fun Phelt Wall Clusters at BKLYN Designs 2013

We’ve been wanting to see Lamacek’s new Phelt “clusters” in person ever since we found out about them, and we finally got our chance this weekend at BKLYN Designs. The fun series takes eco-felt made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and turns it into spirally

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Analog Modern Draws Upon Traditional Craft to Create Their Contemporary Furniture Collection

Analog Modern Draws Upon Traditional Craft to Create Their Contemporary Furniture Collection

Analog Modern was on board at BKLYN Designs this past weekend to share their latest collection of sustainable furnishings. The team draws on traditional craft to create modern, geometrical designs constructed mostly from wood, steel and found objects. This year's collection is inspired by the butterfly. We caught up with founder Peter Buley to learn more about the materials, inspiration and philosophy that drive his work.

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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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Mayor Bloomberg Announces Gowanus Canal Upgrades by 2013, Outlines $20 Billion Spent on Water Quality Improvements

Mayor Bloomberg Announces Gowanus Canal Upgrades by 2013, Outlines $20 Billion Spent on Water Quality Improvements

As New Yorkers, we often take clean water for granted, but there’s a lot of money and effort being applied behind the scenes to make sure we have access to it. Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter H. Strickland,

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PHOTOS: Bien Hecho Shows Off Their Reclaimed and Well Made Home Furnishings

PHOTOS: Bien Hecho Shows Off Their Reclaimed and Well Made Home Furnishings

BKLYN Designs came and went far too quickly, but it was fantastic to catch up with Brooklyn’s best and greenest designers – including Bien Hecho. Translated to mean “well made” in Spanish, this local studio offers a playful range of interior furnishings that

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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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Brooklyn Vigilante Frees Chained and Choked Trees with the Treedom Project

Brooklyn Vigilante Frees Chained and Choked Trees with the Treedom Project

If you’ve ever seen a painfully chained or otherwise constrained tree on the street, you might have wished you could free it – but how? One Brooklynite has taken the matter into his own hands with his “Treedom Project”, which aims to find chained or otherwise

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Adam Frank Unveils Mesmerizing 3D LED LUCID Mirror at BKLYN Designs 2013

Adam Frank Unveils Mesmerizing 3D LED LUCID Mirror at BKLYN Designs 2013

We just caught up with Adam Frank at BKLYN Designs, and we’re very excited to share his newest and arguably coolest design yet – the LUCID Mirror. This awesome mirror functions just like any reflective sheet of glass, except it also has a 3D image of illuminated

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Vote for Your Favorite Green Home Furnishings in the Inhabitat BKLYN Designs Awards!

Vote for Your Favorite Green Home Furnishings in the Inhabitat BKLYN Designs Awards!

Hello Brooklyn! We’re reporting live today from BKLYN Designs, a celebration and showcase of home furnishings designed and made in the Kingsborough. We’ve only been here for an hour or so but it’s already plain to see that the show is a feast for the eyes,

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Citi Bike Announces Official May Launch Date for New York City Bike Share

Citi Bike Announces Official May Launch Date for New York City Bike Share

And now for the news we’ve all been waiting for! The Citi Bike NYC bike share program announced today that its official launch date will be May 27th. According to the NYC Mayors Office Twitter stream, the first Citi Bike stations will open in Manhattan below

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New “e-cycleNYC” Program Brings Electronics Recycling Right to Your Doorstep

New “e-cycleNYC” Program Brings Electronics Recycling Right to Your Doorstep

Recycling your old electronics is about to become a lot easier in NYC. This week, New York City Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty announced the launch of a new residential electronics recycling program called “e-cycleNYC” in partnership with Electronic

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Adam Yauch Park Opens in Brooklyn Heights, Honoring Late Beastie Boys Member

Adam Yauch Park Opens in Brooklyn Heights, Honoring Late Beastie Boys Member

You might have known him as MCA of the Beastie Boys, but before he was a rapper Adam Yauch was just a happy Brooklyn kid playing at his favorite park. The late musician was honored last week when Palmetto Playground in Brooklyn Heights was renamed Adam Yauch

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Bower to Debut Magnetic Polaris Lighting at BKLYN Designs 2013

Bower to Debut Magnetic Polaris Lighting at BKLYN Designs 2013

Bower is new to the Brooklyn design family but they are off to a resplendent start with a series of playful interiors. Founded by Danny Giannella and Tammer Hijazi last year, the studio takes its name and inspiration from the Bower bird that is innately programmed to make its surroundings beautiful, which is exactly what this creative pair strives to do with their own work. Keep a lookout for their Polaris lighting range, which is making its debut at BKLYN Designs at the end of this week.

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