BREAKING: AT&T and Goal Zero Roll Out Street Charge Solar-Powered Phone Charging Stations in NYC

BREAKING: AT&T and Goal Zero Roll Out Street Charge Solar-Powered Phone Charging Stations in NYC

We all know how devastating a dead cell phone can be, so AT&T's big news of the morning should be music to the ears of anyone who dreads that low-battery chirp. The telecom provider will join solar company Goal Zero and DUMBO-based design studio Pensa today to unveil the new AT&T Street Charge solar-powered cell phone charging station pilot program at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn. The elegant wood and metal modules will collect energy from the sun and allow New Yorkers to plug in whenever they need some extra battery power. Additional solar charging stations will also be deployed at a number of additional locations throughout the 5 boroughs - read on to find the one closest to you.
 

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6 Hot Ways to Stay Cool in NYC

6 Hot Ways to Stay Cool in NYC

New Yorkers experienced a bit of a breezy streak the past few weeks but it looks like the temps are about to soar once again. If you want to stay cool but aren't keen on blasting your air conditioning 24/7, check out our six fun and simple ways to escape the heat in NYC without wasting excess energy. From testing out your swimming skills to mastering the art of popsicle making, click through the gallery below for our best heat-beating tips.
 

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Brooklyn Bridge Park Unveils 10 Designs to Turn Dilapidated Warehouses into Greenery-Filled Destinations

Brooklyn Bridge Park Unveils 10 Designs to Turn Dilapidated Warehouses into Greenery-Filled Destinations

Brooklyn Bridge Park has plans to turn seven crumbling brick warehouses that once housed coffee, spices and other dry goods into a mixed-use development consisting of office and commercial space as well as rooftop farms and terraces. Ten prominent developers from around the world are vying for the opportunity to push their proposed projects to fruition and Brooklyn Bridge Park recently released beautiful renderings of each one. Click through the gallery to see the competing designs and let us know in the comments which one is your fave!
 

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New Documentary Sheds Light on Philip Johnson’s Forgotten 1964 World’s Fair New York State Pavilion

New Documentary Sheds Light on Philip Johnson’s Forgotten 1964 World’s Fair New York State Pavilion

Have you ever noticed those big, spaceship-looking towers hovering over Flushing Meadow Park in Queens, and wondered what they were? Or maybe you remember them from their little cameo in the movie Men in Black, but didn’t know they were real, and standing

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Where to See Cicadas in New York This Summer

Where to See Cicadas in New York This Summer

By now you’ve probably heard about the upcoming cicada frenzy that will soon be descending upon the East Coast, but you might not be sure where to see these fascinating insects for yourself in New York. The crooning bugs will be emerging soon for the first

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Massive + Pool in East River Could Swim with Proper Funding

Massive + Pool in East River Could Swim with Proper Funding

Taking a dip in the East River may not be on your list of summer to-dos yet, but it could be soon if three entrepreneurs can finance plans to bring a massive +-shaped pool to the famous waterbody. The initiative to build a floating, water-filtering + Pool

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SL Green, Urban Air Foundation and NYRP Plant Trees on Randall’s Island for Earth Day

SL Green, Urban Air Foundation and NYRP Plant Trees on Randall’s Island for Earth Day

This past weekend, SL Green Realty Corp., New York Restoration Project and the Urban Air Foundation hosted “Re-Green NYC”, a day of tree-planting on Randall’s Island in coordination with Randall’s Island Park Alliance. SL Green tenants and employees

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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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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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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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6 Marvelous Green Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day in NYC

6 Marvelous Green Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day in NYC

Mother’s Day is just around corner and if you’ve yet to plan anything for your mum, we’ve got you covered (you can thank us later). Treat her to a relaxing day at the spa or a rewarding stroll that supports the health of women and girls in New York. Or just spend time bonding over a brunch of fresh, local bites. Check out our list of six super cool, eco-friendly activities around NYC to help you build an unforgettable Mother’s Day itinerary that sure beats the bouquet of flowers you've been thinking about ordering.
 

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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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Toshihiro Oki Architects Win Folly Garden Competition with Fanciful Design for Socrates Sculpture Park

Toshihiro Oki Architects Win Folly Garden Competition with Fanciful Design for Socrates Sculpture Park

Now in its second year, the Folly Competition – a two-month residency project sponsored by the Architectural League of New York and Socrates Sculpture Park that explores the tradition of 18th and 19th century folly gardens – has announced a winner. Toshihiro

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Help Plant 2,400 New Trees in NYC with JetBlue and the New York Restoration Project

Help Plant 2,400 New Trees in NYC with JetBlue and the New York Restoration Project

Get your hands dirty with JetBlue Airlines and the New York Restoration Project as they host the sixth annual One Thing That’s Green day on Saturday, April 20th in Highland Park on the border of Queens and Brooklyn. The weekend tree-planting project will

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Inwood Hill Park’s Mobile EcoHouse Teaches Kids About Energy Conservation at Home

Inwood Hill Park’s Mobile EcoHouse Teaches Kids About Energy Conservation at Home

They may be too young to worry about mortgage payments and electricity bills, but the kids exploring the EcoHouse mobile museum at Inwood Hill Park aren’t letting those things deter them from learning about energy savings at home. The EcoHouse looks much

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“Bouncy” Squibb Park Pedestrian Bridge Creates New Connection to Brooklyn Bridge Park

“Bouncy” Squibb Park Pedestrian Bridge Creates New Connection to Brooklyn Bridge Park

Image via Brooklyn Bridge Park Facebook

The highly-anticipated Squibb Park Pedestrian Bridge connecting Brooklyn Heights to Brooklyn Bridge Park has finally opened, and locals could not be more pleased. The rather unusual “zig-zaggy” and “bouncy” $5 million bridge was designed by Ted Zoli and constructed by HNTB, who worked throughout March putting the finishing touches on it. With the structure now open, pedestrians are able to stroll over to Brooklyn Bridge Park from Brooklyn Heights without having to come in contact with cars and traffic.


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6 Beautiful Places to See Spring Bloom in NYC

6 Beautiful Places to See Spring Bloom in NYC

After a long winter, spring is finally in the air! In NYC, it's very easy for this fleeting season to pass before we even notice it, so this year be sure to make the most of it by heading to some of the best spots in the city to see blooms and buds springing to life. From the lush scenery of the Clinton Community Garden to weekend yoga adventures under the blossoming Callery Pear trees in Fort Greene, click through to see some of our favorite places to experience rebirth and new life in each of the city’s boroughs.
 

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Composting Poop Potties Planned for Prospect Park

Composting Poop Potties Planned for Prospect Park

Well House rendering via NYC Parks Department

Prospect Park wants to change the way you “go” at the park with a new system that will compost human waste. NYC has plans to build a $1.8 million composting green latrine in the park’s historic Well House building that will look much like a regular bathroom except it will use “eco-friendly foam” and very little water. Luckily, visitors won’t be subject to the smelly side of the new system as waste will be stored in the depths of the composting compartment in the bathroom’s basement, keeping it out of treatment plants and the Gowanus Canal.

Well House Rendering via NYC Parks Department
Well House Image via NYC Parks Department

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6 Fun, Green Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in NYC!

6 Fun, Green Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in NYC!

Lead image modified from Shutterstock photos found here and here.

If you're wondering about what to do for St. Patrick's Day this Sunday in NYC, we've got a bevy of fun, green activities that are blessed with the luck o' the Irish. From pub crawls to celtic-themed workouts, there are plenty of ways you can take part in the festivities while minimizing your footprint. Click through our gallery to discover six low-impact ways to enjoy a high-energy St. Patty’s Day in NYC.

 

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Study Finds That NYC Green Roofs Are Full of Fungi

Study Finds That NYC Green Roofs Are Full of Fungi

If you thought the collection of fungi housed in your own fridge was impressive, wait ’til you hear what was found on NYC’s green roofs. Researchers from Barnard College, Columbia University, Fordham and the University of Colorado recently conducted tests

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Mayor Bloomberg Proposes Buying Hurricane Sandy Homes and Redeveloping Land

Mayor Bloomberg Proposes Buying Hurricane Sandy Homes and Redeveloping Land

For homeowners left devastated after Hurricane Sandy, financial relief may be on the way. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing to buy homes from Sandy flood victims in a program that will offer the purchased lands to potential real estate developers while

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NY Restoration Project’s Gardens for the City Applications Are Due Today

NY Restoration Project’s Gardens for the City Applications Are Due Today

If you’ve been dreaming about a community garden for your neighborhood, don’t miss your chance to have the New York Restoration Project boost your project with building materials, construction help and educational support. NYRP is looking for worthy applicants

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Mayor Bloomberg Opens Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 5

Mayor Bloomberg Opens Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 5

Photo: Jim Henderson

Mayor Bloomberg and several other city officials kicked off the opening of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 5 this morning. The $26 million, five-acre former shipping pier will feature three outdoor multi-purpose recreation fields for

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Louis I. Kahn’s FDR Four Freedoms Park Opens to the Public Today

Louis I. Kahn’s FDR Four Freedoms Park Opens to the Public Today

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park © Paul Warchol

After 40 long years of waiting, New Yorkers will finally see legendary architect Louis I. Kahn's vision for the FDR Four Freedoms Park come to life on Roosevelt Island. The monument and new green space is set to open to the public this morning. If you can't make it today to see this powerful memorial to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, fear not. We snapped some sneak peek photos to tide you over, so read on!

 

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