News | Inhabitat New York City - Part 10

LifeEdited Design Contest Yields Awesome Green New York Apartment

LifeEdited Design Contest Yields Awesome Green New York Apartment

New Yorkers are used to small apartments. We think keeping sweaters in our stove and having one piece of furniture function as our bed/couch/desk are totally normal ways to live. But what if your tiny apartment could host a 12-person dinner party? Or comfortably accommodate two friends for a weekend visit? A recent crowdsourced contest by LifeEdited tasked contestants to design a 420-square-foot New York apartment that would do just that. The goal of the contest was to motivate designers and the public to be more eco-minded about our living spaces and reduce our carbon footprints.

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Bernie Madoff’s Old Pants Get New Life as Limited Edition iPad Cases

Bernie Madoff’s Old Pants Get New Life as Limited Edition iPad Cases

In the fall of 2009, U.S. Marshals began a series of auctions that had everyone from art collectors and bankers to tourists and resident New Yorkers scrambling for a piece of the pie. The goods? Jewelry, clothing, wine, furniture, and pretty much every other worldly possession that ever belonged to Bernie Madoff. While most buyers wanted a little piece of history, others, like John Vaccaro, saw a business opportunity. Vaccaro, who is founder of fashion company Frederick James, snatched up a stash of Madoff's old sweaters and pants and has given them new life as iPad cases. The special collection is limited, so if you've always dreamt of storing your iPad in Bernie's pockets, you'd better act fast.

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Brooklyn Community Foundation Launches New Green Initiative to Promote a Sustainable Brooklyn

Brooklyn Community Foundation Launches New Green Initiative to Promote a Sustainable Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Community Foundation officially launched a 3 year, $750,000 green initiative program called Green Spaces yesterday, an exciting new project that promotes and implements sustainability practices and environmental improvements in Bed-Stuy, Williamsburg,

Poll Shows Two-Thirds of New Yorkers Support Bike Lanes

Poll Shows Two-Thirds of New Yorkers Support Bike Lanes

Sometimes it feels like there are two types of New Yorkers: those who support bike lanes, and those who oppose them. While we have long been a part of the former group, we are pleased to see that we are not alone. In fact, according to a new NY1/Marist poll,

DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan Shares Her Vision for NYC’s Future

DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan Shares Her Vision for NYC’s Future

At some point or another, we’ve all been frustrated by the mean streets of NYC. Whether it’s due to the congested roads, delayed and crowded mass transit, or the lack of sufficient bike lanes, everyone seems to have a different opinion on how to improve transportation

GE’s Solar Powered Carousel Opens at the South Street Seaport!

GE’s Solar Powered Carousel Opens at the South Street Seaport!

GE introduced a green twist to the classic family favorite carnival ride last week with the launch of the Carousolar, a carousel powered by 100 solar panels. GE is using the fun ride to showcase its innovative solar technology, and for the next month, you can check it out for free at Manhattan's South Street Seaport! Just make sure you get there early -- when we visited, the lines were long throughout the whole day!

‘Summer Streets’ Returns To NYC, Banning Cars from 7 Miles of Manhattan!

‘Summer Streets’ Returns To NYC, Banning Cars from 7 Miles of Manhattan!

Ah, summer in New York City: floating pools, smoke-free beaches, world class parks, fresh local produce, and car free streets. Yep, that's right, for the fourth year in a row, seven beautiful miles of Manhattan roads will be closed off to vehicles for Summer Streets. For three Saturdays in August -- starting tomorrow, August 6! -- the glorious program lets us experience the Big Apple the way we think it should always be: free of cars and ruled by pedestrians.

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Riverpark Farm Takes Root on a Stalled Manhattan Construction Site

Riverpark Farm Takes Root on a Stalled Manhattan Construction Site

New York City is dotted with stalled construction sites (much like the rest of the country) and empty lots, but there's been a bit of a renaissance lately focused on turning these unused plots into vibrant green spaces. While some are making them into gimicky rent-by-the-hour grassy backyards, others are taking a more sustainable and beneficial route by transforming the barren sites into food producing farms. One such plot is located in the middle of the in-progress Alexandria Center for Life Science, just east of the FDR Drive on 29th Street. The first tower was supposed to be complete by 2010, but then the project stalled. Instead of letting the site sit empty, the developer decided to make the best of the situation, and used the open space to start growing vegetables for Riverpark, the Tom Colicchio restaurant on site.

BMW Guggenheim Lab Opens, Hosts Free Urban Experiments In NYC’s East Village – Exclusive Photos!

BMW Guggenheim Lab Opens, Hosts Free Urban Experiments In NYC’s East Village – Exclusive Photos!

After much anticipation, today marks the opening of the BMW Guggenheim Lab, a design laboratory and urban think tank housed within a temporary pavilion in New York City's East Village. Designed by Japanese architects Atelier Bow-Wow, this "traveling toolbox" will be in New York until October 16, when it will be taken apart and transported to Berlin, and eventually Mumbai. Armed with multimedia capabilities to suit almost any presentation need, the structure will host over 100 free events during its time in NYC, with the hopes of instigating conversations and innovations on the design and inhabitation of cities. If the opening press event is any indication, the BMW Guggenheim Lab will be a popular destination for designers and any curious citizens over the next three months!

New Timeshare Lot in the Lower East Side Lets You Rent A Grassy Backyard by the Hour

New Timeshare Lot in the Lower East Side Lets You Rent A Grassy Backyard by the Hour

It’s one thing city living lacks: big backyards, perfect for summer barbeques and wet ‘n wild slip ‘n slide parties with your friends. But stop your fretting because a backyard is coming to you, right here in the city. In an effort to bring suburban lawns

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New York State Introduces Recyclebank Awards Program

New York State Introduces Recyclebank Awards Program

Beginning today, the first municipality in New York State will partake in the Recyclebank program. The Long Island town of Brookhaven will be the first community in the area to join the organization that gives reward incentives for recycling. The New York

New York City Council Passes Two Bills to Encourage Urban Farming & Rooftop Greenhouses

New York City Council Passes Two Bills to Encourage Urban Farming & Rooftop Greenhouses

New Yorkers have been growing urban farms for quite some time, but it finally looks like the city government is officially supporting urban farming efforts. City Council passed two bills last week in an effort to support consumption and production of local

New EPA Report Explains NYC’s Sewage Overflow Problem & Offers Solutions

New EPA Report Explains NYC’s Sewage Overflow Problem & Offers Solutions

We’ve extensively covered NYC’s ancient sewage system, and its chronic storm water and sewage overflow problems. Just last week, a fire accident at a treatment center added to the mess as raw sewage started flowing into the Hudson river. The EPA, however,

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Terreform ONE Announces Winners of the ‘Water as the 6th Borough’ Design Competition for NYC

Terreform ONE Announces Winners of the ‘Water as the 6th Borough’ Design Competition for NYC

For several years now, New York City has been paying more and more attention to its waterways, realizing that the rivers and creeks that separate our boroughs have the potential to be a vital, active part of our city's urban design. For the 2011 Terreform ONE competition, called 'Water as the 6th Borough,' designers were asked to turn their attention to the Big Apple's waters and create a sustainable development strategy for our waterways, focusing on recreational space, public transportation, local industry, and native environment. Designs ranged from entire floating communities to a comprehensive plan for enhancing our coastline's ecology. Hit the jump to see the winners!

New York Dairy Cows Can’t Produce Milk Because of Heat Wave Stress

New York Dairy Cows Can’t Produce Milk Because of Heat Wave Stress

Last week’s heat wave was pretty unbearable, but imagine being 1,500 pounds, covered in a fur coat, and not even able to sweat. Welcome to the life of New York’s dairy cows. Farmers in upstate New York have reported a drop in cows’ milk production by nearly

Today is the Last Day to Submit to the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan in NYC

Today is the Last Day to Submit to the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan in NYC

Today is the deadline for 16,000 building owners — which represent about 1/2 of all of the city’s interior space — in New York City to hand in data on their building’s energy and water use as a part of Local Law 84, NYC’s Greener, Greater Buildings Plan

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Artist Thomas McKean Recycles MetroCards into Amazing Sculptures & Mosaics

Artist Thomas McKean Recycles MetroCards into Amazing Sculptures & Mosaics

The MTA prints 170 million plastic MetroCards every year, most of which wind up littering our streets and subway system. New York artist Thomas McKean collects the discarded cards to create incredible miniature sculptures and intricate mosaics -- and clean up waste at the same time!

Retro Roller Rink Opens at the High Line’s Lot TODAY!

Retro Roller Rink Opens at the High Line’s Lot TODAY!

We’re still mourning over Rainbow City’s good-bye, but there’s still reason to be excited! Opening TODAY is the brand new roller rink designed by HWKN in partnership with the High Line masters themselves, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and James Corner Field Operations! Located

NYC DOT Finally Collecting Traffic Data For Possible Car Ban in Central Park!

NYC DOT Finally Collecting Traffic Data For Possible Car Ban in Central Park!

If you’ve visited the Central Park loop lately, you might of noticed a few automated traffic counters along the loop near Tavern on the Green. After much controversy over the Central Park car ban, Manhattan DOT Commissioner Margaret Forgione confirmed earlier

Biologists Studying NYC’s Interesting Impact on Urban Wildlife Evolution

Biologists Studying NYC’s Interesting Impact on Urban Wildlife Evolution

An unfortunate consequence of living in an urban environment is that city folk tend to forget about nature. But for a group of field biologists working with the city parks department, New York City offers some of the most interesting and diverse environmental

NYC’s East River May Get Tidal Power Plant

NYC’s East River May Get Tidal Power Plant

Wind and solar power dominate the renewable energy conversation, but tidal power could soon play a much larger role. The New York based company Verdant Power is working to build the nation's first-ever tidal power plant. The desired location? New York City's East River. The company has been testing turbines in the river since 2006, and they are currently awaiting approval of their build-out application from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Parsons Design Workshop Transforms Highbridge Park Pool With Eco-Friendly Splash House Pavilion

Parsons Design Workshop Transforms Highbridge Park Pool With Eco-Friendly Splash House Pavilion

New York's city pools have been totally packed as of late, thanks to the mega heat wave that's been baking the city, and while the Big Apple does boast some pretty awesome swimming pools, more often than not, our public pools leave much to be desired. But graduate students in a Design Workshop at Parsons are changing that for one lucky pool in Manhattan. Working in collaboration with the city Parks Department, the architecture students designed an eco-friendly outdoor pavilion for the Highbridge Pool and Recreation Center in Washington Heights. Called the Splash House, the new structure maximizes the facility's space while providing all of the necessary amenities for summertime swimmers. The Splash House is currently under construction and it will officially be up and running by next summer!

Sewage Leak Stopped at North River Plant, But Health Advisories Remain in Effect For NY Beaches

Sewage Leak Stopped at North River Plant, But Health Advisories Remain in Effect For NY Beaches

The record breaking heat wasn’t the only thing making NYC rather miserable last week. A fire breakout at the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant in Harlem caused more than 360 million gallons of raw sewage to spew out into the Hudson River. Luckily, for

Brooklyn’s Shipping Container Dekalb Market Opens Today!

Brooklyn’s Shipping Container Dekalb Market Opens Today!

Try to contain yourself New York. The highly anticipated market made entirely from shipping containers is opening on the City Point site in Downtown Brooklyn this Saturday at 10am! All of our readers know how much we love shipping container architecture, and we've been waiting for this moment since the plans for Dekalb Market were first announced back in March. After months of planning, construction, and finding vendors to fill the boxes, Dekalb Market is finally ready to open its doors.

Raw Sewage is Flowing into the Hudson River Due to a Fire at the North River Wastewater Plant

Raw Sewage is Flowing into the Hudson River Due to a Fire at the North River Wastewater Plant

As the city reaches unbelievably uncomfortable highs (100 degrees, anyone?), don’t look to our city’s waterways to cool yourself down. Wednesday’s fire at the North River wastewater treatment plant has caused raw sewage to spew directly into the Hudson

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