Category Archives: Blog

NabeWise Explores Jackson Heights, Queens.

By Diana | Published: August 28, 2010

At NabeWise we can’t think of a better way to get the feel for neighborhoods than to simply walk around for a few hours, taking in the sights, smells and sounds. So a few days ago we went exploring in Jackson Heights, Queens.

NabeWise tech dream-team & friends.

Getting off the train at Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights, you take a step back about 100 years to the time of the el, the elevated train tracks built before 1913 to usher in the era of “rapid” transit. There are only a few neighborhoods (Brighton Beach, JacksonHeights) in New York where a visitor can see (and hear!) the noisy, massive construction that tends to block out most of the sunlight along the lucky avenue. In the case of Jackson Heights, the avenue to win the lottery is Roosevelt.

Also posted in Cities, Company News, New York, On The Move | Leave a comment

The West Village’s “West Beth” Houses Artists and Celebrates Their Work

By Nina | Published: August 2, 2010

Once known as “Little Bohemia,” the West Village maintains its century-old reputation, attracting creative types to the leafy, twisting residential streets. The High Line Park now connects this nabe to the galleries and boutiques of Chelsea and Meat Packing, making it even more desirable as an arts hub. Of course rent isn’t cheap here, but hopefuls who are still true to la boheme can add their name to the wait-list for life at “West Beth,” the world’s largest affordable artistic community. Today 300 artists, dancers, actors, designers, writers and their families call it both home and studio. The community room at West Beth can be booked for rehearsals, non-profit organization meetings and numerous other neighborhood oriented needs, even for those who don’t reside there. Beginning August 14th West Beth, on Bethune St, will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with a group exhibition in the West Beth Gallery. Visit Thursday-Sunday, 1-6pm, for a chance to experience a retrospective of one of the West Village’s most artistically influential addresses.

Also posted in New York | Leave a comment

Deconstructing The New York Brownstone

By admin | Published: July 23, 2010

A Brownstone Grows in Brooklyn By Zachvs

The gals of “Sex and the City” may be trendsetters in fashion, but when it comes to brownstone living, the Huxtables were there first. Bill Cosby and his television family lived in a classic Brooklyn brownstone long before Carrie Bradshaw nabbed her apartment on the Upper East Side. But while both “The Cosby Show” and “Sex and the City” brought fame to these now coveted homes, the story of the brownstone begins much earlier.

Also posted in New York | Tagged bohemian, brownstone, Greenwich Village, sex and the city, the cosby show, Upper East Side | 1 Comment

The High Line: An Urban Sky Park Manifests and Unites the Nabes Below

By Nina | Published: July 15, 2010

by MartinPalmer

A friend pointed out to me that New York, the most vertical city in the world, is taking its next big step in moving more of our life to the sky. What does this mean for New York communities? Perhaps the High Line Park, a new vein of transport and recreation alive with culture and art, is a glimpse of what our cities might look like in the future. If you just pictured Bruce Willis’ chase scene in Fifth Element, you might not be that far off. If parks can take to the sky, what’s next? Maybe the next hip nabe won’t be down the block, but above our heads. Read More »

Also posted in New York | Tagged art, Chelsea, community, Friends of the High Line, Hell's Kitchen, Richard Galpin, Spencer Finch, Stephen Vitiello, The High Line, The Meatpacking District, Valerie Hegarty | 1 Comment

The World’s Graffiti Mecca is Just Across the East River

By Nina | Published: July 14, 2010

If you’ve taken the 7 train to Queens then you’ve seen the dizzying graffiti collage at 5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center, the largest legal, curated tag spot in New York City. Artists from all over the world travel to Long Island City to exhibit their skills on the 20o,000-square-foot factory complex. Inside, Crane Studios offers workspace to artists of all kinds for around $600/month. Sadly, some studios in the larger building were shut down last year after a fire escape collapsed, but the exterior is still an ever evolving mural, a defining feature of the up-and-coming arts district of LIC, and a must-see for any arts enthusiasts.

To visit, get off at Court Square and walk to Jackson Ave & Davis St (23 St.), across from MOMA’s PS-1 museum. Check out this interview about 5 Pointz with curator, Mendes One:

Also posted in New York | Tagged 5 Pointz, art, Long Island City, PS-1 | Leave a comment

A Move to Somerville Proves a Great Alternative to Cambridge

By Nina | Published: July 13, 2010

Winter Hill (East Somerville) By Gig Harmon

Zoe Brookes, a 23-year-old graphic designer, left Providence after college for a bigger city with a strong artistic pulse. She and her artist boyfriend, Chad, loved Cambridge, but couldn’t afford the lifestyle they longed for–a quiet space to work and relax without the noise and clutter of roommates. They found their happy medium in East Somerville, a small nabe skirting Cambridge. “We were informed by family friends that the Red Line (Cambridge, Somerville, Medford) was becoming more artsy,” said Brookes. “It was actually easy to live outside of Boston and commute via the buses and MBTA subway.”

Tell us a little bit about Somerville and why you moved here?

Somerville is an artsy area that houses a lot of Tufts University students and is rapidly becoming the new “South Boston.” Still rough around the edges, we live at the bottom of a beautiful street with a small shopping plaza and Red Line station (includes a hardware store, a grocery store, a CVS, coffee shops, a book store, children toy stores, etc.), a pet supply store, several gas stations, a car wash and a florist. Our area of Somerville is immediately bordered by Cambridge, which has a lot of greenery and is very popular for young families to have their first home.

Chad and I moved from Providence after we graduated because we needed the financial and job security that comes with a larger city. Providence is suffering from major unemployment, and most of the local art businesses are flooded with cheaper student work, so it seemed like a logical move. Providence is awesome, if you are a student, but after graduating, to keep the job momentum up, we moved. Read More »

Also posted in Boston, On The Move | Tagged cambridge, Craigslist, East Somerville, Ikea, Medford, Red Line | Leave a comment

Somewhere New: Visiting Harvard Square

By Nina | Published: July 8, 2010

Harvard Square by Images by Arden

10:20 am It’s a windy, bright Thursday morning when my friend drops me off near Harvard Square on her way to work. Before I explore the center of the oldest college town in America, I walk east along the paved path that hugs the Charles River, where bikers and joggers are enjoying the first warm days of the year.

Oonas by KRob2005

11:05 am It’s the last week of the semester and the only people walking the twisting cobble streets seem to be students weighed down with books. On Massachusetts Ave a purple vintage coat on a rack outside of Oona’s catches my eye. I step inside the thrift store to look through the vintage jewelry.

Also posted in Boston, Somewhere New | Tagged Allston, ApartmentHub.com, Charles River, Dado Tea, Fogg Art Museum, gentrification, Harvard, Leslie Morgan-Dwinell, Oona's, Sackler Museum | Leave a comment

Local Celebrity: Top Chef Master Jody Adams and her life in Brookline, MA

By Nina | Published: July 7, 2010

When Bravo’s Top Chef Master Jody Adams isn’t busy running Rialto, her four star restaurant in Cambridge, Mass, or supporting child advocacy and hunger relief organizations like Partners in Health and The Greater Boston Food Bank, she comes home to the leafy community of Brookline to relax with her family: husband Ken, children Roxanne and Oliver, her pug, Velma, and her cat, Coal. Their four-bedroom condo is a freestanding two-unit house, originally built as a two-family. Adams chose to move to Brookline six years ago when her son was entering high school. “It’s hard not to love Brookline, especially if you have school-age children,” she says. “The community values education and repeatedly demonstrates a willingness to pay for it.”

How much are paying to live in Brookline?

We have a mortgage. We pay a lot.

Why did you initially choose this nabe and what has kept you here?

We moved to Brookline the summer after my son’s 8th grade year. Oliver wanted to shift gears from a private to a public school and he had his sights set on Brookline High School. Our daughter Roxanne was entering 3rd grade at the time of our move and we welcomed the idea that both of our children could walk to school–a first for us–and would have friends nearby. Brookline has an extensive and beautiful park system and there is a priority placed on trees, gardens and green in both public and private spaces. We chose the Washington Square neighborhood because it’s close to Coolidge Corner, Washington Square and Brookline Village as well as the schools. It feels more urban than some other parts of Brookline.

Also posted in Boston, Cities, Local Celebrity | Tagged American Craft, Arboretum, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline Public Library, Brookline Village, Cafe Fixe, Clear Flour Bakery, Coolidge Corner, Coolidge Corner Theater, farmer's market, Jamaica Pond, liberal, Lineage, Pod, Pomodoro, Shiki, The Upper Crust, Washington Square, Winestone, Wulf's Seafood | 2 Comments

On the Move: Brooklyn Heights walk-up to a spanking-new Williamsburg studio

By alan | Published: June 29, 2010

Thirty-three year old programmer Paul Dix does a little bit of everything around his mastery of Ruby on Rails: he’s a coveted speaker on the subject, a soon-to-be-published author, and he’s most-recently founded a company built on the programming language. However, his computer background alone could not help him move from his 4th-floor walk-up in Brooklyn Heights to an elevator-building in Williamsburg. Paul talks to us about the stresses of moving and the advice he has for anyone currently in a house hunt.

So, what spurred the inter-borough move?
A break-up. I shared a studio with my girlfriend for the past year and a half in Brooklyn Heights. I needed to get my own place.

And you found it in Williamsburg?
Yes, I had three choices for potential neighborhoods. I wanted to live in either East Village, West Village, or Williamsburg. I had different criteria and must-haves for each neighborhood. For Willamsburg the building had to be new. There are so many new buildings there and the market is still kinda bad, so I knew I could get some sweet deals.

Also posted in Local Celebrity, New York, Uncategorized | Tagged Extra Space Storage, Moshes, Paul Dix, Williamsburg | Leave a comment

On the Move: From Atlanta to Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens for a Pretty Penny

By Nina | Published: June 25, 2010

Mack Williams, a 29-year-old freelance animator for FX’s “Archer,” was looking for something different after years of living in Atlanta. Williams had quite a few college buddies living in New York and he’d always had a great time when he visited. But after a $7K move, does New York hold up as more than just a fun place to vacation?

What’s your nabe now and where did you move from?

I am in Carroll Gardens now. I moved here from the Poncey-Highlands in Atlanta. Everyone I’ve met has been very welcoming. I like how close I am to everything I need: grocery stores, bars, restaurants, little shops. Actually, the neighborhood reminds me of a grown up version of downtown Athens, GA, where I lived for two years in college.

Also posted in New York, On The Move | Tagged Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Craigslist, Gowanus, Nabewise, Park Slope | Leave a comment

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