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Category Archives: New York

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.

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Hester Street Fair: A LES Throw Back Reinvented

By Nina | Published: August 17, 2010

image courtesy of Carl MiKoy

The Lower East Side of New York is one of the oldest and most historically rich nabes in Manhattan. Hardworking immigrant families from all over Europe made their homes here more than a century ago. And while it is now a predominantly Latino community, with gentrification paving the way for a new, young crowd, the remnants of Jewish and German cultures are still prominent, as well.

Back in the day, Hester Street, at Essex Street near Seward Park, was home to the largest pushcart market in the city, a hub for peddlers of all kinds. Nowadays the food offerings are still local, but lobster rolls, damn good barbecue, and gourmet pretzels and cupcakes have replaced the fish and bread of old. Each weekend more than 60 vendors (many vary from week to week) sell vintage clothing, crafts and jewelry, fresh farm produce and the most delicious street fair food imaginable. “We knew that if we had great food, the rest would fall into place,”  fair cofounder SuChin Pak told Time Out New York.

image courtesy of Misterteacher

There is something for everyone here, and that’s exactly the point: a reflection of this dynamic neighborhood in all it’s diverse, evolving glory. Not only does the fair bring LESers together, but it also attracts folks from other nabes who wouldn’t normally venture that far south.

Visit every Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine, through December.

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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.

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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.

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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 »

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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:

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Naked Men Make Busy Flatiron Folks Raise Their Gaze

By Nina | Published: July 12, 2010

Look up! There’s still time to see the nudes perched on parapets and ledges of skyscrapers around Madison Square Park, some as high as the 57th story. British sculptor Anthony Gormley’s “Event Horizon” is the first project presented by Madison Square Park Conservancy that spreads out into the bustling, business-oriented Flatiron neighborhood. Originally on display in London, Gormley’s installation asks, “Where does the human being fit into the scheme of things?” In the city that never seems to stop moving, these mysterious silhouettes (actual fiberglass and iron molds of the artist’s own body) force viewers to stop in their tracks, to be surprised and perhaps even connect with the stranger beside them: Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Once you’ve noticed one of the figures, your eyes will soon discover more.

“The viewer in some sense becomes the viewed,” Gormley told the New York Times when his exhibit opened. “Like a statue, they become static sculptures themselves looking up.” Passersby can continue to be caught off guard until August 15th.

photo courtesy of jerseygal2009

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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.

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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.

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On the Move: A Virgin Renter’s Transition to Bushwick

By Nina | Published: June 23, 2010

Marino having a seat infront of a mural

By avoiding a broker’s fee, and with her parents helping to transport furniture, recent college graduate Rhiannon Marino’s only moving expenditures to Bushwick, Brooklyn were what she owed the landlord. But her first post-college move has taught her a lot about the importance of research and planning before taking the big step.

This is your first apartment out of college! How much rent do you pay?
$1550, split between two people. We also pay small fees for electricity and gas, but heat and hot water are included.

When did you decide to move?
I planned for about 3 months, but it doesn’t make sense to look for apartments until a couple of weeks before you’re moving because they get swiped up quickly around here. I didn’t start actually looking until three weeks before I moved in.

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