First, we introduce our most requested feature:  Bookmarking!
At NabeWise we feel like we are defined by all the places we’ve lived and visited over the years. You’ve told us that you feel the same way, so now you can save all your favorite places by bookmarking them to your profile. Here’s how it works: In your profile, you will find several pre-defined lists: Where I live or hang out now, Where I used to live or hang out, Places I want to live, Places I want to visit, and Other nabes I know. Under each of these lists you can add any neighborhoods on our site. And very soon, you will be able to create customized lists as well.What’s more, you can add a neighborhood to any of your lists when you are on a neighborhood page via the bookmark button in the top right.  Stay tuned for custom lists.

Second, may we present to you:  Commenting!
When NabeWise launched, we set out to build a place that fosters a proud sense of community and dialogue around neighborhoods. We also want to highlight that there are multiple views on each neighborhood. Hopefully with commenting, we are one step closer to allowing you all  to have lively discussions about the places you love… -or the places you hate… Comments are up –give them a try! We don’t mind a little debate!

Happy bookmarking and happy commenting! We’d love to hear your thoughts.

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.

To walk along Roosevelt is to travel through Southeast Asia and the Middle East by way of Latin America. The abundance of languages spoken in the diverse neighborhood is astonishing even for New York. Spanish entwines with Hindi, crosses over to Arabic, runs back across the street to Greek, and that’s not to mention the Eastern European representative bloc. With mildly hungry stomachs and a looming indecision on where to eat, we decided to explore a bit more of the neighborhood before we stuffed ourselves with some fancy international fare.

QueensFlea, Jackson Heights

Without a set itinerary, we headed over to QueensFlea, a flea market at P.S. 69Q school yard, between 37th Ave. & Roosevelt Ave. Among the colorful beach umbrellas covering the merchandise (and the vendors) from the summer sun, everything from vintage clothing to vegetables is waiting to be picked, haggled over, and finally sold to you.

QueensFlea, Jackson Heights

QueensFlea, Jackson Heights

Garden City Trail, Jackson Heights

With lunch money quickly running out, we tore ourselves from QueensFlea to walk over to the Jackson Heights Garden City Trail. Mostly hidden from view by the surrounding buildings, the private gardens are part of the Garden City Movement, an effort begun circa 1900 to create a planned, self-contained green spaces in urban areas. Similar to the exclusive Gramercy Park in Manhattan, entry is restricted to property owners around the garden’s perimeter. With no private invitation forthcoming, we resorted to just enjoy walking around this leafy, more affluent part of the neighborhood.

Garden City Trail, Jackson Heights

If Jackson Heights can be summed up as an exercise in international relations, then food is the primary negotiator at the table. It’s everywhere; in every variation of spicy, mild, vegetarian, meat-stuffed, raw, and cooked to perfection. Since Indian is the cuisine of choice for the NabeWise team, we decided to head over to Jackson Diner on 74th St. at 37th Ave. for some buffet-style Indian plates. The food was awesome, and the common adage is certainly true here: “when you see natives eat it, then you know it’s good.”

Indian Food at Jackson Heights Diner

Stuffed, satisfied, and penniless, we thought this was an appropriate time to hop back on the train to head home. We’re already planning our next field trip to explore more neighborhoods in, and around, New York. Email us with tips, ideas, or recommendations on where the NabeWise team should go next!

Local Online Communities: Won’t You Be My Neighbor

Americans are increasingly turning to high tech tools to recreate the small town experience. Join us for a discussion with pioneers of local tech to learn about how location-based technologies are connecting people to create the next generation economy and a more engaged citizenry. We’ll cover tools of the trade, best practices and give you tips on how you can infuse place into your project. Finally, we’ll envision what the ideal connected neighborhood might look like in the future.

Questions Answered:
What are the best tools to make a local community more connected?
How are people using technology to create local economies?
How can I add a local focus to my technology product?
Why should I add a local focus to my technology product?
How can local technology help us build a better world?

Speakers:
Moderator: Lane Becker, Get Satisfaction
Jen Pahlka, Code for America
Micki Krimmel, NeighborGoods
Ann Baldinucci, NabeWise
Joe Stump, Simple Geo

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.

-Ann

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.

New Eltona apartment building by interloafer

“SoBro” flows effortlessly off the tongue as though it were part of a nursery rhyme. But the story of this neighborhood—from “hell on earth” to a hip locale—is more complex than the name lets on.

For generations, SoBro, traditionally known as Mott Haven, was a crime-infested junkyard. In the 1950s and 60s, poor immigrant families were displaced from Manhattan due to massive urban renewal projects, and many relocated to the Bronx. Unwilling to take care of decaying rent-controlled properties, stingy landlords literally set their buildings on fire in order to liquidate their assets. In 1977, when a building near the World Series game at Yankees Stadium succumbed to flames, the announcer stated bluntly, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning.”

But a new wave of artists and young professionals seeking cheap rent and proximity to Manhattan are helping to bring Mott Haven back to life. Former factories, once on the brink of collapse, have been transformed into vast loft spaces. Abandoned storefronts now host cafes, art galleries, antique stores and bars. Stations along the 6 train, such as 138^th Street, Brook, or Cypress Avenues, are now brimming with rush-hour activity not seen for decades.

Why might young professionals pick the South Bronx over other already gentrified areas? According to an article in The New York Times, some are attracted to the nabe’s industrial, edgy scene. Jonathan Mull, a teacher originally from Kentucky, has lived in Mott Haven for four and a half years. Once employed at a South Bronx school, he chose SoBro for its central location and his personal affinity for hip-hop music. Others are lured by the promise of inexpensive, spacious apartments. The average price per square foot of a Manhattan apartment is $1,115, compared to the Bronx rate of $189. For now.

Long-time business owners welcome the new residents, and are even adjusting to the tastes of the new wave, adding vegetarian options to their menus, for example. The owner of a neighborhood standard, Bruckner Bar and Grill, credits its business boom to the new residents. Customers who might have been hesitant about visiting the Bronx now find themselves returning to the bar’s warm atmosphere, conveniently located right off the Third Avenue Bridge. Even new businesses are choosing to spread their seeds in the growing neighborhood. Bronx Hydro and Garden, a unique plant store attributes the economy for their decision to open in Mott Haven, arguing that the nabe “is demanding green technology” and “is in dire need of healthy fruits and vegetables.”

Still, Mott Haven has a while to go before it changes completely. One resident, Nikki Brown, says crime still exists. “Cars are still broken into,” she says, “but I still feel pretty safe.”  She argues that the increased gentrification is good for the neighborhood, and has led to a decrease in crime. Although SoBro has visibly improved and become safer, the owner of the Bruckner Bar and Grill says that, despite the changes, “the Bronx is still a bad word for a lot of people.” –Amelia Zaino

Old and New Buildings Make Up the NYC Skyline By Jorbasa

When was the last time you questioned the history of the buildings in your nabe? Many of the structures in our cities have been reinvented a hundred times over becoming what we see today. Old buildings are often juxtaposed with new ones, giving us a comparison of the past and the present. In downtown New York every street can tell a thousand stories. The layering of architectural changes to New York City’s skyline is what makes it so unique.

Wall Street, the financial epicenter of the country, was once the spot of an actual wall built to defend Dutch settlers. The wall stretched across lower Manhattan for a third of a mile, ending at Trinity Church. Today that same third of a mile bears the name Wall Street, marking its place in history.

Further north, the elevated High Line Park, now an oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle, once served as train tracks, transporting meat and other raw goods right into processing factories (hence the metal eyebrow structures that protrude from the face of old meat packing plants). The slaughterhouses and packing plants that once dominated this district are gone, but the remaining warehouse spaces have become art galleries and residences.

By RobInh00d

In Mid-town, Fifth Avenue is famous for being New York’s most luxurious shopping district. Early city planning made certain that the most desirable avenues would be in the middle of the island, while those less fortunate would be pushed to the outer, industrial avenues along the waterfront. Today New Yorker’s are reclaiming their shoreline, but Fifth Avenue’s reputation as a symbol of NYC’s wealth remains unchanged.

Decades may have gone by, but the architectural elements in this city reveal its past lives through names, architecture and reputations. Communities are shaped not only by current circumstances, but also by all that came before. Next time you’re out in your nabe have a look around and see if you can pinpoint what defines your sense of place.  –Jennifer Gregoire

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.

In the 1800s brownstones were designed as single-family homes for the middle and upper classes throughout Harlem, Brooklyn and many districts of Manhattan.  Back then you had your pick of mansions on New York’s avenues or stately apartments uptown, but for those wanting a home in the city, New York’s side streets where the place to be and the brownstone the home of choice.

The distinguishable Triassic sandstone facade was a cheaper alternative to marble and was favored for how easily it could be carved.  Over the years New Yorkers came to learn that, although lovely to look at, sandstone didn’t weather well. So by 1910 brownstone construction came to an end.

By Zachvs

The iconic stoop was originally intended to keep horse droppings, slush and mud out of the home. Today the stoop serves as a common gathering spot for neighbors to chat and rest. Or in Carrie Bradshaw’s case, pose for a “photo op”.

But before we can arrive at Carrie’s door, we have to get through the Great Depression, when brownstones were often neglected or turned into tenements and the apartments that are available today. Next came the 40s and 50s, when many brownstones were demolished to make room for new buildings.

Bohemians were the ones to save the brownstone’s fall from grace, bringing it back into a popular light in the mid-20th century. Hip artists and writers like E.E. Cummings, Jack Kerouac and Jackson Pollack took up residence in the famed nabe, Greenwich Village. They paved the way for current celebrity inhabitants, such as Uma Thurman, Liv Tyler, Marc Jacobs and even the real-life Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker. Even though most of us can’t afford to live in a brownstone, these gorgeous buildings speak to the history of the city, and the defining culture of each nabe in which they exist. – Jennifer Gregoire

Noise Meter by AGeekMom

Whenever I am looking for apartments, I frequently ask the landlord questions he or she may not usually receive: “Can you hear the sound of traffic? How thick are the walls? Can you hear people walking above? Are the pipes iron-cased? Can you hear the sound of running water? I don’t want to know if anyone’s going the bathroom. Will I hear peeing?”

The landlord stares at me like I’m an idiot (which is accurate). He immediately rips up the application and tells me the place has just been rented by a ghost. I accept this and go see another one.

The point is that I am very sensitive to sound. I am often told I should go live in the country, but this presumes the country is within a deep silence. What about the crickets and the tractors? How thick are these walls??  If there is anyone out there who suffers this form of sensitivity, I hope to give you a little primer on what you’ll encounter in certain neighborhoods in Seattle, starting today with the U-district.

I-5 by Ewan-M

If you are looking at apartments anywhere between 9^th and Latona, you are going to hear the I-5; you are going to hear it morning and night, when there is little traffic, and when it’s rush hour. Sometimes it will sound like an angry ocean, and sometimes it will just sound like a highway, but it will become part of your life. Some people try to equate it to “white noise,” but that is just a desperate rationalization.  To deal with it then, I suggest the following: Buy a car so you feel like part of the problem. Keep a fan running at all times, and occasionally it will trick you into thinking it’s making all that noise. Blast techno music; it will make the cars look they are in a chase scene (which is exciting!).

If you reside between University Way and 21^st street (above 45^th) in the U-District, you will frequently hear drunken college students stumbling about. To avoid irritation, it is important to pretend you are part of the fun. I suggest yelling out your window at random, “You did not just say that! This guy, I swear!” Now you’re at the party, and not being annoyed by it. Problem solved.

Do you hear construction from the giant crane on 12^th? Become a construction worker. Bothered by the club music on University Way? Buy a glow stick. There’s a crazy panhandler yelling outside your window? Play a Tom Waits album. Did a drunk girl just scream even though she is in no danger? Yell at her. Is the constant smell of buffalo wings north on Roosevelt driving you crazy? That’s not a sound, it’s a smell, have you been paying attention at all? Buy cinnamon incense.

I hope this FDA approved guide has been helpful. Do you have a unique sound that’s driving you crazy? Let us know, unless it’s in your head. Then please do not write.