February 22, 2009
by taxikin | Filed under Queens, Georgic
In New York City, agriculture takes on a whole new meaning in the urban landscape. Agriculture is not found in fields, but in apartments in the form of plants and food. The roots of co-op’s and community gardens lie in the kitchens of the city’s elders, who feed us and raise us and preserve memory of simpler times past. When I think of urban agriculture, I think of my grandmother who never runs out of things to say and would never turn down a hungry mouth to feed.
February 15, 2009
by Lynne Sachs | Filed under Foudroyant, Vaticinate, Manhattan, Information
Sometimes the sweep of technology can be overwhelming. Even FOUDROYANT. The almost 50 year old New York based Film-makers’ Cooperative is facing some major problems . We need the city of New York to stand up for alternative modes of expression. To VATICINATE is to see into the future, and here we can do this with both film and the internet hand in hand. Go to a great New York Times article to understand the situation more clearly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/movies/11coop.html?_r=3&ref=movies
February 14, 2009
by Erik Schurink | Filed under Umbel, Brooklyn
I could imagine this elongated mushroom be created by Buckminster Fuller as the beginnings of a geodesic weeping willow, designed to build the dome from within. Construction was halted at the discovery of this umbel extraordinaire. “Flowers!” begged the World’s Fair world, “Give it flowers for crying out loud!” And so they crafted flowers: humans in gondolas as peduncles growing the rachides holding the parachute as an inflorescence. Twelve inflorescent flowers pulled from Brooklyn’s soil in a 21-second journey to complete the Jump’s own inflorescence for mere moments prior to being wilted down in a 9-second drop of blossoming thrill… How I wish I’d lived here before 1968, the year the Jump flowered last. Yet, what foudroyant joy that Leni Schwendinger almost 40 years later pumped new life into the culminant carrot crown of Brooklyn, with her incandescent artistry. Gustave and Bucky would approve.
February 12, 2009
by Susan | Filed under Staten Island, Places, history, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Information
For anyone interested in above, or below ground NYC history, Forgotten NY is an absolute treasure. Curious what your neighborhood looked like 100 years ago? Find detailed street necrology and photo galleries for neighborhoods from Greenwich Village to Astoria. Whether you live in Bushwick or Jamaica, St.George or the Lower East Side, this trove of original source documents will keep you occupied for hours. Want to get even closer to NYC history? Take a Forgotten NY walking tour anywhere from Prospect Park to Hell’s Kitchen.
Happy exploring!
February 9, 2009
by Susan | Filed under history, Manhattan
Although the departure of Kim’s video in the East Village is indeed a tragedy, as Sophia Hollander’s article reveals, the new home for the collection actually seems like a fitting one, and the story behind it is fascinating.
A great tool to find and contribute NYC cultural destinations. Add your own local favorite or explore other ‘hoods with