Urban Journalism Workshop
High school reporters cover local stories for NYU Journalism Institute’s summer program.
Eco-Minded Annual Event Promotes Recreation on the Water
Oversized sky blue arrows pointed the way toward that Saturday’s activities at Governor’s Island National Monument. One led participants to kayaks made of cardboard, another to boat tours of New York Harbor, and still others to paddle-boarding and assorted water sports. Those were some of the activities slated for the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance’s City of […]
Despite Glitches and Critics, Citi Bikers Take to the Road
Since Citi Bike rolled out in late May, its campaign to get people pedaling around the city has been criticized for its bike rental prices, its broken bike locks, its consumption of sidewalk and street space and so forth. Despite those complaints, the program also has its fans. “Anything to make getting around the city […]
For Thrifty Shoppers, Resale Stores are a Steal
When Lars Bregonje, 23, heads into a thrift store, he trusts that he’ll luck up on a good find. “If there was something nice you saw three years ago at a retail store that they don’t sell any more, you might stumble upon it at a thrift shop,” said Bregonje, while flipping through a rack […]
Chess Fans are Paying to Play
The day Walter DeLoatch and Myles Savage met inside Chess Forum, they readily discovered what they had in common: A desire to hone their chess skills, and to avoid the chess players who regularly compete in nearby Washington Square Park. To DeLoatch and Savage, the park players seemed more concerned about hustling for dollars than […]
NYU’s Expansion Rankles the Neighborhood
Doris Casella and Dotty Roberts sat in the shade near the fountains of Washington Square Park, surrounded by New York University’s buildings. Even though Casella is an NYU graduate, she had only criticism for her alma mater’s expansion plans. “When I heard that NYU was fixing this place up I almost had a heart attack,” […]
Vinyl’s Newest Fans a Lifeline to Record Stores
In an era when digital downloading has put traditional record stores out of business, several Greenwich Village storeowners said they have survived partly because a younger generation of vinyl fans have been their strongest customer base since the mid-2000s. “They realize vinyl sounds better,” said Bob Abramson, owner of the House of Oldies on Carmine […]
When the Heat is On, New Yorkers Try to Keep Cool
The heat wave that hit New York City for six consecutive days in July was brutal. Temperatures topped out at 97 degrees on July 18 and high humidity made it feel much hotter. Despite not being a record-breaking scorcher, New Yorkers still looked for ways to cool off. They opened up fire hydrants–exactly 900 of […]
Love of Africa Reflected in Designers’ Wares
Through the eyes of Ghanian-born and -reared fashion designer Kwabena Ofosu Ware, plain T-shirts and polo shirts look better when embroidered with symbols of West Africa. That belief, personal taste and ancestral pride, he said, are what underlay Quabs Couture, his year-old business. “I started by making the clothing for myself, and then every time […]
No Ellis Island Stop, But Ferry Ride Costs the Same
Although Ellis Island has been closed since last October’s Superstorm Sandy, visitors to the national landmark are being charged full price for ferry tickets. The tickets would normally get them access to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, which is on adjacent Liberty Island. Admission to the landmark park sites are free, but tourists […]
Businesses: We Didn’t Enlist With Anti-Bloomberg “Beverage Choices”
At a City Hall rally, businesses protested Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed ban on super-sized, sugary beverages. Some businesses that are listed as members of New Yorkers for Beverage Choices, which opposes Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed ban on super-sized sugary drinks, do not know exactly how they got on that roster. “We do not take a […]
“I Felt Trapped In My Old Body”
Born a girl, Jacinto Peter Medina is in the process of becoming a man. This is part of his story, as told to Kiara Ventura, a Spectrum staff writer. I hate the cliché, “feeling trapped in this body.” But that is how I felt as a girl who was supposed to be a boy. I […]
Ancient Jewish Rite-of-Passage Gets Overhaul
A rabbi and bar mitzvah candidate read the Torah. Clerics and scholars at two major Jewish institutions are testing a project aimed at reshaping the bar mitzvah so that is marks more of a beginning than an ending of personal interest in and study of Judaism. Being a graduation “is not what a bar mitzvah […]
Store Operators Ponder Impact of Digitized Comic Books
Comic bookstore owners are hoping a mobile application designed by industry giant Marvel Comics will, as proposed, not run those who sell printed editions of comic books out of business. At the April 2012 release of the app, designed for Marvel by online comics distributor ComiXology, Marvel officials said a digital library could […]
Organization Fixes Bikes, Grooms Youth Workers
With loose chains, pedals, bike frames and other tools of her trade hanging above her head, Natalie Feliciano, 21, was fixing a flat tire. “You don’t see a lot of female mechanics,” said Feliciano, who, at 16, started out as an intern at the East Village branch of Recycle-A-Bicycle and stayed put. Her bosses are […]
Washington Square Fountain Doubles As Popular Wading Pool
If you’re walking into Washington Square Park on a hot day, chances are you’ll notice people cooling down in the fountain that is the centerpiece of that 9.75-acre public space. So, is it a scenic fountain, a pool for splashing around or a little bit of both? The Washington Square fountain has the distinction of being […]
After 500 Years, Martial Art Created By Slaves Still Survives
Returning to capoeira, the martial art she practiced as a teen-ager, was Marie Dasilveira’s way of getting closer to Brazil, which is her home country and the place where capoeira was born. Her search was strategic, said Dasilveira, 26, who signed up earlier this year for classes at Capoeira Brasil in Manhattan’s West […]
Petition Seeks “Justice” for Hit-and-Run Victim
Relatives and friends of Roxana Sorina Buta, and strangers who may only know her through headlines, are petitioning for the justice they believe she and her family have not yet gotten. Buta was 21 on the night she died, allegedly struck near Union Square by a hit-and-run New York City Department of Transportation garbadge truck […]
Eco-entrepreneurs Wedded to Business Model, Mission
Whether on a bicycle or skateboard, customers arriving by energy-saving transportation at Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery’s five locations get a special discount on their order. “It’s designed to create an incentive for the customers. They do something good for the environment and we give them a financial award,” said Maury Rubin, 52, head baker and […]
New Business Sells Filtered Water, Touts Health Benefits
By Janiece Montas Staff writer What the Molecule Project doesn’t do is sell flavored water. Co-owner Adam Ruhr makes that point clear off the top. In fact, the minerals and vitamins he dumps into the water he sells from a new East Village store does not taste so great. Drinking it, though, Ruhr said, benefits […]
Restoration Aims to Benefit Historic Church, Community
Parts of Grace Church, which was built of marble in 1808, were crumbling even before the Rev. Donald Waring was hired in 2004 as pastor of the East Village congregation. “The organ,” he said, “had given up the ghost.” That instrument was no longer making the pretty music that had helped make Grace Church a […]
Where Scavenging Recyclables is Outlawed, Scavengers Earn Cash
By R.J. Rubio Staff Writer Standing in the pouring rain at the corner of East Fourth Street and Avenue A, Hector Reyes, 51, was razor-focused on the task at hand, shoveling bottles and cans into the machines imprinted with “Redeem 5¢.” Scavenging for recyclable containers that other people throw away is popular among the […]
B-Ball Players, Young and Old, Still Competing at the Cage
By Stephanie Chan Staff writer Before Anthony Mason, Earl Monroe, Julius Erving and others became NBA standouts, they were winners on the basketball court at West Fourth Street and Sixth Avenue, a place called “The Cage” that is still attracting players, young and old. On any given weekday or weekend, when the weather is […]
Group Trains LGBTQ Youth To Advocate for Themselves
The stereo was pumping: “You show the lights that stop me … You shine it when I’m alone and so I tell myself that I’ll be strong …” And the youth of FIERCE—with their mohawks, body-piercings, skinny jeans and assorted other signatures of personal style—were dancing to the beat. They sang along with to Ellie […]
“Planting Peace” Sets Down Roots In New York
When they hand out cups of water to passersby on Saturdays, volunteers with Planting Peace are doing more than helping people quench their thirst. “We give out free water to help with the heat situation. It attracts people to our stand,” said Aaron Jackson, 30, the organization’s president and co-founder. Their stand is a table, […]