Ever-rising Rents Drive Longtime, Lower-income Residents from Lower Manhattan

By Justin Chae Spectrum staff [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fBp7ptCKNM[/youtube] Additional footage and camera: Avery Kim More than 6,000 Chinese and Chinese American residents left historic Chinatown between 1990 and 2010—many of them because rents have risen faster than their salaries. In the neighboring Lower East Side, rising rents have caused similar changes. “The Latino population has gone down […]

Think Coffee Thinks Ahead

NEW YORK – “We hitchhiked across Honduras in freight trucks overnight,” said Noah Welch, 25, Director of Coffee and International Projects at Think Coffee. This was the first of many trips that Welch would take internationally to inspect the quality of coffee used in Think Coffee stores, seven in New York City and five in […]

East Village Organizations Work to Preserve Traditional Theater

La Plaza Cultural Community Garden, a community garden and non-profit organization in the heart of the East Village, hosts free events for people of all ages throughout the spring and summer to cultivate culture and a sense of community. In July, Tale Told Productions used the garden space to perform their interpretation of William Shakespeare’s […]

Wait, Let Me Post That

With Social-media-capable smartphones in so many pockets, many companies are using Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat not only to interact with their customer base, but as a marketing tool to promote their brand and increase their sales. “We use Instagram for customers to find out about promotions and new tea tastings,” said Gina Gillim, 36, […]

Should Food Trucks Have a Grade?

With summer in session, food trucks are working long days with long lines. While food trucks provide food in a quick and affordable manner, the safety of of their food has come into question. The issue of whether or not food trucks should be governed under the same letter-grading system as restaurants or not has […]

The Bowery Mission Makes A Dent In The Homeless Community

The bright red doors of The Bowery Mission in New York’s East Village offer a gateway to a new life for homeless in the area. Men and women between the ages of 25 and 60 visit the site on Bowery and Prince Street that not only offers food and shelter, but also provides clothing, showers, […]

Some LGBT New Yorkers Feel Detached From Marriage Equality Success

The director of a local LGBT homeless relief organization, who advocates for LGBT rights, found herself unimpressed by the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling in June. Although many Americans are celebrating the decision that allows same-sex couples to marry across the United States, there are some who believe there is still a lot of work […]

Barnard Changes Policy to Admit Transgender Women

In fall 2015, Barnard will become the latest member of the prestigious “Seven Sisters” colleges to admit and enroll transgender students.

Previously, Barnard had no admissions policy specifically addressing transgender women. However, after a year of deliberation, Barnard enacted a policy June 3, 2015 stating that a transgender applicant can attend if they identify as a woman. Reactions among members of the Barnard community were mixed.

A Fresh New Trend in Food

The decrease of unhealthy fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s has steadily met with the increase of healthier food chains. Fresh & Co has gained popularity among New Yorkers through its health-centered menu. It opened 13 stores across New York City between 2010 and 2015 — the newest of which opened in July. In fact, […]

Street Performers: It’s Not Just About the Money

Street performances allow for artists to express themselves freely. Street performers have been a part of New York City’s street culture since the 19th century; a culture that is immersed in the everyday life of a New Yorker. Whether it’s singing on the streets, dancing in the subway or playing drums in the park, street […]

Protesters Mark One Year Since Eric Garner’s Death

On Friday, July 17, 2015 about two dozen family, friends, and supporters gathered in Staten Island to mark the one-year anniversary of Eric Garner’s controversial death and to rally against police brutality. Although Eric Garner was black, most of those who gathered at the scene of his death were not black and voiced support for […]

For The Love Of The Game

“The Cage” is a famous basketball court in New York’s West Village, known for its fierce play and competitive summer tournaments. This summer a team representing the Kings Bridge section of the Bronx is attracting a lot of attention not only because of their winning play on the court, but because of their two coaches – a […]

Tasting at a Dumpster Diver’s Table

Gio Andollo opened his plastic container of homemade treats. “Feel free to try some if you want,” he told me and Langston Barboza, another Urban Journalism Workshop 2014 reporter. “I just had a plate of bacon. So, no thanks,” Langston said, backing away from the snacks Mr. Andollo had made of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and […]

Website Lets Collegiate Renters Rate Landlords

The clicking of computer keys. The slip-slide of computer mice. The sipping of coffee. The sorting and arranging of line upon line of computer codes late into the night. Those are the sounds and activity in the Union Square office of 22-year-old Ofo Ezeugwu, creator and chief executive officer of WhoseYourLandlord.com. The site lets college […]

Thrifty Spenders Help Finance Charitable Work

Those who shop at certain thrift stores are doing more than just adding to their wardrobe or their home’s decor. What those shoppers put into the cash register at several of their favorite thrift stores winds up helping people in need. One of those operations is Cure Thrift Shop, a non-profit on East 12th Street […]

Union Alleges Yeshiva University Mishandled Asbestos Removal

Two members of Laborers International Union of North America were gathered outside Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in Greenwich Village with a 12-foot tall inflatable rat and a banner bearing the words, “Asbestos kills.” Although they were protesting at the law school, the union members actually were complaining about the asbestos removal […]

Residents Fear Noise, Dust of NYU Construction

As early as year-end 2014, New York University will break ground on its NYU 2031 expansion, adding roughly six million square feet of space to the campus. A small part of that plan includes construction of four new buildings in Greenwich Village. Among them is the Zipper Building, which may rise as high as 26 […]

Food Trucks: Profitable or Not?

Food trucks are a good business for some, but not all, who choose to sell their fare on four wheels. Take Big Gay Ice Cream, for example. In September 2011, that eatery swapped its leased trucks for a brick-and-mortar storefront in the East Village. “We wanted more control,” said Patty Devery, office manager for Big […]

Creator Says Collapsible Cup Curbs Coffee Waste

Product designer Ben Melinger thinks he can cut the number of disposable coffee cups dumped in landfills with his recently created Smash Cup, which, when collapsed, fits into a shirt pocket. Melinger, 34, came up with the idea for Smash Cup after his friends complained about the excess of disposable coffee cups and their impact […]

Are Prep Centers Ready for Redesigned SAT?

In March 2014, the College Board unveiled its plan to revamp the Scholastic Aptitude Test that some colleges use as a yardstick to measure applicants’ academic readiness. The redesigned test, which will be used starting in 2016, removes what has been a mandatory essay-writing portion. The redesigned test also aims to better reflect high school […]

Tuition Fully Covered, Newbies Prep for College

While other fall 2014 freshmen were spending their summers getting away from school, Kiara Ventura and Oscar Balbuena went against that norm and, instead, were studying weekdays at the colleges they will attend. Through the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), Ventura, an incoming New York University freshman, and Balbuena, who has been admitted to Fordham […]

Award-winning Designer, 18, is Making Her Mark

Of all the clothes her models paraded on the runway during a mid-July fashion show, the one designer Hadassa Dorcean liked best was a curb-hugging, ankle-length skirt, topped with a matching black-and-gold knit top. “It was the inspiring piece to my other pieces, and it fits the body so well,” said Dorcean, 18, a 2014 […]

Sit Down, Start Talking (With Strangers)

Weekend photographer Jorge Ortiz III, 24, was walking through Manhattan snapping pictures one Saturday in October 2013 when he spotted a group of men and women sitting on couches in front of the Jacob Javits Center—which is an odd place for a couch to be. “I walked over to check it out,” said Ortiz, a […]

Against the Trend, Some Young NYers Get Political

Back when he was a 14-year-old Stuyvesant High School freshman, Gabriel Rosen accompanied members of his synagogue to a political conference in Washington D.C. That trip was Rosen’s first stop on his path to political involvement. When he was 15, Rosen interned for New York City Councilwoman Christine Quinn‘s failed mayoral campaign. At 17, Rosen […]

Sharing Experiences Through “Strangers Project” Stories

“Everyone has a story.” That is the premise of the Strangers Project, which has collected a trove of handwritten stories from people enticed by Brandon Doman’s three-dimensional cardboard sign. It reads “Hi there, I’m collecting your stories.” In locations including Manhattan’s Washington Square Park, Doman, 28, displays his sign to attract what he estimates are […]