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A neighborhood infinitely more nuanced than its namesake, Sunset Park repeatedly defies expectation. Once hailed as the "New Williamsburg," Sunset Park residents have fought to keep industry in as a means to keep gentrification out. A widely diverse area where the term "minority" is misleading, upwards of 75% of the population is Hispanic or Chinese, with a rich history of Irish, Polish and Norwegian immigration dating back to the 1800s.
This little faux-dive has a deserved cult following. We call it “Secret Burger” because it’s hidden inside the lobby of the posh Le Parker Meridien hotel.
Urban Escapes, a company run by two friends of mine, Maia Josebachvilli and Bram Levy, brings you “out of the bubble” to places both around the city and internationally that you just won’t find in a guidebook. Recently featured on CNN, Urban Escapes subscribes to “Socially Responsible Travel,” including a “Leave No Trace” policy.
Nestled between symbols of urban industrialization and modern residential development (aka a Con Edison plant and glass condos), Vinegar Hill is a five-block square cobble-stoned neighborhood next to the Manhattan Bridge that seems to have been preserved in time circa the nineteenth century.
Manhattanhenge did not disappoint, as the edges of buildings grew bright, anticipating the sun to wax into view. But more so of note, was the gathering of humanity.
Eric Ferrara of the East Village History Project/East Village Visitors Center unveils layers of history on St. Mark's Place.