Want to help NYC recover from the storm, but don’t know how?

If you’re here in person:

You can volunteer. NYC Service is the hub, but organizations like New York Cares also have projects in all 5 boroughs, and even have a special section of their website for disaster recovery. There are also great lists to monitor through Brokelyn and Time Out New York, which they’re keeping up-to-date and have opportunities specific to certain neighborhoods that have a lot of damage.

You can donate blood. 

You can offer a free service. Doctors are giving free exams and medical care; people are setting up charging stations through their fire escapes in east village; bikers are helping #bikesandy commuters commute through Transportation Alternatives. What can you offer?

You can respond to a need in a specific community. Chinatown, Red Hook, and Rockaway are some examples.

If you need resources, or have something to offer but are still not sure where, The Lower East Side Recovers is a great hub for connecting resources powered by OWS folks.

If you can’t be here:

You can donate. Cash donations to assist New Yorkers who suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy can be made to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. If you specifically want to aid in food rescue and delivery, donate cash to City Harvest or Food Bank NYC. To donate with maximum impact and reliable spending of funds, donate to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. For goods and services to donate, visit Aidmatrix.

Join an online mobilizing effort. New York Tech Meetup, for instance, is helping (in person or virtually) to restore technology systems for businesses, nonprofits, and government alike. If you can’t help yourself, you can tweet about it and share resources so more folks in need know what resources are available to them.

Be empathetic. Even if it’s just listening to a friend on the phone or shooting an email to someone who evacuated to check in and offer support, it goes a long way.

Think about climate change as more than just a fluffy buzzword. It’s real and deserves education, thought, attention, and action.

These are just a few suggestions! Please add specifics that you know about in the comments for others to see.

A final note: I am always impressed by the way people in NYC help eachother out. I love this city. It’s scary seeing so many people still without power, water, or shelter, and not everyone has the networks or fortune to have a place to go. Everyone should find some way to pitch in, because that’s what makes a community like NYC so great. The city is still home; let’s make sure a storm can’t change that.


[UPDATE 11/5: As information has been updating rapidly here, another great tool to find what still needs help today (and there are many!) is this, via The Awl.]

A SoHo street vendor got slapped with $2,000 in fines for a matter of inches. This is ridiculous! Since working with the Green Cart Initiative and learning more about street vending on whole, I have become much more aware of the challenges that all vendors face. One - police harassment - makes me sick; nobody should have to shell out absurd amounts of money for a small error in meeting strict vending regulations. (Question: Why don’t people smoking within 10 feet of most buildings get fined ever?)

Join Sean in the fight for vendors’ rights and for fairer laws by sharing your opinion with your Councilperson. Via Christine Quinn:

The Council is looking at the issue of street vendors. Street vendors are different from small businesses because they operate outside. We’re also looking at the fine structure—not just the level they are at, but how they are being used. We need to make sure the fines aren’t just being used to make money. On the other hand, we need to take into consideration the community’s complaints - because the issue of access is important. If there’s only one vendor on the street, that’s not as much of a problem, but if there are more, it’s an issue. We need to look at this with common sense. The Council is working on this and there is a process in place. Once all the research is in and we feel confident that we have all the necessary information, we will take the next steps in the legislative process.

I respect the research process, but let’s help move this forward in a way that doesn’t unnecessarily hurt these small business owners or the folks in the communities they vend in. 

It’s Yom Kippur again, and I am reflecting on the last year. There’s certainly been a lot I’ve done well, a lot I haven’t, and some things I just couldn’t change. I would like to take this opportunity to ask forgiveness from those who I have wronged this year and to work on being more patient, thoughtful, and understanding next year. To my family and friends, thank you for your support this year; you’re awesome. To everyone fasting, have an easy fast. Gmar Hatima Tova. I’m feeling good about 5773.
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It’s Yom Kippur again, and I am reflecting on the last year. There’s certainly been a lot I’ve done well, a lot I haven’t, and some things I just couldn’t change. I would like to take this opportunity to ask forgiveness from those who I have wronged this year and to work on being more patient, thoughtful, and understanding next year. To my family and friends, thank you for your support this year; you’re awesome. To everyone fasting, have an easy fast. Gmar Hatima Tova. I’m feeling good about 5773.

Interview: Josh Gondelman, Postcard Sender Extraordinaire

I’m endlessly fascinated by people who communicate in new or different ways. Josh Gondelman, a writer and comedian based in NYC, decided earlier this year to send a postcard to anyone who wanted one because he loves letter-writing. My friend Barry told me about it, and of course I eat these things up. I signed up and promptly forgot about it, and then got a wonderfully hilarious mystery postcard in the mail a few months later. It took me a whole night to figure out who Josh was, and that in and of itself was lots of fun. Then, I interviewed him.

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Jen Bokoff: From whom and where was the first postcard you ever received?

Josh Gondelman: I don’t remember exactly the first postcard I ever got, but my grandmother, my dad’s mother, used to travel all around the world when I was younger, and so we’d get postcards from Russia and Greece and China. I don’t remember whether Antarctica has a post office for commercial use. Sometimes the mail took longer than my grandmother to get back to America, which was confusing to little me. I thought she was faking the cards and just sending them from her house, because I’d already seen her.

JB: Have you ever developed relationships beyond just a few interactions by sending random people postcards?

JG: I have! There are people I correspond with pretty regularly now that I’d first “met” through the project. Plus there are acquaintances that I’ve gotten to know a lot better because of their involvement. There’s one person who I see out a lot at standup shows (I am a standup comedian), and we’ve exchanged letters and met in person, but it’s a little awkward bridging the gap to casual, running-into-you friend. I’m trying to be more relaxed and natural about it. I always come off as, “Oh. It is so pleasant to see you in the world of buildings and bodies. What? Why did I say that?”

JB: You have nice handwriting. Do you think that’s becoming rarer as typing becomes more common?

JG: Oh gosh! Thanks! I do imagine probably people are less proficient at writing by hand now than they used to be. You must have received one of my early in the morning postcards. If I write a whole bunch in a day, by the end it’s just a lunatic scrawl. I try not to be a dinosaur and sob about how the decline of handwriting indicates a larger societal problem. On the other hand, it’s off-putting when someone writes down a takeout order, and it looks like something out of a serial killer’s diary.

JB: What’s the most memorable postcard you’ve ever sent?

JG: One guy requested that I write to him with my thoughts on medical marijuana, and I wrote back: “I think they should legalize pot but outlaw white guys with dreadlocks.” That was pretty succinct. I felt like I got it just right.

JB: Do you write other things besides letters and your tumblr?

JG: I do! I’m always writing for my standup act, and I write a lot of humor type pieces for Thought Catalog. Right now I’m actually working on a proposal for a memoirish book about this postcard project. So we’ll see if that becomes anything. It’s very exciting to think that anyone might want to read that! Ideally I’d love to get it so my job is some triangulation of standup, prose writing, and tv writing. We’ll see if I make it there!

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Check out Josh’s blog featuring many of his postcards, his humor writing, and everything else (including his upcoming performances).

The Brooklyn Navy Yard by bike (is awesome)

I was going to do my own post about the awesome bike tour I did this weekend through Turnstile Tours and the Brooklyn Brainery, but Jen at the Brainery did a fantastic writeup that’s easier to reblog! So that’s below, and some of my own photos are on Instagram.

bkbrains:

Yesterday, we were spent an amazingly beautiful afternoon touring the always awesome Brooklyn Navy Yard with Cindy, Founder of Turnstile Tours.

In two and a half hours, we covered the history of the Navy Yard from the 1600’s to today, exploring everything from Admiral’s Row (alas, from beyond a fence), to the Vinegar Hill neighborhood and the Yard itself, all via bike. For most of us, it was our first peek behind the oh-so-secretive Navy Yard gates, and I’d recommend getting in whatever legal way you can manage. 

Within the Yard, we got a glimpse of a still-working dry dock where a tug boat was in the midst of bring repaired, 

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                                               a tug boat in dry dock

a whole new perspective on the East River, 

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         Wallabout Bay and the Williamsburg bridge from an angle I’d never seen

and even the old Naval Hospital, soon to be transformed into a media arts campus. Now, it’s home to some ghostly old buildings, like the hospital itself, dating from 1838 and looking fairly pristine minus some peeling paint and broken windows. 

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           looking in through an open window at the Navy Hospital, built in 1838

One of the coolest buildings we saw was tucked behind the hospital—the old Navy Motion Picture exchange. During WWII, they sent out films to be screened on boats off at seat, and the original signage remains on the door. 

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                                        the Navy Motion Picture Exchange

Totally and completely worth it.

History of Minigolf

Fun Fact: By the late 1920s there were over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone, and tens of thousands across the United States. At the time, it was called midget golf. The ‘greens’  were either made of a compound of cottonseed hulls dyed green or felt (as shown in the photo).

Check out this article from the November 1930 Popular Science for more miniature golf history.

(originally tweeted by @bkbrains)

There shouldn’t be a distinction between what’s healthy and unhealthy. Cooking and eating well, meaning deliciously and nutritiously, is not just an issue of access or cost — it’s also an issue of education and understanding, and our government has a responsibility to help with this transition. And as chefs, we have the responsibility to do our part both from behind the stove and beyond.
Marcus Samuelsson, Chef, in his article Banning “Healthy Food” From Our Diet

Narratively, a new digital publication devoted to original, true & in-depth stories about New York, is going to be big. They have an experienced team with fresh angles to journalism and a clear vision. I have often lamented how the news glosses over the most incredible human interest stories because there’s something flashier to be told; Narratively will return the focus to the minutiae that together make New York the best city in the world. There are certainly fun storytelling nights and blogs and exhibits and other fun outlets that celebrate the city and the people in it, but nothing to date that has used “new media” to tell stories and achieve scale.

To get this project rolling, they’ve gone the Kickstarter route. The benefits for donating are really neat, and I have no doubt that the content they will put out as a result will be fantastic. Help support this project today, and capture the stories of New Yorkers forever. (Is that too cheesy? I suppose that’s why I’m not a ‘real’ journalist.)

RIP, bike. 1999-2012. You were a good bike and we went through a lot. You got hit by a port-a-potty door, pooped on by birds, hit by a truck, and doored a handful of times; you survived the elements, crossed bridges, scaled hills, safely delivered me to work and volunteering, and did some wheelies; you were a load of fun. I see why someone would want to steal you even in your old age; I just really wish they failed. Now, some extra-irritating facts: This bike theft happened in broad daylight in the west village while I had brunch. Yes, it was locked with a U lock and cord that have served me well for at least 3 years. The street was crowded with pedestrians. As we know, people sometimes don’t say something even if they see something. Just as guilty, I think. I approached an NYPD traffic cop who was in a car on the block. I told him what happened and said it must have been in the last 15-20 minutes, and asked if he could look out for it. “That’s not my job.” “But aren’t bikes part of traffic.” “Nope.” “OK, at the very least can you be on the lookout and use the radio; it probably hasn’t gone far in such a short time.” “No. Not my job. You can go file a report at the first precinct.” The website to register a bike was down when I finally thought to do it last week. It’s harder than it seems to report a stolen bike. There’s no clear website link, and there’s no realistic action that can be taken to bring it back anyway unless it is registered. I will absolutely register my next bike immediately. The 5 Stages of Grief feel weird to apply to an inanimate object, but to anyone who’s had a bike stolen, I think you’d agree that it applies perfectly. This is not the first time I’ve had to deal with theft personally this year. Kinda makes you feel violated. Anyone know where I can find a reasonably priced, stylish but not flashy, safe but fun new bike? I’m looking for a 48-50cm frame, probably a hybrid step-through with 10-18 gears. (Thanks, bike class!) Any leads would be incredible.
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RIP, bike. 1999-2012.

You were a good bike and we went through a lot. You got hit by a port-a-potty door, pooped on by birds, hit by a truck, and doored a handful of times; you survived the elements, crossed bridges, scaled hills, safely delivered me to work and volunteering, and did some wheelies; you were a load of fun. I see why someone would want to steal you even in your old age; I just really wish they failed.

Now, some extra-irritating facts:

  • This bike theft happened in broad daylight in the west village while I had brunch. Yes, it was locked with a U lock and cord that have served me well for at least 3 years.
  • The street was crowded with pedestrians. As we know, people sometimes don’t say something even if they see something. Just as guilty, I think.
  • I approached an NYPD traffic cop who was in a car on the block. I told him what happened and said it must have been in the last 15-20 minutes, and asked if he could look out for it. “That’s not my job.” “But aren’t bikes part of traffic.” “Nope.” “OK, at the very least can you be on the lookout and use the radio; it probably hasn’t gone far in such a short time.” “No. Not my job. You can go file a report at the first precinct.”
  • The website to register a bike was down when I finally thought to do it last week.
  • It’s harder than it seems to report a stolen bike. There’s no clear website link, and there’s no realistic action that can be taken to bring it back anyway unless it is registered. I will absolutely register my next bike immediately.
  • The 5 Stages of Grief feel weird to apply to an inanimate object, but to anyone who’s had a bike stolen, I think you’d agree that it applies perfectly.
  • This is not the first time I’ve had to deal with theft personally this year. Kinda makes you feel violated.

Anyone know where I can find a reasonably priced, stylish but not flashy, safe but fun new bike? I’m looking for a 48-50cm frame, probably a hybrid step-through with 10-18 gears. (Thanks, bike class!) Any leads would be incredible.

Check out Arts for Transit (the app or the website) to learn more about the incredible artwork in the NYC subways. There are a lot of gems and significance; read up on your favorite stations to appreciate them even more. As an example, here’s what I see as I arrive at work every day: and here’s what they have to say: 57th Street - 7th Avenue JOSH SCHARF Carnegie Hall Montage, 1994 Ceramic tiles on north and south mezzanine walls; porcelain enamel on north mezzanine wall Carnegie Hall Montage is a colorful arrangement of images in porcelain on steel that shows the range of artists who have performed on the world-renowned stage. Some depict Carnegie Hall’s classical pedigree, such as Leonard Bernstein and Marian Anderson, for example, while others portray the Beatles, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Eleanor Roosevelt, as testament to the importance of the stage. Nearby, hundreds of white tiles with text commemorate the names, professions, and appearance date of notables who graced Carnegie’s stage. In the words of Carnegie Hall activist Gino Francesconi: “I have always felt that the subway station directly below Carnegie Hall should reflect the history of the building just as the subways of Moscow and Paris do their own cultural institutions … It reminds one of the connection between the city and its art.”
Pop-upView Separately

Check out Arts for Transit (the app or the website) to learn more about the incredible artwork in the NYC subways. There are a lot of gems and significance; read up on your favorite stations to appreciate them even more. As an example, here’s what I see as I arrive at work every day:

and here’s what they have to say:

57th Street - 7th Avenue

JOSH SCHARF

Carnegie Hall Montage, 1994

Ceramic tiles on north and south mezzanine walls; porcelain enamel on north mezzanine wall

Carnegie Hall Montage is a colorful arrangement of images in porcelain on steel that shows the range of artists who have performed on the world-renowned stage. Some depict Carnegie Hall’s classical pedigree, such as Leonard Bernstein and Marian Anderson, for example, while others portray the Beatles, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Eleanor Roosevelt, as testament to the importance of the stage. Nearby, hundreds of white tiles with text commemorate the names, professions, and appearance date of notables who graced Carnegie’s stage. In the words of Carnegie Hall activist Gino Francesconi: “I have always felt that the subway station directly below Carnegie Hall should reflect the history of the building just as the subways of Moscow and Paris do their own cultural institutions … It reminds one of the connection between the city and its art.”

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