Viewing NYC Articles by Ashley Jankowski

[REPOST] Never Choose Between an After Dinner Drink or Dessert Again With This East Village Lava Cake

2025-02-17T12:00:00-05:00

Spot Dessert Bar, the subterranean East Village dessert cafe on St. Marks Place, keeps New Yorkers on their toes with unexpected flavors and imaginative dishes (anyone up for an edible Poké Ball?!).

Following their “East Meets West” vision, Spot has created a molten lava cake filled with rich dark chocolate and Japanese green tea. Check out this video from INSIDER to witness just how oozy this dessert is.

Feast your eyes on this green tea lava cake. It’s dusted with matcha, and oozes green tea and chocolate.

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Have $16 Million? You Could Live In This 11,000 Sq. Ft. 19th Century Mansion on the Upper West Side

2016-12-12T14:45:00-05:00

Is your apartment feeling a little cramped? This historic European Castle-esque mansion at 3 Riverside Drive is going up for auction on December 20th, and it will make you reconsider what it means to live in New York City. And your career.

Totalling 11,000-square feet, The Kleeberg Residence’s interior includes 8 bedrooms, 9 and a half bathrooms, and a whole lot of marble. Sweeping staircases guide you through each of the 18 rooms, which are adorned with a combination of antique fixtures and sophisticated modern additions to make the typical Manhattanite feel like royalty. Once on the market for a whopping $40 million (and rented out for $60,000 a month), the home is now expected to be auctioned for $13 to $16 million.

You still can’t afford it...but it doesn’t cost anything to look. Check out the full gallery from Curbed to get the complete effect of the mansion’s majesty, and whatever you do, do not calculate how many times your tiny apartment could fit inside its walls.

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A Christmas Vacation Awaits You At The Flatiron Plaza With This New Public Hammock Installation

2016-12-09T10:08:23-05:00

#FlatironSkyLine Installation Timelapse
Over three days last week - the team from LOT installed the 2016 Flatiron holiday installation #FlatironSkyLine on the North Public Plaza. Join us tonight at 6PM to celebrate this beautiful installation!
Posted by Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership on Monday, November 21, 2016

While you can't escape the December cold, you might just be able to escape some of that holiday stress. Head to the Flatiron Plaza to try out a new form of public therapy: hammocks!

In response to the plaza's annual design competition, a team from LOT architecture recently installed majestic LED-lighted arches known as "The Flatiron Sky-Line" that hold six cozy hammocks, which are free and open for exploration by everyone in the neighborhood. From 9:00am to 9:00pm, New Yorkers can nestle in for a new perspective of their daily surroundings, including the Flatiron Building, Madison Square Park, and yes, even the winter sky.

Go ahead and take a load off - if you find a way to drown out the sirens, the honking, and the barking surrounding the plaza, it's almost like a beach vacation. Almost.

Read more about the temporary installation in the full article from Gothamist, and go for a swing before they disappear after the holidays.

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You Can Now Join A Meditation Class on the Floor of Your NYC Subway Station

2016-12-05T14:43:58-05:00

Would you go to a subway station during rush hour to unwind? For most of us, this idea seems a bit counterintuitive. But for some of New York City's most adventurous meditation enthusiasts, it sounds like the ideal location.

Buddhist Insights, a not-for-profit organization, has a distinct goal: to bring the profoundly peaceful nature of meditation to the noisiest places in the City. The group holds its meditation classes in (extremely) public places, including underground subway stations, corporate lobbies, crowded sidewalks, and City parks.

These free classes are cleverly termed "Street Retreats". They serve as a way for City-dwellers to connect to Buddhist monastics, and perhaps disconnect with the bad-mannered monks found scamming tourists across the City. While you probably feel wary about joining a silent group of strangers on the side of the road, it might just be worth rethinking your attitude toward the places you find yourself each day.

"It's about establishing the attitude of meditating anywhere and making friends with your environment," explains Suddhaso. "Often, when we're meditating and there’s noise outside, we think, 'Oh, I could meditate if not for that noise.' The problem isn't the noise. What's disturbing your meditation is your attitude toward the noise."

The idea is that with a little focus, you can meditate anywhere. Meditation is not about quieting the hectic world around you, but rather quieting the hectic world within you - and we could all use some of that. Read the full article from Lion’s Roar to hear more about this trending group, and scroll through their schedule of free classes to try it out for yourself.

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Pimp My Office: NYC Tech Startups Are Hiring Professional Graffiti Artists to Design Their Spaces

2016-12-01T14:04:04-05:00

It's no secret that a younger workforce is stepping in to change the corporate status quo. Newly established companies are looking for creative ways to provide an atmosphere that not only drives collaborative and efficient work, but also speaks to the personality, goals, and people of the office. While some have experimented with open seating, game rooms, and even Speakeasy lounges, others have delved into a new trend: in-office street art.

Yes, those rebellious millennials are at it again. While traditional offices are typically scrubbed clean of graffiti, these NYC tech startups have actually paid for it to appear within their space. With the help of professional graffiti artists, these offices have been completely tricked out with a customized combination of vivid mantras, diverse faces, and striking logos.

Check out the full article from Built In NYC to learn the story behind these amazing displays and the companies that made them happen.

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This East Village Artist Tells The Silent Stories Of The NYC Subway With Her New Oil Series

2016-11-29T10:48:59-05:00

When is the last time you appreciated your crowded subway car? East Village artist Victoria “VH” McKenzie introduces us to a surprising sense of serenity found in the overlooked aspects of our City, such as the pigeons, the cream cheese bagels, or, as shown in her most recent series, our daily commute.

After secretly snapping photos of solitary subway riders, McKenzie recreates their image on small blocks of wood as a stunning oil painting. As the powerful collection grows, McKenzie’s oil series begins to echo the mission of Humans of New York by connecting us to the New Yorkers beside us each day. But in this case, the people remain nameless, the context remains simple. Each print is sold with nothing but hints of color and curiosity, encouraging us to wonder, ‘What’s their story?’

You can really feel so solitary and you can capture somebody, I think, in such a solitary space, and yet there's 10, 20, 30, 40 people around. Yet you can feel very alone on the train.

Read the full interview on DNAinfo to hear more from the artist, and be sure to browse through her full collection City-inspired works, available for purchase on Etsy. And maybe, just maybe, take a moment to look up from your phone today and marvel at the world around you.

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For Last Minute Thanksgiving Food Shopping, Avoid The Massive Checkout Lines and Head To Union Square

2016-11-23T08:43:51-05:00

The Union Square Greenmarket has been offering urban neighborhoods delicious local produce for 40 years, often holding free nutrition lessons and cooking demonstrations. This year, they want to help make your Thanksgiving dinner much healthier and much less stressful.

Stop by today from 11am to 1pm to get everything you need for your holiday, including fresh cranberries, pumpkins, and even turkeys. Luckily, if your pie doesn't turn out as well as you'd hoped, pre-made baked goods are also available!

Before you trek out into the cold, get a better idea of the vendors available by checking out NYC Parks' expert-guided tour of the market. And don't forget to brag about your sustainable shopping habits at dinner.

LIVE on #Periscope: Experts guide us through the bountiful Greenmarket at Union Square Park. https://t.co/62W6UoChM3
— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) November 22, 2016

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If You Needed Another Way To Obsess Over “Hamilton”, Take A Virtual Tour of Its Historical NYC Settings

2016-11-21T13:49:08-05:00

Don't have an extra grand to spend on a Hamilton ticket this weekend? Not to worry - you don't have to see the show to fully experience Hamilton in New York City. In this virtual tour from our friends at RENTCafé, travel 200 years back in time to witness the true setting of the life of Alexander Hamilton and the inspiring history we unknowingly walk through each day.

This virtual tour takes readers from choreography to reality with a stunning collection of Then & Now Photos capturing iconic locations from the musical like Hamilton Heights, Kips Bay, and Columbia University. Each set of photos is accompanied by addictive Hamilton Lyrics and some good ol’ historical trivia, allowing you to feel like you're actually in the theater (almost). Whether you live in Midtown, Bed-Stuy, or in Weehawken apartments, this virtual tour is available from everywhere.

Check out the full article to go beyond the script and gain a new appreciation for the hit broadway show and the city you call home.

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Naked Ballet Dancers Bring Humanity Back To NYC Streets In This New Photobook

2016-11-17T11:45:00-05:00

It is easy to allow our daily routines and responsibilities to turn seemingly vibrant City streets into lumps of predictable grey. NYC photographer Jordan Matter hopes to break the cycle of monotony with his most recent project, Dancers After Dark.

In this groundbreaking photobook, Matter captures naked ballet dancers in the midst of the world’s most bustling cities. While celebrating the immense beauty of the human body, “Dancers After Dark” brings a sense of curiosity, artistry and humanity back to everyday places like Washington Square Park, Times Square, and Columbus Circle.

With a refreshing aura of fearlessness, his shots reminds us of the great chances that can be taken within our City, and within ourselves. Browse this collection of the best of Matter’s photos taken directly from New York City streets, and be sure to check out the full photobook, which can be purchased on Amazon.

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Head to Flatiron's Basta Pasta For Some Upscale Comfort Food: Pasta Served From Inside A Cheese Wheel

2016-11-09T12:59:46-05:00

Craving some sea urchin spaghetti? What about if it were submerged in fresh, melty cheese? Basta Pasta, a quirky Japanese-Italian fusion eatery in the Flatiron District, is making the dreams of carb-lovers come true.

In a mouthwatering display, hot pasta is gracefully served onto your plate from a double-barreled wheel of parmesan cheese. What’s better, all of the wheel’s remaining gooey cheese gets scooped out and drizzled on top of your dish. It’s the ultimate cheat meal.

Check out the cheese-filled Basta Pasta experience through this video from INSIDER and try not to drool all over yourself.

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