The Bronx is Modern: Below East 161st Street

Entrance to the Melrose Community Center [Deena Parham]

This year, I've decided to include a few posts dedicated to architectural treasures in the Bronx.  Today's installment is about Bronx modernism.

Recently, I mentioned to friends that I went on a tour of modern Bronx buildings.  I received several quizzical looks, followed by a collective, “Really?” 

As quiet as it is kept, several giants of the modern architectural movement such as Paul Rudolph, and Marcel Breuer had early commissions in the Bronx.  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the Bronx is still stuck in the “buildings are burning” narrative, so this fact is not widely disseminated.  This post will venture into territory where most tours fear to tread- celebrating the borough’s modern architectural heritage!

The Melrose Community Center, 286 East 156th Street, Bronx, NY

[Formal name of building: South Bronx Classic Community Center at Melrose Houses]

A mere five minutes from Manhattan are the Melrose, Morrisania, and Jackson public houses in the South Bronx.  It’s a typical Post World War II, superblock, Robert Moses-era assemblage of functional architecture that met basic housing needs, but was miserably low on inspiration.  The formidable brick buildings with small patches of green space were meant to resemble towers of park. Unfortunately, the sheer density of the high-rise apartment buildings makes the community feel closed, like an impenetrable fortress. 

The gym at the Melrose Community Center [Deena Parham]

After walking past several mature trees, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Melrose Community Center.  The 20,000 square foot building was designed by Agrest and Gandelsonas Architects and Wank Adams Slavin (1998-2001) for the New York City Housing Authority.  It’s currently used as a cultural, recreational, and educational center for local teens.

The Melrose Community Center [Agrest and Gandelsonas Architects]

 Agrest and Gandelsonas Architects made the following design statement:

The design of the Bronx South Classic Center reflects a desire to avoid a fortress-like environment and instead provide the community with a building that conveys a sense of openness and accessibility. The symbolic aspect of the project is of major importance in its social function for the local residents who live amongst one of New York City's highest crime rates; it has generated a point of identification and pride for the community. The Melrose Community Center is composed of two main volumes enclosing programs, the bar and the oval gymnasium connected by a link which provides the entry space. The gymnasium, with its strongly recognizable form, is a symbolic element of identification for the entire community.

We chose to make the classrooms building as transparent as possible. Curtain wall glazing along the length of the bar exposes the interior to public view in both directions. The various activity rooms have a glass wall oriented towards the circulation corridor, enabling its users to see the activities of everyone else. This visual exchange creates a great sense of energy and excitement.

The Bronx Criminal Court Building 215 East 161st Street, Bronx, Harrison and Abramowitz

A travertine sculpture by Constantino Nivola at the Bronx Criminal Court Building. [Deena Parham]

This $31 million imposing courthouse was designed by the architectural firm of Harrison and Abramowitz (1973-1977).  It currently houses the Family Court, Criminal Court and their associated offices, the District Attorney, and offices of the Departments of Probation, Human Resources, Corrections, and NYPD.  The bulky limestone clad building is 13-stories tall, and is 600,000 square feet. This building's unwelcoming public presence resulted in a radical design approach when the Bronx Hall of Justice was proposed.  

 The Bronx County Hall of Justice 215 East 161^St Street, Bronx, NY, Rafael Vinoly Architects

The glass facade of the Bronx County Hall of Justice [Deena Parham]

Architect Rafael Vinoly’s courthouse project opened to the public in 2008.  It is two blocks long, and is one of the largest courthouses in the country. The East 161^St Street facade is known for its accordion-fold curtain wall of windows that reflected the brightness of the sunlight.  This building’s facade is a stand-out primarily because its intent was to show the transparency of justice, while maintaining a level of privacy. 

The $421 million, nine-story, 775,000 square foot building was constructed between 2001 and 2007.   The windows were made of translucent glass that was tested at a blast simulator in New Mexico, to ensure that they were resistant to any potential terrorist attack.  Overall there are 47 court rooms for the Supreme and Criminal courts, seven grand jury rooms, as well as offices for the Department of Corrections, the Department of Probation, and the Bronx District Attorney. 

Rear of the Bronx County Hall of Justice where the view of the public plaza is blocked. [Deena Parham]

While the building was supposed to be a shining example of superior public architecture, the courthouse has had its share of detractors since its opening.  Several newspaper accounts have quoted court personnel who have complained that the building is allegedly structurally unsound, has leaking ceilings and sewage pipes, and that overall, it is not very well-maintained. 

In the rear of the courthouse building is a public plaza that was meant to soften the institutional building, which faces a residential neighborhood.  However, the public space has not been open, due to structural problems with the two-story underground garage.  The plaza is currently hidden behind a series of fences that block most of the view.  Others wonder if it will ever be open to the public, due to security concerns in the post 9/11 era.  Apparently there's also a rooftop Zen garden that was intended for community space, but it is currently not accessible to the public.

The Bronx Continues to Rise

Via Verde under construction, May 2011 [Deena Parham]

There are times when I am surprised to find brand new real estate developments in the most unexpected places.  In May 2011, I was in the South Bronx for an event at a community garden, when I noticed the striking building across the street (above photo) under construction.  I later learned that it was Via Verde (700 Brook Avenue), a much-heralded new affordable housing complex.

Fortunately, I do occasionally find myself walking on the streets of the Bronx to witness neighborhood transformation first-hand.  The larger than life historical narratives that I've read about the borough's brushes with urban decay, and abandonment, are usually shattered the moment that I meet residents who are working hard to improve their communities.  The truth is that large swaths of the South Bronx have long-risen from the devastation.

Yes, 2011 was a banner year for the Bronx, as several prominent projects emerged that forced the media to take notice.  The borough continues to make tremendous strides in economic development. Here are three real estate related projects that were on my radar this year:

 Via Verde (“the green way”) the South Bronx

View of Via Verde from the street [Phipps, Rose, Dattner, Grimshaw]

In September 2011, Michael Kimmelman, the new architecture critic at the New York Times, visited Via Verde, a new housing development in the South Bronx.  His first review brought considerable attention to the affordable housing complex.  The innovative environmentally “green” building, starts at three-story townhomes, gradually rising to a 20-story tower, and offers 151 rental and 71 co-op apartments to mixed-income families. Phipps Houses and Jonathan Rose Companies developed it with Dattner Architects and Grimshaw. 

Looking South from the Rooftop Garden [Phipps, Rose, Dattner, Grimshaw]

The building incorporates elements of nature, which includes a 40,000 square foot roof deck that will be used to plant fruit trees, and will have garden plots for tenants to plant their own gardens.  Via Verde is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, for its innovative environmentally responsible design.  It also promotes physical activity, by placing staircases in prominent locations, to discourage residents from using the elevators, whenever possible.

 The 20-story rental apartment tower [Phipps, Rose, Dattner, Grimshaw]

What was most noteworthy about the New York Times article was the praise for Via Verde’s design.  Over the years affordable housing developments have rarely garnered accolades.   Michael Kimmelman said:

The rebirth of the South Bronx isn’t news. But Via Verde is. And it makes as good an argument as any new building in the city for the cultural and civic value of architecture. The profession, or in any case much talk about it, has been fixated for too long on brand-name luxury objects and buildings as sculptures instead of attending to the richer, broader, more urgent vein of public policy and community engagement, in which aesthetics play a part.

Via Verde helps shift the conversation. Like all good architecture, it is handsome. Unlike too much, it goes out of its way to be healthy. It evolved out of a competition five years ago, organized by Shaun Donovan, then commissioner of the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, now President Obama’s secretary of housing and urban development. The idea was to spur developers to team with architects in combining the latest green concepts with high-quality architecture for a public-housing project, a “beacon,” as Mr. Donovan put it to me the other day, that would “re-engage design with the issue of affordable housing.”

 Occupancy is expected in the winter of 2012.

Bay Plaza Mall, Co-Op City

Aerial view of the proposed Macy's store on the left, and the Bay Plaza Mall.

Macy’s will soon build a brand new three-story, 160,000 square foot store in the Bronx.  The department store is part of the new Bay Plaza Mall, which will connect to the existing JC Penney’s store.  This will be the second Macy’s in the borough, where there is currently a store in Parkchester.

 

The mall is being designed by Altoon + Porter, a Los Angeles-based architectural firm known for mixed-use retail, and institutional development around the world.   The $270 million mall will be 780,000 square feet, built on land owned by Prestige Properties. The project is expected to attract 2,000 construction jobs, and 1,700 permanent jobs.  It will be conveniently located between Interstate-95 and the Hutchinson River Parkway. Construction is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2012, with an expected completion date in 2014.  It will be the first enclosed mall in the Bronx.

Ferry Point Park Golf Course

Another recent development in the Bronx was the news that the New York City Parks Department has award Donald Trump a 20-year deal to run a public golf course at Ferry Point Park.  The Trump Organization will spend $10 million on designing and building a clubhouse at the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature course.

The NYC taxpayers-funded golf course will be located adjacent to the Whitestone Bridge, with views of the Manhattan skyline.  Additionally, officials are expecting that the public course will attract major golf tournaments.  According to the New York Daily News, this project has been more than 14 years in the making, with any number of false starts and controversy. Many have questioned whether a golf course is the best use of parkland in an area with a high concentration of public housing.  Critics have often referred to as a major boondoggle.

The city took over construction in 2008, a few years after the course’s private developer walked off the troubled lot. Projected to cost $57 million then, the project’s budget has since ballooned to $97 million, said a Parks Department spokeswoman.

Ferry Point Golf Course Routing Plan

The 18-hole, links-style, Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course is being built on 222 acres of a former toxic landfill at the edge of the East River.  “This new public golf course will be a great amenity for the Bronx, for the City, and for visitors,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “More than $600 million has been invested in parks around the Bronx during Mayor Bloomberg’s tenure, and now this long-awaited golf course will soon be among them – bringing more people from across the country and around the world to the Bronx. The Trump Organization is known for operating world-class golf courses, and I’m excited to be able to partner with them to build and run the first tournament-quality golf course in New York City.”

The expected completion date of the golf course is the spring of 2014.  It is estimated that it will create 100 construction jobs.  While the project has its (rightful) share of critics who have questioned the recreational usage and the costs, it will hopefully move forward, because there has already been so much public funding already invested.

Truthfully, as a planner, I'm not usually a huge fan of either golf courses or malls.  However, in these economically challenging times, any new construction that can potentially leverage additional economic development is a huge win.  There's no doubt that the new projects underway will continue to boost the borough's profile.  The Bronx is writing its own comeback story, which is welcome news for its 1.4 million residents, and the rest of the region.

More information

• Altoon + Porter Architects
• The New York Times: Via Verde in the South Bronx Rewrites Low-Income Housing Rules
• WABC 7 Eyewitness News: A 160,000 Square Foot Macy's Coming to the Bronx
• New York Daily News: Donald Trump Signs 20-Year Deal to run NYC Golf Course

David Byrne and Janette Sadik-Kahn

 David Byrne and Janette Sadik Khan at the Center for Architecture

Recently, I went to the Center for Architecture to hear a talk by David Byrne, the musician, visual artist, filmmaker and co-founder of the musical group Talking Heads.  In 2009 he released Bicycle Diaries, which chronicled his travels throughout many world cities via bike.  He has owned a fold-up bicycle for more than 20 years, and it is his transportation of choice on the streets of New York. In 2010, Mr. Byrne completed a series of commissioned bicycle racks for the New York City Department of Transportation.

Mr. Byrne gave a brief slideshow of his  travels throughout Latin America.  He raved about the public architecture and transportation projects that have been implemented fairly recently in cities like Quito, Ecuador, and Bogota, Colombia. “There were new libraries in the middle of incredibly poor neighborhoods. It created new public space, which for many neighborhoods it was the first time that they had a dedicated public space.  The architecture of those libraries is something that any major city would be proud of. It gives them a different perspective of themselves, and it connects to the bike lanes, and pedestrian lanes.”

The city has installed nine new bike racks designed by David Byrne. Each has an evocative name. Top row, left to right: MoMA, Olde Times Square and Villager. Middle row, left to right: Coffee Cup, Wall Street and Ladies’ Mile. Bottom row, left to right: Hipster, Chelsea and Jersey. (Photos: New York City Department of Transportation)

Mr. Byrne was later joined by Janette Sadik-Khan, the New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner.  As the NYCDOT Commissioner, Ms. Sadik-Khan has spearheaded a number of ground-breaking roadway projects that have catapulted her into the international spotlight.  She has implemented pedestrian plazas, most famously in Times Square, and in Herald Square.  During her tenure she has also closed off streets on several weekends, exclusively for recreational use in a program called Summer Streets.  However, her most controversial turn has been her tireless efforts to expand the network of bicycle lanes throughout the city.

 

Throughout the evening, Ms. Sadik-Khan cited numerous polls to show that New Yorkers overwhelmingly supported many of the new transportation initiatives.  “Critics who have come out against Mayor Bloomberg’s focus on the pedestrian experience said that it is somehow elitist for us to be doing this work, because the pedestrian plazas, the bike lanes, making buses go faster is only for a small number of New Yorkers. I think that the good news is that a majority of New Yorkers really don’t see it that way, and they see past the rhetoric that has been in some of the newspapers.  I also think that’s a very important message going forward for other cities, particularly for design of our cities, and transportation policy around the world.”

Ms. Sadik-Khan mentioned that she was amazed that human activities such as walking have been neglected within the public policy realm.  Surveys across the city have shown that walking accounts for the highest share of how New York City residents actually get around.  The audience laughed when she said that initially many people had been fixated on the design of the “lawn chairs” in Times Square, but that at least 58 percent of New Yorkers now supported the changes and improvements in pedestrian plaza. 

Overall it was an evening filled with vigorous head nodding in agreement, and rounds of applause from the staunchly converted.  The bicycle advocates came out en masse to make it a standing-room-only crowd in a matter of minutes early on a Monday. I’ve never seen a city official have such a dedicated constituency, and the majority of the audience appeared appreciative of Ms. Sadik-Khan's ongoing efforts. 

In this day and age where people are often jaded about the state of the government, and question the intentions of celebrities, it was refreshing to hear people actually applaud for pedestrian plazas, bicycle lanes, and even David Byrne’s quirky collection of bicycle racks NYCDOT bike racks.  The entire event restored my faith in the possibilities of government, and the effectiveness of campaigns that are endorsed by well-known personalities.   Change will always have its share of challenges, but at least there are still people willing to make the effort to try something new. 

Three of my favorite NYCDOT pedestrian plaza projects:

Dumbo Pedestrian Plaza

In 2007, the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, received a vibrant pedestrian plaza adjacent to the Manhattan Bridge.  This space once housed a 12-car parking lot at Front and Pearl Streets, and was transformed into a triangular-shaped living room, complete with outdoor furniture.  The Dumbo Improvement District asked the NYCDOT for help in turning this into a pedestrian space.  The Brooklyn Botanic Garden was also summoned, and together they created a space with a green-painted floor, café tables and chairs, umbrellas and planters filled with flowers and trees. Great granite blocks from the Williamsburg Bridge delineate the space, which also showcases a large abstract sculpture.

Madison Square Plaza

While most people venture over to the popular Madison Square Park, there is also a unique plaza that offers an interesting vista to see New York City’s historic landmarks The Flatiron Building and the Empire State Building. Completed in 2008, this space is an unexpected surprise in the heart of the bustling city.

Chelsea Plaza

In 2007, Chelsea Plaza on West 14th Street and Ninth Avenue was transformed from one of the most dangerous pedestrian crossings, into a gracious pedestrian plaza.  Located near Gansevoort Plaza, the Apple Store, and steps away from the High Line, it is one of my new favorite public plazas.  The dynamic public space also offers weekly Salsa and Capoeira classes.  Streetfilms has an excellent documentary of the before and after:

Living with History: The Beacon Theatre

Part II of the report from the  Living with History forum.

The legendary Beacon Theatre was built by theatrical impresario Samuel “Roxy" Rothafel.  Constructed between 1927 and 1928, and designed by Chicago architect Walter W. Ahlschlager, the 2,800 seat theater is located on Broadway and 74^th Street on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.  It was bought by the Warner Brothers in 1929, and remodeled to accommodate vaudeville acts, musical productions, plays, and movies.

The theater’s interior was designated as a New York City Landmark in 1979.  In the Guide to New York City Landmarks, Andrew Dolkhart wrote that, “The lavishly appointed lobbies, stairways, and auditorium of the Beacon, with their eclectic Greek, Roman, Renaissance, and Rococo detail, are characteristics of the great movie palaces built in the 1920s.” The theater is also well-known for its nearly flawless acoustics.

Cleary Larkin, a preservation architect at Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners, gave an excellent overview of the seven-month, $16 million renovation of the storied venue.  Madison Square Garden purchased the theater in 2006.  Beyer Blinder Belle was hired in 2007 to do an infrastructure upgrade and renovation of the Beacon Theatre. 

Ms. Larkin said, “The Beacon Theatre is one of the premiere rock houses in Manhattan. It’s been used as a rock venue since the 1980’s.  The acoustics are superb, but the decoration was not.  Over the years it had been overpainted, and it had a gritty interior that exemplified a rock house experience.  The original intent of the project that was created by Madison Square Garden was to really keep this rock house vibe.” 

The theater was built to give visitors the feeling of entering into another world, a place to escape and engage in fantasy.  Ms. Larkin said that there was always an element of surprise, and that attending a performance was meant to evoke a magical journey.  However when Beyer Blinder Belle surveyed the space before renovation, it had undergone severe years of wear and tear.  The theater had an illustrious history as a “gilded palace” and the “Baghdad on Upper Broadway” but they had no initial idea of what the colors and finishes were.  Part of the extensive renovation process included a thorough examination of the original and decorative painting elements that had been hidden under 10 layers of paint. 

“We did a finishes analysis all throughout the theater, and because it was an interior landmark, we had to go through LPC (Landmarks Preservation Commission) review.”

Madison Square Garden was very interested in the restoration of the theater, and encouraged the team to push beyond “a gritty renovation.  Some locations had sponge-finishes.  Others walls were gilded, glazed, and gold-leafed, and stippled paint. It was really a wild interior.  We decided to do a historic interpretation that brings out the aspect and finish of the original intent.”

Ms. Larkin mentioned that Beyer Blinder Belle worked with Brooklyn-based muralist Mason Nye to recreate a custom mural above the entry doors.  She said that the original mural was designed by Rambusch Studios, and it was an advertisement.  It was removed, and replaced by wallpaper in the rotunda.  Fortunately, they found a color palette that reflected the time period, and recreated the Rambusch mural.

More than 1,000 people involved in the crafts, trades, and other artisans worked on the project.  The entire theater was modernized from its infrastructure to the backstage functions.  Overall, the renovation was deemed a great success, because the client took an interest in revitalizing one of New York's landmark theaters without any hesitation.  The theater reopened in February 2009, and continues to attract major musical acts from across the globe.

All photos: Madison Square Garden

Living with History: Gracie Mansion

Gracie Mansion, New York City

Last weekend, I attended an outstanding program at the Museum of the City of New York entitled, "Living with History: Restoring, Redesigning, and Reviving New York’s Landmark Interiors."  It was a half-day symposium that highlighted several extraordinary projects that have successfully managed to bring historic buildings back to life.  It was presented in conjunction with the New York School of Interior Design.

The museum staff did a superb job of selecting some of the liveliest speakers that I’ve ever heard talk about historic preservation.  From start to finish, the presenters were passionate about their projects.  Each gave solid evidence as to why some of New York’s most iconic buildings are truly incredible gems that must be protected and celebrated.

Donald Albrecht, the museum’s Curator of Architecture, and Design, stated that the museum decided to host a symposium to showcase, “preservation as a living tradition. How do you take interiors and bring them up to date to modern times? How do they change in the broader sense?”

Originally I was going to write a general post. However, due to the depth of each project, I’ve decided to write a series of separate entries that will appear over the next several days.

Jamie Drake's Gracie Mansion

Jamie Drake of Drake Design AssociatesJamie Drake, a celebrated New York City based interior designer, gave an illustrious talk about his work on the renovation of Gracie Mansion in 2002.  The ceremonial residence of the Mayor of the City of New York was built in 1799 by Archibald Gracie, a shipping magnate.  Over the years the house was expanded by Mr. Gracie, and Mr. Drake jokingly referred to it as “the McMansion of its day.”

Overlooking the East River, the 11-acre country estate was appropriated by the City in 1896, and incorporated as a part of the newly built Carl Schurz Park.  The mansion was used for a variety of purposes, including the first home of the Museum of the City of New York, from 1923 until 1932.  

Eventually Parks Commissioner Robert Moses convinced city authorities to designate it as the official mayoral residence.  Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and his family moved into the home in 1942.  Nine mayors have lived in the mansion.  However, the current mayor Michael Bloomberg does not reside there. For the first time, the building is open to the general public, and about 40,000 people visit annually.

The home had not been renovated since Mayor Edward I. Koch’s administration in the 1980’s by interior designers Mark Hampton and Albert Hadley.  Mr. Drake was hired by Mayor Bloomberg.   There were $7 million secured in private funds to complete the renovation of the four-bedroom, seven-bathroom home which was his first historic preservation commission. While doing the project, Mr. Drake said that he learned what it meant to be a preservationist, by doing in-depth research about the home, and its former occupants.  Mr. Drake said some of the challenges included the fact that there was little information about the Gracie family, and only one room in the house had maintained all of its original moldings to do paint analysis.

Sitting Room, Gracie Mansion

Mr. Drake chose a Brunschwig & Fils striped wallpaper, with an overprinted border, for the foyer, which is furnished with antiques from the collection of the Gracie Mansion Conservancy.  Previously the fireplace had been covered up.  Mr. Drake said that the floor was restored by members of the Alpha Workshops.  The nonprofit organization trains people with HIV/AIDS in a variety of the decorative arts.  Trainees learn gilding, decorative paint finishes and faux finishes, color theory, and wallpaper design and production.  Mr. Drake is currently the chairman of the board.

The Parlor, Gracie Mansion

Mr. Drake showed this photo of the home’s parlor.  The John Boone chairs are upholstered with Green Schumacher velvet.  Brunschwig & Fils rosette-patterned silk on drapery swag, open-arm chair and sofa.

He described the room:

The house is a living, breathing house.  It is open to the public, but it is not a museum.  The furniture arrangements are still contemporary for usage and conversation. We did purchase many pieces for the house’s collection that were period antiques.  All of my decorative schemes were based on historic precedent.  This patent yellow was popular at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The wallpaper borders in this room, and the wallpapers throughout the house were based on documents from the Nancy McClelland historic wallpaper company. The fabrics were woven to order, and those off the rack were all historically correct. The carpets were woven to order from a mill that has been in existence since the 19^th century on original looms.

The Dining Room, Gracie Mansion

The scenic Zuber Les Jardins de Paris wallpaper was installed during the mansion’s 1984 restoration by Albert Hadley.  Most of the lighting throughout the house is either English or French, which would have been typical of the nineteenth century. 

A circa 1810 French chandelier, from H. M. Luther Antiques, was added to the dining room to complement the wallpaper.  There is also Scalamandré trim and silk taffeta drapery.

The foyer of the Susan E. Wagner Wing leads to the ballroom and reception area.

Mayor John Lindsay had a wing added to the home in 1966 that was designed by architect Mott B. Schmidt.  Mrs. Wagner requested the addition to meet the concurrent space needs of entertaining and raising a family.

Mr. Drake decided to use a blue runner to compliment the faux limestone gold walls.   A blue-and-gold wool carpet by Patterson, Flynn & Martin highlights the space.

Gracie Mansion is open to the public on most Wednesdays by reservation. For more information visit their website here.

Additional Links:

Alpha Workshops

Brunschwig & Fils

Jamie Drake

Museum of the City of New York

Photos: Architectural Digest

Touring the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center

The Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center’s (GMDC) flagship project is a 300,000 square foot complex of buildings built between 1868 and 1910 for the textile industry. 

New York City is known as a leading destination for artists, and other creative professionals.  I've often been curious where they maintain their businesses, given the high rents, and changes in zoning that have reduced the amount of manufacturing space that is available in the city.  Recently, I visited the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC) at 1155-1205 Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn.  Founded in 1992, GMDC is New York’s premier nonprofit industrial developer.  The organization manages a complex of five buildings, currently home to 100 businesses that employ 500 people. 

The informative tour of the sprawling building complex was led by Cassandra Smith, a GMDC project manager. Historically, the Chelsea Fiber Mills began operations on the site in 1868, where marine rope was manufactured until after World War II. In its waning years of full-fledged production, the building was used for textile manufacturing.

The City took possession of the building in 1974, when the property went into tax foreclosure. Eventually, month-to-month tenancies were extended to an existing group of small manufacturers, and artists. In 1992, GMDC acquired the building from the city, which needed extensive repairs, due to deferred maintenance.  Within a few years, the building was restored by utilizing public and private financing.  As a result, GMDC preserved the architectural heritage of manufacturing buildings in Brooklyn, while creating new urban redevelopment opportunities in the borough.

GMDC fulfills a need, as industrial space becomes a scare commodity

New York City continues to attract a significant number of design professionals.  In June, the Center for an Urban Future released a study, "Growth by Design," which documented some of the gains made in the city’s creative industries:

Between 2000 and 2009, design sector jobs in the New York metro area grew by 75 percent, with especially large jumps in the number of interior designers (which increased by 223 percent), graphic designers (139 percent) and industrial designers (127 percent).  Overall 40,000 new jobs were added. 

However, New York’s manufacturing sector overall has been less than prolific, as more than 64,000 jobs were lost, representing a decline of 46 percent.  According to research conducted by the New York Industrial Retention Network, 

23.4 million square feet of industrial space was lost to approved rezonings between 2001 and 2008, impacting some of New York’s most populated manufacturing districts. Significant portions of Greenpoint-Williamsburg, Long Island City, the midtown Garment Center, and Port Morris in the Bronx were rezoned during this period, mainly for residential development.

Although GMDC is located in a rapidly gentrifying community, it continues to be an invaluable resource because it provides quality, affordable space to a wide-range of creative professionals.  The rent averages $12 to $15 per square foot, and tenants are given a vacant white box space to build-out to meet their specific business requirements.   The GMDC is available exclusively for work-use, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

During the tour, we visited several studio spaces.  The tenants included:

Barbara Campisi's studio at the GMDC

Barbara Campisi is a studio artist who has been in Greenpoint since 2004.  She specializes in site specific installations, and her work incorporates many different and visual colors.  Ms. Campisi has exhibited in the Fulton Ferry State Park, and has had pieces on display at IKEA in Red Hook.

Janine Sopp in the Clay Space 1205 gallery

Janine Sopp was a textile and clothing designer, before she became a ceramics artist. She has been at GMDC for 17 years.  Her work is sold nationally and internationally and is represented in craft galleries, museum shops, gift shops and Judaica stores across the country and online.   Four year ago, Ms. Sopp decided to have other ceramics artists join her.  She created a Clay Space 1205, with the belief that this art form centers on the strength of community.  The 3,000 square foot space accommodates professional artists, and also offers classes to the public. 

A Clay Space 1205 member at work

Clay Space 1205 has also serves as an informal business incubator program.  "There are not a lot of places that allow you to start from scratch.  Some people don't know how to get it off the ground, and start a business with it.  Here, we are able to support each other’s businesses."   Currently member artists come from a wide-variety of backgrounds and market to interior designers, and galleries.  There is also an onsite gallery space that has rotating exhibitions.

Takeshi Miyakawa 

Takeshi Miyakawa, a Japanese-born architect, has been furniture designer in Tribeca and Williamsburg for more than 10 years.  He studied architecture in his native Japan, and previously worked in the construction business.  After arriving in New York more than 20 years ago, he found a job in Williamsburg, where he specialized in custom design, and fabrication.   Since 1992, he has worked as a model maker at Rafael Vinoly architects. He leased space at the GMDC after desiring additional work space for his practice, Takeshi Miyakawa Design.

Takeshi Miyakawa's studio.

Ronnie Parsons (center) and Gil Akos (right) of Studio Mode/modeLab

Ronnie Parsons and Gil Akos, are both architects and professors, as well as the owners of Studio Mode/modeLab.  Currently they have a design studio, and research collective, and teach workshops around the world.  They told the group that one of their most recent commissions was designing office space for a Mexican football stadium.  They came to GMDC a few months ago, and their light-filled studio had exceptional views of Manhattan.

What’s next? The GMDC will soon expand to Harlem

GMDC has been a recognized nonprofit leader in manufacturing development, and many city officials from across the nation have toured their facilities to see how they can grow an industrial base in their own communities. While GMDC has established a significant presence in Brooklyn, they are about to expand their reach to Manhattan.  The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYEDC) recently announced that GMDC will be one of the tenants leasing space in the new building, CREATE @ Harlem Green, a proposed $100 million development on 125^th Street in Harlem.

NYCEDC selected Janus Partners LLC and Monandnock Construction, Inc. to redevelop the former Taystee Bakery complex into CREATE @ Harlem Green, providing additional commercial and industrial space to house tenants from creative industries.  If the project is approved, GMDC will be operating 53,000 square feet of manufacturing space to be leased as 1,000-5,000-square-foot spaces for small manufacturing and artisan companies.

Brian T. Coleman, Chief Executive Officer, Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center stated, “We are excited about the prospect of bringing our expertise and brand to Harlem, and we look forward to working with Janus to tap the creative energies of Harlem’s artisans and small businesses. New York’s entrepreneurial millworkers, jewelry makers, metalworkers and graphic artists will benefit from a community where their businesses can grow and thrive.”

More information:

• Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center
• Barbara Campisi
• Takeshi Miyakawa Design
• Janine Sopp, Clay Space 1205
• Studio Mode/modeLab

Fourth Arts Block: Manhattan's Only Cultural District

La MaMa Annex at 66-68 East Fourth Street.

Over the past several months, I had the opportunity to participate in a special series of walking tours, hosted by Open House New York (OHNY).  The first tour was led by Tamara Greenfield, the Executive Director of the Fourth Arts Block (FAB). FAB is a nonprofit organization that is leading the development of the East 4th Street Cultural District in the East Village, located between the Bowery and Second Avenue. As Manhattan’s only designated cultural district, it is home to more than a dozen arts groups, 10 cultural facilities and 17 performance and rehearsal venues.  

In the 1950’s, East Fourth Street was slated for urban renewal. Robert Moses, New York’s most powerful city planner in history, wanted to build a high-rise housing complex for the middle-class.  If the plan had been approved, 11 blocks of buildings in the East Village, and Lower East Side would have been demolished.  The Cooper Square Committee, a group of concerned residents and business owners, defeated the plan, sparing the community from destruction.

During the early stages of the urban renewal plan, the city acquired several buildings by eminent domain.  In the 1960’s, the city leased the vacant spaces to arts groups.  In 1969, one of the first organizations to take up residence on the block was La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. La MaMa was founded by the late Ellen Stewart, a fashion designer, and one of the pioneers in the off-off Broadway movement.  Today, the theatre continues to nurture the talents of playwrights from around the world. 

In January 2006, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that six buildings formerly owned by the City were sold to cultural organizations that make up the Fourth Arts Block for $1. The existing tenants and cultural arts organizations renovated and refurbished the buildings sites with a $4 million contribution from the City.

Two cultural institutions graciously opened their doors to allow the OHNY tour group to see their facilities.  The first stop was at La MaMa's Annex at 66-68 East Fourth Street.  La MaMa acquired the building in 2005.  The site’s artistic roots are quite substantial, as the first Yiddish theatrical production in America called “The Witch” was staged there in 1882.  Today La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre and Archives, and the Millennium Film Workshop both occupy space within the building.

While visiting the La MaMa Annex, I noticed the photos of many now-famous actors, adorning the lobby’s walls.  Those who have appeared in past La MaMa productions have included  Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Nick Nolte, and Diane Lane.   A long-time member of the company spoke with the assembled group about her experiences as an actress.  She also shared lively anecdotes about the theater’s founder, and its evolution from humble café beginnings, to worldwide acclaim.

The second and final stop was to the Duo Multicultural Arts Center at 62 East 4th Street. Originally, the building housed a social hall in 1889 and “once hosted meetings by John Philip Sousa as he established the first musicians union in NYC as well as the early International Ladies Garment Workers Union organizational meetings.”   During the visit, we were shown the operetta scene featured in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II, which was filmed at the theater.  The tour concluded at the center’s upper level, where an exhibition of work by up-and-coming artist Alex Masket, is currently on view. 

Overall the visit to the East Fourth Cultural District was quite enjoyable.  Hopefully one day I will join the 200,000 annual theater-goers and take in a show on the FAB.

The New York Theater Workshop moved to the block in 1992. They purchased 79 and 83 East Fourth Street.

East Fourth Street is home to many small retailers.

For more information:

• Fourth Arts Block
• Open House New York
• La Mama Experimental Theatre Club
• Duo Multicultural Arts Center
• Alex Masket
• Cooper Square Committee 

Caramoor is pretty awesome

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

Summer Getaways

The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is located in Katonah, New York, and is one of my favorite places to visit in Westchester County.  It was created 62 years ago, as a haven for the performing arts.  Lucie and Walter Rosen, who bequeathed the Caramoor Estate to maintain a center for music and art in the New York metropolitan region, founded it. 

Click to read more ...

Meeting Hearst Magazines Editors at Blogfest 2011

From left: Mark Rozzo, Town & Country; Newell Turner, House Beautiful; Dara Caponigro, Veranda; Beth Greene, Kravet [photo credit: Kravet]

The Hearst Corporation hosted the opening activities at the Hearst Tower on the opening day of Blogfest 2011. They gave conference attendees unprecedented access to three of their top shelter magazines in a series of sessions.  They also hosted a lunch, and an afternoon reception on the 44th floor.  These are a few of my notes that I jotted during the opening session.

During Blogfest 2011, participants had an opportunity to hear from the editors of several of America’s most prestigious shelter magazines, all published by Hearst.  Beth Greene moderated a discussion featuring Mark Rozzo of Town & Country, Newell Turner of House Beautiful, and Dara Caponigro of Veranda in the Hearst auditorium.  They all shared their insights on the current state of their respective magazines. 

Veranda, acquired by Hearst in May 2002, is one of the world's most exquisitely produced interior design magazines. Published eight times per year, Veranda is distinguished by its artful representation of interiors, gardens, table settings and floral arrangements.

Dara Caponigro said that the magazine's editors have many things in common.  “We’re all lovers of beauty. We love new things, but we are not mired in being trendy. We’re all really nice; well that is a prerequisite for working at Veranda.  And there is graciousness about the magazine that was set by our predecessor Lisa Newsom, a southern gracious lady. I think in this day and age that is more and more important, and we try to stay true to that.”

An avid reader of blogs, Ms. Caponigro appreciated the unique perspective that the medium could offer as opposed to print magazines. "What I think is cool about blogs is that they can be personal, what I mean is that they can be more personal than a magazine can be.  A magazine is talking to a broad audience. With a blog you can really get a person’s point of view, and it is special in that way."

Her final advice to the 125 bloggers in attendance reminded the writers that authenticity is important when approaching work. "Be true to yourselves. Do something that you are passionate about, and have a point of view.  Sometimes you are the most creative when you have the most parameters.”

Founded in 1896, House Beautiful is the oldest continuously published shelter magazine in the United States.  Newell Turner, the magazine's editor-in-chief, said that he liked blogs that have a really strong personality.

“I think that those are the most interesting blogs, and I think that’s what gives you a real place in the blogging world.  I like blogs that have a strong point of view and approach. I like to be stimulated by people and things. To find blogs that discuss what we are all thinking, and talking about is exciting to me.”

Mr. Turner had many praises for bloggers, comparing them to the beat reporters of the past.  He appreciated the hyper local nature of some design blogs, which offered an on-the-ground perspective about trends and events happening in cities, where many magazines may not have a continuous presence.

While blogs do not have the formal word limits of magazines, Mr. Turner felt that it was important for bloggers to restrict the size of their posts. “Edit, edit, edit. What we all do is a form of communication, and there is an art to communicating, and I think that we are limited (at the magazine) to a certain number of pages. It works to our advantage, because it forces us to really hone, and put together a package in a very specific way.”

Mr. Turner admitted that the blog world has even influenced House Beautiful's photography choices.  He said that the magazine’s staff studied the New York Social Diary, a prominent lifestyle blog, for inspiration.   He noted that the NYSD’s interior design posts, “captured moments that were less studied and formalized has had an impact on the way that we shoot stories at House Beautiful.”

House Beautiful also has a “send us a picture” feature where photographers and designers are asked to send project photos that are published in the magazine monthly.

Mr. Turner said that he had a blogger past of his own. “I’ve tried some blogging, and it takes a huge amount of work and we all realize that and applaud you for your efforts because I know you get up, and you start working and its like, another day, another entry, how do I do that?  How do I pull that out of the air?  And I give kudos for even existing.”

Founded in 1846, Town & Country has the distinction of being America's longest continuously published lifestyle magazine.  It currently has a limited online presence and is strategizing ways to improve its web platform.  Mark Rozzo, who has blogged in the past, offered his own advice. “If you want to be a blogger, it is also knowing about what you want to do.  I like that blogs can operate with a certain type of velocity that often eludes us as print editors and writers. That intimacy can be really interesting.”

“Someone reading a magazine in this day and age is also someone who is probably reading a blog. A blog should be as readable as a magazine, practiced at the highest possible level.”

Extras:

• Newell Turner talks about blogging and Twitter. [Curbed]
• New York Social Diary

Blogfest 2011 at the Hearst Tower

I recently had the pleasure of attending Blogfest 2011 in New York City, the inaugural design immersion extravaganza sponsored by Kravet, a global leader in home furnishings. Beth Greene, the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, and her team created the fantastic experiential conference that brought design bloggers together to have a first-hand glimpse into the company's world.  Exclusive insider access was granted to explore various facets of the design community, including magazine publishing; visits to renowned design centers, and a few meet-and-greets with renowned interior designers.

 The moment that I heard about the event, I knew that I wanted to attend! It’s not every day that an opportunity is extended to go behind the scenes of some of New York's most exclusive design venues.  Another plus was that it was only 20 minutes away from home! I was fortunate enough to register early, as only 120 bloggers from 29 states, and 5 Canadian provinces were in attendance.  It was a hot ticket, because the waiting list was just as long!

Overall, I had an enjoyable time, exploring and seeing places throughout the city that were new to me. Since the conference was a three-day whirlwind of dazzling events, I will have a series of posts covering many of the highlights.  I extend my sincere thanks to Beth Greene, Jennifer Powell, and the entire Kravet family for being such gracious hosts!

Day One: The Hearst Tower

A lovely lunch, and the conference’s opening afternoon sessions took place in the Columbus Circle area, at none other than the Hearst Tower.  Publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, commissioned the original six-story cast limestone Art Deco building, which was completed in 1928.  Joseph Urban in association with George B. Post and Sons designed the building, which stretched one full block along the west side of Eighth Avenue between 56^th and 57^th Streets.   It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1976. 

Blogfest 2011 Luncheon hosted by House Beautiful [Blogfest 2011]

The Hearst Corporation is one of the nation's largest diversified media companies. Its major interests include magazine, newspaper and business publishing, cable networks, television and radio broadcasting, internet businesses, TV production and distribution, newspaper features distribution and real estate. 

The company expanded its headquarters in 2003, adding a tower containing 1 million square feet of office space.  Architect Lord Norman Foster designed the new 46-story tower that received glowing reviews for its historic preservation, sustainability practice, and design. Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for the New York Times, offered this assessment of Norman Foster's new Hearst Tower in June 2006:

Crisscrossed by a grid of bold steel cross-braces, its chiseled glass form rises with blunt force from the core of the old 1928 Hearst Building on Eighth Avenue, at 57th Street. Past and present don't fit seamlessly together here; they collide with ferocious energy.

This 46-story tower may be the most muscular symbol of corporate self-confidence to rise in New York since the 1960's, when Modernism was in full bloom, and most Americans embraced technological daring as a sure route to social progress.

The Hearst Tower also has the distinction of being the first building in New York City to receive a gold rating certification under the US Green Buildings Councils Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. According to the Hearst's website:

• 90% of the Tower's structural steel contains recycled materials
• 26% less energy is used than in a building constructed to standard building code
• The annual carbon dioxide reduction associated with the decreased energy usage is 869 tons, equating to 174 cars being taken off the road
• The roof collects rainwater, reducing the amount of water dumped into the City's sewer system during rainfall by 25%

Yes, the building was quite spectacular in person.  Next up, I will chronicle some of the highlights from meeting with the editors of House Beautiful, Veranda, and Town And Country magazines.

Art at the Festival of Ideas for the New City

The Festival of Ideas for the New City made its debut on May 4-8 in Manhattan.  The event brought together several arts institutions, community groups, as well as downtown organizations to showcase new ideas that may benefit New York City’s future.  There were a series of workshops, a conference, a street festival, and more than 100 independent projects associated with the new collaborative initiative.  Most events occured near the New Museum, one of the founders of the festival.

On May 8, I did have a chance to briefly visit the outdoor Street Fest that took place throughout various points along the Bowery, Sara D. Roosevelt Park, and the surrounding Lower East Side.  More than 75 local grassroots organizations, small business and nonprofits were represented.  I thought that it was great to see so many nonprofits that are normally engaged in some pretty invaluable work, have a prominent spotlight. 

It was one of the most educational, and oddly entertaining street festivals that I’ve ever attended.   The minute that I stepped out of the Bowery subway station, I immediately noticed this:

 Agata Olek created this crotchet bicycle using acrylic yarn. 

Trust Art's Bushwick Art Park

Peter Stuyvesant chartered the Bushwick section of Brooklyn in 1661, naming it “Boswijck” meaning “Little town in the woods” or “heavy woods” in 17th century Dutch.  Ironically, the neighborhood has the least amount of open space, 0.6 acres per 1,000 people.  The New York City Department of City Planning recommends a minimum of 2.5 acres per 1,000 people.

Recently, several neighborhood artists and organizations, led by Trust Art, Factory Fresh, and Skewville put forth a proposal to de-map Vandervoot Place, an underused street in Bushwick, and transform it into a permanent sculpture garden.  At the festival’s street fest, Agata Olek, a Brooklyn based artist with a current show in the Bowery, contributed crocheted street performers (who were "yarn bombed"), as part of the prototype of the Bushwick Art Park. The depiction of the Brooklyn apartment dwellers drew quite a crowd, and brought pedestrian traffic to a standstill.

A recent article in the New York Times recently referred to "yarn bombing" as a feminine form of street art (as opposed to graffiti, which is male-dominated).

Yarn bombing takes that most matronly craft (knitting) and that most maternal of gestures (wrapping something cold in a warm blanket) and transfers it to the concrete and steel wilds of the urban streetscape. Hydrants, lampposts, mailboxes, bicycles, cars — even objects as big as buses and bridges — have all been bombed in recent years, ever so softly and usually at night. -NYT, 5/19/11

Art After Hours: Murals on the Bowery

During the festival, 15 stores along the Bowery, had their security gates painted by artists. This temporary installation known as "After Hours, Murals on the Bowery" featured site-specific paintings.   At the invitation of the New Museum, the Art Production Fund selected a cross-generational, international group of artists, and approached proprietors of retail spaces along the Bowery who will host the murals for two months. In some cases, the murals may remain indefinitely.  Above is work by Deborah Kass and pulp, ink at 214 Bowery. 

 The Laundromat Project

One of my favorite community based nonprofit arts organizations, the Laundromat Project was also at the festival. They invited the public to silkscreen a tote bag while listening to music from 2010 Public Artist in Residence Bayeté Ross Smith’s tower of boom boxes.  Below is a video that describes the great work that they do throughout NYC.

More info:

• Laundromat Project
• The Bushwick Art Park
• Festival of New Ideas for the New City

A visit to Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1

The Brooklyn Bridge Park by cbreuk via flickr

A dozen years ago, I toured the future home of the Brooklyn Bridge Park on a class fieldtrip. The site was a jumbled patchwork of vacant warehouse buildings, parking lots, and decayed piers, overlooking the East River. The Port Authority had ceased operations there in 1983, coinciding with the end of an era of manufacturing on a significant part of Brooklyn's waterfront. Historically, it was also the original home of the Fulton Ferry, that linked Brooklyn to Manhattan, as far back as 1642.

On the initial visit, a local Brooklyn Heights resident, gave my urban planning class her vision for the site's potential as a recreational resource. She shared how one day, this derelict space would become a park. I'll admit that I wasn't a believer, especially during an era when the city did not consider large-scale civic beautification projects a high-priority.

Fortunately, after nearly two decades of planning, as well as ongoing legal, and funding challenges, the Brooklyn Bridge Park made its debut in 2010. The $350 million, 80-acre, 1.3 mile park designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, is still under construction, but several areas are now open.

Here is the synopsis of the park plan:

Brooklyn Bridge Park will transform this underused and inaccessible stretch into a magnificent public space filled with lawns, recreation, beaches, coves, restored habitats, playgrounds and beautifully landscaped areas. The Park will connect visitors to the waterfront and NY Harbor in extraordinary ways with floating pathways, fishing piers, canals, paddling waters and restored wetlands. This is the most significant park development in Brooklyn since Prospect Park was built 135 years ago. -Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York City

The Brooklyn Bridge Park is a 21st century modern open public space that will inevitably redefine how New York City's parks are built from this moment forward. It has received rave reviews for its innovation in design, as well as sustainability practice. The park's infrastructure has several reused elements from deconstructed buildings that had previously been on the site. Park planners purchased native plants from nurseries located within a 500-mile radius. The landscape architects have also designed a sophisticated storm water management system that meets 70 percent of the pier's annual irrigation needs.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park's manmade topography was constructed with fill from the East River.

Recently, I visited Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1, a 9.5-acre site. This section is larger than Manhattan's Bryant Park, and includes two large lawns, known as the Bridge View lawn, and Harbor View lawn. There is also a playground, and a waterfront promenade. It was built on bulk fill, salvaged from the Long Island Railroad's drilling operations for the East Side Access tunnel project.

The park is surrounded by the most identifiable landmarks in New York City. It is an impressive space that takes full-advantage of the majesty of its surroundings. One powerful vista from a 29-foot hill provides sweeping, scenic, and stunningly unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline, the East River, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

The park is an exciting place to visit, because it marries the tranquility of open space with one of the most densely populated cities in the nation. As I walked the series of paths filled with mature trees (although not in bloom during my visit), I even spotted Frank Gehry's 76-story residential tower, 8 Spruce Street. The site contains over 500 trees, including Kentucky Coffees, Catalpas, Magnolias, Lindens, Sweetgums, Serviceberries, London Planes, and various species of Oaks.

New York City is surrounded by water, but its residents have rarely utilized it for recreational use. Unlike other cities where waterfront parks are fairly commonplace, New York's waterways have traditionally been used almost exclusively for manufacturing or transportation. This park is unique, because there are several walkways that led directly to the East River for a boat launch. It is also one of the few places in the city where one can meet water, and actually get close enough to touch it.

Throughout the year, the Brooklyn Bridge Park hosts many events including bicycle clinics, summer movies. and kayaking programs. There are also public tours of the park, and the surrounding historic neighborhood.

The Future: A new pedestrian bridge and park maintenance

The proposed Squibb Park Bridge

Currently, pedestrian access to the Brooklyn Bridge Park is not exactly direct. The Robert Moses-era Brooklyn- Queens Expressway, literally divided the nearby Brooklyn Heights neighborhood from the river. Park planners recently received approval for a $4.9 million, sustainable, 396-foot-long timber bridge designed by structural engineer Ted Zoli that will connect Squibb Park, a small, paved park at the north end of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade with the Brooklyn Bridge Park. It will provide a quicker path to the Brooklyn Bridge Park for those using several nearby subway lines.

According to a recent article that appeared in Crain's New York Business, the biggest challenge that the Brooklyn Bridge Park currently faces is a plan for operational revenue, which is needed to meet the park's estimated $16 million in maintenance costs per year.  A proposal has been floated to build six new residential towers, and a hotel on the park s edge, which is city-owned space. The revenues from the properties would be used for a maintenance fund for the park. However, many area residents have opposed this plan, because it would take away public space. The city has said that it will not give an additional $50 million, which is needed to complete the park, unless there is self-sustaining funding.

I look forward to returning when more plants are in bloom, because I really had an enjoyable time. Here are some additional notes from my visit:

A salt marsh at the southern edge of Pier 1, planted with native plant life and nestled within a salvaged granite seating area, provides a unique opportunity to experience the tidal river, and a boat ramp at the southern edge of Pier 1 provides access for non-motorized watercraft. Granite salvaged from the demolished Willis Avenue Bridge was used to create a seating area along the Salt Marsh.

The park benches and the cladding on park buildings were constructed with Long Leaf Yellow Pine, obtained when the warehouses on the site were deconstructed. This resinous wood is known to be resistant to fire.

 

Another sustainability project was the construction of the Granite Prospect on Pier 1, made with over 300 pieces of granite salvaged from the reconstructed Roosevelt Island Bridge. Visitors to the park can enjoy the New York Harbor from this vantage point overlooking the waterfront promenade.

For more information about the Brooklyn Bridge Park, please visit their website.

Recent articles:

Work on Brooklyn Bridge Park Could Stall [Crain's New York Business]

An improved Brooklyn Bridge Park Among the Changes in Dumbo [NY Times]

New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show: On Broadway

As memories of winter slowly begin to fade, now is the perfect time to visit the New York Botanical Garden’s ninth annual Orchid Show.  This year’s theme is “On Broadway” which pays homage to New York’s most celebrated historic theaters.  Tony Award-winning designer Scott Pask, and image-maker Drew Hodges utilized thousands of orchids from the NYBG, and around the world to create an array of spectacular theater-inspired set pieces.

An Orchid Promenade, Credit: Scott Pask and Drew Hodges

The show's entrance was at the Reflecting Pool of the Conservatory’s Palms of the World Gallery.  Here  a 16-foot height proscenium arch and curtain was modeled after the Walter Kerr Theatre frame an orchid-bedecked stage heralding the starring role of these coveted plants in this show.  It should be noted that actual garden hoses were used to create the stage curtain.

This orchid, XAscocenda-Carolyn Ellis was truly a stand-out.

Although I’ve attended the show over the past several years, I am always impressed that the NYBG manages to find new and inspired ways to celebrate the beauty of flowers.  Orchids, known as the divas of the plant world, were the fitting stars of the show.  There were more than 300 types of species and hybrid orchids, including Dendrobium (cane orchids), Paphiopedilum (slipper orchids), Oncidium (dancing lady orchids), Cymbidium (Asian corsage orchids), and Phalaenopsis (moth orchids).

An Orchid Proscenium Arch and Curtain -Credit: Scott Pask and Drew Hodges

Admittedly, I spent a majority of the time gazing up at the ceiling, staring at the flowering arches that were suspended in mid-air.  They were created to resemble the New Amsterdam Theatre promenade.  It was fun to see how the designers played with color, texture, and occasionally interspersed the orchids of various fragrances throughout the display areas.

 

What made the exhibition unique was that it never employed gimmicky features like Broadway show posters or life-sized chorus girls made out of orchids to reiterate the theme. While there was background music, much of the exhibition was about utilizing one’s imagination. In many ways the exhibition evoked a few memories of my past theatergoing experiences. Walking throughout the show, it was not difficult to recall the anticipation of waiting for the orchestra to perform, and being dazzled by a theater’s auditorium. One clever feature was a section reserved for an “audience” of orchids, which oddly enough resembled people watching a show.

 

My favorite display was in the Seasonal Exhibition Gallery where there was an orchid chandelier (rumor has it that it contains 10,000 blooms!) that was suspended above the reflecting pool.  It was apparently similar to one that had existed at the Eltinge Theater on 42^nd Street.

 The New York Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show is the nation’s largest and only curated orchid exhibition will be on view until April 25.   In addition to the show there is a complementary exhibition, Hirschfeld’s Broadway Scrapbook, in NYBG’s Mertz Library which displays more than 30 drawings, as well as posters, programs, and sketchbooks from the Al Hirschfeld Foundation that tell the history of the Great White Way as seen by its foremost chronicler.  For more information visit the NYBG’s website.

Madam C.J. Walker's Villa Lewaro

While Madam C.J. Walker’s Harlem home may have been demolished in 1942, a sizeable architectural remnant of her legacy still exists in Irvington, New York.  Madam Walker’s opulent former estate, Villa Lewaro, a 1976 National Historic Landmark is currently on the market for $6.8 million. 

In 1916, Madam Walker decided to build a $250,000, 34-room Italianate Villa mansion that would eventually become her dream home. The 20,000 square foot house with eight bedrooms, and six-bathrooms was designed by Vertner Woodson Tandy (1885-1949), the architect commissioned for her Harlem mansion. A 4,000 square foot carriage house was also built.

Fortunately, I did have an opportunity to visit the mansion for a charity event many years ago.  The palatial home remains quite the showstopper, as it was intentionally sited on Broadway, a well-traveled route between New York City and Albany where it would be very visible to all who passed.  When constructed, it had expansive views of the Hudson River.

Opera singer and Walker family friend, Enrico Caruso, named the home Villa Lewaro. Caruso had remarked that the home reminded him of the homes found in his native Italy. Lewaro is an anagram using the first two letters from Madam Walker’s daughter’s full name, Lelia Walker Robinson.

 

In 1917, there was so much buzz about Villa Lewaro, that The New York Times Magazine chronicled the mansion’s construction in an in-depth article. It astounded, and even puzzled the wealthy village’s residents that Madam Walker could possibly afford to build a house in proximity to the historic Hudson Valley estates of Jay Gould (1838, Tarrytown), and John D. Rockefeller’s Kykuit (1913, Pocantico Hills). 

The New York Times Magazine described Madam Walker's exceptional style and taste, which celebrated her entrepreneurial success:

“Plans for furnishing the house call for a degree of elegance and extravagance that a princess might envy. There are to be bronze and marble statuary, sparkling cut glass candelabra, paintings, and rich tapestries, and countless other things which will make the place a wonder house.

On the first floor are the living room 21 by 32 feet, furnished in the Italian style, a Louis XV drawing room 18 by 45 feet, and a dining room with a hand painted ceiling. Adjoining the two drawing rooms is a chamber for an $8,000 organ, which may be played automatically or by hand. Madam Walker likes music. When the organ is played, sounding pipes will carry the strains to different rooms in the house.” (The New York Times, November 04, 1917)

 

Outdoor spaces: The Italian Gardens

A concrete terrace, with a concrete balustrade, extends across the rear of the house. Stairs from either end extend down to a second terrace with a fountain recessed in an arched niche. A sunken garden and reflecting pool below may be reached by stairs from the second terrace. At the west end of the garden is a Pergola supported by concrete ionic columns. The rear walls of the basement are above grade and open out in an enclosed areaway below the terrace. [National Register of Historic Places Nomination]

Villa Lewaro as a symbol of success

While Villa Lewaro would become Vertner Tandy’s most famous residential architectural commission, the building’s significance went beyond its design. Villa Lewaro also served as Madam Walker’s living testimony to the very possibilities of success against all odds.  In the Walker Manufacturing Company’s advertisements, the home was featured prominently as part of her biography that showed a photograph of a cabin that she lived in as a child, to the palatial mansion that she built, as a result of the merits of her hard work and perseverance. 

General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

Sadly, Madam Walker only lived in Villa Lewaro a short time, as she died in 1919. Her daughter A’Lelia Walker inherited the home.  A’Lelia used the house as a country retreat, and it proved to be an inviting setting to stage her elegant parties.  According to Steven Watson in the book Harlem Renaissance, A’Lelia “invited guests for long weekends of ostentatious luxury. They were met by black servants in white wig, doublet, and hose and encouraged to rest on Hepplewhite furniture while enjoying her Estey pipe organ or her 24-carat gold-plated piano (P.142).

In November 1930, A’Lelia Walker had Villa Lewaro’s contents auctioned, due to economic difficulties faced by the company at the height of the Depression.  The New York Times wrote numerous articles about the sale, which included a treasure trove of the finest in the decorative arts including furniture, Oriental rugs, Aubusson Tapestries and Suites, and lamps made of jade and quartz. 

When A’Lelia Walker died in 1931, Villa Lewaro was bequeathed to the NAACP. The organization decided to auction off the home, due to its inability to maintain the house during the Depression. It later became the Annie Poth Home for the Aged, and in the 1990’s reverted to private ownership. Villa Lewaro is a National Historic Landmark, but its grounds are locally protected because of its historic ginkgo and beechnut trees. 

[Photographs: Sotheby's]

Madam C.J. Walker and A'Lelia Walker in Harlem

Madam C.J. Walker and A'Lelia Walker [A'Lelia Bundles/Walker Family Archive/Washington, DC]Nearly 92 years after her death, Madam C.J. Walker remains an iconic figure in American history. Born Sarah Breedlove in rural Delta, Louisiana, the daughter of emancipated slaves is often credited as the first self-made African American millionaire.  Her vast fortune was the result of her success in the beauty industry, with a product line that primarily catered to Black women.

Although she had a rural upbringing, Madam Walker’s legacy is most closely associated with great American cities, including Denver, St. Louis, and later Indianapolis. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Madam Walker spent her early adult life in domestic service, most notably as a laundress. In the early 1900’s, after much experimentation, she discovered an effective hair care formula that she later manufactured.  Her products were such a huge success, that she was able to open beauty salons across the country.  The Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company trained nearly 20,000 hairdressers, and saleswomen to market beauty products internationally.

Madam Walker’s only daughter, Lelia Walker (later known as A’Lelia Walker) encouraged her mother to relocate her company’s headquarters to New York. Lelia arrived in Harlem in 1913, when her mother purchased a row house at 108 West 136^th Street, just as New York City’s burgeoning black population was expanding into Harlem, and solidifying its status as the “capital of Black America.”  By 1915, Madam Walker bought a second row house at 110 West 136^th Street, and moved to the city in 1916.

Madam C.J. Walker's townhouse 108-110 West 136th Street, 1915. Madam Walker's car and driver. [Byron Company from the collections of the Museum of the City of New York]

Madam Walker commissioned Vertner Woodson Tandy (1885-1949), the first registered African American architect in the state of New York to work on creating a palatial residence and beauty salon.  He was a graduate of Tuskegee University, and Cornell University’s architecture program. Mr. Tandy also made history as the first Black architect to establish his own practice in New York City at 1931 Broadway. 

Mr. Tandy’s most famous work at the time was the neo-Gothic St. Philip's Episcopal Church (208 West 134th Street), which has salmon-colored Roman brick and terra cotta.  The church was home to New York City’s oldest African American Episcopal congregation (established 1818), and was also considered the nation’s wealthiest black church.   Today the building is a New York City, State, as well as National Historic Landmark. Tandy worked on this project with fellow African American architect George Washington Foster, Jr. (Tandy & Foster, 1910-1911). 

Madam C.J. Walker's townhouse 108-110 West 136th Street, Vertner Tandy, architect [Byron Company from the collections of the Museum of the City of New York]

By 1915, a unified townhouse was constructed, when the two separate row houses were rebuilt, with a new red brick Georgian style facade with limestone trim. The mixed-use building housed the Walker Salon, and beauty school on the lower level.  The upper floors were used as a residence, which featured some of the most exquisite furnishings available at the time.  In the biography On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker, author A’Lelia Bundles gives an incredible description of the interior of the Walker home, considered one of Harlem’s most magnificent residences:

“Scalloped pale gray chiffon curtains framed the stylized Venetian windows that spanned the street-level front wall. On the right, French doors opened onto the hair salon with its patterned metal ceiling and buffed parquet floor. To the left at 108, marble Doric columns guarded the entrance to the upstairs living quarters. On the third floor, Madam Walker’s bedroom--- with its intricately carved fireplace and English wall tapestries--- was furnished in heavy mahogany. Down the hall Lelia’s ivory Louis XVI suite was trimmed in gold, her dresser and mantel filled with framed photographs and statuettes, her floor scattered with hand-woven Persian rugs" (Bundles 171-172).

The grandeur of the Walker townhouse was also noted in the book, When Harlem was in Vogue, where author David Levering Lewis wrote that the home, “flaunted their mistress’s wealth from the marble entrance hall and French rooms done in gold and buff to the Aubusson carpets beneath Louis XVI furniture.”

A'Lelia Walker's bedroom, Madam C.J. Walker's townhouse, 1915. [Byron Company from the collections of the Museum of the City of New York

Historic photographs of the Walker Hair Parlor, which was considered one of the most luxurious salons in New York City.

 

The interior of Madam C.J. Walker's Beauty Parlor, 1915 [Byron Company from the collections of the Museum of the City of New York]

Tea room in Madam C.J. Walker's townhouse [Byron Company from the collections of the Museum of the City of New York]

Madam Walker died in 1919, and left the house to her daughter, A’Lelia, who in addition to working for her mother’s company was also a prominent socialite.  She was a prominent figure during the Harlem Renaissance, which occured between the 1920's to the 1930's when African American arts, music, and literature flourished. Writer Langston Hughes once called his friend A'Lelia the "joy goddess of Harlem’s 1920’s.” 

A’Lelia was known for her lavish parties, and in 1928, founded the “Dark Tower” an artists salon on one floor of her home. She entertained numerous poets, writers, artists, and people from various walks of life. The Dark Tower was named after Countee Cullen’s column in Opportunity magazine.  In 1999, The New York Times named the Dark Tower’s opening night party as one of “The 10 parties that shook the century.” The venture lasted a year.

A’Lelia Walker died in 1931. The Walker townhouse was eventually owned by the city, after serving for several years as a health clinic. In 1941, the building was demolished, and replaced by the Countee Cullen branch of the New York Public Library. In December 2010, Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed the City Council bill honoring the legacy of the Walker women, by renaming 136th Street where the mansion once stood, “Madam Walker and A'Lelia Walker Place."

Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at PepsiCo World Headquarters

At the Pepsico Headquarters, the buildings were built directly into the land, bringing the beauty of nature together with great architecture. I love meandering about the grounds of the PepsiCo World Headquarters. The sculpture garden always amazes me, and every time that I visit, feels like a brand new experience.  It is definitely one of my favorite destinations in Westchester County.

Have you ever wanted to work in a gorgeous setting that marries nature, and masterful architecture? In 1971, PepsiCo decided to move their world headquarters from New York City, relocating 30 miles north to the pastoral confines of Purchase, New York. Decades later, this thoughtful decision has reaped tremendous rewards, as employees, and the public have benefited by having access to one of the most magnificent corporate campus settings in the country.

Recently, Westchester Magazine named the PepsiCo World Headquarters one of the “10 most beautiful buildings in Westchester.”   This distinction is well-earned, as in 2009 it also received the Landmark Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, recognizing the complex, “as an example of how a careful composition of landscape of sculpture, fountains, and gardens can uplift a corporate campus environment, and enhance the quality of employees’ attitudes, lifestyles, and overall performance, even after decades of use.”

Some of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, including Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, Henry Moore, George Segal, and Auguste Rodin have their masterpieces on display for free in Westchester County, New York. The Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at PepsiCo World Headquarters has more than 45 works located throughout its 168 bucolic acres, which are open to the public. The gardens have no admission charge.

Russell Page, one of the world’s foremost landscape architects, designed the gardens, which have been extended over the years by François Goffinet. Donald M. Kendall, the former president of the board and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, Inc, collected the sculptures. He conceived the gardens to foster, “an atmosphere of stability, creativity and experimentation that would reflect his vision of the company.” The building complex, consisting of seven, three-story buildings, was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone.

The glorious gardens are open throughout the year, and in warmer weather, it is the perfect place for a picnic, as tables are available onsite. It is a wonderful destination, whether one is an art enthusiast, nature lover, or just appreciates being in glorious surrounding for a few hours for quiet contemplation.  If planning a day trip from New York City, also check out the renowned Neuberger Museum of Art.  There really is no better way to spend a day immersed in 20th century contemporary art, both indoors and outdoors.

Kiosque l'évidé, 1970 by Jean Dubuffet

Giant Trowel II by Claes Ogdenberg

Totems by Robert Davidson

Hats Off by Alexander Calder

Girl with a Dolphin, David Wynne (1972)

The Family of Man by Barbara Hepworth

Meridian by Barabara Hepworth and Triad by Arnaldo Pomodoro

For more information:

PepsiCo Sculpture Gardens- 700 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY

Winter Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. (daily)

Admission: Free

New York Botanical Garden Greenmarket

For the past several seasons, I’ve wanted to visit the New York Botanical Garden Greenmarket.   I’m happy to report that I finally went! Every Wednesday throughout the summer and fall, the country comes to the city, offering New Yorkers access to phenomenally fresh food, at a great price.  

The market features vendors from New York’s Hudson Valley region, and offers an array of seasonal produce, and home-made baked goods too.  It was such an easy and convenient way to shop local, with the added bonus of being surrounded by beautiful fall foliage.

Located at the base of the Tulip Tree Allee by the Mosholu Gate, there was a huge variety of colorful produce on display, as well as fresh herbs.  The abundance of radishes, mixed greens, squashes, ripe tomatoes, and just-harvested apples was overwhelming.  There were also pears, cranberry beans, eggplants, cauliflower, corn, cabbage, kale, and even bok choy.  The list was quite endless.

In addition to buying vegetables, there was a not-so-slight detour over to the Bread Alone booth.  Bread Alone sells organic baked goods, and I had a wonderfully rich chocolate chip scone. Equally scrumptious was the baked apple pie which had the perfect balance of tart and sweet.

The complete list of vendors included:

• Bread Alone Bakery, Boiceville, NY – Bread Alone Bakery currently bakes both organic whole grain breads and all natural, hand made pastries in its main bakery.
• Gajeski Produce: They offered vegetables from their 125-acre produce farm on the North Fork of Long Island, Riverhead, NY.
• The Little Bake Shop, Valley Cottage, NY – offered fresh baked goods, including a variety of gluten-free products.
• Migliorelli Farm, Tivoli, NY – a family-run fruit and vegetable farm located in Northern Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley Region of New York. 
• Perez Farm, Goshen, NY – fresh produce and herbs
• Red Jacket Orchard, Geneva, NY – Located in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York State along the rolling hills of Seneca Lake, Red Jacket was originally planted in 1917.  Today, the orchard and juice company is managed by the second and third generation of the Nicholson family. apples, pears, and cider

Greenmarket is one of the largest and most successful open-air farmers market in the country, and since 1976 has been working to promote regional agriculture, preserve farmland, and ensure a continuing supply of fresh, local produce for all New Yorkers. To learn more about GrowNYC’s Greenmarket, gardening, recycling, and education programs, visit Grow NYC.  The New York Botanical Garden Greenmarket will be open every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. until November 29.

Wave Hill's architecture and design

 

 It’s officially fall, which means that I always sigh, because it is one step closer to my least favorite season, winter. On the bright side, the leaves will soon be colorful, and the apple harvest this year is rather abundant. 

Last week marked another milestone of sorts when I made a short trip to Wave Hill in the Bronx for their annual plant sale. Yes, my thoughts moved quickly to consider the beauty of next spring’s perennial blooms, even though autumn was barely a week old.  There were so many plants to choose from.

Wave Hill is an incredibly serene, and picturesque 28-acre public garden and art center in the historic Riverdale section.   It is a glorious urban oasis, filled with bountiful gardens, well-landscaped grounds, and spectacular views of both the Hudson River, and the Palisades. Since 1960, Wave Hill has been a cultural property owned by the City of New York.  “Wave Hill's mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscapes, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.”

      

 

Wave Hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  There are two original houses located on the property that remain in use for public activities.  The first is Wave Hill House, a Greek Revival home built in 1843-44 by William Lewis Morris, a New York City attorney. The area at the time was a place where many had summer residences.  Throughout the years it was leased to prominent New Yorkers, including Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. and his son (and the future U.S. president) Teddy.  Other famous tenants included the writer Mark Twain, and later Arturo Toscanini. Today the space houses art, a café, and rooms used for meetings.

 The terrace in the rear of the Wave Hill House is a quiet sanctuary that provides a lovely setting for outdoor dining at the Wave Hill Cafe.

 

Glyndor House, a Georgian Revival style house built in 1926. It was designed by New York architects Butler and Corse. Currently this space is in use for art exhibitions and is known as the Glyndor Gallery.

In 2004, Wave Hill added the Perkins Visitor Center.  The center was designed by Robert A.M. Stern architects. A signature aspect of the design is the board-and-batten exterior of the building’s northern portion. Traditionally used in Hudson River Valley cottages from the 1840’s, the choice of board-and-batten was inspired by Wave Hill’s setting overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades. Fieldstone piers and foundation, as well as a copper roof, complement this construction and relate to the fieldstone façade of Wave Hill House, located within view of the Visitor Center. It is also home of the Shop at Wave Hill which recently saw a significant spike in sales of its Wave Hill Chair.  

The Wave Hill Chair

Wave Hill also has a place within the design world for their Wave Hill Chairs, which are scattered about the grounds. It’s not unusual to spot visitors sitting in them to read a book, while painting landscape portraits on easels, or napping.  The chair was recently featured in The Los Angeles Times which said, “the slat back and seat construction are reminiscent of Adirondack chairs and have an eye-catching architectural presence.” 

From Wave Hill: 

The chair is based on a 1918 design by the acclaimed Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld. The Rietveld Chair -- part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art -- was modified in the early 1960s and has been used exclusively at Wave Hill for many years. Comfortable, sturdy, and compatible with virtually any architectural form, the Wave Hill Chair enhances any formal garden or natural landscape.

Lemonade: Detroit

Lemonade: Detroit is a film about the disarming resilience of those who are moving Detroit beyond automobiles into an era of entrepreneurism. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, visit their website. CREDITS Director, Producer: Erik Proulx Producer: Chris Perry Producer: Laura Hochthanner Director of Photography: Peter Nelson Editor: Pete Warren Editorial: Finish Editorial Production Company: Ringside Creative Music: Fancy Lad Music

Visiting The Nate Berkus Show

 

I went into this day without much expectation, and ended it with a smile. Nate Berkus couldn't have been nicer, and I had a good time doing something different. PS- loved my gift from Send the Trend.

Last Tuesday, I was in the audience full of design writers and bloggers, from all over the world (yes!), for the taping of The Nate Berkus Show.  I was excited to go, because over the years, I’ve appreciated his interior design work, especially as seen on Oprah.  I also met new people (like Anishka Clarke of Ishka Designs and Susan Schneider of Shandell's), and saw some familiar faces as well, including Brooklyn-based designer Karen Young of Hammocks and High Tea, and many others who I follow on Twitter, so that was wonderful!

When Nate came out to greet the audience, I didn’t feel particularly star struck, because he had such a genuine niceness, and everydayness that I felt like I already knew him!  He was a true professional, and a very gracious host.

Karen Young of the phenominal Hammocks and High Tea asked Nate a question.

The show had seven segments, which whirled by rather quickly. I was less focused on the actual content, and more caught up in the cheerleading…without the pompoms of course.  Dena Blizzard, a comic known as “One Funny Mother” kept the audience revved up as she gave us pointers on how to provide the background soundtrack.  There were also candy and t-shirt giveaways, and even a hokey dance to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”  No, I didn’t know the words, but it was comical!

The cheerleading for Nate didn’t just start on that day though.  Many bloggers in the audience had written passionate posts about him, which where posted on their websites, and announced via Twitter on #NateDay, which was launched by Julieanne Covino (Create Girl).  The idea for an audience filed with bloggers came from Joy and Janet, also known as the Moggit Girls who managed to bring the collective energy together to capture the attention of Nate Berkus, and his producers to make the day happen.  What these women did was nothing short of powerful, and quite wonderful.

During the taping breaks, Nate acknowledged, and thanked all of us for attending the show, and noted the efforts of Moggit Girls and Create Girl.  Nate spoke to us after the show with a Q & A that lasted for about 15 minutes. For the record, the highly-SCRIPTED, TV talk show host Nate Berkus was not as interesting as the extemporaneous Nate Berkus who shined like a total rock star. After the show in his chat with the audience, he totally came alive as he spoke enthusiastically about interior design, and how he only featured products on his show of things that reflected what he loved.



I really wished that the cameras had filmed the post-show conversation, because Nate discussed how he admired the blogging community, and how the show had utilized social media since his show’s inception.  He was so genuine, real, and appreciative of our participation.

I never knew what to expect, but to be surrounded by so many positive people, there was good energy, and it was a lot of fun. Many thanks to all who made the day a reality!