Back in July, I blogged about the NY City Council passing legislation that would allow office workers to bring their bikes into buildings if there is a freight elevator and enough space. This law goes in effect tomorrow! Here's to hoping that this will increase ridership, safety, and security for all bike riders!
I've heard about the Wii and all the sports you can play with a handheld controller but I was always skeptical about how effective and how fun they were. Today, I finally laid my hands on a Wii, at the Wii Sports Resort pop-up tents at South Street Seaport. There were tents set up for every sport (canoeing, swordplay, basketball to name a few) and friendly staff in Hawaiian shirts to assist players.
The first game I tried was Canoeing, and I have to say that after 15 seconds, I felt very awkward rowing with a controller. Next up was Basketball, which was pretty fun, but it was probably because I'm more familiar with the sport. I did enjoy Swordplay, which consisted of lots of whacking and slashing. Nevertheless, I still felt weird moving around while not really moving around. I think I'll stick to the real sport. Great event though! There were even pretty resort chais set up.
This week, the New York City Council passed the Bikes in Buildings Bill, which requires commercial landlords to allow office workers to bring their bikes into buildings if there is a freight elevator and enough space. For many New Yorkers, the lack of safe parking for their bicycles was a key reason why they chose not to bike to work. This is a great step in moving towards increased ridership and safety. To make biking a truly viable option, the next step is for buildings to allot space for storage and estabiish an efficient way for cyclists to transport their bikes. Ride on!
Last week, the New York Philharmonic held its 45th Concert in the Parks series. They played several performances, inviting New Yorkers to Central Park, Prospect Park, and Van Cortlandt Park. The concerts drew tens of thousands of New Yorkers out for a picnic dinner, live music, and a special treat at the very end. I attended the performance at Van Cortlandt Park, where I got a great view. I probably wouldn't have been so luck at Central Park, so it was well worth the long subway ride.Check it out!
When I think of a city rooftop, I think of concrete and tar, and the toxic smell when it gets hot. Nothing much happens on my roof, although I’ve imagined all the potential it could have. I’ve heard of ‘green roof’s and have looked up to see tree growing atop fancy new condominiums and office buildings. This seems to be the trend now; the United States Postal Office unveiled one of the largest ones this Wednesday atop the Morgan Processing and Distribution Center on the west side of Manhattan. The 2.5 acre space is now “parklike recreational space for its employees, with benches, billowing grasses and a view of the skyline that includes the Empire State Building.” The roof, despite costing a lot more money upfront, will last twice as long a conventional roof, and help save tremendously on insulation. I hope more buildings will follow along!
