Untapped Cities

Untapped Cities We unearth the best of your city and the ones you're traveling to. http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=d9086494b895510e3c7de59206777b1b Thu, 23 May 2013 10:42:26 +0000 http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/ Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with PlusmoSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with Excite MIXSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with Podcast ReadySubscribe with WikioSubscribe with Daily RotationWelcome to the Untapped Cities RSS feed! Yarnstorming by Knit the City Brightens London http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/BnmJMTjhvxk/ If you haven’t heard of yarnstorming, we’re here to enlighten you. The website of its perpetrators, Knit the City defines it as “the art of enhancing a public place or object with graffiti knitting.” Also called yarnbombing, the streets of South London were treated to knitted flowers, bees, and beaming suns this spring, continuing into summer. The four girls behind London’s lifted spirits operate secretly, knitting, releasing their creations upon needy street corners. The reasoning behind it all? Yarnstorming forces people to pay attention to and re-evaluate otherwise forgotten urban spaces. It also turns neighborhoods into art galleries, tells stories, and fosters imagination. And most obviously, it’s a way of making people smile. It’s a colorful celebration of life, art, and London, or whatever city it might invade. Note: This idea isn’t copyrighted. The girls behind the idea and Knit the City want you to spread some soul, to decorate… http://untappedcities.com/?p=401937 Wed, 22 May 2013 20:00:50 +0000
Source: Unurth Street Art If you haven’t heard of yarnstorming, we’re here to enlighten you. The website of its perpetrators, Knit the City defines it as “the art of enhancing a public place or object with graffiti knitting.” Also called yarnbombing, the streets of South London were treated to knitted flowers, bees, and beaming suns this spring, continuing into summer. The four girls behind London’s lifted spirits operate secretly, knitting, releasing their creations upon needy street corners. Source: Knit the City The reasoning behind it all? Yarnstorming forces people to pay attention to and re-evaluate otherwise forgotten urban spaces. It also turns neighborhoods into art galleries, tells stories, and fosters imagination. And most obviously, it’s a way of making people smile. It’s a colorful celebration of life, art, and London, or whatever city it might invade. Note: This idea isn’t copyrighted. The girls behind the idea and Knit the City want you to spread…

]]> http://knitthecity.com/ Downtown Doodler: Untapped Cities World Landmark Skyline Logo http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/N07Safj9N90/ The Downtown Doodler explains Untapped Cities' new world landmarks logo, from the Washington Square Arch to the Colosseum.… http://untappedcities.com/?p=401553 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:00:26 +0000
When Untapped Cities asked me to create a world landmark graphic for the site’s relaunch, I was honored. It was a challenge to choose between the many incredible landmarks of all the cities covered by Untapped. The architectural landmarks that made the cut, from left to right, are below: Top Row: The Washington Square Arch has been a staple of the park since 1889. Designed by Stanford White, the arch was first built out of wood to commemorate the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration. The prominent citizens loved it and paid for White to design it in marble. The Capitol Records Building stands 13 stories tall, with famous echo chambers built under the streets of Los Angeles. The wide curved awnings over the windows make the building look like a stack of records. Ever since its opening, the blinking light atop the tower spells out the word “Hollywood” in Morse code. The Eiffel Tower was…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/22/downtown-doodler-world-landmarks-skyline-logo/ Revolutionary War Re-Enactments on Long Island http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/Vg3rIaU28J0/ The Order of the Ancient and Honorable Huntington Militia will re-enact a Revolutionary War battle on Long Island June 1. … http://untappedcities.com/?p=401946 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:00:18 +0000
Re-enactment of the Battle of Ft. Salonga (courtesy of the Huntington Militia) The South may be known for Civil War re-enactments, but Confederates aren’t the only ones who relive their battles. The Revolutionary War will be brought back to life on Long Island, with a model encampment by the The Order of the Ancient and Honorable Huntington Militia on June 1 at the Manor of St. George in Brookhaven, NY. The Order is a replica of the colonial militia that was established in Huntington, New York in 1653. Its members include locals of all ages who re-enact 18th-century American life, from Revolutionary War battles to daily activities such as carpentry and weaving. During the Revolution, the Manor of St. George was occupied by British soldiers and in 1780 was the site of one of the few battles to take place on Long Island. The free event on June 1st (open to adults and children)…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/22/revolutionary-war-re-enactments-on-long-island/ Top Ten Ways to Spend Memorial Day in NYC http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/yWH7TOih_vc/ Our top ten recommendations for how to have an untapped Memorial Day weekend. … http://untappedcities.com/?p=402038 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:00:08 +0000
A member of the Coast Guard participates in last year’s Memorial Day events. Photo courtesy of USCG News. Who doesn’t love Memorial Day weekend? The sun is (usually) shining, the weather is just rounding the corner of hot and hotter, and the city air is thick with the smell of rooftop barbecues. Street fairs and parades clog almost all of the main avenues, and the sidewalks swarm with sweaty tourists. (If you’re not a fan of bumbling tourists, you’ll really want to avoid the Midtown West area–the popular neighborhood heads up the the list of the top 50 Memorial Day destinations in the U.S., according to a recent Priceline.com analysis). So perhaps not always the seasoned New Yorker’s favorite holiday. Still, there’s a lot of fun to be had, if you know where to look. Here is our round-up of this year’s top ten places to celebrate the national Memorial Day holiday…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/22/top-ten-ways-to-spend-memorial-day-in-nyc/ Parco dei Monstri: Italy’s Renaissance Park of Monsters http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/d7NULBIq1lo/ In the northern section of the Lazio region, lies the village of Bomarzo and its wondrous Parco dei Monstri. Accessible chiefly by car, the park is 60 miles north of Rome. Parco dei Monstri was built between 1572-74 by Pier Francesco Orsini, known as Vicino Orsini. Orsini called the park his “boschetto” or little wood. It was most likely created by Pirro Ligorio, a prominent architect and garden designer who also designed the Villa D’Este in Tivoli, near Rome. Very little is known, however, about the sculptors themselves. The figures are carved from tufo, the volcanic rock that blankets this section of Lazio. A soft stone, tufo is easy to sculpt and rough-hewn in appearance. The scale is, well, monstrous and the figures loom in mute poses of victory, agony or imperious reverie. Now mossy and softened with age, many still bear traces of their original paint. Dragons snarl, Neptune… http://untappedcities.com/?p=401156 Wed, 22 May 2013 17:00:22 +0000
In the northern section of the Lazio region, lies the village of Bomarzo and its wondrous Parco dei Monstri. Accessible chiefly by car, the park is 60 miles north of Rome. Parco dei Monstri was built between 1572-74 by Pier Francesco Orsini, known as Vicino Orsini. Orsini called the park his “boschetto” or little wood. It was most likely created by Pirro Ligorio, a prominent architect and garden designer who also designed the Villa D’Este in Tivoli, near Rome. Very little is known, however, about the sculptors themselves. The figures are carved from tufo, the volcanic rock that blankets this section of Lazio. A soft stone, tufo is easy to sculpt and rough-hewn in appearance. The scale is, well, monstrous and the figures loom in mute poses of victory, agony or imperious reverie. Now mossy and softened with age, many still bear traces of their original paint. Dragons snarl, Neptune reclines…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/22/parco-dei-monstri-italys-renaissance-park-of-monsters/ The Getty Museum Showcases LA’s Mid-Century Architectural Innovation http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/O6sh8qffqk8/ Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future at the Getty, highlights the diverse and cutting-edge Midcentury architectural innovations in Los Angeles. … http://untappedcities.com/?p=401959 Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:13 +0000
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion by Welton Becket & Associates. Source: Getty Museum Do we need anything more than the gorgeous J. Paul Getty Museum itself to illustrate the fact that Los Angeles is a a critical center for architecture? We didn’t, but for the skeptics, the museum is showcasing extra proof of it. Through mid-July, Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future will be on exhibition at the Getty Center Exhibitions Pavillion. Highways 5, 10, 60, and 101 Looking West, L.A. River and Downtown Beyond by Michael Light, 2004. Source: Getty Museum The title emphasizes the incredible pace at which Los Angeles grew between 1940 and 1990, and the exhibition highlights the diverse and cutting-edge architectural innovations that kept pace with that growth. Through drawings, photographs, models, and other media, Overdrive explores the innovation across five categories: Car Culture, Urban Networks, Engines of Innovation, Community Magnets, and Residential Fabric. And the architecture examined ranges from freeways to refined…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/22/getty-museum-showcases-las-mid-century-architectural-innovation/ Art Nerd NYs Street Art Hotspots: PS Os Gemeos http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/cRDk_v3tRCw/ There is at least one work by the Brazilian twins Os Gemeos left in New York (not counting the splasherized ones in Williamsburg. Their collaboration at PS 11 with graffiti legend Futura still overlooks the playground a few blocks before the gallery madness of Chelsea takes over. Set on the tree lined block, you almost feel alone with the piece, as opposed to the murals amidst the industrial gallery district just two blocks away. It also doesn’t hurt that the piece is 80 feet high! The familiar Os Gemeos yellow character is fused with Futura’s classic patterns, in an epic gift to the children of the school (and to us). Who: Os Gemeos and Futura What: Collabo mural on PS 11 Where: 320 W 21st St, New York, NY 10011 More info… http://untappedcities.com/?p=401725 Wed, 22 May 2013 15:00:48 +0000
There is at least one work by the Brazilian twins Os Gemeos left in New York (not counting the splasherized ones in Williamsburg. Their collaboration at PS 11 with graffiti legend Futura still overlooks the playground a few blocks before the gallery madness of Chelsea takes over. Image © Lori Zimmer, Art Nerd New York Set on the tree lined block, you almost feel alone with the piece, as opposed to the murals amidst the industrial gallery district just two blocks away. It also doesn’t hurt that the piece is 80 feet high! The familiar Os Gemeos yellow character is fused with Futura’s classic patterns, in an epic gift to the children of the school (and to us). Image © Vincent Cornelli Who: Os Gemeos and Futura What: Collabo mural on PS 11 Where: 320 W 21st St, New York, NY 10011 More info …

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/22/art-nerd-nys-street-art-hotspots-ps-os-gemeos/ The Modern Man: Roaring 20s Inspired Barbershop in Portland, Oregon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/lRVQciE1u6k/ The Roaring 20s are getting their comeback even in Portland. Case in point: The Modern Man barber shop with comes replete with a bar of 50 scotches and whiskies. … http://untappedcities.com/?p=25327 Wed, 22 May 2013 14:00:38 +0000
With the release of the new The Great Gatsby movie, the Roaring ’20s are making a full-fledged comeback, even in the corner of America known as Portland, Oregon. Walking in the door of the vintage barbershop, The Modern Man, visitors will leave behind the hustle and bustle of the digital era and enter into another era. “My bet is that they will never have visited a shop like ours before and that’s what we want,” said The Modern Man founder Chris Espinoza. A time when flappers roamed the streets smoking cigarettes, jazz was king, and speakeasys were the place to be during the Prohibition Era. “This is where a kid becomes a man,” said barber Chase Danielle. The Modern Man opened its doors in 2011, with two locations in town on Alberta Street and Hawthorne Boulevard, and will soon be opening a third location in June on Mississipi Avenue. Owner Chris Espinoza tells…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/22/modern-man-roaring-20s-inspired-barbershop-portland-oregon/ ICP Triennial Pushes the Boundaries of Photography http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/lVbazCnzbxk/ If you’re looking for cutting-edge work in photography and video art, the International Center of Photography (ICP) is the place to go. Their fourth Triennial, A Different Kind of Order, opened on Friday and it showcases work by some of the best and brightest contemporary artists. The curators, Kristen Lubben, Christopher Phillips, Carol Squiers, and Joanna Lehan, took digital modes of creation as a given and set out to create a show that would push the boundaries of photography to see how far it can go. Some of the work leans toward conceptual art, and the “photographer” is not always the one taking the photographs. Some of the most interesting and provocative work uses found images. Right at the entrance, Belgian artist Mishka Henner has images from Google Maps blown up and framed. What at first seems to be the artist’s abstractions in the middle of the images were actually placed… http://untappedcities.com/?p=401845 Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:04 +0000
If you’re looking for cutting-edge work in photography and video art, the International Center of Photography (ICP) is the place to go. Their fourth Triennial, A Different Kind of Order, opened on Friday and it showcases work by some of the best and brightest contemporary artists. The curators, Kristen Lubben, Christopher Phillips, Carol Squiers, and Joanna Lehan, took digital modes of creation as a given and set out to create a show that would push the boundaries of photography to see how far it can go. Some of the work leans toward conceptual art, and the “photographer” is not always the one taking the photographs. Some of the most interesting and provocative work uses found images. Right at the entrance, Belgian artist Mishka Henner has images from Google Maps blown up and framed. What at first seems to be the artist’s abstractions in the middle of the images were actually placed there…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/22/icp-triennial-pushes-the-boundaries-of-photography/ Daily What?!: Betty Boop Bike Rack in Midtown http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/yzyejI7C0X8/ Quirky neighborhood-specific bike racks by David Byrne of the Talking Heads, including this Betty Boop/Old Times Square inspired one. … http://untappedcities.com/?p=401961 Wed, 22 May 2013 12:06:49 +0000
David Byrne Bike Rack “The Old Times Square” on 44th Street and 7th Aveue This awesome bike rack wasn’t actually inspired by Betty Boop, but we like the alliteration of Betty Boop Bike Rack. It’s actually part of a series by artist David Byrne (from the Talking Heads) in partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation and Pace Gallery. As an avid cyclist, David was invited to join a city design competition for bike racks and later submitted his own designs which the city agreed to install. Each design was neighborhood specific, ranging from “The Old Times Square” (above), to “The Hipster” (of a guitar), “The Wall Street” ($ Sign), “The Jersey” (a car, right near the Lincoln Tunnel), “The Villager” (a dog), “The Coffee Cup,” “The MoMA,” “The Ladies Mile,” (a high heel shoe). A NYC resident decided to spend a weekend tracking all of them down (a map is available on Byrne’s website),…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/22/daily-what-betty-boop-bike-rack-in-midtown/ Taraz, Kazakhstan: A Silk Road City Through an Artpologist’s Eye http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/GLz1ZSJNpOA/ The Artpologist Collective partners with youth and artists in Taraz, Kazakhstan to study urban culture through art.… http://untappedcities.com/?p=401933 Tue, 21 May 2013 20:00:44 +0000
Locals in Taraz, Kazakhstan, with whom the Artpologist Collective will collaborate. An artist imagines and creates; an anthropologist studies cultures. In cities throughout America, Central Asia and now Kazakhstan, there will soon be hybrid, the “artpologist,” who uses visual representation to understand people and their cultures. Founded in 2007 by U.S.-based anthropologist Zhanara Nauruzbayeva and artists Daniel Gallegos (an Untapped contributor), Gaisha Madanova and Aminatou Echard, The Artpologist Collective aims to combine art and anthropology in social practice art that uses visual mediums to explore urban landscapes. After establishing successful projects in Central Asia and the U.S., Nauruzbayeva is returning to her hometown of Taraz, Kazakhstan. Through a new Kickstarter project, she and Gallegos hope to collaborate with Taraz-based art teacher Gulnara Kospakova and her students to rediscover their city and tell its story. In the long term, the collective aims to compare how people’s backgrounds mold urban spaces around the world. One of the oldest cities in Kazakhstan, Taraz is…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/21/artpologistcollective/ Saving NYC’s Vintage Diners: Moondance, Cheyenne, Empire Diner & the Lost Diner http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/i1xdmDNwOcM/ Michael Perlman is one of those New Yorkers who has taken his fascination for urban quirks and history towards a greater mission--in his case, preservation. … http://untappedcities.com/?p=401897 Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:18 +0000
It’s always exciting for us at Untapped to see the passionate work of residents get the spotlight. Michael Perlman, chair of the Rego-Forest Preservation Council, is one of those New Yorkers who has taken his fascination for urban quirks and history towards a greater mission–in his case, preservation. Last week, Michael’s work saving the diners of New York City was featured a piece by Eric Jaffe in The Atlantic Cities, chronicling his (often successful) quest to find buyers for iconic diners like the Moondance and Cheyenne diners. He’s also been trying to save the Empire Diner in Chelsea and the abandoned Lost Diner/Lunchbox Diner on West Street. Michael previously wrote an opinion piece for Untapped about saving the former U.S. Open tennis stadium in Forest Hills and took Untapped readers on a tour of the neighborhood and stadium. His work not only saved the stadium’s demolition from the hands of eager developers, but…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/21/saving-nycs-vintage-diners-moondance-cheyenne-empire-diner-the-lost-diner/ Untapped Mailbag: Where Can You Film An Apocalpyse Movie in NYC? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/jLZpAPPtaIM/ <img width="640" height="427" src="http://untappedcities.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ellis-Island-South-Side-Hospitals-Ward-9-Abandoned-012.jpg" class="attachment-full wp-post-image" alt="Ellis Island Southside Hospital"/><br/>We love hearing from readers in our Untapped Mailbag, especially when they have questions like, "Where can I film a TV show with an apocalypse v. man story line?"… http://untappedcities.com/?p=401838 Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:57 +0000
Ellis Island Southside Hospital We love hearing from readers in our Untapped Mailbag, especially when they have questions like, “Where can I film a TV show with an apocalypse v. man story line?” In our answer, here’s a sampling of the spots we suggested: Ellis Island Southside Hospitals: There isn’t much creepier than an abandoned hospital. This one has old incinerators, medicinal bottles, surgical wards and more. Fort Totten: This Civil War fort is particularly apocalyptic for the inscriptions soldiers carved into the walls while stationed here. Harlem Renaissance Ballroom: For an epic space where “Most of the windows are boarded up, but light finds its way through a caved-in ceiling, exposing the diaphanous remnants of a golden age—colored light bulbs still lodged in the nightclub’s chandeliers, seat numbers pinned in the balcony.” [Abandoned NYC] Creedmoor Psychiatric Center: Once a facility for the mentally ill, Building 25 in Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens is now…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/21/mailbag-where-can-you-film-apocalypse-movie-nyc/ The Grand Rex Art Deco Cinema in Paris http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/3xgAOF5HjKM/ We usually go to the cinema and let a film transport us into another world and time. But at The Grand Rex, simply entering its doors is a trip back to history in itself.… http://untappedcities.com/?p=401654 Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:04 +0000
We usually go to the cinema and let a film transport us into another world and time. But at The Grand Rex, simply entering its doors is a trip back to history in itself. Mythical and extravagant, this huge Art Deco cinema was conceived by Jacques Haik, a Tunisian-born film producer and one of the pioneers of French cinema, known to have introduced Charlie Chaplin to the French film audience. Already the owner of the Olympia music hall, he had something grander in mind: a cinema that could seat thousands, in a space spanning 2,000 square meters. With the help of French architect Auguste Bluysen and engineer John Eberson, famous for his North American “atmospheric theaters”, The Grand Rex opened to the public in December 8, 1932. What is striking about The Grand Rex is its atmosphere. Its Art Deco architecture is one thing, but the main cinema hall, The Grande Salle,…

]]> http://untappedcities.com/2013/05/21/the-grand-rex-art-deco-cinema-in-paris/ Untapped Secrets of Central Park: What Wasn’t In The Plan http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UntappedCities/~3/prrcJOx9fJE/ In 1858, the City of New York held a design competition for Central Park. The winning plan, by Frederic Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, was named ‘the Greensward Plan’ and featured an English style landscape with meadows, lakes, hills, winding pedestrian paths, and many trees to block the view of city buildings. Over the years, the park has evolved from the original plan due to changing administrations and in response to the changing needs of New Yorkers. In this post, we look at some quirky and surprising details in the park that were not a part of the original Greensward Plan, yet have become a part of its history and character. Pictured above is Belvedere Castle which was built to overlook the rectangular Croton Reservoir. In 1931, the reservoir was drained and the site developed into today’s Great Lawn. Where to find it: Mid-Park from 79th to 85th Street. Photo:… http://untappedcities.com/?p=401455 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:00:00 +0000
In 1858, the City of New York held a design competition for Central Park. The winning plan, by Frederic Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, was named ‘the Greensward Plan’ and featured an English style landscape with meadows, lakes, hills, winding pedestrian paths, and many trees to block the view of city buildings. Over the years, the park has evolved from the original plan due to changing administrations and in response to the changing needs of New Yorkers. In this post, we look at some quirky and surprising details in the park that were not a part of the original Greensward Plan, yet have become a part of its history and character. Pictured above is Belvedere Castle which was built to overlook the rectangular Croton Reservoir. In 1931, the reservoir was drained and the site developed into today’s Great Lawn. Where to find it: Mid-Park from 79th to 85th Street. Photo: Sheep grazing in Central…

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