This is cheating a little bit since I don’t live in NYC anymore but the ore freighter I do live in is not visitable.
I love this 500-square-inch piece of property like it is my own son. It dates to 1922, when a landlord by the name of David Hess had his apartment building eminent-domained by the city to expand 7th Ave., and only after bankrupting himself on legal options did he realize they had accidentally left him this pizza-slice of sidewalk. The city requested that he donate it and not only did he reject their offer to maintain his last shred of dignity but he installed this incredibly mean-spirited little mosaic that still sits outside of Village Cigars. I do not know how much longer it will last but, like many of my favorite pieces of architecture, it is a ridiculous monument to the vitriolic, impotent spite inherent in landlords the world over. God bless David Hess’s hateful little ass for this stupid thing.
4d ago
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Shortly after moving to New York I read (and re-read) Rem Koolhaas’ Delirious New York. He wrote it as a retroactive manifesto for the city that needed one and didn’t have one, but to me it reads like this really poetic and at times existential critique of the absurdity of NYC. The scale, the numbers and statistics, the unprecedented “grid”, why the city is the way it is, what lie beneath, and so on. Dave and I work in historic building restoration and getting to see the intricate inner-workings of how these old wooden structures are built is both deeply fascinating and horrifying.
Dec 11, 2023
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It gives ownership to people who lack legal ownership over the dwellings and streets they inhabit! It says I’m here and this is my home ground. It also provides a creative and productive outlet for rebellion!
Feb 15, 2025
The car simps in political leadership and the enemies of a vibrant, sociable spaces have decided to do away with outdoor dining structures in favor of street parking. There are plenty of reasons to love these ad hoc hovels, designed and built to support once-struggling restaurants and cafes, ranging from the ramshackle to the wonderfully inventive. These photos are an endearing testament to our fellow humans' creative resilience. I'm sad for NYC and disappointed in our leaders for regressing to the status quo instead of embracing communal spaces.
Apr 4, 2024
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Jun 11, 2025
Personally speaking? I can’t get enough of this stuff. I would like more please
Jul 2, 2025
About 20 years ago the guy from Mount Eerie and the Microphones used to make these weird little comics and I’ve never forgotten them. The Dog Trouble one has always been my favorite but every McDonalds run I’ve ever made triggers the medium pepsi neuron.
Jun 21, 2025