My friends Trevin and Kristi are visiting for the week. They are moving to NYC and looking for their own space to start September 1st. Tonight we went to Jo Allen’s for dinner and then over to Smith’s bar (a great little divey place with a very funny waitstaff and good music.) We then went over the Kevin St. James, where I consumed a bit more wine than was necessary.
After a few hours we made our way to the 1 train, and the train was about to leave without us. A funny phenomena in New York is that we all run for the train, despite that there is one right behind it. No matter – we run for it as if it’s the last train that will ever leave the station. And dear Kristi holds the train door for us, only to lose her beautiful Coach sandal on the platform. Doors close, we speed off into the distance. Everyone on the train sighed….and then she pulled her spare shoes from her (very stylish red) bag, and everyone cheered. Naturally we had to get off at the next stop and go back for the sandal. How can we leave a gold Coach sandal behind???
So we exit as 59th Street, run to the other side of the platform, head back downtown one stop, and there it is – the sandal – bright, shiny, and exactly in the position we left it just 20 minutes before. Kristi was convinced it would be gone, and I was convinced it would still be there. Here’s to believing in the goodness of New Yorkers who ride the subway late on a Friday night!
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
My friends Trevin and Kristi are visiting for the week. They are moving to NYC and looking for their own space to start September 1st. Tonight we went to Jo Allen’s for dinner and then over to Smith’s bar (a great little divey place with a very funny waitstaff and good music.) We then went over the Kevin St. James, where I consumed a bit more wine than was necessary.
