Tag: New York City

creativity

A river flows in Brooklyn

Christa Avampato
South Brooklyn during Friday’s floods. Photo by Christa Avampato.

A river flowed from Prospect Park through my neighborhood in South Slope, Brooklyn on Friday when we were pummeled with 7+ inches of rain in ~12 hours. I didn’t realize NYC’s floods were international news until I started getting messages from friends outside the country. With over 13 inches of rain in September, this is the 2nd wettest September since NYC began keeping weather records in 1920.

I took this photo of the flooding from my apartment at 8am. As I watched the water gushing through the streets, I thought about a conversation I had with my friend, Alex MacLennan, almost a decade ago. He told me the climate models then predicted the western half of the US would grow increasingly drier and hotter while the eastern half would be regularly flooded. How right they were.

NYC is an archipelago that sits mostly at sea-level surrounded by brackish water with the busiest shipping port in the US. Though it looms large on the national and international stages as a financial, cultural, political, and media capital, area-wise it’s small and easily overwhelmed by water.

It is, in many ways, a climate disaster waiting to happen. It’s the mostly densely populated city in the U.S. with nearly 28,000 people per square mile and has the largest population with almost 9 million people, more than double the size of the next largest city. The population doubles during the workday with as many commuters as residents. It’s also a city of hard surfaces (though we have 7 million trees and the tree canopy covers 21% of the city). Aged infrastructure and a subterranean subway that is 100+ years old further compound threats from flash flooding, coastal storms, and sea level rise. Flooding here is a crisis that must be urgently and unrelentingly addressed.

The country and world can’t afford to lose New York. While some strides have been made to protect the city from climate change, it’s not nearly enough. But all that may be changing, and fast.

There are plans underway to transform Governor’s Island in New York Harbor into the largest climate research and entrepreneurial center in the world. We desperately need this. The scale and impact of this project on our city, the country, and the world will be significant. It has to be significant because the climate crisis deepens every day.

These floods will become more frequent and intense in the coming years. We have to mitigate and adapt at the same time with nature-based solutions like biophilic architecture, mangroves, reefs, rooftop farms, and the transformation of vacant lots into bioswales. They are proven, efficient, and relatively inexpensive solutions. I hope the work at Governor’s Island can make these ideas realities.

Like all investments, nature-based solutions take time to create and scale. We have no more time to waste. We have to get started now, and it’s my hope that I can do my part to push this work forward.

creativity

The genius of NYC’s London Plan trees that can help us thrive

Christa Avampato

I was worried about my trees. My block in Brooklyn, my whole neighborhood of Ditmas Park, is covered with gorgeous 100+-year-old, 100+-foot-tall London Plane trees. They’re a cross between oriental plane tree and the American sycamore, and so named because they were hardy enough to withstand London’s air pollution during the Industrial Revolution. Its leaf is the NYC Parks Department logo because Robert Moses loved these trees. The comprise 10% of NYC’s 592,130 street trees.

A few weeks ago, during an intense heatwave, they started shedding their bark. And I don’t mean a bit of peeling here and there. It was raining bark, with swaths so big that my dog, Phin, and I had to dodge them on our neighborhood walks. Was the heat, caused by climate change, killing my trees? Were they resilient enough to survive the Industrial Revolution only to be destroyed by the fallout of today’s emissions?

Mercifully, it appears not, for now at least. Thanks to the wonderful team at Madison Square Park I learned this adaptation of bark shedding was developed by London Planes to protect themselves and help them thrive. It happens when they detect some type of enemy invasion, for example by an insect or fungus, or when they are growing, similar to how a snake sheds their skin in order to grow.

Maybe there is something in your life that needs shedding, that is no longer serving you. Like the London Plane, let it go so you can grow and thrive. These trees are our elders, mentors, and guides. We have so much to learn from them about how to live through turbulent times.

I took the photos below of the London Plane trees on my Brooklyn block.

creativity

A guide to find a New York City apartment

Christa Avampato
Photo by chris robert on Unsplash

Are you looking for a new New York City Apartment? Know someone who is? I wrote this guide for you.

In May 2023, I got a new apartment and I learned a lot in the search. After living on the Upper West Side for many years, I found an incredible place in Brooklyn despite the fact that the New York City rental market is the worst it’s ever been. If you or someone you know is searching for a new place to call home in this city, I hope the information I this guide is helpful. If you’ve recently done a search and have tips to share, please post them in the comments to help others.

Tip #1: Decide how much you can afford
Sit down and honestly assess your current finances. What can you afford to pay monthly? How much would you like to pay? How much money do you have upfront to get into a new apartment? Do not start a search until you have these questions answered. In a wild rental market, be clear about staying within your budget. Price trumps everything right now. Also recognize the gap between what you could afford to pay and what you’d like to pay. That distinction is important, and you don’t want a broker to talk you into something you can’t afford. 

Tip #2: Have all your paperwork and money ready to go

Before you begin your search, have all of your paperwork organized and ready to send at a moment’s notice. I kept mine in a Google Drive folder that I could easily share when I put in an application. In that folder, I had the following information:

  • My most recent tax filing
  • Paystubs
  • Letter from my employer saying I’m employed and my salary
  • Letter from current landlord saying I’m in good standing
  • Existing lease with dates and monthly rent listed
  • Credit rating (you can get these for free now without it impacting your credit score from many banks and credit card companies)
  • Bank statements
  • Investment fund statements
  • My dog’s headshot (yep, they asked for it!) and vaccination record
  • Personal references
  • Resume
  • If you’re self-employed, you may also need a letter from your accountant and / or attorney

Not every application requires all of this information but I wanted to have it all ready to go just in case.

Tip #3: Have your money ready to go

Make sure you have money for first month, last month, security deposit, and the broker fee in your bank account, ready to access when you want to make an offer. In this competitive market, you’ll need to jump at a deal as soon as you find one.

Tip #4: Make your peace with paying a broker fee because it might help you in the long run

I hate paying broker fees. I’ve rarely paid them in the past but in this market, fee-free apartments were much less common this time than they were in years past. Also, do the math. I found that the apartments with broker fees were less expensive than those that were fee-free and over the course of a year, the broker fee would be compensated for by a lower monthly rent. So yes, I needed more money up-front but after a year (or less) paying that money upfront would be worth it. I understand that this is a lot to ask of renters, and that I’m tremendously fortunate that I did have the money upfront. I never take that for granted for a moment. In years past, I was neither this lucky nor fortunate.

Tip #5: Streeteasy.com searches are your best resource right now

While there are many ways to find an apartment, I found that the best online resource is Streeteasy.com. It’s the most comprehensive, updated throughout the day, and easy to set up searches to be emailed to you that match your criteria. I tried many others, but ultimately everyone always lists on Streeteasy if they’re listing an apartment online.

Tip #6: Add a personal message to each Streeteasy.com apartment inquiry you send

Once you find an apartment that interests you on Streeteasy.com, don’t just send an anonymous inquiry. Add a personal note with your credit score, annual income, employer, profession, the rental price you want to pay, and the date you’re looking to move. Brokers read these and they often have other apartments that may match your criteria that they have not listed. This is because they pay per listing on Streeteasy.com. Often they’ll list a few, and then tell those that message them about others that they have that aren’t listed. 

Tip #7: Message Streeteasy.com brokers even if they don’t have a listing that matches what you’re looking for

Pursuant to Tip #6, on Streeteasy.com you may find the same brokers popping up in neighborhoods that interest you. Often, there are a few that seem to have a corner on the market of a specific neighborhood. That’s because many of them have deep ties to specific neighborhoods and the landlords, management companies, and property owners there. Streeteasy.com lists their email addresses and phone numbers. Message or call them, tell them what you’re looking for, and ask if they have anything available or coming available soon that might be a good match. 

Tip #8: Tell everyone you know you’re looking for an apartment

Some apartments are pure luck. A friend of a friend of a friend knows a place is about to open up. In case some of these gems are somewhere in your sphere of influence, tell everyone you know by every means you have that you’re looking for a new apartment. Be clear about what you want and tell them so they keep you top-of-mind in case they hear of something.

Tip #9: Be open to not getting everything you want
I hope you find everything you’re looking for in a new apartment. I found I needed a list of non-negotiables and nice-to-haves. There was no perfect apartment. That was pretty evident to me from the outset of my search. My new place does have all my non-negotiables and many of my nice-to-haves, so I knew it was the right fit as soon as I saw the description.

Tip #10: Be open to new neighborhoods

I loved living on the Upper West Side and lived there for many years. However, when I looked at my list of non-negotiables, I quickly realized that I would have to move to a new neighborhood. That was disappointing at first, but I quickly got over it and moved on with my search. And this means I didn’t waste too much time focused on a neighborhood that just didn’t match my needs anymore. Living in a new neighborhood in a borough I’ve never lived in before gave me a fresh and wonderful perspective on life and this city that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Tip #11: See the apartment in-person, and preferably at night

I went to see so many apartments that looked completely different than the photos online. Long shots can make them look bigger than they are. Sometimes the photos were old and the apartments were much more run-down than they looked online. I also went to see many of them at night to see if I’d feel comfortable coming home late at night. Nothing replaces an in-person look!

Tip #12: Show up looking professional and responsible
Brokers and property owners make a split-second decision when they see you. It’s not right, but I saw it happen again and again in this search, especially since a broker usually shows the apartment to multiple people at once. Sometimes I’d go to open houses and there were 30 people there to see it. When you go to see an apartment, look the part of a professional, responsible person. It goes a long way. 

Tip #13: Book movers early

I booked Piece of Cake Moving before I even knew where I would be moving because it was a local move. They were amazing through the whole process. With just a $50 deposit, I could secure my rate, date, and time, and that could be changed later as long as they had availability (and sometimes has a lower or higher fee). Remember that the earlier you book, the lower the rate and the more availability they have.

Tip #14: Be flexible on move date and putting your items in storage

Piece of Cake Moving offers a free month of storage with every rental. Yes, you have to pay to move things into storage and out of storage, but for the right deal that might be worth it to you. It was for me. There was a two-week gap between my old lease and new lease so I got an Airbnb out of town and put my things in storage. This is because it was an incredible deal. Yes, it was a hassle on some fronts, but it was absolutely worth it!

I hope this guide is helpful to you and anyone you know looking for an apartment in New York City. If you’ve got any questions, put them in the comments and I’ll share anything I know. Also, if you have other tips about moving in New York that I didn’t put in this guide, please share those, too. Let’s help each other find a great place to live!

creativity

New York. What a character. My latest essay for Pipeline Artists.

Christa Avampato
Feature image from dikaya888 (Adobe)

If you know me, you know how much I love New York and how proud I am to be a New Yorker. To that end, this is my toast and roast to dear old New York. Essentially a love letter to my city, published by Pipeline Artists. You can read the full piece here.

An excerpt:
“Dearly Beloved,

We are gathered here today to toast and roast our dear old chum, someone who’s like no one, someone who’s a chameleon, a shape shifter. You may know them as the Big Apple, Gotham, the City So Nice They Named It Twice, the City that Never Sleeps, the Empire City. Many simply call it The City. Me? The nickname I like best is A Beautiful Disaster.

I give you the dynamic, the dastardly, the dreamy—New York.

I’ve left New York multiple times over the years, sworn them off for good, to never return, only to eventually make my way back. I’m not alone in this pursuit to try to live without New York only to find that New York lures me back just by existing.”

You can read the full piece here.

creativity

My dream New York City apartment

Christa Avampato
Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash

The search is on for my new apartment! I’ll be moving on May 31st, or slightly before. To manifest this new space for my new chapter in this city, I wrote out what where I’d love to live:

  • Dog-friendly
  • Filled with light
  • Good public transit
  • Private outdoor space
  • Modern kitchen and bathroom
  • Laundry in-unit or in-building
  • Elevator
  • Doorperson
  • Neighborhood feel with a green space nearby

Let’s see what I can find. All ideas and referrals welcomed!

creativity

Remembering Todd Haimes, President / CEO of New York’s Roundabout Theatre Company

Christa Avampato
In memoriam via https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/in-memoriam-todd-haimes

“I didn’t know if you’d seen this. I remember your reverence for him.”

My friend Trevin Cooper, himself a talented theater professional, wrote me this note when he sent me the news that Todd Haimes, President / CEO of New York’s Roundabout Theatre Company, where I got my first job in New York after college, passed away. I put my head down and let two big tears roll down my face.

When I first started at the Roundabout, Todd showed me what was possible when you bet on yourself. Fresh out of college and not sure where my life or career was going, his example gave me hope, and a roadmap.

Todd went to the University of Pennsylvania for undergrad, as did I. He got an MBA, which I would get 7 years later following his example. He knew his career was not on stage (he acted in only one play), but on the administrative side. The same was true for me as well. He often described himself as an orchestrator with a talent for getting the right people around the table and removing any roadblocks so they could create something incredible together. I think of myself that way, too.

Todd was the first person who helped me realize not only could I love business and the arts equally, but that the two benefit one another. It’s a lesson I’ve never forgotten in all the years since I worked at the Roundabout and it’s been the basis for my entire career and life—to use rock solid business principles to support creative endeavors.

When I found out Todd got cancer in his 40s, I was devastated. Then I was inspired because he kept going in spite of it — for 20 years! — and his star rose higher than ever. I also got cancer in my 40s during the pandemic, and again Todd’s example showed me what’s possible, even in the face of a difficult diagnosis. (I am thankfully now cancer-free.)

Though Todd physically left this world last week after his long battle with cancer, the energy, enthusiasm, and talent he wielded to completely transform Broadway theatre lives on in our beautiful city of New York, artistic communities all over the world, and the many people whom he inspired. Me included, of course.

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway, wrote Weil and Mann. I say they shine brighter because Todd Haimes dedicated his life to making them so.

creativity

Edward Hopper’s New York at the Whitney Museum

Christa Avampato
Sunlight on Brownstones by Edward Hopper

If you’re in New York this weekend, run don’t walk to the expansive and breath-taking art exhibit Edward Hopper’s New York at the Whitney Museum. New York was Hopper’s muse, second only to his wife Josephine “Jo” Nivison Hopper who was also a talented and accomplished painter. (Some of her works are featured in the exhibit as well and they’re stunning.) We see Automat, which reminds me of my heady early adult days in New York when I was scraping by working in Broadway theaters, as well as Early Sunday Morning, Room in New York, Bridle Path, Two Comedians, Drug Store, Tables for Ladies, New York Interior, From Williamsburg Bridge, Approaching the City, Sunlight on Brownstones, New York Pavements, Boy and the Moon, and the exhibit goes on and on with one gorgeous work after the next. 

We also find his illustrations, which I never knew he did, and an extensive set of his theater stubs that he saved. He and Nivison Hopper were massive theater fans and often went there to sketch not the show, but the audience and staff. Hopper was obsessed with depicting the lives of everyday people in ordinary and intimate moments of their lives. This entire exhibit is a celebration of not just New York, but New Yorkers. We could be, and perhaps have been, many of the people in these works. They feel familiar to us because they are. In our city, we have all lived these moments in the course of our average days. 

What Hopper helps us realize is the extraordinary in our ordinary. In his work, we find the sliver of light through the window of our small apartment, the summer sunshine and shadows in Central Park, the very first moments of our mornings when we are still between sleeping and waking, the views from our trains and ferries as we rush to our next appointment, that burnt orange hat or sky blue dress that we love to wear, and that moment when we round the corner and spot our friends seated around the bar at our third home where everyone knows our name. 

The one sadness I felt is that his most famous work, Nighthawks, is not there. I asked a guard where that painting is, and was told, “It’s at The Art Institute of Chicago and they weren’t giving it up. But, the sketches of it are in the side room.” My dear friend, Vicki, who prompted me to catch this exhibit with her before it closes on March 5th, and I hustled over to that side room and it was filled with Hopper’s sketches of many of his best known works. We found them equally fascinating as the final pieces because they show his meticulous, studious process of perspective and the clarity of vision via the clean lines with which he’s synonymous.

To enhance the exhibit even further, don’t miss the views of New York from the Whitney roof. Though it was freezing, Vicki and I ventured out there to see the sculptures and the views of New York that still look so much like the views Hopper saw. “Christa, we live here,” Vicki said to me. “We get to live here.” My heart was filled with gratitude for this city, this time with my dear friend, and for Hopper and Nivison Hopper whose visionary works endure.

creativity

Looking for a new NYC apartment

Christa Avampato

I’m moving and looking for a new apartment. Yesterday I received my renewal lease – $2750 / month for 1 year, $2850 / month for 2 years. A $300 / month increase for 1 year, $400 / month for 2 years. This after they raised my rent $210 / month last year. Over a 20% increase over the course of 2 years, and I never got any kind of pandemic deal either. Time to find a new place. Even if they reduced it a bit, it’s still too much for me.

I’m sad to leave. I’ve been in this apartment for 6 years, the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere as an adult. I love my neighborhood and neighbors, and I really like the setup of my cute and quirky apartment. I love the park, and all the conveniences of this area.

This apartment has held so much for me. Over the last few years, I’ve dealt with a lot of heavy and difficult situations and emotions in this apartment. They’re part of my attachment to this place. Maybe this is a sign that I can let go of all that, turn the page, and move forward into a new chapter. I’m dreaming of a place loaded with natural light to start a-new.

So if you’ve got any leads on a great place for me and my very sweet old dog, Phin, I’ll take ’em!

creativity

The Joy of Pizza with Rachel Josar

Christa Avampato
The Joy of Pizza with Rachel Josar

Pizza. The word alone brings an immediate smile to our faces. We can’t contain the joy it sparks, and nowhere is the joy of pizza more prevalent than in New York City. Rachel Josar, the creator and host of the They Had Fun podcast, joins the JoyProject podcast to talk about all things pizza, her weekly tradition with her husband, her passion for this incredible city, and the history and culture that is entwined with food. After 250 weeks of Friday night pizza, Rachel gives her expert opinion on where to get the best pizza in New York.

About Rachel
Rachel is the host of the podcast, They Had Fun, where she talks to real New Yorkers about the most fun they’ve ever had in the city. She’s lived in NYC for 16 years and enjoys fries at the bar, gallery walks, talking to anyone who will listen about why New York is still great, and of course, negronis and pizza on Fridays.

Topics discussed in this episode:

  • The best places in New York to get pizza
  • Rachel’s weekly pizza tradition with her husband
  • The history of pizza and it’s place in New York city culture
  • The quote about pizza in the New York Times that helped Rachel and Christa connect and become friends
  • Rachel’s amazing podcast, The Had Fun
  • Why New York City is the greatest city
  • New York’s restaurant scene and supporting restaurants through the pandemic
  • Christa’s favorite childhood memory about pizza

Links to resources:

creativity

A visit to NYC’s Merchant’s House Museum

Christa Avampato
Me and Ashley at the Merchant’s House Museum and the Tredwell family photos and bios

Last night I had a blast taking a ghost tour of the Merchant’s House Museum on the Lower East Side of Manhattan led by one of best and dearest friends, Ashley Semrick. She was, as always, incredible. A fellow tour guide who is responsible for me taking the NYC tour guide exam (which is a grueling 4 hours long!), we always nerd out about the incredible history of our city. Her dedication to the museum, a vital piece of NYC history, is a gift to all of us.

Built in 1832, the house in the only building in NYC that is landmarked on the federal, state, and city level, inside and out. When you enter, you are literally stepping back in time into the 19th century. The house is perfectly preserved with the original furniture and furnishings, personal belongings, books, artwork, dishes, kitchenware, piano, and even their clothes!

The house was occupied by the Tredwells, a wealthy merchant family, and their four Irish servants from1835-1865, when the mercantile seaport of New York City emerged as a growing metropolis and the commercial emporium of America. In 1865, just as the Civil War was drawing to a close, the patriarch of the family passed away in the house. Gertrude, the youngest of the 8 children, passed away in the house, in the same bed where she was born, in 1909 at the age 93. And that’s when things really got interesting from a paranormal perspective. 

There have been 100s, perhaps 1000s, of reports of supernatural activity in the house. It is the only museum in the country with a full-time all-volunteer paranormal team that employs impressive technology to capture activity. Though I didn’t see any ghosts on the tour, the house does have an energy to it that has to be experienced. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, a visit is a-must do activity in NYC.  

And the museum needs our help. For 10 years, they’ve been fighting an intense legal battle with a developer who wants to build an 8-story hotel right next to the museum. Engineering experts have said that if that happens, the museum will be rendered unsafe for anyone to enter. To lose this museum and this piece of NYC history would be tragic. With an all-volunteer staff, every dollar you donate and spend on tickets to tours and events goes directly to preserve this stunning space. 

Self-guided and guided tours operate on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The staff is entirely volunteers and they offer numerous events year-round, both in-person and online. Though most aren’t ghost-related and focus on the history of the home, the family, and our city, they all give you an opportunity to walk in the literal footsteps of the Tredwells. 

The holiday season is particularly special as the house is decked out in 19-century Victorian style, just as the Tredwells did for their famous celebrations and parties. There are musical events, readings, and performances. Go to https://merchantshouse.org/visit/ to learn more.