I got some criticism after last week's post. Some people thought it was too fluffy or optimistic. And to those people I say, "I'm sorry, this week isn't going to be better." Today sucked. It really sucked a lot for a lot of reasons. Thankfully I have amazing people in my life and I got to lean on them, so then I was in a much better mood and this week's post
So obviously I am obsessed with the trains, either the good or the bad, at all times. Maybe it was due to what a shitty day I had that I found solace in the car I was just stuck on.
Today’s New York Value is about reading, and trains, and reading on trains.
Hot Guys Reading is a relatively popular NY Instagram featuring — you guessed it — hot guys reading on the train. It’s also a staple of any commute; people have books and Kindles out and are keeping their frustrations at bay by leaning into literature instead of throwing tantrums. Which is great, because it leaves room for me to throw the tantrums for everyone.
There are two other train-related reading initiatives New Yorkers will be familiar with. The first is “Poetry in Motion,” which I see on my commute every day and features poems by American authors in a wide array of styles and on a variety of topics. How many cities can boast that they provide their citizens with poetry right in their face every day?
Then there’s One Book One New York, which is basically a city-wide book club where people vote on a book and then everyone reads the same thing. Have I done it? No. Do I think it’s a great idea? Absolutely.
Today's real estate value is tangentially related -- artist/writer housing! New York real estate is hideously expensive, as we all know, and artists or writers, at least starting out, don't make that much money. New York is less of an artist haven than it once once *cough Wall Street cough*, but there are still ways to make it work if you're willing to hustle and/or get involved in a community.
Aside from housing groups geared towards the artistic community and general affordable housing, there are also live-work communities like Mothership NYC in Greenpoint and Westbeth Artists Housing in the West Village, where likeminded individuals can pay sub-market rent.
Unsurprisingly, there are also nonprofits dedicated to providing resources to artists, including giving them information about housing options or actively helping them. NYC Arts and Brooklyn Arts Council are two of these.
But the CRAZIEST one, the one that is the most New York and also real estate related (because I've visited a listing that qualified) is the SoHo AIR or Artist in Residence zoning law. Per StreetEasy (because I am so, so tired):
“The artist-in-residence zoning law was passed in 1971 to allow for the conversion of 200 commercial lofts to residential use, on the condition that each loft contain a certified artist. Soho and Noho were essentially zoned for “joint living-working” spaces, so that these properties would be off-limits to any non-certified artists. For years, the law was widely ignored as agencies like the Department of Buildings concentrated their efforts on matters more pressing than carving out affordable spaces for artists to live.”
As much as this city has changed, at least we are nostalgic for the artistic past, and make at least vague attempts to keep some of it alive!
xoxo
Anna