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Native New Yorker Peter Manerva comes by his love of gardening honestly. His parents were into plants, and when he was a kid, instead of building forts out of sheets and couch cushions, he would create his own little jungle worlds from all the plantlife around the house. That childhood interest in greenery blossomed into an adult obsession. Peter was kind enough to show us around his spectacular......read more
Brooklyn Informed, our new web series, profiles real people pursuing the practice of sustainability in BK, a breeding ground for greening activity. The series jumps off with an episode on water, going deep with artist Mary Jordan and entrepreneur Sean Meenan on their respective water conservation projects in the borough. ...read more
We know Brooklynites are getting tired of everybody invading their home, but with all the place has to offer, you can't really blame people for wanting to move there. Take Barcade for example. The Williamsburg hangout features not only a huge selection of micro brews, but also a bunch of old school arcade games to fulfill all your 8-bit desires. Not only that, but the whole joint is powered......read more
We love us a good flea market, and not only because of all the cool objects and their stories, but also because thrifting is a sustainable way to buy things. Call it conscious consumption. In this episode of Brooklyn Informed, we pay a visit to one of our favorite shopping spots, the Brooklyn Flea, which The New York Times calls "One of the great urban experiences in New York." With its......read more
If you were in New York City in the late '60s, you may have come across a longhaired Stephen Rutsky out in the streets with his hippy brethren, advocating for social and political change. These days, you're more likely to find him among the abundant greenery of his Park Slope garden, where he practices a quieter, more personal form eco-activism... by growing plants. From beans for his table to......read more
Mast Brothers Chocolates are among our favorite items to come out of the artisanal organic movement in Brooklyn. They're made with a careful conscious hand and are organically farmed with two ingredients: chocolate and sugar. They are two real brothers who have relationships with small organic co-operative farmers so there's a direct line to the cacao beans they use. You’ll get......read more
For Justin Vernon, there's more to gardening than growing plants. His rooftop garden, one of the many cropping up on the Brooklyn skyline, is part of a broader shift in environmental consciousness. The moment he started thinking of the planet as a living entity, Justin couldn't wait to get some seeds and get down to business. Now, with the Gaia philosophy informing his approach, Justin raises......read more
When the Honey Brothers took their new wave folk sound to the road, they made a commitment to minimize their tour's impact on the planet. Traveling in a biodiesel Sprinter van, the bandmates hit up local farmers' markets for grub and LEED-certified hotels for shelter. In this episode of Lighten Up, made possible by the good people at Stonyfield Farm, the Brooklyn five-piece inform us that touring......read more
Brooklyn's Planterworx create beautiful, long-lasting landscape products using no V.O.C.'s and 100% recoupable overspray. The Element line, designed by Charles Constantine, is an architectural collection of planters with geometric shapes that are inspired by— and antithetical to — forms found in nature. Writes Constantine: A series of planters based on geometric forms found in......read more
SHFT's first original web series, LIGHTEN UP, covers bands as they reduce their carbon footprint. The Honey Brothers perform at Wanderlust - a sustainable festival in Squaw Valley - and take the initiative to reduce their load while on the road. Produced by SHFT and Stonyfield Farm....read more
