Lifestyles

School Uses Writing Based Assessments Instead of Testing

May 16, 2016 by g.mccartyvachon Leave a Comment

There is something unusual about School of the Future. While students in other schools are preparing for state exams, students at School of the Future are getting ready to present a semester long study.

School of the Future is known for its exemption from taking the Regents, a statewide exam covering all core subjects. Instead of the Regents, students are required to demonstrate a core skill through a paper and presentation known as exhibitions. Mr Fanning, the high school director comments on the exhibitions. He stated: “This is what we feel prepares our kids most for college and beyond”

Mr Copeland, the 11th and 12th grade history teacher and musical director stated: “We encourage students to investigate something that they find interesting. We hone their skills, their research skills, their writing skills.”

Many students have mixed reviews on the presentations. Some believe that the presentations truly represents a deeper understanding of the material while others would rather take the Regents.

One student commented: “I love exhibitions because they allow me to immerse myself in a topic of a subject that I otherwise might not have learned from a test”

Other students disagree with having to do exhibitions. One student commented: “I would rather just take a test and be done with it.”

Exhibitions take place twice each year, one per semester. They are broken up by into each core subject. Which consists of history, english, mathematics, and science.

Currently students are working on their second semester exhibition, and for many seniors it is their last exhibition and will determine if they graduate on time.

One student is working on a history exhibition that focuses on the contradiction between Thomas Jefferson’s personal life and his political rhetoric.

While another student is focusing on why the Women’s Suffrage Movement got underway when it did.

Rollin’ Down I-95 to the Motor Inn

May 16, 2016 by Taylor L. Berman-Scozzafava Leave a Comment

As the trees whizzed by, sliding on the concrete road, I stayed at one of the best motels you can get.

Taking a road trip with my father along I-95 last summer, we stayed at a motel in roadside attraction, South of the Border, one night. South of the Border is a little known place that has a theme park, gift shops, a gas station, food places, and two motels.

When my father and I drove up to the entrance to the main lobby, we had gotten our room and proceeded to drive to the room. We parked our car, Bubba, in the very handy carport provided and went inside with our cat and dog.

Spending the night there, was truly a life-changing experience. There was a certain rustic charm that brought me back decades into a simpler time most people miss out on due to a rise in technology and human ignorance. In the middle of the night, it was so quiet and peaceful I could hear the rain go pitter-patter pitter-patter outside with the occasional engine rumble and trucker yell.

Either way, I love this motel with all my heart. Receiving about 3 stars from TripAdvisor and 3 stars as well from Yelp, it doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

A fair review from a TripAdvisor users said, “The place is out of a different era. It was a little bit rundown, but clean. The indoor pool was nice. All of that and the price it was good.” The user gave it four stars, staying there within the last month.

However, a Yelper would disagree stating, “Very old and outdated rooms. Uncomfortable beds and towel racks that are rusted on the wall. This place is so old that it looks dirtier than it is.” with a rating of two stars.
I guess it all depends on what type of person you are and where you stay. Either way, whenever I’m going down I-95 I will be sure to stay of SotB (South of the Border) Motor Inn anytime.

Changes in NYC Summers

August 16, 2015 by j.liu3 Leave a Comment

Summer in New York Cityーin any urban centerーis uncomfortable. It’s sticky and smelly. Kids are out of school, and there seem to be more tourists. Sun bakes the sidewalks and human hair. People are irritable.

Finally, summer also seems to be getting even more unbearably hot. According to a variety of sources, it is. According to Weather Underground, average summer temperatures have been rising in every region since 1970, and in many regions, spring feels like summer.

Whether the spiking temperatures can be attributed to climate change, global warming, or natural fluctuations doesn’t matter to many people when deodorant and air conditioning feel useless. How are people staying cool this summer? Do they think the summers are getting worse?

Florence, aged 73, has lived in New York City all her life. She stated that when she was younger, she didn’t feel the heat as she does now. But she also attributes the change in her perception of temperature to “the atmosphere,” saying that “the cycle of the weather has changed a lot.”

During Florence’s childhood, she recalled, “We didn’t have fans, or air conditioners. It’s relaxed, you know. It didn’t bother us, really. I don’t recall anyone complaining about [the heat]. Maybe my parents did, or my older siblings did, but it didn’t bother me.”

Today, Florence has to have air conditioning, or a fan at the very least, to deal with the “smothering” heat and humidity. Though she doesn’t see this summer as worse than the last, Florence thinks, “You come right out of winter [and] spring comes for a few days, a few weeks, and then, boom. Here comes summer.”

Florence finds that summers are getting longer, with the heat starting in what were traditionally spring months. Michael, who has lived in NYC for 28 years, agrees.

He finds that “it’s getting hotter earlier.” When prompted to elaborate, Michael stated that in his opinion, the hottest and driest part of summer has become July, rather than August. An older man, his advice is to get blinds, carry around a battery-operated fan, walk in the shade and make sure the windows of one’s home face away from the setting sun. He also carries around a wet handkerchief. Today, Michael says, “I usually use the air conditioner more.”

To Michael, the worst of summer in the city are the subway platforms. In his experience, the modern air-conditioned train cars is a “treat,” as one was lucky if the subways of the 20th century had windows that could open. Yet, Michael expects better from the MTA, arguing that sweating commuters deserve air-conditioned platforms. In an 2012 article in Transportation Nation, the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority addressed that issue: “Unfortunately, air conditioning of subway stations is not feasible due to the open nature of their construction and the impossibility of cooling an infinite space.”

There are many opinions on the use of air conditioners.

Jeff Strong was born and raised in New York City, and has lived in New York on and off for over fifty years. In his childhood, he was frequently at camp during the summers, but today, Jeff stays in the city for work. Working in business has opened his eyes to the sheer wastefulness that air conditioning can be.

According to the New York Times, the temperature set for most offices is based on a 1960s formula that took into account the working office population of the time: middle-aged males wearing formal or business attire. As a result, younger, more lightly dressed, and/or female office workers are chilled by the temperature. Some bring sweaters and heaters to work. To Jeff, it is the height of ridiculousness.

He also takes offense at the open doors of many air-conditioned stores that blast cold air into the streets, even going as far as to close the doors of those guilty stores one in a while. That is not to say Jeff doesn’t appreciate air conditioning. He just advocates that the temperature be set in the 70s rather than the 60s.

Evey, aged 54 years, disagrees. Evey, like Florence, has lived in NYC all her life. She described the summers of the 1960s and 1970s as “beautiful,” saying “the summer was the summer” and “we never [had] these drastic heat waves.” She also stated that she sees the changing temperatures as a result of “[what’s happening] with the ozone layer and all those diesel fuels. Now, she says summers are “stifling” and added “I would definitely say there is less spring and fall.” Her only advice was to dress appropriately and turn up the AC.

It’s clear that when most people try to think of solutions to the heat, their minds immediately go to air conditioners. Ironically, it is the air conditioners that are part of the larger causes of global warming and climate change: the rapid consumption of fuel.

But there seems to be few other solutions. For example, the sight of fire hydrants being illegally tampered with to produce water sprays for desperate children used to be common in low-income communities. Today, fines and greater awareness of the dangers of tampering has curbed this practice. No solution is completely without consequences.

Craving for Community

August 12, 2015 by Nicole Yapijakis Leave a Comment

The city evolves with the times. However there are few places where locals and tourists alike can escape the repetition made by New York’s arrays of concrete, glass and brick edifices. The High Line has become a park where people seek refuge from such order.

The High Line has become more than just a popular tourist attraction due to the opening of the Whitney museum in the Meatpacking District. The park now captures the essence of New York’s changes and diversity.

Western_Electric_complex_NYC_1936 — The High Line in the 1900’s

The park has steel framed perspectives of the city streets and river views. These frames capture the old brick warehouses, modern glass hotels and apartments, and the historical cobble stoned streets intersecting with freshly paved asphalt. Yet they also appear to be ombré images of New York’s development.

In 2009, the first section of the High Line opened to the public. What once was a railroad track for transporting goods to and from the Industrial District, has become a public park that attracts thousands of visitors each day.

People from all over the world and right around the block come here – people of different cultural backgrounds and social classes. Yet here society draws no division. Melina Franco, a tourist from California, was brought here by her aunt. Franco says, “Here there is no judgement from people around you. Everyone is doing their own thing.”

The High Line has become a must-see place for not only tourists, but also to those who are or used to be fellow New Yorkers. Joseph Whelan used to live in New York City before the High Line was a public park and now comes here to “play tourist.” John Reverol comes once a month all the way from New Rochelle, “to have some alone time, even though I’m never really alone because there are so many people. It’s very relaxing.”

Love can also be found at the High Line. Couples flock to the park to see the hidden sculptures, variety of foliage and views of the river and city or to just sit and talk. Ninety year old, Marion Needlman, comes every three months from Chapel Hill, NC to spend time with her high school sweetheart Herbert Oppenheimer, a local. Together they look at the interesting public art projects that can be found all over the High Line and architecture of surrounding buildings.

The High Line has become a place where visitors seek refuge from the extreme summer heat and the smelly streets. Visitors can enjoy the cool breezes and pleasant olfactory experiences of the park while resting on the many benches scattered along the park.

3706235356_309fdbb904_o — Where the past meets the present

Noelle Franco, a local, says, “New Yorkers crave greenery!” This can be confirmed by many of the locals who come to to the High Line. However this isn’t just true for them. Tourists such as Deepa Manjanatha like “the integrations of plants and the juxtaposition of nature and industrial Meatpacking District.”

Many people find the mélange “funny because you see these plants and then there is like scaffolding and art.” Although some may consider it a mess or confusing, most see the beautiful flowers and other perennials hidden in the grasses and the seemingly random placement of trees as beautiful and interesting. Rosemary Klassen is from a part of Florida where nature thrives. She finds that the park is a nice “combination of the familiar (nature) in an unfamiliar place. A place where urban meshes with nature.”

unnamed 2 — Views from the “Urban Cloud”

Despite the attraction, the High Line is also used as a form of transportation. Visitors can walk over traffic in an “urban cloud” all the way from Gansevoort and Washington Street to 34th Street and 12th Avenue. Natasha Pereira works at the Whitney Museum and due to the convenience and proximity, travels uptown through the park.

Yet despite the endless reasons why people enjoy and come to the High Line, what people really love is the sense of community that it provides. The way people come together at the High Line reflects how New York has come to be the city where diversity is commonality.

The Mystery Cloud of Vaping

August 12, 2015 by VIVIAN SHAN Leave a Comment

At nine o’clock in the morning, some people are getting off the train and rushing to work, some are waiting for coffee on a line that stretches outside the shop, and some are already smoking- that’s nothing unusual. What is unusual is the myriad of people who, instead of lighting a cigarette, puff on a pen-like device and blow out fruity-smelling smoke.

This pen-like device, called a vaporizer or vape, was introduced to the market in 2004. Since then, global usage has rocketed.

Derek Li, a 22-year-old from Brooklyn, says that he used to smoke cigarettes before realizing the harmful effects they posed and switching over to using a vape. “I used to smoke because my friends smoked, and I didn’t think much of it until I realized I was slowly becoming addicted.”

When Derek caught himself craving cigarettes during classes, he knew he had to put a stop to his bad habit. “It felt weird to just watch my friends smoke, so I bought a vape to keep my hands and mouth busy while my friends smoked their cigarettes.”

While there are disagreements among experts regarding the effectiveness of vapes to help smokers quit, Derek says that he hasn’t touched a cigarette since buying his vape two years ago. Studies also show that 20 percent of people who tried e-cigarettes as a quitting aid succeeded in the long term.

A large amount of the increased use of vapes and e-cigs is a result of teens gaining access to the devices, but on the other hand, use of traditional cigarettes has drastically declined among these teens.

Okay, so vapes help people quit, but they’re still harmful, right? People may have been told that vapes are harmful because they contain formaldehyde, which is associated with cancer, but a Portland State study clarified that claim; the devices only contain this harmful chemical when they are used at high voltages, which is seldom the case. According to The New York Times, vaping at a high voltage creates a horrible burning taste; statistics show that most vape users use fruity nicotine-free juice for the sweet flavor, so a burning taste would be just as unappealing to them as formaldehyde.

Martin Grandeise, a 32 year old bank teller at Chase Bank in Brooklyn, is also a vaper. Martin says he was never a smoker, but always went to hookah bars with friends because it was “fun.” He didn’t pay much attention to e-cigarettes at first because they didn’t seem to concern him, but when he saw more co-workers and strangers on the streets vaping, he decided to give it a go.

“I really enjoy vaping- I’ve been doing this for years. I hear a lot of criticism about people who use nicotine-free juice because it’s useless or whatever but I like it because for me I can get the fruity flavors of hookah without the hookah. It’s so easy and convenient- I love it,” he says.

So, is vaping more or less harmful to one’s health than traditional cigarettes? It’s hard to say, because scientists have not yet been able to conduct studies on the long-term effects of vaping, but there are certainly upsides to it.

For starters, users can choose whether or not they want nicotine in their products, a luxury not offered to those who have chosen to stick with traditional cigarettes.

A major concern of smoking has always been the effects it has on those surrounding smokers, known as secondhand smoking. According to popsci.com, secondhand vaping has proven to be less harmful than secondhand smoking; tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, which is thousands of times more than those found in vapor smoke.

So why hasn’t everybody switched over to e-cigarettes and vapes yet if they’re so much less harmful than cigarettes? One main reason is that most people are afraid of the effects it may has, given that it is such a mystery even to scientists.

The fact? Tons of studies have been done, many of which indicate that these products are far less toxic than cigarettes. A long term smoker says that they think vaping is “too fancy,” or “too much work,” so he simply decides it’s better to pull out a lighter and a cigarette every time he needs a nicotine fix.”

“I’m not saying that everyone should vape, I’m just surprised that so many people would rather smoke something that harms themselves and everyone around them,” says Martin Grandeise.

Art In Bushwick and Its Lasting Effects

August 12, 2015 by KIMBERLY CHAVEZ

“I think art is a useful tool for showing what one may be afraid to say,” Benjamin, who has recently moved to Bushwick, says as he looks at the graffiti in front of him

Graffiti has been a part of New York culture since the 1960s, following the death of Charles “Yardbird” Parker, a popular jazz artist, in 1955 and groups of people writing “Bird Lives” on buildings. Now in 2015, graffiti is considered a form of art and in the neighborhood of Bushwick, this is evident.

Bushwick is in Northern Brooklyn, near Williamsburg and Ridgewood, Queens. In past decades, it had a reputation of being full of “Gangs, drugs and violence” according to Gloria, who’s been a resident of the area for 21 years.

However in the last decade, the neighborhood has been gentrified and has become a popular area for “hipsters.” This has led to a drastic change of culture in Bushwick because of the people moving in. As rent increased, lower-income individuals could not afford it left their homes in search of lower rent. Therefore people who could afford it moved into these homes.

This change of people also led to a change of what people expressed in their art. The majority of the graffiti today is a variety of emotions of different topics like police brutality and pop culture. Many artists want their voices heard and graffiti is a way to get a majority of people to see it.

Gloria also recalled how most of the graffiti was gang related in the 80s and 90s, so everyone knows whom they are affiliated with. But now people just want their ideas out there. Bushwick is also the home of the ‘Art In Bushwick’ organization, which hosts many of the artists responsible for the new type of graffiti.

One example of this is the artwork of a young man in traditional Mexican attire with the words ‘Earth’ and ‘Revolution’ written on his right and left hands respectively. The pose he’s in is similar to one of surrender. The background is a dark red sunset and birds flying around, with bullet holes seemingly hitting the young man. “I think it’s beautifully symbolic, given the current actions of the police,” says Franklin, who was departing the nearby Jefferson St. subway station. One of the more interesting things about this piece is how the paint is also on the ground, resembling blood. The art was made by Ta’Kaiya Blaney. It is located on the corner of Starr Street and Wyckoff Avenue.

Street_art_in_Brooklyn_30 — Earth Revolution Graffiti

Another piece of art is the more recent rendition of 4 Renaissance artists, (Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello,) painted with the same colored masks of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that hold their names. This combines modern culture with the Renaissance era. The 4 men are painted in black and white, aside from their masks, which are the 4 colors of the ninja turtles (Blue, Red, Orange and Purple respectively.) The mural was created by New Zealand street artist Owen Dippie and is located at the old railroad tracks near Morgan and Meserole avenues.

Renaissance Artists with Ninja Turtles masks

Traditionally graffiti was used as a way to express one’s emotions about a certain topic, may it be one as serious as police brutality or as light hearted as friendship. The artwork in Bushwick is no exception. But there are always those who don’t like what’s going on.

“Why do you need to let everyone know what your name is? I honestly don’t see the point.” Hebert, an elderly man who was passing by, said. He was referring to the graffiti that read “Marley” multiple times on different colors. There was also the random destruction of posters at the Jefferson St. Stop, at the stairwell. They told a story about the two women in the ‘AT&T’ posters that didn’t relate to the actual message of the posters. The graffiti was written on these posters telling a story of how the two women in the ad were actually a couple, and how difficult their relationship was. Currently, different posters have covered up those ads. But even this “mindless” vandalism meant something, at least to the person who spent their time writing it out.

The graffiti is allowing Bushwick to blossom into a place for people who want to spread a message to the masses. It helped make a place that used to be filled with factories and chaos into a place that is calm and filled with art for the world to see.

Brooklyn Bridge Park: The Place to be This Summer!

August 12, 2015 by MADISON ABADI-BISCAINO

Brooklyn Bridge Park opened in March of 2010, transforming piers for unloading cargo into a family park. The park is broken into six long piers,and five years later the construction and add ons are still in process. Currently Brooklyn Bridge Park offers a community pool, hockey rink, soccer field, basketball court, movie showings, and smorgasburg on Sundays! Smorgasburg is a gathering of 100 vendors, with samples of their food for all to enjoy (with a view!).

Kevin Sayer and his daughter were headed to the pool with two towels in hand on a sunny Saturday afternoon. “I love how they turned nothing into something. Instead of taking my family on vacation we can enjoy any activity here without the cost of an expensive vacation.” Kevin enjoyed kayaking and sailing with his family later that day and added, “I can’t believe I get to do this all in Brooklyn!”

Elizabeth Davis, a mother of two in the park with her son Elven and his friend Sebastian, enjoyed the Hockey rink as a play date activity. “I think this park has saved my son’s summer to be honest,” she said as she watched the boys play, Davis added “It’s fun for all ages, when I want I can even have date night here with my husband.”

Although the park is a great summer hangout spot, it also has its critics. Many Brooklyn residents are complaining about the gentrification to the neighborhood. Bernie Griffith, a Brooklyn native, who has been living there for 33 years, says the neighborhood is almost unrecognizable and it feels like Brooklyn as he knows it is being taken away from him. “If I wanted a park, i’ll go to Central Park, I just want my neighborhood back. Trust me when I say i’m not the only one who feels like this!” Bernie asserted.

Overall, although some see brooklyn Bridge Park as a negative gentrification in the neighborhood they know and love, many see it as a fun new place to spend their summer without going very far. See for yourself and make your way down to piers 1-6 for a day to see for yourself!

Chinatown Residents Angered by the Sale of Counterfeits

August 12, 2015 by ALICE VO

“Get off the damn sidewalk! Beep, Beep! Go somewhere else!”

This is one of the many angry comments made by people of Chinatown on a daily basis about the lack of sidewalk space. The presence of sellers who sell counterfeit bags to tourists overcrowds the sidewalk and residents are fed up.

The sellers are usually women who wear fanny packs and loiter in front of areas where tourists tend to frequent. With an earpiece in one ear, the seller’s eyes shift from potential customers to the end of the block, making sure the police is nowhere in sight. If one gets close enough, one could hear them mumble names of several brands such as Gucci and Prada.

They have potentials customers meet them in an area without many police officers and give the latter a piece of papers with pictures of products they offer. Once the customers make their choice, the vendors contact the supplier to deliver the goods.

However, many residents of Chinatown start to find it a burden on their daily lives especially as the number of vendors and tourists grows. Some sellers harass people who simply walked pass them.

Ying, a former Chinatown inhabitant, commented, “My cousin told me that one day he would just gather a bunch of them [the sellers] and claim he is going to buy a lot of stuff…then call the police on them cause they block…the sidewalk.”

It seems a little harsh but illustrates the frustration among Chinatown residents.

Amy, a teenager, commented “I don’t mind the sellers…it is actually fun to watch them try to argue with the tourists about prices….but it does make it hard to walk.” She later added that the situation is caused by increased tourism in Chinatown. Some vendors even made alliances with tourist companies so the latter would bring tourists into certain areas of Chinatown that are known for counterfeit sales.

According to the American Bar Association, New York City Council Member Margaret Chin, who represents Manhattan District 1, is working to reduce the demand of counterfeit goods especially on Canal Street. The street is known internationally as the destination for purchasing counterfeit handbags and watches.

Chin introduced a bill that would provide stricter punishments for people involve in the the illegal sale of counterfeit goods. The bill, Title 18 United States Code Section 2320, punishes vendors with a fine up to $2,000,000 or 10 years of imprisonment.

Despite city crackdowns and City Councilwoman Margaret Chin’s effort to pass a bill, many people continue to break the law. In recent years, some residents notice that the initial business has moved away from Canal Street and has spread to other areas of Chinatown to avoid detection by the police. The new places include Elizabeth Street and Mulberry Street.

Police are even going undercover, using civilian vehicles to smoke out several operations in the aforementioned areas but this has only caused more disturbances.

On August 1st, police and vendors clashed on Mulberry Street. A street filled with both tourists and Chinatown residents as they watched an officer in a brown civilian car calling out to the group of vendors, causing the latter to drop their goods and break into a run. However, instead of chasing them, the officer stepped out of the car, picked up the goods and left.

These chaotic events are becoming more common in this area and civilians are tired of the continuous chaos.

“Sometimes, I just wish it was happening in some other place…you know?” said Henry, a teenager who lives in Chinatown.

Funding Baruch College Now

August 6, 2015 by ALICE VO

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High school students getting free college credits? The idea seems far-fetched.

However, this is made possible by Baruch College Now, a free program for high school students funded by the City University of New York (CUNY) and New York City Department of Education, that works to improve the academic achievements of high school students prepare them for college-level work.

According to The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, an independent corporation that works to improve higher education through effective public policy, the entire College Now program in NYC has a budget of $10 million, and a competitive scholarship available only to College Now students who enroll into a CUNY. However, funding for each school in the CUNY system varies based on the number of students and programs the college chooses to provide.

For example, high school students enrolled in Baruch College Now are able to earn free college credits, to access Baruch facilities, to interact with Baruch faculty and to participate in academic, social, and cultural events. The main goal of the program is to reach as many students as possible to provide them with college level work and the college experience.

Some classes offered at Baruch include Journalism, Public Affairs, Anthropology, and Business. The program runs not only during the school year but also in the summer. In the summer, students are provided a metrocard and a daily meal ticket.

However, this summer, the Baruch College Now program seems to offer less funding for certain activities, hinting that perhaps there has been a change.

“Last year, the amount of money in the printing account was $50, this year it’s only $30,” commented Jane Liu, a returning College Now student who noticed the decrease in the amount that the program provided for students to print.

In an interview, Baruch College Now director Maziely Crisostomo admitted that this year “we got a little less [funding]” but she quickly added “we were able to keep the same amount of students.” She says that the program plans to expand and offer more programs in order to appeal to a wider variety of students.

Ms. Crisostomo mentioned the possibility of Saturday classes during the school year and the return of the Student Ambassador Program, which provided internships.

According to Ms. Crisostomo, “What hurts, [the program’s funding] is when students withdraw and not being able to fill seats,” because the number of students directly connects to the amount of funding the program receives.

Regardless of the problem this issue creates, the mission of the program will remain unchanged.

A Fresh Look at Food

August 6, 2015 by Nicole Yapijakis

The aroma of fresh harvested produce surrounds those who pass through. Curious locals peer at the peculiar variations of produce. As they become immersed in the Union Square Greenmarket, time ceases to exist; at least compared to the fast paced New York life. However, customers are doing more than just buying groceries.

The market offers ethical, healthy and organic products that the standard supermarket wouldn’t offer. John Hayton, a cheese maker and vendor at Cherry Grove Farm, says,”Our cows are grass-fed and at our farm there is a small herd of cows that we make our cheese from. This makes the flavor more natural.”

“I come three times a week because I live in the area and it is convenient. I enjoy supporting local farmers instead of buying from large supermarkets,” says Erin Stair, a regular at the market. Many customers, like Stair, help promote small businesses and the local economy.

Buying local is better for the environment because it cuts down on the processing, packaging and shipping of food produced by large corporations. By supporting the market, customers helps cut the amount of waste sent to landfills, which also decreases greenhouse gas emissions.

Although the market is the center of consumption, it is also a big contributor to recycling what most urbanites would waste.

It offers a convenient compost collection, where locals can bring produce scraps, breads and grains, beverage waste and other compostable things. Once the compost is collected at the market, it is transported to a compost site. There it is made into fertile soil for local farming and gardening projects. This collection doesn’t only cut down city waste, but decreases the amounts of greenhouse gases released into the air.

There is also an inviting textile recycling collection, where locals can drop off unwanted clothes and textiles that would otherwise be thrown away. Instead of wasting, the collection service finds ways to reuse these items. The usables clothes are redistributed to markets with a high demand for second hand clothing and the scraps are used as cleaning rags or recycled into car door panels and insulation

Volunteers from City Harvest come at the end of the market on Saturdays to collect thousands of pounds of leftover food. You can see them in green t-shirts, talking to vendors, bagging produce or pushing around packed bins of food. All this is loaded onto the City Harvest truck parked on the corner of Union Sq West and 15th Street. All of the food is distributed to food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and other food programs around the city free of charge.

People from all over New York come together four days a week to be a part of an interactive, community minded experience. What most visitors don’t realize is that this market is a model for a sustainable and environmentally conscious community.