It wasn’t tech or computer skills that united this morning’s conversations about education between business leaders and Chancellor of New York City Schools Carmen Fariña. The leaders convened at Crain’s Future of New York City Conference Thursday. Instead their common thread was much more old fashioned: writing and so-called “soft […]
Month: November 2014
Making Sacrifices to Make Green Off New York’s Marijuana Industry
Unmedicated, Oleg Maryasis talks a mile a minute, tapping his foot incessantly and frequently lapsing into a nervous stutter. After he takes a long drag of weed, his speech becomes more steady and the tapping stops. “Cannabis, besides medicine, is a spiritual plant,” said Maryasis, who has replaced all of […]
Housing and Manufacturing Could Mix in Innovative Districts
Innovative mixed-use zonings could create more affordable housing and at the same time increase jobs in the city’s growing manufacturing sector if land-use policies could be changed, city officials say. Carl Weisbrod, Director of New York City’s Department of City Planning, has been explicit about his vision for mixed-use zonings […]
In Spite of Friction in New York, the Sharing Economy Is Here for Good
Yan, a 24-year-old consultant, has rented out an apartment through Airbnb the past few years in fear. He hides his business from his landlord so that he doesn’t get evicted from his Midtown East luxury apartment. He also worries about whether he is violating local illegal hotel laws. The demand […]
A Wall Streeter Jumps To Tech
Greg Golkin went to work on Wall Street straight out of Wharton in 2006. A sharp-as-a-tack Upper East Side native, Golkin, 30, knew that if he worked hard, success and wealth were his for the taking. But after tours at investment firms and hedge funds, he jumped ship to the […]
Queens Librarian speaks out for higher wages
Michael Wong spends most of his time surrounded by thousands of books, but you won’t see him reading from the Harry Potter series anytime soon. “I hate books,” said Wong, a phrase he often tells his co-workers jokingly. For most of the week, Wong, 47, a senior librarian works full […]
New Yorkers Find a High-Paying Career in Coffee
Steam rose from the shiny orange espresso machine. Workers scurried back and forth behind the thick wooden counter, preparing milk and espresso for the gathered customers at Cafe Grumpy in Midtown. The scene was the same happening around the city every morning: specialty coffee workers preparing a cup of artisan […]
Black People and Economic Mobility Don’t Overlap in America
Perhaps the best single indicator of a metropolitan area’s economic mobility is the percentage of black people living there. The greater the share of black people, the less likely it is that a poor kid — black, white, or anything else — will make more money than their parents. At […]
With sand little use against another Sandy, a push for something more ‘concrete’
Rockaway Beach isn’t what it used to be since Hurricane Sandy sent seawater surging up New York’s coast. Gone is the boardwalk – it was washed away in the flood. In its place are raised concession stands and wooden fences, with signs promising a rebuilt, fortified beach. Instead of stairs […]
RFK overhaul might mean a longer life, but falls short on shifting bike trends
In 1936, the Empire State Building was still new to the city’s skyline, cars were still a luxury good and Robert Moses solidified his legacy with the Triborough Bridge. Nearly almost 80 years later, 432 Park Ave. reigns king in the skyline, the city is ripe with vehicles and […]