Apparently green is the new black. No longer do you have to be an eco-warrior, a hippie, or a PETA protester to grasp the message as these days green activism has streamlined –green looks good on everyone. Public sentiment has moved in favor of green products that are better for us, our homes, our health and our environment. We are inundated with messages of what is green, organic, natural, free-range, hypoallergenic, and so on and so on to the point where adopting a green lifestyle can be daunting for someone attempting to follow the rules. But that is just the thing, going green is not an exact science; rather being green is a lifestyle and one that you can adapt any way you see fitting. New Yorkers are incorporating the principals of “reducing”, “reusing”, and “recycling” to make the 22.7 square miles of Manhattan green.
Union Square is a literarily a union of the sophistication of uptown life with the hipster nature of downtown existence, but above all it is a prime example of a New York neighborhood that is always ahead of the curve. Union Square is a one-stop destination for all those that consider themselves health-conscious and eco-friendly. Although Union Square is notorious for many political demonstrations, do not mistake the hungry mob gathered on the North and West Pavilion as anything other than loyal patrons of the Greenmarket. 14th street is the city’s flagship Greenmarket, where locals have access to buy homegrown, organic, local produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, jams, and honeys directly from the local farmers, bakers, and harvesters themselves. A typical day includes people on lunch breaks passing through quickly, all the while chefs look for daily special ingredients for local restaurants.
Kenneth Park Architects teamed up with the Urban Land Institute in October in organizing an interactive tour of the Green Market and a market-to-table experience at Tocqueville restaurant to discover how fresh, organic and local ingredients influence chefs' menus. Check out the Greenmarket Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8am -6pm. However, if you prefer traditional grocery shopping head over to the environmentally aware, organic, and natural Whole Foods Market for all of your food needs. Whole Foods knows that actions speak louder than words as they teach by example to encourage green choices. They are the first major retailer to offset 100% of their energy use with wind energy credits, they implement paperless ordering systems to reduce paper waste, and they use biodegradable supplies for food and wine sampling. Recently they offered customers free pedi-cab rides to promote eco-friendly transportation and after banning plastic bags from their check-out counters they offer at least a nickel-per-bag refund for those who bring reusable bags. Trader Joes Grocer (my personal favorite) right down the street is also a pioneer in Green retail and a popular alternative to Whole Foods for those who still want to be green, but are price sensitive. Trader Joe’s has a solid selection of organic and natural products. Also, Trader Joe’s has worked with some of its suppliers to improve their packaging and has some slight elements of green building design in its stores (and 1 store in a LEED certified shopping center).
A green lifestyle should not stop at the doors of the grocery or gates of the greenmarket it should follow you home. Did you know that property value, commercial and residential real estate, and population have all risen over the last six years in response to green initiates? Village Green is an example of a state of the art Green residence located on East 11th street. It is a new 8 floor, low-rise new construction building, and is targeted for LEED Gold certification. These condominiums features biothermal air conditioning and open floor plans. Other buildings just like this are popping up all over the city.
Going green should not limit your lifestyle, but rather expand opportunities. Just a suggestion for a fun night outside sans A/C, head over to Bar 13
(where Kenneth Park Architects had a memorable after-party post bowling at nearby Bowlmor Lanes) where you can experience an amazing roof deck and reap the benefits of the summer sun. Cleanse your aura with a free yoga class at Lululemon where employees (or commonly referred to as educators) will teach you how yoga and natural remedies. Last time I stopped in, in addition to having an Equinox pro teach the free class, we learned how to use tea tree oil, a non-toxic broad spectrum germicide that has natural solvent properties that makes it a biodegradable, as a cleaning product (great natural and green way to clean yoga mats). In need of retail therapy? Head over to Union Square’s Forever 21 for breathable and chic additions to your summer ensembles. Forever21 offers a line made from 100% modal, which is a fabric made from renewable beech trees. Using renewable materials means resources that are not so readily renewable or environmentally depleting to produce are spared. Steve Madden, located on Broadway, has jumped on the Green bandwagon and now offers an affordable vegan style line of sandals, boots, pumps, and flats. Finally, finish off your look with a pit-stop into Sephora for some organic and natural from brands like Bare Escentuals, Boscia, Korres, and Tarte. Note, Sephora just launched their own line of products, coined Sephora Pure, that contain 95% natural ingredients and at least 10% organic ingredients. All packaging is made with sustainable bamboo and recyclable metal.
Green is the new face New York.
