In 1963, the Italian-born sculptor Costantino Nivola filled a playground that covers an entire city block with avant-garde abstractions. In the middle of an Upper Manhattan housing project, there are cuboid cutouts sculpted in cement, a fountain made with two diamond-shaped boulders, concrete play horses, and a sand-casted relief carved high into a wall. In the northeast corner, a matriarchal figure known as “The Nanny” rises from the ground.
The artist’s sculptures were built in an era when urban development incorporated art in its effort to uplift communities and express democratic ideals. “A work designed for a public space is less a work of art than a civic act,” Nivola once said. “It concerns the ways in which we live together, and in which we influence each other.”
Chillhouse is awesome. It's a great place to chill out while waiting to meet a friend, read a book, or get your nails done. This all-in-one cafe has made it easy for the girl on the girl that needs some self-care time.
Elsewhere is a converted warehouse space that serves as a music venue, art space, and bar. I recently went here for the first time to see Yaeji spin her latest EP, EP2. The walls were banging, the light design was unreal and even when in the back, the space feels intimate AF.