Don’t think it’s possible to live in a quaint, cottage-like atmosphere in the city? Think again.

The following video follows the work of one green space loving warrior and his very successful attempt at growing plants on a green rooftop in NYC.

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The post Living the Life On a Green Rooftop In NYC [Video] appeared first on EcoSalon.

A New York City judge has overturned a citywide Styrofoam ban.

After the Styrofoam ban went into effect on July 1, a number of local businesses sued the city, stating that the ban was political and would hurt their businesses. City restaurants and corner delis had until January 2016 to make the shift away from polystyrene (Styrofoam is a trade name).

But according to Justice Margaret Chan, who agreed with the business owners and overturned the Styrofoam ban, New Yorkers could be recycling the hazardous material, and saving the city nearly half a million dollars a year (even though polystyrene products only make up about 0.8 percent of city waste, or about 28,500 tons of the city’s trash going to landfills).

City officials aren’t happy with the ruling and plan to fight it. City Hall deputy press secretary Ishanee Parikh told the New York Post, “These [Styrofoam] products cause real environmental harm and we need to be able to prevent nearly 30,000 tons of expanded polystyrene waste from entering our landfills, streets, and waterways. We are reviewing our options to keep the ban in effect.”

Polystyrene poses human health issues by leaching styrene monomers into the food or beverages it comes in contact with—especially if those foods or liquids are hot. Exposure to styrene monomers, particularly on the production side, has been linked to skin and eye irritation, depression, kidney problems, breathing and gastrointestinal issues, headache, and fatigue. According to CleanWater.org, Styrene residues are found in 100 percent of all samples of human fat tissue.

For the planet, the issues are even more concerning. Americans throw away about 25 billion Styrofoam cups every year, according to EPA data. Polystyrene is resistant to photolysis, which means that it is very, very difficult to break down. Check back in on your collection of Styrofoam coffee cups in a few hundred years (after that presumably long time-travel trip), and you’ll be able to refresh yourself with a cup of coffee in the exact same foam cup from today/500 years ago.

That is, of course, if there’s any water left on earth to make coffee with—the lightness of polystyrene products are creating massive floating hazards, taking heavy tolls on waterways and on marine life. But, at least, in the meantime, you can still find Styrofoam aplenty floating around in Manhattan.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

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Styrofoam cup image via Shutterstock

The post New York City’s Styrofoam Ban Dies (Unlike Actual Styrofoam) appeared first on EcoSalon.

 If you haven’t seen the viral video of a woman walking through the streets of New York for 10 hours and being cat-called or worse at least 100 times, you’re bound to view it sooner or later. It’s been all over the web this week, and now, Funny or Die gives a spin on it featuring a white man. The result is funny–not because it mimics the other video (making fun of harassment would not be funny)–because it demonstrates that stereotypes and white privilege exist in a major way. Which is not as funny as it is sad, but sometimes, all we can do is find something funny…or die. 

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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The post White Privilege: Normal White Guy Walks Through NYC for 10 Hours and Becomes a King [Video] appeared first on EcoSalon.

Powell’s, Shakespeare & Co. and Strand bookstore – all places any literary lover should put on their travel list. 

While many claim that print is dead, there’s still nothing like the feel of a book in your hand. But it’s not just the book that’s special; it’s the process of buying it. Bookstores are treasure troves, and in a day and age where large online retailers and box stores are pushing out the smaller guys, making sure they get your business is even more important.

Are you a lover of books? Then why not devote your next trip to checking out the independent bookstore scene wherever you are? You never know what you’re going to find. For inspiration, we’ve rounded up a list of bookstores that are worth a visit.

1. Strand – New York City, New York

Around since the 1920s, Strand is an iconic part of not only New York City’s bookstore culture, but simply general culture overall. Visiting NYC without visiting Strand bookstore is simply a missed opportunity. In all, the store boasts 18 miles of used and rare books, which is enough to make you get lost in book aisles for days and days.

2. Powell’s – Portland, Oregon

If Strand is the iconic bookstore in the east, then Powell’s is its counterpart in the west. Opening in the 1970s, today it has five different locations within the Portland area, the downtown main one called “City of Books.” And when you enter, it does in fact feel like a city, the aisles are like little streets that wind you through the many rooms. The best part about Powell’s? You can grab a stack of books, take them to the in-store cafe and peruse them while drinking a coffee.

3. Parnassus Books – Nashville, Tennessee

Leave it to an author to ensure that the local book scene stays alive. When Nashville lost its only bookstore, Ann Patchett stepped in, a firm believer that people should be able to buy their books at a brick and mortar, and helped open Parnassus. This neighborhood bookstore revival is born out of Patchett’s desire for a store “that valued books and readers above muffins and adorable plastic watering cans.” Yes, please.

4. BookPeople – Austin, Texas

BookPeople happens to be Texas’ largest independent bookstore, and it’s so popular that it was voted Bookstore of the Year by Publisher’s Weekly in 2005. But beyond all the literary works housed in this space, there’s another reason to visit: all the books on Texan and Southern cooking, so you can be sure to beef up on your bbq knowledge.

5. The Elliott Bay Book Company – Seattle, Washington

Seattle is known for a lot of rain, and what do you want to do when it’s gray and rainy? Curl up with a good book. Which might be why Seattleites have such a wonderful bookstore at their disposal. The Elliott Bay Book Company is home to more than 150,000 titles. And because it’s Seattle, Elliott Bay’s other claim to fame is that the Elliott Bay Cafe was Seattle’s first bookstore cafe.

6. Shakespeare and Company – Paris, France

The literary crowd will always have a love affair with Paris, and for those there is no place higher on the destination list than Shakespeare and Company. Paris has always attracted writers, and the bookstore is known for supporting the works of both well-known authors and the yet undiscovered ones. Located on the Left Bank it has managed to maintain its quaint, cozy ambiance.

7. Politics and Prose – Washington, D.C.

The name of Politics and Prose is fitting in the U.S. capital. Here you find a community gathering space, with plenty of author events, and lots of unusual books. The bookstore has even started hosting trips, taking book lovers around the world.

8. Bertrand Bookstore, Lisbon, Portugal

While today Bertrand runs over 40 bookstores around Portugal, it’s worth a mention on a list of bookstores has it has one thing going for it that no other place has: it’s the oldest bookstore in the world. In fact, if you’re feeling down about the state of books, there’s nothing to bring your spirits up like a place that has been selling written works since 1732.

9. McNally Jackson – New York City, New York

The Strand bookstore isn’t the only thing NYC has to offer. The literature in the store is arranged by nation, and hoping to bring more great works to the rest of the world, they even offer self-publishing services.

10. The Last Bookstore – Los Angeles, California

While younger than many bookstores, The Last Bookstore is California’s largest independent one and perhaps the most unique. It began in 2005 in a small loft space and now takes up about 20,000 square feet. There are books everywhere, often part of the interior design of the space, making it just as much a museum of books as a bookstore.

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Images: Alexendre Duret-Lutz, Patrick Haney, Nicola, Scott Garner

The post Strand Bookstore, Powell’s and More Amazing, Independent Places to Buy Books appeared first on EcoSalon.

Where we all become obsessed with taking classes and making things in New York City.

CourseHorse launched in mid-April 2011 to make it easier for New Yorkers to find classes, starting with roughly 150 schools and 4,000 opportunities to enrich one’s life. Over a year later, and thanks to a huge movement to make, create and learn without the strict guidelines of a college setting, CourseHorse has quadrupled the amount of classes they offer.

Want to make a vegan feast and don’t know how? Get your body back in shape post-baby? Knit up a new sweater or learn how to use social media for your growing business? They’ve got you covered.

Launched last year by NYU graduates Katie Kapler and Nihal Parthasarathi, both 26, the site was designed to simplify the process of finding classes for the 25-35 year old set in New York City -oh, and to have a lot of fun taking them.

We caught up with co-founder Katie Kapler to see what she had to say about the present and future of CourseHorse.

Tell me how CourseHorse came to be.

Nihal and I are old college friends from NYU. After school, I went and worked for a company that had just raised a small seed round to build an online marketplace for small business owners to access capital. Nihal was consulting for a major test prep provider and during a focus group a mother asked him whether there was a resource she could use to compare test prep classes across all the different providers.
Nihal knew that no central educational resource existed, so he called me to talk through the possibility. That conversation tipped off months of research and tons of coffee meetings, in which we found that schools struggled to fill seats in their classes and that aspiring learners in the community were having a difficult time finding classes that met their specific needs. That’s when we decided to quit our jobs and build CourseHorse.

Do you see people wanting to engage and learn more? Why do you think that is?

We’re pretty obsessed with following up with our users to understand why they’re taking certain classes, and though the specific reasons vary, there’s definitely an overarching desire for exploration and independence that’s applicable across each segment. I can’t really speak to what creates this drive, or why it’s stronger now than ever before, but it’s been encouraging and empowering to hear from so many different people who are inspired to engage in lifelong learning, whether for recreation or personal advancement.

What sections have you seen the most interest in?

As we approach gift-giving season, sales will spike for our recreational class categories like cooking, wine and art. We had one class last year that was a high-falls stunt class, designed by an actor training facility but for the general public. It did real well for folks with dare-devils on their gift-giving lists. This year we have a few tricks up our sleeve for the holidays – a few custom CourseHorse classes are in development that’ll knock your socks/hooves off.

Your dream vision for CourseHorse?

We get these incredibly powerful, inspiring e-mails from users who have taken classes to further or transition their career, explore new subjects and hobbies or meet people in the community. To the extent that we can make that type of exploration easier, and more accessible – that’s what keeps us up at night with excitement. We want to be in more households, more classes, more cities… but that’s news to come!

Watch the CourseHorse video below to get some class ideas.

Image: Lola’s Big Adventure

The post From Vegan Cooking to SEO – CourseHorse Has Your Class appeared first on EcoSalon.

How will social media and technology change our future?

“If you try something for 50 years and it doesn’t work, for God’s sake, try something else.”

This unabashed statement from Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, was the first indication that the Social Good Summit was going to be a swift kick in the pants.

Thousands of people took part in the three-day event at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. They came to learn how innovative thinking and new technology can solve the world’s greatest challenges. They came not only to ask ambitious questions, but also to provide equally ambitious answers.

Organized to take place alongside the UN General Assembly meeting, the Summit was an inspirational “meeting of the minds,” with world leaders, celebrities, techies, activists, academics, and philanthropists gathering to exchange ideas about how to build a better future. A short message from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opened the Summit, encouraging attendees to take advantage of opportunities to harness new technologies that strengthen societies, support women’s health and rights, and soften the impact of climate change.

“A revolution in social media is helping people everywhere take part in a global conversation about how we can work together to advance the common good,” said Clinton. “We are living at a time when anyone can be a diplomat. All you have to do is hit send.”

The format of the Summit was similar to TED conferences with the event featuring the creme de la creme of Hollywood, international advocacy, universities, and media giving short, compelling speeches as to their solutions to family planning, child poverty, obesity, and human trafficking. The heavy topics were nicely balanced with interjections of levity, such as a first-day speech from 14-year-old author and activist Adora Svitak entitled “How Millennials Will Save The World.”

Although visibly nervous, Svitak overcame her fear by decimating stereotypes about apathetic youth in her 5-minute speech. She cited example after example of how she and her friends are using social media to feed the hungry and advocate for reproductive rights. “We want our world to have more than a nominal confidence in us,” she softly chided the adult attendees. “We want to transcend our boundaries, as much as we may be weighed down by them.”

On the second day of the Summit, Brooke Loughrin, the first-ever U.S. Youth Observer of the UN, echoed Svitak’s sentiments. “Youth are using social media…to bring our communities together and address issues,” she said. “Some people are stating that youth are taking over, but I would make the argument that we already have.”

Many attending celebrities whose advocacy work was given a spotlight were also celebrated at the Summit. During a conversation with Jeffrey Sachs and Hans Vestberg, of Columbia University and Ericsson respectively, Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker spoke passionately about the organization he founded, the PeaceEarth Foundation. He explained that working for peace isn’t just for other countries:

“I come from an environment where there was a lot of conflict. There was the birth of the gangs in my community when I was a young kid. I witnessed and was affected by losses due to violence. As a result, I started to do work [on peace]. We have to not just open our eyes to what’s going on in other places; we need to open our eyes to what’s going on right in front of us.”

Actress Maria Bello explained why she got involved with supporting women’s anti-violence activism in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and pointed to a key piece of advice that changed her life: you serve best doing the thing you love most. Bello said that what she loves most is using the resources she has to make positive changes in the world.

Television stars America Ferrera and Alexis Bledel also shared their global experiences from a recent trip to Honduras they went on together with ONE, a grassroots organization that helps women and girls in impoverished countries develop economic opportunities that benefit their families and communities.

“I wanted to go on this trip because I felt really impassioned about shedding light on issues that are happening in Latin America,” explained Ferrera. “These people aren’t looking for handouts or charity; they are looking for tools.”

Bledel agreed. “Having met these women, it’s clear that they want to do for themselves,” she said. “They had such good ideas. They could see the problems really clearly and know the solutions.”

Bledel and Ferrera encouraged the audience to learn how they can invest in women and girls who live in developing countries because, as Ferrera stated, women play a critical role in the success of their communities and countries.

In addition to the Summit gathering in New York, thousands more people were able to take part in the conversation through meet-ups in 237 communities. From San Francisco to São Paulo, the Summit talks were livestreamed and simultaneously translated into six different languages to reach and engage audiences worldwide in a Global Conversation.

It was humbling to spend time among so many talented and inspiring everyday citizens who are committed to tackling global problems. If you’re not inspired enough already, pick through the videos at Mashable for motivation and information on how you can become the change.

Images: Mashable

The post How Is the Social Good Summit Changing the Future? appeared first on EcoSalon.

 Partying (sustainably) for New York City’s Fashion Week.

Put a handful of amazing designers, a community of savvy and conscious-minded individuals, good wine and eco-friendly shopping all in a cool space and what do you get? An EcoSalon fête of course.

To kick off Fashion Week we partnered with the Textile Arts Center to throw a party celebrating conscious fashion and designers. Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed, The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, was on hand signing copies of her new book, and Francisca Pineda told many about her ethical fashion abroad program working with indigenous artisans from the Talamanca region near Puerto Viejo.

We talked shop with over a dozen designers and got to connect with some of our readers from around the world.

Thanks to all of the amazing brands that kept our party goers hydrated and energized, Conway Family Winery, The Naked Grape, Zhena’s Gypsy Tea and Equal Exchange chocolate, and our eco-beauty gifts from La Bella Figura, Kahina Giving Beauty and Olie Biologique.

(Did we happen to mention there were live rabbits there too?)

Missed out? That’s alright, we took some fun party pictures so you could see what fun we had and why YOU should be there next time!

EcoSalon writer Jennifer Barckley with goodie bag products from Kahina Giving Beauty, La Bella Figura and Olie Biologique

(Left)Designer Eliza Starbuck and (Right) EcoSalon food writer Johanna Kindvall and friend

Designer Eliza Starbuck

Artists Michael Linton Simpson and Derek Weisberg

Treehugger’s Chris Tackett and EcoSalon Marketing Manager and Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones

Eco-Chick founder/author Starre Vartan and designer Ambika Conroy

Australian fashion writer and proud EcoSalon reader Yatu Hunt (in NYC for her honeymoon!)

Textile Arts Center co-founder Owyn Ruck, designer Nimet Deg of Soham Dave and Becky Bavinger of the New York City Fair Trade Coalition

Meghan Sebold, founder/designer of Afia clothing

Celeste Lilore, Anthony Lilore, Carmen Artigas, Owyn Ruck and friends

UK fashion student, writer and our most beloved wine pourer of the evening, Kathryn Bell

EcoSalon Editor-in-Chief Amy DuFault, Jam Media Collective founder Julie Atherton and EcoSalon Marketing Manager and Foodie Underground Columnist Anna Brones

Handbag designer and InStyle Magazine/Handbag Designer 101 finalist, Jess Rizzuti

Overdressed, The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, author Elizabeth Cline and Organic Spa magazine editor, Rona Berg

Brooklyn artists Michael Linton Simpson, Derek Weisberg and EcoSalon EIC, Amy DuFault

Conscious Living TV’s Bianca and Michael Alexander

Author Elizabeth Cline

EcoSalon’s Anna Brones, Eileen Fisher social media maven Casey Jones, EcoSalon fashion and food writer Jennifer Barckley and Eileen Fisher consultant/superstar, Chris Oh

Designer Carrie Parry

Fashion professor and sustainable fashion multi-tasker Carmen Artigas and Eko-Lab designers Xing-Zhen and Melissa Kirgan

Ambika designer, Ambika Conroy and her two fluffy angora rabbits

Thanks to Naked Grape for wine and Equal Exchange for delicious dark chocolate!

The post EcoSalon Throws a Fashion Week Bash (And We’ve Got Pictures to Prove It) appeared first on EcoSalon.

EcoSalon goes vintage shopping in New York City.

A while back we discussed the “fashion hauling” phenomenon and the impact it is having on today’s teen shopper. While I do think it’s a disturbing trend, I also realize that there is very little we can do to affect the basic desire that shoppers have to share their finds with others. If you can’t beat them, join them. Of course, we here at EcoSalon do it in a conscious consumer kind of way, featuring some of awesome vintage finds that I recently scored while scouring two of my favorite NYC thrift shops.

At Beacon’s Closet in Williamsburg I found two things that fit well into current trends.

This African print tunic, which has a really lovely pattern and one of my favorite colors: green. I think it’s originally for kids, because the arm holes are a bit tight, but that’s an easy fix with the sewing machine.

These pale pink shorts are really nicely distressed, and both the color and length are right on trend for summer. And at $12, they were a great deal.

Moving on to my other favorite Brooklyn thrift shop, Guvnor’s Vintage Thrift, I found a bunch of great dresses.

First, I saw this vaguely animal-pattern dress in a nice, flattering 50s-style cut. Usually it’s hard to find this kind of dress without a really narrow waist, but this one fits perfectly and I’ll probably pair it with a delicate belt. I love the colors and the pearlized buttons too.

Like I mentioned, I’m very into bright greens right now, and this 70s dress with a pleated skirt and metallic bodice instantly caught my eye.

I have a problem with black—so much so that I had banned myself from buying anything black this summer. This long-sleeve maxi dress fit me really well, though, and when I saw that the label was called Mr. Sergio, like one of my best friends, I just had to break down and get it. It’s got these really nice ruffle details on the front that keep it from being just another black dress. Or maybe that’s just my excuse.

Finally, this rose-patterned linen thing caught my eye. Initially I wasn’t sure why, but I think I can relate to the fact that it’s an insane mix of styles – the collar is vaguely Asian, the pattern very conservative and sort of British, and the leather lace up detail with shells is very hippie chic. It was also less than $20, so done deal.

Actually, none of these set me back more than $40. The brown animal-print dress and green 70s party dress were the most expensive things, but the good thing about vintage clothing is that you can just sell it again once you don’t want it anymore. It’s like a virtuous circle of consumption, where all this good stuff is passed along for someone else to discover and fall in love with one day.

What are some of your recent vintage finds?

The post Vintage Fashion Haul: Thrifty Finds from NYC appeared first on EcoSalon.

Life on two wheels.

Best friends Amanda Coen and Kestrel Jenkins on their bikes, awaiting the ferry’s arrival to take them to the Annual Polo Match on Governor’s Island. They happened to see Bill Cunningham just after this photo was taken. Amanda asked him if she could snap a shot of him and he obliged. Kestrel’s jaw was practically hitting the pavement in awe and after Cunningham snapped his own photo of her.

On the Move documents our life on two wheels. Have your own On the Move worthy photo? Send it our way! Email pictures to contact@ecosalon.com.

The post On the Move: New York City appeared first on EcoSalon.

The picNYC table is your own in-house urban greenspace. Eat, drink, play mini-lawn games: it’s the ultimate multi-use item.

Modern living means few city dwellers are lucky enough to have their own garden with a lawn. So this table, the wittily named picNYC, offers the opportunity for urban gardening – and pastoral dining – without the bugs. Avoid the nagging guilt of failing to mow the lawn; a pair of shears should do the trick. It’s also the perfect finishing touch to haute-tech office spaces.

The table is made from high-end lightweight aluminum and comes installed with grass for deliveries within the NYC area; it costs just shy of $6,000. Okay, those leaves of grass don’t come cheap. Consider it an investment in art, your well-being, horizontal gardening and, above all else, nature.

Photo: Voos Furniture

The post The Grass Is Greener, This Side Of The picNYC Table appeared first on EcoSalon.