Rosemary Misdary

1 week ago | gothamist.com | Rosemary Misdary

Reforms passed by state lawmakers Monday would force New York property owners to pay for new natural gas hookups to their buildings, ending a decadeslong practice that’s forced utility customers to cover the cost of the work. The legislation, which still requires the governor's approval, nixes a requirement for utility companies or municipalities to pay for the construction and maintenance of new gas connections to properties that are within 100 feet of existing pipelines.

2 weeks ago | gothamist.com | Rosemary Misdary

Manhattan has 32 miles of waterfront, but none of it is officially open to swimmers, including a pristine new beach on the Hudson River in Chelsea. Gansevoort Peninsula features sand, picnic tables, Adirondack chairs and a fantastic view. But bathers are banned from taking a dip. The main reason? Poor water quality results from two combined sewer overflow pipes nearby, which spew a mix of stormwater and sewage into the Hudson River during heavy rain.

3 weeks ago | gothamist.com | Rosemary Misdary

Beneath a full moon in Jamaica Bay, horseshoe crab love was in the air. Female crabs skirted along the shore, each with two or three smaller male crabs attached to their backs and sides, fertilizing thousands of eggs in the sand. Hundreds of casual encounters like this were taking place during a visit by Gothamist last week to Plumb Beach in Brooklyn. A similar episode occurs every May and June during high tides around full and new moons.

3 weeks ago | gothamist.com | Rosemary Misdary

The summer triangle — the quintessential astronomical sign that days are getting longer and hotter — is back in June. The harbinger of summer nights comprises three electric-blue stars from three different constellations: Vega from Lyra, Altair from Aquila and Deneb from Cygnus. The triangle is located at the sky's zenith, directly overhead. “The summer is really the time for the summer triangle,” said Jackie Faherty, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History.

1 month ago | gothamist.com | Rosemary Misdary

Migratory birds can find an urban refuge right in the middle of Broadway, from West 60th to 168th streets. Miniature parks with thickets of woodland serve as an unlikely habitat for wildlife, with the rumble of the subway below and traffic on both sides. The islands, which are situated between Central, Riverside and Morningside parks, are an ideal rest stop for birds to forage and gather nesting materials.