In recent years architects have transformed New York City’s skyline with a slew of new developments. Here are five you cannot miss from our AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture Tours: 

• One World Trade Center
  • The tallest building in the western hemisphere, the SOM-designed One World Trade Center and its spire reach a symbolic height of 1,776 feet. Don’t miss the nearby 978-foot Four World Trade Center by Fumihiko Maki.
• 432 Park Avenue
  • At 1,396 feet, Rafael Viñoly’s 84-story building with its relentless grid of windows is the tallest residential building in the world.
• VIA 57 West
  • Referred to as a ‘courtscraper’ by architect Bjarke Ingels, the building’s unique tetrahedral shape was designed to provide river views for as many residents as possible
• One57
  • Located on 57th Street, “Billionaire’s Row,” Christian de Portzamparc’s 75-story hotel/residential tower has an easily recognizable curved top.
• 10 Hudson Yards
  • The first completed structure of the Hudson Yards megadevelopment, 10 Hudson Yards by KPF Architects will soon be joined by a number of other supertalls, including a 1,000-foot residential tower, which will surely redefine west midtown Manhattan’s skyline.

To see other projects transforming New York City, be sure to check out the Center for Architecture’s 2017 AIANY Design Awards exhibition, featuring 35 exceptional projects by NYC architects.

To learn about Continuing Education Credits click here.

To purchase tickets for one of our NYC Architecture Tours click here. 

Natural, Organic, Sustainable and Biodynamic Wines and Cheese aboard the motor yacht Manhattan

The next three NYC wine tastings aboard the yacht Manhattan feature very this wildly popular style of wine.  More than one will also be natural wines. Cheeses featured will be either locally produced or from organic farms.

 Just what is natural wine?

Natural Winemakers/Vintners

Most of them have to compromise at some point. Where and why they make that compromise depends on what they are trying to achieve and how much they are prepared to risk in order to achieve it.

So we need to be clear exactly what we mean by natural wine, but, there are no strict laws governing their production.

 A natural wine is a wine made:

• -in small quantities
• -by an independent producer
• -on low-yielding vineyards
• -from handpicked, organically grown grapes
• -without added sugars or foreign yeasts
• -without adjustments for acidity

Most are unfiltered and may be a bit cloudy or contain sediment. Once open they may change and evolve faster than wines containing additional sulfur or additives. All are beautiful, natural, true expressions of the individual vineyards. The belief that wine is created in the vineyard, not the cellar is the backbone of this movement

Wines featured will be from importers specializing in wines created with minimal intervention including Louis Dressner, Rosenthal Wine Merchants and Fifi Imports.

Cheeses will be selected to pair perfectly with each wine. Breads, nuts and dried fruit will also be served to complement our pairings.

Join us for the NYC Wine Tastings on April 22^nd, May 12^th or May 13^th to discover just what makes these wines all the rage in the NYC wine scene.

Purchase tickets for this NYC Wine Tasting here

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A Note about the Author:

Wendy Crispell Over the years she has been an award-winning cocktail specialist, food and beverage manager, chef, restaurant owner, food and wine consultant, contributing writer to wine publications, wine and cheese educator and a designer of unique corporate wine events/outings. Learn more about Wendy on her Sassy Sips NYC blog. 

April 18, 2017 – America 2.0 to sail to Charleston, SC       

Classic Harbor Line’s fastest and largest schooner, America 2.0, will be wrapping up the season in Key West, FL., on May 15 before sailing to Charleston, SC., for the Maritime Tall Ships Festival. Events begin on May 19 through May 21, 2017, and will bring together nine international tall ships offering sailing excursions and boat tours throughout the festival. 

During the 3-day Festival, Schooner America 2.0 will partake in the highly anticipated Parade of Sail with three other sailboats. Bring your camera! The boats will sail by the Historic Charleston Waterfront and up to Riverfront Park for a cannon salute, giving spectators a chance to see each boat up-close and under sail. Looking for a more unique experience? Participate in the Parade of Sail by hopping aboard America 2.0! Tickets are available for purchase here. 

Built in Albany, NY, by Scarano Boat Builders, John and Rick Scarano, America 2.0 joined Classic Harbor Line’s fleet in 2011. She spends half the year in New York City offering public Day Sails to the Statue of Liberty, Sunset Sails and City Lights Sails, along with private boat charters, and the rest of the year in Key West, FL operating beautiful Key West sunset sails. America 2.0 is a tribute to Schooner America that won the first America’s Cup in 1851. Built with cutting edge technology, the materials used to build America 2.0, along with her electric propulsion system, make her an eco-friendly sailing vessel. 

Following the Maritime Tall Ships Festival, America 2.0 will continue sailing to New York City. Her first sail of the season in New York Harbor will be on Saturday, May 27.  

Learn more about this festival by visiting the site: www.tallshipscharleston.com

We hope to see you!!!! 

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A Note about the Author: 

Meg Yeiter: Meg grew up and went to college in Michigan. After graduation, she did what any 21-year-old with a degree and no job would do – move to a mountain town to spend all day skiing fresh powder and afternoons clinking glasses at chic après ski lodges. Just kidding, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she got her first journalism job as a reporter at the local newspaper and borrowed her friends ski’s to hit the slopes a few times a month. Meg has always had a passion for traveling and the outdoors. She moved to New York City in early 2015. During her first year here, Meg found herself consistently running to Classic Harbor Line to catch an evening sunset sail. She officially joined the Classic Harbor Line team in April 2016 and now no longer needs to run anywhere. In her free time, Meg enjoys exploring New England, repurposing furniture, and sailing of course.

Classic Harbor Line will welcome back Schooner Adirondack for her 17th season sailing in New York Harbor at the end of April. Her arrival will mark the kick-off to Classic Harbor Line’s sailing season and we couldn’t be more excited to get back on the water! Join us for the 2017 inaugural sail on Friday, April 21 at 6:30pm!

Schooner Adirondack was the first boat in CHL’s fleet and she continues to be a New York crowd pleaser for visitors and locals alike. On Saturday, April 22, we’ll be celebrating Earth Day with two Classic Day Sails and an Evening Sunset Sail. What better way to celebrate Mother Earth then an eco-friendly sail around New York Harbor!

One of CHL’s long standing Captains, Katrina van Zee, says the beginning of each season is always special, “For me the most exciting part is our first trip just after we’ve raised sails and turned the motors off, seeing the city glide by as we make our way to the Statue powered by the wind.” Captain Kat has been working for CHL since 2004 and at the helm of Adirondack coming up on 12 seasons. Although Capt. Kat finds sailing rewarding in all conditions, an ideal sail on Adirondack consists of a southeasterly breeze and favoring current as Captain and crew sail right up to the Statue of Liberty.

Schooner Adirondack’s schedule is full of afternoon and sunset sails offered daily to the public, along with a romantic City Lights Sail offered on Thursday and Saturday evenings through October.

The ambiance on a typical Day Sail Aboard Schooner Adirondack is perfect for families, couples, sightseers and locals looking to escape the city and feel the warm summer breeze out in the Harbor. According to Capt. Kat, “A typical sail on Adirondack is relaxed and laid back as we travel at the speed provided by the wind and current as much as possible. With a brisk southerly breeze, we enjoy the exhilaration of sailing to windward with the wind in our face and the boat galloping along with a windward heel (tilt).” 

What’s new this year on Schooner Adirondack:
Good news for our beer-drinking, artisan-cheese-eating enthusiasts! CHL is bringing back Brews of the Boroughs Sunset Sail this season. Can we get a ‘hear, hear!” On this 2-hour sail, our guests will enjoy four locally crafted brews paired with four artisan cheeses. Relax on deck, take in the sights and watch the crew raise sail as the boat glides toward to Statue of Liberty for a spectacular sunset over Manhattan. Beginning June 6th and offered alternating Tuesdays through September!

Click HERE to see all of the Adirondack Activities. 

_______________________________________

A Note about the Author: 

Meg Yeiter: Meg grew up and went to college in Michigan. After graduation, she did what any 21-year-old with a degree and no job would do – move to a mountain town to spend all day skiing fresh powder and afternoons clinking glasses at chic après ski lodges. Just kidding, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she got her first journalism job as a reporter at the local newspaper and borrowed her friends ski’s to hit the slopes a few times a month. Meg has always had a passion for traveling and the outdoors. She moved to New York City in early 2015. During her first year here, Meg found herself consistently running to Classic Harbor Line to catch an evening sunset sail. She officially joined the Classic Harbor Line team in April 2016 and now no longer needs to run anywhere. In her free time, Meg enjoys exploring New England, repurposing furniture, and sailing of course.

On a gorgeous Sunday morning, I went crosstown to Chelsea Piers to board the Classic Harbor Line “Around Manhattan Brunch Cruise”. It was a little cold because Mother Nature decided to bring winter back to New York City, but the sun was shining. The boat was much smaller than I was expecting but it was a nice surprise because it felt more intimate and not touristy. Inside the boat, I was delighted to find it heated to the perfect temperature and was able to have a large table all for myself and friend. I loved that Classic Harbor Line didn’t over book to make guests feel crammed. Click here to continue reading (This will take you to another website) 

Manhattan II Boat Tour from Classic Harbor Line on Vimeo.

AIANY INDUSTRIAL WATERWAYS TOUR TO FRESH KILLS PARK

This tour begins April 16, 2017

For over 50 years, New York City sent their garbage to Fresh Kills in Staten Island.  All their discarded egg shells, old pizza boxes, banana peels, empty milk cartons, used napkins and all other such ‘garbage’ traveled to this coastal marshland along the island’s western shoreline.  By the mid 50s it was the largest landfill in the world and by the mid 80s it was accepting nearly 29,000 pounds of garbage per day.

In 2001, it closed its doors to receiving garbage and began its shut down and ‘mound capping’.  Today, the area consists of four large grass-covered mountains with a central tidal waterway that weaves in between them.  It has also been partially turned over to the New York City Parks Department as this land embarks on a 30-year journey to become the largest park in New York City – – three times the size of central park.  From atop her mounds you can see the New York City skyline and the Atlantic Ocean at the same time.  Wild life, grasses and shrubs are reclaiming the area and on a limited basis, the public is having more and more access to this park as the seasons roll by. 

One day, Fresh Kills Park will be a place that families go to spend their sacred weekend time together.  Couples will go there to exercise, to walk, to fall in love or to ‘just get away’ for a few hours.  Children will go there to play.  This land will have been transformed from being one of the most unpleasant places on earth to being a place society spends their most cherished time.

Come witness one of the most remarkable land reclamation projects in history.  Travel by boat into the heart of Fresh Kills and learn about the design and engineering that have allowed this epic story to take place.  

This 3.25 hour tour is operated in partnership with the American Institutes of Architects New York Chapter and features a special guest guide from the Fresh Kills Park management team.

There are just a few visits made by boat each year and this tour typically sells out.  So get your tickets to the AIANY Industrial Waterways Tour to Fresh Kills Park and enjoy a day on the water with us.  

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS