Author: Jaclyn Tokarz

New York is ever-changing and even though we live in a very different time, nothing makes the past feel more immediate than video. This footage, shot in 1911 by the Swedish company Svenska Biografteatern, was first restored by MoMA in 2018 and now again by video editor Denis Shiryaev. It shows different neighborhoods all around Manhattan, with much of the same architecture and landmarks that we still see today. And while it’s fun to see all the things that are different (the clothes! the cars! the signage!), it’s even more interesting to feel that we’ve walked the same roads as so many others who came before us and loved this city just as well.

In a recent article published by Vox, author Nisha Chittal explains how millennials “killed” the traditional dinner party and how (and why) it’s been reinvented and replaced by more casual gatherings. There’s been a lot of discussion recently about the behavior of younger generations and how that behavior is directly driven by values (shameless plug for our Sustainable Insights Report!) and the way that we gather together over a meal is no exception. For so many years, dinner parties were formal, multi-course affairs and, as Chittal writes, “having a dinner party was a way to show off your extensive social connections, your wealth, your place in society. It was a sign of having good taste — which is ultimately all about class anxiety.” Many millennials, on the other hand, were coming of age during/just after the Great Recession and had far more financial stress than worry about anything else. And with home ownership at a record low, people had neither space nor funds to throw anything lavish. Instead, entertaining has become more focused on time spent together and connection, rather than which fine china is on the table, and millennial or not, that’s something worth celebrating.

Art has long been an outlet for social commentary and as climate change continues to dominate the news cycle, more artists than ever are using that outlet to inspire people to action. Valentino Vettori’s immersive Arcadia Earth installation is one stunning example of how artists can come together to create something at once beautiful and thought-provoking. With a full lineup of additional experiential artists, Arcadia Earth sprawls a massive 15 rooms, each focusing on an individual environmental threat. And because they’ll partnered with Oceania Global, visitors can rest assured that the money spent on the ticket will help conservation efforts as well. Running through January 2020 at 718 Broadway.

All photos via TimeOut, by David Mitchell.