The Studio Museum in Harlem today announced the online photography exhibition Between matter and memory: Expanding the Walls 2023. Featuring work by fifteen artists in the 2023 cohort of the Museum’s signature teen program, Expanding the Walls: Making Connections Between Photography, History, and Community. This year’s online edition of the exhibition marks the program’s twenty-third anniversary. The…
Is there a more picturesque thing than watching the sun fall over the gorgeous NYC skyline? Although the iconic Manhattanhenge only happens a few times per year, there’s always breathtaking spots to catch the sun dip below the iconic skyscrapers of New York City. Bask in the warm, golden glow, and let the magical spectacle unfolds before your eyes. So, we asked you New Yorkers where the best places are to see hues of orange, pink, and purple. Check out the best places to watch a sunset in NYC below:
1. Top of the Rock Observation Deck
We start at one of NYC’s most famous observation decks, The Top of the Rock. Here, you can marvel at 360 degree views of the Manhattan skyline as you watch the sun set facing downtown. Their 70th floor viewing spot will have you seeing golden hues like never before.
This elevated walkway and park in Chelsea is a beautiful spot to see the sunset. Walk along this converted railroad track-turned pedestrian path and you’ll be delighted to loads of wildflowers, public outdoor art, and of course, a stunning sunset view of New Jersey over the water.
3. Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Bridge Park is arguably one of our favorite waterfront parks in NYC, especially for a sunset. The surrounding piers and pathways provide the perfect vantage points to capture a magical view of Downtown Manhattan. We recommend Pebble Beach in particular! Don’t forget to check out the surrounding DUMBO neighborhood after dark too!
4. Valentino Pier
Valentino Pier is so high on our list because it’s the closest you can get to watching the sun go down over the ocean. With the Statue of Liberty facing right towards you as the sun sets, you’ll probably never get a better picture. It’s located on Ferris Street between Coffey Sreet and Van Dyke Street in the neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn.
5. Battery Park
Located on the southern most point of Manhattan, Battery Park offers unparalleled views of both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. You’ll get unobstrutced waterfront views of the sunset since you’re so downtown.
Grab a drink and enjoy the sunset at one of NYC’s gorgeous rooftop bars. Lounge on couches, sip on signature cocktails, and watch the sun fall over the horizon. Plus, there’s so many rooftop bars to pick from in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond! Check out our favorite rooftop bars in NYC here.
7. Astoria Park
Astoria’s serene location along the East River makes it a great place to capture the magic of the evening sky. The Uptown views of the RFK Bridge and Upper Manhattan are something to truly behold! The park also has great walking paths and an outdoor pool if you want to do that before the sun sets.
8. East River Ferry
When we say it’s hard to beat a sunset on NYC waters…we mean it! Take the Staten Island Ferry or regular NYC Ferry during golden hour and be greeted to viewpoint of golden orange crashing on the waves. Or if you want to up the anti, book a sunset dinner cruise where you can enjoy a meal while you watch it.
9. Hunter’s Point
Hunter’s Point Park is in Long Island City and offers spectacular views of both the Manhattan skyline and the East River. Their walkways, piers, and promenade that stretches along the water provides plenty of spots to find a comfortable seat and enjoy the sunset.
10. Roosevelt Island Tram
If you’re looking for a unique sunset experience, do it by riding the Roosevelt Island Tram, which provides a scenic and elevated ride from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island. As you ascend, you can enjoy stunning aerial views of the East River, the Queensboro Bridge, and the surrounding cityscape. The best part? It’s only $2.75 to ride each way!
11. Coney Island
For beachfront sunset views, go to Coney Island where you can see the sun dip under the ocean horizon late at night. Spend the day on the beach and at the amusement park, and stick around til dusk to see the warm glow over the sand and ocean waves.
12. Gantry Plaza State Park
Gantry Plaza State Park’s waterfront promenade is one of our favorite spots to sit and relax during a sunset. The LIC waterfront park is right near the vintage Pepsi-Cola sign and restored gantry cranes. You can see the sunset over some of NYC’s most iconic buildings like the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and United Nations headquarters.
13. The Wharf in Rockaway
Many of our Secret NYC followers suggested The Wharf Bar & Grill and we absolutely have to agree! This restaurant in Rockaway, Queens has a lovely backyard deck where you can enjoy dinner while the sun kisses the horizon over the water!
What makes Governors Island so serene for the sunset is that the entire island is mostly car-free! There are four man-made hills that offer elevated vantage points (we suggest The Outlook Hill), as well as waterfront restaurants, walkways, hammock areas and more! We also recommend camping at Governors Island so you can get the full effect!
Educating and illuminating youth to the emerging industries of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), is essential to STEM NOLA’s work in one of America’s Blackest cities.
STEM NOLA, a nonprofit that encourages K-12 students in STEM-based learning, recently held its 10th annual Rocket Day in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the UNO Lakefront Arena. Rocket Day is an annual free event for the community to teach kids about aerospace and rocket technology fundamentals.
“This event provides an immersive experience for students to explore and inspire them to pursue careers in STEM fields,” said Dr. Calvin Mackie, president, founder, and CEO of STEM NOLA. “Rocket Day is our launchpad to really ignite their passion for science and engineering. We want to fuel curiosity and show the next generation the limitless power of possibility.”
Rocket Day served over 450 students, parents, volunteers, and more. The three-hour event featured speakers and volunteers from the Boeing Company. Students learned about the principles of rocketry and the physics of rocket takeoff. They then built model rockets and launched them across the field, displaying what they had learned.
The Boeing Company and the Department of Defense also sponsored the event, and brought dozens of volunteers to help the students. Mackie said these sponsorships had allowed him to expand the program throughout the state and along the Gulf Coast. STEM NOLA has also hosted events in Camden, New Jersey, and in New York at Yankee Stadium.
Morgan Hawkins, one of many volunteers at Rocket Day, said she was excited to see the event take place and help out. Hawkins works for Textron, a defense and aerospace company, and she said this was her first time volunteering at an event like this with her colleagues.
She said she taught the kindergarten to second grade group, which was a lot to handle but of fun. Hawkins added that she is glad that someone like Mackie is leading students into STEM paths and careers. During the event, Congressman Troy Carter handed a check for a $2 million federal grant to STEM NOLA. This funding will help build the foundation for the STEM Innovation Hub for Black Excellence. This hub will include laboratories and classrooms with the technology necessary to prepare students for a career or expertise in STEM.
Mackie created STEM NOLA out of his garage with his two sons and a few children from the neighborhood. After his children and other kids became more curious about the subject, in 2013, Mackie and his wife, Tracy Mackie, took out a loan to initiate STEM NOLA and host larger events for more kids across the community.
The first Rocket Day was months later and inspired by Mackie and his son’s regular weekend activity of firing rockets in the park. He said when you fire rockets at the park, naturally, children with curiosity will flock to the excitement.
Mackie said funding was limited, so he invited many of his engineering friends, including astronaut Jeanette Epps, to help with the event. Mackie said even with it being his first attempt, the event held more than 250 students.
“[Epps] is a Black woman with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and an astronaut. When I said an astronaut was coming, everybody was looking for a white man. And when this Black woman showed up, it blew everybody’s minds. The parents were running over the kids just to try and meet this astronaut,” said Mackie.
He added that he had tracked down some of his earliest students who attended Rocket Day, one of whom is now working at Lockheed Martin. Mackie said this is one of the many ways they track success, and those who do not pursue STEM careers are still STEM-literate for the future.
“We live in a nation that makes sure every Black and brown boy touches a football before the age of four, and no one says anything. And universities don’t have to worry about Black boys playing football or basketball. So our goal is to put STEM in the hands of kids before kindergarten,” said Mackie.
Education is the essence of Mackie and his wife’s vision in creating STEM NOLA. Mackie has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, and was the first and only tenured professor at Tulane University.
In his hometown, the New Orleans Public School system houses about 44,000 students, and 92% of those pupils are students of color. He knew the hardships this community faced, especially after Hurricane Katrina, and always found a way to give back.
Mackie said he is tired of hearing calls for diversity yet has yet to see action taken on those calls. He said his community is unjustly undervalued, but when events like STEM NOLA are hosted in these communities, people begin to value themselves.
(GIN) — The European Union and Tunisia have signed a memorandum of understanding to combat irregular migration that has led most recently to the deaths of 29 migrants from impoverished or war-torn countries seeking a better life in Europe.
The memorandum calls for a “strategic and comprehensive partnership” that will also boost economic ties between the bloc and the North African country, which lies on a major route for migrants and refugees traveling to Europe.
The document was signed by European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on one side and Tunisian President Kais Saied on the other. It comes as the number of migrants and refugees leaving Tunisia and trying to reach Europe has significantly increased in recent months.
The Tunisian leader described “inhuman migration,” which he blamed on criminal networks.
After a visit last month by the three European leaders, a financial package was approved that includes a 10 million euro ($11 million) program to boost student exchanges and 65 million euros ($73 million) in EU funding to modernize Tunisian schools.
Both sides also agreed to cooperate on border management. Von der Leyen pledged 100 million euros ($112 million) for those efforts — a figure she had already announced during the leaders’ previous visit.
Meanwhile, as of Friday, the Italian interior ministry counted more than 75,000 migrants who had arrived by boat on the Italian coast since the beginning of the year, compared to about 31,900 in the same period last year.
Yasmine Akrimi, a researcher at the Brussels International Center, criticized the memorandum as an attempt at “reshaping African mobility.”
The EU has been trying to achieve this deal for decades, Akrimi said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “Italy wants to consider Tunisia as what they call a safe third country — meaning that everyone who passes through Tunisia can eventually be relocated back to Tunisia.”
The host of the podcast Inside Story asked whether migrants are being used as political pawns. “Kais Saied hoped to clinch a $1 billion EU bailout and in return, stem the rising migration to Europe.”
Empowering urban youth through agricultural education provides them with skills and farming and food production knowledge. In the face of many global challenges, encouraging the young people of today to live healthy lives and contribute positively to the environment will help address food and environmental challenges. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that…