Category Archives: Brooklyn

The Best Green Food Trucks in NYC

Summer! Long Beach! Rooftop pools! Bikes! Aaaannnd food trucks!

Some food trucks have been around all winter, but others are just now emerging from hibernation. And now Long Island City, Brooklyn and Governor’s Island are about to be overrun with festivals, and with them, my favorite food trucks! Grab some cash and a place to sit: I’m going to introduce you to NYC’s greenest mobile purveyors of fresh food.

Mexicue Food Truck

Image credit: edibleNY

Mexicue

You didn’t think spicy meat-filled tacos could be green, did you? But here we are, at the famous truck of Mexicue, dishing out delicious short ribs, brisket and more crafted from local sources. The menu changes seasonally for a fresh taste.

@Mexicue

Something to jam to while you nosh your ice cream:

taim
Image credit: mlcastle

Taim

If you’re not a big meat person, never fear. Taim will satisfy your cravings for all vegetarian fare, and a lot of vegan options too. Grab a gluten-free falafel that made at least one Yelper proclaim, “THANK GOD FOR THIS TRUCK!”

@TaimMobile

Rickshaw Dumpling Truck

Image credit:  dumbonyc

Rickshaw Dumpling

Dip your chopsticks in some sassy soy sauce at the Rickshaw dumpling truck. Choose dumplings stuffed with organic edamame, Bell and Evans organic and antibiotic-free chicken or (holy Jesus yes) Hudson Valley duck. Like the Hudson Valley Duck you see at the farmers’ market.

@Rickshaw Truck

Sweetery NYC Food Truck

Sweetery NYC

Next, grab your dessert at the Sweetery NYC truck, where the milk is organic, the sugar raw, the coffee beans fair trade and sustainable, and the propulsion provided by bio-diesel. Plus it’s damn tasty.

@SweeteryNYC

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck

Image credit:  makerbot

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

If you’ve ever walked in the city, you’ve likely passed one of the three delicately-decorated Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream trucks. This purveyor of super-pure ice cream sources its hormone-free and grass-fed milk from Lewis County, New York. They add egg yolks and pure cane sugar to finish it off–leaving out the stabilizers and emulsifiers you’ll find in a Mr. Goodbar. And all of its disposable goods are made from 100% renewable sources (read: no plastic).

@VLAIC

Kelvin Natural Slush Co.

7-11 may be trying to take over NYC, but as long as Kelvin is around I know who I’m going to for frosty, multi-colored refreshment. Choose a main flavor like spicy ginger or green and black tea, and choose a mix-in made from real fruit puree (no high fructose nonsense) in flavors like blood orange or lychee.

@KELVINSLUSH

coolhaus

Image credit:  David Berkowitz

Coolhaus

I would probably eat Coolhaus‘ artistic sammiches even if they were glowing with radioactivity, but luckily for you and I, this nationally-franchised truck of awesomeness uses local and organic ingredients in its creations. First, choose your cookie: Potato chip and butterscotch? Red velvet? Vegan chocolate truffle banana? Then, choose your ice cream: Pumpkin pie? Olive oil and rosemary? Candied bacon? The flavors change on the whim of the truck, so be prepared to be delighted. Finally, your mini edible architecture is served to you inside an edible wrapper. No trash. Delightful!

@COOLHAUS

Green Pirate Juice Truck

Image credit:  b.frahm

Green Pirate Juice Truck

Green Pirate wants to, “stimulate a hip and sexy culture of conscious healthy living in our community.” That’s a lot of big words, but I dig it. This truck runs on biodiesel to serve up healthy, cleansing juices. And it composts waste and serves its juices in compostable containers.

@JuicePirate

Follow my whole Twitter list of food trucks to keep updated on their whereabouts!

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Action Alert! Join This Beach Cleanup April 14th (Free Stuff Included)

Sperry and United By Blue Beach Cleanup

It’s not quite warm enough for bikini season. But that doesn’t mean you can’t psych yourself up for beach weather with a good ol’ beach cleanup, complete with a free lunch and prizes. Hot damn!

Join Sperry Top-Sider and sustainable brand United By Blue in cleaning up Canarsie Pier Beach in Gateway National Recreation Area, Brooklyn. A mix of hard work and play, the cleanup ends in one-of-a-kind giveaways and prizes. Sperry Top-Sider and United By Blue will provide free breakfast and lunch, water, bug spray, sunscreen, bags, and gloves for volunteers. You just provide the hands.

So, let me get this straight: Exercise in spring weather, with an altruistic component, plus free breakfast and lunch, and prizes from two brands I love. Sounds like a plan.

Sperry Top-Sider and United By Blue Canarsie Pier Beach Cleanup

Saturday, April 14th, 10 AM to 1 PM

Canarsie Pier, Gateway National Recreation Area, Intersection of Rockaway Pkwy and Shore Pkwy, Brooklyn

Volunteers should meet and park at the end of Canarsie Pier.

To learn more, email cleanup@unitedbyblue.com or click here.

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Behind the Scenes at Momofuku Milk Bar

Momofuku Milk Bar

Sunday night I took the L to Williamsburg to meet up with two old sorority sisters and see a The Artist at the Nite Hawk. Afterward, Whitney, who was visiting from Philadelphia, said she had a friend working at a local place. She clearly didn’t know what a treat she was about to give us: Her friend works at the Momofuku Milk Bar.

There are  lot of Momofuku’s in the city, and many of them are all but impossible to get into. But you can grab a little slice of sweet heaven at the Milk Bar, which has four locations in the East Village, Midtown, Upper West Side, and Williamsburg, no reservation necessary.

Their crack pie is aptly named (you can try to recreate it with this recipe), and their little cake truffles are so ridiculously good, $4 price seems like a bargain.

Whitney’s friend gave us the hookup, taking us into the warehouse of a kitchen in the back, where all the Milk Bar treats are made before being delivered to the Manhattan sister stores. It’s where pastry chefs took over in January to stage a decadent event called Killed by Dessert. (Please let there be a redux.) This is a serious workspace … I could crawl inside the mixers and take a nap.

“When I first applied,” our friend told us, “I though, ‘Oh, I like to bake, this could be fun!’ I had no idea.”

And in a testament to how good this stuff is, she hasn’t gotten tired of the sugary morsels–her sweet tooth has only increased.

Momofuku Milk Bar

Is it sustainable? Well, it’s a mixed bag. Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar cook book has been slammed for heavily relying on processed food like junk food cereal. But up until the farm shut down in January (SO SAD), the Milk Bar also used Milk Thistle Farm for their excellent, local milk.

After doing some sampling, I suggest you not eat for an entire day, then go in and get one of everything, washing it all down with a White Russian milkshake.

It would also make an excellent date spot. (Hint, hint.)

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Union square restaurant hearts

A restaurant in Union Square glows for Valentine’s day

It’s only eight minutes until Valentine’s Day is over, but I feel compelled to share some of the romantic photos I’ve taken with my new camera over the past few days. It’s such a great camera–it’s big and authoritative-looking, and it makes everything look better than real life. Get ready for the quality of my photos to improve as I grow comfortable with it!

Valentine's Day Flowers

All the moms, boyfriends, girlfriends, and husbands of the ladies at my office really did it up for Valentine’s Day.

Romantic crepe kiss picture

I took this one in Williamsburg on Sunday night. How cute is that guy? Lucky gal …

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I Went Dumpster Diving … and Ate What I Found

 

Freegan feast for dinnerThis post originally appeared on LearnVest.com.

I ate food out of a dumpster.

And so are increasing numbers of educated, employed and perfectly sane people.

The movement is called freeganism, and its adherents use unconventional methods to get things for free. Although some are frowned upon, like digging through the trash, freegans also grow their own food and forage in the park for edible greens and berries.

Those who’ve joined the movement live off of free things for a variety of reasons: preserving the environment, protesting capitalism or just filling their pantries when times are tight. And they share the desire to protest the wastefulness of our food system.

Food, Food Everywhere …

Americans throw out an astounding 27% of available food, about a pound of food per day for each American.

This is because 1) stores feel pressured to keep shelves perfectly stocked at all times; 2) they throw out food with merely cosmetic blemishes; and 3) expiration dates demand that food gets chucked regardless of whether it has actually gone bad. For example, American bakeries keep shelves full all day long for purely aesthetic reasons; at closing time, whole shelves of bagels go directly in the trash.

What Being a Freegan Means

Freeganism started in the mid 1990s and has since spread across the U.S. … and the world. Because freegans tend to be anti-establishment, there are no official numbers on how many exist, but groups meet up periodically for discussion and dumpster diving.

For the most part, stores and restaurant managers ignore freegans, who strive not to bother anyone or make a mess. And there’s no legal gray area: Once trash gets put out on the sidewalk, it’s no longer the property of a store and is available for anyone bold enough to walk away with it—or cook it up for their own ends.

Of course, one of my first questions to a freegan was about food safety. One woman, a freegan since 2003, told me she’s never gotten food poisoning. It’s very uncommon, she said, because freegans take extra precautions in washing and cooking food. Plus, many are also vegans (hence the wordplay), so they don’t eat much meat …

To find out whether a person could actually get a balanced diet from dumpsters—or if the whole thing is just insane—I attended a freegan trash tour, run on a biweekly basis by freegans in Manhattan who want to highlight how much waste consumers and businesses really produce, and, in the process, bring more people over to their side.

And then, the next night, they kindly invited me over for a freegan feast—to taste the results of our foraging.

Here’s how the events unfolded.

Foraging for My Food

Monday, 9:30 p.m.: I meet up with the group outside a large grocery store. Since, by now, most food establishments have put out their garbage for collection the next day, the freegan pickings are plentiful at night. Some attendees are hardcore freegans, and some are curious tourists. They range from college students to one man who looks like he’s in his seventies. Nobody (besides a fellow reporter) is dressed really nicely, but nobody looks homeless either. Overall, the crowd looks smart, sane, open-minded … a lot like people you might pass on a hiking trip.

Before we take off, our leader explains freegan etiquette: always retie all the bags and leave the trash pile cleaner than you found it (to prevent being banned from a store in the future). Also, share what you find with the group. Certain foods come in quantities that are more than you can handle, and while you might not want a bruised apple, someone else in the group might …

Read the rest at LearnVest.

Posted in Activism, Brooklyn, Experiments, Food, Lifestyle, New York, Sustainability | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Sexy, Cute, Eco-Friendly Cocktail Dresses from Allison Parris

Eco-friendly cocktail dresses

"Hey girl, you're looking fine." "Yup! And very green, baby."

 

You never thought you could outfit yourself for a cocktail party in eco-friendly duds … until now.

Allison Parris, creator of girly and feminine, feathered and flouncy, beaded and dazzling dresses for women, hasn’t been known for her sustainable cred. But now she’s trying to spread the word that her dresses, currently a favorite of chic New York party girls and modern brides alike, should also be a favorite of Clean Hippies.

Don’t believe me? I didn’t either when I saw them, but it’s real:

  • Made in New York City? Check.
  • Eco-friendly fabrics of organic silk and PET netting from recycled soda bottles? Check.
  • Feather skirts humanely sourced from naturally molting roosters? Check.
  • Utterly adorable? CHECK.

Allison Parris showroom

You can see the influence of designers Catherine Malandrino and Cynthia Rowley, under which Parris worked before she launched her line in 2008. Let’s talk bows on the shoulder of a demure sheath dress. Flouncy tutus that just make you want to dance. Elegant ballgowns that are striking in black, and perfect for a wedding in cream. This season you’ll find the skirts, tops, jackets and dresses in blush, navy and black, and all over the city at chic boutiques like Otte, Montmartre, Jessie James, DarlingGabriella (yup, that’s a bridal salon), and Chic Tweak, competing for space with labels like Tibi and Opening Ceremony.

Allison Parris herself isn’t your typical hippie. She’s tall and thin enough to be a model, entering her charming workshop for the interview clad in her own design–a formfitting black dress with beading on the sleeves–and sky-high nude heels that showed off her long legs. By her own admission, she doesn’t have enough of a social life to be a frequenter of farm-to-table restaurants in the city for brunch, and held a Coke Zero in her hands throughout the interview. Her New Year’s resolution is to get a coffee maker and mugs for the workshop so cut down on disposable waste. (Baby steps.)

Allison Parris

But when it comes to her clothes, she’s the real deal. Over 75 percent of the material is organic, recycled or repurposed, and she sees that increasing as technology improves.

“Our philosophy is if you can do it, why wouldn’t you?” she says, though she claims being green is more of a personal belief, inspired by her time working at a small girls’ off-the-rack label that sold to J.C. Penney. “I saw the factories that J.C. Penny suppliers were using .. bad things were happening,” she says.

Of course, having the dresses made in New York and custom-ordering certain sustainable fabrics jacks up the cost a bit. Her dresses run from $235 to almost $700 for a beaded fringe dress. But to my (admittedly, untrained) eye the quality looked equal to any other designer dress, with careful construction, high-quality fabrics and sumptuous embellishments.

Allison Parris feather skirt and top

Anyway, the main point of the line isn’t to make an Earth Day statement. “Ninety percent of our stores don’t care that we’re eco,” Parris says. “I think a lot of people are turned off by the crusade aspect, so it’s good to ease them into it.” Instead, Parris tempts women with “happy girly party dresses,” practically sneaking the organic silk onto their bodies before they can say, “Ooohhh, sparkly!”

“Every dress is a party dress,” Parris says. “Everything is light and happy and makes you want to dance.”

Tutus made from PET

The Allison Parris line employs anywhere from five to ten people, depending on the season, and sells mainly to small boutiques here and in the Middle and far East. But she hopes to be in larger department stores in the next three or four years. For now, Parris is easing into the typical green stores, who aren’t quite sure how to fit her exuberant styles next to the typical yoga pants and drab, earthy sweaters. But you can find some of her designs at the NYC green fashion destination Kaight this spring.

I say get thee an invitation to an event, so you can rock one of these pretty frocks like a rock star.

Shop for Allison Parris frocks in her online boutique.

Photo Credit: Trevor Wilson

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NYC Designer Carrie Parry Wins the Green Fashion Competition at Amsterdam Fashion Week

Carrie Parry

How squee is she?

Who says sustainable is ugly? Well, I have, but it looks like that is changing.
One of my favorite sustainable designers, CARRIE PARRY, won The Green Fashion Competition at Amsterdam International Fashion Week!  She took home the cash prize of €15,000 after a stunning runway show in which she competed against seven other finalists for the prize.
Beating out hundreds of designers from around the world, CARRIE PARRY was selected as the competition winner based on collection designs and business plan, demonstrating the ability to sustain our world’s biodiversity while producing catwalk-worthy fashion.
Read my interview with Carrie Parry herself and see her inspiration for her Spring 2012 line.
The Central Saint Martin’s graduate and former circus costumer’s eponymous label– which she launched from her Brooklyn home barely a year ago–is already earning multiple accolades including the Ethical Fashion Forum’s 2011 Innovation U.S.A. Award, a coveted spot at Designer & Agents’ Green Room, and now top honors at AIFW’s The Green Fashion Competition.
OK, so why choose Carrie Parry to win these prestigious award?
A) She’s got the experience, with posts at Jonathan Saunders, Marc Jacobs, Norma Kamali, and fashion’s leading environmental non-profit Earth Pledge FutureFashion, which shows in the quality of her garments.
B) She recognizes the two sides to making fashion sustainable: how garments are made–with sustainably-sourced recycled, organic and carbon neutral textiles from domestic sources and artisanal communities around the world–and how garments are worn – introducing the concept of interchangeable and detachable pieces and designing with an emphasis on versatility (day to night, season to season) so we get more wear out of the garments we own, and therefore need to consume less.
“It feels amazing to be honored by such a prestigious group whose goals in advancing sustainable fashion are so matched with my own,” says designer Carrie Parry.  ”Seeing my collection on the runway in Amsterdam and then being named winner has been such a thrill, and I look forward to using the prize money towards continuing to redefine how we approach fashion.”
Congrats Carrie! You totally deserve it.

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How to Recycle in New York City

One of the biggest source of angst for urban greenies? The do-I-recycle-this problem.

Confronted with an odd item whose recyclability is questioned, a responsible citizen will do one of three things:

  • Err on the side of sending less to the landfill, and put it in the recycling
  • Err on the side of not messing up the recycling process, and put it in the trash
  • Know, either from a quick look up on her phone/laptop, or from memorization, where it goes, and treat it appropriately

Do you do the third option? I know I don’t. And I hardly feel guilty about it. I mean, come on, the system is too damn complicated. But I’m going to try to break it down a bit.

This guide I’m about to put up is blatantly lifted from the little paper pamphlets the city distributes. However, having it online is twice as nice, right? I’ve simplified it here for easy memorization, but you can find more details at the NYC.gov website.

The Basics

Recyclables in NYC come in two categories:

1. Paper and cardboard

2. Containers, metal, glass, plastic, and beverage cartons (Take note! That milk/orange juice carton goes HERE, not in the paper/cardboard pile! Misconception #1 cleared up.)

How to Put it Out

Rinse your containers before you put them in the recycling.

Paper/cardboard goes in green bins

Containers, etc. go in blue bins

If you are not lucky enough to live in a building where your super or maintenance crew take care of it for you, you need to put it all out in clear bags. I still haven’t figured out where to buy those. If you do, could you let me know? (@PoppyNYC says Costco. I know that I couldn’t find them at Duane Reade.)

You can totally crush up anything you want to save space. It doesn’t matter.

What’s OK, and What is Not

OK: White paper, colored paper, glossy paper, staples that are in that paper, mail and envelopes, wrapping paper (Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!), boxes, tubes from paper towel and toilet paper rolls, cardboard from product packaging, paper bags, cardboard egg cartons, newspapers, magazines and catalogs, phone books and softcover books

Not OK: Spiral binding on paper notebooks (annoying, but true), soiled paper (including your greasy pizza boxes), waxed or plastic-coated paper, hardcover books, napkins, paper towels, tissues

OK: Cans, pet food, empty aerosol cans, dried out paint cans, aluminum foil and aluminum trays, metal furniture, bottles, jars, jugs, milk and juice cartons, appliances with more than 50% metal

Not OK: Deli and yogurt containers, plastic toys, cups (I’m going to say, “Oops” on all those), plastic bags, plastic wrap, styrofoam, mirrors, lightbulbs ceramics, glassware, anything that is not a bottle or jug, batteries, caps and lids

Bonus: What to Do With Stuff

This can include books, clothing, computers, electronics, furniture, housewares and kitchen items. Go to nyc.gov/stuffexchange and look it up. Or just stick it on Freecycle and watch it get claimed in a matter of five seconds. Seriously, those people will take anything.

There! I know that cleared some things up for me, and I hope it did for you too.

But guess what? If you don’t live in NYC, this is all useless for you, because it’s different everywhere! Oh, don’t you love our modern recycling system?

Posted in Brooklyn, Green Angst, New York, Queens, Sustainability, Tips | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Green Weekend Guide, November 4th, 2011

Last night cleanhippie.net was down. (Not my fault, it was the hosting service’s.) So I’m just getting this up now. And in the interest of getting my butt out the door and to dinner, no pretty pictures. You’ll live.

Blue Moon Bash

Sunday, November 6th, 3-8pm
Blue Moon Fish is throwing a bash for its farmer friends whose land was flooded during Hurricane Irene. Live bands, a raffle and delicious food like chowder and Brooklyn Brewery Beer will all be there to tempt you.

Why? One hundred percent of the benefits from the event will benefit the farmers $20; purchase tickets here.

Southpaw, 125 Fifth Ave. (at Sterling Pl.), Brooklyn;

bluemoonbash.org

the s(low) down Slow Food Annual Fundraiser Gala

Buy tickets now for November 16th, 7-9:30pm

Slow Food, the best thing to come out of Italy since Italian food itself, will be celebrating a year of accomplishments and handing out awards to those who have been working to make the food system more clean and fair (and dare I say, delicious?). Enjoy artisanal cocktails, a whole pig roasted by Fatty ‘Cue, and other seasonal treats.
Why? Proceeds from the gala will go to the Urban Harvest program.
General admission $100, buy tickets here.

The Invisible Dog Gallery, 51 Bergen Street, Brooklyn

Free Lululemon Yoga Classes

Every Sunday, 10am

Grab your mat and get your stretch on for free at the UES Lululemon store in open level classes.

Why? It’s free. (As long as you make it out of the store without buying new butt-enhancing pants.)

1127 3rd Avenue (at 66th Street), Manhattan

Details here.

Citi Pond at Bryant Park

Friday until 10pm; Saturday 8am–midnight; Sunday-Wednesday, 8am–10pm

The pond is back open and ready for your romantic date (or friend catch-up) over hot chocolate. Read more about it.

Why? It’s way less cliché and way less crowded than Rockefeller Center. Plus free if you have your own skates. (I know you don’t, but indulge me here.)

Sixth Ave (between 40th and 42nd Sts), Manhattan

citipondatbryantpark.com

At the Amsterdam Market: Leather Discussion

Sunday, November 6th, 3:30-4pm

Join Makalé Faber-Cullen, proprietor of Lore and Wilderness of Wish, as she discusses how she and her business partner, cattleman Will Harris, produce sustainably and domestically tanned Faber-Harris leather using hides from White Oak Pastures, the Harris family’s 145-year old ranch.

Why? So you can have a new thing to feel guilty about (hint: your pretty leather boots.)

 New Amsterdam Market School (224 Front St.), Manhattan

Grass-Fed Buffalo Dinner

Monday, November 7th, 7pm

In conjunction with the Meat Symposium, join us for a special dinner at the newly opened Sauce Restaurant, the latest creation from Chef Frank Prisinzano of FrankLil’ Frankie’s and Supper. For the dinner, Frank will prepare a traditional Bollito Misto featuring five different cuts of Wild Idea grass-fed buffalo slowly braised and accompanied by classic condiments like salsa verde, salsa rossa, and mostarda di Cremona. The dinner will be accompanied by a variety of appetizers, sides, and two wines, Barolo “Le Coste” (Guidobono, 2007) and Barbera “Furtani” (Cerdero di Montezemolo, 2008).

Why? Nose to tail? That was so last year.

$110 per person. Purchase tickets here.

Sauce Restaurant (78-84 Rivington St.), Manhattan

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Sustainable Designer Carrie Parry on Her Green NYC Life and Work

Carrie Parry in her eponymous spring 2012 collection

Carrie Parry in her eponymous spring 2012 collection

A new face in the sustainable design scene, Carrie Parry wowed me last spring with her first collection of classy and ladylike separates and dresses. She came out strong with a fiery red cocktail dress, pencil skirts and blouses that were any but granola. And no, there were no yoga pants in the CARRIE PARRY collection.

Now her fall designs are finally on the racks (you can find them at Otto Brooklyn) but of course she’s now turned her eye to Spring 2012. I got a peek at her lookbook, and there is more gorgeousness in there than I can handle! Think very French, very romantic, and very ladylike. Check out her inspiration board:

Parry lives in NYC, so I got to ask her some questions about her work and life here. Read on for her biggest design challenges, her fave places to eat and drink, and how she lives sustainably every day.

CH: Do you think interest in sustainable design is growing?

CP: Yes, definitely. A lot of the bigger companies are really contributing to the movement with new tools and education like the Nike Design Tool and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.  I feel that this will really help bring awareness and really push everything forward. Education is really key.

CH: What challenges have you found in designing sustainably? What has been most surprising about it?

CP: Sourcing material. Not having the access to as many fabrics can be limiting but it is definitely much more rewarding to source socially and environmentally responsible fabrics and trims. Also, finding out information on the supply chain of the fabrics can be difficult.  I often find suppliers are really surprised when I ask them questions…I don’t think they are used to people asking and caring!

CH: What you like to do during your time off? How do you spend a typical New York Saturday?

CH: I love people-watching in the city and long brunches. There are always great exhibits going on, and my favorite thing to do over the weekend lately has been going to the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn—its dinner and a movie—the perfect date night. My weekends generally always include working on CARRIE PARRY too—whether it be designing, research etc.

CH: What’s your favorite NYC restaurant? Your favorite NYC bar?

CP: Ah, there are too many great ones to choose just one!
I love Il Buco. The wine cellar is super romantic, charming, and has such a cool history. They’re dedicated to sourcing local ingredients and wine from small producers. Cafe Moto in Brooklyn is also one of my faves. They have awesome live jazz and the atmosphere always takes me out of the city.
A few blocks away from me in Brooklyn is Maison Premiere.  They have the most beautiful back garden and great cocktails.  It’s perfect just as the sun is going down.

CH: How do you live sustainably in your every day life? What do you find most challenging about living sustainably?

CP: I consider my purchases and buy for quality and long-lastingness. [Find out more about how to buy sustainably by reading my quick primer.] I consider who made it, where it came from and try to support local businesses, and businesses who are doing good.  I recycle, buy used when possible, use natural/organic cleaning and skin products, grow herbs, and lecture my friends and family a bit too often on what they can do! I think of it as more of a mindset, so its not really something I find challenging.  Living in the city, sometimes recycling of certain items can def be a pain though!

Find out more about CARRIE PARRY and see the fall collection here.

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