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How NYC Is Paving the Way For a Digital Future

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 17 May 2011 01:07:19 PDT

Rachel Sterne, the newly appointed chief digital officer for NYC, released her first report on the city's digital roadmap, and goals she'll be implementing over the course of the year that will provide connectivity for its citizens. While I haven't finished reading the entire 60-page document yet, I am pretty impressed with all the digital tools the city already enjoys. Below are just a few I've already found published in the report:

More free WiFi in public places, including parks.
An official @nycgov Twitter account, updating followers on city happenings, news, and alerts.
Online bill payments for city dues like water, parking tickets, and property taxes.
311 service requests, which allow users to report incidents, sanitation issues, taxi or noise complaints, and a number of other issues via a mobile app or website.
Condom finder iPhone app.
School-based iZone tools that allow teachers to track progress of their students in real-time, and customize learning plans to individual student needs.

Does your city offer any of these digital perks? What kind of digital progression woud you like to see in your own town?

Vena Cava's Designer Duo Dish on NYC Spring Essentials, Brooklyn Street Finds, and More

Marisa Tom — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:06:11 PDT

Without hesitation, Vena Cava is on my shortlist of must-wear brands, and the designer duo and BFFs Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock are two of the coolest PopSugar City girls I know. The ladies haven't taken a break since debuting their 2011 Fall collection in February. Currently, Buhai and Mayock are in Vietnam, rounding up inspiration for Spring 2012 (talk about springing forward). They just launched their awesome new ecommerce site, and even a world away, they still managed to give us the inside scoop on what every New York girl should have in her Spring wardrobe, where they find inspiration in the city, the best street "treasures" they've come across, and more.

PopSugar NYC: As a fellow West Coast defector, I'm curious, what was it about NYC in the initial stages that made you stay indefinitely?

Sophie Buhai: We both attended Parsons, so school is what brought us out to NYC. New York is really the place to be if you want to start a small fashion line; the industry is very supportive, and you have access to amazing production and all the editors. We felt very connected to an emerging group of designers who were all starting brands around the same time. The early 2000s were when the word "young designer" was exploding, and the economy was ripe for new talent. We were lucky to be in New York during that time, I don't think that could have happened if we had been in LA. We hope to make it out to LA at some point . . . perhaps when we launch our caftan line!

To find out what else the ladies have to say, head over to PopSugar NYC to read the whole interview.

Celebrities Phone Truant Students and Tell Them to Get to Class

Heather Maddan — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:00:27 PST

Kids who skip school in New York City may be answering to Magic Johnson. In order to get truant students to school, Mayor Bloomberg has launched an initiative that sends recorded celebrity messages to lackadaisical youngsters and encourages them to get to class. A New York Times report said:

The campaign, appropriately named "Wake Up! NYC," rolls out next week. It will focus on the 6,500 students who have been absent for 10 or more school days in a single year and attend one of the 25 schools whose principals volunteered to join the effort. If it yields results, it will be expanded citywide, where roughly 250,000 students miss at least one month of school in a given year, officials said.

Children who shake off school can grow into uneducated adults, so empowering people at the get-go is a common-sense approach. What do you think of this program?

Tigers Snuggle Up in the Snow at Bronx Zoo

Tara Block — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 07:34:53 PST

Don't these tigers look just like giant cozy kitties all snuggled up together? It was a Winter-white snow day at the Bronx Zoo, and while some animals like to play in the snow, these felines are keeping it mellow. See the purrrrty pictures below!

View 5 Photos ›

10 Holiday Polishes Worth Celebrating

Miriam Lacey — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:00:00 PST

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost painting on your toes. Yep, the holiday season is here. And with it come some of the year's most fun and fabulous polishes in shades and textures that you'll wish you had a good excuse to wear all year round. Ready to get festive?

Howl-O-Ween Heroes From the 2010 Tompkins Square Dog Party

Morgan Ashley Parker — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 06:00:47 PDT

Claiming to be the world's largest ongoing dog Halloween party (of course, not proven but I've been there and it's big), Tompkins Square once again rolled out the dirt and leaf-strewn carpet for the 19th annual event in the East Village on Sunday. Quite a few creative ensembles were on hand and I especially love this Breakfast at Tiffanys, or maybe on Tiffany? Click through to see the rest of my favorite furballs for some costume inspiration!

Savory Sight: Union Square Peppers

Yum Community — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 05:50:04 PDT

Peppers are in season - a fact that marzbars proves with this stunning photo from the Savory Sights group. Aren't the purple ones beautiful?!

We were walking through Union Square in NYC and found this market, I just had to take a photo.

Do you have pictures of delicious-looking produce? Share them in the YumSugar Community! Your photo could be featured here!

Discover the Best Foundation Texture For Your Skin Type

BellaSugar — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:00:00 PDT

Ever bought a foundation that's exactly the right color, but somehow it winds up looking crappy anyway? It could be that the stuff in question was just a bad texture for your particular skin type. We asked NYC New York Color makeup artist Mathew Nigara (who has worked with stars like Jessica Simpson and Kate Winslet), to explain which foundation textures work for varying skin types. To see his recommendations, just keep reading.

Robert Cattinson and Cleo-Cat-Tra Celebrate at the Algonquin

PetSugar — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:00:39 PDT

Hotel owner Frank Case was an animal lover. So when a stray cat came through his doors in the early '30s, Frank welcomed him in with a champagne flute full of milk. Keeping with the tradition that Frank began back then, there have been many cats that called the Algonquin Hotel home, and each earned a sort of celebrity status - children's books have been penned about the frolicking felines!

Naturally, when current resident Matilda celebrates her birthday, you can expect a big bash. Benefiting North Shore Animal League, Matilda ushers in a new year alongside some fancy pants cats. Get my ~~red carpet~~ white tablecloth comments on the standouts and start the slideshow.

Hold the Phone: NYC Subways to Get WiFi and Cell Service

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:47:05 PDT

Now that even airplanes have WiFi access, there are very few "dead zones" when it comes to cell and wireless service. But until now, there's been one place with very limited reception - and it may surprise you! The New York City subway system has always been without WiFi or cell service in its subway tunnels and stations. Occasionally riders could find a signal in certain areas, but access underground was the exception - not the rule. For many New Yorkers, a wireless-free commute was a nice excuse to not check their smartphone every five minutes.

Now, that's set to change as subway stations and tunnels are set to be wired for WiFi and cellular service. For more details on the city's plans, keep reading