Author: Vitagraph Management

Celebrate Women’s History Month at the Vitagraph

March is Women’s History Month. During a normal year, we might be celebrating this special occasion by visiting museums or universities where there might be lectures and educational seminars. This year many venues are opting to host virtual and outdoor events. Fortunately, you can still have fun learning about and celebrating strong women from your community.

NYC Parks For Women's History Month- Vitagraph Apartments

Celebrate With NYC Parks

New York City Parks recently announced a variety of events celebrating Women’s History Month. These events include a walk through Central Park to explore monuments dedicated to historic women, and an online celebration introduced by Vanessa Reed. Learn more about how you can participate in these exciting events through the New York City Parks website.

Women's History Month Webinar - Vitagraph Apartments

Join a Webinar Through the SUNY SBDC

SUNY’s Small Business Development Center is hosting a women’s history month webinar about empowering women business leaders and women-owned businesses. Whether you’re a business owner or an aspiring entrepreneur, this webinar can inspire and inform you as you move forward with your business ventures.

Reach Out to a Woman You Respect

You don’t have to join an online or in-person event to celebrate Women’s History month. In fact, you can make your own event by engaging with women who inspire you. Contact a woman in your area who you respect, either someone you know or someone who is in public life, and tell them what they’ve meant to you over the years. How have they influenced your life? What have you learned from them? Have a meaningful conversation that you both can benefit from.

Watch Movies Featuring New York Women

New York is home to a lot of famous people, but most of them were not born here. Choose a famous actress who was born in New York City and watch her films or shows. This is a fun way to celebrate women’s influence in entertainment! Not sure which actresses were born in New York City? Some examples include Claire Danes, Anne Hathaway, Joan Rivers, Diane Lane, Brooke Shields, Jane Fonda, Liv Tyler – the list goes on and on. Check out their films!

Celebrate in Midwood, Near Bensonhurst – At the Vitagraph

We’re planning to have a great time celebrating Women’s History month at the Vitagraph. We’d love for you to join us and our community. Call today to make an appointment to see one of our luxury apartments in Midwood near Bensonhurst.

Romantic Activities in Old Brooklyn

Brooklyn is a romantic community with beautiful buildings, sprawling green spaces and urban entertainment. Couples from all over New York City come to Brooklyn for the culture, the dining and the romantic adventures in Brooklyn’s many parks. If you’re seeking something fun to do this Valentine’s day with your romantic partner, we recommend checking out the many activities in Old Brooklyn near Ditmas Park.

Visit Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Take a romantic stroll along the winding paths of this urban garden, where you’ll encounter 52 acres of some of the most beautiful land you’ll see in all of the New York area. Hold hands under the sprawling branches of beautiful trees, and observe the calm, peaceful landscape all around. Escape the city, but stay within its borders. The garden is open year-round but hours vary, so plan your visit carefully to ensure it will be open when you arrive.

Stroll Along Brooklyn Bridge Park

This 85-acre sustainable park flanks the shores of the East River. From Pier 6 to Jay Street, this 1.3 mile stretch of park is a perfect place to visit the Jane Carousel, observe the beauty of the East River and have a romantic talk with your partner. This low-budget activity is the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon. You can also come in the evening to observe the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge at night.

Visit Brooklyn Museum

With an art collection of approximately 1.5 million works and spanning 560,000 square feet, the Brooklyn Museum is one of the largest art museums in the world. Satisfy your need for culture and stimulating conversation as you stroll the wide hallways filled to the brim with art dating back to ancient times, all the way up through the present.

Walk Hand in Hand Through Prospect Park

view of lake in park with green trees

Like the Central Park of Brooklyn, Prospect Park is a sprawling green space containing a zoo, Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Audobon Center. Whether you’re just going to watch birds, go ice skating or sit in an outdoor event or concert, Prospect Park is a delightful place where you can spend time with your romantic partner. Hint hint: it’s also a beautiful setting to make a proposal!

 

Come for the Romance Near Ditmas Park… Stay for the Comfort

Nothing is more satisfying than spending a romantic afternoon and evening out in Old Brooklyn, and then coming home to your comfortable apartment. Discover for yourself how good life can get at the Vitagraph. Come see our available apartments and decide for yourself if you’d like to join our community.

Are you looking for something fun to do this holiday season? If you live in Midwood, Brooklyn, you’re in luck! There are many socially distant holiday activities in the area. From holiday lights to holiday shows, you’ll have opportunities to kick back and have a good time with members of your household.

Enjoy Holiday Lights

What would Christmas be without holiday lights? The New York area is full of drive-in holiday light opportunities. Enjoy holiday lights from the comfort of your own car.

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

Location: 1072 80th St 1st floor, Brooklyn, NY 11228

Dyker Heights is a neighborhood that you can drive or walk through, which is best viewed from between dusk and 9PM. Parking can be a bit hard to find, so adding time to your expected time table would be prudent or leaving the car at home all together may be the best idea.

Magic of Lights

Location: Jones Beach State Park, 1 Ocean Pkwy, Wantagh, NY

Magic of Lights is a drive-through holiday light show at Jones Beach State Park. With LED technology and digital animation, Magic of Lights is a colorful, musical bonanza for the family. Buy your tickets in advance and you’ll only pay $25 per car! Tickets go on sale mid-November. Enjoy holiday lights through early January!

Riverhead Holiday Light Show

Location: Long Island Sports Park, 149 Edwards Ave., Calverton, NY

Riverhead holiday light show is the largest drive-through light show in Suffolk County from November 19 through the end of December. With dancing lights and cheerful holiday music, you’ll enjoy 25 minutes of pure holiday fun. All proceeds from the show benefit non-profit organizations.

Peace, Love & Lights

Location: Bethel Center for the Arts, 200 Hurd Rd., Bethel, NY

Head to the site of the Woodstock Music Festival to the Bethel Center for the Arts where you can see Peace, Love & Lights! This socially distanced drive-thru show features a 120 foot tunnel and custom displays down Groovy Way.

Drive-In Holiday Shows

Drive through holiday shows make watching holiday movies that much more fun! Check out these drive-in movie venues, where they’ll be offering holiday films as well as other movies and shows throughout the holiday season!

Radial Park

Location: 27-50 1st Street, Astoria, NY 11102

Radial Park Drive-In is showing Christmas movies throughout December including Elf, Gremlins and Polar Express. Call ahead or check out their website to see their schedule.

Delsea Drive-In Theater

Delsea Drive-In theater in New Jersey is showing holiday features in the month of December! Check out their website or call ahead at 856-696-0011 to find out their show schedule.

Holiday Crinkle Cookies

Nothing says holidays like crinkle cookies! These little balls of chocolate dusted with powdered sugar are everything you’d want in a holiday cookie. Stay at home and enjoy a night of delicious smells and amazing cookies with this simple, traditional holiday cookie recipe.

The Vitagraph

You’re among friends when you’re at the Vitagraph, and we’re all getting into the spirit! Contact us to see any one of our available luxury apartments in Midwood, Brooklyn. Call to schedule a tour of the building.

pots and pans hanging on a red brick wall

Space-saving Tips to Make Your Brooklyn Home Feel More Like Home

“Home sweet home” has an entirely different meaning for modern living, as we’re all spending more time than ever in our homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re enjoying more dinner and date nights in, we’re working from home, and we’re homeschooling. 

Maximizing our living spaces and keeping them organized is of utmost importance, but it’s easier said than done – especially when you live in a big city like Brooklyn, New York, and are extremely limited on said living space. 

Fortunately, with a bit of innovation and some clever space-saving storage tips and tricks, you can optimize your home’s livable space and make it a neat, organized oasis. These tips are not only functional, but they can also make your home feel and appear larger, making it more comfortable and enjoyable. 

Do double-duty

Furniture pieces that have multiple functions are an excellent way to save space (and money!). Look for items that offer additional or hidden storage, like an ottoman or sofa that’s hollow inside and has removable cushions. You’re not limited to just what you can buy – get creative and make DIY pieces, such as a desk made from a kitchen table with storage drawer units underneath. 

Make use of vertical space

The upper parts of walls and even ceiling space often go unused in homes. Those areas are valuable real estate, though, especially in a small space. Consider ways you can decorate or make use of these areas for storage, like getting tall bookcases or over-the-toilet cabinets, and installing wall shelves where you can place beautiful storage boxes, small decor items, and plants.

…and the backs of doors, too

The backsides of closet and cabinet doors are also excellent for storage space and are typically overlooked. Use heavy-duty stick-on hooks or small baskets that are safe for walls to create a storage system for items such as belts, scarves, hats, and jewelry inside the closet. Set up a similar system inside bathroom cabinets or on the back of the door for toiletries and small personal appliances like blow dryers. 

Murphy’s law

Murphy beds and other foldable or retractable furniture used to get a bad rap, but they’ve come a very long way and now, they’re not only functional but stylish as well. Even major companies like Costco now offer a number of stylish and innovative options for modern living, like this multi-use hideaway unit that functions as both a bed and desk.

Spending so much extra time at home – especially in smaller spaces – comes with a unique set of challenges. Fortunately, The Vitagraph Apartments in Old Brooklyn have thoughtful floorplans and exceptional amenities to make it a bit more enjoyable. Our upscale, all-inclusive apartment community includes a state-of-the-art fitness center, rooftop lounge, children’s learning and play center, and more, all in convenient Midtown Brooklyn. Take a virtual tour, contact us, or call us today at (718) 377-0444 to inquire about available floorplans. 

At The Vitagraph, there’s no more settling for less. 

Exterior of The Vitagraph Apartments in Brooklyn

3 Ways Renting Could Be Better than Buying

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the global economy, even as New York City and surrounding states are making substantial gains on reducing the spread of the disease. One question that naturally arises during any time of economic uncertainty is about housing. Given what’s happening in the economy and in public health, is renting or buying the better choice right now?

There are always pros and cons to both. But in this particular moment, there are several reasons why renting could be the better choice right now. Here are three ways renting could be better than buying during a recession or a pandemic (or, you know, both).

Location Rules All

Especially in a dense urban environment like NYC, location is everything. If you want to live in Manhattan, for example, buying is simply out of reach for all but the wealthiest residents. One advantage of renting is the greater flexibility in location. Single-family and semi-attached homes in Midtown Brooklyn regularly sell at over $1 million. If you need to live here and can’t afford to buy, renting is the way to go.

Renting Is Lower in Risk

Renting is much lower in risk than buying as well. If you rent a brand-new apartment and later encounter a serious flaw, it’s on the property manager to fix the problem and foot the bill. When you buy an older home in the area, all those hidden maintenance issues come directly out of your bank account.

And what if your circumstances change? If a renter suddenly needs to move out of state or has a sudden drop in income, it’s easier to relocate quickly. When you own a home, you have to work to sell that home. And if your income drops and you aren’t able to sell your home quickly, you could even lose your home!

Predictable Costs Help You Save

When you rent, your costs are pretty predictable. Rent doesn’t fluctuate, and you’re not on the hook for home repairs or yard maintenance. In a pandemic, we all want to be as careful as we can to save. By keeping your costs predictable now, it’s easier to budget and save. Maybe buying will be right for you later on! Renting now can help you get there by allowing you to save in predictable ways.

The Vitagraph: Modern Living in Midtown Brooklyn

For these reasons and more, renting may be the better choice for many NYC residents right now. If you’ve decided that renting is better for your situation than buying, the team at The Vitagraph Apartments wants you to love where you live. The Vitagraph Apartments offer modern living that pays homage to the history of our Midwood location in Old Brooklyn. That’s why we’ve kept the iconic smokestack, a reminder of a bygone era. But we also offer our apartment community the modern touches and exceptional amenities the urban NYC resident seeks, like a comprehensive business suite, fitness center, and indoor and rooftop lounges.

 

If you’re ready to step into luxurious modern NYC apartment life, apply today.

A brown couch with decorative pillows at The Vitagraph Brooklyn

Dreaming of an Apartment Transformation? 4 Ways to do it This Weekend

As “home” continues to replace the office, school, restaurants, movie theaters, and coffee shops in light of COVID-19, you’re probably beyond ready for a change of scenery. Particularly when you live in Brooklyn where there’s constant hustle and bustle, your home really is your oasis. You should look forward to going home and love spending time there. 

If you’re feeling slightly less than enamored with your home these days, it’s time for an apartment transformation. You may think there’s not much you can do with a rented space, but there are actually several simple DIY projects that make a big impact. So go ahead – carve out some time this weekend to give your apartment a well-deserved sprucing up.

 

Create a Gallery Wall

A gallery wall with bohemian style artThis is one of the simplest apartment transformation projects you can do, and the best part is that there’s no one way to do it. Choose a uniform look with frames in the same color or style, or go eclectic and pick out vastly different frames. The only “rule” we recommend following is mapping out where individual pictures will go before hanging them. Hobby Lobby has a thorough, easy-to-follow tutorial on the whole process.

 

 

 

Give a Warm Welcome                                                     

A set of industrial nesting benches with distressed wood topsIt’s common for apartment homes to not have a formal entry, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create one. If you’re short on space, an entry bench or table is an excellent way to incorporate storage, seating, and decor all in one. Check out this Nesting Console Table by Palmer it is the perfect place to display seasonal decor that will be switched out frequently.

 

 

 

 

Update Your Furniture

TV stands, bookcases, and side tables are apartment living staples, but who said they had to be so basic? A few coats of stain or paint can completely transform a piece of furniture, not to mention the entire look of a room. If you don’t want to commit but you desperately need a pop of color, consider painting just the shelf backs or insides.

A mid-century modern dresser with black legs

Before

A white mid-century modern console table

After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Declutter Your Closets

A women folding cloths Spend a weekend going through your closet to identify items you haven’t worn in a long time and aren’t likely to anytime soon – and be honest. A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t remember when you wore something, you should probably part with it. There are tons of reputable organizations in Brooklyn that always need donations, and some will even come pick them up. Once you’ve thinned out your closet, store out-of-season items in under-the-bed storage bins to free up even more space.

 

 

 

Check out these great Instagram accounts to follow on decorating ideas or on organizing your home:

https://www.instagram.com/abowlfulloflemons/

https://www.instagram.com/thehomeedit/

https://www.instagram.com/simplyspaced

 

These DIY weekend projects are so simple and affordable, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do them sooner. Combine that with an ideal location in Old Town and luxury amenities including a rooftop lounge and fitness center, and you may never want to leave your home at The Vitagraph Brooklyn luxury apartment community again!

Take a virtual tour or contact us today to see available floorplans.

While staying safe at home to help control the spread of COVID-19, you might be running out of things to do. Thankfully, there are many fun ways to keep boredom at bay while you chill in your apartment at The Vitagraph. To help you get started, here’s a look at several awesome ideas.

Break Out the Games

Solo board games are on the rise with many new ones hitting the market all the time. The most popular ones are:

  • Scythe
  • Terraforming Mars
  • Tiny Epic Galaxies
  • Massive Darkness
  • Onirim
  • Mage Knight

In case you’re in need of a little social interaction, however, then online games might work best. If you only have your phone, then give Words with Friends or Clash of Clans a try. With a computer, you have many more options. You can sign up for a subscription to World of Warcraft or try free Steam games, like Star Trek Online.

Learn Something New

Learning new skills is a cinch with experts sharing tutorials through many different video platforms, such as YouTube and Vimeo. All you have to do is decide what you want to learn, then search for a tutorial for beginners.

Skills you could learn include:

  • Play the guitar or other instrument
  • Code an app or game
  • Type as fast as lightning
  • Photograph the world
  • Complete creative pet grooming
  • Create a chatbot
  • Build a monthly budget

The sky is the limit in what you can learn if you just set your mind to it, are willing to invest the time to practice, and watch a few helpful videos. You can also use apps to build your skillset. You could download Duolingo to learn a new language or use Headspace to master meditation.

Cook Every Dish Imaginable

With ample recipe websites at your fingertips, there is no limit to how many dishes you can cook up at your New York apartments. Check out Tasty, Allrecipes, and Epicurious, for starters, to see what fits your fancy. As long as you have the ingredients, or inventive substitutes, you can treat yourself to home cooked meals and delicious desserts galore.

If your efforts fall flat, never fear. You can simply count on Grubhub or Uber Eats to deliver food from local restaurants, including:

You will not only get a hot meal delivered fresh to your door but also support your favorite eateries as they cope with the current challenges.

Stream Your Heart Out

If nothing else sounds fun, then take this time to stream all your favorite shows and movies guilt-free. You can use Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, for example, for hours upon hours of entertainment.

Just in the Netflix library, you can find everything from classic TV shows, like Mystery Science Theater, to original movies, such as The Willoughby’s. Beyond their timeless classics, Disney+ also has many unforgettable offerings, including The Mandalorian and Onward.

As you hunker down away from city living for a short while, it will become clear that The Vitagraph apartments are a great place to wait it all out. Before you know it, stay-at-home requirements will lift, allowing you to meet up with neighbors on the rooftop courtyard once again. If you want to join other New Yorkers in enjoying our exceptional amenities, reach out to our team to apply today.