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To prevent overcrowding, Venice is starting to use cell phone data to track tourists.
The Italian city’s old-world charm has hailed tourists from around the world, but the onset of the pandemic travel restrictions witnessed the city fall back into the hands of its residents. In preparation for an onslaught of tourists, Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro has announced an additional surveillance maneuver that repurposes cameras stationed around the city to monitor foot traffic. The action will also tap visitors’ phone data in hopes of deterring large crowds and recalibrating itineraries to restrict the volume of day-trippers.
New York’s post-pandemic surge in real estate sales has set a 30-year record.
Post-pandemic sales of co-ops and condos in Manhattan are expediting New York’s economic recovery with more apartments sold in the third quarter than in the past 32 years. A report authored by Jonathan J. Miller from brokerage Douglas Elliman details the purchase of 4,523 units—a step up from the 2007 record of 3,939. The total sum of inked deals exceeded $9.5 billion thanks to a ravenous market spurred by escalating vaccination rates and low mortgage listings. The influx of sales resulted in an elevated buying price as median listings are marked at $1,115,000, a 1.4 percent increase from the previous year and 8.8 percent from 2019.
Reebok partners with Eames Office to drop a painterly inspired sneaker collection.
Drawing inspiration from the works and paintings of Charles and Ray Eames, Reebok has launched a line of sneakers that commemorates the design duo’s rich legacy. The Reebok x Eames Club C collection comprises four designs packaged in a shoebox that recalls the Eames House’s architecture—two sneakers are imbued with a 1947 dot pattern and 1939 painting by Ray. “Eames design represents a belief that the objects in our everyday life should enrich our existence and transcend utilitarian function to connect with people on a personal level,” the brand said in a statement.
A George Floyd statue in Manhattan gets defaced not even 48 hours after it debuts.
The artist Chris Carnabuci has unveiled busts of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor—two icons of the Black Lives Matter protest movement after they were killed by police in 2020—as well as of late congressman John Lewis at Union Square in Manhattan as part of an exhibition called “Seeinjustice.” Hours after their unveiling, however, NYPD security footage revealed a skateboarder splashing the sculptures with gray paint. “It takes a lot of courage to display the three statues we are exhibiting in Union Square,” says Confront Art. “It also takes a good deal of courage to vandalize a statue on a global stage in broad daylight.” The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is inspecting the defacement as a criminal mischief offense.
Photography by Daniel Zuchnik…
Telfar revives its signature Bag Security Program on its new television channel.
Following last month’s announcement of Telfar TV, a public access channel that functions as a platform for the brand’s latest releases, the label is reviving its Bag Security Program. The event lets buyers snag Telfar’s coveted logo bag in a color and size of their choice; the made-to-order merchandise will be delivered by March 31, 2022. Running from October 5-6, the Bag Security Program will release a QR code on Telfar TV as a link to its purchasing webpage. The redesigned shopping system is an effort to thwart online bots from hoarding stocks and put more bags in the hands of buyers.
San Francisco’s Chinatown park prepares for a facelift by leveling a dated footbridge.
The disassembly of a footbridge connecting the Chinese Culture Center to the park in Portsmouth Square will kick off a $66 million project to refashion the 1.5-acre site. Stationed in the heart of Chinatown’s communal zone, it functions as the primary gathering space for its residents, most of whom are senior citizens. To this end, the Portsmouth Square revamp consists of a comprehensive structural and landscape overhaul slated for completion by 2025. The ideal result following approval? A sun-soaked expanse with a multigenerational playground, two-story senior and youth educational center, and green spaces.
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Today’s attractive distractions:
The robotics expert Adnan Lotia recreates iconic rock album covers using Legos.
