Who is the NewNew?

 
Our group tag line says "hand crafted in the NY Metro area." And if you've ever been to a team meeting, you know there are quite a few of us. But really...who are we? Who makes up the NewNew? 

I decided to find out with a little help from Survey Monkey & their free 10 question survey. So, let me introduce you to the NewNew...survey-style



We are overwhelmingly female. Not that we don't have some boys join in our fun. We do! But, for the first time in the NY Metro area, they are in the minority.

We are mostly a group of 30-somethings. We do have representatives in the 20 somethings category & several people in each category above 30-somethings so the age range is really long in this group. Isn't that cool? I feel like I am honing a craft now that I could potentially keep up. Or change! Hand crafting is ageless!

We seem to be a highly educated group. Most of the group who responded have a 4 year undergraduate degree with a large percentage with graduate degrees. Look at us - all little smarty pants :)

So who are we so far? So far the NewNew is a 30-something female with at least a college degree...and she isn't married. The largest number of answers on our survey in the marriage category were for those who had never been married, but it was almost a 50-50 split with those who are married. So, not the strongest question to determine who we are, I suppose.

We also don't have a lot of kids. Actually more than 80% don't have any at all. Perhaps this is a good time to mention that we have close to 200 members & only about 30% of them answered the survey. This is not a scientific analysis, but I would go out on a limb to say that we have plenty of members with kids & that perhaps that's why the response rate was a little low. It's cool, ladies! Next time...

Our most popular borough to live in? Brooklyn. Followed closely by Manhattan. The only borough not represented in our group appears to be the Bronx. Go figure...

And now for the nitty gritty...what do we make?? The answer: Jewelery. Lots of it. Here's my very first pie chart since high school, showing the break down. The list of categories in the key on the right are the categories you will find NewNew shops in & comes from the list on the Etsy homepage, fyi.



After jewelry, the majority of our makers are in the Paper Goods & Art category, though we are represented in almost every category. We are a pretty diverse set of crafters. Also interesting to note is that a lot of our members do more than one thing. One jeweler in our group also makes cake toppers. One photographer also silkscreens.

Almost done! I also thought it was interesting to know whether or not our 30-something Brooklynite without kids who has a killer jewelry line sells anywhere other than Etsy. And the overhwhelming answer is YES!

Where does this lovely lady like to sell? All over! Seriously almost each respondent had a different market that they look forward to. Of course, you can almost ALWAYS find representatives of the NewNew at the Brooklyn Flea. If you had a visit to Governor's Island this summer, we had a nifty pop-up store there. Also check out Better than Jam NYC in Bushwick & Black Bear Vintage in Windsor Terrace (Hello! Both Brooklyn!). To really find us, try our events page, right here on the blog. See the tab at the top? Local NYC Events? There you go...

I hope you'll come out & see us at one of the events! Look for a 30-something woman, who looks like she lives in Brooklyn, is probably wearing her very own killer jewelry without a stroller in sight...Very generally speaking anyway...




Around the Corner: The Cloisters

Hey all, Happy Summer to you!  Hope everyone's getting out to the beach or have some nifty plans this season.  Yesterday I was driving by the Cloisters and thought, "by golly! that's as good a place as any for my next around the corner feature".  And so here you have it.

Have you been to the Cloisters yet?  Did you know that it's a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art?  Did you also know that this amazing castle-like setting is right here in Manhattan?  Neat-o.  It's free to walk around the grounds (that's connected to Fort Tryon Park) and admission inside is whatever you can donate.  This branch of the Met is dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe and is seriously breathtaking.
Overlooking the Palisades -- right off Riverside Drive
Are you staying local these next few weeks?  What places will you be visiting either on-the-cheap or *free*?  Please let me know a place you recommend in the comment section below.   Thanks so much!  Ta Ta and happy travels.

Brought to you by:
Virginia Kraljevic

Around the Corner.

Highlights of the High Line!

Have you been to the High Line yet?  Well, you should go.  Recommended by Karen Seiger of Markets in NYC (in my last post covering Morningside Heights), the High Line is quite the treat.  And it's FREE to check out.  Yup, this elevated Manhattan public park spans nearly 20 blocks from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues), and it's full of plant life and history.

Did you know that the High Line was built in the 1930s and no trains have run on it since the 1980s?  Read more info here!



Access points can be found at:
Gansevoort Street
14th Street (elevator access)
16th Street (elevator access)
18th Street
20th Street



What's around your corner?  In the comments section, please suggest something neat to do/see in the Manhattan Tri-State Area that's either free or on-the-cheap, and it just may be the next place I visit.

Thanks for coming along!

Around the Corner.

In keeping with the theme of local, handmade, and all that inspires, I recently started to do a bit of adventure-seeking in the New York metropolitan area on the cheap and have decided to take you with me.

As a native New Yorker, I am continuously impressed with what exploratory treasures can be found just around the corner.  Today, I begin with a few gems found in my backyard, Morningside Heights, Manhattan, to show that you really needn't go far or broke for inspiration or history.

A few little factoids for you:

The General Grant National Memorial, or Grant's Tomb, is the second largest mausoleum in the Western Hemisphere.
Location: 122nd St & Riverside Drive
Cost: Free (Yup, you can walk right in and all around.  It's beautiful and is surrounded by Riverside Park.)
Columbia University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York and the fifth oldest in the United States.
Location: 116th & Broadway (a beautiful shortcut to Amsterdam Ave)
Cost of walking through: Free. Cost of tuition: Another story ;)
Tom's Restaurant is where the Seinfeld gang enjoyed so many of their cups of coffee (in TV land). 
Location: 112th St & Broadway
Cost: Well, the picture is free. The coffee is not. ;)
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the largest cathedral in the world!
Location: 112th St & Amsterdam Ave
Cost to check out this architectural wonder: Free
So, what's around your corner?  In the comments section, please offer suggestions for my upcoming adventures and they just may be featured in the next Around the Corner!  They can be anything interesting to do or see in the New York Tri-State Area such as touristy sights, museums, galleries, monuments, artsy, cultural, educational events, crafty fairs, shows, markets, and the like for *free* or close to it.  Thank you!

See you next time.  Have a super weekend!


Virginia Kraljevic



Where to Find the {NewNew} October 31 + November 1

With the start of November begins early holiday shopping, so be sure to buy handmade and buy local. What better way to give than by shopping with the {NewNew}? Check them out this weekend in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The Fort Greene Flea is the place to be for great handmade items, antiques, and food. This Saturday, YaniaCreations, SarahKathleenWarner, and Milkmade will be representing the {NewNew} in Fort Greene.
Location: Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues, Brooklyn. Saturday, 10am - 5pm.

NYCraft [a group of {NewNew}ers] finishes up at Madison Square Park this weekend. If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to stop by and say hello to {NewNew} artisans AlexandraFerguson, KimmChi, Meegün, Metalicious, LennyMud, Fubabee, and Wabisabi Brooklyn.
Location: Madison Square Park, Manhattan. October 9 - November 1, 11am - 8pm. (closes at 4pm Sunday November 1).

Have a great weekend, and Happy Halloween!



Karina
WindowsOfAgate