NYC public libraries are giving away free solar eclipse glasses

NYC public libraries are giving away free solar eclipse glasses

As we gear up for the celestial event of the season, the total solar eclipse scheduled to take over our sky on April 8, there are a few things to keep in mind: NYC residents should leave the city if they want to properly take in the happening in all of its glory (some suburbs are actually in the path of totality) and special glasses are an absolute must when looking up.

So to keep your eyes safe, institutions all around town are giving away eclipse goodies to excited New Yorkers. New York State is giving out free solar eclipse glasses (here’s where to get yours), as is the New York Public Library system.

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Starting today, glasses will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies last at all Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library and New York Public Library locations—so you really don’t have an excuse to not grab a pair. 

The giveaway is offered in partnership with the National Esports Association (NEA), whose recent “Look Up!” campaign encourages New Yorkers to experience the solar eclipse in the safest way possible.

Just in case you were wondering, if you don’t properly protect your eyes right before and after totality, you could badly injure your eyes, as explained by the American Academy of Ophthalmology—so definitely make use of the free resources available to all.

“As we eagerly anticipate the upcoming eclipse, it is crucial to prioritize safety during this extraordinary celestial event. We hope this will be a moment of shared wonder and safety for all,” said Lori Bajorek, president of the NEA, in an official statement.

Ahead of the event, these are the best events to attend in NYC the day of and here is everything you need to know about “the solar eclipse express,” a vintage train that will take you from NYC to Niagara Falls to experience full totality.

Pardon us if we sound a bit too excited about it all, it’s just that, as mentioned by NASA, the next total eclipse of this kind in New York won’t happen until 2079—when all five boroughs are expected to be on the path of totality!

* This article was originally published here

200,000 tulips are taking over Union Square and you can get a free bouquet

200,000 tulips are taking over Union Square and you can get a free bouquet

Whether it’s the lack of puffer jackets visible on the subway or the emerging cherry blossoms all throughout the city, there are signs everywhere that we’ve finally, officially entered Spring. Nothing embodies our warmer weather mood better than tulips, and Union Square is about to bring us the most incredible display of the flowers that most of us on this side of the Atlantic have ever seen.

So if you find yourself at Union Square on Sunday, April 7 between 11:30am and 3pm and feel like you’ve been teleported to the Netherlands, we won’t blame you, considering there will be a staggering 200,000 tulips on display for the city’s first-ever Tulip Day. The best part? You’ll get the chance to pick a bouquet of ten tulips of your choice for free.  

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This event is the work of Royal Anthos, an organization that represents Dutch companies that trade in flower bulbs, and the Consulate General of the Netherlands. Tulip Day has been celebrated in San Francisco in the past and the organizers of the event hope to make this an annual New York City tradition. 

In the Netherlands, tulip season starts in mid-March and continues through around mid-May. Although the Netherlands is known worldwide for its tulips, they actually first imported the flowers in the 16th Century from what is modern-day Turkey. At one point, tulips were so valuable in the northern European country that they were traded as currency. Today, the tulip industry there is worth billions and more than 75% of all the tulips traded worldwide are grown in the Netherlands, per the Amsterdam Tulip Museum

This year’s Tulip Day is part of FUTURE 400, an initiative by the Consulate General of the Netherlands to mark 400 years of Dutch New York history. The Dutch arrived in what is now New York in 1624 to establish New Amsterdam, and FUTURE 400 hopes to approach Dutch colonial history through a more complete and honest lens, which includes acknowledging the forcible displacement of Native Americans and repression of communities of color that occurred as a direct result of a European presence on the continent. 

The tulips will only be available for a few hours, so make sure to plan ahead to make the most out of the day. To make sure you get your own bouquet, you can pre-register for free here

* This article was originally published here

Sponsored Love: The NYC Sam Pollard Film Retrospective Events In Harlem

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ImageNation is proud to be part of the Black Public Media’s SAM POLLARD FILM RETROSPECTIVE celebrating Sam Pollard receiving the PitchBlack Trailblazer Awards. For the NYC retrospective ImageNation is producing a series of screening events in Brooklyn, Queens and Harlem. Check out the list of FREE community screenings of Mr. Pollard’s work. RSVP now. CLICK HERE TO RSVP The NYC…

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* This article was originally published here

Sponsored Love: Poly Mailers For Electronics, Safeguarding Delicate Devices During Shipping

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Picture the excitement of receiving your latest tech gadget, only to find it damaged during shipping – a disheartening scenario for any electronics enthusiast. In our modern age where delicate devices constantly travel, ensuring their safe arrival is crucial.  This is where poly mailers shine as an ingenious packaging solution, promising to protect your prized…

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* This article was originally published here