On land, real estate developers have to compete for space, so it makes sense they occasionally turn to unchartered territory like the ocean. Over the last decade, a number of hotels and restaurants around the world have made a splash by locating a few leagues under the sea. Costly to build, they can charge a pretty penny, but promise to provide an exclusive and truly special experience.

Adventurers looking for trips off the beaten path can choose their underwater comfort level from a handful of options. Four different hotels I like are: the cozy chambers of Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida (also a research lab); an underwater room at the floating Utter Inn near Stockholm, Sweden; eight suites at the floating Reefworld off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia; and the luxury, six-star Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort. Granted that last property is a Hilton hotel built on the water, it does feature a fine-dining restaurant below the surface with panoramic views.

If it turns out our efforts to create a colony on the moon fall through, I vote we continue build a city under the sea.

Jules’ Undersea Lodge, Florida

Utter Inn, Sweden

Reefworld, Australia

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

- Francisca Ovalle, Copywriter

WordPress is a valuable tool. I learned how to use the content management system a few years ago because it’s an open source (accessible to everyone via a free license) and based on PHP and MySQL – two other open source platforms. Some may argue better options exist, but the ease and simplicity of WordPress allow for a seamless administration handoff from developer to client. Populating the site with content, images and videos can be a timesaving cinch (depending on how sophisticated you tailor the CMS to be), and cost-effective for all parties involved.

WordPress also has several features that can be used differently from their original intent; for example, its ‘Comments’ section can serve as a bulletin board for employees, and the “Posts” and “Pages” menu items can be used for everything from selling products to running a corporation’s CMS.

- Zack Levine, Web Developer

These days it’s expected for things to take on a second life in a different form – we live in the age of recycling and the decade of hipsters, after all. From retro wardrobes to trash art to antiquing and composting, our society (for the most part) simply likes to transform old into new. Similarly, reconditioning buildings – particularly in NYC – is a practice we’ve made popular. Why? Because we love relics. They emanate history, character and rarity, which is why we’re willing to pay a lot to live in one. Developers have caught on; today they leverage old properties by converting the likes of churches, stables, firehouses and police station radio rooms into modern-day dwellings. They turn distinct spaces into camouflaged homes, unbeknownst to many of their repurposed function. Luckily for us, their opting for interior reconfiguration over tearing down a building preserves the neighborhood’s appearance and personality for later generations to appreciate.

Interior of Limelight Marketplace

A former stable (Photo: New York Magazine)

A former church (Photo: New York Magazine)

A former firehouse (Photo: New York Magazine)

A former police station radio room (Photo: New York Magazine)

- Francisca Ovalle, Copywriter

Buildings in NYC used to be covered with hand-painted ads (just look up and you’ll see their remnants, known as “ghost signs“). A labor-intensive process, these works date back to the 1800s, but disappeared in the 1980s when computer and vinyl printing became the norm. Recently, however, the artistic style of marketing has made a comeback. For instance, last summer 315 Park Avenue South’s wall facing 23rd Street was used to advertise the film “Batman” with a 150-foot-mural. For a look into this type of art, and the people who create them, watch this short documentary “Up There.”

- Barbra Tolentino, Graphic Designer

A few months ago I learned that my next-door neighbor Ernie Quadrino – a retired NYC sanitation worker – is also an unsung artist. I recently sat down with him to talk about his passion for making stained-glass art.

How did you get started?

10 years ago my wife wanted a stained-glass lamp. Instead of going out and buying one, I found a local shop that taught people how to make their own. It helped that I could draw well; my talent translated and allowed me to quickly pick up the craft. After just a few lessons, I proudly made a replica of the famous Tiffany dragonfly lamp.

What is your process?

1) Find a photo or drawing that can easily be turned into a pattern that will be broken into pieces.

2) Choose your colors, transfer your shapes to the glass sheets, and cut them to the size of your pattern.

3) Grind the edges of the pieces and then wrap them with copper foil.

4) Assemble the pieces to match the pattern and begin soldering them together.

5) Once finished, frame the entire piece with thicker bands of zinc. Solder each corner as well as the points where the joints of your image meet the frame.

6) To give it a more finished look, apply black tinted patina to tone down the soldered joints.

Below are some images of Ernie’s inspiring work.

- Brian Keeler, Graphic Designer

Fortunately for me, there’s a beautiful home 30 minutes away I can visit and admire as often as I want without seeming creepy. Just over in Corona, Queens, Louis Armstrong’s three-story brick house serves as a time capsule from the 28 years he lived there with his wife Lucille. Today a museum, the surprisingly modest building acts as a relic, quintessential of the leading styles from 1960s design. Guests are invited to take a guided tour, listen to at-home recordings of Louis talking and singing, and gaze at his artifacts on display (i.e. a trumpet, photos, clothing and manuscripts). I’ve now visited the landmark three times, and on each trip noticed another detail or learned something new. If I can’t convince you to also stop by, maybe these photos will.

- Francisca Ovalle, Copywriter

Though I’m interested in graphic novels of all kinds, the work of Joe Sacco is particularly fascinating because it’s rooted in realism.

“Palestine” is a graphic novel documenting Sacco’s two-month experience interviewing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza during the first intifada. It illustrates the power of visual journalism through in-depth interviews and cultural immersion as it covers a complex, nuanced issue.

Sacco leverages hard reporting, hundreds of interviews, and personal refugee camp experiences to document Palestine and the spirit of its people – from seeing Palestinians hurl rocks at Israeli soldiers, to staying in Palestinian hosts’ homes for days without a change of clothes. Sacco’s reporting is complemented by powerful images drawn from his notes and sketchbooks; together they create a fluid storyline and print-like version of a film documentary. Sacco is less interested in getting the scoop and more receptive to finding stories that will resonate long after breaking news has faded — and this is probably what draws me to his work (aside from the visual stuff, of course).

- Lecia Bushak, Account Manager

You can find the world’s largest alpona in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A decorative art form practiced by women in Bengal, alpona resembles mehndi, but is reserved for floors and other various surfaces. Literally street art, this design was created last April to celebrate the coming of the Bengali New Year. 6 hours, 220 artists, and  3,600 liters of paint later, the 260,000 SF motif made its mark on history.

- Daejin Youn, Graphic Designer

Robin Rhode is an artist who’s managed to turn his bullied past into a liberating experience for kids. Growing up in Johannesburg during the apartheid, he was hazed by upperclassmen to draw pictures on the bathroom walls. Roughly 30 years later, Rhode is now sketching similar works – at will – for a good cause. Partnering with New York-based nonprofit Time In – a program that connects kids to the arts, the South African native recently invited 37 South Bronx first-graders to interact with his wall drawings in a Lower East Side gallery.

Essentially turning the space into a giant coloring book, Rhode allowed  the students to shade the walls with life-sized crayons. Working in teams of two, the kids joyfully did what no gallery space or household ever encourages.

- Brittany Phillip, Office Manager

In keeping with my last post about computerized 3D projection mapping, this piece looks at a more hands-on way of doing the same thing, just static – 3D sidewalk drawing. It’s fascinating how these kinds of artists use only chalk to create lifelike pieces comparable to digital work. Their art – which requires the viewer to stand in a particular spot – is an amazing crowd-pleaser as well as a great marketing tool.

- Mark Thrapp, Production Designer