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Input your travel journey into Route Zero for a list of the top most energy efficient ways to travel to NYC
Use Google Flights when booking your travel to find the route to Climate Week NYC with the lowest carbon emissions - here's how
Pack your reusable water bottle of choice (here are a few Nest favorites: Hydro Flask's 24 oz Standard Mouth with Flex Straw Cap, Thermo Flask's 24 oz Bottle with Both Chug Lid and Straw Lid, and Yeti's 26 oz. Rambler®)
Search the Tap app to find water bottle refill stations near you in NYC (make sure to filter your search by bottle!)
Opt for reusable toiletry containers such as Cadence's capsule system made from recycled material – a unique blend of ocean-bound plastic and material scraps, Ries travel bottles made from recycled plastics, or Kitsch's non-toxic & environmentally friendly travel bottles
Pedal your way through NYC via Citibike's day pass or single ride offerings
Utilize the extensive network of buses, subways, and trains to navigate the city - visit the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA)'s website or download their app for subway, bus, and rail schedules in and around NYC
Remember, small actions can collectively make a significant impact. Enjoy your sustainable journey through the bustling streets of New York City!
The New York City Subway is an iconic and vital component of the city's transportation network, offering an efficient and sustainable way to navigate the bustling metropolis. As one of the largest and busiest subway systems in the world, it serves millions of passengers daily across its extensive network of lines and stations. Opting for the subway over personal vehicles or taxis significantly reduces carbon emissions, as it is one of the most energy-efficient modes of urban transportation. The subway helps alleviate traffic congestion, leading to less air pollution and a smaller overall carbon footprint for the city. Additionally, the system supports sustainable urban living by promoting public transit use, thereby reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and encouraging higher density, walkable communities.
CitiBike, New York City's bike-sharing program, is a cornerstone of the city's commitment to sustainable transportation. Offering thousands of bikes at numerous stations throughout the city, CitiBike provides a convenient, healthy, and eco-friendly alternative to motorized transport. By encouraging more people to bike instead of drive, CitiBike helps reduce traffic congestion, lower carbon emissions, and improve air quality. CitiBike is dedicated to environmental stewardship, utilizing bikes that are durable and designed for long-term use, which minimizes waste. The program also promotes the use of renewable energy by powering many of its stations with solar panels. By integrating with the city's public transit system, CitiBike enhances urban mobility and supports a comprehensive, sustainable transportation network.
Revel NYC is a dynamic transportation service committed to revolutionizing urban mobility with a focus on sustainability. Known for its fleet of shared electric mopeds and electric rideshare vehicles, Revel provides an eco-friendly alternative to traditional transportation options. By offering convenient, on-demand access to electric vehicles, Revel helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease traffic congestion in New York City.
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The Oberon Group, founded by Henry Rich, is a visionary restaurant group dedicated to sustainability, community, and innovative hospitality. Their mission centers around environmental stewardship, striving to create dining experiences that are both delightful and eco-friendly. This commitment is exemplified through their zero-waste and carbon-neutral initiatives, such as the acclaimed Rhodora Wine Bar and the pioneering catering company Purslane. The group prioritizes local, seasonal ingredients, natural wines, and sustainable practices across all their ventures. By fostering a culture of respect for the environment and their staff, the Oberon Group aims to redefine hospitality with a focus on minimal waste, quality, and community-driven values.
Located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, Rhodora is a zero-waste, carbon neutral wine bar. It features a menu inspired by tapas bars, offering natural wines, oysters, tinned fish, antipasti, and local cheeses.
Located in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, June was the first natural wine bar in Brooklyn, opening in 2015. June focuses on natural, low-intervention wines and a food menu that includes small plates crafted from seasonal ingredients.
Located in Brooklyn, Rucola is an Italian restaurant emphasizing seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients. Rucola is committed to being carbon neutral and follows many goals under the Oberon Group mission.
https://rucolabrooklyn.com/ | Location
The food program at BB&C revolves around local, organic, sustainable and overall responsible procurement. The menu cycles are seasonal and heavily influenced on production from the aeroponic roof-top garden.
Finding inspiration in the regions of America and focusing on the contemporary aspect and eclecticism of the melting pot, BB&C’s food strives for an element of originality and individualism.
141 W 10th St. # A
Dig Inn, a farm-to-table restaurant chain in New York City, is dedicated to redefining fast-casual dining with a strong commitment to sustainability. Their mission is to offer delicious, wholesome meals while prioritizing environmental responsibility. Dig Inn sources ingredients from local farms, including their very own farm in upstate New York. This farm allows them to ensure fresh, seasonal produce and directly support sustainable agricultural practices. They are committed to reducing food waste through mindful portioning and innovative use of surplus ingredients.
New York’s best-kept secret in full bloom atop The McKittrick Hotel. Experience a whimsical and flourishing garden escape with seasonal cocktails and a spring menu.
542 West 27th Street
With sustainability and social responsibility at the core of their mission, Il Fiorista sources food, flowers and herbs both locally and regionally; employs water-use reduction and composting methods to reduce its environmental impact; and uses recyclable and compostable packaging whenever possible.
17 W 26th St.
Le Botaniste's story begins in Ghent, Belgium, celebrated for nearly two decades as a vegetarian haven in Europe. The city is actively implementing measures to reach a goal of 100% carbon neutrality by 2050. Thursdays are known locally as Donderdag Veggiedag, or “Thursday Veggie Day,” and each week, up to half the population enjoys vegetarian or vegan meals, home cooking, or plant-based food delivery.
Inspired by Ghent’s thriving dining scene and the healthy eating it encourages, Alain and his partners opened the first Le Botaniste location there in September of 2015. They filled the organic vegan restaurant and natural wine bar with food-themed original art, 19th century apothecary-inspired accents, and lush indoor plants to encourage a sense of vitality. Four months later, they opened a second location on New York City’s Upper East Side, expanding the concept of quick, healthy, easy-going and comforting food, focused on quality, freshness, and local traceable ingredients. These core elements have allowed the team to consistently adapt and encourage smarter and healthier consumption.
Today, the Le Botaniste team serves its beloved organic food in three locations in Belgium—one in Ghent, two in Brussels—and four locations in New York City: Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Soho, and Midtown East.
11 W 42nd St (Other locations)
Olmsted is a neighborhood restaurant in the heart of Prospect Heights from chef-owner Greg Baxtrom (of Patti Ann's, Five Acres, & Olmsted). We offer a seasonal, ingredient-driven menu, some of which comes straight from our backyard garden (yes, you’re welcome to sit there for a drink and a bite). We built the entire 50-seat restaurant with a living wall and lush garden ourselves, and named it after Frederick Law Olmsted, the famed architect behind nearby Prospect Park.
659 Vanderbilt Ave. Brooklyn NY 11238
P.S. Kitchen's mission is to leverage the power of earth-conscious food and an open heart to lovingly serve our clients, employees, society, and the earth.
They partner with social ventures and charities to empower the pursuit of justice and generosity, locally and internationally.
P.S. Kitchen's partnerships reflect a threefold commitment:
1. Create jobs for the marginalized in New York
2. Donate 100% of profits to sustainable non-profit work
3. Provide New Yorkers with delicious dishes that are kind to the body and the earth
246 W 48th St.
Pisticci invests in high efficiency kitchen equipment and lighting, composts their waste, uses recyclables, and teaches their staff and customers sustainability best practices they can incorporate into their every day life.
After maximizing their efforts to reduce consumption and waste, Pisticci powers their restaurant by wind only, and offsets the rest by planting trees. They were the first restaurant in NYC to be 100% Carbon Neutral and hope one day to actually be carbon negative.︎
Rather than throw offcuts away, Pisticci collects, composts, and fertilizes with them. This makes their food more nutritious, keeps it out of landfills, and brings consumption habits full circle.︎ ︎
125 La Salle St.
The original location of Rosemary's, opened in 2012, is a Greenwich Village staple for seasonal salads, handmade pastas, a rooftop garden, and a view overlooking Jefferson Market Garden.
Rosemary's features an urban-farmhouse design, accessible seasonal Italian menus and neighborly hospitality.
18 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10011
Have & Meyer's Italian wines come from conscious winegrowers and reflect their unique personality together with their hard work, heart and passion. They serve more than 100 natural wines by the glass, giving you the opportunity to try something you may have missed otherwise.
What is most important to them is the very close relationship with our small producers and winegrowers. Have & Wine loves to meet them and see how they cultivate the ingredients that we love. They share the same values of sustainability, respect for the soil and the biodiversity of our planet Earth.
103 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn
Honey’s, located in Brooklyn, NYC, is a distinguished meadery and bar that stands out for its strong commitment to sustainability. The venue operates with a focus on environmental responsibility, sourcing local and organic ingredients for its handcrafted meads and cocktails. Honey’s employs eco-friendly practices, such as using renewable energy and minimizing waste through comprehensive recycling and composting programs. Their menu showcases a variety of seasonal, farm-to-table dishes that highlight the freshest produce from nearby farms. Honey’s offers honey-based wines, which are dry and released seasonally.
June is a natural wine bar and restaurant in historic Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. The space invokes la generation perdue of Paris by way of Brooklyn. June has one foot planted in the Roaring Twenties of Europe and simultaneously contemporary New York City.
The kitchen at June is focused on cooking ingredient-driven, clean, contemporary food with eclectic influences.
There are three distinct spaces at June; the main dining room/bar, the patio, and the garden.
231 Court St. Brooklyn, NY
Overstory NYC is a pioneering cocktail bar located in the Financial District, renowned for its breathtaking views and innovative approach to sustainability. Committed to zero-waste practices, Overstory meticulously designs its operations to minimize environmental impact. The bar sources local, organic ingredients to create its unique, handcrafted cocktails, ensuring freshness and supporting sustainable farming. Overstory employs creative strategies to reduce waste, such as using every part of the ingredients, incorporating leftover elements into syrups and garnishes, and composting organic waste. Additionally, the bar avoids single-use plastics, opting for reusable and biodegradable alternatives.
Public Records, located in Brooklyn, is a trailblazing venue that seamlessly combines a bar, restaurant, and music space with a steadfast commitment to sustainability. The establishment operates on renewable energy, harnessing solar power to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. Public Records is dedicated to a zero-waste policy, implementing comprehensive recycling and composting programs, and minimizing single-use plastics. Their menu features locally-sourced, organic ingredients, supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing food miles.
From the team behind the sustainable Brooklyn concepts Rucola, June and Purslane, Rhodora Wine Bar strives to be the first zero waste wine bar of its kind in the country.
Sustainability and respect for humans and the environment are the core tenants of the program and guide both the food and beverage choices, as well as the operations of the restaurant as a whole.
The Oberon Group has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and combating climate change. With the opening of Rhodora, owner Henry Rich and director Halley Chambers have built a program that will send absolutely nothing to landfill. No single-use plastics will be utilized or accepted into the space, and the group will only source and utilize products across its food, beverage, and operations that can be recycled, up cycled, or composted. Decisions around food and beverage are guided by this foundational ethos - a commitment to minimizing waste wherever and however possible. Similarly, decisions around staffing and our business model are guided by sustainability and respect for the people who work in the space.
The concept’s menu celebrates natural, low-intervention wine with accompanying conservas, or tinned fish, rounded out by cheese and vegetable offerings to snack on or to enjoy as a full meal. By featuring small-farm, natural winemakers, the Rhodora team partners with wine producers who share a similar respect for the land and environment, working against the often harmful impacts of large-scale wine manufacturing.
In addition to the space’s commitment to the environment, Rhodora is reimagining the typical restaurant hierarchy, putting forward a new staffing model where team members are cross-trained to excel at each position in the space. In eliminating the traditional divide between front of house and back of house, Rhodora aims to cultivate a culture of respect and empathy for each position and role. In addition, the staff will receive ten percent of profits on a quarterly basis.
197 Adelphi St.
Brooklyn, NY, 11205
Soda Club is the Avenue B-based Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Vegan Wine & Pasta Bar. Featuring more than 200 natural and organic wines from around the globe— curated by Co-Owner & Wine Director Drew Brady—Soda Club serves plant-based Italian dishes focusing on fresh pastas.
Soda Club 155 Avenue B
The Butcher’s Daughter is a plant-forward restaurant, cafe, juice bar, and “vegetable slaughterhouse."
They treat fruits and vegetables as a butcher would meat: chopping, filleting & carving fresh produce into healthy vegetarian dishes and pressing them into pretty juices.
581 Hudson St.
https://www.thebutchersdaughter.com/location/the-butchers-daughter-west-village/
Brooklyn Grange is a pioneering urban farming enterprise that operates the world's largest rooftop soil farms, located in New York City. With a mission to promote sustainable living and urban agriculture, Brooklyn Grange produces over 50,000 pounds of organically grown vegetables each year, right in the heart of the city. The farms also feature apiaries that produce local honey, contributing to the health of urban bee populations.
Governors Island is renowned for its commitment to sustainability and ecological preservation. As a prime example of adaptive reuse, the island has been transformed from a former military base into a thriving sustainable oasis. The island's sustainable practices include extensive recycling and composting programs, as well as the use of renewable energy sources like solar power. It boasts a car-free environment, promoting alternative transportation methods such as bicycles and electric shuttles. Governors Island also serves as a living laboratory for innovative green technologies, hosting sustainable infrastructure projects and educational programs that promote environmental awareness and conservation. With its dedication to sustainability, Governors Island serves as a testament to the potential of repurposing urban spaces to create sustainable, eco-friendly destinations that inspire both visitors and residents alike.
Photo by Timothy Schenck
GrowNYC Greenmarkets are a cornerstone of New York City's commitment to sustainability and local agriculture. These vibrant markets offer a wide variety of fresh, locally-sourced produce, meats, dairy products, baked goods, and other farm products directly from regional farmers. By providing a direct link between farmers and consumers, GrowNYC Greenmarkets support small-scale farmers and promote sustainable farming practices.
The Javits Center's expansive rooftop garden spans over 6.75 acres and is one of the largest green roofs in the United States. Designed with environmental conservation in mind, the green roof helps to mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce stormwater runoff, and provide habitat for local wildlife. It features a diverse array of native plants and trees, creating a tranquil and biodiverse oasis amidst the bustling cityscape. Moreover, the Javits Center offers public tours that provide visitors with a unique opportunity to explore this green marvel up close. These guided tours allow participants to learn about the green roof's sustainable design, its ecological benefits, and the innovative technologies employed to maximize energy efficiency and water conservation. The tours not only inspire and educate visitors about the importance of green infrastructure but also promote a deeper understanding of sustainable practices that can be applied to other buildings and urban spaces.
429 11th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
https://javitscenter.com/sustainability/tours/
Photo by Javits
Little Island, born from a collaboration of the UK-based Heatherwick Studio and the New York-based landscape architecture firm MNLA, showcases an imaginative design that offers all New Yorkers and visitors a public space that is whimsical, captivating, and restorative. This visionary partnership has not only created a stunning visual spectacle but also ensured that sustainability remains at the core of Little Island's essence. From its self-sustaining ecosystem to its use of renewable energy sources, this park stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in creating a sustainable urban oasis in the heart of New York City.
Pier55 in Hudson River Park West 13th Street,
New York NY 10014
Photo by Timothy Schenck
The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is not only a breathtaking oasis of flora and fauna but also a pioneer in sustainable practices. Spanning 250 acres in the Bronx, the NYBG prioritizes environmental conservation and education. The garden employs sustainable land management techniques, such as organic gardening methods, composting, and integrated pest management, to minimize the use of harmful chemicals and promote healthy ecosystems. The NYBG also actively participates in plant conservation efforts, conducting research and conservation projects to preserve endangered plant species. Moreover, the garden's infrastructure is designed with sustainability in mind, utilizing energy-efficient technologies, green roofs, and rainwater harvesting systems. Through its educational programs and exhibits, the NYBG raises awareness about the importance of biodiversity, ecological balance, and sustainable gardening practices, inspiring visitors to embrace sustainable living and become stewards of the natural world.
2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458
Photo by the New York Botanical Garden
#d5dee8
The Climate Museum is partnering with Brooklyn Botanic Garden and The Nature Conservancy on a 2023 exhibition and program series, running from June 17 to October 22, titled "You Can Make A Difference On Climate". The exhibit features a climate action sticker wall, seen below, features a variety of inspiring and achievable climate actions for people to choose from when interacting.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Conservatory Gallery
Entrances:
150 Eastern Parkway
455 Flatbush Avenue
990 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
https://climatemuseum.org/you-can-make-a-difference-on-climate
Photo by The Climate Museum
The High Line is a prime example of urban sustainability and repurposing. Built on a historic elevated railway track, the High Line has been transformed into a vibrant public park that showcases sustainable design and practices. The park incorporates native plantings, green infrastructure, and rainwater harvesting systems, reducing stormwater runoff and promoting biodiversity. Additionally, the High Line encourages alternative transportation by providing pedestrian-friendly pathways and bike lanes, reducing reliance on cars and promoting a greener, healthier cityscape. Its adaptive reuse of existing infrastructure not only preserves the city's history but also promotes sustainable development and serves as a model for transforming underutilized spaces into thriving, environmentally conscious urban areas.
Elevators are located at:
• Gansevoort Street and Washington Street (Northwest corner)
• 14th Street and 10th Avenue (Southwest side)
• 23rd Street and 10th Avenue (Southeast side)
• 30th Street and 10th Avenue (Southeast side)
Park-level access is also available at 30th Street at Hudson Yards. The Western Rail Yards between 30th and 34th Streets and 11th Avenue and the West Side Highway are currently closed for the season.
Photo by Timothy Schenck
Union Square Greenmarket, held every Monday in the vibrant Union Square neighborhood of New York City, is a bustling hub of sustainable agriculture and local food culture. This weekly market brings together farmers, growers, and producers from the region, offering an impressive array of fresh produce, artisanal foods, and unique products. Visitors can browse through a vibrant display of seasonal fruits and vegetables, organic meats, farm-fresh eggs, honey, cheeses, and much more. What sets the Union Square Greenmarket apart is its commitment to supporting local farmers and promoting sustainable farming practices. The market ensures that all vendors adhere to strict standards of sustainable agriculture, including the use of organic and environmentally friendly farming methods. This not only provides shoppers with high-quality, locally sourced products but also helps to reduce the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation. Union Square Greenmarket on Mondays offers a delightful opportunity for residents and visitors alike to connect with local food producers, support sustainable agriculture, and savor the flavors of the season.
Union Square W &, E 17th St, New York, NY 10003
https://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket/manhattan-union-square-m
Photo by GrowNYC
Little Island | photo by Timothy Schenck
Javits Center Green Roof | photo by Javits
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