Green City Guide: New York

New York is the birthplace of fresh ideas that influence the entire world. Many eco movers and shakers got their start here and several high profile green projects are making their mark on the city's skyline. Case in point: The Hearst Tower, the first building to receive a Gold LEED certified rating for core and shell and interiors in New York. Two LEED-certified hotels are also on the horizon. The Crosby Street Hotel is vying for LEED Gold status, and expected to open in March of 2009. Green features will include energy-smart HVAC systems, local building materials, and a roof garden. Greenhouse 26 was supposed to open spring 2008 in Chelsea, but construction has stalled. They have also applied for a LEED Gold rating, based on features such as a geothermal heating and cooling system and 40 percent energy savings.

Two excellent resources for the earth-conscious visitor to New York are Ben Jervey's the Big Green Apple, and the Green Map System, which offers green tips for New York and beyond. You can also check out TreeHugger's New York archives for up to the minute green news.

1. Ride Public Transportation

New York's 24-hr public transportation system through the Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) is one of the best in the world. A fare of $2 gets you to most destinations. For savings and free transfers, buy a day or weeklong pass or a MetroCard with a balance of $7 or more (a 15 percent reduction on rides).

The city is served by three major airports. From John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), take the Airtrain, a light rail system that connects you to MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) trains, and MTA subways and buses. A subway-bus combo gets you to and from La Guardia Airport. From Newark Airport, take AirTrain Newark to New Jersey Transit, and a 30-minute ride gets you to New York's Penn Station. You can also hop on a bus through the New York Airport Service, which services JFK ($15) and LaGuardia ($12) and goes to Midtown.

2. Rent a Car through Ozocar or Hail a Hybrid Taxi

If you must use a car service from the airport or around the city, try Ozocar. Billed as New York's first eco-luxury car service, Ozocar has a fleet of 100 hybrid vehicles and Wi-Fi for those long rides. They will even lend you a laptop. Not including tolls and tips, the rate from midtown Manhattan to La Guardia is $55; JFK is $70. You can also flag down a hybrid taxi. Thanks to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a few hundred of these green yellow cabs are now on the road in Manhattan, with more to follow soon.

3. Book a Water Taxi or a Pedicab

Staying amongst the towering skyscrapers, it's easy to forget Manhattan is an island. One of the more pleasant ways to travel in the spring, summer, and fall is by New York water taxi. The most popular route for visitors is the East River commuter ($4 one way or $20 per day), which is easy to hop on and off. For shorter distances, try a people-powered Pedicab from Revolution Rickshaws, Mr. Rickshaw or Manhattan Rickshaws.

4. Dine at a Green Restaurant Eating is a serious pastime for New Yorkers. Whether you are looking for high-end green cuisine or a simple vegan café, this city has it all. On the street, several farmers' markets offer local produce, baked goods, and excellent locally-made cheese in the summer and fall. Check the Council on the Environment of New York City (PDF) for locations. These markets are tapped by a few world-renowned New York chefs committed to organic and local ingredients. Among them is Mario Batali, who allegedly met his wife at her family's meat stand at the large farmers' market in Union Square. His restaurant empire includes Babbo, Lupa, Otto, and Del Posto (which recently banned bottled water), all dishing award-winning Italian cuisine. Danny Meyer is also committed to fresh, seasonal local ingredients. Several of his restaurants are located near Union Square, in part due to the farmers' market there. Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack are all popular places serving American cuisine. Chef Peter Hoffman is one of New York's pioneers in the sustainable food movement. He opened Savoy, which is committed to ingredients from "farmers we know" in SoHo decades ago, and recently opened Backforty for casual dining in the East Village. Also notable is Blue Hill, which gets its produce from chef Dan Barber's farm in the Berkshires. 5. Dine at a Vegetarian or Vegan Restaurant Vegetarian food in NYC is far from boring -- from southern-fried vegan food at Foodswings in hipster Williamsburg to spicy Korean vegetarian fare at Hangawi in Midtown, there's something for every taste bud and budget. Some of the more popular vegan or vegetarian-friendly restaurants are Wild Ginger, Gobo, and Zen Palate, which all serve delicious Asian vegan fare, and Caravan of Dreams, Angelica's Kitchen, and Counter which offer American, macrobiotic, and southern vegan food. Counter also has organic wine and wine tastings. For more local scoop on vegan and vegetarian food, check out Super Vegan. 6. Head to a Green Restaurant in Brooklyn Brooklyn is New York City's hipster borough du jour, with plenty of green dining options worth bridging-and-tunneling for. The Habana Outpost in Fort Greene is New York's first solar-powered restaurant. Both food waste and bio-plastic cups and plates are composted and the patio furniture is made from recycled lumber. Over in Park Slope, an abundance of restaurants serving local produce abound. Two that stick out are Rose Water and Applewood. Rosewater features delectable, seasonal Mediterranean fare. Applewood's proprietors are followers of the Slow Food movement and the fish is wild and the meat hormone-free. For dessert, head to Oko on Fifth Avenue for tangy Greek-style yogurt: The proprietors tout both eco-friendly food and interior design. 7. Indulge in Eco Pastries at a Green Bakery For travelers with a sweet tooth, green desserts are at several pallet-tempting outposts. City Bakery and its offshoots are perfect for both lunch and scrumptious chocolate and oatmeal cookie goodness. Birdbath Bakery, a City Bakery sibling with West and East Village locations, has walls made of wheat and cups made of corn. Babycakes on Broome Street on the Lower East Side is a big hit for both vegans and wheat-intolerant celiacs, offering natural and organic alternatives free from common allergens such as wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, and eggs. Le Pain Quotidien, with 15 plus locations scattered throughout Manhattan, is a reliable chain for organic bread and pastries. 8. Go Shopping for Eco Clothing Located on the Lower East Side, Organic Avenue boasts hemp and organic clothing, raw foods and organic produce, as well as raw food classes and "consciousness raising" events. Kaight is an eco boutique catering to "eco-minded fashionistas," selling a variety of environmentally conscious apparel such as organic cotton jeans and bamboo bodysuits. Gominyc is a self-described "bad ass eco-boutique" in the East Village, with racks of edgy clothing, vegetable-tanned leather shoes, and cosmetics including all-natural, organic soups and creams. Urban Zen Boutique in the West Village shop (located on Greenwich Street not Greenwich Avenue!) features apparel "both timeless and universal like the ancient dress of eastern nomadic tribes that have been worn for thousands of years." Once you stop laughing, you can find high-end green fashion by Donna Karan here. 9. Stay at a Green Hotel: 70 Park Avenue Hotel, The Benjamin, Sugar Hill Harlem Inn While we eagerly wait for the city's planned LEED certified hotels, an alternative is hotels with savvy green practices. 70 Park Avenue Hotel focuses on green cleaning products and green procurement and uses soy ink and recycled paper property-wide. The complimentary coffee is organic and shade grown/fair trade and plumbing systems are low-flow. This hotel also goes after the dog and yoga lovers amongst us, with pets allowed in the room, dog walkers available, a 24-hour yoga channel, and yoga mats on hand. The Benjamin, renovated in 1999, is one of only four Ecotel certified hotels and the only certified property in Manhattan. All toilets, showerheads, and faucets are designed with water conservation in mind. Sugar Hill Harlem Inn is a quirky, quaint solar-powered B&B in an uptown townhouse. In a garden filled with found objects, native corn and tobacco sprout from soil developed from advanced composting techniques. Staff uses eco friendly cleaning products and all food served is organic. 10. Go Bird Watching For several years now, the New York City Audubon has introduced bird enthusiasts to New York's feathered residents. Tours by foot, boat, and bike give you a bird's eye perspective of the city and viewings of herons, egrets, ibis, cormorants, and maybe even a hawk! Like this? Check out more of Planet Green's Green City Guides.