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Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Wynwood pushed artists out. A neighborhood arts complex wants to build them a home
Nearly 40 years ago, the fading working-class neighborhood of Wynwood landed its first cadre of artists when a group fleeing rising rents in Coconut Grove moved their studios into a ramshackle Art Deco-era former commercial bread factory in the shadow of Interstate 95. Now, as the artists and galleries who helped turn Wynwood into Miami's hippest urban district all but disappear under a tsunami of redevelopment, the Bakehouse Art Complex remains a funky, thriving oasis of creativity. But the people who run it want to do much more. They have just unveiled an ambitious plan, years in the making, that would provide artists a permanent residential foothold in Wynwood — by building some 60 affordable apartments on the Bakehouse campus — as the nonprofit organization embarks on a long-range campaign to fully revamp and expand its studios and workshops and cement its influence in the neighborhood for decades to come. There's a long way to go: The Bakehouse must now build support in political circles and the broader arts community, raise millions of dollars, sign on an affordable-housing developer to partner on the project, and, potentially, enlist Miami-Dade County's housing agency in a side plan to provide even more housing for the surrounding community. But supporters say they believe the unusually far-reaching plan, developed with substantial community input, would allow the Bakehouse to extend its already deep ties to the surrounding neighborhood, where it's long served as an economic and cultural fulcrum, as it expands its longtime role as a pivotal hub for the visual arts and a launch pad for young Miami artists. 'We're going to have more for artists, and more for the community,' said Bakehouse executive director Cathy Leff. 'It's not just about Bakehouse. It's a real grassroots effort. It's about a community and Bakehouse serving the community.' 'We all had this epiphany' The novel housing idea hit Bakehouse administrators as they began planning necessary repairs and renovations to the former industrial building, which turns 100 in 2026. They realized the center's artists were spending less time in their studios because most teach school or have day jobs, sometimes more than one, and commute to far-flung neighborhoods where they can afford to live amid Miami's skyrocketing housing costs. 'We were seeing that the artists weren't here during the day,' Leff said. 'We all had this epiphany — that we had the studios and this big piece of land, and we could do something with it.' That germ of an idea led first to the creation of a new zoning plan to stimulate low-scale construction and preservation and renovation of housing in the neighborhood, the mostly residential and still largely un-gentrified section of Wynwood that lies north of Northwest 29th Street and was once the locus of Miami's Puerto Rican community. Bakehouse representative went door-to-door in the neighborhood to seek input on the plan, which received strong and enthusiastic support from residents and property owners. Called the Wynwood Norte Neighborhood Conservation District and approved by the Miami commission in 2021, it also allows Bakehouse, zoned for civic uses, to add apartments and artistic businesses. Then, thanks to grants from the Miami-based Knight Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, Bakehouse leaders spent the next four years drilling down on the new campus concept with Los Angeles architect and planner Michael Maltzan, well-known for his inventive approach to museum and cultural projects as well as residential buildings. The result is an elaborate plan that would add eight stories of apartments for artists behind the Bakehouse's original 1926 industrial building, which would be fully renovated inside and out. A new wing would incorporate new studios, workshops and a suite of spaces for artists' creative businesses. The new wing and a soaring breezeway would frame a new public green space for Bakehouse and neighborhood use at the center of the roughly 2.5-acre property. Because Leff, former director of the Wolfsonian-FIU museum in Miami Beach, and her team and board members don't stint on ambition, the plan also sketches out a suggested redevelopment scheme for an aging, low-density Miami-Dade County subsidized housing project that occupies most of the rest of the block. The Maltzan design would replace it with a denser mid-rise building with 226 mixed-income apartments, a food market that the neighborhood now lacks, and an art education center for the community where Bakehouse artists could provide lessons and workshops. The county, which has aggressively sought redevelopment of its aging and obsolete housing projects, did not request the proposal from Bakehouse. But Leff said it came out of conversations with residents and reflects their priorities and needs, and she hopes the county will take up the idea. Leff casts the effort as a revitalization endeavor aimed at mitigating the worst effects of gentrification as it marches gradually north from the rapidly changing Wynwood arts district. An 'anchor' for the neighborhood So does Wilfred 'Will' Vasquez, a Bakehouse supporter who grew up two blocks away and now owns several residential properties in the neighborhood. As a child, Vasquez, whose parents settled in Wynwood after emigrating from Central America in the 1960s, would ride his bike the two blocks to the bakery, then the headquarters of the American Bakeries Company, where he would pick up fresh loaves in exchange for a thermos of coffee brewed from beans roasted at a neighborhood plant. He nostalgically recalls the aromas of roasting coffee and baking bread mixing in the air as he pedaled. As an adult, once Leff took the director's position at the Bakehouse and needed help with upkeep at the deteriorating building, Vasquez would volunteer his crews to make repairs free of charge. And when the center and a group of locals began planning the conservation district, Vasquez joined the nascent Wynwood Community Enhancement Association and became a leading supporter of the new zoning and the Bakehouse plan. That's how important the center has been to the neighborhood's history and, now, to what supporters hope will be its resurgence, he said. The Maltzan plan accommodates historic preservation, the center's artistic and institutional ambitions, and the neighborhood's future, he said. 'It's a beautiful plan,' Vasquez said. 'This is something that is needed. I am happy they're keeping the original portions of the building, and the affordable housing for the artists — it's all win-win. I hope the county does come in. If you ask me, what's there now is wasted space. Those residents don't have to be permanently displaced, and they would come back to a much better situation.' The plan, he says, dovetails with the changes already underway in Wynwood Norte, which after World War II served as the residential neighborhood for the garment and factory workers, mainly from Puerto Rico, who worked in the Wynwood industrial district to the south. As the industry faded in the 1960s and 1970s and the Puerto Rican residents were gradually replaced by Cubans and Central Americans, its identify as Little San Juan faded. Today, Vasquez said, the neighborhood is a mix of elderly residents and young people from all over the hemisphere who are drawn by its relatively affordable older housing and Wynwood's hip international reputation. At the same time, Wynwood Norte is seeing some of the fruits of the rezoning in the form of several low-scale, neighborhood-friendly workforce apartment buildings that are now under construction, said Miami attorney Steven Wernick, who helped steer that plan to approval. 'I think the Bakehouse has been an anchor for the neighborhood, and it can now become an even more integral part of the neighborhood and continue pulling people together,' Wernick, a partner at the Day Pitney firm, said. 'It's that kind of institution that's key to its present and will be central to what's to come in the future.' Bakehouse revival The Bakehouse has served as an artistic incubator since it opened in 1986, long before Miami had an arts public high school and college, or a real museum, or an Art Basel Miami Beach. The bakery, which had employed 300 people and made the popular Merita bread, closed in 1978 after its parent company was sold. (Merita is now produced by Flowers Foods). The city helped a group of artists fleeing the Grove and its rising rents negotiate its purchase for $10 as a tax write-off for the company, Leff said. The inside of the factory was partitioned into a warren of about 60 studios — the walls don't reach the ceilings — and over time wood and metal workshops were installed in un-air-conditioned ancillary buildings on the property. Thousands of Miami artists, including some of its most successful, have at some point had studio or shop space at the Bakehouse. By the 2010s, however, it was struggling. Artists had discovered plenty of cheap industrial space for use as studios and even living space, in Wynwood. Half the studios at the Bakehouse were vacant, few artists were paying any rent, and the building was declared structurally deficient by the city. Now that's all drastically changed. Artists were shoved out as the Wynwood arts district redevelopment drove prices up and knocked down the warehouses and industrial buildings they used. Since Leff arrived in 2017, she has helped spearhead a Bakehouse revival. The building has undergone extensive repairs, has a new electrical system, a revamped roof and is close to obtaining recertification from the city. Studios are full and, as the city's arts scene has exploded, so has demand, to the point where many artists are now doubling up. Rent amounts depend on what artists can pay — some pay nothing — and grants and contributions help cover costs. 'It was obvious there was so much talent in the town and not enough spaces for them to work,' Leff said. Just as importantly, Leff said, Bakehouse also provides its artists with a supportive community of peers. They employ one another as studio assistants for artistic projects, serve as mutual sounding boards and critics and develop long-lasting friendships. 'The mission is to get people in here and get them to evolve and then get them launched so they can come out with a sustainable artistic career,' said Philip Lique, an artist and sculptor with a studio at the Bakehouse who serves on staff as technology strategist and planner. The center increasingly turned its attention to the long-neglected community around it when the COVID-19 pandemic hit as it was launching the planning effort. Its artists already provided art classes to students at Jose de Diego Middle School directly across the street, but now staff and artists began delivering baked goods from Wynwood's Zak the Baker — a reminder of the center's historical origin — to the homes where neighbors were in lockdown. When Leff and her staff realized the neighborhood has poor WiFi signals from commercial providers, they bolstered the center's network and made it available to them. They have also hired locals for staff positions, including the beloved property manager, Oscar Cortes, and a husband-and-wife gardening team, Julio Rodriguez and Emma Sierra. Sierra, who grew up in the neighborhood, and her husband are so dedicated to the Bakehouse that they constructed a landscape sculpture from layers of soil of different colors that a center artist drew up for an exhibit at Little River gallery. Supporters acknowledge the Bakehouse plans, the product of years of hard work, may seem forbiddingly imposing, especially in Miami, where many a high-minded scheme has come to naught. But Vaszquez, who is 69 and jokes he hopes to live long enough to seem them come to fruition, said he is keeping faith. 'It hasn't been easy,' he said. 'But it will happen.'
New York Post
20-05-2025
- New York Post
Flight passenger calls out ‘nasty cologne' wearer, igniting airplane etiquette debate
A flight passenger called out a fellow flyer for his 'nasty cologne,' sparking a debate about smells in 'cramped spaces.' In the forum 'r/delta' on Reddit, the post was titled, 'Dudes and their nasty cologne,' as the user shared that he or she was on a flight from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Atlanta, Georgia. 'GUYS … You do not need to wear buckets of cologne before boarding a plane. The preferred amount would be zero. People are allergic,' wrote the user. The person continued, 'Honestly, it's wholly inconsiderate to wear anything super strong in cramped spaces.' Reddit users took to the comments section to share their thoughts about various smells on planes. 'Perfume and cologne are NOT meant to be announced, they are to be discovered,' wrote one user. Another user commented, 'I have to bring my inhaler with me for every flight because of this.' 4 A flight passenger called out a fellow flyer for his 'nasty cologne,' sparking a debate about smells in 'cramped spaces.' Andrey Popov – Yet another Redditor said, 'It doesn't help that a lot of airports have cologne shops where people go in and spray a ton of samples on themselves before their flight.' One user wrote, 'In my experience, it's mostly middle-aged women with their sickly sweet perfume that I notice. But I agree with the sentiment.' Said another person, 'I've given up a FC [first class] seat and moved to coach because a woman's perfume gave me an asthma attack.' 4 'GUYS … You do not need to wear buckets of cologne before boarding a plane. The preferred amount would be zero. People are allergic,' the user wrote. Pixel-Shot – A user advised, 'I always travel with peppermint oil to put in/around my nose to combat the noxious cologne/perfume /body spray /BO.' Another user joked, 'I think everyone needs to walk through a smell detector before they board a plane. If it's too much, they have to go home and take a shower.' Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog 'View From the Wing,' told Fox News Digital that passengers should be mindful of others. 4 The person continued, 'Honestly, it's wholly inconsiderate to wear anything super strong in cramped spaces.' 'Passengers have a zone of personal space on the plane that roughly corresponds to the area of their seat,' said Leff. 'Within that space, there are all [types] of behavior that might come under criticism (usually in the realm of personal hygiene and grooming), but it really comes down to the discretion of the individual,' he added. Leff said that with airflow and filtration, smells, sprays, or perfumes can be spread throughout the cabin. 4 'I have to bring my inhaler with me for every flight because of this,' one person commented on the post. NINENII – 'To broaden the lesson a bit, don't bring stinky foods on the plane, either!' Leff said. 'Some airports sell barbecue, but saucy ribs aren't a great idea,' he also said. 'Neither is Chinese food to go.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hawaiian Airlines: No one will lose their miles
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Loyal travelers with Hawaiian Airlines are being told not to worry as their HawaiianMiles are safe. The program will eventually be phased out because of the merger with Alaska Airlines. But analysts say that's a good thing. Nimitz Highway collision claims life of pedestrian The merger between Hawaiian and Alaska is eight months old now. While passengers haven't seen much change on day to day operations yet, the topic of HawaiianMiles has been a point of concern for passengers. 'Not worried about it, but maybe concerned,' said traveler Nalani Paio. 'We just wanna be updated so we don't lose our miles. And we can use it to travel whether it's interisland or to the mainland.' In an email, Hawaiian Airlines officials say they've been transparent that there will be a combined loyalty program between the two airlines, scheduled to launch this August. Members can rest assured, all their HawaiianMiles will be retained in the new program. No one will lose their miles.'We're moving towards a unified loyalty platform that's, frankly, a stronger loyalty program,' said Gary Leff, a travel blogger. 'And I think most folks who are familiar with HawaiianMiles are probably going to like it for the most part.' Leff says it's because Alaska is part of the One World Alliance, which has partnerships with different airlines from Hawaiian. 'There are more partners and more ways to earn points,' Leff said. 'There are more partners and ways to spend points. And on average, you'll find that the awards that you're booking cost fewer miles.' That'll allow travellers to use miles to reach new destinations from the islands. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'If you're going to be flying to Europe, you're already going to be connecting in the mainland,' Leff said. 'Well, you have the opportunity to fly British Airways and American Airlines, but also carriers like Aer Lingus out of Ireland, Condor from Germany, which are not One World Airlines, but are Alaska Airlines partners.' Experts say there is a downside to the merged rewards program. And it has to do with upgrades. One, they're guessing it could cost more, but two – availability. Because you're basically doubling your passenger base, upgrades could be fewer and far between. There's also questions on each airline's credit card. HIDOE students feast on sweet potatoes 'We'd like to keep Hawaiian's credit card or Alaska's credit card that can use both ways,' said traveler Matt Paio. 'So we kinda stuck in the middle about that we don't know if Hawaiian's credit card will be good with Alaska Airlines. We don't know.' Hawaiian says both cards will still be valid with miles earned available for either airline. But there will be a new card available soon, with more details this summer. 'But on the whole, it's going to be more positive,' Leff said. 'I am happy to see my own HawaiianMiles become Alaska Airlines miles.' 'I hope it's gonna be better,' Nalani Paio said. 'And we're just waiting to see and waiting for that confirmation.' Hawaiian says members can keep checking their website for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
14-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
Flight attendants dish on how they know you're breaking this flying rule
Vaping on planes can be a bit of a cloudy issue for some people who question whether flight passengers can get away with using e-cigarettes in the bathroom. One Reddit user took to the forum 'r/flightattendants' to ask others, 'Do you guys know when passengers vape in the bathroom?' Advertisement The post garnered an array of comments from various flyers and users claiming to be flight attendants who weighed in with their thoughts. 'Yes, we know,' one Redditor commented. The user added, 'Even if [an] audible alarm didn't go off (or maybe it did and you were too far to hear it), something else will alert on the FA panels or in the cockpit — and the pilots [will] call to tell us to check on a specific lavatory.' 'We get loud, flashing red alarms on the flight deck when smoke or particulates are detected. So, yes, we know when someone is vaping in the lav,' claimed another Redditor. Advertisement Another person said, 'There are sensors all over the plane. Just saying.' 'When I open the door and it smells like strawberry star crush, then yes,' said one user. One Reddit user took to the forum 'r/flightattendants' to ask others, 'Do you guys know when passengers vape in the bathroom?' Jorge Elizaquibel – Another person said, 'Keep in mind an alarm may have sounded, but it may not have sounded like a traditional alarm you think of — so it may not have registered [in] your mind it was an alarm.' Advertisement A Redditor suggested, 'Just buy some nicotine gum if you really are that hooked.' 'I watched someone just hitting their vape in their seat a few weeks ago,' said another flyer. 'Exhaled into her clothing. No one said anything to her the entire flight. I think some care more than others do.' A person claiming to be a flight attendant shared, 'Yes. I have worked a flight where the fire alarm went off due to a guy vaping in the bathroom. You can be arrested — it's not worth it.' Advertisement 'We get loud, flashing red alarms on the flight deck when smoke or particulates are detected. So, yes, we know when someone is vaping in the lav,' claimed a Redditor. Getty Images Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog 'View From the Wing,' told Fox News Digital about detectors on planes. 'It's just the smoke detector, but these aren't your average home smoke detectors,' said Leff. 'The modern ones can certainly detect aerosols from vaping.' 'You can't smoke on a plane. You can't vape, either,' said Leff. 'The FAA has interpreted the prohibition on cigarette smoking to include vaping products, even though they're quite different.' He added, 'It's not about banning vapor. The regulation simply extends the ban on cigarettes to include e-cigarettes, which weren't contemplated when the law against on-board smoking was passed.'
New York Post
30-04-2025
- New York Post
‘Shrinkflation' hits luxe airport lounges — travel expert slams major airline for notable change
As if harried travelers didn't have enough on their plates. 'Shrinkflation' has apparently taken to the skies: American Airlines is being accused of only offering puny plates at its frequent-flyer lounges, presumably to cut back on culinary expenses. 'They want to make sure that customers eat less, or at least take less, in order to control food costs,' declared flight expert Gary Leff while dishing on the stingy measure in a recent piece for travel site View From the Wing. 'And they do this with very small plates.' The Post reached out to American Airlines for comment. The forced portion-control policy is allegedly offered at the AA Admirals Clubs, luxury lounges that feature various amenities, including personal travel assistance, shower suites and a full buffet. 4 'They (the plates) don't hold much food, and they don't do a great job of holding it in,' flight expert Gary Leff declared. YouTube/Ryan's Reviews and Overviews Day passes run flyers $79 or 7,900 AAdvantage miles while annual membership costs range from $850 (or 85,000 AAdvantage miles) for an individual and $1,600 (160,000 AAdvantage miles) for a household. Despite their supposed ritzy reputations, the airport refuges seemingly skimp on serving sizes, per Leff, who said that the 'plates are so small that it's almost impossible not to make a mess.' 'They don't hold much food, and they don't do a great job of holding it in,' the fussy flyer warned. 'If you pick up food using tongs and place it in the plates, some items like salad invariably fall onto the ground.' 4 Leff ripped American Airlines over the stingy shift. Instagram/garyleff AA's so-called minimalist dish policy is especially problematic given that the lounges offer the same plates no matter if they're serving salad or supersized sausages. Leff cited a submission from one reader who pointed out that the American Airlines Admirals Club in Charlotte 'is now serving full-size brats,' but the plates 'aren't any bigger and they don't fit.' Included was a photo of the titanic tubesteak with both ends jutting off the dish. 4 The Admirals Club (pictured) offers members the chance to 'fill up on a variety of premium food and enjoy hearty regional dishes,' per the site. Alex – 4 'They want to make sure that customers eat less, or at least take less, in order to control food costs,' declared Leff. 'And they do this with very small plates.' Universal Images Group via Getty Images The travel expert said that AA's diminutive dish doesn't exhibit the basic functions of a plate, which include keeping food off a table surface, grouping items together and providing 'a flat, often decorative space to arrange food attractively.' But don't try hauling their complimentary vittles off in a to-go bag — Admirals Club members are prohibited from taking food, drink or periodicals away from the premises, per the lounge guidelines. Leff attributed AA's one-size-fits-all approach to the carrier's strategy to, in the words of CEO Robert Isom during a 2022 speech, 'never spend a dollar more than we need to.' He quipped that the airline could try and realize its recently announced mission of providing a more 'premium experience' and invest in dishware rather than just the food — which he noted was nothing to write home about either. Leff isn't the only one railing against dish shrinkage — Redditors have also ripped the paltry portions at the Admiral's Club. In 2022, one aggrieved air passenger wondered, 'Anyone else notice that the plates in the Admirals Club are now half the size?' 'Been in CLT [Charlotte Douglas International Airport], DFW [Dallas Fort Worth International Airport] and ATL [Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport] this week, and all have moved to the half-sized plates that hold two meatballs and six noodles (still need to confirm cheese cube capacity)?' they added. 'Maybe they are trying to discourage food waste, but I think it may increase cleaning costs bc I saw people dropping food from the tiny plates more often,' said another. This comes as products from toilet paper to Costco cookies are reportedly being affected by so-called 'shrinkflation,' which occurs when a product's size or value is decreased yet still offered at the same retail price.
