Gen Z has an analog awakening, Jean-Georges’ Tin Building closes, and Airbnb wants you to live out your “Heated Rivalry” fantasies. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Airbnb is coming to the cottage
Barlochan Cottage in Torrance, Canada; photo courtesy of Airbnb
The site of the spicy (and emotional) season finale of “Heated Rivalry” is now available to rent on Airbnb. Beginning March 3rd, the six-room Barlochan Cottage in Torrance, Canada will invite travelers to book bucolic stays set upon 400 feet of private Muskoka waterfront, Variety reports. The space comprises open interiors with soaring ceilings, a sunny kitchen, eight-person dining area, dual fireplaces, a rec room, and an exercise room. Ample outdoor space for lounging, dining, and fires are an apt complement to sunset views as well. Sounds ideal for a romantic weekend away… hopefully no one’s parents show up unannounced!
Jean-Georges’ Tin Building shutters
The Tin Building by Roman and Williams in New York’s South Street Seaport; photo by Nicole Franzen
The South Street Seaport in New York bids a bon voyage to Jean-Georges Vongerichten, whose Tin Building food hall has closed. The $200 million project first opened in August 2022, touting a design from Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors and a medley of elevated eateries, markets, and boutiques. Eater reports that, while restaurant performance remained robust, lower foot traffic in the market sowed the Tin Building’s fate. The food hall was also the site of controversy in late 2024, when roughly 100 workers were laid off following a surprise employment authorization check. Spanning nearly 50,000 square feet, the former culinary hub is set to be replaced by a balloon museum later this summer. You read that right.
Mapping NYC—on foot!
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve acquiesced a shocking amount of public space in New York to cars. Even so, 41 percent of all trips in the five boroughs are made on foot, compared to only 28 percent by car. Despite the fact that the city’s 80×50 climate action plan also envisions that 80 percent of all trips in the city will be made by food, bike, or public transit by 2050, no mapping of pedestrian activity exists—until now. MIT urban studies and planning associate professor Andres Sevtsuk has launched the first complete model of pedestrian movement in New York, tracking foot traffic on sidewalks, crosswalks, and footpaths during peak hours. According to Fast Company, the model even measures pedestrian areas particularly vulnerable to traffic accidents. Now adaptable for other U.S. cities, the model aspires to serve as a champion for lobbying in the name of pedestrians everywhere. As a NYC pedestrian who won’t be driving anytime soon, I’ll drink to that!
Gen Z launches an analog revolution
Within forthcoming members club Stylus, the cellar’s Subliminal space features a listening lounge; rendering courtesy of O’Neill Rose Architects
It’s a pleasant surprise to see Gen Z pushing a surge in analog music and print book sales across both the U.S. and the UK. Unlike the vinyl boom that swept our previous decade, the drive is less about nostalgia and more about novelty for under-25 friends who feel overwhelmed by digital noise. Fortune reports that not only are CDs making a comeback among this demographic, but so are concert ticket and merch sales. When it comes to relaxing with a good book, 80 percent of 14- to 25-year-olds prefer an analog copy over an e-reader as well. Those 40 and under continue to account for the largest swath—54 percent—of library users in both countries. The kids are alright!
Check out design activations at HD Expo!
An HD Expo + Conference panel from 2025; photo by PWP Studio
As if you need another reason to register for HD Expo + Conference this year, several design-driven activations await on the show floor. Gensler will craft an homage to the Grand Hotel, resplendent with moody supper club vibes as it draws inspiration from recent trends. This year’s wellness pavilion will be outfitted by Harken Interiors, which will reimagine the space—dubbed Courtside—with design references to padel ball courts. Plenty of buzzy panels will beckon at the Mainstage (home to the all CEU-accredited sessions), too.
