Hostels rethink their communal model amid COVID-19, organizers set up community refrigerators in New York to fight food insecurity, and cruise operators establish a panel of health experts. All this and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Hostels get creative amid COVID-19
As COVID-19 has made us realize, so many aspects of travel are not designed for social distancing. This is especially true for hostels, which rely heavily on the idea of sharing and community, so as many of these European hotels reopen, “owners and managers must now do the math on how to operate post-lockdown without subtracting sociability—arguably one of a hostel’s most important factors,” writes The New York Times. In order to create safer quarters, establishments are sleeping half as many people per dorm, stocking up on hand sanitizer, installing directional arrows in public spaces, and attempting to attract domestic travelers, too.
Cruise operators establish panel of health experts
On Monday, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced the Healthy Sail Panel, reports The Washington Post. The group, which includes epidemiologists and former leaders of federal agencies, started meeting last month and aims to deliver a detailed plan of action by the end of August. “We want to make sure that we do everything possible, without exception, without any shortcuts, [to show] that cruising is safe,” says Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. “We think the panel is going to help inform us in how to do that.” The CDC’s no-sail order expires July 24th, at which point cruise lines must provide their plans to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on board.
New York continues to show its hospitable side
Organizers are setting up community refrigerators all across New York’s boroughs to fight food insecurity, reduce waste, and bring the neighborhood together, reports The Cut. More than a dozen fridges have popped up outside corner stores and apartment buildings in areas like Harlem, Brownsville, Astoria, Bed-Stuy. Much of the charge is being led by Thadeaus Umpster, a member of the A New World In Our Hearts collective, although many other independent activists have begun volunteering. “This is not charity, this is empowerment,” says Pam Tietze, who operates the Friendly Fridge in Bushwick. “There isn’t a group you have to thank. It’s something the community can own.”
Pharrell Williams and Pentatonic produce sustainable cutlery set
Ready to start safely dining out again? Consider bringing your own reusable cutlery set, like the Pebble—a new set of utensils from technology company Pentatonic and singer Pharrell Williams’ creative brand I am Other. The colorful and sustainable kit, which includes a knife, fork, spoon, straw, and chopsticks within a portable case, is made partially of recycled CDs and DVDs, according to Dezeen. “A dining set that stays with you wherever you go offers the peace of mind of avoiding communal sources of cutlery when eating and drinking anywhere that’s not home,” says Pentatonic.
HD announces 2020 HD/West Elm Student Product Competition winner
The second annual contest tasked students with designing a family of aesthetically neutral tables that are functional for a number of seating heights. This year’s winner is SCAD student Andrew Jacobs for his Volum collection. “We were impressed by how Andrew combined a cohesive and elegant formal language with functionality for commercial spaces,” says Paulo Kos, vice president of design for West Elm Contract Furniture. Jacobs will receive a $5,000 prize and work directly with the West Elm team to produce a selection of his designs. Additionally, Jacobs and finalist Cathy Chang, who was named a finalist for her Collection π, will be fêted in October at the 16th annual HD Awards ceremony in New York.
