Latest news with #Rooftop
Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business Insider
Now you can get a breath of fresh air at airports — literally
One of my travel dreams came true recently. I was in Laguardia, Terminal C, on my way to the gate headed to Florida, when I came across a "terrace." A kind of amphibious, indoor-outdoor space, it was enclosed with glass walls facing onto the runways, but a net ceiling that allowed in fresh air and real sunshine. In other words, you could sit outside at the airport, past security. For me, one of the biggest drags of travel has long been that feeling of being trapped inside on a beautiful day, waiting for a flight — delayed or on time — unable to catch a gulp of fresh air. I get the security concerns, but couldn't there be some "outside" once you're inside? Now, my wish was granted. In this terrace, there were lovely benches, with people sitting enjoying their time — one family having a snack, one fellow doing bench pushups, one couple enjoying each other's company. And we were all enjoying the fresh air. My colleague Nathan set out to find out more about airport terraces. So, how common are they? Outdoor spaces, such as terraces and viewing decks, were once fairly common features at airports across the world. With heightened security concerns post 9/11, many of these areas closed. Weary travelers were forced to while away the hours with little more than sterile shopping malls and extortionately priced cafés and bars to occupy them. In recent years, however, many airports have been undergoing major renovations aimed at elevating customer experiences — and outdoor spaces have become all the rage once more. Aside from the obvious aesthetic advantages, such areas are designed to address a growing issue in aviation: passenger stress. It's hard to blame anyone for feeling frazzled when flying. Cramped cabins, intimidating security procedures, and the nagging threat of delays and cancellations are enough to make even the hardiest of travelers fret. But a little fresh air can often go a long way toward alleviating some of that anxiety. "Human beings, by nature, respond very poorly to sterile environments," Terence Young, a principal and design director at global architecture firm Gensler, told Business Insider. "We feel like we're being driven. We have no sense of human agency. There's no joy in the space." Gensler was early to embrace the alfresco trend, leading the design of JetBlue's T5 Rooftop at New York's JFK International Airport. Opened in 2015, it was one of the first post-security outdoor areas available to all passengers in the United States. The rooftop is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time and offers a green area, child-friendly and dog-friendly spaces, and views of the Manhattan skyline and the TWA Flight Center. Gensler is also working on a 5,000-square-foot terrace at San Diego International Airport. Due to open in September, the space will offer flyers an outdoor restaurant and views across San Diego Bay. Another firm looking to bring the outdoors closer to flyers is Corgan. One of the Dallas-headquartered firm's recent projects was the Delta Sky Club and Sky Deck at Salt Lake City International Airport. The almost 30,000-square-foot space opened in 2020 and offers passengers an open-air patio where they can take in the Wasatch Range. Alongside Lake Flato Architects, Corgan is also designing a new terminal at San Antonio International Airport, which will include a post-security outdoor patio with views across the airfield. "The travel journey begins long before boarding a plane," Ginger Gee DiFurio, an aviation design director at Corgan, said. "Features like natural light, fresh air, views, and greenery have become essential in reducing stress and providing a sense of calm within the often-hectic terminal environment." John Trupiano, a principal at Corgan, who is leading the new terminal project at San Antonio, added that he believed the growing trend also reflected a "broader cultural shift toward health and well-being." "There's a growing emphasis on providing access to the outdoors as designers seek to balance the need for shelter with the benefits of a more nature-connected, health-conscious lifestyle," he said. At Pittsburgh International Airport, officials are also looking to take some of the stress out of flying. The airport is undergoing a $1.7 billion new terminal program that will add four outdoor terraces, two pre-security and two post-security. The project aims to harness a "biophilic" design to bring nature to passengers, allowing flyers to grab a breath of fresh air and shake off some excess energy before boarding. "The stress of uncertainty can make people anxious," Christina Cassotis, the CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport, told BI. The key question is: "How do you create calm?" she added. And it's not just passengers who could benefit from such spaces, with designers also keeping airport employees in mind. "Their ability to operate safely is 100% dependent on their frame of mind," Young said. Other airports to have added similar outdoor spaces include Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Monterey Regional Airport, Long Beach Airport, Denver International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport. While many travelers will no doubt delight in the opportunity to step outside of the terminal, for others, the idea of airside outdoor spaces might conjure up even more security concerns. But airports and designers are taking a number of precautions to minimize risks. "Post-security outdoor spaces require careful planning to ensure compliance with safety and security regulations," Trupiano said. "This includes physical barriers and screening processes to prevent the transfer of prohibited items from non-secure to secure areas, as well as design strategies to mitigate the risk of foreign object debris near aircraft operations." Aviation security expert Jeffrey Price told BI that "the most significant security measure" is often a plexiglass wall that extends around eight to 10 feet high. He said these were also made "as seamless as possible" to make them difficult to climb over. CCTV is also often in place to monitor such terraces, and security personnel may also patrol the areas or be stationed nearby, Price added. "Everything starts with a safety and security filter. Everything," Cassotis said. What is next on our travel wish list? Three things. First, planes that are impervious to weather — in other words, planes that could fly even in inclement conditions. Next, more of a subway-style system where you could simply arrive at the airport and buy a ticket for whatever flight you want, and just get on the next one. And finally, more (and functioning) power outlets. One can always dream.
The Irish Sun
12-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Moment huge fireball engulfs housing block in ‘arson attack' as residents sleep… before hero mum saves dozens of lives
THIS is the dramatic moment a bin store erupted into a huge fireball just inches from a block of homes as residents slept - following a suspected arson attack. Ruth Galloway - whose maisonette is directly above where the fire started - woke up her two sons, before banging on neighbours' doors and calling the fire brigade. Advertisement 9 Ruth Galloway (left) and neighbour Chantelle Goodwin at Greenhill House Credit: Adrian Sherratt 9 The bin stores erupted into flames last Friday Credit: Ruth Galloway The 48-year-old and her kids, Harold, 20, and 19-year-old Arthur , then found their exit blocked off, with flames licking up the staircase down to ground level. Ruth told The Sun: 'We learned later that the bin store is immediately below a mains gas pipe - that's the worrying bit.' She explained how she'd been 'dozing' at around 1.30am in her home in Bishop Cleeves, Tewkesbury, last Friday (July 4) when she heard a 'crackling' sound. Initially thinking it was her radio, she turned it off but the noise continued, 'then there was a massive bang'. Advertisement Read more news 'I ran downstairs to my balcony and realised the bin stores were on fire,' she said. Ruth then shouted to her sons 'there's a fire, get out of bed!' before carrying her nervous pet Patterdale dog Mookie in her arms. 'The stairs are right next to our house , so there was flames licking our wall," she continued. 'We exited down the other end. We had to walk the whole length, so I banged on as many doors as I could. I presume the fire brigade banged on the others.' Advertisement Most read in The Sun She said the firefighters arrived within four minutes. 'Thank God they did because they said if it had been burning for much longer the gas pipe would have gone and it would have taken the whole building with it,' Ruth explained. Schoolboy, 12, killed in horror fire that ripped through block of flats had 'great heart' as family pays tribute The complex consists of 10 maisonettes in a row, above a row of shops and a nursery. However, mum-of-two Ruth laughed when asked if she thought of herself as a hero. Advertisement 'I was just trying to get out of the building, and make sure people were awake,' she said. She said most of the other households have very young children. 'The poor bastards had to sit out there in the car park for five hours,' she continued. One of Ruth's sons took the video as the blaze raged towards the building. Advertisement 'I was in shock because of our poor dog. He didn't wake up at all, he just shook. 'He's a bit of an anxious dog, I was just worrying about the dog for the first couple of hours, trying to calm him down.' 9 A fire engine at the scene 9 The charred bin stores Credit: Adrian Sherratt Advertisement 9 The building sits over shops and businesses Credit: Ruth Galloway It was around 6am when everyone was allowed back inside, with the bin stores and part of the building scorched from the fire. The next day a representative from housing association Rooftop knocked on Ruth's door to check the property. "I'd only slept for about an hour,' she said. 'I just told them we're all just happy to be alive.' Advertisement She added: 'If it had been going on any longer, if the gas would have exploded, or the flames were coming towards my front door… who knows what would have gone first. 'Either we'd have been blown to high heaven or we wouldn't have been able to get out of the front door for flames. That was scary.' 'Arson attacks' & flytipping Ruth said the same night several fires were also started nearby, including at a school just down the road. 'While we were waiting for the firefighters to put out our fire, there was another one lit at the school,' she recalled. Advertisement 'You could see this bright light suddenly appear. Whoever was doing it had the brass balls to do another one while the fire brigade were a hundred metres away, and the police were here too.' Ruth said there was plenty of fuel in her complex's bins due to a major fly-tipping issue which has been ongoing since she moved into the property in December last year. As a result, the bin men often neglect to empty them at all, she claims. 'I've been going on about to it to my housing officer since I moved in, I just thought it was a fire risk itself - I didn't realise there was a gas pipe,' she said. Advertisement 'The gas line comes up from the ground and up the wall.' Ruth said the pipe's been chopped off where it was melted by the flames but the exterior armour 'just about held'. 'Thank God for that - the inside plastic pipe had melted, hence there was a massive gas leak afterwards.' Referring to the flytipping, Ruth went on to say: 'We have fly tippers from all around. The material for fuel in the store was immense because people just come and bring furniture. Advertisement 'The one attached to my building is supposed to be just for recycling - Tewkesbury Borough Council has refused to collect it for I don't know how long.' 'It feels like no one gives a s***. I've saved not only the housing association's building but also its residents and the businesses underneath. Ruth Galloway resident She added: 'It's only me that's worried about the fire risk because I'm attached.' Her neighbour, mum-of-three Chantelle Goodwin said: "The bins for our houses have been a nightmare ever since I moved in a year ago. "People come round and fly tip on them and they are over loaded and they then don't get collected for weeks on end. Advertisement "There is only four green bins for 10 houses, it's not enough. Every single house by me has kids in and most of us have three kids." She went on to say, her kids, aged three, five and seven, "have been so scared" to go to bed because of the fire. "They are worried that they are going to woken up from bangs on the door telling us to get out the house again, and the gas leaking out that may have caused an explosion. "I don't feel safe living here with three kids," Chantelle said, adding the CCTV cameras don't even work so it'll like be impossible to catch whoever may have started the blaze. Advertisement Building regulations Ruth researched what building regulations are in place relating to bin stores close to properties and found they must be constructed from 'non-combustible materials that hold fire for 30 minutes if attached to a building'. However, the bins are plastic and the stores are wooden. Referring to the housing association, she said: 'They must be crapping themselves, they must have known it (the bin store) shouldn't have been built right next to an exit.' On top of that, due to the gap under the stores, she said there's been a massive rat problem. Advertisement 'It's all been a bit of a mess. I've been very angry, quite rightly so,' said Ruth. 'It feels like no one gives a s***. I've saved not only the housing association's building but also its residents and the businesses underneath." She added: 'I'm not trying to bash the housing association particularly, but I know there must be blocks of flats with the same issue and I don't want anyone to go through this.' Ruth said since the fire she's been unable to sleep and has been replaying the moment in her mind. Advertisement 'I have to stop myself and say no, get over it,' she explained. 'It's something I've got to come to terms with but I've had nightmares where I wake up with a jolt.' Peter Tonge, Director of Communities at the council, said: "We've been working with Rooftop Housing to help residents manage the areas and understand their responsibilities. "We encourage waste and recycling issues to be reported as soon as possible so that we can help to resolve them. 'We've had assurance from Rooftop Housing that they have offered support to residents and are reviewing options for the waste and recycling stores site.' Advertisement The Sun has also contacted Rooftop Housing for comment. Do you know more? Email 9 Ruth struggles to sleep at night now Credit: Adrian Sherratt 9 A hole drilled in the aftermath of the fire to cut off the gas Credit: Ruth Galloway Advertisement 9 Chantelle and Ruth are both scared to remain at their homes Credit: Adrian Sherratt 9 Ruth's pet Patterdale dog Mookie Credit: Ruth Galloway
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Guatemalan man accused of sexually abusing toddler in Norwich
CITY OF NORWICH, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – A Guatemalan man accused of sexually abusing a toddler in the City of Norwich was taken into custody on Thursday. Following a two-month investigation into allegations of child abuse and sexual abuse, the Norwich Police Department arrested 33-year-old Rolando Antonio at a Norwich residence. Antonio was charged with Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a Class D Felony, and Forcible Touching, a Class A Misdemeanor. According to the investigation, Antonio allegedly sexually abused a 3-year-old child in April. Chief Reuben Roach says these cases require the involvement of multiple agencies, including the local Child Advocacy Center, the New York State Police Crime Lab for DNA analysis, and interpreters from the New York State Police. 'My heart goes out to the victim and their family. I hope this arrest provides some measure of justice for them,' said Roach. Rolando was arraigned in Norwich City Court. He is being held on $20,000 bail, with a court appearance scheduled for a later date. The investigation is ongoing, and further charges are expected. The Rooftop by Chef Jay Pisculli now open for the summer months 'Path Though History' explores beauty of Broome County NYSPHSAA Softball Championships to be held this weekend in Broome County Animal Adventure Presents Annual 'Drafts with Giraffes' Guatemalan man accused of sexually abusing toddler in Norwich Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Path Though History' explores beauty of Broome County
BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Community members can take a walk through Broome County history this weekend. Broome County, along with Visit Binghamton, is participating in Path Through History, a two-day event that showcases the beauty of the Southern Tier. It will highlight the historical, cultural, and natural elements of the local area with events, exhibits, and tours. 13 destinations across the county are participating, including Kilmer Mansion, Roberson Museum, and the Phelps Mansion. Those in attendance will be able to ride the carousels as well. The event is part of I Love New York's statewide Path Through History Weekend. For a complete event guide and site map, click here. The Rooftop by Chef Jay Pisculli now open for the summer months 'Path Though History' explores beauty of Broome County NYSPHSAA Softball Championships to be held this weekend in Broome County Animal Adventure Presents Annual 'Drafts with Giraffes' Guatemalan man accused of sexually abusing toddler in Norwich Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This popular Boston rooftop bar is opening for the season this week
It's happening. After a long winter, rooftop season is returning to Boston. Among the various popular destinations that are gearing up to serve top-notch cocktails in the blazing sun again is Rooftop at the Revere Hotel, which re-opens tomorrow, May 1, for the season, dishing out New England cuisine and downtown views in a beautiful outdoor setting. The destination will operate on weekends only for the next few weeks, with the exception of Cinco de Mayo (duh). It will then open for service seven days a week starting Thursday, May 22. Fun fact: the destination at 200 Stuart Street is actually the largest rooftop lounge in the entire city. The perfect destination to celebrate summer's kick-off with tons of friends, if you ask us. Boston loves al fresco season, and one of its best rooftops is reopening next month. The Rooftop at The Revere Hotel opens this Thursday, May 1 offering drinks, New England cuisine, and downtown views in an outdoor setting. Food-wise, the menu features a build-your-own poke section alongside a number of delectable sounding mains, including a hot honey and pepperoni flatbread, a blackened fish taco and a lobster roll served in a grilled brioche with house potato chips. In addition to usual rooftop drinking and eating fun, the lounge will be hosting a slew of different events and programs throughout the season.
