Chapter 1
Creating Inner Space
In a realm of nine million people, it’s tough to find space
to call your own. Even I had to split my space with a friend when
I first moved down to the city, sharing a room to save on rent. In
creating your own space, remember that space is actually infinite.
If you have four feet to walk to turn on the television and halve
that, you’re now two feet away. Halve it again, and you’re one foot
away. Halve it again and you’re half a foot away. Halve it again
and you’re three inches away. This can go on and on forever. So
never underestimate the amount of space you’re given, because it
can be constantly reorganized to give you more space.
My first recommendation for urban survival is to vastly
increase the number of plants in your house. Any space near a
window can be utilized. Check out The Window Farms Project to
get my drift about creating new space. If outdoor survival is a lack of indoor comforts anddirection, urban survival is a lack of outdoor comforts and
creative direction.
Why Plants are Important
in Urban Survival
• They will oxygenate your apartment and take out
pollutants.
• The color green has been shown in scientific studies to
enhance harmony. It will promote a level of peace in your
home environment that you won’t have otherwise.
• They give you a sense of responsibility that most artistsUrban Survival Guide
don’t have.
Union Square Greenmarket
Going to the greenmarket in Union Square is a great way to find
some really cheap plants ($3 Aloe as big as a stoplight?!) , as well
as awesome organic food and great art to boot.
**Plants to pick up: Aloe, Mint, Parsley, Sage, Thyme,
Basil .
You should also check around your apartment to see if
there are any plant stores. Don’t be afraid to get some seeds and
plant your own. It can be done. Windowspace is all you need to
start growing your own tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, carrots ,
onions and the most important plant for urban
survival….WHEATGRASS.
Wheatgrass?!
That’s right. Wheatgrass. I was a nonbeliever at one point
too. But something in me seemed like it wasn’t right. I didn’t
know what, and I stumbled on a page on the internet that told me
that wheatgrass would extract the mental and emotional barbs that
were jammed in my feet from living in the city for so long. Low
and behold, I bought a juicer and it’s changed my life. I even sleep
by a little batch of wheatgrass (it produces a lot of oxygen) and it
makes me feel like I’m high on life. If you’re curious about the
powers it has, here are a few of it’s benefits:
• It helps oxygenate your blood, giving you a “boost” of
power.
• Prevents radiation poisoning, according to a study in the
1970′s.
• Great way to increase your immune system, gets rid of
harmful oxidants.
• Gives you mental peace in your home.
• Costs literally pennies per shot.
11It’s super easy to grow, and equally easy to juice with the right
kind of juicer. It doesn’t need direct sunlight, so you can put it in
any room in your house. Read the definitive book on wheatgrass
aptly titled The Wheatgrass Book, by Ann Wigmore. Here’s my
method of growing and juicing the green stuff.
Johnny’s Wheatgrass Method
Step 1: Pick up a bag of Red Winter Wheat Seeds at your local
organic market. If you don’t know where to get them, you can
order them on Amazon here. Check out High Vibe in the Lower
East Side for a package of organic wheatgrass. Really nice
people own it.
Step 2: Collect some old Chinese food containers. Not the ones
that are made of paper, the little black plastic ones that are about
5”x10”. You can save ‘em, find them on recycling night or even
go so far as to buy some containers at your plant store.
Step 3: Soak your seeds over night to soften them for sprouting.
Step 4: Put some earthworm castings up to the top of your
wheatgrass container. You should have 1”-3” deepness of soil.
Step 5: place the seeds down so that they are touching but not on
top of each other. Water them daily and watch them sprout!
Step 6: At day Seven to Day Nine, they are ready to be juiced, but
you need one of these! Don’t take a pure shot of the juice, you
will be overwhelmed. Instead, add it to a store-bought or
homemade juice or tea. Your eyes will peel back in your head
from the power of wheatgrass. Be prepared.
**YOU CANNOT MAKE A MISTAKE IF YOU USE THIS
METHOD. It’s literally foolproof, just have some patience and
remember to water them every day.**Urban Survival Guide
The Topsy Turvy
I would personally recommend getting a Topsy Turvy Tomato
Planter if you are ready for the next step in home gardening. This
is ideally suited for a window (or porch outside) that gets plenty
of sunlight. Start it indoors and when the final frost goes through,
usually in mid April, it’s okay to put it outside for full sunlight.
Avoid getting the Strawberry planter—when I got one last
summer, it paled in comparison to the easy use of the Tomato
planter, which grew a beastly tomato plant monster that was about
6 feet tall. Also, if you go out of town a lot, consider getting
Aqua Globes. They are cheap, easy to use, store enough water for
two weeks without you, and are much more reliable than getting a
forgetful friend to watch over your chlorophyll-producing allies.
You can get aqua globes at your local CVS during planting season
or at a hardware store year round.
How To Make Your Own
Indoor Composting System
(that won’t stink up the house)
Composting is a great way to reduce your waste output, and will
give you a nutrient-rich soil that you can use while potting new
plants. Learn from my mistakes, and build the great compost
center that I did after a few flubbed attempts. My main goal was
to create a compost system that didn’t stink up the house, so that
the compost doesn’t have to stay outside and attract ants, flies and
the like. I bought a 2 gallon garbage with a circular top at the
dollar store. Following this, I bought a wire mesh “grease
splatter” screen at the same dollar store. Line the bottom of your
new garbage can with newspaper that has been shredded. Add
some worms. You can either find your batch at Prospect Park, or
order them online here. You can also grab them at any bait shop in
the city or at the Union Square Green Market. Now, simply add
your old food scraps and enjoy! It takes about 2-3 months to fully
13compost your waste food, so on top of the “splatter screen” add
some activated charcoal. You can get this at pet-stores for fish
tank filters. This will greatly reduce the smell of the compost. You
can get another trash can and rotate them so that the worms have
time to eat their meal.
C.S.A.’s in NYC
It’s very difficult to completely go “off the grid” in the city. Even
if you do a lot of home gardening, you will end up leaning on
grocery stores for most fruit and veggies. But before you hang up
your trowel in disappointment, remember that anything you can
produce on your own is a positive step! A little box of lettuce
might cost $5 in a store, but you did it for the cost of a tray and
some old fashioned DIY attitude. Check out some of the CSA’s
around Brooklyn and Queens. CSA stands for Community
Supported Agriculture, and it basically is a program that will drop
off fresh fruits, vegetables and even farm-fresh eggs to a
community center near your apartment for a small fee. Programs
generally run from May to November, which for the fee of around
$110 (this is what I pay) is a great value. Plus, you’ll be
supporting local farmers, getting organic veggies and won’t break
the bank doing it. Check out http://www.justfood.org/csa for more
information.
Brewing Kombucha
Kombucha is the new hot thing that will get you fitting
into that old pair of pants in no time. Kombucha is a fermented
tea that you can buy for $4 for a 16 ounce bottle, or make yourself
for about $4 for a gallon. It’s your choice. The health benefits are
staggering: it’s a super drink that will leave you feeling like your body is at 100% all day long. Kombucha can help you quit your caffeine addiction, and has the same health benefits as probiotics. Here are the directions to brewing your own according to yours truly.
Good Karma Kombucha Recipe
1.Get a bottle of raw kombucha.(Needs to be unpasteurized to
grow properly) You can find the raw stuff at Whole Foods. Look
for a bottle that is particularly cloudy. This is going to be your
mother seed for the kombucha culture that will soon grow into a
BIG, jelly fish looking thing.
If you are at Whole Foods on 2nd Ave in Manhattan, go
to the beer store and pick up a spigot for $2.99 that you can put
on your container. This will allow you to pull kombucha directly
from your container without having to open the jar and put in a
ladle every time you want a bit. This step is not required, but it
makes it more convenient.
2.Find yourself a big pretzel or pickle container; the kind you see
at a deli on the counter. I found mine in someone’s recycling bag
out on garbage night in about 2 seconds. Or just buy a big thing o’
pretzels and enjoy them!
3. Once the pretzel container is cleaned out, you’re ready for the
next step. Fill it half way with cold, filtered water.
4. Boil about 4 cups of water and steep 6-12 bags of your favorite
tea in the water. Let it steep for about ten minutes and pull the tea
bags out.
5. Add 1-2 cups of sugar. I used sugar in the raw and it came out
really well. Stir evenly so it doesn’t get stuck to the bottom. Let it
have a rolling boil for two minutes or so.
6. Add your tea mix to the cleaned out pretzel jar. Fill it to the top
with water. Since there was already cold water in it, it should take
the boiling water down to about 70 degrees.
7. Add your bottle o’ kombucha. Hopefully you just got plain, raw
kombucha.
158. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and a rubber band. Don’t
cover it with the plastic cap you got with the pretzel container, or
it will explode due to pressure created by the fermentation
process.
9. Wait anywhere from 5-30 days to consume and repeat, taking
out the kombucha mother and putting it into a sterile mug while
you pour in the boiling water. Don’t worry too much about
sterility (But try your best!) because these are very hearty cultures
that will eat anything that comes in their way!
10. Share with family and friends! Every time a cycle is
completed ( about 30 days) your mother will split off and you can
give the offspring culture to a friend.
All in all, you will find yourself feeling more healthy,
wealthy and wise using this recipe. Mix in apple juice or your
own homemade juice for a super healthy drink that will propel
you through the day!
Using this method, you’ll be able to make about one and a
half gallons a month of the stuff for less than the cost of a single
bottle from the store.
Some easy Juice Recipes that Mask
the taste of Wheatgrass/Kombucha
Brooklyn Sunrise
1 pineapple
5-10 strawberries
healthy amount of cheap champagne
black tea, boiled
shot of wheatgrass/kombucha
Manhattan Sunset
3 Kiwi
1 Orange
5-10 Strawberries
Shot of Wheatgrass
Shot of Vodka (Optional)
Tiger Blood
10 Strawberries
1 Grapefruit
A Few Slices of Pineapple
Shot of Kombucha
Shot of Wheatgrass (Optional)
Brewing Your Own
Beer/Wine/Mead/Cider
For those of you who are interested in producing your own
homemade beer, wine or mead, a great way to start this hobby is
to visit your local homebrew shop down at Brooklyn Homebrew.
(check out an article I wrote on them for D+T here)
The Whole Foods Beer Store also began stocking
Homebrew Equipment last year, and carries everything you need
to start, including a $40 beginner’s kit. I personally enjoy the ease
of the Mr. Beer kit, which runs for about $40 as well. You can
also keg your own batches of beer by getting the Party Pig, which
is a great way to store your homebrew and also impresses girls
and guys alike at parties when you mention that you made and
kegged it yourself.
A simple way to make your own wine without all the
hassles that are normally associated with zymology, check out EZ
Caps. You can start making homemade wine with a potent 15%
alcohol in just two weeks for pennies after you pay for the kit.
The difference? You’ll be making as many bottles of wine as you
want for pennies on the dollar. I have one and recommend it if not
just for the novelty of this product. This product also makes mead
if you replace the sugar used in the recipe with honey.
Grow Your Own Hops
Hops are the flavor-inducing plant that gives your beer
characteristics. Best of all, they grow really easy in New York
City. All you need is to order a batch of rhizomes here, and plant
them next to a tall structure like a pipe or column. Water and take
care of them daily and you’ll be able to put them right into your
wort! Fresh Hops is a great place to start.
Thus ends my “inner space from outer dirt” portion of this
book. As I grow towards growing more and more of my own
food, I will keep you all informed as to new urban garden ideas.
Now we walk into the unknown. Every one that lives in
the city post-9/11 has a fear that something equally bad will
someday happen. After months of researching what to do in an
emergency situation, here is my best advice to everyone.
In Case of An Urban Emergency
In an emergency situation, the most important thing to do
is to remain calm. Panic induces irrational thinking, and things
can spiral into chaos. The best thing to do in an emergency is to
already be prepared. A city environment actually caters to nonpreparedness. Most people don’t have a problem living off of fast
food, and are consequently very ill-prepared when an emergency
occurs.
Have A Plan
● Having a few days extra worth of food can be the
difference between completely panicking during a city
wide event like 9/11 or knowing fully well that you can
handle such a situation. This can be something like MRE’s
available here, or some Ramen Noodles, soup and things
of this nature that won’t spoil immediately.
● Having fresh, sterile water stored in a cupboard is very
easy to do and everyone should do this. This is the
simplest way to know you are at least somewhat prepared!
● Always carry a flashlight and a multi-tool. A friend of
mine was on the subway in N.Y.C when the 2003 blackout
occurred. He had to walk ¼ a mile in total darkness save
for a few people who had flashlights.
● Have a reserve of physical cash somewhere in your
apartment. If ATM’s don’t work, you’ll find safety in
knowing you have a little bit of emergency funds.Urban Survival Guide
● Have, and know how to use a compass. It’s very easy to
just put a compass on your set of keys. This way, you can
figure out how to walk home if the subways are not
running.
● Have a spool of thread and a need in your bookbag or
carry bag. This is great in case you rip your pants, or in a
survival situation, need to sew up a gash that won’t close
on its own. Gross, but in a terrorism situation it could
prove invaluable.
Have a Backup Plan!
If all hell breaks loose, such as it recently did in Japan,
Christchurch, New Zealand, Chile, Haiti, Libya, Bahrain, and
Egypt, what is your plan? Do you have a plan of escape or are
you going to see it through to times of peace? What kind of
security measures do you have?
If electricity is cut, everyone should have emergency
candles and a first aid kit. This is as simple as going to your dollar
store and buying some Rubbing alcohol, a thing of band aids, a
small flashlight, extra batteries and things of this nature. If you
think you need it, spend the money and buy it. Another viable
option is to buy some solar lanterns. As far as I know, the sun
doesn’t have rolling blackouts and is available through solar
panels. These solar lights are a great way to supplement your
electric lights if the power goes out. If you plan on wanting a cell
phone in a time without electricity, you’ll need one of these solar
chargers. These are not available at your local RadioShack,
especially during a time of crisis. Your best bet is to order these
before an emergency.
Having something as simple as a bike could be the
difference between being in the eye of a storm or being
somewhere a safe distance away. It’s always better to be safe than
to be sorry.
Have Cash On Hand!
Having paper money hidden away in your apartment may seem
crazy, but remember what happened in 2008? If the stock market
crashes and banks close their doors, and more importantly, their
ATMs, what do you plan on using to buy things at the grocery
store with? Having some extra cash, even if it’s a roll or two of
quarters, will be a good start to being prepared for the worst.
Survival Kit
Having a survival kit is a great way to know you’ll have the very
least amount of help if a crisis arises. It should be simple and to
the point. You can buy one pre-made, or put it together as you see
fit. Here’s what my survival kit looks like: it fits into a regularsize Nalgene Bottle.
• Emergency Radio, small
• Flashlight, with extra set of batteries
• mosquito netting
• stainless steel watch
• earbud headphones
• two packs of matches
• lighter
• combo phillips head/flathead screwdriver
• pen
• folded paper, 5 rubber bands
• bandage
• chapstick
• sugar packets and some gum
• emergency candle
• razor blades
• fork/knife/spoonUrban Survival Guide
• fishing line with hook
• folding knife
• plastic bag
• Q-tips
• Alcohol Prep Pads (10)
• Antibiotic ointment
• Cliff Bar
• band-aids
Don’t Panic!
For the most part, we here in America have been very
lucky. In my life, I’ve only seen one real tragedy and it was
through the television screen. Sure, it was scary, but I didn’t really
feel like I was in danger because I didn’t live in New York City at
the time. Now that I live here, I wonder how I would react to a
similar scenario. My hope is that I’d follow my own advice and
act with calm logic.
In A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the title is derived
from a fictional guide written about going from planet to planet,
hitchhiking around the cosmos. The front of the book in the series, however,
doesn’t say “The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” rather, it says
in big bold red letters, “Don’t Panic!” It’s equally important not to
dwell on the fear mongering that goes on in the day-to-day news
cycle as it is to be prepared for the worst. Live long and prosper.
Don’t live in fear, but know what to do in a worst-case scenario.
Let the rest of this book be a guide to having fun in the great city
you live in!
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