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Inside JetBlue's Terminal 5 Opening Party

Our ever-stylish correspondent JetSetCD was on-hand for JetBlue's ribbon cutting bash yesterday...

Yesterday's shindig out at JetBlue's new Terminal 5 was no boring, corporate ribbon-cutting, nossir it was not. Instead, the carrier threw a straight-up block party to celebrate more than just a new address; the festivities and congratulations all centered on JetBlue's employees, many of whom turned out to spend half the day cavorting in their future workplace.

Getting business out of the way with a packed-to-the-gills press conference at 2 pm, where JetBlue founder (and current Azul airline mogul) David Neeleman entered to an immediate standing ovation, the day slowly progressed into pure fun with a performance by Estelle and free booze.

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Airports / Architecture / JFK / JetBlue / Buildings / T5 at JFK / Eero Saarinen / TWA / Videos / → All Tags

First Video of JetBlue's Terminal 5 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

JetBlue's new Terminal 5 may not be open to the public yet, but there seem to be approximately 17 billion people on hand for the ribbon cutting today, as seen in this video starring CEO Dave Barger.

In the crowd are David Neeleman (just in from Brazil?), New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and The Rockettes.

Also on view at the new terminal are some fancy seats from Lufthansa, which owns 19 percent of JetBlue. And our spy on the scene says they're serving "T5-tinis," which sounds nice!

Related Stories:
· T5 Live Blog [Official Site]
· There Will Be Live Blogging: JetBlue's T5 Grand Opening Already Underway [Jaunted]

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Foodie Travel: P.S.1's Autumn Harvest

Over the past few months, New York's P.S.1 art museum has been home to the P.F.1 (Public Farm One), an installation from the winner of this year's MoMA Young Architects Program. This unique urban garden has been used to grow more than fifty types of vegetables, herbs and flowers.

From 7 pm-9 pm September 30, this bountiful harvest will be used as raw ingredients for a spectacular spread of hors d'oeuvres cooked up by chef Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern.

The Autumn Harvest event will pair the home-grown food with specially chosen wines, and music will be provided by David Bruno.

Related Stories:
· PopRally Presents Autumn Harvest at P.F.1 [Official Site]
· MoMA/P.S.1 Young Architects Program [Official Site]
· Museums coverage [Jaunted]

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There Will Be Live Blogging: JetBlue's T5 Grand Opening Already Underway

JetBlue is hosting a day-long "ceremonial opening" of its new T5 at JFK today, but the media--including our correspondent--aren't supposed to show up until about 2 pm.

But if you have to know what's happening at T5 right this second, you can tune into JetBlue's official blog about the terminal, which already has a few of posts from corporate PR and marketing people hyping the day's festivities.

Later today, the carrier promises:

Ribbon cutting with world-famous New York City dance troupe [and a] performance by [a] popular singer with one of this summer's Top 10 hits.

One thing to remember: T5 doesn't actually open to passengers until October 1.

Related Stories:
· T508 Live Blog [Official Site, via]
· Inside JetBlue's Terminal 5 Trial Run [Jaunted]
· T5 at JFK coverage [Jaunted]

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New Terminals Travel: Indy's New Airport Opens November 11

Now that we've gushed about JFK's newest terminal, shouldn't we check on what's happening in Indianapolis? The brand-new building there will open to arriving flights on November 11, just a few days later than the originally planned date of October 28. Outbound passengers will check in at the new terminal beginning November 12.

Parking and getting around will likely be a mess those first couple days, but airport officials say they have plans to alleviate the stress. (And you can always mellow out with some public art.)

But on the heels of the Heathrow meltdown and JetBlue's own trial run, when can we expect a sneak peak inside the new IND?

Related Stories:
· Architecture Travel: The New Indianapolis Airport [Jaunted]
· Inside JetBlue's Terminal 5 Trial Run [Jaunted]

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Inside JetBlue's Terminal 5 Trial Run

It was a beautiful day for a fake flight: The sky was blue, the sun was bright and the Airtrain was quickly depositing 1,000 people onto JetBlue's new turf behind Eero Saarinen's iconic TWA Terminal at JFK.

Saturday's event, the JetBlue T5 Trial Run, involved groups of New York-area TrueBlue members (us), JetBlue family and press who would put the terminal through the paces without actually flying anyone anywhere.

Last week when we received the email confirming our place in Group A--scheduled to start the first run-through at 9 am--our stomach sank at the thought of having to be out on the A train to JFK in the wee hours of a Saturday morning. But to the airport we went!

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Hudson Valley Escape: Tarrytown

Tarrytown was the home of early 19th century writer Washington Irving, and it was this quaint Dutch-American hamlet that inspired his creepy ghost story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." (Adjoining North Tarrytown even changed its name to Sleepy Hollow in 1997 in an attempt to up its tourist appeal.)

While there have been no reported sightings of headless horsemen recently, the village today is one of the area's most historically rich destinations. Here's our guide to Tarrytown.

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Luxury Overdose: Even More Golden Toilets in Hong Kong

Swisshorn Watches thought it would be a good idea to do some sort of over the top public relations stunt to help introduce their brand into the Asian market. So with the help of the Hang Fang Gold Technology Group, they built a massive palace entirely out of gold.

The Swisshorn Gold Palace in Hong Kong is 650 square meters of the stuff. Everything, including the desk, the bed, the couch, the carpet and, yes, even the toilet is gold. The project took five years to complete at the cost of $50 million. Other features include an entrance lobby, dining room, living space, bedroom and a bathroom.

The space is inspired by the legend of Emperor Han Wu, who promised his wife Ah-Jiao a palace of gold. That being said, for some reason it was designed with a "European architectural feel."

The palace is open daily, and admission is a mere $3. With about 2,500 visitors expected every day, they should recoup their costs in no time.

Related Stories:
· Swisshorn Gold Palace [Official Site]
· A Legend of Gold [DeZona]
· A Golden Throne in Hong Kong [Jaunted]
· Hong Kong Travel coverage [Jaunted]

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Private Island Travel: Clingstone Mansion

Perched on a rocky island overlooking Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island is one of the most unique mansions you've ever seen. Clingstone, as it's aptly named, is 103 years old, but it looks like a million bucks.

This house, with the 360 degree views of the bay, cost a mere $36,982.99 when it was completed in 1905. Today, it offers a combination of grandiose opulence and rough beach house charm.

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DIY Art Travel: Quilting at the Gas Station

In the city of Syracuse, New York, artist Jennifer Marsh was sick of driving by a run down, abandoned gas station every day. She took matters into her own hands and hatched a plan to beautify the building--and make a statement about high gas prices.

Marsh enlisted the help of artists from 15 countries and more than 2,500 grade school students in 29 states to create panels to cover the building. More than 3,000 quilt blocks made of every conceivable material were stitched together to cover every available surface--including the pumps--of the 50-year-old gas station.

The crazy but wonderful project cost $29,000, much of it Marsh's own money, with donations making up the rest.

Related Stories:
· International Fiber Collective [Official Site]
· Jennifer Marsh's Gas Station Cozy [Wooster Collective]
· Art coverage [Jaunted]

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Architecture Travel: Reactivate!! Instant Urbanism

The Espai d' Art Contemporani de Castelló museum, near Valencia, Spain is hosting a fantastic exhibit called REACTIVATE!! Highlighting architecture projects that transform underused and forgotten urban areas and buildings into vital public spaces, it runs through August 31.

The designers in the show have thrown out the notion of loitering and use temporary and modular structures to reshape the cityscape into a more interactive and enjoyable place to relax, play and connect with fellow residents. Nicknamed "instant urbanism," the projects of REACTIVATE!! turn transient areas permanent.

One interesting stand out is Popelka Poduschka's installation at the inner courtyards of the Museumsquartier in Vienna. In the summertime, 116 colorful over sized geometric furniture elements are scattered throughout the area, creating a playground that provides places to do some work or soak up the sun. In the winter, they are all piled together like building blocks, making an indoor gathering area where refreshments are served and DJs spin.

Related Stories:
· Espai d' Art Contemporani de Castelló [Official Site]
· Instant Urbanism [Worldchanging]
· Architecture coverage [Jaunted]

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JetBlue, Pick Us for Your Secret Terminal 5 Test!

Actors have previews, football players have scrimmages and JFK's Terminal 5 is having a "trial run" on August 23rd. But unlike on Broadway or at Alvin Ailey, you can be a part of this trial run if you got JetBlue's latest love letter, which went out to some of its TrueBlue frequent flier members, one of which was good enough to post the invite and his thoughts.

The airline seeks 1,000 warm bodies to play passengers, proceeding through check-in and security and hanging out at the gates. Participation also includes free lunch, which is more than you can get as a paying passenger on a flight!

You have to fill out a special form to participate--anyone want to forward us the fun? The rest of the invitation, after the jump.

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