It was the early 1990s. Helene was at an Italian street festival with her mother in her hometown, Jersey City. They were in line to order some food with one man waiting before them. Then, the worker at the counter looked Helene in the eyes and asked her what she’d like. “I think that guy […]
Arts & Culture
Dancing into the Year of the Dragon
New York University sophomore Megan Nguyen lets out a delighted gasp as she locks eyes with a seven foot purple creature made up of layers of patterned fabrics, embellished with sequins and fur, bouncing its huge head up, down and side-to-side. A circle of onlookers brandish their phones and let out astonished giggles as the […]
What They’re Buying at Buffalo Exchange
Young thrift shop enthusiasts enjoy spending their afternoons at Buffalo Exchange to support sustainable, low-cost fashion, and be a part of the hunting process. The first time you step into Buffalo Exchange on Broadway Avenue in Manhattan, you are welcomed by the sound of pop music and young, hip people. Colorful, vintage garments fill the […]
“Veselka: The Rainbow On The Corner at the Center Of The World” is a New Documentary About the Choices One Makes When the World is Collapsing
Veselka. It’s the Ukrainian restaurant on the corner of Ninth and Second Avenue – the one with sunflowers imprinted on the pavement leading up to its door and the unending line of people huddled under the glass window decals (which read, “OUR HEARTS BEAT FOR UKRAINE,” “VESELKA IS LOVE,” and “PEACE TODAY, PIEROGI TOMORROW”). Its […]
Made In Armenia
It was a Thursday night in Manhattan, and a group of young Armenians squeezed into the basement bar of Ferns in the East Village to fundraise for Artsakh refugees. The group was young, vibrant — and there to party. Those who grew up going to the same Armenian schools in the Tri-state area were reuniting, whereas other […]
A Prayer for Magdalena, and Our Block: This is not a journey to the Balkans. But Astoria is the next-best-thing.
We are playing “the Balkan game.” It’s 7 p.m. and Selo has Oliver Dragojević on, musical hero of the Balkans, while bottles of moonshine rakija clink as they pour. And yet, the restaurant Selo is quiet enough that our presence in Astoria, Queens, is, with a few stares, decidedly announced. My friend Šime Luznik, a […]
Lowbrow comedy deserves lowbrow camerawork
In Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David’s problems are often measured in piles of money, or manifested in ways that they can only manifest for the comically rich. But the motives and dilemmas behind these problems are by equal turns petty, banal, and relatable. When Larry checks out of his Manhattan hotel on an HBO-sponsored trip, […]
Eight New York City Bars to Spend Your St. Patrick’s Day
The Irish community is one of the most prominent and significant cultural groups in New York. Since the late 19th century, they have made their home in the city, sharing their language, music, and food with thousands. Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was honored here in New York long before their arrival when […]
Washington Square Park-ers think these fashion trends need to go.
Wake up, New York City: it’s Fashion Week once again. Cue all the newest (and craziest) fall and winter trends as they take to the Manhattan runways. Fashion Week officially kicked off on Friday, and will conclude in New York on February 14, before rolling out in London, Milan and Paris throughout the month and […]
Is the Answer to Loneliness in New York City Picking Up a Book?
On a cold Saturday in December, in a Meatpacking District loft, loneliness was a common topic of conversation among the young women who attended the meeting of the Village Fairy Book Club. They agreed that New York, despite being a city of 8.5 million people, is a notoriously lonely place. “It’s been so hit or […]