Two girls giggle by a clothes rack that reads “Women’s long sleeves,” clothes draped across their arms as they weave through shelves of semi-worn garments. A schoolgirl with a bulky book bag peeks over at the tattered record section while waiting in line for the fitting room. A guy convinces his friend to buy the […]
Features
Turn Up the Jukebox! Why We’ve Turned Back Time on Music
Picture this: you’re at a party, a single disco ball hangs from the ceiling, and strobes of blue and purple lights illuminate the dance floor. The DJ’s turntables sit on the elevated stage, above it a neon sign that reads “Follow the call of the disco ball.” The room fills with over 200 people dressed […]
Making Order From the Chaos of the World – Helene Stapinski’s Journey as a Writer
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 […]
Aspiring Author – Nandini Gupta
Nandini Gupta, whose path to publishing began at an early age, has already penned two captivating novels by the tender age of 21. The budding literary sensation is currently enriching her creative prowess as a student at New York University. Gupta’s novels, celebrated for their intricate plots, reflect a maturity and insight well beyond her […]
The Conversationalist – Meet Sophie Beren
How the social media platform The Conversationalist is changing the tenor of online discussion. Founder Sophie Beren talks about why it’s important to have real conversations with real people.
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 […]
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 […]
The Best to Worst Cat Cafés for College Students
As seen on TikTok, cat cafés are trending in NYC. But what are they, exactly? You would think that they would be cafés you could bring your cat to and have coffee with them, but I had to discover for myself that that’s not quite the way it works. Cat cafés can have a built-in […]
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, […]
Following chess addicts home
At the Chess Forum store in Greenwich Village, manager Imad Khachan has squeezed twelve chess tables in a narrow annex that burrows into the block like a rogue finger. In this annex sits twenty-four chess players of all stages of life — from young adult to maybe-they’re-a-grandparent-but-maybe-they’re-not. Five of the players are women, which far […]