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 […]
Features
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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, […]