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On any given day you enter the world that is Ellen’s Stardust Diner, a Times Square staple since 1987 and the “Home of the Original World-Famous Singing Waitstaff,” you can feel the chaos. You can feel the hunger of diner-goers after waiting in a line that wraps around the side of the building, and of […]
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How These Second-Generation Asian Americans Are Revitalizing Chinatown
Despite its robust history spanning over a century, Chinatown faces ongoing sustainability struggles as store owners age. According to a 2023 report by NYC Small Business Services, created in collaboration with Chinatown BID and Think!Chinatown, Chinatown storefront vacancy rate reached 21.4% from 2021 to 2022, surpassing the citywide average of 13% in 2021. But these […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Kanami Kusajima just wants to share art
Kanami Kusajima arrives in Washington Square Park just before 4 p.m. each weekday that she performs. She sometimes grabs a hot dog from a nearby vendor, who she considers a friend, before setting up her canvas. She tapes down the blank papers just before the arch, and dips her finger in black paint to write […]
Luis Flores uses TikTok to empower immigrant small business owners
It’s sunny in Hunts Point, the Bronx, on a late Spring morning. A gentle breeze brushes against my skin and makes the leaves sway. Despite the sunshine, it’s chilly and two layers of clothing are necessary to walk around comfortably. This Bronx neighborhood is far from the glittering backdrops often seen on the social media […]
New York City Ballet’s Spring Gala Premieres Two New Pieces
By Amelia Chang On Thursday, May 4, the New York City Ballet held their 2023 Spring Gala: Invention. The night featured the world premiere of two new pieces: Christopher Wheeldon’s “From You Within Me” and Alysa Pires’ “Standard Deviation.” The performance was closed with Justin Peck’s 2017 piece, “The Times Are Racing.” The New York […]
Mongolia’s Tuvan reindeer herders
Photos by Andrew Califf There is a small section of taiga [boreal forest] surrounding the Darkhad Depression in northern Mongolia that is home to a niche community of Tuvan reindeer herders. The border cuts them off from the Russian Tuvan Republic, which has exponentially better herding conditions, less hunting restrictions and more land for larger […]
Buddy the Rat proves you can do anything in New York
Jonothon Lyons had just finished live streaming an hour-long Instagram performance that included walking on all fours and climbing trash cans in Washington Square Park. However, he was not Lyons throughout his performance, he was Buddy the Rat. Lyons had finally sat down on one of the many benches that surrounded the park, Buddy’s mask, […]