The spotted lanternfly is invading New York, and so far, an array of countermeasures — from vacuums and insecticides to official recommendations to stomp the bugs on sight — don’t seem to be helping much. On a recent Sunday afternoon on a rooftop restaurant in Lower Manhattan, a swarm of the black-and-red winged plant-hoppers, originally from […]
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This Brooklyn street personifies open street uncertainties heading into 2023
On Fifth Avenue Sundays in December, rows of eye-catching holiday displays and light shows cover entire building facades, welcoming shoppers as they walk shoulder-to-shoulder down an open street free of vehicles. But by 6 p.m., the New York Police Department slowly removes ten blocks of road barriers, herding shoppers back onto packed city sidewalks. Meanwhile, […]
Finding A Community in the Village’s Bookstores
On Carmine Street in Greenwich Village, inside Temperance Wine Bar, sits two bookshelves, lined with various rare and niche books. They aren’t for decoration, nor are they sold by the restaurant. Instead, they belong to Jim Drougas’ Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bookstore. After 31 years of business, the landlords of Drougas’ store increased the rent to […]
VIDEO DISCOVERY: Rebooting NYU Stern Rugby
Since its establishment in 1996, NYU Stern Rugby has served as a club for enthusiasts, offering rugby to the NYU community, alumni, and even beyond, all within a university that doesn’t place a strong emphasis on sports and in a city not traditionally associated with rugby. However, the club faced abandonment due to the pandemic’s […]
The war in Ukraine reaches New York dance studios
After decades of immigration from the former Soviet Union, the ballroom dance world in the United States was predominantly Slavic in origin. But in February 2022, everything changed, as Putin’s war in Ukraine divided dancers living in New York City. Complicated allegiances and an interwoven heritage have now put a tight-knit community on uncertain ground.
A virtual tourism experience in ZEPETO
Danavel Wenz Torres, a 25-year-old living in the Philippines, went to the airport to travel to Paris on an ordinary day in March. She turned on the camera and started vlogging. Masks were not required, and no one checked if she was vaccinated. After spending a while at the airport, pretending to wait for her […]
Outraged Chinese diasporas protest against the zero-COVID policy
If you went to the New York Halloween parade this year, did you see a group of 30 people dressed up in white medical suits and holding signs with Chinese characters? The long-going zero-COVID policy and violence against citizens in China have aroused anger of the Chinese diasporas. Most of the protesters were students and […]
Finding home in a bowl of borscht
“Not everybody likes this joke” Alexander Martynov, the 48-year-old owner of Prague’s Ukrainian restaurant The Borsch says, his smile widening. “I’m saying they lose their borscht virginity here.” If you happen to wander into The Borsch, located in the Vinohrady area of Prague, you’ll find a colorful display of culture and cuisine. Printed pillows hang […]
‘No genocide of ethnic minorities!’: Russian Kalmyks say Putin’s military draft is targeting them disproportionally
On Sept. 23, a group of Kalmyks — an Asian ethnic minority in Russia — called for the end of partial mobilization (military draft) in Russia, which was announced by Vladimir Putin two days prior. They claimed that the process targets the ethnic population in disproportionately large numbers. The protest took place outside of the […]
Community Board 5 offers little hope for pedestrians seeking a reprieve from speeding e-bikes
NEW YORK – The debate regarding unsafe e-bike usage continued Thursday night as Manhattan’s Community Board 5 fielded calls to action on zoom from residents of New York’s most densely populated district. One Midtown resident, who was introduced on the Zoom meeting as Charles, voiced her concerns, saying she has witnessed e-bike riders running red […]