Being the coffee shop junkie I am, I've passed almost every New York day nibbling on bagels with cream cheese, sipping blended teas and scoping out the atmosphere of whatever cafe I happen to be in. I've deeply explored (and judged!) the Bedford coffee shops for over six months now, and decided I've gained enough knowledge to share my opinions on them, which I'm sure you all want to hear.
Verb Cafe: Oft criticized for its interesting smell and uber hipster environment, Verb Cafe is actually my favorite of the currently open cafes. Their prices are cheaper than anywhere else and their menu is wonderfully extensive. They offer all types of coffee drinks, a large variety of tea, soups, sandwiches, salads, many a bagel option, and BEER. They also stay open until 1 a.m., offering their full menu and an outdoor seating area until close. The employees are warm and friendly, despite their reputation of being too cool, and always choose awesome and diverse music (I've heard old timey blues, gangsta rap, punk rock and Feist all in one day). The customers are friendly and chill as well, frequently striking up conversation with one another. The space itself is slightly minimalistic in a good way, and usually loud but still inviting.
Read Cafe: The Read Cafe is closed right now because the landlord kicked them out and they're renovating a new building. But if the new place turns out anything like the old one, it beats Verb for number 1 in the Bedford area. The new cafe, located further down Bedford at South 3rd, is a converted apartment modeled after the old shop and opening soon. But when?!? The updates are few and far between. Let's hope the new version has as many books as the old, as many weird bagel toppings, and Harpoon UFO on tap. Also let's hope the same staff returns because they were complete oddballs who showed obvious care for the place and its customers. Ooh, and the outdoor garden with Christmas lights, too!
Bliss Cafe: A "Meat Free Zone" that offers an all-day, protein-filled brunch along with fresh salads, soups, and large, satisfying dinners, Bliss is a good place for a meal with a friend but definitely not for hours of drinking tea and working alone. First off, they have no internet nor do they pick up the free signal other Bedford business manage to find. Also, their music choice is terrible and not conducive at all to productivity. Usually the "lite FM" station is playing (106.7 for those of you with bad taste), or the server has picked a bad pop CD like Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. But, the food is good and cheap, and usually a hot Polish lady is working.
Roebling Tea Room: A cafe by morning, restaurant by evening, and bar by night, this place offers excellent food and a wide variety of drinks over 14 hours a day. However, it also offers a complex. Are we a bar, or a cafe? Sit-eat-and-go type of restaurant, or curl up with coffee and chill? Weekends are slightly off-putting with the crowded tables and signs exclaiming, NO LAPTOPS, but this is a great weekday spot. Their extensive tea selection (including Lady Grey), Americanos instead of drip coffee, and fresh, homemade food (like $3 potato salad smothered in delicious dill) can definitely put one in a relaxed mood while sunken into their huge couches. The employees play great music that matches the dark but upbeat atmosphere, and during warm weather, a large, outdoor garden is opened up. But beware that drinks and sides are sensibly priced, but meals are on average $9-$12.
Ella's Cafe: Located on Bedford Avenue not even a block from the L train, Ella's is convenient and diverse with multiple vegan options including paninis, soups and pastries. However, their prices are high and the mood too sterile. The tables and chairs are made from uncomfortable metal, and though the color scheme is bright, I changed my order from Here to To-Go because my tiny, railroad apartment felt much more inviting.
Oslo: Hands-down, Oslo offers the best, tastiest and strongest coffee in the area. Since their tea costs $3 and up, I settled with a small coffee and was jazzed 'til the next day. Their chocolate croissant was also well made, with a nice crunch on the outside but gooey goodness in the middle. Even though it was busy both times I've visited, the baristas remained on top of every order, but lacked any smiles or thank you's (though I suppose it's not required to be happy). Also, the main sitting room is home to a huge machine that looks really cool even though I have no idea what it does, or used to do, or will do. They also offer a second, smaller location on Bedford near Grand Street that sells equally as lethal coffee.
Fabiane's: Snooty McSnoot's only can apply! Must have a pretty nose that looks best thrust upwards, must speak French, and never must smile. However, must also know how to bake incredible egg pies with any veggie or any meat, and know how to precisely decorate pastries that are so beautiful, one has difficulty destroying it until one actually takes a bite and then can't stop until it's all gone.
Blackbird Parlour: My opinion of Blackbird is tainted due to their lack of bagels along with their lack of Earl Grey tea. But oh, wait, they do have Earl Grey tea, sitting right there on the shelf! PSYCHE! You have to buy it in bulk, you can't just buy it for one pot, please refer to our minimal tea menu for other options.
My bitterness aside, Blackbird is rustic and old-fashioned, creating a cozy atmosphere with candles and well-chosen decor. Their Americanos are to die for and the food is tasty but over-priced. They always play awesome rock music and the employees maintain their contagious cheeriness throughout their shifts, at one point even dancing and encouraging me to do so (of course I joined in). However, they don't serve Earl Grey tea, even though it's on their shelves.
Gimme Coffee: This place isn't exactly in the Bedford area but deserves a mention. Located by the Lorimer stop, Gimme specializes in coffee and tea, serving noticeably better tasting drinks than most other places. Complete with weird art, red benches and no bathroom, Gimme is the perfect place for a genuine but brief espresso.
Cafe Grumpy: Grumpy's is really not exactly in the Bedford area at all, but it's a phenomenal cafe. Located in Greenpoint at Diamond and Meserole, Grumpy's offers loads of vegetarian dishes along with meat-lover's sandwiches and yummy Asian noodle salads. The space is divided into two rooms, a front area with couches, coffee tables and multiple board games (including Scrabble and Hungry, Hungry Hippos) and then a back area with cool tables, Christmas lights and funky ball sculpture things hanging from the ceiling. The decor is an inspiring mix of these items along with original art, complimented by a simplistic touch that keeps it from feeling too cluttered. Also, I've never seen a staff member not smiling.
So, that's what I have to offer. If anyone has an alternative opinion or a new cafe to add, feel free. Hopefully those Brooklynite friends of mine can find these statements to be true, and those visiting friends of mine can find these statements to be helpful.
Long live coffee and tea! "You can sleep when you're dead."
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Mr. Toilet's New Home
Mr. Toilet's house opens in South Korea
SEOUL (AFP) — A South Korean lawmaker and public hygiene activist on Sunday opened his 1.6 million dollar toilet-shaped showcase house designed to campaign for cleaner loos worldwide.
The two-storey home, complete with a nameplate reading "Mr. Toilet's House", is now ready to be occupied, according to owner Sim Jae-Duck.
Billed as the world's only toilet house, the 419-square-metre (4,508-sq-foot) concrete and glass structure rose on the site of Sim's former home in Suweon, 40 kilometres (24 miles) south of Seoul.
Sim, 74, who told AFP last month that his mother gave him birth in a bathroom, has actively campaigned for "clean and beautiful" toilets since his service as Suweon mayor from 1995-2002.
His campaign has since turned many of public restrooms nationwide into facilities boasting paintings, fresh flowers or even small gardens.
Sim's house was completed before the Korea Toilet Association, which he funds, holds a forum in Seoul later this month to launch the World Toilet Association to take his campaign worldwide.
Before Sim's family moves in, he plans to rent out the residence for 50,000 dollars a day -- with proceeds going towards providing poor countries with proper sanitary facilities.
In the centre of the house is a glass-walled bathroom which features a device producing mist to make sure users do not feel too exposed. The loo's lid is raised automatically and music is also turned on when people enter.
The house, which has a stream and small garden in front, is nicknamed in Korean "Haewoojae," meaning "a place of sanctuary where one can solve one's worries."
Sim says 2.6 billion people still live without toilets worldwide.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPeuN6uHtKgx1uOK_6uSlBVQnSzw
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Oh Yeah, Minnesota
I just spent the past five days in Minnesota, visiting my dear friend from college, the one and only Joggles. She is in med school in Minneapolis, living in a frat house on campus that used to be a real frat but is now a huge, falling apart but still cool house where med students live and throw parties after finals. Our spring breaks happened to fall at the same time, so while my girls were skiing in Utah with their rich friends, I was cooking chili and going on bike rides with my poor friends (yay student loans!).
My overall thoughts on the Minneapolis/St. Paul area:
They love St. Patrick's Day!
Minneapolis is mostly full of frat boys and sorority girls who like to get drunk and dance, and this makes for fun people-watching.
Both cities are crazy about the arts!
Hockey is holy.
It's really cold. And also really beautiful.
I arrived on Saturday, to be whisked to the hugest St. Patty's celebration I've ever been to. Joggles and I first met our other Tufts friend, Dina, at this big Irish celebration in the Landmark Center, where Dina works as their events planner. How different our jobs are!! She has an assistant, carries around walkie-talkies and is absolutely in charge from 7 am on, while I show up to work around 5:30 pm, tutor and care for two girls who often think they're in charge, cook dinner for us and finally get them moving toward bed. Totally different lifestyles, but cool to be let in on hers! She gave us a tour of the Landmark Center, which used to be the post office and old courthouse but has recently been restored and turned into various events rooms and museums (including a musical instrument museum). It was really, really beautiful, with stained glass windows and detailed ceilings and gorgeous wood carvings everywhere. And these adorable young girls were performing traditional, Irish dances to live musicians that were breaking it down on the fiddle. Very fun.
Then, Jogs and I joined her boyfriend at this bar in St. Paul that was so packed I literally couldn't move without bumping into someone. The bar itself had multiple rooms over three floors, and added huge tented areas over the attached parking lot in order to accommodate the masses. We got drunk off green beer at 4 in the afternoon, surrounded by even drunker people dancing to hilarious DJ music. Everyone was dressed up in hats and shamrocks and painted beards, just celebratin' away. It was quite fun. Then later that night, we ate greasy good bar food at this place in St. Paul and came back to Jog's house to pass out.
Sunday brought us free brunch at this restaurant located in the old train depot of Minneapolis. Joggles's family treated us to an enormous breakfast buffet, and then walked us around the station, which has also been restored and turned into a hotel/restaurant and skating rink. Then we went back to her childhood home in Edina and played with their adorable 1 1/2 year old puppy. Jog's mom is a teacher, so we ranted about the education system, the school she teaches in, and all about writing (she's an avid reader). It was really cool for me to talk with an older adult again about children and education...I am a nerd and miss ranting about kids with my college professors. That night, we played Wii, made dinner and watched the Gophers play hockey. Damn, Minnesotans love their winter sports! All of Joggles's housemates were so into that hockey game, while I winced at the beatings and finally pulled out my computer to play scrabble so I wouldn't have to focus solely on ice hockey. With this distraction, I enjoyed the rest of the game, which the Gophers excitedly won. Then we watched some weird movie with the boy from Home Alone about two couples who decide group sex is the answer to all their problems, but in the end it actually wasn't (shockingly).
Monday took us to the zoo, where we saw some weirdo deer relative, bears and wolves and boas, oh my! We saw two raccoons wrestling on the Minnesota trail, and spent a half hour watching the adorable Japanese Snow Monkeys chase each other. The habitats in this zoo are so huge and well taken care of that it was just really fun to walk through and stare at cute animals who were clearly happy with their captivated lives. We also saw geckos and frogs, got to pet velvety sharks, watched dolphins flirt, and learned that Pumas live in the north of MN. Also, we learned that fisher cats are prego for 360 days, and then instantly get pregnant again so that they spend all their adult life pregnant, nursing or both. Lord have mercy.
That night was the actual St. Patty's day, so we went into Minneapolis, but since it was BLIZZARDING and BELOW FREEZING, no one was out. We got free shots from an old high school friend and went to this dance bar where 20-and-30-somethings were acting like college freshman. We got a good laugh and some good drinks out of it, then went home, where we realized Jogs had locked her keys in her room. We could still get into the actual house, so we curled up together on the couches in their home theater and slept until noon the next day, when...
the locksmith came! He let us in the room and all was well. That afternoon, we went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, which is known for it's ancient Asian collection. And my was this collection amazing and impressive. They had tons of statues, paintings, screen prints, wood prints, on and on from ancient India, China, Korea, Japan, Western Africa and Egypt. We saw some inspiring Buddhist art, some crazy African masks, and a room modeled after the tea ceremony rooms of Japan. We then breezed through the very small modern art collection, but because we slept in so late and then spent so much time in the ancient art section, the museum closed.
That night, the lovely Dina joined us along with Joggles' friend from high school, and we ate boatloads of chili while drinking wine and playing Balderdash. I don't remember who won, but I do remember that I wasn't last. Then we watched another movie called "Caffeine," which I would actually recommend. It's a British comedy made in 2006, set in a cafe in London, mostly about relationships and the woes and dramas that come along with them. It was really cute, and kept us laughing.
Wednesday started a bit earlier than the others because J and I had a bike ride in mind. We read about this long, woodsy trail in St. Paul and decided to check it out. According to its website, the first nine miles had been cleared, but I guess this didn't refer to the recent snowstorm because it actually wasn't cleared at all. I had to abandon bike on two separate occasions to avoid falling on me head, and after only ten minutes we decided to turn around. While I was cruising down a hill, enjoying the fresh, crisp air, I noticed a snowy patch and tapped on the breaks. Turned out the snow patch was an insanely deep puddle of icy water that brought my bike to a dead halt and drenched my feet. I was laughing so hard that I couldn't give Joggles a warning and she skid into the same situation. Then we were both drenched and laughing.
So, gave up this trail and decided to bike along the Mississippi River instead, which was completely gorgeous and much safer. We biked to the Minnehaha Falls, which is a river that feeds into the Mississippi but has a beautiful waterfall before they meet up. The joke from Joggles's childhood is to try to say the river's name without laughing (haha!). Anyway, the waterfall gushed excitedly down the middle of the hill but was surrounded by beautiful, dripping icicles. I had never seen anything like it. The rest of the park was covered in snow, but the sun was shining brightly down. It was truly breathtaking. We got off our bikes and walked around, then sat by the running river and enjoyed the view. Then we got too cold (despite her claims that 40 degrees is actually really warm) and biked back along the Mississippi, stopping to spit some of our boogers in the river so that a bit of ourselves would be in it forever. Once we got back, we showered, ate leftover chili and played Nintendo Wii until it was time for me to go home.
The vacation flew by. It was completely wonderful to hang out with Joggles and Dina again, and enjoyable to see such a different part of the country. But also really cold! It was nice to be welcomed by my loving Dave and my loving cats and the warmer climate once I returned home. But oh do I miss Joggles! And being in nature like that was wonderful. It made me realize how quickly I've gotten wrapped up in the vibe of NYC, but how I simultaneously love and loathe it. Overall I'm absolutely psyched to be living in New York, but hearing the water running and the birds whistling and the wind blowing in the trees of the Minnehaha Falls was amazing. I can't wait to go camping again!! Oh springtime, come come, come faster!
My overall thoughts on the Minneapolis/St. Paul area:
They love St. Patrick's Day!
Minneapolis is mostly full of frat boys and sorority girls who like to get drunk and dance, and this makes for fun people-watching.
Both cities are crazy about the arts!
Hockey is holy.
It's really cold. And also really beautiful.
I arrived on Saturday, to be whisked to the hugest St. Patty's celebration I've ever been to. Joggles and I first met our other Tufts friend, Dina, at this big Irish celebration in the Landmark Center, where Dina works as their events planner. How different our jobs are!! She has an assistant, carries around walkie-talkies and is absolutely in charge from 7 am on, while I show up to work around 5:30 pm, tutor and care for two girls who often think they're in charge, cook dinner for us and finally get them moving toward bed. Totally different lifestyles, but cool to be let in on hers! She gave us a tour of the Landmark Center, which used to be the post office and old courthouse but has recently been restored and turned into various events rooms and museums (including a musical instrument museum). It was really, really beautiful, with stained glass windows and detailed ceilings and gorgeous wood carvings everywhere. And these adorable young girls were performing traditional, Irish dances to live musicians that were breaking it down on the fiddle. Very fun.
Then, Jogs and I joined her boyfriend at this bar in St. Paul that was so packed I literally couldn't move without bumping into someone. The bar itself had multiple rooms over three floors, and added huge tented areas over the attached parking lot in order to accommodate the masses. We got drunk off green beer at 4 in the afternoon, surrounded by even drunker people dancing to hilarious DJ music. Everyone was dressed up in hats and shamrocks and painted beards, just celebratin' away. It was quite fun. Then later that night, we ate greasy good bar food at this place in St. Paul and came back to Jog's house to pass out.
Sunday brought us free brunch at this restaurant located in the old train depot of Minneapolis. Joggles's family treated us to an enormous breakfast buffet, and then walked us around the station, which has also been restored and turned into a hotel/restaurant and skating rink. Then we went back to her childhood home in Edina and played with their adorable 1 1/2 year old puppy. Jog's mom is a teacher, so we ranted about the education system, the school she teaches in, and all about writing (she's an avid reader). It was really cool for me to talk with an older adult again about children and education...I am a nerd and miss ranting about kids with my college professors. That night, we played Wii, made dinner and watched the Gophers play hockey. Damn, Minnesotans love their winter sports! All of Joggles's housemates were so into that hockey game, while I winced at the beatings and finally pulled out my computer to play scrabble so I wouldn't have to focus solely on ice hockey. With this distraction, I enjoyed the rest of the game, which the Gophers excitedly won. Then we watched some weird movie with the boy from Home Alone about two couples who decide group sex is the answer to all their problems, but in the end it actually wasn't (shockingly).
Monday took us to the zoo, where we saw some weirdo deer relative, bears and wolves and boas, oh my! We saw two raccoons wrestling on the Minnesota trail, and spent a half hour watching the adorable Japanese Snow Monkeys chase each other. The habitats in this zoo are so huge and well taken care of that it was just really fun to walk through and stare at cute animals who were clearly happy with their captivated lives. We also saw geckos and frogs, got to pet velvety sharks, watched dolphins flirt, and learned that Pumas live in the north of MN. Also, we learned that fisher cats are prego for 360 days, and then instantly get pregnant again so that they spend all their adult life pregnant, nursing or both. Lord have mercy.
That night was the actual St. Patty's day, so we went into Minneapolis, but since it was BLIZZARDING and BELOW FREEZING, no one was out. We got free shots from an old high school friend and went to this dance bar where 20-and-30-somethings were acting like college freshman. We got a good laugh and some good drinks out of it, then went home, where we realized Jogs had locked her keys in her room. We could still get into the actual house, so we curled up together on the couches in their home theater and slept until noon the next day, when...
the locksmith came! He let us in the room and all was well. That afternoon, we went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, which is known for it's ancient Asian collection. And my was this collection amazing and impressive. They had tons of statues, paintings, screen prints, wood prints, on and on from ancient India, China, Korea, Japan, Western Africa and Egypt. We saw some inspiring Buddhist art, some crazy African masks, and a room modeled after the tea ceremony rooms of Japan. We then breezed through the very small modern art collection, but because we slept in so late and then spent so much time in the ancient art section, the museum closed.
That night, the lovely Dina joined us along with Joggles' friend from high school, and we ate boatloads of chili while drinking wine and playing Balderdash. I don't remember who won, but I do remember that I wasn't last. Then we watched another movie called "Caffeine," which I would actually recommend. It's a British comedy made in 2006, set in a cafe in London, mostly about relationships and the woes and dramas that come along with them. It was really cute, and kept us laughing.
Wednesday started a bit earlier than the others because J and I had a bike ride in mind. We read about this long, woodsy trail in St. Paul and decided to check it out. According to its website, the first nine miles had been cleared, but I guess this didn't refer to the recent snowstorm because it actually wasn't cleared at all. I had to abandon bike on two separate occasions to avoid falling on me head, and after only ten minutes we decided to turn around. While I was cruising down a hill, enjoying the fresh, crisp air, I noticed a snowy patch and tapped on the breaks. Turned out the snow patch was an insanely deep puddle of icy water that brought my bike to a dead halt and drenched my feet. I was laughing so hard that I couldn't give Joggles a warning and she skid into the same situation. Then we were both drenched and laughing.
So, gave up this trail and decided to bike along the Mississippi River instead, which was completely gorgeous and much safer. We biked to the Minnehaha Falls, which is a river that feeds into the Mississippi but has a beautiful waterfall before they meet up. The joke from Joggles's childhood is to try to say the river's name without laughing (haha!). Anyway, the waterfall gushed excitedly down the middle of the hill but was surrounded by beautiful, dripping icicles. I had never seen anything like it. The rest of the park was covered in snow, but the sun was shining brightly down. It was truly breathtaking. We got off our bikes and walked around, then sat by the running river and enjoyed the view. Then we got too cold (despite her claims that 40 degrees is actually really warm) and biked back along the Mississippi, stopping to spit some of our boogers in the river so that a bit of ourselves would be in it forever. Once we got back, we showered, ate leftover chili and played Nintendo Wii until it was time for me to go home.
The vacation flew by. It was completely wonderful to hang out with Joggles and Dina again, and enjoyable to see such a different part of the country. But also really cold! It was nice to be welcomed by my loving Dave and my loving cats and the warmer climate once I returned home. But oh do I miss Joggles! And being in nature like that was wonderful. It made me realize how quickly I've gotten wrapped up in the vibe of NYC, but how I simultaneously love and loathe it. Overall I'm absolutely psyched to be living in New York, but hearing the water running and the birds whistling and the wind blowing in the trees of the Minnehaha Falls was amazing. I can't wait to go camping again!! Oh springtime, come come, come faster!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Brooklyn By Bike
Over the summer, I lost my social security card by stupidly carrying it in my wallet and then dropping the wallet on a curb. I canceled everything else in the wallet immediately, opened new bank accounts and finally got a new license over Christmas, but never got around to replacing the SS card. I recently discovered that Planned Parenthood offers health insurance on a sliding scale, and as I haven't had insurance since leaving Boston (the cheapest plan available in NY for me is $200/month with a $10,000 deductible), I scheduled an appointment to get more info. In order to apply, one must bring every document ever made about oneself, including a social security card. So I needed to get a new card.
Well, out of all the cities in this entire country, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Brooklyn are the only ones that refuse to accept applications by mail and demand everyone go to the office. I set aside a warm, sunny Tuesday morning for the trip to the SS office, which I discovered was located in Fort Greene, about five miles away. Biking was in order.
I started my bike ride in Greenpoint, my new hometown full of Polish immigrants, and biked through Williamsburg, my old hometown full of hipsters. Bedford Ave continues far further than hipster central, and once it crosses Broadway takes on a completely different mood. Government buildings, abandoned warehouses and factories spewing smoke lined the streets. Every single pedestrian was dressed in traditional Hasidic Jewish attire, and all the signs were in Hebrew. The few stores that were open, scattered amongst long deserted buildings with graffiti and broken windows, were all delis or Jewish clothing stores. The streets were full of potholes, and the entire scene reminded me of post-WW2. It looked like some violent group had come through, throwing bricks at windows and trashing the streets, leaving only a few stores untouched. Then life continued... the remaining factories went back to smoking, the delis went back to meat-slicing, but no one ever fixed the damage.
About a mile later, the pedestrians became less Hasidic and much more gangsta. Within another half mile, the sidewalks were lined with shops selling hip-hop cds, baggy jeans and Baby Phat shirts. I saw the biggest Goodwill ever, along with dozens of 99-cent stores and quite a few Caribbean and African restaurants. Music blasted from the shops and the smell of fried chicken permeated the air (some type of chicken restaurant was literally every few storefronts). The pedestrians at this point were predominately black, and they watched me bike passed them with looks of honest confusion. No one was mean or rude to me; in fact, one person gave me very friendly and perfect directions. But he also asked me what I was doing out there, in a tone not like, Get outta my hood, but more like, Your people stay in the other side of Williamsburg, what brings you this way? Also, biking was horrendous because of the road conditions. It felt like there was some line drawn on Bedford Avenue and repairs only go so far because before the line is richer and whiter and therefore deserve better roads. Everything in this area was run-down and of much lesser quality... the parks, the houses, the schools. It was all a lot to take in during such a short bike ride.
As I got closer to Fort Greene, art galleries and boutiques began replacing the discount shops, French bistros and cafes replaced the soul food. The roads contained fewer potholes and the buildings were much more repaired. Then it started pouring rain and I got soaked in the course of two minutes, walking into the office with dripping hair to learn that the line was two hours long. I had way too much time to ruminate and analyze everything I had just seen while simultaneously freezing because, for some reason, big, industrial fans were blasting air full speed onto all the wet people standing in line.
Main conclusions: this is not a new phenomenon and it happens everywhere (didn't I just write an entry about gentrification and disparity in Mexico?). But even though people are aware of these issues, the situation is not changing but worsening. And the population I worry for the most are young children. As I biked through the main strip, I kept thinking, "What do kids do here?" The parks were in poor shape, and there was nothing else geared toward kids. Only rusty, broken swings and slides to entertain an entire neighborhood? This is exactly why kids do drugs and get in fights. There's nothing else to do and they're very rightfully angry. My next big thought was, "Why can't we combine elements of different cultures into the same neighborhoods?" Yes, there are tons of ethnic restaurants in Wburg, and Greenpoint is a great example of cultures blending. I love that I walk down the street and hear at least three different languages, but it's obvious things aren't perfect, even if somewhat diverse. I have friends who would love a hip hop record store. And we all dig on huge Goodwills and awesome 99-cent stores. I really believe it's possible to blend many different cultures into one neighborhood. But when looking from the view of huge realty companies and big businesses, it's not beneficial to combine various classes and races into the same areas. In order to win at the capitalist game, these businesses need people with money to move into the areas that are being developed and the people without money to leave. This typically translates to, white people in and people of color out.
But what do we do? I always complain that I have zero black friends, but I'm not gonna bike into Clinton Heights and be like, "Yo sistah, I need a black friend!" I don't meet black people when drinking at Spike Hill, I don't meet Latinos when watching indie rock at Trash Bar. I can definitely reach out more... I can go back to that Goodwill and go out to more hip hop shows. But how much is that changing? Our country is the center of capitalism, and class and race are so intertwined that as long as we're trying to be the richest country in the world, we will also be wildly segregated.
Please share your thoughts, comments and ideas. This is a topic I think of often, and I believe that having open discussions on such issues is the first way toward changing them. Please disagree with me or argue with me or say what you relate to and why. Let's talk!
Well, out of all the cities in this entire country, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Brooklyn are the only ones that refuse to accept applications by mail and demand everyone go to the office. I set aside a warm, sunny Tuesday morning for the trip to the SS office, which I discovered was located in Fort Greene, about five miles away. Biking was in order.
I started my bike ride in Greenpoint, my new hometown full of Polish immigrants, and biked through Williamsburg, my old hometown full of hipsters. Bedford Ave continues far further than hipster central, and once it crosses Broadway takes on a completely different mood. Government buildings, abandoned warehouses and factories spewing smoke lined the streets. Every single pedestrian was dressed in traditional Hasidic Jewish attire, and all the signs were in Hebrew. The few stores that were open, scattered amongst long deserted buildings with graffiti and broken windows, were all delis or Jewish clothing stores. The streets were full of potholes, and the entire scene reminded me of post-WW2. It looked like some violent group had come through, throwing bricks at windows and trashing the streets, leaving only a few stores untouched. Then life continued... the remaining factories went back to smoking, the delis went back to meat-slicing, but no one ever fixed the damage.
About a mile later, the pedestrians became less Hasidic and much more gangsta. Within another half mile, the sidewalks were lined with shops selling hip-hop cds, baggy jeans and Baby Phat shirts. I saw the biggest Goodwill ever, along with dozens of 99-cent stores and quite a few Caribbean and African restaurants. Music blasted from the shops and the smell of fried chicken permeated the air (some type of chicken restaurant was literally every few storefronts). The pedestrians at this point were predominately black, and they watched me bike passed them with looks of honest confusion. No one was mean or rude to me; in fact, one person gave me very friendly and perfect directions. But he also asked me what I was doing out there, in a tone not like, Get outta my hood, but more like, Your people stay in the other side of Williamsburg, what brings you this way? Also, biking was horrendous because of the road conditions. It felt like there was some line drawn on Bedford Avenue and repairs only go so far because before the line is richer and whiter and therefore deserve better roads. Everything in this area was run-down and of much lesser quality... the parks, the houses, the schools. It was all a lot to take in during such a short bike ride.
As I got closer to Fort Greene, art galleries and boutiques began replacing the discount shops, French bistros and cafes replaced the soul food. The roads contained fewer potholes and the buildings were much more repaired. Then it started pouring rain and I got soaked in the course of two minutes, walking into the office with dripping hair to learn that the line was two hours long. I had way too much time to ruminate and analyze everything I had just seen while simultaneously freezing because, for some reason, big, industrial fans were blasting air full speed onto all the wet people standing in line.
Main conclusions: this is not a new phenomenon and it happens everywhere (didn't I just write an entry about gentrification and disparity in Mexico?). But even though people are aware of these issues, the situation is not changing but worsening. And the population I worry for the most are young children. As I biked through the main strip, I kept thinking, "What do kids do here?" The parks were in poor shape, and there was nothing else geared toward kids. Only rusty, broken swings and slides to entertain an entire neighborhood? This is exactly why kids do drugs and get in fights. There's nothing else to do and they're very rightfully angry. My next big thought was, "Why can't we combine elements of different cultures into the same neighborhoods?" Yes, there are tons of ethnic restaurants in Wburg, and Greenpoint is a great example of cultures blending. I love that I walk down the street and hear at least three different languages, but it's obvious things aren't perfect, even if somewhat diverse. I have friends who would love a hip hop record store. And we all dig on huge Goodwills and awesome 99-cent stores. I really believe it's possible to blend many different cultures into one neighborhood. But when looking from the view of huge realty companies and big businesses, it's not beneficial to combine various classes and races into the same areas. In order to win at the capitalist game, these businesses need people with money to move into the areas that are being developed and the people without money to leave. This typically translates to, white people in and people of color out.
But what do we do? I always complain that I have zero black friends, but I'm not gonna bike into Clinton Heights and be like, "Yo sistah, I need a black friend!" I don't meet black people when drinking at Spike Hill, I don't meet Latinos when watching indie rock at Trash Bar. I can definitely reach out more... I can go back to that Goodwill and go out to more hip hop shows. But how much is that changing? Our country is the center of capitalism, and class and race are so intertwined that as long as we're trying to be the richest country in the world, we will also be wildly segregated.
Please share your thoughts, comments and ideas. This is a topic I think of often, and I believe that having open discussions on such issues is the first way toward changing them. Please disagree with me or argue with me or say what you relate to and why. Let's talk!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Akudama/Charlie Hewson/Paper Doll Factory/Michelle Armstrong
Spike Hill, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
March 1, 2008
Announced only two days prior to the show, this secret Akudama gig still drew a large crowd to the performance side of Spike Hill. The night saw a wide range of genres, from country and folk to electro dance, that somehow led in appropriately to the chilled out rock-n-roll Akudama specializes in. The music started flowing at 8:30, but the excited fans hit the booze much earlier in preparation. By the end of the night, everyone was well rocked, and well intoxicated.
Charlie Hewson, a traditionally untraditional banjo player, opened the show with a combination of hoppin' originals and odd but appropriate covers. Despite the noise from the restaurant next door, Hewson kept the crowd interested with his skilled pickin' and unusual voice. His loungey version of Radiohead's "Creep" was a favorite, and his morbid sense of humor contrasted well with his adorable stage presence. However, though red streaks can enhance the appearance of a banjo, a new playing technique might be of interest. It looked as if those bloody fingertips were painful.
Next up was Michelle Armstrong, a spunky guitarist/singer with a powerful, smooth voice. The upbeat cheer that ran through her poppy yet complicated melodies got some people dancing, and her honest, funny lyrics had everyone laughing. She reminded one of an enthusiastic actress from Broadway, but with style and a knack for being cool.
The third act on the bill was Paper Doll Factory, a solo digital artist with some booty-shakin' samples and enough sass to rival The Gay Blades. Though he was entertaining, his vocals and live performance wanted more polishing and less vodka. Once his lyrics match his samples and his diva attitude, he'll get even the chillest hipsters bustin' a move.
Charlie Hewson took the stage for a short second set to get the crowd pumped up. His flawless playing sucked many toward the stage, especially during his weirdly beautiful cover of Arcade Fire's "Neighborhoods #1." Hopefully next time he'll also include the Laurie Anderson cover he played during sound check!
When the Akudama boys took the stage, the vibe instantly changed from performance space to rock show. The crowd that had already gathered for Hewson grew as more people abandoned their bar stools for a stage-side view. Blake Charleton, vocals/guitar/keys, rocked his first note through the last, letting his natural-born lead singer come out and shine. His genuine delight in performing mixed with his impressive abilities made it hard to avert one's eyes.
However, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Calvin Pia stole the show with his solid solos and rhythmic hip sways. Pia aced the riffs in "Out Again," a song from their first album, while dancing with uncharacteristic excitement and openness. He played well off Charleton's vocals, knowing exactly when to step up and when to lay back without losing any quality. And his harmonies were spot on, curling perfectly into Charleton's lead like two lovers spooning.
Regular bassist Eli Silverman was unable to make it, so old friend Matt Webber filled in with obvious excitement. The warm comradeship between he and the others was a sweet touch to the overall mood.
Midway through their set, Akudama played "Dishes," the danciest tune from their forthcoming album. The first few measures started out with a fun guitar riff, but as soon as Cayce Pia, percussion, nailed his entrance and then busted out a catchy kick-drum rhythm, very few people could resist the urge to bop. Near the end, the "Ba, Ba, Badada" from Charleton was a nice contrast to the thoughtful lyrics while also highlighting Pia's cadence. His fills and playful rhythms kept the song bouncing, and though the rest of his set was well-executed, this tune was his best.
The boys closed their show with "Johnny Appleseed," a soulful number highlighting Charleton's delicious voice. Akudama held their crowd's attention to the very end, maintaining their strong presence and skillful musicianship. The fans cheered loudly and drunkenly, knowing they had just seen an up-and-coming rock band about to explode. With their record release and a national tour on the horizon, it's likely Akudama will never play such a small space again. Count your blessings, young padwans.
March 1, 2008
Announced only two days prior to the show, this secret Akudama gig still drew a large crowd to the performance side of Spike Hill. The night saw a wide range of genres, from country and folk to electro dance, that somehow led in appropriately to the chilled out rock-n-roll Akudama specializes in. The music started flowing at 8:30, but the excited fans hit the booze much earlier in preparation. By the end of the night, everyone was well rocked, and well intoxicated.
Charlie Hewson, a traditionally untraditional banjo player, opened the show with a combination of hoppin' originals and odd but appropriate covers. Despite the noise from the restaurant next door, Hewson kept the crowd interested with his skilled pickin' and unusual voice. His loungey version of Radiohead's "Creep" was a favorite, and his morbid sense of humor contrasted well with his adorable stage presence. However, though red streaks can enhance the appearance of a banjo, a new playing technique might be of interest. It looked as if those bloody fingertips were painful.
Next up was Michelle Armstrong, a spunky guitarist/singer with a powerful, smooth voice. The upbeat cheer that ran through her poppy yet complicated melodies got some people dancing, and her honest, funny lyrics had everyone laughing. She reminded one of an enthusiastic actress from Broadway, but with style and a knack for being cool.
The third act on the bill was Paper Doll Factory, a solo digital artist with some booty-shakin' samples and enough sass to rival The Gay Blades. Though he was entertaining, his vocals and live performance wanted more polishing and less vodka. Once his lyrics match his samples and his diva attitude, he'll get even the chillest hipsters bustin' a move.
Charlie Hewson took the stage for a short second set to get the crowd pumped up. His flawless playing sucked many toward the stage, especially during his weirdly beautiful cover of Arcade Fire's "Neighborhoods #1." Hopefully next time he'll also include the Laurie Anderson cover he played during sound check!
When the Akudama boys took the stage, the vibe instantly changed from performance space to rock show. The crowd that had already gathered for Hewson grew as more people abandoned their bar stools for a stage-side view. Blake Charleton, vocals/guitar/keys, rocked his first note through the last, letting his natural-born lead singer come out and shine. His genuine delight in performing mixed with his impressive abilities made it hard to avert one's eyes.
However, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Calvin Pia stole the show with his solid solos and rhythmic hip sways. Pia aced the riffs in "Out Again," a song from their first album, while dancing with uncharacteristic excitement and openness. He played well off Charleton's vocals, knowing exactly when to step up and when to lay back without losing any quality. And his harmonies were spot on, curling perfectly into Charleton's lead like two lovers spooning.
Regular bassist Eli Silverman was unable to make it, so old friend Matt Webber filled in with obvious excitement. The warm comradeship between he and the others was a sweet touch to the overall mood.
Midway through their set, Akudama played "Dishes," the danciest tune from their forthcoming album. The first few measures started out with a fun guitar riff, but as soon as Cayce Pia, percussion, nailed his entrance and then busted out a catchy kick-drum rhythm, very few people could resist the urge to bop. Near the end, the "Ba, Ba, Badada" from Charleton was a nice contrast to the thoughtful lyrics while also highlighting Pia's cadence. His fills and playful rhythms kept the song bouncing, and though the rest of his set was well-executed, this tune was his best.
The boys closed their show with "Johnny Appleseed," a soulful number highlighting Charleton's delicious voice. Akudama held their crowd's attention to the very end, maintaining their strong presence and skillful musicianship. The fans cheered loudly and drunkenly, knowing they had just seen an up-and-coming rock band about to explode. With their record release and a national tour on the horizon, it's likely Akudama will never play such a small space again. Count your blessings, young padwans.
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