One of the benefits of living in a non-trendy part of New York City is that you can benefit from a lot of cultural enrichment without crowds of five-borough tourists that flock to the city’s more fashionable haunts. Everything in the Flushing-Whitestone area where I live is a long train ride plus a bus ride… Read more »
I am convinced that living in areas not immediately within walking distance from a subway may save them from gentrification and cultural death. I am fortunate enough to live in one of those thankfully un-hip areas of the five boroughs. But while my neighborhood is still overpriced and overcrowded, it still retains some of its… Read more »
It has taken Brooklyn less than a decade to achieve the kind of overpriced cultural rot that normally takes a generation in other places. There have been some very large events that illustrate this: the demolition of the beautiful Prospect Heights neighborhood to build the ugly Barclays Center being a landmark event that marks a… Read more »
This past Friday, my band Blackout Shoppers was fortunate enough to be one of several bands to play for the last time at The Trash Bar. A great music venue, The Trash Bar has been a great place to see a show. They have a great sound system and manage to bring a wide array… Read more »
As much as I’d like to pretend I’m somehow immune from popular culture, it would be a lie to say so. I enjoy rooting for my favorite sports teams. I watch popular television shows. But one popular trend I refuse to indulge in is growing a beard. It’s becoming more popular for men to grow… Read more »
This past weekend the wife and I attended a co-ed baby shower for my friend and spiritual advisor Rabbi Jay Levitz and his wife Sarah. We were in Oceanside, Long Island, New York, a short drive outside the city for us, as we live in Eastern Queens. As we talked with Jay, the conversation turned… Read more »
If you’re visiting or moving to New York, chances are you’ll be wearing clothes at some point. Should you want to blend in with the locals, you’ll need to employ “fashion,” which is a concept the French made up to sell decorative belts and berets. (If you really want to impress New Yorkers, pronounce the… Read more »
