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 »
Hank’s Saloon in Brooklyn was hosting a punk rock show celebrating the birthday of Mike Moosehead, one of the city’s most talented musicians. I was not going to miss it, even though the weather was horrible and the city was slow to plow the roads. Driving cautiously over roads and highways caked with snow that… Read more »
The beach bum and boating life are usually the providence of Florida or California. We don’t normally think of the metropolises of the Northeast to be home to the sun culture of people who live on boats or spend all of their time on beaches. But you can find some interesting seaside life right here… 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 »
The debate about art endlessly fascinates. Is it a means of communication or is it an end within itself? Is the creation of art the transformation of the artist? Or does the artist transform the medium? Is each work a labyrinth through which the audience may discover themselves anew, or is the work completely independent… Read more »
When it comes to Pizza, Pasta, or just amazingly great Italian food and served at its freshest and finest Williamsburg has the best family style Italian restaurant in the tri- state area. Possibly even the United States. Yes, we know many Restaurants in Manhattan, and love them but this one in Williamsburg we are talking excellence… Read more »
Next Tuesday, August 14th, Garland Jeffreys—one of my songwriting heroes—will perform at City Stories: Stoops to Nuts at the Cornelia Street Cafe. It’s a family affair: Garland, Claire, and Savannah Jeffreys will take the stage along with Robert Conroy, one of my favorite artists from the Loser’s Lounge. Jeffreys is a New York City treasure. Please… Read more »
Having a daughter is a pure romance in itself, where you are in love with your child but completely non-possessive. It’s different to any relationship I’ve had. It’s on a higher level of purity. Closer to divine love. It’s made me aware of a capacity for love that I wasn’t aware I possessed, and that’s one of the few… Read more »
Just jump on the moving train and try not to die. —Chris Rock, What to Expect When You’re Expecting I’ve been on a speeding train for the last couple of months, but I think (key word: think) it’s going to slow down a bit this summer—a mixed blessing. While it would be nice to unpack… Read more »
