After a harrowing day yesterday, I felt that fortune had smiled upon me when I found myself miraculously free and in my own neighborhood by 7 pm. Being that Thursday nights from 7-9 just happen to be free admittance, I decided to scope out the provocatively titled “Younger Than Jesus” exhibit at the New Museum. “It will be so cool,” I thought of the uniquely, attention-demanding museum which decorates the Bowery. Every time have I walked to work and passed it in the last couple of weeks I have given it a mental high five, like, “Hey you, can’t wait to come for a visit. For free. Some Thursday soon.”
My time had come and I was drawn in by the Urban Outfitters of Museums.
Image courtesy of the New Museum
Look at it, all “not fitting into the aesthetic of the surrounding neighborhood but in a cool way,” with architecture that smacks like gentrification on cocaine. I was pumped. Ready for a cultural espresso shot to a busy day.
Now, I try not to make general, sweeping statements, like: “the hipster art world can take its vague and hyper sexualized art and stick it up its ironic ass,” or “that looks like the contents of a goodwill bin, strewn across a table.” They are unprofessional (and I take professionalism seriously when it comes to sounding like I know what the hell I am talking about) and pigeon hole the entire exhibit.
I had the pleasure of checking out the first event of Celebrate Brooklyn the other night, David Byrne from the Talking Heads live (and free) in Prospect Park. After arriving haphazardly, sans food, jackets, or any compelling need to be able sit where we could see, my friends and I landed a spot on the grass in the amphitheater. From there we couldn’t see the band, we could, however, see the back of all the idiots standing in front of us so that they could see the band. And then it dawned on me, the fans of The Talking Heads really, really can’t dance.
Please enjoy the parts where Yuna, Julian, and Jim are cracking up, and the part when the guy in front of me scratches his butt.
Yes, that’s right. On the way to a mom and pop Lower East Side paint store, the lovely Amanda Baker and I stumbled upon a classic looking little coffee shop, called the Classic Coffee Shop. Before our room painting adventure, we decided to stop into the little nook for a refreshing beverage.
“Egg Creams” we said, in a puzzled manner after reading the sign. “What the hell are they?” Baker, being a Queens native and a smart cookie in general, is my go to for such information about little New York fun facts like this. When she said she didn’t know either, we decided to buy one.
Another blog about why I love college. And about why I love New York. I’m like a freakin’ broken record over here.
It is always interesting, seeing how you react to transitions in life. There is always the way you expect yourself to react, and then the real way. I guess there is also the memory of it later too, but let’s stick to present tense.
The transition into summer has been relatively smooth (aside from the actual moving, which I am working on blocking out of memory) but like everything else in life it has had its ups and downs. Some ups have been getting enough sleep, actually going out in this lovely (today rainy) spring weather, getting to see my family, and getting my hands dirty on some researchy things.
Filed under: city happenings, observations, world saving | Tags: City places, Flip Clip, Social Work, University Settlement, world saving
To atone for “being extremely insensitive” and “making light of a grave health threat” in my previous, I have decided to share with the world an exceptional bit of selfless social work which will blow your mind occurring on the Lower East Side called University Settlement.
I am so blown away by this place. University Settlement on the LES was the first settlement house in the country. It has been serving the LES for 123 years, offering everything from prenatal care and parenting workshops for moms to day care and after school programs to elderly social support. The institution has been a model for hundreds of others like it all over the world and has been making life better for people in New York every day it has been an institution. I interviewed Melissa Aase after taking a tour with my social work class, check out the Flip Clip:
I know it isn’t funny to joke around about Swine Flu, but apparently I don’t care.
“Fou” means crazy in french, which is clearly what this man strolling down 3rd Ave yesterday dressed as a pig intended us to think. Here’s how it went down. Also, please enjoy the moment of the clip when he falls off the curb, it’s my favorite part.
On the bus on the way to class, my friend Kelly and I sat and chatted and it went a little something like this:
Kelly: Do you see that guy?
Me: Is he wearing a pig costume? Oh my god this is clearly why I have the Flip Cam.
Kelly: Let’s get off the bus! Let’s get off the bus we can still catch him!
Scrambling, running off the bus, scrambling, running down 3rd Ave. And here is what we found…
I love my life. And for those of you who say this title is in poor taste, I counter with: what fun is a deadly, as-of-yet untreatable, pandemic if we can’t at least make bad puns about it?
Political correctness: 0, Valerie: 1
Hula Hooping found yesterday in Washington Square Park! Thank you beautiful weather. Thank you people unconcerned enough with how they appear to the world to hula hoop with such enthusiasm. Thank you YouthNoise, the non-profit I intern for for giving me a Flip Cam with which I may better document the spelunking for your viewing pleasure.
I am like a better equipt kid in a candy store. I have already taken an obscene amount of flip clips. And I just made up the term flip clips right now.
As the Kiwis would always say I am positively shattered (the italics here symbolize a New Zealand accent) that I missed this event today in Socrates Sculpture Park.
Presented in association with the Noguchi Museum which I feel pretty positive that I need to go visit now.
I can only hope that it is as absolutely stop-you-in-your-tracks, wipe-off-that-little-bit-of-drool amazing as the current exhibit at the MoMA, Compass in Hand.
Which I felt the need to take many pictures of (since I was at MoMA free friday night with camera in hand anyhow…) and am a little bit obsessed with. Like ya do.
And by baby I mean those few trees brave enough to flower whilst the weather is still temperamental.
The view from a certain sister's sweet apartment...
Home, sweet home, indeed.
sugar and spice and everything nice
A fantastic group of independent artists, designers, etc from around the cit-ay. May 9th and 10th @ 149 7th Street in the BK.
The same place that I bought my little necklace that I never remove… Check it out!
