Focacceria, Greenwich Village
If you’re like me, you are often trying to find something decent and good closeby to another event you are attending. On Wednesday night, I found myself slightly north of Houston with not a lot of places I was dying to try. And then I remembered Focacceria. I’d only been there one other time but was really impressed with their menu and wanted to go back. Read more »
Tags:
Dish Buzz,
Focacceria,
Focaccia,
Greenwich Village,
italian,
lara ruth,
Manhattan,
nyc,
Ravioli,
Reasonable
Gosh, it’s cold outside. Like, tried-to-dial-my-cell-phone-so-took-off-my-glove-and-immediately-regretted-it-because-my-fingers-froze-into-a-claw type of cold. But does it have to be frigid inside too?
According to this festival … yes it does! With January ’09 having the sad distinction of being the month that saw the close of such long running hits as Hairspray, Spamalot and Spring Awakening, as well as other fine productions (such as All My Sons, Boeing-Boeing, Dividing The Estate, Grease, Gypsy, and Young Frankenstein), 2009 is already turning into a sorry year for Broadway. But don’t let it get you down! Go catch one or two or five of these great shows at any or all of these cozy theatres: The Kraine Theatre, The Red Room or Under St. Marks. (And yes, I used “cozy” euphemistically the way those people do when they’re trying to get you to rent their “cozy extra bedroom” … come on, folks it’s obviously a closet!).
Read more »
Tags:
Dysfunctional Guide to Home,
Frigid Festival,
habeas corpus,
Hysteri-Killy!,
Kraine Theatre,
puppets,
Red Room,
The Expatriates,
theatre,
Theatre Buzz,
Under St. Marks
I know I’ve said it before, but today I truly mean it: I’m going on a financial fast. For the month of March (I need a week to get used to the idea!) no more $12 movie tickets, no more barside stagnation in Blue Moon, and the only books I buy now will be the $1 paperbacks on the sidewalk. It’s gonna be kinda sad, folks. but I do find comfort in diving into this in the greatest city on earth! Summertime isn’t here yet, but you’ve gotta love the freebies and discounts NYC offers year-round: Ladies’ night happy hours (sorry guys), stop-and-go art strolls from 16th to 27th between 10th and 11th, and let’s not forget the constant (free) flow of information. Here are a few events to stimulate you mind, body and wallet.
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Tags:
CSPAN/Book TV,
Eye on the Strand,
Jonah Lehrer,
KGB Bar,
mcsweeney's,
Radio Lab,
Strand Bookstore,
The Believer,
Word Bookstore
Dear Hans,
My girl’s got really bad breath. I love everything else about her. I mean she’s pretty much the one. The only thing holding me back from popping the question is the breath. That’s how bad it is. Am I crazy?
Signed,
Hiding from Halitosis in Harlem
Ya know, I can really sympathize with this one. I once spanned time with a girl who was pretty great. She was the funniest girl I’ve ever dated. Unfortunately, her breath reeked of effervescent hot dogs. All the time.
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Tags:
Dating,
Halitosis,
holding hans
When I first started writing for neighborbeeblog, I asked the question, “Why isn’t he texting me back?” Well, it turns out the movie (and book) were right: he’s just not that into me. He’s a nice guy, but having run into CJ on several occasions since our night together, it seems we’re simply friends. This weekend I had the opportunity to be on the other side and well, this dud(e) was much more deserving of ignored texts.
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Tags:
Dating,
I'm Just Not That Into You,
The Paulinator
When it comes to the theatre, Carl Andress was practically weaned First Row, Center; he’s been writing, acting, and directing for as long as he can remember, and it’s always been his passion. He got his start years ago when … well, I’ll let him tell you all about that. His latest directorial offering The Third Story stars Kathleen Turner and Charles Busch and is currently running through March 15th at the The Lucille Lortel Theatre. Carl took some time to chat with me about the play, what it’s been like collaborating with Charles Busch over the years, and how his career in theatre began.
KT: Hi Carl, thanks so much for taking some time to talk with me. I’m really excited to be able to chat with you about The Third Story … it sounds like a wild ride – “Gangster flicks, fairy tales, and B-movie sci-fi collide in this epic comic fable from the imagination of Charles Busch“. PLUS it also stars the amazing Kathleen Turner. How did it all happen?
CA: I guess it was around 2007 when Charles Busch was commissioned to write a play for the La Jolla Playhouse (LJP). He gave it to me to read first and I fell in love with it immediately. The La Jolla Playhouse is a very successfully non-profit theatre out in San Diego … a lot of great theatre has come out of there; it’s been in existence since the 50s. More recently, shows like Big River and the revival of How to Succeed in Business …, Tommy, and Jersey Boys started there. They do a lot of new work, new plays and big musicals. And they sometimes commission works, just like they commissioned Charles.
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Tags:
A Very Serious Person,
Carl Andress,
Charles Busch,
Kathleen Turner,
La Jolla Playhouse,
Lucille Lortel Theatre,
MCC,
The Tale of the Allergist's Wife,
The Third Story,
theatre,
Theatre Buzz
Lee Bueller
As you might have guessed, my music library is rather extensive and eclectic. Needless to say, I have a lot of options. However, there are times where I get pulled in by a certain genre and stick with it for an entire week.
I spent the past week diving into my hip-hop section and relived the golden age of the genre. Once the weekend came, I was able to catch up with my friends and have a music discussion with them. My friend Leon (Lee Bueller) has been making hip-hop music for several years and quite frankly, his music is simply refreshing.
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Tags:
hip hop,
lee bueller,
mos def,
nyc,
Queens,
sweet beat
The Boss
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots….
and we’ll take that ride
‘cross this bloody river
to the other side
(Above FROM American Skin)
“Slow down. It’s not that big a deal,” a cop told the scruffy man.
“Not that big a deal?” he grunts.
Horns HONK. The crowd below SCREAMS. Emotionless, the man hangs with one hand from the Empire State Building.
“It’s debt, just a piece of paper that says you owe another person money!” the cop pleads, desperate.
“That’s easy for you to say. How much do you owe?”
“My wife owes about $12,000 on credit cards. You can’t be much worse than that.”
“One — hundred — thousand — dollars.”
“Risky get-rich quick venture?”
“Yeah, you could say that.” And he smiles. Then without a word he lets go.
Everything in the cops head goes quiet. He notices a piece of paper stabbed onto the jagged spear. It reads, “New York University, Master of the Arts, 2004.”
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Tags:
bruce springsteen,
College,
Debt,
Queens,
Suicide,
Tuition
Jillian Tamaki is an amazing illustrator whose work you have likely already seen, but didn’t realize you did. (Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, The Guardian, etc.) Her blog is one I keep tabs on, her pencil sketches and watercolors some of my favorite pieces.
She is also into comics. If you haven’t checked out Skim yet, the fantastic graphic novel Jillian illustrated and her cousin Mariko wrote, you really are missing out.
Name: Jillian Tamaki
Occupation: Illustrator
Borough/Neighborhood: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Read more »
Tags:
artist,
beeline interview,
comics,
illustrator,
jillian tamaki,
skim
Belcourt, East Village
There are few restaurants in New York City where you really feel like you are somewhere else. Sure, there are quite a few where if you closed your eyes, you could easily be anywhere else, but Belcourt fits into the first category. It really feels like you are in Paris. Certainly not the East Village. We arrived at noon on Saturday, and watched as the restaurant began to fill up quickly around us. There was a mixed crowd – young families, young professionals, you name it. Read more »
Tags:
Belcourt,
brunch,
Dish Buzz,
East Village,
french,
lara ruth,
nyc
