Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010...11:12 pm
Livin’ NYC
I probably don’t appreciate living in NYC as much as I should. I often realize this as I speak with someone who has moved to NYC from some podunk town like Boston, Cleveland or Baltimore. I hear them speak of our city with wide-eyed fascination and reverence. When I think about NYC, I’m usually thinking about the hustle and bustle, high rent, sewer rats bigger than Splinter, weird smells, crappy weather (did you know that in some parts of the world there is no winter) and contaminated street meat. My saving graces are that it’s the best sports town in America and has the yummiest bagels and pizza in the world. Otherwise, I might still be bumming it up in Mission Beach.
My perceptions have changed a bit since I’ve moved downtown in June. It’s a different vibe from what I’m used too — unfamiliar and exciting. There’s more cool stuff on my block (Flight Club, Strand Book Store, Mexicana Mama, guy selling marijuana gas masks) than there is on the entire UES combined (unless you get jazzed up by Bugaboo strollers). I now do most of my food shopping at the Farmer’s Market in Union Square where I gladly hand over my money as I support local, organic slow food. Yup, I’m beginning to understand the emotion my buddy Greenblatt must feel when he first sees the bright lights of NYC while driving on the LIE after being in his car for dozens upon dozens of minutes. It’s just like when Piper Perabo moved to NYC from Jersey to further her career (in music or as a slutty bartender??).
I’ve recently strung together a few cool NYC activities. I had off for Columbus Day so decided to jump on the ferry and head out to Ellis Island. The weather was great and the Registry Room is one of the most unique and historical spaces in the city. I not only got the opportunity to see my Poppy’s name engraved on the wall but I also got a chance to stick it to the Galitziana by sneezing on their names. If only Lou Dobbs was around back in the day we would have put a halt to the influx of those uneducated, sugary gefilta fish eating potty mouths.
Last weekend I checked out the Big Bambu exhibit on the roof of the Met. It kind of reminded me of an oversized Sukkot (yeah, I also went to Sukkah City!) inspired by Indiana Jones.
Last Sunday I wandered around the village during the Halloween Parade. This is something I’ve been meaning to do for years so was psyched to see all the weirdness for myself. It’s begging for a blog post of it’s own but I’m better off keeping the freak show repressed in my memory.
All three of these activities were unplanned. I kind of did them on the spur of the moment. For Ellis Island, I actually had a dream about going there earlier in the week. One drawback of being lazy/spontaneous is that I often do these activities on my own (Ellis Island, Farmer’s Market) or with whoever happens to be around at that moment (ie. my sisters, or in the case of the Met and the Parade, Mr. Hillman). I think Hillman only joins me just so he can “check in” at all these cultural activities on Four Square and Facebook.
The entire point of this blog post though is to list out some of the NYCentric activities that I want to do before this year is out. It’s getting cold and I’m on The DL for rec sports with my bad back so have lots of dead time. Let me know if any of them interest you as I’d love some good company. Hillman said he won’t mind if you come as long as he can still check in on Facebook and tell people he was there and that you missed out.
Alternatively, I was considering naming this blog post Why Littyhoops needs a girlfriend
Love to hear what you have planned. Truth is I’ll probably get lazy and only do a sliver of these things.
Without Further Ado…
ACTIVITIES
Brooklyn Bowl
Williamsberg, Brooklyn
1) Go To Williamsberg 2)Act Like a Hipster 3) Throw some rocks.
Lewbowski Fest on Nov 4 or Matisyahu there on November 29 or 30th.
Adam Corolla
Nov 5 at Caroline’s
Already have tickets to Mr. Krasman’s favorite podcaster.
New York City Marathon Party
November 7 on the UES
Come to my sister’s Lisa crib for a great view of the Marathon from her balcony.
Pee Wee Herman Show
I’ll only go to this show if I can sit between Neal and Greenblatt.
Everything You Know Is Pong Event
November 10 at Lincoln Center
Interesting people playing ping pong.
Chinatown Arcade
8 Mott Place – Chinatown
Who knew there was arcades in the City. Would have never told my parents to move to the burbs.
Russian Bath House
10th between 1st and A
Scooped up a 5 visit pass on LivingSocial so might just get yourself a free schvitz.
SPORTS
St. John’s Basketball
Carnesseca Arena – Columbia (11/17), Wagner (12/1), St. Bonaventure (12/7),
Rose Hill – at Fordham on 12/10
MSG for Holiday Festival on 12/20, 12/21
My goal is to make every single home game for this season (and for the rest of my life).
New York Knicks @ MSG
Down to check out the new squad. Like Felton and Amare. Don’t ask me why the have the two worst starters in the entire league (Landry Fields, Mozgov)
FOOD
Hill Country
Monday Nights
All You can eat BBQ. Who likes meat sweats?
Max Brenner
Kind of feel like a 15 year old girl with this one but I’e never been there and I walk by it every day. Chocolate Pizza? Interesting.
Il Vegabonda
East 62nd Street
Always liked how this place was hidden on a side street and bocce is a sport so must be kind of fun, right?
Elio’s
84th and 2nd
Either I was going to take my sister here or she was going to take me. Can’t remember. Heard it’s some of this best Italian in the city though.
Kingswood
10th and Greenwich
Haven’t been in awhile but one of my favorite spots to go with a group. Even better if you go downstairs afterwards.
LIVE MUSIC
Matt Costa
November 4 at Bowery Ballroom
Jack Johnson’s understudy. Better voice. Play him on my iPod all the time to relax.
Kings of Leon
November 16 at MSG
Morning Benders
Nov 18 at Webster Hall
Thanks to Mr. Rosen for helping me discover these guys.
Wu Tang
December 29 at Best Buy Theater
It’s always hit or miss but if they’re on it’s old school rap at it’s finest.
NIGHT TIME
The Box
I’ve beeen wanting to go to this place since it opened but guess I’m not cool enough. Need to make it happen one weekend.
BRAINY STUFF
Alan Dershowitz
November 4 at 92nd Street Y
Discussing Israel. I don’t follow Dershowitz that closely but like how he’s an ardent supporter of Israel.
Michigan Professor Ralph Williams
Nov 17 at Park East Synogogue
He taught me the Bible in college. He has a really big brain, and really long fingers and combined it is both breath-taking and goes straight over my head.
Hayden Planetarium Space Shows
Museum of Natural History
Double feature narrated by Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford in planetarium with seats that shake. I’m in.
TRAVEL
Boca/Miami
November 18-24
Going with the sisters to visit the Nanna and plan to stay a few extra days to kick it.
Someplace Cool
Christmas to New Year’s
Have no plans now but want to go away that week. Maybe Cali (what you think Cali friends??)
—
One final thought as I bring this back to the digital world. You may have heard about the new mobile/web app Four Square. I mentioned it earlier in this post and it’s steadily gaining popuarity here in NYC and around the country. Four Square allows you to check-in to places that you are at. You get silly little badges and points for checking in that are pretty much worthless (still people do it so what do I know). What interests me is when Four Square will start to make recommendations based off of where I have gone previously and what my friends/networks are doing regularly.
Another intersting digital service is Plancast. This allows you to share your upcoming schedule in a very similar way to what I’ve just done in this blog. You can also see what my contacts are up to and makes it much easier to see who’s doing cool stuff.
