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shut up, brooklyn
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urban anthropology
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shut up, brooklyn
Metropolitan Diary
Have you been vomited on during your commute recently? Would you like to be? [Gowanus Lounge]
Have you been vomited on during your commute recently? Would you like to be? [Gowanus Lounge]
urban anthropology
Why New Yorkers Ignore Celebrities on the Street
The New Yorker's Joan Acocella explains in May's Smithsonian what effect living in close quarters, often in public, has on the behavior of New Yorker. "They act on the street as they do in private. In the United States today, public behavior is ruled by a kind of compulsory cheer that people probably picked up from television and advertising that coats their transactions in a smooth, shiny glaze. New Yorkers have not yet gotten the knack of this." She also totally knows why we ignore celebrities when we see them in the street (no, it's not 'cause we're jaded): More »
urban anthropology
"I Love the Ghetto": Bushwick Hipsters Explain Their Outfits
Bushwick, Brooklyn. Hope to working-class and poor folks, a large Hispanic population, white college-grad hipsters and their holy grail of communal living, the McKibbin lofts. (1 month of free bedbugs included.) Rents are cheap, for now. Expectations, however, are high. Bushwick, the lifestyle! Bushwick, the brand—it's all there on BushwickBK.com. And these young people would like to explain their clothes to you! More »
urban entomology
There Are Bedbugs In The Subway! Panic!
The city has bedbug educators, apparently, and one was speaking at a special Department of Housing forum on bedbugs recently, and he let the following terrifying revelation slip in front of a Post reporter: he sees bedbugs all over various subway benches! He even saw one attach itself to some poor, unsuspecting passenger's ass at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station in Brooklyn! Wait, Brooklyn? McKibben Lofts must be mixed up in this somehow. Anyway, the important thing here is: Definitely do panic. Here, look, the Post is helping to spread the pandemonium: More »
urban anthropology
Filthy Hipster Dorm Infiltrated
A daring Times reporter infiltrated the bedbug-ridden, crime-infested, lame-party-throwing McKibbin lofts in Bushwick. Was it dirty and gross like you might expect? Oh yes, very very much so. Also, saddest thing ever, there was a 61-year-old living there, with his wife. Unironically. Because it's the cheapest place in town. Where to begin? With the urine, I guess: More »
hipsters
Hipster Kickball League Appears to be Under Control, For Now
Both Hamilton and myself walked by Williamsburg's McCarren Park at different times this Sunday, during the hours of Opening Day Part 2 of the hipster kickball league that's been causing so many dramatic fights and epic letters. Everything seemed under control. But you'll tell us if any scandals or noteworthy scuffles break out, won't you? Comments like this, especially: "[The Kickball commissioner] IS kind of awesome. He asked me to spit his own beer in his face just so I could show him exactly how the guy from [rogue team] Prison spit on me." There's an entire season ahead of us. I'm listening...
urban anthropology
The State of Street Fashion
According to hipster meta-mag Vice's fashion issue, street fashion in New York City these days is all about looking like dark, weird eccentric richies, with Edie Sedgewick and Olsen twin looks popular amongst the girls. Either that or androgynous: "so now, for the third year running, we want to officially say that you pretty, well-adjusted, rich fashion fuckers have ruined the Smiths for real fans, so fuck you." For boys, it's still tight pants and plaid. (We've noticed. Sigh.) [Vice]
gentrification
Has the Chelsea Hotel Kicked Out Their Douchey New Management?
The longtime manager of bohemian artist enclave the Chelsea Hotel, Stanley Bard, was ousted last year, leaving the door open for total capitalist tightasses to take over and evict long-term tenants. Today, the Chelsea Hotel blog reports that the new management team might be on their way out. Who to blame? More »
urban anthropology
New York's Greatest Modern Eccentrics
Every city has its special weirdos. Santa Cruz, California has Pinky Valentino, who wears clown makeup and carries a tin-foil umbrella. Detroit has a bearded older guy in a jean jacket called Papa Smurf. And Seattle has so many local characters, like a would-be green elf from Legend of Zelda and the "original hipster" in a large-brimmed black hat, that someone created a site called Seattle Notables, modeled on Gawker Stalker, to track them all. Shamefully, there's no such central clearinghouse for eccentrics New York, which must content itself with individual sites, like the one dedicated to chronicling the shirtless, brawny heroics of a guy called "He-Man. To get the fameball rolling, we've assembled a handful of key Gotham characters after the jump. Add to this surely-incomplete list in the comments, or via tips@gawker.com. Because there's no way Seattle should be allowed to out-weird New York. On to the freakshow: More »
Cutting-Edge Street Art Was Actually College Homework
The street art of water-blue pixels flowing out of a pump in the East Village that we showed you last week was an assignment for an NYU student's Intro to Sculpture class, Animal reports. The artist is Kelly Goeller from Long Island. We hope she got an A!
urban anthropology
Times Square's Lost "McDonald's of Porn"
Of all the porn stores, video peeps, and live-girl peepshows in Times Square, Show World in its original incarnation was the most notorious. (Now, it's up for lease or sale and may close, reports the Post.) Its bright layout anesthetized the pornography it housed; it was often referred to either as the McDonald's or Wal-Mart of porn. At its peak, thirty-two live girls per shift worked 24-7 behind glass on stages and in peepshow booths. The glass separating the girls from the customers came and went according to the vice laws of the time; the glass went back up for good around 2000. There was even a trannie stage! More »
critical stalker
"NY Girl of My Dreams" Now Waitressing Incognito
A drawing of a girl seen on the subway, posted to illustrator and Vimeo employee Patrick Moberg's blog and titled "NY girl of my dreams," resulted in the two meeting, viral-marketing love on Good Morning America, and photographed for a Reader's Digest article on Valentine's Day. Maybe Patrick and the girl, Australian and former Blackbook intern Camille, have broken up by now. Maybe they haven't. But Camille is now waitressing in the East Village, her past unbeknowst to her co-workers. Until her cover got blown last night! More »
urban anthropology
"I Protected You From Harassment": Missed Connections for the Subway
Maybe this will pacify some of our commuting rage: Subway Crush lets you helpfully point out the cuties you see on the train every day! We were particularly impressed with the chivalrous "I protected you from harrassment" 1 train rider: More »
rants
Dear G Train: F!*&ing Blow Me
God. Oh my God. It's 8:45 and I'm pacing around like a crazy person on the subway platform again. The G train, man. The fucking G train. It's gone from mild annoyance to genuine outrage to pure, paranoid obsession. Everything, I mean everything, wrong with my life can be traced back to this train. More »
urban anthropology
Let's Take Over the Private Fancy Clubs!
There are lots of membership-only oak-paneled private clubs in this city, former Gawker Joshua Stein reports in Page Six magazine. And you're probably not a member! But why not? There's been a thinning of the (dues-paying) herd lately: the olds who run and populate the places are "dying off." In order to attract youngs, they're going absolutely wild: "relaxing dress codes, holding mixers, staying open past 10 pm." Sounds stuffy, but... how would you like the cushy surroundings of your very own private club? More »
urban anthropology
Does anyone else read "The Hunt," the column in the NYT's Sunday Real Estate section, religiously? It's about a person or a couple, often borderline obnoxious, and their search to find a new apartment, either to rent or buy. Although they include a mix of buyers and renters with different price points, it's usually annoying because even the cheapest renter is looking to pay about three times more than you can afford. And then you watch as they reject perfectly nice apartments for the most princessy of reasons. A trend I've noticed the last three weeks: moving to acommodate your pet! More »
New Yorkers Moving Constantly for the Dumbest of Reasons
Does anyone else read "The Hunt," the column in the NYT's Sunday Real Estate section, religiously? It's about a person or a couple, often borderline obnoxious, and their search to find a new apartment, either to rent or buy. Although they include a mix of buyers and renters with different price points, it's usually annoying because even the cheapest renter is looking to pay about three times more than you can afford. And then you watch as they reject perfectly nice apartments for the most princessy of reasons. A trend I've noticed the last three weeks: moving to acommodate your pet! More »
parochial news
Drunk at the Street-Sign Factory Again
Fun with fuckups! NYLON magazine's blog shows us their new street sign on Mercer Street. Spelled totally wrong.More »
