Tuesday, May 27, 2008

*Everyday Chatter

Another Sex and the City star bemoans the death of NYC, as Chris Noth says: "New York is pretty much commercialized to the point of no return." He misses the "diverse eccentrics" and "different neighborhoods" that have "all been washed out; it’s very suburban... It’s all about sort of a corporate sensibility, and it’s squeezed out room for any other kind of sensibility.” Of course, he's right, but what sensibility did the squeezing? Maybe the one packaged, branded, and thrust upon NYC by SATC? [EOnline]

Andy Warhol lives--apparently, in the body of Marc Jacobs according to the current Interview magazine. This is the story of the new New York: We don't get CBGB, we get John Varvatos. We don't get Andy Warhol, we get Marc Jacobs. Nothing but high-priced simulations. Maybe Andy would dig it. [WWD]

The Chelsea Hotel tailors, Mr. and Mrs. Balabanis, are closing after 31 years in the neighborhood. Unable to bear another rent hike, they're retiring to Greece. [LWL]




Many 20-somethings who come to NYC (all of them white, most working as publicists and marketers earning decent starting salaries with much more to come) make big, big sacrifices to live here--like giving up pedicures and blonde highlights. [Times] ...and, boy, are Gothamist's commenters annoyed.

"Very blond, well-boned, expensively jeaned buyers have been pouring into East Village apartments for so long," except now they're blonder, younger, and more expensively jeaned as a 21-year-old spends $2.2 million to live in Alphabet City. [EV Grieve]

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bummed to hear about the Chelsea Hotel tailors, Mr. and Mrs. Balabanis, not being able to afford their rent, and therefore retiring to Greece. I wish them the best, but it's very hard to see yet another mom-and-pop-store bite the dust. What will replace them? A cell phone store, nail salon, Dunkin' Donuts, perhaps? Sigh.

Anonymous said...

LOSER!

Anonymous said...

Eh? Say, was that some kind of new super-smart form of arguentation from Yale or Princton or someplace, or did that guy just have a bad acid trip?

Anonymous said...

Get a life, Joshua! Nahh, no acid trips; the acid dealers have been pushed out of the alphabet city and the EV, and it seems like you guys are in an acid/weed/heroin withdrawal now that your neighborhood had been gentrified. Just because you live your lives in misery, doesn't mean you need to shove it down everyone else's throats. You seem so brave here in this blog. Why don't we meet and see how brave you really are. Really can't wait for you guys to be pushed out of the EV. If I knew where you guys lived, I'd buy that building so that I can throw you guys off your apt. Fucking losers!

Anonymous said...

That's right Joshua, everyone knows that the khakied, flip-flopped gentry NEVER touch drugs! When they drink until they vomit all over the sidewalk it is a lesson to the rest of us in good breeding. Maybe Mr Anonymous III would like do his tough guy colonizer act at the Lillian Wald Houses, since many of the local business that served those residents are being forced out to make way for those that serve the conquering heroes of gentrification.

Anonymous said...

Say Mr. Anon#3, you seem very familiar. Have you been scurrying around this site leaving various threatening comments?
I suppose this is a good place to bring up the yunnie penchant for using “reverse criticism”, since you’ll notice that Mr. Anon#3 (who won’t even post under a name–even a made up one!) treats us to macho taunts about us posters only being tough over the computer, and meanwhile he’s the only one making references to physical intimidation (though anonymously, remember). I have a feeling that when he threatens to kick my ass, he also says quietly “at X-box.”
I guess I struck a nerve. He probably really is from Yale or Princeton or one of those places, and is embarrassed that, despite all the time and money wasted on him, the best rebuttal he could think up to Jerry’s posts was, “LOSER!” What a waste of daddy’s money.
Anyway, idiocy aside, Mr. Anon#3 is a perfect example of the question I’ve been asking lately. If these little punks are upset that we’re calling them narcissistic sociopaths, why do they think that treating us to little rage fits that only confirm that viewpoint should disconcert us?

Stop popping those ecstasy pills boy, you’ll make more sense! Sober up and make your parents proud!