Monday, November 16, 2009

*Everyday Chatter

It's not just New York. The whole country is infected by the cupcake craze--and cuteness in general. Why? Because, says author Roland Kelts, "you are desperate to be known... And if you are desperate to be known, you need a strategy for being known, and a very good strategy is the old evolutionary one of being so cute that you need to be cared for." [VF]

More photo-tacular "Then & Now" from Alex in NYC. [FP]

Check out "Only in New York," photos of the city at MCNY. [Stupefaction]

Brian Berger interviews Jonathan Lethem on Chronic City. [WWIB]

Old and new side by side on W. 23rd, as the glassy "Modern23" abuts a classic:


City landlords have begun banning cigarette smoking in your own apartment--new tenants "must sign an agreement promising not to smoke inside their homes." [Gothamist]

Is Trump Soho going into foreclosure? [Curbed]

Blood on the streets of Alphabet City. [NMNL]

View the life cycle of Eldridge Street. [BB]

The EV Pizza Shop has closed due to high rent. [EVG]
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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 16, 2009 at 9:00 PM

    Maybe people just like cake. But don't want to buy the whole shebang.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownNovember 17, 2009 at 10:16 AM

    Ironically, as our political discourse grows ever more dangerously caustic and racist, and society seems to be coursing down the tubes, people (esp. upper middle class people) are clutching at cuteness as an emergency balm against the growing anger in this country.

    As for me, when it comes to NYC, i liked it better when, paraphrasing the article in VF, there was a bit more Steamboat Willie to it, and not just the fuzzy-wuzzy Mickey Mouse of the 2000's.

    Next up: The 'SoBro' LOLCats/Cupcake Emporium

    Whatta revoltin' development.

    ReplyDelete
  3. FilmatixNovember 17, 2009 at 3:01 PM

    J.M.

    A little bit o' Followup:

    Of course, even more ironic, after I clicked on your link to the Voice's photo gallery of the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant was that picture #3 of 34 was, inevitably, one of "male kitten contestant 'Pickles'.

    "Just when i thought I was out...They pull me back in!"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jeremiah MossNovember 17, 2009 at 3:22 PM

    Pickles! i saw him, too. cuteness is infectious and seductive. i thought the article did an amazing job of analyzing it and why our country clings to it at this point in history. the stuff about Obama's cuteness was insane. "O-Jamas"?

    ReplyDelete
  5. johnNovember 19, 2009 at 12:35 PM

    we can still smoke weed in our apartments right? lots and lots of weed...locally grown harlem/heights produce of course...

    ReplyDelete

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