Take a look inside an old theater on Ave B. [EVG]
Dispatch from the Noise Wars of the 1980s: "Hey, look man, New York is party city, that's why we moved here...if you don't like it, you can move to the country, old man." Sound familiar? [FP]
In the Village, an urban etiquette sign shows the new nervousness of bar and restaurant owners--please be quiet so the neighbors don't stop us from having our liquor license renewed:
TGI Friday's really is coming to further humiliate Union Square. [Eater]
Bloomberg backs down "somewhat" from banishing art vendors in the parks. [NYT]
Taxi Driver is playing at the Sunshine. [BB]
Looking back and forward at Lafayette Street. [NYT]
In Chelsea, lovely house numbers. [ENY]
11 comments:
Re: the religious processions. To be honest, I didn't know you're expected to buy the prayer cards. I can understand staring at the procession and/or taking a picture - that's something I would do (and have done). Dropping pants, however, is another matter...sounds like it was just one rotten fruit, though, and not the entire neighborhood.
LOL why do they look like Hasidic men dressed as undercover hipster trash?
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/06/07/nyregion/07feast01_span/07feast01_span-articleLarge.jpg
As an Italian American, the disrespectful gawking of yunnies in Williamsburg definitely makes me angry. Those poor, useless fools so rarely encounter anything resembling genuine cultural tradition that when they see it,it's just another moving image, completely foreign to their entire life experience. So how do they react to the real expression of Old Williamsburg? They stare in stunned amusement, or drop they're pants in a sign of faux-rebelliousness.
Sadly, the yunnies don't realize those old Italians are cooler than the yunnies could ever hope to be.
The Italian community in Williamsburg is just that...a COMMUNITY. Multiple generations living and working in a neighborhood, helping to create a real presence. The yunnies are like alien parasites that landed ON Williamsburg, a swarm of cadavers gawking at those who are still living, wondering what sort of creatures they are...envious of the true community they can never be apart of.
Unfortunately, Williamsburg is beyond hope. I truly feel sorry for the original community. To try to maintain a sense of your roots in the middle of that yunnified zombie wasteland must be a daily exercise in frustration and rage and hopelessness.
i think the bit that troubled me the most, oddly, was when the one guy said the processional was "ironic."
it illuminates an entire way of thinking, that everything, even the most "authentic" thing, must be ironic--because if his own cohort paraded through the streets with a statue of a saint and an amateur band, it would most certainly be ironic.
Good point, Jeremiah.
as a 20 something person that moved to Williamsburg from the suburbs... this is excatly why I left. I thought the music/art scene would be fun, and it is for the most part. I also enjoyed the fact that it was a vibrant Italian neighborhood,- in fact my grandfather had lived there as a boy before moving on to Queens and then Nassau. But the vast majority of these rich idoits that move there (and largely don't work or contribute anything to society) are so out of touch with New York, and the Italian culture it's laughable. It's actually sickening when you get to know them. Hate to generalize but, they seem mostly to come from the midwest where they were apparently builled mercilessly and developed no social skills except talking about self loathing and their hatred of "the man." Then they move to Williamsburg to colonize it , not to enjoy anything that makes its New York. In a neighborhood (and region) dominated by Catholics and Italians, I had one girl inform me I was a mysoginist asshole for wearing a wife beater and cruzifix. Uhhh... These are the type of people who use the term "bridge and tunnel" as an insult, thinking that becuase they now live in Brooklyn, they are more sophisticated then the natives, even though they were raised in Iowa or someplace. Anyways I now live in the village.. and yes a lot transplants like myself may seem obnouxious, but most people "get it" and are not trying the colonize the place like Hisidics
I Think Caleo has it right. I am not only half Italian,
but the Italian American presence in New York has been very strong since the late 1800's, however it's important to note that Italians have fled New York in massive numbers since the 1980's to places like Staten Island, New Jersey, Long Island and upstate New York. Their presence doesn't command respect like the hispanics because they don't raise children in the community to enforce their presence and respect. The children settle in suburban homes surrounding NYC (most of them). It's important to note, their are still well over 50,000 Italian Americans raising families in Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn. However that number is beginning to shrink.
Again, this is because there are not 20's 30's age range Italian Americans to command respect in the area. It's old people, and generally nobody pays attention to old people, especially these types of people. these trust fund kids pretending to be artist.
Real artist respect different cultures, these people should not dare be called artist. Artists don't disrespect other cultures. These are just a bunch of trust fund kids from California that don't work and do much of anything.
If you go to certain areas of the Bronx, like the north Bronx you will see entire neighborhoods of Italians. or parts of Brooklyn like Bay Ridge or Howard Beach Ozone park in Queens.
The number of Italians is TINY in Williamsburg. These kids think they can thumb their nose at the old people because theres no young Italians to crack their skulls with one punch. Unfortunately.
Maybe I should go down their and help make that happen.
NYCTour- I think you should make it happen...in fact I think it's exactly the type of " authenticity" the trust fund brats need. A little bit of Old School Italian Williamsburg to snap them out of their trance.
If I had seen that nerd drop his pants, he definitely would have felt my wrath.
But at this point, Williamsburg is so disgusting ( at least to me ) that I refuse to go into the area at all. It's FAR more saturated with useless brats than the East Village is, and that's saying something.
Last summer I did visit briefly, and felt as if my soul was being crushed.
Even floating the idea of naming a cafe after a saint is insulting. Opeing a juice bar is "relating to saints in a different way"?? Even if you don't understand or agree with certain religious practices atleast show respect. I wonder how many people who flock to A Tree Growns in Brooklyn actually know the story or do they just think it's a cute name. Ugh.
Goggla, now you know. I'm sure, however, that you weren't in the least disrespectful. Being a lapsed Catholic, I know the drill.
Caleo, you are righter than right. Good for you.
This is an entire generation of atheists. I recently read an article about that girl abby who tried to sail around the world alone and was lost... someone made the comment that he had prayed for her which was followed by dozens of comments making fun of him. I doubt many of these mockers were over 35. Most of these kids have just never been through an experience that might humble them and open their eyes. Theyre punks. Fashion is their God. This entire generation is t an embarrassment to ny and america as a whole.
btw your blog is great. i didnt think anyone really cared, theyre too busy looking good. N.Y. - the new L.A.
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