Monday, October 8, 2007

*Everyday Chatter

At least two readers took Time Out NY to task for loading its "Has Manhattan Lost Its Soul" issue with luxury condo and chain-store ads. Asks one reader, "Why couldn't this issue also be devoted to the advertising of small businesses? Just one measly issue offering reduced-rate full-page ads for some of our good ol' homegrown New York entrepreneurs. For shame, TONY." This is an excellent suggestion, especially now that we know, from her passionate words at the Lost Soul MAS talk, that TONY president Alison Tocci longs for a city filled with thriving small businesses. Alison, are you listening?

A dream come true? New York considers a law against standing around like an idiot and gawking while blocking traffic on the sidewalks. I've got a few more suggestions for pedestrian behavior. [City Room]

Hooray for one mom who had this to say about uptight Village parents protesting the S/M leather fair this weekend: "This is the West Village. It's been like this for decades...Now all these families moving in trying to pretend it's the suburbs. If the culture of the West Village bugs them then move to New Jersey." Amen! [AMNY]

Take a tour of the Masonic Hall--anytime. [Blog Chelsea]

MAS sums up the press they got on their Jane Jacobs NY Soul discussion, including this blog's take, among many others. [MAS]

This guy is covering the vanishing downtown scene in his blog. It's good to see more people working to preserve our vanishing city--even if it's only in cyberspace. So give him a visit. [Flaming Pablum]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cheers back'atcha, Jeremiah! Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Jere, gotta agree with commenter #22, Erin, in the City Room piece about sidewalk stopping. In Rude-y's first term, his fascist proclivities reached the point where I predicted he would next try to tell us when and where to walk. Sure enough, his first piece of business in term 2 was the pedestrian "restraint" railing on Fifth and Sixth Avenue. We need more unfettered movement in a city where every square inch is being turned into an exclusive corporate space for advertising and commodification, with the rest of us not wearing our passes. Free people have the right to stop and gawk, and free Noo Yawkers have the right to tell them to fuck off!