Dive bars, vintage boutiques, and locally owned restaurants have long occupied the East Village’s streets, but one feature of the neighborhood stands out – the…
‘Group Sex’ at Ed. Varie’s New Gallery and 4 More LES Art Shows to See
The COVID era has familiarized us with two unwelcome feelings: anxiety and monotony. A good art show, like dinner with friends, has the power to…
The Matchmaking Service That Pairs Visionary Designers With Covid Conundrums
Growing up, Fernando Ortiz used to travel from his home in the South Bronx to his parents’ bodega in Harlem. His native borough is bordered…
‘I Can’t Wait to Open Our Doors to Real People’: Crystal Field On the Past and Future of Theater for the New City
“Now, this is gonna be a very long interview,” Crystal Field informs me. She’s spent the past five minutes answering one question. Her black and…
Comedy Clubs Are Ready For Their Next Act
“Do you like live comedy?” You’ll soon be hearing those words on MacDougal Street again. After a year in the dark, comedy clubs are reopening…
Could COVID Derail Tani the Refugee Chess Prodigy?
“I need 400 points more,” says the small boy on the couch. “And I need to go to more tournaments.” The strange thing is, everyone…
Making the Vest of a Bad Situation: Knitting and Tufting Booms During Covid
There have been a few trends on social media since quarantine began: banana bread. Whipped coffee. Tie-dye sweatsuits. One that you can’t escape on any…
Can Williamsburg’s Record Stores Get Back Into the Groove?
Like the plague victim in Monty Python’s Holy Grail, “I’m not dead yet!” is the obstinate cry of independent record stores coping with lockdowns and…
Bushwick Collective Aims to Bring Block Party Back to Brooklyn
The Bushwick Collective is well known for putting up murals around the city in collaboration with artists from around the world. But the Brooklyn-based project…
How New York’s TikTokers Live the #NYCDream, Warts and All
Olivia Marcus, a 24-year-old broadcast journalism graduate working at a media agency, had a weird day on TikTok this January. A “day in the life”…