I'm a bit obsessed with the Titanic. There's just something about the large-scale tragedy, and I love reading about it, I love watching the Leo DiCaprio movie, I just am kinda obsessed with it. I kinda thought I was strange for being so into something that is so.. tragic, but I recently found out that a lot of my girlfriends are equally obsessed.
Which is why a group of us went to the Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Discovery Center in Times Square. The exhibition is SO worth the admission price. Tons of artifacts pulled from the sunken Titanic, recreation of the ship's interior (including the Grand Staircase), discovering details from every aspect of the ship (did you guys know there was a deck called the Poop Deck?? Yeah, I giggled at this). My favorite part was the boarding pass they give you when you enter the exhibition, which belongs to a real life person who was on the Titanic. You go through the exhibition and at the end you look up if your person had survived or not. I lived.
GO check it out. When buying online, enter "CITY09" to get $4 off your ticket.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Titanic Exhibition
Friday, September 18, 2009
NY Fashion Week Recap!
Ok, so the madness that is NY Fashion Week is almost over, and cause I've been so swamped at work and preoccupied with other stuff (new TV! GLEE! The Office!) I have not been as into it as I normally would. In my opinion, the BEST place to check out all of the runway shows and coverage of the week is NY Mag, which literally dedicates themselves to the week, and teams up with the girls over at Go Fug Yourself for commentary and such. I love ittttt. If you are into fashion and need something to kill time, head over for just the remedy.
Snap judgment: LOVE Vera Wang's fall line (yes, some of the pieces are frumpy...), and meh about Marc by Marc Jacobs minus a couple of cute pieces.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Kollaboration New York!
My life for the past few weeks has been: Kollaboration NY, church, Kollaboration NY, swine flu (ok, kidding.. I don't think it's swine...yet), work, Kollaboration NY. I mentioned this in a post a couple of weeks back, but the big day is tomorrow! Even though there is still so much work to be done and I'm stressed out to the max, I'm excited. My friends will be coming out to support me (not that I'm going to be on stage or anything, I'm just staff), and besides for the fact that I'm working on this event ALL MORNING/DAY/NIGHT tomorrow, it's truly going to be a great show. As of this morning, we've officially SOLD OUT, but here is a taste of what you are missing out on, or what you should expect to see if you are coming out.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Kollaboration New York!
Kollaboration is an annual talent show featuring Asian American talent, and it is coming to NYC on June 27! I remember being jealous that all the LA folks got to experience the Kollab mania, but fear no more East Coast-ers, we get our own Kollab NY. Tickets just went on sale (ranging $25-60), and they're gonna sell out so I'd get them soon. I'm deffo going to be there (I'm also working the event so.. I kinda have to), but I think it's going to be really cool cause I kinda dig talent competitions- a la So You Think You Can Dance/American Idol... Hit me up if you want details, but it's pretty self-explanatory.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Site of the Day: People Who Sit In The Disability Seats When I'm Standing On My Crutches
Whew. That was a mouthful (yeah, yeah, "That's what she said" .. go kill yourself).
Anyway, People Who Sit In The Disability Seats When I'm Standing On My Crutches is hilarious .. random photos of people being assholes, along an unnamed, crutched person's journey to wherever in NYC, by means of the lovely NYC subway. It really makes me think twice about how NYC was supposedly named one of the top friendliest cities in the U.S., with articles stating that NYC is soo friendly! Um, sure .. tell that to our crippled friend who is probably still standing, taking photos of the assholes who won't offer up their seats.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
It's Baaack! NYC Restaurant Week
Time to send out the mass email to friends, coworkers, and fellow foodies!
NYC Restaurant Week is back for the winter (January 18 - 23 / January 25 - 30), so make your reservations to the normally "too expensive" eateries. It's definitely a great deal, especially for the price you are paying for a delicious 3 course meal.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Waterfalls: Seoul > New York City
In June, I wrote about New York City getting waterfall installations. The exhibit, which recently ended, was a big success, bringing the city $69 million dollars.
That's all great and good, blah, blah. But seriously, after visiting the waterfalls a few times in person, I was tremendously underwhelmed. Unlike the artist's renditions, there was not enough waterflow to cover up the industrial-looking metal poles that made up the structure. It just wasn't as awesome as I had hoped.
If you really want to see some good water/urban combos, you apparently need to visit Seoul, Korea....
Since September, the Banpo Bridge in Korea has had 9,380 water nozzles shooting out water off the bridge.
Not only does this thing have lights, the nozzles also move up and down, allowing for some neat designs.
The pictures look nice, but they do not do as much justice as watching the video of them in action (below).
Who wants to go to Korea with me?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Hot Air Balloon Rides @ Central Park
As someone who visits New York City fairly often, I get really excited when I gat a chance to see the city in a unique way (As you may have noticed).
So obviously, when I heard there were going to be hot air balloon rides in Central Park from now until August 22nd, I was super happy.
In celebration of Central Park's 150th anniversary, Aero Balloon is hosting anchored hot air balloon rides for a very reasonably priced $25 a pop.
The balloons go up 300 feet and take up to four passengers in the air for 10 minutes at a time. Rides are available from 7am to 10pm on a first-come, first-serve basis and lift-off from Cherry Hill (on 72nd street, west of the Bethesda Fountain).
Me and camera are definitely going to take advantage of this ride, maybe I'll see you on line!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Resources for Local Foodies
Speaking of food.. I kind of love it. I love eating and trying new places.
Aside from reading other posts on this blog, I have two ways of finding new places to eat around the Bergen County / New Jersey / New York area.
The first is Chowhound.com forums. Chowhound is, like, a foodie's dream website. They have recipes, reviews, and a very comprehensive food forum.
While activity can sometimes be scarce (I started up a few posts 
and had very little to no feedback), they have a very deep archive with lots of great suggestions. It's actually through Chowhound that I found my favorite Cuban eatery, Casual Habana Cafe.
The other site I check when I'm looking for food is Off the Broiler. Off the Broiler is a blog run by a local guy named Jason Perlow. He writes about technology and food (I know, an odd mix). The great thing about his blog is that he takes pictures of the places he eats at and is very descriptive in his writing. He visited some of my favorite places to go, like Bartolomeo's and Boom Boom Chicken.
So if you're ever in the mood to find a new place to eat, use Chowhound and Off the Broiler to help you discover your new favorite restaurant.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
NY Mag's Cheap Eats 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Foodies Rejoice! Restaurant Weeks are Coming
Restaurant week is coming! Which, of course, means that us common-folk are allowed into some more prestigious restaurants in the area for a fraction of the regular price.
The most famous restaurant week is the one hosted in New York. It's running from July 21st to the 25th, taking the weekend off, and then starting again on July 28th until August 1st. The 3 course prix-fixe meals cost $24.07 for lunch and $35.00 for lunch.
While it's certainly not the cheapest dining option, it's definitely worth the money. There are hundreds of restaurants participating, such as Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill and Tom Colicchio's (of Top Chef fame) Gramercy Tavern. Personally, the Life in Boxes crew (and friends) will be heading to Indochine for some delicious treats.
For more information, you should visit their official website, and also check out About.com's restaurant recommendations.
However, if you're from Jersey and don't want to make it all the way across the river, Hudson county is hosting their restaurant week as well.
The Hudson Restaurant Week event starts on July 28th and ends on August 8th. There is less selection, but it might give us Jersey folk the opportunity to find hidden food gems in our own back yards.
Their official website is lacking on some details (such as cost), but hopefully they'll update food.
No matter where you end up going, the end of July seems to be a great time to be a stingy foodie in this area.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Upcoming: NYC Sound Tracks
Nothing passes the time better in a New York City subway station than hearing a subway musician perform. It's sort of awesome to see someone stop chatting away on their cellphone or remove their headphones to hear some good, live music. They say that music is the universal language, and in a city full of cold-hearted New Yorkers (or so they say) and foreign tourists, a single subway musician can turn heads all around.
So it only makes sense to capitalize on it and turn it into a television show.
MSG's NYC Sound Tracks premieres on Sunday, January 13th at 8PM ET, and will be searching for New York City's best subway musician. The series will air a new episode every Sunday night following the premiere, enabling the viewers to vote for their favorite subway musician.
Doesn't seem to be a shabby concept. Not to mention that it would be awesome to see a subway performer I've actually seen perform ..
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Waterfalls in the City
One of the best things about living near New York City is all the cool public art exhibitions available. If you remember, a couple of years ago, it was the Central Park gates, and just a few weeks back, it was the Telectroscope.
Well, today, the latest art attraction opened up: Waterfalls. Setup by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson (with a name like that, what else can you be but an artist? :x), Waterfalls is a series of four man-made waterfalls set up along the shores of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Governor's Island.
The waterfalls look amazing as is, but what's even cooler is that they also light up at night.
Read more to get more info and see a video of the waterfalls in action....
Brooklyn Bridge Waterfall from jakedobkin on Vimeo.
The waterfalls will be up until October 13th. They'll be open from 7 AM to 10 PM every day except Tuesdays and Thursdays, when they'll open at 9 PM.
Visit the official website for even more info and to find the best viewing areas.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Top Chef: New York
By now, most of you all know that I am a Top Chef fan. I know, I know, the past seasons of Top Chef have been better, but Top Chef: Chicago was the one to keep me by any tv on Wednesdays nights. Yeah, it definitely might have to do with the drama. And definitely because of my hatred towards a particular chef. But compared to my current replacement show, The Next Food Network Star, Top Chef has got to be one of the few reality shows that I must watch.
Anyway, rumor had it that the next season of Top Chef would be in New York, and apparently, it's true:
Top Chef is coming at last to the city where it was plainly meant to be: our own metropolis of New York City, reports Snack. That should just add to the frenzy of hype, speculation, and gossip that is Top Chef’s singular mood and music. Given how aggressive the bloggers were in Chicago (they scoped out the chefs with telescopic lenses), we can only imagine what will happen when New York’s blogging corps gets a beachhead. It's a good thing it's still many months away. This will call forth all our powers. (nymag.com)
So rejoice, NYC area bloggers! It's time to get our Top Chef on. Let's just hope that none of the next season's contestants become hated as last season's dirty pirate hooker.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Things To Do: Wednesday Night!
To promote their upcoming film Get Smart, Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway will be at the SoHo Apple Store in NYC on Wednesday, June 18th at 9PM. They will be screening clips from their new movie, which premieres in theaters Friday, June 20th.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Go See London From New York City
As if there weren't enough reasons to go to the city, they've just added another freakin' awesome reason: go to New York to see London (or vice versa).
Artist Paul St. George has created the telectroscope, two giant telescopes, one placed near the Brooklyn bridge and the other near Tower Bridge in London, which allows the viewers to see each other from across the pond in real time, 24 hours a day.
While this crazy Victorian, steampunk'esque telescope looks just like an art piece, the thing that makes it crazy is that it actually works. Instead of using mirrors and somehow making up for the curve of the earth, inside each teletroscope is an HD camera and a screen.
This is the best combination of creative art and technology I've seen in a long time.
The telectroscopes are only going to be around until June 15th, so go get a glimpse while you can. For more info, read more....
Check out the official website here.
And here are the exact addresses of the two telectroscope locations:
The Telectroscope is situated at Fulton Ferry Landing near Brooklyn Bridge.
Fulton Ferry Landing
Old Fulton Street, Brooklyn NY - 11201
Subway: Lines A and C to High Street or F to York Street
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The Telectroscope is situated on the south side of the river near Tower Bridge.
More London Riverside
London SE1 2DB
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Count your calories!
Contrary to what people might think about me, I don't actually count calories. It's hella depressing, and I don't think it's entirely conducive to a long-term healthy lifestyle goal. I can't say I don't look at caloric information though; I do, just to see what I'm putting in my body.
Starting yesterday, a new law was supposed to go into effect in NYC, requiring all chain restaurants in the city to display caloric information on all food and beverages (on menus and price boards). It's part of a new initiative by the Department of Health on drastically curbing obesity in the next couple of years. The New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) is fighting this ruling, with places like McDonald's, BK, KFC, and Domino's not participating as of yet. The NYSRA is expected to appeal to a higher court, but in the meantime, any chain restaurant with more than 15 locations nationwide has 6 weeks to comply before fines are issued. Below is a breakdown of how many calories some of your faves are, and it ain't pretty. It's no wonder why some of these chain restaurants are fighting to keep caloric info off of customers' minds. As a reference point, the Food & Drug Administration's recommended caloric allowance per day is 2,000.
Starbucks - Venti Iced Cafe Mocha: 400 calories
Wendy's - 3/4 pound Triple w/cheese: 980 calories
Taco Bell - Bell Grande Taco Salad w/Ground Beef: 1,450 calories
TGI Friday's - Ribs: 1,910 calories
Outback Steakhouse - Bloomin Onion: 2,310 calories
Pizzeria Uno - Chicago Classic Deep Dish Personal Pizza: 2,310 calories
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Review: Asssscat 3000
What do you get when you put the writers of Saturday Night Live, the Daily Show, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien in a room together?
The answer is Asssscat 3000.
Asssscat 3000 is an improv comedy show played at the Upright Citizen's Brigade every Sunday at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. It is led by the founders of the UCB (including Amy Poehler of SNL fame)....
The way it works is five comedians and one mediator monologist (thanks, Nathan :x) come up on stage. The mediator monologist takes an idea from the audience and builds a story together from that single idea. In turn, the comedians make up small skits based on ideas thrown out in the mediator's monologist's story.
The entire show is improvised, but you would be hard-pressed to notice. The actors all have great comedic timing and a chemistry that makes for hilarious short skits. Even when some of the ideas fall flat, the they manage to get a couple of good jokes in. In all, the show is 1 1/2 to 2 hours of laughs.
Two things make the show even more special: the actors and the price.
Aside from getting top notch writers performing, you will usually have a celebrity in the bunch. Most likely it'll be Amy Poehler or some other SNL cast member. When I went, Amy Poehler was away, but instead John Lutz (Lutz) and Jack McBrayer (Kenneth the Page) of 30 Rock were there. And during the writer's strike, Michael Cera performed on Asssscat 3000 / SNL combo show.
Most comedy clubs charge something like $20 plus a two drink minimum for a show. Asssscat 3000 tickets? They only run you $8 ($8.90 if you order online) for the 7:30 show, and free for the 9:30 show. What's more, their beer is $2-$3. This is probably one of the best deals you'll find in the city.
Such great deals do not come without caveats, however. Advanced tickets sell out a week before each show, and people start standing on line for the 9:30 show at around 6:00 or even earlier. Even if you do buy tickets in advance, be prepared to get to the theater by 6:45 or earlier to get really good seats.
Also, for $8/free, don't expect any kind of luxuries. The UCB theater is a small, tightly packed 150 person theater with seating in directly in front of and along the sides of the stage. The best seats are in the front and center (obviously). But if you're brave enough, you can sit on the floor, almost literally on the stage, with the actors about 2 feet away from you.
In all, Asssscat 3000 is a typically New York 20-something place to go. It's freakin' hilarious, cheap, and grungy. I would highly recommend spending your Sunday night at Asssscat 3000.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Stalkeriffic!
Paranoia. Fear. Anxiety. Anger.
These are probably the thoughts running through a popular celebrity's head when they leave the comforts of their own home to venture out into the streets, and try to live their life as "normal" as possible. From seeing Britney Spear's late runs to get her fix of McDonald's, to seeing Brad Pitt in (gasp!) sweatpants, we all know that normal folks like us are wondering what it feels like to be stalked by the paparazzi.
Well, now you can turn those thoughts into a reality!
MethodIzaz provides you with an opportunity to be paranoid while you're out. For a price, of course. In order to get a quote, you must first email the company with your schedule with specifics (time, precise location, etc.), what emotions you'd like the photographer to capture, what size prints and how many of each, as well as an uploaded photo of yourself (so the photographer can know who they have to stalk).
Unfortunately, this service is only available in New York City.
Just make sure you're on your best behavior - put a pause to your daily habits, such as pushing old ladies down the stairs and doing eat-and-runs at restaurants.
Yeah, we know it's you!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
For Great Justice ..
Join 10,000+ people at Union Square this Saturday, March 22nd for the ultimate event.
For great justice .. PILLOW FIGHT!
That's right. The third annual "Pillow Fight NYC 2008" will be this Saturday. Grab your pillows and make it out to Union Square by 3PM (the event is set to last for about an hour).
Costumes are encouraged!
And if you're in different parts of the globe, have no fear of being left out: this year's event will coincide with other cities world-wide, making March 22nd THE International Pillow Fight Day.
If whacking strangers with a soft pillow isn't up your alley, bring your friends and show them what you really think of them. I made sure to invite all of my friends ;x
