One great and often-overlooked feature of Lynx is its --dump
option.
lynx --dump <url> dumps the text content of the Web page at URL,
followed by a numbered list of URLs that were referenced in that page.
Urban gardeners are no longer unsung heroes. We plant in spaces small and smaller. We commandeer windows, window sills, parts of our neighbor's fire escape and roof tops. We hope the squirrels don't steal our cherry tomatoes in the wee hours of the morning and that the pigeons don't peck our cucumbers. We laugh to ourselves--well lets face it we laugh evilly and then duck back through the window--when we water the people passing below us 6 stories down.
By Liz Suman
Only in New York City will you find an international chalk art celebrity's first solo exhibit inside an old hardware store on the Bowery.
Making good on his word to experiment with light and shadow in different contexts besides the street, Ellis Gallagher's latest show at Collective Hardware, "Ocular Echoism: The Autonomy of Ellis Gallagher," features striking photographs of some of his most beautiful chalk-outlined objects throughout New York City. Curator De L'Autonomy, defines the work through the lens of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, which you can read about here. But what I thought was the most interesting part about the exhibit was how it brought the street indoors, playing around with what goes where in the same way Ellis does by bringing art onto the street with chalk.
In addition to the dozens of photographs lining the walls of the converted hardware store, the exhibit includes a chalk-outlined bicycle hung from the ceiling, a plastic crate outlined in chalk and surrounded by garbage (the planted trash was a bit much), and a lineup of newspaper dispensers covered in tags, standing to attention in the center of the gallery. It is a who's who of graffiti writers in New York at the time of the show's opening and a live (and far more interesting) roll call than the black and white, two-dimensional name-dropping you find on Gawker the day after a big party in NYC. This inanimate roll call combined with Ellis' installations, a handful of candy-colored Claws, and a fire-tag shout out to Dash Snow provide the perfect anthropological icing to Ellis' beautiful photographs.
The exhibit is only up for a couple more days, but you can check out the work below and stay tuned for Ellis' upcoming shows by keeping tabs on his Facebook page.
"Ocular Echoism," Collective Hardware
By Joanna
I've been running around like a crazy woman gathering the necessary materials for my own hydroponic system and finally...all the running has paid off. Yesterday Britta from Window Farms plus her team--Ted, Lisa and Anja--spent 8 hours in my apartment installing a home version of the window farm at Eyebeam we blogged about back in June. Sadly I bought the wrong pump so my system isn't fully operational but the new one is in the mail. I'll post a full wrap up on Monday when the pump arrives and I've installed it. In the mean time here's a bit of what we did yesterday.
photo: chad davis
CBGB's has long since left us and the Bowery looks nothing like it did when we were in high school.
photo: 1hrphoto
Our friend Tommy passed on this site--a virtual, 360 degree tour of the late CBGB's. We're particularly fond of the bathroom shots and happy that we couldn't see the floors or toilets in the dim light.
By Joanna
Noah and I were in the East Village buying t-shirts on Saturday night. He found some great ones at Upper Playground, which is right next door to Giant Robot, one of our favorite galleries/stores in the East Village. (Noah and I were at an art opening there for Jack Long a few weeks back. Here's the review in case you missed it or are curious.) We had no idea Giant Robot was having another opening and were psyched when we popped through their door to discover Dime Bag 3 accompanied by beer and snacks.
The other night Noah and I went to an art opening for Jack Long at Giant Robot, a gallery and store (they also publish a magazine) on E. 9th Street in NYC. I've been thinking a lot about urban gardening and greening and growing things on my fire escape and window panes so this show was perfect. There was lots of that going on--flowering cities, water, plants. As the name of the show, Singing Her to Sleep suggests, Jack's art is like dropping into the middle of a story and peaking through the window. The colors are bright and beautiful, the details small and delicate. Each wooden canvas seems connected to the other, creating a long, winding journey, reminiscent of a fairytale. You can't always imagine what he was thinking when he was painting but that doesn't really matter. Like all stories, I take bits and pieces and fit them together in a way that makes sense to me.
Jack's show runs through July 15th. If you have a moment while wandering the E. Village during the next two weeks--which promise to be a hot, rainy, muggly ones--drop into Giant Robot and check out their walls. I think you'll like what you see.
photos: giantobotmag
(Please...do not try this at home)
By Liz Suman
Ten years ago, Ellis Gallagher began lighting his graffiti on fire because he was bored. Just like his chalk art, the trend caught on like wildfire in the graffiti world (no pun intended) and now “fire tagging,” as it’s come to be called, produces almost two million hits on Google and 19,000 results on YouTube.
Unlike some of his successors, Ellis doesn’t use lighter fluid, nail polish remover, or alcohol. He just writes on a wall, turns off the lights, and sets the wet paint on fire. The effect is brief and pretty and the result is art in and of itself (Some of his canvases are covered in layers of fire-tagging residue - a molten lava replica of his pyrotechnics).
This past Saturday I went to a panel discussion called Avian Einsteins, on bird intelligence, at NYU Skirball Center, part of the World Science Festival. Faith Salie was the moderator and she was both funny and engaged, which helped a lot through the 2 hour discussion. And Johnathan Rosen bracketed the discussion with two moving readings from his book **The Life of the Skies.**
Irene Pepperberg has been studying the behavioral science of birds for over 20 years. She related some really interesting stories about having her early work questioned and at times rejected, simply because at the time there was no hard scientific evidence for bird intelligence. However she continued to observe and report on remarkable interactions with laboratory-raised birds, and recently the biological evidence appears to have finally caught up with her research: many of the slides shown, by various members of the panel, described in detail the kinds of activity that goes on in the brain of a bird while it is vocalizing.
Nicola Clayton of Cambridge University who has done groundbreaking work with crows, including observing birds fashioning a piece of wire into a hook in order to use it as a tool.
David Rothenberg of New Jersey Institute of Technology, does all kinds of interesting work on musical interactions in animals. He played a couple of new clarinet pieces, duets with slowed-down recordings the songs of nightingales, thrushes and other songbirds. These pieces are developed in cooperation with Ofer Tchernichovski of the City College of New York.
Ofer described work his team had done with raising male Zebra Finches in isolation (the Zebra Finch is the lab rat of the avian world) and observing how the songs of these "isolates" differed from the usual Zebra Finch song.
About half way through the discussion, Molecular Biologist Irena Schulz brought out Snowball, the Dancing Cockatoo from Youtube. Just in case you have not seen the dancing cockatoo, here he is.
Having seen the video many times already myself, I was interested to see how much more fluid the bird's dancing appears in person than on video. And apparently he only dances to that one Back Street Boys Song. Currently Irena is conducting experiments where they slow the track down incrementally (or speed it up) and try to ascertain whether Snowball adjusts his dance to the new tempo (so far it looks like he does).
Erich Jarvis studies the brains of birds at Duke University. Over the last decade he and his team have elucidated science's understanding of the part of the avian brain responsible for songs. Turns out it is the same part of the brain used for mimicry by parrots, cockatoos and many songbirds like the starling. I thought one of the most interesting things Erich said was that only animals with speech centers, have been shown to be able to move in time to a rhythm. Apparently dancing is a skill that requires a part of the brain that evolves with or after speech.
Of course, this came up in the context of the Dancing Cockatoo, but it also might equally apply to Hatebeak, a death metal band whose singer is a parrot (tip o' the pentagram to Tommy Z for pointing them out).
Check out Hatebeak's Myspace page to listen to tracks like Birdseeds of Vengeance and Beak of Putrefaction.Last week I was lucky enough to score a press pass to Battlestar Galactica: Cyborgs on the Horizon at the World's Science Festival. The guests of the night included two of the stars of Battlestar Galactica, Mary McDonnell, who played President Laura Roslin, and Michael Hogan, aka Colonel Saul Tigh. Also included on the panel were Nick Bostrom, co-founder of the World Transhumanist Association and Director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University, evolutionary robotics wizard Hod Lipson, and Kevin Warwick, a professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading in England whose many accomplishments include self-experimentation which earned him the title, "World's First Cyborg." The evening was hosted by actress, comedian and Deep Star Nine star Faith Salie.
The World Science Festival has ended but there was so many things happening that we have to share what we saw. So the rest of the week is going to be dedicated to wrapping up some of of those events. Our friend Dan, who runs the cool parenting site Kidmondo, went to the World Science Festival Street Fair in Washington Square Park where he encountered many interesting and wild things, including this ball throwing robot which was built by students in the Project Success Robotics Alliance. This organization, which Dr. Lonnie Johnson inventor of the Super Soaker helped to found, is dedicated to inspiring kids to enter the fields of science and engineering. We think this guy is pretty damn awesome.
by Dave Caputo
Over 300 vendors crowded their tents around the track at McCarren Park for the Renegade Craft Fair. There was a huge variety of sundries on display. Hamburger rings, watch movement necklaces and squid tentacle sconces are a few that caught my eye but the predominant craft being peddled was without a doubt T-Shirts. Waving lazily in the wind in neon green, powder blue and basic black. They carried simple silkscreened silhouettes, ironic phrases and in some cases beautiful and complex designs that might be fetching enough to draw some glances on Bedford Ave.
One vendor who's snarky wares caught my eye was Sable Yong. She makes Tee Shirts and Tote bags that will definitely put a spring in your step. One of my favorites sports the phrase "My Tote bag is a totier tote bag than your tote bag" If that doesn't turn your sass up to eleven I don't know what does. You can check out some of her other totes and tees at her etsy shop, Sabletooth Tiger.
The highlight of my day had to be Diane Koss's booth. She makes these absolutely adorable, mostly cycloptic and totally huggable plush toys. Each has a name and a lovely story about their personality. They have the uncanny ability of completely disarming you with their charming and curious smile. I think Nigel is my favorite, he is a scientist. Be sure to catch Diane at one of the many fairs she will be visiting or just grab a doll at her etsy shop, Cutsey But Not Cutsey.
All in all I had a great time at the fair. I did feel that it was a little over populated with t-shirts that were for the most part underwhelming. I think with most fairs of this size you will always have to do a little sifting and ultimately, if you put in a little effort, you'll come out with some very unique treasures. If your a fan of the Renegade Craft Fair be sure to check out Bazaar Bizarre, another indie craft fair that always has a great showing of merchandise.
The summer's first World Wide Knit in Public (WWKIP) was this past Saturday, coinciding with what has been the excedlingly rare sunny day in NYC. Knitters,crocheters, and spinners gathered in places around the world to show just what makes crafting so fabulous. The following videos were shot at the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library near Prospect Park.
Check out Rachel's yarn blog Studio Avenue Six or visit her shop on on Etsy.
I met Lexie through our Geek S&B NYC group. She shares some of the unusual things she's knitted up.
Last but not least, here's a few of the knitters I met at WWKIP.
In case you missed this weekend's festivities, you'll have one more chance to hang out and knit in public with big groups of other knitters. Visit WWKIP for more info.
If you're interested in joining one of the groups mentioned in the videos, check out Ravelry or Meetup.
By Liz Suman
Calling all New York City Coffee Nerds! When it comes to getting your work done in New York City sometimes the library or your rickety $50 self-assembled Office Depot desk just doesn’t cut it. In a city with such a high premium on space and quiet, it can be difficult to find a public place to work, let alone build a website, read Moby Dick or write a best-selling memoir.
Whether you’re looking for a decent cup of coffee, a group computing session or just a good place to read a book, here’s a top ten list of the best coffee shops in NYC for lingering with your computer, sketchbook or pad and pencil WITHOUT having to suffer nasty looks from the “I don’t go above 14th Street”-hipster-slash-barista for camping out to write your doctoral thesis over multiple cups of joe.
Most of the following are downtown, open late, offer free wireless and provide generally accessible work environments for New York City nerds.
By Joanna
Nerdabout would like to introduce part 1 of our 6 billion part series, Better Know a Blogger. Kevin, whose blog Rumproast won the 2008 Weblog Best Small Blog award, reveals what makes a blog not suck. (Dark footage intentional as a half hearted attempt to conceal identities. A couple pints of beer remedied that.)
Rule # 1: No Expectations
Rule # 2: Don't Tell Your Friends
Rule # 1 & 2 from Noah Sussman on Vimeo.
By John Son
No, we're not talking about the G Train. One Sunday a month, near downtown Brooklyn, hundreds of intrepid New Yorkers of all ages gather under the Trader Joe's sign post at Atlantic and Court streets to take a tour of the world's oldest subway tunnel. When the light changes, small groups are shepherded into the middle of the intersection, where, one by one, they descend via a steel ladder down a real live manhole into a once forgotten piece of New York City history
This past month, Joanna, Heather and I were the first Nerdabouters to go down the hole. Once underground, we found ourselves stooped in a short, dank, mud-walled corridor that brought us to an opening knocked out of a century-old brick wall. On the other side we stepped down into a scene you usually see in moody, noir thrillers like The Third Man--a long, cavernous tunnel lit stingily by a few naked light bulbs. Cold, damp air seeped into our clothes. After everyone made it underground, Bob Diamond, a sweet, gentle bear of a man, sat down amongst us and began telling us the story of how he discovered the tunnel after it had become more myth than real.
Last Sunday I was walking home from tending my plot at the 6th and B garden, when I noticed a silver RV parked on Bowery at Houston. It's side door were open, there were steps leading down. Then I noticed the writing on the side of the van: Mobile: Sample Sale. Need I say more?
Inside I met Ike and Louis, who were chilling out, inviting people to take a look around. I soon found out this van is the traveling offshoot of Green Finds, a small store on Great Jones that promotes the green lifestyle in a fashionable and friendly atmosphere. Dedicated to balancing what we take with what we give, Green Finds has an unusual approach to spreading the love. Along with the shop, Ike and Louis drive around the city on a tour of sorts, stopping here and there to sell their wares. It's the push cart of the century.
While we were chatting, Ike pointed to his house--another RV--parked just in front of the store. He said he felt lucky--for once he got 2 parking spots together. In the following 1/2 hour Ike cheerfully described what he does and how he does it. You've been in the fashion industry for a long time, when did you
decide to take it green? I've been in fashion since about the age of 17. I use to sell T-shirts in the flea markets. In 1999 I started Find Outlet, a chain of outlet stores. In 2006 I wanted to explore a more sustainable and nurturing way to do business. That's when I decided to start Green Finds. Green Finds is what I call my exploration business. Once you go Green there is no going back, its like the rabbit hole. There is a lot more we have to do to be sustainable, we are just scratching the surface. But that's ok!! The first step to healing is awareness of the issue. There has been a big awakening towards better our total environment. A lot of people dream of living a mobile life. Can you talk describe a little bit about your existence, living in the RV and living on the boat. Living the mobile life is great. It feels like a higher vibrating existence. Basically I'm at home anywhere I go, the world is my home. If one day I want to do some creative writing or brainstorming, I would drive to the Berkshires or the Woodstock swimming hole. I would spend a few days living in nature totally self contained. Also spending this much time with yourself, by yourself helps you to get to know yourself much better. The same goes for the boat except the boat is named Spirit Seeker. So this vessel is my true sanctuary. Time stops on the Spirit Seeker. I usually take 3-4 week sailing trips on the Spirit Seeker, the whole time in in total rhythm with nature. I also do yoga and sunset sailing charters on Spirit Seeker, I like to share my good life with people. Both your store and the SUV are decked out to make as little impact as possible. Can you describe how they're pimped? The RV is set up to be green because it runs on a 12 volt system which are basically car batteries. I consume very little energy and very little water. I can take a nice hot shower with 2 gallons of water. Also I offset my co2 for the RV. I have a sticker from trees for the future, it says Global Cooling Vehicle. The Mobile store is green because it also consumes very little energy, I use biodegradable bags made from corn and I also off set my co2 by double for the engine an generator. I'm also looking for a solar company who wants to make a project on turning both vehicles to run on 80% solar. Its an expensive project so I need people to shop in the truck. Ha!! So I can make money to pay for the conversion. How do you think people view the way you live? What are the types of reactions you get from strangers on the street? I always get a great reaction from strangers. While I was spending a week on Ocean Drive in Miami, I would basically give daily tours of my RV. It was funny. Overall people feel very inspired when they take the time to talk with me and really see that I can function in the real world and live free. I'm like a responsible Gypsy, a hippy with a bank account. A friend loved my RV so much that they actually bought the same one. Do you have a vision for your business going forward? What do you anticipate that's going to change/grow in the next year? My vision is to run a totally mobile lifestyle business. I think coming to the same place every day can get very stale. Also the web business seems to be the wave of the future. The days of sitting in a retail store waiting for people to come in seem have its days numbered. Can you sum up, in once sentence, what's awesome about the way you live? I live a life in love with the world that I live in and I still pay my bills on time and eat well, what else can you ask for? For more information on Green Finds and the work they do, swing by the store or or check out the site to see the mobile store schedule.
photo by brooklynparrot
New York City is known for the the unusual and the exotic, which is why this particular story fits in so well: flocks of wild Myiopsitta Monachus, otherwise known as the Monk parakette or Quaker parrot, co-existing in harmony in the not-so-wilds of Brooklyn.
photo by:Kristen773
It's been a hectic weekend so here's a short list of cheap and fun things happening to do in the upcoming days.
Tuesday, March 17: The annual NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade. Bagpipers, Irish dancing, drums, sparkly green banners and rows and rows of NYC's finest and bravest marching somewhat in step? It's St. Paddy's day in NYC. If you enjoy throngs of people wearing green stripped hats decked with dancing shamrocks, this event is for you. Mind your step walking down the sidewalk least you stumble into beer and corned beef and cabbage that once lived in someone's stomach. It kicks off at 11 AM @ 44th street and 5th Avenue. Slainte!
photo by: creativeinspirations
Tuesday, March 17 Rather not be in a crowd? Check out Behind the Screen: Video Game Technology which explore the world of video game design. Old school games like Asteroids, Frogger and Donkey Kong, to name a few, are available for play. Museum of the Moving Image. $5.00
Wednesday, March 18: John Wray walks with Eric Chinski. John Wray, award-winning author, discusses his writing, including his most recent book. Lowboy with his editor Eric Chinski. I haven't read this yet but intend to. 7- 8 PM at McNally Jackson Bookstore on Prince at Spring. FREE
Friday, March 20: Opening. English artist David Musgrave's first solo exhibit of his drawings and sculptures in NYC at the Luhring Augustine Gallery in Chelsea. Check their site for his bio and more details. FREE
Friday, March 20: Eco-friendly wine from Argentina. Tasting at Astor Wines. It's absolutely FREE and if you enjoy the wine, receive a 15% discount on a bottle! 6-8 PM.
Pick of the week for cheap food. Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop on Rivington at Norfolk. Unbelievably yummy sandwiches and if you're luck, a pot of Mushroom Barley Soup will be on. My favorite: The Big Mac Daddy voted, best veggie burger by Peta, deservedly so.
photo by Henry Roxas
John and I took a reality break from our World of Warcraft questing to come up with what we each think are the top 10 songs about NYC. Because we were not in game, we couldn't duke it out over a pit of raging lava. We had to settle for IMing. For the record, there was some crossover.
Martina and Frank Russo opened MF Gallery opened several years ago on Rivington Street. It quickly became known for its horror movie festivals,alien glow-in-the-dark t-shirts, monster and other sick art. The gallery's been quite the success here in NYC. In early January of this year, MF went international, opening a gallery Genova, Italy, where Martina's roots run deep. The first show was brought in artists from around the world and from the pictures it looks like it was pretty amazing.
By John Son
So when I wasn't leveling my night elf warrior Muchmuck on WoW (the colossal time suck recently introduced into my life by Joanna, thank you), I'd say the nerdiest moment of my week* was participating in the latest meme raging through Facebook. Called "Album Cover" it's a delightful mashup incorporating Wikipedia, Flickr, randomness, and the most rudimentary of photo-editing software skills (I used the free program Photoscape). Now I know it probably won't reach the epic memeness of "25 Things" since it requires a little work and creativity and fails to give you a reason to talk about yourself, but for certain nerdy types who've spent untold hours gazing at the brilliant serendipity of their favorite album/cd covers, it's a ridiculously fun way to connect with your inner Peter Saville while tapping into that bliss of discovering the best album ever. Above are 5 examples of the next great album you'll never hear.
To create your own Best Album Ever, just follow these 5 easy steps:
1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random” or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random. The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations" or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3. The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.
3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days” or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days. Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.
5 - Post it to FB with this text in the "caption" or "comment" and TAG the friends you want to join in.
*I actually had two nerdiest moments of the week, the second being a meetup with my beloved Nerdabouters at the International Bar.
photo by:sunsurfr
By Joanna
These economic times are irritating. But there's no reason to sit at your computer obsessively checking your 401K statements, watching them, drop, drop, drop towards zero. Nerdabout New York proudly presents On the Dole: Your guide to Geeky Free Stuff.
Friday Feb. 27: Exploding Stars from Your Backyard, lecture and star gazing by Prof.Joe Patterson. Talk: 7:00-7:30, Telescope Observation: 7:30-9:00 (weather permitting) OR Astrophotography slide show: 7:30-9:00. Where to Go: Pupin 301 Lecture Hall in the Pupin Physic Lab, Columbia University, 116th and Broadway.
Saturday, Feb. 28: The Castle and Its Kingdom sponsored by the Central Park Conservancy. An historical tour AND nature walk. Where to Go: Belvedere Castle at 79th street, in the middle of Central Park. 11:00 AM sharp.
Saturday Feb. 28: Opening Reception. Corpus Extremus (+LIFE). Art works using bio and media technology from a host of artists. Where to Go: Exit Art, 7:00-9:00 PM, 475 10th Ave
Sunday, Feb. 29: Free NYC Dessert Fest Take a small food tour of Harlem for the best soul food joints and bakeries. If you donate a buck it goes to God's Love We Deliver, the non-profit that feeds hungry NYers. Where to Go Meet outside the Apollo Theater, 253 W 125th street, 11:30 sharp.
Tuesday March 3-Saturday March 7: NYU Tisch Freeplay 2009 Festival Free plays. Check the Freeplay 2009 schedule for more information.
Friday, March, 6: Tasting at Discovery Wines. Yellow & Blue Malbec (Mendoza Argentina). Delicious and it comes in eco-friendly packaging to boot. Where to go: Discover Wines, 10 Ave. A. 6:00-9:00 PM.
Saturday,March 7: Music Memorabilia Show If you collect music stuff, this is your place. Where to Go: Tip Top Shoe building, 155 W 72nd Street.
By Joanna
Spring is still four weeks off and while the tempestuous weather of February may frustrate, here's a few ideas to spend the sunny (and rainy) days that lay ahead.
Wander the 8 miles of hilly paths in Fort Tryon Park. Along the way you might find the spot where Revolutionary War hero Molly Pitcher (aka Margret Corbin) brought water to the troops and then manned the cannons after her husband was killed. Stop off at theThe Cloisters for a medieval art fix.
photo:wallyg
End the day at the New Leaf Cafe. Bette Midler helped to start this little spot and proceeds go toward parks restoration in upper Manhattan.
Going for a walk along the Hudson to the Battery is quite a lovely way to spend an afternoon. There are gardens, the Irish Hunger Memorial and even a damn castle!
The Ramble is a lovely place to stroll and just might be the only place in central Manhattan where you can walk for 30 minutes without seeing another soul, save the birds. Wind your way down to the boat house for an over-priced glass of wine when you're done walking.
If you're not in the mood for an epic walk, taking a gander around the community gardens of the East Village. Run by volunteers, these little green spaces are a nice respite from the crowds. My personal favorite, the 6th and B Garden. 
Manhattan to Brooklyn. While you're walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, don't just gaze at the skyline. Be sure to experience a quick sense of vertigo by looking down through the wooden slots to see the glistening East River 119 feet beneath your feet. Once you're on the other side walk along the paths and through little parks. If you wander into DUMBO check out one of our favorite places,Zakka.
Greenwood Cemetery, one of the prettiest and most interesting spots in NYC. Official tours are available. but I've always preferred to grab a map and explore on my own. But as I have yet to see the flocks of wild parrots that inhabit the cemetery, I might sign up for one of the Brooklyn Parrots tours when the next one rolls around.
Walk, run, drum, ice skate, kite fly, frisbee play, green market, get lost in Brooklyn's only forest and picnic with my cat-on-leash are all things that I have done in Prospect Park.
Staten Island is home to the 2,500 acre Greenbelt I'm sorry to say this area is only a recent discovery of mine, and while it's a hike to get there from Manhattan via ferry and bus, it's well-worth the trek. Bring snacks, water and a beer and be sure to pack out what you packed in.
While not the most famous the Queens Botanical Gardens is a pretty little spot in a borough I associate mostly with Greek food and and the time I had to help my sister move a tons of boxes into her apartment on a very, very hot June day. Be sure to visit the bee garden while you're there.
Take MetroNorth a few stops to Riverdale way and wander around Wave Hill public gardens. Amazing views of the Hudson.
photo by 
TommyBass
There are countless adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, from Moonlighting's Taming of the Shrew, to Al Pacino's Shylock (who sounded more Brooklyn than Venice) to last year's goofy Hamlet 2. But none quite have the unique flair of Dov Weinstein's Tiny Ninja Theater, which uses miniature figurines to interpret the Bard. In this case, I was fortunate enough to catch Romeo and Juliet at the 92nd St. Y, though they have also performed Hamlet and Macbeth, just to name a few.
Binoculars are provided, which brings the action way up close, and Precious Moments-esque Juliet gives Norma Shearer a run for her money. (Most, but not all the figurines are ninjas.) But it's also worthwhile to put down the glasses and watch Dov in action—he is the real "performer," who builds each set and voices the characters, memorizing his own abridged version of the text.
How did Dov get the idea? "I had noticed there were all these plastic ninjas in vending machines across [New York City], but no one was using them to perform classical theater." Of course! It could be Dov's own theatrical training helped him view the dime-store figures with a dramatic eye, but nevertheless, audiences around the world have been slain by the tiny ninjas. A veteran of Edibnurgh's esteemed Fringe Festival, Tiny Ninja Theater has also gone on the road to Australia and SE Asia. But luckily, it will be playing in a shoebox near you—you can check listings here.
Please wait while our tweets load…
Recent Comments