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Record Store Fun

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Sound Fix of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Music has always been an integral part of my existence, so much so that I enjoy nothing more than listening to music. It’s that simple. If you’re music-obsessed like me, then I suggest planning a day of record store fun. I define record store fun as visiting several different record stores in the span of one day and browsing for jewels in the form of CD or vinyl. I find my record store visits are usually affordable, keeping in mind my average college student budget, mostly because of the wide array of albums that can be bought used. Another thing—if you’re itching to buy a new album before it’s on sale, independent record stores tend to have lower prices than chains like Best Buy. I’d like to recommend a few record stores that you can visit alone or with friends. But it’s always more fun with friends, for sure!

My intention is not to critique or rank any of these record stores against one another. Instead I’d like to just suggest a few that I think are worth your time. The first that I’d like to discuss is Other Music, located in NoHo. Other Music is the best place to find an obscure album in many different genres. Although small, the store has a wide selection of used CDs, but it’s lacking in the arena of used vinyl. However, Other Music makes up for this with their great selection of new vinyl and new CDs. Another plus, Other Music is very well organized and you’re bound to hear some great tunes while browsing for that album you’ve been looking for. Two other great record stores in the area are St. Mark’s Sounds and Rockit Scientist. St. Mark’s Sounds is a popular staple in the East Village, and is a rather wide space.  There is an immense CD selection that will appeal to just about anyone. Rockit Scientist is right across the street from St. Mark’s Sounds, and although it’s smaller, it gives a nice shot of nostalgia for an enthusiast of underground classics. My last record store suggestion within the borough of Manhattan is Village Music World of Greenwich Village. Village Music World is student discounts and student savings friendly! You can use a Campus Clipper coupon and receive a 2-dollar discount on any CD you decide to purchase.

There are three record stores I shall recommend in Brooklyn, and they are: Earwax, Sound Fix, and Academy Records. All of these record stores are located on the north side of Williamsburg, separated from each other by only a few blocks. Academy Records is the go-to place for your vinyl desires and also has a small but rich used CD selection. Sound Fix is the most hyper-organized of the three and is probably my favorite of all because of the super friendly staff. And also it’s a guarantee you’ll find many treasures from their used CD selection. They also have very convenient listening stations as well as handy descriptions of albums that decorate the walls. Earwax has a wider selection of used CDs than the other two, allowing you to score that album you’ve been searching for by an artist no one else knows or cares about it.

Record store fun can be a nice break from the worries of the everyday, and it’s always nice to return home with something that you can enjoy over and over again. Another thing, many of the record stores mentioned here hold record store day events, which involve musicians performing for free within the store. If you love all things music, then I say check out these places and have some fun!

Anjelica LaFurno (Baruch College)

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Posted in onFun, onMusic, Outside Manhattan, Uniqueness in NYC | 2 Comments »

Fathom Events/The Lord of the Rings

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Over the past three weeks, Fathom Events had a special showing of The Lord of the Rings trilogy in their extended editions, one each weekend for June 14th, 21st, and 28th. The Lord of the Rings films, based on the books series by J. R. R. Tolkien, follow Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, on his adventure through Middle Earth to destroy the last of twenty powerful rings, forged to bring power to he/she who wears one. Each wearer of the ring is soon corrupted by the evil forces with which it possesses, and the movie’s adventure is both a battle on land against armies of Orcs and other evil creatures, as well as of the mind, in an attempt to thwart the call of evil. Until the ring is destroyed—only possible in the fires from which it was made, in the fires of Mount Doom, smack in the middle of antagonist, Sauron’s, territory—it will continue to be sought by those in power greedy enough to desire more. This trilogy is a fantasy adventure film series classic, gaining rave reviews across the world, a definite worthy use of your time, despite their length of about three hours each (for the non-extended versions).

Back to Fathom Events, a company that aims to set up “live one-night entertainment events, engaging business events, and even church worship” for the public to attend. Fathom Events puts on many different types of shows, including performing arts, sporting events, concerts, original shows, and classic films. Though they do cost money, they’re a great way to spend time and bring more culture into your life. Some things coming up in July include a live showing of Wimbledon, Giselle, many operas, the Israeli Philharmonic, and more.

If you’re looking for something to do this summer, or even past this summer into the year, this should definitely be on your list. And if you don’t want to spend the extra cash, you can recreate the movie theater experience at home with popcorn and sodas bought inexpensively from your local super market, such as Morton Williams.

/elizabeth Kaleko, Tufts University

Image from: lotr.wikia.com

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Posted in Movies, onEntertainment, onFun, onMusic, onValues | 2 Comments »

Bookstores with Grandma

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

One of the things my grandmother and I have in common is that we both love to read.  Although the language each of us reads in primarily is different—my grandmother is Japanese and speaks no English, my own Japanese has certain gaps in it—at the heart of it, we both love stories.  My grandmother will read just about anything, from novels recommended by my aunt, to manga about pirates, to crime and suspense stories.  In Japanese, I tend to stick to manga, mostly because there are so many pictures. Not only do the pictures help enormously with comprehension, they also make reading more enjoyable and less frustrating for a painstakingly slow reader like me.

Image credit: genjipress.com

So it was a perfect idea for the both of us to check out some of English-Japanese bookstores in Manhattan.  We started at Book-Off, on 45th Street.  Book-Off is a used bookstore, and customers can sell back books here as well.  The main floor contains English books, and although the selection isn’t endless—particularly being a medium-sized used bookstore—there is still a substantial amount of books in various categories.  There are also plenty of shelves that carry books for only a dollar!  This floor also has used CDs, primarily J-Pop and K-Pop, for any enthusiasts that are looking for a deal.

The basement floor mainly carries manga, as well as some instructional books.  There are both manga in English and Japanese, with English copies generally running for about six or seven dollars a volume. Price depends fairly heavily on the series, and this is especially apparent with the Japanese volumes.  Again, there are several shelves of books that are only a dollar, some series running for three, but the more popular series or the newer volumes cost about five or six dollars a volume.  I was however, able to find the first few volumes of a series I’d been meaning to start on the dollar shelves, and it’s finds like this that make Book-Off worth a visit.  The second floor carries Japanese novels, which I don’t know a lot about personally, but my grandmother seemed pleased with the selection!

Image credit: pwpbooks.blogspot.com

Books in hand, my grandmother and I then headed towards Kinokuniya Bookstore, which is located by Bryant Park.  Although a little more expensive, Kinokuniya has a generally wider selection than Book-Off.  The main floor and basement carry novels, textbooks, and other similar books, both in English and Japanese. Kinokuniya also sells Japanese stationary, T-shirts, figurines and other knick-knacks, many of which make great gifts for those who are interested in Japanese culture.  The second floor of Kinokuniya carries manga and anime, and the selection in both languages is impressive.  There is also a café facing the window on this floor that sells lunch foods and desserts.  The café is great, but on the small side, and quickly becomes crowded around lunch time.  My grandmother and I were there at around 4:30, though, and were able to find a table easily; I’d definitely recommend going at an hour between meals.  At times like this it’s totally acceptable to take your time with a book, which is part of what makes it so enjoyable.  Although it’s the great deals at Book-Off that make it one of my favorite bookstores, the café, the selection, and the other fun items at Kinokuniya make it definitely worth a look as well!

Anais DiCroce

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How to Get Tickets to Late Show with David Letterman

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Are you a fan of Late Show with David Letterman? Guess what, you can watch the show live for free! The entire audience of the show consists of fans who get free tickets to the show. So, your chances of getting a ticket could be high. But there is one strict requirement – you have to be a fan of the show. In order to verify that you are indeed a regular viewer and a fan, you will be asked a trivia question related to Late Show which you must answer correctly.

You can visit the show’s website and obtain tickets by:

  • Filling out the Online Ticket Form
  • Going to the Ed Sullivan Theater and submitting an In-Person Request
  • Calling them at 11am on the day of the taping you wish to attend and getting Stand-By Tickets.

Sometimes members of the show’s crew can be seen walking around in Times Square wearing the Late Show t-shirts and going up to random tourists in Times Square and inviting them to watch that day’s show. If you happen to spot one of them, you can always try stalking them and requesting tickets and you might just get them, provided you answer the trivia question correctly.

The questions are not really something to be worried about as they are supposed to be simple and something that any frequent viewer of the show can answer. Like, what is the show’s stage manager’s name? Answer: Biff Henderson.

If you are lucky enough to score tickets to the show, you will have to be there at 3.30pm as the show is taped at 5.00pm. Note that there are no cameras, phones or large bags allowed in the theater. And, if you fail to provide an ID or are under 18 years of age you will be turned away. There are two shows taped on Monday and one show on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Besides Late Show with David Letterman there are several other popular talk shows hosted in NYC like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Tyra Banks Show, The View, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Rachel Show, The Nate Berkus Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and so on. Most, if not all, of these shows offer free tickets and they all have individual processes of giving tickets, but a little bit of online research will help you a great deal.

If you are a student visiting New York, check out The Campus Clipper iPhone App which allows you to have the coupons right in your pocket. The great deals include an all you can eat lunch buffet at Jackson Diner, an Indian restaurant for only $9.95. And, special discounts at Zen Palate, a vegetarian restaurant.

Bushra Tawhid

Image credit: www.yelp.com

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Posted in onEntertainment, onFun, Out On The Town | 1 Comment »

Gaming to a Beat in the City

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Where do we go now?!?!

To me, music gaming is all about the arcade. Guitar Hero and Rock Band may be nice party games, but in my years as an arcade rat, my friends and I spent countless weekends and dollars working up a sweat playing Dance Dance Revolution and other music games. If you’re interested in a type of gaming that requires more than pushing buttons, or just need to know where to go to find a functional machine in the area, here is a list of my favorite places to drop quarters and Dance Dance.

Port Authority Bus Terminal (8th Ave. & 42nd St, 2nd Floor Arcade)

This is one of those arcades attached to a bowling alley, but it just so happens to be inside the busiest bus station in the world (literally—ask my friend, Wikipedia). Fortunately, the bus patrons are too busy trying to get back and forth from work and home, so the arcade is never crowded, usually occupied only by tired tourists with kids. Despite its less than cozy feel (the bowling alley next door is super upscale), I rate it so highly because it’s never a long wait to play any game, and the DDR Supernova machine is in excellent shape. If you’re a beginner, you might not want to go at rush hour, since passengers for a bunch of NJ buses line up right outside, and you’ll be in full view. Also, avoid the expensive food and drinks in the bus station and pick up a lunch elsewhere, like a Subway sandwich using a Campus Clipper coupon, and use the savings on more games!

Eight on the Break (Dunellan, NJ)

8otb is the mecca for music gaming in the Northeast. Not only is it a great arcade in general, with almost every fighting game ever created in addition to pool tables and the latest racers, it houses popular music games like DDR and its American counterpart In the Groove in addition to games that are super rare in the states. This is by far the most convenient place to find Beatmania IIDX, Pop’n Music, and even Keyboardmania all in one location. If you want to make the trek from the city, take the PATH train, which has a stop right across the street from the arcade and makes trips back to New York late into the evening. It’s definitely worth the ride.

But before you go, make sure there aren’t any tournaments going on, which will either make it impossible to get time on the machine of your choice or make the place maddeningly crowded, or both.

Next Level Arcade (40-13 8th Ave, Sunset Park, Brooklyn)

Even though this arcade doesn’t have DDR yet, I have to mention it because of its history and its bright future. In the past year, the iconic Chinatown Fair arcade that had serviced hardcore gamers for decades closed its doors due to rising rent prices. For an arcade rat like me, CF was the only place that really felt comfortable as somewhere to come every week, hang out, see the same people I always do, and play popular and classic games, all in the beauty of Chinatown where it was tucked away in a section of Mott Street generally not frequented by tourists.

Well, rumors of its relocation have finally come to fruition, and a few months ago, the owner of the old CF opened the doors of Next Level Arcade in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Currently, the only music game they have is DJMax Technika, but they will be slowly reopening all of their old games over the next year in addition to possibly installing an in-house bubble tea café. Though the new Brooklyn venue allows for greater possibilities and a snazzier atmosphere, it will be the returning clientele of dedicated gamers that will make the new CF feel like home.

-Avia Dell’Oste.

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Posted in onEntertainment, onFun, Out On The Town, Outside Manhattan | 2 Comments »

Spend an Hour (Or Two) at Teany Café

Friday, July 1st, 2011

The inside is just as bright and sunny. Photo © foodworksnyc.com

I’m a big fan of cozy places that let me take my time eating a meal while I’m reading a book and sipping tea. This is exactly what I got at Teany Café in SoHo.

This vegan-friendly tea-and-sandwich paradise has enough atmosphere to make it worth frequenting without even considering the food. It’s a small place—practically a hole in the wall—but fixed up to look like a cute West Village café, complete with outdoor seating and fresh flowers on the tables. They play music inside, which isn’t everyone’s thing, but I enjoyed their selection of popularly accessible indie hits. The servers are sometimes difficult to wave over, but the food comes quickly, and what’s the rush anyway?

As for the food, I appreciated that, although they are not an exclusively vegan establishment, their menu is full of vegan options and presents them with clarity. It’s the mark of a considerate business not to only accommodate different diets, but also t0 make it easy for the customer to see her options without having to ask the server a million questions. I got the vegan BLT, and the smoky tempeh combined with Veganaise eliminated any remnants of longing for pork belly that lingered in my taste memory. They also have plenty of fresh salads and some heartier fare like macaroni and cheese, but Teany’s menu is best suited for light meals and sipping on drinks while chatting with friends.

I can’t consider a review for Teany complete without mentioning their tea selection, which they present in a separate menu book with pages and pages of different kinds of tea, 98 varieties in total. To compare, the menu they gave me for food was one double-sided sheet. To get the best value, order a pot and split it with a friend. Or just drink the whole pot yourself while reading. Pair it with one of their amazing desserts, all of them delicious, moist, and cruelty-free, and I can sit there contentedly for as long as it takes to solve an amNY sudoku. However, I wouldn’t try a New York Times crossword puzzle unless it’s the middle of the day, since I’m sure the place can get crowded on weekend evenings.

Try out Teany Café at a discount by using the Campus Clipper coupon below and take advantage of student savings. With the coupon and your student ID, you can get a whopping 20% off! Be assertive when trying to catch the attention of the waiters, and then enjoy a relaxing meal, imagining yourself at an expensive café and knowing that the bill will be a lot smaller than in your dreams.

-Avia Dell’Oste.

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How to Take Back Your Summer

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

One might assume that the summer months would provide plenty of free time to recharge those overworked batteries after a long school year. Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily true and if you’re not careful you may find yourself experiencing a complete system overload. There are internships to find, jobs to attain, and a variety of restaurants and bars that must be explored. Not to mention you have to reconnect with all the wonderful people you love to spend time with but have been neglecting thanks to end of the semester obligations. Before you know it, it’s already July and you feel more sleep-deprived and worn out than you did during midterm exams.

"Has anybody seen where my summer went?"

Don’t despair if this story is sounding familiar, as there are still two more months of vacation left. And if you need to hit the brakes on the runaway train that’s becoming your summer, the best thing you can do is block out some time for relaxation. It may feel weird to pencil “me time” into your calendar, but us motivated, on-the-go young adults tend to be so busy we’d probably forget to breathe if it wasn’t a basic function keeping us alive. So whether your rejuvenation period includes sitting on the couch watching bad TV or getting a massage, any kind of pampering is a nice, and most likely needed way to de-stress. It’s also a great bonding activity to share with friends.

If chilling out at a spa is your relaxation method of choice, then just use a little forethought in your planning to avoid spending too much money. Going to the spa doesn’t have to be a harrowing financial experience any longer with student discounts and savings all over New York and other cities. For instance, Floris Salon on 5th Avenue is offering students free manicures with the purchase of a pedicure. While pedicures aren’t a necessity, it cannot be denied that when the weather gets warm, everyone wants to trade in their boots and sneakers for a pair of sandals or peep-toes.  And there are few things more annoying than having to cover up your feet in embarrassment because they’ve gotten a bit gnarly from lack of grooming over the winter.  If your toes need a makeover, a pedicure could be the perfect weekend activity for you and your friends. Combine relaxation and socialization with functionality. You can label the experience “Productive Pampering” or “Pampering with Purpose!”

So this summer, between block parties, barbecues, internships, and summer classes, don’t forget that everyone deserves to be a little indulgent. Not only is it good for your mental health, your nails, back, and feet will feel better, too. And thankfully for students, an indulgent outing doesn’t have to mean you’ll be going home with an empty wallet.

 

-Alex Agahigian-

I have lots of other things to say

Photo Credit: planetcory.com

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Student Eats in East Village

Thursday, June 30th, 2011
PorkBuns

Pork buns of Momofuku fame.

The sole ambition of a college student with free time is to find something to do without accomplishing anything. Because after all, it takes a lot of effort to juggle going to classes, doing homework, participating in clubs/athletics and other extracurriculars, writing papers, reading assignments; the list goes on. With so much being accomplished on a weekly basis by students, when free time does roll around, sometimes you just want to turn off your brain and find something to do that requires no effort. When all of your free time escapades succeed or fail, hunger may beckon.

Whether you dorm or commute, there are reasons to covet a decent meal. Resident students know that no matter how good on-campus eateries may be, there’s always going to be a craving for a home-cooked meal or a dish from your favorite restaurant back home. Commuter students can relate because setting aside time to eat can be tough when you have to spend time traveling to and from school.

For students of New York City, I’ve outlined a few recommendations for when that free time rolls around:

  • Pommes Frites – If you are ever in the mood for a simple snack, Pommes Frites is the place to go. They specialize in making delicious Belgian fries, cooked to a perfect crisp. They offer a generous variety of sauces (20+) and they are a must have with your order, especially if you’re looking for a change of pace from ketchup, mayo and mustard. Service is quick and they even offer samples of the sauces before you pick so take advantage. Located at 123 2nd Ave between E. 7th Street and St. Marks Place
  • Punjabi Deli – I have had my fair share of Indian food and can safely say that Punjabi Grocery and Deli is an excellent spot if you’re craving Indian food or looking to try it for the first time. Be forewarned: much of the food is pretty spicy. But it is one of the most inexpensive Indian food joints and they offer various vegetable Indian specialties over rice or roti, samosas and even chai tea. It’s a small establishment, but definitely worth trying once. Located at 114 E. 1st Street between 1st Ave and Ave A
  • Momofuku Noodle Bar – Momofuku is definitely a unique Asian fusion establishment. It is a popular spot for dinner so you should definitely expect a wait or arrive at opening. Their ramen noodles are delicious, though a bit pricy. You can enjoy a large dinner of two whole fried chickens (one southern fried, one Korean fried), however the chicken is by reservation only. If all else fails for you here, you may find solace in ordering the pork buns. They are so good you are going to want to place an order of pork buns to go after you’ve tried them. Located at 171 1st Ave between 10th and 11th Streets
  • Oaxaca – Oaxaca Taqueria comes to Manhattan after seeing success with its 3 Brooklyn storefronts. The restaurant is sleek and clean upon entering and they have plenty of interesting taco options from chicken, pork or fish to vegetarian selections like potatoes or beans. They also have great savings during taco happy hour featured on the coupon posted below. Definitely check them out if you’re looking for tasty, cheap tacos. Located at 16 Extra Place off of E. 1st Street

–Christopher Cusack, Hofstra University

Photo Credit: www.DeadOceans.com (direct link here)

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Storm King

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

I never even realized that I liked sculpture gardens all that much– until I visited Storm King Arts Center. My parents wanted to take my grandmother somewhere interesting, since she’d come all the way from Japan and had, for the past few days, only been to the grocery store.  My dad in particular, who speaks no Japanese, wanted to do something that everyone could appreciate equally, since the language barrier is most problematic for him. So this past Sunday, my parents, my grandmother and I packed into the car and headed to Mountainville, NY.

Several sculptures by Mark di Suvero

After pulling into the parking lot, we piled out and looked around. Storm King is enormous—wide and grassy, with a pond on the south side and incredible views of the Hudson Highlands, with sculptures of every kind scattered throughout its approximately 500 acres.  We had no idea where to start, so we asked one of the Arts Center employees with a helpful and appropriate “Ask Me” button.  She told us about the tram that drives around the park from designated stations; we decided that would be the best way to experience the park, particularly for my grandmother.  The tram is a perfect way to get an overview of the park, especially for those who have never been, like us.  For visitors who’d rather walk, there are plenty of trails, and a station to rent bicycles. There are also tours available, but visitors are encouraged to explore on their own, at their own pace.

It honestly left me in awe.  I had no idea I would enjoy it that much; I’m the type of person who goes to art museums about once or twice a year and loves the experience, but doesn’t actually visit any more frequently.  But Storm King is basically a giant, widespread, colorful and gorgeous playground, and anyone who is even slightly interested in sculpture or just likes being outdoors would love this place.

Kiss, by Darrell Petit

From the tram, we passed many of the major sculptures, from Mozart’s Birthday, by Mark di Suvero, which looks slightly like an unwound elephant, to Darrell Petit’s Kiss, in which two giant pieces of granite incline quietly towards each other and touch. There were sculptures that moved, such as George Cutts’s Sea Change, which is unimpressive in photos but looks remarkably like ocean currents when in motion.  Other amazing works include Maya Lin’s Storm King Wavefield, a work of environmental art that sculpts the landscape itself to look like waves (Maya Lin also designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial), and Lichtenstein’s Mermaid, the racing boat painted in 1995.

After doing the basic tour by tram, my parents and grandmother headed to the Visitor’s Center and Museum while I went back to my favorite sculptures by foot.  They are absolutely incredible in person, unbelievably enormous and unique against the landscape.  I wanted to pitch a tent and stay for a week.

Storm King Arts Center is a bit of a trek and it costs to get in ($8 for students, $12 for adults), but it is absolutely, 100% worth it.  My family came in the late afternoon, but there are plenty of places to picnic; next time I think we’ll pack some sandwiches and make a day of it.  I don’t think we’ll be bored for a minute.

Ana DiCroce

(Image credit: Ana DiCroce)

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Craft Time

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

I wasn’t sure how my relationship with my sister would take to me leaving for college.  We didn’t have a bad relationship or anything, but five years apart can be a lot, and we were already pretty different (my sister is far chattier than I am).  I wondered if the distance might have us talking less, or if it might make us less close.

But it turned out that spending some time apart helped rather than hurt us.  Coming home for the summer, I went to my sister’s school band concert, where she had a brief trumpet solo, and listened to her talk excitedly about her science class. Instead of seeing her as merely my kid sister who was all up in my space all of the time, I started to see my sister as her own individual self.  This time around, I took her seriously, and we were able to really talk.

Not only have I started to understand her as her own person, but we’ve started to realize the little things that we have in common as well, one of which is a love for crafts.  We spent a couple hours last weekend sewing together little stuffed figures, and it was a simple and relaxing way to spend some time together.  From designing the toy (and its clothes, in my sister’s case) to passing scissors and felt and buttons, it was a comfortable and agreeable, if not wildly exciting, way to pass a Sunday afternoon.

Image credit: flickriver.com

Sewing as a pastime seems almost archaic now, but there’s something deeply satisfying about making something on your own, from start to finish.  And even if it is a simple, age-old activity, it can be fun when relatives come to visit.  My mother, grandmother and I used to sit at the kitchen table and do beadwork together whenever my grandmother came to stay.  We’d sometimes talk and joke, but making something with your hands also occupies the mind and takes off the pressure to converse, making silence quite comfortable.  It was okay to just focus on the beads we were stringing together.  There were times when we would hardly say a word, and yet we’d still feel at ease in each other’s company, and happily busy.  It was only when someone finished their project that we’d remark how well it came out, or how wonderful the colors looked together.  Although of course beadwork can be incredibly intricate, it can also be really simple and still look great, making it a delightful little project to do with others, regardless of skill level.

Art materials can run a little on the expensive side, but if you hit a good sale it’s absolutely worth it, especially since most materials keep for so long.  I have all sorts of leftover fabrics, and these can be used for small projects, or patched together for more unusual ones.  Even materials that seem unusable, like buttons that don’t match or the end of a spool of ribbon, can be put to good use in another piece.  For the figures we made this weekend, my sister used felt that we’d had for a few years, and I used the scraps that she was done with and two odd buttons.  Out of that, we were able to make something new.

Anais DiCroce

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