Brooklyn, Schmooklyn. I'm a little tired of hearing about all the amazing things going on there, quite honestly. It's not that I've got borough envy, either. My heart is firmly planted in Queens. It's just that there are only so many artisanal pizza joints, upscale-old-timey-comfort food restaurants, and taxidermy-decorated cocktail bars that you can read about without rolling your eyes just a bit. But this weekend, I'm putting aside my borough-bias to check out Farm City, a county fair-styled event at the Invisible Dog Art Center, part of the Crossing the Line festival. Yes, technically the event is "a day-long celebration of art and food grown in Brooklyn" - there's that persistent too-cool-for-school borough again - but hey, I'm willing to celebrate any food grown within a few miles of my home. I won't be snobby about that. The event looks awesome. Here's a pdf of the schedule.
Festivities engage all the senses: hear live music performed by local Bang on a Can marching band Asphalt Orchestra; taste delicacies prepared by local chefs inspired by ingredients from Brooklyn farms; view specially commissioned work exploring the culture of agriculture by local artists; get a feel for materials needed to produce your own food in workshops by Brooklyn Food Coalition; participate in a Blue Ribbon Competition hosted by GreenThumb; and browse a marketplace with some of Brooklyn’s small-batch artisanal food purveyors curated by Greenpoint Food Market. Cap it off with The Food Experiments’ live cooking competition—Brooklyn Roots—featuring savory samples and refreshing drinks from Brooklyn Brewery, Six Points Brewery, Brooklyn Oenology, and others.
Your friendly neighborhood rooftop farm (didn't know you had one, did you?) wants you to improve your brain AND your diet! In addition to operating a CSA, farmers' market, and education programs, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm will be hosting a Read and Eat series at 2 pm Saturdays this fall, featuring food-related authors reading from their work, as well as sharing recipes and snacks. This Saturday kicks off the series with Cathy Erway, who writes the blog Not Eating Out in New York, and recently published The Art of Eating In (which I just finished and found thoroughly charming). If city life has you jonesing to get your hands dirty in a real live garden, get there early for Open Farm Day from 9 am to 2 pm, when they welcome volunteers.
The Farm is also open to the public on Sundays from 10am-4pm (check their calendar to confirm). They are located on Eagle Street between Franklin and West in Greenpoint, North Brooklyn.
I've been spending a lot of time poking around on Design*Sponge lately, initially for design research for my internship, but now because it's got so darn many awesome DIY ideas. And interesting artists. And views into beautiful homes that I'll never be able to afford. (Hey, it's free to look!) And, well, it's just a gorgeous blog. (Have I just unwittingly swayed your loyalty away from my humble blog? You have enough love in your heart for both of us, right?)
Anyhow, in the spirit of Design*Sponge, I was inspired to post today mainly because of how much I love this image:
...which is of a piece on display in the exhibition The Drifting Encyclopedia, on view now through September 3 as part of Third Rail Projects at the World Financial Center. Here's a little text from their website about the exhibit:
"The Drifting Encyclopedia is an assemblage of American oddities, scientific and historical ephemera, questionable accounts and implausible representations thereof. Part Victorian cabinet of curiosities, part roadside attraction, this immersive art installation houses exhibits that echo the themes of unlikely connections and contemplates the actual, illusory and anomalous nature of love."
Can't be all bad if they're showing something as lovely as Ryan Benyi's piece above. Check it out before it closes next week. They've also got a ton of other cool free stuff coming up this fall.
The Drifting Encyclopedia
July 12 - September 3, 2010
Monday - Friday, 12 - 4pm
World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery
I am SUPER excited to see Sufjan Stevens for the first time when he comes to NYC in November (which is now sold out, but evil Ticketmaster has other tour dates). The tickets were a little bit of a splurge, but I'm chalking it up to an anniversary gift to myself and my music-loving man. Repeatedly clicking REFRESH REFRESH REFRESH on the Ticketmaster site at 9:59 a.m. last Friday took me back to the days when I had money to throw around and I was a pro at nabbing good tickets. Sigh. Those were the days.
Anyway, Sufjan just put out a new EP entitled "All Delighted People," now available online for your free listening pleasure. This is a great, cheap way for all you commitment-phobes out there (I am admittedly among you) to test the waters before you take the $5 plunge to buy it. Who likes to buy a new album only to discover it sucks? (This one doesn't.)
Big thanks to Kelly S for tipping me off on this one!
Just when you were starting to feel a little sad and a little lonely, thinking that summer was over... More free outdoor movies!
This drizzly, gray, coolish weather has me thinking of fall and already feeling nostalgic for this summer, but it's a relief to know that there are still fun, free, warm weather things to do. Next week, the Central Park Conservancy (they of the fantastic free park tours) presents a teeny tiny "film festival" Tuesday through Saturday at 8 pm each night. Here's the lineup, with descriptions stolen from the Park Conservancy:
Tuesday, August 24: Fame (1980)
This classic ’80s musical flick follows students through their audition, training and graduation at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. 134 min. (And by the way, if you can't make it to see Fame next Tuesday, it's also showing tonight in Astoria Park!)
Wednesday, August 25: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)
A remake of the 1974 crime thriller, armed men hijack a New York City subway train and hold passengers hostage in return for a ransom. Dispatcher Walter Graber (Denzel Washington) is left to face off with the crime’s mastermind (John Travolta). 106 min.
Thursday, August 26: Saturday Night Fever (1977)
This disco classic follows Tony Manero (John Travolta), a Brooklyn youth who feels his only chance to make it in life is as king of the dance floor. 118 min.
Friday, August 27: King Kong (1933)
In this cult classic stop-animation film, a giant gorilla called Kong attempts to possess a beautiful blond actress. 100 min.
Saturday, August 28: Manhattan (1979)
A romantic comedy about a twice-divorced writer (Woody Allen) who is dating a high school girl, and eventually finds love with his best friend’s mistress. (Diane Keaton). 96 min.
Gates open at 6:30, movies start at 8. Picnics are welcome! Showings are at north of Sheep Meadow, behind Mineral Springs (mid-Park at 69th Street). Enter the Park at 72nd Street.
Oh, DAMN. We're going to miss this one. But you shouldn't. You know Kronos Quartet - they played the most beautiful music for the most depressing movie ever. I'm almost late for yoga, making this post, but I had to tell you about this (see how much I love you?):
From the Lincoln Center Outdoors website:
Visionary precision, fearless exploration, and unlimited scope have placed the Kronos Quartet at the forefront of contemporary music for nearly 40 years. Tonight’s far-reaching repertoire features works by Steve Reich, Café Tacuba, and the world premiere of Christine Southworth’s Super Collider. Performed by Kronos with the 14 musicians of Gamelan Galak Tika (Evan Ziporyn, artistic director) using the virtual Gamelan Elektrika, designed and developed by Harmonix’s Alex Rigopulos (of Guitar Hero and Rock Band), Super Collider juxtaposes two sound worlds and traditions, the string quartet and the ancient gamelan, through the unlimited sonic universe of electronics.
After seeing West Side Story last night in Astoria Park, I am officially addicted to outdoor movies. After many failed, foggy, frigid attempts to watch movies outside in San Francisco in the summer, I am giving New York summers a big, sweaty embrace. Ice cream truck + fireflies + twinkly East River + homemade popcorn + warmcool breezes + Jerome Robbins' choreography on a big inflatable screen = a perfect evening. Enough said.
So on that theme, I present another free chance at outdoor film enjoyment this Wednesday, August 11, courtesy of Rooftop Films:
Mid-August Lunch
"Set during a sweltering holiday weekend in Rome, this utterly charming comedy is about a middle-aged man living with his mother who suddenly finds himself caring for four elderly women—a delightful movie about aging, family, friendship, food, and wine." (Gianni Di Gregorio. Italy. 75 min.)
Live music starts at 7 pm, film at 8:30. We'll be there with bug spray on. Socrates Sculpture Park
32-01 Vernon Blvd
Long Island City
I'm a recent transplant to New York City from San Francisco, here for graduate studies in Food Culture. My new home affords me a ton of opportunities to indulge my love of good food - mostly in the markets of Astoria and my own kitchen. I'm learning how to live a rich life on the cheap.
