Following his own advice, Kyle in all black and high heels
Kyle Farmery is someone you look up to. After all, he rocks heels – and pumps, and wedges, and stilettos – on a daily basis. He stands tall at 6’0’’ and wears a lip gloss brand called “Sexy MotherPucker.” In contrast, I barely make 5’1’’. Normally I wear jeans and so-called ironic tee-shirts. I Google-search ways to make my eyes look smoky using inexpensive drugstore products. Kyle, on the other hand, strikes me as the epitome of fashion savvy. At times, it seems truly inhuman. I’ve spent many an evening clicking away through Kyle’s Facebook photos, mouth agape at his personal shots beside Lady Gaga, Betsey Johnson, photographer David LaChapelle, and journalist/personality Amanda Lepore. I recall one picture where Kyle looks fierce in fishnets, and suddenly it dawns on me: this mystique – this enigmatic quality about him; the awe that surrounds him – fashion is a commitment, and it is a way of life.
While our editors have made a home away from home in NYC, we all have those places that remind us of where we came from…
CL: Coming from Philadelphia, I’ve always expected a certain level of history to come with all the architecture in my city. From the Liberty Bell to Independence Hall, Philly is brimming with historical landmarks. Alas, New York doesn’t quite satisfy in that department, but I do love the Lower East Side Tenement Museum at 97 Orchard Street. Dating before the turn of the 19th century, the building stands as a time capsule you can tour through. Whether you come from an immigrant family or are just a history junkie, it’s always nice to see a story behind all the bricks.
AP: Since my hometown is only forty minutes away from NYC, I don’t necessarily have to look for a place in the city to satisfy my nostalgia. Whenever I’m desperately craving to get a taste of my motherland, I resort to the different Korean restaurants throughout the city. Bann, the Korean restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen, is my all time favorite place where I can get all types of authentic Korean dishes. Bann is known for quality and respect for the Korean culture!
RL: To be honest, Coney Island can’t quite compare to San Diego’s many beautiful beaches. So instead, whenever I’m feeling homesick, I make my way to Xi’an Famous Foods for a bowl of spicy, hand-pulled noodles, which may even be better than grandma’s. For less than $6 a bowl, these noodles satisfy my heart and my wallet.
DS: Growing up with a Viennese grandmother, I’ve had the pleasure of getting used to delicious apricot filled pastries and dumplings, apple fritters, and chocolate cakes. My Most Favorite Dessert is the second restaurant opened by Doris Schechter, author of ‘At Oma’s table,’ a recipe book inspired by Omas everywhere (Oma means Grandma in German). Taste the delicious Viennese delicacies I’ve grown to love, plus many more, in this fantastic Kosher bakery in midtown.
MK: Coming from Chicago, many expect me to crave deep dish Chicago style pizza among the endless New York slices. However, growing up close the Lake Michigan, my favorite part of New York is being on the waterfront. I love going for a jog in Riverside Park or hanging out in Battery Park on warm days!
Broadway Week
All week (through Saturday February 4th) all Broadway shows are 2-for-1. And if you’d rather watch something Off Broaday, guess what? Off-Broadway week is 1/30-2/12 and you can buy 2-for-1 tickets for those shows too!
Monday, January 30th
Draw-Mania Draw-a-Thon
Grab your pad and pencils for a night of inspired drawing, comedy and music, draw-a-thon-style! The Draw-mania draw-a-thon is a figure drawing party for artists, featuring some of New York’s top art models in a variety of poses to inspire your creativity (bring your own drawing materials). Otto’s Shrunken Head, 538 East 14th Street, between Avenue A and B, Manhattan, 8p-midnight; $15
The State of the Occupation Address: Where We’ve Gone and What to Expect From Occupy in 2012 - FREE
A launch party for The Declaration of the Occupation of New York City (second edition), a booklet comprised of documents related to Occupy Wall Street. Free copies of the book will be distributed at the event along with a discussion with some of New York’s leading social activists. Housing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby Street, 7 pm, B/D/F/M to Broadway-Lafayette St
Tuesday, January 31st
Artist Talk at the Guggenheim (FREE with student ID)
A program called “when night falls in the forest of static choices” that combines elements of a performance, a lecture, and an interactive scavenger hunt, led by Natascha Sadr Haghighian, an artist from Berlin, Germany who rejects the concepts of CV’s and resumes and bios as part of her larger critique of institutionalized forms of knowledge. The Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth avenue, at 89 street, 6:30 pm, subway: 4.5.6 to 86th st. $10, students free with rsvp at boxoffice@guggenheim.org
Dry the River at The Mercury Lounge
Start off February right by seeing Dry the River, a band that fuses punk vocals with sweeping gospel sounds and violin. Known for their passionate performances, Dry the River has already developed a cult following. The Mercury Lounge, 217 E Houston Street, Doors: 9:30 pm, F to 2nd Ave, Tickets: $10
Brooklyn Slur Happy Hour Hosted by the Slow Food NYC movement (a movement that was created to counteract the fast food movement in support of local food traditions) this bi-monthly happy hour is a great way to get involved in food activism or just have a great drink at a cozy bar that overlooks its own distillery. Stay till 8 pm for the distillery tour and tasting! The house mixologists are offering two different types of homemade gin. The Shanty, 79 Richardson St (btw Leonard and Lorimer) 7:00-9:00 pm, L to Lorimer St
Wednesday, February 1
Bronx Culture Trolley -FREE Take the The Bronx Culture trolley for a tour of the South Bronx Cultural Corridor. Stops include
art exhibitions and performances at the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos,the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and BronxArtSpace. The Bronx Culture Trolley is a program of the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA). Admission to venues is free and all are welcome to hop on board and enjoy them. 450 Grand Concourse and 149th st, trolley departs at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 2/4 to 149th St and Grand Concourse.
Ask Roulette - FREE
During Ask Roulette, strangers ask each other any question they want, big or small, in front of a live audience. It’s not as intimidating as it sounds. In fact, it’s built on trust — you can only ask a question once you’ve answered one. If you prefer, you can just be part of the crowd. Questions are serious or silly, and answers are short or long. Over the course of the evening, you’ll get unexpected connections, surprising anecdotes, and honest conversation. You’ll also laugh. Special guests Starlee Kine fromThis America Life, David Carr from The New York Times, and more! Housing Works, 126 Crosby Street, Manhattan, 7pm, B/D/F/M to Broadway-Lafayette
This Sunday, Bell House hosted the first ever Brooklyn Mac and Cheese Takedown - a food competition which united mac and cheese enthusiasts from all 5 boroughs and the tristate area! 25 chefs, from food cart owners to bloggers to lucky inheritors of treasured family recipes competed to earn the cherished title of First Place Mac.
Cheese was the word at this takedown: gouda, fontina, swiss, gruyere, mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, white cheddar, Velveeta… Glorious gooey combinations coated elbow noodles, penne pasta, ziti, and shells. Noodles were infused with bacon cream cheese, topped with sautéed mushrooms, tossed with lobster fondue, baked with fried chicken, covered in braised short ribs with homemade barbecue sauce, or flavored with fresh rosemary and herbs.
A Few of the Delicious Dishes
And of course, there was enough butter in each warm pan of noodles to satisfy both Julia Child and Paula Deen. Crispy breadcrumbs were a popular topping, varying from homemade bacon breadcrumbs to deep-fried macaroni balls coated in panko. Advice for anyone attending a future takedown competition: be prepared to get numbers– you’re going to want these recipes!
Mac and Cheese was served in tasting cups, allowing us to sample everything to our liking and indulge in our favorites. The Bell House bar sold cold (and not frat house cold, like actually cold) $6 cups of draft Brooklyn Lager to chase down an enormous lunch. Groups of hipsters sat happily on the floor, thrilled to have ventured out to Gowanus for this celebration of all things delicious.
It isn’t every day that you hear a song proclaiming, “my vagina/it’s universal/like a penis/but reversible.” Yet those were the exact lyrics that my friend and I found ourselves singing along to at (Le) Poisson Rouge on Thursday night while watching the Massachusetts-born singer Storm Large perform part of her raunchy set, a song dubbed “Eight Miles Wide.”
Taking the stage amid a flurry of applause and whistles from her dedicated fans — who accompanied her word-for-word in the majority of her own songs—Storm dominated the small stage, alternately shattering the room with her powerful voice, singing in sugar-coated falsetto, tousling her ice-blonde hair, gyrating against the microphone, and telling salacious stories in between songs. “Love is so fucking twisted—when it’s good,” Large proclaimed, introducing a love song that she’d written. “When the cops aren’t called, you just aren’t that invested.”
Thursday Night Out at the Magnet Theater
Come enjoy four comedy shows, free pizza, and $2 beers! Featuring amix of improv veterans and new talent. 7 pm, The Magnet Theater 254 W 29th St at 8th Ave,1 to 28th St. Tickets $5 FREE Meat Pie
Thursday is Australia day, and to celebrate Pie Face an Australian bakery which just opened in midtown is giving out free pie all day — the full 24 hours. You can spend a whole day eating only pie. 1691 Broadway (btw 53rd and 54th) Subway: 1.2 to 50th st
Friday
Organic and Sustainable Wine Tasting (FREE)
Try goji liqueur made from goji berries farmed in the Himalayas and coffee liqueur made from coffee beans harvested from mountains in Mexico and quinoa vodka made from quinoa harvested by small producers in Boliva. Dry Dock Wine and Spirits 424 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, 718-852-3625, 5:30-8:30, B61 bus
The Hundred in the Hands at Glasslands Gallery
Funky, disco-infused pop band The Hundred in the Hands plays at Glasslands Gallery, a venue famous for featuring up-and-coming artists. Glasslands Gallery, 289 Kent Ave, Doors: 8:30 pm, L to Bedfore Ave, Advance: $10, At the door: $12
Aimee Mann at Music Hall of Williamsburg
Jump into INY’s office soundtrack and check out this awesome acoustic poetess of recent Portlandia fame. A guaranteed chill night out, throw on your hipster week end clothes, and relax in Williamsburg with fantastic music alongside a guaranteed enthusiastic crowd. The event may be sold out but tickets are almost always available outside the Music Hall. 66 N. 6th St, L to Bedford Ave, 8pm
Saturday
Seal Exploration –FREE!
Yeah you read that right. You can go see seals this weekend. The New York City Department of Park and Recreation rangers lead wildlife tours year round, also offering birding tours and programs. Orchard Beach Nature Center, Pelham Bay Park, Orchard Beach, Section 2 of the beach, 718-319-7258, 10 am, Bx12 and Bx5 buses
Wig Out
Wear a wig and get free drinks! Not only will you not spend money, you could even make money since there’s a $100 dollar prize for best hair. Irish Exit 978 2nd Ave (btw 51st and 52 st) 9-11 pm, Subway: E.M to Lexington Ave/53 st, 4.6 to 51st, 4.5.6 to 59 st, 21+
RAC (Remix Artist Collective) DJ Set at Brooklyn Bowl
Fans of electronica? Hip hop? Remixes? RAC is an international group whose original and playful re-vamps of popular songs have garnered much following. Advance tickets have already sold out, but go at 11:30 p.m. to try to snag a ticket at the door for the much-demanded show. Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn. $10, 11:30 p.m.
Sunday
Fashion Center Walking Tour -FREE!
Michael Kaback, a licensed tour guide and a “garmento” himself, leads the tour which offers a brief history of the apparel industry in New York starting with Henry Hudson all the way up to the present. The tour will stop at iconic sites, including the fashion walk of fame and may include visits to showrooms depending on scheduling and group size. Northeast corner of Seventh Avenue at 39th Street between the Fashion Center Information Kiosk and the bronze statue of the garment worker, 2pm, 1/2/3 to 34th st Penn Station. You must reserve your spot. Call 212.764.9600 or email MikesNYCTours@yahoo.com http://www.openhousegallery.org/
Mac and Cheese Takedown
It’s no secret that the INY staff is a bit noodle and cheese obsessed, but here’s your chance to unite with other mac and cheese lovers in an epic carb-heavy competition! $15 to eat 25 dishes of Mac and Cheese made by 25 local experts. Eat your heart out and vote for your fave! The Bell House, 7th St (between Second and Third Aves in Gowanus), F, G, R to Fourth Ave–9th St, 2pm
13th Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival
Missed out on celebrating the Lunar New Year? Think again! Manhattan Chinatown’s main New Year event is this Sunday. An outdoor cultural festival will take place at 11:30 a.m. with food, activities, and booths, followed by a parade of dancers, acrobats, marching bands, and many more traveling from Little Italy to the Lower East Side. Sara Roosevelt Park (Canal & Forsyth St), 1:00pm
Burnside Brooklyn, right off the Lorimer stop in Williamsburg, is a warm and cozy bar with a Midwestern aesthetic. The bar is lined with candles flickering softly in mason jars, providing the venue with a romantic sepia tone. The booth seating, counter with artfully peeling paint, and wooden ceilings and floor contribute to the woodsy, homey vibe. The bartenders wore plaid, bedazzled jean vest, as did many of the bar’s patrons. Though New Yorkers pride themselves on their high style, Burnside offers the perfect place to relax in your comfiest flannel and spend a low key night out with friends.
Welcome back from winter holidays everyone! Let’s get the year started off right with a visit to another fabulous speakeasy.
As you are walking back and forth on this block of Mulberry in the heart of Little Italy thinking “Where the hell is number 149!?” Mulberry Project bartenders are serving up delicious bespoke cocktails with a sizable list of ingredients to choose from. When you do finally find the entrance (the staircase underneath the sign for discounted purses; on weekends look for a bouncer or two, too) you’ll enter a small space with faux candlelight, a photographic story, mirrored, cement, and red walls, black leather seating and a gorgeous crowd to boot. Read the complete post »
