Food Truck Rally At Govenor's Island

With Hurricane Earl making a trip to the beach not that appealing this weekend, there are some other unique holiday options here in the city.  If you're looking for something fun and unusual this Labor Day, I'd recommend a trip to Governor's Island for the Food Truck rally.  It's happening on Sunday only, from 12n to 5pm on Colonel's Row.


Yeah, I know....Food Truck's are oh-so -rendy these days and maybe you're getting a little sick of hearing about them.  But the point of Food Trucks is eating, not discussing.  So go eat something already!  [said in my best Jewish grandmother voice]  :)  There will be ice cream from Van Leuuwen, seafood from Red Hook Lobster Pound and slushies from Kelvin Natural Slush along with seven other trucks.  The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck was not listed on the program but who knows.....maybe he'll pull a surprise attack!  

Cute Video Of The Week-Marcel The Shell

This little short film about a very little shell named Marcel has been making the viral rounds this week. It's popped up on FB more than once and a number of blogs as well.  It was written and voiced by Jenny Slate, a first-year SNL cast member who also pops up on Jimmy Fallon's show too.  The jokes are sharp but it's all in the delivery....enjoy!

A Short Spoof Of The Brett Easton Ellis Universe

I was scrolling through Facebook this morning and found this video posted by a friend.  It's a short film directed Matthew Ross called "Inspired by Brett Easton Ellis".  This is a very snappy little 3-minute summary of the Ellis-verse starring some actual celebrities too....Kip Pardue and James Van Der Beek.  If you've read only "Less Than Zero", you'll get the basic idea.  If you haven't, a word of warning that this is a bit NSFW.  

Broadway's Newly Restored Belasco Theatre

As a fan of Broadway, I'm also a fan of Broadway theatres. I especially have mad love for the older houses along the Great White Way with their ornate murals, draperies and architectural flourishes. Along with some of their elderly patrons, they are the true grand dames of old Broadway. 


Recently, one of Broadway's oldest theatres the Belasco (which opened in 1907) underwent a 14 million dollar renovation, restoring it to it's original glory.  There was a great article and accompanying slide show in the TIMES this weekend of the Belasco through the years, along with details on the meticulous re-do.  


I saw "Passing Strange" here a few years ago and look forward to returning to the new Belasco soon.  

Emmys Open With GLEE And The Boss

Last night's Emmy awards got off to a musical start with host Jimmy Fallon, the cast of GLEE and an assortment of TV stars in an awesome number featuring Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run".  I thought this one topped Neil Patrick Harris' effort last year but, then again, I'm a bit of a GLEE fanatic. :)  


I only wish that this song was available on iTunes but I doubt that will ever happen.  The Boss is notorious for charging astronomical licensing fees for his music, which is why you don't see his stuff turning up very often on TV or in the movies.  Actually, I was pretty surprised to see a Springsteen song opening the Emmy's but my bet is he must have a teenage daughter who is also a GLEE fan.  


Due to these rights issues, the opening number is not available on NBC's website. But you can watch it here....though probably just for the next 12 hours or so.  

Some Amazing Pics of WTC Ship

Last month, while excavating for the new World Trade Center, workmen discovered the bow of a very old ship.  I posted about it here but wanted to follow up with some extraordinary 360 view photos that have been put up on the web recently.  


The ship dates from the 18th century and was a Brigantine, a workhorse of the seas that up and down the eastern seaboard on short to medium hauls.  It was discovered about 30 feet underground and subsequently was removed from the site in late July and sent to the Maryland Archeological Conservation Library in St. Leonard where it will be examined further.  This was the first ship to be found on a construction site in the city since 1982.  

A Tribute To Artists Lost To AIDS

My friend and fellow filmmaker Ira Sachs made a short film called LAST ADDRESS that premiered at Sundance earlier this year.  The film shows the exteriors of the buildings where gay downtown artists like Keith Haring, Robert Mapplethorpe and David Wojnarowicz lived and often worked before they succumbed to AIDS. Ira's 8-minute short serves as a beautiful elegy to these New York artists and the unique time in which they lived.  


This week, a companion website went up online with more information about these extraordinary men.  I encourage you to check it out; you can watch Ira's film below and you can visit the website here.  All in all, the LAST ADDRESS project serves as a lovely tribute to an amazing group of artists who may be gone but whose work will not soon be forgotten.  

Inception Spoof Is Shot-On

There's a fun spoof of the INCEPTION trailer I came across recently called INEBRIATION.  It's pretty funny and silly and made for about 1/1000th of the actual movie. Though it certainly helps to have Hans Zimmer's score to make the point.  Anyway, I'll just let the damn thing speak for itself. 

Don Draper Is In The Hood

On this week's episode of MAD MEN, Don Draper wrote a check which had on it the address of his new bachelor pad:  104 Waverly Place, apt 3B.  Yes, it's true, Don Draper is in the hood, his apartment just a few blocks from mine....though we are separated, of course, by about 40 years.  


Anyway, I stopped by 104 Waverly Place to see what the joint looked like.  Unfortunately, there is no 104 Waverly Place.  There is 106 to the right and then the back of a large apartment building on the corner, listed as 29 Washington Square West.  If there were a 104, it would be that little alleyway with all the garbage out front. (The picture is from GoogleMaps, clearly taken on garbage pickup day.)


It was probably due to legal necessity that the producers had to use a fake address.  However, I'm sure the people at 106 Waverly are breathing a sigh of relief.  The unfortunate folks who live in the building at the corner of Bedford and Grove (the exterior for FRIENDS) are constantly beseiged by camera-wielding tourists standing on the corner day & night snapping their own friends. 

A New Reminder Of The Old Penn Station

Coming out of Penn Station this weekend, I discovered some new artwork that recalls the glory of old Penn Station.  Inside a new entrance to the station at 31st and 7th ave that NJ Transit opened about a year ago, a series of 10 natural stone mosaics pay homage to the grandeur of the McKim, Mead & White's original "Temple To Travel".  


These pieces are the work of a Russian-born artist Yakov Hanansen and they are a beautiful tribute to the old station, which was torn down in 1964 to make way for Madison Square Garden. Currently, there are many plaques and photos and sculptures scattered through the underground tunnels which now make up the so-called station, in remembrance of the terminal's storied past.  But Hanasen's mosaics are the most elegant homage to a grand place that still lingers in the imagination.