The New York Times loves to cover the latest Brooklyn trends and depending on who you ask, the paper can be spot on or dead wrong. Today, the Style section explored the latest trend supposedly taking over “arty neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Bushwick” (direct quote): the Man Bun.
Apparently, the more fashion-forward gentlemen in these neighborhoods are now in the habit of styling their long locks into ballerina buns. Some men borrow scrunchies “hair bands” from female friends and partners, while more hardcore men use good old fashioned rubber bands or string, United States Postal Service-style. The NYT quotes some Man Bun supporters as claiming to draw inspiration from samurai warriors or Steven Seagal. But there’s nothing wrong with looking to your local librarian for fashion ideas.
The big news in the Williamsburg culinary world this week is the closing of the Pillar & Plough restaurant at Hotel Williamsburg, which opened on N. 12th Street this past November. The hotel is changing owners and while the sale isn’t final, management closed the restaurant yesterday. Hotel representatives gave a statement to Eater, explaining that the hotel’s success had “attracted a non-solicited offer to purchase the property at a very favorable price.”
“Since opening, Pillar & Plough has received great reviews and success; it is with regret that we are closing the doors,” the statement continues. The hotel remains open for reservations as usual.
Graves Hospitality, which operates eleven hotels in two countries, had owned the restaurant and hotel. The planned future owner, King & Grove, describes itself as “a new lifestyle hotel brand defined by modern luxury with eclectic influence.” They specialize in “iconic destinations defined by a sense of nostalgia.” The group, founded in 2010, currently operates hotels in Miami and Montauk. Earlier this month, K&G announced it would be taking over New York’s Hotel Chelsea as well.
Pillar & Plough had a favorable rating of 4/5 stars on Yelp. According to one food blog, rumor has it that the new ownership will turn the below-ground restaurant space into a nightclub.
Since her performance on Saturday Night Live a week and a half ago, Lana Del Rey has become the girl that the internet loves to hate. Actress/singer Juliette Lewis compared her SNL appearance to a 12-year-old pretending to sing in her bedroom and NBC’s Brian Williams said it was “one of the worst outings in SNL history.” But is it fair to be so harsh towards the singer before she has even released a debut album? Here is my list of five reasons why we should all give LDR a second chance.
1. “She’s a harbinger of hipsterdom’s demise, a mainstream perception of a particular subculture.”
This is one complaint that I don’t quite get. She doesn’t really portray a hipster image, or even a hipster image as produced by mainstream music executives. Rather, her appearance and sound are more reminiscent of the female singers of the late 1960s. Lana’s “Blue Jeans” calls to mind Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” and her alto voice and overall look recall Nico. In my opinion, Lana looks a heck of a lot more like Graduate-eraKatharine Ross than any hipster I’ve seen biking down Driggs. Want to blame someone for capitalizing on hipster style? Blame Dov Charney.
I was waiting for the L train at Bedford Avenue twice in the past three days when I heard announcements involving “a customer injury” and “a police investigation” that resulted in no Manhattan-bound trains. While it is a sad fact that passenger deaths and injuries occur all too frequently, the past few days have been particularly deadly.
The first L train death occurred around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning after a train struck 22-year-old Brian O’Mara of Garden City, Long Island. O’Mara had been standing on the tracks near the 3rd Avenue stop. Service partially resumed three hours later.
A second L train death happened Saturday night when a man became caught on the tracks between an oncoming train and the platform at the 6th Avenue station. There have been several reports of passengers seeing the decapitated head.
Manhattan-bound L trains were delayed again at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning because of a sick passenger at Union Square, according to an announcement from an MTA employee.
What makes the L train particularly dangerous? While last weekend’s deaths happened to people on the tracks, the line’s overcrowding doesn’t help. According to a study published in October, the L train “has grown at three times the rate of the subway system as a whole.” Morning rush hour trains operate at 116% capacity. The MTA is aware of the overcrowding and has pledged to run more trains beginning this summer.
Can these tragedies be prevented by keeping people off the tracks? Cities like Paris and Tokyo have barriers and safety doors along the platforms at some stations.
Notably, within twenty-four hours of the two L train incidents, two other people died within the subway tunnels and walls. Riders found a man in his 60s dead in an R train station in Queens at 2:01 a.m. on Saturday morning. Reports speculate that he may have fallen down stairs. Later that day, an MTA employee found the body of a man near the Nostrand Avenue A station in Brooklyn.
Earlier this month, there was a post on Snowmine’s first headlining show and Conveyorwas briefly mentioned as one of the opening bands. After experiencing their lively act at Glasslands Gallery, I am compelled to properly introduce these men to you guys. Conveyor is a four men representation of sensational rock music with an experimental and at times, orchestral edge. Last year, they released an EP titled Sun Ray and this year, they have a new single called “Mukraker”. This track is a warm breeze with a bright radiance of the xylophone. Watch the music video of “Mukraker” below and get cozy with their versatile kitchen/loft/recording space.
You know what is so great about these local New York bands? They play local New York shows. This Saturday, Conveyor will be performing with Bryan Scary (another client of the lovable Paper Garden Records) at Le Poisson Rouge. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Get your tickets here! It’s an early show with doors opening at 7:30 so why not? Last time, a man in a rainbow jumpsuit came on stage during the set with a beautiful trumpet. Maybe this will happen again!
There are many reasons to love Hospitality’s new video…its a great song, it stars Maeby from Arrested Development, it pits New York friends agains LA friends…and I’m pretty sure New York wins in the end, but, most exciting to me: it also stars Tammi Littlenut.
