ING New York City Marathon

Thanks to daylight savings time, I managed to pull myself out of my post-Halloween stupor and get myself over to Engineer's Gate in time to see Paula Radcliffe and the other top runners in the ING New York City Marathon. I just missed the front runners by a matter of minutes last year, so I was thrilled to finally catch a glimpse of the runners I grew up reading so much about.

The atmosphere in the park was infinitely more mellow than the one on First Avenue, so after scrambling to snap a few photos of the speed demons in the front, I moseyed on over to First to watch the masses run by. I just love the noise, the excitement, the balloons and homemade signs, the live bands at packed out bars, and of course, the free goodies (I scored running earmuffs, pom-poms, almonds, organic apples, and juice while walking around).

The whole event is just so uplifting and inspiring. I definitely need to get back into racing. There is such camaraderie among runners. You share your joy, your pain, and your love for your sport. I especially love seeing groups of people cheering for a friend or family member and the smile it puts on the runner's face. There was one little girl who cheered for her dad and the dad came running over to the sidelines and stopped mid-race to give her a kiss. Too cute.

Time to go for a run!

S'MAC

In my perfect world, macaroni and cheese would be an integral part of a healthy diet. That’s why when I heard there was a restaurant devoted solely to the art of macaroni and cheese, I went running.

S’MAC (short for Sarita’s Mac and Cheese) is a tiny, casual eatery on East 12th that’ll hit you with the smell of butter, comfort, and happiness the moment you open the front door. The orange and yellow theme and the bright overhead lights only add to the warmth of the atmosphere (well, until you get to the grouchy cashier, that is).

But back to the happy part: After spending a few minutes salivating over the 12 recommended dishes, ranging from the simple American (American and cheddar cheese) to the Alpine (gruyere and slab bacon) to the Garden Lite (lite cheddar, parmesan, roasted cauliflower, portabello mushrooms, roasted garlic, broccoli, and scallions), then moving on to the overwhelming realization that you can also create your own masterpiece (choose from 14 cheeses and 20 mix-ins), you can stumble wide-eyed to the counter to place your order, specifying size (mac is served in 4 skillet sizes: nosh, major munch, mongo, and partay), noodle type (elbow or whole wheat), and breadcrumbs or no breadcrumbs. You then stand with your number waiting to claim the next table that opens up, while eying everyone else’s food to make sure you made the best choice possible.

I went with the American, keeping it simple to ensure that I could judge the place based on the basics without getting thrown off by crazy mix-ins like olives and buffalo chicken. My dining partner went out on a limb and ordered the Parisienne, made with creamy brie, roasted figs and shiitake mushrooms, and fresh rosemary. I was pleased with my choice, as Stephanie’s pasta was good for one bite, but a little too intense for a full meal. My only regret is not going for the major munch size, though I’m sure my body appreciates being spared such gluttony.

Atlantic Antic '09

Atlantic Antic is no joke, people.

I headed to Brooklyn last weekend expecting food, music, and the typical street fair vendors that infiltrate the streets of New York every weekend. What I didn’t expect is that the festival would be so big that I’d be worn out after walking the whole thing (granted, I did do a lot of backtracking when pondering my culinary options).

The festival spanned 10 blocks of Atlantic Avenue from 4th Avenue in Boerum Hill to Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights and featured ten live entertainment stages (all incredible and reflecting a wide range of musical tastes), more than 600 vendors, a plethora of heart attack-inducing foods, and even moon bounces (if only I could’ve jumped around with all the other elementary school kids without exceeding the weight limit!).

Additionally, the New York Transit Museum celebrated its 16th annual bus festival , displaying a collection of vintage buses dating all the way back to 1917. It was just so cute to see all the transit employees proudly standing in front of the retro buses and inviting onlookers to climb aboard. My fave was definitely the Park Avenue bus of the ‘50s.

My number one find of the festival however, was Building on Bond’s food tent. Two options: beef and chorizo burgers or BBQ pork with apple jicama slaw on pretzel bread. I was torn, but I love me some BBQ (and there was a 10 minute wait for the popular burgers), so I jumped right in. I was curious to find out what “pretzel bread” tastes like. All you need to know is that it’s excellent. I happily inhaled my sandwich while sitting on a little stool in the middle of the road and taking in the scenery. I also spent some quality time contemplating whether or not to try the fried twinkie down the street. I decided to save that and the mozzarepa for another day and headed home feeling tired, but also full and accomplished.

New York Musical Theatre Festival

Do you love musicals and gambling?

If the answer is yes, I think I have just the event for you.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival kicked off this week and will continue through October 18th. Featuring shows ranging in topic from the world’s last surviving vampires (The Cure) to hormonal teens at weight-loss camp (Fat Camp), the festival is known for launching musicals such as Altar Boyz to Broadway stardom.

Thus, half the fun of attending the shows comes from trying to figure out which ones will make it big and which ones won’t. And at only $20 a ticket (barely more than the cost of a regular movie ticket these days), you can probably afford to check out more than one.

Pickle Pucker

I am always intrigued by very subject-specific events. Especially when the subject is something weird… Like pickles.

The Lower East Side (around Broome and Essex) will play host to the ninth annual NYC International Pickle Day this Sunday, October 4th. In addition to free pickles of all types, there will be pickled fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses from around the world (and around the corner); as well as demonstrations, educational displays, and a costume contest.

It’s highly likely that I’ll stop by out of curiosity--not only to see what it’s all about, but also to taste some of this pickle ice cream I keep reading about.

Thrift Store Takeover

The weather may have kept me indoors tonight, but I’ve created a plan for taking over New York’s thrift shops in the next few weeks. Lately I’ve lost interest in shopping at commercial outlets, partially because it’s no fun to shop when all it does is make me realize how poor I am, and partially because I’ve decided I need to develop my own personal style and graduate from the Vandy polos and pearls of yesteryear; a quest only possible if the cost of experimenting and attempting to revamp a wardrobe is minimal.

My first stop will most definitely be Green Village, a 10,000-square-foot “down-and-dirty” junk shop in Brooklyn housing sporting equipment, electronics, furniture, housewares, books, and best of all, clothing by the pound ($2 a pound or $1.50 a pound for 50+ pounds). Unfortunately, the shop is closed most upcoming weekends and doesn’t stay open too late on weeknights, so I guess I’ll just have to go straight from work and do my shopping in shifts if it turns out to be as amazing as everyone says.

While I’m in Brooklyn, I’ll probably also hit up Buffalo Exchange to help me cultivate my inner hipster before heading back to the Upper East Side to make the rounds at the local Goodwill, Housing Works, and Salvation Army.

Who knows, maybe I’ll even visit some of the consignment shops of the Upper East Side (in the name of research, of course) to see if it’s possible to dig up anything for less than $20 or if it’s simply used designer goods for “less” (Read: prohibitively expensive for a recent grad eating spaghetti every night).

Don't worry. I'll be back with photographic evidence.

Met Morning

Saturday morning was a Met morning. I met up with Julia bright and early to create a strategy for conquering selected exhibits. As regulars, we know it’s best to go in with a plan if you really want to enjoy your visit without getting tired or overwhelmed.

We decided to check out some of the temporary exhibits first, which included “Looking In: Robert Frank’s The Americans,” “Vermeer’s Masterpiece ‘The Milkmaid,’” “Surface Tension: Contemporary Photographs from the Collection,” and “Roxy Paine on the Roof: Maelstrom.”

All were wonderful, though I most enjoyed Robert Frank’s exhibit, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of The Americans, Frank’s collection of black-and-white photographs taken on a cross-country road trip in 1955-56. In addition to featuring all 83 photographs published in the book, the exhibit includes the contact sheets that Frank used to create the book, which were especially fun to look at, as they conveyed the sense of urgency with which he developed his prints (he didn’t bother to rotate them or line them up neatly and scribbled on the pages).

The Maelstrom, a 130-foot-long by 45-foot-wide stainless steel sculpture, was also fun to look at. The organic nature of the piece was a match made in heaven with the greatest backdrop in the world – Central Park and Manhattan’s skyline. Though the day was a bit overcast, I always find it uplifting to look out on the city from rooftops because it gives me a sense of perspective and reminds me just how lucky I am to live where I do.

The Vermeer exhibit was a bit frustrating to view as it was packed and noisy, but it was nonetheless exciting to see the painting in person. Also on view were four other Vermeer paintings from Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and several other important works by other Dutch artists of the period.

We also breezed through some of the permanent exhibits before heading out to enjoy the nice cool afternoon weather. Thanks to the plan, I left feeling peaceful rather than weary and irritable.

ALIFE PRESENTS: Clayton Patterson

After about an hour of dodging over-dressed women holding shopping bags, cocktails, and Lucky Magazine Boutique Crawl maps on Bleecker Street, I met up with Justin to walk over to Rivington for Clayon Patterson’s "L.E.S. Captured" opening reception.

We huddled into ALIFE PRESENTS to check out select photographs from Patterson’s 30-year documentation of the Lower East Side, which included everything from children and families to lovers, drug dealers, disenfranchised artists, and the homeless. The photographs offer an honest, unedited look into the neighborhood and the people who inhabited the area during a socially and economically depressed period and as it experienced rapid gentrification. Though tinged with a bit of sadness and harsh reality, I also found the photographs to be somewhat inspiring.

Also on view was a digital showcase of Patterson’s Front Door portraits and “The Documentarian,” a short from the feature-length documentary “Captured.”

After we had finished looking at the photographs, we left the gallery only to be met by an enormously fat man with a pony tail entering the road on a glittery, cherry-red motorcycle-scooter hybrid with a giant sound system on the back blaring ridiculous music. The man rode around in circles and stopped traffic in every direction. He had quite a crowd watching from the street and no one knew whether to laugh or bow. I’m still not sure who this guy was, but after a few minutes, we decided to stop gawking and head to the ALINE courtyard for the private reception.

We pushed our way through the narrow sneaker-store to the back where we were met with the unmistakable scent of marijuana. There were buckets filled with miniature bottles of Colt 45, so we grabbed a few before positioning ourselves where we could take in the crowd. This crowd was light-years different from the SoHo crowd from earlier in the evening. Tattoos, statement sunglasses, flat-brim hats, piercings, and funky clothing were the norm here. Part of me felt a little out of place, but I also realized that the reason these people were so much more fun to be around was because no one cared what anyone else was doing. It didn’t matter that I was wearing gold flats instead of Dunks. We were all just there enjoying the DJ, the free booze, and the nighttime air.

Needless to say, the evening offered an interesting juxtaposition of lifestyles and neighborhoods (the main reason to live in New York).

I, for one, will not be attending another Lucky Magazine shopping event. I will, however, keep ALIFE’s gallery schedule on my fridge.

Lucky Boutique Crawl

The Lucky magazine boutique crawl: one more reason to be glad you live in New York City.

Tonight from 6-9 p.m., the magazine-sponsored event will feature an evening of shopping, discounts, goodie bags, drinks, and treats (Magnolia cupcakes, anyone?) at select West Village boutiques, including Juicy Couture, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Intermix, LuLu Guinness, and Cynthia Rowley. Lucky magazine editors will also be present, providing potential opportunities for networking!

A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit Housing Works, an organization dedicated to ending the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness.

Art of Rebellion

Art and motorcycles: a curious and refreshing combination.

After a successful run in Santa Monica, Harley-Davidson’s “Art of Rebellion” exhibit will be visiting New York on October 17th at la.venue NYC from 8 p.m. to midnight.

The event features Iron 883 tanks painted by ten artists (including Bob Dob, Tara McPherson, Alex Pardee, David Trulli, Mark Dean Veca, and Olver Vernon) to express visions of rebellion. Also on display are signature gig posters and photography by Adam Wright and Steven Stone.

The artwork is also for sale, with the majority of the profits being donated to the CUE Art Foundation.

October is all about Pink

It's time to start gearing up for National Breast Cancer Awareness month which kicks off in October!

The month offers a wide range of events to help raise money and awareness about a disease that affects nearly 1 in 8 women in the United States. These events are also a great time to celebrate and honor breast cancer survivors, remember the people we have lost, and share in the camaraderie of thousands of people with a shared goal of ending the disease that threatens the lives of so many we love.

Considering that in 2009, an estimated 192,370 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and an estimated 40,170 women will die of the disease, it is important that we do what we can to support both survivors and the newly-diagnosed, as well as support programs and research to help prevent, detect, and cure breast cancer.

Whatever your style, New York is offering plenty of ways to get involved next month. Here's just a sampling:

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
October 18, 2009
The American Cancer Society's premier event to raise funds and awareness to fight breast cancer features noncompetitive walks ranging in distance from 3 to 5 miles. Sign up to walk as an individual or a team, or volunteer at the event by helping with registration and water stations. There is no minimum fundraising amount, though the more you raise, the more the American Cancer Society is able to invest in research, education, and policies that save lives.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
October 10-11, 2009
Walk up to 26.2 miles on Saturday and 13.1 miles on Sunday to support the ongoing search for a cure for breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen Virtual Race
Through October 31, 2009
Register for the virtual Komen NYC Race for the Cure and receive a race t-shirt and bib. Then start raising money from friends, family, and co-workers.

In the Family film screening at Cardozo School of Law
October 19, 2009
View the documentary about Joanna Rudnick (who will be in attendance at the screening) who took advantage of genetic testing and found she was positive for the BRCA mutation after being concerned about her family history of breast and ovarian cancer. The film documents Joanna’s own struggles and brings to the forefront a host of dilemmas that genetic testing presents.

2009 “Surviving to Thriving!” Breast Fest
October 26, 2009
Don Hill’s in SoHo will be hosting top burlesque, sword swallowing, cabaret, raffles, a dance troupe, food, desserts, and drinks. Buy your tickets here.

Be sure to take advantage of preventative screening and education services next month too!

powerHouse Arena

While wandering around Brooklyn the other day, I stumbled across a place called powerHouse Arena. I was instantly drawn in, not knowing exactly what I would find, but certain that it would be excellent. My instincts were right.

The arena turned out to be a “laboratory for creative thought,” fusing gallery, boutique, bookstore, and performance and events space into one location with soaring 24-foot ceilings. Surrounded by photography, art, books, design, and pop culture, I felt a surge of happiness.

I first checked out the various book displays which were thoughtfully and artfully done, ranging in topic from organic eating/sustainable farming to New York literature to design trends. I then wandered around looking at the hand-printed notecards and Moleskine notebooks before checking out a long bench covered in fliers and promotional materials for other events and shops. After pausing to take in the arena-style seating and the beautiful light wafting in from the floor-to-ceiling windows casting a happy glow on all the artsy patrons, I realized there was an upper level featuring an art exhibit.

I walked upstairs and checked out Trevor Traymore’s exhibit “I Shoot People,” featuring 175 prints of hip-hop’s greatest artists. Traynor’s “shots” are so representative and artfully arranged that even hip-hop haters will enjoy scanning the collage of portraits depicting artists including T.I., Wu-Tang Clan, Mos Def, M.I.A., Talib Kweli, and Dizzee Rascal.

I then checked out another photography exhibit downstairs titled “The Taqwacores, Muslim People in the USA” by Kim Badawi, which chronicles the burgeoning subculture of Muslim pink in the United States.

Traymore’s exhibit is on display through October 4th; Badawi’s through October 25th. I would highly recommend viewing these exhibits before they disappear and checking the venue’s calendar for upcoming events such as Thursday’s talk with Joshua Lyon, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, and Lesley Arfin (authors of Pill Head, America Anonymous, and Dear Diary, respectively) as they discuss America’s struggles with addiction, as well as their own.

September Concert Picks

From the eclectic hip-hop of The Roots to the indie Rock sounds of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, New York is hosting a lot of great bands in the next two weeks.

You should’ve been so excited about these concerts that you bought your tickets months ago, but in the case that you were broke or forgot, it’s not too late to check Ticketmaster or StubHub for last-minute tickets. If all else fails, you can always try sweet-talking your way in…

My top concert picks for September:

Snow Patrol
Beacon Theatre
New York, NY
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Radio City Music Hall
New York, NY
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m.

Moby
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 8 pm

Rusted Root
Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury
Westbury, NY
Thursday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m.

Phoenix
Rumsey Playfield in Central Park
New York, NY
Friday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m.

Yo La Tengo
Roseland Ballroom
New York, NY
Friday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m.

The Roots
HighLine Ballroom
New York
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 11:30 p.m.

Feast of San Gennaro

Zeppole. Cannoli. Mostaccioli. Repeat.

This is the mantra I used this weekend at the annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy.

The feast, which was first celebrated in New York City by immigrants on September 19, 1926, honors Saint Gennaro, martyred for the faith in 305 A.D. September 19th is still the most religious day of the week-long feast, featuring a religious procession followed by a celebratory mass at the Most Precious Blood Church on Mulberry Street.

To casual visitors, the feast may just provide a perfect excuse to overindulge. With options ranging from sandwiches with Italian sausage, carmelized onions, and sautéed peppers to oven-fired pizza and homemade lasagna to gelato, cannolis, fried Oreos, and Torrone, there is no way to go home hungry or unhappy, especially when there are options to suit every budget.

For the more frugal visitor, there are plenty of vendors lining the street selling main courses for $6 and desserts for $3. For those interested in taking a more leisurely, albeit more expensive route, there are plenty of outdoor sit-down options with full-scale Italian menus.

Once you’ve eaten too much, take some time to enjoy the carnival games and the live music and bask in the excitement and energy.

Though Sunday marked the final day of this year’s festival, it’s not too late to mark your calendar for next September. Make plans to visit on a weekday if you’d like to try to avoid the crowds and be sure to bring a big appetite.

Brooklyn Flea

Spurred by the desire to score some vintage duds and enjoy the last days of summer, my roommate and I hopped a subway to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall and took a leisurely stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge before wandering down to the Brooklyn Flea. The market, located directly underneath the iconic bridge, features more than 100 vendors of vintage furniture, clothing, accessories, vinyl, and jewelry, as well as new jewelry, bicycles, and art by local artisans.

We spent hours poring over vintage designer handbags, fur coats, stationery, old postcards, screen-printed t-shirts, new and old jewelry, books, albums, boots, and house-wares. It was a much more pleasant experience than some of the flea markets I’ve frequented in Manhattan, such as the Antiques Garage, because of the open-air environment and the minimalism. The market is definitely not one that requires lots of sifting and effort to separate the gems from the junk because all the items seem to be carefully selected and are presented in an aesthetically appealing manner.

After a while we worked up an appetite, so after sampling some of the spicy pickles on site, we checked out our options: fish tacos, oven-fired pizzas, lobster rolls and crab legs, papusas and tamales, and pastries. Though tempted by the fish tacos, we decided to opt for the least expensive option, the “papusa platter,” offered by Red Hook Food Vendors. The platter included two papusas or tamales with cabbage salad, hot sauce, jalapenos, and melted cheese for $5. I decided to try the chicken tamale and a jalapeno and cheese papusa. Though not as delicious as it looked, the meal was definitely filling and a departure from my typical “safe” culinary choices.

Reenergized from our mid-day lunch, we checked out some of the remaining vendors (my favorites being Birdhouse Jewelry and Loyalty and Blood) and picked up some vintage sweaters before heading out.

All in all, the Flea was a great experience and one that I’d highly recommend, especially if you enjoy art, vintage clothing and accessories, and people-watching. So check it out – Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., directly below the Brooklyn Bridge.