Hidden in the cacophony was a distinct sound of music. As you follow the music, you come across two musicians, Caleb Hickman, 23, who is from Brooklyn, and Shaheen Malick, 30, who hails from Manhattan, under the Washington Square Arch. The occasional tourist, photographer or child stops to watch the duo, mesmerized by Caleb’s ability to freely pick his acoustic guitar while Shaheem’s body sways instinctively with his bow as he plays the cello.
Read MoreThe three New York City public library systems are facing budget cuts totaling nearly $53 million as the city looks to slash spending next year. Beyond the numbers, the struggle to keep libraries funded has become a major fight this spring between lawmakers and the many New Yorkers who depend on branches to take out books, study and use computers.
Read MoreAlthough owning a coffee shop in New York City may be a luxury akin to owning a doodle or a rent-stabilized apartment, David Shama is living the caffeinated dreams of every New Yorker. Shama, a Swiss fashion photographer turned entrepreneur, opened a coffee shop and cocktail bar in the West Village. Named after his photography book, the coffee shop feeds his quest for celebrity or influencer status. Do Not Feed Alligators is his – and everyone else’s – dream.
Read More(REVIEW) The lamb, combined with the sauce and rice, tastes warm and delicate yet also rich and vibrant. The flavor is savory and nutty, the texture is soothing to taste. The naan is soft and spongy, the lettuce is crisp. I finish my meal with a smile and a full stomach. It tasted as if the world were at my feet. At this humble food cart, I seemingly discovered a whole new universe of deliciously cheap lunches.
Read MoreIn the 20th century, New York City endeavored to make itself more car-friendly. Under the decades-long leadership of city planner and master builder Robert Moses, the city built new expressways, highways, bridges and tunnels, all with the aim of bringing more traffic into New York. Today, New York City is arguably choking on the success of Moses' road-building program. Traffic and congestion have become synonymous with New York City. To bring the problem under control, the city has for more than a decade been pushing to implement the nation's first congestion pricing scheme.
Read More(OPINION) In February 2022, I attended a press conference where Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams and other key leaders in New York addressed the spike in subway crime and homelessness at the beginning of 2022. One year later, it’s time to see what has actually changed. Did our elected and appointed leaders do what they promised to do? If so, did it work? The short answer: barely.
Read MoreAnti-abortion demonstrators met counter-protestors from the organization NYC For Abortion Rights during their march from St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral to a Bleecker Street Planned Parenthood clinic on Saturday, Feb. 4. Recent legislation that legalizes the purchase of abortion-inducing pills from pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS fueled Witness for Life, the organization behind this protest.
Read More(REVIEW) “Everybody in New York hates cops. Even cops hate cops,” says Pops, a retired police officer and the protagonist of “Between Riverside and Crazy,” a 2014 play making its Broadway debut this season at Second Stage’s Helen Hayes Theatre. The play is about the complex relationship between the New York Police Department and the African-American community in New York City. While the story has a lot of potential, it can’t seem to get many plot lines off the launch pad.
Read MoreMost people familiar with modern art in New York City are probably familiar with painters Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. This season, Warhol and Basquiat appear on Broadway, portrayed as artists collaborating on a series of paintings that reflect the convergence of their contrasting approaches to art in “The Collaboration.”
Read MoreSix-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald returns to Broadway this holiday season in “Ohio State Murders,” a dark tragedy about the racially motivated murder of a new mother’s infant African-American daughters. “Ohio State Murders,” is directed by Kenny Leon. This play is a short seventy-five minutes on stage, but McDonald gives a tour-de-force performance as Alexander that is spell-binding to witness.
Read MoreThis December marks the finale of the two-month running of “Straight Line Crazy”, a play written by David Hare and directed by Nicholas Hytner on the legacy of the one and only Robert Moses. Moses, a larger-than-life enigma of a man captured for the stage by British star Ralph Fiennes, is portrayed as an eccentric genius of a builder hampered by the inconveniences of American democracy. However, Moses’ legacy has a darker side.
Read MoreZac Martin, Pastor of Justice and Mercy at Next Step Community Church in Brooklyn, has been involved with the food pantry in various capacities for eight years and is in contact with many food banks in the surrounding area. Worn-out foldable tables topped with almost exclusively non-perishable food items line the church’s food pantry floor. But this isn’t how it used to be. In addition to a message and many goods, there used to be plenty of fresh produce and meat.
Read MoreThere is no better way to spend a winter evening in New York than at a Broadway show. Thirty-six Broadway shows will perform during the Christmas break, but I will save you some trouble and narrow down the best options. These five have something for everyone, offering a variety of genres, lengths and prices.
Read More“I saw him with a Macbook at the table, and I assumed it was his,” I said as we searched around the room. “He left and now there is no laptop in the cafe.” She did not say much at the time. Neither of us could believe it. Weeks later, recounting the moment, Kalena reflected, “The idea of losing it made my heart hurt. Especially after helping someone — it made me not want to help anyone else out afterwards — but I knew that was not the right thing to do.”
It seems that I, like many other Americans, view the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade as just another sweet Thanksgiving tradition. It’s a family-friendly music-fest of color and sound, but the celebrities and the little songs and the warmth are all perfectly manufactured and poised to sell products and make money. As fun and whimsical as these floats may be, they are, essentially, just one big commercial.
Read MoreBroadway’s latest new musical is “Almost Famous,” a coming-of-age story based on the popular 2000 film of the same name. “Almost Famous” is full of potential and vibrant energy, proudly declaring that “it's all happening” at the show. Although it misses the mark from time to time, the talented cast quickly picks the magic back up.
Read MoreIrish film star Gabriel Byrne’s memoir, “Walking With Ghosts,” comes to life on stage as a one-man play starring Byrne himself as a storyteller, wandering through the formative events of his life. “Walking With Ghosts” is engaging as a single entity, but the presentation of the material in short, segmented scenes clearly reflects its adaptation from the chapters of the memoir.
Read More“Topdog/Underdog” is a compelling story, a tragedy encased in brilliant acting from its two-man cast, but the interesting setup wears off, leaving you checking your watch frequently by intermission. The second act eventually recovers the emotional drama and recaptures the audience’s attention to deliver a memorable performance from both actors as they bring the script’s dramatic, shocking ending to life.
Read MoreThe Phantom of the Opera shocked theater-goers last month by announcing it would play its final performance at the Majestic Theatre on Feb. 18, 2023. The Phantom of the Opera’s imminent closing absolutely represents a fundamental change for Broadway. Shows close. Audiences eventually want to move on to the next big thing. That is the nature of the theater business.
Read MoreDeVos Hall is being listed for sale and all on-campus students will be living in one building this fall, according to an announcement from the Board of Trustees on Tuesday, June 21.
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