Shake Shack Euphoria

We have mixed feelings about the Shake Shack in Madison Square. While it serves big, fun, juicy food in a strangely (given the context) pastoral setting, it also ruins, sort of, the quietude of Madison Square--not a hangout for potheads. Still, those fries....

Kora guy in the subway

The Union Square subway station, with its long passage between the IRT and IND lines, is a prime showcase for musicians, human statues (those people who stand perfectly still for 15 minutes stretches) and, during code orange, heavily armed homeland security guys. Above we see Lankandia Cissoko, a Senegalese Kora player. Three things we love about the Kora. It is built from a calabash, it is acoustic, and it sounds like a harp. Two things we love about Senegal--it is probably Africa's most stable democracy, and polygamy is legal.

Haystack

You got stores with good taste and stores that taste good. Haystack, the home decor/fun stuff boutique in Brooklyn Heights has both. Furniture, bath products, toys, gifts. And if you're lucky, you'll meet the owner, the beauteous Elizabeth Cook, a walking encyclopedia of all things Brooklyn. We dropped in yesterday and almost couldn't leave.
130 Clinton Street (between Jorelemon & Livingston Streets) 718-246-2510

Delirious Cobblestones

If you look close, you'll spot the NYU graduation celebrations (music, food, crystal meth) at the pic's vanishing point. Who cares. What we like is the cobblestone street, this one starting at the corner of Green and Waverly in the West Village. You can still, thank god, find cobblestone street all over New York, either peeking through the panting asphalt, or splendidly exposed.

One of those perfect moments.

Sometimes, kids sing better ("better" meaning more joy) than the poseurs on American Idol. Came upon this group in front of Brooklyn's Borough Hall on a beautiful May 9. Only thing that disoncerted the otherwise perfect moment (they were singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight") was the Marty Markowitz banner. The ubiquitous Brooklyn Borough President/homonculus never misses a self-promotion-op. Luckily, we missed him.

Teen Skaters Under the Brooklyn Bridge

One hidden pleasure of walking over the Brooklyn Bridge (a must for any visitor to the city) is to check out the kids under the bridge on the Manhattan side, near the massive cable anchor. And not just for the skateboarders and bike-tricksters. Noting their leisure is as a good an argument as any that the city is a very cool place in which to grow up.
To check out the anchor and skate-boarders, exit Brooklyn Bridge foot path, then take a U-turn and walk, on the uptown side of the bridge, back towards the river.

Rice to Riches

Stumbled upon this astonishing facade while stumbling, dazzled and confused, past the blisteringly-dressed and coiffed youth of Nolita, which, we just learned (because we are retarded) means North of Little Italy. Who knew, according to Rice to Riches website, "that by scientifically combining optimum hand-picked ingredients from around the world, we would stumble on a RICE PUDDING so threatening to other desserts that we
were told by the government to keep our recipes confidential"?
We sure didn't. But along with the sub-specialization of stores (peanut butter, mac and cheese), paradoxical anecdote to the chains, we welcome the rice pudding schweberdostengeist.
Have a jones for rice pudding? Marisa Tours can take you there.