the white stripes

This morning I found myself doing something I hadn't done since I was a much younger. I set my alarm for 4am and after only a few short hours of sleep made my way to Irving Plaza to pay my dues and stand in line for tickets. A day or so ago it had been announced that The White Stripes were playing this intimate venue (1200 capacity) and tickets were only available there at 10am today. I have only seen this band once, on Easter of 2002 with Brendan Benson at the Trocadero (1200 capacity). Shortly after they became hugely popular and despite how much I loved the band, I could never bring myself to purchase tickets to their huge arena and festival tourdates. Being my last week in NYC, I was thrilled when I found out that they were going to play Irving before I left and made plans to get up at the butt-crack of dawn to make sure I would be in attendance.

On the subway at 5am I sat with those coming from last nights party, drunk and barely able to keep their eyes open. I arrived around 5:30 and took my place in line behind some who apparently got there at 9pm the night before.



Five hours later, the line is wrapping all the way around the block and we're escorted in groups of 25 (we received numbers) into the venue to "hang out", purchase water/beer, and continue waiting to actually purchase vouchers that are good to redeem on the day of the show.



by 11:30 I walk away tired but satisfied. It feels good to finally be really excited about a show again.

cupcake war

In attempts to find the best red velvet cupcake/cake in Manhattan, Flynn and I have gone to several bakery/cupcake specialty shops within walking distance of our office in the Chelsea Market. We've been to those within the market and those within a few blocks of the market. Upon visiting the famous Billy's and Magnolia I noticed not only that their cupcakes were very similar, but so were their decors. Magnolia was brought to the height of fame for its appearance in Sex In the City, while Billy's has magazine clippings and pictures of Katie Holmes pining over theirs. Flynn then proceeded to tell me about this absurd cupcake war that's been going on in the city for many years. Ridiculous.

Pettiness aside, this is the list of the best and worst red velvet cupcakes we've had.

5. Ruthy's Bakery - Chelsea Market - 75 Ninth Ave
Although the bakery has a television screen flaunting all of the amazing cake creations they've made over the years [including a Louis Vuitton luggage cake], i've never really had anything in here that's super fresh. their red velvet cupcake was so stale when i had it that i couldn't even finish it. and that says a lot.
also notable: their adjoining cafe has one of the cheapest meals in the chelsea market: falafel for $4 [okay, you can get a slice of pizza for $2, but the falafel is way more filling]. although i think i'm the only one who actually enjoys this falafel, as they stuff soggy eggplant and peppers into it. it sounds gross to most people, but to me it's a yummy cheap lunch [hold the pickles please].

4. Eleni's - Chelsea Market - 75 Ninth Ave
Although Eleni's red velvet cupcakes are only average, their peanut butter cupcakes are hands down my favorite cupcake ever. chocolate cake with a half a peanut butter cup baked into it, peanut butter frosting, and topped with the other half of the peanut butter cup. flynn and i went through a period where we got them just about every day.
also notable: the brownie bites are a quick fix to any sweet craving

3. Billy's Bakery - 184 9th Ave
Walking into Billy's is like walking into the past. the decor, although similar to Magnolias, takes it up a notch and completely encompasses you in the essence of a freshly baked cupcake. Their red velvet cupcake and cake comes with the options of having either a buttercream or creamcheese frosting. I like options.
also notable: their famous icebox cake is light and amazing

2. Magnolia - 401 Bleecker St
Magnolia has always been a staple cupcake shop for knowing neighborhood locals but, as stated above, their fame was heightened and became much more public after Carrie and Miranda chowed down on their delicious cupcakes in an episode of Sex In the City. their red velvet also has an amazing buttercream frosting and came in a close second. Apparently there is normally a line around the block to get into this place, but I guess since i've gone in the middle of a work day i've never experienced it.
also notable: their devils cake with mocha frosting cupcake is absolutely divine

1. Amy's Bread - Chelsea Market - 75 Ninth Ave
Amy's has THE best red velvet cake we've tried. both the cake and the buttercream frosting is light and fluffy. they also give you HUGE slices, which is always a plus in my book [although it makes my stomach hate me soon after devouring the entire slice]. The best thing about Amy's cakes is that they never have all of their cakes for sale every day. So it's always a happy surprise when you walk by and see the delicious buttercream frosting of the red velvet from the hallway.
also notable: their black and white cake

a subway crush

subway crushes are a way for us nyc dwellers to start off our routinely dreary mornings on a high note. we’re perfectly aware that chances are we’ll never actually ever talk to our crush, but the fact that they’re there morning after morning continues to put that little spark of excitement in our stomach. My subway crush is tall, has brown shaggy hair, wears slip on vans, and a black jansport backpack. He gets on the stop after me, and rides the whole time with his nose in a book, like myself. I never want to blatantly stare, so I haven’t quite caught what book he’s reading [I’m currently on crime and punishment]. We get off at the same stop at the end of the line, and weave our way to the same exit of the busy station. At the top of the stairs we go in opposite directions. And then my day continues on without him.
I know I’ll never know anything about him other than what I’ve just mentioned. But I don’t think that I even want to know anything about him, not even his name. that might just ruin the beauty of a subway crush, bringing him down to a reality that won't live up to his idealistic presence. after all, nothing is as it seems.
all i'm saying is that it’s nice to have this innocent distraction in the mornings to make the motion of the “daily grind” a little easier.
So thanks, subway crush, for making my mornings a bit more pleasant.

In other news, you should probably read up about the 19th century weapon found in a whale, or.. you know.. about this.

john updike: a short poem

As you walk towards me I am torn
If this wish were mine to be granted
Would I ask to be you or to hug you?

Your nose is just too cute.

111 archer avenue

today a royal tenenbaum fan and friend and i headed up to harlem in the quest to find the tenenbaum home of 111 archer street. unfortunately for us, the house was completely covered in scaffolding. despite the ugly mask, the beauty of the building was still evident. i tried my best to get as many decent pictures as i could, even climbing on the railing by the front door to get a shot inside the front window.
after about 5 minutes of us being there, a man came out of the house. naturally, i approach him. it turned out that he's the current occupant and owner. he bought it in 1999 and remodeled the interior in 2001 after the movie was filmed. he said when the movie first came out he used to get a lot of people coming by, and now he'll get a few here and there. he was very cautious when speaking to us, and we had to pry every word out. after he left to go climb up the scaffolding i look down to my jeans and notice that they're covered with a clay dust from me kneeling on the railing trying to get pictures inside of the house. no wonder he was so cautious, he probably thought we were obsessed freaks.