You are currently viewing the stories for January, 2012
King of Handball
by Raanan Geberer 01/24/2012Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights
By any standards, Mark Margolies, who is now in his late sixties, lived an uneventful life. He was modest and soft-spoken. Even after he graduated from Brooklyn College, he lived with his parents until he was 30, mainly staying in his room, working only sporadically, and reading philosophy books. Then, on a weekend hiking trip, […]
Can’t Say No
by Maggie O'Connell 01/24/2012Neighborhood: Cobble Hill
You didn’t say no. You never said no. You wouldn’t even think of saying no. So, when he arrived at the door of my tenement apartment at 1AM, unexpected, unannounced, I didn’t say no. I let him in, against all my instincts. “Hi. I was at the community center. We just finished working. We were […]
Shana Tova!
by Simone Rainey 01/19/2012Neighborhood: Prospect Heights, Uncategorized
It was Rosh Hashana, 2010, and I had just moved into yet another new apartment, as I tend to do about once a year, sometimes twice. This place seemed good enough to fully unpack for, though, so there were boxes strewn around the floor, some open, some still taped tightly shut, waiting. But as much […]
The Clerk, the Librarian, the Hobbit and the Cop
by Christine Nieland 01/08/2012Neighborhood: Zuccotti Park
“This,” I realized, “I’ve got to see.” In and out of grass-roots politics my entire adult life, I’ve marched, demonstrated, phone-banked, written letters and e-mails, signed petitions, sold buttons, attended meetings, gone on the radio, made documentaries, and helped with organizational duties. Early this October, I had joined in one Occupy demonstration in Washington […]
Robbed in Bed-Stuy
by Hannah Sloane 01/08/2012Neighborhood: Bedford-Stuyvesant
“I was robbed in front of my apartment on Thursday night,” my ex told me the other day. “The guy said he had a gun.” “What?” I squawked, genuinely surprised. It was the week of Thanksgiving. We were meant to be discussing favorite trimmings alongside the turkey, not armed robbery. “So you’ve lost everything. Keys, […]
Bearded Strangers Unite!
by Rob Williams 01/08/2012Neighborhood: All Over
I was sitting on a bench on the Lower East Side, waiting for an appointment with my barber, when a homeless lady came shuffling by, dressed in black rags. These were particularly witchy rags, it seemed to me, like she’d bought them at a store as part of a Halloween costume. Like in addition to […]
Looking For Lady Gaga
by Josh Gilbert 01/04/2012Neighborhood: Midtown
A Barney’s window display of Lady Gaga’s work has legendary multi-media performance artist Colette’s notorious creations written all over it. Colette, whose seminal performance art and multi-media installations originated out of New York City’s vibrant art scene in the 1970’s has traveled to museums and galleries all over the world; including the Guggenheim; MOMA; and […]