Welcome to the second installment of Notes from the Backside, where neighbors of the Cooper Square Hotel tell their tales of what life is like in the Coop’s posterior–and how they’re coping. (I may have to expand the definition, as emails are also coming in from the derriere of Thompson LES.)

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The phrase of choice when I grew up to describe extreme fun was having a blast. For a literal interpretation, head to the fountain in Washington Square Park, which was finally opened after being closed for one and a half years. It was perfect timing for some prematurely hot weather on a holiday weekend. It was a beach scene with all the accouterments including children with sand buckets. See more photos here.
The summer cooling method of choice when I grew up was the sprinkler. For those with no access to the beach or a home swimming pool, the announcement that our parents were going to set up and turn on the sprinkler in the yard was a cause for jubilation. In New York City, fire hydrants are officially made available - upon request, the fire department will put on a sprinkler head to a hydrant for neighborhood’s children to cool off.
There are other fountains in Manhattan, but the one in Washington Square Park, located in a residential neighborhood with a history of permissiveness, beckons to be used as a water park. Adults, children (and the occasional dog) play in the water with street clothes. Personally, I do not approve of children playing in the fountain water - this is far from a sanitary environment, with all manner of fluids and solids. There has been some controversy about the situation - officially dogs are banned and signs stating such are soon to be posted. Tickets have been given out for the violation.
This whole environment brings to mind shag carpeting in cheap motels. You never know what’s lurking beneath the surface - most likely there is some accumulation of bits of food, humans and other debris of unknown origin. Better not to look or think. The same applies to this fountain pool - who knows what’s really in that soup - better not to think or look too deep, just like with shag carpeting Read the rest of this entry »

How the famously controlling billionaire teamed up with Jon Bon Jovi, Rene Zellweger, and Larry Gagosian to own a Margaritaville in the Hamptons.

Noah Tepperberg to open $2.5 million ultralounge in Chelsea.

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A new joint gives hope (and sfincione) to Sicilian loyalists.

Making way for another glass tower, Interstate Foods, one of the largest meatpacking plants in the Meatpacking District, has been closed for some time now. It seems its roommate, Atlas Meats, is gone, too. The once-busy building has been quiet for weeks. The metal hooks that once hung so evocatively from the rusty canopy are gone. No meat deliveries come here anymore. The sidewalk, once slippery with a white film of fat, is bare.

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Villager reports: “yuppie bar” that “keeps the street awake all night every night” gets verbally abusive with noisy neighborhood girls who can’t afford prom dresses. [EVG]

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As the world becomes more crowded and technology becomes more advanced, our spaces, places and things become smaller. Waste and efficiencies are critical issues, particularly in a city like New York.
Add our economic environment to the mix and one can see why lavish indulgence is nearly a mortal sin. So what better icons for our time than the Ipod Nano or a micro gallery like the Storefront for Art and Architecture?
Storefront was founded in 1982 by Kyong Park as a nonprofit organization committed to the advancement of innovative positions in architecture, art and design with a program of exhibitions, artists talks, film screenings, conferences and publications.
This place is easy to miss - it is not only small but also off the beaten path. Storefront is located in a unique triangular ground-level space on Kenmare Street at a nexus three very different cultural neighborhoods: Chinatown, Little Italy and Soho. The space is nearly 100 feet long and tapers from 20 feet to 3 feet. Its most striking feature is the unique exterior wall with articulating panels which are rotated to open the space to the street.

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Summer may not officially start until June 20, but theres plenty to get excited about between now and then.