The Brooklyn Riviera

I spent today at Far Rockaway Beach (again) also known as "The Brooklyn Riviera". Let me tell you, the New Yorkers jaunting off the Hamptons every weekend are really missing out on something here - Italian icees, boom boxes, drunk belligerent Puerto Rican men and pigeons on the beach. Yeah, we have seagulls and pigeons. Top that Hamptons.

Truly, it was a perfect Saturday soaking up the sun, swimming in the ocean and being content with lazy for once.

I heart you Far Rockaway - see you next Saturday!

Rainbow!!

Brooklyn style...

Have a lovely weekend everyone!! I'm heading out the office to meet friends at Pete's Candy Store on Lorimer Street for some beers on the back patio - yay Friday! Tomorrow is a day at the BEACH again. I am sooo excited about that. Sunday I'll be at MoMA all day doing the usual do-gooding. Stop by if you happen to be in midtown; I'd love to see you and YOU should see the Bruce Nauman show anyway - uhmazing.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...

XOXO, Nanook

Community Pool

Brooklyn style...

Christmas in July

"Babe" from Evenings on Vimeo.

Hey, it's Christmas in July courtesy of Evenings' video "Babe".

Enjoy the mellow beats and download their entire EP North Dorm (sooo good) on Bandcamp.

Pop Culture at The Tate

I think these are kind of cute from The Tate's well curated on-line gift shop. Stamps are from Nation Studio and will set you back twenty quid.

Enjoy listening to White Ring's Suffocation (Los Campesinos! Remix) while stamping...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLyc_UhVwAo

Summer Sounds...

Okay. We are in the middle of summer and I found my absolute favorite album to celebrate it. Monster Rally's genius record Palm Reader officially releases in September but the lovely people over at Bandcamp are offering a free download now. God, Monster Rally manages to capture the sounds of sunny, lazy, soft pop, Malibu, exotic beats, pools, Palm Springs, sunburns and expertly wrap them all into one brilliant little record. I am in love with all 7 songs.

Each track is a perfect pop gem that celebrates the best season of them all. I'm listening to it now, pressing coffee and already thinking it's going to be a great Sunday...Enjoy!

Tracks, Monster Rally's Palm Reader:

Steal - THE perfect album intro

Palm Reader - Can we bottle this one up?

Birds Pt. 1 - My favorite

Birds Pt. 2 - Cutest shortest song. Ever.

Swamp - Perfect for pool side

Drip Drop - Space lazy sounds...

A Voice - This is my Hawaii

Can't get enough of the easy breezy beats? Neither can I. Below is Monster Rally's EP with more nuggets of sunshine and music genius. Nothing gets much better than these two records. Trust me.

Download EP for free from Bandcamp and put your feet up.

Tracks, Monster Rally's EP:

The Wolf - The crackle, oh the crackle...

Maori Mai - Congo

Shangri La - Best with breezes

Honey Moon - Not much else gets cuter than this.

Pearly - Tanlines

Suns Hula - This fairy tale is about here and now...what a perfect song.

Brooklyn Beaches

So, Connecticut didn't happen on Saturday. We opted for a Brooklyn beach instead and ended up going to Far Rockaway. In normal New York City fashion, it was a journey and full day just getting there (six trains total and some pretty insane incidents along the way) but in the end very well worth it. Once on the beach the day was perfect. I've never seen so many New York strangers smiling at each other and adults as happy as their kids.

I needed yesterday. Everyone on that beach needed yesterday.

File Sharing...

Chivalry isn't dead...

Well hey, at least somebody called me darling...

Ode to Arbus

I saw the above artwork on an exterior wall in Chelsea this afternoon on 19th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues (near my favorite fruit stand). I'm calling it Ode to Arbus.

I remember seeing the original photograph Boy with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, NYC, 1962 when I was installing an exhibition nearly ten years ago at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park, San Diego and completely hypnotized by her work. Diane Arbus shot some of the best candid portraits you will ever see. This was a great surprise to run into today.

Bushwick in NYT Home & Garden

I almost fainted when I saw this story featured in the New York Times Home & Garden section over the weekend. Cedar House is located in Bushwick, Brooklyn (very near my co-op) and is the newest DIY music venue and communal living space to pop up in our neighborhood.

The NYT has been following growth and trends in the 'wick for years now but never EVER in the Home & Garden portion. I'll admit it, Bushwick is a very tough neighborhood and can be an extremely difficult place to live at times but this story has made me beam with pride.

The NYT actually wrote this: "Bushwick may not be East Williamsburg. But for those seeking the newest Bohemia, this neighborhood is arguably the coolest place on the planet."

Soooo beaming...

Beyond Hot and Blogging...

I think it is over 100 degrees in my apartment right now. No lie. Next weekend is the beach in Connecticut; I can't wait.

I need sand, cool breezes and the ocean desperately.

Anchors Dropped

Summer Soirees

Images above are from an amazing rooftop work soiree last night. The party was great, the views were even better...

Enjoy your weekends everyone!! XO, Nanook of the East.

Pastis

Pastis is a New York restaurant staple and is one of the best places to order a sauvignon blanc and just people watch for an hour or so. Well, that's what we did the other night and had a great time on a rather balmy Wednesday night.

God, how gorgeous is the sink? The bathrooms are Pastis are the best in the city. I love love the communal washroom sink.

Thanks for the fun night Cecelia and Cassidy (posing for the crowds in the photo, natch) - mwah and mwah!

I Got a Trumpet...

I swear the last two weeks have been insane for New Yorkers. This blanket of heat on top of us is beyond oppressive. Every night has made everyone either stay at work longer or go to a bar just so they can enjoy some type of aircon. The bars have been consistently packed every single night.

Tonight was no exception. I went straight to Union Pool (images above) after the museum just so I could have "fresh" air and some type of relief. I had a great night but am already dreading waking up tomorrow and melting in the subway tunnels. I hate complaining, especially about the weather, but if you don't live here - you really have no idea how les miserables it is. The best description I've heard is soupy. Yeah, believe it.

Ugh. My apartment is roasting right now but I'm enjoying some Kurt Vile on vinyl and major fan action! Goodnight dearest friends and stay cool...XO, Nanook.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Images above from a rooftop on Roebling Street in Williamsburg yesterday. Thanks Kevin and Tina for the bbq and (sort 0f) amazing views!

SMELLS is classic.

Breakfast of Champions

PILON = urban cowboy

Saturday with Richard Prince

Hot, muggy and thunderstorms today in New York City...I spent the afternoon inside reading the Richard Prince catalogue from the retrospective show at The Guggenheim in 2007. I worked at the museum during the installation and it was a stellar show. Trust me. I am in love with the female biker series titled Girlfriends.

The other activities of the day have included making a really great tabouli salad and currently listening to a very lovely dreamy 80's-esque song called Heart Shaped Rock. The tune is a collaboration from Ramona Gonzalez of Nite Jewel and Jason Grier of Human Ear Music.

Read more on Prince here.

Happy Weekend!

Garden?! What garden? Are you kidding me? Have a great weekend everyone. Let's all collectively hope the weather gets better...We had days of 100 degree temperatures in Central Park and have already broken records for the hottest summer ever in New York City. We need relief; this is really too much.

But anyways, enjoy your Saturday and Sunday!! XO, Nanny

Record Deals...

The Hate Bombs

Hunt You Down

Dionysus Records

$10.95

Vinyl LP

The Hate Bombs are garage punk rock insanity. This album is nothing but fun noise and a great way to spend $10.95 for your listening pleasure.

Illustrations

I recently came across Matthew Lyons' illustration blog. The arrangement, colors, science fiction dream state and mechanical precision in the objects are really something else.

How incredible are these? Major talent.

Ronan Dean Beresford

I met Ronan Dean Beresford for the first time this weekend. He's four weeks old and the sweetest most adorable little baby.

Congratulations Carrie and Charley!

Heading Home...

BBQs, boats, friends, bus rides, fireworks, baby bundles, mosquito bites, tan lines, pools and countless bud lites...What a great weekend.

I snapped this quick photo of a souvenir shop next door to the home Lincoln died in near H and 8th street in Washington, DC. I'm calling it Lincoln Lite.

Currently on the bus enjoying the ride listening to El Guincho's Alegranza! and heading back to Brooklyn.

Update: Well, it was a great weekend until I got to New York City. So, after a metro train from Virginia to DC and then a four hour bus ride, I was welcomed by a two hour nightmare of trying to get from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

The bus drops us off at 33rd and 7th Avenue where I normally catch the 1, 2, 3 or A, C, E to the L. I chose the 2 tonight because it was closest and lugging two overstuffed and very heavy tote bags. I get off of the 2 train and walk an avenue over (to 6th) underground in what must have been 120 degree temperatures to only find out there in NO L train to Brooklyn today. I was told by several confused, hot and angry passengers to walk the underground avenue back to where I started and go up the many stairs and catch the M14 shuttle bus to Myrtle Wyckoff (luckily my stop anyway) to catch the L to Brooklyn. Sooooo, I waited for the phantom bus for over 45 minutes in the muggiest soupiest weather ever and finally got on and only to discover it wasn't the shuttle at all. I then begged the driver to drop me off on Delancey Street where I was able to catch the M train to Brooklyn. I eventually got to Myrtle Wyckoff. I finally got off of the train and fortunately only had the last leg of my journey home to conquer. Um, a half mile walk to Cornelia Street. Oh, and if you are reading this and thinking "Christ, that sucks" lemme just sprinkle this added bonus onto the nightmare...the thermostat said it was 105 degrees when I walked into my apartment. Yeah, 105.

Dear New York City MTA, you owe me the following: two hours, a pedicure, a new outfit and my sanity please.

New York City kicked my ass tonight. It sure did.

Fiona Mae Beresford

America turned 234 years old yesterday. Fiona Mae Beresford just recently turned 5. She's my goddaughter and quite possibly the cutest and coolest little kid ever.

Fiona Mae rules.

Bloggin' and such...

I'm hanging with my sister (yay!!) for the holiday weekend. She just took this photo of me bloggin' and such - you know, keeping in touch with all of you. Oh, and we are actually guzzling buds (when in Rome or south of the Mason Dixon Line...) and listening to Jay Z, (and old Jay Reatard and The Oblivians) son.

LOVE you all, V.

The Happiest Hour...

Went to Daddy's on Graham Avenue last night for $2 Budweisers until 9pm. Oh, and after happy hour they are only $3. Perfect!

We had a great night of laughs and happy hour (that lasted until 3:00am, damn it!). Oy vey, Brooklyn.