Zagat Still Has Love for Pastis, Hates on Meatpacking

:::New York Mag graciously gives us the the Zagat New York City Nightlife 2008/09 guide in a quaint little nutshell. The rundown:

++Pastis got top ratings, followed by Buddha Bar, Balthazar, Spice Market, and Blue Water Grill. Among those that are strictly bars, the winners were Hudson Hotel, then 230 Fifth, Divine Bar, and Campbell Apartment
++The ladies’ choice was Stanton Social; guys gave Brother Jimmy’s top honors
++Top after-work uptown spot: Bemelmans
++After-work midtown spot: King Cole Bar
++After-work downtown spot: Church Lounge
++Cocktail experts: Milk & Honey
++Dive: Jimmy’s Corner
++Frat house: Half Pint
++Gay: Therapy
++Hookahs: Le Souk
++Meat market: Touch
++Newcomer: PDT
++Punk bar: Manitoba’s
++Rooftop: Rise
++Wine bar: Stonehome
++Top décor: Megu
++Outdoors: Central Park Boathouse
++Romance: Allen & Delancey
+Service: Daniel

Tracy Reese Sample Sale!

New York City Waterfalls

:::"Olafur Eliasson's four "New York City Waterfalls," a $15.5 million public art project, opened in the New York Harbor after two years of planning" New York Times

:::I absolutely LOVE large scale installation pieces like this. They're literally larger than life, and open to anyone and everyone. Not just excluded to uppity museums and galleries, pieces like this not only give everyone who wants to see it the opportunity to do so, but forces you take notice even if you don't. I can't wait to go take a look for myself sometime this week. You should do the same if you're in the NYC area!

Steven Shearer

:::While trolling the streets of the East Village [I just made a permanent move to Manhattan], I stumbled upon the New Museum on Bowery, which I've been meaning to check out anyway. I forgot my student ID [technically not a student anymore as of May 23rd, but they sure as hell don't know that], so I had to pay the full $12. Needless to say, it ain't worth it [I'm used to D.C. museums & galleries that are free, so bear with me here]. It was a bit underwhelming, I must admit. There are like 5 levels, each floor super small. The first floor is a cafe and gift shop, both equally and expectedly overpriced. The second floor housed the current exhibit "Double Album: Daniel Guzman and Steven Shearer."

:::Guzman was not my fave, and all of the works incorporating human skulls just reminded me of Damien Hirst and the legions of others who now use that kind of symbolism as well. It represents death; we get it.

:::Shearer was not bad; I particularly liked the Leif Garrett photo collages. It was less of a fan's homage to his teeny-bopper-dom than Shearer depicting his own identity. Shearer looked strikingly similar to Garrett in his youth [I wonder if he had a lot of game by looking like a teen idol as a teen....?], and many of the collages were a mash up of both he and Garrett. While making the works, there was construction being done in his studio; when the contractor tore down a wall, he found a newspaper from the '70s with Garrett on the cover, in almost mint condition. Crazy!

:::Anyway, to make a long story even longer, it made me wanna unearth my old Britney & 'NSYNC pictures/posters, and create some conceptual, adolescent regression piece of my own [I was an art major once upon a time, however I don't exactly take my art seriously.....clearly]. Would YOU pay $12 to come see it???