01. Gentrification and Its Discontents
“MICHAEL SORKIN, AN architect and critic, and Sharon Zukin, an urban sociologist, have each written what they describe as books about contemporary New York City—but that’s putting things far too broadly. Zukin’s Naked City does make forays into the white-hot center of hipness, Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, and to rapidly gentrifying Harlem. But the bulk of her book, and all of Sorkin’s Twenty Minutes in Manhattan, is confined to fine-grained observations of the streets and neighborhoods within roughly 20 blocks of their apartments in Greenwich Village—that is, west to the Village’s Meatpacking District and new Gold Coast along West Street, east to the fringes of Alphabet City, north to Union Square, and south to SoHo and Tribeca.” (theatlantic)
02. La La Land (above)
“There’s a long, easy break that rolls in to one side of Slaughterhouse Point, and on some days, when the wind is out of the east, Bill Nguyen and his sons walk down the pathway that leads from their property to Maui’s Mokuleia Bay and swim and surf till sunset. Nguyen, an Internet entrepreneur and a passionate surfer, comes here with his wife, Amanda, and their two sons (Jacob, 5, and Jackson, 2) to escape his hectic dot-com career and reconnect with his family. Their new house— which fuses Hawaiian tradition with some of the latest innovations in sustainable architecture” (wsj)
03. Amityville Horror Home For Sale
“This lovely five-bedroom home at 108 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York is now for sale for $1.15 million. Who cares? Well, 108 Ocean Avenue used to be 112 Ocean Avenue, where Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed his family in 1974 and, several years later, the Lutz family were traumatized by things that go bump in the night. The original Amityville Horror address, and spooky windows, were changed by previous owners to keep away creep-seekers. The real estate listing refers to it as a ‘legendary home’ but does not mention flies, blood streaming from the walls, or a demon pig named Jodie.” (bb)
04. Happy Towel Day! Don’t forget your towel!
“Towel Day is an annual celebration on the 25th of May, as a tribute to the late author Douglas Adams (1952-2001). On that day, fans around the universe proudly carry a towel in his honour.” (towelday)
became Davis’s first gold album. This anniversary 4-disc package offers the original album on CD plus an audiophile vinyl pressing on 2 LPs; previously unissued material including extensive live performances of much of the same music including a DVD of the entire Copenhagen performance from November 4, 1969. Also included is a 48-page 12×12 book, memorabilia envelope, and large fold out poster.”
