quiddities and agonies of the ruling class - a rolling new york times thread

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/nyregion/they-say-art-is-dead-in-new-york-theyre-wrong.html

But what you cannot argue — at least, not according to many artists — is that art in New York is dead. Yes, the rents are high, but people are adapting by living in increasingly inventive ways, at places like the Silent Barn, an arts collective in Bushwick, Brooklyn, or 3B, an artist-run bed-and-breakfast near Brooklyn’s Borough Hall. Yes, the finance economy has brought about the $50 entree and the $3,000 studio apartment, but it’s also provided decent-paying side jobs, not to mention an audience.

“It was bumming us out that everything had to be so legal these days,” he said. “Fire codes, liquor licenses, whatever. But then we thought, ‘Wait a second, do we even really need a space? We’ve got five school buses at our disposal. We can go wherever we want.' ” Now, he said, the city’s entire landscape is his nightclub. “The magic,” he said, “is still happening.”

To survive for the long term, we have to grow up and have adult conversations about stuff like loans and workers’ compensation,” said Nathan Cearley, a Silent Barn veteran, who also works as a schoolteacher, plays in a “void drone” band called Long Distance Poison and serves on the collective’s working group for logistical issues, which is known as Risky Bizness.

Fuck that city.

"living in increasingly inventive ways"

Like in their cars with their children or on the couches of increasingly irritated friends and family. How bohemian and artistic!

Also "void drone" LOL forever

“In some sense, the nightmare in New York isn’t being broke, it’s being stuck in a shoe box writing emails into the void asking to play at someone’s bar or to do a show at someone’s gallery,” said Joe Ahearn, a founding member of the space. “There’s lots of things we don’t do well, but one thing we do do well is to combat that kind of isolation.”

that's really the best quote. fight the true nightmare...

also: he said do do.

The silent barn is great i contributed to their kickstarter when the old venue was shut down because lol totally illegal. Good bands have come from that scene and they put on good shows and foster people making nice art i'm sorry the article gives the impression that they have fuck-all to do with gatsby themed parties. Of the many problems with BK, the existence of an actually-shoestring somehow-worthwhile hanging on by a thread DIY scene isn't one of them.

What ended up happening that night was proof that it was not. At the appointed hour, 15 or 20 of us gathered in the lobby, eyeing one another and trying to blend into a crowd of innocent tourists. A few minutes later, the agent, indeed in a beret, rose from a sofa and strolled out the door.

All of us followed as she ducked around the corner and whisked us into a building — a large commercial structure, empty, dusty, obviously under construction. With no idea where we were going, we were led up 16 flights of stairs, in the dark, and then out onto the roof. There we saw the elevator room, a small brick box, which had been converted into a cramped, clandestine jazz club. A barman in a trilby offered cocktails; a chandelier of candles dangled from the ceiling. As the night went on, musicians played, an illusionist performed and the assorted guests — painters, filmmakers, an aerialist just back from Brazil — stood among the huge industrial motors, talking about the only-in-New-York-ness of it all, which was, of course, the point.

It is super-hard for me to imagine anyone involved in any way in this making any worthwhile art, but you know, that's probably just my prejudices talking. Tons of douchy people have made great art.

Mr. Cearley then went on: “If David Byrne isn’t interested in art anymore” — in his email Mr. Byrne said that he was — “I suppose that’s good to know. But we are. So instead complaining about the end of art in New York, I’d love to see him save it. Because he can write us a check anytime he wants.”

My daddy won't won't pay for me to live here, maybe Mr Talking Head should.

It is super-hard for me to imagine anyone involved in any way in this making any worthwhile art, but you know, that's probably just my prejudices talking. Tons of douchy people have made great art.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Saturday, December 27, 2014 9:57 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that description is this other thing having nothing to do with the silent barn -- the "here's some stuff in brooklyn" quality of the article makes it really hard to tell to be fair

xp i like the paragraph immediately preceding where the guy suggests Byrne should "invest" in real estate to make rent cheaper for artists. there's no way for me to formulate a sentence about this kind of nonsense entitlement that won't make me sound like a dickhead, so pretty much fuck this guy and fuck this article.

bring on emergent second cities imo

The east coast is lousy with random places semi-convenient to Amtrak just begging to emerge.

Drop a few dozen artists into Springfield MA and I'm sure the place would perk right up

maybe people don't just all move to new york for a scene. i mean some do, sure. but maybe some people just are like in new york. and they live there and who knows grew up there and work there and also they would like a place to go and make things and share it with people. is that a possibility now, or is it all necessarily going to go to shit because new york.

This article reminds me of the early Aziz skit set in Other Music where he mentions a Devendra Banhart concert someone is throwing in a dumpster.

Artists are supposed to live near poor people. Are you telling me there aren't any poor people left in New York City?

http://slackwise.net/files/images/Simpsons/Simpsons%20-%20Homeless%20to%20Mailbox.gif

I'm so broke I can't even afford a picture of New York.

arts scenes are the pits

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/your-money/why-you-should-tell-your-kids-how-much-you-make.html
i agree with this in principle but oh the execution of the idea

Money is a source of mystery to children. They sense its power, so they ask questions, lots of them, over many years. Why isn’t our house as big as my cousin’s? Why can’t I have a carnivorous plant terrarium? Why should I respect my teachers if they earn only $60,000 per year? (Real question!) Are we poor? Why didn’t you give money to the man who asked you for some? If my sister can have Hello-Kitty-themed Beats by Dre headphones, why won’t you get me the Bluetooth-enabled Lego Mindstorms set? (It’s only $349, and it’s educational, Mom!)

Even for the rich, life sometimes involves things that you have to decide about

cf the punchline of the jaden smith key and peele sketch

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/02/08/realestate/08HUNT-MAIN/08HUNT-MAIN-superJumbo.jpg

real question!

not NYT but this reminded me of the original image itt:
http://www.citynews.ca/2015/06/24/toronto-couple-says-view-from-million-dollar-dream-home-spoiled-by-toronto-hydro-pole/

It's funny that the "view" they lost is of the building across the street.

The shots of the couple posing around their home and the pole are ludicrous. It's funny that the pole currently serves no purpose. No wires. It's just a naked pole planted in the yard.

house looks shitty, but fuck that's a nice pole

questions:

What kind of a name for a neighborhood is Bloor West Village?
Why is a Hydro company installing poles? What's it got to do w water?
The whole thing is a joke right?

wtf canada

would guess it's hydroelectric

“I was shocked by the power of my personal shopper,” she said.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/25/your-money/how-to-connive-a-reservation-at-that-oh-so-popular-restaurant.html

"socialite and actress" with five uncredited parts on her IMDB page

lol how onionesque is this caption

Cassandra Seidenfeld outside of the Arlington Club on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where she has a dinner reservation.
Nancy Borowick for The New York Times

No one in New York wants to wait months.

For starters, adjust your expectations. Everyone wants to have lunch at 12.30 p.m. and dinner on a Saturday at 8 p.m. Chances are the other diners calling are just as affluent, willing to spend and unknown as you.

that's a funny starter I don't care how shit hot the restaurant is

gifs-go-beyond-emoji-to-express-thoughts-without-words.html

socialite is obvious and standard code for "married someone rich" or "family money" right?

"bold face name you haven't heard of"

this was my inspirational story of the day for some weird reason. she's just awesome and she looks awesome and has this awesome life in an awesome house and does all kinds of awesome stuff. every story about people with money should be this cool:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/realestate/karen-allen-at-home-in-the-berkshires.html?hpw&rref=realestate&WT.nav=bottom-well&module=CloseSlideshow®ion=SlideShowTopBar&version=SlideCard-10&action=click&contentCollection=Real%20Estate&pgtype=imageslideshow

sorry, doesn't really belong here i guess. she's just cool.

She sounds super sweet and nice, and I had a huge crush on her as a kid. Can't really hate on anyone for being deeply into their interests/hobbies.

meanwhile...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/realestate/the-millennial-commune.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-0&action=click&contentCollection=Real%20Estate®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article

gives a new meaning to "socialism for the rich"

http://www.buzzfeed.com/nitashatiku/silicon-valley-coliving#.tjj5wZdN1

IA^10 @ that. It never feels good to root for a crash, but wrt silicon valley right now I feel like it's long overdue.

http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2015-08/1/17/enhanced/webdr12/enhanced-mid-2258-1438465089-1.jpg

At one such party, none of the 30 guests knew one another, but most embraced when the night was over, Mr. Jackson recalled.

most