Walt Whitman’s New York City

“The best, most effective medicine my soul has yet partaken”

By Stuart Mitchner 

Sorting out his first impressions of Walt Whitman in a letter from November 1856, Henry David Thoreau admits feeling “much interested and provoked“: “Though peculiar and rough in his exterior,…he is essentially a gentleman. I am still somewhat in a quandary about him…He told us that he loved to ride up and down Broadway all day on an omnibus, sitting beside the driver, listening to the roar of the carts, and sometimes gesticulating and declaiming Homer at the top of his voice.” more

Destination: Red Bank “The City by the Sea”

By Sarah Emily Gilbert 

In the early 1800s, the southern banks of the Navesink River bustled with steamboats, sailboats, and commercial fishermen transporting shellfish and local crops to New York City. In 1908, the area was incorporated into the town of Red Bank, whose name is attributed to the clay found along its coast. Come 2017, you’ll still find sailors and fisherman along these red banks, but you’ll also find young professionals on their way to stand-up paddle yoga. Indeed, some of Red Bank’s 12,200 residents start their day floating on the Navesink River with Flow Paddle Yoga. Others grab a Rook Coffee before walking their dogs past the shops on Broad Street.  more

Tracy K. Smith Appointed Poet Laureate Consultant

Tracy K. Smith, the Roger S. Berlind ’52 Princeton University Professor in the Humanities and a professor of creative writing in the Lewis Center for the Arts, has been named the 22nd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2017-18.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the appointment today. Ms. Smith will take up her duties in the fall, opening the Library of Congress’s annual literary season with a reading of her work at the Coolidge Auditorium. more

Knot Your Grandmother’s Yarn

Crocheted Wall Street bull, pic by Olek, NYC, 2010.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert 

Leather, move over.

Furs and leathers are surrounded by controversy for their use of animal skins. They represent the exotic, the risqué, and the fierce. Yarn, on the other hand, comes from goat farms and often suggests homespun domesticity and grandmothers. However, the typically unsexy material is undergoing a revival. Thanks to women who are using the medium in unconventional ways, yarn is becoming a means of personal expression. more

“A Man Of Notes”

By Donald H. Sanborn III

For most Broadway musicals, the “composer” creates only the songs, usually providing vocal lines with piano accompaniment. Other musicians, including an orchestrator, prepare the score for performance. The orchestrator adjusts a composition “to fit…whatever orchestral combination has been selected,” Broadway orchestrator Don Walker writes in his autobiography. In the 1940s, Webster’s Dictionary came out with a second meaning for orchestrate: “to arrange or combine so as to achieve a maximum effect.” more

N.J. In The Minors

It all began in Hoboken

By Doug Wallack

In October of 1845—though historians will disagree on precisely when—the first game of baseball under the modern rules took place on the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. The New York Base Ball Club (later known as the Knickerbockers) faced off against the Brooklyn Club, and beat them handily. It was there that the 90-foot distance between bases was established—a rule that was to be practically as fundamental to the sport as gravity itself. Today, those particular bases are long gone, as are the Elysian Fields themselves—swallowed up by the urban landscape, with only a bronze plaque to mark where they once were. more

This Weekend in Bergen: March 31 – April 2

Photo Credit: @laurasykora in K-DEER leggings.

Friday, March 31

10:30 to 11 a.m.: Wee Ones Laptime at Westwood Library in Westwood, NJ. Perfect for babies – age 2. Free to attend.

11 a.m.: Yoga class at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, NJ.

7 p.m.: Book signing with Andrew McCarthy at Books & Greetings in Northvale, NJ. McCarthy is an actor, director, and travel writer.  more

Design Your Own Jewelry with Kendra Scott

Photo Credit: @kendrascott

Oh the possibilities!

By Sarah Emily Gilbert 

Meet us at the bar – The Kendra Scott Color Bar™, that is. We’ve all spent hours looking for that piece of jewelry we “had in mind,” but with Color Bar, we can get it out of our heads and into our hands. At Kendra Scott, you can build your own necklaces, earrings, rings, or bracelets either online or in store. Play jewelry designer as you select the style, stone, and metal from an array of options. Among the 18 colorful stones are of-the-moment gems like rose quartz and gold and platinum drusy. more

Photographer Ricardo Barros To Speak on “Figuring Space”

“UNTITLED”: This photograph is from Ricardo Barros’s exhibit “Figuring Space.” He will speak at 7:30 p.m. at the D&R Greenway Land Trust, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton on Monday April 3. The event is free and open to the public.

By Doug Wallack

In his most recent work, noted photographer Ricardo Barros tackles the inexpressible — the abstraction that is space itself. Barros will be giving a lecture on his portfolio “Figuring Space” on Monday, April 3 for the Princeton Photography Club at the D&R Greenway. more

The NYC Armory Show

Photo by Teddy Wolff

By Erica Cardenas

Every year there are hundred’s of different art fairs taking place around the world.

The NYC Armory Show is a space where gallery’s get the chance to showcase 20th and 21st contemporary art, sell to current art collectors and invite the art public into their space to share what they are about. With all the competition within the changing art market, art fairs are constantly thinking ahead. They create an environment that has the potential to thrill today’s audience. more

16th Annual Architectural Digest Design Show

Hästens Beds will be at the 16th annual Architectural Digest Design Show.

From March 16-19, over 40,000 design diehards are heading to Piers 92 & 94 in NYC

By Sarah Emily Gilbert 

Spring is in the air and so is design inspiration. From March 16-19, the 16th annual Architectural Digest Design Show will takeover Piers 92 & 94 in New York City. The four-day fair, which is produced by The Mart, a Vornado Property, and hosted by Architectural Digest, will include design displays from over 400 luxury brands, along with talks, seminars, demonstrations, and signings. From state-of-the-art kitchen appliances to artisan-made objets d’art, the show has something for all tastes and interests. The event is divided into various themes including Furniture, Made, and Refresh. Furnish is comprised of textiles, art, rugs, furnishings, and wall coverings; Made features original art, furniture, sculpture, and lighting that are available for purchase; and Refresh showcases new innovations in appliances and building products. more

The 2017 Armory Show

Photography by Erica Mae Cardenas

The Armory Show took place on March 2-5, 2017 on Piers 92 & 94 in Manhattan, New York welcoming over 65,000 visitors annually. The International Art Fair showcases galleries with a wide variety of 20th and 21st century artwork catering towards art collector’s and art enthusiasts.  more

The Vampire Facelift Comes to Jersey

Would you inject your face with blood?

By Sarah Emily Gilbert 

As its name suggests, the Vampire Facelift involves blood extraction, but don’t worry, it also includes blood infusions. Let us explain. more

Making It Look Easy

Director Damien Chazelle and Emma Stone on the set of La La Land.

Damien Chazelle Talks About Golden Globe Winner “La La Land” 

Interview by Kam Williams 

Filmmaker Damien Chazelle met recently with film reviewer Kam Williams to talk about his latest movie, La La Land, which swept the Golden Globes, winning a record seven awards, and has received 14 Oscar nominations. A native of Princeton, New Jersey, Chazelle wrote and directed the Academy Award-winning Whiplash which landed five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for Chazelle. The movie won a trio of Oscars in the Film Editing, Sound Mixing and Supporting Actor (J.K. Simmons) categories. more

The Spoken Word With Audible Founder & CEO Donald Katz

By Taylor Smith

Thanks to Audible’s Donald Katz, the general population now has more time than ever to consume and enjoy books by creating a digital library on their mobile devices. A membership allows users access to more than 325,000 downloadable audiobooks, audio editions of periodicals and other programs. New members are also given complimentary subscriptions to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, making the inevitable commute or time spent at the gym, not only easier, but that much more enlightening. Below, Mr. Katz discusses his pre-Audible career as a journalist, love for Newark, and the company’s growing a-list collection of inspiring celebrity performances. more

Harlem Postcard

By Donald H. Sanborn III

“Welcome to the world famous Apollo Theater. This is the real deal!” exclaims Steve Harvey, host of Showtime at the Apollo. “If you say you can sing, we’ll let you know. If you think you’re funny, we’ll let you know. If you’re not…?” “We’ll let you know!” chants the audience. “This is the only show in the world where the audience truly decides who has talent, and who doesn’t,” Harvey declares. “There are no judges, celebrity judges. It’s people. People decide. This is where stars are born. This is where legends are made!” more

Louise Ingalls Sturges: Chameleon

Like A Trampled Daisy, Mixed-Media, 2016

By Wendy Plump 

Art courtesy of Louise Ingalls Sturges

So, you can add agility to Louise Ingalls Sturges’s list of avowed qualities. On her website, a photograph features the artist precarious on an apartment roof in the city, flanked by window frames painted all the colors of the rainbow. Sturges painted those window frames, climbed up and slathered them with lush color because she wanted to, and because, after all, who wants to live in a monochromatic building? more

After Obama: Reading Black History Month

By Stuart Mitchner 

In the “Amazing Grace” chapter of The Black Presidency (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt $27), Michael Eric Dyson calls the last week of June 2015 Barack Obama’s greatest as president. Setting the scene at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church where Obama delivered a eulogy for the nine people slain by Dylann Roof, Dyson describes how the president “wrapped his vulnerability around the church” after the last words of the speech and “on the high wire of live television, before an audience of millions around the world,” began to sing “Amazing Grace.” more

Urban Insider: Cook Books for Every Taste

Photo Credit: @smittenkitchen

Ice Cream Cook Books, Taco Cook Books, Smoothie Cook Books Galore!

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Urban Insider: Shop and Wear Camouflage

Photo Credit: @canadagoose

This military-inspired print can be worn a number of ways!

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Disney’s Frozen Sing Along Costume Party at bergenPAC

Bergen Performing Arts Center located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey presents Disney’s Frozen Sing Along Costume Party on Sunday, February 12, 2017 at 1PM. Purchase tickets at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling bergenPAC’s Box Office at (201) 227-1030. more

Urban Insider: Parisian Style from Shoptiques

Photo Credit: @laulauphotographies

Capture that Parisian “je ne sais quoi.”

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Geometric Appeal from the WallpaperSTORE*

A curated marketplace for the most refined design, WallpaperSTORE* stocks, wraps & dispatches our pick of the finely formed & forward thinking.

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Area Gym Deals for 2017

Bring your boutique indoor spin class into the comfort and convenience of your own home with Peloton Cycle. Visit their showrooms in Paramus, Short Hills, Westchester, New York City, or East Hampton to try the bike for yourself! (Photo Credit: Peloton Cycle )

You’re not the only one suffering from weight-gain season.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert 

New Year’s resolutions might be cliché, but after three months of nonstop cookies, booze, and candies galore, we’re ready to jump onto the bandwagon. Stat.

Luckily, area gyms and studios are easing us into our “new year, new you” status with promotional offers and events for the start of 2017. Armed with these deals, you’ll be achieving all your fitness and financial goals in no time. Take that 2016! more

Urban Insider: Glitter Guide

Shine, shine, shine on New Year’s Eve with these fun products!

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Urban Insider: Gaiam Yoga

Photo Credit: @gaiam

Get Your Post Holiday “Om” on with These Gaiam Yoga Products for Kids and Adults.

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Urban Insider: The Sporting Life

Photo Credit: @esstockholm

These field jackets for women will never go out of style. 

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Inspiration in the Big Apple: The New World Trade Center Transportation Hub

By Ellen Gilbert 

Designed by the Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub is now the third largest transportation center in New York City. It serves 250,000 Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) daily commuters and millions of annual visitors from around the world. At approximately 800,000 square feet, the Hub’s concourse will ultimately connect visitors to 11 different subway lines; the PATH rail system; the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal; the National September 11 Memorial & Museum; World Trade Center Towers 1, 2, 3, and 4; and Brookfield Place (formerly known as the World Financial Center), which houses the Winter Garden. more

The International Rescue Committee: Getting Past the “Wall of Bureaucratic Measures”

With America and the world now facing what can only be described as a global exodus of people fleeing war, supporting refugees is more necessary than ever.” – David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee

By Ellen Gilbert

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) seeks to bring attention to forgotten or neglected crises, and to pressure governments and international organizations to take action to help and protect refugees, displaced people, and other victims of conflict. It began in 1933 at the suggestion of Albert Einstein, who foresaw a New York City-based committee, with counterparts in cities on the periphery of Nazi-occupied states. more

Q&A With Economist Alan S. Blinder

By Lynn Adams Smith 

lan S. Blinder is the Gordon S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, now on leave as a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He served as the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors from 1994 to 1996, was a member of President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors, and is an informal policy adviser to the Hillary Clinton campaign. Dr. Blinder is a regular columnist for the Wall Street Journal and appears on PBS, CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, and elsewhere. more