SantaCon

Posted by David


One of the keys to living in New York is riding the waves of serendipity. Often it is all about being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time but don't find out until later ("What? Madonna and Cher had a cat fight in front of the Marriott Marquis yesterday? But I was in Times Square yesterday! How did I miss that?") Other times you are in the right place but at the wrong time ("May I take your order? By the way, if you'd been here an hour earlier you'd have seen the Obamas feeding each other creme brulee.")

But sometimes you nail it, and then New York unfolds its magic for you.

I was just finishing my workout at the gym (I'm gay and this is NYC, so it's the law) when my phone buzzed and a friend's text announced: "I'm at SantaCon! Where are you?"

OMG! I'd seen people earlier in the day wandering about in Santa and other related holiday costumes and knew something was up.


Even while I was heading to the gym, I saw groups in Xmas regalia marching past. Yet I couldn't put two and two together.


But as luck would have it, SantaCon was convening at Washington Square Park, a mere ten minute walk from my gym. So I threw on my clothes, grabbed my camera, (which I had brought along because it was 12 of 12 day. More serendipity), and dashed and danced and pranced over to the park.


More photos and video after the jump!

Justin Bond's Christmas Spells - Quick Review

Photograph by Michael Hart

Posted by riot:

Justin Bond's Christmas Spells
December 9 through 12, 8:00pm
Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, 212-598-0400
Buy Tickets

I must admit to my bias right off the bat.  I love Justin Bond.  I learned about him at the end of the Kiki & Herb run, so I'm making up for my tardiness with enthusiasm.  And it isn't difficult--he stole my heart with his cover of Radiohead's "Weird Fishes" at Le Poisson Rouge.  I'm a fan.

NYC Upcoming Events - And where did Autumn go?

Last weekend I felt the first shift out of the mild NYC Fall we've had, and into the colder Winter months.  The radiators are hissing half time.  Wet snow-ish stuff came down with the rain on Saturday.  Forgetting to bring a hat, scarf, or gloves is moving from unfashionable to uncomfortable.  I'm a bit wistful for Autumn.  It is such a transitional time, always gone before I feel I've fully taken it in.

When I tell friends back in the Midwest that my calendar is booked solid through January, they think I'm being hyperbolic or snobby.  New Yorkers know that it's just simple truth.  Parties, shows, art exhibits, fine dining...whatever your fascination, there's more than ever of it out there to distract you from the cold, gray city.

Here's a quick list of upcoming events I recommend, with more details after the jump.

OUTmusic Awards - Tuesday, Dec. 8
Justin Bond's Christmas Spells - Dec. 9 through 12
Raandesk Gallery of Art (ART2Gift) - Dec. 9, 10, 13, 15
The Meeting - Dec. 14
SWEAT - Dec. 18

The Holiday Craft Sale at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Posted by Brooklyn Bill

I went to a craft fair yesterday at Martha Stewart's headquarters in the Starrett-Lehigh Building in far-west Chelsea with my pal Mark, a gay man who's a crafting enthusiast and a former professional crafter,* and Joyce, my straight girlfriend who, like me, enjoys cooking and baking but isn't one to make handicrafts. Though we enjoy buying them.

Until this year, the fair was open only to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia employees. A friend of mine who works at MSLO told me about the fair last weekend. She and her co-workers got first dibs on Friday. She said that jewelry was the predominant offering but there were plenty of other neat items** to be had.

We arrived separately and met up inside the large exhibit space shortly after noon, when the fair began. M&J hadn't previously met. Mark is from North Dakota and rode downtown from the Upper West Side on his bike. Joyce is from Ohio and took a "little yellow thing" (Joyce-speak for a cab) from Brooklyn Heights. Both of them have lived in the city for many years, and one other thing they have in common (besides their longtime residency here and their friendship with me) is that they always make sure to check out the department store window displays around Christmastime. Joyce took her Mom to view them while her Mom was visiting from Kent for Thanksgiving. And Mark scoped out the windows at three stores—Macy's, Lord & Taylor, and Saks—after he left the fair before succumbing to the rain, cold, and crowds.

Holiday Gifts for Central Park Zoo Animals

Posted by Brooklyn Bill

Every weekend this month before Christmas, some of the animals at the Central Park Zoo are getting special treats to celebrate the holidays. On NY1, Pat Kiernan reported this morning that polar bears Gus and Ida were given "whipped cream and trout." There's no mention of the bears' receiving dairy products on the Web page that shows when the animals are getting their treats this month; only peanut butter and frozen fish. Mmmm. Peanut butter and bears.