New York

NYC bibliophiles rejoice, for there’s a new way to buy books in town. Meet CityShelf, a project launched in December that’s “a combined search tool for eight of New York’s indie bookstores.”

It’s kind of like Amazon, only it’s specifically for books, and it comes without the controversy surrounding the major retailer’s author compensation practices. Not to mention, you’re buying local, which ignites that, “I’m contributing to society,” warm and fuzzy feeling.

Cityshelf’s goal is to augment sales for indie book sellers and make books more accessible to New Yorkers. It’s currently an app for smart phones, and founder Ben Purkert says he’d like for it to continue growing by word of mouth.

Get more info on Cityshelf here.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image credit: Flickr: Nate Bolt

Who doesn’t love to eat? Answer: Nobody. Because everyone loves to eat. The key, though, to happy living and eating, is to only eat food that’s amazing. Calories spent on something less than delightful to your palate are simply a waste, my friend.

That’s why we’re pretty excited about Foursquare’s “Restaurant Challenge,” AKA a checklist of 50 of the best NYC restaurants.

“Foursquare’s team of data scientists crunched the numbers, looking at where more than 50 million people go and what they do,” explains the site. “The result: top trending tastes in New York and the best places to experience them.”

From pancakes to burgers to bagels, from pastries to pizza to ramen, it’s all on the list. Will you take the Foursquare challenge with us?

• Bagel: Everything Bagel at Ess-a-Bagel (Turtle Bay)
• Bloody Mary: Bloody Caesar at Joseph Leonard (West Village)
• Bourbon Cocktail: Old Fashioned at Maysville (NoMad)
• Burger: Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern (Greenwich Village)
• Burrito: Ramenrrito at Press Tea (West Village)
• Cheesecake: Famous No. 1 Original Cheesecake at Junior’s Restaurant (Downtown Brooklyn)
• Chicken: Roasted Chicken at Barbuto (West Village)
• Chipotle Sauce: Crack Sauce at Calexico Cart
• Chocolate Pastry: Chocolate Babka at Breads Bakery (Union Square)
• Cold Brew Coffee: Cold Brew at Little Collins (Midtown East)
• Cookie: Chocolate Chip Cookie at Levain Bakery (Upper West Side)
• Corn: Jerk Grilled Corn at Miss Lily’s 7A (East Village)
• Craft Beer: NY Local Brews at The Jeffrey Craft Beer & Bites (Upper East Side)
• Cream Cheese: Wasabi Cream Cheese at Tompkins Square Bagels (East Village)
• Croissants: Pretzel Croissants at The City Bakery (Union Square)
• Donuts: Cronuts at Dominique Ansel Bakery (SoHo)
• Dumplings: Pork And Crab Soup Dumplings at RedFarm (West Village)
• French Fries: Pommes Frites at Balthazar (SoHo)
• French Toast: Parmesan French Toast at L’Apicio (East Village)
• Gnudi: Ricotta Gnudi at The Spotted Pig (West Village)
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Three Cheese Grilled Cheese at Milk Truck Grilled Cheese (Midtown East)
• Hidden Place: Japanese Restaurant at Bohemian (NoHo)
• Ice Cream: Chorizo Caramel Swirl at OddFellows Ice Cream Co. (Williamsburg)
• Lamb Chops: Tandoor-grilled Lamb Chops at Tulsi Restaurant (Turtle Bay)
• Lasagna: Yesterday’s 100 Layer Lasagne All Piastra at Del Posto (Chelsea)
• Mac & Cheese: “world’s Best” Mac & Cheese at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (Flatiron District)
• Margarita: Margarita De Toronja Picante at Gran Eléctrica (DUMBO)
• Off-menu Item: Cheeseburger at Gramercy Tavern (Flatiron District)
• Outdoor Seating: The Patio at Central Park Boathouse (Central Park)
• Pancakes: Blueberry Pancakes at Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant (Lower East Side)
• Pastrami: Pastrami Sandwich at Katz’s Delicatessen (Lower East Side)
• Pie: Crack Pie at Momofuku Milk Bar (East Village)
• Pizza: Vodka Pizza at Rubirosa (NoLita)
• Pork: Rocket Pig Sandwich at Rocket Pig (Chelsea)
• Ramen: Akamaru Modern Ramen at Ippudo (Greenwich Village)
• Rooftop Garden: Rooftop Bar And Cafe at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Upper East Side)
• Sandwich: Fried Chicken And Waffle Sandwich at Root & Bone (Alphabet City)
• Scenic View: Bench Seating At 17th Street at High Line (Chelsea)
• Seafood: Grilled Octopus at Taverna Kyclades (Astoria)
• Sliders: Meatball Sliders at Little Owl (West Village)
• Smoked Salmon: Bagel With Lox And Cream Cheese at Russ & Daughters (Lower East Side)
• Southern Food: Shrimp And Grits at Red Rooster (Central Harlem)
• Speakeasy: PDT at Crif Dogs (East Village)
• Steak: Porterhouse at Peter Luger Steak House (Williamsburg)
• Sushi: Uni at Sushi Nakazawa (West Village)
• Taco: Short Rib Pastrami Taco With Mustard Seed Salsa at Empellón Taqueria (West Village)
• Tasting Menu: Chef’s Tasting Menu at Per Se (Hell’s Kitchen)
• Toast: Crab Toast at ABC Kitchen (Flatiron District)
• Vegan Food: Vegan Blt at Blossom Restaurant (Chelsea)
• Wine Tastings: Tasting Pours at Terroir (Tribeca)

See the full list here.

By Wendy Rose Gould

We just found your new favorite Instagram account, but you can thank us after you spend hours scrolling through all of the photos. We anticipate myriad heart-eye emojis flowing from your smartphone’s keyboard upon doing so.

Hot Dudes Reading is exactly what it sounds like: candid, undercover snaps of handsome men fully engrossed in a book while they ride the subway. The anonymous creators say they came up with the idea after lamenting to each other that they were “constantly falling in love on our subway commutes and organically began sending these pictures to one another.”

Read more about Hot Dudes Reading, plus see more pictures, here. And you’re welcome.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image credit: Via Instagram

It’s Valentine’s Day this weekend, New Yorkers, in case you couldn’t tell from the abundance of lovey-dovey inspirational quotes or proclamations of undying love in all your social media feeds.

Whether you’re celebrating with gal pals, indifferent or have something really special planned. And who knows, maybe even those of you who find February 14 the most abhorrent day of the year could find something fun to do on the list below.

Valentine’s Day Brunch Cruise

Spend your Valentine’s Day aboard the Hornblower Hybrid. Make a lasting memory by having a romantic dinner along the Hudson that includes your own private table, a four-course meal, a sparkling wine toast, and a single red rose for the special person in your life. Romantic Dinner Package is $110/person and boat leaves from Pier 40 at 7 p.m. Boarding time begins at 6:30 p.m. If you feel like celebrating earlier in the day, check out their Valentine’s Day Brunch Cruise from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Sip on bottomless mimosas and take advantage of the bountiful buffet, dessert station, and selection of coffee and herbal teas. Tickets are $80/person and boarding time begins at 12:30 p.m.

Hot Chocolate Festival

Regress to childhood with skillfully concocted mugs of hot chocolate courtesy of the downtown canteen, City Bakery. Owner-mastermind Maury Rubin will serve a different flavor of his intoxicating cocoa every day during February

Blood Manor’s Bloody Valentine’s Weekend

If you and your sweetheart like living on the dark side, get your tickets for Blood Manor’s Bloody Valentine’s Weekend. General admission starts at $30, RIP Express Entry is $45, and RIP Express Entry Demon Package is $60.

Winter Chamber Music Valentine’s Day Concert at Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum

It’s not just love that’s in the air. So is chamber music. The Musicians of the Crimson Menagerie, an ensemble that specializes in 19th century salon museum, will play a concert of romantic pieces by Mozart, Haydn, Boccherini and Beethoven at the Bronx’s Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum at 7pm on February 14. 895 Shore Rd., Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, from $20.

Tinder Live with Lane Moore: Valentine’s Day Spectacular with the Cast of Orange is the New Black

Lane Moore brings her already hilarious ongoing series to the theater with Beth Fowler (Sister Jane Ingalls), Connie Shulman (who plays zenned-out Yoga Jones), Laura Gomez (bushy-browed Blanca Flores) and Lin Tucci (Anita Demarco) from Orange Is the New Black! We can’t wait to see how Moore and the ladies roast those NYC Tinder profiles onstage

“Get Steamy” at the Museum of Sex

Things get steamy at the Museum of Sex this Valentine’s Day weekend. Buy a spa-themed package that includes stimulating exhibitions, alcoholic aphrodisiac “treatments” ($10.80), and the debut of their new sensual bath and body kit. Taste the Lychee Libidinal, Pomegranate Virility, or Citrous Oxide vodka shooters to help boost your sex drive or walk through the recently opened exhibition “Funland: Pleasures & Perils of the Erotic Fairground”.

Sensory Tour: Valentine’s Day at Brooklyn Museum

Discover the power of touch on the Sensory Tour: Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14, 2:30pm) at the Brooklyn Museum, which is offered to the blind or partially sighted, or simply those who wish to expand their appreciation of art beyond sight alone. A museum guide will lead guests through exhibits by including rich verbal descriptions, interactive discussions and curated sound and tactile experiences. 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, free.

Love Bites: The Power Ballads Sing-Along

Start your fist pumping now because Union Hall’s Love Bites: The Power Ballads Sing-Along is coming your way this Valentine’s Day. Sing along to heartbreaking and heartwarming collections of music from the 80’s and 90’s and wave your lighters in the air. Watch or take part in the air guitar competition, enter the power ballads costume contest, sip on themed drinks like the Eternal Flame, Kiss From a Rose, or More Than Words, and don’t forget to grab your free valentine heart candy and cards for that special someone. Party begins at 9:30 p.m. and admission is $10.

Romance Under the Stars

Eschew the dinner date on Valentine’s Day, and snap up tickets to this swanky soiree at the American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center for Earth and Space. The night begins among the asteroids (have a “heavenly bodies” quip ready) with an open bar of cocktails and champagne, passed hors d’oeuvres and chocolate, while a jazz quartet sets the mood with standards. An hour later, cozy up in the Hayden Planetarium while an astronomer tells lovey-dovey stories based on the mythology of the cosmos.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image credit: via TimeoutNY.com, HornBlower.com, UnionHallNY.com, and MoSexStore.com