NY / LA

We recently went on vacation in LA, and put together a photographic comparison of Santa Monica and the East Village.

 

East Village Brunching

After many a Saturday and/or Sunday searching for a good and affordable brunch spot, we have put together a comparison of our favorite, and un-favorite places in the East Village.

Via Della Pace

Location: 7th St and 2nd Ave

Brunch Price: $9.99

Rating: 4.5 / 5

This hidden gem is the perfect combination of affordable prices and good food. We've never had to wait for a table here, and the service is good.
viadellapacenyc.com

Mud

Location: 9th St and 2nd Ave

Brunch Price: $12.00

Rating: 5 / 5

Mud is great, if you can get in. Although there tends to be a line, it really is worth a 10 minute wait if you can handle it. The food is great, the atmosphere is great, and the coffee is FANtastic. They have a nice little "garden" seating area in the back that features colorful windows and a funky, if slightly cramped, atmosphere. Highly recommended.

www.mudnyc.com/spots.html

Cafe Orlin

Location: St Marks Pl and 2nd Ave

Brunch Price: $12.00

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Cafe Orlin has fantastic food. There is almost always a long line, however, which has been long enough to deter us most of the time. If it's a rainy Sunday morning and you happen to be up before 10:30, then go for it.

www.cafeorlin.com

Virage

Location: 2nd Ave and 7th St

Brunch Price: $14.25

Rating: 3 / 5

Its not as hard to get a seat here as it is at Mud, but let us tell you, the food is cheaper and better at Mud, and pretty much every other place. When the price is getting to $14 and more, we have high expectations, and this place really doesn't cut it.

www.viragenyc.com

Vaselka

Location: 9th St and 2nd Ave

Breakfast Price: $4-$10

Rating: 3 / 5

If you're on the market for a couple of eggs and a latka, then you're in business. It's cheap for a quick breakfast a la carte, which is what we always get here.

www.veselka.com

Cafe Centosette

Location: 2nd Ave and 10th St
Brunch Price: $11.95
Rating: 4 / 5

Centosette has nice outdoor seating, and very good brunch. Our waiter was also unusually enthusiastic. I would recommend the Eggs Park Avenue.

www.cafecentosette.com

Persistence of Vision: Speculative Topographies

There's a great exhibit over in the West Village that features photography in various shapes and forms. Persistence of Vision: Speculative Topographies provides a fascinating insight into the physical and emotional effects of recent social and economic upheaval. One artist featured in the exhibit (and a friend of ours) Ben Gancsos, contributed a series of photographs depicting aging high school reunion attendees, as well as unassuming stencils with powerful words etched onto paper (such as the one to the left of the exhibit's description in the photograph above).

To see Ben's work go to:
www.bengancsosprojects.com

Although this exhibit ended on August 5, there will be another installment called Amplified Photographies from August 7-14.

For more information on the this exhibit and the next one go here.

The exhibit is located at:

B.A.D.C.A.T
223 West 10th St

Hours: 11-6

Bye Bye Ben & Jerry's

This is our freezer. Not a whole lot going on in there other than Ben & Jerry's thanks to the generous 3 pint special at Ben & Jerry's on 3rd Ave.

We're not giving up on Ben & Jerry completely, but it's almost certain that our consumption will be significantly reduced now that the 3 pints for $9.95 deal has ended at the Ben & Jerry's store on 3rd Ave between 9th and 10th.

We bought our last 3 pints for $9.95 tonight after the store employee informed us that the deal was over. Our flavors of choice? Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, Vanilla, and Mint Chocolate Chunk.

This is a sad moment for lovers of cheap and plentiful ice cream.

But there are a number of boutique ice cream stores popping up around here that we have yet to explore. So where will we find our next ice cream spot?

…Stay tuned for "Ice Cream Village"… our quest to find the best affordable ice cream in the East Village.

Mouse Wars 2: The Return of The Surreptitious Squeeker

He's back. We should have seen it coming. This mouse means business, and his guile wont be stifled by steel wool and plaster.

To our credit, he hasn't made it through any of our steel wool-stuffed and spackled holes, rather, he burrowed a new one. This time he chose the ever-discreet location where the exposed brick meets the kitchenette divider. Tricky. Very tricky. 

We filled the hole immediately, but this situation truly begs the question: how far will this mouse go to live more comfortably in the East Village? Sure he must have friends on the inside of the walls, a domestic partner, a few kids, yet he continues to risk everything for a few crumbs of last night's baked potatoes. 

Will we be filling holes as long as we live here? Furthermore, when is this unusually wily mouse going to figure out a way to bust through the bricks? I can just see it now: the one truly charming part of our tiny apartment defaced by globs of plaster. Just thinking about this makes me tired.

Mouse 1

Us       0

The Kickdrums - Mercury Lounge - 7/24

It's unusual these days to come across a band that includes a DJ and manages to maintain a good balance of sample-driven indie rock. The Kickdrums execute this balance well.

Despite a malfunctioning amp, the 5-piece outfit from Ohio played a solid set last night at Mercury Lounge (www.mercuryloungenyc.com), if slightly hollowed out by the missing rhythm guitar. The band's music sounds like a mix of 90s-inspired indie rock with a twist of 90s-inspired sampling/hip hop. Together, these inspirations create a fresh sound that's unique and exciting.

The Kickdrums has a strong line-up, and the bassist was particularly animated and virtuousic. While the singer didn't sound quite as good as he does on their recordings, this could have been attributed to the fact that he seemed a little uncomfortable performing sans guitar. But even without his instrument, he was in good spirits and worked the crowd as if nothing was different.

Toward the end of the set, the band invited rapper The Kid Daytona to the stage to perform a new song. On stage the collaberation was a success for both The Kickdrums and The Kid Daytona: The Kid Daytona brought a great energy to the performance, and they played off each other seamlessly.

Overall, it was a good show, and we look forward to hearing music from The Kickdrums in the future.

Tracks to check out: "Things Work Out" and "Out To Get Me"
www.myspace.com/thekickdrums

The Kickdrums website: www.thekickdrums.com

For The Kid Daytona head to: www.myspace.com/thekiddaytona

Welcome to Boy & Girl Downtown!

Welcome to our blog! We are Warren and Chloe - we live in the East Village, NYC, and we started this blog to share our experiences with you. Whether it be reviewing restaurants, music, or just telling the tales of of our daily lives downtown, we will attempt to entertain and inform to the best of our abilities. Thanks for reading!