Lifestyles

Let’s Talk about Food.

August 7, 2013 by CHAMPAYNE BROWN

With classes as early as 9 a.m. during the summer, students need time to take get away from the classroom. After all, it is summer! Students in the Baruch College Now summer program rely on lunch to talk, eat, relax, and not worry about hectic schedules that are always in their face. Given three choices of restaurants and a different card every week to get any food they want, students can get about anything within the $7 dollars. The lunch plan may seem as if it is practically amazing. However, students’ opinions on the lunch vary.

There are over four classes within the College Now program and three lunch places to go: The Hidden Café, Gramercy Star Café and Gramercy Grill. The majority of students have at least one favorite out of the three. Jordan from the business class said, “I like the options given to us. It’s way better than last year.” By that he refers to students not given a card to get anything but discounts meaning they still had to pay for food. He talked about how he likes being able to use the card given to him to buy either breakfast or lunch. Jordan’s classmate Elijah said, “ Overall I like the food, but I feel that we should have more options….The food is kind of repeated a lot.”

A lot of students felt that the food overall was really good but that it was repeated.

However when Queena and her friend from journalism were interviewed they said that it wasn’t the food they didn’t like, it was the service they received. “The food is really good actually I like the Gramercy Star Cafe but I do not like how the people in The Hidden Cafe treated us, Queena said. Her classmate Evelyn agreed and said, “They rushed us to order and they seemed to be annoyed and the food wasn’t even all that great.”

Many other students at the Baruch Program have said that the amount of time for lunch is too short. Some students have to work on projects and others have said the lines at the restaurants are long due to the amount of students.

When asked whether they would change anything about the lunch, OFabiola from Journalism said, “I would add another restaraunt because the Gramercy Cafe and Gramercy Grill are just alike.” Louis from journalism said, “I wouldn’t change anything about it. The food is good, especially since it’s free. It’s pretty great.”

Intertwining Three Worlds at Bristle + Crème

August 7, 2013 by GABRIELA ROBLES

When venturing around London, Kim Vu never imagined that she would find the inspiration for her store, Bristle + Crème, in the neighborhood of Notting Hill. When she entered 202 Restaurant, she found that there was a small clothing store attached to it. At that moment she realized that she wanted her store to offer a similar mix. That’s why when she opened her own beauty space, she integrated art, fashion, and hospitality under one roof.

The moment people pass by Bristle + Crème, they realize this isn’t your typical hair salon. The location in Kips Bay not only holds a hair salon, but this fall will also include an espresso bar and an art space. The unexpected mix at Bristle + Crème, was created by Kim Vu who believes it’s the perfect opportunity to blend together all of her interests.

Bristle + Crème recently had a soft launch in early June, opening only to a limited amount of people. On the recent opening Vu said, “We’ve definitely gone really far in a very short period of time.”

She said this is largely due to the service model, one of the things the company focuses on. Employees are handpicked and trained in what they do, a host instead of a receptionist serves clients, and the store carries high-end products such as Oribe and Bumble and Bumble.

The environment of Bristle + Crème was designed with the clients in mind and Vu said she wants it to have a very communal feel. “The design of the store is very client centric. I wanted clients to come in and just want to sit down and hang out, which is one of the reasons why we have this large table in the center,” Vu said.

Her goal is to have the salon be beautiful, yet relaxing and approachable too. Vu recalled going to many different salons and always feeling that, while they may have been beautiful, the minute they finished doing her hair, she wanted to leave because the salon was too stuffy or boring. This is why she said she wants to make sure Bristle + Crème’s space is as inviting and different as possible.

The official grand opening in September will include the installing of the artisanal espresso bar, opening of the art space and launching the atelier program. The art space will be located on the second floor, where the beauty spa is, and will serve as an art gallery for various artists. Vu said, “I feel like this will be a good opportunity for emerging artists to display their work.”

An art curator will pick new artwork to display every three months to vary the art being presented. Every time there is a new exhibition, Bristle + Crème will hold an event to showcase the work. “We’ll be displaying all types of art. We definitely don’t want to stick to just one type,” Vu said. Along with the artwork, Vu also will invite photographers and musicians to use the space and will use it for other events.

The atelier program, also known as the backstage program, will allow fashion to be integrated into the salon. It will allow clients to book appointments with in-demand editorial stylists. Stylists will be able to use the space for photo shoots and even prepare for runway shoots. Vu said, “I’m really looking forward to further incorporating the fashion world into Bristle + Crème and through this program I know stylists will be able to bring in cutting edge fashion and techniques into the store.”

“New York City is such an eclectic place so I wanted to make it [Bristle + Crème] just as interesting,” Vu said. By intertwining the three worlds of fashion, art, and hospitality, Bristle + Crème is aspiring to bring something new to Kips Bay.

How Will You Spend the $20 in Your Pocket?

August 7, 2013 by EVELYN CRUZ

Screen Shot 2013-08-07 at 12.40.58 PM — Thrift shops along E 23rd Street

“One man’s trash is another man’s come-up.” Many New Yorkers must agree with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ latest hit song, “Thrift Shop,” since New York City is being flooded with thrift shops. Along East 23rd Street, between Lexington Avenue and Second Avenue, there are five thrift shops. These shops, once commonly visited by older people, now attract younger men, women and even teenagers.

So why are thrift shops so popular at the moment? A 26-year-old female explains, “I love it [thrift shops], it’s cheap, you find good deals, you can make clothes and make things … great jewelry and cute dresses … no one else will have what you -well a few people will have what you find in a thrift shop, that’s why I love it.”

Thrift shops often support a charity by selling donated used clothes and household items, such as furniture.

After the song “Thrift Shop” premiered, many more people became curious about thrift shops. Twenty-three-year-old Sasha Smith believes the song by Macklemore definitely got her friends into thrift shopping. “Now my friends, they’re like, ‘let’s go thrift shopping!’” She said.

On the other hand, the song had a negative impact on 16-year-old Parmanand Pheku, who said, “I honestly would never shop in one [thrift shop] due to the overdose of teenagers singing Macklemore’s hit song.”

Not everyone is fond of thrift shops, Michelle, 19 years old, compared hand-me-downs to the used clothes from thrift shops. “If you get a hand-me-down it’s most likely from someone who you know and you’ll feel more comfortable wearing it, if you’re getting something [from a thrift shop] you don’t know the person.”

Alternatively, Alex Tlatelpa from Brooklyn says that he sees “nothing wrong with them … they’re just not for me … I’m not about that life.”

Thrift shops are not for everyone and in the end, the choice of shopping at thrift shops or not is a matter of preference.

Yogurt Wars in Riverdale

August 7, 2013 by ANNA SAMUELS

Any New Yorker has probably noticed the spike in self-serve frozen yogurt stores in the city. There seems to be one of these stores on every street, whether it be the well known 16 Handles, or a smaller chain known as Off The Wall. Now, this trend has made its way to Riverdale, a suburban-like town in the Northern Bronx. Last winter, YoBurger opened on Riverdale Avenue, just blocks away from Menchies, which opened on Johnson Avenue in June. Both stores are located on the two main streets in Riverdale, and because they both serve frozen yogurt, an element of competition has been introduced to the sleepy town.

YoBurger is a burger and fries joint, also offering self-serve frozen yogurt at 49 cents per ounce. The restaurant has tables inside as well as benches outside. It plays loud music and seems to appeal to more of a teenage and adult crowd, but families and children can be seen there as well. Although bacon and cheeseburgers are options at YoBurger, according to the website, all of its frozen yogurt is certified as Kosher, a bonus the primarily Jewish neighborhood.

Menchies also offers Kosher frozen yogurt, with over twice the number of flavors YoBurger has. While YoBurger has 6 flavors of fro-yo, Menchies has 14 flavors priced at 56 cents per ounce. Unlike YoBurger, Menchies is a national chain and is able to make non-fat, low-fat, and sugar-free options. This is the first Menchies location to open in the New York City area.

Ajani Skeete, a 16 year old living in Riverdale, is excited about the new openings, but she feels that if Riverdale is going to be more “trendy”, it needs more than just frozen yogurt stores. She says, “The atmosphere at YoBurger is more family oriented and more of a hangout spot, while Menchie’s seems to appeal to children more.” However, she adds that even though Menchies has an impressive number of flavors, she likes that at YoBurger, one can have dinner and desert in the same store. Even though she likes the wider variety of flavors at Menchies, she likes YoBurger better because of how well it goes with a burger.

Dafine Hysaj, an employee at YoBurger says she doesn’t think it has lost business since Menchies opened, since “they can offer real food, like burgers, which Menchies can’t do.” She adds that YoBurger gets less customers during the summer since people go on vacation, but that Menchies doesn’t seem to pose any kind of threat. Sarah, a mother of 2 who goes to YoBurger “on a weekly basis”, adds that even though Menchies has more flavors, she finds the burger joint to be easier, since they have a meal and a dessert, as well as more seating. However, ultimately, she prefers YoBurger over Menchies because it’s a local business, something Riverdale is in “desperate need of”.

Skeete and Sarah both agree that no matter which store one likes better, these additons have made Riverdale a much nicer area and hope that more fun stores will open soon. According to Skeete, “I think there are a lot of families in Riverdale, and eventually the kids grow up and want more to do than to just go to the park. YoBurger and Menchies are both helping to add better activities for us.”

Greenmarket Vendors Enjoy Their Work Despite Challenges

August 7, 2013 by TRULY JOHNSON

Scott stands behind the display of treats for sale at vegan bakery Body and Soul.

Walking into Union Square on a Monday gives a feeling of community. Tents selling everything, from cookies to flowers, line the square and people walk though, looking for the products they need. This is the Union Square Greenmarket, a hot spot for tourists and native New Yorkers.

Many farmers and business owners work at the greenmarket to make a living. They experience problems like weather and people not wanting to buy their goods, but they are also able to work in a pleasant, unique environment unlike most people.

“It’s a nice place to work,” said Scott, who works at a vegan bakery tent called Body and Soul. He added that he liked being outside.

But when asked about the problems of working in the greenmarket, he answered “the weather,” saying that the sweltering heat in the summer and freezing cold in the winter are some of his main problems. Overall though, Body and Soul has been pretty successful. Over half of its reviews on Yelp, a food rating site, are 4 or 5 stars.

A lady selling flowers who asked to remain anonymous had bigger problems than the weather. She said that it’s been hard for her to sell her flowers in recent years due to the recession. People are only buying goods they need, like food, so flower sales are going down.

She has been selling flowers since 1986, and even though times are hard for her now, she still wants to continue. “I like to grow my flowers, that’s my passion,” she said.

Also in Union Square, right outside the greenmarket, a row of stands with blue umbrellas sell art.

Yuri Bobrykov, an artist who sells paintings of New York City landscapes, said that Union Square is a great community for artists.

He originally chose to set up a stand in Union Square because of all the traffic it gets. Now he has been there for five years and really enjoys it. He said that Union Square is “comfortable for me and comfortable for my art”.

The Union Square Greenmarket was started in 1976, according to the website of GrowNYC, the organization that runs greenmarkets all over the city. It started out very small, with only a few tents, but it has gone through a lot of growth since then.

Now, according to GrowNYC, “in peak season, 140 regional farmers, fishermen and bakers descend upon Union Square to sell their products to a devout legion of city dwellers who support local agriculture with their food dollars.”

With such a large amount of competition, and the always-changing weather conditions, it may seem daunting to set up a stand in Union Square. But as Scott from Body and Soul said, “all in all, it’s fun to work outside”.