PLACES TO EAT.

Good Mexican food is hard to find in NYC, that’s why eating at Tres Hermanos is an event worth celebrating. I am originally from Los Angeles, and growing up Mexican food was not only comfort food but a daily part of life. Sure there are a lot of positives to living in the incredible New York City, but one major void in my life is great Mexican food.

Almost two years ago when I first was looking for apartments, I found myself straddling the border between Williamsburg and Queens with no luck except for stumbling upon a tortilla factory called Tres Hermanos. Now at this point in time, Tres Hermanos was still in fact an active tortilla factory that had a small door on the left hand side, to a couple of white folding tables in the middle of the floor. Next to them were two Mexican women, a makeshift stove and some stacks of paper plates. From the outside, we knew that whatever they were serving must be good. So without hesitation we sat ourselves down, ordered 2 chicken tacos in broken Spanish and barely stopped to breathe before we were done. For the duration of those tacos I felt like I was back in Los Angeles eating off a taco truck in East LA. Click Read More for additional information and photos. Written by Brittany Kleinman

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GOOD IDEAS.

The main federal building in Portland, Oregon is preparing for a major makeover that could make it one of the greenest in the world. The General Services Administration plans to install vertical gardens along the building’s 200 foot tall facade as part of a $133 million renovation. The “vegetated fins” will bloom in spring and summer, providing shade, and cutting energy costs for the building by an estimated 60 to 65 percent.

According to project architects Cutler Anderson, the irrigation system will likely use captured rainwater, or grey water recycled from the building’s interior plumbing. Landscaping experts will experiment with vines and other vegetation this summer, and if all goes according to plan, the garden wall will be blossoming by 2013. Written by Elsa Brown

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PLACES: London’s East End has always been an exciting area because of its little alleyways and hidden secrets. It’s latest addition, the tiniest and most haunted bookshop in the city, is a definite London must-see; that is, if you can find it.

Located right in the middle of the Black Rat Press Gallery, behind the garden of the chill-out Cargo bar, Black Dog Books is a cram, dimly-lit little room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves peppered with dead butterflies. At the entrance, an animated robot smokes a cigarette and kicks empty liquor bottles around, and occasional ghastly whispers move between the shelves and books. Quite a hair-raising experience on a quiet afternoon at Rivington Street. Click Read More for additional information and photos. Written by Su Hui Tan

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PLACES: By integrating apartment housing with a public marketplace, restaurants, and an underground supermarket, the designers behind Rotterdam Market Hall aim to create new patterns of urban living in Rotterdam’s historic center. Construction recently started on the Hall, which was designed by MVRDV.

From the architects: “At the place where Rotterdam was founded, near the historic Laurens church, the Market Hall will be realized as a new urban typology. The Market Hall is a sustainable combination of food, leisure, living and parking. Fully integrated to enhance and use the synergetic possibilities of the different functions, a public building emerging from housing.” Each end of the arched hall will be covered by a 40-meter tall, flexible glass facade that displays over 100 market stalls, shops and restaurants housed inside. The outer structure will provide space for 228 apartments, each with a balcony on the building’s exterior, and a window overlooking the interior arena. Scheduled for completion in 2014. Written by Elsa Brown

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MUSIC: Once in awhile, a band comes along that creates truly soulful music, that band is Delta Spirit. Itʼs easy to imagine their blues infused rock on the streets of New Orleans to campfires in Joshua Tree. Their latest release Ode to Sunshine exhibits their talent for utilizing vintage and unconventional instruments (they actually used trashcan lids) to create a rare sound that hearkens back to the soulful 60s. With a strong penchant for storytelling and narrative, lead singer Matthew Vasquez croons with strained vocals tearing across a musical landscape of jangly piano hooks, sharp guitar melodies, and bare-boned drums.

Theyʼve previously toured with the likes of the Cold War Kids and The Shins; with an appearance on Conan and a track featured on Gossip Girl they are slowly garnering the attention they deserve. Click Read More to listen to their track Trash Can. Written by Michael Chen

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If you were to tell me the most memorable part of my recent trip to Amsterdam would be the public library, I likely would have canceled my ticket. However, I’m happy and surprised to report that this is indeed the case. The public library has eclipsed the city’s efficient and clean public transit as the most impressive thing I found on my visit. It has also topped the bike friendly streets full of beautiful people, gliding along effortlessly, conducting their daily business.

The Central Branch of the Openbare Bibliotheek opened in July 2007, and serves at least 2.5 million visitors each year. The library’s resources are staggering. It occupies over 28,500 square meters spread over 10 floors, has 600 internet connected computers, 1200 seats, 2000 bicycle parking spaces, an auditorium, museum, restaurant, and multiple conference and exhibition rooms. Click Read More for additional information and photos. Written by Anthony Smyrski

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Written by Bruce Campbell: Audio/Visual is the debut full length from artist, club and radio dj, playwright, Anthony Valadez. This album is a collection of beats that became modified with the addition of live instrumentation to add texture. The concept of the album is based on the merge between sight and sound – each song, sample and layer is inspired by a visual that inspired Valadez.

“I’ve always been inspired by the visual elements of everyday life” Valadez explains. “From my college days, taking public transportation, to driving home late at nights from gigs. My mind takes mental snapshots that stay with me while I play the keys, percussion and the mpc to create sounds…” The opening track Vibrations is a clear indication that this is not your typical beat album, but rather an experimentation with samples, live bass lines, melodic chord changes and soulful elements. “I got bored of beat music with simple loops that really go nowhere and I wanted to challenge myself in creating a palette that allows me to change the texture within a song.” Click Read More for additional information.

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