The heat waves are coming regularly, along with this insane wildfire smoke. Remember to check in with our elder neighbors during these times and make sure they are ok.
First up, just started a Tudor City View account on Bluesky. That’s a thing, right? It’s about as social as I can get. Follow away.
As promised, following up on last week’s delayed rant, I’m going to jump fully into summertime, which would be my personal favorite time to listen to the genre of music I decided to invent.
Yacht Electro.
Everyone has heard of Yacht Rock by now…. even if you haven’t seen the video series that coined the phrase. Although TBH, if you haven’t seen the series, stop what you are doing and spend some time watching the best twelve-episode series ever. One of my favorite memories was watching this whole series with a bunch of drunk Southern Californians on a big screen at a pool party. Way back in the pre-Google YouTube era. I am old.
And not that I am claiming to be the EDM Hollywood Steve or anything, because I can’t weave a narrative thread on Yacht Electro. But to me, it is a sound that definitely harkens back to 2005-ish. The Iraq war was a disaster, people weren’t exactly optimistic about the future of the country and there was a bubble creating irrational exuberance. So possibly people needed something easy to chill with. I’ll stake my claim on these being the foundations of Yacht Electro.
My love of Yacht Rock anthems has more to do with the people I am listening to it with. People who genuinely love and would go to these concerts are more likely on my annoying spectrum. I probably share little in common with. Now, tattoo’d punk rockers going nuts to a Michael McDonald track makes everyone involved infinitely cooler.
Same goes for Yacht Electro. Some Garden State-reject (the movie, not New Jersey) telling me Zero 7 is amazing isn’t gonna be cool. But a bunch of dirtbags listening to “Passing By” on a roof mid-summer is amazing. With the Yachts. the context is as important as what is being played. To me.
So, be around good friends this summer, enjoy yourself, and you can have this playlist in the background. In between listening to Ramones’ tracks.
CIVICALLYS
It looks like there has been some serious damage again over at 765 First Avenue, the building right across from the UN. There has been a squatter problem there over the last year and the break-in issues have been real. If you see anything illegal, please call the police. If you see anything quasi-legal, like broken windows, locks, glass on the sidewalk, make a 311 complaint. Sorta seems like those owners have abdicated responsibility.
Sunday, July 26th, is the latest in the Tudor City Greens’ series “Supporting Aging in Our Community.” The talk is about Dementia 101: Adjusting to the Diagnosis and Life Changes. The facilitator will be Shira Felberbaum Kedim, LMSW, MS.
On Saturday, July 25th, at 1 pm, the Children’s Gardening Event is taking place in the South Park. [Ed. Update: Shira is not the facilitator of the gardening event, per previous version of this post]
TO DO
The free Bryant Park movie tonight is “Good Morning, Vietnam”.
The Center for Brooklyn History is hosting a talk called “An Unfinished Revolution: Dialogues on Freedom and Democracy” on Wednesday, July 22nd. It will be hosted by Elizabeth Hinton and the focus is on the essay “Dogma” by Justin Surdyka.
This Friday, July 24th, Sex Mex is playing at Gold Sounds. The new record is AMAZING and this will be the show of the summer. You’ll be able to tell the kids you were there way back in Summer of ‘26.
If you feel like getting down to New Jersey, Lucy Dacus is performing at the Stone Pony Summer Stage.
REMEMBER SOME PLACES
The Hallmark Store! I never thought I would be the kind of person who could miss a Hallmark store so much. I mean, it’s just cards, right?! Wing dings and goofy stuff? Yes, but they always had whatever I needed. And most importantly, the people who ran it were really lovely, too.
Spots like that are a glue for the neighborhood. I loved running into neighbors there, laughing at the Valentine’s Day swag, getting a last second gift that cracked me up, or random art supplies. It was helpful. It was ours. And it meant I didn’t have to use Amazon. I was deeply bummed out when it was finally gone and still harbor a deep resentment for that weed store.
I hate that place and will never go in there. I would advise the same, but don’t be mean to the people that work there. They mostly seem totally bored since no one is ever there. I am mostly pointing my ire in the direction of the owners of the building who raised the rent to an unacceptable level. Since they forced it away, they can rot in whatever tax-shelter they hang out in.
-TCV
Paul Robeson's Passing By? (Had to look this up)