Life on Two Rooftops

We are currently settling into our new place and exploring the neighborhood. Although we know the area very well, it feels a bit like being tourists in our own city. So far, we love being back here and hope that the excitement lasts for a good while longer. It should because the trick is not to mistake excitement with truly liking something. We know that we like, no, love Downtown Manhattan.

There is actually a music venue two blocks away from us: The Rooftop at Pier 17, a 3,400-cap outdoor concert space with stunning views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines. Their summer concert series kicked off last Saturday with Bad Religion and Social Distortion, two bands who had their heydays in the 80s.

The venue is mostly too big for glamglare coverage. On the lineup, only the late October show by Nothing But Thieves piqued our interest, but $114 (plus taxes) per person is a steep price – we paid $5 to see them in 2015 for a one-off show. Personally, I would love to see Thomas Dolby, whose 1982 songs “Europa and the Pirate Twins” and “One of Our Submarines” were staples on my mixtapes.

But we’ll most likely enjoy those shows from a distance. Last Monday, we found out that we have a good view from our building’s 31st-floor rooftop to the rooftop at Pier 17. Elke and I are used to it: the first show we ever experienced together was The Rolling Stones at the Olympic Stadium in Munich from a nearby hill. We also fondly recall hearing Michael Jackson filling the center of Munich with “Dirty Diana.” So, bring it on, all who perform at Pier 17!

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Out tomorrow: Vicky Farewell – Give a Damn

Like the music of Icelandic singer Laufey, Vicky Farewell new album leads you into a past where music was pretty and mellow. Unlike Laufey, Vicky keeps her songs connected to the present. That starts with titles like “Tern Me On,” “Luxury Hellscape,” or “Love Ya Like Me.” But also the production – which she does herself in her studio – is more modern electronic than retro. We have only heard the four singles so far, but we cannot wait to use Give A Damn for our Friday Happy Hour.

Out tomorrow: Bibi Club – Feu de Garde

The Montreal duo Bibi Club toured with Blonde Redhead, so they are often mentioned together in one sentence. In a way, they forked their music from the NYC indie legends around the 2004 album Misery is a Butterfly, keeping the sometimes discordant edge. But the more often you listen to Feu de Garde, the more harmonic and delightful the music becomes – not the least because of singer Adèle Trottier-Rivard’s pretty vocals.

“‘Feu de garde’ is an album about the importance of community, kindness, being a parent, mortality, and strength. It’s a soundtrack to a nonviolent tension, a fire that illuminates. The flames intersect and reassure one another,” the band says about the album.

Nine Photos of Our First Week in Our New Home

Impressions from our first  few days in our new home.
(1 & 4) The South Street Seaport currently serves as one big outdoor art gallery for the works of American sculptor and artist Carol A. Feuerman. While we could see the piece “Justice” from our terrace, a few days later, it was replaced with a different piece, the fun “New York City Sucker”, and “Justice” was moved further to the water. Stay tuned for more artwork.
(2 & 8) Flowers bring color and joy to any room. A dear friend surprised us with the tulips, and my favorite online grocer had these coral peonies on sale.
(3 & 6) Different views of our building.
(5) All smiles for having to take the subway for only three stops, and also only because the rain on Sunday became so unbearable.
(7) The one and only!
(9) The abysmal May weather prevented us from having dinner outdoors most nights, so we took it indoors in an unconventional way and loved it!