The Hoopla Hoop » Arts

FEATURE: Visual Identification, June 2010

Lemia Bodden — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:15:47 +0000

When we put out our call for photography for this month's Bicycle issue, we described the bicycle as a symbol of New Urbanism. It is a part of a self-reliant culture that insists on independence and functionality, one that embraces a city and its often inaccessible ends. The bicycle has been a means for us in New York City to save a precious near-$100 every month in an increasingly unreliant (yet, still, one of the world's finest) Metro system. It allows us passage between neighborhoods unlinked by train or bus. It unifies places as we rush through, block by block, and witness the changing character of what is around us. Read More

Imagine That, a Science Festival!

Alma Verdejo — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:10:40 +0000

The on-screen realization that something improbable has the potential to exist, such as genetically generated dinosaurs roaming around an island or bioluminescent animals not on a far-away planet but Earth itself is what makes going to the movies an experience that validates our wildest imaginations. Science enthuiasts, get ready, the 2010 Imagine Science Film Festival, is coming back to NYC, opening on October 15th, tempting peoples’ imaginations while accurately portraying the foundation of science in new films.

Brooklyn Maize Fields

Jenn de la Vega — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:21:17 +0000

[Updated: Now with Photos!] Boerum Hill, Brooklyn used to be a Native American maize field. Our urban sprawl has left no evidence of its existence. We joke that New York neighborhoods are in constant flux, but rarely do we examine the extent of the words, “This neighborhood has changed.” Gowanus artist and resident, Christina Kelly, critiqued and challenged this phrase by planting urban corn gardens in Canarsie and Boerum Hill, namely at the intersection of Smith and Bergen. Christina cites that this particular area was cultivated by the Marechkawick Indians, as mentioned in a 1640 land grant to the Dutch citizen Frederick Lubbersen. The gardens are a nod to the historical resilience of New York City living.

La Strada

Cienna Wills — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:19:19 +0000

La Strada has come a very long way. There was a time where their main gig was on the subway platform, performing to patrons waiting for the G train. The band carries a sound of their own that transcends genres and classifications, creating an anomaly of different sounds and transform it to something only they could create. Each tune is a new surprise waiting to be discovered, and each can easily become a new favorite.

Inner City-The Illuminated Grimoire of Newtown Road

Jon Michael Anzalone — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:41:00 +0000

I joked about it. I called it Queens Times Square. Every time I told a new friend where I was living there was a predictable moment of hesitation and a laugh. I had found myself a nice little apartment right near 42nd and Broadway, thankfully free of the harsh light and the awful crowd of its eponymous twin.

SCORE! Pop-Up Swap

Natalie Connor — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:30:58 +0000

SCORE! Pop-Up Swap is a recurring swap meet where everyone is invited to bring items they no longer want and in turn can take whatever treasures they find. For only a small entrance fee of $3-$5, you can take as much as you can carry, a great deal for the financially challenged, like myself. The array of people donating added to the range of departments offered, resulting in a multitude of amazing items up for grab. Though I was mainly interested in their clothing and shoe sections, SCORE! also includes books, music, electronics, arts & crafts and housewares.

Tweed Cycling Fashion

Melissa Andrada — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:28:00 +0000

Last Sunday marked the first official Big Apple Tweed — New York City’s inaugural tweed bicycle ride. Cyclists from as far as Harlem and Washington DC came together dressed in their tweed-inspired Sunday best. We met in Grand Army Plaza before embarking on our tour of Park Slope and Fort Greene. The ride culminated with a free buffet brunch at the lovely French-Moroccan bistro Kif.

Hot Hot Heat: Canadian Residence in the ‘Burg

Cienna Wills — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:00:36 +0000

For the past three Wednesday nights, Canadian dance-punk band Hot Hot Heat has gathered Brooklyn scenesters to Williamsburg’s Public Assembly to preview of their highly anticipated new album “Future Breeds” on Dangerbird Records. The new album also welcomes the band’s newest addition, bassist Louis Hearn and the residency and album re-aquaint and remind us why we loved them back in 2002!

Inner City – Joker on the Balustrade

Jon Michael Anzalone — Sat, 22 May 2010 20:41:48 +0000

I pored over the maps, with their codes and symbols as prominent as the streets and buildings. Every inch was measured, it seemed, and everything rippled with information referenced and cross-referenced elsewhere. It was August of 2005, and I lived in New York City. For three months from having arrived out of school, this was my life: study the maps, learn the code, stay inside.

May 2010: The Identity Issue

Jeff Lagasca — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:00:29 +0000

Our May Issue is our first, and represents a lot of aspirations for what we hope to achieve as a web publication. While we may support that need for immediacy through our regular columns, our monthly issues and features aim to craft more detailed, emotionally tinged experiences for you, our reader.