June 16, 2009 | Video | by Zolton |

When I first moved to New York in 2006, I lived in a shared loft space in Williamsburg with four others. It was quite an introduction to inner-city living, especially given that I’d literally shifted across from the beaches and sunshine of Bondi, Sydney. As such, it was a dizzying period, full of discovery. Rufus Wainwright’s epic, broodingly lush album Want Two was the soundtrack to it all. I had it on my iTunes collection at the time, without even knowing it, until it magically burst into my headphones one day whilst tapping away frenetically on my laptop. Oh man! What an album, what a voice, and what a beautifully composed and arranged selection of songs, a favorite amongst them being the rolling piano ballad, This Love Affair.

Cool Travel / Diner, Williamsburg

September 8, 2008 | Cool Travel | by Ilana Kohn |

On those rare occasions when I feel the need to treat myself to an absolutely mind (and wallet) blowing meal, I love to come here. The restaurant is housed in an old diner (the old trailer style diners) which makes for some fun ambiance. Plus, the menu changes every week, so there’s never a written menu. The waiter comes out with a pen and writes the entire menu down on the butcher paper covering your table. Aside from all that, the food is absolutely unbelievable!

New Art / Maho Kino

September 3, 2008 | New Art | by Ilana Kohn |

For anyone living in the Williamsburg, Brooklyn area, you may already be familiar with Maho Kino’s passel of peanuts engaged in everything from ballet to riding dogs to playing the congas. Kino’s peanuts appear on a range of items including her beautiful etchings and her kitschy tea sets. What’s not to like about these peanuts?

Cool Travel / Brooklyn’s McCarren Park, Enids

August 8, 2008 | Cool Travel | by Marcos Chin |

Summertime at McCarren Park in Williamsburg is picturesque. It’s often filled with a mix of people, old and young, picnicking or sitting in the shade, running along the track or playing soccer (or football, depending on where you’re from). It’s also connected to a now defunct McCarren (swimming) pool which transforms into an outdoor concert space on Sundays during the summer. In the past, performers such as Leslie Feist, M.I.A., The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Broken Social Scene have performed. Read more

Cool Travel / Cheeks Bakery, Brooklyn

July 19, 2008 | Cool Travel | by Marcos Chin |

Disregard the buzz that surrounds those other cupcake shops in New York City. Cheeks Bakery in Williamsburg houses the best cupcakes that I’ve eaten. The clean and understated decor extends to the menu, where being fancy doesn’t rule on the cupcake shelves. Cheeks offers, simply, vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with either vanilla or chocolate cream. But if you do want more, Cheeks has that as well, a limited selection of pies and cakes.