Africa or Bust
Americans join British spoof on an elite international road rally
Past Stories
2007
Bus Trip to Senegal (slide show)
In which a team from Washington, DC, fails miserably at one mission, and succeeds at another.
Struggling for Gay Rights In a More Diverse Europe
Conservative attitudes in newer EU member states threaten to roll back a generation of gains in gay marriage, adoption, even equal access to work.
Free Theater Nights Draw Crowds
Promotional scheme attracts new audiences across the nation
Have a Seat (If You Can Find One)
Public spaces next to private buildings are often indifferently maintained
Stretching Towards Jesus
If yoga is Hindu, why are Christians doing it in church – and to the Lord’s Prayer?
Anything to Score
Ghanaians were ecstatic when their soccer team nearly made the World Cup quarterfinals last year. The downside: thousands of teens fantasizing about sports careers have been spirited away to Europe, and often abandoned there.
How YouTube Makes – and Breaks – Political Careers
Home video site likely to be a force in 2008
Clothing with a Conscience
Designer’s line for young Muslims takes off
The (Second) Rise of the Nerd
Girls are again eyeing guys who love Converse sneakers and Japanese animated comics
2006
Breaking the Bank for a Big Break
Trying to launch my acting career is turning out to be more expensive than I could have imagined.
A Mexican Sonidero Shouts Out
A young DJ delivers a home-grown tradition to New York Mexicans, one of the city's hardest-pressed immigrant groups.
Apparel Company Targets Stylish, Young Christians
After his 15 minutes of television fame, an entrepreneur tries to spread a lasting message
Lagerfeld at the Shopping Mall
And other tales of - shhhh!- couture clothing designers slumming in retail
Sizing It Up
Do you fit into a size 6 in one store, but need a size 8 in another? Don't be fooled -- it's a ploy to get your business.
Another Kind of Dining Hall
College campuses across the country are establishing lactation rooms where students with babies can breastfeed.
Finding Islamic Love Online
An Internet social network allows young Muslim-Americans to search for a soul mate without violating religious rules against dating.
Cool Brew
A sax-playing Harlem brewer who named her beer after “Take the A Train” gets ready to expand
Six Styles That Say Fashion
You don’t have to be too rich or too thin to incorporate these trendy new looks into your fall and winter wardrobe.
4 Easy Voter Reg, Txt Me
Two digital execs started a text messaging campaign to sign notoriously resistant young people up to vote. Now, will it work?
Book Review: Under the Gun
Pakistan’s president explains how his country can be a U.S. ally and a Muslim nuclear power
Don't Worry, Mom
Young people say easier availability of the morning-after pill won’t make them careless.
Getting Your Sneaker Fix in London
London is right in step with the hip hop culture-driven craze that's turning athletic shoes into pricey collectibles
Web Winchells
Extreme celebrity gossip sites win fans on the net
Cheap and Amazing Latin Eats
Where in New York to find the best shredded pork, empanadas and tres leches cake
Goofballs No More
Backers of the out-of-favor school sport dodgeball try to build a professional team
When Humans Attack
Efforts to protect people and their pets from domestic violence grow nationwide
Free Internet Service Challenges Phone Lines
Now that millions of people can call anywhere in the world for free, how long will pricey international rates survive?
Movies Without Studios
A new website pays per-click fees to filmmakers who post their videos there. Will this lead to cacophony, or to a challenge to Hollywood?
Red Velvet Secrets
While you're fighting for the privilege of paying a hefty cover charge, some of New York's trendiest clubs are actually paying to get customers
Not Just Golden Oldies
They missed the era of the vinyl record. But some twentysomethings are making up for it now
Good, and Good for You Too
Shoppers snap up no-downside "healthy" chocolates
Song Song Revolution
Traditional Asian karaoke charts a hit with young clubgoers
Mr. Show
The latest twist on personal services: Live (male) nude housecleaning
Americans Go Mad for a Medieval Scottish Sport
Curling, with its boulders and broomsticks, is the butt of many a joke. But after the U.S. won Olympic bronze this winter, the sport caught on with the college crowd
Impromptu Fun
At New York’s improv comedy houses, tickets cost less than $10, and drinking is optional
Au Revoir, Bohème. Bonjour Lauren!
Upscale fashion retailers trail “Sex and the City” to an iconic New York street
A Real New York Bargain
Shoppers who’ve spent it all can eat for cheap at a bakery in the heart of lower Manhattan
Friends for the Night
More than cheap sleeps, hostelling offers a subculture of traveling buddies and guides
Kids: Don't Do This At School
As one student learned, university bans on residence hall businesses clash with e-commerce
Argentina's Dirty Little Secret
A filmmaker chronicles a young man’s discovery of a sordid episode in his family’s, and his country’s, past
Quick, What's a Seven-Letter Word for "Satan"?
If you’re a competitive crossword puzzle-solver, you’ve got it already
2005
Under 21 and $25,000 in Debt
Many college students are tempted by the deluge of credit card offers that flood their mailboxes. One student lost all control — and then panicked.
George Clooney Goes Back to J-School
George Clooney, Grant Heslov and David Strathairn of the film “Good Night, and Good Luck” dropped by New York University’s journalism department to talk about Murrow, McCarthy and the state of the press.
See If You Can Do What I Do With My Hands
With his arms and fists always posed to block a punch, 81-year-old Washington, D.C., boxing coach Henry Thomas talks about training fighters of all skill levels, his memories of boxing’s legendary figthers and battling racism.
Poetry Power
Thousands of New York City teens are flocking to old-fashioned poetry workshops run by a nonprofit that considers recitation confidence-building. The draw? A little respect.
Big Apple Bargains
Free tour guides, down-home sweets and secret views of the Statue of Liberty await the determined penny-pincher.
Meet New York's Famous Hat Lady
Hundreds of people pass by MacDougal Street each day without realizing that the landmark Greenwich Village street, known for its bars and nightlife, is also home to New York City’s famous hat lady.
Why I Hate Cell Phones
What not to get me for Christmas.
Food Fight
On Dec. 22, eight delightful people will descend upon my parents’ house in the hills of New Hampshire. The 10 of us will then embark on a full week of calm merriment in fire-lit, smoke-screened amber tones. I feel the warmth of the fire, a blustery gust as someone briefly opens the mudroom door to bring in a heap of firewood. I’m thirsty, and suddenly there’s wine. Someone mentions turkey and I can … not smell it.
Confessions of a Party Pooper
There’s something about sequins and cheap champagne that just turns me off. I abhor party hats and noise makers. Resolutions are for suckers. Maybe that’s why I’m a huge party pooper this time of year. I hate New Year’s Eve.
A Resolution
It’s not every day you see a 6-foot man shove a librarian so hard her glasses fall off.
Family Feud: Will the Real Satmar Please Stand Up?
Fist-fighting, beard-pulling Orthodox Jews. Brotherly break-ins at the local synagogue. Williamsburg hipsters hooked on something besides Ms. Pac Man, calling the throw-down “a hell of a story.” Here’s a tale — Shakespearian in drama — of feuding Hasidic brothers, sons of a grand rabbi with worldwide spiritual power, fighting over succession in a neighborhood otherwise spared from fraternity bar brawls.
Tookie's Clemency Campaign Gathers Steam
The Crips co-founder upstages former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft at a rally at Columbia University.
The World's Largest Menorah
The World’s Largest Menorah, to be lit near Central Park, is an enormous steel beamed structure standing 32 feet high. Not only does it commemorate the historic miracle that Hanukkah celebrates, but it also offers Yidden metros a sense of New York City’s Jewish community at a time when it seems the entire city is festooned with Christmas lights and Santas.
Facing December's Greatest Dilemma
Observing the holidays can be a stressful enough time within one religion, but try two. For many young interfaith couples, the season of the “December Dilemma” is upon us.
Happy Challah Days
It is Tuesday night on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and seven young Jewish women have left their briefcases and Blackberries behind and are elbows deep in flour, mixing, kneading and braiding. They are learning to make challah, the traditional sweet egg bread served at Jewish holiday and Sabbath meals.
Oh There's No Place Like Work For the Holidays
Whether they’re scrambling to find eggnog for a last-minute shopper, parking cars for holiday sightseers or fighting fires for someone who left the space heater on, for many New Yorkers, Christmas is just another working day.
Cuckoo for Cookies
Most Americans would agree that cookies are to Christmas as hydrogen is to water: essential. Whether you’re hosting a cookie swap or attending your mother-in-law’s, here are some cookie cookbooks, one or more of which might fit your motives.
Court Pastry Shop Draws a Crowd
The sweet, nutty smells are irresistible. Half a dozen varieties of authentic Italian Christmas cookies, in addition to classic Italian pastries, are painstakingly filled and intricately decorated to adorn the front window of Court Pastry Shop at 298 Court Street in Brooklyn.
Jersey City — New Hot Spot for Hipster Shopping
Williamsburg beware: Hipsters are finding a new hot spot to indulge in one-of-a-kind fashion on a Jersey City budget.
Harvard Square Holiday Craft Fair
Looking for a holiday craft fair that isn’t stuffed to the brim with hats, scarves, and costume jewelry? Then visit the Harvard Square Holiday Craft Fair this December to buy a hand-printed card, fill stockings with solid pewter critters and light Menorahs with hand-dipped candles.
Holiday Shopping for Your New Honey
For new couples, the holidays can change from a time of good cheer into one of major anxiety. Between choosing the perfect gift and deciding how much to spend, the most wonderful time of the year can become an emotional rollercoaster. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
Reading is Elementary at Harlem Link Charter School
Bill Feerick never needed an excuse to bellow into his trombone or whack his tennis racket. Reading was another story. It wasn’t until Father William O’Malley’s English class at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx that he began to love words. The experience of teaching a first grader her letters made him realize his calling — teaching underprivileged children to learn how to read.
Reality Check
Reality television was admittedly the centerpiece of our holiday dinner conversation. Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, stars of reality show “The Newlyweds,” had separated.
The Cheap Date New Yorkers Love to Hate
In a city where a glass of beer often tops $6 and a tour can cost upwards of $30 per person, finding an inexpensive date can be something of a challenge. Why not take advantage of free public transit?
Has "Elegant Violence" Gotten Too Elegant? Rugby Grows Up.
While playing with my college team at the annual New York Rugby Sevens Tournament, I realized that while I have largely given up my cleats and shorts for the pumps and skirts of adulthood, rugby itself has also become more mature and polished.
Postcards From the Edge
Frank Warren tells other people’s secrets. With a new book and the No. 2 blog on the Web, what Warren began as an art project is becoming a small phenomenon.
To Blog or Not to Blog: For Some, Not Even a Question
Kelly, a 27-year-old newspaper editor in Pennsylvania, began her blog as a kind of online diary. But then people started visiting her blog and commenting on it. Now, she receives about 700 hits a day. She is one of the thousands of Internet users in America who blog. Still, only a third of adult Internet users have a good idea of what “blog” actually means, according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project report.
Fashionistas Flock to Shecky's Girls Night Out
Shecky’s Girls Night Out is a five hour shopping event of up and coming designer names from across the country, with complimentary cocktails and mini makeovers all included in the admission price. Mixing alcohol with shopping — a girl could get used to this.
One Hour From Paradise
Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad’s new film “Paradise Now” delves into the motivations of suicide bombers. In what are to be their final days alive, two young Palestinian friends, Said and Khaled, stumble over strategic and emotional obstacles that ultimately lead only one of them to complete the mission to attack Tel Aviv.
A Good Kick in the Pants
Most of Christopher Scott’s meals lately come from his freezer, assuming he remembers to eat. He has fallen behind in housecleaning, and his eyes are bloodshot for lack of sleep. One topic — and one topic only — dominates his mind whether he’s alone, at work or with friends. No, it’s not that he’s in love. Scott is one of 847 New York City area residents participating in November’s National Novel Writing Month.
Get British in the Big Apple
If the United States visit of Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has brought out your inner Anglophile, forget your passport and head to New York City to get your fix.
Life at the Circus
The Big Apple Circus is in New York until January, when it heads to Atlanta and elsewhere across the country. Many of its talented performers are young and far from home. At 22, Bulgarian-born Mantchev is already an eight-year circus veteran. As a young teen, he traded his family for the circus community and came to America.
The Modern Marathon Man
Peter Warrington wore out his computer keypad almost as much as his sneakers while preparing for his first New York City Marathon.
Instead of measuring his training route with a car’s odometer, Warrington, a 23-year-old software engineer from Boston, simply logged on to Google.
Need a Priest? Try Google.
Web sites like www.theknot.com, www.rentapriest.com and www.lovingheartsceremonies.com are giving engaged couples a whole new way to find someone to preside over their weddings.
Sam Champion Goes on Tour for Slow Rewind
Leave your thoughts of the permanently tan WABC-TV weatherman behind. The four guys who make up the buzz worthy indie rock sound of Sam Champion are trekking across the country via van in promotion of their new album, “Slow Rewind.”
Abingdon Guest House Feels Like Home
Abingdon Guest House serves up cozy hospitality in the heart of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village.
Proposals With Pizzazz
A growing number of about-to-get-engaged guys are upping the ante on the traditional proposal by doing much more than getting down on one knee. With the peak engagement season approaching, is the creative approach putting pressure on other guys about to pop the question?
"Dog Sees God" Playwright Looks Outside His World
When Bert V. Royal moved to New York City from Green Cove Springs, Fla., he was just 21 with no college degree and little professional experience. Seven years later, Royal’s first play opens off-Broadway this December, and he has a six-figure advance to write an original screenplay for Paramount.
New Yorkers Fall for Fall
The chill in the air, it seems, turns young, sophisticated New Yorkers into harvesters, old-fashioned cooks and nature lovers. Maybe the city never sleeps, but seasonal rituals are observed here as much as in any small town — even fall cleaning.
This Web Site's Half Full
Byron Reese, a 36-year-old entrepreneur from Texas, created the Happy News Web site in response to people telling him they were tired of hearing only negative news.
Feedback has surpassed his expectations.
Food, Fun and Beer in Brooklyn
Trivia, arcade games and free eats are all part of the newest gimmicks to draw a bar crowd into Brooklyn’s hippest neighborhood. This article highlights a few of the new Williamsburg outposts to pick up on the trend.
Stuck in a Fantasy
It’s almost halfway through football season, and some women are totally fed up. But it’s not just “Monday Night Football” and weekend games that are making the sight of a Hail Mary pass unbearable. It’s fantasy football.
Hillel Travels to Houston Days After Katrina
Within NYU Hillel’s local, independent effort, 10 volunteers were sent to Houston to offer support and assistance to storm victims. What these student volunteers would learn is this act would spawn a greater call to activism and become a part of a larger process to repair the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina.
Emerging Artists Make Their Debut in a Public Hospital
Move over, Amateur Night at the Apollo – now New York’s undiscovered performers are making their debut in a New York City public hospital. And they’re being paid with something that’s worth more than cash.
Are Internships a Racket?
While internships have become a resume staple for entry-level workers, the internships themselves are becoming less desirable — particularly in journalism. What’s a cub reporter to do?
Six Billion Reasons College Sports Won't Change
This year, the NCAA will be enforcing new academic standards aimed at raising graduation rates on all Division I sports teams to about 50 percent and threatening sanctions against programs that don’t comply. But whether the NCAA is actually willing to impose severe penalties is unclear.
Blogs and Advertisers: A Perfect Match?
When the sports company Puma recently touted their sneakers on blogs, the German athletic firm followed the trend of many other well known brands. Even the most staid conventional companies are launching into the blogosphere these days as advertising is becoming increasingly individualized.
No More Cinder Blocks: College Kids Raise the Bar on Dorm Rooms
College students have always tried to make their first home-away-from-home more comfortable, but now they are taking dorm décor to a new level.
Home furnishing companies are ready to help.
C'est la Vie: Choosing a Life
I fell in love with France, but the jobs didn’t pay and the stores were always shut. Worse, everyone seemed to hate Americans.
The Prize Surprise
My girlfriend and I won a four day trip to a Florida island paradise. What more could we want?
One Day in Tangier
My aunt’s idea of great vacation was spying on Antonio Banderas’ summer home and browsing through the tony boutiques of southern Spain. The rest of the family was looking for something more adventurous.
London's Long and Winding Road
Wouldn’t the well-trodden route to a Beatles shrine be easy to follow?
The Statues of Kiev
You can gauge the mood in the Ukrainian capital by the way the locals treat their public statues. Around some, they picnic, pray and snap wedding pictures. Then there’s the other kind.
Dressing Down in Coconut Grove
A pizza-and-pitchers alternative to Miami’s South Beach.
Living the High Life in Wisconsin
A New Yorker has a tough time keeping up with a major local pastime.
Climbing Southeast Asia’s Highest Peak
Reaching the summit of Mount Kinabalu in northern Borneo was supposed to be easy. They said any tourist could do it.
Husband-Hunting in the Hamptons
You may be looking in all the wrong places.
Eating Away the New York Blues
A newcomer finds a cure for homesickness in the East Village’s torta cubana, sake and mac and cheese.
Touring New York’s Finest Chocolate Shops
After sampling La Dolce Grapefruit, habañero pepper and King Tut at the new artisanal chocolate shops, you’ll forget all about your weakness for Nestles.
Brooklyn's Hipster Heaven
New York’s Williamsburg neighborhood has a performance space with a reflecting pool, the city’s best blue cheese and other indispensable items, like Che Guevara T-shirts for the kids.
New York's Moveable Feast
Some of the city’s most delectable, dollar-wise meals are rolling down the street.
Foolproof Travel Via The Web: Tips To Save Headaches and Money
Using the Internet to book flights or vacations? You’re not alone. In the past year, 44.6 million Americans used the Internet to book travel plans, and those using the Internet to make travel arrangements spent an average of $2,700, according to the Travel Industry of America.
Reminiscing About Garbage
I am addicted to Garbage. Not the kind here in New York City that litters our streets and provides ample food for the rats. I’m talking about the rock band Garbage — the very same Garbage that I have listened to for the last nine years. I love them and listen to their songs everyday on my MP3 player during my daily commute on the subway.
An Unlikely Rock Star
Soovin Kim performs to sold out concert halls, has throngs of adoring fans and lives out of his suitcase for most of the year, but he’s no rock star. He’s a concert violinist.
A Powerful Accessory for $1
The bright yellow bands are inescapable. And it is the one fashion accessory that everyone can agree on.
The LIVESTRONG wristbands have a firm following of fans, with more than 40 million of the $1 bracelets sold in less than a year to raise awareness about cancer and to support research efforts.
Philadelphia: More Than Just Cheese Steaks
Philadelphia is a short hour away from New York by train and a mere $12 bus ride from Port Authority, making it the perfect city for a quick weekend getaway.
From Kalamazoo to Conan
Not many residents of New York City can claim a blasé attitude toward a celebrity sighting. When you are a 24-year-old working at NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” you just might see enough celebrities that you no longer get as starstruck.
this web site
New York City is more of a country music town than most people think. As the No. 2 market for country music sales in the United States and with the Country Music Association Awards coming to the city, country music fans are wondering why there is still no country music scene.
Grad Students Struggle for Internships
Employers are reluctant to hire graduate students, fearing a more experienced intern will be unsatisfied with their menial responsibilities and walk away.
Dirty Clothing Line Cleans Up
The most a plumber normally shows of his butt is the top part of it, but one U.K. clothing line is marketing their work clothing by dropping the handyman’s pants entirely.
A Renaissance Man Painting in the 21st Century
An artistic master weaves classic technique with a contemporary twist.
Sugar and Spice
Janice Cable’s “Candy Dance” class gives women a fun — and sexy — way to burn off the calories.
Summers with Tammy
It’s a pattern I’ve repeated ever since junior high when my cable was upgraded. That’s when I met the likes of Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra and Doris Day on the American Movie Channel.
The Secret Behind the Magic of Disney
The dress-code rules at Disney theme parks may go father than the normal dress code for a day at work, but it’s not easy for Disney employees to maintain the magic of Disney. Just ask anyone who works there.
'Idol' Constantine Still a Winner as Band Inks Record Deal
While Constantine Maroulis was busy competing for an “American Idol” record deal, his band, Pray for the Soul of Betty, just signed with KOCH Records. And for those who fear the end of the band is near with Constantine’s appearance on “American Idol,” Betty’s drummer, Hamboussi, is out to reassure you that the group will continue with Constantine.
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Theater by the Blind, a company made up of both sighted and visually impaired actors, has been surprising audiences since its founding in 1979. In their latest production, “Oedipus,” the troupe continues to challenge misperceptions about blindness.
Living Works of Art
It’s impossible to tell what she’s wearing, if anything at all. Women wonder how she got her eyeshadow to match her dress, men strive to maintain eye-contact, but the truth is that 20-year-old Danielle Costanzo is wearing her own art: painted patterns that match her skirts and fool the eye.
Famous Joe's — Still Worthy of the Title
Forced to move locations after an astronomical rent increase, Joe’s Pizza is still going strong three doors down from its original spot.
An Old Nickname Yields Sweet Profits for This Chick
Sometimes having a childhood nickname stick can turn out to be a very profitable experience. Just ask Chick, a.k.a. Nicky Hilton, who is using her nickname for a new juniors clothing collection.