Are you looking for somewhere different to try, but aren’t overly concerned with price? Somewhere that is lively, but also manages to be calm enough for you to converse with your dining companion without shouting? Then definitely try The House.

Located just Northeast of Union Square, The House is easily accessible from a wide variety of subway lines. I admit that I’ve walked by this beautiful three story building many times without noticing it. Formerly a carriage house, there’s a small outdoor seating area, a nice sized bar (which includes several tables), and finally, the cozy main dining room located upstairs.

The House has an extensive wine list with many reasonable selections for a restaurant of this caliber. Wines are available in either full bottle, half bottle, or a quarter of a liter (quartino). At roughly a glass and a half, the quartino is a good value for the price. The Chenin Blanc and Vermentino were excellent, as was the Pinot Bianco Kastelaz. Not a wine drinker? They have craft beers from eight countries as alternatives.

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Dear Hans,

My boyfriend and I have just made things “official” after three months of dating. He’s the greatest guy I’ve ever dated and even though it’s early, I can definitely see a future with him. Unfortunately, he’s the worst kisser I’ve ever met. It’s like kissing a statue! We’re taking things slowly and I’m a little worried this problem will continue once we go from third to home. Is there any way someone can get better at kissing?

- S.L.

Dear S. L.,

Kudos to you and your man for your old-school prudishness. However, romance has long carried with it the fallacy of “the great personality” as if human coupling had anything to do with chivalry and nothing to do with deep, libidinous attraction.

Unfortunately for you, the lips (upstairs) are like the St. Louis Arch of sexuality, long considered by dating columnists to be the Gateway to the Genitals. Is your super thweet boyfriend worth keeping around if your sex is as doomed as the Donner Party? Using another geographic-y analogy we can say that your boyfriend is sort of like an aspiring Mexican immigrant. If he ever wants to reach the next level (America/awesome hot sex with you) he must desire to approach the border (Arizona/your lips) with an appropriate amount of passion and aggression. So, right now your boyfriend is sort of like a lazy Mexican. And that’s racist. And there’s nothing less sexy than racism.

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Did everyone enjoy their Memorial Day weekend? I sure did. I jumped out of bed in my feetie pajamas as soon the clock chimed 6 o’clock, slid down the fireman pole, and stared with wide-eyed joy at the spread that St. Memorial Day had brought me. There was so many Flag chocolates sitting in the baseball hats that we’d hung from the door knobs. The Royal Oak that we’d chopped down earlier that week looked so majestic. And then there was the gifts! Oh my! Let’s just say that St. Memorial Day was very generous.

So on to the art! It was a mostly slow week since all the galleries are either taking it easy it preparation for everyone being out of town, or ramping up for the up-coming summer shows. The good news is that there is still some art to be had. So we loaded up the Rolls and headed out to see the Telectroscope under the Brooklyn Bridge. What happened to our Handsome Hero? Follow the jump!

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One of the great aspects of Manhattan, both in design and execution, is the existence of Central Park. Originally conceived of by Olmstead and Vaux in the late 1850s as a “democratic development of the highest significance” – few large, publicly funded city parks had yet been created anywhere – Central Park today is the epicenter of outdoor sports in Manhattan.

Offering both organized leagues such as softball and soccer, and plenty of hilly, open space for pick-up games of Frisbee, kickball, or even freeze-tag, Central Park is one of the first places Manhattanites head when they want to get outside and stretch their muscles.

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It’s the ultimate beach read: Hot Mess, a Sex & the City-style romp through summertime New York, replete with late-night partying, dreary office jobs, shopping extravaganzas and cute boys!

The book has a lot in common with other contemporary fiction aimed at women (here at Waxing Literary, we do not use the word “chick-lit”), but for one essential difference: it’s actually not aimed at women.

Instead, it’s this summer’s YA must-read, which means it’s more likely to appeal to the younger siblings of this site’s readership… or those who, like me, have somehow reached adulthood with an interest in all things teen-y still intact. (Hey, it’s not my fault that Delia’s won’t stop sending me their catalog.)

After getting such a kick out of Hot Mess, I was excited last week to interview Julie Kraut, one of its co-authors. Read on for her insights about teen angst, writing for a younger audience, and the secret inspiration for the character known as “The Dorf”.

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By now you’ve heard that MTV’s The Real World is coming back to New York City. After dealing with two casts already - the original seven and the tenth season - you would think it wouldn’t be a big deal to have to witness cameras following a group of self-absorbed fame-seekers (and they’re always so pretty!). But the reason every NYC -based publication has been falling all over themselves the past week is because MTV announced that, unlike the other two seasons, the new cast would not be housed in Manhattan. No, the Seven Strangers are coming to Brooklyn.

Downtown Brooklyn.

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Ah, the 3-day weekend! Nothing beats it. No obligations to see family like on Thanksgiving or Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. Three blissful, work-free days to use however you please.

Unless of course you’re like the many unemployed or non-salaryed workers across the city for whom a bank holiday is just another day you can’t make any money. This could make paying rent this month a little harder. In fact, maybe you’re starting to worry that you won’t make the rent at all, and the truth is if something doesn’t happen soon, you might be looking at a couple of months before you can get the cash together to keep the wolves at bay.

I’m here to help you out. Because the sad truth is that it can take anywhere from 3 months to forever to evict someone for not paying their rent in New York. A travesty of American justice, but one you can use to your advantage. [God, I hate myself for writing this.]

The warnings first, though. Pay your rent. On time. If you don’t, it will go on your transcript. Not the high school one that didn’t really matter. The Life Transcript. Your credit report. Landlords, understandably, are fond of people who pay, so unless you want to steal identities in order to get another apartment later when you can afford it, pay your rent on time. And while I’m dishing out sage life advice, same thing goes for your bills. You should also enroll in your 401K and eat your vegetables.

But if you can’t, if you’re between jobs, or the well of temp work has run dry, and it’s either drinking money or rent this month and we know where your priorities are, then I present you with The Friendly Landlord’s Guide To Understanding the Eviction Process and How Screwed You Are At Each Step.

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Sorry to disappoint any of you who will be sitting in front of your computers this coming Monday, but we at neighborbeeblog will be wrenching ourselves away from our keyboards for the weekend to eat hot dogs, get some fresh air, and expose our pasty skin to the sunlight (The sun! It buuuurns!). We’ll be back on Tuesday.

Happy Memorial Day!

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It’s Memorial Day this weekend, and while many of you will be heading to the Jersey Shore, the Hamptons or other beachy destinations, we at neighborbeeblog wanted to make sure that those of you who were staying here were properly entertained. Fortunately for you, this weekend is the Brooklyn Bridge’s 125th birthday, and there are a ton of Brooklyn and bridge-themed activities for everyone! Listed below are some of our favorites, but for a full list of events, click here.

Friday, May 23

Brooklyn Bridge Film Series: open-air showing of Walt Disney Pictures’ Enchanted (2007; rated PG), a modern-day fairy tale set in Manhattan. Empire - Fulton Ferry State Park. Doors open at 6PM, film starts at 8:30PM.

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Finally, I have a forum to write about one of my absolute favorite activities: happy hour!

I know, I know. I’m supposed to write about “events.” But doesn’t planning a mass gathering where everyone drinks affordably qualify as an event? Yes, I think so.

Now that summer is approaching, bars are accommodating the drinking crowds by offering some thirst-quenching specials. I polled many of my libation-loving friends and they offered up their favorite cheap drink joints. (This is what you call “blog-phoning it in” when your flight to New Orleans leaves in a few hours!)

And now, I present to you many frosty reasons to leave work on time.

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