One of the best things about New York is brunch. But, one of the worst things about New York can be brunch. It seems to only take a few weeks before the word is out on a new place and the oh-so-nice relaxed ambiance morphs into a zoo, and you are off in search of somewhere else to go on Saturdays and Sundays. Many don’t take reservations, and some seem to amass lines that defeat the relaxation weekends should entail.

I recently had a friend in town and decided to branch out and try Garage in the West Village. Not only do they take reservations, but they have a nice sized menu, and feature live jazz during their Sunday brunch (without some of that unstated-built-in live jazz fee most restaurants might as well add a la carte to their menus).

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If autumn the season for serious media, then summer is all about The Trash. Beach reads, superhero movies, ice cream – no doubt about it, warm weather is guilty pleasure time. And if you’re still nose-deep that thick historical biography once June 21st rolls around then you, sir, are doing it wrong.

This Saturday marked the official first day of summer, and the first of eleven Long Hot Weekends that won’t be complete without some truly trashy reading material. So today on Waxing Literary, I’m pleased to present a roundup of one month’s worth of dirty literary fun.

Go on… you know you want to.

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For the second and final time this regular season, the Yankees and Mets are meeting in a cross-town battle. In British football they’d call this a derby, but since we’re talking about baseball in America, we call it an Interleague match-up. Regardless of the nomenclature, the meeting of the two teams for a four game set later this week – with the first game at Yankee Stadium and then three games in Queens – is important for both teams.

For the Yanks, they’ll be trying to continue their upward momentum despite the recent loss of pitcher Chien-Ming Wang; for the Mets (and new manager Jerry Manual), the set against their American League rivals serves as an opportunity to jumpstart a thus-far mediocre season, or perhaps hasten the beginning of the end for Omar Minaya and this iteration of the Amazin’s. Read the rest of this entry »

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If you’re reading this right now, be warned: there’s a fat guy in your Internet. He’s stuck there, and is trying to fight his way back out to reality. So, y’know, watch your pr0n passwords.

Last night was the launch party for Fat Guy Stuck in Internet, Cartoon Network’s newest live-action show airing on their Adult Swim block of programming. Originally created as a series for the monthly short festival Channel 102, Fat Guy follows Ken Gemberling (John Gemberling), a hotshot computer programmer that gets sucked in to the Internet after a freak accident (he poured a beer on his keyboard to prove his badassedness). While trying to find his way out of the Internet, he’s persued by a bounty hunter, hired by his boss in the real world, to hunt Gemberling down and bring him back to pay for the equipment Gemberling destroyed.

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It’s summertime. That means beach fever. As a rule, I try to avoid going to the beach on the three summer holidays (Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day). It’s just too many people and hotels jack up the prices on holiday weekends and have all sorts of caveats like three-night minimum stay plus the cost of life insurance on your first born. So why not soak up the sun this weekend or the weekend after the Fourth? New York, published a mega-list of beaches, state park and other outdoorsy goodness in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. This past weekend my boyfriend and I spent three days in Point Pleasant Beach, one of the places on the list, and neighboring Bay Head.

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So the obvious question: How do I qualify for Affordable Housing? How much can I make?

As you might expect with a government run program, the answers vary widely and are often contradictory, especially between individual programs. Furthermore, the rules can be difficult to understand, and management companies may interpret them differently on top of adding their own special restrictions. Which basically means, if you feel poor, there’s probably a program and an apartment out there with your name on it. You just have to find it.

But let’s get a little more specific. One of the most common ways an Affordable Housing program determines eligibility is by setting an income limit at some percentage of the neighborhood’s median income. 40% and 50% are fairly standard, but I know some buildings where it’s up to 80%. So let’s say the median income for the neighborhood you’re interested in is $55,000. (You can find median income info here.) If the income percentage is 50%, your W-2 can show up to $22,750. If it’s 80%, you can rake in up to $44,000 per year. Obviously, the higher the income limits on a building, the higher the rent will be.

For a decent starting point for more information, go to http://nyc.gov/html/housinginfo/html/home/home.shtml. But don’t be discouraged by the relatively low number of apartments listed and the general crappiness of the locations. I really encourage you to aim high and conduct your own investigations. As I mentioned in last week’s post, nearly all new rental buildings have at least some affordable apartments. So when you walk by yet another new construction, take note of the phone # and find out how to get on a list for an application. Get on enough of the right lists for your income level, fill out enough applications, and you’re probably gonna land a sweet apartment.

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This past week I received a hand-written letter (addressed to “Mr.” Jaime Morelli… which irks me to death) from a “neighbor.” Here’s what the letter read:

Dear Neighbor,

We cannot reach you at your home, so let me make this invitation to you, please. Even in our troubled world we can find happiness from accurate Bible knowledge of God and his purpose for mankind.

Psalm 119:105 states - “Your word is a lamp to my foot and a light to my roadway.”

So we offer you a free home Bible-study in any translation you have. Please let me know if you are interested in a visit. Or just come to one of our meetings.

Sincerely yours,

[redacted]

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In about 24 hours, I’ll be eating a traditional Polish-style dinner at my little brother’s wedding: kluski noodles, mashed potatoes, Polish sausage and about 15 other types of meat. The Polish know how to party. I should know; I’m currently in my hometown with my crazy family who is successfully incorporating vodka into every meal. Impressive.

I’m happy to know that the partying and overeating doesn’t have to stop when I return to NYC.

If you’re looking for a tasty way to support an important nonprofit, consider this amazing food festival taking place on Monday, June 23 at Pier 54 in Manhattan.

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You know what’s awesome? Comedy.

You know what’s not so awesome? Not a lot of people are well-versed in the scene, thus missing out on a wealth of entertainment in their own backyards.

Enter me.

My name is Matt Little. I am a comedian, actor, and writer. I perform comedy all over town and write for TV, but this column isn’t about me. This column is about YOU, and your lust for comedic entertainment. It’s also about comedy, but that doesn’t sound as sexy in the copy.

I will be your guide to seeing great shows around town that don’t involve the words “drink minimum,” “bringer,” or “Times Square.” I’ll also be featuring vids from NYC-based comedians, interviews, and other whimsical flights of fancy. Consider this my soapbox for why New York is the best city for comedy in the Milky Way or Andromeda galaxies (sorry, Xlrt’son Deebot on Planetoid Xteen, but you know it’s true).

If you want to sound more savvy than the people in your office that get excited about the new season of Mind of Mencia, follow me.

After the jump, more! Read the rest of this entry »

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What are you doing looking for movie suggestions, when it’s so beautiful outside! It’s now officially summer, according to the scientists and everything, so the last thing you should be doing this weekend is hanging out in dark, artificial climate for two hours at a time. Plus, grilled hot dogs make way better snacks than stale popcorn and Milk Duds.

But, you may be saying to yourself, “I have to watch movies all the time and how can I see them when I’m outside?” Well, you’re in luck because few cities give you more and better options for watching films al fresco than New York. How jam packed is The Big Apple’s outdoor movie scene? It’s so big, you actually have to go to New Jersey to see some of them. Imagine that! Get the low down on the city’s best summer screenings below.

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