How to help Japan

These are troubled times. Not wanting to go into the debate about America’s meddling in the Middle East (again) – I’m thinking about the catastrophic events in Japan. We are here, going on about our lives, sitting in front of our computers, ordering our groceries online and clicking away trying to score the best reservation at opentable.com.

Walking around NYC though, I’m happy to notice reminders about how we can help the ones that are not. This week I went to Uniqlo and Ippudo, and saw that they are organizing drives and donations for the victims in Japan. Granted, both are Japanese, but still… I also received an email that SoulCycle will donate $1of every ride tomorrow to help those affected by the quake and tsunami throughout the Pacific. And my daughters school is also calling for action with donations to the Red Cross.

Too make it even easier for the us,- the lucky bastards gawking at the screen -, here’s a link to help those who are in a situation we can not even imagine:

RED CROSS JAPAN

Ippudo in the Village encourages patrons to donate by texting

Uniqlo in SoHo is collecting donations to the Red Cross at their registers

SoulCycle will be collecting money through Friday, for those who can not ride on Tuesday, March 22^nd

The AIPAD Photography Show at the Park Avenue Armory

Look. Click. Gone. It’s a moment in time, like a snapshot. Four days to be precise. Not a lot, so get organized to see the images of some of the most prominent and talented art photographers. Get your act together quickly and catch this impressive show: the AIPAD Photography Show New York is the longest running and top exhibition of fine art photography.

From the MoMA’s website:

Founded in 1979, The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) represents more than 145 of the world's leading galleries in fine-art photography. AIPAD is dedicated to creating and maintaining the highest standards of scholarship and ethical practice in the business of exhibiting, buying, and selling photographs as fine art. The AIPAD Photography Show is the longest-running and foremost exhibition of fine art photography. More than seventy of the world’s leading fine art photography galleries will present a wide range of museum-quality work, including contemporary, modern, and nineteenth-century photographs, as well as photo-based art, video, and new media.

Where

The Park Avenue Armory

Park Avenue and 67th Street

Show Hours
Thursday, March 17 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 18 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 19 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 20 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

momofuku Ma Peche NYC

Don’t be fooled by the small entrance in this midtown outpost of the East Village momofuku succession. If you remember Town, the previous restaurateur tenant, the steps at the end of the ground floor take you to a large double height ceiling dining room. Differently from the typical midtown atmosphere of beige upholstery and mahogany covered walls, Ma Peche is fresh and brings its concept of communal tables, clean lines and light wood uptown. And the rock’n roll in the background of course, just like its sisters – all creations of highly praised David Chang - momofuku Ssam Bar, Noodle Bar, and the exquisite and impossible to score a table: Ko. The entrance of Ma Peche is Milk Bar, the perfect take-out spot if you are craving a huge chocolate cookie after your 3-hour midtown meeting. Opened about a year ago, this is the perfect hidden haven from the rest of all the neighborhood’s sameness.

Ma Peche - 15 West 56th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue - 212 757 5878

This short video I made of Milk Bar and momofuku Ma Peche captures the alternative downtown vibe in the midst of Manhattan’s corporate-land.