It's not a totally new idea, but how has this not become a thing yet? Why aren't we all rushing off to jazzercise after work? Camille Eroy-Reveles, owner of a Williamsburg-based fitness training company called The L Trainer, tells us she's currently hosting a free '80s aerobics class every Tuesday night from 8 to 9 p.m. in (where else) Williamsburg. The next session is tomorrow, and Eroy-Reveles suggests you drop by in your spandex and legwarmers, because '80s gear is encouraged! (Luckily American Apparel has been mass producing '80s aerobics gear for years; Dov Charney, prepare for a spike in sales if this thing takes off!) more ›

Last week the LES gentrification piece in New York magazine circa 1984 began circulating again, and now a look back to October 6th, 1985 when the NY Times published an article titled "If You're Thinking of Living In; The East Village." Ah, a time when buyers bargain shopped for run-down buildings in the now pricey neighborhood, seeking out "maximum space for minimal outlay." Even today residents are echoing the "Die Yuppie Scum" sentiment around the vastly changed landscape of the EV; as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Some choice quotes from the article:
• Catching the eyes of an increasing number of New Yorkers who view it as the next likely alternative to chic Washington Square, the trendy Upper West Side or the East Side.
• Condominium prices and rents for rehabilitated apartments, while lower than in established Manhattan neighborhoods, are rising fast and are likely to keep rising for the next few years.
• Crime, particularly crime related to drug abuse, is prevalent. Drug deals are made openly in Tompkins Square, the neighborhood's only park, and burglaries have risen markedly, according to officials of the Ninth Police Precinct, which serves the area.
• Quality-of-life problems abound. Residents complain that garbage remains uncollected for weeks, graffiti are endemic and the Fire Department says the East Village is among the most arson-prone areas in the city.
• The cultural mix has been further enlivened by an influx of an increasing number of students from New York University, Cooper Union and other colleges, as well as young professionals.

Remember that introduction to HBO programming back in the 80s, the one that soared over a lavish scale model of a Gothamesque cityscape, then out above the suburbs and beyond toward a seductive glow on the horizon, before abruptly blasting up into the cosmos where the HBO logo twirled like some benevolent entertainment monolith? Well, here’s a funny short documentary about how they put together that state of the art intro intended to "tease and tantalize your eye." more ›