A guidebook to New York Hip-Hop (Remixed)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Though New York has given birth to any number of musical movements, it’s only the last 30 years that have given rise to Hip-Hop, arguably one of the more defining cultural movements of the late 20th and early 21st Century. Though Hip-Hop is alive and well in New York City, it’s not necessarily something that’s easy to pinpoint on a map for out-of-town visitors, especially not like the Empire State Building or Central Park.

Yet a new interactive online database, called Bronx Rhymes, promises to challenge this assumption. The new project takes a closer look at the Bronx, the Borough best known for jumpstarting the movement, categorizing some of the most famous places and people on an interactive map. A corresponding poster has been placed at the physical location of each map point in the Bronx, offering details of what happened there. Visitors can respond to the poster with their mobile phone by SMS, offering a comment on what they’ve read or providing a hip-hop “rhyme” of their own for inclusion in a database.

Anyone interested in learning more about hip-hop luminaries like Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc or KRS-One can find the artists’ entries listed on the website, along with the text message comments of anyone who’s contributed. For instance, an entry for DJ Kool Herc reads, “he was kool like a king threw one two punches in the hip hop ring.” It’s an interesting and participatory approach to creating a tour guide, one that is just as dependent on the input of the visitors as it is on the project’s original designers. It works especially well for Hip-Hop, a movement that is highly dependent on the remixing and blending of sounds and voices for inspiration. And with high-powered mobile phones and Google Maps becoming ever-more pervasive, we can expect to see more of these type of tourist mash-ups coming soon to a vacation hotspot near you.

[Via PSFK]

Off the Beaten Path in Egypt

by Kraig Becker on

Egypt is one of those countries that is incredibly rich with history and culture that it’s nearly impossible to see it all on just one visit. Traditionally visitors to the desert country fly into Cairo and experience its wonders, including the legendary Egyptian Museum, the ancient Kahn el-Khalili Bizarre, and of course the Pyramids and Sphynx. From there, most travelers take a Nile cruise, visit Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and Queens, and then head home.

While that may be the classic list of things to see and do in Egypt, there are plenty of others as well. For instance, Alexandria lies to the north on the Mediterrainian Coast, and has its own array of ancient wonders to explore with surviving relecs from the Roman, Mesopotamian, and of course Egyptian civilizations. And while the Great Pyramids of Giza are the typcial stop for anyone wanting to see those architectural marvels, the much older Step Pyramid is worth the journey as well.

One of the more unique and hidden gems of Egypt is the Siwa Oasis, which is located in the Sand Sea, about 50 miles from the Lybian border. The ancient settlement has existed since at least the 10th Century BC, and is mostly inhabited by ethnic Berbers. Its big draw is the ruins of a temple that were said to be the home of a powerful oracle. There are also a number of tombs from a variety of eras.

Adventure Journey has all the details on how to get to Siwa, and do so on the cheap. The trip requires a bus ride through Alexandria, giving travlers the opportunity to really get off the beaten path and explore a side of Egypt that few ever experience.

Smithsonian opens Forensic Files of the 17th Century

by Grant Martin on

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History opens “Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th- Century Chesapeake” Saturday, an anthropological exhibition studying the way that early colonists in the Chesapeake region lived and died.

Among collected artifacts are about 340 pieces from the SI and 20 other archaeological organizations around the world, including original lead coffins, facial reconstructions, life size models and other eerie windows into the past.

Insiders bill the exhibition as the Smithsonian’s version of CSI, where scientists have examined the remains of these colonists, reconstructed their lives and retold their stories around their past. It should be a pretty interesting story.

The exhibition will be on display for the next two years, so if you can’t make it down to DC anytime soon, you’ve got a little bit of time to build an itinerary. And don’t forget, access the spectrum of Smithsonian Museums is free, so this could be the budget destination that you’ve been looking for.

Undiscovered New York: A movie lover’s guide to New York

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Welcome to Gadling’s weekly series on the Big Apple, Undiscovered New York. If there’s one place outside of Hollywood or Bollywood that is inextricably connected to the movies, it is New York. From the city’s important role in the beginnings of the American movie industry in early 1900’s to its starring role in films like The French Connection and Ghost Busters, New York and the movies tend to go hand-in-hand.

Not only is New York a great place to discover the filming locations of the silver screen, it’s also a great city for people who love good movies. Whether it’s Hollywood’s latest blockbuster, the latest art-house indie film or a vintage classic, you’re bound to find a theater showing a copy sooner or later. And that’s nothing to say of New York’s great lineup of yearly film festivals, random movie-star sightings and fantastic stores catering specifically to rabid movie collectors.

Ever wonder where they filmed scenes for movies like Goodfellas or When Harry Met Sally? Looking to track down that vintage Casablanca movie poster or an obscure film-noir classic on DVD? Get comfortable, grab a bucket of popcorn and come along for Undiscovered New York’s guide to New York and the movies…
Famous Movie Locations
Perhaps the best part of movie culture in New York is that it is literally being remade, each and every day. New York is a living breathing film set. In addition to the numerous television shows and commercials that film in New York each year, there are countless movies. Over the course of any given day, there’s a good chance you might stumble upon a film crew setting up or even an well-known actor or actress preparing their lines.

If you tend to be the self-starting type, there’s a number of online guides that will take you on guided tours of some of the city’s most famous movie locations, allowing any visitor to quickly track down some of their favorite movie moments. A number of companies, like On Location Tours also offer guided tours of some of the city’s more memorable cinema spots.

Movie Theaters Galore
Given all movie-making that goes on around town, New Yorkers tend to be rather particular about their movies. This has led to one of the country’s most competitive and diverse theater markets, providing options for just about every taste. No matter what your preference, there’s a movie theater to suit you.

Chin-stroking cineastes tend to head to theaters like Manhattan’s Film Forum, which regularly screens the latest and greatest in non-Hollywood fare as well as long-lost classics. Other art-house movie theater favorites include the Angelika, the Sunshine Cinema and BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn. Movie-goers looking to throw popcorn at the screen and whoop it up at the latest Hollywood action blockbuster should check out theaters like the Regal Union Square or AMC Empire 25 near Times Square. Make sure to yell at the screen, it’s a New York movie-watching tradition!

Film Festivals
Not only is New York spoiled for choice when it comes to movie theaters, the city is also the first to see some of the newest films at one of the city’s many annual film festivals. The events tend to bring out an eclectic cast of the movie industry elite’s biggest-name directors and actors, industry regulars and the plain curious.

The best part of New York’s film festivals is that many screenings are open to just about anyone who can get their hands on a ticket. Screenings not only include a first run viewing, they often also include Q&A’s and behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and crew at the film’s conclusion. The Tribeca Film Festival in late April and the New York Film Festival in September/October are two of the biggest. Make sure to check out the festival websites as the start dates approach to get your hands on some passes.

Movie Memorabilia and More
Not only is New York a great city for watching movies, it’s also one of the best spots anywhere to pick up a piece of movie history. As you might expect in one of the world’s great shopping cities, it’s easy to find a movie-themed gift to please even the most finicky movie fan.

East Village institution Kim’s caters to the more eclectic end of the spectrum, stocking all manner of subtitled foreign films and obscure B-movie classics on DVD. Meanwhile Chelsea’s Chisholm Larsson Poster Gallery carries an incredible selection of rare original movie posters that’s sure to please even the most jaded movie fan.

Photo of the day (2.3.09)

by Grant Martin on

Here in the Midwest, we’re in the midst of an unholy winter. Record snowfall, wild ice storms and weeks of subfreezing temperatures are starting to weigh heavy at this point, and as we drag ourselves out of the darkness into snowy daily rituals, it’s easy to repeat and repeat the phrase “I really hate winter.”

Only in times of warmth, reflection and patience do we sometimes get to enjoy the beauty that comes along with a fresh snowfall. Naked branches covered with sleeves of white, icicles dangling off rooftops, smooth silent landscapes. It almost makes you think “Maybe I could spend just one more winter here — Right?”

BluePeak‘s photo reminds me of those times. Times where I’ve been on top of a mountain, bundled up in three jackets, warm, comfortable and at peace with winter. If only I could bottle that feeling up and use it every day.

Have any cool photos you’d like to share with the world? Add them to the Gadling Pool on Flickr, and it might be chosen as our Photo of the Day. Make sure you save them under Creative Commons though, otherwise we can’t use them!