I agree with so much of this. When I was reading about this I kept thinking about the 'pop-up' bars that were a big thing in the 2010s (at least in Chicago), where some brewery would turn their place into 'Stranger Things' or Winterfell or whatever. It's kind of cringe now but it does feel like a lost time. Of course it was totally designed for social media consumption, but it still had some of the remnant funs of 90s/early 2000s hyper maximalist restaurant theming. I miss that, but also I'm a ~90s kid~, and I want to have a disgusting 'Ice and Fire' themed cocktail while wearing a Jon Snow cape in 90 degree humidity.
Wrigleyville does suck, and it probably is worse than bar-hopping in LES or whatever, but it does serve an essential function: it essentially gathers all of the worst drinking people imaginable and puts them in one spot, and lets all of the normal people frolic in the other neighborhoods. The only people I know who are 'into' Wrigleyville are Indiana frat bros, Barstool wannabes, and the most insane MAGA chicks imaginable. But also, whenever people I strongly dislike go to Chicago, I love recommending that they check out Wrigleyville, especially after a game :)
I agree that there should be a return to maximalism in restaurants and bars. The problem is when this happens in NYC it usually means something like The Grill or Carbone where most people are priced out.
But, yes, every neighborhood has its purpose. It's good that Wrigleyville's is more clearly defined than any in NYC. People love to complain about anywhere--LES, the West Village, Soho, Williamsburg, etc.--but without the addendum that there are places worth going everywhere. If you disregard everything, you're left sitting at home. And then it's like why do you live in a city in the first place?
"Ask yourself: who is Fran Lebowitz for straight guys?" I don't know the answer but I wish it was Tom Cruise and he'd be influencing straight guys to go to more movies
We have a third space marketed place in my town and I still don't really know what the actual space is. They mostly do events (mixed bag) but the space itself is like a bar... that also has coffee sometimes? and is also for cool people to cowork, and they sell clothes. I haven't spent any time there cause I feel like I don't "get it"
i think a lot of what’s wrong with the world is people need to go back to school so that they can have their thinking and imagination structured for them because left to their own devices the only idea they can come up with is “room”
Part of the third space thing is that it is incompatible with American commuter culture.
For a lot of people, the most prevalent third space is their car. Or, like, Starbucks. I think a lot of young people go to other places in the world and then want something back home that by design does not exist there.
In NYC, America’s only walkable city, there are hundreds of third spaces, and famous sitcoms built around people hanging out at these places. But saying you like going to hang out at a coffee shop or a bar is apparently kind of scary.
if you can’t be on your phone/working while you’re there it’s embarrassing. so you have to start a movement where you tell people it’s not embarrassing to read a book in public
Apologies in advance that I didn’t interview any “West Village Girls” for this…
I agree with so much of this. When I was reading about this I kept thinking about the 'pop-up' bars that were a big thing in the 2010s (at least in Chicago), where some brewery would turn their place into 'Stranger Things' or Winterfell or whatever. It's kind of cringe now but it does feel like a lost time. Of course it was totally designed for social media consumption, but it still had some of the remnant funs of 90s/early 2000s hyper maximalist restaurant theming. I miss that, but also I'm a ~90s kid~, and I want to have a disgusting 'Ice and Fire' themed cocktail while wearing a Jon Snow cape in 90 degree humidity.
Wrigleyville does suck, and it probably is worse than bar-hopping in LES or whatever, but it does serve an essential function: it essentially gathers all of the worst drinking people imaginable and puts them in one spot, and lets all of the normal people frolic in the other neighborhoods. The only people I know who are 'into' Wrigleyville are Indiana frat bros, Barstool wannabes, and the most insane MAGA chicks imaginable. But also, whenever people I strongly dislike go to Chicago, I love recommending that they check out Wrigleyville, especially after a game :)
I agree that there should be a return to maximalism in restaurants and bars. The problem is when this happens in NYC it usually means something like The Grill or Carbone where most people are priced out.
But, yes, every neighborhood has its purpose. It's good that Wrigleyville's is more clearly defined than any in NYC. People love to complain about anywhere--LES, the West Village, Soho, Williamsburg, etc.--but without the addendum that there are places worth going everywhere. If you disregard everything, you're left sitting at home. And then it's like why do you live in a city in the first place?
Already seeing this happen in Logan because of the snake eating its tail influencers are starting to infiltrate from lake view.
Praying the new season of the bear is trash so no one gets any more ideas on how “cool and epic” Chicago is.
Writing likely to come on this as well…
"Ask yourself: who is Fran Lebowitz for straight guys?" I don't know the answer but I wish it was Tom Cruise and he'd be influencing straight guys to go to more movies
That's a good call, and basically how I feel. The other week I asked Clare: "Should I get into wearing women's t-shirts like Tom Cruise does?"
The unfortunate realistic answer is any podcaster. Pick your poison...
We have a third space marketed place in my town and I still don't really know what the actual space is. They mostly do events (mixed bag) but the space itself is like a bar... that also has coffee sometimes? and is also for cool people to cowork, and they sell clothes. I haven't spent any time there cause I feel like I don't "get it"
i think a lot of what’s wrong with the world is people need to go back to school so that they can have their thinking and imagination structured for them because left to their own devices the only idea they can come up with is “room”
take your vibe to... grad school!!
Part of the third space thing is that it is incompatible with American commuter culture.
For a lot of people, the most prevalent third space is their car. Or, like, Starbucks. I think a lot of young people go to other places in the world and then want something back home that by design does not exist there.
In NYC, America’s only walkable city, there are hundreds of third spaces, and famous sitcoms built around people hanging out at these places. But saying you like going to hang out at a coffee shop or a bar is apparently kind of scary.
if you can’t be on your phone/working while you’re there it’s embarrassing. so you have to start a movement where you tell people it’s not embarrassing to read a book in public
Substack in InZOI would hit
i need a pc to play inzoi
inzoi on one monitor real life substack on another
commenting on the InZOI Famous and Beloved Newsletter
modding inzoi so they have rising substack leaderboards. charging 99 cents for people to download the substack leaderboard mod
hearing rumblings that I'm #34 rising in Culture on the InZOI substack leaderboard
i want this so bad
I literally love Bernie's btw... Clare let's go
bday at bernie’s