“Motorcycle, there’s no god tonight. Only streetlights.”
Staten Island’s Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost is an eclectic group of erstwhile poltergeists.
LWRG formed in 2016 when vocalist/guitarist E. Niveous Rayside sought electronic sounds for the grunge-inspired music he was making. He started a musical partnership with his girlfriend (now wife), R. Brookes McKenzie, later rounding out the sound with bassist Eric Novak and drummer Jay Ackley. The quartet earned a cult following at the late SideWalk Café in the East Village.
“LWRG is driven by a strong muse to create,” says Niveous. Since 2016, the band has released a studio album called Spiderdust, as well as a live album chronicling their times in the East Village open mic scene called Night Owls. In 2019, they released an EP called All Hard Feelings, and they started off the year releasing their second studio album New Ways To Make Mistakes. Now the band is already crafting songs for album #3.
Motorcycle is the first single release from their second studio album, New Ways To Make Mistakes.
Self-described as “a concentrated ball of pure awesome,” LWRG is a rock n’ roll lineup with heavy grunge and garage influences, sprinkled with the ethereal chimes of a Suzuki Omnichord. “We have heard our sound referred to as “sunshine goth” and “What if the Cramps were Jefferson Airplane?” says Niveous. “We like to call it sparklegrunge. I write music for the sad kids.”
Motorcycle, inspired by the music of Curve, was written in the back of an Uber on the way to the studio to record LWRG’s first album. The dreary day inspired the song’s tale of a doomed motorcyclist. The video game Black Emperor by Jose Tomas Vicuna also served as inspiration.
The band worked with Alice Teeple to direct a live performance video with superimposed stock footage. Motorcycle was filmed on location in the cellar of a Gothic revival mansion in Hamilton Park, Staten Island. The eerie stone walls and psychedelic lights, straight out of the Addams Family, complement the dark lyrics of Motorcycle.
Downtown is pleased to present the premiere of Motorcycle.
Something very interesting happens in New York City every morning. Thousands of affluent professionals, many of whom are wealthy executives, ride their bicycles to work. Despite the fact that they could easily afford to drive a Bentley, they actuallychoose to ride a bike. What exactly is going on here?
Well, daily commuting in New York City can be challenging, tiresome, and even dangerous in some situations. The fact is, many wise business people have realized that riding a bike is the most reliable and efficient way to get to work. You can search for the best commuter bikes recommended by Pedallers
Cycling vs Other Commuting Methods
There are so many factors that make almost every form of transportation a hassle in NYC. However, after a brief comparison of the perils involved with each, you’ll find that cycling is generally the most reliable and preferable, particularly in scenarios that involve typical commuting distances of less than 5 miles. Here’s a rundown of cycling versus other commuting methods:
Bike vs Personal Vehicle – If you choose to drive your own car, then you have to contend with the absurdly crowded traffic, inflated NYC gas prices, and extreme parking difficulty in many places. Cycling might seem physically difficult, but many commuters have started using electric bicycles like these EMOJO bikes to reduce or eliminate the burden of pedaling. So, in a way, it’s sort of like a one-person, slow-moving automobile that can go more places than a vehicle can.
Bike vs Public Transportation – If you opt for public transportation, you have to deal with unexpected delays, crowding, a complete lack of privacy and the possibility of sitting next to an odorous derelict, violent criminal, or anyone else that fate happens to throw your way. You don’t have to share your bike with other passengers and conform to routes & schedules.
Bike vs Taxi or Rideshare Cab – Taxi cabs and rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft are options, but then you’re dependent on the timely arrival of the driver, and even if they pick you up on time, you could still wind up stuck in traffic in the back of a cab or Uber long enough to make you late for work.
Ultimately, the best way to get around New York City is to use an electric bike. For traveling longer distances, use a rideshare app to get within biking distance.
Electric Bike + Rideshare is the Formula
Taking an electric bike with you in an Uber or Lyft ensures that you’ll never be completely stuck in traffic jams because you can always hop out and bike the rest of the way. An electric bike also makes it easier to get from one stop or station to another if you choose to go the public transportation route, so it’s a compatible accessory to every form of commuting. Of course, make sure you choose a rideshare driver who has a bike rack.
Other Perks of Commuting on a Bike
By now, you should be thoroughly convinced that riding a bike to work is the smartest move in many scenarios, especially for people who live within a few-mile radius of their job. As an added benefit, it’s also great for the environment and it’s better for your health than sitting stagnant in a vehicle, train, or bus. Even if you choose to ride an electric bike, you still have the option of pedaling when you want to, so your bike can also be used as a tool for exercise. Additionally, studies have proven that boosting blood flow raises alertness and improves cognitive performance, so you’ll arrive at your job feeling ready to tackle the day after a morning bike ride.
On Mar. 12, CNN took a remarkable step forward on a few levels. With the premiere of Mostly Human With Laurie Segall, the network launched its first CNNgo original series. Unlike anything else on CNN, the new series is led by the two women who run tech at CNN, Laurie Segall and Erica Fink. Mostly Human is best described as a “real-life Black Mirror,” exploring groundbreaking topics in the tech world.
The show’s namesake, Laurie Segall, was recently named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30, having won awards for her investigative coverage. Executive producer Erica Fink has been within the CNN realm for nearly a decade, following a run as Editor-in-Chief of her alma malter’s newspapaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Downtown had the pleasure of speaking with both Laurie and Erica about Mostly Human and plenty more. Their interviews were done individually, yet the closeness of the two writer/producers shows as their responses were often similar.
To get a taste for Mostly Human With Laurie Segall, you can check out a trailer of the show here. Both Laurie and Erica can be followed directly on Twitter.
How did you two first meet?
Erica Fink: I think the best working relationships develop by filming at swinger parties and hacker conventions. Sex, Drugs & Silicon Valley was our first in-depth series together and it took us to some interesting places — including a swinger party where attendees were scoping out prospects by app ahead of time. Let’s just say, it wasn’t the easiest place to mic guests. Since then, we’ve gone to lots of strange corners of the world in pursuit of stories about the weird ways tech has changed our lives, and the people behind the products. Mostly Human, CNN’s first streaming show, basically takes that approach and puts it on steroids.
Laurie Segall: Erica has been my partner in crime for some time. We started working with each other when I was making my way into the TV world. You get close when you do the work we do, especially the types of stories we cover. I’ll never forget when we were doing a piece on high tech sex workers in Silicon Valley. Years later, we shot a series called Sex, Drugs & Silicon Valley about polyamory, swinger parties, and drug experimentation in the Bay Area. My favorite Erica moment was watching her mic someone up at the swingers party. We’ve been in storms, protests, outside the home of a notorious kidnapper, inside hacker conferences, and at swinger parties — for work, of course. Lots of life happens in between.
Erica Fink: For fashion or Wall Street or most other industries, the interesting story that gets people talking is about a person or event that happened behind the scenes. But for tech, so much of the coverage is focused around product specs and app updates. There’s a unique opportunity to cover tech through the lens of culture. We’re living in a time where tech has changed everything about life — from love to war — and what’s exciting is the prospect of telling the stories of the people behind the innovations, and the weird and unexpected ways those innovations are changing lives.
Laurie Segall: I was fascinated by tech in 2009. I was covering business news and but in my free time started gravitating to tech events. It was a small community of weirdos in the best sense. We were coming off the financial crisis, and all of a sudden, you had this group of creative people who didn’t feel like they had to go to Wall Street to get a job. There was this group of people who just thought they could take an idea and code it into the hands of millions. I loved the creativity in all of it. And I loved the underdogs. I ended up getting to know a lot of folks as they were starting out. Some of my first on-camera interviews were with the founders of Twitter, Instagram, and Uber. It’s been fascinating to watch these ideas shape culture and shift industries.
How would you describe your new series to someone who hasn’t seen it yet?
Erica Fink: Mostly Human is basically the real-life Black Mirror. It’s about the strange and sometimes uncomfortable things that happen when tech and humanity intersect.
Laurie Segall: One episode also feels very Westworld. In the series, you see everything from people turning their dead friends into chatbots through artificial intelligence, to folks falling in love with robots. You’ll see Laurie infiltrate hacker parties, get her life threatened, and get propositioned by a robot. It’s a show about our increasingly-complicated relationship with technology. We ask some more philosophical questions like how much control does your phone have over you and take on topics people don’t really talk about. Behind every fringe story we bring you, there’s humanity. One of our favorite moments of the series is when a French woman is describing how she’s fallen in love with a robot. When asked why, she told me it’s because it would always be safe. It would never cheat, or lie. She prefers errors in script and code — not human flaws. There was something incredible human and vulnerable in that moment no matter how you judged her for her choices.
Do you have a favorite episode of the series?
Erica Fink: “I love you, Bot” is about the most extreme relationships between tech and people. We meet a woman who is madly in love with her robot and attend their engagement party, complete with champagne and macaroons. Later, we visit a pedophile ward where they’re evaluating risk by showing offenders images of children in virtual reality. It has a pretty high quotient of gut-punch moments.
Laurie Segall: “Dead, IRL” was probably my favorite episode. It was incredibly-personal. In the episode, I explore what death means in the digital age and start thinking about my digital legacy. I don’t wan’t want to give too many details but there are some incredibly-uncomfortable moments. A technologist took my personal conversations with my best friends for the last four years and using artificial intelligence, created a chatbot based off of me. Let’s just say my bot went on a bender at one point, saying some pretty insane things. It’s an episode with a lot of heart and one I think a lot of folks will relate to.
Your series isn’t entirely positive about technology’s affects on society. But aside from the series, is your life so tech-centric?
Erica Fink: I’ve probably spent too much time thinking about how my soon-to-be-born child will interact with Alexa — I’m insisting he say “please” and “thank you.” But think about that: he’s going to grow up in a time when he can demand an answer to any random piece of trivia and a cylinder in our kitchen will answer it for him. So, I guess, yes?
Laurie Segall: I would say yes. I spend too much time in front of devices and screens. Perhaps that’s why I wanted to do a series looking at our relationship with tech from another lens. I will say, I used to always love to write in notebooks and do that less with all the screens in front of me. While I love technology, I understand a growing nostalgia to take a step back.
Erica Fink: The whole thing about Mostly Human is that it’ll make you think. It’s actually hard to believe that some of this stuff has really happened. Once Laurie brings you into this world, it’s hard to get out.
Laurie Segall: The hope is every episode will make you think about something you never thought about. Once you watch one, I think you’ll want to keep going. All the topics are completely different — from the first hacker to be killed in a drone strike to the human impact of the Ashley Madison hack and how a company capitalized on human nature to try to convince people to cheat. The goal with this is for people to see something they haven’t seen, and feel like they’re accessing underground stories that they wouldn’t get anywhere else.
Laurie, a lot of your assignments have had elements of danger to them. Is there one that you are proudest of?
Laurie Segall: I’m most proud of a documentary we did on a growing form of harassment called revenge porn where victims have their intimate photos plastered across the web. It’s a horrific problem and so many people — mainly women — are afraid to speak out and feel like they lose control when it happens to them. I confronted a hacker who hacked into a teenager’s Facebook page took private photos, sold them to a website that posted them for everyone to see. I was able to get him on the phone and talk through why he did what he did. It was a powerful interview. He later spent time in jail. The documentary shed light on this type of harassment and when it came out, there were a lot of changes that happened as a result. That’s some of the most rewarding work I’ve done. You always feel like you’ve done your job right when you give someone a voice, and allow a victim to take control back. I do find myself in some odd situations for this line of work, but I love the weird, underground stories, so it’s part of the game.
Erica Fink: I like the creative process. What excites me is finding an amazing story and shaping the narrative. A really good day is when we’ve stumbled on a nugget that I know will resonate, whether it’s a character with a truly unheard of experience; or something smaller, like a clever way to phrase an idea in a script.
When not working with CNN, how do you like to spend your free time?
Erica Fink: I like to try my hand at fiction whenever the opportunity allows. Especially on days when the news business is heavy, it’s fun to come home and dream up funny conversations and circumstances.
Laurie Segall: I’m pretty biased but I have an incredible group of friends and a great boyfriend. When I’m not working, I’m hanging with my renegades or scheming with my boyfriend. I also love to write. Every so often you’ll find me solo at a coffee shop or bar writing.
What is it that draws you to living in Downtown New York?
Erica Fink: The high density of different chocolate chip cookie varietals.
Laurie Segall: A friend of mine, Tracy Malechek, was the chef at Untitled at the Whitney for some time, so I go there quite a bit. The food is amazing. I pretty much follow her wherever she goes to eat. And the bartender Rocky is one of my favorite bartenders in New York. It’s just a great place to be. I also love Meme. I dream of their lemon chicken and the people who work there are nothing short of fabulous.
Do you have tickets to any upcoming concerts or events?
Erica Fink: The birth of my child — due this week…?
Laurie Segall: Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. It’s my third time seeing it. It’s such an incredibly-timely play, the music is beautiful and it combines everything I love — storytelling, heart, and our complicated relationship with technology.
Finally, any last words for the kids?
Erica Fink: It’s a good time to be a content creator. If you’ve got a story you’re passionate about telling, go tell it!
Laurie: Ask for what you want. It’s sometimes hard to do, but it’s led to some of the best things in my life.
With online shopping becoming more popular, it’s posing challenges for retailers to ensure consumers the same service and way to connect. While convenience is key, many shoppers still look for the same level of service online that they would get from in-store associates. Salesfloor, a retail technology platform, recently conducted a study to help retailers understand the gap between the in-store and online shopping experiences.
Over the summer, Downtown conducted a survey geared toward millennials about their thoughts on online shopping, and found that 60 percent of millennials prefer in-store shopping as opposed to e-commerce when it comes to service. 83 percent of those surveyed also believed it’s “necessary to try or test the product prior to purchasing.”
According to Luxury Daily, Salesfloor “respondents were between the ages of 18 and 65 years of age, with male and female shoppers equally represented.” The survey found that consumers also preferred in-store shopping as opposed to the click-and-go routine of e-commerce, partly because of the in-store personalized assistance one can receive from sales associates.
Although some clothing websites offer a “live-chat” option with employees for assistance, “87 percent of shoppers sa[id] their in-store purchase decisions are influenced by store associates,” according to Salesfloor.
But because we live in a world of technology, some brands are beginning to merge online shopping with in-store qualities.
Hugo Boss recently launched Boss On Demand in partnership with Uber and UberCentral, allowing clients to schedule an in-store appointment online where an Uber will pick them up and bring them to the store, where stylists and associates will assist in their shopping experience. The Hugo Boss location in the Westfield World Trade Center also offers delivery of clothing and other services.
Photography by Romer Pedron for Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is also expanding its e-commerce to better benefit its customers. Saks is now “offering [a service] that brings the retailer’s in-store experience directly to its online shoppers,” Luxury Daily reported back in March, where associates will be available through live-chat on their website 24/7. This allows employees to communicate with its consumers at any given moment, offering styling tips and curated products, to make up for the lack of personalization online.
At any clothing store, especially a high-end brand, consumers expect a certain level of assistance while shopping. When dealing with an associate who knows the store better than you do, their advice is valuable and not easily replaced by the key factors of online shopping such as convenience and accessibility. With the two great shopping centers Brookfield Place and Westfield home to some of Downtown’s favorite brands like Theory, COS and John Varvatos it will be interesting to see what the future shopping experience will look like – whether it be in-store or online. One thing is sure, shopping never goes out of style.
More than 60% of surveyed Americans say they are “somewhat or very positive” about autonomous cars.
Safety is a significant concern. A majority — 63% — of consumers polled say that they would not feel safe in a fully-automated vehicle.
Use of automated features on traditional cars could help to overcome the fear. But ride-sharing services (e.g. Uber, Lyft) offer also another way to experience autonomous vehicles, or AVs.
54% of potential users of self-driving taxis say they would purchase an AV, compared to 41% of non-users.
Younger millennials may pave the way for future growth of AVs as they express more interest in using driverless taxis or buses than older generations.
It’s a tale as old as time. New York City streets have always been known for their bumper-to-bumper traffic, yellow taxis, and horrible parking. When New York drivers finally arrive at their destinations, it’s nearly impossible to find a free spot to park their cars.
Recent real estate listings tell the whole story: parking spots listed for a cool $1 million. Granted, those are for high-end condo complexes, but the average parking spot is $325,000 to purchase. That’s like paying 10 to 15 times more for your parking stall than for your car.
Fortunately, Luxe — an on-demand valet parking and car service app — has taken New York by storm to solve the parking dilemma. The company has transformed a New Yorker’s usual experience of finding parking from frustrating, costly and time-consuming, to simple, convenient, and affordable.
White Glove Service at the Touch of a Button
Here’s how it works: once users request service through the app, Luxe dispatches a valet to meet the driver at their destination, then parks the car in one of Luxe’s secure parking garages. The service eliminates circling the block or trying to find an open spot in a parking garage, a process that takes the majority of New Yorkers more than 10 minutes each time.
Parking isn’t the only time-consuming factor of car ownership. Clients can save even more time by requesting gas fill-ups, car washes, or oil changes when they park their car with Luxe.
The time savings in a week translate into hours — not minutes — for New York City residents. They can use the time saved to finally get a workout in at the local SoulCycle, take a trip with the family to the New York Botanical Gardens, or grab a hotdog and crackerjacks at a couple Yankees games.
High Cost of Parking
Most New Yorkers don’t own a parking spot but rather pay monthly, weekly, or daily. On average, parking costs are $50 per day in New York City or $250 weekly. And those who park their cars in a less-than-legal way can expect a parking ticket of $116 on average.
The price comparisons are astounding. A round-trip flight from JFK International Airport to Paris costs less than a month of parking. The cost of one parking ticket is the same as dinner and drinks at Del Posto.
Luxe Comes to the Rescue
First launched in San Francisco in 2014, Luxe has become the go-to parking solution for many urbanites. Luxe quickly expanded into New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and Austin. Customers have the option to use Luxe’s valet parking services on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis.
In addition to convenience, Luxe offers substantial value over New York’s traditional parking solutions. While residential parking can run around $1,000 per month, Luxe’s monthly residential parking subscriptions start at just $399. There’s no more circling the block for 10 minutes to find an available place to park, or trying to comprehend confusing street parking signs.
For New Yorkers who feel the pain of parking, Luxe is the key to hassle-free city car ownership. For a limited time, new monthly Luxe customers who download the Luxe app receive $100 off their first month.
Pooja Dhargalkar is the General Manager at Luxe in New York and is responsible for running the business’s day-to-day operations, sales and strategy. After earning her MBA from Wharton, she spent two years at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) focused on digital strategy, brand strategy, organizational design and e-commerce projects for companies across the United States and Europe. Prior to BCG, Pooja worked at Citi’s Latin America capital markets desk. Pooja graduated from NYU’s Stern School of Business with honors.
