Latest news with #SoHo
New York Times
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Bill Dilworth, Caretaker of ‘The New York Earth Room,' Is Dead at 70
How much does it weigh? Does it leak? Does anything grow here? For 35 years, Bill Dilworth tended a Manhattan loft filled with dirt, otherwise known as 'The New York Earth Room,' a monumental artwork by Walter De Maria, a lion of Minimalism who died in 2013. And for decades, Mr. Dilworth, an affable abstract artist, patiently fielded those and other questions, noting the more intriguing ones, and the visitors who posed them, in a notebook he kept for that purpose. 'What is this for?' was a recurring question. His answer: 'It's forever.' The Earth Room is an extravagant, startling artwork — 280,000 pounds of dark, chocolaty soil, about two feet deep — on the second floor of an early artists' co-op in a former manufacturing building on Wooster Street, in the heart of SoHo. It was installed in 1977, in what used to be the Heiner Friedrich Gallery, and it was intended to be temporary, a three-month-long exhibit. But Mr. Friedrich — who had formed the Dia Art Foundation (now the Dia Center for the Arts) in 1974, with his wife, Philippa de Menil, and others, as an organization dedicated to supporting work like Mr. De Maria's — decided that 'The New York Earth Room' should be one of its showpieces. It opened to the public, free of charge, in 1980. Since then, the artists who colonized the building and the area have mostly moved on, and the neighborhood, like the city itself, has evolved. 'That's what makes the Earth Room so radical,' Mr. Dilworth said in a video posted on the Dia website. 'It's here, and it remains the same.' Mr. Dilworth was a bit radical himself: an artist who shunned the art world, but who spent most of his waking hours in one of its most important works. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Superman star David Corenswet trolls co-star Nicholas Hoult for 'copying' his VERY fashion forward look as they sport vests on press tour
Superman and Lex Luthor are iconic DC rivals, but it seems David Corswent also gives his co-star Nicholas Hoult a hard time in real life as he trolled his outfit choice. The hilarious exchange took place after Clark Kent actor David, 32, stepped out wearing an outfit which was near identical to Nicholas, 35, this week. Both men sported white tank tops that showed off their muscular physiques, teamed with a pair of tailored suit trousers and dress shoes. They also wore a sweatshirt tie around their torsos and carrying a bag as they stepped out in New York on separate occasions. Nicholas was spotted wearing the ensemble first on June 30 in SoHo and David couldn't resist poking fun at his seriously stylish look. He also stepped out in the city, this time in Midtown, wearing a near-identical outfit, swapping out Nicholas' designer bag for a plastic carrier bag. David then playfully addressed their fashion faux pas in an Instagram post on Wednesday where he quipped: 'Dude's been jacking my style since 1998.' Clearly appreciative of the joke, Nicolas reshared the post alongside a string of laughing face emoji to the tune of Rosemary Clooney's Sisters. The two actors have been playing into their on-screen feud during the press tour, with one video recently showing Nicholas purposefully failing to catch David in a trust fall. He then jokingly warned viewers: 'Never trust a super villain'. Nicholas has been showing off a seriously chic transformation during the press tour for the new Superman film, where he takes on the role of the famous villain. There was a striking difference to the Skins star's appearance as he rocked a bleached blond hair do during several recent appearances. Since his breakout E4 role 2007 Nicholas has sported dark, short hair - but the father-of-two has switched up his look for bleached locks. Nicholas was first seen walking around Midtown looking dapper in a brown tailored suit and a tan sweater underneath, before he was seen leaving ABC Studios having changed into a white vest and light brown short-sleeved shirt. In his third outfit change of the day, Nicholas was then seen in SoHo in the all-white ensemble, showing off his toned physique in a white vest with a sweater draped over his shoulders. He was seen leaving ABC Studios having changed into a white vest and light brown short-sleeved shirt In his third outfit change of the day, Nicholas was then seen in SoHo in an all-white ensemble, showing off his toned physique in a white vest with a sweater draped over his shoulders Since his breakout E4 role 2007 Nicholas has sported dark, short hair - but the father-of-two has switched up his look for bleached locks Alongside his new starring role, Nicolas also has a new role as an ambassador for Save The Children. He made a surprise visit to a community arts centre in East London to meet children taking part in a film and multimedia workshop focused on superheroes. Nicolas was welcomed by a group of 7 to 11-year-olds at Rich Mix in Shoreditch after they had worked on scripting, filming and acting out their own sketches on the topic. The visit marked Hoult's first day as an official ambassador for the charity. Speaking on the day, he said: 'It's been a real privilege to meet the children here at Rich Mix on my first day as an official ambassador for Save the Children. 'Seeing the joy they get from the workshop reminded me how much I loved film from a young age. It's inspiring to meet such passionate young creatives from all backgrounds.'
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Ana de Armas offloads $5m+ pad as Tom Cruise romance heats up
Ana de Armas has offloaded her New York City apartment for $US3.5 million ($A5.3 million) after quitting the Big Apple to move to a $US7 million ($A10.6 million) 'off-grid' estate in Vermont. The 37-year-old actress managed to secure the full asking price for the picturesque pad, which is located in New York's trendy SoHo neighbourhood. According to Realtor, the 'Blonde' star purchased the unit back in 2021 for $US2.9 million ($A4.4 million). Not long after buying the abode, de Armas listed it for the first time, initially putting it on the market in August 2023 for $US4.3 million ($A6.5 million), before lowering that ask to $US3.99 million ($A6.07 million) in March of the following year. The home was temporarily removed from the market in June 2024, before returning in February with a new price —$US3.5 million ($A5.3 million) — for which the property has now sold, as first reported by Architectural Digest. De Armas' latest real estate sale comes just a few years after she made the decision to move out to Vermont in a bid to live a quieter life. Speaking with E! News last year, the 'Ballerina' star revealed that she wanted to escape 'the craziness of the world.' 'I feel like nowadays, we all want to go away from the craziness of the world,' she said at the time. 'We all want to have the chance to build your own safe space. I've made that decision myself.' While the ' No Time to Die ' actress has kept details about her Vermont dwelling closely guarded, she did share a few anecdotes about the home, describing it as a 'cocoon.' 'I found a home where I really feel off the grid,' she explained. 'I can collect myself and only bring there who I want to be with. I have my little cocoon there.' De Armas' off-grid getaway was purchased by the star for $US7.2 million ($A10.9 million) in November 2022, Page Six reports. The property boasts six bedrooms and eight bathrooms as well as stunning mountain views, a swimming pool, and access to plenty of walking trails. Records seen by Realtor indicate that the actress managed to snag a bit of a deal on the dwelling, which was originally listed for $US7.5 million ($A11.4 million). The description noted that the house was being offered fully furnished. Built in 2008, the luxury two-storey home offers multiple fireplaces; a modern kitchen with a dishwasher, double oven, and wine fridge; and a primary suite with a luxe bath, walk-in closet, and sauna. An Instagram post from the actress shows her enjoying the rustic splendour of her new home. She posted images of glorious trees with golden foliage, a fire pit, woodsy vistas, and even an adorable four-legged friend. The property could not be more different from de Armas' SoHo spread, which was officially sold on June 26 and offered just two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. In its listing, the loft space was described as an 'extraordinary residence … where timeless architecture meets modern sophistication,' having been given a modern makeover by famed interior designer Nate Berkus. 'At the heart of the home, the chef's kitchen is a masterpiece of design,' the description added. 'Sleek white lacquer cabinetry with brass accents, honed marble countertops, and a striking green Moroccan tile backsplash create a striking visual contrast. 'State-of-the-art Wolf, Sub-Zero, and Bosch appliances ensure a seamless cooking experience, while a generous eat-in island flows into a custom leather banquette that elegantly wraps the corner, offering an inviting dining space for up to 10 guests. Thoughtfully placed steel-and-glass partitions provide definition while preserving the home's open, airy flow.' Meanwhile, the primary suite was hailed as a 'tranquil retreat' complete with a spa-inspired bathroom that featured a steam shower and a soaking tub. Though the dwelling was located in an apartment building in one of New York's busiest neighbourhoods. It is filled with natural light throughout the day, thanks to its soaring ceilings and enormous windows. Before snapping up the home, de Armas was understood to have been primarily based in Los Angeles. She resided in a Venice Beach dwelling for several years — before reportedly moving in with actor Ben Affleck, with whom she was in a relationship for about a year between 2020 and 2021. After they split, she relocated to New York, in an apparent bid to escape the endless paparazzi attention she and Affleck had been receiving in California. Despite her quiet relocation, De Armas has been at the centre of romance rumours involving actor Tom Cruise. The two were first spotted dining together in London in February, the New York Post reports. The pair have since made several joint appearances, including a walk in the park on her birthday and a discreet departure from David Beckham's party. Though neither party has confirmed the relationship, de Armas offered a hint of chemistry in a May 'Good Morning America' interview, saying the pair are 'working on a lot of' projects together and are having 'fun.' The rumoured pairing caught attention online when Tom Cruise's ex-wife, Katie Holmes, appeared to like an Instagram post about the developing relationship. Her subtle nod drew commentary from fans, with one Reddit user joking, 'Celebs, sometimes they're just like us, stalking and accidentally liking posts about their exes.' De Armas' high-profile dating history includes brief romances with Tinder executive Paul Boukadakis and Manuel Anido Cuesta, stepson of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
WIRED
07-07-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Thanks to Zillow, Your Friends Know How Much Your House Costs—or if You're Secretly Rich
Jul 7, 2025 6:00 AM A quick search of your friends' addresses can yield one of the most private details of their financial lives. Some people say their wealthy acquaintances aren't happy about it. Photo-Illustration:When Rebecca Kornman was a student at Kenyon College, she and some of her friends picked up a voyeuristic hobby. Using the Ohio liberal arts school's student directory, they found students' home addresses and looked them up on Zillow to see how much their families' homes cost. 'It became a kind of controversial thing that people were talking about,' says Kornman, 25. While some found it endlessly entertaining to dive into the finances of a student body where almost one in five students come from families in the top 1 percent, the popular pastime struck a nerve with a particular crowd. 'People would always frame it as, 'Well, you shouldn't do that, because some people are embarrassed about where they live.'' But she found out that one of the main crusaders against the resource was a student who grew up in a multimillion-dollar home in SoHo, Manhattan. And another student who, she says, was 'outwardly saying that they were broke and they grew up in poverty' was just one Zillow search away from being found out. 'Someone was like, 'Bro, go on the directory. They live in a brownstone, a five-story brownstone.'' 'I think it's definitely more taboo the more money you have,' Kornman says. 'You're all on the same page when you're in college. And so to differentiate each other, especially if someone's going out of their way to maybe obscure some of the facts of their life, it gives you good perspective.' Zillow, the hugely popular and addictive real-estate platform launched in 2006, has gone from simply a tool to buy and sell homes to a full-fledged phenomenon. It's used by 227 million unique visitors every month and had 2.4 billion visits in just the first quarter of 2025. (The company has such a vice-grip on real estate listings, it was recently sued by Compass for its alleged attempted monopoly on online home listings.) Turns out, it owes its mass appeal, in part, to nosy people looking to satisfy their undying curiosity about their peers' financial lives. When you look up an address on Zillow, a Zestimate—Zillow's estimate of a given property's current value—appears below photos of the property. It's calculated using 'millions of data points' including public records, MLS (multiple listing service) feeds, tax assessments, recent sales, and updates provided directly from homeowners, according to Claire Carroll, a spokesperson for Zillow. Carroll says the estimates are fairly accurate, with a median error rate nationwide of just under 2 percent for on-market homes and 7 percent for off-market homes. The price history, which includes dates of past sales with corresponding prices, is sourced through public property records, county tax assessors, and local MLS. Zillow also provides an estimation of monthly rent for rental units. Zillow does not give users the option to hide their home's Zestimate and price history. 'Open access to this kind of public information is a really important part of a fair housing market,' says Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert. But while not everyone is thrilled with having the value and cost of their home on full display for anyone who's curious, others take full advantage of the publicity of this information by actively searching for the details of their friends' housing costs—and some are extrapolating Zillow's figures to get a fuller picture of their friends' financial situations. Like Kornman, Gillian Williams, 27, took up this pastime in college, using a database provided by her school, the University of Delaware. 'I looked up everyone I knew,' she says. 'It was just interesting to be like, 'Oh my gosh, I didn't know you're from—your parents own a multimillion dollar house in the Hamptons,'' she says. Now, as a resident of the notoriously expensive city of Washington, DC, she continues to use the platform as a means of gaining insight into her peers' financial lives—specifically to answer the question of how they get by considering the city's high cost of living. 'Years ago I went over to a new friend's apartment, and immediately on my walk home I was looking up how much she probably paid and then doing a little bit of math to be like, 'Well, if you're paying that much money for rent, what is your salary?'' Williams says. She says she based her calculation on the widely accepted idea that people should spend a maximum of 30 percent of their monthly income on housing. Salary is just one of the insights she's gained through extrapolating data from Zillow. 'It's kind of an easy way to find out if their family is helping them pay,' she says. And after discovering how much a friend paid in rent, she asked how they manage to pay their bills and learned that they were struggling with significant credit card debt. 'I didn't realize that probably more of my friends than I think are in credit card debt specifically, not just student loans but credit card debt, because they're trying to make ends meet, or they're living outside of their means to meet a lifestyle that they want or they expect.' Vivian Tu, a financial literacy content creator and author known as @yourrichbff on TikTok and Instagram, says young people today are particularly susceptible to spending outside of their budget. 'I think a huge part of that is the comparison game. Back in our parents' generation, we had 'keeping up with the Joneses,'' she says. 'For the most part you were looking at your neighbors, and those are people who were relatively within the same tax bracket.' Social media, she says, has replaced the Joneses with the Kardashians. 'All of a sudden you're not comparing yourself to people who are relatively your net-worth equal. You're comparing yourself to everybody on Earth, and you are starting to see levels of insurmountable wealth, like unimaginable wealth, that the vast majority of us will never ever obtain,' says Tu. This, combined with a lack of mandated financial education and the fact that many young adults feel disenfranchised by the US's economic system, can make the pursuit of wealth feel like a nonstarter. 'Instead of trying to be rich, be wealthier, be financially stable, we're trying to look rich, look wealthy, look financially stable,' she says. 'That means you drive a nice car, it means you live in a nice apartment. It means you have nice things to wear, and you're always in a cute new outfit on Instagram.' The phenomenon of Zillow snooping also feels in line with the current political climate. Today's young adults came of age in a moment marked by a growing backlash towards income inequality and an unfettered class of billionaires, a sentiment reflected in the popularity of shows like Succession and The White Lotus . Zillow's public pricing details give people who want to gawk at or mock the rich an opportunity to do just that within their inner circles. 'You try to be pretty objective about it, but I think it inevitably ends up seeping into your perception of someone,' Williams says. Anna Goldfarb, author of Modern Friendship , says these discoveries can lead people to make assumptions and judgments about their friends' priorities. 'It's really not about money,' Goldfarb, says. 'It's the values around money where it can get prickly with friends.' 'One of the biggest reasons friendships fade is the difference in values. So there's a real risk here of looking deeply into finances, because you're sort of putting your friendship on the line, like, 'Do we share values?' It's not that explicit, but it's definitely implied that, well, if you know your friend is in debt and makes terrible financial choices, and then you look up her home on Zillow, you're going to make all sorts of judgments about that,' Goldfarb says. But knowing that a friend appears to be doing well because they're getting a lot of help can also ease people's insecurities rather than just stoke them. Lucia Barker, 25, describes her inclination to look up her friends' apartments as 'a morbid curiosity' but says the habit has quelled her tendency to compare her own financial situation to those of her peers, particularly when it becomes clear a friend's standard of living is made possible through factors other than their salary—namely, money from their parents. New York Magazine recently reported that nearly half of parents in the US provide financial support to their adult children and that, among American adults under 43, only about one-third support themselves without help from their parents. But despite the fact that parent-subsidized lifestyles have become commonplace, a sense of shame and secrecy surrounding generational wealth persists. 'There's such a lack of financial transparency in our world,' Barker says. 'It's just helpful to know that other people's lifestyles might be because of some other reason.' Financial therapist Aja Evans says that since money remains a cultural taboo, people should take their Zillow findings with a grain of salt. 'You have no idea if they pulled all of their money from all of their retirement accounts, if somebody helped them, if they borrowed money from a friend or somebody else and then planned on paying them back. There are so many different scenarios,' says Evans. 'We don't actually have a clear financial picture of how they were able to make that happen.' But sometimes the information comes up by happenstance. Those looking for photos of a friend's new house, for example, are often met with far more information than they asked for. 'I love shows like House Hunter and anything on HGTV,' says Andrea Zlotowitz, 35. 'So when a friend says, 'I bought this house, here's the address,' to be able to see the pictures of the home that they purchased is my first interest,' she says. But regardless of her intentions, she inevitably stumbles upon details of her friend's financial standing. 'I see what they paid for it, and I can see the full price history.' Most of the people I spoke to agreed: Although many are aware of the availability of this information, it's generally still taboo to ask someone directly how much their home costs or to bring up the fact that you've sought out the answer. 'I recognize that there are some sensitivities talking about money and knowing what people spend on things,' says Zlotowitz. 'So it's certainly not something that I would later bring up to a friend, but it lives rent-free in the back of my mind.' Regardless, some think this behavior is within the bounds of the new social contract brought on by the information age: I can learn anything I want about you, and you can learn anything you want about me—we just won't talk about it. One person even likened it to vetting people before a first date. As my sister, a homeowner and avid Zillow user, told me when I mentioned this story, "I expect that everyone who enters my home knows exactly how much I bought it for.'
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Tired of Negronis? Try a Sharona.
A low-proof cocktail with a bittersweet profile reminiscent of a Negroni, the Sharona is a staple on the menu at Eel Bar, the Basque-inspired hot spot in New York's SoHo. It's also perfect for batch mixing, says the restaurant's co-owner Nialls Fallon, 39, making it an ideal option for hosts who want to enjoy their own parties rather than play bartender. The unfussy crowd-pleaser keeps the Campari and sweet vermouth used in a classic Negroni, but replaces gin with manzanilla sherry, a dry, high-acid alternative to the sweet cream sherries that have historically dominated the American market. The Sharona leans into manzanilla's brightness, featuring twice as much sherry as it does Campari, a ratio that also keeps the drink's A.B.V. (or alcohol by volume) relatively low. It's modeled after a prepared vermouth, a Basque Country mainstay that pairs aromatized wine with just a splash of a heavier spirit to add some oomph. 'You can sip all day and you're never really going to get drunk,' Fallon says. 'It's about having a snack and socializing.' - A Danish jewelry designer's long midsummer lunch. - In the Caribbean, a couple's laid-back birthday party with their young son. - A group of trans artists and activists' Filipino feast on Fire Island. - In a Georgian vineyard, a meal inspired by a painting. - A guide to sharing a vacation rental (and remaining friends with your housemates). - Chefs' favorite recipes for large groups. - An easy, crowd-pleasing cocktail to make in big batches. A pitcher of Sharonas — which pairs perfectly with oysters, grilled prawns and salty, fried foods — can be made well in advance and chilled until party time. Eel Bar's version uses Bodega Hidalgo's La Gitana manzanilla from the Andalusian seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda (the only place in the world where manzanilla is produced) and the Basque distillery Acha's red vermouth, which has citrus and floral notes that complement the drink's orange peel garnish. But any sweet red vermouth would work. This cocktail is all spirits-based, so you don't have to worry about separation, as you would if it contained juice, and its light profile is more forgiving than something like a Negroni, which can taste off when not properly diluted by melting ice. 'Don't worry about making it too perfect,' says Fallon — a mantra for stress-free hosting all summer long. Eel Bar's Sharona, for a crowd Serves 8 Ingredients 12 oz. (1½ cups) manzanilla sherry 8 oz. (1 cup) sweet red vermouth, ideally Spanish 6 oz. (¾ cup) Campari 1 orange Ice 1. Pour the sherry, vermouth and Campari into a 1-liter pitcher and stir. Chill in the fridge for a few hours, until ready to serve. (The batch can also be funneled into a sealable bottle and chilled in a cooler or stored in the freezer for up to two weeks.) 2. Just before serving, shave strips of orange rind with a vegetable peeler, removing as little of the pith as possible, and set them in a bowl on the bar along with some rocks glasses and a bucket of ice. 3. Pour over ice to taste. (At Eel Bar, the serving is 3.25 oz. — about halfway up a standard 10 oz. rocks glass, with ice.) Hold the orange peel skin-side down over the glass and twist, misting citrus oil over the top of the drink, before dropping the peel into the glass. Prop Styling: Rachel Mannello. Camera Assistant: Timothy Mulcare.
