Category Archives: New Utopia

Television has provided unrealistic standards of lifes many truths for as long as its existed from being able to hang out in a coffee shop during the work day to going on thousands of dates in a single year. But one of the most bothersome standards TV has warped audiences into thinking is what kind of apartment New Yorkers today can realistically afford.

Millions of residents live in the five boroughs, and more people move there every day with dreams of getting a 212 area code and a mailing address in the big city. If only they knew what they were actually in for. The 15 TV characters ranked below lease or own apartments that have become characters in and of themselves, leading New York natives and newbies alike to think they can afford an apartment like Monica Gellers from Friends or Hannah Horvaths from Girls. So, exactly how fictional are these fictional TV apartments?

TheWrap has ranked the most realistic contemporary TV apartments to the least realistic apartments, featuring favorites like billionaire Logan Roys penthouse abode in Succession to TV writer and producer Liz Lemons digs in 30 Rock.

As the most realistic apartment on the list, Logan Roys (Brian Cox) is also the most extravagant and ostentatious. Of course, the Roy family is not your typical family. Theyre regularly shown taking helicopters or private jets to their various homes around the world, including Season 3s Italian villa. The Roys simply exude wealth. Therefore, the patriarchs main home, a luxurious Manhattan penthouse, is the most realistic home based strictly on who Logan is. As a billionaire media mogul, having a$23 million Manhattan penthouseis just a rite of passage.

Contrary to what her co-workers might think, Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer) does technically work. Picking up a paycheck from various odd jobs and side gigs be that it babysitting gigs, a Deals! sales associate or cleaning strangers homes Ilana does live within her means. A Gowanus, Brooklyn, resident with a roommate, Ilana lives in one of the most reasonable units on this list. Its a bit cramped, slightly messy and theres limited space for more than two people in the living room.

Charlotte Yorks (Kristin Davis) apartment is realistic by New York standards because, well, she won it in her divorce. The Park Avenue penthouse has become a staple in the Sex and the City world, and its thanks to Charlottes Season 3 arc where the former art gallery curator marriedand divorced the old-moneyed cardiologist Trey MacDougal (Kyle MacLachlan). Trey gifts Charlotte the apartment after their divorce since he was unable to give her the family shes always dreamed of. Charlotte makes the apartment her home throughout the series, the films and the And Just Like That reboot.

Will Truman (Eric McCormack) is a corporate lawyer who lives on the Upper West Side. His home because the main locale for he and his friends Grace Adler (Debra Messing), JackMcFarland (Sean Hayes) and Karen Walker (Megan Mullaly) to come for breakfast, a night in or even a prolonged stay. Wills two-bedroom apartment is one of the more lavish apartments on this list, but it still remains realistic for the era, location and characters profession.

Formerly a father living in the suburbs, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and his new wife Megan (Jessica Par) move to an apartment on Park Avenue in New York City. As an advertising Creative Director and Junior Partner of Sterling Cooper & Partners, Don could shell out a few more dollars on a beautiful Manhattan apartment, but since the shows conclusion, NYC real estate agents have revealed Don really couldnt live in the magnificent mid-century apartment today.

Gossip Girl may be a New Yorkset series that mostly takes place on the Upper East Side, but it detoured to Brooklyn with the Humphrey family. Located in Brooklyns DUMBO neighborhood, Dans (Penn Badgley) family loft requires a slight stretching of the imagination. Dan and Jenny (Taylor Momsen) reside in the three-bedroom unit with their father Rufus (Matthew Settle), a former musician and current gallery owner. While the spacious apartment wasnt as luxurious as Serena van der Woodsens (Blake Lively) or Blair Waldorfs (Leighton Meester) on the Upper East Side, its location and size did leave some viewers wondering if a divorced dad could afford it while taking care of two teenagers. But the Humphreys home mostly did make sense, given the success of their fathers former and present careers.

As a former writer for Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey brought some realism to 30 Rock and her character Liz Lemon. While the entertainment industry sitcom rolls out some of the most outrageous plot lines, Lizs apartment is one of the few elements that teeters on the edge of realism. Like many of the characters on this list, she lives on the Upper West Side, providing a realistic neighborhood for the comedy writer. But when Season 4 features Liz buying the unit above to her current place, thats when the line of the characters finances becomes a bit blurry.

Jerrys apartment in Seinfeld also teeters on the edge of realism. As a successful stand-up comedian, the reality of Jerry Seinfelds life behind the camera seemed to slip into the fictional world of Seinfeld. The character isnt quite starving-artist material, but even as a semi-famous comedian on-the-rise, performers at that level typically live in quainter spaces before making it big. Then again, if Kramer could live there, Jerry could definitely swing it.

New York City OB-GYN Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling) lived in one of the most colorful sitcom apartments in television history. And as colorful as Mindys apartment was matches its lack of realism. The one-bedroom apartment in a Manhattan Brownstone has both a walk-in closet and a staircase that leads to another unit. Kaling knowingly created an unrealistic bachelorette pad, and provides cheeky quips about the unreasonable NYC housing market early on in the series. By further introducing the apartments of other characters, including Danny Castellano (Chris Messina) and Jody Kimball-Kinney (Garret Dillahunt), the rom-com sitcom provides a picture-perfect world of expansive and well-decorated lower-Manhattan homes.

Yes, rent-controlled apartments are the caveat to some of these units, but Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) seems unable to make his monthly payments at the Arconia. The amateur detective (and retired theater director) has lived on the Upper West Side for decades; however, hes positioned himself as a bit of a late-stage struggling artist. The theater director has failed to helm a successful production, despite repeatedly receiving investments from his neighbors, including Teddy Dimas (Nathan Lane). While Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) starred on a successful network TV show and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) resides in her late Aunts home, Olivers place in the Arconia is constantly put up for questioning even facilitating a possible criminal motive in Season 2.

Ted Mosby (Josh Randor) is an architect-turned-professor who lives on the Upper West Side for the duration of the How I Met Your Mother series run. Teds apartment has a rotating door, with the main characters, Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), and Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) consistently occupying the two-bedroom unit. With roommates, Ted could possibly swing the rent, but given his roommates rocky employment histories, it doesnt seem as likely. Teds apartment was large enough to house a telephone booth, entertain a fencing duel and to host many, many parties. How I Met Your Mother fueled young 20-somethings moving to the big city with very unrealistic expectations for what their first apartment might look like but the latest spin-off How I Met Your Father definitely nails the realistic aspect of NYC living.

Fans and savvy NYC residents have long refuted the plausibility of Carrie Bradshaws (Sarah Jessica Parker) Upper East Side apartment. As one of the only characters to actually name the price of her rent (around $700), its extremely unlikely shed have found a space to live alone in that neighborhood for that price, even when considering rent-controlled opportunities.

Venturing back to Brooklyn, Hannah Horvaths (Lena Dunham) two-bedroom apartment in Greenpoint, which she shares with Marnie Michaels (Allison Williams),stands as another writer living in a completely unrealistic apartment given the location, era and character. Hannah is very open about her finances and is willing to admit when she hits financial struggles which makes Hannahs fictional Brooklyn fantasy utopia is just that: a fantasy. Contradicting the fantasy of Hannah and Marnies shared apartment, Marnies Chinatown stbox studio poses as the most realistic home on the HBO series.

Yes, technically, Monica Geller (Courtney Cox) from Friends inherited her iconic, rent-controlled apartment from her grandmother but even so, the unit stands as one of the most famous unrealistic homes across film and TV. Monica was a line cook, then unemployed, then founder of a short-lived catering company, and eventually a chef. But she still managed to live comfortably in a massive NYC apartment in a trendy downtown neighborhood. The Greenwich Village space boasts two large bedrooms and a huge living room and joint kitchen; who watched Friends and didnt dream of jumping onto Monicas lease?

Although the cult-comedy Search Party is a satire, the absurdity of the show doesnt stop with the characters or the storylines and of course extends into the main characters homes. More specifically, unemployed scam artist Elliott Goss (John Early) who lives in Brooklyn near his old college friends Dory Sief (Alia Shawkat), Portia Davenport (Meredith Hagner) and Drew Gardner (John Reynolds). Even while professing that he doesnt enjoy working, Elliott has a number of on-again, off-again jobs through the series five seasons. He begins Search Party as the founder of a charity called Water Bottles for Africa, then he receives a book deal, then he becomes a right-wing news pundit but hes never able to stay with this gigs and actually build a career. Therefore, spending frivolously with no consistent paychecks and living in an enormous Brooklyn apartment with a staircase and enough room for Portia, Drew or Dory to stay over as-needed is one of the least plausible housing scenarios in television today.

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TV Characters Ranked by How Affordable Their Apartments Are - TheWrap

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BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New Line Cinemas Dont Worry Darling, the highly anticipated second feature from director Olivia Wilde, is set to make its out-of-competition world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia, running from 31 August to 10 September, 2022. The announcement was made today by Alberto Barbera, Director of the 79th Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia.

In tandem with the announcement, Wildewho will attend the Festival, along with co-stars Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Gemma Chan and Chris Pinestated, I am honored and thrilled that Dont Worry Darling will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. When we dreamed of making this movie, we imagined Venice as our ultimate goal, and we can hardly believe its really happening! From our cast led by the formidable Florence Pugh and Harry Stylesto the design of this world and the kinetic cinematography, the film was crafted for viewing in the collective setting of the theatrical experience. For this first screening to take place in the jewel-like surroundings of the Venice Lido and in the presence of some of international cinemas most accomplished artists is beyond exciting. I look forward to sharing the visceral ride of Dont Worry Darling with the world, beginning with the Venice Film Festival, and I wish to thank Alberto Barbera and the Biennale for the selection. This is truly a dream come true.

The Venice International Film Festival is officially recognized by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association). The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue. The Festival also organizes retrospectives and tributes to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.

From New Line Cinema comes Dont Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde (Booksmart) and starring Florence Pugh (Oscar-nominated for Little Women), Harry Styles (Dunkirk), Wilde (upcoming Babylon), Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians), KiKi Layne (The Old Guard) and Chris Pine (All the Old Knives).

Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Pine)equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coachanchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.

While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the development of progressive materials, their wivesincluding Franks elegant partner, Shelley (Chan)get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every residents needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.

But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive faade, Alice cant help questioning exactly what theyre doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose whats really going on in this paradise?

An audacious, twisted and visually stunning psychological thriller, Dont Worry Darling is a powerhouse feature from director Olivia Wilde that boasts bold performances from Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, surrounded by the impressive and pitch-perfect cast.

The film also stars Nick Kroll (How It Ends), Sydney Chandler (Pistol), Kate Berlant (Once Upon a Time In Hollywood), Asif Ali (WandaVision), Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies), Timothy Simons (Veep) and Ariel Stachel (Respect the Jux).

Wilde directs from a screenplay penned by her Booksmart writer Katie Silberman, based on a story by Carey Van Dyke & Shane Van Dyke (Chernobyl Diaries) and Silberman. The film is produced by Wilde, Silberman, Miri Yoon and Roy Lee, with Richard Brener, Celia Khong, Alex G. Scott, Catherine Hardwicke, Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke executive producing.

Wilde is joined behind the camera by two-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Matthew Libatique (A Star Is Born, Black Swan), production designer Katie Byron (Booksmart), editor Affonso Gonalves (The Lost Daughter), Oscar-nominated composer John Powell (Jason Bourne), music supervisor Randall Poster (No Time to Die) and costume designer Arianne Phillips (Once Upon a Time In Hollywood).

A New Line Cinema presentation, Dont Worry Darling will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters internationally beginning 21 September 2022 and in North America on September 23, 2022.

For downloadable general press information:https://mediapass.warnerbros.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220726005166/en/

For additional media inquiries, please contact:Candice McDonough[emailprotected]

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

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New Line Cinema's and Filmmaker Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling to World Premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival -...

Spider-Man was a superhero that Andrew Garfield once dreamed about being. But when he was finally able to play the character, it wasnt what he imagined it would be.

Garfield was already fairly well-known in the entertainment industry before Spider-Man. His role in David Finchers The Social Network helped further propel him into Hollywoods spotlight. But it was his turn as Spider-Man in the titular film The Amazing Spider-Man that helped catapult Garfields superstar status.

It was a character Garfield had his eye on since he was still an aspiring actor. But after obtaining his dream role, the Oscar-nominated actor was introduced to the darker side of fame. And it was a side-effect of his newfound celebrity that he wasnt prepared for.

It was a character that I wanted to play my whole life and not one part of me was indifferent but I got incredibly uncomfortable with the attention that just came with that job. It was nothing to do with me, it was to do with this idea of celebrity, he once said in an interview with Vulture.

It didnt help that, at the time, Garfield was still in the process of figuring out who he was as a person.

Its like, Oh, f***, my life is now great! But in fact, Im still f***** up in my own ways, and insecure, and scared, and dont really know who I am. Celebrity is the new religion, as far as I can see, along with money, power, status. Its all the same umbrella the seductive forces of evil, really, he said.

When Garfield first heard the news that hed be cast as the iconic superhero, he was more than enthused. But that level of enthusiasm waned a bit when he realized he wasnt actually going to be Spider-Man.

When I found out about being cast in Spider-Man, it was like this bubble developed around me. I was floating in it for a while. And then, suddenly, it evaporated, and I was like, Well, Im just an actor. I dont get to actually be Spider-Man. But maybe Ill have moments where Im convinced that I am and those periods of fantasy will get me through, he once confided on Interview Magazine.

Apart from that, Garfield also began to miss the simpler times of being an actor after his popularity skyrocketed thanks to Spider-Man.

[I liked] struggling auditioning and getting turned down and wondering if Im ever going to get another job. To achieve what you set out to achieve and realise its not what you want, its disappointing, Garfield once told Radio Times (via Contact Music).

Garfield assumed that roles like Spider-Man would have him set for life, living in his own utopia.

But you never get to utopia. The dream has become reality, he added.

Garfield was eventually replaced as Spider-Man by Tom Holland, who made his debut as the superhero in 2016s Captain America Civil War. There were a few conflicting reports about Garfield leaving the franchise, including the speculation that he intentionally self-sabotaged his role. In a 2015 interview with The Guardian, although he didnt give a definitive answer, Garfield did offer his perspective on the matter.

What Ill proudly say is that I didnt compromise who I was, I was only ever myself. And that might have been difficult for some people, he said.

Garfield also touched on what his original vision for his Spider-Man film was. But it was a vision that might have gone against the studios.

I thought, if I can infuse all this ancient knowledge and wisdom into [Spider-Man], it could be profoundly affecting for young people in the audience. That was always my intention and what I tried to do, he continued. I was 25 and I was naive not because of that, but because I was naive to the whole process of making one of those big-budget films.

RELATED: Like Andrew Garfield, These Oscar-Nominated Actors Took a Break From Hollywood

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Andrew Garfield Once Revealed That He Was Disappointed With His 'Spider-Man' Fame - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

The first two weeks of Big Brother 24 were brutal to watch. Many viewers accused the houseguests of unfairly targeting Taylor Hale based on her race and gender. And a lot of the behavior could be traced back to Paloma Aguilar declaring her dislike of Taylor on night one of Big Brother 24. Now that she is out of the house, fans want Paloma to own up to her controversial actions.

The moment that Paloma saw Taylor in the Big Brother 24 house, she didnt like her. She partnered up with Alyssa Snider, and they routinely made fun of Taylors pageant past. They also determined that she wasnt a girls girl, so they preached women empowerment while trying to target a woman.

After Paloma started spreading lies about Taylor, the hatred for her grew. Many claimed that Taylor would explode once put on the block and that she was aggressive, so they needed to get her out. However, Taylor never showed such behavior.

Microaggressions ran rampant throughout the Big Brother house, and many fans criticized Paloma for starting the Taylor hate. But during the first week, Palomas mental health took a hit, and she pulled herself from the game. Now, she has to address the allegations of racism fans have thrown her way.

On July 26, Paloma made an Instagram post where she discussed her experiences in the Big Brother 24 house. It contained photos of the cast and videos of her in the game. It also originally included a meme that read, My face when I realized Ive been labeled a racist and vilified after leaving the BB house. Paloma deleted it from the post, but you can find it on Twitter.

Palomas Instagram caption reads:

Nothing but love for this beautiful cast. I genuinely have come out of this experience with only good things to say about each individual; aside from any game play that was talked. It is such a shame how social media tries to tear a person down through cancel culture because of the way things were being portrayed to fit a narrative for good TV. People see it as the ultimate truth of reality when in actuality everything is cut to fit the narrative they want, even the live feeds cut from room to room when things are said that can jeopardize the storyline their going with. (studied at Berkeley MediaST10). I left because of an ongoing mental health battle I faced which began once inside the walls of an idealistic utopia of a reality set. A reality that was far from the reality of my San Diego life. I became so quickly obsessed with the game I forgot how to take care of myself. FOMO consumed my every move. I would get 2-4 hours of sleep at night no normal human could function off of (sleeping hours are 10pm-10am but everyone keeps each other up gaming), I did not see the sun for 5 days so I began to loose touch with reality, theres no windows, and 100 cameras working 24/7 even when youre sleeping ate me alive. No one understands the psychological challenge of reality television unless you have first hand EXPERIENCED it. Mental health is something I believe I must stand up for with my platform because it is so stigmatized and belittled in a world where the majority of us face something mental health related in secrecy. I will be addressing more of my time in the house little by little but I want to thank everyone for their love and support during an extremely hard time.

Since Paloma deflected the criticism of her behavior in Big Brother 24, fans continue to condemn her.

In one Reddit post, a fan wrote, Seems like she didnt learn a lot. I wish her well with her recovery, though. It would probably be better for her mental health to stay off social media for a bit Also not sure what else she plans on revealing little by little considering she was in the house for 20 minutes.

Another person added, I wish her well, but I was hoping she would take more accountability. They cant edit things in that she hasnt done.

Shes legit gaslighting the public, one Reddit user said. The edit on the show painted her in a very sympathetic way too.

A different fan commented, She cant even explain the things she said that the feeds DID show. Girl is in some serious denial.

New episodes of Big Brother 24 airs Sundays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET and Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

RELATED: Big Brother 24 Houseguests Blame Palomas Exit on Taylor

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'Big Brother 24' Fans Accuse Paloma of 'Gaslighting' After She Denies Allegations of Racism - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

From Amy Cherry Taylor and Associates

10306 Lambs Creek Church Rd, King George, VA 22485

See our listings.

Totally remodeled and gleaming beyond belief here in 2022, this King George beauty exudes modern country living at its best!

This three-bedroom, two-bath residence spans more than 1,200 square feet and has 3 levels. The home at 10306 Lambs Creek Church Road was recently stripped down to its studs and is just like new! It sits on a green .33-acre, no-HOA lot in King George County.

The yard is low-maintenance and chock-full of green space. Out front, note the fresh bluestone driveway.

Before stepping foot on its new Trex portico and heading inside, know that so much here is brand-new well beyond what the eye will immediately capture! All new as of 2022 include its HVAC system, hot water heater, electrical system, insulation, drywall, plumbing, interior doors, paint, appliances, flooring, light fixtures, hardware and so much more!

Beyond the craftsman-style front door, youre greeted with a family room. Note the refinished original hardwood floors that stretch throughout the space as well as a new ceiling fan. Additional components on the main level include two bedrooms, an enhanced bath (with luxury tile, a new vanity and built-in shelving) and the showstopping kitchen. Highlights on the bright and open kitchen include luxury vinyl plank flooring, white cabinetry, quartz countertops and stainless-steel appliances/sink. From the kitchen, you can step down into a dining space, which has an exit to the back yard utopia.

Upstairs, you will find the primary bedroom. There is an open usable space, primed for bean bag chairs, a small desk or flex office space. Note the new light gray carpet up the stairs and throughout the upper level! Within the bedroom space, there is a brand-new egress window overlooking a pristine country setting, walk-in closet and adjacent new bath with tub/shower combo and subway tile accents. The unfinished basement is temperature controlled, insulated, and boasts oodles of storage space. There is a hook-up for a washer and dryer.

Tucked quietly off Route 3 in King George County, this home has seamless access to so much within the broader region. For everyday needs, the Shops at King George is within 10 minutes east. Recreation opportunities aplenty await less than 10 minutes north at Fairview Beach. Downtown Fredericksburg is less than 20 minutes west and Dahlgren is approximately 25 minutes east.

At this price point, the freshness and tranquility of 10306 Lambs Creek Church Road is sure to dazzle!

Read more here:

Home of the Week: Freshly remodeled King George property - Fredericksburg Today

Toronto never wavers when it comes to events in the city especially when theyre free. August brings all the best and exciting things to do in the city from foodie events to cultural experiences. Here are 16 of the best free things to do in Toronto this August.

The best things in life (and in the summer) are free, and these are the best youll find in Toronto this month.

Recent Posts:Popular Toronto outdoor bar to screen free movies next month & heres the line upThe Rogers Centre is getting a $300M makeover & heres what it will look like

When summer hits in Toronto, its hard to get relief from the heat even after the sun sets. Thankfully, for that very reason, night swimming at City of Toronto pools is officially back on.

Where: Multiple locationsWhen: Every day until 11:59 pm

This years Caribbean Carnival will have a brand new hub called Grand Parade Central, hosted on the Exhibition Place Grounds. There will be over 10,000 masqueraders performing in this all-day event, as well as live performances, food, and drinks. Enjoy the festival for FREE along Lake Shore or you can get tickets to Grand Parade Central for the ultimate carnival experience.

Where:Lakeshore Blvd W & Exhibition Place Grounds, 115 Princes BlvdWhen:July 30, 2022

A street-wide celebration called The Bentway Block Party has been set for this August, which will take place under the Gardiner Expressway. This years block party will include performers like The Illustrious Blacks andDrag Race Canadawinner Priyanka.

The event is described as a celebratory street party across The Bentway site, featuring performances, music, street food and drink, family-friendly workshops, fashion shows, and more.

Where:250 Fort York BlvdWhen: August 14, 2022, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Hunt for vintage treasures on the gorgeous grounds of Ashbridge Estate at this one-night-only flea market, in collaboration with the Leslieville Farmers Market.

Enjoy food, drink, activities, and music under the lights and summer night sky, along with incredible vintage and handcrafted flea vendors selling their goods.

Where: Ashbridge Estate, 1444 Queen St EastWhen: August 13, 2022, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

After a two-year hiatus, the Sunday street parties we know and love are officially back at Kensington Market. Pedestrian Sundays are back for the summer and will continue well into the fall. On the last Sunday of every month, Torontos most eccentric neighbourhood will host a FREE street-wide celebration of community, culture, and ecology.

Where:Kensington MarketWhen:July 31, August 28 & September 25, 2022

We love food trucks. And we love food truck festivals even more! The Toronto Food Truck Festival is returning this summer, with vendors like include The Kathi Roll Express, Pharaohs Kitchen, Food Dudes, Busters Sea Cove, and Craigs Cookies.

Admission will be free, and organizers say theres something for everyone!

Where:Woodbine Park, 1695 Queen St EWhen:July 29-August 1, 2022

After a two-year hiatus, the fifth annual Taste of India festival returns to Nathan Phillips Square this summer. The two-day festivities begin on July 31, bringing a diverse exhibition of culture and culinary art.

This year, expect to experience a foodie utopia as well as classical dances, Bhangra, music, and musical melodies by singers and a live DJ from noon until 10 p.m.

When:July 31 and August 1Where:Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St West

The ROM is running its free summer program supported by the Temerty Foundation right now. The program lets you access the main floorthat is 80,000 sq ft of galleries, exhibitions and displaysfor free

When: On Now September 25. 2022

Summer nights, outdoor movies, and a picnic name a better combo, well wait! Movies Under the Stars at Downsview Park is back this season and you can catch screenings of popular new releases for free!

The annual movie program is back for its 6th edition this summer and will take place at the lakeside this year, in between the Orchard Pavilion and the Lake inside the park. Be sure to get your free ticket in advance ahead of time.

Where: Lakeside, Downsview Park, 70 Canuck Ave, North YorkWhen: July 28, August 9 & August 22, 2022, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The August edition of this summer festival at Stackt Market is basically a giant outdoor party, complete with a local vendor market, music series, food station, a showcase of artists, and all things MadeinTO. What better way to enjoy summer in the city than with good tunes, good bites, and good company in an outdoor oasis?

Where: Stackt Market, 28 Bathurst StWhen: August 20, 2022

Foodies are in for a huge treat in Toronto! Smorgasburg, Americas largest weekly open-air food market popular in cities like L.A. and Brooklyn, has arrived in the city for the first time ever, complete with an ice cream alley and fully-stocked SmorgasBAR.

Smorgasburgs Toronto edition will run for eight weeks straight, bringing dozens of international food vendors to one place every single Saturday.Check out the full list of vendors here!

Where: 7 Queens Quay EastWhen:Until September 10, 2022

Chinatowns popular summer street festival is finally returning this August. This exciting event not only pays tribute to Chinese culture but also serves as a tourist attraction for visitors from all over to enjoy, says the Chinatown BIA.

You can expect a neighbourhood-wide celebration of Torontos local Chinese community, from multi-cultural street food to traditional dancing and dragon shows, Kung Fu demonstrations, and more.

When:August 20 & 21, 2022Where:West of Spadina Ave, between St Andrew St & Sullivan St

The season of movies under the stars is back! The Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) has returned with a new series of FREE programming calledCurtains Up!. The films pay tribute to all of the performing artists weve missed seeing live during the pandemic, from dancers to circus acts to musicians and more.Check out the full movie schedule right here.

Where:See locationsWhen:Until August 28, 2022

Japan Festival Canada is said to be the largest Japanese cultural event in North America and its taking place in Mississauga this August. Visitors can expect to see traditional and modern performances, live pop music performances, and plenty of delicious Japanese food.

Where:Celebration Square, MississaugaWhen:August 20-21, 2022

Exciting things are happening at Ontario Place this summer, including an outdoor music festival. The Ontario Place Summer Live Music Festival will showcase a diverse range of performances and artists, and admission is completely free!

Where: Trillium Park, 955 Lake Shore Blvd WestWhen: July 7-August 28, 2022

Canadas first and only floating arts and culture festival is running until September 5. Toronto our outdoor, dockside summer performance series brings artists and audiences together to take in the sunshine and sounds of the city, the description says. You can see the full lineup of performershere!

Where:585 Queens Quay West & 1 Queens Quay WestWhen:Until September 5, 2022

With a curated slate of what matters in your city, Curiocity presents you with the most relevant local food, experiences, news, deals, and adventures. We help you get the most out of your city and focus on the easy-to-miss details so that youre always in the know.

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16 of the best FREE things to do in Toronto this August - Curiocity

C

anary Wharf has been a long slow burn ever since the late 1980s when Margaret Thatcher decided to transform acres of derelict dockland in east London into Londons second financial centre.

Those early days were full of mishaps and disappointments the cost of the Docklands Light Railway spiralled, and critics pointed out that once its offices cleared out the area became a ghost town.

But since 2012 things have changed, radically. No longer simply a place for bankers to earn a crust, Canary Wharf has become a modern destination in its own right.

You can relax in the Crossrail Roof Garden or Jubilee Park, shop at Crossrail Place or a series of underground malls, admire the boats at South Dock, learn to sail at the Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre at Millwall Outer Dock, eat at the kind of restaurants where an expense account is a help notably Roka (Canada Square), Ippudo London (Crossrail Place) or Hawksmoor (Water Street) or stroll over to West India Quay where Grade I listed waterfront warehouses have been redeveloped with bars and restaurants.

The Canary Wharf Group puts on scores of cultural events each year, like the Winter Lights Festival and public art displays.

When I tell people I live in Canary Wharf the majority of people say: Oh its so boring, there is no character, said Kevin Tang, 51, who has lived in the area since 2000 with his husband Geffrye Parsons, 56.

Canary Wharf to:

Tottenham Court Road: 13 minutes

Paddington: 18 minutes

Heathrow: From 54 minutes

Timings include ten minutes for interchange at Liverpool Street, eight minutes for interchange at Paddington, in force until 2023

I think people should come and look at it now. It has actually got lots of character, because of the architecture. You feel very metropolitan when you live here, it is what modern London is all about. And it is heaving at the weekends with people coming to eat and drink and shop.

The resident population of Canary Wharf has spiralled since the start of the 2000s as new towers have flown up. In 2011 there were 12,500 people living in the Canary Wharf ward, according to Tower Hamlets Council. By 2020 it had jumped to 19,000 and this is projected to leap to around 40,000 once all the new homes in the area are completed.

New landmarks on the skyline include Herzog & De Meurons One Park Drive, a 58 storey giant; prices currently start at 840,000 for a one bedroom flat.

There has also been heavy investment in flats built to rent. The largest to date is the Newfoundland tower, which was completed last summer. Its 636 flats cost from 2,383pcm for a one bedroom flat, and 3,335 for a two bedroom flat.

2012: 371,700

2022: 603,000,

Growth: 62 per cent

Source: Hamptons

Beyond the official Canary Wharf estate new towers are being built overlooking South Dock, technically in the Isle of Dogs The 53 storey Amory Tower (formerly known as The Madison) and the 75 storey Landmark Pinnacle where studio flats start at 559,000 both completed last year.

Kevin, a property developer, and Geffrye, who recently took early retirement from his career in finance, reserved a flat in One Park Drive back in 2018 the one-bedroom property, with phenomenal view from one of the highest floors, cost just over 1 million.

In the interim they rented a flat at 10, George Square, a purpose-built rental block, in 2020 before moving to their home at the start of this year.

They chose Canary Wharf partly because they were excited by the prospect of owning a home in Herzog & De Meurons first UK residential project. They travel frequently so living in a safe, lock up and leave home was another pull, along with the direct links to Heathrow that come with Crossrails long-awaited opening.

Their longer term plan is to move to Canada, and they plan to use the flat as a pied--terre, with the option of renting it out while they are not in the UK.

James Hyman, head of residential at Cluttons estate agents, estimates that around 70 per cent of Canary Wharfs flats are bought by investors able to let a two-bedroom flat for around 2,200 per week.

Would-be owner occupiers can get a bit more for their money by opting for a resale flat rather than something brand new around 750,000 would buy a two-bedroom apartment.

Hyman thinks the biggest challenge Canary Wharfs market has faced over the past couple of years has not been the pandemic and absence of overseas buyers and local office workers.

It has been the building safety crisis and the subsequent demands for buildings to pass fire safety checks. So many of those blocks still dont have the right documentation to satisfy a lender and that has slightly suppressed the market, said Hyman.

As a result, prices have inched up by just three per cent in the past two years.

Hyman agrees with Kevin that the appeal of Canary Wharf is its uniqueness. It is a very sophisticated part of London if you want modern, purpose built living, he said. It is owned by a Singapore-based business, it is maintained to a Singapore standard and is probably the closest environment to utopia that exists.

And Canary Wharf has changed massively over the past 10 years. It is buzzy at the weekend. The retail is West End standard, there are restaurants and bars. A lot of people who live in Canary Wharf dont work there. Historically you only lived there if you also worked there.

The future

The Canary Wharf Group has started work on the five million sq ft Wood Wharf development, which will include a hub for tech companies plus more than 4,000 new homes to rent or buy. The wharf will also include lots of new restaurants like street food sensation Mercato Metropolitano, due to open imminently within 10 George Street.

And at North Quay, there are plans to create a life sciences hub, several apartment buildings, a casino, nightclub, and skatepark.

To counteract all this steel, grass, and concrete, it was announced earlier this year that Canary Wharf chiefs are working with the Eden Project on plans to create a green spine through the docklands, featuring parks and gardens, boardwalks, bridges, and floating pontoons through the centre of the neighbourhood.

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Why locals love this once boring London area on the Elizabeth line - Evening Standard

Nyle DiMarco in DNA #193 (Christian Scott)

We were first introduced to Nyle DiMarco after he won season 22 of Americas Next Top Model. That wasnt the last we saw of him, he went on to win Dancing With The Stars and has graced the covers of many magazines including DNA #193.

Since then, he has proven to be more than just a pretty face although he is that, too. DiMarcos new memoir Deaf Utopia is a love letter to the Deaf community and a deeply personal telling of Deaf culture from his perspective, reports Entertainment Weekly.

The title of the memoir is derived from Nyles blissful childhood. He reports that he is fourth generation deaf, which is a rarity among the community with only 10 percent of deaf people having deaf parents, reports Entertainment Weekly. Despite his Adonis-level good looks and idyllic family upbringing, being deaf has wrought its unique hardships for DiMarco and he has found strength and unity within his community. His unique perspective also comes from identifying as sexually fluid; its these overlapping identities which make Nyle such a strong advocate for his communities.

Nyle uses his platform as a model, actor and producer to advocate for the Deaf community every chance he can. On his season of ANTM, DiMarco had a moment where he was left without an interpreter for hours and hence had no avenue to communicate with the hearing contestants or crew.

Producers should just ask people what they need, says Nyle. AtANTM, I was never asked what I needed, it was just other peoples assumptions. And there were a lot of mistakes made in the process that were easily preventable.

These misconceptions are detailed in Deaf Utopia; its a memoir made to celebrate the Deaf community, but it doubles as an anecdotal guide that hearing people can use to unlearn problematic behaviours related to being around deaf people.

According to EW, DiMarco details his parents experience of learning that Nyle and his twin brother Nico are deaf. The doctor feared the news would come as a disappointment not realising that the Deaf community has a rich culture and doesnt feel shame around being unhearing. Stories like these are important for hearing people to know and they help us to break down those misconceptions.

I definitely think a lot of hearing people dont realise that we have a culture and that we have a very rich community, says Nyle. Looking at the challenges Deaf people face with representation, Nyle has been at the helm of many projects that bring the culture and community to the forefront of the mainstream consciousness. He produces the reality program Deaf U on Netflix that followed deaf students at Gallaudet, the one university for Deaf people in the US, as well as being apart of the Oscar-nominated documentary Audible.

I have never seen an accurate fiction [in films or TV] of something that really reflects my own experience, he says. Most of the time when were pitching ideas, the big question is can we sell a story with deaf people in it? But nowCODAhas removed all doubt, theres no excuse anymore.

When we had the chance to sit down with Nyle for DNA #193, he told us that what he wants the most is for deaf people to be 100 percent heard. He says, Respect our requests because we know what is best for ourselves. Give us a voice. Learn sign language. Become an ally.

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Nyle DiMarcos Deaf Utopia Model, Actor And Activist Opens Up About ...

New England has long been fertile ground for experimental societies. One of the most influential utopian societies was formed close to home in West Roxbury. In 1841, a man named George Ripley bought 179 acres and created an intentional community called Brook Farm. The community, which had 120 members at its height,was inspired by the transcendentalist movement and sought to create a place that honored individual freedom, focused on humane relationships and the merging of values. Because of the communitys goals, Brook Farm grew, attracting academics, feminists, and thinkers from that time. And although it eventually fell apart, the commune's six-year existence was born out of a kind of radical imagination.

The idea of radical imagination is one I think about often. The expression is an invitation to view the world and its systems not as they are but as they could be. Its a helpful framework for thinking about change when conversations about the future especially those regarding the fate of the United States become cyclical. Imagination is the catalyst for everything in existence, from the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the cars we drive to our countrys founding. The idea of radical imagination takes systems and laws out of the concrete and places them back into the abstract. When I get overwhelmed thinking about this country and its codes, both written and unwritten, I find it helpful to think about whose imaginations we live in.

True utopia is not possible. However, the concept of world-building is fascinating. What do imagined literary societies tell us about our own? I dont think we should all skip town to join communes, but we could use a bit of radical imagination as we attempt to keep moving forward as a country. This week, I have a few recommendations for reads on utopia, world-building and reimagining.

In this nonfiction book, J.C. Hallman goes on the search for real-world examples of utopia. The author grew up in a master-planned suburb in California on a street called Utopia Road in a house that he says housed him but did not raise him. In the book's opening, Hallman explains that utopias, as a rule, slip. The history of utopian thought sheds light on civilization that both illuminates and scalds: Civilization triggers utopia, embraces it then indicts it, explains Hallman. Using literary utopia as a framework, Hallman explores the idea of perfection and the tensions that arise between, for example, the desire to be free from existential threat and the removal of nature. This book is rich, mixing narrative storytelling with investigation and history. Its a non-judgemental look at utopia and why experimentation with the idea is important, even if they have failed before.

This is an anarchist utopian novel and one of the authors many famous reads. In The Dispossessed, Le Guin has created two seemingly opposite societies. One is an advanced capitalist world. The other is an anarchist and classless civilization. The book takes place 200 or so years after revolutionaries were given a mining planet to live on, where they attempted to create a kind of utopia. The story follows physicist Shevek as he journeys back to the mother planet, where he discovers that civilizations, no matter how different, have similarities. Le Guin was a political person, and the injustices in the world around her inspired her fiction. Threads like that of an oppressed underclass and imperialism run through her work.

Using inspiration from real towns founded by African Americans in the 19th century, Morrison crafts the community of Ruby. The novel is about a created utopia that is completely exclusionary to the outside world, its conservative, patriarchal, and follows a strict moral code. But the all-Black town borders a convent, which Morrison has written to be raceless and free-thinking. Because of the two communities' differences and Rubys obsession with self-preservation, violence erupts. The story is a masterclass in worldbuilding. In a 1998interview with PBS, Morrison said, All paradises, all utopias are designed by who is not there, by the people who are not allowed in.

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The WBUR Read-In: Utopia - WBUR News

When Wonder of the Seas began sailing out of Fort Lauderdale in March 2022, the ship claimed the title of "largest cruise ship in the world" from its sister ship, Symphony of the Seas. In fact, Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Get Royal Caribbean Group Report has essentially traded that title from one Oasis-class ship to the next.

Before Symphony, it was held by Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, and even the original Oasis-class ship, Oasis of the Seas. Royal Caribbean has generally built each new Oasis-class ship a little bit bigger than the last. That's not something overtly noticeable when onboard -- Wonder of the Seas does feel notably bigger than Symphony of the Seas -- but the cruise line clearly wants to be able to claim the "biggest ship in the world title."

Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) - Get Carnival Corporation Report signature brand only has one ship, the Mardi Gras, that cracks the list of the top-15 biggest ships. And while passengers may not feel they're missing anything on a smaller ship (and certainly not one as large as Carnival Mardi Gras, which has an onboard roller coaster) the "biggest ship in the world" crown clearly has value both for marketing and bragging rights.

Now, with its next Oasis-class ship, the seventh of that class Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean will once again claim that title and add some new bells and whistles.

TheStreet

Oasis-class ships have some unique features including the outdoor Central Park area -- a literal park onboard the ship -- as well as another outdoor area, the Boardwalk, which features the impressive Aquatheater as well as a carousel. Utopia of the Seas will offer both of those and it will be the second Royal Caribbean ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

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The company shared some news on that during the hull-laying ceremony for the ship.

As the second Royal Caribbean ship that will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), Utopia will also advance Royal Caribbeans decades-long commitment to the environment. The ships LNG technology will join a lineup of the cruise lines already-established environmentally friendly initiatives on its ships. From shore power connection to waste heat recovery systems, the applications have been developed and continually enhanced as part of Royal Caribbeans dedication to innovation and making strides toward a clean-energy future.

Royal Caribbean has opted to keep building ships -- basically one a year -- despite the pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding the cruise industry. President Michael Bayley detailed that commitment at the ceremony

The keel laying for Utopia of the Seas represents the first milestone of an incredible ship and the next step toward a bolder, thrilling future for Royal Caribbean and vacations, he said.. Utopias debut in 2024, on the heels of Icon of the Seas setting sail in fall 2023, will build on a new, exciting chapter that is set to redefine family vacations and getaways for all ages in ways well soon reveal.

Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have placed their bets on big ships (Carnival's next ship, the Celebration will be a sister ship to Mardi Gras). Larger ships offer more to do -- things like water slides, roller coasters, ice skating rinks, unique performance venues, and a stunning array of dining choices -- but they're also limited at to what ports they can visit.

Oasis-class ships are destinations in themselves where you can't experience everything they have to offer on a seven-day cruise. Royal Caribbean uses many of its largest ships to make stops at its CocoCay private island, a destination that serves as an extension of the ship.

Royal Caribbean has committed to building big ships (Icon of the Seas will briefly be the biggest ship in the World when it launches). That's a strategy that Carnival has opted to follow, but not quite emulate as it has never tried to build a ship a tiny bit bigger than Royal's last effort.

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Royal Caribbean Goes Even Bigger in its Battle With Carnival - TheStreet