Are you between the ages of 18 and 35? Female? Male? If you answered yes to one of these questions, then chances are you’ve tried Instagram. Whether you’ve merely dabbled in the occasional filter here and there or are already a full-blown Instagrammaddict, I’d like to take a minute to address a growing concern.

Instagrammaddiction (known as Instaddiction on the street) affects both men and women. It strikes in moments of boredom, excitement, and loneliness alike. No one is truly safe from the Bermuda Triangle left in the wake of its feed.

Unfortunately, Instagram’s mode of consumption allows for constant usage to be discreet—a little refresh in the bathroom, a Like under the table at dinner, a scroll on the treadmill—all done from your portable and inconspicuous phone. You could be doing ANYTHING on there. Texting. You could be texting. (Tee hee.)

Instagram’s fleeting feed creates a sense of immediacy, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it intrigue, that only adds to its addictive potential and makes users even more desperate for a quick fix. As is often the case, Instaddiction can be a gateway to even more time-consuming black holes, like Diptic or PicStitch, in which one combines multiple photos, using varying filters and text. Such experiments have been known to lead to hours of lost time. Blackouts. Migraines.

I’d like to tell you there’s an easy cure for Instaddiction, but unfortunately I cannot. At this time there is no cure, but if treated early, Instaddiction can be managed. Instaddicts have been known to go on to lead healthy, active lives. (Though, like, give it a few years.)

So, what makes one at risk for Instaddiction?

Do you live in Brooklyn? Enjoy making your own jewelry? Are you an aspiring model, stylist, or foodie? Are there professional foodies to aspire to? Is there a union? A foodie guild? Sorry, I digress. Blame Instagram—it thrives off our digressions.
The fact is, Instaddiction strikes when you least expect it.

Signs that you or a loved one may be suffering from Instaddiction are as follows: trying to “refresh” during boring lapses in conversation; an unhealthy obsession with “I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li; a propensity to stare, cross-eyed-close, at flowers, animals, and home décor; the tendency to paint and repaint one’s nails 10-15 times during the day; scrolling eye spasms when trying to maintain direct eye contact; saying the word “hashtag” out loud. Ever.

Instaddiction is serious, and if left untreated, it can be dangerous. In rare cases, Instaddicts have travelled so deep into Instagram that they never found their way back. Oh, who cares how it works! You’ve all seen Inception.

Once you’ve identified yourself or a loved one as an Instaddict, it’s time to go cold turkey. Rest assured, the first several hours of withdrawal will be the most difficult. The world will seem cold and unfriendly to an Instaddict with no pop-up notifications for affection. Those in withdrawal can often be identified by the phantom tapping of their fingertips. Be kind to them.

Instaddicts are also advised not to look at themselves directly in the mirror during withdrawal, as their unfiltered image may be hard to accept. Traumatizing, even.
Going InstaClean:

1. Put your phone in Airplane mode. No one calls you anyway.

2. Stop showering. Don’t brush your hair. Commit to one outfit for the week and do not change. Wash it only if you spill. (The sooner you don’t want to have your photo taken, the sooner you will stop taking photos of yourself.)

3. Eat your food. It sounds simple, but it may take some getting used to.

4. Keep your fingers busy. Take up origami. Cats Cradle. Chinese finger traps. Smoking. Whatever it takes!

5. Use your phone to call someone. Try a landline.

If you do not see an improvement after a week of treatment, discontinue your cellular data plan and disable your wireless. You may want to seek professional help. Or buy a Blackberry.

Kristine Keller

I know life has its challenges. There’s malaria and questionable funds in the Cayman Islands—and I care about those things. I wouldn’t watch Kimmel’s opening monologues if I didn’t. But sometimes, anxiety levels skyrocket when thinking about the equipment needed for navigating the winding roads of “mid-twenties-hood.” This decade is notable. And I think it’s worthy of a hood like other respectable periods, places and people in life: childhood, neighborhood … I might be running out of … wait no … Robinhood!  I’m not the only one thinking the twentysomething phase deserves its own category; current pop culture and literature are saturated with the travails of the Millennials. We’re living at home longer, we’re needy, and we’re making HBO shows using only one gender name but targeted toward both dudes and chicks. Are you with me?

I’m only a little way into this period, yet my latest fortune cookie averred that age is only a number, and I can’t help but fall short of the optimism inscribed on the white slip of paper. And so I will use it for my gum.

But, while my gum sleeps snugly, I will also think about the meaning behind this proverb. Is age only a number? Because it feels more like a responsibility; each year brings new expectations. This includes a palate that can’t say no to fancy food like squab and becoming a polyglot without the luxury of traveling the world. Learning Spanish from Bloomberg’s speeches will have to suffice for now. What happens at the midway mark that separates us from our earlier years?

After pomp and circumstance, flocks of graduates migrate across the map and goals quickly diverge. But while it’s acceptable to dally with multiple jobs, lovers and apartments earlier, something happens in the mid-twenties. The conversations transgress into the meta questions. Where is your life headed? Don’t you want to be married soon? Circadian rhythms and biological clocks. Tick-tock, tick-tock. The barrage of questions loom over me. I keep them at bay with affirmations such as “I’m taking it day by day” or “I’m enjoying dating,” but that makes me seem like I’m a whimsical vagrant with a pixie haircut and power-bead bracelets from a Cameron Crowe film.

I’ve been spending my time thus far looking for that force to grab me like Newton’s first Law of Motion: An object will stay in motion, traveling in a straight line, forever, until something stops it. Where am I most likely to meet the force that will lead me to my fate? Do I veer right or switch gears left?

But, in the course of time I’ve pondered these questions, I’ve realized the time squandered on age dysphoria. The unnecessary worry and concern about the future. Existentialists argue that part of the human condition is a combination of exhilaration and terror. But if we can channel that terror into experiences that challenge us, we can enhance our mental equipment for the drive. And instead of trying to find meaning behind two prime numbers placed in close proximity, we should be creating meaning with the people closest to us. Part of building that significance begins with focusing on here, now and what’s in front of us. In fact, research conducted by Stanford University psychologists has found that inducing awe and living in the present can expand our perception of time. Believing that time is infinite and taking moments from each day to realize life’s beauties and wonders enhances altruism, mental health and our productivity.

If it’s true, as past philosophers like John Locke have promulgated, that we are born with a blank slate and learn by experiences, then it’s imperative we focus on living in the moment and creating those awe-inducing encounters. Jump off a cliff that isn’t fiscal. Dance at the Bowery Ballroom on a Tuesday. Believe your fortune cookies. Is there something you’ve been wanting to do? Defy Newton’s laws. Don’t wait for the force to find you.

Kristine received her master’s in
psychology from New York University.
She currently works at Vanity Fair.

By Sharon Feiereisen

The end of Labor Day Weekend and the beginning of Fashion Week may signal the end of summer for many New Yorkers, but there are still a good two weeks left to soak up the sunny weather and take part in downtown summertime shenanigans.
Here’s a look at 10 things to check out downtown before summer ends:

Kayaking on the Hudson
You may not want to swim in it, but thanks to the volunteer-run, nonprofit organization Downtown Boathouse, you can kayak on the Hudson free of charge through mid-October. Head to Pier 40, where every weekend and holiday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and every Thursday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. you can take a kayak out for a 20-minute paddle inside the protected enclosure in front of the boathouse (no experience is required). You’ll get life jacket along with some tips on paddling, and there are lockers, a changing room, and shower and hose to rinse off at the pier.
Downtown Boathouse, Pier 40, downtownboathouse.org

Hester Street Fair
Hester Street Fair has built an incredible reputation for launching small businesses from coast to coast (they recently unveiled their highly anticipated Indie Design Market in Los Angeles), and now through October, while the weather is still warm, you can eat and shop the racks of the fair’s vendors outdoors. Expect a mix of vintage wares, up-and-coming designer brands, and niche food vendors selling everything from alcohol-laced cupcakes to specially sourced artisanal coffee.
Hester Street Fair, Essex Street, 917-267-9496, www.hesterstreetfair.com

Shape Up NYC
While there’s no denying the appeal of the likes of SoulCycle and Barry’s Bootcamp, for the days you don’t feel like shelling out $30-plus, Shape Up NYC offers free fitness classes for adults and kids—including aerobics, African dance, cardio abs, kickboxing, yoga, Pilates and zumba—at dozens of locations, with all classes taught by expert instructors.
Shape Up NYC, various locations, www.nycgovparks.org/programs/recreation/shape-up-nyc

Stargazing on the High Line
Let your inner astronomer shine (brings back childhood memories, doesn’t it?), thanks to the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, which is sponsoring Stargazing on the High Line, every Tuesday through October at 7:30 p.m. Gaze at the stars, planets, moon—and who knows, maybe a shooting star or two—using high-powered telescopes. Astronomers from the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York are also on hand to offer insights on what you’re observing.
Stargazing on the High Line, between Little West 12th and West 14th streets, 212-206-9922, www.thehighline.org/events/all/2012/9/every-tuesday-stargazing-on-the-high-line

Common Ground
Common Ground is the Public Art Fund’s latest group exhibit, featuring 10 international artists whose work will be on display through November. The Public Art Fund has been peppering Manhattan with outdoor sculptures for over 30 years, and their latest exhibition is among their most memorable yet. The sculptures, displayed next to City Hall, reflect each artist’s interpretation of what a civic monument means today; i.e., as opposed to in the past when sculptures were predominantly heroic representations of men. Responses range from an engraved granite stone (Christian Jankowski) to a giant inflatable ketchup bottle (Paul McCarthy).
Common Grounds, City Hall Park, www.publicartfund.org/CommonGround/home.html

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Trapeze School New York
Ever wish you could soar high up in the sky? Through October you can do just that at one of the many flying trapeze classes hosted outdoors at Pier 40 (Hudson River Park) and Pier 16 (South Street Seaport) by Trapeze School New York. Whether you’re looking to fly away your worries, challenge your body with a unique workout or simply have an out-of-the-box experience, the school has you covered with classes for all levels (two hours; $50-$70), as well as intensive multi-session workshops for the most committed of flyers.
Trapeze School New York, Pier 40, 212-242-8769; Pier 16, 917-797-1872. Visit newyork.trapezeschool.com for more information.

New Amsterdam Market

New Amsterdam Market is held every Sunday through December in a sheltered outdoor site fronting the Fulton Fish Market. Their curated selection of vendors includes produce, fruit, fish, meats, dairy, breads, cheeses and a variety of specialty-product purveyors (think dry unfiltered varietal ciders and artisanal jams). The market also hosts a number of special events including Eat Your Vegetables! with chef Arthur Potts Dawson on Sept. 9 and the first annual East River Moon Festival on Sept. 30. This year, for the first time, they’ve got valet bike parking, so you can take advantage of the remaining days of summer and bike to the market.
New Amsterdam Market, 100 Peck Slip, 212-766-8688, www.newamsterdammarket.org

Madison Square Music: The Studio Series
Every Saturday from Sept. 15 through Oct. 6 at 3 p.m., you can enjoy a free concert in the park. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the yearly Studio Series event and includes folk, blues and Americana concerts set amid the park’s breathtaking fall foliage—not to mention conveniently located by Shake Shack for those feeling indolent about packing their own picnic basket. Performers this year include Jim Lauderdale, the Honeycutters, Rory Block and Heritage Blues Trio.
Madison Square Music: The Studio Series, Madison Square Park, www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/mad-sq-music-the-studio-series-lineup

‘Ghosts in the Machine’ at the New Museum
Spread across the New Museum’s three main galleries, “Ghosts in the Machine,” which runs through September, examines artists’ relationship with technology and how technology can transform subjective experiences. Over 140 works are included, ranging from films and sculptures to paintings and drawings, all by contemporary artists spanning the last 50 years.
“Ghosts in the Machine,” the New Museum, 235 Bowery, 212-219-1222, www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/ghosts-in-the-machine

Feast of San Gennaro
The 86th Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which celebrates the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants, will take place in Little Italy from the 13th to the 23rd of September. In addition to parades and various religious processions, you can expect the likes of a cannoli-eating competition and live musical performances along with lots of food vendors and cooking demonstrations.
Feast of San Gennaro, Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston and Grand Street between Center and Mott, www.sangennaro.org

The New Museum hosted its sixth annual block party this past Friday in the Lower East Side’s Sara D. Roosevelt Park.  Musicians performed while partygoers created their own optical illusion art, meddled with origami and learned about the history of literature and the Bowery. Other activities included creating collages with historic photos of the neighborhood and images of favorite past exhibitions at the New Museum.

The musical lineup included Chris Giarmo, Sxip Shirey, Yvonne Meier, and High Priest, all New York City-based performers.  Admission was free and many guests took advantage of gratis admission to the museum on the day of the party.

Key local and state officials and prominent waterfront activists got a splash as they celebrated the fifth annual City of Water Day Festival on Governors Island this past Saturday.

The festival included a dockside press conference at South Street Seaport’s Pier 17, followed by a launch event on Manhattan by Sail’s Clipper City where Council member Margaret Chin presented a city Proclamation to the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA) in honor of the festival. Many adventurous attendees chose to reach Governers Island using human-powered water vessels, like the New York City Downtown boathouse which used a series of kayaks. While others already on the island were treated to a tour of an historic tugboat and paddleboarding demonstrations.

For the past five years, the festival has drawn over 20,000 people. Past celebrations have taken place at Liberty State Park and other sites around the harbor. Organizers of the festival, MWA, would like to show residents and officials alike the potential increased uses of the harbor. The festival is also part of the growing “Blue Movement” to revitalize the waterfront so it may be accessible to all.

Council member Margaret Chin presents a representative
from the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance with a
proclamation honoring the City of Water Day festival
aboard Clipper City.The historic tugboat Urger.

FDNY fireboat Bravest.

The historic tugboat Urger.

For most, the Staten Island Ferry is part of the daily commute (for those who live on the borough) or a much-needed respite from a busy Manhattan-based vacation (for the visitor). Now, the Staten Island Ferry’s terminal is also the site of a much-praised outdoor farmer’s market. The Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal Greenmarket in Lower Manhattan, open Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., offers a bevy of farm-made goods, from Wilklow Orchards’ ciders and pies to Remsburger Maple Farm’s maple syrup and honey.
“This isn’t one of our busiest markets, but it’s good enough for us to keep coming back,” said Mike Hyler, a 29-year-old worker for Wilklow Orchards. “There is a really good mix of tourists throughout the day and mainly commuters in the evening.”
We spent a recent afternoon sussing out the Greenmarket crowd.

“I absolutely love this market. I stop here a lot as I go to my ferry because the apples are delicious, so fresh, and it is just in the perfect location. Nobody should miss it.” Denise Martin-Cook, 58, health account representative, New York.

“I get my apple cider here two times a week. I love this place. The cider is really good. It’s healthy and convenient—I never have to go out of my way for a good jug of this stuff.” Ken Lawrence, 43, banker, New York.

“I was just about to take advantage of the free ferry and I saw this random market set up. I’m hoping it gets Americans to eat healthier. It looks nice.” Mary Webbs, 53, housewife, Sydney, Australia.

“I’m here on vacation—I was about to take the ferry, and then I recognized this farmer’s market right away. They have loads of them back in Australia set up on the side of roads. I mean it pretty much looks the same, but ours are much bigger. This location looks good because tourists stop here all the time, and most of them know of these kinds of markets from where ever they’re from. Also, who wouldn’t want to eat fresh fruit on a boat?” Dean Nadzielski, 24, Advertising, Australia.

—Text by Marissa Maier, Photos by Sahar Vahidi

Off-beat classics, à la Rocky Horror Picture Show, are usually relegated to private home screenings or dusty art house theaters. This summer, however, Howl Arts and a number of sponsors, including Two Boots pizza company and NYC & Company, bring quirky cinema to the East Village with their Films in Tompkins Square Park series. Showing flicks outdoors in Tompkins Square Park, the festival kicked off last Thursday with Robert De Niro’s tour de force performance in Taxi Driver.

Every Thursday night through Aug. 16, expect a new screening. The lineup includes Goldfinger, Poltergeist and Summer of Sam, and each event is paired with a live musical performance from acts like Main Squeeze Orchestra and The Debonairs.

Expect an extra special treat on Aug. 2 and 9: To commemorate their 25th anniversary, Two Boots will dish out free pizza at the already gratis screenings.

In the Lower East Side Business Improvement District (LES BID) and Dub Studio Architects’ latest effort to attract people and businesses to the area, the duo scattered ping-pong tables, badminton courts and food carts from local eateries along Orchard Street, all to create the vibe of a giant backyard. The party, though unfortunately dampened by an afternoon thunderstorm, drew massive crowds of both LES residents and visitors.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the day, though, was the kid who scored the afternoon. Eight-year-old DJ Kai Song, hailing from Dumbo, drew plenty of attention from participants as he provided pop music throughout the entire five-hour festival.

It was DayLife’s first time out, but the LES BID hopes it will be the first of many Sunday events.

During Prohibition, New Yorkers drank illegally behind the unmarked doors of underground speakeasies, which over time became more visible due to an easily bribed police force. Now, 79 years later, speakeasies have made a comeback in New York City. Beginning with Sasha Petraske’s Milk and Honey, these hotspots became the rage—especially Downtown—by offering glamor and clandestine mystique as an alternative to overcrowded sports bars. The cocktails and décor may have changed since the Prohibition era but an age-old rule still applies—the more exclusive something seems, the more people want in.
Tonight, we’re giving you the secret password and inviting you to follow us down velvet-dark side streets to Downtown’s best hideaways. From East Village lounges to Lower East Side lairs, here’s your sneak peek at what goes on behind our favorite hidden doors.

1. The Back Room: Best Cure for a Monday
It’s pin-drop quiet on Norfolk Street as you pace back and forth, searching for The Back Room’s tell-tale toy store façade. A low metal gate marked Lower East Side Toy Co. signals that you’re in the right place; you push it aside to descend into an alleyway suffused in a hazy, champagne yellow. Behind an unmarked door a bouncer waits to ask the password. Proletariat, you mouth, slipping into the crimson darkness within. Inside, Victorian settees in brothel red line the mezzanine floor, where locals sip Prohibition-styled cocktails out of ceramic teacups. On the walls, pale-limbed lovelies framed in ornate gold pose impishly above a live jazz quartet that’s just begun to play. Then perhaps, if you’re a VIP or press, the bartender pushes open the bookcase to a strictly guarded back room within a back room, a secret room where certain celebrities may or may not also be unwinding. Taking in the floor-to-ceiling mirror and an enormous cushion in Arabian Nights azure, you find yourself feeling like a superstar as well…at least until it’s time to go home.

102 Norfolk St. (betw. Delancey & Rivington Sts.); 212-228-5098; see The Back Room’s Facebook page for Monday night’s “Lucky’s Lounge” password, which is updated on a weekly basis; Sunday-Wednesday: 7:30 p.m.-around 2:30 a.m.; Thursday: 7:30 p.m.-3 a.m.; Friday-Saturday 7:30 p.m.-4 a.m. For reservations, email thebackroomnyc@yahoo.com. No fur allowed.
Prices: cocktails: $10-$14; beer: $7; wine: $8.

2. 2nd Floor on Clinton: Best WAY to Impress Your Significant Other
“Why can’t we just stay in tonight?” complains your date as you enter Lower East Side bar Barramundi with a crush of sports fans. With a knowing smile, you lead the way into the lounge’s recesses and to a door marked “Private,” where, to your date’s disbelief, you press the nearby buzzer. Soon enough the entrance opens, revealing a comely hostess who beckons you to follow her up a wooden staircase washed in ivory candlelight and into an elegant parlor. Discordant gypsy violins hum softly as you recline in the burgundy window seat to sample port and absinthe-flavored chocolates. “This is a haven,” your date exclaims, and you can’t help but agree, realizing that you’ve just discovered the perfect way to go out while remaining right at home.

67 Clinton St. (enter through Barramundi); 212-529-6900, www.2ndflooronclinton.com; Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 7 p.m.-2 a.m. (last entry at 1 a.m.). Inquire in person about their private online reservation system.
Prices: cocktails: $14-$16; beer: $10; wine (by the glass): $14; wine (bottle): $42-$95; liquor: $12-35; chocolates, assortment of three: $9.

3. Apotheke: Best WAY to Feel Like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz
You’re about to give up the hunt for Chinatown’s Doyers Street but suddenly there it is, coiling off the Bowery like a scrap of serpentine lore snatched from some urban fairytale. There, concealed beneath the faint aura of spices and a sign marked “Chemist,” you uncover the entrance to Apotheke.
I guess I’m not in Manhattan anymore, you muse, clasping the lion-etched brass handle and opening the door. Inside, high-backed fainting couches dazzle in sea green and burgundy, illuminated by the garnet- and sky-colored lamps dangling above. Behind the marble bar, tinctures and potions beckon like liquid gems—come closer. You take the bait, ordering a creamy coconut blend that soon turns into two before you finally slip back out into the clove-soaked evening, already plotting your return.

9 Doyers St. (betw. Bowery & Pell Sts.); 212-406-0400, apothekenyc.com; Monday-Saturday: 6:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sunday: 8 p.m.-2 a.m. For reservations, email info@apothekenyc.com.
Prices: cocktails: $15-$18; wine: $13; champagne & sparkling wine: $18-$415;

4. Sake Bar Decibel: Best Man Cave Since Fred Flintstone’s
Searching for a speakeasy where kitsch is king? Look no further than Decibel, a Japanese sake den buried beneath trendy East 9th Street. After spotting the blinking red “On Air” sign and sleet-gray awning, descend the staircase below street level and enter Decibel’s dimly lit cavern. In the front room, graffiti-coated walls and a disco ball set the stage as you wait to be seated, which, before 7 p.m. on a weekday, shouldn’t take very long at all. In the secluded back room beyond, red lanterns cast a warm glow over vintage sake labels and Transformers action figures frozen in fighting postures behind the bar. The plain, translucent elixir that soon arrives at your table is also more than meets the eye—if you’re not already a sake lover, consider yourself converted.

240 E. 9th St. (betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.); 212-979-2733, sakebardecibel.com; Monday-Saturday: 6 p.m.-2:50 a.m.; Sunday: 6 p.m.-12:50 a.m. No Reservations, walk-ins only.
Prices: sake (5 oz.) $8-$33; sake (bottle) $18-$187; beer: $5-$6; plum wine: $8; Japanese spirits: $5-$20; food: $1-$11.

5. Please Don’t Tell (PDT): Best Reason to Hit Redial
Saturday night; the roar of St. Mark’s Place. Inching past a cluster of frat boy types you enter Crif Dogs, a hot dog dive concealing a 1930s phone booth that also serves as PDT’s elusive entrance. You pick up the phone, follow the instructions. I hope they answer, you think to yourself, recalling all the times you couldn’t get through before finally landing tonight’s reservation. One minute that feels more like 10 elapses and then…the door on the other side of the booth slips open. As the hostess ushers you to your seat passed a stuffed black bear sporting fangs and a hat you notice something even odder, considering the neighborhood you’re in—tranquility. Yes, somehow you’ve found a hip East Village hotspot where you don’t have to fight for a seat or the bartender’s attentive service, even if you did have to fight to get in.

113 St. Mark’s Pl. (betw. 1st Ave. & Ave. A; enter through Crif Dogs), 212-614-0386, pdtnyc.com; Sunday-Thursday: 6 p.m.-1:30 a.m., Friday-Saturday: 6 p.m.-3 a.m. Table reservations are made same day only beginning at 3 p.m. ; bar seats are first-come, first-served.
Prices: cocktails: $15; beer: $7; wine: $12-$16; food (from the Crif Dogs menu): $5-$8.