Tokyo kawaii cuteness has made its way to NYC by way of a new conveyor-belt sushi spot, Sushidelic. And if bright, neon colors, playful food, and the chance to celebrate your individuality tickles your fancy, you’ll want to add this spot to your list.

Sushidelic is the brain child of Tokyo-born multi-disciplinary artist, Sebastian Masuda, who also happens to be the one behind Harajuku’s Kawaii Monster Café, which opened in 2015 but sadly closed during Covid.

Masuda wears the title of being the leading man behind “kawaii,” Japanese culture’s cute aspect that emphasizes the quality of cuteness, the use of bright colors, and characters with a childlike appearance. He’s long pushed for kawaii culture to be an inclusive means of expression and a way to bring the world together.

“If I can help people recognize the kawaii spirit in others, acknowledge this inquisitiveness, then I think I can create better relationships and a better world,” he says.

Kawaii has very much become a global phenomenon, making its way into many aspects of modern life, including art, fashion, technology, and even food.

And Sushidelic is the epitome of kawaii and food colliding.

The restaurant totally reimagines sushi from an immersive kawaii perspective. Massive cat heads hang from the ceiling, lights resemble lipstick tubes, and a sushi conveyor belt circles through the bar and kitchen carrying with it Masuda’s art pieces, from a neon patchwork teddy bear to red bedazzled high heels.

And the bold colors of the kawaii movement carry through the food, which features tuna with pink rice on turquoise macarons, a selection of bright dips served with tempura, and a colorful main course served in a sundae glass. All oftsite which work seamlessly with the $85, six-course “Pure Imagination” omakase special (vegetarian options are available as well).

The restaurant also offers a selection of sake and other Japanese-inspired cocktails, as well as a curated selection of non-alcoholic beverages. And you can even grab food to-go via vending machines.

What Masuda refers to as the “new generation of sushi,” Sushidelic is definitely a welcomed contrast from NYC’s typical omakase spots, which typically are more formal. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating.

And hey, we can guarantee you that a meal at Sushidelic is much cheaper than catching a flight to Tokyo, so that’s definitely a plus!

Learn more and make reservations on their website.

177 Lafayette St.

  Tuesday-Saturday 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

The post SoHo’s New Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurant Is The Epitome Of Kawaii appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action in college admissions, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.

The court’s conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges, respectively.

Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have “concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.”

In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court’s first Black female justice — called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”

The Supreme Court had twice upheld race-conscious college admissions programs in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.

But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.

Lower courts also had upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian-American applicants.

The post Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions, says race cannot be a factor appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Finding an apartment in NYC that has everything you’re looking for and you can actually afford should be considered an olympic sport. And truly, not all NYC neighborhoods are made equal. But as the summer commences and temperatures heat up, so does the city–but which parts are hottest?

RentHop analyzed millions of search queries over three months this past spring to see which of NYC’s neighborhoods are currently the hottest, i.e., have the most renter demand. They then compared these results to those last year to see which neighborhoods are gaining and losing popularity.

And, according to the results, Astoria, Queens is currently the hottest neighborhood in NYC, jumping to 1st from 9th last year–but come on, with all of Astoria’s mouthwatering food it’s not hard to see why this neighborhood is hot.

Astoria is the hottest neighborhood for NYC renters in 2023, jumping 8 spots in our rankings this year to take top place. As rent prices across the city have skyrocketed, many New Yorkers have looked to Queens for more affordable prices and bang for their buck.

In second place was the Upper East Side, finding itself in the same spot as last year, followed by the East Village (which ranked first last year), Bedstuy, and the Upper West Side.

While more than half of the top ten hottest neighborhoods reside in Manhattan, Northern Brooklyn is definitely gaining some momentum.

According to the ranking, Bedstuy is the 4th most searched neighborhood for renters, Williamsburg 6th, Bushwick 7th, and Greenpoint 14th–all of which rose considerably in popularity since last year.

However, the neighborhood which saw the highest jump this year was West Harlem, which jumped twelve spots from 46th to 34th compared to last year.

Those among the “colder” neighborhoods, finding themselves dropping in popularity, include Greenwich Village (8 spot drop), the West Village (7 spot drop), Chelsea (6 spot drop), and the Bowery (6 spot drop). They all still find themselves in the top 25, though.

Data shows, however, that many renters have begun looking elsewhere in search of cheaper prices as rents soar, better amenities, and more space.

The post These Are The 50 Hottest Neighborhoods In NYC Right Now appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here