People often get confused when it comes to PopUp New York and Pop-Up Shops. You don’t know how many e-mails I’ve gotten from people who think this is a site all about the NYC Pop-Up shops. Unfortunately, it’s not. But, I DO talk about a lot of other really cool things so thats a huge plus. HOWEVER, my bud Greg down at Openhouse Gallery keeps me filled in on all the cool stuff that’s happening down on Mulberry Street and today I got somethin real European for you guys. It’s the Austria Pop-Up Shop!

I feel bad for Austria. It’s a really pretty place, but they don’t get a lot of acknowledgment from us Americans. A lot of you would rather hop on a cruise ship to the Caribbean instead of flying to see the Alps. FYI You’re missing out! Most of you have seen the Sound Of Music, and I KNOW that you think those hills that are alive with the sound of music are pretty sweet lookin. From October 5th-19th, check out the Openhouse Gallery Austria Pop-Up Shop sponsored by the Austrian Board of Tourism. For two weeks, you’ll have the chance to experience Austria without leaving the city!

Here’s a list of some of the cool stuff they’ll have down there:

-Experience true Viennese coffeehouse experience at Cafe Sacher!

-Check out some pieces from one of the world’s BEST art museums – KHM! [Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien]

-Create YOUR version of the perfect kiss while Gustav Klimt’s famous painting “The Kiss” acts as the backdrop to your picture!

-Experience traditional costumes of Salzberg. I might have to bust out MY lederhosen just for this.

-Feast your eyes upon a collection of Swarovski Crystals.

-Taste some goodies at the Austrian Deli!

-Plan your vacation and learn all about this beautiful country at the Austria Travel Lodge.

There will also be some cool events happening on specific days! Watch the Talea Ensemble perform on October 8th. Pretend you’re a part of the Von Trapp Family Singers at the Sound of Music Event on October 9th! Watch the Claring Chamber of the Friends of Mozart perform some of his classic tunes on Oct 11th. And catch a slideshow of breathtaking pictures of Austria on both October 12th and October 15th.

The Austria Pop-Up Shop opens on Oct 5th and runs until the 19th. It’s open Sun-Thurs 12Pm-9PM & Fri/Sat 12Pm-10PM

Jay and Yeezy said it best, this shit CRAY. [I apologize to everybody who has no idea what I just said. It means it's crazy.] But in all seriousness, I love this city and everything but these new neighborhood nicknames some people are coming up with are driving me nuts. SoHo, DUMBO and TriBeCa don’t really count, just because they’ve been around so long. But FiDI and BoCoCa can SMD. Think you’re confused now? Here’s a little list of some new one’s I’ve been hearing.

WaHi – Washington Heights. Really, this is just unnecessary.

MaNo – Manhattan North. ‘Scuse me? I thought thats what UEW and UWS were for.

NoLIta –  North of Little Italy. Why.

FiDi – Financial District. Sounds like a dog name. I’ve had enough.

LoHKi or SoHell – Lower Hells Kitchen/South of Hells Kitchen. They just remind me of Thor. No comment.

SoBro – South Bronx. No. No. No No No No.

SpaHa – Spanish Harlem. Stop trying to make nicknames..

BoCoCa – Combo of hoods in BKLYN. -Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens. This just sounds wrong. So very wrong.

WeVar – West of Varick. What is this.

Those are only just a few. There are probably 100 more that people have thought about but are too afraid to share publically in fear that it’ll end up on blogs like this. No hating on these hoods though, this city is too lovable.

Sadly, we’re living in a world of Kindles, teenagers who only read books when they’re written by Sparknotes, and Borders is officially out of business. It’s a big deal to me because I’m a bookworm, always have been and always will be. Maybe I’m nuts, but I don’t use nooks or the book app on my iPad because I like to hold the actual book in my hand and see how many pages I’ve gone through. Truth be told, I have an extra soft spot for classic novels and authors. Austen, Twain, Melville, & Poe are all classics. But a bookshelf isn’t complete without Charles Dickens, who is often referred to as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. He’s the man responsible for A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, Bleak House, and a Tale of Two Cities. He’s been praised by the public and other famous classic novelists for his unique writing style. Now he’s being honored by the Morgan Library and Museum at the “Charles Dickens at 200″ Exhibit to celebrate the bicentennial of his birth in 1812. Starting tomorrow September 23 until February 12, you’ll find the largest Charles Dickens collection in the US [and the second largest in the whole world, the first being in England's Albert and Victoria Museum.] The collection is full of manuscripts of his novels and short stories, photographs, personal letters, and illustrations he worked on for his novels. The Museum is located at 225 Madison Avenue, between 36th and 37th. Stop by and learn more about the life of a literary genius!