Hold on to your hats, kids! Barnard’s got some swanky new carpets. The rugs say the names of the buildings on them (so you don’t get lost, I guess?). The downside? Sources say that some of the carpets are so plush that it’s making it hard to open the doors. Say it with me now: #firstworldproblems! In any case, behold Barnard’s new carpets!

Duane Reade’s always there for you.

After tripping over construction workers for weeks, Duane Reade is practically done with renovations. Bwog sent our Decoration Diva Angel Jiang to check it out, in honor of the five-aisled edifice to self-improvement. 

The first thing to note about Duane Reade’s renovation is that the entrance, formerly in correspondence to the stairs to the lower level, is now located on the north side. Thankfully, the demarcated “in” and “out” signs legibly indicated this on the uniform glass facade. It is unclear if the newly reconfigured glass entry doors are intended to alleviate a bottleneck issue, or to postpone your descent to the actual pharmacy by redirecting traffic to the aisles of temptation. I admit to clogging up traffic in the vestibule, but would attribute that to Duane Reade’s choice to place their Nice! garbage bags, designer paper bowls, and paper towels emblazoned with suns and stuffed animals in their entry hall.

In Duane Reade’s pursuit to make life as odor-free as possible, deodorant is prioritized in the first and second aisles, as are the “fragrances” safe-guarded in a locked and sealed capsule adjacent to a selection of disinfecting wipes. I would have lingered to wonder if a larger lobby contributes to more time spent browsing neon colored makeup and Easter candy, but am quickly distracted by a fridge of chobani and nesquik. I try to remember what kind of necessities I used to buy at Duane Reade but all attention is constantly diverted.

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Nothing in this neighborhood is certain anymore. Absolute was filled with icky living things, and who knows what was happening at m2m. Il Cibreo is gone and Amigos has replaced it (Bwog’s review will be up later today). Bwog has photographically chronicled these momentous changes for you.

Shops all over our wonderful neighborhood are already preparing for the spirit of the holidays. We went around and took some pics!

There is always room for change around Morningside Heights. Bwog would like to gently point out these updates in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Columbia life. For better or for worse, several venues have led the charge with a new coat of paint or a newfound stingy sign.  It’s about the little things in life, you know?

It’s a new semester and the inexorable march of progress continues on campus. Except that you probably still don’t have air conditioning and someone gets stuck in an elevator on a bi-weekly basis, and stuff. But there’s new paint! Send any riveting developments we missed to tips@bwog.com.

So you can revel in the anticlimactic glory that is our beloved Morningside, Bwog catches a few last-minute minutia that might have made all the difference to your morning coffee/mental state during this darkest night, finally lifting.

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Ominously black televisions adorn Brownie's once-bare walls

The holiday season has hit your wallet hard, and now the bills are coming in. Think you can cut down on your spending? Not with everything Morningside Heights has to offer…

Whether you’re now in a taxi from LaGuardia just in time for your first class, or you’ve been scrubbing double-sided poster tape off of your dorm walls all break long, the Carousel of Progress has marched on with naught a look your way in our fair neighborhood. Join Morningside Heights as it proudly struts its New Year’s stuffs:

It’s November, which means it’s time to harvest the crops and begin the time of festive feasting. Columbia, in recognition of this, is doing its part to help you grow out that “winter coat” around your midsection.

This week, it’s all about the subtleties of Columbia architecture. Can you tell the differences in the photos below?

Update: Further architectural curiosities abound! A tipster has sent us the photo below, showing a new “little blue bird creature” nestled between a few objects on the ever-growing 114th median sculpture. Curious in that it was added after the fact; curious in that the sculpture there now seems to differ so much from the original design. Maybe this little guy is surfin’ all up and down the UWS: it appears his home is at 72nd Street.

Hi is this my home

"No dreamer is ever too small; no dream ever too big."

McAC and Dining Services wants to thank you for helping them stomach the 712-foot sandwich that landed in front of Barnard earlier this week. To add to the momentous occasion, they have released a tally of the ingredients, almost all of which were consumed in a span of five minutes. Some of the ingredients (eggplant?) may even surprise you. You can relive the gluttony below:

356 – 24″ rolls = 1,424 2″ portions
3 cases of turkey = 87 lbs
4 cases of tuna = 100 lbs
3 cases of mayo = 4 gal
9 cases of shredded lettuce = 180 lbs
20 cases of sliced tomatoes = 75 lbs
1 case of ham = 26 lbs
1 case of diced chicken = 20 lbs
3 cases of American cheese = 90 lbs
4 cases of zucchini = 80 lbs
4 cases of yellow squash = 80 lbs
3 cases of carrots = 40 lbs
3 cases of red peppers = 36 lbs
3 cases of eggplant = 60 lbs—

If you are as impatient as the rest of us when waiting in line for anything, hopefully this week’s edition of Boringside Heights will make things move a bit more quickly.

We have a new concept space on campus, hot on the heels of the Zen Garden. A recent email from DSpar on Barnard’s renovations included the following message:

“Thanks to the faculty and students in the Architecture Department, Altschul Atrium is newly reconfigured as The Hive. It’s an innovative space divided into lounge, meeting, and gallery areas with modular furniture that can be arranged in a multitude of ways.”

This has literally been realized in a series of bee-related installations, and was officially opened on Tuesday. Behold: