As Matt Gross recently reminded us, heading to Japan isn't cheap. So how are we supposed to get our mitts on fun little gizmos and cool presents for our friends? NYC's AC Gears has you covered.
The Greenwich Village shop is a retail outlet for AudioCubes, so half of the space is dedicated to headphones from the tiny to the ultra-pro and pricey. The other side of the store is all about little robots, funky toys, USB gizmos and other assorted stuff. (They basically have everything in Japan.) We of course had our eyes on the travel gear like alarm clocks and flashy jump drives.
New products are always coming in from the shop's home office in Osaka, so you can never be quite sure what you'll dig up. If it doesn't already sound geeky enough, check AC Gears' Flickr page for more intel.
To keep up on the scene, check in with Geekadelphia, a new-ish site started by two self-proclaimed Philly geeks. (Credentials? One's a blogger and the other recreates Star Wars costumes for fun.) Why'd they start the project?
It's a town full of geeks. We're trying to embrace this often looked over culture dwelling within our city. Independent comic book stores, mom and pop arcades, handmade robot battles, Jedi sword fights in public parks, collectives who build electronics, musicians creating tunes using 8-bit Nintendo cartridges... Philly's got it all.
So, we thought it might be fun to step it up and start our own cityblog that talks about World of Warcraft, Legos, Star Wars and embraces the city's geek culture.
Aside from general geek news--updates on important developments like the Cheeseburger in a can--they've also got a handy map of spots worth seeing in the city. You'll even find a hilarious video tour of the Brave New Worlds comic book shop hosted by one of the blog's editors a Shadow Stormtrooper.
Geeky Philly: What to do once you've seen the lightsabers and droids at the Star Wars show.
For some reason, nothing strikes us as more geeky than Japanese food. So when we heard that Yakitori Boy had raw fish, private karaoke rooms and "Japas" (that'd be Japanese tapas), we knew we had a winner.
Downstairs, a yakitori bar is front and center. We pulled up seats in front of the big grill and checked out the skewered offerings which ranged from shrimp and corn to more exotic bits like chicken hearts and quail eggs. You can indeed mix and match your plate tapas-style, and the bar serves up sake, shochu and beer to go with.
Upstairs, the private karaoke rooms are perfect for parties. You can order off the menu and obviously drinks are on tap. If you want to relive your trip to Osaka, there are Japanese songs on the karaoke box, too. You'll pay for the room by the hour, but rates are pretty cheap, about the same as what you'd spend for bowling or shooting pool.
Geeky Philly: What to do once you've seen the lightsabers and droids at the Star Wars show.
It wouldn't be a geeky trip without at least a look inside a comic book shop. Fortunately, Philly has two stores worth a visit, each with its own flavor.
Brave New Worlds in Old City keeps its focus on new releases as well as graphic novels and other alternative works. The shop also has tons of toys and figurines from tiny up to a full-size Darth Vader statue/model. While the amount of stuff seems overwhelming at first, the selection is actually well edited compared to some comic stores we've been to. It all adds up to an easily browsable experience. 45 N. 2nd St.
Fat Jack's Comic Crypt on the other hand seems to have just about every comic ever published. But fear not! The store's not a disorganized den. All the back issues are neatly tucked away in crates toward the back. Newer stuff is up front, along with trading cards and other collectibles. The staff can help you find what you need; the resident cat is just for fun. 2006 Sansom St.
Geeky Philly: What to do once you've seen the lightsabers and droids at the Star Wars show.
True, the reason we skipped down to Philly was for Star Wars. But sneaker junkies and sci-fi shows go hand in hand. Just ask Pharrell and Lupe Fiasco.
So we had to stop at Ubiq on Walnut Street. The spot's in a Victorian townhouse that's been refurbished into a spaceship-sleek footwear boutique. Downstairs, limited edition Nikes and house label kicks line the shelves. Upstairs, an entire room is stocked with Vans. Ubiq also has cool accessories and a selection of street-savvy hipster magazines. (And, yep, the staff to match.)
If all that makes it sound like Ubiq is too hip to be geeky, know this: The shop has a blog.
After we told you about the Star Wars show opening in Philadelphia, we had to go check it out. We got to the Franklin Institute right about 10 am Saturday to watch this lightsaber duel and see a bunch of Imperial Stormtroopers march all over the place. And after navigating the crowd of kids and adults acting like kids, we finally managed to scope the show.
Now, with the disclaimer that we're Star Wars geeks, it was awesome. There were heaps of models from the movies, costumes and taped interviews with Lucasfilm artists. The token attempts at science--questions like could people really survive on Hoth--were also nice and good for the kids.
We skipped the $5 extra for the Millennium Falcon experience. We wish we would've skipped the Star Wars planetarium show. (The theater is nice; the show was bad.)
Your exhibit ticket gets you into the rest of the Franklin Institute, so if you're taking kids, you can make a full day of it. If you'd rather not, we'll have more geeky Philly recommendations this week including comic book shops and sneaker boutiques.
Speaking of space travel, if $200K is a bit steep for you, admission to the new Star Wars exhibit at Philly's Franklin Institute is a relatively cheap $20.50. The science center is hosting Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination from February 9 until May 4.
Some authentic props including Luke's landspeeder from Episode IV and Darth Vader's helmet from Episode III are part of the show. There will also be models and other Star Wars stuff to see, including a battalion of Imperial Stormtroopers the Institute has hired for the opening day celebration.
For an extra five bucks, you can even hop into a replica of the Millennium Falcon for a multimedia tour through space. Sadly, we hear its a trip through our galaxy, not one far, far away.
Contribute your R2D2 mailbox locations by uploading your photo, with mailbox address to the Jaunted Flickr Photo Pool, or sending us the photo and street address via email.
Jaunted tipster Mary Kay spotted this R2D2 mailbox not far from home in Buffalo, New York. Right across the street from the University at Buffalo, these days this postal unit should be fielding plenty of desperate cries to mom and dad to send more money for "books".
Mary Kay's son is a major Star Wars fan, so even though these mailboxes are on the way out she wanted to get this one on the map. We're hoping to spy a few more before they disappear.
