A recent film, The Root of Happiness, was screened at the Horrison Hotel Gallery on Prince Street last week. The film was written and directed by Andy Truschinski and starred William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) and Jennifer Ikeda (Blindspot). The film was shot in Queens.

Those in attendance included Tony award-winning actress Jessie Mueller (Beautiful, Waitress), Academy Award-nominee Amy Adams (Arrival, American Hustle), her husband actor Darren le Gallo (Matrix Reloaded), actress Tracee Chimo (People Of Earth), actor Eric Anderson (The Greatest Showman) and actor Alex Morf (Mindhunter).

If you love Darth Vader and the Force, then you’ll want to check out this pop-up bar in SoHo! Named the DarkSide and located at 201 Lafayette Street, this location usually houses the San Remo cafe. The bar is offering all sorts of fun events from alien speed dating to intergalactic burlesque shows with performers from “different planets” and more. People are encouraged, though not required, to come in costume. The bar is offering six specialty cocktails and a “galaxy inspired” menu.

The bar will be open only until January 15th so go and enjoy now.

It’s always fun to see people breaking new ground. And this week in New York City, the first Indian designer opened a flagship store in the area. It’s called Grassroot and its Anita Dongre’s designs that include sustainable fashion.

As Dongre said about the new venture, “To the city that never sleeps, Grassroot brings a world of patience and crafts that don’t submit to a schedule. Every piece of fabric woven, block printed or embroidered is done by a group of artisans who give it the time and attention it deserves. This marriage of two distinct worlds is a dream come true.”

The 1500 sq ft store is located in SoHo and includes a space that is accented by elements in rose gold, cork and recycled wood.

This is fashion done right and ecologically. It takes about three months for each of the pieces to make it to the consumer’s hands. And each piece is, obviously, made with great love.

The city has started to crack down on Soho shops that are oversized and that have been operating for a long time, even though the zoning laws prohibit their size. Zara, Uniqlo, Hollister, Topshop and American Eagle were all given violations recently for exceeding the 10,000 square foot limit in the area. Residents have been complaining for ages that these mammoth stores have noisy deliveries late at night, bright lights and special events that draw large crowds.

City Councilwoman Margaret Chin said, “I am pleased to see that some of the most egregious violators of the ban on oversized retail in SoHo are being held accountable.” In order to have mammoth stores, retainers are supposed to have permits. Banana Republic, with its 67,440 square foot store on Broadway is one of the few that has actually been issued the permit.

Time will tell if these fines actually do anything – but at least something is starting to be done.