Name: Lux Alptraum
Age: 27
Occupation: Editor, Fleshbot.com, host of the first-ever Fleshbot Awards tonight at the Box
Neighborhood: LES
Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Veronica in Nicholas Christopher’s Veronica. I think that book was one of the things that inspired me to come to NYC in the first place — I love the magical realistic sense of the city. To this day, I’m still inspired to hang out at the corner of Waverly Place and Waverly Place from time to time.
What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in New York?
Brunch at Clinton Street Baking Company. Their biscuits are full of love. And butter. Bonus answer: The worst meal I’ve eaten in New York was brunch at Tavern on the Green.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
I sit in front of my laptop and scan the Internet for anything and everything fapworthy — from hard-core porn to sexy celebrity shots.
Would you still live here on a $35,000 salary?
Absolutely. There’s more to New York than just the things that money can buy. Especially when you have, ahem, generous friends who are willing to pay for your drinks.
What’s the last thing you saw on Broadway?
The 39 Steps. I went in not knowing what it was — save for the fact that my mother liked it — and was completely blown away by how awesome it was.
Do you give money to panhandlers?
No. And I feel bad (almost) every time.
What’s your drink?
Generally gin and tonic, though when I go beer I go Red Stripe or Corona.
How often do you prepare your own meals?
Usually at least once a day, if not more. I’m pretty big on eating in — both because I like cooking and because I’m cheap.
What’s your favorite medication?
The birth-control pill. Viva la sexual revolution!
What’s hanging above your sofa?
Sophisticated Lower East Sider that I am, I don’t actually have a sofa (it was that or a dining room table, and I opted for the latter). However, I do have a comfy chair, which has nothing hanging above it. Though I do plan, one day, to hang this huge print of a painting by Curt Hoppe — it’s of me, mid-fight, back in my roller-derby days.
How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
Depends on your income. I used to think $50 was pushing it, now I comfortably spend $80. At this rate, I’ll be spending hundreds by the end of the next decade.
When’s bedtime?
Highly variable: sometimes I’m out all night, sometimes I’m crashing by 10 p.m. There’s probably some relationship between those two.
Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
Well, given that I moved here too late to deal with any of its problems, and can just look back in comfortable nostalgia: old Times Square.
What do you think of Donald Trump?
I think he needs a new hairstylist. And would it kill him to build a building that’s not heinously ugly?
What do you hate most about living in New York?
The lack of Jim’s Steakout. For those not in the know: It’s a really, really good sandwich shop up in Western New York; in fact, it’s pretty much the only thing I miss about living in Buffalo.
Who is your mortal enemy?
The Cavity Creeps. They make holes in teeth!
When’s the last time you drove a car?
Never: I’m one of those unlicensed New Yorkers.
How has the economic downturn affected your life?
It feels tacky to say it, but I’m actually better off because of the downturn: I got the job I have today in a wave of recession-related layoffs, and landed a (relatively) affordable one-bedroom because of the falling rents.
Times, Post, or Daily News?
Times, usually on my iPhone. I have a soft spot for the magazine and “Sunday Styles.”
Where do you go to be alone?
My apartment. I can’t stress enough how wonderful it is to live by oneself — it’s been a tremendous boon to my mental health.
What makes someone a New Yorker?
A fervent dedication to the city and an inability to picture oneself living elsewhere.
