The River Arts District (RAD) along the French Broad River in West Asheville boasts over 200 artists' studios sprawled out over twenty-two warehouses and buildings. It's also home to the Foundy Street Skate Park, where local skaters go to refine their buttery boardsliding skills and kickflips. Novices and experts alike gather to share seasoned knowledge, trick tips and technical skills. It's my favorite pocket of Asheville.

It's Pi Day, so allow me to introduce you to Elfik Pizza. Elfik Pizza is a staple, wood-fired pop-up Italian pizzeria that has been pounding, tossing and firing up dough since the early days at Boom. A personal favorite pizza place of mine. This team of pizza-making elves have been dishing out psytrance-flavored pizza pies topped with copious amounts of fresh arugula at every Boom I've been to. They're usually located both at the food plaza, as well as the ultimate location: right smack in front of the Dance Temple's entrancingly epic entrance (talk about prime festival real estate). In fact, considering they also somehow sell decent gluten-free vegan pizzas (so I've heard, but refuse to understand), it's hard to imagine a Boomer who has not had an end-of-the-night personal Elfik Pizza pie with mushrooms or black olives and topped with a bunch of fresh, vividly green arugula, of course. 

I travelled from Paris to Berlin on a whim on an overnight bus last August. The overcast day was drizzling with an industrially appropriate dose of Berlin. I was impressed by the incessant buzz of honey bees sucking the sugar off various bakeries' pastries. I later discovered the Berliners appreciation for bees. Again, impressed. The heavy metal, war-torn history and industry inspired me to imagine Iron Maiden playing in the background. Berlin and Brooklyn began to juxtapose themselves both phonetically and aesthetically. Thousands of shutterclicks ensued. Below is a gallery of what I saw that gray and heavy morning.