Editorial Director @WebSummitHQ who's left the States for Ireland. Also a freelance writer, former @1776 fellow, @IJNet contributor. Smiling's my favourite.
Articles by Dena Levitz
10 Yoga Instructor Approved Places to Eat in NYC
When not sitting in front of a computer screen typing away, my days are spent moving from studios to schools to senior centers. That’s because, as of 2019, along with working as a journalist and events producer, I also became a yoga teacher. My classes, ranging from vinyasa flow to chair yoga to walking meditation sessions, are geared toward students of all ages, backgrounds and motivations.
NYC Starter Pack: The Best Dumplings Below 14th Street
One food that nearly every country, from NYC to Istanbul, seems to share comes in the shape of humble dumplings. Believed to originate from China way back in the Han Dynasty, dumplings were thought of as medicine and eaten to treat colds and frostbite. These days these pockets of flavor cure ailments like sudden hunger and come in an array of shapes, sizes, textures, fillings, and even colors. Manhattan is home to momos, potstickers, pierogies, manti, and so many more varieties.
Dig Into the Best Dumplings Above 14th Street
Just like the Natasha Bedingfield song, these culinary goodies could be described as “pockets full of sunshine.” For dumplings, that sunshine comes in the form of protein or vegetable fillings like pork, cabbage, lamb, or even soup-style liquid. In China, where they originated, dumplings are believed to be symbols of wealth and prosperity, since each carefully-crafted shape resembled ancient forms of currency. Nowadays, dumplings have gone global and can be boiled, steamed, or fried.
NYC Starter Pack: 10 Bagel Shops You Need to Know
There may be no culinary item more synonymous with New York than the chewy bread wonder that is the bagel. The ring-shaped delights date back to Poland some time between the 13th and 17th centuries. From there, bagels migrated to all of the places Polish immigrants relocated, including (and especially) New York City in the late 1800s.
NYC Starter Pack: 10 Places to Get a Great Bodega BEC
Neither fussy nor chic, the bacon egg and cheese is a Big Apple staple affectionately shortened to “BEC” or uttered in a succinct singular word, “baconeggandcheese.” From a quick breakfast on the go to a drunken late-night snack to a frugal family tradition purchased from the same bodega over and over, it’s many things to many kinds of New Yorkers. Simplicity is the common denominator and what separates it from more elaborate sandwiches.
The Magic of a Mass Dip in the Nip
Illustration by Aidi Riera | Story edited by Jesse Sposato There’s a raucous party going on in, of all places, the car park overlooking a quaint, little-known private beach in Wicklow County, Ireland. For hours on this chilly June morning, clusters of women stand around, painting each others’ bodies, giggling and swapping flasks full of whiskey and stories about what brought them there.
I did a voluntary work exchange in Costa Rica and lived one month for free. The experience made me feel like my truest self.
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I did a voluntary work exchange in Costa Rica and lived one month for free. The experience made me feel like my truest self.
The Arenal Volcano, in the distance, was a short walk from the ranch where Dena Levitz lived free for one month during her voluntary work exchange. Courtesy of Dena Levitz Dena Levitz lived in Costa Rica for one month on a voluntary work exchange. She found the program through a website that connects yoga instructors with resorts. Levitz said the experience changed her approach to traveling and living sustainably.
I did a voluntary work exchange in Costa Rica and lived one month for free. The experience made me feel like my truest self.
I did a voluntary work exchange in Costa Rica and lived one month for free. The experience made me feel like my truest self. Dena Levitz lived in Costa Rica for one month on a voluntary work exchange. She found the program through a website that connects yoga instructors with resorts. Levitz said the experience changed her approach to traveling and living sustainably.
I did a voluntary work exchange in Costa Rica and lived one month for free. The experience made me feel like my truest self.
I did a voluntary work exchange in Costa Rica and lived one month for free. The experience made me feel like my truest self. • None Dena Levitz lived in Costa Rica for one month on a voluntary work exchange. • None She found the program through a website that connects yoga instructors with resorts. • None Levitz said the experience changed her approach to traveling and living sustainably.
I did a voluntary work exchange in Costa Rica and lived one month for free. The experience made me feel like my truest self.
• None Dena Levitz lived in Costa Rica for one month on a voluntary work exchange. • None She found the program through a website that connects yoga instructors with resorts. • None Levitz said the experience changed her approach to traveling and living sustainably. At the tail end of 2019, I moved from Dublin, Ireland — where I'd spent the prior four years on a work visa — back to the US to make a new life in New York City.
I did a voluntary work exchange in Costa Rica and lived one month for free. The experience made me feel like my truest self.
I did a voluntary work exchange in Costa Rica and lived one month for free. The experience made me feel like my truest self. • None Dena Levitz lived in Costa Rica for one month on a voluntary work exchange. • None She found the program through a website that connects yoga instructors with resorts. • None Levitz said the experience changed her approach to traveling and living sustainably.
Rallying Back
QUEENS, NEW YORK, September 2015 Rafa Nadal is sweating profusely - even for him. The perspiration drenches and soaks through his black T-shirt, maybe the third one he's changed into already this match. The Spaniard fidgets in his normal routine before serving. Wedgie pick. Ball bounce. Tuck stray hair behind his ears. Repeat. The first two sets are Nadal's. Victory seems inevitable, which is, in a way, more disappointing than gratifying.
Finding Tradition and Change on the Portuguese Camino – Portugal Travel Stories | Viator.com
See all things to do in Portugal Top 5 Beaches on the Algarve On a post-pandemic pilgrimage, simple living can come with complications—and surprises. 11 min read•Jan 25, 2023•By Dena Levitz Hi, I'm Dena! Dena Levitz is a writer and events producer living in New York City. Her work—covering travel, food, tech, love, and everything in between—has appeared in publications including the Washington Post, Narratively, Eater, Bloomberg, and Smithsonian Magazine.
How a Restaurant in a Chiropractor’s Basement Has Become a Site for Ukrainian Solidarity
New York Dena Levitz/Eater NY Filed under: Reports Streecha in the East Village has seen an uptick in volunteers since Russia invaded Ukraine early this year by Dec 13, 2022, 11:14am EST Early on a Saturday morning in the basement of a chiropractor’s office, a crew of nearly 20 people sits around two long tables, working on dough. By folding and pinching it, the helpers are turning trays of components into Ukrainian dumplings known as varenyky.
To Get to Know Portugal, Explore Its Azulejo Tilework
Since the 13th century, artists have been reinventing the art form that covers churches, palaces and train stations From a few steps back, the artfully painted panorama of Lisbon at the National Azulejo Museum is an impressive sea of blue and white. Portraying every cathedral, bridge and shipyard in Portugal’s capital city as it looked just before a devastating 8.5-magnitude earthquake in 1755 means the work wraps around the entire room.
With ‘Sunsets,’ Bushwick’s La Cantine Eases Into The Evening
When La Cantine opened three years ago on 60 St. Nicholas Avenue, it offered something that this part of Bushwick lacked: a daytime dining alternative to the abundance of bars and night time restaurants. Which is why it’s ironic—with La Cantine’s introduction of Sunsets, a 3-evening-per-week bar—the French-inspired luncheonette is becoming part of the neighborhood nightlife.
With ‘Sunsets,’ Bushwick’s La Cantine Eases Into The Evening
When La Cantine opened three years ago on 60 St. Nicholas Avenue, it offered something that this part of Bushwick lacked: a daytime dining alternative to the abundance of bars and night time restaurants. Which is why it’s ironic—with La Cantine’s introduction of Sunsets, a 3-evening-per-week bar—the French-inspired luncheonette is becoming part of the neighborhood nightlife.
Manhattan’s Latest Speakeasy Is Hidden Behind a Provisions Shop
New York Ashley Sears PS, a bar full of cocktails and charcuterie boards, awaits just beyond a shelf of fancy chocolates by May 18, 2022, 12:33pm EDT As soon as customers step inside the newly opened provisions shop Pine & Polk, they’re surrounded by seemingly every food and drink item needed for an urban picnic, from gourmet granola to kombucha to Shukette’s Not Your Average hummus.
Times Square’s Newest Hotel Opens With a Yankees-Themed Steakhouse
Adding to the recent resurgence around Times Square, another big chain hotel with a bevy of restaurants is opening in New York City where tourism, Broadway, and offices spaces converge. Hard Rock Hotel New York, which has been under construction for four years, opens its doors today at 159 West 48th Street, between Sixth and Seventh avenues.
From the Archives: USG group pushed for partnership benefits
Editor’s Note: In 2002, the Domestic Partnership Benefits Coalition, a group of faculty and staff within the University System of Georgia, introduced a proposal for the system “to adopt policies and procedures which treat married couples and domestic partnerships in an equal manner.” At the time, the same-sex partners of University of Georgia staff could not receive the same benefits as the spouses of married staff, such as the “soft benefits” of receiving a UGA card, working out at the...
As cyber attackers get more sophisticated, so must agencies’ protections
By Dena Levitz Federal News Radio Cyber criminals are stepping up their game with no signs of stopping. This includes launching more sophisticated attacks, yet on the opposite end, skewing simple in hacking tactics too. Agency and private-sector information security experts examined cyber prevention tactics during the recent Federal News Radio panel discussion, Targeting Advanced Threats.
Uncommon Ground
The night of December 18, 2004, began as an ordinary evening for Blair Cobbs’s father, Eugene. At 33, the elder Cobbs was already a seasoned veteran of the drug trafficking trade. He was flying solo to his hometown of Philadelphia, having taken off from Compton Airport near Los Angeles. After a quick fuel-up in Missouri, it was somewhere over West Virginia that things began to go bad for the self-taught pilot.
UrbanTurf Guides
By Dena Levitz Originally Published August 3rd, 2012 Surrounded by Columbia Heights, Petworth and Howard University, Park View tends to be lumped in with one of these more prominent destinations, its name often confused or left out of the dialogue altogether. Once inside the NW DC neighborhood, though, the sense of identity is one of the main factors that residents cite for attracting them to the area, or keeping them there.
UrbanTurf Guides
By Dena Levitz Originally Published September 7th, 2012 A home in Foxhall Village. There’s a running joke among residents of DC’s Foxhall Village. “When you buy a house, they give you a pine box because that’s how you’ll be leaving,” said Scott Polk, a realtor who moved into the upscale Northwest neighborhood with his wife in the mid-1980s. Polk has sold dozens of homes in Foxhall Village over the past few decades, so of course it’s not unheard of for people to relocate out of the community.
The Donkey Farmer’s Magical Matchmaking Book
Willie Daly stands next to the pub’s roaring fire, giving precise instructions to the crowd gathered around him. When it’s your turn to touch the worn, yellowing, 160-year-old book, it’s important to close your eyes and really concentrate, Daly explains in his thick Irish accent. Both palms should make contact with the cover of the magical book for at least seven seconds. If you follow these steps, Daly continues, love has a way of finding you, sometimes rather quickly.
OPM Director Katherine Archuleta resigns
Office of Personnel Management Director Katherine Archuleta stepped down today. Archuleta offered her resignation to President Barack Obama this morning and he accepted. She informed OPM employees of her decision in an email. “I conveyed to the President that I believe it is best for me to step aside and allow new leadership to step in, enabling the agency to move beyond the current challenges and allowing the employees at OPM to continue their important work,” Archuleta’s email said.
The Push to Define, Guide 'Native Advertising' Intensifies - MediaShift
As media companies of all shapes and sizes experiment with so-called “native advertising,” the push to establish guidelines and best practices — or even how to define it — is hitting fever pitch. The Federal Trade Commission recently stepped into the debate when it announced a December hearing around the phenomenon.
Experts Warn Against the Perils of 'Tech Addiction' - MediaShift
The 2018 National Day of Unplugging is on March 9-10 from sundown to sundown. Back in 2009, Baroness Susan Greenfield, a trained neurochemist and member of the House of Lords, was laser-focused on studying changes to the brain and how this knowledge could combat Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile she couldn’t help noticing that another big factor was altering the brains of subjects more broadly: technology.
Special Series: Unplugging From Technology 2018
When was the last time you went 24 hours without checking your phone, computer or tablet? For most of us, it might be hard to remember that far back. That’s why the folks behind the National Day of Unplugging encourage you to take part in “a 24 hour global respite from technology” from sundown-to-sundown on March 9-10.
Ghost of Memorial Days' past
Many, many moons ago at Washington’s Union station, I stood — sweating heavily — with a couple hundred other soldiers, sailors, marines and Coast Guardsmen. Our assignment… March to the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery for a special ceremony. We were told to look good—to show up rival services— and most importantly, not to faint. Drop dead, if you must, but DO NOT faint. Either while marching or while standing at parade rest.
21.5 million people impacted by breach of OPM's background investigation databases
The Office of Personnel Management announced today that 21.5 million people were affected by the cyber breach of its background investigation databases. This includes current, former and prospective federal employees and contractors.
I Am Rocky Balboa
My analyst and I grew more intimately connected each week of treatment...but I never saw this indecent proposal coming. It’s the waning moments of my fourth session with a new therapist. I’m holding back — and she knows it. My entire body feels tense, not ideal for the setting. I try to relax, but the plush leather couch crumples under me when I shift, making the movements extraordinary. I’ve barely looked into my therapist’s blue eyes at all, and yet I think the hour has gone very well.
Why Virtual Reality May Become Part of Your Job
For football teams, time is an extremely precious commodity. Whether at the collegiate or professional level, league rules restrict how long players can spend on the practice field, getting every pass, blitz, and block right before game time.
The 6 Big Shifts in Social Media in 2016 - MediaShift
How the world heard about the major events of 2016 (dominated by the presidential election) and discussed them, not to mention how the newsmakers responded to them were all shaped, and dramatically so, by social media. News organizations in 2016 continued to use social platforms to amplify their own reach and to try to earn added revenue.
5 Funding Options for Journalism That Blossomed in 2014
There’s no shortage of great journalistic content being produced right now. From video interviews to longform writing to entirely reimagined storytelling vehicles, journalistic creativity and heft are at a high. But how do you pay for it? Legacy media operations are still tinkering with their business models to incorporate new and old revenue streams in a diversified mix that fits with their mission and market.
6 Best News Apps of 2015
Providing a consolidated news digest was the name of the app game last year. Everyone from the New York Times, with NYT Now, to Watchup and Newsbeat, which collect articles and then showcase them to users in video and radio formats, tried it. In 2015, then, the popular path for publishers, via their mobile offerings, was to take this one step further — help make sense of global happenings or at least to make the curation more personalized, sophisticated and tailored.
How to Eat (and Drink) Around the U.S. Without Leaving D.C.
Washington D.C. may not technically be a state itself. But it is the capital of the entire United States. Besides the fact that Congressional representatives come to the city to do their law-making dirty work, the rest of the country is represented in several ways —especially culinarily. There are lobster rolls, beignets and slabs of ribs to be found without having to venture to the dish's home states to get the grub.
The Etiquette of Neighborhood Email Lists
Preliminary reports of a blood trail winding through a D.C. community were all neighbors needed to go wild with speculation.
Every city wants to create its own Silicon Valley. This is bad for innovation.
In Bangalore, India, traffic is abominable. It takes a half hour, on average, to find a parking space. The founders of the start-up Pparke want to help. Their smartphone app lets drivers know, in real-time, where the available parking spots are. Pparke was born in Bangalore’s nascent “Silicon Valley,” And it sounds quite innovative. But really, Pparke is one of the hundreds of companies solving the same dilemma in almost exactly the same way. Berlin has multiple versions of Pparke. So does Chicago.
When a Journalist Baby-sits the President
Dena Levitz is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist.“Would you be interested in this gig?” asked my friend Kathleen nonchalantly. “It’s basically baby-sitting the president.” I had no idea what she was talking about. The president president? Since I entered the workforce at 16, I’d had my share of ragtag jobs: summer camps, smoothie shops, kids’ birthday parties. But this one sounded like kind of a big deal. Plus, at age 27, I was looking for serious journalistic opportunities. The White House?
How to Navigate the Etiquette of the On-Demand Driving Economy
Harry Campbell is used to people throwing up in his car. He's also shuttled around amorous couples who were going at it in the back seat. The Los Angeles-based Uber and Lyft driver says there's not much he can do.
A Day of Dining on $10 in D.C.
In D.C., cocktails can run $15. A meager small plate (and let's face it, you're gonna need a handful of these bad boys) can easily exceed five bucks a pop. Dropping an Alexander Hamilton might add up to a meal in the ever-expensive nation's capital. But Eater challenged me to feed myself for a day on $10. An entire f&*%in' day?! I'm a saver, a frugal shopper, to be sure. Still, this would take some serious creativity and a dash of what the Boy Scouts are known for — being prepared.
OPM Director Katherine Archuleta resigns
Office of Personnel Management Director Katherine Archuleta stepped down today. Archuleta offered her resignation to President Barack Obama this morning and he accepted. She informed OPM employees of her decision in an email. “I conveyed to the President that I believe it is best for me to step aside and allow new leadership to step in, enabling the agency to move beyond the current challenges and allowing the employees at OPM to continue their important work,” Archuleta’s email said.
21.5 million people impacted by breach of OPM’s background investigation databases
The Office of Personnel Management announced today that 21.5 million people were affected by the cyber breach of its background investigation databases. This includes current, former and prospective federal employees and contractors.
Examining The Mighty’s Success in Storytelling About Disabilities
Longtime journalist and digital executive Mike Porath took a personal struggle and turned it into a media site that’s being read by millions. When Porath and his wife discovered that one of their three young children had a rare chromosome disorder several years ago, it became a “life-altering experience,” he said. After the diagnosis, they sought out treatment for their daughter and comfort for themselves as their family adjusted to the news.
The Top 100 Tech Companies in Austin
We are excited to recognize Austin’s top 100 tech employers. These digital companies have driven the city’s talented workforce to new heights and economic growth by creating over 42,000 jobs. To put that into perspective, these 100 companies alone comprise about 48 percent of the roughly 86,000 people estimated to be working in STEM jobs in Austin. Seven of the top 10 companies are relative newcomers, having been founded on average just 12 years ago.
Secrets From D.C.'s Hamburger-Obsessed Chefs
"Everything needs to match." Chef David Deshaies says this and then points to a ring mold that he's set down next to a cutting board full of raw beef and other prep items. The man at the helm of Michel Richard's kitchen at Central is serious about product uniformity, which means it's not the only time he'll utter the statement. When it comes to burgers, he says he can't stand when the meat sticks out of the roll and the structure created by the protein and toppings doesn't line up precisely.
How Streaming and Binging Has Changed Our Relationship With TV
The final season of “Mad Men” is rolling out. “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” has become a bonafide hit alongside its Netflix siblings “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.” Fox’s “Empire” just became the first TV show in ages to gain a bigger audience from week to week during its premiere season. And, for the third time, Xfinity is running its hotly anticipated Watchathon event, which enables subscribers to sample unlimited quantities of new and old premium shows.
An Experiment in International Travel and Disconnecting from Tech
Since October I’ve ventured to 13 cities in 9 countries. My passport now has stamps on it from Kenya, Mexico, Jordan and India, to rattle off a few. And it’s gotten to the point where my apartment is not a living space but a refuge for clothes that either just emerged from my suitcase or never made it in there in the first place. All of this traveling and running around has had a purpose that neither involves espionage nor military service.
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