Catch up with the best from this week’s digital travels…

Brutalist playgrounds of a Japanese variety…

We were going bonkers for Brutalist playgrounds in London this summer, but it looks like the Japanese are suckers for these Octopus designs. Head to Weburbanist to take a closer look at the sinister looking slides that have become a common feature across the country’s cities and towns.

Manhattanites mourn the loss of their most beautiful supermarket

For more than 15 years, wealthy New Yorkers have picked up their groceries from historic landmark Food Emporium (or, at least their staff have). The supermarket looks set to close after the lease for the century-old space at the base of the Queensboro Bridge came up for auction – and failed to find a buyer. Bloomberg have more on the storied site.

Croydon has nicked Nine Elm’s sky-pool idea

London’s Croydon continued its crusade for ‘cool’ status this week, unveiling plans to build the highest bar in Europe and the first public glass-bottomed pool in the sky. Developers Guildhouse announced the additions to their design for One Lansdowne Road, a 65-storey skyscraper in the town centre. The pool will sit between two high-rise structures on the 14th floor, while the bar will take over the 65th floor. But don’t dust off your bather just yet – if planning is granted, it’ll be 2018 before it’s ready. Head over to Dezeen for more.

From sky-swimming to Skywalker…

Sci-fi geeks across the galaxy have a new space in which to unite this December… Organisers of Salford Star Wars convention ‘For The Love Of The Force’ have transformed an exhibition centre in Trafford Park into locations from the film franchise. Fans can grab a pint of blue milk in The Cantina bar, or take a walk around a two-storey Ewok village. As Yoda might say, ‘More to read, there is, via the Manchester Evening News.’

Why Boston is rebranding Brutalism as ‘Heroic’

In the ‘cradle of American history’, concrete has a bad rep. Boston City Hall is regularly called the city’s ‘ugliest building’ (and its potential demolition was a rallying cry by Mayor Thomas Menino). But Brutalism helped stem the city’s industrial decline in the 1960s and 70s – CityLab has more on why Boston’s concrete brutes are really heroic icons…