NYC Events,”Only the Best” (01/18) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 01/18/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ JANUARY 18, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “January NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

==========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Elsewhere, but Balkan brass bands are always worth the detour:

Zlatne Uste Golden Festival (Jan.18-20)
Good times the Balkan way
Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Ave., Brooklyn/ $30-$45
“Who doesn’t love some brassy, foot-tapping Balkan music — especially live, thundering through a giant hall with beer on tap? The Zlatne Uste Golden Festival brings two days of rousing dance music from over 60 artists to Grand Prospect Hall. Stay fueled with authentic regional cuisine and browse the Balkan Market upstairs, where they sell music, art, jewelry, textiles and more.” (Metro)

=========================================================

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> CUBA FESTIVAL
>> EMMET COHEN TRIO WITH RON CARTER
>> NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER 2
>> Eddie Palmieri
>> Make pizza and drink wine
>> The Outsider Art Fair
>> Black Comic Book Festival
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

CUBA FESTIVAL (through Jan. 20)
at the Joyce Theater / 8PM; $50+
“Our country’s relationship with Cuba may still be in flux but the Joyce Theater’s commitment to Cuban artists remains steadfast. Starting Jan. 9, the space presents the Cuba Festival. First up is the frequent visitor Malpaso Dance Company, a skilled and earnest troupe that will present a diverse program of works by Merce Cunningham, Abel Rojo and Beatriz Garcia Diaz, plus Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s haunting “Tabula Rasa” (through Jan. 13). The festival continues with the company Los Hijos del Director (Jan. 15-16) and the feisty contemporary Flamenco dancer Irene Rodríguez and her self-named company (Jan. 18-20).” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

EMMET COHEN TRIO WITH RON CARTER (Jan. 15-20)
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; $35
“Cohen is a young piano virtuoso with a delicate touch and an assured, swaggering swing feel; he has endeared himself to some of the most imposing figures in straight-ahead jazz, and plays in bands led by the bassist Christian McBride and the drummer Herlin Riley. But there may be no living jazz musician with more cachet than Ron Carter, the 81-year-old bassist and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master — and technically Cohen counts him as a side musician. On the album that Cohen, Carter and the drummer Evan Sherman released in 2018, Carter’s slippery bass and Cohen’s debonair flow are all sorts of simpatico.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER 2 (Jan.16-19)
at New York City Center / 8PM, $25+
“Known for its continually expanding repertory of new works by a roster of European choreographers, Nederlands Dans Theatre is the toast of the contemporary-dance crowd. The ensemble performing at City Center (tonight through Saturday) is the company’s junior troupe, Nederlands Dans Theatre 2, a group of sixteen classically trained dancers ranging in age from seventeen to twenty-three. A quadruple bill includes Marco Goecke’s 2017 “Wir Sagen Uns Dunkles” (“Darkness Spoken”)—a twitchy exploration of the relationship between dancer and choreographer, set to Schubert, Schnittke, and the British rock band Placebo—and “Mutual Comfort,” by Edward Clug, the choreographer of Diana Vishneva’s recent techno extravaganza, “Sleeping Beauty Dreams.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)

Eddie Palmieri (Jan.15-20)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $30-$45
Eddie Palmieri’s new album, “Mi Luz Mayor,” is dedicated to his late wife, Iraida, and includes songs they would dance to; judging from the propulsive performances that this giant of Latin music elicits from his crack orchestra, the couple must have cut quite a rug. Fusing idiomatic sounds from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other Latin-American locales with modern jazz, Palmieri’s music defines multicultural New York as indelibly as any sound that has arisen from its streets.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Make pizza and drink wine
Financial District / $75
“Delight in one of the food world’s best pairings — marinara sauce and a glass of red — at Kesté’s on Fulton Street, where Neapolitan pizza masters Roberto and Giorgia Caporuscio will teach the art of making the perfect pie. You’ll snack on apps like fried burrata and fresh mozzarella, stretch dough, and learn a little pizza history, all in one educational, libational evening.” (Thrillist)

The Outsider Art Fair (Jan.18-20)
See accessible art
Metropolitan Pavilion / $24-$53
“The Outsider Art Fair, which spotlights art brut and self-taught artists, returns to NYC at the Metropolitan Pavilion this weekend. You’ll see displays by 67 exhibitors from 37 cities and seven countries. Curations include a tribute to the late art dealer Phyllis Kind, and Good Kids: Underground Comics from China, a collection of non-conformist zines and original drawings.” (Thrillist)

Black Comic Book Festival (Jan.18-19)
Beyond Black Panther
Schomburg Center / 12PM-9PM, FREE
“With Black Panther becoming the highest-grossing comic book film of all time, it’s clear the world wants to see new faces behind the masks of their favorite heroes. Meet the writers, illustrators and publishers who have been bringing diversity to the comics scene at this weekend’s Black Comic Book Festival. Back for a seventh year, the free two-day event will have panels, a marketplace, tons of cosplay and more nerdy fun.” (Metro)

=======================================================

Continuing Events

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

===========================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

========================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
These are My Fave Special Exhibitions @ MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Hilma af Klint : Paintings for the Future (thru 02/03/19)

“Convinced that the world was not ready for her artistry in 1906, particularly as an underrepresented female in her field, af Klint of Sweden kept her work private. Her paintings anticipated by years “breakthroughs” by Kandinsky, Mondrian and others and were unseen before 1986. The Guggenheim rediscovers her.”

“Recognized as one of the art world’s earliest abstract painters, Hilma af Klint was a steadfast believer that her work was inspired by the spiritual. The new Guggenheim exhibition, “Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future,” showcases the work of this groundbreaking Swedish artist (1862-1944), whose work was rarely seen until the 1980s.” (Newsday)

See our art critic’s top pick of the year.
“Luckily, the number-one pick in Jerry Saltz’s best art shows of 2018 is still running. Hilma af Klint’s Paintings for the Future at the Guggenheim Museum examines the work of the unacknowledged Swedish visionary and makes a case for her being the first modernist abstract painter. Saltz is especially enamored with the first gallery, so make sure you spend some time there.” (NYMagazine)

GD: Definitely worth a visit. af Klint was like the original Kandinsky and it’s interesting to see both of their works in the same museum, even if not side-by-side.

Jewish Museum

‘SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION’  “After a surgical renovation to its grand pile on Fifth Avenue, the Jewish Museum has reopened its third-floor galleries with a rethought and refreshed display of its permanent collection, which intermingles modern and contemporary art, by Jews and gentiles alike — Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and the excellent young Nigerian draftswoman Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze — with 4,000 years of Judaica. The works are shown in a nimble, non-chronological suite of galleries, and some of its century-spanning juxtapositions are bracing; others feel reductive, even dilletantish. But always, the Jewish Museum conceives of art and religion as interlocking elements of a story of civilization, commendably open to new influences and new interpretations.” (Farago) 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

Museum of the City of New York

NY AT ITS CORE (ongoing)
“Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org” (NYCity Guide)

and you should be sure to check out these special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish for NewYorkers)

“In Praise of Painting”

“How great are the Met’s holdings in the Dutch golden age? Very. This long-term installation rings the lower level of the Lehman Wing with scores of lesser-known gems from the mid-seventeenth century, many of them rarely on view before, amid masterworks by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and Ruisdael. The period, vivified here, began in 1648, when the end of the Eighty Years’ War with Spain brought a boom in wealth and morale, expressed by genre paintings that exalt the national ideal of gezelligheid—social warmth, comfort, belonging. A key figure was Gerard ter Borch, who had travelled widely and worked at the court of Philip IV, in company with Velázquez. Ter Borch’s lustrous, ineffably witty domestic scenes inspired a generation of masters, notably Vermeer, whose genius rather eclipsed his elder’s. The pictures often star ter Borch’s younger sister Gesina, preening in satins or enigmatically musing. Herself a painter, she is cutely funny-looking—pointy nose, weak chin—and desperately lovable. There’s much to be said for a world with such a family in it.”

===========================================================
Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
•  92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
•  91st Street  –  Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
•  89th Street –  National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
•  88th Street –  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
•  86th Street –  Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
•  82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW) for NewYorkers

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (Wed 2-6pm PWYW; First Friday each month (exc Jan+Sep) 6-9pm FREE) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/16 and 01/14.
=============================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (01/17) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 01/17/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ JANUARY 17, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “January NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

==========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Carmen
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $20+ (next Jan.21, 7:30PM)
“Mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine reprises her remarkable portrayal of opera’s ultimate seductress, a triumph in her 2017 debut performances, with impassioned tenors Yonghoon Lee and Roberto Alagna as her lover, Don José. Omer Meir Wellber and Louis Langrée share conducting duties for Sir Richard Eyre’s powerful production, a Met favorite since its 2009 premiere.”

=========================================================

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> The Revivalists
>> ‘STEVIE’
>> Black String
>> EMMET COHEN TRIO WITH RON CARTER
>> NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER 2
>> Eddie Palmieri
>> An Intro to the KonMari Method
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

The Revivalists – Take Good Care Tour
with special guests American Authors
Beacon Theater / 8PM, $40+
“New Orleans octet The Revivalists are riding high with a couple of big hits under their belt and a new album, Take Good Care.” (WFUV)

‘STEVIE’
at the Mirror Room at Lincoln Center / 8:30 p.m.; $10
“Channeling the spirit of the songstress Stevie Nicks, this monthly show usually operates out of a bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn. But this month’s show moves to Manhattan — albeit down a secret alleyway on 62nd Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues as part of the Big Apple Circus. Hosts Drew Anderson, Marcia Belsky and Sam Taggart welcome comedy from Chris Gethard, Jo Firestone, Jaboukie Young-White and Lorelei Ramirez; drag from Lemon; and music from Friends Who Folk.” (NYT-Sean L. McCarthy)

Black String
Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Lyrical melodies performed on traditional Korean folk instruments are amplified with guitar, electronics, and improvisation into a fierce quake of sound when this four-piece band hits the stage. Founded in 2011, Black String has performed at festivals and venues around the world, including the Jarasum International Jazz Festival in South Korea, the London Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, Flushing Town Hall, and Rockwood Music Hall. Join them tonight for “an engaging exploration of what can be achieved by bringing ancient and modern into creative fusion” (Jazzwise).”

EMMET COHEN TRIO WITH RON CARTER (Jan. 15-20)
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; $35
“Cohen is a young piano virtuoso with a delicate touch and an assured, swaggering swing feel; he has endeared himself to some of the most imposing figures in straight-ahead jazz, and plays in bands led by the bassist Christian McBride and the drummer Herlin Riley. But there may be no living jazz musician with more cachet than Ron Carter, the 81-year-old bassist and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master — and technically Cohen counts him as a side musician. On the album that Cohen, Carter and the drummer Evan Sherman released in 2018, Carter’s slippery bass and Cohen’s debonair flow are all sorts of simpatico.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER 2 (Jan.16-19)
at New York City Center / 8PM, $25+
“This popular contemporary ballet company, under the artistic direction of Fernando Hernando Magadan, presents two works by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, as well as a pair of United States premieres by Marco Goecke and Edward Clug. For his part, Goecke offers “Wir sagen uns Dunkles” (“Darkness Spoken”) — a sleek, playful work featuring music by Schubert and the British rock band Placebo — while Clug presents “Mutual Comfort,” a work for four dancers.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Eddie Palmieri (Jan.15-20)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $30-$45
Eddie Palmieri’s new album, “Mi Luz Mayor,” is dedicated to his late wife, Iraida, and includes songs they would dance to; judging from the propulsive performances that this giant of Latin music elicits from his crack orchestra, the couple must have cut quite a rug. Fusing idiomatic sounds from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other Latin-American locales with modern jazz, Palmieri’s music defines multicultural New York as indelibly as any sound that has arisen from its streets.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

An Intro to the KonMari Method
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 6:30PM, $35
“The KonMari Method™, patented by Japan’s “queen of clean” Marie Kondo, is a way of tidying up while simultaneously sparking joy in people’s lives.

Join KonMari Consultant, Patty Morrissey, as she shows you how to organize in a meaningful way. Tackle decluttering head on by learning how to organize by category (clothes, books, paper, kimono, and sentimentals) and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.”

=======================================================

Continuing Events

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

Magic After Hours
Tannen’s Magic, Midtown West (Until Dec 31 2019)

“Twice a week, after closing time, 20 people crowd into the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there’s a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine’s show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.” (TONY)

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

=====================================================

Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Hit the Hot Link and check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St. (btw 6/7), thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Sony Hall – 235 W 46th St. (btw 7/8), sonyhall.com, 212-997-5123
and one more, not exactly WestSide:
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening discovery and enjoyment.

Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.

See Below.
———————————————————————————————————-

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
=================================================================================

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’. ”

maxresdefaultEach night Ishrat, the long time proprietor and impresario, carefully curates and schedules an eclectic series of musicians. You can often see him at his table in the corner, hard at work reviewing music videos and listening to cd demos on his laptop, scouting out future bookings. Musicians come from all over to play and sing in a club in Greenwich Village. Some are local New Yorkers, others are just passing through, in town for a few days.

There is a small bar, seating maybe 10. It’s close to the stage and I find it’s a perfect spot to sip a glass of red wine while listening to the music. The room itself has the performance area at one end and a cozy fireplace at the other. The performance area here is small, dominated by a large black Yamaha Grand piano. Tables are bunched together and most people at the tables are eating lite meals or sampling the wonderful desserts.

There is also a good selection of fairly priced wines,  but you are here because of the music. You can never be quite sure what you’re going to find, and that’s half the charm of this place. It’s not a home run every night, but many nights it’s pretty special.

I remember the night I saw the most talented bossa nova group, just in from San Paulo. As I listened, I wondered if there was any better music playing anywhere else in New York City that night. And at Caffé Vivaldi there is never a cover charge. Their recently redesigned web site does give you a better idea of the type of music playing each night.

At one time Greenwich Village was filled with clubs just like this, but times change. Real estate interests have impacted the village, and not for the better. Even Caffé Vivaldi had a rough time recently, when a new landlord raised the rent exorbitantly. Fortunately, Ishrat has built a loyal following over the years, and a fund raiser and slightly more reasonable rent has kept Café Vivaldi in business.

When Woody Allen and Al Pacino wanted to make movies featuring the timeless quality of Greenwich Village they came to Vivaldi. It’s important that we keep this special place alive, for if we lose Cafe Vivaldi, NYCity will have lost a piece of it’s soul.

CAFFE VIVALDI HAS CLOSED, VERY SAD.
I HAVE LEFT THIS REVIEW ON MY SITE AS A KIND OF MEMORIAL.
As reported in the “Gothamist”:
“Caffe Vivaldi, one of the last bohemian bastions of the West Village, is set to close this weekend. During its 35 years on Jones Street, the casual cafe won the hearts of locals and celebs alike, including Oscar Isaac, Bette Midler, and Al Pacino.

Despite that friendly communal atmosphere, the owners ultimately struggled to survive under their notorious vulture landlord Steve Croman, who they say waged a harassment campaign against the restaurant, and eventually tripled their rent.”

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30PM – 11PM, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11AM-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher St.
Walk 1 blk S. on 7th ave S. to Bleecker St., 1 blk left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards left on Jones St. to Caffe V.
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
========================================================

3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Fish – 280 Bleecker St. (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $9 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

Bleecker Street Pizza – 69 7th ave S. (corner of Bleecker St.)
The place is tiny and not much to look at, but this is one good slice. They like to brag that they have been voted “Best pizza in NY” 3 years in a row by the Food Network. I believe them. I would have voted for them.

Num Pang – 21 E 12th St. (btw. University Place/5th ave.)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. It’s cramped, even for NYCity, but usually there is room up the spiral staircase to sit down and eat. In good weather carry your sandwich a few blocks to Union Square park. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

========================================================
“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
========================================================
NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24,000 eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available SPRING 2019).
◊ Order before MAY 31, 2019 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (01/16) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 01/16/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ JANUARY 16, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “January NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

==========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER 2 (Jan.16-19)
at New York City Center / 8PM, $25+
“This popular contemporary ballet company, under the artistic direction of Fernando Hernando Magadan, presents two works by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, as well as a pair of United States premieres by Marco Goecke and Edward Clug. For his part, Goecke offers “Wir sagen uns Dunkles” (“Darkness Spoken”) — a sleek, playful work featuring music by Schubert and the British rock band Placebo — while Clug presents “Mutual Comfort,” a work for four dancers.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

=========================================================

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Adriana Lecouvreur
>> MUNYA
>> Catherine Cohen: The Twist?… She’s Gorgeous
>> EMMET COHEN TRIO WITH RON CARTER
>> Eddie Palmieri
>> CUBA FESTIVAL
>> The Presidents: George W. Bush
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Adriana Lecouvreur (next Jan.19, 8PM)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $17+
“Soprano Anna Netrebko joins the ranks of Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballé, and Renata Scotto, taking on—for the first time at the Met—the title role of the real-life French actress who dazzled 18th-century audiences with her on-and offstage passion. The soprano is joined by tenor Piotr Beczała as Adriana’s lover, Maurizio. The principal cast also features mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili and baritone Ambrogio Maestri. Gianandrea Noseda conducts. Sir David McVicar’s staging, which sets the action in a working replica of a Baroque theater, premiered at the Royal Opera House in London, where the Guardian praised the “elegant production, sumptuously designed … The spectacle guarantees a good night out.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
MUNYA
at Elsewhere / 8 p.m.; $12
Making nostalgic French pop that isn’t overwhelmingly cloying is a feat in itself, but the Montreal singer-songwriter Josie Boivin, who records under the name Munya, has even more to offer. Her breathy soprano, layers of synths and a band that can go from understated groove to maximalist jam in the space of a chorus merge to create songs that are engaging, even as they create an easy ambience. “I don’t justify/Everything comes and goes,” she sings on “Some More,” lyrics that are reassuringly laissez-faire.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

Catherine Cohen: The Twist?… She’s Gorgeous
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater / 9:30PM, $15
“If you live in New York and haven’t seen Catherine Cohen perform live…seek treatment. The comedy chanteuse had us mesmerized when she was singing in dive bars about boys; now armed with a full backing band at one of the city’s best venues, Cohen is a total force of nature. She takes over Joe’s Pub for a night of wickedly subversive musical comedy, fabulous looks and self-directed diva worship. She’s joined by regular collaborator Henry Koperski at the keys. Not to be missed.” (TONY)

EMMET COHEN TRIO WITH RON CARTER (Jan. 15-20)
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; $35
“Cohen is a young piano virtuoso with a delicate touch and an assured, swaggering swing feel; he has endeared himself to some of the most imposing figures in straight-ahead jazz, and plays in bands led by the bassist Christian McBride and the drummer Herlin Riley. But there may be no living jazz musician with more cachet than Ron Carter, the 81-year-old bassist and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master — and technically Cohen counts him as a side musician. On the album that Cohen, Carter and the drummer Evan Sherman released in 2018, Carter’s slippery bass and Cohen’s debonair flow are all sorts of simpatico.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Eddie Palmieri (Jan.15-20)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $30-$45
Eddie Palmieri’s new album, “Mi Luz Mayor,” is dedicated to his late wife, Iraida, and includes songs they would dance to; judging from the propulsive performances that this giant of Latin music elicits from his crack orchestra, the couple must have cut quite a rug. Fusing idiomatic sounds from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other Latin-American locales with modern jazz, Palmieri’s music defines multicultural New York as indelibly as any sound that has arisen from its streets.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

CUBA FESTIVAL (through Jan. 20)
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30PM; $35+
“Our country’s relationship with Cuba may still be in flux but the Joyce Theater’s commitment to Cuban artists remains steadfast. Starting Jan. 9, the space presents the Cuba Festival. First up is the frequent visitor Malpaso Dance Company, a skilled and earnest troupe that will present a diverse program of works by Merce Cunningham, Abel Rojo and Beatriz Garcia Diaz, plus Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s haunting “Tabula Rasa” (through Jan. 13). The festival continues with the company Los Hijos del Director (Jan. 15-16) and the feisty contemporary Flamenco dancer Irene Rodríguez and her self-named company (Jan. 18-20).” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

The Presidents: George W. Bush
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West / 7PM, $38
“Confronted by one crisis after another, President George W. Bush struggled to defend the country and remake the world, serving during an era marked by the September 11th terror attacks, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and financial collapse.

Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the New York Times and a political analyst for MSNBC, is the author of Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House. Douglas Brinkley (moderator) is a bestselling author and serves as presidential historian for CNN and the New-York Historical Society.”

=======================================================

Continuing Events

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

=====================================================
Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

=========================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

===============================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of exhibitions)

Whitney Museum of American Art

‘ANDY WARHOL — FROM A TO B AND BACK AGAIN’  (through March 31) “Although this is the artist’s first full American retrospective in 31 years, he’s been so much with us — in museums, galleries, auctions — as to make him, like wallpaper, like the atmosphere, only half-noticed. The Whitney show restores him to a full, commanding view, but does so in a carefully shaped and edited way, with an emphasis on very early and late work. Despite the show’s monumentalizing size, supplemented by an off-site display of the enormous multipanel painting called “Shadows,” it’s a human-scale Warhol we see. Largely absent is the artist-entrepreneur who is taken as a prophet of our market-addled present. What we have instead is Warhol for whom art, whatever else it was, was an expression of personal hopes and fears.”  (Cotter)

Museum of Modern Art

‘BRUCE NAUMAN: DISAPPEARING ACTS’  (through Feb. 18)
“If art isn’t basically about life and death, and the emotions and ethics they inspire, what is it about? Style? Taste? Auction results? The most interesting artists go right for the big, uncool existential stuff, which is what Bruce Nauman does in a transfixing half-century retrospective that fills the entire sixth floor of the MoMA and much of MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, Queens. The MoMA installation is tightly paced and high decibel; the one at PS1, which includes a trove of works on paper, is comparatively mellow and mournful. Each location offers a rough chronological overview of his career, but catching both parts of the show is imperative. Nauman has changed the way we define what art is and what is art, and made work prescient of the morally wrenching American moment we’re in. He deserves to be seen in full.” (Cotter)

‘CONSTANTIN BRANCUSI SCULPTURE: THE FILMS’ (through Feb. 18).
“This show is built around works by the Romanian modernist (1876-1957) that have been longtime highlights of the museum’s own collection. But in 2018, can Brancusi still release our inner poet? The answer may lie in paying less attention to the sculptures themselves and more to Brancusi’s little-known and quite amazing films, projected at the entrance to the gallery throughout the duration of the exhibition. MoMA borrowed the series of video clips from the Pompidou Center in Paris. They give the feeling that Brancusi was less interested in making fancy museum objects than in putting new kinds of almost-living things into the world, and convey the vital energy his sculptures were meant to capture.”(Blake Gopnik)

Museum of Art and Design

‘STERLING RUBY: CERAMICS’  (through March 17).
“Adept at most art mediums, this artist is at his best in ceramics, especially in the outsize, awkwardly hand-built, resplendently glazed baskets, ashtrays and plates and the objects that verge on sculpture in this show. These works actively incorporate accident and aspects of the ready-made, have precedents in the large-scale ceramics of Peter Voulkos and Viola Frey, but may be closest in spirit to the Neo-Expressionism of Julian Schnabel — rehabilitated, of course.” (Smith – NYT)

American Folk Art Museum

‘PAA JOE: GATES OF NO RETURN’  (through Feb. 24).

“Joseph Tetteh Ashong, better known as Paa Joe, is Ghana’s pre-eminent funerary carpenter, turning out thousands of brightly colored lions, soda bottles and automobiles for people to be buried in. Most of his exuberant pieces enjoy the light of day for only a few hours before they disappear into the ground. But in 2004, Paa Joe was commissioned by the art dealer and gallerist Claude Simard to make casket-size hardwood models of 13 former Gold Coast slave forts, and seven of them are now at AFAM. Thanks to Paa Joe’s gift for transmuting even the most complex and brutal material into a cheerful expression of his own artistic temperament, the works’ undeniable conceptual weight doesn’t hamper the overwhelming visual pleasure.” (Will Heinrich-NYT)

==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/14 and 01/12.
============================================================
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (01/15) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper West Side)

Posted on 01/15/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ JANUARY 15, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “NYC Events-January”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
To make your own after dinner plans tonight, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

==========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

CUBA FESTIVAL (through Jan. 20)
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30PM; $35+
“Our country’s relationship with Cuba may still be in flux but the Joyce Theater’s commitment to Cuban artists remains steadfast. Starting Jan. 9, the space presents the Cuba Festival. First up is the frequent visitor Malpaso Dance Company, a skilled and earnest troupe that will present a diverse program of works by Merce Cunningham, Abel Rojo and Beatriz Garcia Diaz, plus Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s haunting “Tabula Rasa” (through Jan. 13). The festival continues with the company Los Hijos del Director (Jan. 15-16) and the feisty contemporary Flamenco dancer Irene Rodríguez and her self-named company (Jan. 18-20).” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

=========================================================

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> EMMET COHEN TRIO WITH RON CARTER
>> Pelléas et Mélisande
>> ‘WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE’
>> Eddie Palmieri
>> Fire in my mouth: Remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
>> The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock ‘n’ Roll
>> Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

EMMET COHEN TRIO WITH RON CARTER (Jan. 15-20)
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; $35
“Cohen is a young piano virtuoso with a delicate touch and an assured, swaggering swing feel; he has endeared himself to some of the most imposing figures in straight-ahead jazz, and plays in bands led by the bassist Christian McBride and the drummer Herlin Riley. But there may be no living jazz musician with more cachet than Ron Carter, the 81-year-old bassist and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master — and technically Cohen counts him as a side musician. On the album that Cohen, Carter and the drummer Evan Sherman released in 2018, Carter’s slippery bass and Cohen’s debonair flow are all sorts of simpatico.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Pelléas et Mélisande (next Jan.19, 12:30PM)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $20+
Debussy’s only opera, a mesmerizing meditation on love and betrayal, returns to the Met stage for the first time in almost a decade, with Music Director Designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the landmark score. A pair of brilliant young Met stars, tenor Paul Appleby and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, are the naïve title lovers, and baritone Kyle Ketelsen is the imperious Prince Golaud. Ferruccio Furlanetto, as Arkel, and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, as Geneviève, complete the cast.

Elsewhere, but this looks like fun and worth the detour:
‘WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE’
at the Bell House / 7:30 p.m.; $25; tough ticket, may need to go to secondary market.
“Time is not kind in many ways, but as it passes for these ladies, they only get funnier. And the producer Carole Montgomery aims to spread the word by filming this stand-up showcase for television. Fran Drescher, best known for “The Nanny,” will be a special guest; Luenell, Lynne Koplitz, Julia Scotti and Vanessa Hollingshead will perform.” (NYT-Sean L. McCarthy)

Eddie Palmieri (Jan.15-20)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $30-$45
Eddie Palmieri’s new album, “Mi Luz Mayor,” is dedicated to his late wife, Iraida, and includes songs they would dance to; judging from the propulsive performances that this giant of Latin music elicits from his crack orchestra, the couple must have cut quite a rug. Fusing idiomatic sounds from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other Latin-American locales with modern jazz, Palmieri’s music defines multicultural New York as indelibly as any sound that has arisen from its streets.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Fire in my mouth: Remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Atrium at Lincoln Center,/ 7:30PM, FREE
“Composer Julia Wolfe, Forward archivist Chana Pollack, and Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition founder Ruth Sergel will discuss the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, its impact, and the importance of memorializing it. Ms. Wolfe will discuss her new multimedia work Fire in my mouth, and Ms. Pollack will present archival materials from the Forward’s front-lines coverage of the tragedy and its aftermath. Philharmonic President and CEO Deborah Borda moderates.”

The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock ‘n’ Roll
Book Culture, 450 Columbus Ave. / 7:00 pm, FREE
“A riveting saga in the history of rock ‘n’ roll: the decades-long rivalry between the two men who innovated the electric guitar’s amplified sound—Leo Fender and Les Paul—and their intense competition to convince rock stars like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to play the instruments they built.”

Andrew S. Curran, Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely
A spirited biography of the prophetic and sympathetic philosopher who helped build the foundations of the modern world.
The New York Society Library, 53 E. 79th St./ 6:30PM, $15
Enlightenment luminary Denis Diderot (1713-1784) helped lay foundations for the modern world. Hear from Wesleyan professor Andrew Curran on his new biography of the philosopher, revealing Diderot’s “often iconoclastic stands on art, theater, morality, politics, and religion.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

=======================================================

Continuing Events

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

===========================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

=======================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
================================================================================

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

Walk only five minutes from the 125th St. station on the #1 line to find this authentic honky-tonk barbecue joint. Some folks think Dinosaur is just a place to eat ribs. Au contraire. With 24 carefully selected taps, this is a place to drink beer, and eat ribs.

HarlHostStandNo food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in a two story, old brick warehouse near the Hudson River. Don’t let that run down exterior fool you. Inside it’s a large space with huge, rough wooden columns and unfinished wooden floors and brick walls – just right for a bbq joint. As soon as you open the front door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of those great rib joints I frequented when stationed in North Carolina all those years ago. If your stomach wasn’t grumbling before, it is now.

Head to the bar, sit down and try to decide on a beer. It’s not an easy decision – a good problem to have. This is a pretty damn good beer list to choose from, one that most beer bars should be jealous of. I love that they feature NY craft beers. You may want to try the four beer sampler, which is always fun, and in this place may be necessary.

The blues music playing in the background will get you in the mood for their North Carolina style barbecue, and even when it’s a full house your order shouldn’t take too long (assuming you snagged a table). The food is all slow smoked, so it’s already mostly done and ready to go. I always start with an order of their giant, spice rubbed wings, so good they may make you give up Buffalo wings.

Unfortunately, a place this good does not fly under the radar. There can be some long waits for a table at dinnertime. So you need a strategy – avoid prime time, and try not to arrive with your entire posse, which will limit your seating options.

A seat at the bar, a small table in the bar area, or in the summer, an outside table underneath what’s left of the elevated West Side Highway, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner, maybe after a show at the nearby Cotton Club nightclub.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: Mo-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:30pm
Subway: #1 to 125th St.
Walk 2 blk W on 125th St. to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway.
========================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a  comment. 
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (01/14) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 01/14/2019 by

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > MONDAY/ JANUARY 14, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “NYC Events-January”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

==========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Aida (next Jan.18, 7:30PM)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $37+
“In what should be a highlight of the new season, soprano Anna Netrebko sings her first Met Aida, going toe-to-toe with mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili as Amneris. Later in the season, a second star-studded cast takes over, with Sondra Radvanovsky and Dolora Zajick as the leading ladies.Tenors Aleksandrs Antonenko and Yonghoon Lee alternate as Radamès, and Nicola Luisotti and Plácido Domingo take the podium for the Met’s monumental production.”

=========================================================

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Ellis Marsalis Presents: Ben Patterson, Rina Yamazaki, & Isaiah J. Thompson – The Winners of the 2018 Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition
>>The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
>> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
>> Abby Ellin “Duped: Double Lives, False Identities, and the Con Man I Almost Married”
>> Call Me Madam
>> A celebration of Jerome Robbins’ ballets
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Ellis Marsalis Presents: Ben Patterson, Rina Yamazaki, & Isaiah J. Thompson – The Winners of the 2018 Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition
Jazz at Lincoln Center, Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM; $25+
[Note: Ellis Marsalis will not be present at this performance]

“The Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition is designed to be one of the most comprehensive and challenging jazz piano competitions in the world. The competition tests and evaluates each competitor against well-established traits that differentiate good piano players from those destined for greatness.

Tonight’s showcase features the top three winners of the 2018 competition: Ben Paterson, Rina Yamazaki, and a brilliant musician whom Jazz at Lincoln Center regulars will surely recognize: Isaiah J. Thompson. These musicians represent the best in modern jazz piano playing, each of them an emerging artist without major or independent recording recognition, so it’s essential to catch them in concert.”

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South (btw W11th/Perry St.) / 8:30Pm +10:30PM, $35
world class big band with 16 members on that small stage, a monday night institution.
“Almost exactly half a century ago, the trumpeter-composer-arranger Thad Jones and the drummer Mel Lewis began their Monday-night big band residency at the Village Vanguard, establishing what became a hallowed tradition.” (NYT)

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Cabaret)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 9:30PM, $30
the witty host attracts broadway stars on their night off, along with up and comers.
“Part cabaret, part piano bar and part social set, Cast Party offers a chance to hear rising and established talents step up to the microphone (backed by the slap and tickle of Steve Doyle on bass and Billy Stritch at the ivories, plus the bang of Daniel Glass on drums). The waggish Caruso presides as host.” (TONY)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Abby Ellin “Duped: Double Lives, False Identities, and the Con Man I Almost Married”
The Half King, 505 W. 23rd St./ 7PM, FREE
“Abby Ellin was shocked to learn that her fiancé was leading a secret life. But as she soon discovered, double lives are everywhere.

From Abby Ellin’s first date with The Commander, she was caught up in a whirlwind. Within five months he’d proposed, and they’d moved in together. But there were red flags: strange stories of international espionage involving Osama Bin Laden and the Pentagon. Soon his stories began to unravel until she discovered, far later than she’d have liked, that he was lying about who he was.

Then she realized something else: she wasn’t alone. People are being deceived all around us, every day. In Duped, Abby Ellin plunges headlong into the world of double lives. Studying the art and science of lying, talking to women who’ve had their worlds upended by men who weren’t who they professed to be, and writing with great openness about her own mistakes, she lays the phenomenon bare. These remarkable–yet surprisingly common–stories reveal just how strange and improbable our everyday lives really are.”

Call Me Madam
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave./ 7PM, $30
“Broadway has long been political, even before Hamilton made headlines. Inspired by City Center’s production of Call Me Madam, a political satire that follows a brassy ambassador for the fictional European nation of Lichtenberg, join us for a conversation with director Casey Hushion and musical theater librettist John Weidman about how, despite their mild reputation, musicals can get political. Garrett Eisler, critic and professor at The New School, moderates. Featuring live performance!”

A celebration of Jerome Robbins’ ballets
NYPL for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza / 6PM, FREE, resv. required
“Throughout his life, Jerome Robbins struggled with alienation, faith, and his Jewish heritage. New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Adrian Danchig-Waring hosts a final evening celebration of Robbins’ ballets, this time focused on Robbins’ Jewish themed works Dybbuk and Les Noce. While screening performance footage from the Library’s collections, Danchig-Waring and other special guests will pause, re-watch, and discuss, dissecting the traditions, innovations, and individual flourishes embedded in some of Robbins’ most deeply personal creations.”

=======================================================

Continuing Events

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

=====================================================

Bonus NYC Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening discovery and enjoyment.

Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
===========================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here is one exhibition the New Yorker likes:

Jennifer Packer  (through Jan. 19)

Sikkema Jenkins, 530 W. 22nd St.

The rough areas of drizzling color in Packer’s portraits (usually of her family and friends) might suggest a speedy process, but her gauzy treatment of, for example, a blue blanket cocooning a sleeping figure, in “The Eye Is Not Satisfied with Seeing,” conveys deliberation instead. Her figures appear almost anointed; scumbled red paint around the head of one pensive young man has a halo-like effect. Interspersed with these beatific portraits are moody floral still-lifes in which the traditional symbolism of the historical European genre is radically updated. The large diptych “Laquan” is ebullient with palm fronds and fiery peonies, but also elegiac: the work is named for Laquan McDonald, a teen-ager who was killed by the police, in 2014.”

==========================================================

For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try this NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 01/12 and 01/10.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (01/13) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 01/13/2019 by

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ JANUARY 13, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “NYC Events-January”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

==========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

CUBA FESTIVAL (through Jan. 20)
at the Joyce Theater / 2PM, +7:30PM; $75
“Our country’s relationship with Cuba may still be in flux but the Joyce Theater’s commitment to Cuban artists remains steadfast. Starting Jan. 9, the space presents the Cuba Festival. First up is the frequent visitor Malpaso Dance Company, a skilled and earnest troupe that will present a diverse program of works by Merce Cunningham, Abel Rojo and Beatriz Garcia Diaz, plus Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s haunting “Tabula Rasa” (through Jan. 13). The festival continues with the company Los Hijos del Director (Jan. 15-16) and the feisty contemporary Flamenco dancer Irene Rodríguez and her self-named company (Jan. 18-20).” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

=========================================================

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> The Boy Band Project
>> See the stars of ‘Rent’ perform at Sony Hall
>> Watch Shen Yun at Lincoln Center
>> ORRIN EVANS QUINTET
>> Bill Charlap
>> Broadway Con
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

The Boy Band Project
Brunch with the ultimate boy band
The Green Room 42, / 2PM, $22+
“Back by popular demand, The Boy Band Project is bringing its booty-shaking brunch spectacular to The Green Room 42, pop-and-locking to all your favorite songs from the ‘90s and beyond, from Boyz II Men to *NSYNC to One Direction, played by the stars of Broadway shows including Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Rock of Ages and more.” (Metro)

See the stars of ‘Rent’ perform at Sony Hall
“Adam Rapp, left, and Adam Pascal are celebrating 20 years of friendship and their recent “Acoustically Speaking” album on their current tour. It’s a chance for Woodbury native Pascal to play close to home and sing songs from the Broadway musical, as well as classics that influenced them as artists.” (Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13, Sony Hall, 235 W. 46th St., Manhattan
INFO $40 to $125; 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com

Watch Shen Yun at Lincoln Center
“Inspired by the practice of Falun Dafa, Shen Yun provides a musical tour of ancient China, represented through classical dance, vibrant costumes and stage-sprawling sets.” (Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Thursday, Jan. 10 to Sunday, Jan. 13 (also Jan.15 to 20); The David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Manhattan
INFO From $80; 888-907-4697, shenyunperformingarts.org

ORRIN EVANS QUINTET (Jan. 11-13)
at Smoke / 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.; $40
“Evans, a daring Philadelphia pianist, is as deeply rooted in bebop tradition as he is versatile and incursive. His Captain Black Big Band (which used to hold down a weekly residency at Smoke) released one of last year’s best large-ensemble records, but he’s equally enthralling as a leader of small groups. Here Evans, 43, presents a quintet featuring powerful players from across generations with the upstarts Josh Lawrence on trumpet and Caleb Curtis on alto saxophone, plus the bassist Ben Wolfe and the drummer Ralph Peterson, both respected veterans in their mid-50s.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Bill Charlap (Jan.8-13)
Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $35
“Bill Charlap isn’t out to change the world with his elegant and resourceful piano playing—he’s just resolved to make it a more stylish place to live. In addition to a solo performance and an evening with his sparkling trio, this mainstream master will host a variety of impressive guests, including Houston Person, Tom Harrell, and Jon Faddis.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Broadway Con (Jan.11-13)
NY Hilton Midtown / 9AM-6PM, $80+
“As we’re often reminded during awards season, Hollywood is only in LA. But Broadway is only in New York. See it up close and personal at BroadwayCon. You’ll have a chance to meet stars, sing along to show tunes, learn insider show biz intel, vote for all-star set list selections, get sneak peeks of upcoming musicals, and dress in your best Wicked cosplay.” (thrillist.com)

=======================================================

Continuing Events

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

=====================================================
Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

=====================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 55th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $9.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk: 1 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
=================================================================================
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (01/12) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 01/12/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ JANUARY 12, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “NYC Events-January”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

==========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Anat Cohen Tentet
Zankel Hall / 9PM, $54-$64
“Prolific clarinetist, composer, and bandleader Anat Cohen—along with musical director, arranger, and composer Oded Lev-Ari—presents an intercontinental mix of songs that celebrate the clarinet’s beauty, versatility, and stylistic adaptability. Featuring a world premiere for solo clarinet and ensemble by Lev-Ari, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall, and music from their acclaimed album Happy Song, the Anat Cohen Tentet engages audiences with thrilling musical excursions that draw on Cohen’s diverse sonic loves, from Brazilian music to African grooves, from vintage swing to touching ballads.”

Anat is always my featured performance whenever she is in town. No better clarinet player anywhere in America. Don’t miss her!

=========================================================

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>>DARCY JAMES ARGUE’S SECRET SOCIETY
>> JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA AND NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF ROMANIA
>> THEO CROKER
>> ORRIN EVANS QUINTET
>> CUBA FESTIVAL
>> Bill Charlap
>> The Enigmatist 
>> Broadway Con
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> Winter Jazzfest
===================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

DARCY JAMES ARGUE’S SECRET SOCIETY
at the Jazz Gallery / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $25
“Maybe you’ve heard: New York’s big-band scene is quietly roaring again (not that it ever went completely silent). If you’re trying to find the action, the Gallery is a good place to start, and to understand where a lot of today’s young composer-bandleaders draw their inspiration, Darcy James Argue’s long-running Secret Society ensemble is a good bet. This weekend the sophisticated, space-rock-tinged, 18-piece band will perform works from across its three-disc catalog, as well as some unrecorded numbers. (On Thursday, the Gallery will also host its 12th Jazz Composers’ Showcase, organized by Miho Hazama, with a house big band playing compositions by three young composers.)” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA AND NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF ROMANIA
at the Rose Theater / 8PM; $105+
“Wynton Marsalis is Jazz at Lincoln Center’s artistic director and the lead composer for its large ensemble. The New York Philharmonic commissioned him to write a piece it could perform in collaboration with Marsalis’s Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and he came up with “The Jungle (Symphony No. 4),” an ode to the urban frenzy of New York City, which premiered in 2016. (It is apparently not a reference to Upton Sinclair’s working-class novel of the same name, which is set in Chicago.) Here the Jazz at Lincoln Center ensemble will perform the work with the visiting National Symphony Orchestra of Romania.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

THEO CROKER
at Ginny’s Supper Club / 7PM and 9PM; $15-$20
“A young trumpeter who’s equal parts insouciance and fleet command, Croker recently unveiled a new ensemble: the Big Brother Big Band. That group will cram onto the stage at Ginny’s on Friday, giving uptown listeners their first glimpse at Big Brother’s soul-and-hip-hop-infused take on the large-ensemble tradition. On Saturday, Croker returns to Ginny’s with a smaller group.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
This is a wonderful, but small club. Better reserve tickets in advance.
Only steps away from the 125th St. stop on the #2/#3 subway.

ORRIN EVANS QUINTET (Jan. 11-13)
at Smoke / 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.; $40
“Evans, a daring Philadelphia pianist, is as deeply rooted in bebop tradition as he is versatile and incursive. His Captain Black Big Band (which used to hold down a weekly residency at Smoke) released one of last year’s best large-ensemble records, but he’s equally enthralling as a leader of small groups. Here Evans, 43, presents a quintet featuring powerful players from across generations with the upstarts Josh Lawrence on trumpet and Caleb Curtis on alto saxophone, plus the bassist Ben Wolfe and the drummer Ralph Peterson, both respected veterans in their mid-50s.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

CUBA FESTIVAL (through Jan. 20)
at the Joyce Theater / 2PM, +8PM; $75
“Our country’s relationship with Cuba may still be in flux but the Joyce Theater’s commitment to Cuban artists remains steadfast. Starting Jan. 9, the space presents the Cuba Festival. First up is the frequent visitor Malpaso Dance Company, a skilled and earnest troupe that will present a diverse program of works by Merce Cunningham, Abel Rojo and Beatriz Garcia Diaz, plus Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s haunting “Tabula Rasa” (through Jan. 13). The festival continues with the company Los Hijos del Director (Jan. 15-16) and the feisty contemporary Flamenco dancer Irene Rodríguez and her self-named company (Jan. 18-20).” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

Bill Charlap (Jan.8-13)
Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $35
“Bill Charlap isn’t out to change the world with his elegant and resourceful piano playing—he’s just resolved to make it a more stylish place to live. In addition to a solo performance and an evening with his sparkling trio, this mainstream master will host a variety of impressive guests, including Houston Person, Tom Harrell, and Jon Faddis.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

PLUS, The Enigmatist
This weekend and Jan 25-26 look sold out.
Better jump on this for next weekend.
The Enigmatist (Jan. 4-26 / Fridays and Saturdays)
Play an interactive magic show
High Line Hotel, 180 10th Ave./ 7PM, +9:30PM, $85
“David Kwong builds crossword puzzles for the New York Times by day, but by night he’s actually better known as a magician, who has consulted on projects from Now You See Me and NBC’s Blindspot. Now he’s appearing as The Enigmatist at the High Line Hotel, inside a mysterious room called the Riverbank Estate for a night of illusions, cracking riddles and solving puzzles.” (Metro)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Broadway Con (Jan.11-13)
NY Hilton Midtown / 9AM-6PM, $80+
“As we’re often reminded during awards season, Hollywood is only in LA. But Broadway is only in New York. See it up close and personal at BroadwayCon. You’ll have a chance to meet stars, sing along to show tunes, learn insider show biz intel, vote for all-star set list selections, get sneak peeks of upcoming musicals, and dress in your best Wicked cosplay.” (thrillist.com)

=======================================================

Continuing Events

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
​October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)

———————————————————————————————-

Winter Jazzfest (last day)
Various Locations, Individual shows $15-55; one day marathon pass $50–$60; two-day marathon pass $90–$105
“During the typically bleak post–New Year’s Eve concert lull, Winter Jazzfest is a bright spot on the city’s calendar. With shows spread across nine nights, the fest brings top jazzers to venues like Le Poisson Rouge, Nublu and, for the first time, Brooklyn Steel. The festivities end with its signature two-night Greenwich Village marathon: a buzzy, multi-stage blowout that’s typically one of the best concerts in NYC. The marathon shows aren’t individually ticketed, so a wristband grants you access to any of each night’s gigs—as long as a given club doesn’t hit capacity. It’s a model that encourages sampling and venue-hopping. The event also requires patience and an open mind: If your preferred show is full, pull out the schedule, and head to one of the nearby spots for something unexpected. This year’s fest continues to stand with movements including #metoo and #blacklivesmatter in its active support of social and racial justice, gender equality and immigrant rights. (TONY)

Winter Jazzfest, the year’s largest survey of the jazz scene with over 100 acts playing from Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn, with its famous marathon sessions taking place both this Saturday and all next weekend. Here’s a full guide to Winter Jazzfest

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

===========================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

========================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
These are My Fave Special Exhibitions @ MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Hilma af Klint : Paintings for the Future (thru 02/03/19)

“Convinced that the world was not ready for her artistry in 1906, particularly as an underrepresented female in her field, af Klint of Sweden kept her work private. Her paintings anticipated by years “breakthroughs” by Kandinsky, Mondrian and others and were unseen before 1986. The Guggenheim rediscovers her.”

“Recognized as one of the art world’s earliest abstract painters, Hilma af Klint was a steadfast believer that her work was inspired by the spiritual. The new Guggenheim exhibition, “Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future,” showcases the work of this groundbreaking Swedish artist (1862-1944), whose work was rarely seen until the 1980s.” (Newsday)

See our art critic’s top pick of the year.
“Luckily, the number-one pick in Jerry Saltz’s best art shows of 2018 is still running. Hilma af Klint’s Paintings for the Future at the Guggenheim Museum examines the work of the unacknowledged Swedish visionary and makes a case for her being the first modernist abstract painter. Saltz is especially enamored with the first gallery, so make sure you spend some time there.” (NYMagazine)

Jewish Museum

‘SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION’  “After a surgical renovation to its grand pile on Fifth Avenue, the Jewish Museum has reopened its third-floor galleries with a rethought and refreshed display of its permanent collection, which intermingles modern and contemporary art, by Jews and gentiles alike — Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and the excellent young Nigerian draftswoman Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze — with 4,000 years of Judaica. The works are shown in a nimble, non-chronological suite of galleries, and some of its century-spanning juxtapositions are bracing; others feel reductive, even dilletantish. But always, the Jewish Museum conceives of art and religion as interlocking elements of a story of civilization, commendably open to new influences and new interpretations.” (Farago) 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

Museum of the City of New York

NY AT ITS CORE (ongoing)
“Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org” (NYCity Guide)

and you should be sure to check out these special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish for NewYorkers)

‘ARMENIA!’ (through Jan. 13). The first major museum exhibition ever devoted to the art of Armenia — officially its “medieval” era, but in fact spanning nearly 1,500 years — bulges with weighty stone crosses, intricate altar frontals and flamboyantly illuminated Bibles and Gospel books unlike any manuscripts you’ve seen from that time. Armenia, in the Caucasus Mountains, was the first country to convert to Christianity, in the fourth century, and the richly painted religious texts here, lettered in the unique Armenian alphabet, are a testament to the centrality of the church in a nation that would soon be plunged into the world of Islam. By the end of the Middle Ages, Armenian artists were working as far afield as Rome, where an Armenian bishop painted this show’s most astounding manuscript: a tale of Alexander the Great that features the Macedonian king’s ship swallowed by an enormous brown crab, hooking the sails with its pincers as its mouth gapes. (NYT-Jason Farago)

===========================================================
Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
•  92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
•  91st Street  –  Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
•  89th Street –  National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
•  88th Street –  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
•  86th Street –  Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
•  82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW) for NewYorkers

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (Wed 2-6pm PWYW; First Friday each month (exc Jan+Sep) 6-9pm FREE) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/10 and 01/08.
=============================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment