Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events –TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 02, 2014
For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide check out:
♦ “9 Notable Events-September”and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity Sights, Sounds and Stories visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com
♦ For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.
America’s First Foodie: The Exhibit (through October 31)
An exhibit celebrating the trailblazing chef and teacher
“If you’re into food, there’s no doubt you’ve heard of James Beard. The founding father of the farm-to-table movement, Beard is often referred to as America’s First Foodie. There’s even a documentary in the works by Beth Federici defending this thesis. It doesn’t have a release date as of yet, but the film, which features interviews with luminaries such as Gael Greene, Ted Allen, Jacques Pepin and Alice Waters, has spawned a two-month exhibition at the James Beard House. On display in the Greenhouse Gallery, the free exhibit serves up iconic portraits of the trailblazing chef, as well as vintage cooking paraphernalia. For those who’ve never ventured to this foodie sanctuary, this show could be your perfect gateway.” (Flavorpill-Mindy Bond, Editor)
Greenhouse Gallery at James Beard House, 167 West 12th St.
Daily, 10am – 5pm
Author @ the Library: Roof Explorer’s Guide: 101 New York City Rooftops
with Leslie Adatto, who blogs about New York City rooftops (lookingupwithleslie.com) and organizes two active Meetup groups.
This Illustrated lecture showcases a dazzling array of surprising rooftop escapes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx, from hotel rooftop bars and restaurants to elevated parks to museums, theaters, green roofs and elevated farms. It features rooftop classes, entertainment and sports.
6:30 p.m.
Mid-Manhattan Library
Juilliard Jazz Ensembles presents
“The Uptown Sound: Jazz Music of Harlem”
“Jazz is a music and a way of life.”—Wynton Marsalis
Join us for a musical celebration of the historically rich sounds of jazz, influenced and inspired by one of New York City’s most eclectic and diverse neighborhoods. The Juilliard Jazz Ensembles present an exciting program featuring the music of Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Edgar Sampson, and more, with all-time favorites like “Harlem Airshaft,” “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” “Harlem Nocturne,” and “Take the A Train.”
Lincoln Center, David Rubenstein Atrium, Broadway, btw 62nd and 63rd St.
At 7:30PM / FREE (get there early – free events in the Atrium are very popular)
212-875-5350 / atrium.lincolncenter.org
Spectrum Presents: INTERPOL Live in the Temple of Dendur
Interpol plays a show to celebrate their new album and The Met’s first mobile app
“Interpol and the Metropolitan Museum of Art team up tonight for a double celebration as both have new toys to boast. Going down in the Temple of Dendur, the New York doom rockers unveil tunes off their soon-to-be-released album, El Pintor. The band’s first record in four years, El Pintor hits 9/9 via Matador, and was produced by the trio, which now consists of Paul Banks, Daniel Kessler and Samuel Fogarino. In addition to feting the band’s grand re-emergence on the music scene, the party is also the public’s first chance to tinker with the museum’s first mobile app. A personalized portal to all things at the Met, it’s sure to find a prominent spot in the smartphones of art lovers everywhere.” (Mindy Bond, Editor-Flavorpill)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave at 82nd St,
7pm / $45
Elsewhere, but absolutely worth the detour:
U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 9) / TODAY’S PREMIER EVENT
The U.S. Open continues today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square), and runs through Sept. 8. This is the fourth and final tournament which culminates the tennis Grand Slam each year. It consists of five event championships: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, with additional tournaments for seniors and juniors.
subway: #1-2-3 to Times Square; transfer to #7 to Mets-Willets Point
When you first arrive check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you and head over to their court for some great competitive tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players.
There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – on the outer courts especially, but also the Grandstand court, and even Louis Armstrong stadium. Courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game. As we move into the second week the action on the outer courts is turned over to the Juniors, while the big stars in the main draw will be on the 3 show courts – Ashe, Armstrong & the Grandstand.
Matches to watch today (per Matt Cronin – usopen.org):
Grigor Dimitrov vs. Gael Monfils
Dimitrov walked onto the court for his third-round match after the rain delay and was clearly out of sorts, so much so that he dropped the first set to David Goffin, 6-0. But the Bulgarian is a very dangerous and talented player, and he woke up and raised his game, playing aggressively inside the baseline to rally for the four-set win. The 23-year-old Dimitrov has been working hard over the past two years and has already reached a Slam semifinal (at this year’s Wimbledon). He owns a game that can certainly take him all the way at a major title. He has a big serve and moves it around the court. He has a gorgeous one-handed backhand and a ferocious forehand. He understands how to change up his strokes, and he doesn’t get frustrated when he isn’t playing well.
But playing Monfils will be a very difficult test. The Frenchman played out of this world in crushing Richard Gasquet, who was favored. You never know how well Monfils is playing, but when he is feeling right, he can swing away from way back of the baseline and still rip winners. It is impossible to know how good Monfils will be, but he did reach the quarters of the US Open 2010, losing then to Novak Djokovic. He could reach a quarterfinal again, but if Dimitrov is aggressive, the younger kid will out-stroke him and surprise him. Take Dimitrov in four sets.
Peng Shuai vs. Belinda Bencic
Given how impressive she began when she came onto the tour in 2005, Peng sure looked like she would eventually be a Top 5 talent. She hasn’t gotten there, perhaps because she didn’t change her game or was afraid of the most important moments. Whatever the case, Peng has gradually improved over the past two years, especially at doubles, where she’s won two Slams. But she’s also moving ahead in singles. She can run both forward and back as well as side-to-side, jumping on her two-handed backhands, which she hits with authority.
Peng has been on fire to this point, reaching her first major quarterfinal, knocking out seeds Aga Radwanska, Roberta Vinci and Lucie Safarova along the way. But while she has played stand-out ball, she hasn’t encountered anything like the 17-year-old Bencic, who is the youngest girl in this Slam’s quarterfinal by a long shot. Bencic learned to play as a kid from her coach Melanie Molitor, the mother of Martina Hingis, who helped her daughter become No. 1. Molitor has made Bencic tougher on court, taught her to play with a lot of variety and have the courage on court to go for her shots. Beating seeds Angelique Kerber and Jelena Jankovic here showed the world that she is ready to play ball.
Peng is playing wonderfully and could be very effective, but Bencic isn’t ready to go home yet. She may not yet be ready to reach a final, but Bencic is ready to reach the semis. The Swiss will win in three sets.
Dominic Thiem vs. Tomas Berdych
These days, the top younger males usually hit the Slam quarters around 23 years old. But there are some exceptions already making noise, including Austrian Dominic Thiem, who is only 20 years old and is already ranked No. 45. Thiem smokes a big forehand and already has showed consistent results on both clay and hard courts. By next year, he could be a in the top 25.
However, Tomas Berdych is playing better, hitting his huge serves and not going on any walkabouts. Berdych has taken a long look at his draw and thinks he has a chance to reach the final here. The Czech has been able to gain the semifinals at all four majors, and he can win matches even if he isn’t playing his best. Berdych will take down the kid in three sets.
OTHER PICKS
It was surprising that Gilles Simon stunned David Ferrer in the third round, but he did, mostly because Ferrer was all over the place and Simon was consistent. The Frenchman can skip around the baseline, and when he is feeling the ball, he can fool his foes, but Marin Cilic is more consistent. Cilic has a large first serve, moves pretty well even though he is very tall and can stick his ground strokes. They will go five sets, but the quiet man Cilic will celebrate the victory.
TONIGHT – Roger Federer is just on cruise control and no one has touched him – yet. He’ll play Roberto Bautista Agut, who has been pretty consistent this year, going deep on hard, clay and grass courts. But the Spaniard isn’t strong enough to hit through Federer. The Swiss will win in straight sets.
TONIGHT – Caroline Wozniacki played the best she has in a Slam in quite a while when she overcame Maria Sharapova in three sets. The Dane is playing more aggressively and believes in herself, which means that she should reach the final if she continues to play at a high level. The 2009 US Open finalist knows that this quarterfinal match against Sara Errani will be a grind. The Italian loves to run around catching balls inside and out, but she will not be able to hammer backhands into the corner against a great mover like Wozniacki. Errani will push “Caro,” but Wozniacki will win in straight sets.
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Also, today’s card is filled with some fine doubles matches: The Bryan brothers, the Williams sisters, Martina Hingis (see photo) and Flavia Penetta, and last week’s teen sensation CiCi Bellis, playing junior doubles as the #1 seed.
Today’s Tips: Watching the players on the new practice courts is a good way to get a free tennis lesson, and video screens show when your fave player is scheduled to hit. The best review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com
There are a few places around the grounds that provide special fan experiences, a place to beat the heat (very necessary today), and are open to the public:
Heineken House – big screen tv’s, quality photo booth op, various sporting challenges, sandwiches & beer available for purchase. Say Hi to my fave Heineken girl – Missy.
American Express Fan Experience – swing analysis, 180 degree photo op, charging lockers. Second level of the lounge is only open to card members, where food and drinks are available for purchase.
Time Warner Cable Studios – photo ops, prizes, charging stations.
And, if you are a Chase Bank customer:
Chaise Lounge – snacks and light refreshments (requires pre-registration).
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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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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.
In 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 will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary next 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 $6.75, 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).
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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 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 