Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, DEC. 02, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

The Cruise: Special Screening with Bennett Miller and Ira Glass – Film

The Head and the Heart – Folk Music

Melissa Stylianou – Jazz

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THE CRUISE:
SPECIAL SCREENING WITH BENNETT MILLER AND IRA GLASS
SundanceNow Doc Club presents a special screening of Bennett Miller’s first film THE CRUISE , followed by a discussion between the FOXCATCHER director and Ira Glass.

Screening on 35mm, Miller’s 1998 breakthrough film explores the worldview and personality of New York City bus tour guide Timothy “Speed” Levitch as he takes tourists around the island of Manhattan, beautifully captured in black and white.

“One thing I love about THE CRUISE,” says Glass, “is how your idea of what the film is about shifts over the course of it. It’s very rare for any film or any work of art to do that… In The Cruise, you feel about a million different things about Timothy “Speed” Levitch. He’s the un-Bill Cunningham – the way Speed sees the streets of New York is all legend and dream – but also weirdly inspiring, and the two films would make a great double feature. Bennett Miller’s amazing, that he could meet Speed and imagine this complex, gorgeous, beautifully-shot film.”
IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue at West Third St.
(212) 924-7771

The Head and the Heart
“OK, so The Head and the Heart might be the poster band for a particular type of Millennial whimsy that’s almost universally scorned, even among Millennials themselves: bearded young men and long-haired young women whose principal occupation seems to be taking long, introspective road trips punctuated by meditative wandering and bonfire parties…or at least that’s what every one of their videos seems to suggest.

But navel-inspecting aside, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re a solid indie-folk sextet, and a beautifully melodic addition to the adult contemporary scene. Since 2009, the Seattle band has released two albums on Sub Pop, as well as four successful singles, including the radio-ready and undeniably uplifting “Lost in My Mind.” Get in on the love-fest tonight as they play this tour’s only New York show.” (Heather Baysa,VillageVoice)
Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 West 34th St.
800-745-3000 / ticketmaster.com
8 p.m./ $50.00

Elsewhere, but you can be sure Melissa is worth the slight detour:

Melissa Stylianou
“On her casually charming new album, “No Regrets,” Ms. Stylianou ratifies her stature as a jazz singer with a comfortable and thoughtful relationship to the standard songbook. She’s in superb company on the album, as in this one-nighter: the saxophonist Billy Drewes, the pianist Bruce Barth, the bassist Linda Oh and the drummer Matt Wilson.” (Chinen-NYT)
Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th St.
212-576-2232 / jazzstandard.net
At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m./ $25

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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 (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service later this week.
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Ice Skating in NYCity (nycgo.com)
Winter just isn’t winter without ice-skating in New York City. And though most of us can probably name two or three rinks off the top of our heads, we might be more than mildly surprised to find there are 15 venues open for public ice-skating this holiday season. The best known of the City’s rinks is without a doubt the Rink at Rockefeller Center—tracing figure eights while surrounded by the shops, restaurants and buildings of a NYC landmark provides the quintessential NYC skating experience—but plenty of other (frequently less crowded) options exist. Here are the ice rinks in Manhattan:

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Where: Sixth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets
When: Late October to early March
Price: Free; skate rental $15–$19
If you already own skates, this is the most affordable spot in the City—it’s the only rink that offers free admission. Bryant Park also hosts annual holiday shops, a good destination if you want to cross some gifts off your list after your turn on the ice.

Ice Rink at Riverbank State Park
Where: Henry Hudson Parkway between West 138th and West 145th Streets
When: November through March
Price: Adults $5, kids 11 and under $3; skate rental $6
Riverbank, in Hamilton Heights, is the only state park in Manhattan; it offers incredible river views across to New Jersey and gorgeous vistas of the George Washington Bridge.

Lasker Rink
Where: Central Park, northeast corner between 106th and 108th Streets
When: Late October to late March
Price: Adults $7.50, kids 12 and under $4; skate rental $6.50
Up in the northern reaches of the park, Lasker Rink is a bit less discovered than its sister skate center in the park (see “Trump Rink in Central Park” below)—and a much better deal.

Rink at Rockefeller Center
Where: Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets
When: Mid-October through April
Price: Adults $27–$30, kids 10 and under $15; skate rental $12
Millions of visitors plan trips to the City every year just to catch a glimpse of skaters taking a spin on the ice below the famous Christmas tree and gilded statue of Prometheus; others will wait in long lines to experience it for themselves.

See/Change Ice Rink
Where: Fulton and Front Streets, South Street Seaport
When: Late November to early March
Price: Adults $10, kids 5 and under free; skate rental $6
The seaport relaunched itself in 2013 after Superstorm Sandy with the opening of an outdoor ice rink. Bonus: November 28, opening night, coincides with a tree-lighting ceremony.

Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers
Where: Pier 61, West 23rd Street and Hudson River Park
When: Year-round
Price: $10; skate rental $5
Want to skate downtown…in mid-July? The enormous rink at Chelsea Piers is the place to head, though it’s a reliable stop-off any time of year.

Standard Hotel
Where: 848 Washington St., between West 12th and West 13th Streets
When: Late November until early spring (weather dependent)
Price: Adults $12, kids $6; skate rental $3
One of the hipper—and more exclusive—hotels in the City has a ground-level rink available to the public. If you can’t find the info on the main website, check standardculture.com for the latest prices and times.

Trump Rink in Central Park
Where: Central Park, mid-park between 62nd and 63rd Streets
When: Late October to first week of April
Price: Adults $11.25 (Mon.–Thurs.), $18 (Fri.–Sun.); kids 11 and under $6; seniors $5 (Mon.–Thurs.), $9 (Fri.–Sun.); skate rental $8
Few rinks can match the ambience of Central Park’s Trump Rink, especially after a fresh snowfall. If you’re there at night, be sure to look up for some prime NYC stargazing.

nycgo.com, the website of New York City’s official marketing and tourism organization, has lots of useful NYCity info for the holidays:
Best NYC Toy Stores,
Ice Skating,
2014 Holiday Events,
Holiday Gift Guide,
Winter Events
This fine site is worth checking out when you are planning your NYCity visit.