Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, APR. 28, 2015
“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.”   

A Memorial Celebration of Julie Wilson
The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St. (btw 6/Bway)
6:00PM / FREE, open seating
tickets distributed @ Town Hall box office, starting Monday April 27, noon
(212) 840-2824

The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West
6:30PM / $34, members $20
212-873-3400

Gerald Clayton
Dizzy’s Club, Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
7:30PM + 9:30PM / $
212-258-9595, jalc.org.

From Plants to Pharmaceuticals: Take Bitter Roots for Malaria
New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Ave.(btw 102/103 St.)
6:00PM – 7:30PM / FREE, with advance registration
212-822-7200

Elsewhere, but this looks fascinating and worth the detour:
Mary Norris – “Between You and Me”
BookCourt, 163 Court St. Cobble Hill, Bklyn
subway: #2,3 express to Borough Hall; walk S 6 blocks on Court St.
718-875-3677 / bookcort.com
7:00PM / FREE

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:
♦ “9 Notable Events-Apr.”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity trip planning see “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity Sights, Sounds and Stories visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com
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A Memorial Celebration of Julie Wilson
The beauteous and beloved Wilson, whose peerlessly knowing spoken-sung delivery and great generosity to other performers made her the grande dame of the cabaret world, died on April 5. This free memorial celebration honors her legacy.
“On Easter Sunday, a great spirit transitioned from this world. During World War II, Julie Wilson was the sweetheart of the supper clubs (like the Latin Quarter and the Copa) and 70 years later she was still reigning in Manhattan as the uncontested Queen of Cabaret. It’s not necessary to mention any of the names performing at this memorial concert staged by the Mabel Mercer Foundation; they could easily fill Town Hall with the artists who want to pay homage to her, but it would take a stadium to accommodate everyone who loved her.

The late Ms. Wilson will no doubt be there at Town Hall on Tuesday, but as her friend Marilyn Maye (currently packing them in at 54 Below) always says, she’ll just have a better seat. 54 Below will also be honoring Ms. Wilson’s memory and legacy on May 9.” (WSJ)
The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St. (btw 6/Bway)
6PM / FREE, open seating
tickets distributed @ Town Hall box office, starting Monday April 27, noon
(212) 840-2824

The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789
After successfully leading the Revolutionary War, George Washington came out of retirement to lead the country once again—this time through the Constitutional Convention. Historian and author Edward J. Larson explores how the man of duty reluctantly came to preside over the convention, mediate the fractious states, and, as a result, help secure our republic’s future.

Edward J. Larson is a history professor at Pepperdine University and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. His most recent book is The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789.
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West
6:30 PM / $34, members $20
212-873-3400

Gerald Clayton
“A pianist who delights in the magic his agile fingers can perform, Clayton is usually seen in the company of his regular trio mates. At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, he shakes things up with a pair of ringers—the bassist John Patitucci (a linchpin of Wayne Shorter’s celebrated quartet) and the drummer Bill Stewart. Clayton relishes active interplay, and he will be in his element with these two players, who can push and pull with assurance.” (NewYorker)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
7:30PM + 9:30PM / $
212-258-9595, jalc.org.

From Plants to Pharmaceuticals: Take Bitter Roots for Malaria
“How do plants become pharmaceuticals? Dr. Abena Dove Osseo-Asare examines efforts to patent a treatment for malaria made from the bitter roots of fever vine. The talk is drawn from her book, Bitter Roots: The Search for Healing Plants in Africa.” (ThoughtGallery.org)
The New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Ave.(btw 102/103 St.)
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm / FREE, with advance registration
212-822-7200

Elsewhere, but this looks fascinating and worth the detour:
Mary Norris – “Between You and Me”
Mary Norris, a copy editor for The New Yorker for nearly 40 years, speaks about her new grammar-book-cum-memoir.

The most irreverent and helpful book on language since the #1 New York Times bestseller Eats, Shoots & Leaves. Mary Norris has spent more than three decades in The New Yorker’s copy department, maintaining its celebrated high standards. Now she brings her vast experience, good cheer, and finely sharpened pencils to help the rest of us in a boisterous language book as full of life as it is of practical advice.

Between You & Me features Norris’s laugh-out-loud descriptions of some of the most common and vexing problems in spelling, punctuation, and usage—comma faults, danglers, “who” vs. “whom,” “that” vs. “which,” compound words, gender-neutral language—and her clear explanations of how to handle them. Down-to-earth and always open-minded, she draws on examples from Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson, Henry James, and the Lord’s Prayer, as well as from The Honeymooners, The Simpsons, David Foster Wallace, and Gillian Flynn.
BookCourt, 163 Court St. Cobble Hill, Bklyn
subway: #2,3 express to Borough Hall; walk S 6 blocks on Court St.
718-875-3677 / bookcort.com
7PM / FREE

BONUS JAZZ PICKS:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662
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 enjoyment and discovery.

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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, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

Jimmy’s Corner / 140 W 44th St (btw B’way & 7th ave)

Jimmy’s Corner is right in the heart of Times Square, but you won’t find it on the corner, it’s mid-block. Enter this long narrow bar and you are struck by the walls covered with mostly black-and-white boxing photographs, and memorabilia. Soon enough you learn that “Corner” refers to proprietor Jimmy Glenn’s long career as a corner man for some of boxing greats – Liston, Tyson, even “the greatest”, Ali.

Jimmy’s is a sort of time machine, taking you back to a time and place that no longer exists. All around you Times Square has cleaned up, grown up, assumed a new identity. Jimmy’s probably hasn’t changed a bit since it first opened in 1971. Certainly the bar itself looks original and the prices haven’t changed much either. When I brought a friend, who owns her own bar, she was surprised when she got the small tab for a round of drinks. Figured there must be a mistake, that maybe they forgot to charge for all the drinks.

Times Square today is filled with neon glitz and wandering tourists from Dubuque, but not Jimmy’s. You’ll likely find some old timer’s at the bar nursing their drinks, some younger locals at tables in the back, and maybe a few adventuresome tourists clutching their trusty guidebooks. There’s no food served here because this is just a bar, and sometimes that’s all you need.

On nights when no local team is playing, it’s a fine place to sip some drafts and listen to a great old time jukebox (40s, 50s, R&B, and soul). On sports nights this very narrow bar can get a bit claustrophobic, filled with excited fans watching their team on the TVs. Either way, Jimmy’s is the place to be if you are looking for an old time bar in the new Times Square.
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Website: are you kidding !
(although there is a facebook page with lots of photos –
facebook.com/jimmyscornernyc)
Phone #: 212-221-9510
Hours: 11am – 4 am, except Sunday they open 12 noon
Happy Hour: not necessary, low prices all day, every day
Subway: #1,2,3 to TimesSquare 42nd st
walk 2 blks N on 7th ave to 44th st; ½ blk E to Jimmy’s

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“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.
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3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult finding 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:

Patzeria Perfect Pizza – 231 W46 St. (Btw 7th/8th ave)
Perfect name for a pizza joint. On a street filled with Broadway theaters, this is a real hole in the wall, but don’t let the dive look scare you away. You can never go wrong with a slice of NYCity pizza, and this one is a classic thin crust. Only a few seats here, but pizza was made to eat standing up.

Shake Shack – 691 8th Ave. (Btw 43rd/44th st)
Danny Meyer has revolutionized the high quality burger in this town. Now he has a branch on the West Side that was desperately needed, with a bit less of the insane lines that you find at the Madison Sq. Park location. Worth the wait.

Xi’an Famous Foods – 24 W45th St. (Btw 5th/6th ave)
Try to avoid long lunch lines. Order lamb hand ripped noodles and warm your insides at one of the tables in the back. You’ll return, just remember that even mild is pretty spicy.
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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”

This covers a wide range of food – the traditional pizza, burgers, & hot dogs; but also food trucks & carts, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, bbq, vegetarian / falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars. No reservations needed.

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◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, with expanded descriptions, maps with contact info, 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 Summer 2015).
◊ Order before May 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
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