Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes. First of all, some very important information:
“There are multiple websites, disappearing slots and even attempts to game the system. Here’s our guide to what you have to do to get a dose in your arm.”
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For March we are going to try a different format – “Top 10 Corona Culture” – updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times OR NYC related visual info (Instagram and YouTube) OR all the NYC news you need to start your day.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here.
Today it’s Top 10 NYC Corona Culture. NEW STUFF!
1. Best Things to do in NYC This Weekend – TONY
“Looking for the best things to do in NYC this weekend? Whether you’re the group planner searching for more things to do in NYC today, or you have no plans yet, here are some ideas to add to your list for this weekend. Check out the Spotlight on Orchids show at New York Botanical Garden, see a trippy new show at ARTECHOUSE or hop on a light-up installation at Domino Park. “
Here are just a few ideas:
a. “Reflect” at Domino Park
News Art
Created by new media artist Jen Lewin, the interactive piece is called Reflect. Taking its cues from patterns found in nature, the work takes the form of three concentric rings each consisting of interactive platforms that respond to visitor’s steps. (AKA The light changes when you walk on it!) The constantly changing work spans 2,400-square-feet across the Brooklyn waterfront, providing a technicolor, waterfront light show. Domino Park is the first spot in the US to host the piece which was created as part of the larger, 15,000-square-foot work Cosmos. During the day, the sculpture mirrors the sky and surrounding environment and at night it lights up in the brightly colored dots you can check out in the video above. (It kind of looks like you’re inside a video game.) The colorful new artwork allows people to interact with the sculpture while also maintaining a safe social distance of six feet. It’s free and open to the public every day from 8am until 10pm.
b. “Last Supper”
Art Until Mar 20 2021
On display at LatchKey Gallery through March 20, “Last Supper” is a group exhibition curated by Tamecca Seril that completely re-imagines Leonardo da Vinci’s historical work. Full disclosure: the gallery is actually a nomadic one, with two locations in New York, one at 323 Canal Street and the other in Industry City. The show will be on view at both destinations, albeit by appointment only at the Manhattan one. In total, twelve Black female artists contributed works now on display across a variety of mediums, including Shervone Neckles, Dana Robinson, Turiya Magadlela, Josie Love Roebuck and Ariel Dannielle. The show’s title is a clear call out to the biblical event referenced in the original “The Last Supper,” but this updated “version” of it “aims to fill the dearth of Black female voices at the contemporary, metaphoric table.” How is it doing that? By virtually building a new “table” that brings Black female voices to the forefront of conversations.
c. Meet New York Aquarium’s adorable new harbor seal pup
News City Life
The New York Aquarium has a furry new resident who’s gotten a fresh lease on life here in NYC. Sidney, a female harbor seal pup who was rescued as a newborn near Abalone Point in Laguna Beach, California, arrived at the aquarium in November and has been living her best life at the zoo’s Sea Cliffs exhibit. Sidney was only hours old (and likely born prematurely) when she was discovered alone on a rocky beach in February 2020. When she arrived here in November, aquarium staffers worked closely with her every day to help acclimate her to the new digs and smoothly transition into the harbor seals colony there. Meet her at the aquarium this weekend!
d. WakuWaku’s Japanese dining setup
News Eating
Industry City is bringing Japanese flair to its courtyard with a massive traditional-style house right in the middle of one of its courtyards. WakuWaku, an Izakaya restaurant from Industry City’s Japan Village, teamed up with the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center and part of the Japan External Trade Organization to bring a taste of the eastern culture to Brooklyn. The outdoor dining setup is designed after traditional wooden Japanese houses and meant to “bring warmth and comfort during cold weather, and a cool breeze throughout the structure during warm weather,” reps say. WakuWaku, which is a restaurant from Industry City’s massive market Japan Village, is partnering with JFOODO to offer Japanese Wagyu Ribeye on its menu. A lightly seared six-ounce cut is offered and cooked in front of patrons on a tabletop charcoal grill and served with matcha salt, yuzu soy sauce, and house-made steak sauce. It’ll also offer two varieties of canned cocktails from Suntory Toki and Maker’s Mark: Hana, which is made with Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Hakutsuru Umeshu, and Green Chartreuse; and Kansha, made with Suntory Toki Whisky, housemade persimmon syrup, and black walnut bitters. You can stop by WakuWaku on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from noon to 7 and Friday and Saturday from noon to 8.
e. A trippy new show at ARTECHOUSE
News Art
“Geometric Properties: An Immersive Audio-Visual Journey Through Fractal Dimensions,” is the first solo exhibition of Dutch artist Julius Horsthuis’ work to come to NYC. Previously, his work has been featured in Manchester by the Sea and through collaborations with musical artists like ODESZA, Meshuggah and Birds of Paradise. He uses fractals to create alternate science fiction-like realities using visual art and motion graphics, and they are a real trip, to say the least. The digital art destination on Manhattan’s west side (it’s literally located in Chelsea Market’s former boiler room) is opening the new show on March 1, and it will be on view through September 6. If you want to stop by and check out the endless geometric iterations and fractional dimensions for yourself—you frickin’ fractal freak you—tickets cost $24 for adults and $17 for children. (Pro tip: New York and New Jersey residents receive a $5 discount on tickets on weekdays.)
f. “Behind the Glass”
Theater Chashama, Midtown West Until Mar 13 2021
The Love Show is taking over a storefront at 320 West 23rd Street during the month of March to present a pop-up show, its own pared down rendition of Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet.” The stage is inside the storefront and can be seen through the glass and is made with items from Materials for the Arts and a dollar store in Bushwick. The show has done runs at the Norwood Club, part of the Theater for the New City’s Lower Eastside Festival of the Arts and at Brooklyn’s House of Yes. Performances are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings at 6:30pm, now through March 14.
g. Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Live Sing-Along
Music Online, Until Apr 4 2021
If you want to get in on the trend (And why not? It may be a while until your next adventure on the high seas) the South Street Museum has made it easy for you with a monthly sea-music event called “Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music.” The event is the original NYC shanty singalong, and it features members of The New York Packet singing songs round-robin from living rooms, kitchens and other spaces across the city.
Each online singalong also includes a virtual trip to the South Street Seaport Museum where you can check out links from the song selections to items in the museum’s collection. Best of all, since you can do it from the comfort of your couch, you don’t even need to find your land legs! The next one is on Sunday!
There are many more interesting things to do right HERE at Time Out New York
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2. NYC indoor dining capacity increasing to 50%, Cuomo says – Newsday
New York City’s cap on indoor dining will expand beginning March 19 to 50% of an eatery’s ordinary capacity, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Wednesday, in a further loosening of last year’s restrictions meant to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The current maximum capacity for indoor dining in the city is 35%. Cuomo’s announcement was timed with that of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, whose state also will increase capacity from 35% to 50%.”
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“Sanford Biggers, Félix Fénéon and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s history of itself”
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4. The 25 best cheap eats in NYC – TONY
“Eat for $10 or less at the best restaurants with cheap eats in NYC
UPDATE, October 29 2020: Dining out in New York City has never been so different than this year and it’s not only because restaurants had to shut down their dining rooms for more than six months. The current crisis has put a renewed focus on more affordable food options, whether you’re scarfing down tacos from a food truck or ordering dumplings from a mom-and-pop business in Chinatown. At Time Out New York, we’ve done the homework for you in discovering dishes, old and new, that are all $10 or under.
The hefty prices at many New York restaurants can at times make the dining scene feel like it’s only for the elite. But some of the best restaurants in NYC still serve affordable bites for $10 or less. Dining on a budget in New York doesn’t have to feel like a constraint with our picks for jerk chicken, Sicilian-style pizza, creative veggie burgers, underground buffets, Cuban bakeries and more.”
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5. Your Concise New York Art Guide for March 2021 – hyperallergic.com
“Your list of must-see, fun, insightful, and very New York art events this month.”
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“Nicolas Cage hosts the history of swearing. Lorde writes a book and Julie Mehretu takes over the Whitney. This new year has to be better, right?”
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7. Everywhere You Should Be Eating Vegan and Vegetarian Food in NYC – thrillist
17 go-to spots for meatless eats.
“New York City is on the cutting edge of all things culinary, so it’s no surprise that plant-based eateries have been a fixture in the city for decades. In fact, restaurants like Candle Cafe, Dojo, Angelica Kitchen (RIP) and many more transformed meatless diets into a lifestyle to aspire to as early as the 1970s. While vegetarian and vegan eateries have continued to proliferate since then, one exciting newish trend is the introduction of plant-based options within the fast-casual space (e.g., Taim, by CHLOE, et al.) offering affordable and quickly prepared items that make it that much easier for New Yorkers to go meat-free.”
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8. What’s Open in NYC | The Official Guide to New York City – nycgo.com
“Businesses across all five boroughs are working toward a common goal: to welcome back guests, employees and the community at large while ensuring everyone’s health and safety. Use this hub as a starting point for what’s open right now or opening soon, and make sure to follow up directly with any venue to confirm hours and protocols before you visit.”
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9. Three ‘astonishing’ works of art are inside the new Moynihan Train Hall – TONY
The Public Art Fund says they’ll ‘stop us in our tracks’ “In true New York style, the new Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, which opens Friday, has been decked out with incredible art.
Penn Station’s $1.6 billion Moynihan Train Hall features a spacious, light-filled atrium with a 92-foot-high glass skylight and soaring ceilings honoring the design of the original Penn Station, but as with any new transit hub, whether it’s a new subway station, airport terminal or a passenger hall like this one, New York calls on its amazing artists to decorate the walls, halls and floors and inspire travelers passing by.”
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10. The Metropolitan Opera is streaming free productions every night – TONY
The Met continues to share a different lineup of complete operas from its archives every week
“The Metropolitan Opera has closed its doors though at least September 2021, but the great New York opera house continues to lift the spirits of opera lovers around the world with free nightly streams of complete productions from its archives. Most of the offerings were originally recorded with multiple cameras in high definition to be shown in movie theaters as part of the company’s popular Live in HD series.
Each opera goes live on the Met’s website at 7:30pm EST (12:30am GMT) and remains there until 6:30pm EST the next evening. The operas can also be viewed with the Met Opera on Demand app on various devices.”
Nightly Opera Streams, March 8-14
Verismo Passions
Hot-blooded passions and fiery face-offs abound in this week’s lineup of Italian operatic dramas. Explore the articles and resources below to expand your knowledge and enhance your experience as you enjoy the screenings. A full schedule for the week is available at the bottom of this page.
“For the cosmetics mogul and philanthropist Leonard Lauder, the city, with its museums, public transit and parks, is an explorer’s delight.”
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“Get to a nearby park and get in shape (safely).”
Bonus#2: When the Bronx was a Forest: Stroll Through the Centuries – NYT
“Yankee Stadium was the site of a salt marsh. Concourse Plaza was a valley. Our critic walks with Eric Sanderson, a conservation ecologist.”
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We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here April 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
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NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 