For future NYC Events check the tab above: “NYC Events-December.” 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.
The staff of NYCity123 will be on holiday for two weeks, in Scotland of all places. For the few days before Christmas, we will focus on the holiday season and give you all the best info you need to enjoy the department store holiday windows, the holiday markets, and where to ice skate in this town. For the period between Christmas and New Years we will highlight a selection of some of the best NYCity photography you can find anywhere, especially on Instagram.
We hope you will enjoy this change of pace, then please return here on January 3 and every day for our daily “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
========================================
TripSavvy has some of the best current info on NYCity ice skating, and does a fine job publishing a wide range of NYCity event info. I hope you will click on their hot link to see what else they have to offer.
Baby, it’s cold outside. Make the most of the winter at these top ice-skating rinks in NYC, where skating meets some pretty spectacular atmospheres. Most city rinks stay open from November through March, affording a wide window of time to plan your winter outing, and to sample multiple rinks throughout the season. Plus, most rinks offer an assortment of classes, if you’re looking to channel your inner figure skater or hockey star.
(BTW, my fave is the rink at Bryant Park – a wonderful setting and lots to do right there in NYCity’s best vest pocket park.)
With a gilded statue of Prometheus, the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, and the 70-story 30 Rockefeller Center building towering above, The Rink at Rockefeller Center affords the most atmospheric skating experience in the city (but also the priciest). Accommodating just 150 skaters at a time for 90-minute skate sessions, the rink is one of the few areas of Midtown where you won’t find crowds (though lines can get quite long, especially during the holiday season). Entry is first come, first served, though they do offer packages that allow for advance reservations and perks like skate concierges, hot chocolate, and/or breakfast. Season skating passes (from $275) are also available to skip the lines and gain unlimited access to the rink.
Part of the Bank of America Winter Village at picturesque Bryant Park, this 17,000-square-foot rink has brought free ice skating to NYC for more than a decade (while access to the rink is free, note that you’ll need to pay for skate rentals if you don’t have your own). After a spin on the ice, stick around to nosh at the Danny Meyer rink-side restaurant, Public Fare, or browse the 125-plus boutique-style vendor at the Holiday Shops (through January 2, 2018). As Manhattan’s only no-cost rink, expect crowds accordingly. Opt-in, at an extra cost, for skating lessons, Express Passes (skip the lines and nab skates, from $30), or season passes.
Location: Bryant Park, 40th to 42nd Streets, between Fifth & Sixth Avenues
Framed by skyscrapers on the horizon, and bucolic Central Park, the Wollman Rink offers atmospheric ice skating at about half the cost of Rockefeller Center. Plus, sign up for plenty of extras, including group and private skating lessons, with learn-to-skate, ice dancing, and figure skating slants, as well as a hockey program. VIP tickets include skate rental, no-wait admission, use of a heated tent, snacks, and locker access ($60-78). Note: In a rather unusual policy, spectators must pay to watch here; it’s a $5 fee.
Location: East Side of Central Park, between 62nd & 63rd Streets
This Battery Park City Rink at Brookfield Place, situated alongside the Hudson River’s North Cove Marina in front of the Winter Garden, offers great views of downtown skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. At 7,350 square feet, it’s bigger than the Rink at Rockefeller Plaza. In recent years, the rink has partnered up with U.S. ice dancer Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov who host various skating programs throughout the season. For more immersion on the ice, consider the family learn-to-skate programs, try “kick ice hockey fitness,” or sign up for season passes (from $200).
Location: Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey Street at West Street (on the upper plaza)
The trendiest rink in town, ice skating has never been so cool, thanks to super-hip hotel The Standard’s ice rink, an intimate 3,000-square foot affair, with late-night hours primed for the Meatpacking District crowd. The rink has been redesigned to inspire the “golden age of the après-ski lifestyle,” with touches like rocking chair seating and vintage plaid and faux fur blankets. Enjoy some “après-skate” at the rink-side café Skate Shack and indoor Living Room bistro serving up specialties like apple strudel or roasted acorn squash, along with mulled wine, hot toddies, and hot chocolate to wash it all down.
Bloomingdale’s Department Store
Address: 1000 Third Avenue (59th)
Subway: N/R/W and 4/5/6 to 59th/Lexington
“To usher in the holiday season, Bloomingdale’s has partnered with the film The Greatest Showman (out December 20) for its displays. The windows pay tribute to big-top visionary P.T. Barnum, so expect to witness whimsical, circus acts and mannequins sporting dazzling outfits. We’re not kidding about the “dazzling” part either—more than 7,600,000 Swarovski crystals were used to embellish and outfit the costumes and props used in each window.” (TONY)
Barney’s New York
Address: 660 Madison Avenue (60th/61st)
Subway: N/R/W 59th/5th Avenue; F to Lex/63rd St
“The luxury retailer’s theme this year is “Haas For the Holidays,” but you won’t find Santa, reindeer or snowflakes in any of these five windows. Instead, you’ll find creative interpretations of Earth through the ages. The windows showcase four phases: Primordial, Utopia, Millennium and Mushroom Singularity. The windows also incorporate advanced LED technology created by Christie, so expect to see bright, bold and mesmerizing colors.” (TONY)
Feel festive AF at New York City’s best holiday markets
New York City’s best holiday markets brim with Christmas charm, handmade and vintage gifts everyone is sure to love and the season’s best festive foods.
Looking for one-of-a-kind gifts sure to impress everyone on your list? One of NYC’s best holiday markets will hook you up with memorable gifts and stocking stuffers — plus seasonal eats while you shop.
Winter Village at Bryant Park
Bask in the European vibes of the Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park. Along the park’s tree-lined promenades, rows and rows of over 150 twinkling glass booths brim with handmade goods like quirky bowties and Himalayan shawls; once you’ve shopped, eat your way across the food market with warming hand-pulled noodles at Mian Kitchen and treats from edible cookie dough sensation DŌ. Not to mention free ice skating (if you bring your own skates), rinkside cocktails at Danny Meyer’s Public Fare and a towering Christmas tree. Oct. 28-Jan. 2, Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-8 p.m., skating through March 4, located between 40th and 42nd sts. & Fifth and Sixth aves., Midtown
Grand Central Holiday Fair
You don’t have to brave the crowds on Sixth Avenue (or the cold) for high-end gifts. The Grand Central Holiday Fair brings 40 artisans to Vanderbilt Hall selling everything from art to home goods, hand-crafted toys and fine clothing for men, women and children. The market has been going since 1993, with a focus on American-made goods and uniquely crafted items. Pick up a one-of-a-kind writing tool made from discarded materials at BG Artforms, or find handmade dolls at Hazel Village. Nov. 13-Dec. 24, Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 89 E. 42nd St., Midtown
Union Square Holiday Market
Feel a world away from the gray, manic city as you wander among the festive candy cane-striped booths wrapped in holly at the Union Square Holiday Market, the largest seasonal market in the city. Look for the Artisan Pledge stickers to find U.S.-made organic, fair trade, recycled and handmade goods among the more than 150 vendors, an art studio for kids to design wrapping paper (and make cookies — never too early to learn multitasking) and a Little Brooklyn section for a taste of the borough. Nov. 16-Dec. 24, Union Square Park between 14th and 15th streets
Columbus Circle Holiday Market
The southwest corner of Central Park turns up the Christmas charm with the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. Find over 100 merchants like Ware of the Dog’s trendy gear for pooches and nerdy wall art from Pop Chart Lab. Need some gift-giving guidance? There’s a market concierge to help you find the perfect gift. There’s of course food vendors, like newcomer Duck Season for all your waterfowl needs from confit to pâté, and the new Citi Holiday Lounge to sip hot chocolate while warming your hard-working feet. Nov. 28-Dec. 24, Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Central Park West and 59th Street
For future NYC Events check the tab above: “NYC Events-December.” 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.
The staff of NYCity123 will be on holiday for two weeks, in Scotland of all places. For the few days before Christmas, we will focus on the holiday season and give you all the best info you need to enjoy the department store holiday windows, the holiday markets, and where to ice skate in this town. For the period between Christmas and New Years we will highlight a selection of some of the best NYCity photography you can find anywhere, especially on Instagram.
We hope you will enjoy this change of pace, then please return here on January 3 and every day for our daily “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
========================================
TripSavvy has some of the best current info on NYCity ice skating, and does a fine job publishing a wide range of NYCity event info. I hope you will click on their hot link to see what else they have to offer.
Baby, it’s cold outside. Make the most of the winter at these top ice-skating rinks in NYC, where skating meets some pretty spectacular atmospheres. Most city rinks stay open from November through March, affording a wide window of time to plan your winter outing, and to sample multiple rinks throughout the season. Plus, most rinks offer an assortment of classes, if you’re looking to channel your inner figure skater or hockey star.
(BTW, my fave is the rink at Bryant Park – a wonderful setting and lots to do right there in NYCity’s best vest pocket park.)
With a gilded statue of Prometheus, the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, and the 70-story 30 Rockefeller Center building towering above, The Rink at Rockefeller Center affords the most atmospheric skating experience in the city (but also the priciest). Accommodating just 150 skaters at a time for 90-minute skate sessions, the rink is one of the few areas of Midtown where you won’t find crowds (though lines can get quite long, especially during the holiday season). Entry is first come, first served, though they do offer packages that allow for advance reservations and perks like skate concierges, hot chocolate, and/or breakfast. Season skating passes (from $275) are also available to skip the lines and gain unlimited access to the rink.
Part of the Bank of America Winter Village at picturesque Bryant Park, this 17,000-square-foot rink has brought free ice skating to NYC for more than a decade (while access to the rink is free, note that you’ll need to pay for skate rentals if you don’t have your own). After a spin on the ice, stick around to nosh at the Danny Meyer rink-side restaurant, Public Fare, or browse the 125-plus boutique-style vendor at the Holiday Shops (through January 2, 2018). As Manhattan’s only no-cost rink, expect crowds accordingly. Opt-in, at an extra cost, for skating lessons, Express Passes (skip the lines and nab skates, from $30), or season passes.
Location: Bryant Park, 40th to 42nd Streets, between Fifth & Sixth Avenues
Framed by skyscrapers on the horizon, and bucolic Central Park, the Wollman Rink offers atmospheric ice skating at about half the cost of Rockefeller Center. Plus, sign up for plenty of extras, including group and private skating lessons, with learn-to-skate, ice dancing, and figure skating slants, as well as a hockey program. VIP tickets include skate rental, no-wait admission, use of a heated tent, snacks, and locker access ($60-78). Note: In a rather unusual policy, spectators must pay to watch here; it’s a $5 fee.
Location: East Side of Central Park, between 62nd & 63rd Streets
This Battery Park City Rink at Brookfield Place, situated alongside the Hudson River’s North Cove Marina in front of the Winter Garden, offers great views of downtown skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. At 7,350 square feet, it’s bigger than the Rink at Rockefeller Plaza. In recent years, the rink has partnered up with U.S. ice dancer Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov who host various skating programs throughout the season. For more immersion on the ice, consider the family learn-to-skate programs, try “kick ice hockey fitness,” or sign up for season passes (from $200).
Location: Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey Street at West Street (on the upper plaza)
The trendiest rink in town, ice skating has never been so cool, thanks to super-hip hotel The Standard’s ice rink, an intimate 3,000-square foot affair, with late-night hours primed for the Meatpacking District crowd. The rink has been redesigned to inspire the “golden age of the après-ski lifestyle,” with touches like rocking chair seating and vintage plaid and faux fur blankets. Enjoy some “après-skate” at the rink-side café Skate Shack and indoor Living Room bistro serving up specialties like apple strudel or roasted acorn squash, along with mulled wine, hot toddies, and hot chocolate to wash it all down.
Bloomingdale’s Department Store
Address: 1000 Third Avenue (59th)
Subway: N/R/W and 4/5/6 to 59th/Lexington
“To usher in the holiday season, Bloomingdale’s has partnered with the film The Greatest Showman (out December 20) for its displays. The windows pay tribute to big-top visionary P.T. Barnum, so expect to witness whimsical, circus acts and mannequins sporting dazzling outfits. We’re not kidding about the “dazzling” part either—more than 7,600,000 Swarovski crystals were used to embellish and outfit the costumes and props used in each window.” (TONY)
Barney’s New York
Address: 660 Madison Avenue (60th/61st)
Subway: N/R/W 59th/5th Avenue; F to Lex/63rd St
“The luxury retailer’s theme this year is “Haas For the Holidays,” but you won’t find Santa, reindeer or snowflakes in any of these five windows. Instead, you’ll find creative interpretations of Earth through the ages. The windows showcase four phases: Primordial, Utopia, Millennium and Mushroom Singularity. The windows also incorporate advanced LED technology created by Christie, so expect to see bright, bold and mesmerizing colors.” (TONY)
Feel festive AF at New York City’s best holiday markets
New York City’s best holiday markets brim with Christmas charm, handmade and vintage gifts everyone is sure to love and the season’s best festive foods.
Looking for one-of-a-kind gifts sure to impress everyone on your list? One of NYC’s best holiday markets will hook you up with memorable gifts and stocking stuffers — plus seasonal eats while you shop.
Winter Village at Bryant Park
Bask in the European vibes of the Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park. Along the park’s tree-lined promenades, rows and rows of over 150 twinkling glass booths brim with handmade goods like quirky bowties and Himalayan shawls; once you’ve shopped, eat your way across the food market with warming hand-pulled noodles at Mian Kitchen and treats from edible cookie dough sensation DŌ. Not to mention free ice skating (if you bring your own skates), rinkside cocktails at Danny Meyer’s Public Fare and a towering Christmas tree. Oct. 28-Jan. 2, Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-8 p.m., skating through March 4, located between 40th and 42nd sts. & Fifth and Sixth aves., Midtown
Grand Central Holiday Fair
You don’t have to brave the crowds on Sixth Avenue (or the cold) for high-end gifts. The Grand Central Holiday Fair brings 40 artisans to Vanderbilt Hall selling everything from art to home goods, hand-crafted toys and fine clothing for men, women and children. The market has been going since 1993, with a focus on American-made goods and uniquely crafted items. Pick up a one-of-a-kind writing tool made from discarded materials at BG Artforms, or find handmade dolls at Hazel Village. Nov. 13-Dec. 24, Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 89 E. 42nd St., Midtown
Union Square Holiday Market
Feel a world away from the gray, manic city as you wander among the festive candy cane-striped booths wrapped in holly at the Union Square Holiday Market, the largest seasonal market in the city. Look for the Artisan Pledge stickers to find U.S.-made organic, fair trade, recycled and handmade goods among the more than 150 vendors, an art studio for kids to design wrapping paper (and make cookies — never too early to learn multitasking) and a Little Brooklyn section for a taste of the borough. Nov. 16-Dec. 24, Union Square Park between 14th and 15th streets
Columbus Circle Holiday Market
The southwest corner of Central Park turns up the Christmas charm with the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. Find over 100 merchants like Ware of the Dog’s trendy gear for pooches and nerdy wall art from Pop Chart Lab. Need some gift-giving guidance? There’s a market concierge to help you find the perfect gift. There’s of course food vendors, like newcomer Duck Season for all your waterfowl needs from confit to pâté, and the new Citi Holiday Lounge to sip hot chocolate while warming your hard-working feet. Nov. 28-Dec. 24, Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Central Park West and 59th Street
For future NYC Events check the tab above: “NYC Events-December.” 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.
The staff of NYCity123 will be on holiday for two weeks, in Scotland of all places. For the few days before Christmas, we will focus on the holiday season and give you all the best info you need to enjoy the department store holiday windows, the holiday markets, and where to ice skate in this town. For the period between Christmas and New Years we will highlight a selection of some of the best NYCity photography you can find anywhere, especially on Instagram.
We hope you will enjoy this change of pace, then please return here on January 3 and every day for our daily “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
========================================
TripSavvy has some of the best current info on NYCity ice skating, and does a fine job publishing a wide range of NYCity event info. I hope you will click on their hot link to see what else they have to offer.
Baby, it’s cold outside. Make the most of the winter at these top ice-skating rinks in NYC, where skating meets some pretty spectacular atmospheres. Most city rinks stay open from November through March, affording a wide window of time to plan your winter outing, and to sample multiple rinks throughout the season. Plus, most rinks offer an assortment of classes, if you’re looking to channel your inner figure skater or hockey star.
(BTW, my fave is the rink at Bryant Park – a wonderful setting and lots to do right there in NYCity’s best vest pocket park.)
With a gilded statue of Prometheus, the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, and the 70-story 30 Rockefeller Center building towering above, The Rink at Rockefeller Center affords the most atmospheric skating experience in the city (but also the priciest). Accommodating just 150 skaters at a time for 90-minute skate sessions, the rink is one of the few areas of Midtown where you won’t find crowds (though lines can get quite long, especially during the holiday season). Entry is first come, first served, though they do offer packages that allow for advance reservations and perks like skate concierges, hot chocolate, and/or breakfast. Season skating passes (from $275) are also available to skip the lines and gain unlimited access to the rink.
Part of the Bank of America Winter Village at picturesque Bryant Park, this 17,000-square-foot rink has brought free ice skating to NYC for more than a decade (while access to the rink is free, note that you’ll need to pay for skate rentals if you don’t have your own). After a spin on the ice, stick around to nosh at the Danny Meyer rink-side restaurant, Public Fare, or browse the 125-plus boutique-style vendor at the Holiday Shops (through January 2, 2018). As Manhattan’s only no-cost rink, expect crowds accordingly. Opt-in, at an extra cost, for skating lessons, Express Passes (skip the lines and nab skates, from $30), or season passes.
Location: Bryant Park, 40th to 42nd Streets, between Fifth & Sixth Avenues
Framed by skyscrapers on the horizon, and bucolic Central Park, the Wollman Rink offers atmospheric ice skating at about half the cost of Rockefeller Center. Plus, sign up for plenty of extras, including group and private skating lessons, with learn-to-skate, ice dancing, and figure skating slants, as well as a hockey program. VIP tickets include skate rental, no-wait admission, use of a heated tent, snacks, and locker access ($60-78). Note: In a rather unusual policy, spectators must pay to watch here; it’s a $5 fee.
Location: East Side of Central Park, between 62nd & 63rd Streets
This Battery Park City Rink at Brookfield Place, situated alongside the Hudson River’s North Cove Marina in front of the Winter Garden, offers great views of downtown skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. At 7,350 square feet, it’s bigger than the Rink at Rockefeller Plaza. In recent years, the rink has partnered up with U.S. ice dancer Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov who host various skating programs throughout the season. For more immersion on the ice, consider the family learn-to-skate programs, try “kick ice hockey fitness,” or sign up for season passes (from $200).
Location: Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey Street at West Street (on the upper plaza)
The trendiest rink in town, ice skating has never been so cool, thanks to super-hip hotel The Standard’s ice rink, an intimate 3,000-square foot affair, with late-night hours primed for the Meatpacking District crowd. The rink has been redesigned to inspire the “golden age of the après-ski lifestyle,” with touches like rocking chair seating and vintage plaid and faux fur blankets. Enjoy some “après-skate” at the rink-side café Skate Shack and indoor Living Room bistro serving up specialties like apple strudel or roasted acorn squash, along with mulled wine, hot toddies, and hot chocolate to wash it all down.
Bloomingdale’s Department Store
Address: 1000 Third Avenue (59th)
Subway: N/R/W and 4/5/6 to 59th/Lexington
“To usher in the holiday season, Bloomingdale’s has partnered with the film The Greatest Showman (out December 20) for its displays. The windows pay tribute to big-top visionary P.T. Barnum, so expect to witness whimsical, circus acts and mannequins sporting dazzling outfits. We’re not kidding about the “dazzling” part either—more than 7,600,000 Swarovski crystals were used to embellish and outfit the costumes and props used in each window.” (TONY)
Barney’s New York
Address: 660 Madison Avenue (60th/61st)
Subway: N/R/W 59th/5th Avenue; F to Lex/63rd St
“The luxury retailer’s theme this year is “Haas For the Holidays,” but you won’t find Santa, reindeer or snowflakes in any of these five windows. Instead, you’ll find creative interpretations of Earth through the ages. The windows showcase four phases: Primordial, Utopia, Millennium and Mushroom Singularity. The windows also incorporate advanced LED technology created by Christie, so expect to see bright, bold and mesmerizing colors.” (TONY)
Feel festive AF at New York City’s best holiday markets
New York City’s best holiday markets brim with Christmas charm, handmade and vintage gifts everyone is sure to love and the season’s best festive foods.
Looking for one-of-a-kind gifts sure to impress everyone on your list? One of NYC’s best holiday markets will hook you up with memorable gifts and stocking stuffers — plus seasonal eats while you shop.
Winter Village at Bryant Park
Bask in the European vibes of the Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park. Along the park’s tree-lined promenades, rows and rows of over 150 twinkling glass booths brim with handmade goods like quirky bowties and Himalayan shawls; once you’ve shopped, eat your way across the food market with warming hand-pulled noodles at Mian Kitchen and treats from edible cookie dough sensation DŌ. Not to mention free ice skating (if you bring your own skates), rinkside cocktails at Danny Meyer’s Public Fare and a towering Christmas tree. Oct. 28-Jan. 2, Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-8 p.m., skating through March 4, located between 40th and 42nd sts. & Fifth and Sixth aves., Midtown
Grand Central Holiday Fair
You don’t have to brave the crowds on Sixth Avenue (or the cold) for high-end gifts. The Grand Central Holiday Fair brings 40 artisans to Vanderbilt Hall selling everything from art to home goods, hand-crafted toys and fine clothing for men, women and children. The market has been going since 1993, with a focus on American-made goods and uniquely crafted items. Pick up a one-of-a-kind writing tool made from discarded materials at BG Artforms, or find handmade dolls at Hazel Village. Nov. 13-Dec. 24, Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 89 E. 42nd St., Midtown
Union Square Holiday Market
Feel a world away from the gray, manic city as you wander among the festive candy cane-striped booths wrapped in holly at the Union Square Holiday Market, the largest seasonal market in the city. Look for the Artisan Pledge stickers to find U.S.-made organic, fair trade, recycled and handmade goods among the more than 150 vendors, an art studio for kids to design wrapping paper (and make cookies — never too early to learn multitasking) and a Little Brooklyn section for a taste of the borough. Nov. 16-Dec. 24, Union Square Park between 14th and 15th streets
Columbus Circle Holiday Market
The southwest corner of Central Park turns up the Christmas charm with the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. Find over 100 merchants like Ware of the Dog’s trendy gear for pooches and nerdy wall art from Pop Chart Lab. Need some gift-giving guidance? There’s a market concierge to help you find the perfect gift. There’s of course food vendors, like newcomer Duck Season for all your waterfowl needs from confit to pâté, and the new Citi Holiday Lounge to sip hot chocolate while warming your hard-working feet. Nov. 28-Dec. 24, Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Central Park West and 59th Street
For future NYC Events check the tab above: “NYC Events-December.” 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.
For the very best NYC event info this week, be sure to check the tab above: “This WEEK 12/15.”
The staff of NYCity123 will be on holiday for two weeks, in Scotland of all places. For the few days before Christmas, we will focus on the holiday season and give you all the best info you need to enjoy the department store holiday windows, the holiday markets, and where to ice skate in this town. For the period between Christmas and New Years we will highlight a selection of some of the best NYCity photography you can find anywhere, especially on Instagram.
We hope you will enjoy this change of pace, then please return here on January 3 and every day for our daily “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
========================================
TripSavvy has some of the best current info on NYCity ice skating, and does a fine job publishing a wide range of NYCity event info. I hope you will click on their hot link to see what else they have to offer.
Baby, it’s cold outside. Make the most of the winter at these top ice-skating rinks in NYC, where skating meets some pretty spectacular atmospheres. Most city rinks stay open from November through March, affording a wide window of time to plan your winter outing, and to sample multiple rinks throughout the season. Plus, most rinks offer an assortment of classes, if you’re looking to channel your inner figure skater or hockey star.
(BTW, my fave is the rink at Bryant Park – a wonderful setting and lots to do right there in NYCity’s best vest pocket park.)
With a gilded statue of Prometheus, the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, and the 70-story 30 Rockefeller Center building towering above, The Rink at Rockefeller Center affords the most atmospheric skating experience in the city (but also the priciest). Accommodating just 150 skaters at a time for 90-minute skate sessions, the rink is one of the few areas of Midtown where you won’t find crowds (though lines can get quite long, especially during the holiday season). Entry is first come, first served, though they do offer packages that allow for advance reservations and perks like skate concierges, hot chocolate, and/or breakfast. Season skating passes (from $275) are also available to skip the lines and gain unlimited access to the rink.
Part of the Bank of America Winter Village at picturesque Bryant Park, this 17,000-square-foot rink has brought free ice skating to NYC for more than a decade (while access to the rink is free, note that you’ll need to pay for skate rentals if you don’t have your own). After a spin on the ice, stick around to nosh at the Danny Meyer rink-side restaurant, Public Fare, or browse the 125-plus boutique-style vendor at the Holiday Shops (through January 2, 2018). As Manhattan’s only no-cost rink, expect crowds accordingly. Opt-in, at an extra cost, for skating lessons, Express Passes (skip the lines and nab skates, from $30), or season passes.
Location: Bryant Park, 40th to 42nd Streets, between Fifth & Sixth Avenues
Framed by skyscrapers on the horizon, and bucolic Central Park, the Wollman Rink offers atmospheric ice skating at about half the cost of Rockefeller Center. Plus, sign up for plenty of extras, including group and private skating lessons, with learn-to-skate, ice dancing, and figure skating slants, as well as a hockey program. VIP tickets include skate rental, no-wait admission, use of a heated tent, snacks, and locker access ($60-78). Note: In a rather unusual policy, spectators must pay to watch here; it’s a $5 fee.
Location: East Side of Central Park, between 62nd & 63rd Streets
This Battery Park City Rink at Brookfield Place, situated alongside the Hudson River’s North Cove Marina in front of the Winter Garden, offers great views of downtown skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. At 7,350 square feet, it’s bigger than the Rink at Rockefeller Plaza. In recent years, the rink has partnered up with U.S. ice dancer Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov who host various skating programs throughout the season. For more immersion on the ice, consider the family learn-to-skate programs, try “kick ice hockey fitness,” or sign up for season passes (from $200).
Location: Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey Street at West Street (on the upper plaza)
The trendiest rink in town, ice skating has never been so cool, thanks to super-hip hotel The Standard’s ice rink, an intimate 3,000-square foot affair, with late-night hours primed for the Meatpacking District crowd. The rink has been redesigned to inspire the “golden age of the après-ski lifestyle,” with touches like rocking chair seating and vintage plaid and faux fur blankets. Enjoy some “après-skate” at the rink-side café Skate Shack and indoor Living Room bistro serving up specialties like apple strudel or roasted acorn squash, along with mulled wine, hot toddies, and hot chocolate to wash it all down.
Bloomingdale’s Department Store
Address: 1000 Third Avenue (59th)
Subway: N/R/W and 4/5/6 to 59th/Lexington
“To usher in the holiday season, Bloomingdale’s has partnered with the film The Greatest Showman (out December 20) for its displays. The windows pay tribute to big-top visionary P.T. Barnum, so expect to witness whimsical, circus acts and mannequins sporting dazzling outfits. We’re not kidding about the “dazzling” part either—more than 7,600,000 Swarovski crystals were used to embellish and outfit the costumes and props used in each window.” (TONY)
Barney’s New York
Address: 660 Madison Avenue (60th/61st)
Subway: N/R/W 59th/5th Avenue; F to Lex/63rd St
“The luxury retailer’s theme this year is “Haas For the Holidays,” but you won’t find Santa, reindeer or snowflakes in any of these five windows. Instead, you’ll find creative interpretations of Earth through the ages. The windows showcase four phases: Primordial, Utopia, Millennium and Mushroom Singularity. The windows also incorporate advanced LED technology created by Christie, so expect to see bright, bold and mesmerizing colors.” (TONY)
Feel festive AF at New York City’s best holiday markets
New York City’s best holiday markets brim with Christmas charm, handmade and vintage gifts everyone is sure to love and the season’s best festive foods.
Looking for one-of-a-kind gifts sure to impress everyone on your list? One of NYC’s best holiday markets will hook you up with memorable gifts and stocking stuffers — plus seasonal eats while you shop.
Winter Village at Bryant Park
Bask in the European vibes of the Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park. Along the park’s tree-lined promenades, rows and rows of over 150 twinkling glass booths brim with handmade goods like quirky bowties and Himalayan shawls; once you’ve shopped, eat your way across the food market with warming hand-pulled noodles at Mian Kitchen and treats from edible cookie dough sensation DŌ. Not to mention free ice skating (if you bring your own skates), rinkside cocktails at Danny Meyer’s Public Fare and a towering Christmas tree. Oct. 28-Jan. 2, Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-8 p.m., skating through March 4, located between 40th and 42nd sts. & Fifth and Sixth aves., Midtown
Grand Central Holiday Fair
You don’t have to brave the crowds on Sixth Avenue (or the cold) for high-end gifts. The Grand Central Holiday Fair brings 40 artisans to Vanderbilt Hall selling everything from art to home goods, hand-crafted toys and fine clothing for men, women and children. The market has been going since 1993, with a focus on American-made goods and uniquely crafted items. Pick up a one-of-a-kind writing tool made from discarded materials at BG Artforms, or find handmade dolls at Hazel Village. Nov. 13-Dec. 24, Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 89 E. 42nd St., Midtown
Union Square Holiday Market
Feel a world away from the gray, manic city as you wander among the festive candy cane-striped booths wrapped in holly at the Union Square Holiday Market, the largest seasonal market in the city. Look for the Artisan Pledge stickers to find U.S.-made organic, fair trade, recycled and handmade goods among the more than 150 vendors, an art studio for kids to design wrapping paper (and make cookies — never too early to learn multitasking) and a Little Brooklyn section for a taste of the borough. Nov. 16-Dec. 24, Union Square Park between 14th and 15th streets
Columbus Circle Holiday Market
The southwest corner of Central Park turns up the Christmas charm with the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. Find over 100 merchants like Ware of the Dog’s trendy gear for pooches and nerdy wall art from Pop Chart Lab. Need some gift-giving guidance? There’s a market concierge to help you find the perfect gift. There’s of course food vendors, like newcomer Duck Season for all your waterfowl needs from confit to pâté, and the new Citi Holiday Lounge to sip hot chocolate while warming your hard-working feet. Nov. 28-Dec. 24, Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Central Park West and 59th Street
For future NYC Events check the tab above: “NYC Events-December.” 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.
For the very best NYC event info this week, be sure to check the tab above: “This WEEK 12/15.”
The staff of NYCity123 will be on holiday for two weeks, in Scotland of all places. For the few days before Christmas, we will focus on the holiday season and give you all the best info you need to enjoy the department store holiday windows, the holiday markets, and where to ice skate in this town. For the period between Christmas and New Years we will highlight a selection of some of the best NYCity photography you can find anywhere, especially on Instagram.
We hope you will enjoy this change of pace, then please return here on January 3 and every day for our daily “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
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TripSavvy has some of the best current info on NYCity ice skating, and does a fine job publishing a wide range of NYCity event info. I hope you will click on their hot link to see what else they have to offer.
Baby, it’s cold outside. Make the most of the winter at these top ice-skating rinks in NYC, where skating meets some pretty spectacular atmospheres. Most city rinks stay open from November through March, affording a wide window of time to plan your winter outing, and to sample multiple rinks throughout the season. Plus, most rinks offer an assortment of classes, if you’re looking to channel your inner figure skater or hockey star.
(BTW, my fave is the rink at Bryant Park – a wonderful setting and lots to do right there in NYCity’s best vest pocket park.)
With a gilded statue of Prometheus, the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, and the 70-story 30 Rockefeller Center building towering above, The Rink at Rockefeller Center affords the most atmospheric skating experience in the city (but also the priciest). Accommodating just 150 skaters at a time for 90-minute skate sessions, the rink is one of the few areas of Midtown where you won’t find crowds (though lines can get quite long, especially during the holiday season). Entry is first come, first served, though they do offer packages that allow for advance reservations and perks like skate concierges, hot chocolate, and/or breakfast. Season skating passes (from $275) are also available to skip the lines and gain unlimited access to the rink.
Part of the Bank of America Winter Village at picturesque Bryant Park, this 17,000-square-foot rink has brought free ice skating to NYC for more than a decade (while access to the rink is free, note that you’ll need to pay for skate rentals if you don’t have your own). After a spin on the ice, stick around to nosh at the Danny Meyer rink-side restaurant, Public Fare, or browse the 125-plus boutique-style vendor at the Holiday Shops (through January 2, 2018). As Manhattan’s only no-cost rink, expect crowds accordingly. Opt-in, at an extra cost, for skating lessons, Express Passes (skip the lines and nab skates, from $30), or season passes.
Location: Bryant Park, 40th to 42nd Streets, between Fifth & Sixth Avenues
Framed by skyscrapers on the horizon, and bucolic Central Park, the Wollman Rink offers atmospheric ice skating at about half the cost of Rockefeller Center. Plus, sign up for plenty of extras, including group and private skating lessons, with learn-to-skate, ice dancing, and figure skating slants, as well as a hockey program. VIP tickets include skate rental, no-wait admission, use of a heated tent, snacks, and locker access ($60-78). Note: In a rather unusual policy, spectators must pay to watch here; it’s a $5 fee.
Location: East Side of Central Park, between 62nd & 63rd Streets
This Battery Park City Rink at Brookfield Place, situated alongside the Hudson River’s North Cove Marina in front of the Winter Garden, offers great views of downtown skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. At 7,350 square feet, it’s bigger than the Rink at Rockefeller Plaza. In recent years, the rink has partnered up with U.S. ice dancer Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov who host various skating programs throughout the season. For more immersion on the ice, consider the family learn-to-skate programs, try “kick ice hockey fitness,” or sign up for season passes (from $200).
Location: Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey Street at West Street (on the upper plaza)
The trendiest rink in town, ice skating has never been so cool, thanks to super-hip hotel The Standard’s ice rink, an intimate 3,000-square foot affair, with late-night hours primed for the Meatpacking District crowd. The rink has been redesigned to inspire the “golden age of the après-ski lifestyle,” with touches like rocking chair seating and vintage plaid and faux fur blankets. Enjoy some “après-skate” at the rink-side café Skate Shack and indoor Living Room bistro serving up specialties like apple strudel or roasted acorn squash, along with mulled wine, hot toddies, and hot chocolate to wash it all down.
Bloomingdale’s Department Store
Address: 1000 Third Avenue (59th)
Subway: N/R/W and 4/5/6 to 59th/Lexington
“To usher in the holiday season, Bloomingdale’s has partnered with the film The Greatest Showman (out December 20) for its displays. The windows pay tribute to big-top visionary P.T. Barnum, so expect to witness whimsical, circus acts and mannequins sporting dazzling outfits. We’re not kidding about the “dazzling” part either—more than 7,600,000 Swarovski crystals were used to embellish and outfit the costumes and props used in each window.” (TONY)
Barney’s New York
Address: 660 Madison Avenue (60th/61st)
Subway: N/R/W 59th/5th Avenue; F to Lex/63rd St
“The luxury retailer’s theme this year is “Haas For the Holidays,” but you won’t find Santa, reindeer or snowflakes in any of these five windows. Instead, you’ll find creative interpretations of Earth through the ages. The windows showcase four phases: Primordial, Utopia, Millennium and Mushroom Singularity. The windows also incorporate advanced LED technology created by Christie, so expect to see bright, bold and mesmerizing colors.” (TONY)
Feel festive AF at New York City’s best holiday markets
New York City’s best holiday markets brim with Christmas charm, handmade and vintage gifts everyone is sure to love and the season’s best festive foods.
Looking for one-of-a-kind gifts sure to impress everyone on your list? One of NYC’s best holiday markets will hook you up with memorable gifts and stocking stuffers — plus seasonal eats while you shop.
Winter Village at Bryant Park
Bask in the European vibes of the Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park. Along the park’s tree-lined promenades, rows and rows of over 150 twinkling glass booths brim with handmade goods like quirky bowties and Himalayan shawls; once you’ve shopped, eat your way across the food market with warming hand-pulled noodles at Mian Kitchen and treats from edible cookie dough sensation DŌ. Not to mention free ice skating (if you bring your own skates), rinkside cocktails at Danny Meyer’s Public Fare and a towering Christmas tree. Oct. 28-Jan. 2, Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-8 p.m., skating through March 4, located between 40th and 42nd sts. & Fifth and Sixth aves., Midtown
Grand Central Holiday Fair
You don’t have to brave the crowds on Sixth Avenue (or the cold) for high-end gifts. The Grand Central Holiday Fair brings 40 artisans to Vanderbilt Hall selling everything from art to home goods, hand-crafted toys and fine clothing for men, women and children. The market has been going since 1993, with a focus on American-made goods and uniquely crafted items. Pick up a one-of-a-kind writing tool made from discarded materials at BG Artforms, or find handmade dolls at Hazel Village. Nov. 13-Dec. 24, Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 89 E. 42nd St., Midtown
Union Square Holiday Market
Feel a world away from the gray, manic city as you wander among the festive candy cane-striped booths wrapped in holly at the Union Square Holiday Market, the largest seasonal market in the city. Look for the Artisan Pledge stickers to find U.S.-made organic, fair trade, recycled and handmade goods among the more than 150 vendors, an art studio for kids to design wrapping paper (and make cookies — never too early to learn multitasking) and a Little Brooklyn section for a taste of the borough. Nov. 16-Dec. 24, Union Square Park between 14th and 15th streets
Columbus Circle Holiday Market
The southwest corner of Central Park turns up the Christmas charm with the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. Find over 100 merchants like Ware of the Dog’s trendy gear for pooches and nerdy wall art from Pop Chart Lab. Need some gift-giving guidance? There’s a market concierge to help you find the perfect gift. There’s of course food vendors, like newcomer Duck Season for all your waterfowl needs from confit to pâté, and the new Citi Holiday Lounge to sip hot chocolate while warming your hard-working feet. Nov. 28-Dec. 24, Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Central Park West and 59th Street
Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ DECEMBER 19, 2017
“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 as1-2-3.
For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “NYC Events-December”
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.
The curated list of events you will find in the “This WEEK 12/15” tab ain’t bad, either.
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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:
Dorrance Dance ((Dec. 19-31) Joyce Theater / 7:30PM, $81+, may have to select a later date for best seats.
“The rare artist who can make a dance that is as innovative as it is engaging, MacArthur Award-winning tap dancer Michelle Dorrance leads a company comprised of some of the best hoofers in the business. For its Joyce engagement, Dorrance Dance performs Myelination, “a glittering closer that needs to have a second life” (The New York Times). Newly reborn and extended, this work includes original, live music composed by Gregory Richardson and Donovan Dorrance, the choreographer’s talented brother, featuring eclectic-soul vocalist Aaron Marcellus. Also on the program is the world premiere of Until The Real Thing Comes Along (a letter to ourselves) which is set to the music of Fats Waller, and highlights the astounding skill and exuberance of this show-stopping group.” (cityguideny.com, has a $5 off coupon)
CHRIS BOTTI 13th ANNUAL HOLIDAY RESIDENCY (thru Jan.07) Blue Note Jazz Club / 8PM, +10:30PM, $65-$125
“Botti, described by The Wall Street Journal as “a December institution in the Big Apple at the Blue Note, has called the club his home every December since 2005.
Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed CD When I Fall In Love, Chris Botti has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four #1 jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards. Most recently, his latest album Impressions won the GRAMMY® for Best Pop Instrumental Album at the 2013 55th GRAMMY® Awards. Performing worldwide and selling more than four million albums, he has found a form of creative expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre.”
KENNY BARRON(through Dec. 24) at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30PM
“Mr. Barron, a pianist and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, this weekend finishes a six-night run at the Vanguard with his quintet. He then takes a break on Monday before moving into another week of shows, this time with his trio. Molten and bluesy, Mr. Barron is equally indebted to the tweaked angularity of Thelonious Monk and the graceful parlance of Hank Jones; he’s one of jazz’s unassailable piano gurus. His trio includes Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
Norm Lewis: Santa Baby(Dec.18-23)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 9:30PM, $65+
“Who says nice guys finish last? Broadway leading man Norm Lewis exudes amiability, but that hasn’t stoppped him from a long career that has included stints in Porgy and Bess, Les Misérables, Side Show and Chicago; in 2014, he became the first African-American to play the Phantom on Broadway. In his annual Christmas set at Feinstein’s/54 Below, he welcomes audiences to enjoy holiday favorites, warmed by the hearth of his voice.” (TONY)
STONEFEST (Dec. 17-19)
at the New School’s Tishman Auditorium / 7PM, $
“The Stone, the beloved avant-garde performance space on the Lower East Side, is transitioning into new digs at the New School, where it will move permanently at the end of February. In anticipation, the university is hosting a three-day festival, featuring a potent lineup of improvisers, at its Tishman Auditorium. On Sunday, the headliners include the guitarist Mary Halvorson’s quartet and the pianist Craig Taborn. The following night, the Kris Davis Trio will play, along with a large band performing John Zorn’s “Cobra,” an improvisation-driven composition. On Tuesday, the drummer Milford Graves leads a trio and the inventive trumpeter Peter Evans gives a solo set.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
DICK HYMAN(Dec. 18-19)
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30PM, $
“The pianist Mr. Hyman, 90, is perhaps jazz’s foremost practitioner of classic ragtime and stride technique. His remarkable precision and playful articulation will be on full display at this two-note run, when he performs solo.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
YO LA TENGO (LAST DAY)
at the Bowery Ballroom / 8:30PM, $40
“Throughout the 2000s, indie-rock fans looked forward each winter to Yo La Tengo’s eight-night Hanukkah residency at Maxwell’s, a club in its native Hoboken, N.J. Maxwell’s closed in 2013, and so ended the band’s yearly tradition — but like the oil in the legend, Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah shows are burning bright once again this month, at a new location. All eight nights are sold out, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the resale market for miracles.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)
Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
coming soon.
Continuing Holiday Events
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park(6th Ave. & 42nd St.)
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Enjoy Bryant Park through the winter with the Holiday Shops food and gift boutiques (thru Jan.02), Danny Meyer’s pop-up rinkside eatery Public Fare (thru Mar.04), 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 28, 2017 – March 4, 2018
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting)
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New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”(Through Dec. 31)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / various times and prices
“As a young dancer in St. Petersburg in the nineteen-tens, George Balanchine performed the lead in the Harlequins’ “Hoop Dance” in the Mariinsky Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” By all accounts, he was rather proud of his performance, and in 1954, when he created his own “Nutcracker” for the New York City Ballet, he included the dance verbatim in the second act, and renamed it “Candy Cane.” With its double hoop jumps, it is still one of the most beloved sections of the ballet, performed by one adult dancer and eight children from the school. This merging of past and present, adult prowess and youthful flair, has helped insure this production’s enduring appeal for more than sixty years. It returns for a monthlong run.” (NewYorker)
“George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” continues performances throughout the month. It never disappoints, from its onstage snowstorm to the one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet. And there’s also, of course, Balanchine’s remarkable choreography, which brings the Tchaikovsky score to dancing life. This week, many of the principal dancers get a shot at Sugar Plum — Sara Mearns, Megan Fairchild and Lauren Lovette, among them — but not to be overlooked is the soloist Indiana Woodward, who is scheduled to do the honors on Dec. 7 opposite Chase Finlay as her Cavalier. She’s a delight.”(NYT 12/01-Gia Kourlas)
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(11/10/17-1/1/18) The NYC perennial holiday favorite Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes®returns. Fan favorites include “New York at Christmas,” where the Rockettes® board a real double-decker bus, and the high-energy tap number “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Of course, beloved classics like “The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “The Living Nativity” will also be back. rockettes.com/christmas
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Let there be light! Luminaries installation at Brookfield Place in the Winter Garden, a stunning holiday arrangement, comprising 650 LED lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Make sure to pack your skates and enjoy ice-skating next door, along the waterfront.
AND
Erwin Redl’s Whiteout, a newly commissioned public art project, will light up in Madison Square Park. It consists of hundreds of transparent white spheres, each embedded with a white LED light, and suspended from a square grid of steel poles. The swaying sequence of light will be on display until April 2018.
===================================================== Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
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:
(5 underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 within walking distance of each other): Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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 celebrated it’s 50th 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 $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:
============================================================== “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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Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > MONDAY/ DECEMBER 18, 2017
“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 as1-2-3.
For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “NYC Events-December”
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.
The curated list of events you will find in the “This WEEK 12/15” tab ain’t bad, either.
===========================================================
Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:
Comedy Fundraiser for the ACLU Town Hall / 8PM, $35-$60; 100 percent of proceeds benefit the ACLU
“Join SNL cast members Vanessa Bayer, Cecily Strong, Kyle Mooney and more for a night of comedy and music hosted by John Early. Featuring music from Grammy nominee Robbie Fulks and stand-up from Jon Glaser and Julio Torres, 100% of all proceeds go to the ACLU – a vital organization leading the fight against multiple Trump era catastrophes ranging from Net Neutrality to DACA.”
Norm Lewis: Santa Baby(Dec.18-23) Feinstein’s/54 Below / 9:30PM, $65+
“Who says nice guys finish last? Broadway leading man Norm Lewis exudes amiability, but that hasn’t stoppped him from a long career that has included stints in Porgy and Bess, Les Misérables, Side Show and Chicago; in 2014, he became the first African-American to play the Phantom on Broadway. In his annual Christmas set at Feinstein’s/54 Below, he welcomes audiences to enjoy holiday favorites, warmed by the hearth of his voice.” (TONY)
STONEFEST (Dec. 17-19) at the New School’s Tishman Auditorium / 7PM, $
“The Stone, the beloved avant-garde performance space on the Lower East Side, is transitioning into new digs at the New School, where it will move permanently at the end of February. In anticipation, the university is hosting a three-day festival, featuring a potent lineup of improvisers, at its Tishman Auditorium. On Sunday, the headliners include the guitarist Mary Halvorson’s quartet and the pianist Craig Taborn. The following night, the Kris Davis Trio will play, along with a large band performing John Zorn’s “Cobra,” an improvisation-driven composition. On Tuesday, the drummer Milford Graves leads a trio and the inventive trumpeter Peter Evans gives a solo set.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party Birdland, 315 W44th St. / 9:30PM, $30
“Jim Caruso’s Cast Party is a wildly popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of “Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland in New York City every Monday night. It’s a cool cabaret night-out enlivened by a hilariously impromptu variety show. Showbiz superstars, backed by Steve Doyle on bass, Billy Stritch on piano and Daniel Glass on drums, hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle.” (broadwayworld)
DICK HYMAN(Dec. 18-19) at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30PM, $
“The pianist Mr. Hyman, 90, is perhaps jazz’s foremost practitioner of classic ragtime and stride technique. His remarkable precision and playful articulation will be on full display at this two-note run, when he performs solo.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
YO LA TENGO (Dec. 12-19) at the Bowery Ballroom / 8:30PM, $40
“Throughout the 2000s, indie-rock fans looked forward each winter to Yo La Tengo’s eight-night Hanukkah residency at Maxwell’s, a club in its native Hoboken, N.J. Maxwell’s closed in 2013, and so ended the band’s yearly tradition — but like the oil in the legend, Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah shows are burning bright once again this month, at a new location. All eight nights are sold out, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the resale market for miracles.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)
Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
A Yanomami Reunion The Explorers Club, 46 E. 70th St./ 6PM, $25
“David Good’s story is an unlikely one: the son of prominent American anthropologist Kenneth Good and a Yanomami indigenous woman, Yarima. He’ll discuss his book The Way Around, the 20 years it took to reconnect with his mother deep in the Venezuelan Amazon, and the little-known rain forest culture that forms half of his birthright.” (ThoughtGallery.org)
Continuing Holiday Events
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park(6th Ave. & 42nd St.)
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Enjoy Bryant Park through the winter with the Holiday Shops food and gift boutiques (thru Jan.02), Danny Meyer’s pop-up rinkside eatery Public Fare (thru Mar.04), 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 28, 2017 – March 4, 2018
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting)
====================================
New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”(Through Dec. 31)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / various times and prices
“As a young dancer in St. Petersburg in the nineteen-tens, George Balanchine performed the lead in the Harlequins’ “Hoop Dance” in the Mariinsky Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” By all accounts, he was rather proud of his performance, and in 1954, when he created his own “Nutcracker” for the New York City Ballet, he included the dance verbatim in the second act, and renamed it “Candy Cane.” With its double hoop jumps, it is still one of the most beloved sections of the ballet, performed by one adult dancer and eight children from the school. This merging of past and present, adult prowess and youthful flair, has helped insure this production’s enduring appeal for more than sixty years. It returns for a monthlong run.” (NewYorker)
“George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” continues performances throughout the month. It never disappoints, from its onstage snowstorm to the one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet. And there’s also, of course, Balanchine’s remarkable choreography, which brings the Tchaikovsky score to dancing life. This week, many of the principal dancers get a shot at Sugar Plum — Sara Mearns, Megan Fairchild and Lauren Lovette, among them — but not to be overlooked is the soloist Indiana Woodward, who is scheduled to do the honors on Dec. 7 opposite Chase Finlay as her Cavalier. She’s a delight.”(NYT 12/01-Gia Kourlas)
====================================
(11/10/17-1/1/18) The NYC perennial holiday favorite Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes®returns. Fan favorites include “New York at Christmas,” where the Rockettes® board a real double-decker bus, and the high-energy tap number “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Of course, beloved classics like “The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “The Living Nativity” will also be back. rockettes.com/christmas
==========================================
Let there be light! Luminaries installation at Brookfield Place in the Winter Garden, a stunning holiday arrangement, comprising 650 LED lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Make sure to pack your skates and enjoy ice-skating next door, along the waterfront.
AND
Erwin Redl’s Whiteout, a newly commissioned public art project, will light up in Madison Square Park. It consists of hundreds of transparent white spheres, each embedded with a white LED light, and suspended from a square grid of steel poles. The swaying sequence of light will be on display until April 2018.
=========================================================== Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
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:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other): Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
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.
==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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
ART AND CHINA AFTER 1989: THEATER OF THE WORLD, (through Jan 7, 2018). “New York is still behind the curve in terms of familiarity with the explosion of contemporary art produced in China between the 1989 Tiananmen massacre and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This dynamic, canon-affirming Guggenheim survey reprises much of what we already do know, but also adds fresh information about large group projects and, usefully, shift the focus away from auction-favored painting onto Conceptualism. (After protests from animal-right activists, three works in the show, including “Theater of the World” by Huang Yong Ping, appear in altered form.)” (Holland Cotter)
Frick Collection
‘MURILLO: THE SELF-PORTRAITS’ (through Feb. 4, 2018). “Two flawlessly executed selfies by one of the leading painters of the Spanish Golden Age are united for the first time in centuries in this revealing, somewhat melancholy exhibition on mastery and aging. Around 1650, the thirtysomething Bartolomé Esteban Murillo painted himself as an ambitious young painter with pursed lips and arched eyebrows, staring out incongruously from a block of ancient marble. The young painter was already imagining himself as a man for the ages, but success seems to have worn down Murillo in the later self-portrait, from about 1670. His hair has grown thinner, he’s developed a double chin, and he extends his hand as if desperate to connect to us.” (Farago)
Neue Galerie
‘WIENER WERKSTÄTTE, 1903-1932: THE LUXURY OF BEAUTY,’ (through Jan. 29).”Fruit bowls, umbrella stands, swanky wallpapers, lavish curtains: The only thing the Wiener Werkstätte couldn’t make is a profit. This substantial exhibition on the most important design firm in early-20th-century Vienna brings together more than 400 works of Modernist applied arts, designed in a new kind of studio that united artists and artisans in a single enterprise. Their rational, rectilinear creations, made of silver or pricey oak, won a following among imperial Vienna’s bourgeoisie, but perpetual cost overruns and the coming of war pushed the Wiener Werkstätte into decline. The 1920s were the last gasp for the firm, under the blingier designer Dagobert Peche, whose mirrors and cruets were as florid as his predecessors’ were straitlaced.” (Farago) 212-628-6200, neuegalerie.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)
Morgan Library & Museum
‘DRAWN TO GREATNESS: MASTER DRAWINGS FROM THE THAW COLLECTION’ (through Jan. 7, 2018). “This major group drawing show constitutes a grand summing-up of a career, of an art form and of an institution’s holdings. During the past 60 years, the New York art dealer Eugene V. Thaw and his wife Clare Eddy Thaw amassed a phenomenal drawing collection notable for its chronological breadth, running from the early Renaissance to the near present. This year they gave more than 400 items outright to the Morgan Library, expanding and deepening its range. The 150 works on view include a super-rare Andrea Mantegna, an unearthly Samuel Palmer and a soulful Vincent Van Gogh.” (NYT-Holland Cotter)
Met Breuer
“DELIRIOUS: ART AT THE LIMITS OF REASON, 1950-1980” (through Jan. 4). “This provocative multimedia survey ignores the established canon to propose that after the destructiveness of World War II, artists began to answer life’s absurdities with more of the same. It follows a thread of irrationality through the efforts of 63 artists from three continents working with abstract form, language and the body . There are some familiar names — Sol LeWitt, Claes Oldenburg and Lynda Benglis — but the selections and rejiggered context give everything a new spin.” (NYT-Roberta Smith)
and you should be sure to check outthesespecial exhibitions atthat little museum on Fifth Ave.,The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish)
‘MICHELANGELO: DIVINE DRAFTSMAN AND DESIGNER,’ (through Feb. 12).”A monument to a monument. With 133 drawings by the beyond-famous artist on loan from some 50 front-rank collections, this show is a curatorial coup and an art historical tour de force: a panoptic view of a titanic career as recorded in the most fragile of media: paper, chalk and ink. And it demands that you be fully present. Drawing is more than a graphic experience; it’s a textural one, about the pressure of crayon and pen on a page; the subliminal fade and focus of lines; the weave and shadow-creating swells of surfaces. These are effects that can’t be captured by a smartphone.” (Cotter) 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org
‘STREAMS AND MOUNTAINS WITHOUT END: LANDSCAPE TRADITIONS OF CHINA’ (through Jan. 6, 2018). “If you’ve seen only ash-aired Beijing, or that architectural Oz Shanghai, you haven’t seen China. Most of the country is wide-open space, green and blue: hills, plains, water. And it was for an escape to that openness that some Chinese urbanites yearned in centuries past. Their dream: to sit in on a terrace halfway up a mountain, with tea steeping, an ink-brush at hand, a friend at the door, and a waterfall splashing nearby. Not just for vacation. Forever. One way they could live the dream was through images of the kind seen in this show. Technically, it’s a collection reinstallation spiced with a few loans. But the Met’s China holdings are so broad and deep that some of the pictures here are resurfacing for the first time in almost a decade; one is finally making its debut a century after it was acquired. And there’s more than just paintings on view: ceramics, textiles and scholar’s rocks fill out the panorama.” (NYT-Holland Cotter) 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org
‘JAPANESE BAMBOO ART: THE ABBEY COLLECTION’ (through Feb. 4, 2018). “This fabulous show celebrates Diane and Arthur Abbey’s gift of some 70 bamboo baskets and sculptures, which nearly doubles the Met’s already outstanding holdings in this genre and brings them into the 20th and 21st centuries. The curator has embedded this trove within what is essentially a second exhibition that traces bamboo’s presence through folding screens, ink paintings, porcelain, netsuke, kimonos and more.” (NYT-Roberta Smith) 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org
DAVID HOCKNEY (through Feb.25, 2018) “For nearly 60 years, David Hockney (British, born 1937) has pursued a singular career with a love for painting and its intrinsic challenges. This major retrospective—the exhibition’s only North American venue—honors the artist in his 80th year by presenting his most iconic works and key moments of his career from 1960 to the present.
Working in a wide range of media with equal measures of wit and intelligence, Hockney has examined, probed, and questioned how to capture the perceived world of movement, space, and time in two dimensions. The exhibition offers a grand overview of the artist’s achievements across all media, including painting, drawing, photography, and video. From his early experiments with modernist abstraction and mid-career experiments with illusion and realism, to his most recent, jewel-toned landscapes, Hockney has consistently explored the nature of perception and representation with both intellectual rigor and sheer delight in the act of looking.” (Metropolitan Museum)
“Give it up for David Hockney, one of painting’s elder statesmen, and for his crystalline retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which proceeds in a string of perfectly curated mini-exhibitions. Check at the door the usual caveats and tsk-tsks regarding this wildly popular Anglo-Californian — that he’s a lightweight; that his “moment” was the ’60s; that he’s obvious. Suspend at least briefly the belief that a tragic vision, or abstraction, is essential for entry into art history’s pantheon.
No, Mr. Hockney, at 80, is not Jasper Johns or Gerhard Richter. But he has his own greatness, which flows from openly following his own desires — including his attraction to other men — while rigorously exploring the ways art and life feed each other, visually and emotionally. Full disclosure, forthright joy and forward motion are the dynamos of his art, which in my book at least, gives him an edge over Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon.” (NYT)
=========================================================== 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)
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 12/16 and 12/14.
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Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ DECEMBER 17, 2017
“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 as1-2-3.
For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “NYC Events-December”
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.
The curated list of events you will find in the “This WEEK 12/15” tab ain’t bad, either.
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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:
Holiday Brass David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center / 3PM, $59+
This concert is a Special Event of the 2017–18 season. Enjoy the holiday spirit with this cheerful Philharmonic tradition featuring the power and brilliance of the New York Philharmonic Brass and Percussion. Beloved former Principal Trumpet Philip Smith — one of the undisputed top trumpet virtuosos of all time — returns to host, conduct, and perform in this afternoon of jubilant music.” (cityguideny.com)
Big Band Holidays(LAST DAY) Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 2PM, only a few seats left
“Continuing a beloved New York tradition, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis warms up the House of Swing with soulful renditions of holiday classics. With fresh arrangements, playful improvisation, and entertaining storytelling, they bring out the magic in such classics as Count Basie’s “Jingle Bells,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and Billie Holiday’s “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.”
Jazz royalty Catherine Russell joins as special guest vocalist for the second year, continuing a spirited partnership that has spread Yuletide cheer in dozens of cities across the country. This year she’ll be joined by another Jazz at Lincoln Center favorite, fellow vocalist Kenny Washington, who recently brought his Home for the Holidays program to delighted audiences at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.”
Merry Tuba Christmas 30 Rockefeller Plaza / 3:30pm; FREE
“Now in its 44th year, this massive musical gathering invites hundreds of tuba players to perform classic Christmas carols and crowd-pleasing songs on the ice. If you’re not a pro at circular breathing, join in on the fun by singing along to the deep horns. Though the event has spread to more than 200 cities worldwide, there’s nothing like seeing it at its home” (TONY)
Trisha Brown Dance Company (LAST DAY) Joyce Theatre, 175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St./ 2PM, $51+
“Even before Brown died, in March, after a slow retirement forced by illness, the future of her company, and the top-shelf choreography it preserves, appeared precarious. But the troupe seems to be bouncing back, touring busily and presenting more than the greatest hits. This program focusses on a less celebrated period in Brown’s work, from 2000 to 2009. The music is disparate: the Latin-tinged jazz of Dave Douglas in “Groove and Countermove,” the Baroque opera of Rameau in “L’Amour au Théâtre.” What’s consistent is Brown’s wit and invention.” (NewYorker)
YO LA TENGO (Dec. 12-19) at the Bowery Ballroom / 8:30PM, $40
“Throughout the 2000s, indie-rock fans looked forward each winter to Yo La Tengo’s eight-night Hanukkah residency at Maxwell’s, a club in its native Hoboken, N.J. Maxwell’s closed in 2013, and so ended the band’s yearly tradition — but like the oil in the legend, Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah shows are burning bright once again this month, at a new location. All eight nights are sold out, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the resale market for miracles.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)
Gary Bartz (LAST DAY) Smoke, 2751 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Sts./ 7, 9, 10:30PM, $38
“Although the alto saxophone is Bartz’s main instrument, he has looked to one of the supreme titans of the tenor saxophone, John Coltrane, as a main influence for the better part of his six-decade career. (Bartz, taking after his unofficial mentor, also plays the soprano saxophone.) This tribute to Coltrane includes the guitarist Paul Bollenback and the drummer Lenny White.” (NewYorker)
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER(through Dec. 31) at New York City Center/ 3PM, +7:30PM, $29+
“The Ailey company, under the artistic direction of Robert Battle, continues at City Center with encore presentations of Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s “Shelter,” Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s “Victoria,” Twyla Tharp’s “The Golden Section” and many others — including works by Ailey himself. But the excellent dancers are the main draw, from veterans including the husband-and-wife team of Linda Celeste Sims and Glenn Allen Sims, to more recent additions, like Ashley Mayeux and Chalvar Monteiro.” (NYT-GIA KOURLAS)
Continuing Holiday Events
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park(6th Ave. & 42nd St.)
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Enjoy Bryant Park through the winter with the Holiday Shops food and gift boutiques (thru Jan.02), Danny Meyer’s pop-up rinkside eatery Public Fare (thru Mar.04), 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 28, 2017 – March 4, 2018
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting)
====================================
New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”(Through Dec. 31)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / various times and prices
“As a young dancer in St. Petersburg in the nineteen-tens, George Balanchine performed the lead in the Harlequins’ “Hoop Dance” in the Mariinsky Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” By all accounts, he was rather proud of his performance, and in 1954, when he created his own “Nutcracker” for the New York City Ballet, he included the dance verbatim in the second act, and renamed it “Candy Cane.” With its double hoop jumps, it is still one of the most beloved sections of the ballet, performed by one adult dancer and eight children from the school. This merging of past and present, adult prowess and youthful flair, has helped insure this production’s enduring appeal for more than sixty years. It returns for a monthlong run.” (NewYorker)
“George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” continues performances throughout the month. It never disappoints, from its onstage snowstorm to the one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet. And there’s also, of course, Balanchine’s remarkable choreography, which brings the Tchaikovsky score to dancing life. This week, many of the principal dancers get a shot at Sugar Plum — Sara Mearns, Megan Fairchild and Lauren Lovette, among them — but not to be overlooked is the soloist Indiana Woodward, who is scheduled to do the honors on Dec. 7 opposite Chase Finlay as her Cavalier. She’s a delight.”(NYT 12/01-Gia Kourlas)
====================================
(11/10/17-1/1/18) The NYC perennial holiday favorite Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes®returns. Fan favorites include “New York at Christmas,” where the Rockettes® board a real double-decker bus, and the high-energy tap number “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Of course, beloved classics like “The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “The Living Nativity” will also be back. rockettes.com/christmas
==========================================
Let there be light! Luminaries installation at Brookfield Place in the Winter Garden, a stunning holiday arrangement, comprising 650 LED lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Make sure to pack your skates and enjoy ice-skating next door, along the waterfront.
AND
Erwin Redl’s Whiteout, a newly commissioned public art project, will light up in Madison Square Park. It consists of hundreds of transparent white spheres, each embedded with a white LED light, and suspended from a square grid of steel poles. The swaying sequence of light will be on display until April 2018.
====================================================== 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. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555 Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551 Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555 Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440 Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500 Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661 B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144 Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com, Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
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. See Below.
==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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’. ”
Each 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.
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.
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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.
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 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 2018).
◊ Order before May 31 28, 2018 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ DECEMBER 16, 2017
“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 as1-2-3.
For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “NYC Events-December”
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:
‘STORYVILLE STOMP: THE LAST NIGHT IN STORYVILLE’ at Symphony Space / 7:30 and 10PM, $50; 7:30 sold out, better try for the late show.
“As part of this year’s New York Hot Jazz Festival, Symphony Space presents a night of New Orleans music meant to evoke the sound and atmosphere of the famous red light district where much of jazz’s earliest history took place. Appearing across multiple stages on the venue’s downstairs level, performers will include Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Jon-Erik Kellso’s Mahogany Hall Pleasure Society Jazz Band with Mara Kaye, Dennis Lichtman’s Hottet, and the blues singer Blind Boy Paxton.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
SAMANTHA FISH at the Cutting Room / 9:30PM, $30
“This rigorously retro-minded blues/soul singer and guitarist has won impressive plaudits for her work in recent years, including a spot on the New York Times critic Jon Caramanica’s list of the best albums of 2017 for her “Chills & Fever.” Lively and deeply felt, it’s the kind of recording that suggests an even more fun time in concert.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)
Stacey Kent(Dec.12-16) Birdland / 8:30PM, +11PM, $50
Critically acclaimed, GRAMMY® nominated singer, Stacey Kent, sings from the soul, telling her stories with faultless phrasing and a lucid, enchanting voice. Stacey and her quartet return to Birdland to celebrate the launch of her new album, “I KNOW I DREAM: The Orchestral Sessions.” (SONY)
“I Know I Dream” is Stacey’s first orchestral album and her most ambitious to date. The rich musical tapestry contrasts with her previous intimate collaboration with Brazilian music master Roberto Menescal, “Tenderly,” (2015 SONY) and the exuberant, ”Marcos Valle & Stacey Kent Live,” (2013 SONY).”
Trisha Brown Dance Company (Dec. 12-17) Joyce Theatre, 175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St./ 7:30PM, $51+
“Even before Brown died, in March, after a slow retirement forced by illness, the future of her company, and the top-shelf choreography it preserves, appeared precarious. But the troupe seems to be bouncing back, touring busily and presenting more than the greatest hits. This program focusses on a less celebrated period in Brown’s work, from 2000 to 2009. The music is disparate: the Latin-tinged jazz of Dave Douglas in “Groove and Countermove,” the Baroque opera of Rameau in “L’Amour au Théâtre.” What’s consistent is Brown’s wit and invention.” (NewYorker)
YO LA TENGO (Dec. 12-19) at the Bowery Ballroom / 8:30PM, $40
“Throughout the 2000s, indie-rock fans looked forward each winter to Yo La Tengo’s eight-night Hanukkah residency at Maxwell’s, a club in its native Hoboken, N.J. Maxwell’s closed in 2013, and so ended the band’s yearly tradition — but like the oil in the legend, Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah shows are burning bright once again this month, at a new location. All eight nights are sold out, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the resale market for miracles.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)
Gary Bartz (Dec.14-17) Smoke, 2751 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Sts./ 7, 9, 10:30PM, $38
“Although the alto saxophone is Bartz’s main instrument, he has looked to one of the supreme titans of the tenor saxophone, John Coltrane, as a main influence for the better part of his six-decade career. (Bartz, taking after his unofficial mentor, also plays the soprano saxophone.) This tribute to Coltrane includes the guitarist Paul Bollenback and the drummer Lenny White.” (NewYorker)
Winter Solstice Celebration (Dec.14-16) Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine / 8PM, $40+
“Having trouble deciding which one of your friends’ apartments to use to host this year’s solstice bonfire and ritual sacrifice? Avoid all that messy virgin blood, and try a more modern tradition: Paul Winter’s annual concert. You’ll see a slew of dance and musical guests, including the Paul Winter Consort—with Winter himself on sax, right where he belongs.” (TONY)
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER(through Dec. 31) at New York City Center/ 8PM, $29+
“The Ailey company, under the artistic direction of Robert Battle, continues at City Center with encore presentations of Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s “Shelter,” Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s “Victoria,” Twyla Tharp’s “The Golden Section” and many others — including works by Ailey himself. But the excellent dancers are the main draw, from veterans including the husband-and-wife team of Linda Celeste Sims and Glenn Allen Sims, to more recent additions, like Ashley Mayeux and Chalvar Monteiro.” (NYT-GIA KOURLAS)
Continuing Holiday Events
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park(6th Ave. & 42nd St.)
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Enjoy Bryant Park through the winter with the Holiday Shops food and gift boutiques (thru Jan.02), Danny Meyer’s pop-up rinkside eatery Public Fare (thru Mar.04), 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 28, 2017 – March 4, 2018
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting)
====================================
New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”(Through Dec. 31)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / various times and prices
“As a young dancer in St. Petersburg in the nineteen-tens, George Balanchine performed the lead in the Harlequins’ “Hoop Dance” in the Mariinsky Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” By all accounts, he was rather proud of his performance, and in 1954, when he created his own “Nutcracker” for the New York City Ballet, he included the dance verbatim in the second act, and renamed it “Candy Cane.” With its double hoop jumps, it is still one of the most beloved sections of the ballet, performed by one adult dancer and eight children from the school. This merging of past and present, adult prowess and youthful flair, has helped insure this production’s enduring appeal for more than sixty years. It returns for a monthlong run.” (NewYorker)
“George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” continues performances throughout the month. It never disappoints, from its onstage snowstorm to the one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet. And there’s also, of course, Balanchine’s remarkable choreography, which brings the Tchaikovsky score to dancing life. This week, many of the principal dancers get a shot at Sugar Plum — Sara Mearns, Megan Fairchild and Lauren Lovette, among them — but not to be overlooked is the soloist Indiana Woodward, who is scheduled to do the honors on Dec. 7 opposite Chase Finlay as her Cavalier. She’s a delight.”(NYT 12/01-Gia Kourlas)
====================================
(11/10/17-1/1/18) The NYC perennial holiday favorite Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes®returns. Fan favorites include “New York at Christmas,” where the Rockettes® board a real double-decker bus, and the high-energy tap number “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Of course, beloved classics like “The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “The Living Nativity” will also be back. rockettes.com/christmas
==========================================
Let there be light! Luminaries installation at Brookfield Place in the Winter Garden, a stunning holiday arrangement, comprising 650 LED lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Make sure to pack your skates and enjoy ice-skating next door, along the waterfront.
AND
Erwin Redl’s Whiteout, a newly commissioned public art project, will light up in Madison Square Park. It consists of hundreds of transparent white spheres, each embedded with a white LED light, and suspended from a square grid of steel poles. The swaying sequence of light will be on display until April 2018.
===================================================== Bonus NYC events– Jazz Venues:
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:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other): Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
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.
==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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 these exhibitions)
Museum of Modern Art:
A special pat on the back to MOMA, who is now displaying art from the seven countries affected by Trump’s travel ban.
“Trump’s ban against refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations has sparked acts of defiance in NYC, from demonstrations across town, to striking taxicab drivers at JFK to Middle Eastern bodega owners closing their shops in protest. Recently, the Museum Of Modern added its two cents by bringing out artworks it owns from the affected countries, and hanging them prominently within the galleries usually reserved for 19th- and 20th-century artworks from Europe and the United States. Paintings by Picasso and Matisse, for example, were removed to make way for pieces by Tala Madani (from Iran), Ibrahim El-Salahi (from Sudan) and architect Zaha Hadid (from Iraq). The rehanging, which was unannounced, aims to create a symbolic welcome that repudiates Trump by creating a visual dialog between the newly added works and the more familiar objects from MoMA’s permanent collection.” (TONY)
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
‘BLACK POWER!’ (through Dec. 30).
“Given the economic, environmental and social policies emanating from the White House, the United States could be headed for its most dynamic era of public resistance since the 1960s. And if you’re searching for cultural models from the past, even flawed ones, that effectively brought a message of social change into the street, the schools and the workplace, you’ll do well to check out this vivid documentary show about a cultural movement that broadened activist art to embrace public murals, fashion and poetry; and protest demonstrations that had the visual allure, choreographic rigor and emotional weight of theater.” (Cotter)
American Museum of Natural History:
Mummies (thru 1/7/18)
“For thousands of years, peoples around the world practiced mummification as a way of preserving and honoring their dead. Mummies brings you face to face with some of these ancient individuals and reveals how scientists are using modern technology to glean stunning details about them and their cultures. In Mummies, ancient remains from the Nile Valley of Africa and the Andes Mountains of South America will be on view, allowing visitors to connect with cultures from the distant past. Mummification, a more widespread practice than most think, was used not only for royal Egyptians but also for common people and even animals. Interactive touch tables let visitors virtually “unravel” or see inside mummies as they delve deep into the unique stories of the people or animals who lie within. Other parts of the exhibition showcase the latest isotopic and DNA testing being performed on mummies, and explain how these sophisticated analytical techniques are helping scientists discover important clues about long-vanished practices. Mummies was developed by The Field Museum, Chicago.”(NYCity Guide)
============================================================== For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 12/14 and 12/12.
============================================================
Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ DECEMBER 15, 2017
“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 as1-2-3.
For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “NYC Events-December”
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:
HOLIDAY CHEER FOR FUV at Beacon Theater / 8PM, $80+
“Like many public radio stations, Fordham University’s WFUV-FM depends largely on its listeners’ generosity to fund its continued operation. The latest installment of the station’s yearly fund-raising concert, coming to the Upper West Side on Friday night, will feature an impressive roster of singer-songwriters with subtle senses of humor — Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Aimee Mann and Randy Newman — as well as the Los Angeles indie-pop group Lo Moon.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)
Gary Bartz (Dec.14-17) Smoke, 2751 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Sts./ 7, 9, 10:30PM, $38
“Although the alto saxophone is Bartz’s main instrument, he has looked to one of the supreme titans of the tenor saxophone, John Coltrane, as a main influence for the better part of his six-decade career. (Bartz, taking after his unofficial mentor, also plays the soprano saxophone.) This tribute to Coltrane includes the guitarist Paul Bollenback and the drummer Lenny White.” (NewYorker)
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER(through Dec. 31) at New York City Center/ 8PM, $29+
“The Ailey company, under the artistic direction of Robert Battle, continues at City Center with encore presentations of Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s “Shelter,” Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s “Victoria,” Twyla Tharp’s “The Golden Section” and many others — including works by Ailey himself. But the excellent dancers are the main draw, from veterans including the husband-and-wife team of Linda Celeste Sims and Glenn Allen Sims, to more recent additions, like Ashley Mayeux and Chalvar Monteiro.” (NYT-GIA KOURLAS)
Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour. BIG FREEDIA at Brooklyn Bowl / 11:59PM, $25
“A performance by the Beyoncé-approved New Orleans musician Big Freedia is a boisterous, kinetic event: Bodies move, beats knock, spirits lift. In times as dreary as these, such celebrations are welcome. It’s a good thing that Freedia is in town for this midnight show (rescheduled from a planned October date). Go forth and bounce.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)
Winter Solstice Celebration (Dec.14-16) Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine / 8PM, $40+
“Having trouble deciding which one of your friends’ apartments to use to host this year’s solstice bonfire and ritual sacrifice? Avoid all that messy virgin blood, and try a more modern tradition: Paul Winter’s annual concert. You’ll see a slew of dance and musical guests, including the Paul Winter Consort—with Winter himself on sax, right where he belongs.” (TONY)
Trisha Brown Dance Company (Dec. 12-17) Joyce Theatre, 175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St./ 7:30PM, $51+
“Even before Brown died, in March, after a slow retirement forced by illness, the future of her company, and the top-shelf choreography it preserves, appeared precarious. But the troupe seems to be bouncing back, touring busily and presenting more than the greatest hits. This program focusses on a less celebrated period in Brown’s work, from 2000 to 2009. The music is disparate: the Latin-tinged jazz of Dave Douglas in “Groove and Countermove,” the Baroque opera of Rameau in “L’Amour au Théâtre.” What’s consistent is Brown’s wit and invention.” (NewYorker)
YO LA TENGO (Dec. 12-19) at the Bowery Ballroom / 8:30PM, $40
“Throughout the 2000s, indie-rock fans looked forward each winter to Yo La Tengo’s eight-night Hanukkah residency at Maxwell’s, a club in its native Hoboken, N.J. Maxwell’s closed in 2013, and so ended the band’s yearly tradition — but like the oil in the legend, Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah shows are burning bright once again this month, at a new location. All eight nights are sold out, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the resale market for miracles.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)
Continuing Holiday Events
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park(6th Ave. & 42nd St.)
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Enjoy Bryant Park through the winter with the Holiday Shops food and gift boutiques (thru Jan.02), Danny Meyer’s pop-up rinkside eatery Public Fare (thru Mar.04), 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 28, 2017 – March 4, 2018
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting)
====================================
New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”(Through Dec. 31)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / various times and prices
“As a young dancer in St. Petersburg in the nineteen-tens, George Balanchine performed the lead in the Harlequins’ “Hoop Dance” in the Mariinsky Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” By all accounts, he was rather proud of his performance, and in 1954, when he created his own “Nutcracker” for the New York City Ballet, he included the dance verbatim in the second act, and renamed it “Candy Cane.” With its double hoop jumps, it is still one of the most beloved sections of the ballet, performed by one adult dancer and eight children from the school. This merging of past and present, adult prowess and youthful flair, has helped insure this production’s enduring appeal for more than sixty years. It returns for a monthlong run.” (NewYorker)
“George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” continues performances throughout the month. It never disappoints, from its onstage snowstorm to the one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet. And there’s also, of course, Balanchine’s remarkable choreography, which brings the Tchaikovsky score to dancing life. This week, many of the principal dancers get a shot at Sugar Plum — Sara Mearns, Megan Fairchild and Lauren Lovette, among them — but not to be overlooked is the soloist Indiana Woodward, who is scheduled to do the honors on Dec. 7 opposite Chase Finlay as her Cavalier. She’s a delight.”(NYT 12/01-Gia Kourlas)
====================================
(11/10/17-1/1/18) The NYC perennial holiday favorite Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes®returns. Fan favorites include “New York at Christmas,” where the Rockettes® board a real double-decker bus, and the high-energy tap number “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Of course, beloved classics like “The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “The Living Nativity” will also be back. rockettes.com/christmas
==========================================
Let there be light! Luminaries installation at Brookfield Place in the Winter Garden, a stunning holiday arrangement, comprising 650 LED lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Make sure to pack your skates and enjoy ice-skating next door, along the waterfront.
AND
Erwin Redl’s Whiteout, a newly commissioned public art project, will light up in Madison Square Park. It consists of hundreds of transparent white spheres, each embedded with a white LED light, and suspended from a square grid of steel poles. The swaying sequence of light will be on display until April 2018.
========================================================== Bonus NYC Events – Jazz Venues:
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:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other): Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
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.
==============================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)
Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.
From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.
(Alas, no more. After 10 years, “Jersey Boys” closed Jan.15)
Those in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.
Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.
But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.
Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.
It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt). ===================================================== Website:http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/ Phone #: 212-307-5835 Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble) Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St. Update: music now includes a younger, trimmer piano man. “Tiny” we miss you. Update#2: Rumor that “Tiny” is back playing only on Friday nights – need to check it out.
============================================================================== “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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NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 