NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide

Selected NYC Events (11/08) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 11/08/2016 by GregD

“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 as 1-2-3.
For future NYC Events be sure to check the tab above: “Annual NYC Events / Nov.”

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

If you can’t get enough of this election season, if you are not confined to bed worried that our fellow citizens will make a foolish decision to elect a man “who is a clear and present danger,” then this hootenanny is for you:
Michael Friedman: Election Songs
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St./ 8:30PM, $30
“The resident songwriter of the Civilians and the composer of musicals including Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Fortress of Solitude, Friedman has one of musical theater’s sharpest minds. In a series of concerts leading up to the election—culminating in an election-night “hootenanny” at Joe’s Pub—he slices into politics with a song cycle based on interviews he has conducted across the country throughout the blistering 2016 campaign.” (TONY)

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Harold Mabern Trio (through Nov. 13)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $30
“You can take the man out of Memphis, but the bluesy refinement and soulful phrasing that the veteran stylist Mabern soaked up from such resident masters as Phineas Newborn, Jr., has cohered to his pianistic DNA. Mabern, a New York fixture for nearly sixty years, will churn up the room with assistance from two trusted associates, the bassist John Webber and the drummer Joe Farnsworth.” (NewYorker)

Trump: A Theatrical Concerto by Gene Pritsker
Le Poisson Rouge / 7PM, $25
“Violinist Philippe Quint, conductor Kristjan Järvi, Absolute Ensemble, multimedia DJ Graham Elliot and other stage artists perform in an operetta about the presidential candidate, featuring the Devil, Ben Franklin and Melania Trump.” (TONY)

Tierney Sutton (Nov. 8-12)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St./ 8:30PM, 11PM, $40
The vocalist took on Joni Mitchell with her 2013 musical mash note “After Blue,” and recently she put a personal spin on the work of Gordon Sumner, with her latest album “The Sting Variations.” “Roxanne” didn’t make the cut, but Sutton did refashion soundtrack-of-a-generation hits like “Message in a Bottle” and “Fields of Gold.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Power at Ground Zero: Politics, Money, and the Remaking of Lower Manhattan
with Lynne B. Sagalyn, Professor Emerita of Real Estate, author of “Times Square Roulette” and scholar of major urban reconstruction projects.
Mid-Manhattan Library / 6:30 PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture offers the definitive account of one of the greatest reconstruction projects in modern world history.”

And for you tango fans, here’s a special bonus:
SHALL WE TANGO NYC
“Unleash your inner dancer for a week and a half of tango events. You can watch concerts featuring an all-female troupe, and other ensembles and professionals, often with live music; participate in seminars open to all levels (and no partner required); and learn about the history and evolution of the tango at an “illustrated history” presentation. Pictured: Gabriel Misse and Carla Espinoza, from Buenos Aires.”
WHEN | WHERE Thursday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 13, at various venues including the Dardo Galletto Studios, 151 W. 46th St. INFO Free-$40 (shows), $20-$500 (classes and seminars); shallwetango.com. (STAV ZIV, Newsday)

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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 (all six are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 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 – 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro 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:

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

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OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
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Selected NYC Events (11/07) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 11/07/2016 by GregD

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

HAROLD MABERN TRIO
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway / 7PM, +9PM, $9
“Legendary pianist Harold Mabern returns to Smoke for one night only leading his incomparable trio with bassist Alex Claffy and drummer Joe Strasser. As Audiophile Audition reports, “Harold Mabern is one of our last living piano legends…His affinity for the blues, honed from Memphis, through the Windy City, and arrival in the Big Apple, make his piano playing a treat…Long live Harold Mabern.” His latest album, Afro Blue, was reviewed last year by Downbeat who said, “it isn’t merely great, it’s an exhilarating joy ride.” An ageless wonder, Mabern remains a musical treasure and one of the most powerful and illuminating pianists you’ll ever hear.”

5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY

Broadway Sings Beyoncé
Elvis Costello
Michael Friedman: Election Songs
The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910
The Brooklyn Waterfront: Past and Present
bonus: SHALL WE TANGO NYC

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Broadway Sings Beyoncé
Highline Ballroom / 8PM; $30–$65
“More than a dozen Broadway vocalists perform new arrangements of Queen Bee classics, backed by piano man Joshua Stephen Kartes and a 14-piece jazz orchestra. Singers include Alysha Umphress, Lilli Cooper, Amber Iman, Leslie Margherita, Charl Brown, Corey Mach, Kyle Taylor Parker, Joaquina Kalukango, Ciara Renée and Natalie Weiss.” (TONY)

Elvis Costello
Beacon Theatre / 7:30PM; $99–$135
“The staggeringly brilliant smart-rock songsmith and jazz-loving musical polymath has been digging deep into his enormous back catalog at recent gigs; since he’s playing unaccompanied here, we expect he’ll continue the trend, mingling classics with unexpected gems. To quote an Imperial Bedroom fave, these gigs ought to be beyond belief.” (TONY)

Michael Friedman: Election Songs
New York City Center / 6:30PM; $25
“The resident songwriter of the Civilians and the composer of musicals including Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Fortress of Solitude, Friedman has one of musical theater’s sharpest minds. In a series of concerts leading up to the election—culminating in an election-night “hootenanny” at Joe’s Pub—he slices into politics with a song cycle based on interviews he has conducted across the country throughout the blistering 2016 campaign.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910
MidManhattan Library, 5th Ave & 40th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
with Esther Crain, a writer, who launched Ephemeral New York, a website that chronicles the city’s past through photos, newspaper articles, art, and other artifacts.
“This illustrated lecture tells the story of how New York transformed from a small-scale post-Civil War city lit by gas and powered by horses into a mighty metropolis of skyscrapers, subways, blazing electric light, and rapid social change.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
The Brooklyn Waterfront: Past and Present
Brooklyn Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave., Prospect Heights/ 8:30PM, $10
“In this class, we’ll chart the development, decline, and rebirth of the Brooklyn waterfront, from 19th century port to 21st century playground. With the dual lens of preservation and renewal, we’ll examine how communities, real estate interests and the City have reshaped the waterfront from Greenpoint to Sunset Park since the 1970s. (This is a classroom session, not a walking tour!)”

Taught by Inna Guzenfeld
Inna Guzenfeld is a planner and urban historian trained at Pratt Institute. She emigrated from the Ukraine in the nineties and grew up on the Coney Island peninsula. Her work centers on the New York waterfront, where she documents and advocates the city’s maritime past. She can often be found traversing Brooklyn’s industrial landscapes in search of stories and artifacts. She also teaches historic preservation and urban studies at CUNY.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Two exhibitions TimeOutNewYork likes:

Paul Pfeiffer
Paula Cooper Gallery, 521 W21st St. (closes Sat. Nov.12)
“Boxing is a favorite subject of this video artist, and it figures prominently in his latest show. In one piece, the original audio accompanying footage of the highly publicized Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao bout at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, in 2015, has been replaced by a Foley soundtrack isolating the physical exertion of the boxers and the rustling of the stadium audience; meanwhile, another video channel shows the Foley artists at work.

A different series features chrome TV monitors playing slow-motion excerpts of boxing matches in which the attacking opponents have been digitally removed. Besides subverting our expectations of what we are watching, Pfeiffer’s elisions deconstruct our collective addiction spectacle.”

Elmgreen & Dragset, “Changing Subjects”
FLAG Art Foundation, 545 W25th St, 9th Floor (closes Sat. Dec.17)
“The Scandinavian artist duo present works old and new for this mid-career survey show. Among the offerings are set pieces featuring morose, uncannily realistic figures, like those of a body in a morgue locker and a baby left in a basket under an ATM machine, as well as an enigmatic installation of large glass vessel filled with pastel blues, greens and pinks.”

For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm).

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 11/05 and 11/03.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1870-1910, Broadway Sings Beyoncé, Elvis Costello, Harold Mabern Trio, Michael Friedman: Election Songs, The Brooklyn Waterfront: Past and Present, The Gilded Age in New York | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (11/06) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 11/06/2016 by GregD

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

NYC MARATHON
Weather forecast looks superb, just a great day to join a million cheering on all those courageous runners facing the biggest challenge of their running lives. GO JEREMY!
“It’s too late to join the tens of thousands of participants running 26.2 miles, but you can certainly cheer them on. Check the spectator guide on the marathon website for the best spots along the course — such as Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn or the Queens side of the Pulaski Bridge — and how to track the progress of a friend or family member in the race.
WHEN | WHERE starting between 9:50 and 11 a.m. from Staten Island and ending at 67th Street on West Drive in Central Park
INFO Free (along route), $75 (for grandstand seating overlooking finish) 646-701-0010, tcsnycmarathon.org — (STAV ZIV, Newsday)

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
JEREMY PELT QUINTET
RALPH PETERSON & AGGREGATE PRIME
Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
IFPDA Print Fair
SHALL WE TANGO NYC
Vladimir Putin: Beyond Good and Evil
Bonus: New York Comedy Festival

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

JEREMY PELT QUINTET
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, at 106th St./ 7, 9, 10:30PM, $
“Mr. Pelt, a postbop trumpeter, has been a fierce and winningly self-assured talent since his mid-20s. He begins this weekend run on his 40th birthday, leading a band with Victor Gould on piano, Vicente Archer on bass, Jacqueline Acevedo on percussion and Jonathan Barber on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

RALPH PETERSON & AGGREGATE PRIME
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway/60th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $
“Mr. Peterson is a maelstrom of a drummer with some similarly strong accomplishments as a bandleader, especially in a combustible small-group mode. His new album, “Dream Deferred,” could be described as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement, though that shortchanges its broader mission. What’s indisputable is that it introduces Aggregate Prime, the same all-star quintet found here, with Gary Thomas on saxophones and flute, Mark Whitfield on guitar, Vijay Iyer on piano, and Kenny Davis on bass.” (NYT-Chinen)

Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 W46th St./ 8PM, $47+
“Petite powerhouse Kristin Chenoweth (On the Twentieth Century) returns to the Great White Way with a concert to celebrate the release of her latest album, The Art of Elegance. Like the new CD, the song list should be dominated by American standards by Rodgers & Hart, the Gershwins and others.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

IFPDA Print Fair (LAST DAY)
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, at 67th St./ 12-6PM,
“The IFPDA Print Fair, run by the Fine Print Dealers Association, sets up shop at the Park Avenue Armory through Nov. 6. More than eighty dealers, from the U.S., Canada, and Europe, will take part, exhibiting everything from Bruegel engravings to conceptual art.” (NewYorker)

SHALL WE TANGO NYC
“Unleash your inner dancer for a week and a half of tango events. You can watch concerts featuring an all-female troupe, and other ensembles and professionals, often with live music; participate in seminars open to all levels (and no partner required); and learn about the history and evolution of the tango at an “illustrated history” presentation. Pictured: Gabriel Misse and Carla Espinoza, from Buenos Aires.”
WHEN | WHERE Thursday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 13, at various venues including the Dardo Galletto Studios, 151 W. 46th St. INFO Free-$40 (shows), $20-$500 (classes and seminars); shallwetango.com. (STAV ZIV, Newsday)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Vladimir Putin: Beyond Good and Evil
Downstairs at Unnameable Books, 600 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn/ 7PM, $16
“Join us for an exploration of the stories and hidden history of Russia’s controversial leader—the first of two talks on the untold history and contemporary realities of Russia.

Russia is a land of magic and wonder, with more than a thousand years’ history that reads like the most unlikely of fairy tales. Straddling Europe and Asia, with its scarce and incredibly diverse population, nearly one-sixth of the dry land on Planet Earth transforms constantly to remain itself. Ruled by oligarchs, spies and monarchs—allegories that keep being reborn in one form or another. In the first of a pair of talks, resident Russia expert, host of Understand Russia Daniel Veksler presents the life and career of Russia’s current hybrid monarch Vladimir Putin, set in the context of late-Soviet and post-Soviet history.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

And here’s a bonus for you Comedy Fans:
New York Comedy Festival (LAST DAY)
various comedy clubs and venues in New York, various prices
“Every autumn, the changing of the leaves also brings the best fall festivals in NYC. The New York Comedy Festival, produced by Carolines on Broadway in association with Comedy Network, is one of them (not to mention one of the best NYC events in November). Whether you want to see the stars from cutting-edge television programs, touring powerhouses or even hometown heroes who happen to be some of the 50 funniest New Yorkers, there’s a show for you—just another something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

This year’s festival features comedians Bridget Everett, Tracy Morgan, Trevor Noah and more. Use the TONY magazine guide as your go-to for everything you need to know about the hilarious spectacle. And for info on the best shows at this year’s Festival you can’t beat TONY magazine’s listing.”

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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:

==================================================================================
♦ 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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.

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).
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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 sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man. “Tiny” we miss you.

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

============================================================
This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS:
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged IFPDA Print Fair, JEREMY PELT QUINTET, new york events, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, NYC MARATHON, RALPH PETERSON & AGGREGATE PRIME, SHALL WE TANGO NYC, Vladimir Putin: Beyond Good and Evil | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (11/05) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 11/05/2016 by GregD

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Jarrod Spector: Jukebox Life (LAST DAY)
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $45-$60

“After playing high-flying tenor Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys for six years and songwriter Barry Mann in Beautiful for three, jukebox-musical hero Spector heads back to the nightclub stage with an autobiographical set of pop and Broadway favorites.” (TONY)

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
CHICK COREA AT THE BLUE NOTE
CHARLIE HADEN’S LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA
Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway
THE BRAZILIAN TRIO

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
Our Humanity: Past, Present, and Future
TARGET FIRST SATURDAYS
Bonus: New York Comedy Festival

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

CHICK COREA AT THE BLUE NOTE (through Dec. 12, with some exceptions)
Blue Note, 131 W 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $ tough tickets. try the late show.
“Mr. Corea recently turned 75, and decided to celebrate with a big gesture: an eight-week club engagement, with a highlight reel of bands. On Wednesday and Thursday he revisits the music from his 1981 album “Three Quartets,” leading a band with Ben Solomon on saxophones, Eddie Gomez on bass and Steve Gadd on drums.
For a full schedule, visit bluenote.net.” (Chinen-NYT)

CHARLIE HADEN’S LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY CARLA BLEY (through Sunday)
Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $
“This revolutionary big band has soldiered on, to one degree or another, since the death of its founder, the great bassist Charlie Haden, in 2014. Solely led now by his longtime collaborator Carla Bley, the band has a fine new album, “Time/Life,” named after a tender dirge she wrote in his memory. And it’s no coincidence that the band, stocked with aces like the saxophonists Loren Stillman and Tony Malaby, sets up shop in the run-up to Election Day.” (Chinen-NYT)

THE BRAZILIAN TRIO
Jazz at Kitano, 66 Park Avenue, at 38th St./ 8PM, +10PM, $
“The pianist Helio Alves, the bassist Nilson Matta and the drummer Duduka Da Fonseca make up this plainly titled collective, which pairs the flexibility of jazz with the rhythmic brio of samba — notably on its 2012 album, “Constelação,” which seems likely to provide some material here.” (Chinen-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Our Humanity: Past, Present, and Future | A White Light Conversation
The Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, 165 W65th St., 10th Floor Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza/ 4PM, FREE
“In an increasingly fractious world, open discourse is more essential than ever. John Schaefer, host of WNYC’s Soundcheck and New Sounds, guides this free discussion featuring a multidisciplinary group of esteemed thinkers and theorists, including paleoanthropologist Alison S. Brooks and theologian Pamela Cooper-White, who will explore the commonality inherent in the human condition and examine the qualities that unite and elevate us. Through the lenses of evolution, psychology, religion, and art, this panel will provide fresh insight into the age-old question, “What makes us human?”

The 90-minute conversation will be moderated by John Schaefer, host of WNYC’s Soundcheck and New Sounds.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour. Even if you don’t like museums, you have to catch the fiery Balkan brass band Slavic Soul Party @ the Brooklyn Museum today:
TARGET FIRST SATURDAYS
Brooklyn Museum, / 5-11PM, FREE
“The latest edition of the Brooklyn Museum’s monthly after-hours party is loosely inspired by the coming Election Day. (Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday!) Visitors can learn about presidential campaign pins, which date back to Lincoln’s bid in 1860, while making their own (at 6 p.m.); or they can watch a performance by Brown Girls Burlesque called “Strip the Polls,” an exploration of issues like reproductive rights and gun control (at 8 p.m.). Additional talks, activities and performances are listed at brooklynmuseum.org.” (NYT-AroundTown)

And here’s a bonus for you Comedy Fans:
New York Comedy Festival (Nov 01-06)
various comedy clubs and venues in New York, various prices
“Every autumn, the changing of the leaves also brings the best fall festivals in NYC. The New York Comedy Festival, produced by Carolines on Broadway in association with Comedy Network, is one of them (not to mention one of the best NYC events in November). Whether you want to see the stars from cutting-edge television programs, touring powerhouses or even hometown heroes who happen to be some of the 50 funniest New Yorkers, there’s a show for you—just another something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

===========================================================
Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite music venues, most 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
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

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)

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM:
‘AGNES MARTIN’ (through Jan. 11, 2017)
Agnes Martin was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1912, lived in New York City in the 1950s and ’60s, and spent the rest of her life in New Mexico, where she died in 2004. More than 100 of her paintings and drawings now float up the ramps of the Guggenheim Museum’s rotunda in the most out-of-this-world-beautiful show in this space in years. Her art is about faint colors and subliminal lines; to see it requires sustained looking and some moving around: Stand back, then move up close. By the time you reach the final painting, high up under the museum’s great skylight, you’ve been through a rich life, and had a spirit-lifting, body-lightening lesson in what abstraction can be and can do. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org. (Cotter)

MET BREUER:
‘DIANE ARBUS: IN THE BEGINNING’ (through Nov. 27)
“This show of 100 or so early photographs by Arbus (1923-71), many on view for the first time, has a terrific installation, with work hung on columnlike panels that suggest rows of doors receding into darkness. The pictures themselves, dating between 1956 and 1962, have a grainy, moody texture, and they reveal an Arbus who had already landed on some of her favored themes: childhood, negotiable gender, fringe culture and class. If the show as a whole is more powerful than most of its individual images, there are some wonderful things. And as a forecast of mature work to come — familiar examples are included in a separate gallery — it is utterly magnetic. 945 Madison Avenue, at 75th Street, Manhattan, 212-535-0177, metmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM:
‘HANS MEMLING: PORTRAITURE, PIETY AND A REUNITED ALTARPIECE’ (through January 2017)
“When it comes to jewels, there are Taylor-Burton rocks and discreetly cut heirloom stones. With museum shows, it’s the same. This one, at the Morgan Library, is a minute but invaluable gem. Set in a 20-by-20-by-20-foot gallery known as the Cube, it reunites, for the first time in the United States, dispersed sections of an altarpiece by the 15th-century German-born, Flanders-based Memling and adds some of his exquisite portrait paintings. 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street, 212-685-0008, themorgan.org.” (Cotter)

and you should be sure to check out the special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish)

at the very least you will want to see these two:
‘CELEBRATING THE ARTS OF JAPAN: THE MARY GRIGGS BURKE COLLECTION’ (through May 2017)
“This lavish collection of 160 objects came to the Met from the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation in early 2015. The Burkes loved Japanese art — all of it — and the exhibition is close to compendious in terms of media, from wood-carved Buddhas to bamboo baskets, with a particular strength in painting, early and late. The quality of the work? Japan thinks highly enough of it to have made the Burke holdings the first Japanese collection from abroad ever to show at Tokyo National Museum. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

‘JERUSALEM 1000–1400: EVERY PEOPLE UNDER HEAVEN’ (through Jan. 8,2017)
“Three major faiths — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — have called Jerusalem their own, and its varying histories as a sacred space, a theater of conflict and a cosmopolitan cultural emporium are reflected in this exhibition modeled along classic Met epic lines: 200 fascinating objects from 60 international collections, with a time frame in the past and context in the present (in the form of short videos in each gallery). If much of the art is small, the effect is not. We see a city otherworldly and monumental, but also one of appetites, personalities and ethnic tensions as real today as they ever were. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

===========================================================
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) (SUN 11am-1pm PWYW) 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 11/03 and 11/01.
=============================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged CHARLIE HADEN’S LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA, CHICK COREA AT THE BLUE NOTE, Jarrod Spector: Jukebox Life, Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway, New York Comedy Festival, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, Our Humanity Past Present and Future, TARGET FIRST SATURDAYS, THE BRAZILIAN TRIO | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (11/04) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 11/04/2016 by GregD

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 W46th St./ 8PM, $47+

“Petite powerhouse Kristin Chenoweth (On the Twentieth Century) returns to the Great White Way with a concert to celebrate the release of her latest album, The Art of Elegance. Like the new CD, the song list should be dominated by American standards by Rodgers & Hart, the Gershwins and others.” (TONY)

5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
CHARLIE HADEN’S LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY CARLA BLEY

Ann Hampton Callaway

PAT MARTINO ORGAN TRIO PLUS HORNS

THE BRAZILIAN TRIO

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
PoetryFest

Bonus: New York Comedy Festival

========================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

PAT MARTINO ORGAN TRIO PLUS HORNS
Zankel Hall, 881 Seventh Avenue, at W57th St./ 9PM, $
“Mr. Martino is a veteran guitarist who first came to prominence in the ranks of soul-jazz organ groups, before making his mark in fusion and acoustic postbop. The organist in his organ trio is Pat Bianchi, and the drummer is Carmen Intorre Jr. They’ll be joined — for this special concert, part of Carnegie Hall’s Shape of Jazz series — by a pair of guests, the saxophonist Adam Niewood and the trumpeter Alex Norris.” (Chinen-NYT)

THE BRAZILIAN TRIO (also Saturday)
Jazz at Kitano, 66 Park Avenue, at 38th St./ 8PM, +10PM, $
“The pianist Helio Alves, the bassist Nilson Matta and the drummer Duduka Da Fonseca make up this plainly titled collective, which pairs the flexibility of jazz with the rhythmic brio of samba — notably on its 2012 album, “Constelação,” which seems likely to provide some material here.” (Chinen-NYT)

Ann Hampton Callaway (thru Nov.05)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM, +11PM, $40
“Her acclaimed 2014 album, “From Sassy to Divine: The Sarah Vaughan Project,” paid tribute to a major influence, but the veteran vocalist is resolutely her own woman. Getting a jump start on the holidays, Callaway has just released “The Hope of Christmas,” which includes examples of her original songwriting, another personal passion.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

PoetryFest
Irish Arts Center, 553 w51st St. / 8PM, $35
“The Irish Arts center presents its eighth annual fest celebrating top poets from Ireland and the U.S. The event features readings, storytelling, book signings and conversations with esteemed wordsmiths, including John McAuliffe, Jericho Brown, Colette Bryce, Tom French and many more. Don’t miss the opening night on Fri 4, which features appearances from novelist Zadie Smith, the Pogues bassist Cait O’Riordain and actor Peter Halpin.” (TONY)

================================================
Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite 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
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474

==================================================================================
♦ 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

=================================================================================

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.
==============================================================
“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.
========================================================

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 thousand 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 2017).
◊ Order before Mar.31, 2017 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
=============================================================
This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS:
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged CHARLIE HADEN’S LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY CARLA BLEY, Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway, PAT MARTINO ORGAN TRIO PLUS HORNS, PoetryFest, THE BRAZILIAN TRIO | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (11/03) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 11/03/2016 by GregD

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Debo Band
Atrium 360, at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE better get there early.
“Led by Ethiopian-American saxophonist Danny Mekonnen and fronted by charismatic vocalist Bruck Tesfaye, the Debo Band serves up a bold reimagination of Ethiopian popular music that conjures up 1970s Addis Ababa with “fierce, jagged, complex, and galvanizing music” (New York Times).

This big band doesn’t just cover neglected tracks from around the world, they rearrange them and up the ante. The process can get wildly imaginative, finding flights of fantasy in underappreciated historical moments, be it Duke Ellington’s travels through Ethiopia or the musical impact of Haile Selassie sending Ethiopian soldiers to fight in the Korean War. Earthy dance floor beats merge with psychedelic effects, rock drive, and spot-on brass—injecting vintage tracks with new life and purpose.”

5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Ann Hampton Callaway (thru Nov.05)

CHICK COREA AT THE BLUE NOTE (through Dec. 12, with some exceptions)

BEACH HOUSE

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
MIND: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human

Vitamania: How Vitamins Revolutionized the Way We Think About Food

Bonus: New York Comedy Festival

========================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the major detour:
BEACH HOUSE
Kings Theater, 1027 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn/ 8PM, $
“This Baltimore duo, whose pillowy, somnolent synth pop features the singer and keyboardist Victoria Legrand’s seductive croon, is growing more prolific with time. Last year, Ms. Legrand and her band mate, Alex Scally, released two excellent albums, “Depression Cherry” and “Thank Your Lucky Stars,” within two months. The plush Kings Theater, which has been booking more cutting-edge indie-rock acts recently, is the perfect space to let their dreamy tunes envelop the room.” (NYT- Kevin O’Donnell)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

MIND: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human
New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 W. 64th St./ 7PM, $20
“Neuroscience is the study of the brain, but what can it tell us about the mind? Doesn’t the brain just create the mind? And why should we care anyway about what “the mind” is and where it comes from—aren’t these questions for philosophers?
Siegel’s characteristic sensitivity and wide-ranging intellect get to the essence of how we can know who we really are. The story he tells goes beyond explaining how neurons fire to establish a working definition of the human mind. His exciting narrative of science and art shows how humans can cultivate well-being in their own lives and communities by understanding their own minds.”

Vitamania: How Vitamins Revolutionized the Way We Think About Food
Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
“With Catherine Price, an award-winning journalist, in conversation with Seth Fletcher, author and senior editor at “Scientific American.”

This dialogue takes the audience on a lively journey through the past, present and future of the mysterious micronutrients known as human vitamins — an adventure that includes poison squads and political maneuvering, irradiated sheep grease and smuggled rats.”

And here’s a bonus for you Comedy Fans:
New York Comedy Festival (Nov 01-06)
various comedy clubs and venues in New York, various prices
“Every autumn, the changing of the leaves also brings the best fall festivals in NYC. The New York Comedy Festival, produced by Carolines on Broadway in association with Comedy Network, is one of them (not to mention one of the best NYC events in November). Whether you want to see the stars from cutting-edge television programs, touring powerhouses or even hometown heroes who happen to be some of the 50 funniest New Yorkers, there’s a show for you—just another something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

=======================================================
Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite 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
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474

=======================================================================
♦ 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

=======================================================================

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:
‘FROM THE COLLECTION: 1960-1969’ (through March 2017)
“MoMA shakes up its sanctum sanctorum, installing half of its permanent collection galleries with works chosen by 17 curators from a single decade: the tumultuous 1960s. The limited time frame is balanced by unprecedented breadth and variety. As never before, the presentation mixes together objects and artworks from all six of the museum’s curatorial departments. The blend is alternately stimulating and bewildering, revelatory and infuriating: yet another symptom of the museum’s limited curatorial mind-set. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith)
‘TONY OURSLER: IMPONDERABLE’ (through April. 16)
“This small exhibition is centered on a 90-minute film in which episodes from the history of spiritualist frauds and hoaxes are re-enacted by people in fanciful costumes while mystic flames, smoke and ectoplasmic phenomena come and go. At certain moments during “Imponderable,” you feel breezes wafting over you and hear loud thumping under the theater’s risers. The crudeness of these effects is part of the generally comical spirit. It’s all about the confusion between illusion and reality to which human beings seem to be congenitally susceptible. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Johnson)

Whitney Museum of American Art:
‘CARMEN HERRERA: LINES OF SIGHT’ (through Jan.02, 2017)
“At 101, the artist Carmen Herrera is finally getting the show the art world should have given her half a century ago: a solo exhibition at a major museum in New York, where she has lived and worked since 1954. This compact but ravishing exhibition of about 50 works focuses on the pivotal period of 1948-78 — years in which Ms. Herrera developed her signature geometric abstractions, pared-down paintings of just two colors but seemingly infinite spatial complications. Although it’s not the full retrospective Ms. Herrera deserves, the Whitney’s show presents her as an artist of formidable discipline, consistency and clarity of purpose, and a key player in postwar art history. 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Rosenberg)
‘HUMAN INTEREST: PORTRAITS FROM THE WHITNEY’S COLLECTION’ (through Feb.12, 2017)
“A year ago, the Whitney inaugurated its new downtown home with a permanent collection showcase called “America Is Hard to See.” Its even more immediately engaging successor, devoted entirely to portraiture, is now on view and might well have been subtitled “Americans Are Strange to Look At,” which, in the 250 images here, we sure are: funny-strange, beautiful-strange, crazy-strange, dangerous-strange, inscrutable-strange. The work is arranged by theme and spread over two floors. There are magnetic images everywhere. 99 Gansevoort Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Cotter)

“DREAMLANDS: IMMERSIVE CINEMA AND ART’, 1905-2016′ (thru Feb.05, 2017)
“The Whitney’s new exhibit offers visitors a chance to explore more than a century of experimentation in cinema, mostly by American artists. See works that question and play with elements such as color, touch, music, spectacle, light and darkness, animation and dimension. There will be a film series in addition to the 18,000 square feet of gallery space devoted to the show.” (Newsday)

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 11/01 and 10/30.
=======================================================

Subway Time
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Train and Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
==========================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged BEACH HOUSE, Debo Band, MIND: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, Vitamania: How Vitamins Revolutionized the Way We Think About Food | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (11/02) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 11/02/2016 by GregD

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

LUCIANA SOUZA TRIO
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30
“Ms. Souza, originally from São Paulo, Brazil, has used her voice as an instrument of empathy and intimacy, cultural linkage and poetic disquisition. Sometimes, too, she has used it as an instrument in a more literal sense — the main point of her most recent album, “Speaking in Tongues.” She’s likely to draw on that notion here with two virtuoso colleagues, the guitarist Romero Lubambo and the percussionist Cyro Baptista.” (Chinen-NYT)

Jarrod Spector: Jukebox Life (thru Nov.05)
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $45-$60
“After playing high-flying tenor Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys for six years and songwriter Barry Mann in Beautiful for three, jukebox-musical hero Spector heads back to the nightclub stage with an autobiographical set of pop and Broadway favorites.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

The Adventure Club Behind-the-Scenes Experience
@ Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (Exact Location on Ticket) 89 E42nd St./ 10AM-1:30PM, $59
‘The New York Adventure Club specializes in rare, intimate tours of treasured city spaces, often at nontraditional hours: past events have included a late-night walk through Grant’s Tomb and a hard-hat tour of an abandoned hospital on Ellis Island. This week, the club invites guests into the bowels of Grand Central Terminal. Attendees will have access to several walled-off areas, including the Operations Control Center and the Situation Room. Closed-toe shoes are required, and participants should be prepared to scale eight flights of steps in high temperatures.” (NewYorker)

“Hollywood on the Campaign Trail,” with Max Alvarez, an author and public speaker with over 20 years of experience in the areas of journalism, media criticism, archival research, teaching, and cultural programming.
Mid-Manhattan Public Library / 6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture features a journey down the Hollywood campaign trail with scenes and discussions of such poli-sci classics as The Candidate (1972), The Best Man (1964), The Great Man Votes (1939), and others. Truth may be stranger than fiction during this election year, but these and other films of the machinations behind U.S. political campaigning never cease to be timely, provocative, and entertaining.”

====================================

Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite music venues, most on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

==================================================================================
♦ 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

=================================================================================

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

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

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

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
==================================================================================

3 Good Eating Places

It’s not difficult finding a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

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

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

Xi’an Famous Foods – 24 W45th St. (Btw 5th/6th ave)
Try to avoid long lunch lines. Order lamb hand ripped noodles and warm your insides at one of the tables in the back. You’ll return, just remember that even mild is pretty spicy.
==============================================================
“3 Good Eating Places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 Premier Pubs 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 2017).
◊ Order before Mar. 30, 2017 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
==============================================================

Subway Time
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged "Hollywood on the Campaign Trail, Ann Hampton Callaway, CHICK COREA AT THE BLUE NOTE, Jarrod Spector: Jukebox Life, LUCIANA SOUZA TRIO, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, The Adventure Club Behind-the-Scenes Experience @ Grand Central Terminal | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (11/01) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 11/01/2016 by GregD

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

NEW YORK TASTE
the Waterfront, 269 11th Ave, btw 27th&28th St./ 6-9PM, $100+
“You definitely want to arrive at this annual food festival with an empty stomach. More than 40 restaurants, chefs and mixologists will offer all-you-can-handle samples of their culinary creations. Among the chefs are Dan Barber, of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and Jessica Weiss of Marta and Maialino. The full lineup is at taste.nymag.com.” (NYT-AroundTown)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

‘STAND UP FOR HEROES’
Theater at Madison Square Garden / 8PM, $
“Now in its 10th year, this benefit for war veterans, established in part by the ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff, will feature top comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Jim Gaffigan and Louis C.K. But Bruce Springsteen, who published a best-selling memoir, “Born to Run,” in September, will provide the evening’s musical highlight. Mr. Springsteen will perform a stripped-back acoustic set of rarities and hits — and, as in years past, share plenty of unfiltered jokes and asides, both political and personal.”

LOU DONALDSON QUARTET: LOU AT 90
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St and Broadway / 7:30PM +9:30PM, $
“The alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, who does indeed turn 90 on Tuesday, could be forgiven for coasting on his contributions to hard bop and soul jazz. But if he isn’t the quicksilver force he once was on the horn, he’s no less an entertainer and aphorist, and he has strong support in his band, who should have no problem with a festive agenda.” (Chinen-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

CARRIE BROWNSTEIN AND GEORGE SAUNDERS
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th St./ 7:30PM, $
“The latest taping of “Selected Shorts,” a podcast in which actors read the works of writers, features Ms. Brownstein (“Portlandia”) in partnership with the short-story master George Saunders (“Tenth of December”). Additional performers include Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother”) and Denis O’Hare (“American Horror Story”).” (NYT-AoundTown)

Focus: The Secret, Sexy, Sometimes Sordid World of Fashion Photographers, with Michael Gross, author of New York Times bestsellers House of Outrageous Fortune, 740 Park, and Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Rogues’ Gallery, and Unreal Estate.
Mid Manhattan Public Library/ 6:30 PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture brings to life the wild genius, ego, passion, and antics of the men (and a few women) behind the camera.”

=====================================================

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:

==================================================================================
♦ 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Two exhibitions TimeOutNewYork likes:

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 10/30 and 10/28.
======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ‘STAND UP FOR HEROES’, CARRIE BROWNSTEIN AND GEORGE SAUNDERS, Focus: The Secret, Jarrod Spector: Jukebox Life, LOU DONALDSON QUARTET: LOU AT 90, NEW YORK TASTE, Sexy, Sometimes Sordid World of Fashion Photographers | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (10/31) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 10/31/2016 by GregD

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Village Halloween Parade
Sixth Ave., heading north from Canal St. to 16th St./ 7PM, FREE
“Everyone’s invited—but costumes are required—to march in this wild parade, one of the city’s most exuberant traditions, now in its forty-third year. “It’s a time for people in the most modern city in the world to come out and behave in a completely primitive way,” Jeanne Fleming, the event’s longtime director, told The New Yorker in 1989. This year’s theme is “Reverie,” evoking the transformative power of the masquerade along with Halloween’s purge of the mischievous spirit. The parade will feature more than fifty-three bands, hundreds of giant puppets, and thousands of New Yorkers letting out their inner monsters.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Ellington, Basie, and Beyond:
Big Band Jazz, with John Wriggle
Week Four: More Swing Era: Expanding the Tools (1940s)
Rose Hall, 5th floor, Broadway and 60th St./ 6:30PM, $35 pm
“In the 1940s, the big bands grew in size, and became more ambitious in scope, not only playing for dancers but also for concert-goers as well. Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Claude Thornhill, and many others strove to expand the form beyond its dance-based roots, and helped to create a uniquely American form of concert music.”

Crossing the Abode of Death
The Explorers Club, 6 E. 70th St./ 6PM, $25
“This is the tale of the recreation of the first ever crossing of the largest sand desert on earth—the Empty Quarter of Arabia. The journey of 1,300 km reached Doha in Qatar on January 27th 2016, after 49 days on foot and by camel through Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Until 2016, all requests to repeat the historic first crossing which took place in 1930/31 had been denied by the Saudi Arabian government. Thanks to high level patronage, Explorers Club Fellow Mark Evans was able to secure the support of King Salman of Saudi Arabia, and by Royal Command was allowed to enter and cross Saudi Arabia at a remote border crossing, and so complete the first ever crossing of the largest sand desert on earth since the original expedition 85 years prior.”

Speaking of Science: Climate Change and Nuclear Power
New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 W64th St./ 6:30PM, $10
As our world warms, our relationship to nuclear power evolves. Michel Lee leads a conversation that touches on engineering, disaster science, climatology, limnology, and oceanography (for starters). It’s been almost four decades since the U.S. was active in the reactor construction business. Should that change?” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Author @ the Library:
Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience, with Melanie Kirkpatrick, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a former deputy editor of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page.
Mid-Manhattan Library / 6:30PM, FREE
“This lecture brings to life the full history of the holiday and what it has meant to generations of Americans.”

ARCHTOBER (LAST DAY)
TODAY’S events include: National September 11 Memorial & Museum / 12PM
The Stories They Tell: Trees of Steel
“Every Monday in October, 9/11 Memorial staff will present a short talk about the architectural history of the World Trade Center site as exemplified by the tridents, iconic forked beams that withstood the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11. These talks will take place in the Museum Auditorium and are free with Museum admission.”

==================================================

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 (all six are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
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 – 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

==================================================================================
♦ 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St))

There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.
But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.

There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.

Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.

It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.

Website: http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html
Phone #: 212-219-2970
Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun
Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps
Music: Mon/Wed 8pm
Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk E 1 blk to Church; N 1 blk to bFlat

==================================================================================
“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.

================================================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS:
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.
OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.
Subway Time
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
========================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Archtober, Crossing the Abode of Death, Ellington Basie and Beyond, new york events, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, Speaking of Science: Climate Change and Nuclear Power, Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience, Village Halloween Parade | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (10/30) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 10/30/2016 by GregD

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

The Ghost Train Orchestra: The Unsung Composers of Harlem and Chicago Jazz at the Height of the Prohibition
Dizzy’s Club, Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St.&Broadway / 7:30PM, $40
Presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the New York Hot Jazz Festival

“It’s hot jazz weekend at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola! For the first set of our final night, co-presented with the New York Hot Jazz Festival, we welcome Brooklyn’s Ghost Train Orchestra. This little big band is renowned for performing almost-forgotten musical gems of the 1920s, ‘30s, and ‘40s. For one set only, they will light up the stage with tunes from 1926–1931, originally made famous by Tiny Parham, Charlie Johnson, Fess Williams, John Nesbitt, and Don Redman.”

This set is part of Hot Jazz Age: From the First Jazz Recording to the Dawn of Swing (1917-1934), presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the New York Hot Jazz Festival, October 28-30.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

CHICK COREA AT THE BLUE NOTE
Blue Note, 131 W 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $
“Mr. Corea recently turned 75, and decided to celebrate with a big gesture: an eight-week club engagement, with a highlight reel of bands. This weekend he closes out a stretch with For Miles, an all-star, multi-era tribute to Miles Davis.
Next Wednesday and Thursday he revisits the music from his 1981 album “Three Quartets,” leading a band with Ben Solomon on saxophones, Eddie Gomez on bass and Steve Gadd on drums.
For a full schedule, visit bluenote.net.” (Chinen-NYT)

AMERICAN BALLET THEATER (LAST DAY)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center/ 2PM, $30-$160
“Ballet Theater’s fall season concludes with Benjamin Millepied’s Greek-inspired “Daphnis and Chloe,” which is joined by Frederick Ashton’s intimate midcentury study in pure classicism, “Symphonic Variations, and delicate “Monotones I and II” (Brian Schaefer-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

A CITY AND A CHURCH: THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL AND THE STREETS BEYOND THE DOORS
St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway at Fulton St./ 4:15PM, FREE
“This weekend is the 250th anniversary of St. Paul’s Chapel, a history-rich house of worship that survived both the Revolutionary War and the attacks of Sept. 11. (The tiny church is across the street from the World Trade Center site.) Learn more about the history of St. Paul’s at this talk with Kenneth Jackson, a professor of history and social sciences at Columbia University.” (NYT-AroundTown)

ARCHTOBER (through Oct. 31)
TODAY’S events include:
Building of the Day: The Battery
“After 22 years, the redesign of The Battery, one of the city’s most historic and dramatic public spaces, is more than 90% complete. Quennell Rothschild & Partners was part of the team leading The Battery’s transformation from an asphalt-intensive Moses-era park into a verdant oasis worthy of its history and role as global destination. The Battery Conservancy and the New York City Parks Department are the clients.

The park’s major gathering space, The Battery Oval, opened this summer. A two-acre lawn shaded by mature trees, the Oval can accommodate up to 10,000 people. Also complete is the restoration and relocation of ten of the 23 monuments representing our nation’s explorers, defenders, and inventors. Previously scattered haphazardly around the park, these monuments have been moved to positions of dignified prominence along The Battery’s perimeter. The bidirectional, dedicated bikeway, is flanked with colorful plantings by Piet Oudolf; cyclists also benefit from an upgraded comfort station. Sustainable features include the reduction of impervious areas and new paths that minimize risk to the 250 old trees. These improvements join The Battery’s existing attractions—breathtaking harbor views, the lush Bosque Gardens, SeaGlass Carousel, and Battery Urban Farm.”

“Tours, talks, exhibitions — it’s difficult to keep track of all the events going on during New York’s annual monthlong celebration of architecture and design. Each day features a building of the day, with a tour. Make reservations early; coveted tours sell out quickly. More information at archtober.org.” (NYT-AroundTown)

Elsewhere, but this one looks like fun, and worth the detour:

The Science of Fear
A Talk by Dr. Rosemarie Perry, Ph.D.
Post Office, 188 Havemeyer St./ 7PM, FREE, requires registration
Celebrate Halloween and Science with Know Science!
Costumes encouraged!

BOO!
It’s that spooky time of year again. Whether it’s ghosts, clowns, or something else that you fear, it’s a feeling we’ve all experienced before. But what is fear? Is it helpful or harmful? And from where does fear originate? In this talk, Dr. Perry will answer these questions and more as she discusses the science of fear and how it operates in our bodies.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

PLUS FOR CIDER FANS – CIDER WEEK (LAST DAY)
“Spend a week flitting about Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Hudson Valley sipping on dozens of hard ciders from makers including Original Sin, Eve’s Cidery, Foggy Ridge Cider, Steampunk Cider and more. The cider celebration includes tastings, dinners and classes (like a cider and cheese pairing class), as well as centerpiece events like the Lower East Cider Fest on Sunday and the Cider Revival on Monday.”

WHEN | WHERE Friday, Oct. 21, to Sunday, Oct. 30, at various venues including the Lower East Cider Fest on Orchard Street between Houston and Delancey streets INFO Free-$250; ciderweeknyc.com. (Newsday)

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Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite music venues, most on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

==================================================================================
♦ 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 58 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.

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

and you should be sure to check out the special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish)

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (SUN 11am-1pm PWYW) 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 10/28 and 10/26.
=============================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A CITY AND A CHURCH: THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL AND THE STREETS BEYOND THE DOORS, American Ballet Theater, Archtober, CHICK COREA AT THE BLUE NOTE, The Science of Fear, The Unsung Composers of Harlem and Chicago Jazz at the Height of the Prohibition | Leave a comment

	Darin on October NYC Events + NYC Weeke…
	Darin on Selected Events (10/13) + Toda…

Today’s Fab5 NYC Events > TUESDAY/NOV 08, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Today’s Sweet6 NYC Events > MONDAY/NOV 07, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Sweet6 NYC Events > SUNDAY/NOV 06, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Midtown West.

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Today’s Sweet7 NYC Events > SATURDAY/NOV 05, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Today’s Sweet6 NYC Events > FRIDAY/NOV 04, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

3 Good Eating places

Today’s Sweet6 NYC Events > THURSDAY/NOV 03, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Today’s Sweet6 NYC Events>WEDNESDAY/NOV 02, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment. ==================================================================================

Today’s Sweet6 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ NOV 01, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Sweet6 NYC Events > MONDAY/ OCT 31, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St))

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 Sweet6 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ OCT 30, 2016

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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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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