Selected Events (06/14) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 06/14/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > TUESDAY / JUNE 14, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Ethan Iverson Quintet (thru June 19)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $30
“As a member of the Bad Plus, the pianist and composer Iverson keeps his eye trained to the future; as an obsessive jazz fan, he reveres his elders, seizing any chance to play with honored musicians. Here he tangles with the great tenor saxophonist Houston Person, a soulful stylist who, in old-school form, can grease a blues song or offer a warm-bath ballad.” (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Marissa Mulder: Marilyn in Fragments
Laurie Beechman Theatre at the West Bank Cafe / 7PM, $20
“As comfortable singing Tom Waits as she is singing Noël Coward, the winsomely natural Mulder is one of the cabaret world’s biggest breakout successes of the past five years. Her new set is devoted to the fractured image of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe.” (TONY)

Mario Pavone
Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St./ 8PM +9:30PM, $10
“Few jazz musicians are blessed with an artistic resurgence after the age of seventy, but the bassist and composer Pavone, who is seventy-five, has recently been enjoying a renaissance as an incisive post-bop bandleader. His ensemble finds room for distinctive younger improvisers, including the saxophonist Tony Malaby and the trumpeter Dave Ballou.” (NewYorker)

American Ballet Theater (through July 2)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / $
“This weekend brings three more performances of “The Golden Cockerel,” Alexei Ratmansky’s sumptuous update of a popular comedic ballet by Michel Fokine for the Ballets Russes. Mr. Ratmansky tells the story of a magical rooster in czarist Russia with a heavy dose of mime and folk dance. Beginning Monday, it’s “Swan Lake” time as Ballet Theater’s stellar women take turns in the iconic dual role of the virtuous swan queen, Odette, and her devious doppelgänger, Odile.” (Schaefer-NYT)
Mondays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Cymande
Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn,/ 8PM, $25
“Unlike other cherished bands with a small output and a dense, you-had-to-be-there history, this legendary British funk group is still touring and recording, refusing to let its story fossilize. It’s a fearlessness that’s easy to trace back to the group’s origins. Nine self-taught Caribbean-born Londoners developed a singular, complicated take on funk, calypso, rock, jazz, and several other sounds gestating in their city’s streets and clubs—they called it “nyah-rock.”

Innovative but directionless, the band stopped performing in 1975, until residual checks from deep-house and rap records sampling their old limited presses began trickling in two decades later. They’ve had a sinuous career since then, peppered with tours and near-hits, and in 2015 they released an all-new album, “A Simple Act of Faith,” to the fevered praise of funk archivists. The biggest payoff may come after the gig, when digging through their back catalogue.” (NewYorker)

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

TODAY: Museum Mile Festival (see below)

Modern Forms: Matisse, Picasso, and Pollock
Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave./ 1PM, FREE w museum admission
“Join Jay A. Clarke, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, The Clark, as she addresses the liberation of drawing in the first half of the twentieth century as the medium’s function shifted from preparatory to independent. Practitioners such as Matisse, Picasso, and Pollock embraced elements of chance, radical spatial construction, and the subconscious in their graphic production. Clarke will consider how the very practice of drawing encouraged artists to grapple with changing modern forms as they worked in line, wash, and collage.”

John Vassos: Industrial Design for Modern Life
New York Public Library—Main Building, 476 Fifth Ave./ 6PM, FREE
“What should a television look like? How should a radio dial feel to the touch? This program will discuss industrial designer John Vassos’s contribution to the design of radio and television when they were new. In John Vassos: Industrial Design for Modern Life, Danielle Shapiro is the first to examine the life and work of John Vassos (1898-1985), a Greek émigré and an important industrial designer and Art Deco illustrator who shaped the look and feel of modern technology as Radio Corporation of America’s key consultant designer through the rise of radio and television and into the computer era. More than a half century before the iPod, Vassos recognized the significance of design to make machines user friendly including RCA’s first mass produced television set which had its spectacular premier at the 1939/1940 New York World’s Fair.”

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Bonus – 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

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 in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

TODAY: Museum Mile Festival
Museum Mile, Fifth Ave between 82nd and 105th Sts./ 6-9PM, FREE
This festival is back for its 38th year, which turns Fifth Avenue into the city’s largest block party. Live music and entertainment flood the streets while museums open their doors to the public at no charge. This year’s participants include Museum of the City of New York, the Jewish Museum, Cooper Hewitt, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Neue Galerie New York and more.

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:
“Moholy-Nagy: Future Present,”  (through Sept. 7)
“A key innovator in the fields of kinetic sculpture and cameraless photography, Moholy-Nagy (1895–1946) was one of the giants of 20th-century modernism, who pioneered the use of ephemeral materials like plastics. The Hungarian-born artist was an instructor at the legendary Bauhaus in Germany before he eventually moved to Chicago to continue his teaching. This retrospective is his first in 50 years.” (TONY)

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

Onassis Cultural Center:
‘Gods and Mortals at Olympus: Ancient Dion, City of Zeus’ (through June 18)
“It’s easy to spot first-time visitors to the Onassis Cultural Center. They’re the people shaking their heads in disbelief at the art treasures they’ve come across, for free, in basement galleries in a Fifth Avenue high-rise next to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. And the center’s current show truly is a wonder and a gift: a trove of ancient artifacts, excavated over some four decades, from a city that once flourished on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus in northern Greece. The exhibition includes marble sculptures and mosaics from the city’s temples, baths and cemeteries in an installation filled with the sounds of birds that inhabit the site today. Magical. , 645 Fifth Avenue, at 51st Street, Manhattan, 212-486-4448, onassisusa.org; free. (Cotter-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) (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).
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 06/12 and 06/10.
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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.
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Selected Events (06/13) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 06/13/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > MONDAY / JUNE 13, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Barenaked Ladies + Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark + Howard Jones
Central Park, SummerStage Mainstage/ 5PM, $52
“It’s been nearly two decades since Canada’s Barenaked Ladies first released “One Week,” but we’re sure the infuriatingly earwormy tune will stick in our heads for centuries to come (gift or a curse?). The crew turns up for an outdoor gig at SummerStage to crank out its irreverent ’90s throwback pop once more.” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Dixie Chicks
Madison Square Garden/ 7PM, $
“Much has been made of these country aces’ recent cover of “Daddy Lessons,” a twangy barnburner from Beyoncé’s “Lemonade.” But this talented trio was merely getting started; in its first headlining tour in 10 years, the group will also tackle rock tracks by Bob Dylan, Lana Del Rey and Patty Griffin, as well as pluck from its own pop-leaning catalog, which has netted the group 13 Grammys to date.” (Anderson-NYT)

A Funny Thing Happened: Songs from the Road to Broadway
54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $40
“Sometimes a single song can save a show. This June, three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshallcomes to the Feinstein’s/54 Below stage to share the nail-biting stories behind the 11th-hour songs that saved the day and became Broadway classics in “A Funny Thing Happened: Songs From The Road To Broadway,” direct from a sold-out run at the 92nd Street Y.” (broadwayworld.com)

American Ballet Theater (through July 2)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / $
“This weekend brings three more performances of “The Golden Cockerel,” Alexei Ratmansky’s sumptuous update of a popular comedic ballet by Michel Fokine for the Ballets Russes. Mr. Ratmansky tells the story of a magical rooster in czarist Russia with a heavy dose of mime and folk dance. Beginning Monday, it’s “Swan Lake” time as Ballet Theater’s stellar women take turns in the iconic dual role of the virtuous swan queen, Odette, and her devious doppelgänger, Odile.” (Schaefer-NYT)
Mondays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

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

Crooked Brooklyn: Taking Down Corrupt Judges, Dirty Politicians, Killers and Body Snatchers
New York Public Library – Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave./6:30PM, FREE
“With Michael Vecchione, retired Chief of the Rackets Division of the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, and Jerry Schmetterer, print and broadcast journalist. This talk is a gritty story of corruption, greed and law enforcement, and is filled with characters and stories ripped straight from the tabloids.”

Are We Alone in the Universe?
New York Academy of Sciences, 250 Greenwich St., 40th Fl/ 7:30PM, $15
“The Fermi Paradox—the apparent contradiction between the high probability of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of contact with such civilizations—continues to captivate our minds. Are we alone in the universe or were other civilizations destroyed as a result of ecological catastrophes or conflict? Join our panel of leading physicists and philosophers as they explore Enrico Fermi’s question: “Where is everybody?” as well as other questions: How does scientific knowledge direct our future scientific and technological pursuits on Earth and in space? How does science inform human ethics? Does science make us better citizens of the universe?” (thoughtGallery.org)

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Bonus – 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 – 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

==================================================================================
♦ 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 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’. ”

maxresdefaultEach 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.

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“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 Fall 2016).
◊ Order before Sept. 30, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
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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 , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (06/12) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 06/12/2016 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > SUNDAY / JUNE 12, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Brian Wilson
McCarren Park, Bedford Ave. and N12th St./ gates open 5PM, Brian Wilson 8:15PM, $35.
“It would be nice.
The Beach Boys’ classic album Pet Sounds just turned 50, so Brian Wilson and his touring band (which includes original Beach Boy Al Jardine) are playing it in its entirety at Williamsburg’s Northside Festival. Come decide if ballads like “God Only Knows” still hold up.” (NYMagazine) Rising garage-pop band Hinds opens the show, followed by producer, composer and former Vampire Weekend member ROSTAM.

Not Manhattans Westside, but this is Brooklyn’s Westside, and worth the detour.
subway: easy ride across on the L to Bedford St. (1st stop in Bklyn)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Terell Stafford Quintet (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30PM +10:30PM $30
“On his most recent album, “Brotherlee Love,” Terell Stafford pays homage to one of his clear trumpet influences, Lee Morgan. The album features an irreproachable hard-bop crew, including the saxophonist Tim Warfield Jr., the pianist Bruce Barth and the bassist Peter Washington, who rejoin him here; Billy Williams completes the band on drums.”(Chinen-NYT)

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (thru June 19)
NYS/DHK Theater, LincolnCenter/ 3PM +7:30PM, $50+
Contemporary meets classic.
“This season, five programs cover oodles of new and classic works. Robert Battle’s The Hunt, inspired by his martial-arts background, is a fierce showcase for the company’s awe-inspiring male dancers, and the return of Alvin Ailey’s iconic solo Cry (starring Linda Celeste Sims), dedicated in 1971 to “black women everywhere,” feels especially timely.”(Rebecca Milzoff-NY Mag)

Chelsea Music Festival (through Thursday)
“The Chelsea Music Festival, seems more inventive than ever this summer. It’s hard to detail the varied offerings, which bring together the performing, culinary and visual arts under the theme of “Gravity 350,” honoring the anniversary of Isaac Newton’s discovery. The gala opening reception, “The Elements of Gravity,” has culinary delicacies followed by a concert of Saint-Saens, Elgar, Rebel and the festival’s composer in residence, Michael Gandolfi. There will be late-night jazz programs, chamber music, family concerts and much more. Check the website for details. (It runs through June 18.)”
(Anthony Tommasini-NYT)

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

Big Apple Barbecue
Madison Square Park, Fifth Avenue at 23rd St./ 11AM-6PM, $
“The country’s top pit masters will meet up in Madison Square Park this weekend for the annual Big Apple Barbecue party. This year’s lineup includes a new entrant (Dallas’s Hutchins BBQ) along with returning favorites like Sam Jones of North Carolina’s Skylight Inn and Billy Durney of Red Hook’s Hometown Bar-B-Que. VIP ticket packages start at $275 and allow guests to skip the line at all barbecue stands.” (VillageVoice)

Food Loves Tech expo
The Waterfront, 269 11th Ave./ 12PM-7PM, $50
“Food Loves Tech is a first-of-its-kind innovation expo. Arranged as a series of large-scale exhibits, Food Loves Tech (FLT) will link multiple immersive installations, technology tastings, leadership panels and dining experiences to explore and celebrate the future of food through technology

Bringing together food tech innovators, start-ups and thought-leaders with food aficionados and enthusiasts alike, FLT aims to invigorate the conversation, and ultimately, change the way we think about food in the future.” (edible)

Jazz Age Lawn Party
Governors Island, various times and prices
“Slap on your spats and practice the Charleston because the Jazz Age Lawn party is returning to Governor’s Island. Sip on Prohibition-era cocktails like a classic St-Germain with mineral water and a twist or a glass of bubbly and none of the back-alley hooch of the day. Food vendors will be on hand to keep your Lindy Hop hoppin’.” (TONY)

American Crafts Festival
Lincoln Center, 65th St at Columbus Ave./ 10AM-7PM, FREE
“Lincoln Center plays host to 380 jury-selected craft vendors from across the country at this nifty fair. Find glasswork and handmade leather pieces you never knew you needed, and indulge in some one-of-a-kind new threads from regional designers with special weekend-only rates. If you’re not looking to spend your rent check redecorating your apartment in one go, then head to demonstrations on weaving, spindling and enjoy live music.” (TONY)

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

Bonus – 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

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 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:

‘Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty’ (through July 24)
“Among the greats of late 19th-century French painting, Degas remained closest to tradition and its focus on the human body, which may explain why this large but thrillingly intimate show is his first solo at the Modern. It focuses his monotypes — the most seductive of all print mediums — and their modernizing effect on his art, revealing with exceptional clarity a radical merging of subject and process that brought new liveliness to depictions of the body and to art itself. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith)

‘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)

 Whitney Museum of American Art:

‘Human Interest: Portraits From the Whitney’s Collection’ (through Feb. 12)
“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)

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 06/10 and 06/08.
=======================================================

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 Train and Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
==========================================================

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Selected Events (06/11) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 06/11/2016 by GregD

Today’s Nifty 9 > SATURDAY / JUNE 11, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Maria Schneider Orchestra (LAST DAY)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM +11PM, $50
“The Thompson Fields,” Schneider’s vivid and poetic 2015 release, continued a stirring and deserving winning streak for this celebrated composer, arranger, and bandleader. Balancing heft and enticing tonal textures with melodic verve, her ingenious scores—as interpreted by her loyal ensemble—have set the bar high for contemporary big bands.”(NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (thru June 19)
NYS/DHK Theater, LincolnCenter/ 2PM +8PM, $50+
Contemporary meets classic.
“This season, five programs cover oodles of new and classic works. Robert Battle’s The Hunt, inspired by his martial-arts background, is a fierce showcase for the company’s awe-inspiring male dancers, and the return of Alvin Ailey’s iconic solo Cry (starring Linda Celeste Sims), dedicated in 1971 to “black women everywhere,” feels especially timely.”(Rebecca Milzoff-NY Mag)

‘Lush Life: Celebrating 100 Years of Billy Strayhorn’
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway / 8PM, $85+
Billy Strayhorn is remembered as one of jazz’s most elegant composers, working on his own and (especially) in partnership with Duke Ellington. For this centennial tribute, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led for the occasion by its pianist, Dan Nimmer, welcomes a guest: Johnny O’Neal, a veteran singer and pianist with keen insight into the fine, dissolute pathos of songs like “Lush Life,” a signature Strayhorn ballad.” (Chinen-NYT)

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This monthlong fete rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. A special highlight in the coming week is Sangam, an intuitive, shape-shifting trio comprising the multi-reedist Charles Lloyd, the tabla player Zakir Hussain and the drummer Eric Harland, on Saturday at Town Hall. Among the other strong offerings are a quartet led by the bassist Christian McBride, at the Blue Note Jazz Club from Tuesday through June 19; and the organist Cory Henry with his band, the Funk Apostles, at the Highline on Thursday. A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen-NYT)

Chelsea Music Festival (through Thursday)
“The Chelsea Music Festival, seems more inventive than ever this summer. It’s hard to detail the varied offerings, which bring together the performing, culinary and visual arts under the theme of “Gravity 350,” honoring the anniversary of Isaac Newton’s discovery. The gala opening reception, “The Elements of Gravity,” has culinary delicacies followed by a concert of Saint-Saens, Elgar, Rebel and the festival’s composer in residence, Michael Gandolfi. There will be late-night jazz programs, chamber music, family concerts and much more. Check the website for details. (It runs through June 18.)”
(Anthony Tommasini-NYT)

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

Jazz Age Lawn Party
Governors Island, various times and prices
“Slap on your spats and practice the Charleston because the Jazz Age Lawn party is returning to Governor’s Island. Sip on Prohibition-era cocktails like a classic St-Germain with mineral water and a twist or a glass of bubbly and none of the back-alley hooch of the day. Food vendors will be on hand to keep your Lindy Hop hoppin’.” (TONY)

Hawaiian Airlines Liberty Challenge
Hudson River Park, Pier 26; 10AM, luau 6PM
“Dust off your Hawaiian shirt, and get ready to enjoy a taste of the Pacific Islands from the edge of Manhattan. Hawaiian Airlines is bringing the Liberty Challenge to the Hudson River for an outrigger regatta, during which you can watch teams from around the world compete as you enjoy Polynesian music and dance, food trucks, a beer garden and a traditional Hawaiian luau.” (TONY)

The Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam, Tracing the Castello Plan
Untapped Cities Tour/ 2PM, $30
“At first glance, it might seem like there’s not much left of Dutch New Amsterdam, but there’s much more than meets the eye. The Dutch influence is felt in many hidden relics south of Wall Street. This includes the massive one hidden in plain sight: the original street grid embedded in lower Manhattan grid today.

Join author, playwright, and Untapped Cities guide, Justin Rivers (who also leads our Remnants of Penn Station tour), complete with Manhattan’s first map in hand as you trace the streets of Manhattan in 1667. You’ll hear about New York’s founding myths and facts while standing in the very spots they all happened. Tour highlights include a look at the remains of Manhattan’s first City Hall, a walk of the city’s original coast line, discovering the original Dutch fort, wind mill, and the original battery. Physically touch history as we also spend time finding out why Bowling Green has its name and why it’s been so important in our city’s history.”

American Crafts Festival
Lincoln Center, 65th St at Columbus Ave./ 10AM-7PM, FREE
“Lincoln Center plays host to 380 jury-selected craft vendors from across the country at this nifty fair. Find glasswork and handmade leather pieces you never knew you needed, and indulge in some one-of-a-kind new threads from regional designers with special weekend-only rates. If you’re not looking to spend your rent check redecorating your apartment in one go, then head to demonstrations on weaving, spindling and enjoy live music.” (TONY)

=====================================================
Bonus – 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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

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.

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In 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).
=========================================================
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.

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

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.
=========================================================

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Selected Events (06/10) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 06/10/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > FRIDAY / JUNE 10, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

‘Lush Life: Celebrating 100 Years of Billy Strayhorn’ (also Saturday)
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway / 8PM, $85+
Billy Strayhorn is remembered as one of jazz’s most elegant composers, working on his own and (especially) in partnership with Duke Ellington. For this centennial tribute, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led for the occasion by its pianist, Dan Nimmer, welcomes a guest: Johnny O’Neal, a veteran singer and pianist with keen insight into the fine, dissolute pathos of songs like “Lush Life,” a signature Strayhorn ballad.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This monthlong fete rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. A special highlight in the coming week is Sangam, an intuitive, shape-shifting trio comprising the multi-reedist Charles Lloyd, the tabla player Zakir Hussain and the drummer Eric Harland, on Saturday at Town Hall. Among the other strong offerings are a quartet led by the bassist Christian McBride, at the Blue Note Jazz Club from Tuesday through June 19; and the organist Cory Henry with his band, the Funk Apostles, at the Highline on Thursday. A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen-NYT)

Tonight, Arturo Sandoval  @ 8PM +10:30PM, $40, $55 @ the BlueNote
“Arturo Sandoval, a protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer. He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by millions at the Oscars, at the Grammy Awards, and the Billboard Awards.”

American Ballet Theater (through July 2)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center
“This weekend brings three more performances of “The Golden Cockerel,” Alexei Ratmansky’s sumptuous update of a popular comedic ballet by Michel Fokine for the Ballets Russes. Mr. Ratmansky tells the story of a magical rooster in czarist Russia with a heavy dose of mime and folk dance. Beginning Monday, it’s “Swan Lake” time as Ballet Theater’s stellar women take turns in the iconic dual role of the virtuous swan queen, Odette, and her devious doppelgänger, Odile.” (Schaefer-NYT)
Mondays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Chelsea Music Festival (through Thursday)
“The Chelsea Music Festival, opening today, seems more inventive than ever this summer. It’s hard to detail the varied offerings, which bring together the performing, culinary and visual arts under the theme of “Gravity 350,” honoring the anniversary of Isaac Newton’s discovery. The gala opening reception, “The Elements of Gravity,” has culinary delicacies followed by a concert of Saint-Saens, Elgar, Rebel and the festival’s composer in residence, Michael Gandolfi. There will be late-night jazz programs, chamber music, family concerts and much more. Check the website for details. (It runs through June 18.)”
(Anthony Tommasini-NYT)
Canoe Studios, 601 W26th St./ Opening gala: 7:30PM

After-hours museum events:
>Dance the night away at the American Museum of Natural History’s recurring One Step Beyond parties, which feature drinks and music at the Rose Center for Earth and Space. Tonight’s party will feature DJ sets by DâM-FunK, Waajeed, and Shawn Dub.
>OR Head over to the Rubin Museum of Art for K2 Friday Nights, with free museum admission from 6-10pm, a DJ, special programs, Happy Hour specials, Cabaret Cinema screenings, and pan-Asian tapas. (The Rubin also regularly offers evening music performances and screenings on other nights of the week.)” (ThoughtGallery.org)

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

Elsewhere, but these look worth the detours:
Point of Vision
Celebrating Women Artists in Fantasy and Science Fiction
Society of Illustrators, 128 East 63 St./ 6:30PM, $15
The opening reception for an exhibit celebrating female artists in fantasy and science fiction.

“When people think of the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre they often think of it as a male-dominated field, both in authorship and art. However, women have always been a critical part of the genre, and have often brought a slightly different point of view to the way that they create around the themes of myth, heroism, science, and futurism.

For the first time, the work of women in this genre will be exhibited together in Point of Vision: Celebrating Women Artists in Fantasy and Science Fiction.”

John Hay, Mark Twain and the Rise of American Imperialism
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 12PM, $25
“John Hay, famous as Lincoln’s private secretary and later as secretary of state under Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt, and Samuel Langhorne Clemens, famous for being “Mark Twain,” grew up 50 miles apart, on the banks of the Mississippi River, in the same rural antebellum stew of race and class and want.

Join award-winning documentarian Mark Zwonitzer as he discusses these extraordinary American figures and a time when their country was taking center stage in the world.”

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

Bonus – 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

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 in advance, even if it’s  just on the day of performance.
==============================================================================

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 the NewYorkTimes likes:

 Robert Ryman (through July 31)
“For nearly 60s years, the Minimalist painter Robert Ryman has had few equals when it comes to doing more with less. White has been his primary, if not quite his only, color, the square his typical format. And yet within these seeming limitations a remarkably fecund and resonant body of work has evolved as demonstrated with unusual clarity (and in natural light) by this small but comprehensive exhibition.
Dia: Chelsea, 535 West 22nd Street, 212-989-5566, diaart.org.” (Smith)

Richard Serra (through July 29)
“New works occupying Gagosian Gallery’s two Chelsea display spaces find Mr. Serra, at 76, still wrangling sculptural fundamentals into objects and installations of thrilling severity. At West 21st Street is a single, grand example of his mazes made from immense ribbons of rolled steel; West 24th Street hosts three works made of solid steel slabs as well as a drawing installation. In certain respects, the two exhibitions represent formal opposites. While the maze subordinates material to gravity-defying form, the slabs favor weighty raw material. What the two have in common is their awesomely expansive effects on consciousness.
Gagosian Gallery, 522 West 21st Street, 212-741-1717; and at 555 West 24th Street, Chelsea, 212-741-1111, gagosian.com.” (Johnson)

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 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).

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 06/08 and 06/06.
======================================================

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 , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (06/09) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 06/09/2016 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > THURSDAY / JUNE 09, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Arthur Avenue: Small Town Charm, Big City Appetite
Arthur Avenue Floral’s Amazing Space, 613-615 E187th St./ 7:00PM, $16
“Belmont, known as Arthur Avenue or the Little Italy of the Bronx — or, to some, “the real Little Italy” — is one of New York City’s oldest Italian-American neighborhoods. Generations of Italian families have given this neighborhood a small-town character and a strong culinary identity.

Though the neighborhood has changed, with Puerto Ricans, Albanians, and Fordham students outnumbering Italians, many shops and restaurants are still owned and operated by the families who opened them three generations ago. And many Italian-Americans return often to the neighborhood, maintaining cultural and economic ties through the purchase of specialty food items that have become part and parcel of their family traditions.

Join us for a conversation moderated by Dr. Rocco Marinaccio of Manhattan College and including Angel Hernandez of the Bronx County Historical Society, plus local business owners David Greco of Mike’s Deli, Gil Teitel of Teitel Brothers, and Vera Terranova of Terranova Bakery. Afterward, stay for a reception with tastings from the neighborhood.”

This will definitely require a detour, but oh boy, this is the real Little Italy. Mangia!

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (thru June 19)
NYS/DHK Theater, LincolnCenter/ 7:30PM, $25+
Contemporary meets classic.
“This season, five programs cover oodles of new and classic works. Robert Battle’s The Hunt, inspired by his martial-arts background, is a fierce showcase for the company’s awe-inspiring male dancers, and the return of Alvin Ailey’s iconic solo Cry (starring Linda Celeste Sims), dedicated in 1971 to “black women everywhere,” feels especially timely.”(Rebecca Milzoff-NY Mag)

Dominick Farinacci
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, 60th St. and Broadway/ 7:30PM + 9:30PM, $40
“Mr. Farinacci is a trumpeter with a soft gleam in his sound, though he brings true musicality to his crossover agenda. He’s celebrating the release of “Short Stories,” an album whose personnel includes the pianist Larry Goldings, the bassist Christian McBride and the drummer Steve Gadd. (His band won’t have quite the same star power here.)”
(Chinen-NYT)

Maria Schneider Orchestra (through June 11)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM +11PM, $
“The Thompson Fields,” Schneider’s vivid and poetic 2015 release, continued a stirring and deserving winning streak for this celebrated composer, arranger, and bandleader. Balancing heft and enticing tonal textures with melodic verve, her ingenious scores—as interpreted by her loyal ensemble—have set the bar high for contemporary big bands.”(NewYorker)

Terell Stafford Quintet (through June 12)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30PM +10:30PM $30
“On his most recent album, “Brotherlee Love,” Terell Stafford pays homage to one of his clear trumpet influences, Lee Morgan. The album features an irreproachable hard-bop crew, including the saxophonist Tim Warfield Jr., the pianist Bruce Barth and the bassist Peter Washington, who rejoin him here; Billy Williams completes the band on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

Vision Festival 21 (through June 12)
Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South,/ 7PM, $40
“This annual affair, the country’s leading summit meeting of avant-garde jazz, rumbles into its 21st season with a tribute to the bassist Henry Grimes, whose dramatic rediscovery and comeback happened in part on a Vision Festival stage. On Tuesday he’ll perform with admirers including the pianist Geri Allen, the guitarist Marc Ribot and the drummer Andrew Cyrille, in several different groups.

And the lineup on Thursday includes Cosmic Nickelodeon, a group led by the alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, with the pianist Matthew Shipp and others.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Tom Phillips on “A Beginner’s Life”
Book Culture, 536 W. 112th St./ 7PM, FREE
“Join us on Thursday, June 9th at 7pm for a discussion and reading by Tom Phillips from his book, A Beginner’s Life: The Adventures of Tom Philips.

As a journalist, Tom Phillips covered the turbulent second half of the 20th century from New York, Moscow, Prague, Beijing, South Africa and Somalia. As a seeker, he hitch-hiked across America, rode the rails to the four corners of India, sat with a Japanese Zen master, and encountered Christianity on a subway escalator. That’s just the surface of this engaging memoir, both a panorama of history and a personal account of a beginner’s life—one adventure after another.”

“Jackie Robinson in Quotes” with Danny Peary
Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, 67 E11th St./ 7PM, FREE
“When he was eight, Dad got into a name-calling fight with the little white girl who lived across the street. The children’s verbal battle was interrupted when the girl’s father came outside and started throwing rocks at my father.” -Sharon Robinson, Jackie’s daughter

The life story of arguably the most important baseball player in history, with quotations by and about him.

Danny Peary has skillfully curated the best quotes to shed new light on the man behind number 42. Featured are quotes by Jackie Robinson, his widow Rachel, other family members, friends, teammates, coaches, members of the media, and many more.”

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

Bonus – 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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

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.

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

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

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Selected Events (06/08) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 06/08/2016 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > WEDNESDAY / JUNE 08, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Celebrate Brooklyn! (at the Prospect Park Bandshell)
Prospect Park West and 9th St. Park Slope, Brooklyn/ 8:15PM, FREE
“Ms. Jones and the Dap-Kings, the finest soul-funk revivalists in town, deliver a spectacle to rival James Brown on “The T.A.M.I. Show” each time they perform. After undergoing treatment for cancer, Ms. Jones has resumed blazing her way across stages to promote the group’s latest albums, “Give the People What They Want” and “It’s a Holiday Soul Party.” They return to Prospect Park Bandshell, a stage they’ve decimated before, to open the wonderful BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! festival.” (Anderson-NYT)

OK, so this isn’t Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is SJ and the Dap-Kings, worth any detour.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This monthlong fete will feature some of jazz’s biggest draws, alongside promising new talent and crossover fare. A grand kickoff at Central Park SummerStage on Saturday, at 5 p.m., gathers three dynamic elders: the pianist McCoy Tyner, the bassist Ron Carter and the drummer Roy Haynes, each with his own band. Other highlights in the coming week include Rosa Passos, a singer-songwriter from Bahia, Brazil, appearing Monday through Wednesday at the Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 West Third Street, in Manhattan; a 72nd-birthday tribute to the organist Al Kooper, at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd Street, on Thursday; and the Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, at the Blue Note, from Thursday through June 12. A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com. (Chinen-NYT)

Living Colour
City Winery, 155 Varick St./ 8PM, $35, $45
“This New York City band formed more than thirty years ago, releasing their début album, “Vivid,” in 1988. A decade after punk ruled the CBGB stage, these power rockers, infusing elements of funk and hip-hop, packed the club regularly, then had their moment in the mainstream sun when the video for “Cult of Personality” achieved high-profile rotation on MTV.

After a couple of personnel changes and a dip in popularity, the members split to pursue solo projects, but reunited in late 2000. They’ve toured Europe but haven’t played much here, so the appearance of these excellent musicians—the guitarist Vernon Reid, the vocalist Corey Glover, the drummer Will Calhoun, and the bassist Doug Wimbish—on successive Wednesdays and in an acoustic setting, should be relished.” (NewYorker)

Victoria Cook
54 Below, 254 W54th St. 9:30PM, $25
“Introducing Victoria Cook – come witness the birth of a star. Victoria Cook (Into The Woods, 44 West Entertainment) will take you on a journey through a woman’s heart and soul. Her unique, multi octave, soulful voice will soar through the American Songbook, with songs from Funny Girl and Evening Primrose, as well as tunes associated with Bette Midler and Minnie Riperton. Backed by the best in the business, Jessica Hendy(Aida), Max Chernin (Bright Star), and Blaine Krauss (Lion King) will join Victoria on stage.

In addition, Dylan Glatthorn (Republic, Alan Menken Award winner) will return to Feinstein’s/ 54 Below with ‘The Glatthorns’, a 7 piece brass band, and all new arrangements to bring life to songs you love and songs you will soon treasure. With this amount of talent on stage, Victoria Cook is certainly going to make her mark with this stunning debut concert.” (broadwayworld.com)

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

One World Trade Center: Biography of the Building
Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place/ 6:30PM, FREE
(must RSVP to programs@skyscraper.org)
“Best-selling Skyscrapers author Judith Dupré chronicles the rise of One World Trade Center from the building’s groundbreaking design and engineering, through the initial excavation to the final placement of the spire. For this first “authorized biography” of the emotion-charged and technically complex project, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey granted Dupré unprecedented access to the World Trade Center site, suppliers, and archives. Rich with hundreds of photographs, drawings, models, and plans, including a timeline of construction milestones and annotated 360-degree views from the One World Observatory, the book captures the hope, resiliency, and pride of those who built it.”

In Conversation: Lesley Blume with Gay Talese
McNally Jackson, 52 Prince St./ 8PM, FREE
“In the summer of 1925, Ernest Hemingway and a clique of companions traveled to Pamplona, Spain, for the town’s infamous running of the bulls. That trip’s series of drunken brawls, sexual rivalry, midnight betrayals and midday hangovers served as the material for The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway’s redefining work of modern literature.

Join Lesley Blume and bestselling author and journalist Gay Talese for a discussion of Blume’s Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingway’s Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises, a vivid exploration of the stories behind Hemingway’s masterpiece in the context of the restless 1920s of Paris and Spain. Blume and Talese discuss how Hemingway and the surrounding circle of friends who came to be known as the Lost Generation continue to influence how we think about youth, sex, love and excess.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

An Evening with John Irving | Readings by Michael C. Hall
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway / 7:30PM, $30
“John Irving, the iconic author of The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules and most recently Avenue of Mysteries, hosts and curates an evening of his fiction, along with stories by authors he admires. With readings by Michael C. Hall (Dexter) and more.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Book Launch: 32 Yolks by Eric Ripert in Conversation with Adam Rapoport
powerHouse Arena, 37 Main St./ 7PM, FREE
“Before he earned his third Michelin star at his iconic restaurant, Le Bernardin, the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef of the Year, became a regular guest judge on Bravo’s Top Chef, even before he knew how to make a proper omelet, Eric Ripert was a young boy in the South of France who felt that his world had come to an end. At the age of five, his parents went through a bitter divorce. Eric moved away with his mother, whose new husband, Serge, quickly grew to resent Eric and seemed to delight in making him miserable.

The only place Eric felt at home was the kitchen, where his mother tried to cheer him up with lavish meals, and where his friend Jacques, a local chef, introduced Eric to caviar, chocolate mousse, and a future where his lifelong love of food could become something he shared with other people.This memoir is the story of a young chef coming of age, following Eric’s life from childhood through his early twenties, where he finds his home in the brutal, exacting kitchens of legendary chefs like Joel Robouchon.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

PLUS, Lower Manhattan’s best restaurants at Dine Around Downtown, a festival at 28 Liberty Plaza, starts 11 a.m. Free admission. $3 to $7 per dish.

==========================================================
Bonus – 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

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 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)

Onassis Cultural Center:
‘Gods and Mortals at Olympus: Ancient Dion, City of Zeus’ (through June 18)
“It’s easy to spot first-time visitors to the Onassis Cultural Center. They’re the people shaking their heads in disbelief at the art treasures they’ve come across, for free, in basement galleries in a Fifth Avenue high-rise next to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. And the center’s current show truly is a wonder and a gift: a trove of ancient artifacts, excavated over some four decades, from a city that once flourished on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus in northern Greece. The exhibition includes marble sculptures and mosaics from the city’s temples, baths and cemeteries in an installation filled with the sounds of birds that inhabit the site today. Magical. , 645 Fifth Avenue, at 51st Street, Manhattan, 212-486-4448, onassisusa.org; free. (Cotter-NYT)

Neue Galerie:
‘Munch and Expressionism’ (through June 13)
“There’s no question that Munch was a product of his Norwegian homeland. But this show makes him part of a larger history too. It argues that his art significantly shaped, and was shaped by, European culture of the early 20th century, when an atmospheric clash of liberationist yearning and doomsday fear charged the air like lightning and sparked reality-fracturing art styles, including German Expressionism. Along with “The Scream,” in the 1895 pastel version that sold at Sotheby’s a few years back, you’ll find wonderful paintings by Munch’s younger contemporaries Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Beckmann and Egon Schiele glowing like lamps against midnight-blue walls. 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, 212-628-6200, neuegalerie.org.”(Cotter-NYT)

 Solomon R Guggenheim Museum:
“Moholy-Nagy: Future Present,”  (through Sept. 7)
“A key innovator in the fields of kinetic sculpture and cameraless photography, Moholy-Nagy (1895–1946) was one of the giants of 20th-century modernism, who pioneered the use of ephemeral materials like plastics. The Hungarian-born artist was an instructor at the legendary Bauhaus in Germany before he eventually moved to Chicago to continue his teaching. This retrospective is his first in 50 years.” (TONY)

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

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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 06/06 and 06/04.
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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 , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (06/07) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 06/07/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > TUESDAY / JUNE 07, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Vision Festival 21 (through June 12)
Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South,/ 7PM, $40
“This annual affair, the country’s leading summit meeting of avant-garde jazz, rumbles into its 21st season with a tribute to the bassist Henry Grimes, whose dramatic rediscovery and comeback happened in part on a Vision Festival stage. On Tuesday he’ll perform with admirers including the pianist Geri Allen, the guitarist Marc Ribot and the drummer Andrew Cyrille, in several different groups.

Wednesday’s program will include the vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Jen Shyu, along with the Sun Ra Arkestra and a trio led by the pianist Connie Crothers. And the lineup on Thursday includes Cosmic Nickelodeon, a group led by the alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, with the pianist Matthew Shipp and others.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Maria Schneider Orchestra (through June 11)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM +11PM, $
“The Thompson Fields,” Schneider’s vivid and poetic 2015 release, continued a stirring and deserving winning streak for this celebrated composer, arranger, and bandleader. Balancing heft and enticing tonal textures with melodic verve, her ingenious scores—as interpreted by her loyal ensemble—have set the bar high for contemporary big bands.” (NewYorker)

Kurt Weill on Broadway with Mary Testa and Friends
54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $30+
“Gritty, politically charged, and psychologically fraught, the music of Kurt Weill remains as potent and sharp as when it was written over 60 years ago. Kurt Weill on Broadway explores the canon of the German composer’s extensive output, including Broadway favorite Threepenny Opera, which has been revived every decade since its premiere, Lady in the Dark, Street Scene, One Touch of Venus, among others.

Weill’s music represents the finest intersection of the classical and pop worlds. Come hear the music that has influenced generations of composers sung by some of the finest singers in New York, including Broadway veteran and Feinstein’s/54 Below favorite, Mary Testa.” (broadwayworld.com)

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

He Lani Ko Luna (A Sky Above): An Evening with the Navigators of the Hōkūleʻa Worldwide Voyage
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St./ 7PM, $15 – Hayden Planetarium Space Theater, 81st St. entrance
“For generations, the starry heavens guided deep-sea voyagers from island to island across Polynesia. In 1976, the Polynesian Voyaging Society built and launched an iconic twin-hulled sailing canoe, Hōkūleʻa, to research and revive the oceanic traditions of the early explorers who settled the islands of Oceania.

Currently visiting the East Coast from the Everglades to New England, Hōkūleʻa is in the midst of a 47,000-nautical-mile worldwide voyage to celebrate indigenous cultures and to raise awareness of the need to steward the Earth’s resources. On behalf of the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, Hōkūleʻa captain and navigator Chad Kālepa Baybayan and apprentice navigator Celeste Manuia Haʻo introduce the art of wayfinding the ocean with a system of non-instrument navigation and share their knowledge that “in losing sight of the land, you discover stars.”

PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy
Irish Arts Center, 553 W51st St./ 7:30PM, $12
“A revealing and breathtaking account about what happened to John F. Kennedy’s Patrol Torpedo boat 109, and the famous war story’s engrossing aftermath.” — James Patterson “Impressive…[An] engrossing combination of adventure and analysis…Doyle’s work has all the makings of a definitive account — the last word on the story. And as such, it’s a tale few are likely to forget.” — USA Today

William Doyle reads from PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy, the extraordinary World War II story of shipwreck and survival that paved John F. Kennedy’s path to power – hailed as a “breathtaking account” by James Patterson, “masterfully written” by historian Douglas Brinkley, and “the finest book” ever written on the subject by Lt. Commander William Liebenow, the man who rescued JFK and the PT 109 crew in August 1943.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Use Brain Science to Stimulate Your Creativity
The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave./ 7PM, $20
“We are born with the desire and ability to be creative, which is part of what makes us human and our life fulfilling. Join professional musician and brain educator Barbara Allen-Lyall to learn how the creative process helps us appreciate our unique brain chemistry and how to work with it to create the life we desire.”

===========================================================
Bonus – 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

==================================================================================
♦ 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 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’. ”

maxresdefaultEach 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.

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“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 Fall 2016).
◊ Order before Sept. 30, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
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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.
======================================================

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Selected Events (06/06) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 06/06/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > MONDAY / JUNE 06, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Taste of Times Square
46th St.(btw Broadway and 10th Ave)/ 5-9PM, $2-$6 per item
“Most New Yorkers avoid Times Square at all costs. And while this approach certainly gets them where they’re going quicker and saves them from punching an Elmo in the face, they also inadvertently bypass many great restaurants. However, June 6th the restaurants will be taking it to the streets for the Taste of Times Square.

The annual food and music festival will feature over 50 area restaurants, live music and for the second year a beer garden serving up Heartland Brewery. The best part, aside from food, music and beer, is the cost. All items will range from two to six tickets and tickets are being sold individually for $1. I did the math and that means no food item will cost you more than six bucks, a steal by any measure, but certainly for Times Square.” (TONY)

The event will feature “street musicians” from the Hard Rock Cafe, a “Swing Tent” where The George Gee Swing Orchestra will perform, and a beer garden between Eighth and Ninth avenues serving brews from Heartland Brewery.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This monthlong fete will feature some of jazz’s biggest draws, alongside promising new talent and crossover fare. A grand kickoff at Central Park SummerStage on Saturday, at 5 p.m., gathers three dynamic elders: the pianist McCoy Tyner, the bassist Ron Carter and the drummer Roy Haynes, each with his own band. Other highlights in the coming week include Rosa Passos, a singer-songwriter from Bahia, Brazil, appearing Monday through Wednesday at the Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 West Third Street, in Manhattan; a 72nd-birthday tribute to the organist Al Kooper, at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd Street, on Thursday; and the Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, at the Blue Note, from Thursday through June 12. A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com. (Chinen-NYT)

Best of Broadway Sings
Highline Ballroom, / 8PM, $30
“Ever wondered how songs by Adele, Pink, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston might sound with 14-piece jazz band? Here’s a great chance to find out as Brandon Victor Dixon, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Alison Luff, Matt DeAngelis, Christina Sajous, Marty Thomas, Natalie Weiss and other major musical-theater talents perform highlights from the past year of the pop-oriented Broadway Sings concert series.” (TONY)

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

Open Roads: New Italian Cinema (through Jun 8)
Film Society at Lincoln Center; 12PM, $14
“The Film Society and Istituto Luce Cinecittà present their fifteenth annual showcase of Italy’s latest generation of filmmakers. Expect to see heart-wrenching indies and dazzling commercial hits among the selection, which includes nine North American premieres. Fans of movie history should include Viva Ingrid! on their list of must-sees—the film is about Ingrid Bergman and is directed by Roberto Rossellini’s grandson Alessandro.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but these two book talks look worth the detour:

Frank Deford in Conversation with Bob Costas
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 7:30PM, $32
“Frank Deford is one of the most acclaimed and beloved voices in American sports journalism. Join him and legendary sportscaster Bob Costas as they discuss Deford’s new book, I’d Know That Voice Anywhere, which collects the very best commentaries on athletes and the world of sports from the past 36 years. Hear from these legends on the similarities between Babe Ruth and Winnie the Pooh, why football reminds Deford of Venice — and how the Olympics are just like Groundhog Day.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Chuck Klosterman: But What If We’re Wrong
BookCourt, 163 Court St., Brooklyn/ 8PM, FREE
“We live in a culture of casual certitude. This has always been the case, no matter how often that certainty has failed. Though no generation believes there’s nothing left to learn, every generation unconsciously assumes that what has already been defined and accepted is (probably) pretty close to how reality will be viewed in perpetuity. And then, of course, time passes. Ideas shift. Opinions invert. What once seemed reasonable eventually becomes absurd, replaced by modern perspectives that feel even more irrefutable and secure—until, of course, they don’t.”

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Bonus – 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

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 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:

‘Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty’ (through July 24)
“Among the greats of late 19th-century French painting, Degas remained closest to tradition and its focus on the human body, which may explain why this large but thrillingly intimate show is his first solo at the Modern. It focuses his monotypes — the most seductive of all print mediums — and their modernizing effect on his art, revealing with exceptional clarity a radical merging of subject and process that brought new liveliness to depictions of the body and to art itself. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith)

‘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)

 Whitney Museum of American Art:

‘Human Interest: Portraits From the Whitney’s Collection’ (through Feb. 12)
“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)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 06/04 and 06/02.
=======================================================

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 Train and Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
==========================================================

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Selected Events (06/05) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 06/05/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > SUNDAY / JUNE 05, 2016

“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.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

World Science Festival (LAST DAY)
“Science will transform the future,” says Brian Greene, co-founder of this annual festival. It’ll certainly transform the city over these five days, with fifty events, in a myriad of venues, bringing together the brightest minds across the fields of biology, medicine, technology, and more to show how deeply science is embedded in our daily city life. Attendees can stargaze in Brooklyn Bridge Park with the astronaut Anna Fisher; catch, count, and release fish in the waters surrounding the boroughs; debate the ethics and morals of artificial intelligence; or just quietly take in the spread of talks and screenings scheduled in museums and lecture halls throughout the week.” (NewYorker)

Today is filled with good events. see: worldsciencefestival.com
This one stands out to me:
World Science Festival | Flame Challenge: What Is Sound?
NYU Skirball Center, 566 LaGuardia Pl./ 1:30PM, $30
“Alan Alda has issued this year’s challenge to the world’s top scientists: What is sound? In an action-packed hour of interactive demonstrations, Alan and a team of communication experts invite the audience to explore what we hear, how we hear, and what that means for different species. The program also highlights the winners of the 2016 Flame Challenge, in which video and written explanations of sound were judged for clarity’s sake…by 20,000 eleven year-olds.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Monty Alexander and the Harlem-Kingston Express
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, 60th St. and Broadway/ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
“Mr. Alexander, an effervescent pianist and one of Jamaica’s proudest musical exports, stamps his native groove with an uptown twist in a group that includes two bassists and two drummers.” (Chinen-NYT)

Ballet BC (LAST DAY)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave./ 2PM+7:30PM, $35, $50 (try the $35 loge seats, they are fine.)
“There’s constant hand-wringing about the dearth of female directors and choreographers in ballet. So it’s a welcome statement that this Canadian troupe, celebrating its 30th year and making its first Joyce appearance since 1998, arrives with a program by three exceptional women.

“Solo Echo” comes from the riveting Crystal Pite, an alumna of the company; “Bill” is a funky and surreal dance party by Sharon Eyal, who is Israeli; and “16+ a room” is by Emily Molnar, also a company alumna and the artistic director since 2009.” (Schaefer-NYT)

Russell Malone Quartet (through June 5)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. South/ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $30
“The title of Mr. Malone’s new album, “All About Melody,” could be reasonably understood as his artistic credo. A guitarist of taste and tradition, along with a brisk technique that he applies with careful restraint, he appears next week with the album’s supportive rhythm team: the pianist Rick Germanson, the bassist Luke Sellick and the drummer Willie Jones III.” (Chinen-NYT)

Scofield, Mehldau, Guiliana (LAST DAY)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $40, $55
“The guitarist Scofield is no one’s idea of a jazz purist—thankfully. Here he mixes it up with the piano titan Mehldau and the widely admired drummer Guiliana, who was recently heard on David Bowie’s “Blackstar.” The omnivorously eclectic trouble these three get into will be worth the price of admission.” (NewYorker)

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

American Crafts Festival (also Jun 11-12)
Lincoln Center, 65th St at Columbus Ave./ 10AM-7PM, FREE
“Lincoln Center plays host to 380 jury-selected craft vendors from across the country at this nifty fair. Find glasswork and handmade leather pieces you never knew you needed, and indulge in some one-of-a-kind new threads from regional designers with special weekend-only rates. If you’re not looking to spend your rent check redecorating your apartment in one go, then head to demonstrations on weaving, spindling and enjoy live music.” (TONY)

Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, (Jun 4-5)
Washington Square Park/ 12PM- 6PM, FREE
“This city tradition feels fresh every spring when artists following in the footsteps of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning set up shop in the park. Hundreds of exhibitors, from NYU students to artists who remember the Village as a creative enclave, display their paintings, sculptures, photography, jewelry and woodcraft.” (TONY)

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Bonus – 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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

IMG_2083Jimmy’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.
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3 Good Eating Places

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

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

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

Xi’an Famous Foods – 24 W45th St. (Btw 5th/6th ave)
Try to avoid long lunch lines. Order lamb hand ripped noodles and warm your insides at one of the tables in the back. You’ll return, just remember that even mild is pretty spicy.
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“3 Good Eating Places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
◊ 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 Fall 2016).
◊ Order before Sept. 30, 2016 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.

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.
===========================================================

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