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

Selected Events (05/15) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 05/15/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > SUNDAY / MAY 15, 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:

Miles & ‘Trane Festival (LAST DAY)
The Timeless John Coltrane @ 9:30PM, $40
The Iconic Miles Davis @ 7:30PM, $40
Dizzy’s Club, 60th St. and Broadway /
Jazz at Lincoln Center celebrates the overlapping legacies of Miles Davis and John Coltrane with this weekend festival, which takes over all three performance spaces at Frederick P. Rose Hall.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Broadway Sings Whitney Houston
Highline Ballroom, 431 W16th St./ 8:30PM, $35
“More than a dozen Broadway vocalists perform new arangements of Houston classics, backed by piano man Joshua Stephen Kartes and a jazz orchestra, in an encore of the concert series’ sold-out April show. Singers include Lilli Cooper, Amber Iman, Marcus Paul James, Jason Gotay, Corey Mach, Joaquina Kalukango and Saycon Sengbloh.” (TONY)

Steve Coleman & Five Elements (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South, at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“Last year, on the heels of a superlative album titled “Synovial Joints,” the intrepid alto saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman made his proper debut at the Village Vanguard. Next week he returns with his flagship, Five Elements, a sharply intuitive unit that includes the trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, the guitarist Miles Okazaki the electric bassist Anthony Tidd and the drummer Sean Rickman.” (Chinen-NYT)

Elsewhere, but if you like Cajun music, this is way worth the detour:

Bayou n’ Brooklyn Music Festival (May 13-15)
Jalopy Theatre, 315 Columbia St./ 12PM – 1AM, $35
“The Louisiana spirit descends on King’s County for a three-day festival of Creole and Cajun food, music, and entertainment. The sixth annual Bayou N’ Brooklyn Music Festival gathers top talent, both local and Louisiana-native, for workshops, dance lessons, and a jambalaya supper. On Friday, Blake Miller and Courtney Granger perform; on Saturday, a community jam and open stage invites the best local players; and Sunday closes out the fest with the C’est Bon Cajun Dance Band and the Dirty Water Dogs.” (NewYorker)

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

Ninth Avenue International Food Festival
Ninth Avenue, between 42nd and 57th St./ 10AM-6PM
“This annual event showcases the neighborhood offerings on Ninth Avenue in Clinton — a strip filled with restaurants, markets and bars. Nearly 50 of them, including fixtures like Rudy’s Bar and Grill and 5 Napkin Burger, move from storefronts to the street as its car traffic is replaced by hungry pedestrians. Even the cosmetics retailer Kiehl’s will make an appearance. The full list of participants is at ninthavenuefoodfestival.com/merchants.”
(NYT-SpareTimes)

The NY Cake Show
Marriott Marquis / 1PM, $20+
This weekend, you can have your cake and eat it, too.
Master bakers, pastry professionals, cake designers and other culinary artists are coming together for the New York Cake Show.

The event includes cake classes, live demonstrations with top talents in the world of sugar, and a showcase sure to make your mouth water. The sweet spot of the weekend, the cake competition, features wedding cakes, sculptured cakes, novelty and all-occasion cakes and, of course, the high-heel shoe display.

A couple of ground rules: The cakes must somehow reflect the theme of New York City, and cake glitter, also known as “disco dust,” is forbidden.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

BONUS: Let’s not forget one for this hometown boy:

“I Love the Bronx” Bronx Week (LAST DAY)
various locations and times; various prices
“Celebrate the Boogie Down with 11 days of fun activities. Take a trolley tour, paddle on the Bronx River, hear some stand-up and much more at this annual festival.” (TONY)

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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 Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Frick Collection:
‘Van Dyck: The Anatomy of Portraiture’ (through June 5)
“A rare exhibition devoted exclusively to the artist’s portraiture, which helped give the genre a new prominence. With their fluid brushwork and relaxed elegance, his subjects exude a sense of modern life and ease, despite the extravagant dress. The drawings are breathtaking. 1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, 212-288-0700, frick.org.” (Smith)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘Vigée Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France’ (LAST DAY)
“This outstanding late-17th-century painter finally receives a ravishing survey. A prodigy and portraitist to Marie Antoinette and her court, Vigée Le Brun orchestrated an equally successful career among the royals of Italy, Prussia and especially Russia after the French Revolution. Her best efforts are distinguished by exquisite technique (ears sometimes excepted), inventive colors and immensely sympathetic portrayals of men and women alike. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Smith)

‘Celebrating the Arts of Japan: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection’ (continuing)
“This lavish roll out of 160 objects came to the Met from the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation last spring. The Burkes loved Japanese art — all of it — and the collection is close to compendious in terms of media, from wood-carved Buddhas to bamboo baskets, with a particular strength in painting, early and late. The quality of the work? Japan thinks highly enough of it to have made the Burke holdings the first Japanese collection from abroad ever to show at Tokyo National Museum. Some pieces on view now will be rotated out and replaced in February, making this an exhibition to visit at least twice. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

‘Reimagining Modernism: 1900-1950’ (continuing)
“One of the greatest encyclopedic museums in the world fulfills its mission a little more with an ambitious reinstallation of works of early European modernism with their American counterparts for the first time in nearly 30 years. Objects of design and paintings by a few self-taught artists further the integration. It is quite a sight, with interesting rotations and fine-tunings to come. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Smith)

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)

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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 05/13 and 05/11.
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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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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bayou n' Brooklyn Music Festival, Broadway Sings Whitney Houston, Miles & ‘Trane Festival, Ninth Avenue International Food Festival, Steve Coleman & Five Elements, The NY Cake Show | Leave a comment

Selected Events (05/14) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 05/14/2016 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > SATURDAY / MAY 14, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:

Joe Lovano
Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th St./ 7PM +9:30PM, $65+
“John Coltrane, like his onetime employer and mentor Miles Davis, would have turned ninety this year. Lovano, a contemporary Coltrane acolyte of the highest rank, assembles a glittering ensemble to honor the master, which includes the pianists Geri Allen and Steve Kuhn and the drummers Andrew Cyrille and Brian Blade, as well as two players closely connected to Coltrane: his former bassist Reggie Workman and his son, the saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. Among the spiritually inspired Coltrane work to be addressed is the half-century-old masterpiece “A Love Supreme.” (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

“Audible Cloisters: Guitar Marathon”
The Met Cloisters, 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Ft Tyron Pk/ 10:30AM-4PM, free with museum admission
“This marathon of string music, which will feature 14 international guitarists performing in the medieval buildings of the Cloisters, is a special event hosted by WNYC’s John Schaefer and curated by New York Guitar Festival’s artistic director David Spelman. Presenting continuous performances in five different spots at the Met’s Upper West Side outpost, highlights include the New York debut of South African Derek Gripper playing pieces for a 21-string kora on a six-string guitar, Min Xiao-Fen’s improvisations on a four-string lute and the sonic structures of Ben Monder, who performed on David Bowie’s final album Blackstar.” (Observer)

Steve Coleman & Five Elements (through May 15)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South, at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“Last year, on the heels of a superlative album titled “Synovial Joints,” the intrepid alto saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman made his proper debut at the Village Vanguard. Next week he returns with his flagship, Five Elements, a sharply intuitive unit that includes the trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, the guitarist Miles Okazaki the electric bassist Anthony Tidd and the drummer Sean Rickman.” (Chinen-NYT)

Barb Jungr: Shelter from the Storm (also May 20-21)
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425Lafayette St./ 7PM, $25
“One of the world’s great cabaret singers, England’s Jungr is a genuine original, deploying warmth, high drama and sensitive musicality to reinvent everything she sings. Her latest set features songs by some of her usual muses (Dylan, Cohen, Springsteen) as well as rare dips into musical theater (Sondheim. Rodgers and Hammerstein).” (TONY)

Miles Davis: Sorcerer at 90
Rose Theatre, Broadway at 60th St./ 8PM, $
“The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will also dive in deep for a celebration of what would have been the ninetieth birthday of Miles Davis, presenting a panoply of refashioned Davis work drawn from recordings stretching from “Birth of the Cool” (1949-50) to the 1968 proto-fusion album “Miles in the Sky.” The musical directors will be the trumpeter Marcus Printup and the drummer Ali Jackson.” (NewYorker)

An Evening with Graham Nash
The Town Hall,123 W43rd St./ 8PM, $51-$76
“Legendary singer-songwriter Graham Nash is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee-with Crosby, Stills, and Nash and with the Hollies. He was also inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame twice, as a solo artist and with CSN, and he is a Grammy Award winner.”
Tonight this British singer songwriter celebrates the release of “This Path Tonight” his first new studio album since 2002.

Elsewhere, but if you like Cajun music, this is way worth the detour:
Bayou n’ Brooklyn Music Festival (May 13-15)
Jalopy Theatre, 315 Columbia St./ 12PM – 1AM, $35
“The Louisiana spirit descends on King’s County for a three-day festival of Creole and Cajun food, music, and entertainment. The sixth annual Bayou N’ Brooklyn Music Festival gathers top talent, both local and Louisiana-native, for workshops, dance lessons, and a jambalaya supper. On Friday, Blake Miller and Courtney Granger perform; on Saturday, a community jam and open stage invites the best local players; and Sunday closes out the fest with the C’est Bon Cajun Dance Band and the Dirty Water Dogs.” (NewYorker)

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

Ninth Avenue International Food Festival (Saturday and Sunday)
Ninth Avenue, between 42nd and 57th St./ 10AM-6PM
“This annual event showcases the neighborhood offerings on Ninth Avenue in Clinton — a strip filled with restaurants, markets and bars. Nearly 50 of them, including fixtures like Rudy’s Bar and Grill and 5 Napkin Burger, move from storefronts to the street as its car traffic is replaced by hungry pedestrians. Even the cosmetics retailer Kiehl’s will make an appearance. The full list of participants is at ninthavenuefoodfestival.com/merchants.”
(NYT-SpareTimes)

If you’re a bike guy like me, this is going to be worth the detour:
NYC Bike Expo
69th Regiment Armory, 68 Lexington Ave. @ 26th St./ 11AM, FREE
“Whether you’re a seasoned rider or a rookie, the nation’s largest consumer cycling expo will get your wheels turning with a range of workshops covering everything from fixing a flat tire to road racing. More than 100 companies show off their wares, including NYC brands such as the stylish reflective-clothing label Vespertine and bike rental company Spinlister.”

BONUS: Let’s not forget one for this hometown boy:
“I Love the Bronx” Bronx Week (May 6-15)
various locations and times; various prices
“Celebrate the Boogie Down with 11 days of fun activities. Take a trolley tour, paddle on the Bronx River, hear some stand-up and much more at this annual festival.” (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

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

Each night Ishrat, the long time proprietor and impresario, carefully curates and schedules an eclectic series of musicians. You can often see him at his table in the corner, hard at work reviewing music videos and listening to cd demos on his laptop, scouting out future bookings. Musicians come from all over to play and sing in a club in Greenwich Village. Some are local New Yorkers, others are just passing through, in town for a few days.

There is a small bar, seating maybe 10. It’s close to the stage and I find it’s a perfect spot to sip a glass of red wine while listening to the music. The room itself has the performance area at one end and a cozy fireplace at the other. The performance area here is small, dominated by a large black Yamaha Grand piano. Tables are bunched together and most people at the tables are eating lite meals or sampling the wonderful desserts.

There is also a good selection of fairly priced wines, but you are here because of the music. You can never be quite sure what you’re going to find, and that’s half the charm of this place. It’s not a home run every night, but many nights it’s pretty special.

I remember the night I saw the most talented bossa nova group, just in from San Paulo. As I listened, I wondered if there was any better music playing anywhere else in New York City that night. And at Caffé Vivaldi there is never a cover charge. Their recently redesigned web site does give you a better idea of the type of music playing each night.

At one time Greenwich Village was filled with clubs just like this, but times change. Real estate interests have impacted the village, and not for the better. Even Caffé Vivaldi had a rough time recently, when a new landlord raised the rent exorbitantly. Fortunately, Ishrat has built a loyal following over the years, and a fund raiser and slightly more reasonable rent has kept Café Vivaldi in business.

When Woody Allen and Al Pacino wanted to make movies featuring the timeless quality of Greenwich Village they came to Vivaldi. It’s important that we keep this special place alive, for if we lose Cafe Vivaldi, NYCity will have lost a piece of it’s soul.

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30PM – 11PM, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11AM-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher St.
Walk 1 blk S. on 7th ave S. to Bleecker St., 1 blk left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards left on Jones St. to Caffe V.
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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

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

Fish – 280 Bleecker St. (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $9 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

Bleecker Street Pizza – 69 7th ave S. (corner of Bleecker St.)
The place is tiny and not much to look at, but this is one good slice. They like to brag that they have been voted “Best pizza in NY” 3 years in a row by the Food Network. I believe them. I would have voted for them.

Num Pang – 21 E 12th St. (btw. University Place/5th ave.)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. It’s cramped, even for NYCity, but usually there is room up the spiral staircase to sit down and eat. In good weather carry your sandwich a few blocks to Union Square park. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

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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 Summer 2016).
◊ Order before July 31, 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.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Appel Room, “Audible Cloisters: Guitar Marathon”, Barb Jungr: Shelter from the Storm, Bayou n' Brooklyn Music Festival, Graham Nash, Jalopy Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Joe Lovano, Joe's Pub, NYC Bike Expo, Steve Coleman & Five Elements, Town Hall, Village Vanguard | Leave a comment

Selected Events (05/13) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 05/13/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > FRIDAY / MAY 13, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
13th Season Finale
Metro Chamber Orchestra: Pops !
featuring Jennifer Sheehan, Eru Matsumoto
Brooklyn Music School, 126 Saint Felix St./ 8PM, $45
“Jennifer joins Maestro Phillip Nuzzo and the Metro Chamber Orchestra, as guest vocalist for the Orchestra’s season finale!

Her concerts have been hailed by the New York Times as an “exhilarating journey, enthralling!” Ms. Sheehan, in her short career, has risen to the top of the cabaret world usually reserved for those well beyond her years. In a departure from the normal classical repertoire the Metro Chamber Orchestra will feature Ms. Sheehan in selections from the Great American Songbook with works by composers Kern, Porter, Rogers and Berlin.”
Not Manhattan’s WestSide, but Jennifer is very special and always worth a detour.
subway: #2,3 express to Atlantic Ave/Barclays Center, short walk to venue.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Ute Lemper’s The 9 Secrets
Symphony Space, Broadway @ 95th St./ $ see below
“Grammy-nominated and internationally acclaimed performer Ute Lemper presents The 9 Secrets, a brand-new song cycle composed in collaboration with the novelist Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist). Go on an inspiring journey through exotic landscapes of songs with six musicians from six countries, framed by evocative time-warp scenery from Oscar-winning German filmmaker Volker Schloendorff.” (ThoughtGallery.org)
Special savings for Thought Gallery readers: all tickets 30% off with code TG30 (original price: $40-$60; discount price: $28-$42).

Red Bull Music Academy Festival – Mark Pritchard (through Sunday)
Red Bull Studios, 220 West 18th St./ 12PM-7PM
“The terribly undersung electronic auteur Mr. Pritchard has composed subtle, gorgeous soundscapes for over two decades, blending house, breakbeat and classical forms with ease. They’ve enamored some remarkable collaborators in his native England; “Beautiful People,” his recent single with Thom Yorke (off Mr. Pritchard’s new album, “Under the Sun,” due out on Friday), is a fine entry point to his dense catalogue. He pairs with the visual artist Jonathan Zawada for a new immersive audiovisual installation.” (Anderson-NYT)

Miles Davis: Sorcerer at 90
Rose Theatre, Broadway at 60th St./
“The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will also dive in deep for a celebration of what would have been the ninetieth birthday of Miles Davis, presenting a panoply of refashioned Davis work drawn from recordings stretching from “Birth of the Cool” (1949-50) to the 1968 proto-fusion album “Miles in the Sky.” The musical directors will be the trumpeter Marcus Printup and the drummer Ali Jackson.” (NewYorker)

BossaBrasil: Leny Andrade with Roni Ben-Hur Trio (through May 14)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St/./ 8:30PM +11PM, $40
“Ms. Andrade, from Rio de Janeiro, specializes in the assertive buoyancy of samba jazz, singing in a deep cry over crisp accompaniment. Headlining this year’s BossaBrasil festival, she works with a trio led by the guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, drawing partly from their recent album together, “Alegria De Viver.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Elsewhere but if you’re a bike guy, this is going to be worth the detour:
NYC Bike Expo
69th Regiment Armory, 68 Lexington Ave./ 11AM, FREE
“Whether you’re a seasoned rider or a rookie, the nation’s largest consumer cycling expo will get your wheels turning with a range of workshops covering everything from fixing a flat tire to road racing. More than 100 companies show off their wares, including NYC brands such as the stylish reflective-clothing label Vespertine and bike rental company Spinlister.”

Free Hummus for International Hummus Day
All Nanoosh Locations – Friday, 3PM – 6PM
“In celebration of International Hummus Day, all Nanoosh locations in New York City will give away free hummus — for three hours. Each location will have a “pop-up bar,” where guests can taste different kinds of hummus like green tahini, shakshuka, and hot sauce.” (VillageVoice)

=======================================================
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:

=======================================================================
♦ 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:
‘Marcel Broodthaers: A Retrospective’ (through May 15)
“The Belgian poet Marcel Broodthaers (1924-1976) supported himself for 40 years as a bookseller before deciding on a new career as an artist. In 1964, he turned some unsold poetry books into a sculpture, and instantly had a debut solo show. Four years later, he appointed himself director of a fictional art museum — his own. Now comes a belated and woozily perplexing first New York survey of one of Europe’s most influential 20th-century trickster-artist-poets, along with a complementary showcase, “Marcel Broodthaers: Ecriture,” at Michael Werner Gallery on the Upper East Side. 212-708-9400, moma.org.”(Cotter-NYT)

‘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 05/11 and 05/09.
=======================================================

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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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Birdland, Brooklyn Music School, Free Hummus for International Hummus Day, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Metro Chamber Orchestra: Pops !, Miles Davis: Sorcerer at 90, NYC Bike Expo, Red Bull Music Academy Festival - Mark Pritchard, Red Bull Studios, Symphony Space, Ute Lemper’s The 9 Secrets | Leave a comment

Selected Events (05/12) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 05/12/2016 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > THURSDAY / MAY 12, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:

Highlights in Jazz: Audience Favorites
TriBeCa Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers St., near Greenwich St./ 8PM, $50
“For this installment of the long-running concert series Highlights in Jazz, which puts a premium on swinging traditionalism, the artist roster will reflect the predilections of the fan base. Among the featured performers are the trumpeter and singer Bria Skonberg; the guitarist Frank Vignola; the trombonist and vocalist Wycliffe Gordon; and the singer Alexis Cole.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Jenny Scheinmans Mischief and Mayhem
(Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St./ 7PM, $18
“A look at the audacious collaborators that the violinist and singer Scheinman surrounds herself with in her Mischief & Mayhem outfit—the guitarist Nels Cline, the drummer Jim Black, and the bassist Todd Sickafoose—speaks volumes about her multifarious musical inclinations and the genre-morphing tangents (new jazz, rock, Americana) that she’s all too willing to follow.” (NewYorker)

New York City Ballet (through May 29)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 8PM, $30+
“This week, City Ballet introduces two programs honoring its founding fathers: “All Balanchine” comprises “Ballo della Regina,” “Kammermusik No. 2” and “Vienna Waltzes” (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday); “All Robbins” features “Dances at a Gathering” and “West Side Story Suite” (Wednesday). The weekend brings encores of recent premieres, including Justin Peck’s “The Most Incredible Thing” (Saturday matinee) and “Belles-Lettres,” which joins “American Rhapsody” by Christopher Wheeldon and “Mothership,” Nicholas Blanc’s choreographic debut for the company, on Saturday evening.” (NYT-Schaefer and Burke)
Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.

Michael Feinstein: A Right to Sing the Blues
Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th St./ 7PM, $125
“No, he won’t address the repertoire of Muddy Waters or Charley Patton, but, in a program declaring his “Right to Sing the Blues,” Feinstein and his vocalizing guests will take on blues-inflected songs that have become popular standards, including Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer’s “Blues in the Night” and “Good Morning Heartache,” made famous by Billie Holiday.“ (NewYorker)

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

“The Only Rule Is It Has To Work” with Ben Lindbergh
Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, 67 E11th St./ 7PM, FREE
“Hear the story of two stat-crunching analysts given the chance to live out a fantasy baseball dream: to set a roster, lineup, and strategies for a real-live team.”

Elsewhere, but these look worth the detours:
Film and Food: In Search of Israeli Cuisine
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway,/ 6:15PM, $68
“Michael Solomonov and Saul Bolton are teaming up for a modern Israeli tasting menu at the Brooklyn Museum. The menu — based on Solomonov’s Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking — includes dishes like grilled eggplant, tabbouleh, and chicken pastilla. Israeli wine, beer, and limonata are also included. After the meal, guests are invited to a screening of the documentary In Search of Israeli Cuisine. The tasting starts at 6:15 p.m. and the film screens at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $68 and include a copy of the book.” (VillageVoice)

Irish Whiskey v. Scotch Tasting and Book Signing with Jeff Cioletti
Jimmy’s No.43, 43 E7th St. / 7PM, $15
“Join The Year of Drinking Adventurously author Jeff Cioletti for a comparison of Irish and Scotch Whisk(e)ys as he talks about his new book! You’ll sample several different styles and learn all about this great spirit from an expert.”

=====================================================
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:

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.

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

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 50th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $6.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
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.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged “The Only Rule Is It Has To Work”, Film and Food: In Search of Israeli Cuisine, Highlights in Jazz: Audience Favorites, Irish Whiskey v. Scotch Tasting and Book Signing with Jeff Cioletti, Jenny Scheinmans Mischief and Mayhem | Leave a comment

Selected Events (05/11) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 05/10/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > WEDNESDAY / MAY 11, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:

Michael Feinstein: A Right to Sing the Blues (also Thursday)
Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th St./ 7PM, $125
“Jazz & Popular Song series director Michael Feinstein demonstrates how the blues became part of the popular musical lexicon through songs like “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and “Show Me the Way to get Out of this World.” Joining Feinstein will be the Tedd Firth Big Band and three exciting singers: Mary Stallings, a renowned vocalist who’s worked with top jazz musicians since the 1950s; Storm Large, a versatile artist well known as a member of the genre-crossing “little orchestra” Pink Martini; and Jamie Davis, a world-traveling baritone powerhouse.”

“No, he won’t address the repertoire of Muddy Waters or Charley Patton, but, in a program declaring his “Right to Sing the Blues,” Feinstein and his vocalizing guests will take on blues-inflected songs that have become popular standards, including Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer’s “Blues in the Night” and “Good Morning Heartache,” made famous by Billie Holiday.“ (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
New York City Ballet (through May 29)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 8PM, $30+
“This week, City Ballet introduces two programs honoring its founding fathers: “All Balanchine” comprises “Ballo della Regina,” “Kammermusik No. 2” and “Vienna Waltzes” (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday); “All Robbins” features “Dances at a Gathering” and “West Side Story Suite” (Wednesday). The weekend brings encores of recent premieres, including Justin Peck’s “The Most Incredible Thing” (Saturday matinee) and “Belles-Lettres,” which joins “American Rhapsody” by Christopher Wheeldon and “Mothership,” Nicholas Blanc’s choreographic debut for the company, on Saturday evening.” (NYT-Schaefer and Burke)
Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.

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

Philharmonic Insights at the Atrium –
“NY PHIL BIENNIAL: A Player’s Guide”
Rubenstein Atrium, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Play Date with composers and performers after concert in the Rubenstein Atrium. In anticipation of the second NY PHIL BIENNIAL — a wide-ranging exploration of today’s music by an array of contemporary and modern composers — Music Director Alan Gilbert sits down with artists from across the new-music spectrum to preview highlights of the festival.”

Building A Business of Politics: The Rise of Political Consulting and the Transformation of American Democracy with Adam Sheingate, Associate Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University.
NYPL, Mid-Manhattan branch, / 6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture traces the history of political consultants from its origins with the publicity experts and pollsters of the 1920s and 1930s to the strategists and media specialists of the 1970s, who transformed political campaigns into a highly profitable business.”

Friuli in Your Glass
Eataly, 200 Fifth Ave./ 6-9PM, $40
“Eataly is honoring the food and wine of Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region with a walk-around tasting featuring over thirty producers from the area. Bites include Montasio cheese and Prosciutto di San Daniele, among others. Admission ($40) give guests full access to all wines and pairings, along with a copy of Eataly founder Oscar Farinetti’s Vino, I Love You.” (VillageVoice)

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

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:

==================================================================================
♦ 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.

One exhibition the NewYorkTimes likes:

Robert Ryman (through July 29)
“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)

Here is one that The Observer likes:
“Steven Baldi: Branded Light” (through May 28)
Koenig & Clinton, 459 West 19 Street
“Steven Baldi is currently featured in an acclaimed group show about the use of stock photography in fine art, on view at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Here, he presents black-and-white photomontages of industry logos, such as those for Kodak and Nikon, abstracted with prismatic camera effects. The resulting Constructivist-inspired imagery is contrasted with the Los Angeles conceptualist’s monochromatic paintings that he makes by stretching green book cloth over aluminum panels.”

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 04/27 and 04/25.
======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged BossaBrasil: Leny Andrade with Roni Ben-Hur Trio, Building A Business of Politics: The Rise of Political Consulting and the Transformation of American Democracy, Friuli in Your Glass, Michael Feinstein, New York City Ballet, Philharmonic Insights at the Atrium | Leave a comment

Selected Events (05/10) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 05/10/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > TUESDAY / MAY 10, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:

New York City Ballet (through May 29)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 8PM, $30+
“This week, City Ballet introduces two programs honoring its founding fathers: “All Balanchine” comprises “Ballo della Regina,” “Kammermusik No. 2” and “Vienna Waltzes” (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday); “All Robbins” features “Dances at a Gathering” and “West Side Story Suite” (Wednesday). The weekend brings encores of recent premieres, including Justin Peck’s “The Most Incredible Thing” (Saturday matinee) and “Belles-Lettres,” which joins “American Rhapsody” by Christopher Wheeldon and “Mothership,” Nicholas Blanc’s choreographic debut for the company, on Saturday evening.” (NYT-Schaefer and Burke)
Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Jose James (thru May 15)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $30, $45
The singer James has more of a signature style than a singularly identifiable musical identity, but that may be just fine in an era that rewards open-eared eclecticism. While his most recent album, “Yesterday I Had the Blues,” was a highly personalized tribute to Billie Holiday, don’t assume that jazz is the path James is sticking to—he’s surprised us before.” (NewYorker)

BossaBrasil: Leny Andrade with Roni Ben-Hur Trio (through May 14)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St/./ 8:30PM +11PM, $
“Ms. Andrade, from Rio de Janeiro, specializes in the assertive buoyancy of samba jazz, singing in a deep cry over crisp accompaniment. Headlining this year’s BossaBrasil festival, she works with a trio led by the guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, drawing partly from their recent album together, “Alegria De Viver.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Kosher USA: How Coke Became Kosher and Other Tales of Modern Food
with Roger Horowitz, a food historian and Director of the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library.
NYPL, Mid-Manhattan branch, / 6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture follows the fascinating journey of kosher food through the modern industrial food system. It recounts how iconic products such as Coca-Cola and Jell-O tried to become kosher; the contentious debates among rabbis over the incorporation of modern science into Jewish law; how Manischewitz wine became the first kosher product to win over non-Jewish consumers (principally African Americans); the techniques used by Orthodox rabbinical organizations to embed kosher requirements into food manufacturing; and the difficulties encountered by kosher meat and other kosher foods that fell outside the American culinary consensus.”

New York African Film Festival (LAST DAY)
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 65th St (btw B’way/Amsterdam) / various times, $14
“This 23rd edition opened Wednesday at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The festival is part of a monthlong focus on African cinema that continues May 13 to 15 at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem. On May 18, the Brooklyn Academy of Music opens the theatrical revival of Ousmane Sembène’s pioneering 1966 film “Black Girl.” The month closes with the companion “FilmAfrica” series, also at BAM.” (WSJ)

Free Ice Cream Cone Day
Participating Häagen-Dazs Shops / 4PM -8PM.
“Häagen-Dazs will give away free one-scoop ice cream cones to guests for their annual free-cone day. There will also be prizes for fans who participate in the shop’s “ice cream social” on Twitter. To find the closest participating location, scope out the Häagen-Dazs web site.” (VillageVoice)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir Square to ISIS
Merrill House, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, 170 E64th St./ 6PM,
“Mr. Worth, a contributor to The New York Times Magazine and former Beirut bureau chief for The New York Times, discusses his book “A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, From Tahrir Square to ISIS,” which begins in 2011 with the upheaval of the Arab Spring and follows the recent history of utopian aspirations gone awry. He will speak with Roger Cohen, an opinion columnist for The International New York Times.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

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

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:

==================================================================================
♦ 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.

Those in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.

Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.

But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.

Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
========================================================
Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a 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.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, BossaBrasil: Leny Andrade with Roni Ben-Hur Trio, Free Ice Cream Cone Day, from Tahrir Square to ISIS, José James, Kosher USA: How Coke Became Kosher and Other Tales of Modern Food, New York City Ballet, Robert F. Worth | Leave a comment

Selected Events (05/09) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 05/09/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > MONDAY / MAY 09, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:

New York City Ballet Seminar
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 6-7:30PM, $15
“These 90-minute panel discussions will reveal how dancers, composers, and choreographers prepare for performances, from their years of training, through hours of rehearsals and finally, performances on the stage. Other collaborative artists may also speak about their designs for lighting, costumes, and scenery. Seminars are a unique opportunity to hear about the creative process and daily experiences of the artists of New York City Ballet.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Tegan and Sara
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St./ 8PM, $
“The inventive twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin cast aside their usual, stylishly produced folk-rock gravity on “Heartthrob,” their charming breakthrough album, released in 2013. Its winsome examination of first love leaned heavily on electro-pop synth pulse and New Wave singsong harmonies. That same year, their single “Everything Is Awesome,” with the Lonely Island for the soundtrack of “The Lego Movie,” netted a very sweet Oscar nomination. They are set to release a new album, “Love You to Death,” in June.” (Anderson-NYT)

Joe Iconis and Family
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 9:30PM, $40+
“Joe Iconis is the winner of several prestigious awards for musical-theater songwriting, and he parties as well as he composes: His shows, stuffed with longtime friends and collaborators, have an exuberant sense of community. In his latest run at 54 Below, he shares old and new tales of sex, drugs and rock & roll with help from his usual gang of actor-enablers; the May 9 edition includes guest appearances by Betty Buckley and Krysta Rodriguez.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but the Bowery Ballroom is a superior music hall:
Chelsea Wolfe
Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St./ 9PM, $
“Ms. Wolfe scrutinized Los Angeles with fresh malaise on “Apokalypsis,” her breakthrough second album of shuddering, foreboding drone-folk. The dark, aching glamour suited her. Her fifth, most recently released album, “Abyss,” is more broadly realized, folding spectral noises into bracingly heavy squalls. She has said the album was inspired by her experiences with sleep paralysis, and an otherworldly turmoil penetrates every track. With A Dead Forest Index.” (Anderson-NYT)

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

A Burglar’s Guide to the City
Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Pl./ 6PM, $10
“A Burglar’s Guide to the City explores the relationship between burglary and architecture. With help from numerous sources including FBI agents, reformed burglars, security consultants, and architects, Geoff Manaugh dissects the built environment from both sides of the law.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

New York African Film Festival (May 4-10)
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 65th St (btw B’way/Amsterdam) / various times, $14
“This 23rd edition opened Wednesday at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The festival is part of a monthlong focus on African cinema that continues May 13 to 15 at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem. On May 18, the Brooklyn Academy of Music opens the theatrical revival of Ousmane Sembène’s pioneering 1966 film “Black Girl.” The month closes with the companion “FilmAfrica” series, also at BAM.” (WSJ)

The opening night film “Tanna,” set on the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, was just wonderful and played to a well deserved full house. See it today @ 3:45PM.

Frontiers Lecture Series: Our Place In The Universe
AMNH, Hayden Planetarium Space Theater, 81st St./ 7:30PM, $15
“What is our place in the universe? Since the time of Galileo, our understanding of this fundamental question has been overthrown again and again as telescopes have evolved. Join astronomer Jason Kalirai on a journey through space to uncover the latest evidence about where we sit in the universe and explore the possibility of life on other worlds.”

==================================================================================
♦ 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.
================================================================================

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘Vigée Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France’ (through May 15)
“This outstanding late-17th-century painter finally receives a ravishing survey. A prodigy and portraitist to Marie Antoinette and her court, Vigée Le Brun orchestrated an equally successful career among the royals of Italy, Prussia and especially Russia after the French Revolution. Her best efforts are distinguished by exquisite technique (ears sometimes excepted), inventive colors and immensely sympathetic portrayals of men and women alike. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Smith)

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 05/07 and 05/05.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A Burglar’s Guide to the City, Chelsea Wolfe, Frontiers Lecture Series: Our Place In The Universe, Joe Iconis and Family, New York African Film Festival, New York City Ballet Seminar, Tegan and Sara | Leave a comment

Selected Events (05/08) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 05/08/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > SUNDAY / MAY 08, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:

America’s Cup
Brookfield Place Waterfront Plaza / from 2PM to 3:30PM, FREE
“Sailing races for the America’s Cup—NYC’s biggest sailing event—will be held in New York City for the first time since 1920 in what promises to be one of the best things to do this spring. Watch six teams from the United States, Britain, France, Japan, New Zealand and Sweden compete in the preliminary event for the 35th America’s Cup next June in Bermuda. The races are free to watch from the shore, and will be taking place rain or shine.

The best place to watch the action will be around Battery Park City.
The Brookfield Place Waterfront Plaza will be the focal point of the race’s festivities with two giant screens giving fans a better view of what’s happening out in the water during the races. The Plaza will also be hosting an event village from 11am to 6pm on both days with live performances, merchandise booths, a champagne bar and more.” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Ron Carter
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8PM +10:30PM, $30, $45
“You can find bassist Carter in a diversity of music listeners’ record collections (Miles Davis for traditional jazz heads, A Tribe Called Quest for fans of a newer generation). The jazz legend’s been leading several sparkling ensembles in recent years, ranging in size from trio to big band. This week, he gigs with nine-, four- and three-piece bands as he celebrates his 79th birthday.” (TONY)

New York City Ballet (through May 29)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 3PM, $30+
“This week, City Ballet introduces two programs honoring its founding fathers: “All Balanchine” comprises “Ballo della Regina,” “Kammermusik No. 2” and “Vienna Waltzes” (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday); “All Robbins” features “Dances at a Gathering” and “West Side Story Suite” (Wednesday).” (NYT-Schaefer and Burke)

One for All (May 6-8)
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway,(btw 105th/106th Sts.)/ 7, 9, 10:30PM, $40
Pledging allegiance to hard bop in all its durable glory, the members of this collective sextet, which includes the saxophonist Eric Alexander and the trombonist Steve Davis, have been together for nearly twenty years, fulfilling a need for slamming, unpretentious jazz which is in little danger of disappearing.” (NewYorker)

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

Japan Day
Central Park, entrance at Fifth Ave.& 69th St./ 9:30AM-4:30PM, FREE
“This annual festival returns for its 10th year, with activities and performances to showcase Japanese culture. The activities, in tents around Central Park’s band shell, include calligraphy, Kabuki face painting and origami — even a Hello Kitty photo booth. Onstage at Rumsey Playfield is a mixture of dance, spoken word and musical performances. The full list of events and participants is at japandaynyc.org.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

New York African Film Festival (May 4-10)
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 65th St (btw Broadway/Amsterdam) / various times, $14
“The drama, “Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai,” is one of the highlights of the New York African Film Festival, whose 23rd edition opened Wednesday at the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

The festival is part of a monthlong focus on African cinema that continues May 13 to 15 at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem. On May 18, the Brooklyn Academy of Music opens the theatrical revival of Ousmane Sembène’s pioneering 1966 film “Black Girl.” The month closes with the companion “FilmAfrica” series, also at BAM.” (WSJ)

Their opening night film “Tanna,” set on the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, was just wonderful and played to a well deserved full house.

Hardly Manhattan’s WestSide, it’s an island in the East River, but this is worth the detour:
“Frieze New York” (May 5-8)
Randall’s Island Park / 11AM, $ various prices
The main attraction of the week, the fifth edition of Frieze New York, features more than 200 exhibitors from 31 countries in its dynamically designed white tent on Randall’s Island. Offering one of the best art fair presentations in contemporary art, Frieze mixes up its program with galleries showing blue chip artists, solo shows of 20th century artworks, sections for emerging art and special projects and talks, which make the visitors’ experience even more rewarding.

Standouts this year include Salon 94’s and David Zwirner’s female-focused booths; Matthew Marks Gallery’s show of sculpture; David Wojnarowicz’s multi-media installation from 1985 at P.P.O.W; and solo shows of Fred Wilson at Pace, William Kentridge at Marian Goodman and Melvin Edwards at Alexander Gray Associates, as well as a Frith Street’s presentation of works by Cornelia Parker, which coincides with her current rooftop project at the Met.” (the Observer)

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

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:

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Japan Day, Ron Carter | Leave a comment

Selected Events (05/07) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 05/07/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > SATURDAY / MAY 07, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:

Ann Hampton Callaway Presents “But Beautiful” (thru May 7)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM +11PM, $40
“Ann Hampton Callaway – the “…superbly intelligent, singularly creative pop-jazz stylist who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Streisand, Ronstadt, Shirley Horn, and Dianne Reeves.” (JazzTimes) – returns to Birdland with “But Beautiful,” a collection of romantic jazz standards. The singer/songwriter puts her unique stamp on classics by Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, Cy Coleman, Johnny Mandel and more. Accompanied by Ted Rosenthal (piano) Martin Wind (bass) Tim Horner (drums). “For sheer vocal beauty, no contemporary singer matches Ms. Callaway.” (New York Times)” (broadwayworld.com)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

New York City Ballet (through May 29)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 8PM, $30+
“This week, City Ballet introduces two programs honoring its founding fathers: “All Balanchine” comprises “Ballo della Regina,” “Kammermusik No. 2” and “Vienna Waltzes” (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday); “All Robbins” features “Dances at a Gathering” and “West Side Story Suite” (Wednesday). The weekend brings encores of recent premieres, including Justin Peck’s “The Most Incredible Thing” (Saturday matinee) and “Belles-Lettres,” which joins “American Rhapsody” by Christopher Wheeldon and “Mothership,” Nicholas Blanc’s choreographic debut for the company, on Saturday evening.” (NYT-Schaefer and Burke)

Elsewhere but if you’re a Prince fan this is not a big detour:
Dance Music Sex Romance: A Prince Video Dance Party
Rough Trade NYC, 64 N9th St., Brooklyn / 9PM, $5
“In the post-Prince world, commemorative events and tribute concerts will continue unabated through spring, cementing the surreal with each drop of purple rain. There are few better ways to experience the Beautiful One than onscreen: as did Bowie’s, Prince’s pop reign coincided with the maturation, in the mid-eighties, of the music video: his use of the form in clips like “When Doves Cry” became pop-culture mythology. The v.j. and self-described music-video historian Stephan Pitalo brings his Music Video Time Machine party series to Rough Trade, spotlighting Prince’s funkiest looks and moves via stage-wide projection.” (NewYorker)
subway: L train to Bedford, 1st stop in Bklyn.

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

America’s Cup (also Sunday)
Brookfield Place Waterfront Plaza / from 2PM to 3:30PM, FREE
“Sailing races for the America’s Cup—NYC’s biggest sailing event—will be held in New York City for the first time since 1920 in what promises to be one of the best things to do this spring. Watch six teams from the United States, Britain, France, Japan, New Zealand and Sweden compete in the preliminary event for the 35th America’s Cup next June in Bermuda. The races are free to watch from the shore, and will be taking place rain or shine.

New York African Film Festival (May 4-10)
FilmSocietyLincolnCenter, 65th St (btw Broadway/Amsterdam) / various times & prices
“The drama, “Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai,” is one of the highlights of the New York African Film Festival, whose 23rd edition opened Wednesday at the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Their opening night film “Tanna,” set on the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, was just wonderful and there was a well deserved full house.

=======================================================================
♦ 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.
=======================================================================

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 05/05 and 05/03.
=======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged America’s Cup, Dance Music Sex Romance: A Prince Video Dance Party | Leave a comment

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

Posted on 05/06/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > FRIDAY / MAY 06, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:

Shemekia Copeland
Iridium, 1650 Broadway @ 51 St./ 8PM, $35
Shemekia is touring in support of her latest Grammy-nominated album, Outskirts Of Love. She puts on a great show. Last time I saw her she came down from the stage to dance in the aisle with us.

Shemekia’s a ball-of-fire vocalist with a voice that’s part Memphis, part Chicago and all woman…devastatingly powerful. She’s a great singer, period.” —Chicago Sun-Times
“Shemekia captures the timelessness of the blues while spinning it forward with remarkable maturity.”—USA Today

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

New York City Ballet (through May 29)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 8PM, $30+
“This week, City Ballet introduces two programs honoring its founding fathers: “All Balanchine” comprises “Ballo della Regina,” “Kammermusik No. 2” and “Vienna Waltzes” (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday); “All Robbins” features “Dances at a Gathering” and “West Side Story Suite” (Wednesday). The weekend brings encores of recent premieres, including Justin Peck’s “The Most Incredible Thing” (Saturday matinee) and “Belles-Lettres,” which joins “American Rhapsody” by Christopher Wheeldon and “Mothership,” Nicholas Blanc’s choreographic debut for the company, on Saturday evening.” (NYT-Schaefer and Burke)

Nik Bärtsch’s Mobile
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W17th St./ 7PM,
“Mr. Bärtsch, a rigorously conceptual Swiss pianist and composer, has a new album, “Continuum,” featuring a series of chamber pieces — moduls, he calls them — that deftly incorporate shifting texture and post-minimalist repetition. He presents some of that music in concert with Mobile, his acoustic ensemble with Sha on bass and contrabass clarinets and Kaspar Rast and Nicolas Stocker on drums and percussion.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Their opening night film “Tanna,” set on the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, was just wonderful and there was a well deserved full house.

=====================================================
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:

==================================================================================
♦ 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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Good Eating Places

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

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

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

Xi’an Famous Foods – 24 W45th St. (Btw 5th/6th ave)
Try to avoid long lunch lines. Order lamb hand ripped noodles and warm your insides at one of the tables in the back. You’ll return, just remember that even mild is pretty spicy.
==============================================================
“3 Good Eating Places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 Premier Pubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available Summer 2016).
◊ Order before July 31, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
==============================================================

Subway Time
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station.
===========================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bronx Week, Film Society Lincoln Center, Frieze New York, Iridium, Lincoln Center, New York African Film Festival, New York City Ballet, Nik Bärtsch’s Mobile, One for All, Rubin Museum, Shemekia Copeland, Smoke Jazz Club | Leave a comment

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

Today’s Sweet 6 > SUNDAY / MAY 15, 2016

Today’s Elite 8 > SATURDAY / MAY 14, 2016

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

3 Good Eating places

Today’s Super 7 > FRIDAY / MAY 13, 2016

Today’s Elite 8 > THURSDAY / MAY 12, 2016

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

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

Today’s Sweet 6 > WEDNESDAY / MAY 11, 2016

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Sweet 6 > TUESDAY / MAY 10, 2016

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A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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

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

Today’s Super 7 > MONDAY / MAY 09, 2016

Today’s Super 7 > SUNDAY / MAY 08, 2016

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

3 Good Eating places

Today’s Super 7 > SATURDAY / MAY 07, 2016

Today’s Sweet 6 > FRIDAY / MAY 06, 2016

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

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

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