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

Selected Events (04/15) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 04/15/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > FRIDAY / APR. 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:
Anat Cohen Tentet (through April 17)
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM and 9:30PM, $
“A clarinetist and tenor saxophonist of irresistible rhythmic aplomb, Ms. Cohen has dabbled in music for midsize ensembles, and this one should bring out some vibrant colors in her writing. The 10-piece ensemble’s chamberesque lineup includes Nadje Noordhuis on trumpet, Rubin Kodheli on cello, James Shipp on vibraphone and Sheryl Bailey on guitar.” (Chinen-NYT)
Anat, one of the finest clarinetists of her generation, branches out with a 10 piece ensemble. Should be fascinating.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Camille O’Sullivan (April 13-16)
Irish Arts Center, 553 W51st St./ 8PM, $32
“Pinning this Irish-French performer down to any one confining musical genre is a fool’s game. What can be confirmed is that she brings arresting theatricality and sensuality to a wide swath of song, touching on the work of Gillian Welch, Nick Cave, and others.”(NewYorker)
“Ravishing…superb performer.” – Guardian
“Exceptional.” – Time Out
She’s coming back to the states in May to perform at the Kennedy Center in D.C. Better catch her here in New York while you have the chance. This is a very special performance.

This is definitely not Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is Bklyn’s WestSide, and absolutely worth the detour. You just have to see these guys perform. Unforgettable!
Streb Extreme Action Company (Thursdays through Sundays, until April 24) / $25
Streb Lab for Action Mechanics, 51 North First Street, Williamsburg,
“After a winter hiatus, superheroes are back in the multiplexes. More excitingly, they’re back in Brooklyn, where Elizabeth Streb’s gang of action heroes can be seen in “SEA (Singular Extreme Actions),” a new show that once again tests the boundaries of the human body as it navigates an army of complex, bespoke mechanical contraptions. The soundtrack shifts from show to show as audience members contribute to the playlist.”(Schaefer-NYT)
Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30PM; Saturdays and Sundays at 3PM.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Tribeca Film Festival
various locations, times and prices
“Kicks off its 15th edition. The festival, which originally set out to help revive the TriBeCa neighborhood post-9/11, has grown into an international celebration of cinema at venues throughout the City. Lasting nearly two weeks, the festival focuses this year on some unique documentaries, female directors and local stories.

In addition to screening new films, the Beacon Theatre will host a special 40th anniversary showing of director Martin Scorsese’s NYC classic, Taxi Driver. Afterward, there will be an onstage conversation headed up by festival co-founder Robert De Niro—who also happens to be the film’s star—along with the director and co-stars Jodie Foster and Cybill Shepherd. In addition, the Tribeca Talks series returns with conversations on movies and moviemaking that feature the likes of J.J. Abrams, Tina Fey, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Rock.” (nycgo.com)

For details on all the films, schedules, talks and events, visit tribecafilm.com.
Finally, try this: Tribeca Festival: Films to Catch The First Week (WSJ)

“Celebrate 10 Years of the New Morgan”
Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue at 36th St./ FREE
“Commemorating the 10th anniversary of its Renzo Piano-designed expansion project, the Morgan opens its doors to the public with free admission for the entire weekend. Exhibitions on view include “Warhol by the Book,” featuring 40 years of the artist’s publications; “Wagner’s Ring: Forging an Epic,” which explores the story behind the creation of the composer’s cycle of music dramas; “Sight Reading: Photography and the Legible World,” which examines the medium as a tool of persuasion; and “Pierre-Jean Mariette and the Art of Collecting Drawings,” which looks at the 18th-century connoisseur’s collection. Live classical and jazz music, video presentations, lectures and gallery tours round out the packed weekend salute.” (theobserver)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
“The AIPAD Photography Show”
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave./ 5-9PM, $30
“Featuring contemporary, modern and 19th-century photographs, as well as photo-based art, video and new media, the 36th edition of AIPAD’s Photography Show brings together 86 international galleries at the Park Avenue Armory for four days.” (the observer)
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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)

Guggenheim Museum:

‘Peter Fischli David Weiss: How to Work Better’ (through April 27)
“Presenting more than 300 sculptures, photographs and videos, this marvelously entertaining exhibition demonstrates the power of creative play to invigorate hearts and minds. It includes photographs of doll-scale tableaus made mainly of processed meats; films starring the artists as Rat and Bear in frowzy costumes; more than 160 small, comical clay sculptures representing a harebrained history of the world; and myriad trompe l’oeil sculptures of ordinary objects. Most importantly, there’s the team’s classic movie “The Way Things Go” (1987), the landmark film documenting an apparently continuous series of chain reactions of a Rube Goldberg-type construction. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org.” (Ken Johnson)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:

‘A New Look at a Van Eyck Masterpiece’ (through April 24)
“This small show of Flemish art, highly specialized yet not inaccessible, is the latest in an impressive sequence of laser-focused examinations of the Met’s holdings of late medieval and Renaissance painting. A crystalline Crucifixion attributed to van Eyck, and a jam-packed Last Judgment painted by him and his studio, now hang as a diptych — but technical analysis of the frames suggests they were probably side panels for a central painting now lost. Alongside the Met’s van Eycks is a recently resurfaced drawing of the Crucifixion, lent by Rotterdam’s Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, whose wizened Virgin and writhing thieves rhyme with the painted version. Did van Eyck draw it? Whether he did or not, the drawing grounds these divinely impeccable paintings in the real world of brushes and pencils. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Jason Farago)

‘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)

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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 04/13 and 04/11.
=============================================================

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 Anat Cohen Tentet, “Celebrate 10 Years of the New Morgan”, Camille O'Sullivan, Irish Arts Center, Jazz Standard, Morgan Library & Museum, Streb Extreme Action Company, The AIPAD Photography Show, Tribeca Film Festival | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/14) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 04/14/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > THURSDAY / APR. 14, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Camille O’Sullivan (April 13-16)
Irish Arts Center, 553 W51st St./ 8PM, $32
“Pinning this Irish-French performer down to any one confining musical genre is a fool’s game. What can be confirmed is that she brings arresting theatricality and sensuality to a wide swath of song, touching on the work of Gillian Welch, Nick Cave, and others.”(NewYorker)
“Ravishing…superb performer.” – Guardian
“Exceptional.” – Time Out
She’s coming back to the states in May to perform at the Kennedy Center in D.C. Better catch her here in New York while you have the chance. This is a very special performance.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Esperanza Spalding Presents: ‘Emily’s D+Evolution’
Apollo Theater, 253 W125th St./ 8PM, $
“Whimsy gets weaponized on Esperanza Spalding’s fine new album, “Emily’s D+Evolution.” Ms. Spalding, hailed over the last decade as a springy jazz bassist and an irrepressible vocalist, has hardened her singer-songwriter ambitions and tightened her grip as a bandleader — as she’ll demonstrate in this concert, with a touch of theatrical staging and a smartly slashing band.” (Chinen-NYT)

Elsewhere, but Anat is always worth the detour:
Anat Cohen Tentet (through April 17)
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM and 9:30PM, $
“A clarinetist and tenor saxophonist of irresistible rhythmic aplomb, Ms. Cohen has dabbled in music for midsize ensembles, and this one should bring out some vibrant colors in her writing. The 10-piece ensemble’s chamberesque lineup includes Nadje Noordhuis on trumpet, Rubin Kodheli on cello, James Shipp on vibraphone and Sheryl Bailey on guitar.” (Chinen-NYT)

Tribeca Film Festival
various locations, times and prices
“Kicks off its 15th edition. The festival, which originally set out to help revive the TriBeCa neighborhood post-9/11, has grown into an international celebration of cinema at venues throughout the City. Lasting nearly two weeks, the festival focuses this year on some unique documentaries, female directors and local stories.

A 12-day Hub Pass ($550) gives you unfettered access to virtual reality experiences, storyscapes and star speakers such as Tina Fey and Tom Hanks, but ticket prices for essential screenings ($20) and several Tribeca Talks ($40) are thankfully a lot more budget-friendly. (TONY) For details on all the films, schedules, talks and events, visit tribecafilm.com.

Lea Salonga (thru April 17)
54 Below, 254 W 54th St./ 7PM, $90+
(Performance on April 14th is at 9PM)
“Fresh from her critically acclaimed performance in Allegiance on Broadway, Lea Salonga takes the stage at Feinstein’s/54 Below for a highly anticipated NYC cabaret return. Called “golden-voiced” by Variety, Salonga smartly weaves together a set list of her favorite standards, go-to pop tunes, and Broadway ballads. This trio of piano, guitar, and voice ensures an intimate experience with a true Broadway icon.” (broadwayworld.com)

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

===========================================================
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
in case you need more options in the Village, these are also fine spots:
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.
==============================================================
“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.
=============================================================
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 Anat Cohen Tentet, Camille O'Sullivan, Esperanza Spalding Presents: ‘Emily’s D+Evolution’, Lea Salonga, The AIPAD Photography Show, Tribeca Film Festival | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/13) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 04/12/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > WEDNESDAY / APR. 13, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Tribeca Film Festival
various locations, times and prices
“Kicks off its 15th edition. The festival, which originally set out to help revive the TriBeCa neighborhood post-9/11, has grown into an international celebration of cinema at venues throughout the City. Lasting nearly two weeks, the festival focuses this year on some unique documentaries, female directors and local stories.

Project B-Way/95 (Apr.07-20)
Symphony Space, Broadway @ 95th St./
“Two weeks of reveling in The Great White Way as only Symphony Space can. See, hear, and meet leading singers, composers, writers, and directors with concerts, panel discussions, film screenings, workshops, literary events, and more! You’ve never been this close to Broadway before.”
Tonight: The Changing Face of Broadway:
Race and Diversity in the American Musical Theater
Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space / 7:30PM, $25
“An exploration of the challenges and rewards of nontraditional casting and the changing landscape of ethnic diversity on the Broadway stage, featuring live performances and a panel discussion.
Hosted by Christine Toy Johnson – actor, writer, and award-winning activist on issues of diversity and discrimination in the arts.”

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Double Take 17
Apexart, 291 Church St./ 7PM, FREE
“Double Take” rethinks the reading series, inviting pairs of emerging and award-winning novelists, poets, editors, and artists to exchange ideas on a shared topic. In this week’s edition, organized by the Bookforum editor Albert Mobilo, the editor and playwright Donald Breckenridge and the educator Johannah Rodgers consider Bedford-Stuyvesant’s Saratoga Park; the novelist and musician Stephen Tunney and the writer and translator Peter Wortsman muse on sleepless nights; and the photojournalist and New School professor Lauren Walsh chooses a photograph at random and trades observations about it with the author Colin Dickey.” (NewYorker)

=======================================================
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:
‘Jackson Pollock: A Collection Survey, 1934-1954’ (through May 1)
“The first exhibition devoted to the Modern’s unsurpassed Pollock holding gives a dazzling account of the evolution of his signature poured paintings. Its 58 works on canvas and paper also attest to the Modern’s laserlike focus on accounting fully for the achievements of artists it deems great. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)

‘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)

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)

Whitney Museum of American Art:
‘Laura Poitras: Astro Noise’ (through May 1)
“An engrossing first solo museum show by an artist-activist known for films documenting the United States government’s post-Sept. 11 “war on terror,” notably the Oscar-winning “Citizenfour.” Here she pursues her forensic mediation on global surveillance with a suite of dimly lit installations made up of photographs, videos and texts that take us from ground zero to Baghdad, Washington and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and that conclude with a chilling little real-time surprise. 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Cotter-NYT)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 04/11 and 04/09.
=======================================================

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 54 Below, Anat Cohen Tentet, Apexart, Camille O'Sullivan, Double Take 17, Irish Arts Center, Jazz Standard, Lea Salonga, Symphony Space, The Changing Face of Broadway, Tribeca Film Festival | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/12) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 04/12/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > TUESDAY / APR. 12, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Lea Salonga (thru April 17)
54 Below, 254 W 54th St./ 7PM, $90+
(Performance on April 14th is at 9PM)
“Fresh from her critically acclaimed performance in Allegiance on Broadway, Lea Salonga takes the stage at Feinstein’s/54 Below for a highly anticipated NYC cabaret return. Called “golden-voiced” by Variety, Salonga smartly weaves together a set list of her favorite standards, go-to pop tunes, and Broadway ballads. This trio of piano, guitar, and voice ensures an intimate experience with a true Broadway icon.” (broadwayworld.com)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Project B-Way/95 (Apr.07-20)
Symphony Space, Broadway @ 95th St./
“Two weeks of reveling in The Great White Way as only Symphony Space can. See, hear, and meet leading singers, composers, writers, and directors with concerts, panel discussions, film screenings, workshops, literary events, and more! You’ve never been this close to Broadway before.”
Tonight: Company (Performance in HD)
Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space / 7PM, $24
“Following five couples and their friend Robert (Neil Patrick Harris), the perpetual bachelor, this HD recording of Stephen Sondheim’s Company explores the true meaning of being in a relationship through a series of vignettes. Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Rent) leads a star-studded cast which includes Patti LuPone, Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer, Christina Hendricks, Craig Bierko and Martha Plimpton.”

Iggy Pop
United Palace Theater, 4140 Broadway, at 175th St./ 8PM, $,
(may have to stub hub this one.)
“Over his five decades in music, Iggy Pop has had more lives than an alley cat, surviving the end of his band the Stooges, heroin addiction and more. His career was first resurrected in the ’70s by his friend, musician-producer David Bowie, and again in the ’80s with MTV hit “Candy.” The Stooges successfully reunited in the aughts and in mid-March Pop released darker, introspective “Post Pop Depression,” made together with Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age.” (NewYorker)

Marcus Strickland’s Twi-Life
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., near Thompson St./ 10PM, $
Mr. Strickland is a saxophonist and bandleader who has successfully straddled the realms of postbop and modern groove music. “Nihil Novi” — his appealing new album, produced by Meshell Ndegeocello and due out on Blue Note/Revive next Friday — traces an arc through jazz, hip-hop, Afrobeat and soul, with partners like the trumpeter Keyon Harrold and the keyboardist Masayuki Hirano, both part of his cohort here.” (Chinen-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Prince of Darkness: The Untold Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street’s First Black Millionaire
Graduate Center, CUNY, 365 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
“Shane White reveals the larger-than-life story of a man who defied every convention of his time, Jeremiah Hamilton. He wheeled and dealed in the lily-white business world, he married a white woman, he bought a mansion in rural New Jersey, he owned railroad stock on trains he was not legally allowed to ride, and generally set his white contemporaries teeth on edge when he wasn’t just plain outsmarting them. An important contribution to American history, Hamilton’s life offers a way into considering, from the unusual perspective of a black man, subjects that are usually seen as being quintessentially white, totally segregated from the African American past.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

“Street Food in New York City Past and Present”
The New School — Starr Foundation Hall, 63 Fifth Avenue/ 6:30PM, $40
“Explore the history of street food in New York City during this panel discussion — with Anneke Geyzen, Dave Cook, and Fabio Parasecoli — which examines the development of public policy and the social impact of street fare. Tickets ($40 for general admission) include snacks.” (VillageVoice)

Elsewhere, this looks worth the detour:
The Stoop Series | New York’s Underground Art Museum:
An Inside Look at MTA Arts and Design
BRIC, 647 Fulton St./ 7PM, FREE
“A panel discussion that gives an inside look at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)’s remarkable program of contemporary art commissions throughout the city’s transportation system, with Sandra Bloodworth, Director, MTA Arts & Design, and several artists who have been commissioned to create the works we see on our daily commute.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

=====================================================
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
in case you need more options in the Village, these are also fine spots:
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.

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 "Street Food in New York City Past and Present", An Inside Look at MTA Arts and Design, Iggy Pop, Lea Salonga, Marcus Strickland’s Twi-Life, Prince of Darkness: The Untold Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street’s First Black Millionaire | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/11) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 04/11/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > MONDAY / APR. 11, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Ute Lemper & Jasper Quartet: Music of Kurt Weill
Advent Lutheran Church/Broadway United Church of Christ
2504 Broadway @ 93rd St./ 7:30PM, FREE
“While his songs from The Threepenny Opera are justly famous, versatile composer Kurt Weill also composed brilliant but little-known instrumental music — hear it amidst an array of songs in a program featuring famed Weill interpreter Ute Lemper (“mesmerizing”, New York Times). The Jasper Quartet (“powerful,” New York Times) takes on Weill’s pungent yet lyrical String Quartet, op. 8, and joins Ms. Lemper, Grammy-winning clarinetist Todd Palmer, (“compelling,” New York Times) and Artistic Director Aaron Wunsch (“masterful,” Hartford Courant) for new arrangements of Weill’s songs.

Music Mondays – Now in its 13th season, Music Mondays brings you free monthly concerts by today’s most exciting ensembles. Meet the performers and visit with other audience members after every concert at a casual wine reception.
All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:45 pm.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Project B-Way/95 (Apr.07-20)
Symphony Space, Broadway @ 95th St./
“Two weeks of reveling in The Great White Way as only Symphony Space can. See, hear, and meet leading singers, composers, writers, and directors with concerts, panel discussions, film screenings, workshops, literary events, and more! You’ve never been this close to Broadway before.”
Tonight: All in the Family
Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space / 8PM, $35-$65
“Siblings, couples, parents and children perform musical-theater favorites together in this Project B-way/95 concert. Kelli O’Hara, Sierra Bogess, Chuck Cooper, Michael Arden, Andy Mientus, Greg Naughton and Nikki Renée Daniels are among the vocalists.” (TONY)

Gabrielle Stravelli in “On the Road Again”
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 7PM, $30
“Stravelli has a groovy ’70s-chick vibe and a supple, versatile voice that can navigate multiple genres with ease; think Joyce DeWitt with bona fide pop-jazz chops. After many years as one of New York’s best-kept secrets, she is finally riding a well-deserved tide of acclaim.” (TONY)

“The show will showcase Stravelli’s signature mix of eclectic influences including international folk songs, jazz standards, fresh arrangements of pop and musical theater, original compositions from her forthcoming CD release and a preview of her new Willie Nelson tribute “City Girl, Country Boy.”

Jozef van Wissem
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., near Thompson St./ 10PM, $18
“As both an avant-garde composer and a lutenist playing Baroque music, this Dutch artist is no stranger to dichotomy. He worked with his frequent collaborator, the filmmaker and guitarist Jim Jarmusch, to score Mr. Jarmusch’s film “Only Lovers Left Alive” in 2013. In January, Mr. van Wissem released the experimental record “When Shall This Bright Day Begin,” which featured a stirring guest appearance from Zola Jesus. With Holy Sons” (Anderson-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
An Evening with Julie Taymor
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza / 6PM, FREE
“This holiday season, in movie theaters across the country, audiences marveled as The Magic Flute’s three spirits soared upon the back of a glistening, feathered bird puppet. At Theater for a New Audience last season, Shakespeare’s dream world came to life, as Puck and other sprites slid across gravity defying, giant silken sheets.

In countless other brilliant projects, with puppetry, mime, light and shadows, Julie Taymor, award-winning director of theater and film, has made magic and myth seem real. As the Library celebrates both Shakespeare and Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Taymor sits down with SITI Artistic Director Anne Bogart for a fascinating conversation about designing and directing theater, opera, and film.”

17th Havana Film Festival New York (Apr 07-15)
various locations & times – see festival calendar
Shows 40 full-length feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation, and classics from Latin America with English subtitles.

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

‘Ellsworth Kelly Photographs’ (through April 30)
“This first exhibition of photographs by Mr. Kelly, who died in December, includes more than 30 gelatin silver prints made over four decades. His straightforward pictures of houses, barns, brick walls and winter branches yield the same distinctive observation of perceptual phenomena so characteristic of his hard-edge paintings, sculpture and prints: Rectangles float; shadows fall into hard-edge shapes; surfaces reveal evenly mottled patterns and unlikely grids. Matthew Marks Gallery, 523 West 24th Street, Chelsea, 212-243-0200, matthewmarks.com.” (Philip Gefter)

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)

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 04/09 and 04/07.
======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 17th Havana Film Festival New York, An Evening with Julie Taymor, Birdland, Gabrielle Stravelli in "On the Road Again", Jozef van Wissem, LE Poisson Rouge, NYPL for the Performing Arts, Project B-Way/95, Symphony Space, Ute Lemper & Jasper Quartet: Music of Kurt Weill | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/10) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 04/10/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > SUNDAY / APR. 10, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
This is definitely not Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is Bklyn’s WestSide, and absolutely worth the detour. You just have to see these guys perform. Unforgettable!
Streb Extreme Action Company (Thursdays through Sundays, until April 24) / $25
Streb Lab for Action Mechanics, 51 North First Street, Williamsburg,
“After a winter hiatus, superheroes are back in the multiplexes. More excitingly, they’re back in Brooklyn, where Elizabeth Streb’s gang of action heroes can be seen in “SEA (Singular Extreme Actions),” a new show that once again tests the boundaries of the human body as it navigates an army of complex, bespoke mechanical contraptions. The soundtrack shifts from show to show as audience members contribute to the playlist.”(Schaefer-NYT)
Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30PM; Saturdays and Sundays at 3PM.

Today: The King and I: From Book to Stage to Film
Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space / 3PM, $25
“An in-depth look at The King and I exploring the fascinating journey this story took from autobiography, to novel, to film, to musical, and then to film musical.

Featuring film clips, live performances, and discussions with Broadway stars Karen Ziemba (Bullets Over Broadway), Francis Jue (M. Butterfly), and Marni Nixon (Follies), and noted theater historian Michael Portantiere. Curated and hosted by Ted Chapin, President and Executive Director of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization.”

George Coleman
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, (btw105/106 Sts.)/ 7PM +9PM, $45
“The new album, “A Master Speaks,” proves that there’s more than enough vim and vigor left in this octogenarian tenor saxophonist to put you in mind of the brawny stylist who brought lustre to pivotal recordings by Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the sixties. He’s joined by the album’s support team: the pianist Mike LeDonne, the drummer George Coleman, Jr., and the veteran bassist Bob Cranshaw.’ (NewYorker)

Ballet Hispanico (Apr 5–10)
Joyce Theater, 175 8th Ave./ 2PM +7:30PM, $20–$60
“Dedicated to celebrating the creativity of the Hispanic diaspora, Ballet Hispanico marks its 45th anniversary with a Joyce season that includes its signature work, Perdo Ruiz’s ebullient Club Havana (2000), as well as Ramón Oller’s Bury Me Standing and the New York premiere of Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s colorful. The matinee on April 9, En Familia, is aimed at family audiences. “ (TONY)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Brooklyn Folk Festival
St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, 157 Montague St / 2PM, $20–$25
“Transport yourself to a land of fiddles and banjos with three days of performances from bands with names like Happy Valley Pals playing bluegrass, Balkan music and plenty o’ jugs. If you feel like jamming out yourself, take a workshop to learn how to play your first few chords on the strings, or show your strength during the Banjo Toss contest.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
17th Havana Film Festival New York (Apr 07-15)
various locations & times – see festival calendar
Shows 40 full-length feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation, and classics from Latin America with English subtitles.

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Chocolate Fest 2016
92nd Street Y / 7:30PM; $35
“Chocoholics will find get their fix at this cacao-dusted event. Expect chocolate-and-cheese pairings from Chocolat Moderne and Lucy’s Whey, tiny ice cream cones from Penny Lick Ice Cream, and vino-and-chocolate pairings from Gotham Wines & Liquors and Guittard.” (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
in case you need more options in the Village, these are also fine spots:
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.

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 17th Havana Film Festival New York, 92nd Street Y, Ballet Hispanico, Brooklyn Folk Festival, Chocolate Fest 2016, George Coleman, Joyce Theater, Project B-Way/95, Smoke Jazz Club, Streb Extreme Action Company, Symphony Space, The King and I: From Book to Stage to Film | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/09) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 04/09/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > SATURDAY / APR. 09, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Bill Charlap: Broadway to Harlem
Rose Theatre, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th St./ 8PM, $40-$130
“It’s been far too long between recordings, but the blue-chip trio of the pianist Charlap has released a new album, “Notes from New York,” a masterly project replete with interpretations of standards both familiar and offbeat. Special guests for this celebration of Big Apple song fare include the vocalists Cécile McLorin Salvant and Freddy Cole and the reed men Houston Person and Ken Peplowski.” (NewYorker)

The Bill Charlap trio is experienced and always first class, and you don’t want to miss Grammy award winner Cecile Salvant. Last night’s audience, including Tony Bennett, was blown away by old Jazz singer Freddy Cole, especially when he was accompanied by soulful sax player Houston Person. It’s rare for this site to repeat an engagement as top event, but this performance is so worth being your top event it has earned that distinction.

Today: Gypsy (filmed live in London, performance in HD)/ 1PM, $24, looks wait listed.
“Gypsy is considered by many to be the greatest of Broadway musicals, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The score features such musical theater classics as “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Some People,” “Let Me Entertain You,” and “Rose’s Turn.”

This critically acclaimed West End production features Imelda Staunton as Mama Rose in a performance that the Guardian called “one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen,” as well as powerful turns by Lara Pulver as Louise and Peter Davison as Herbie.”

Pharoah Sanders Quartet (last day)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St./ 8:30PM, 11PM, $40
“Mainstream he will never be, but this pioneering free-jazz saxophonist now regularly tempers his robust effusions with deeply soulful playing that embraces the tradition without pandering to it. In fact, he’s initiated a new tradition; potent traces of Sanders’s ecstatic vibe can be detected in the music of Kamasi Washington.” (NewYorker)

Camille O’Sullivan (also April 13-16)
Irish Arts Center, 553 W51st St./ 8PM, $32
“Pinning this Irish-French performer down to any one confining musical genre is a fool’s game. What can be confirmed is that she brings arresting theatricality and sensuality to a wide swath of song, touching on the work of Gillian Welch, Nick Cave, and others.” (NewYorker)
“Ravishing…superb performer.” – Guardian
“Exceptional.” – Time Out

Dance Theater of Harlem
City Center, 131 West 55th St./ 2PM +8PM, $
“While Misty Copeland has opened doors for black ballerinas in recent years, this company has been steadily doing the same for decades. The troupe’s City Center engagement highlights new ballets by women, with the New York premieres of Dianne McIntyre’s “Change” and Elena Kunikova’s “Divertimento.” Also on deck this season are Nacho Duato’s “Coming Together” and Helen Pickett’s “When Love.” (Burke-NYT)

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

“The festival celebrates the diversity of voices found today in Cuban and Latin American cinema and the inspirational stories they tell. Festival highlights include a tribute to the highly acclaimed and well-loved Cuban actors Isabel Santos (Vestido de novia, Cuba Libre) and Enrique Molina (La cosa humana); a retrospective commemorating the 20th anniversary of the late Tomás Gutierrez Alea, one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century; panels about filming and acting in Cuba; a special presentation of short documentaries about Cuban music; and premieres of award-winning features from all over Latin America.”
==========================================================
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.
================================================================================

Guggenheim Museum:

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘Wordplay: Matthias Buchinger’s Drawings from Collection of Ricky Jay’ (thru April 11)
“A draftsman, calligrapher, magician and musician, Matthias Buchinger (1674–1739) traveled all over Northern Europe to entertain kings and aristocrats as well as hoi polloi with feats of physical dexterity. He was especially noted for elaborate drawings featuring biblical passages written in letters too small to be read by ordinary naked eyes. This he managed despite having been born without hands or legs: His arms ended at the elbows and his lower extremities were truncated at the upper thighs. Sixteen of his amazing works are featured in this exhibition. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Johnson)

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 04/01 and 03/30.
=============================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 17th Havana Film Festival New York, Bill Charlap: Broadway to Harlem, Birdland, Camille O'Sullivan, Cecile Salvant, City Center, Dance Theater of Harlem, Freddy Cole, Gypsy, Irish Arts Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Pharoah Sanders Quartet, Project B-Way/95, Streb Extreme Action Company, Symphony Space | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/08) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 04/08/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > FRIDAY / APR. 08, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Bill Charlap: Broadway to Harlem (also Saturday)
Rose Theatre, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th St./ 8PM, $40-$130
“It’s been far too long between recordings, but the blue-chip trio of the pianist Charlap has released a new album, “Notes from New York,” a masterly project replete with interpretations of standards both familiar and offbeat. Special guests for this celebration of Big Apple song fare include the vocalists Cécile McLorin Salvant and Freddy Cole and the reed men Houston Person and Ken Peplowski.” (NewYorker)
The Bill Charlap trio is experienced and always first class, but you don’t want to miss Cecile Salvant, that’s what makes this one extra special. We’ll be there.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Project B-Way/95 (Apr.07-20)
Symphony Space, Broadway @ 95th St./
“Two weeks of reveling in The Great White Way as only Symphony Space can. See, hear, and meet leading singers, composers, writers, and directors with concerts, panel discussions, film screenings, workshops, literary events, and more! You’ve never been this close to Broadway before.”
Tonight: Young Lions of Broadway /7:30PM, $25
“Symphony Space is the place to discover Broadway up-and-comers! Composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa (Big Fish, The Addams Family, I Am Harvey Milk) hosts this joyful look at Broadway’s newest performers and writers.”

Pharoah Sanders Quartet (thru Apr.9)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St./ 8:30PM, 11PM, $40
“Mainstream he will never be, but this pioneering free-jazz saxophonist now regularly tempers his robust effusions with deeply soulful playing that embraces the tradition without pandering to it. In fact, he’s initiated a new tradition; potent traces of Sanders’s ecstatic vibe can be detected in the music of Kamasi Washington.” (NewYorker)

Camille O’Sullivan (April 6-9 and April 13-16)
Irish Arts Center, 553 W51st St./ 8PM, $32
“Pinning this Irish-French performer down to any one confining musical genre is a fool’s game. What can be confirmed is that she brings arresting theatricality and sensuality to a wide swath of song, touching on the work of Gillian Welch, Nick Cave, and others.” (NewYorker)
“Ravishing…superb performer.” – Guardian
“Exceptional.” – Time Out

Ballet Hispanico (Apr 5–10)
Joyce Theater, 175 8th Ave./ 8PM, $20–$60
“Dedicated to celebrating the creativity of the Hispanic diaspora, Ballet Hispanico marks its 45th anniversary with a Joyce season that includes its signature work, Perdo Ruiz’s ebullient Club Havana (2000), as well as Ramón Oller’s Bury Me Standing and the New York premiere of Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s colorful. The matinee on April 9, En Familia, is aimed at family audiences. “ (TONY)

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

One more thing. Today is the Mets home opener, or more grandly, the National League Champion’s home opener. Former pennant-winning stars Rusty Staub, John Franco and Edgardo Alfonzo will be on hand to hoist the National League championship banner during a pregame ceremony, starting at 12:40PM. This is the fifth pennant in club history, the first since 2000. Let’s Go Mets!
===========================================================
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
in case you need more options in the Village, these are also fine spots:
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’. ”

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 17th Havana Film Festival New York, Bill Charlap, Tonight: Young Lions of Broadway | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/07) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 04/07/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5 > THURSDAY / APR. 07, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Pharoah Sanders Quartet (thru Apr.9)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St./ 8:30PM, 11PM, $40
“Mainstream he will never be, but this pioneering free-jazz saxophonist now regularly tempers his robust effusions with deeply soulful playing that embraces the tradition without pandering to it. In fact, he’s initiated a new tradition; potent traces of Sanders’s ecstatic vibe can be detected in the music of Kamasi Washington.” (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Project B-Way/95 (Apr.07-20)
“Two weeks of reveling in The Great White Way as only Symphony Space can. See, hear, and meet leading singers, composers, writers, and directors with concerts, panel discussions, film screenings, workshops, literary events, and more! You’ve never been this close to Broadway before.”
Tonight: Broadway Premieres / 7:30PM, $25, wait list only
“Symphony Space’s inaugural Project B-Way/95 opens with an exciting concert of world premiere songs written by Broadway’s finest composers and lyricists, including Tom Kitt and Alan Menken.”

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Author @ the Library Program
Hidden Waters of New York City
with Sergey Kadinsky, a staffer for the New York City Parks Department and an adjunct professor of history at Touro College.
Mid-Manhattan Library, 5th Ave @40th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture offers a glimpse at the big city’s forgotten past and ever-changing present, including: Minetta Brook, which ran through today’s Greenwich Village; Collect Pond in the Financial District, the city’s first water source; Newtown Creek, separating Brooklyn and Queens; and Bronx River, still a hotspot for urban canoeing and hiking.”

=======================================================================
♦ 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 04/05 and 04/03.
=======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ballet Hispanico, Hidden Waters of New York City, Project B-Way/95 | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/06) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 04/06/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5 > WEDNESDAY / APR. 06, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Camille O’Sullivan (April 6-9 and April 13-16)
Irish Arts Center, 553 W51st St./ 8PM, $32
“Pinning this Irish-French performer down to any one confining musical genre is a fool’s game. What can be confirmed is that she brings arresting theatricality and sensuality to a wide swath of song, touching on the work of Gillian Welch, Nick Cave, and others.” (NewYorker)
“Ravishing…superb performer.” – Guardian
“Exceptional.” – Time Out

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Pharoah Sanders Quartet
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St./ 8:30PM, 11PM, $40
“Mainstream he will never be, but this pioneering free-jazz saxophonist now regularly tempers his robust effusions with deeply soulful playing that embraces the tradition without pandering to it. In fact, he’s initiated a new tradition; potent traces of Sanders’s ecstatic vibe can be detected in the music of Kamasi Washington.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Books at Noon: Padma Lakshmi
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Astor Hall / 12PM, FREE
“Padma Lakshmi comes to Books at Noon to discuss her latest work, Love, Loss, and What We Ate. Padma Lakshmi is the host of the Emmy Award-winning, top-rated Bravo series Top Chef, and the author of two cookbooks: the award-winning Easy Exotic and Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet.”

LIVE from the NYPL: Maya Lin & Paul Holdengräber
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Celeste Bartos Forum / 7PM, $25
“Maya Lin’s work speaks for itself in her art and architecture projects across the world, but on the LIVE stage, she brings words to her repertoire. In conjunction with the release of the monograph Maya Lin: Topologies, Lin, whose famous works include the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will reflect on how she has shaped our shared spaces over the past 30 years.”

SciCafe: How “Paleo” is Your Diet?
AMNH, Central Park West and 79th St./ 7PM, FREE, registration required
“The American Museum of Natural History’s exhibition “The Secret World Inside You,” open through Aug. 14, explores recent discoveries scientists have made in researching the microbiome — trillions of bacteria that live inside humans and play a part in mental and physical health. In this talk, “How ‘Paleo’ is Your Diet?,” with the molecular anthropologist Christina Warinner, the museum provides an opportunity to for a related field of research: reconstructing the ancestral human microbiome. A cash bar will be available.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
A Taste of Fifth
Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Avenue, at 16th St./ 6:30PM
“The destination restaurants and bars of Park Slope, Brooklyn, gather for this evening of food and dance. Tickets, which cost $55 online and $60 at the door, cover all samples (even alcohol) for the night. The list of participants is at parkslopefifthavenuebid.com/events/taste-of-fifth.” (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:
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
in case you need more options in the Village, these are also fine spots:
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)

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 A Taste of Fifth, Books at Noon: Padma Lakshmi, Camille O'Sullivan, LIVE from the NYPL: Maya Lin & Paul Holdengräber, Pharoah Sanders Quartet, SciCafe: How "Paleo" is Your Diet? | Leave a comment

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

Today’s Sweet 6 > FRIDAY / APR. 15, 2016

Today’s Sweet 6 > THURSDAY / APR. 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 Sweet 6 > WEDNESDAY / APR. 13, 2016

Today’s Super 7 > TUESDAY / APR. 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 > MONDAY / APR. 11, 2016

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Super 7 > SUNDAY / APR. 10, 2016

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

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 > SATURDAY / APR. 09, 2016

Today’s Super 7 > FRIDAY / APR. 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 Fab 5 > THURSDAY / APR. 07, 2016

Today’s Fab 5 > WEDNESDAY / APR. 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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