Selected Events (02/05) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 02/05/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > FRIDAY / FEB. 05, 2016

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner: Unattached! (also Feb.6)
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $60-$80
“The original stars of the conjoined-twin musical Side Show reunite to perform their first show together in nearly a decade. Both have had substantial careers since their joint 1997 breakthrough, and it will be fascinating to see how Ripley’s edgy presence and rough-edged rock voice interplays with Skinner’s vivacious, Broadway-broad approach.” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Dada Masilo (through Sunday)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave, at 19th St./ Friday 8PM, $
“Ms. Masilo’s “Swan Lake” is populated by a rowdy wedge of swans who have some fun with Tchaikovsky’s sacred score, which also integrates bits of Steve Reich, African drumming and call and response. Ms. Masilo trades docility and romance for brash political theater: She bravely and buoyantly uses this ballet classic to address gender and homophobia in her native South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of AIDS in the world.” (Schaefer-NYT)

Janis Ian
The Appel Room, 33 W6oth St./ 8:30PM, $75-$145
“A ’60s folk icon, Janis Ian has been in the biz since she was a kid, and remains best remembered for her 1975 hit, “At Seventeen,” from the brilliant Between the Lines LP. (She was a musical guest on the first episode of Saturday Night Live.) In this American Songbook series show, she looks back on a half century of singing, songwriting and social activism.” (TONY)

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: 50th Anniversary (through Feb. 8)
Village Vanguard,178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, 8:30PM +10:30PM, $
“Almost exactly half a century ago, the trumpeter-composer-arranger Thad Jones and the drummer Mel Lewis began their Monday-night big band residency at the Village Vanguard, establishing what became a hallowed tradition. “All My Yesterdays,” an album due out next month, documents the band’s inaugural performance. Here, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, a direct outgrowth of the Jones-Lewis band, hunkers down for a weeklong engagement, playing music from across the historical spectrum.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Winter Carnival (also Saturday) Timing is perfect!
Bryant Park, Avenue of the Americas, at 40th St./ 12PM-10PM
“The ice skating rink at the Winter Village in Bryant Park is around for just one more month. But before the weather warms up, this two-day event takes advantage of the rink for wintry festivities that include a skating showcase, curling lessons and a silent disco. The Warming Lodge and Outdoor Winter Brew House will be open for hot drinks and food. The schedule is at wintervillage.org/visit/wintercarnival.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Eat & Drink

NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2016 (LAST DAY)
Various locations and times; 3 courses – $25 for lunch, $38 for dinner
Enjoy the winter edition of Restaurant Week (actually almost three weeks) of prix-fixe three course meals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Reservations are definitely recommended. Mangia!
OR
How about some hot chocolate?
City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival (thru Feb.28)
City Bakery, 3 W18th St./ opens 7:30AM, $
“Regress to childhood with skillfully concocted mugs of hot chocolate courtesy of this downtown canteen. Owner-mastermind Maury Rubin will serve a different flavor of his intoxicating cocoa every day during February.” (TONY)

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

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.

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

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.

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 02/03 and 02/01.
========================================================

NEW Feature!
The 100 Books Every New Yorker Should Read
by Kristin Iversen, Brooklyn Magazine
today’s picks:

40. The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
The story of New York—like the story of America—is the story of immigrants, and rarely has it been rendered as evocatively as by Hijuelos in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book about two Cuban brothers who come to New York to play music and build a life.

41. Brooklyn by Colm Toíbín
Toíbín’s novel (now a movie!) is a compelling depiction of the life and loves of a young Irish woman who keeps thinking she has found her place in a confusing world, until she finds out she hasn’t. Is it yet another book on this list that grapples with issues of place and identity and the struggle to find out where we really belong? Why, yes. Yes, it is. Welcome to New York. It’s been waiting for you.

43. Another Country by James Baldwin
Set in Greenwich Village in the 1950s, Baldwin vividly portrays issues that might be familiar today—fluid sexuality, interracial relationships—but that were totally taboo when the book was published. Oh, well. Times have changed, but it remains true that Baldwin’s ability to shock—both with his subject matter and his beautiful prose—continues today.

If your interests lead you to Brooklyn, then be sure to peruse Brooklyn Magazine. It’s a high quality, high info, smart monthly.

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Selected Events (02/04) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 02/04/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > THURSDAY / FEB. 04, 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:
Company XIV: Snow White
Minetta Lane Theatre/ 8PM; $40­­­­–$65, $75–$105 premium
image“Having previously given an haute-burlesque twist to Cinderella andThe Nutcracker, director-choreographer Austin McCormick invites us to take a bite of his latest nightlife-performance spectacle: an elaborate, adults-only version of Snow White, featuring Company XIV’s signature blend of live music, decadent dance and luxuriant design.” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: 50th Anniversary (through Feb. 8)
Village Vanguard,178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, 8:30PM +10:30PM, $
“Almost exactly half a century ago, the trumpeter-composer-arranger Thad Jones and the drummer Mel Lewis began their Monday-night big band residency at the Village Vanguard, establishing what became a hallowed tradition. “All My Yesterdays,” an album due out next month, documents the band’s inaugural performance. Here, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, a direct outgrowth of the Jones-Lewis band, hunkers down for a weeklong engagement, playing music from across the historical spectrum.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

The Con Men Hustling in New York City
with Terry Williams, a professor of sociology at the New School for Social Research and Trevor B. Milton, an assistant professor in social sciences at Queensborough Community College, CUNY.
Mid Manhattan Library, 5th ave & 40th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture spotlights hustling in New York City and explores the sociological reasons why con artists play their game and the psychological tricks they use to win.”

The Golden Era of Major League Baseball
Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, 67 E11th St./ 7PM, FREE
“Not all Black History Month celebrations are created equal. Ours begins with a former CIA analyst walking through the Clubhouse door.

In “The Golden Era of Major League Baseball: A Time of Transition and Integration,” Bryan Soderholm-Difatte explores the significant events and momentous changes that took place in baseball from 1947 to 1960.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

‘Her Exiled Children’: Poetry in America and the 1916 Easter Rising
Sheen Center, 18 Bleecker St., near Elizabeth St./ 7PM,
“This evening of readings by Irish and Irish-American poets, hosted by the National Book Award-winning author Colum McCann, includes appearances by the writers Alice McDermott, Anne Enright, and Matthew Thomas, as well as the actress Geraldine Hughes. Paul Muldoon, The New Yorker’s poetry editor, will also read a new poem he wrote, commissioned for the occasion by the Glucksman Ireland House NYU.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Eat & Drink

NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2016 (thru Feb.5)
Various locations and times; 3 courses – $25 for lunch, $38 for dinner
Enjoy the winter edition of Restaurant Week (actually almost three weeks) of prix-fixe three course meals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Reservations are definitely recommended. Mangia!
OR
How about some hot chocolate?
City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival (thru Feb.28)
City Bakery, 3 W18th St./ opens 7:30AM, $
“Regress to childhood with skillfully concocted mugs of hot chocolate courtesy of this downtown canteen. Owner-mastermind Maury Rubin will serve a different flavor of his intoxicating cocoa every day during February.” (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:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
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 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

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

A PremierPub / Tribeca

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

b_flat4There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.

But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

==================================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).
If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

 

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Selected Events (02/03) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 02/03/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > WEDNESDAY / FEB. 03, 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:
Hemingway and the Writing of Biography
Graduate Center, Elebash Theater, CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, at 34th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
2016-02-03-Hemingway“Three Hemingway experts gather for this discussion hosted by Gary Giddins of the CUNY Graduate Center. The panelists include: A.E. Hotchner, who knew Hemingway personally and wrote about their friendship in “Papa Hemingway: A Personal Memoir”; Declan Kiely, who curated the exhibition “Ernest Hemingway: Between Two Wars” at the Morgan Library & Museum; and Amanda Vaill, author of “Everybody Was So Young: Gerald and Sara Murphy, a Lost Generation Love Story.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: 50th Anniversary (through Feb. 8)
Village Vanguard,178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, 8:30PM +10:30PM, $
“Almost exactly half a century ago, the trumpeter-composer-arranger Thad Jones and the drummer Mel Lewis began their Monday-night big band residency at the Village Vanguard, establishing what became a hallowed tradition. “All My Yesterdays,” an album due out next month, documents the band’s inaugural performance. Here, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, a direct outgrowth of the Jones-Lewis band, hunkers down for a weeklong engagement, playing music from across the historical spectrum.” (Chinen-NYT)

Monterey Jazz Allstars (through Feb. 6)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30 + 11PM, $40
“This brand extension of the Monterey Jazz Festival, which has embarked on a cross-country tour, inhabits an stylishly sleek region of the modern mainstream. The trumpeter Nicholas Payton and the saxophonist Ravi Coltrane form a front line with Raul Midón, on guitar and vocals; the rhythm section consists of Gerald Clayton on piano, Joe Sanders on bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates: Lifespans Are Long Enough
Kaufman Music Center, Goodman House, 129 W67th St./ 6:45PM, reception 5:45PM, $40
“What if we didn’t have to grow old and die? The average American can expect to live for 78.8 years, an improvement over the days before clean water and vaccines, when life expectancy was closer to 50, but still not long enough for most of us. So researchers around the world have been working on arresting the process of aging through biotechnology and finding cures to diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. What are the ethical and social consequences of radically increasing lifespans? Should we accept a “natural” end, or should we find a cure to aging?” (ThoughtGallery.org)

NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2016 (thru Feb.5)
Various locations and times; 3 courses – $25 for lunch, $38 for dinner
Enjoy the winter edition of Restaurant Week (actually almost three weeks) of prix-fixe three course meals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Reservations are definitely recommended. Mangia!

How about some hot chocolate?
City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival (thru Feb.28)
City Bakery, 3 W18th St./ opens 7:30AM, $
“Regress to childhood with skillfully concocted mugs of hot chocolate courtesy of this downtown canteen. Owner-mastermind Maury Rubin will serve a different flavor of his intoxicating cocoa every day during February.” (TONY)

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

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

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.

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

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)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘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)

Jewish Museum:
‘The Power of Pictures: Early Soviet Photography, Early Soviet Film’ (through Feb. 7) “Revolutions sell utopias; that’s their job. Art, if it behaves itself and sticks to the right script, can be an important part of the promotional package. That’s the basic tale told by this exhibition of photographs and vintage films of the 1920s and ’30s, but with a question added: What happens to art when the script is drastically revised? Russia was an experiment in progress in the heady years following the 1917 revolution, and avant-garde art, free-spirited by definition, was officially embraced. When Joseph Stalin came to power art became government-dictated propaganda and its makers, often under threat, towed the line. Remarkably, the show presents a dozen films — some familiar, some not — full-length, on a rotating schedule of four a day, in a small viewing theater built into one of the Jewish Museum’s galleries. 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

==================================================
Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
•  92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
•  91st Street  –  Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
•  89th Street –  National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
•  88th Street –  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
•  86th Street –  Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
•  82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW)

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (SUN 11am-1pm PWYW) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 02/01 and 01/30.

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

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Selected Events (02/02) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 02/02/2016 by GregD

 Today’s FAB 5 > TUESDAY / FEB. 02, 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:
Monterey Jazz Allstars (through Feb. 6)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30 + 11PM, $40
“This brand extension of the Monterey Jazz Festival, which has embarked on a cross-country tour, inhabits an stylishly sleek region of the modern mainstream. The trumpeter Nicholas Payton and the saxophonist Ravi Coltrane form a front line with Raul Midón, on guitar and vocals; the rhythm section consists of Gerald Clayton on piano, Joe Sanders on bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Company XIV: Snow White
Minetta Lane Theatre,/ 8PM; $40­­­­–$65, $75–$105 premium
“Having previously given an haute-burlesque twist to Cinderella andThe Nutcracker, director-choreographer Austin McCormick invites us to take a bite of his latest nightlife-performance spectacle: an elaborate, adults-only version of Snow White, featuring Company XIV’s signature blend of live music, decadent dance and luxuriant design.” (TONY)

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: 50th Anniversary (through Feb. 8)
Village Vanguard,178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, 8:30PM +10:30PM, $
“Almost exactly half a century ago, the trumpeter-composer-arranger Thad Jones and the drummer Mel Lewis began their Monday-night big band residency at the Village Vanguard, establishing what became a hallowed tradition. “All My Yesterdays,” an album due out next month, documents the band’s inaugural performance. Here, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, a direct outgrowth of the Jones-Lewis band, hunkers down for a weeklong engagement, playing music from across the historical spectrum.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2016 (thru Feb.5)
Various locations and times; 3 courses – $25 for lunch, $38 for dinner
Enjoy the winter edition of Restaurant Week (actually almost three weeks) of prix-fixe three course meals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Reservations are definitely recommended. Mangia!

How about some hot chocolate?
City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival (thru Feb.28)
City Bakery, 3 W18th St./ opens 7:30AM, $
“Regress to childhood with skillfully concocted mugs of hot chocolate courtesy of this downtown canteen. Owner-mastermind Maury Rubin will serve a different flavor of his intoxicating cocoa every day during February.” (TONY)

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

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’s playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th ave. South, — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave. South — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — 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 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

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.

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’. ”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30PM – 11PM, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11AM-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher St.
Walk 1 blk S. on 7th ave S. to Bleecker St., 1 blk left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards left on Jones St. to Caffe V.

==================================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge
If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
==================================================================================

3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

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

===========================================================================
“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
This covers a wide range of food – the traditional pizza, burgers, & hot dogs; but also food trucks & carts, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, bbq, vegetarian, falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars.
No reservations needed. ===========================================================================

NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24 thousand eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available Spring 2016).
◊ Order before May 31, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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Selected Events (02/01) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 02/01/2016 by GregD

 Today’s FAB 5 > MONDAY / FEB. 01, 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:
Jessica Vosk: You Asked for It
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater,/ 9:30PM, $20
“After bursting onto the cabaret scene in a sold-out show that BroadwayWorld called “a powerhouse of a show” last February, Jessica Vosk makes her solo Joe’s Pub debut with her brand-new show: You Asked For It.” (Joe’sPub)

“On her night off from balancing on high stilts as the nightmarish Fruma-Sarah in Broadway’s exquisite Fiddler on the Roof, musical-theater riser Jessica Volk comes down to earth in her solo Joe’s Pub debut, a showcase for her considerable musical-comedy skills.” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
McCoy Tyner Trio with Gary Bartz (also Feb.15)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8PM +10:30PM,$30-$45
“The rumble of Mr. Tyner’s pianism has quieted a bit over the years, but he can still be a compelling stylist, especially in conjunction with Mr. Bartz, an incisive saxophonist and longtime ally.” (Chinen-NYT)

Linda Lavin: My First Farewell Concert
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 7PM, $35-$45
“Singer-actor extraordinaire Linda Lavin, currently on Broadway in Our Mother’s Brief Affair but perhaps still best known to general audiences as the title character of the sitcom Alice, gets back to her musical-theater roots, with Billy Stritch at the piano and a guest appearance by Aaron Weinstein on violin. Lavin has few peers as a performer, so this should be a treat.” (TONY)

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

The Land Where Water Runs Uphill
The Explorers Club, 6 E. 70th St./ 6PM, $20
“The Gamburtsev Mountains (near the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility in Antarctica) were only discovered in 1958 and represent the last unknown mountain range on Earth. Ice expert Robin Bell has been there, and she’ll share her many discoveries, including water that doesn’t behave as every textbook suggests it should.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Elsewhere, but Garrison Keillor is always worth the detour:
Garrison Keillor’s Ode to New York
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 8PM, $41
“Listeners of the radio show “A Prairie Home Companion” may think of its host, Mr. Keillor, as the voice of small-town Middle America. But, as he has said, he feels most at home in New York, where he lived in the late 1980s and early ’90s. As he prepares to say goodbye to his radio program, Mr. Keillor shares his favorite poems, songs and stories associated with the city and his personal history.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

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

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 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 

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

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

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

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

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:
‘Picasso Sculpture’ (through Feb. 7)
“Nearly a work of art in its own right, this magnificent show redefines Picasso’s achievement with the first full view here in 50 years of his astoundingly varied forays into sculpture. His materials, not his female loves, become the muses, and are different each time out. The basic plotline: After introducing sculptural abstraction and space, he spent about 50 years counting the ways that the figure was far from finished. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)

‘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)

‘Take an Object’ (through Feb. 28)
“Installed next to the Modern’s Jackson Pollock exhibition, this show of 37 works from 1954 to the 1970s reflects how the finality of the Abstract Expressionist’s drip paintings deflected many artists from the medium toward found objects and a greater worldliness. Its title is from a famous notebook entry by Jasper Johns. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)

 Whitney Museum of American Art:
‘Frank Stella: A Retrospective’ (through Feb. 7)
“This grand, high-spirited, slightly overstuffed exhibition pays overdue tribute to a prominent American artist whose 60-year odyssey through and beyond painting began in this city. It further anoints the Whitney’s new building: The show could never have been pulled off at its old uptown address. And its ingenious installation — alternately dazzling, oppressive and nuts — resounds with stimulating clashes of color, style and process that bring a new unity to his contentious achievement. 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Smith-NYT)

‘Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner’ (through March 6)
“Two of New York’s most dedicated explorers of new art set an important example by refusing the auction or private-museum route and giving almost all of their large collection to a museum. Their generous gift both signifies and adds to the Whitney’s growing stature, especially going forward, as it is integrated into the museum’s rich holdings. This first sampling is quite rewarding. 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Smith-NYT)

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 01/30 and 01/28.

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Selected Events (01/31) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper WestSide)

Posted on 01/31/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > SUNDAY / JAN. 31, 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:
Linda Lavin: My First Farewell Concert
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 6PM, $35-$45
“Singer-actor extraordinaire Linda Lavin, currently on Broadway in Our Mother’s Brief Affair but perhaps still best known to general audiences as the title character of the sitcom Alice, gets back to her musical-theater roots, with Billy Stritch at the piano and a guest appearance by Aaron Weinstein on violin. Lavin has few peers as a performer, so this should be a treat.” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Ralph Alessi Quartet (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30 + 10:30PM, $30
“The trumpeter Ralph Alessi has done strong, scintillating work in an acoustic quartet format in recent years, and his new album — “Quiver,” due out on ECM next month — keeps that momentum going. He’ll make his debut as a bandleader at the Village Vanguard with the same group, featuring Gary Versace on piano, Drew Gress on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

Kenny Garrett Quintet
the Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st St./ 8 +10PM, $35-$45
“Focus has never seemed a problem for the alto and soprano saxophonist Kenny Garrett, who at 55 still possesses the taut, molten sound that made him a force about 30 years ago. His chosen path as a bandleader builds on the mid-’60s terrain of the John Coltrane Quartet, and there’ll be a typical amount of slashing polyrhythm and modal expedition in this weekend run.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

NY Chilifest 
Chelsea Market, 416 W16 St./ 7-9PM, $50-$60
“The halls of Chelsea Market will be filled with something other than tourists this weekend. Chili fanatics are invited to sample tastes from over twenty different restaurants; Toro and The Brooklyn Star are just two stops on the fest’s trail. Rye cocktails and beer will also be available. Ticket options start at $50 for all-you-can-eat chili and $60 if you want to add booze; reserve them here.” (VillageVoice)

New York Wild Film Festival (LAST DAY)
The Explorers Club, 46 E70th St./ Various times $20+
“See 13 films filmed with critters of all shapes and sizes at this annua film fest aimed at raising awareness for conservation efforts. Follow elephants across Africa in Soul of the Elephant, watch three friends climb a death-defying mountain in Meru and hear seals sing in the animated short Ain’t No Fish.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Winter Antiques Show (LAST DAY)
Park Ave. Armory, 643 Park Ave at 67th St./ today 12-6PM, $25
“As it does every year, the Winter Antiques Show fills the cavernous Park Avenue Armory with the wares of seventy or so blue-chip dealers, offering everything from antiquities to Hudson River paintings, Flemish landscapes to modernist furnishings. Not everything is for sale: the show also includes an exhibition of items from the Wadsworth Atheneum, in Hartford.” (NewYorker)

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:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
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 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

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.

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

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

Walk only five minutes from the 125th St. station on the #1 line to find this authentic honky-tonk barbecue joint. Some folks think Dinosaur is just a place to eat ribs. Au contraire. With 24 carefully selected taps, this is a place to drink beer, and eat ribs.

HarlHostStandNo food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in a two story, old brick warehouse near the Hudson River. Don’t let that run down exterior fool you. Inside it’s a large space with huge, rough wooden columns and unfinished wooden floors and brick walls – just right for a bbq joint. As soon as you open the front door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of those great rib joints I frequented when stationed in North Carolina all those years ago. If your stomach wasn’t grumbling before, it is now.

Head to the bar, sit down and try to decide on a beer. It’s not an easy decision – a good problem to have. This is a pretty damn good beer list to choose from, one that most beer bars should be jealous of. I love that they feature NY craft beers. You may want to try the four beer sampler, which is always fun, and in this place may be necessary.

The blues music playing in the background will get you in the mood for their North Carolina style barbecue, and even when it’s a full house your order shouldn’t take too long (assuming you snagged a table). The food is all slow smoked, so it’s already mostly done and ready to go. I always start with an order of their giant, spice rubbed wings, so good they may make you give up Buffalo wings.

Unfortunately, a place this good does not fly under the radar. There can be some long waits for a table at dinnertime. So you need a strategy – avoid prime time, and try not to arrive with your entire posse, which will limit your seating options.

A seat at the bar, a small table in the bar area, or in the summer, an outside table underneath what’s left of the elevated West Side Highway, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner, maybe after a show at the nearby Cotton Club nightclub.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: Mo-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:30pm
Subway: #1 to 125th St.
Walk 2 blk W on 125th St. to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway.
========================================================
“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. 
=========================================================================

NEW Feature!
The 100 Books Every New Yorker Should Read
by Kristin Iversen, Brooklyn Magazine
today’s picks:

36. Invisible Man / by Ralph Ellison
Ellison’s masterpiece is, simply put, one of the most profoundly moving, tragi-comic works of the entire 20th century. The unnamed narrator’s journey through politically and socially roiling Harlem as he struggles to figure out his place in the world is one of the most affecting meditations on identity and race ever written.

37. The Bell Jar / by Sylvia Plath
Although the majority of Plath’s novel doesn’t take place in New York City, the parts that do take place during an electrically charged summer, and Plath beautifully captures what it means to be a woman who is young and free (which is to say, still impossibly burdened) and on her own in New York for the first time.

39. Franny and Zooey / by J.D. Salinger
Yeah, yeah, The Catcher in the Rye is the obvious Salinger choice, but what’s more New York, really, than a character who spends hour upon hour reading in the bathtub while simultaneously chain-smoking? Nothing, really. Other than that he has a sister who only eats cheeseburgers. We all have one of those, right?

If your interests lead you to Brooklyn, then be sure to peruse Brooklyn Magazine. It’s a high quality, high info, smart monthly.

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Selected Events (01/30) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 01/30/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > SATURDAY / JAN. 30, 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:
‘Our Love Is Here to Stay: The George Gershwin Songbook’
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St/ Broadway / 7PM, $
“There may not be an American composer better suited to a sweeping jazz-repertory treatment than George Gershwin — and there probably isn’t an ensemble better suited to that task than the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. A free discussion at 7 p.m. precedes each night’s concert, at 8 p.m.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
Jazz Gallery, 1160 Broadway, fifth fl/ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30
“This intently contemporary big band made a recent stir with “Real Enemies,” a scintillating multimedia work at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mr. Argue reconvenes the group this weekend — drawing partly from that suite, which is due out this fall, and from previous efforts like “Brooklyn Babylon” — as part of a 20th anniversary series for the Jazz Gallery.” (Chinen-NYT)
The Jazz Gallery is kind of spartan, not my fave venue, but this looks to be a special performance.

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (also Saturday)
Symphony Space, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 2537 Broadway, at 95th St./ 8PM, $25-45
“For two nights in January, Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra will take us back to the Palladium to honor the musicians who, for the last half a century and often anonymously, have been the sound of Latin Jazz. This Tribute to the Great Sidemen of Latin Jazz, will salute the musicians who actually turned the ideas of creators such as Celia Cruz, Frank “Machito” Grillo and Dizzy Gillespie into the music we love.”

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

New York Wild Film Festival (thru Sunday)
The Explorers Club, 46 E70th St./ Various times $20+
“See 13 films filmed with critters of all shapes and sizes at this annua film fest aimed at raising awareness for conservation efforts. Follow elephants across Africa in Soul of the Elephant, watch three friends climb a death-defying mountain in Meru and hear seals sing in the animated short Ain’t No Fish.” (TONY)

‘David Bowie: Sound + Vision’ (Saturday and Sunday)
Paley Center, 25 W52nd St./ $
“Among the tributes to David Bowie, who died on Jan. 10, is the Paley Center for Media’s screenings of his retrospective exhibition “David Bowie: Sound + Vision.” Originally presented in 2002, this five-part series is assembled from performances, documentaries and rare archival footage. The first three parts screen on Saturday from 12:15 to 5:45 p.m.; the final two screen from 12:15 to 4:15 p.m. on Sunday.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival
The Tunnel, 608 W28th St., at 11th Ave./ noon (sold out); 5:30-9:30PM, $199
“The down-home Southern barbecue bash is back for a sixth year, bringing Dixie brethren to New York by way of bourbon, whole-roasted pigs and unlimited beer like Abita, but also bluegrass music and instructional seminars. Gorge on brisket sliders and BBQ grilled chicken courtesy of Maryland pit masters from Blacksauce Curbside Kitchen and Kloby’s Smokehouse, then cheer on contestants during a bacon-eating contest and pick up hot sauces, grilling gear and home-brew kits to take home.” (TONY)

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

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.

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

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.

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 01/28 and 01/26.
========================================================

NEW Feature!
The 100 Books Every New Yorker Should Read
by Kristin Iversen, Brooklyn Magazine
today’s picks:

31. A Drinking Life: A Memoir by Pete Hamill
Hamill’s autobiography brings readers back to a Brooklyn that was still filled with trolley cars, where the Dodgers were local heroes while still never not being bums, and where beer could be consumed by the buckets in male-only Irish bars. It’s a Brooklyn that, for better or worse, doesn’t exist anymore, but one that’s absolutely worth revisiting via Hamill’s smart, spare prose.

33. Here Is New York / by E.B. White
White’s love letter to New York is always worth a re-read, singular as it is in its ability to make you forget all the bullshit that exists in your quotidian city life and appreciate the complicated beauty that surrounds us in our metropolis.

34. El Bronx Remembered / by Nicholasa Mohr
This short story collection tells a variety of stories about a borough that doesn’t ever get enough attention paid it, other than when the Yankees are doing particularly well. Mohr’s characters are vividly rendered and she beautifully depicts how the Bronx transitioned from a predominantly Jewish stronghold into a primarily Puerto Rican one over the course of a few, tumultuous years.

If your interests lead you to Brooklyn, then be sure to peruse Brooklyn Magazine. It’s a high quality, high info, smart monthly.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/29) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 01/29/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > FRIDAY / JAN. 29, 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:
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society (also Saturday)
Jazz Gallery, 1160 Broadway, fifth fl/ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30
“This intently contemporary big band made a recent stir with “Real Enemies,” a scintillating multimedia work at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mr. Argue reconvenes the group this weekend — drawing partly from that suite, which is due out this fall, and from previous efforts like “Brooklyn Babylon” — as part of a 20th anniversary series for the Jazz Gallery.” (Chinen-NYT)
The Jazz Gallery is kind of spartan, not my fave venue, but this looks to be a special performance.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Charles Lloyd & the Marvels (also Saturday)
the Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
7PM + 9:30PM, $65-85
“A tenor saxophonist and flutist with a searching sound that’s connected by image and intention to notions of the divine, Mr. Lloyd, 77, has settled nicely into the wise-elder phase of his career. He has a buoyant new album, “I Long to See You,” featuring the same elite partners found here: Bill Frisell on electric guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel, Reuben Rogers on bass and Eric Harland on drums. The group’s repertory consists of folk songs, spirituals and a few of Mr. Lloyd’s best-known compositions.” (Chinen-NYT)

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (also Saturday)
Symphony Space, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 2537 Broadway, at 95th St./ 8PM, $25-45
“For two nights in January, Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra will take us back to the Palladium to honor the musicians who, for the last half a century and often anonymously, have been the sound of Latin Jazz. This Tribute to the Great Sidemen of Latin Jazz, will salute the musicians who actually turned the ideas of creators such as Celia Cruz, Frank “Machito” Grillo and Dizzy Gillespie into the music we love.”

Ben Vereen (thru Jan.30)
54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $60-80
“The multitalented actor, singer, and dancer perfected his craft with such masters as Bob Fosse, with whom he worked on “Sweet Charity,” “Pippin,” and the film “All That Jazz.” A Tony Award-winner, Vereen is old school in the best sense: he’s out to give it his all, and he won’t leave the stage until he’s done just that.” (NewYorker)

Ralph Alessi Quartet (through Jan. 31)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30 + 10:30PM, $30
“The trumpeter Ralph Alessi has done strong, scintillating work in an acoustic quartet format in recent years, and his new album — “Quiver,” due out on ECM next month — keeps that momentum going. He’ll make his debut as a bandleader at the Village Vanguard with the same group, featuring Gary Versace on piano, Drew Gress on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Winter Antiques Show (thru Jan.31)
Park Ave. Armory, 643 park Ave at 66th St./ today 1-7:30PM, $25
As it does every year, the Winter Antiques Show fills the cavernous Park Avenue Armory with the wares of seventy or so blue-chip dealers, offering everything from antiquities to Hudson River paintings, Flemish landscapes to modernist furnishings. Not everything is for sale: the show also includes an exhibition of items from the Wadsworth Atheneum, in Hartford.” (NewYorker)

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:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St., nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St., nr 7th ave.S. — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — 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 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

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.

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

A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

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

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

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

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

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

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:

==================================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).
If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/28) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 01/28/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > THURSDAY / JAN. 28, 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:
Ben Vereen (thru Jan.30)
54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $60-80
“The multitalented actor, singer, and dancer perfected his craft with such masters as Bob Fosse, with whom he worked on “Sweet Charity,” “Pippin,” and the film “All That Jazz.” A Tony Award-winner, Vereen is old school in the best sense: he’s out to give it his all, and he won’t leave the stage until he’s done just that.” (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Mack Avenue SuperBand (through Jan. 30)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30 and 11PM, $35-45
“This all-star unit, convened by the Mack Avenue label and led by the bassist Christian McBride, favors a hale, sure-footed strain of post-bop. With Gary Burton on vibraphone, Sean Jones on trumpet and Tia Fuller on saxophones, the group celebrates the release of a soulful album, “Live from the Detroit Jazz Festival — 2015.” (Chinen-NYT)

Ralph Alessi Quartet (through Jan. 31)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30 + 10:30PM, $30
“The trumpeter Ralph Alessi has done strong, scintillating work in an acoustic quartet format in recent years, and his new album — “Quiver,” due out on ECM next month — keeps that momentum going. He’ll make his debut as a bandleader at the Village Vanguard with the same group, featuring Gary Versace on piano, Drew Gress on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Billy Childs’s ‘Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro’
Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th St./ 7:30Pm +9:30PM, $30
“On his inventive yet respectful 2014 album, “Map to the Treasure—Reimagining Laura Nyro,” the pianist Childs renews the glorious work of one of the greatest, if still too often neglected, titans of the singer-songwriter era. The project was an all-star affair; here, Childs’s vision is made solid with support by the Parker String Quartet and the singers Becca Stevens and Alicia Olatuja.” (NewYorker)

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

Elsewhere, but these look worth the detour:
The New York City Beer Renaissance
with Martin Johnson, renowned cheese buyer and the proprietor of the Joy of Cheese.
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 7PM – 8:30PM, $45
“There’s never been a better time to be a beer drinker in New York City, as more than a dozen new breweries have opened in the last three years. Come sample some of their brews and discover some mostly locally made cheeses for pairing.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Winter Antiques Show (thru Jan.31)
Park Ave. Armory, 643 park Ave at 66th St./ today 1-7:30PM, $25
As it does every year, the Winter Antiques Show fills the cavernous Park Avenue Armory with the wares of seventy or so blue-chip dealers, offering everything from antiquities to Hudson River paintings, Flemish landscapes to modernist furnishings. Not everything is for sale: the show also includes an exhibition of items from the Wadsworth Atheneum, in Hartford.” (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 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

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.

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

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)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘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)

Jewish Museum:
‘The Power of Pictures: Early Soviet Photography, Early Soviet Film’ (through Feb. 7) “Revolutions sell utopias; that’s their job. Art, if it behaves itself and sticks to the right script, can be an important part of the promotional package. That’s the basic tale told by this exhibition of photographs and vintage films of the 1920s and ’30s, but with a question added: What happens to art when the script is drastically revised? Russia was an experiment in progress in the heady years following the 1917 revolution, and avant-garde art, free-spirited by definition, was officially embraced. When Joseph Stalin came to power art became government-dictated propaganda and its makers, often under threat, towed the line. Remarkably, the show presents a dozen films — some familiar, some not — full-length, on a rotating schedule of four a day, in a small viewing theater built into one of the Jewish Museum’s galleries. 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

==================================================
Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
•  92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
•  91st Street  –  Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
•  89th Street –  National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
•  88th Street –  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
•  86th Street –  Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
•  82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW)

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (SUN 11am-1pm PWYW) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/26 and 01/24.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/27) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 01/27/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > WEDNESDAY / JAN. 27, 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:
Billy Childs’s ‘Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro’
(through Thursday)
Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th St./ 7:30Pm +9:30PM, $30
“On his inventive yet respectful 2014 album, “Map to the Treasure—Reimagining Laura Nyro,” the pianist Childs renews the glorious work of one of the greatest, if still too often neglected, titans of the singer-songwriter era. The project was an all-star affair; here, Childs’s vision is made solid with support by the Parker String Quartet and the singers Becca Stevens and Alicia Olatuja.” (NewYorker)
“Mr. Childs, a veteran pianist and composer, revisits the premise of his most recent album, an imaginative tribute to a singer-songwriter of pop sophistication. As on the album, which earned him a Grammy last year, he enlists a chamber-jazz ensemble with more than one guest singer — in this case, Becca Stevens and Alicia Olatuja.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Buster Poindexter
Carlyle Hotel, Madison Ave. at 76th St./ 8:45PM, $80
Bearing a striking resemblance to the proto-punk singer David Johansen, Poindexter brings his louche charm, biting wit, and encyclopedic knowledge of American blues and pop to what has quickly become his new home away from home. He’s a raspy-voiced charmer who works this tony room like it’s a funky beer-and-ribs joint.” (NewYorker)

Ralph Alessi Quartet (through Jan. 31)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30 + 10:30PM, $30
“The trumpeter Ralph Alessi has done strong, scintillating work in an acoustic quartet format in recent years, and his new album — “Quiver,” due out on ECM next month — keeps that momentum going. He’ll make his debut as a bandleader at the Village Vanguard with the same group, featuring Gary Versace on piano, Drew Gress on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

Roy Haynes
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $
“Roy Haynes is the pulse of legendary jazz. For over 70 years Roy Haynes has influenced and innovated, shaping some of the greatest recordings in jazz while his joyous drumming with the legends of the genre altered the very fabric and direction of jazz improvisation.”

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
‘St. Marks Is Dead’
Museum of the City of New York, Fifth Avenue at 103rd St./ 6:30PM, $
“The Museum of the City of New York’s My City Book Club presents a talk with Ada Calhoun, whose book “St. Marks Is Dead” chronicles the ways every generation for the past 100 years has, in its own way, mourned the good old days of one of the city’s liveliest, ever-evolving streets. Joining her in conversation is Luc Sante, a critic known for his journalistic exploration of urban undergrounds; his most recent book, “The Other Paris,” gives similar treatment to the City of Light.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Winter Antiques Show (thru Jan.31)
Park Ave. Armory, 643 park Ave at 66th St./ today 1-7:30PM, $25
As it does every year, the Winter Antiques Show fills the cavernous Park Avenue Armory with the wares of seventy or so blue-chip dealers, offering everything from antiquities to Hudson River paintings, Flemish landscapes to modernist furnishings. Not everything is for sale: the show also includes an exhibition of items from the Wadsworth Atheneum, in Hartford.” (NewYorker)

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’s playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th ave. South, — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave. South — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — 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 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

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.

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’. ”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30PM – 11PM, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11AM-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher St.
Walk 1 blk S. on 7th ave S. to Bleecker St., 1 blk left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards left on Jones St. to Caffe V.

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge
If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

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

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
This covers a wide range of food – the traditional pizza, burgers, & hot dogs; but also food trucks & carts, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, bbq, vegetarian, falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars.
No reservations needed. ===========================================================================

NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24 thousand eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available Spring 2016).
◊ Order before May 31, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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