Selected Events (01/26) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 01/26/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > TUESDAY / JAN. 26, 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:
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Apollo Theater, 253 W125th St./ 7:30PM, $ may need to stub hub this one
“This Grammy-winning blues-rock band from Florida, led by the married musicians Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, should deliver sweltering jams to spite our arctic climes. The group’s second album, “Made Up Mind,” was a true Southern barn burner. The group’s third record, “Let Me Get By,” is scheduled for release next week.” (Anderson-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
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 (also Wednesday)
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.”

Elsewhere, but anything involving Laura Nyro’s music is worth the detour:
Billy Childs’s ‘Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro’ (through Thursday)
Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th St./ 7:30Pm +9:30PM, $30
“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)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Author @ the Library:
Sharon Tate: A Life, with Ed Sanders, an American Book Award winner
Mid-Manhattan Library, / 6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture takes a close look at Tate’s life—from her itinerant childhood and early career in fashion to her transition to film, passionate marriage to the brilliant and troubled Roman Polanski, and violent murder at the hands of the Manson family cult. It offers new insights into what happened on the night of her death and explores new motives for the targeting of the Polanski household.”

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

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 56 million visitors last year and is 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 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)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 01/24 and 01/22.

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

Selected Events (01/25) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 01/25/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > MONDAY / JAN. 25, 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:
Arturo Schomburg Celebration
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd./ 6:30PM, FREE
“Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was a notable writer, activist, collector, and bibliophile, who devoted his life to acquiring and archiving materials related to the history and culture of people of African descent, amassing over 10,000 documents. In 1926, he sold his personal collection to the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints of the 135th branch of The New York Public Library, which is now known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Join us for this annual celebration of Arturo Schomburg’s legacy and our 90th anniversary with this special tribute.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Brian Gallagher and friends
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 7PM, $30-$50
“Charming singer-songwriter Gallagher celebrates his birthday with a night of songs, some of which are from his recent album, All That’s Ahead. Guests include his wife, blond Broadway bombshell Megan Hilty (Smash), as well as Eden Espinosa, Carly Hughes, Celisse Henderson, Carrie Manalakos, Ben Cameron, Matt Cusson and Sean Jenness.” (TONY)

Live Artery (through Jan. 30)
New York Live Arts, 219 W19th St./ 7:30PM, $15+
For the benefit of visiting arts presenters catching up on the latest in New York dance, Live Artery offered a nearly nonstop buffet of performances this past weekend. Beginning Wednesday, dance’s bad girl Ann Liv Young presents “Elektra,” her take on the Sophocles tragedy that is sure to be characteristically audacious.” (Schaeffer-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Author @ the Library:
City on a Grid: How New York Became New York, with Gerard Koeppel,
NYPL, Mid-Manhattan Library, 40th St & 5th ave/ 6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture tells the grid’s story: What prompted it? how did the commissioners and their surveyor develop the plans? and how has the lengthening life of the city been shaped by it? are some of the questions that are explored.”

Robert Burns Night with Single Malts 
Jimmy’s No. 43, 43 E7th St./ 7 to 9PM; $55
“Celebrate Robert Burns with poetry and single malt whisky samples from both American and Scottish distillers like Laphroaig. Beer and spirits writer Brad Japhe will lead guests through a journey of eight different scotch, bourbon, and whisky samples. Food offerings designed to pair with each sample includes a selection of cheeses, meats, and light fare. Tickets are $55 and are inclusive of all food, beverages, and poetry; reserve them here.” (VillageVoice)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
St Marks is Dead
Theatre 80, 80 St Marks Place, (btw 1st/2nd Ave) / 6:30PM, FREE, resv. required
Chronicle the history of St. Marks Place at a talk with the author Ada Calhoun.
“In this idiosyncratic work of narrative history, enriched by more than two hundred interviews and dozens of rare images, St. Marks native Ada Calhoun traces the 400-year history of the area—organized around pivotal moments when yet another group of denizens declared, “St. Marks is Dead.” And yet, Calhoun shows how the street continues to provide each new generation of rebels with a place to call home.”

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This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 

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

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

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

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

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 56 million visitors last year and is 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.
==================================================================================

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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

Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.

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

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

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

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

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).

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Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man. “tiny” we miss you.

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

(01/24) – The Day After

Posted on 01/24/2016 by GregD

 Today’s ADVICE > SUNDAY / JAN. 24, 2016

The January Blizzard has departed. After all the shovelling, rest up and read a good book, maybe a book about NYCity. (Selected Events will return on Monday).

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

21. Wonderstruck / by Brian Selznick
This flat-out magical book is told from two different perspectives and depicts two, decades-apart versions of New York which wind up colliding in a beautifully unexpected manner. Along the way, Selznick affords readers an intimate, seemingly behind-the-scenes look at New York institutions ranging from the American Museum of Natural History, the city panorama at the Queens Museum of Art, and a lovely, if apocryphal independent bookstore.

23. The Group / by Mary McCarthy
Any book that was banned in Australia is alright with me, but The Group is especially alright because it is full of strong women and strong politics and strong sexuality and while it is set in the 1930s and was written in the 1960s, it feels pretty damned relevant to the 2010s. if you ask me. Besides, who doesn’t want yet another reminder that women have been looking for ways to subvert the patriarchy throughout history?

25. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York / by Robert Caro
Hey, ever wonder why Red Hook is so isolated from the rest of South Brooklyn? Or why there’s a big old highway breaking one part of Williamsburg apart from the other? Ever just stop and think about why New York is so car-friendly at all? Stop racking your brain and pick up Caro’s masterwork about one of the most powerful—and powerfully reviled—figures in this city’s long, complicated history.

26. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay / by Michael Chabon
An adventure-filled narrative loosely based on the real life-stories of many of the creators of comic book creators like Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, and is filled with cameos by historical figures including former New York governor Al Smith and artist Salvador Dali, Kavalier and Klay depicts a fascinating time of New York history and is a testament to the ingenuity of this city’s (and country’s) immigrant communities.

27. Brooklyn Is: Southeast of the Island: A Travel Guide / by James Agee
Agee’s meditation on Brooklyn remains one of the most beautifully rendered depiction of this—or any—part of the city we like to call home. Last year, we wrote extensively about this work, calling it “a lyrical, wandering essay of observational prose” and we can’t recommend highly enough that you spend some time with this slim volume, and fall in love all over again with Brooklyn.

28. The Chosen / by Chaim Potok
Potok takes us deep into a community that remains closed off and mysterious to so many of us, despite its very visible presence on the streets of this city. Via the perspectives of Reuven Malter and Daniel Saunders, the reader gets a chance to experience the inscrutable world of ultra-orthodox Judaism.

29. Sophie’s Choice / by William Styron
The part of this novel that everyone remembers tends to be the one that occurs far from New York City, and yet it is the city-based parts of the book that are the most compellingly rendered, I think. Styron is never better than when he depicts what it’s like to be a struggling, frustrated young writer who is forced to live in deep Brooklyn due to rent considerations and finds himself sexually thwarted at every turn until he—suddenly, gloriously, disastrously—isn’t.

30. Up in the Old Hotel / by Joseph Mitchell
Initially published in The New Yorker, Mitchell’s collection of essays are wonderfully rendered depictions of classic New York characters—saloon-keeps, sailors, Native American construction workers, street-preachers—all of whom will be welcome additions into your life as they were into the lives of old New Yorkers.

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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When the weather allows, don’t forget Picasso at MoMA:

A Last-Minute Guide to ‘Picasso Sculpture’ at MoMA
By ROBERTA SMITH – NYT, JAN. 15, 2016

This “once-in-a-lifetime” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art brings together more than 100 Picasso works, including many never seen in the United States. If you can see it before it closes on Feb. 7, here are a few themes to look for. (You can read Roberta Smith’s full review here.)

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

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.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

(01/23) Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 01/23/2016 by GregD

 Today’s ADVICE > SATURDAY / JAN. 23, 2016

The Blizzard has arrived. Be Smart. Rest up for all the shoveling to come tomorrow.
Stay safe at home and read a good book, maybe a book about NYCity.

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

11. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
This magical novel takes readers back to turn of the century Coney Island freak shows—complete with mermaids!—as well as darker historical events like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, all through the perspective of a young woman falling in love for the first time. It’s a romanticized view of that period of New York history, to be sure, but sometimes, a little romance goes a long way.

13. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Do I really need to sell you on this classic? I don’t know. Maybe? Well, here you go: Smith manages to unsentimentally portray the hardscrabble life of the Nolan family in pre-bridge Williamsburg in a totally compelling manner, making it impossible for readers young and old not to murmur I’ve been there! every time Francie makes passing mention of a north Brooklyn landmark. This is an essential read for anyone who wants to feel like they really belong in this city of ours.

14. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
It’s so hard to select just one Wharton novel for this list (but, side note, I was determined to have no more than one selection per author for this list), and while The House of Mirth is probably my favorite Wharton, thanks to Lily Bart and those bracelet manacles she bears, The Age of Innocence could not be a more perfect rendition of the pressures put upon women in New York society so many years ago. Luckily, now, everything is perfect for women in New York and there’s absolutely no external pressures to be a “perfect” wife and mother in our modern day and age. Luckily.

15. The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
While The Great Gatsby is obviously Fitzgerald’s most famous New York novel (and just most famous novel in general) The Beautiful and Damned is nonetheless an inescapably provocative look at what happens when young New Yorkers live fast and crash hard. It’s absolutely worth a close read for every young person who can’t quite imagine that the party will ever end.

17. Home to Harlem by Claude McKay
A central literary figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Claude McKay’s Home to Harlem depicts the divergent lives of two young black men whose vastly different pasts have led them to the same place and time—post World War I-Harlem. It’s a fascinating look at the decadent, hedonistic lifestyle, full of dizzying highs and catastrophic lows, of the era.

18. A Walker in the City by Alfred Kazin
Kazin recounts his Brownsville childhood in this memoir, and beautifully evokes what it was to grow up in this once heavily Jewish part of Brooklyn during the early years of the Great Depression. And as was the case for so many other Brooklynites at the time (and for decades after) the future and all the hope that comes with it are all centered around one magical, mythic place: Manhattan.

19. Passing by Nella Larsen
Easily one of my favorite books on this whole list, Passing is a provocative exploration of identity and race and class and womanhood and friendship and, oh god, everything that matters in life, i.e. everything worth fighting about and worrying over. Larsen brilliantly depicts deeply flawed and complex women who don’t quite know how best to make their way through a society that doesn’t really have a place for them, which leads them to, at times, take some pretty drastic measures just in order to survive. If you’re going to read only one book on this list, maybe make it this one. There’s nothing else quite like it.

20. Jazz by Toni Morrison
Morrison experimented with form in this book, and her words evoke the call-and-response technique utilized in the genre of music upon which she centers this novel: death metal. Just kidding! It’s jazz. Even if you’re not that into jazz (and maybe that’s just because you haven’t heard it in the right venue?), the multiple narrators and Morrison’s quickly shifting story line keep readers constantly engaged and in awe of her virtuosic powers.

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

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

When the weather allows, don’t forget Picasso at MoMA:

A Last-Minute Guide to ‘Picasso Sculpture’ at MoMA
By ROBERTA SMITH – NYT, JAN. 15, 2016

This “once-in-a-lifetime” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art brings together more than 100 Picasso works, including many never seen in the United States. If you can see it before it closes on Feb. 7, here are a few themes to look for. (You can read Roberta Smith’s full review here.)

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

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.

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

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

IMG_2083Jimmy’s Corner is right in the heart of Times Square, but you won’t find it on the corner, it’s mid-block. Enter this long narrow bar and you are struck by the walls covered with mostly black-and-white boxing photographs, and memorabilia. Soon enough you learn that “Corner” refers to proprietor Jimmy Glenn’s long career as a corner man for some of boxing greats – Liston, Tyson, even “the greatest”, Ali.

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

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

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

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

3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

Xi’an Famous Foods – 24 W45th St. (Btw 5th/6th ave)
Try to avoid long lunch lines. Order lamb hand ripped noodles and warm your insides at one of the tables in the back. You’ll return, just remember that even mild is pretty spicy.
==============================================================

“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
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.
===========================================================================

◊ 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.
=========================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/22) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 01/22/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6+ > FRIDAY / JAN. 22, 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:
American Songbook series (continues through April)
Lincoln Center / 8:30PM, $30+
“Loudon Wainwright III, one of the most durable artists to come out of the ’70s singer-songwriter movement, headlines a show at the Appel Room, in Frederick P. Rose Hall (60th Street and Broadway) as part of Lincoln Center’s annual American Songbook series. From his earliest incarnation, when this folk-singing humorist was mislabeled a “new Dylan,” critics called Mr. Wainwright a genius; New Dylan or not, that description that still applies.

The series began Tuesday with a free concert by the theater composer Ryan Scott Oliver at the David Rubenstein Atrium (Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Street) and moved to the Appel Room Jan. 20 with a concert by Vanessa Williams. A multi-artist celebration of Peggy Lee followed Thursday, and Rita Moreno closes the first week on Jan. 23.
At various times; a schedule and more information is at americansongbook.org.”
(NYT-Stephen Holden)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Donny McCaslin Quartet (thru Jan.24)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“In a move as unexpected and ultimately efficacious as any in his doggedly left-of-center career, the late David Bowie brought on the saxophonist McCaslin’s quartet as the core band for what turned out to be Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar.” McCaslin’s new jazz ensemble features the keyboardist Jason Lindner and the drummer Mark Guiliana, with Nate Wood substituting for the bassist Tim Lefebvre on the first five nights.” (NewYorker)

Live Artery (through Jan. 30)
New York Live Arts, 219 W19th St./ 7:30PM, $15+
For the benefit of visiting arts presenters catching up on the latest in New York dance, Live Artery offered a nearly nonstop buffet of performances this past weekend. Beginning Wednesday, dance’s bad girl Ann Liv Young presents “Elektra,” her take on the Sophocles tragedy that is sure to be characteristically audacious.” (Schaeffer-NYT)

Stacey Kent “Tenderly” CD Release Celebration (thru Jan.23)
Birdland, / 8:30PM, $50
“Critically acclaimed, Grammy®-nominated singer Stacey Kent sings from the soul, telling her stories with faultless phrasing and a lucid, enchanting voice. Her new CD release, “Tenderly,” is a collaboration with Brazilian music master Robert Menescal and follow-up to ”Marcos Valle & Stacey Kent Live.”

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Outsider Art Fair
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th St./ 11AM; $20–$100
“Since the first Outsider Art Fair 25 years ago, interest in self-taught and folk artists has grown exponentially in the art world—so much so that the genre has had a major stylistic impact on many insider artists, including some with MFAs from the most important graduate programs in the country. This fair remains the premier showcase for this category of work, with a reach that’s become worldwide.” (TONY)

BroadwayCon
New York Hilton;/ 10AM; Marketplace explorer (does not include programming) $50, Daily Pass (marketplace and programming $95, full weekend pass $250)
“With the meteoric rise in popularity of New York Comic Con, the theater addicts of Broadway and beyond were bound to organize a weekend blowout of their own. Opt in for the full day passes to check out gatherings and panels including “I Was a Teenage Diva” and “As If We Never Said Hello: The Andrew Lloyd Weber Fan Meetup,” master classes and panels led by stars like Michael Cerveris and Jenn Colella, cabaret, singalongs and more. For the real convention floor experience, hit the marketplace and snag all the collectables and souvenirs you can from your favorite shows. Unlike most cons, BroadwayCon has a free autograph policy, so prepare for some long lines.” (TONY)

SPECIAL EVENT, A MUST SEE:
Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 23)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ $25-$60
Mondays through Saturdays at 8PM
“Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

a personal note:
Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two powerful vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity App: 
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.

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 56 million visitors last year and is 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.
==================================================================================

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)

‘Ancient Egypt Transformed: The Middle Kingdom’ (through Jan. 24)
Don’t Miss This One!
“Ancient Egypt is box office gold: Do a show, and people will come. Why? Mummies, Hollywood and Queen Nefertiti contribute to its allure. Also, we tend to identify with Egyptians of thousands of years ago. In art, they look exotic, but not out of reach. They drank beer, collected cats and wore flip-flops. They yearned to stay young and to live forever, with loved ones nearby and snack food piled high. Who can’t relate to that? Few institutions have done a better job at illuminating Egyptian art than the Met. And it returns to the subject in an exhibition low on King Tut bling and high on complicated beauty, about a broad swath of history (circa 2030 to 1650 B.C.) that has never had a comprehensive museum showcase till now. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

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 01/14 and 01/12.

========================================================
NEW Feature!
The 100 Books Every New Yorker Should Read
by Kristin Iversen, Brooklyn Magazine (11/09/15)
today’s picks:
1. The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto
This fascinating historical narrative demonstrates why New York is a city unlike any other in America. (Spoiler: It’s because it started out Dutch, not Puritanical and English.) Also, you get to find out all about who Peter Stuyvesant was and why so many derivations of Dutch words are in the New York vernacular.

2. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Containing what is perhaps the sexiest author photo ever (Whitman was quite a looker; it is not the same picture that you see on the cover to the left of this blurb BY THE WAY), this poetry book is seductively brilliant and far ahead of its time. It’s also responsible for the oft-quoted phrase “I contain multitudes,” which has been bastardized to describe a whole number of things, always to great effect. I’m sure Whitman would have approved. He seems like a pretty chill dude.

3. The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld by Herbert Asbury
Easily one of the most fascinating, if ugliest, times of New York City history, the mid-19th century was full of shocking violence, nativist sentiment, corrupt politicians, and truly colorful characters. Asbury shines a light on some of the grimiest parts of New York’s pas

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Selected Events (01/21) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 01/21/2016 by GregD

 Today’s FAB 5+ > THURSDAY / JAN. 21, 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.)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Donny McCaslin Quartet (thru Jan.24)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“In a move as unexpected and ultimately efficacious as any in his doggedly left-of-center career, the late David Bowie brought on the saxophonist McCaslin’s quartet as the core band for what turned out to be Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar.” McCaslin’s new jazz ensemble features the keyboardist Jason Lindner and the drummer Mark Guiliana, with Nate Wood substituting for the bassist Tim Lefebvre on the first five nights.” (NewYorker)

Live Artery (through Jan. 30)
New York Live Arts, 219 W19th St./ 7:30PM, $15+
For the benefit of visiting arts presenters catching up on the latest in New York dance, Live Artery offered a nearly nonstop buffet of performances this past weekend.

Beginning Wednesday, dance’s bad girl Ann Liv Young presents “Elektra,” her take on the Sophocles tragedy that is sure to be characteristically audacious.” (Schaeffer-NYT)

American Songbook series (continues through April)
Lincoln Center
“Loudon Wainwright III, one of the most durable artists to come out of the ’70s singer-songwriter movement, will headline a show at the Appel Room, in Frederick P. Rose Hall (60th Street and Broadway) tomorrow, Friday, as part of Lincoln Center’s annual American Songbook series. From his earliest incarnation, when this folk-singing humorist was mislabeled a “new Dylan,” critics called Mr. Wainwright a genius; New Dylan or not, that description that still applies.

The series began Tuesday with a free concert by the theater composer Ryan Scott Oliver at the David Rubenstein Atrium (Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Street) and moved to the Appel Room Jan. 20 with a concert by Vanessa Williams. A multi-artist celebration of Peggy Lee follows tonight, Thursday, and Rita Moreno closes the first week on Jan. 23.
At various times; a schedule and more information is at americansongbook.org.”
(NYT-Stephen Holden)

Stacey Kent “Tenderly” CD Release Celebration
Birdland, / 8:30PM, $50
“Critically acclaimed, Grammy®-nominated singer Stacey Kent sings from the soul, telling her stories with faultless phrasing and a lucid, enchanting voice. Her new CD release, “Tenderly,” is a collaboration with Brazilian music master Robert Menescal and follow-up to ”Marcos Valle & Stacey Kent Live.”

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

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli
92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd St./ 12PM, $25
“Join professor Ted Merwin, author of Pastrami on Rye, to explore the rise and fall of the Jewish deli in New York, from its inception on the Lower East Side to its surge in popularity among contemporary Jews who are returning the deli to cult status as they seek to reclaim their cultural identities.
Enjoy a tasting of kosher pastrami, corned beef and more from the 2nd Ave Deli.”

SPECIAL EVENT, A MUST SEE:
Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 23)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ $25-$60
Mondays through Saturdays at 8PM
“The best part of Noche Flamenca’s flamenco musical Antigona—and it is full of astonishing parts—is the way that it tosses you between states of delight. At first, the delight stems from the ridiculous. Stalking the stage at West Side Presbyterian church, our Master of Ceremonies (a hilarious Emilio Florido) sings us the rundown on Oedipus’s family with elaborate disgust. Incest! Suicide! Fratricide! It’s dark. The flamenco company plays an abbreviated version of the entire Sophoclean trilogy with the emotional volume cranked to 11; their operatic intensity is joyful and absurd. (Spanish speakers may have a little extra fun: The elegant supertitles seem to leave out a bit of the cast’s improvisatory swearing.)” (TONY)

a personal note:
Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two powerful vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity App: 
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.

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 56 million visitors last year and is 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.
==================================================================================

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.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/20) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 01/20/2016 by GregD

 Today’s FAB 5+ > WEDNESDAY / JAN. 20, 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:
Jon Irabagon
Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St./ 8PM, $10
“A wily, hyperliterate saxophonist who has successfully ducked in and out of the mainstream jazz tradition, Mr. Irabagon leads two small groups next week. On Tuesday he re-enlists the ace rhythm section from “Behind the Sky,” an album released last year: Luis Perdomo on piano, Yasushi Nakamura on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. On Wednesday the format is a trio with two equally brilliant partners: the guitarist Mary Halvorson and the drummer Nasheet Waits.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Donny McCaslin Quartet (thru Jan.24)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“In a move as unexpected and ultimately efficacious as any in his doggedly left-of-center career, the late David Bowie brought on the saxophonist McCaslin’s quartet as the core band for what turned out to be Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar.” McCaslin’s new jazz ensemble features the keyboardist Jason Lindner and the drummer Mark Guiliana, with Nate Wood substituting for the bassist Tim Lefebvre on the first five nights.” (NewYorker)

Live Artery (through Jan. 30)
New York Live Arts, 219 W19th St./ 7:30PM, $15+
For the benefit of visiting arts presenters catching up on the latest in New York dance, Live Artery offered a nearly nonstop buffet of performances this past weekend.

Beginning Wednesday, dance’s bad girl Ann Liv Young presents “Elektra,” her take on the Sophocles tragedy that is sure to be characteristically audacious.” (Schaeffer-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Superhero New York: Real and Imaginary
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West / 6PM, FREE
6 pm: Guests will visit Superheroes in Gotham and can take a selfie with Batman and his Batmobile
7 pm: Watch the parade of superheroes
7:30 pm: Speaker will take the stage

Join us for a FREE evening with comics historian and former Marvel Editorial Director Danny Fingeroth and see our current exhibition Superheroes in Gotham. Fingeroth will present a slideshow tour of New York’s comic book landmarks, both real and imagined. Many of the world’s greatest superheroes were born in New York, and their epic comic book adventures were based in cities similar to the Big Apple, like Gotham City and Metropolis. View the offices where the most famous superheroes were created and gaze upon the sites where the characters lived, worked, and battled. Who knows—your own apartment may share a secret piece of New York’s superhero history! To reserve your spot, please RSVP to koconnor@nyhistory.org

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
The Future of New York’s Skyline
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 7:30PM, $32
“As the name of this discussion suggests, architects will talk about the city’s changing skyline, as well as the increasing need for new buildings to reconcile high performance and environmental consciousness. The speakers are the Pritzker Prize winner Richard Meier; Bjarke Ingels, who will design Two World Trade Center; Annabelle Selldorf, whose historic renovations include the Neue Galerie; and Rick Cook, whose firm designed the LEED-certified Bank of America Tower on Bryant Park. C.J. Hughes, who writes about this subject for The New York Times, will moderate.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

SPECIAL EVENT, A MUST SEE:
Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 23)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ $25-$60
Mondays through Saturdays at 8PM
“Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

a personal note:
Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity App: 
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.

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 56 million visitors last year and is 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.
==================================================================================

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 01/18 and 01/16.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/19) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 01/19/2016 by GregD

 Today’s FAB 5+ > TUESDAY / JAN. 19, 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:
Donny McCaslin Quartet
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“In a move as unexpected and ultimately efficacious as any in his doggedly left-of-center career, the late David Bowie brought on the saxophonist McCaslin’s quartet as the core band for what turned out to be Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar.” McCaslin’s new jazz ensemble features the keyboardist Jason Lindner and the drummer Mark Guiliana, with Nate Wood substituting for the bassist Tim Lefebvre on the first five nights.” (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
American Songbook 2016 Opening Night
Ryan Scott Oliver and Friends
Rubenstein Atrium, Lincoln Center/ 7:30PM, FREE
“Composer-lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver and a boisterous group of his most gifted friends kick off American Songbook 2016 with a free opening night concert. Called “the future of Broadway…a major new voice in musical theater” (Entertainment Weekly). Oliver’s distinct work combines a powerful pop influence, rich harmony, and stories steeped in myth.”

Jon Irabagon (also Wednesday)
Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St./ 8PM, $10
“A wily, hyperliterate saxophonist who has successfully ducked in and out of the mainstream jazz tradition, Mr. Irabagon leads two small groups next week. On Tuesday he re-enlists the ace rhythm section from “Behind the Sky,” an album released last year: Luis Perdomo on piano, Yasushi Nakamura on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. On Wednesday the format is a trio with two equally brilliant partners: the guitarist Mary Halvorson and the drummer Nasheet Waits.” (Chinen-NYT)

Author @ the Library:
Never Surrender: Winston Churchill and Britain’s Decision to fight Nazi Germany in the fateful summer of 1940.
NYPL, Mid-Manhattan Branch, 5th ave @ 40th ST./ 6:30PM, FREE
with John Kelly, the author of the acclaimed bestseller “The Great Mortality” and “Three on the Edge.”
“Wrestle with Winston Churchill on a crucial dilemma back in 1940: whether England should appease or go to war with Hitler. Historian John Kelly, author of Never Surrender, zeroes in on that tense six-month period.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Behind the Wine Tours and Tasting
Brooklyn Winery, 213 North 8th Street, Brooklyn / 6:30PM
“Want to learn the ins and outs of an urban winery? Brooklyn Winery is offering a tour of its facility followed by a tasting of select Brooklyn Winery wines. Tickets are $25 after promotion” (VillageVoice)

SPECIAL EVENT, A MUST SEE:
Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 23)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ $25-$60
Mondays through Saturdays at 8PM
“Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

a personal note:
Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity App: 
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.

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 56 million visitors last year and is 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.
==================================================================================

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

Selected Events (01/18) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 01/18/2016 by GregD

 Today’s FAB 5+ > MONDAY / JAN. 18, 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:
Rudresh Mahanthappa: ‘Bird Calls’
Joes Pub @ the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St./ 9:30PM, $20
“Bird Calls,” the most recent release by the alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, takes Charlie Parker as a point of departure if not a distant lexicographical ancestor. The album, widely recognized as one of last year’s best, features the sharp young trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, and a rhythm section consisting of the pianist Matt Mitchell, the bassist Thomson Kneeland and the drummer Dan Weiss.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Broadway Names with Julie James Live
42West, 514 W42nd St./ 8PM, $50-$90
“Broadway scenester and singer Julie James hosts a showtune-themed show on SiriusXM Radio, and this live concert version is a benefit for Arts for All, a charity that helps bring art to underprivileged kids. The event features guest stars Laura Benanti and Rema Webb, and is headlined by none other than Dreamgirls legend Jennifer Holliday. (And we are telling you: Go!)” (TONY)

“Merman’s Apprentice” Starring Klea Blackhurst, Anita Gillette & More
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 7PM, $25
“The evening will be a return engagement of June 2015’s sold out concert of Merman’s Apprentice celebrating the release of the Original Cast Album produced by John Yap for Jay Records! Once again, Birdland favorite Klea Blackhurst will star as Ethel Merman with a star-studded supporting cast.”

Hand Eye
Zankel Hall (at Carnegie Hall), 154 W 57th St./ 7:30PM, $43-$50
“The Grammy-winning Chicago ensemble eighth blackbird plays a program of works by the Sleeping Giant composers collective, including pieces by Timo Andres, Christopher Cerrone and Ted Hearne, with a stage set by CandyStation, known for work with Sufjan Stevens, St. Vincent and Wilco.” (TONY)

‘Turandot’
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $
“Nina Stemme, one of the great dramatic sopranos in the business takes on the title role of Puccini’s drama set in ancient China. Marco Berti will perform the role of Calàf in this revival of Franco Zeffirelli’s opulent production, conducted by Paolo Carignani. The role of Liù is performed by Leah Crocetto.” (da Fonseca-Wollheim-NYT)

SPECIAL EVENT, A MUST SEE:
Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 23)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ $25-$60
Mondays through Saturdays at 8PM
“The best part of Noche Flamenca’s flamenco musical Antigona—and it is full of astonishing parts—is the way that it tosses you between states of delight. At first, the delight stems from the ridiculous. Stalking the stage at West Side Presbyterian church, our Master of Ceremonies (a hilarious Emilio Florido) sings us the rundown on Oedipus’s family with elaborate disgust. Incest! Suicide! Fratricide! It’s dark. The flamenco company plays an abbreviated version of the entire Sophoclean trilogy with the emotional volume cranked to 11; their operatic intensity is joyful and absurd. (Spanish speakers may have a little extra fun: The elegant supertitles seem to leave out a bit of the cast’s improvisatory swearing.)” (TONY)

a personal note:
Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

Bonus-This week’s fave and FREE NYCity App: 
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.

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 56 million visitors last year and is 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.
==================================================================================

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 01/16 and 01/14.
========================================================

NEW Feature!
The 100 Books Every New Yorker Should Read
by Kristin Iversen, Brooklyn Magazine
today’s picks:
8. Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 by Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace
This Pulitzer Prize-winning tome is as compellingly written as any straight history book we’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering. It’s an entertaining look at the city before the Great Mistake of ’98.

9. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
Houdini! Evelyn Nesbit! Booker T. Washington! Emma Goldman! This historical novel manages to cram in just about every fascinating character of early 20th century New York and its narrative is as rollicking and lively as the best ragtime songs.

10. Call It Sleep by Henry Roth
Roth takes readers through the coming-of-age version of a young Jewish boy on the Lower East Side, who is grappling with issues of identity, family, and belonging. The historical context is fascinating, and the sentiments it evokes are timeless.

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 (01/17) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper WestSide)

Posted on 01/17/2016 by GregD

 Today’s SWEET 6 > SUNDAY / JAN. 17, 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:
Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden (last day)
Madison Square Garden, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza / 2PM, $25+
“Hold your breath and hang on tight for those fateful eight seconds as some of the country’s most fearless bull riders take on their horned opponents in rodeo-styled rides. It may be an MSG show, but that doesn’t mean the mud won’t fly.” (TONY)
If you haven’t ever seen a rodeo, you need to see one. They are so much fun, never a dull moment. Come out and see the world’s top 35 riders, marvel at their fearlessness.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Maceo Parker (last day)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $35-$45
When James Brown called on Parker to deliver the funk, this alto saxophonist was there to blow. As the monarch of his domain, Parker leans toward jazz-informed R. & B. that, conveyed with his inimitable spirit and élan, practically bellows authenticity.”(NewYorker)

Winter Jazzfest 2016 (last day)
Channeling Coltrane,
Rova’s NY premiere of their Electric Ascension
Le Poisson Rouge, / 6PM, $30
“The festival closes with a John Coltrane project by San Francisco Bay Area saxophone quartet Rova. With an all-star cast of New York improvisers celebrating the release of “Channeling Coltrane”, Rova presents a NY premiere performance of their Electric Ascension – a 21st century reimagining of John Coltrane’s late master work Ascension.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
globalFEST2016
Webster Hall, / 7PM, $45 (maybe a tough ticket, may have to stubhub it)
“This übercosmopolitan music event will likely be your only chance to hear Brazilian Afrobeat, Hawaiian swing, Pakistani Sufi music and a host of other genre-spanning international genres in one night. The bash features a dozen musicians across three stages in Webster Hall. Represented locales range from Ukraine to New Orleans; acts include NYC/Paris electro pop hybrid Ginkgoa, Haitian groove collective Lakou Mizik and Afrobeat goddess Somi.” (TONY)

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

Elsewhere, but these look worth the detours:
“A View from the Bridge” by Arthur Miller: A Broadway Play Review
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 2:30PM, $30
“Ever see a Broadway show, and feel like you have to sit down and chat about it? This is your chance! Join Evan Madin, theater teacher, and Scott Borowka, lighting designer, to discuss A View from the Bridge (Lyceum Theater). Please see the performance on your own and be ready to discuss.”

The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival (last day)
Village East Theatre, 189 2nd Ave./ various times and prices
“This fest is dedicated to flicks inspired by the pioneering sci-fi writer, who authored iconic works like The Man In the High Castle and Do Androids Dream of Anatomic Sheep? Check out shorts and feature films that deal with time travel, artificial intelligence, morality and beyond at this packed fan fest, which features a panel discussion on Amazon’s new The Man In the High Castle series and screenings of films including Sympathy For the Devil: The True Story of the Process Church of the Final Judgment.“ (TONY)

Bonus-This week’s fave and FREE NYCity App: 
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.

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 56 million visitors last year and is 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.
==================================================================================

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:
4. Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker
“This pitch-perfectly rendered look at Civil War-era New York illustrates some essential, if nearly forgotten, parts of New York’s history, like the 1863 Draft Riots and the founding of Central Park, and it resonates all the more deeply due to the ongoing inequality issues we face today.”

5. Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York by Luc Sante
“Sante makes the incredibly difficult task of writing entertainingly about mundane subjects like a city’s topography look easy. He also manages to elucidate some of the most profoundly dark times of New York’s history, and is never afraid to get down into the gritty underside of the city.”

6. Washington Square by Henry James
“This slim novel might be set almost 150 years ago, but it’s central question (basically, where is love?) is as relevant—and its answer as complicatedly depressing—now, in the age of Tinder—as it was back then.”

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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