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

Selected Events (01/16) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 01/16/2016 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7+ > SATURDAY / JAN. 16, 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:
Winter Jazzfest 2016 (Jan.13-17)
at various locations and times
today: Marathon Saturday
“Tonight’s signature Greenwich Village marathon brings vets and up-and-comers, hordes of music fans and a palpable air of excitement to an array of cozy downtown venues. The shows aren’t individually ticketed, so a wristband grants you access to any of each night’s shows—as long as a given club doesn’t hit capacity, that is. It’s a model that encourages sampling and venue-hopping. The event also requires patience and an open mind: If your preferred show is full, pull out the schedule, and head to one of the nearby spots for something unexpected.” (TONY)
12 venues – my fave is the classic Greenwich Music house, but the New School venues are first class; and 58 sets – oh boy!

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
‘A Darlene Love Christmas’
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd St./ 8PM, $
“Her lovelorn “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” is a holiday showstopper for the ages; her annual yuletide festivities are a New York institution. Truly, Phil Spector’s former protégée has been an indelible voice in pop since the 1960s — the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame agreed when she was made one of its 2011 inductees.” (Anderson-NYT)

Kurt Elling “Passion World” (last day)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM, +11PM, $50
“Starting in Chicago, Kurt Elling — “The standout male vocalist of our time,” (New York Times) — recorded several of his early albums, earned the first of many GRAMMY®nominations and catapulted onto the national stage before moving to Manhattan in 2008. Elling’s recent CD release, “Passion World,” is a tour-de-force program of love songs from around the world. Performing each song in its native tongue, Elling tells rich stories about musical history on a grand multicultural tour of exotic places and cultures.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Zlatne Uste Golden Festival
Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn/ 6PM-2AM, $
“For more than 30 years, this festival of song and dance has brought Balkan traditions to New York. This year’s event features about 50 acts on multiple stages, with Balkan and Middle Eastern food and art vendors to complement the performances.”

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Circus Now (last day)
N.Y.U. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. 566 LaGuardia Pl./ 8PM, $35-$59
“Nine award-winning, innovative companies gather to reimagine the circus once again. More than fifty entertainers, acrobats, and aerialists will push traditional boundaries at “Circus Now: International Contemporary Circus Exposure 2016,” a three-night celebration of the centuries-old art. Acts from France, Sweden, Canada, and beyond perform ceiling-scraping stunts that add new layers to classic circus tricks. The Finnish aerialist Ilona Jantti says her tightrope routine, performed against a multi-colored video projection that serves as her dance partner, seems “more dangerous than it is.” “Circus Now” has extended its stay in New York by popular demand for this second showing.’ (NewYorker)

Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden (thru Jan.17)
Madison Square Garden, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza / Fri. 8PM, $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.

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival (thru Jan.17)
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)

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!

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

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.

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♦ 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.
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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)
“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)

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

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (SUN 11am-1pm PWYW) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/14 and 01/12.

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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 past.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ‘A Darlene Love Christmas’, Circus Now, Kurt Elling “Passion World”, Madison Square Garden, Monster Energy Buck Off, N.Y.U. Skirball Center, Noche Flamenca: Antigona, the Kitchen, The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, Winter Jazzfest 2016, Zlatne Uste Golden Festival | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/15) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 01/15/2016 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6+ > FRIDAY / JAN. 15, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden (thru Jan.17)
Madison Square Garden, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza / Fri. 8PM, $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
Big Dance Theater (through Jan. 16)
the Kitchen, 512 West 19th St./ 8PM, $
“Founded in 1991 by Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar, this singular company begins the new year with a 25th anniversary jubilee. “Short Form,” as the program is called, includes five new and revised works highlighting Ms. Parson’s choreographic voice, imaginatively interwoven and festively interrupted by an intermission disguised as a birthday bash.” (Siobhan Burke-NYT)

Winter Jazzfest 2016 (Jan.13-17)
at various locations, times and prices
“WJF, a perennial highlight of NYC’s annual jazz calendar, hosts its signature Greenwich Village marathon on Friday 15 and Saturday 16. A previously scheduled show with jazz-funk ensemble leader Kamasi Washington at Webster Hall has been postponed until February 24.” (TONY)

tonight: Matana Roberts (solo) at Subculture
Prepare to be uplifted into a droning, chanting, poetic and ecstatic jazz otherworld—and given a history lesson in the process—by the Chicago–born, New York City–based saxophonist and vocalist Matana Roberts. The third installment of her Coin Coin series, entitled Chapter Three: river run thee, has wound up on Best of 2015 lists across the spectrum, and rightfully so.

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Zlatne Uste Golden Festival (also Saturday)
Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn,
“For more than 30 years, this festival of song and dance has brought Balkan traditions to New York. This year’s event features about 50 acts on multiple stages, with Balkan and Middle Eastern food and art vendors to complement the performances.”
Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Saturday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.,

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Circus Now (thru Jan.16)
N.Y.U. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. 566 LaGuardia Pl./ 8PM, $35-$59
“Nine award-winning, innovative companies gather to reimagine the circus once again. More than fifty entertainers, acrobats, and aerialists will push traditional boundaries at “Circus Now: International Contemporary Circus Exposure 2016,” a three-night celebration of the centuries-old art. Acts from France, Sweden, Canada, and beyond perform ceiling-scraping stunts that add new layers to classic circus tricks. The Finnish aerialist Ilona Jantti says her tightrope routine, performed against a multi-colored video projection that serves as her dance partner, seems “more dangerous than it is.” “Circus Now” has extended its stay in New York by popular demand for this second showing.’ (NewYorker)

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)

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’. ”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Big Dance Theater, Monster Energy Buck Off, Winter Jazzfest 2016, Zlatne Uste Golden Festival | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/14) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 01/14/2016 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6+ THURSDAY / JAN. 14, 2015

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Circus Now (thru Jan.16)
N.Y.U. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. 566 LaGuardia Pl./ 8PM, $35-$59
“Nine award-winning, innovative companies gather to reimagine the circus once again. More than fifty entertainers, acrobats, and aerialists will push traditional boundaries at “Circus Now: International Contemporary Circus Exposure 2016,” a three-night celebration of the centuries-old art. Acts from France, Sweden, Canada, and beyond perform ceiling-scraping stunts that add new layers to classic circus tricks. The Finnish aerialist Ilona Jantti says her tightrope routine, performed against a multi-colored video projection that serves as her dance partner, seems “more dangerous than it is.” “Circus Now” has extended its stay in New York by popular demand for this second showing.’ (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Pierre Kwenders
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center,/ 7:30PM, FREE
“Hip hop, soul, Congolese rumba, and electropop unite in the beat-driven songs of this Kinshasa-born, Montréal-based musician. A spokesman for modern Africa, Pierre Kwenders was named one of Radio-Canada’s Révélations and collaborated with an eclectic array of artists on his critically acclaimed EP Le Dernier Empereur Bantou, including Jacobus (Radio Radio), Baloji, The Posterz, Nom de Plume, and Poirier.”
my advice: seating is limited, better get there by 7PM

Kurt Elling “Passion World” (through Jan.16)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM, +11PM, $50
“Starting in Chicago, Kurt Elling — “The standout male vocalist of our time,” (New York Times) — recorded several of his early albums, earned the first of many GRAMMY® nominations and catapulted onto the national stage before moving to Manhattan in 2008. Elling’s recent CD release, “Passion World,” is a tour-de-force program of love songs from around the world. Performing each song in its native tongue, Elling tells rich stories about musical history on a grand multicultural tour of exotic places and cultures.”

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
The Secret History of Wonder Woman
New York Historical Society, / 6:30PM; $34
“With a big-screen debut just months away and seemingly endless merchandising for fans of all ages and genders, Wonder Woman may be more relevant now than ever. But what brought this feminist powerhouse into comic book pages in 1941? New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore reads from her historical account of how William Moulton Marston, inventor of the lie detector, designed an icon for the ages based on the women he shared his life with, Olive Byrne and Elizabeth Holloway Marston.” (TONY)

Henry George and the Crisis of Inequality: Progress and Poverty in the Gilded Age,
NYPL, Mid-Manhattan Library, 5th Ave@ 40th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
with Edward T. O’Donnell, associate professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and author of “Ship Ablaze.”
“This illustrated lecture is a social biography of the great reformer, Brooklyn resident Henry George, whose activism in the 1880s inspired a vibrant working class movement and helped to shape 20th century progressive thinking. It examines both the rise of Henry George and his influence on the era, but also the wider context of Gilded Age America and the social turmoil and bitter debates over how best to control an industrial system that produced unprecedented progress and wealth, but also unprecedented levels of poverty, suffering, and alienation.”

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!

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

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 01/12 and 01/10.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Birdland, Circus Now, David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Henry George and the Crisis of Inequality, Kurt Elling “PassionWorld”, Mid-Manhattan Library, N.Y.U. Skirball Center, New-York Historical Society, Noche Flamenca: Antigona, Pierre Kwenders, The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, The Secret History of Wonder Woman, Village East Theatre | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/13) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 01/13/2016 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6+ > TUESDAY / JAN. 13, 2015

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Kurt Elling “PassionWorld” (through Jan.16)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM, +11PM, $50
“Starting in Chicago, Kurt Elling — “The standout male vocalist of our time,” (New York Times) — recorded several of his early albums, earned the first of many GRAMMY® nominations and catapulted onto the national stage before moving to Manhattan in 2008. Elling’s recent CD release, “Passion World,” is a tour-de-force program of love songs from around the world. Performing each song in its native tongue, Elling tells rich stories about musical history on a grand multicultural tour of exotic places and cultures.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Bilal
City Winery, 155 Varick St, near Spring St./ 8PM, $25-$30
“This glossy New York neo-soul crooner has a firm fan in Janelle Monáe, who once said that his voice was “like a van Gogh painting.” He took a surrealist slant on his breakthrough record, “A Love Surreal,” which was inspired by Salvador Dalí; in June, he released the sensuous album “In Another Life,” which he should turn to often during this performance, part of his winter residency at City Winery.” (Stacey Anderson-NYT)

Maceo Parker (through Jan. 17)
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)

American Dance Platform (through Jan. 17)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave, at 19th St./ various times, $20-$40
“American companies hailing from sea to shining sea are presented here by the Joyce Theater and White Bird, an influential Portland, Ore., dance organization, as part of the tsunami of dance showcases hitting New York for the annual gathering of arts presenters. The four split-bill programs will pair established troupes, like the Martha Graham Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, with young collectives that are generating buzz, like TU Dance out of St. Paul and Ate9 from Los Angeles.” (Brian Schaefer-NYT)
Tuesday, Wednesday and Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Jan. 16 at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on Jan. 16 and 17.

Winter Jazzfest 2016 (Jan.13-17)
at various locations, times and prices
“WJF, a perennial highlight of NYC’s annual jazz calendar, hosts its signature Greenwich Village marathon on Friday 15 and Saturday 16, preceded by two kick-off events—Dutch jazz-punk outfit the Ex on January 13 and the Jazz Legends for Disability Pride benefit on January 14—and one encore gig with sax quartet Rova. A previously scheduled show with jazz-funk ensemble leader Kamasi Washington at Webster Hall has been postponed until February 24.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W17th St./ 7PM, $25
“It’s taken yoga several thousand years to journey from a handful of monasteries dotting the Himalayas to the myriad studios of London, Lower Manhattan, and beyond. Whether bathing with holy men in the Ganges or joining the chorus of a thousand voices chanting “om,” photographer Michael O’Neill decided to devote himself to experiencing and recording the world of yoga at this critical juncture in its history. The result is a powerful photographic tribute to the age-old discipline turned global phenomenon, with over 250 million practitioners united in physical, spiritual, and mindful practice worldwide.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

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:
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.

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’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.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 / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bilal, Kurt Elling “PassionWorld”, On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace, Winter Jazzfest 2016 | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/12) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 01/12/2016 by GregD

Today’s FAB 5+ > TUESDAY / JAN. 12, 2015

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Cinderella – Company XIV (through Jan. 17)
Minetta Lane Theater, 18 Minetta Lane / 8PM, $50+
“This flirtatious company, which combines ballet and contemporary dance with elements of baroque and burlesque, specializes in sexy, spicy, opulent interpretations of fairy-tale classics. This fall, the director and choreographer Austin McCormick introduces his take on “Cinderella,” which comes with a dash of opera and vaudeville. Because of titillating costumes and scenarios, and free-flowing libations, performances are adult only.” (Schaefer-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Maceo Parker
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)

Enrico Pieranunzi (through Jan. 17)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30, 10:30PM, $30
‘Mr. Pieranunzi is one of the leading jazz pianists in Italy, a careful rhapsodist with a more than casual appreciation of the Bill Evans style. He works often with American partners and has a good crew for this engagement: the trumpeter Diego Urcola, the tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, the bassist Ben Street and the drummer Adam Cruz.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
(subway: easy ride on the #2,3 express)
Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, 1861–2008
Brooklyn Museum,
“The first major exhibition to explore the kaleidoscopic visual record they created, documenting the historic destination’s beginnings as a watering hole for the wealthy, its transformation into a popular beach resort and amusement mecca, its decades of urban decline culminating in the closing of Astroland, and its recent revival as a vibrant and growing community.” (nyc-arts.org)

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:
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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 01/10 and 01/08.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1861–2008, American Dance Platform, Blue Note, Brooklyn Museum, Cinderella - Company XIV, Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, Enrico Pieranunzi, Joyce Theater, Maceo Parker, Minetta Lane Theater, Noche Flamenca: Antigona, Village Vanguard | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/11) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 01/11/2016 by GregD

Today’s FAB 5+ > MONDAY / JAN. 11, 2015

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
The Lincoln Center Theater Review
Segal Theater, Graduate Center, CUNY, 365 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
“Join us for an evening in celebration of the Lincoln Center Theater Review, a literary and art journal that accompanies the productions at Lincoln Center Theater. Founded in 1987 by John Guare, the magazine solicits responses to the themes and issues in the plays from visual artists and noted writers of fiction, poetry and commentary, in the belief that theater plays a part in the intellectual discourse of our time.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Steve Earle
City Winery, 155 Varick St., near Spring St./ 8PM, $
“The roots/country renegade who once growled, “If you buy me a strong drink of whiskey/I will tell you the tale of my life” (in “The Gringo’s Tale”) kicks up his dusty heels at City Winery. His hardscrabble vagabond stories and baleful slide guitars were on the soundtracks for “True Detective” and “The Wire.” He begins a monthlong residency on this evening, with performances also on Jan. 11, 19 and 27.” (NYT-Anderson)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Invented by Law:
Alexander Graham Bell and the Patent that Changed America
with Christopher Beauchamp, Associate Professor of Law at Bklyn Law School.
NYPL, Mid-Manhattan Branch, /6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture discusses the unprecedented legal battles that followed the invention of the telephone. It also examines the patent system, and sheds new light on the history, while resonating with the calls of reform we hear today regarding patent law.”

National Hot Toddy Day,
Multiple Locations,
“Switch up your coffee or tea routine with a boozy hot toddy in celebration of National Hot Toddy Day. At Faro, guests can enjoy a version made with mulled pear wine and whiskey. Meanwhile at The Daily, guests receive their own mini-bottle of booze to add to a special cocktail during a hot toddy happy hour running this week, Monday to Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. Enjoy a unique hot toddy at other places around the city, including Sid Gold’s Request Room, Tasca Chino, and Public.” (VillageVoice)

Oculus Book Talk | A Genealogy of Modern Architecture:
Comparative Critical Analysis of Built Form
Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Pl./ 6PM, $10
“A Genealogy of Modern Architecture” is a reference work on modern architecture by Kenneth Frampton, one of today’s leading architectural theorists. Conceived as a genealogy of twentieth century architecture from 1924 to 2000, it compiles some sixteen comparative analyses of canonical modern buildings ranging from exhibition pavilions and private houses to office buildings and various kinds of public institutions. The buildings are compared in terms of their hierarchical spatial order, circulation structure and referential details. The analyses are organized so as to show what is similar and different between two paired types, thus revealing how modern tradition has been diversely inflected. Richly illustrated, “A Genealogy of Modern Architecture” is a new standard work in architectural education.”

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 – 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A Genealogy of Modern Architecture:, Invented by Law: Alexander Graham Bell and the Patent that Changed America, National Hot Toddy Day, Steve Earle, The Lincoln Center Theater Review | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/10) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 01/10/2016 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > SUNDAY / JAN. 10, 2015

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
George Cables Trio (last day)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $
It can take decades for a journeyman musician to evolve into, and subsequently be regarded as, a near-master: consider the case of the estimable pianist Cables. He’s joined here by the same compatriots—Essiet Essiet, on bass, and Victor Lewis, on drums—who were heard on his most recent album, the celebratory “In Good Company.” (NewYorker)

Marilyn Maye: By Request (last day)
Metropolitan Room, 34 W22nd St./ 7PM, $45
“Marilyn Maye’s stellar past includes a string of classy RCA albums in the ’60s and a nearly unequaled number of Tonight Show appearances, but this husky-voiced, earthy belter has never sounded better than she does now (at 87). Astonishingly active lately, she now returns to the Met Room with a set of tunes suggested by audience members when they buy their tickets.” (TONY)
.
This grand olde dame puts on a wonderful show. She’s 87, better see her now.

Chris Botti (last day)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $
“Mr. Botti, whose adult-pop savvy and controlled but brooding trumpet sound have made him a global superstar, descends on the Blue Note every year around this time for an extended stay. This year, his 11th, the engagement began in mid-December and will stretch into the new year, with the usual array of unannounced guests.” (Chinen-NYT)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
‘A Tribute to Lou Reed with Jolie Holland and Sinkane’
Manhattan Inn, 632 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn/ 8:30PM, $12
“Last month, Greenpoint piano bar Manhattan Inn enlisted Brooklyn indie band TEEN to curate a great Joni Mitchell tribute show, with Jen Goma, Jen Wasser, and more covering the folk singer’s classics. So while their Tribute to Lou Reed on Saturday evening isn’t exactly a novel one, the formula for the evening has been proven and should be just as fun. This time around, there’s an entirely new line-up that features Sinkane, Mirah, Invisible Familiars, Your 33 Black Angels, Pencil, Cassandra Jenkins with Sam Owens, and Jolie Holland performing the late Velvet Underground frontman’s work. With acclaimed solo records like Berlin and Transformer also to his credit, it will be interesting to see which songs these seasoned musicians choose to cover.” (Lindsey Rhoades, Village Voice)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
A Cassoulet Salon and Cassoulet Cookoff
Jimmy’s No. 43, 43 East Seventh St./ Sunday, 12 p.m., $30
“To celebrate the 8th Annual Cassoulet Cook-Off, Jimmy Carbone is extending the festivities celebrating the hearty French stew to include an entire weekend’s worth of activities. On Saturday, a cassoulet discussion featuring panelists such as vintage cookbook specialist Bonnie Slotnick and author Cathy Erway will take place, with time for questions and samples afterwards. On Sunday, home and professional chefs compete for the love of the crowd. Attendees can sample over ten different cassoulet styles in a walk-around event. Tickets for Saturday’s event are $10 each (your first American beer/wine/cider is included in the ticket price). Sunday’s $30 ticket includes one free American beer or cider and all the cassoulet you can eat.” (VillageVoice)

The New York Times Travel Show
Javits Center, 655 W34th St./ Sat 11AM-5PM, $20
“This annual event incorporates talks, exhibitions, performances and food demonstrations — all under the roof the cavernous Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Prospective travelers can peruse the various vendor booths for onsite-deals and displays of the cutting edge in travel. More information is at nyttravelshow.com. At various times.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St. / citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. / joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34 W22nd St. / metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. / lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St. / beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237 W42nd St. / bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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.
==================================================================================

‘Andrea del Sarto’s ‘Borgherini Holy Family’’ (through Jan. 10)
“This fascinating gem of a show runs concurrently with the larger exhibition “Andrea del Sarto: The Renaissance Workshop in Action” at the Frick Collection and adds important layers to it. It both places the Renaissance artist within the political context of his time, and it draws on modern imaging technology to reveal his method for transforming and recycling images. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

Frick Collection:
‘Andrea del Sarto: The Renaissance Workshop in Action’ (through Jan. 10)
“The big-guns highlights of the Frick show, this first major American exhibition devoted to the Renaissance artist Andrea del Sarto, (1486-1530) are three spectacular paintings, including “Portrait of a Young Man” from London and “St. John the Baptist” from the Palazzo Pitti, Florence. But the substance lies an array of 45 drawings, mostly in red chalk, in which we can follow del Sarto as he feels his way into compositions and molds figures into life with an angel’s hand, a scientist’s eye, and a striver’s drive for perfection. 1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, 212-288-0700, frick.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 12/27 and 12/25.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A Cassoulet Salon and Cassoulet Cookoff, ‘A Tribute to Lou Reed with Jolie Holland and Sinkane’, Blue Note, Chris Botti, George Cables Trio, Javits Center, Jimmy’s No. 43, Manhattan Inn, Marilyn Maye: By Request, Metropolitan Room, The New York Times Travel Show, Village Vanguard | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/09) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 01/09/2016 by GregD

Today’s FAB 5+ > SATURDAY / JAN. 09, 2015

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Chris Botti (through Jan. 10)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $
“Mr. Botti, whose adult-pop savvy and controlled but brooding trumpet sound have made him a global superstar, descends on the Blue Note every year around this time for an extended stay. This year, his 11th, the engagement began in mid-December and will stretch into the new year, with the usual array of unannounced guests.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
George Cables Trio (through Jan. 10)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $
It can take decades for a journeyman musician to evolve into, and subsequently be regarded as, a near-master: consider the case of the estimable pianist Cables. He’s joined here by the same compatriots—Essiet Essiet, on bass, and Victor Lewis, on drums—who were heard on his most recent album, the celebratory “In Good Company.” (NewYorker)

Marilyn Maye: By Request (thru Jan.10)
Metropolitan Room, 34 W22nd St./ 7PM, $45
“Marilyn Maye’s stellar past includes a string of classy RCA albums in the ’60s and a nearly unequaled number of Tonight Show appearances, but this husky-voiced, earthy belter has never sounded better than she does now (at 87). Astonishingly active lately, she now returns to the Met Room with a set of tunes suggested by audience members when they buy their tickets.” (TONY)
.
This grand olde dame puts on a wonderful show. She’s 87, better see her now.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
New York Boat Show (also Sunday)
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W34th St./ Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Jan. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $
“This exhibition and pop-up sales floor sets the scene for boating culture in 2016, as it has for the past 110 years. The show’s offerings run the gamut, from one-person kayaks to to seafaring yachts. More information is at nyboatshow.com.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

The New York Times Travel Show (also Sunday)
Javits Center, 655 W34th St./ Sat 10AM-6PM, $20
“This annual event incorporates talks, exhibitions, performances and food demonstrations — all under the roof the cavernous Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Prospective travelers can peruse the various vendor booths for onsite-deals and displays of the cutting edge in travel. More information is at nyttravelshow.com. At various times.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

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!

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

==================================================================================
“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:

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blue Note, Chris Botti, George Cables Trio, Javits Center, Marilyn Maye: By Request, Metropolitan Room, New York Boat Show, Noche Flamenca: Antigona, The New York Times Travel Show, Village Vanguard | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/08) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 01/08/2016 by GregD

Today’s FAB 5+ > FRIDAY / JAN. 08, 2015

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Lorna Luft
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM +9:30PM, $50-$65
“Liza Minnelli gets the lion’s share of public attention, but Judy Garland’s other singing daughter has a better-preserved voice—and one that sometimes eerily recalls that of her matchless mom. In her return to 54 Below, she shares favorites from the Great American Songbook.” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
‘The Pearl Fishers’
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center,/ 7:30PM, $20+
“Au fond du temple saint,” the gorgeous duet from Bizet’s “Pearl Fishers,” is a concert staple, but the opera hasn’t been staged at the Metropolitan Opera in a century. Penny Woolcock directs a new production set in modern-day Asia and featuring projections and aerialists. Leïla, the Hindu priestess whose beauty causes a rift in the friendship between two pearl divers (the tenor Matthew Polenzani and the baritone Mariusz Kwiecien) is sung by the always-impressive soprano Diana Damrau. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the sumptuously lyrical score.” (Schweitzer-NYT)

George Cables Trio (through Jan. 10)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $
It can take decades for a journeyman musician to evolve into, and subsequently be regarded as, a near-master: consider the case of the estimable pianist Cables. He’s joined here by the same compatriots—Essiet Essiet, on bass, and Victor Lewis, on drums—who were heard on his most recent album, the celebratory “In Good Company.” (NewYorker)

Marilyn Maye: By Request (thru Jan.10)
Metropolitan Room, 34 W22nd St./ 7PM, $45
“Marilyn Maye’s stellar past includes a string of classy RCA albums in the ’60s and a nearly unequaled number of Tonight Show appearances, but this husky-voiced, earthy belter has never sounded better than she does now (at 87). Astonishingly active lately, she now returns to the Met Room with a set of tunes suggested by audience members when they buy their tickets.” (TONY)
This grand olde dame puts on a wonderful show. She’s 87, better see her now.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
New York Boat Show (though Jan. 10)
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W34th St./ Wednesday through next Friday from noon to 9 p.m.; Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Jan. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $
“This exhibition and pop-up sales floor sets the scene for boating culture in 2016, as it has for the past 110 years. The show’s offerings run the gamut, from one-person kayaks to to seafaring yachts. More information is at nyboatshow.com.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

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 – Music Picks:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd dSt. bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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.
==================================================================================

‘Transmissions: Art in Eastern Europe and Latin America, 1960-1980’ (through Jan. 3) “Visiting this big, spirited group show is like walking into a party of intriguing strangers. For every person you recognize, there are 10 you don’t know. One topic everyone’s talking about, at different intensities, is the anti-institutional politics that swept Europe and the Americas in the 1960s, and almost everyone speaks the language of Conceptualism. A product of an in-house research initiative called Contemporary and Modern Art Perspectives, or C-MAP, intended to expand MoMA’s narrow Paris-New York view of modernism, the show is very much the beginning rather than the end of a learning curve. But with curators exploring material new to them — just steps ahead of their audience — the show has a refreshing buzz of surprise as it takes the museum in a realistic new directions. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Cotter-NYT)

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 12/31 and 12/29.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Lorna Luft | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/07) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 01/07/2016 by GregD

Today’s FAB 5+ > THURSDAY / JAN. 07, 2015

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Marilyn Maye: By Request (thru Jan.10)
Metropolitan Room, 34 W22nd St./ 7PM, $45
“Marilyn Maye’s stellar past includes a string of classy RCA albums in the ’60s and a nearly unequaled number of Tonight Show appearances, but this husky-voiced, earthy belter has never sounded better than she does now (at 87). Astonishingly active lately, she now returns to the Met Room with a set of tunes suggested by audience members when they buy their tickets.” (TONY)
This grand olde dame puts on a wonderful show. She’s 87, better see her now.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Cinderella – Company XIV (through Jan. 17)
Minetta Lane Theater, 18 Minetta Lane / 8PM, $50+
“This flirtatious company, which combines ballet and contemporary dance with elements of baroque and burlesque, specializes in sexy, spicy, opulent interpretations of fairy-tale classics. This fall, the director and choreographer Austin McCormick introduces his take on “Cinderella,” which comes with a dash of opera and vaudeville. Because of titillating costumes and scenarios, and free-flowing libations, performances are adult only.” (Schaefer-NYT)

Justin Townes Earle
City Winery, 155 Varick St., near Spring St./ 8PM, $
“The Americana lullabies in his childhood proved formative: Mr. Earle is the son of the country renegade Steve Earle (who also performs at City Winery this week) and is named for his father’s mentor, Townes Van Zandt. He captures a pleasing, guttural restlessness in his own bluesy ballads about cosmopolitan loneliness and adrift yearning, notably the twangy waltz “When the One You Love Loses Faith,” from his most recent album, “Absent Fathers.” With Frankie Lee.” (Anderson-NYT)

‘Loose: A Comedy Show’
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, 126 Crosby St./ 7PM, $10
“The reliably hilarious Jo Firestone hosts this monthly comedy show, with sets by her and surprise guests. (Past performers have included Ilana Glazer of “Broad City” and Aziz Ansari.) The lineup also includes the stand-up comedians Bonnie McFarlane, Josh Rabinowitz and Michelle Buteau. The $10 price of admission includes one beer, wine, coffee or tea.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

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:
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.

Bonus – Jazz Picks:
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 + 3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ‘Loose: A Comedy Show’, Cinderella - Company XIV, City Winery, Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, Javits Convention Center, Justin Townes Earle, Marilyn Maye: By Request, Metropolitan Room, Minetta Lane Theater, New York Boat Show, Noche Flamenca: Antigona | Leave a comment

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

Today’s SUPER 7+ > SATURDAY / JAN. 16, 2016

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/14 and 01/12.

Today’s SWEET 6+ > FRIDAY / JAN. 15, 2016

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

3 Good Eating places

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

Today’s SWEET 6+ THURSDAY / JAN. 14, 2015

Today’s SWEET 6+ > TUESDAY / JAN. 13, 2015

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

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

Today’s FAB 5+ > TUESDAY / JAN. 12, 2015

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s FAB 5+ > MONDAY / JAN. 11, 2015

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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

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

Today’s SWEET 6 > SUNDAY / JAN. 10, 2015

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 12/27 and 12/25.

Today’s FAB 5+ > SATURDAY / JAN. 09, 2015

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

3 Good Eating places

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

Today’s FAB 5+ > FRIDAY / JAN. 08, 2015

Today’s FAB 5+ > THURSDAY / JAN. 07, 2015

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

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

“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.

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

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If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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===========================================================================
“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”

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” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”

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