Selected Events (08/18) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 08/18/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > TUESDAY / AUGUST 18, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

>Joe Lovano (through Saturday)
Birdland, 44th St (btw 8/9 ave) / 8:30PM, +11PM, $40
“Cleveland native saxophonist Joe Lovano, “one of the most creative saxophonists going,” (Boston Globe) combines eclectic taste in conceptual projects with his own distinctive sound.”

>KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar  – Sondheim, Act Two
Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W42nd St. / 7PM, $30
“Another Hundred People: KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar Sing Sondheim, Act Two.” They don’t include 100 songs, but get close to it by way of several astute medleys. Sometimes they sing together, sometimes separately, but always with Jon Weber at the piano and under Sondra Lee’s smart staging.”

>Sunset Salsa with Talia (final week of the season)
Hudson River Park at Christopher St, Pier 45 / 6:30PM, FREE
dancer Talia Castro-Pozo and international guest teachers lead outdoor salsa lessons. After class, stick around for an evening dance party, featuring a live DJ set and, of course, your new moves.” (TONY)

>‘See Jane Sing!’ musical comedy show (through Wednesday)
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. / 7PM+9:30PM, $25-$75
“Jane Lynch brings her cabaret act to Joe’s Pub after a well-reviewed run at 54 Below last year. The actress from “Glee” and Broadway’s most recent revival of “Annie” will bring in guests — like Kate Flannery of “The Office — and perform her take on songs.

>Battery Dance Festival (through Aug 20)
Robert F. Wagner Park, 20 Battery Pl./ 6:30-8:30PM, FREE
“Dance fans can take in some culture — and lovely Hudson River views — during a festival of free nightly performances on an outdoor stage set along the waterfront in the Battery Park City park. The shows will feature a variety of dance companies and styles, including post-modern, classical ballet and Indian.” (dnainfo.com)
today: An Evening of Colombian Dance

> “Cymbeline” / Shakespeare in the Park (through August 23)
Central Park, Delacorte Theater / 8PM, FREE
a fairytale tucked within a tragedy. Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe in the Bard’s romance where cross-dressing and fake deaths move the plot. this is one tough ticket
– if you qualify, try the new line for seniors 65-plus at the Delacorte Theater.
– take your chances with the online ticket lottery (click here to learn how)
– or try the new ticket lottery at the Public Theater near Astor Place (instructions here).
(seniorplanet.org)

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

>Joseph Stiglitz on the Crisis in Greece
Book Culture, 450 Columbus Avenue, at 82nd St. / 7PM, FREE
“The Nobel laureate and economist from Columbia University discusses the Greek debt crisis with Christopher Beha, deputy editor at Harper’s Magazine. Mr. Stiglitz, who occasionally appears on The New York Times opinion pages, recently wrote in The Guardian that the crisis is more about power and democracy than it is about money and economics.” (NYT)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

>ABC Trivia
Hosted by HuffPost, Electric Literature and BOMB
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, 126 Crosby St / 7PM, FREE
This boisterous trivia event tests your knowledge of a) Art, b) Books and c) Culture.
If you’re bringing your own team (team maximum is six people), show up before 6:45pm to register; or feel free to come alone and join forces with other cultureheads.

Get ready for 1.5 hours of arts, books and culture revelry. There will be prizes. There will be a cash bar. There will be weird and wonderful lightning round questions. The evening’s emcees are arts and books editors from the Huffington Post, Electric Lit and BOMB Magazine – they’re also coming up with the questions.

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. 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.

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

◊ 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 Fall 2015).
◊ Order before Oct. 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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Selected Events (08/17) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 08/17/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > MONDAY / AUGUST 17, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

>‘See Jane Sing!’ musical comedy show (through Wednesday)
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. / 7PM+9:30PM, $25-$75
“Jane Lynch brings her cabaret act to Joe’s Pub after a well-reviewed run at 54 Below last year. The actress from “Glee” and Broadway’s most recent revival of “Annie” will bring in guests — like Kate Flannery of “The Office — and perform her take on songs.

>The Doo Wop Project
54 Below, 254 W54th St. / 7PM +9:30PM, $30-$80
“The Doo Wop Project, starring leading cast members from the Tony Award-winning Broadway smash Jersey Boys and Motown The Musical, makes its NYC debut with a night of songs mixed with individual stories and references to their upbringings and experiences in the business, particularly backstage at the August Wilson Theatre, home of Jersey Boys, where the idea for the group was conceived four years ago.”

>Baby do Brasil
Bluenote, 131 W3rd St. / 8PM +10:30PM, $15-$25
“considered one of the biggest Brazilian singers, and a music legend who has been revolutionizing the history of the Popular Brazilian Music (MPB). Baby is famous for her soft, indescribable and unique voice, and strong rhythmic versatility not only in her ballads but also in her electric songs.”

>‘MetroStar Talent Challenge’
Metropolitan Room, 34 W22nd St. (btw 5/6 Aves) / 7PM, $22.50
After seven weeks of singing competition. . .five finalists . . .and finally tonight, the finalists sing two songs each to a packed room and a table of judges. Sounds pretty special.

> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Cabaret)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 9:30PM, $25
the witty host attracts broadway stars on their night off, along with up and comers.

>Battery Dance Festival (through Aug 20)
Robert F. Wagner Park, 20 Battery Pl./ 6:30-8:30PM, FREE
“Dance fans can take in some culture — and lovely Hudson River views — during a festival of free nightly performances on an outdoor stage set along the waterfront in the Battery Park City park. The shows will feature a variety of dance companies and styles, including post-modern, classical ballet and Indian.” (dnainfo.com)
today: Ballet Neo, Polish Dance Theater and VIVO Ballet.

> Whiplash
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 307 W 26th St. / 11PM, FREE
popular show is known for always featuring the city’s best up-and-coming comedians.
surprise special guests—Chris Rock, Louis C.K. and David Cross—keep audiences hooked. (tonight’s show is sold out, but there will be a standby line for this show.
listed here to remind you to try for this event earlier next week)

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

>Onstage Outlaws: Mae West & Texas Guinan
Jefferson Market Library, 425 6th Ave / 6:30PM, FREE
1930_trial_Mae_Texas1“Celebrate Mae West’s birthday in the very Jefferson Market Court room where she was sentenced to jail. An illustrated lecture will show off West’s Prohibition Era New York, as well as dig into her friendship with actress and fellow publicity hound Texas Guinan

Rare vintage images will show you the buildings around Washington Square as these two headline-makers saw them. Sites include the Village speakeasies where Mae socialized and bent elbows with Texas Guinan, Walter Winchell, Jack Dempsey, George Raft, and Barney Gallant; significant theatres; court rooms where Mae and Texas fought City Hall; and off-beat addresses that made an impact. Rare Texas Guinan silent films will be shown and Mae West’s Jefferson Jail poetry will also be read.

During the 1920s, when Mae West was trying to build her career, the building all dramatists and actresses tried to avoid—Jefferson Market Court at 425 Sixth Ave.—was the very site that made a little-known performer world famous. When New York District Attorney Joab Banton had Mae West arrested and hauled in to Jefferson Market Police Court in a paddy wagon on February 9, 1927, the controversial Brooklyn entertainer made global headlines for the first time.

Though most Broadway headliners avoided negative publicity in the 1920s, these two diamond-draped divas flouted convention, defied the police and became as well known for being handcuffed as for blazing their way onto marquees of the best theatres. They were “onstage outlaws” during the Prohibition Era.

Speaker LindaAnn Loschiavo is a Greenwich Village historian and dramatist; her plays include “Courting Mae West: Sex, Censorship, and Secrets” and “Diamond Lil, Queen of the Bowery.” There will be raffle prizes and also FREE REFRESHMENTS donated by East Village Cheese.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

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

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:
‘One-Way Ticket: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series and Other Visions of the Great Movement North’ (through Sept. 7)
imgres“In the early 20th century, tens of thousands of African Americans left the rural South for the industrial North in search of jobs, homes and respect. Officially, this MoMA show is meant to mark the centennial of that immense population shift, though it also marks another anniversary: the first time in two decades that all 60 paintings in Jacob Lawrence’s great “Migration Series,” now divided between New York and Washington, D.C., have been shown together at the museum. Here they are surrounded by period photographs, books and fabulous music in a display as stimulating to the mind and the ear as it is to the eye. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Cotter)

Museum of Arts and Design:
‘Richard Estes: Painting New York City’ (through Sept. 20)
images-1“The core of this show is a selection of vivid, Photorealist paintings of urban subjects like glass and chrome storefronts, movie theater marquees, cars and trucks, subways, the Brooklyn Bridge, views from the Staten Island Ferry and idyllic images of Central Park made between 1965 and 2015. The exhibition also includes didactic sections about the craft and technique that go into Mr. Estes painting and prints, but that aspect doesn’t fully deliver what it promises. 2 Columbus Circle, Manhattan, 212-299-7777,madmuseum.org.”(Johnson).
I LOVE THIS ONE.

Whitney Museum of American Art:
‘America Is Hard to See’ (through Sept. 27)
“With high ceilings, soft pine-plank floors and light-flooded windows and terraces, the galleries of the new Renzo Piano-designed Whitney Museum in the meatpacking district are as airy as 19th-century sailmakers’ lofts. Art feels at home in them, and the work in the museum’s top-to-bottom inaugural exhibition is homegrown. Culled from the permanent collection, it mixes bookmarked favorites by Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jasper Johns with objects and artists that the Whitney had all but forgotten or just brought in. As a vision of a larger America, the show is far from comprehensive; as a musing on the history of a particular New York institution over nearly a century, it is very fine, smartly detailed and superbly presented. 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Cotter)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 08/15 and 08/13.

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Selected Events (08/16) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 08/16/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8+ > SUNDAY / AUGUST 16, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
SummerStage
>Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito 25th Anniversary concert
+ documentary film screening: “Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives”
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, mid-Park at 69th St. /5-10PM, FREE
“Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia will celebrate their 25th anniversary in the music industry with a concert featuring DJ sets and guest artist appearances. They’ll screen a documentary, titled “Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives,” about Armstrong and Garcia, who in the 1990s, signed a number of major hip hop artists. “ (dnainfo.com)
the film explores the social impact of what the Source Magazine voted “The Best Hip Hop Radio Show Of All-Time.”

>‘See Jane Sing!’ musical comedy show (through Wednesday)
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. / 7PM+9:30PM, $25-$75
“Jane Lynch brings her cabaret act to Joe’s Pub after a well-reviewed run at 54 Below last year. The actress from “Glee” and Broadway’s most recent revival of “Annie” will bring in guests — like Kate Flannery of “The Office — and perform her take on songs.

> Ballet Festival
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave, at 19th St. / 8PM, $19-$39
“The Joyce Theater celebrates the diversity of ballet with a two-week buffet of companies and choreographers who are molding the form in interesting ways.”
tonight: Amy Seiwert’s Imagery
“Imagery, her contemporary ballet company, is described by The San Francisco Chronicle as performing “classical ballet with a 21st century edge.”

>This is Cabaret – With Ann Hampton Callaway and Special Guest Steve Tyrell
Birdland, 44th St (btw 8/9 ave) / 6PM, $30
“Recasting cabaret as an emotionally engaging experience rather than a place, host Ann Hampton Callaway celebrates intimate performances and heartfelt songs from a variety of genres: jazz, Broadway, folk , singer-songwriter, the blues, and more….”

>Billy Hart Quartet
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave South, at 11th St. / 8:30 +10:30PM, $
“Mr. Hart is a drummer of earthy enlightenment, conversant in every branch of modern jazz but forever connected to its root. His quartet — with the tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, the pianist Ethan Iverson and the bassist Ben Street — will draw partly here from its most recent album, “One Is the Other.”(Chinen-NYT)

>Battery Dance Festival (through Aug 20)
Robert F. Wagner Park, 20 Battery Pl./ 6:30-8:30PM, FREE
“Dance fans can take in some culture — and lovely Hudson River views — during a festival of free nightly performances on an outdoor stage set along the waterfront in the Battery Park City park. The shows will feature a variety of dance companies and styles, including post-modern, classical ballet and Indian.” (dnainfo.com)
today: Polish Dance Theatre, Morales Dance and Battery Dance (doing new work by Tadej Brdnik.

>Harlem Meer Performance Festival
Central Park, Charles A. Dana Discovery Center / 2PM, FREE
“Cuban salsa band Quimbombo brings upbeat dancing to Central Park’s jazz, Latin, world and gospel music festival.”

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

>India Day Parade
This event bills itself as the world’s largest India Day Parade, with representation from regions all over India. The parade begins at noon, at Madison Avenue and East 38th Street, and makes its way down Madison to 27th Street. From 11AM-6PM, FREE
food court and shopping on Madison between 25th and 27th Streets.
cultural programs at 23rd Street, from 2:30 to 6PM. (NYT/ST)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

> Jazz Age Lawn Party 
Colonels Row, Governors Island / 11AM-5PM, $35-$95

“If you missed June’s Jazz Age Lawn Party, you’ll get one more chance to whip out your tassels and pearls this weekend. For the second and final time this summer, Governors Island will be overrun with flappers and dapper gents sunbathing, picnicking and hitting the dance floor to the big band tunes of Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra. You can celebrate a decade of this decadent party with the specially curated 10th Anniversary Cocktail and other ’20s-themed beverages featuring St-Germain.” (Metro)

performances

“On the occasion of its 10th Anniversary, Michael Arenella is planning the grandest Jazz Age Lawn Party to date. Once again, the location is beautiful Governors Island, and performers include Arenella’s Dreamland Orchestra, the Art Deco spectacle of The Dreamland Follies and many other Jazz Age inspired artists. Dance lessons, specially curated cocktails, vintage portraits, vintage car and motor bike exhibitions and gourmet food markets await. Tickets from $55.” (dnainfo.com)

Flapper Ladds“Brush up on your Fitzgerald and Hemingway in time for this outdoor bash which sees Governors Island transform into a Prohibition-era soiree. Over two weekends—the second in August—you can Charleston to Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra, while wearing your finest flapper garb and zoot suits. Then Lindy Hop over to the bar for era-appropriate cocktails (that promise to taste better than bathtub gin).” (TONY)

Bonus – Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’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.

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

 

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Selected Events (08/15) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 08/15/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > SATURDAY / AUGUST 15, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

>Battery Dance Festival (through Aug 20)
Robert F. Wagner Park, 20 Battery Pl./ 6:30-8:30PM, FREE
“Dance fans can take in some culture — and lovely Hudson River views — during a festival of free nightly performances on an outdoor stage set along the waterfront in the Battery Park City park. The shows will feature a variety of dance companies and styles, including post-modern, classical ballet and Indian.” (dnainfo.com)

>John Hiatt (solo) with Steve Moakler
City Winery, 155 Varick St. / 8PM, $65-$80
“Forty years into his recording career, alternately bemused and profound, he’s a self-aware chronicler of both his own and others’ stumbles and epiphanies, the tales richer with each step forward.”

> Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca (LAST DAY)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 West 86th St. / 8:30PM, $20-$50
Noche+Flamenca-Antigona-Brothers+War-Photo+by+Chris+Bennion+++038“There are many ways of retelling Sophocles’s “Antigone,” and thanks to this company, flamenco is now one of them. In “Antigona,” the artistic director Martín Santangelo has adapted the Greek tragedy for 14 performers and four musicians, with choreography by the troupe’s irrepressible star, Ms. Barrio.”(NYT-Burke)

>Ben Allison Quintet
Birdland, 315 W44th St. / 8:30PM +11PM, $
“Bassist Ben Allison is one of the most compelling bandleaders in town, a jazz composer who keeps his work contemporary and accessible without either pandering or overintellectualizing.” (TONY)

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

>Jazz Age Lawn Party (also Sunday)
Colonels Row, Governors Island / 11AM-5PM, $35-$95
“Governor’s Island will throw back to the Roaring 20s with its Jazz Age Lawn Party. Visitors are invited to dress up and dance to the Dreamland Orchestra. The even will also include a Charleston dance contest, dance lessons, follies, food, and 1920s cars.”
(untappedcities.com)

>America’s Museum: Art and History of the Metropolitan
Metropolitan Museum, 1009 Fifth Ave, at 82nd St.
“Art history doctoral candidates lead this tour of one of the country’s most popular, prestigious museums. Highlights include classic artworks, and anecdotes from New York’s cultural history — and the story of the museum’s only benefactor to have been eaten by cannibals. At 11 a.m., meeting in front of the Duke Semans Mansion, 1009 Fifth Avenue, at East 82nd Street, Upper East Side, 888-606-9255, bigonion.com.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

>Listening to Mozart
Kaplan Penthouse, Lincoln Center, 165 W65th St. / 4PM, FREE
panel discussion with Mozart scholars as part of the Mostly Mozart Fest. learn how Mozart composed with the casual listener in mind.

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

>Summer Streets
Runs from Park Ave at 72nd St to Lafayette St at Brooklyn Bridge
7:00 AM – 1:00 PM, FREE
nearly seven miles of the city’s streets will be opened for people to play, walk, and bike.

map_800w“Those dreams of a city free of exhaust fumes get one step closer during the annual “Summer Streets” no-cars fest. Extending from the Upper East Side all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge, these weekly August events might be the city’s longest street fair/block party. The idea is to give pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized traffic of all ages an unimpeded route for a Saturday morning promenade.

Among the activities and events along the way will be performances and fitness classes, as well as guided walking tours (starting at Astor Place), and participatory art projects (at 57th Street). Unfortunately, registration has closed for Slide the City, the giant water slide in Foley Square, but there’s plenty to keep you occupied.

Consult this full list of available attractions at the day-long event.”
(seniorplanet.org)

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

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.

This is a current exhibitions that the NYT recommends:

Elmer Bischoff: ‘Figurative Paintings’ (through Sept 12, BUT closed Aug 15-31)
a7806ce62f0062695f6a5c2546b49c14“During the heyday of Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s, a number of painters in San Francisco turned away from abstraction and back to representational painting, thereby founding what came to be known as Bay Area Figuration. Elmer Bischoff (1916-1991) was one of the leaders of the movement. This show reveals a visionary, unabashedly romantic painter working under the influences of Edward Hopper and Albert Pinkham Ryder. He created images of poetic nostalgia and spiritual yearning grounded in robustly applied, richly sensuous paint. George Adams Gallery, 525-531 West 26th Street, Chelsea, 212-564-8480, georgeadamsgallery.com.” (Johnson)

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 08/13 and 08/11.

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Selected Events (08/14) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 08/14/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8+ > FRIDAY / AUGUST 14, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
>Billy Hart Quartet (through Aug. 16)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave South, at 11th St. / 8:30 +10:30PM, $
“Mr. Hart is a drummer of earthy enlightenment, conversant in every branch of modern jazz but forever connected to its root. His quartet — with the tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, the pianist Ethan Iverson and the bassist Ben Street — will draw partly here from its most recent album, “One Is the Other.”(Chinen-NYT)

>The Birdland Big Band (Guest Conductor, Rob Middleton)
Birdland, 315 W44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 5:15PM, $30
(sit at the bar and this cover includes a drink)
“Founded by drummer and musical director Tommy Igoe, the Birdland Big Band
plays the finest Jazz, Latin and Brazilian music from the world’s best arrangers.
critics are calling it “the best live music bargain in all of NYC!””

>Frank Sinatra Centennial Celebration, Part 3
54 Below, 254 W54th St. / $35-$45
“Frank Sinatra would have turned 100 in 2015, so there are a whole lot of tributes to Ol’ Blues Eyes this year. Performers in this one include Sal Viviano, Brian Charles Rooney and Christopher Johnstone.” TONY

> Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca (through Aug. 15)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 West 86th St. / 8:30PM, $20-$50
Noche+Flamenca-Antigona-Brothers+War-Photo+by+Chris+Bennion+++038“There are many ways of retelling Sophocles’s “Antigone,” and thanks to this company, flamenco is now one of them. In “Antigona,” the artistic director Martín Santangelo has adapted the Greek tragedy for 14 performers and four musicians, with choreography by the troupe’s irrepressible star, Ms. Barrio.”(NYT-Burke)

>Ben Allison Quintet (through Aug 15)
Birdland, 315 W44th St. / 8:30PM +11PM, $
“Bassist Ben Allison is one of the most compelling bandleaders in town, a jazz composer who keeps his work contemporary and accessible without either pandering or overintellectualizing.” (TONY)

> “Cymbeline” / Shakespeare in the Park (through August 23)
Central Park, Delacorte Theater / 8PM, FREE
a fairytale tucked within a tragedy. Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe in the Bard’s romance where cross-dressing and fake deaths move the plot. this is one tough ticket
– if you qualify, try the new line for seniors 65-plus at the Delacorte Theater.
– take your chances with the online ticket lottery (click here to learn how)
– or try the new ticket lottery at the Public Theater near Astor Place (instructions here).
(seniorplanet.org)

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

> NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2015 (LAST DAY)
Various locations and times; $25 for lunch, $38 for dinner
Enjoy the summer edition of Restaurant Week (actually three weeks) of prix-fixe three course meals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Mangia!

ELSEWHERE, but for photography buffs this looks worth the detour:
> “The Fence” in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Begin at Jane’s Carousel, Brooklyn Bridge Park / FREE
a 1,250-foot outdoor photo installation, this exhibit features work from 40 professional photographers from around the world. a unique site-specific exhibition aimed at fostering conversations and exploring new thematic directions in photography. best of all, it is in Brooklyn Bridge Park, NYCity’s newest park and a small gem of an oasis.

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

> Inaugural Exhibition: AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE
Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort St. / 10:30AM-6PM, $22.
“It’s finally here! The new improved Whitney home in MePa that’s supposed to finally put to rest the museum’s rep as the also-ran of New York’s major art institutions. As designed by international starchitect Renzo Piano, the building is certainly big, with 63,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibition space. The Whitney inaugurates its new home with this massive permanent-collection survey spanning eight decades. Covering four floors in roughly chronological order, the show relays overlapping histories about the Whitney itself, the development of modernism in America and the country’s transition from cultural backwater to overweening superpower.” (TONY)

“With high ceilings, soft pine-plank floors and light-flooded windows and terraces, the galleries of the new Renzo Piano-designed Whitney Museum in the meatpacking district are as airy as 19th-century sailmakers’ lofts. Art feels at home in them, and the work in the museum’s top-to-bottom inaugural exhibition is homegrown. Culled from the permanent collection, it mixes bookmarked favorites by Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jasper Johns with objects and artists that the Whitney had all but forgotten or just brought in. As a vision of a larger America, the show is far from comprehensive; as a musing on the history of a particular New York institution over nearly a century, it is very fine, smartly detailed and superbly presented.” (Cotter-NYT)

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 / 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).

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

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.

 

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Selected Events (08/13) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 08/13/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > THURSDAY / AUGUST 13, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
>Duane Eubanks Sextet, A Tribute to Mulgrew Miller
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, at 106th St. / 7PM, 9PM +10:30PM, $
“The trumpeter Duane Eubanks recently released an overdue third album, “Things of That Particular Nature,” featuring his original tunes. He draws partly from the album in a tribute to a former mentor, the pianist Mulgrew Miller.” (Chinen-NYT)

> Broadway in Bryant Park (LAST TIME THIS SEASON)
Bryant Park, 6th ave (btw 40/42 St.) / 12:30PM, FREE
The best of musicals on and off Broadway showcase their hits.
today’s finale: “Mrs. Smith’s Broadway Cat-Tacular!,” “Once Upon a Mattress,” “The King and I” and “Dames at Sea.”
No better way to spend your lunch hour.

>Ben Allison Quintet (through Aug 15)
Birdland, 315 W44th St. / 8:30PM +11PM, $
“Bassist Ben Allison is one of the most compelling bandleaders in town, a jazz composer who keeps his work contemporary and accessible without either pandering or overintellectualizing.” (TONY)

>Edith Piaf: An All-Star Celebration
54 Below, 254 W54th St / 7PM +9:30PM, $35-$45
“Carole J. Bufford, Gay Marshall, Molly Pope, Jenny Lee Stern and Francesca Capetta are the singers keeping their eye on the Little Sparrow in this centennial tribute to the greatest of all 20th-century French chanteuses.” (TONY)

> Ballet Festival (through Aug. 16)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave, at 19th St. / 8PM, $19-$39
“The Joyce Theater celebrates the diversity of ballet with a two-week buffet of companies and choreographers who are molding the form in interesting ways.”
tonight: Emery LeCrone
For her Joyce debut, the choreographer, whose work has been described by The New Yorker as “ambitious…expansive, and dynamic,” presents a program of past repertory and new works.

> “Cymbeline” / Shakespeare in the Park (through August 23)
Central Park, Delacorte Theater / 8PM, FREE
a fairytale tucked within a tragedy. Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe in the Bard’s romance where cross-dressing and fake deaths move the plot. this is one tough ticket
– if you qualify, try the new line for seniors 65-plus at the Delacorte Theater.
– take your chances with the online ticket lottery (click here to learn how)
– or try the new ticket lottery at the Public Theater near Astor Place (instructions here).
(seniorplanet.org)

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

> NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2015 (LAST WEEK-through Aug 14)
Various locations and times; $25 for lunch, $38 for dinner
Enjoy the summer edition of Restaurant Week (actually three weeks) of prix-fixe three course meals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Mangia!

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

>Rocky Dawuni and DJ Sweet V
David Rubenstein Atrium, Broadway at 62nd St. / 7:30PM, FREE (but get there early)
7:30–8:00: DJ set by DJ Sweet V
8:00–9:15: Rocky Dawuni
9:15–9:45: DJ set by DJ Sweet V
“Rocky Dawuni’s unique “Afro-Roots” sound has made him famous in his native Ghana and earned him a global following. Using a funky blend of soul, pop, Afrobeat, and reggae, Dawuni’s songs straddle Africa, the Caribbean, and the U.S. Influences include the soulfulness of Fela Kuti; the positivity and deep grooves of Bob Marley; and the infectious, sing-along anthems of Michael Franti, K’naan, and Matisyahu. Dawuni has worked with Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Jason Mraz, Sharon Jones, Janelle Monae, John Legend, and many others. He is also an eloquent and passionate spokesman for many global causes.”

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

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)

‘Fatal Attraction: Piotr Uklanski Photographs’ (through Aug. 16)
A small but succinct survey of the multimedia bad-boy artist’s polymorphous relationship to photography shows him constantly changing scale, film and printing methods while exploring the medium’s ability to startle, seduce and become generic. He appropriates, imitates and pays homage as he goes, regularly invoking his Polish roots. Don’t miss the large photo-banners in the museum’s Great Hall or the massive fiber-sculpture monument to the eye and to insatiable looking. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Smith)

‘Discovering Japanese Art: American Collectors and the Met’ (through Sept. 27) Highlighting contributions to the Met’s Japanese art holdings by American collectors from the 1880s to the present, this gorgeous show presents more than 200 superb paintings, drawings, prints, scrolls, folding screens, ceramics, lacquer ware and works in other mediums and genres, mostly dating from the fourth century to the late 19th. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Johnson)

Neue Galerie:
‘Egon Schiele: Portraits’ (through Sept. 07)
zakovsek_1“Of the approximately 125 items in this terrific show, there are only 11 oil paintings, which is a good thing. Except for a large picture of his wife, Edith, in a colorful striped dress, Schiele’s works on canvas are dark and turgid. But his drawings are nimble and nuanced. Working on paper with pencil, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor and crayons, he portrayed himself and others with infectious avidity. There’s hardly a single sheet here that doesn’t warrant close looking for its virtuoso draftsmanship and psychological acuity. 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, 212-628-6200, neuegalerie.org. “(Johnson)

Guggenheim Museum:
Kandinsky Gallery (through spring 2016)
“A pioneer of abstract art and eminent aesthetic theorist, Vasily Kandinsky (b. 1866, Moscow; d. 1944, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) broke new ground in painting during the first decades of the twentieth century. His seminal treatise Über das Geistige in der Kunst (On the Spiritual in Art), published in Munich in December 1911, lays out his program for developing an art independent from observations of the external world. In this and other texts, as well as his work, Kandinsky advanced abstraction’s potential to be free from nature, a quality of music that he admired. The development of a new subject matter based solely on the artist’s “inner necessity” would occupy him for the rest of his life.”

The Guggenheim collection now contains more than 150 works by this single artist, making it the largest collection of Kandinsky works in the United States.

Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (continuing):
rendering-3The stately doors of the 1902 Andrew Carnegie mansion, home to the Cooper Hewitt, are open again after an overhaul and expansion of the premises. Historic house and modern museum have always made an awkward fit, a standoff between preservation and innovation, and the problem remains, but the renovation has brought a wide-open new gallery space, a cafe and a raft of be-your-own-designer digital enhancements. Best of all, more of the museum’s vast permanent collection is now on view, including an Op Art weaving, miniature spiral staircases, ballistic face masks and a dainty enameled 18th-century version of a Swiss knife. Like design itself, this institution is built on tumult and friction, and you feel it. 2 East 91st Street, at Fifth Avenue, 212-849-8400, cooperhewitt.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 08/11 and 08/09.
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Selected Events (08/12) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 08/12/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > WEDNESDAY / AUGUST 12, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
>David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band
Birdland, 315 W 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave.) / 5:30PM, $25
“Inspired by the noble jazz pioneers Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and their colleagues, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band breathes life and passion into America’s own great art form.”
I bet there is no better music anywhere in America at 5:30PM. And what a bargain!

>The Wiz: A Celebration in Dance and Music – SummerStage
Central Park, Rumsey Playfield, / 7-10PM, FREE
“George Faison, internationally celebrated producer, writer, composer, director, choreographer and dancer, made history in 1975 when he became the first African American to win a Tony Award for Best Choreography for The Wiz. In honor of the Broadway hit’s 40th anniversary this year, Faison will present performances of original songs and dances from the show.”

> Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca (through Aug. 15)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 West 86th St. / 8:30PM, $20-$50
Noche+Flamenca-Antigona-Brothers+War-Photo+by+Chris+Bennion+++038“There are many ways of retelling Sophocles’s “Antigone,” and thanks to this company, flamenco is now one of them. In “Antigona,” the artistic director Martín Santangelo has adapted the Greek tragedy for 14 performers and four musicians, with choreography by the troupe’s irrepressible star, Ms. Barrio.”(NYT-Burke)

> “Cymbeline” / Shakespeare in the Park (through August 23)
Central Park, Delacorte Theater / 8PM, FREE
a fairytale tucked within a tragedy. Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe in the Bard’s romance where cross-dressing and fake deaths move the plot. this is one tough ticket
– if you qualify, try the new line for seniors 65-plus at the Delacorte Theater.
– take your chances with the online ticket lottery (click here to learn how)
– or try the new ticket lottery at the Public Theater near Astor Place (instructions here).
(seniorplanet.org)

Elsewhere, but Willie is always worth the detour:
>Willie Nelson (benefit for the Celebrate Brooklyn! festival)
Prospect Park Bandshell, Prospect Park West and Ninth St. / 7PM, $52.50
(this will be a tough ticket, may have to stub hub it.)
country crooner is still touring at age 82. expect him to play old faves like “Crazy” and “Always on My Mind” and some tunes from his new album “December Day.”

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
>Word for Word: Al Roker
Bryant Park, 42nd St (btw 5/6 ave) / 12:30PM, FREE
NBC weatherman Al Roker, talks about his history book, “The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America’s Deadliest Natural Disaster: The Great Gulf Hurricane of 1900.”

> NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2015 (LAST WEEK-through Aug 14)
Various locations and times; $25 for lunch, $38 for dinner
Enjoy the summer edition of Restaurant Week (actually three weeks) of prix-fixe three course meals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Mangia!

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

>Alice Ripley – All Sondheim
54 Below, 254 W54th St. / 7PM +9:30PM, $40-$50
“Tony Award winner Alice Ripley returns to 54 Below for the first time in over a year with a brand new show! The multi-talented star of Broadway’s Next to Normal, Sunset Boulevard, The Who’s Tommy, Side Show, and The Rocky Horror Show explores the provocative lyrics and enduring melodies of songs written by the legendary Stephen Sondheim.

Ms. Ripley has gathered some of her favorites — and will even revisit classic Sondheim characters she’s played, remembering anecdotes along the way. From “Worst Pies In London” to “Getting Married Today”… from “Losing My Mind” to “Rose’s Turn”… from “Being Alive” to “The Ladies Who Lunch”… this is a show you do NOT want to miss. Spend a summer night celebrating Sondheim with one of the Great White Way’s favorite stars.”

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

◊ 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 Fall 2015).
◊ Order before Oct. 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
=========================================================

 

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Selected Events (08/11) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 08/11/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > TUESDAY / AUGUST 11, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
>Ben Allison Quintet (through Aug 15)
Birdland, 315 W44th St. / 8:30PM +11PM, $
“Bassist Ben Allison is one of the most compelling bandleaders in town, a jazz composer who keeps his work contemporary and accessible without either pandering or overintellectualizing.” (TONY)

> Ballet Festival (through Aug. 16)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave, at 19th St. / 8PM, $19-$39
“The Joyce Theater celebrates the diversity of ballet with a two-week buffet of companies and choreographers who are molding the form in interesting ways.”
tonight: BalletX, “One of the most appealing and singular choreographic voices in ballet today,” (The New York Times)

>Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks
Iguana, 240 W54th St.(btw 8th/B’way) / 8-11PM (3 sets) /
$20 cover for entire night, $20 food/drink minimum
“Although longtime fans are currently referring to the Nighthawks as “The Iguana Troubadours,” they continue to play with the same amazing combination of skin-tight historical authenticity and sheer, relentless energy, plus a tempo that has always characterized Mr. Giordano’s bands.” (WSJ-Will Friedwald)

> “Cymbeline” / Shakespeare in the Park (through August 23)
Central Park, Delacorte Theater / 8PM, FREE
a fairytale tucked within a tragedy. Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe in the Bard’s romance where cross-dressing and fake deaths move the plot. this is one tough ticket
– if you qualify, try the new line for seniors 65-plus at the Delacorte Theater.
– take your chances with the online ticket lottery (click here to learn how)
– or try the new ticket lottery at the Public Theater near Astor Place (instructions here).
(seniorplanet.org)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
>Edmar Castaneda World Ensemble (also Wednesday)
Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th St. / 7:30PM +9:30PM, $
“Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda has a percussive interface with his instrument, saving the sweeping glissandi for special accents and otherwise using a sharp attack, all pluck and strum.” (Chinen-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2015 (LAST WEEK-through Aug 14)
Various locations and times; $25 for lunch, $38 for dinner
Enjoy the summer edition of Restaurant Week (actually three weeks) of prix-fixe three course meals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Mangia!

Elsewhere, but for us map buffs this looks worth the short detour:
>“Mapping Brooklyn”
Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St./ 6:30PM, FREE
A panel discussion with several artists whose work is featured in the “Mapping Brooklyn” exhibition, moderated by the show’s curator. The exhibition explores the connection between cartography and art through historical and contemporary maps. The show also demonstrates the evolution of maps through the city’s history.

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival (Tuesdays through Aug 25)
> Cynthia Sayer’s 3rd Annual Hot Strings Festival: The Tribeca Playboys (Cajun/Zydeco), Cynthia Sayer (Hot Swing) & Western Caravan (Old School Country)
City Winery Courtyard, 155 Varick St. / 5:30PM, FREE
Cynthia puts together an All Star lineup each year. Let’s hope it doesn’t rain. I’ll be there, don’t want to miss this one.

“The Tribeca Playboys — perhaps better known as the backbone of Bruce Springsteen’s Seeger Sessions project — interpret the Cajun and Zydeco music of southwest Louisiana with an emphatic New York attitude.

Celebrated as one of the top 4-string banjoists in the world today, Cynthia Sayer treats audiences to the rarely heard range and versatility of her instrument, in a driving swing style that is all her own.

Western Caravan has been playing Western Swing and Honkytonk music in the NYC area for almost 20 years. Inspired by Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Merle Haggard, George Jones, and many others of the 40s-60s, they maintain the traditional sound while putting their own stamp on the music.”

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

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:
‘One-Way Ticket: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series and Other Visions of the Great Movement North’ (through Sept. 7)
imgres“In the early 20th century, tens of thousands of African Americans left the rural South for the industrial North in search of jobs, homes and respect. Officially, this MoMA show is meant to mark the centennial of that immense population shift, though it also marks another anniversary: the first time in two decades that all 60 paintings in Jacob Lawrence’s great “Migration Series,” now divided between New York and Washington, D.C., have been shown together at the museum. Here they are surrounded by period photographs, books and fabulous music in a display as stimulating to the mind and the ear as it is to the eye. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Cotter)

Museum of Arts and Design:
‘Richard Estes: Painting New York City’ (through Sept. 20)
images-1“The core of this show is a selection of vivid, Photorealist paintings of urban subjects like glass and chrome storefronts, movie theater marquees, cars and trucks, subways, the Brooklyn Bridge, views from the Staten Island Ferry and idyllic images of Central Park made between 1965 and 2015. The exhibition also includes didactic sections about the craft and technique that go into Mr. Estes painting and prints, but that aspect doesn’t fully deliver what it promises. 2 Columbus Circle, Manhattan, 212-299-7777,madmuseum.org.”(Johnson).
I LOVE THIS ONE.

Whitney Museum of American Art:
‘America Is Hard to See’ (through Sept. 27)
“With high ceilings, soft pine-plank floors and light-flooded windows and terraces, the galleries of the new Renzo Piano-designed Whitney Museum in the meatpacking district are as airy as 19th-century sailmakers’ lofts. Art feels at home in them, and the work in the museum’s top-to-bottom inaugural exhibition is homegrown. Culled from the permanent collection, it mixes bookmarked favorites by Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jasper Johns with objects and artists that the Whitney had all but forgotten or just brought in. As a vision of a larger America, the show is far from comprehensive; as a musing on the history of a particular New York institution over nearly a century, it is very fine, smartly detailed and superbly presented. 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Cotter)

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 08/09 and 08/07.

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Selected Events (08/10) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 08/10/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > MONDAY / AUGUST 10, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> John Fedchock New York Big Band
Blue Note, 131 West Third St. / 8PM +10:30PM, $10-$15
This powerful and distinctly New York-flavored big band — led by the trombonist and composer-arranger John Fedchock, and featuring experienced section players like the trumpeter Scott Wendholt and the baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan — celebrates the release of its strong new album, “Like It Is.” (NYT-Nate Chinen)

Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys
City Winery, 155 Varick St. / 8PM, $
“What has changed in America since Harry S. Truman was president? Not Mr. Stanley’s banjo. This stalwart bluegrass musician has been performing solo, with family and in this talented ensemble since 1946. The Library of Congress designated him a “Living Legend” in 2000. With Matt Turk.“(Anderson-NYT)

>Natalie Douglas: Hello Dolly
Birdland, 315 W44th St. / 7PM, $30
“Septuple MAC winner Natalie Douglas goes for bust in a tribute to the musical treasure chest of country legend Dolly Parton, including “Jolene” and “Coat of Many Colors.” (TONY)

>Turn The Beat Around: 54 Below Celebrates Studio 54
54 Below, 254 W54th St./ $40-$50
54 Below salutes the disco heyday of the legendary Studio 54 nightclub. Among the many performers are Cheryl Freeman, Willam Blake, Scott Coulter, Lennie Watts, Brian Charles Rooney, Mike Schwitter and Kelli Rabke. “ (TONY)

> Whiplash
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 307 W 26th St. / 11PM, FREE
popular show is known for always featuring the city’s best up-and-coming comedians.
surprise special guests—Chris Rock, Louis C.K. and David Cross—keep audiences hooked. (tonight’s show is sold out, there will be a standby line for this show.
listed here to remind you to try for this event earlier next week)

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

> NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2015 (LAST WEEK-through Aug 14)
Various locations and times; $25 for lunch, $38 for dinner
Enjoy the summer edition of Restaurant Week (actually three weeks) of prix-fixe three course meals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Mangia!

ELSEWHERE, but for photography buffs this looks worth the detour:
> “The Fence” in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Begin at Jane’s Carousel, Brooklyn Bridge Park / FREE
a 1,250-foot outdoor photo installation, this exhibit features work from 40 professional photographers from around the world. a unique site-specific exhibition aimed at fostering conversations and exploring new thematic directions in photography. best of all, it is in Brooklyn Bridge Park, NYCity’s newest park and a small gem of an oasis.

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

“Grand Illusions” Staged Photography from the Met Collection (thru Jan. 18)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave. / 10AM-5:30PM, pay what you wish
The Met is opening its new installation of staged photography from over the first 170 years of the medium.

In the digital age, we know that there’s a vast chasm between reality and what a picture depicts. But the art of staging photos for dramatic effect dates back to the very birth of the art form. A new exhibit opening at the Met this weekend shows 40 famously staged photographs to examine their purpose.

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)

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 Fall 2015).
◊ Order before Oct. 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
=========================================================

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Selected Events (08/09) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 08/09/2015 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > SUNDAY / AUGUST 09, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
SummerStage
> Glass Animals / Taylor McFerrin / BattleFest League Dancers
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, mid-Park at 69th St. / 2-7PM, FREE
“Glass Animals vocalist and songwriter David Bayley draws influence for both music and artwork from his involvement in the world of medicine and neuroscience (at just 22 yrs old, he has studied both) creating a sound with it’s roots spread between the electronic and live instrumentation. The result is the warm, narcotic space between a downbeat, slow-burning groove and electro-pop catchiness….”

> Deon Cole (through August 9)
Carolines, 1626 Broadway (btw 49/50 St) / 7:30 +10PM, $33
“His scene-stealing work on Black-ish has been a star turn, but Deon Cole has quietly been generating laughs for years in less visible roles and behind the scenes—for example, as a writer on Conan. He’s also been performing stand-up, for more than 20 years.” (nycgo.com)

> Ballet Festival (through Aug. 16)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave, at 19th St. / 8PM, $19-$39
“The Joyce Theater celebrates the diversity of ballet with a two-week buffet of companies and choreographers who are molding the form in interesting ways.”
tonight: the Washington-based Chamber Dance Project presents four New York premieres, all set to live music.

> Donna McKechnie
54 Below, 254 W54th St. / 7PM, $50–$95
artistpage_donna“Don’t look now, but it’s been 40 years since she first danced and sang about the music, the mirror, and the chance to dance for us in A Chorus Line — and now McKechnie is back to recall the era. In particular, she’s reminiscing about her first aspiring years in NYC and how by sheer coincidence she lived down the street from the room where she’s now appearing. Yes, she may be looking back, but because she’s always been right in the moment, she’s as vitally immediate now as she was then.” (Village Voice)

> “Cymbeline” / Shakespeare in the Park (through August 23)
Central Park, Delacorte Theater / 8PM, FREE
a fairytale tucked within a tragedy. Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe in the Bard’s romance where cross-dressing and fake deaths move the plot. this is one tough ticket
– if you qualify, try the new line for seniors 65-plus at the Delacorte Theater.
– take your chances with the online ticket lottery (click here to learn how)
– or try the new ticket lottery at the Public Theater near Astor Place (instructions here).
(seniorplanet.org)

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

ELSEWHERE, but for photography buffs this looks worth the detour:
> “The Fence” in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Begin at Jane’s Carousel, Brooklyn Bridge Park / FREE
a 1,250-foot outdoor photo installation, this exhibit features work from 40 professional photographers from around the world. a unique site-specific exhibition aimed at fostering conversations and exploring new thematic directions in photography. best of all, it is in Brooklyn Bridge Park, NYCity’s newest park and a small gem of an oasis.

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

> An Evening with Lyle Lovett and his Large Band – Lincoln Center Out of Doors
Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center / 7PM, FREE
Grand Finale of this season’s festival.
“The groundbreaking Texan singer and bandleader “effortlessly bridges the genre gap between big-band jazz and the Grand Ole Opry. He spices his sound with bits of blues, bluegrass and grassroots folk, his reedy voice being the consistent, unifying factor among the styles” (John Serba of MLive). A perfect slice of Americana topped off with a fine looking Stetson hat.”

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.

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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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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.

This is a current exhibitions that the NYT recommends:

Elmer Bischoff: ‘Figurative Paintings’ (through Aug. 14)
a7806ce62f0062695f6a5c2546b49c14“During the heyday of Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s, a number of painters in San Francisco turned away from abstraction and back to representational painting, thereby founding what came to be known as Bay Area Figuration. Elmer Bischoff (1916-1991) was one of the leaders of the movement. This show reveals a visionary, unabashedly romantic painter working under the influences of Edward Hopper and Albert Pinkham Ryder. He created images of poetic nostalgia and spiritual yearning grounded in robustly applied, richly sensuous paint. George Adams Gallery, 525-531 West 26th Street, Chelsea, 212-564-8480, georgeadamsgallery.com.” (Johnson)

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).

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 08/07 and 08/05.

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