Selected Events (11/30) + Holiday Markets in NYCity 2014

Posted on 11/30/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, NOV. 30, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

A Celebration of Mark Twain’s 179th birthday – SmartStuff/ Literary Reading

“Handmade: Artists’ Holiday Cards from the Archives of American Art,” – Museum

Nostalgia Trains & Buses Return for the Holidays – Special Event/ Subways

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A Celebration of Mark Twain’s 179th birthday
with selections of his novels, memoirs, essays, tall tales, diatribes, and aphorisms read by Dee Nelson, Frank Ridley, and Kim Sykes, hosted and narrated by Michael Lydon, with music of Twain’s era played by Ellen Mandel.
“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But then I repeat myself.” Mark Twain
Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia St. (btw W4th St./BleeckerSt.)
6pm / $15 admission includes a drink.
212-731-0574 / corneliastreetcafe.com

“Handmade: Artists’ Holiday Cards from the Archives of American Art,”
“Now showing at The Morgan Library & Museum is “Handmade: Artists’ Holiday Cards from the Archives of American Art,” a seasonal collection of highly original, graphically intriguing, and rarely seen handmade cards created by major modern and contemporary artists for friends and family, drawn from the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. The exhibition includes 60 seasonal cards made by artists including Helen Frankenthaler, Milton Avery, Alexander Calder, Ad Reinhardt, and Saul Steinberg.” (dnainfo.com)

Current Exhibitions also include:
Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol
The Crusader Bible: A Gothic Masterpiece
The Untamed Landscape: Théodore Rousseau and the Path to Barbizon
Cy Twombly: Treatise on the Veil
A Certain Slant of Light: Spencer Finch at the Morgan
Sky Studies: Oil Sketches from the Thaw Collection

Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave. at 36th St.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m, $18. FREE Admission Friday nights from 7 to 9 pm.
The Morgan closes at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve and at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve,
and is closed Mondays.
212-685-0008 / themorgan.org

Nostalgia Trains & Buses Return for the Holidays (sundays thru 12/28)
Once again this holiday season, the MTA will offer nostalgia lovers the opportunity to the ride back into the past with rides on vintage buses and subway trains. There’s no better way to get around while doing your holiday shopping! Dating back to the early part of last century, the Nostalgia Train is made up of subway cars in service along the lettered lines between the early1930s to the mid-1970s. Equipped with ceiling fans, padded seats and incandescent light bulbs, the R/1 through R/9 cars served the IND and later some BMT lines. Customers will have the opportunity to hop on board as it operates along the Sixth Avenue M Subway Line.

Many New Yorkers bear fond memories of the trains. However, with the cars having been out of service for nearly 40 years, many more New Yorkers have never experienced the charm of wicker seats and ceiling fans.

The holiday “Nostalgia Train” will operate on Sundays only, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., on November 30, December 7, 14, 21, and 28.

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service next week.

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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 (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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Holiday markets in NYC
New York has a wealth of holiday markets and craft fairs that you can browse if the big department stores with their holiday windows aren’t your bag.

Artists & Fleas at Chelsea Market
Brooklyn purveyors set up shop across the river at Artists & Fleas’ seasonal pop-up bazaar, situated inside Chelsea Market. Expect to find trendy and noncommercial holiday-themed gifts vetted by husband-and-wife team Amy Abrams and Ronen Glimer, who ensure that every item is locally made and well crafted. Among the 30-plus vendors are bag designer Pamela Barsky, vinyl slinger Eat Records and vintage seller Brooklyn Bleu. Enter the building at the corner of Tenth Avenue and 15th Street.
Artists & Fleas – Chelsea Market 75 Ninth Ave, between 15th and 16th Sts,
Sat Nov 1 – Wed Dec 24

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Not only is there free ice-skating on Bryant Park’s 17,000-square-foot outdoor rink, but also 127 holiday shops, including 27 new kiosks and 26 eateries. New offerings such as eco-friendly clothing and accessories from Angelrox ($10–$250) and organic hair- and skin-care products from Surya Brasil (starting at $15) are up for grabs. And after you shop and skate, warm up at spacious rinkside restaurant Celsius. FYI: The vendors are only there until Jan 4, but If you want to practice your lutzes and axels with ample spinning room, try visiting during off-peak hours (open through March 1). FYI: On Tuesday, Dec 2, come for the tree, but stay for the grand lighting ceremony at 6pm, including performances on and off the ice.
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park Sixth Ave, between 40th and 42nd Sts
Until Sun Jan 4

Columbus Circle Holiday Market
This annual holiday bazaar, run by the people behind the Union Square market, features handmade items from local artisans and snacks from vendors such as Mrs. Dorsey’s Kitchen and Sigmund Pretzel Shop. Look for the market concierge to help you navigate your way through the approximately 100 booths.
Columbus Circle Holiday Market Central Park South, at Central Park West
Mon Dec 1 – Wed Dec 24

Creeds Collective Holiday Pop-up
This pop-up’s two-month run allows you to grab splurgeworthy presents from up-and-coming fashion, beauty and wellness brands for everyone on your list—or hell, let’s be honest, yourself. Our favorites include Angela & Roi handbags ($340), Dharma eyewear ($99), Coye Nokes shoes ($350) and more. And 10 percent of proceeds from every purchase goes toward Global Citizen’s (globalcitizen.org) fight against extreme poverty. The pop-up also offers complimentary mini spa treatments from natural hair- and skin-care brand THANN, a nail-art bar by Primp & Polish and a #hashtag photo booth, to reward yourself for getting through your shopping list.
Creeds Collective Holiday Pop-Up 54 Crosby St , between Broome and Spring Sts
Until Sun Dec 28

Etsy Holiday Handmade Cavalcade
Searching for a thoughtful holiday gift? You’ll find plenty at Etsy’s seventh annual holiday craft fair. For one weekend only, 62 of the e-commerce site’s finest local artists, designers and makers set up booths featuring clothing, jewelry, holiday cards, body products and more. Make sure you take advantage of the free gift wrap services, plus it pays to get here early: The first 100 shoppers each day will receive a goody bag filled with products and discounts donated by the makers.
Chelsea Market 75 Ninth Ave, at 16th St
Sat Dec 13 – Sun Dec 14

Grand Central Holiday Fair
This fair’s six-week run features 76 microboutiques plus 22 new artists and businesses boasting everything from contemporary jewelry and art objects to African crafts and Christmas ornaments. And since it’s situated inside the terminal itself, you won’t have to worry about shivering while you’re browsing the goods. Highlights include Jacques Torres Chocolates ($6-$100), man candles ($30) from The Lode Man Shop and handcrafted knit and crocheted outerwear from Spratters & Jayne ($60-$325).
Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair 89 E 42nd St, at Park Ave
Until Wed Dec 24

Hester Holiday Market at One Penn Plaza
The Hester Holiday Market at One Penn Plaza brings Hester Street Fair’s favorite gift and food vendors to 34th Street just in time for the holidays! This outdoor market will be a destination for one-of-a-kind shopping with curated and handmade gifts that you won’t find in any stores. Plus an incredible roster of artisanal food vendors will be fueling the holiday cheer. The holiday market will also celebrate the festivities with caroling, classes and much more! (www.hesterstreetfair.com)

This bazaar usually stays indoors for the winter, but this year, you’ll find vintage wares, crafts and other gifts at its new outdoor location. This one-of-a-kind shopping destination features curated and handmade gifts you won’t find in any store as well. Plus, there will be a full roster of artisinal food vendors to fuel the holiday cheer.
One Penn Plaza Eighth Ave, between 33rd and 34th Sts,
Mon Dec 1 – Sun Dec 21

Jingle holiday pop-up
Accessories designer Jill Schwartz curated this 6,000-square-foot shop inside Chelsea Market, featuring local and international goods perfect for gift-giving. Inside, you’ll find stylish wares by Izola and vibrant living sculptures (starting at $60) from Twig Terrariums. Plus, this pop-up has enough holiday spirit to cheer up even scroogiest New Yorker.
Chelsea Market 75 Ninth Ave, at 16th St
Tue Dec 16 – Mon Dec 29

The Soho Holiday Collective
This holiday pop-up is all about one-of-a-kind fashions from emerging designers. It’s a hands-on affair, where you can actually meet and be styled by the designers themselves. Find luxury apparel, jewelry and gift items from Jes Wade, KES, Lulu Estate Jewelry and more. After you visit with the designers, be sure to check out the pop-up’s garage style gallery, which features an array of framed pop culture photography by Rock Paper Photo and Capital Art. We imagine the classic photos of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor will go fast.
Soho Holiday Collective Pop-up 150 Wooster St , between W Broadway and Greene St,
Until Wed Dec 24

Union Square Holiday Market
If there’s one alfresco shopping event worth braving the cold for, it’s this one. This European-style winter market boasts more than 150 local and national vendors hawking an impressive selection of handcrafted gifts, ranging from jewelry and accessories to leather goods and artwork. Check out the brew-your-own beer kits from the Brooklyn Brew Shop ($40); handmade, monogrammed stuffed animals from Hazel Village ($39); and wooden puzzles and board games from Kubiya Games ($38). And with food vendors like Momofuku Milk Bar, Bar Suzette, Wafels & Dinges and No Chewing Allowed!, you could easily spend a whole day here.
Union Square Holiday Market 14th St to 17th St, between Broadway and Park Ave South
Until Wed Dec 24

Not Manhattan’s WestSide, but worth the detour:

Artists & Fleas Williamsburg Holiday Market
Founders Amy Abrams and Ronen Glimer will again curate a special holiday-themed version of their weekend market, now featuring more than100 vendors inside their Williamsburg space, which expanded to the warehouse next door. Boasting sellers, artists, makers and collectors, enjoy free gift-wrapping stations, tasty treats and Christmas carolers to get you all warm and fuzzy. If off-the-wall gifts are your thing, you might want to snatch up Kt Ferris Creations’ trendy evil-eye necklaces ($28–$150), Curated Basics’ black stainless steel cuffs for guys ($40), festive knit Twinko onesies for pets or Marley & Alfie horseshoe dream catchers ($99) for your ecentric friends and family members.
Artists & Fleas 70 North 7th St, between Kent and Wythe Aves
Until Sun Dec 28

Astoria Market Holiday Markets
On three Sundays before Christmas (Nov 16; Dec 24, 21), Queens’ classic Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden transforms into an NYC-centric artisan market chock-full of handmade and vintage merchandise. Standout vendors include handmade ceramics from Mayware and delicious gluten-free baked goods from WHOS bakery. Eggnog, hot cider and roasted chestnuts are available for the peckish, too.
Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden 29-19 24th Ave, between 29th and 31st Sts, 
Sun Nov 16 – Sun Dec 21

LIC Flea & Food Holiday Market
For eight weekends before Christmas, more than 55 vendors set up shop in a warehouse space adjacent to LIC Flea & Food’s outdoor lot at this gift-geared seasonal spin-off. It’s one of the biggest indoor markets in New York, so this holiday bazaar is a can’t-miss. Featuring more than 55 vendors, the holiday offerings include everything from fashion to arts and crafts and of course, antiques. Plus, there’s plenty of food carts to fuel your search for the perfect holiday gifts. Other bonuses include live music from the Dandy Wellington band and, of course, the chance to take a photo with the big man in the red suit—Santa is here every weekend until December 21.
LIC Flea 5-25 46th Ave , between Vernon Blvd and 5th St.
Until Sun Dec 21

This comprehensive listing and much more useful holiday info, including a holiday gift guide, can be found at TONY magazine’s Christmas in NewYork Guide.

For a virtual tour of  holiday department store windows, try the slideshows at the NYT and Refinery 29.

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Selected Events (11/29) + Holiday Windows in NYCity 2014

Posted on 11/29/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, NOV. 29, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Walk Off the Turkey – Health & Fitness

Arlo Guthrie & The Guthrie Family Annual Thanksgiving Concert – Folk Music

A Tribute to Loretta Lynn – Country Music

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WALK OFF THE TURKEY (WOTT)
Bring your friends and relatives and join the other Shore walkers for our annual post-thanksgiving walk from Battery to the Little Red Lighthouse. This is the perfect way to socialize, enjoy the Hudson shoreline in the fall and walk off those pesky holiday calories at the same time. About 12 miles and 5 hours later we’ll be at the GW Bridge AND the Little Red Lighthouse. Bring lunch and water, plan to join others for a mid‐day snack at the end of the walk.
MEET: 10 AM at the front of the Staten Island Ferry terminal.
#1 train to South Ferry.
Free for paid annual Shorewalkers members, $3 for non-members,
212-330-7686 / shorewalkers.org

Arlo Guthrie & The Guthrie Family Annual Thanksgiving Concert
”Arlo Guthrie returns to Carnegie Hall with the Guthrie family for an evening of folk songs, storytelling, and waxing philosophical, the first since the death of Pete Seeger, who first brought Guthrie to this hallowed stage for the annual holiday show more than forty years ago.” (NewYorker)
Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Ave. (@ 57th St.)
8:00pm / $12.50-$70
212-247-7800 / carnegiehall.org

A Tribute to Loretta Lynn
“Loretta Lynn is a queen of country, with records dating back to 1960 and certifiable classics of the form including “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and especially her 1970 album “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” She is also, like many country stars, not immune to excess and schlock, so count her as a fun subject for a tribute.

The occasion here is arranged by Lenny Kaye, a longtime New York rock stalwart best-known as the guitarist for Patti Smith, and Tammy Faye Starlite, a striking talent who mixes down-home humor with wryness and spunk. Backed by the rockabilly band The Lonesome Prairie Dogs, the duo promises a tribute to the 82-year-old Ms. Lynn that tilts toward “reverence, deference…and maybe a touch of glittery camp.” (WSJ)
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place
At 7:30 p.m./ $15
212-539-8500 / joespub.com

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service next week.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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Holiday Windows in New York City 2014

Do me a favor, arrange your day so that you check out these windows after dark. They are so much more impressive at night.

Barneys holiday windows
This year, the Madison Avenue shop incorporates video, light installations and more forward-thinking concepts into its holiday displays. The theme is “A New York Holiday,” and elements include an interactive scene with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a “floating city” created with 3-D mapping and light projections.
Barneys New York 660 Madison Ave, at 61st St.
Thu Dec 4 – Wed Dec 31

Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows
Bergdorf Goodman was inspired by ice this year: The shop’s holiday windows all present variations on the theme “Holidays on Ice,” with displays devoted to Halloween (with a masquerade party), Valentine’s Day and even Arbor Day. (Ice-skating trees? One can hope.)
Bergdorf Goodman 754 Fifth Ave, at 58th St.
Until Wed Jan 7

Bloomingdale’s holiday windows
This year’s holiday windows at Bloomie’s puts the famous brown shopping bags into different shopping scenes around the world—everywhere from China and France to Great Britain and Italy (and, of course, Bloomingdale’s right here in New York City).
Bloomingdale’s 1000 Third Ave, at 59th St,
Thu Dec 4 – Wed Dec 31

Henri Bendel holiday windows
Henri Bendel has partnered with the estate of Al Hirschfeld to create window displays inspired by the celebrated cartoonist’s work. In one window, you’ll see 3-D depictions of celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker, Liza Minnelli and Woody Allen; in the store itself, Bendel’s giant tree becomes a playhouse for a model of Charlie Chaplin.
Henri Bendel 712 Fifth Ave, at 56th St.
Wed Dec 3 – Wed Dec 31

Lord & Taylor holiday windows
Children from NYC schools and Women in Need shelters were asked to create drawings based on the theme “What Is Christmas Made Of?” Those works, 125 of which are featured here, inspired the scenes in this year’s display.
Lord & Taylor 424 Fifth Ave, between 38th and 39th Sts.
Thu Dec 4 – Thu Jan 1

Macy’s holiday windows
Boasting a “Dream…and Believe” theme, Macy’s 2013 holiday windows depict a young boy’s journey through a magical dreamland. The six windows on the Broadway side of the store—Dream, Giving & Sharing, Joy, Beauty, Magic and Believe—use technology and LED lights to tell the story. Visiting families can also view the classic “Yes, Virginia…” windows on the 34th street side of the store.
Macy’s Herald Square 151 W 34th St, between Sixth and Seventh Aves.
Wed Dec 10 – Wed Dec 31

Saks Fifth Avenue holiday windows
This year, Saks debuted a new Snowflake Spectacular, a 3-D light show that plays out across the department store’s exterior each evening. The dazzling display is just one element of the shop’s holiday celebration: Window displays tell the story of the Saks Yeti, and also include an interactive window where visitors can display their own Yeti name (visit saks.com/snow for more details).
Saks Fifth Avenue 611 Fifth Ave, at 49th St.
Thu Dec 4 – Wed Dec 31

Tiffany & Co. holiday windows
Behind the windows into which Holly Golightly once gazed so admiringly, Tiffany’s conjures an image of a yuppie wintertime fantasia: the Upper East Side on Christmas Eve. The miniature brownstone scenes are replete with tiny chandeliers and garlands, and those well-known baby-blue boxes are strewn beneath the trees.
Tiffany & Co. 727 Fifth Ave, between 56th and 57th Sts.
Thu Dec 4 – Wed Dec 31

This comprehensive description and much more useful holiday info, including a holiday windows slide show, can be found at TONY magazine’s Christmas in NewYork Guide.

For more holiday windows photos, try the slideshows at the NYT and Refinery 29.

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

Selected Events + Gallery Special Exhibits: Chelsea (11/28)

Posted on 11/28/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, NOV. 28, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Heart of the Park Tour – Parks

‘La Bohème’ – Opera

Bob Dylan – Pop / Rock

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Heart of the Park Tour
First things, first. Need to work off that large Thanksgiving feast? Head to Central Park.
See some of the Park’s most famous landmarks, including Conservatory Water, Bethesda Terrace, the Lake, and Strawberry Fields, on this east-to-west walk.
Route involves a few stairs.
Central Park, inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and 72nd St.
in front of the Samuel F. B. Morse statue.
90 minutes. Free, registration not required.
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
For directions, please call 212-794-6564

‘La Bohème’ (also Monday and next Friday)
Singing her first Mimi anywhere, the soprano Sonya Yoncheva delivers a beautifully detailed, sensitive performance in Franco Zeffirelli’s bustling, classic Metropolitan Opera production of Puccini’s opera.

She is scheduled to sing opposite two Rodolfos: Charles Castronovo, on Friday, and Ramón Vargas (who has been ill) on Monday and next Friday. Riccardo Frizza conducts.” (Zachary Woolfe-NYT)
Friday at 8:30 p.m.; Monday at 7:30 p.m.
next Friday at 8 p.m.
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center,
212-362-6000 / metoperafamily.org / $27 to $460.

Bob Dylan (through Dec. 3)
“Bob Dylan is most active in the news these days with the release of “The Basement Tapes Complete,” a vault-clearing set of fabled late-’60s recordings he made on hiatus in upstate New York. In true mercurial fashion, however, Mr. Dylan himself seems barely to care about a relic from such a distant past.

In his present-day form, he is more the hard-touring troubadour intent on rewriting his own history however he likes, with versions of old songs that can be scarcely recognizable and a voice that grows more thin and mysterious by the year.” (WSJ)
Here he puts down stakes for five shows in New York, on Friday and Saturday and then Dec. 1-3. May need to try Stubhub and the resale market for shows before Dec.3.
Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway, at 74th Street,
212-465-6500 / beacontheatre.com

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service next week.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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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 – my fave is Ovest on W 27th St., where the aperitivo is like Happy Hour on steroids.

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar dated (11/26) and (11/24).
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Times Square/ Theater District (11/27)

Posted on 11/27/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, NOV. 27, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – Special Event

Cyrille Aimee – Jazz

Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks – SportingLife

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THANKSGIVING ROUNDUP

Various locations

This will be the 88th annual Macy’s thanksgiving day parade, which marches from 77th street @ central park west to herald square with the iconic giant balloons, marching bands, singers (kiss, idina menzel, nick jonas, more), broadway performers, and santa. You should see it at least once, and Connie will be there this year – say hello.

“In 1924, the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was organized by employees of the department store. Initially called the Macy’s Christmas Parade, it featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo. Three years later, the pageant’s iconic balloons were introduced, and this year the festivities include performances by Idina Menzel, Kiss, and many others. (macys.com/parade.)

On the Saturday after the holiday, Shorewalkers, a nonprofit group whose motto is “See New York at 3 M.P.H.,” presents its annual Walk Off the Turkey trot, a calorie-consuming, twelve-mile amble from the Staten Island Ferry terminal to the George Washington Bridge, starting at 10 A.M. (shorewalkers.org.)

Later that day, Arlo Guthrie returns to Carnegie Hall with the Guthrie family for an evening of folk songs, storytelling, and waxing philosophical, the first since the death of Pete Seeger, who first brought Guthrie to this hallowed stage for the annual holiday show more than forty years ago. (carnegiehall.org.)” (NewYorker)

Cyrille Aimee
“While many music venues take a pause on Thanksgiving, iconic jazz venue Birdland keeps the music flowing Thursday with two performances by a rising star on the New York City jazz vocalist scene, Cyrille Aimee.” (dnainfo.com)
BIRDLAND, 315 West 44th St,
212-581-3080 / birdlandjazz.com
at 8:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. / $40 cover plus a 2-drink minimum

To work off that big meal, get up, get out, and get some exercise –
outdoor ice skating rinks in Manhattan that are open today:
brookfield place >>
bryant park’s bank of america winter village >>
riverbank state park >>
rockefeller center >>
south street seaport (not confirmed as of press time) >>
the standard hotel (not confirmed as of press time) >>
trump lasker rink >>
trump wollman rink >>
(rates vary, check the venue’s website or call ahead to confirm before heading out)
(thanks to theskint.com)

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service next week.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and 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.
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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

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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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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 (Betw 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 NYC 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 (Betw 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 none of the insane lines that you find at the Madison Sq. Park location. Plus, it may be the cleanest joint to eat in all of Hell’s Kitchen.

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
That covers a wide range of food – pizza, burgers, food trucks/carts, vegetarian/falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars, hot dogs, bbq, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls. 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 (plus 27 casual dining places with free Wi-Fi) order a copy of my e-book: “Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($3.99).
(available Winter 2014)

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Selected Events + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue (11/26)

Posted on 11/26/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, NOV. 26, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – Special Event

Amateur Night At The Apollo: Super Top Dog FINALE – Pop / Rock

Jason Moran and the Bandwagon – Jazz

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

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – Sneak Peek
“The parade this year is making a bit of balloon history. Two venerable storybook characters — Paddington Bear (who made his appearance in the late 1950s) and Thomas the Tank Engine (who appeared in the late 1940s) — will be among six new giant balloons at the 88th edition of this parade. It’s the largest number to be added to the procession in its history. The Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger and Eruptor from the Skylanders video games will also be making their debuts. The two other ones, the Pillsbury Doughboy and Pikachu, are replacing older versions of those characters.

For a sneak peek, inflation of the high-flying characters begins Wednesday at 3 p.m. from 77th to 81st Streets, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.
More information: macys.com/parade.” (Anne Mancuso-NYT)

Amateur Night At The Apollo: Super Top Dog FINALE
Super Top Dog is the grand finale of the 2014 Amateur Night at the Apollo season!! Which of our talented contestants will win the title of Super Top Dog and the cash prize of $10,000? Be here to find out! Get tickets
Apollo Theater, 253 West 125th St, Harlem.
at 7:30 p.m. / $25-$43
800-745-3000 / apollotheater.com

Jason Moran and the Bandwagon (through Nov. 30)
“The pianist’s latest album, “All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller,” radically reworks classics associated with the iconic swing-era instrumentalist, songwriter, vocalist, and entertainer. Enlisting Meshell Ndegeocello as a guest singer, Moran devised a funky mashup of old and new that may ultimately miss the mark as a fully satisfying statement but has a good time attempting to make its point nonetheless. Ndegeocello isn’t expected at this engagement, but Moran’s volatile Bandwagon trio, with the bassist Tarus Mateen and the drummer Nasheet Waits, will undoubtedly raise a ruckus all by itself.” (NewYorker)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village,
212-255-4037 / villagevanguard.com
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. / $25 and $30 cover, with a one-drink minimum.

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service next week.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
=================================================================

What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 2 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

‘Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin’ (through Dec. 7)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org
—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Kandinsky Before Abstraction, 1901–1911 (through spring 2015)

Early in his career Vasily Kandinsky experimented with printmaking, produced brightly-colored landscapes of the German countryside, and explored recognizable and recurrent motifs. This intimate exhibition drawn from the Guggenheim collection explores the artist’s representational origins.
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.

========================================================== Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Ten museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:

• 110th Street – Museum for African Art

• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio

• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York

• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum

• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

• 89th Street – National Academy Museum

• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York

• 83rd Street – Goethe-Institut

Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Additionally, though technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 70th St. and the The Morgan Library & Museum on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave. Now plan your own museum crawl. ==========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 11/18 and 11/16.
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Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood-WestVillage (11/25)

Posted on 11/25/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, NOV. 25, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

JANE MONHEIT, JIM CARUSO & BILLY STRITCH IN
“HOLLYWOODLAND: SONGS FROM THE SILVER SCREEN”(through Thursday)
“Material will include beloved songs like “Pennies From Heaven,” “Let’s Misbehave,” “Over The Rainbow,” “If I Only Had A Brain,” “Bye Bye Baby,” and “It Happened In Sun Valley.” The trio will be accompanied by Rick Montalbano on drums and Neal Miner on bass.

Jane Monheit, Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch had such a great time working together in the Jazz at Lincoln Center concert series, and were thrilled when Birdland offered them a weeklong booking on the historic stage. The trio brings a wealth of musical experience to this show, and they love performing tightly harmonized swing arrangements and lush ballads from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.” (cabarethotlineonline.blogspot.com)
BIRDLAND,315 West 44th St,
212-581-3080 / birdlandjazz.com
6:00 pm. / $30 cover plus a 2-drink minimum.

Nels Cline & Julian Lage
“Cline is the free-styling lead guitarist in paternal-pop combo Wilco. Lage is a former guitar prodigy with one foot in jazz and the other in newgrass. Their new album of duets, _Room,_ is a wordlessly lucid cross-generational alternative to the Tweedys recent dad-rock debut. The duo orbit around one another like the gracefully twisting painted-metal objects hanging from a Calder mobile.” (VillageVoice-Richard Gehr)
SubCulture: Arts Underground, 45 Bleecker St, near Lafayette St,
212-533-5470 / subculturenewyork.com
8pm / $25

Author @ the Library:
Urban Appetites: Food and Culture in Nineteenth-Century New York,
with Cindy R. Lobel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History at Lehman College.
This illustrated lecture surveys the origins of New York City’s food industry and the rise of New York as both a metropolis and food capital in the 19th century.
6:30 p.m.
Mid-Manhattan Library

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5″ is now the “Top 3″. we look forward to restoring full service this week.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and 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:
===========================================================================================
“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 + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide (11/24)

Posted on 11/24/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, NOV. 24, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks
“If you haven’t yet checked out the Nighthawks’ new digs, what are you waiting for. “The band (which has just released their second volume of music from HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”) now actually sounds better, audio-wise, and the menu is a vast improvement over the band’s previous venue—overall, it is a step up, to the second floor, rather than a flight down, to the basement.

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)
Iguana, 240 W. 54th St., (Btw 8th/B’way)
8pm-11pm (3 sets) / $15 cover, $20 food/drink minimum
(212) 765-5454 / iguananyc.com

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
A popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland every Monday night. For the past nine years, it’s been the spot to mix and mingle with Manhattan show folk and their fans.

The buoyant, sharp and charming Broadway impresario Jim Caruso hosts a combination open-mic, networking event and party, where some nights you may hear the biggest stars on Broadway relax on their night off by performing their favorite songs in an informal setting. Always fun.
Birdland – 315 West 44th St (btw 8th/9th ave)
9:30 pm / $20 (includes a drink if you sit at the bar, which are not bad seats)
(212) 581-3080 / birdlandjazz.com

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
There’s a tradition in many New York City jazz clubs – Monday nights are reserved for big bands. The Village Vanguard, the most storied of clubs, has observed this practice since 1966. The Grammy-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, established by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, is definitely a big band with 4 trumpets, and 4 trombones to accompany 6 reed players. Why not make it your tradition, too.

The band features music with complex yet warm harmonies and memorable melodies mostly written by Thad Jones. We play various styles, from relaxing swing, 70’s-style jazz-funk, ballads with complex harmonic structures, avant-garde tunes with modern rhythms. In addition to the classic Thad Jones charts our library includes music of Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely, Slide Hampton, Bob Minzter, Kenny Werner and others. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra has gained world-wide respect for their wide-ranging repertoire and rich sound.
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Avenue South, just below West 11th St.
At 8:30 and 10:30 pm / $25
212-255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service next week.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and 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 wonderful Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

American Folk Art Museum:
Fasanella-Bridges‘Ralph Fasanella: Lest We Forget’ (through Nov. 30) The centenary of the birth of this formidable self-taught urban visionary, activist and New Yorker is celebrated with a riveting selection of his largest, most epic paintings. Their teeming compositions crowd searing events from 20th-century American life into complex amalgams of time, space and color and conduct a fertile exchange with the museum’s Willem van Genk show. 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue at 66th Street, 212-595-9533, folkartmuseum.org. (Roberta Smith)

van_genk‘Willem van Genk: Mind Traffic’ (through Nov. 30) Brilliantly paired with the Ralph Fasanella exhibition, the American solo debut of this outstanding Dutch artist, who died in 2005 at 78, adds a bright star to the outsider firmament. A draftsman of extraordinary talent, a hoarder and mystic obsessed with maps, travel and transportation, van Genk obsessively recycled found imagery and materials and his own drawings into collages and fanatically textured paintings that convey the sights, sounds and very static of modern life. 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue at 66th Street, 212-595-9533, folkartmuseum.org. (Smith)

Museum of Modern Art:
107508

‘The Paris of Toulouse-Lautrec: Prints and Posters’ (through March 22) In his printed works, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec chronicled and publicized the music halls, theaters, circuses, operas and cafes of Paris with terrific verve, sly wit and surprising subtlety. This enthralling show presents approximately 100 examples drawn from the museum’s permanent collection. 212-708-9400, moma.org. (Johnson)

New-York Historical Society:
‘A Brief History of New York: Selections From ‘A History of New York in 101 Objects’ (through Nov. 30) Every object tells a story. If New York City is or ever was your home, you’ll find 30 eloquent items in this absorbing, jewel box of an exhibition based on “A History of New York in 101 Objects,” a new book by Sam Roberts, an urban affairs correspondent for The New York Times. Illuminated behind glass walls is an intriguingly eclectic collection, including an arrowhead, a short section of the first transatlantic cable, the pink rubber ball called the Spaldeen and a jar containing dust gathered from near the World Trade Center shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. 170 Central Park West, at 77th Street, 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org. (Johnson)

Skyscraper Museum:
TS84_IntroWall‘Times Square, 1984: The Postmodern Moment’ (through Jan. 18) In this smart, pithy show, 20 architectural panels capture the essence of another show, the “Times Tower Site Competition” held by New York’s Municipal Art Society 30 years ago, when over 500 architects made proposals for the famous triangular site in Times Square. Philip Johnson and John Burgee were proposing a suave 4.2 million-square-foot ensemble of four skyscrapers that would help “clean up” the surrounding urban squalor, and they favored an open square at the center of their project. The Municipal Art Society protested the proposal by asking for alternatives to replace the Times Tower. The dispute proved a turning point in New York’s urban history and, more broadly, in American architectural history, as the postmodernism of the Johnson towers gave way to a highly eclectic, free-for-all postmodernism devoid of his mansards or triumphal arches. 39 Battery Place, Lower Manhattan, 212-968-1961, skyscraper.org. (Joseph Giovannini)

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see “Recent Posts” in the right Sidebar dated (11/16) and (11/14).
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Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Tribeca (11/23)

Posted on 11/23/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, NOV. 23, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Eric Reed Trio & Special Guests, “A Celebration of Coleman Hawkins”
“Beginning roughly 90 years ago, the high and mighty Hawk—Coleman Hawkins—established himself as the body and soul of the tenor saxophone. On the 110th anniversary of his birth, it takes no fewer than five of the leading tenors of our time to do justice to both his memory, as well as that all-encompassing tenor tone, still the biggest in all of jazz. The festivities began earlier this week with Lew Tabackin and Tivon Pennicott and continue through the weekend with the big-toned Grant Stewart (Friday), that formidable competitor Eric Alexander (Saturday), and Seamus Blake (Sunday). They’re all teaming up with the spiritually jubilant piano of Eric Reed and his trio with bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, in a salute that promises to be Hawkish but never mawkish.” (WSJ)
Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola
Broadway at 60th St.,
(212) 258-9595

VINCENT HERRING
“Cedar Walton was never a huge star, but as a pianist and composer he was an integral figure on the hard-bop landscape throughout the sixties. He continued performing steadily until his death, in 2013, and Herring, a fearsome saxophonist and longtime Walton associate, leads a quintet that includes the trombonist Steve Turre in tribute to the invaluable stylist.” (NewYorker)
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Sts.
212-864-6662.

DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STARS – FALL SUNDAY BRUNCH RESIDENCY
“History has produced its share of great artists and great people – legendary jazz trumpeter John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie was both. As a performer, he left behind an incredible record of innovation and inspiration; as a composer, a broad repository of musical masterpieces; and as a man, a legion of friends, colleagues and compatriots who remember him with the same degree of love and esteem they reserve for his work. Officially authorized by Lorraine Gillespie, and under the leadership of Dizzy’s long-time bassist John Lee, a selection of ensembles of varying sizes were formed, featuring many of the wide variety of musicians who worked with Dizzy plus some newer talents from the jazz scene. Together they are working to continue the legacy of both the music and the personality of this great jazz master who had such a profound impact on twentieth century music.”(cabarethotlineonline)
THE BLUE NOTE (131 West 3rd Street, NYC – 212-475-8592) presents the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars for a special Fall Sunday Brunch Residency.
The band will perform brunch shows every Sunday with performances at 11:30 am & 1:30 pm, through December 28th.
There is a $35 cover. **Price includes brunch, music and a drink.**

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service this week.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
=================================================================

A PremierPub – Tribeca

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selected Events + Gallery Special Exhibits: Chelsea (11/22)

Posted on 11/22/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, NOV. 22, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Christine Andreas, “Love Is Good”
“Early in her one-woman show, Christine Andreas tells us that her favorite part of a song is that moment of recognition when an obscure verse unfolds into a widely-known chorus—which she illustrates with “Fly Me to the Moon.” From the audience’s point of view, however, her most thrilling moments are those miraculous modulations, dispersed throughout her show, where she ratchets up the excitement by taking the key a half-step higher. Yet the show’s biggest epiphany occurs during Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “What if We Went to Italy,” the simplest, least musically complicated song of all (even when decorated with quotes from “La Bohème”), thereby revealing that Ms. Andreas’s emotional gifts are fully the equal of her prodigious chops.’”(WSJ)
54 Below, 254 W. 54th St.
(646) 476-3551

MIGUEL ZENÓN QUARTET (also Sunday)
“On his intrepid new recording, “Identities Are Changeable,” the charging alto saxophonist, bold composer, and MacArthur-grant recipient takes on the issue of Puerto Rican life in present-day America, making use of a contingent of horns to flesh out his quartet as well as a dense weave of recorded voices sharing personal ruminations. How he approximates its sonic landscape onstage at the Village Vanguard, with the drummer Henry Cole, the pianist Luis Perdomo, and the bassist Hans Glawischnig, will be fascinating to hear.” (NewYorker)
VillageVanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St.
212-255-403

Ryan Adams
“Fourteen albums into his career, Mr. Adams reasserted himself as one of the most elegant singer-songwriters of his generation with his recent self-titled album, one that matched spacious rock hymnals with pedal-steel rootsiness. Whatever esoteric directions he may take (the recent rock opera “III/IV” comes to mind), he can still floor his audience whenever he feels like being sincere.” (StaceyAnderson – NYT)
Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 West 34th St.
800-745-3000 / ticketmaster.com
Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 8 p.m./ $49.50 to $80.

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service next week.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
=================================================================

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 – my fave is Ovest on W 27th St., where the aperitivo is like Happy Hour on steroids.

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar dated (11/14) and (11/12).
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Upper WestSide (11/21)

Posted on 11/21/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, NOV. 21, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

‘Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk’ (also Tuesday)
“The powerful soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek is riveting as Katerina, the oppressed, bored housewife who is the unlikely heroine of this bleakly satirical 1934 opera by Shostakovich. Katerina winds up taking a husky lover, killing her boorish father-in-law with some sautéed mushrooms laced with rat poison, and strangling her husband. Still, the opera asks you to sympathize with her as a despairing woman. Graham Vick’s 1994 production, an audacious and inventive modern staging, is back after 14 years. The whole cast is excellent. James Conlon conducts an incisive, brash and colorful performance.” (NYT-Tommasini)
At 7:30 p.m. / $25-$445
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center,
212-362-6000, metopera.org

“MUSIC OF JOE HENDERSON” (through 11/22.)
“This late magisterial tenor saxophonist was also a superior composer, and a group uniting Henderson veterans, including the pianist Renee Rosnes, the bassist George Mraz, and the drummer Al Foster, pays tribute to him. They’ll be joined by the saxophonist Jimmy Greene and the trumpeter Randy Brecker to revisit such post-bop classics as “Isotope,” “Inner Urge,” and “Recorda Me.” (NewYorker)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St.
212-581-3080.

BABY JANE DEXTER RETURNS WITH ‘RULES OF THE ROAD (PART 3)
“Baby Jane Dexter’s new show, Rules of the Road,(Part 3) debuts at THE  (34 West 22nd Street, NYC – 212-206-0440) for seven performances only beginning Friday, November 21st and running on Fridays, and Saturdays through December 27th. All shows at 7:00 pm. Sharing the stage will be her longtime Musical Director Ross Patterson. Rules of the Road (Part 3) is the latest emotionally empowering and highly-charged show from this influential and beloved cabaret artist who never disappoints.

Her shows are filled with memorable anecdotes, through song, from life and a brilliant performing career. Her totally unforgettable song choices have helped make her the local legend she remains today. This new 2014 show will include compelling songs by Rogers & Hammerstein, Cy Coleman & Peggy Lee and Peter Allen & Carol Bayer Sager, as well as songs by Leslie Bricusse, Billy Roy, Leiber & Stoller, Mike Scott, Randy Newman and John Bucchino. As always in her shows, there will be her trademark unexpected twists and turns that laugh at life as well as leaving her audiences emotionally moved. There is a $25 cover plus a 2-drink minimum.” (CabaretHotline)

editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service soon.

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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 (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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A PremierPub – Upper West Side

Dinosaur / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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