Selected Events + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue (11/20)

Posted on 11/20/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, NOV. 20, 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.”

MUMMENSCHANZ, the Musicians of Silence
Mummenschanz returns with a magical show for both the young and the forever young-at-heart.

Since its three year run on Broadway, Swiss mark theater troupe Mummenschanz has pioneered a new form of visual theater that has since spawned multiple new genres reclaiming their legacy. Formed by founding members Andres Bossard, Floriana Frassetto and Bernie Schürch, Mummenschanz has since inspired generations of show­goers across five continents over four decades. The ‘stories’ told are unique in that they have no sound or music; the language of Mummenschanz is universal.

“Now the show is particularly vital to young audiences who’ve been raised on beeping gadgets and headphones, and rarely experience the extraordinary power of silence.” THE NEW YORK TIMES

By creating a playful yet compelling experience through the inventive use of shadow, light, and creative manipulation of objects, Mummenschanz offers timeless insight on the human condition. The result is a visually stunning spectacle of that transcends cultural barriers and sparks the imagination.
Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
7 p.m. / $49 – $85
NOVEMBER 20-22, 24-25, 28-29 / 7:00
NOVEMBER 22-23, 28-30 / 3:00

EMEL MATHLOUTHI’S ARABIC TRIP-HOP
LIVE@365 – FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION:

Firebrand Tunisian singer, songwriter, and composer Emel Mathlouthi stands with the great divas of the Arab World but has also inherited the legacy of protest singers from the ’60s. She gained attention when her song “Kelmti Horra (My Word is Free)” was adopted by the Arab Spring revolutionaries on the streets of Tunis and soon became an anthem throughout the regions. Mathlouthi’s gorgeous, intricate sound moves between rock (she plays guitar and cites Joan Baez as an influence), trip-hop (she has collaborated with Tricky), and electronica, with a strong Arabic music connection. Her intimate songs express love, suffering, and longing for home, in a deeply confessional style verging on sacred Sufi music.

“It’s the astonishing range and sensuousness of Mathlouthi’s voice that is most compelling. There are swoops and growls reminiscent of Bjork, whom she cites as a major influence, and even traces of her goth past as she picks out minimal, reverberant lines on electric guitar which make you wonder if she’s also been listening to the xx.” – The Guardian
The Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue
ROOM: 1201: Elebash Recital Hall
7:00 PM TO 8:30 PM / $25

Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:

Sherry: The Wine World’s Best Kept Secret – Talk and Tasting
Too long a lonely outcast from the wine world, sherry has finally shed its stuffy, matronly image and today is making a comeback. Learn about its fascinating history, producers, pairings and myriad uses-in cocktails.

Talia Baiocchi is the editor-in-chief of Punch. Formerly, she was the wine editor for Eater, a columnist at Wine Spectator and editor of WineChap.com in the United States. She has written for The San Francisco Chronicle, Decanter, Bon Appétit and Wine & Spirits Magazine, among others.
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave.
at 7:00 pm / $35
212-415-5500

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

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood-WestVillage (11/19)

Posted on 11/19/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, NOV. 19, 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.”

‘Powerhouse’ (through Nov. 23)
“It’s also a banner week for vintage cartoon music: on Saturday at Stage 72, the storied Disney songwriter Richard M. Sherman presides over a program of Sherman Brothers songs, while at roughly the same time at the BAM Cafe, postmodern jazz guitarist Gary Lucas salutes the Disney Studios’s No. 1 rival, Max Flesicher, in “Fleischerei.” The most ambitious event is “Powerhouse” in the West Village, a theatrical meditation on the iconoclastic composer Raymond Scott, whose quirky compositions helped Looney Tunes live up to their name. This highly original one-act play concerns itself with Mr. Scott’s three wives as well his lifelong obsession with transforming musicians into machines and computers into composers, and is at its most inspired when enacting Scott’s cartoon career with a cast of delightfully “animated” animal puppets.” (WSJ)
The New Ohio Theatre, 154 Christopher St.
8PM / $30-$45
newohiotheatre.org

Seu Jorge (also Nov. 19)
“The much-imitated pop samba revivalist from Rio de Janeiro has worn many hats in his career — not least a red, pointed one as an actor in “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou,” whose soundtrack featured his Portuguese covers of David Bowie songs. Mr. Jorge’s rock- and electro-imbued interpretations of samba and bossa nova have introduced the genre to a young new audience.” (Anderson-NYT)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village,
212-475-8592 / bluenote.net
8 and 10:30 p.m. / $50 to $85.

St. Lucia
“These days the term “pop music” conjures up images of country music munchkins and glitter-soaked club avatars with tracks produced by people with names like Neo, Morpheus, or Scott Blackula. But just a few years ago the term meant catchy and well-written and -produced music of just about any genre. Just in time for nice weather, St. Lucia is here to redefine micro-genre tags and rescue “pop” from four-letter-word status among certain people. The group might be named after a sleepy subtropical refuge for lovers, but their music is peppy and alive.” (Chris Tarantino-VillageVoice)
Terminal 5, 610 W. 56th St.
212-260-4700 / terminal5nyc.com
9:00pm, $25.00

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 – West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.
Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

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

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

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

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

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:
===========================================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

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

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

Selected Events + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide (11/18)

Posted on 11/18/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, NOV. 18, 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.”

MIGUEL ZENÓN QUARTET (through 11/23)
“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

“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.

Leaders in War: Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte’s victories at Austerlitz, Jena, and Friedland helped forge his status as a military genius and inspiring leader, yet he has also been likened to Adolf Hitler. After the publication of 33,000 of Napoleon’s letters, award-winning historian Andrew Roberts radically transforms our understanding of the character and motivation behind one of the greatest soldier-statesmen of all time
at 6:30 pm / $34
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West
212-873-3400

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

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Greenwich Village (11/17)

Posted on 11/17/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, NOV. 17, 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.”

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

Lucinda Williams
As a rule, you can divide music into three categories — the kind that aims for the head, the kind that aims for the heart and the kind that aims for the hips. Forging two of those connections at once is pretty impressive, but connecting on all three? That’s a rare accomplishment indeed, one that Lucinda Williams manages on her 11th studio album, Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone.

Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone, the first release on Lucinda Williams’ own Highway 20 Records label, is easily the most ambitious creation in a body of work that’s long on ambition. Over the course of two discs, Williams leaves no emotional crevice left unexplored, drinking deeply from a well of inspiration that culminates with an offering that overflows with delta-infused country soul.

“I felt like I was really on a roll when we started working on the album,” says Williams, who produced the album with Greg Leisz and her husband Tom Overby. “I usually have enough songs to fill an album, and maybe a couple more, but when I started writing for this, the inspiration just kept coming, and the people I was working with kept telling me the songs were worth keeping. It’s not like I was reinventing the wheel — there are only so many things you can write about, love, sex, death, redemption, and they’re all here — but I felt like I was really in a groove here.”
Beacon Theatre, ​2124 Broadway
8:00pm / from $39.50

The University Seminars
Schoff Memorial Lectures to be given by Annette Insdorf
Director of Undergraduate Film Studies
Coherence and Resonance: How to Read Film Openings

II. Opening-as-Misdirection
Monday, November 17, 2014, 8pm
(including clips from Touch of Evil, The Conversation, Rising Sun, Sunset Boulevard, American Beauty, Fight Club)
Annette Insdorf’s criteria of value—for the past few decades of teaching cinema at Yale and Columbia—have been internal coher¬ence of the cinematic text, and the film’s resonance (whether cultur¬al, political or aesthetic) beyond the frame. Her point of departure is close analysis of the opening sequences of motion pictures. Us¬ing clips, she explores how the introduction is the anchor of a rich audio-visual experience.

Reception immediately following each lecture
8:00pm / FREE
Faculty House, Columbia University’s East Campus
Morningside Drive, north of 116th Street

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 later 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 and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker/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 wines and lite meals, fairly priced, 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, NYC 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 S/left on Bleecker to Jones st, 50 yards E/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 (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 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)
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 Sq 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, bbq, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, vegetarian / falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars – – no reservations needed. ================================================================================

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places and descriptions of my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods order a copy of my e-book: “Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($3.99, available Spring 2015).

Order before December 31, 2014 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Gallery Special Exhibits: Chelsea (11/16)

Posted on 11/16/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, NOV. 16, 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.”

Mikhailovsky Ballet (through Nov. 23)
“Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev were the golden couple of the Bolshoi until they defected to this St. Petersburg troupe in 2011 in search of more artistic freedom. They join the Mikhailovsky in its United States debut at Lincoln Center with a caravan of classics and some newer works. This week, Ms. Osipova is “Giselle,” a signature role (she performs Tuesday and Thursday; Mr. Vasiliev on Wednesday evening).
Future programs include “The Flames of Paris” (Nov. 14 to 16), “Three Centuries of Russian Ballet” (Nov. 18 and 19) and “Don Quixote” (Nov. 20 to 23).” (Schaefer-NYT)
Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m.,
matinees on Saturdays, Sundays and Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.,
DHK Theater, Lincoln Center,
212-496-0600, davidhkochtheater.com
$29 to $149.

Bill Charlap Trio
“Although it’s been far too long since he’s released a new album, the pianist, a modern mainstream giant, always has a stockpile of imaginative and meticulously arranged material to draw on. His longtime trio mates—Peter Washington, on bass, and Kenny Washington, on drums—could not be more in synch with Charlap’s manicured swing.” (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.

Ellis Marsalis 80th Birthday Celebration
“Ellis Marsalis, the pianist, educator and patriarch, recently recognized as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts, works regularly in his hometown, New Orleans, but only rarely in these parts. This engagement, which begins one day shy of his 80th birthday, will feature several regular partners: Derek Douget on saxophone, Jason Stewart on bass and Herlin Riley on drums” (Chinen-NYT)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. / $35 to $45 cover, with a $10 minimum
212-258-9595 / jalc.org

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: Midtown West (11/15)

Posted on 11/15/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, NOV. 15, 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.”

American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (also Sunday)
“On Broadway, dance is now more like a shot of espresso or a vintage Instagram filter and less of a storytelling tool, like it used to be. American Dance for the 21st Century, a reincarnation of an earlier effort in the 1970s and ’80s, is committed to preserving the type of musical theater dance that is truly part of a show’s DNA. For its Joyce debut, the company presents classic dance numbers from shows like “Contact,” “A Chorus Line” and “42nd Street.” (Schaefer-NYT)
Nov. 15 at 8 p.m., Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.,
additional performances Nov. 15 and 16 at 2 p.m.,
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea,
212-242-0800 / joyce.org
$10 to $75.

Patti LuPone
“The Broadway grande dame has a simmering intensity onstage whether she’s starring in a musical or bringing additional grit to David Mamet’s words. She’s performing the second part of “Far Away Places,” the program she presented at the opening of this high-class cabaret joint, two years ago. Touching on her abiding taste for travel, the evening is full of songs by such far-flung composers as Johnny Mercer, Billy Joel, Irving Caesar, and Kris Kristofferson.” (NewYorker)
54 Below, 254 W. 54th St.
at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. / $85 to $160 cover, with a $25 minimum.
646-476-3551 / 54below.com

ProtoHack New York
“Computer science is no longer just for computer scientists; increasingly we hear about the importance of knowing how to code if we want to stay relevant in the future. But coding isn’t the only techy skill set around, and this hackathon, which is billed as code-free and is organized by a group from San Francisco, turns the spotlight on another, perhaps equally important, activity: prototyping. During the twelve-hour event, attendees—essentially, anyone with an idea, initiative, and free time—will have nine hours of access to the tools they need to complete prototypes that communicate their ideas visually, and will then present them before judges; the top three entrants receive resources to make their ideas a reality.
There will also be presentations by several industry veterans.” (NewYorker)
Wix Lounge New York, 235 W. 23rd St.
646-862-0833. protohack.org.
starting at 9:30 A.M.

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 / 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; 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 some nights includes a sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man.

===========================================================================================
“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 + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue (11/14)

Posted on 11/14/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, NOV. 14, 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.”

Ray LaMontagne
“His raspy, effortlessly gilded vocals on “Tears of Rage” were a highlight of the “Love for Levon” tribute concert to Levon Helm at the Izod Center in 2012. Mr. LaMontagne’s reverence for Helm, the beloved mainstay of the Band who died that year, is apparent in his own genial, collaborative folk. He teases out selections from “Supernova,” which was released in the spring. With the Belle Brigade.” (Anderson-NYT)
Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway, at 74th Street,
212-465-6500, beacontheatre.com
8pm / $39.50 to $75

Karrin Allyson (also Saturday)
“Ms. Allyson is a jazz singer and pianist of imaginative savvy, and she has a genuine connection with her fellow musicians. She’ll play a mix of standards and originals — possibly drawing from the holiday album she released last year — with a band featuring Chris Caswell on Hammond B-3 organ, Rod Fleeman on guitar and Adam Cruz on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton,
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com;
8:30 and 11pm / $40 cover, with a $10 minimum

Seu Jorge (through Nov. 19, except Nov. 17)
“The much-imitated pop samba revivalist from Rio de Janeiro has worn many hats in his career — not least a red, pointed one as an actor in “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou,” whose soundtrack featured his Portuguese covers of David Bowie songs. Mr. Jorge’s rock- and electro-imbued interpretations of samba and bossa nova have introduced the genre to a young new audience.” (Anderson-NYT)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village,
212-475-8592 / bluenote.net
8 and 10:30 p.m. / $50 to $85.

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 11/12 and 11/10.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood-WestVillage (11/13)

Posted on 11/13/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, NOV. 13, 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.”

Bill Charlap Trio (through Nov.16)
“Although it’s been far too long since he’s released a new album, the pianist, a modern mainstream giant, always has a stockpile of imaginative and meticulously arranged material to draw on. His longtime trio mates—Peter Washington, on bass, and Kenny Washington, on drums—could not be more in synch with Charlap’s manicured swing.” (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.

Buddy Guy
“This Chess Records session player who became a Chicago blues pioneer counts Jimi Hendrix and Keith Richards among his stylistic pupils. He traversed several decades of his role in music history in “When I Left Home: My Story,” an autobiography released two years ago.” (Anderson-NYT)
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd Street, Manhattan,
800-745-3000, bbkingblues.com;
8pm / $67 in advance; $75 at the door

Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:

Celebrating the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge with Gay Talese
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the building of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the Transit Museum is bringing together two of New York’s finest journalists and authors, Gay Talese and Sam Roberts, to talk about Talese’s book The Bridge. This work, originally published in 1964 when the bridge opened, chronicles the completion of the bridge through its politics, engineering, and intimate human drama. Roberts and Talese will be joined by Joe Spratt, an iron worker whose grandfather worked on the Verrazano-Narrows construction and who Talese featured in his book’s new afterword. Book signing to follow the program.
6:30pm / Free with RSVP
New York Transit Museum, Corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street
718-694-1600

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 – West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.
Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selected Events + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide (11/12)

Posted on 11/12/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12, 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.”

Patti LuPone (through Nov. 15.)
“The Broadway grande dame has a simmering intensity onstage whether she’s starring in a musical or bringing additional grit to David Mamet’s words. She’s performing the second part of “Far Away Places,” the program she presented at the opening of this high-class cabaret joint, two years ago. Touching on her abiding taste for travel, the evening is full of songs by such far-flung composers as Johnny Mercer, Billy Joel, Irving Caesar, and Kris Kristofferson.” (NewYorker)
54 Below, 254 W. 54th St.
at 7 p.m. (except Friday and Sunday), with a 9:30 p.m. set on Nov. 15,
$85 to $160 cover, with a $25 minimum.
646-476-3551 / 54below.com

Mikhailovsky Ballet (through Nov. 23)
“Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev were the golden couple of the Bolshoi until they defected to this St. Petersburg troupe in 2011 in search of more artistic freedom. They join the Mikhailovsky in its United States debut at Lincoln Center with a caravan of classics and some newer works. This week, Ms. Osipova is “Giselle,” a signature role (she performs Tuesday and Thursday; Mr. Vasiliev on Wednesday evening).
Future programs include “The Flames of Paris” (Nov. 14 to 16), “Three Centuries of Russian Ballet” (Nov. 18 and 19) and “Don Quixote” (Nov. 20 to 23).” (Schaefer-NYT)
Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m.,
matinees on Saturdays, Sundays and Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.,
DHK Theater, Lincoln Center,
212-496-0600, davidhkochtheater.com
$29 to $149.

Expansions: Dave Liebman Quintet
“On “Samsara,” Dave Liebman’s engaging new album, this veteran saxophonist, music educator and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master presents a sharp ensemble he calls the Expansions Quintet, made up of younger musicians. He regroups them here: Matt Vashlishan on saxophones, Bobby Avey on piano, Tony Marino on bass and Alex Ritz on drums.” (NYT-Chinen)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
212-258-9595 / jalc.org
At 7 and 9:30 p.m./ $30 cover, with a $10 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
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 (11/10) and (11/08).
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted on 11/11/2014 by GregD

Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, NOV. 11, 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.”

American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (through Nov. 16)
“On Broadway, dance is now more like a shot of espresso or a vintage Instagram filter and less of a storytelling tool, like it used to be. American Dance for the 21st Century, a reincarnation of an earlier effort in the 1970s and ’80s, is committed to preserving the type of musical theater dance that is truly part of a show’s DNA. For its Joyce debut, the company presents classic dance numbers from shows like “Contact,” “A Chorus Line” and “42nd Street.” (Schaefer-NYT)
Tuesday, Wednesday and Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.,
Thursday through Nov. 15 at 8 p.m.,
additional performances Nov. 15 and 16 at 2 p.m.,
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea,
212-242-0800, joyce.org
$10 to $75.

Canstruction (daily through November 20)
“For the Canstruction annual design competition, teams of architects, engineers and the students they mentor compete to build large-scale sculptures made entirely from unopened cans of food. The structures are then on view to the public until they are dismantled and donated to City Harvest for distribution to those in need. Admission is free, but please bring a can of high quality food to the exhibition’s collection station.” (DNA info)
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.,
Brookfield Place Winter Garden, 220 Vesey St, at West St., Financial District.

Musette Explosion
“Musette, the French cafe music that flourished in the late 19th century, has a dynamic vehicle in this ensemble, which just released its self-titled debut album. The band’s accordionist is Will Holshouser; his partners are Matt Munisteri on guitar and banjo and Marcus Rojas on tuba.” (Chinen-NYT)
Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village,
212-989-9319 / corneliastreetcafe.com
At 8:30 p.m. / $10 cover, with a $10 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.
=================================================================

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 (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.

================================================================================
“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)

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