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

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Midtown West (09/30)

Posted on 09/30/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″+1/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, SEPT. 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.”

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

Oktoberfest at Clinton Hall
We will be releasing a full takeover of classic Draft German Beers as well as our German cuisine in celebration of the Holidays. Festivities begin at 7pm, every beer our guests purchase enters them into a raffle packed with awesome Oktoberfest themed prizes, (T-shirts, Banners, Steins, Flags, Bottled beer, Das Boots (yes, you read that right) …and a 5 Liter Can of Oktoberfest (again, you read that correctly)).

Additionally we’ll be featuring German Stein Mug Holding Contests, winners of which snag themselves a Hofbrau t-shirt and a free filled stein of Oktoberfestbier as well as being entered into the final grad prize round!
Come join Clinton Hall for a taste of old world Bavaria!
Clinton Hall, 90 Washington at Rector St.,
7PM / (212) 363-6000

From Here to Here: Richard McGuire Makes a Book
In Richard McGuire’s graphic narrative Here, one corner of a living room in New Jersey, becomes the point of intersection among events from the past and future. McGuire will be joined in conversation by Michael Benson, author of Cosmigraphics: Picturing Space Through Time, and Matt Knutzen, the Geospatial Librarian at The New York Public Library. The program is co-organized with the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at The New York Public Library.

The exhibition From Here to Here: Richard McGuire Makes a Book will be open at 5:30 p.m. for lecture attendees.
The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue
6:30 PM / $15
212-685-0008

Meditations on Integration:
Two Masters of Time and of Times, Charles Mingus and Dave Brubeck
This concert opens the 2014-15 season of Juilliard Jazz with new director Wynton Marsalis at the helm.

The Artist Diploma Ensemble will perform Charles Mingus compositions – Meditation on Integration, Portrait in Three Colors, Fables of Faubus, Ecclusiastics, and Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk – and Dave Brubeck compositions – Unsquare Dance, Fast Life, Strange Meadowlark, We Will All Remember Paul, Blue Rondo à la Turk, Maori Blues, and The Duke.
Paul Hall at Juilliard, 155 West 65th Street
8PM / Free tickets available beginning September 22 online at events.juilliard.edu.

Secret Science Club: Priyamvada Natarajan
Rocket into deep space with astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan as she explores dark matter and dark energy! These two elusive components make up 95 percent of the known Universe. While they remain invisible-emitting and absorbing no light-scientists are discovering how they shape the very structure of the Cosmos and drive its expansion.

Dr. Natarajan, Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Yale University, kicks off this new series at Symphony Space with an out-of-this-world talk and shares how orbiting telescopes, space missions, and high-energy experiments are providing unprecedented views and clues about the early Universe and the “Dark Duo.”
Before & After
–Imbibe our starry-eyed cocktail of the night, the “Cosmic Ray”
–Blast off with intergalactic grooves
–Enter the quantum quiz contest!
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street,
8PM / $25
212-864-5400 / symphonyspace.org

Back on Easy Street: An Evening with Walter Mosley
Award-winning WALTER MOSLEY visits McNally Jackson to read from ROSE GOLD, the latest installment of his Easy Rawlins novels—which follow Eziekel “Easy” Rawlins, a troubled WWII veteran and accidental private eye operating on the border of African American and white society in LA.
McNally Jackson Books, 52 Prince St. (btw Lafayette/Mulberry)
7:15 PM / FREE
212-274-1160

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

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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 is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Back on Easy Street, Clinton Hall, From Here to Here, Iguana, McNally Jackson Books, Meditations on Integration, Morgan Library & Museum, Oktoberfest, Paul Hall at Juilliard, Priyamvada Natarajan, Russian Vodka Room, Secret Science Club, Symphony Space, Vince Giordano, Walter Mosley | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Gallery Special Exhibits: Chelsea (09/29)

Posted on 09/29/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, SEPT. 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.”

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

One Hour Cheese by Claudia Lucero
SFNYC Book & Film Club

Join author and cheesemaker Claudia Lucero and Slow Food NYC at Natural Gourmet Institute for a discussion, demo, tasting, and signing of her book, One Hour Cheese.
One Hour Cheese is an indispensable guide to creating fresh, simple cheeses with ease in your own kitchen. Based on thousands of years of cheesemaking wisdom, the approach is simple: Heat milk, add coagulant, drain, salt, and press.

Claudia Lucero is the entrepreneur behind UrbanCheesecraft.com and DIY Cheese Kits, which she sells through Etsy, specialty food shops, and select Whole Foods stores.

She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Natural Gourmet Institute, 48 W 21st Street #2,
@ 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Slow Food NYC is the New York City chapter of Slow Food, a non-profit, member-supported organization founded in 1989 to counteract the culture of fast food.

Sexes, Genders, and Brains: Four Scientists, Four Perspectives
“What are we talking about in discussing “male” and “female”? Chromosomes? Hormones? Behavior? Society?

Join our distinguished panelists as they offer new insights into scientific understandings of sex and gender, tackling such questions as: how do we talk about sex differences and similarities in science, medicine, and society? What kind of data do we use, and how do we interpret evidence? What is the purpose of using sex as a variable?

Moderated by Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist Natalie Angier ’78, the panel features Art Arnold, professor, department of integrative biology and Physiology, UCLA; Daphna Joel, professor, School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University; Rebecca Jordan-Young, Tow Associate Professor and chair of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, Barnard College; and Rae Silver, Helene L. and Mark N. Kaplan Professor of Natural and Physical Sciences, departments of psychology, Barnard College and Columbia University, and pathology and cell biology, Columbia University Medical Center.” (ThoughtGallery)
Barnard College, Event Oval, The Diana Center 3009 Broadway, (@ 117^th St.)
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm / FREE
barnard.edu

Lonesome George – American Museum of Natural History (through Jan. 4)
Before a species goes extinct, one animal always has to be the last survivor. For the Pinta Island tortoise, that survivor was the male known as Lonesome George. When he died in June 2012 he was more than 100 years of age, and he has now become the face of the more than 20,000 species of plants and animals around the world currently under threat of extinction.

The American Museum Of Natural History is now displaying the remains of Lonesome George as part of a new exhibition highlighting Galapagos tortoises, evolution, and the process of extinction.” (DNA info)

Think about it. For 41 years George had been the last of his kind—a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise, living only on Pinta Island—and a zoological celebrity.
Astor Turret, on the AMNH’s fourth floor. 79th St. and Central Park West
From 10 a.m. until 5:45 p.m. / $22.

Oliver Coates, cello (New York recital debut)
Program:
Mica Levi (Micachu & the Shapes): LOVE from Under the Skin OST
Squarepusher: Tommib help Buss
Xenakis: Kottos
Messiaen: Oraison
Laurence Crane: Raimondas Rumsas with polyphonic curved bow
Plus improvisations + collaboration with Peter Zummo

Oliver Coates plays the cello and produces electronic music. He is known for his collaborations with some of the leading contemporary musicians in many genres.
In the past year as a solo artist he has performed in China, Russia, Brazil and across Europe. He begins a new solo tour this autumn following the release of his album Towards the Blessed Islands.
(le) poisson rouge, 158 Bleecker St.
7:30pm / $15
212-505-3474

Affordable Art Fair
The Affordable Art Fair hosts 48 select galleries exhibiting affordable, contemporary art at the waterfront chic venue, The Tunnel. Affordable is a relative concept. At the Affordable Art Fair, more than half of the pieces of art are under $5,000, and all are under $10,000.
Checkout Flavorpill’s “The Affordable Art Fair’s Best Buys” for an idea of what’s available.
The Tunnel, 269 11th Avenue (between 27th and 28th Streets),
Monday 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. / $20
1-212-561-5488 / affordableartfair.com/newyork

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where 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: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (09/27) and (09/25).

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Affordable Art Fair, American Museum of Natural History, and Brains, Barnard College, Chelsea Galleries, Claudia Lucero, Genders, Lonesome George, Natural Gourmet Institute, Oliver Coates, Sexes, The Tunnel | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Times Square/ Theater District (09/28)

Posted on 09/28/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, SEPT. 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.”

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park
This festival brings to life the customs and spirit of the Middle Ages. Fort Tryon Park is transformed into a medieval market town decorated with bright banners and processional flags. Performers, guests and festival goers dress in medieval costume. Visitors are greeted by authentic period music, dance, magic, and minstrels, as well as jugglers and jesters. The afternoon is concluded with a thrilling joust between four knights on horseback. Costumed vendors will be on hand to demonstrate and sell a wide variety of medieval crafts as well as food and drink. Experience the culture of a bygone era against the backdrop of the Cloisters museum and the Hudson River during autumn’s peak. We invite all ages to join us for this unique experience.

The festival is held in the area surrounding the world famous Cloisters, a magnificent museum of medieval art located in northern Manhattan.
Fort Tryon Park.
from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. / FREE

Kirk Lightsey Quartet
“A highly regarded fixture on the New York jazz scene of the 1980s, the pianist Kirk Lightsey became scarce in these parts after he moved to Paris in ’92. (One brief club engagement in ’06 appears to be his only notable appearance as a leader since then.) He’s break the pattern in a big way, headlining at the Village Vanguard with a band of associates from back in the day: the guitarist Ed Cherry, the bassist Rufus Reid and the drummer Victor Lewis.” (Chinen-NYT)
VillageVanguard, 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 $10 minimum.

Jane Monheit’s Jazz Party (LastNight)
“Jazz’s need to create on the spot never really goes away–testing moves in front of an audience is always a consideration for performers who truly want to know how an arrangement or an approach will play to a crowd. Jane Monheit is an intrepid soul; starting tonight she’ll green-light this notion for the next three months, hosting a Sunday-evening “Jazz Party,” which affords audiences a chance to peek behind the curtain and enjoy the looseness of a jam session while basking in the talents of a very tight band.

The singer and her trio, including pianist Michael Kanan, bassist Neal Miner, and drummer Rick Montalbano, will be opening the doors to guest instrumentalists and giving new ideas plenty of elbow room–a spotlight on spontaneity. The boss lady and her seductive coo ain’t shy–Monheit is a natural charmer. Whether she’s tweaking her take on “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart” (there’s a Judy Garland tribute in her future) or embedding herself in a boo-hoo opus such as “Two Lonely People,” prepare for charisma around every turn.” (VillageVoice-Jim Macnie)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St.
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com
At 6 p.m. / $30 cover, with a $10 minimum.

Sundays on Broadway
“These informal weekly gatherings feature film screenings, performances and discussions at the SoHo loft of the choreographer and video artist Cathy Weis. The fall season includes five documentaries from “9 Evenings: Theater and Engineering,” the 1966 performance series organized by Robert Rauschenberg at the 69th Regiment Armory. Next up is Steve Paxton’s “Physical Things,” followed by a conversation with Mr. Paxton via Skype.” (Burke-NYT)
At 8 p.m. / FREE
537 Broadway, third floor, between Spring and Prince Streets, SoHo,
cathyweis.org

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters
“Robert Plant’s post-Led Zeppelin career may be one of the most compelling musical afterlives. While his legendary band fused hard rock, blues, and folk with a variety of world-music influences as well as mythological tales (The Lord of the Rings being a huge source of inspiration for their lyrics), Plant has slowly ditched his rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle over the years to focus solely on rootsy folk and blues. His most spectacular output was Raising Sand, a collaborative album with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss.

Currently, this year’s worldly Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar is making a fantastic case for this being his strongest solo effort. After opening his tour at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre this week, Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters bring Brooklyn to otherworldly heights for two nights in a row.” (Brittany Spanos-VillageVoice)
BAM, Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn
718-636-4100 / bam.org
8PM / $35.00

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Good Eating places

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

Patzeria Perfect Pizza – 231 W46 st (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)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged BAM, Birdland, Fort Tryon Park, Jane Monheit’s Jazz Party, Kirk Lightsey Quartet, Medieval Festival, Robert Plant, Sensational Space Shifters, Sundays on Broadway, VillageVanguard | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue (09/27)

Posted on 09/27/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″+1/ Selected NYCity Events –SATURDAY, SEPT. 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.”

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

Museum Day Live!
In the spirit of the Smithsonian Museums, which offer free admission every day, Museum Day Live! is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian magazine in which participating museums across the country open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Live! ticket… for free.
Here are just a few of the NYCity museums participating today:
…The Morgan Library & Museum
…Museum of American Finance
…Museum of Arts and Design
…Jewish Museum
…Fraunces Tavern Museum

The Museum Day Live! ticket provides free admission for two people.
To receive your free Museum Day Live! ticket you first register for an account and once registered, you can request a ticket to one participating venue. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/tickets/

Strange & Beautiful: A Celebration of the Music of John Lurie, The Lounge Lizards and Marvin Pontiac
“The culmination of several days of tributes to John Lurie — a saxophonist, composer, bandleader, actor and painter still synonymous with an era of downtown culture — this concert has been organized around several of his enduring musical guises. It will feature a heavy lineup of his contemporaries and heirs, notably the saxophonist and composer John Zorn, the guitarist Marc Ribot, the pianist John Medeski, the cellist Jane Scarpantoni, and Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.” (NYT-Chinen)
Town Hall, 123 West 43rd St. (btw 6^th ave/ bway)
800-982-2787, the-townhall-nyc.org
At 8 p.m./ $30 to $40.

New York Burlesque Festival (through Sunday)
Celebrating over a Decade of Glitter and Glamour in Gotham

The 12th annual New York Burlesque Festival, features 100 international performers at six manhattan and brooklyn venues. The festival continues with events on Saturday at B.B. King ‘s that include a show at 7:30 p.m. ($35 and $70 at the door) and an after party at 11pm-2am @ Lucille’s Bar w/ DJ Bill Coleman (Next door to BB King’s and free for all Saturday ticket holders).

On Sunday at 8 p.m., an awards show is planned at the Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Chelsea; $30 and $45 at the door.
B.B. King Blue’s Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd St. (btw 7/8 Ave)
More details: thenewyorkburlesquefestival.com.

Marcus Roberts: Piano Masters of Melody
“Few keyboard stylists are as obsessed with the breadth of jazz history as the pianist Roberts, who can channel the spirits of Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, and Nat King Cole as deftly as he can those of post-bop players. He’s joined by the eleven-piece band Modern Jazz Generation, a fully fleshed-out unit that includes the drummer Jason Marsalis.” (NewYorker)
the Appel Room, Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
At 7 and 9:30 p.m. / $55 and $75.
212-721-6500, jalc.org

Global Citizen Festival with No Doubt and Sting, Alicia Keys, and others

The largest free music festival returns to Central Park this summer. There will be over 48,000 free tickets distributed among the fans. In order to get these tickets, you’ll have to earn them by completing actions on the Global Citizen Festival website. These actions are fun, educational, and easy.

Topping the bill are Jay Z, No Doubt with Sting, Carrie Underwood, the Root and Fun. Best of all, Alicia Keys, one of last year’s headliners, will also appear as a separate guest performer. The performances will also be streamed live. At 2 p.m.,

Great Lawn, Central Park, midpark, from 79th to 85th Street,

212-772-0210 / globalcitizen.org/festival

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Photoville (through Sept. 28)
Photography and Beer at NYCity’s newest waterfront park –
now that’s a fine doubleheader on a sunny day like today.
“Drop-bys are definitely encouraged at this photographic village, held inside and outside 63 shipping containers at Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Joralemon Street and the East River, Fulton Ferry. Presented by United Photo Industries, this is the third year of this free event, which also features panel discussions, workshops and other activities, some interactive.

In a highlight event on Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m., Tyler Stableford will discuss his photos documenting farmers, ranchers, beekeepers and others across the country; a reception will precede the talk at 5 p.m.
Photoville hours: Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
A beer garden is on site, Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Joralemon Street
More information is available at 718-215-9075 or photovillenyc.org.
It’s a view of the world from the shores of the East River.” (Anne Mancuso-NYT)

BonusPick

Highbridge Reunion Bar-B-Que
If you have fond memories of growing up in the Bronx back in the day – the 1950’s, and 1960’s – then you don’t want to miss this reunion. This was the era before “The Bronx is Burning”, and there wasn’t a better place to grow up.

Highbridge – the bridge and the neighborhood.
As Manhattan’s population increased in the early 1800’s, serious problems with the water supply of wells and cisterns threatened to halt the city’s growth. The Great Fire of 1835 destroyed much of Lower Manhattan, and demonstrated once and for all, the need for an improved water supply.

The Croton River in northern Westchester was the nearest source of sufficient clean water and a great Aqueduct project was begun in 1837, and completed in 1848.

The Croton Aqueduct ran 41 miles into NYCity and had to cross the Harlem River to reach Manhattan. To celebrate this great engineering marvel, essential to allow Manhattan to grow into the world’s premier city, a majestic bridge was built to carry the Aqueduct high across the river.

The Highbridge was designed in the style of a Roman Aqueduct, with 15 stone masonry arches spanning the Harlem River. Now the oldest bridge into Manhattan, the Highbridge is 35 years older than that upstart Brooklyn Bridge, and after restoration should be open to pedestrians again in 2015.

The bridge was constructed mainly by Irish immigrants who settled nearby, in a neighborhood named after the bridge. This Highbridge neighborhood in the far west Bronx is also famous as the home of Yankee Stadium, so we like to think of Derek Jeter as one of our homeboys (we’ll miss him and Bob Sheppard).

The center of life in Highbridge was the local parish, Sacred Heart, and back in the day we were city champs in basketball – the city game. Now we just talk a good game.

1pm / Kennelly’s Grille House, 962 S Rte 9W, Congers, NY
This is pretty far from Manhattan’s WestSide,
but sometimes you just have to make the journey, to get back to where you started.

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:
‘The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy’ (through Oct. 26)
‘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
—————————————————————————————————————————————-

‘Men in Armor: El Greco and Pulzone Face to Face’ (through Oct. 26)
The 400th anniversary celebration of El Greco’s death begins with a stunning clarification of the youthful greatness of his portrait “Vincenzo Anastagi” — a Frick Collection stalwart — that also teaches much about radicalism, fame and painting. This is done simply by pairing it with the obsessively detailed “Jacopo Boncompagni,” a rarely seen portrait by Scipione Pulzone, the now-forgotten artist of the moment in 1570s Rome, where both works were made. (Roberta Smith-NYT)
Frick Collection: 1 East 70th St. (btw 5th/Madison)
212-288-0700, frick.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: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 09/25 and 09/23.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged B.B. King Blue’s Club & Grill, BAM, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Central Park, Global Citizen Festival, Highbridge, Jazz at Lincoln Center, John Lurie, Marcus Roberts, Museum Day Live!, New York Burlesque Festival, Photoville, Robert Plant, The Lounge Lizards, Town Hall | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: WestVillage (09/26)

Posted on 09/26/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events –FRIDAY, SEPT. 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.”

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

Iggy Azalea
“This is Iggy Azalea’s summer, and we’re all just living in it. Lending her signature southern (via Australia) twang to tracks with Charli XCX, Rita Ora, and Ariana Grande, the curvaceous rapper topped charts and made her way into every possible radio station and spin class playlist in town. Headlining the standing room only venue, JBL Live at Pier 97, right off the Hudson River, Iggy will be joined by opening act, rapper (and sometimes crooner, check out “Down on My Luck”) Vic Mensa from Chicago. See why this unusual addition to hip-hop is stirring the pot.” (Lina Abascal-VillageVoice)
JBL Live at Pier 97
7:00pm / $48.00

Cia. Unión Tanguera (through Oct. 5)
Cia. Unión Tanguera, the celebrated French/Argentinean company, is an ensemble of extraordinary dancers and musicians who weave together sensuality and human emotion through the dance and music of contemporary and traditional Argentinean tango. Set to classic tango recordings and original compositions played live by a quartet of Buenos Aires’ finest musicians, Nuit Blanche (Sleepless Night) examines with humor the desires and fears that are revealed in the course of a late-night milonga.
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St., Chelsea,
at 8p.m./ $10 to $59.
(212) 242-0800 / joyce.org

Celebrating Adolph Green – 100 Years of Wonderful (also Saturday)
54 Below is delighted to celebrate the genius of Adolph Green in this, his centennial year. Join a rotating cast of Broadway greats during our three night musical soiree as we pay tribute to this legendary master of his craft.

In a career that spanned six decades and seven Tony Awards, Adolph Green and Betty Comden produced a body of work that is unparalleled in the American theatre: Wonderful Town. Bells Are Ringing. Singin’ in the Rain. On the Town. The Will Rogers Follies. The Bandwagon. On the Twentieth Century. Applause. Subways Are For Sleeping. And that’s just the tip of the ice berg! This is one very special weekend in September that they’ll be talking about for years to come. Get there before The Party’s Over!
54 Below, 254 W. 54th St. (btw Broadway/8^th ave)
7PM / $50-$85, with a $25 minimum.
646-476-3551 / 54below.com

Affordable Art Fair and Antiques Market (through Monday)
The Affordable Art Fair hosts 50 select galleries exhibiting affordable, contemporary art. Affordable is a relative concept. At the Affordable Art Fair, more than half of the pieces of art are under $5,000, and all are under $10,000.

“If you want to find something good and at an “affordable” price, make sure you go early. By the last day, there are still very good pieces, but not at very good prices.” (Yelp)
The Tunnel, 269 11th Avenue (between 27th and 28th Streets),
Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Monday until 6 p.m / $20
1-212-561-5488 / affordableartfair.com/newyork

Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:

Photoville (through Sunday)
“This is the last weekend for this free event presented by United Photo Industries featuring photography displays inside and outside shipping containers — some of them interactive — as well as panel discussions, workshops and other activities
at Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Joralemon Street and the East River.” (NYT)
A beer garden is also on site and even without the photo exhibition, NYCity’s newest park is spectacular on a beautiful fall day like today.
Friday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
718-215-9075, photovillenyc.org; FREE

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

A PremierPub – West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 54 Below, Adolph Green, Affordable Art Fair, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Cia. Unión Tanguera, Iggy Azalea, Joyce Theater, Photoville, Pier 97, The Tunnel | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide (09/25)

Posted on 09/25/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″+1/ Selected NYCity Events –THURSDAY, SEPT. 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.”

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

From the Works and Process Archives: Three Choreographers Reflect
Celebrating 30 years of Works & Process at the Guggenheim Museum, choreographers Karole Armitage, Larry Keigwin, and Pam Tanowitz present archival videos of their past Works & Process programs.

Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director Virginia Johnson moderates a discussion with the choreographers, as they reflect on their time at Works & Process.
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium
6:00 pm / FREE; reservations required
All registered seats are released 15 minutes before start time,
so we recommend that you arrive early.
nypl.org/locations/lpa

Söndörgö – Lost Music of the Balkans (Live@365)
Fast, furious, and virtuosic, Söndörgö is one of the most exciting bands in Europe today. Unlike traditional violin-led Hungarian bands, Söndörgö’s (pronounced shunderger) tamburitza music features the signature stringed tambura, a mandolin-like instrument. With delicate beauty and sizzling power, the band combines respect for tradition with a desire to innovate. Söndörgö preserves the Southern Slavic music of the Serbs and Croats that can be found in various settlements in Hungary.

“Their music sparkles with virtuosity and foot-tapping joie de vivre.” —
London Evening Standard
Elebash Hall at The CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue
7:00pm / $25

Justin Vivian Bond
“Mr. Bond is performing a series of original songs as part of the French Institute Alliance Française’s fall festival. I’m not sure that Mr. Bond is going to save the art of cabaret over the course of the evening—there doesn’t sound like there will be enough Cole Porter—but by God we’re going to find out.” (NY Observer)
FIAF’s Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th St.
7:30 p.m. / $30

“Books that Cook”
Jennifer Cognard-Black and Melissa Goldthwaite, the editors of “Books That Cook,” an inventive survey of American cookbooks from the seventeen-hundreds to the present, join Marion Nestle, Caroline Grant, Ravi Shankar, and other contributors to the volume, which is subtitled “The Making of a Literary Meal.”

The evening will feature Marion Nestle, a professor at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development who penned the book’s foreward, as well as editors Jennifer Cognard-Black and Melissa Goldthwaite

Organized like a cookbook, Books That Cook: The Making of a Literary Meal is a collection of American literature written on the theme of food: from an invocation to a final toast, from starters to desserts. Each section begins with an excerpt from an influential American cookbook, progressing chronologically from the late 1700s through the present day, including such favorites as American Cookery, The Joy of Cooking, and Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The literary works within each section are an extension of these cookbooks, while the cookbook excerpts in turn become pieces of literature—forms of storytelling and memory-making all their own.
Fales Library, New York University, 70 Washington Sq. S., third fl.
212-992-9991
at 6PM / FREE

Jesse Stacken and Kirk Knuffke/Ben Holmes and Patrick Farrell
Two trumpet-keyboard duos appear on this concert, part of the Sound It Out series: first, at 8 p.m., the pairing of Mr. Stacken on piano and Mr. Knuffke on trumpet, drawing from their fourth duo album together, “Five.” Then at 9 p.m. Mr. Holmes, a versatile trumpeter, teams up with Mr. Farrell, on accordion.” (NYT-Chinen)
Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow Street, West Village,
212-242-4770, greenwichhouse.org / $15

Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:

Opening: The NY Art Book Fair
The ninth annual New York Art Book Fair kicks off with a free opening night preview/party at MoMA PS1 featuring a dj set by jd samson and a live set with Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth playing out on the steps (6-9pm)

“There are many wonderful talks and events going on up at PS1 for the NY Art Book Fair. And then, when it’s all over, on Sunday, go and dance the night away at Santos Party House, for the closing celebration. Matthew Higgs is DJ’ing, so you know it’ll be good” (N.F. – NY Observer)
MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City,

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW: Special Exhibitions @ 2 MUSEUMS (Manhattan’s WestSide)

Museum of Modern Art:
‘A World of Its Own: Photographic Practices in the Studio’ (through Oct. 5)
Here’s what the NYT said about ‘A World of Its Own: Photographic Practices in the Studio’
“This mostly lively if repetitive overview traces the history of photography as the Modern never has — with images taken in the studio rather than out in the world. Its roughly 180 works span 160 years and represent some 90 portraitists, commercial photographers, lovers of still life, darkroom experimenters, Conceptual artists and several generations of postmodernists. Including film and video, it offers much to look at but dwells too much in the past, becoming increasingly blinkered and cautious as it approaches the present. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)
‘Designing Modern Women 1890-1990’(through Oct. 5)
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St. (btw 5th /6th Ave.)
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.

Designing Modern Women 1890-1990:

Museum of Arts and Design: ‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’ (through Oct. 12) This plunge into the biennial format makes a big, messy splash sampling the visual culture across the city — whether opera set design, art or new technologies. An expansive, invigorating move, it still contains too much that is fun, cute, clutter-making or useless, aimed at those with plenty of disposable income and homes to decorate.
Museum of Arts and Design, 2 Columbus Circle,
212-299-7777, madmuseum.org. (Smith-NYT)

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (09/23) and (09/21).

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged "Books that Cook", Ben Holmes, CUNY Graduate Center, Fales Library, FIAF’s Florence Gould Hall, Greenwich House Music School, Jesse Stacken, Justin Vivian Bond, Kirk Knuffke, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Söndörgö, Works and Process | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Tribeca (09/24)

Posted on 09/24/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″+1/ Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 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.”

“Macbeth”
“After kicking off the Metropolitan Opera’s season for three years in a row, Anna Netrebko is not the star on opening night. Instead she is waiting a couple of days for her latest diva turn, but it’s a doozy: Lady Macbeth, who rages her way through Verdi’s opera before a delicate, creepy sleepwalking scene, capped by an ethereal high D flat. The other singers are also notable, including Zeljko Lucic in the title role, the golden-toned Joseph Calleja as Macduff and René Pape as Banquo. Fabio Luisi leads the revival of Adrian Noble’s aptly grim production.” (NYT-Zachary Woolfe)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center,
212-362-6000 /metopera.org;
At 7:30 p.m./ $30 to $475

David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band
Inspired by the noble jazz pioneers Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and their colleagues, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band breathes life and passion into America’s own great art form.

Legendary record producer George Avakian describes the band in this way:
“There has never been a band quite like this one. Most groups, past and present, stick to one style. Some current groups attempt to recreate early recordings in their entirety. These guys do neither. Inspired by divergent bands of the 1920s and 30s, you’ll hear them swing a variety of styles in music by a wide range of composers, always true to the joy and heart of the music.”

Now in its 14th year of residency at Birdland, the weekly post-workday engagement is the city’s best musical bargain! Tuba player David Ostwald leads a rotating lineup that features talents such as clarinetist Anat Cohen, trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Ehud Asherie, drummer Marion Felder and more!
Birdland, 315 W 44th St., (btw 8/9 ave.)
At 5:30PM / $25
birdlandjazz.com

The Historic Opening of the High Line at the Rail Yards
New York’s extraordinary public space now extends all the way to 34th Street. Join us, starting Sunday, September 21, and experience the city from an entirely new perspective as the High Line goes west toward the Hudson River. Experience the High Line in a new way when you join us at one of forty opening week activities.
Let the High Line take you further.
Today:
wellness programs: yoga 8am, meditation 9am
nature walk: 9:30am
(Gansevoort Street entrance – On the High Line at Gansevoort and Washington)
lunch break concert: Flor de Toloache 1p
(10th Avenue Square – On the High Line at West 17th Street)
walk & talk: Eating from the Ground up 6pm
tonight, an ¡arriba! dance party 7pm
(14th Street Passage – On the High Line at West 14th Street)
The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues.

Martha Stewart
“One Pot: 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot, and More”
Martha Stewart will be in conversation with Margaret Russell, editor in chief of Architectural Digest.
Barnes & Noble, Union Square, 33 East 17th St.
At the north side of Union Square between Broadway and Park Avenue,
north of the Union Square (14th Street)
212-253-0810
7PM /Special Instructions: Event space seating will open at 5:00 pm on 4th floor. Priority seating with book purchase.

The Cookers
“This combustible hard-bop wrecking crew — Eddie Henderson and David Weiss on trumpets, Billy Harper and Donald Harrison on saxophones, George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass and Billy Hart on drums — recently released its excellent fourth album, “Time and Time Again.” The band has been on tour for much of the last six weeks and should be in strong fighting form here.” (Chinen-NYT)
Blue Note, 131 West Third St., Greenwich Village,
212-475-8592 / bluenote.net
At 8 and 10:30 p.m. / $35 cover at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 minimum.

Elsewhere, but absolutely worth the detour:

Derek Jeter’s Last Homestand at Yankee Stadium
You don’t have to be a Yankee fan (I sure am not) to appreciate the career of the Yankee shortstop. We all know how good he was on the field.

He is a 14 time All-Star, with Five World Series titles, and who can forget that iconic “flip play” against Oakland in the playoffs.

But maybe his most impressive accomplishment has been the way he has handled himself off the field in the media fishbowl that is NYCity. Over his 20 year career he has hardly ever made a misstep. He was a star professional athlete and a role model. These days that is pretty rare.

Derek’s last game at the Stadium is tomorrow night and those tickets will be priced in the stratosphere. I think today’s day game is your best chance to pay your respects and see DJ on the field one last time.

It’s a triple play – day baseball, good weather, and Bob Sheppard, “the voice of God”, saying one more time: “Now batting for the Yankees, #2, Derek Jeter, #2.”
Yankee Stadium, River Ave, “da Bronx”.
Subway: #4 from Grand Central to 161^st St.
Game Time: 1PM
Try stub hub or the yankee site, there are reasonably priced tickets available.
I’ll be in Section 313, stop by and say Hi.

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where 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 Barnes & Noble, Birdland, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Derek Jeter, High Line, Macbeth, Martha Stewart, Metropolitan Opera House, The Cookers, Yankee Stadium | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Gallery Special Exhibits: Chelsea (09/23)

Posted on 09/23/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″+1/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, SEPT. 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.”

Reading and Discussion of ‘All the Way,’ With Robert Schenkkan
“Mr. Schenkkan, author of the 2014 Tony Award-winning play about the early presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson — which featured Bryan Cranston of the AMC series “Breaking Bad” in the title role — will read from the play and talk about it with the actor Brandon J. Dirden, who played the role of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the production.” (NYT)

This was one heck of a play. Should be interesting to hear from the playright.
Drama Book Shop, 250 West 40th St. (btw 7/8 ave)
212-944-0595 / dramabookshop.com
At 5 p.m. / FREE.

Ghirardelli Minis Launch Party
Get free ice cream sundaes and free mini chocolates!
Ghirardelli minis are here. Come #shareamini with us at our official minis launch celebration where you’ll enjoy free ice cream sundaes, free minis, plus play games for sweet prizes!
10AM to 7PM
Grand Central Terminal, Vanderbilt Hall, 89 E 42nd St.

Christopher Owens
After fronting Girls — a bratty, lo-fi psychedelic duo from San Francisco — this rocker channeled the roiling emotions of a passionate yet doomed love affair into “Lysandre,” a gentler classical- and folk-influenced song cycle that suggested Elliott Smith or Conor Oberst. He marks the release of “A New Testament,” a cultured and country-inflected record with surprising skiffle flourishes.” (Anderson-NYT)
Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th St., Chelsea (btw 9/10 ave)
866-777-8932 / highlineballroom.com
At 8 p.m. / $22

New York City Ballet Fall Gala
A program conceived by actress Sarah Jessica Parker that merges ballet, fashion and fine Champagne. Tonight’s program includes three ballets with costumes designed by an international cadre of fashion talents that includes Thom Browne, Sarah Burton and Valentino Garavani. The gala marks the beginning of the fall season and the introduction of a new permanent element to the theater’s promenade: a Ruinart Champagne Bar.” (DNA info)
DHK Theater, West 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue at Lincoln Center.
7 p.m. / Specially-priced tickets for the performances start at $29 nycballet.com.

Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:

Shovels & Rope
“The husband-and-wife duo of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst stomp up a scene as Shovels & Rope, lacing roots ballads and Americana anthems with a barbed, quite nearly punk edge. Their instrument-swapping set brought a twangy fury to the Celebrate Brooklyn! festival this summer. With John Fullbright.” (Anderson-NYT)
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 N. Sixth St., Brooklyn
800-745-3000; 718-486-5400 / musichallofwilliamsburg.com
At 9 p.m. / $25
this is not Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is Bklyn’s WestSide.
subway:#1-2-3 to 14th St.; transfer to L to Bedford, (1st stop in Bklyn).
short walk to venue – 3 blks West on N 6th S

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (09/21) and (09/19).

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged All the Way, Christopher Owens, Drama Book Shop, Ghirardelli Minis Launch Party, Grand Central Terminal, Highline Ballroom, Music Hall of Williamsburg, New York City Ballet, Shovels & Rope | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Upper WestSide (09/22)

Posted on 09/22/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″+1/ Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, SEPT. 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.”

Mac Conner: A New York Life (through Jan. 09, 2015)
McCauley (“Mac”) Conner is considered by many to be one of New York’s original “MAD Men”. Born in 1913, Conner grew up admiring Norman Rockwell magazine covers in his father’s general store. He arrived in New York as a young man to work on wartime Navy publications and stayed on to make a career in the city’s vibrant publishing industry. The exhibition presents Conner’s hand-painted illustrations for advertising campaigns and women’s magazines like Redbook and McCall’s, made during the years after World War II when commercial artists helped to redefine American style and culture.
Museum of City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue, at 103rd St.
From 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.,/ $10.
(212) 534-1672 /

‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ (also Thursday)
For all you opera buffs who have been waiting for opening night at the Metropolitan Opera – here it is, “The Marriage of Figaro”, with James Levine back on the podium.
You may want to wait until Thursday’s performance for lower ticket prices.

“The director Richard Eyre, a recent Metropolitan Opera regular (“Carmen,” “Werther”), stepped in just last year to stage Mozart’s classic comedy, updating it to Spain in the 1930s. The bright, youthful cast includes the bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov as Figaro, the cunning valet; the compelling soprano Marlis Petersen as his fiancée, Susanne; the perky young mezzo Isabel Leonard as the randy page Cherubino; the baritone Peter Mattei, virile and charismatic, as Count Almaviva; and the young soprano Amanda Majeski, making her Met debut as a replacement for Marina Poplavskaya, as the Countess. James Levine, a brilliant Mozartian, returns to the podium for his first opening night since 2010.” (Woolfe-NYT)

Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center,
212-362-6000, metopera.org
At 6:15 p.m. on Monday and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday,
$85 to $1,500 on Monday, and $30 to $475 on Thursday

Allan Holdsworth, Jimmy Haslip & Gary Husband at the Iridium
“Innovative, influential jazz and rock guitar god Holdsworth teams with bassist Haslip (the Yellowjackets) and drummer Husband (John McLaughlin’s the 4th Dimension) for what promises to be a jazz-rock fusion tour de force.” (nycgo.com)

Allan Holdsworth is widely regarded by fans and contemporary musicians as one of the 20th century’s most prominent guitarists. He is one of a handful of musicians who has consistently proven himself as an innovator in between and within the worlds of rock and jazz music. Many of music’s best-known instrumental masters cite Holdsworth as that rare and shining voice—a legendary player who continues to push the outer limits of instrumental technique and the electric guitar’s range of tonal and textural possibilities.
The Iridium, 1650 Broadway (at 51^st St.)
8 & 10PM / $35-$45
(212) 582-2121 / www.theiridium.com

George Boorujy: Taxonomy (through Nov 13)
Taxonomy is a collection of George Boorujy’s dynamic large-scale paintings of North American animals with disarmingly human characteristics, as well as a series of his preliminary clay models and drawings. Inhabitants of New York City and other urban centers often think of themselves as removed from nature, but Boorujy’s hyperrealistic ink-on-paper portraits force us to rethink our relationship with animals and our own place within the environment.
Arsenal in Central Park, 3^rd Fl gallery, 830 Fifth Ave. (btw 63/64 St)
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. / FREE
(212) 360-8163 / parks.nyc.gov

We’re All Mad Here
with Lauren Beukes, Lev Grossman, and Jeff VanderMeer
Authors Lauren Beukes (Broken Monsters), Lev Grossman (The Magician’s Land), and Jeff VanderMeer (Acceptance) talk the weird, the fantastical, and the magical, followed by a Q&A and signing.

Broken Monsters
“Scary as hell and hypnotic. I couldn’t put it down…I’d grab it if I were you.”
–Stephen King
A criminal mastermind creates violent tableaus in abandoned Detroit warehouses in Lauren Beukes’s new genre-bending novel of suspense.

The Magician’s Land
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The stunning conclusion to the bestselling Magicians trilogy
Quentin Coldwater has been cast out of Fillory, the secret magical land of his childhood dreams. With nothing left to lose he returns to where his story began, the Brakebills Preparatory College of Magic. But he can’t hide from his past, and it’s not long before it comes looking for him.

The Magician’s Land is an intricate thriller, a fantastical epic, and an epic of love and redemption that brings the Magicians trilogy to a magnificent conclusion, confirming it as one of the great achievements in modern fantasy. It’s the story of a boy becoming a man, an apprentice becoming a master, and a broken land finally becoming whole.
Housing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby St. (btw E Houston and Prince St.)
subway: #1-2-3 to Times Square; transfer to N/R to Prince St.
walk E. 1 block, then N. 1 block to bookstore
212-334-3324 / housingworksbookstore.org
7:00pm / FREE

Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:

The Age of Radiance: The Epic Rise and Dramatic Fall of the Atomic Age
From x-rays and Marie Curie to the use of the atomic bomb in World War II, to the 2011 meltdown in Japan, humans have had a complicated and difficult relationship with nuclear power. Craig Nelson illuminates the fascinating historical figures intertwined in this complex history, from Enrico Fermi to Ronald Reagan and more.

Craig Nelson’s books include The New York Times bestseller Rocket Men, as well as Thomas Paine, which won the Henry Adams Prize.
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92^nd St.
at 12:00 pm / $24
212-415-5500 /

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

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.

No food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 92nd Street Y, Arsenal in Central Park, ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’, Broken Monsters, Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, George Boorujy, Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, Mac Conner, Metropolitan Opera House, Museum of City of New York, The Age of Radiance, The Great Organ: Midday Monday, The Magician's Land, The Marriage of Figaro | Leave a comment

Selected Events + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue (09/21)

Posted on 09/21/2014 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″+1/ Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, SEPT. 21, 2014
“We search the internet 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.”

Brooklyn Book Festival – can’t-miss events
Brooklyn has long been considered a hub of the literary world, and the Brooklyn Book Festival, taking over Borough Hall this Sunday, further confirms that. With tons of events, amNewYork (Scott Rosenberg) has picked out eight you should check out at the FREE festival. Here are just four:

Politics, War, Love and Streetlife
Join Elizabeth Gaffney (“When the World Was Young”), Rashidah Ismaili (“Autobiography of the Lower East Side”) and Sam Roberts (“The History of New York City in 101 Objects”) as they discuss New York City from the 1940s-60s. (11 a.m., St. Francis McArdle)

So, Can You Judge a Book By It’s Cover?
Expect book cover designer Chip Kidd (“Go! A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design”) and Riverhead Press art director Helen Yentus banter about the art of design. (Noon, St. Francis College Auditorium)

Poets Laureate Past and Present
Hear readings from accomplished poets Tina Chang (Brooklyn Poet Laureate), Rita Dove (U.S. Poet Laureate from 1993-95), Maria Howe (New York State Poet Laureate) and Ramya Ramana (NYC Youth Poet Laureate). (1 p.m., Mainstage)

Jonathan Lethem and Jules Feiffer in Conversation
Feiffer, a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, sits down with novelist Lethem (“Dissident Gardens”) for a discussion on satire, culture and politics. (4 p.m., St. Francis College Auditorium)
The Brooklyn Book Festival runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza, 209 Joralemon St.,
brooklynbookfestival.org / FREE

Sondheim Unplugged
A celebrated New York event since 2010, the Broadway World & Bistro Award-winning series Sondheim Unplugged features some of Broadway and cabaret’s most dynamic voices, accompanied by piano only. Expect tunes from A Little Night Music, Company, Into the Woods, Follies, Passion, Dick Tracy and more.

Past special guests have included original Sondheim cast members such as Len Cariou, Victoria Mallory, Donna McKechnie & Chip Zien – so you never know who might drop in. Sondheim Unplugged is hosted by series creator Phil Geoffrey Bond, who will fill the audience in on Sondheimien facts, history & assorted tidbits of theatrical lore!
Come join the party!
54 Below, 254 W. 54th St. (btw Broadway/8^th ave)
7PM / $35-$70, with a $25 minimum.
646-476-3551 / 54below.com

Festival of New Trumpet Music (through Sept. 28)
Oh, Baby! A dozen trumpets!

“This annual hornucopia shines a light on new works by or for trumpeters, with an unrestrictive relationship to genre.Tonight, Igmar Thomas — who has received another festival honor, the Roy Campbell Jr. Commission — will perform with his group, preceding a 10 p.m. Campbell tribute featuring more than a dozen trumpeters, conducted by Lewis (Flip) Barnes and Dave Douglas.” (Chinen-NYT)
Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia St. (btw W4th/BleeckerSt.)
8:30 & 10 pm / $10, plus $10 minimum.
212-731-0574/corneliastreetcafe.com
For more information about the festival, visit fontmusic.org.

Barbara Nessim: An Artful Life (until Mon. Jan. 12 2015)
“Barbara Nessim is a pioneer in graphic design. The Bronx-born artist and illustrator was one of the first women in the field in the early 1960s, and her complex designs made waves in the creative world. Her new exhibit features more than150 of her works, ranging from computer-generated illustrations to textiles to fashion and more. The book, “Barbara Nessim: An Artful Life”, exploring the details of the creative designer’s career, accompanies the installation.” (TONY)
Bard Graduate Center Gallery, 18 W 86th St., btw Central Park West/ Columbus Ave
212-501-3023 / bgc.bard.edu/gallery
Tue, Wed, Fri–Sun 11am–5pm / $7; seniors and students $5
Thu 11am–8pm / 5–8pm FREE.
212-501-3023 / bgc.bard.edu

The Coca-Cola Generations In Jazz Festival (through Sept. 30)
“For the fifth year running, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola has organized a monthlong series with a multigenerational theme. Headlining this weekend is the Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander, in a program called “Jazz Around the West Indies”.
On Monday and Tuesday the guitarist Peter Bernstein will lead a quartet.
And Wednesday’s program, featuring the alto saxophonists Gary Bartz and Sharel Cassity, will precede a four-night run by the Heath Brothers.” (Chinen-NYT)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
212-258-9595, jalc.org;
At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. / $25 to $45 cover; $10 minimum at tables, $5 at the bar.

Feast of San Gennaro Festival (LastDay)
The 88th Annual Feast of San Gennaro takes over the ever shrinking Little Italy with food, rides, games of chance, and more (don’t miss the cannoli!).

This festival is held on the streets of historic Little Italy, the lower Manhattan neighborhood which served as the first home in America for hundreds of thousands of Italian immigrants who came here seeking to improve their lives beginning in the early part of the 20th century.

This year’s Feast is expected once again to attract more than one-million people from the four corners of the globe to the streets of Little Italy to participate in the annual Salute to the Patron Saint of Naples.

Centered on Mulberry Street, enjoy indoor and outdoor dining at 35 of Little Italy’s most famous Italian restaurants. More than 300 licensed street vendors selling international foods, official Feast of San Gennaro, New York City and Little Italy souvenirs.
11:30am–11pm / free admission.

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:
‘Garry Winogrand’ (LastDay)
Mr. Winogrand, who died at 56 in 1984, was the photographer laureate of urban and suburban middle-class life in the United States from the late 1950s through the ’70s and beyond. This ample retrospective focuses on his prime years, when he recorded a newly prosperous America while strolling Manhattan’s avenues and then followed it as it waded into increasingly troubled political waters. The result is a remarkable panorama of an era, with some terrific pictures, and some that Winogrand, who left a mountain of unprocessed film behind, never edited or printed. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Cotter-NYT)
‘The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy’ (through Oct. 26)
‘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
—————————————————————————————————————————————-

• 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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 09/19 and 09/17.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 54 Below, Barbara Nessim, Bard Graduate Center Gallery, Brooklyn Book Festival, Cornelia Street Café, Dizzy's Club, Feast of San Gennaro Festival, Festival of New Trumpet Music, Frick Collection, Generations In Jazz Festival, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sondheim Unplugged | Leave a comment

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

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above. For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

=========================================================================== ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where 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)

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

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above. For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

============================================================================= ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance. ==============================================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (09/27) and (09/25).

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above. For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

============================================================================= ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where 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)

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

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:

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

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above. For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

============================================================================= ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance. ==============================================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 09/25 and 09/23.

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above. For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

============================================================================= ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance. ==============================================================================

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

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

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above. For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

============================================================================= ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance. ==============================================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (09/23) and (09/21).

============================================================================= ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance. ==============================================================================

A PremierPub – Tribeca

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

============================================================================= ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance. ==============================================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (09/21) and (09/19).

=============================================================== ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance. ==============================================================================

A PremierPub – Upper West Side

Dinosaur / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

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

============================================================================= ♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance. ==============================================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 09/19 and 09/17.

Recent Posts

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta

Recent Posts

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

===========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

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

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

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

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:

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

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

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

For other useful and curated NYCity info, be sure to check out info in the headers above.
For NYCity Stories, Sights and Sounds visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

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

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

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

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================