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

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, DEC. 14, 2013

‘Great Generals’
Jean Edward Smith, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for the biography “Grant,” and Lewis Sorley, author of “Thunderbolt: General Creighton Abrams and the Army of His Time,” will speak about Ulysses S. Grant.
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, at 77th St.
From 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m./$60; $36 for members.
(212) 873-3400, nyhistory.org

Circus Der Sinne (through Jan. 5)
Fans of contemporary circus may be used to the surreal worlds of Cirque du Soleil, but “Mother Africa” by Circus Der Sinne (“Circus of the Senses”) offers a warmer and more spirited journey through a specific cultural landscape. Riding a wave of propulsive rhythms, the show mixes the spectacle of contortionists, jugglers and other tricksters with live African music and dance.” (Schaefer-NYT)
New Victory Theater,  209 West 42nd Street,
at 2 and 7 p.m. / $17 to $60
223-3010, newvictory.org

Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra,
‘Big Band Holidays’
“JALC’s current holiday offering, “Big Band Holidays,” has been an unqualified success now for three consecutive Christmas seasons. This weekend the Lincoln Centurians are ornamenting it up even further with the bubbly but hardly bauble-y rising vocalist, Cécile McLorin Salvant.

The orchestra’s staff of arrangers have done a particularly remarkable job in rejuvenating some of the most beloved melodies in all of music, as Ted Nash’s superb orchestration of “We Three Kings” clearly shows. The saxophonist-arranger, proving himself to be as wise as the kings themselves at the Nativity, cast the ancient carol in a commendably Coltrane-esque context, taking a soprano solo himself, and making what was once overly familiar now seem mystical and mysterious—and in the process, bringing out the spirituality of the season.” (WSJ)
Rose Theater, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
at 2 and 8 p.m./ $30 to $105.
(212) 721-6500, jalc.org;

Gamelan Kusuma Laras perform music and dance of Java
If you are like me, a big fan of Gamelan music, don’t miss this one.

Celebrate Gamelan music of Central Java, performed by Gamelan Kusuma Laras, and dances of East Java with guest artist Christina Sunardi. Originally formed 25 years ago with instruments that had been created for the Indonesia Pavilion at the World’s Fair of 1964-65 in Flushing, New York, Gamelan Kusuma Laras has entranced audiences around the United States and Indonesia with its authentic performances of music, dance, and theater from the classical repertoire of the courts of Central Java.
Indonesian Consulate, 5 E. 68th St. (btw. Fifth & Madison Aves.)
At 8PM / FREE
1-212-879-0600

The GrooveBarbers’ A Cappella Holiday Concert
This powerhouse vocal quartet — which includes three members of the pioneering contemporary a capella ensemble Rockapella — brings holiday cheer with its soulful rock- and jazz-influenced take on barbershop. With no instruments in sight, seasonal classics get the doo-wop treatment for this special yuletide concert, featuring a guest turn by beatboxer extraordinaire Ed Chung of the a cappella funk group Duwende.
Peter Jay Sharp Building, BAMcafé
At 9PM / No cover, no minimum

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating places – 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 will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary next 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).

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Website:  cornerbistrony.com
Phone #:  212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour:  NO
Music:  Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:

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

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2013

Caroling at The Morgan
The Morgan Library and Museum, which is currently displaying Charles Dickens’s original manuscript of “A Christmas Carol,” has singers from Mannes College The New School for Music roaming its halls, performing seasonal fare on Dec. 13 and Dec. 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 and on Dec. 15 and Dec. 22 from 3 to 5.
Morgan Library, 225 Mdison Ave. (btw 37th/36th St.)
212-685-0008, themorgan.org

Occasionally, you just have to venture over to Brooklyn. These next 2 are worth the trip:

Rime of the Ancient Mariner
“Water, water everywhere.” Fiona Shaw delivers a masterful performance of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s eerie tale of penance paid on the high seas. Like an actor possessed, the fiery Shaw inhabits the very marrow of this epic 18th-century poem, bounding across the stage while transforming Coleridge’s luminous language into an exhilarating lived experience.

In the icy Antarctic, a ship is lost at sea. And when a mariner shoots a bird thought to be the crew’s salvation, his macabre, guilt-inducing fate—the veritable “albatross around the neck”—is decided. Accompanied by dancer Daniel Hay Gordon, who offers interpretive counterpoint throughout, Shaw skirts a whirlpool, braves a crew of corpses, and rolls Death’s dice with poetic abandon, taking us to hell and back.
Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Ave, Fort Greene, Brooklyn 
At 7:00pm / $25-$85
718-636-4100 / Website

American Ballet Theatre’s “The Nutcracker” (through Dec. 22)
This is the rival to the one at Lincoln Center. Both are wonderful.
“Magical toy soldiers, sparkling snowflakes, mischievous mice, and all the enchanting inhabitants of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s whimsical world return to BAM for the winter holidays in this acclaimed production of The Nutcracker, presented by the renowned American Ballet Theatre and choreographed by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky.

Performed with a live orchestra, together with extraordinary sets and costumes by Tony Award winner Richard Hudson (The Lion King), The Nutcracker is bound to be a treasured memory for years to come. It is no wonder The New York Times praised, “American Ballet Theatre has a production like no other, made with complete theatrical authority from first to last. The poetry of Alexei Ratmansky’s vision is very striking. I’m impatient to see it again.” Recommended for ages 4 & older.” (CG)
Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn
At 7PM / $15-$150
718-636-4100 / bam.org

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews has God-given talent, natural charisma and a relentless drive to bridge music’s past and future. His third outing for Verve Records, Say That To Say This (Sept. 10), was co-produced by Andrews and kindred spirit Raphael Saadiq, and sounds like nothing else out there, as Andrews and his longtime band, Orleans Avenue – guitarist Pete Murano, bassist Mike Ballard and drummer Joey Peebles – continue their natural musical evolution.

In a very real sense, the torch is passed from one great New Orleans band to another on the new album, which features the first new studio recording from the original members of the legendary Meters in 36 years, as they revisit their 1977 classic “Be My Lady,” with Andrews singing lead and playing horns.
Terminal 5, 610 W 56th St
at 8:00pm / $35
212-582-6600 / Website

“BIG BAND HOLIDAYS” (through Saturday)
“While balletophiles take their children to “The Nutcracker,” devoted jazz fans can bring the brood to the annual holiday programs featuring Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. The band is always topnotch, but additional seasonal pizzazz will be provided by Cécile McLorin Salvant, an audaciously spectacled singer who turns every appearance on a stage into a genuine event.” (NewYorker mag)
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theatre, Broadway at 60th St.
Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m./ $30 to $105.
212-721-6500 / jalc.org

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

What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

“Eighteenth Century Pastels” (through Dec. 29)
“Julia Margaret Cameron” (through Jan. 5, 2014)
“Medieval Treasures From Hildesheim” (through Jan. 5, 2014)
“Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500-1800″ (through Jan. 5, 2014)
‘Balthus: Cats and Girls — Paintings and Provocations’ (through Jan. 12, 2014)
“Brush Writing in the Arts of Japan” (through Jan. 12, 2014)
“Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa, The Venini Co., 1932–1947” (through March 2, 2014)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org

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‘Robert Motherwell: Early Collages’ (through Jan. 5, 2014)
‘Christopher Wool’ (through Jan. 22, 2014)
“Kandinsky in Paris, 1934–1944“ (through Apr. 23, 2014)

Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.

‘Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Hals: Masterpieces of Dutch Painting From the Mauritshuis’ (through Jan. 19, 2014)
Frick Collection, 1 East 70th St., at Fifth Ave.
admission is by timed tickets.
288-0700 / frick.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. ==========================================================

What’s on View: Top Photography Exhibitions
(NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide)   

Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400
XL: 19NewAcquisitions in Photography (through Dec. 31)
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014) 

Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710
Julia Margaret Cameron (through Jan. 5, 2014)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969  (through Jan. 26, 2014)

ICP 1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000
Lewis Hine
The Future of America: Lewis Hine’s New Deal Photographs
JFK November 22, 1963: A Bystander’s View of History
Zoe Strauss: 10 Years
All these exhibitions run from Oct 4, 2013–Jan 19, 2014

American Museum Natural History 
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies (through May 31, 2014)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 12/11 and 12/09.

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, DEC. 12, 2013

Holiday Markets
More than 150 vendors are selling their goods in Union Square Park, bordered by Park Avenue South, Broadway and 14th Streets, through Christmas Eve. Hours: weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; urbanspacenyc.com. (through Dec 24)

The Holiday Shops are just part of the seasonal events in Bryant Park, at Avenue of the Americas and 40th Street, through Jan. 5. Hours: weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (through Jan. 5)

In Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, the 14th annual Holiday Fair offers 76 stalls of goods through Christmas Eve. Hours: Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. These shops have some nice stuff. Try to shop before noon and avoid the lunch time worker bee crowds. (through Dec 24)

While in GrandCentral check out the Holiday Train Show (through Feb. 23) which features a 34-foot-long Lionel model train layout. It’s on display at the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store near the Station Master’s Office. To be honest, this year’s setup is not as good as previous years and not worth a special trip to GCT. But it is FREE and  can be viewed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. see mta.info/mta/museum.

Wish You Were Here: Sigmund Freud
Participate in an unusual evening of discussion between Jens Hoffmann and Dr. Sigmund Freud, represented by Michael Roth, President of Wesleyan University and author of six books including Memory, Trauma and History: Essays on Living with the Past (2011). Roth curated the 1998 exhibition Freud: Conflict and Culture at the Library of Congress and edited a collected volume of essays on Freud, published under the same title.
The Jewish Museum, 1109 5th Avenue, (btw 81/82)
At 6:30pm / This program is free with Pay-What-You-Wish-Admission. General museum admission is $15.
212-423-3200 / Website

LOSER’S LOUNGE (through Sat)
“Harry Nilsson had one of the sweetest, supplest voices in pop music, until he ruined it with years of drinking, drugs, and a particularly abusive singing-screaming contest with his buddy John Lennon during the recording of their joint venture, “Pussy Cats.”

Earlier this year, Sony Legacy released a definitive, seventeen-album boxed set of Nilsson’s work, a benchmark for the wonderful singers of the Loser’s Lounge to aspire to. The Loser’s leader, Joe McGinty, will have plenty of fascinating, newly discovered material with which to construct his tribute. These shows mark the twentieth anniversary of Loser’s Lounge, one of New York’s liveliest, funniest, and most musically satisfying institutions.” (NewYorker mag)
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St.
7PM THU and FRI; 9:30PM FRI; 6:30 and 9PM SAT / $25
212-539-8778.

STREB “Forces” (through Dec. 22)
“Action heroes are usually the stuff of summer blockbusters, but thanks to Elizabeth Streb they have made their way to the world of dance as well. This pioneering daredevil choreographer showcases the long fall season with her fearless dancers at their home base, the Streb Lab for Action Mechanics in Brooklyn. The new piece, “Forces,” like all of her work, is equal parts circus, stunt and acrobatics, with the aid of Ms. Streb’s homegrown gadgets and contraptions.” — (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)
Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.
Streb Lab for Action Mechanics, 51 North First Street, Brooklyn
$40 to $60; family four-pack, $130
(866) 811-4111  / http://streb.org
subway: #1-2-3 to 14th St.; transfer to L train to Bedford (1st stop in bklyn)
walk 6 blocks S on Bedford to 1st St; 3 blks W on 1st St. to STREB (12 min)

Gregory Generet
No longer just subbing for Gregory Porter, vocalist Gregory Generet has turned Thursday nights into a top destination at Smoke. “Mr. Generet is a crooner in the tradition of Billy Eckstine and Johnny Hartman…(with) a voice so sultry you might get burned” -(New York Times, 2012)

Located off the southern edge of New York’s fabled Harlem neighborhood, Smoke Jazz & Supper Club-Lounge presents world-renowned jazz musicians seven nights a week. Candlelit tables, plush velvet banquets, antique chandeliers, and an historic full-length bar create a real jazz vibe to go with the excellent acoustics and sight lines.

The room has seating for just over fifty, which ensures that every listener is close to the action. The acoustics are some of the best anywhere. Pianist David Hazeltine remarked, “I love playing this room. It’s rare that the piano can be heard as clearly as it is in this club.” Harold Mabern added, “It’s the best jazz club in the world.”
Smoke Jazz and Supper Club-Lounge, 2751 Broadway (btw 105/106)
7pm & 9pm two-course dinner prix-fixe available for $29.95 / no music charge
10:30pm $20 minimum (dinner optional) / no music charge
212.864.6662 / smokejazz.com

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating places – Tribeca

B-Flat  /  277 Church st (Btw Franklin/White)

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 1 blk E to Church; 1 blk N to bFlat

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

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Today’s “Fab 5”+1 / Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11, 2013

The “Murphy Brown” Cast Reunion
Exclusive: “Murphy Brown” stars Candice Bergen, Faith Ford, Charles Kimbrough, Joe Regalbuto and Grant Shaud along with creator Diane English reunite to share behind-the-scenes stories in celebration of the show’s 25th anniversary!
At 12:30PM / waitlist for tickets: http://katiecouric.com/tickets/
If you were a big fan like me, you want to see how these guys have aged, and what the inside scoop was on the show. If you don’t get in, try the “The “Murphy Brown” Cast Reunion” airing on ABC December 12 @ 3PM

Eric Yves Garcia
“Pianist and singer Eric Yves Garcia has an upper-register highly reminiscent of Bobby Short, a trio of guitar ( Tony Romano ) and bass ( Ritt Henn ) directly inspired by that of Nat King Cole and a commendable predilection for some of the less frequently heard selections from the Sinatra canon. Most importantly, he puts everything together in a highly personal, intensely intimate fashion that allows the songs to come to us through him in a way that’s by turns incredibly moving and very funny—often both at the same time. The great songs, Mr. Garcia says, “may bend, but they don’t break,” and he proves it, time after time.” (WSJ)
Chez Josephine, 414 W. 42nd St. (btw 9th/10th Ave)
(212) 594-1925, chezjosephine.com

Anthony Bourdain and Albert Maysles
Anthony Bourdain, culinary rock star, and Albert Maysles, legendary documentarian, get together with a frequent “Chopped” judging panelist, Marcus Samuelsson, for a little tête-à-tête on the current state of food, film and auteurship.
New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th St.
7:30 p.m.; reception at 6 p.m./ $65; $125 with reception.
582-6050, brownpapertickets.com/event/515882

The Fellowship Band* (through Dec. 15)
“The warmth and elasticity of this ensemble, formerly billed under the name of its drummer and founder, Brian Blade, suggests a modern amalgam of rustic Americana, from gospel to jazz to folk to country. Along with Mr. Blade, one of the most unaffectedly charismatic musicians in jazz, the band features Jon Cowherd on piano, Melvin Butler and Myron Walden on saxophones, Chris Thomas on bass and Steve Cardenas on guitar.” (NYT-Chinen)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th St.
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m./ $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum.
255-4037, villagevanguard.com

Tree Lighting and Caroling
Celebrate your favorite winter holiday and sing yuletide carols in downtown’s historic park. The annual 45-foot Christmas tree under the Arch will be lit for the season between the hours of 4 pm and 1 am. At 6pm, the Rob Susman Brass Quartet and children and grown-ups alike will sing holiday songs. The sparkling lights on the resplendent tree will be turned on to mark the beginning of festive winter evenings. Santa Claus himself has promised to appear and lead the children in the illumination countdown. The Washington Square Association provides complimentary songbooks.
Washington Square Park,
The Arch, at the foot of Fifth Ave., one block south of Eighth St.
At 5:00PM / FREE
1-212-252-3621

KEITH JARRETT, GARY PEACOCK, AND JACK DEJOHNETTE
“The pianist Jarrett’s trio with the bassist Peacock and the drummer DeJohnette is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year. Through the decades, the members of this threesome have managed to keep surprising each other—and, in turn, their audience—with their spontaneity. This spirit comes out in the extended group improvisations that regularly spin off their investigations of songbook standards. As crowd-pleasing as those open-ended jams are, though, the trio’s exquisite, slow-motion ballad readings are the real treasures.” (NewYorker mag)
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium, Seventh Ave. at 57th St.
At 8 p.m. / $45 to $100.
212-247-7800 / carnegiehall.org

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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WHAT’S ON VIEW: Special Exhibitions @ 4 MUSEUMS (Manhattan’s WestSide) 

‘Walker Evans: American Photographs’ (through Jan. 26, 2014)
American Modern: Hopper to O’Keefe (through Jan. 26, 2014)
America’s cultural landscape shifted rapidly in the early 20th century. American Modern at the Museum of Modern Art looks at this change via some of the iconic works produced between 1915 and 1950. Artists highlighted include George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz and Andrew Wyeth. In organizing the art thematically, American Modern will highlight the connections between the artists’ works.
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St. (btw 5th /6th Ave.)
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.
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‘The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Revolution’ (through Feb. 23, 2014)
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, at 77th St.
(212) 873-3400 / nyhistory.org.

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New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: Al Hirschfeld Exhibition
(through Jan. 4, 2014)
“The Line King’s Library,” a display of work by Al Hirschfeld, whose specialty was theatrical caricatures, includes rare works as well as those familiar to theatergoers and readers of various publications, including The New York Times. The exhibition also includes video interviews with Mr. Hirschfeld, who died in 2003 at 99, and works by some of his contemporaries.”
NY Public Library for the Performing Arts, at Lincoln Center
111 Amsterdam Ave and 65th St.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.,
until 8 on Mondays and Thursdays
(917) 275-6975, nypl.org/events/exhibitions/line-kings-library.

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The Art of the Brick by Nathan Sawaya (ongoing)
This exhibition by artist Nathan Sawaya is a critically acclaimed collection of intriguing and inspiring works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world — LEGO® bricks. The Discovery Times Square exhibit is the world’s biggest and most elaborate display of LEGO® art ever and features brand-new, never-before-seen pieces by Sawaya. This show was named ‘One of CNN’s Ten Global Must-See Exhibitions.’
Discovery Times Square, 226 West 44th St. (btw 7th/8th ave)
866.987.9692 / http://www.discoverytsx.com

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WHAT’S ON VIEW: Top Photography Exhibitions
(NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide)

  Museum of Modern Art
XL: 19NewAcquisitions in Photography (through Dec. 31)
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014)
New Photography 2013 (through Jan. 6, 2014)
11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400

  Metropolitan Museum of Art
Julia Margaret Cameron (through Jan. 5, 2014)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969 
(through January 26, 2014)
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710

  American Museum Natural History 
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies          
(through May 31, 2014)
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278 

   International Center Photography
Lewis Hine
The Future of America: Lewis Hine’s New Deal Photographs
JFK November 22, 1963: A Bystander’s View of History
Zoe Strauss: 10 Years
All these exhibitions run through Jan. 19, 2014
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : … …” dated (12/09) and (12/07).

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, DEC. 10, 2013

Book Talk: Building Seagram
Author Phyllis Lambert will present her new book Building Seagram. The presentation will be followed by a conversation with Skyscraper Museum director Carol Willis.

The Seagram building rises over New York’s Park Avenue, seeming to float above the street with perfect lines of bronze and glass. Considered one of the greatest icons of twentieth-century architecture, the building was commissioned by Samuel Bronfman, founder of the Canadian distillery dynasty Seagram. Bronfman’s daughter Phyllis Lambert was twenty-seven years old when she took over the search for an architect and chose Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969), a pioneering modern master of what he termed “skin and bones” architecture.

Building Seagram is a comprehensive personal and scholarly history of a major building and its architectural, cultural, and urban legacies. Lambert makes use of previously unpublished personal archives, company correspondence, and photographs to tell an insider’s view of the debates, resolutions, and unknown dramas of the building’s construction, as well as its crucial role in the history of modern art and architectural culture.
Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place
at 6:30 pm / FREE
212-968-1961

‘Holiday Cheer for ‘FUV with Iron and Wine’ 
“Ghost on Ghost,” the latest studio album by the singer-songwriter Sam Beam (who records as Iron and Wine), maintains the artist’s trademark whisper-soft vocals and folk fingerpicking, yet toys with jazz and pop in unexpected ways. Onstage, Mr. Beam is a slight but magnetic character as his rich musicianship fills the room. Calexico, Nick Lowe and Glen Hansard also lend their voices to benefit the New York public radio station WFUV.” (Anderson-NYT)
Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway, at 74th St.
At 8 p.m./ $45 to $300
745-3000, beacontheatre.com

Yarn/Wire, a Unique Quartet of Keyboardists and Percussionists
Program:
Eric Wubbels: alphabeta for quartet
Mei-Fang Lin: Interaction for solo piano and prerecorded CD
Alex Mincek: V for solo marimba
Tristan Murail: Selections from Les travaux et les jours for solo piano Øyvind Torvund: The Stacks for solo marimba

Bring a friend, grab a drink, and join some of today’s most interesting performers onstage at Miller Theatre on select Tuesday evenings.

Yarn/Wire returns to Miller Theatre on the heels of their February 2013 debut with a program of new works for their unique instrumentation: two keyboard players and two percussionists. The four team up to play a recent piece by composer Eric Wubbels, and then divide and conquer in solos for piano and marimba.
Miller Theater, 2960 Broadway @ 116thSt.
Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis,
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., music starts 6PM / FREE
212-854-7799

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (through Jan 4, 2014)
It wouldn’t be the Holiday Season without this old chestnut.

“Since 1954, the New York City Ballet has transported audiences to a world of frost fairies, toy soldiers and towering mice. Tchaikovsky’s score may be hummably familiar, but the choreography still feels magically fresh.” (TONY mag)
DHK Theater (at Lincoln Center), 20 Lincoln Center Plaza
at 63rd St
Schedule varies, NO Mondays; visit nycballet.com for details / $57-$254
Lincolncenter.org / (212) 870-5570  / nycballet.com

Puppet Playlist #17: Johnny Cash
“If you’re wondering what a Johnny Cash-inspired puppet show might look like, you’ll be able to find out this week because the gang at Puppet Playlist are sending up the man in black in their newest production. If you aren’t familiar with this collective’s brilliance, every three months they take on a new musical theme and develop a theatrical event that’s a creative mix of puppetry and music.

Past subjects have included Tom Waits, David Bowie and Talking Heads. For this Cash-conversant edition, the puppetry of Brodrick Jones, Jake Bazel and Michael Schupbach & Spencer Lott is performed alongside the musical ingenuity of Swear & Shake, Emily Hope Price and more. These productions tend to sell out, so advance purchase is advised.” (Mindy Bond, Flavorpill)
Kraine Theater, (E4th St. btw Bowery/2nd ave)
12/9 at 8pm, 12/11 at 7:30pm & 9:30pm / $10.00

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – 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 to Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in an 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 door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of all 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 Mississippi 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. 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 humongous 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 Hwy, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: M-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 10:00pm
Subway: #1 to 125th st
Walk 2 blk W on 125th to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway

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

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

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, DEC. 09, 2013

Holiday Markets
More than 150 vendors are selling their goods in Union Square Park, bordered by Park Avenue South, Broadway and 14th Streets, through Christmas Eve. Hours: weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; urbanspacenyc.com. (through Dec 24)

The Holiday Shops are just part of the seasonal events in Bryant Park, at Avenue of the Americas and 40th Street, through Jan. 5. Hours: weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (through Jan. 5)

In Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, the 14th annual Holiday Fair offers 76 stalls of goods through Christmas Eve. Hours: Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. These shops have some nice stuff. Try to shop before noon and avoid the lunch time worker bee crowds. (through Dec 24)

While in GrandCentral check out the Holiday Train Show (through Feb. 23) which features a 34-foot-long Lionel model train layout. It’s on display at the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store near the Station Master’s Office. To be honest, this year’s setup is not as good as previous years and not worth a special trip to GCT. But it is FREE and  can be viewed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. see mta.info/mta/museum.

TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET WITH SPECIAL GUEST TIERNEY SUTTON:
A SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
Vocalist Tierney Sutton joins up with the two-time Grammy®-winning Turtle Island Quartet for a special concert celebrating the music of the “Festival of Lights.” From the songs of Chanukah, to the music of India’s Diwali, and the old English carols of the 16th century, TIQ and Ms. Sutton explore timeless music that has been an integral part of winter holiday celebrations for centuries.
Brookfield Place, Winter Garden, 220 Vesey Street
At 1pm / FREE

Digital Publishing: eBooks, eMagazines, and Apps
“eBook sales continue to rise rapidly, and the trend is only going to continue, with magazines and other publications quickly moving to the iPad and other tablets. Digital publishing is hot-hot-hot, and print designers should be learning about it NOW.

With a lot of different formats and a host of different target devices, there’s naturally some confusion. What are the different formats and what is each capable of? What are the differences between eBooks and eMagazines? What is the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, and how can it help me? This seminar answers these questions, and more.

You’ll see examples of eBooks, eMagazines, and apps, with live examples demonstrated across various devices, so you can understand how they work on iPad, iPhone, Kindle, etc.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss, which are crucial to designers:
• What are the possibilities of eBooks, and how are they made?
• What are the possibilities of eMagazines, and how are they made?
• What is Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS), and what can I achieve with it?
• What apps do I use to create eBooks and eMagazines, and are they easy to learn?
• When should a native iPad/iPhone app be used?

You’ll come away with a clear understanding of what’s possible, knowledgeable about the various media types and devices. You’ll be inspired to get started!” (Flavorpill)
Noble Desktop, 594 Broadway, Suite 1202
At 6pm / FREE
nobledesktop.com/seminars

What Makes It Great? With Rob Kapilow – Britten: A Ceremony of Carols
Brooklyn Youth Chorus
Dianne Berkun-Menaker, conductor
Bridget Kibbey, harp
The Grammy Award–winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus joins lively commentator Rob Kapilow in a demonstration of Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, a Christmastime favorite featuring treble chorus and delicate harp solos. The Chorus will be accompanied by Bridget Kibbey, founding harpist of the International Contemporary Ensemble.

“Classical music’s greatest evangelist.” —Boston Globe
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St.
7:30pm. / Limited Availability
212-721-6500, LCGreatPerformers.org

Rod Stewart 
“Now that he’s been doubly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — as a solo artist in 1994 and as a member of the Faces in 2012 — Mr. Stewart has even more reason to don his flashy suits and swan around the Garden. He has dabbled in traditional fare lately, including a dip into the Great American Songbook on a 2010 release and the 2012 album “Merry Christmas Baby.” On “Time,” out this year, he purred through originals and a sweet bonus-edition cover of Bob Dylan’s “Corinna Corinna.” With Steve Winwood.” (Anderson-NYT)
Madison Square Garden, 7th Ave and 33rd St.
At 7:30 p.m., / $59.50 to $184.50.
(866) 858-0008, thegarden.com

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

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.

WHAT’S ON VIEW: Here are 3 Special Exhibitions in Chelsea Galleries that you may want to see:

Raqib Shaw, “Paradise Lost” (until Sat. Dec. 21)
East meets West in the work of this London artist, who originally hails from India, and whose sumptuous, jewel-and-enamel inlaid paintings and intricately detailed sculptures combine numerous traditions and canons—including Indian miniatures and textiles, Old Master painting, Orientalism and Surrealism. His works might be best described as visions of paradise being invaded by the forces of hell. It’s a strange mix that plays upon our notions of exoticism while sending them up. For his debut at Pace, the artist fills all three of the gallery’s Chelsea locations.
Pace Gallery 508 W 25th St. btw Tenth and Eleventh Aves
Tue–Sat 10am–6pm
212-255-4044 / thepacegallery.com

Richard Serra, “New Sculpture” (until Sat. Jan. 25, 2014)
Gagosian’s double dose of Richard Serra presents dueling sides of the sculptor: the popular artist name checked in a Vampire Weekend song, and the confrontational figure familiar from his earlier career.

The gallery’s West 21st Street location presents the former in fine form, with a single massive work. Curling ribbons of steel, set on edge and towering to ceiling height, nestle together to create Serra’s signature bowing and curving of space. They swallow viewers up in a phenomenological ecstasy one usually associates with, say, walking along a narrow canyon. The metal’s russet color only adds to the sensation of experiencing something more natural than man-made.

The tone, if not the scale, of the work shifts on West 24th Street, with a group of sculptures and nary a bend in sight. Hard-edged steel plates, patinated a carceral gray, get in your way like barricades around a government building. A set of enormous blocks serves as a memorial to the recently deceased sculptor Walter De Maria, a friend of Serra’s. Experiential warmth gives way to cold truths as Serra employs his legendary toughness to challenge not only gravity, but death itself.—(Howard Halle/TONY mag)
Gagosian Gallery, 522 W 21st St, btw 10th/11th Aves
Tue–Sat 10am–6pm
212-741-1717 / gagosian.com

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 (11/19) and (11/17).

Today’s “Fab 5+1” / Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, DEC. 08, 2013

Cloisters
Janet Cardiff / The Forty Part Motet  (LAST DAY!)
The Forty Part Motet (2001), a sound installation by Janet Cardiff, is the first presentation of contemporary art at The Cloisters. Regarded as the artist’s masterwork, it consists of forty high-fidelity speakers positioned on stands in a large oval configuration throughout the Fuentidueña Chapel, continuously playing an eleven-minute reworking of the forty-part motet Spem in alium numquam habui (1556?/1573?) by Tudor composer Thomas Tallis.

Visitors are encouraged to walk among the loudspeakers and hear the individual unaccompanied voices—bass, baritone, alto, tenor, and child soprano—one part per speaker—as well as the polyphonic choral effect of the combined singers in an immersive experience.

The Forty Part Motet is most often presented in a neutral gallery setting, but in this case the setting is the Cloisters’ Fuentidueña Chapel, which features the late twelfth-century apse from the church of San Martín at Fuentidueña, near Segovia, Spain, on permanent loan from the Spanish Government. Set within a churchlike gallery space, and with superb acoustics, it has for more than fifty years proved a fine venue for concerts of early music.

If you do only one event this holiday season, this very powerful and spiritual experience should be it. So worth the trip to far northern Manhattan.
subway: #1 to 59th St., transfer and “take the A train” to 190th St.,
walk about ½ mile N to the Cloisters, on a bluff overlooking the Hudson Palisades.

If you need more convincing, see what the Times and WSJ had to say about this installation:   NYT;   WSJ;

Provisions Holiday Market
Brought to you by Food52 and Kitchensurfing, this holiday pop-up at the Old Bowery Station should be on every foodies’ dance card this weekend. On one side, you’ll find housewares and kitchen essentials curated by the Food52 team, namely Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs. On the other side, Kitchensurfing is setting up a restaurant that serves up breakfast, brunch, dinner and classes on creating the ultimate holiday feast. Also, throughout the three-day event, there will be sessions on entertaining, holiday centerpiece creation and wreath making.
Mindy Bond, Flavorpill
The Old Bowery Station, 168 Bowery
11 – 7 PM / Shopping Hours
11 – 3 PM / Brunch by Joseph Leonard
04 – 5 PM / Wreath Making Workshop
(Some classes require tickets. Check the site for details. )
provisionsholidaymarket.food52.com
This looks worth the trip to the LES
SUBWAY: @ TIMES SQ, TAKE N/Q/R TO CANAL; TRANSFER TO J TRAIN;
1 STOP TO BOWERY AND YOU ARE THERE (22MIN).

Vintage Subway Car Ride
“Put on your porkpie hat or flapper dress and get ready to do the Charleston — underground and on a train. On Sundays in December, the M.T.A. runs vintage subway cars, complete with wicker seats and old ads, along the M line.

Today there will be an all-day dance party with live bands — both on the platform at the Second Avenue station in the East Village, and on the train as it chugs off to Queens.

The party runs from 12-6PM. The entrance fee is simply a swipe of the MetroCard.” (NYT)

Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca (through Dec. 15)
“After playing to sold out Joyce houses for the last two years, the Bessie Award-winning dancer and her astounding company, Noche Flamenca, perform another searing show that combines live music with song and dance to captivate audiences once more with the essence of flamenco revealed in its most authentic and glorious form.” (CityGuideNY)

In an article published at the start of the fall season, The New York Times profiled ten “Movers and Shapers” who contribute to New York’s vibrant and unique dance scene.  Included among these dance luminaries is Soledad Barrio.  Audiences will have a chance to see Ms. Barrio perform flamenco in its most authentic and glorious form when the Bessie Award-winning dancer returns to The Joyce for a two week run this month.
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea
Sundays at 2 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. / $10 to $69.
212-242-0800, joyce.org

ESPERANZA SPALDING
“The bassist, singer, composer, bandleader, educator, and model recently added political activist to her résumé; her new single, “We Are America,” and its accompanying video take on persistent concerns about the Guantánamo Bay detention facility. How this new involvement in social reform will play out when she brings her Chamber Music Society (an ensemble that merges jazz, classical, Brazilian, and pop elements) to jazz’s most famous basement is a tantalizing question.” (NewYorker mag)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. South, at 11th St.
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m / $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum.
(212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com

David Sanborn
“An alto saxophonist synonymous with unctuous, gleaming crossover fare, Mr. Sanborn has been returning to his roots: the piquant soul-jazz of Hank Crawford and, by extension, Ray Charles. He returns to his regular New York perch with a band that includes Ricky Peterson on organ and piano, Nicky Moroch on guitar, Richard Patterson on bass and Gene Lake on drums.” (NYT-Chinen)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village,
At 8 and 10:30 p.m./ $55 cover at tables, $30 at the bar, with a $5 minimum.
(212) 475-8592, bluenote.net

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’ ”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Good Eating places 

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

Fish – 280 Bleecker St (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $8 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

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

Num Pang – 21 E 12th st (btw. University place/5th ave)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

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

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

There are also some casual dining, chain restaurant locations in this neighborhood that have decent food, provide a good hotel breakfast alternative, and have free Wi-FI:

A. Pret a Manger @ 821 Broadway (betw 12/13 st)
Subway: #1/2/3 to 42nd st; transfer to n/q/r to 14th st/union sq

B. Potbelly @ 41 W14th st (betw 5th/6th ave)
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th st

C. Cosi @ 53 E 8th st (betw greene/mercer)
Subway: #1/2/3 to 42nd st; transfer to n/r to 8th st

◊ For a few more PremierPubs and Good Eating places see previous Featured Neighborhoods in the right sidebar.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places and descriptions of my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods (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 2013)

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, DEC. 07, 2013

Cloisters
Janet Cardiff / The Forty Part Motet (last two days!)
The Forty Part Motet (2001), a sound installation by Janet Cardiff, is the first presentation of contemporary art at The Cloisters. Regarded as the artist’s masterwork, it consists of forty high-fidelity speakers positioned on stands in a large oval configuration throughout the Fuentidueña Chapel, continuously playing an eleven-minute reworking of the forty-part motet Spem in alium numquam habui (1556?/1573?) by Tudor composer Thomas Tallis.

Visitors are encouraged to walk among the loudspeakers and hear the individual unaccompanied voices—bass, baritone, alto, tenor, and child soprano—one part per speaker—as well as the polyphonic choral effect of the combined singers in an immersive experience.

The Forty Part Motet is most often presented in a neutral gallery setting, but in this case the setting is the Cloisters’ Fuentidueña Chapel, which features the late twelfth-century apse from the church of San Martín at Fuentidueña, near Segovia, Spain, on permanent loan from the Spanish Government. Set within a churchlike gallery space, and with superb acoustics, it has for more than fifty years proved a fine venue for concerts of early music.

If you do only one event this holiday season, this very powerful and spiritual experience should be it. So worth the trip to far northern Manhattan.
subway: #1 to 59th St., transfer and “take the A train” to 190th St.,
walk about ½ mile N to the Cloisters, on a bluff overlooking the Hudson Palisades.

If you need more convincing, see what the Times and WSJ had to say about this installation:   NYT;   WSJ; 

National Museum of the American Indian: Native Art Market (through Sunday)
More than 35 artists from some 20 different Native American tribes will be offering handmade traditional and contemporary jewelry, ceramics, basketry, textiles, beadwork, masks, sculpture, paintings and apparel at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian’s annual Native Art Market.
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian,
1 Bowling Green
Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m./ FREE
514-3700, nmai.si.edu

Ellington at Christmas: Nutcracker Suite
For a twist on a seasonal classic and true holiday joy, nothing beats Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite. Ellington and Billy Strayhorn infused the legendary Tchaikovsky score with swinging brass, colorful solos and jumpin’ jazz melodies. The second half of the program, Ellington’s wonderful Sacred Music, is serious and swinging, reverent and hip. Rarely performed live, this Apollo exclusive features a 16-piece orchestra, narrator/vocalist, the Abyssinian Baptist Church Choir, two lead vocalists, and tap master Savion Glover.
Apollo Theater, 253 W. 125th St.,
3 & 8pm. / $35-$75
212-531-5305, apollotheater.org

Anat Cohen Quartet (through Sunday)
“The clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Anat Cohen aims for expressive flexibility on her sixth album, “Claroscuro,” which has themes by Artie Shaw, Abdullah Ibrahim and Antônio Carlos Jobim — and a song apiece by Ms. Cohen and two of her steadfast band mates, the pianist Jason Lindner and the drummer Daniel Freedman.” (NYT-Chinen)

Any chance to hear Anat, one of the finest clarinet players of her generation, is a special opportunity, not to be missed.
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m./ $45 cover, with a minimum of $10 at tables, $5 at the bar.
(212) 258-9595, jalc.org

A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor
The live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor returns to New York for its annual month of broadcasts live from The Town Hall stage. A Prairie Home Companion has had plenty of adventure in the past 30-plus years – known for its musical guests, especially folk and traditional musicians, tongue-in-cheek radio drama, and Keillor’s signature storytelling segment, News from Lake Wobegon.
The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St.
At 5:40PM / $58-$64
212-997-1003 the-townhall-nyc.org

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

What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

“Legends of the Dead Ball Era” (1900-1919) (through Dec. 1)
“Eighteenth Century Pastels” (through Dec. 29)
“Julia Margaret Cameron” (through Jan. 5, 2014)
“Medieval Treasures From Hildesheim” (through Jan. 5, 2014)
“Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500-1800″ (through Jan. 5, 2014)
‘Balthus: Cats and Girls — Paintings and Provocations’ (through Jan. 12, 2014)
“Brush Writing in the Arts of Japan” (through Jan. 12, 2014)
“Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa, The Venini Co., 1932–1947” (through March 2, 2014)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org

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‘Robert Motherwell: Early Collages’ (through Jan. 5, 2014)
‘Christopher Wool’ (through Jan. 22, 2014)
“Kandinsky in Paris, 1934–1944“ (through Apr. 23, 2014)

Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.

‘Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Hals: Masterpieces of Dutch Painting From the Mauritshuis’ (through Jan. 19, 2014)
Frick Collection, 1 East 70th St., at Fifth Ave.
admission is by timed tickets.
288-0700 / frick.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. ==========================================================

What’s on View: Top Photography Exhibitions
(NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide)   

Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400
XL: 19NewAcquisitions in Photography (through Dec. 31)
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014) 

Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710
Julia Margaret Cameron (through Jan. 5, 2014)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969  (through Jan. 26, 2014)

ICP 1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000
Lewis Hine
The Future of America: Lewis Hine’s New Deal Photographs
JFK November 22, 1963: A Bystander’s View of History
Zoe Strauss: 10 Years
All these exhibitions run from Oct 4, 2013–Jan 19, 2014

American Museum Natural History 
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies (through May 31, 2014)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 11/29 and 11/27.

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, DEC. 06, 2013

‘The 33rd Annual John Lennon Tribute’ 
“Uptown and downtown musicians unite for this celebration of John Lennon’s legacy — a fitting synergy, as the music of this most avant-garde Beatle has always crossed genres and artistic castes. Steve Earle, Joan Osborne, Bettye LaVette and many others give peace a chance.” (NYT -Anderson)
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street,
At 8 p.m./ $65 to $105.
(212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org

Darlene Love
It’s no wonder The New York Times raves: “Darlene Love’s thunderbolt voice is as embedded in the history of rock and roll as Eric Clapton’s guitar or Bob Dylan’s lyrics.” Through the years, Darlene Love continues to captivate audiences worldwide with her warm, gracious stage presence and sensational performances.
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd Street, Manhattan,
At 8 p.m., $49 in advance; $55 at the door.
(800) 745-3000, bbkingblues.com

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater * (through Jan. 5)
“If your sweet tooth begins to ache from a “Nutcracker” sugar assault, Alvin Ailey’s five-week holiday season is a savory antidote. An impressive spectrum of works push the company forward while keeping it firmly anchored in its celebrated past. It will be worthwhile to see the polished Ailey dancers tackle the British choreographer Wayne McGregor’s hyperkinetic “Chroma” and make Bill T. Jones’s classic “D-Man in the Waters (Part I)” their own. Other highlights include a commission from the witty Aszure Barton; new productions of two Ailey works, both set to the music of Duke Ellington; and a host of old and new goodies from the company’s expanding repertory.” (Schaefer-NYT)
City Center, 131 West 55th Street,
$25 to $135. Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 and 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.
(212) 581-1212, nycitycenter.org, alvinailey.org

David Misch
Everything you always wanted to know about comedy.
Writer-comedian David Misch offers a wide-ranging, fun-packed look at the principles and practice of comedy from its origins in pre-history to the worlds of movies, TV, prose, theater and stand-up.  In “Funny The Book: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Comedy,” he explores the evolution, theories, principles, and practice of comedy, as well as the psychological, philosophical, and even theological underpinnings of humor, coming to the conclusion that (Spoiler Alert!) Comedy is God.

The multi-talented Misch has been a comic folksinger, stand-up comedian, and screenwriter. His writing credits include “Mork and Mindy,” “Duckman,” “Police Squad!,” “Saturday Night Live,” and “The Muppets Take Manhattan.”
The Cooper Union – The Frederick P. Rose Auditorium
41 Cooper Square
At 6:30PM / FREE
212-353-4195; continuing@cooper.edu

Bombino * 
“The bluesy guitarist and singer-songwriter Omara Moctar, a Tuareg who performs as Bombino, guides his six strings and throaty vocals into topical tales of strife in his native Niger and social unrest across the globe. His firebrand third album, “Nomad,” was released this year.” (Anderson-NYT)
Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall,
At 10 p.m./$38 to $44. (Anderson)
247-7800, carnegiehall.org

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places / 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, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges  – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, DEC. 05, 2013

Cloisters
Janet Cardiff / The Forty Part Motet (last week!)
The Forty Part Motet (2001), a sound installation by Janet Cardiff, is the first presentation of contemporary art at The Cloisters. Regarded as the artist’s masterwork, it consists of forty high-fidelity speakers positioned on stands in a large oval configuration throughout the Fuentidueña Chapel, continuously playing an eleven-minute reworking of the forty-part motet Spem in alium numquam habui (1556?/1573?) by Tudor composer Thomas Tallis.

Visitors are encouraged to walk among the loudspeakers and hear the individual unaccompanied voices—bass, baritone, alto, tenor, and child soprano—one part per speaker—as well as the polyphonic choral effect of the combined singers in an immersive experience.

The Forty Part Motet is most often presented in a neutral gallery setting, but in this case the setting is the Cloisters’ Fuentidueña Chapel, which features the late twelfth-century apse from the church of San Martín at Fuentidueña, near Segovia, Spain, on permanent loan from the Spanish Government. Set within a churchlike gallery space, and with superb acoustics, it has for more than fifty years proved a fine venue for concerts of early music.

If you do only one event this holiday season, this very powerful and spiritual experience should be it. So worth the trip to far northern Manhattan.
subway: #1 to 59th St., transfer and “take the A train” to 190th St.,
walk about ½ mile N to the Cloisters, on a bluff overlooking the Hudson Palisades.

Author @ the Library:
The New Yorkers, with Robert Herman,
a New York City based street photographer.
This illustrated lecture features an astounding collection of photographs of New York City, shot between 1978-2005 on Kodachrome. It immortalizes the transformation of Soho, Little Italy, Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side and documents the ever changing New York. These photos tell an authentic story of New York City: real New Yorkers living and working in their own neighborhoods.
Mid-Manhattan Library (Map and directions)
At 6:30PM / FREE

BENNY GOLSON
“While Sonny Rollins deserves much credit, a very good case can be made that Golson, who is eighty-four years old, is the finest tenor saxophonist from the golden age of the nineteen-fifties and sixties who is still actively performing. A notable composer (of the hard-bop standards “I Remember Clifford,” “Stablemates,” and “Whisper Not,” among other songs), he has a gorgeous tone and an inspired melodic gift that would be thrilling coming from a player of any age. He’s a living link to the past who is firmly committed to making significant art in the present.” (NewYorker mag)
Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th St.
At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m./ $30
576-2232, jazzstandard.net

An Evening of Vocal Duets with Amy Cervini & Friends
Amy Cervini’s always-delightful night of vocal collaborations with an array of eclectic NYC singers. Featuring DUCHESS, the vocal trio comprised of Amy Cervini, Melissa Stylianou, & Hilary Gardner.

Later this month Hilary will be singing at the Plaza Hotel, Birdland, and Per Se. Grab this opportunity to hear Hilary in a classic old jazz haunt AND it’s no cover!
55 Bar, 55 Christopher St. (btw 7th/6th ave)
At 7PM / no cover
212.929.9883 / http://55bar.com

Brian Charette Organ Sextette
The Hammond B-3 organist Brian Charette weighs the ageless objective of soul-jazz with a trace of restless modernity. His band has Itai Kriss on flute, Mike DiRubbo and Kenny Brooks on saxophones, John Ellis on bass clarinet and Mark Ferber on drums.”
(Chinen – NYT)
Smalls Jazz Club, 183 West 10th Street, West Village,
From 9:30 p.m. to midnight, $20 cover
smallsjazzclub.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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WHAT’S ON VIEW: Special Exhibitions @ 4 MUSEUMS (Manhattan’s WestSide) 

‘Walker Evans: American Photographs’ (through Jan. 26, 2014)
American Modern: Hopper to O’Keefe (through Jan. 26, 2014)
America’s cultural landscape shifted rapidly in the early 20th century. American Modern at the Museum of Modern Art looks at this change via some of the iconic works produced between 1915 and 1950. Artists highlighted include George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz and Andrew Wyeth. In organizing the art thematically, American Modern will highlight the connections between the artists’ works.
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St. (btw 5th /6th Ave.)
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.
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‘The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Revolution’ (through Feb. 23, 2014)
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, at 77th St.
(212) 873-3400 / nyhistory.org.

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New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: Al Hirschfeld Exhibition
(through Jan. 4, 2014)
“The Line King’s Library,” a display of work by Al Hirschfeld, whose specialty was theatrical caricatures, includes rare works as well as those familiar to theatergoers and readers of various publications, including The New York Times. The exhibition also includes video interviews with Mr. Hirschfeld, who died in 2003 at 99, and works by some of his contemporaries.”
NY Public Library for the Performing Arts, at Lincoln Center
111 Amsterdam Ave and 65th St.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.,
until 8 on Mondays and Thursdays
(917) 275-6975, nypl.org/events/exhibitions/line-kings-library.

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The Art of the Brick by Nathan Sawaya (ongoing)
This exhibition by artist Nathan Sawaya is a critically acclaimed collection of intriguing and inspiring works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world — LEGO® bricks. The Discovery Times Square exhibit is the world’s biggest and most elaborate display of LEGO® art ever and features brand-new, never-before-seen pieces by Sawaya. This show was named ‘One of CNN’s Ten Global Must-See Exhibitions.’
Discovery Times Square, 226 West 44th St. (btw 7th/8th ave)
866.987.9692 / http://www.discoverytsx.com

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WHAT’S ON VIEW: Top Photography Exhibitions
(NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide)

  Museum of Modern Art
XL: 19NewAcquisitions in Photography (through Dec. 31)
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014)
New Photography 2013 (through Jan. 6, 2014)
11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400

  Metropolitan Museum of Art
Julia Margaret Cameron (through Jan. 5, 2014)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969 
(through January 26, 2014)
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710

  American Museum Natural History 
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies          
(through May 31, 2014)
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278 

   International Center Photography
Lewis Hine
The Future of America: Lewis Hine’s New Deal Photographs
JFK November 22, 1963: A Bystander’s View of History
Zoe Strauss: 10 Years
All these exhibitions run through Jan. 19, 2014
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : … …” dated (11/27) and (11/25).