Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
============================================================
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Corona Culture,” updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s Selected NYC Instagram Photos (b).
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every visitor should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
“Eleven Tears is a graceful and elegant tribute to the 11 American Express employees who died on September 11, 2001. The foundation of the memorial, designed by artist Ken Smith, is an 11-sided black granite reflecting pool. Each employee’s name is etched into the granite, along with five words or phrases that describe the person. Drops of water gently fall like tears over those inscriptions. Nearby is a panel that gives further biographical details on each person.” (nyc-arts.org)
Now how about some other useful information during these trying times.
WFUV-FM 90.7is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
7/31-8/5 – WXPN Free at Noon Virtual Musikfest on NPR Live Sessions: Strand of Oaks, Low Cut Connie, Pretenders, Citizen Cope, Pixies, Nada Surf, Waxahatchee, Best Coast, David Gray, Richard Thompson, Joseph Arthur, Nathaniel Rateliff, The Lone Bellow, The Wood Brothers, I’m With Her, The Cactus Blossoms, First Aid Kit…
m
7/30-8/2 – Lollapalooza with Paul McCartney, Run The Jewels, LCD Soundsystem, Jane’s Addiction, Arcade Fire, H.E.R., Portugal. The Man, Gary Clark Jr., The Cure, Alabama Shakes…
7/30-8/2 – The Falcon Ridge 2020 Share & Shelter In Place Fest with Susan Werner, Donna the Buffalo, Mary Gauthier…
m
7/30 – Lucius w/Courtney Barnett, The War & Treaty
7/30 – Mayer Hawthorne
7/30 – Dar Williams songs and fan Q&A
m
7/31 – Mavis 80 with Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Trombone Shorty, Grace Potter, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucius, M. Ward, Joe Henry, Ben Harper…
7/31 – City Winery Farewell to Varick St. with Joan Osborne, Joseph Arthur, Jill Sobule, Teddy Thompson, Rhett Miller, James Maddock…
m
8/1 – Deer Tick & Friends live from Fort Adams with Leon Bridges, Robert Ellis, Sharon Van Etten, The Tallest Man on Earth and Courtney Marie Andrews, Newport Folk
8/1 – Rock My Soul: Jerry Garcia Birthday with artists playing his songs
8/1 – LP with a full band
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include Flushing Town Hall at Home, PTAMD’s Dancemaker, Art on the Grid and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
Whether you need a work-from-home break or are looking for ways to connect with loved ones, “Encores! Archives Project” is your song-a-day video series on social media, curated by Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel. The show must go on…online that is, and NYCC wants to make sure you can still reminisce about your favorite musical, sing along to a Stephen Sondheim tune in your PJs, and even rediscover a forgotten gem from Rodgers & Hart …
“Art on the Grid” is a multi-platform exhibition of new work by a group of 50 New York-based, emerging artists. The exhibition was conceived in the spring of 2020 in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As it developed, the parallel epidemic of systemic racism came into sharp and painful focus. Both crises now set the backdrop for the exhibition. The city, country, and world will emerge changed by these events, and the exhibition’s focus on …
Flushing Town Hall continues to entertain and engage with its virtual series, “Flushing Town Hall At Home!” Which includes a twice-weekly FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live!, an FTH at Home: Zoom Community Hang, and a daily activity for families through FTH at Home: Global Arts for Global Kids.Every Tuesday and Friday at 7:00 PM, the cultural organization’s FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live! stream a prior live performances that were held at the venue. Viewers can tune …
The Academy Award-nominated documentary “Dancemaker” is streaming on PTAMD’s website and Youtube channels. Other historic and contemporary repertory and footage never shared before will follow. The Taylor Company is partnering with Jacob Jonas and the dance community at large on #adigitaldance project. On Mondays and Fridays, a “task” is issued to encourage movement while we are all socially distancing: http://jacobjonas.com/adigitaldance/.
Through an initiative called “New Victory Arts Break,” New Victory Theater is inspiring families to learn performing arts skills from the comfort of their own home. A free online series, each week explores a particular art form and invites kids and parents to incorporate the arts into their homeschool learning through a series of videos and instructions. Featuring demonstrations by New Victory Teaching Artists, New Victory Arts Break is also a part of the theater’s …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
For a real sense of the city’s epic scale, you need to get up into the sky, into one of New York’s unparalleled observatories. The sometime chaos of New York sidewalks gives way to a clarity on the upper stories. The grids of streets, the flow of traffic, and architectural masterpieces from across the eras all come into clear focus. If you’re planning a visit to NYC, check out these virtual tours of our famous observation decks so you’ll be ready to choose the best one for you.
Virtual Tour: Empire State Building
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING. Ever since its 1931 completion, the Empire State Building has been the most famous skyscraper in the world. It remains a vital part of NYC and an inspiration to the millions of visitors who ascend to the ESB observation deck in every season. Newly updated features include a museum, the Observatory Experience. The result of a $165 million investment, this second floor stopover will substitute for what was once time spent waiting on line. Take a virtual tour of the space above, and check out the many features the attraction offers. 20 W. 34th St., 212-736-3100, esbnyc.com
Virtual Tour: One World Observatory
ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY. There’s only one tallest. Only one strongest. And only one destination selected as the Best New Attraction in the World. These attributes belong to One World Trade Center, and its pinnacle, the One World Observatory, rising over 100 stories in the sky. Check out this virtual overview of what you’ll find there. 285 Fulton St., 844-696-1776, oneworldobservatory.com
Virtual Tour: Top of the Rock
TOP OF THE ROCK. At this stunning perch atop Rockefeller Center, you’ll find wholly unobstructed views of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the rivers, and all of Central Park (its size can only truly be appreciated when seen from above). The Grand Viewing Deck on the 69th floor offers unparalleled views of the city, with visibility that reaches some 30 miles on a clear day. The 70th Floor is the proverbial cherry on top, allowing visitors to experience a 360° panorama of Manhattan in all its glory. This is an open-air perch with completely unobstructed views—no glass or anything. It provides a vantage point unlike any other in the city…or the world. 30 Rockefeller Ctr., 212-698-2000, topoftherocknyc.com
Virtual Tour: Edge
EDGE, the Western Hemisphere’s highest outdoor observation deck, opened in March 2020, just before the city went on pause. The city is looking forward to the return of this incredible, triangular deck extending from the skyscraper at 30 Hudson Yards. You can stand 100 floors above the ground and see miles and miles in every direction. The deck offers 360-degree views with jaw-dropping glimpses of the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, the Hudson River, and much more. You can tour the various features at Edge here. Level 4 inside The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards, 332-204-8500, edgenyc.com
There’s no bad time to take an eagle eye to the lives of millions of New Yorkers, but if you can time it, we’d steer you to dusk, when you can enjoy both sunset and the thrill of watching the city’s lights flickering to life.
Want more free advice on what to do and see in New York? Join our Facebook group Everything to Do NYC, a place for people to ask questions and get tips on how to make the most of the city
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
============================================================
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Top 10 Corona Culture,” updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here.
Today it’s Top 10 Corona Culture (a2). NEW STUFF!
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every visitor should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
Teardrop Park
“Teardrop Park is a 1.8 acre public park located in Battery Park City, a mixed-use neighborhood on the southwestern side of lower Manhattan. Designed by landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh, the two-acre Teardrop Park brings a little of the dramatic Hudson River Valley to Battery Park City.
The park transcends its small size, shady environment, and mid-block urban location through a meandering design formed with complex irregular spaces, robust plantings, strong materials and bold topography that creates places for prospect and refuge.
The park’s centerpiece is a 27-foot bluestone wall meant to evoke a mountainside. The wall will develop water on its jagged rock face during the summer, and icicles during the winter. It also has a portal in its center made of limestone for visitors to pass through to the other side.
Besides the magnificent “Ice Wall,” Teardrop features artwork by Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil, a children’s slide, sand boxes, water play, a rocky reading area, places to “rock hop,” naturalistic plantings, and much, much more for park lovers to discover.” (BPCparks.org), (mvvainc.com) (asla.org)
Now how about some other useful information during these trying times.
WFUV-FM 90.7is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include Flushing Town Hall at Home, PTAMD’s Dancemaker, Art on the Grid and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
Whether you need a work-from-home break or are looking for ways to connect with loved ones, “Encores! Archives Project” is your song-a-day video series on social media, curated by Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel. The show must go on…online that is, and NYCC wants to make sure you can still reminisce about your favorite musical, sing along to a Stephen Sondheim tune in your PJs, and even rediscover a forgotten gem from Rodgers & Hart …
“Art on the Grid” is a multi-platform exhibition of new work by a group of 50 New York-based, emerging artists. The exhibition was conceived in the spring of 2020 in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As it developed, the parallel epidemic of systemic racism came into sharp and painful focus. Both crises now set the backdrop for the exhibition. The city, country, and world will emerge changed by these events, and the exhibition’s focus on …
Flushing Town Hall continues to entertain and engage with its virtual series, “Flushing Town Hall At Home!” Which includes a twice-weekly FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live!, an FTH at Home: Zoom Community Hang, and a daily activity for families through FTH at Home: Global Arts for Global Kids.Every Tuesday and Friday at 7:00 PM, the cultural organization’s FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live! stream a prior live performances that were held at the venue. Viewers can tune …
The Academy Award-nominated documentary “Dancemaker” is streaming on PTAMD’s website and Youtube channels. Other historic and contemporary repertory and footage never shared before will follow. The Taylor Company is partnering with Jacob Jonas and the dance community at large on #adigitaldance project. On Mondays and Fridays, a “task” is issued to encourage movement while we are all socially distancing: http://jacobjonas.com/adigitaldance/.
Through an initiative called “New Victory Arts Break,” New Victory Theater is inspiring families to learn performing arts skills from the comfort of their own home. A free online series, each week explores a particular art form and invites kids and parents to incorporate the arts into their homeschool learning through a series of videos and instructions. Featuring demonstrations by New Victory Teaching Artists, New Victory Arts Break is also a part of the theater’s …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
(7/27-8/2) New York City has entered Phase 4 of its cautious reopening and there’s more to do in NYC than there’s been since the mid-March lockdown. This detailed map of open restaurants shows nearly nine-thousand venues now serving; included in that number are 4,700 places where you can eat outside. One hundred and sixty-seven streets have been closed to traffic and opened to expanded outdoor dining plans. Read on for more reopenings and other things to do in NYC this week!
Friday, July 24th will see the return of New York’s zoos—the Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the most famous of all, the Bronx Zoo. If you want to visit, you’ll need to get your ticket in advance (no tickets will be sold at the gates). A touchless entry will let you in, but you must have a face covering, and follow spacing markers to ensure social distancing. Capacity will be limited so make sure you reserve well in advance. bronxzoo.com
Thousands of exotic aquatic creatures reside in naturalistic habitats beside the ocean on Brooklyn’s Coney Island at the New York Aquarium. The newest draw here is Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, which shows off 100 shark species, teeth bared for all to see. You can also expect sea turtles and cownose rays, in addition to a variety of fish, and even a touch tank. As of Friday, July 24th, the aquarium is back open, although you must book a ticket for a specific date of arrival in advance. Face coverings and social distancing will be required; the 4-D Theater is temporarily closed and there will be limited seating at the Aquatheater. Visit nyaquarium.com/today to see daily available exhibits and amenities. 602 Surf Ave., 718-265-FISH, nyaquarium.com
Governors Island, a short ferry ride from Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan, is New York’s summer playground. A former strategic battle site in the Revolutionary War, the island now hosts visitors during the warm months for outdoor activities. After several weeks of coronavirus shut down, the island is back open for visitors as of Wednesday, July 15th. Hours will be 10am-6pm on the weekdays, extended to 7pm on the weekends. Manhattan ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. There will be Brooklyn access as well, leaving from Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, although they’ll be available on the weekends only. (A third way of travel will be a dedicated weekend shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 that will run roughly every 30 minutes beginning July 18, ferry.nyc.) Social distancing should be observed on all ferries and the island, with face coverings required for travel. govisland.org
The west side’s beloved elevated park, The High Line, will reopen on Thursday, July 16th. To accommodate our new normal, capacity at the park will be greatly reduced. Free timed-entry tickets are opened every two weeks on Mondays. A limited number of walk-up passes will also be available at the entrance, but advance planning is recommended. Traffic will only flow in one direction, starting at Gansevoort Street. All visitors must enter at the southern end of the High Line, at Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, and move northwards. In this first reopening phase, the High Line will be open only to 23rd Street. Citywide safety protocols will also apply here, including the requirement of wearing a mask or face covering and maintaining 6-foot social distancing. thehighline.org
As of Thursday, July 16th, lobster boat rides are back! The North River Lobster Company is NYC’s only floating lobster shack and this week it returns to summer cruising form. You’ll find all kinds of rolls (see above), from the classic signature to specialty rolls like the Lower East Side everything bagel option. There’s also clam chowder, a full raw bar, and sangria, frozé, buckets of cold beer, and fishbowl cocktails to match. For safety, the boat will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, all staff and guests will wear face coverings, and admission will be at half capacity to ensure social distancing. Departures from Pier 81 will run 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. northriverlobsterco.com
Rockefeller Center is back this week as well, with a return of retail shopping and great open-air dining courtesy of Summer at The Rink. The world-famous skate spot has shifted to warm weather duty, with oversized tables making social distancing easy. Enjoy decadent summer bites and specialty drinks to-go from favorites like Rainbow Room, Alidoro, City Winery, and Ethiopian standout Makina. rockefellercenter.com
Rainbow Room
Monday-Friday, 11:30am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
Alidoro
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
City Winery
Monday-Friday, 1pm-9pm (North Plaza)
Makina Truck
Monday-Sunday, 11am-7pm (North Plaza) | See the menu
Although the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain temporarily closed, Statue Cruises is once again out and about in New York Harbor. Sixty-minute tours, complete with history and stunning views, can now be booked. Lady Liberty and the museum are closed, but the Park Service has now granted entry to Liberty Island and Statue Cruises is the only way to access it. Tours run four times daily out of the Battery Park departure point in Lower Manhattan at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. These tours will continue until Liberty Island and Ellis Island reopen (Statue Cruises is the exclusive provider of ferry service for the National Park Service to the two landmarks). Tickets are $26/adult, $19/seniors, $14/child and free for children three years and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance (strongly encouraged) from the Statue Cruises website or at Gangway 5 in Battery Park. statuecruises.com
JOIN THE RUBIN FOR PARTICIPATORY INSTALLATION “THE LOTUS EFFECT”
The Rubin Museum of Art is an arts and culture hub powering connections between contemporary life and the world of the Himalayas. The Rubin has recently launched a new participatory installation, The Lotus Effect, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lotuses take root in murky waters and bloom above the surface, giving them important symbolic resonances. For The Lotus Effect, the Rubin invites the public to fold a lotus flower and dedicate their origami creation to someone or something that has helped them overcome a challenging time. When the Rubin reopens, people can contribute their folded piece to an installation in the museum that will serve as a community-built symbol of gratitude and resilience. Brooklyn-based origami artist and engineer Uttam Grandhi has provided video instructions to create a folded lotus. While the Rubin is closed, participants can share photographs of folded lotus creations on social media using the #TheLotusEffect and tagging @RubinMuseum. For much more, visit rubinmuseum.org/TheLotusEffect.
NEW: STREET FEAST
The Village Alliance is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation to bring Street Feast: 8th Street and Street Feast: St. Marks Place starting this Friday. Dozens of small-scale downtown venues will be serving open air bites and more on West 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. These stretches will be closed to traffic Fridays at 5p-11pm and Saturdays noon-11pm. Street Feast will run through Saturday, September 5th.
LIVE COMEDY
Outdoor live shows and open mics are back on at favorite Astoria performance venue Q.E.D. Enjoy it all safely and socially distant in the back yard, complete with frozen margaritas and frosé to stay or to go. Hours Friday 5-10pm, Saturday noon-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm. qedastoria.com
PIANO IN BRYANT PARK
One of Bryant Park’s most popular programs, “Piano in Bryant Park,” is back again. Audiences are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing while seated in the park’s iconic moveable bistro chairs. Piano in Bryant Park, which showcases the finest ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists, takes place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30pm through August. bryantpark.org/programs/piano
One World Observatory has made One World Explorer, the attraction’s Digital Skyline Guide, available for remote watching. Virtual helicopter tours of the city’s most iconic sites are available now.
Conrad New York Downtown has launched a series of profiles of New Yorkers, including Bedside Reading New York authors. The new digital series is called “Why I Love NYC” and includes nearly 20 real testimonials from New Yorkers on why the city is the greatest place to live or visit. Interspersed between the interviews, the hotel features videos of iconic landmarks, neighborhoods, and hidden gems from around the city. The highlight videos appear on the hotel’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, while the interviews are featured on LinkedIn in addition to the other three platforms. Interviews feature select Bedside Reading Authors, including Susan Silver, Lee Mathew Goldberg, Seymour Ubell, Kim Akhtar, and Sweta Vikram. instagram.com/p/CCUivePFjWl/
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
============================================================
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Corona Culture,” updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times. We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here.
Today it’s The Nifty Nine NYC News sources. All the NYCity News You Need to Start Your Day
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every visitor should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
“After seventeen years in Soho, Poets House now inhabits a large, airy space in Battery Park. The space is designed to “allow the outside world in” with large windows, brightly painted walls, and a light-catching installation piece, all tucked into the first two floors of a “green” building overlooking the Hudson River.
Poets House is best known for its library — one of the most comprehensive independent poetry libraries in the country with nearly 50,000 volumes neatly lining the walls. The Elizabeth Kray Hall, which opens onto an outdoor courtyard, hosts discussions and other events. Upstairs, the Reading Room is reminiscent of a college library, with the quintessential “social area” complete with comfy couches on one end and a silent reading space on the other. Free admission to the library allows visitors to stop in as often as they please, but checking out the original Walt Whitman letter or the works of Philip Guston on display is a must for first-timers.” (Sally Holmes, NYMagazine)
Now how about some other useful information during these trying times.
WFUV-FM 90.7is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include Flushing Town Hall at Home, PTAMD’s Dancemaker, Art on the Grid and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
Whether you need a work-from-home break or are looking for ways to connect with loved ones, “Encores! Archives Project” is your song-a-day video series on social media, curated by Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel. The show must go on…online that is, and NYCC wants to make sure you can still reminisce about your favorite musical, sing along to a Stephen Sondheim tune in your PJs, and even rediscover a forgotten gem from Rodgers & Hart …
“Art on the Grid” is a multi-platform exhibition of new work by a group of 50 New York-based, emerging artists. The exhibition was conceived in the spring of 2020 in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As it developed, the parallel epidemic of systemic racism came into sharp and painful focus. Both crises now set the backdrop for the exhibition. The city, country, and world will emerge changed by these events, and the exhibition’s focus on …
Flushing Town Hall continues to entertain and engage with its virtual series, “Flushing Town Hall At Home!” Which includes a twice-weekly FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live!, an FTH at Home: Zoom Community Hang, and a daily activity for families through FTH at Home: Global Arts for Global Kids.Every Tuesday and Friday at 7:00 PM, the cultural organization’s FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live! stream a prior live performances that were held at the venue. Viewers can tune …
The Academy Award-nominated documentary “Dancemaker” is streaming on PTAMD’s website and Youtube channels. Other historic and contemporary repertory and footage never shared before will follow. The Taylor Company is partnering with Jacob Jonas and the dance community at large on #adigitaldance project. On Mondays and Fridays, a “task” is issued to encourage movement while we are all socially distancing: http://jacobjonas.com/adigitaldance/.
Through an initiative called “New Victory Arts Break,” New Victory Theater is inspiring families to learn performing arts skills from the comfort of their own home. A free online series, each week explores a particular art form and invites kids and parents to incorporate the arts into their homeschool learning through a series of videos and instructions. Featuring demonstrations by New Victory Teaching Artists, New Victory Arts Break is also a part of the theater’s …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
(7/27-8/2) New York City has entered Phase 4 of its cautious reopening and there’s more to do in NYC than there’s been since the mid-March lockdown. This detailed map of open restaurants shows nearly nine-thousand venues now serving; included in that number are 4,700 places where you can eat outside. One hundred and sixty-seven streets have been closed to traffic and opened to expanded outdoor dining plans. Read on for more reopenings and other things to do in NYC this week!
Friday, July 24th will see the return of New York’s zoos—the Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the most famous of all, the Bronx Zoo. If you want to visit, you’ll need to get your ticket in advance (no tickets will be sold at the gates). A touchless entry will let you in, but you must have a face covering, and follow spacing markers to ensure social distancing. Capacity will be limited so make sure you reserve well in advance. bronxzoo.com
Thousands of exotic aquatic creatures reside in naturalistic habitats beside the ocean on Brooklyn’s Coney Island at the New York Aquarium. The newest draw here is Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, which shows off 100 shark species, teeth bared for all to see. You can also expect sea turtles and cownose rays, in addition to a variety of fish, and even a touch tank. As of Friday, July 24th, the aquarium is back open, although you must book a ticket for a specific date of arrival in advance. Face coverings and social distancing will be required; the 4-D Theater is temporarily closed and there will be limited seating at the Aquatheater. Visit nyaquarium.com/today to see daily available exhibits and amenities. 602 Surf Ave., 718-265-FISH, nyaquarium.com
Governors Island, a short ferry ride from Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan, is New York’s summer playground. A former strategic battle site in the Revolutionary War, the island now hosts visitors during the warm months for outdoor activities. After several weeks of coronavirus shut down, the island is back open for visitors as of Wednesday, July 15th. Hours will be 10am-6pm on the weekdays, extended to 7pm on the weekends. Manhattan ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. There will be Brooklyn access as well, leaving from Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, although they’ll be available on the weekends only. (A third way of travel will be a dedicated weekend shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 that will run roughly every 30 minutes beginning July 18, ferry.nyc.) Social distancing should be observed on all ferries and the island, with face coverings required for travel. govisland.org
The west side’s beloved elevated park, The High Line, will reopen on Thursday, July 16th. To accommodate our new normal, capacity at the park will be greatly reduced. Free timed-entry tickets are opened every two weeks on Mondays. A limited number of walk-up passes will also be available at the entrance, but advance planning is recommended. Traffic will only flow in one direction, starting at Gansevoort Street. All visitors must enter at the southern end of the High Line, at Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, and move northwards. In this first reopening phase, the High Line will be open only to 23rd Street. Citywide safety protocols will also apply here, including the requirement of wearing a mask or face covering and maintaining 6-foot social distancing. thehighline.org
As of Thursday, July 16th, lobster boat rides are back! The North River Lobster Company is NYC’s only floating lobster shack and this week it returns to summer cruising form. You’ll find all kinds of rolls (see above), from the classic signature to specialty rolls like the Lower East Side everything bagel option. There’s also clam chowder, a full raw bar, and sangria, frozé, buckets of cold beer, and fishbowl cocktails to match. For safety, the boat will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, all staff and guests will wear face coverings, and admission will be at half capacity to ensure social distancing. Departures from Pier 81 will run 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. northriverlobsterco.com
Rockefeller Center is back this week as well, with a return of retail shopping and great open-air dining courtesy of Summer at The Rink. The world-famous skate spot has shifted to warm weather duty, with oversized tables making social distancing easy. Enjoy decadent summer bites and specialty drinks to-go from favorites like Rainbow Room, Alidoro, City Winery, and Ethiopian standout Makina. rockefellercenter.com
Rainbow Room
Monday-Friday, 11:30am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
Alidoro
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
City Winery
Monday-Friday, 1pm-9pm (North Plaza)
Makina Truck
Monday-Sunday, 11am-7pm (North Plaza) | See the menu
Although the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain temporarily closed, Statue Cruises is once again out and about in New York Harbor. Sixty-minute tours, complete with history and stunning views, can now be booked. Lady Liberty and the museum are closed, but the Park Service has now granted entry to Liberty Island and Statue Cruises is the only way to access it. Tours run four times daily out of the Battery Park departure point in Lower Manhattan at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. These tours will continue until Liberty Island and Ellis Island reopen (Statue Cruises is the exclusive provider of ferry service for the National Park Service to the two landmarks). Tickets are $26/adult, $19/seniors, $14/child and free for children three years and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance (strongly encouraged) from the Statue Cruises website or at Gangway 5 in Battery Park. statuecruises.com
JOIN THE RUBIN FOR PARTICIPATORY INSTALLATION “THE LOTUS EFFECT”
The Rubin Museum of Art is an arts and culture hub powering connections between contemporary life and the world of the Himalayas. The Rubin has recently launched a new participatory installation, The Lotus Effect, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lotuses take root in murky waters and bloom above the surface, giving them important symbolic resonances. For The Lotus Effect, the Rubin invites the public to fold a lotus flower and dedicate their origami creation to someone or something that has helped them overcome a challenging time. When the Rubin reopens, people can contribute their folded piece to an installation in the museum that will serve as a community-built symbol of gratitude and resilience. Brooklyn-based origami artist and engineer Uttam Grandhi has provided video instructions to create a folded lotus. While the Rubin is closed, participants can share photographs of folded lotus creations on social media using the #TheLotusEffect and tagging @RubinMuseum. For much more, visit rubinmuseum.org/TheLotusEffect.
NEW: STREET FEAST
The Village Alliance is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation to bring Street Feast: 8th Street and Street Feast: St. Marks Place starting this Friday. Dozens of small-scale downtown venues will be serving open air bites and more on West 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. These stretches will be closed to traffic Fridays at 5p-11pm and Saturdays noon-11pm. Street Feast will run through Saturday, September 5th.
LIVE COMEDY
Outdoor live shows and open mics are back on at favorite Astoria performance venue Q.E.D. Enjoy it all safely and socially distant in the back yard, complete with frozen margaritas and frosé to stay or to go. Hours Friday 5-10pm, Saturday noon-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm. qedastoria.com
PIANO IN BRYANT PARK
One of Bryant Park’s most popular programs, “Piano in Bryant Park,” is back again. Audiences are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing while seated in the park’s iconic moveable bistro chairs. Piano in Bryant Park, which showcases the finest ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists, takes place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30pm through August. bryantpark.org/programs/piano
One World Observatory has made One World Explorer, the attraction’s Digital Skyline Guide, available for remote watching. Virtual helicopter tours of the city’s most iconic sites are available now.
Conrad New York Downtown has launched a series of profiles of New Yorkers, including Bedside Reading New York authors. The new digital series is called “Why I Love NYC” and includes nearly 20 real testimonials from New Yorkers on why the city is the greatest place to live or visit. Interspersed between the interviews, the hotel features videos of iconic landmarks, neighborhoods, and hidden gems from around the city. The highlight videos appear on the hotel’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, while the interviews are featured on LinkedIn in addition to the other three platforms. Interviews feature select Bedside Reading Authors, including Susan Silver, Lee Mathew Goldberg, Seymour Ubell, Kim Akhtar, and Sweta Vikram. instagram.com/p/CCUivePFjWl/
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.”
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Corona Culture” – updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s Corona Culture (c).
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every visitor should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
“The Skyscraper Museum is committed to the study of the past, present and future of high-rise building. Located in Battery Park City at the southern tip of Lower Manhattan, the museum celebrates the City’s rich architectural heritage and examines the historical forces and individuals that have shaped its successive skylines. Through exhibitions, publications, educational programs and its award-winning website, the museum explores tall buildings as objects of design, products of technology, sites of construction, investments in real estate and places of work and residence.” (nycgo.com)
Now how about some other useful information during these trying times.
WFUV-FM 90.7is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include Flushing Town Hall at Home, PTAMD’s Dancemaker, Art on the Grid and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
Whether you need a work-from-home break or are looking for ways to connect with loved ones, “Encores! Archives Project” is your song-a-day video series on social media, curated by Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel. The show must go on…online that is, and NYCC wants to make sure you can still reminisce about your favorite musical, sing along to a Stephen Sondheim tune in your PJs, and even rediscover a forgotten gem from Rodgers & Hart …
“Art on the Grid” is a multi-platform exhibition of new work by a group of 50 New York-based, emerging artists. The exhibition was conceived in the spring of 2020 in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As it developed, the parallel epidemic of systemic racism came into sharp and painful focus. Both crises now set the backdrop for the exhibition. The city, country, and world will emerge changed by these events, and the exhibition’s focus on …
Flushing Town Hall continues to entertain and engage with its virtual series, “Flushing Town Hall At Home!” Which includes a twice-weekly FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live!, an FTH at Home: Zoom Community Hang, and a daily activity for families through FTH at Home: Global Arts for Global Kids.Every Tuesday and Friday at 7:00 PM, the cultural organization’s FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live! stream a prior live performances that were held at the venue. Viewers can tune …
The Academy Award-nominated documentary “Dancemaker” is streaming on PTAMD’s website and Youtube channels. Other historic and contemporary repertory and footage never shared before will follow. The Taylor Company is partnering with Jacob Jonas and the dance community at large on #adigitaldance project. On Mondays and Fridays, a “task” is issued to encourage movement while we are all socially distancing: http://jacobjonas.com/adigitaldance/.
Through an initiative called “New Victory Arts Break,” New Victory Theater is inspiring families to learn performing arts skills from the comfort of their own home. A free online series, each week explores a particular art form and invites kids and parents to incorporate the arts into their homeschool learning through a series of videos and instructions. Featuring demonstrations by New Victory Teaching Artists, New Victory Arts Break is also a part of the theater’s …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
For a real sense of the city’s epic scale, you need to get up into the sky, into one of New York’s unparalleled observatories. The sometime chaos of New York sidewalks gives way to a clarity on the upper stories. The grids of streets, the flow of traffic, and architectural masterpieces from across the eras all come into clear focus. If you’re planning a visit to NYC, check out these virtual tours of our famous observation decks so you’ll be ready to choose the best one for you.
Virtual Tour: Empire State Building
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING. Ever since its 1931 completion, the Empire State Building has been the most famous skyscraper in the world. It remains a vital part of NYC and an inspiration to the millions of visitors who ascend to the ESB observation deck in every season. Newly updated features include a museum, the Observatory Experience. The result of a $165 million investment, this second floor stopover will substitute for what was once time spent waiting on line. Take a virtual tour of the space above, and check out the many features the attraction offers. 20 W. 34th St., 212-736-3100, esbnyc.com
Virtual Tour: One World Observatory
ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY. There’s only one tallest. Only one strongest. And only one destination selected as the Best New Attraction in the World. These attributes belong to One World Trade Center, and its pinnacle, the One World Observatory, rising over 100 stories in the sky. Check out this virtual overview of what you’ll find there. 285 Fulton St., 844-696-1776, oneworldobservatory.com
Virtual Tour: Top of the Rock
TOP OF THE ROCK. At this stunning perch atop Rockefeller Center, you’ll find wholly unobstructed views of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the rivers, and all of Central Park (its size can only truly be appreciated when seen from above). The Grand Viewing Deck on the 69th floor offers unparalleled views of the city, with visibility that reaches some 30 miles on a clear day. The 70th Floor is the proverbial cherry on top, allowing visitors to experience a 360° panorama of Manhattan in all its glory. This is an open-air perch with completely unobstructed views—no glass or anything. It provides a vantage point unlike any other in the city…or the world. 30 Rockefeller Ctr., 212-698-2000, topoftherocknyc.com
Virtual Tour: Edge
EDGE, the Western Hemisphere’s highest outdoor observation deck, opened in March 2020, just before the city went on pause. The city is looking forward to the return of this incredible, triangular deck extending from the skyscraper at 30 Hudson Yards. You can stand 100 floors above the ground and see miles and miles in every direction. The deck offers 360-degree views with jaw-dropping glimpses of the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, the Hudson River, and much more. You can tour the various features at Edge here. Level 4 inside The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards, 332-204-8500, edgenyc.com
There’s no bad time to take an eagle eye to the lives of millions of New Yorkers, but if you can time it, we’d steer you to dusk, when you can enjoy both sunset and the thrill of watching the city’s lights flickering to life.
Want more free advice on what to do and see in New York? Join our Facebook group Everything to Do NYC, a place for people to ask questions and get tips on how to make the most of the city
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.”
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Corona Culture” – updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s 14 Classic NYCity Films (plus a few more personal faves).
If you want to get in the mood for your visit to NYCity, then make yourself some popcorn and pick up a copy of one of these great films at your local Netflix.
(and if you have seen any of these before, remember Director Robert Altman’s advice:
“It’s better to see a great movie again than an average one the first time. Because even though the movie hasn’t changed, you have. And you’ll see something new..”)
Sweet Smell Of Success(1957) — “I love this dirty town!”, says Burt Lancaster — and so do we, in one of his signature films — a sour, caustic tale about a twisted gossip columnist, partly modeled on the legendary Walter Winchell. Lancaster is superb, and guess what, so is Tony Curtis.
mm
West Side Story (1961)
mm
Midnight Cowboy(1969) — Two drifters meet in a mutual attempt to survive in, then escape from, Manhattan’s grimy underbelly. Hoffman is incredible as Ratso. The kind they don’t make anymore, this “Cowboy” still packs a hefty wallop.
mm
The French Connection(1971) — Maybe the best cop movie ever, portraying one of the city’s bigger drug busts back in the day. Gene Hackman won as Oscar and became a bankable star with this movie — and it’s easy to see why.
mm
The Godfather (1972)
mm
Mean Streets (1973) — Scorsese’s breakthrough about a conflicted small-time crook and his wacko, self-destructive cousin in Little Italy. Rich in emotion, immediacy, and atmosphere, this film set the pungent, propulsive Scorsese style we’d see again in movies like 1990′s Goodfellas.
mm
The Godfather, Part 2 (1974) — Coppola managed to improve on a masterpiece with this one, which paints on a broader canvas and offers even richer period flavor. And for the price of Brando, we get a young Robert De Niro, who’s equally brilliant.
mm
Annie Hall (1977) — Inveterate New Yorker Woody Allen’s best film ever, with some hilariously dead-on insights about the bi-coastal dilemma: New York vs. Los Angeles. I’m with Woody: give me Gotham every time. This turned Diane Keaton into a star, and it’s still her signature role.
mm
Manhattan (1979)
mm
Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
Three Woody Allen films in a row may seem a bit much, but for me Woody is the quintessential NYCity film auteur. Heck, I could have added “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986), “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (1989), and “Bullets Over Broadway” (1994).
mm
Moonstruck(1987) — This love letter to Brooklyn is full of charm and humanity, though some disagree… worth the price of admission for Vincent Gardenia and Olympia Dukakis alone. And look for an unusual early turn from Nic Cage as a mooning, eccentric baker.
mm
A Bronx Tale (1993)
mm
Half of this list is from the wonderful film critic John Farr.
The other half (films without the write up’s) are my additional personal faves.
Heck, there are just too many great NYCity movies.
Need to make room for these classics:
1910s – Regeneration (1915, Raoul Walsh) 1920s – The Crowd (1928, Dir. King Vidor); Speedy (1928, Ted Wilde) 1930s – Dead End (1937, Dir. William Wyler); King Kong (1933, Merian C. Cooper) 1940s – On The Town (1949, Gene Kelly,) 1950s – Shadows (1959, John Cassavetes); On The Bowery (!956, Lionel Rogosin); Little Fugitive (1953, Ray Ashley,..); Marty (1955, Paddy Chayefsky); Pickup on South Street (1953, Samuel Fuller ) 1960s – The Apartment (1960, Dir. Billy Wilder); The Cool World (1964, Shirley Clarke); Rosemary’s Baby (1968, Roman Polansky); Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961, Blake Edwards) 1970s – a Golden Decade for NYCity Films
Hester Street (1975 Dir. Joan Silver); Klute (1971, Alan J. Pakula); Superfly (1972, Gordon Parks); Serpico (1973, Sidney Lumet); The Taking of Pelham1-2-3 (!974, Joseph Sargent); Dog Day Afternoon (1975, Sidney Lumet); Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese) (great movie but NYCity at its worst); Saturday Night Fever (1977, John Badham); The Warriors (1979, Walter Hill); All That Jazz (1979, Bob Fosse); Shaft (1971, Gordon Parks); Three Days of the Condor (1975, Sydney Pollack); An Unmarried Woman (1978, Paul Mazursky) 1980s—Do The Right Thing (1989, Dir. Spike Lee); Raging Bull (1980, Martin Scorsese); Once Upon a Time in America (1984, Sergio Leone); The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984, Stuart Rosenberg); When Harry Met Sally (1989, Rob Reiner); Ghostbusters (1984, Ivan Reitman); Wall Street (1987, Oliver Stone); Working Girl (1988, Mike Nichols) 1990s – Goodfellas (1990, Martin Scorsese); Metropolitan (1990, Whit Stillman); Kids (1995, Larry Clark); Men in Black (1997, Barry Sonnenfeld) 2000s – Man on Wire (2008, James Marsh); 25th Hour (2002, Spike Lee); Rent (2005, Chris Columbus); The Devil Wears Prada (2006, David Frankel); We Own the Night (2007, James Gray) 2010s – Black Swan (2010, Darren Aronofsky); Margaret (2011, Kenneth Lonergan); Spider-Man into the Spider Verse (2018, Bob Persichetti); Inside Llewyn Davis (2013, Ethan/Joel Cohen); Birdman (2014, Alejandro González Iñárritu); Brooklyn (2015, John Crowley); Frances Ha (2012, Noah Baumbach)
Want to know what some other folks thought were NYCity’s best movies:
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lower Manhattan – Did you know?
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every visitor should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
Winter Garden Atrium
“The Winter Garden Atrium is a 10-story glass-vaulted pavilion on Vesey Street in New York City’s Brookfield Place (formerly World Financial Center) office complex. Designed by Diana Balmori, the Atrium was originally constructed in 1988, and substantially rebuilt in 2002, after it was damaged by the collapse of the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks. The Atrium houses various plants, trees and flowers, and shops. The rear of the building opens onto the World Financial Center Plaza and the North Cove Yacht Harbor on the Hudson River.
The Atrium was severely damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks as almost all the glass panes were blown out by the dust clouds and debris caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center, but was rebuilt during the first year of the Financial Center’s recovery. Reconstruction of the Winter Garden required 2,000 panes of glass, 60,000 square feet (5,400 m²) of marble flooring and stairs, and sixteen 40 ft (12 m) Washingtonia robusta palm trees at a cost of $50 million. Reopened on September 17, 2002, the Winter Garden was the first major structure to be completely restored following the attacks. President George W. Bush was present at the reopening ceremony.
The Winter Garden continues to serve as a venue for art exhibits, music, and shows, as well as hosting movie screenings during the TriBeCa Film Festival.” (wikipedia)
Now how about some other useful information during these trying times.
WFUV-FM 90.7is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include Flushing Town Hall at Home, PTAMD’s Dancemaker, Art on the Grid and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
Whether you need a work-from-home break or are looking for ways to connect with loved ones, “Encores! Archives Project” is your song-a-day video series on social media, curated by Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel. The show must go on…online that is, and NYCC wants to make sure you can still reminisce about your favorite musical, sing along to a Stephen Sondheim tune in your PJs, and even rediscover a forgotten gem from Rodgers & Hart …
“Art on the Grid” is a multi-platform exhibition of new work by a group of 50 New York-based, emerging artists. The exhibition was conceived in the spring of 2020 in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As it developed, the parallel epidemic of systemic racism came into sharp and painful focus. Both crises now set the backdrop for the exhibition. The city, country, and world will emerge changed by these events, and the exhibition’s focus on …
Flushing Town Hall continues to entertain and engage with its virtual series, “Flushing Town Hall At Home!” Which includes a twice-weekly FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live!, an FTH at Home: Zoom Community Hang, and a daily activity for families through FTH at Home: Global Arts for Global Kids.Every Tuesday and Friday at 7:00 PM, the cultural organization’s FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live! stream a prior live performances that were held at the venue. Viewers can tune …
The Academy Award-nominated documentary “Dancemaker” is streaming on PTAMD’s website and Youtube channels. Other historic and contemporary repertory and footage never shared before will follow. The Taylor Company is partnering with Jacob Jonas and the dance community at large on #adigitaldance project. On Mondays and Fridays, a “task” is issued to encourage movement while we are all socially distancing: http://jacobjonas.com/adigitaldance/.
Through an initiative called “New Victory Arts Break,” New Victory Theater is inspiring families to learn performing arts skills from the comfort of their own home. A free online series, each week explores a particular art form and invites kids and parents to incorporate the arts into their homeschool learning through a series of videos and instructions. Featuring demonstrations by New Victory Teaching Artists, New Victory Arts Break is also a part of the theater’s …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
(7/20-7/26) New York City has entered Phase 4 of its cautious reopening and there’s more to do in NYC than there’s been since the mid-March lockdown. This detailed map of open restaurants shows nearly nine-thousand venues now serving; included in that number are 4,700 places where you can eat outside. One hundred and sixty-seven streets have been closed to traffic and opened to expanded outdoor dining plans. Read on for more reopenings and other things to do in NYC this week!
Friday, July 24th will see the return of New York’s zoos—the Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the most famous of all, the Bronx Zoo. If you want to visit, you’ll need to get your ticket in advance (no tickets will be sold at the gates). A touchless entry will let you in, but you must have a face covering, and follow spacing markers to ensure social distancing. Capacity will be limited so make sure you reserve well in advance. bronxzoo.com
Thousands of exotic aquatic creatures reside in naturalistic habitats beside the ocean on Brooklyn’s Coney Island at the New York Aquarium. The newest draw here is Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, which shows off 100 shark species, teeth bared for all to see. You can also expect sea turtles and cownose rays, in addition to a variety of fish, and even a touch tank. As of Friday, July 24th, the aquarium is back open, although you must book a ticket for a specific date of arrival in advance. Face coverings and social distancing will be required; the 4-D Theater is temporarily closed and there will be limited seating at the Aquatheater. Visit nyaquarium.com/today to see daily available exhibits and amenities. 602 Surf Ave., 718-265-FISH, nyaquarium.com
Governors Island, a short ferry ride from Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan, is New York’s summer playground. A former strategic battle site in the Revolutionary War, the island now hosts visitors during the warm months for outdoor activities. After several weeks of coronavirus shut down, the island is back open for visitors as of Wednesday, July 15th. Hours will be 10am-6pm on the weekdays, extended to 7pm on the weekends. Manhattan ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. There will be Brooklyn access as well, leaving from Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, although they’ll be available on the weekends only. (A third way of travel will be a dedicated weekend shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 that will run roughly every 30 minutes beginning July 18, ferry.nyc.) Social distancing should be observed on all ferries and the island, with face coverings required for travel. govisland.org
The west side’s beloved elevated park, The High Line, will reopen on Thursday, July 16th. To accommodate our new normal, capacity at the park will be greatly reduced. Free timed-entry tickets are opened every two weeks on Mondays. A limited number of walk-up passes will also be available at the entrance, but advance planning is recommended. Traffic will only flow in one direction, starting at Gansevoort Street. All visitors must enter at the southern end of the High Line, at Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, and move northwards. In this first reopening phase, the High Line will be open only to 23rd Street. Citywide safety protocols will also apply here, including the requirement of wearing a mask or face covering and maintaining 6-foot social distancing. thehighline.org
As of Thursday, July 16th, lobster boat rides are back! The North River Lobster Company is NYC’s only floating lobster shack and this week it returns to summer cruising form. You’ll find all kinds of rolls (see above), from the classic signature to specialty rolls like the Lower East Side everything bagel option. There’s also clam chowder, a full raw bar, and sangria, frozé, buckets of cold beer, and fishbowl cocktails to match. For safety, the boat will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, all staff and guests will wear face coverings, and admission will be at half capacity to ensure social distancing. Departures from Pier 81 will run 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. northriverlobsterco.com
Rockefeller Center is back this week as well, with a return of retail shopping and great open-air dining courtesy of Summer at The Rink. The world-famous skate spot has shifted to warm weather duty, with oversized tables making social distancing easy. Enjoy decadent summer bites and specialty drinks to-go from favorites like Rainbow Room, Alidoro, City Winery, and Ethiopian standout Makina. rockefellercenter.com
Rainbow Room
Monday-Friday, 11:30am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
Alidoro
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
City Winery
Monday-Friday, 1pm-9pm (North Plaza)
Makina Truck
Monday-Sunday, 11am-7pm (North Plaza) | See the menu
Although the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain temporarily closed, Statue Cruises is once again out and about in New York Harbor. Sixty-minute tours, complete with history and stunning views, can now be booked, with a focus on safety. Tours run four times daily out of the Battery Park departure point in Lower Manhattan at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. These tours will continue until Liberty Island and Ellis Island reopen (Statue Cruises is the exclusive provider of ferry service for the National Park Service to the two landmarks). Tickets are $26/adult, $19/seniors, $14/child and free for children three years and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance (strongly encouraged) from the Statue Cruises website or at Gangway 5 in Battery Park. statuecruises.com
NEW: STREET FEAST
The Village Alliance is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation to bring Street Feast: 8th Street and Street Feast: St. Marks Place starting this Friday. Dozens of small-scale downtown venues will be serving open air bites and more on West 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. These stretches will be closed to traffic Fridays at 5p-11pm and Saturdays noon-11pm. Street Feast will run through Saturday, September 5th.
LIVE COMEDY
Outdoor live shows and open mics are back on at favorite Astoria performance venue Q.E.D. Enjoy it all safely and socially distant in the back yard, complete with frozen margaritas and frosé to stay or to go. Hours Friday 5-10pm, Saturday noon-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm. qedastoria.com
PIANO IN BRYANT PARK
One of Bryant Park’s most popular programs, “Piano in Bryant Park,” is back again. Audiences are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing while seated in the park’s iconic moveable bistro chairs. Piano in Bryant Park, which showcases the finest ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists, takes place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30pm through August. bryantpark.org/programs/piano
One World Observatory has made One World Explorer, the attraction’s Digital Skyline Guide, available for remote watching. Virtual helicopter tours of the city’s most iconic sites are available now.
Conrad New York Downtown has launched a series of profiles of New Yorkers, including Bedside Reading New York authors. The new digital series is called “Why I Love NYC” and includes nearly 20 real testimonials from New Yorkers on why the city is the greatest place to live or visit. Interspersed between the interviews, the hotel features videos of iconic landmarks, neighborhoods, and hidden gems from around the city. The highlight videos appear on the hotel’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, while the interviews are featured on LinkedIn in addition to the other three platforms. Interviews feature select Bedside Reading Authors, including Susan Silver, Lee Mathew Goldberg, Seymour Ubell, Kim Akhtar, and Sweta Vikram. instagram.com/p/CCUivePFjWl/
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
============================================================
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Corona Culture,” updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s Corona Culture (b).
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every visitor should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
This was Manhattan’s first paved street, and today Stone Street along with South William and Pearl Streets, and Coenties Alley—make up the Stone Street Historic District.
“In the shadows of the World Trade Center buildings just north of Battery Park lies historic Stone Street in Lower Manhattan. Nestled in New York’s Financial District, this passageway’s cobblestone streets are unique in the context of the neighborhood. Stone Street–which once extended from Broadway to Hanover Square–is now divided by the former Goldman Sachs building at 85 Broad Street. Despite the never-ending development in downtown New York, this famed thoroughfare remains reminiscent of its 17th century roots thanks to a deliberate urban planning intervention.
Residents and neighbors, upset with the poor conditions of the street, petitioned for the road to be paved using the cobblestone method. Some reports claim Stone Street’s 1658 pavement was the first in the history of Nieuw Amsterdam (renamed New York in 1667). In 1794, a group of New Yorkers renamed the passageway Stone Street to commemorate the road as being one of the first in the municipality paved in cobblestone.” (untapped cities)
Now how about some other useful information during these trying times.
WFUV-FM 90.7is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include Flushing Town Hall at Home, PTAMD’s Dancemaker, Art on the Grid and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
Whether you need a work-from-home break or are looking for ways to connect with loved ones, “Encores! Archives Project” is your song-a-day video series on social media, curated by Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel. The show must go on…online that is, and NYCC wants to make sure you can still reminisce about your favorite musical, sing along to a Stephen Sondheim tune in your PJs, and even rediscover a forgotten gem from Rodgers & Hart …
“Art on the Grid” is a multi-platform exhibition of new work by a group of 50 New York-based, emerging artists. The exhibition was conceived in the spring of 2020 in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As it developed, the parallel epidemic of systemic racism came into sharp and painful focus. Both crises now set the backdrop for the exhibition. The city, country, and world will emerge changed by these events, and the exhibition’s focus on …
Flushing Town Hall continues to entertain and engage with its virtual series, “Flushing Town Hall At Home!” Which includes a twice-weekly FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live!, an FTH at Home: Zoom Community Hang, and a daily activity for families through FTH at Home: Global Arts for Global Kids.Every Tuesday and Friday at 7:00 PM, the cultural organization’s FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live! stream a prior live performances that were held at the venue. Viewers can tune …
The Academy Award-nominated documentary “Dancemaker” is streaming on PTAMD’s website and Youtube channels. Other historic and contemporary repertory and footage never shared before will follow. The Taylor Company is partnering with Jacob Jonas and the dance community at large on #adigitaldance project. On Mondays and Fridays, a “task” is issued to encourage movement while we are all socially distancing: http://jacobjonas.com/adigitaldance/.
Through an initiative called “New Victory Arts Break,” New Victory Theater is inspiring families to learn performing arts skills from the comfort of their own home. A free online series, each week explores a particular art form and invites kids and parents to incorporate the arts into their homeschool learning through a series of videos and instructions. Featuring demonstrations by New Victory Teaching Artists, New Victory Arts Break is also a part of the theater’s …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
(7/20-7/26) New York City has entered Phase 4 of its cautious reopening and there’s more to do in NYC than there’s been since the mid-March lockdown. This detailed map of open restaurants shows nearly nine-thousand venues now serving; included in that number are 4,700 places where you can eat outside. One hundred and sixty-seven streets have been closed to traffic and opened to expanded outdoor dining plans. Read on for more reopenings and other things to do in NYC this week!
Friday, July 24th will see the return of New York’s zoos—the Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the most famous of all, the Bronx Zoo. If you want to visit, you’ll need to get your ticket in advance (no tickets will be sold at the gates). A touchless entry will let you in, but you must have a face covering, and follow spacing markers to ensure social distancing. Capacity will be limited so make sure you reserve well in advance. bronxzoo.com
Thousands of exotic aquatic creatures reside in naturalistic habitats beside the ocean on Brooklyn’s Coney Island at the New York Aquarium. The newest draw here is Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, which shows off 100 shark species, teeth bared for all to see. You can also expect sea turtles and cownose rays, in addition to a variety of fish, and even a touch tank. As of Friday, July 24th, the aquarium is back open, although you must book a ticket for a specific date of arrival in advance. Face coverings and social distancing will be required; the 4-D Theater is temporarily closed and there will be limited seating at the Aquatheater. Visit nyaquarium.com/today to see daily available exhibits and amenities. 602 Surf Ave., 718-265-FISH, nyaquarium.com
Governors Island, a short ferry ride from Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan, is New York’s summer playground. A former strategic battle site in the Revolutionary War, the island now hosts visitors during the warm months for outdoor activities. After several weeks of coronavirus shut down, the island is back open for visitors as of Wednesday, July 15th. Hours will be 10am-6pm on the weekdays, extended to 7pm on the weekends. Manhattan ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. There will be Brooklyn access as well, leaving from Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, although they’ll be available on the weekends only. (A third way of travel will be a dedicated weekend shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 that will run roughly every 30 minutes beginning July 18, ferry.nyc.) Social distancing should be observed on all ferries and the island, with face coverings required for travel. govisland.org
The west side’s beloved elevated park, The High Line, will reopen on Thursday, July 16th. To accommodate our new normal, capacity at the park will be greatly reduced. Free timed-entry tickets are opened every two weeks on Mondays. A limited number of walk-up passes will also be available at the entrance, but advance planning is recommended. Traffic will only flow in one direction, starting at Gansevoort Street. All visitors must enter at the southern end of the High Line, at Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, and move northwards. In this first reopening phase, the High Line will be open only to 23rd Street. Citywide safety protocols will also apply here, including the requirement of wearing a mask or face covering and maintaining 6-foot social distancing. thehighline.org
As of Thursday, July 16th, lobster boat rides are back! The North River Lobster Company is NYC’s only floating lobster shack and this week it returns to summer cruising form. You’ll find all kinds of rolls (see above), from the classic signature to specialty rolls like the Lower East Side everything bagel option. There’s also clam chowder, a full raw bar, and sangria, frozé, buckets of cold beer, and fishbowl cocktails to match. For safety, the boat will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, all staff and guests will wear face coverings, and admission will be at half capacity to ensure social distancing. Departures from Pier 81 will run 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. northriverlobsterco.com
Rockefeller Center is back this week as well, with a return of retail shopping and great open-air dining courtesy of Summer at The Rink. The world-famous skate spot has shifted to warm weather duty, with oversized tables making social distancing easy. Enjoy decadent summer bites and specialty drinks to-go from favorites like Rainbow Room, Alidoro, City Winery, and Ethiopian standout Makina. rockefellercenter.com
Rainbow Room
Monday-Friday, 11:30am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
Alidoro
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
City Winery
Monday-Friday, 1pm-9pm (North Plaza)
Makina Truck
Monday-Sunday, 11am-7pm (North Plaza) | See the menu
Although the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain temporarily closed, Statue Cruises is once again out and about in New York Harbor. Sixty-minute tours, complete with history and stunning views, can now be booked, with a focus on safety. Tours run four times daily out of the Battery Park departure point in Lower Manhattan at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. These tours will continue until Liberty Island and Ellis Island reopen (Statue Cruises is the exclusive provider of ferry service for the National Park Service to the two landmarks). Tickets are $26/adult, $19/seniors, $14/child and free for children three years and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance (strongly encouraged) from the Statue Cruises website or at Gangway 5 in Battery Park. statuecruises.com
NEW: STREET FEAST
The Village Alliance is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation to bring Street Feast: 8th Street and Street Feast: St. Marks Place starting this Friday. Dozens of small-scale downtown venues will be serving open air bites and more on West 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. These stretches will be closed to traffic Fridays at 5p-11pm and Saturdays noon-11pm. Street Feast will run through Saturday, September 5th.
LIVE COMEDY
Outdoor live shows and open mics are back on at favorite Astoria performance venue Q.E.D. Enjoy it all safely and socially distant in the back yard, complete with frozen margaritas and frosé to stay or to go. Hours Friday 5-10pm, Saturday noon-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm. qedastoria.com
PIANO IN BRYANT PARK
One of Bryant Park’s most popular programs, “Piano in Bryant Park,” is back again. Audiences are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing while seated in the park’s iconic moveable bistro chairs. Piano in Bryant Park, which showcases the finest ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists, takes place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30pm through August. bryantpark.org/programs/piano
One World Observatory has made One World Explorer, the attraction’s Digital Skyline Guide, available for remote watching. Virtual helicopter tours of the city’s most iconic sites are available now.
Conrad New York Downtown has launched a series of profiles of New Yorkers, including Bedside Reading New York authors. The new digital series is called “Why I Love NYC” and includes nearly 20 real testimonials from New Yorkers on why the city is the greatest place to live or visit. Interspersed between the interviews, the hotel features videos of iconic landmarks, neighborhoods, and hidden gems from around the city. The highlight videos appear on the hotel’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, while the interviews are featured on LinkedIn in addition to the other three platforms. Interviews feature select Bedside Reading Authors, including Susan Silver, Lee Mathew Goldberg, Seymour Ubell, Kim Akhtar, and Sweta Vikram. instagram.com/p/CCUivePFjWl/
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
============================================================
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Corona Culture,” updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here.
Today it’s 6 Top Online Travel Forums.
Traditional travel guides and blogs, whether online or in paper format, give you a lot of content but still have their limitations. Chances are you’ll have specific questions and concerns that they didn’t cover.
Online travel forums (the original social media) are one of the best ways to find information you can’t find elsewhere, and to find answers to specific questions. These online communities of travelers are ready and willing to offer their insights and first-hand knowledge.
Which are the best travel forums – the forums with many informed and active members who will answer your questions promptly and accurately? with moderators who will ensure that discussions stay relevant and civil?
> Trip Advisor’s Travel Board
Their motto: ”Get the truth.Then go” Search by destination or interest. The New York City Travel Forum has 189K topics and the sidebar “Top questions about New York City” is very helpful. Search here for New York City
> Flyer Talk Forums
Been around a long time. Heavy, of course, on air travel and airports. But the destinations section has a New York City forum with many posts. Unfortunately, browsing through the threads is time consuming, and the search engine is not very helpful. Search here for New York City
> Rick Steve’s Travel Forum
This is a Euro-centric Forum, so it won’t be much help for NYCity. But Rick Steves and his travelers have so much good information on the site, including travel technology, I just had to list it. Be sure to use it when you travel to Europe. Search here for technology tips
Of course, your FaceBook friends and Twitter world may be helpful too.
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every visitor should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
Governors Island
View of Governors Island and Manhattan from air
“Governors Island is a former military outpost—it played a role in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and the Coast Guard used it until the mid-1990s. Today the 172-acre island has blossomed into a recreational oasis just off the Lower Manhattan shore. A free seven-minute ferry ride brings fun-seekers to an idyllic setting where they can cycle (with their own wheels or a rented pair from Bike and Roll), picnic with a great view or enjoy free programming including art exhibitions, concerts and sporting events. The Hills, a topographic installation on the island, comprises four mounds; each offers incredible views of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Meanwhile, much of the island’s military architecture lives on as the Governors Island National Monument. Visit govisland.com for more information.” (nycgo.com)
Now how about some other useful information during these trying times.
WFUV-FM 90.7is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include Flushing Town Hall at Home, PTAMD’s Dancemaker, Art on the Grid and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
Whether you need a work-from-home break or are looking for ways to connect with loved ones, “Encores! Archives Project” is your song-a-day video series on social media, curated by Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel. The show must go on…online that is, and NYCC wants to make sure you can still reminisce about your favorite musical, sing along to a Stephen Sondheim tune in your PJs, and even rediscover a forgotten gem from Rodgers & Hart …
“Art on the Grid” is a multi-platform exhibition of new work by a group of 50 New York-based, emerging artists. The exhibition was conceived in the spring of 2020 in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As it developed, the parallel epidemic of systemic racism came into sharp and painful focus. Both crises now set the backdrop for the exhibition. The city, country, and world will emerge changed by these events, and the exhibition’s focus on …
Flushing Town Hall continues to entertain and engage with its virtual series, “Flushing Town Hall At Home!” Which includes a twice-weekly FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live!, an FTH at Home: Zoom Community Hang, and a daily activity for families through FTH at Home: Global Arts for Global Kids.Every Tuesday and Friday at 7:00 PM, the cultural organization’s FTH at Home: Facebook Watch Party Live! stream a prior live performances that were held at the venue. Viewers can tune …
The Academy Award-nominated documentary “Dancemaker” is streaming on PTAMD’s website and Youtube channels. Other historic and contemporary repertory and footage never shared before will follow. The Taylor Company is partnering with Jacob Jonas and the dance community at large on #adigitaldance project. On Mondays and Fridays, a “task” is issued to encourage movement while we are all socially distancing: http://jacobjonas.com/adigitaldance/.
Through an initiative called “New Victory Arts Break,” New Victory Theater is inspiring families to learn performing arts skills from the comfort of their own home. A free online series, each week explores a particular art form and invites kids and parents to incorporate the arts into their homeschool learning through a series of videos and instructions. Featuring demonstrations by New Victory Teaching Artists, New Victory Arts Break is also a part of the theater’s …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
(7/20-7/26) New York City has entered Phase 4 of its cautious reopening and there’s more to do in NYC than there’s been since the mid-March lockdown. This detailed map of open restaurants shows nearly nine-thousand venues now serving; included in that number are 4,700 places where you can eat outside. One hundred and sixty-seven streets have been closed to traffic and opened to expanded outdoor dining plans. Read on for more reopenings and other things to do in NYC this week!
Friday, July 24th will see the return of New York’s zoos—the Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the most famous of all, the Bronx Zoo. If you want to visit, you’ll need to get your ticket in advance (no tickets will be sold at the gates). A touchless entry will let you in, but you must have a face covering, and follow spacing markers to ensure social distancing. Capacity will be limited so make sure you reserve well in advance. bronxzoo.com
Thousands of exotic aquatic creatures reside in naturalistic habitats beside the ocean on Brooklyn’s Coney Island at the New York Aquarium. The newest draw here is Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, which shows off 100 shark species, teeth bared for all to see. You can also expect sea turtles and cownose rays, in addition to a variety of fish, and even a touch tank. As of Friday, July 24th, the aquarium is back open, although you must book a ticket for a specific date of arrival in advance. Face coverings and social distancing will be required; the 4-D Theater is temporarily closed and there will be limited seating at the Aquatheater. Visit nyaquarium.com/today to see daily available exhibits and amenities. 602 Surf Ave., 718-265-FISH, nyaquarium.com
Governors Island, a short ferry ride from Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan, is New York’s summer playground. A former strategic battle site in the Revolutionary War, the island now hosts visitors during the warm months for outdoor activities. After several weeks of coronavirus shut down, the island is back open for visitors as of Wednesday, July 15th. Hours will be 10am-6pm on the weekdays, extended to 7pm on the weekends. Manhattan ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. There will be Brooklyn access as well, leaving from Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, although they’ll be available on the weekends only. (A third way of travel will be a dedicated weekend shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 that will run roughly every 30 minutes beginning July 18, ferry.nyc.) Social distancing should be observed on all ferries and the island, with face coverings required for travel. govisland.org
The west side’s beloved elevated park, The High Line, will reopen on Thursday, July 16th. To accommodate our new normal, capacity at the park will be greatly reduced. Free timed-entry tickets are opened every two weeks on Mondays. A limited number of walk-up passes will also be available at the entrance, but advance planning is recommended. Traffic will only flow in one direction, starting at Gansevoort Street. All visitors must enter at the southern end of the High Line, at Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, and move northwards. In this first reopening phase, the High Line will be open only to 23rd Street. Citywide safety protocols will also apply here, including the requirement of wearing a mask or face covering and maintaining 6-foot social distancing. thehighline.org
As of Thursday, July 16th, lobster boat rides are back! The North River Lobster Company is NYC’s only floating lobster shack and this week it returns to summer cruising form. You’ll find all kinds of rolls (see above), from the classic signature to specialty rolls like the Lower East Side everything bagel option. There’s also clam chowder, a full raw bar, and sangria, frozé, buckets of cold beer, and fishbowl cocktails to match. For safety, the boat will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, all staff and guests will wear face coverings, and admission will be at half capacity to ensure social distancing. Departures from Pier 81 will run 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. northriverlobsterco.com
Rockefeller Center is back this week as well, with a return of retail shopping and great open-air dining courtesy of Summer at The Rink. The world-famous skate spot has shifted to warm weather duty, with oversized tables making social distancing easy. Enjoy decadent summer bites and specialty drinks to-go from favorites like Rainbow Room, Alidoro, City Winery, and Ethiopian standout Makina. rockefellercenter.com
Rainbow Room
Monday-Friday, 11:30am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
Alidoro
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
City Winery
Monday-Friday, 1pm-9pm (North Plaza)
Makina Truck
Monday-Sunday, 11am-7pm (North Plaza) | See the menu
Although the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain temporarily closed, Statue Cruises is once again out and about in New York Harbor. Sixty-minute tours, complete with history and stunning views, can now be booked, with a focus on safety. Tours run four times daily out of the Battery Park departure point in Lower Manhattan at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. These tours will continue until Liberty Island and Ellis Island reopen (Statue Cruises is the exclusive provider of ferry service for the National Park Service to the two landmarks). Tickets are $26/adult, $19/seniors, $14/child and free for children three years and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance (strongly encouraged) from the Statue Cruises website or at Gangway 5 in Battery Park. statuecruises.com
NEW: STREET FEAST
The Village Alliance is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation to bring Street Feast: 8th Street and Street Feast: St. Marks Place starting this Friday. Dozens of small-scale downtown venues will be serving open air bites and more on West 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. These stretches will be closed to traffic Fridays at 5p-11pm and Saturdays noon-11pm. Street Feast will run through Saturday, September 5th.
LIVE COMEDY
Outdoor live shows and open mics are back on at favorite Astoria performance venue Q.E.D. Enjoy it all safely and socially distant in the back yard, complete with frozen margaritas and frosé to stay or to go. Hours Friday 5-10pm, Saturday noon-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm. qedastoria.com
PIANO IN BRYANT PARK
One of Bryant Park’s most popular programs, “Piano in Bryant Park,” is back again. Audiences are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing while seated in the park’s iconic moveable bistro chairs. Piano in Bryant Park, which showcases the finest ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists, takes place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30pm through August. bryantpark.org/programs/piano
One World Observatory has made One World Explorer, the attraction’s Digital Skyline Guide, available for remote watching. Virtual helicopter tours of the city’s most iconic sites are available now.
Conrad New York Downtown has launched a series of profiles of New Yorkers, including Bedside Reading New York authors. The new digital series is called “Why I Love NYC” and includes nearly 20 real testimonials from New Yorkers on why the city is the greatest place to live or visit. Interspersed between the interviews, the hotel features videos of iconic landmarks, neighborhoods, and hidden gems from around the city. The highlight videos appear on the hotel’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, while the interviews are featured on LinkedIn in addition to the other three platforms. Interviews feature select Bedside Reading Authors, including Susan Silver, Lee Mathew Goldberg, Seymour Ubell, Kim Akhtar, and Sweta Vikram. instagram.com/p/CCUivePFjWl/
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
============================================================
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Corona Culture,” updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here.
Today it’s Corona Culture (a).
Brooklyn, Before It Was a Global Brand: Walk Its History (NYT)
A few hundred years in the borough, from the brownstones to the shipyards. The NYT critic chats with fourth generation Brooklynite and historian Thomas J. Campanella.
Wonderful photos all over the borough, especially Brooklyn Heights.
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every visitor should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
One World Observatory
“There are a million things to experience in New York City but only one way to truly see them all. Start by hopping a Sky Pod to the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. There, 102 stories up, find yourself facing New York’s iconic skyline. Walk the three sprawling levels of the Observatory; drop into the café and grab a bite to eat; take an interactive guided tour of the City with the help of a Tour Ambassador; and stop by the One Mix bar.” (nycgo.com)
WFUV-FM 90.7 is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include the 48th Dance on Camera Festival, One More Thing, REVERSE REVERSE and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
This exhibit was curated by the 2019-20 Teen Council cohort at The Bronx Museum of the Arts. “REVERSE REVERSE: BRING IT BACK, BRING IT BACK” invited teen artists throughout New York City to submit work reflecting their experiences, memories of, and nostalgia for the last two decades.The exhibit is organized in four sections:COMING OF AGEIMAGINARY REALMPOP CULTURESPACES AND PLACESWatch a video of the opening reception on Thursday, June 4, 2020:Created in 2005, The Bronx Museum’s Teen Council is an intensive …
Being temporarily closed, Bard Graduate Center misses sharing their passion for learning about human history through direct study of objects, from the luxurious to the quotidian. Although lectures, symposia, discussions, and workshops are necessarily postponed, BGC realized they could still share that passion by examining objects that are on hand. Watch their new video series, “One More Thing,” in which one person discusses one object for one minute. Check out a sneak peek below:
Dance Films Association and Film at Lincoln Center present the 48th edition of the Dance on Camera Festival, running July 17-20, 2020. With a program that travels the globe from Ireland to Argentina to Kazakhstan, the festival is being presented digitally for the first time and provide unprecedented access to the longest-running dance film festival in the world.This year’s festival includes a variety of features and shorts, opening with the U.S. premiere of an intimate …
Brooklyn Museum welcomes young artists to the adventure of online art camp! Inspired by their exhibitions and collections, campers ages 8–10 and 11–13 will have fun engaging with art, while interacting with other campers, discovering artists, working with different mediums, trying out new techniques, and more. After five days of art-making, campers close out the week by sharing their creations in Friday’s online Open Studio.This new program includes LIVE daily instruction with museum educators, teaching …
Come celebrate Emma Lazarus’ birthday! Born on July 22, 1849, in the middle of a Cholera Epidemic, she would be 171 this year. AJHS invites previous participants to come and share the poems they have written during or after previous workshops. This is an opportunity to discuss our work and celebrate!Led by celebrated teaching poets and contributors to the 92nd Street Y’s #ANewColossus poetry festival, these virtual poetry workshops will delve into the construction and techniques used …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
(7/20-7/26) New York City has entered Phase 4 of its cautious reopening and there’s more to do in NYC than there’s been since the mid-March lockdown. This detailed map of open restaurants shows nearly nine-thousand venues now serving; included in that number are 4,700 places where you can eat outside. One hundred and sixty-seven streets have been closed to traffic and opened to expanded outdoor dining plans. Read on for more reopenings and other things to do in NYC this week!
Friday, July 24th will see the return of New York’s zoos—the Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the most famous of all, the Bronx Zoo. If you want to visit, you’ll need to get your ticket in advance (no tickets will be sold at the gates). A touchless entry will let you in, but you must have a face covering, and follow spacing markers to ensure social distancing. Capacity will be limited so make sure you reserve well in advance. bronxzoo.com
Thousands of exotic aquatic creatures reside in naturalistic habitats beside the ocean on Brooklyn’s Coney Island at the New York Aquarium. The newest draw here is Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, which shows off 100 shark species, teeth bared for all to see. You can also expect sea turtles and cownose rays, in addition to a variety of fish, and even a touch tank. As of Friday, July 24th, the aquarium is back open, although you must book a ticket for a specific date of arrival in advance. Face coverings and social distancing will be required; the 4-D Theater is temporarily closed and there will be limited seating at the Aquatheater. Visit nyaquarium.com/today to see daily available exhibits and amenities. 602 Surf Ave., 718-265-FISH, nyaquarium.com
Governors Island, a short ferry ride from Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan, is New York’s summer playground. A former strategic battle site in the Revolutionary War, the island now hosts visitors during the warm months for outdoor activities. After several weeks of coronavirus shut down, the island is back open for visitors as of Wednesday, July 15th. Hours will be 10am-6pm on the weekdays, extended to 7pm on the weekends. Manhattan ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. There will be Brooklyn access as well, leaving from Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, although they’ll be available on the weekends only. (A third way of travel will be a dedicated weekend shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 that will run roughly every 30 minutes beginning July 18, ferry.nyc.) Social distancing should be observed on all ferries and the island, with face coverings required for travel. govisland.org
The west side’s beloved elevated park, The High Line, will reopen on Thursday, July 16th. To accommodate our new normal, capacity at the park will be greatly reduced. Free timed-entry tickets are opened every two weeks on Mondays. A limited number of walk-up passes will also be available at the entrance, but advance planning is recommended. Traffic will only flow in one direction, starting at Gansevoort Street. All visitors must enter at the southern end of the High Line, at Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, and move northwards. In this first reopening phase, the High Line will be open only to 23rd Street. Citywide safety protocols will also apply here, including the requirement of wearing a mask or face covering and maintaining 6-foot social distancing. thehighline.org
As of Thursday, July 16th, lobster boat rides are back! The North River Lobster Company is NYC’s only floating lobster shack and this week it returns to summer cruising form. You’ll find all kinds of rolls (see above), from the classic signature to specialty rolls like the Lower East Side everything bagel option. There’s also clam chowder, a full raw bar, and sangria, frozé, buckets of cold beer, and fishbowl cocktails to match. For safety, the boat will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, all staff and guests will wear face coverings, and admission will be at half capacity to ensure social distancing. Departures from Pier 81 will run 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. northriverlobsterco.com
Rockefeller Center is back this week as well, with a return of retail shopping and great open-air dining courtesy of Summer at The Rink. The world-famous skate spot has shifted to warm weather duty, with oversized tables making social distancing easy. Enjoy decadent summer bites and specialty drinks to-go from favorites like Rainbow Room, Alidoro, City Winery, and Ethiopian standout Makina. rockefellercenter.com
Rainbow Room
Monday-Friday, 11:30am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
Alidoro
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
City Winery
Monday-Friday, 1pm-9pm (North Plaza)
Makina Truck
Monday-Sunday, 11am-7pm (North Plaza) | See the menu
Although the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain temporarily closed, Statue Cruises is once again out and about in New York Harbor. Sixty-minute tours, complete with history and stunning views, can now be booked, with a focus on safety. Tours run four times daily out of the Battery Park departure point in Lower Manhattan at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. These tours will continue until Liberty Island and Ellis Island reopen (Statue Cruises is the exclusive provider of ferry service for the National Park Service to the two landmarks). Tickets are $26/adult, $19/seniors, $14/child and free for children three years and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance (strongly encouraged) from the Statue Cruises website or at Gangway 5 in Battery Park. statuecruises.com
NEW: STREET FEAST
The Village Alliance is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation to bring Street Feast: 8th Street and Street Feast: St. Marks Place starting this Friday. Dozens of small-scale downtown venues will be serving open air bites and more on West 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. These stretches will be closed to traffic Fridays at 5p-11pm and Saturdays noon-11pm. Street Feast will run through Saturday, September 5th.
LIVE COMEDY
Outdoor live shows and open mics are back on at favorite Astoria performance venue Q.E.D. Enjoy it all safely and socially distant in the back yard, complete with frozen margaritas and frosé to stay or to go. Hours Friday 5-10pm, Saturday noon-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm. qedastoria.com
PIANO IN BRYANT PARK
One of Bryant Park’s most popular programs, “Piano in Bryant Park,” is back again. Audiences are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing while seated in the park’s iconic moveable bistro chairs. Piano in Bryant Park, which showcases the finest ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists, takes place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30pm through August. bryantpark.org/programs/piano
One World Observatory has made One World Explorer, the attraction’s Digital Skyline Guide, available for remote watching. Virtual helicopter tours of the city’s most iconic sites are available now.
Conrad New York Downtown has launched a series of profiles of New Yorkers, including Bedside Reading New York authors. The new digital series is called “Why I Love NYC” and includes nearly 20 real testimonials from New Yorkers on why the city is the greatest place to live or visit. Interspersed between the interviews, the hotel features videos of iconic landmarks, neighborhoods, and hidden gems from around the city. The highlight videos appear on the hotel’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, while the interviews are featured on LinkedIn in addition to the other three platforms. Interviews feature select Bedside Reading Authors, including Susan Silver, Lee Mathew Goldberg, Seymour Ubell, Kim Akhtar, and Sweta Vikram. instagram.com/p/CCUivePFjWl/
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.”
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Corona Culture” – updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s NYC on YouTube.
There are some very fine NYC YouTube videos, it’s tough to pick just a few.
Here are some of my faves:
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every tourist should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
“Located along the East River with unparalleled views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the City skyline, the Seaport District is one of the most dynamic neighborhoods in New York City. The charming cobblestone streets and historic buildings that make up the City’s oldest waterfront neighborhood continue to bustle with commerce and culture; the Seaport is home to the South Street Seaport Museum as well as some of the city’s most innovative culinary, fashion and entertainment experiences that both locals and visitors can enjoy.” (nycgo.com)
Now how about some other useful information during these trying times.
WFUV-FM 90.7 is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
7/16 – Lucius livestreams Thursdays in July $ supporting local businesses, this week: covers
7/16 – Indigo Girls All-Dedication Concert, 7pm, in the spirit of an old school radio night
7/16 – The Jewbadours: The Last Schmaltz – Joe’s Pub Live! From the Archives
7/18 – Michael Franti “Stay At Home Concert World Tour” Livestream from Soulshine Bali ($) from 9-11:30pm7/18 – James Maddock Live Stream Concert at 7pm
7/18 – Prison Music Project Town Hall at 8pm, a livestream panel with creators Ani DiFranco, Zoe Boekbinder and Leyla McCalla
7/19 – Mary Gauthier – Sundays w/Mary and special guest Carlene Carter
7/19 – Shelby Lynne, The Chronicles Volume II – 2pm $ Music and fellowship
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include the 48th Dance on Camera Festival, One More Thing, REVERSE REVERSE and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
This exhibit was curated by the 2019-20 Teen Council cohort at The Bronx Museum of the Arts. “REVERSE REVERSE: BRING IT BACK, BRING IT BACK” invited teen artists throughout New York City to submit work reflecting their experiences, memories of, and nostalgia for the last two decades.The exhibit is organized in four sections:COMING OF AGEIMAGINARY REALMPOP CULTURESPACES AND PLACESWatch a video of the opening reception on Thursday, June 4, 2020:Created in 2005, The Bronx Museum’s Teen Council is an intensive …
Being temporarily closed, Bard Graduate Center misses sharing their passion for learning about human history through direct study of objects, from the luxurious to the quotidian. Although lectures, symposia, discussions, and workshops are necessarily postponed, BGC realized they could still share that passion by examining objects that are on hand. Watch their new video series, “One More Thing,” in which one person discusses one object for one minute. Check out a sneak peek below:
Dance Films Association and Film at Lincoln Center present the 48th edition of the Dance on Camera Festival, running July 17-20, 2020. With a program that travels the globe from Ireland to Argentina to Kazakhstan, the festival is being presented digitally for the first time and provide unprecedented access to the longest-running dance film festival in the world.This year’s festival includes a variety of features and shorts, opening with the U.S. premiere of an intimate …
Brooklyn Museum welcomes young artists to the adventure of online art camp! Inspired by their exhibitions and collections, campers ages 8–10 and 11–13 will have fun engaging with art, while interacting with other campers, discovering artists, working with different mediums, trying out new techniques, and more. After five days of art-making, campers close out the week by sharing their creations in Friday’s online Open Studio.This new program includes LIVE daily instruction with museum educators, teaching …
Come celebrate Emma Lazarus’ birthday! Born on July 22, 1849, in the middle of a Cholera Epidemic, she would be 171 this year. AJHS invites previous participants to come and share the poems they have written during or after previous workshops. This is an opportunity to discuss our work and celebrate!Led by celebrated teaching poets and contributors to the 92nd Street Y’s #ANewColossus poetry festival, these virtual poetry workshops will delve into the construction and techniques used …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
(7/20-7/26) New York City has entered Phase 4 of its cautious reopening and there’s more to do in NYC than there’s been since the mid-March lockdown. This detailed map of open restaurants shows nearly nine-thousand venues now serving; included in that number are 4,700 places where you can eat outside. One hundred and sixty-seven streets have been closed to traffic and opened to expanded outdoor dining plans. Read on for more reopenings and other things to do in NYC this week!
Friday, July 24th will see the return of New York’s zoos—the Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the most famous of all, the Bronx Zoo. If you want to visit, you’ll need to get your ticket in advance (no tickets will be sold at the gates). A touchless entry will let you in, but you must have a face covering, and follow spacing markers to ensure social distancing. Capacity will be limited so make sure you reserve well in advance. bronxzoo.com
Thousands of exotic aquatic creatures reside in naturalistic habitats beside the ocean on Brooklyn’s Coney Island at the New York Aquarium. The newest draw here is Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, which shows off 100 shark species, teeth bared for all to see. You can also expect sea turtles and cownose rays, in addition to a variety of fish, and even a touch tank. As of Friday, July 24th, the aquarium is back open, although you must book a ticket for a specific date of arrival in advance. Face coverings and social distancing will be required; the 4-D Theater is temporarily closed and there will be limited seating at the Aquatheater. Visit nyaquarium.com/today to see daily available exhibits and amenities. 602 Surf Ave., 718-265-FISH, nyaquarium.com
Governors Island, a short ferry ride from Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan, is New York’s summer playground. A former strategic battle site in the Revolutionary War, the island now hosts visitors during the warm months for outdoor activities. After several weeks of coronavirus shut down, the island is back open for visitors as of Wednesday, July 15th. Hours will be 10am-6pm on the weekdays, extended to 7pm on the weekends. Manhattan ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. There will be Brooklyn access as well, leaving from Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, although they’ll be available on the weekends only. (A third way of travel will be a dedicated weekend shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 that will run roughly every 30 minutes beginning July 18, ferry.nyc.) Social distancing should be observed on all ferries and the island, with face coverings required for travel. govisland.org
The west side’s beloved elevated park, The High Line, will reopen on Thursday, July 16th. To accommodate our new normal, capacity at the park will be greatly reduced. Free timed-entry tickets are opened every two weeks on Mondays. A limited number of walk-up passes will also be available at the entrance, but advance planning is recommended. Traffic will only flow in one direction, starting at Gansevoort Street. All visitors must enter at the southern end of the High Line, at Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, and move northwards. In this first reopening phase, the High Line will be open only to 23rd Street. Citywide safety protocols will also apply here, including the requirement of wearing a mask or face covering and maintaining 6-foot social distancing. thehighline.org
As of Thursday, July 16th, lobster boat rides are back! The North River Lobster Company is NYC’s only floating lobster shack and this week it returns to summer cruising form. You’ll find all kinds of rolls (see above), from the classic signature to specialty rolls like the Lower East Side everything bagel option. There’s also clam chowder, a full raw bar, and sangria, frozé, buckets of cold beer, and fishbowl cocktails to match. For safety, the boat will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, all staff and guests will wear face coverings, and admission will be at half capacity to ensure social distancing. Departures from Pier 81 will run 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. northriverlobsterco.com
Rockefeller Center is back this week as well, with a return of retail shopping and great open-air dining courtesy of Summer at The Rink. The world-famous skate spot has shifted to warm weather duty, with oversized tables making social distancing easy. Enjoy decadent summer bites and specialty drinks to-go from favorites like Rainbow Room, Alidoro, City Winery, and Ethiopian standout Makina. rockefellercenter.com
Rainbow Room
Monday-Friday, 11:30am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
Alidoro
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
City Winery
Monday-Friday, 1pm-9pm (North Plaza)
Makina Truck
Monday-Sunday, 11am-7pm (North Plaza) | See the menu
Although the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain temporarily closed, Statue Cruises is once again out and about in New York Harbor. Sixty-minute tours, complete with history and stunning views, can now be booked, with a focus on safety. Tours run four times daily out of the Battery Park departure point in Lower Manhattan at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. These tours will continue until Liberty Island and Ellis Island reopen (Statue Cruises is the exclusive provider of ferry service for the National Park Service to the two landmarks). Tickets are $26/adult, $19/seniors, $14/child and free for children three years and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance (strongly encouraged) from the Statue Cruises website or at Gangway 5 in Battery Park. statuecruises.com
NEW: STREET FEAST
The Village Alliance is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation to bring Street Feast: 8th Street and Street Feast: St. Marks Place starting this Friday. Dozens of small-scale downtown venues will be serving open air bites and more on West 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. These stretches will be closed to traffic Fridays at 5p-11pm and Saturdays noon-11pm. Street Feast will run through Saturday, September 5th.
LIVE COMEDY
Outdoor live shows and open mics are back on at favorite Astoria performance venue Q.E.D. Enjoy it all safely and socially distant in the back yard, complete with frozen margaritas and frosé to stay or to go. Hours Friday 5-10pm, Saturday noon-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm. qedastoria.com
PIANO IN BRYANT PARK
One of Bryant Park’s most popular programs, “Piano in Bryant Park,” is back again. Audiences are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing while seated in the park’s iconic moveable bistro chairs. Piano in Bryant Park, which showcases the finest ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists, takes place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30pm through August. bryantpark.org/programs/piano
One World Observatory has made One World Explorer, the attraction’s Digital Skyline Guide, available for remote watching. Virtual helicopter tours of the city’s most iconic sites are available now.
Conrad New York Downtown has launched a series of profiles of New Yorkers, including Bedside Reading New York authors. The new digital series is called “Why I Love NYC” and includes nearly 20 real testimonials from New Yorkers on why the city is the greatest place to live or visit. Interspersed between the interviews, the hotel features videos of iconic landmarks, neighborhoods, and hidden gems from around the city. The highlight videos appear on the hotel’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, while the interviews are featured on LinkedIn in addition to the other three platforms. Interviews feature select Bedside Reading Authors, including Susan Silver, Lee Mathew Goldberg, Seymour Ubell, Kim Akhtar, and Sweta Vikram. instagram.com/p/CCUivePFjWl/
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.”
We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid-19 has required some changes for the time being.
Stay Safe.
For the month of July we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos or YouTube videos. Some days you will find “the Nifty Nine”, all the NYC news you need to start your day, or the Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. On other days we will offer “Corona Culture” – updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times.
We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s Corona Culture (c).
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here August 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
New York City, a city of neighborhoods, is filled with sights that every tourist should see. No neighborhood has more spectacular sights than Lower Manhattan. Today’s feature:
“Located on lower Broadway and the world’s tallest building upon its completion in 1913, the neo-Gothic Woolworth Building is one of New York City’s most celebrated and recognizable skyscrapers—and a stunning achievement in American architecture. Frank Woolworth commissioned architect Cass Gilbert to design the tower to house the headquarters of his eponymous five-and-dime store, and at an impressive 57 stories and nearly 800 feet, the Woolworth Building remains one of the City’s tallest. Nearly 100 years after its construction, the imposing grandeur of the Woolworth Building remains integral to both the NYC skyline and to any downtown walking tour.” (nycgo.com)
Now how about some other useful information during these trying times.
WFUV-FM 90.7 is my fave local radio station. Noncommercial, member-supported with a format of adult album alternative music, WFUV is doing it’s best to keep us connected to our music with a comprehensive, updated list of live music online.
7/16 – Lucius livestreams Thursdays in July $ supporting local businesses, this week: covers
7/16 – Indigo Girls All-Dedication Concert, 7pm, in the spirit of an old school radio night
7/16 – The Jewbadours: The Last Schmaltz – Joe’s Pub Live! From the Archives
7/18 – Michael Franti “Stay At Home Concert World Tour” Livestream from Soulshine Bali ($) from 9-11:30pm7/18 – James Maddock Live Stream Concert at 7pm
7/18 – Prison Music Project Town Hall at 8pm, a livestream panel with creators Ani DiFranco, Zoe Boekbinder and Leyla McCalla
7/19 – Mary Gauthier – Sundays w/Mary and special guest Carlene Carter
7/19 – Shelby Lynne, The Chronicles Volume II – 2pm $ Music and fellowship
Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top virtual events include the 48th Dance on Camera Festival, One More Thing, REVERSE REVERSE and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
This exhibit was curated by the 2019-20 Teen Council cohort at The Bronx Museum of the Arts. “REVERSE REVERSE: BRING IT BACK, BRING IT BACK” invited teen artists throughout New York City to submit work reflecting their experiences, memories of, and nostalgia for the last two decades.The exhibit is organized in four sections:COMING OF AGEIMAGINARY REALMPOP CULTURESPACES AND PLACESWatch a video of the opening reception on Thursday, June 4, 2020:Created in 2005, The Bronx Museum’s Teen Council is an intensive …
Being temporarily closed, Bard Graduate Center misses sharing their passion for learning about human history through direct study of objects, from the luxurious to the quotidian. Although lectures, symposia, discussions, and workshops are necessarily postponed, BGC realized they could still share that passion by examining objects that are on hand. Watch their new video series, “One More Thing,” in which one person discusses one object for one minute. Check out a sneak peek below:
Dance Films Association and Film at Lincoln Center present the 48th edition of the Dance on Camera Festival, running July 17-20, 2020. With a program that travels the globe from Ireland to Argentina to Kazakhstan, the festival is being presented digitally for the first time and provide unprecedented access to the longest-running dance film festival in the world.This year’s festival includes a variety of features and shorts, opening with the U.S. premiere of an intimate …
Brooklyn Museum welcomes young artists to the adventure of online art camp! Inspired by their exhibitions and collections, campers ages 8–10 and 11–13 will have fun engaging with art, while interacting with other campers, discovering artists, working with different mediums, trying out new techniques, and more. After five days of art-making, campers close out the week by sharing their creations in Friday’s online Open Studio.This new program includes LIVE daily instruction with museum educators, teaching …
Come celebrate Emma Lazarus’ birthday! Born on July 22, 1849, in the middle of a Cholera Epidemic, she would be 171 this year. AJHS invites previous participants to come and share the poems they have written during or after previous workshops. This is an opportunity to discuss our work and celebrate!Led by celebrated teaching poets and contributors to the 92nd Street Y’s #ANewColossus poetry festival, these virtual poetry workshops will delve into the construction and techniques used …
In the age of Covid-19 this info from City Guide is one of the best sources of info on What’s Happening, even if some are only available in your home, and not in your favorite venue.
(7/20-7/26) New York City has entered Phase 4 of its cautious reopening and there’s more to do in NYC than there’s been since the mid-March lockdown. This detailed map of open restaurants shows nearly nine-thousand venues now serving; included in that number are 4,700 places where you can eat outside. One hundred and sixty-seven streets have been closed to traffic and opened to expanded outdoor dining plans. Read on for more reopenings and other things to do in NYC this week!
Friday, July 24th will see the return of New York’s zoos—the Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the most famous of all, the Bronx Zoo. If you want to visit, you’ll need to get your ticket in advance (no tickets will be sold at the gates). A touchless entry will let you in, but you must have a face covering, and follow spacing markers to ensure social distancing. Capacity will be limited so make sure you reserve well in advance. bronxzoo.com
Thousands of exotic aquatic creatures reside in naturalistic habitats beside the ocean on Brooklyn’s Coney Island at the New York Aquarium. The newest draw here is Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, which shows off 100 shark species, teeth bared for all to see. You can also expect sea turtles and cownose rays, in addition to a variety of fish, and even a touch tank. As of Friday, July 24th, the aquarium is back open, although you must book a ticket for a specific date of arrival in advance. Face coverings and social distancing will be required; the 4-D Theater is temporarily closed and there will be limited seating at the Aquatheater. Visit nyaquarium.com/today to see daily available exhibits and amenities. 602 Surf Ave., 718-265-FISH, nyaquarium.com
Governors Island, a short ferry ride from Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan, is New York’s summer playground. A former strategic battle site in the Revolutionary War, the island now hosts visitors during the warm months for outdoor activities. After several weeks of coronavirus shut down, the island is back open for visitors as of Wednesday, July 15th. Hours will be 10am-6pm on the weekdays, extended to 7pm on the weekends. Manhattan ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. There will be Brooklyn access as well, leaving from Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, although they’ll be available on the weekends only. (A third way of travel will be a dedicated weekend shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 that will run roughly every 30 minutes beginning July 18, ferry.nyc.) Social distancing should be observed on all ferries and the island, with face coverings required for travel. govisland.org
The west side’s beloved elevated park, The High Line, will reopen on Thursday, July 16th. To accommodate our new normal, capacity at the park will be greatly reduced. Free timed-entry tickets are opened every two weeks on Mondays. A limited number of walk-up passes will also be available at the entrance, but advance planning is recommended. Traffic will only flow in one direction, starting at Gansevoort Street. All visitors must enter at the southern end of the High Line, at Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, and move northwards. In this first reopening phase, the High Line will be open only to 23rd Street. Citywide safety protocols will also apply here, including the requirement of wearing a mask or face covering and maintaining 6-foot social distancing. thehighline.org
As of Thursday, July 16th, lobster boat rides are back! The North River Lobster Company is NYC’s only floating lobster shack and this week it returns to summer cruising form. You’ll find all kinds of rolls (see above), from the classic signature to specialty rolls like the Lower East Side everything bagel option. There’s also clam chowder, a full raw bar, and sangria, frozé, buckets of cold beer, and fishbowl cocktails to match. For safety, the boat will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, all staff and guests will wear face coverings, and admission will be at half capacity to ensure social distancing. Departures from Pier 81 will run 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. northriverlobsterco.com
Rockefeller Center is back this week as well, with a return of retail shopping and great open-air dining courtesy of Summer at The Rink. The world-famous skate spot has shifted to warm weather duty, with oversized tables making social distancing easy. Enjoy decadent summer bites and specialty drinks to-go from favorites like Rainbow Room, Alidoro, City Winery, and Ethiopian standout Makina. rockefellercenter.com
Rainbow Room
Monday-Friday, 11:30am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
Alidoro
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm (The Rink) | See the menu
City Winery
Monday-Friday, 1pm-9pm (North Plaza)
Makina Truck
Monday-Sunday, 11am-7pm (North Plaza) | See the menu
Although the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain temporarily closed, Statue Cruises is once again out and about in New York Harbor. Sixty-minute tours, complete with history and stunning views, can now be booked, with a focus on safety. Tours run four times daily out of the Battery Park departure point in Lower Manhattan at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. These tours will continue until Liberty Island and Ellis Island reopen (Statue Cruises is the exclusive provider of ferry service for the National Park Service to the two landmarks). Tickets are $26/adult, $19/seniors, $14/child and free for children three years and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance (strongly encouraged) from the Statue Cruises website or at Gangway 5 in Battery Park. statuecruises.com
NEW: STREET FEAST
The Village Alliance is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation to bring Street Feast: 8th Street and Street Feast: St. Marks Place starting this Friday. Dozens of small-scale downtown venues will be serving open air bites and more on West 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. These stretches will be closed to traffic Fridays at 5p-11pm and Saturdays noon-11pm. Street Feast will run through Saturday, September 5th.
LIVE COMEDY
Outdoor live shows and open mics are back on at favorite Astoria performance venue Q.E.D. Enjoy it all safely and socially distant in the back yard, complete with frozen margaritas and frosé to stay or to go. Hours Friday 5-10pm, Saturday noon-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm. qedastoria.com
PIANO IN BRYANT PARK
One of Bryant Park’s most popular programs, “Piano in Bryant Park,” is back again. Audiences are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing while seated in the park’s iconic moveable bistro chairs. Piano in Bryant Park, which showcases the finest ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists, takes place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30pm through August. bryantpark.org/programs/piano
One World Observatory has made One World Explorer, the attraction’s Digital Skyline Guide, available for remote watching. Virtual helicopter tours of the city’s most iconic sites are available now.
Conrad New York Downtown has launched a series of profiles of New Yorkers, including Bedside Reading New York authors. The new digital series is called “Why I Love NYC” and includes nearly 20 real testimonials from New Yorkers on why the city is the greatest place to live or visit. Interspersed between the interviews, the hotel features videos of iconic landmarks, neighborhoods, and hidden gems from around the city. The highlight videos appear on the hotel’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, while the interviews are featured on LinkedIn in addition to the other three platforms. Interviews feature select Bedside Reading Authors, including Susan Silver, Lee Mathew Goldberg, Seymour Ubell, Kim Akhtar, and Sweta Vikram. instagram.com/p/CCUivePFjWl/
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.
“Eleven Tears is a graceful and elegant tribute to the 11 American Express employees who died on September 11, 2001. The foundation of the memorial, designed by artist Ken Smith, is an 11-sided black granite reflecting pool. Each employee’s name is etched into the granite, along with five words or phrases that describe the person. Drops of water gently fall like tears over those inscriptions. Nearby is a panel that gives further biographical details on each person.” (nyc-arts.org)
.jpg)
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 