Thursday, April 12, 2018

The Mystery of the Orchid Revealed at the NYBG


Come to the 16th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden and get a whiff of the spring that is about to arrive. Belgian floral artist Daniel Ost is the Orchid Show designer. His amazing sculptures and displays interpret the stunning flowers in original, thoughtful ways.

There will be almost endless opportunities to snap photographs gorgeous enough to induce envy in friends and family. For those interested in getting into the orchid-growing action, there are orchids for sale and experts on hand to explain how to grow your own.

White Orchids from Thailand

To top off what is already a fantastic day of flower adoration, on certain evenings cocktails are served; Thai dance and live music will be performed.

The show is already in full force but continues to run through to Sunday April 22, 2018. It is hosted at the New York Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Boulevard in the Bronx, inside the Enid A. Haupt Observatory. Tickets cost $23 on weekdays and $28 on weekends.

Come to the Orchid Show and have a “bloomin’ good time.”

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Food Truck Fans: Rejoice!


On March 25 food trucks will be celebrating their own special day. The Grand Bazaar is partnering with the New York Food Truck Association to create a food truck experience that will be long remembered.



Food Truck. Photo Courtesy of Piotrus

The list of who’s going to show off their wares has not yet been revealed, but we can anticipate the participation of at least 12 trucks added to the market’s usual 100+ vendors. Even more fun is the fact that all the proceeds are going to be donated to four public schools in the neighborhood.
It is free of charge, but donations are encouraged at the door, or in advance at this link.

The Grand Bazaar happens every Sunday from 10am to 5:30pm at 100 West 77th Street.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Off Broadway in Chelsea Offers “Sleep No More”


Immersive theater has never been as engaging as what is happening at the five-story 'McKittrick Hotel' in Chelsea. Head down to “Sleep No More,” an amazing experience in which all the participants wear masks and wander through the rooms of the hotel, encountering actors along the way. The audience, which is now just you, watch scenes up close and at their own pace, and interact with the actors. Chances are high that you will be separated from whomever you came to the show with, but that’s OK. The experience is meant to be for individuals, and you will reunite your friend/relative by the time the show is over.

The unique presentation tells the story of Shakespeare’s Scottish tragedy Macbeth through a film noir lens. Sleep No More won the 2011 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience and won Punchdrunk special citations at the 2011 Obie Awards for design and choreography.

This is what reviewers had to say about the experience:

"Wickedly wonderful. A unique evening that engages all the senses. A brilliant production! Transformative. An unusually enlightening evening of entertainment.” --Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly

"One of the most entertaining and involving works of theater you're likely to see! If you have any sense of adventure, this is theater you don't want to miss."--Huffington Post

"A merry macabre chase. A voyeur’s delight. Messes with your head as thoroughly as any artificial stimulant. Spectacular!"--Ben Brantley, The New York Times

“Thrilling, mind-bending! Unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”  --Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post

Sunday, January 21, 2018

A Long Week of Great Winter Eating is Upon Us


Do you love to explore the seemingly infinite variety of eateries available for your dining pleasure in New York? If so, then this week is your lucky week!  Beginning on January 22 and continuing until February 9, NYC Restaurant Week offers more than 300 great places to try out at special, Restaurant Week prices.

Restaurant Week comes in two varieties each year, the summer-time and the winter. This winter participants can enjoy eating in some of New York’s finest foodie fantasy destinations for a measly $29 for a three-course lunch and $42 for a three-course dinner. There are a few restrictions, such as tips, tax and drinks are not included, plus some extra special menu items which are off the charts pricey.

Here are a few suggestions for some of New York’s finest restaurants. Reservations highly recommended.
  • Fusco-- Flatiron
  • Gotham Bar and Grill—Greenwich Village
  • Jams—Westside, Midtown
  • Red Rooster—Harlem
  • Buttermilk Channel—Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
  • Burke & Wills—Upper West Side

Thursday, January 4, 2018

The Armory Puts the New in New York

The Park Avenue Armory is a less-well-known venue for all sorts of entertainment and cultural events in New York City. It is in many ways a non-conventional space for many non-traditional visual and performing artists. This non-conventionality has been going on since 2007, and in 2011 the New York Times noted about the Armory that, “Park Avenue Armory…has arrived as the most important new cultural institution in New York City.”

The Armory has a long and unique history. It was built as a location for the well-heeled Seventh Regiment of the National Guard, the original volunteer fighting force which responded to President Abraham Lincoln’s outcry for soldiers in 1861. The regiment included some of New York’s most prominent families, such as the Vanderbilts, Roosevelts and Harrimans.

The building served both functions of social club and military facility. Designed by the leading artists and interior designers of the day, the Armory’s central 55,000 square-foot drill hall is one of the largest open spaces of its kind in New York City today. It was a marvel of engineering technology, designed by Regiment veteran and architect Charles W. Clinton who later went on to design the Apthorp Apartments and the Astor Hotel, which was later torn down.

Guided tours of the Armory are available at a variety of times, and can also be arranged for groups.
Coming events include:

Yerma: March 23-April 21, an updated play based on the 1934 drama by Federico Garcia Lorca.

Myriad: May 22-24, “Oneohtrix Point Never's myRiad is a hyperstitial “concertscape” imagined from the perspective of an alien intelligence that explores disorienting relationships between space and sound and mutates forms of live musical performance.”

The Let Go: June 7-July 1, is a dance-based town hall commissioned by the Armory. Nick Cave, the creator, will present a hybrid installation, performance, gathering and dancing environment.

And that is just a sample. For more performances check the Armory’s website.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

One of New York’s Newest Architectural Wonders: The Oculus


The Oculus. Photo courtesy of Anthony Quintano
The tragic and horrifying day of September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten by anyone old enough to form memories on that day, and especially for New Yorkers and anyone who happened to have been in New York on that fateful, terrible day.

Over 16 years have passed, and unbelievably, there is already a new generation arising that was not born when 9-11 occurred. But there are plenty of ways New York and its inhabitants are commemorating the earth-shattering event, and many of them involve beauty, innovation, and a certain amount of wonder.

If you haven’t seen “The Oculus” it's time to go and be transported, literally and figuratively. Transported literally since The Oculus is the centerpiece of the new World Trade Center Transportation Hub. This site brings together the PATH train from New Jersey with 11 MTA subway lines.

Figuratively because The Oculus looks and feels like a modern-day cathedral, begging visitors to look up and imagine a better world. There are no columns to block the view, which is an enormous expanse reaching two stories below ground. Daylight enters the space unimpeded, and a skylight is opened on certain sunny days throughout the year, including the annual commemoration of September 11.

The Oculus was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and is meant to resemble, from the outside, a dove in flight. Over 12 years in the making, the transit hub opened on May 4, 2016 at a cost of almost $4 billion in public money.

Despite the controversy over some aspects of the aesthetic appeal of The Oculus, it is still worth a visit. There is also ample shopping at the hub: over 100 stores in 365,000-square-feet. Whereas the previous shopping center that occupied the area before September 11, 2001 was primarily for daytime shoppers, the new mall has a busy nightlife as well.

So come for a visit to remember the past, and experience the present and rejoice for the future.

Monday, November 13, 2017

Pop-Up Concerts Bring You and Your Kids Close to the Music

Tuesday is free music night at Columbia University’s Miller Theater. The concerts are absolutely free, last one hour, and give the audience a chance to sit onstage with their complimentary drink and get right up to where the musicians are making beautiful music.
Miller Theater

On November 21st Pop-Up Concerts will be showcasing the Regional de NY, a Brooklyn-based Brazillian choro band. This ensemble strives to keep the tradition of choro alive. The music is virtuosic, and full of joy and beauty.

The group features Hadar Noiberg on flute; Vitor Gonçalves on accordion; Kahil Nayton on cavaquinho; Cesar Garabini on 7-string guitar; and Ranjan Ramchandani on percussion.

If you are available on December 11, come back for another Pop-Up Concert with your ugliest holiday sweater for some fun and great music. The Ugly Holiday Sweater Party features an all-women French horn quartet called Genghis Barbie playing the best the holiday season has to offer, in their own amazing style.

Join Rachel Drehmann (Atilla the Horn): Danielle Kuhlmann (Velvet Barbie); Leelanee Sterrett (Cosmic Barbie); and Alana Vegter (Freedom Barbie) for something new, different, and a lot of fun.

All concerts begin at 6pm with admissions on a first-come, first-served basis, with doors opening at 5:30pm.