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.