Bizet's Carmen @MetOpera @LincolnCenter FREE!

Thursday September 1st, tomorrow, at 7:45pm, the Metropolitan Opera will present a Live in HD screening of Bizet’s masterpiece Carmen, starring Elīna Garanča as the seductive gypsy of the title. Roberto Alagna is Don José in Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre’s hit production, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts in his acclaimed Met debut. (Original transmission January 16, 2010.)

The event will take place in Lincoln Center Plaza. 

This is a FREE event!

Post Hurricane Irene

The advance preparation notices for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, for New Yorkers, were thorough and numerous. Television stations responded with their usual vigor bumping off regular programming to run continuous storm tracking updates. Although I found it exhausting, but I'm sure others enjoyed it for the event that it was.

I tracked all communication about Hurricane Irene through Twitter, and I found updates and links were superlative. I truly hope once the review of the event happens, that no one finds fault in how the Office of Emergency Management - OEM (@NotifyNYC) - and the NYC Mayors office (@NYCMayorsOffice) handled communications and preparation management. I think they did a great job.

Certainly the island of Manhattan experiences events much differently than the rest of New York, but even on this small island, regions of the city felt varying degrees of Irene's effect.






Lower Manhattan - which sits on reclaimed land - had flooding up to 2 feet. This pic is from the Chinatown area in lower Manhattan.

Contrarily, the Upper West Side experienced a heavy rain shower with only nominal flooding in very low lying areas in Riverside Park.

Today on the UWS it was business as usual. The only evidence of the storm were a few fallen branches and the NY Parks department was already busy turning them into wood chips. 












It was an exciting 48 hours that leaves me with the question...'now what?'

UWS Discount: Cheap AMC Movie Tickets

UDATE: Offer available until Tuesday, 8/30 @ 11:59 pm

Great deal today from AMC theaters — four movie tickets (with no expiration date) for $27. That’s only $6.75/ticket!

Four vouchers will be mailed to you, which you can then exchange for tickets at any AMC theater in the US, including AMC Showplace, Loews, Cineplex Odeon, Magic Johnson, and Star theatres.

The ARE some limitations with the tickets, but I think think the cheap price is worth the trade-offs:

• Valid only for movies that are two weeks out from their original release date.
• Not valid for special engagements.
• Extra charges may apply for 3D, IMAX, ETX, Dine-In theaters, alternative content, and premium services and locations.

That first bullet is the biggest caveat, but I’d rather wait two weeks and see a movie for half-price.
The two big theaters on the Upper West Side are both AMC (Broadway & 68th and Broadway & 84th), as are many theaters through Manhattan, including the Upper East Side, 34th Street, Kips Bay, East Village, and Flatiron District. The AMC on 42nd Street is listed as “AMC Empire” — I’m not 100% sure if this is included in the deal or not.

Click here for the deal through BuyWithME.com

In NYC Parks - August 22-24th.

NYC Parks is wrapping up the summer with a busy schedule!! This week has got some great FREE offerings in the boroughs.

The 29th Annual MLK Free Concert Series!
  Monday, August 22, 2011
, 7:30 p.m.
 Wingate Park, Brooklyn



Flicks on the Beach: Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
 Monday, August 22, 2011, 
7:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.
 Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk, Brooklyn



Movies on the Waterfront: Saturday Night Fever
 Monday, August 22, 2011, 
1:00 p.m.
 Astoria Park, Queens



Reforestation Stewardship Work Day at Canarsie Park
 Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
 Canarsie Park, Brooklyn


Freshkills Park SI 350 Tour
 Wednesday, August 24, 2011
, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
 Barrett Triangle, Staten Island

Last Weekend for Sterling Renaissance Festival

The Sterling Renaissance Festival is one of the best in genre for family entertainment. Over 100 stage and street performers, professional actors, comedians and musicians who recreate an authentic English Renaissance village to experience including jousting, comedy skits, sword swallowing, and tomato throwing at the poor man locked in the stocks.  

Join the merriment at the Pub Sing, Wench Auction and Trial & Dunke. Witness dozens of artisans demonstrating their fine craftsmanship and selling their unique wares. 

Come dressed for the occasion to get true enjoyment of the event.

Note: Food is not as fabulous at the event so you may want to pack a lunch. 

 

This Weekend in NYC Parks

The summer is running out so make sure you get out and get involved in some of these great activities that NYC Parks is presenting.

You're gonna be tired after this weekend!!

Friday, August 19

Fishing in The Parks 

New York is a city of water, and of course, that means we're surrounded by fish! With events from the Urban Park Rangers and other partners, NYC Parks can teach interested anglers how to fish safely and ethically at lakes and rivers in all five boroughs. If you're an experienced angler, check out the Parks sport fishing page for good locations and program information.

  
Introduction to QiGong
   7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
 Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan



Park Play with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Playground Associates
  11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
 Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn



Staten Island Food Truck Summerfest 2011
 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
 Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach, Staten Island



Craftsmen Days
 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
 Rufus King Park, Queens



Oldies Night with Billy C, Kitty & Friends
 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
 Forest Park, Queens



The 12th Annual KIDflix Film Fest of Bed-Stuy
 7:00 p.m.
 Fulton Park, Brooklyn

Saturday, August 20

FlyNY 
Saturday, August 20 is FlyNY, New York's annual kite flying event! Learn about kite flying techniques from experts, learn origami, and watch the skies for some aerial artistry. We encourage you to bring a handmade or store bought kite, and take to the air! 

Bird Walks in Van Cortlandt Park
  8:00 a.m.
 Van Cortlandt Nature Center, Bronx



Annual Community Family Day
 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Roy Wilkins Park, Queens



Seining the Shores
 12:00 p.m.
 Orchard Beach, Bronx



Nature Adventures for Kids - Wriggly, Squiggly Worms! at Anne Loftus Playground in Fort Tryon Park
 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
 Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan


Sunday, August 21

Basic Canoeing
 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
 Prospect Park, Brooklyn



Magnifying Nature event at Greenbelt Nature Center with Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
 Greenbelt Nature Center, Staten Island



Astoria Park Shore Fest: Music & Arts Fest
 1:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Astoria Park, Queens



Blues BBQ Festival
 2:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
 Pier 54, Manhattan


Garden Walk at Wave Hill
 2:00 p.m.
 Wave Hill, Bronx

New York and The World's Fair

Saturday, August 20th 2011
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Join the Urban Park Rangers in Flushing Meadows Corona Park  for a look back at New York's two World's Fairs and how they helped shape our urban landscape.

Meet in front of the Queens Museum of Art for this event.

To learn more about the Urban Park Rangers, please visit www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers or call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers.

Vesuvio Playground

Vesuvio Playground, formerly known as Thompson Playground, takes its name from the popular Italian bakery on nearby Prince Street. The park was founded in 1920 and renovated a few times during its history. Most recently in the mid-1980s NYC Parks department redesigned the Playground to redefine the athletic and play areas for different age groups. The west side of the park was made into a children's play area with new climbing equipment, swings, benches and tables, and a new play unit was constructed near the spray shower area. The handball and basketball courts were reconstructed, and the low brick walls were extended to delineate courts from tot areas. The granite block walkway along Thompson Street was also reconstructed and extended. In addition, decorative squares of granite block pavement were placed throughout the park.

An in-ground pool - 3 feet deep - is  perfect for small children.

I recently spent a beautiful summer day there with 7 children. We were in and out of the pool, playing tag on the playground, eating pizza at one of the picnic tables and splashing in the spray shower. 6 hours later, those 7 - ages 5 to 9 - left reluctantly, having enjoyed a wonderful day at a great facility.

One word of warning.... the pool 'guard' is beyond rigid in her employment of the rules, and there are many. There is no fee to use the pool - it is open to all. No swim caps required. Also, no pics of your children frolicking in the water - she'll yell at you....yikes!

Day Trip to Bear Mountain

We took our first visit of many visits to Bear Mountain this week. The beauty of this park surprised all of us and the trip was a stellar day for everyone. A straight shot up the Palisades Parkway, the drive took us only an hour from the UWS.

Here is some info in case you're interested in the trip.......
Bear Mountain (3006 Seven Lakes Dr; 845-786-2701, nysparks.com. Vehicle entry fee $8). The area is rich in history and you can make a weekend trip of the immediate area around the park since there are lots of attractions.

The 5,067-acre (20.51 km²) park offers biking, hiking, boating, picnicking, swimming, cross-country skiing, cross-country running, sledding and ice skating. It also includes several facilities such as the Perkins Memorial Tower, the Trailside Museum and Zoo, the Bear Mountain Inn (closed for renovation these past years), a carousel, pool and skating rink.

On Hessian Lake you can rent a  paddle boat or row boat, and see the stunning scenery from the center of the lake. You can fish here in summer and winter - very cool for city kids!

 

The picnic grounds were clean and well supplied - there are enclosed barbecues you can use (bring your own charcoal) or you can bring your small grill - but the  best surprise of the day was the super-sized swimming pool set amidst the forest and the lovely rolling hills.

 

Leaving the sights and smells was hard, but we know we'll be back soon!

 

August @AMNH

Brain: The Inside Story, Closes Sunday August 14^th

A compelling exhibition about the latest research about the brain and how it functions and changes over time. 

For more interesting references on neuroscience see Daniel Siegel and David Rock.

  

Journey To The Stars, an all-new Hayden Planetarium Space show. Journey to the Stars is a breathtaking exploration of the life and death of stars, with its images enhanced by a $2 million upgrade of the dome's projection system. 

 

Cool.

Governors Island

Saturday, August 13: NYC Volkswagen Traffic Jam, 10 AM — 4 PM

A hundred vintage Volkswagens will be bumper-to-bumper at picturesque Picnic Point on Governors Island for a colorful car show and picnic that is open to all. Meet classic beetles, buses, Karmann Ghias, dune buggies, and other beloved VDubs circa 1954–1979 from NYC and beyond. "People's choice" wins this car show…and spectators attend free! 

A definite must this weekend.

First Section Of New East River Waterfront Esplanade Is Opened

On July 14, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver opened the first section of the new East River Waterfront Esplanade just south of the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. The first phase – from Wall Street to Maiden Lane – is part of a larger $165 million project that is revitalizing a once neglected two-mile stretch of City-owned land along the water’s edge from the tip of Lower Manhattan to East River Park north of the Manhattan Bridge.

The new esplanade – open to the public from 6:00 AM to midnight – provides a place for residents, office workers and visitors to Lower Manhattan to enjoy the waterfront. Along the new esplanade are plantings and trees comprised of native coastal species, as well as seating elements evocative of the area’s maritime past. Elevated bar stool seating offers visitors an opportunity to sit next to the railing and look out over the water toward Brooklyn. The railing at the bar also doubles as a tabletop on which users can eat, use a laptop or read. The esplanade also features chaise lounges, game tables, planter walls and waterside benches. The “Look-Out,” a series of stadium-like steps leading to the water at the foot of Wall Street, enables visitors to sit and observe the water with unobstructed views. A new state-of-the-art dog park features a climbing bridge, sand pit, splash pad and dog house. The entire esplanade is unified by a newly installed purple girder underneath the FDR Drive that will be illuminated at night and visible over the esplanade and across the river.

The esplanade stretches to Pier 11 at Wall Street, one of the stops on the City’s new East River Ferry Service launched by Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn in June 2011. The new service will provide year-round ferry transportation between East 34th Street and Pier 11 in Manhattan, Long Island City in Queens, Greenpoint, North Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, and DUMBO in Brooklyn.