Bebop, swing and New Orleans jazz will inspire chefs and menus alike for one hoppin' evening at the first A Taste of Jazz event on Friday, April 9th at 6:30pm on the Second Floor of Time Warner Center. This celebration marks the inauguration of Jazz Day (part of Jazz Appreciation Month). Time Warner Center's top chefs will pair their favorite tastings inspired by the great American cities known for their jazz traditions.

A Voce's Chef Missy Robbins will pay homage to her sweet home, Chicago. Chef Michael Lomonaco of Porter House New York will be improvising on The Big Apple. Chef Masa Takayama of Bar Masa will hit a high note by way of Los Angeles. Landmarc's Chef Marc Murphy will explore his French roots via New Orleans, and Bouchon Bakery will compose a San Francisco themed treat!

This fusion of culinary creativity and America's art form will also feature incredible drinks and unforgettable music led by saxophonist Walter Blanding of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. A Taste of Jazz is presented by Time Warner Center's The Restaurant and Bar Collection and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Tickets are $85 and include a chance to win an incredible array of exclusive access to jazz, shopping and dining related gifts at Time Warner Center.

There is no better way to see all the highlights of Lincoln Square than on a bicycle! Head over to Merchants' Gate - across from Columbus Circle - and cruise around the neighborhood with Bike & Roll - the official bicycle rental and tour company of the Parks Department. Ride around the Upper West Side and Central Park and breeze by famous sites, including Lincoln Center, Strawberry Fields, International Peace Garden, Bethesda Fountain, travel the entire 6-mile Central Park loop and more!

Bike and Roll is the authorized bike rental program for the area licensed by the Parks Department. Locals and tourists alike can ride on safe routes with quality rental equipment, including helmets. Enjoy the area in a fun, healthy, and green way!

Bike rentals are offered daily from 9:00am to 7:00pm; guided tours depart at 10:00am and 1:00pm... all from Merchants' Gate across from Columbus Circle and Time Warner Center. For more information, call 212.260.0400.

Unseasonably warm temperatures have descended upon New York City, giving everyone a sneak preview of summer days ahead! In response to the weather many of Lincoln Square's restaurants have rolled out their outdoor sidewalk seating--why not enjoy the sunshine and soft breezes by dining al fresco?

On sunny days, eat outdoors at Lincoln Square's very own restaurant row on Broadway between 63rd and 64th Streets where you'll find: Bar Boulud, Café Fiorello, Josephina, and Sushi a-go- go! On Columbus Avenue, you'll discover Rosa Mexicano (62nd Street), P.J. Clarke's (63rd Street) and Europan Bakery Café (66th Street). Nick & Toni's Café on 67th Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue and Nougatine at Trump International Hotel and Tower will also open their outdoor cafés soon. And, sprinkled all along Broadway, open-air seating is offered by: Barcibo Enoteca (69th Street), Luce Restaurant & Enoteca and Nanoosh (between 68th and 69th Streets), and Breadsoul and Lincoln Café (between 62nd and 63rd Streets).

If table service isn't your cup of tea, pick up something and bring your own feast to Richard Tucker Park at Broadway and 66th Street or Dante Park at Broadway and 64th Street where you'll find café tables, chairs and umbrellas!

Happy dining!

Treat yourself to a generous serving of handcrafted gelato at Screme Gelato Bar, located at 2030 Broadway between West 69th and West 70th Streets. Screme, an Israeli kosher gelato bar, opened in Lincoln Square last July and has satisfied the sweet tooth of gelato lovers ever since.

With a rotation of over 5,000 gelato flavors, the moderately priced ($3-$5 a cup) treats give people plenty of reasons to keep coming back to this neighborhood hot-spot. While the diversity of flavors may overwhelm you at first, servers are eager to supply guests with an unlimited amount of samples. Artistically displayed to entice your taste buds, Gelato flavors reflect the fruits and products that are currently in season. Screme also offers a variety of other options to satisfy your cravings, including premium chocolate products, hot dishes (such as crepes, Belgian waffles and hot cakes) and other desserts.

After purchasing your treat, be sure to stroll down Broadway and admire the beautiful flowers blooming in the Broadway Malls or enjoy a peaceful respite in one of Lincoln Square's small parks - Richard Tucker Park (Broadway at 66th Street) or Dante Park (Broadway at 64th Street) - all lovingly cared for by the Lincoln Square BID.

For more information about Screme Gelato Bar click here or call 212- 362-2111.

In what is being called WNET.ORG's biggest and most exciting public step, their new street-level, viewer-friendly studios at Lincoln Center will open in May, 2010. The new studios, at the corner of West 66th Street and Broadway next to Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, are the country's first publicly visible public broadcasting facilities. Street-level and second- floor studios will allow New Yorkers and fans to watch tapings of WNET.ORG shows directly from the sidewalk, including the new, national prime-time public affairs magazine Need To Know on PBS, and the locally focused shows SundayArts and MetroFocus.

"With these new studios, we're re-emphasizing the 'public' in 'public media,'" said Neal Shapiro, president & CEO of WNET.ORG. "The energy, the creativity and the people of New York City have always fueled our work and our programming, and these new studios make those elements an official part of our broadcasting day."

The station's longtime partnership with Lincoln Center made the choice of its first public studio location an obvious one. "It's a pleasure to be located at one of the world's most iconic cultural institutions, which has been the site of magnificent programming on WNET.ORG and PBS," said Shapiro. "Having a base on this campus underscores our longtime partnership and ensures we'll continue bringing the most extraordinary performances to New York-and the entire country-through public media."

Stay tuned for what promises to be another astonishing transformation on the Lincoln Center campus!

Now in its fourth year, Make Music New York, "the largest music event ever to grace Gotham" (Metro New York), is a unique festival of free concerts in public spaces throughout the five boroughs of New York City... all on Monday, June 21st, the first day of summer! Make Music New York takes place simultaneously with similar festivities in more than 327 cities around the world - a global celebration of music making.

On that day, hundreds of public spaces - sidewalks, parks, community gardens, and more - will become impromptu stages for thousands of free concerts. From 11:00am until 10:00pm, musicians of all ages, creeds, and musical persuasions - from hip hop to opera, Latin jazz to punk rock - will perform thoughout the city. From high school bands to marquee names, the festival is open to anyone who wants to take part and is enjoyed by thousands of New Yorkers and tourists.

Everyone is invited to sing along and enjoy the first day of summer. The deadline to participate is April 21st! Register now and let's rock Lincoln Square!

On Monday, April 26, join neighborhood animal lovers for A Night of Music: A Benefit for The Artemis Project. The concert will take place at 8:00 pm (doors open at 7:30pm) at Christ and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 120 West 69th Street between Columbus and Broadway.

Musicians from the New York Philharmonic will present a chamber music concert featuring the works of Mozart and Borodin. First violinist Lisa Kim, Second violinist Hyunju Lee, violist Dorian Rence and cellist Eileen Moon will perform W. A. Mozart's Divertimento #1, K. 136 for Strings and Alexander Borodin's Quartet #2 in D major for Strings. There will be a post-concert silent auction featuring a wide variety of pet-themed merchandise as well as gift certificates donated by local businesses.

All proceeds will benefit The Artemis Project, a non- profit, no-kill animal rescue organization based on the Upper West Side. Since 2001, Artemis has worked exclusively with Lincoln Square Veterinary Hospital, 140 W. 67th Street, to provide medical and adoption services for stray, abandoned and abused animals.

Tickets can be purchased at the door for a suggested donation price of $45 by cash or check, or $25 for students and seniors. For more information, contact artemisproject@peoplepc.com.