|
|
|
|
Norma's Weekly Snapshot 
This week's Special Feature highlights the best and the newest food halls and markets in the city. These spots are a one-stop-shop for gourmet eats, desserts, dinner party must-haves and impulse snacking. Take to the streets to sample culinary delights from local chefs at some of my favorite markets.
Visit past Weekly Snapshots for all of my Summer Features:
Norma Knows New York City
|
Send to other savvy New Yorkers and hip visitors, so they can
|
 General Events...
AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture Tour 
The Yacht Kingston, the newest addition to the Classic Harbor Line fleet, is offering an amazing Manhattan Architectural Tour. As you circumnavigate our city, you'll uncover nooks and crannies of the waters surrounding our island and learn about its many hidden secrets. Various dates available, meeting at Pier 62 (West 22nd Street & Hudson River).
Roller Skating is back!
Pier 2 at the Brooklyn Bridge Park is featuring adult skating nights on Tuesday and Sunday evenings. As you remember how to skate, you'll glide around the floor listening to Top 40 hits.
August 2, 9, 16 Summer Streets
On 3 consecutive Saturdays, 7 miles of NYC's streets are opened for people to play, run, walk and bike. Activities include arts and crafts workshops, live musical performances, dance workshops, plenty of snacks, a 25-foot climbing wall, and a 160-foot zipline. Mark your calendar for next Saturday to take to the streets! 7:00 am to 1:00 pm, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, along Park Avenue and connecting streets. ON THE RADAR:Join Prima Ballerina Tattiana Berenova and International Principal Dancer Ramon Thielen for a delightful evening to introduce the mission of UNDER THE RAINBOW in the New York area. RSVP. August 21 Taste of TennisThe world's greatest tennis players and NYC's top chefs showcase their culinary skills at this annual event at the W New York (541 Lexington Avenue). August 25 to September 8 US OpenTickets are now on sale for matches at this year's Open. I plan on purchasing mine, as I do each year.
|
Cultural Pursuits...  The four sculptures, on view until August 3rd, come from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection.
THE CLOISTERS (Fort Tryon Park) They're celebrating their 75th anniversary! The Cloisters has the most amazing collection of art and architecture of medieval Europe, presented by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, along with an exquisite garden. Visit the website for all that is offered for your next visit.
DISCOVERY TIMES SQUARE MUSEUM (226 West 44th Street) The Art of the BrickA collection of intriguing and inspiring works of art made from one of the most recognized toys in the world... Legos. Perfect for everyone in your family. CNN names this exhibit in their top 10 must see global exhibitions! Through September 7th. DOMINIQUE LEVY GALLERY
Materials of post-war art and contemporary art. Visit their two current exhibits: Hypothesis for an Exhibition (909 Madison Avenue) and Gino De Dominicis (30 East 74th Street). Both exhibits through August 16th. THE FORBES GALLERIES (62 5th Avenue)  Titian Meets West Side Story: The Work of Edward MelcarthAlthough Abstract Expressionism was the style of choice throughout the 1950's, except for his early career, Melcarth worked as a figurative painter until the end of his life. Melcarth found inspiration in Venice and you can see some of his works on display through November 1st. THE FRICK COLLECTION (1 East 70th Street)
Summer Nights at the Frick
Enjoy summer nights on August 15th... free evenings inspired by special exhibitions. Visit the website for more information. Also, make sure to view their current exhibit by French artists, Enlightenment and Beauty: Sculptures by Houdon and Clodiun through April 5th, 2015.
THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM (1071 Fifth Avenue) Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe A truly amazing exhibit that I was fortunate to view during its installation - Italian futurism from its inception to its demise in World War II. Through September 1st.
INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY (1133 Avenue of the Americas) Caio Reisewitz The ICP is exhibiting large scale, colorful photographs by Caio Reiswitz, Brazil's leading contemporary photographer. Through September 7th. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART (1000 5th Avenue) An exquisite exhibition showcasing James' sculptural and scientific approach to the creation of his ball gowns. Through August 10th.
Gary Winogrand, renowned NYC street photographer, will exhibit over 175 of his iconic images and unseen prints at The Met. This is his first exhibit in twenty five years. Through September 21st.
THE MUSEUM OF ART AND DESIGN (2 Columbus Circle) Multiple Exposures: Jewelry and Photography
The exhibit at The Museum of Art and Design showcases how contemporary jewelry artists transform images in this digital age. Through September 14th. NYC MakersWhile at MAD, visit this sweeping cross section of productions invented by artists living in NYC. Through October 12th. THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (11 West 53rd Street) 
Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963-2010 Through August 3rd, one of the most recognized postwar artists, Polke's paintings, photographs, film, and sculptures will be on display. Lygia Clark: The Abandonment of Art, 1948-1988 Over 300 of her drawings, paintings and sculptures from the 1940s through the 1990s on display at MoMA through August 24th. Conceptions of Space Also at MoMA, Twenty projects by contemporary artists. Through October 19th.
Le Corbusier: An Atlas of Modern Landscapes
Le Corbusier, a celebrated artist of three dimensions... a breathtaking exhibit through September 23rd. The Paris of Toulouse-Lautrec Prints and posters by this renowned artist will be on display through March 22nd, 2015.
THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN  (2900 Southern Boulevard, The Bronx)
Great American Gardens and
The Women Who Designed Them
This Garden-wide exhibition celebrates early 20th-century America's most influential women in landscape architecture and design as well as garden photography. Through September 7th.
NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY (170 Central Park West)
Madeline in New York:
The Art of Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline in New York is open with more than 90 original artworks from creator Ludwig Bemelmans honoring the 75th anniversary of this beloved school girl. An exhibit for all ages! Bemelmans Bar, one of my favorite bars in the city, was named in honor of Madeline's amazing illustrator. Through October 19th. ROBIN RICE GALLERY (325 West 11th Street) Summertime SalonA photographic exhibit Robin Rice herself curates to exemplify the 56 exhibited artists' strengths and aesthetics. Through September 7th.
THE SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM (39 Battery Place) Times Square, 1984The exhibit captures the decisive moment and transformation of the urban renewal of Times Square... now known as the crossroads of the world. Through January 2015. 
SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK (Long Island City) Backyard PoolSpring sculptures are currently on display through August 3rd. On the 2nd, you'll see a new exhibit, "Backyard Pool," where a parking lot has been transformed into green space. Installation formally resembles small family pools that are present in many suburban backyards across the country. THE WHITNEY MUSEUM (945 Madison Avenue)
The Whitney presents this exhibit by the most controversial artist of the post war period. This is his first major museum presentation in NYC. Through October 19th. Also visit Rockefeller Center for Koons' Split-Rocker plant, soaring 37 feet above the public square... the half-pony, half-dinosaur sculpture is grown from 50,000 flowering plants.
|
.
Curtain Up...
MUSIC, PERFORMANCE, DANCE:
 Live concerts at the Prospect Park Bandshell all summer long. BargemusicNew York's floating concert hall, moored in Brooklyn, under the Brooklyn Bridge. View their website for this week's concerts... all under the stars. Free music through August 7th in Union Square (Park Avenue to University Place, from 14th to 17th Street). A summer staple... visit PS1 (22-25 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City) Saturdays through September 6th for live experimental music, surrounded by art.  Through August 3 Cirque du Soleil: Varekai With only 7 performances that started on July 30th at the Barclays Center (620 Atlantic Avenue - Brooklyn), order your tickets before it's too late. I have seen 3 different Cirque du Soleil performances and they never disappoint. August 4 Hudson Square Music Festival
Downtown is often the new Uptown! City Winery's (155 Varick Street) after-work concerts have been a hit in Tribeca. Now, on the Upper West Side, lunchtime concerts (Broadway & 66th Street) are being offered Wednesdays until August 27th.
Order tickets for a performance of this renowned Cuban jazz trumpeter at The Blue Note (131 West 3rd Street) . Some shows are already sold out, so don't miss out! Head to Madison Square Park (Madison to 5th Avenue, from 22nd to 26th Street) for free live music.
Broadway's biggest hits are sung by many top performers on Thursdays in Bryant Park (5th to 6th Avenues, from 40th to 42nd Street).This week includes music from Jersey Boys.
At the David H. Koch Theater (20 Lincoln Center Plaza), The New Yorker calls it the "the most awaited show of the spring-summer dance season... "
3 weeks of dance, music, and concerts in Lincoln Center... and it's all free!
Through August 10 Allen Toussaint
Toussaint, an acclaimed New Orleans musician, composer, producer, and singer, has collaborated with performers such as Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones. Visit the website to purchase tickets for these performances at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street).
Performances to wow and delight through August 16th at Lincoln Center... music, dance, art.
Through August 23 Mostly Mozart Classical music concerts at Lincoln Center.
FILM & THEATER:
Celebrating the art of storytelling through cinema at three locations on Long Island. And I And Silence  Beginning on August 5th at Signature Theatre Company's Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street), a politically engaging production that portrays a compelling picture of friendship against the odds in a segregated America of the 1950's. Through September 14th.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
If you enjoyed Jersey Boys as much as I did, you'll be equally entertained watching this musical that follows the legendary songwriter from her early days as a Brooklyn teenager to those well-known hits as a top recording artist. Through November 16th at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43rd Street). The show took home 2 Tonys - Best Sound Design and Jessie Mueller won for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
Bullets Over Broadway  Famed Woody Allen film hits Broadway at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). Marin Mazzie and Zach Braff deliver outstanding performances! The musical comedy is loaded with laughs and colorful characters. Through September 28th.
I experienced the most amazing New York evening when I saw Cabaret at Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street). Both Alan Cumming and Michelle Williams are show-stoppers, and the Kit-Cat band is superb! A magnificent revival, extended through the end of the year.
If/Then The Musical
A favorite performer of mine, Idina Menzel of Wicked, stars in this musical about a woman that returns to life in NYC discovering endless possibilities where chance and choice collide. At the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). Through October 12th.
 Mala Hierba
Second Stage Theatre presents at their McGinn/Cazale Theatre (2162 Broadway) this play; I saw the show in previews and it's fabulous. Through August 9th.
Rocky We all know the story of Rocky Balboa, and I have to say that I was skeptical about how this could transfer from screen to Broadway... but I was taken by surprise. Rocky knocks it out of the park with the scenic showplace, the sound and lighting, and a terrific cast. At the Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway) through August 17th. Shakespeare in the Park: King Lear It's worth standing in line at The Delacorte Theater (81 Central Park West) for the free performances of Shakespeare's classic tale, starring Annette Bening and John Lithgow! Through August 17th. At The Flea Theater (41 White Street) through August 10th, the show was written by Academy Award-winning Playwright, screenwriter and director Preston Sturges.
This is Our YouthAt the Cort Theater (138 West 48th Street) starting on August 18th. A living snapshot of moments when the three young characters venture out into a world on their own, armed only with ideas they have developed as teenagers. Starring Michael Cera and Kieran Culkin.
Visit previous snapshots for more favorites in theater.
ON THE RADAR:
 August 16 & 17 Jazz Age Lawn Party Put on your flapper gown and head to Governors Island to take a step back in time enjoying the music, inventions, and dancing of the 1920s. August 17 Aaron Neville For those Aaron Neville fans, buy your tickets now to see him perform at City Winery (155 Varick Street). August 18 to 22 Central Park Conservancy Film Festival Nightly movies under the Central Park stars include Big and The Way We Were. August 21 Seaport Film & Food Festival (Amelie) Part of the international film and food series, enjoy a delicious array of free French cuisine and drinks, followed by an outdoor free screening of Amelie at Front/Row stage (Fulton & Front Streets). August 23 & 24 Charlie Parker Jazz Festival Then the week later, enjoy the music of Charlie Parker at various locations throughout the city... August 29 & 30 Paulo SzotOne of my favorite singers will perform at 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) in August. Tickets go fast, so if you're as captivated by this Brazilian opera star as I am, I suggest you buy your tickets now. I hope he'll sing a few tunes from his starring performance in South Pacific!September 7 Mike Birbiglia: Thank God for JokesOne of my favorite comedians, star of Sleepwalk With Me will be at BAM's Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn. There is a special performance for BAM members on September 5th.
|
For the Foodie... 
Through August 15 Summer Restaurant Week
These are my dining picks for the week.
CLIENT ENTERTAINING:
 | | Arlington Club |
Arlington Club
1032 Lexington Avenue (73rd & 74th Streets)
Upper East Side
Steak & Sushi
Ristorante Morini
1167 Madison Avenue (at 86th Street)
Upper East Side
Italian Cuisine
DATE NIGHT:
 | | Lure Fishbar |
The Library at The Public
425 Lafayette Street (Astor Place & East 4th Street)
East Village
American Cuisine
Lure Fishbar
142 Mercer Street (West Houston & Prince Streets)
SoHo
Seafood
FINE DINING:
 | | Perry Street |
Il Mulino
37 East 60th Street (Park & Madison Avenues)
Upper East Side
Italian Cuisine
176 Perry Street (at West Street)
West Village
French/New American Cuisine
THEATER DINING ON BROADWAY & LINCOLN CENTER:
 | | B. Smith's |
320 West 46th Street (8th & 9th Avenues)
Theater District/Midtown West
1 West 67th Street (Central Park West & Columbus Avenue)
Lincoln Center/Upper West Side
Italian Cuisine
|
SPECIAL FEATURE... Food Halls & Markets 
Chelsea Market
75 Ninth Avenue (at 16th Street)
My first visit opened my eyes to the true 'anything is possible in NYC' realization. Who would have thought a market like this could exist in NYC? From food and restaurants to gifts and clothing... favorites include Buon Italia (Italian market), Cull & Pistol (Oyster Bar), and Eleni's (custom cookies).
Eataly
200 Fifth Avenue (at 23rd Street)
The quintessential Italian marketplace. With 9 restaurants (including a rooftop beer garden), a cooking school, fresh pastas, top wines, and everything you need to make the perfect Italian meal... I can spend a full day here!
 Essex Street Market
120 Essex Street (Delancey & Rivington Streets)
A Lower East Side staple since 1940, there are over 20 independent vendors. Favorites include Saxelby Cheesemongers, Porto Rico Importing Company (coffee), and Pain D'Avignon (bakery).
600 11th Avenue (at 44th Street)
An upscale food court in Hell's Kitchen. You can have everything from authentic ramen to a delicious taco and a cup of
Grand Central Terminal I could spend a full day in Grand Central, going from store to store, eating in the food court, and shopping in the market. The market includes many specialties for everyday cooking or a special dinner party. From Murray's Cheese to Oren's Daily Roast... the best names in NYC. 
Starts at Essex & Ludlow Street
Saturdays and Sundays through October, visit the market on the Lower East Side with a collection of NYC's best vendors. Food, vintage clothing, jewelry, crafts, and more. Check out the website for their summer outposts.
Hudson Eats
Brookfield Place - 200 Vesey Street
The latest addition to the city, Hudson Eats features 20 restaurants and food vendors, with more on the way. Dos Toros, Blue Ribbon Sushi & Bar, Olive's, Tartinery, and Sprinkles to name a few!
 The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English
The Plaza Hotel - Fifth Avenue at Central Park South
This was a major buzz when it opened, the food hall offers over 30,000 square feet of vendors to visitors and locals... Lady M, La Maison du Chocolat, and Luke's Lobster are just a sampling of what you can expect.
Union Square GreenmarketOpen Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays. I visit at least once a month to pick up fresh produce and local goods like cheeses and breads.
|
|
|
| Norma Knows New York City/ East 76th Street / New York, New York 10021 |
|
|
|
|
August 13 
