Ice Skating at Bryant Park

On a lovely winter evening, I decided to go to Bryant Park to ice skate for the first time. The place was very crowded, but the people were friendly. And the area was very family oriented so I didn't feel uncomfortable about taking my first strokes across the massive circle of ice. I held on to the bar all around the ring, and made a few friends along the way.

http://citipondatbryantpark.com/

Walking tour of the Lower East Side

Sun, Sept 25, 12-3pm:

Musical/architectural/historical walking tour of Lower East Side & the Bowery with vaudeville performer/archivist POOR BABY BREE and NYC historian DAVID FREELAND (author of Automats, Taxi Dances, and Vaudeville: Excavating Manhattan's Lost Places of Leisure, NYU Press) At each stop, David will speak briefly about the significance of the location, and Bree will sing one specially chosen song, accompanied by Karen Waltuch (viola) and Joshua Camp (accordion). Representatives from the participating institutions and businesses will also speak.
The event begins at Noon at the Bowery Mission (address below). The event is free, and you can join us at any stop, but the Mission will gratefully accept donations of usable men's clothing, especially bands. The full schedule of stops and songs is as follows:
12 noon: The Bowery Mission, 227 Bowery (between Prince/Rivington); "The Bowery," c. 1892
12:45 p.m.: Di Palo's Fine Foods, 200 Grand (at Mott); "My Brudda Sylvest'," 1908
1:45: Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery*, 137 E. Houston (between 1st/2nd Aves.); "Yiddle, On Your Fiddle, Play Some Ragtime," 1909
2:30: Merchant's House Museum, 29 E. 4th St. (between Broadway/Lafayette); "If I Only Had a Home Sweet Home," 1906
*If you wish to order knishes to pick up during our visit, please place your order least one day ahead (212-477-2858 212-477-2858 or www.knishery.com).
**Merchant's House, the only fully preserved 19th century single-family home in New York City, will be open for self-guided tours until 5 p.m.

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Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene, a category 1 hurricane that passed through the Tri-state area this weekend, has left behind destruction, and flooding in some areas. It led to major evacuations of certain areas.

Here are some pictures from Long Beach, LI:

PIE, a little secret in the east village

I went to a delightful place called PIE last night. The spinach and feta pizza was absolutely delicious. The heartiness of the spinach mixed with the meltiness of the cheese was a good marriage of flavors on the taste buds. The restaurant is very intimate with comfortable seating. Its close to Union Square, resting on 4th ave. Best of all, you have the option of choosing the size of your slice. So it is perfect for a light snack or a hearty meal. This would be an excellent spot to eat before a play, movie, or party. I would definitely eat here again.

July 4th

You should come celebrate United States of America's Birthday by joining the 35th Annual Macy's 4th of July fireworks. It promises performances from artists Beyonce, and Brad Paisley. Followed by a delightful scene of streaming lights in delectable colors.

Went for a quick bite to Peels for the second time this week. Peels offers a hip trendy vibe with a really nice bar scene. The dinner was excellent both times with a very pleasant wait staff. Between 2 couples, we tried the signature shrimp and grits, hush puppies and creamy collard greens. Everything was tasty, simply prepared and flavorful. Last night, my husband had a hamburger and fries and I had the collard greens again. The special lemon meringue pie was lemony and light with a buttery crust. The only caveat is the reservation process - call a separate number and its hard to get in between 8 and 9 pm at the last minute. But that's part of the allure of dining in a trendy NY restaurant.

Broadway and Bites

Broadway is a feast of shining stars in great plays. I recently saw Al Pacino in Merchant of Venice. He was superb in the light and airy production. Last week, I saw Driving Miss Daisy. The stellar cast of Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones were almost too good to be true in the re-production of the famous movie. Go see it. Colin Firth (from The Kings Speech) had us laughing throughout in the one man show, Long Story Short, a comical view of the planet as seen by Jerry Seinfeld. Two great musicals are Memphis and Scarborough Boys. Both are set in the deep south during the 60s, but with quite different twists and fabulous music. There is lots to choose from if you are in the mood for Broadway.

The East Village has new restaurants popping up daily - I can't keep up! We tried the hot and trendy Peels on Bowery. It delivered a great vibe with excellent Southern style cuisine. We had the steak, shrimp and grits, sides of creamy collard greens and french fries. It was yummy but it is expensive and noisy. Reservations are recommended unless you are going really early or really late. Hecco en Dumbo is a nouvelle Mexican restuarant with a swinging bar scene that recently opened near us. The food is authentic Mexico City. The little tapas were really good as were the margaritas. The oxaacan chocolate flan was dreamy. Definitely worth a try. We had a late, after theatre bite at the famous DB Bistro last night- excellent food but very expensive and a vibe so different from my East Village, I was ready to jump in a cab and come back to my familiar home ground. Why? I guess I'm over the overdressed semi corporate scene in NY and totally prefer the vitality of our unique neighborhood.