NYC Summer Street Fairs: Fair, Not Great

On average, the Big Apple holds one street fair each day. Three years ago, the Center for an Urban Future, a think-tank that investigates issues affecting the City, issued a report asserting that “there are so many of them that any sense of novelty is gone, and that they create clogged streets and unbearable traffic.”

Street Fair in Brooklyn

Not much has changed since the report was written. This year’s summer expects about 110 street fairs, of which less than a dozen are enticing enough to be considered must-sees. The half-dozen listed below will give you your street fair workout, but if you think there’s more we’re keeping you from, consult our own list.

Street Fairs Worth Walking About: June to August 2009.

Taste of Times Square, June 8th (West 46th Street between Broadway & 9th Avenue); Museum Mile, June 9th (Fifth Avenue between East 82nd and East 96th Streets); Make Music New York, June 21st (West 45th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), Heritage of Pride Street Festival [not the whole parade] , June 28th (Hudson Street between Bethune to 13th Streets)
Harlem Week Festival, August 15th, 16th (West 135th Street between 5th Avenue and St. Nicholas Avenue), West Indian Day Parade, September 7th (on Eastern Parkway, from Grand Army Plaza to Atlantic Avenue)

Most of these street fairs are on the island of Manhattan.

 

Da Bronx

Already seen Central Park, the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building?  Consider spending some time in the Bronx.  New York City’s northernmost borough offers plenty of activities for a New York visitor interested in visiting places other than those that New York City is most famous for. 

Other than Yankee Stadium, The Bronx Zoo is among the Bronx’s most well known attractions.  Situated on 265 acres of land, the Bronx Zoo’s exhibits include the African Plains, Congo Gorilla Forest, Jungle World, Madagascar, and Tiger Mountain.  The Bronx Zoo is open year round, and on Wednesdays, admission is a “pay-what-you-wish” donation.

The Bronx is also home to what its residents consider to be the real little Italy of New York City, also known as Belmont.  Belmont is home to Arthur Avenue, a foodie’s dream.  Arthur Avenue is filled with bakeries, specialty food shops, markets and restaurants.   Craving a big sandwich filled with Italian meats and cheeses?  Mike’s Deli in the Arthur Avenue Market is the place to go.  Want a slice of Sicilian pizza?  Try Full Moon Pizzeria.  In the mood for a cannoli and an espresso?  Try De Lillo’s or the Arthur Avenue Bakery.    Or, if you’re in the mood for a nice, sit down Italian meal, try Dominick’s, where the dining is family style, the waiters are quick with recommendations, and where the chef also takes requests.  Belmont also has an array of other restaurants, bakeries and speciality shops (including Borgatti’s for fresh pasta and Teitel Brothers for olives which are simply sublime) from which to choose.

For someone who wants to spend a nice day outdoors away from the hustle and bustle of the City, the New York Botanical Garden is just the place to go.  Located practically across the street from Fordham University, the 250-acre Botanical Garden is built around part of the Bronx River and features acres of natural forest, indoor and outdoor gardens (including the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden and the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden), as well as various other activities.  The New York Botanical Garden is also home to the LuEsther T. Mertz Library.  Admission prices vary, depending on whether you purchase grounds only admission, or whether you wish to visit some of the other attractions or exhibits the Garden has to offer.  Grounds only admission is free on Wednesdays and on Saturdays from 10 am – 12 pm.

The Bronx Zoo, Belmont/Arthur Avenue, and the New York Botanical Garden are accessible by all methods of public transportation.  If you wish to take the subway, take the D train or the 4 train to Fordham Road and then either walk the rest of the way or hop on a bus.  If you wish to take the Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central Station, take a Harlem Line train to either the Fordham or Botanical Garden stops.

 

Island in the Stream

This summer artists, families in search of a quick escape from the city, and adventurers with a knack for nosing out New York’s best kept secrets will be boarding the free ferry that leaves from the Battery Maritime Building at the foot of Manhattan, as they have for the last few years, on their way to Governors Island, the former Coast Guard base that is being converted to public space and parkland through a unique alliance of the National Park Service and the city and state of New York.

The island opens for the season on May 30 with a Family Festival, and recreational programs and art exhibits continue through October. In June comes FIGMENT, the third annual celebration of “participatory art and culture” – more than 400 art projects that you can mix it up with in one way or another. Call it a guilty pleasure, but what I’m looking forward to most is FIGMENT’s miniature golf course, each hole designed by an artist. Last year’s course was only 9 holes – this year it’ll have a regulation 18!

 

The Boys of Summer (Part II)

If you want to get a little bit further off the beaten path then try Atlantic League baseball with the Long Island Ducks, currently coached by former Major Leaguer, Gary Carter.  You may remember Mr. Carter from game six of the 1986 World Series, where his two-out, two-strike base hit sparked the New York Mets three-run rally in the bottom of the 10th inning and his two home runs and nine RBI’s in the series helped the Mets to bring home their second championship.

Amazingly, the best seats in the house are just $11.00!  While it ain’t the Bronx Bombers or the Amazin’ Mets it sure is easy on the wallet and just as fun (if not more).  Tickets are on sale now for the entire season which runs until September 20th.  Be sure to hurry to get the best seats because the Ducks have one of the best attendance records in all of minor league baseball!  Entering their 10th Anniversary Season, the Ducks own a nine-year average attendance of 6,094 (101.5% of capacity) and have led all independent leagues in attendance in each season of their existence.

 

The Brooklyn Flea

The Brooklyn Flea (on Saturdays in Fort Greene, Brooklyn) is a flea market for everyone.  There’s treasure hunting.  Are you going to discover a gem in that big, messy pile of beat-up stuff?  There’s food.  Lots and lots of food. Grilled cheese and pickle sandwiches are popular.  So are empanadas and anything from the Red Hook Food Vendors.  There are tunes.  Yesterday, DJ Jay Stewart was sharing the greats from his eclectic collection dating back to the 1940s.  In other words, this is a party.  A big Fort Greene block party.  And you’re invited.   For directions and more information on vendors, see www.brooklynflea.com.

But don’t leave Fort Greene without checking out the neighborhood. It’s home to beautiful row homes, charming restaurants and shops, Spike Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  Don’t let BAM’s imposing Beaux Arts architecture fool you.  This institution showcases some of the city’s most cutting-edge performance art.  www.bam.org.

 

The Boys of Summer

A summertime visit to New York City isn’t complete without a trip to the ballpark.   But, in New York, you need never set foot in the new Yankee Stadium or Citi Field, the new home of the New York Mets.   New York is also home to two minor league baseball teams – the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Take a free ride on the  Staten Island Ferry (and experience magnificent views of New York City), and then walk over to the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George to cheer on the Staten Island Yankees, a Single A affiliate of the New York Yankees.  The newly built waterfront stadium offers extraordinary views of New York Harbor and New York City.  Tickets prices range from $6 to $14, and can be purchased at the stadium or online (although you can usually just show up and buy your ticket right before the game and still get great seats).  Their (regular) season runs from June 19, 2009 through September 6, 2009.

Or, if a 25-minute ferry ride (each way) isn’t your thing, hop on the subway or the bus and head to KeySpan Park in Brooklyn to catch the Brooklyn Cyclones in action.  The Cyclones, a Single A Affiliate of the New York Mets, have called Brooklyn home since 2001 and have consistently ranked among the top drawing teams in all of Minor League Baseball.  Additional entertainment is provided by the Cyclones’ dance team, the Beach Bums.  There are also giveaways at the top and bottom of each inning. Ticket prices range from $8 to $15 in advance and from $9 to $16 on game day, and can be purchased at the stadium or online.  The Cyclones’ (regular) season runs from June 19, 2009 through September 6, 2009.

 

2009 HBO Bryant Park Summer Movie Festival

During the summer season there are many outdoor film festivals throughout the city and the boroughs that capture the zeitgeist of the Big Apple. The outdoor movie viewing that is the most popular and the most widely attended is the HBO sponsored Monday night outdoor movie festival in Bryant Park.

Bryant Park during a film viewing (Photo retrieved on 5.26.09 from http://www.bryantpark.org/park-management/press/062308-nys.php)

Bryant Park is located on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth (also known as the Avenue of the Americas) Avenues and is easy to get to via subway since it is close to both the transit hubs of Times Square and Grand Central. The lawn at the park opens at 5pm and the movie generally starts between 8 and 9pm weather permitting. There is no charge for admission.

Some top tips from a Bryant Park movie fest veteran:

Be sure to come prepared with a blanket and food and be sure you come prepared to sprint to secure your spot when the lawn opens. The early bird truly gets the worm at this summer venue.

Grand Central Market (Photo retrieved on 5.26.09 from http://blog.sanriotown.com/manilafashionobserver)

 If you come with a group of people and want to grab some food while waiting for the movie to begin (you will have 3 hours if you get there once the lawn opens!), there are many shops within walking distance to purchase some movie viewing goodies. I recommend walking to Grand Central Terminal to peruse the many stands at Grand Central Market. Here you can purchase cheeses, breads, meats, fruit, cakes, cookies…practically everything! 

Also stop by Grande Harvest Wines, also in Grand Central, to get a bottle or two for the night…they’ll even open the bottle for you without a corkage fee! If you do decide to purchase a bottle, don’t forget to stop by the Duane Reade, a NYC drug store on 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, to purchase some plastic cups since glass is forbidden on the lawn at Bryant Park.

Lastly, be prepared to stand in some major bathroom lines since these Monday night movies are always at capacity.

Take a peek at the 2009 schedule here and see if there is anything that strikes your fancy. We hope to see you under the stars this summer at Bryant Park!

 

The Burbs

There is plenty to do in the city of Manhattan but once in a while it is nice to get out and enjoy the surrounding suburbs where it is a little bit quieter, the air is a little cleaner, and there’s just more space.

There are several options for transportation, the most convenient being the MTA Metro-North or the Long Island Railroad (LIRR).  Metro-North offers service out of Grand Central Terminal (a destination in itself) to the northern suburbs of Westchester County and beyond including service to Connecticut.

The LIRR offers service out of Pennsylvania Station (underneath Madison Square Garden) which will get you into the eastern suburbs and  as far east as the Hamptons and Montauk Point.

Another travel option is to rent a car.  While the idea of driving around New York may seem like a living nightmare for many to others it is a once in a lifetime thrill ride. Traffic into and out of Manhattan can be extremely unpredictable, depending on where you are headed and the time of day, but it may be worth the adventure in order to save some cash and have the freedom to travel on your own schedule rather than being tied down .

A recent search for car rentals came in at about 75 bucks for a 24 hour Saturday to Sunday rental (not too shabby if you’ve got a car full of people to split the bill).  Metro-North and LIRR fares can cost you anywhere from $5 -$25 each way depending on how far out you are going and if you are traveling during “peak” or “off-peak” hours.  Jamaica, Queens, during off peak hours will cost $5.25 while a trip to Montauk Point (the tip of Long Island) will cost you $21.00 for a peak one way fare.  To Poughkeepsie, the end of the Metro-North line, will run you $23.00 one way during peak hours.

For information about what could possibly be worth leaving the city for… check out my future posts.

 

 

The Bard on Asphalt

One of the glories of a New York City summer is Joseph Papp’s great free legacy of Shakespeare in the Park, where the stars on stage rival those in the sky. This year Twelfth Night runs from June 10-July 12, with such luminescences as bedeviled movie star Anne Hathaway and the extraordinary singing actress Audra McDonald.

Less starry but no less hot – at least until the sun goes down – the Delacorte has a downtown rival every summer at the corner of Broome and Ludlow, where Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, produced by The Drilling Company, opens its 16^th season with  A Midsummer Night’s Dream July 9-25. You may want to bring your own folding chair, but if the gritty setting is less comfortable, and the adjacent street life can impart a jangly counterpoint to iambic pentameter, the actors might just be as compelling as the big names uptown.

The Bacchae of Euripides follows in Central Park August 11-August 30, while Shakespeare in the Parking Lot will also present Measure for Measure July 30-August 15.

Here are links to other companies planning free theater indoors and out this summer-

http://www.gorillarep.org/

http://newyorkclassical.org/

http://www.hudsonwarehouse.net/season.htm

http://www.theatreworksusa.org/free_summer.cfm