Casual dining arrives in style at the Plaza
By Nancy Mandell, guest blogger
The best things in life aren’t always free. But in New York City, they can be surprisingly moderate for the setting. Take the landmark Plaza Hotel, where the Palm Court and the Oak Room still beckon with some of their past splendor. Read More…
Construction can’t stop the festivities or the freebies!
By Nancy Mandell, guest blogger
It was just a short time ago that we blogged in this space about the new David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, and now we learn that it will be temporarily closed starting this Friday, May 28, in order to complete deferred construction work on the space. Unfortunately this means that Target Free Thursdays will suspend performances until July 22, and Meet the Artist Saturdays will not return until August. For updates, go to www.LincolnCenter.org/Atrium.
But there is good news from the Atrium, too. Its services will relocate during this summer solstice (see below), and there will still be a free (Target-underwritten) performance this Thursday evening at 8:30 by artists of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Highlighting the program is Mendelssohn’s String Quintet No.1— a favorite of the repertoire—and it also includes the “vivacious, spirited, and virtuosic” sonata for two cellos by Jean-Baptiste Barrière. (The adjectives belong to the program notes!)
Of course there is lots more on Lincoln Center’s summer schedule. Visit www.SummerAtLincolnCenter.org for information about Midsummer Night Swing, the always innovative cross-genre performances of Lincoln Center Festival, the free Lincoln Center Out of Doors performances and the annually anticipated Mostly Mozart Festival.
For the next several weeks—probably until mid-July—the Atrium’s Day-of Discount Tickets (David Zucker box office) will move to Alice Tully Hall, and Lincoln Center Tours and Visitor Information to Avery Fisher Hall (across from each other on the West side of Broadway at 65th Street.) If you’re wondering what Day-of discount tickets you might have picked up last week, examples are Lincoln Center Theater’s production of “South Pacific,” performances by the New York City Ballet and presentations of The Film Society at Lincoln Center.
By Nancy Mandell, guest blogger
The fleet is in—or soon will be—and not a moment too soon for anyone who, like me, has been immersed in World War II through “The Pacific,” the 10-part HBO miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Add to that, three new episodes of PBS Mysteries’ “Foyle’s War,” just aired, and it’s no wonder I’m excited at the prospect of watching the U.S. Navy vessels that will begin their parade up the Hudson River next Wednesday morning.
This year, four ships will make their way to the reviewing stand at Pier 86 (46th Street and Hudson River Park), home of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, where senior military and political leaders will be on hand to welcome them. The USS Iwo Jima (Pier 88 South), the USCG Katherine Walker (Pier 88 North) and the HMCS Athabaskan (also Pier 88 South) will be open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day from Wednesday, the 26th through the holiday weekend. Lines will be capped at 4 p.m. The Athabaskan arrives on May 25th and departs the morning of Sunday, May 30, a day when all the ships will be closed to visitors.
The official high point of the holiday weekend takes place at 11 a.m. Monday when the annual Memorial Day celebration will include a ceremonial wreath laying, a three-volley salute, a flyover of military aircraft in the “Missing Man” formation, and the unfurling of a 100-foot American flag.
The entertainment at the pier promises to be a treat. At noon on Friday, May 28th the ladies in the cast of “Lend Me a Tenor” will host a Broadway showcase that includes performances from “Memphis,” “Promises Promises,” “American Idiot,” “Addam’s Family,” “Million Dollar Quartet” and “Hair.” At sunset, the Intrepid Summer Movie Series launches its 2010 season with “Top Gun.”
At noon on Saturday, you can catch a performance by the Broadway cast of “Wicked.” Stay on for a Tug of War at 12:30 p.m., and a performance by the West Point Jazz Knights Band at 2:30. From 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday night, Miss Babs & the Kickin’ Boogie Band and Reckon So will bring country music to the city. (Beware: Dancing is allowed on the pier!)
Tickets for the Intrepid Museum itself can be purchased at https://tickets.intrepidmuseum.org in advance for specific days.
By Nancy Mandell
Whether you’re drawn to the scent of sausages sizzling on street corners—or repelled by it—the facts are undeniable: Street Fair season has arrived.
—and It’s Free!
By Nancy Mandell, guest blogger
Jazz fans, rejoice!
The April 29 Target Free Thursday concert —yes, there is a free concert EVERY Thursday night at 8:30—in the new David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center features an all-star jazz ensemble playing the music of Duke Ellington. The occasion is the 15th anniversary of ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON, an annual high school jazz band competition sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center.
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By Nancy Mandell, guest blogger
It was one of those gorgeous summer preview days in early April—a day that simply had to be spent outdoors. My friend and I considered the possibilities: Central Park, a Brooklyn walking tour, the Battery Park City Esplanade. But was there anything new under the Manhattan sun that we hadn’t experienced? Read More…
By Nancy Mandell, guest blogger
The soft news last week was filled with stories about how much better off the country would be if women—or at least more women—were in positions of economic influence. Read More…
Florida may be a great place to visit, but after a while, you might not want to live there anymore!
By Nancy Mandell, guest blogger
At Karen Altfest’s Women’s Salon a few weeks ago, I related a story that, in many ways, has served as the inspiration for this blog, realizing only later that it’s a story I have never shared in print. The real-life protagonist of this tale lives next door to my aunt in Delray Beach, Fla. I have changed her name very slightly to Mona, just in case any of you are among her many friends and acquaintances in Manhattan.
By Nancy Mandell, guest blogger
Last week, I had the good fortune to meet 25 of New York City’s finest—finest women, that is. Almost all of them were personal clients of Karen Altfest. Karen had invited them to lunch at the Cornell Club in midtown, asking me to lead a discussion focused on my blog about the inexpensive pleasures of retiring in the city—exceptional ways to enjoy the benefits of New York that enrich our lives without depleting our bank accounts. Read More…
By Nancy Mandell
When I was young and single, one of my mother’s favorite refrains was to remind me that “it’s just as easy to marry a rich man as a poor one.”
Well, mom, times have changed. Today it can more truthfully be said that it’s easier—and more likely—for a man to marry a wealthier woman than a poor one. A report on social and demographic trends from the Pew Research Center last month put my mother’s old saw to rest. Entitled “Women, Men and the New Economics of Marriage,” the report examines how “changes at the nexus of marriage, income and education have played out” among U.S-born men and women aged 30 to 44. For example, Pew researchers found that in 1970, only 4% of husbands had wives who brought home more income than they did—in 2007, the number rose dramatically to 22%!