A List: Parks In New York

While greenery may not be what most people picture when they think of New York, this city offers plenty of beautiful parks and gardens.  Here are a few of my favorite places to go when I need a break from taxis and concrete.

1.  Sheep Meadow in Central Park.  This is kind of an obvious one, but for good reason.  Sheep Meadow is a huge lawn inside the Park that is perfect for a sunny day.  I love getting lunch from Whole Foods at 10 Columbus Circle and walking over.

2.  Brooklyn Bridge Park.  A highlight of my three years in New York has been calling Brooklyn Heights home, mainly because this park is so close to my apartment.  The park offers a beautiful view of Manhattan, basketball courts and soccer fields, and (like I mentioned in this post) Smorgasburg is held here every Sunday.

3.  The Cloisters/Fort Tyron.  A branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters museum and gardens is located in Fort Tyron Park.  The building and its gardens are beautiful in and of themselves and, if you like art and architecture of medieval Europe, the hike is certainly worth it. 

These parks and plenty of others (like here and here and here) offer a space to breathe inside the concrete jungle.

In the spirit of greenery, next week I’ll publish a review on Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  

An Event With Freedom Ladder

I recently attended The Bridal Fashion Show 2015, an event hosted by The Set NYC and Freedom Ladder.  Proceeds from the event went to support Freedom Ladder’s mission “to stop child sex trafficking by using popular vehicles of education and entertainment, such as comic books, to educate at-risk children about the danger of sex trafficking and empower them to protect themselves and live lives of courage, power, and inspiration.”

 

The evening included a bridal wear fashion show by Kristin Costa, live music by Encypher, and a couture bridal and evening wear fashion show by Irina Shabayeva (Project Runway season 6 winner). There was an opportunity to purchase food and drink, raffle tickets, and Freedom Ladder’s educational materials (their comic book “Abolitionista” teaches children how to protect themselves from sex trafficking). 

I enjoyed the event, with a highlight being the show by Irina Shabayeva (I think it’s best to just look at the pictures since I doubt my words could do the dresses justice).  I also won a haircut with Vu Hair which I'm excited about!  

That said, the best part of the night was watching people come together with the hope of fighting this crime against humanity.  Thank you for a fantastic evening, Freedom Ladder! 

A table with Freedom Ladder's materials for sale.

There were vendors selling clothes and jewelry by local designers.

Encypher

          

A List: Supporting Local Artists

Living in NYC provides the perfect opportunity to surround oneself with plenty of talented people.  Here’s a short list of some fun and inexpensive ways to support local artists in the city!

1.  Recession Art is an arts organization that aims to connect emerging artists with art enthusiasts and the general public alike who may not have the means to spend a lot of money in the traditional art market.  Their affordable pieces start as low as $25.  

2.  Nuyorican Poets Cafe has held poetry slams since the late eighties.  Today, anyone can watch poets compete every Wednesday night, where the first 20 people who sign up are allowed to share 1 poem before being judged by 3 randomly selected audience members.  The top 10 move on to the second round (where they share a second poem) and the top 5 move onto the final round.  The top poet is awarded a cash prize and is invited to participate in a Friday Night Slam.

3.  The Moth offers a space for ordinary people to showcase the ancient art of live storytelling.  Storytellers must be invited in order to participate, and each show explores a specific theme.  Some stories are sad, some are humorous, but all of them are personal and allow the audience members to observe human existence from a unique angle.       

There are plenty of ways to support artists in the city.  Have fun exploring! 

New York Spring Spectacular

Last weekend I saw the New York Spring Spectacular featuring The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.  While I know the Rockettes are quintessential New York, I figured I can make an exception and feature them on the blog due to how exceptional the performance was.  A few highlights:

1. The opening dance was to T-Swift’s “Welcome to New York” and it was perfection.

2. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were in the show (just their voices, but still!) 

3. There was singing.  In the rain. 

4. LIVE PUPPIES RAN ACROSS THE STAGE

5.  There was a montage featuring some of the best New York moments in film.     

The storyline centered on a tour guide taking the audience on a journey through New York, with a ton of interesting facts and history about the city along the way.  The actors were hilarious, the Rockettes were incredible and the show was enjoyable whether you're a visitor (see first photo) or a resident.  And not only was the show entertaining, it made me proud to call New York City home (the next morning I was still so pumped from the show that I woke up at 7 am and ran around Brooklyn Bridge Park listening to “Welcome to New York” approximately eighteen times).  I can’t recommend this show enough, and I fully plan on dragging every friend and family member I can find to the Christmas Spectacular in December.  

You can find more information about the show and buy tickets here.

These ladies were visiting from Sweden and they loved the show!

Museum Series: The Brooklyn Museum

I recently took a trip to The Brooklyn Museum.  While the museum offers plenty of exhibits and hosts pieces from many different periods, the most interesting part of the experience (and the reason a friend invited me to go in the first place) was an exhibit called The Dinner Party.

The museum describes Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party as “the most significant icon of 1970s feminist art.  Begun in 1974 and finished in 1979, with the help of hundreds of collaborators, the large-scale work celebrates the achievements of 1,038 actual and mythical female figures, most of whom had been neglected by history until they were reclaimed by feminist scholars.  In honoring those individuals, the work at the same time pays tribute to all women who have been lost to history.” 

The first part of The Dinner Party included panels of women who influenced various cultural spheres throughout history.  At the top of each section marked a woman who represented a specific cultural space (whether it was writing, painting, activism, etc.) and following that name was approximately a dozen other women who left a similar impact throughout history.  

The second part of the exhibit was set up as an actual dinner party complete with a huge triangular-shaped table hosting thirty-nine place settings.  With each woman’s name stitched on an embroidered runner, every utensil, napkin and plate honored a specific woman’s culture and place in history.  Not lacking in detail, the names of the 999 other women were inscribed on the floor below.

Not only is this exhibit visually stunning, it was the first “monumental work of American art, conceptualized by a woman, to survey the contributions of women to Western civilization over the millennia.”  The fact that I recognized only a portion of the names made the exhibit especially impactful for me, and I was reminded of the importance of honoring the generations of women who have helped change the world for the better.

You can find more information on The Brooklyn Museum here.

The museum offers Pay What You Wish during all open hours (and is free from 5 to 11 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month, except September).

  

Eats: Smorgasburg

Food is culture, right?  Great.  Now that we have established that, let me tell you about one of my favorite weekend things: Smorgasburg.

Smorgasburg is an outdoor food market open every weekend from April through November.  On Saturdays the market is held in Williamsburg, and on Sunday it’s held in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Smorgasburg is an excellent way to try new foods and enjoy the sunshine!  I recently spent a weekend at both locations, and thought it would be helpful to write a review on a few foods I tried.

The first vendor I went to sold grilled corn with cheese and spices for $4.  It was so good!  I believe the name was Vaqueros, but I can’t seem to find the vendor on the Smorgasburg website. 

The second vendor I went to was one of the more popular vendors (I had to wait in line for about 40 minutes) called Ramen Burger.  Instead of normal hamburger buns, Ramen Burger serves buns made out of cooked, unflavored ramen noodles.  I thought it was just okay.  Other than some sort of barbeque sauce and a couple of greens, there was little flavor, the texture wasn’t great and, for $9, I know I can find a better, more classic hamburger elsewhere (maybe I just don’t like messing with a good thing).

The last vendor I went to was Piece of Velvet, and I got a piece of red velvet cake for around $5.  As far as desserts go I’m pretty much an expert (trust me on this), and everything about this cake was amazing.

The next day I bought Injera with a side of Yatakilt Alicha for $4 at an Ethiopian vendor called Bunna Cafe.  This was probably the best, healthiest and most flavorful dish I’ve tried so far.    

Finally, I got bubble tea at Thirstea Cafe which was good (it's probably difficult to mess up bubble tea though...) 

Smorgasburg is cash only and open every weekend 11 am-6 pm rain or shine.  You can find more information on Smorgasburg and their many different vendors here.

A Review: "Gilgamesh: A Musical Epic"

Columbia University School of the Arts Theatre Program recently presented “Gilgamesh: A Musical Epic” and, because my friend Matthew (who I interviewed here) was playing the lead, I decided to check it out.  First of all, it was really, really good.  Second of all, how did I not know that Columbia Stages (the producing arm of Columbia University) presents several productions a year, all of which are free to students?!  FREE!

In case you need a refresher, The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh and his search for immortality.  In the beginning of the story, Gilgamesh is the terrible ruler of Uruk who takes advantage of his people.  Because the gods feel sorry for the subjects, they create Enkidu to challenge Gilgamesh, but the two men end up becoming good friends.  After going on several adventures together, Enkidu dies and Gilgamesh is heartbroken, and it is this heartbreak that encourages Gilgamesh to explore immortality.  Gilgamesh meets a few people on his wilderness journey who challenge him, but *spoiler alert* he ultimately arrives home to Uruk empty-handed and still a mortal.  The story concludes with Gilgamesh’s understanding that the flourishing kingdom of Uruk is not only his greatest achievement, but also the closest thing to immortality he will ever know. 

“Gilgamesh: A Musical Epic” was a thesis by Peter Petkovsek, a director from the Theatre Arts Program of the Schools of the Arts.  He gave the classic story a modern take with brightly colored costumes and sets, interpretive fighting, high energy dancing and nods to several modern eras throughout the musical.  I thought the actors balanced both the comedic and dramatic elements with care, and I look forward to watching more student work in the future.

To view the full season featuring Columbia University’s emerging directors, actors and playwrights, visit Columbia Stage’s website.  

An Interview: Matthew Dunivan

Because I know behind every art piece and performance are individuals working diligently in a less-than-glamorous city, I have a lot of respect for artists who call New York City home.  In order to get some perspective on the subject, I sat down with my friend Matthew Dunivan.  Matthew recently graduated with an MFA from Columbia University and is currently a working actor in the city.
       

How long have you lived in New York? 

I moved here in 2011 for graduate school.  I have always wanted to live in New York, ever since I was young.  

What is the best and worst thing about being an artist in New York?

The worst thing is being under so much scrutiny.  The opportunity to make mistakes and fail is kind of the end of you, whereas maybe in the 1970’s you could just move onto the next project.  The room for error is very small today because it costs so much money to put up even a small play.  In order to sell tickets and make financial gain, it has become normal to hire movie stars.  A lot of these people have never done stage work, but they have a name.  It’s frustrating for people who train.  The thing is, I've seen some of the best work in the crappiest of theaters.  When New York becomes more clean, safe and gentrified, there’s no risk anymore.  It’s great in a way, but there’s a cost, which is safety for actors.  The best thing is being around other artists who are of like mind.  I love being surrounded by people who care a lot about their craft and in a city that fosters that kind of creativity.

 What was the last off Broadway play you saw that you really loved?

“King Lear” at Theatre for a New Audience in Brooklyn.  It was in a beautiful space.  It was fantastic.

Top three places in the city to be inspired?

I live in Washington Heights and there’s a beautiful park along Riverside Drive that I go to when I’m learning lines. 

St. Ann's Warehouse and Theatre for a New Audience are really fantastic.  St. Ann’s produces very interesting, less traditional stuff.  Theater for a New Audience produces more Shakespeare and classical plays. 

The Chipped Cup on Broadway between 148^th and 149^th Street.  I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but I love their tea. 

Advice for people wanting to work in the arts in New York?

Jump in head first.  Have no shame.  Be willing to learn.  Be humble.  Be teachable.  Be confident in what you do know and what you don’t know.  If I lived in San Francisco (where I'm from), I wouldn't be as surrounded by other artists.  New York has helped me do what I love. 

You can visit Matthew's site here.  

Next week I’ll review “Gilgamesh: A Musical Epic,” a musical recently presented by Columbia Stages (and in which Matthew played the lead!)    

Museum Series: The Guggenheim

For the first two years I lived in New York, my go-to museum was always The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  If I had a Saturday afternoon off, many times you would find me getting lost somewhere inside those walls.  I attribute my love for the Met to that fact that it’s enormous, boasts world-renowned exhibits and offers pay-what-you-wish during all open hours (which is great for a student budget).  Although I am certainly a creature of habit, this year I decided to branch out and explore new museums in the city rather than always revisit the same one.

Because baby steps are always good, the first museum I ventured to was a five minute walk from the Met: The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.  The number one thing I love about The Guggenheim is the building itself.  The building is shaped like a spiral, which makes the museum easy to navigate and viewing the art more fun.  The museum hosts around 7,000 artworks dating from the late 19th century to the present and, compared to the Met, it’s not a super overwhelming experience.  I also love that the museum is not divided into specific eras.  Finally, The Reservoir in Central Park is located right across the street.  So, if your friends don’t like art, you can tell them to take a hike. (Tell me I'm funny!)

The Guggenheim Museum is located at 1071 5th Ave in New York.  You can find directions, hours, cost of admission and more information here.  The museum offers Pay What You Wish on Saturdays 5:45-7:45 pm.