free summer cultural events for chilling out

Posted on June 18, 2012 by cara protzko

Some days you’re in the mood to chill out and not think about anything.  And sometimes too much stimulation is well, just too much.  For that day, NYC provides plenty of outdoor opportunities to fulfill that need.

Stargazing around NYC  – The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York hosts observing sessions around the NYC area.  Thursday’s July 7th in conjunction with Brooklyn Bridge Park’s free Movies with a View, the AAA will be there from dusk until 10pm. Tuesday’s the AAA will be on the Highline.  Observation sessions are held throughout the year.  Check out their summer schedule here…  http://www.aaa.org/

Charlie Parker Jazz Festival is a favorite of mine and one we attend every year.  This year, the weekend of August 23rd will be full of jazz musicians who reflect Parker’s music playing Friday night and Saturday afternoon at Marcus Garvey Park and Sunday afternoon at Tompkins Square Park.  Lay down a blanket, bring a picnic and enjoy your wine and cheese as you listen to some fabulous jazz.  http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/calendar/charlie-parker-jazz-festival/

rivertoriver

June 19th kicks off the start of NYC’s River to River Festival bringing music, dance theater, visual art, and film to lower Manhattan’s indoor and outdoor parks, plazas and waterfronts but for only 10 days this year through June 29th.  Most of the events don’t get too busy so its nice to randomly stop by on during a nice walk downtown.  http://rivertorivernyc.com/

shakespeare in the parkShakespeare in the Park has been running its first show of the Summer “As You Like It” since June 5th and continues through June 30th.  Its second show “Into The Woods” begins July 23rd and runs through August 25th.  If you haven’t already taken advantage of the online ticketing option, it’s easy breezy.  Register and submit your name and email address until 1pm and you’ll find out if your name was randomly drawn for that evening’s show at 3pm.  You can register your account here.  http://www.shakespeareinthepark.org/tickets/virtual-ticketing

New York Philharmonic will continue its tradition of giving its free outdoor concerts throughout the New York City boroughs.  Check out the schedule here http://nyphil.org/concertsTicks/parks.cfm

Barge Music is literally a gathering of musicians playing chamber music on a floating barge at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge.  Concerts are held on all days throughout the week.  You can check out the schedule here. http://bargemusic.org/

Happy Chilling!

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roller skating at dekalb market, recap

Posted on June 16, 2012 by cara protzko

The DJ’s were spinning, the beer and wine were flowing, food was offered, but the best part of this venue vs. the basement of the Hudson Hotel is exactly that – we were outdoors under the summer stars rather than being in a basement.  The “rink” is a bit smaller than the one at the Hudson but it doesn’t get slippery from the spill over of the drinks as it is made of large pieces of ply wood rather than a polished wooden floor.  I’d hate to be negative but this type of floor has its cons to it as well.  It isn’t completely smooth nor is it level where the pieces come together.  But what makes is so great is how everyone is so excited about the idea of roller skating in the city.  There were children, novices and long-time skaters all together on the floor, feeling the music and skating as well as they could.  We arrived while it was still light and stayed until after it got dark.  People were still coming in as we were leaving.  Even if you aren’t in the mood to skate, Dekalb Market is a place to hang out outdoors chillin to some old disco tunes.  And you might just get skating envy as you watch all of the fun on the “dance floor”.

dusk     dark

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museum parties

Posted on June 15, 2012 by cara protzko

SevilleI’m all about having a few drinks while taking in some culture.  Essentially, that is what we did in Spain and Paris! One of my favorite things to do is to wander through a museum, after hours, with some cocktails and some music, and of course, NYC makes that happen.

Tonight, the American Museum of Natural History is presenting, with Thrillist, their One Step Beyond monthly party tonight June 15th from 9pm – 1am and the entrance fee is $25 and there is a cash bar. http://www.amnh.org/rose/specials/index.php

Also tonight, and I believe every Friday, starting at 6pm the Rubin Museum of Art in Chelsea turns their lobby into a lounge offering drinks and food.  DJ’s are spinning while you have access to roam around the whole museum.  This entrance is free and they have happy hour specials until 7pm.    http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/1786

My bro & husband August 2007

My bro & husband August 2007

Sporadically, the Guggenheim hosts their Art After Dark parties on Friday evenings.  The next one is July 13th from 9pm – 12am.  The entrance fee is $18 for access to the entire museum.  DJ’s are spinning and the museum has a cash bar in 1st floor of the rotunda. http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/support/join/member-programs-a-events/art-after-dark

PS1 July 2009

The MoMA has an outpost in Queens called PS1.  It’s an old school they turned into a modern art museum.  Every Saturday, beginning July 1st, the courtyard becomes a casual lounge designed with different urban landscaped themes, set up for dancing while DJ’s spin.  They offer for food and drinks inside their cafe as well as drinks outside in the lounge.  This party is from 2 – 9pm and the admissions fee $15.  Advanced tickets go on sale June 18th.  This is new so I’m not sure if you will continue to have the ability to walk up the same day to buy your tickets.  This may cause certain days to sell out.  You can see more information as well as the DJ schedule here http://www.momaps1.org/warmup/

The 1st Saturday of the every month, Target sponsors a dance party at the Brooklyn Museum from 5 – 11pm.  Entrance is free but you still need to acquire a ticket at the door.  The museum’s cafe offers a variety of food and there is a cash bar. http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php

Note with all museums, you will most likely have to consume your drinks in the main access room / lobby and may not be able to carry them around with you throughout the museum.  Also note, that you may encounter a wait to get into the museum based on the museum’s capacity on the time that you arrive.

If you can’t make the One Step Beyond party tonight, don’t worry, there’s always next month.  Tonight, I’ll be roller skating with Down & Derby at the Dekalb Market.  Happy Friday! http://dekalbmarket.com/may-18-down-derby-roller-disco-6pm-1am/

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big apple bbq recap … among others

Posted on June 11, 2012 by cara protzko

coney islandFriends of ours rent a house on the Cape for 2 weeks every summer.  We have a standing open invitation; however, this year we chose to go on our 10 day trip through Spain and Paris.  But as we sat on the beach of Coney Island on Sunday for a casual last-minute and inexpensive trip to the beach, I was second guessing myself for the umpteenth time as to why we didn’t join them.

lineOne reason we didn’t join our friends on the Cape was to enjoy the summer in the city which is what we did at the Big Apple BBQ Saturday morning.  We took my own advice and got there just as the event had started and were still surprised to find the lines were already 10 mins long.  Patrons have already claimed the tables, staked out a space on the grass and ordered a ton of food.

Upon arriving, we headed directly to Jack’s Old South, the previously mentioned award-winning PitMaster that was serving brisket.  Ed Mitchell’s line was also very long so we decided to split up to conquer both lines.  EdEd MitchellEd Mitchell was serving smoked chopped turkey and smoked chopped whole hog.  I thought the turkey was sort of bland and Jayson’s whole hog had a lot of flavor – more flavor than the brisket he purchased from Jack’s.  Jack's Old SouthUpon seeing the brisket, we knew right away that this wasn’t what we had raved about last year.  While standing in line, we saw another patron eating a plate with strips of brisket rather than the pulled  brisket plate that we had purchased from Jack’s.  It turned out, we had confused Jack’s Old South with Salt Lick BBQ from Driftwood, TX.

Our next stop? Salt Lick BBQ. By this time, the line for Salt Lick’s had grown to over a 15 mins wait.  We weren’t in too much of a rush as we had already eaten a good deal of food.  This pitmaster was perfectly placed on the end of the 26th street to have enough room for the line to grow and extend as far down as it needs to.  Unfortunately for Rack & Soul (NYC based) they were located next door and everyone was passing by them to get to Salt Lick.  No one was interested in the ribs they were offering.  Rack & Soul ribsIt was sad to see that they ended up giving them away (5 ribs at a time) in order to purge themselves of their already cooked food.  And to our pleasant surprise – the ribs were very good.  The sauce looks thick here in the picture but it really wasn’t.  I’m glad Rack & Soul is located in NYC so that we can go back for more!

Finally to the front of the line, and the verdict? Good, but not as good as Salt LickJayson had remembered.  The fatty pieces of course were better than the lean ones but overall the brisket a little too tough and wasn’t as tender as we had remembered.  I thought the coleslaw was excellent.  It was a non-mayonnaise vinegar based coleslaw with the perfect mix of tangy flavor with a touch of sesame seed on top.  The brisket came with a smoked sausage that I thought was great.  It wasn’t too smoked and didn’t taste too greasy.  And the texture was perfect – not too chewy.  Ironically, I think Jayson enjoyed the ribs more than he enjoyed the lean pieces of brisket!

At this point we had consumed enough BBQ and moved on with our day, walking the streets and running errands.  Trying to watch my girlish figure, I abstained from eating too much BBQ and really only had a few bites of what we purchased.  With that, after a few hours I was quite hungry and ready for a summer afternoon drink.  We always enjoy going into Markt in Chelsea for drinks but never ate there (although we’ve always said the food looked delicious).  We sat at the bar, ordered drinks (a Belgian beer for Jayson and a glass of Rose for me, my new drink of choice) and I ordered the Tuna Nicoise salad.  I asked the bartender to put the dressing on the side, but he told me the dressing was already mixed in.  tuna nicoiseFrom the picture you can see why he said that.  I had never seen a Tuna Nicoise salad come in this form but I loved it! It perfectly balanced all of the ingredients to the salad.  It so hit the spot!

Needless to say our palates were overwhelmed and satisfied this past weekend.  Sadly, the southern BBQ spots have come and gone for another year. If you are so inclined, I believe you can have BBQ delivered to your doorstep from the various pitmasters.  If not, you can’t go wrong with the pitmasters from NYC.  Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Rack & Soul in Harlem are musts as well as Wildwood BBQ and Blue Smoke.  Happy BBQ-ing!

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big apple bbq block party

Posted on June 2, 2012 by cara protzko

(photo from 2010)

Back in town and ready for action, nothing says Summer more than BBQ.  The Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in Madison Square Park is an event we do our best to attend every year. This year it takes place next weekend, June 9th and 10th.  It is everything BBQ – there’s food, there’s music, there’s beer for sale and there’s a chill vibe that encourages hanging out and enjoying a nice summer afternoon.

The Pitmasters are award-winning champions from the best BBQ joints from all of the country.  One in particular is Myron Mixon from Jack’s Old South in Unadilla, GA. Per Jayson, Myron smoked the most amazing brisket that nothing has yet to compare to.  I’m sure this will be one of the first tables that we hit.

All of the Pitmasters smoke or grill their meats right there and serve delicious sides to go with it.  The jovial attitudes of the Pitmasters encourage dialogue about the mouth watering plates of food everyone is holding.  They are proud of their individual cooking styles and love to tell you about them.

There are so many things to try,  I recommend saving the NYC joints for last (if you are still hungry) as you can swing by those anytime.  Try to focus on those from the South.  If you’re not sure which ones to start with, don’t worry.  You will most likely see someone else eating something that you will drool over and be compelled to ask them about it.  And you never know – you might leave with a new friend.

The food will be served between 11am and 6pm both days.  From past experiences and with most events in NYC, I recommend getting there as early as possible for shorter lines and to assure they won’t run out of food.  Stay tuned for my recap from next weekend!

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sake and shochu tasting

Posted on May 30, 2012 by cara protzko

Dali Museum Figures Spain May 2012Right now I feel the best little big thing in NYC is ME.  I just got back from a 10 day trip through Spain (hitting 5 cities/towns) and finally to Paris to visit some friends and to attend the French Open.  I LOVE to travel and to experience other cultures in all ways that I can, but it is always nice to come home to the best city in the world – even if I do have to go back to work.

Not only is it great to come home to NYC, but it’s that much greater to come home to the start of Summer in the city!  As I went through my email, I found an interesting event at the The Brooklyn Kitchen in Williamsburg.  They are hosting a Sake and Shochu tasting this Saturday June 2nd.  I love Sake and Shochu, but as with all wines and alcohols, there are some I prefer over others.  This is a great opportunity to learn more about the differences in how they are brewed as you taste many different styles.  The Brooklyn Kitchen will also be offering snacks provided by a soon-to-open Brooklyn restaurant called Ganso.  I only hope they aren’t serving bull ….

bull fight stadium      bull fight Madrid May 2012

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pizza!!!! take 2

Posted on May 15, 2012 by cara protzko

To follow up from my post back in March, Jayson and I made another attempt to try the pizza at Lucali’s.  To remind you, there is a ton of buzz around Lucali’s in Carroll Gardens being so fantastic – so fantastic Jay Z and Beyonce love it – but when we wanted to go a few months ago, it hadn’t opened yet for the evening.  Well, this past weekend my parents were in town and my dad wanted pizza.  M&DIt was 5.30-ish when we began the roundtable talk as to where we should go.  We had recalled Lucali’s and I begun my info search (what time do they open? do they take reservations? etc).  What I found out was 1) they open at 6; 2) they do take reservations and 3) the wait can get really long – I was confused by this. I attempted to call them a few times, but no answer.  We decided to just hop in a taxi and head over there.  When we arrived, the crowd outside the door didn’t look too bad; there were a few parties but we were willing to wait.  I spoke to the hostess and she said the next available table was at 10PM!!!  We were shocked.  She continued to tell us that patrons get there at 5 to wait in line to put their name on the list for the evening.  The hostess continued to mention that Lucali’s brother has a place in South Slope called Giuseppina’s and that it is the same menu (only pizza and calzones) with the same ingredients.  We figured we were already invested and figured “let’s go”!  And we went just in time.  When we arrived, they took us right away but were the last party in before the line began to grow.

veggie    pepperoni

So! About the pizza….  It was good.  I had the veggie pie under the list of “specials” and for $36 I expected it to blow me away.  I say “good” because I love that it is brick oven cooked and I love that it is thin crust but there was something missing in the sauce… it was a little too bland for my taste.  There is a good ratio of sauce to cheese and the crust is just thick enough to keep it all together without falling through.  Jayson had a pepperoni w. mushroom pie and enjoyed it; so much he had the leftovers for dinner the next night.

Giuseppina'sThe ambiance evokes a happy, comfort food feeling.  The small, dark, brick walled room and decorated with candles had a bar / kitchen outpost in the back housing the brick oven.  It was a comfortable and warm setting. If the same pie was served in a different setting, I don’t think I would have liked it as much.

Our last venture to close out my post from March is to try the pizza from “Juliana’s” by Patsy Grimaldi in DUMBO.  Stay tuned for “pizza!!! take 3”.

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summer outdoor movies

Posted on May 12, 2012 by cara protzko

free summer movies

There is nothing better than the Summer in NYC! There are always so many fun activities and events to choose from, it is possible to have something fun to do close to every day of the week.  AND if you play your cards right, most of these activities will cost nothing!

One of my favorite things to do is to view an outdoor film in one of the many parks around the city – whether it’s an old classic or a recent blockbuster.  Below is a list of venues and their websites to find their 2013 line-up.

June 17th HBO begins its Monday nights outdoor movies series in Bryant Park (which is a personal favorite of mine for all of the same reasons I mentioned in my yoga post) http://www.bryantpark.org/plan-your-visit/filmfestival.html

Coney Island is back in business. Also Monday nights, Coney Island is hosting its “Flicks on the Beach” again this year beginning July 1st!

Last year on Tuesday nights, Red Hook Flicks organized movies offering a great view of the Statue of Liberty.  The line up hasn’t been set yet. Be sure to check here for the movie listings after June 2nd. http://redhookflicks.com

Wednesday nights, the Northside Media Group hosts its popular outdoor film series SummerScreen at the McCarren Park http://summerscreen.org/schedule/summerscreen_schedule/

Wednesday nights beginning July 11th, you can view “Summer on the Hudson: Movies Under the Stars” films on Pier 1 in Riverside Park.  This link provides first a list of children’s movies (similar to those on the River Flicks) that can be viewed in Queens as well as the list of films you can view in Riverside Park http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/free_summer_movies

For those Barbra Streisand fans, the Museum of Jewish Heritage is showing a free Babs film every Wednesday night between June 26 – August 7 (except July 3rd).  http://www.mjhnyc.org/calendar_jul13.html#.UYe9p5jyFb0

Thursday evenings, beginning July 11th, head to “Syfy Movies With a View” at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 1 for its summer movie series.  Brooklyn Bridge Park has been going through a major transition with the opening of new piers, walkways, public BBQ’s, kayaking, the famous Jane’s Carousel and now the new home of Smorgasburg Sundays in the old Tobacco Warehouse.  What’s great about seeing a movie here is you get a view of the Manhattan Downtown skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge which is always a sight for sore eyes.  Be sure to swing by for anything if not a movie! http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/events/calendar/syfy-movies-with-view-2013

On Fridays, the Intrepid Museum Summer Movie Series hosts a few movies on its public deck beginning Memorial Day weekend with Top Gun! http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/SummerMovieSeries.aspx

Rooftop Films is more of a film festival in that it supports both independent and low budget film makers. Films are held on rooftops or outdoor urban spaces throughout Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Some are free and some charge a small ticket price.  I haven’t been to any rooftop films as of yet but I love the concept. http://rooftopfilms.com/2013/schedule/

Hudson River Park’s River Flicks  has movies for grown-ups on the fairly new lawn of Pier 63 in Chelsea Wednesday nights http://www.riverflicks.com/RFgrownups.html and for kids on Pier 46 Friday nights http://www.riverflicks.com/RFkids.html

and Tompkins Square Park hosted its “EPIX Movie Free for All”.  I couldn’t find a 2013 line-up as of yet, but its worth a search in a week a two.

Sony Wonder Technology Lab hosts indoor screenings throughout the week that include children’s screenings, feature screenings and HD Shorts.  Check out their calendar here http://www.sonywondertechlab.com/programs-events/screenings

All we need now is for this streak of  beautiful summer nights to kick in.   Happy Summer!

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roller skating at dekalb market!

Posted on May 7, 2012 by cara protzko

5_18YES – they are back! Down & Derby Roller Disco has found it’s new home at DeKalb Market in Brooklyn!  Every 3rd Friday throughout the Summer, starting May 18th, Down & Derby will be hosting it’s Skate, Dance, Drink parties. The parties begin at 6pm and the entrance fee is $10 at the door.  By RSVP’ing in advance, entrance is only $5 and you can RSVP up until 1pm the day of.  You can bring your own skates or you can rent an old school pair for $5.  I recommend getting there on the earlier side to not only ensure your entrance and a pair of skates but to also get some practice in before the party really kicks in!  Have fun!  I’ll see you there in June!

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yoga in bryant park

Posted on May 3, 2012 by cara protzko

Another summertime favorite of mine is participating in Lululemon’s yoga event in Bryant Park Thursday nights from 6pm  – 7pm.  It’s spiritually energizing to have the gorgeous city skyline extending high above, reaching for the sky just as you are; while becoming one with the hundreds of other yogis and the support of the soft freshly cut grass of the park beneath your feet.  When the hour is up, you are relaxed and cleansed and ready to conquer the weekend!

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