Bingo at Le Poussin Rouge-Bleeker and Thompson

Saturday night I spent a fab evening with girlfriends at Le Pouissin Rouge at Thompson and Bleeker; it was hilarious and I cannot recommend this more for the sheer comedy and strange sweetness of the show.
Best of all drinks are cheap (sodas $2, well drinks $4), there is no cover charge, and Bingo cards are only $2!
This would be tops on my lists fro most of my relatives under 80. And maybe some of those over!!

Summer Events in NYC-River to River, Midsummer Night's Swing, Bastille Day, LC Festival

Midsummer Night's Swing --through July 17th, Tues-Sat July 5-10; Mon, Wed-Sat July 12th-17th.

Lincoln Center Festival: through July 25th

Bastille Day on 60th St. from Fifth Ave. to Lexington: July 11th

River to River Festival: Free events all summer long

Tomorrow, July 8th--the Restaurant Week Showcase, 11-1PM at the World Financial Center

TDF-your portal to cheap tickets to fabulous events

The Theater Development Fund--aka TDF --is a fantastic organization for up to 70 percent discounts to tickets to Broadway, Off and Off-Off Broadway shows, as well as dance and music, events, including ABT, NYC Ballet, NYC Opera and Met, and more. In the past month I've paid $35 or less for tickets to "The Miracle Worker" with Abigail Breslin and the magnetic Alison Pill; the Ethan Hawke directed "A Lie of the Mind" with David Carradine, Laurie Metcalfe; and Venus in Fur w/Wes Bentley and the thoroughly remarkable Nina Arianda (surely a star-is-born).

The one caveat, as per their website:

To qualify for TDF membership, you must belong to one of the following groups: full-time students, full-time teachers, union members, retirees, civil service employees, staff members of not-for-profit organizations, performing arts professionals, members of the armed forces or clergy. When you join, you will be asked to supply TDF with proof of your eligibility.

It is a wide net--so if you are not eligible, find someone who is.

Hottest Music Spots- Part 1

NYC doesn't lack for music of all types--
here are some venues of the hipper variety(very, very much not

comprehensive...) :
CLUBS FOR LIVE MUSIC (*recommended for lower cost and
newer more interesting acts, younger crowd)
*ARLENE'S GROCERY:Lower East Side. 2 bars, one free one with
live music.
7 days a week. Cover charges:MONDAYS FREE, SUN, TUE, WED, T
HURS $8 COVER,
FRI AND SAT $10.
*LIVING ROOM: Lower East Side. Very small club.Free usually or small
cover.Interesting acoustic acts-often 4-5 a night.
MARION’S MARQUEE: East Village. 354 Bowery, bet E. 4th and
Great Jones.
Starting at 8pm3 to 5 different bands or artists a night. $5 cover (includes a drink)
Wednesdays.
RODEO BAR East Village.  375 Third Avenue –showtimes 10PM each night .
BITTER END:  West Village-147 Bleeker Street (between Thompson and
LaGuardia)Classic club...Dylan et al got their start here.
RED LION: West Village -151- Bleeker at Thompson. Another classic.
Various folk and rock acts.
CITY WINERY: Tribeca. About 30 dollar cover and excellent acts.
JOE'S PUB- East Village. Great music. Club atmosphere.- /
425 Lafayette Street below 8th Street
/ Astor Place East Village. 

Water Taxi Beach-Family & Over 21 Fun...!

One thing I love most about living in NYC is its proximity to the water. Downtown--both on the east side near South Street Seaport, and the west near Battery Park-the sailboats, the water and sky vista, the working commuter ferries, and steady breeze, the general good vibe from visitors, can make me feel as if I'm in Maine, not NYC!
One particular spot seems to be worth exploring. Water Taxi Beach is in South Street Seaport, north of Pier 17, and looks like it offers a lot of fun for both families and, after 8PM, for the over-21s only, with dancing, djing, live music, and more.
For over 21s, they have a Sunday Dance Party from 4PM -2AM, and live music and djing almost every night. Events are on their website. It looks like they also have some kind of Sunday Brunch as well. Events run every night except Monday night.
Saturday nights they offer DJing from 8-2AM. It looks like a blast--one of the Djs was a Studio 54 spinner back in the day...
Costs seem to run about $10 for entry.
Food is available while the beach is open-a Fish Shack and Pop Bar serves decently priced "beach fare" (hot dogs, watermelon, ice cream, wings, etc), and there is a raw bar on weekends (market price).
For families, they offer ping pong, skeeball, and 9-holes of miniature golf. You can also go on The Shark (loud and large speed boat) or the New York Water Taxi for fun, or the Clipper, which I mentioned earlier in the blog.
A bit more from their website:
"Water Taxi Beach South Street Seaport is 18,000 square feet of fun, food, sun, recreation and relaxation. Located along the water’s edge on the north side of Pier 17, this Beach offers the most spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River in the city. Stop by and catch some rays or build a castle in the sand. Head under the tent and grab a drink or play a game of ping pong, or skeeball then hit the greens for 9-holes of miniature golf. Maybe you’ll win a free thrill ride on The Shark and New York Water Taxi. Check out our Fish Shack for respectfully priced beach grub like our authentic Baja Fish Taco, award winning Motz burgers or grab bucket of popcorn and an international soda pop at our Pop! Pop! Pop! Shop featuring fresh popped popcorn, soda pops from around the world and pop rocks. Once the sun sets, Water Taxi Beach South Street Seaport becomes a playground for the 21+ crowd with rotating DJs all week long, and parties all weekend long."
Hours
11AM-2Am-Fri-Sunday. 11-11 Mon-Tues. 11-1AM Wed-Thurs.
Getting there
Water Taxi Beach South Street Seaport is located along the East River on the north side of Pier 17 a toss of sand away from the center of the Brooklyn Bridge. The closest street address is Fulton Street at South Street. You can get to Water Taxi Beach South Street Seaport by foot, bike, car, bus, subway and of course by New York Water Taxi
Subway
2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, M, Z lines to Fulton Street/Broadway Nassau. Walk east on Fulton Street to Water Street.

Governors Island-Mini-Golf and (The) B52s!

Governors Island has been getting a lot of press lately--twice this month in the NY Times. Their latest story about Governors Island was published last week... and since I'm lazy and haven't been there yet (tho I really really want to go--it just has that factor of having to work for it that Manhattanites HATE...), here are a few excerpts:
"To hear island officials tell it, Governors Island has come of age this summer, with the opening of the southern portion and the 2.2-mile promenade around the perimeter. Also newly opened is Picnic Point, an eight-acre lawn on the southwest corner that features hammocks, picnic tables and what officials declare are the best shore views of the Statue of Liberty. This month a dining and entertainment spot called Water Taxi Beach opened, adjacent to the ferry dock, boasting an ambitious menu and tied in with a nighttime concert series that includes Erykah Badu on Aug. 4 and the B-52s on Aug. 18.....(also Judy Collins July 26th.. edit).
On the lawn near Liggett Hall is an artist-designed 18-hole miniature golf course, with holes inspired by city rooftops, the Cyclone roller coaster and even an electric guitar.....
A former military post with roles in the War of 1812, the Civil War and both World Wars, for roughly two centuries it served as a base for the United States Army and Coast Guard, which officially left in 1996...There are miles of bike paths; guided tours are available, conducted by rangers from the National Park Service, which oversees part of the island, including Castle Williams and Fort Jay. Or you can wander aimlessly along rows of handsome, if faded, Victorian and Romanesque Revival buildings that once housed military personnel...Visitors rave about the views here...
Hours and directions
Open May 11-Oct 11. Friday Sat and Sunday.
Directions and ferry schedule The Governors Island Ferry departs from the Battery Maritime Building located adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry in Lower Manhattan. The ferry terminal is accessible as follows:

By Subway
1 – South Ferry Station
4, 5 (weekdays) to Bowling Green
W (weekdays only), R (weekdays and weekends) – Whitehall St. Station

More free music-Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival

I just received notice from City Winery--one of my fave music spots in Tribeca (Varick and Spring) of FREE summer Tuesday nights of wine and music...what they are calling the 1st Annual Hudson Square Music and Wine Festival. Every Tuesday from 5-7 they'll have free music as well as a Farmer's Market and...wine. Well, I've had enough wine, thank you very much--but the rest of it sounds pretty interesting, and it could be a hot young crowd. We'll see. I like the City Winery for music --they have great shows at a great price--so this might be a fun event. Every Tuesday 5-7PM through Aug 11th. Aug 4th they have country rock; Aug 11 afro-soul.

Concerts in the Parks-NY Philharmonic, live and free

The New York Philharmonic gives a series of free outdoor concerts each July. This year on July 14 and 17th they'll be performing in Central Park on the Great Lawn (enter at 81st and CPW or 81st and Fifth Avenue to get there). The concerts start at 8PM and are free, of course. Like most Central Park concerts, this is really more of a "scene" than a musical event. The musical picks are usually crowd-pleasers (or classical- music -crowd pleasers), and frankly it is really for hanging out and saying you went there. I usually avoid it but it is an event, and out of towners will be impressed by the beauty of the location and the fact that so many New Yorkers manage to get together in one place without killing each other (though there is a definite divide between the music buffs who actually come to hear the music, and the "rest" who come to hang out in the park on their blankets and drink wine and eat cheese and talk and let their kids and dogs wander. ..which is fun too. But....really only if you ...like. Being. With. Lots. Of. People. In a crowded space. Not really for the music. But...an event!!!

River to River Festival- FREE music and more in downtown NYC

The River to River Festival takes place from June to August each year in various public downtown NYC spots--Chambers Street down to the Battery Park/South Street Seaport. They have a series of FREE events: concerts, ranging from opera to hip-hop; and other events, such as the Public School Dance Contest, special events for kids, etc. Here are a few interesting, free upcoming events (go to the website for full schedule):

• Movie Nights On The Elevated Acre: The Seven Year Itch -July 6 8PM-55 Water St. (Multiple nights for movies)

• EAT: World Financial Center Restaurant Showcase- July 9 -Winter Garden-11AM

• Seaport Music: Casiokids, The Wave Pictures and Slow Club-Aug 7 6PMCasiokids (Norwegian electro-troupe playing afro-beat, techno and out-and-out pop), The Wave Pictures (“sweetly, simply soporific”), and Slow Club (“UK’s answer to The White Stripes”)... FREE 6PM South Street Seaport Pier 17

• Richie Havens- Four Nights of Peace, Love & Music: A Castle Clinton Tribute to Woodstock- July 23 7PM Castle Clinton National Monument, Battery Park / State Street and Battery Place / 212.835.2789Tickets will be distributed 2 per person outside Castle Clinton on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00PM on the day of the show.

• Arlo Guthrie-Four Nights of Peace, Love & Music: A Castle Clinton Tribute to Woodstock- July 30 7PM (see above for tickets and location)

• John Kelly Sings The Joni Mitchell Songbook: "Songs for a Shiny Hot Night" Four Nights of Peace, Love & Music: A Castle Clinton Tribute to Woodstock- Aug 6 7PM Castle Clinton-tickets will be distributed 2 per person outside Castle Clinton on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00pm on the day of the show. FREE. his is a HOT ticket.