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Tribeca Film Festival

04/23/201504/19/2015 admin

Last week saw the start of the Tribeca Film Festival. It is not very typical as film festivals go. It doesn’t feel the need to beg for attention as it were, like international ones such as Berlin, New York, or Cannes do. It is rather, a total celebration of communal life, documenting art movies, indie pop films and more that will likely appeal to a variety of tastes.

Over the years the festival has had more and less items. For example there were 176 movies in 2005 but then that figure was slashed to 85 four years later. This year it is somewhere in between and 100+ movies will be shown at theaters in neighboring areas.

“Good Kill” by Andrew Niccol is getting a lot of attention – very exciting docudrama focusing on drone warfare with Ethan Hawke. For some humor, check out Paul Weitz’s “Grandma.”

So for those in the area who like a bit of culture, the Tribeca Film Festival is well worth a visit.

Restaurants

New Addition for East Village Bar Scene

04/16/201504/13/2015 admin

New York’s east village is getting a new addition to its bar scene – Fifty Paces. Located at 413 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A, the bar is quite a trendy get up. Offering a vast wine list and swank menu, it replaces Paul Grieco and Marco Canora’s Terroir – a wine bar franchise who recently parted. Canora took over and rebranded the location, with something completely new.

And what’s with the name? A spin off from the now infamous Fifty Shades of Grey perhaps? According to Canora, no. The name followed the location since he had to keep telling people how to get there – 50 paces up the street from Hearth.

So for those seeking out something a bit different, go get a classy glass of wine, sunflower-seed hummus with crispy toast and an upscale sloppy Joe. It’s a nice place and has two happy hours throughout the evening-night. A true welcome addition to the east village.

Restaurants

Drinking up Manhattan

04/09/201503/30/2015 admin

Of course, there is the traditional Manhattan cocktail; something that is easy enough to DIY…it’s just pretty much a mixture of sweet vermouth, bourbon whiskey, bitters, topped with a maraschino cherry and an umbrella! It’s not all that pricey either.

But for those who want to go a little bit more out of the box, there is now the GG Manhattan. Served up at the Irvington, on Park Avenue, north of Union Square, as well as offering this rather pricey cocktail ($30 a pop), there are some great food options too.

In actuality, the GG Manhattan is not really all that expensive as it is actually designed for two. It is a sharing drink so can also create and build intimacy. It comes with a couple of rocks glasses, brimming with ice and a flask, that comes very cold and labeled GG Manhattan – but the label just uses a magic marker and piece of masking tape!

For those hungry after their drink, enjoy what has been hailed as “New American [cuisine] with Mediterranean influences.”

NY Environment

Beauty in Manhattan

04/02/201503/25/2015 admin

There is so much concealed beauty in Manhattan. The city is not necessarily known for this – more4 spoken about is the happenings in the center of New York. But thanks to filmmakers Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky – who actually set out to do something quite different – this could be changing.
What the twosome did was walk the entire length of Manhattan from top to bottom, noting their discoveries of pockets of beauty for others to enjoy.
Beginning at 225th Street’s Broadway Bridgek, walking through Inwood, Harlem, Hell’s Kitchen, Gramercy, the West Village and more, the filmmakers completed their journey at Battery Park.
Here is their advice for those looking for beauty in Manhattan: A walk through Fort Tryon Park offers a great escape from busy urban life; United Palace Theatre which has a sign saying “come in, or smile as you pass” was “hopping with an incredibly diverse group of people” the day they arrived there. They feel like it is New York at its truest!
Next up Washington Heights that turns to Harlem that has 30-40 blocks sporting a very “interesting island [with] an elevated train… wide blocks, wide sidewalks and really lovely trees.” Then there is the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine on Amsterdam Avenue and West 12th Street – one of the world’s largest cathedrals. If you’re getting hungry at this point, Koronet Pizza serves “ridiculously giant slices” and Jacob’s Pickles at West 84th Street is the pickle-lover’s haven.
There are a few other places on their list. But this makes a great start.

The Evelyn

See ‘The Nomad’ when in Nomad!

03/26/201503/22/2015 admin

For those who happen to be visiting one of Shimmie Horn’s luxurious hotels – like The Evelyn (located in Nomad, Manhattan) or the Tribeca Grand Hotel, it could be a good time to take in a show that is appropriate for the area.

“The Nomad” is currently showing at Manhattan’s Flea Theater (located in the TriBeCa neighborhood on 41 White Street) and has to date received rave reviews.

The musical – with book and lyrics and Erin Courtney and Elizabeth Swados – is not for the slow-paced. The production is quite quick and has a lot going on. It combines both musical theater tradition and Middle Eastern sounds, telling the tale of Isabelle Eberhardt, a romantic and Swiss writer who meets her premature death before reaching the age of 30.

Check it out. It’s definitely something different.

Transportation

Bussing Around the City, Via VIA!

03/19/201504/21/2015 admin

While it can be somewhat inefficient and time consuming to use the New York bus system, thanks to a new app called Via, there is now another option. The user friendly app has been described as “a smarter way to get around New York,” and compared to other transportation services is cheaper, charging the traveler a mere $5 a ride.

When Via first got to New York (from Tel Aviv, Israel, where the app was launched) it was only in operation between the Upper East Side and Midtown between the morning and evening rush hours. Now it has extended its timing and its locations, from 6.45 am to 9 pm and between 32^nd and 110^th Streets. The first five rides cost a flat rate of $5 if the rides are pre-purchased (when they are not, the fee increases to $7).

While to date it has not been as successful as competitor Uber, this could be because it requires multiple passengers. Still, to date, many people need rides in these neighborhoods and thus the SUVs and vans that are offered through the service is doing quite well.

NY News

Is Manhattan Bidding Bye-Bye to Homework?

03/12/201503/10/2015 admin

Historically, homework has been a burden on parents as much as children. But now, if a school in Manhattan has anything to do with it, “homework” will take on a whole new meaning and become something both kids and parents enjoy and may even take benefit from.

PS 116 Elementary in Kips Bay is creating new homework options for its kids that include reading and family time. One parent says she thinks it’s “a great idea.” Others have said that it’s difficult for kids to study for eight hours at school and then come home to do homework for three more. This sentiment was echoed by Principal Jane Hsu who explained that this policy was:

creating opportunities for students and their families to engage in activities that research has proven to benefit academics and social-emotional success.

The only concern is that kids won’t be able to do this. One parent for example explained that her kids are so hooked on video games, getting them to read or engage in family time, just wouldn’t be realistic.

Still, it’s a nice idea.

Transportation

Taxi!

03/02/201502/26/2015 admin

New York City’s taxi app Uber is currently on the lookout for 10 employees to join its team. The firm would like to hire: a marketing manager, operations and logistics manager, recruiter and four software engineers.

The firm is trying to “become an integral part of the transportation infrastructure of every city around the world. To help make this vision a reality, we’re rapidly growing our local engineering and operations teams right here in NYC.”

At the present time, Uber has approximately 60 employees in New York City (as well as a new office in Chelsea), rendering it a key player in the yellow taxi market.

Restaurants

UK Cows Return to NY

02/20/201502/18/2015 admin

After all the years of talk of mad cows disease hailing from the UK, a fancy restaurant in the Upper West Side is basically saying ‘enough is enough.’ The owners of Daniel Monday have brought in Irish beef for the first time since the 1998 ban was implemented.

According to Simon Coveney, Agriculture Minister in Ireland, there are no health concerns with such high quality beef from Ireland since it is grass-fed.

America is not alone in welcoming back the best of British beef. At the Dubai Food Festival, the Desert Chill team is to be serving gourmet burgers and other meat-based items that hail form the UK. Indeed, ten food trucks came from the UK to join in its Street Feast event, bringing in British offal and more.

Shimmie Horn

Texan-Indian Cuisine comes to Flatiron District

02/10/201502/05/2015 admin

A Texan-Indian style restaurant – Pondicheri – is making its way to New York. Leasing a 3, 363 square foot ground floor space in the Flatiron District, close to Shimmie Horn’s Triumph hotels, this eatery will be the first retail tenant using space from the Madison Square portfolio. A 15-year lease has been signed and the restaurant will take possession in April or May.

Featuring an updated skylight and storefront, high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling casement windows, Pondicheri will serve its clients a whole array of foods, from the Hopper (a Sri Lankan inspired, crisp coconut, chia seed & rice shell filled with masala eggs / coconut salad / kerala sauce) for a mere $5, to the Fried Chicken Tuesday (Half of a Bryan Farm chicken marinated in a spicy yogurt masala then dusted in chickpea flour, served with curried fingerling potatoes, arugula & blueberry salad, chutney and pumpkin buns) for $25.

However, the owners are not committing to the menu staying the same all the time, claiming that it “might change due to seasonally available ingredients, relentless experimentation, and musing moods.” Don’t forget to leave room for dessert though, and hope that the powers-that-be will always make the Café Annie Brownie (moist brownie from the legendary restaurant with Valrhona cocoa & walnuts) and Ginger Cloud Cookie available.