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Cosmopolitan Hotel – Tribeca

New York’s Arts and Entertainment Scene This Month

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New York has been lauded throughout the years for its tremendous art and cultural scene.  The city regularly boasts new displays, festive events, holiday-themed exhibitions and more.  As we head into the Christmas season, we take a look at what ‘the city that never sleeps’ has in store for us now.

Last week The Catskills in Tribeca opened up an exhibit by Suzanne Scott. The New York City based artist – well-known for her oil on canvas pieces – has now turned her art into an exploration of ‘the fingerprint.’ Using this for her portraits, the fingerprint is taken from the individual who is sitting for his/her portrait to be taken, digitally scanned, magnified so as to be able to read the information collected. It is then  used as a guide to Scott creating a portrait based on Scott’s “perceptual understanding of the individual’s personality or aura.” Scott dedicated the exhibition to her friend and mentor who recently passed away and is focused very  much on ‘mortality and gratitude for our daily life,’

One of NYC’s largest light shows is happening at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Lightscape is an illuminating winter wonderland that is a not-to-be-missed experience.  Celebrate all that’s beautiful and wondrous in those cold wintry New York nights and enjoy (more than a million) dazzling lights flicker through the Fire Garden, Sea of Light, Winter Cathedral tunnel and more.  Read some of the poems by Jacqueline Woodson here too and enjoy this event that has now been  running for three decades.

Another wonderous winter event is the Winter Village at Bryant Park. Featuring hundreds shopping and food kiosk, there is also ice-skating available, pop-up restaurants, good food and festive cocktails, creating thrill and enjoyment for all.

NYC, winter, arts and culture make for a perfect recipe for delight for all.

Belleclaire Hotel

Upper West Side Art…With a Difference

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Art is so important to the very fabric of New York city.  In fact, if you take Ayn Rand’s word for it, you’ll realize just how intertwined NYC and art actually are by the fact that the actual city itself is artistically comprised.  She said: “The skyline of New York is a monument of a splendor that no pyramids or palaces will ever equal or approach.”

Thankfully the city truly appreciates its art and indeed its artists.  Take Philadelphia-born Stephen Galiczynski who now lives not only in New York City but within a piece of memorable art itself – right by the Cylindrical Gallery that was at one time, a West 83rd Street Block Association bulletin board! In 2017 local sculptor G. Augustine Lynas re-designed a new one (the first was knocked down during an infrastructure change) and it now features Galiczynski’s art. 

Galiczynski isn’t the first local artist to have his work displayed there though; he’s actually the fourteenth! His exhibition – Three in One – features architectural pieces, abstracts and sketches.

Lynas’ goal with this project is “to take something really that most people will bypass, something that’s mundane to them, and elevate it to art.”  This fits perfectly with Galiczynski’s modus operandi of “I sketch and I paint, therefore I am.”

Galiczynski’s work will be displayed at the kiosk until the end of December 2021.

Environment

Enjoying Fall in NYC

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There is something so serene and complete about the fall season.  There are many quotes about the time, but one that truly articulates what is going on comes from The Bear of Small Brain, Winnie the Pooh, who, in Pooh’s Grand Adventure said:

“It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!”

Indeed, a time for so much.  So what are the best things to do in New York? First, for those who want to really get the best view of Fall foliage, you really can’t beat The Catskills.  Hiking in Kaaterskill Falls is a wonderful way of spending some autumn days, truly one of New York’s most outstanding testaments to the beauty of nature.

Then there are the hikes in Allegany State Park which spans a huge 65,000 acres, comprising the north’s Red House Area and the south’s Quaker Area. Cycling is fun there too and for those who don’t mind getting a bit wet, there are lots of water sporting opportunities (canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and more).

So come on out and enjoy the fall!

Triumph Hotels, Washington Jefferson Hotel

Getting Back to Life

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Thankfully life is, well getting back to living. Sort of.  Not 100% but thanks to the vaccine rollout many states are coming back and New York is one of them.

One example of this is the much-loved Broadway and its shows which for so long were amiss from our lives.   First of all, an additional two shows opened (‘Six’ and ‘American Utopia’) and second, there was the beginning of the Times Square’s three day outdoor event to celebrate the return of this entertainment sector.

And the classics re-opened too: Chicago, Hamilton, The Lion King and Wicked.

In addition, the bright lights were ignited as a tribute to one of the original Waitress company of Broadway’s very own – Nick Cordero – who passed away from COVID-19 last year.  It would have been his 43rd birthday last Friday.

All of these events take place right in town, in walking distance of Triumph Hotels’ Washington Jefferson Hotel, operated by Shimmie Horn. 

Featured

9/11: Marking 2 Decades…

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It’s almost impossible to believe that it’s been two decades since the devastation of the twin tower terror act, taking thousands of innocent lives and breaking families forever.  Truthfully it’s hard to believe it ever happened at all. 

Here we take a look at some of the ways people in New York marked this day.

Every year there is a National September 11 Memorial event in Lower Manhattan.  This year was no different and was attended by President Joe Biden and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. All 2,977 victims’ names were read aloud and the tribute featured musical performances from Kelli O’Hara, Bruce Springstein and others, in the midst of silence reflection.

Biden also went to speak with first responders and their families at the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department. In Westchester – at the Kenisco Dam Plaza – a new memorial was unveiled to the public in a ceremony held at 3:30pm on that day.  It was to honor those who passed away as a result of illnesses related to 9/11.

In the evening, the Tribute in Light at Battery Park (which were installed six months after the attacks at the end of a tribute spanning an entire month) shone across the entire area, focusing on where the twin towers once stood. There was a commemoration ceremony organized by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum as well as its online exhibition, September 11, 2001: The Day That Changed the World.

And of course, all throughout New York – and indeed the nation and world at large – people gathered and memorialized those who perished at the hands of terrorists 20 years ago.

We will never forget.

Entertainment, NY News, Restaurants, Sports

NY Begins to Emerge from Two Winters

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Spring is in the New York air – the snow is likely behind us for the year, and the city is poised to begin emerging from the long coronavirus winter. To be sure, we’re still a long way from “normal,” but as the thermometers rise New Yorkers have gotten a strong feeling from state and city officials, to say nothing of businesspeople and patrons, that there is reason to hope for light at the end of the Covid tunnel.

Madison Square Garden: Not quite back, but definitely on the way

The first splash was marked by the NHL’s New York Rangers, which became the first local sports team to play before live spectators on February 26, after state officials announced that sporting events and music venues would be allowed to host spectators at 10 percent capacity. That was followed by the reopening of restaurants, which were permitted to open at 35 percent capacity on February 26 and are scheduled to expand that number to 50 percent on March 19.

Movie theaters, too, are back, albeit also on a limited basis: Cinemas got the okay to operate at 25 percent capacity on March 5, with no more than 50 people per theater. In Brooklyn, singer Patti Smith performed on March 9 at the Brooklyn Museum as part of the NY PopsUp festival.

John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, acknowledged that it would likely take many months for the industry to recover from the long hiatus, but other industry officials also said they preferred to view the proverbial glass as half-full.

“I don’t look at 25 percent as being not good enough. I look at it as better than 0 percent,” John Vanco, senior vice president of the IFC Center in Greenwich Village, told the AP.

Entertainment

Spring is Coming. It’s Almost Time for a Walking Sculpture Tour

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Several outdoor sculpture exhibits will open around New York in the coming months, as the city prepares for the second summer of the Covid era.

NY galleries go to the hamptons

At Doris C. Freedman Plaza (Grand Army Plaza and 5th Avenue) sculptor Sam Moyer explores the idea of coming and going with Doors for Doris, a three-sculpture statement consisting of concrete and marble — the intersection of natural and man-made elements, the WWD fashion magazine calls it – will remain on display from now through September.

Further uptown, sculptor Maya Lin will present her 2019 work Ghost Forest Madison Square Park (Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street). Like most of Lin’s work, the exhibit is a statement about climate change, habitat loss and species devastation, on the park’s main lawn. According to The Art Newspaper, the installation will feature three dozen dead cedar trees, placed at the center of the oval green and animated with recorded sounds of endangered and extinct species once native to New York.

On the west side, David Hammons will pay tribute to the meatpacking district and the role of the Hudson River piers in the history of New York with Days End, a metal structure overlooking the river on the site of the long-demolished Pier 52. The work, sponsored jointly by the Whitney Museum of American Art and Hudson River Park Trust, is an open metal structure, an outline of sorts of the original building that stood at the same location. The sculpture extends over the Hudson River, with the effect of creating contrasting views for patrons on land and on the river that will change depending on light and weather conditions.

Also in Midtown, Kaws – real name Brian Donnelly – brings his unique style of pop art to the Seagram Building (Park Avenue, between East 52nd and 53rd Streets). The metal strongman known as What Party will “guard” the building through the end of the year.

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2021 PPP Loans Set to Bolster Hospitality Industry

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2021 applications for the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program opened on January 11. First-time borrowers who meet SBA requirements can apply for up to two-and-a half times their average monthly salary expenditures. Applications for second-time borrowers will open on Wednesday, January 13.

The $284 billion federal program is expected to provide a critical lifeline for the hospitality and food service industries. Congress revamped eligibility requirements last year after criticism that the initial round of funding, which was tapped in less than two weeks, provided millions of dollars in relief funding to large corporations with deep wells of reserve funds at the expense of small businesses that have struggled to survive the pandeminc.

Second-time borrowers in the hospitality industry who are trying to compensate for reduced patronage due to indoor and/or outdoor dining bans in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other major cities will be eligible to increase their loan applications by 40 percent.

In addition, businesses that abide by the loan regulations – most of the money has to be spent on employee salaries – can expect to have the loan eventually turn into a grant. Businesses that do not follow SBA rules will be required to repay their loans with interest.

The loans are certain to be a lifeline for many New York restaurant owners, but it is important to note that while the coronavirus pandemic has certainly hit the industry hard, the city continues to be a mecca for foodies. Eater.com, an online food journal published by Vox Media, has published a list of the city’s best options for eating out, listed by borough and including options for inside- and outside dining.

Entertainment, Featured, NY News, Restaurants, Tourism, Triumph Hotels

Writers Taking Up Residence at New York City Hotels

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New York City’s hotels have long been a spot of inspiration for writers and authors. Arthur Miller and William S. Burroughs were known to do their most creative work while living in and working from the Chelsea Hotel; Kay Thompson’s Eloise series features life from the top of the Plaza hotel; Maya Angelou always rented a hotel room to focus on her poetry and prose.

The coronavirus pandemic, for all its hardships, tragedies, and chaos, has many of the City’s creatives adopting this habit. Hotels are thirsty for business, the writers are desperate for reclusive spaces– it’s a win/win situation.

Writer Stan Parish, for example,  has always been fond of hotels. Now, he says, he has been using them as ad hoc home-office space while simultaneously enjoying the amenities. For Parish it is the “neutrality” of the hotel environment that is most enticing. With minimal distractions and maximum simplicity, he can get a lot of writing done.

The restrictions on indoor seating at restaurants and coffee shops had many writers scrambling for space. Other authors point to the quiet as their primary reason for booking a hotel room. With most living rooms turning into classrooms and homes becoming makeshift offices, the serenity of a hotel room can be critical to the creative process.

Entertainment, Featured, NY Environment, NY News, Restaurants, Shimmie Horn, Tourism, Transportation, Triumph Hotels

How to Help NYC’s Tourism Rebound This Holiday Season

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2020 presented many paths to virtue and kindness; simple acts, once considered frivolous, took on added aspects of virtue. Staying home was how we helped ease the burden for healthcare workers and frontline responders. Social distancing kept our family and loved ones safe. Ordering dinner was a way to support a struggling local eatery.  And as the year winds down, New York City’s tourism industry is encouraging residents to plan a “staycation,” including overnight accommodations at hotels, and safe visits to museums and venues.

Places like the Empire State Building, the September 11 Memorial Museum, and the Met are open with modified visitation regulations. In the past, New Yorkers tended to avoid these places, particularly during the holiday season, because of the long lines and overload of tourists. But now, city dwellers have the chance to explore the best of New York, learn about local attractions, and support city-run businesses.

Another good way to take in the Big Apple this season is on Big Bus Tour New York’s double-decker buses. The open-top transportation is both COVID-safe and an effective way to see over 40 famous locations.

The buses have been equipped with plexiglass dividers to protect employees and passengers; capacity is limited to 30 passengers. All riders are required to wear face masks and seating is designed to adhere to social-distancing regulations.