New York Friend

Flux Box

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 14:23:00 PDT

A journey to Long Island City is all it takes to become part of a room-sized music box. This surreal playhouse-meets-funhouse installation is a strange, beautiful, fun, musical, and even romantic experience. Photos from Catherine Aman's Flickr page.

Place Mentioned
Flux Factory Inc., 38-38 43rd Street

A Farmhouse, an Electric Boat, and a Carousel at Prospect Park

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 14:15:02 PDT

Saturday, April 1st is Opening Day at Prospect Park, which means the summer attractions are back. Enjoy the carousel, an electric boat ride on the Independence, and Spring Wash Day at Lefferts historic farmhouse!

Places Mentioned
Carousel, Prospect Park, 718-282-7789
Lefferts Historic House, Prospect Park, 718-789-2822
Audubon Center at the Boathouse, Prospect Park, 718-287-6215

African Puppets at the Winter Garden

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 19:24:09 PST

Almost 100 colorful puppets from the Handspring Puppet Company, South Africa and the Sogolon Puppet Troope, Mali, West Africa bring a sense of life and play to the Winter Garden. A selection of works by William Kentridge make this show a must see!

Exhibition Mentioned
At Arm's Length, Courtyard Gallery, Three World Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street

Happy Holi! It's the Phagwah Parade in Richmond Hill

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 16:36:07 PST

The annual Phagwah Parade in Richmond Hill is a genuine cause for celebration. Take part in a traditional Hindu holiday with this warm, welcoming Queens community!

Shops Mentioned
Little Guyana Bake Shop, 124-13 Liberty Avenue (between 124th and 125th Street)
Hot & Spicy Roti, 120-23 Liberty Avenue (between 120th and 121st Street)
Sandy's Roti, 121-10 Liberty Avenue (between 120th and 121st Street)

Snug Harbor: Children's Museum

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:16:22 PST

Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island is a great day trip for kids. A ferry ride leads to 83 acres of explorable territory, making it the perfect get-away from crowded urban streets. This podcast takes a look at the Staten Island Children's Museum. But there's a lot more going on at Snug Harbor--eight cultural organizations call it home--so look for future podcasts on this great landmark campus.

Places Mentioned
Staten Island Children's Museum, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace

Take Me to the Art Fairs

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 17:31:45 PST

New York City plays host to four contemporary art fairs this weekend, March 10-13, 2006. If you've been looking for the chance to immerse yourself in what's current and hot in the art world, this is it!

Art Fairs Mentioned
The Armory Show, (Fri-Sun: 12-8pm / Mon: 12-5pm) Piers 90 & 92 (12th Ave at 50th & 52nd Streets, 212-645-6440), $20 / $40 four-day pass
PULSE Contemporary Art Fair,(Fri-Sun: 12-8pm / Mon: 12-5pm) 69th Regiment Armory (68 Lexington Ave, 212-255-2327), $12
~scope Art Fair,(11am-8pm) 636 11th Ave (212-268-1522), $10
Diva--Digital & Video Art Fair,(Thur: 7-11pm / Fri-Sun: 2-10pm) Embassy Suites Hotel (102 North End Ave, 888-886-0719), $10

Gallery Exhibitions Mentioned
Jean Lowe, "The Loneliness Clinic" at McKenzie Fine Art, 511 West 25th Street, through March 11
John Pilson, "Coliseum" at Nicole Klagsbrun, 526 West 26th Street, #213, through April 1
Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, "Directed Dreaming" and Zhang Ga, "You Are the Picture of the World" at Postmasters Gallery, 459 West 19th Street, through April 8

When Downtown Was Fringe and Freaks Were Cool

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 10:55:31 PST

The Downtown Show: The New York Art Scene, 1974-84 at Grey Art Gallery offers a glimpse of a different New York City--one where street artists, musicians, gallery owners, club kids, and other assorted weirdoes joined forces to create a scene that took on a life of its own.

Places Mentioned
Grey Art Gallery, New York University, 100 Washington Square East
Fales Library (on the third floor of the Bobst Library), New York University, 70 Washington Square South

An Unorthodox Guide to Long Island City

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 11:43:38 PST

A new book, LIC in Context: An Unorthodox Guide to Long Island City, gives you the tools to plan your own tour of Long Island City's urban decay including sites of broken dreams and neighborhood disappointments.

Places Mentioned
Art-O-Mat, 46-46 Vernon Blvd. (at 46th Rd.)
Communitea, 47-02 Vernon Blvd. (at 47th Ave.)
LIC Bar, 45-58 Vernon Blvd. (at 46th Ave.)

Slavery in New York

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 10:40:14 PST

The New-York Historical Society's exhibition on slavery shares a story that is rarely told: how New York depended upon a slave economy in its early history. Through the sights and sounds of this exhibit, you can gain insight into the founding of the City of New York and how much was contributed to the city and to the culture by men, women, and children brought here involuntarily.

Museum Mentioned
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West at 77th Street

A Trip to China in Brooklyn

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:51:42 PST

A stroll through Sunset Park leads to lots of sweet baked goods, great Chinese toys, and an amazing variety of fish. Join in an exploration of this little-known Brooklyn neighborhood, one of New York's three Chinatowns.

Places Mentioned
Kai Feng Fu Dumpling House, 4801 8th Avenue
Gaoming Bakery, 5110 8th Avenue
Peng Cheng Trading Inc., 5102 8th Avenue
Long River Trading Inc., 5416 8th Avenue
Yee Sing Hing, 5520 8th Avenue
Fu Wang Food Store, 5724 8th Avenue
New Seawide Seafood Restaurant, 5810 8th Avenue
Ren Ten Tea, 5817 8th Avenue
Tien Lung Aquarium Shop, 5822 8th Avenue
Rico's Tacos, 505 51st Street (at 5th Avenue)
Neuva Victoria, 4803 5th Avenue
Sunset Park, between 41st and 44th Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues

Skating on the Other Wollman Rink

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 10:49:28 PST

Inspired by the Olympics to try some skating? Prospect Park's Kate Wollman Rink is a great place to practice your skills (or gain new ones).

Places and People Mentioned
Kate Wollman Rink, Prospect Park (718) 287-6431
Dinah Bazer, an instructor offering skating lessons for all ages, dbny9@aol.com

A Game of Chess at Noguchi

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 14:32:19 PST

The Noguchi Museum is a peaceful getaway and through March 5th it's also a great place for a game of chess. The Imagery of Chess Revisited brings together works from the historical 1944 exhibition organized by Max Ernst and Marcel Duchamp. And, of course, chess sets are available to play while you're there.

Museum Mentioned
The Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Road (Vernon Blvd)

Little Russia by the Sea

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 15:37:09 PST

A trip to Brighton Beach is a great way to get a taste of Russian culture. This podcast offers suggestions for an afternoon stroll along Brighton Beach Avenue and the boardwalk.

Shops Mentioned
Taste of Russia, 219 Brighton Beach Avenue
Southern Gastronom, 239 Brighton Beach Avenue
M & I International, 249 Brighton Beach Avenue
St. Petersburg Books, 230 Brighton Beach Avenue
Russian Favorite Gifts, 292 Brighton Beach Avenue
Vintage Foods, 287 Brighton Beach Avenue

Egon Schiele at Neue Galerie

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 10:57:24 PST

It's a blizzard, so get out and enjoy the snow! And when you're ready to come in from the cold, consider going to the final days of the Egon Schiele exhibition at Neue Galerie. This podcast offers a look at Schiele and tips on planning your visit.

Museum Mentioned
Neue Galerie New York: Museum for German and Austrian Art, 1048 Fifth Avenue (at 86th Street)

Three Downtown Romances

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 17:40:31 PST

Looking for inspiration for Valentines Day? These pairings in three different downtown neighborhoods give you a choice of styles: Art and Culture; Traditional Romance; or Sweet and Sexy.

Shops and Museum Mentioned
Other Music, 15 E. 4th Street
Merchants House, 29 E. 4th Street
Polux Fleuriste, 248 Mott Street
Ceci Cela, 55 Spring Street
Babeland, 94 Rivington
Economy Candy, 108 Rivington

Chelsea Gallery Tour (+ a little fashion)

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 09:18:33 PST

A selection of current exhibitions can help you get started on your own gallery tour. You'll pass a lot of galleries while you check out the shows mentioned in the audio blog. So window-shop and if something catches your eye, drop in. In honor of Olympus Fashion Week, which opened yesterday in Bryant Park, I've also included a couple of fashion influenced exhibitions.

Exhibitions Mentioned
Andrea Zittel "Critical Spaces" through 5/17 at New Museum of Contemporary Art, 556 W. 22nd Street
Alec Soth "Niagra" through 2/25 at Gagosian, 555 W. 24th Street
Thomas Hirschhorn "Superficial Engagement" through 2/11 at Gladstone Gallery, 515 W. 24th Street
Roxy Paine through 2/25 at James Cohan, 533 W. 26th Street
One Hour Photo (pictured above) through 2/28, 112 W. 44th Street (see oneshotnewyork.com for open hours)

A Winter Day at the Bronx Zoo

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 14:31:10 PST

A warm winter day at the Bronx Zoo can be a real treat. There are plenty of animals to snuggle up with and the summer crowds are no where to be found. You'll feel like you have the whole place to yourself! The audio podcast (recorded at the zoo via cell phone) gives some tips to make the most of your trip.

Celebrate the Year of the Dog in Chinatown

melaco@gmail.com (Melanie Cohn) — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 09:24:31 PST

Start the Year of the Dog off right this weekend and next with dragon dances, firecrackers, and other festivities in Chinatown! In this audio post I share some of my past experiences in Chinatown and give tips on when and where to go.