Taste of Summer
Kick off summer in the city at the ultimate NYC smorgasbord, featuring specialties from some of the Big Apple’s finest chefs. Just take your appetite to the Bethesda Terrace on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 7:00 PM and prepare to be wined, dined and entertained by the best purveyors in town. Exclusive tables are available for reservations at the Taste Café or just wander around sample goodies from famous bars and eateries like Armani Ristorante, the 21 Club, Brasserie Cognac and the Central Park Boathouse.

SummerStage
A first for the SummerStage event in Central Park, Comedy Central Live will present a show featuring Hannibal Buress with Kevin Barnett and Josh Robinowitz. There will be two shows June 23, one starting at 7:30 PM and the second seating will be complete by 9:30 PM.

Another iconic event happening during SummerStage 2012 is the annual charity gala at Ramsey Field which will honor Jimi Hendrix. On June 5, guest performers like Bebel Gilberto and Soulive will recreate the music of this legendary songwriter. Packages include passes to attend the VIP cocktail party, have dinner outdoors by candlelight and be a part of the backstage festivities.

Shakespeare in the Park
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, the 2012 lineup for this talented theater troupe includes the bard’s classic As You Like It (June 5-30) and Steven Sodheim’s play, Into the Woods (July 23-August 25). Tickets are free at the Central Park Delacorte Theater beginning at 1:00pm the day of the show, but they are only distributed two at a time.

Evening in the Garden
Celebrate the glories of summertime with the Greensward Circle at the Central Park Conservancy Garden at their annual kick-off event June 20, 2012, from 6:00 – 8:30 PM. Enjoy refreshing cocktails, savory nibbles and live music at this annual charity event that offers tickets in advance or at the door.

Philharmonic Concerts in the Park
Get comfortable on the Great Lawn in Central Park on July 12 and July 17 to listen to the famed New York Philharmonic Orchestra performs classical favorites from composers like Tchaikovsky, Respighi and Brahms. Open seating begins two hours before the music starts 8:00 PM. By the way, it is considered respectful to let the serious classical buffs have the ringside seats while those who just want to have a soundtrack for a pleasant summer evening chat will chose locations around the fringes.

Photo Safari – Belvedere Castle
Learn the tricks to getting great photos of Central Park in full bloom at the Belvedere Castle at 10:00 AM July 8 and 14. The workshop last until 12:30 and includes lessons on visual editing, floral lighting and landscape photography techniques. Appropriate for any skill level, the photo safari encourages shutterbugs to visit at different times a year to capture the beauty of Central Park as it changes through the seasons.

At Hostelbookers.com you can read reviews of hotels, hostels and B&Bs from other guests who have found great deals on affordable yet awesome rooms close to Central Park.

 In 1979 was when it was added to the National Historic Register and named a Historic Landmark in 1989. The neighborhood surrounding the building is called the Flatiron District anchoring Madison Square and the Ladies Mile district.

 History of the Flatiron Building
Flatiron was finished in 1902 and was one of the first buildings to use all steel construction. Looking over way from Central Park it was, at its time the tallest building in New York City just north of 14th Street. The site in which the building stands was bought back in the 1850’s by Amos Eno. Deconstruction of the St. Germaine Hotel began replacing it with the Cumberland apartment building. The building is created in a Beaux style by Daniel Burnham, a Chicago native comparing to Chicago’s World Columbian Exposition in celebration with Columbus’ first voyage to America.

 It stands 285 feet featuring 22 stories with topping out on its tip of 6.5 feet in width. Limestone terra cotta tile façade and the steel frame models similar to an Italian and French renaissance design with eagles, gargoyles and horizontal treatments displaying on the outside of the building.

The Flatiron Building Today
You will recognize the Flatiron Building from television. It is used in documentaries and commercials as well as films such as Godzilla and Spider Man. It is also included in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle series as the location of Channel 6 News headquarters. Being the popular hotspot for photographs due to its history and unique design the Flatiron Building is and will always be one of New York’s symbolizing icons.

 In 2009 it was said that an Italian Real Estate firm purchased a majority of the building with plans to turn the 22 stories into a world class luxury hotel. The renovation must wait ten years due to the leases of the business owners and other tenants that are occupying the space. Although turning this cast iron piece of art into a world class hotel would benefit New York natives as well as visitors, the Flatiron Building will always remain one of the more classical landmarks in history. It is a functional office space where visitors are not allowed to browse, except for the lobby.

 Visiting The Flatiron Building
Today the building is used mainly for office space and a popular destination for photographs and headquarters to Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck of Germany, St. Martin’s Press, Henry Holt and Company and Picador publishing companies. Visitors can enjoy a walk through the lobby and witness historic photographs of the early day construction of the building. Madison Square is located across from the building and is ideal to visit and appreciate the great view of the Flatiron Building. There are other main attractions close by to visit when mesmerizing this little piece of history. Click here for more details on Flatiron Building

]]> http://blog.newyorkjourney.com/2012/05/flatiron-building/feed/ 0 http://blog.newyorkjourney.com/2012/05/chelsea-piers/ http://blog.newyorkjourney.com/2012/05/chelsea-piers/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 16:35:15 +0000 Daniel Harrison http://blog.newyorkjourney.com/?p=397 Chelsea Piers sits alongside the Hudson River adjacent to Chelsea Cove Park. Known as the Chelsea Sport and Entertainment Complex, this is one of the city’s busiest and most popular recreational destinations. There are many piers spread out over 28 acres that are located on the west side of Manhattan that make up the sports village such as Pier 59, 60 and 61.

There are walkways and bikeways that run parallel to the piers with the most popular high line located just east of the piers. Chelsea Piers is always committed to operating one of the most innovating sports and entertainment venues in the United States with cutting edge programming, top of the line facilities and professional staff.

History 101
In 1910 Chelsea Piers opened with a ribbon cutting after more than 8 years of construction. It served as the docking location for luxury liners coming to the American shorelines in 1907 a few years before the completion. The Lusitania and Mauretania are two of the luxury liners that docked here.

Chelsea Piers was designed by Warren and Wetmore, an architectural firm that also designed the Grand Central Terminal. The piers consisted of run down structures with many buildings overstating pink granite facades.

Over the next 50 years the piers served its purpose with accommodating the needs of the port. Being the city’s first ship terminal this was the perfect point for soldiers to depart for the World War I and II battlefields. It wasn’t until the early 1960’s when it became a cargo terminal.

It was in the 1980’s when plans for a new highway was planned out. Luckily for New York natives and visitors this plan was revoked and all rights were reserved to operate the entertainment and sports venues.

Entertainment Venues
Golf Club, Sports Center Health Club, Sky Rink, Field House, 300 New York, Pier 60, The Lighthouse, Maritime Center and Studios are all located on the Chelsea Pier located nearby the Chelsea Cover Park situated on Piers 59, 60 and 61. Just about every sport is offered such as Baseball, Bowling, Boxing, Basketball, Golf, Sailing, Running and Soccer.

There is a full calendar schedule that gives an overview of all activities including drop-in activities. There are many public events that include the Basketball Skills Academy, Golf Club Customer Appreciation Week, Annual Golf Fest, Figure Skating Competition, Summer Camp and Thai Boxing.

Visiting Chelsea Piers
Chelsea Piers is the number one venue in New York that should be visited by anyone and everyone. If you are looking to enjoy a vacation of sports, entertainment or relaxation, this is the perfect hot spot destination. There is something for the whole family to enjoy creating a totally unique experience when visiting New York. You can visit chelseapiers.com for more detailed information on the different venues and seasonal operations. Directions are provided on the website as well as hours and prices. You can even book a private event on Pier 60 or at the Lighthouse whether it’s a corporate event or a private birthday celebration. Click here for more details on Chelsea Piers

This beautifully designed piece of art has been the host to more than 50,000 events over the period of its long history. Visitors are welcomed to the restored landmark to embark with one of three concert stages, history archives and the Rose Museum. Its homes to many of the world’s finest orchestras, today’s pop music and chamber music and recitals.

History of the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall was designed by architect William Tuthill and built by Andrea Carnegie in 1891. It first opened in May of 1891 with its first concert by Walter Damrosh and Peter Tchaikovsky, maestro and composer. The building itself was one of the largest in New York City at its time with built in masonry that supported the Florentine style design. Corinthian pilasters in the foyer were one of the key points to catch the eyes by many.

The hall housed performing arts groups with its last residency back in 1962 when New York Philharmonic moved to the Avery Hall in 1973. Until the early 1920’s, ownership stayed in the Carnegie family when Mrs.’s Carnegie sold the hall to Robert Simon, real estate developer. There were plans on moving the hall in the 1950’s but was unable to find a buyer until the 1960’s when New York City purchased the building.

There are three concert halls with the Main Hall seating over 2800 people on 5 different levels. The Zankel Hall was originally an auditorium with renovations turning it into a 599 person cinema and recital hall and then back to an auditorium in the late 1990’s. The Weill Recital Hall is the smallest of the three halls seating only 268 people. It was originally called the Carnegies Chamber of Music Hall until 1986.

Performances at the Hall
There have been more than 50,000 live performances. Performing at Carnegie Hall is one of any artist’s main achievements to make their name during their career. Judy Garland, Dvorak’s Sympathy 9 and Dr. Martin Luther King all made an appearance during their career. For more than a century now Carnegie Hal has been the only place where artists have kept the tradition in performing at the world’s most famous concert hall.

Visiting Carnegie Hall
You can access Carnegie Hall by subway, taxi and bus. Easy accessibility from all parts of New York City is available. You can purchase tickets to live events by purchasing online at www.carnegiehall.org. There are many performances, fine dining venues, café’s and banquets for private events. Guided tours and the Rose Museum are two great ways to educate yourself with the history of the hall. If this is your first time at the hall the website gives detailed information on what to expect for your first visit.

Click here for more details on Carnegie Hall

Being one of the first urban landscapes in the USA, Central Park was meant to leans towards the wealthy and today is for all to enjoy with daily events, special events and lots of main attractions for the whole family.

Central Park History
The park first opened in the 1850’s on 843 acres that was considered city land. It was in 1858 when Frederick Law Olmsted together with Calvert Vaux won a design contest to landscape and improve the visuals of the park that otherwise known as the Greensward Plan. The renovation was completed during the American Civil War with more than 500,000 cubic feet of topsoil and more than 4 mill trees planted in 1873. The first section of the park was open to the public in 1859 and it wasn’t until 1865 when more than a million visitors was visiting the park each year.

Creating the park wasn’t as easy as it intended to be. There were around 1,600 residents that were displaced due to the private development. Ice skating was one of the main attractions at first with New Yorkers flocking together hitting Lasker and Wollman ice rinks. Becoming a favourite pastime the park would alert New Yorkers when the ice by hoisting a ball to the top of the pole signaling that the rinks was ready for skaters.

Interests of the Park
Currently as of now there are 5 quadrants of the park; The Great Lawn, North and South End, Outside of Park and The Reservoir. Each quadrant has its own attractions with ponds, sculptures, monuments and fountains.

There is more to Central Park than the beautiful landscape. When visiting you can take a long hike on the trails, visit one of two ice skating rinks, take a nice jog, do a little bird watching or attend one of many concerts. Children have plenty to keep them interested as well with multiple playgrounds and a wildlife sanctuary.

Home to many cultural and community events, Central Park is open all season round with theatre productions and picturesque weddings events. Some of the romantic locations to get married include Summit Rock, Ladies Pavilion, Cherry Hill and the Pond.

Visiting Central Park
Central Park is open daily no matter the time of the year. It is conveniently located in the center of Manhattan with a full schedule of events that will enrich any and all visits. Several restaurants, restrooms, visitor centers, maps and concession stands are throughout the park. Access for all is the parks departments goal making all visitors welcome.

Click for  more details on Central Park