Foodies Unite: Epicurious Entertains New York

Say what you like about New York, it has some of the best restaurants, most obsessed foodies and most diverse cuisine of just about anywhere. This week, “Epicurious Entertains New York” comes to town to prove the point. The event, which starts today (Sept. 30) and runs through Sunday, October 4, features demonstrations and celebrity-chef meals (both dinner and lunch) in a pop-up space near Union Square (837 Broadway at 18th Street). And in a city that’s not easily impressed, you will pretty much be wowed by the chefs that are appearing: Everyone from Daniel Boulud (Daniel; DB Bistro Moderne) and Mario Batali (Babbo) to Zak Pelaccio (Fatty Crab) and Paul Liebrandt (Corton).
Events include an homage to culinary innovation (Oct. 1, 11:30 am-3:30 pm) called "Intelligent Entertaining"; it features chefs and bartenders who are as much techno-geeks as they are chefs. October 3 brings “Cooking with Kids”: As an enticement, someone from Magnolia Bakery will be on hand. It’s strictly BYOK (Bring Your Own Kid.) Some of the events are sold out, so be sure to check (800-922-1691).
The culminating event? “Fatty Sunday: A Zak Pelaccio Lunchtime Feast” (12-7 pm). Pelaccio will whip up treats from his new restaurant, Fatty ‘cue, as football season kicks off.
What says fall better than strange edible infusions, five-course meals, and lots of smoked meat?
If you’re in New York, pretty much nothing.

Free Verse: Poets House Moves to Battery Park City

Maybe you haven’t picked up a book of poetry in a couple of years, or your last memory of trying to compose a poem was writing a Valentine’s Day limerick to your fourth-grade crush. Well, you can change all that, because as of last week, New York’s Poets House has a bigger, better, splashier new home in Battery Park City. (Ten River Terrace; 212 421-7920)
The 50,000 volume library and literary center, which was founded by poet Stanley Kunitz and arts administrator Elizabeth Kray in 1985, just re-opened in a new space by the water. The 11,000 square-foot space offers poetry lovers more than twice the area of the former Soho second-floor loft. It features a Children’s Room; multimedia archive; Reading Room (added bonus: fantastic views of the Hudson River); and an exhibition space.
The center offers more than 200 public programs a year, including workshops, lectures and readings; it has a poetry collection that includes books, journals, chapbooks and digital media. It’s a delightful resource for anyone interested in poetry, and wonderful memorabilia includes handmade Christmas cards by Robert Frost and a first edition of Dylan Thomas’ “A Child's Christmas in Wales.”
The center has been granted rent-free use of the space for the next 60 years.

FiIm Buffs, Start Your Engines: The New York Film Festival Hits the City

Film lovers, rejoice: The 47th annual New York Film Festival is in the city. The Festival takes place at the newly spiffed-up Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center from September 25-October 11. (Call 212 875-5050 for information about purchasing tickets.)
The Festival offers film buffs, couples looking for a cool date night and the just plain curious a chance to see the breakout hits, indie films, small documentaries and foreign entries that pepper the more-than-two-week event. Some will make it to the mainstream; others will pop up at your local independent cinema or go straight to DVD.
Films include “Antichrist,” from the almost-always-controversial director Lars von Trier, about the repercussions of a tragic event on a couple; (Oct. 2; 9 pm; Oct. 3; 1 pm); “The Art of the Steal" (Sept. 29; 9:15 pm); a documentary about the famous Barnes collection of art and the foundation set up to protect it; and “Crossroads of Youth” (Oct. 3; 11 am), the oldest surviving Korean film (1934). It’s the story of a brother and sister who encounter life in the city; the film will have live musical accompaniment as well as a live offscreen narrator.
The Festival will end with “Broken Embraces” from director Pedro Almodovar, focusing on a blind screenwriter. It stars Almodovar muse Penelope Cruz, and will screen on Oct. 11 at 5 pm and 8 pm.
Created in 1969 to bring international films to an American audience, the festival screens around 28 movies and 12 shorts; it has no categories and no prizes are given.
It’s film for film’s sake, pure and simple.

New Museum of Chinese in America Opens in Soho

One of the great things about New York is all the small, undiscovered museums and galleries that lurk in unlikely places, or that you may never have even heard of. Take the Museum of Chinese in America, which moved to a new home in Soho this week.
Thirty years ago, Charles Lai and John Kuo Wei Tchen, who wanted a place to preserve the memory of Chinese-American immigrants, founded the museum. Located on the second floor of a building in Chinatown, it featured photographs and documents, many of them discarded by locals.
The new museum (known as MOCA, not to be confused with the one in LA) has quite a distinguished pedigree: it was designed by Maya Lin, best known as the architect of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC.
The new space, which was unveiled to the public on Tuesday, features memorabilia of the Chinese-American experience from the 1850s to the present; it’s five times the size of the original space.
Lin has said that the two entrances (one on Centre Street; one on Lafayette) have symbolic meaning: Chinese Americans have a background in the east, but have made their home in the west.
Current exhibitions include “Here & Now: Chinese Artists in New York,” which examines the work of 12 New York artists of Chinese descent.
The museum is located at 215 Centre Street; call (212) 619-4720 for more information.

Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead: The Wizard of Oz is 70!

Some movies become more beloved and iconic as the years pass (and no, we don't mean “Ishtar.”) "The Wizard of Oz” falls squarely into that category, however, and this year, the film celebrates its 70th anniversary. Events have already been celebrated throughout the year, but New York is joining in the fun next week with a concert and showing of the film in Central Park.
The concert and screening will take place on Tuesday, September 29 at 7:30 pm in Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield. (Don’t follow the yellow brick road, but do enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue; seating is first come, first served.)
Singer Jennifer Hudson (“Dreamgirls”) and “Dancing with the Stars”’ Julianne Hough will be on hand to serenade spectators with modern (no, we don't really know what that means) versions of the classic Harold Arlen/E.Y. Harburg songs from the movie. A restored, high-definition version of the film will roll on a giant screen after the concert ends, presented by Netflix and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
(FYI, a special 2-disc collector’s edition of the film will be released on Blu-ray DVD on Sept. 29 as well; and Netflix is also offering free online viewing of the film on October 3.)
In addition, the movie will be screened again this Saturday, Sept. 26, as part of this year’s New York Film Festival.
Flying monkeys and ruby slippers forever!

Can't Get to a National Park? This Week, It Will Come To You

Majestic mountains, pristine lakes, endless geysers and streams…Normally, to visit a national park you’d have to buy a plane ticket—or at least a pair of hiking boots. But this week, the national parks are coming to you--It’s National Parks Week in New York. (Yes, it does seem like there’s a week for just about everything; and yes, it does seem like most of them are taking place right about now.)
The week-long event (Sept. 19-27) offers a number of free public events around the city; the major event, “Feel Free: A National Parks Celebration in Central Park,” takes place tonight (Sept. 23) in Central Park’s East Meadow at 7:00 PM; it will feature highlights from filmmaker Ken Burns' upcoming PBS series "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea." Performers including Jose Feliciano (don’t expect Feliz Navidad), Carole King and Alison Knauss will also be on hand.
Events around the city this week include a program on the impact of the American Revolution on New York at the Federal Hall National Memorial (Wall and Nassau Steets); expect staff in period costumes and a fife and drum corps. (And really, be honest, have you actually ever seen a fife and drum corps before?) You can also go on a tour of park environments at the American Museum of Natural History on Sept. 26 (Central Park West and 81st Street).
(For a full list of events, go to feefree.org)
So who actually needs to go to Yosemite when it has up and come to you?

Has Global Warming Met Its Match? Climate Week Comes to Town

It’s Climate Week in New York, and no, that doesn’t mean you can change the weather—at least not right off the bat. It does mean that now is the time to have your consciousness raised about global warming (if it hasn't been already), and a whole slew of events are planned to accomplish just that. Climate Week has been timed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly, which is in the city this week, so if you notice a preponderance of men in suits and guys with earpieces following them, that’s why. (Interesting Numbers Department: 140 heads of state; 31 protest groups.)
Most of these week’s events are by invitation only. Events open to the public include a symposium at Columbia University about economics and climate adaptation on Thursday, Sept. 24; and a five-day bike ride from New York to Washington DC that kicks off on Friday. (For a complete listing of events, check out climateweeknyc.org)
Climate Week comes approximately two months before world leaders are scheduled to meet in Copenhagen to draw up a plan that will halt climate change. In the meantime, you know what to do to go green: Turn off lights; don’t run the water more than necessary; carpool or take public transportation when you can.
Because you don’t need to be a world leader to save the planet; you just need to want to make a difference.

Step Up To The Plate: It's The Great American Dine Out

OK, people, listen up: More than 12 million kids in this country are at risk of hunger, and this week, you can do something about it.
Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out returns this week (Sept. 20-26) in cities across the country, including New York. So what's the deal? This week-long program raises money to help feed these at-risk kids by calling on restaurants-and the public--to step up, as it were, to the plate. How? Restaurants are implementing a number of programs, from donating portions of their proceeds to the cause to creating special menu items to selling promotional coupons or items like t-shirts.
What can you do? Paradoxically, you can help children get a meal by eating one yourself, so get thee to a restaurant. Participating restaurants in New York City range from the casual to the high-end, and include Blue Smoke (Barbecue); Eleven Madison Park (American); Capsouto Freres (French); Caffe Grazie (Italian); and Shula’s Steak House (Um, steak). (For a complete list, you can check GreatAmericanDineOut.org). The restaurants can be found all over the city, and last year, more than 4000 restaurants nationwide participated. Money raised will go to food banks and pantries (already feeling the economic pinch); increased community gardens; and stepped-up advocacy of children’s nutrition-related programs, among other things.
The eventual goal of Share Our Strength is nothing less than ending childhood hunger in this country--and if that’s not worth pulling out the piggy bank for a meal out, what is?

Read it and Smile: New York Libraries Are Expanding Their Hours

Stores and restaurants are closing in New York City, unemployment is up…and the New York Public Library is expanding its hours. In an era when “closed” is the most common sign you see; “open later” is certainly not expected. And yet a huge demand for its services has the library system expanding hours at 10 of its city locations. They include the 96th Street Library (112 East 96th Street (212) 759-0908); the Grand Central Library (135 East 46th Street; (212) 621-0670) and the Mid-Manhattan Library (455 Fifth Avenue; (917) 275-6975.) The latter, for example, will now be open from 8:00 am-11:00 pm Mondays-Thursdays. The New York Public Library will now be open an average of 52.5 hours a week. The last time libraries offered so much browsing time? The economic crisis of the 1970s.
Why the huge demand? People are always looking for refuges in times of economic downturn, not to mention a bargain--even better when it’s free. And many libraries offer services like employment counseling and the use of computers, plus free DVD rentals--especially important when people are cutting back on entertainment like going out to dinner and a movie.
The 10 branches can be found in all five boroughs (the library’s website, nypl.org, has the full listing and complete hours.)
So grab a novel and settle down for a while; at the moment, it’s the best deal in New York.

Live From New York, It's Oprah

Dozens of New Yorkers may suddenly “decide” to walk through Central Park Friday morning in the hopes of glimpsing America’s reigning talk-show host, but sadly, chances are slim and tickets are reserved when Oprah Winfrey comes to town tomorrow.
Winfrey is heading to the SummerStage at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park to broadcast; the show will air live on Friday at 10 am Eastern time. (Again, spots in the audience are by reservation only; don’t expect just to show up.)
Winfrey’s guests will include Mariah Carey, the top-selling female recording artist in history, who will most likely perform a song from her new album, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.” She will also give Oprah an exclusive interview (topics are expected to include, no surprise, her career and marriage to Nick Cannon.)
Ever-perky Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa are also expected to pop in after doing their own show that morning.
Other (famous) unannounced guests will undoubtedly show up, and Winfrey will also announce her 63rd book club selection. The enormously influential book club has helped a number of books achieve bestseller status, and has also uncovered some controversial selections, like James Frey’s largely made-up “A Million Little Pieces.” Selections from 2008 included "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle,” by David Wrobleski, and Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth.”

Amtrak is on the Move--to the Post Office

All aboard: Amtrak will most likely be chugging into a new home...across the street. New York City’s main post office will house Amtrak’s ticketing, boarding, and waiting areas, which will move from Penn Station to the James A. Farley Post Office directly across the street; a date for the move has not been set. The new station will be named after Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who died in 2003. Moynihan was inspired by the impressive former Penn Station, which stood above ground but was demolished in 1963.
Amtrak originally pulled out of the project several years ago, citing the enormous costs associated with the move. Under the new proposal, which was arrived at after six months of negotiations, Amtrak will have the opportunity to share revenue from retail outlets in the new space, and will also have a voice in some design changes. As part of the move, a splashy new entrance will be built for Penn Station, and capacity will be expanded. New tracks will also be built for the railway’s high-speed trains.
The project, estimated at more than $1 billion, still has a way to go—most of the money still needs to be raised. At the moment, more than $200 million in federal funds has been designated for the project, and stimulus funds are a possibility--but that still leaves a lot of money to be found.
Higher train fares, anyone?

A New Chapter for Tavern on the Green, But Maybe Not the One You Expected

New York City’s legendary Tavern on the Green restaurant was ready to enter a new chapter this coming January when it switched to new ownership—but one chapter people might not have been anticipating was Chapter 11: The current owner, Jennifer LeRoy, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
LeRoy’s family has operated Tavern on the Green for almost 35 years. She blames the bankruptcy filing on the current recession, as well as the city's decision to give the restaurant’s license to new owners. The 75-year-old restaurant is due to pass into the hands of Dean Poll, who also runs Central Park’s Boathouse restaurant, in four months.
Twenty creditors and the money owed to them are listed in the federal bankruptcy filing: they include some that might be expected, such as almost $80,000 owed to American Express and close to $2 million owed to the New York Hotel Trades Council. There are other debts, however, that show that just as the rich are different from you and me; clearly, high-end restaurants are as well: More than $53,000 is owed to Atlanta’s Buckhead Beef, and (wait for it) $26,299 is due to Urbani Truffles.
In a somewhat ironic footnote, the public might be interested to know that the 19th- century building originally housed sheep. The Sheep Meadow was originally called "The Green," so the restaurant, when it originally opened in 1934 (yes,the sheep had left by then), was christened "Tavern on the Green."

Jujamcyn Theaters Have New President

New York’s Jujamcyn Company, which owns and operates five Broadway theaters, has a new president. Broadway producer Jordan Roth is taking over as president of the theaters following the resignation of Rocco Landesman, who, after nearly 22 years in the job, will become chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts.
The 33-year-old Roth was formerly vice-president of the theater company, which, incidentally, was named for the three children of founder James Binger: Judith, James and Cynthia.
Roth helped bring the recent productions of “Spring Awakening" and “Hair” to the Broadway stage, as well as the not-so-successful Harvey Fierstein vehicle “A Catered Affair.” The Princeton-educated Roth clearly has great hopes for the company: he also purchased a share in it.
The theaters owned by the Jujamcyn Company currently house such shows as “Hair” (the Al Hirschfeld Theatre) and “Jersey Boys,” currently residing in the August Wilson Theatre.
In the upcoming season, revivals of "Finian's Rainbow” and Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” will be housed in Jujamcyn Theaters as well, as will the new musical “Fela,” a look at Nigerian Afrobeat star Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
Roth has said in interviews that he’s an admirer of the business strategy behind premium-priced tickets (read: higher-priced tickets) that are available to segments of the population willing to pay over-the-top prices; but he also claims that the company will continue to help theatergoers have easier access to tickets and information, as well as to have a top-of-the-line theater experience.
Theater is clearly in Roth’s DNA: His mother, Daryl Roth, produced six Pultizer-Prize winning plays.

Sept. 11 Commemorated with Memorial Events

Americans across the country gather today to remember the events of September 11, 2001. In New York City, the names of all the victims of the terrorist attacks were read aloud this morning, and four moments of silence were observed: two at the times the planes hit the towers of the World Trade Center, and two when the towers fell.
Tonight, two searchlights will be turned on at 6:00 PM for the “Tower of Light,” and remain lit, pointing upward, until 8:00 AM tomorrow morning. Commemorating the two towers, the lights will remain static.
For Americans who want something concrete to do, September 11 was recently designated a day of National Service and Remembrance; everyone is being urged to find ways to get out and help in their communities.
At Trinity Church on Wall Street, an all-night vigil and walk was held; a service will take place this afternoon starting at 12:30 PM.
In addition, a number of other September 11 initiatives are underway. The Port Authority is offering World Trade Center debris to be used in memorials around the country--about 2,000 pieces are available; they are currently being stored at JFK airport.
And a new website (911history.org) is asking for personal stories about the attacks to be featured as part of a series of remembrances at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, slated to open in 2012. Visitors will descend 70 feet under Ground Zero, where they can view images of the attacks and hear stories from families and friends of the victims.
Because many of the images will be very graphic, ranging from people jumping out of the towers to human remains, a warning will be in place for visitors.

Come Hungry, Eat Often: The Feast of San Gennaro is Here

Mention New York’s Feast of San Gennaro, and most people probably think of street food with an Italian accent, heavy on the cannoli. But the festival, which runs this year from Sept. 10-20, also celebrates the tenacity of the early Italian immigrants n New York, as well as the Saint Day on Sept. 19 that will feature a celebratory Mass and religious procession.
But for most people, the real draws are the parades, musical entertainment and of course, the food.
More than 300 food and souvenir vendors set up shop along the festival route, which takes place along Mulberry Street from Canal to Houston Streets; on Grand Street between Mott and Baxter Streets; and on Hester Street, also between Mott and Baxter Streets.
Highlights include doo-wop, oldies and classic rock concerts; a pizza-eating contest (Sept. 16, and sorry, it’s only open to employees of local restaurants and cafes); and on Sept. 19, a live satellite radio broadcast featuring interviews and performances with legendary DJ Cousin Brucie. Many local Italian restaurants are participating, so go hungry and abstain from eating anything with red sauce for several days beforehand.
Little Italy has shrunk significantly over the past few years, in part due to the encroachment of Chinatown as well as inevitable development. More than a million people are expected to attend this year’s festival, certainly the granddaddy of New York Street fairs. With its emphasis on something other than knockoff handbags and vacuum cleaner parts, it’s certainly one of the better ones.
Check their website, sangennaro.org, for more information.

NY Fashion Week Struts Into the City

Pull out the Prada, ante up the Alexander McQueen, bring on the Badgley Mischka: It’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. Designers showing their spring collections in the Bryant Park tents include cool insiders like 3.1 Phillip Lim and Carlos Miele, and more well-known names like Calvin Klein and BCBGMaxAzria.
If you’re not on a first-name basis with Gisele (the model) or Anna Wintour (the editor of Vogue), you’re probably not sitting in a first-row seat, but you can still enjoy the fun and spectacle vicariously—or even up close with Fashion’s Night Out.
Taking place tomorrow evening (September 10) Fashion's Night Out offers designer devotees a chance to shop, shop, and shop some more. Running (mostly) from 6-11 PM, the event includes more than 700 designers and retailers, from trendy department stores like Barney’s to smaller chic boutiques like Jeffrey and Intermix. Celebrities and models will be on hand; shopping deals are to be had.
Big question: Will this kind of event fly in the midst of an economic downtown? Promoters say it will stimulate the economy by getting people into the stores, and help restore consumer confidence. (Fashion is the second largest sector of industry in New York, second only to finance.) We say, how many people have the money for a Judith Ripka jeweled handbag?
In any event, there is, as they say, nothing wrong with looking.
Check out fashionsnightout.com for more information.

Let's Go Dutch: Celebrate Hudson's Voyage with NY400 Week

Today marks the start of New York City’s NY400 Week (Sept. 8-13), a celebration of Henry Hudson’s 1609 voyage from Amsterdam to New York and the subsequent founding of New Amsterdam.
The festivities kicked off this morning with a flotilla of Dutch ships sailing into New York Harbor, and events roll out throughout the week. They include the following:

Wednesday, Sept. 9: The New Amsterdam Pavilion will be unveiled at Peter Minuit Plaza on The Battery; it’s a gift from the Dutch government to the city and represents the 400-year Dutch history in New York. 11:00 AM-noon.

Thursday, Sept. 10: Seventeen ships like the ones that Hudson and his crew sailed in will arrive at Governor’s Island. Captains and crew will answer questions, so think up some good ones. Late afternoon.

Friday, Sept. 11: Bike around town on a free Dutch bike (11 am-7:00 PM). Get yourself to Bowling Green (Broadway and Beaver Street) for a free orange NY400 bike to toodle around the city. They're available on a limited basis through Sept. 12, so do as the Dutch do and grab some wheels.

Saturday, Sept. 12: The New York Connection premieres: Come watch this documentary on Dutch history in New York at the Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street;6:30 PM.)

Sunday, Sept. 13: Harbor Day: The culminating event of NY400 Week takes place at six waterfront locations, from Governors Island to Battery Park City. Highlights include an Oyster Festival in Hudson River Park; and Battery Park City’s musical Harmony on the Hudson Festival. All the waterfront sites are acessible by free rental bikes and hop-on/hop-off boat sevices.

Call (646) 557-2277 for more information.

Oddly Enough, Labor Day Means More People Around

If New York City seems more crowded this Labor Day than in recent years, you’re not imagining things: Staying home appears to be the new going away for many people.
Approximately 39 million Americans are on the move this holiday weekend; that’s down about 13 percent from last year. The major factor, of course, is money: Because of the recession and uncertain times ahead, more people are deciding to stay put and save the travel costs by enjoying the city. (The spate of lovely weather hasn’t hurt either, making even a local park seem more appealing.)
Labor Day also falls late this year, meaning that more kids will be starting school right after the holiday weekend ends; this offers more of an incentive for parents to stay home and get kids ready without a mad rush.
If you’re itching to find things to do, don’t wander over to Fifth Avenue for the annual Labor Day Parade just yet: it’s not being held until next Saturday, September 12. (Late, yes, but more of a reason to prolong that endless summer vibe.) The parade starts at 10:00 am on 44th Street and Fifth Avenue and ends at 72nd Street and Central Park West. Get there early.
The first Labor Day Parade, by the way, was held in 1882 in New York; Labor Day was made a federal holiday in 1894 after the idea of celebrating the country’s workers spread across the country.
In the meantime, there’s always the West Indian American Day Carnival being held today in Brooklyn, a celebration of New York’s Caribbean population. The parade begins at Rochester Avenue and Eastern Parkway and ends at Grand Army Plaza. Elaborate floats and costumes are the norm, as are reggae and calypso music and food from Trinidad, Barbados and Grenada. (Festivities run from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.)
For information about the West Indian carnival, call (718) 467-1797.

Free Crosstown Buses? Maybe, if Mayor Bloomberg Has His Way

Tired of paying $2.25 for bus fare? We certainly are. But if New York’s Mayor Mike Bloomberg has his way, transit riders on crosstown buses will get a break--the mayor has proposed that all crosstown buses be free.
The plan makes sense: It would both encourage ridership (fewer cars; good for the environment) and ease people's financial burden (good for people’s wallets and psyches.) Bloomberg explained that by drivers not having to collect fares, they would be able to load and unload passengers much more quickly. Many crosstown bus riders are already using the subway, so not much revenue would be lost. (Crosstown buses are also arguably among the slowest in the city.)
Any lost revenue, Bloomberg argued, would be made up by faster travel times, which would allow fewer buses on those routes.
Bloomberg has proposed a number of transportation-related incentives in recent weeks as part of his re-election campaign, but the MTA, oddly enough, is not subject to much control by the mayor (he controls 4 of the 14 votes on the board.) The proposed incentives have included reopening several Long Island railroad stations in Queens and extending the V line from the lower east side into Brooklyn.
Whether the mayor actually has the power to put any of these initiatives into effect remains to be seen--but using the word "free” to lure voters in an election year is often a good ploy.

Famed Tavern on the Green Restaurant Under New Management

New York City’s famed Tavern on the Green restaurant—often noted more for its extraordinary décor and location in Cental Park than for its food—is changing hands.
Dean Poll, who runs the Boathouse restaurant in Central Park, was chosen by the Parks Department last week to take over the restaurant, starting in January. Department officials say he submitted the most impressive proposal for the 20-year license.
A number of well-known names in the restaurant business either pulled out of the running for the license or never made a bid, including Danny Meyer (of Gramercy Tavern and Blue Smoke), who had initially showed interest. While Tavern on the Green was at one time one of the most profitable independent restaurants in the country, its revenues have soured along with the economy.
The 25-million capital investment will cover a renovation that includes adding banquet rooms; an outdoor café serving sandwiches and snacks; and a club room. Green technology will also be incorporated.
Poll is taking over the license from the LeRoy family, which started the restaurant in 1974. Interestingly, the name is still controlled by Jennifer LeRoy, and it could cost Poll many millions of dollars if he wants to keep using it.
Tavern on the Green is located in Central Park, near West 67th Street.

NY Philharmonic Welcomes New Director

September 16 marks the beginning of a new era as Alan Gilbert takes over as director of the New York Philharmonic. His tenure officially kicks off that evening with an Opening Night Gala featuring the world premiere of an overture written for Gilbert by Composer-in-Residence Magnus Lindberg. Famed soprano Renee Fleming also sings "Poemes Pour Mi," a song cycle and love poem to his wife Claire by Olivier Messiaen.
Gilbert, surprisingly, is the first native New Yorker to hold the position of director. (He grew up on the upper west side of Manhattan and attended a local private school.) Both his parents were both violinists with the Philharmonic, although his father is retired.
Gilbert may not be a name familiar to many New Yorkers (Alan who? is a common reaction), but his past credentials include being the first Music Director of the Santa Fe Opera; assistant conductor with the Cleveland Orchestra; and chief conductor of the Royal Stockholm Orchestra.
Other highlights of the upcoming season include programs by popular baritone Thomas Hampson and Handel’s "Messiah." And on September 17, 100 years after Gustav Mahler conducted his first concerts as director of the Philharmonic, Gilbert starts off his regular season with Mahler’s monumental Third Symphony.
For ticket information, call (212) 875-5656

Aim for Enlightenment: Mandalas at The Rubin Museum

Most visitors--and locals--in New York City know the names of the major museums—the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Natural History; MoMA; the Guggenheim. But how many have heard of the Rubin Museum? If you’ve seen all the major exhibitions or just want a chance to explore one of New York’s smaller art troves, check out this exquisite repository of art from the Himalayas.
Focusing on Himalayan culture, particularly that from Nepal, Mongolia, Tibet and Bhutan, the museum showcases painting, textiles, ritual objects, prints and sculptures. Works from countries including Pakistan and China as well as areas of Central and Southeast Asia are also on view.
"Mandala: The Perfect Circle," which opened in mid-August and runs through January 11, 2010, highlights the importance of the mandala, an artistic aid for meditation in the Buddhist tradition that is meant to help practitioners towards enlightenment; the complicated symbolism of the number five is also highlighted, showing its importance in tantric Buddhism.
Mandalas in various forms from paintings to portable and ritual objects are on display, as are virtual mandalas created by computer graphic designers; the exhibition includes works from the Rubin’s own collection as well as loans from private collections and museums around the world.
Films, lectures, music and dance are on the agenda as part of the museum’s programming in conjunction with the exhibition.
The Rubin Museum is located at 150 West 17th Street. Call (212) 620-5000 for hours and more information.