Revelers, This is Your Night: It's Finally New Year's Eve

Those of you who enjoy late-night reveling, close proximity to millions of other people, and staying up really, really late in the freezing cold will be in your element tonight--it’s New Year’s Eve, and the biggest party in town is in New York City’s Times Square.
Streets start getting roped off as early as 2:00 pm, and partiers often start gathering in the late afternoon to ensure a prime spot.
Festivities continue throughout the evening, with musical performances, opening ceremonies at 6:00 pm, and handouts of hats and balloons given out to revelers starting a little after 7:00 pm. Performers and celebrity guests this year include Jennifer Lopez, Daughtry, Taddy Porter, and Anderson Cooper. (Now there’s an eclectic mix).
At 11:59 pm Mayor Bloomberg and a special guest will push the button that signifies the dropping of the Waterford crystal ball. This year, the ball has been redesigned to include 300 Waterford crystal triangles woven into a Celtic knot--they are etched with ribbons, angel wings and flames to indicate the theme "Let There Be Courage." The new lights, for those of you on green-watch, replace halogen bulbs, last three times longer, and use about the same amount of energy as it take to light up two regular ovens.
At midnight, following the dramatic countdown, confetti is released, shouting and kissing of your neighbor ensues, and we welcome 2010. More than 1 ton of confetti will be dropped.
And for those of you who were wondering, the ball-drop tradition goes back to 1907, and the ball tonight will drop 70 feet in 60 seconds. It weighs almost 12,000 pounds.
Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve in New York City: The Countdown

As preparations for the festivities in New York's Times Square get underway for New Year’s Eve, it’s time to start some planning of your own—especially if you plan to join the hordes ringing in the New Year in the heart of New York City.
First off, why not put your resolutions to paper (you do have resolutions, right?)--and add to the confetti that will rain down in Times Square at the same time. Write down a resolution, a hope, a wish, whatever you like--on a piece of confetti--and add it to the Wishing Wall at the Times Square Information Center (7th Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets.) All the confetti will be gathered on Thursday to add to the growing pile of midnight-ready pieces of paper. (You can also submit it online at timessquarenyc.org; it will be printed out and added to the pile. Some New Year’s wishes from last year can be viewed on line.)
While you’re at it, save on that bottle of champagne by checking out the new “Clink Clink” iphone app. Waterford helped design this virtual celebration, which lets two people toast in the New Year with pictures of Waterford champagne flutes and cocktail glasses on the screens. (No alcohol is allowed in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, so you can get your toast in--and have a clear head when you leave as well.)
So get ready--and start counting down to the countdown!

Freedom Tower Subway Restaurant Goes to New Heights

You’ve heard of meals on wheels and maybe even revolving restaurants. But we bet this is the first time you’ve heard of a New York restaurant that rises as its patrons do.
The restaurant in question is Subway; it’s been designed to feed the workers building the Freedom Tower on the site of the former World Trade Center. The Subway sandwich shop is attached to a lift on a hydraulic jack--the jack moves it up as each floor is completed. It allows the workers to grab lunch without having to descend, not an easy feat. (The full Subway menu, including the ever-popular $5 foot-long sandwich, is available.) The yellow concession trailer flies an American flag, and also boasts windows.
A bathroom and some offices for the project managers have also been hoisted above street level.
The 200-foot base of the building should be finished by February 2010; after that, a floor a month is expected to be added.
Let’s hope they have a lot of sandwich toppings and varieties of chips available—only five floors have been built so far, out of 105. Windows on the World, the famous restaurant that perched near the top of the World Trade Center, was approximately that height. The Freedom Tower is supposed to be finished in 2013, and will rise to 1,776 feet, including a spire.

That Drawer Full of Useless Receipts? Today's the Day to Say Goodbye

That tax return you’d rather not look at again? Get rid of it. The receipt for the engagement ring your former boyfriend returned? Chuck it out. Your to-do list from the beginning of last year? Toss it away. Today at noon, New Yorkers have the chance to bid good riddance to paper memories they’d rather see relegated to the trash. It’s “Good Riddance Day,” on 46th Street and Broadway, in Duffy Square.
New Yorkers can shed themselves of everything they'd rather never see again with an industrial shredder and a dumpster. Got something other than paper? For harder-to-destroy items, a sledgehammer is available. (Is this safe??) Caution: It’s intended for things like electronic devices that got the better of you. (Goodbye, Palm Pilot...)
If unloading your trash isn’t enough of an incentive, the Times Square Alliance is giving out a $250 prize for the most creative memory. Participants can write down their worst memories on a piece of stationery, which will be provided. (You can also submit online, at timessquarenyc.org). Past creative entries included all the unmatched socks in someone’s drawer (winner of the creativity award); as well as good riddance to being single (this person was getting married.)
The first 100 participants will receive a special gift (their own paper shredder, perhaps?).
Organizers caution that the event is not meant to be used as a means of dumping all your trash. It’s about bad memories, people, not getting rid of the contents of your trash can.
So grab that nasty memo from your boss and go!

Donate a Coat, Take the Plunge--It's the New York Cares Coat Drive

OK, New York, want to get a head start on your New Year's resolutions? Want to get one made and checked off before end of the year, without having to wait to break it four days later?
Of course you do.
New York Cares has been holding a coat drive this month—the organization collects almost 70,000 coats for New Yorkers who otherwise wouldn’t have one. The drive runs until the end of the year, so you still have five days to dig through your closet and find that gently used outer garment that can go to good use.
Want proof that your donation is needed? Almost 90 percent of homeless New Yorkers need a new coat each winter, and many families have to make a choice between buying a coat and buying food for their families.
Certain donation sites generally accept coats between 7:30 and 9:30 am, during the morning commute; these drop sites include Grand Central Terminal; New York’s Penn Station; and The New York Port Authority Bus Terminal. Other places accept them any time—New York Police precincts; Janovic Paint and Decorating Centers; and Time Warner Cable stores are on this list. (For a complete listing and more information, go to newyorkcares.org)
Finally, if you still need an incentive, the last coats will be collected on January 1 on the Coney Island Boardwalk—while members of the Polar Bear Club take their annual New Yea’s Day plunge into the frigid waters of the Atlantic. More than 800 dippers are expected to take a dip, including three New York Cares staff members.(There's still time to sign up and join them...)
Doing good and watching people plunge into icy water--what more could you want?

New York's Randall's Island Under Scrutiny Again

New York’s Randall’s Island--which contains dozens of acres of parkland off the Triborough Bridge in Manhattan--is under attack once again.
A judge ruled last week against the city’s plan to give certain private institutions in New York City near-exclusive access to most of the sports fields on the island. Twenty such institutions would have paid for almost full rights to use the fields during after-school hours, due to the use of an exclusive lease.
Randall’s Island is one of those oddly little-known spaces in New York. It holds not only sports fields, but Icahn Stadium, a modern track stadium; wetlands; and venues for concerts and Cirque du Soleil. Its sports facilities include 26 baseball and softball fields; 18 soccer fields (some of which are under construction); a golf center; a tennis center; a playground; and picnic areas, many which are free and open to the public.
A judge has ruled that the plan must go through a community and environmental review. While on the surface it seems that such a plan is blatantly unfair, it would actually bring in money from the private schools, which would, in turn, allow the fields to be renovated. Much of the money would go towards the refurbishment of 63 fields, which would eventually open the playing field, so to speak, for public schools and the public as well. Free programs are already provided for many public schools kids, and the Island hosts more than 7000,00 visitors annually, including spectators to the events.

In 2010, the Trend is to Read the Menu--Carefully

Merry Christmas! While New Yorkers are opening presents, strolling down Fifth Avenue to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and the department store windows, and generally displaying holiday-ish behavior, we’ll offer our holiday gift to you--a little insight into the minds of those trying to get you to spend money for meals out. Those savvy enough to plan ahead can think about facing the New Year and a new trend in restaurants: The menu gambit.
It is no shock that New Yorkers are eating out less frequently and spending less money when they do. In order to tweak this trend, restaurants have taken all sorts of steps, from re-pricing items to offering specials and tinkering with their service. In order to part you from your hard-earned dollars, restaurants have pulled out the big guns to entice you to order more, differently, and most important, more expensively. The most recent approach is to target the menu itself.
Take New York’s Tabla, for instance, one of restaurateur-extraordinaire Danny Meyer’s places. As reported in a recent "New York Times" article, you can see the thinking at work. No dollar signs appear next the prices, for example; you won't see a zero as part of a price; and the name of the chef’s mother is heavily invoked beside a dish.
Diners will also notice such tricks at New York restaurants as using more descriptive language for higher-priced items or setting them off somehow. Using brand names (made with Aunt Mollie’s flour!) and nostalgic names (made with Aunt Mollie’s chocolate!) are also ploys.
(The trend also applies to national chains and restaurants in other cities as well.)
So Merry Christmas--and may your future eating out be merry, bright--and aware of the tug on your wallet strings.

Signature Theater Will Be on the Move by 2010

New York’s Signature Theater--whose signature is devoting an entire season to the work of one playwright--is getting a new home come 2012. The city has chipped in $25 million toward the projected cost of the move to a Frank-Gehry-designed space on 42nd Street, where the theater will be part of a residential hotel and building on 10th Avenue. The new space, a 59-story complex, will include three theaters, a bookstore, rehearsal studio, and administrative offices. It will feature environmentally conscious building materials. The theater was originally slated to move into a performance space at the World Trade Center site. The news is welcome in the theater world, especially at a time of such economic doubt when funding for the arts is down.
Past playwrights who have been featured include Horton Foote (“The Trip to Bountiful”); and August Wilson (“Two Trains Running”). The work of playwright-in-residence Tony Kushner, known for works like “Angels in America,” will kick off the 20th anniversary season in 2010-2011. Actors who have appeared in past Signature productions include Parker Posey, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, and Anne Bancroft.
The announcement was made this week at a ceremony featuring Mayor Mike Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and Tony Kushner, as well as luminaries in the theater world like actor Bill Irwin and playwright John Guare.
The theater is currently featuring the work of playwright Horton Foote.

A Great Musical Institution Simply Fades Away

One of New York’s great musical institutions, the Boy’s Choir of Harlem, is no more. The announcement was made last week by a choir alumnus, after former members of the group performed in Harlem.
Although the Choir gave its last official performance two years ago, in 2007, no official announcement of its demise was made. After its founder, Walter J. Turnball, passed away, attempts were made to revise it, but without success.
The choir’s downfall can be traced to both financial issues as well as an abuse scandal; the group was removed from the Choir Academy of Harlem in 2006 and never really recovered their footing.
In its heyday, however, the choir sang for almost every United States president since Lyndon Johnson. They performed everywhere from Royal Albert Hall in London to their final home at the United Methodist Church in Harlem; appeared on TV Christmas specials; and had a repertoire that included works in German, Latin and English. They sang Mozart and Stevie Wonder; Cole Porter and Bach. The group was awarded the National Medal of Arts by former President Bill Clinton. Its original goal was to help kids--often from underprivileged backgrounds--develop more fully through music.
People still call to try to book the group for events, and a splinter group of musicians does exist. It includes both male and female voices, and has performed at venues as diverse as a Brooks Brothers store and an arts festival in Shanghai.
Some members hope the original group will find its way back to its beginnings. In the meantime, the rest of us will just have to dig out one of their old recordings and remember what made them such a New York legend.

New York: Not Just the Best, But the Safest, Too

New Yorkers, tourists to this fair city, and hawkers of New York-themed merchandise now have another reason to gloat: New York is not simply the coolest big city in the country, but now it’s also the safest.
Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced yesterday that New York is the safest large city in the U.S. Their findings are based on the Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, released yesterday by the FBI. The report covers the first six months of 2009, and shows that the violent crime in New York fell by eight percent, a larger decline than the national average. In addition, property crime fell by six percent during the first six months of the year.
The news is not only encouraging, but somewhat surprising, considering the state of the economy and the almost-always rise in crime that occurs in a downturn.
Other safe cities out of the 25 largest cities in the country included in the index? Several in California made the list: Los Angeles (really?); San Jose, and San Diego, as well as Los Vegas, Dallas, Houston, and others.
Out of 253 cities in the United States with populations of more than 100,000 people, New York’s crime rate ranks it 241st-but when you consider that the city falls between Amherst, New York and Sunnyvale, California, that doesn't seem so terrible.
Go forth into the Big Apple and celebrate!

Still Need Gifts? Pop Into These Pop Ups

Still only halfway through your holiday shopping? Haven’t even started to think about it yet? Luckily, you’re in New York, and shopping options abound. If you've had your fill of cuter-than-a-button holiday markets and I-saw-it-first overwhelming department stores, check out the year’s hot shopping trend: The holiday pop-up store.
For your techno nephew Ed, go to the fifth annual holiday pop up sponsored by Wired Magazine (415 W. 13th Street; 212 645-0120). More than 150 gadgets galore are there for the browsing, from a home planetarium system to laptops laser-engraved by a local tattoo artist. Wouldn’t Aunt Sally like that?
For your oh-so-hip neighbor, cool British publisher Phaidon has opened a 2,500-foot space at 1100 Wooster Street (212 925-1900.) From hip coffee-table books about architecture to wow-factor cookbooks, this is the “it” bookstore.
Didn’t your sister say she was always cold? Trot along to the Under Amour shop at 3 West 57th Street. It boasts one of the largest selections of the brand’s signature athletic wear, as well as accessories and shoes.
And who doesn’t love a store that showcases both candy and Italian furniture? We certainly do. Drop in on Candy Shoppe at Capellini (152 Wooster Street; 212 620-7953) to feast on architectural hard candies by candy makers Papabubble--you can even fork over $150 for a limited-edition lollypop that resembles Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, should you care to.
And in the this-trend-has-reached-the-tipping-point category: Toys R Us has opened a Pop-Up Store at 692 Broadway, in the former Tower Records building. In addition to the usual mass of of-the-moment toys, New York souvenirs abound--and visitors can even get their picture taken with Santa.

Feel the Miniature Magic at the Botanical Gardens Holiday Train Show

Yes, it’s far uptown; it can be a pain to get to; and it’s off the beaten track–but trust us, a visit to the New York Botanical Gardens around the holidays is seriously not to be missed.
For starters, there’s the annual Holiday Train Show with Gingerbread Adventures--and you've honestly never seen anything like it.
The little model trains zip around a kind of idealized New York City, where everything is crafted entirely out of natural materials. That Brooklyn Bridge? Sugar pine cones. The torch on the Statue of Liberty? A pomegranate. Bark, leaves, seeds, fungi--it all goes into the incredible replicas of New York landmarks, from the original Yankee Stadium and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, to the Brooks Brothers store flagship. New this year: A miniature, meticulously detailed version of the original Pennsylvania Station. The details on the replicas are mesmerizing, and everything is lit by holiday lights.
While you’re there, check out the Gingerbread Adventures in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Ooh and aah at the display of handcrafted gingerbread houses—then tour a display of the spices that are used to make them. Nibble on cinnamon and ginger, and keep a field diary of your favorite finds.
The Garden’s 250 acres are done up for the holidays—plus there’s the “Little Engine That Could” puppet show and, coming in January, the “Thomas the Tank Engine” display.
For hours and more information, check out their website at nybg.org, or call (718) 817-8700.

Feeling Green? So is Times Square This New Year's Eve

New Year’s Eve in New York City has gone green.
This year, the numbers in the giant “2010” sign in Times Square will be lit by light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) instead of halogen bulbs. The one and the zero for the sign arrived by pedicab--also green, thank you very much--this past week.
The new bulbs are nine watts instead of 40 watts, as they were in the past; they will use about 80 percent less energy.
The 2010 sign is on display at the Duracell Smart Power Lab for one week, through next Wednesday, December 23. (It’s at 1540 Broadway, in Times Square; check out their website, powerlab.com, for more information.) Visitors can have a wow-look-at-that experience while they’re there; they can push pedals that will create energy that’s converted to battery power that will light the numbers as the ball drops. (Yes, it sounds like a nursery rhyme.) The lab is open Sunday-Wednesday from 10 am to 9 pm; and Thursday-Saturday, from 10 am to 11 pm, with special hours on holidays, so be sure to check.
Got all that? What it means is that the energy created by people pedaling a series of “Rovers” will be stored in the batteries to power the sign--approximately 32,000-watt hours are needed.
When you’re done, you can have your picture taken with a replica of the 2010 numbers. The real numbers will be placed atop the ball at One Times Square to await the massive New Year’s Eve celebration.
Considering the rush in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, this may be a better alternative than waiting in the cold for hours--and you can go green at the same time.

Egads! It's the Red Baron at the Intrepid Air and Space Museum

Nothing says the holidays like the Red Baron.
This week, “Snoopy as the World War I Flying Ace” opened at the Intrepid Air and Space Museum (Pier 86; 12th Avenue and 46th Street; 877-957-SHIP), where it will be on view through mid-April.
Organized by the Charles M. Schulz Museum, the traveling exhibition features 29 iris prints of Charles Schulz’s original designs of the iconic beagle Snoopy in his incarnation as a World War I flying ace.
Fact-that-makes-the-exhibit-seem-even-more appropriate: Crew members in the 1960s were known to sketch Peanuts characters on the walls of the ship. Some of this “sailor art” still survives, and can be seen in the exhibition.
In addition, weekend hands-on activities centering on the show will be held each Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 PM. A digitized copy of the cruise book from 1961-62 can also be perused; it shows Peanuts characters at work on the ship. Charlie Brown, swab the decks.
While you’re at the Museum, you can also take part in the 2009 Intrepid Holiday Salute. Visitors can sign giant holiday cards to be sent to various military facilities across the country to wish the troops and their families happy holidays.
The Intrepid is also accepting donations of certain essential items, which will be shipped overseas to Marines serving in Afghanistan. The items include food (gum, trail mix, tuna); toiletries (toothpaste; shampoo) and other items like blankets, playing cards, and batteries. (For a complete list, go to intrepidmuseum.org).
All together now: Curse you, Red Baron!

Have a New York Kind of Day During the Holidays

During the Christmas season, everyone should have a New York holiday kind of day. The one we’re detailing is particularly good if you happen to have kids in tow, but everyone will appreciate it.
Have plenty of stamina, and start off at the Ziegfeld Theater (141 West 54th Street). Though the original was razed, this gigantic theater is like nothing else around, bursting with more than 1100 seats. See “The Princess and the Frog,” the newest Disney offering, featuring the first African-American princess (she wants to run a restaurant--let’s hear it for girl power) and a return to hand-drawn animation. Before you go, check out Disney classics like “Snow White,” "Cinderella” and Sleeping Beauty” to remind yourself how fabulous these animated movies are.
When you’re done, surely you’ve forgotten to buy a gift for Aunt Frieda. Trek over to the Columbus Circle Holiday Fair, near the Time Warner Center. The same folks who bring us the Union Square Market have organized it, and the market features more than 100 vendors with a nice array of crafts and goodies. (Daily; 10 am-8 pm; Enter near the southwest entrance to Central Park at Central Park West and Central Park South; call 212 529-9262 for more info).
Finally, finish off your evening with Paul Winter’s 30th annual winter solstice celebration at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (1047 Amsterdam Avenue; 212 316-7750). The concerts run tonight, tomorrow and Saturday, and feature Winter’s orchestra as well as a dance performance and special guests.
Tired yet? You will be—there’s always more to do tomorrow in New York at the holidays.

The Upper East Side May be Posh, But It's Also Polluted

The Upper East Side of Manhattan may have wealthy residents, posh stores, elegant restaurants, and a kind of “Gossip Girl” elitism and glamour--but it also has among the highest levels of air pollution in the city.
The first comprehensive study of street-level air quality was released yesterday by the City’s Department of Health. It showed, surprisingly, that New York’s Upper East Side and the Bronx have the highest levels of air pollution in the city.
The highest levels of pollution are found in areas that have heavy car and truck traffic and a high concentration of buildings with oil heat.
Washington Heights and midtown Manhattan also fared poorly in the survey, while the South Shore of Staten Island and Little Neck and Bayside n Queens were found to have the cleanest air. One hundred and fifty mounted sensors tracked pollutants like sulfur dioxide and elemental carbon as well as the airborne pollutants given off by oil heat. No. 4 and No. 6 oil are particularly bad.
The pollutants contribute to asthma, irritate lungs, and can even lead to heart attacks.
Ironically, New York’s Mayor Mike Bloomberg lives on the Upper East Side—and he’s a staunch advocate of clean air policies. (When the survey was released, he was—wait for it--in Copenhagen at the Clean Air/Global Warming Conference.)
No word yet on whether Blair and Serena are moving.

Take Your Bike to Work Days Kick in Across the City

Lots of bike-related news in New York lately: First came the study about bike lanes being blocked frequently (you read about it here...) and now comes a new law that mandates bike access to office buildings.
The law went into effect last Friday; it states that building managers must make bike access plans and allow bicycles in freight elevators. (The law, as makes sense, only applies to buildings with freight elevators.)
But like most New York City laws, there’s a catch: Employers don’t have to actually make a space for the bikes to be stored. So you can ride your bike to work, get it upstairs to your office--and then you’re on your own. (Perhaps it can share your cubicle?)
Another drawback: Access only has to be granted during the hours the freight elevators run, which can sometimes end as early as 6 pm. Plus, of course, there's paperwork—bikers may need to fill out forms asking landlords to create a bike access plan, and some buildings may be exempt (for instance, a freight area may not be safe.)
Still, the law at least makes a start in allowing New Yorkers a greener (and often faster) way to get to work. In addition, it eliminates the worry of having to park a bike on the street.
And should you decide to join the cycling hordes, when all around you are gnashing their teeth waiting for the next bus or subway car, you can smile smugly and pedal on.

We Wish You an Edgy Christmas, New York Style

The holiday windows in the major department stores in New York are always fabulous (see blog a few weeks ago...) but this is New York, after all, and sometimes you want edgy or offbeat, not small-town charm. With that in mind, check out some of the smaller designer stores along Madison and Fifth Avenues to see what they’ve come up with this Christmas season.
Cartier, with its gigantic red ribbon wrapping the store, always has its display up bright and early (November this year) but it’s always worth a look at the building festooned like a gift. (Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street).
Not edgy enough for you? Wander on over to Calvin Klein (654 Madison Avenue) to gaze at the 850 pounds of glitter resembling dripping paint. The nod to the holidays comes in the form of an open picture book featuring Christmas trees.
Over at Louis Vuitton on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, the theme is "Departures,” but it’s the kind of traveling that is clearly only done by bored skinny world travelers who prefer cream and gold tones and whose endless itinerary make us faint at merely the thought of packing. Still, the windows are worth a look.
At Oscar de la Renta (772 Madison Avenue) the Christmas tree is actually a ball gown; and at Donna Karan (819 Madison Avenue) ponder the Halloween-like display featuring a plucked fir tree painted white against a black backdrop inside the store.
Too edgy? Have a fortifying cup of cocoa, and march on over to Macy’s, where it’s always an old-fashioned Christmas.

If You're Feeling Victorian, Board the V Line Today

The New York City Subway System has gone retro. At least, it has if you ride the V line on any of the rest of the Sundays in this month, including today.
NYC Transit is running a 1930s' train as a holiday treat for New Yorkers. It comes complete with wicker seats and ceiling fans.
But wait--there’s more! A tour company is kicking the event up a notch by offering a “Vintage Tea Party” starting at 2:00 pm each Sunday, departing from the Second Avenue Subway Station.
The Unique New York Tour Group is offering the requisite finger sandwiches, cookies and teacups to complete the experience.
Although riders to pay the normal fare, the party itself is free.
Guest are encouraged to come in period costume and to bring their favorite delicacies to nibble on. The family (Matt Levy, two younger brothers, and their father) that runs the tours offered a similar moving tea party in 2004. (They also offer tours that focus on city culture, neighborhoods and history, including gang culture of the 1850s.)
Be forewarned, though: passengers are not allowed to have open containers on the subway, even if it’s a porcelain cup filled with English Breakfast tea, light on the lemon.
So far, however, no one has been arrested for eating a jam sandwich.
And if wondering what the group will come up with next, mark your calendars for sometime in February--and a game of Freeze Tag on Wall Street.

Carved Wooden Animals and Crystal Chandeliers: It's the Tavern on the Green Auction

Want a giant crystal chandelier? What about some ornate oversized silver candelabras? Well, there’s a new chapter in the ongoing saga of New York’s Tavern on the Green restaurant, which recently declared bankruptcy and is slated to be transferred to a new owner next month. (Yes, you read about it here over the summer...)
Next month--January 13, to be exact--many of the restaurant’s famously glitzy fixtures and decorative pieces will be auctioned off at Guernsey’s Auction House. Profits of the sale will be put towards the debts owed to more than 450 creditors, one of which is Kay LeRoy, who was married to the restaurant’s founder, Warner Leroy. She lent the company, headed by her daughter Jennifer, $1.9 million to allow the restaurant to meet its payroll. Up for grabs now: Gilded copper weathervanes and a three-foot carved monkey from the Black Forest. Need a baby grand piano? Or white-painted wooden elks? (You can buy them as a pair.) They can be yours for the right price, as can a topiary of King Kong (his debut was showcased at a party at the restaurant hosted by Fay Wray, of the original “King Kong” movie.) You can also bid on some of the gaudy outfits for which Mr. Leroy was known.
The sale will be held in the Crystal Room, and will feature absentee Internet bidding. Although the restaurant is currently mired in a host of messy legal matters involving its finances and staff, it is still supposed to be taken over this winter by Dean Poll, who runs the Boathouse Restaurant in Central Park.

Welcome Hanukkah at the Grand Army Plaza--and Around the City

Christmas gaiety may be flooding New York, but tonight marks the start of Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights that observes a day of religious freedom on the Jewish calendar.
Although events abound around the city, the most noticeable, certainly, is the lighting of the giant menorah at Grand Army Plaza, 59th Street at Fifth Avenue. This being New York, a 10-foot menorah won’t do, or even a 20-foot one. No, the menorah on display clocks in at an impressive 32 feet high, and weighs two tons; it’s reputed to be the largest menorah in the world. The nightly lighting ceremonies are done by a cherry picker, and take place at approximately 4:00 pm each evening of Hanukkah. On the last night, music, singing, folk dancing, gelt (chocolate coins), potato latkes (pancakes) and jelly donuts will add to the festivities. Admission is free.
Elsewhere in our fair city, another Hanukkah lighting takes place tonight at the 92nd Street Y at 4:30 PM (Lexington Avenue and 92nd Street; 212 415-5500); admission is free, and, once again, singing and dancing will prevail.
And at The Jewish Museum (1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street; 212 423-3200); a Hanukkah concert is being presented on Sunday, December 13, at 2:00 PM. It features--we kid you not--the kiddie-rock interpretations of singer Shira Kline.
Enjoy—and bundle up!

Got the Holiday Spirit? Answer a Letter to Santa

Yes, even in this cynical age kids still really do write letters to Santa--and many of them even get answered. Thanks to Operation Santa, which runs in New York City as well as other spots around the country, numerous volunteers answer children’s’ letters addressed to jolly old Saint Nick.
The program has been around, in one form or another, for almost 100 years; it offers both individual members of the public as well as charitable organizations the opportunity to answer the missives. The program in New York City is the largest in the country—thousands and thousands of people answer letters each year, an estimate put the responses in New York alone at 500,000 last year. This year’s program was kicked off last week at the James A. Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue, hosted by the Postmaster General, and, even more impressive, by Muppets Fozzie Bear and Kermit the Frog; it runs until Christmas Eve. (Visit usps.com for information on how to participate, or head right to the Farley post office, the main post office in New York.)
Kids’ last names and addresses are removed and replaced with a code readable only by post office computers to prevent any issues; new privacy rules were put into effect last year. (A registered sex offender was found to have "adopted" one of the letters in past years; the program was temporarily shut down and new rules put into effect.)
Many of the kids who write in are from underprivileged families, and responding to their letters gives them a shot at gifts they might not otherwise receive. And if that’s not enough to get you involved, remember this: The United State Post Office receives not one penny of tax money to fund its operations.

Feeling Fit? Get Out There and Get Others to Feel the Same

Are you in good shape? Do you have the fervor of a born-again exerciser? And, most important, do you want to share your fit tips with others who have not yet seen the light? Well, New York’s Mayor Bloomberg wants you to get out there and share your exercise prowess. The city is looking for a few fit volunteers—100, to be exact—to teach yoga, Pilates, aerobics and other forms of exercise to less-in-shape New Yorkers.
Mayor Bloomberg launched a TV campaign this week with the tagline, ”What’s Your Blank?” to promote volunteer service. In the middle of a recession, Bloomberg has pointed out, the city needs everyone’s “blank” more than ever.
If you feel you can lunge, squat and lift weights with your neighbors, or have other kinds of volunteer expertise to offer, you can call 311 to find out what you can do. (Other volunteer programs recently launched include one to spiffy up local streets and another for plant-lovers. As part of the former, Love Your (NYC) Block is giving groups $500 to make 100 blocks shine; city agencies will help with replacing garbage cans, removing graffiti, and repairing street signs.) The fitness program, part of the “Shape Up New York” initiative,” is targeting neighborhoods that have high degrees of poverty and obesity. Although more than 100 courses are already offered each week, the city wants to expand to more than 500 free classes. (Check nygovpark.org for a listing of classes and other information.)
So get out there, New York, and share your blank with the world.

Fans Pay Tribute to John Lennon in Strawberry Fields Today

Today marks the 29th anniversary of the day that former Beatle John Lennon was murdered outside his New York City apartment. Fans are expected to gather all day in Central Park’s Strawberry Fields to remember Lennon and his music. Hundreds of people generally sing songs and leave offerings.
Strawberry Fields was, of course, named after the famous Beatles’ song "Strawberry Fields Forever,” and has become a Mecca for tourists and anyone wanting to pay tribute to Lennon. The 2.5 acres of park land was inaugurated on what would have been Lennon’s 45th birthday—October 8, 1985. The entrance is directly across from the Dakota, his apartment building on Central Park West.
Lennon was killed by Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980, outside the building. Other tributes around the country today include one in LA at Lennon’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
And speaking of Strawberry Fields, a tribute of the same name is taking place throughout this month at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill (237 West 42nd Street) in New York City. “Strawberry Fields: A Tribute to the Beatles" occurs at various dates throughout the month. (Call 212-997-4144 for more information.) The tribute bills itself as a “look alike, sound alike” event, complete with music from the group’s first four albums, starting in 1964, and going through the “White Album,” “Abbey Road," and “Let it Be” years. Appropriate costumes and mop-top hair included.

The Season's Most Iconic Ballet Beckons, Giant Tree and All

One of the most iconic holiday events in New York City has to be the presentation of the ballet "The Nutcracker” offered by The New York City Ballet. The all-out dazzling version of the holiday story is on view at The David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center through January 3. Lincoln Center is located between West 62nd and 65th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues; call the box office at (212) 870-5570 for tickets. On December 12, a special children’s workshop is being offered at 12:45 PM.
The glory of this "Nutcracker,” originally choreographed by George Balanchine, is the combination of the incredible scenery and costumes and the dancers' incredible technical prowess.
And then, of course, there’s the tree.
The “growing” Christmas tree on stage, perhaps the most famous part of the production, tops pretty much everything else in the ballet, leaving audience members literally gasping.
Our heroine has attended a holiday party given by her parents and received a toy Nutcracker from her uncle. After it is broken by roughhousing boys, she sneaks out to find it in the middle of the night. She then becomes embroiled in a battle with the mouse king and his henchman fighting against the Nutcracker (now come to life), witnesses the tree growing to an enormous size, and then finally is whisked off with her prince to the Land of Sweets.
Well, it makes sense when you see it.
For you nostalgia buffs: The production originated in 1954, and the Grandmother’s cape and the embroidered appliqués on the women’s costumes in the Tea Dance are from that original ballet.
And about that tree…it grows to a height of 41 feet and weighs (drumroll) one ton.
But the dancing is pretty good too.

Ready, Set, Shop: Holiday Markets Spring Up All Over

At no time more than the holidays does New York seem like both a big city and a small town. The department-store windows along Fifth Avenue beckon—but so do any manner of little holiday markets that spring up around the city.
Down on Union Square, for instance, you can find the Union Square Market, offering more than 100 small shops selling jewelry, crafts, food and decorations. The emphasis is on fair-trade, organic, recycled and sustainable goods; it’s open every day through December 24th at Union Square Park, Broadway and 14th Street.
Moving uptown, check out the Grand Central Holiday Fair in Grand Central Station. An unlikely seeming place, yes, but it houses an impressive array of vendors, offering really great crafts and gifts. It’s also open every day through December 24 in Vanderbilt Hall, and--bonus! It’s inside.
While you’re at Grand Central (unless you're off to the 8:01 to Greenwich) stop by the Holiday Laser Light Show, on display every half hour from 11am to 9pm in the Main Concourse. Plus—All Aboard! The Model Train Show is also in full gear, offered by the Transit Museum, and complete with a train layout that includes models of subway cars and a Metro North Train. The layout runs from Grand Central Station to the North Pole, with a dizzying array of stops, from gas stations (?) to Santa’s Workshop.

It's Turkey Legs and Fishsicles at the Zoo's Wild Animal Party

Who says that people should get all the goodies around the holidays?
Well, that’s not the case at New York City’s Central Park Zoo. For the next three weekends (Dec. 5-6; 12-13; 19-20) the animals are the ones getting the treats at the “Wild Holiday Party: Presents to the Animals” event. Not surprisingly, the treats in this case are of the edible variety.
The polar bears, of course, top the list of must-sees: Gus and Ida (yup, those are their names) get goodies like frozen "Fishsicles" (yum!) peanut-butter-covered balls, and turkey legs (just like Disney World!) You can see them getting their gifts at 1:00 pm Saturday and Sunday.
The snow monkeys also get their due. You know how much fun it is for kids–or anyone, really--to rip off the wrappings from presents? Well, in the same spirit, they get to un-decorate trees decked out with oranges, apples and cranberries. (10:15 am; Saturday and Sunday).
Head over to one of the newest zoo acquisitions--the snow leopards—to see Zoë, Bob, and Chocolate receive their feline feast (10:30 am; Saturday and Sunday), while over at the Red Panda area, bamboo delicacies top their gift list (1:30 PM; Saturday and Sunday).
The Central Park Zoo is located is 64th Street and Fifth Avenue; call (212) 439-6500 for more information.
While you’re there, of course, don’t forget to check out the Children’s Zoo and the ever-amazing penguins---there may not be giant turkey legs, but you'll still have a great time.

Riding a Bike in New York? Be Prepared to Wait

It will probably come as no shock that despite the presence of bike lanes in New York, cyclists find their way blocked by other vehicles almost 60 percent of the time.
A Hunter College survey released this week found that during a 10-minute stretch of time on a 5 to 6-block stretch, bikers found their way blocked by all manner of vehicles. Cars led the way (30 percent), followed by small trucks (17 percent) and taxis (14 percent.)
The worst offender in terms of location? Well, take a tip from us and stay away from the Upper East Side if you're perched on a two-wheeler: Ninetieth Street from 5th-3rd Avenues was deemed the most congested stretch.
The good news: Bikers who used the lanes were more likely to wear helmets than those riding in the street (72 percent vs. 64 percent).
On the other hand, 20 percent of bikers weren’t riding in the bike lanes at all.
The worst obstructions, of course, came in morning rush-hour traffic.
The study is the first of its kind. Suryveists chose almost 500 random streets in the city, and observed Class II bike lanes--those with painted stripes designating them for cyclists. The survey was conducted from September 22-October 22, from 8 am –6 pm.
Although on the whole the obstructions lasted for 10 minutes or less, that’s a long time when you’re sitting in New York City traffic.

Gingerbread People? Your Winter Homes are Ready at the Parker Meridien Hotel

If you were a gingerbread person looking for digs in New York, you would almost certainly want to settle down in one of the fabulous creations now on in view in the very chi-chi Parker Meridien Hotel (119 West 56th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues; 212-245-5000). The confections, which went on view this week, were donated by bakeries like Cupcake Café, Billy’s Bakery, Buttercup Bakery (which diverged from the traditional and made a subway car), and Soutine Bakery. While ogling the gingerbread houses (which are located in the atrium, and are decked out in frosting, gumdrops, marshmallows and more) is most certainly encouraged, their real purpose is to bring awareness to local bakeries and, primarily, to help raise money for City Harvest. The world’s first food rescue organization, City Harvest helps to feed more than 260,000 New Yorkers each week. According to the organization, each donated dollar helps them deliver and rescue almost four pounds of food; they salvage almost 25 million pounds of food a year that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Visitors, therefore, are encouraged to donate one dollar in order to vote for their favorite gingerbread structure. If you do so, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a 5-night stay at the Parker Palm Springs, airfare included. It’s a win-win situation!
The display, which includes eight magnificent abodes, will be on display though the end of January.
No nibbling allowed.

The Granddaddy of All Christmas Trees Gets Its Moment Tonight

Gridlock alert! Gridlock alert!
Ah, there's nothing like the sounds of the holidays in New York. Today is one of the biggest gridlock alert days of the year, because what is arguably the most famous Christmas tree in the country gets all decked out tonight in the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony. (Yes, dear reader, we told you about the tree’s arrival in the city several weeks ago…)
The tree lighting itself takes place at 8:55 PM, but the festivities start around 6:45 PM. Shakira (no doubt shaking her hips) will be on hand to get things going, and Alicia Keys and Barry Manilow (will they have anything to say to each other??) are among the celebrities slated to be on hand. (The event, which features musical performances and endless banter, will also be televised on NBC-TV.)
Rockefeller Center is located between 47th and 50th Streets and 5th and 7th Avenues. If you do plan on going, take our advice: Get there early, take mass transit, and be prepared to stake out a spot and defend it no matter what.
The tree is generally lit daily from early morning until about 11:30 PM; on Christmas, the tree will remain lit for 24 hours. It will remain on view until January 7.
The tree will be draped in five miles of lights and topped with a Swarovski crystal star.

Events Mark A Day Without Art and World Aids Day Across the City

Today marks both World Aids Day and its corollary, A Day Without Art, and events around New York are being held to honor the victims of AIDS.
Many museums are removing or covering works of art with black cloths to bring attention to the many artists who have died of AIDS. At The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, a work of art in each collection will be either removed or covered with a cloth; no work of the day will be presented on the website, and the flags outside the museum will be flown at half-staff. A list in the Great Hall, right inside the Museum’s entrance, will show visitors all the works removed from view, and explanatory labels will be included where the works usually sit. (Other museums around the city, and in fact, the country, are following suit.)
Other events around the city include a 24-hour reading of names of those who have died of AIDS; it takes place at City Hall Park (near 260 Broadway) through the day and into tomorrow. Everyone is welcome to stop by and participate.
And tonight, a candlelight vigil will beheld uptown in the Community Garden on East 103rd and Park Avenue; across the park, another vigil will take place at the Trinity Lutheran Church at 164 West 100th Street at 6:00 PM.