G A T H E R I N G I N F O R M A T I O N 2 5
you forgot to take your grandfather’s pocketknife out of your kit bag, find the nearest express office and send it home.
We have found four other tiny items to be extremely useful: a handkerchief, mini–magnifying or reading glasses, disposable stainremover pads, and one of those tiny flashlights. We mean an oldfashioned man’s handkerchief, not a pretty little showpiece. In the event of bad weather, allergies, air-conditioning, damp subway seats, and similar eventualities, a good 12-inch square is a lifesaver. Restaurant menus keep getting more ornate, the lighting dimmer, and—it seems—the type smaller. If you plan to spend time on the subways or the sidewalks, you will be in near-contact with a lot of coffee cups, snacks, and so on; if you find yourself having an even closer encounter thanks to a jerking subway ride, one of those towelette-sized spot treatments can save you a lot of heartache. And as more and more museums have to lower or narrowly focus their lighting to protect fragile canvases and textiles, we increasingly find ourselves squinting at the plaques and captions. A penlight comes in handy (but be sure to train it only on the information, not the art).
GATHERING INFORMATION
B RO C H U R E S , H I S TO R I C A L B AC KG RO U N D , and up-to-date sched-
ules are available from NYC & Company, which updates its material frequently. It’s best to call in advance and get the information package mailed to you (# 800-NYC-VISIT or www.nycgo.com), but NYC & Company also has offices around Manhattan if you don’t get to it beforehand (call # 212-484-1222). There you can pick up lots of maps, free tickets or discounts, shopping guides, and so on.
The main visitor center, which boasts a wall-sized computer map, interactive-screen trip planners, and other high-tech attractions, is in Midtown Manhattan on Seventh Avenue between 52nd and 53rd streets and is open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and holidays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Not far away, a visitor center at the historic Embassy Theater in Times Square (Broadway between 46th and 47th streets) has information from both NYC & Company and the Times Square Alliance; it’s open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except Christmas and New Year’s Day) and has multilingual tourist advisers and brochures.
There are others in Harlem (at the Studio Museum on 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Malcolm X Boulevard; open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed holidays) and the Financial District (in
26 Wall Street; weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except federal holidays), plus kiosks downtown at the southern tip of (on the
2 6 P A R T 2 P L A N N I N G Y O U R V I S I T
unofficial T I P |
Broadway sidewalk at Park Row; open week- |
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There are plenty of Web |
days 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends and holidays |
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10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and in Chinatown (the |
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sites with event schedules |
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triangle where Canal, Walker, and Baxter |
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and links to hotels, tour |
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streets meet; open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily). Be |
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companies, theaters, etc. |
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sure to pick up the free subway map. |
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But some of them are |
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New York has a large gay and lesbian |
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middlemen or packagers, so |
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population and many services and attractions |
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make sure you don’t pay for |
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for the homosexual traveler. Among local |
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information you can |
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publications reporting gay events are the |
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get for free. |
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Village Voice and New York Press, both free |
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in the city (and both with online versions), and the more specialized Next and Blade, free weeklies available at many bars and restaurants; both also have Web sites. Gay bookstores (see the relevant section in Part Eight, Shopping) can also serve as bulletin boards for community information.
When it comes to Internet sites, no city outdoes New York. Among them are the online versions of the weekly City Guide, provided to hotels (www.cityguideny.com); Citysearch (www.citysearch.com); the downtown monthly Paper (www.papermag.com); and Time Out New York (newyork.timeout.com).
New York magazine, which in its print form is among the most influential publications in the city, also puts cultural events and restaurant and entertainment listings up at www.nymag.com. Even booming Times Square has a Web site with info on local attractions (timessquare.nyctourist.com).
For those who are into the blogging game, there is only one site: www.gothamist.com. For lists of coffeehouses, independent bookstores, and even art cinemas by zip code, try www.delocator.net. And while the gossip-heavy www.gawker.com has moved beyond blogging, the site is still reporting—as it formerly mentioned on the
front page—from the center of the universe;
unofficial T I P |
occasionally there’s some information of use |
There are several multi- |
to outsiders. |
attraction discount |
Once in New York, look for free pub- |
packages you may want to |
lications in your hotel room (most often the |
consider as well; see Part |
New York Visitors Guide and weekly editions |
Six: Sightseeing, Tours, and |
of the City Guide), and the monthly Where |
Attractions in Depth. |
New York and In New York magazines. |
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Check current issues of New York and the |
New Yorker magazines and the daily New York Times for special events and performances. The Spanish-language daily El Diario is available at most newsstands. There are also several entertainment and cultural hotlines to call for daily opportunities: see Part Ten, Entertainment and Nightlife.
S P E C I A L C O N S I D E R A T I O N S 2 7
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
T R A V E L I N G W I T H C H I L D R E N
N E W YO R K I S M O S T FA M O U S as a sort of adults’ playground, but if you’re considering a family vacation here, don’t worry: for all the bars and “the-ah-tuh,” New York is absolutely packed with familystyle attractions and hands-on, state-of-the-art children’s museums, both in and outside of Manhattan, not to mention the special events (such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade), the area zoos (five of them!) and botanical gardens, ice skating in Rockefeller Center, harbor tours, high views, antique carousels, and so on.
And sightseeing with small children can be a bargain if you use public transportation: kids less than 44 inches tall ride free on the buses and subways (there are handy-dandy lines by the bus driver’s seat and toll gates for measuring). Remember that warnings about dehydration go double for small children, even in winter. For specific recommendations, see the “Best Children’s Fare” list in Part Six, Sightseeing, Tours, and Attractions in Depth. And for kid-friendly hotels and restaurants and the best museums to visit with young ones, check out www.newyorkkids.net.
If you do bring the kids but would like to have a little adults-only time, contact the Baby Sitters’ Guild (# 212-682-0227; www.baby sittersguild.com) or American ChildCare Service (# 212-244-0200; www
.americanchildcare.com), which have bonded members who will stay in or carry out, so to speak, to Central Park or some other play spot. Also check with your hotel; most have a list of reliable sitters.
In the case of illness or medical emergency, first call the front desk of your hotel; many have arrangements with physicians for house calls. Otherwise, contact Dial-a-Doctor (# 212-971-9692).
Not surprisingly, the town that never sleeps is rife with 24-hour pharmacies, especially in the nightlife neighborhoods. (The Times Square–Broadway stretch is lit up with them.) Depending on your “extra points” accounts, you can call into the homegrown Duane Reade stores (including those at Broadway and 94th Street, # 212-663- 1580; Broadway and 57th Street, # 212-541-9708; and Third Avenue at East 74th Street, # 212-744-2668); the CVS stores at Third Avenue and East 91st Street (# 212-876-7016), 59th Street at Columbus Avenue (# 212-245-0617), Lexington Avenue and 53rd Street (# 917-369- 8688), and Second Avenue at 72nd Street (# 212-249-5699); and the Walgreens at Second Avenue and 70th Street (# 212-734-6076).
T R A V E L I N G W I T H P E T S
I F |
I T ’ S F I D O O R F L U F F Y you |
simply cannot leave at home, there |
are |
some pet-friendly hotels |
in Manhattan, among them the |
W hotels (whotels.starwoodhotels.com); the Affinia hotels (www.affinia
.com); Marriott and its sibling Renaissance hotels (www.marriott.com);
2 8 P A R T 2 P L A N N I N G Y O U R V I S I T
the Loews Regency, on Park at 61st Street (www.loewshotels.com); the Soho Grand, on West Broadway (www.sohogrand.com); Le Parker Meridien, south of Central Park (www.parkermeridien.com); the Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park (www.ritzcarlton.com); the Hotel Indigo Chelsea (www
.indigochelsea.com) and the Doubletree Chelsea (doubletree1.hilton
.com; and the Sheraton hotels (www.sheraton.com). Fees and damagedeposit policies vary; call the individual hotels for details. If your hotel doesn’t accept pets, the concierge can probably give you the name of a kennel or pet-sitting service.
T I P S F O R I N T E R N A T I O N A L T R A V E L E R S
V I S I TO R S F RO M T H E U N I T E D K I N G D O M , western Europe, Aus-
tralia, New Zealand, Japan, and a few other countries need only a valid, machine-readable passport to enter the United States, not a visa. Canadian citizens need a passport if arriving by air, but most do not need a visa. If arriving by land or sea, Canadian citizens can get by with an Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced Identification Card (government-issued documents available only in certain provinces), or a Trusted Traveler Program card. Citizens of other countries must have a passport, good for at least six months beyond the projected end of the visit, and a tourist visa as well, available from any U.S. consulate. Some airlines and travel agents may also have forms available. For full requirements, see travel.state.gov.
If you are taking prescription drugs that contain narcotics or require injection by syringe, be sure to get a doctor’s signed prescription and instructions. Also check with the local consulate to see whether travelers from your country are required to have any inoculations; there are no set requirements for entering the United States, but if there has been any sort of epidemic in your homeland, there may be temporary restrictions.
If you arrive by air, be prepared to spend two hours or more entering the United States and getting through U.S. Customs. Every adult traveler may bring in, duty-free, up to one liter of wine or hard liquor, 200 cigarettes or 100 non-Cuban cigars or three pounds of loose
unofficial T I P |
tobacco, and $100 worth of gifts, as well as |
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up to $10,000 in U.S. currency or its equiva- |
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If you have an emergency |
lent in foreign currency. Most food or plants |
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or need special assistance, |
may not be brought in. |
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contact the Traveler’s |
The dollar is the basic unit of monetary |
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Aid Society, which has |
exchange, and the entire system is decimal. |
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booths at Kennedy airport |
The smaller sums are represented by coins. |
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(# 718-656-4870) and |
One hundred cents (or pennies, as the one- |
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Newark airport (# 973- |
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cent coins are known) equal one dollar; five |
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623-5052). |
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cents equal a nickel (20 nickels to a dollar); |
S P E C I A L C O N S I D E R A T I O N S 2 9
the ten-cent coin is called a dime (ten dimes to a dollar); and the 25-cent coin is called a quarter (four to a dollar). Beginning at the $1 level, money is in currency bills (although there are some $1 coins around as well). Bills come in denominations of $1, $2 (rare), $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, and so on, although you are unlikely to want to carry $1,000 or more.
Banks in the United States are closed on federal holidays, which are New Year’s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January), Presidents’ Day (third Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September); Columbus Day (second Monday in October), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas (December 25).
The credit card is by far the most common form of payment in New York, especially American Express, Visa (also known as Barclaycard in Britain), and MasterCard (Barclaycard in Britain, Eurocard elsewhere in western Europe). Other popular cards include Diners
Club, Discover, and Carte Blanche.
Traveler’s checks will be accepted at most unofficial T I P hotels and restaurants if they are in American
dollars; checks in other currencies should be changed into dollar denominations. There are currency-exchange booths in such major traffic
areas as Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, Grand Central Terminal, Times Square, and even Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s department stores.
Public telephones require 35 cents; although area codes must be dialed for all calls inside or between boroughs, there is no additional charge for such local calls. Throughout the United States, if you have a medical, police, or fire emergency, dial # 911, even on a pay telephone without inserting coins, and an ambulance, police cruiser, or fire truck will be dispatched to help you.
The main area code for Manhattan is # 212, though recent years have seen the addition of # 646 and # 917 (mostly for cell phones). Outer-borough area codes include # 718 and # 347.
Incidentally, New York has one of the most stringent antismoking programs in the country, something international visitors might need to consider in advance. Smoking is prohibited on buses, on subways, and in taxicabs; in public buildings or the lobbies of office buildings; in all but designated areas in theaters; in most shops and all museums; and in all restaurants and bars.
T I P S F O R T H O S E W I T H D I S A B I L I T I E S
N E W YO R K I S FA R M O R E R E C E P T I V E to the tourist with disabilities than its tough reputation might lead you to believe. All are
3 0 P A R T 2 P L A N N I N G Y O U R V I S I T
T I P
.nyc.ny.us, or
equipped with wheelchair lifts and “kneeling” steps (though admittedly they don’t always work); disabled riders with a reduced-fare MetroCard pay half fare ($1) and can sometimes ride free. has an entire fleet of wheelchairaccessible double-decker touring buses. An in-
creasing number of subway stops—currently more than 30—are wheelchair-accessible as well; for a list of services for the disabled, go to mta
contact the
(370 J Street, Suite 702, Brooklyn, NY 11201; # 718-330-
3322), or see www.mta.info/mta/ada/stations.htm.
Travelers with visual impairments can get a Braille subway map and other materials free by calling the MTA’s accessibility office at
# 646-252-5031. The traveler with hearing impairment can get similar help from the New York Society for the Deaf (817 Broadway, Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10003; TDD # 212-777-3900).
A list of wheelchair-accessible museums, hotels, and restaurants is available from the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (347 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016; # 212-447-7284 or www.sath.org). A similar guidebook, “Audiences for All: A Guide for People with Disabilities to New York City Cultural Institutions,” is available from Hospital Audiences for $5 (548 Broadway, Third Floor, New York, NY 10012;
# 212-284-4100 or 212-575-7676). Or see the information on the organization’s Web site at www.hospaud.org/database/intro.htm. And many members of the volunteer Big Apple Greeter, warmly recommended in Part Six, will partner visitors with disabilities around town, but you should call at least several days in advance (# 212-669-3602; www.big applegreeter.org).
Visitors who use walking aids should be warned that some older museums, especially smaller art collections housed in what were once private homes with stairs, may not be entirely wheelchair-accessible. Even shops or restaurants at sidewalk level may not have wide aisles or specially equipped bathrooms. Also, New York’s roads and sidewalks are among the most used and hence most battered surfaces in the country, so beware.
The restaurants that we profile later in the book all have a disabled-access rating, as do most of the major attractions, but you need to call any other eatery or any store in advance. (In fact, you might check with some restaurants that were listed as not accessible at press time, as it’s quite possible they’ve renovated their facilities since.) Similarly, you should call any stores you’re particularly interested in; increased accessibility has been public policy for quite some time now.
C A L E N D A R O F S P E C I A L E V E N T S 3 1
CALENDAR of
SPECIAL EVENTS
H E R E A R E T H E M A J O R C E L E B R AT I O N S and a sampling of the less
well-known but unique events around New York and their approximate dates (specific ones where possible). Remember, if the event requires tickets, it’s best to try to arrange them before leaving home; otherwise you may find yourself paying extra or being locked out entirely. Tickets for the U.S. Open tennis championships in August and September, for instance, go on sale in May, and the scalpers’ prices are astonishingly high by the opening rounds.
Please note that many festivals, especially in the summer, move around from year to year, and that some close down or are replaced by others; so if you are interested, contact organizers as soon as possible. For many of the municipal functions, you may call NYC & Company at # 212-484-1222, or check the Web at www.nycgo.com. Parade routes and times will usually be listed in the New York Times on the appropriate days. The local newspapers will also mention numerous street fairs, art shows, and concerts, particularly in summer.
In addition to the contacts listed in the following section, master (# 212-307-7171 or 866-448-7849; www.ticketmaster.com) may be able to supply tickets to particular events, although there will be an additional handling charge. Another ticket source is StubHub! (www.stubhub.com), which buys and resells tickets to concerts, sporting events, and other special events.
January
WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW Third week in January. One of the largest and most prestigious (read: expensive) antiques gatherings in the city, this is held in the historic Park Avenue Armory on Park Avenue at 67th Street. For information, call # 718-292-7392 or see www.winterantiques show.com. Over the first weekend of the big collection, Antiques at the Armory, a sort of counter-show featuring less-established or edgier collectors, is held at the 26th Street Armory at Lexington Avenue, and shuttle buses run between the two. For information, call # 212-255- 0020 or see www.stellashows.com.
WINTER RESTAURANT WEEK Usually the third week in January into early February. A sit-down “taste of the town” event, when some of the biggest-name restaurants offer special cut-price meals. As soon as you see the ads in the New York Times or elsewhere listing the participating establishments, get on the phone to the restaurant of your choice, or you’ll be out of luck. Call # 212-397-8222 or see www.nycvisit.com.
3 2 P A R T 2 P L A N N I N G Y O U R V I S I T
C H I N E S E N E W Y E A R P A R A D E At the new moon in late January or early February. A fortnight of fireworks, street fairs, and food festivals leads toward the big dragon parade through Chinatown. Call
# 212-484-1222 for information. A theatrical spectacular of Chinese dance, music, and arts is held at Radio City Music Hall in conjunction with the New Year; call # 212-736-8535 or see www.nyshow.net for information.
February
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING RUN-UP Early February. Hundreds of athletes
race not horizontally but vertically: 1,576 steps from the lobby to the 86th-floor observation deck. The best make it in less than 11 minutes. Contact the New York Road Runners at # 212-860-4455 or visit www.nyrr.org.
WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW Midmonth. This most presti-
gious of canine parades brings thousands of familiar, unusual, and rare dogs, all blow-dried and maybe even ribboned for judging, to Madison Square Garden. Call # 800-455-3647 or 212-465-6741 or visit www
.westminsterkennelclub.org.
March
ARTEXPO Early or mid-March. This huge affair at the Javits Convention Center specializes in what dealers call popular art, and that means anything from nice lithographs to the stuff you get on the sidewalk or see in chain motels. Call # 216-328-8926 or visit www.artexpos.com.
ST . PATRICK’S DAY PARADE On March 17, everyone is Irish, so pack something green or get out of the way. The parade, at more than 200 years old, is one of the oldest anywhere, includes an estimated 150,000 marchers, and kicks off at 11 a.m.; the route is along Fifth Avenue (of course) from 44th to 86th streets, with the thickest crowd around St. Patrick’s Cathedral (of course). See www.saintpatricksday parade.com. There’s also a South Street Seaport Irish Stroll along Pier 17, with food and beverage vendors and buskers. Call # 301-652- 7712 for information.
THE PIER ANTIQUES SHOW Mid-March. Vast antiques exhibit and sale brings together 500 dealers on Pier 94 (along the Hudson River). There’s also a companion show later in the year; see November listings. Call # 212-255-0020 or visit www.stellashows.com.
RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS PARADE Late March.
Another great traditional procession, this one is now (thanks to animal protests) a semi-secret wee-hours train of elephants and lions and tigers making their way from Long Island City through the QueensMidtown Tunnel to Madison Square Garden. For information, call
# 212-465-6741 or visit www.ringling.com.
C A L E N D A R O F S P E C I A L E V E N T S 3 3
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL Late March. Beginning in 2010, the strange and fantastic Canadian one-tent circus will present three shows annually: one in the warmer months at the Beacon Theater, a summer show at Randall’s Island, and a winter holiday show at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu Theater. Cirque’s blend of astonishing acrobats and contortionists with eerie music is famous. Call # 800-678-5440 or visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.
EASTER PARADE Late March to late April. A parade so famous they made a Fred Astaire–Judy Garland movie about it. Don that bonnet— the bigger the better—and promenade along (what else?) Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th. Macy’s Flower Show at the famous department store at Herald Square (on Broadway between 34th and 35th) starts the week leading up to Easter Sunday; for information, call # 212- 695-4400 or visit www.macys.com.
EASTER EGG ROLL Saturday before Easter (late March through April).
In the East Meadow of Central Park; call # 212-360-3456 or
888-NYPARKS.
NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS FESTIVAL Late March to early April. A
cutting-edge cinematic collaboration between the Museum of Modern Art, which hosts the screenings, and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Call # 212-721-6500 or see www.filmlinc.com.
INTERNATIONAL ASIAN ART FAIR March or early April. Increasingly the
premier Asian-antiques showcase on the East Coast; 583 Park Avenue at 63rd Street. Call # 212-642-8572 or visit www.haughton.com/asian.
BASEBALL SEASON OPENING DAY End of March to early April. If you’re
a pinstriper, or just an American Leaguer at heart, you can try for tickets by contacting the box office for the new Yankee Stadium at
# 718-293-6000 or www.yankees.com. For fans of the senior league, those heartbreaking Mets are enjoying their own new ballpark, Citi Field; call # 718-507-8499 or visit www.mets.com.
April
ANTIQUARIAN BOOK FAIR April. First editions, rare titles, and autographed copies fill the Park Avenue Armory on Park at 67th Street. Call # 212-944-8291 or visit www.sanfordsmith.com.
HANAMI: CELEBRATING THE CHERRY-VIEWING SEASON April to early
May. A celebration of the Japanese, or flowering Kwanzan, cherry trees of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden; call # 718-623-7200 or visit www.bbg.org.
May
FIVE BORO BIKE TOUR Early May. This 42-mile for-fun bike race— it draws 30,000 wheelers and dealers—links all five boroughs, with the kickoff downtown and the finish line in Staten Island. Picnic at
3 4 P A R T 2 P L A N N I N G Y O U R V I S I T
the end of pedaling. Call # 212-932-2453 or check www.bikenew york.org.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY PARADE Third Sunday in May. A salute
to the civil-rights leader starts on Fifth Avenue at 44th and streams up to 86th. Contact NYC & Company at # 212-397-8222.
AIDS WALK NEW YORK Mid-May. The world’s largest AIDS fundraising walk—it usually draws a field 45,000—marches 6.2 miles along the Upper West Side; www.aidswalk.net.
WASHINGTON SQUARE OUTDOOR ART EXHIBIT Memorial Day weekend plus the following weekend and the first two weekends of September.
This huge outdoor art show is a giant block party, with easels (and food carts) in the streets all around the park. Call # 212-982-6255 or visit www.washingtonsquareoutdoorartexhibit.org.
LOWER EAST SIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS Memorial Day weekend. An
arts festival and street party held in and around Theater for the New City on First Avenue between Ninth and Tenth streets. Call # 212- 254-1109 or visit www.theaterforthenewcity.net/les.htm.
June
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK From June into September, this now-famous, free, and star-studded series (call # 212-539-8750 or visit www.public theater.org) takes over the Delacorte Theater stage in Central Park. There are fewer than 2,000 seats, and the box office opens at 1 p.m. every day, but the line forms much earlier. (See “Ticket Tips” in Part Ten.)
CONCERTS IN THE PARK June through August. Some concerts in Central Park, Prospect Park, and other city greens are put on by the New York Philharmonic (call # 212-875-5709 or visit www.nyphil.org) and the great Metropolitan Opera (call # 212-362-6000 or visit www
.metopera.org).
SUMMERSTAGE Similarly, there are free or nominally priced pop, rock, country, folk, reggae, and jazz concerts throughout the summer in Central Park. Remember Simon and Garfunkel? Garth Brooks? It’s big, but it’s fun. Call # 212-360-2777 or look up www.summerstage.com.
BELMONT STAKES The second (occasionally the first) Saturday in June.
The final leg of thoroughbred 3-year-old horse racing’s Triple Crown, and a full schedule of other races, go off at Belmont Park on Long Island; call # 516-488-6000 or visit www.nyra.com/belmont.
PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE Second Sunday in June. A lively musical
march along Fifth Avenue from 44th to 86th streets. Call # 718-401- 0404 or visit www.nationalpuertoricandayparade.org.
SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK Usually the third week in June. A sitdown “taste of the town” event, when some of the biggest-name restaurants offer special cut-price meals. As soon as you see the ads in
C A L E N D A R O F S P E C I A L E V E N T S 3 5
the New York Times or elsewhere listing the participating establishments, get on the phone to the restaurant of your choice, or you’ll be out of luck. Call # 212-397-8222 or see www.nycvisit.com.
GAY AND LESBIAN PRIDE DAY PARADE Late June. A weeklong series of
public and private events culminates in the parade, commemorating the Stonewall Riot of June 28, 1969. It struts down (rather than up) Fifth Avenue from 52nd Street to the West Village. Call # 212-807- 7433 or visit www.nycpride.org.
MERMAID PARADE Late June. A sort of pre-Halloween bash along the Coney Island–Brighton Beach Boardwalk. A few years ago, the grand merman, uh, marshall, was former Talking Head David Byrne. Call
# 718-372-5159 or see www.coneyisland.com/mermaid.shtml.
July
FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVAL July 4. Independence Day celebrations include street fairs, concerts, and, after dark, the famous Macy’s fireworks over the East River. Call # 212-484-1222 or see www.nycvisit
.com. All-day festivities downtown around Battery Park climax with fireworks over the harbor. And the Brooklyn Independence Day Parade, which claims to be the oldest in the city, kicks off at 10 a.m. from Bay Ridge and winds its way to John Paul Jones Park. Call
# 718-415-3945 or see www.visitbrooklyn.org.
LINCOLN CENTER FESTIVAL July. An array of dance, drama, children’s shows, and multimedia and performance art that involves both the repertory companies and special guests and that moves through the indoor venues and sometimes outdoors as well, through July and August. Call
# 212-875-5928 or visit www.lincolncenter.org.
TAP CITY, THE NEW YORK TAP FESTIVAL Early July. Hundreds of kids
and adults—students, beginners, masters—as well as celebrity dancers and tap legends gather for classes and rehearsals leading up to performances around town. Call # 646-230-9564 or see www.atdf.org.
August
LINCOLN CENTER OUT OF DOORS Throughout the month. Some of
the outdoor series taper off in August, but the music and other performances on the plaza (information at # 212-546-2656 or www
.lincolncenter.org) keep the joint jumpin’.
HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL First weekend in August. Some
50 teams of 22 rowers, plus drummer and helmsman, race Chinesestyle 40-foot teak boats on the lake at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. Call # 718-767-1776 or visit www.hkdbf-ny.org.
HARLEM WEEK Mid-August. Films, art exhibits, concerts, exhibition games, and street fairs celebrating the neighborhood’s rich cultural history build up to Uptown Saturday Nite, a combination block party
3 6 P A R T 2 P L A N N I N G Y O U R V I S I T
and black-arts expo along 135th Street between Lenox (also called Malcolm X Boulevard) and St. Nicholas avenues. Call # 212-862- 7200 or see www.harlemweek.com.
MOSTLY MOZART FESTIVAL Most of the month. A famous phrase, and
one brought to life with a wide variety of concerts at Lincoln Center. Call # 212-875-5000 or see www.lincolncenter.org.
U . S . OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT Late August to early September. In its expanded digs at Flushing Meadows, this Grand Slam event is one of the sport’s hottest tickets—literally. Don’t forget the drinking water and the sunblock, if you can get in. Call # 888-673-6849 or visit www.usopen.org.
N E W Y O R K I N T E R N A T I O N A L F R I N G E F E S T I V A L Mid-August. Multi-
media, dance, theater, street, and musical performances, many of them free, at venues around the Lower East Side and East Village. Call
# 212-279-4488 or visit www.fringenyc.org.
September
WEST INDIAN AMERICAN DAY CARNIVAL AND PARADE Labor Day week-
end. It’s big, it’s loud, it’s delicious, and it’s relatively underpublicized, perhaps because it’s in Brooklyn, but fans of world or Caribbean music, food, and dance won’t mind the short trip to Crown Heights. Call 718-467-1797 or see www.wiadca.org.
THE GREAT NORTH RIVER TUGBOAT RACE Labor Day weekend. Part
parade, part true tug competition at Pier 84 (44th Street and Twelfth Avenue); www.workingharbor.org.
WASHINGTON SQUARE OUTDOOR ART EXHIBIT First two weekends of
September. The late-summer edition of an old and revered Greenwich Village gathering that also takes place in May. This huge outdoor art show is a giant block party, with easels (and food carts) in the streets all around the park. Call # 212-982-6255 or visit www.washington squareoutdoorartexhibit.org.
B R O A D W A Y O N B R O A D W A Y Early to mid-September. For one enchanted day and evening in Times Square—where else?—the casts of the big Broadway shows sing and step out in public for free. Call
# 888-BROADWAY or see www.broadwayonbroadway.com.
C L O I S T E R S M E D I E V A L F E S T I V A L Midto late September. Falconry,
food, tomfoolery, jousting, and feasting, all with a Middle Ages flavor. Call # 212-795-1600 or see www.whidc.org.
AFRICAN AMERICAN DAY PARADE Mid-September. Close to a million
spectators line Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) from 111th to 142nd Street. Call # 212-348-3080 or go to www.african americanparade.org.
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FEAST OF SAN GENNARO Mid-September. This Little Italy street fest is pretty famous, probably because it lasts a long (two-weekend) week, although its rumored “family” connections have gotten a lot of publicity; along Mulberry Street. Call # 212-768-9320 or see www
.sangennaro.org.
THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL Mid-September into Octo-
ber. New shows premiere and are evaluated, which means public concerts and stagings. Call # 212-352-3101 or go to www.nymf.org.
BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS ANNUAL FLEA MARKET AND
GRAND AUCTION Late September. The theatrical garage sale, memento scuffle, and costume clearinghouse of the year. Shubert Alley and West 44th Street. Call # 212-840-0770 or see www.broadwaycares.org.
NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL Late September to mid-October. Not so avant-garde as the New Films series, this prestigious series at Lincoln Center lasts two weeks and usually has a big-name premiere or two on the schedule; call # 212-875-5050 or visit www.filmlinc.com.
GREENWICH AVENUE FESTIVAL Late September. Vendors, food, and
entertainment along Greenwich Avenue between Sixth and Seventh avenues. This festival occurs several times spring through fall; the weather can be particularly lovely this time of year. Call # 646-230- 0489 or see www.clearviewfestival.com.
NEW YORK UNDERGROUND COMEDY FESTIVAL Late September to early
October. More than 350 emerging and established comedians perform over a week at venues all over the city, including Tompkins Square Park. Go to www.nycundergroundcomedy.com, which includes phone numbers for each venue.
CHILE PEPPER FIESTA Late September or early October. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden puts its mouth where its money is, so to speak, hosting a festival that showcases the hundreds of types of the American spice that conquered the world’s cuisines. Guacamole, Jamaican jerk chicken, chili, wraps—it’s hot, hot, hot. Call # 718-623-7200 or visit www.bbg.org.
October
B I G A P P L E C I R C U S October through January. You might have forgotten how this cheery little one-ring operation got its name, but watch the little big top go up in the park outside Lincoln Center and then try to resist. Call # 212-268-2500 or see www.big applecircus.org.
NEW YORK CITY OKTOBERFEST Early October. More than 500 ethnic
food (and beer), art, craft, and clothing exhibits turn Lexington Avenue from 42nd to 57th streets into a street fair. Call # 212-809-4900 or see www.nycstreetfairs.com.
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OPEN HOUSE NEW YORK First weekend in October. More than 200 homes, museums, churches, historical sites, and other buildings are open for tours during this free annual event. Call # 212-991-6470 or go to www.ohny.org.
FEAST OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI First Sunday in October. The Francis-
like blessing of the animals at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine used to be a fairly sedate affair, but nowadays it’s a sort of well-bred circus, with snakes, rabbits, ferrets, exotic birds, and, yes, even elephants being offered for prayer. Call # 212-316-7490 or see www.stjohndivine.org.
G R A M E R C Y P A R K A N T I Q U E S S H O W Mid-October. Art glass, 17th-,
18th-, and 19th-century porcelain, furniture, and fine art at the 69th Regiment Armory at Lexington Avenue and 26th Street; call # 212- 255-0020 or see www.stellashows.com.
PULASKI DAY PARADE Sunday nearest October 5. Polish American festival, sometimes called Polish Day, marches Fifth Avenue from 26th to 53rd streets. Call # 877-4-PULASKI or see www.pulaskiparade.com.
COLUMBUS DAY PARADE Second Monday in October. A combination founder’s day, display of Italian pride, and star-spangled celebration up Fifth Avenue from 44th to 79th streets. Call # 212-249-9932 or see www.columbuscitizensfd.org.
INTERNATIONAL FINE ART AND ANTIQUE DEALERS SHOW Midto late
October. The last (actually, the first, as dealers consider the season) of New York’s major shows comes just in time for holiday shopping, if you can afford it. At least you can look. At the Park Avenue Armory on Park Avenue at 67th Street; call # 212-642-8572 or visit www
.haughton.com.
THE NEW YORKER FESTIVAL Early October. This three-day gathering of journalists, authors, performers, artists, and other cultural icons has become a huge draw; schedules are printed in the magazine’s midSeptember issues. See festival.newyorker.com.
THE NEW YORK CABARET CONVENTION Late October or early Novem-
ber. For a week, more than 100 classic crooners work their way through the American popular songbook at the Rose Theater in the Time Warner Center. Call # 212-721-6500 or see www.mabelmercer.org.
NEW YORK’S VILLAGE HALLOWEEN PARADE October 31. Yet another
over-the-top and inimitable dress function, this annual party-on-legs (and some wheels) circles Greenwich Village; check local papers for the exact route. Walk-ups welcome; gather at Sixth Avenue between Canal and Spring streets at dusk. Call # 845-758-5519 or visit www
.halloween-nyc.com.
HULAWEEN October 31. Bette Midler and various of her superstar friends (Elton John, Sting, and so on) dress up, get down, and raise
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money at The Waldorf-Astoria for the New York Restoration Project (which restores parks, community gardens, and other open spaces). Call # 212-333-2552 or visit www.nyrp.org.
NEXT WAVE FESTIVAL October through mid-December. The Brooklyn Academy of Music showcases avant-garde, experimental, and new music, dance, and performance; call # 718-636-4100 or visit www
.bam.org.
CMJ MUSIC MARATHON AND FILM FESTIVAL Late October. More than
1,000 bands attend workshops by day and perform—at 50 or so venues all around town—sometimes three or four times a night, all in hopes of catching the ear of a music industry exec or booking agent. Not all of the venues are clubs in the real sense, but anyone interested in new and upcoming rock, alternative, roots rock, or rock ’n’ roll acts should flip through the local listings. Call # 917-606-1908 or visit www.cmj.com.
NEW YORK CITY MARATHON Last Sunday in October or first Sunday in November. One of the big races—not counting the 2.5 million cheering onlookers and volunteers—and with one of the most scenic courses, which includes the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, stretches of Fifth Avenue, and a finish line in Central Park. Call # 212-423-2249 or visit www.nycmarathon.org.
November
CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Early November through late December or early January. Traditional family favorite featuring the Rockettes in their toy-soldier kick line, music, costumes, and so on. Call # 212-307-1000 or visit www.radiocity.com.
CHOCOLATE SHOW/CHOCOLATE WEEK Mid-November. Cooking dem-
onstrations, tastings, cooking classes, even chocolate couture are on display for a whole week, plus area restaurants and sweet shops offer special chocolate menus and treats. At the Metropolitan Pavilion & Altman Building, 125 West 18th Street. Call # 212-889-5112 or go to www.chocolateshow.com.
THE PIER ANTIQUES SHOW Mid-November. This shopping-season version of the spring Pier Antiques Show (see March listings) features 500 antiques dealers and a special section of vintage fashions, all on Pier 94 on the Hudson River. An art show takes place simultaneously on adjacent Pier 92. Call # 212-255-0020 or visit www.stellashows.com.
MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE Late November. How else would
Santa Claus—not to mention Snoopy and Woodstock and Garfield and Bullwinkle and half of Broadway—make it to Herald Square on time? The parade begins at Central Park West and 77th and works down Broadway to the store at 34th Street. Santa takes up his station in Macy’s the next day. Hints: The evening before, you can watch the balloons being inflated while storytellers entertain
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the kids; head up to the American Museum of Natural History between 77th and 81st and Central Park West and Columbus Avenue between 3 and 10 p.m. Bands form up in Herald Square starting at 2 a.m. Thursday; the clowns collect near 77th Street and Central Park West, and the baton regiments around 70th, both usually by 6 a.m. Call # 212-494-4495 or see www.macys.com.
December
LIGHTING OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER The first
Monday evening in December, the mayor pulls the switch, and people sing, ice skate, make wishes, you name it; the tree will be lit throughout the month. Call # 212-332-7654 or see www.rockefellercenter.com.
ANTIQUES & ART AT THE ARMORY Around the second weekend in December. Another blockbuster sale drawing 70 dealers in serious 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century American, European, and Asian furniture and art at the Park Avenue Armory, 67th Street and Park. Call
# 914-437-5983 or see www.antiquesandartatthearmory.com.
THE NUTCRACKER BALLET Throughout December. The Sugar Plum
Fairy is absolutely everywhere. The American Ballet Theater version, for sentimentalists (it features George Balanchine’s original choreography), is in the New York State Theater in Lincoln Center (call
# 212-870-5570 or see www.nycballet.com), but the local papers will list many others.
MESSIAH SING-IN AT LINCOLN CENTER Mid-December. Huge public
performance of Handel’s popular oratorio in Avery Fisher Hall, with rehearsals and coaching beforehand; call # 212-875-5030 or see www
.nationalchorale.org. Dozens of other sing-alongs, carolings, and family performances will be listed in the local papers.
KWANZAA CELEBRATIONS Midthrough late December. Watch for listings of African American ethnic festivities around town.
THE BALL December 24. Billed as the world’s largest Jewish singles party, this bash requires five clubs for its 4,500-plus guests (a “Jewniversal pass” gets you into all). Go to www.letmypeoplego.com for information.
NEW YEAR’S EVE December 31. Times Square must be one of the most famous addresses in New Year’s folklore. It’s a heck of a street party, complete with countdown and lighted ball. For those who have made their resolutions a day early, there’s a midnight run through Central Park; call # 212-860-4455 or visit www.nyrr.org.