High line new section and more

Some pics from high line when the new northern section was opened. Very crowded as usual.

Also on same day/evening: watched metropolis on high line and tried artichoke pizza. (chelsea location).

Japan Day in Central Park

Japan Day 2014 look place this past Sunday in sunny Central Park. I’d heard about this culture event previously and was glad I had the opportunity to go this year. My friend L. recommended JERO, who is an enka style (a traditional Japanese genre) performer and well beloved in Japan. Below is a pic of the stage where JERO performed enka style songs. I loved his outfit, his vocal chops, and his overall performance. You can read more about him here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jero.

Other festivities included food stands, activity stands such as origami, calligraphy, and kabuki facepainting. I mostly looked at the stage performances: Taiko drumming, fashion show, JERO, and an audience participation dance number by AK848 called something Fortune Cookie. Not quite the macarena or gangnam style but still an international sensation.
Selected photos from my walk around the park. Say hello to Shakespeare.

I’ve always wanted to try the model boat. Aren’t they pretty? The reflections came out perfectly.

The red floor near Bethesda Fountain contrasts well with the green trees.

Castle in Manhattan

I posted a few pictures of J and I from our recent visit to Belvedere Castle on facebook the other day and a few friends had asked me where I found this castle. Good news for castle enthusiasts, you can find Belvedere Castle in the kingdom of … NYC (Central Park). Simply enter central park around 79th street on the west side (near natural history museum) and walk into the park and veer slightly northward once you’re more inside.
For more central park explorations (and helpful ways to get lost and found again), I recommend the official park app which lists various attractions, GPS navigation help, and tour schedule. If you haven’t done a walking tour yet, I strongly recommend it for learning more about the park’s history and design. Since the park is so large, there are several different tours that focus on different areas. If you enjoy drawing, I recommend the central park sketching meetup group.
We also spotted many birds (including a hawk) on our trip. Did you know central park has 200+ different kinds of birds? Pretty amazing huh? Clearly, the birds know a good place when they see it. I need to find a birding tour one of these days. 

Another famous sight which requires no introduction. To find it, look for the boat house and follow the water southward. Don’t miss the celestial tiles and music underneath the stairs (people always use the echo to sound off choir music).

Don’t have the name of this particular bridge. There are many bridges in Central Park which are lovely for picture backdrops. I’ve also included a pic from a previous trip where the water froze over.


More Central Park pics to come in spring. If you missed the autumn pics, they are in my previous post on jazz and colors here.

New year and new discoveries

It's been a good start to the year and I wanted to write a quick note (via phone blogger app) before the next proper update.

I've been discovering good tours this year, all from places I've been to before. 

For some reason I've never taken a tour from the following places until this year. How wonderful to climb a castle (in Central Park), recognize tree types (in Brooklyn Botanical garden), learn about Islamic art symbolism (in the Met), and hear about the diorama process (in the Natural history museum), just to name a few. 

All of this makes me feel like a student again (explorer, creator, and researcher, all rolled up into one). 

Central Park

Brooklyn Botanical

The Met

Origami Holidays and High Line in the Snow

Our friend Talo Kawasaki created a shadow box Three Kings installation for a restaurant called El Quinto Pino (in Chelsea). A group of us attended the event featuring the beautiful exhibit. Food and bubbly was also provided, definitely try the mushroom croquette when you’re back!

The snowman above is made of three rose auditoriums (designed by our friend Uyen and folded by Talo).

Since it was snowing that day and the High Line was a block or two away, Linda and I braved the snow to see NYC’s winter wonderland! I never paid much attention to the benches but their colors sure stand out!

I found blue TANT (a type of origami paper, comes in mono color with plenty of variations) colored building! How awesome. 

For food afterwards, Linda and I visited yet another Westville and ordered these four market sides with blackened chicken and salmon. Brussel sprouts, fennel, butternut squash, and plantains.  Tried soy chai latte (thumbs up) at Whole Foods and liked it, even though I always go for the almond latte. If you are adventurous, you can get latte with the following types of milk at Whole Foods: regular cow milk, soy, almond, and rice.

Spring Time in NY

Even though people always sing about autumn or Christmas time in NYC, every season is NYC is quite special. After a snow/wintry mix passed through the city this past week, the sky cleared up and we got spring temperatures for the weekend. It’s not surprising many people sought cure for their cabin fever by embracing a sunny spring afternoon outdoors. Leave behind those heavy winter coats and snow boots, bring out colorful wind breakers, and welcome spring to our city!

Hudson Pier 45

http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/explore-the-park/locations/pier-45
Pier 45 West Side (cross at Christopher)

I usually visit the Hudson River Parks in the summer for their outdoor concerts or movies. I’m glad I dropped by pier 45 today because the open space and sun light were divine. Nothing quite as fun as walking for miles in the sun. We may not have a beach on the west side, but we are proud of our walkaways and piers.

You can explore the entire collection of parks on their site. While lounging on the pier, I tried out the panorama function on my phone.

Coffee break

Le Pain Quotidien Chocolate bread with cherry jam and ricotta. Masala chai latte. I would recommend the chocolate bread again (seasonal special until April). I’ll probably stick to coffee/lattes next time instead of the chai. Note that the location I went to is steps away from the south end of High Line park. Look for a communal table inside, or get take out at the store. I also saw a booth of theirs outside but not sure if it’s the full menu or just coffees/pastries.

Apple Store West 14th

http://www.apple.com/retail/west14thstreet/

Apple fan or not, most people appreciate the aesthetics of Apple stores in Manhattan. From the iconic cube near Central Park, the fantastic sky light in SoHo, main concourse area in Grand Central Terminal, to this one within blocks of High Line. When you’re there, check out the view of busy streets/cafes from the 2nd and 3rd floor.

High Line

http://www.thehighline.org/

14th Street to 30th Street (check site for entrances) near 10th Ave.

Most people probably already know about this rail yard-turned-nature park. Everyone (locals and visitors) all came out from hibernation and gathered here to walk along the High Line. I found some flowers and berries poking out of snow (pictured).

San Diego–Bonus Chapter

San Diego was the first stop on my four-city West Coast Trip. While it was my first time visiting the city, I only did enough research to narrow down my “to-do-list” to Coronado Beach (Voted number one by Dr. Beach in 2012) and Fish Tacos (the hype lives up). My friend and travel companion E. recommended the San Diego Zoo (one of the world’s best, didn’t you know?). I liked the fact that the Zoo was inside Balboa Park, another popular sight mentioned by various San Diego guides.

Outside of the main three attractions, I considered all the other stuff we saw along the way extra bonuses. This entry is all about those bonuses, and also a celebration of taking “side-trips”, “detours”, and “spontaneous adventures” before heading back to the main road and final destination.

Tribute to Classic Baseball Stadiums

Petco Baseball Stadium was one of these bonus side-trips. We were heading towards Coronado Ferry/Coronado Beach and decided to stop by the the stadium for some photos. Once we got there, we find out the stadium tour had just started so we ran halfway around the stadium to catch up with leader. Last year I took E. to AT&T Park in San Francisco (2011 blog writeup) and had a fun time. Could this be the start of a new travel tradition? (note to self, start a separate entry listing all the baseball stadiums/tours/etc).

Out of the many stadium photos that I took, this is the only one that features the western metal supply building.

The old building kept most of its original structure and columns on the inside. I loved walking inside it and running my hands along the brick/wood structures. Keeping this one old building to build a stadium around it… what an idea.

One word of caution for SF Giants fans and NY Mets fans (myself included) who love their stadiums: Petco stadium doesn’t try to look too grand or luxurious. The “canyon” feel of the stadium as well as its many tributes to classic stadiums (Wrigley, Old Yankee Stadium, Camden Yards, Fenway, etc) make it understated yet very special. The paintings of famous players found in the VIP section are unique and lovely and provide a decidedly different feel than classic ball game photos that are featured more prominently in other areas of the stadium. Another nice touch for the fans is the slanting of the stadium seats on the sides towards the home plate, without straining your head. Regular stadium seats that are on the side simply direct attention to what is in front of you whereas everyone is inclined to sit facing pitcher’s mount/ home plate.

The Harbor had a few boats

Architecture around Balboa Park

Wishing well and nearby fountain

Santa Barbara Station - The most postcard-perfect tree

More to come:

• San Diego main entry (Beach, fish tacos, and giant pandas!)
• San Francisco (Where we caught the mist over Golden Gate Bridge)
• Portland (Where I spent way more time than is healthy at Powell’s and went to three gardens)
• Seattle (Where I hiked Mt. Si, saw Radio Lab, and chilled out in Pike Place Market for an entire day)
• Trip notes as recorded and organized in tiny memo pad, with more virtual links
• and of course… tons of photos

Juggling and Summer

Before the start of this summer, I joined a juggling group in Bryant Park. If practice made perfect, why not gain a skill or awesome “hidden talent” this summer? I made a point to block out an hour every week to join the fun and told everyone I know (friends, colleagues, random strangers) about this group to keep myself motivated.

While I didn’t keep count of how many sessions I attended (more than 5 but fewer than 10), I realize it is getting close to end of summer season and I have indeed gained insight into this seemingly difficult yet fascinating activity.

The best part is always meeting people. A. and J. are both extremely patient and friendly instructors. Before the end of summer I hope to buy them a round of drinks for the countless number of one-on-one coaching sessions and endless encouragement (I still don’t know how they put up with me).

Some lessons / observations / comments:

• smile!
• go barefoot
• invite spectators to become participants
• give midtown recommendations to visitors
• free yourself from the smartphone madness
• meet people and have fun

Two ideas for the group (if A. or J. is reading?):

• end of summer variety of all newly minted jugglers (with music!) I suppose this may take some coordination/practice/promotion
• featuring “meet the juggler” bio (no photos necessary) once a week where we ask a lucky participant a few q’s (i.e. what’s their favorite NY spot and how did they get into juggling and what do they do when they’re not juggling).

Check the Bryant Park Jugglers Blog:
http://bryantparkjuggling.blogspot.com/
and
Bryant Park Jugglers Twitter: BPJugglers

New York kind of weekend

Friday Evening
Smorgas for dinner with J. to celebrate my move. Traditional smorgasbord with Mikkeller beer, and lingonberry crepe for dessert. All recommended for future visits. My favorite part of the bord was probably the gravlaks and potatoes. Herring is still an acquired taste for me, I really had to get used to the texture. Random thought while eating crepe: if lingonberry were more popular in the U.S., would we still obsess over it as much?

Saturday Afternoon
New Museum Block Party with S. Creative crafts to start out the afternoon (orange colored sunglasses rocked my world. I need to find a pic of the magnetic poetry that S. made), followed by a view of the new Ghosts in the Machine exhibit which emphasized machinery/optical art/geometric shapes. I didn’t take a photo of this one particular object so I will try to describe it. Basically the artist started out with a square/rectangle piece of gossamer fabric, then tied four small weights to its four corners. A fan is set below the center of fabric and blows in different directions. The result is the fabric moving in a wave-like manner, while being suspended in mid-air. It’s simple yet so creative at the same time. I found it quite relaxing to watch, compared to some of the other objectives they had on display. A photo of some crazy looking animal sculptures from the Parade exhibit below, in the neighboring studio.

Saturday Evening
Prospect Park Jazz Concert. Part of Celebrate Brooklyn concert series (suggested $3 donation). Featuring Arturo Sandoval / Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. Gotta love summer concert season, especially in New York.

Sunday Afternoon
Destination was set to be High Line park but the way there was anything but direct. Since the subway is hot in the summer, walking and bus all seem better modes of transportation. I wandered through Chinatown and SoHo before getting on a bus to the street near the park. On the way, I admired the sunroof of the Apple Store in SoHo and some new games and apps on the new ipads. Just in case you don’t need more apple devices and don’t find yourself visiting frequently, the store also features performance/talks series. This upcoming week they have Kenny Garrett and Martha Stewart. Look forward to exploring some of these in the future (note to self, add calendar to already long calendar of book events at B&N and Strand…)

Sunday Afternoon/Early Evening

High Line. This deserves its own entry. Link here: TBD

Boston City Guide

While I have been using Tumblr more often, I find its pace a bit too hectic for non-picture entries. I went to Boston for a few days and wanted to jot down some ideas for future visits and reference.

Sorted by area near subway stations for easy trip planning.

North Station Area:
Bulfinch Hotel: We stayed here, very convenient location since it’s close to several subway stations and walking distance to Boston Commons. Ethernet cable available in the room. Across the street from TD Garden for games and concerts. Close to Rite Aid/CVS/Whole Foods/Quiznos/Dunkin Donuts if you need to grab supplies/snacks/fruit/drinks.
Beer Works: Several locations around town. We went to the Canal St location. Great selection beer and big screens for sports fans. I had the Amber Hefeweizen and the 9 Alarm wings (tasty, not too spicy though). The jalapeno poppers weren’t too spicy but they were decent.

Park Street Area:
Cheers: Made popular by the show. Also a nice spot for a drink and a burger near the park. If you go, take a look at their souvenir shop which has many good items. I got a classy postcard there.
Public garden: Small but pretty garden near the park. When I went I saw a lot of roses blooming.
Esplanade: After dinner at Cheers, you can take a leisure stroll along the esplanade. During the summer they also have outdoor concerts.
Freedom Trail: It starts at Boston Commons, just follow the red line on the sidewalk to visit the different sites. I didn’t complete it but saw most of the sites near the beginning. If you don’t want to walk there are other tours in the area via trolley or duck tour etc.
Finangle a Bagel: Yes, I know I’m crazy. I tried a bagel outside the NYC area. I didn’t want burger king and the pubs were not open until noon on Sunday so I just grabbed a breakfast egg on bagel from here. Around town you will find many Dunkin Donuts (literately two on each street corner or more), Au Bon Pain (yay for soups?), and this bagel place (more than just bagels). I would recommend it for breakfast or lunch.    

Aquarium Area:
Quincy market/Faneuil Hall: A lot of food choices. I had a lobster roll/chowder combo from Walrus the Carpenter Oyster Bar (booth). Pretty tasty. Apparently there are many famous seafood booths there. Next time when I have more time I will do some more investigation. J. tried some Mac and Cheese from a booth and thought it was decent. Comfort food, I guess.
Emack & Bolio’s Ice Cream: There are tons of ice cream places near the harbor but this one caught my attention. I liked their “Deep Purple Cow” (raspberry with white chocolate and dark chocolate chips and blueberries) and “Heaven” (vanilla with marshmallows and white chocolate chips)
Aquarium: If you take the subway you’ll notice a lot of ads for the aquarium. Check out the penguins and jellyfish and giant fish tank in the middle. I listened to one of the aquarium talks near the tank which was really good. They spoke about the different fish in the tank and how they rescue various sea turtles in the area.
Harbor boat tour: Order your tickets by phone (no surcharge) if you plan to go. The first day we tried to get tickets they were sold out. We took the sunset tour which started at 7pm. Natural lighting near the harbor is great for photos. You get to see the islands, a little bit of Boston skyline, and the U.S.S. Constitution fire a cannon. Boston doesn’t have too many tall buildings though (unlike NYC or Chicago boat tour) but it’s good to enjoy the view and some wind after a hot day running around town.

Copley Area:
Public library: Gorgeous building, open air courtyard, and fun exhibits. I caught an exhibit on vintage travelling posters. Great stuff.
Copley Shops: If you like to browse a mall and cool off, this is a good one before taking the train back home.
Duck tours: Your car turns into a boat for the water portion of the tour! I took this tour last year when I was in Boston. Definitely touristy but fun for at least one time. The water portion was somewhat disappointing (not much to see around the river) but the land portion gives you a sense of the town architecture and history. You can also take the tour at several locations.

Outside downtown:
Revere beach (Revere Beach Stop): Around 15-20 min by subway from downtown. I caught a sand castle/sculpture contest which was tons of fun. They have many pavilions with benches set up around the beach so you can enjoy some shade and sea breeze.  
Fenway Park (Kenmore Stop): Take the stadium tour since Red Sox tickets are hard to get! Smaller stadium means sold out shows all the time! Alternatively, you can probably just visit a bar near there on game day and soak up the baseball air.
Hahvahd Tour (Harvard Stop): I found them on a brochure in the hotel lobby. Pretty funny tour with energetic student guides. Not for high school students looking at colleges but more for travelers looking for a fun way to get around Harvard campus and soak up some history and anecdotes.
Harvard Coop Bookstore: Beautiful bookstore with spiral staircase and gorgeous lobby, just outside the subway stop. Rest of Harvard Square is great for walking around, too. Lots of shops, food, and fun.

Travel Reference
Acela Express is actually affordable (not too much more than regular train, you can use AAA discount on weekend trains) and has Wi-Fi. If you take the Acela from New York, you can get off at Back Bay Station (near Copley and Back Bay subway stations) or South Station (closer to downtown). Sometimes trying different combinations (Newark/NY Penn and Back Bay/South Station) will give you different schedules and fare prices.
MTBA for all your local travel needs. The subway (or T) is easy to navigate around and most trips don’t take very long. Watch out for weekend station closures and you should be fine.
If you fly, Logan Airport is close to downtown as well, via subway.
There are also several buses but since I haven’t taken them I don’t have any recommendations.

News
Boston Globe: Local news. You can also follow their twitter to receive news while you’re visiting.
Calendar of Events: Check out fun ideas.
Also check out various magazines/brochures/maps in the hotel area or tourism offices. You never know what you’ll find! That’s how I heard about the Harbor tour, the Hahvahd tour, and the Sand Castle Contest at Revere Beach. My hotel room had a copy of the Where magazine for Boston. Nice listings.  

Misc
If you have a smartphone or Ipad look for many free Wi-Fi hotspots around the city. On top of my head, some locations include Copley Mall area, Harvard Square, Public Library, Faneuil. This was my first trip using a smartphone so I found it incredibly useful. Google maps overlay with transit lines was a lifesaver. After you get around town for a few hours, you’ll notice that many downtown stations are actually very close together. That doesn’t mean getting the subway card is a bad deal though. I got the weekly unlimited card for $15, definitely worth it since I used many trips during my stay there ($2 if you pay per ride, one day unlimited is $9).

Previous Blog entries on Boston here.

Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossoms

Every spring DC gets droves of tourists hoping to catch pink or white cherry blossoms. When I went to school there I was lucky enough to catch it without too much chaos. Having graduated a few years back, I haven’t gone back since the crowd factor always holds me back. My relatives in NJ offered a local alternative: Branch Brook Park. The park boasts 4100 cherry trees. More than even DC! If you go, maybe you should consider public transportation. Bring a picnic and enjoy the weather!

Park site: http://www.branchbrookpark.org/

Map of cherry tree locations: http://www.essex-countynj.org/branchmap.pdf

My dad and I drove around the park for a while and found that the northern part (in Belleville) had more trees but was difficult to park. The southern part (in Newark) had a better backdrop with the gorgeous cathedral, lake, and bridge but not as many flowering cherry trees. We were about to park on the street like everyone else but then saw a police car writing up tickets… In the end we parked near the Prudential Lions and took a bunch of photos before jetting off.

Some photos (wallpaper too) from my trip:

Other Links:

Beautiful Photographer’s Site
http://www.stylepeterson.com/category/branch-brook-park-newark-nj-cherry-blossom-festival-photos/

NYC in Winter

How do you enjoy NYC in the winter? It's too cold to walk up and down long avenues. It's too cold to shop outdoors. It's too cold to even wait for the subway underground. After staying out of the city for most of the holiday season, J. and I finally got a chance to venture outside.

We started out with a trip to the Natural History Museum which is always packed but fun. I'm not sure when they put up the space center because I don't remember it at all. It's the first section we stumbled upon after entering the museum from the subway. One of the fun features that we got a kick out of was the "weight yourself on __". Apparently we're incredibly heavy on Jupiter but super light on the Halley Comet! J. says he doesn't remember the whale room. I've always liked that ocean room so he clearly missed that section when he was younger. The museum is incredibly big and most kids probably only remember the dinosaur room (my favorite!).

Some of my favorites at the museum are:
gem and minerals hall - dazzling rocks and gemstones. I've always loved the star sapphire there.
meteorites - one of the few museums that lets people get a hands-on experience on meteorites
north american forests - look for the giant tree trunk cross section.
ocean hall (whale room) - almost as good as an aquarium. impressive displays.
fossils (top floor, dinos) - stegosaurus (see pic)

Not sure where everyone else goes for food after the museum, we decided not to go for dino-nuggets (even though we were both very fond of them when we were younger) at the museum food court (do they still have them?) If you walk west you can find the Upper West Side Shake Shack (all indoors). If you walk west and north you can find plenty of diners (very crowded for weekend brunch as expected) and other eats. Note to self, there is a Hale & Hearty's nearby if I crave soup one of these days. J. and I went to Arties and ordered a pastrami and corn beef sandwich each. Also enjoyed the potato pancakes with apple sauce immensely. Their pickles were as good as I remembered but the pickled tomato wasn't as impressive. We really wanted to split a huge poppy hamentashen for dessert but they only had prune flavor that day. Have to wait for Purim...

After the last snow storm that came through midweek, most of NYC already melted and cleared up. Luckily Central Park still stayed cold enough to keep its beautiful winter scene. We walked along a path on the west side and saw a bunch of kids with sleds. Apparently the park offers some nice slops. If the path got icy, I would go on the main road (along with runners/bikers etc) which had been cleared much better. Most people probably visit the park during summer (great concerts) and autumn (famous orange leaves), we actually have seen the park in winter for the past two years. When there's snow on the branches and ice over the lakes, it's very easy to forget that we're in the middle of the city. 

When we reached Columbus Circle to catch a subway downtown, I found the best booth in the park: Ferrara! Who knew they had a outpost in the park? A chocolate cover cannoli was a real treat after walking in the cold. If I wasn't freezing my fingers off eating the cannoli, I would have gotten a latte or something warm too. 

Go out and enjoy the sunny and icy winter!

Free NYC Stuff 2009

special days:

//Brooklyn Botanical Garden (Tuesdays, weekdays during winter are free, Saturdays from 10-noon unless there's a special event)

//Bronx Botanical Garden (Wednesdays, Saturdays from 10-noon unless there's a special event, grounds only, doesn't include special exhibits)

//MOMA (Fridays 4-8pm)

//South Street Seaport Museum (Third Friday of every moth 6pm-closing)

//Brooklyn Museum (First Saturday of every month)

//Jewish Museum (Saturdays)

note: I didn't include "suggested donation" museums like the Met because I never seem to be able to pay less than suggested price there. Maybe the people there are good at guilt-trip me into paying. Some other museums also have special days where you can pay a "suggested donation".

always free:

//Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology (small but well put together exhibits)

//Brooklyn Bridge (I usually make fun of the tourists for walking across this, but really, it is awesome. try it, and do help the tourists out by taking their group photos. put a smile on someone's face, and they can take a pic for you too)

//Governor's Island (Summer only. biking, walking, they even have plays in the summer. oh, did I also mention it's a great place for photos?)

//NY Public Libraries (Always free, you should check out their exihibit schedules)

//Central Park (probably the best place for those warm sunny days, keep an eye out for free summer symphony concerts)

//Forbes Galleries (awesome collection of toy ships and toy soldiers. convieniently located near union square too!)

//Nicholas Roerich Museum (free classical concerts, check listing)

//Natural Museum of American Indians (also check out Bowling Green and Battery Park nearby)

//Brooklyn Heights Promenade (haven't been there but sure looks nice)

//Astor Wines & Spirits Wine Tasting Calendar (the list always look great but I have yet to go!)

//More Parks: http://gonyc.about.com/od/outdooractivities/tp/nyc_parks.htm

tours:

well they're free but please tip the tour guide!

//Central Park Tours (Various dates/times, see link)

//Grand Central (Fridays 12:30pm, not for working people I guess)

//Flatiron Tour (Sundays 11AM). and you can pick up something from the Shake Shack afterwards!

//Union Square Tour (Saturdays 2pm)

//Wall Street Tour (Th/Sat noon)

//Lower East Side (Sun at 11am)

//Brooklyn Brewery Tour (Saturday)

//Chelsea Brewery Tour (Saturday, check website for details)

//Columbia University Tours (link) Well, the campus is quite famous and worth the time for photos. Also you can walk across Broadway to Barnard College which is even more scenic.

music:

mostly during the summer, keep an eye out for the following sites for updates

//brooklyn $3 concerts. prospect park. very very energetic venue. I liked it much better than central park summer stage. probably your best bet for getting someone who you first heard from SXSW or wfuv alternate side or your friend who can't stop gushing about the indie scene.

http://www.briconline.org/celebrate/

//river to river free concerts. well organized. utilizes variouis locations in the city. a great chance to hike to parks you've never visited before. I didn't always know the band but you can't beat a free live performance in the summer!

http://www.rivertorivernyc.com/home.php

//summer stage concerts. inside central park. mad crowded. must remember to bring towel and forget going into the venue. You can still hear plenty outside.

http://www.summerstage.org

//Hudson River Park. good view of skyline. summer concerts/outdoor screenings.

http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/index.asp

//South Street Seaport. yes, it's touristy but I still like the ships as a backdrop to any summer outing. some concerts too. good happy hour specials for the selected restaurants.

http://www.southstreetseaport.com/html/index.asp

links:

GO NYC Deal Listing http://gonyc.about.com/cs/museums/a/museumdeals.htm

GO NYC Summer Concerts http://gonyc.about.com/cs/music/a/summermusic.htm

Free NYC Events Listing http://freenyc.net/

NYC Citywide Events (mayor's office) Calendar (includes parades, music, etc)

NY Arts Listing http://www.nyc-arts.org/
Woody Allen tour http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/own-this-city/80697/woody-allens-manhattan