After nearly 500 days, life can finally get back to normal. We have so much to cover. Today’s roving photographer photo is from NYC’s first contemporary flower festival. Radio City is back; there’s a great designer sale; movies are returning to Bryant Park; and one of favorite East Village venues is back too. The Grand Bazaar on the Upper West Side is now open every Sunday. Valerie Smaldone will be doing a talkback after LIVE performances (yes live and streaming too) of two plays at Theatre 80 St Marks. Let’s get out there, Tomatoes and start fully enjoying our lives and our great city!  

Radio City Now Open at 100% Capacity

Starting today, for the fully vaccinated, Radio City is 100% open. If you’ve been missing live concerts and performances, check out the upcoming lineup, including John Legend, August 23-24. Get the details.

A Great Summer Sale!

Don’t miss Gabrielle Carlson’s summer sale. You will find your favorite scarves, bags, and beautiful clothes in glorious colors designed for women of every shape and size. Everything is 25% to 75% off. But hurry, the sale ends June 23. Her boutique is located at 501 Lexington Avenue @ 47th St., New York City. And tell her we sent you!

Bryant Park Movie Night Returns!

Bryant Park Movie Nights return on August 23! Ten movies, will be screened this summer on Monday and Tuesday evenings through September 28. Bring a blanket and sit on the lawn to enjoy great food, friends, and a feature film. Lawn and food and wine concessions open 5pm; film begins at sunset. Film selections, special guests and on-site attendance protocol will be announced shortly. Get the details

The Flower Festival

L.E.A.F was New York City’s first contemporary flower festival displayed citywide but mostly in the pedestrian plazas of the Meat Packing District.  Our roving photographer, Nicole Freezer Rubens (author of The Long Pause and the Short Breath) captured these beautiful images this week.

100 florists arranged their artistic creations using 1 million stems, incorporating vintage cars as planters, disco balls, and a beautiful Pride rainbow at the entrance. The emphasis was on what could be done with flowers and how much humankind needs to be immersed in nature. Gansevort Street was alive and bustling last weekend. L.E.A.F hopes this will become an annual event. 

Pangea’s Comeback!

The beloved East Village supper club Pangea, which came perilously close to closing during COVID, just received the prestigious Village Award, presented by Village Preservation. They’ve just announced their fabulous entertainment lineup for the summer including a mixture of ticketed and no-cover entertainment. And watch the video we have posted of Jackson Sturkey’s haunting original song and video “A Ghostlight for You” which has become Pangea’s anthem of hope amid the darkness.

Among the headliners scheduled through July are Tym Moss, Flotilla Debarge, Marcus Simeone, Sean Harkness, Lina Koutrakos, Rachelle Garniez, Jean Brassard, Steve Ross, Karen Akers, Stephanie Biddle, And Sue Matsuki. Get the details and the full line up.

Grand Bazaar is Now Open

The UWS Grand Bazaar is one of NYC’s oldest and largest marketplaces, featuring over 80 of your local independent merchants is back every Sunday. Many local favorites have returning from artists, designers, craft-makers, vintage and antique dealers to artisanal food entrepreneurs. Make sure to stop visit our friend and designer of beautiful jewelry, Amy Kanarek Designs.  

The Grand Bazaar NYC not only provides much need affordable retail space for local artisans and dealers, but profits benefit four local public schools (2,000+ children), funding enrichment programs and classroom essentials. Every Sunday, year-round, 100 W 77th St., (at Columbus Ave.) Manhattan, 10am – 5pm.

Pitchblack Experience: Odd Man Out

Experience the world through someone else’s eyes?  A new at-home immersive theatrical sensory box experience and audio play in darkness. ODD MAN OUT begins with a beautifully crafted travel box sent to your home that will allow “passengers” to be a part of the story. Part of the proceeds from the sales of the ODD MAN OUT Box Experience will go to VISIONS, which provides services for the blind and visually impaired.

10% DISCOUNT CLICK HERE & ENTER CODE: OUTLSP

“Passengers” open the box and scan the QR code on their boarding pass of PITCHBLACK Airlines, and blindfold themselves. From there, the story allows listeners to immerse themselves in the tale of Alberto, a blind musician flying home from New York to Buenos Aires, Argentina after decades of self-exile. As listeners enter Alberto’s story, they experience a 360-surround sound, multisensory “journey.” Passengers stay blindfolded throughout the duration of the “flight,” engaging their senses of smell, taste and touch. They’ll experience Alberto’s story of love, prejudice and fears that were left behind.

Get the book.