NYC LIFE NSIDER’S GUIDE: Music Man, NY Society, Gilded Age, Entertainment, Museums
Our roving photographer celebrates mom and pop shops. Valerie Smaldone says Music Man is giving $20 tickets to certain groups. If the New York Social Diary is one of your must reads, you’ll want to watch “Last Night in New York.” Obsessed with NYC’s Gilded Age? Check out this walking tour of the Fifth Avenue mansions. On Feb. 17, comedy duo Stone & Stone are at City Winery, and singer Celia Berk is at the Laurie Beekman Theatre. Can we clone ourselves? Head to the Paris Theater for Black Stories, Black Histories. Check out what’s new at the museums. And tickets are now on sale for our Renewal Summit.
The first 100 ticket buyers will have be entered into our door prize to win a trip the Hammock Cove Resort in Antiqua. GET THE DETAILS.
Special Online Screening of Last Night in New York
Last Night in New York a new documentary directed by Matthew Miele (Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s; Harry Benson: Shoot First!; Always At The Carlyle, 2018) chronicles the life of David Patrick Columbia, whose New York Social Diary has reported on the glamourous and charitable events attended by “New York City society” for decades. The film follows his unique perspective on the social, historical and cultural domain of NYC. You can watch the film at The New York Social Diary web site from February 14th-22nd —each day will feature a new chapter (there are 8 total).
Naturally, the film touches upon the subject of “society” and where it’s heading, but the real meat of the story lies in David’s upbringing and family background. His father was a chauffeur for “Black Jack” Bouvier, Jackie Kennedy’s wild and womanizing paterfamilias. And it was at his parents’ dinner table where conversations about the goings-on in the back seat of chauffeured limousines created rare moments of peace in an otherwise volatile household, sparking David’s escapist interest in society.
David’s own family history is filled with drama, heart-breaking tragedy and great poignancy, making his a uniquely American story about social mobility, self-reliance and self-reinvention – in short, of achieving one’s dreams by dint of will, perseverance and personality.
There are also a cast of characters interviewed in the film, from Liz Smith to Charlotte and Anne Ford to Patrick McMullan, Beth DeWoody, Jill Kargman, Hilary Ross, Geoffrey Bradfield, Gayfryd Steinberg, Bruce Addison, Carolyne Roehm, Muffie Potter Aston, Susan Fales-Hill, and more. TO VIEW THE FILM, JUST GO TO THE NYSD HOMEPAGE STARTING ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH.
Celebrating Our Mom and Pop Shops
New York City has many treasured mom-and-pop shops scattered throughout its neighborhoods. Our roving photographer, Nicole Freezer Rubens, has a deep affection for these shops, not only for the personal service they often provide, but for their great signage and storefronts, which are reminiscent of old New York. These jewels serve to preserve a simpler time many of us long to remember. These small, family-owned independent businesses are underdogs that compete with conglomerates. Nostalgic New Yorkers root for their survival, as these small stores feel like our cousins or lifelong friends.
To support these important establishments, we celebrate National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day on March 29th and Small Business Saturday, a recent tradition of shopping locally on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Nicole is the author of The Long Pause and the Short Breath. Follow her on Instagram@nfrconsult.
Walking Tour of New York’s Gilded Age Mansions
If you’re obsessed with Julian Fellowes’ HBO series, The Gilded Age, like we are, then you’ll find this video walking tour along Fifth Avenue from 60th to 71st where many of the original mansions and townhouses from the late 19th century still exist. It was an era of spectacular architecture, beautiful parks and squares, exquisite mansions, and palatial public buildings—and the wealth that made it possible.
Feb. 17. Stone & Stone at City Vineyard
Twin brothers Adam and Todd Stone, two of our favorite comics, are headlining their first show since the pandemic at City Vineyard, Pier 26, Tribeca. Their smart, witty, Seinfeld like observational humor will have you laughing out loud—something we could all use right now
Thursday, February 17 – 7:30 p.m.
City Vineyard (233 West St. – in Tribeca on the Hudson River, Pier 26)
Tickets: $20 / delicious wine and food menu, but no minimum spend GET TICKETS: https://bit.ly/33YDSRm
Feb. 17. Celia Berk Debuts On My Way to You
The beautiful songstress CELIA BERK debuts ON MY WAY TO YOU: Improbable Stories That Inspired An Unlikely Path, at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. The award-winning vocalist explores the courage and daring of iconic performers from Al Jolson to Maria Callas to Barbara Cook and the deep impression they left on her. The songs are as unexpected as the stories of the people who sang them, from Tin Pan Alley to Pop and everything in between. Tickets are $25.
Paris Theater Presents…Black Stories, Black Histories
The beloved Paris Theater on W. 58th Street is presenting a series of films during Black History Month. The movies in this series, which include Monsters Ball and Creed, look at the larger picture of race in America with stories that are deeply personal, focusing on individuals. And these films do more than hold a mirror up to society; they change the picture and the conversation, affecting history through the act of storytelling. Get the details.
The tomato behind The Three Tomatoes.
Cheryl Benton, aka the “head tomato” is founder and publisher of The Three Tomatoes, a digital lifestyle magazine for “women who aren’t kids”. Having lived and worked for many years in New York City, the land of size zero twenty-somethings, she was truly starting to feel like an invisible woman. She created The Three Tomatoes just for the fun of it as the antidote for invisibility and sent it to 60 friends. Today she has thousands of friends and is chief cheerleader for smart, savvy women who want to live their lives fully at every age and every stage. She is the author of the novel, "Can You See Us Now?" and co-author of a humorous books of quips, "Martini Wisdom." Because she's lived a long time, her full bio won't fit here. If you want the "blah, blah, blah", read more. www.thethreetomatoes.com/about-the-head-tomato
Thank you Nicole for the wonderfully nostalgic photos of small family owned shops. The fabric shop evokes fond memories of the one my mother and I shopped in to buy the beautiful fabric and lace with which she made my wedding gown. The big box stores and mall stores cannot compare with the friendliness and customer service of neighborhood shops of a bygone era. This was a great trip down memory lane!