New Year’s Eve Concerts and Events

It’s hard believe but 2013 has come and gone. By midweek, it will be 2014 and New York City will be in cleanup mode. But Tuesday is New Year’s Eve, and that mean it’s time to party. Here are the best New Year’s concerts, parties and events to ring in 2014 in NYC:

image via barclayscenter.com

The best New Year’s Eve Cruise in town sets sail at 10 p.m.

Billy Joel will play Barclays Center with Ben Folds Five

Jill Scott will take the stage at Radio City Music Hall

There will be New Year’s Eve Fireworks in Prospect Park

image via nyrr.org

Central Park will host a midnight run for NY Road Runners

The Disco biscuits will host the party at the Theater at MSG

Phish will take the main stage at Madison Square Garden

Gov’t Mule will play the Beacon Theatre

image via straightfresh.com

Deadmau5 plays Nassau Coliseum to ring in the new year

Gogol Bordello will be live at Terminal 5

 

See New York City in One Day

New York City can be pretty big sometimes. Big and intimidating. When you travel here, you probably ask yourself how can I see all of New York City in one day? Is there a tour that I can see the top NYC sights in a short time so I can save the rest of my week for other sightseeing activities? Well, now there is.

Introducing the all new New York City in One Day Tour!

In this 6-hour personalized tour of 12 people or less, you will sightsee by foot, minibus and boat. See all of the top New York attractions like the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge with a knowledgeable, local tour guide. Experience the neighborhoods of Manhattan, the New York skyline from the Hudson River, and more when you sign on for the New York City in One Day Tour.

Highlights:

• 6-hour New York sightseeing tour, led by a friendly local guide
• See top New York attractions by foot, minibus and sightseeing boat
• Relax aboard a minibus and pass sights such as the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center
• Stroll past New York City Hall and Brooklyn Bridge, and wander along the High Line, an elevated parkland walkway
• Enjoy a 1.5-hour New York Harbor sightseeing cruise and view the Statue of Liberty alongside other sights
• Small-group tour with a maximum of 13 people ensures personalized attention from a guide

You can book this brand new tour now online (New York City in One Day Tour) or by calling our visitors center 1-800-669-0051

NYC Activities for the Week of December 16

Photo courtesy of Annapurna Productions

Here’s what’s happening this week in New York City:

The Magic flute comes to the Met Opera 16

The Devil’s Disciple is this month’s Project Shaw at Symphony Space 16

Colum McCann and Norman Rush host a talk with 92Y 16

A Book party featuring the autobiography of Katz’s Deli is hosted at the Powerhouse Arena in DUMBO 17

In the High Country is premiering in NYC 17

The Jimmy V Classic hits The Garden 17

John Mayer and Phillip Phillips play Barclays Center 17

The New York Pops come to Carnegie Hall 19

The Winter Solstice Celebration begins at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine 19

A Screening and discussion of american hustle with director David O. Russell 19

Beyonce brings the Mrs. Carter Tour to Brooklyn 19

the Dukies and UCLA come to MSG for a college basketball classic 19

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live Holiday Shows begins at Beacon Theatre 20

The Battle for New York’s Ice, the Islanders take on the Rangers at MSG 20

Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational features Michigan, Stanford and more 21

110 Things to Know if You’re Visiting NYC This Winter

It may not be winter yet, but it’s officially the holiday season. A few month back we brought you 108 things to know if you were visiting NYC this fall, and you loved it. So its only appropriate we outdo ourselves once again this winter. Some things still hold true, like staying out of empty subway cars, but all in all it’s updated to reflect the next few months. So brace yourselves because after this list you’ll definitely be ready to visit NYC.

Sports

1. Head over to MSG for the Big East Tournament from March 12 – 16
   
2. Catch the A10 Tournament at the Barclays Center from March 12 – 16
3. The Super Bowl will be held at MetLife Stadium on February 2
4. Super Bowl Boulevard will be held on Broadway between 34^th and 44^th Streets and will be free to the public from January 29-February 1
5. Yankee Stadium will play home to a pair of outdoor hockey games with the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders

Arts

1. The Intrepid is a museum on an aircraft carrier, which is awesome
2. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre has some amazing shows with cheap prices, too.
3. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is known for its unique building and is also a landmark of NYC
4. If you love spoken word you will have a good time at any poetry cafes in Manhattan
5. Harlem has some historic libraries, great dance schools, and art too.
6. Many Museums, including the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, have a suggested donation to enter, but you don’t have to pay anything at all. If you can afford to, you should pay the requested amount so that these museums will continue to be some of the best in the world.
7. Visit Radio City Music Hall this winter to see the famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular
8. MoMa also has five new exhibitions planned for this winter such as Ileana Sonnabend: Ambassador for the New on December 21
9. The Guggenheim has two new exhibitions launching this winter, including CARRIE MAE WEEMS: THREE DECADES OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO on January 24
10. Brooklyn Museum will have one new exhibition for the winter called Witness: Art and Civil Rights in the Sixties on March 7
11. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has four new exhibitions launching this winter, including Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary Chinaon on December 11
12. The Met is also now open seven days a week
13. There are like, a bazillion museums in NYC, not just the couple we named. You should check out as many as you can while in the city.
14. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has a lineup of amazing concerts, plays, and films throughout the winter
15. Visit Queens to see the Louis Armstrong House Museum which feature rare at home recordings of the jazz legend
16. It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play will be making its debut December 6^th at the Clarence Brown Theater
17. The Whitney Museum of Natural Art will be adding 2 new exhibitions this winter including Edward Steichen in the 1920s and 1930s: A Recent Acquisition
18. Check out the Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Parade festival celebration on February 2
19. Westminster Kennel Club 138 Annual Dog Show premiers on February 10
20. Head over to the Javits Convention Center to see the New York Progressive International Motorcycle Show on December 16
21. Join in the celebration of winter sports in the Winter Jam NYC being held in the heart of central park on January 25
22. The New York Jewish Film Festival is January 8 – 23
23. The Armory Show and Armory Arts week will be held on March 5 – 10
24. Head to the Joyce Theater shows like Focus Dance
25. The Theater at St. Clement’s will be showing the classic A Christmas Carol on January 4

Music

1. Greenwich Village is known for having great live music
2. Madison Square Garden begins this winter with some big time headliners, including Billy Joel and Justin Timberlake
3. Barclays Center, The Garden’s Brooklyn counterpart, hosts some of the biggest names in Music this winter, including Pink, John Mayer, Beyoncé and Pitbull
4. The Beacan Theater will have a wide variety of holiday shows and act like Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays,
5. New York Guitar Festival is January 10-29 at Brookfield Place Winter Garden, SubCulture, Merkin Concert Hall
6. NYC Winter Jazzfest is January 7 – 11
7. GlobalFest is January 12 at Webster Hall
8. Z100’s Jingle Ball 2013 is December 13 at MSG

The Holidays

1. The Holiday Season is bigger in NYC than in other places. We really get into it.
2. The Tree Lighting remains lit every day from 5:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m., except Christmas and New Year’s Eve which have special hours. The Tree will remain lit until January 7, 2014
3. Come see the world’s largest Hanukkah Menorah at Grand Army Plaza
4. Time Square is the place to be on New Year’s Eve to watch their famous ball drop
5. Celebrate the holidays at the world famous Apollo Theater for their Holidays at the Apollo shows running all through December
6. Don’t Miss American Ballet Theater’s The Nutcracker premiering on December 13
7. Rockefeller Center has one of the world’s most famous ice rinks, right beneath the tree
8. Kick off your New Years by participating in the New York Road Runners Midnight Run at 72nd Street Transverse near Cherry Hill
9. Celebrate Valentine’s Day in New York with a nice romantic Carriage Ride in Central Park
10. Celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Fifth Avenue

Food

1. Four star restaurants have long waiting lists. Make your reservations now.
2. There are about 42 million fast food restaurants in NYC, but you shouldn’t go to any of them. At any given moment you will be within a 5 minute walk of low priced, better tasting burgers/chicken/tacos.
3. Our dollar slices probably taste better than what you’re used to, but if you want really good pizza, the extra money is worth it.
4. Don’t be afraid to try the pretzels at the hot dog stands
5. Food trucks are awesome, try them!

Transportation

1. The subway costs just $2.50 per ride, and can get just about anywhere in the city.
2. Save your metro card because it’s a $1 additional fee for a new one
3. If you’re staying for a week, you should buy a 7-Day Unlimited Pass which is good for unlimited subway and local bus rides for $30.
4. The subway runs 24 hours a day and 7 days a week
5. When waiting for the train, stand behind the yellow platform edge strip.
6. Don’t try to hold the door on the subway. People will hate you.
7. Don’t block the doorway on the subway. People will hate you.
8. Let people off the train before getting on.
9. If all of the subway cars are crowded except for one, which is empty, get on the crowded car.
10. You read that right, don’t get on the empty car. There’s a reason it’s empty.
11. Be aware of your surroundings
12. Trains usually run local or express, so if you are unsure you may want to ask a person or choose a local train
13. Make sure you know exactly where you’re going before you swipe your card, you can’t get a refund using the subway.
14. It can become very crowded on the trains. You will be surprised of the capacity.
15. Taxis tend to go out of service around the afternoon rush. Plan accordingly.
16. When catching a taxi you should get one in the direction you are going, it will save time and money
17. The Staten Island Ferry is free

Shopping

1. 5th Avenue has top of the line products, and prices to match
2. SoHo has less expensive clothing stores and trendy boutiques
3. Chinatown has incredibly cheap prices, and products to match
4. Union Square is one of the most popular places to shop.
5. Greenwich Village is filled with designer labels.
6. Herald Square has almost every chain store
7. Macy’s on 34th Street is the world’s largest department store and a registered NYC landmark.

Parks

1. Central Park is the largest park in Manhattan, but the 5th largest in NYC.
2. Brooklyn Bridge Park has an incredible view of the Manhattan Skyline.
3. Riverbank State Park is a great park too including a gym, and kids facilities
4. The High Line is an old elevated railway converted into a park
5. Battery Park has a beautiful waterfront, and is where you pick up the ferry to the Statue of Liberty
6. All of NYC’s parks are free to enter
7. Bryant Park has a reading room, ping pong, games, carousel, free ice skating and chess.
8. Central Park has a pair of ice rinks, one at 59th, the other at 106th.
9. Here’s a list of parks with free Wi-Fi
10. Washington Square Park has never a dull moment with constant entertainment to enjoy like break dancers and artists.

Pro-Tips

1. Even numbered streets run east
2. 5th Avenue is considered the center of the city. Any address like E. 42nd street is east of 5th, and address like W. 42nd street is west of 5th
3. 6th Avenue also goes by Avenue of the Americas because of the statues on Central Park South where it meets 6th
4. The numbers on the lights in Central Park refer to the closest cross street
5. When hailing a taxi…
6. Download a city/subway map to your phone. One less awkward thing to carry, and you don’t have the “tourist” look every time you need directions
7. It’s safe to get lost on the street in Manhattan, it’s fun in any neighborhood and you get a chance to explore parts that a tour guide wouldn’t typically show you.
8. If you happen to see a person having trouble standing because of age or an infant, the subway etiquette is to give up your seat.
9. Be prepared to do the most walking you ever done in your life. Wear comfortable shoes.

Miscellaneous Tips and Facts worth knowing

1. Don’t forget to take pictures of things. NYC is a beautiful city and worth sharing with your friends back home.
2. When you take these pictures, if you abruptly stop walking in the middle of the sidewalk, people like you a little less. Don’t do that.
3. Try not to text while walking.
4. Think of walking like driving: If you’re going to walk slowly, stay to the right. If you want to walk fast you can “pass” on the left. The same rule applies for standing on escalators.
5. Always carry some cash. You won’t need it everywhere, but you will need it more than where you’re from (probably)
6. Tipping for quality service is a nice thing to do, and being nice is totally awesome
7. Remember New York City can be very expensive, so spend wisely so you can be able to see a lot of what New York has to offer
8. New York City is divided into five boroughs-Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Staten Island
9. Streets run east/west, avenues run north/south (in Manhattan)
10. SoHo is south of Houston (pronounced HOUSE-ton) Street
11. TriBeCa is the Triangle Below Canal Street
12. If you ever need help with something, just ask someone. Contrary to popular belief, New Yorkers tend to be very nice
13. Don’t worry about the cat in the bodega, it’s there for your benefit
14. Be prepared to see anything on the streets on NYC.

48 hour Film Challenge Uses Double Decker Bus As Prop

This past weekend, 26 teams from all around NYC spent 48 hours making movies. Each team was given a film genre, a tag line, and a prop that all had to be used. This year’s prop was a Gray Line New York double decker bus. 26 teams, 26 movies. Here they are, vote at the bottom and tell us which one is your favorite!