Tag: Brookfield Place

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Culture Entertainment Events Music

“Summer Session” Concert Series

Summer Session Julia Easterlin
“Summer Session” performer Julia Easterlin. Photo courtesy of PatrickPKPR.

Beginning June 2 and running every Tuesday through the month of June, Arts Brookfield will be presenting a series of free musical performances, open to the public. Branded as “Summer Sessions,” each concert will feature either an emerging or established indie pop act.

“Summer Sessions is an opportunity for New Yorkers to experience an outstanding live music set against one of Lower Manhattan’s most stunning backdrops,” said Debra Simon, vice president and artistic director of Arts Brookfield. “We invite fans to discover an eclectic mix of original and exciting musical artists.”

The series begins with Body Language, an experimental pop quartet that blends electric takes on soul, R&B, and disco into their future-shocked music. Rolling Stone has called their music “soulful dance-worthy grooves.” The next weekend will feature singer/songwriter Margaret Glaspy, who has performed alongside Rachael Yamagata, Ricky Skaggs, John Scofield, Del McCoury, and many others.

Banda Manga will be featured on June 16. The group draws on their band members’ international backgrounds to include Brazilian, French, Greek, Columbian, and Afro-Peruvian influences. The group’s founder Magda Giannikou’s film scoring music has caught the attention of everyone from the Kronos Quartet to Louis CK. The following week, Julia Easterlin will be performing. Easterlin has performed at locations ranging from Lollapalooza to TEDxWomen to SXSW. She has been recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts in Miami and has traveled to Havana where she collaborated with Cuban performers to premiere a piece at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.

The series closes with Superhuman Happiness, an act which features a cast of various New Yorkers of different backgrounds performing both composed and improvised music.

The concerts will take place at the Waterfront Plaza at Brookfield Place. Each concert will begin at sunset.

by Alyssa Bajek

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Events LA News

Canstruction Has Returned To Brookfield Place

Photo: Courtesy of Downtown Express

Yes we CAN end hunger in New York. This year Brookfield place is hosting New York City’s most unique food charity-canstruction design/build. The ingenious competition culminates teams of inventive architects, engineers and students dedicated to creating artful structures using un-open food cans. These beautiful feats of creative compassion are put on display for the public to admire. These structures are then judged by local officials and a winner is declared.

Once the exhibition comes to an end, each art design is deconstructed and the cans are donated to City Harvest, an organization that aids in feeding New York’s hungry. This years 22nd annual Canstruction Design/Build exhibition resides in the lobby of 250 Brookfield Place, a spacious and naturally lit area that spotlights these charitable creations. The exhibition began November 6th and runs until November 20th.

-Maya Prejbisz

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Culture Music

Lower Manhattan’s 4th Annual Blues Festival

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Festival attendees admire the waterfront views while listening to their favorite blues artists.

Downtown Manhattan’s got the blues…or at least it did last week during Arts Brookfield’s fourth annual Lower Manhattan Blues Festival. The two-night affair attracted blues fans from all over the Tri-state area, and featured bands and artists like Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The Robert Cray Band, and John Hiatt. DOWNTOWN had the opportunity to attend the event held at Brookfield Place, a beautiful waterfront plaza peppered with restaurants, bars, and skyline views.

The setup of the festival was basic; rows of chairs sat at the edge of the plaza facing the stage, and guests had the opportunity to sit up close for the show, or enjoy the outdoor concert from afar. The stage was equipped with microphones, a blue drum set, and an arsenal of electric guitars. In between acts, guests could glance across the water for a distant view of the Statue of Liberty.

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The Robert Cray Band was a crowd favorite.

A festival favorite was The Robert Cray Band, who took the stage at approximately 8 p.m. on the second night of the event. Cray’s soulful vocal performance was perfectly paired with the band’s classic, rhythmic bass progressions. The set list showcased some of the group’s best tunes blending originality with familiar blues melodies. Robert Cray contorted his face with emotion as he bellowed passionate lyrics telling stories of heartbreak and betrayal. “She’s gonna lose the man who really loves her,” he sang. “And it’s all because of me.” Donning denim and drinking from red plastic cups, it was clear that the band was performing purely for the music, rather than for recognition or stardom. The group finished their set just as the sun began to set, shining hints of orange and pink highlights on the sailboats floating behind the stage.

Overall, the event was a hit. It was clear the music was enjoyed, not only by the audience members, but also by the musicians. The Blues Festival is just another one of the countless cultural perks Downtown Manhattan has to offer. We’re counting down the days until the Blues Festival returns next year.

-Linda Tell

– Photographs by Blair Kwon

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James Carter woos the crowd with his soulful saxophone solo

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Dining LA Living News

Brookfield Place: a luxury sanctuary coming to Downtown   

Brookfield Pavilion

Lower Manhattan has recently been experiencing a retail boom with the expected openings of the Fulton Center Mall, South Street Seaport and the World Trade Center Oculus Shops. Leading the way of these commercial hotspots is the soon to open Brookfield Place.

The towering waterfront office complex that faces the Hudson River on 200 Vesey St. has already lured in luxury brands such as Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg and Paul Smith to list a few. Though regardless of how many high end fashion commodities Brookfield Place will provide, it is important to mention that fine dining and exercise aren’t far behind.

For the dining experience, one of Brookfield’s signature destinations will be Le District, a French response to Eataly, the high-end supermarket with a settlement in the Flatiron District. Le District, owned by restaurant tycoon Peter Poulakakos, will be divided into “districts”: a restaurant, café, market, and garden area. It is expected to open late this year.

Next on the list of dining is Hudson Eats, a dining terrace which will feature 14 high-end counters that will seat up to 600 diners. Such eateries will include L.A.’s own Umami Burger, Dos Toros Taqueria from Brooklyn and Blue Ribbon Sushi. Alongside the casual food places, critically acclaimed chefs Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Jose Garces are planning an opening of world class restaurants each in the same location.

If you think you outdid yourself with lunch or dinner, an Equinox gym has been announced to open in the building this Fall if you wish to attend yoga sessions or cycling classes. Food and exercise aside, The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) has inked a slot in Brookfield Place as well as Bright Horizons Family Solutions opening a child care center.

Let us not take away the spotlight from the retail giants that plan to make Brookfield Place the most extravagant of shopping centers. Starting the list is Saks Fifth Avenue, which announced earlier this year the opening of their second flagship store at this very commercial center. Following the list are Italian powerhouses Ermenegildo Zegna and Salvatore Ferragamo, England’s finest, Burberry, and Hermes, the iconic French line. These and many more will be the tenants to promptly occupy space in New York’s newest fashion Shangri-La.

-Alejandro Ramos

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Business News Real Estate

Saks Fifth Avenue coming to downtown Manhattan

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Lower Manhattan is as good as set to home Saks Fifth Avenue’s second retail location in New York City.

It was reported last week by WWD that the luxury clothes store was on the verge of signing a deal to open at Brookfield Place, between Vesey Street and the Hudson River, where the World Financial Center stood previously. A source acquainted with the news released a statement saying, “Saks will anchor Brookfield Place, making it the indisputable luxury destination downtown.”

Saks representatives and national director of retail leasing for Brookfield Place, Ed Hogan, reserved their comments on the news story. However, sources stated that the department store would take a significant amount of space in the shopping center.

Along with Saks Fifth Avenue, other high end retail lines such as Michael Kors, Hermés and Ferragamo have been announced to be homed by Brookfield Place as well. Barneys New York has also made plans to open its doors in lower Manhattan with the likes of a 57,000-square- foot store by 2017, at Seventh Avenue and 16th Street.

Saks has also made plans to branch out its outlet, Saks Off 5th, at the Westfield World Trade Center, close to the Century 21 store downtown. It would be the first of their discount stores to open within the five boroughs. Other businesses shifting into the FiDi shopping district are J. Crew, Paul Smith, independent bookseller Posman Books LLC., and several others according to New York City-based retail scene blog Racked NY.

-Luis Cuevas.