Tag: nightlife

Categories
NYC Travel

Make Your Next Vacation Brooklyn

There is much more to see and experience in the vibrant city of New York than the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Empire State Building, or the glitzy couture of the Upper East Side.

If you want to walk the off-beaten path, plan your next holiday in Brooklyn – the home to everything you’d otherwise miss in NYC. It reflects the artistic and urban side of New York, bubbling with rich culture, flea markets, live music, vintage stores, millennial neighborhoods, and of course, its exciting nightlife.    

 

 

 

A Perfect Treat to Your Eyes

 

If your tired eyes need a rest, escape into the greenery of Prospect Park, the little sibling to Manhattan’s Central Park, but rich in captivating sights and exciting things to do. The picturesque beauty and tranquility of Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and McCarren Park will enthrall your senses – a perfect relaxing vacation to rejuvenate your mind and body!

Poetica Coffee

Stay on Top of the Hottest Trends 

 

What the world thinks tomorrow, Brooklyn does it today! There goes the famous saying. So, you can expect to explore the latest trends being in Brooklyn than anywhere else. From music to fashion to food and travel, they have seen it all. 

 

Street Fair

 

Experience the Best Street Art Ever 

 

Have a knack for art? The enticing street artwork on the walls of Bushwick will leave you overwhelmed. Take a lazy afternoon stroll through the neighborhood streets to discover the most awe-inspiring, elaborate, and intriguing murals adorning the Bushwick walls. You can also take a Graffiti Tour to get up close and personal with the artists who create these eye-catching pieces of art on the walls. 

Soak the Sun for a Real Beach Experience in New York 

 

The enigma of sun-kissed beaches and the vivacity of NYC may not connect at a first glance. But Brooklyn adds a touch of magic, presenting exquisite beaches that adorn Coney Island, the Rockaways, or Bergen Beach.

You can also plan your vacation in Brooklyn to coincide with the famous Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest or Mermaid Day Parade for a memorable experience. 

Condor Hotel

 

Brooklyn is the Home to Some of the Best Hotels in NYC 

 

Not just exceptional sightseeing, music, or culture; Brooklyn is home to some of the finest hotels in NYC, including the Condor Brooklyn Hotel.

Enjoy accommodation in spacious suites and deluxe rooms, equipped with modern amenities and dedicated guest service. The hotels offer exclusive facilities, making your holiday in Brooklyn more cherished. 

Smorgasburg

Do Not Miss Eating at Smorgasburg Food Market 

 

Your trip to Brooklyn is incomplete without savoring mouth-watering delicacies at the Smorgasburg outdoor food market in Williamsburg and Prospect Park – a delightful gastronomic experience for food lovers. 

 

Plan your vacation in Brooklyn and create memories you will cherish forever. 

 

Categories
Featured News NYC

Tips For Kicks: Help Those In The Service Industry Directly Affected by COVID-19

New York is eerily quiet now, the usual bustle and clamour of the bars silenced. You can even hear birds chirping in the trees; a peaceful juxtaposition to the collective despair currently facing New York City’s service industry. Hundreds of thousands of hardworking servers, cooks, bartenders, co-ordinators and baristas are suddenly stranded without any source of income. Because of the nature of their jobs, those in the service industry cannot work from home and have had their hours cut or eliminated for the foreseeable future. Many are reliant on tips to survive, with thousands of food servers and bartenders otherwise earning under the standard minimum wage with no access to health care. As New York’s hospitality industry wrestles with the COVID-19 crisis, public, private, and non-profit sectors are striving to ensure that the city’s 321,000 food and beverage workers maintain some economic security and access to healthcare.

These are people holding up the fabric of our society. This crisis affects literally everyone who has ever eaten in a restaurant, gotten their hair professionally done, had a mani-pedi, ordered a cup of coffee, or gotten a drink at a bar.

Ivy X, a law student who works for a major talent industry, immediately organized Tips For Kicks NYC, a GoFundMe focusing solely on tipping service industry workers.

“Think about how much you tip for a coffee, a meal, a haircut, or a live band playing at a bar,” she says. You donate however much you want. It goes into a pot and is divided among applicants who have been immediately impacted.”

Tips For Kicks has almost met their initial goal of $1000, but more is encouraged and everything goes straight to the recipients as a regular tip jar would.

HOW SOON TO DONATE:
The campaign will run through Saturday, March 28th to ensure that workers can get their tips ASAP.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:
You must be an NYC resident who relies on tips to supplement your income. You must apply by Monday, March 23rd to be considered.

Email the following to tipsforkicksnyc@gmail.com :
• Proof of employment
• A short description of the nature of your work
• Your Venmo handle

All applicants will be notified whether they are approved through email.

SEE MORE:

Le Poisson Rouge Asking For Assistance For Its Employees/Operational Expenses

CM Chin Calls For Emergency Assistance To Frontline Senior Center Workers

Categories
Culture Entertainment Events Featured Movies Outdoor

Brooklyn Bridge Park Celebrates Their 20th Anniversary of Free Public Programs

Movies with a View in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Movies with a View in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo Credit Etienne Frossard

Brooklyn Bridge Park is celebrating their 20th anniversary of free public programs with their Movies With a View event and if you’re looking for something relaxing to do this summer, this is perfect. They will be showing several public movies on Pier 1’s Harbor View Lawn throughout July and August.

Bring plenty of blankets for seating to get a view of the movies featured in Brooklyn Bridge Park, which are some of the more popular films over the 20-year history including Selma, Girlfight, Crooklyn, and Pariah. Pariah, directed by Dee Rees, which is also based in Brooklyn, is about a teenage, African American who is struggling to bring out her identity as a lesbian to her friends and family.

The event will begin at 6 pm with food vendors, a DJ, as well as a short film put together by BAM Cinematek. Some of the food vendors that will make their return to the park are Burger Supreme, Home Frite, and Bona Bona Ice Cream along with some new food vendors including Groundlings Pizza, Destination Dumplings, and Vayalo Cocina.

Here is a list of dates and movies that will be shown at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Bring your friends and family for a movie night under the stars.

July 11th: Pariah

July 18th: Girlfight

July 25th: It Happened One Night

August 1st: Crooklyn

August 8th: The Big Lebowski

August 15th: An American Trail

August 22nd: Selma

August 29th: Public Vote (The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Groundhog Day, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

'Movies with a View' event in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
‘Movies with a View’ event in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo Credit Etienne Frossard
Categories
Featured

Breaking Ice with Rev Run & DJ Ruckus at the Seaport

Breaking Ice with Rev Run
Downtown Seaport NYC Winter

Last night we went old school with Rev Run and DJ Ruckus, for the pre-opening of Winterland at The Seaport. It was truly a magical evening, and seeing our Downtown New York City skyline from rooftop perspectives is something we are quite used to, but this view takes the prize for the WOW factor.

Breaking Ice with Rev Run & DJ Ruckus at the SeaportThe Masters of Rap

The Seaport is an 11-block area that lies along the East River, next to the Financial District. It is home to some of the oldest architecture in the city and was incredibly important to the early maritime industry of New York. You can learn more about the historic area by visiting the South Street Seaport Museum.

Breaking Ice with

Today the Seaport is owned and managed by Howard Hughes Corporation. Although there was more than enough controversy about the development of the Seaport, the effort was successful to bring it into the new millennium with the redevelopment of this historic area into a shopping and lifestyle destination. The $785 million, 400,000-square-foot development led by CEO David Weinreb, includes 10 Corso, Malibu Farm, ESPN, Tuck Room, iPic Theater, R 17, Mr. C. Seaport (left), SJP Collection (below), and soon but not soon enough, our dear friend Jean George Vongerichten, along with David Chang and more.

 

Breaking Ice with

 

 

Last night our Editor in Chief Deb Martin and I danced, jumped, ate, and drank our way through a fun-filled evening with the opening of Winterland, the only outdoor ice skating rooftop in all of New York. AND we also had the pleasure of sitting down with DJ Run, founder of Run D.M.C. and the evening’s featured entertainer.

 

Breaking Ice with Rev Run & DJ Ruckus at the Seaport

Grace A. Capobianco What do you think about downtown and where this area has come from since 9\11?

Rev Run It’s amazing. We’re a fighting town, a fighting spirit, we pull together. You never know how you will pull together until you have to, nobody knows how strong they are until they have to. I love the fierceness of our people, we pull together, I think that we are on our way to be “all the way up!”

GC When you were playing the song Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys and JayZ you just blew it out of the park, and the crowd tonight went crazy. Could you feel the energy in the room?

 

Breaking Ice with Rev Run

 

RR Yes, I did, you gotta push it, I helped to push the record tonight.

GC What do you think of rap today from where it began?

RR Listen, you gotta look at Jay Z and people like that. People progress. People are always saying, I like it better with Run DMC and LL Cool J, but if you look at it you see Drake is doing something very authentic too. He sings, he can make a song, and he gets mad when he is not put up for pop song of the year. He has the most dreams, he’s the biggest star around so what do I think of Drake, JayZ, and Beyonce touring the world? I mean I can’t sit here and say, “Oh it was better when Run DMC played the Garden. Today Jay Z and Beyonce are playing stadiums, things are progressing. I love to hear the record we played Fat Joe All The Way, you said your theme song is Empire State of Mind, but also the hits keep coming, it’s the leading music.

Deb Martin Does it make you feel good to see the evolution of rap? You are one of the pioneers.

Rev Run I don’t take that credit because you have Grand Master Flash, Cold Crush Brothers, I don’t take credit from it. I was glad God gave me a talent. You see my show this isn’t Run DMC, I’m a DJ, I’m playing all these hit records from other people so I’m grateful for my place in the story, and I love hip-hop so I’m proud of all it. I’m looking at Kurtis Blow with the Hip Hop Nutcracker right now, there is just so much going on.

DM I love that, what a great idea that is.

Rev Run Yes, it’s blowing my mind and he’s killing it too. So if you think of it, I was the son of Kurtis Blow years ago, he called himself the King of Rap, then Run DMC came along and we were the Kings of Rap. Then he had a Christmas record and we had Christmas in Hollis so I don’t think any one person can claim Kingship cause you know, the Lord picks you up and puts you down, and then picks up somebody else.

DM It’s amazing to see the progression and the evolution of the music.

RR Yeah, I love it I just wait for the new stars with the new voices, but you know, there’s nothing new under the sun. I’ll be here today, and 100 years from now they will have my records and there will be somebody else claiming that they’re the King.

GC Do you feel that rap has moved more into the mainstream now a lot more people are listening to it now?

RR It’s a big big deal like I say you have to go back to Jay Z and Beyonce they sell out. Before you blink your eyes it’s sold out. JayZ puts out a record and the people go crazy, and Drake, same thing. Lil Wayne put out a record with Swizz Beatz recently after years of battling with his record company and it’s a hit record right now. So I just think that it’s all progressing and it’s all good!

GC What’s your favorite restaurant downtown New York City

Rev Run Man, you’re putting me on the spot in front of all these beautiful downtown restaurants! – you know my favorite restaurant downtown, the one with the garage doors, Barbuto. My wife and I love to eat there.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Culture Featured Miami

Up-Close and Personal with NYC Pride’s Leading Promoter Jake Resnicow

NYC’s Biggest Gay Party Producer Takes The World Stage

Jake Resnicow is New York City’s biggest gay party producer, producing a series of monthly mega-events in New York City, including M.E.A.T., U-NITE and VERS.  He has made a name for himself as a party-giving philanthropist, raising over $2 million by producing some of the city’s most prestigious fundraiser events for organizations including Trevor Project, Ali Forney Center, and It Gets Better.  Jake is a force outside of the city as well.  He is the producer of Matinée USA, an extension of the party brand that launched in Ibiza twenty years ago.  Like its European predecessor, his events in Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles are spectacles, incorporating elaborate theatrical sets and musical productions.  Last month, he took on his biggest project to date, producing the main event at Vienna’s Life Ball, Europe’s grandest philanthropic event for HIV/AIDS.  The event attracted stars Patti LaBelle, Paris Jackson, Kelly Osborne and more.

Q&A With NYC Pride’s Leading Promoter Jake Resnicow

  1. Who is Jake Resnicow? (Tell us about yourself & the creation of Matinée etc.)
I’ve always had a passion for throwing special events. When I was 14, I started an entertainment company, doing everything from MC’ing weddings to DJing school dances. While in school, I took on a part-time job as Nightlife Editor for EDGE magazine. On a trip to Spain, I was blown away by Matinée, and decided to pursue my dream of bringing the magical nightlife experience to the U.S.
It all started in New York City during Pride 2010 where we transformed Manhattan’s Governor’s Island into an over-the-top outdoor dance arena from day into night. At sunset, a surprise fireworks display ignited the skyline. This was the moment I knew I found my calling…
  1. What is your inspiration and vision for this year’s Matinée pride events?
I’m all about creating unique experiences for all guests to be free to express themselves and leave WOWed. I love being a Special Event producer because I can look at each event as a blank canvas. I especially look forward to our annual LUVBOAT Sunset Pride Cruise that sails past the Statue of Liberty, under the Brooklyn Bridge, and into the fireworks. It’s magical.
  1. What DJ’s are you using this Pride?
We always invite a diverse, international lineup to deliver a sexy, vocal sound that progresses throughout the weekend. This past year included Danny Verde (Italy), Dan Slater (Austrailia), Nina Flower (Puerto Rico), Phil Romano (Barcelona), and local favorites Paulo, Cindel and Joe Pacheco.
  1. Who are the Jake Resnicow followers?
I realize you’re only as good as your last event. I truly appreciate each and every guest for their support over the years. You inspire me to do what I do.
  1. What is your involvement with the Life Ball in Vienna?
Life Ball is Europe’s HIV/AIDS biggest charity event. This past year, I produced the Main Floor inside Vienna’s city hall, treating guests to live performances by international talent. It’s a life-changing event and I highly recommend everyone attend at least once!
  1. What is your preferred charity and or cause?
I am passionate about giving back. It’s been an honor to support Life Ball over the past 5 years. They’ve raised over 30 million euros that go directly to fighting HIV/AIDS around the world. Every year around the holidays, we pick a charity to donate event proceeds. This has included Lambda Legal, The Trevor Project, Ali Forney Center, and the It Gets Better Project. These are all essential organizations that do amazing work for our community.
  1. As one of the leading Promoters of “NYC Gay Nightlife”, what separates you from the rest?
I truly love what I do. I look at every event as an opportunity to elevate the experience and go further. I’m fortunate to have an incredible creative team; we challenge each other on a daily basis.
  1. Who would you like to have as your ideal performer at your pride events?
There are so many legends I would love to welcome on-stage. If I had to pick one, I would say Beyoncé.
  1. What are the essentials in your closet and favorite color?
Black jeans, the perfect tee and a classic blazer. I am always one to throw in pops of color, but black is my go-to. I’m also a big fan of Patricia Fields ArtFashion store in New York for one-of-a-kind pieces.
  1. Which gay icon do you prefer (Team ) Lady Gaga or (Team) Katy Perry?
They are both amazing. I have to go with Gaga.
  1. What music are you listening to in your playlist?
I’ve really gotten into Tropical House, especially Thomas Jack’s podcast.
  1. What is your favorite song, favorite genre of music and favorite artist right now?
Diva from Club 69 compilation CD by Peter Rauhofer cause I’m a diva from head to toe! 🙂
  1. What do you want everyone to experience and take with them when they go to a Jake Resnicow event?
My mission is to give each guest an unforgettable experience with every event we throw. I welcome feedback, whether it’s positive or negative. It’s how we continue to get better.
  1. What’s your favorite food and cocktail?
I love a good spicy margarita… I’ve gotten into a morning routine of making homemade acaí protein bowls every morning.
  1. What is your favorite #hashtag and top 3 people you follow on instagram?
#Happy, I follow @life_ballofficial, @madonna & @kylieminogue
  1. What is your favorite gay travel destination?
Spain is amazing. It’s where I first got inspired to get into nightlife. The people, the energy, the music, it’s infectious.
  1. What are you currently reading?
Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking
  1. What is your favorite gadget?
The DJI Spark drone is a game-changer. Fits in your hand, easy to use and creates amazing aerial videos!
  1. Who or what did you last google?
Myself 🙂
  1. Who is your favorite designer and what was your last purchase?
I love DSQUARED, especially their jeans and shoes. For party gear, I love Maor Luz and ASOS.
  1. What is your favorite LGBTQ TV show?
I’m all about Ryan Murphy’s new show POSE. Highly recommend!
  1. Who is your favorite actor and actress?
Dominique Jackson & Billy Porter
  1. Give us one phrase to describe Gay Pride in NYC?
Extraordinary
  1. What is the next big thing you are working on?
For the first time in U.S. history, World Pride comes to New York in 2019 and we’re prepping a series of massive Main Events. Stay tuned for major announcements at WorldPrideWeek.com
  1. What does Downtown NYC mean to you?
Downtown truly gets the beat and culture of NYC. Keep up the great work!
Categories
Entertainment Events Featured

Glamour and Girls: An Ode to The NY Playboy Club

The world-famous womanizer and business mogul Hugh Hefner and the Playboy empire that he built from scratch are still guaranteed to draw a wide range of strong opinions even today. Regardless of what people think about his ventures, few can deny the impact his notorious Playboy Clubs have had on fashion, pop culture and nightlife in general. 

 

The most famous of these now mostly defunct spaces was the New York City Playboy Club, a gargantuan building which took up a considerable portion of the neon Babylon that was 59th Street. The NYC club first opened up in 1962, a few years before the party-focused ’70s, which has marked people’s impressions of the neighborhood ever since. This Playboy Club was all about sophistication and glamour, where successful young men could go to feel doted on and entertained by beautiful young women. The cost of a membership key was $25 per year, and many of the “bunnies” later went on to become celebrities in their own right. Here’s how the New York Playboy Club dominated the downtown scene of the ’60s and ’70s and helped define nightlife in the Warhol era.

So what can we learn from its trailblazing success?

A key part of the Club’s appeal with the denizens of Downtown Manhattan was the promise of high-class partying with a touch of luxury in every corner. The location of the club was a stone’s throw away from the iconic Madison Avenue, where the famous depictions of the “Mad Men” who ran the world of advertising spent most of their days. This very strategic location was a stroke of genius for Hefner, who knew the Club would be ideally placed for the stressed out and wealthy professionals of the neighborhood to escape and relax after a crazy day at the office. The club focused on high-quality classic cocktails, sumptuous furnishings from celebrated designers, and over-the-top luxury service to make the members feel at home. This over-the-top style was a precursor to come of the other high-class clubs which later came to own the New York scene, such as Studio 54 and Nell’s. Playboy was a trailblazer.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=sdiUzyiE66A

The Playboy Club (especially in NYC) operated by an almost Byzantine set of standards and rules for those aspiring to be members, but once you made it through the golden gated entrance, many of the rules of the outside world simply did not apply. That mixture of exclusivity and permissiveness is difficult to get right but has been the essence of iconic nightlife venues, especially in New York, with the Continental Baths and of course The Limelight being key examples of clubs who followed the formula first established by Playboy and went on to dominate the scene. The gorgeous bunnies were on hand to encourage a bit of debauchery and keep the atmosphere light, which was a key part of their purpose at the Clubs.

 

Playboy Today

Although the NYC Playboy Club may be gone, for now, it is indeed making a comeback, with the reincarnated Club set to open on East 42nd Street sometime next year. The Playboy brand has bounced back in many ways since the heady days of the ’60s, with the iconic bunny image firmly making a mark on fashion, with jewelry, dresses, and underwear all baring this trendy logo. Beyond the magazine which initially launched the brand, Playboy has made some seriously impressive strides into the entertainment industry, with a Playboy: the Mansion video game by HIP Interactive which became an instant hit a few years back.

An officially licensed online slot called Playboy Gold is available on Betway casino, and their recently-launched streaming platform Playboy TV now is the place to go for beautiful women and even thought-provoking documentaries on relationships and more. The sleek and stylish bunny logo is now a 21st-century fashion icon for men and women alike, and you don’t have to look far to see people on the dancefloor rocking a bestselling Playboy Party Dress, or even sipping on a glass of increasingly-vaunted Playboy wine. It’s no secret that Playboy’s enduring effect on culture and nightlife is still strongly felt today.

So the Playboy Club came and went, and took with it a unique moment in the history of New York City nightlife, just before the dirt and liveliness of the ’70s scene took over, to be followed by the bubblegum pop culture of ’80s Manhattan.

Luckily, we have another incarnation to look forward to – so, hopefully, see you in the bunny lounge!