Entertain | Citybuzz - A Vidicom and Christy Ferer Guide to Travel

New York

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+ Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between

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+ The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection includes some of the best-known paintings by the greatest European artists, major works of sculpture (among them one of the finest groups of small bronzes in the world), superb eighteenth-century French furniture and porcelains, Limoges enamels, Oriental rugs, and other works of remarkable quality.

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+ Broadway Bodies with Thomas Farely.

Broadway Cardio” at Broadway Bodies was a better workout, and “Dance Workout” at Downtown Dance Factory was definitely more hip. Both had enthusiastic instructors who eased my first-timers’ nervousness. The fun factor of each was about even for me—I recommend trying whichever type of music is more your style. Both studios also offer additional classes, from Michael Jackson Mondays to Rock n’ Roll Ballet.

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+ NEUE Galerie’s Scott Gutterman Relaxes at Prospect Park

Believe it or not, Central Park is not the only park in New York City. Brooklyn native and Deputy Director Scott Gutterman of one of New York's coolest museums, the NEUE Galerie, knows that Brooklyn's Prospect Park is the hidden gem for a perfect urban escape. "As much as I love Central Park," Scott told citybuzz, "I think Prospect Park is a fantastic place. They have amazing concerts in the summer, lots of beautiful meadows, and it's a little more rolling and winding so it gets a lot of respect from the city."

Located in the heart of New York's most populated borough- yep, Brooklyn- Prospect Park is the place where true locals go to hang out. Designed by the same architects who created Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, is bigger in some ways than its more famous counterpart: a 90-acre Long Meadow, 60-acre lake and Brooklyn's only forest. But that's not all, Prospect Park has the nation's first urban Audobon Center, a zoo and every summer there's the Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Center, on top of year round tennis, playgrounds, and twilight tours that are like an urban safari, but with wine and cheese! Of course, Prospect Park is also great for a romantic stroll and the perfect excuse to get out of Manhattan and visit- for most New Yorkers- the real New York City. *** Scott Gutterman is the Deputy Director of the NEUE Galerie on Museum Mile near Central Park. NEUE Galerie focuses on early twentieth-century German and Austrian art, including famed works from Gustav Klimt, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Otto Dix.

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+ Carnegie Hall: The World’s Premier Stage

Practice, practice, practice - and a lot of talent - is the only way onto the world's most prized stage, Carnegie Hall, but for those who enjoy listening to world class talent, buying a ticket to one of the amazing concerts is equally as impressive. Pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff made his debut on Carnegie Hall's main stage, as well as hosting performances from cellist Yo-Yo Ma, opera legends Maria Callas and Luciano Pavarotti, conductor Leonard Bernstein to jazz artists Ella Fitzgerald. With its largest hall, the Isaac Stern Auditorium, open since 1891,

Carnegie Hall is the premier classical music performance space for legends of yesterday and today. The Isaac Stern Auditorium is what comes to mind when one thinks of what a classical concert auditorium should look like. Beautiful, with a striking curvilinear design and five levels of seating that holds up to 2,804 people, its renowned acoustics is one of the reasons why Carnegie Hall has been a favorite for audiences and performers for over a century. There are also smaller halls that are ideal for intimate performances, recitals, chamber music concerts, discussions, master classes and more. With over 200 concerts a year, Carnegie Hall is the place to go for classical music as well as performances from popular artists, like country singer Reba McEntire and Broadway star Patti LuPone. There are also major international and national festivals, like JapanNYC led by Artistic Director Seiji Ozawa, that take place throughout the year, offering concerts as well as films, lectures, readings, museum exhibits, and more.

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+ Performance Art Is Defined At Lincoln Center

With a new fountain in place of the iconic plaza fountain, it seems that things are changing at Lincoln Center. Yet, one thing that has not changed for the 16.3-acre complex is its role as the world’s leading performing arts center. Home to 12 resident arts organizations and 26 amazing performance venues, Lincoln Center is the epitome of art and performance in New York City. One of its most famous facilities is the

magnificent 3,900-seat Metropolitan Opera House, which is the home stage of the world famous Metropolitan Opera and the annual Spring season of American Ballet Theatre. There is also the gorgeous Avery Fisher Hall, home stage of the New York Philharmonic, and the David H. Koch Theater, home of the New York City Ballet and the New York City Opera. Lincoln Center puts on thousands of performances of music, opera, theater, dance, and multi-media every year by renowned artists from all over the globe. It has been home to ultra cool events like the MTV VMA's and is the new home of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Whether its orchestra concerts or authentic kabuki theater or opera performed with life-size puppets, Lincoln Center presents only the top of any and every kind of performance art.

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+ Bryant Park Has the Best of Both Worlds

Watch out, Central Park. Sure, Bryant Park might not be New York’s most famous park, but definitely puts up some good competition. Here, it's the best of both worlds: tall Manhattan skyscrapers surrounding a green lawn that features some of the most iconic New York events, like Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and the HBO Summer Movie Screenings. Just one block from Times Square, the park is a popular lunch break getaway for the suits and ties, eating at Top Chef's Tom Colicchio's casual 'wichcraft or at the Bryant Park Grill's enviable patio space. For those looking to relax and soak up the few rays of Manhattan sunshine, there's free Wi-Fi access as well as intermittent racks of books (Bryant Park is directly behind the New York Library). For those with children, the custom-built carousel is a must. Bryant Park is always alive; every season comes a new batch of highly anticipated and high quality events. In the summer, the HBO Summer Film Festival screens free films for those on the lawn, and various concerts, including the GMA Summer Series and Broadway in Bryant Park. If you come in the winter, there are the independent merchants at the Holiday Shops as well as The Pond, a free-admission ice-skating rink that has been touted as NYC's best.

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+ The Masterpiece That Is The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim Museum is one of the most prized buildings and museums in New York City, and is often considered a masterpiece inside and out. Filling the famous rotunda halls with its highly-acclaimed contemporary art permanent collection and exhibitions, the Guggenheim always offers a unique and interactive experience to art.

The Guggenheim Museum was integrated during the first half of the 20th century from several private collections. These private collections were so wonderfully different from each other that visitors have the opportunity to enjoy an enormous range of pieces from various historical as well as artistic periods: Mapplethorpe's 200 finest photographs and objects, the Bohen Foundation's room-sized film/video art works, and there's an entire gallery dedicated to Kandinsky. The museum's diverse and brilliant works reflect the course of modern art from the mid 1800's to the present day via sculptures to light shows to paintings. The Guggenheim is now celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in the landmark Frank Lloyd Wright building, with many groundbreaking anniversaries and exhibitions to come.

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+ Brooklyn Academy of Music Gives Art With A Bam!

Commonly known as BAM, this leading arts venue does just that. With a Fort Greene district named after it, the Brooklyn Academy of Music is compromised of various venue that are more avant-garde and unique than the next. It's the oldest continuously running performance art center that just keeps getting stronger, in 2008 it had a record-breaking attendance of 550,000! The main building contains its major venue, the Howard Gilman Opera House. The theater, designed by the famous theater-architect company Herts &Tallant, contains 2,109 seats under its soaring ceiling and has seen legendary performances by Enrico Caruso and Vanessa Redgrave. There are also the BAM Rose Cinemas, where one screen shows classic movies and the other three show first-run and independent films. For night owls, there is the BAMcafé, a restaurant that offers free music performances on Friday and Saturday nights. Every exhibition, screening and performance is carefully chosen to further the BAM goal of the preeminent place for progressive art, and its popularity shows that it achieves its goal every night of the week! BAM’s Harvey Theater, located a few streets away, is smaller and offers a different, more intimate experience, having originally been a traditional playhouse housing Shakespearean revivals, vaudeville reviews, and musicals. BAM also organizes multiple festivals, from DanceAfrica to BAMcinemaFEST, art exhibitions, and educational programs.

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+ Biennial and Beyond at The Whitney

Many museums claim to be one of the leading institutions of art, but very rarely can one stake claim as the preeminent museum, but so is the case at the Whitney. Its specialty? Americana, baby. With installations, sculptures, photography, paintings, and film starring Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and up and coming designers, The Whitney is known for its innovative collections and is one of the most beloved museums by in-the-know New Yorkers.

It's fitting that the highly regarded American art museum has an equally fabulous American heritage. The Whitney was started by none other than American royalty, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. The sculptor/socialite found it nearly impossible for emerging artists to find an exhibition space, so in 1931, The Whitney Museum of American Art was born.

Its most famous exhibition is the annual Whitney Biennial from February to May; it's become so popular that it's now regarded as one of the leading art exhibitions in the entire world. Focused on contemporary art, The Biennial stays true to the Whitney's foundations and is a grand debut for many emerging artists and an incredible showcase for the more famous ones. The Biennial is in its 75th year and is getting more diverse and innovative with age.

For those wanting a great taste of American art that's surprising, thought-provoking and beautiful in the same breath, there truly is no better place in the world than The Whitney.

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+ TKTS: New Big Red Booth is the Times Square Star

Not many discount ticket booths get the kind of attention that TKTS receives, like a star-studded grand opening and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys singing on its steps in their ode to New Yoooork, but this place is worth all the praise. For years this gem of Broadway has b

een stuck un-glamorously under the Marriot Marquis, a hidden secret for the ticket savvy. Now, after some major construction, the new TKTS Times Square booth is open- and saying it's better than ever is a serious understatement. It's not in the heart of Times Square, it is Times Square. The booth, located under the can't-miss red steps, has transformed Duffy Square into a Broadway fan and tourist photo-op heaven. Thankfully, the generous discounts are still the same with up to half-off for same-day performances of Broadway favorites Chicago, Jersey Boys, Monty Python... you name it, TKTS still has it. But with this makeover, now you can actually find the booth and it's clearly stated before you enter the long line what show tickets are up for grabs. Discount tickets have never looked so good.

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+ Christiane Amanpour Stargazes at Hayden Planetarium

As CNN’s chief international correspondent and anchor, Christiane Amanpour is a journalism star. She has interviewed some of the toughest figures in international news and reported breaking stories from crisis hotspots like Afghanistan and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. When Christiane needs a break from the chaos, she heads over to the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Taking a Journey to the Stars (the scientific stars, of course), the beauty of the gigantic stars in space tends to put situations on little earth into perspective. The show, narrated by none other th

an Whoopi Goldberg, features extraordinary images from telescopes and never-before-seen visualizations of physics-based simulations of the life and death of stars, stellar formations, and other heavenly bodies in space. Christiane isn’t the only journalist who raves about the planetarium, National Georgraphic Adventure and the New York Times say the mind-blowing visuals makes this “easily the most beautiful planetarium show.” If feeling inspired after the show, the planetarium’s prime Central Park West location makes this one of the few places in NYC to actually see a few stars at night. *** Christiane Amanpour is one of the leading journalists in news as CNN’s chief international correspondent and anchor of her own show, Amanpour. Her excellence in covering the toughest international breaking news stories has been awarded with a myriad of acclamations including 9 News Emmys, 4 Peabody Awards and an honor by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

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+ A Good Night’s Never a Question at Cafe Wha?

Tucked along the NYU friendly Macdougal Street, Cafe Wha? and its humble exterior might make you question the legitimacy of this place. Put all doubts aside, over the years Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor have all performed on its small stage.

Today, the place is always packed with a cool, downtown crowd. The lowly lit venue is always loud with buzzed New Yorkers and the small stage allows for an intimate setting. Different guests perform every night, but the acclaimed Cafe Wha? Band is guaranteed to play every Wednesday through Sunday. And comedians, many of whom have appeared on Comedy Central, HBO or late-night television, open for the band regularly. Arrive early for the best seats, but bets are on that you half-way through you'll be singing at the top of your lungs and turning this live music venue into a personal dance floor.

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+ Where SNL Stars are Born: Upright Citizens Brigade

Before Amy Poehler was Baby Mama and a SNL star, she was one of the four founders of Upright Citizens Brigade, one of the premiere improvisation theaters in the country. UCB is known for its long form improvisation and the 152-seat, intimate basement theater. It is so intimate that you can literally see the sweat on the performers' faces during the scenes. The talent ranges from familiar faces you may have seen on Madtv and 30 Rock to advanced students showing off their comedic timing on stage. Make sure to book tickets in advance and if you plan on going to the famously free Sunday show, be prepared for a long wait. This is a casual affair with fold up chairs and an intermission filled with cheaply priced beer and wine, but that's the way comedy should be: gritty and real.

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+ The Empire Observatory’s Secret

As the tallest building in New York City, you can’t help but be entranced by the Empire State Building. Yet waiting in the sometimes hours long line to see its famous view can ruin any source of awe one was expecting to feel. We’ve got the solution to your tourist problems. Go at night. The ESB Observatory has hours fit for the City That Never Sleeps. It’s open until 2am. Once the sun sets, it’s like a whole new world up there. Instead of families and tourists clamoring to get the best skyline shot (is there even one?), the crowd turns to New Yorkers and couples. The wait to get up to the top is slim to none and it’s quiet and spacious enough to feel like you’re on top of the world- alone. Yes, the ESB Observatory is as incredible and romantic as it sounds.

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+ Anna Wintour’s Secret Street

One would expect fashion legend Anna Wintour’s favorite New York street to be as glamorous as Vogue’s cover pages, but it is a street so small and hidden it’s only a lane. Minetta Lane is one of the most tranquil and charming streets in the City. Boasting only a block of real estate, it doesn’t even house one store. Instead it has the beautiful Minetta Lane Theater complete with a balcony that shows off-Broadway plays. Minetta Lane is in the heart of Greenwich Village, with bustling Sixth Avenue to its west and NYU bar-ridden MacDougal Street to its east. But you would never know how populated the area is when walking down this street, and that’s why New Yorkers love it. Walking down this lane is like going back in time, with some of the original 1800 buildings still standing proudly. The peace and quiet is an amazing escape from the hustle and bustle of New York without every leaving its heart. ***Anna Wintour is the legendary editor-in-chief and fashion icon of American Vogue Magazine. Ms. Wintour is widely regarded as one of the most powerful people in fashion by heavily influencing trends and emerging designers’ careers. Beyond the pages, Anna Wintour has been the muse of major motion pictures including starring in “The September Issue” and has been named “The Mayoress of New York” by The Guardian publication.

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+ Isaac Mizrahi’s Radio City Inspiration

Issac Mizrahi is a fashion designer with a fabulously loud personality, but his “most inspiring place” in New York is a traditional staple of New York culture: Radio City Music Hall. Thousands will flock to its doors in the upcoming months for the world famous Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular show, but Mizrahi thinks the architecture says it all. Mirazhi says Radio City, not some other famous New York skyscraper, epitomizes the 1930’s art deco architecture and its beauty is truly inspiring. But Mizrahi does love a good Rockette show like the rest of us, having once been in talks to design their costumes!

** Isaac Mizrahi the Chief Director of Liz Claiborne and television host of Bravo’s “The Fashion Show.” Mizrahi has been awarded 4 prestigious CFDA fashion awards and is credited for revolutionizing the fashion industry with his partnership with Target. Beyond fashion, Mizrahi is an accomplished author, performed in a one-man, off-Broadway production, and has appeared in motion pictures and television shows including “Sex & the City.” Mirazhi was born in Brooklyn and resides near Washington Square Park.

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+ Intimate Entertainment at Joe’s Pub

An arm of NYC's venerable Public Theater, Joe's Pub is actually a luxurious lounge and cabaret space offering an intimate space to experience some of the best jazz, comedy and up-and-coming musical acts. It's one of the few places in New York you'll find major stars without the drama involved in getting in and getting a good spot. Performers who have hit Joe's Pub's stage include Tony award-winning Sutton Foster, Isaac Mizrahi (yes- the designer/comedian for a night), Grammy award winning Adele, international signing star Lara Fabian, and the list goes on and on. Newsweek described this as "one of the country's best small stages" and every night the quality of performances and quality of service at the lounge seals its commendable reputation.

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+ Funky, Trendy & a Museum? Only at New Museum

Not many buildings sport a rainbow "Hell Yes" on their facade, let alone an art museum. "New Art, New Ideas;" that's the motto for the aptly named New Museum in the hip Lower East Side. Unlike most contemporary art galleries, the art here is so new that it includes YouTube videos(!) and art that's a social commentary on current political hot topics like the Iraq War.

Not only is the art inside super hip and new, so is the building, that is like a modern Goliath among the aging downtown buildings. It's actually the first art museum ever to be constructed from the ground up in downtown Manhattan.

Fitting to its artsy Bowery locale, the crowd here is more likely to be sporting Converses and Aviators than suits and ties. Before leaving, check out the seventh floor Skyroom that has a spectacular panoramic view of Manhattan from the Financial District to the Midtown skyscrapers.

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+ Sophisticated Jazz Club at Classy Cafe Carlyle

Cafe Carlyle offers an oh-so-elegant change of pace from all the downtown jazz joints. This upper east side venue was made famous by Bobby Short and his decades of Cole Porter and Duke Ellington interpretations. On any given night the coolest of the cool slip into the ritzy Carlyle Hotel to hear the tunes in the subtle light of table lamps. Woody Allen and the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band play Monday nights 'til June. Come here dressed to impress, jackets are required and so is the pocketbook- prices can start at $100 a person. But the performances and luxurious setting are well worth the price tag.