Culture Archives - Page 2 of 3

99 Luftballons

You’re not the only one going on vacation – art is also taking the summer off. Art season is over and most New York galleries are straight up closed in August. So before switching to holiday mode and roasting under the sun, we suggest seeing one last exhibition. It’s playful, completely quirky, somewhat provocative. Push open the heavy wooden doors of the Park Avenue Armory, this superb cultural institution in the posh Upper East Side. There is a long-awaited retrospective of the artist Martin Creed. If his name doesn’t ring a…

A cultural treasure hunt

If, for you, a museum visit boils down to a dull audio guide and monotone comments about art pieces, we have someone to introduce you to: David Behringer, 38, art savant, genuinely crazy, virtuoso guide who wants to dust off the guided tour’s routine. Every month, David organizes a very private and special tour occurring in galleries or major art museums (without authorization, so we can’t tell you which ones). Being in the loop is already a prowess. It’s one of those tips that only…

Movies & champagne on a roof

Summer is just around the corner! This year, like every other year, the Seventh Art deserts the dark rooms blasting AC in order to take place outdoors in NY parks around the city. You know the big names by now, useless to present the free screenings on Bryan Park’s lawn, the Summerstage programming in Central Park or the view of the big screen and the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge Park. And, as every year, it’s a happy chaos. You have to get there…

The coolest place in NY right now

A new hipster spot or a soon-to-be cult music temple? A futuristic concert venue or the upcoming socializing space in Brooklyn? National Sawdust is everything at the same time, and so much more. This century-old former sawdust factory has recently been renovated and is now an artistic complex consisting of a music hall, recording studio, rehearsal space, bar and restaurant. National Sawdust is a smaller and avant-gardist version of Carnegie Hall. It’s a non-profit organization run by artists themselves. An incubator and springboard for young…

Exploring Red Hook

If you have ever ventured to Red Hook, it was probably on an Ikea mission. But you might want to know that DIY Scandinavian furniture is not the neighborhood’s only high point. Steps away from chic Cobble Hill and just blocks from Park Slope, Red Hook is still positioning itself in the Brooklyn hipster microcosm. There are not a lot of bars and restaurants, but some of Red Hook’s spots are definitely worth checking out. Follow us! First stop: Pioneer Works. Dustin Yellin’s collages and…

Brooklyn swings

During the day, the Sankofa Aban bed and breakfast is barely distinguishable from the other 19th-century townhouses on the street. This is a typical brownstone characteristic of the BedStuy borough and gorgeously restored. But when dusk falls, something starts swinging at 107 Macon Street. Debbie McClain orchestrates the whole event. The brownstone was her grandfather’s. She converted it into a bed and breakfast and has been organizing live jazz concerts every Friday and Saturday night in the parlor. With only thirty seats, the least you…

Music in Motion

New York counts a handful of sacrosanct music temples like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center or the Beacon Theater. But also a plethora of intimate venues and confidential places where you can go and listen to music. If you have sea legs, we invite you to discover a hidden gem on the banks of the East River. Bargemusic is a floating concert hall erected on a historical barge. Built in 1899, the barge had served much of the last century as a working ship in the…

Looking for a Backstage Pass?

Have you ever wondered about the chassé-croisé of ballerinas behind the velvet curtains at a ballet? All the bustle from the change of scenery at the opera? The frenzy from the change of costumes between two acts at the theater? If so, there is a Sunday rendezvous you should not miss. Few people are in on the secret, but it is possible to visit the backstage of the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. Each week a small group goes behind the scenes and steps into…

NY’s best concerts

Everyone agrees that New York, that unrivaled paragon of diversity, is a melting pot of the most varied musical performances. Classical, baroque or romantic, there is always a plethora of concerts showing every night throughout the city. In this jam-packed cultural scene, the entertainment offers seem endless. But this infinity of possibilities comes with a price, and it is (unfortunately) often costly. But we will share with you one of the best kept secrets in town: NY’s finest concerts are actually free and take place at…

Sunday Jazz

There are two types of concerts. The “big” ones: ceremonious and codified concerts in major venues, such as Carnegie Hall, where you are welcomed with several restrictions. No cell phones, no pictures, no talking. On the other hand you have the “small” concerts, in more informal venues. What about a performance hosted in the intimacy of the living room of a Harlem apartment? Welcome to Marjorie Eliot’s Parlor Jazz. 23 years. It has been 23 years since Marjorie Eliot opened the doors of her apartment in…