The New Year's Party Shuffle

New year's eve and New York City - they go together quintessentially.

So for my first New year's eve in the quintessential New year's eve city (minus the time I 3 years ago when I was in town for less than 48 hours but happened to fit in Times Square and the "ball"...never again), I decided that I wanted to have a bit of fun. I'm not a big party girl and the quieter house party/dinner party usually appeals to me more, but the idea of getting dressed up, dancing til dawn and clinking champagne glasses with strangers is oh so New York. And this is a blog about New York.

I rounded up some friends all with the same intents, we did some research online, found a couple of clubs/lounges with open bar specials. Found a few more. Found a couple hundred more. Found VIP speacials. Found Ultra VIP specials. Found restaurants. Clubs. Bars. Speakeasys. Well, scratch the speakeasys.

If you've conducted this search, you are sure to have ended up in the same conundrum. How is one to pick a locale to bring in the new year when New York City offers so many venues? Here's what I learned.

1) Go to the source. New Year's Eve Central is the main coordinator behind hundreds of major parties throughout the city. They essentially rent the restaurants/clubs/bars/lounges and throw their own parties. If you look through their Website, the descriptions of the parties are pretty much the same with the exception of the ticket prices and appetizer selections. Often, you can find tickets to these same parties through various other sources, but they will try to lure you with a deal and ultimately rip you off (like they tried to do to me) or just charge more in the first place. Definitely shop around before purchasing.

2) Decide on the type of party environment you would like before beginning your search. With hundreds of venues to choose from, it is easy to get lost in the selection process. If the large club scene is your style, most of the major dance floors in the city will be ringing with tunes of international DJs. However, if a quieter lounge environment would better suit your needs, there are also several options. There are bar frat parties, "green" parties, ethnic parties, classy parties, boat parties (I'm saving up for next year), even rooftop parties (although with the chilly forecast for tomorrow night, I wouldn't want to be at one of those). You get the picture - if you decide before getting lost in the Websites, it will be much easier for you in the end.

3) Book early. Many of the more popular venues will sell out - quickly. Book at least 2-3 weeks before the big day to avoid sell-outs and increasing ticket prices.

4) Book together. If going out in a group, have one person purchase all of the tickets to cut down on fees. NYE Central charges $4.95 per order to pick up tickets, and at least $9.95 per order to ship the tickets. The more tickets per order, the less in fees everyone pays.

5) Eat beforehand. Most of the parties, with the exception of restaurants, will not be serving substantial food. They list appetizers, but chances are the passed trays will be empty before they reach you. With all that "premium open bar," you don't want to get sick on New year's.

6) Have fun! You paid for it and you worked hard this year, so enjoy! Just be safe in the process.

Happy New Year's everyone!







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Recruiting Friars

You have to love Subway ads.

If you ride the Subway often, I'm sure you've seen the multi-lingual lawyer and "Save our Schools!" banner ads that ring the ceilings of train cars. If you've ridden the Shuttle between Times Square and Grand Central, I'm sure you've seen how TV Shows like MadMen and Shrek the Musical have decked out entire cars - from the ceilings to the seats, even to the floors. Anybody been lucky to see an ad from Dr. Zizmor, the amazing dermatologist who speaks five languages, can cure anything relating to your epidermis and has several financing options? (hint: you can spot the thing because it uses more than 10 different font families - to clarify graphic design speak, it is a mess).

I thought I'd seen most of the good ones. Until this morning and this is what I saw:


It took me a minute to figure out that this wasn't just an ad for a church, but is was an ad to become a monk! Do people who become monks usually do so because of an ad they saw on the Subway? Isn't there supposed to be some sort of calling that makes someone commit to this sort of life choice? Can you actually picture someone sitting on a rickety cracked orange seat in the Subway thinking, "I hate my job. Maybe I should be a monk?" Is the church really so down on its luck that it has to resort to posting recruiting ads on public transportation like the Army or Americorps?

I frankly don't know the answers to any of these questions, but the whole experience of seeing this ad this morning made me laugh inside, so much so that I had to check out the Website and tell you about it.

So who can be a Franciscan Friar (as they call themselves) you ask? I found out:

• between 22 and 38 years of age
• in good physical and mental health
• a US Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident
• open to learning about and living a Franciscan religious life in the 21st century
• committed to living the vows of celibate chastity, poverty and obedience
• prayerful with a desire to mature in the spiritual life
• seeking to live and serve in fraternal communities
• a practicing Roman Catholic for at least 3 years
• free of significant financial and family obligations
• a high school graduate, or, if you wish to minister as a priest, completion of at least two years of college

It seems pretty consistent with what I've heard about monks previously, except the part about only being a Roman Catholic for 3 years. I mean, if you are going to be preaching about Catholicism and living that way of life with other Catholics, don't you think they'd want you to know a bit more about your religion than from what you could learn in 3 years. It's taken me 21.5 years to learn what it is to be Jewish, and I still don't really know what that is. Last thing, anyone notice how none of the qualifications explicitly say that you have to be male? You might think that is inherent, but it is New York you know.

Anyway, that was the morning bit of randomness. And hey, if you're reading this and maybe you do hate your job, you can always be a Franciscan Friar.







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Tourist Time

Friends and family headed your way for the holidays and you have no clue where to entertain them? Here are my choices for the best ways to manipulate your loved ones into thinking you're hip and in the know about your city:

1) Max Brenners: Chocolate by the Bald Man

Who doesn't love chocolate? (Wait, think carefully before answering that question because if you can think of a name, you probably shouldn't be acquainted with them). You walk into Max Brenner's (2 locations: Union Square at 13th and Broadway and East Village 2nd Ave at 9th Street) and it's like walking into Willy Wonka's chocolate wonderland - at least that's what they want you to feel like. From the sample chocolate nice helpers treat you to upon entering (don't be too greedy though - you only get one and they remember your face) - to the 25 flavors of hot chocolate to the pipes of chocolate flowing throughout the ceiling, this place is heaven. I can't get enough of the Swiss Whipped Hot Chocolat ($5.25) and a good treat to split is the Tutti-Fruitti Waffles ($13.95) (you can feel better about yourself because you are eating fruit, albeit covered in to-die-for chocolate sauce). Be aware that the wait is usually lengthy, but the experience is all too worth it. Go in the morning, just before the lunch crowd hits.

2) Strand Book Store

Just a block away from Max Brenner's you will find the flagship location of Strand Book Store. I love this book store because you can find everything you would find at the big chain stores, but so much more. I am a big fan of the old and rare books section. I once found a 1942 copy of Thoreau's "Walden" for $6. In addition to books, you can also purchase one of their trademark tote bags or t-shirts with their slogan "18 Miles of Books." Be sure not to go in with any other large backpacks or shopping bags though or you will have to go through a lengthy check-in/check-out process.

3) MoMa Store

Forget the actual museum when you can visit one of the neatest shops in the city. Find gifts for almost anyone you need from a solar-powered laptop charging backpack to a chair and coffee table made completely out of cardboard. Of course they have more reasonable items with equally as much interest like a bracelet in the shape of a double helix (a great conversation starter) or neon stemware. Anyone can enter the store, but you must have a ticket to enter the museum - unless you go on a Friday night, then it's gratis. I would definitely recommend checking out the museum as well - make sure to see the Van Gogh exhibit before it closes Jan. 5. I don't want to knock one of the greatest contemporary art establishments in the city/country, but the store deserves the recognition here. I mean, all the touristy books list the museum. For ideas on what they have, go to momastore.org.

4) Top of the Rock

The Empire State Building usually gets all the acclaim for its spectacular views and old frills and glitz. However, to opt for a slightly different view of the city, purchase your ticket to the top of the GE building in Rockefeller center. You get both history and breathtaking views in this experience as the walls of the waiting rooms are covered in Rockefeller history. For example, did you know that John D. Rockefeller was a lifelong teetotaler? (I'll save you the trouble of looking that up on dictionary.com and tell you that's a person who doesn't drink alcohol). The extra benefit about visiting the Top of the Rock, besides the psychedelic lighted room at the top (go and you'll know what I'm talking about), is that you actually get to have the Empire State Building IN your panoramic photos, which I thought was cool. Fight the cold weather and go at night to really experience the lights of the city.

5) Serendipity

Known for its role in the cheesy 90's flick of the same name, Serendipity is the home of the self-proclaimed best frozen hot chocolate and of course ice cream sundae in Manhattan. The frills and decorations make this restaurant with a menu full of comfort foods a little girls dream, but all other members of your party will love it as well. Make reservations in advance or expect to wait at least 45 minutes. Luckily, you have Dylan's Candy Bar just down the way to pass some time while you wait.

I'm sure there are more, but these are my top 5. Have fun exploring the city and let me know if you find any others worthy of adding to the list.







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More Cheap Theater

As I mentioned in my last post, I FINALLY got to see Spring Awakening - a musical that takes place in 1890's Germany about repressed adolescents figuring out life, sex, themselves (the original play was banned so you know it's scandalous) on Tuesday night. I found the story a bit predictable and depressing, but the music was excellent and the passion within each of the actors was surely intense - that made for a good show.

Here's the great part (and probably why I enjoyed the show so much), for $40 you can sit on-stage. I don't mean off to the side somewhere where you can barely see the show, but I mean on the stage, with the actors - you can hear their voices from their mouths as opposed to just a mix out of the speakers. This is sometimes a drawback because you miss some words when the music gets really loud, but on the whole, it was an amazing experience that I'd highly recommend. Plus, you pay so much less than all those clamoring for front row seats.

You can buy these tickets online by choosing "on-stage seating" or by going to the box office day of. But hurry! The show closes January 18th!







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Too Broke for Theater? No such thing!

Although I discovered the Roundabout Theatre's HipTix mailing list a few months ago, I only recently realize how amazing it is and I feel it's time to share.

The Roundabout Theatre Company is actually based down the street from my office on 46th Street. Over the years they have produced shows like Cabaret and an original reading of Spring Awakening (which I am going to see finally tonight!), and now they are promoting Pal Joey with Stockard Channing and have some more coming out with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in the Spring. Most of their tickets sell for regular prices ($74 and up), HOWEVER (this is a BIG "however" - notice the caps), if you are between the ages of 18-35, you can get tickets to ANY of their shows for only $20! Only $20! That's awesome! Also, they will have periodic promotions to get $10 tickets, sometimes with free after parties.

I went to see the play currently showing in their Black Box Theater on Sunday night called The Language of Trees about a family where the father is captured in Iraq in 2003 as a translator for the war. I thought it was good. The staging was excellent...almost a diagonal stage. There were a lot of underlying themes about different generational bridges in communication which I found fascinating. My dad was in town so I bought him (well, he ended up buying me...) a $10 ticket. Too good to be true right? Well, sort of. It turns out that not only do you have to be under 35 to buy the tickets, but also under 35 to USE the tickets. They let my dad and me pass this time, but they said it can't happen again. Oh well, at least I can still go :)

I'm going to see Streamers with some colleagues for only $15 in a few weeks. I'm telling you, if you like theater and have no money (or have money but are cheap and under 35) you should sign up for this mailing list.

http://www.hiptix.com/







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