by BCB Property Management | Sep 3, 2019 | Neighborhoods, New York City
Want to experience the best Broadway has to offer at a steal? Now, you have the opportunity to do just that — with Broadway Week. During Broadway Week, theater producers offer two-for-one tickets to some of the best shows of the season, including several Tony Award winners. Since its launch in 2011, the program has dispensed more than a million tickets to over 150 unique production titles. This year, the event falls in September and, contrary to what the name might suggest, will run for two weeks between September 3rd and the 16th.
This event is clearly a winning deal for theater-going New Yorkers — but it’s a boon for those in the industry, as well. During the start of the fall season, theater attendance and sales typically begin to drop, slowing business for Broadway and, by extension, the restaurants and businesses in the surrounding area. To combat the downturn, the city’s marketing, tourism, and partnership branch, NYC & Company, bands together with the Broadway League to put on Broadway Week and counteract the downturn in business. The result? New Yorkers have a low-cost opportunity to enjoy a fantastic theatrical performance — and they can attend knowing that they are helping Broadway thrive during its slowest season.
There are some caveats to the event. For instance, while the vast majority of shows participate in the promotion, certain hit plays may choose not to take part. Hamilton, for example, isn’t on the roster for cut-price tickets this year. Attendees will also need to buy at least two tickets to take advantage of the promotion. Each will be issued at 50% of its original price, plus applicable taxes and fees.
That said, given that producers typically use Broadway Week to fill the seats that tend to be more difficult to sell — the mezzanines, balconies, side sections, etc. — those who purchase tickets through the program probably won’t be getting the best seats in the house. However, interested theater-goers do have the option to buy upgraded tickets. These passes will include seat options that are either closer to the stage or have a better view than those available in the general pool. Upgraded tickets are more expensive; purchasers will not only need to put in a flat $30 fee to access the higher-quality options but also pay 50% of the original starting price of the seat. This typically isn’t quite as much of a steal as the general pool tickets, given that upgraded seats tend to be more expensive from the get-go.
But whatever seats or price tag you opt for, one point is for sure — you don’t want this opportunity to pass you by! Some crowd favorites such as The Lion King and Dear Evan Hansen are already entirely sold out. However, tickets to other great plays are still on the market, including those to 2019 Tony Award winners Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, Oklahoma!, and Tootsie. Passes for kid-friendly favorites like Aladdin, Frozen, and The Phantom of the Opera are also still available for purchase.
You can browse and book tickets by visiting NYC Broadway Week’s event listing on NYC Go. In the meantime, here’s a list of all the shows you could be enjoying during this season’s promotion — don’t forget to check out special pre-theater menus at restaurants near Broadway before you go! Want tips on where to go before the show? Check out our blog on NYC’s Most Exclusive Restaurants!
2019 Season Shows:
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Aladdin
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Beetlejuice
Betrayal
The Book of Mormon
Chicago
Come from Away
Derren Brown: Secret
Frozen
The Great Society
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The Height of the Storm
Mean Girls
Oklahoma!
The Phantom of the Opera
Sea Wall/A Life
Slave Play
The Sound Inside
Tootsie
Waitress
Wicked
by BCB Property Management | Aug 5, 2019 | Neighborhoods
Does anything symbolize summer fun quite as much as ice cream on a hot day? If you’re looking for a top-notch treat, check out one — or all, no judgement! — of these fan-favorite ice cream parlors in New York City.
Morgenstern’s
Location: 88 W Houston Street NY NY 10012
Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 12PM-11PM // Friday-Saturday: 12PM-12AM
Founded in 2014 by self-made restauranteur Nicholas Morganstern, Morganstern’s offers a classic ice cream experience. The ice cream parlor prides itself on serving texture-driven, small-batch ice creams that prioritize superb flavors and taste. Along with traditional standbys like chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies n’ cream, and mint chip, parlor favorites also include more unusual flavors such as green tea pistachio, salt and pepper pinenut, and burnt sage. The main star of the show is the ice cream, but don’t overlook Morgenstern’s other offerings! The parlor also serves pies, cakes, floats, and cocktails.
La Newyorkina
Location: 240 Sullivan Street, New York, NY, 10012
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11AM-9PM // Friday-Saturday 11AM-10PM
When Mexico-born Fany Gerson opened La Newyorkina in 2010, she had a single goal: to introduce New Yorkers to the sweet flavors of her childhood. Her store, La Newyorkina, serves a variety of Mexican sweet treats. Her most popular offering — and the one that first promoted Gerson’s shop to fame — are paletas; frozen treats that can be enjoyed on-the-go. These delights come in a variety of flavors — from creamy and fruity to sweet and spicy. Popular options include Mango Chile, Pineapple Jalapeno, Mango Chamoy, and Passionfruit. All are made by hand in small batches using all-natural ingredients. Don’t just stick with the paletas, though — La Newyorkina also offers delicious chamoyadas, cookies, pan dulce, and cakes.
OddFellows
Location: 175 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11249
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 12PM-10PM // Friday-Saturday 12PM-11PM
Want some quirkiness in your ice cream cone? Oddfellows has you covered. The now-four-location parlor prides itself on making the unusual delicious. The idea for the shop first came about when one of the co-founders, Mohan Kumar was attempting to find an ice cream flavor that would suit his wife Holiday’s eclectic pregnancy cravings. During that time, one of Kumar’s longtime friends and bar owner, Sam Mason, made Holiday a batch of homemade pretzel ice cream. She loved it — and promptly suggested they open an ice cream parlor. The Kumar’s twins were born 2012, and the first OddFellows Ice Cream parlor opened a year later.
Today, Oddfellow’s flavor offerings range from delightfully classic to intriguingly original; their menu features highlights like burnt marshmallow, Thai iced tea, and toasted sesame Nutella along with standbys such as chocolate chunk.
Want a few more insights on which dessert spots in NYC are top-notch? Check out our blog on The Most Instagrammable Dessert Spots in NYC!
by BCB Property Management | Jul 17, 2019 | New York City
Let’s face it: New York gets hot in the summer. On the brightest days, it can feel as though the heat from the concrete sidewalk might melt the rubber right off the soles of your shoes if you don’t find some shade, fast. But not to worry — there’s a solution to the heat that doesn’t require you to trade summer fun for air-conditioned purgatory. This season, cool down with one (or all) of these New York City waterfront activities:
Fishing on Pier 5
Need a moment of serenity in the city? Pick up a fishing rod and spend a peaceful morning fishing on the West Promenade of Pier 5! The pier has been arranged for your convenience; it offers bait prep tables and fish cleaning stations for all who visit. The view and ambiance are second to none — even if you don’t get any bites! However, if you do find a catch, take care in who you serve it to; currently, New York’s Waterbody Advisory warns that any fish caught in New York City waters could be harmful if eaten by pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children under 15 years old.
Public Pools
Relief from the summer heat is never far away in New York. The city maintains dozens of pools of all shapes, depths, and sizes for public use — the Bronx alone has nine swimming spots! Most of these public pools host free aquatics programs in addition to their open swim hours. Pack up your sunscreen and towel, but remember that you’ll need to leave food, glass bottles, electronic devices, and newspapers at home when you do. Floaties are also a no-go at the pool, so parents with young children should play at the shallow end when they visit.
Future Attractions: The Squibb Park Pool!
While the Squibb Park Pool isn’t available to the public this year, it will be soon. When the Brooklyn Bridge pop-up pool debuted on Pier 2 in 2012, it was one of the park’s most popular seasonal attractions. In fact, it was so appreciated that advocates from local neighborhood groups ensured that it recurred for two years after its original end date. The pop-up pool closed for good in 2018, but work is underway to ensure that residents can enjoy a permanent public pool in Squibb Park within a few years — so keep a lookout!
Boat Rentals in the Park
Central Park offers some of the most peaceful views in the city — and now, you can enjoy them from the water! Visitors to the park can rent rowboats and gondola rides at Loeb Boathouse from April until October. Rowboats cost $15 per hour, with a $4 charge for every additional 15 minutes. Professionally-crewed gondola rides can be purchased at $45 per half-hour. It’s a fantastic way to relax and enjoy summer in the park.
Free Paddling
Why stay landlocked when you could explore the water? New York City’s countless water trails span over 160 square miles of ocean, rivers, bays, inlets, and creeks for residents to enjoy — and most of the time, you don’t even need to pay for the opportunity!
Downtown Boathouse
In Manhattan, the volunteer-run Downtown Boathouse offers paddlers the chance to enjoy no-charge, twenty-minute kayaking trips at their convenience. Their summer programming also includes free kayaking lessons on Wednesday nights and public, three-hour trips from Pier 96 on most weekday mornings. The Boathouse’s only major requirement is that paddlers must know how to swim and must sign a waiver before getting into a kayak.
Long Island Community Boathouse
The Long Island Community Boathouse in Queens also offers free kayaking; however, the boathouse’s major appeal lies in its weekend programming. During the summers, volunteers run hour-long, one-way paddling adventures between Anable Basin and Hallets Cove.
That said, New Yorkers’ paddling opportunities aren’t limited to boathouse-run trips. If you have a kayak of your own, you can set out from any one of the city’s 45 launch sites. However, if you choose to set out on your own, you must have a permit to do so and adhere to regulations set by NYC Parks.
Want more ideas for summer fun? Check out our post on the 7 Best NYC Outdoor Brunches to Enjoy in Spring and Summer!
by BCB Property Management | Jun 3, 2019 | Neighborhoods, New York City
New York City is a veritable hotspot for arts and culture in the summertime. No matter your artistic passions, at least one of the countless, long-running cultural organizations in the city will have something to appeal to your interests. Add one (or all) of the below festivals to your calendar and share in the excitement! Who knows — some of the best performers in the country may be just a short walk from your doorstep.
Celebrate Brooklyn!
First launched in the summer of 1979 by Brooklyn residents, Celebrate Brooklyn! is one of New York City’s longest-running outdoors performing arts festivals. This multi-day summer concert series highlights the best, brightest, and most promising Brooklynite musicians of the year. Since its founding, the festival has showcased over 2,000 artists, many of whom used the appearance as a springboard towards greater success. The festival spotlights internationally-celebrated and emerging artists from all musical genres, including but not limited to classical, jazz, pop, alt, hip-hop and regional American. This year’s lineup features notable performers such as Patti LaBelle, Courtney Barnett, Shareef Keyes & the Groove, and Iron & Wine. Attendees should note that while the festival itself is and has always been free, certain performances are charity benefits and have an associated cost.
Celebrate Brooklyn! starts Tuesday, June 4.
Shakespeare in the Park
Shakespeare in the Park wasn’t always such a summertime staple in Central Park. When director-producer Joseph Staff initially launched the program, he did so with the not-so-hidden disapproval of the then-parks commissioner, Robert Moses. Moses didn’t have a problem with theatre productions in the park per se, but he was firmly against the lawn erosion that audience members were beginning to cause on the grass in front of Turtle Pond. He demanded that Papp charge a fee to cover the cost of sod and lawn care — but Papp refused to charge for the performances, stubbornly maintaining that the theatre should be free to any who cared to see it. A long legal battle ensued between the two parties and ultimately ended in Papp’s favor. Surprisingly, the clash reportedly left Moses with a deep respect for Papp and led the commissioner to request the funds the director needed to build a proper theater in the park.
Since then, Shakespeare in the Park has developed into one of New York City’s most beloved summertime arts offerings. It has entertained over five million people throughout its run, and in past years even featured standout actors like Meryl Streep, James Earl Jones, and Al Pacino.
Interested? You can find the dates for 2019’s productions below. Remember — while entry is free, you’ll need to claim tickets beforehand to reserve a seat!
Much Ado About Nothing: May 21 – June 23
Coriolanus: July 16 – August 11
Hercules: August 21 – September 8
Mostly Mozart
Founded by Jay K. Hoffman, William W. Lockwood Jr., Schuyler G. Chapin, and George F. Schutz in August of 1966, the Mostly Mozart festival was initially intended to provide freelance classical musicians with work opportunities during the summer off-season. Then and now, the event’s in-house orchestra pulls its members from notable classical ensembles across the country; its performers hail from high-profile orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and more.
The focus of Mostly Mozart has expanded since its early years. While the festival primarily offers concerts that feature its in-house orchestra, it also features solo classical artists, dance pieces, panel discussions, and film screenings. Most events occur at the David Geffen Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, but other venues include and are not limited to Rose Theater, Merkin Concert Hall, the Walter Reade Theater, and the David Rubenstein Atrium.
In 2019, the Mostly Mozart festival will run from July 10th through August 10th; tickets for various events available for purchase online.
Midsummer Night Swing
Midsummer Night Swing is a three-week extravaganza of dance, music, and culture. Held at Damrosch Park at the Lincoln Center, this long-running annual event offers new and experienced dancers alike the chance to learn how to swing, disco, salsa, ballroom step, and more. Each night follows a similar pattern: attendees arrive in the early evening for a formal lesson on the dance featured that night, and then spend the next few hours dancing the night away. The fun doesn’t always stop with formal steps, either; in recent years, organizers have even begun handing out wireless headsets and facilitating post-dance silent discos on certain nights!
This year, dancers can enjoy live music from celebrated musicians such as Bobby Valentin, Eyal Vilner Big Band, Curles Turner & Uptown Swing, and Bria Skonberg, among others. This is a ticketed event; attendees can buy four dance passes for $60, six dance passes for $84, a season pass for $170, or advance tickets for select evenings at $18 apiece.
Midsummer Night Swing will run from Tuesday, June 25 until Saturday, July 13th.
Want more artsy events on your calendar? Check out our blog post on the Coolest Pop-Up Museums in NYC!
by BCB Property Management | Apr 22, 2019 | Neighborhoods, New York City
What’s better than a delicious mid-morning brunch in New York City? That’s easy — a mid-morning brunch that can be enjoyed during the peak of Spring! Below, we list a few of our must-go brunch places. These top-notch restaurants span the cuisine gamut, but they have one common characteristic — they all offer an outdoors dining experience.
Believe us, brunch doesn’t get much better than this. Try out one (or all) of these fantastic restaurants this spring!
Claro
Brooklyn
With its casual atmosphere and morning-patio ambiance, Claro pairs the comfortable welcome of a friend’s backyard with the culinary expertise of a high-tier restaurant. All of Claro’s cheese and sausages are crafted in-house, and it’s not rare to see a chef grilling away on the back patio. Bring a friend or three; this restaurant sports a counter bar, tables and enough green space to make even a fast-paced New York morning feel relaxed. Best of all? Claro takes reservations.
Price Point: $$
Menu Highlights: Offerings change daily, but we recommend the huevos oaxaqueños and mezcal-based cocktails!
Gottino Enoteca Salumeria
West Village
Who says that a wine bar can’t pull off brunch? Gottino adds a delicious Italian flair to its midmorning meal, crafting a menu that would make any jaded foodie ask for seconds, grazi. Best of all, springtime visitors can enjoy a meal at one of the restaurant’s outdoor tables. With a charming wooden fence, soft hanging lights, and delicate greenery, Gottino’s outdoor ambiance isn’t one to miss.
Price Point: $$
Menu Highlights: We recommend Gottino’s Uova al Tegame — sunny-side eggs with pancetta and sage. Keep a lookout for daily specials, too!
Llama Inn
Williamsburg
Sure, you might have tried Peruvian food — but if you haven’t experienced Llama Inn’s brunch, you’re sorely missing out. This charming restaurant is upscale and fun, with a beautiful rooftop patio that any springtime diner will love. The outdoor space’s sharp modern aesthetic is softened into quirky charm by colorful throw pillows and cozy seating.
Price Point: $$$
Menu Highlights: Set aside the pancakes for once. Why not try the tacu tacu with adobo sauce, pork sausage, fried egg, and avocado?
Esme
Greenpoint
Esme’s outdoor patio is a delight; a plethora of well-maintained plants bring life and peaceful ambiance to the space, counterbalancing the bustle of the city outside. Cloth drapes stretch overhead, allowing for both natural sunlight and airflow while still keeping harsh sunlight off of diners. Long tables and intimate two-person rounds allow parties large and small alike to enjoy their creative takes on classic brunch plates. Be warned, though — Esme’s brunch is only on weekends. The good news? They take reservations.
Price Point: $$
Menu Highlights: You’ve never had French toast quite like this. Try Esme’s Savory Parmesan French Toast with tomato-braised kale and slow-poached eggs!
Hudson Clearwater
West Village
Enjoy the best of American brunch in Hudson Clearwater’s garden patio. This space uses brick, wrought iron, and climbing ivy to create a tucked-away aesthetic that is equal parts charming and quiet. Two-person wrought-iron tables populate the space and contribute to the patio’s intimate ambiance. It’s a great spot for a comfortable brunch, but you may not want to invite more than a few friends if you care to eat outside. Keep in mind; brunch is only available on weekends from 9 AM to 3 PM.
Price Point: $$
Menu Highlights: Enjoy some southern charm on a New York morning! Order Hudson Clearwater’s Southern eggs benedict — poached eggs with house-cured ham, sauteed spinach, jalapeno hollandaise, and a biscuit.
Sunday in Brooklyn
Williamsburg
Want to enjoy mid-morning brunch on a tucked-away rooftop? Look no further — you can while away a pleasant Sunday in Brooklyn…at Sunday in Brooklyn. This delightful restaurant may not be the place for large parties to gather, but it’s a fantastic spot for an outdoor brunch with friends or a midmorning date. Be warned — the restaurant can get crowded from time to time, but the food and ambiance is well-worth the wait.
Price Point: $$$
Menu Highlights: You may have had pancakes — but have you had Sunday’s malted pancakes with hazelnut maple praline and brown butter?
Narcissa
East Village
Let’s bring a little more lunch into brunch, shall we? Narcissa offers some fantastic American plates for those who want a little less breakfast in their late morning meals, along with several brunch-dedicated cocktails. The restaurant also maintains an enormous patio spaced with charming wood furniture. Well-placed trees and plants create a garden-like outdoors ambiance, while decorative hanging lights and paper ornaments add a delightful flair to the space.
Price Point: $$
Menu Highlights: Bring the bacon to brunch; the Steakhouse Burger piles bacon, shropshire blue, spinach, jalapeno, and garlic mayo high on the plate.
All of these spots are well-worth a visit. Check out our blog if you want more neat tips on how to snag a reservation at some of the most exclusive restaurants in NYC or find the coolest comedy clubs in the city!
