If you want to take in a bit of history and culture while hanging out in the Big Apple this summer, check out different activities occurring at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.  As part of the 2011 Festival, this August you can enjoy the Mostly Mozart program that will be running from August 2^nd to August 27^th.

On opening night as well as August 3^rd, the program will be the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra with conductor Louis Langrée.  On August 4^th and 6^th, there will be the Don Giovanni concert with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and conductor/director, Iván Fischer.  Prior to the August 6^th concert there will be a discussion with Jane Moss and Iván Fischer.

On August 11^th, enjoy the sounds of the International Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by Matthias Pintscher at the Alice Truly Hall, Starr Theater.  This will be a true celebration of Mozart, opening with a gentle Mozart composition performed in a new Salvatore Sciarrino arrangement.  It will end with Gran Partita, one of the maestro’s most majestic works.

For more information on what is available during August through this program, check out: http://www.ny.com/cgibin/frame.cgi?url=http://www.lincolncenter.org/&frame=/frame/events.html

New York is known for its supreme walk-ability, but when is the last time you went for a walk just for the walk’s sake and not to get from where you are to where you’re going?
Here are some fabulous ideas to get out and see the city like it was meant to be seen.

Brooklyn Bridge

• Discover the history around the building of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. In just 30 minutes, beginning at the stairway at Cadman Plaza East near Prospect Street in Brooklyn Heights, you will finish at Broadway and Chambers Street. The Brooklyn Bridge is one mile long, and every day about 6,600 pedestrians either walk or bike over this glorious suspension bridge. When it was built in 1883 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. If you are lucky you might see young men proposing marriage to their beloveds on the bridge, a traditional place for that magic moment. But if there is no actual engagements going on when you are there, do not fret, there will be evidence of such an occurrence, a padlock attached to the fence there, whose keys have been tossed into the river. How romantic!

Tacombi

• If you have a bit more time on your hands, but less time than you would need to really go to Los Angeles, you can spend a bit less than three hours experiencing some of the fun that goes along with a trip to Southern California. Start at Elizabeth Street between East Houston and Prince Streets, and finish at 246 Spring Street between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street. Begin with a fish taco served from an old vintage Volkswagen van which is parked inside a comfortable, plant-filled, sunny garage at Tacombi at Fonda Nolita, 267 Elizabeth St. For some cult shopping, wander over to ‘Creatures of Comfort,’ (205 Mulberry St) which is the original LA boutique which impressed Angelinos first with its supply of elusive indie designers such as Rachel Comey, Wood Wood and Suno. If surfing is your thing, you can find what you need right in lower Manhattan at ‘Saturday’s Surf’ (31 Crosby St.) At additional places along the route you can get a tan at ‘Brazil Bronze Glow Bar,’ (580 Broadway); check out some fine street art at 110 Greene Street where you can see “Subway Map Floating on a New York Street’; get a cocktail reminiscent of Hollywood kitsch at Bar d’Eau (246 Spring St.)

Al Hirschfeld Theatre

• What would New York walks be without a stroll down Broadway? Begin at 302 West 45th Street between 8th and 9th, and continue for 1.2 miles to finish at 234 42nd St. between 7th and 8th Avenues. On this route you should be sure to see the Al Hirschfeld Theatre; Café Edison; Times Square and the TKTS ticket booth for discounts at first-rate Broadway shows; Lyceum Theatre built in 1903, it is Broadway’s oldest continually running theater; Jimmy’s Corner, one of the last vestiges of the gritty, Koch-era Times Square before the facelift. Get a fancy beer here, a Sam Adams, the best on the menu. Heading south you will come across the New Amsterdam Theatre where the girls of Ziegfeld Follies used to entertain. Last stop, the AMC Empire 25. This mega movie house used to be the Eltinge Theatre. Named after the most famous female impersonator of the 1900s, Julian Eltinge. Check out the ceiling in the lobby to see murals of women that were modeled after the actor.

New York is full of surprises. Here are a few outings which are guaranteed to astound, excite or inspire, coming up this summer.

• Thrilling Fireworks- Macy’s sponsors one of the most incredible displays of fireworks anywhere in the country every 4th of July. Come to Hudson River Park on Monday night at 9pm at the conclusion of this year’s Independence Day holiday to witness in person with about 3 million spectators in addition to many millions nationwide who will watch the show on television. The largest of the nation’s fireworks shows, Macy’s will send over 40,000 blasts into the sky above the Hudson River for an unforgettable celebration of the 235th birthday of the USA.

Macy's Fireworks 2010

• Family Fun- This year’s Columbus Avenue Summer Festival will take place on Sunday, June 19th on Columbus Avenue (Duh!) between 86th and 96th Streets. Enjoy the wonderful arts, crafts, plants, antiques, games, entertainment. Get there early and have a fantastic day!

• Monkees Music- Whether or not you are old enough to remember the hit TV series “The Monkees” you will enjoy a trip down musical memory lane with this iconic pop-rock band. This rock group was artificially assembled not as musicians (although it so happens they were and are musicians) but mostly as actors to play the parts of musicians in a zany, cool and much loved late 1960s TV show. Go see them in two New York locations, part of a larger nation-wide tour, this Thursday evening, June 16 at the Beacon Theatre, and on Friday night June 17, at the Capital One Bank Theatre in Westbury, New York.

The Monkees Then

The Monkees Now

June is a great month to feast on some of New York’s special theatrical presentations. From Broadway to Central Park to some less known venues, treat yourself to some amazing performances this month.

•    Fish Eye: Playwright Lucas Kavner brings to life the love story of Max (Joe Tippett) and Anna (Betty Gilpin) which is a told in a loopy, time-warped fashion, but the narrative is never disjointed. Adrienne Campbell-Holt, director, makes sure everything runs smoothly while the cast delivers natural, convincing performances. Catch “Fish Eye” until June 18th at the HERE Arts Center, 145 Sixth Avenue, $18. Phone 2112-352-3101 for more information.

•    All’s Well That Ends Well: Until June 11th you can bask in the wonderful New York tradition of enjoying, for free, a Shakespeare play in Central Park. One of Shakespeare’s ‘tragicomedies.’ The story tells the unlikely romance of Helena, a simple doctor’s daughter, to Count Bertram, an unwilling partner in this forced marriage, believing that he is marrying below his station.  The play is full of twists and turns, one of Shakespeare’s “bed trick” plays, a case of mistaken identity during a sexual encounter. Delacorte Theater, June 11th through July 30th.

Shakespeare in the Park

•    Best of Broadway 2011: Fast-paced, great songs, fabulous dancing and exciting staging and choreography will make you glad you stepped out for some great musical nostalgia.  Check it out at the Tropicana Showroom in Atlantic City, 2831 Boardwalk, 800-843-8767

Peter Yarrow

Peter Seeger

Take a walk down memory lane with some of the greatest performers of the folk genre this coming Friday at the Tarrytown Music Hall. Join Pete Seeger, 91, Peter Yarrow, 73, and Peter Yarrow, 80, for a concert which will benefit Mr. Seeger’s environmental protection group, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

The three singers commented on the recent wave of protests from the Middle East to Wisconsin, saying they feel inspired by the enthusiasm of their younger relatives who will also join the old-timers on stage.

“I do have the feeling that the kind of energy we felt in the ’60s is in the air now,” Mr. Yarrow said. “That energy seems to be reigniting itself.”

At the end of February Mr. Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary fame, attended a rally with an estimated 100,000 union supporters in attendance in Madison, Wisconsin. The crowd was excited to hear the classic songs which he sang at labor rallies of the distant past, and he was more than happy to sing them.

“There is a tacit agreement between a performer and an audience,” he said. “And since I’m not ashamed of singing ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ or ‘If I Had a Hammer’ or even ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ or ‘We Shall Overcome’ or whatever, I’m not unhappy about the songs that have become very popular.”

David Amram

For more information: Clearwater Generations: Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow and More, 8 p.m., Friday, at Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main Street. Tickets: $48 to $250. Information: (914) 631-3390 or tarrytownmusichall.org.

Let’s talk about interior design, especially two women decorators working in New York who immediately come to mind as the kind that understand the importance of a pleasing aesthetic, a warm embrace, and an artistic nuance to making a house become a home. I am talking about Janna Bullock and Amanda Nisbet.

Quality of Interior Design Crucial

New York is well known for its elegant apartments, townhouses and homes. What is often forgotten when admiring the location, age or history of the living space in question, is that perhaps the most important element which can mean the difference between living in a comfortable, pleasing environment and not, is the quality of the interior design.

After all, even a small, cramped apartment can be made to feel spacious and homey when the correct approach is taken to the furnishings and accessories; and even the largest and well thought-out floor plan can be irritating and annoying if it is decorated poorly or without the personalities and needs of the residents in mind.

Two female decorators working in New York are the kind of designers that understand the importance of a pleasing aesthetic, a warm embrace, and an artistic nuance to making a house become a home.

Janna Bullock Joins Art, Architecture and Design

Janna Bullock is famous for her use of contemporary artists which are considered as important to the overall results and architecture and design. As Janna Bullock has said, “For art and architecture to co-habitate, it is important to create inspirational interiors and not sterile environments.” Ms. Bullock was originally a real estate developer who made her mark buying, renovating and reselling townhouses on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

A few years ago Janna Bullock was synthesized her love for historic architecture with her passion for modern art to create a warm, calm and tranquil environment in a 3,000 square foot apartment in New York’s Plaza Hotel. “When you design a collector’s residence it is important that the art has enough space to live, inspire and influence,” Janna Bullock explained. “There needs to be harmony between all of the components.”

Nisbet Expert in Fabric Design

Amanda Nisbet was born in Montreal but has become a central figure in New York’s world of interior, fabric and lighting design. Amanda has a real sense of fashion, as she explains, “I love fashion. I am lucky to live in New York City where I can walk down Madison Avenue through SoHo and see incredible window displays. What fashion designers are doing inspires me.”

Amanda Nisbet could be said to be a bit more fun-loving and vital where Janna Bullock is more elegant.

“My perfect room is an imperfect room. When something is slightly askew, it gives a room more energy.”

Prabal Gurung Discovered

“When someone is that good, they don’t remain undiscovered for too long,” was the general word being spread – expressed by Anne Slowey (Elle’s fashion news director) – at New York Fashion Week vis-à-vis Prabal Gurung’s debut collection. He may be a freshman, but that didn’t stop him making a statement at Chelsea’s Flag Art Foundation.

Gurung’s Background

Gurung has always been interested in fashion, being teased as a high school kid for his “style acumen and stacks of sketchbooks.” He worked in Australia, London and then New York, landing a position as the design director of Bill Blass (a classic American fashion house), before starting out on his own amidst a backdrop of a frail global economy.

It seems what has made Gurung stand out most has been his uniqueness in the fashion world, according to Colleen Sherin (Saks Fifth Avenue’s senior fashion director), who commented, “he wasn’t a derivative of someone else. He certainly got our attention.”

Gurung’s Famed Clients

Of course it helped Mr. Gurung that Hollywood actress Demi Moore tweeted a photo of herself in one of his cocktail dresses, urging her Twitter followers to “look out for fashion’s rising star.” And the President’s wife herself wore a “stunning red ruched number to the White House Correspondent’s dinner last May, a hot pink sheath on ‘Oprah’ in January and most recently a one-shouldered yellow gown to last month’s Governor’s Dinner.”

So if you want to stay hot in New York’s fashion world today, you might want to get yourself clad in a number from Prabal Gurung, having been described by Sherin as being “the whole package…a talented designer and lovely personality, too.” The message thus seems clear: to dress for success, go Gurung.

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the  jewels in the crown of New York’s special significance as a world center of culture. No matter what you love, or what your interests might be, there is something that will fascinate you at this repository of some of the world’s most unique, educational and enlightening artifacts.

If you have never been to the AMNH, or if it’s been a while since your last visit, then you should take my advice and get over there soon. Here is a list of some of the special exhibitions which will without a doubt intrigue and inspire you.

• Brain: The Inside Story–

This exhibit, which is open until August 14, 2011, will bring you inside what is the most amazing product of evolution, developed over millions of years. “The human brain is the most complex and fascinating biological structure known, and we are delighted to explore its many facets in Brain: The Inside Story,” says Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “This exhibition illustrates how our remarkable brains work and what makes them so special, while featuring what is currently one of the hottest and most promising fields in science today—neuroscience. Visitors will not only learn what’s in store for our brains in the 21st century, but will come away with an enriched perspective on the extraordinary brain, the vehicle for all of the things that makes us human.”

• Body and Spirit: Tibetan Medical Paintings—

This exhibit features 64 Tagkas, or Tibetan medical paintings, which are part of the AMNH’s collection. These are hand-painted reproductions of traditional scroll paintings, and are on view for the first time in a museum exhibition. The paintings allow us to get a glimpse into the history of early medical knowledge in Tibet, and it is also thought that this group of paintings is among only a tiny number of such sets which exist in the world. “The Museum’s Tibetan collection, from which these paintings are taken, comprises nearly 2,800 objects, and is among the finest in the United States,” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “This new exhibition represents the continuation of a great artistic tradition and will offer visitors a unique and fascinating perspective on early Tibetan culture.” Until July 17th.

• Hayden Planetarium Space Shows—

Using the most up-to-the-minute technology the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center of Earth and Space is able to bring the world of science into sharp focus. Showing now are two fascinating presentations: “Journey to the Stars,” narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, will take you back 13 billion years to the very beginning of the universe. The second show is  a double feature, with “Passport to the Universe,” narrated by Tom Hanks, and “The Search for Life: Are We Alone?” narrated by Harrison Ford.

For More Information Contact the Museum: (212) 769-5100

Are you a first time visitor to New York and for some reason only have one day to take in the main attractions of this world class city? Well here are some great ideas of what to do and see which will give you a real feel for the real New York. These are sites which go beyond the usual recommendations such as Times Square and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

1.    Time Warner Center is so much more than just a mall. Despite what cynical New Yorkers might say, this mall in many ways says it all about New York. Just check out the fourth floor alone. There you will find among two of New York’s best restaurants, and most expensive, too. Located on Columbus Circle which is at the southwestern corner of Central Park, you can dine in either “Per Se” of Chef Thomas Keller, or have an amazing sushi experience in Masa, named for chef and owner Masa Takayama.

2.    West Village—Take a stroll here and see for yourself what a New York neighborhood is really like. You will find quaint brownstones along surprising tree-lined streets which are basically in the same state they were in when they were new, during the 19th century. Be sure to take a map, the street layouts are not exactly logical; West 10th street somehow magically intersects with West 4th.

3.    Film Forum—Believe it or not, more movies are filmed in the streets of New York than anywhere else, even Hollywood. So it should come as no surprise that there is a place New York film lovers flock to to see the films others can only hope to read about. Among some of the pickings are provocative independent films, documentaries, and foreign art films hand-picked from the world’s most prestigious film festivals. A must see for film fans.

You live in New York- starting enjoying living in the greatest city in the world. How? Well if you like theater, I have some amazing suggestions of things to see that will take you on a journey of self-discovery, entertainment, and thoughtful contemplation.  Here is a list of a few possibilities, but not anywhere near an exhaustive list:

•    HerStory:

Follow the lives of four women who are poets-by-night and during their off hours are dealing with the struggles of vanity, cultural confusion and difficult life circumstances.  There will be a performance of HerStory on March 7th at 7:30pm at the Kumble Theatre for the Performing Arts, at 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn, New York. For more information call 718-488-1624.

•    The Male Ego:

March is “Women’s History Month” and in recognition of this the Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts is inviting women over the age of 18 to take part in a unique presentation of theater which will include a provocative discussion. Five men will reveal their innermost feelings and thoughts as they relate to the western Freudian concepts which our society uses to explain typical male behavior. Join in this unique experience on Wednesday, March 9th, at 7:30pm at the Kumble Theatre for the Performing Arts, at 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn, New York. For more information call 718-488-1624.

•    Compulsion:

This is the world premiere of the story of Sid Silver, who in 1951 decides that he is on a mission to guard and disseminate what is one of the 20th century’s most moving and provocative accounts of the 20th century, Anne Frank’s diary. Compulsion was inspired by the story written by Meyer Levin, and brings together playwright Rinne Groff and Director Oskar Eustis for an unforgettably powerful production guaranteed to challenge and entertain. A co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Yale Repertory Theatre featuring Hannah Cabell, Matte Osian and Mandy Patinkin. The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street,  NY, NY. For more information call  212-539-8500. From now until March 13th.