XYZ:NYC Exhibition Opens at 10 Downing in Greenwich Village

December 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
XYZ-NYC project at 10 Downing Street in Greenwich Village

XYZ-NYC project at 10 Downing Street in Greenwich Village

The No Longer Empty project, in collaboration with Australian artists Leslie Eastman and Natasha Johns Messenger, have taken over a vacant storefront at 10 Downing Street for an exhibition lasting through December. The exhibition, entitled XYZ:NYC, is a collaborative effort using mirrors, reflective surfaces, and other objects that play with the perception of space and light.

The exhibition at 10 Downing Street features works such as a corridor designed by Ms. Johns Messenger which features various mirrors that reflect off of each other. Another work by Mr. Eastman uses a camera obscura lens to project the images of Sixth Avenue into the building. This piece is shown in conjunction with a 24-hour feed of Melbourne, Australia, where both artists are from and where Mr. Eastman continues to work.

The real centerpiece of the exhibition at 10 Downing Street, though, is the collaborative work entitled Synoptic 3. An interactive piece, Synoptic 3 requires two participants to put on video headsets and explore the space around them. However, each headset shows what its counterpart is viewing, so the viewer never really sees what’s actually in front of them. Mr. Eastman said that he and Ms. Johns Messenger considered this piece to be wholly interactive to the point that the audience participated in the work, so there are a number of set places where onlookers can view the work in action.

XYZ:NYC will be hosting a number of events before it closes down. On December 10th, a scavenger hunt will be held at the gallery. On December 14th, the gallery will host a panel discussion featuring both artists as well as Emily Balcetis, assistant professor of psychology at NYU, and Randy Cohen, former writer of “The Ethicist” column in The New York Times. There will also be events held for students of P.S. 3 and The Little Red Schoolhouse, as well as a collaboration with The Children’s Museum.

The exhibition is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 1pm-8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-8pm. Synoptic 3 viewings start at 6pm, or you can make an appointment. The exhibition runs until December 22nd.

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Joe’s Pub in NoHo to Re-open Today

October 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Joe's Pub

Joe's Pub

The famed Village music venue Joe’s Pub, which has seen performances from the likes of Adele, Alicia Keyes, and Amy Winehouse, is set to re-open today after being closed for the summer. The venue has been undergoing renovations in order to make it more accessible.

The newly-renovated Joe’s Pub will contain more seating, increasing in capacity from 150 to 190. Better sight lines to the main stage will also be available. Also, a new entrance will connect Joe’s Pub to the nearby Public Theater.

The renovations are extensive, but managing director Kevin Abbot has emphasized that the new changes have not overhauled the space that patrons have come to know and appreciate over the years. “It was imperative to us that people would walk in and say ‘Oh, it’s still Joe’s Pub. They’ve just cleaned it up a little bit,” he said.

The first show at the new venue is tonight: Stew and Heidi will be performing selections from the musical Passing Strange, which recently won a Tony award. More information can be found at www.joespub.com

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Bedford Downing Block Association Sidewalk Sale

September 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In two weeks come by the 13th Annual Bedford Downing Block Association

Sidewalk Sale!

In the South Village Historic District

On Downing Street between Bedford and Sixth Avenue

On Saturday, October 15th from 10am – 5pm

Be a Vendor

Make $$$ from your stuff and have fun too!

Snag a spot now by e-mailing mann@mikaya.com for information and reservations

There are already over 25 vendors committed to participating to make this year the best yet.

We hope to see you there.

Bedford Downing Block Association

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Village Jazz Alive Fundraiser at Blue Note in the Village

September 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Village Jazz Alive and GVCCC

3rd Annual Village Jazz Alive Fundraiser

On Monday night we were invited to attend the 3rd Annual Village Jazz Alive Fundraiser hosted by the Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce (GVCCC).  The event started promptly at 6pm at the thirty year old Greenwich Village jazz club, Blue Note (131 West 3rd Street), with a packed house and open bar.  Tickets were reasonably priced at $65 which included a 3-course dinner with options such as shrimp cocktail and steak and performances by the legendary Randy Weston.  Mr. Weston is an internationally known pianist, composer, and bandleader living in Brooklyn.  Encompassing the vast rhythmic heritage of Africa, his global creations musically continue to inform and inspire his audiences.  He has received countless awards and honors, made more than forty albums in over sixty years as a pianist and composer, and played with some of the greatest jazz musicians to grace the stage.

The GVCCC hosted a silent auction of items donated to the chamber which included VIP tickets to The Colbert Report (which went to NearSay’s own Trevor Sumner), VIP tickets to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Cyndi Lauper tickets, a catered meal by Murray’s Cheese, and an evening at City Winery.  For over sixty years the GVCCC has been serving the needs of local businesses in the neighborhoods it calls home.  Today, those include Greenwich Village, Chelsea, SoHo, NoHo, Union Square, Flatiron, and the East Village.  Members range from small local businesses such as Tio Pepe to major institutions such as the Whitney Museum and New York University.  The hosts, including Elizabeth Butson (Chair of Village Jazz Alive and Vice Chair of GVCCC) and Tony Juliano (Chairperson of GVCCC) did a wonderful job of providing a thoroughly enjoyable evening while the Blue Note staff kept the drinks coming before and after our thoroughly enjoyable meal.  The proceeds of this event support the Chamber’s mission to assist and encourage local businesses so I would encourage everyone to attend next year.

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Taste of the Village Comes to Washington Square Park

September 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Taste of the Village in Washington Square Park

Taste of the Village

This Wednesday, Washington Square Park will be more delicious than normal as the ninth annual Taste of the Village benefit event takes place. The event, which raises money to help with the cleanup and maintenance of Washington Square Park, features prized selections from local restaurants, breweries, and wineries.

This year will be the first in which Taste of the Village takes place within the newly renovated fountain area of Washington Square Park. As such, event organizers have promised that this year’s event will be bigger, with additional seating and a live jazz trio playing throughout.

Among the thirty local participants are Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Tanti Baci, and Nanoosh. Wine at the event will be provided by a number of wineries based in Long Island, and Brooklyn Brewery will also be on hand to provide craft beer.

Taste of the Village takes place this Wednesday in Washington Square Park from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets for the event are $50, and they can be purchased at the Village Alliance’s office (8 East 8th Street) or by clicking here.

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The BMW Guggenheim Lab Draws Ire of Protesters

August 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

BMW/Guggenheim LabThe BMW Guggenheim Lab opened in the East Village on August 3rd, where it will remain until going on tour at around the middle of October. However, some city residents are already unhappy with the project’s existence.

EV Grieve reported that the BMW Guggenheim Lab was the target of an anti-gentrification protest group on Sunday night. The protest was part of what was advertised as the “Let Them Eat Cake/Eat The Rich/No Comfort Zone street party” which marched through the East Village in protest of what some perceive as accelerated gentrification in the neighborhood. The protest also stopped at the Economakis Mansion and the now-defunct Mars Bar, but the BMW Guggenheim Lab gave the protesters an open mike on which to rail against gentrification in the East Village.

Speaking to a small audience consisting of curators and administrators at the BMW Guggenheim Lab, protesters issued elegies for a neighborhood that they claim they are being driven out of.  Overall, though, the tone of the protest was, while confrontational, also respectful. The only moment of contention came when local activist John Penley lit a cigarette inside the building, in a seeming dare to get the police to appear. The BMW Guggenheim Lab is set up on Parks Department property, where smoking is now illegal.

The lab’s deputy director, Eleanor Goldhar, stated that she appreciated the protesters’ cause and their decision to speak their mind, saying that “the Lab is about dialogue – all kinds.”

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Washington Square Park Re-opens Now for Business

June 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Washington Square Park renovation, Garibaldi Plaza, Washington Square Park dog run,Yesterday marked the end of part of the re-design of Washington Square Park as the eastern side of the park was re-opened to the public for the first time since 2009. The opening comes after a few delays in the estimated completion time of the project.

The opening of the eastern side of the park marks the end of the first part of Phase II in the development. The second part of the project, which has kept the southwestern side of the park closed, is set to complete sometime in the near future. The re-opened section of the park includes a refurbished Garibaldi Plaza that incorporates part of the performance space that was previously separate from the plaza.

The dog run and chess area were originally supposed to be a part of the plan, but those projects have been pushed back.

The project has come under fire since its beginnings in 2007. Some criticized the idea behind re-designing the park at all, while more recent complaints have concerned the long construction time and inefficiency that have kept the park closed to the public for years at a time.

Washington Square Park Blog has been tracking the details of the construction, and they have photos of the new section of the park here.

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West Village Jazz Events: May 6th – 8th

May 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Blue Note, Zinc Bar, Smalls, West Village jazz, NYC jazz, Manhattan jazz, West Village nightlife

The Blue Note is featuring a weekend of the Omar Sosa Afri-Lectric Quintet. Omar Sosa’sstyle derives from Afro-Caribbean music traditions while still featuring a fresh, urban aesthetic. He has been putting out records consistently since 1997, and his 2002 record Santir was nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album. Performances are at 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. For tickets, visit www.bluenote.net or call 212-475-8592

Tonight, the Smalls Jazz Club is featuring the Ned Goold Trio. Ned Goold has been playing tenor saxophone since he was a child in Hammond, Indiana. He has been playing in New York since the 1980s, and he is most notable for his performances with Harry Connick, Jr. Tonight, Goold is promoting his latest record, The Flows, which was recorded with a trio of musicians that includes his son on drums. Performance begins at 7:45 p.m. For more information, visit www.smallsjazzclub.com or call 212-252-5091

The Zinc Bar will feature a late show of African jazz tonight, as usual. Their early show is a piano-bass-drum combo called Trio Elf. Walter Lang (piano), Gerwin Eisenhauer (drums) and Sven Faller (bass) mixes elements of classic jazz piano with more contemporary styles of improvisation.  This Saturday, Brazilian jazz vocalist Marianni returns for another series of shows. Friday performance begins at 8:00 p.m. Saturday performance begins at 10:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.zincbar.com or call 212-477-9462

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West Village Graffiti Cleanup

April 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Akerly Real Estate graffiti cleanup, NYC Community CleanupOn Friday, May 6th at 10am volunteers will be participating in a graffiti cleanup of buildings located on Bedford Street, Downing Street, and Sixth Avenue in the West Village.  Twenty-eight buildings have been identified as requiring attention after recent vandalism.  The Akerly Real Estate Team, residents of Downing Street, is organizing the event in conjunction with NYC Community Cleanup, a new citywide initiative designed to address neighborhood hot spots and eyesores.  The program puts low-level offenders to work by offering their services to communities that wish to address unsightly conditions in their neighborhoods.

If you would like to volunteer for the event, or if you are a business or property owner that would like your building to be included in the cleanup, please e-mail keytothecity@AkerlyRE.com for more information.  Volunteers will be meeting on Downing Street in front of Blue Ribbon at 10am on 5/6/11.

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