What is it about the Sideshow Acts that draws us in? I've enjoyed this form of entertainment from…read moreelementary school. The Circus used to come and park in a vacant lot near my house in Florida. That was my first experience seeing a sideshow. I was in Second or Third Grade. Every time I get the opportunity I have to go see the sideshow acts. Coney Island was my go to place at one time. I'm fond of the Fortune Teller. That was pre-Covid-19. I don't know what you will find if you visit Coney Island now. I'm posting some photos I took a long time ago. I have my memories of fun times until I can get back to Coney Island Park again. I hope the sideshow will still be there. There's one of my photos of what was a beer joint. Coney Island Brewery is there now. The old Coney Island Lager has a connection to the Sideshow atmosphere of Coney Island. I'll let you do the research and look it up! I'm posting my favorite Shmaltz Brewing Company photo. That's what I remember most about Coney Island Lager. There's a long history here. I Love it!

How did I end up in a car with Doc Wasabassco, Sizzle Dizzle, and Nasty Canasta, at 1:30 am?…read more My gf and I really like burlesque, and when we heard that Wasabassco was throwing a show in Coney Island for the opening of the 2010 season, we certainly didn't want to miss the chance to see burlesque at the Sideshow by the Seashore. I've always been fascinated by Coney Island, the clitoral appendage of Brooklyn; a place Federico Fellini would have loved. The old style kitsch decor of this place fits perfectly: The hammerhead shark above the bar; the wonderful Seeburg juke box; the sideshow paintings; the wooden bleachers in the theater area; the lonely dog wandering around the bar. This place exudes that same seedy feel that drags me around here a few times a year. The bar serves Coney Island Craft Lagers by Shmaltz Brewery. They come in large, 1 pint bottles, at $9 each. Ouch! I tried first a Sword Swallower (6.8% ABV): 8 hops and 4 malts; bitter and hoppy. This was followed by a Human Blockhead (10% ABV): 6 hops and 7 malts; complex taste, herbal and slightly spicy. These beers can be deceptive: lots of taste, but also lots of alcohol. And trust me: it's going to hit you. Highlights from the show, which was awesome, included Melody Sweets and her hawaiian-marijuana song; Nikki Le Villain and her Cleopatra+albino snake[1] piece; Nasty Canasta and her Coney Island dance; Miss Coney Island 2010 Gigi La Famme and her dance on a Black Sabbath song; and the grand finale with all the girls in a bath tub of champagne. A word of advice for the ladies: don't come here alone; this place attracts creeps. And I am not talking about the artists in the show (they're totally cool). I am talking about Jeffrey Dahmer kind of creeps that hang around the bar. After the show, we were enjoying a beer at the bar in the company of Doc Wasabassco, Nasty Canasta, and Sizzle Dizzle, and there was this guy sitting behind Nasty that tried to stroke her hair. Twice. That wasn't cool at all. Luckily the owner handled the situation very well, and escorted the guy to the door (together with a second creepy guy). We finished our drinks and gave a lift back home to the Wasabassco crew. The place closes kinda early, soon after 1 am. --------------------------------------------- [1] Nikki was using what looked to me like a big-ass python, while Cleopatra actually used an asp. Not that that really matters, actually.

This is as underground as it gets: a metal door with no sign, wooden steps up to the second floor,…read morethen knock on a door that just looks like an apartment door. I just love that! Behind the door you will find a small bar ($4 for beers), a small lounge area with red couches and a piano, and a stage space. There is also access to the roof, with an industrial view of Bushwick and the Empire State Building in the distance. This performance space for theater, art, and music right by Bushwick Park, "is a full-scale not-for-profit performance venue and Presenting Organization dedicated to bringing a continuum of art and artists to the Bushwick community". VH and I came here for the Rockers Galore dance party last Saturday, and we had a lot of fun. It made me curious about their theater productions too. Keep an eye on this place.

Underground bar/dance club. Very well hidden, so you must know the right people to get into this…read moreplace. LOL. Showed up here on a Saturday night for a dance party. There was a metal door with, "Bushwick Starr" written on the front, you go up a flight of stairs, and once on the landing, it looks like an apartment floor or a place for studios. Its easy to find once you've climbed a flight of stairs. Very interesting venue. Small, but cozy. Feels like someone's living room. There was free champagne before 12. Too sweet, but I aint complaining about anything free. Music was ok, but didn't get me in the mood to dance. Left around 1PM when the party was starting up...god we're so lame.

NYC's theatre-goer's are spoiled for choice when it comes to iconic locations, but with so many…read moreplaces to catch incredible shows on The Great White Way, there are naturally a few other places that fly under most people's radar and break away from the well-known Broadway herd. Then there's A.R.T/New York Theatre in Hell's Kitchen. They showcase an interesting mix of local artists from across a range of cultures and pay extra attention to those plays that may be under-represented in other locations. Main level elevator takes you the 2nd Fl. concierge and directly to one of A.R.T.'s rooms. Everyone was pleasant and it was a nice first impression when we came on a Friday night with our friend and her husband who invited us to see 'Bruise & Thorn' (til March 27th I think), The theatre is kept clean and sanitary especially since folks are constantly coming and going. We had no issues. There was hand sanitizer around and vax+masks are required. We drove down and parked a block away- but just so you know- this theatre isn't all that well-connected by public transportation- so plan way ahead of time if you're relying on mass transit because it's a long ašš walk to get here.

I saw Becoming Eve at the Abrons Arts Center yesterday, and I'm so glad I know about the theater…read morenow. The Abrons Arts Center is part of the Henry Street Settlement, which has an amazing history. The settlement was started by Lillian Wald in 1895 to help care for the poorest residents of the Lower East Side. In 1915, the Lewisohn sisters opened the Neighborhood Playhouse. Many of its earliest productions were in Yiddish, because Lillian Wald believed both that the arts were essential to wellbeing and that immigrant cultures and languages should be celebrated. The theater has been putting on important, boundary-pushing productions for decades. It was renovated in the 1990s and is still beautiful today. The theater isn't large, which makes productions feel intimate. And they continue to support artists whose work might not find support at more traditional theaters. I'm so glad that Becoming Eve found a home at the Abrons Arts Center. It was supposed to be produced last year at a different theater, but the landlord objected to the production and rejected the show. But the play being put on here may have been a blessing. It felt special to see this play, based on the memoir of Abby Stein in this space. The play was fantastic. Well-acted and moving. I think it might have been the best play I saw over my weekend in the City (I saw three, the other two on Broadway). I have tickets to see another play at the Abrons in June, and I'm more excited than ever, because this first experience was so wonderful. The Abrons is a gem.

Was in the second to the last row in the center and had a great view of an experimental comedy show.read more

The Park Avenue Armory is a historic 19th century, Gothic Revival, military building that was…read morerestored to become an incredible NYC cultural institution. It was build in the late 1800s for a prestigious Civil War regiment... it was preserved and then became a cultural center in 2007. Make sure to enjoy the architecture, decor, art in the smaller rooms open to the public (Tiffany glass windows, turquoise tiled fireplace). The only play I've seen in this space was The Doctor. I also saw their productions of The Lehman Trilogy and Illinoise once they transferred to Broadway. Most recently i visited the Armory for the CLINEMAN installation. I spent a couple of hours watching the porcelain bowls glide across the pools of water... listening to the different pitches of their chimes.

The Park Avenue Armory is one of my favorite places in New York City. It just feels so different…read morefrom anywhere else. The architecture is incredible, and the second you walk in you can feel the history. In a weird way, it kind of makes you think, "Wait... is this place haunted?" or "What stories could these walls tell?" I've been lucky enough to see a bunch of really cool art installations here over the years, plus a few fashion shows. If you've never been, definitely check out their website to see what's going on because there's always something interesting happening. The latest installation I saw had three huge pools inside this giant wooden deck with blown glass bowls floating around on the water. The whole thing was super relaxing. Some people were taking naps, some were quietly talking with friends, and others were just sitting there watching the glass drift around and soaking in the ASMR vibes. It's such a cool example of how creative they get with the space. In my dream world, I'd get married here lol.

The theatre is a great venue to hear musical acts...we recently attended a show featuring Andy…read moreStatman, Jay Gandhi, Ehren Hanson, and David Ellenbogen. It was outstanding and the first live music we have heard in 2021! We had never been there before and came in from NJ especially for this show, but they will be on our radar going forward...

This has a very special place in my heart…read more The theatre itself is a wonderful place to both perform and hear live music across the spectrum of folk music and jazz. It's run by excellent people and one my favorite venues in the city. Swing through on a Friday and definitely check their schedule for upcoming events. The Roots and Ruckus nights are a favorite as a bluegrass musician. The connected school is well-known in the community of musicians here, and for good reason. I have many friends that teach here and I can't speak highly enough of that quality instruction you will get if you decide to take a class. Jalopy is super solid with their instructor curation and you can find everything from large group classes to one on one private instruction. They also sell stringed instruments and supplies if you're so inclined!

Saw a show "Over Here " hosted by Fringe Nyc at this venue ( which was amazing). The box office…read morepeople were nice and the theater was small but spacious. Located in E 4th street there are many places to go eat after watching a show. Overall it is a nice clean theatre.

came here the other night to see "A Thousand Deaths" as part of the NYC Fringe Festival…read more the room we were in was small and basic - maybe 30 seats - but comfortable and clean. considering we were seeing a very minimalist show, it fit perfectly. solid acoustics. the bathrooms downstairs were clean and well-maintained.

Amazing service! This place rocks and the food is amazing too! I love coming here on the weekendsread more

Avery Fisher Hall offers a wide variety of performances for all ages…read more (Just found out that Avery Fisher Hall will be retitled David Geffen Hall in September 2015). Have seen many performances at this venue for the past 20 years. Recently, I have noticed the New York Philharmonic offers wonderful discounts even up to 50% off a single performance without a subscription. During The week of August 9 through the 15th, The New York Philharmonic had a special for purchasing tickets for $69.50 each (regularly up to $148.00 each). Note: You had to choose three or more in a subscription to obtain the $69.50 price per ticket. In order to take advantage of these wonderful offers, you need to place your email on their mailing list. If you haven't been able to afford to attend a performance in the past, these discounts can definitely ease the wallet pressure. In May, I attended "Bugs Bunny at the Symphony!"(Folks, Sorry for the review delay). For you Baby Boomers, remember all the Classical Music from the Bugs Bunny cartoons? Well, that's exactly what you got!. The Superb NY Philharmonic performed along with Bugs Bunny and his friends cartoons that were on a super widescreen TV above the orchestra. The audience had perpetual smiles on their faces :) Some "What's Up Doc!" extras at Avery Fisher Hall: -Excellent and friendly customer service provided by employees at purchasing windows, intermission refreshment tables, ushers and security. -Souvenir T-shirts such as The Rabbit of Seville (The Barber of Seville) were sold. (Have included a photo below). All in all, I think the adults had more fun than the kids at this performance! Well, that's all folks!!!