Grand Central Terminal...100 Years on February 1st

If you will be in the area, you should stop in...there will be exhibits, special offers, performances...all sponsored by Target. link

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS ON THE MAIN CONCOURSE

9:30 am — 10:00 am
West Point Brass & Percussion concert and presentation of colors by West Point’s Cadet Color Guard.

10:00 am — 11:30 am
The Grand Central Key Ceremony features surprise entertainment and presentations from more than a dozen well-known names and faces wishing the Terminal a happy birthday. Ceremony includes special presentations and appearances by:
• Cynthia Nixon, Award-winning actress and NYC resident
• Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins with an original
  poem commissioned by MTA Arts for Transit
• Caroline Kennedy, Author and Preservationist, Honorary Co-Chair of the
   Grand Central Centennial Committee
• Grammy Award-winning artist, Melissa Manchester
• Key Ceremony with Vanderbilt Family
• Keith Hernandez, Member of NY Mets World Series Champion Team
• The Celia Cruz Bronx High School Choir
• Peter Stangl, Grand Central Centennial Committee Chairman
• MTA officials, elected officials, and other special guests
• A surprise “sweet” delivery to cap off the event

Noon — 12:30 pm
Terminal receives special honors from the Guinness Book of World Records, the National Park Service, the US Postal Service new stamp release, the National Railway Historical Society, and the American Society of Civil Engineers, with electric violinist Sarah Charness providing a musical opening and closing for the program. Also, stop by the Station Master’s Office to see a replica of the Terminal made of Lego® bricks created and presented by LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester.

1:00 pm — 4:00 pm
Celebrations continue in the Main Concourse with music and dance performances from:
• Dancing Classrooms, featured in the film “Mad Hot Ballroom”
• Keigwin + Company, acclaimed contemporary dance company
• The Knicks City Dancers and Kids
• The Westchester Philharmonic Brass Octet
• Cast members of the upcoming musical “Orphan Train”
• Staten Island’s Susan Wagner High School Jazz Band
• Electric violinist, Sarah Charness

7:00 pm — 9:30 pm
Music from Rhythm Collective and Grammy Award-winning big band Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks will keep Terminal visitors dancing and celebrating into the evening!


ALL DAY AROUND THE TERMINAL
Music Under New York performances

1913 PRICING FROM GRAND CENTRAL SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS
*Only available February 1, 2013
• 19¢ ea. shrimp, 13¢ ea. mussels, 13¢ ea. clams at Pescatore
• 10¢ for a side of french fries at Tri Tip Grill *From 11am-3pm
• 5¢ small drip hot coffee at Financier Patisserie *Starting at 12 pm. Limit one per customer
• 10¢ shoe shine at Leather Spa
• 10¢ nylon watch straps from Central Watch *Limited to first 500 customers. Limit one per customer
• 25¢ piece of Legendary Fudge at Li-Lac Chocolates *Limit one per customer
• 19¢ slice of cheesecake at the Oyster Bar & Restaurant *Dine-in only
• 10¢ for bambini scoop of gelato or sorbet at Ciao Bella
• $2 for 100% silk scarves (unisex) at TOTO
• 6¢ loaf of rye bread at Zaro’s Bakery * Shuttle Passage and Grand Central Market locations only. Limit one per customer
• 75¢ Adirondack cocktail at Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C.
• 5¢ 1lb box of pasta with purchase of a Ceriello Sauce at Ceriello Fine Foods *until 4pm

SPONSORED GIVEAWAYS AT SPECIAL CENTENNIAL TABLES ON FEBRUARY 1
• Grand Central Centennial Luggage Tags
• Vintage train whistles from Target
• Granola Bars and trail mix from Archer Farms
• Mini men’s and women’s fragrance bottles from Vince Camuto
• Arrowhead studded earrings from Tia’s Place
• Spring rolls from Pescatore
• Financiers from Financier Patisserie
• Starbucks VIA Ready Brew from Starbucks
• “23” cookies from Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C.
• Chocolate Hearts from Li-Lac Chocolates
• Package of Masala Chai blend from Café Spice
• Origins iPhone cases from Origins
• Swatch pens from Swatch
• 2 Deluxe samples and an invite to the store for a hand and arm massage from Jo Malone

100 FREE!
First 100 people to make a $50 purchase at Vince Camuto, receive a hot pink Camuto iPhone cover!

A Grand Central Terminal commemorative USPS Express Mail stamp will be available for purchase and cancellation at the Lower Concourse Information Booth from 10am until 3pm.

Main Site

This Sunday is the day to ride the subway...

Most people around here have heard about Improv Everywhere.  They cause scenes.  One of their more popular ones is one they do every year, a MP3 Experiment.  The participants download a specific podcast, and meet up at a certain place and all turn it on at the same time, and just follow the directions.  There was one done on Roosevelt Island back in 2009.

This Sunday, they will be doing one of their most popular experiments, the No-Pants Subway Ride.  This is the 13th year they have done it, and I have yet to see it, so I think I will be taking a subway ride to get some pics.  Expect the pantlessness fun to be between 3pm and 5 pm.

The guys usually wear boxers, and the girls usually wear something with plenty of coverage, and it seems to be a fun time, but apparently native New Yorkers are sick of it.  I just finished reading this Gothamist article, titled "Destroy The Date"  The comments are really funny.  It seems to be a fun time and a good way to spend the afternoon.

From the website:

HOW IT WORKS
There are six meeting points this year. Take your pick. The Manhattan meeting points tend to be very crowded, so if you live in Brooklyn or Queens, definitely go to one of those! You’ll probably have more fun! If you are a member of the media, please see our press information page.

Astoria: Meet at Hoyt Playground – Google Map
Brooklyn: Meet by the Old Stone House – Google Map
Downtown Manhattan: Meet at Foley Square – Google Map
Queens: Meet at the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park – Google Map
Uptown Manhattan: Meet at the Great Hill in Central Park – Google Map
Williamsburg / Bushwick: Meet at Maria Hernandez Park – Google Map
Everyone should meet at their chosen meeting point at 3 PM. Please be on time. Feel free to be early.

At the meeting points, participants will be organized into groups and assigned a specific train car. Once everyone is divided up we will all head to nearby subway station[s]. Do not talk to others once you enter the subway system. No one knows each other.

Sit in the car as you normally would. Read a magazine or whatever you would normally do. Your team leader will have already divided you into smaller groups, assigning your group a specific stop where you will depants.

Open House New York

Open House NY is a really amazing program that lets you see buildings and beautiful architecture that you normally don't get to see, and it is a great opportunity.  One weekend a year, usually in the first 1/2 of October, is when it happens, and this year, it is this weekend.  There are many things that need reservations, and they actually stopped taking reservations this morning at 9:30 am, but there is still tons to do without reservations!  So much to see...
This is the website, and just click on weekend, then plan your weekend.


Find us on Facebook and Twitter.  There are pages up top for both links.


Also check out the Unseen NYC Tours link...fall is a beautiful time to go on a walking tour!

Brooklyn's Largest Street Festival

 

Coming up this weekend...Atlantic Antic!  1.13 miles of fun... From the website...

The Atlantic Antic is a living tribute to the myriad of heritages that coexist in Brooklyn. Spanning four neighborhoods from Hicks Street to Fourth Avenue, the Antic is the largest street festival in New York City! From start to finish, Atlantic Avenue is transformed into a sea of entertainment offering something for everyone. .
Comprised of local and national vendors intertwined with the offerings of trendy restaurants and boutiques, the Atlantic Antic features live music stages that showcase free performances from various cultural genres. Families enjoy pony rides, storytelling, and face painting on an entire block dedicated solely to kid-friendly activities. Best known for its eclectic delicacies, the Antic highlights an array of food from around the world in addition to street fair favorites like funnel cake, sausage sandwiches, and roasted corn!

The Atlantic Antic, a true Brooklyn institution, spans 10 blocks – from Hicks Street to Fourth Avenue – passing through three beautiful Brooklyn brownstone neighborhoods, making the festival one of the largest in the city. Unique to this community festival is the number of participating local merchants, artisans, musical acts, and not for profits bringing together a fabulous array of authentic Brooklyn food, festivities, and fun on one mile of Atlantic Avenue.

Fleet Week

I had the privilege of watching the ships come in last week, and managed to get some pictures in the process.  I was down by Shore Promenade,  in Brooklyn.  The ships came in to my left and made their way towards Manhattan.  The first ship was the Iwo Jima.

The largest one that I saw, the guys were out on the deck in full dress uniforms.

There was also the 343, the newest FDNY fireboat, which has steel from the World Trade Center in the name of the boat on the bow, and had plumes of red and blue water coming from it.  It was welcoming the ships by the Staten Island side of the Verrazano Bridge.

This fire boat is 140 feet long, and can pump 50,000 gallons of water a minute, which is double the capacity of the previous boat, the John D. McKean.  The McKean responded to the 9/11 attacks, since the attack left the hydrants in the downtown area useless.  The 343 will start active duty in July retiring the McKean which is currently being used by the FDNY.

The rest of my pictures can be found here.