My Urban Sherpa

Gilbert and Sullivan fans delight!

Gilbert and Sullivan fans delight in June with four productions at NY City Center; The Pirates of Penzance: Saturday, June 7 and Friday, June 13; H.M.S. Pinafore: Friday, June 6, Sunday, June 8, Tuesday, June 10, and Wednesday, June 11; The Mikado: Saturdays, June 7 and 14; The Gondoliers: Thursday, June 12, Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15.

File this under: Bicycles, pre-owned

In light of rising gas prices, it’s not surprising that many New Yorkers are choosing two wheels instead of four. Along those lines, every Wednesday night – in their DUMBO storefront (35 Pearl St., Brooklyn) – the good folks at Recycle-a-Bicycle (RAB) host a “volunteer night” from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Why not join RAB this Wednesday to learn “bicycle mechanic skills while working to refurbish used parts and bikes on hand in the store”?

Email: info@recycleabicycle.org

Phone: 718-858-2972

ADC Young Guns Call for Entry

The Art Directors Club, a not just members-only organization for the Advertising, Design and Communications industries is holding a call for entry for creative professionals, under 30, who have been working for 2 years in graphic design, illustration, photography, film, video, packaging, environmental design, experimental fashion, interactive media, and/or advertising and publishing.

Is this you?

June 2 Deadline.

Alison Elizabeth Taylor at James Cohan

Alison Elizabeth Taylor opens tonight, May 22, at James Cohan Gallery 533 West 26th Street. The exhibition features wood veneer inlay pieces and her recent collaboration with Durham Press, Idylss, pictured here. The exhibition runs through June 21, 2008.

From Capri to Club Row

Since almost everyone in New York City is here from someplace else, it is not uncommon to discover the most authentic Cuban in Nolita (café Habana), delectable Indian delights on East Sixth Street, (Mitali), fresh sushi and grill-it-yourself meats on East Ninth (Yakiniku West), mouth-watering charcuterie and tapas (Mercat) on Bond Street, or pasta so zesty you will feel transported from the Meat Packing District to Capri (Naima). We’ll take the cost of cab fare over a plane ticket any day.

Sarah Polonsky is a native New Yorker and journalist who has contributed to The New York Post, The National Enquirer, Life & Style and OK! Magazine. She happily shares her savoir faire and joie de vivre as an editor of My Urban Sherpa.

Lady Liberty Swim

Lady Liberty Swim, the 1.5 K swim from Battery Park to Battery City is lauded for its spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty.  We hope the swimmers have their own motivations, and that the view is plugged to generate spectators for the Saturday, May 24th event.  Given the frigid temperatures, perhaps there will be a showing from the Polar Bear Club as well.

Filed under Enjoying New York City, Events, Navigating New York, Urban Life | Comment (0)

BLOCK PARTY

New York has always been a city of blocks, as in “How many blocks is it to subway?” and “What block do you live on?” So, just in case you were wondering, the entire city contains 33,278 blocks and if you were to walk down every single one, you’d cover a distance of approximately 12,000 miles. For some perspective, 12,000 miles is the amount of ground one would traverse by walking from Los Angeles to New York and back…twice. Walking from L.A. to New York I can understand, but walking back?

Veggie Pride Parade

On Sunday, May 18 – thanks to the VivaVegie Society – the Big Apple will play host to America’s first ever Veggie Pride Parade. Beginning at noon, the parade will wind its way through Greenwich Village – culminating in all-day veg lovefest at Washington Square Park.

In a sprout-friendly city like New York, there are many reasons to march or take part and some of the goals set forth by the organizers of the event can be shared by all. So grab your tofutti cutie and join the fun.

(Mickey Z. can be found here)

Looking for a local CSA?

What could be more local than your doorstep?

If meandering through a green market is more luxury than your life allows Monday through Friday consider a CSA – Community Supported Agriculture.

For less than the taxi fair to and from Union Square Market, have a week’s worth of fruits and vegetables delivered to your door.

Choose among many CSAs that deliver to Manhattan and the 5 boroughs.

Or walk to your local Green Market.

If this happens to be Saturday, and your local market is Union Square, you are in luck! Incite interest in the season’s offering starting Saturday, May 17 at 10:00 am with a market tour led by Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, and lunch there to follow at 1:00pm.

This series continues sporadically through the fall, Wednesdays and Saturdays with many fine chefs, including Peter Hoffman of Savoy, Colin Alevras or the Tasting Room, and Bill Telepan of Telepan.

Bon appetit, bon karma, bon journee!

Scoot on over!

Any random Wednesday and for the weekend of Saturday, May 31st & Sunday, June 1, join the New York Scooter Club at the Brass Monkey (55 Little West 12th Street) for a drink, lively conversation, and a collegial environment of fellow scooter riders.

Online you can join the New York Scooter Club forum.

We love scooters for their ability to ride 80 – 100 miles on a single gallon of gasoline. We love scooters for the congestion they relieve around town. And we love scooters for the fun of them. It’s also hard not to love scooters for their affordability; $3500 for a brand spanky new Vespa, and $2000 for a used scooter in good working condition.

“To buy a scooter you have to be a nice person – they both go hand in hand” relayed Allison Watters, NY Scooter Organizers with Jonathan Perkel.

Interested parties can join the party, or read on:

Scooter statistics:

In 2007, sales of scooters and dual-purpose bikes were at their highest levels in the past 20 years, even as total motorcycle sales in the U.S. declined slightly. –Motorcycle Industry Council, a nonprofit trade organization.

Sales of Vespas in the U.S. reportedly increased 18% last year.

Last year Piaggio sold about 13,000 scooters, and sales have been growing 15-20% each year for the last 4 years. -Paolo Timoni, President Piaggio/Vespa USA.

Scooter sales up 26% this year. -International Communications Research

Scooter schools:

The most comprehensive course is the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic Rider Course:

Ferrari Driving School

Professional Driving School of the Americas, Inc.