Archive for April, 2010

The action is downtown in Tribeca this weekend with Robert DeNiro’s famed film festival and accompanying street fair. Brooklyn is rocking out with KindieFest. They’re celebrating summer early on the Upper West Side. And that’s not all. Why would it be? This is New York.

Go
Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair &
Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day
Saturday is the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair and Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day. The Street Fair features puppeteers, stilt-walkers, sand sculptors, face painters, local restaurants and merchants, Broadway performers, favorite kids’ characters and local youth dance troupes. If that’s not enough, there’s also a kite garden, bubble garden and arts & crafts pavilion.
*Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day will have local athletes, Mr. Met and pitching and throwing classes. Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls will demo their crazy, freestyle soccer tricks. ESPN’s “Play Your Way” will set up a play area. And the Knicks, Rangers and WNBA’s Liberty will also host activities.
When: Sat. 5/1, 10am-6pm. Free. (All ages)
Where: Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair - Greenwich St., from Chambers St. to Hudson St., Washington Market Pk. (Chambers St. at Greenwich) and BMCC Tribeca PAC (199 Chambers St. bet. Greenwich and West St.)
Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day - Duane St. bet. Greenwich and Hudson Sts.

See
KindieFest
Brooklyn, the borough known for its independent family music scene, is hosting the second annual KindieFest international family music conference/festival.Tickets are still available for this red-hot event showcasing Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Recess Monkey and two-time Grammy-award winner Bill Harley.
When: Sun. 5/2, noon-4pm. $15 a head. Tickets available at kindiefest.com. (All ages)
Where: Littlefield NYC, 622 Degraw, Brooklyn

Do
Summer on the Hudson’s
Irish Dance Festival
Go West to Pier I at 70th Street for the opening of the 10th anniversary season of Summer on the Hudson. The six-month series of fab free events opens with the annual all-day New York City Irish Dance Festival. Stars of the Irish dance world and local dance schools will perform. Kick it up at traditional Irish dance workshops (all skill levels). Also on tap: Irish language classes, face painting and kids’ crafts.
When: Sun. 5/2, 1-8pm. Free. (All ages)
Where: Pier I at 70th St. Visit nyc.gov/parks

Hear
Aaron Nigel Smith Everyone Loves to Dance
Bronx Zoo
After eyeballing some lemurs and lions, catch Aaron Nigel Smith performing “Animal Song” and tunes from his latest CD Everyone Loves to Dance. On that album, Ziggy Marley, Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys and DJ DREZ accompany Smith on select songs. Smith is a member of the award-winning PBS show Between the Lions. His FUNdamentals of Music and Movement program is taught across the country.
When: Sun. 5/2, 11:30am and 2pm. Free with the price of admission. (All ages)
Where: Astor Court, Bronx Zoo at Fordham Road and the Bronx River Parkway. bronxzoo.com.

Learn
New (and Expectant) Parents Expo
New York Family Magazine is hosting the mother of all new parenting expos. Come educate yourself about classes for young kids, baby gear and accessories, nursery furnishings, nannies, day care, parent support services and post-natal services. Infants and toddlers can play at the Gazillion Bubbles Show interactive exhibit.
When: Sat. 5/1, 11am-2pm. Free. Pre-registration available at newyorkfamily.com.
Where: The Corner (a new luxury residential building), 200 W. 72nd St. at B’way, 2nd flr.

This spring in the city, in addition to street fairs, Curious George, King Tut and a fresh financial scandal courtesy of Goldman Sachs, we’ve got an urban baby retail soul mate, giggles and a “write” of passage.

Silly Souls

Sass it up at the Silly Souls store in the just-opened Limelight Marketplace’s “festival of shops.” This will be Silly Souls’ first stand-alone store. The company is known for emblazoning irreverent, humorous messages on bibs, booties, bodysuits (onesies), socks and big sister and brother presents. Some of our faves: “The Bald & The Beautiful” and “Big Sister - Princess of Friggen Everything.” The Limelight Marketplace sits in the landmark building that housed the historic Episcopal Church, which was later converted into the infamous Limelight nightclub. (Remember Peter Gatien?) Silly Souls opens May 7th.

Silly Souls, Limelight Marketplace, corner of Sixth Ave. and 20th St. in the Flatiron District

Giggle
Giggle has landed on the Upper West Side. The UWS location is the third Giggle in the city. (The others are on the UES and in Soho.) This soup-to-nuts baby store carries the hippest modern lines of baby gear, feeding accessories, bedding, clothes and toys. This weekend, the store is hosting a slew of free grand opening activities. Sunday is Expectant Day with workshops on prenatal tips and pampering and newborn sleeping. Sunday is Family Day; there’s a singalong with Eastside Westside Music Together, photo shoots with Classic Kids Photography, Moey’s Music Party with Big City Moms and mommy & baby yoga with Pure Yoga. Visit giggle.com for a list of events and times and information about a Dan Zanes concert on May 20th.

Giggle, 352 Amsterdam Ave. (bet. 76th 77th Sts.), 212-362-8680

Scribble Press
It’s about time New York, the nation’s publishing capital, got something like this. Members of the budding literary set can now head to Scribble Press on the Upper East Side, where they can write, illustrate and publish their own books (paperback or board books). They can also design custom placemats, notebooks and other gift items.We first told you about Scribble Press back in January. The store, which opened in the old A-ha! space on First Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets (call it a writers’ block), offers not only walk-in book-making, but also classes and birthday parties - a welcome addition on the party circuit. A place where Junior will always have the write stuff.

Scribble Press, 1624 First Ave. (bet. 84th  and 85th Sts.), 212-288-2928, scribblepress.com.

This weekend in New York - rap, rock and Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird. And on Monday, learn about a nine-room house that’s easily worth more than any Classic Six in the city.

Hear
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Definitely not your typical kiddie fare. And we’re loving that. Combine rap, funk and reggae with dragons, mermaids and robots, and you’ve got Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. It’s “Kid Hop,” upbeat hip-hop music with kid-appropriate lyrics. Perfect for any urban baby and parent. The concert is part of 92Y Tribeca’s B.Y.O.K. (Bring Your Own Kid) Sunday concert series.
When: Sun. 4/25 at 11am. Tickets, $15 per person, are available at 92y.org. Kids under two are free. (All ages)
Where: 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St.

And

Earthrockers, a Kidrockers Concert
How suitable for Earth Day. This concert features the beach-town sounds of bands Real Estate and Apollo Sunshine and integrates a little environmental education. A portion of proceeds will go to the non-profit organization 1% of the Planet.
When: Sun. 4/15, 1-3pm. Doors open at noon. boweryballroom.com. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Adults must be accompanied by a child and vice versa. (Ages 3-13)
Where: The Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St.

See
Carnival of the Animals & The Firebird
New York Theatre Ballet
A recession-friendly presentation. See two shows for the price of one! Each performance is only an hour long and includes interactive elements, along with a talk from director Diana Byer about what’s taking place behind the scenes. Carnival of the Animals, set to the music of Saint-Saens, is about a magical forest and its creatures who befriend a pair of lost children. Igor Stravinsky’s music sets the tone for The Firebird, a story based on a Russian fairy tale about a young prince capturing a firebird.
When: Sat. 4/24 at 11am & 1pm and Sun. 4/25 at 11am, 1pm & 3:30pm. $35 for adults and $30 for children. Tickets available at nytb.org. (Ages 3-10)
Where: Florence Gould Hall, 55 E. 59th St. (bet. Mad. & Park Aves.)

Learn
The Pregnant New Yorker’s
Alternative Health Expo
Head down to Nimble Fitness to learn about prenatal and labor massage, hypnobirthing, breast feeding, and pre- and post-natal fitness. Janet Markovits, founder of The Pregnant New Yorker group, has pulled together a variety of pregnancy experts to give you an education. Demos, classes, mini consultations and samples are all part of the session.
When: Sat. 4/24, 1-4:30pm. $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Register at thepregnantnewyorker.com.
Where: Nimble Fitness, 42 E. 12th St. (bet. B’way and University)

Analyze This
The Nine Rooms of Happiness
Clean house. Lucy Danziger, editor in chief of Self magazine, and Catherine Birndorf, a psychiatrist and expert on women’s mental health issues, discuss their new book, The Nine Rooms of Happiness: Loving Yourself, Finding Your Purpose, and Getting over Life’s Little Imperfections. The two use a house metaphor to describe how women need to clean their “emotional architecture” and break self-destructive patterns. The house analysis teaches women how to determine what’s most meaningful to them and to find pleasure while coexisting with the inevitable messy room. Gives new meaning to the phrase “spring cleaning.”
When: Mon. 4/26 at 7:30pm. $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Tickets are available at jccmanhattan.org.
Where: The JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St.

The last time New York was graced with the presence of a collection of treasures from King Tut’s tomb, Ed Koch was mayor, a subway token cost 50 cents and Sweeney Todd was a Tony winner in the Best Musical category. Ancient history.

Thirty years later, we’re getting an exhibition that’s twice the size. This Friday, National Geographic’s “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” opens at the Discovery Times Square Exposition (Discovery TSX). The show contains 130 artifacts, 50 of which are from the young pharaoh’s tomb. Only a handful were part of the 1979 exhibition at the Met. Starting this weekend, you can eyeball Tutankhamun’s royal diadem - the gold crown found encircling the head of his mummified body (that he likely wore as king). Also on view - one of the canopic coffinettes that held King Tut’s mummified internal organs. The remaining 80 artifacts on display are from tombs of other 18th Dynasty royals plus several non-royals.

Heads up: Sunday, May 9th and Sunday, June 13th are Family Days at the King Tut exhibition, with Egyptian-themed face painting, mummy wrapping and special family tours.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, Discovery Times Square Exposition, 4/23/10 - 1/2/11, 226 W. 44th St. (bet. B’way and 8th Aves.) Tickets are available at kingtutnyc.com. $27.50 for adults, $17.50 for kids ages 4-12 and free for kids under 4. A Family Pack (two adults and two kids ages 4-12) is $79.

A lot of swinging going on in NYC this weekend. We’re talking acrobats and aerialists. (What were you thinking?!) Plus a calorie-free way to enjoy a milkshake and going green with the U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate.

Go
The Little Orchestra Society’s Happy Concerts
“Aerialists, Athletes & Arpeggios”
What a line-up. You’ve got AntiGravity. (They performed for President Obama’s Neighborhood Inaugural Ball and were also commissioned to perform by Bill Gates, Giorgio Armani and a whole host of other A-listers.) Champion Athletes in Training and Bubble Artist Casey Carle will also take the stage for this high-flying extravaganza. (Suggested age range is 6- 12-years-old, but plenty of younger kids typically attend the Happy Concerts.)
When: Sat. 4/1, 11am & 1pm. Tickets are $10 - $50 and are available at littleorchestra.org or by calling 1-212-721-6500.
Where: Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Ctr., 1941 B’way (at 65th St.)

Do
The Chinese Acrobats of Hebei
at Brooklyn Center
Come eyeball this world-class troupe of gymnasts, contortionists and jugglers who combine gravity-defying acrobatics with the discipline of martial arts. Acts to watch for: the Towering Chair Balance, the Chinese Poles and Foot Juggling.
When: Sun. 4/18 at 3pm. Purchase tickets, $30 for adults and $15 for kids, at brooklyncenter.com or by calling the box office (Tue. - Sat., 1-6pm) at (718) 951-4500.
Where: Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Rd.

Hear
Gustafer Yellowgold’s “Welcome Springtime!” Show
The “little guy from the sun” hits Symphony Space this Saturday with a multimedia “musical moving storybook.” The show includes not only the Yellowgold band but also a string duo and french horn and a large screen displaying vividly-colored animations and karaoke-style subtitles. Morgan Taylor, the guy behind the little guy from the sun, will perform Gustafer seasonal favorites. The best part - Gustafer’s got that magical cross-generational appeal.
When: Sat. 4/17 at 11am. Tickets are $25 for adults, $27 at the door and $15 for kids. Available at symphonyspace.org.
Where: Symphony Space, 2537 B’way (at 95th St.) (212) 864-5400.

Milkshake
Check out Baltimore indie rock band Milkshake at the Fillmore on Saturday. The Grammy-nominated group’s videos have been showcased on PBS Kids, Nick Jr. and Discovery Kids. Saturday’s show, part of the House of Kids series, will also feature performers from the big Apple Circus, storytellers and child performers.
When: Sat. 4/17 at 10am. $20 per ticket. Kids under two are free. Call 1-800-745-3000 or visit livenation.com for tickets.
Where: The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place.

Save the Earth!
U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman
The Tree that Time Built Reading
NY’s Greenest: Battery Park City Celebrates Earth Day
As part of Battery Park City’s week-long festival of Earth Day Events events, the U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate, Mary Ann Hoberman, and teacher Linda Winston will read poems from their anthology, The Tree that Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science, and Imagination. The event also marks the grand opening of the children’s room at Poets House. Giveaways, creative writing exercises and other surprises are all on the agenda. The Battery Park City community is touted as “the greenest” in NYC.
When: Sat. 4/17 at 11am. (Ages 4-10 is the recommended age range, but all are welcome.) Free.
Where: The Children’s Room, Poets House, 10 River Terrace (at Murray St.)

Traditional Dance Social
with the Thunderbird Indian Dancers and Singers
Also as part of “NY’s Greenest” Battery Park City Earth Day activities, the National Museum of the American Indian will hold a dance social. The Thunderbird Indian Dancers will perform with a drum group and singers and, at times, visitors will be invited to join in.
When: Sat. 4/17, 7-10pm, with the “Grand Entry” of the dancers beginning at 7. Free.
Where: National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Ctr., One Bowling Green.

You had a wedding planner to choreograph your big day, keep you focused and help you tune out your future MIL. There’s no real planning counterpart when you have a baby. But Big City Moms’ Biggest Baby Shower tomorrow will at least clue you in about modern parenting essentials.

The annual event is the group’s seventh and features the hottest products from more than 60 retailers, including Bugaboo, UPPABaby, iCandy, Skip*Hop, Born-Free, Giggle, Oeuf and Destination Maternity. More than 400 moms-to-be are expected to attend, so it’s a good place to meet potential new-mom friends. Pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene will lead a seminar on how to get your bambino to eat healthy food. At the shower, Moms can also learn about cord blood donation and baby safety. Also on tap for the evening: refreshments, mocktails and spa treatments. All participants will leave with a jam-packed gift bag.

A swag bag just like at the Oscars! But unlike the Hollywood celebs, you won’t have to pay taxes on yours.

$65 per ticket. To RSVP, visit bigcitymoms.com or call (917)488-8542. Big City Moms’ Biggest Baby Shower, Wed., 4/14, 7:30-9:30pm, Park East Ballroom, 163 E. 67th St. **Entrance is on 68th St. between 3rd and Lex. Aves.

This weekend in New York, MoMA Family Films take a cue from the fridge, and Madison Square Garden goes to the dogs. Kids can strike a pose in their pajamas, and you can save big at Belly Dance Maternity.

Do
Karma Kids Pajama Yoga
Kids can cool down after the record-breaking heat this week with a yoga class in their jammies. Karma Kids Yoga is hosting this special Friday evening session that will take four- six-year-olds on a yoga adventure followed by a scented foot rub.
When: Fri. 6:30-8pm; $15 per child. Call (646) 638-1444 to reserve a spot. (Ages 4-6)
Where: Karma Kids Yoga, 104 W. 14th St. (bet. Sixth and Seventh Aves.), karmakidsyoga.com.

Go
The 101 Dalmations Musical
Check out this “spotty” musical based on the beloved book by Dodie Smith. The audience gets to view life from a dog’s point of view. There are 15 real Dalmations showcased; many of the canine stars were rescued from animal shelters across the country.
When: Through 4/18; tickets are $35-$99. For showtimes and to purchase tickets, visit the101dalmationsmusical.com.
Where: The Theater at Madison Square Garden

See
Food Films at MoMA
MoMA’s Family Films series mixes it up with classic live-action and animated short films plus a discussion with a museum educator, who suggests follow-up activities in the galleries. This Saturday: mouth-watering cinema with Peanut Butter & Jelly (1976), the spoof How to Eat (1965), In the Night Kitchen (1987) and Bread (1983). Total running time is 27 minutes.
When: Sat. 4/10 at noon. Tickets are free and can be picked up starting at 10am at the lobby (see address below). (Ages 4 and up)
Where: Celeste Bartos Theater (in The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Bldg.), 4 W. 54th St. (Near Fifth Ave.),moma.org.

Hear
The Fuzzy Lemons
The versatile Fuzzy Lemons genre hop from reggae to folk, pop, ska and surf rock. This Sunday they’re playing at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. As many of you know, the original Knitting Factory was a defining force on the downtown music scene.
When: Sun. 4/11 at 11am. Tickets are $10 per child, with caregivers accompanying a child admitted for free. Tickets available at bk.knittingfactory.com.
Where: Knitting Factory Brooklyn, 361 Metropolitan Ave.

Shop
Belly Dance Maternity Two-Day Sale
Save 20% off everything in stores and online, even new styles and sale items, on clothing originally priced from $50-$300. Brands include Paige Maternity, J Brand Maternity, Ella Moss, NOM and Japanese Weekend.
When: Sat. 4/10 from 11am-6pm and Sun/ 4/11 from noon-5pm.
Where: (NY Store) 548 Hudson St. (bet. Charles and Perry Sts. in the West Village), 212-645-3640 and online at bellydancematernity.com.

You want all the best for your child - the best nursery school, the best ongoing school, the best extracurriculars, the best music and toys for enhancing development, even the best birthday party with the best party favors. To secure many of the above “bests,” some parents hire the best tutors, coaches and educational consultants. So what happens to our kids - when we continue in overdrive parenting - as they head out of urban babyhood and the early school years into the tween and teen years? See below for one scenario.

Last Thursday, the New York Post printed a first-person account of how Tracey Jackson, the screenwriter of Confessions of a Shopaholic, “created and tamed a teen monster.” Jackson and her family live on the UES on Madison Avenue. Her daughter Taylor attended private school and circulated in a world where “16- or 17-year-old boys go down to clubs, buy $3,000 tables with $1,000 bottles of booze.” Taylor would charge $1,000 a month on her parents’ account at the Three Guys diner, $500 at iTunes and think nothing of tossing $12,000 of designer clothing on the floor of her bedroom. Jackson talks of a 13th birthday soiree at Soho House with a private movie screening where the partygoers’ behavior was so appalling the night ended with $200 in damages to the screen (The kids had hurled shoes at it.).

The next day, the Post printed Taylor’s side of the story, a story of shopping at Barney’s, Bergdorf’s and Bendel’s and eating at Philippe and Mr. Chow. To undo years of overly-permissive parenting in which limits were in short supply, Taylor’s mom engaged in her own brand of tough love: She sent Taylor to teach and live in the slums of India, and  filmed the whole trip for a documentary. Both mother and daughter speak of Taylor’s eventual transformation after the India excursion/”experiment.”

You can debate Jackson’s method for unspoiling her DD and her true motive in following her daughter to India with a photographer in tow. But the real take-away message from this story is: How can we make sure our own kids don’t follow in Taylor’s designer heels and go the way of the characters on Gossip Girl? How do you keep a kid grounded in the 10021 zip code (and others like it)? We don’t have the answer. But it certainly gets you thinking.