Archive for June, 2010

NYC is a great place to have a baby. We’ve got incredible doctors, classes, pre- and post-natal services, (not to mention scores of fellow new moms on the streets pushing strollers). But with all of these choices, navigating urbanbabyhood can be a hell of a lot of work.

Time to get Mommywise, a high-end concierge service for expectant and new moms. Mommywise offers fully customizable packages of services and can help with just about anything. The company can assist you in finding health care providers, including OB/GYNs, midwives, pediatricians and psychologists, plus other members to round out your bambino team- baby nurses, doulas, massage therapists, fitness experts, acupuncture specialists, lactation and sleep consultants, personal chefs, green house cleaners, etc. Mommywise will create reading lists and tag-team with you when you register. Better yet, their consultants can lend a hand in baby product assembly. And they’ll even demystify the strange new world of mommy-and-me classes.

So you can de-stress, decompress and go about the business of being a mom.

Visit mommywise.com. Package prices range from $490 t0 $1,250, and concierge services are available at an hourly rate of $120. A 20% off summer promotion is available through August 31st.

Back in 2000, we had the Big Apple CowParade. Five years later, the fluttering, orange fabric panels of The Gates took over Central Park. This summer, we’ve got pianos …

Make Music
Play Me, I’m Yours
Sixty pianos are stationed around NYC for your fingertips. British artist Luke Jerram and the non-profit arts group Sing for Hope comprise the team responsible for bringing the installation “Play Me, I’m Yours” to the city. (It’s being presented simultaneously in London.) On his Web site, Jerram writes that the purpose of this public art project is “to provoke people into engaging, activating and claiming ownership of their urban landscape” and to serve as a “catalyst for conversation.” The street pianos can be played by anyone who happens upon them. And you will notice them. With their bold colors and whimsical designs, the embellished pianos are the works of established as well as up-and-coming artists. The one pictured above was painted by Sophie Matisse, Henri’s grand-daughter.
When: Now through 7/5, 9am-10pm daily. (All ages)
Where: Check the maps at streetpianos.com. The pianos are located in all five boroughs. Some of the places you’ll find street pianos are: Lincoln Center (4 pianos), Madison Square Park, Central Park, Times Square, Chelsea, Prospect Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Coney Island boardwalk.

Go
CBS Radio Expo
Junior can grab free autographs from Darryl Strawberry, John Starks, Harry Carson and other local celeb athletes. The expo will feature performances by Kat DeLuna, Macy Gray, Kris Allen and Eddie Money. Also on the itinerary: face painting, balloons, a US Army football toss, Speed Pitch, DJ Hero, Dance Dance Revolution plus more.
When: Sat., 6/26, 9am-5pm. $5 per ticket (free for kids under 4). Purchase tickets at cbsradioexpo.com or on Saturday at the stadium.
Where: Yankee Stadium, One E. 161st. St, the Bronx.

Do
Clifford’s Annual Beach Festival
Join the big red dog at The Scholastic Store for conga lines, the limbo and craft-making with sand.
When: Sat., 6/26 at 3pm. (All ages)
Where: The Scholastic Store, 557 B’way (bet. Prince and Spring Sts.). Stroller entrance is at 130 Mercer St.

Try
Learn to Ride - Kids
Bike New York
Bike New York, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and encouraging bike riding and bike safety, is offering free lessons in Prospect Heights this weekend. (check bikenewyork.com for a full schedule of lessons throughout the city through September) Junior can learn the cycling basics, and you don’t have to run behind the bike! (This is the group that organizes the TD Bank 5 Boro Bike Tour.)
When: Sun., 6/27, noon-3pm. Free. Pre-register at bikenewyork.com. (Ages 5 and up).
You’ll need to bring a bike and helmet. If rain’s in the forecast, call Bike New York’s weather hotline at 212 932 2453 x115 for class status updates.
Where: Vanderbilt and St. Marks Aves.

Photo credit: Luke Jerram

If the recent crosstown showdown between the Mets and Yankees wasn’t enough excitement for your brood, head out to Yankee stadium this Saturday for the CBS Radio Expo.

Junior can grab free autographs from Darryl Strawberry, John Starks, Harry Carson, Mark Gastineau and other local celeb athletes. The expo will feature performances by Kat DeLuna, Macy Gray, Kris Allen and Eddie Money. And there will be face painting, balloons, a US Army football toss, Speed Pitch, DJ Hero, Dance Dance Revolution plus more.

CBS Radio Expo, Sat., 6/26 (rain or shine), 9am-5pm, at Yankee Stadium, One E. 161st St. in the Bronx. Tickets are $5 each (kids under 4 are free) and are available the day of the event at the stadium and at cbsradioexpo.com.

*CBS Radio is owned by the CBS Corporation, parent of UrbanBaby and the CBS Interactive Division.

Only in New York - celebrate Father’s Day early with Danny Meyer, the restaurateur with the Midas Touch, and his Union Square Cafe Executive Chef. Plus kid-hop, Crumbs cupcakes and more …

Eat
Build a Burger with Dad
Morning Market Mtg. for Kids
Union Square Cafe
Sign up your DH to take your budding foodie downtown to Union Square Cafe. This Saturday, at USC’s “Morning Market Meeting” series, Executive Chef Carmen Quagliata will teach Dad and Junior how to take a basic burger to the next level with carefully selected toppings and condiments. The morning will start off with breakfast and a greeting from Danny Meyer, USC founder, co-owner and restaurateur extraordinaire. Then burgers. The morning concludes with Chef Quagliata’s tour of the Greenmarket.
When: Sat., 6/19, 8:30-10:30am. $35 per child (with adult companion) plus 2 cans of food, which will be donated to City Harvest. RSVP to Melissa Plotkin at 646-747-0581
Where: Union Square Cafe, 21 E. 16th St. (bet. Union Square West and Fifth Ave.) unionsquarecafe.com.

Hear
House of Kids:
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is known for “kid-hop,” upbeat, hip-top music with kid-appropriate lyrics. This is one of those kids’ groups you’ll actually like.
When: Sat., 6/19, at 10am. $20 per ticket. Tickets available at livenation.com.
Where: The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place.

or

Putumayo Kids’ Rock & Roll Playground Release Concert
with StarFish @ The Scholastic Store
StarFish, a quintet from Jersey, actually sounds like a real rock group, if you tune out the kid-friendly lyrics. StarFish is featured on the upcoming Putumayo Kids’ album, Rock & Roll Playground, which pays homage to the roots of rock.
When: Sat., 6/19, 11am - noon. Free. RSVP required. E-mail thescholasticstore@scholastic.com to reserve seats.
Where: The Scholastic Store Auditorium, 557 Broadway (bet. Prince and Spring Sts.). Stroller entrance is at 130 Mercer St.

Do
Picnic on the Promenade
Head to the Promenade for free Crumbs cupcakes (first 100 kids), a concert by the educational rock band Deedle Deedle Dee, a J. McLaughlin Mother-Daughter Fashion Show plus the launch of a new book about interesting nooks and crannies in Brooklyn Heights. The events are free but BYOP (bring your own picnic).
When: Sat., 6/19, from 11am-1pm. Free.
11am - Free Crumbs cupcakes (first 100 kids)
11:30am - Deedle Deedle Dee Concert
12:30 - J. McLaughlin Mother-Daughter Fashion Show
Where: Brooklyn Heights Promenade - North End. Enter on Orange St. thebha.org.

Watch & Dine
Sammie & Tudie’s Comedy Magic Circus Show
Father’s Day at Johnny Rockets Sports Lounge
Sammie & Tudie, mainstays on the NYC birthday party circuit, will be performing at the new UES Johnny Rockets.
When: Sun., 6/20 at 11am; $25 per kid. RSVP (required) by calling (212) 828-5386. Kids’ meals are included. Adults won’t be charged a ticket price and can purchase food from the lunch menu.
Where: Johnny Rockets Sports Lounge, 1134 First Ave. (bet. 62nd and 63rd St.)

Shop
Bit’z Kids in Tribeca
The popular Japanese casual-luxury boutique on the Upper West Side is opening an outpost downtown this Saturday. Bit’z Kids is a leading seller of Japanese kids’ apparel; its parent company has 140 stores nationwide in Japan. Stateside the boutique sells not only children’s clothes (for ages 0-8 years) but also baby gifts. For Saturday’s grand opening, many items will be specially priced at $7 & $10. Free tote bag and origami kit with any purchase.
When: Opens Sat. 6/19, 11am-6pm. bitzkidsnyc.com.
Where: Bit’z Kids Tribeca, 275 Greenwich St.
Store hrs.: M-F, 10am-7pm and Sat. & Sun., 11am-6pm.

Happy Father’s Day!

Imagine what UES sidewalks or Central Park playgrounds would look like if every nanny decided not to show up for work. Then think about the repercussions in offices across the city - law firms, TV studios, banks, brokerage houses, etc.. Not a pretty domino effect. Domestic workers are an integral part of the city and our burbs.

The New York State Senate has just passed the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, which would guarantee the state’s 200,000 domestic workers paid holidays, sick days and vacation days in addition to overtime wages. Also, it would limit the work week to six days and require 14-days’ termination notice (or pay). (In 1974, Congress broadened the Minimum Wage Law to include domestic workers.) The bill must be reconciled with the Assembly’s version and then signed by Governor David Paterson. If that happens, it would be the first such law in the nation. Douglas Kozinn, co-f0under of the Absolute Best Care nanny agency, says the law would benefit both nannies and parents/employers. “We get a lot of questions from not only the nannies about compensation, holidays and the work week but also a lot of questions from parents. Oftentimes in these jobs, the parents are new employers and may not understand that this is a service industry. So hopefully it’ll give them some guidelines.” Kozinn’s agency has already taken the lead in helping to professionalize the industry by starting a state-licensed nanny school. “These aren’t just babysitters but service professionals. They are or want to be career nannies.”

Kozinn adds that the majority of his clients already follow the provisions set forth in the bill. So if the legislation is enacted, it’s not likely to send shock waves through the community. However, he says, it would help to stop employers from taking advantage of or abusing domestic workers.

In NYC this weekend, the city’s abuzz with BBQ, bees and Persian rock …

Eat
8th Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party
Madison Square Park
Seventeen of the nation’s best BBQ pitmasters will be serving up their ‘cues all weekend long in Madison Square Park. Eight bucks a plate - beat that. Cooking demos, seminars (on everything from bourbon to mustard and vinegar sauces), live music (country-rock, Western, honky-tonk, etc.) are all part of this BBQ bonanza. Last year, over 125,000 people attended this event, and it raised $100k for the Madison Square Park Conservancy.
When: Sat., 6/12, and Sun./6/13, 11am-6pm. FREE. (All ages)
Where: Madison Square Park, in the Flatiron District, between Fifth and Mad. Aves. and 23rd and 26th Sts. Visit bigapplebbq.org for more details.

Go
Centennial Bee-Day Celebration
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) for free this Saturday. The BBG is hosting a full-day soiree to celebrate its 100-year anniversary. Musical performances, bee costumes, samples of NYC rooftop honey, pollinator-friendly plants (to take home), a reading by Children’s Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman and products from bee artisans are all part of the party.
When: Sat., 6/12, noon-6pm. FREE. Visit bbg.org for a full schedule of events. (All ages)
Where: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 900 Washington Ave., Brooklyn.

Do
Riverside Theatre’s
12th Annual NY Family Arts Festival
Go multicultural. Saturday the New York Family Arts Festival presents “Iranian Cultural Village,” complete with displays of Persian artifacts, an Iranian dance workshop, bead craft-making, and a performance by Ballet Afsaneh & Ranna Dance Group with Haale’s Persian Sufi rock. Sunday catch the Saeko Ichinohe Dance Company’s “Imaginary Beings from Japan” performance featuring a dragon and fire-eating bird. The audience can participate in a workshop of traditional Japanese games following the show.
When: Iranian Cultural Village - Sat., 6/12, 2pm-8pm. FREE
Sakeo Ichinohe Dance Company - Sun., 6/13 at 2pm. FREE
To RSVP, call 212-870-6784 or visit theriversidetheatre.org. (Ages 6 and up)
Where: The Theatre of the Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Ave. (bet. 120th and 122nd Sts.), Morningside Heights.

Check out
We All Scream for Ice Cream
The Scholastic Store
Head down to Soho and learn how to make ice cream at The Scholastic Store. Also on tap, Ace Landers’ I Am an ICE CREAM TRUCK, a combo book/toy, will be front and center at story time.
When: Sat., 6/12, 3pm. FREE. (Ages 3 and up)
Where: The Scholastic Store, 557 B’way (bet. Prince and Spring Sts.). Stroller entrance at 130 Mercer St.

Shop
Big City Moms’
Mylo Dweck Maternity Sale
Shop the sale today for 70% off Velvet, Michael Stars, Three Dots, Olian and more. Skinny jeans are $60 and tops $30 and $40.
When: Today, 6/10, 9am-2pm.
Where: 137 W. 52nd St. (bet. 6th and 7th Aves.), 5th flr. inside the Flatotel. For more info., call (917) 402-7847. bigcitymoms.com.

Spending 60 bucks or so for your family to dash through a museum (in about an hour, attention spans permitting) means that visiting the city’s cultural institutions is not exactly cost-effective, recession-friendly entertainment. Different story if you get rid of admission costs.

Tonight is the 32nd Annual Museum Mile Festival. Nine of the city’s finest cultural gems are open and free to the public. So you can try various museum excursions with little to no financial risk (save for, maybe, cab fare) and not feel guilty if Junior has a moment and you’ve got to bail early. From 6pm-9pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed from 82nd Street to 105th Street. Participating museums include The Met, the Guggenheim, El Museo del Barrio, The Jewish Museum, The Museum of the City of New York, the Neue Galerie, National Academy Museum & School of Fine Arts, Goethe Institut New York/German Cultural Center and Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Exhibits on view: Picasso, Curious George and Car Culture for starters.

Musicians and street performers will dot the Mile. Kids can draw with chalk on the street, a la street muralist James De la Vega (”Become Your Dream”), who will supposedly be stationed in front of the Met (as in past years).

Visit museummilefestival.org for a full schedule of events.

Science has become a water cooler topic de rigueur, as everyone weighs in on how to stop oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. We’ll tell you how to get your fill of all things science locally. Plus, this weekend in New York, ABT, Moey, citrus rock and a sample sale.

Go
World Science Festival Street Fair
Washington Square Park goes test tubes and high-tech with interactive science activities, experiments, games and shows. Think wildlife, mathematics and bioenergy. The line-up includes Central Park Zoo’s Wild Life Theater, the soccer-playing robots of the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory, a NASA tent where kids can try on space suits and the CSI Experience (complete with crime scenes!).
When: Sun., 6/6, 10am-6pm. Free. (All ages)
Where: Washington Square Pk, between W. 4th St. and Waverly Place, and University Place and MacDougal St. worldsciencefestival.com.

Do
ABTKids
Check out this special, hour-long program, which features highlights from American Ballet Theatre’s 2010 Spring Season. Angelina Ballerina will also put in an appearance, and she’ll be available for a meet-and-greet on the Grand Tier following the performance.
When: Sat., 6/5 at 11:30am. $25 per ticket. For tickets, visit metoperafamily.org or call the Metropolitan Opera House box office at 212-362-6000. (Ages 4 and up)
Where: Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Ctr., at B’way and 65th St. abt.org.

Hear
The Central Park Conservancy’s “A Clearing in the Forest”
Summer Lovin’ Concert with Moey’s Music Party
Moey, a mainstay on the local tot rock scene, will be performing as part of the Central Park Conservancy’s “A Clearing in the Forest” program, which combines eco-education with multi-cultural fun through the arts and storytelling.
When: Sun., 6/6, 1-2pm. Free. (Ages 3-8)
Where: Central Park, the Peter J. Sharp Children’s Glade, CPW and W. 103rd St. centralparknyc.org.

Or

The Fuzzy Lemons
Knitting Factory Brooklyn
The Fuzzy Lemons take to the stage at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn. The group genre hops from reggae to folk, pop, ska and surf rock. As many of you know, the original Knitting Factory was a defining force on the downtown music scene (your pre-kid days).
When: Sat., 6/5 at 11am. $10 per ticket. Visit bk.knittingfactory.com
Where: Knitting Factory Brooklyn, 361 Metropolitan.

Shop
Big City Moms’ A New View Maternity Sample Sale
Save 20% off wholesale prices (between 9am and 1pm this Saturday) on Olian, Japanese Weekend, pure t and more. Try-ons permitted. CASH ONLY.
When: Sat., 6/5, 9am-4pm, with 20% off wholesale from 9am-1pm.
Where: A New View Maternity, 347 W. 36th St., bet. 8th and 9th Aves. bigcitymoms.com.

For those of you whose “summer home” is the same one you reside at for the other three seasons of the year, it’s essential to find quality activities in the city that are entertaining enough to make you forgot you’re not at the beach.

A dose of Alvin Ailey may do the trick. Ailey’s encore season runs June 10th - June 20th, with the ING Family Matinee series taking place on two Saturdays, June 12th and 19th, at The Brooklyn Academy of Music. The matinees feature the By Popular Demand program, which includes highlights from works commissioned or revived by Artistic Director Judith Jamison over the past two decades (Best of 20 Years). That means, of course, perennial fave Revelations (Ailey aficionados, rejoice!), Uptown plus choreography from Robert Battle, Lar Lubovitch and Ronald K. Brown. Jamison, a pivotal figure in not just Ailey’s history but also that of modern dance, is handing over the artistic reins to choreographer Battle, after 20 years at the creative helm of the company.

Each family matinee performance is followed by a free “Meet the Dancers” discussion.

Perfect for any staycation itinerary.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Encore Season at BAM
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, Peter Jay Sharp Bldg., 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn. Tickets start at $20 and are available at alvinailey.org. Thanks to ING’s sponsorship, a 15% discount is available for the ING Family Matinees. Discount code is 12231.
Photo source: AAADT in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Photo by Nan Melville.