Runner Up in Frommer Photo Contest

Out of 97,000 entries, my photograph of gondoliers in Venice was a runner-up in Frommer Travel Guides 2010 cover photo contest. I’ll try better next year.

Here’s the photo: http://jocovp.com/FrommerAward.aspx

Random Photographs from Random Journeys

My self-published book and website are live. LIVE. Woohoo!

Do guns at political events make sense?

Do guns at political events make sense? Is this a show of 2nd Amendment rights?

Yes, we have freedom of speech, but not the freedom to speak slander or to incite riots or to yell fire in a crowded town hall meeting.

Yes, we have freedom of religion but that doesn't give us the freedom to trigger mass suicide in religion's name.

Yes, the 21st amendment repealed prohibition but that doesn't give us the right to drink and drive or drink and abuse.

So we’re supposed to interpret the right to bear arms as a universal entitlement to carry weapons anywhere we please for any reason we please? Please.

The logical extension is that we can indeed incite riots and create mass hysteria in our drunken stupor so long as we have a constitutionally-protected firearm loaded and ready.

I’m proud not to be an Arizonian.

Calm Down Joco

"Palin's Resignation..." story on cnn.com. Man, I'm sick of seeing so much press going to someone whose 15 minutes of fame is due to nothing more than being this century's Admiral "Who am I? Why am I here?" Stockdale.

2012 Presidential aspirations? Shirley, you jest.

If the GOP can't come up with something, anything better than her, then Ralph Nader might actually come in second.

How About a Round of Applause

I don't live in New York City, and I'm guessing most of our readers don't live there either. So when it comes to choosing what to do and where go, I sometimes rely on local experts to assist me.

That's particularly true for Broadway shows. I don't get to see nearly as many as I'd like, so when my wife and I have the opportunity to see a show, we want to get an honest opinion before we spend our money.

Thankfully we have our friends at Applause Theater and Entertainment. They know Broadway. They know Off-Broadway too. And they don't pull any punches.

Sure, they sell tickets; that's their livelihood. But they're real people - Rich, Todd, Bill, Carol, Billy, Claudia, J, Eric and the rest of the crew - who aren't going to sell something just for the sake of making a sale. They'll give me/us/you an honest opinion based on my/our/your likes and expectations. Now where in the name of Sam Internet can you get that anymore?

Todd recently wrote about a potential customer who wanted to buy tickets to Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig's upcoming play, Steady Rain.

"...she said I just loved Hugh Jackman in THE BOY FROM OZ. I told her I could get her great seats for the date she was looking for...however the previous comment made me ask whether she knew anything about the play.

"It is a new play by Keith Huff about love and rage on the streets of Chicago as a domestic disturbance call sends two Chicago cops, friends since childhood, on a harrowing journey that will test their loyalties and change their lives forever. During a routine day, a pair of seasoned policemen, Denny and Joey, return a panic-stricken boy to his guardian. The two protagonists relate their shared story from very different perspectives, giving a picture of family in all its forms, along with the questionable moral choices made in its name. As their lifelong friendship is put to the ultimate test, both men must deal with honor and loyalty in the face of adversity.

"This particular customer thanked me as she said she was sure that would not be suitable for her and her friend."

So when all was said and done, no sale. No dissatisfied customer either.

Can you imagine how this woman would have felt as she sat listening to a hard-hitting play with harder-hitting street language, all the time expecting Hugh Jackman to break into song and dance?

Meanwhile, Steady Rain sounds like something I'd want to see.

But back to my original subject.

At NYCVP, we've relied on Applause for 10 years. We rely on them not just for their opinions and reviews, and not just for their vast inventory of hard-to-get tickets, and not just because they make it so easy to do business, but mostly because we like them. They're genuinely nice people who have also become friends.

Here's what I suggest you do:

If you're looking to purchase theater tickets, call Applause at 800 451-9930 or go online to www.applause-tickets.com

If you are looking to purchase a complete NYC vacation including accommodations, with or without theater tickets or sightseeing, call NYCVP at 877 NYC-TRiP or go online to www.nyctrip.com.

Either way you'll get the best advice and best service you'll find anywhere.

And you'll make new friends too.

Manhattanhenge is Coming

It happens twice a year and is seen by millions of people at each occurrence, but it has had little notoriety until very recently when it received its name - "Manhattanhenge."

It's the time of the year when the sun sets in perfect alignment with the east-west cross streets in midtown Manhattan, illuminating every street for the last 15 minutes or so of daylight.

So pay attention, locals and visitors, on July 11/12 for this astro-urban delight (which also occurred May30/31) .

For more info check out the Hayden Planetarium website.

Photo taken by Jon Bell http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonbell/3583475697/.

More Free New York

Save your money - look what's happening this summer in New York City FOR FREE!

MOVIES, PARADES AND STREET FESTIVALS For information on MUSIC and CONCERTS CLICK HERE

• Now through August 14 RIVER TO RIVER FESTIVAL
• Sunday, June 21 Columbus Avenue Summer Festival Columbus Ave, 86-96 Sts
• Monday, June 22 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
• Sunday, June 28 NYC LGBT Pride Parade 5th Avenue & 52nd St. to Christopher & Greenwich St.
• Monday, June 29 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
• Sunday July 5 USO - Avenue of the Americas Summerfest, (on 6th Avenue from 42nd - 56th Street)
• Monday, July 6 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
• Friday July 10th Community Day Festival, (on Broad St. from Water - Beaver Street)
• Saturday July 11th Park Avenue Summerfest, (on Park Avenue South from 17th - 23rd Street)
• Sunday July 12th NYC Celebration of Nations Festival, (on Madison Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)
• Monday, July 13 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
• Saturday July 18th East Side Summer Festival, (on Lexington Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)
• Sunday July 19th NYC Unfolds Street Fair, (on Broadway from Houston - Grand Street)
• Monday, July 20 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
• Saturday July 25th Washington Sq. Summer Fair, (on Bleecker St. from Broadway - 6th Ave. )
• Sunday July 26th 52nd Association Jazz Festival, (on 52nd Street from Lexington - 7th Avenue)
• Monday, July 27 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
• Friday July 31st Manhattan Youth Fair, (on Greenwich St. from Barclay - Chambers Street)
• Saturday August 1st The C.O.R.E. Health Expo, (on 7th Avenue from 47th - 57th Street)
• Sunday August 2nd Festival of the Americas, (on 6th Avenue from 42nd - 56th Street)
• Monday, August 3 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
• Friday August 7th Financial Community Day Series, (on Maiden Lane from Water - South Street)
• Saturday August 8th Greenwich Village Festival, (on Greenwich Avenue from 6th - 7th Avenue)
• Sunday August 9th Lexington Avenue Summerfest, (on Lexington Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)
• Monday, August 10 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
• Saturday August 15th Summer Seaport Festival, (on Water Street from Fulton - Broad Street)
• Sunday August 16th Madison Avenue Summer Fair, (on Madison Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)
• Monday, August 17 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
• Saturday August 22nd The Great Irish Festival, (on 6th Avenue from 42nd - 56th Street)
• Sunday August 23rd Third Avenue Merchandise Fair, (on 3rd Avenue from 23rd - 34th Street)
• Saturday August 29th Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Festival, (on 2nd Ave. from 45th - 57th Street)
• Saturday August 29th Down By The Boardwalk Festival, (on West 10th St. from Surf Ave. - Boardwalk)
• Sunday August 30th Big Apple Performing Arts Festival, (on 7th Avenue from 47th - 57th Street)
• Tuesday September 1st Columbia University Community Block Party, (on 120th St. from Broadway - Amsterdam Ave.)
• Friday September 4th Fulton Street Follies, (on Fulton St. from Water - Gold Street)
• Saturday September 5th 52nd Street Fall Festival, (on 52nd Street from Lexington - 7th Ave.)
• Sunday, Sept. 6 Brazilian Independence Day Street Fair 46th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue
• Monday, Sept. 7 West Indian American Day Parade, Brooklyn
• Monday September 7th M.E.C.A. Family Festival, (on Lexington Avenue from 34th - 42nd Street)
• Sept. 10-20 Feast of San Gennaro, Mulberry St., Canal-Houston Sts.
• Saturday September 12th Gramercy Park Neighborhood Festival, (on 3rd Avenue from 14th - 23rd Street)
• Sunday September 13th Tudor City Festival, (on Lexington Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)
• Friday September 18th Tribeca Community Day Fall Festival, (on Church Street from Canal - Franklin Street)
• Saturday September 19th 7th Avenue - Guardian Angels Fair, (on 7th Avenue from 47th - 57th Street)
• Sunday September 20th Eighth Avenue Fall Festival, (on 8th Avenue from 42nd - 57th St.)
• Friday September 25th N.Y.C. Police Museum Festival, (on Old Slip from Water - South St.)
• Saturday September 26th Broadway Autumn Fair, (on Broadway from Waverly Pl.- 14th Street)
• Sunday September 27th Lexington Avenue Fall Festival, (on Lexington Avenue from 34th - 42nd Street)
• Friday October 2nd United Nations Fall Festival, (on 47th St. from 1st - 2nd Avenue)
• Saturday October 3rd Union Square Autumn Fair, (on Broadway from 17th - 23rd Street)
• Sunday October 4th N.Y.C. Oktoberfest, (on Lexington Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)
• Friday October 9th Christopher Columbus Block Party, (on Murray Street from Broadway - Church Street)
• Saturday October 10th Avenue Of The Americas Family Expo, (On 6th Avenue from 42nd - 56th Street)
• Sunday October 11th Eighth Avenue Autumn Festival, (on 8th Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)
• Monday October 12th Columbus Day Festival, (on Broadway from Cedar St. - Battery Pl. & on Whitehall St. from Stone - Water Street)
• Friday October 16th Financial Community Day Festival Series
• Saturday October 17th Washington Square Festival, (on Waverly Pl. from Broadway - MacDougal Street)
• Sunday October 18th The Great Third Avenue Fair, (on 3rd Avenue from 23rd - 34th Street)
• Saturday, Oct. 24 Americana Jazz Festival, 52nd Street, Fifth-Seventh Aves.
• Saturday October 24th Park Avenue South Autumn Fair, (on Park Avenue South from 17th - 23rd St.)
• Sunday October 25th The 7th Avenue Autumn Carnival, (on 7th Avenue from 47th - 57th Street)
• Saturday October 31st A.D.A.'s World's Largest Block Party, (on Madison Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)
• Saturday, Oct. 31 Village Halloween Parade 6th Avenue from Spring Street to 21st Street from 7 - 10pm
• Thursday, Nov. 26 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Central Park West, 7th Ave & 6th Ave. 9am-noon.
  

Free New York

Where in the world can you be entertained almost every day for free? Paris? Non. Munich? Nein. Moscow? Nyet.

How about New York City? Yes! All summer long there are lots of free things all over the City. Cost? Fuggedaboudit. Nothing! Zilch. Zero!

MUSIC
Here are just some of the offerings this summer. For more information click on the links. Stay glued to this blog for more free stuff, like parades, street fairs, festivals and other good (FREE) stuff.

NBC's Today Show offers free concerts on most Friday mornings as part of their Toyota Concert Series. So far, here's what's scheduled:

• Friday, June 19 - Jonas Brothers
• Friday, June 26 - The Fray
• Friday, July 3 - Rob Thomas
• Friday, July 10 - Rascal Flatts
• Friday, July 17 - The All American Rejects
• Friday, July 24 - Katy Perry
• Friday, July 31 - Kings of Leon
• Friday, August 7 - Jason Mraz
• Friday, August 14 - Flo Rida
• Friday, August 21 - Natasha Bedingfield

ABC's Good Morning America features live concerts too in Central Park on Fridays as well:

• Friday, June 19 - Jamie Foxx
• Friday, June 26 - The cast of Broadway's HAIR
• Friday, July 3 - Brad Paisley
• Friday, July 17 - TBD
• Friday, July 24 - TBD
• Friday, July 31 - Kelly Clarkson
• Friday, Aug 7 - TBD
• Friday, Aug 14 - Kenny Chesney
• Friday, Aug 21 - Reba McEntire

Then there's Central Park Summerstage, with musical and dance events throughout the summer. Acts range from the Indigo Girls to the New York Pops.

Not to be outdone by the loads of free concerts happening all over town this summer, Lincoln Center steps up with its annual Out of Doors series from August 5-23. Music, dance, spoken word, and more from an array of cultures come to the open-air stage for a global celebration of the performing arts. Bring friends and family of all ages to Lincoln Center for a lively Out of Doors season, at a price everyone can afford—absolutely free. Building on Out of Doors roots as a street theater festival, starting with Asphalt Orchestra (August 5 through 9), street bands of all types and stripes will be on the march from 7 to 7:30 p.m., taking over the plazas of Lincoln Center on many evenings throughout the festival, and gathering exuberant crowds in their wake. In addition to Broadway Plaza (the new lower plaza in front of Alice Tully Hall), bands will visit and perform at a number of locations recently renovated as part of Lincoln Center's on-going Redevelopment Project, including the re-designed Revson Fountain on Josie Robertson Plaza and the new Barclays Capital Grove, the elegant, raised, seating area on the Hearst Plaza (formerly the North Plaza).

The New York Philharmonic presents their annual summer Concert in the Parks series throught the City's 5 boroughs.

Thursday afternoons brings Broadway in Bryant Park - the most popular musicals on and off Broadway perform their biggest hits in Bryant Park - for free between 12:30 and 1:30.

An Evening in NYC

So the President reportedly spent $80,000 to take his wife to New York City for dinner and a show (that amount does include PFCs, fuel surcharges and all government-imposed taxes and fees, but does not include theatre tickets, tax and gratuity on dinner, meals other than those specified, alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone calls and other miscellaneous items of a personal nature).

I do want to assure you that an evening in New York City does not normally cost $80,000. I have spent many an evening in New York City and have never spent $80,000. I did, once in the 1970s, come close but that had more to do with a lucky feeling I thought I had during a 3-Card Monty experience than with the actual cost of legitimate events.

Want to know how much a weekend in New York City will cost? Bet you'll be surprised (and not the 3-Card monty bet either; just a figure of speech). Check out nyctrip.com and pack your bags. Air Force One is not available though.

Why It's My Favorite Restaurant in New York City

Fifteen or so years ago my wife and I went into the City for the first time together. We had only been married for a few months and weren't going on our honeymoon until our first anniversary (I decided long ago that I wanted to make sure the marriage "took" before I spent gobs of bucks on a honeymoon. Practical of me, don't you think? She didn't.)

We had tickets to see Miss Saigon at the Broadway Theatre. I hadn't seen a Broadway show in such a long time, but I really wanted to see this particular show. I was part of the 60s-70s Vietnam era so to me a show about that war was appealing. Well, as appealing as a musical about a war that cost over 50,000 American lives could be. Nonetheless we enjoyed the show immensely.

As we exited the theatre that Saturday night at 10:30 it was raining. Not too hard, just hard enough to make it uncomfortable. The gentleman that I am, I gave my wife my sport jacket so she could stay dry. Gentle or not, the man that I am has never let her forget my chivalry that evening (and every time I remind her of it she calls me a cheapskate for not simply buying an umbrella.)

We walked a couple of blocks downtown as the rain continued, finally taking shelter under a canopied entrance to what looked like a bar, on 47th Street just off Broadway in Times Square. By now I was dripping wet, miserable, hungry and not much fun to be around. "Let's just go in here, have a drink and decide what we want to do." "Fine," she said. "You're buying."

And that was that. We had found a home.

We were in Langan's Bar & Restaurant. Had dinner. I had veal, or a steak, or something from a cow. My wife had, uh, something too. I don't remember the details, but I do remember what a wonderful experience it was. Past the crowded bar was a quiet, white-tablecloth dining area. The service was excellent. People were friendly. Food was great.

We stayed long enough for me to dry off. Long enough, too, to have enough glasses of wine to turn a planned 10-block walk back to our hotel into a cab ride, even though the rain had stopped.

We never fail to stop in at Langan's every trip into the City. It might just be for lunch, or for a nightcap, or just to say hi to owner Des O'Brien or manager Katherine. Regardless of what's going on in the City, or in the world, or in our lives, Langan's has that warm, friendly atmosphere that forces us to just relax. And eat well.

---------------------

Take my suggestion. Try Langan's on your next visit to NYC. You can even pre-purchase a prix-fixe dinner (tax and gratuity included)

here!

Mayor Encourages Streetwalkers on Broadway

Beginning this Sunday, May 24, the City of New York is closing Broadway to traffic in Times Square.

This is the first step in the City's experiment to make all of Broadway in midtown Manhattan a pedestrian zone (see Mayor Announces New Route for 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for details).

So what does this mean for visitors? More room to walk! The sidewalks along Broadway in Times Square were always too crowded. Now, new pedestrian plazas from 47th Street to 42nd Street will ease the congestion, at least for walkers. For vehicles? It remains to be seen what effect closing a main artery for 5 blocks will have on midtown car, truck, bus and taxi traffic. Will it put an unmanageable burden on parallel-running 7th Avenue? I'm sure the City will be watching very closely.

It's on with Alexa Chung

OK, I'll be the first to admit for the umpteenth time that I have no idea who Alexa Chung is. But then again, I'm not in the 14-28 year age group, and haven't been since Chevy Chase made a living mocking Gerald Ford (if you have to ask who Chevy Chase and Gerald Ford are, then you are in the Alexa Chung age demographic).

But I did receive an email today from a casting director at MTV Studios in New York City's Times Square. She wrote, "We have a new variety show starting this Summer in our Times Square location called 'It's on with Alexa Chung' to take the place of our Total Request Live show. The show will feature musical guests, movie stars and comedians in a talk show format aimed for our MTV viewers (14-28)."

MTV is looking for 14-28 year-olds to fill their studio audience for the show. They contacted NYCVP because we send a good number of groups to the City, especially during the summer when the show is taping.

Interested? If you have a group who wants to attend the taping of "It's on with Alexa Chung" then send our Group Department an email at groups@nyctrip.com. Considering their first week's guests are Jack Black, Soulja Boy, Michael Cera, Kanye West, John Legend, High School Musical's Ashley Tisdale and Ryan Reynolds, it seems like it could be quite an experience for your group.

Let me know when the Lovin' Spoonful are on.

Top 10 Things You Won't Find in New York City

10. Tickets to the Oprah Winfrey Show – it’s taped in Chicago

9. Free parking – the City sold all it’s free parking spaces to Bismarck ND (for $500 and a block of ice, or something like that)

8. Peace and quiet in Times Square – this is where the “City that never sleeps” never sleeps By the way, there used to be a billboard in Times Square promoting tourism to Tel Aviv, Israel. I think they missed the boat by not saying “Tel Aviv – the City that never schleps”

7. A dull day – 75 museums, 3,000 retail stores, 18,000 restaurants, 100s of horse drawn carriages, 2 skyscraper observation decks, 50 sightseeing tours and one Statue of Liberty!

6. A dull night – 38 Broadway theaters, over 100 off-Broadway theaters, 10 comedy clubs, and millions of lights in Times Square!

5. Neighborhoods that you see on Law & Order and CSI New York – not in midtown Manhattan. It’s one of the safest neighborhoods in the country’s safest major city!

4. Questions like ones that were heard in New York 20 years ago:

"What do you mean the guy carrying my bags doesn't work for the hotel?" "Should a cab from JFK to midtown have cost me $600?"

3. Oceanview rooms

2. Cab drivers obeying traffic laws

1. A tourist who isn’t having a great time

You In?

It's a simple question. But it heralds, for some, the ride of their life.

Hailing a cab in Manhattan isn't hard. All taxis are the same color, all drivers are licensed by the City's Taxi & Limousine Commission and are required by law to pick up anyone and transport them to any destination within the City (and a few outlying counties as well).

For New Yorkers, taking a cab is almost an involuntary reflex. Need to get from point A to point B? Stick your arm out at a 45 degree angle and a yellow vehicle will appear. (Why are all NYC cabs yellow? If you really want to know, look it up on google. I did and the answer's not all that exciting. I do recall, however, escorting a group of travel agents through the top floor of the Doubletree Guest Suites in Times Square when one looked out the window and said, in all sincerity and naivete, "Why do so many New Yorkers drive yellow cars?")

Once in a lifetime, though, a magic cab appears. You get in, you tell the driver your destination, you buckle your seatbelt, and you hear a loud synthesized sound as disco-like lights surround you. The driver turns around and announces, "You're in the Cash Cab. It's a TV game show played right here in my taxi. I'm your host, Ben Bailey, and I'll ask you general knowledge questions until we reach your destination. Whaddya say, You In?"

Before you even notice the tiny cameras in the vehicle, you're riding through the streets of Manhattan answering questions (hopefully correctly) worth anywhere from $25 to $200 each. Three strikes and you're out, though, as Ben will pull you over and boot you out if you miss three questions.

Cash Cab is a Discovery Network show. I watch it every day. I love it not just for the game aspect, but for the New York City scenery as it rolls along out the cab's windows. It's just so New York, and most of the contestants are so New Yorkish. "Clear the meter please," one crotchety lady orders twice before Ben can finish his You In spiel.

Someday I'm going to get in the Cash Cab. I know its license number (I'm not telling you). I know what the cab looks like (it's yellow). I'll answer every question right. I'll get the Red Light Challenge. I'll even do the Video Bonus. I'll be so charming and intelligent that the Discovery Network will want me on full time. Ben Bailey will be my best friend. We'll hang out together and sign autographs and write books and make movies and be in a rock band.

Yeah, I'm in.

Why Sinatra Liked Patsy's Restaurant

(this article was published in the New York Times May 11, 2009)

When Frank Sinatra died on May 14, 1998, friends and fans just showed up at Patsy’s Restaurant in Midtown — arguably Sinatra’s favorite restaurant in New York City for decades. Salvatore Scognamillo, the chef and co-owner, remembered people saying, "I just felt I had to be here today."

It was a place that was strongly identified with Sinatra, who had a special table upstairs in the back. "After he passed away, we needed to celebrate his life," said Mr. Scognamillo, the grandson of the founder, Pasquale Scognamillo. On Dec. 12, Sinatra’s birthday, Patsy’s, a Neapolitan restaurant, now has a tradition of serving his favorite dishes like clams Posillipo, fusilli with fileto di pomodoro, and ricotta torte for dessert. Another one of Sinatra favorites was veal Milanese. "He loved it paper thin," Mr. Scognamillo said.

"We certainly wouldn’t be in the position we would be today if it wasn’t for him," Mr. Scognamillo said. Much of their high-profile customer base is like an exercise in six degrees of separation from Sinatra, he said. For example, he said, "Julia Roberts was brought in by George Clooney, who was brought in by Aunt Rosemary Clooney, and Rosemary Clooney was brought in by Frank Sinatra."

This year, to commemorate the anniversary of Sinatra’s death, Patsy’s is displaying a series of 15 photos of Sinatra, which have never before been publicly exhibited. The photos, which will be up until May 21, were taken by Bobby Bank on Feb. 16, 1977, during a recording session at Mediasound Recording Studios, which was around the corner from Patsy’s.

There was one example of Patsy’s level of customer service for Sinatra, also recounted in "Patsy’s Cookbook," that Mr. Scognamillo said sealed the singer’s loyalty to the restaurant. One November in the early 1950s, Mr. Sinatra was having a rough time both professionally and personally. His career was in a gradual slide that had steepened after 1948 and hit bottom in 1952. He had divorced and remarried into a tumultuous relationship with Ava Gardner, which was also in decline.

It was before his Oscar-winning performance in "From Here to Eternity," before reinvention as a cosmopolitan crooner of the 1950s from the 1940s starry-eyed boy next door, before he was immortalized in Gay Talese’s 1966 landmark profile for Esquire, "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold." "Before his comeback, he was down and out," Mr. Scognamillo recalled.

Sinatra was alone at the restaurant the night before Thanksgiving, and many of the other customers walked right past him without acknowledging him. "They are all my fair-weather friends," he said at the time, Mr. Scognamillo said. He said he wanted to eat Thanksgiving dinner at Patsy’s. Mr. Scognmillo’s grandfather did not have the heart to tell him that the restaurant was normally closed for the holiday. "He felt like he would have hurt his pride if he had done that, so he didn’t say anything," Mr. Scognamillio said.

So the restaurant made the reservation. And his grandfather called up the staff and told them to bring their families in for Thanksgiving. "They were moaning and groaning," Mr. Scognamillio said. But they understood it was for Sinatra. The restaurant also called in some other guests to fill out the restaurant — though not enough that Sinatra did not notice that it was somewhat emptier than usual the next day.

So they opened for Thanksgiving for Sinatra, who had a 3 p.m. reservation.
Not until years later did Sinatra find out that they had opened just for him, Mr. Scognamillo said. But no one ever said anything. And the lifelong relationship between Patsy’s and Sinatra was sealed, and Sinatra became the restaurant’s most prominent marketing force.

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Patsy's Restaurant lunch or dinner can be booked as an inclusion in any NYCVP Package with NYC TripQuote at http://nyctripquote.nyctrip.com/

John Lennon Exhibit Opens

An exhibit entitled "John Lennon: The New York City Years" opens today at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame annex in Soho.

Lennon lived in New York from 1971 until his death in 1980. He loved the City, as his widow Yoko Ono told The Daily News, "because it's the most culturally developed city in the world." "He was an intellectual," the widow says, "so he felt a part of that."

John greatly preferred the city to his previous home in London because, said Ono, "He's English, and English people are not so kind to local heroes."

His guitar, his much sought-after green card, original hand-written lyrics, photographs and artwork are among the items on display.

For more information and to purchase tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame annex

click here or paste http://www.nyctrip.com/Pages/Details.aspx?TourID=394 in your browser.

Statue of Liberty

After last week's announcement by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (first reported here) that the Statue of Liberty's crown will again be accessible to visitors, little has been released regarding the details. This we do know:

• The crown will be open to visitors on July 4, 2009 for two years, after which it will again be closed for work on a permanent safety and security renovation.
• Park rangers will lead groups of 10 up the 168 winding stairs to the crown. 3 groups per hour will be permitted.
• No system has yet been announced to determine who will actually be able to climb the steps to the crown.

In the meantime the base, pedestal and observation deck are still available inside the Statue for visitors. However guests need a ferry ticket and an advance reserved ticket in order to get inside. These reserved tickets can be difficult to get, particularly during busy tourist seasons in New York City.

Our recommendation is to participate in NYCVP's Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Escorted Tour, which departs daily through September 14 (Friday through Monday after September 14). Tickets to get inside the Statue are an included feature of the Tour.

The Tour leaves from a convenient midtown Manhattan location, close to all major Theater District, Broadway and Times Square hotels. Subway fare and ferry ticket is included as well.

For more information about the easiest way to visit the Statue of Liberty, click here or paste in your browser: http://www.nyctrip.com/Pages/Details.aspx?TourID=11

Crowning Glory

After being closed for "security reasons" since 9/11/01, the Statue of Liberty's Crown will soon be accessible to visitors, according to an announcement made by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on this morning's Today Show.

The Secretary told Matt Lauer that the crown will be open initially for about 30 visitors an hour on July 4. He said that there would be a lottery system in place to determine who would be lucky enough to make the 350-step journey up a narrow, winding staircase to the top of Lady Liberty.

As we learn more we'll keep you posted right here on this blog.

Creed!

I got all excited yesterday when I saw a post on cnn.com about Creed returning. Wow, I thought, is Creed Bratton touring with the Grass Roots again? Is he leaving The Office? Will he come back to Scranton?

Then I realized the news article was about the 90s Christian rock band.

They're playing Jones Beach in August.

Creed Bratton is playing Thursday nights on NBC.

Love in New York

This video won the NYC Region Award in the I Love NY short film competition:

Love In New York - NYC Region Award - The funniest home videos are here