IN NEW YORK MAGAZINE WHERE® MAGAZINE: NEW YORK WHERE® GUESTBOOK: NEW YORK QG: 'S QUICKGUIDE IN NEW YORK MAP

EVERYTHINGTHE BEST SOURCE FOR TO : SHOPPING SEE, DO | DINING, EAT | ENTERTAIN, BUY MENTAND | ART E NJOY + ANTIQUES IN |THIS MUSEUMS GREAT | EVENTS CITY | MAPS special WHAT’S NEW IN NEW YORK THIS DECEMBER? holiday issue Here’s a sneak peek at this month’s special features, events, useful tips, latest openings, FREE deals and more—especially for you and your guests!

DECEMBER 2009 SHOPPING DINING ENTERTAINMENT ART+ ANTIQUES MUSEUMS EVENTS MAPS HOT HAPPENINGS RUSSIAN REVOLUTION december 2009 the complete guide to go New York ® Don’t miss the landmark retrospective exhibition Kandinsky, on view through Jan. 13, 2010, within the fully A WORLD OF GIFTS restored Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum (1071 Fifth Ave., at ENTERTAINMENT special holiday issue TH A T WILL gAllERIEs+ANTIquEs sHOPPINg 89th St., 212-423-3500). See 150 of Vasily Kandinsky’s most important paintings and SPE AK YOUR MusEuMs DININg LANGUAGE gETTINg AROuND MAPs works on paper, plus new contemporary art installations and the Guggenheim’s Catherine renowned permanent collection. Sign up to receive a Guggenheim Concierge kit Z e t a -Jones INNEWYORK.COM NowINNEWYORK.COM on the Web and iPhone DEBUTS ON BROAD WAY Now on the Web and iPhone and enter to win a pair of admission passes. E-mail your name and address to

YOU’D LIKE [email protected] by Jan. 1, 2010. (Pictured: Vasily Kandinsky, Black T O K E E P FOR YOURSELF Lines (Schwarze Linien), Dec. 1913. Oil on canvas, 129.4 x 131.1 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection, by gift 37.241 © 2009 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris).

Now on the Web and iPhone guggenheim.org LOEH PRICES, HIGH-TICKET ITEMS Give it for less! Shop Loehmann’s (101 Seventh Ave., at W. 16th St., 212-352-0856; 2109 THIS MONTH IN IN NEW YORK , at W. 73rd St., 212-882-9990) for your holiday gifts this season...cashmere, Make sure you’re Keeping Up with Zeta-Jones (p. jewelry, designer handbags, cold weather accessories, men’s and more! Find some- 32)! Take a holiday shopping tour Around the World thing to give (or keep) from top designer names at up to 65 percent off department store in NYC (p. 34). PLUS: Get your behind-the-curtain prices every day. Loehmann’s is the “it” store for holiday gifts! Attention, Concierges: theater scoop in Footlights (p. 16) and IN Sights (p. This season, Loehmann’s is sharing the gift of giving with a 12-percent savings pass 26) on the top attractions. Join MVP/NY on Twitter for you to share with your hotel guests. To order passes for your hotel Concierge and follow our feed for great deals, specials, event Desk, please e-mail Adeline Tafuri ([email protected]). loehmanns.com info and news alerts: twitter.com/NYC_Info! ONE OF A KIND Dec. 10-13, the One of a Kind Show and Sale (800-677-6278) makes its New York City debut at Pier 94 after THIS MONTH® IN WHERE NEW YORK 30 wildly successful years in Toronto and eight in Chicago. This four-day holiday shopping show features the We have Little Somethings (p. 16) for him, her, the best in fine art and craft from more than 200 unique artists, artisans and designers from across North America. kids and everyone else on your holiday gift list. Complementing one-of-a-kind shopping, visitors will be treated to live music, fashion shows, expert presenta- PLUS: Get the local scoop in a NY Minute (p. 12) tions, gourmet cafés, bars and special events. oneofakindshowny.com and take some Zip Trips (p. 14) through the city’s coolest neighborhoods. OLD EUROPE The most exciting archaeological exhibition since King Tut, The Lost IN THIS E-LETTER ATTRACTIONS/EVENTS World of Old Europe has stunning jewelry, sculpture and pottery up to SHOPS & SERVICES American Museum of 7,000 years old! This is the first time it has been shown in America. See Erik Thomsen LLC Natural History 3 Asian Art 3 Avenue Antique Show 1 it at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (15 E. 84th St., btw Filene’s Basement 3 Circle Line Sightseeing Madison & Fifth aves., 212-992-7843), located near the Met. Free admission! Imperial Fine Books 1 Cruises 2 nyu.edu/isaw/oldeurope Jersey Gardens 3 David Rubenstein Atrium Loehmann’s 1 at Lincoln Center 2 BOOK BOUND Rafel Shearling Store 2 Chicago 3 Book and antiques lovers, unite! The Avenue Antique Show is taking over the Park Avenue Armory (643 Park Scholastic Store 3 Da Vinci’s Workshop 3 Ave., at E. 67th St.) Dec. 2–6. Make sure to visit Imperial Fine Books, the leading specialist in leather-bound The Store at the Museum Fuerza Bruta: Look Up! 3 sets and fine bindings in all fields, at Booth # 37. Imperial Fine Books will also appear at the Greenwich of Arts and Design 3 GROOVALOO 3 Antiques Show (Civic Center, Old Greenwich, CT) Dec. 3-6. If you can’t make it to the shows, visit the store (790 Toys “R” Us Times Guggenheim Museum 1 Madison Ave., 2nd fl., at E. 67th St., 212-861-6620). imperialfinebooks.com, avenueshows.com Square 3 Institute for the Study of the Ancient World 1 DINING & NIGHTLIFE Metropolitan Opera 1 CANDY AND CAKE Benjamin Steakhouse 2 New York Botanical Garden 2 The Metropolitan Opera’s annual series of English-language holiday pre- BICE Ristorante 2 One of a Kind Show sentations for families continues with Hansel and Gretel (Metropolitan Grand Central Oyster Bar 3 and Sale 1 Opera House at Lincoln Center, W. 64th St., at Columbus Ave., 212-362-6000). Montenapo Restaurant 3 Statue Cruises 2 Family-friendly prices and showtimes that won’t keep children up late make San Rocco New York 3 Wintuk 2 it an ideal way to celebrate the holidays. Eight performances only, including four matinees. Order tickets online or by phone. metopera.org/hansel FOR EVEN MORE HOT HAPPENINGS Turn to the December calendar on p. 44 of IN New York and “Hot Dates” on pp. 8 & 10 in Where New York. Written and Designed by Yan Timanovsky, MVP/NY Marketing Plan ahead and check out the calendars for January (p. 46) and February (p. 48) in IN New York.

December 2009, vol. 9, no. 12 mvpny.net 1 CONCIERGE ANNOUNCEMENTS UP-TO-THE-MINUTE NEWS Dining, Shows, Shopping and More for You and Your Guests! 12.01: Macy’s Holiday Event, 6–8 p.m., reception provided by Montenapo Restaurant. 12.02: The Institute for the Study of the Ancient RING IT IN LOUDER THAN EVER World, New York University, special This year, visitors will have several activity choices on Dec. 31 in addition to the famous midnight ball drop. Leave reception for the exhibition The Lost World your New Year’s resolution on the Confetti Wishing Wall at the Information Center (Broadway, btw of Old Europe, 6–8 p.m. W. 46th & W. 47th sts.). Shredders will be available for use in to discard bad memories from 2009 12.14: Dr. Linhart, 6–7:30 p.m., catering by BICE as part of “.” Other events include a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises party cruise; the New Ristorante, complimentary massage by York Road Runners’ Emerald Nuts Midnight Run around Central Park with DJ and dancing at 10 p.m., a costume Graceful Services. parade and contest at 11 p.m. and fireworks and a four-mile race at midnight. Brooklyn residents and visitors can take part in the borough’s largest New Year’s Eve party at Grand Army Plaza, which will include fireworks and Ticket offer for Burn the Floor: Dec. 3, 8 & 9. live music. See more info on all activities online. circleline42.com, nyrr.org, prospectpark.org, nycgo.com Ticket offer for Zero Hour: Dec. 4, 7, 9 & 10

NOTE: All times and venues are subject to change. TAKING THE CITY BY SNOWSTORM Look for your personal invitation in the mail. Please The smash-hit family show of the holiday season is on now at the DO NOT RSVP until you have received your invitation. WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden (Seventh Ave., btw W. 31st & W. 33rd sts., 866-858-0007)! Cirque du Soleil’s Wintuk is an exciting NAVIGATE IN NEW YORK winter adventure about a boy’s quest for snow. The show weaves thrill- FEATURED THIS MONTH 49 ing acrobatic and breathtaking theatrical effects into an extraordinary  journey to an imaginary land called Wintuk. cirquedusoleil/wintuk4kids Claudia Iluc, Inside Source Concierge, Le Parker Meridien, LINCOLN CENTER NEWS on smarter holiday shopping. The David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center (61 W. 62nd St., 212-875-5030), a new civic space and urban Children’s Size Conversions 55 arts oasis, is now the site for free public performances every Thurs at 8:30 p.m. as part of the Target Free  Thursdays series. Please note: Full facility opens Dec. 17 and the box office opens Jan 7. lincolncenter.org  Holiday Sights & Events 89  Important Phone Numbers 109 SAIL INTO 2010!  Radio Stations 74 Statue Cruises is offering New Year’s Eve cruises. Kick off the New Year in the shadow of Lady Liberty. Fireworks Restaurant Openings 96 will ring the skyline as you toast, dine and dance the night away. Cruises depart from Battery Park and Liberty  State Park. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 877-523-9849. Book today for the most memorable New  Show Previews & Openings 68 Year’s ever! statuecruises.com  Size Conversion Chart 56  Temperature Conversion 108 CHOO-CHOO TRAIN Three-Month Weather Chart 108 For a full day of fun, visit the Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical  Garden (200th St., at Kazimiroff Blvd., Bronx, 718-817-8700). Enter a wonder-  Tours 70 land of historic New York landmarks made from plant parts and model trains  Travel, Tickets & Transportation 86 on more than a quarter mile of track. Enjoy hot chocolate at the cafés, deco- rate gingersnaps, visit with Thomas the Tank Engine™ and stroll through 250 WHERE acres of the Garden’s grounds, spectacularly decorated for the show. nybg.org NAVIGATE  Dining 68 STAY SHARP, LOOK SHARP  Entertainment 24 Rafel Shearling Store (216 W, 29th St., btw Seventh & Eighth aves., 212-564-8874) is a manu-  Galleries & Antiques 46 facturer of fine shearling garments for women and men. Its made-to-measure department Maps 82 is famous. Special December offer: Most specials made for the same price as off the rack.  Choose from a wide variety of styling details and dozens of colors. rafelshearling.com  Museums & Attractions 60  Numbers to Note 87 AFTER HOURS  Shopping 48 Benjamin Steakhouse (52 E. 41st St., btw Park & Madison aves., 212-297-9177) has extended its Transportation + Tours 78 hours for the holiday season. Through Jan. 1, Benjamin is open until midnight! benjaminsteakhouse.com  HELP END HUNGER— GET IN THE GROOVE SUBSCRIBE TODAY! GROOVALOO, the freestyle dance sensation, is back in New York by popular demand and MVP/NY will donate $5 from each paid subscription of plays off-Broadway at the Union Square Theater (100 E. 17th St., at Park Ave. So., 212-307-4100) IN New York and WHERE New York magazines to City through Jan. 3, Tues-Sun. Based on the troupe’s true-to-life experiences as told by the dancers Harvest, which feeds over 260,000 needy New Yorkers who lived them, GROOVALOO is driven by intoxicating displays of physicality, a vibrant musical every week. Each $5 donation means 20 pounds of food score and powerful spoken word poetry. The show’s intertwined stories chronicle the strug- for the hungry! To subscribe, call 212-557-3010, or visit gles, hopes and triumphs of the 14-member cast. GROOVALOO celebrates the passion and mvpny.net or cityharvest.org. purpose of life while revealing the heart, soul and artistry of freestyle and contemporary dance. The show has received praise from the New York Post and Los Angeles Times. groovaloo.com THE WINTER QG IS OUT!

COUMONE The Fall 2009/Winter 2010 issue of INSIDE HAVE A BALL AT BICE QG PON$$$Y-SA V ING Dance the night away at BICE Ristorante’s (7 E. 54th St., btw Madison & Fifth aves., 212-688-1999) Gala QG: New York City's QuickGuide NEW YORK CITY’S New Year’s Eve Celebration on Dec. 31, featuring an à la carte menu, party favors and the vocal and musi- is now available! It’s packed with Q uickG uide great maps (now including bike FALL/WINTER 2009/2010 »฀฀CONCIERGE TIPS cal talents of Luigi and Arlette. Seatings at 9 & 9:30 p.m. $70 entertainment fee. To RSVP, call 212-593-0665 AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY »฀฀NEIGHBORHOODS »฀฀ITINERARIES paths), neighborhood information, »฀฀TRAVEL ESSENTIALS ext. 100 Mon–Fri, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; or 212-688-1999 Sat, Sun & holidays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Before or after a show, »฀฀LOCAL MAPS hot tips from hotel Concierges, try BICE’s pre-/post-theater menu (4–6:30 p.m. & 9 p.m.–close), which includes three courses and a glass of GRAY LINE NEW YORK SIGHTSEEING wine ($45). The offerings include parmigiana di melanzane condita al pesto leggero (baked eggplant parmi- money-saving coupons and helpful giana with tomato sauce basil pesto and mozzarella cheese). Have you tried the weekend brunch? Served information for travelers on every- ALSO AVAILABLE thing from indoor pools to free out- ONLINE 11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat & Sun, the menu features bistecca di manzo alla Bismark (grilled skirt steak topped with IN SPANISH fried egg and served with asparagus) and pancake con arancia e ricotta servito con miele di maple e misto door WiFi! Pick up your copy today QUICKGUIDENY.C OM MVPNY.NET bosco (orange and ricotta-flavored pancakes served with maple syrup and mixed berries). bicenewyork.com and visit quickguideny.com!

December 2009, vol. 9, no. 12 mvpny.net 2 UP-TO-THE-MINUTE NEWS (CONT'D) Dining, Shows, Shopping and More for You and Your Guests! MAD STORE WHEN SCHOLARSHIP PAYS The Store at the Museum of Arts To show guests some appreciation, the Scholastic Store and Design (2 Columbus Circle, btw (557 Broadway, at Prince St., 212-343-6166) has launched Broadway & Eighth Ave., 212-299-7777) the BIG RED Rewards program, which includes benefits has opened a 1,200-square-foot pop- from pre-notification of store events to personal shopping up store at Kate’s Paperie (1282 Third experiences! Guests will also receive $5 off every $100 Ave., at E. 74th St., 212-396-3670) until purchase once they hit the “SUPER SHOPPER” level (purchases of $500 or more). See Jan. 15, 2010. The store highlights products created by three http://p.p0.com/YesConnect/HtmlMessagePreview?a=sCW89esc9WqYKYGvyZxbzE international paper artists whose work is included in the for more information. scholastic.com/sohostore museum’s current exhibition Slash: Paper Under the Knife— Mia Pearlman, Rob Ryan and Beatrice Coron. madmuseum.org RENAISSANCE IN TIMES SQUARE Don’t miss Da Vinci's Workshop: Inventor, Artist, Dreamer at HEADS UP! Exposition (226 W. 44th St., btw Seventh & Eighth aves., 866-987-9692) thru Apr. 4, 2010. For two amazing years, audiences have This all-new exhibition brings the visionary's inventions been blown away by New York City’s sexy to life through full-scale and interactive models. Find smash hit, Fuerza Bruta: Look Up! Don’t miss out how Da Vinci’s vision for an airplane, automobile your chance to save big on Off-Broadway’s and bridge would have worked long before they became 360-degree heart-pounding spectacle the modern world's reality. Plus, uncover the transla- with $55 tickets. Jump in…hold on…and tions and hidden meanings of the mastermind's paint- look up! Visit broadwayoffers.com or call ings, sketches and notebooks through virtual and interac- 212-947-8844 and use the code FBLU or print tive touch-screen panels. Discover the mind of a genius in this limited, world-premiere this offer and bring it to the Daryl Roth Theatre box office (101 engagement. (Photo: Copyright by Leonardo3, leonardo3.net.) discoverytsx.com E. 15th St., at Union Sq. East, 212-947-8844). lookupnyc.com ASH'S BASH WINTER IN FLORIDA Ashlee Simpson-Wentz makes her Broadway stage debut reprising the role of Roxie Hart in Now thru May 15, Grand Central Oyster Bar’s (Grand Central Chicago (Ambassador Theatre, 219 W. 49th St., btw Broadway & Eighth Ave., 212-239-6200) Terminal, lower level, E. 42nd St., at Park Ave., 212-490-6650) for a 10-week limited engagement, thru Feb. 7. She first took on Roxie Hart in 2006, when she offering Florida stone crabs! Succulent and delicious, these played the role to critical acclaim in London’s West End production of Chicago. Special holiday crab legs are a delicacy. $39.95 for a 20-ounce main course, performances have been added: Dec. 23 at 8 p.m., Dec. 30 at 2:30 & 8 p.m. and Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. lunch or dinner. oysterbarny.com chicagothemusical.com ROCC OUT GET WITH THE TIMES Open daily for breakfast, lunch, Perfectly situated in the Theater District is an oasis of fla- dinner and brunch Saturday and vor and authentic Italian cuisine, Montenapo Restaurant Sunday, San Rocco New York (39 (250 W. 41st St., btw Seventh & Eighth aves., 212-764- W. 24th St., btw Fifth & Sixth aves., 7663). With a gorgeous view of the birch tree garden, 212-255-4655) is the perfect place to designed by Renzo Piano for Building, enjoy authentic Italian cuisine and atmosphere. Experience Montenapo’s sophisticated atmosphere, decor and cui- the original aperitivo (pre-dinner drinks with finger foods). San sine provide discerning theatergoers with an exquisite Rocco is the perfect after-work gathering space. Aperitivo is culinary experience to complement a great night on Broadway. montenaporestaurant.com available every day from 6 to 9 p.m. sanroccony.com WEDDING BELLS TOYS AHOY! The Running of the Brides®, Filene’s Basement’s (2222 Wonder and imagination take flight Broadway, btw W. 79th & W. 80th sts., 212-873-8000; 620 at Toys “R” Us Times Square (1514 Sixth Ave., btw W. 18th & W. 19th sts., 212-620-3100; 4 Union Broadway, at W. 44th St., 800-869- Sq. So., 40 E. 14th St., btw Broadway & University Pl., 212- 7787)! No tour of the Big Apple is com- 358-0169) legendary sale of discounted designer wedding plete without a visit to the “World’s gowns is Feb. 5, 2010. It’s a tradition among local brides, but Greatest Kids Store™”! Imagine tak- shoppers come from all over the U.S. and around the world ing a ride on a 60-foot Ferris wheel, to attend the event, which features thousands of wedding dresses, originally retailing for as stepping inside a life-sized version of much as $10,000, priced $249–$699. Bargain-hunting brides start lining up hours before the Barbie®’s Dollhouse and an anima- doors open at 8 a.m., but many good deals can be found throughout the day. The sale ends at tronic Jurassic Park™ T-Rex. Check out the complimentary 10 p.m. Gown sales are final. The sale is held at the Union Square location. For more informa- personal shopping service, which lets you shop, wrap and ship tion and tips on successful bridal gown sale shopping, visit the Web site. filenesbasement.com anywhere! Come and visit the store today! discoverytsx.com DOMO ORIGAMO GARDEN-FRESH SHOPPING Celebrate the holiday season with a visit to the spectacular Origami Celebrate the 10th anniversary of New Jersey’s largest outlet Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park mall! Shop incredible deals at over West, at W. 79th St., 212-769-5100), on view thru Jan. 3. This year, A is 200 stores, including Cole Haan, for Apatosaurus and B is for butterfly as the ornaments depict museum Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, Levi’s favorites from A to Z. amnh.org and DKNY JEANS. Enjoy tax-free clothes and shoes. Jersey Gardens (651 Kapkowski Rd., Elizabeth, NJ, FAR EAST ART Dec. 11–23, check out the holiday season exhibition at Erik Thomsen LLC 1-877-SAY-VALU) is accessible via Asian Art (44 E. 74th St., 2nd fl., btw Park & Madison aves., 212-288-2588), the NJ Turnpike (Exit 13A) or NJ which specializes in antique Japanese screens and paintings, as well as Transit bus #111 from Port Authority. Valet parking every Japanese gold lacquer objects, tea ceramics and signed ikebana bamboo baskets. erikthomsen.com weekend. jerseygardens.com

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