April

Baseball
It’s time for Major League Baseball! To get info about your team go to their web site.
New York Mets
New York Yankees

The Big Swim - FREE
A day of races for kids 6-16, everyone who participates gets a medal and there are Olympians on hand to give encouragement.
Asphalt Green
Call 212-369-8890 for info.

Easter Parade
Join in for the Easter Parade…just don’t forget your hat!
Call 212-484-1222 for info.

International Auto Show
All of the latest models plus the cool “concept” cars at the Javits Center
Call 212-216-2000 for info.

National Tartan Day
National Tartan Day cancer benefit features the drummers and pipers in this Scottish theme parade down 6th Ave
Call 212-980-0844 for info.

Soccer
Watch the New York Red Bulls

March

Fantasy Express
Annual Lenox Hill Hospital Neonatal Critical Care Unit and Department of Paediatrics benefit. Essentially a street fair with toys, food, face painting, and performers.
Call 212-434-6858 for info.

Manhattan Antiques Triple Pier Expo
NY’s largest antiques show features more than 600 dealers and lasts for two weekends.
Call 212-255-0020 for info.

St. Patrick's Day Parade
5th Avenue (44th to 86th) begins at 11 am
Call 212-484-1222 for info.

South Street Seaport Irish Stroll
Annual St Patricks Day tradition! South Street Seaport Pier 7
Call 301-652-7712

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
It’s not called the Greatest Show on Earth for nothing!
Call 212-465-6741 for info.

February

Chinese New Year
10 days of festivities in Chinatown complete with dragon and lion dancers and fire crackers!
Call 212-484-1222 for info.

International Art Expo
Art dealers, galleries, interior designers, private collectors, art publishers, and you! Incredible expo featuring paintings, sculpture, jewellery, prints, posters, and more all on display and for sale. Jacob Javits Center
Call 1-800-827-7170

Mardi Gras Stroll
NYC’s own Mardi Gras festival sees 2nd Avenue transformed into a bar crawlers dream! All the usual beads, masks, music.
Call 1-800-422-7295

Westminster Kennel Club Show
Madison Square Garden is the home to 2,500 dogs representing 162 breeds all competing for Best in Show.
1-800-455-3647

Ice Skating

There are quite a few great places to ice skate in Manhattan. All offer day passes between $5-12.00 per adult and $2.50-5.00 per child plus skate rental.

Rockefeller Center – Truly an experience not to be missed!

The Pond in Bryant Park

Riverbank Ice Skating Rink (Hudson at 145th St)

Wollman Rink in Central Park

Lasker Rink in Central Park (mid park at 106th Street)

Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers

January

Antiques
Antiquing is always a thrill in Manhattan, but never more so than during the winter antiques season which sees dozens of dealers from around the globe converge with their treasures on Manhattan. Even if you aren’t in the market for an antique, these shows make a really fascinating day out.

Antiques At The Armory
17th-20th century arts, paintings, prints, sculpture, quilts, textiles, jewellery, silver and porcelain are featured in the annual show.
Call 212-255-0020 for info.

Antiques At The Piers
American and European furnishings, porcelain, art glass, silver, and art work.
Call 212-255-0020 for info.

New York Antiques & Fine Art Fair – Park Avenue Armory (67th Street)
This is one of the finest shows in NY, you can find just about anything from ancient coins to 20th century posters. American, European and Asian arts, furniture, jewellery, maps, ephemerae, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, and more.
Call 310-287-1896 for info.

Winter Antiques Show – Park Avenue Armory (7th Regiment)
The highlight of the Antiques Season, American, European, Asian, and British furniture, arts, jewellery, and silver.
Call 718-292-7392 for info.

Chinese News Year Celebrations
Chinese New Year is a really magically time and the city is awash with exciting activities for the whole family.

Chinese Lunar New Year Gala & Flower Market - FREE
Roosevelt Park celebrates CNY with an entire week of cultural events. Lots of booths, activities, food and flowers.
Call 212-431-0368 for info.

Chinatown Lunar New Year Flower Market
A family celebration of Chinese New Years includes art, crafts, musical performances, dance, and of course lots of booths, food and beautiful flowers.
Mulberry Street between Bayard & Worth Street
Call 718-243-0820 for info.

Radio City Music Hall’s Chinese New Year Global Gala
Authentic Chinese performers are featured in this cultural showcase.
Radio City Music Hall
Call 1-888-260-6221 for info.


College Baseball
College baseball starts in the impossibly cold dark days of January and continues on through June. Pick a team and head out to the ball game! Check with the school of game times and locations.

Army Black Knights
Columbia Lions
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
Fordham Rams
Hofstra Pride
Iona Gaels
Long Island Blackbirds
Marist Red Foxes
Monmouth Hawks
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders
St. John's Red Storm
St. Peter's Peacocks
Seton Hall Pirates
Stony Brook Seawolves
Wagner Seahawks

Martin Luther King Jr Day Parade - FREE
The annual MLK Day Parade takes place on Martin Luther King Jr Day, starting at 1:00 pm beginning at 5th Avenue and 61st Street and continuing north to 86th Street.

New York National Boat Show
Yachts, speed boats, pleasure boats and everything for the boating enthusiast, the NY National Boat Show is the place to be if you are a boater or just dream of being one.
Jacob Javits Center (35th Street & 11th Ave)
Call 212-922-1212 for info and events

Restaurant Week
Two weeks in January and two weeks during the summer, restaurants throughout Manhattan open their doors and their reservations to the general public all at terrific discounts. This is a great time to taste cuisine that you might not normally try or see how the “other half” live at restaurants normally out of your price range comfort zone.


Special Camp Fair – Church of St Paul the Apostle
Learn about all of the children’s summer time options for parents of special needs children. This info fair is sponsored by Resources for Children with Special Needs.
Call 212-677-4650 for info.

Food for the 4th

My family is planning a huge 4th of July weekend celebration with a picnic on Friday and a BBQ on Saturday. So today is prep day. Below you will find some of my favorite treats. Whether you are making things yourself or are picking up your nosh from local shops, I want to wish everyone a wonderful, safe, & tasty Independence Day!

Pick Up Treats:

I know that for many Americans, hot dogs and hamburgers are the order of the day for 4th of July festivities. But for me, hands down it has to be the Lobster Rolls from Dean & DeLuca.

http://www.deandeluca.com/new-and-seasonal/picnic/lobster-rolls.aspx

So cute and soo good Elenis’ Americana Cupcakes are a perfect ending.

http://www.elenis.com/scripts/WebObjects.dll/Elenis.woa/12/wo/SMrgco7TLQxLzYT0p8wer0/3.1.3.24.18.0.1.1.0.0.1.1.1?66,25

The Raspberry, Cherry and Cotton Candy flavored Patriotic Lolly Pops at Dean & DeLuca are sure to put smiles on the faces of kids of all ages.

http://www.deandeluca.com/chocolates-and-confections/chocolates-confections/patriotic-pops.aspx


Make Your Own Treat:

Isn’t this Flag Berry Tart just beautiful? I can’t fault Martha Stewart and love her site and magazine.

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=5b76759a3ac0f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular is IMHO the best display in the world. With over 35,000 fireworks (over 50 times more than any other display in the USA) and the NY Pops playing patriotic music, you simply have to experience this display.

For all of the information that you need to determine where to go for the best vantage points and all of the start times and rules: http://www1.macys.com/campaign/sitelets/fireworks/index.jsp
If you are lucky enough to have an unobstructed view from your apartment or roof of the sky above the East River, you can enjoy the show from the comfort of your own digs.

For the ultimate fireworks views, The Empire State Building offers incredible views, an open bar and nibbles for $175.00 per person. Space is limited! 212-736-3100

For the most dramatic view on a budget, Roosevelt Island offers a food court, performers, a chair, and exceptional views for only $18.00 per person. Visit www.rioc.com for more details.

Some of the most spectacular views are from the water. For information on boating during the fireworks, contact Macy’s Marine hotline 212-494-5247

If you can’t make it in person, the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular will also be shown on NBC beginning at 9:00.

Independence Day

I LOVE Independence Day! As a kid, my folks would take us all to spectacular fireworks displays. As a kid, there was something magical about a whole community coming out to lie on the cool, summer grass and gaze at the stars until the sky erupted. As a teen, it gave us all an excuse to raise a little hell while our parents were occupied with Bar-B-Ques and socializing. But as an adult, I didn’t really pay much attention to Independence Day. Actually, I didn’t think much about what being an American meant, that is until two things happened.

In the summer of 1997, I found myself on the Staten Island Ferry, returning from meeting a property developer who wanted to market Staten Island to Wall Street as an easy commute option. It was well after eight and faced with at least another hour commute before I could drop on my sofa, I was tired, hungry, and more than a little crabby. I started flipping through a Glamour magazine when a young man sat down in the seat facing me. Now I have always been a “typical New Yorker” when it comes to public transportation and I do my best to not engage anyone. A lesson learned the hard way in 1993 when my attempt at friendliness got me about killed on the subway….but that is another story….

Anyway, I am reading my magazine, minding my own business when the young man across the seat sits blot up and presses his hands and face against the window. “That’s her,” he says in an excited whisper, “that’s really her?!” He turns to me and says with tears streaming down his face, “I’ve waited my whole life to see her” before tuning back to the window gazing at the Statue of Liberty, “she is beautiful” he said without turning away. After the Statue was out of sight, he got up and went to the back of the Ferry to watch her in the distance. And as I sat there, I found that my own face was wet with tears. This person had waited his whole life to experience what we take for granted every day. The Statue of Liberty seemed to me to be little more than a tourist attraction. But to him, it was the symbol of all that is good in this country and even now, over a decade later, thinking about it makes me cry.

A few years ago, I worked in Europe for a brief period. I had traveled many times through Europe in the past, but this was my first experience as a “resident” and I was eager to show my children all of the unique cultural differences that exist between countries. We met a great many fine people, saw beautiful land and city scapes, tasted wonderful foods, and gained a greater understanding of the history of humanity. But. And this is a huge B U T. We witnessed open and overt acts of racism, sexism, and intolerance to people from other countries and other religions that would never be tolerated in the US. We watched as political and ideological expression was quashed, sometimes violently. We came to understand that for many, the attempt to better ones self was not seen as an admirable quality, but rather as an act of snobbery and ego that should be snuffed out as early as possible.

This experience, though shocking and difficult as it was to witness, bred a patriotism in me and in my family, much stronger than we could have ever gained by reading about our country in school or watching a parade on TV. It instilled a sense of pride in my children that I hope will never diminish. And for anyone who feels that the US, even with all its problems and flaws, is not the greatest place on this planet, you need only spend time anywhere else in the world to re-evaluate your position.

So, Independence Day is akin to a religous celebration in our home and we really go all out. I hope that in this year of dramatic changes in the political landscape and with our brave men and women fighting for our freedoms and the freedom of democracy abroad that we can all make this the best Independance Day ever!

Tomorrow: Best vantage points to see the fireworks
Great Picnic Food
Easy Decorations for your Independence Day celebrations

Great ways to show your pride!

Hey guys,

Wow! Thanks for all the emails everybody. It is really exciting to get so much positive feedback. As a few people figured out, we enabled comments on the blog, so you can post comments and suggestions here or send emails.

Through a consensus, we have decided the direction of the blog. We are going to continue to update old reviews and post them along with new reviews, give suggestions on events that you shouldn’t miss, and provide general “living in NYC” tips. But, we are each going to take turns and post our own experience in the Big Apple in a more personal way than we have in the past.

We hope that you will stay with us and will continue to provide great tips, reviews, and feedback of your own as well. We are going to do a bit of a redesign today and get back to posting on Tuesday.

Thanks again for all of the great feedback and continued support.
The Nouveau Native Girls

Direction of The NN Guide to NYC

Over the past few weeks, we have been debating the direction of this blog. The Nouveau Native’s No Fee New York Rental Guide blog has a clear purpose; to assist NYC renters in acquiring a no broker fee apartment and to help them understand their rights and responsibilities as renters in this great city. But in the beginning, we had also included restaurants, bars, boutiques, special events, and anything that we had enjoyed and wanted to share. When we divided the original blog into two separate blogs, we had planned to catalog the reviews and recommendations here. But there is some debate and some of our readers have asked if this blog would be more of a catalog of experiences in the City rather than simply a review and recommend site. This has created some debate here as to the direction that we should take this blog. And so, while we are busy cataloging all of the old posts from the original site for inclusion here, we would like our readers to help us decided.

Would you find a review and recommendation site more useful? Or would you rather read a personal experience in NYC, diary type of blog?

Thanks everybody!

June Street Fair Schedule

June 1st – 2nd Ave Spring Jubilee – 2nd Ave from 23rd-34th St

June 6th – Tribeca Community Fair – Murray St from Broadway – Church St

June 7th – Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood 2nd Ave Fair – 2nd Ave from 14th – 23rd St

June 8th – NYC Expo – 3rd Abe from 23rd – 34th St

June 13th – Financial Community Day Festival Series – Maiden Lane from Water – South St

June 14th – 2nd Ave Summer Fair – 2nd Ave from 23rd – 34th St

June 15th – International Cultures Festival – 6th Ave from 47th - 57th St

June 21st – Times Square Expo – 7th Avenue from 47th – 57th St

June 22nd – Gramercy Park Fair – 3rd Ave from 14th – 23rd St

June 27th – United Nations Spring Festival – 47th Street from 1st – 2nd Ave

June 28th – Times Square Block Party – 46th Street from 7th – 8th Ave

The Nouveau Native's No Fee New York 2008 Announces New Format for 2009

The editors of the popular apartment rental guide book have announced that they will issue the 2009 editions in the standard paperback format as well as several electronic formats to enable a more user-friendly and discrete experience. The Nouveau Native’s No Fee New York 2009, The Nouveau Native’s No Fee New York With Pets 2009, and The Nouveau Native’s No Fee New York With Kids 2009 will all be available in ebook format, as well as several PDA formats.The 2009 editions of The Nouveau Native’s No Fee New York series will hit bookstores December 15, 2008.

Nouveau Native’s No Fee New York Adds Roommate Guide To Roster

The editors of The Nouveau Native’s No Fee New York have announced that they will add a title to the upcoming 2009 series. In addition to the standard renter’s guide and specialty guide books providing assistance for New Yorker’s looking to rent a family or pet friendly apartment, a new guide book specifically designed to help the student and roommate market will be released. The Nouveau Native’s No Fee New York for Roommates & Students 2009 will be in book stores on December 15, 2008.

The Nouveau Native's Guide To NYC

This month, we are celebrating something special. Our New York City real estate rental guide, The Nouveau Native’s No Fee New York has reached 2,000 units sold!

Over the past three years, as we have created and edited the real estate rental guides, we have blogged and answered questions about the trials and tribulations of renting in Manhattan at NouveauNative.blogspot.com. We also tossed in advice on where to shop, eat, and hang out as well as great things to do with the kids.

But with success comes change. We have re-designed the original NouveauNative.blogspot to focus solely on rental and real estate issues and are expanding the coverage to include more of the greater metropolitan area.

So, we are moving out lifestyle content here and we will focus this blog on getting the most out of living in New York City. We have loved all of the support and input that you have given over the past three years and hope that you will enjoy our new site too!

Thanks again,
The Nouveau Native Girls

SELF Magazine's Workout in the Park

May 10th – SELF Magazine’s Workout in the Park 11-3pm Central Park – Rumsey Playfield. Workout, receive beauty treatments and lots of product samples in this annual event, now in it’s 15 year.

for more info: https://www.selfworkoutintheparkevents.com

May Street Fair Schedule

May 2 – NYC Business Expo – Greenwich Street from Barclay - Warren Street

May 3rd – Romanian Day Festival – Broadway from Fulton Street – Battery Place

May 4th – Annual Village Fair – Broadway from Houston – Grand Street

May 9th – Civic Community Day Fair - Murray Street from Broadway - Church Street

May 10th – Gramercy Park Neighborhood Festival PAS from 17th-23rd Street

May 11th – Amsterdam Avenue Fair – On Amsterdam from 96th-106th Street

May 16th – Financial Community Day Festival – On Maiden Lane from Water – South St

May 17th – Children of the World Festival – 6th Ave from 42nd to 56th Street

May 18th – Murray Hill Neighborhood Festival – Park Ave from 34th-40th St

May 24th – Lower 3rd Ave Spring Festival - 3rd Ave from 6th – 14th St

May 25th – Times Square Fair – 7th Ave from 47th-57th St

May 26th – Madison Avenue Community Expo – Madison from 42nd - 57th St

May 31st – Lexington Ave Spring Festival – Lex from 43nd – 57th St

Walking Tours

Lower East Side - Free 2 hour walking tour of the Lower East Side details some of the extraordinary history of the area as well as modern changes that are altering the Lower East Side. The walking tour takes place every Saturday at 11:00am from April through December. Start at Katz Deli at Houston and Ludlow Street. Wear comfy shoes!
For more info call 212-226-9010