Archive for the 'City Happenings' Category

Tim Burton makes fantasy come to life. His work in film with movies such as Big Fish, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice have all become cult classics.

And his newest film is no exception. The Disney classic Alice in Wonderland in theaters March 5^th, comes to life in 3D and from the previews it certainly has Burton’s magical touch to it.

For fans who want to see more of Burton’s work, the MOMA is featuring a retrospective on his work. The exhibit will showcase over 700 pieces including never-before-seen drawings, paintings, photographs, storyboards and more. During the course of the exhibition all of Burton’s 14 feature films will be screened in MoMA’s Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985) and Beetlejuice (1988) to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Sweeney Todd (2007), as well as some early short films.

The retrospective runs through April 26, 2010. Purchase tickets online at moma.com or in person. The MOMA notes that gallery occupancy is limited.

This is my daughter. In this picture she is not only defining cuteness, but she is glowing with happiness because this was taken at our “girls” brunch on Sunday at Alice’s Tea Cup.

If you haven’t heard about Alice’s Tea Cup in New York City, you are completely missing out on the wonderful and delicious experience every girl (and lady) should experience.

Amidst the fairy wings (which they give you when you walk in, yeah!) and princess sparkles, this restaurant is a joy to dine in. With an amazing brunch menu (our favorite is the French Toast!!!) and an almost overwhelming tea menu, this place is the perfect place to spend a day with the ladies. The offerings of tasty, home baked goodies will melt your heart and they are all available for takeout orders as well. (Try the Peanut, Butter and Jelly Bar).

Themed around the child (and adult) favorite Alice in Wonderland, this place is a wonderful venue for bridal/baby showers, birthday parties or even un-birthday parties. With 3 locations across the city, there is surely an Alice’s Tea Cup that is nearby.

For more information, check out their website at http://www.alicesteacup.com/.

TIP: For a fun day with the little ones have a nice brunch at Alice’s Tea Cup at their East 64th Street and walk just a few blocks each and tour the Central Park Zoo. Still got energy, FAO Schwartz is just a few blocks away!

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

Spring has not yet arrived in NYC and this is excellent news if you’ve been meaning to visit one of the many great museums the city has to offer. This time of year museums are less crowded and is a great way to get in out of the weather.

Our Art Loves package includes your room, VIP entrance tickets to MOMA, and tickets to the new Da Vinci Exhibition in Times Square. Additional museum passes (Met Museum, Guggenheim) are also available as an upgrade.

Starting at $156 USD per person, including all taxes!  Book now by contacting nicole@continentalguestservices.com .

Be sure to follow @RooseveltNYC for daily deals from Concierge Corner.

Besides February 14th, 2010 being the love fest that is Valentines Day, it also happens to be the Chinese Lunar New Year. This year we celebrate the Year of the Tiger! Rawr!

The Chinese culture is so apparent in NYC so you can bet that it’s quite the party. Whether you just tale a trip downtown to explore Chinatown or watch the parade and fireworks, there is a ton to in this city to celebrate!

Visit the Museum of Chinese In America
All this month, the MOCA will be celebrating the New Year with festive programs and events for all! They will be offering family-friendly events, classes, art workshops and festivities. Check out their website for a full list of events.

New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony, Parade, & Cultural Festival
Sara Roosevelt Park, Corner of Grand St and Chrystie St., Manhattan
Sunday, February 14th, noon-3:30 pm - FREE
The opening ceremony will be complete with a huge firecracker display, followed by Lion Dancers, Chinese Opera singers and Dragon and Unicorn dance troupes (who will then march through Chinatown). It’s a crowded but fun filled day for the whole family.

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

It’s one of the hottest weeks in NYC!!  All the fashionistas and celebrities alike put on their city best and hit the town! That’s right, it’s Fall Fashion Week 2010.

From February 11 - 18, 2010, New York City will be pulsating with the hottest new fashion trends for this season.  Held for the last time in Bryant Park, the Tents at Bryant Park will showcase some sassy new designers, as well as veterans of the fashion world. 

Follow the action of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week by becoming a fan on their Facebook page or use the Twitter hashtag #NYFW to join the conversation.

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

Restaurant week in NYC is in full swing.  Kicking off last week and lasting until February 7th, now is the time to get your grub on.  Book your table at a wide selection of restaurants throughout the city. New York’s top restaurants will serve three-course lunches for $24.07 - a play off the catchy 24/7 - and three-course dinners for $35.00. Beverages, tax and gratuity not included.

In addition to the traditional restaurant week shenanigans, you’ll also see a Restaurant Week truck driving around the city and offering soup from participating Restaurant Week eateries. All soup is $6 per serving and $1 from each purchase will be donated to Haiti relief efforts. You can even keep track of what the Restaurant Week truck is serving and its current location in real-time via Twitter.

You don’t want to miss out on the most delicious, and affordable, week in NYC. Click here to check out the participating restaurants and their menus.

The Tenement Museum is an extremely interesting museum to visit and a “must see” for New Yorkers. Located on the Lower East Side, this museum tells the stories of a tenement apartment building at 97 Orchard Street. This building was home to nearly 7000 working class immigrants.

Their guided tours give visitors a sense of what the living conditions were like in 19th-century New York City. I really enjoyed “The Moores: An Irish Family in America” about the 1869 home of the Moores, Irish immigrants coping with the death of a child. They offer a variety of tours, including walking tours of the neighborhood.

Also available are workshops and original artworks by immigrants and migrants. It’s a perfect experience to teach students and children about immigration and New York City.

Recently, the museum has unveiled its recreation of the Orchard Street outdoor yard, complete with an outhouse, water hydrant, laundry line, plank fence and original paving stones.

The Tenement Museum is truly a great experience for the whole family! For more details and to book your tour, visit www.tenement.org or follow them on Twitter @tenementmuseum. You can also check out some really great photos on their Flickr page!

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. - Anonymous

You have probably already heard that a devastating earthquake hit Haiti yesterday, January 12, 2010. With reports of up to 3 million people affected by this natural disaster, it can be described as nothing else but a tragedy.

When I first heard the reports of the earthquake, I was walking the streets of NYC on my way home so I turned to one of my usual sources of mobile information, Twitter. I was truly overwhelmed by the flood of information being pasted through the site. Even when I got home and turned on the news they were discussing how social media is the leading source of information on the aftermath of this horrific event. CNN broadcasters were actually utilizing photos posted on both Facebook and Twitter for insight to the damage Haiti has experienced. It just goes to show you that we, as a community of people online, have a voice. A loud voice.

As I woke up this morning, I couldn’t help but obsess over how I can help the poor people of Haiti.  Here I was waking up from my comfortable bed, making a fresh pot of coffee, cooking and serving my daughter her full balanced breakfast and then heading off to work in my warm, nice clothes and all the while, the people affected by this earthquake are sleeping in the streets trying to comprehend the devastation they have just lived through and how they are possibly going to get through the next few days, weeks, months and years to come.

Throughout the day, posts have been made through various networks on where and how you can help. You don’t have to leave your community to help.  Here is a compiled list of what you can do be a part of the recovery.

SPREAD THE WORD
Use your voice online and in person to spread the word to others about what we can do to help. The more we know, the more we can do. With resources such as Twitter and Facebook, we are ablet o get up to date information about recovery efforts and what you can do to do your part.  Besides the news fees, so many of the recovery organizations are on Twitter and you can follow them on the links listed below.

DONATE
Here is a list of charities to which you can make a donation. Follow them on Twitter for updates.

Operation USA
Partners in Health
Doctors Without Borders
Direct Relief International
American Red Cross (Twitter @RedCross)
UNICEF (Twitter @UnicefUSA )
Mercy Corps (Twitter @mercycorps )
Oxfam America (Twitter @oxfamamerica )
Save the Children (Twitter @savethechildren )

U.S. State Department: Text “HAITI” to “90999″ and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill. (Twitter @whitehouse )

Yéle Haiti: Donate $5 by texting YELE to 501 501 right now please RT. From musician and Haiti native, Wyclef Jean (Twitter at @wyclef )

For more lists of charities, click here.

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

The No Pants! Subway Ride is annual event staged every January in New York City by  Improv Everywhere.  This year will be the 9th annual ride for participants who randomly hop on various subway lines and, well, drop their pants.  There’s no giggling, laughing or commenting on what’s actually going on to the innocent transit passenger.  Nope, these bare bottomed folks are to keep a straight face and do what they normally do on their commute. 

It’s all done in good humor and has become a popular event in the city.  Check out these videos from past No Pants! rides. 

So, are you willing to go drop your drawers?  This years event is this weekend on Sunday, January 10th at 3:00pm, but first you have to check out the rules and details here.

Only in New York!

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager

One of the greatest museums in this city has to be the American Museum of Natural History. Being an NY native, I still remember taking multiple trips to the museum as I was growing up and even as I step through the doors today, I am just as fascinated by as though it was my first time.

Just off of Central Park West and part of the famed Museum Mile, the AMNH offers permanent exhibits like the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins which explores the evidence of human evolution or the The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, the home of the 94 foot blue whale model.

AMNH also hosts a variety of exhibitions throughout the year. One of my absolute favorites, The Butterfly Conservatory. It’s truly every little (and big) girls dream!

For the ladies, AMNH unveiled a display of 25 dazzling diamonds for public view this past September in the Museum’s Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems. Talk about Bling!

Need to get away? Take a Journey to the Stars in the Hayden Planetarium. Launch into space and experience the life and death of the stars in our night sky.

Whether you live here in the city or are just coming for a visit, touring the Museum of Natural History is a must. It’s a great experience for the whole family.  Just check out their kids section on their website.

Be sure to follow @atAMNH on Twitter for updates on exhibitions and event at the museum. 

If you are visiting the NYC this week, contact our concierge at nicole@@continentalguestservices.com for an exclusive deal!  Buy adult admission ticket to the Museum of Natural History and get a child admission FREE.  Only available through 1/13/10.

Posted By
Kelli Crean
Ecommerce Manager