We’ve had a wonderful year hosting the Bryant Park Blog on Tumblr.
For design customization purposes and integration with our new website that launched last Friday, we had to switch to Blogger.
Sadly, you won’t be seeing us in your dashboard anymore, but we hope you’ll continue reading about Bryant Park at blog.bryantpark.org.
Thank you for following!
Best,
Bryant Park
As the weather gets warmer the list of things to do in Bryant Park grows longer and longer.
This week, in addition to Bryant Park Petanque Lessons, Ping Pong, Chess, Fencing, Birding Tours, Meet the Birds, After Work Music, Game Nights at The Southwest Porch, Tai Chi, and Yoga, we’re launching three more programs for you to enjoy.
After Work Music with Bill McGlaughlin & Friends
Mondays, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
May 17 – June 14
Fountain Terrace
After Work Music with Bill McGlaughlin & Friends debuts this evening with jazz from the Karrin Allyson Quartet. Award-winning public radio host Bill McGlaughlin curated the series which also features the Orion String Quartet, Mark O’Connor, Imani Winds, and Tara Helen O’Connor.
Don’t forget that The Southwest Porch is offering a 10% discount to concert goers on Monday evenings, tonight through June 14. More details here.
Piano in the Park
Weekdays, 12:30pm – 2:30pm
May 17 – October 15
Upper Terrace
Talented New York area pianists, including Junior Mance, Frank Owens, Roy Eaton, and Ayako Shirasaki, return to entertain lunchtime crowds at Piano in the Park. Each weekday throughout the summer a different musician fills the Upper Terrace with toe-tapping jazz and ragtime tunes. Terry Waldo kicks off the first week of this season’s program, today at 12:30pm.
Word for Word Author
Wednesdays, 12:30pm – 1:45pm
May 19 – August 25
Reading Room
Bestselling authors, celebrity writers, and expert panelists will appear at the Reading Room this summer for our popular Word for Word Author series. Former Met and Yankee, Darryl Strawberry, visits the park this Wednesday to speak about his autobiography Straw: Finding My Way, answer audience questions, and sign copies of the book.
Visit our shiny new website www.bryantpark.org for a full schedule of programs and events in the park
Dr. Ruth Will Dish Love Advice to Bryant Park Love Birds from DNAinfo
A special host for our June 30 event celebrating couples that met, married, or became engaged in Bryant Park
With Wolf’s Help, Bryant Park Opens the Lawn from WSJ.com
Photo coverage of last week’s lawn opening stunt
Artist Struts Her Stuff in Others’ Shoes from The New York Times
Roberta Smith reviews Kate Gilmore’s performance-based artwork, Walk the Walk, at Bryant Park
On our radar
Streetside Bin Made From Recycled Chewing Gum from PSFK.com
London tests new receptacles for used chewing gum, created from used chewing gum
After dark, the dirty work at Disneyland begins from the Los Angeles Times
Why the public never sees maintenance work happening at Disney parks
Scenes from Bryant Park
With Bryant Park’s art installation as backdrop, Brooklyn’s Joseph Setton proposes to girlfriend
Story and photograph from the NY Daily News
Our website, bryantpark.org, got a makeover today!
Created in 2002 by Moment, our original website was no longer able to support the vast amount of information we wanted to share with the public about the park. Moment returned to help us with the new site and the result is sleek, modern, and easy to navigate.
New features include an attractive isometric map to let you explore the park from home and a calendar section that displays all the park’s many programs and events. Everyday activities and amenities can be found under “Things To Do” and the homepage highlights the current day’s events.
Please keep in mind that the site is brand new and you may encounter some bugs here and there. We are also working to update all the events links on the blog to the new website’s calendar. Thank you for your patience while we iron out the kinks in the new system.
Not to be outdone, next week you can expect to see a new look here on the blog, too!
2 years ago
Monday nights at Bryant Park are known for classic movies, but this season we’re adding music to the mix before the big screen is set up on the Fountain Terrace.
After Work Music with Bill McGlaughlin & Friends is a new series of free concerts by exceptional jazz and classical music performers, curated and hosted by Public Radio’s Bill McGlaughlin.
The series begins on Monday, May 17 with jazz from the Karrin Allyson Quartet. Allyson is a three-time Grammy Award-nominated artist who has worked for more than a decade with an ensemble of fearless and powerfully committed jazz virtuosi. Click here to read more about After Work Music with Bill McGlaughlin & Friends.
Enjoy a post concert sip and snack!
To celebrate our new music series, our friends at ‘wichcraft and The Southwest Porch are offering a deal for attendees of the After Work with Bill McGlaughlin & Friends concerts. The Porch is a comfortable outdoor lounge, just steps away from the After Work stage on the Fountain Terrace, offering a unique food and beverage menu from Tom Colicchio’s ‘wichcraft.
Enjoy a Monday evening After Work Music performance, then bring your concert program to The Porch and show to your waiter or bartender to receive a 10% discount off any ‘wichcraft sip or snack. The discount is valid only with a program from the current evening’s concert.
Twitter contest!
We’re also giving our @BryantParkNYC Twitter followers a chance to win free drinks and an appetizer for two at The Southwest Porch after the concert on Monday, May 17.
Follow us on Twitter and retweet the message below by 5pm on Friday, May 14 to be entered to win:
RT @BryantParkNYC: FREE new music series: #BPAfterWork with Bill McGlaughlin http://ow.ly/1KDxC Retweet to win ‘wichcraft sip&snack May 17
Bryant Park’s lawn, the crown jewel of Midtown, opened last Tuesday, May 4, for the first time this season.
To add a little humor and speculation to the kick off, we teamed up with notorious Improv Everywhere prankster, Charlie Todd, and a special guest…
You can find this video and more on the Bryant Park NYC YouTube Channel
2 years ago
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the unveiling of this year’s movies in the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival.
Drum roll please…
June 21 GOLDFINGER
The third James Bond movie has it all: Sean Connery, a catchy theme song, ingenious gadgets, scary villains, an iconic Bond girl, and a hair-raising climax inside Fort Knox. Honor Blackman achieves cinematic immortality as Pussy Galore. (1964)
June 28 CAROUSEL
Shiftless carnival barker Billy Bigelow (Gordon MacRae) returns from purgatory to right some wrongs in this musical of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway smash. Shirley Jones co-stars as the woman who makes Billy want to change his ways. (1956)
July 5 THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Gene Hackman won an Oscar for his portrayal of Popeye Doyle, a profane NYC narcotics cop obsessed with stopping an international drug ring. Much of the action was filmed in NYC, including the greatest car/subway chase of all time. (1971)
July 12 MY MAN GODFREY
Socialite Carole Lombard hires “tramp” William Powell as her wealthy family’s butler. Not quite what he seems to be, Powell ends up teaching her frenetic household valuable life lessons. A wonderful mix of crazy screwball comedy and trenchant Depression-era social commentary. (1936)
July 19 THE CHINA SYNDROME
Ambitious TV reporter (Jane Fonda) and her radical cameraman (Michael Douglas) work to expose the cover-up of an accident at a nuclear plant, aided by an earnest shift supervisor (Jack Lemmon). Prophetically released just two weeks before the real-life disaster at Three Mile Island. (1979)
July 26 MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
A huge hit that introduced many throughout the world to the Python troupe’s insanely funny characters including King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the taunting Frenchmen, Knights who say “Ni!”, shrubbery, and one nasty rabbit. (1975)
August 2 ROSEMARY’S BABY
Roman Polanski’s satanic shocker still packs a punch. Winsome Mia Farrow is married to a selfish actor (John Cassavetes) who will do just about anything to land a role. Ruth Gordon and Ralph Bellamy lend creepy support, as does the Dakota apartment building. (1968)
August 9 THE GOODBYE GIRL
Struggling NYC actor Richard Dreyfuss unhappily shares an apartment with an unemployed dancer (Marsha Mason) and her precocious 10-year-old daughter. Neil Simon’s romantic comedy testament of just how the ones we grow to love drive us crazy. (1977)
August 16 12 ANGRY MEN
Henry Fonda is the lone holdout on a jury deliberating a murder trial on a hot summer day in NYC. A stellar cast of character actors lends superb support as jurors initially convinced that the accused is guilty. Can Fonda persuade them otherwise? Sidney Lumet’s first directorial masterpiece. (1957)
August 23 BONNIE AND CLYDE
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway are the two most attractive bank robbers ever to rampage across the Midwest. The supporting cast includes Estelle Parsons (who won an Oscar), and Michael J. Pollard as the gang’s none-too-bright accomplice. One of the most influential movies of the 1960’s. (1967)
Film Festival Contest!
Now that you’ve checked out the line up, hop over to our Facebook page at facebook.com/bryantparknyc and enter to win reserved seating for two at one of this summer’s films in Bryant Park.
Just leave a comment on our Facebook wall mentioning which film you’re most excited to see at the park and you’ll be entered to win. The contest will close at noon on Monday, May 10, so make sure to enter this weekend.
See you at the movies!
HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
Mondays at Sunset
June 21 – August 23
Lawn opens at 5:00pm for blankets (no plastic tarps please) and picnicking
Peabody Award winning radio personality, Bill McGlaughlin, shifts his hosting duties to Bryant Park for a special series of jazz and classical music performances by some of his closest counterparts.
Since 2003, McGlaughlin has made learning about music fun with his daily syndicated radio program, Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin. On the program, McGlaughlin delves into classical music by providing historical context and sharing his insight as a top-notch musician, conductor, broadcaster, and composer.
Join us at Bryant Park for After Work Music with Bill McGlaughlin & Friends, five free Monday evening concerts on the Fountain Terrace, curated and hosted by Bill McGlaughlin. The sensational performances will be accompanied by McGlaughlin’s special insight, personality, and enthusiasm for helping audiences develop a deeper appreciation for music.
May 17 Karrin Allyson Quartet
Jazz with a distinctive flair from four extraordinary players, headlined by the three-time Grammy nominated singer.
May 24 Orion String Quartet
One of the world’s most sought-after classical music ensembles remains on the cutting edge of programming with wide-ranging commissions from John Harbison to Wynton Marsalis.
May 31 An Evening of Strings with Mark O’Connor
The world-renowned, Grammy-winning bluegrass, country, and classical fiddler exhibits his multi-genre sounds.
June 7 Imani Winds
The quintet performs incredible classical compositions which encompass blends of European, American, African, and Latin American music.
June 14 Tara Helen O’Connor
The Grammy nominated flutist and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center regular has an incredible repertoire featuring music from many eras.
After Work Music with Bill McGlaughlin & Friends
Mondays, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
May 17 – June 14
Fountain Terrace
Bryant Park is a great spot for some friendly competition over games like chess, backgammon, ping pong, and petanque. To make it easy, we provide all the equipment for you and set up tournaments so you can test your skills throughout the season. Here’s a sampling of games and upcoming tournaments in the park:
Aficionados from the Marshall Chess Club monitor the Chess Area on the south side of the Fountain Terrace at 6th Avenue. Chess, checkers, backgammon, and Scrabble boards are available for a small fee, weekdays from 11:00am to 7:00pm. Lessons can be arranged by calling the Marshall Chess Club at (212) 477-3716.
1st Bryant Park Open Chess TournamentUPDATE 5/7/10: Tournament moved to Marshall Chess Club at 23 West 10th Street, in anticipation of inclement weather. New start time at 1pm.
Saturday, May 8
Register on site: 11:00am – 11:45am
Rounds: 12:00–12:50–1:40–2:30–3:20pm
Entry fee: $20, $10 under age 21
Five round, Swiss-System tournament. 20 minutes games. USCF membership not required. Prizes include trophies and memberships to the Marshall Chess Club. Call (212) 477-3716 for more information.
A gift to New York City by Southwest Airlines, The Porch offers a comfortable lounge-like atmosphere free and open to all at the southwest corner of Bryant Park. Bring your own snacks or order from ‘wichcraft’s special food and beverage menu from 12:00pm to 9:00pm Monday through Saturday, and 12:00pm to 7:00pm on Sundays.
Game Nights at the Southwest Porch
Wednesdays
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Giant Jenga, Scattergories, Uno, Taboo, and more of your favorite games are available to play, no purchase necessary.
Test your skills at the Bryant Park Ping Pong Court, located near 42nd Street and 6th Avenue. An attendant monitors a sign up sheet from 11:00am to 7:00pm daily for games at our two state of the art ping pong tables. Paddles and balls are provided free of charge, or you may use your own.
Ping Pong Spring Open Tournament
Wednesday, May 5
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Call (212) 768-4242 to sign up for one of 32 tournament spots. Earn bragging rights as top dog at the Bryant Park Court.
Visit www.bryantpark.org for a full schedule of summer events and programs in the park
2 years ago
You know it’s not your usual bookstore when store manager John Fuller answers his phone and starts speaking Japanese. And it’s not just John: all employees who work at Kinokuniya, Japanese native or not, are fluent in the Asian language. Impressive! But you don’t need to speak Japanese to buy at Kinokuniya, because they’ve got lots of English books, too, including translations and English literature.
I sat down with John last week to find out more about this welcome addition to the park’s retail landscape. This Japanese bookstore moved to Bryant Park from Rockefeller Center a few years ago, and is one of only two on the East Coast (the other is in West Nyack). Kinokuniya is also Bryant Park’s retail partner for the Word for Word series at the Reading Room, so you’ll be able to find any of the books featured in our series at the bookstore right across the street.
It wasn’t the store’s hugely popular manga comics that first drew me in, but the stationery department on the lower level. Warning: give yourself some time, because it’s full of fabulous gift items, including plenty of Hello Kitty and even little stuffed characters from the world of Miyasaki, the great Japanese animator. And Kinokuniya also houses a popular Midtown lunch destination, Cafe Zaiya, where you can get not just bento boxes but also sandwiches like paninis.
A list of topsellers at Kinokuniya is below. If you’re interested in the fashion magazines, call ahead because they sell out fast. And the Japanese art publication KIE arrived a few weeks ago, so buy yours soon as it, too, goes quickly.
Thanks to John Fuller, Manager of Kinokuniya, for talking with us about this great bookstore!
Kinokuniya, 1073 Sixth Avenue at 41st Street
Shop Bryant Park is written by Fashion Herald’s Tricia Lewis.
After Work Music with Bill McGlaughlin and Friends: Public Radio’s Bill McGlaughlin presents free classical and jazz concerts on Mondays from May 17 – June 14.
