Westminster Dog Show 2010: Dogs Hit the Streets

I got a little 'inside doggie scoop' on the greatest dog show ever, the 2010 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden! Breeds of all shapes and sizes roamed the streets of NYC in preparation for the two-day event. This is one of those quirky, fun NYC events that everyone looks forward to. It may even rival Fashion Week! 

Apparently, it was a tight race between Toy Poodle Walker, Doberman Pinscher C.J., Brittany Spaniel Tally, and a few others, but it was Scottish Terrier Sadie who took home the champion cup for "Best in Show!" Such a cutie pie. Click here to check out all of the finalists.  Better yet, check out this slide show of all the doggies on the streets of NYC. Congrats again, Sadie!

Atlantic City, Here We Come... on a bus????

When I moved to New York City, I vowed never to leave Manhattan. Well, at least not for the first few months. But hey, I've been living here for .... can it really be ... three whole years now and a gal's gotta get some new scenery.

But to Atlantic City, on a bus no less? So not this Manhattanite's style... or so I thought. My luck and pre-conceived notions changed when I got an offer to check out the Greyhound Lucky Streak, driven by bus driver extraordinaire Leon. Full disclosure, it was a free-of-charge field trip offered to bloggers by the good folks at Greyhound, with no obligation to blog or tweet or FB about it. But after a 27 hour romp, here's why I'd recommend shelling out some (nominal) dough and heading shoreside:

1) The Lucky Streak bus is a blast. Very comfy, great seats, all clean and shiny... and best of all, WiFi and outlets for you to plug in your computer. Having full internet access made the 3-ish hour trip go by in a heartbeat. And Greyhound is doing a lot to make the buses more eco-efficient, plus getting more tourists on a bus means less cars on the road means less air pollution.. you get the drift. Its also pretty cheap, and they have special fares and promos, so check it out.

2) The hotels know how to make you feel special. We stayed at the Hilton and everyone was just so, well, darn sweet. A reception at the Top of the Trop at the Tropicana showed just how hospitable a place can be.

3) Let's face it, gambling is the main draw (wink). The casinos were pretty cool, I gotta admit. On the first try at the slot machines (my favorite) at Bally's Wild Wild West Casino, I won 82 bucks!

4) Nothing compares to the boutiques in NYC, but some of the AC shops were open until midnight! Nothing like a little late evening dressing room action. (ok, that sounded slightly dirty...I didn't see THAT side of Atlantic City, darnnit.)

5) Pampering? Yep. I got a complimentary spa treatment at Bally's. The salt water taffy scrub left me blissed out (although I was slightly disappointed it was given with sea salt and not taffy, but it was so divine I'll get over it). My spa specialist described it as a 'human car wash.' Noted.

6) Just plain getting away for a day or two, in easy breezy style, is a true treat. I feel refreshed coming back into the city.

So, Atlantic City as a casual destination for fun, frolic and freedom? Aces. Check out the Atlantic City CVB for more details on what to do there. I may just head back when the beach isn't covered with snow...

Yeah, Empire State of Mind

Guiding Your Christmas and New Year's

I spent Xmas eve chowing down Brazilian food with friends in Hell's Kitchen. Yep, nothing says Christmas like a big slab of steak and full on girl talk. I called it an orphan's Christmas, but my friend said that didn't fit her style. "We are adult women living in Manhattan and we can do whatever we want." 'Nuff said. 

Still, there may be those out there that want a little more structure to their holiday nightlife. And while the best way to get out and about is with party planning pals, there are a number of good event websites that can guide the inexperienced. A new one I have come across is Joonbug, which focuses on the club scene. There is also New Year's Eve Central, with great tips on New Year's Eve bashes about town. My fav standbys for events are New York Magazine and Time Out New York, both with excellent calendar features. 

As for my holiday plans, you'll see me walking through Central Park on Christmas, and staying as far away from Times Square as humanly possible on New Year's. 

Halloween in NYC

Oh sure, there are the Haunted House tours, the parade in the Village, the tiny trick-or-treaters traipsing from apartment building to brownstone. But the fact is that in NYC, people dress up like its Halloween on any given day, and freaks and ghouls roam free in a marvelous, all-are-welcome-here kinda way. True scariness can be found in the stories of haunted happenings behind the many, many closed doors of this insanity-inducing island. The New York Times put a few together in this article for our spooky amusement. Read at your own risk. Oh, and hope that your pre-war one bedroom isn't one of the fright-infested. 

Urban Meditation in the Bronx

The  poetry of this piece of travelogue theater will leave you lulled out of space and time. But the power of it is in the now. The adventurous Foundry Theater has taken a step out of the conventional in The Provenance of Beauty, a performance piece set on a bus trip 'round the Bronx. This New York Times review captures the essence of this beautiful, haunting urban meditation. Great theater sometimes does expand outside stage. Kudos to The Foundry for expanding traditional notions of performance space, and doing so with such gentle gusto. 

VMAs Celebrate NYC Talent

Amidst the busy sidewalks and crowded streets, NYC is flooded with musical talents of all kinds. I just learned that MTV2 and Time Warner Cable are searching for the next best thing in the NYC music scene. Apparently, there is a cool contest going on if you (or your band, or duo group, or anything singsong-y) are looking to “make it” in the industry. If so, try out for “The Best Breakout NYC Artist Award” and go head-to-head with other finalists at the 2009 Video Music Awards. On August 14th, MTV will review the top 20 ranked NYC artists and select 3 to battle it out in front of top MTV VMA talent at a Time Warner Cable MTV VMA weekend pre-party. All types of artists are welcome to enter so click here to sign up and showcase your talent (or just sign up as a fan to participate in the process.) Break a leg! 

New York en Español... and other languages???

This city is a cacophony of multilingual dialogue, with certain sections truly singing like another world. With such a diverse population, it is great to have resources in languages other than New York City American (i.e. Brooklynese, 'Queens' English, etc...) and blogs that cater to those that moved here from elsewhere. After all, that is what New York is about (think Statue of Liberty, ya'll). 

So it was great to be contacted by Mia, who moved here from Argentina in 2002 and started Viva New York, an en Español guide to life in NYC. She covers everything from where to get the best Jimmy Choo's to what is happening on holidays to just plain how to survive here. Its a great resource. 

I'd personally love to add to Newbie NYC a list of other NYC-centric blogs written in other languages, but this regretfully only-English speaking gal can't locate them with a simple Google search. So if you know of any, please comment and share. They'll be added to my blogroll for sure. 

Rooftop Films NYC

I'll be taking in a unique and festive NYC experience on Friday nite, when I'll attend Rooftop Films' screening of Humpday. While excited about the film, I'm even more jazzed about being outside on an NYC roof for cinema, sights, and film enthusiasts galore. Rooftop Films will screen around 20 films and 150 shorts in 2009, making it a prolific film festival. There is also music and Q&As and free stuff too. Films are held in various locations around town on Friday or Saturday nights, so check the schedule and pick a flick.

World Science Festival 2009-June 10-14

The World Science Festival is an amazing festival held each year at various locations in NYC. So cool, this stuff. Check out the programming and be wowed.

Yeah, so I'm a nerd. So what?