Black Oak Nights – New York

Tired of same old work during the day go to the bar at night routine? Well, here are a couple of alternatives to get you outside this season. These three places are not only unique to the usual New York City experience, but they keep you out in the sun—while you still have it!

Sushi Samba
With two locations to choose from, you don’t want to mess this up! If you’re going to go to Sushi Samba, you could go to the less frequented option in midtown and have a less crowded experience. But if you’re truly looking to embrace this “Sex and the City” hot spot, then you must check out the West Village location, where you can join the company of financial analysts, lawyers actors and rich kids as you sit on top of a roof staring out at the downtown Manhattan skyline. I didn’t even bring up the food, which is a cultural blend of Brazilian, Asian and Latin foods and spices that combine to give your taste buds a run for their money. I’m pretty sure there’s nowhere else in New York City where you can eat sashimi and churrasco on top of a roof. Correct me if I’m wrong!

Water Taxi Beach
Now with 3 New York City locations to choose from Water Taxi Beach is the place to be for fun and cheap food! You could check out the Long Island City location in Queens, where you can play beach volleyball and peer out at the Midtown Manhattan skyline. Then there is the South Street Seaport location, where there is tons of sand and a miniature golf course to take advantage of. And at the new Governors Island location, you can bask in the beauty of the island and go to independent movie screenings, all the while taking in both the Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfronts. Plus, the Governors Island location is boasting a series of musical performances throughout the warm-weather season, so you can enjoy performances from an onslaught of musicians set to perform this year, including Erykah Badu, Mos Def and Turntables on the Hudson.

Brooklyn Promenade
As if there was actually another promenade worth naming? The Brooklyn Promenade rest high above sea level, giving you a fantastic view of Manhattan and its waterfront. Of course, during the night, you can take your significant other out to the promenade, where you can enjoy gazing at the water as the moon and lights reflect off the water, and the glistening boats whiz by the harbor. And you can make an entire date of this location alone. Right alongside the Promenade on Montague Street, you have a plethora of Brooklyn Heights’ finest restaurants, with everything from Indian food to Greek. And after you walk off those tantalizing meals at the promenade, you can stroll over to the nearby Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Shop, where they give you plenty of cream for your cash.

Popularity: 11%

So you have heard all of the hype, you’ve probably seen the lines, and now you want to know whether going to First Fridays at the Guggenheim “Is worth it?” Well, allow me to shine a little light on the situation, starting with an ambiguous answer the question: “Maybe.”

Overall
First Fridays at the Guggenheim (1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY) is basically the museum’s way of introducing young professionals and the like to the museum in a fun and innovative way on the first Friday of every month. They’ve been orchestrating this event since 2005, and since then, it has become a lot less artsy and a little more stylish, but probably for the better. For $25, the event caters to the artist in all of us, with drinks, dancing, and the ability to see all of the galleries and exhibits the museum has to offer from 9pm to 1am.

The Line
Unless you’re a member (which is recommended if you plan on attending the event more than once a year), you will be waiting in a line. In fact, the line wraps around the building, and if you’ve seen this Frank Lloyd Wright-designed mammoth of a museum, then you know that’s a pretty long wrap-around. On a good night, the average wait time is 45 minutes, unless of course you get there AN HOUR before the doors open. However, members (of which you can become one for as low as $75/year) can skip the wait.

The Drinks
Drinking at this event, as essential as it may be, will cost you. On top of that, you have to wait in more than just one line to get drinks. There is a line for tickets, where you can purchase the right to get drinks. You then take your tickets to the bar, where you can actually get a drink in exchange for tickets. I have no idea why they do it like this, but I’m sure they have good pecuniary reason to. One ticket is $3, and 1 ticket gets you a non-alcoholic beverage, while two tickets will get you a cup of whine or beer.

The Art and the Scene
Obviously, you get to take in all of the museum’s usual art exhibits. But don’t try to take your drink upstairs to the exhibits, as it simply isn’t allowed. However, once you down your drink, you can partake in the galleries and exhibits upstairs, where there are far fewer people than downstairs.

Speaking of downstairs, the main floor of the Guggenheim, that’s where you will find tons of people talking, drinking, gallivanting, and enjoying the DJ-spun music of the evening. There are a few pieces of art downstairs, so there is still some cultural discussion to look forward to. However, it’s a lot louder downstairs, so if you are really into something and want to discuss it, upstairs is where you want to be.

In Conclusion
I do and I don’t recommend going to First Friday’s at the Guggenheim. Yes, it’s a fun night to be around a lot of intelligent and culturally-aware people, and if all you are looking for is a sociable event then this is the affair for you. However, if you think you’re going to the Guggenheim Museum to meet a lot of like-minded people and engage in an engaging art discussion, then you might be out of luck. Sure, you might meet someone there solely for the art, but you’re just as likely to meet that person during the day, when it’s $7 cheaper to get in.

Popularity: 3%

Are you looking for some “blactivities” to check out in Harlem? While New York City in general is not conducive to a whole lot of physical activity, there are a few things you can do in Harlem to get your butt up off the coach. Here are just a few:

Harlem Lanes – 2116 7^th Avenue #3, New York, NY 10027

When it comes to an active nightlife, bowling is one of the few American staples that has stood the test of time. However, bowling does not attract too many New Yorkers because of its relatively low “sex appeal” in a city full of nightlife and charm. However, Harlem Lanes is one of the few bowling alleys in Manhattan that’s moving the game of bowling away from Grandpa’s favorite pastime to a treat for the young, as well as the young at heart. They will hate me for saying this, but don’t even bother going to Harlem Lanes during the day—it’s just not the same. At night, when the sun goes down, the fluorescent lights of Harlem Lanes come on, and Harlemnites come out. At Harlem Lanes, you can get your bowling game on, and your mack on, all at the same place. And with popular drinks, food, and DJs galore, this place will make you forget about your plans to go to the club. Its comfortable furniture, make it a wonderful place for a sit-down conversation, and the music spurs the occasional dance-off or two. And don’t worry about the kiddies! After 8pm on the weekends, no one under 21 is allowed in the building.

The North End of Central Park

The north end of Central is for more than just your morning jog (all though you could start there). First, you can enjoy the view of the Harlem Meer, which is located right in the Northeast corner of the park. The water is beautiful there, especially at night, and you can see it from 110^th street in case the park is closed, should you decide to roll past with your spouse for a little late night rendezvous. There is also The Loch, which is one of my favorite sites during my morning run. It is a very pleasant view to see this algae-riddled pond as it traverses its way through a windy little stream that stops near the top end of the park. And don’t forget about the unbelievable trails at the north end of the park. Joggers and walkers alike know that the north end of the park is probably the “hilliest” end of the park as well, and while it may jack up your morning run, it makes for a great inner-city trek along side streams, meers, wooded-areas and of course, The Loch.

ImageNation

One of the hottest cultural movements going on in Harlem is ImageNation. A moving stage for the works of all sorts of black artists, ImageNation puts together film festivals, musical performances, and art screenings all throughout Harlem in Manhattan. They have featured the works of Charles Stone, India.Arie, Talib Kweli, Sarah Jones, Curtis Hall, Erykah Badu and Stanley Nelson, just to name a few. Some of their specific events have featured “Jackson 5 in Africa” shown at the National Black Theatre, an outdoor film and music festival at Marcus Garvey Park featuring the Roots, and the showing of an independent film called “Antonia” in the middle of St. Nicholas Park. So if you’re into popular music and up-and-coming independent artists, get on board and check out the schedule of events at ImageNationFilmFestival.us next time you’re in Harlem.

Popularity: 7%