Sunday, July 18th was a day of tragedy in New York, when two teens drowned in the Bronx River in a popular swimming hole, despite the fact that it is a part of the river which is strictly off-limits to swimmers.

The two teens, David Luccioni age 17, and Crystal Reyes, 15 were cooling off in the apparently calm but truly treacherous water of the river after the third day of over-90 degree temperatures in the city. Crystal, who, according to witnesses did to know how to swim, slipped on rocks and fell into the river. David dived in after her when he realized that she was drowning.  Despite the fact that David’s twin brother, Matthew tried to save him, but “he slipped out of his hands,” according to their father.

Just steps from the entrance to the Bronx Zoo, there is no easy access to this part of the river, and in order to enter the area one must jump over a wrought-iron fence and pass a sign reading “Danger No Swimming” which was placed there by the Parks Department.

Your probably know the answer to the question, “Why are New York City bridges so expensive going into New York, but free when you leave?” Of course it’s because, “No one has that kinda money when they leave.” If the prospect of spending a day in New York seems one in need of financing at your local bank, then I have some great ideas for you. There are tons of great things ordinary people like you and I can do in New York this summer without spending a dime.  They range in types of activities from concerts, theater, poetry readings, jazz, hikes, dancing, and more.

Just take a look at this amazing web site “Club freeTime.” It claims it is the only “source of free events, free things to do in New York City: your perfect guide to free Entertainment & free Culture in the City that never sleeps.”

The New York Times summed up the state of culture in New York City in its article about Club freeTime by stating that “New York is abuzz with so much culture that they’re giving it away.”

One small catch: membership is not free. But considering how many things you will find to do, you will probably save the cost of membership after just one activity.

Check it out and let me know where you went and how much fun you had.

When I was growing up in New York, let’s just say many years ago, graffiti was definitely not something anyone would consider a form of art. As a matter of fact, it was considered and eye-sore, and there were steep fines for anyone caught “leaving there creative works” behind on walls, subway cars, or park benches. I even have a vague memory of the requirement for a license, or some other kind of documentation that your needs for spray paint were legitimate, otherwise, no sale of spray paint to just any old person.

However not everyone agreed that graffiti was something that needed to be suppressed, and so in the 1990s the Phun Phactory was founded in Long Island City, Queens.  At the Phun Phactory graffiti turned into “Aerosol Art” and “Graffiti Artists” were allowed to ply their trade without fear of arrest or large fines. In 2001, to the dismay of many, including graffiti artist legend Michael “Iz the Wiz” Martin, the Phun Phactory closed its doors.
If you are an aspiring aerosol artist, or a veteran of the art-form, you need no longer contain your urge to decorate walls and subway cars with your special type of art because the Phun Phactory has reopened its doors as of June 19, 2010, in a new location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  According to Pat Di Lillo, one of the founders of the Phun Phactory, the hope is to create the world’s largest outdoor aerosol mural, “as an homage to one of its founders”, Iz the Wiz, who died exactly one year ago, at the age of 50.

About 60 artists came through the Phun Phactory’s new permanent space, which is located on North 15th Street and Wythe Avenue. On everyone’s minds at the opening was the desire to not only celebrate graffiti’s past, but also to make this special art form more accessible and relevant to a wider audience. The older artists also want to create more respect for graffiti as a means of self-expression to the younger generation.

“New York City does not acknowledge that they themselves started this art movement. So the significance of re-launching the Phun Phactory is creating a platform, an international platform for aerosol art to have exposure,” said Phun Phactory director Jeremy Vega.

Luna Park 1915

Saturday, May 29, 2010 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the long and eventful history of Coney Island, on the southernmost tip of Brooklyn. On that day Luna Park, beautifully designed by the Italian designer Zamperla, with 19 new rides, opened its gates on the grounds that used to be home to Astroland, the now defunct  amusement park which over the years fell into disuse and disrepair.

The opening Memorial Day weekend saw an astronomical rise in business for the surrounding shops and attractions. It was estimated that more than 40,000 rides were enjoyed over the weekend which, according to Alberto Zamperla the park operator, “far exceeded our projections for opening weekend.” Adjacent businesses reported a 30% to 40% rise in business since last year’s Memorial Day weekend. Carol Hill Albert, the operator of the famous Cyclone Roller Coaster, which is right next door, said that, “This was an incredible weekend for us,” adding that her profits were also up about 40%.

Although Luna Park takes its name from the beloved amusement park which was opened in Coney Island in 1903 but was destroyed in an electrical, 10 alarm fire in 1944 while an estimated 750,000 people watched from the nearby Coney Island beach, this new Luna Park is composed of 19 “state of the art” rides which were built in only 100 days.  Combining the most modern rides with the old favorites, the Cyclone, a wooden roller coaster built in 1927, and the Wonder Wheel, a 150 foot high giant Ferris wheel, built in 1920, both New York Landmarks, the new park is hoping to achieve a uniqueness not found in other modern, amusement parks.

Luna Park Today

For one thing, it is not too far away. You can get there by subway, or even taxi, making it a perfect fun summer destination for anyone living in New York City. Another unique feature is that the rides will not require a second mortgage to fund the visit for a normal sized family with a few kids. Rides are advertised to cost between $3 and $7 a ride.

There are plans to add an additional attraction, scheduled to open next summer, called The Scream Zone. Hopefully, and if the Memorial Day weekend success can be any indication, the new Coney Island will help local businesses, New York tourism, and families and others, by helping create a more fun, and modern amusement park that has not forgotten its special, and in many ways, glorious past. Good luck to Coney Island, Luna Park, Brooklyn and New York.

Robert F. Scott Races to South Pole

On May 29, 2010 the exhibit “Race to the End of the Earth” opened at the American Museum of Natural History. This brand new multi-media exhibit will take you on a fascinating adventure as you learn about the exploration of Antarctica 100 years ago and today.

In the Antarctic summer of the years 1911-1912 (the southern hemisphere’s summers coincide with the northern hemisphere’s winters,) two team leaders, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and the British Captain of the Royal Navy Robert F. Scott, raced each other to be the first men to reach the south pole.

Using dioramas, (life size presentations of Emperor penguins, etc.,) props, (visitors can wear the same gear as real explorers to the south pole,) photographs, and lots more, visitors learn in an interactive and engrossing manner about the trials, challenges and tribulations of Antarctic exploration, 100 years ago and today.

Amundson succeeded in reaching the South Pole, and returned triumphant. He announced his success on March 7, 1912 when he sailed into Hobart, Tasmania. Unfortunately Amundson’s victory was marred by the fact that his rival, Robert F. Scott died during his trek to the Pole. Also in March, 1912, while Amundson was celebrating his triumph, Scott and his men were writing their last letters to their loved ones, colleagues and the general public. This is the point when Scott penned his most famous missive, the “Message to the Public,” whose famous conclusion was, “Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale, but surely, surely, a great rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for.”

Don’t miss this amazing exhibit and share in the triumphs, defeats and spirit of exploration that “Race to the End of the Earth” provides.

As temperatures rise and clothing is shed in order for people to even have half a chance of coping with the heat and humidity of a typical New York City summer, we are confronted with the dress codes which either were or were not violated by voluptuous ex-Citibank employee Debrahlee Lorenzana at her former workplace.

Now in the midst of a lawsuit for wrongful dismissal against Citibank, Ms. Lorenzana insists that she was covered up according to proper etiquette and good taste appropriate to an office environment, and it was just her well-fitting clothes enclosing her well-rounded body that drove her co-workers to distraction. Is it her fault that even a potato sack would look sexy on her amazing figure?

In order to help her case Debrahlee has recently brought her story to the media via appearances on NBC’s “Today,” “MSNBC,” the “Joy Behar Show,” “CNN Headline News,” and “Inside Edition.” This bombardment of media exposure is apparently against the wishes of her current employer JP Morgan Chase who has warned her that she could be fired for violating the company’s code of conduct because of her comments to the press.

Nevertheless Debrahlee has decided to press onward, claiming that she is doing nothing wrong. All her interviews and appearances are happening on her own time, and according to Ms. Lorenzana’s lawyer, they will sue Chase also if they fire her as well.

In the meantime, we hear that business is up at JP Morgan Chase, with male customers anxious to get a glimpse or two of the conventional clothes made unconventional when worn by the right person. In the case of Debrahlee Lorenzana it isn’t so much that the clothes make the woman, but that the right woman seems to be able to “make the clothes.”

Who says that a city needs to be the source for environmental destruction.  Sure the concrete surroundings gives a certain air of humanity’s destructive hand upon nature, but here in Brooklyn companies are moving more and more green.

This should come to no surprise. After all Brooklyn houses New York’s first sustainable zero-energy building (ZEB).  In a borough where Prospect Park gives a new meaning to living Green, The people of Brooklyn have for many years abandoned the concrete mindset even if they still live within the confines of a concrete reality.

Looking for something a little bit “off the beaten track” as far as exhibits are concerned? Well how about something at the Museum of Arts and Design (formerly the American Craft Museum?)

Mosey on down to number 2 Columbus Circle and explore the world of bicycle design in “Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle.” On display you will see designs from six internationally acclaimed bicycle builders; Mike Flanigan, Alternative Needs Transportation (A.N.T); Jeff Jones, Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles; Dario Pegoretti, Pegoretti Cicli; Richard Sachs, Richard Sachs Cycles; J. Peter Weigle, J. Peter Weigle Cycles; and Sacha White, Vanilla Bicycles. On display are twenty-one handbuilt bicycles whose construction accurately illustrates the refined, intricate and profoundly individual craft. These bicycles ably act as a fulcrum for the intersection of art, craft, and design, in contemporary designs.

Designing bicycles is a challenging craft, notwithstanding the fact that their form is deceptively simple. There are three contact points where machine meets man; seat, pedals and handlebars. Building custom bikes can require a fitting of up to two hours just taking the rider’s measurements. This exhibit clearly shows the highly refined object of engineering excellence that each handbuilt bicycle is.

“Bespoke” began on May 13, 2010 and will continue through August 15, 2010.

Beginning on Tuesday, June 1st, New York will be celebrating the incredible world of science with music, art and other formats in 40 events taking place in 20 separate locations throughout Manhattan and, for the first time, Brooklyn.

Inaugurating the annual festival will be the unveiling of a full-scale model of the 80-foot long James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s latest tool designed and built to explore the most distant beginnings of the universe. The real space telescope is scheduled to be launched in 4 years. It will be on display from Tuesday morning in Battery Park and will be available for viewing all week long.

Other events scheduled include dance performances, panel discussions, and star-gazing along the Hudson River. Discussions will include such prominent individuals as the grandson of Jacques Cousteau, Fabian Cousteau, explaining the state of ocean exploration today, in the past, and what to expect for the future. The celebrated neurologist and author Oliver Sacks will hold forth on the subject “Strangers in the Mirror” along with the painter Chuck Close, who will together discuss their shared impairment, their inability to recognize faces, including their very own.

The central scientific celebrity on hand will be the iconic Stephen Hawking, the cosmologist from Cambridge who has given Black Holes their extraordinary star appeal. As one of the organizers put it, “Hawking so fully embodies what the festival is all about — courageous exploration of the unknown.”

The anchor event for the six-day festival will be the world premiere of the newest musical masterpiece by Philip Glass, “Icarus at the Edge of Time.” The piece is based on a story written by physicist and festival co-founder Brian Greene of Columbia University. The performance will feature the 62 musicians from the Orchestra of Saint Luke’s, art from the London artists Al and Al and the narrator will be the noted actor and storyteller John Lithgow. This extraordinary musical work will be performed twice during the course of the festival. The first performance will take place on Wednesday night at the Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center and the second time on Sunday in the Skirball Center of NYU.

The third annual science festival is expected to be a magnificent reunion of “those long-lost lovers,” science and art, as Alan Alda, the actor and amateur science buff described it. Alda is also a good friend of Dr. Brian Greene and his wife Tracy Day, organizers of this special event.

In 2002 Arturo O’Farril founded and became the artistic director or the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. This orchestra performs in the unique style which is a sub-specialty of the big band and swing style of music. The ALJO was the resident orchestra of Jazz at Lincoln Center from 2002 until 2007. They led a busy schedule of concert performances at Lincoln Center but also throughout the U.S. and the world. During those five years the ALJO performed at the opening ceremony of the Frederick P. Rose Hall, led a week-long residency of education and music in Yokohoma, Japan and even earned a Grammy nomination for a CD which they recorded in Germany.

In order to establish and develop new audiences for their special sound and also to create an active educational program for young performers, the ALJO left Lincoln Center in 2007. As a result the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance began. It is a non-profit organization which strives to achieve both goals of performing and educating to new audiences and new musicians.

It is the goal of the ALJA to further the knowledge and performance of this unique pan-American musical tradition. The ALJO performs in its home venue, New York City’s Symphony Space, and during the past year has also given performances at Lincoln Center, Boston Symphony Hall, Megaron Concert Hall in Athens, Greece and many others.

In February 2009 the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra won a Grammy Award for the album Song for Chico, recorded by Zoho Records. You can experience some of this unique music yourself this June 4-5, 2010 at Symphony Space in New York City. An outdoor concert will take place on June 12 in the plaza in front of the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza.