Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership
Madison Square Park
Community & Nonprofit
Education & Instruction
Music, Theater & Dancing
Announcements
Business Opportunities
Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership
Walking Tour Program
The BID sponsors free walking tours of the historic Flatiron district every Sunday year-round. Join our professional guides on a 90-minute journey through this vibrant neighborhood, viewing some of the City’s most notable landmarks, including the New York Life Insurance building, the MetLife tower, the Appellate Courthouse and the famous Flatiron Building. Tours meet at 11 a.m. at the southwest corner of Madison Square Park at 23rd Street and Broadway (in front of the statue of William Seward).
Of the 114 walking tours given to date, over 1,780 people have attended representing 38 different countries including China, Scotland, Sweden, Australia, Israel, Argentina, South Africa, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and more. In the United States and Canada, over 194 cities have been represented by attendees. The Flatiron Walking Tour not only provides a rich history of the Flatiron District but also produces a great international vibe through its diverse audience.
Madison Square Park
Celebrate Flatiron Chefs! on July 14, 2009
Eat, drink and be merry on July 14 at this fun and casual outdoor extravaganza in Madison Square Park featuring 24 chefs from Alain Allegretti to Zak Pelaccio! Enjoy the best our neighborhood has to offer from delectable French, Spanish and Italian cuisine to contemporary Asian flair, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern bites and good ol' fashioned barbecue, plus festive summer cocktails, wine and beer. Proceeds benefit the Madison Square Park Conservancy and help keep the park green and clean.
Tax deductible VIP tickets start at $250 for 5:30 p.m. entry ($150 for 6:30 p.m. entry). For more information and tickets, visit madisonsquarepark.org or call (212) 538-9310.
Mad. Sq. Kids: Free entertainment series for children
Mad. Sq. Kids is a free summer entertainment series for children on the Oval Lawn in historic Madison Square Park. Child friendly performers engage their audience with live music, storytelling and more.Shows take place every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m. through August 13. For more information, click here.
On Tuesday, July 7, Hot Peas N' Butter will perform. Winners of the “Parents Choice Award” in 2008 and 2006, Hot Peas ‘n Butter can be seen daily on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr, and heard on Sirius and XM Satellite Radio. They’re infectious grooves and multi-cultural songs will have the whole family dancing and singing along!
Mad. Sq. Music: Free live music concerts on Wednesdays
Join the Madison Square Park Conservancy for another great summer of free live music on Wednesdays in Madison Square Park - a scenic outdoor setting perfect for evening picnics or just relaxing on the lawn.
Concerts are held rain or shine and begin at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. depending on the show. All shows end by 8:30 a.m. Bring a blanket for lawn seating as no chairs are allowed. Shows are appropriate for all ages. To see a list of upcoming shows, click here.
On Wednesday, July 8 at 6 p.m., the The Duhks will perform along with Red Molly . The Grammy-nominated Duhks fuse roots music with funk, rock and world beats in their original eco-concious grooves. Currently touring as The Duhks Sustainability Project (greenduhks.com), the group is promoting their album Fast Paced World, nominated for a 2009 Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of The Year.
The female trio Red Molly mixes old and new in their fun, infectious Americana. Winners of the 2008 John Lennon Songwriting Contest and an Online Folk Festival Top 10 of 2008, the group is gaining recognition for their tight three-part harmonies and powerful stage presence.
Mad. Sq. Reads: Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
Mad. Sq. Reads is the Madison Square Park Conservancy's free outdoor reading series. Each program takes place on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Farragut Monument at 25th Street, and lasts about one hour. Books are sold at the event by Borders.
On Thursday, July 9, Laura Jacobs and Elinor Lipman will discuss the topic "New York Novels ." Set against the landscape of Riverside Park and Manhattan, Laura Jacobs’ The Bird-Catcher (St. Martins, 2009) is the “compulsively readable story” (Elizabeth Kendall) of Margret Snow, who finds that birding and memory are intertwined as she struggles with an unexpected loss. Jacobs is the author of Women About Town and an award-winning journalist for Vanity Fair. In The Family Man (Houghton, 2009), a screwball New York comedy from Elinor Lipman, “an Austen-like stylist” (Washington Post Book World), a man reconnects with his long-lost stepdaughter and finds his life turned upside down. Lipman is the author of eight novels, including Then She Found Me, later made into a movie.
Community & Nonprofit
Education & Instruction
Salsa Lessons on Monday Nights at Taj Lounge
On Monday nights, Taj Lounge provides salsa lessons. There is a $10 cover. Salsa Night begins with an open bar from 5 to 6 p.m. and salsa lessons staring at 6:30 p.m. Live Salsa DJ Henry Knowles hosts the party. Dinner reservations for Taj Lounge, which is located at 48 West 21st Street, can be made from the Flatiron Dining Directory on the BID website.
Music, Theater & Dancing
Now Showing at the Algonquin Theater
The Algonquin Theater, at 123 East 24th Street, presents Sessions, a new musical by Al Tapper. The story is about Dr. Peter Peterson, who listens, advises and tests his patients. At once a drama and a comedy with poignant and hilarious moments alike, "Sessions" is a new musical for a modern generation.
After all, couldn’t we all use a little therapy?The showtimes are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m.
Also playing is An Evening at the Carlyle, a musical revue. During "An Evening at the Carlyle," at the famed Bemelmans Bar, veteran bartender Tommy encounters an eclectic, humorous and occasionally infuriating variety of New Yorkers. Showtimes are Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays at 7 p.m. The show will run until June 30.
Tickets can be purchased at smarttix.com, or by calling (212) 868-4444. For more information about Sessions, click here.
Upcoming Concerts at the W.M.P. Concert Hall
The Workshop for Music Performance (W.M.P.) Concert Hall, a part of Gradoux-Matt Rare Violins, will hold concerts every Monday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. as part of the “Strad for Lunch” program series.
On Monday, July 6 at 12:30 p.m., Strad for Lunch presents violinist Ju Yeong Moon. Suggested donation is $5. The concerts take place at 31 East 28th Street in an elegant 19th century French décor hall. For more information, call (212) 582-7536, or click here.
Monday Night Jazz at Hotel Giraffe: Featuring Silvia Zehn
Hotel Giraffe invites all for a night of Jazz in the Grande Lobby every Monday night from 6 to 9 p.m. Jazz pianist Silvia Zehn gives a crisp, yet emotionally resonant, interpretation to beloved American jazz standards, bossa novas and Latin music. Selections from Silvia's earlier trio recording, Prism, with Peter Ponzol (flute, sax, lyricon) and Coco Arregui (percussion) were enthusiastically received by live audiences throughout Europe and the United States.
Announcements
Workforce1 Career Centers
On December 1, Mayor Bloomberg announced the expansion of free job placement services through New York City's Workforce1 Career Centers. The hours of operation at the career centers in all five boroughs will be significantly extended by one-third, increasing the availability of services during evenings and weekends. The expansion is one of 18 initiatives announced by the Mayor this fall to help city residents cope with the economic downturn. Even before the expansion, the City is set to match the more than 17,000 job placements achieved in 2007.For more infomation, call 311, or click here.
Precinct Community Council Meetings
The New York Police Department's 13th Precinct, the nearest to the Flatiron district, welcomes the public every month to its Community Council meetings where guest speakers may be heard on a variety of topics and where public-safety concerns may be discussed directly with the precinct's Commanding Officer and Community Affairs Officers.
The meetings are generally held on the third Tuesday of the month at
6:30 p.m. at the precinct house, 230 East 21st Street, between Second and Third Avenues.
Community Supported Agriculture Program
Join the Prince George-Norwich Meadows Farm CSA to get fresh, organic vegetables from a local farmer! Members pick up a weekly share of vegetables from June-November at The Prince George (28th St. between 5th and Madison). The price starts at only $225 for over five months of vegetables, which is much cheaper than the grocery store!
For membership applications or for more information, please visit www.commonground.org/csa or contact Debbie at (212) 471-0858 or csa@commonground.org.
Donate to Housing Works
Housing Works' Thrift Shops are asking for donations, especially given the current economic climate. Generous donations of gently used clothing and furniture, which are tax deductible, enable Housing Works to provide services and housing for homeless people with HIV/AIDS. Clothing can be donated directly to the Gramercy location at 157 East 23rd Street. To contact this store, call (212) 529-5955. For free furniture pick-up and guidelines, please call (212) 366-0820.
To volunteer this holiday season, and year-round, please contact Anthony Alexander at (212) 645-8111, ext. 161, or by e-mail at a.alexander@housingworks.org. For more information, please visit www.housingworks.org.
Business Opportunities
Straight Talk Rescue and Recovery Conference for Small Businesses
On July 13, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer in partnership with Accion USA, Harlem Business Alliance, Internal Revenue Service, JPMorgan Chase Foundation NYS Department of Finance and Taxation and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone will sponsor: Straight Talk Rescue and Recovery for Small Businesses at the New York Academy of Medicine from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
This conference which will be held at the NY Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Ave., is designed to provide practical and immediate survival strategies for small businesses in today’s economy. Workshops to be held include: Tackling Federal and State Tax Issues, Marketing from Brick to Click, Show Me the Money! Getting the Numbers Right to Access Capital, Business Cred: Getting Certified, Winning Government & Corporate Clients, How Going Green Can Save You $$.
There will also be a Small Business Resource Expo where agencies can provide information regarding services and programs available to small businesses.
To RSVP, call (212) 669-2094 or email conference@manhattanbp.org. To view the invite, click here.
Get more business opportunities, join NYCEDC's Vendor List
The New York City Economic Development Corporation is always
looking for companies to work with on a variety of projects throughout the City.
Joining the Vendors List is an easy way to find out about these opportunities. When you're on the list, we'll send you notification of RFPs, RFQs, RFEIs or public bids that are related to your business and industry.
Certified Minority, Woman-owned and Disadvantage businesses are encouraged to participate.
Don't miss out on the opportunities, register today. To register, click here.
NYC's Capital Access Loan Program for Small Businesses
New York City's Capital Access Loan program has been expanded to include more businesses. This program works with selected banks and lenders to provide loans ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 to businesses, with the City guaranteeing up to 40% of the loans. The program is targeted to small businesses with up to 100 employees. A $5 million funding increase now enables the program to help a greater number of businesses, including retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and even non-profit organizations. If interested in applying for a small business loan through this newly-expanded program, please contact the New York City Economic Development Corporation at (212) 619-5000, or click here.
