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Due to an unfortunate situation that has occurred with Google Adsense, Live It Up NYC! is moving to another server. The entire blog with all of it's past entries has already been uploaded to http://www.liveitupnyc.wordpress.com/. All future entries will be posted at this Wordpress site.

Please continue to visit me there! There are still a lot of great things to write about! The next entry involves a NYC Stunt school and trampoline class! Come check it out!

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Crawl Your Way to Some Great Art This Weekend!

Collect LES is having another fantastic Art Crawl event this Saturday, April 18th from 6pm – 8:30pm. Visit more than 25 neighborhood art galleries on the Lower East Side while enjoying some beverages and specials at local businesses along the way!

It is best to buy your tickets in advance online (tickets cost $15) and there are two locations designated for checking in. When you pick up your ticket you are handed a map of all the participating galleries. You then get to pick and choose which ones you want to see or if you are really ambitious you can try to visit all of them during the hours of the crawl.

Most of gallery spaces are rather small, so you get a chance to really look at every item on display at each location you attend. The majority of the galleries are all within a short walking distance from each other so you will get to see quite a few of them if you plan your timing right. Overall, it's a wonderful way to mix and mingle while seeing a variety of artistry.

After the art crawl is over, there will be a reception from 8pm-10:30pm in the garden area at The Sixth Ward (191 Orchard St.). The party continues after hours starting at 9:30pm at Gallery Bar (also located at 191 Orchard St.).

To purchase tickets and see a map of the participating galleries go to http://artlog.com/collectles.

Feel the Beat!

I recently had one of those fun NYC nights where an expected quiet evening takes on a life of its own. I was at a local spot relaxing after a long day and a group conversation started up with a few people sitting at the bar. It turns out that two of the girls were waiting for their friend to arrive before they headed to a nearby dance studio for beginner Salsa lessons. They asked a couple of us to join them and before I knew it, I was on the dance floor ready to learn some Salsa.

Apparently this studio has an introductory lesson package available where you pay $20 for 2 half hour lessons. If you would like to sign up for instruction after the first lesson the rest of the amount is put towards your class package. Otherwise, you have 2 separate dance sessions.

What looked simple when the dance instructors demonstrated steps for our group, was a lot more complex when we tried to imitate their movements. During the two dance classes I took, I learned that I had quite a bit to work on before I would look effortless dancing the Salsa. However, I also discovered how much fun it is to seriously learn the technique and begin to really know what you are doing. Although I cannot afford or commit to a series of classes at this time, I definitely plan to keep learning. The studio owner will be setting up Saturday group sessions this summer and the studio will also hold Salsa events at local hot spots. That way you can keep learning and having fun as often as your schedule and finances permit.

The Martinez Dance Studio I went to is located in Astoria on 31st Street closest to the 30th Avenue subway stop. If you are interested in learning to dance, they are a great place to start! www.martinezdancestudios.com

Happy Hour at White Rabbit

Looking for a place to lounge around and get a great happy hour deal? Then head to White Rabbit, located at 145 Houston Street. A variety of beers and well drinks are only $4 from 6- 9pm on weekdays. Once inside, you have your pick on where to sit either at the front tables, at the lengthy bar or in the back. Each area has a different feel to it so it all depends on what you are in the mood for. Head towards the back and you will find the lounge area where I stayed for most of my visit. In this area, surrounded by funky lights and comfy seats, you could watch old episodes of In Living Color on one of the walls. It was a great blast from the past and completely hysterical as it played in the background. The happy hour drinks flowed freely for those in my group and when hunger struck some took advantage of the bar menu. The mini burgers were a big hit!

All in all, White Rabbit is a great place to unwind and relax after a long day. You can visit their website for all their offerings at www.whiterabbitnyc.com

NYC Pizza History By the Slice!

Whether you have lived in New York forever or are just visiting, everyone can enjoy going on one of Scott's Pizza Tours. I have lived in NYC for almost 10 years now but aside from having my own favorite pizza spots and knowing some famous locations, that was about as far as my knowledge of pizza history goes. After going on Scott's Pizza Tour yesterday, I can now say that I know a lot more about the delicious dish and how it came about in NYC.

We began the tour in front of what had once been the very first pizzeria location in NY. From there, we walked to many varied locations so that we could really learn everything there is to know about NYC pizza making. During the three hour walking tour, everyone got to sample three very different slices of pizza. It was interesting to hear all the opinions on which was each person's favorite. At the first location we ate at, each person on the tour received their own goody bag containing a pizza tasting notebook, some pallet cleansing candies, and a gummi pizza for those who could not bear to wait till the next slice.

Everything we learned in between our tastings though is what made the tour extra special. With Scott's guidance, we were able to get a look at an original coal burning pizza oven while it was in use, we went to the oldest Italian cheese store in the country to sample some amazingly fresh mozzarella, and we also went to the place where the famous Bari ovens (which are distributed all over the world to make pizzas) are built. From discussing how pizza actually became a popular food to the ingredients that go into making it, I learned a lot!

Scott is an excellent tour guide. His knowledge and enthusiasm are part of what makes this a great tour. His attention to detail really shows throughout the tour. He offers both walking tours like the one I took and a bus tour which will take you to the different boroughs to sample pizza. Most of my fellow tour-goers were from New York and we all had a fantastic time. You don't have to be a tourist to learn about the great things (or in this case - pizza) that the city has to offer.

Head to http://www.scottspizzatours.com/ for all the information on how to experience "New York's Cheesiest Guided Tour" yourself!

A Great Place to Skate!

I recently had the pleasure of trying out a relatively new ice rink in the NYC area. City Ice Pavilion in Long Island City is a great location to enjoy a public skating session or to work on your skating skills whether they involve figure skating or ice hockey. This rink is NHL sized and it is actually the only roof top skating rink in the five boroughs. An air dome helps to keep the temperatures skate ready and protects skaters from any bad weather.

A couple blocks away from the 7 train (the 33rd St.-Rawson St. stop), City Ice Pavilion is just a short subway ride outside of Manhattan. During the public skating session that I went to, I really enjoyed the fact that it was not overwhelmingly crowded. There was room to actually move! Most of the ice rinks that I have been to in the area have been a more crowded and expensive ordeal so this was a refreshing experience. My friends and I had a lot of fun during our skating session.

Rental skates are available for $6 and because it is such a new rink they are still in great condition. The public sessions are reasonably priced at $5 on weekdays and $8 on weekends. If you are so inclined, City Ice Pavilion also offers a full range of ice hockey and figure skating lessons/sessions. You can visit their website for all the details at http://www.cityicepavilion.com/. If you are interested in ice skating, I definitely recommend giving this new rink at try!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I am of the opinion that you don't have to be Irish to enjoy celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Today, everyone can be at least a little Irish! Whether you are out watching the parade, enjoying some fabulous Irish fare at your local pub or just wearing your best green attire, I hope everyone has a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

A Ski Day at Windham Mountain

I finally went on my long awaited ski day last weekend and it was most likely my last one of the season. Once again, I had signed up to go with Zogsports and this time the group was headed to Windham Mountain for the day. Our bus was scheduled to depart from the city at 6:30am and after some interesting subway detours to get there, I was in my seat and ready to go!

It just so happens that this particular day in March ended up being unseasonably warm. Windham, NY was supposed to go up to 45-50 degrees which is not your usual ski weather. Since I was so cold last time I went, I still brought all my cold weather gear just in case but when I stepped out into the sunny, warm weather on the mountain it became immediately evident that I would not need any of it.

This trip was really well organized – something I have come to expect from my past experiences with Zogsports. However, this time I felt like our group leader took some extra steps to encourage everyone to mingle and come together as a group. We all had the option to put some colored tape on our ski jackets or pants to help us recognize other group members throughout our day on the mountain which was helpful. Since I had come alone on this trip, I was not sure if I would have anyone to ski with this time and I had made my peace with that going into it. But before we left the bus to get into our gear our trip leader helped people to pair off this time so that no one had to go it alone. Because of that, I got to spend the day skiing with a great group of girls. I had way more fun than I had expected!

The challenge on this day was the ski conditions. Because it was so warm, there was less snow, melting slushy areas, and sections that were a lot more difficult to maneuver through than they ordinarily would be in colder weather. Later in the afternoon some of the slush had turned into ice. I had some fantastic wipe outs (luckily I didn't get hurt) and my muscles were definitely feeling all the extra work I was doing to try to stay upright down the slopes. I was going to be sore the next day for sure!!! I certainly missed the powdery snow I had enjoyed on my last skiing adventure!

Like my last ski trip with this company, everyone was welcome to meet up for lunch at 1pm. It was great to take a break and hear how other people had been enjoying their day. We then hit the slopes for a while longer before finishing the day off with an Apres Ski at the lodge bar. Our ski day ended at just the right time since it actually started to rain heavily once I had already returned my skis and was back inside. After some drinks and snacks with the group, it was then time to get back on the bus and return to the city.

For this day trip, rentals were not included in the price but I was really pleased that a group rental rate had been arranged for us. There is one weekend trip remaining with Zogsports for this ski season. Next year, I am hoping I will be able to sign up for one of these longer trips and I would also like go on more of the day outings. It really is a great way to actively enjoy the winter season. You can head to www.zogsports.com for all the details on their upcoming trips and their numerous sports leagues. For all the information on skiing at Windham, please go to their website at www.windhammountain.com.

The end of the ski season does not mean the fun is over, however. It only means it is time for a different variety of activities! There are still plenty of things to look forward to in 2009 and I can’t wait!

A Great Deal of Fun!

Times are hard out there but that doesn’t mean you can’t still go out and have fun without spending too much. Common Ground, located at 206 Avenue A (bet. 12th St. & 13th St.), is the perfect place to unwind with friends in this economy. Their Happy Hour specials are fantastic! On weekdays from 4pm-8pm, they offer $2 pints of Yuengling and Miller Lite, as well as $5 Cosmos and Apple Martinis. Not only that, but all of their appetizers are buy one get one free during Happy Hour!

I went to Common Ground with my happy hour group last night and had a blast! In addition to the bar and some table seating, there are areas for larger groups to sit and mingle. What adds to the experience are the many board games available for anyone to play. How fun is that?! We ended up having some exciting rounds of Jenga and some of us divided into teams to play some of the board games such as Sorry! and Trivial Pursuit. There were many other games available so I would love to go back to enjoy them on another night. Between the $2 beers and the entertaining games, we were all very happy with our evening.

One should not go to Common Ground without enjoying some of their food offerings either. The buy one, get one happy hour deal on appetizers is not to be missed! Their menu was designed by Executive Chef Carolynn Spence so there a lot of delicious options to chose from. I tried the “famous shrimp dip” and cheddar Panini and it was quite tasty!

Weekdays are not the only times you can get a deal. Common Ground also has weekend specials from 12pm to 7pm where you can order $3 Drafts, $4 Well Drinks, and $4 Bloody Marys. So definitely bring some friends and get your game on!

Check out all the details on Common Ground at www.commongroundnyc.com.

When You Can't Travel - Dine Instead!

This past Wednesday I took my first trip to Brazil... well at least my taste buds certainly did! Favela Grill, located at 33-18 28th Avenue in Astoria, is an excellent way to get first-rate Brazilian food when you are not able to travel there in person. The space is divided into a lounge and bar section which then leads to a separate, larger dining area. It is a warm, inviting space and because Mardi Gras was coming up, the tables were decorated with sequined mask centerpieces which added a fun flair to each table. It is details like that which can really enhance a dining experience.

Having never had Brazilian food before, the entire menu was full of tasty new dishes for me to try. While tempted to order one of the varieties of Salgados (a homemade Brazilian style pastry), I ended up sampling a few delicious bites of the Isca de Peixe appetizer (strips of fried white fish with a dipping sauce) that a friend had offered up since the portion was so abundant. When I saw my entree in front of me, I knew I had made the right choice. I was presented with portions of a fried tilapia fillet covered in a house special shrimp sauce that was accompanied by a serving of mashed potatoes and white rice. It was the perfect mixture of tastes all on one plate and I savoured each bite! Since I was with a large group it was fun to see what everyone else had ordered too. Everyone seemed to enjoy their dinner choices as much as I had. I will definitely be coming back to Favela for more tastes of Brazil as I am eager to try some of the other menu items I missed out on this time around. Although, I think the house special shrimp sauce was so good, it will be hard to order a different entree!

Favela Grill is open 7 days a week from 12pm to 11pm. I was excited to hear that on weekends they have live Brazilian music (reservations strongly recommended). If you are lucky enough to go there for lunch, they offer daily specials. You can view their menu and more details on their website: http://www.favelagrill.com/.

Don't Let Winter Pass You By!

As I eagerly await my next ski trip, I am still on the look out for other fun winter activities to sign up for. There are so many options out there that I thought I would share some links for anyone who would also like to get out and enjoy the snow before the season ends.

Check out ZogSports for ski trips. They have both day trips and weekend trips offered. I enjoyed my ski day with them so much that I signed up for another one. All the details are at http://www.zogsports.com/.

Outdoor Bound is a great company for anyone who wants to really get out there and be active. Some of the activities they offer include snow shoeing, cross country skiing, even ice climbing! I have enjoyed my hiking experiences with them and look forward to trying more of their events in the future. Check out their event calendar at http://www.outdoorbound.com/.

For those singles out there who want to enjoy an activity with the prospect of meeting someone new, head to Meet Market Adventures. They host a variety of indoor and outdoor activities so there is something for everyone. Some of their activities are even co-hosted with Outdoor Bound. I recently went Snow Tubing with them and it was a lot of fun! Their website is http://www.meetmarketadventures.com/.

I hope these links will help you find something fun to sign up for! You can read about my experiences with all of these companies in some of my past entries which will help you know what to expect.

Ready for Some Football?!

Whether you are a big football fan or not, there is still plenty of fun to be had on Super Bowl Sunday. Even though NY didn't make it to the game this year, I am still planning to watch and partake in the festivities. I always love how watching the Super Bowl gives people a reason to come together with the added bonus of indulging in many delicious snacks and beverages. Whether you are actually rooting for a team or just waiting for the commercials, I hope everyone has a fun day today!

When You Can't Travel - Dine Instead!

For those of us who are not able to afford a trip to Greece, luckily we can try to experience the next best thing. Philoxenia, embodies what you would expect from a restaurant of its kind in Astoria, Queens – an authentic Greek dining experience. At its new location, 32-07 34th Ave, you walk in to a very cozy and welcoming environment. Even though it was freezing outside the night I went for dinner, I immediately felt warm and comfortable once I was seated.

Sometimes, it is intimidating to try something you are unsure of, but the wait staff at Philoxenia was eager to assist my group in finding the perfect items to order for our meal. Upon their suggestion, I tried the house red wine which our waitress described as being close to a Cabernet Sauvignon. It was just what I was in the mood for.

I already knew I loved the Greek appetizer, Tatziki, so I was excited to see that they had an item on their menu called Pikilia which was a sampling of four of their homemade traditional spreads. Tatziki is a yogurt, cucumber and garlic spread and was included in this sampling. The other three spreads included in the Pikilia were a spicy cheese spread, a carp roe caviar spread and finally a roasted eggplant spread. Served with hot, toasted pita, I was in heaven sampling all four of these! Each had a very distinct flavor and each was delicious. I enjoyed rotating a different spread for each bite. I highly recommend trying this item if you want to see what you like best. I liked each spread enough to order this appetizer every time I return because I am definitely not going to be able to pick just one or two.

For my entree, I ordered Bakaliarakia or in other words – the fried whiting with skordalia (a potato and garlic dip). I have had fried whiting before at other Greek restaurants so I was already sure I would enjoy my choice. This was the first time it was served with a potato garlic dip to accompany it though and that was definitely a highlight for me. It was fantastic!

Although I did not have any room to try anything else myself, I have heard great things about the desserts served at Philoxenia. This restaurant is also known for its fresh seafood and when they announced their specials we also found out that they make their own phyllo dough! I can say with certainty that everyone in my group really enjoyed their entrees and the friendly service we received.

Philoxenia is just a quick subway ride from Manhattan on the N Train which is much faster and more affordable than a trip to Greece! It is an excellent spot to experience Greek Cuisine at its finest. You can view their menu and other details at www.philoxeniarestaurant.com.

Snow Tubing at Mountain Creek!

Since I already know I love skiing and being out in the snow, I signed up for an evening snow tubing trip this past Saturday through MMA. This would be something new and different for me and it also sounded like a lot of fun!

This was an evening trip, so our bus left the city at 4:30pm. Our group of 30 people arrived at the snow tubing site approximately 2 hours later. Our destination was Mountain Creek Resort in NJ. It was exciting to see the ski slopes lit up all over the mountain, but I had to remind myself that we were there for snow tubing not skiing.

Snow tubing a great way to remember the joy of being a kid and sledding down a hill - only it has a little more intensity. The snow tubing area consisted of three straight downhill tracks. You grab a tube, walk over to your track of choice, and then there is a person at the top who uses the rope attached to your tube to help launch you down the hill. After you make it down to the bottom of the hill, you drag your tube with you to the standing lift that takes you back to the top. I tried walking up the hill once instead of waiting for the lift and that proved to be more difficult than I thought. It was quite slippery and since it was so steep I found it to be too frustrating to keep doing during our scheduled tubing time.

I didn't sit as aerodynamically as I could have on my first try so I didn't get as far down the track as I would have liked. It was on my way back up that I saw that some people were spinning on their way down the hill. So the next time down I asked to try that. And it was then that I found my favorite way to snow tube! The thrill of spinning so fast on the way downhill was perfect for me. I continued to go spinning down the tracks for the rest of the evening. It was so much fun!

Our group was scheduled for only an hour of tubing. With the super cold weather and the energy involved, that ended up being the perfect amount of time. My only frustration was that I couldn't get out there and ski too! But that will have to be for another day and time. The ski resort looked nice though so I might return to try skiing down their slopes sometime in the future. All the details on Mountain Creek can be found at their website: http://www.mountaincreek.com/.

Snow tubing is a great way to let out your inner child. Definitely give it a try if you want to have some fun in the snow but seek a little more of an adrenaline rush than the average hill can provide. MMA has some future outings for snow tubing so you can sign up for those at http://www.meetmarketadventures.com/.

Just because it is cold out doesn't mean you can't get out there and have lots of fun!

A Ski Day at Belleayre Mountain

This past Saturday I went on my first visit to Belleayre Mountain for a day of skiing. I had signed up through Zogsports and this was listed as a beginner friendly trip. Since I have not gone skiing for many years, I thought it was the perfect way to get back onto the slopes!

The day started off quite early. The bus left the city at 6:30am (!) and I had to wake up super early in order to take the subway from Astoria to get myself there on time. The good news is that we had a drive of approximately 3 hours to rest up before we got to our ski destination.

Once at the mountain, it was time for everyone to go their separate ways depending on their skiing expertise. Many had brought their own equipment and went straight from the bus to the slopes. Then there were those who needed to rent equipment. I was in that category. I was so excited to get on the slopes that I could barely wait to get my ski equipment on!! The benefit of signing up for this trip was that lessons were offered for whatever ski level you were. The beginners and first time snow boarders had a place to go on the lower part of the mountain for their lesson. And for those of us who were intermediate or advanced, the place to find instructors was higher up on the mountain.

Once I got on the slopes, I started out cautiously to see if I could remember what I was doing. Luckily, I was still able to go down the intermediate level slopes to get reacquainted with the sport again. I loved it! Having only been to ski slopes in either MD or Pennsylvania before, it was refreshing to be in NY where there was more snow and less ice. This particular mountain was really nice since it was less crowded than the other places I had been to. I loved that I had the chance to move more freely without so many people speeding past and of course less crowds meant less lines at the lifts! There was a beautiful trail for intermediate skiers that started at the top of the mountain and the view from this slope was incredible the entire way down. It was definitely my favorite trail and I kept going back to it.

Even though our group had gone in many different directions, the day was organized so that we could still meet up during the day if we chose to. Members of the group had the option to meet for lunch at the Overlook Lounge and then after the lifts stopped at 4pm we also had time for happy hour and a bit of relaxing. Then at 5pm it was time to return our equipment and head for the bus.

Now, this particular Saturday had snow in the forecast. And snow it did. It began coming down at around 12:30pm and didn't slow down before it was time for us to go. We had about 3-4 inches of snow on the ground when our bus started the trip back to NYC. I was nervous but luckily our group leader had a movie for us to watch during the drive back which helped to distract me. Due to the road conditions, we had a much longer trip home but we got back safely which is all that mattered to me. I made sure to tell the bus driver a very appreciative thank you for driving so well in such crazy weather - some of the roads on the mountain didn't even have lights and it was snowing hard up there! Of course, when we got to the city there was barely any snow on the ground so it was a very different scene than where we had just been.

To summarize, Belleayre is a great day trip since it is a short drive from the city. It has a variety of beginner and intermediate slopes so if you are wanting to learn how to ski, it is a great spot to try. There are plenty of difficult slopes for those advanced skiers too! For all the info on Belleayre, you can go to their website at http://www.belleayre.com/.

Zogsports did a great job of organizing this day trip. I had so much fun that I signed up for another day trip to a different mountain in March with them. In addition to day trips, Zogsports also offers some weekend ski trips and a week long ski trip this season too. Spots fill up fast so if you are interested definitely head to http://www.zogsports.com/ and sign up sooner rather than later.