The Wander List

a daily guide to wanderlust in the city

Watch ‘Sex’ in the Park August 18, 2009

Filed under: Budget Friendly,Entertainment,NYC Upper East Side,Outdoors,Summer — thewanderlist @ 7:21 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

One of many great things about summer in New York is art in the parks. You can find dancers in Prospect Park, classic films in Bryant Park, and this week, modern movies in Central Park.

 

Tonight, reels start rolling at the Central Park Film Festival and the first movie up is Sex and the City. I’ve already seen it, but who can resist the chance to watch an homage to NYC on an outdoor screen in the heart of Manhattan? The only thing better would be Annie Hall (note to organizers). 

 

Bloomberg L.P. is sponsoring a movie every night this week, 8 p.m. at Rumsey Playfield near Fifth Avenue and 69th Street. The gates open at 6 p.m. so you can stake out the perfect picnic spot. Pack a dinner, bring a blanket and the rest is free.

 

Today’s the last day to vote on the viewer’s choice movie, which organizers will show on Saturday. The options aren’t spectacular, but I’m pulling for Desperately Seeking Susan starring Madonna, or the James Bond classic Goldfinger.

 

Central Park Film FestivalOther films showing this week are:

Wednesday, August 19: Shaft (1971), 100 minutes

Thursday, August 20: Ocean’s 11 (2001), 116 minutes

Friday, August 21: Twilight (2008), 122 minutes

Saturday, August 22: it’s up to you!

 

Chew Your Tea June 19, 2009

Filed under: Budget Friendly,Dining,NYC East Village,Year-round — thewanderlist @ 12:50 am
Tags: , , , , ,

While walking home after midnight from a screening of Moon in the East Village, Chris and I slid into a restaurant with a mouthful of a name: Saint’s Alp Teahouse.

 

As it turns out, the tea is a mouthful too. A team of mad chemists in Hong Kong have discovered infinite combinations of tea, coffee, juice and tapioca, creating the most extensive and inventive drink menu I’ve seen. Here’s a taste: Iced Mint Green Tea, Sesame Milk Tea, Matcha Aulait, Green Barley Milk Shake and Mulberry Sorbies.

 

You can order your drink with or without gummy tapioca pearls, which are extracted from sweet potatoes, cassava root and brown sugar and rest at the bottom of the glass. It’s practically a meal. If you’re hungry for more, the surprisingly cheap small plates and desserts start at $2.

 

Sumiyaki Coffee is a winner, Choco Mint Delight less so.

Sumiyaki Coffee is a winner, Choco Mint Delight less so.

There are just two Saint’s Alp locations in the states –  Chicago and New York. The other 38 stores are sprinkled throughout Hong Kong and Macao. For proof of authenticity, visit the website, which has limited English.

 

And while you are there, check out the pop art advertising prints, which you can download for free. I don’t know about you, but I never thought of sitting naked, shoulder-to-shoulder with a friend in a vat of tea as a “leisure moment.” But I downloaded it anyway.

 

My idea of a leisure moment looks more like this: return to the Teahouse, order everything on the menu and share with friends. Info: Saint’s Alp Teahouse, 39 3rd Ave. at 10th Street, 212-598-1890

Thumbs up, Green Tea Sponge Cake.

Thumbs up, Green Tea Sponge Cake.

 

Consider Your Career Options May 17, 2009

Filed under: Entertainment,NYC Upper West Side,Year-round — thewanderlist @ 11:27 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

New York fosters entire professions that just don’t exist in most cities. Take book editing, for example, or financial researching, double-decker bus driving, subway mopping, Central Park mowing, trading, and this…

 

Live Model

 

This weekend, these models promoted the May 22 release of the movie Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. Caveman, for one, was adept at looking confused and hairy, while Amelia Earhart offered a peppy wave to passersby. Sacajawea scored lower on the believability scale, often rummaging through her designer bag and drinking bottled water.

 

The trio attracted a lot of attention inside a display case at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13, which is worth a trip for its soaring ceilings and one of three IMAX screens in Manhattan. When I start missing Arizona, I go there, complain about the weather and stretch out my legs on the seats, a luxury most NY theaters can’t offer.

 

At any rate, I wonder what the successful resume looks like?

*Comfortable in confined spaces.

*Enjoy being photographed by tourists.

*Willing to wear loincloth.

*No allergies or aversions to fur.

*Shave semi-weekly.

*Biggest strength: Own a spear.

*Biggest weakness: Pasty, pasty white.

 

Three Live Models

 

AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13

1998 Broadway at 68th Street

212-336-5000

 

Screen a Film in Tribeca May 1, 2009

Filed under: Arts and Culture,NYC Tribeca,Spring — thewanderlist @ 6:53 pm
Tags: , ,

It’s not too late to snap up tickets to the Tribeca Film Festival, although the clock is ticking in Hitchcockian fashion.

 

While most advance seats are sold out, several remain for Sunday, when screenings wrap up. The final day is one of Tribeca’s most overlooked secrets, festival staff say. All the winning films – features, documentaries and shorts – are scheduled for encores. If you didn’t do your homework early enough to predict the runaway hits, you can let the jury do the work for you and settle in with some popcorn and an extra large Coke. You’ll want to stay awake long enough to cram in several shows. And if you’re out of town, get a taste at the YouTube Screening Room.

 

Just today, I nabbed a ticket for a late-night showing of All About Actresses, a French Film about, well, actresses. Maïwenn, an actress who takes a turn as director, points the camera at contemporaries like Charlotte Rampling, Karin Viard and Julie Depardieu. The result is a psychological portrait of actresses and their insecurities.

 

I’m also catching the Best Narrative Feature (yet to be announced) Sunday night. Flicks like Roger Dodger and Let the Right One In have taken home the prize in the past, so I’m hopeful. Also worth checking out that day is the Tribeca Family Festival, when the triangle below Canal Street hosts craft tents, kite flying, surprise performances and fine food from local restaurants. I’m in it for the kite flying. May 2, 2009; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.;  Greenwich Street between Hubert and Chambers Street.

 

Check back and I’ll let you know which films are worth searching out at an indie theater near you.

 

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.