BY JANEL BLADOW | Call this the summer of music and good fun. There are plenty of cool things to do in the ‘hood during the warm weather.
Fabulous friends, great cocktails… The party gods smiled on long-time Water Street resident Harold Reed once again. On Wed., June 13, he held his festive gathering to celebrate the prelude to summer. The rain had stopped, and the guests were able to enjoy his lushly landscaped terrace with a splendid view of the Brooklyn Bridge.
The mix of people was eclectic as usual, and some of the illustrious attendees included Charles Strouse, the composer of “Annie,” who was very excited about the upcoming Broadway revival of his musical; KT Sullivan, the cabaret star with the angelic voice who was talking about her new appointment as director of the Mabel Mercer Foundation; and Blair Brown, the talented actress, who is now appearing on the science fiction TV series “Fringe.” Other notables included Elaina Richardson, the president of Yaddo, the artists’ retreat in Saratoga Springs; Patricia Volk, whose forthcoming memoir, “How To Be A Woman — My Mother, Elsa Schiaparelli And Me,” is about to be published; Marion Javits, the widow of late Senator Jacob K. Javits; and Anna Bulgari, who just returned from Rome.
As for the Lower Manhattan contingent, there was Warrie Price, president of The Battery Conservancy; Lisa Ecklund-Flores, director of the Church Street School of Music and Art; Catherine McVay Hughes, the incoming chair of Community Board 1; Maggie Boepple, the director of the Performing Arts Center on the site of the World Trade Center; and Sam Miller, the president of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
As in the past, Harold had our neighborhood caterer, Table Tales, serve up some of their most delectable treats, including the delish mini Ruben sandwich and smoked salmon with capers on little dark pumpernickel rounds.
A good time was had by all!
Sixties sounds… Head to Pier 17 the evening of Fri., June 29 to take a musical trip back to the psychedelic era with two great rock bands. Veronica Falls, a four-piece group from London, mixes up “sweetness and light with dissonance and darkness” for a concert that pays tribute to such favorites as the Velvet Underground and Galaxie 500. The People’s Temple pounds out some amazing pop and psych sounds in their driving signature style. The concert starts at 7 p.m. For more events, visit www.southstreetseaport.com.
Island Music… Here was a genius idea! Sun., June 24 under clear, blue skies, hundreds of punks and hipsters flocked to Governors Island for a day of free rock and roll. The fifth annual Make Music New York’s outdoor, day-long punk fest, partially sponsored by Guitar Center, featured seven stages scattered throughout the island. Music lovers roamed and picnicked and enjoyed the sounds of more than 50 bands, including Wombat in Combat, Fried Chicken & Gasoline and The Nihilistics.
On another musical note… The Rite of Summer Music Festival on Governors Island, which kicked off last summer, is a huge hit. It’s the first classical-contemporary musical fest on the island and features free outdoor concerts. On Sat., July 7 (rain date is July 8), join fans for the eclectic “chamber-jam music for the remix generation”: Ljova and the Kontraband. Blending Eastern European and gypsy melodies with Latin rhythms, jazz-inspired improvisations and classical music roots, the quintet, founded in 2006, has played illustrious venues such as The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. On Sat., Aug. 4 (rain date is Aug. 5), The JACK Quartet electrifies the island with its “mind-blowing” youthful strings.
All the concerts are held free of charge at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Governors Island. Pack a picnic and prepare to party! For more details, visit www.riteofsummer.com.
I scream, you scream… What is summer without a soft serve cone? And what has New York City been all these years without a Dairy Queen? Growing up outside of the city, anyone knows that you head to the Queen for a cone or a Dilly Bar (soft serve vanilla dipped in hard crackling chocolate on a stick) on a warm summer eve. With more than 5,700 locations around the world, DQ opens its first NYC location at the Staten Island Ferry’s St. George Terminal this summer. DQ Grill & Chill will be at Bay Street and Richmond Terrace. Okay, so it’s not in the Seaport or the Financial District, but who wouldn’t want to take a quick ferry ride past the Statue of Liberty for a cone? By the way, the company expects to open several Manhattan locations before the end of the year.
