The Pond at Bryant Park

Photo by Evie Nevskaya

The skating rink at Bryant Park, The Pond, will be open from October 29th - February 27th. The 170' x 100' size rink features free admission ice skating with the option to rent skates. Come to the rink for skating shows, special events, and to have some fun. Its a great idea for a date or something to do with friends. Inside the Skating Pavilion, lockers are free of charge, with locks available for purchase. Bag check is also available for a fee.
General Admission: FREE
Pond FastPass:        $20* 

Lockers:                     FREE 

Locks:                         $9
Small Bag Check:     $7
Large Bag Check:     $10

Skate Sharpening:   $20

Fashion News | Top 3 Live Online Fashion Auction Sites

Here is an article for all the online shoppers from HauteMimi :

It's quite obvious that I am in love with designer clothing, handbags and accessories. What I'm definitely not in love with are the huge price tags that accompany them, so I am always looking for new ways to save on coveted designer digs. I love sample sales but you don't really get the kind of steep discounts that they promise to have. That's why I am hooked on fashion based live online auction sites. You can snag a Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Valentino and more for literally ten bucks, sometimes more sometimes less. I really thought it was too good to be true but after trying it out I am seriously addicted to these fashion auction sites and wanted to share my favorites since there are so many out there. I personally like these three sites since they only have a few auctions a day on well edited items instead of thousands of auctions on unsubstantial items. But before I start thought I would do an overview of how they work since this is a brand new concept, that you must know about and get in on ASAP.

What are live online fashion auction sites and how do they work?
Live online fashion auctions can be described as,"a fusion of sites like eBay and Gilt where click happy online shoppers get the best in luxury goods at a fraction of the retail cost," says a representative from OohIlove.com. Along with handbags, the sites offer bids on bid packs to use on the site as well as gift cards to major stores.

They allow you to buy bid packs consisting of 20-100 bids for around $20-$100.00 which you can use to place bids on designer items. Most of the sites give you free bids to start off with, like LuxeWin.com which gives you five free bids when you sign up. There are approximately three to eighteen auctions going on in one day depending on the site.

When a bid is placed, two things happen, depending on the site. First, the auction price increases anywhere from 1 cent to 2 cents, and secondly, auction clock increases anywhere from 10 seconds to 30 seconds. The user who bids last before the time is up wins the bid and can purchase the item at the last bid price which is usually 90% to as much as 99% less than the actual retail price of the item, which is a ridiculous deal. FYI, each of the sites featured offer a Product Guarantee and source direct from the designer brands or their distributors.



LuxeWin - http://www.LuxeWin.com/

LuxeWin is the hot new player in the online fashion auction game, so auctions are averaging over 98% Off. The auction items are much more contemporary and feature hard-to-find designer bags, accessories and jewelry from high demand brands. I definitely like the aesthetic of LuxeWin and find that they offer very exclusive items like beautiful bags from Jimmy Choo, Moschino, Furla, Botkier, and Rebecca Minkoff, jewelry from Rachel Leigh, D&G Dolce & Gabbana, Jules Smith and Andrew Hamilton Crawford, and even Michele Deco Diamond watches. The site is similar in layout to the others but with larger product images and better product descriptions. They also have a great incentive for members who invite their friends. If you invite a friend to LuxeWin, and they buy a bid pack, you automatically receive 12 free bids which is amazing. Everyone also gets five free bids when they join so that's always a plus. I suggest LuxeWin to the girl with exquisite taste who likes to stand out from the crowd and usually shops the hottest boutiques.
OohILove - http://www.oohilove.com/

OohIlove is probably the oldest of the auction sites and was started a year ago. the site is very beautiful and the items on auction are very desirable. OohIlove features auctions on Tiffany jewelry, Louboutin shoes and Louis Vuitton handbags to name a few stand out items. I would suggest this auction site to women who love the obvious designer arm candy look as this site mostly features monogrammed items that you can't miss.
JoJoLie - http://www.jojolie.com/

Jojolie is another live online auction site that I recommend. Jojolie is very similar to LuxeWin.com and OohIlove.com as far as the site's layout goes. The items they have for auction are much less expensive than the other two auction sites. This site is great for girls who love mid-range brands like Coach and Dooney and Burke. It's also a very beautiful site. -Millissa Mathai

GOVERNOR'S ISLAND

This weekend, visit Governor's Island! Just a free 5 minute ferry ride from Manhattan, Governors Island provides a nice getaway from the city. Its a nice place for a picnic, a bike ride (there are rentals) or a day in the sun. Take in the beautiful skyline with views of lower Manhattan, Jersey City, Brooklyn, and the Statue of Liberty. Since the island was a historical military base, there is much to explore like the forts and old military homes.




During the summer, many concerts take place at the Water Taxi Beach. This area has an actual sandy beach with light up palm trees. Further in is a stage with plenty of (asphalted) space to enjoy the show.



When the heat is too much, catch the breeze and experience the beauty of Governor's Island. Make sure you make it before the island closes for the Winter! The island is open on Fridays-Sundays from June 5th to October 10th. Special tours are offered on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10am and 1pm.


Here is a video of the Benny Benassi concert I attended at Water Taxi Beach.

And, here are some helpful links:
http://www.nyharborparks.org
http://www.watertaxibeach.com/governors_island
http://thebeachconcerts.com

EVENT HORIZON

If you have been to Madison Square Park lately, you may have noticed what seems to be men standing at the top of buildings. And, after you see one, more and more begin to appear scattered atop various rooftops. These are actually bronze sculptures by Antony Gormley. This installation artwork interacts with the cityscape and its inhabitants. There are 31 statues in total including one at Union Square and one near the Empire State Building on 34th street. The sculptures will be up until August 15th so check them out.

Here is the brochure about the installation from Time Out New York.

N.E.R.D. and JAY ELECTRONICA at WEBSTER HALL

Hunter College presented N.E.R.D. in concert at Webster Hall. Jay Electronica opened the show and ended up throwing most of his belongings into the crowd, even his watch and sneakers! He gave a great performance and gave some of his spotlight to 3 people in the crowd by giving them a chance to have a rap battle. 

The bassist from N.E.R.D. began by playing the Star Spangled Banner and everyone in the crowd sang along.

Then the rest of the group came out and performed their hit songs including some new ones from their upcoming album, "Nothing". Pharrell is an awesome performer and N.E.R.D. sounded even better live than hearing their recorded songs. The crowd was definitely feeling it, the floor was shaking as everyone was jumping to the music!

NYC Nightlife: DAVID GUETTA at PACHA videos

Here are some videos of David Guetta djing with Will.i.am plus you can see Black Eyed Peas performing with him in one of the clips.
















and heres a video from pachanyc's youtube:

NYC Nightlife: DAVID GUETTA at PACHA

Pacha NYC
618 West 46th Street (Btwn 11th and 12th Ave, New York
(212) 209-7500

A,C,E to 42nd street 

 

 When my friends and I heard that David Guetta was performing at Pacha, we just had to go. David Guetta djed all night alongside Will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas. At around 4am, the rest of the Black Eyed Peas showed up and performed a few of their songs. The performance and the music were amazing the entire night! But, the club was packed and it was pretty uncomfortable at times. Its fun to experience Pacha at least once but I do not recommend going there because it is usually extremely crowded.

Pacha New York is located on the West side of Manhattan with the Hudson River to the west and New York's Hell's Kitchen District to the East. The 30,000 square-foot venue is made up of four floors. On the First level is Pacha's main room. The bare wide-open room makes way for a traditional New York club dance floor, along with a full bar and grand staircase. When the main room gets overcrowded many patrons escape to the basement room to listen to local djs. The second floor is the mezzanine, which overlooks the main floor and accommodates the club's VIPs. The third floor is made up of the Funky Room, named after Pacha Ibiza's legendary pre-club lounge space. Lastly, the fourth floor is Pachita tucked up in the attic and is suited for dancing, lounging, or seated presentations. The most famous Pacha nightclub is located on the island of Ibiza and there are now Pachas in 25 cities all over the world. 

NYC Nightlife: Greenhouse

Greenhouse
150 Varick Street
New York, NY 10013-1218
(212) 807-7000

Subway: C, E train to Spring street / 1 train to Houston Street

Not only does Greenhouse offer the most gorgeous interior, but everything is eco friendly. The spot has club-goers sitting on couches made from recyclable material all under LED lighting. The décor features walls made of sustainable bamboo and covered in real leaves, moss, and green circles, along with glass beads hung from the ceiling to evoke raindrops. (Very Avatar looking in my opinion) There is ample seating area for a lounging experience but great intimate dance floors on both levels as well. Theres a party every night so you don't have to wait till the weekend to have a night out. I went there on a Monday night and it was better than a Saturday night at other clubs! The music is a mix of Top 40, house, and hip-hop. Check out their website for weekly events and photos of the beautiful environment.

 

NYC Nightlife: Quo

Quo Nightclub
511 W 28th St
New York, NY 10001-5508
(212) 961-7507

My friends and I decided to go to Quo one Saturday night because LMFAO and Lil Jon were performing there. The club itself has great decor and a nice environment. It serves as a lounge and a club with a nice dance floor and couches to relax on. I would recommend it for a girls night out!

INTERESTS: Snowfight App

Merry Christmas to everyone!!

I just saw this iPhone/iPod App where you can have a snowball fight. Its cute, fun, and great for the holidays. 

click on this link to get it at the App store

see how its played on youtube