Southwest Porch is a Hit

Southwest Porch is a Hit

Among many consistently positive reviews of the Porch, Jaunted’s most recent coverage stands out from the rest.

“…we have to be truthful here: the Porch freaking rocks. It just does. How to explain? Perhaps it’s the cheery yellow color scheme and lounge-like seating that welcomes everyone, not just those buying drinks. Or maybe it’s the novelty of swinging porch seats, adirondacks, and cuisine from star chef Tom Colicchio in the middle of one of NY’s best-positioned parks.”

You couldn’t ask for a much better review than that. Click the title link for the full article from Jaunted and if you haven’t already experienced the serene environment of the Porch, get yourself down to the southwest corner of Bryant Park then share your own comments with us here.

Gold Diggers of 1933, Tonight in Bryant Park

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/JlClq5RT2Gw]

Nobody created pure Hollywood escapism productions better than Busby Berkeley, and this musical set the standard. Designed to transport Depression-enduring audiences, the plot involves attempts to put on a show, featuring Ginger Rogers, Ruby Keeler and Joan Blondell as the indefatigable Broadway show girls, and Dick Powell crooning the tunes. (1933) 96 Min. (Warner Bros.)

The lawn opens at 5pm and the film begins at sunset. Visit our website for the full schedule of the 2009 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. Enjoy the show!

This Week in the Park

Get your lunchtime jazz fix with International Jazz Hall of Fame inductee Junior Mance playing flawlessly on the park’s custom made piano, every day this week.

Junior Mance at Piano in the Park
Monday – Friday, 12:00pm – 1:45pm
Upper Terrace

Find the full schedule of this week’s events and more on bryantpark.org.

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via kevin-anthony:

Lunch time at Bryant Park

Probably my favorite thing to do is sit here and people watch.

Not many people know that the front terrace of the New York Public Library is actually part of Bryant Park. We maintain the area and keep it stocked with our signature tables and chairs just as we do in the rest of the park behind the library. And it’s true, the people watching here is just as entertaining as it is out back.

Namaste, Bryant Park Yogis

Barefoot in the Park was a great success yesterday evening thanks to lululemon athletica, many talented instructors from local yoga studios, Yoga Organix for the soothing music, and all the yogis who participated in our first ever yoga sampler in Bryant Park.

Approximately 416 yogis of all levels and ages filled over half the lawn with downward dogs, warrior ones, and tree poses. Hundreds of people watched and took pictures of the spectacle from the sidelines, while some even took off their shoes and joined in, business suits and all. From Kundalini to Jivamukti, participants were able to experience all the types of yoga New York City has to offer, and it didn’t cost a dime.

Visit our Facebook page for more photographs of the event. Feel free to tag the pictures if you can spot yourself in crowd or upload your own to our fan album.

Want more free yoga? Join us and lululemon for Bryant Park Yoga, Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings through August 27th.

Event Reminder

Don’t forget to grab your yoga mat and come to Bryant Park tomorrow at 6pm for Barefoot in the Park, a free event serving up all the different yoga styles in NYC. Now you can also RSVP on Facebook (suggested but not required).

Our dream is to fill the entire lawn with yogis - come help us make it a reality!

via not-a-stacist:

I’m totally digging the Southwest Porch that just opened in Bryant Park. The Porch was established to announce SWA’s new LGA service. It’s such a beautiful space, thanks to smart marketers for adding a little something extra to the city.

Glad to hear you’re enjoying it! If you’re in the park tomorrow, stop by the Reading Room at 12:30pm to catch Porch collaborators Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortuzar speak about their new book ‘wichcraft: Craft a sandwich into a meal – and a meal into a sandwich at Word for Word Author.

Breaking Away, Tonight in Bryant Park

A teenage cyclist, portrayed by Dennis Christopher, is besotted with all things Italian in a small Indiana college town. Things seem to be going nowhere for him and his townie buddies (Dennis Quaid, Jackie Earle Haley, and Daniel Stern), so he convinces them to take on the students at the Little 500 bicycle race. Flawlessly written by Steve Tesich and directed by Peter Yates. (1979) 100 Min. (Fox)

The lawn opens at 5pm and the film begins at sunset. There are no rain dates for the film festival. In the case of rain, the lawn may not be open but the films will go on as long as there is no thunder, lightning, or torrential downpour around sunset. It’s usually worth it to come down, snag a seat, and wait out any little showers that may pass through.

Visit our website for the full schedule of the 2009 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival and check the message at the top of the page for lawn updates before you head over.

UPDATE: The lawn will be closed during tonight’s film. Unfortunately it is still too wet from yesterday’s rain to have people on it.

This Week in the Park

Learn how to knit, perl, cast on, and cast off with free knitting lessons under the trees. Classes are geared towards beginners and yarn and needles are provided at no cost.

Bryant Park Knits presented by Gotta Knit!
Tuesdays, 1:30pm – 3:00pm
June 23 – September 22
Upper Terrace, across from the Bryant Park Grill
Call 212-989-3030 to pre-register or take a chance and drop by.

That’s not all. Find the full schedule of this week’s events on bryantpark.org.

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Southwest Lands in Bryant Park

Here’s the full scoop on what’s been going on in the southwest corner of the park. We teamed up with Southwest Airlines and ‘wichcraft to create a new way for you to experience Bryant Park. The area surrounding the south ‘wichcraft kiosk has been transformed into a ”porch” complete with trellis, adirondack chairs, rocking chairs, porch swings, hanging plants, lighting, cushions, and cacti. Think New Mexico in New York.



Officially dubbed The Southwest Porch at Bryant Park, the luxurious lounge-like space is also a celebration of the airline’s new service in and out of LaGuardia Airport. Open today through mid-September, the best part is it’s completely free for anyone and everyone to enjoy during park hours. Additional services, including special beverages and small bites for purchase from Tom Colicchio and the team at ‘wichcraft, are available Mondays through Thursdays from 5pm to 9pm and on Fridays from 12pm to 4pm.

On top of all that we’ve added eight new power outlets to the area and opened them up for you to use. So grab your laptops, cell phone chargers, a good book, or some good company, and come hang out on the Porch, the newest nook in Bryant Park.

Event Update

Tonight’s Barefoot in the Park yoga event has been rescheduled for next Thursday, June 25. All other details remain the same, so help us send out a big OMMM for clear weather next week. Enough with this rain already!

Parker in the Park

Check out singer-songwriter Charlie Mars’ newest music video “Listen to the Darkside” featuring Weeds star, Mary Louise Parker and Bryant Park.

Shot on a brisk day in March, Parker was filmed walking past our shoe shine stand on 42nd Street and through the park to Le Carrousel, where Mars was waiting with a bunch of brightly colored balloons. All it took was a simple camera and tripod, no ridiculous, over-the-top movie set up for these two. Producers liked the whimsical nature of Le Carrousel so much that they highlighted it in the video and even had Mars and Parker take a ride. Be sure to watch all the way through so you don’t miss it!

via peterwknox:

Seeing The Sting tonight in Bryant Park: one of my all time favorite old time movies - the kind you saw as a young kid sitting on the couch next to your dad as you wait your turn for mom to cut your hair in front of the tv - that stays with you forever.

The film must go on!

A little rain won’t stop our screening of The Sting, starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The lawn is too wet for people to sit on tonight, but you can still pull up a chair and enjoy the show.

The film begins at sunset (typically between 8pm and 9pm). Bike parking is available in the Petanque Court at 42nd & 6th Ave.

This Week in the Park

Special guest post by Paul, BPC’s resident poetry expert and Reading Room Czar.

Poetry aficionados won’t want to miss Word for Word Poetry on Tuesday, June 16. The under the stars reading takes place in the Reading Room and begins at 7:30pm. In this week’s program, Blue Flower Arts presents three of their finest poets, Mark Doty, Nick Flynn and Marie Howe.

Mark Doty, the only American poet to have won Great Britain’s T. S. Eliot Prize, is the author of seven books of poems. He is also the winner of the 2008 National Book Award for Poetry. 

Nick Flynn’s Another Bullshit Night in Suck City(Norton, 2004), won the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir, and has been translated into thirteen languages. He was the artistic collaborator on the film “Darwin’s Nightmare,” which was nominated for an Academy Award for best feature documentary in 2006. His newest memoir, The Ticking Is the Bomb: A Memoir of Bewilderment, is forthcoming from W.W. Norton.  

Marie Howe is the author of three volumes of poetry, The Kingdom of Ordinary Time (2008), The Good Thief (1998), and What the Living Do (1997), and is the co-editor of a book of essays, In the Company of My Solitude: American Writing from the AIDS Pandemic (1994).

It’s guaranteed to be an extraordinary night of poetry. 

Word for Word Poetry
Tuesdays, 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Bryant Park Reading Room
Rain venue: The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, 20 West 44th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues)

Find the full schedule of this week’s events on bryantpark.org.

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Mark Your Calendar

Together with lululemon athletica, we’re spicing up Bryant Park Yoga this Thursday evening. Same time, same place, same price tag (FREE), but instead of the usual Vinyasa routine, you’ll be able to sample multiple styles of yoga all in one class!

Check out the beautiful flyer below (created by the very talented ‘lulus’) for all the details of this special evening.

 

Shop Bryant Park: BCBG Friends & Family

I love it when designers bring you into the family. Max Azria is welcoming all to visit his gorgeous BCBG Bryant Park store this weekend and enjoy their first Friends & Family Event: 30% off everything, even already reduced merchandise. I grabbed my co-worker/model Lindsey and we went to suss it out. Let’s just say there’s a plethora of colorful, happy dresses.

The purple dress is 50% off $278,then 30% more. Lemon dress is 30% off $238, and then 30% more…math comes in so handy when cute dresses are involved.

Really we were looking for a strapless dress for a party, but then fell for this high-waisted skirt as soon as we saw another girl trying it on. I love dressing room poaching.

Great with a silky black tank for evening, but perfectly capable of getting some serious work done during the day, this skirt is flexible. In addition to the tulip shape and high-waisted adorable stuff, the charming pleat details continue on to the back. Also comes in white and maybe black if you’re the right size.

BCBGMAXAZRIA, 461 Fifth Avenue on the NW corner of 40th & Fifth: Friends & Family Event, June 11-14, sign up to join the mailing list for 30% off everything.

Shop Bryant Park is written by Fashion Herald, our retail blogger.

We Need Your Help!

Starting Friday at midnight, Facebook is offering custom URLs to pages with over 1,000 fans and we want you to be able to find us at www.facebook.com/BryantPark.

We already have over 800 fans, but to get to 1,000 we need you. So become a fan and don’t forget to tell your friends and family, too.

Plus, as a token of our appreciation we’ll be raffling off a $15 ‘wichcraft gift card to those who post “I helped Bryant Park break 1,000!” on our wall.

via mattan:

They’re setting up Bryant Park for the summer film screenings. Who’s interesting in coming with me next Monday?

That’s right, only four more days until The Sting!

Rain Rain Go Away

Anyone else feel like it’s been raining for two weeks straight? Would it kill Mother Nature to part the clouds for our After Work music tonight or yoga class tomorrow?

We always try to wait as long as possible before making the call to cancel an event or program. It’s not unusual for members of our staff to be glued to multiple weather radars all day, updating each other on the status of the ’blobs’ of rain hovering over the Tri-state area.

In the unfortunate situation that we do need to cancel an event or program, you can always find the updated information on our Twitter page or on bryantpark.org.

Sometimes, as in the case of yoga last week, so many people show up for a class it makes it hard for us to turn them away. Last Thursday evening 105 yoga participants refused to abandon their downward dogs even though a light rain fell on them throughout the session!

Spotted In Washington Square Park

It looks like the feathered couple we featured last week in this post may have been spotted further downtown over the weekend.

The Washington Square Park blog reported a pair of ducks (one male, one female) taking a swim in the newly renovated fountain early Saturday morning.

Photo via Walking Off the Big Apple

If the two ducks are taking themselves on a tour of NYC parks, Washington Square Park was a choice location for a pit stop. After a long period of reconstruction, the northwest quadrant and central plaza were re-opened at the end of May to the delight of many. Upgrades include new lighting, benches, lawns, plantings, repaved paths, and the relocation and conservation of the fountain for people (and ducks) to enjoy.

NYC Moms Love Bryant Park

NYC Moms Love Bryant Park

This Week in the Park

Test your agility, coordination, and sportsmanship and even make a friend or two at our newest activity.

Bryant Park Ping Pong
Daily, 11:00am – 7:00pm
42nd Street Allee

And that’s not all. Find the full schedule of this week’s events on bryantpark.org.

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Mark Your Calendar

Calling all Bobby Fischers! Visit the park this Sunday, June 7 at 1pm for a Simultaneous Chess Exhibition presented by Midtown Backgammon and Chess. Located at the Chess Area on the Fountain Terrace, it’s free and open to children 15 years and under.

What a Park Can Do

What a Park Can Do

Follow the link above and take a minute to read a great blog post by Emma Zhu of design mind, about her experience in Bryant Park.

In addition to mentioning a few of our amenities such as the Reading Room and WiFi, she also compared New York City to Shanghai which is (coincidentally) where we became inspired to start our own free Tai Chi classes in the park.

Table for Two

We told you a few weeks ago about big changes happening in the northwest corner of the park. An ivy bed gone bad was begging for an upgrade. If you’ve been in the park the past two days, you probably know - the table is out of the bag. That’s right, tables. Ping Pong Tables.

The woe begone ivy has been magically transformed into two bright green, state-of-the-art ping pong tables. Bryant Park has partnered with a brand new social club SPiN New York and legendary apparel company Fred Perry to bring you Bryant Park Ping Pong. Open every day, paddles and balls are available free of charge. Expert or novice, anyone can take a turn.

Thanatopsis To him who in the love of nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks A various language; for his gayer hours She has a voice of gladness, and a smile And eloquence of beauty; and she glides Into his darker musings, with a mild And healing sympathy that steals away Their sharpness ere he is aware. When thoughts Of the last bitter hour come like a blight Over thy spirit, and sad images Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall, And breathless darkness, and the narrow house, Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart;— Go forth, under the open sky, and list To Nature’s teachings, while from all around— Earth and her waters, and the depths of air— Comes a still voice. Yet a few days, and thee The all-beholding sun shall see no more In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground, Where thy pale form was laid, with many tears, Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist Thy image. Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again, And, lost each human trace, surrendering up Thine individual being, shalt thou go To mix forever with the elements, To be a brother to the insensible rock And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mold…

Thanatopsis

To him who in the love of nature holds
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks
A various language; for his gayer hours
She has a voice of gladness, and a smile
And eloquence of beauty; and she glides
Into his darker musings, with a mild
And healing sympathy that steals away
Their sharpness ere he is aware. When thoughts
Of the last bitter hour come like a blight
Over thy spirit, and sad images
Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall,
And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,
Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart;—
Go forth, under the open sky, and list
To Nature’s teachings, while from all around—
Earth and her waters, and the depths of air—
Comes a still voice. Yet a few days, and thee
The all-beholding sun shall see no more
In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground,
Where thy pale form was laid, with many tears,
Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist
Thy image. Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim
Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again,
And, lost each human trace, surrendering up
Thine individual being, shalt thou go
To mix forever with the elements,
To be a brother to the insensible rock
And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain
Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak
Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mold…

William Cullen Bryant, at the age of 18. Ever hear of Bryant Park in NYC?

(via viviopsis)

Beautiful poem, penned by our namesake.

Wrong Turn at Sheep's Meadow?

Here’s one for the BP birders…never before seen in Bryant Park…

Ducks!

The damp weather last Friday morning created perfect puddles for this little feathered couple to splash around in. The best guess from our park crew was that they came down from one of the many ponds in Central Park where ducks are regulars. Of all the things we’ve collectively seen here - funny, crazy, a little scary - nobody on our staff has ever reported ducks in Bryant Park before, but they’ve been added to our list.

The male (left) and female (right) stayed for a few hours enjoying our lawn until the weather cleared up and the public flowed in for lunch.

Maybe they’re like us and sometimes just need a change of scenery? Decided to take a morning sojourn to the middle of midtown? In any case, we love welcoming new visitors to the park, even those of the feathered, quacking, webbed feet variety.