After an afternoon navigating the labyrinthine cobblestone streets of Dumbo, there was little as satisfying as lying down on a plush, white bed for a 60-minute reprieve from the chaotic world above. Tucked away in the lower level of a multi-purpose commercial center, a post-industrial redbrick building is an unlikely place to find the island of tranquility that is the Green Desk Spa. Lightly perfumed by scented candles, lotions, and the enormous lilies poking out of jewel-toned glass vases, with soft, meditative music piping through the immaculate suite, the intimate spa is fully immersed in the Zen. Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on July 31, 2011 | Categories: Attractions, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights & Dumbo, From the Blog

tags: Alice Preminger, Green Desk Spa, massage, Spa

On July 31, 1868, Salvatore Maranzano, a mafioso that dominated the New York organized crime scene for years, was born in Sicily. After emigrating to NYC after World War I, Maranzano based himself in Brooklyn and put together a group of Sicilian natives with interests in pursuits like bootlegging. Maranzano’s forces ganged up against those of rival gangster Joe Masseria and a Mafia war broke out. After Maranzano defeated Masseria, he divvied up NYC’s criminal territories, but was eventually beaten in turn by Lucky Luciano and murdered in 1931.

–Carly Silver

No Comments | Posted on July 31, 2011 | Categories: From the Blog, History

tags: Carly Silver, mafia, today in new york history

If you’re hankering for a dose of cute, head over to Le Petit Puppy at 18 Christopher St. in Greenwich Village. Owners with their fully-grown pups frolic in to pick up dog food, puppy coats, and other cute accessories, while those looking for little friends come in to find a new friend. All of LPP’s pooches are little dogs, but they’re super-sweet and cuddly. Browse the dachshunds and French bulldogs, Yorkies and Chihuahuas, pugs and Pomeranians in search of a life-long canine companion. Check out the adorable photos after the jump. Read the complete post »

3 Comments | Posted on July 31, 2011 | Categories: Attractions, Cutest Pooches, From the Blog, Greenwich Village

tags: Carly Silver, Dogs, Greenwich Village, Le Petit Puppy

On this day in 1976, the first murder of serial killer David Berkowitz, more commonly known as the self-proclaimed “Son of Sam“. For a full year, Berkowitz terrorized New York City with a series of murders that he claimed he was forced to commit under the orders of a demon who possessed a local dog. 5 of the attacks were shootings on people in parked cars and the first was a stabbing on the street in 1975. This came a month after the infamous blackout of July 13, 1976, and economic turmoil caused by the energy crisis.

- Daniela Quintanilla

No Comments | Posted on July 29, 2011 | Categories: From the Blog, History, Manhattan, The Bronx

tags: 1975, 1976, 1977, blackout, David Berkowitz, ny history, Son of Sam

Friday, July 29

National Lasagna Day!  
Celebrate with INY’s top restaurants, recipes, and more to celebrate the best holiday of the year!  Check back for thrilling blog content!

Ellie Goulding @ Terminal 5
Get Starry Eyed under the Lights as one of INY’s writers’ favorite artists performs your favorite songs at this iconic NYC venue just like she did at the Royal Wedding! Your biggest mistake would be missing this epic show. We’d love to see you there!
Doors 7pm, Show 8pm

Want more Goulding?  Check out her performance at Best Buy at 1 Union Square Boulevard, Saturday at 2pm!

CHERYL’S Birthday Party: An Ice Cream Anti-Social
This artistic group explores the human condition through audio and visual components. This weekend they are hosting one of their traditional blowouts with frenzied dancing euphoria and festivities! Bring your glitter.
Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker)
11 pm

FREE: The Wizard of Oz
Bring a blanket and some friends to curl up and watch a performance of one of the greatest stories ever told.
76th Avenue and Springfield Boulevard (in Alley Pond Park), Queens
7 pm

33rd Annual Thunderbird American Indian Mid-Summer Pow Wow
Admission: Adults $10.00 (all weekend pass $15.00), children: $5.00
(age 12 and under) (all weekend pass $7.00)
Head to the Queens County Farm Museum to watch an intertribal Native
American dance competition.
July 29-31

Saturday, July 30

First Annual New York Poetry Festival
Hop on the ferry to Governors Island to enjoy haikus, limericks, couplets and more!  Listen, read, and write as you admire the NYC skyline amongst the company of NYC’s best poets.
12pm-5pm

No Comments | Posted on July 28, 2011 | Categories: Entertainment, Event-Related, From the Blog, Native's Pick, Nightlife, Only in New York, Weekend Forecast

tags: Ellie Goulding, Lasgna, Trekkies, weekend

Fearlessly flying!

Fifteen years ago, I believed that I was destined to become an Olympic gymnast and immediately enrolled in classes at my local gymnastic center.  Shortly after we started learning summer-salts and cartwheels, we were instructed to walk across the high balance beam, at which point I burst into tears and refused to attempt any such gravity defying feat.  On a weekly basis, I adamantly protested walking across this death trap until my gymnastics career inevitably ceased due to my irrational fears.

A decade and a half later, five year old Melissa would be shocked to see where I was Tuesday night:  balancing high atop a flying trapeze, struggling to do flips and poses at Bushwick’s Sky Box.

Read the complete post »

3 Comments | Posted on July 28, 2011 | Categories: Attractions, Bushwick, From the Blog

tags: brooklyn, Circus, fun, Heights, Melissa Kravitz, Trapeze

In honor of restaurant week, I decided to sit down and make a list of my all-time favorite New York Restaurants that I think every New Yorker should go to.

If you are anything like me, and you are craving that perfect place to go for pizza, head down to Angelo’s at 53rd & Broadway. While it may not have the fame or notoriety of some of its counterparts in the area, Angelo’s is my favorite Italian restaurant in the city. The pizza is hand-tossed and cooked in a coal-burning brick oven so that the crust has a unique, smoky taste and the chefs always douse the pizza in a generous amount of mouth-watering tomato sauce and real, non-commercially processed mozzarella cheese. To top it off, they add a few fresh basil leaves for flavor and from there, you can pick from their topping list to make yourself the perfect pizza. Be sure to try the pepperoni, which is like no other pepperoni you will ever taste. Spicy and thick, these small pepperoni slices are simply to-die-for. Equally as delicious as their pizza are Angelo’s pastas. Be sure to try the Carbonara – made fresh with a thick, creamy white sauce tossed with green peas, mushrooms and ham slices, this dish could give some of the best Italian chefs a run for their money.

Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on July 28, 2011 | Categories: Dining, Dos and Don'ts, From the Blog, Manhattan, Native's Pick

tags: angelo's, chop't, favorite restaurants, iny writer, Le Monde, mel's burger bar, new york restaurants, Simone Marie Martelle, yummy food

Ever wanted to fly? Well now you can! Soar into Sky Box – a box of wonders discreetly located in Bushwick. Home to New York’s premiere aerialist community, Sky Box offers classes in silks, ballet, rope, trapeze, and lyra. The group is hosted by the House of Yes theater, which produces circus variety shows, music videos, and workshops. Inside New York‘s Shira Laucharoen and Melissa Kravitz swung out to get a glimpse from above.

Read the complete post »

2 Comments | Posted on July 28, 2011 | Categories: Attractions, Brooklyn, Bushwick, From the Blog, Native's Pick

tags: Arts, brooklyn, bushwick, Circus, exercise, Flying, fun, Shira Laucharoen, Silks

I’ve never been enthusiastic about free workshops at parks. Sure they’re interesting and hold many potential opportunities, but they’re also free, and nine times out of ten you get what you pay for; generally a boring, hard to hear instructor attempting to guide a small group of interested amateurs through dull material in stifling heat. So it was the subject matter, not the context, that drew me to a Word for Word Writers fiction-writing workshop at Bryant Park.

When I initially registered for the workshop I was not that familiar with Bryant Park. I had walked by it a few times and knew that it is by the main branch of the public library. Upon registering I took note that the workshop would be held in a section of the park referred to as the Reading Room. Brianna, my girlfriend and fellow writersigned up for the workshop as well.

Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on July 28, 2011 | Categories: Dos and Don'ts, Event-Related, From the Blog, Midtown East

tags: Bryant Park, Classes, Fiction, free, John Dewar, Park, reading, Workshop

Image thanks to Le Caire Lounge

Walking into Le Caire, I had no idea what to expect, but I was lured there by the promise of a sexy, relaxing Mediterranean evening, and that’s exactly what I got.  Nestled in a little building on the Lower East Side with red silk curtains, flickering candles, Moroccan chandeliers and the faint aroma of hookah wafting out the door, Le Caire allowed me to step into another world and forget about all my New York troubles– in the span of a New York minute.

I was greeted at the door by the friendly manager and his hostess and then seated on a plush red bench near the window, where I was free to peruse the extensive drink menu. My roommate and I chose to try Le Caire’s specialty: the mojito cocktails. While all the varieties on offer are delicious, there are two especially worth trying: The Hurricane, a tantalizingly exotic mix of light and dark rum, amaretto, grenadine, sour mix and pineapple juice; and the Raspberry Mojito, made with Bacardi rum, raspberry liqueur, club soda, fresh mint, and sugar. My roommate especially loved the former because it retained the tastiness of a mojito without leaving an overwhelming minty aftertaste. My personal favorite was the latter, which was slightly more traditional in its ingredients but still a sweet and sexy drink.

While we could easily have spent the whole night just sampling their various cocktails, my roommate and I thought it best to try some of Le Caire’s food – something we highly recommend you do as well.  Le Caire may be known for their drinks and ambiance, but their appetizers are equally deserving of mention. The sesame-studded falafel, served with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, warm pita bread and tahini dip, is simply divine; in fact, it may just be the best falafel I’ve tasted in New York so far. Better yet, however, is the hummus.  Admittedly, neither my roommate nor I was the biggest fan of hummus before we came to Le Caire, but after one bite of this delicious, mouth-watering, smooth spread, we were instantly hooked. My recommendation? Don’t leave Le Caire without trying it.

Unfortunately, the night had to come to an end early for me as I had work the next day, but I left with the thought of Le Caire’s falafel and hummus on my mind. I’ll be sure to go back soon to have some more, but until then, I’ll remember Le Caire as one of the best places to go in the city for a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

-Simone Marie Martelle 

1 Comment | Posted on July 27, 2011 | Categories: East Village, From the Blog

tags: bars, cocktails, east village, falafel, Hummus, le caire, lounges, Mediterranean, Simone Marie Martelle