We were recently back at SOPAC for an intimate concert of two different solo artists. We were…read moreseated in essentially the same seats as last time, but two rows closer to the stage. The seating was perfect; the theater was clean; and the sound was fantastic. It was certainly different having those types of movie-theater like seats for a concert, but, due to the calming nature of the two musicians, it still worked. However, there were definitely patrons that were treating it like a loud, standing room venue that were animatedly talking throughout most of the show. Despite their distractions, it was another excellent experience!

9/26/25: Beautifully structured building located in South Orange Village. The center contains 425…read morecomfortable seats. It was my very first visit. Excellent acoustics and visibility. We came to see Masters of The Telecaster ft. Truly excellent guitarists who played with some of the greats! The center has a small concession with alcohol and snacks. The venue has clean bathrooms. The facility has excellent parking. There's also street and municipal parking. Lots of police presence in the area. Lots of great restaurants within steps of this venue. In fact, we had stopped for a great dinner at Gaslight Brewery.

Our Harlem jazz club night with the AH-mazing Amanda Humes. Words cannot even describe this event,…read morebut Imma gunna give it a try! First, I suggest you only go on this tour, if you are sincerely interested in having the time of your life ALONG with learning about the history of Harlem Jazz. This was such a genuine, real, unpretentious night, never to be forgotten. I say, don't waste these people's lives if you are not sincerely into learning something new about Harlem, about people, about jazz, or about life. Just keep your comfy self at home. : ) This was one of the coolest, most surprising nights we've had in NYC! Amanda is a social genius, to say the least. She understands people, from all walks of life. She is a fabulous story teller and rolls out the night with a no-nonsense open heart. She does all she can to make you feel comfortable in showing you experiences that are hidden, off the beaten path and ones you could probably not find on your own. She goes above and beyond what most would do. You can see she puts 1000% into making this a remarkable experience for everyone. Amanda took my 17 year old daughter and me - along with abut 8 other people, deep into the world of jazz on 135th Street!! It was a night that was rich with genuine soul, enthusiastic passion, big energy and an experience that will forever live in our hearts! It was like getting a PHD in jazz and Harlem in a night! We have both been forever changed- and, THE TALENT WAS UNFORGETTABLE! Amanda gave us an inspiring night tour, that we really didn't want to end. We started way off the beaten path At The American Legion Post- A private club with Harlem's last original Hammond organ being put to great use by Greg Lewis (also known as Organ Monk) along with the very talented Russell Carter on Drums! This group was led by a two-time Grammy Nominated, Saxophonist and Flutist, (who just performed with Rod Stewart and The Roots on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon), Mr. David Lee Jones! His jazzy flute playing was INCREDIBLE! I had never heard the flute played like this in Jazz before... and it was toe-tapping, heart expanding good! Later in the evening, we walked down Swing Street - and saw all the old Jazz haunts from the prohibition era & the1930's and rode the, as Amanda called it, "municipal limousine" aka- bus- haha- to the amazing, sexy and high vibin' Minton's Playhouse to listen to Mr. Jason Marshall's & his extraordinarily talented and diverse Big Band! I personally loved the female trombonist... WOW! Minton's had AWESOME FOOD and delicious drinks! We loved the people that worked there and they all made us feel so special and welcomed. We had great seats too. They made us feel like they were 'waiting' for us. I think that might be the "Amanda Magic" haha! I noticed she is beloved in Harlem! We took scrumptious pictures of the night that will help keep our memories of this night forever alive. We met WONDERFUL new friends on the tour, from around the world - and fell in love with places we would have never found if it hadn't been for Amanda. It made us want to go back and do it all over again the next night. If you want a rare experience, something you can't find easily -- this is the tour for you. It was intimate and beyond entertaining. It made me wonder why I have never done a tour like this before. Amanda made it remarkable. She was born for this job. Her knowledge of music, Harlem history, musicians, along with her sense of humor, ability to communicate, love for people make her an outstanding guide. Also, I felt 1000% safe in her company. My daughter was eyes-wide-open INSPIRED and so was I... and our hearts danced ourselves to the taxi, wanting to play Billy Holiday all the way home. What a dream this night was for us to experience !!! Thank you to everyone who made it so special. Meredith and Lauren

What fun we had last night with Big Apple Jazz tours! Gordon is a wealth of information. He went…read moreoff the beaten path to show me a certain speakeasy. We then spent time at two very different and cool venues - both had great music and atmosphere. We met the musicians and felt super welcome. The drinks, the food, the company were superb. Special thanks to Amanda for singing and for hanging out!

I've known about Donald Judd for a few years. I'm originally from Texas and learned about Judd…read morethrough this time in Texas - and have seen some of his art in Marfa. But I'd never visited this NYC site until this past Friday, when I took a tour of his house/studio at 101 Spring Street. So who was Judd? An American artist associated with minimalism (although our tour guide told us that Judd didn't like the term). He bought this property in 1968 and used it for his residence and studio even as he started spending more time in Marfa beginning in the 70s. The tour was fantastic. For about an hour and a half, our tour guide showed us several different levels of the property - the kitchen and dining room, the bedroom floor, another floor which served as a design and studio space, and more. The space is - shock shock - minimalist, but there's incredible art (his and others), furniture (including a dining room table he designed that I loooooooved), and other incredible touches. Our tour guide shared incredible stories about Judd and his family. He was informative, friendly, and funny, and the tour was a delight. If you're interesting in art (especially 20th century art and concepts) or architecture (the property has been renovated but in a way intended to preserve the property as it was during Judd's life and use of it) or are just looking for something to do in the City that is a little bit off the beaten path, definitely check out this tour!

If you're a Donald Judd fan or a disciple of the minimalism aesthetic, 110% you should go. if you…read morelove art & design, it IS an interesting spot but not an absolute must-see, IMHO. bear in mind, it is INCREDIBLY minimalistic - there is not a ton to look at. That said, if you've never toured a 1860s/1870s cast iron 5-story loft building in SoHo, with all of the period charm still intact, you should def have a look. Tour is not the listed 75-90 mins, it runs inside of 60 mins for the guided tour of the 5 floors, so it's a small commitment.

Great clean free museum. Liked the quality of the content. I also liked the music that was playing…read morefor the exhibit.

I graduated from NYU in 2010, and I had never visited NYU's Grey Art Museum until last weekend when…read moreI visited with a friend. I was embarrassed (I'm sure I'd walked that block hundreds of times - how could I not have noticed it and visited at least once?), but then I learned that it only moved to this location on Cooper Square in 2024 after it closed its previous location and renovated this space. Whew. That being said, the Grey isn't large (really just one large room for a single exhibition). But - wow - the exhibition we saw (that ended on March 1) was incredible. "Make Way for Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde" surveyed the career of the "first woman modern art dealer," whom I had never heard of before! Berthe Weill purchased works by many modern artists very early in their careers (Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani), and the exhibition included 110 works, many of which were shown at her gallery in Paris before WWII. This exhibition was fascinating and included some incredible works. I also learned so much about her and her gallery, including what happened to her and the gallery during the War. The exhibition is next on its way to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and then off to Paris's Musée de l'Orangerie. So this really was a big deal of an exhibition. The museum is free to visit but they do suggest a donation as you enter. Other than a coat rack, some lockers for bags, bathrooms, and small area selling exhibition catalogues and other books, the Grey is really quite small. But this exhibition really packed a punch. I'll definitely keep my eye out for future exhibits to catch at the Grey.

Nice gallery and decent space, just no large open space. Alright staff, helpful if u ask they help…read moreyou find what you need to know but not welcoming they don't grey or smile at everyone even if you talk to them. Not a lot of works but a few interesting painting and sculptures this time.

I'm not in love with the layout of this place - the main area is a little tight for roaming and the…read moretucked-away back room just begs to be ignored - but I liked the Stephen Shore exhibit. Lots of dead white people who were cooler than I could ever be decades before I was born, made even cooler by the cooling touch of black and white. The lady on staff was very helpful and enthusiastic. The gallery also keeps coffee table books on hand that correspond roughly to works on display - cheat sheets for the masses (i.e. me).

Great little art gallery on East Broadway at the far edge of Chinatown…read more This place specializes in portraits. So go and stare at those a bit. Nice little backyard that is great for catching a little sun. Wished they had some seats so you could loiter a bit. Definitely wander in for a few minutes, let your imagination run wild and maybe Banksy might even show up...

A spunky little art gallery on the Lower East Side. They specialize in little-known contemporary…read moreartists who are working in traditional styles. Their openings are relaxed and fun. The gallery staff are very friendly and the supporting materials are good. The space is on the small size; it's a very easy, enjoyable stop downtown.

Cute little historical museum in the heart of Morristown. Plenty of street parking in this…read moreresidential neighborhood. It's $10 admission, and you learn about the Maccullochs but most of the content is on Thomas Nast, the famous 19th century political cartoonists. There is a good collection of his drawings but even more impressive were a few of his giant political paintings. Only a few of his paintings survived the play they were made for - 2 are here, one is at the library, and 5 are in DC not currently on display. So it's definitely a unique find. The founder of the museum mixed in a lot of his collection that doesn't relate to Nast of the Maccullochs, but there are beautiful sculptures, paintings, and furniture on display from the 17th to 19th century. It's self-guided, but there was a guide around who gave us more information and answered questions we had. It was a great albeit small art collection. There is a big garden outside that is free to stroll around in. It's a nice place to visit to spend the afternoon.

The experience was too teir! Staff was amazing and so so nice! The exhibits are very informative…read moreand explore many different time periods ranging from the 1700s-1800s!

THE BOSS on Broadway was a once in a lifetime experience and we loved it…read more Happened to be in NYC walking around Broadway and saw the theater that Bruce Springsteen was doin his residency. So I thought let's try and see if any tickets were available cause all shows had been sold out for ages. I walked into the box office around 2 in the afternoon and only 1 couple were ahead of me in line. The ticket lady indicated to them that a pair of tickets were left for that nights event. Now I'm pissed cause I know they will snap them up. But then he started complaining $600 per ticket was too high and I'm like WTF I'm gonna be able to score. I had my poker face on and when they left I basically said I'll take both. Out comes my AMEX card and boom we're going to THE BOSS! Now these were amazing seats ! First Row Box Seats and so these are angled seats located on the side of mezzanine level which was private perspective. THE BOSS arrives on stage and gives his autobiographical journey of his life and music travels through time. Unfortunately Patti his wife was ill and didn't attend that night. However it was a phenomenal experience and seeing SPRINGSTEEN striped down and raw playin his acoustic guitar is at the pinnacle my musical mountain of experiences in my life. Amazing is really all the words I need to utter.

Danny Federici gave my dad our first tickets for free. 11.1.78 Darkness Opener 2nd Leg. I've been…read morea deeply devoted fan since with stories and meets and more. Worked at the Kharagushian Mill in Freehold a time which he speaks about when he does speak to us from stages anymore - where his father worked, across the street from where the Castilles were born. I'm not alone amongst many Shore people that can recite long gone places and long faded faces. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. That's the legend. Not the merch and the celebrity glitz. Names like Bubbles Pachonic, Club Spanky, that shut down plant in Youngstown and so much more that....meant something. Life wasn't about merch and who was rich enough to get in; it was about salvation, redemption, mercy, brother and sisterhood and about who was never too poor to walk into an E Street Band Show. That was rock and roll. not the gilded future Jon built. How many ways can you resell the past before you run out of a now that's meaningful? This Broadway show was purportedly born simply. He'd written of or was finishing his biography cleverly titled "Born to Run" (which is what he should be doing - "be a author - get a little something for yourself") when he played a private show for Obama with bits from his bio and sone songs. Then we paid the intimacy at first just for a President. And that's what started here on Broadway - pricing out the people that he wrote about and wrote for and it has only gotten worse. I saw him twice on Broadway in the Tom Joad-priced $70 seats as an act of loyalty but he still moved me, including to tears a time or two because there's more to our history-Highway, as star and true fans than all the Johnny Come Lately's with their snide comments and fat wallets will ever know. The only other time I'd cried was for Danny during Backstreets in Tampa day after his Red Bank funeral. I'll go to my grave a fan but these shadows you see now in these later years of Broadway and this 2023 tour are of a man, a force that once stood for something and never knelt. Don't believe his self effacing nonsense in the Broadway show that it was just a magic trick and fraud back then. And ignore the comic blaspheming he allows as Steve mock strangles him on the current tour. It breaks my heart- what's left of it. There was Justice back then in just us. Man and band and fans and a musical unity that meant something. A lot more than $800 or even $5000. Broadway was the beginning surrender to the new myth he was a myth. He wasn't. We aren't either. For those of us who were there: we know.