Tag: live music NYC

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: 20 Fun Things to Do in NYC Today: Salsa, Jazz & Movies

Wednesday in New York has a way of sneaking up on you. One minute it’s a regular workday, the next you’re choosing between a salsa social in Washington Square Park and a jazz set on Orchard Street. Today’s lineup — twenty picks pulled together for September 30th — leans hard into that beautiful problem.

Here’s the full rundown, morning to night. All times are EDT.

Morning: markets and movement

8:00 AM — Bartel-Pritchard Square Greenmarket. Prospect Park West & 15th St, Brooklyn. The classic early-bird move: farm-fresh produce, flowers, and coffee before the city fully wakes up.

8:00 AM — Line Dance Fitness. Betsy Head Park Handball Courts, Boyland St & Dumont Ave, Brooklyn. A workout that doesn’t feel like one — line dancing outdoors with a group.

Afternoon: midtown musi

2:30 PM — Big City Folk: Midtown Music. Greeley Square Park, Broadway & 6th Ave (W 32nd–33rd St), Manhattan. A midday breather with live folk in the middle of Midtown — easy to catch on a lunch break.

Evening: the main event(s)

From five o’clock on, the city goes into overdrive. Here’s everything, in order:

5:00 PM — New York Swings with Josh Lee and the Family. Manhattan West Plaza, 385 9th Ave, Manhattan. Swing dancing outdoors as the workday ends — bring a partner or come solo, dancers tend to rotate.

5:30 PM — intenSati in Forest Park. Sgt. Schaefer Oval Lawn, Myrtle Ave & Park Lane South, Queens. Part workout, part spoken affirmation, all energy — intenSati classes are famously uplifting.

6:00 PM — Circus Arts in Herald Square. Herald Square Park, Broadway at W 35th St, Manhattan. Acrobats and aerialists in one of the city’s busiest plazas.

6:00 PM — Woven Together Fashion Show. Positive Exposure Gallery, 83 Maiden Lane, 4th Floor, Manhattan. An evening of fashion with a message — Positive Exposure’s work celebrates people of all abilities.

6:00 PM — Salsa Social. Garibaldi Plaza, Washington Square Park, 5th Ave & Waverly Pl, Manhattan. Open-air salsa under the arch — one of the night’s best bets if you want to meet people.

6:00 PM — Waterfront Workouts: Amp’d Bootcamp. Pier 2, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 150 Furman St, Brooklyn. High-energy bootcamp with skyline views. You’ll earn dinner.

6:00 PM — Open Mic. Q.E.D. Astoria, 27-16 23rd Ave, Queens. Astoria’s beloved comedy-and-more room opens its stage — comics, storytellers, and the wonderfully unpredictable.

6:00 PM — Tango in the Park. Sutton Place Park, East River (E 56th–57th St), Manhattan. Argentine tango as the sun drops over the East River. Hard to beat.

6:30 PM — Evening Salute to the Sun (Sunset Yoga). 66th Street Plaza, Riverside Park South, Manhattan. An all-levels flow timed to golden hour along the Hudson.

6:30 PM — Orchard Street Jazz Festival: Anna Webber’s Shimmer Wince. Close Up, 154 Orchard St, Lower East Side. Adventurous, modern jazz in an intimate LES room.

6:30 PM — Cate Le Bon with Lucrecia Dalt and Dagmar Zuniga. Knockdown Center, 52-19 Flushing Ave, Queens. Art-pop at its most interesting — three distinctive voices, one big room.

6:30 PM — Maggie FM + Shearing + Raybody. Night Club 101, 101 Avenue A, Manhattan. A triple bill for the East Village’s indie faithful.

6:30 PM — The Art of Muzic. SOB’s, 204 Varick St, Manhattan (doors 6:30 PM). The legendary Sounds of Brazil room hosts a night of live music.

7:00 PM — BMI Acoustic Lounge: Bentley Robles + Anne Tello. Lucinda’s, 169 Avenue A, Manhattan. Stripped-down sets from two songwriters.

7:00 PM — Weak Signal + Masaaki. Union Pool, 484 Union Ave, Brooklyn. Guitars and noise in Williamsburg’s favorite backyard venue.

7:00 PM — Patsy’s Punk Bitch Happy Hour. Bossa Nova Civic Club, 1271 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn. Happy hour with a punk snarl — loud and fun.

7:15 PM — Movies Under the Stars in Harlem: “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.” Jackie Robinson Park Bandshell, 85 Broadhurst Ave, Harlem. Outdoor cinema to close out the night. And if one film isn’t enough this week, our Resident Evil review covers what’s haunting theaters right now.

Best for meeting people

If tonight’s about making new friends, the original roundup points to four winners: the Salsa Social in Washington Square Park, New York Swings at Manhattan West, the QED open mic in Astoria, and the early-evening dance parties generally. Hard to argue.

Good to know

Outdoor events are weather-dependent, so it’s worth a quick check before heading out. The roundup doesn’t list ticket prices, so confirm with the venue if you’re unsure. And if you’re crisscrossing the boroughs for all of this, robotaxi fleets are scaling up fast — the future of getting across town is arriving quickly.

Twenty picks, one Wednesday. See you out there.

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Cristina Fontanelli’s Elegant Evening of Music in Manhattan

Manhattan still knows how to throw a salon. On a Wednesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m., Cristina Fontanelli’s Elegant Evening of Music and Culture will gather a select crowd in one of the city’s most striking private residences — an interior that opens onto a seasonal terrace overlooking Central Park.

Hosted by Donald Pullman and Norman A. Ellis, the reception is built around everything Fontanelli does best: live musical performance placed at the center of the evening rather than the margins, cocktails, wine, and hors d’oeuvres served with unhurried grace, and a guest list chosen for conversation as much as cachet. A VIP champagne toast earlier in the evening offers the most intimate tier of the night, before the larger program begins.

The invitation itself sets the register — ornate floral detailing in soft blush and gold, typography with a dancer’s posture — promising an evening that feels cultivated rather than staged. That has always been Fontanelli’s signature: artistic excellence delivered with approachable warmth, in rooms where music, architecture, and hospitality are allowed to breathe together.

Spring timing does the rest. The terrace, the park views, the early-evening light — it all folds into the particular Manhattan tradition this evening belongs to, where culture is savored slowly and the city itself becomes part of the décor.

Related Reading

Originally published on Times Square Chronicles.