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Why settle for someone else's idea of what you'd enjoy seeing and doing while you're visiting New York City. Let Big Apple Visitors Center plan a one-of-a-kind itinerary for you with insider tips that make getting around town easier, faster and cheaper. We'll even tell you how to get front-row orchestra seats for tonight’s performance of Wicked for only $25 each, or Avenue Q for only $21.25 each.

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Special Events

AIDS Walk New York   May 18
AIDS Walk New York begins at 10:00am. Since thousands of people will be participating, it is suggested that you arrive promptly at 8:30am. Most people will take about 2 1/2 hours to walk the ten kilometers (6.2 miles). It is important to wear sturdy shoes and dress in layers for comfort. Water, refreshments and rest room facilities will be provided at checkpoints along the route. Benefits Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC),
the nation’s oldest AIDS organization, which provides services for thousands of men, women, and children with HIV/AIDS in New York City, and reaches tens of thousands more through its education and advocacy programs.

Free Walking Tours of Greenwich Village  May 17 – Oct 18
Arthur Marks, Greenwich Village's premier raconteur & favorite tour guide weaves together the highlights of Greenwich Village history with delicious inside stories. Tours depart from the northwest corner of 2nd Avenue & St Marks Place at 11:30AM. Coming by subway? Take the or to the 8th Street Station or the to Astor Place & walk east
to 2nd Avenue. Tour Dates, Saturdays Only: May 17 & 31, June 21 & 28, July 12 & 26, Aug 9 & 23; Sept 6 & 20, Oct 4 & 18. For more information, call 1(212) 777-2173.

Fleet Week   May 21-28
Hosted nearly every year since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the City's celebration of the sea services. This annual event provides an opportunity to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness first hand the latest capabilities of today's Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Team. Fleet Week includes dozens of military demonstrations and displays throughout the week, as well as public
visitation of many of the participating ships. Last year 95,000 guests enjoyed visiting the ships, meeting their crews, and learning about their technology.

Victoria Gardens, Central Park   May 24 – Sept 14
Rediscover your childhood right in New York City’s backyard. Victoria Gardens features a wide assortment of games, food, and exciting rides including: Aeromax, Kite Flyer 8, and Whac-A-Mole. Enjoy cotton candy, caramel apples, and face painting. Open Monday – Friday 11am – 7pm, Weekends & holidays 10am – 8pm. Victoria Gardens at Wollman Rink is located just north of the park entrance at 59th Street and 6th Ave. For more information, call 1(212) 982-2229.

Washington Square Art Exhibit May 24 - 26, May 31 & June 1
One of the oldest juried shows in New York City. Artist who exhibit are among those who's work you can view in museums and galleries around the world. The exhibit started in depression-era 1931 and many of the struggling young artists who participated in the early years went on to become household names. The exhibit is not limited to the usual artistic media, it also includes artists who work in craft-like materials such as
leather, jewelry and fabrics. LaGuardia Place between Bleecker & E 4th Streets | University Place between E 3rd & E 12th Streets | and a couple of adjacent side streets along the way. For more information, call 1(212) 982-6255.

Ninth Avenue International Food Festival   May 24 & 25
This two-day International Food Festival is an ethnic cuisine extravaganza. Last year, more than 1 million festival-goers enjoyed good food at down-to-earth prices in New York's most famous food district … only two blocks west of Times Square. Taste foods from around the world including: meatball parmesan, baklava, six foot heroes, Sicilian seafood, Thai foods, Greek barbecue, plus fabulous
desserts from bakeries, groceries, shops and restaurants along the 20-block stretch of Ninth Avenue from 37th to 57th Streets. Come for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a snack. For more information, call 1(212) 581-7217.

4 New York City Waterfalls along East River  
        
From mid-July to mid-October "The New York City Waterfalls" will be on display along the East River. Circle Line Downtown will provide special 30-minute Waterfall tours with an audio introduction by the internationally renown artist who created them, Olafur Eliasson. Visitors will be able to see an up close view of the waterfalls at Brooklyn Bridge, Governors Island, Pier 35 in Manhattan, and Piers 4 & 5 in Brooklyn. After sunset they will be lit, adding a striking element to New York City's impressive skyline. All tours depart from South Street Seaport, Pier 16. Tickets: $10. For more information, call 1(866) 925.4631.

Museums


Color Chart: Reinventing Color, 1950 to Today   Thru May 12
Midway through the twentieth century, long-held convictions regarding the spiritual truth or scientific validity of particular colors gave way to an excitement about color as a mass-produced and standardized commercial product. The Romantic quest for personal expression instead became Andy Warhol's "I want to be a machine;" the artistry of mixing pigments was eclipsed by
Frank Stella's "Straight out of the can; it can't get better than that." Color Chart is the first major exhibition devoted to this pivotal transformation, featuring work by some forty artists ranging from Ellsworth Kelly and Gerhard Richter to Sherrie Levine and Damien Hirst. The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53 St, between 5th and 6th Aves, 1(212) 708-9400. www.moma.org

The Horse       May 17 – January 4
This exhibition examines the powerful and continuing relationship between the horse and humans. It explores the origins of the horse family, extending back over more than 50 million years; examine early interactions between horses and humans that led to horse domestication; and see how horses have, over time, changed warfare, trade, transportation, agriculture, sports, and many other facets of human life. and civilization." American Museum of
Natural History, Central Park West and 79th St, 1(212) 769-5100. amnh.org

Whitney Biennial 2008       Thru June 1
Today there are more artists working in more genres, using more varieties of material, and moving among more geographic locations than ever before. By exploring the networks that exist among contemporary artists and the work they create, the Biennial characterizes the state of American art today. More than a third of the 81artists participating in the Biennial will present works both at the Whitney Museum and at the Park Avenue Armory, allowing
artists to show in the Museum even while they seek ways to complicate and transcend its parameters. Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Ave (at 75 St) 1(800) WHITNEY (944-8639). www.whitney.org

Bela Lugosi’s Ellis Island Story    Thru October 15
The immigrant experience of legendary movie actor Bela Lugosi—best known for his portrayal of Count Dracula—comes to life seven times daily at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum’s intimate Living Theater. Taking a Chance on America: Bela Lugosi’s Ellis Island Story features a reenactment of the Ellis Island inspection process. Show times are 10:45; 11:30; 12:15; 1:00; 2:30; 3:15; and 4:00. Admission is $6.00. For more information or to make group
reservations, call 1(212) 561-4500, ext. 0 or visit Ellis Island Living Theatre

Entertainment


NYC Ballet’s Jerome Robbins Celebration   Thru June 29
The Jerome Robbins celebration features 33 ballets by the great American choreographer who made New York City Ballet his artistic home for nearly 40 years. Guest artists to include dancers from American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, and The Royal Ballet. The Celebration also marks the 90th anniversary of the choreographer's birth in 1918 and will feature 33 ballets that Robbins created over a span of more than 50 years. In 1957 Robbins’
groundbreaking West Side Story opened on Broadway. Other landmark Broadway musicals that Robbins conceived, choreographed, and directed include Gypsy (1959) and Fiddler on the Roof (1964). New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, Columbus Ave @ West 63rd St, 1(212) 870-5570.

Kanye West   May 15   7:30pm
Grammy® award-winning artist Kanye West takes over Madison Square Garden with Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco on the Glow in the Dark Tour. West arrives fresh off of his impressive Grammy wins including, Best Rap Album (Graduation), Best Rap Song ("Good Life"), Best Rap Solo Performance ("Stronger") and Best Rap Performance By A Duo or Group ("Southside" with Common). Madison Square Garden, 7th Ave at 33rd St.
Tickets: Call 1(212) 307-7171 or visit Ticketmaster.com

Van Halen   May 23   8pm
Van Halen has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide and have had the most number one hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Van Halen is the 19th best selling band/artist of all time with sales of over 56 million albums in the USA and is one of five rock bands that have had two albums sell more than 10 million copies in the USA. Madison Square Garden, 7th Ave at 33rd St.
Tickets: Call 1(212) 307-7171 or visit Ticketmaster.com

Eagles – Long Road out of Eden Tour   May 28 - 30   8pm
The group's first best-of collection, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, is the best-selling album of all time, having sold 26 million copies. It was the first album to be certified platinum (1 million sold) by the Recording Industry Association of America, which introduced that classification in 1976. They released four consecutive number 1 albums between 1975 and 1979 — One of These Nights, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, Hotel California and
The Long Run — which collectively topped Billboard's album chart for 27 weeks. Madison Square Garden, 7th Ave at 33rd St. Tickets: Call 1(212) 307-7171 or visit Ticketmaster.com

Sports


140th Running of the Belmont Stakes   June 7
The Belmont Stakes follows the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes and determines the peak of the equine elite. It’s the oldest of America's three Triple Crown races (first run on June 19, 1867). The Belmont has established itself as the ultimate test of championship stamina. Its 1½-mile distance now has become a rarity in American dirt races. For more information and admission, call 1(516) 488-6000.
Directions to Belmont Park: train to 169th St or 179th St, then transfer to Q2 bus to Belmont Park. Or train to Jamaica Center (Parsons Blvd), then transfer to Q110 bus to Belmont Park.

New York Mets - Baseball
Mets 2008 Schedule
Regular season home games played at Shea Stadium
123-01 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, Queens
Bus: Q48, Q66
Subway: to Willets Pt, Shea Stadium 

New York Yankees - Baseball
Yankees 2008 Schedule
Regular season home games played at Yankee Stadium
River Ave & 161 St, Bronx
Bus: Bx1, Bx6, Bx13
Subway: to 161 St - Yankee Stadium

New York Red Bulls - Soccer
Red Bulls 2008 Schedule
Regular season home games played at Giant Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ. For information & availability of tickets, call 1 (201) 935-9500.
Directions from Port Authority Bus Terminal, 8th Ave & 41st St.
NJ Transit Load-and-Go bus service (20 minute ride) begins 2 hours in advance of the game. For NJ Transit information, call 1(800) 772-2222.

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