Good free family event in the neighborhood today — the 10th Annual Mamapalooza Festival is taking place at Pier I in Riverside Park South (Hudson River & 70th). There will be food, live music, kids activities, crafts and more.

Among the many festivities in the neighborhood this weekend is the annual Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Festival on Saturday (5/18). The action runs pretty much all day, from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm, at 302 W. 91st (at West End Avenue) and features traditional Greek food and desserts, music and dancing, a flea market, and [...]

If you come across a small ceremony in front of 312 W. 77th (between Riverside & West End) on Thursday afternoon and are wondering what the deal is, it’s to honor jazz great Miles Davis with the placement of a “cultural medallion” at his former Upper West Side home. Here are some brief details from [...]

I think it’s fair to say that many people have old CD collections lying around that they’re not sure what to do with. Some still listen to them, while others have transferred the content to MP3 format. I suspect a lot of the actual discs get thrown out or donated to libraries, but one Upper [...]

Free and cheap events in the neighborhood on Tuesday, May 14th, 2013… Kids Eat Free At Big Nick’s Big Nick’s Burger & Pizza Joint (2175 Broadway, between 76th & 77th) All Day Kid’s 12 & under eat free (dine-in only, kids menu, minimum $10 check with adult) Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand Columbus Circle 12:00 [...]

Looks like better weather tomorrow than today — perfect timing for the 7th Annual Japan Day in Central Park. The free festival features activities, stage programs, and food (yes, the food is free too).

Free and cheap events in the neighborhood on Monday, May 6th, 2013… Hampton’s Summer Preview Party Empire Hotel (44 W. 63rd, at Columbus & Broadway) Doors open at 6:00, Live music from 6:30 – 9:30 pm FREE (Cash bar) Sackler Brain Bench: Why We Eat What We Eat with Drew Ramsey & Amy Bentley Museum [...]

The 12th Annual New York City Irish Dance Festival takes place on the Upper West Side this afternoon. The event is free and there are activities for people of all ages.

UPDATE, 12:35 pm: UWS Photo Of The Day: Cinco De Mayo Parade Heading Down W. 106th To CPW It’s Cinco de Mayo today, and the official parade takes place on the Upper West Side. The action goes down on Central Park West, between 96th & 106th Streets. I believe the celebration runs for most of [...]

Free and cheap events in the neighborhood on Monday, April 29th, 2013… Wine Tasting/Meet The Winemaker: Tal Pelter of Pelter Winery 67 Wine (179 Columbus, at 68th) 4:00 – 7:00 pm FREE Community Discussion On Preventing Gun Violence, with Congressman Jerrold Nadler Stephen Wise Free Synagogue (30 W. 68th, between Columbus & CPW) 7:30 – [...]

One of the things I love about New York is that you never know what random thing you’re going to see at any given moment… If you were at the 66th Street/Lincoln Center subway station yesterday morning, you would have happened upon Grammy Award winner Michael Buble singing a capella. Daily News has a couple [...]

Summer is getting closer… Earlier this week the lineup for SummerStage 2013 was released. This morning, Good Morning America followed suit with the announcement of the 2013 GMA Summer Concert Series schedule. 15 free concerts will take place in Central Park on Friday mornings from late-May to the end of August. This year’s concert series [...]

Free and cheap events in the neighborhood on Wednesday, April 24th, 2013… After Hours Programs: Adventures in the Global Kitchen — The Art of Fermentation Linder Theater @ American Museum Of Natural History (W.77th, btw. CPW & Columbus) 6:30 pm — Ticket holders also receive complimentary after-hours admission to Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture [...]

The wind chill is in the 30s as I type this, but we’re a week away from May and it’ll be June before you know it. In a telltale sign that summer is just around the corner, yesterday the City Parks Foundation released the schedule for SummerStage 2013, New York City’s largest free performing arts [...]

Free and cheap events in the neighborhood on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013… Kids Eat Free At Big Nick’s Big Nick’s Burger & Pizza Joint (2175 Broadway, between 76th & 77th) All Day Kid’s 12 & under eat free (dine-in only, kids menu, minimum $10 check with adult) Veggiecation Kids Culinary Class Whole Foods, Columbus Square [...]