Pinknic Baskets by Chris Santos - Photo by Ken Goodman
Pinknic Baskets by Chris Santos – Photo by Ken Goodman
Created by the founders of La Nuit en Rosé –- the world’s first event series dedicated to rosé wine -– PINKNIC will gather over 16,000 wine and food lovers for the ultimate New York City festival experience this season.
One admission ticket will treat guests to exclusive rosé wine offerings, custom picnic baskets designed by Chef Chris Santos, thousands of specially designed pink picnic blankets, and performances by celebrated international and local musicians including Miami Horror, Cedric Alexander C.M.A, Claptone, Tortured Soul, and Slow Hands, on an elevated center stage.
Sure to be an experience that finally gives meaning to the mantra, “rosé all day,” this weekend-long event will blanket Governors Island with the best wine, food and live music for escaping the chaotic, summer streets of Manhattan.
City of Water Day, our region’s largest waterfront festival, returns Saturday, Jul. 16. This annual celebration of the New York and New Jersey waterfront area offers waterfront activity fairs at both Governors Island and Hoboken’s Maxwell Place Park, in addition to dozens of In Your Neighborhood sites. The festival runs from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM with Disney and Con Edison as returning sponsors.
“This is the day that we celebrate our magnificent waterfront and play,” said Waterfront Alliance president and CEO Roland Lewis. “Whether you just moved to this beautiful city of water or you grew up in the Rockaways, whether you’re an old salt or you’ve never stepped foot on a dock, grab friends and family and head for the water on City Of Water Day! Together, we are working to protect and transform our waterfront, making sure it is accessible and resilient; and together we will savor the fresh air, the views, the vitality, and the diversity of this great harbor.”
Some of this year’s festival highlights:
• Free Boat Rides – Thousands of free seats on special boat tours are a hallmark of City Of Water Day. In addition to rides on tall ships, charter yachts and a fireboat, free ferries will run for this day only between Hoboken and Governors Island to connect the two City Of Water Day hubs. Reservations for free boat tour seats will be announced on the City of Water Day website and social media later this month.
• Con Edison Cardboard Kayak Race – The fourth annual Con Edison Cardboard Kayak Race will take place at Governors Island during City Of Water Day. At noon, 25 teams—including squads from three-time winner Stevens Institute of Technology and the U.S. Coast Guard, plus competitors from local boat clubs, universities, high schools and family groups, will gather on Kayak Hill to receive identical amounts of cardboard and tape. The teams will take two hours to design and build vessels, and then they’ll jump in and race those boats to much — guaranteed — hilarity.
• Disney Children’s Activities – A special section of children’s activities on Governors Island, presented by Disney, will offer dozens of games and hands-on activities, from face-painting to fishing. A full listing of activities will be available in early July.
• City of Water Day In Your Neighborhood – City of Water Day is truly a citywide event! Expanding every year, the In Your Neighborhood program offers free activities on City Of Water Day in all five boroughs, Yonkers, and in New Jersey. Check out the In Your Neighborhood map to find the City of Water Day event closest to you.
Actress and alumna of the daytime soap opera Guiding Light, and most recently, star of Betrayal, Wendy Moniz Grillo, is a Downtown mom with three school-age boys and a real passion for the community in which she’s chosen to raise them. She is currently hard at work on the feature film, The Grief of Others, but found time to talk about her love of Lower Manhattan and share some of her favorite family spots in the area.
What do you like about living Downtown?
When my husband and I moved back from Venice Beach, I wanted to be where I still felt like I was in the City but where I could walk a couple of blocks and be on the water. So, we stumbled upon Battery Park and recently made the move to TriBeCa. I love living close to the water and the fact that it is easy to get from the west side to the east side and be on the water in a short amount of time.
What are your favorite things about being a City mom? I love experiencing the change of the seasons. The pull of Downtown, for me, is the openness compared to other parts of the City. The amount of playgrounds and open spaces are great.
What are the challenges of being a working mom in the City? When the kids were little and in a stroller, the subways were definitely a challenge. But that never phased me. I feel the experiences of raising kids in the City are unique, and I can’t imagine not living here.
What is your family’s favorite summer activity? Governor’s Island! When I discovered it, I couldn’t believe it. You feel like you are somewhere else entirely. We look forward to going there each summer. The kids love it because we take the bikes, and I love it because I’m a nervous Nelly with the kids on the bikes, and since cars are not allowed, I feel safe while the kids ride their bikes.
What is the best parenting advice/phrase you were given or can share? Keeping a schedule is HUGE! From babies through grade school, you need to regulate them in almost every way and keep them feeling secure and happy. I always strive for a plan for the day that my children can rely on. It’s always helped them and me! [Continues…]
By Denise Courter
Wendy Moniz Grillo is featured on DOWNTOWN’s Summer 2014 edition. If you would like to continue reading the entire interview, you can find our latest issue on newsstands now!Or you can subscribe to DOWNTOWN Magazine for home delivery by clickinghere.
While many New Yorkers are packing up to leave the city for Memorial Day weekend destinations, others choose to stay behind and take advantage of all the things the Big Apple has to offer. While tourists flock in, and natives flock out, DOWNTOWN stays put to suggest a list of worthwhile Memorial Day activities for new comers and seasoned inhabitants alike.
Here are a list of 5 NYC-centric things to do over the holiday weekend.
1. May 22nd starts off Fleet Week. Discover your inner sailor or check out the men in uniform. Visit Pier 92 to take a ship tour starting May 22nd – 27th. All ships are open to the public from 8AM to 5PM. And don’t forget to check out the calendar with all the activities happening around the city. More info on theFleet Week‘s website.
2. Visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum to remember a momentous day in history. Read everything about the 9/11 Memorial Museum opening by clicking here. The entrance is located at the intersection of Liberty Street and Greenwhich St. and is open from 8:30AM until 8:30PM.
3. Climb aboard North River Lobster Co‘s floating lobster shack and experience the Hudson River and delicious seafood simultaneously. This dinner sets sail four times a day for a unique 45 minute sailing and dining experience. Each trip is 45 minutes long with departures at 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, and 9PM.
4. Head to Governor’s Island and enjoy the sunshine while swinging in a hammock. Ferries depart from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street. This Memorial Day weekend there are extended hours from 10AM to 7PM.
5. Explore the Seaport and witness its revival from Hurricane Sandy. Make sure to check out Front/Row Cinema for a screening of Mission Impossible at 8PM this Friday May 23rd. On Saturday May 24th, look forward to the jazz music of Dandy Wellington and his Band at 1PM.
