With commercial real estate prices forever on the rise, landmark novelty shops like Dan’s Chelsea Guitars are slowly (and sadly) becoming a rarity in this fine city. Luckily for all of the city’s would be guitar heroes…Dan’s Chelsea Guitars is still standing! Located in the historically vibrant Chelsea Hotel, this shop has been in existence for 19 years under the ownership of Dan Courtenay – a native New Yorker himself. Dan and his staff of characters have been sustaining a love for the guitar among musicians and non-musicians alike, by living the store’s motto of “it all starts with a good guitar.” The store’s staff serves a litany of customers ranging from the true beginner to the string aficionado with an extensive stock of new, used, and vintage guitars. During the store’s lifetime, its walls have been blessed enough to have seen and heard the likes of music legends such as David Crosby, Keith Richards, and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons! Aside from it’s well renowned guitar collection, the store also boasts an elaborate supply of amps ranging from various decades – all of which aim to satisfy any guitarist’s feedback desire. So take in a piece of New York’s musical history and join show host Shirley as she ventures in to this one of a kind shop and busts out a guitar riff of her own!

Dan’s Cheslea Guitars

220 West 23rd Street, 10011

www.chelseaguitars.com

What are some of your favorite New York City novelty shops?

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For more than 20 years, the dancer-illusionists of MOMIX have been creating living art pieces under the guidance of Moses Pendleton. Five dramatically different shows use props, humor, music, and the human body to create surrealistic images of the everyday world around us, as well as the spiritual one which inspires us. Opus Cactus, Sun Flower Moon, and MOMIX in Orbit bring a desert landscape to the stage, create vignettes of light and shadow, and incorporate multimedia for a journey out of this world. Baseball evokes the essence of spirit created only by America’s pastime. Spirituality is explored and brought to life with the collaboration of Peter Gabriel and his powerful score in Passion. While performing at The Joyce Theater in Chelsea, this innovative Artistic Director and Choreographer discusses how these sensual and athletic moving sculptures continue to evolve.

www.mosespendleton.com

The Joyce Theater
175 8th Avenue, 10011

www.joyce.org

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The secrets of spinning are revealed at the Scratch DJ Academy in 10011. The founders of Scratch believe that the skills needed to be a DJ are indeed an art form that should be made accessible to all music enthusiasts. Classes cover everything from mixing and blending, to scratching and beat juggling, with many taught by world famous DJ instructors. Is all this scratching making you itch?

www.scratch.com

Open the door to Billy’s Bakery and you feel like you’re walking into your grandma’s kitchen. It’s warm, nostalgic, and smells incredible. Take a seat and watch the pastry chefs in action while enjoying your own scrumptious treat. Yummy Banana cake with cream cheese frosting and cup cakes are best sellers. Billy’s even delivers in Manhattan so you can indulge your sweet tooth without walking out your door!

www.billysbakerynyc.com

184 9th Ave, 10011

Put on a happy face at Kids ‘N Comedy, a school for young, aspiring stand-up comics. Held at the Gotham Comedy Club, the organization’s monthly workshops and shows guide 8-16 year olds with writing, editing, and delivering their own quirky routines. The classes are taught by experienced comedians and teacher who provide the students with insight into how to express their unique world views. Talent scouts also take notice. Celebrities like Josh Peck of Nickelodeon’s “Drake and Josh” had their beginnings at Kids ‘N Comedy. “The classes are an evolution,” says President Jo Ann Grossman. “If the kid’s got [something] in them to develop, then they should do it.” Note to teachers: Next time you hear snickers in the back of the classroom, think about sending that clown to comedy school instead of detention!

www.kidsncomedy.com
Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23 Street, 10011

Eli Klein Fine Art gallery in 10012 is a fine example of New Yorkers giving back to their community. Owner and namesake, Eli Klein, was born and raised around the corner and has recruited a team of three other native New Yorkers to help create a finely crafted cultural experience. “We’re really reinvigorating the downtown arts scene,” says director and curator Rebecca Heidenberg. After flocking to Chelsea, Soho is now experiencing a resurgence of art spaces and Eli Klein Fine Art is at the forefront of this movement.

Their first exhibition, entitled Referencing Alexander Calder: A Dialogue in Modern and Contemporary Art, is a thoughtful collection of both modern masters and emerging artists. “It’s important to have a context for contemporary art,” Heidenberg explains of the mixed genres, “We try to showcase the history of art and place the newer pieces within that context.” The result is an uplifting and colorful collection of paintings, photographs, mobiles, sculptures and installations all perfectly showcased in this bright two story Soho store.

Upcoming shows include Chinese Contemporary Art followed by a Canadian Contemporary showcase.

Check it out at www.elikleinfineart.com

462 West Broadway, 10012

What better place to sip a beer in New York City than Chelsea Brewing Company, the largest microbrewery in all of Manhattan. The spacious 12,000 square foot space is richly constructed in mahogany wood and boasts 24ft ceilings. It has a wall of floor to ceiling windows allowing a spectacular view of the marina on the Hudson River and, of course, the multi-barrel brewhouse behind the bar. The restaurant offers a selection of 20 hand-crafted premium beers, and the brewhouse is capable of producing 100,000 cases annually. They also serve a fine selection of wines and a bevy of tasty treats to accompany your malty brew. Beer aficionados, curious customers and thirsty New Yorkers take note!

Hop on over to www.chelseabrewingco.com

Chelsea Piers, Pier 59, 10011

Chelsea Piers Sports and Entertainment Complex is a playland for all ages in the middle of Manhattan. Whether you are a serious athlete looking for off-season training or a sometimes sport looking for entertainment, Chelsea Piers is the place to go. Transformed in 1910 from dilapidated water front, the space was eventually constructed into a sporting megaplex in 1994 by the same firm that designed Grand Central Terminal. The concept was to bring sports that are not readily available to New Yorkers. Now every activity imaginable is under one roof for any to enjoy. Among some of their many offerings are 2 ice-skating rinks, outdoor and indoor driving ranges, the only indoor sand volley-ball court, a climbing wall, bowling alley, and a fitness center that could make an Olympian sweat. If you’ve been searching for a place to play your favorite sport or simply want to try something new, Chelsea Piers won’t disappoint.

Find out what else is in store at www.chelseapiers.com

23rd St. and Hudson River, 10011

The best fish is fresh fish and The Lobster Place goes to great lengths to deliver goods still dripping from the sea. 70% of their product comes direct from the source, as with the store’s namesake, which they bring from Maine and Canada. They provide a large variety of gilled friends to chefs and restaurants so their stores are often stocked with rarities such as blue marlin from Hawaii and pink snapper from Australia. The only thing fishy about The Lobster Place is the fish themselves.
436 West 16th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues

EXTRA:

How To Eat Lobster

1. Make sure your lobster is fully cooked… this isn’t going to work if the little critter is still squirming.

2. Then, separate the tail section from the rest of the body. This can get a little messy, so make sure you’re doing it over a bowl, and that you have plenty of napkins or moist towelettes on deck.

The Separation:

Hold the tail in one hand and the body in the other.
Firmly bend the two sections toward each other, across the lobster’s back.
Place the body in the bowl.

3. Now hold the tail over the plate, and pull the fins off.

4. Wrap your fingers around the shell tightly, and leave the lobster meat exposed on both ends.

5. Poke the fork tines into the end of the tail, where you pulled the fins off.

6.The meat of the lobster tail will pop out onto the plate from the large exposed end.