51. McSorley’s Old Ale House

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s day I’ve chosen to write about an “old” old fashioned Irish pub.  McSorley’s Old Ale House certainly fits the mold.  

They are old!

They are Irish!

They are Pub?

McSorley’s Old Ale House was born in 1854, and it looks it.  You can examine the history on the walls.  They are plastered with it.  

If you are curious about McSorley’s Old Ale House you can take a virtual tour on their website.

15 East 7th Street
New York, NY 10003
212.474.9148

50. The Met Opera House

If music is on your palette for the evening, why not go to the opera?  If you are a fan of opera, the Met is known as being one of the absolute best things to do in NYC.  If you aren’t a fan of opera… well maybe it’s time you try something new.

History of the Met

The Metropolitan Opera House was formed a long time ago, 1880 in fact, but the first performances were not seen until 1883.  That’s three years of preparation for the first show folks.  I hope it was a good one.  It must have been.

The Met ran relatively unopposed until the Manhattan showed up on the scene in 1906.   This feud lasted only four years and it was back to being the premier opera house in New York.

During the great depression performances were as steady as ever, even though the population lacked the coin to go.  

After Pearl Harbor, the Met dropped acts like Madame Butterfly in favor of the war effort.

Since then, the Metropolitan Opera has run relatively steadily until today.

You can find a schedule of shows on the Metropolitan Opera House’s website.

Photo Credit

49. Spiderman on Broadway

If you are a comic book aficionado, have young boys, or just like the Spiderman movies you might be pleased to learn that Spiderman on Broadway is now playing at Foxwoods Theatre. 

Since it has just started playing, there are not an abundance of critic reviews to hear from.  But the ones that have seen it have been raving about it.  Some have even said that it will be the next Phantom of the Opera.  With such high praise, it might eventually even become a movie (joking of course).  

Spiderman is said to have some of the most spectacular special effects ever to be seen on the stage.  In fact, there is no stage.  You, in the audience, are part of the set.  You can witness Spiderman flying above you in pure acrobatic style.  It’s truly a sight to behold.

This week’s show times are as follows: 

Tuesday 8:00PM
Wednesday 2:00PM 8:00PM
Thursday 8:00PM
Friday 8:00PM
Saturday 2:00PM 8:00PM
Sunday 3:00PM

Foxwoods Theatre
213 West 42nd Street
New York, NY,

48. The U.S. Open

If you are even mildly interested in professional tennis then you know that the U.S. Open is one of the biggest tennis tournaments throughout the year, and it’s held in New York City.  Every year the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center is packed with addicted fans as the greatest tennis players battle for a place in history. 

The U.S. Open is one the Grand Slam tournaments along with the French Open, Australian open, and of course Wimbledon.  If you are in New York around the end of August or the beginning of September you should make it a point to pick up a couple of tickets to see some of the most aggressive tennis of the year. 

This year’s tournament starts on August 30^th and ends on September 12^th.  This leaves plenty of time to schedule in a tennis match into your schedule. 

You can learn more about the US open by visiting the official website of the tournament.


Photo provided by Edwin Martinez

47. Ellis Island

New York wouldn’t be New York without Ellis Island.  Even though you may have to fight through the droves of tourists, it can be a great experience to learn exactly when your ancestors came to America and where they came from.

If you don’t want to take the time to visit the island, but are still interested in your heritage, you can learn about your ancestors through their website.  You do need to sign up to view details about your  great great grandparents, but it’s free.  All you have to do is fill in some simple information and guesstimate when they were born and blammo, you get info about people who share your name.  Check it out.

Photo provided by: kcdsTM

46. Catch a Brooklyn Cyclones Game

Sometimes it’s best to forget about the worries of a major league game and drop in on the minors.  As it turns out, a minor league game can turn into major fun (please excuse the pun).   This can be a great way to get out with the family and relax.

Tickets generally run between $8.00 and $16.00 (depending on where you want to sit), but you can get discounts for buying group tickets.  Oh, and kids under three years old get in free.

The Brooklyn Cyclones play all summer, starting on June 15^th, so check out their schedule.

The Cyclones play their home games at MCU Park, which is located on Coney Island for those who are unfamiliar.

Photo provided by: Duluos Cats

45. Sip and Sail at the South Street Seaport

On select Thursday evenings throughout the summer, you can have the pleasure of taking part in the South Street Seaport Sip and Sail event.  You probably get the idea from the title, but you are basically taking a leisurely sail while eating snacks and sipping wine. 

This event requires a reservation, so don’t just show up thirsty.

It costs $55 for members and $65 for non-members

Dates:

Thursday June 3, 17 & 24
Thursday July 1, 8, 22 & 29
Thursday August 5, 12, 19 & 26
7-9pm 

Location:

Schooner Pioneer, Pier 16

Photo Provided by: g-hat