While I am leaving The New York City Traveler, I could never leave the city that I love so much.  You will still see me standing in line at my favorite food cart at Broadway & Houston, dodging the fake Rolex dealers on Canal Street, and making my bi-weekly visit to the Tribeca farmers market.

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The 13th annual NBC “Toyota Concert Series on Today” also continues.  All concerts are at the Rockefeller Plaza (map), or in the Today Show studio.  The concerts are fee and viewing is on a first-come basis, so be at the plaza or studio no later than 7am.

August

• Friday August 1 | Sheryl Crow Today
• Friday, August 8 | Celine Dion Today 
• Friday, August 26 | Solange Knowles Today-in studio 
• Friday, August 29 | Paula Abdul Today

Last minute schedule changes may occur.  Be sure to check the Today Show websites for updated schedule information and late additions to the line-up.

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The desert southwest has so much more than warm weather and great Mexican food.  Jackie shows us what to do in Arizona in The Phoenix Traveler.

Two of our very own b5media editors Kori Ellis and Mary Jo Manzanares have teamed up to make sense of all the travel accessories in Travel Product Guide.

Travel the world through photos at Travel Photo Daily.  The DC Traveler blogger, Jon, has launched this new blog and I can’t wait to see where he goes next!   

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Visit the Restaurant Week site for more information, including a full list of the over 200 participating restaurants organized by cuisine type and neighborhood.  

Reservations can be made through opentable.com.

Dates: July 21–25 and July 28–August 1, 2008

Cost: Three-Course Prix-Fixe Lunch $24.07, Dinner $35.00 Beverages, gratuities and taxes are not included.

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“NYC Sound Tracks,” an eight-episode series on MSG and MSG.com that finds the most talented New York City subway performer, will be holding an open call for talent.  Auditions are on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 from Noon to 4pm at Foley Square (map) in Lower Manhattan.  Even if you have no musical talent to speak of, go down and cheer on your favorite performing artist.  For more information check out www.msg.com/soundtracks.

American Idol will be traveling across the United States and Puerto Rico this summer auditioning for its eighth season.  Auditions are being held on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 in East Rutherford, NJ at the IZOD Center at the Meadowland (map).  Auditions are a little different this year, you must pick up a wristband then return on a specific day for the audition.  For more information check out www.americanidol.com. 

And just to get the creative juices flowing, here is a video of some of New York’s most unique street and subway performers set to the music of Matt Pless.

Photo credit: flickr,

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Previously, those wanting to buy a six-pack wine of glasses for $2.99 and “assembly required” furniture had to hike out to the IKEA in Elizabeth, New Jersey or Long Island.  The Brooklyn store opened with much fanfare and included a “log-cutting” ceremony (perhaps a Swedish equivalent of a ribbon-cutting) as hundreds of eager shoppers waited to descend on the store.    

Ikea’s arrival hasn’t been without its share of controversy.  The once frighteningly isolated waterfront neighborhood fought the behemoth’s arrival, successfully delaying the project for years.  And current community activists still worry about the further reaching impact of losing the area’s working waterfront.  

Stop by IKEA-Brooklyn for the shopping and stay for the fine Swedish cuisine which can be enjoyed while checking out the sweeping views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.   

Location: 1 Beard Street, Brooklyn (map) 718-246-IKEA

Getting There: 

• Subway: F, D, M, or R to 4th Avenue-9th Street station or 2, 3, 4, 5, M, or R train to Court Street-Borough Hall.  From the subway stations, take the free IKEA shuttle that runs every 15 minutes.
• Water Taxi: A free water taxi leaves Manahttan’s Pier 11 (map) and goes directly to IKEA-Brooklyn.  Check the online schedules for more information.  

Hours: Daily 10am-10pm

Photo credit: flickr

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Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks 2008   Bigger is better, according to Macy’s who has four barges loaded with 30,000 shells in the East River.  This year’s display will be synchronized to New York Pops’ new soundtrack “America Dances.”  For locals, tune your radios to 1010 AM while you’re watching the display, while the rest of America can enjoy the televised show, including appearances by Kenny Chesney and Natasha Bedingfield, on NBC.  The FDR will be closed at 7pm from Houston to 42nd Street to accommodate pedestrian viewing.  You can access FDR Drive at 23rd Street, 38th Street, and 42nd Street.  July 4, 8pm; FREE; for a map of viewing spots check out the Macy’s website.

Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest   The goal of the contest is to eat as many hot dogs in a 12-minute time allotment.  Last year Joey Chestnut of San Jose, California defeated reigning champion Takeru Kobayashi by eating 66 hot dogs to Kobayashi’s 63.  Can Kobayahsi reclaim the title? Get there early for prime seating.  July 4, noon; FREE; Nathan’s Famous, 1310 Surf Ave., Coney Island; www.nathansfamous.com

Photo credit: flickr; flickr

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“Rococo: The Continuing Curve, 1730-2008″ | Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum  Exploring rococo style and its continuing revivals up to the present day in multiple fields, including drawings, decorative arts, furniture, textiles, and prints.  Through July 6.   

“Sosua : A Refuge for Jews in the Dominican Republic” | Museum of Jewish Heritage  This exhibit tells the story of the the Jewish refugees who found safety on a banana plantation in 1938 in the Dominican Republic.  Through July 13.

“@MURAKAMI” | Brooklyn Museum  This show exhibits the popular artist’s popular commercial and fine art works.  Through July 13.

“Book/Shelf” | MoMA  Explores how artists use classic and contemporary books in their art.  Through July 7.

Sigalit Landau, DeadSee” | MoMA  Performing art that explores the landscape of the Israel.  Through July 28.

“Glossolalia: Languages of Drawing” | MoMA  Using drawings from MoMA’s collection, this exhibit explores unexpected links between artists.  Through July 7.

“Daniel Guzman and Steven Shearer, Double Album” | New Museum of Contemporary Art  Male identity, rock culture, and self-portraits are explored in a variety of artistic mediums.  Through July 6.     

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