This guest post comes from Mary Jo Manzanares, Travel & Culture Channel Editor and blogger at Flyaway Cafe.

Although you’ll find C.O. Bigelow products sold in other stores, there’s nothing like visiting the original store in Greenwich Village.

Founded in 1838, C.O.Bigelow’s is the oldest continually operating apothecary-pharmacy in the country.  That’s 170 years!

C.O. Bigelow’s is located at 414 Avenue of the Americas (between 8th & 9th Street) in Greenwich Village.  It’s is accessible by subway (West 4th or Christopher stop) and the PATH (9th Street).

The store still fills prescriptions at the back of the store, but as you work you way back there you’ll pass through goodies galore.  There’s a focus on homeopathic products and remedies, along with hard-to-find and specialty cosmetic lines.  You can find something for your body here, whether that’s inside or out, and they have a great assortment of products perfect to pack for your travels.

Here is a sampling of what you’ll find:  hair and body products, shaving creams and accessories, fragrances, specialized toothpastes, baby care, and all sorts of wonderful accessories and gifts.  Bigelow’s also has their own product line, many made from recipes that are generations old.  Their Rose Salve (pictured above) is one of the store’s best selling items, and it’s touted as a remedy for everything from chapped lips to diaper rash.

You can find a sampling of their specialized products available for purchase online, and while that’s nice – it’s nothing like spending quality time milling about the store.

Photo credit:  C.O. Bigelow

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

You can count on seeing interesting people in Washington Square Park.  This guy was offering “free hugs” and you would be surprised about the number of people that took him up on his offer. 

Photo credit: personal collection 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Tonight’s opening film, La Noche de los Inocentes (The Night of the Innocents) (Cuba/Spain/Italy), opens with a badly beaten man in the emergency room of La Habana hospital.  Everyone assumes that he’s been assaulted for being a transvestite, but as the night continues, mysterious characters “come out of the woodwork.”  The movie may sound suspiciously like a telenovela on Univision, but it won the prestigious El Mégano prize at the 2007 Havana Film Festival in Cuba. 

Other films in the 2008 HFFNY include:

Quien Soy Yo? Los Niños Encontrados de Argentina (Who Am I? The Found Children of Argentina) (Cuba)  This film introduces audiences to the children– now young adults– of the disappeared of Argentina’s Dirty War (1976-1983).  The children were kidnapped from their families and given to those that supported Jorge Rafael Videla’s military regime.  Of the over 500 stolen children, over 88 have been reunited with their real families.  Director Estela Bravo will be present and there will be a special appearance by Estela Carlotto, President of the Plaza de Mayo Grandmothers.

New Children/New York Youth Program (New York) is a collection of shorts directed by young Latinos in New York City.  They discover filmmaking as a tool to make sense of and communicate the experience of growing-up a Latino immigrant in the U.S.

Não Por Acaso (Not By Chance) (Brazil) follows two control-obsessed characters, Enio and Pedro.  Both live in their own worlds in order to find fulfillment in life until the day that Enio’s ex-wife and Pedro’s wife die in an accident.  Both men are in despair until Enio meets his long-lost daughter and Pedro meets Lucia, a young woman with whom he attempts to recreate the past.  Faced the decision between their obsession with control and new opportunities, the men must choose a path and learn that nothing is by chance.        

A number of screenings are free and will be open to the public.  Check the HFFNY schedule for more information.  The screenings will be at multiple venues in Manhattan, Bronx, and Queens.  For a full schedule of film, venue and ticket information, visit the Havana Film Festival website.    

I will be in attendance at this weekend’s screening of Fidel, a film which is part of the Estela Bravo Retrospective: Witness of Her Time program.  Check back Monday, April 14th for my thoughts on the film.

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Uptown

• The Kinsale Tavern (map), an Irish bar on the Upper East Side, is my personal favorite bar, if only for the fact that they serve Brahma, my fave Brazilian beer. Don’t worry, they have all of the normal standbys included on their 30-beer-long draught list. Just remember that you are on the UES when you see the Zucchini Rounds on the menu!
• Those that say there are no neighborhood bars left in Manhattan obviously haven’t been to Abbey Pub (map).  Tucked away (way) uptown in Morningside Heights, this bar still believes in buybacks!   

Midtown

• At Molly’s Pub and Restaurant (map) you can pull up a chair by the fireplace and chow on Shepherd’s Pie while downing Guinness by the pint.  The sometimes lackadaisical waitresses just add to the laid back atmosphere.  It really feels like you’re at a proper pub in Ireland.
• Maggie’s Place (map) is on the upper-end of Irish restaurants and bars in Manhattan.  This small family-owned restaurant serves everything from Dublin Fish & Chips to Irish Lamb Stew.     

Downtown

• I recently featured McSorley’s Old Ale House (map) in my Tavern Day post.  This no-fuss bar in the East Village serves two types of homebrew beer:  dark and light and both are delish!    
• Swift in Greenwich Village (map) will at least make you feel like you’re at mass as you sit in the church pew booths.  The backroom that has enough space for you and your entourage.     

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

EarthCam has a handful of cameras scattered across the city.  You can check out the "Crossroads of the World" anytime day or night with the Times Square webcam.  Or see the Manhattan cityscape with the Midtown webcam perched high atop a building.  For a full list click here.   

You control the camera pan, tilt, and zoom in Greenwich Village with the See New York City Live camera .  Shots of Christopher Street and the counter of Village Cigars.  Now that’s store security! 

Where’s Kong views the Empire State Building. 

Now you can watch the new Freedom Towers being built. 

RIOT New York has a webcam  view looking at Fifth Avenue from the southeast corner of 45th Street.  A new picture is available every 20 seconds.  If you missed the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, RIOT caught it all on camera and has it available to view. 

If you’re really wondering about traffic in the Holland Tunnel, DOT cameras have all of the action shots.

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Post from: The New York City Traveler