“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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Wishing everybody a very happy and safe Fourth of July!

Photo credit: flickr

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1. “New York City Rhythm” Barry Manilow
2. “City of Blinding Light” U2
3. “I Love New York” Madonna
4. “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” Beastie Boys
5. “Christmas in Hollis” Run DMC
6. “New York State of Mind” Billy Joel
7. “Take the ‘A’ Train” Duke Ellington
8. “Autumn in New York” Ella Fitzgerald
9. “Bleecker Street” Simon & Garfunkel
10. “Theme from New York, New York” Frank Sinatra

Do you love this playlist?  Click here to download this iMix playlist or each individual song at iTunes (iTunes required). 

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TableXchange, a third-party online site, offers diners a platform on which they can purchase and sell their reservations to top-notch New York City restaurants.  Most reservations go for a price between $15 and $40.  A quick look at the site today shows reservations available for 2 people on Friday at 7:30pm at Union Square Grill available for $25 and for 4 people at Peter Luger Steak House at 8:45pm for $35, among a long list of others.     

Here is how it works:

1. Browse.  You browse the list of restaurants that have reservations available for purchase. 
2. Order.  Log-in and purchase the reservation through a secure checkout.
3. Confirm.  Immediately after purchase, you will receive an email with the name of the original person holding the reservation.  You then call the restaurant to confirm the reservation using the given reservation name. 

While TableXchange allows any average person to enjoy the once-out-of-reach restaurants of New York City, there are a few restaurants are fuming over this new practice of selling reservations.  It seems that certain restaurants (Babbo) want to maintain the exclusivity of the reservation list and have threatened to deny any reservation that is purchased through websites like TableXchange.  As of yet, none have done so, but they probably won’t be too pleased when you show up.    

TableXchange only sells reservations to select restaurants on Friday and Saturday night.  Any other night of the week, you may have to resort to the old trick of slipping a $50 to the maître d’hôtel and hope it works.  As of now, TableXchange serves New York City, The Hamptons, and San Francisco.    

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Do you love New York?  Tell me why!

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According to UNICEF, World Water Week organizer, the lack of clean and accessible drinking water is the second largest worldwide killer of children under five.  It is estimated that with a donation of $1, clean drinking water can be provided for a child for 40 days.  

Last year, over 300 New York City restaurants participated in the inaugural Tap Project.  It was considered a huge success and this year the project is expanding nationally with the hopes of raising millions.

The Tap Project’s World Water Week runs from March 16 until March 22, which is UNICEF World Water Day.  Click here for a complete listing of participating restaurants in the New York City area.  

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the Irish Hunger Memorial, located on Vesey Street and North End Avenue, near Battery Park, pays homage to those that died in the Great Irish Famine of 1845-1852 and those that die from famines that continue to plague the world.  All of the soil, vegetation, and stones used were brought from Ireland to create the memorial.    

Photo Credit:  DavidShankBone at Wikimedia

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I was walking down Broadway in Soho yesterday and noticed that tons of women were wearing the boots that most of us haven’t seen since the third grade.  Jeans or skirts, it didn’t matter, these boots were everywhere.  To look like an New York urbanite, just don a pair and wear them with confidence!

Here are the keys to pulling off this style: 

• Think J Crew, not L.L. Bean;  these boots are meant to be colorful and fashionable! 
• If you’re wearing pants, tuck the pants into the boot to show off your hot footwear.
• They may be waterproof but they aren’t warm.  Wear some extra-thick wool socks.
• Uggs may fly in Los Angeles but they are still a no-no in NYC.

Disclaimer:  My stomping grounds are in Lower Manhattan and I don’t make it to the Upper East Side on a daily basis.  I have no idea what the “monied dames” of the UES are wearing, but it is safe to say diamonds are still fashionable in those parts of the city. 

Photo credits: left to right flickr; flickr; flickr

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As a New York Lottery Personality you will be required to be on live televised lottery drawings which take place throughout the day, 364 days a year, as well as attend special events in the New York area.     

Here are the basics of the position: 

• Applicant must have a high school diploma
• Applicant must undergo a background check
• Compensation starts at $19/hour
• Benefits are available
• Relocation expenses are not covered
• Must have great speaking and communication skills while maintaining poise under pressure. 

Just don’t mistake the 6 for a 9 because that is an offense for which former lottery host Reny Monk was terminated.  Check out the video of everybody’s favorite Draw Team member, Yolanda Vega!  

Yoooolanda Vega!

Visit the New York Lottery website for more information on how to apply.  Headshots and resumes must be received by 5pm EDT on March 28th.  

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Everybody comes to New York City to be an actor. Many years ago, after seeing Chicago even I wanted to be a star on Broadway. I’m sure my mother is happy that I abandoned that dream. Not everybody makes $35,000 per week like Julia Roberts did for her performances in Three Days of Rain. Or Rosie O’Donnell’s $10,000 per week for Fiddler on the Roof. No, most Broadway performers begin at a salary of $1,400 per week and Off-Broadway actors can start as low as $500 per week.

TV dramas based in New York City have found popularity among the television viewing public. One of the most popular, Law & Order features a group of NYPD cops and a few attorneys making sure that crime doesn’t pay on the streets of New York. Law & Order’s Sam Waterson rakes in $2.5 million for his portrayal of Jack McCoy, a Manhattan District Attorney. Real civil-servants in New York City make considerably less– a real Manhattan DA makes about $150,000 per year. A NYPD recruit begins at $25,000 and moves up to $36,878 once they complete training at Police Academy, about six months later.

Governor Elliott Spitzer collects $179,000 per year and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg decided to forgo a city salary and instead collect $1 per year. Don’t worry… he always can dip into his reported $11.5 billion net worth if he needs the extra dough.

David Neelman former CEO of JetBlue Airways had to step down after a operational meltdown at JFK last year but that year he still collected a $286,971 salary. That of course does not include any bonuses that nearly all CEOs collect. Average salary for a commercial flight attendant is about $37,000 and commercial pilots average $70,000. Some of those flight attendants would do better being a subway conductor because their average salary is $46,883.

New York State is one of the best places to be unemployed because it has one of the highest unemployment compensation rates– over $400 per week. And according to one of my friendly neighborhood panhandlers, he can make $1 per minute during peak times. And, of course, there is Eddy Wise, a Bronx panhandler, who made over $10,000 (tax-free) then successfully sued the city and received a settlement $100,001 proves that you don’t even need to have a “real” job to keep your bank account on the right side.

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