Results tagged “anniversary”

Another day, another Bridgeversary! This Saturday the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge turns a youthful 45 years old. The folks at Inside the Apple have a full history, noting that when it opened in 1964, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge connects Staten Island to Bay Ridge (or Yellow Hook), and was the "last major arterial road in Robert Moses's grand plan to connect all of New York by automobile."

       

The Bronx Zoo opened on November 8th, 1899 with 843 animals (there are now over 4,000). Upon its 110th birthday, the Daily News lists off 110 other things you should know about the place (leaving out the time they caged a Congolese pygmy for a "Human Exhibit").

              

Yesterday, a day before its 40th birthday, Sesame Street was designated with a temporary street naming at... 64th and Broadway? While there are many neighborhoods that went into the set design for the show, many seem to think the Upper West Side isn't the best spot to dedicate a street in its name. However, while the show is filmed in Astoria, the corporate headquarters are actually on the, wait for it, UWS.

It took 40 years, but earlier today Sesame Street was honored with their own corner of New York (64th and Broadway, to be exact). We're told, "On the eve of the program’s big birthday, a temporary street sign was unveiled and a Mayoral Proclamation bestowed by the City of New York, proclaiming November 10 Sesame Street Day.” Do we get off for that?

As you've probably noticed from Google's art this week, it's Sesame Street's birthday! Oh the times we've shared. The television show is in its 40th year (here's the pitch), and there's lots of celebrating going on. This coming Monday "the City of New York will unveil a proclamation and announce a temporary street naming in honor of the program’s permanence and everlasting impact on New York City’s history and four generations of children across the country." Yep, Sesame Street is getting a street! The dedication will take place at noon at 64th and Columbus Avenue.

We received our smiley-face laden wristbands so that we may gain entry to the Vice 15th Anniversary + Halloween party this past Saturday — but around 11 p.m. that night we were already hearing that the 1994-themed extravaganza was total mayhem, so we took our flannel elsewhere.

As mentioned in our newsletter this morning, the Guggenheim turns 50 today (and is celebrating with free admission). The Daily News looks back on the museum's past, with 50 facts about the building, which Robert Moses once described as "an inverted oatmeal dish." A few of our favorites:
• To design the museum, Wright created more than 700 sketches.
• As for the unusual look of the building, Wright proclaimed, "It's going to make the Metropolitan look like a Protestant barn."
• The building was named a landmark in 1990, one of the youngest ever to earn the distinction.

The 6855-foot-long Manhattan Bridge is turning 100! With a newly reopened archway on the Brooklyn side, it's hardly looking like a centenarian, but the ol' girl's been through a lot, and has a fairly flawed history behind her. The construction for the bridge began in October of 1901, but wasn't open to traffic until December 31, 1909. Once it was put to use, Time Out notes it was realized that designer Leon Moisseiff "didn’t incorporate sufficient support, and placed the subway and streetcar lines on the outer edges of the roadway, putting too much strain on the deck."

Today WNYC Radio celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Brian Lehrer Show. Lehrer will be hosting a special anniversary broadcast taking a look back to when it all began in 1989.

           

On this rainy day, survivors and relatives of victims of the September 11 attacks were able to descend to the construction site where the Twin Towers once stood. In the memorial ceremony at Zuccotti Park, relatives and volunteers read names of the 2,752 victims at the memorial ceremony while politicians, such as Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Bloomberg, former Mayor Giuliani, and former Governor Pataki, spoke (videos after the jump). NBC New York reports that one father, Vladimir Boyarsky, whose son, Gennady Boyarsky, died, said, "We miss you; life will never be the same without you. This is not the rain. This is the tears."

Can you believe it's the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz? New York will get a little taste of Kansas Emerald City this September 24th, when the Tavern on the Green is transformed into the magical land. Here's the full press release, which explains the Emerald Gala, which will take place at Manhattan's historic Tavern on the Green, and will be hosted by its owner and CEO Jennifer Oz LeRoy, granddaughter of The Wizard of Oz producer Mervyn LeRoy. "The entire restaurant and surrounding grounds will transform for a night into the Emerald City, replete with a winding Yellow Brick Road. The Emerald Gala will feature a musical performance by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and actress Ashanti, who recently made her theatrical debut as Dorothy in the City Center Encores! production of The Wiz. In addition, Lorna Luft, the daughter of Judy Garland will honor her mother's legacy with a special musical tribute." Here's our favorite scene from the film.

A healthy marriage came from the age of free love! The Daily News reports that the couple from that iconic Woodstock image, which was like The Kiss in Times Square for hippies, are still together.

No wonder the pent-up Park Slope parents don't want to pay a membership fee for their online ranting board, they need to save that cash for sex toys! Sweet, vibrating sex toys. Babeland in Park Slope is turning one year old (we talked to owner Claire Cavanah last year upon opening), and business is still booming—the shop told us, "We’ve sold 16,389 sex toys since last June. More than 15,000 customers have come in. More than 2,000 people attended a workshop or free event." Park Slope, are you blushing? The number one products are the Rabbit Habit and Gigi vibrators, but the men are getting into the action as well—also in the top 5 are the We Vibe (the only vibrator that can be worn during intercourse) and the Sonic Ring, which is worn by men but benefits the women. To celebrate the big day, and your loyalty, they're hosting a customer-appreciation party this Sunday (noon to 4 p.m.), where you'll get a 15% off coupon for discounts on all purchases made this month. There will also be raffles, beverages and gift bags for early birds. Just please leave the kids at home, 'kay?

It's all happening, the Queensboro Bridge is being celebrated for making it to 100! Last night some folks were treated to a fireworks show around 9 p.m. (pictured), which closed out yesterday's festivities (though there are many more to come).

The rarely hailed Queensboro Bridge is about to have its shining moment. The structure is turning 100 years old this year with a series of celebratory events. The Daily News reports that before the bridge was built in 1909, "Queens was mostly a rural gateway to the farms and manors of Long Island," with the exception being the more industrial area of Long Island City. Judith Berdy, president of the Roosevelt Island Historical Society, told the paper, "This bridge made the borough of Queens."

       

Today the Guggenheim Museum kicks-off a year-long celebration of art, architecture, and innovation to mark the 50th anniversary of its landmark building, and what better way to celebrate than with honoring Frank Lloyd Wright. Their From Within Outward exhibit will run through August 23rd and takes a look at the architect's vision from all angles. The anniversary celebrations won't just focus on the building's creator, however—on top of variety of exhibits, screenings of a documentary about the museum's past and present, and public events, there will also be city-wide celebrations. For instance, Mayor Bloomberg declared today Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Day!

You just purchased a condo in Williamsburg with a sick rooftop terrace overlooking the East River, but don't send out that 4th of July firework-watching party Evite to your friends just yet: They're being moved to the Hudson River this year. Macy's sure loves change.

Feeling lucky? Following the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic (which took place yesterday, 97 years ago) the NY Post reports that people "are lining up to reserve a spot on a cruise ship that will follow the Titanic's ill-fated route in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the liner's trip to the bottom of the Atlantic." The ship will depart in April of 2012, and is expected to make it all the way to New York this time (fingers crossed!). How much does a spot on the ship cost this time around? $3,000. Quite a deal considering that if they followed the original prices today, it would cost anywhere from $172 (third class) to $69,600 (first class)! The ticket price includes food served to "match the sumptuous menus on the original voyage; the entertainment will include music and dancing in the style featured in those glorious times and there will be a chance to hear first hand from historians who have studied the Titanic story." Let's hope they have enough life boats this time around.

This should be interesting. As previously mentioned, the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock is upon us, and there's been talk of bringing the concert to New York City. It seems one of the original organizers (and Bensonhurst native), Michael Lang, wants Prospect Park's Long Meadow to be the Brooklyn substitute for Max Yasgur's 600-acre farm when the anniversary concert takes place later this year. The Daily News reports that he's currently looking for enough sponsor support, and he told the paper, "It's big, it's convenient. There's public transportation - and Brooklyn's cool. I'd love to do it. But it's been a very tough year." The show would be free, and he would need around $10 million to make it happen.

Fifteen years ago today, Kurt Cobain died at the age of 27—he was found three days later inside of his home in Seattle. That day many fans of the band came home from school or work to see this MTV Kurt Loder broadcast (which we don't remember him delivering quite so detached). Soon after, Loder talked to Courtney Love—that year, 1994, she lost both her husband and her friend/bandmate Kristen Pfaff. Today fans are gathered, as they are every year, at the unofficial memorial of the singer: a bench in Viretta Park in Seattle (Cobain has no gravesite).

      

The Guggenheim sent out a press release yesterday the size of The Fountainhead describing their upcoming Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward exhibition (opening in May and running through August). In celebration of the building's 50 year anniversary the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has helped them piece together the installation, which will present 64 projects designed by Wright, all displayed on the spiral ramps of the museum he designed. The CEO of the foundation says that, "Rather than a retrospective, this exhibition focuses on the diversity of Wright's vision and the ways he sought to realize it...The concept of the exhibition also reflects a growing recognition of the enormous relevance today of Frank Lloyd Wright's design philosophies, which embrace culture, technology and environment." Sad fact: Wright actually died six months prior to the grand opening of the Guggenheim.

      

While you were smashing your Bernard Madoff doll, another famous figurine was busy celebrating the big 5-0. That's right, Barbie is officially a cougar! (On March 9th, to be exact.) To commemorate the occasion, 50 designers came together for a real-size Barbie showcase at Bloomingdale's and a runway show under the tents at Fashion Week.

Another day, another Beatles anniversary! Today marks 45 years since the Fab Four's first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show (they appeared three consecutive Sundays in February of 1964, to the tune of $10,000). According to Beatles News, this first performance was "considered a milestone in American pop culture and the beginning of the British Invasion in music. The broadcast drew an estimated 73 million viewers, at the time a record for an American television program."

           

Yesterday, the Apollo Theater celebrated its 75th birthday week by announcing special programming for the upcoming season. Besides its cornerstone Amateur Night at the Apollo on Wednesday nights (tonight's Amateur Night will be a birthday celebration with the first 750 tickets going for just $7.50), a big year is planned, full of concerts, panels, collaborations with other cultural institutions and a revival of a beloved musical.

        

Today the tourists have been taking a break from Times Square and mingling with local John Lennon fans to pay tribute to the musician. 28 years ago today he was killed in front of his home at The Dakota (where his wife Yoko Ono still lives), and now the spot has become one of the New York City landmarks in which to remember the former Beatle.

Today New York City celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Bloody Mary, the brunch-staple that originated in Manhattan as a concoction by French bartender Ferdinand Petiot in 1933. To celebrate New York State and local officials have proclaimed today Bloody Mary Day and will honor Petiot's granddaughter with a citation and a Bloody Mary toast at 11:30 a.m. in Times Square (1552 Broadway). The festivities continue throughout the year with Bloody-themed events, but today you can apparently drink in public as Georgi Vodka and Murphy’s Famous Bloody Mary Mix "will be handing out Bloody Marys throughout the tri-state area all day." Wait, it gets better! TGI Friday's will roll back drink prices to 1933 levels (99 cents). A little history: "The cocktail was originally called the 'Red Snapper' because the term bloody was considered harsh for a drink in the 1930s. When Tabasco sauce was added to the drink the name 'Bloody Mary' became a household word. In the 1960s it became popular to serve the cocktail with celery due to a guest at the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago."

Coney Island's 150-foot-tall spinning mistress, the Wonder Wheel, turns 88 today. One and all are invited to join in on the celebration at Deno's--some events are planned for the anniversary that should be lasting throughout the day and night. As for the history of the Wheel, it's been up and running since 1920 and each year the 400,000-lb. ride is overhauled and painted. Fun fact: "The only stoppage in the history of the Wonder Wheel was on July 13, 1977 during the Great NYC Blackout. Riders were brought down safely because the owners hand cranked the wheel." And as you may recall, it came into the Vourderis family when in 1948 "Coney Island hot dog vendor Denos Vourderis promised his girlfriend that if she married him, he would buy her the Wonder Wheel; 35 years later he’d saved up enough money to make it happen."

          

On the humid night of August 6th, 1988, long-simmering resentments over East Village gentrification boiled over into the now-infamous Tompkins Square Park riot. Hundreds of people had gathered at the park to protest the imposition of a 1 a.m. curfew. At some point, the protest turned violent; bottles were thrown at the police, who retaliated with beatings and arrests throughout the night. According to the Times, forty-four people were injured, including 13 cops.

The 20th Anniversary of the Tompkins Square Park riots was celebrated over the weekend with two days of punk rock, pot smoking, rabble rousing and slam dancing. (Potty-mouth video.) According to Neither More Nor Less, they “slammed with a physical intensity that TSP has not seen in many years. Someone threw $1000 in dollar bills to the crowd and this crowd of celebrants burned the dollar bills. The celebrants also burned a flag; being polyester it mostly melted in flaming gobs.” A reader (“Shadow”) sent us this photo, and noted that the commanding officer of the 9th precinct, Dennis DeQuatro, “looked the other way” as it was burned. (Two years ago a constitutional amendment to make flag burning illegal failed by one vote in the Senate.)

         

On June 15, 1948, WPIX signed on as the second independent television station in the city from studios in the Daily News Building on 42nd Street. (The first, WATV signed on a month earlier and eventually became WNET in 1961.) Like stations in many other cities, it was owned by a newspaper, in this case the Daily News and its then corporate parent the Tribune Company (the paper was sold off in 1991). The call sign WPIX was a play on the newspaper’s longtime slogan "New York's Picture Newspaper".