| In this issue:
‘Meet the Birds’ and ‘Bryant Park Moves’ Return
to Park
 The rollout of spring programs
continues at Bryant Park. Last week we welcomed the return of
Meet the Birds. Every Tuesday through September 25, Terri
Jones, Director at the Arcadia Bird
Sanctuary and Education Center, brings gorgeous and
friendly exotic birds to the area around Le Carrousel from
11:30am-2:00pm. We’ve noticed that kids are especially
fascinated by the birds; so next time you’re at the park with
your children, be sure to bring them by.
And this Saturday, Bryant Park Moves with Limon Dance returns to
the park. These classes in dance and movement are conducted by
former and current members of the internationally renowned
Limon Dance Company. They’re free and open to everyone,
regardless of age or skill level. The classes meet every
Saturday through September 8, on the lawn, from
10:00-11:00am.
Back to the topic of birds. You
only have a few more chances to participate in Bryant Park’s
Spring Birding Tours. Conducted by Gabriel Willow of New York City
Audubon, the tours are held twice weekly (8:00-9:00am on
Mondays and 5:00-6:00pm on Thursdays), but the last session
for the season is next week on Thursday, May 24. All tours
depart from Heiskell Plaza at Sixth Avenue and 42nd
Street.
Rangers Rally at Herald Square Park
 It looked as if the World’s Most
Famous Arena moved a block east on Monday, April 30, as Herald
Square Park hosted the “Blueshirts
on Broadway” rally to get fans psyched for Game Two of the
Rangers’ second-round playoff match against the Caps later
that evening.
The centerpiece for the daylong event
was a 30’ x 60’ synthetic ice rink that was available to
anyone who wanted to pull on the skates and take a free
lesson. There were on-ice demonstrations, a dancing contest, a
puck-shooting contest, a toddler hockey rink, and a
‘Beard-a-Thon Tent’ where the fellow sporting the Best Beard
won a prize.
Fans milled about all day, watching
interviews with Ranger legends such as Adam Graves, Rod
Gilbert, Stephane Matteau, Nick Fotiu, Ron Greschner, and
Brian Mullen, and some lucky ones walked away with free
prizes, including Rangers tickets.
Alas, the Rangers
lost that evening’s game but the rally was still great fun,
and the Blueshirts went on to take the series. We love these
events. They’re great for fans, the athletes enjoy meeting the
public, and the revenues we collect help us keep Herald and
Greeley Square Parks
spotless.
Big Day at Southwest Porch on Tuesday
 The spring schedule at The Southwest
Porch in Bryant Park swings into high gear next Tuesday, May
22, with two big events. In the morning, at 8:30-9:30am, is
the first installment of this year’s Breakfast
Briefings at Bryant Park series. Presented in partnership
with Southwest Airlines and Fast Company, Breakfast
Briefings bring successful business executives to the Porch to
speak about the secrets of their success. Neil Janowitz,
Senior Editor at Fast Company, serves as host, and will
interview Lizzy Klein, Vice-President of Product at Seamless, the on-line food
ordering service. Coffee and breakfast will be provided by ’wichcraft. Everyone
is invited, but you must reserve a spot; so be sure to register
here to ensure your participation.
Then, at
6:30pm, the long-awaited debut of the Summer Cult Movie Trivia
Festival, presented in cooperation with Southwest Airlines and ’wichcraft, takes
place at The Porch. All movie geeks are invited to test their
knowledge of cult favorites by answering questions posed by
quiz masters from Triviaad.com. The subject of
the first contest is the Molly Ringwald classic, Sixteen
Candles. The series returns on May 29, then every other
Tuesday through July 24. The list of films to be discussed
includes Dazed and Confused; Princess Bride;
Fast Times at Ridgemont High; The Big
Lebowski; and Wet, Hot American Summer. The
competition is open to all, but please RSVP at trivia@wichcraftnyc.com
to ensure your spot.
Of course, you don’t need to wait
for a special event to visit The Porch. Its swings, rockers,
and Adirondack chairs are there for everybody during all
regular park hours, and ’wichcraft offers specially prepared
snacks and beverage service every day from 11:30am-10:00pm,
along with breakfast on weekdays beginning at 8:00am; and
remember, no purchase is necessary to enjoy The Porch.
Check Out Twenty Years of Bryant Park
 Bryant Park has been the site of many
outdoor art projects, but the one currently gracing the
perimeter of the park is perhaps closest to our hearts. To
help commemorate 20 years of the lavishly restored park,
Bryant Park Corporation has mounted an exhibition of large
photographs on our fence for passersby to enjoy.
They show the bad old days, the initial efforts to reclaim the
park, and scenes from the dense and evocative programming
visitors to the park have come to expect.
Twenty
Years of Bryant Park, consisting of 86 carefully selected
photographs, visually documents one of the great urban
reclamation stories of the 1980’s and 1990’s. Next time you’re
walking past the park, take a look. They’ll be there until
June 29. If you want to see them now, check out our special Flickr
gallery. We’ve covered a lot of ground with these
carefully-chosen photos: history, activities, horticulture,
seating options, even maintenance. A park like ours doesn’t
just happen; it takes inspiration and dedication, as this
exhibition shows. It will also give you an idea of where we
were, where we are, and just how Manhattan’s Town Square
earned its
moniker.
Bryant Park to Launch Painter-in-Residence
Program
 Bryant Park Corporation is currently
accepting applications from artists for positions in the
inaugural Bryant Park Painter-in-Residence Program. Successful
applicants will be commissioned to work outside at Bryant
Park, creating representational images that will comprise a
visual record of Bryant Park. Three painters will be selected,
one for each of three separate two-week periods.
The
competition is open to all U.S. artists 18 years of age or
older. Any artwork submitted for consideration must have been
completed in the last two years. Though representational
styles will be given preference, innovative and experimental
approaches are welcome. Likewise, art using either traditional
or alternative media will be accepted.
Those artists
chosen will receive a stipend. All art created under the
program is commissioned by BPC and becomes its sole property.
The closing date for applications is May 31, 2012. Awards will
be announced June 20, 2012. For more information, visit www.bryantpark.org/painterinresidence
or email requests for application forms to promero@urbanmgt.com.
The Bottom Line
 Records continue to fall at Le
Carrousel in Bryant Park. Four months into 2012, attendance is
up 44% over last year, and revenues, boosted by the growing
popularity of private parties, are up 48%. It’s not too late
to schedule your own children’s party at Le Carrousel. Email
your inquiries to parties@urbanmgt.com,
or call us at 212-768-4242 x129. You can also find out more,
or make your reservation online, by visiting our
website.
34th Street District
Weekly
Activities
Salsa
Dance
Tuesdays: 5:30-6:30pm, Broadway
Boulevard between 34th and 35th
Streets
Zumba
Thursdays:
5:30-6:30pm, Broadway Boulevard between 34th and 35th
Streets
Bryant Park
Daily
Amenities
Le Carrousel
Spring Hours
The Daily: 11:00am-7:00pm
Reading Room
Daily:
11:00am-7:00pm
The Southwest Porch
Daily: 11:30pm-10:00pm
Southwest Porch Events:
Breakfast Briefings with Lizzie Klein, VP of Product for
Seamless. Hosted by Neil Janowitz, Senior
Editor
at Fast
Company.
Tuesday: May 22, 8:30-9:30am
Summer
Cult Movie Trivia Festival – Sixteen Candles
Tuesday: May 22,
6:30-7:30pm
Weekly
Activities and
Classes
Bryant Park
Yoga
Tuesdays: 10:00-11:00am,
Upper Terrace
Thursdays: 6:00-7:00pm,
Lawn
Bryant Park Tai Chi
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 7:30-8:30am, Fountain
Terrace
Meet the Birds
Tuesdays: 11:30am-2:00pm, Le Carrousel
Bryant Park
Juggling
Tuesdays: 5:30-7:30pm, 40th
Street Plaza
Bryant Park Birding Tours (Meet at
Heiskell Plaza, Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street)
Mondays: 8:00-9:00am
Thursdays:
5:00-6:00pm
Bryant Park Fencing
Tuesdays: 1:00-2:00pm, Fifth Avenue Terrace at
41st Street
Bryant Park Moves:
with Limon Dance
Saturdays:
10:00am-11:00pm, Lawn
Daily
Activities
Chess
and Backgammon
Monday-Friday:
11:00am-7:00pm
Pétanque
Monday-Friday: 11:00am-6:00pm - Free
Lessons
Ping Pong at The Tables
Daily: 11:00am-7:00pm
Bryant Park
Games – Scrabble, Quoits, Bananagrams and more
Monday-Friday: 11:00am-7:00pm, 40th Street
Plaza
Upcoming
Events
Piano in Bryant
Park: Roy Eaton – Played Carnegie in 1937
Wednesday-Friday: May 16-18, 12:30pm-2:30pm,
Upper Terrace
Word for Word Author:
Justin Halpern (I Suck at Girls) and Ali Wentworth,
(Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales). Hosted by
Sara Barron (People Are Unappealing: Even
Me)
Wednesday: May 16, 12:30-1:45pm, Reading Room
Piano
in Bryant Park: Todd Robbins – Ragtime and Classic Tin Pan
Alley
Monday-Friday: May
21-25, 12:30pm-2:30pm, Upper
Terrace
Word for Word Poetry features
the Poets of Barrett Street Press, with Richard Blanco, Lesley
Wheeler, Ely Shipley, and Scott Hightower
Tuesday: May 22, 7:00-8:30pm, Reading
Room
Word for Word Author: Andrew Blackwell
(Visit Sunny Chernobyl: And Other Adventures in the
World's Most Polluted Places) and NYU Prof Andrew Ross
(Bird on Fire: Lessons from the World's Least Sustainable
City). Hosted by New York Times Dot Earth blogger, Andrew
Revkin.
Wednesday:
May 23, 12:30-1:45pm, Reading Room
Exhibitions
20
Years of Bryant Park – A Photo Exhibit
Daily: May 4-June 29, All Hours, Bryant Park
Fence
14th Street Park at Tenth Avenue
Weekly
Activities
Yoga
Thursdays: 6:30-7:30pm
Chelsea Triangle at Ninth Avenue and 14th
Street
Weekly
Activities
Capoeira
Classes
Wednesdays: 6:30-7:30pm
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