It is also, like the rest of Brooklyn (and New York City), ethnically diverse: for instance, it “mixes” the hipster crowd that defines the “new” Brooklyn with Hasidim Jews, and first-generation Italian and Puerto Rican immigrants who have been part of this community for a while. This diversity may explain why Williamsburg boasts so many ethic food stores and restaurants.

A new vibe

Once upon a time, Williamsburg was just a plain neighborhood, with industrial buildings, tenements, and modest attached homes as far as the eye could see. But over the past 15 years or so, it experienced a renaissance of sorts, morphing into one of New York City’s most vibrant enclaves. Today, the once neglected waterfront boasts not just new, sleek high-rises but also parks and other green areas, such as the 7-acre East River State Park and Grand Ferry Park.

A feast for eyes and ears

Why is this eclectic neighborhood, which borders Greenpoint to the north; Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south; Ridgewood, Queens to the east; and East River to the west, worth visiting? First of all, it’s an easy hop from Manhattan – and even the Manhattanites, who are not easily impressed by anything lying outside their borough, would not be disappointed (but please don’t sue us if you are!) A good place to start is with arts and culture, because artists have been essential in bringing creative energy into this neighborhood. Not surprisingly, there are several interesting galleries here, including the Front Room Gallery at 147 Roebling Street; Art 101, 101 Grand Street; Figureworks at 168 North 6th Street; and more. There is also no shortage of live music concerts, for example at Williamsburg’s Music Hall , located at 66 North 6th Street. But there are also less traditional venues like Brooklyn Bowl on 61 Wythe Avenue, which is a bowling alley with “electrifying live music.” Or Rough Trade at 64 N 9th Street – a record store in front and concert venue in the back. These are just a couple examples among many. And speaking of music, if you live in Williamsburg, you can take advantage of in-home music lessons by some of New York’s top teachers. This way, you won’t have any reason to ever leave Williamsburg!

The post The (Not so Hidden) Charms of Williamsburg appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“I believe we have the noblest roaring blasts here I have ever known on land; they sing their hoarse song through the big tree-tops with a splendid energy that thrills me and stirs me and uplifts me and makes me want to live always.”

Those words, written at the beginning of the 20^th century by a quintessential American writer, Mark Twain, described the views of the Hudson, as seen from a chestnut tree on the grounds of his Riverdale, NY home.

From 1901 to 1903 Twain leased Wave Hill, an 1843 estate, which, at that time, was already a desirable piece of real estate, since the young Theodore Roosevelt had lived there previously, during the summers of 1870 and 1871.

Today, Twain’s chestnut tree is gone, but Wave Hill is still there in all its splendor: a 28-acre public botanical garden and cultural center, scenically located along the Hudson River in the Bronx’s Riverdale section.

A Bronx tale

A residential neighborhood in the Bronx, Riverdale doesn’t fit the picture long associated with New York City’s northernmost borough – that of widespread urban decay. (Heads-up to everyone who still believes this stereotype: today’s Bronx is rising from the rubble, with many areas boasting neat suburban-style houses and lush greenery).

Riverdale is the perfect example of the best the Bronx – and, for that matter, New York City – has to offer. Maybe because it borders the suburban Westchester County, Riverdale has the “laid-back” feel of a bedroom community rather than a hectic urban jungle. It is quiet, green, hilly, and generally softer around the edges than the city to the south.

And even though it is a relatively small section of the Bronx, Riverdale contains many small and pretty neighborhoods and estates – Fieldston, Bronx, Spuyten Duyvil , as well as South and North Riverdale.

Making their home in Riverdale

Mark Twain and Teddy Roosevelt were not the only famous Riverdale residents. The neighborhood also boasts other notables, both past and present:

• As a child, John F. Kennedy lived with his family at 5040 Independence Avenue and attended Riverdale Country School from 5th through 7th grade.
• Hungarian composer and pianist Bela Bartok lived at 3242 Cambridge Avenue between 1941 and 1943.
• The Yankees’ baseball star Lou Gehrig lived and died at 5204 Delafield Avenue.
• Fiorello LaGuardia, NYC’s mayor in the 1930s and 40s, called 5020 Goodridge Avenue “home.”
• Baseball great Willie Mays still lives at The Whitehall, 3333 Henry Hudson Pkwy.
• Eliot Spitzer, former Governor and Attorney General of New York, was born in Riverdale and graduated from the Horace Mann School

These are just some of many prominent Riverdale residents; more are listed here

Riverdale music lessons at your service

Do you live in Riverdale but don’t feel like coming to Manhattan for a music lesson? No problem, we understand! Hey Joe Guitar’s excellent teachers, who are “fluent” in all kinds instruments and singing styles will come to your home or office.

Contact us and we’ll be at your Riverdale doorstep very soon!

The post On the Waterfront: Riverdale’s Scenic Location appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

When people talk about the “Manhattan vibe,” they envision a high-energy, hyperactive place that bursts at the seams with people, noise, and chaos. (Don’t get us wrong -we LOVE Manhattan!)

Maybe they’ve never visited Battery Park City, an urban oasis that is  “un-Manhattan-like” in many ways:  on a cold winter day the only noise you will likely hear is the whistling of the wind. In warmer weather, its tree-lined streets, lush greenery, and a 1.2-mile pedestrian esplanade along the Hudson provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of midtown and uptown areas – not to mention stunning views of Jersey City’s downtown district on the other side.

Yes, Battery Park City is a great neighborhood, tranquil enough to relax in and…recharge your batteries!

The river runs through it

Well, to be accurate, the Hudson actually runs by the edge of this neighborhood, providing the western boundary to the area bordered to the east by 12th Avenue / West Side Highway.

Long before this area on the tip of Lower Manhattan became a neighborhood it is today, it was just a rocky ledge. When Native Americans and Dutch settlers arrived here in the early 17th century, they built a “battery” of cannons around the rugged shore. That’s how this part of Manhattan later got its name.

In the 19th century, as more and more immigrants sailed to America, the site was used as a welcoming and processing center before Ellis Island opened in 1892. Today, Historic Battery Park marks the location of immigrants’ arrival in New York.

Battery Park City as it is today was built over filled-in land of soil, sand and rocks excavated from other construction sites – including that of the World Trade Center towers. This planned community originally started out as an innovative experiment in urban living: to create an inner-city neighborhood with a small-town / suburban feel.

Mission accomplished!

Rooms with the view

Okay, so it depends on where in this area you happen to live. If you are lucky, you’ll get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, the glass-and-steel towers of the World Financial Center, the New York Harbor or, as mentioned above, Jersey City’s skyline.

If your apartment doesn’t provide rooms with the view, head to Wagner Park where you can admire not only beautifully landscaped scenery, but also sweeping vistas from the roof deck of the Park Pavilions. And just strolling along the waterfront esplanade gives you some great views as well.

Wagner Park is a very scenic location, but it is not the only haven of serenity and greenery in this neighborhood. Other public spaces, such as South Cove, West Thames Park, and Rector Park, all have a quiet charm of their own.

And let’s not forget Battery Park itself, scenically located on the neighborhood’s southern shore. Its beautiful waterfront and flower gardens are certainly worth repeated visits.

A Sunday In Battery Park

Though this is the title of a song written by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, Sunday – or any day for that matter – is indeed a good time for a leisurely stroll or a more energetic jog through the park’s pathways.

What else is there to do in the neighborhood besides walking running, admiring the views, as well as free summer concerts in the parks? Since Battery Park City is predominantly a residential area, it doesn’t have as many entertainment venues as other parts of Manhattan.

But no need to worry – just a quick jaunt to the nearby Tribeca will give you a vast array of trendy dining, clubbing, and other entertainment options. And there is no shortage of legendary haunts where you can listen to a wide variety of music styles – Mercury Lounge, Canal Room and SOBs, just to mention a few.

What if you don’t feel like leaving the neighborhood but would still like to hear some good music?

We can help you, by bringing “music” right to your doorstep!

At Hey Joe Guitar, we can come to your Battery Park City home or office and teach you to play any instrument or give you voice lessons – any age and any level.

See, it’s as easy as a… walk in the Park!

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Photo Credit: Anthony Quintan

The post Battery Park City: A Quiet Nook in Manhattan appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

If we had to describe the Midtown East section of Manhattan succinctly, we’d say it’s a quieter version of the adjacent neighborhood lying to the west. There is less of a hectic activity going on here, on the eastern side of Fifth Avenue, than the high energy emanating from Midtown West. And that’s a great thing about NYC – neighboring areas generate a totally different buzz and yet they are all part of the same city. Talk about diversity! The house Cornelius built (and other landmarks) Midtown East stretches from 42nd to 59th Street, and from Fifth Avenue to the East River. While it is a section of its own, it also comprises several smaller, mostly residential “sub-neighborhoods” like Tudor City, Sutton Place, Murray Hill, Kips Bay, and Turtle Bay. By the sound of their names, you’d imagine quiet, laid-back towns rather than a bustling city that surrounds them.

As we mentioned before, Midtown East in no match for its west-side neighbor in terms of the vibe, but it is home to some of NYC’s best-known architectural landmarks. Along 42nd Street and Park Avenue is one of the most opulent railroad stations in the United States. The Grand Central Terminal is worth mentioning not only because 750,000 people pass through this site every day, but also because of its history. It was built at the end of the 19th century for Cornelius Vanderbilt’s expanding railroad network. Reflecting the fashion of the day, it was constructed in the Beaux Arts style. Exquisite features such as the four-sided brass clock, and the circular marble and brass pagoda make this building an interesting architectural landmark. In the 1960s, there was talk of razing the station but, after much debate and controversy, concerned New Yorkers, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, saved the building from the wrecking ball. Another notable Midtown East landmark is the Chrysler building, at 405 Lexington Avenue. This 77-story skyscraper, constructed in 1930, was for a short time the tallest building in New York, until Empire State Building stole the thunder a year later with its 102 floors. Still, with the Art Deco style and stainless steel exterior, the Chrysler Building remains to this day a prominent part of the NYC’s skyline. And let’s not forget St. Patrick’s Cathedral, located at 460 Madison Avenue. The church opened in 1879 and is still a well-known New York landmark, visited by more than 5.5 million people each year. It is interesting to see how the neo-Gothic church is flanked on both sides by tall, modern buildings – the eclectic blend of the old and new styles that cohabit harmoniously on the same sidewalk. It’s in the pocket! When people think of New York, they conjure up images of gigantic buildings and huge, open spaces, like Central Park. But the Midtown East district is just the opposite. In line with the idea that “less is more,” several parks in this part of Manhattan were created on small pieces of land – the minuscule (by urban standards) size that justifies their name, “vest pocket parks.” Greenacre Park at 53rd Street and Lexington Avenue measures only 60 by 120 feet, but with its well-designed multi-level sitting, a waterfall, shady areas, and an outdoor café, this space provides respite and relaxation. Another green oasis in this neighborhood is the Paley Park, the 4,200 square feet space located nearby, at 3 East 53rd Street. Like Greenacre, it also has a waterfall and seating under the trees. Both these “vest pocket parks” prove that a quiet and relaxing oasis can be found even in the urban jungle! We’ll come to you We at Hey Joe Guitar love all kinds of New York neighborhoods: east, west, uptown or downtown – we feel at home wherever we go. And we do get around! Our music school is mobile, so we go wherever in Manhattan our customers work or live. Is your home or office in Midtown East? That’s not a problem: we will come to you and teach you to play an instrument of your choice.

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Photo Credit: S. Diddy

The post Midtown East: As Grand as its Station appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning, and the first thing that I heard Was a song outside my window, and the traffic wrote the words. It came a-reeling up like Christmas bells, and rapping up like pipes and drums.”

What better description of a NYC’s neighborhood is there than the words of Joni Mitchell’s 1969 song, “Chelsea Morning.” (Yes, the singer actually did live in Chelsea when she wrote this tune).

The song inspired Bill and Hillary Clinton to name their daughter Chelsea. And Collins performed this song at President Clinton’s 1993 Inaugural ball.

Is this the only example of a song about a Manhattan neighborhood inspiring a person’s name? We are not sure, but let’s just say that there are no people (to our knowledge) named Hell’s Kitchen!

London calling!

Actually, the name of this west side neighborhood, stretching from 14th to 29th Street and from Broadway to Hudson River, is not totally original.

In the mid-18th century, a retired British Major Thomas
Clarke bought 94 acres of land in this part of Manhattan and named it Chelsea, after an English military hospital. His own mansion was built on what is now West 23rd Street, the site of the present-day London Terrace building. (And yes, there is a neighborhood called Chelsea in London as well.)

Over the centuries, Chelsea’s history mirrored that of other NYC neighborhoods – from the influx of immigrants settling in the area, to a gritty district full of lumberyards, breweries, and tenements for low-income people.

Prior to World War I, before Hollywood became the motion picture capital of America, Chelsea was the center of the (silent) film industry; in fact, several of Mary Pickford’s movies were made on the top floor of an armory building at 221 West 26th Street.

“Market” value

In recent decades Chelsea has blossomed into a combination of an artsy, commercial, and residential enclave, which – like other NYC neighborhoods – has maintained its ethnic and social diversity. Some local historic landmarks also remain, including 19th century buildings and sites.

One of them is the Chelsea Market, located in the lower part of his neighborhood, between 15th and 16th Street, and Ninth and Tenth Avenue. Before it became an indoor shopping and food mall, the building housed the National Biscuit Company, maker of the Oreo cookies.

The company eventually left New York City, but the ground floor of the building, was later redesigned into an arcade brimming with food stores and restaurants.

And, if you are looking for live entertainment in the neighborhood, you can have your pick of several high-vibe haunts:

You don’t have to have a defiant streak to enjoy Rebel, Chelsea’s dance, lounge, and live music venue at 251 West 30th Street.

Even if you don’t remember (or had no chance to experience) hot sounds of Havana in the 1950s, you can relive them at Son Cubano at 44 West 27th Street –so “real,” you’d never know you were in Chelsea!

For a multi-disciplinary feel of the artistic input from the media, literature, and performing arts, head to The Kitchen at 12 West 19th Street. No cooking required, just a curious mind!

Let’s strum, drum, blow, or hit the keys together!

As you can see, Chelsea has a lot to offer! If you are looking for Manhattan music lessons, we are here for you!

Hey Joe Guitar teaches all kinds of instruments to people of all levels and ages in this neighborhood, and we’ll be happy to come to your Chelsea home or office as well.

Call us – whether you need us during the Chelsea morning, afternoon or evening – as long as your neighbors won’t mind!

The post Chelsea: A Gem of a Neighborhood on the West Side appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.