Mary Davidson, coordinator of the 50+ Club, is in on Thursdays. Contact her at 212-873-3400 x352 or 50Plus@nyhistory.org

_________________
Hi Everyone!

We’re getting very close to our re-opening on November 11^th! Construction is ending and exhibitions are being installed. We’ve got some terrific offerings for you – check www.nyhistory.org for details (and our countdown calendar!).

In this issue, you’ll find 24 programs from our cultural partners (including some great ones for Halloween) and 5 classes covering a variety of computer related topics.

Hope The Great Pumpkin brings you lots of candy!

Kathleen

_____________________

Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
– Lewis Carroll from “Through the Looking-Glass”

_______________________

Just a quick reminder that the 50+ Club is now part of N-YHS membership. If you’d like to continue with our activities, you will need to become a member at the special rate of $50 for the first year.

Please contact Joe Festa at jfesta@nyhistory.org or 212-485-9279.

_________________

PROGRAM AND TASTING
At the New-York Historical Society
Dangerous Ambition:
Rebecca West and Dorothy Thompson
Speaker: Susan Hertog
Wednesday, November 16
6:30pm
Featuring a special tasting from our new restaurant after the program.

Dorothy Thompson was the first female head of a European news bureau, a columnist and commentator whom Time magazine once ranked alongside Eleanor Roosevelt as the most influential woman in America. Rebecca West blazed a trail for herself as a journalist, literary critic, novelist and historian. In a pre-feminist era when speaking truth to power could get anyone – of either gender – ostracized, blacklisted or worse, these two smart, self-made women lived strikingly parallel lives that placed them at the center of the social and historical upheavals of the 20^th century.

**Members of the 50+ Club are invited to purchase tickets for just $6 (75% off a full-price ticket). Please use the discount code 50Plus75 when making your purchase at www.nyhistory.org or by calling 212-485-9268.

NYC FUN FACTS
There are almost 19,000 restaurants in New York City. It would take 17 years to try each restaurant if you ate out for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.

HISTORICAL HOUSES IN NYC PARKS
Ongoing Series
Edgar Allan Poe Cottage
Poe Park
Grand Concourse at East Kingsbridge Road
Bronx NY 10458
718-881-8900
www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org

Edgar Allan Poe, one of America’s greatest poets and mystery writers, spent the turbulent last years of his life in a modest cottage in the Bronx. Typical of the working class houses that filled the old village of Fordham, the cottage was built in 1812. In 1842, Poe and his wife Virginia moved in accompanied by Virginia’s mother, Maria Clemm.

Poe hoped that the quiet cottage, surrounded by fields and orchards and far from the noisy and polluted city, would help Virginia recover from her tuberculosis. He also hoped that the low rent would make it easier for him to support his little family. Despite his critical success, he was troubled financially. The house has only five rooms: a kitchen, parlor and bedchamber on the main floor, and two tiny rooms in the attic under the sloping eaves.

Poe wrote some of his most famous works in the cottage, including “The Bells,” “Eureka” and “Annabel Lee.” Virginia died in the cottage in 1847. Poe died two years later during a trip to Baltimore. Soon after, Mrs. Clemm sold her household possessions and moved away.

PROGRAMS – OCTOBER 2011
Programs with our cultural partners
The descriptions here are based on information available at the time of publication. Please call the venue for updated information and to confirm.

Live Jazz Wednesdays
Every Wednesday evening 7 – 10pm
Location: Renaissance Event Hall & Lounge, 27-34 21^st Street (between 30^th Avenue and Astoria Blvd.), Long Island City
Features different jazz performers and guests every week. Two-for-one drink special before 8pm. For more information: 718-274-4590

Saturday, October 1
Honey Extraction Demonstration
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Wave Hill, West 249^th Street at Independence Avenue, Bronx
Cost: $8 adults; $4 students/seniors; $2 children; free for members and children under 6
How do bees make honey? How do we collect it? Learn how to extract and bottle honey from the resident honeybees. Roll up your sleeves and turn the crank on the hand-operated honey extractor, then sample the sweet honey straight from the hive. For more information: 718-549-3200

Saturday, October 1
The Instant Shakespeare Company
1:00pm to 4:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Bloomingdale Branch, 150 West 100^th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus, Manhattan
Join the Instant Shakespeare Company for a dramatic reading of The Merchant of Venice. Bard fans of all ages are welcome! For more information: 212-222-8030

October 1 through October 30
The Haunted Pumpkin Garden
10:00am
The New York Botanical Garden, Exit 7W on the Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road, Bronx
Cost: $20 for adults; $18 for seniors and students; $8 children
Pumpkin sculptures of spooky scarecrows, frightening spiders, sneaky snakes, and more designed by artist Michael Natiello await discovery at every turn in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Youngsters play inside a “gourd-geous” Pumpkin House, put on a scary show at the Pumpkin Puppet Theater, have a “hoot” finding out what owls eat, and look for wiggly worms. For more information: 718-817-8700

Sunday, October 2
My Last Years with Bing: Kathryn Crosby Remembers Bing through Song, Images and Film
2:30pm
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan
For more information: 917-275-6975

Monday, October 3
Writing workshop sponsored by poets and writers
1pm
NOTE: Workshop will be held each Monday
Cost: Free
Location: Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center, 250 West 65^th Street, Manhattan
For more information: 212-874-0860 x109
Are you 60+? Are you interested in prose, poetry, memoirs? Then don’t miss the opportunity to join these dynamic classes.

Tuesday, October 4
Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen
12:00noon to 1:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan
For more information: 917-275-6975

Wednesday, October 5
Rail Yards Talks with Robert Hammond
7:00pm to 8:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: 14^th Street Passage in the High Line, Manhattan
Friends of the High Line co-founder Robert Hammond will talk about how a crazy idea to transform a derelict elevated railway into public open space became a reality in ten years and how advocacy work continues for the final stretch of the historic structure. For more information: 212-206-9922

Wednesday, October 5
From Ellis Island to Jersey Shore: Images of Italians in America
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd., Building 1P, Room 120
Cost: Free
For close to 200 years, the Italians in the United States have been portrayed poorly in the media. The cause and effects of such portrayals are the subject of Distinguished Professor Fred Gardaphe’s illustrated talk. For more information: 718-982-2597

Wednesday, October 5
English Country Dancing
7:00pm to 9:00pm
Cost: $5 per person
Location: Historic Richmond Town, Staten Island, Third County Courthouse, second floor
English country dancing fills the room with movement and pattern to the music of the past centuries at the Staten Island Historical Society. Learn dances from the courts of England and Colonial America. Beginners are welcome and partners are not necessary. For more information: 718-351-1611 x281

Tuesday, October 11
Conversation with John Lithgow and Bill Moyers
7:00pm to 9:00pm
Location: NYPL – Celeste Bartos Forum, Fifth Avenue at 42^nd Street, Manhattan
Lithgow discusses his new memoir, Drama: An Actor’s Education. For more information: 917-275-6975

Friday, October 14
Have Your (Batter) Cake and Eat It, Too: A 19^th-Century Food Tasting
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Merchant’s House Museum, 29 East 4^th Street, Manhattan
Cost: Free; reservations not required
Marja Samsom (the Dumpling Diva) will serve up batter cakes and lemon cream based on a mid-nineteenth century recipe. Reportedly a great favorite of Thomas Jefferson, batter cakes were often served at tea time. For more information: 212-777-1089

Saturday, October 15
Historical House Festival – King Manor Museum
12:00noon to 4:30pm
Location: King Manor Museum, 150-3 Jamaica Avenue, Queens
Cost: $5 adults; $3 seniors/students; children 16 and under are free
Watch a historic Dutch open-hearth cooking demonstration and learn about the Dutch food of this area. Enjoy free crafts and more at this food-themed event. For more information: 718-206-0545

Saturday, October 15
Union Square: Crossroads of New York Walking Tour
2:00pm to 3:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: Abraham Lincoln statue in Union Square Park, East 16^th Street near Broadway, Manhattan
You will explore the social and political history of the Union Square neighborhood through discussions of the people, history, architecture, and forces that have shaped this community. For more information: 212-460-1200

Saturday, October 15
Classical Guitar Concert with Charles Mokotoff and Alexander Dunn
2:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan
For more information: 917-275-6975

Saturday, October 15
Queens County Fair
11:00am to 6:00pm
Location: Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park
Cost: Free
Entertainment and culinary delights abound. Historical food experts in period costumes will demonstrate all aspects of food preparation and storage. Farmhouse tours will be given along with outdoor tours. The Bavarian Garden will feature favorites like apple strudel, apple fritters, bratwurst and beer with German and Irish bands to set the festive mood. For more information: 718-347-FARM

Tuesday, October 18
The Hollywood Musical Begins: The First Talkie-Musical
7:30pm
Location: Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, Main Building, Tribeca Performing Arts Center
Cost: Free
In 1927, Al Jolson redefined American cinema when he looked at the camera and said “You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!” He was right. Hollywood was soon producing “all-dancing, all-singing” extravaganzas with long lines of chorus girls. For more information: 212-220-1460

Sunday, October 22
Songs of Franz Liszt
2:30pm
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan
Cost: Free
Performed by soprano Martha Guth, mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway, and pianist Liza Stepanova (tenor TBA). For more information: 917-275-6975

Monday, October 24
Treasures of the Music Division: Forgotten Musicals
6:00pm
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan
Cost: Free
Unsung treasures from the library’s musical theater collections performed by cabaret artist Steve Ross and friends. For more information: 917-275-6975

Tuesday, October 25
Alexander McQueen – Andrew Bolton
6:00pm
Location: The Museum at FIT, Seventh Avenue at 27^th Street, Manhattan
Information and reservations: 212-217-4585
Join Andrew Bolton, curator of The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as he discusses his groundbreaking exhibition on Alexander McQueen.

Saturday, October 29
National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China
1:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: Brooklyn College, Walt Whitman Theater
Cost: $20
This astounding ensemble of more than 40 gymnasts, contortionists, jugglers, and dancers combine centuries-old tradition with modern-day showmanship in their very first U.S. tour. For more information and to order tickets: 718-951-4500

Saturday, October 29
Military in the Bronx
2:00pm to 3:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – City Island Branch, 320 City Island Avenue between Bay and Fordham Streets, Bronx
Distinguished historian Professor Victor Mastro will give a lecture on the history of the military in the Bronx. He will trace our armed forces from the American Revolutionary War to the present, including the Kingsbridge Armory. For more information: 718-885-1703

Sunday, October 30
Pianist Daniel Beliavsky plays Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, and Shostakovich
2:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan
For more information: 917-275-6975

Sunday, October 30
From Parlor to Grave: 1865 Funeral Reenactment
3:00pm to 5:00pm
Cost: $30 adults; $15 MHM members; $10 graveside service and cemetery tour only
Location: Merchant’s House Museum, 29 East Fourth Street, Manhattan
The parlors will be draped in black crêpe as we recreate the 1865 funeral of Seabury Tredwell. After the service, mourners are invited to follow the coffin to nearby Marble Cemetery – rarely open to the public – for a tour. Nineteenth-century mourning attire encouraged; black crêpe armbands will be provided. For more information: 212-777-1089

COMPUTER/INTERNET CLASSES

Saturday, October 1
Computer Tutoring Sessions
2:00pm to 3:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – 67^th Street Branch, 328 East 67^th Street at First Avenue, Manhattan
One-on-one tutoring sessions. Their tutors can help you with everything from using the mouse, formatting a resume, setting up an email address, posting photos on the internet, starting a blog, using Microsoft Office, and more. Every Saturday at 2pm (and Thursday evening) through the fall. For more information: 212-734-1717

Monday, October 3
Introduction to the Internet
11:00am to 12:00noon
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Columbus Branch, 742 Tenth Avenue between 50^th and 51^st Streets, Manhattan
For more information and to register: 212-586-5098

Tuesday, October 11
Introduction to Microsoft Word
4:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Kingsbridge Branch, 291 West 231^st Street at East 162^nd Street, Bronx
For more information and to register: 718-548-5656

Tuesday, October 11
Introduction to Email
10:30am to 12:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Allerton Branch, 2740 Barnes Avenue between Allerton and Arnow Avenues, Bronx
For more information and to register: 718-881-4240

Saturday, October 29
Finding Health Information Online
2:30pm to 4:30pm
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch (4^th floor), 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street, Manhattan
Learn to find consumer health information online including doctors’ credentials, hospital information, drug side effects, conventional and alternative medical treatments of diseases, diets, weight loss, nutrition and exercises, and how to evaluate these websites. Online registration begins October 22. For more information and to register: 212-340-0863

EXHIBITIONS
At the New-York Historical Society
Remembering 9/11
September 8, 2011 through April 1, 2012
Free to the public from September 8 through November 10, 2011.

At Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion
One West 4^th Street, Manhattan
212-824-2298
Admission: Free. Current government issued photo ID required.

Janet Shafner: Dark Prophecies

http://huc.edu/external/email/11/08/shafner/

Nathan Hilu’s Journal: Word, Image, Memory

http://huc.edu/external/email/11/08/hilu/

Leonard Everett Fisher: 70 Years an Artist

http://huc.edu/esternal/email/11/08/fisher/

New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West at 77th Street
New York NY 10024
212-873-3400 x352
www.nyhistory.org

Please click on this link for images and what our visitors had to say:
http://www.nyhistory.org/node/62976

Remembering 9/11 is open through April 2012 and admission is free through November 10, 2011.

As you know, the New-York Historical Society will re-open on November 11, 2011 after a major three-year renovation.

Beginning January 1, 2012, the benefits of 50+ Club membership will become a part of our general N-YHS membership benefits for those over 50 years of age. In order to continue your 50+ Club activities, you must become a member of the New-York Historical Society.

We are offering members of the 50+ Club a special discount on membership in the N-YHS. Now through December 31, 2011, you can join the New-York Historical Society for just $50 per person for the first year and receive both 50+ Club benefits and N-YHS member benefits including:

- Unlimited free admission to the Museum
- Half-price tickets to most public programs
- 10% discount in our Museum Store
- 10% discount in our new, Italian-themed restaurant
- Invitations to members-only events including the re-opening festivities
- Membership in the Empire State Museums Reciprocal Program which gives you free admission and museum store discounts at 22 New York State museums
- And, of course, all the programs we put together for the 50+ Club including our Photography Club and History Book Club

Please contact Joe Festa, Membership Manager, at jfesta@nyhistory.org or 212-485-9279.

Once you become a N-YHS member, you’ll be placed on our e-mail list and will receive the monthly newsletter full of articles, resources and programs — along with all the other benefits of membership.

I hope you’ll contact Joe and join us for all the fun when we re-open on November 11!

Best regards,

Kathleen O’Connor

 View us online at 50PlusatNYHS.wordpress.com

Feel free to use the comments section at the end of this newsletter to give us feedback or to share information.

Mary Davidson, coordinator of the 50+ Club, is in on Thursdays. Contact her at 212-873-3400 x352 or 50Plus@nyhistory.org

Please feel free to forward this to your friends. We have over 3,000 members now and would love to add more!
________________________

Hi Everyone!

The 50+ Club is back in business after our summer hiatus. Hope you had a terrific few months! Lots of excitement with both an earthquake and the hurricane!

The staff here has been super-busy getting ready to re-open on November 11. The front of the building is now uncovered – nice to see it again after 18 months. Our museum department is beginning to install 8 exhibitions plus the DiMenna Children’s History Museum– no free time for them for the next 2 months!

Mary and I have been working on programs and activities for you. Our cultural partners have come through once more and you’ll see 41 programs this month: private gallery tours, concerts, fairs and festivals, lectures, plays, readings, birding, films, hikes – you name it, we’ve got it. Indoors and outdoors – all for you!

In this issue, you’ll also find:

- Fun and useful new apps for your smartphone
- Cool links to great websites and videos
- Great deals
- Ideas for giving back
- Information on our Photography Club and History Book Club

So welcome back – enjoy the fun!

Best,

Kathleen O’Connor
_____________________

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.  – Marcel Proust

SMART APPS
Foodstream
Free; iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Features up-to-date restaurant information based on criteria including bargain prices, happy hours, special dishes, grand openings, location, and much more. It also has a recommendation feature.

Tour Wrist
Free; iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Using 3-D viewing technology, this travel app features an immersive mode which allows users to move their phone to show corresponding views on-screen. It features imagery from some of the world’s most talented photographers.

iExit Interstate Exit Guide
$1.99; iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
If you’ve ever found yourself wishing you knew how far up the road the next gas station or Starbucks was, iExit may come in handy. It shows you all the points of interest for upcoming exits: food, gas, lodging, auto repair, grocery stores, etc.

COOL LINKS
Take some of our new video “virtual tours” and see what the new New-York Historical Society will look like once we re-open. This month, we’re featuring the first floor and lower level.

Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History
4 minutes, 22 seconds
http://www.vimeo.com/27507146

DiMenna Children’s History Museum
2 minutes, 44 seconds
http://www.vimeo.com/27508207

NYC Media daily videos based on When Did the Statue of Liberty Turn Green? book
A series of one-minute videos gives you strange but true facts about NYC – a different video each day until we re-open on November 11.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/media/html/tv/nyctv_life_nyquestions.shtml

Check out our Behind-the-Scenes blog on our website.
The link below is to the story about our Tiffany traveling exhibition and the bomb-sniffing dog.
http://www.nyhistory.org/node/62297

Our new website is wonderful – a terrific resource – check it out!
http://www.nyhistory.org/

Here’s the link to our Library’s blog – always full of interesting info on our collections.
http://www.nyhistory.org/community/library-blog

GREAT DEALS
Feast for Less
Go to www.restaurant.com and enter your zip code to find restaurants in your area that offer gift certificates at discounted prices. Just read the fine print – many require that you spend at least $35 or order two entrees to redeem them.

Dry Cleaning
Go to www.8coupons.com, type in “dry cleaning” under “search for deals” and enter your zip code. The site will list specials offered by local cleaners.

DOING GOOD
Children’s Books
www.childrensbookproject.org
The Children’s Book Project has helped thousands of disadvantaged children learn to read by giving more than 1.5 million books to schools, homeless shelters, and community centers. Any gently used children’s book can be donated – whether a board book for infants or a novel for teens.

Shoes
www.soles4souls.org
Soles 4 Souls has given away nearly 12 million pairs of shoes to people in need. Donations can be left in the organization’s numerous drop boxes nationwide or shipped to any of its three warehouses.

PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB
If you’re interested in attending Photography Club meetings Fall 2011 through Spring 2012, please contact Mary Davidson at 50Plus@nyhistory.org to let her know.

The May 4 presentation by the members, Noshing in New York (and Elsewhere), is now up on Flickr. To view it, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/50plusatnyhs/sets

That was the last meeting of the season. So what is next? We hope to resume meetings of the Photography Club in December with an exhibition of historical photos now in the planning stage. Our gatherings to share and discuss our own photos will begin after the first of the year and will be held at the New-York Historical Society. A schedule will be e-mailed to you in October after we know what space is available for our use. Current assignment…

I-Z-CREAM! I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Who doesn’t like ice cream – sorbet, regular, light, soy, lactose-free? Your current assignment is to catch memorable drips, cones, ice cream experiences or extravaganzas. Get out your camera and shoot a few before you enjoy your own licks of this wonderful treat.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, October 3. Send no more than 3 digital photos to 50Plus@nyhistory.org  Include a caption and any comments that we may post in our file on Flickr to explain your photo. Please e-mail only individual photos in JPEG format – we cannot download from personal photo galleries/scrapbooks. After October 3, Mary Davidson will gather the photos together and we’ll have a “gallery” presentation on Flickr.

HISTORY BOOK CLUB
The History Book Club will resume meeting January 2012 at the New-York Historical Society. The format and space are still to be determined. Stay tuned!

Book Suggestions from Our Members
Read a great history-related book lately? Send your suggestions to 50Plus@nyhistory.org so we can share them!

Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America
By Jack Rakove
Houghton Miflin Harcourt

The Pirates of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World
By Jay Bahadur
Pantheon Books

The Long Night: William L. Shirer and “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”
By Steve Wick
Palgrave Macmillan

NYC FUN FACTS
Why are cabs yellow? John Hertz, who founded the Yellow Cab Company in 1907, chose yellow because he had read a study that indicated it was the easiest color to spot.

HISTORICAL HOUSES IN NEW YORK CITY PARKS
Ongoing Series

Alice Austen House Museum
Alice Austen Park
2 Hylan Blvd.
Staten Island NY10305
718-816-4506
www.aliceausten.org

Alice Austen (1866-1952), one of America’s earliest and most prolific female photographers, lived most of her life in Clear Comfort, this Victorian Gothic cottage on the shores of the Verrazano Narrows.

Clear Comfort traces its origins to a 17^th-century Dutch farmhouse, but when John Austen, Alice’s grandfather, bought it in 1844, he remodeled it to fit his taste.

In 1877, at the age of 11, Alice received a camera from her uncle. She was immediately mesmerized by photography, and spent the following 40 years capturing some 8,000 images (3,500 remain, mostly in the collection of the Staten Island Historical Society). She was best known for her “street photography”: photos of immigrants just off the boats from Ellis Island, street sweepers hard at work, postmen, bootblacks, and fishmongers.

PROGRAMS – SEPTEMBER 2011
Programs with Our Cultural Partners
The descriptions here are based on information available at the time of publication. Please call the venue for updated information and to confirm.

Thursday, September 1
Outdoor Art Exhibition
10:00am
NOTE: This event repeats every weekday through September 9.
Randall’s Island Sports Foundation is proud to present FLOW, an art exhibition that will be on view along the beautiful shoreline. Special events planned for Labor Day weekend.
Location: Central Road, north of Little Hell Gate Inlet
Cost: Free
For more information: Dial 311

Thursday, September 1
Play
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
8:00pm
The Faux-Real Theatre Company
The Greeks, like us, knew that Oedipus was going to gouge his eyes out even before the play began and they still came out in droves. Come see what all the fuss was about! The all-male cast of twelve will use performance techniques of the ancient Greeks including brightly colored wigs, fantastical costumes and masks that act like megaphones. There will also be live music, songs and dancing.
Location: The East River Park Bandshell, on East River Drive between Grand and Jackson Streets
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-360-2777

Friday, September 2
Film
Film on the Bay: My Architect (2003)
1:00pm (116 minutes)
Nathaniel Kahn’s search for his late father, famed architect Louis Kahn, is a magnificent personal soul searching for both legacy and family.
Location: NYPL – Kips Bay Branch, 446 Third Avenue at East 31^st Street
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-683-2520

Saturday, September 3
Dance
Bryant Park Moves with Limon Dance
11:00am to 12:00noon
NOTE: Repeats on Saturday, September 10
Experience the joy of movement and dance, as led by former and current members of the internationally renowned modern dance company, Limon Dance. Open to all levels.
Location: Bryant Park Lawn, West 40^th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-768-4242

Saturday, September 3
Birding
8:00am
Wildlife viewing is one of the nation’s fastest growing activities. The Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots.
Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center in Marine Park, East 33^rd Street and Avenue U, Brooklyn
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-421-2021

September 3-5
Richmond County Fair
11:00am to 6:00pm
Contests and crafts – exhibitions and traditional demonstrations – two stages with popular entertainment – magic and specialty acts – amusement rides – children’s rides – over 100 specialty vendors
Location: Historic Richmond Town, 441 Clarke Avenue, Staten Island
Cost: $15 General; $10 Seniors; children under 30” free
For more information: 718-351-1611 or www.historicrichmondtown.org

Sunday, September 4
Garden Walking Tour in Fort Tryon Park
1:00pm to 2:00pm
NOTE: This event repeats on the first Sunday of every month through December 4
Take a tour of the “Park for All Seasons” featuring the Heather and Alpine Gardens. Discover which plants are in bloom and learn about the history, future and secrets of the park from our expert horticultural staff.
Location: Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park, Cabrini Blvd. and Fort Washington Avenue– meet at the entrance to the Heather Garden on Margaret Corbin Circle
Cost: Free
For more information:  Dial 311

Sunday, September 4
Walking Tour
Historic New York: The New York Skyline
1:00pm
Tour led by the Urban Park Rangers
Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1, Old Fulton Street and Furman Street, Brooklyn
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-722-3218

Tuesday, September 6
NYPL at Night: Staged Reading
Merry Wives of Windsor (Quarto)
This first published version of Shakespeare’s comedy of Falstaff in love might be one of the first sit-coms. Presented by the Instant Shakespeare Company. Performers stand, scripts in hand, and move around as they act out plays with the minimum of rehearsal.
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at East 40^th Street
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-340-0863

Thursday, September 8 and 22
Got Clutter? Join the NYPL Clutter Group!
5:30pm
A support group for individuals who are struggling with clutter and disorganization facilitated by organizing expert AJ Miller.
Location: NYPL – Kips Bay Branch, 446 Third Avenue at East 31^st Street
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-683-2520

Thursday, September 8
Lecture
Artist at the Library: Joe Ciardiello
6:30pm
This slide presentation is about the artist’s career as an illustrator, highlighting his black and white portraits of writers that he creates for the New York Times Book Review, and his portraits of blues, jazz and rock musicians.
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at East 40^th Street
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-340-0863

Saturday, September 10
Concert
Classics for a Late Summer Afternoon – Bronx Symphony String Quartet
2:30pm
Featuring selected works by Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. Commentaries on the music included.
Location: NYPL – Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road at Briggs Avenue, Bronx
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-579-4244

Saturday, September 10
Walking Tour
Bronx River Tributary/Woodlawn Brook
10:00am to 1:00pm
Follow the course of a Bronx River tributary, Woodlawn Brook, from its source in a spring-fed pond down through the heart of the historic Woodlawn Cemetery. Along the way, you’ll meet the “brother” of the Bronx River Soldier, and pay your respects to pioneer activists, lost explorers, and other notables. And you’ll see the most tragically absurd (but true) epitaph ever written.
Location: Woodlawn Cemetery, 501 East 233^rd Street – cemetery gate
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-430-4665

Saturday, September 10
Walking Tour
Historic New York: City Hall to Battery Park
11:00am
Tour led by the Urban Park Rangers
Location: The Fountain in City Hall Park, Park Row and Beekman Street
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-628-2345

Saturday, September 10
Walking Tour
Historic New York: The Little Red Lighthouse
1:00pm to 4:00pm
Tour led by the Urban Park Rangers
Location: Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington Park, West 181 Street and Plaza Lafayette
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-304-3401

Tuesday, September 13
NYPL at Nite: Staged Reading
The Millionairess by George Bernard Shaw
6:30pm
This delightful comedy has the richest woman in England searching for love.
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at East 40^th Street
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-340-0863

September 17 – October 30
Outdoors
The Amazing Maize Maze
11:00am to 4:30pm
Enjoy getting lost in a 3-acre interactive corn maze. The adventure begins with a “stalk talk” to prepare you for the challenge of finding clues, solving puzzles and making your way out of the maze. To add to the adventure, join us for Maze by Moonlight on October 8 and 15 when the maze will be open until 9pm. Sponsored by Con Edison.
Location: Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Queens
Cost: $9
For more information: 718-421-2021

Saturday, September 17
Birding
8:00am to 5:00pm
Tour led by the Urban Park Rangers
Location: Marine Park, East 36^th Street near Avenue R, Brooklyn
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-421-2021

Saturday, September 17
Author Talk
A Literary Salon with Tananarive Due
4:00pm to 6:00pm
Tananarive Due is the American Book Award-winning author of nine books. Due’s new novel, My Soul To Take, continues the conflict between mortals and immortals in a thoughtful near-future supernatural suspense tale. It’s the fourth in the African Immortals series. Sponsored by the Center for Black Literature.
Location: Medger Evers College, 80 Hanson Place, Brooklyn
Cost: Donation
For more information: 718-804-8882

Saturday, September 17
Birding
11:00am
Tour led by the Urban Park Rangers
Location: Lafayette and Metcalf Avenues, Bronx
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-378-2061

Saturday, September 17
Dance
Summer on the Hudson: Dance Safari!
6:00pm to 7:30pm
Come explore the park on a guided walk that searches out seven wild site specific dance pieces from 59^th to 79^th Streets. Choreographers to be announced.
Location: Riverside Park South – meet at the 79^th Street entrance
Cost: Free
For more information: Dial 311

Saturday, September 17
Outdoors
Great Irish Fair of New York
10:00am to 7:30pm
A family-friendly event celebrating NYC’s great Irish-American heritage and culture. Traditional and contemporary Irish music – local Irish bands – great food/pubs – Irish dancing – Irish goods – children’s rides and activities
Location: MCU Park, 1904 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn
Cost: $12 each; family packages available
For more information: 718-449-8497

Tuesday, September 20 and 27
Concert
Toe-Tappin’ Tuesdays:
Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen
12:00noon to 1:30pm
Location: NYPL – Library for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza
Cost: Free
For more information: 917-275-6975

Tuesday, September 20
Author Talk
Author at the Library: John Anthony Gilvey
6:30pm
The story of Jerry Orbach, one of the foremost actors of his generation, told through readings complemented by video clips from his stage, film and TV career.
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at East 40^th Street
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-340-0863

Wednesday, September 21
Lecture
History of the Latino in the Bronx
6:00pm
The Bronx has been home to many immigrant groups since the colonial era. The Latino community has increased substantially since the first major migration, making them the largest minority group in the borough. Join us as Angel Hernandez, Education Coordinator of the Bronx Historical Society, talks about the Latino experience in the Bronx.
Location: NYPL – Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road at Briggs Avenue, Bronx
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-579-4244

Thursday, September 22
Author Talk
Author at the Library: Morris Dickstein
6:30pm
Morris Dickstein, the eminent writer and critic as well as a Distinguished Professor of English and Theater at CUNY’s Graduate Center, will discuss arts and entertainment during the Great Depression.
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at East 40^th Street
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-340-0863

September 23 – 25
DUMBO Arts Festival
A feast for the senses that attracts 200,000 visitors over 3 days with the participation of over 500 artists from a variety of disciplines, 100 studios, 50 galleries and stages, and 100 programming partners.
Location: The Festival spans the neighborhood between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges including the waterfront.
For more information: www.dumboartsfestival.com

Saturday, September 24
Film
Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women
2:00pm
The Ziegfeld Society and The Paley Center for Media are offering this special screening of the 1978 TV movie. It’s the story of the legendary showman Florenz Ziegfeld and the women in his life. Following this Emmy Award-winning movie, there will be an interview with Loria Parker, who played Fannie Brice, and Walter Willison, who played Frank Carter.
Location: The Paley Center for Media, 25 West 52^nd Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
Cost: $10 General; $8 Seniors and Students
For more information: 917-371-5509

September 24-25
The Third Annual Civil War Weekend at the Grange
Hosted by the 67^th New York Volunteer Infantry with help from the 9^th Virginia, 30^th Virginia and guests
Step into the 1860s and witness battles between the Blue and Gray, visit their camps, listen to period music, take Saturday night’s candlelight tour, and immerse yourself in this most extraordinary time in America’s history.
Location: Town of Islip Grange, 10 Broadway Avenue, Sayville NY – at the intersection of Montauk  Highway and Broadway Avenue
Cost: Free
For more information: www.newyorkcivilwar.com or liny67th@yahoo.com

Saturday, September 24
Performance/Art
unFRAMED: A Man in Progress
7:30pm
The nation misread him, the prison enraged him, his art expressed him, his woman believed in him, his poetry saved him. Winner of the 2011 Award for Excellence in Theatre from the DC Black Theatre Festival, unFRAMED is the poetic tale of life as an immigrant in America – a journey from boyhood in Antigua to manhood in America. Using canvas, paint, poetry, prose and song, playwright Iyaba Ibo Mandingo tells the story of his transformation and shares his rage, determination, and hope while he paints his self-portrait. Presented in conjunction with an exhibit of his original artwork.
Location: John Jay College, T Building, Haaren Hall, 899 Tenth Avenue – Gerald W. Lynch Theater
Cost: $20
For more information: 212-237-8005

Saturday, September 24
Outdoors
National Estuaries Day – Little Neck Bay Festival
11:00am to 3:00pm
Help us celebrate our estuaries by enjoying a beautiful afternoon with games, crafts, canoe rides and more.
Location: Alley Pond Park Nature Center and Trails in Alley Pond Park, Northern Blvd. and Cross Island Parkway, Queens
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-352-4793

Saturday, September 24
Dance
2011 New York International Choreographers Festival
3:00pm to 5:00pm
The Staten Island Ballet and its 21 accomplished artists stage their 11^th NY International Choreographers Festival featuring contemporary ballets by four choreographers.
Location: College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd., Building 1P, Williamson Theatre
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-982-2787

Saturday, September 24
Concert
An Afternoon of Puerto Rican, Cuban and Dominican Folkloric Music
2:30pm
Location: NYPL – Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road at Briggs Avenue, Bronx
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-579-4244

Sunday, September 25
Walking Tour
Civil War New York: Fort Totten
10:00am
Tour led by the Urban Park Rangers
Location: Fort Totten Visitors Center, 212^th Street and Bell Blvd., Queens
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-352-1769

Sunday, September 25
Walking Tour
Historic New York: Breweries of Old New York
11:00am
Tour led by the Urban Park Rangers
Location: Bushwick and Montrose Avenues, Brooklyn
Cost: Free
For more information: 718-722-3218

Sunday, September 25
Walking Tour
Historic New York: The Highbridge
1:00pm
Tour led by the Urban Park Rangers
Location: West 174^th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
Cost: Free
For more information: 212-304-3401

Sunday, September 25
Musical
Let’s Hang On!
The Premier Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Tribute Show
3:00pm
This polished stage show features four outstanding male vocalists who sing and dance their way through some of the best songs of all time. Backed by a live band.
Location: Queensborough Community College, 222-05 56^th Avenue, Bayside – Humanities Theatre
Cost: $35
For more information/tickets: 718-631-6387 or www.events.cuny.edu

EXHIBITION
Remembering 9/11
September 8, 2011 through April 1, 2012
New-York Historical Society
To commemorate the 10^th anniversary of September 11, we will present a special exhibition which will be free to the public from September 8 through November 10, 2011.

The exhibition will present a selection of photographs taken by professional and amateur photographers in the immediate aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center as well as letters written to police officers and firefighters; objects that were placed in makeshift shrines around New York; images and texts from the New York Times “Portraits of Grief” series; photographs of the Tribute in Light; and drawings of the National September 11 Memorial, designed by architect Michael Arad with the assistance of landscape architect Peter Walker.

New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West at 77^th Street
New York NY 10024
212-873-3400 x352
50Plusatnyhs.wordpress.com
www.nyhistory.org

We’re in the process of designing a new application form for the 50+ Club and would like to include feedback from members.

Please send your comments about the 50+ Club (what you’ve done, how you like it, etc.) to Mary Davidson at 50Plus@nyhistory.org

Thanks!

Kathleen O’Connor

Click here to visit us online at 50PlusatNYHS.wordpress.com

Feel free to use the comments section at the end of this newsletter to give us feedback or to share information.

Mary Davidson, coordinator of the 50+ Club, is in on Thursdays. Contact her at 212-873-3400 x352 or 50Plus@nyhistory.org

Please feel free to forward this to your friends. We have over 3,000 members now and would love to add more!
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Hi Everyone!

We’ve put together a newsletter with a vacation theme this month since we’re going on hiatus until September. You’ll find articles on:

. 6 ways to get more out of your vacation
. Healthy eating
. Think yourself young
. Travel-related apps

We’ve also got Cool Links, exhibitions, book reviews – and, of course, lots of programs covering June and July.

Mary and I wish you a happy summer. See you in September!

Best,

Kathleen

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QUOTE

A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere.
- Joyce A. Meyers

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PACK FOR HAPPY TRAVELING
6 ways to get the most out of any holiday

1. Put a vacation on your calendar, even if it’s months away. People feel a swell of elation from planning a trip. It stands to reason that extending the buildup can stretch out your pleasure. And the more mini-holidays you plan, the more excitement you’ll enjoy pre-jaunt: Three long weekends yield the triple anticipation of a three-week pull-out-all-the-stops extravaganza.

2. Give yourself time to chill. Travelers who describe their holidays as “very relaxing” keep their happy vacation vibe longer than those who cram their visit with nonstop activities. Repeat after me: “I don’t have to see every sight.” Pencil in a few lazy breakfast-in-bed mornings. Heaven!

3. Do it your way. No matter how adept your travel agent or charismatic the tour guide, you’re more likely to have a satisfying sojourn if you pick your own activities, rather than following a set sightseeing itinerary. When you’ve chosen an experience, you feel responsible for it, which gives you an extra dose of happiness. So get lots of good advice from guidebooks or the concierge, then go with the plans that feel right for you. After all, you know what you like.

4. Interrupt the good times. You heard right. Breaking up a day at the beach with a few mundane tasks (such as a jaunt to the post office) will actually leave you feeling happier in the long run than if you lounge without end. We’re very adaptive creatures, so fun times don’t feel quite as enjoyable after a while. Interspersing the reveling with an errand or two, even one that lasts only five minutes, will restore your appreciation of your holiday and brighten your mood. You may discover that a usually boring task, like grocery shopping, is an adventure in a foreign land.

5. Finish your trip on a high note. We tend to judge an experience not only by its most extreme moments but also by how it concludes, a phenomenon known as the “peak-end rule.” To create the happiest memories, plan an exquisitely pleasurable event (a sunset cruise or a fancy dinner) near the end of your stay.

6. Bring the vacation home. I’m not talking about souvenirs. If you tried windsurfing or a new wine while away, invest in a class or two. Or if you’re craving cuisine from your getaway, research the recipe and hit the kitchen. You’ll shake up your routine and channel your relaxed vacation self.

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EAT LIKE A GREEK
The key ingredients to living to a ripe old age? They’re found at tables in the Mediterranean. But it’s not only what the locals eat – it’s also how.

Get fresh. Unlike the usual Western diet of processed food and quick frozen meals, the typical Mediterranean meal consists of items you find in the produce aisle. Filling your cart with whole foods, as in real cheese instead of nacho cheese dip, will help you avoid added sugars and sodium that are often found in processed food.

Put veggies center stage. Meat is often the main course in the U.S., but across the pond, it’s more of a side dish. When you look at your plate, meat and whole grains should occupy one quarter of the plate each; reserve the other half for vegetables. Consuming more dark greens such as spinach and broccoli will increase your intake of heart-healthy B vitamins.

Be picky about protein. Red meat and dairy take a back seat in the Mediterranean diet, so most protein comes from lean sources like legumes, nuts and fish. Declare at least one day a week red meat-free; opt instead for protein sources such as lentils, almonds and tuna.

Savor flavor. In the Mediterranean, eating is a hobby you are meant to enjoy with friends – not a chore to do at your desk or one that comes with calorie counting and stress. Spend mealtimes with loved ones and take note of what you’re tasting. The brain needs 20 minutes to register fullness, so eat slowly to help avoid overeating. And pause to chat and sip a glass of vino, which, in moderation, can reduce your risk for heart disease. Opa!

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WANT TO JOIN THE 50+ CLUB?
If this newsletter was forwarded to you from a friend, you may want to start getting it on your own. It’s all free! Contact Mary Davidson at 212-873-3400 x352 or 50Plus@nyhistory.org

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COOL LINKS
Historic music recordings

http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/

Walking Tour: George Washington’s New York

http://www.nyharborparks.org/visit/tour-washingtons-new-york.html

A Ranger Story: Getting Wild in the City
It doesn’t require a cross-country trip to get to one of the crown jewels of America’s national park system. Let National Park Service Ranger Dave Taft introduce you to New York Harbor’s answer to Yellowstone.

http://www.nyharborparks.org/podcasts/rs-gateway.html

N-YHS Library Blog

https://www.nyhistory.org/library/blog/

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THINK YOURSELF YOUNG
Senior moments may be a far-off concern (or not), but if being a bright, creative powerhouse is top of mind, you’ll want to read this: Certain actions increase the size of your hippocampus, the brain region in charge of memory and learning – and the area that is most active in generating new cells. Follow these six steps to stay wise beyond your years.

1. Tease your memory.
Learning something new (say, the names of exotic plants or state capitals when you’re waiting in line) will flex your mental muscles, increasing blood flow to the brain and helping the hippocampus grow.

2. Move your body.
Exercise releases proteins in the brain that encourage new cell growth, improving recall and the brain’s resistance to stress. No gym membership necessary – a stroll or bike ride delivers the rewards.

3. Snack smart.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in walnuts and DHA-fortified soymilk, support brain signal transmissions and repair age-related cell damage to improve cognitive function and possibly prevent brain aging.

4. Try a new hobby.
Engaging in new-to-you activities, such as playing an instrument or taking dance lessons, helps strengthen all areas of the brain, so they can compensate if the hippocampus does shrink over time.

5. Find the humor.
Stress hormones can impair the hippocampus, but tickling your funny bone can help counter the effect. Laugh through life to make it a long one!

6. Know your numbers.
One more reason to watch your blood pressure: People with hypertension have a smaller brain and are at greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

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HELPFUL TIPS
Birthday discount. Thanks to Louise Bernikow for this one: On your birthday, Filene’s Basement will give you a discount. Try it – you’ll like it!

Cell phone service – prepay. An unlimited prepaid monthly plan can cost about half of a traditional unlimited plan. Check it out with your carrier.

Farmers market – go late in the day. For the deepest discounts, show up one hour before the market closes. Farmers don’t want to take a lot of unsold produce back home.

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BOOK REVIEWS
33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs, from Billie Holiday to Green Day
By Dorian Lynskey
Review written by Dwight Garner, The New York Times
Click here to read review

The Korean War: A History
By Bruce Cumings
Review written by Jacob Heilbrunn, The New York Times
Click here to read review

The Hard Way Around: The Passages of Joshua Slocum
By Geoffrey Wolff
Review written by Nathaniel Philbrick, The New York Times
Click here to read review

Frank: The Voice
By James Kaplan
Review written by Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
Click here to read review

Alan Lomax: The Man Who Recorded the World
By John Szwed
Review written by Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Click here to read review

Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788
By Pauline Maier
Review written by Richard Brookhiser, The New York Times
Click here to read review

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WHO WANTS MY…
Garden Produce. If your green thumb produces greater bounty than you and your family can consume this year, donate the excess through www.ampleharvest.org, which connects backyard gardeners to food pantries in their area – and even has an iPhone app!

Technotrash. If you, like most of us, have amassed a collection of mysterious PC cables, CD-ROMs, and grubby old mice, check out www.GreenDisk.com, which safely recycles all this high-tech junk – plus CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, cassettes, and much more.

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APPY TRAVELS
Navigate new territory like a native with these handy tools.

Best for foodies: LocalEats (99 cents)
With this database of more than 15,000 top-rated restaurants in 100+ cities worldwide, you’ll always find great food, sometimes just steps away. Browsing by cuisine, price, neighborhood or special deals makes it easy.

Best for globe-trotters: Lonely Planet Audio Phrasebooks ($5.99 per language)
These e-guides to common parlance in 18 languages include a translating function that “talks” out loud (“I’d like the wine list, please.”).

Best for photo fiends: Postcard by concierge.com (free)
Turn iPhone snapshots into customized postcards with this cool tool. Simply choose a frame, type in a “Hello from a faraway land” message and email to loved ones. Instant gratification.

Best for frequent fliers: Gate Guru (free)
Make the most of a layover with tens of thousands of users’ recommendations for the best airport food and shopping.

Best for travelers on a budget: MetrO (free)
Tackle cities the way their denizens do (and save on taxi fare) with this guide to public transport (bus, subway, even boat!) in more than 400 cities worldwide. Underground? The app still works!

Best for avid sightseers: GPSmyCity ($2.99 to $4.99)
Take a trip through Chicago’s architectural landscape or discover Amsterdam’s culinary delights (and burn off those sumptuous treats) with guided walking tours composed by local travel writers and categorized by featured attractions, whether historic places or the trendiest nightspots.

Best for…everyone: SitOrSquat (free)
This comprehensive guide to public restroom locations throughout the U.S. and parts of Europe lists toilets by proximity, accessibility and cleanliness based on user reviews. At last, a solution for the tourist’s common dilemma.

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PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB
The May 4 presentation of the 50+ Photography Club, Noshing in New York (and Elsewhere), is now up on Flickr. To view it, go to  http://www.flickr.com/photos/50plusatnyhs/sets

That was the last meeting of the season. So what is next? We hope to resume meetings of the Photography Club in December with an exhibit of historical photos now in the planning stage. Our gatherings to share and discuss our own photos will begin after the first of the year and will be held at the New-York Historical Society. A schedule will be e-mailed to you in October after we know what space is available for our use. Over the summer, we have an assignment for you…

I-Z-CREAM! I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Who doesn’t like ice cream – sorbet, regular, light, soy, lactose-free? Over the summer your assignment will be to catch memorable drips, cones, ice cream experiences or extravaganzas. Get out your camera and shoot a few before you enjoy your own licks of this wonderful treat.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, October 3. Send no more than 3 digital photos to 50Plus@nyhistory.org  Include a caption and any comments that we may post in our file on Flickr to explain your photo. Please e-mail only individual photos in JPEG format – we cannot download from personal photo galleries/scrapbooks. After October 3, Mary Davidson will gather the photos together and we’ll have a “gallery” presentation on Flickr.

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HISTORY BOOK CLUB
The History Book Club will resume meetings January 2012 at the New-York Historical Society. The format and space are still to be determined. We will rely on volunteers to be facilitators. Stay tuned.

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HISTORICAL HOUSES IN NEW YORK CITY PARKS
Third in a series

Rufus King

King Manor Museum
King Park
Jamaica Avenue at 150^th Street
Jamaica NY 11432
718-206-0545
Click here for website

King Manor is the centerpiece of an 11-acre historic park. The 18^th- and 19^th-century house takes its name from Rufus King, a signer of the U.S. Constitution and an outspoken opponent of slavery. (The N-YHS has Rufus King’s papers in our Library.) From 1805 to 1896, King Manor served as home to several generations of the King family.

The house remained in the King family until 1896. It was then purchased by the village of Jamaica and preserved in the new King Park as a symbol of Jamaica’s importance at a time when local identity was vanishing into the newly consolidated City of New York.

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PROGRAMS – JUNE 2011
The descriptions listed here are based on information at the time of publication. Please call the venue for updated information and to confirm.

Saturday, June 4
Early Birding at Marine Park
8:00am
Cost: Free
Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center, East 33^rd Street at Avenue U, Brooklyn
Join the Urban Park Rangers for early morning birding. For more information, call 718-421-2021.

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Saturday, June 4
Early Birding at Van Cortlandt Park
8:00am
Cost: Free
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Park, Bronx
Spring is back and so are our fine feathered friends! Let’s search for birds on a leisurely stroll. Bring binoculars if you have them. For more information, call 718-548-0912.

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Saturday, June 4
In concert with cellist Nada Radulovich
2:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza
For more information, call 917-275-6975.

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Sunday, June 5
Garden Walking Tour in Fort Tryon Park
1:00pm to 2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Heather Garden, Cabrini Blvd. and Fort Washington Avenue, Manhattan
Take a tour of the “Park for all Seasons.” Discover which plants are in bloom and learn about the garden’s history, future, and secrets from a member of the expert horticultural staff.

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Sunday, June 5
Summer on the Hudson: Let’s Dance! Lessons
6:00pm to 9:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Pier 1 in Riverside Park, Manhattan
Learn to dance like a pro at these salsa, cha-cha and bachata lessons and group dances led by master teachers from the Piel Canela Dance and Music School. For more information, call 311 or zhen.heinemann@parks.nyc.gov

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Monday, June 6
How Enemies Become Friends: The Sources of Stable Peace
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
Through compelling analysis and rich historical examples that span the globe and range from the 13^th century through the present, foreign policy expert Dr. Charles A. Kupchan will explore how adversaries can transform enmity into amity. For more information, call 212-340-0863.

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Monday, June 6
Treemonisha: Opera in Concert
7:00pm
Cost: $15
Location: NYPL – Schomburg Center, 515 Malcolm X Blvd.
City Opera will present an abridged concert version of the groundbreaking opera by famed African-American composer and father of ragtime, Scott Joplin. For tickets, call CenterCharge at 212-712-6500.

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Thursday, June 9
Wall Street: Discover the History
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
Wall Street, world-famous symbol of capitalism, boasts a fascinating history. Financial ups and downs are only part of the story. Understand how it all started and get to know the famous personalities as you go on a fascinating journey into the financial heart of NYC and get an exciting peek at what happens behind the scenes. For more information, call 212-340-0863.

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Saturday, June 11
Tour: Little Red Lighthouse
1:00pm to 4:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington Park, West 181^st Street and Plaza Lafayette, Manhattan
Go behind the scenes at the landmark made famous by the book. For more information, call 212-304-3401.

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Saturday, June 11
Concert version of Beethoven’s opera Fidelio
1:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza
Performed by the New York Opera Forum. For more information, call 917-275-6975.

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Saturday, June 11
Chinese Music with Chinese Theatre Works
2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Tremont Branch, 1866 Washington Avenue at East 176^th Street, Bronx
An instrumental music program, featuring traditional Chinese classical and folk music. Explore the music as well as the lore and mythology of the instruments. For more information, call 718-299-5177.

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Saturday, June 11
The Ties That Bind: Ebony Hillbillies
2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Allerton Branch, 2740 Barnes Avenue at Allerton Avenue, Bronx
Ebony Hillbillies is an Irish music show featuring one of America’s premiere black string bands. For more information, call 718-881-4240.

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Saturday, June 11
Wine Tasting: Riesling — The Most Versatile Grape
4:00pm to 6:00pm
Cost: $25; $20 for members of the Morris-Jumel Mansion
Location: Morris-Jumel Mansion, 65 Jumel Terrace, Manhattan
So you think you know Riesling? It’s an ancient grape that once commanded prices in excess of any wine in the world. For tickets, call 212-923-8008.

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Monday, June 13
MOMA at the Library: Mexican Modernism
6:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road at Briggs Avenue, Bronx
Consider the vibrant colors, powerful imagery and bold socio-political commentary of art created during and following the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1917, and its impact on the art that followed. For more information, call 718-579-4244.

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Thursday, June 16 and Thursday, June 30
Got Clutter? Join the NYPL Clutter Group!
5:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Kips Bay, 446 Third Avenue at East 31^st Street
Do you feel overwhelmed by the possessions, papers and piles that have taken over your life and space? Don’t know how or where to start to make changes? You’re not alone. This group will be facilitated by organizing expert AJ Miller and will meet on alternating Thursdays. For more information, call 212-683-2520.

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Thursday, June 16
The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
Rediscover the joy of home cooking through the eyes of one Brooklynite who swore off restaurants for two years. The speaker is the author of the blog Not Eating Out In New York. Two years, three apartments, countless food events and some strange restaurant-free “dates” and she was able to turn eating into something of an art. For more information, call 212-340-0863.

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Saturday, June 18
Wave Hill History Walk
11:00am
Cost: Free with admission
Location: Perkins Visitors Center at Wave Hill, Bronx
Discover the fascinating history of the gardens, buildings and the people who once called Wave Hill their home. For more information, call 718-549-3200.

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Saturday, June 18
Take Me Out to the Ball Game – 1864!
1:00pm to 4:00pm
Cost: General: $10 adults; $8 seniors; $5 children (6-17). Bartow-Pell Mansion members: $8 adults; $6 seniors; $3 children (6-17)
To purchase tickets, call 718-885-1461 or info@bpmm.org
Location: Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, 895 Shore Road, Bronx (Pelham Bay Park)
Celebrate Dad all weekend long with a Saturday afternoon “base ball match.” The New York Mutuals play with 1864 rules, balls, bats, and uniforms – but no helmets or gloves. After the game, kids get to join in the fun with a game of rounders with team members. Plus a free house tour and a raffle for the game ball.

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Wednesday, June 22
Concert: Bryant Park after Work
6:00pm to 7:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Fountain Terrace, Bryant Park, Manhattan
Perfectly timed evening performances featuring talented NY area jazz musicians and singer-songwriters. For more information, call 212-768-4242 or bpc@urbanmgt.com

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Friday, June 24
Lunchtime Listen: Sean Grissom’s Cajun Cello
12:00noon to 1:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: West Harlem Piers Park, West 125^th Street, Manhattan
Pack a lunch and drink in the reverberations. For more information, call 311 or zhen.heinemann@parks.nyc.gov

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Saturday, June 25
Morris-Jumel Mansion Family Day
11:00am to 4:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Morris-Jumel Mansion, 65 Jumel Terrace, Manhattan
Come enjoy Roger Morris Park along with your family. Play colonial games, make crafts, and enjoy the beginning of summer. The day will also include tours. For more information, call 212-923-8008 or education@morrisjumel.org

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Saturday, June 25
The Instant Shakespeare Company at the Library
1:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Bloomingdale Branch, 150 West 100^th Street at Amsterdam Avenue
Join the Instant Shakespeare Company for a dramatic reading of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. Bard fans of all ages welcome! For more information, call 212-222-8030.

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Sunday, June 26
Summer Solstice Celebration
All day
Cost: Free with admission
Location: Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main Street, Flushing
Come for a day of music, poetry and crafts. Quintet of the Americas will perform at 2:30pm. For more information, call 718-886-3800.

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Sunday, June 26
Le Carrousel Magique
1:00pm to 2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Le Carrousel in Bryant Park, Manhattan
Abracadabra! Once again the Bryant Park magicians appear with tricks that astound and amaze. For more information, call 212-768-4242 or bpc@urbanmgt.com

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Sunday, June 26
Hugh Masekela + Freshly Ground + Somi
3:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Rumsey Playfield in Central Park
For more information, call 212-360-2777 or info@summerstage.org

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Wednesday, June 29
In Search of Purpose, Passion and a Paycheck: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life
4:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Main Branch, Stephen Schwartzman Building, South Court Auditorium, Fifth Avenue at 42^nd Street
Hear from people in their 40s, 50s and 60s and beyond who’ve transitioned to social purpose careers and learn from a panel of experts about how to position yourself for a meaningful encore career. For more information, call 917-275-6975.

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PROGRAMS – JULY 2011
The descriptions listed here are based on information at the time of publication. Please call the venue for updated information and to confirm.

Tuesday, July 5
Brooklyn Bridge Park Tuesday Night Tours
6:00pm to 6:45pm
Cost: Free
Location: Meet at “Welcome” sign at Brooklyn Bridge Park entrance at Old Fulton and Furman Streets
Explore Pier 1 with park designers and planners and learn the history of the site, the process that led to its creation, the features of the landscape and innovative sustainable elements that make this a truly green park. For more information, call 311.

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Wednesday, July 6
Peaceful Places in New York City
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
Life in NYC can range from exciting to overwhelming, but there are many quiet, tranquil places where you can restore your sanity. Luckily, most of them are free, have picture-postcard views of the water, and are accessible by subway or bus. For more information, call 212-340-0863.

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Wednesday, July 6
Bryant Park Word for Word 101
7:00pm to 8:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: Reading Room in Bryant Park, Manhattan
April 12, 1861 will live in infamy. Brush up on your historical knowledge, or learn a fact or two, by attending weekly lectures devoted to the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Civil War. For more information, call 212-768-4242 or bpc@urbanmgt.com

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Thursday, July 7
The Swing Time Band: Steve Sharman
7:30pm to 9:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: George Seuffert Bandshell in Forest Park, Woodhaven Blvd. and Forest Park Drive, Queens
Enjoy your classic favorites with this exciting swing band and singers.

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Sunday, July 10
The Bard on Pier 1: Henry V
6:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1, Old Fulton Street and Furman Street, Brooklyn
Manhattan Shakespeare Project presents Henry V. For more information, call 718-222-9939 or brooklynbridgepark@bbpnyc.org

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Monday, July 11
Thunderbird American Dancers
10:30am
Cost: Free
Location: Coffey Park, King and Dwight Streets, Brooklyn
Specializing in the songs and dances of the tribes of the Northwest Coast, Woodlands, Plains and Southwest, their repertoire includes the “Fancy Dance” and “Hoop Dance,” as well as a variety of other regional dances. For more information, info@cityparksfoundation.org

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Monday, July 11
Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
Author Edward Kohn discusses one of the worst natural disasters in American history – the 1896 NY heat wave which killed almost 1,500 people in 10 days. It coincided with the presidential contest between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. Their hopes for the presidency began to fizzle just as a bright young police commissioner named Theodore Roosevelt was helping the city cope with the dangerously high temperatures. For more information, call 212-340-0863.

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Monday, July 11
The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series
8:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Rumsey Playfield in Central Park
For more information, call 212-360-2777 or info@summerstage.org

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Tuesday, July 12
All About Computers: Computer Basics for Adults
10:00am to 12:00noon
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Chatham Square Branch, 33 East Broadway at Catherine Street
Fulfill your goal to become comfortable with today’s ever-changing computer technologies. For more information or to register, call 212-964-6598.

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Tuesday, July 12
Elizabeth Taylor: The Star with the Violet Eyes
Screening of National Velvet (1944)
2:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza
For more information, call 917-275-6975.

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Saturday, July 16
Jazz Quartet with Ken Simon
2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Hamilton Grange Branch, 503 West 145^th Street
The quartet will pay tribute to the great innovators including Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Thelonius Monk. For more information, call 212-926-2147.

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Thursday, July 21
Broadway in Bryant Park
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: Bryant Park Lawn, Manhattan
Casts from the most popular musicals on and off Broadway perform their biggest hits. For more information, call 212-768-4242 or bpc@urbanmgt.com

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Saturday, July 23
Celebrating Ragtime Past and Present
2:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Richmondtown Branch, 200 Clarke Avenue at Amber Street, Staten Island
A piano concert with Celeste Lederer featuring works by Joplin, Lamb, Debussy, and others. A special piece composed for this occasion will debut: The Staten Island Centennial Rag. For more information, call 718-668-0413.

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Saturday, July 23
Charismatic Costumers: 85^th Anniversary Screening of Nell Gwyn
The Silent Clowns Film Series
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza
From 1926 featuring Dorothy Gish. Introduction and Q&A by film historians Bruce Lawton and Steve Massa. For more information, call 917-275-6975.

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WALKING TOURS
Immigrant Soles
12:30pm to 2:30pm
Cost: $20 adult; $15 senior or student
Location: Lower East Side Tenement Museum, 108 Orchard Street
Take a neighborhood walking tour and learn what you might have seen and experienced negotiating the streets of the Lower East Side a hundred years ago. Explore the day-to-day challenges and opportunities immigrants might have faced as you visit sites where they worshipped, studied, conducted commerce, and debated politics. For more information and dates available: lestm@tenement.org

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Mark Twain’s New York
1:00pm to 3:00pm
Cost: $20
Location: Lower Manhattan
A unique walking tour of Mark Twain-related landmarks and sites in lower Manhattan. Call for dates available: 917-620-5371.

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EXHIBITIONS

Discount for 50+ Club Members
Strange Kozmic Experience: The Doors, Janis Joplin and The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Art and Artifacts of the Icons Who Defined a Generation
Organized by The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live
July 16 – October 30, 2011
Cost: $2 off regular museum admission for 50+ Club members
Location: Bethel Woods (site of Woodstock) in Liberty NY
For more information on hours and to purchase tickets, www.BethelWoodsCenter.org
Forty years after their deaths, the music and styles of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison (and The Doors) still resonate in rock circles and popular culture. Together, their music, timeless and triumphant, is a testimony to 1960s rock and its enduring power to stir our senses, electrify our souls, and celebrate personal freedom. This exhibition features over 60 rare artifacts, including Janis Joplin’s private letters and fine art; iconic photographs by Joel Brodsky, Henry Diltz, David Gahr, Eddie Kramer, Elliot Landy, Lisa Law, Jim Marshall, and Bob Seidemann; original posters from The David Swartz Collection and the D. King Gallery; and footage from films and television appearances.

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New York’s Civil War Soldiers: Photographs of Dr. D.B. Bontecou, Words of Walt Whitman
Through August 1, 2011
Merchant’s House Museum, 29 East 4^th Street
Call 212-777-1089 for hours and admission
Click here for website
Photographs of wounded soldiers from New York regiments on display for the first time since the 19^th century show the supreme sacrifices made by Americans and their families in sobering detail. Walt Whitman’s memoir of wartime volunteer nursing duty along with other images and memorabilia of the time tell the real story that Whitman said would “never get into books.” This exhibit also features a display about the 7^th Regiment’s gallant march to save Washington DC in April 1861.

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Painting Brooklyn: Stories of Immigration and Survival
Extended through August 14, 2011
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway
The people featured in this exhibition share their personal narratives highlighting the process of creating a new home in a new land and how they’ve incorporated their cultural traditions into their New York lives. For hours and admission, call 718-638-5000 or www.brooklynmuseum.org

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Home Base: Memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field
Through August 14, 2011
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway
Through archives, photos and oral histories, the exhibition explores the connection between Ebbets Field, the Dodgers and the Brooklyn community. For hours and admission, call 718-638-5000 or www.brooklynmuseum.org

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New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West at 77^th Street
New York NY 10024
Telephone: 212-873-3400 x352
E-mail: 50Plus@nyhistory.org

Click here to visit us online at 50PlusatNYHS.wordpress.com

Mary Davidson, coordinator of the 50+ Club, is in on Thursdays. Contact her at 212-873-3400 x352 or 50Plus@nyhistory.org

Use the “Comments” section at the end of this newsletter to give us feedback or to share information.

Please feel free to forward this to your friends. We have over 3,000 members now and would love to add more!

Check out our new blog! I’m writing Behind the Scenes at the N-YHS now to keep you updated on our renovations and plans. I’ll also include information about our collections. Click here to visit the blog. You can always subscribe (upper right hand corner) so each new post will be sent to you automatically.
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Hi Everyone!

May is a “feel good” month, so we’ve got lots of great stuff for you including an article on how to feel “divine.” You’ll also learn how to get your wallet in shape and how to unlock your creativity. You’ll find some great book reviews and an article about giving your mind a workout.

I’ve given you lots of cool links as well to help you locate “misplaced” friends. (I’ve recently found several from back in the day, and it’s so wonderful to catch up on old times and build on those relationships.)

Now that the weather is better, I’ve started a new series called “Great Walks” and Ditmas Park in Brooklyn is first up. I’m continuing the series on historical houses with Lefferts House – also in Brooklyn.

Besides all the great programs that Mary Davidson discovers for you, I’ve added sections for exhibitions and tours.

Get your calendars out — you’re going to have a very full May!

Best,
Kathleen
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QUOTE
Life must be understood backwards; but…it must be lived forward.
- Soren Kierkegaard
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BE KIND, FEEL DIVINE
Spring has sprung and here’s an easy way to get into the feel-good spirit: Be nice. Surprisingly, a lot of joy doesn’t come from doing things for ourselves, but rather for others according to the latest research. Commit these acts of kindness to reap happy rewards.

Clock it. Time is rare, so it’s the best thing we can offer. Help a busy friend with chores or errands.

Talk to strangers. Compliment the person behind you in the supermarket line. Our days are full of anonymous activities, so it can be a real kindness to take a moment to make a connection.

Make a note of it. Pen a thank you for a good turn. Bolster the relationship.

Write on. Write in your journal how wonderful doing a good turn made you feel. Savoring the good things that have happened brings them back to you and increases your happiness. When you’re on a high, you’re more likely to do more – and the Samaritan-cycle continues.
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GET YOUR WALLET IN SHAPE
Pick a good rewards card
Look for a card that has no annual fee, a low interest rate (ideally under 13 percent APR), and a rewards program that suits you (miles, points or cash). But beware: rates and rewards change frequently. Find up-to-date information at www.indexcreditcards.com and read the consumer forums at www.cardratings.com

Download apps that save money at the register
You no longer have to print coupons to use them. Coupon Sherpa and My Coupons apps (both free) let you search a retailer’s coupons while shopping. To redeem, just show the coupon on your smartphone at checkout.

Go digital with all your membership information
Upload rewards accounts – cards issued to loyal customers at grocers, drugstores, etc. – into your smartphone using an app like Card Star (free). It creates digital versions that you can present at the register.
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WANT TO JOIN THE 50+ CLUB?
If this newsletter was forwarded to you from a friend, you may want to start getting it on your own. It’s all free! Contact Mary Davidson at 212-873-3400 x352 or 50Plus@nyhistory.org
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COOL LINKS
Check out the N-YHS’s library blog:
With the camera, no less than the cannon, the South was the first to shoot.
https://www.nyhistory.org/library/blog/?p=1033

Walking tour of George Washington’s New York:
http://www.nyharborparks.org/visit/tour-washingtons-new-york.html

Here are some links to help you search for people:
www.bestpeople.com
www.ussearch.com
www.friendster.com
www.classmates.com
www.reunion.com

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UNLOCK YOUR CREATIVITY
Feeling blocked, artistically speaking? To find your mental flow, try these tricks of true inspiration from Julia Cameron, author of The Creative Life.

Rise and write. To clear out the negative noise in your head so you can fill a proverbial blank canvas, begin every day by scribbling whatever comes to mind for three pages in a notebook.

Put in 20 minutes daily. That’s all it takes to get into a creativity habit. It’s like adopting a fitness routine. It helps to start with a small, manageable goal. Soon, the 20 minutes can morph into 40 or more.

Buddy up with believers. Seldom is heard a discouraging word when your friends have faith in you and your talent. So surround yourself with people who make you feel energized, even about your far-out-there ideas.

Make an “artist date”. Once a week, go on a solo expedition doing something you enjoy, such as exploring a museum or neighborhood. When you go alone, you can hear your inner voice – and that’s when interesting stuff starts to happen.
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BOOK REVIEWS
America Aflame: How the Civil War Created a Nation
By David Goldfield
Review written by Andrew DelBanco, The New York Times
Click here to read the review

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention
By Manning Marable
Review written by Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
Click here to read the review

Will Rogers: A Political Life
By Richard D. White, Jr.
Review written by John Schwartz, The New York Times
Click here to read the review

Branch Rickey
By Jimmy Breslin
Campy
By Neil Lanctor
Reviews written by David Oshinsky, The New York Times
Click here to read the reviews

NYC BOOKS
The Bowery: A History of Grit, Graft and Grandeur
By Eric Ferrara
Lower East Side History Project

Ghosts of Manhattan: Legendary Spirits and Notorious Haunts
By Dr. Philip Ernest Schoenberg

Dispensing Beauty in New York and Beyond: The Triumphs and Tragedies of Harriet Hubbard Ayer
By Annette Blaugrund
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GOOD STUFF
Cell Phone
Millions of working cell phones are tossed each year in favor of newer models and end up polluting our landfills with toxic materials or idling in our drawers. Flipswap will give you cash for your phone and keep it out of the trash by reselling or safely recycling it. They’ll also plant a tree for every phone recycled (since 2008, they’ve planted more than 400,000). Print out a free-shipping label at www.greenphone.com

Magazines
Once you’ve finished with an issue, consider giving it to your local hospital; many stock their waiting rooms with magazines donated by members of the community.
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MIND GAMES
In 2005 journalist Joshua Foer wrote an article about the U.S. Memory Championships for Slate.com. Fascinated by the “mental athletes” he met while reporting the story, he decided to enter the contest himself – and won. The result is Moonwalking with Einstein (Penguin), a witty, meticulously researched report on remembering. More.com talked with Foer about the year he devoted to training his brain.

You hung out with competitive memorizers, amnesiacs and brainiacs. What did you learn?
Memory champs figure out ways to make otherwise meaningless information meaningful. Let’s say you want to remember a shopping list. “Eggs and orange juice” is easily forgettable. But if you conjure up an image of a muscleman having an egg cracked on his head while he swims in a pool of OJ, that’s more likely to stay with you.

Now that we have Google, smartphones and Shazam, is there a future for memory?
I sure hope so. Before we had all these devices, we had to keep a lot of information in our heads: phone numbers, birthdays, the names of our friends’ children. Now it seems we remember almost nothing. We’ve stopped trusting ourselves. We’ve let our minds atrophy, and we may be losing something that gets at the essence of what makes us human.

What are you doing to keep your memory sharp into middle age and beyond?
Memory is a network in the brain. The more you know, the more you can remember. Anything that challenges the brain in new ways is worthwhile – from working a crossword puzzle to learning a language. Since the competition, I’ve been keeping my bank account and credit card numbers in my head. It’s all about building up cognitive reserves – and if I lose my wallet, I’m not totally screwed.
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GREAT WALKS
Ditmas Park
This quiet Brooklyn neighborhood is full of Victorian charm and foodie finds. Click here to read the article from Time Out New York:
http://newyork.timeout.com/things-to-do/this-week-in-new-york/70621/ditmas-park-walk

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PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB
Next meeting is Wednesday, May 4
2:00pm to 3:30pm
The Ethical Culture Society of New York
2 West 64^th Street at Central Park West, Adler Study
Questions?? Contact Mary Davidson at 50Plus@nyhistory.org or 212-873-3400 x352
Your challenge for our last meeting of this year is: Noshing through New York

You can’t visit any borough of New York without encountering food. The city is an international food emporium with items available from
A(fghanistan) to Z(imbabwe). How is food transported, sold, bought, prepared, consumed? How do we use it to celebrate holidays and family events?

Let your sense of taste and smell lead your camera to a favorite food experience and share it with us. Remember: De gustibus non est disputandum – There is no accounting for taste. Any food experience is a possibility.

Images from the March meeting are now posted:
www.flickr.com/photos/50plusatnyhs/sets
Mary Davidson included some comments from the meeting as well.
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HISTORICAL HOUSES IN NEW YORK CITY PARKS
Second in a series

Lefferts Historic House
95 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn NY 11215-3709
718-789-2822

One of a small number of farmhouses surviving from Brooklyn’s Dutch settlement period, Lefferts Historic House reminds visitors of New York’s rural roots. Now standing on the edge of Prospect Park, the house was once a showplace of the old village of Flatbush and marks an important transition in Dutch-American architecture.

Pieter Lefferts built the house around 1783, after the end of the Revolutionary War and four generations after his ancestors arrived in the New World. One of the wealthiest and most influential residents of Flatbush, he served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army and was later appointed to a judgeship in Kings County. He also served as a member of the New York State convention that ratified the Constitution in 1788.

While the sweeping gambrel roof is typical of the houses built in Brooklyn by Dutch settlers, the symmetrical Georgian floor plan and Neoclassical decoration are unmistakably English, reflecting contemporary trends in New York City. Behind the slender porch columns, the paneled front door is surrounded by leaded side and transom windows. Fluted columns flank the mantels, and delicate plaster moldings decorate the ceilings.
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EXHIBITIONS AROUND TOWN (and upstate)

Through May 20
Hola Havana
Part of BAMart and SiCuba! Festival
Cost: Free
Location: Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Street, Brooklyn
BAMart presents an exhibition of works by Cuban artists in a wide range of media offering a glimpse into the contemporary art of Cuba.
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Saturday, May 7
Grand Opening
Azalea Garden at the NY Botanical Garden
For more information: 718-817-8700
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Through September 5, 2011
Discount Tickets
Pompeii the Exhibit
Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius
Cost: Save up to 20% Monday through Sunday
Adult $20 (reg. $25)
Senior (65+): $17.50 (reg. $22.50)
Child: $17.50 (reg. $19.50)
To redeem, go online to www.discoveryts.com and use the promotion code CORPORATEPTE
Location: Discovery Times Square, 226 West 44^th Street between 7^th and 8^th Avenues
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April 2 – June 26, 2011
Discount Tickets
Spaced Out! The Final Frontier in Album Covers
Cost: $2 discount off regular museum admission for 50+ Club members. (Not to be combined with any other offer; available at box office only when guests ask for the N-YHS discount; 8 ticket limit per visit.)
Location: The Museum at Bethel Woods, the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival
For more information: www.BethelWoodsCenter.org

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PROGRAMS
NOTE: The list below is based on information given to us. Please check with the venue to confirm price, time, etc.

Sundays (May 1, 8, 15, 22 and 19)
Family Program
Revealing Glass Family Program
1:00pm
Cost: $15 per family
Location: Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street at Canal
To purchase tickets or for more information: www.eldridgestreet.org
Explore brilliant stained glass. Find shapes, patterns and symbols. Will you be able to figure out which is the old and which is new? Try your hand at the glass techniques of artisans while you make your own stained glass decoration.
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Sunday, May 1
Concert
Beethoven, Schubert, Ravel
5:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Nicholas Roerich Museum, 319 West 107^th Street
For more information: www.roerich.org or 212-864-7752
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Monday, May 2
Author Talk
On the Town: One Hundred Years of Spectacle in Times Square
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
For more information: 212-340-0863
A pulsating history of  Times Square and its iconic role in America’s society of the spectacle. Author Marshall Berman reveals how movies, graphic arts, literature, popular music, television and theater have reflected Times Square to illuminate a vast spectrum of themes and vignettes.  ___________________________

Monday, May 2
Conversation
Extraordinary Lives: Bill Kelly Talks with Calvin Tomkins and Dodie Kazanjian
6:30pm – 7:45pm
Cost: Free – reservation required
Location: CUNY Graduate Center, Elebash Recital Hall, 365 Fifth Avenue
To reserve your seat: 212-817-8215
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Monday, May 2
Concert
NYU Symphony Orchestra
8:00pm – 9:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Frederick Lowe Theatre, 35 West 4^th Street
For more information: 212-998-4500
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Monday, May 2
Lecture
The Revolution Fantasy: Thinking Yourself into a Corner
Speaker: Mark Rudd
7:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: John Jay College, Haaren Hall, 899 Tenth Avenue, Room 630T
For more information: peli@jjay.cuny.edu
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Tuesday, May 3
Concert
Dixieland Jazz by the Gotham Jazzmen
12:00 noon
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Bruno Walter Auditorium
For more information: 917-275-6975
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Wednesday, May 4
Lecture
The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics
Speaker: John Pollack, winner of the O. Henry World Pun Championship
1:15pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Main Library, Fifth Avenue at 42^nd Street, South Court Auditorium
For more information: 917-275-6975
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Wednesday, May 4
Lecture
Only the Super Rich Can Save Us
Speaker: Ralph Nader
Cost: $25 ($15 NYPL Friends)
Location: NYPL – Main Library, Fifth Avenue at 42^nd Street, Celeste Bartos Forum
To purchase tickets or for more information: 917-275-6975
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Thursday, May 5
Concert
Opera Hispanica: Soneto de Amor y Muerte
Pre-performance discussion at 7:00pm; performance 8:00pm
Cost: Free (RSVP required)
Location: El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104^th Street, El Teatro
To reserve your seat or for more information: www.operahispanica.org or 212-831-7273
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Thursday, May 5
Concert
The Mannes Opera presents Verdi’s Falstaff
7:30pm
Cost: $30; students/seniors $15
Location: The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 68^th Street between Park and Lexington
For tickets or more information: 212-772-4448
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Friday, May 6
Dance
A Scent of Time
Beijing Dance Academy Ballet
7:30pm
Cost: $20 ($15 seniors, students)
Location: Kupferberg Center, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing
For tickets or more information: 718-793-8080
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Saturday, May 7
Arts & Crafts
The Spring Handmade Cavalcade
10:00am – 5:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Slate, 54 West 21^st Street between 5^th and 6^th Avenues
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Saturday, May 7
Comedy
Break A Leg Productions Presents Comedies
2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Columbus Branch, 742 Tenth Avenue at 50^th Street
For more information: 212-586-5098
When actress Teri Black broke her leg, she couldn’t audition. To keep her creative juices flowing, she began reading comedies in her apartment and this program was born.
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Saturday, May 7
Concert
In Concert with Cellist Samuel Magill
2:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Bruno Walter Auditorium
For more information: 917-275-6975
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Sunday, May 8
Concert
Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana
1:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Bruno Walter Auditorium
For more information: 917-275-6975
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Sunday, May 8
Festival
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Festival
12:00 noon – 6:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Union Square Park, East 14^th Street at Broadway
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Monday, May 9
Opera Night
Verdi’s Nabucco with Frederic LeVine, composer and musical commentator
7:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Park Avenue Synagogue, 50 East 87^th Street at Madison
Light refreshments will be served
Frederic LeVine will guide you through this exciting evening devoted to Verdi’s first great success, Nabucco, which opens in Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Featuring a recent film of the opera starring Maria Guleghina (Abigaille), Samuel Ramey (the High Priest Zaccaria), and Juan Pons (King Nebuchadnezzar), he will illuminate aspects of this work with historic performances – including the legendary Maria Callas and Tito Gobbi – highlighting Verdi’s unique position as a composer of genius and as a key figure in his country’s political history.
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Monday, May 9
Concert
Baroque Chamber Players
8:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Mannes Concert Hall, 150 West 85^th Street
For more information: 212-580-0210 x4817
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Monday, May 9
Lecture – MOMA at the Library
Picasso, Matisse and Africa
6:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road at Briggs Avenue
For more information: 718-579-4244
Understand the influence of African art on the work of Picasso and of North African Islamic art on the paintings of Matisse as well as the relationship between these two artists.
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Monday, May 9
Author Talk
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Writers and Artists Who Made the National Lampoon Insanely Great
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
For more information: 212-340-0863
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Tuesday, May 10
Concert
September Songs: The Legacy of Kurt Weill
7:30pm
Cost: $15 adults ($10 seniors/students)
Location: Manhattan School of Music, 122^nd Street at Broadway
For more information: 917-493-4428 or www.msmnyc.edu

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Tuesday, May 10
Author Talk
Life on the Line: A Chef’s Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
For more information: 212-340-0863
Chef Grant Achatz discusses the inside story of what it takes to rise to the top of the restaurant world, as well as his inspiring battle with cancer.
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Tuesday, May 10
Lecture
Kitchens of the Victorian Era
6:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: The New York New Church, 114 East 35^th Street
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Wednesday, May 11
Author Talk
The Art of Rockefeller Center
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
For more information: 212-340-0863
Explore John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s extraordinary vision in this lecture featuring sculptures, murals, bas-reliefs, and mosaics.
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Thursday, May 12
Artists’ Talk
New Harlem Renaissance Photographers
6:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Schomberg Center, 515 Malcolm X Blvd.
For more information: 212-491-2200
Views of Harlem, including the recent West African immigrant community and glimpses of the African Diaspora as seen through daily life, festivals and celebrations.
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Friday, May 13
Second Annual Senior Health Expo
10:00am – 2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Kingsborough College, 2001 Oriental Blvd., Brooklyn, Rotunda Building
For more information: 718-793-5684
Workshops and presentations, free health screenings, information on senior living, Medicare and Medicaid specialists.
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Saturday, May 14
Film/Discussion
Ancient New York
2:00pm – 3:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Columbus Branch, 742 Tenth Avenue at 50^th Street
For more information: 212-586-5098
While New York’s towering skyline and world-leading technology have made it one of the most celebrated cities in the world, exciting discoveries reveal that the foundations for this mega-metropolis were laid thousands of years ago.
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Sunday, May 15
Concert
In concert with pianist Charles Jones
2:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Bruno Walter Auditorium
For more information: 917-275-6975
Brahms, Beethoven, Ravel and Liszt
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Sunday, May 15
Concert
Classical Interludes
4:00pm – 6:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Brooklyn Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
For more information: 718-230-2100
Debussy, Faure, Saint-Saens, Torteller, Poulenc
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Sunday, May 15
Concert
Juilliard Jazz Brunch at the Blue Note
12:30pm and 2:30pm
Cost: $24.50
Location: The Blue Note, 131 West Third Street
For reservations or more information: 212-475-8592
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Monday, May 16
Author Talk
From Knishes to Hummus: Tracing the Past and the Future of Jewish and Israeli Cuisine
6:30pm
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
For more information: 212-340-0863
Throughout the ages and across the globe, wherever Jews lived, they have created their own unique culinary cultures. Can Jewish food survive the melting pot of the Israeli society and maintain its identity in the fast-changing world of modern gastronomy? Speaker: Janna Gur, author of The Book of New Israeli Food
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Tuesday, May 17
Panel Discussion
Cause of Death: Choose Your Weapon
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
For more information: 212-340-0863
How done it can be as important as who done it. Mystery writers delight in exploring inventive ways to kill people. Join authors from the Mystery Writers of America as they reveal how they do it.
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Friday, May 20
Concert
Juilliard String Quartet Seminar
3:30pm and 7:30pm
Cost: Free (no tickets required)
Location: Juilliard School of Music, West 65^th Street at Broadway
For more information: 212-769-7406
Recital performance. Quartets from around the globe are coached by members of the world-famous Juilliard String Quartet. The results are displayed during these concerts on the seminar’s final day.
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Saturday, May 21
Author Talk
How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones
2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Jefferson Market Branch, 425 Avenue of the Americas at 10^th Street
For more information: 212-243-4334
Author and Stones insider Bill German discusses his ups and downs with “the world’s greatest rock band” including how he became the band’s official historian for two decades. He’ll share his Stones anecdotes and never-before-seen photos.
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Sunday, May 22
Festival
Ninth Annual Drums along the Hudson: A Native American Festival
11:00am – 6:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Inwood Hill Park, 218^th Street and Indian Road (4 blocks west of Broadway)
The festival features Manhattan’s only open-air pow wow, which is a gathering of Native American people to celebrate Native American heritage and culture and also to commemorate the Lenape people who first inhabited Inwood Hill Park (or Shorakapok – “edge of the water”). This year’s festival will include a Shad testing, a White Pine tree planting (the Iroquois symbol of peace), international foods, drummers and dancers, and a Native American Education Initiative.
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Sunday, May 22
Arts & Crafts
Fine Art & Designer Crafts on Bleecker
11:00am – 4:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Bleecker Street between Bank and Christopher Streets
For more information: 718-855-8175
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Sunday, May 22
Concert
Chamber Music Series: Just Friends
3:00pm – 5:00pm
Cost: Free (An offering for the artists will be accepted at the door.)
Location: Christ Chapel, Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive
For more information: 212-870-6700
Jazz standards, spirituals, and gospel songs
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Sunday, May 22
Concert
A Salute to Broadway
2:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Bruno Walter Auditorium
For more information: 917-275-6975
Performance by Harwood Management Vocal Artists
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Monday, May 23
Author Talk
Helvetica and the NYC Subway System
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
For more information: 212-340-0863
This program looks at how the subway’s signage system has evolved over the past forty years. The resulting story is more than a tale of a typeface; it is a look at the forces that have molded a signage system.
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Tuesday, May 24
Author Talk
Cypress Hills Cemetery
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
For more information: 212-340-0863
Authors Stephen C. Duer and Allan B. Smith offer a rare glimpse into the 162-year history of the Cypress Hills Cemetery, the first rural cemetery in Greater New York, located on the border of Queens and Brooklyn. It is the final resting place for notables like Jackie Robinson, Mae West and Eubie Blake. The authors will discuss the legends, the mysterious markings and secretive symbols throughout the cemetery.
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Wednesday, May 25
Author Talk
From the Beginning: Geology and History of Fort Tryon Park
6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Branch, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40^th Street
For more information: 212-340-0863
This program will describe the creative forces of the park’s terrain and the numerous historical associations: an important Revolutionary War battle, the last private mansion built in this part of the city, John D. Rockefeller, the Olmsted Brothers, and the creation of the Cloisters.
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Friday, May 27
Dance
DanceAfrica 2011
Expressions and Encounters: African, Cuban and American Rhythms
7:30pm (120 minutes with intermission)
Cost: $20 – $50
Location: BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
For more information: 718-636-4100 x1 or www.bam.org
A Memorial Day weekend tradition, DanceAfrica is packed with dance, music, art, film, and community events – plus the one-and-only DanceAfrica outdoor bazaar.
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TOURS
Wednesday, May 11
Conservatory Garden Lunch Hour Tour
12:00 noon – 1:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Meet at the Vanderbilt Gate, 105^th Street at Fifth Avenue
See 20,000 tulips, twin crabapple allees, thousands of daffodils, and more in the Park’s only formal garden. For more information: 212-860-1370
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Wednesday, May 11
Tour/Recital
6:00pm to 7:30pm
Tour of St. Bartholomew’s Church
Cost: $5 donation to St. Bartholomew’s Church payable at the door
Location: 325 Park Avenue at 51^st Street
RSVP to Marina Fischer at marina.fischer@nyhistory.org
Tour includes an organ recital.
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Sunday, May 29
Lower East Side: Then and Now
10:45am (3 hours)
Cost: $16 (seniors and students $14)
Location: Meet at the Lower East Side Jewish Center Kling & Niman Family Visitor Center, 400 Grand Street between Suffolk and Clinton
For tickets or more information: 212-374-4100
See sacred sites where immigrants worshipped – from the spectacular to the simple. You’ll also learn how Jewish traditions are being carried out on these sites today.
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Tour Yankee Stadium
Cost: $20 per person
For tickets: Call Ticketmaster at 877-469-9849
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Tour CitiField
Cost: $10 (seniors $7)
For tickets: call 718-507-TIXX
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Tour the Historic Apollo Theater
Any Wednesday at 11am
Cost: $16
Location: 253 West 125^th Street at Frederick Douglass Blvd. (8th Avenue)
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New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West at 77^th Street
New York NY 10024
212-873-3400 x352
50PlusAtNYHS.wordpress.com

Wednesday, May 11
Tour/Recital
6:00pm to 7:30pm
Tour of St. Bartholomews’ Church (includes an organ recital)
Cost: $5 donation to St. Bartholomew’s Church payable at the door
Location: 325 Park Avenue at 51st Street
RSVP to Marina Fischer at marina.fischer@nyhistory.org

The program will include an overall presentation on the church and its design, an organ recital, and a guided tour of the church.

St. Bartholomew’s Church was founded in 1835 in lower Manhattan and ultimately found its current home on Park Avenue in 1918 in a building designed by Bertram Goodhue in the Romanesque style. Incorporated in the design are the Stanford White portals and the magnificent bronze doors from its former location on Madison Avenue. The interior is decorated in the Byzantine Style with stained glass windows, several major mosaics by Hildreth Meiere and a marble baptismal font by the Danish follower of Canova, Bertel Thorvaldsen.

The Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ is the largest in New York City and one of the ten largest in the world, and was played by the famous conductor, Leopold Stokowski, who was organist and choir master at St. Bartholomew’s Church.

The New York Landmarks Preservation Commission declared St. Bartholomew’s Church a landmark building in 1967.

Join the Ziegfeld Society as they walk down Fifth Avenue in NYC’s Easter Parade

April 24, 2011
Meeting time: 1:00pm
Meeting place: MacDonald’s, 1188 Sixth Avenue between 45th and 46th Streets

The Ziegfeld Society and Friends will be marching and singing in the parade on Fifth Avenue. RSVP to ziegfeldsociety@aol.com or 646-597-3278
Tell them you’re a member of the 50+ Club.

If you like, join them afterwards at Cafe Un Deux Trois, 123 West 44th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue. Prix Fixe Brunch is $19.50 plus tax and gratuity. There is also an a la carte menu and cash bar.