Downtown Neighborhood Guide
Downtown Manhattan is impossible to categorize, each neighborhood has its own distinct flavor: Chinatown, the Lower East Side, the West Village, Tribeca, Chelsea, just to name a few. Some of the not-to-be-missed family spots downtown are the Children's Museum of Art, Rubin Museum of Art, and Battery Park City. But that's just the beginning, there's so much to explore downtown. Hopefully the articles, map and other resources on this page will help you start your adventures.
Latest news from the area
Peek Behind the Curtain
Submitted by mommy on November 19, 2009 - 9:36pm.The Abrons Art Center is opening its doors at 1:30pm to kids for a behind-the-scenes tour of the costumes and set decorations for “Nutcracker in the Lower,” its long-running holiday show. Your kids are sure to “ooh” and “ahh” at the funky take on Tchaikovsky’s original. FREE
Read more »Pop-Up Celebration
Submitted by mommy on November 12, 2009 - 11:34pm.Books of Wonder fourth annual POP-UP CELEBRATION —an event devoted entirely to the amazing art of pop-ups, transformation, and other books created through the art of paper engineering. On Saturday, November 14th, from 12-2pm, will be hosting EIGHT amazing authors, illustrators, and paper-engineers to the store to show off their latest creations! Best-selling author, artist, and paper engineer DAVID A. CARTER will present 2009 NY Times Best-illustrated book, White Noise – an eye-catching, artistic pop-up, as well as his latest three buggy pop-ups: Snow Bugs, School Bugs, and The Big Bug Book; author BERT FINK will introduce his pop-up adaptation of the beloved classic, The Sound of Music; CHUCK FISHER will welcome us to the glorious world of Angels; his gorgeous new pop-up; paper engineer BRUCE FOSTER will present an inside look at his four new pop-ups for this fall: Big Frog Can’t Fit In by Mo Willems, WOW! The Pop-Up Book of Sports from Sports Illustrated for Kids, The Sound of Music by Bert Fink, and Angels by Chuck Fisher; SAM ITA will show us his seasonal pop-up treat, Christmas Tree in a Box; KYLE OLMON will introduce his fun, interactive title, Baby Signs; and MATTHEW REINHART will treat us to A Pop-up Book of Nursery Rhymes, his fun-filled collection of three-dimensional rhymes. Beginning at noon, these fantastic creators of visual extravaganzas will introduce their titles, take questions from the audience, and then sign copies of all their wonderful books. Ages 4 and up. 12-2pm.
Read more »Indian Children's Day Art Festival
Submitted by mommy on November 12, 2009 - 9:52pm.Indian Children's Day Art Festival!
Sunday, November 15th
To celebrate Indian Children’s Day, CMA will explore the arts and culture of New York’s Indian community. Our festival will include a variety of performing and visual art experiences to teach families and children about traditional folk art in India. Projects will include Sandalwood Face Painting, Lotus Petal diagrams, collaborative murals, clay creations, and more. The day will also feature folk dance performances/workshops and an exploration of Indian instruments and music.
Read more »Meet Mo Willems
Submitted by mommy on November 5, 2009 - 11:50pm.Books of Wonder is thrilled to welcome back three-time Caldecott honor artist and six-time Emmy Award winner, MO WILLEMS to our store on Friday, November 6th, from 5-7pm. The ever-irrepressible MO WILLEMS will introduce two great new titles: Big Frog Can’t Fit In – the author/artist’s first pop-up, and Pigs Make Me Sneeze! – a hilarious new addition to the award-winning Elephant and Piggie series. Big Frog Can’t Fit In is a witty, enormously funny book about a frog that is so big he can’t even fit on the pages of the book and so leaps out of the pages – and into your youngster’s heart! Pigs Make Me Sneeze! Reveals what happens when Gerald the elephant fears he is allergic to his best friend, Piggie! Beginning at 5pm, MO WILLEMS will introduce both new titles, take questions from the audience, and then sign copies of all his fantastic books. Ages 3-8. 5-7pm.
Read more »First Saturday Program at the New Museum
Submitted by mommy on November 5, 2009 - 11:38pm.Join us for the first of two family programs dedicated to the exhibition Urs Fisher: Marguerite de Ponty. Urs Fischer will transform the New Museum's gallery spaces by creating a mesmerizing environment of towering monuments, tangled abstractions, and a labyrinth of mirrors. Immerse yourself in Fischer's universe, which is both spectacular and fragile, and then create a unique object that will transform the seventh-floor sky room (and later your bedroom or living room) in a unique and surprising way.
New Museum First Saturdays for Families are free of charge. This program is designed and recommended for families with children four to fifteen years old, and includes free New Museum admission for up to two adults per family. Children under eighteen are always admitted free. No preregistration is required. Tickets are given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information about New Museum First Saturdays for Families, e-mail familyprograms@newmuseum.org.
Please note: During this exhibition strollers will not be permitted in the galleries. Please check them at coat check.
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