ON THE TOWN -- March
"Same old, same old" don't say it about New York City. At just 13 miles long and at the most three miles wide, this island offers attractions (and deviations) in so many shapes and sizes you can do something different every day for years and years and . . . (and never repeat yourself). But have you tried?
Inline Skating: Whether you own or rent blades, Central Park is the most popular skating location in the city, and as spring arrives, so do the skaters. The six-mile loop around the park is closed to traffic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays from January 1 to Thanksgiving and all day weekends and holidays, which makes for the perfect arena. On your way around stop by the slalom course on West 67th Street, where 27 orange cones are set up and inliners perform tricks as they skate down. A group skate meets at the East 72nd Street entrance to Central Park, divided into groups based on skill level. Groups meet on the weekends; call 212-486 1919. There is also a skate patrol clinic located at both 72nd Street entrances from 12:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. where members help beginning skaters learn how to stop . . .
And, have you seen?:
Blue Man Group Tubes: From paint-erupting steel drums, bubble-gum balls that explode with color, miles of tubing, to the grand crepe-paper strobe-light finale, Tubes is a celebration of the clever, comedic, curious and cobalt blue inner child. You never know what these three individuals will do next, but guessing is part of the fun. At the Astor Place Theatre: 434 Lafayette Street, (212) 254-4370. Stomp: A bottle of lighter fluid, five copies of the Sunday Daily News, seventy-five pounds of sand, eight bananas, forty gallons of water, ten ace bandages and ten cold packs. These are some of the weekly prop replacements required for Stomp. A junkyard of surprises celebrates the uninhibited fun of making noise into music with the help of garbage cans, plastic bags, sinks and the best arm muscles on any stage. At the Orpheum Theatre: Second Avenue at 8th St. (212) 447-2477.
And while you're in the neighborhood: Try Rincon De Espana at 226 Thompson Street. The New York Times calls it "one of the best Spanish kitchens in New York"; with guitarist nightly; 212-754-3333. Or try Sevilla, also Spanish, at 62 Charles St. (West 4th Street); 212-475-9891. At 13 E. 12th Street is Asti, with singing waiters and opera stars, free wine with entree/theatre ticket stubs and fine Italian/American cuisine; 212-741-9105.
-- By Jennifer Lanter
