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You can rightfully call her a soju fangirl: Irene Yoo—the LA-raised, Brooklyn-based chef behind the Korean-American comfort food pop-up turned content channel Yooeating—is basing her brand-new Brooklyn bar around the stuff. 

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At Orion Bar, which opened at 157 Suydam Street in Bushwick this past weekend, you can find the Korean rice liquor is many permutations: as a spritz flavored with omija, mugwort and grapefruit; as a Negroni featuring jujube-infused soju with Sonbi gin, Forthave Red Aperitivo, vermouth, ginseng and a rice wash; or as a Melona frozen, made with Tokki Soju Black Label, Makgeolli, Midori, lime and angostura.

If you don’t want the spirit stirred into a martini (deliciously savory with dried kelp, shiitake, rice vermouth and lemon oil), you can have your soju straight-up in five-buck shots (Jinro is Back, Chamisul Fresh or Chamisul Original) or as a $12 flight. And, of course, the soju bomb, that collegiate favorite, is also on the menu, available with samgyetang-infused soju and Bacchus-D energy drink for $8. There are also by-the-bottle options, including Golden Barley ($39), Tokki White ($48) and Tokki Gold ($77). If you need a break from the starring spirit, the beverage menu includes beers (Founders Solid Gold Lager, Ebb’s IPA No. 3), natural wines and non-alcoholic “bevies” like Korean canned coffee, Chilsung cider and citrussy Osulloc Jeju tea. 

You can’t have soju without anju, or drinking snacks—among the belly-coating bar food options, you’ll find shareable stuff like shrimp chips and dips with pollock roe and mascarpone, fries seasoned with kimchi and kewpie, and Spam Musubi with American cheese and caramelized kimchi. There are also heartier dishes including kimchi carbonara, a patty melt loaded with kimchi pimento cheese, and Chapagetti ramyeon upgraded with brisket and truffle oil, in case you’ve got a lot of soju sipping in your near future. 

* This article was originally published here

If you’re Broadway enthusiast but don’t necessarily have the budget to check out all the best shows, you’ll enjoy this: Bryant Park is going to play home to some of the most iconic Broadway productions on select days from 12:30pm-1:30pm next month, so you can get a taste of it all. 

The performances, an effort organized by 106.7 LITE FM and iHeartRadio Broadway, will kick off on Thursday, July 11 and continue for the subsequent three Thursdays on a stage setup in the park at Sixth Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets. 

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Dubbed Broadway in Bryant Park, the lineup is stacked with some of the best numbers from some of the most popular musicals. 

On Thursday, July 11, you’ll be able to experience numbers by the cast of Back to the Future, Hell’s Kitchen, The Who’s TOMMY, The Wiz and Water for Elephants. Radio host Helen Little will be the master of ceremonies, which will also include a pre-performance by the students of AMDA College of the Performing Arts.

The following Thursday, July 18, will be the ultimate lineup for kids and Disney fans, with performances from the casts of Aladdin, Frozen and The Lion King. Radio personalities Cubby and Christine will be hosting the day.

Rich Kaminski will direct the following Thursday, when acts from Chicago, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Book of Mormon, The Great Gatsby and The Notebook will take the stage.

The final Thursday, August 1, will feature another pre-show by the students of AMDA College of the Performing Arts, who will put on renditions from the Mean Girls musical. Also on deck will be acts from & Juliet, A Wonderful World, SIX The Musical, The Outsiders and Wicked.

Because the events are free, it’s recommended that you show up early to secure a good spot. LITE FM will take over the park as early as 11am with live entertainment and MCs.

You can visit Bryant Park’s website for up to date information and earn a chance to win free tickets to a full Broadway show on Lite FM’s website. 

* This article was originally published here

We love New York City, we really do, but when it’s a scorching week like this one, we dream of much milder, greener pastures. And if you, too, want to escape the city this season, we’ve got good news: one of NYC’s most high-profile chefs is heading upstate next month for a cool dinner series. 

Just 90 minutes from the city, Wildflower Farms—a country-chic Auberge Resorts Collection property in Gardiner, New York—has brought back its Maple Lane Chef Series for the summer, featuring “a lineup of visiting chefs renowned for their innovative and seasonal cuisine.” This season has already seen the likes of The Modestos, those Catskills-based masters of Argentine grilling, hold open-fire cooking workshops for guests. And next month will see NYC’s own Chef Flynn McGarry host a family-style dinner party centered on the season’s bounty.

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New Yorkers, of course, know McGarry as the food-world wunderkind who worked in Michelin-starred kitchens like Eleven Madison Park and Chicago’s Alinea, had an entire biographical documentary based on him premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and opened his first NYC restaurant, the prix-fixe spot Gem, all before leaving his teen years. (Yes, we, too, feel inadequate.) 

Now a culinary veteran at, uh, 25 years old, McGarry will head upstate on Sunday, July 28th for the chef series. First, in the afternoon from 3pm to 4:30pm, you can join the toque for an intimate, roving workshop ($165 per person) that takes you through the property’s garden to master the art of setting the table. You’ll pick fresh flowers and seasonal produce as you stroll on the farm and then, over cocktails, Flynn will share his secrets for artfully transforming that collected produce and flowers into the perfect ambiance for the evening’s dinner party.

Then, at 6:30pm, you’ll sit down for a dreamy dinner yourself, with a family-style spread celebrating vegetables from the idyllic farm as well as locally sourced proteins. The outdoor summer feast (priced at $295 per person) will be paired with summertime cocktails from Great Jones Distilling Co., made to complement the vibrant flavors of each dinner, as well as wines from Provence’s Domaines Ott.

You can reserve your spot for both McGarry’s workshop as well as the Maple Lane Chef Series dinner on the Wildflower Farms website. 

* This article was originally published here

After last year’s increase in shark sightings around NYC waters, the state of New York distributed 60 shark-monitoring drones to improve swimmer safety. And now, there are even more ways to stay up to date on the latest shark activity with a tracker from Ocearch.

Ocearch is a non-profit organization set on restoring balance and abundance to our world’s oceans by researching the giants that live within the waters, (i.e. sharks). Some of the data they’re collecting to eventually collaborate with scientists and institutions was once an unattainable task. Their work and research intends to build upon this lack of data and aid in global conservation.

Users can click onto their tracker to see the latest shark activity near their area. The tracker lets you filter your search by location, animal age, sex, tracking activity and animal species. In addition to sharks, the Ocearch tracker also keeps tabs on other large aquatic animals like turtles, dolphins, alligators, and seals.

The post You Can Follow Shark Activity Near NYC Waters With This Interactive Tracker appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

One of the world’s biggest international soccer tournaments, the Copa América, is currently in the middle of its summer 2024 edition…and it’s coming to the NYC area this week! The oldest continental soccer competition still running is a tournament that brings together national teams from across North and South America in a knockout-style contest.

USA is hosting this year’s tournament as a whole, with major cities earning bids to games including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, and many more…with the Final being in Miami Gardens, Florida on July 14.

This week however, NYC’s MetLife Stadium will see a pair of games played…including an appearance from the legendary Lionel Messi. See all you need to know about the games below.

Copa América match schedule at MetLife Stadium

This year’s tournament will see 3 games played at MetLife Stadium, including 2 group stage matches this week and a semi-final match in a few weeks. See the full schedule of games below, including tournament favorites Argentina and Uruguay set to stop by the Tri-State area:

• Tuesday, June 25 at 9 pm: Chile vs. Argentina (Group A)
• Thursday, June 27 at 9 pm: Uruguay vs. Bolivia (Group C)
• Tuesday, July 9 at 8 pm: Semi-final match between TBD teams from Groups A and B

How to get tickets to Copa América for this week

Currently on sale, tickets for all three matches are available for purchase on Copa América’s website. Tickets for the highly coveted Chile vs. Argentina match on Tuesday (thanks to superstar Lionel Messi) range from $300 to $5,000.

As for the other matches, Uruguay vs Bolivia tickets for Thursday start at $100 and semifinal match tickets start at $350.

How to get to MetLife Stadium for Copa América

Public transportation is the best way to get to the matches in East Rutherford this week, with a special, direct NJ Transit rail service running from Secaucus Junction to MetLife Stadium via the Meadowlands line from 6:31 pm to 9:55 pm. There will be no other direct rails to Meadowlands Station besides this particular shuttle.

After the game, the service will run from MetLife Stadium to Secaucus Junction past 1 am if necessary.

Parking at MetLife Stadium

MetLife officials highly suggest taking public transportation to the Copa América matches if possible, however parking will be available for all games. Parking lots will open at 4 pm on June 25 & 27, with lot fees being $40 for standard-sized vehicles and $160 for buses, RVs and oversized vehicles.

There will also be a dedicated pickup and drop-off zone as well for rideshares, etc.

How to watch this week’s games from home

If you can’t make it to MetLife Stadium this week, both matches will be broadcasted on television across FOX Networks. Tuesday’s Chile vs. Argentina match will be televised on FS1 and Thursday’s Uruguay vs. Bolivia match will be televised on FOX, both starting at 9 pm.

The post Here’s How To Watch Copa América— Including Lionel Messi—At MetLife Stadium This Week appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Last September, just hours before the massive, three-day electronic music festival Electric Zoo was set to begin, the first day of festivities was canceled. The second two days went on as planned—sort of. The venue reached capacity earlier than expected on the final day of the festival, turning ticket-holders away from the gates.

Now, 10 months later, the festival has posted on social media for the first time, offering apologies and details about how to get a refund. 

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The team behind Electric Zoo posted that they “know it has been some time since our last communication and we sincerely apologize for the delay. You deserve answers, and we are now able to provide you with an update.”

See Tickets, the exclusive ticketing provider for Electric Zoo 2023, is set begin issuing refunds to all remaining eligible ticket holders. 

Who’s eligible for a refund?

If you’re eligible, you’ll be contacted via email, per Electric Zoo’s post. That email will contain additional instructions so you can get a refund processed by July 19, 2024. 

Specifically, the following ticket holders are eligible:

1. If you had a single or multi-day ticket for Friday, September 1, 2023, and have not filed a dispute/chargeback, nor previously received a face-value refund (100% for Friday single-day ticket holders; 50% for two-day ticket holders and 33% for three-day ticket holders).

2. If you had a single or multi-day ticket for Sunday, September 3, 2023, and were unable to access the event (as determined by entry scan data), and have not filed a dispute/chargeback, nor previously received a face-value refund (100% for Sunday single day ticket holders; 50% for two-day ticket holders and 33% for three-day ticket holders).

What do fans think?

Fans are, unsurprisingly, not thrilled. 

Musician 3LAU replied to the festival’s post on Instagram saying, “It’s been 9 months since the festival this is absurd. Def never playing again if it even survives (doubtful).” A fan wrote, “They’re not offering refunds to everybody it’s very specific qualifications. It’s actually DISGUSTING of you guys to take this long after putting thousands of lives in danger.”

On a lighter note, other fans replied, “I’m still at the Ezoo will call line” and another said they’re “Still waiting for the Netflix documentary.”

What happened exactly?

Let us catch you up. In 2023, Electric Zoo had intended to “create a completely leveled-up experience that included new stage concepts, enhanced production, and so much more” on Randall’s Island. But clearly, that didn’t work out. 

The festival was organized by the team behind Avant Gardner, a music complex in East Williamsburg, Gothamist reported. Event organizers blamed supply chain issues, as they were unable to complete construction of the main stage before show time. At that time, they vowed to offer refunds to ticket-holders who were affected.

But many fans pointed out that even a ticket refund wouldn’t cover the full cost of flights, hotels, and outfits only to be informed of the cancellation mere hours before the show. 

Lawsuits mounted basically right away. In a lawsuit, one plaintiff said the overcrowding caused him to “fear for his life,” per Forbes.

The festival is one of the most respected and beloved in the EDM community, and performers for the first day included massive names like Kx5, Kaskade, Excision, Madeon, Galantis, The Blessed Madonna, Griz, The Chainsmokers, and HoneyLuv.

What’s next for Electric Zoo? 

It’s hard to say, exactly. Event organizers were apologetic in their message saying, “We know we let you down.” 

But they also haven’t announced any details about future festivals. We’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, Electric Zoo’s team says: As we continue forward, we will work every day to earn back your trust and forgiveness.”

* This article was originally published here

The F train is not exactly world-renown for its reliability and, this summer, it’s about to get a lot less reliable if you live in Southern Brooklyn. For eight weekends, the F train will be suspended as the MTA works on much needed renovations on the line’s nearly century-old communication system.

The repairs will allow trains to run faster and closer together, making the F line more efficient overall once the work is done, according to amNY. Until then, commuters in that part of Brooklyn will have to come up with alternative modes of transit. 

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The delays are going to impact F train stops between Church Avenue and Coney Island. 

The closures will begin on the weekend of Friday, July 5 until Monday, July 8. The train will then run regularly for the rest of July before getting suspended again on the weekend of August 9 and during every subsequent weekend after that until September 3. The only weekend in August that the train will not be suspended will be the weekend of August 30. 

If you rely on that route, there will be a free bus shuttle service between Church Avenue and Coney Island, but make sure to account for traffic and longer travel times than you would if you were taking the subway on a regular day. 

If you’re just trying to get to Coney Island from Manhattan or other parts of the city, you can also take the D, N, and Q trains. 

The F train is already considered one of the least reliable subway lines in the entire system, according to a poll taken by the MTA. Out of the dozens of trains lines, it was found to be the one with the most delays, with just a 71% timeliness rate. Translation: it’s only on time two-thirds of trips.

Although the disruptions are sure to cause issues to many commuters, we hope the repairs will actually fix long-standing problems and, perhaps, work on the F train’s horrible reputation. 

* This article was originally published here

Renting in NYC is pretty grim, and it’s about to get even worse for the nearly two million tenants living in rent stabilized apartments.

The Rent Guidelines Board has officially approved rent hikes that will raise one-year stabilized leases 2.75% and two-year stabilized leases 5.25% effective starting October of this year. It was approved in a 5-4 vote.

The rent hikes are not only the third year in a row that rents are increasing on stabilized apartments, but also the third year it’s been done under Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.

Last year rents on one-year leases were raised 3% and two-year leases were raised by 2.75% for the first year and 3.2% for the second year. The year prior, rents on one-year leases were raised 3.25% and two-year leases were raised 5%, accounting for the largest stabilized rent hike since 2013.

On the flip side, the Rent Guidelines Board voted to freeze stabilized rents more than once under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, and even when rents were raised during his term, 1.5% for one-year leases was the highest it increased.

Inflation and the increased cost of living is the reason behind the rent hike, according to the board.

Naturally, New Yorkers were pissed about the news–a group of protesters gathered outside Manhattan’s Hunter College and some ended up in handcuffs for disorderly conduct.

Rent Stabilization Association President Joseph Strasburg, on the other hand, said the hike didn’t go far enough.

The rent hikes only apply to leases issued or renewed between October 2024 and September 2025. More information on rent increases can be found here.

The post NYC Stabilized Tenants Once Again Hit With Rent Hikes appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here