The Time Out New York blog

Customize your own pair of jeans at Gap's Art of Denim series

Need a new pair of jeans or just want to treat yourself to a pair? You can find affordable denim all over town, but you should mark your calendar for Gap's Art of Denim series, where you can snag personalized jeans at the brand's Midtown concept shop. The three-installment event welcomes industrial street artist John Paul O’Grodnick (Saturday 7) geometric painter Jennifer Sanchez (Saturday 14) and pop artist Kendrick Daye (Saturday 21), who’ll be handpainting men’s and women’s styles ($70) with designs inspired by their work. To score the custom-bedecked blues just head to the event, buy a pair of jeans and line-up to get them trimmed. You pick the colors and placement of your favorite design (they’ll be about five or six to choose from) and your decorated denim will be done in 15 minutes. If you want another pair (or two) pre-embellished jeans by all three artists ($150) will also be available for purchase. Yep, these pants are worth ditching your all-black New York wardrobe.  — written by Leah Faye Cooper     

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See the top 100 finalists for New York's Best Bartender 2015 and vote for your favorite

New Yorkers love to talk about alcohol—whether it’s the new microbrewery opening in their neighborhood, a “secret” speakeasy half the city knows about or that dive bar where their favorite rock star brawled, the location is more important than the booze. But here at Time Out New York we know that those artisanal cocktails don’t muddle themselves. When there are so many options of where to go, it’s the folks behind the bar that keep us coming back for more rounds. We asked our readers to nominate their favorite barkeeps, and, though it was a challenge that induced hangover-level headaches, we whittled down the candidates to the Top 100. Now we need your help deciding who is the foam that rises to the top the glass and deserves the “New York's Best Bartender 2015” title. Check out our list and vote—maybe your favorite made the cut, or you might just discover a great neighborhood mixologist that’s been missing from your nightlife. If you need to grab a few drinks before casting your ballot just make sure to go out soon—next month we’ll unveil the Top 50, and the 10 best will be posted April 15. By the end of April we’ll crown our winner—the guy or gal who surely puts Sam Malone to shame. —Written by Tolly Wright

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10 things we learned about New York from the movies

By Time Out contributors, edited by Sophie Harris New York, as we all know, is the greatest city in the world, from its beautiful buildings to its dance clubs—so no wonder it's been celebrated in the movies over and over again, as you can see in our roundup of the 100 best films set in New York City. Whether or not Hollywood's version of Gotham is true, though, is another matter. Here are our 10 favorite life lessons about our hometown. 1. You will have a really good time if you have what she's having. (When Harry Met Sally, 1989) 2. Road rage is perfectly acceptable, even if you’re a pedestrian. (Midnight Cowboy, 1969) 3. The street gangs have amazing fashion sense. (The Warriors, 1979) 4. NYC public bathrooms are a great place to freshen up. (Desperately Seeking Susan, 1985) 5. If you get frustrated in the line at Film Forum, Marshall McLuhan will help you out. (Annie Hall, 1977) 6. You can unite your entire office in a perfectly choreographed "Thriller" dance. (13 Going on 30, 2004) 7. The Empire State Building is a great meeting place. (Sleepless in Seattle, 1993) 8. Everyone in New York is actually an alien from another planet...Okay, maybe we already knew that. (Men in Black, 1997) 9. You really need to keep your voice down in our libraries. (Ghostbusters, 1984) 10. If you want to be taken seriously, you need serious hair. (Working Girl, 1988)

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Boobie Trap owners launch Pizza Party, a suds-soaked slice shop, across the street tonight

Kristen North and Paul King, the bar masters who graced Bushwick with the breast-themed bar Boobie Trap, are launching an equally kitschy pizza parlor across the street tonight. The '80s-styled slice shop dubbed Pizza Party is kitted in pop-culture paraphernalia like Super Mario Bros. gear, Ghost Busters posters, Matchbox race cars and Super Soaker squirt guns. This 'za kid brother offers twice as many beers on tap ($6) as the breastaurant, including Harpoon UFO, Braven and Founder's All Day IPA, and a range of bottles and cans (Guinness, Coney Island, Tecate). Take a seat at a dry-erase–board table and split one of the coal-oven pies ($15–20) with punny names (God Hammit, the Hawaiian Shirt). The Can You Fig It? is topped with seared sun-dried figs, swiss chard and marinated chicken, while the Brent Is Just So Special is a daily-changing chef's choice pinned at market price.  There are also a slew of sandwiches and salads ($11–$15), like the Aunt Be Be's Chicago Italian Beef (giardiniera, au jus) and a kale Jake-Cobb salad (bacon, gorgonzola). The 45-seat shop's hours are 11am to 4am Monday through Saturday and 11am to midnight on Sunday, so Brooklynites will be able to satiate late-night cravings. Pizza Party, 254 Irving Ave between Bleecker and Manahan Sts, Bushwick, Brooklyn (no phone yet) Take a look at the full menu:               The Hawaiian Shirt at Pizza PartyCourtesy of Kristen North  

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Five great ways to celebrate International Women's Day this weekend

Sunday, March 8 is International Women's Day, and we want to celebrate! This day of solidarity and recognition of gender inequalities has been observed since the early 1900s, when women first fought for better pay and voting rights in the United States. Incredible women through the years have battled for women's rights in labor, politics and society, but there's still work to be done. We gathered some of the best events going on in the city this week so you can join people everywhere in recognizing this year's theme, "Make it happen," with all the women pushing for equality every day around the world. And remember to wear purple, the rallying color of the Sufragettes!   Tavi Gevinson at Brooklyn Museum- The editor of Rookie magazine and recent Broadway star will appear in conversation at the museum's First Saturdays celebration. The show starts at 8pm, but free tickets will be given out starting at 7pm at the visitor's center (get there early). The whole day is dedicated to Women Changemakers, so check out the lineup including a film from Women Make Movies, pop-up talks on artworks in the museum created by women and live music.  March for Gender Equality and Women's Rights- March with New Yorkers in solidarity at this event co-hosted by UN Women and the City of New York. Meet at 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue at 1:30pm (march starts at 2:40pm) and make your way to Times Square alongside Nobel Laureate Leyman Roberta Gbowee, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,

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Ticket alert: The best New York concerts on sale this week

Greetings, fellow NYC live-music fiends! The spring and summer concert announcements continue to flood in, and frankly, there's no way you could ever hope to keep up. That's where we come in, keeping you informed so you don't miss out on tix to the gigs you crave. Among the week's hottest commodities are individual-show passes to June's Northside Festival—which has already teased a blockbuster lineup featuring Run the Jewels, Alvvays, Against Me! and Neko Case—and an absurdly cool-sounding Birdman screening with live score by drummer Antonio Sanchez on April 4. Also on the list: Pacific Northwest indie-rock heroes Modest Mouse, playing a couple of short-lead-time gigs in support of their forthcoming LP; trusty Björk collaborator Arca; a series of big Kelly Clarkson shows (!); the latest local appearance by hometown faves TV on the Radio; and so much more. Check out the list below, and get ready to click like mad. On Sale Friday, March 6th: Modest MouseMarch 18, 19; Webster Hall; $55. July 22; Prospect Park Bandshell; $42.509am at TicketWeb and noon at Ticketmaster, respectively Plain White T'sApril 1; Gramercy Theater; $2010am at Live Nation Birdman (screening plus live score by drummer Antonio Sanchez)April 4; New York Society for Ethical Culture; $TBA10am at Web Ovation ArcaApril 8; Bowery Ballroom; $25Noon at Ticketmaster BuzzcocksApril 16; Irving Plaza; $3010am at Live Nation The Smokers Club 2nd Annual 4/20 Show Featuring: Joey Bada$$April 19; Terminal 5; $30Noon

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Black Seed unleashes limited-edition guest-chef bagel sandwiches

New Yorkers are notorious bagel snobs, but Nolita bagelry Black Seed—from Mile End's Noah Bernamoff and the Smile's Matt Kliegman—churns out hand-rolled wonders that are so good they made the cut for our 100 Best Dishes. Starting Monday, March 9, you'll be able to catch special, limited-edition bagel sandwiches crafted by some of the city's best chefs, including Alex Guarnaschelli (Butter), Danny Bowien (Mission Chinese, Mission Cantina) and Ivan Orkin (Ivan Ramen).  Each sandwich will be released every Monday through April 6, but will only be available at the Elizabeth Street shop through that following Sunday before the next chef's creation hits the menu. Check out the full lineup:  March 9 - 15: Ivan Orkin's Japanese-style everything bagel slathered with aonori cream cheese and ikura (roe) egg salad March 16 - 22: Alex Guarnaschelli's smoked-salmon belly salad with cream cheese and salt-and-vinegar chips on a toasted sesame bagel March 23 - 29: Billy Durney's rye everything bagel layered with slow-cooked pastrami bacon, baked eggs and gruyere cheese March 30 - April 5: Danny Bowien and Angela Dimayuga's squid-ink bagel with white poppy seeds smothered in whipped anchovy butter and ibérico ham  April 6 - 12: Missy Robbins's sesame bagel dressed in burrata, soppressata, basil and Calabrian chilies

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Bruce Willis heading to Broadway so Elizabeth Marvel can act him off the stage

On this snowy day of minimal visibility we are reminded of the opening credits of Misery, the 1990 Rob Reiner movie based on the Stephen King bestseller. On such a day, successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon finished his latest book in a Colorado cabin, packed up his car and headed back East. Of course, Paul never got there. He flipped his car on the slick road, got banged up bad, and who rescued him but good ole Annie Wilkes, Paul's self-professed "#1 Fan." You probably know the rest. News came late yesterday that there’s a Misery stage adaptation (by William Goldman, who also penned the screenplay) heading to Broadway this fall (venue and dates yet to be announced). It stars Bruce Willis as the mostly bedridden Paul and stage veteran Elizabeth Marvel as the bipolar, controlling Annie. For King fans, those who love the film, or anyone thrilled to see the Die Hard franchise star up close and live, this is great news.Then there’s everyone else who knows what a freaking amazing theater animal Marvel is.We’re not going to list her CV here, but for the last couple of decades, Marvel has blazed across our stages in new plays and classics, often working with Dutch genius director Ivo van Hove at New York Theatre Workshop. She can be emotionally raw and impossibly intense, and you can’t take your eyes off her. In Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities at Lincoln Center, it seemed that Off Broadway was too small for her; she was acting so damn hard; she dialed it back and was even m

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David Hallberg withdraws from ABT's Met season

In ballet, injuries have a way of dragging on. David Hallberg, American Ballet Theatre's most princely principal, has announced that he will withdraw from all 13 performances he was scheduled for this spring at the Metropolitan Opera House due to a persistent foot injury. "It is with great regret that I must cancel the ABT spring season, but my complete recovery is of utmost importance," Hallberg says in a statement. "I greatly look forward to when I am back onstage and ready to dance with ABT once again."  Of course, artistic director Kevin McKenzie has turned to Russia for guest artists. Gotta sell those tickets! Vladimir Shklyarov, a principal with the Mariinsky Ballet, will perform on May 23 as Albrecht in Giselle; Leonid Sarafanov, a principal with the Mikhailovsky Ballet, undertakes Solar in La Bayadère on June 3 and 6 and Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty on June 10. The circumstances are unfortunate, but the long-awaited ABT debut of Sarafanov is most welcome: His dancing, his demeanor, his pristine technique add up to loveliness supreme. 

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An all-broth festival is coming to the South Street Seaport

The bone-broth trend has nearly reached saturation point, so it didn't come as much of a surprise when we heard that the city is getting its first-ever Broth Fest, to be held inside the inflatable Sugarcube at the South Street Seaport on March 14. While Brodo is oddly not included in the lineup, six New York restaurants, including LES legend Katz's Delicatessen, Nolita's Baz Bagel and spanking-new Tribeca outfit Belle Reve, are set to take part, serving their own versions of the trendy elixir. A $33 ticket gets festival-goers samplings of each restaurant's steaming cups, along with sets from live DJs and a shopping area showcasing local designers. The soup-filled day will run from noon–9pm, with ticketholders allotted 90-minute sessions throughout the day. 

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