THE LAB:GALLERY Presents INTERSECTION February 10-March 2, 2012
Step by step: How to save 15% off your next stay @RSHotel in NYC using facebook.
Posted on 30. Jan, 2012 by Birdsong in Community, Hotel
Missing NYC? Now you can book a room @RSHotel using facebook (really, it’s super easy).
1. Click book now.
2. Join the app.
3. Click offers.
4. Book a room
5. You can spend the extra money on pizza and stop clicking now.
BONUS: Brag about it to your facebook friends using the share button.
“That’s right. I’m in NYC, and you’re not.”
See you in NYC!
Travel dates: Now through February 29, 2012. Subject to Availability.
Molly Barnes Art Discussions @RSHotel: Timothy Nye LIVE via USTREAM TODAY @ 12pm EST
Posted on 12. Jan, 2012 by Birdsong in Arts, Community, Events, Hotel
Roger Smith Hotel Presents
Molly Barnes Brown Bag Lunch Art Discussions
Timothy Nye owner of the Nyehaus Gallery in Chelsea and The Brown Gallery in L.A. will talk about the current Getty show Pacific Standard Time, the history of L.A. art from 1965 to 1980.
Streaming live video by Ustream
On The Stage – December On/Off Broadway Guide by James Fox
Posted on 05. Dec, 2011 by Birdsong in Arts, Community, Events
December offers four new shows on Broadway which make great pre-holiday treats:
ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER features Harry Connick Jr in a reconceived version of the 1965 Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane musical. This new version replaces the kooky Daisy with David, a gay florist, as the patient of a psychiatrist who then falls in love with Melinda, 1940′s jazz singer who is now reincarnated as David, who falls in love with his psychiatrist making a complicated love triangle. Opens December 11, 2011 @ St. James Theatre, 246 West 44th St. www.onacleardaybroadway.com
BONNIE & CLYDE is a musical about the ill-fated lovers and outlaws who achieved folk hero status during the Great Depression. Featuring a non-traditional score combining rockabilly, blue and gospel music. @ Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th St.
www.bonnieandclydebroadway.com
www.bonnieandclydebroadway.com
LYSISTRATA JONES, is a boisterous new musical comedy based on Aristophanes’ classic Greek comedy. In the new twist Lysistrata Jones convinces all the girlfriends of the Athens University basketball team, who hasn’t won a game in 30 years, to “stop giving it up” to their boyfriends until they win a game. Opens December 14th @ Walter Kerr Theatre, 219 West 48 St., www.lysistratajones.com
Alicia Keys is the producer of Lydia R. Diamond’s new comedy STICK FLY which chronicles the interactions and revelations within a well-to-do black family summering in Martha’s Vineyard. The two adult sons bring their respective ladies (one black and one white) to meet their parents in this contemporary comedy of manners. @ Cort Theatre, 138 West 48 St.
Off Broadway: Two familiar shows are back in New York with a limited run as both closeDecember 30th: Anton Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD centers on an aristocratic Russian woman and her family facing bankruptcy who refuse to sell their cherry orchard. Diane Wiest and John Turturro star in this production, that opens December 4th @ Classic Stage Company, 136 East 13th St.
For the entire family is the Emmy-winning musical of J.M. Barrie’s imperishable PETER PAN with former champion gymnast Cathy Rigby. Tickets are sure to go quick for this limited run @
Madison Square GardenOpening on December 14th, Seventh Avenue between 31st/33rd St.
Molly Barnes Art discussion with Mark Kostabi and Gail Levin (Video Archive 11/17/11 & 11/18/11)
Posted on 16. Nov, 2011 by Birdsong in Arts, Community, Events
Mark Kostabi talks about his art work and introduces his new game show “Title this“.
Gail Levin, a biographer, art historian and curator, discusses her new biography of Lee Krasner
The Roger Smith is a hub for social media in #NYC. People. Art. Food. Wine. For 10% off our best available rooms rate: bit.ly/RSrooms
twitter: twitter.com/rshotel
fb: facebook.com/rogersmithhotel
blog: bit.ly/RSlife
web: rogersmith.com/
Appnostic announces SocialBooker Facebook booking app; @RSHotel in NYC first hotel
Posted on 15. Nov, 2011 by Birdsong in Community, Hotel
(via Hotelmarketing.com)
SocialBooker allows for any hotel using any Central Reservations System (CRS), Internet Booking Engine (IBE), or Property Management System (PMS) to harness the power of Facebook’s Social Graph.
Appnostic, a leading social media and travel technology provider, is introducing the first fully integrated Facebook hotel reservations booking app; SocialBooker. SocialBooker allows for any hotel using any Central Reservations System (CRS), Internet Booking Engine (IBE), or Property Management System (PMS) to harness the power of Facebook’s Social Graph. Appnostic’s SocialBooker provides true social commerce, personalizing the hotel booking experience, while providing travelers a better way to socially interact and book a hotel.
SocialBooker is the hotel industry’s first reservation platform specifically optimized for Facebook’s Social Graph. The look and feel can be easily customized to complement a hotel’s existing branding and CRS connectivity. SocialBooker enables the hotel to harness the viral capabilities inside the Facebook network to maximize sales, build customer loyalty, and deliver improved customer service.
According to Appnostic CEO Brian Dass, “SocialBooker is a Facebook app that delivers a completely integrated booking solution, from room availability through payment transaction, all from within the Facebook environment. Furthermore, hotels can customize their unique booking paths to deliver a fully branded, immersive, and socially connected room-booking experience,” he explained
“We are very excited to have jointly launched a private label version of SocialBooker with the Roger Smith Hotel, a New York based hotel known for their proactive approach to Social Media.” Dass explained. Furthermore as consumer adoption for F-commerce continues to grow at a rapid pace, more and more hotel bookings will be conducted through Facebook. “Beginning with the Roger Smith Hotel, Appnostic is helping the hotel industry prepare for the social commerce revolution that is already having an impact on consumer travel.
John Birdsong, Roger Smith Hotel New Media Director says, “Customers are increasingly looking to engage with the hotel via Facebook. Each month over 500 million people on Facebook use an app or experience the Facebook social plugin on other websites. It’s becoming the must-have marketing platform for hotel managers. SocialBooker brings the first complete booking app solution to our Fan Page, and allows the Roger Smith Hotel to monetize our fan base, while opening up an entirely new sales channel.”
By becoming part of the Facebook eco-system, hotel property operators are able to access user profile data and gain insights through Facebook’s internal analytics. This experience is fully personalized including ‘Friend Recommendations, Wall posts, and “Like” button integration, all leveraging Facebook’s newsfeed technology to virally spread your special offers, promotions and packages.
Jeff Thomas, Appnostic’s EVP, Business Development stated that many hotels have expressed a strong interest in adopting the SocialBooker app. “We have active discussions underway with a large number of hotels and groups in North America and in Europe on utilizing SocialBooker as their preferred social media distribution platform.” Thomas continued, “These hotels recognize the importance of this valuable new distribution channel and understand that early adoption is crucial in gaining a competitive advantage on Facebook while defining a standard for social revenue management and distribution.”
Check out the app here.
Let us know what you think in the comments section.
The Roger Smith is a hub for social media in #NYC. People. Art. Food. Wine. For 10% off our best available rooms rate: bit.ly/RSrooms
twitter: twitter.com/rshotel
fb: facebook.com/rogersmithhotel
blog: bit.ly/RSlife
web: rogersmith.com/
Edible Event @RSHotel – Apples: Immortal and Forbidden Fruit – (video archive)
Posted on 04. Nov, 2011 by Birdsong in Events, Hotel
roger smith Edible conversation series 2011
November 7th Erika Janik will visit us and discuss her new book
“Apple a Global History”
$50/person including food, beverage and a copy of Laura’s book
“Apple a Global History”
November 7th
6pm – 8.30pm
At the roger smith hotel
Speaker: Erika Janik
Description: The apple’s story is, as Henry David Thoreau observed, remarkably “connected with that of man.” Born in the mountains of Kazakhstan, apples have traveled the globe and become a species at home nearly everywhere. The apple did such a convincing job in America that many Americans wrongly assume the fruit is a native. Enmeshed in the folklore and history of nations around the globe, apples have been associated with love, beauty, luck, health, comfort, pleasure, wisdom, temptation, sensuality, and fertility—and all this in addition to being just good eating and drinking. Follow the apple from Asia to Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas and discover how this remarkable fruit conquered the world.
Speaker’s bio: Erika Janik writes about food, history, and travel. Her work has appeared in Midwest Living, Mental Floss, Wisconsin Trails, the Wisconsin Magazine of History, Madison Magazine, and other newspapers and magazines. She’s also the author of three books and is a talk show producer at Wisconsin Public Radio. Learn more at erikajanik.net.
The Roger Smith is a hub for social media in #NYC. People. Art. Food. Wine. For 10% off our best available rooms rate: bit.ly/RSrooms
twitter: twitter.com/rshotel
fb: facebook.com/rogersmithhotel
blog: bit.ly/RSlife
web: rogersmith.com/
Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir BORDERS Installation: an Interview with the Artist (Video)
Posted on 28. Oct, 2011 by Birdsong in Arts, Community
BORDERS by Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir was installed in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza from March 24 through September 30, 2011. The installation featured twenty-six androgynous, life-size sculptures, thirteen aluminum and thirteen cast iron, which extended throughout the park from First to Second Avenue on East 47th Street. BORDERS was the park’s largest exhibition to date and the first exhibition to incorporate the entire park.
“Dag Hammarskjold Plaza is the gateway to the United Nations and a hub of international activity that serves thousands of people and hosts hundreds of political events each year,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “The new public art installation, BORDERS, will connect many diverse constituencies to new artistic experiences. It will foster conversation and provide a significant backdrop for daily events at this public space.”
video by: John Birdsong
BORDERS was created specifically for Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza and directly responds to the park’s design and infrastructure, as well as the United Nations headquarters located at the eastern end of the park. Thórarinsdóttir’s figures, standing along the main park corridor and seated on park benches, mirror each other in silent conversation and form unseen borders that visitors are welcome to cross—serving as ambassadors between sculptures. The exhibition addresses humanity and cultural diversity, an exceptionally appropriate theme for one of the most culturally and politically active sites in all of New York City.
The Roger Smith is a hub for social media in #NYC. People. Art. Food. Wine. For 10% off our best available rooms rate: http://bit.ly/RSrooms
web: http://rogersmith.com/
blog: http://rogersmithlife.com/
fb: http://facebook.com/rogersmithhotel
twitter: http://twitter.com/rshotel
Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Yes, Please! (Video Archive 10/17/11)
Posted on 17. Oct, 2011 by Birdsong in Events, Hotel
roger smith Edible conversation series 2011
October 17th Becky Sue Epstein will visit us and discuss her new book
“Champagne: A Global History.”
$50/person including food, beverage and a copy of Becky Sue’s book
October 17th
6pm – 8.30pm
At the roger smith hotel
“Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Yes, Please!”
Speaker: Becky Sue Epstein
Location: Roger Smith Hotel, 501 Lexington at 47th St., New York
Description: Say the word “champagne” and people brighten up, anticipating parties, entertainment and rejoicing. Who invented champagne, and how did it become a worldwide symbol for celebration?
Speaker Becky Sue Epstein will lead us on a journey full of good cheer, starting at the true beginnings of the champagne industry. We will slide effortlessly through several centuries of royals and merchants, science and war. She will also take us around the globe to scenic vineyards where other great sparkling wines of the world are produced.
And, of course, we’ll learn how to taste and serve champagnes and sparkling wines.
Speaker’s bio: Wine and spirits writer Becky Sue Epstein travels the world in search of great stories and great drinks. She is an editor at several national publications including Intermezzo Magazine, The Tasting Panel, and PalatePress.com; she is also a regular contributor to iwineradio.com and to the travel website Gayot.com.
Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Part 1
Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Part 2
Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Part 3
Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Part 4
Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Part 5
Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Part 6
The Roger Smith is a hub for social media in #NYC. People. Art. Food. Wine. For 10% off our best available rooms rate: bit.ly/RSrooms
twitter: twitter.com/rshotel
fb: facebook.com/rogersmithhotel
blog: bit.ly/RSlife
web: rogersmith.com/
Falling For Fall (In NYC) by Phoebe Knowles
Posted on 14. Oct, 2011 by Birdsong in Community, Hotel
I love the fall! Sweaters come out, knee-high boots too, apple cider and pumpkin flavored items hit menus city-wide from Starbucks lattes to seasonal pancakes to freshly made pumpkin ravioli…YUM! In New York, post summer, the wheels of the city start turning again…groups reconvene (book groups, networking groups, sports teams) and things start to happen.
Here are a few things that I’m looking forward to in October….
The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (In it to End It) on the weekend of October 15th and 16th is a great way to see the City and be part of the critical fight against breast cancer. The walking route takes you from the starting point on Pier 84, where they have opening ceremonies on Saturday morning as you watch the sun come up over the Hudson River, then around Manhattan, eventually arriving at Randall’s Island (where the Wellness Village is and where people can choose to spend the night)…and then back again. (www.avonwalk.org/new-york/ )
Of course, being a Yankees fan means that post-season baseball is always great! Here’s how it works…there are two leagues in Major League Baseball; the American League and National League. The best teams of each league (plus coveted Wild Card positions…which are still very much up for grabs) go to the Playoffs and ultimately get a shot at facing each other in the World Series. The Yanks have secured a playoff spot!! So, October in New York will have that extra electricity and excitement while our team defends its reputation of amazingness. Any bar with a TV will be showing the games. Feel the buzz!
It was a good September here in NY…The 10 day-long Craft Beer Festival was a highlight…cruising the City with a beer passport, seeking out participating bars and locales that normally would not have hit my radar…trying strange (and often wonderful) flavors of beer – reminding me of my college days when my friends from the Biology Department at Brown used to brew beer in their basement just off campus and we’d test their newest concoctions…banana flavored beer stands out in my memory (!?). With the onset of October, the Craft Beer Festival is over…but, all is not lost…I’ve recently discovered a grrrreat bar that serves American craft beers year-round called The Pony Bar (45th and 10th Ave – www.theponybar.com ).
No pony unfortunately (though they do have a beautiful wooden canoe suspended from the ceiling…)…but the beer menu is fantastic in its own right (new brews become available over the course of an evening, a huge wall menu with sliding slats shows what is on tap at any given moment – a bell rings whenever a new one is added…) with titles like Haystack Blonde and Caddy Wompus. All beer is priced at $5.00…and, as odd as it sounds, I thoroughly recommend that you order the fried green beans to go with your craft beer. Unexpected and delicioso. If you are seeking something more Germanic and Octoberfesty, I would recommend the new Bierhaus (712 3rd Avenue between 44th and 45th – www.bierhausnyc.com ) – they have live German beer garden-type music in honor of October Fest and a great pretzel & sausage menu for the occasion. Waitresses wear dirndls and the beer is tasty.
October also kicks off the classical music season in the City. There is such an expansive offering of groups and styles and concert venues that, for the classical music enthusiast, there really is something for everyone. The vocal area network (www.van.org) shows choral concerts that are scheduled to take place in the City throughout the year. I, myself, am looking forward to Musica Sacra’s performance of Rachmaninoff Vespers on October 12th. Even if you are not a huge choral music fan, if you find yourself in Midtown, on or near 5th Avenue in the early evening (post shopping, on your way home from Central Park, etc.) step into St Thomas’ Church (5th Avenue and 53rd Street – www.saintthomaschurch.org) at 5:30 to see the men and boys choir sing evensong. This church has a boys choir school attached to it (think Westminster Boys Choir) and part of their daily activity is to sing during an afternoon service. Sit up front if you can…Fun (and frankly impressive!) to see the little guys sing up close.
While Charlie Sheen has been self destructing before the world’s eyes, his father and brother have been working on a movie together called The Way (www.theway-themovie.com) which is filmed almost entirely on the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. Now…I happen to be a huge West Wing fan…and I grew up with the Brat Pack (Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, etc.) so am particularly excited about the Martin Sheen-Emilio Estevez creative team. The trailer reveals some breathtaking footage of this stunning part of the world (another obvious plus for the film). Story line…well…there is a sort of tragic father-son situation played out by Sheen and Estevez and the cathartic spiritual process that takes place along the age-old pilgrimage route, traversing the French and Spanish Pyrenees, culminating in Galicia’s Santiago de Compostela. The movie opens on October 7th. I’ll certainly be checking it out!
In NY we LOVE Halloween. The fall farmers market at Union Square (www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket) explodes with pumpkins of all sizes (incidentally, great for carving jack-o-lanterns) and those outrageous gourds that are shaped like goose necks or UFOs and come in the most exotic color/pattern combinations, spotted, striped, and beautiful. Costume pop-up shops can be found throughout the City as well throughout the month of October (examples: Ricky’s at 14th and 5th and Spirit Halloween on 6th Avenue between 25th & 26th Streets…). Lines get pretty crazy the closer you get the big day so think through your costume options early and plan ahead! If you happen to be in town on October 31, the Halloween parade is a must see…and actually – it’s open to anyone who dares to participate…so get your face paint, your costume/gear (and your camera!!) and head downtown!
Here are the details:
Date: October 31, 2011
Time: The actual parade is from 7 – 10 PM (If you want to walk in the parade, arrive at Spring Street and 6th Avenue between 6:30 and 8:00 PM)
Location: The parade begins at 6th Avenue and Spring Street and goes up to 6th Avenue and 23rd Street
Other useful info: Gets crowded! Might get chilly…It’s a busy night for bars and restaurants – might be a good idea to make reservations if you’re with a group in the area of the parade.
The Roger Smith is a hub for social media in #NYC. People. Art. Food. Wine. For 10% off our best available rooms rate: bit.ly/RSrooms
twitter: twitter.com/rshotel
fb: facebook.com/rogersmithhotel
blog: bit.ly/RSlife
web: rogersmith.com/
“Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Yes, Please!” Banquet & Author Discussion Oct 17th @RShotel
Posted on 09. Oct, 2011 by Birdsong in Events, RS Food Writers Conf
October 17th Becky Sue Epstein will visit us and discuss her new book
“Champagne: A Global History.”
$50/person including food, beverage and a copy of Becky Sue’s book
“Champagne: A Global History.”
October 17th
6pm – 8.30pm
At the roger smith hotel
For reservations please go to
champagneandsparklingwine.eventbrite.com
“Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Yes, Please!”
Speaker: Becky Sue Epstein
Location: Roger Smith Hotel, 501 Lexington at 47th St., New York
Description: Say the word “champagne” and people brighten up, anticipating parties, entertainment and rejoicing. Who invented champagne, and how did it become a worldwide symbol for celebration?
Speaker Becky Sue Epstein will lead us on a journey full of good cheer, starting at the true beginnings of the champagne industry. We will slide effortlessly through several centuries of royals and merchants, science and war. She will also take us around the globe to scenic vineyards where other great sparkling wines of the world are produced.
And, of course, we’ll learn how to taste and serve champagnes and sparkling wines.
Speaker’s bio: Wine and spirits writer Becky Sue Epstein travels the world in search of great stories and great drinks. She is an editor at several national publications including Intermezzo Magazine, The Tasting Panel, and PalatePress.com; she is also a regular contributor to iwineradio.com and to the travel website Gayot.com.
The Roger Smith is a hub for social media in #NYC. People. Art. Food. Wine. For 10% off our best available rooms rate: bit.ly/RSrooms
twitter: twitter.com/rshotel
fb: facebook.com/rogersmithhotel
blog: bit.ly/RSlife
web: rogersmith.com/
