NYC Life: City Lights, Summer Nights & Just Four Wine Trip Tickets Left!
As summer winds down, New York City turns up the cultural heat with a dazzling lineup of free performances, festivals, and artistic celebrations. From opera under the stars at Lincoln Center to jazz reverberating through Times Square, the city is alive with music, movement, and meaning. Add to that the return of the Hungary L!ve Festival, a soulful new cabaret by Anya Turner & Robert Grusecki, and a spotlight on Long Island’s inspiring women—and you’ve got a season worth savoring. And speaking of savoring: our fabulous wine trip is almost sold out—only four tickets left! If you’ve been thinking about joining us, now’s the time to raise your glass and reserve your spot.
Experience Opera Under the Stars: The Met Opera Summer HD Festival Returns!
New York City’s most enchanting summer tradition is back! From August 22 to September 1, the Metropolitan Opera’s Summer HD Festival transforms Lincoln Center Plaza into a grand open-air theater, offering 11 nights of free opera screenings from its acclaimed Live in HD series.
Opening Night kicks off with Maestro (2023), Bradley Cooper’s Oscar-nominated biopic of Leonard Bernstein—co-presented with Netflix and Film at Lincoln Center.
Festival Highlights include:
- Verdi’s Aida—a visually stunning new production with animated projections
- Jeanine Tesori’s Grounded—a gripping contemporary opera about a drone pilot
- Strauss’s Salome—a psychological take on Wilde’s haunting tale
- Beloved classics like Fidelio, Tosca, Le Nozze di Figaro, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Florencia en el Amazonas
📍 Where: Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center
🕢 When: Nightly screenings at 7:30 or 8:00 PM
🎟️ Admission: Free and unticketed—2,500 seats available on a first-come, first-served basis
☔ Rain Policy: Screenings continue in light rain; canceled only for thunder or high winds
Whether you’re an opera aficionado or simply craving a magical night out, this festival is a must-see. Bring a friend, a blanket, and your love of music—no reservations required. Get the details.
TSQ LIVE: Jazz in Times Square
Times Square pulses with rhythm this summer as TSQ LIVE: Jazz in Times Square returns with a bold lineup of free outdoor concerts co-presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center. Every Thursday at 5 PM, from August through September, the city’s most iconic plaza becomes a stage for world-class jazz performances—no tickets, no barriers, just pure New York energy.
Set at 46th & Broadway, TSQ LIVE celebrates the city’s musical heartbeat with Latin big bands, soulful quartets, and Afrobeat ensembles. Whether you’re a lifelong jazz lover or simply passing through, these performances offer a rare chance to experience the magic of live music in the open air.
2025 Lineup Highlights
- August 7: Ginita y La Orquesta Esa Big Band — a 21-piece Latin jazz powerhouse honoring legends like Tito Puente and Chucho Valdés
- August 14: King Solomon Hicks — NYC’s blues phenom and guitar virtuoso
- August 21: Antonio Hart Quartet — co-presented with the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
- August 28: Miki Hayama — internationally acclaimed jazz pianist
- September 4–25: Tony Rosa, The Empress, Natu Camara, and Igmar Thomas’ Revive Big Band bring soul, funk, and Afrobeat to the plaza
TSQ LIVE is part of one of New York’s largest free outdoor event series, celebrating the city’s creative pulse and cultural diversity. Bring your curiosity, your dancing shoes, and your love of live music—Times Square is calling. Get the details.
Hungary L!ve Festival Returns to NYC – September 3–7, 2025
The Hungary L!ve Festival brings Hungary’s vibrant contemporary arts scene to New York City for its third edition, September 3–7, 2025. Presented by the Hungary Live Foundation, this cross-cultural celebration features innovative theater and dance productions at La MaMa, plus visual art, film, concerts, and workshops across Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The festival opens September 3 with a lively celebration at Dobbin Mews and TBSP Studio in Brooklyn, featuring art, performances, music, and more. All events are free with advance registration. Explore the full lineup and register: hungarylivefestival.com/en
JOY & LOVE: A New Cabaret by Anya Turner & Robert Grusecki
Award-winning singer-songwriters Anya Turner and Robert Grusecki return with JOY & LOVE, a new cabaret celebrating 30 years of songwriting. Featuring selections from their acclaimed albums Mid-Century Modern and Secret Lovers, plus timeless favorites, the show blends heartfelt songs and stories inspired by life and legendary artists like Mary Cassatt and Virginia Woolf.
Catch them live at Sid Gold’s Request Room (165 W 26th St) on Tuesdays: Sept 16, Oct 14, and Nov 11 at 7:30pm. $15 cash cover, 2-drink minimum. Reservations: AnyaRobertMusic.com
Spotlight on Long Island’s Women of Substance
Our Long Island reporter, Andrea Peponakis, introduces us to Judith St. George Bacher. She first spotted Judith at a summer concert in Westhampton Beach. The music was flowing, the crowd swaying, and yet she stood out. It wasn’t just her elegant fashion sense or the way she carried herself—it was her presence. Confident, radiant, self-assured. I thought, This is the kind of woman my readers will want to meet. So, in what may have seemed like a bold (or slightly crazy!) move, I scribbled a note introducing myself, passed it to her, and asked if she might sit for an interview. I discovered she was even more astonishing than I had hoped. READ MORE.
A Mad MAD World
Our roving photographer Nicole Freezer Rubens writes:
I have always been a huge fan of Jonathan Adler, admiring his eclectic pottery, interesting furniture, retro needlepoint pillows and endless unique brass and acrylic accessories. I look forward visiting his boutiques and receiving his seasonal catalogs filled with witty descriptions. Jonathan Adler is an artist whose work is built on significant design history. It is a continuation of a long line of predecessors feeding him tremendous inspiration.
Now at the Museum of Arts and Design you can explore his thought process at the show The Mad MAD World of Jonathan Adler, on exhibit through April 19, 2026. Adler acted as curator and artist carefully selecting pieces from the museums archive and displaying them mixed into his own creations resulting in a vision into how his brilliant, campy mind works. Simon Doonan, Adler’s husband and famous creative director designed the installation which successfully emphasizes Adler’s humor and devotion to his craft. His authentic happy chic vibe has been Adler’s generous gift to this Mad MAD world.
The tomato behind The Three Tomatoes.
Cheryl Benton, aka the “head tomato” is founder and publisher of The Three Tomatoes, a digital lifestyle magazine for “women who aren’t kids”. Having lived and worked for many years in New York City, the land of size zero twenty-somethings, she was truly starting to feel like an invisible woman. She created The Three Tomatoes just for the fun of it as the antidote for invisibility and sent it to 60 friends. Today she has thousands of friends and is chief cheerleader for smart, savvy women who want to live their lives fully at every age and every stage. She is the author of the novel, "Can You See Us Now?" and co-author of a humorous books of quips, "Martini Wisdom." Because she's lived a long time, her full bio won't fit here. If you want the "blah, blah, blah", read more. www.thethreetomatoes.com/about-the-head-tomato
