How Well Can a Treadmill Count?
Figuring out how many calories you burn remains harder than it appears.
By Patrick Egan
You want to lose weight. You understand the basic principle: burn more energy, measured in calories, than you take in. It’s math, pure and simple. The consumption numbers are easy to find—on food packaging, in nutrition books, even on some menus. Nailing down the calories you burn, though, is a more elusive task. Read more
City Week: May 7–May 13
A Selective Listing of Recommended Cultural & Community Events
Compiled by Megan Finnegan
Friday, May 7
Are We Alone?—The “Ethics in Film” group screens Contact (1997), followed by a discussion. In the film, Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) searches for extra-terrestrial intelligence with the encouragement and romantic interest of author and Christian philosopher Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey). Story by Carl Sagan and directed by Robert Zemeckis. New York Society for Ethical Culture’s Ceremonial Hall, 2 W. 64th St., 212-874-5210 x113; 7 p.m., $5 suggested donation (includes drinks and snacks). Read more
Amazing Antiques
A celebrity-studded ‘AVENUE’ event draws record crowds
Record-breaking crowds flocked to the AVENUE Antiques & Art at the Armory Show, which took place Dec. 3 to Dec. 6 at the Park Avenue Armory at East 67th Street. With more than 55 leading international dealers offering something for every interest and price level, the show provided the ultimate holiday gift buying opportunity. The show’s elegant look was conceived by noted interior designer Richard Mishaan. Read more
Frank McCourt, 1930-2009
Readers of this newspaper have come to know Frank McCourt in a different way over the past several years. As someone who thought there were too many unsung heroes in the classroom, McCourt was kind enough to play host to Manhattan Media’s annual Blackboard Awards, affairs honoring New York City’s top schools and teachers. Audiences marveled at the chance to see this expert storyteller who had a penchant for sticking it to the powers that be, including boneheaded administrators, media outlets in search of the next salacious story and politicians who liked to tell teachers how to do their jobs, a perennial target of his scorn. Read more
WELCOME TO PLANET PALTROW
IF YOU’RE WILLING TO CHECK YOUR ENVY, BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT AT THE DOOR, YOU TOO CAN LIVE THE DREAM
By Lorraine Duffy Merkl
Ours is the city to which people come in droves to fulfill personal and professional dreams. Here is place to envision meeting and marrying a rock star, with whom you will live in that Village townhouse or 10-room apartment on Park Avenue; or being talked about on Page Six and counting celebs and supermodels among your friends. Adding a movie to your Netflix queue? Pick up the phone and call an Academy Award-winning director. How much oregano should go into the tomato sauce? Reach out to the chef of a five-star restaurant. Have a problem? Call and query a well-respected guru. Read more
LDS MEETS UWS
THE CHURCH OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS (THE MORMONS) OPENED ITS 119TH TEMPLE ON WEST 65TH STREET IN 2004. LAST MONTH, THE CHURCH BECAME A FOCAL POINT IN THE GAY MARRIAGE FIGHT, LEAVING ENOUGH BRUISED FEELINGS TO GO AROUND.
By Adam Bloch
For nearly 25 minutes, Brent Belnap talked about the history of the Mormon Church in New York City, moving deftly across decades and geography. He described how the early Mormons were expelled, sometimes violently, from Upstate New York, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri before settling in what eventually became Utah. And by the time he turned to more recent events, such as the dedication of the Manhattan Temple in 2004 and the protest that took place outside it last month, his voice had become several shades softer and thicker with emotion.
“Without a doubt, absolutely, unequivocally, unmistakably Read more
FRENCH COOKERY WITH AN ASIAN FLAIR
MAVERICK MOVES PAY OFF FOR FIRST-TIME RESTAURATEUR CARLOS SUAREZ
By Tom Steele
It takes a certain amount of confidence to set your restaurant in an utterly unmarked brownstone, but Bobo is all about confidence, and with good reason. This yearling restaurant, owned by maverick restaurateur Carlos Suarez, has a brand-new executive chef, the James Beard Award-winning Patrick Connolly. He is fresh from the four-star Radius in Boston, and his French cookery is the perfect fit for this deeply romantic, homey setting.
That hominess is accentuated by the charming bric-a-brac Read more
REVIVED NORTHERN ITALIAN
CHANGE IN CHEFS BRINGS FULL FLAVORS AND HINTS OF AUTUMN
By Tom Steele
There are so many good restaurants in Midtown that it’s all too easy to overlook the less showy ones, and there are so many good Italian restaurants in this city that the same is true of them. You seldom hear of Italian restaurants going under, and there are many good reasons for that, including the restaurants’ all-around cost effectiveness. But it’s mostly due to the intense popularity of the cuisine—who doesn’t like Italian food?
Even though it’s been on a popular block a few doors east of the City Center for 15 years, I didn’t really know that Giovanni existed. But two months ago, a new chef was brought in by owner Giovanni Francescotti. Read more
BEST OF MANHATTAN: SERVICES
Best of Manhattan: Services
