Enjoy The Summer One Oyster and Private Backyard At a Time

Summer plans in the city are always filled with innovative methods of making us think we're not stuck in a heat-absorbing, cement-filled city. It's always interesting to see the lengths New Yorkers will go to have a good time. I've rounded up my top three favorites so far.

1. Oyster and Wine Party

This event is relatively tame on the innovative scale, but who doesn't love oysters as a refreshing treat in the summer? Wash them down with some good wine, and yummmmmmmy. Our good friends at Union Square Wines (they're the ones with the free wine tastings EVERY SATURDAY) often throw enhanced tasting parties and it seems the only reason they charge is because of limited space. Get this, for only $15, you can join in on one of two oyster and wine parties (East End selections on Wednesday July 18 and Chablis and Chenin Blanc selections on Wednesday July 25). Admission includes 6 oysters, a selection of wines and a $5 purchase voucher so you can take some vino home with you. Sounds like a pretty perfect way to spend a summer evening to me. Parties run from 6-8 pm and you must reserve in advance.

2. Surf Lessons at Rockaway Beach

It only took me four years but I finally made it out to Rockaway Beach on the 4th of July and I was super pleasantly surprised. The subway ride is no quick jaunt (it took me 2 hours from Murray Hill), but the beach was clean, not too crowded, and close to lots of cheap and beach-y fun food vendors. I almost felt like I was in some cutesy beach town in Southern California (a Cali girl can dream). Anyway, here's a way to make your beach day even more exotic: surf lessons. Yep, you could be hanging ten like a pro by the end of the summer, or at least just stand up on your board with a little help from NY Surf School. Two-hour lessons go for $175, but rates decrease if you bring along some buddies ($115 per person for 2 people, $90 per person for 3-4 people, $80 per person for 5-7 people and so on). So make it a group affair and then make sure to reward yourself with an Italian Ice from one of the many beach vendors when you're done. You've earned it.

3. Your Own Private Backyard...For Two Hours

Growing up in the suburbs with a legit backyard is something we never miss until we no longer have it. Relegated to portable grills on fire escapes and doing cartwheels in the non-privacy of Central Park, New Yorkers are in desperate need a place to romp around and squirt each other with water guns. Enter Timeshare Backyard. For $100 an hour (2 hour minimum), you can rent your own private backyard to share with up to 30 of your friends. Complete with a grill, "luxury grass," shady spots, trashy magazines, hammocks, lounge chairs, hula hoops, and yes, squirt guns, this backyard sounds like a 5-year-old-trapped-in-a-20-something's dream. The space is conveniently located in the Lower East Side and I have to say that whoever thought of this is a genius. There are limited slots and they are filling up fast, so grab some hot dogs and burgers and get ready to party like it's at your parent's house.

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 More Tickets to the Tony Winning Clybourne Park!

The last time I did a giveaway for the new play Clybourne Park, I hadn't actually seen it yet, and then it won a Tony for best play. But now things are different. Truth be told, you must see this show. It will touch you in ways you hadn't known you could be touched. It will also make you laugh, potentially make you cry, and definitely make you question a lot of tough stuff.

All my readers are in luck again! I'm giving away another pair of tickets to Clybourne Park. The tickets must be picked up at the box office the day of the show. There are 4 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any and all comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Like the Clybourne Park Facebook page and leave this comment on their wall: "I'm looking forward to seeing Clybourne Park and hopefully winning tickets on Awesome in New York! http://bit.ly/NLTq8u" Then come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did so.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet about this event "I just entered to win 2 tix to see @ClybournePark on Awesome In New York! http://bit.ly/NLTq8u" and let me know with a link to your tweet in a comment below.

A winner will be chosen using Random.org on Monday 7/16. You have until Monday 7/16 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

Congratulations Kwame! You've won 2 tickets to Clybourne Park! Thank you to everyone else who entered and stay awesome!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to 7th Monarch

I'm not going to lie, thrillers of any and all kind give me the heebie jeebies. I'm the kind of girl who goes into a haunted house expecting something to jump out at me and still screams bloody murder when it does. However, I'm excited to see the new play 7th Monarch at the Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row.

The plot revolves around Miriam, who has a photographic memory...and a secret she needs to forget. Miriam, a math prodigy who was on the fast track to becoming an astronaut, has been living in seclusion with her parents for the past 20 years. When Raina, a criminal investigator, knocks on her door seeking the parents, Miriam offers an inconceivable explanation for their disappearance. Jarring discoveries are soon revealed as the two women struggle to overcome their own personal tragedies.

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to 7th Monarch for a performance before July 31! There are 4 easy ways to win, and each comment counts as an entry. Be sure to leave your email in each comment so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment telling me your favorite thriller (theater, movie, book, whatev...) and why.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet about this contest "I just entered to win 2 tix to 7th Monarch on Awesome In New York! http://bit.ly/L9BvX7 via @yaelleah" and let me know with a link to your tweet.

Winners will be chosen using Random.org on Monday 7/16. You have until Monday 7/16 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations Jerry, you've won 2 tickets to 7th Monarch! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Warm Up Your Summer

Summer is in full swing and there's nothing I love more than outdoor parties this time of year. Thankfully, MOMA PS1's annual Warm-Up series kicks off it's 2012 party scene and 15th year this Saturday July 7 from 2-9pm.

This year's courtyard artwork will be a temporary urban landscape by HWKN called Wendy, the winning design of MoMA PS1's 13th annual Young Architects Program. In addition to lots and lots of beer, delicious eats will also be served up by the famed M. Wells all summer long.

Warm-Up will feature both local and world-renowned musicians and DJs for an energetic, insanely fun party every Saturday until September 8. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance (highly recommended) or at the door. Entry includes admission to the party as well as all PS1 exhibitions. MOMA members can receive one free ticket for themselves with a valid membership card and Long Island City residents get free entry by showing proof of residency at the door.

Everyone Needs A Little Black Bag

Normally my posts are about happenings in NYC, events and such. However, I recently found a new website that is seeking to take shopping to the next level and bring back the nostalgic feeling of a grab bag. I have yet to meet a New York City girl who doesn't love her accessories, so I thought I'd share my new find with all of my awesome readers.

With Little Black Bag, you set up an account, take a style quiz, then browse their inventory of handbags, jewelry, make-up, home goods and accessories (all priced between $10-$120), and pick one item you'd definitely like to have. At this point you pay $49.95 (you can get 10% off if you like them on Facebook). After that, 2-3 additional items will be added to your bag making your grand retail value at least $100. Better yet, if you invite friends and they buy bags, your total retail value will increase by $25 per friend.

The interface

This is where the fun begins. Once you have a bag, you will have 7 days to trade items with the rest of the Little Black Bag community. You can trade multiple items, handbags for jewelry, make-up for home goods, maybe you just want to try to grab the clutch you have in another color. Anything goes. Whenever you're content with your bag, you can end trading and all of the items in your bag are shipped directly to you.

Here's how I fared on my first experience. I started with 4 items (I got a bonus item by being referred by Klout):

BCBGeneration Mint Green Snake Embossed Mini Crossbody (Retail $78). This was the item I chose.

Betsey Johnson Cat Eye Sunglasses (Retail  $60)

Ben Amun Colored Bangle (Retail $25)

ncLA Nail Wraps (Retail $16)

I'm not a big fan of nail wraps or bangles since my wrists are small, and the sunglasses didn't really do it for me. So I traded in and in addition to the BCBGeneration purse (which I love and definitely was not about to trade although I got many offers) this is what I got:

Michael Marcus Candle (Retail $50)

Steve Madden Metal Aviators (Retail $36)

Aviators are much more my speed and that candle is supposed to burn for 80 hours (you can never underestimate the amazing-ness of a nice candle girls!). My final retail value was $164 -- pretty good considering I only paid about $45! Not only did I get a bunch of great stuff, but I had fun with all the trading and browsing the ever-changing gallery of cool stuff.

Now it's your turn! Sign up for Little Black Bag here and let me know how you like it!

Brooklyn's Best New Coffee

If there's one thing that New York City runs off of, it's coffee. And you can never, never, never, never, never have too many coffee places. Good thing too because a certain chain...ahem, Starbucks...seems to sometimes have a monopoly. However, another Seattle chain is seeking to change the game, opening it's first full-on cafe yesterday in Brooklyn after a super successful (we're talking 3,000+ people) family and friends preview day on Wednesday.

Of course the company at the heart of it all, Seattle's Best, couldn't open just another storefront. They recently went through a menu revamp and came up with some pretty awesome new stuff. I was invited to come check out the new store and was pleasantly surprised. First of all the place is huge. There's plenty of space to relax, plug in your computer to do some work, or catch up with friends. The staff were incredibly friendly and treated me to a Hazelnut Creme Iced Latte ($3.49 for a small). With choices like Birthday Cake Latte and Caramel Pretzel Mocha, I had a pretty tough time making up my mind.

Hazelnut Creme Latte

Then it was onto the pastry case. The new menu was designed with the commuter in mind. Whether you're walking, taking the subway, or driving a car, all of the pastry items should be fairly easy to eat. I opted for the Very Berry Handheld Pie ($2.49) which also comes in caramel apple. I also sampled the cinnamon roll ($2.49), sour cream coffee cake ($2.39), and warm oatmeal raisin cookie ($1.99)

Handheld Pies

Coffee Cake and Cookie

Cinnamon Roll

To celebrate their grand opening the new Seattle's Best cafe will be giving out FREE COFFEE!  Swing by the Brooklyn retail location (253 Livingston Street) from 5:30am – 11pm on Wednesday, June 27, for a free small 12 oz. hot brewed coffee – a perfect perk for New Yorkers!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Triassic Parq the Musical

Sometimes, you just need to see a dinosaur musical. "A what?" you say. Yes. A dinosaur musical. Fresh off the 2010 FringeNYC festival, where it won for best musical, Triassic Parq the Musical is a raucous new show that combines singing, sex, and Velociraptors in a way your cenozoic mind can't even fathom.

Narrated by Morgan Freeman, Triassic Parq the Musical follows a group of cloned dinosaurs as they unearth the very foundations of their existence. Topics touched on include morality, faith, science, and even interspecies fornication.

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to Triassic Parq the Musical! There are 4 easy ways to win, and each comment counts as an entry. Be sure to leave your email in each comment so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment with your favorite dinosaur and why.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet about this contest "I just entered to win 2 tix to Triassic Parq on Awesome In New York! http://bit.ly/LSvQYH via @yaelleah" and let me know with a link to your tweet.

Winners will be chosen using Random.org on Monday 6/18. You have until Monday 6/18 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

The show is now playing at The Soho Playhouse (15 Vandam Street). For a $20 discount on tickets through 8/4/12, click here and use code TPREDFF or call 212-352-3101.