An unique, fun & social experience awaits you this winter and all year round: Dodgeball League!

Downtown Dodgeball helps bring teams of New Yorkers together for weekly games and social outings. You can join as an individual or small group and be placed on a team, or join as a full team.

Games are held Tuesday nights between 6:30 and 9:30 in the East Village. The winter 2010 coed dodgeball season begins January 19th and runs for 7 weeks with an 8th week of playoffs.
Registration deadline: 12/31/2009. For more info: visit their website

Watch this nicely made video to get a sense of what to expect

Free to watch, $60 to play:
* A full season of dodgeball officiated by Downtown Dodgeball refs
* The opportunity to network with cool ladies and gents in a fun atmosphere
* Access to exclusive drink specials at the league bar
* A Downtown Dodgeball team t-shirt
* And much, much more!

Watch Wimbledon tennis LIVE on a big screen and play tennis on a real grass court!
Date: Monday, June 22 to Friday, June 26, 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Rockefeller Center Plaza – 5th Ave & 50th/51st Streets

Islandwoo Tip: Play on Manhattan’s only grass court! Wear white and call 212-525-4331 to reserve your complimentary court time.
Question of the Tournament: Will Roger Federer make tennis history at Wimbledon this year in Rafa Nadal’s absence?? Please comment below

Daily Events

Watch Wimbledon LIVE daily on the big screen – Catch exciting match play daily on a giant screen TV from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., followed by classic tournament footage until 7:00 p.m. ESPN is providing the live feed so we can catch the magic of Wimbledon as it happens. Tennis fans can enjoy their lunch or take a break while watching the action from a special seating area.

Complimentary Strawberries and Cream – Stop by HSBC carts for a traditional Wimbledon treat distributed between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily.

Picture with the Wimbledon Trophy – Through green screen technology fans can pose with the Wimbledon trophy and walk away with a photo via the direct print station in the plaza daily.

Play “Grand Slam Tennis” – Throughout the week, try out the new video game, “EA SportsTM Grand Slam® Tennis.”

Special Events

Monday 6/22 at Noon – Jim Courier and Jennifer Capriati in a live tennis exhibition – See Jim Courier and Jennifer Capriati in a live tennis exhibition with emcee Luke Jensen. These former number 1 ranked tennis greats will face off on Monday 6/22 at noon.

Tuesday to Friday – Come out and improve your game – Prince tennis pros will give fun tennis coaching and let you have a go with Prince’s latest rackets.
Tues & Wed from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM and 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Thurs & Fri from 1:00 – 2:30 PM and 4:00 – 5:30 PM.
Spaces limited!

Tuesday 6/23 at 3:30 PM – Watch a kids tennis clinic hosted by Jim Courier – Jim Courier will host a tennis clinic for children from the City Parks Foundation, taking them through tennis skills and drills and a Q&A session with the tennis champ.

Wimbledon week at Rockefeller Center is sponsored by HSBC, the world’s local bank. The weeklong celebration has activities for every tennis fan.

McCarren Park Pool on the border of McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is the crackling, depression-era public swimming pool that hosted the infamous summer pool parties & concerts for the past three summers. This summer however, it is set to become a swimming pool again (renovations are set to begin on schedule this summer) leaving thousands of New Yorkers wondering if there can ever be a replacement for the slip-n-slide and pick-up dodgeball games! (Awesome Photos and Videos of last year’s McCarren Pool Parties)

This year, the pool-less “pool parties” will move to its new home on the Williamsburg waterfront. The 6,000 capacity waterfront strip along the East River (between North 8th and 9th Streets just a few blocks from McCarren Park Pool) has a skyline view of Manhattan (kind of like the Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City) and will offer a breezier and very “different” aesthetic appeal than McCarren Park Pool. The organizers (JellyNYC) promised to include the popular slide-n-slide and dodgeball games as well as a few surprises to be announced with the eight consecutive shows from July 12-August 30. The organizers are still working hard to finalize have finalized the logistics and bands so that we can all enjoy free outdoor concerts in Williamsburg again this summer. I can’t wait!

2009 Concert Schedule

This is the official concert schedule as of 7/3. Gates open each Sunday at 2PM.
Sunday, July 12
Mission of Burma, Fucked Up & Ponytail & Jemina Pearl
Sunday, July 19
Magnolia Electric Co. & Dirty Projectors and White Denim
Sunday, July 26
Health & Grupo & Fantasma & Trail of Deal & Black Lips
Sunday, Aug 02
Dan Deacon, No Age & Deerhunter
Sunday, Aug 09
Simian Mobile Disco DJ set & Fiery Furnaces & Dark Meat & The Netherlands & Finger on the Pulse
Sunday, Aug 16
Del the Funky Homosapien & Prince Paul & Gravy Train & DD/MM/YY & Kenan Bell
Sunday, Aug 23
Girl Talk, Max Tundra and Wiz Khalifa
Sunday, Aug 30
Grizzly Bear and Beach House

Did you know?
- The waterfront will also be used for classical and opera concerts throughout the summer.
- The Pool Parties are also going national this summer, so even if you’re not in the Brooklyn area, you can still experience the uniqueness of the free concert series out on the West Coast in San Francisco’s Treasure Island.
- “We see the Pool Parties not just as another show, but a real ‘party’ — a giant back yard BBQ with all your closest friends that the best bands in the business just ‘happen’ to show up at…” said Sarah Hooper from JellyNYC.

Event Info

Location: East River Park (corner of Houston Street and FDR), NYC
Time: 6PM Thursday February 5th, 2009 (gates open at 3PM)
Admission: FREE

16 of the world’s best snowboarders including Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White, freestyle legend Travis Rice, ultra-progressive phenomenon Pat Moore will compete against each other for $100,000 in prize money in a big air back-country style contest with the majestic backdrop of the New York City skyline. Anthrax and other music acts will perform. This Red Bull Snowscrapers event marks the debut of the largest snowboarding contest held in an urban setting in North America. Three different types of snow will be used and brought onto location.

What this means to Snowboarders in New York City:

We are a rare bunch – freestyle snowboarders in NYC that is – as most of us have little time to spend a weekend traveling to any decent mountains in Vermont. Powdery snow suitable for any jumping is a rare sight in NY/NJ. I used to ride 3-4 times a week (driving to a local mountain in MA for 2-3 hours of night boarding and making the longer drive to Maine or Vermont on the weekends). What kept me going? The air that got under my board! We called ourselves the “freaks of the mountain” because we would be on the jumps course pulling off 360 indynose grabs on the coldest nights or when everyone else has long left.

The opiate that is catching big air is what keeps snowboarding alive and having a big air competition come to NYC is what snowboarders only dream of. Even if you are beginning to snowboard, witnessing big air right in your face is an experience worthy of trekking….all the way to the East River Park for!

For more information visit Red Bull Snowscraper’s official site.
Here’s a recent photo 4 days before the event:

Do you want to run more often but just can’t find the motivation to run consistently? Are you a novice or run for leisure and would like to have a social and fun workout? Look no further than Niketown Running Club.

Advantages of running with NYC Niketown Running Club (the Five F‘s):

• Flexible – Runners of all levels (and walkers) choose from a three, five, or seven mile run through Central Park
• Fun – The once 15 member club is now 150 plus strong. Friendly runners that are social!
• Fire Up – Niketown employees run beside you and act as pace setters to keep you motivated along the way. At check points, you will be told your time so you can keep track of your progress! They also help you with your running and stretching techniques (solicited of course!)
• FREE! – Unlike neighboring NYC gym memberships or fitness programs, the Niketown Running Club is free, which includes the water, bagels, fruits at the end of your run (provided at Niketown New York). Sometimes the store will even raffle away socks and shoes.
• Friendly Accommodation – You can go straight from work and change in the Niketown locker room and check in your stuff for free with the friendly staff

Every Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM
Every Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM
Start and End at Niketown New York, 6 East 57th Street & Fifth and Madison Aves.
Phone: 212-891-6453

Pros:

• Location – right next to the East River, overlooking midtown Manhattan skyline. The beach is open 7 days a week (from noon on the weekends) Memorial Day weekend (May) to Columbus Day weekend (October) so there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and catch an amazing sunset over the skyline
• Sand – 400 tons imported from the New Jersey. Not like the fine white sand of the Caribbeans but feels equally amazing on the feet
• Activities – Beach volleyball nets are set up for free play during the day or night
• Atmosphere – very casual, no dress code, bring your own chairs/blankets, boozing outdoors. The atmosphere at Water Taxi Beach feels like a combination of being at the Bohemian Beer Garden (with its many picnic tables) and McCarren Pool Parties (with volleyball and sun-bathing opportunities and music)

Cons:

• Porta Potty – not much they can do here since there is no plumbing on the beach
• Food is somewhat limited to Hot Dogs and Fries. You may also find chef Harry Hawk grilling elk burgers, fish tacos, BBQ chicken or “soy” hot dogs
• Over-priced drinks – what else is new. You could get the $3 beer (PBR)
• Long Island City Location – in the sense that Long Island City is relatively deserted and the Water Taxi Beach will likely be the sole purpose of a visit to the Queens waterfront location. The 7 train (at Vernon Blvd) is the closest subway stations and a short Water Taxi ride from Manhattan drops you right on the beach for $4

What do you think?

• Music – mostly house music with some live percussion, latin and afrobeats. Every Friday night is the “Turntables on the Hudson” party which is very energetic and usually gets everyone up and dancing until late into the night. Other nights could sometimes be a disaster as some DJs are obviously amateurs. What are your personal experiences?

Islandwoo (final word on Water Taxi Beach) and Tips to make your trip a little better: Don’t just go to the Water Taxi Beach for the music. Go with friends for the atmosphere. If the music is great, enjoy it. But there’s plenty of room on the beach away from the music to enjoy the evening of drinks outdoors. Arrive early on the weekend to lay out in the sand or play some volleyball. Definitely stay for the sunset as the transition from daylight to night lights always seem to bring people together! Bring a jacket for the cool windy nights.

For More Information on NYC Water Taxi Beach and Long Island City…

The Brooklyn Bridge spans over one mile connecting Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan and offering pedestrians who walk and bike across the bridge spectacular views of city skylines. Recently one of the four NYC Waterfalls is constructed underneath the Brooklyn Bridge visible from the Manhattan side.

Although walking across the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan offers a more dramatic skyline view, the opposite path is equally charming. How else are you going to get to the Brooklyn Bridge Park for Movies with a View? Of course be sure to stop once in a while and turn around to soak in the views.

Pedestrian access to the Brooklyn Bridge from the Brooklyn side is from either Tillary/Adams Streets (in between the auto entrance/exit), or a staircase on Prospect St between Cadman Plaza East and West. In Manhattan, the pedestrian walkway is accessible from the end of Centre Street, or through the unpaid south staircase of Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall IRT subway station.

The Brooklyn Bridge has a wide pedestrian walkway open to walkers and cyclists, in the center of the bridge and higher than the automobile lanes. While the bridge has always permitted the passage of pedestrians across its span, its role in allowing thousands to cross takes on a special importance in times of difficulty when usual means of crossing the East River have become unavailable.

During transit strikes by the Transport Workers Union in 1980 and 2005 the bridge was used by people commuting to work, with Mayors Koch and Bloomberg crossing the bridge as a gesture to the affected public. Following the 1965, 1977 and 2003 Blackouts and most famously after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the bridge was used by people in Manhattan to leave the city after subway service was suspended.

Related Post: Scooting over the Brooklyn Bridge

Summer in New York City is like nothing else. Along the Hudson river / West side highway, you’ll find activities ranging from Jazz on Pier 45 & 46 to moonlight dancing to flying high on a trapeze!

For around $60, you and seven friends or strangers can reserve 1 hour taking turns flying upside down or flipping somersaults high in the air. Of course you’ll be harnessed and under the care and direction of 3-4 professionals. You’ve seen Carrie try it on Sex and the City where she struggles to let go of the bar. Will you experience similar fears? or will you be a natural freak? On a nice sunny day, your backdrop is the spectacular Hudson river in the Tribeca area. We were not so lucky and went on a rainy day under the shield of a tent.

For those who are afraid of heights, trying this will be frightening at first but can turn into an exhilarating and even life changing experience. I have to admit, even though I didn’t think I would be afraid, standing on the platform leaning forward with nothing in front of you was very thrilling! The feeling right after you jump can be very additive.

I will warn you now, be prepared to feel soreness in your arms, abs, legs, knees as Trapeze flying really works those muscles. See below for the video.

Islandwoo Tips to make your experience a little better: go with a group of friends (share a few laughs and watch who is a screamer!), be efficient (make sure the next person’s ready to go – 1 hour goes by very quickly), stretch EVERY part of your body before and after (especially if you do not stretch normally)

If you’ve experienced the Trapeze school in the past or are planning to check it out this summer, please share your experiences in the comments

Check out the new york trapeze school website for class schedule and more