Laura Bennett may be best known publicly as the sophisticated clothing designer and finalist on season three of Project Runway in 2006. While NYC parents tend to share the Type-A gene in one area or another, Laura Bennett wins the gold.

Take, for example, that we all earn the ”parent” designation by having one child. Laura has six. Gold star. Many of us know how to sew on a button. Laura can sew her family clothes – from scratch. (And star in reality shows and clothe celebs too.) Gold star. Many would consider being employed in one industry as working. Laura has to decide which job she’s going to focus on that day:  architectural design, clothing design, comic strip writer, QVC saleswoman, or perhaps add book author to her list of employable skills . . . and she does it all in her signature classicly sophisticated style.  Someone please hand her a medal already!

When not selling her Laura Bennett Designs on QVC, or penning the Case Clothed comic strip for iVillage, Laura’s preparing to release her book Didn’t I Feed You Yesterday? A Mother’s Guide to Sanity in Stilettos this week. The book hits the shelves on April 6th, and I’m already contemplating what I’ll wear to her book signing at the Borders Time Warner Center Wednesday April 7th at 7 p.m.

The book  reveals a working mother’s philosophy on having a career, raising a family and enjoying life in The Big Apple. What some may consider a laissez- faire approach to parenting, others will read as a humorous and sane guide to having it all. I enjoyed reading  it: I felt more relaxed about my own parenting, and finished the book inspired to put some of my own goals higher on my to-do list. Then again, I love a book that I can relate to in parts, laugh through in others and easily breeze through for those short bursts of time that I actually have to read.

Last week I had the opportunity for a Q-and-A with Laura about parenting in NYC, and here’s what she said:

NYM: You’ve lived elsewhere, how has living in NYC affected your parenting style?

LB: Kids in New York come in contact with a lot of strangers everyday, in the subways and walking on the streets, so they have a different set of social skills than suburban kids. You have to talk a lot about the different type of people they encounter and how to handle them. In the end though, I find city kids to be tolerant and respectful of other’s circumstances.

NYM: So many couples decide to move to the suburbs after the second or third child arrives. What keeps you in the city?

LB: New York City is my lifeline. It makes me so happy to be out and about on the streets. I am afraid if I lived someplace else, I would be lost. With work and so many kids, most of my time is not my own, but the occasional hour I have to roam the garment district looking for fabric, or pop into a museum to see a mind blowing exhibit, makes that small amount of time energizing for me.

I also happen to think it is a great place to raise kids, especially teenagers because they are not driving. The biggest challenge is a financial one.

NYM: With six kids, are there NYC restaurants you visit as a family? What are your favorites to visit with your kids?

LB: Our group requires a quick in and out, before we’ve had a chance to bother any of the other guests, so we prefer diners. My kids love the classic Empire Diner on Eleventh Avenue.

NYM: In your book you mention finding your first Hermes bag at an upscale thrift shop; do you mind sharing a couple of your favorite Manhattan thrift shops you’ve visited over the years?

LB: I am a big Ebayer. You really have to be familiar with what you are buying, and if you are looking for something specific, you have to be patient, but I have yet to be disappointed. In New York my favorite store is Fisch For The Hip on 18^th Street. The second-hand Hermes bags are not cheap, but the selection is mind blowing, and if you are looking for a specific bag that they don’t have, the owner will track it down for you. She calls herself a “Bag Broker.”

NYM: You always look so fashionable, how do you handle your kids’ clothing choices? What fashion advice do you hope they take with them when they’re grown and on their own?

LB: I don’t get all up in my boys grille about what they wear. They usually look pretty scruffy, which probably makes me look good by comparison. We have a lot of hand me downs, and they seem fine with that. I do have an eight-year old son that has a suspicious interest in fashion, so he requires a bit of extra shopping, but for the most part they just find something that fits without too many holes.

NYM: You mention that there’s almost always someone playing video games in your home. Do you or your husband ever join your kids in playing? If so, which system do you like best: Playstation, XBox or Nintendo?

LB: We are definitely a Wii family. We have the system connected to a projector so the games take up an entire wall. My kids love the Resort Sports and Just Dance. I love the idea that they are not just sitting there. I actually had to build a platform for them to play on so all the jumping around wouldn’t bother our downstairs neighbor.

We used to have an XBox, but the kids were fighting in the car one day on out way back from the country and my husband put it on someone’s lawn, controllers, cords and all. Now we just have to say “XBox” and they work things out on their own. I think they fear for their cell phones. I don’t miss it at all. Some of the graphics are so realistic. I had little ones running through the room watching execution style murders. Even I draw the line there.

NYM: What do you use to accomplish everything: Blackberry, Droid or iPhone?

LB: I am so Blackberry. It makes working possible with all the running around that I do with the kids. I would probably be fine with an iPhone, I love the SAT vocabulary app, but my Blackberry works so well for me, I can’t get motivated to switch. We have an iTouch for the cool apps. I’m also counting the days until the iPad comes, but as much as I love all things Apple, I am tried and true Blackberry.

NYM: What mantra or vision gets you through stressful work/family life balance times today?

LB: I’m going to have to get cheesy on you here. I am actually so thankful for all the opportunities that I have, when I get stressed out, I just remind myself of that. I am also fortunate enough to be in a position where I don’t have to take on projects that I think I won’t enjoy. That is a major luxury.

I actually find the kids to be more stressful than work, so there I just remind myself how fast it all goes by. That little girl I moved to New York with fifteen years ago is about to graduate from college. There’s a real eye opener.

And if all that fails, a piece of Nicotine gum makes me eternally happy.

NYM: Do you ever look back on those initial “lean” years in NYC and wonder how you did it?

LB: When I was single and broke in New York I was where I wanted to be, so I was never unhappy. I didn’t grow up in a wealthy family, so I’ve always had a knack for making do, and being handy with a sewing machine got me pretty far. At the moment, I have more than I ever imagined, but I could do a financial 180 and still be happy.

New York offers tons of activities for children from museums to Broadway which are well-known but there are so many undiscovered family-friendly entertainment options. Recently, I discovered New York University’s Big Red Chair Family Series when I was looking for birthday events for my daughter. We ended up attending “Darwin“, a touching story of Darwin the Dinosaur and his encounters with flowers and pre-historic birds, acted out by cartoon-like characters only seen by their outlined lit bodies, all set to a moving and entertaining soundtrack.

While Darwin the Dinosaur, is no longer playing, there are two shows left in the 2009/ 2010 season that should prove entertaining to both children and adults.

Michael Moshen
Mr. Moshen is a juggler but not just any juggler. He combines the magic of light and movement to change your notion of juggling.
April 17 @ 7:00PM
Recommended for all ages

The Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour presents Nobody’s Perfect
Based on the children’s book by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney, whose main character is Megan, a deaf fourth grader. Megan is at odds with a new student Alexis is who not exactly nice to her making, Megan wonder, “Does she not like me because I am deaf?” The girls discover from having to work together on a science project that “Nobody’s Perfect.”
May 8 @ 2:00PM
Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
566 LaGuardia Place (at Washington Square South)
212.352.3101
www.skirballcenter.nyedu

Have you ever walked through a park early in the morning and seen a group of people in a meditative state performing slow, beautifully graceful movements in unison?  If you have, then what you were witnessing was the ancient Chinese martial arts form, Tai Chi Chuan, or Tai Chi for short.  There are Tai Chi studios in NYC, almost as ubiquitous as the yoga studio these days, as well as parks and gardens that offer classes outdoors, which tends to be the more traditional way that it is practiced.  Here is a short list of venues, both indoors and out, that offer classes if you want to learn this practice.  You could also just go to the parks and watch.  While it might not be as lovely as watching tai chi practioners on the beach at sunset, there is something very calm and soothing about seeing this beautiful art form in practice – even in a park in New York City.

Indoor Studios

Ahn Tai Chi Studio

15 East 30^th Street, #301

#212-213-1171

Chu Tai Chi

156 West 44^th Street

#212-221-7333

Tao Yoga & Tai Chi

2 Union Square West, #37

#212-691-7799

Outdoor Tai Chi Classes

Bryant Park – Thursday mornings, 7:30 to 8:30am, May through August, at the Fountain Terrace

40^th to 42^nd Streets between 5^th and 6^th Avenues

www.bryantpark.org

Central Park – Saturdays, 10 to 11:30am

North Meadow Recreation Center (mid-park at 97^th Street)

www.centralparknyc.org

Brooklyn Botanic Garden – Fridays, times vary

1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn

#718-623-7200

Photo credit: Rayko Swensson / Stock Xchng

Face the Music, an ensemble of 20 classically-trained musicians ranging from sixth to twelfth grade dedicated to performing today’s most compelling and creative new music, will be presented by Simone Dinnerstein’s PS 321 Neighborhood Concerts in a concert called “Beating Down the Doors” on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7pm at PS 321 (180 7th Avenue, Brooklyn) in Park Slope. The performance is open to the public and raises funds for the school’s Parent Teacher Association.

The centerpiece of the concert is the world premiere of Liquid Timepieces by composer and PS 321 faculty member Joseph C. Philllips, Jr. Commissioned for Face the Music by Simone Dinnerstein and PS 321 Neighborhood Concerts, Mr. Phillips’ piece is cinematic in its intensity and expansive sound. The teen members of Face the Music will also present four of their favorite works: Graham Fitkin’s sax-heavy Mesh (1992); Marcelo Zarvos’ foot-stomping “Memory” from Nepomuk’s Dances (2002); Nico Muhly’s stop-and-start How About Now (2006); and Jacob TV’s Lipstick (1998), with a playback mix based on clips from American talk shows. Face the Music’s young players will talk to the audience between pieces and take questions at the end of the concert, making this an excellent opportunity for families with children.

Of his new piece, Liquid Timepieces, Mr. Phillips says, “The years 2010 and 2011 are the 50th anniversaries of Gustav Mahler’s birth (1850) and death (1911). I wanted to celebrate these ‘Jubilee Years’ by writing a work that honors the profound influence Mahler’s music has had on my musical thinking. Liquid Timepieces is my homage to Mahler, but despite some subtle references to his Symphony No. 1, No. 3, and No. 9, it is not meant to sound like his music. Rather, I hope to create a similar resonance to the protean spirit of life and the world that permeates his works.”

Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7pm
PS 321 Auditorium | 180 7th Avenue | Brooklyn, NY Tickets: $15 available at www.ps321.org after March 14 For more information, visit: http://kaufman-center.org/special-music-school/face- the-music.

About Face the Music: Face the Music is an ensemble of astonishingly talented teenagers performing works by today’s most compelling and creative new music composers. In residence at Kaufman Center, Face the Music breaks the boundaries of classical music education and performance, featuring today’s music presented by the emerging artistic voices of tomorrow.

Founded by Kaufman Center’s Special Music School Music Director Jenny Undercofler and composer Huang Ruo, Face the Music provides an unparalleled performance and education experience for the next generation of musical leaders. The group burst onto the scene in 2005, performing works by such new-music mainstays Michael Gordon, Phil Kline, and John Adams.

Since their debut, Face the Music has played throughout New York City at venues such as Le Poisson Rouge, The Queens Museum of Art, Roulette, and El Museo del Barrio. The ensemble also performed at the opening of Apple’s new West 67th Street location, on the live broadcast opening of WNYC’s Greene Space, and gave the U.S. premiere performance of Gérard Grisey’s Manifestations in Kaufman’s Merkin Concert Hall.

Face the Music’s mission is to engage talented teenage musicians from across the city to represent a diverse range of backgrounds and talents. The performers are primarily students or alumni of Kaufman Center’s own Special Music School, the only public school in New York City that integrates pre-conservatory musical training with academic education.

Other concert dates:

March 21, 2010 – Hudson View Gardens, 2 pm
116 Pinehurst Ave., NYC, hudsonviewgardens.com
Works by Marcelo Zarvos, Miguel del Aguila, Paul Desenne, Nico Muhly and JacobTV

May 9, 2010 – Look and Listen Festival, location TBA, 3 pm
Works by Marcelo Zarvos and Dan Visconti

May 12, 2010 – Brooklyn Lyceum, 8 pm
4th Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn
Works by Joe Phillips, Nico Muhly, Graham Fitkin and Paul Desenne

May 27, 2010 – Merkin Concert Hall Upper Lobby, 6:30 pm
Works by Nico Muhly, Paul Desenne and Joe Phillips. Pre-concert performance before the SIGNAL ensemble’s gives the world premiere of a new work by Muhly and American premiere of Sir Harrison Birtwistle’s The Corridor in Merkin Hall.

Photo credit: Kaufman Center via Flick’r Photo Share

It seems that more and more of the younger generation is really embracing musical theater and performing arts. The excitement and success of shows like  Golden Globe winner  “Glee,” the buzz over the new “Fame” feature film, the triumphant teenage cast of Broadway’s “Bye Bye Birdie” revival, and the phenomenal success of the “High School Musical” franchise are all indications of this growing trend.

Kaufman Center is also embracing this moment in offering an abundance of opportunities for young students to pursue their passion for song, dance and drama.

Founded in 1952, Kaufman Center has grown to become one of New York City’s mainstays for performance and arts education, offering classes, workshops and concerts through its Lucy Moses School and Merkin Concert Hall.

Lucy Moses School: Summer Musical Theater Workshop

At the Summer Musical Theater Workshop, a gem in an otherwise crowded landscape of New York City summer camps, children and teenagers are provided with the unique opportunity and inspiration to live out their dream of performing on stage. For five weeks in June and July—Monday through Thursday—campers take part in comprehensive singing, acting, movement and stagecraft classes and rehearsals culminating in a full-scale performance at Merkin Hall, giving each child an opportunity to be a star. Unlike most theater camps where children perform standbys like “Annie” or “Grease,” Lucy Moses students perform original musicals, written especially for them by the faculty. More than 100 original shows have been produced through the Workshop—each year with a different theme, such as “The Little Apple,”  “Myth Mash,” “Island Treasure,” and “Appalachian Spring.” The theme for the 2010 summer session, beginning June 28, is “Classic Stories from Old England.”

Founded and directed by Sean Hartley, the Workshop started in 1990 with 14 campers and now accepts more than 100 participants annually, with more on a waiting list. In January 2010, alumni, interns and faculty from Summer Musical Theater Workshop took the stage at Kaufman Center’s Merkin Hall to celebrate 20 years of creativity and performance.

Registration is still open for 2010 for kids in grades 3-5 (closed for K-2 and 6-8). Teen internships are still available.

Lucy Moses School: Theater Classes & Workshops

Theater classes offered at Lucy Moses are an active and joyful exploration of the dramatic arts. Children develop concentration, stage presence, confidence and teamwork. In the Young People’s Division students explore the dramatic arts through an age-appropriate and sequential theater curriculum. Weekly classes during the school year and celebrated vacation programs offer something to fit everyone’s schedule.

Other theater classes for children and teens at Lucy Moses School include Theater Adventures, fall and spring Musical Theater Workshop, Teen Acting Workshop, Sketch Comedy, and Musical Theater Scene Study, among others.

One of the country’s most respected community schools for the arts, Kaufman Center’s Lucy Moses School provides a multi-faceted arts education for children and adults at all levels of skill and experience. For more information on Lucy Moses School’s classes and registration, call (212) 501-3360 or visit kaufman-center.org.

Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center Presents: Broadway Playhouse

A student’s exploration of her or his artistic talents at Kaufman Center extends beyond the classroom and into the world of performing arts presentations. Broadway Playhouse concerts introduce children ages 4-11 to classic musicals through captivating medleys, rousing sing-alongs, lively games in which audience members participate, and mini-musicals. Children and their families can sing along to well-known songs and hear the stories behind the making of some of the greatest musicals of all time. Past seasons have featured Frank Loesser, Jerry Herman, Cole Porter, Ahrens & Flaherty, Bock & Harnick, Lerner & Loewe, Alan Menken and Jule Stein.

Sun 03/07/10 at 11:00 am: Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein is one of the most brilliant and innovative composers ever to write for the musical theater. His hits include two comedies written with Betty Comden and Adolph Green (On the Town and Wonderful Town), the classically inspired operetta Candide, and the immortal West Side Story, with lyrics by the young Stephen Sondheim.

For more information, visit: www.kaufman-center.org.

Photo courtesy of The Kauffman Center

Growing up in NYC, a school trip to the Museum of Natural History is a staple in your grammer school days- and you don’t just visit once- the museum is way too big for that. So you visit 2, 3 sometimes 4 times to visit different areas depending on what you are studying at the time.

Today I got to relive those days by visiting the Museum with my family. I expected to see a lot of changes, however to my surprise- it hadn’t changed much at all. The dinosaur bones were still tremendous, the evolution exhibit were still naked apes, and the space hall still held tons of  ‘space rocks’.

The thing that did change? Experiencing it through my 4 year old sons eyes. He didn’t care about the scientific or historical facts. To him this trip was an adventure- an adventure he had seen in the movies- literally.

The movie “Night at the Museum” really set the pace for my son. So instead just walking around looking at items in glass cases and having no idea what they were or what any one was talking about- my 4 year old  walked into the the Dinosaur hall in amazement trying to find the exact Dinosaur that chased the bone in the movie and then ran excitedly to the the Indian exhibits to see the little men who were fighting the cowboys.

His highlight was the Easter Island Head, who in the movie repeatedly said “Dum, Dum… you give me Gum,Gum”.  He looked up and said in wonderment “Gum, Gum”. His face was priceless. He talked about it the whole way home. It is amazing what influence a movie can have, and how beneficial it can for a learning experience like this one.

There are many great shows and exhibits you can see at The Museum of Natural History Year round, but if you have a movie lover like my son, perhaps the most unique and thrilling experience you can attend “A night at the museum“.

The experience gives you the opportunity to explore the museum after dark with a group and flashlights- just like the movie. The experience will give memories for a life time.

The experience cost is $129 and includes the following:

• Evening snack and light breakfast
• Cots for all participants
• Fossil fact finding mission by flashlight
• IMAX film or space show
• Take-home activities
• Live animal special exhibition (seasonal)

Participants need to be between the ages of 7-13 yrs old, so my son has  few more years to go- but I look forward to letting him experience his very own night at the museum when he is able to attend.

Photo credit: Carol Cain

Music Adventures at the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music (58 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn) is a dynamic, innovative program that incorporates the physical and rhythmic aspects of music to start children on the path to not only learning music, but also to experience the fun and joy that music can bring into their lives. Celebrating 25 years with its 2009-2010 season, Music Adventures encourages creative expression through music, dance, and fun.

Although nestled in the heart of Park Slope, Brooklyn, Music Adventures is a nationally-recognized program. Lillian Yaross, former president of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, stated that this program “reflected a serious commitment to music education for the young children as an exciting and challenging experience” and that it is “one of the best programs I had seen in the U.S.”

Music Adventures is unique among music and movement programs for young children. Each entertaining and educational class is limited in size and many are team-taught by two professionals: a music specialist trained in the Orff and Dalcroze Eurhythmics methods, as well as a movement and dance specialist.

Established in 1984, Music Adventures is an Orff Schulwerk based program (created by composer Carl Orff in the 1920s) and is led by Ric Frank. In addition to being the Division Director of Music Adventures for the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music (a position he has held since 1988), Ric is also an award-winning musician and composer for stage and screen. In fact, he can be heard with his New Orleans brass band during the “wild rumpus” scene in Where The Wild Things Are. “While Music Adventures is designed for serious musical education, we teach with a sense of humor and make learning music fun,” he says.

The program begins with children as young as 18 months, helping them to develop musical awareness by responding to music with gestures, props, percussion instruments, and movement. As the students get older, the curriculum grows and challenges their musical development. In fact, Music Adventures is the first step in a lifelong journey with music, and that voyage can continue at the Conservatory in any number of ways, including lessons, classes, and ensembles. Kids can build on what they learn in Music Adventures without leaving the Conservatory, which was established in 1897. “With the wide variety of lessons and classes we offer, starting with Music Adventures and beyond, families can stay in one place and enjoy a lifetime of rich and varied music education,” said Aaron Felder, Executive Director of the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music. “As a parent, I know how valuable that kind of continuity can be to a child’s education and development.”

Music Adventures at the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music offers rolling enrollment throughout the semester. To audit a class, or for more information including tuition costs and class schedules, call (718) 622-3300.

An overlooked gem of a museum is The Forbes Galleries on lower Fifth Avenue. It’s easy  to maneuver, takes little time and there is something for everyone, no matter the age.  Best of all, it’s free.

What makes it different from other museums is that it is  personal collection of the Forbes family.  Malcom Forbes before his death was a prodigious collector of what I would call an eclectic collection of items. Whether you are a child or a child at heart, there is something for everyone to admire and is well worth a look if you are in the Greenwich Village area.

Current Collection: Toy Soldiers, Boats and Monopoly

There are about 10,000 toy soldiers in the permanent collection. This is what is left from the original 60,000 soldiers that was auctioned off by Malcolm Forbes in 1997. Toy soldiers cross several centuries, genres and range from Alexander the Great to the Aztecs to George Washington and Buffalo Bill.  The depth and breadth of  the collection is truly impressive. Adults will be enthralled by the intricacies of the displays while kids will just think it’s cool especially the displays that actually move the soldiers through the displays.  My daughter was memorized by each of the collections.

For you, boat lovers or not, is the type of collection that was put together by someone who had a love of the water. The toy boat collection ranges from submarines to replicas of the Forbes yacht, the Highlander. Oh what money can buy?

Current Collection: The Vintage Woman: A Century of Costume Jewelry in America 1910-2010 and Irving Penn: The Collection

Even though, I am not a jewelry fancier, this was an incredible collection of “wow” pieces that will take your breath away. Beautiful does not begin to describe some of the pieces that you will see.  The collection includes designers that I have long admired, Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Kenneth Jay Lane and others that I was not familiar with like Hattie Carnegie.

Irving Penn: The Collection

Irving Penn is one of my favorite photographers and was such a talent. His work ranged from supermodels to everyday people and the collection was put together by Robert Forbes I think in tribute to the recent death of Mr. Penn. Whether you are an amateur and professional photographer, you will appreciate the collection.

Address: 62 Fifth Avenue (@12th Street)

Subway: L, N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, 6 to 14th St./Union Sq.

Times: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays.Thursdays are reserved for group tours and advance reservations are required.

Admission: Free

Phone: 212-206-5548

So back for Game two, where  having gone through the process the night before, it felt as though perhaps the night prior was just a run-through for Thursday night’s game. It just had to go better, right? Thank goodness for Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performing “Empire State of Mind” to get things going before the game.  The crisp cool October air seemed to fuel NY pride and spirits, and the crowd, which somehow seemed smaller than the night before,  finally came alive after Hideki Matsui’s homerun in the 6th inning. THIS is what we were expecting at a World Series game! The crowd was on their feet cheering for strike out after strike out, and the electricity was back . . . this is how the Yanks 40th World Series appearance should be! Now you’re in New York . . .

As baby makers let’s face facts: life can get a little mundane and routine, no matter how few dull moments our kids allow. Many times spouses or partners simply become the other parent you live with — your business partner around the house, not the love of your life. So how do you shake this off to light some sparks and relearn the fun of being an adult? Try going out on the town in New York City, one of the greatest cultural epicenters of the world. Single people do it all the time. They call it, “dating.”

NJPAC, otherwise known as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center just happens to be one of my favorite places to go when I need to remind myself I’m an adult and am able to enjoy myself and my wife’s company in ways that don’t involve Dora the Explorer, an xBox, or high school athletics. Since it’s opening in 1997, NJPAC has been the home of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and hosts all genres of arts and entertainment, from classical and dance to jazz, cabaret and pop.

The Center is comprised of three spaces: the breathtakingly opulent Prudential Hall, which seats 2,750, the urban chic Victoria Theater which seats 514 and The Chase Room which provides an intimate setting, spectacular views and is host to NJPAC’s cabaret series.

Parking is ample and affordable by New York standards and even more affordable if you purchase it in advance online with your tickets (available only though the NJPAC website). By far, Prudential Hall is my favorite of the three venues. With a modern lobby that is a marriage of wood and metal as soon as you cross into the space you know you’re somewhere special. Having sat in nearly every section, from the nosebleed balcony seating to center stage in the eighth row of the Orchestra, there truly are no obstructed views. Nothing beats being in the first-tier box seats which in this writer’s opinion, provides an enhance level of intimacy with the performer on stage and the one you love beside you. But beware, tickets sell out quickly thanks to the lower price point that comes with being across the river from the Big Apple.

Although this isn’t about the kiddies, it’s worth mentioning that NJPAC has a reputable Arts In Education Program that includes and Teen Jazz Program and a summer Youth Performance Workshop. Newark is a literal stone’s throw from New York City, easily accessible via the New Jersey Transit leaving from Penn Station and PATH trains leaving from Midtown and Lower Manhattan if you do public transportation or any of the bridges and tunnels that connect to New Jersey, if you prefer to drive. If you manage to leave work on time you may even have time to snag a great pre-show dinner at a local Soul Food favorite Je’s or prix fixe dining at  Theater Square Grill, Theater Square Bistro and outdoor patio fare (during summer months only) at Calcada, all located on the NJPAC campus.

Even if you’re married with children you don’t have to be an outsider looking in when it comes to much that New York City and its surroundings have to offer. NJPAC is a wonderful, affordable performing arts center. A great place to take the one you love to remind them that you love them. It’s a modern day majestic theater in similar grandeur to the Publix theatres of yesteryear.

Check out the current October 2009 lineup that includes talents such as R. Kelly, Pink Floyd: The Wall, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno and Smokey Robinson by visiting www.njpac.org.