Fold, Blend and Stir - Hands on Cooking Party

Cook alongside some of the most talented chefs at one of the oldest and most prestigious culinary schools in the United States during this unique and fun program. After enjoying a wine-tasting and delicious hors d'oeuvres, it is time to sit down to a gourmet meal that you have helped prepare! The techniques taught become part of the entertainment as you enjoy learning and participation leavened with fun!

T'ai Chi in Central Park

T'ai Chi Chuan is an ancient exercise which embodies China's most profound concepts and principles of health and movement. Based on softness and awareness (rather than force and resistance) it has been recognized for thousands of years as both a method of self-cultivation and an unexcelled form of self defense. Practiced at a slow and even speed, T'ai Chi promotes relaxation, straight posture, and balance. In addition to improving all of our bodily functions and helping to prevent aging and disease, the movements calm the emotions and focus the mind, thus making an outstanding contribution to one's health and well-being.

Trapeze School

Flying trapeze evokes an immediate deepening of involvement, team spirit and camraderie. A highly organized professional staff uses fun and challenging activities to create dynamics where understanding and fresh perspectives bolster cooperation, efficiancy and courage. Fly through the air while practicing such tasks as the knee hang and a flipping dismount, landing safely with the help of your trusted partners.

Central Park Winter Scene

Guests enter into a snow-white wonderland. The perimeter is draped in white velvet and gently up-lit. Bare winter branches are placed around the perimeter to simulate winter in Central Park. Street lamps and benches placed in the room give the feeling of strolling through New York’s most famous park. The trees are gently up-lit in pale amber to make the branches standout against the background. Gentle pattern washes of light are projected onto the trees and fabric to give texture.

Guests will sit at square tables, surrounded by natural wood Chiavari chairs. White ceramic votive holders cast a warm glow on the tables. Floral centerpieces of whites and ivories with accents of evergreen and burgundy berries are placed on each table. Custom menu cards depicting images of Central Park will be designed and placed on white chargers.

The stage is covered in white chiffons and satins. Trees on the stage make it feel like part of the room environment. A custom podium constructed of bare branch trees will be placed on the stage. A five-piece band in white dinner jacket, with white band fronts plays dance hits through the night.

Wait staff in white dinner jackets serve a heavy style of food. Dessert will be served with a Hot Chocolate Peppermint cocktail. Custom white bars trimmed in white fringe are placed around the room.

As an enhanced option 2 figure skaters, will elegantly circle each other on a frozen pond in the woods.

Texas Hold 'Em Tournament

In 2005, the Poker explosion rocked the world as televised tournaments made their way to TV and into the living rooms of millions of viewers. The coverage of the World Poker Tour on the Travel channel and ESPN’s broadcast of the World Series of Poker has sparked the interest of the “kitchen table” poker players as well as some people who have never played poker before. The game that has everyone buzzing is Texas Hold’em. Bring that buzz to your guests as we hold an authentic Texas hold 'em tournament at your event. Guests will be given copies of the rules during dinner and poker pros will be on hand to give guidance throughout the tournament. For those that are knocked out early or choose not to participate, there will be various other casinos games as well. Let the games begin!

A Taste of Greenwich Village

Step back in time and discover the Greenwich Village that only its residents throughout history have known. Join us as we stroll off the beaten path learning about Village history, culture, architecture, entertainment offerings, and of course, the local flavors. Find out where the locals go to have the ultimate food and cultural experience. Discover old time New York mom and pop food establishments along with the newer, cozy, quaint ones that make Greenwich Village such a unique place to dine and shop. During your journey you will taste a variety of food specialties from many wonderful establishments. By the end of this excursion you will understand why New York City is the food capital of the world

Back In Time To Medieval France

“The Cloisters” is named from portions of five medieval French cloisters incorporated into the modern museum building. The result is an ensemble of spaces, rooms, and gardens that provide a harmonious and evocative setting in which visitors can experience the rich tradition of medieval artistic production in just a few hours. As cloisters provided sheltered access from one building to another within a monastery, here they act as passageways from gallery to gallery. They provide as inviting a place for rest, contemplation, and conversation as they did for their original monastic population. Of all the fascinating exhibits in the Cloisters, the one most cherished by visitors is the series of 7 tapestries depicting “The Hunt of the Unicorn.” Guests will also have the opportunity to stroll on the terraces outside the museum overlooking the mighty Hudson River.

Lincoln Center-Meet the Artist

Guests will be escorted to Lincoln Center, the cultural heart of Manhattan, to meet with one of Lincoln Center’s expert guides. Once the location of the striking opening sequence of "West Side Story," Lincoln Center is now a hub of activity revolving around the dramatic plaza with its refreshing fountain. Guests will stroll around this grand space and learn about the many outstanding artists that contributed to the construction of renowned center for the arts. The highlight of this tour is the opportunity to enjoy the performance of a leading artist from Broadway, Opera, Ballet, or Symphony followed by fascinating tales of backstage life

Strolling Through Central Park

Central Park is often referred to as NYC’s “backyard.” The park is completely man-made, taking 16 arduous years to tame such an unruly swamp once filled with pig farms and squatters’ shacks. Now it holds woodsy paths, sparkling reservoirs, gardens, and other sites to explore.

As guests stroll along the pathways, they will see the diversity of NYC’s population. They will visit the celebrated “Strawberry Fields”, dedicated to the memory of John Lennon, whose apartment at the legendary Dakota Apartment House is located nearby. Another striking sight is the “Temple of Dendur,” a 2000-year-old structure with each stone carried over from Egypt, reconstructed in its own dramatic glass building at the rear of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Top of the Rock

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. first opened the Observation Deck atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza more than 70 years ago, to give something back to New Yorkers and their guests from around the world — a place to appreciate and celebrate the city. The Observation Deck’s original design was inspired by the decks of the great ocean liners of the era — complete with deck chairs, gooseneck fixtures and vents inspired by a ship’s stacks. A trip to the Observation Deck was like setting sail in the heart of the world's most dynamic city. Now, for the first time in 20 years, this breathtaking vantage point is being re-introduced to the people of New York and the world. The view itself is unique and astonishing, unobstructed for 360 degrees and stretching for miles in every direction. It includes a panorama of Central Park and the northern half of Manhattan that can't be found anywhere else. New York's other landmarks are visible as well, including the Chrysler Building, Times Square, the Hudson River, the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty. It is, quite simply, the most spectacular view in New York City. After gaining a bird’s eye view of the plaza, guests will have time to explore the shops in Rockefeller Center.

Gin Lane

This new restaurant in the Meatpacking District offers decadent dining, classic cocktails and old New York ambiance. Executive Chef Antonio Cardoso, formerly of the Plaza hotel, delivers a menu of classic American fare such as Oysters Rockefeller and Hudson Valley foie gras terrine. The illustrious mixologist Dale DeGroff engineers cocktails that will surely have you heading back to the bar for more. With a live DJ spinning American rock, a dining room of leather, wrought-iron and antique oak, guests tend to relax and indulge for hours. The space seats 150, and holds 300 for receptions.

Buddakan

This 17,000 square foot Manhattan restaurant in the Chelsea Market boosts both food and swank and is bringing in the crowd to prove it. The interconnected dining rooms seem to multiply; The “crown jewel” is the sunken ballroom and soaring ceilings, known as the “Chinoiserie”. Impossibly large chandeliers and a 30-foot-long communal table. Off this room is a library lined with glowing golden bookshelves, and several smaller dining catacombs, with scenes from Chinese antiquity drawn like cave paintings on the walls. The kitchen features modern Pan-Asian cuisine from Chefs Michael Schulson and Angela Sosa.

Russian Tea Room

Reopened after four years, this New York landmark is back in a big way. A serious chef reigns in the kitchen, dispatching fragrant borscht in a covered dish and luscious beef stroganoff. Chef Gary Robins, formerly of the Biltmore Room, has updated the Russian-leaning menu so artfully that the restaurant's food lives up to its legacy. The mixed hors d'oeuvres plate is not to be missed. Like the fabled Tea Room of the past, the new Russian Tea Room will feature 40 vodkas (some making their New York debut) and four sommeliers.