New Haven NYE Events: Something in Every Neighborhood!

New Haven! Now that the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers have run out, and the holidays are over, it's time to think about a *fun* night out to ring in 2014. What's Up New Haven will have you covered with at least one party in every neighborhood!

As always, feel free to leave a comment, tweet, or Facebook with any other cool NYE events that may have been left out.

Get on your dancing shoes and party hat, this is what's happening around town:

Downtown

• BAR New Haven [Website | Facebook] - 254 Crown Street (cross: College/High St.)
• $5 Cover - Starting at 10pm!
• $2 Domestic Bottles and Well Drinks 10-11pm on the dance floor
• Black Bear New Haven [Website | Facebook] - 124 Temple Street (cross: Crown/Chapel St.)
• 2nd Annual NYE Blackout Glow Party - Buy tickets online
• $40 presale / $50 at the door
• Includes open bar 9pm-midnight & buffet!
• Ibiza [Website | Facebook] - 39 High Street (cross: Crown/Chapel St.)
• $57 3-Course Dinner UNTIL 7PM
• $80 4-Course Dinner AFTER 7:30PM
• DJ CE "The Rider" after 10pm
• Cava Toast at Midnight 
• Make your reservations - 203-865-1933
• Russian Lady [Facebook] - 144 Temple Street (cross: Crown/Chapel St.)
• NYEDM 2013 - Buy tickets online
• Tickets: Dance Pass $60, Glow Pass $80, Absolut Best NYE Package $500 (holler!)
  

East Rock

• Cafe Nine [Website | Facebook] - 250 State Street (cross: Crown/Chapel St.)
• New Year's Eve Burlesque Extravaganza with Dot Mitzvah & the Bombshells of Burlesque!
• 21+ event! Tickets $15 (Buy tickets online)
• Cave A Vin [Website | Facebook] - 975 State Street (cross: Edwards/Hine Pl.)
• Live music - "The Bubble Band" 9pm-12:30am
• Complimentary champagne toast, party favors, discounts on select wines!
• Diesel Lounge [Website | Facebook] - 944 State Street (cross: Bishop St./Hine Pl.)
•  8-12 Open Bar
• Complimentary appetizers, champagne toast and breakfast!
• $250 bottles, $3 Bud/Bud Lights til 11pm
• For tickets, contact DJ RE or Chris DelVecchio, 203-410-4296 or 203-675-3446

Fair Haven

• Club Vandome [Website | Facebook] - 102 Hamilton Street (cross: Ives Pl./Wallace St.)
• $10 Admission all night - 9pm to 3am
• Music by DJ El Niño & DJ Tito Knoise in the Main Room and DJ Sincero in the Warehouse - Bachata, Salsa, Reggaeton, Party Classics, and more. Weeepaaa!
• Hats, noise makers, champagne toast at midnight

The Hill

• Sage American Grill & Oyster Bar [Website | Facebook] - 100 South Water Street (off Howard Avenue)
• Specials and music planned for NYE 2013!

Long Wharf

•  Terminal 110 / Keys To The City [Website | Facebook] - 240 Sargent Drive (Go through Ikea parking lot, make a left!)
• Dueling Piano Show
• $69 per person/$130 per couple (+tax and gratuity) PLUS you gain access to 2nd floor dance party at 9pm!
•  Open Bar 7-10pm (+$20 per person gets you Premium Open Bar)
• 5-course Meal and table hors d'oeurves 
• 2nd floor General Admission $15 - starting at 9pm
• 2nd floor Open Bar Admission $50 (Top Shelf 9pm-midnight)!

 Newhallville

• Chazmo's Cafe [Website] - 819 Dixwell Avenue - Hamden - Near New Haven city line!
• Tickets $5 in advance, $15 at the door!
• Buffet 9pm and Breakfast 2am -- skip the 2am mad rush at the local diners ;)
• Music: Hip-Hop, R&B and Reggae! 

 Westville

• Manjares [Website | Facebook] -838 Whalley Avenue (entrance around corner on West Rock Avenue)
• Buffet, wine and music for an NYE Celebration
• Reservation requested! 203-389-4489

Happy New Year!!

Blue Man Group at Shubert Theater This Week! 12/26-12/31

What's up, New Haven! I hope you all are enjoying your holidays this season. I spent mine with family, ate way too much but I think that comes with the territory. :)

When I was at Claire's Corner Copia last weekend, my friends and I noted that Blue Man Group is coming to Shubert Theater starting tonight. Hooray!

Blue Man Group Photo via Purdue.edu

A little about Blue Man Group:

"BLUE MAN GROUP is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment...With no spoken language, BLUE MAN GROUP is perfect for people of all ages, languages, and cultures...guaranteed to be an outing you will never forget!"

Now I saw Blue Man Group ages ago at a little theater down by Astor Place in NYC. It wasn't simply a show -- it was an experience!! If I may offer one tip: splurge for some of the better tickets if you want to interact with the Group. They will certainly want to interact with you! 

There are 1-2 performances per day, and tickets range from $15-125. You can buy tickets online, stop by Shubert Box Office or call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. 

Grab your best friend, your little cousin and your grandparents because this is an all ages, family-friendly show and will not disappoint!

Shubert Theater

275 College Street

New Haven, CT 06510

Twitter @ShubertTheater

"Guns Down Books Up" Does Christmas Dinner at Bella Vista

I posted earlier about Raymond Wallace, head of community building initiative "Guns Down Books Up", hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for the needy. Well, Raymond and his team are back to help host a Christmas dinner and game night! 

Tomorrow from 3-7pm, they will be at Bella Vista Housing Complex, putting food on plates and smiles on people's faces who could really use it at this time of year. If you have time to volunteer or donate, why don't you give Raymond a call at 203-850-7254? Have fun and help make a direct impact on your community this holiday season!

Bella Vista

339 Eastern Street

New Haven, CT 06513 

The Ultimate Gift from Claire's Corner Copia

The first weekend of winter was well in the 50-degree range. After enjoying a visit to the Peabody Museum, we headed downtown to Claire's Corner Copia for a bite to eat. Food was excellent per usual -- the Fairy Cupcakes were the perfect size for a quick sweet tooth fix! 

While waiting to order, there was a pretty sweet gift for the holidays. "The ultimate gift" is perfect for the Claire's lover/New Haven foodie! See photo below for more details on this deal:

If you're a last-minute holiday shopper, swing on down to 1000 Chapel Street and make your favorite cook smile!

www.clairescornercopia.com

Monday Happy Hour Series at Kumo Hibachi Steakhouse

How did everybody survive that snow this weekend? It wasn't too bad, now was it? I hope everyone remained warm, safe and with power.

It was tough to blog about any happenings this weekend because businesses were mainly posting about events being postponed or cancelled! I figured people may be itching to get rid of that cabin fever, de-stress from finals week and have some fun.

When searching New Haven events for Monday, December 16th, I stumbled upon this Monday Happy Hour Series, hosted by the New Haven Collective group on Meetup.com. It's a happy hour at Kumo Hibachi Steakhouse on Elm Street.

Red Dragon Roll…yum! Photo via "New Haven Collective" Meetup

Kumo holds a special place in my heart because it's the first place I tried "real" sushi (apparently California Rolls don't count). The food is fresh, the environment is pleasant, and the Monday happy hour meet up sounds like a sweet deal!

The happy hour is open to all, "especially those who hate Mondays" and want to check out the local scene. The specials include buy one drink, get one 1/2 off, and 1/2 off all rolls, special rolls and sashimi!

Per the event invite: Come early come late, leave early, stay late, everyone is always welcome. Nothing ever cancels Monday Happy Hours. Ever. Bring a friend***

Sounds like a good deal! Kumo is located in downtown New Haven at 7 Elm Street (across from WTNH building). They have a private parking lot and there is street parking along State and Elm Street.

If you're looking to head out tomorrow, go for it. We're supposed to get more snow Tuesday!

2013 Holiday Special From the JCC! Personal Training + Massage Included

Here's to good health for ALL! The Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven is offering a sweet holiday special for members and nonmembers alike. This $99 package ($200 value) includes a 60-minute massage and a personal training session & assessment. Ideal for health and wellness buffs as well as people looking to jump start their New Years Resolutions!

JCC Holiday Specials for Members and Nonmembers alike!

For more information, contact the JCC Fitness Center at (203) 387-2522 x265. Located in Woodbridge, just a 5-minute drive up the street from Stop & Shop and Planet Fitness of Amity!

JCC of Greater New Haven
360 Amity Road 
Woodbridge, CT 06525

New Haven Food Routes

I love food and love academic classes that push us to initiate digital projects (like this one!) so of course I had to write about the New Haven Food Routes project.

Started this fall in a Yale University "Introduction to Public Humanities" course, students aim to examine the food truck culture and provide a means for New Haven residents to locate different carts thoroughout the city. From the New Haven Food Routes website:

"Through this project, we hope to address proprietors’ decisions to enter the food truck business, how they determined their food truck routes, and their relationships to their cuisine. In mapping these stories, we recognize food trucks as an integral, yet often overlooked, component of New Haven’s cultural and culinary makeup."

Check out their work and support the carts that humbly but certainly are a part of New Haven's culture! 

New Haven Food Routes official site: 

www.newhavenfoodroutes.com

Win This Positive+Energy Pack!!!

What's up, New Haven!! Happy Friday to all. To show appreciation for your feedback, retweets and such, I put together this Positive+Energy prize pack that will help you through the busy holidays! 

One lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to Willoughby's Coffee, chocolate covered coffee beans, a silver bracelet from Alex and Ani of New Haven, and a stainless steel coffee mug from What's Up New Haven. 

How to enter: Simply visit the What's Up New Haven Facebook page and "like" the Positive+Energy pack photo! That will put your name in the drawing, and the winner will be announced on Friday, December 13th. Good luck!! :)

www.facebook.com/whatsupnewhaven 

2013 Christmas Tree Lighting at New Haven Green -- This Thurs, 12/5!

Christmas time on the New Haven Green back in 2011!

Seasons Greetings! Holidays in New Haven bring about festive storefronts, beautiful street lights and a refreshing sense of Christmas and Holiday spirit. Among the festivities is the annual lighting of the beautifully decorated Christmas tree on the New Haven Green.

Come down to the New Haven Green this Thursday, December 5th (rain date Friday, December 6th) for this free, fun, and family-friendly event for, 4-8pm. Let's get this holiday season into full swing!

Interested in volunteering at the Tree Lighting? Read up!

Volunteers needed from 3-6pm or 6-9pm. Positions available for Carriage Ride Singers, Costumed Characters, Children's Activities, and Alpine Safari staff. If interested, please fill out form at:

http://volunteer.truist.com/uwgnh/org/email?opp_id=10607769080&contact_id=10255082411