Wouldn’t be great to meet your neighbors? At least the ones who aren’t crazy/mean? Well, this is your week, with lots of events to draw out Upper West Siders, from an appearance by an author who took pictures of the Upper West Side from the air, to afternoon happy hours for people who work from home, to social hours where you get to meet people and learn history, to an appearance by Juiliard artists at the Apple store. There is also the chance to go to great free concerts at bars and sit by yourself, thinking with a smile “To hell with the neighbors!”

Email us at info at westsiderag dot com to let us know about upcoming events.

Please double-check times and prices with the event producer. Many venues offer special pricing for students, seniors and members.

Monday

6:30 p.m.
Keeping Rents Affordable for Seniors and the Disabled Please join Community Board 7’s Housing Committee for a discussion on programs that are intended to serve these important members of our community. At 250 West 87th Street (CB7 headquarters). FREE.

6:30 p.m.
The Upper West Side from the Air Celebration of acclaimed aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand; narration by author John Tauranac, New York From the Air. Youth Hostel, Amsterdam Ave & 103 St. FREE.

7 p.m.
Javier Sierra: The Lost Angel Javier Sierra, bestselling author of The Secret Supper, reads from his new book The Lost Angel, a page-turner novel that takes readers on a gripping journey into the true nature of angels. At the 82nd Street Barnes & Noble. FREE.

7 p.m.
Fall Sneak Preview 5: Thalia Film Club with host Marshall Fine Join host Marshall Fine, film critic for the Huffington Post and three-time chair of the New York Film Critics Circle, in his second installment of provocative pre-release films, featuring behind-the-scenes conversations with more surprise special guests. Subscribers will not only see new films before they reach theaters, but will get the opportunity to engage in discussions with creative talents from those films after the screenings. At Symphony Space. $24.

8 p.m.
Uptown Showdown: Cats vs Dogs Don’t miss the inaugural event of this quirky spin-off on the old-school debate team with Michael Showalter (The State and Stella), Leo Allen (Jon Benjamin Has a Van) and Andrea Rosen (Michael & Michael Have Issues) facing off against a group of three writers and performers from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: head writer A.D. Miles, Jeremy Bronson and Eric Ledgin. Hosted by author and Twitter virtuoso Maureen Johnson. The winner will be decided by the audience. At Symphony Space. $12. (Sold Out, but some tickets will be sold on the day of the event.)

Tuesday

10 a.m.
Hippo Playground Class: Creative Tuesday Art Class Join Marina, an experienced early childhood art teacher, for a creative Tuesday in the Hippo Art Studio. Each week, toddlers ages 2-4 will create artwork inspired by favorite stories, authors, artists, seasons and the ever-inspiring NYC. Classes will be limited to 10 children with accompanying caregivers and will be filled on a first come first served basis. In the Park House at Riverside Park’s Hippo Playground. $15.

11:30 a.m.
Hippo Playground Class: Mommy & Me Music Class Loretta Daley is a musical theatre professional with 15+ years experience teaching babies and young children in numerous Upper West Side programs.  Loretta’s classes for 1-2 year-olds include circle time filled with rhythmic games using a variety of instruments, animated story telling, puppetry and other engaging, musical activities. In the Park House at Riverside Park’s Hippo Playground. $15.

12 p.m.
Q&A with the Astronauts of NASA Mission STS-125 To celebrate the upcoming exhibition Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration, join AMNH for a special public program, hosted by Hayden Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson and Curator Michael Shara, with NASA astronauts Mike Massimino and John Grunsfeld, crew members on mission STS-125 to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The discussion will focus on themes from Beyond Planet Earth, the STS-125 mission, and the temporary laser art installation From The Distant Past. At the Museum of Natural History. FREE (with museum admission)

12 p.m.
Toe-Tappin’ Tuesdays – Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen The Gotham Jazzmen bring you all your old favorites and more on Tuesdays from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium. FREE.

8 p.m.
Jackie’s Bag: The Music of Jackie McLean Featuring the Juilliard Jazz Small Ensembles, coached by Juilliard faculty. Paul Hall. FREE.

Wednesday

9 a.m.
Walk NYC Walk NYC is a program that encourages New Yorkers of all ages to get fit while enjoying the outdoors. Parks will staff locations throughout the city with trained walking instructors to lead one-hour walks. Meet at 83rd Street & Riverside Drive. FREE.

2 p.m.
Work from Home Group Meetup for Upper West Siders who work from home. At Dead Poet’s Bar. Costs as much as you want to spend on food and drink.

2 p.m.
Guitar Afternoon Enjoy free live music performed by jazz guitarist Bill Wurtzel and guest musicians each Wednesday from 2 to 3 pm. Folk Art Museum. FREE.

5:45 p.m.
TIC Toastmasters: Where Great Speakers Develop Toastmasters club provides a fun and supportive environment for people to develop their public speaking skills. Guests are always welcome to attend for free to find out what it’s all about. It meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month from 5:45 pm to 7:15 pm. For further information visit www.tictm.freetoasthost.net or email VPPublicRelations@tictm.freetoasthost.net. At the Interchurch Center, 475 Riverside Drive (entrance on Claremont Avenue between 119th and 120 streets).

6 p.m.
Meet the Artist Reception: Hecho A Mano The Grady Alexis gallery at El Taller Latino Americano is pleased to present Hecho A Mano an exhibition of ceramic works by Risa Hirsch Ehrlich and tapestries by Elizabeth Starcevic; curated by Andrea Arroyo. At El Taller Latino. FREE.

7 p.m.
Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel: The Landmarks of New York, Fifth Edition: An Illustrated Record of the City’s Historic Buildings Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, the chairwoman of the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center and a leading voice on urban issues for some 40 years, talks about her life and her beautifully illustrated new book The Landmarks of New York. At the 82nd Street Barnes & Noble. FREE.

8 p.m.
Juilliard Opera presents the U.S. premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen! (“Fellow students!”) Three interlocking stories – crossing generations, time-zones and cultures – about students who are involved in political action: the activities of Die Weisse Rose, a group of students at the University of Munich who produced leaflets protesting against the National Socialist government in 1942/3; the lives of two characters, Wu and Zhou, who are involved on opposite sides of China’s Cultural Revolution; and James Meredith’s lonely battle against segregation and racial prejudice in becoming the first black student to enroll in the University of Mississippi, ‘Ole Miss’, in 1962. Peter Jay Sharp Theater. $30.

8:30 p.m.
Bar Trivia Trivia Tryst was founded in NYC in 2009 by Bryce Galen after realizing that pub quizzes were fun, but there was potential for a new type of trivia night with music, energy and popular appeal! At Symphony Space’s BAR Thalia. FREE.

Thursday

6 p.m.
Beyond Amazing: Creativity and Innovation in the World of Magic with Steve Cohen, Joshua Jay, Eric Jones, and Todd Robbins Where do magicians get their ideas? This program will feature a discussion among accomplished conjurors about creativity in the world of illusion. Demonstrations of relevant effects and a display from the Library’s noteworthy collection of magic materials will also be included. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium. FREE.

6:30 p.m.
Social Hour: Seneca Village Unearthed Discover what was uncovered at the site of this lost 19th Century African American and Irish immigrant community (once located where Central Park is today) during The Institute for the Exploration of Seneca Village History’s recent archaeological dig with the professor who co-founded the Institute. This program includes complimentary refreshments and an interactive slide show and lecture. At the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (inside the Park on 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues). FREE.

7 p.m.
Selected Shorts: Miranda July Presents It Chooses You The one-of-a-kind writer, filmmaker and performance artist hosts a multimedia evening spun off of her new book inspired by people she met through the PennySaver classifieds… The book is a mix of real conversations – which unfold in funny, moving and surprising ways — interspersed with Miranda’s reflections on the people she met and her own life. Tonight July is joined by a group of actors including Olga Merediz (In the Heights), Adrian Martinez (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Passing Strange), Tom Bloom, and Mia Dillon to perform selections from the book. At Symphony Space. $27 ($15 for under-30)

7 p.m.
Tom Mendicino, Frank Polito, Michael Salvatore: Remembering Christmas Tom Mendicino, Frank Polito and Michael Salvatore read excerpts from their humorous and wistful holiday stories collected in an anthology entitled Remembering Christmas. At the 82nd Street Barnes and Noble. FREE.

7 p.m.
Live at the Apple Store: Juilliard Artist Diploma Ensemble Juilliard’s Jazz Studies program celebrates ten years this season. Join us to celebrate with a live performance by the highly gifted and experienced performers of the Artist Diploma Ensemble. At the Upper West Side Apple Store. FREE.

7:30 p.m.
University Glee Club Benefit Concert The University Glee Club of New York City is a proud assembly of 100 male chorus members that represent over 70 colleges and universities. Join the NY Society for Ethical Culture for an evening of joyful choral music. Society for Ethical Culture. $35. NEW

8:30 p.m.
Mimi Goese and Ben Neill: Songs for Persephone Celebrating the release of the album, Songs for Persephone, this drop-dead beautiful collaboration between vocalist Mimi Goese and musician Ben Neill that combines Goese’s emotionally charged vocals and lyrics with Neill’s uniquely hi-tech musical instrumentation. Inspired by the expressive possibilities of new technology as well as the natural beauty of New York’s Hudson Valley and the Hudson River School of painting, Goese and Neill used a fragment of a different 19th century romantic piece as the basis for each their songs. At the David Rubenstein Atrium. FREE.

9:30 p.m.
The Steve Tarshis Trio Tarshis has had numerous studio and live performances with artists ranging from Bo Diddley to the Joffery Ballet, including eight inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. John Sebastian, Chico Hamilton, Carl Wilson, Robert Lamm, Mamas and the Papas, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Nora York, Bucktooth Johnson, Hope Nunnery, Steve Tarshis trio. At Symphony Space. FREE.

Friday

8 a.m.
Walk NYC Walk NYC is a program that encourages New Yorkers of all ages to get fit while enjoying the outdoors. Parks will staff locations throughout the city with trained walking instructors to lead one-hour walks. Meet at 83rd Street & Riverside Drive. FREE.

8 a.m. (until 1 p.m.)
Green Market Choose from fresh produce & dairy, artisanal breads, baked goods, meats & poultry, honey, eggs. Clothing/textile recycling bin on-site. 97th Street and Columbus.

5:30 p.m.
Free Music Fridays Featuring Hawke and Owl, Joe Whyte, Valerie June. At the Folk Art Museum. FREE.

7 p.m.
Mozart’s Don Giovanni Don Giovanni is the ultimate Mozart masterpiece, full of seduction attempts, heartache and tongue-in-cheek fun as Mozart casts the lead character down to hell for his unforgiveable exploits. The opera is sung in Italian and presented uncut by Vocal Productions NYC. At Symphony Space. $20. $25 day of show.

7 p.m.
Ethics and the Theater: Mrs. Farnsworth, by A.R. Gurney Gurney applies his familiar cast of upper-class WASP characters to potent political satire. Society for Ethical Culture. Suggested donation $5. NEW

7 p.m.
Valerie Naranjo and Barry Olsen Valerie Naranjo and Barry Olsen return to El Taller bringing the intricate rhythms of Africa in what promises to be an unforgettable performance. St. Anne’s (of Brooklyn) Gyil Monsters, a second grade gyil ensemble will be opening the concert. Bring your children and be inspired, and rejuvenated. At El Taller Latino. $25.

9:30 p.m.
Caroline Doctorow Caroline Doctorow’s career boasts seven folk/Americana albums and a reputation for delivering a song with a velveteen voice. She has established herself as a leading force on the folk music scene. Her albums appear regularly on the top of the folk music radio airplay charts. At Symphony Space. FREE.

Saturday

11 a.m.
The Trachtenburg Family Slide Show Players The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players are an indie-vaudeville conceptual art-rock pop band beloved in the downtown NYC music scene. Get ready for a treat as they bring their odd, funny, and enormously creative show uptown for the kids to enjoy along with you. The band’s members are the Trachtenburg family father, Jason Trachtenburg, who plays guitar and piano and sings; the mother, Tina Piña, who runs the slide projector and is a backup singer; and the daughter, Rachel, who plays the drums and sings. Their trademark is the slideshow itself: slides collected from estate sales, garage sales, and thrift stores, shown alongside the performance as the subject of their songs, and meant to “turn the lives of annonymous strangers into pop-rock musical exposes based on the contents of the slide collections.” At Symphony Space. $20.

2:30 p.m.
Beowulf Consort Concert Chamber music concert featuring Hanne Ladefoged-Dollase, mezzo-soprano; Frank Foerster, viola; José Luis Rodriguez, harp; Lawrence Zoernig, cello; and Nelson Padgett, piano. At New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium. FREE.

6 p.m. (and 9)
Warren Miller’s 2011 Like There’s No Tomorrow Warren Miller, the greatest innovator and crowd-pleaser in skiing and snowboarding films, has been thrilling audiences for more than half a century. Loyal fans come back every year to hundreds of theaters throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand to experience Miller’s action cinematography from around the globe. These films feature all the essential powder and exotic locales that keep audience members returning annually. And for the newest generation of snowriders, his films never fail to deliver today’s most cutting-edge athletes and action. At Symphony Space. $22. $25 on day of show.

Sunday

8 a.m. (until 5)
79th Street Greenmarket Located on beautiful, tree-lined Columbus Avenue, this year-round market stretches from 77th St. to 80th St. each Sunday. Just behind the American Museum of Natural History, shoppers will find grass fed beef, goat cheese, fresh flowers, eggs, honey, baked goods, apple cider, and a large variety of fruit and vegetables. Columbus Avenue between 78th & 81st Streets.

12:30 p.m.
Tavern and its Green Tour Discover the sheepfold that became a world famous restaurant, a parade ground that became the Sheep Meadow, the Children’s District, The Mall including its statues and American Elm Trees, and much more. For directions, please call 212-874-7874. Outside the Tavern on the Green Visitor Center and Gift Shop entrance, inside the Park at 67th Street and Central Park West. FREE.

2 p.m.
Meet the Filmmakers: Kevin Clash , Elmo, and Constance Marks, “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” Join Kevin Clash, master puppeteer and creator of Elmo, and filmmaker Constance Marks as they discuss their film “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey.” Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, the documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with Frank Oz and others, and a behind-the-scenes look at “Sesame Street” and the Jim Henson Workshop. At the Upper West Side Apple Store. FREE.

2 p.m.
Juilliard Opera presents the U.S. premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen! (“Fellow students!”) Three interlocking stories – crossing generations, time-zones and cultures – about students who are involved in political action: the activities of Die Weisse Rose, a group of students at the University of Munich who produced leaflets protesting against the National Socialist government in 1942/3; the lives of two characters, Wu and Zhou, who are involved on opposite sides of China’s Cultural Revolution; and James Meredith’s lonely battle against segregation and racial prejudice in becoming the first black student to enroll in the University of Mississippi, ‘Ole Miss’, in 1962. Peter Jay Sharp Theater. $30.

2:30 p.m.
Bach to the Future: Pianist Alexander A. Wu Yamaha artist Alexander A. Wu brings a fresh spin to the classics with an entertaining performance featuring the music of Bach, Bernstein, Brubeck, Chopin, Corea, Debussy, Ellington, Gershwin, Gottschalk, Liszt, Mozart, Morton, Prokofiev, and more. At the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium. FREE.

4 p.m.
Florilegium Chamber Choir perform works of Bernstein & Stravinsky Tickets available at www.florilegiumchamberchoir.org. At Trinity Lutheran Church. $15.

Ongoing Events

Lincoln Center: American Ballet Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Society, NYC Ballet, War Horse

NYPL for the Performing Arts: Residue: Installation by Eiko & Koma, Marlboro Music at 60

American Museum of Natural History: Ongoing Exhibits

Photo by garryknight via flickr.

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