offManhattan

If your goal is to celebrate N’Awlins with all of the jambalaya (and great music, of course) but none of the obnoxious crowds, here’s an off the beaten path option for you to consider.

DIY music venues are now just as significant in the New York indie scene as the more traditional bar venues. Brooklyn’s Fort Useless opened its doors in mid-August. The man behind this operation is Jeremiah McVay, who’s been putting together shows all over the city as part of his StereoActiveNYC.com project for years. Through this website, he covers shows and news on local bands. It’s like BrooklynVegan but more personal, more local, and more underground.

Hailing from the Bayou State, McVay is particularly amped for the Mardi Gras event he’s put together this coming Saturday, February 13. The night will include a stellar line-up of performances by Holy Moly!, Dinosaur Feathers, Ava Luna, and Flying Pace.

It may be a Hallmark holiday, but Valentine’s Day is also a fine excuse to use that get-out-of-town-free-card. Well, maybe not free. But these hotels do feature fabulous packages at a variety of price points that are sure to help cupid shoot his arrow.

Here are five unique and relaxing hotel options for a romantic getaway near New York City that all have one beautiful thing in common—they are accessible without a car. (Your shmoopie will think it’s hot you care about the environment, trust us.)

Bring your lovah to Dia: Beacon over V-Day weekend for a passionate post-modern performance by the Trisha Brown Dance Company. [Dia]

Funding Emerging Art with Sustainable Tactics returns this Saturday with a delicious public dinner in Brooklyn. [FEAST]

Washington-Dulles Airport adds 29 new electric train cars. [Jaunted]

Brooklyn Public Library celebrates Black History Month with concerts this Saturday at the Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture, offering Trinidadian music and jazz with “hints of Django Reinhardt.” Other weekend events include classic films from Africa like The Gods Must be Crazy. [BPL]

If you’re looking for a new indoor activity at home, or you want to jump-start spring, head to the Vox Pop Café in Bushwick on Sunday for a Garden in a Bag Workshop. [VoxPop]

Photo: Courtesy of Jan Slot

Merrill Garbus—the one woman powerhouse behind tUnEyArDs–spent the last month preparing for her sold out Sounds Like Brooklyn show this weekend, a European tour this month, and an upcoming spring tour with experimental band, Xiu Xiu. She’s a human tuner whose vocal fretwork of soulful howls has the spontaneous tenets of imaginative artists like Kaki King, Jamie Lidell, and Animal Collective. The Oakland-based performer discusses how she feels about being the industry’s current D.I.Y star, what she intends to do with her music muscle, and why her voice is the instrument she plays best.

With six weeks of winter left, now might be a good time to remember that there’s an alternative to skiing, snowboarding, and making angels in the snow. Forget the boots, the goggles, the gear, and try your butt at snow tubing—because sitting is really all that’s involved in this, err, sport. Bring some warm clothes and an untiring appetite for some fast-paced fun and you’re good to go at these three cool snow tubing spots near New York City.

Any interest in watching the 2010 Australian Open champion and 2009 US Open Champion hit fast balls at each other at Madison Square Garden this winter? Oh yeah, in addition to Serena Williams (#1) and Kim Clijsters (#17), Venus Williams (#6) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (#3) will be there. We’re thinking it’ll be a showdown.

So, dear fans of the sport who hate the year-long wait until the grand slam championship returns to Flushing Meadows, this could be a big win for you. All on one day, imagine sweet seats to one-set semi-finals and a three-set final with these players.

Check your calendar for Monday, March 1 at 7p.m. Got any plans?

1) Follow us on Twitter and tweet this message (if you already follow us, just tweet!):

“Win two tickets to see Serena at the Billie Jean King Cup at MSG. Just follow @offManhattan and RT! http://bit.ly/TennisTix”

OR

2) Sign up for our email list. (If you’re already a subscriber, you are automatically entered for a chance to win the giveaway.)

You can do both to be entered twice, and tweet once a day to be entered multiple times and increase your chance of winning. Deadline is Monday, February 8 at 11:59pm EST – a winner will be chosen at random and announced the next day. Good luck!

How to get there: Madison Square Garden is located on the corner of 32nd St. and 7th Ave. Subway: Take the A, B, C, D, E, F, 1, 2, 3 or 9 train to 34th St, thegarden.com)

Dear Valentine, Thanks so much for the charming (sappy) poem, the lovely flowers (that have now wilted), and the box of chocolates (after three that tasted a little like silly putty). Sincerely, and much love, your Valentine

Or this year, ditch the expected and celebrate Valentine’s Day by celebrating your valentine, with one of these six titillating, duo adventures.

Boston may best be known for its history, including quite a few historic hotels, but over the past several years it has seen an explosion of chic, New York-style boutique properties. As you might guess, they come complete with chic, New York-style pricing.

But Boston’s high winter vacancy rate means many of these rooms are available this season at about half of what warm-weather travelers will pay this summer. Combine that with free Megabus tickets through March and the upcoming Winter Restaurant Week, and right now is looking like the best time all year to visit Boston. Here’s a look at five of the newest hotels in town.

What: Sounds Like Brooklyn Music Festival

Where: BAM, BAMcafé, and 13 other Brooklyn venues

When: Jan 29, 30; Feb 4-6

Cost: Varies, Free for some locations.

Why: Over the next two weekends, the musically devoted can sample from a wish list of 60+ bands who are waiting for you to be part of their cult following.