Things to Do in Clifton

When it came time to name her business, Pamela Parisi looked to her own nickname: The Elegant Tightwad. She earned the moniker during 20 years spent in the fashion industry as a clothing designer, manufacturer, and mannequin guidance counselor. Parisi developed a reputation for her conflicting loves for designer clothes and fiscal responsibility. Always a problem solver, she quickly learned to marry her two passions by developing extensive knowledge of designer showrooms and the wholesale prices they charge. Today, she uses her nose for bargains to guide tour groups to the best deals on designer clothes and accessories. Her cash-saving tours have even garnered the attention of CNN and Elle magazine. In addition to her Garment District Diva tours, Parisi has also extended her expertise into the world of food. Her tasting excursions explore some of the most tempting eats in Hell's Kitchen, from Italian and Greek specialties to sweet treats from bakeries and ice cream shops.

Selected by Nightclub and Bar magazine as the Best Nightclub of 2011 and designated a city landmark in 2008, Webster Hall's four floors hold more than 125 years of history, from the Grand Ballroom to the Balcony Lounge. The building’s iconic framework has hosted such major acts as Prince and Mick Jagger and served as a speakeasy, a lecture hall, and a mentor to troubled teenage buildings since its construction in 1886.

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe began in 1973 as a literary get-together in the living room of college professor and celebrated scribe Miguel Algarin. By 1975, sick of cleaning up spare clauses left all over his house, Algarin began renting the Sunshine Café to give local writers and performers a venue to develop their craft. In 1980, the non-profit organization moved to its current home in a century-old tenement on East Third.

Today, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe plays a crucial, street-level role in New York’s art scene. Randomly selected audience members judge weekly poetry slams, and the venue plays host to small theatrical productions on many Thursdays through Sundays. Other evenings may feature hip-hop concerts, snappy Latin jazz, and freewheeling open mic nights.

Stray Boots Urban Games is an interactive tour that sets friends and family members loose on an exhilarating, knowledge-fueled undertaking guided by text-message clues, trivia, and riddles. They operate in cities across the country, dividing them into special game zones that contain the historical sites, local areas of interest, or eccentric child mayors unique to each city. During the explorations, clues point the way to cultural hot spots, which Stray Boots communicates to players via text message. At least one player on the team will need a U.S. cell phone to receive clues, and none of the self-guided tours require previous knowledge of the city. Adventurers play at their own pace—most zones take two to three hours to finish—which allows them to spend more time learning about the city and photographing vibrant fire hydrants for aquacentric scrapbooks.

Owners and veteran dancers Elena Iannucci and Teddy Kern cultivate a lively community at Dance Manhattan during more than 80 weekly classes that break down social styles ranging from salsa to charleston. Like hotheaded detectives, students in group classes swap partners regularly, a practice that helps every student develop friendships while challenging their leading and following skills. Both Iannucci and Kern exhibit a particular flair for swing and have developed a faculty that includes International Lindy Hop Championship–award-winners Evita Arce and Michael Jagger. Master classes and workshops focus on partnering tricks and difficult styles such as the Argentine tango. Wedding sessions help engaged couples enjoy a graceful, relaxed first dance as well as a elegant resolution for their first dance-fight.

All students are automatically enrolled in a program that offers discounts within the dance community. Instructors foster a fun, welcoming environment by leading weeknight practices and special events that are free to program members and are occasionally punctuated by niceties such as roses, cupcakes, and emoticons. To that end, the studio hosts Friday-night parties and monthly open houses fueled by live DJs, as well as artists who rent space for performances and practice.

Originally built in 1925 as a 1,500-seat, single-screen theater, Cinemart Cinemas serves as the oldest continuously operated independent movie house in Queens—a distinction officially bestowed by the borough's historical society. As the theater has expanded over the years—currently, five auditoriums all boast 35mm projectors and Dolby Digital sound—its name has undergone several changes; originally the Metropolis, the theater became the Inwood, then Cinema Art (its owner: an exhibitor looking for a third leg of his art cinema circuit), and finally the simple, truncated Cinemart. Still, despite the constant adaptations—including to the blockbuster boom of the '80s, spurred by Spielberg's oddly cinematic home movies—the small cinema has stayed true to its roots, screening a blend of both major motion pictures and independent festival fare. Next door, an in-house café and lounge provides a place to relax before or after showings with sandwiches, spirits, and a working fireplace crackling amid vintage décor.