Newcomer Erik Altemus makes a big impression with audiences as Lewis, the title character’s handsome and power-hungry stepbrother, in the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Pippin. It’s hard to take your eyes off this triple-threat in the musical’s big numbers “Glory” and “With You.” And we won’t even discuss the abs. #JustGetYourselftotheMusicBoxTheatre. BroadwayBox caught up with this Cali-native-turned-Brooklynite to chat about his favorite hangouts in Brooklyn, the West Village and Upper Manhattan in this week’s NYC Tour Guide.
Prospect Park in Brooklyn
“I live in Brooklyn and I’m a big fan of all things BK, so I definitely think Prospect Park is so unrated as far as tourists go. Everyone goes to Central Park, and I think it’s really interesting that the same architects who did Central Park designed Prospect Park—a lot of people don’t know that. There’s a farmer’s market that happens in Grand Army Plaza every Saturday, and it’s a thing I love to do on Saturday mornings. It has all these amazing vendors. In the summer, the bandshell has a lot of free concerts, and they get some really great artists to perform. Also, there’s a dog park they built out of the trees that were uprooted during Sandy, and that’s a really cool little spot in the park. Another fun thing to do in Prospect Park is to check out the Botanic Gardens; it’s really beautiful in the spring. I can’t wait for the warm weather to go and see it all.”
The Spotted Pig in The West Village
“One of my favorite restaurants in the city! It’s a really fun spot. It’s a gastropub, so it’s inspired by British pub food—really cozy, really good beer, great wine. The burger with the shoestring fries is a must have; it's just incredible. And they are open really late. The kitchen stays open until 2 AM, so I like to take friends there after the show. It’s a must!”
The Cloisters in Upper Manhattan
“The Cloisters is a place I love to take people because they don’t expect it in New York City. Just walking around that whole area in the spring, when the flowers are blooming, is so beautiful, and there are these great views of the Hudson and the Palisades. There’s also a really cool museum there of medieval art, and New Leaf is a great little restaurant nestled in the woods.”
Little Branch in The West Village
“Finally, another spot in the West Village I love is Little Branch. It’s this really cool speakeasy jazz club. It has an unmarked door and it looks like a deserted building. Then you go downstairs into this small cave, and the cocktails are incredible. It’s a fun spot to hang out, listen to live jazz and have an old fashioned. It’s well worth every buck you spend there.”
