Moveable sights and treats in NYC

This thread is dedicated to things in New York that don't have a fixed location, but are always on the move. I'll add to it as I think of new treats.

1. The Renaissance Street Singers
www.streetsingers.org
A group founded in the 70's who give free public concerts of 15th and 16th century acapella motets on the sidewalks of New York. They can be found on Sundays somewhere in the five Boroughs. If you're interested in tracking them down, they usually announce the site of their upcoming concerts on their website.
2. The Van Leeuwen artisan ice cream trucks.
This is not your average ice cream truck experience. The ice cream is just unbelievably tasty, with flavors like Giandujia, Red Currant, and Ginger. They also have classics like Vanilla, Chocolate, and Pistachio, made with natural ingredients that give this ice cream its incredible taste. Spotting one of these yellow trucks is pure happiness, even in wintertime.
Daily truck locations can be found out by following them on Twitter.
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DBlack 2yrs+
How about those spontaneous mob art pieces? Where a bunch of people all do one thing in one place, like all wear red and stand at a certain intersection, something like that. And then they disappear again into the crowd. Someone told me there's a website where they get announced, and you can go be part of one. I don't know the website, though.
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BroadwayBK 2yrs+
Improv Everywhere (http://improveverywhere.com/): a group that seeks to create wondrous scenes wherever they go - famous for the (seemingly annual) no pants in the subway stunt.
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Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@ BroadwayBK I lost myself in that Improv Everywhere site and ended up watching the "I love lunch! Musical"--some profound silliness there.
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Magg 2yrs+
Let's not forget the summer street festivals that occur all over Manhattan, typically running along an avenue.
They've very cool, because not only are the food vendors out, selling zeppolis, corn on a stick, and funnel cakes, but so are vendors selling everything from t-shirts to crafts. One of my favorite things to do is find a street festival!
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Uraniumfish 2yrs+
Any idea how to track down street festivals? Surely there's a website or something?
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How about that truck on Union Square right by the cinema (there's also another one/the same one at Astor place)? It's called the Love Truck or the Hippie Truck or something like that (but not the Mudd Truck - which also has a permanent outlet on 9th Street btwn 1st and 2nd Avenue that's pretty decent for food/drink). I always enjoy a coffee coming out of subway into the freezing cold....
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hhusted 2yrs+
I know about ImprovEverywhere. They recently did a stunt in the subway when thousands of people went in with no pants on. In the freezing cold. That was some site.
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BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@uraniumfish I found a lot of listings for street festivals... but only for last year. Perhaps this year's haven't been solidified yet?
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BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish The first time I heard of Improv Everywhere was on This American Life (the "Mind Games" episode) - they did something rather mean to a band performing at Mercury Lounge (http://improveverywhere.com/2004/10/24/best-gig-ever/); they ultimately sort of humiliated the band, even if they did eventually make the best of all the publicity.
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hhusted 2yrs+
BroadwayBK, ImprovEverywhere is involved in a lot of activities as I pointed out in my post regarding the subway incident.
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BroadwayBK 2yrs+
Actually, hhusted, I don't believe you did point that out...
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uptowngirl 2yrs+
Here are some more desert trucks that trawl the various streets of NYC dispensing their yummy concoctions -
The Treats Truck-http://treatstruck.com/ call 212 691 5226 (try their chocolate chip cookies)
Wafles and Dinges- http://wafelsanddinges.com/ or call 646 257 2592
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Uraniumfish 2yrs+
I'll have to try them, uptowngirl, but I have to say they have some stiff competition against that Van Leeuwen ice cream, in my humble opinion.
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hhusted 2yrs+
BroadwayBK, that is because I forgot to mention the forum post. The post was about when thousands of people dropped their pants one freezing cold day and went into the subway.

Uptowngirl, I never see the Treats Truck nor the Waffles and Dinges. I guess they have a territory only in certain areas.
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BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Those dessert trucks look amazing... I just wish they ventured downtown.

There is a decent Mexican food cart that lurks outside Union Pool in Williamsburg (a bar that you probably have to go to at least once), El Diablo Tacos.

Keeping with the Mexican theme, there is a really awesome Mexican-American fastfood cart on south Bedford - usually near Metropolitan - in Williamsburg as well. http://www.yelp.com/biz/authentic-mexican-cuisine-and-american-fast-food-cart-brooklyn
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uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK I know that the wafles and dinges cart often parks outside the Trader Joe's on 14th Street and third avenue and according to their website they even Park Slope and Dumbo on certain days check them out-http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/location.html
Taco Carts apparently are quite the craze on the west coast of the country why a Red Hook taco cart even won last year's NYC vendy awards-http://streetvendor.org/vendys/.
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BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Thanks for the tip; I'm always down for some Belgian via fastfood cart. I've been exploring Red Hook more and more lately; I'll have to check out the taco place as well.
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hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: Thanks for letting me know. No wonder I never saw the trucks. I guess the next time I go to 14th St., I'll look for them.
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Uraniumfish 2yrs+
Calexico at Wooster and Prince Street sells Mexican food on the street. and the biriyani cart at 46th Street and 6th avenue has Indian burritos...

Some more moveable food additions coming, soon as I do the research...
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JenMac 2yrs+
I have still not ever eaten off of a truck in NY . . . well, apart from a gross pretzel when I first moved here. I'm very excited to get all these recs! Especially for the mexican food -- California girl and I'm having some serious cravings that just aren't hit by Barrio Chino, etc.
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A different kind of moveable feast - have any of you come across De La Vega's street art? He was active in the UES a few years ago, drawing chalk art on sidewalks, and I think eventually came to get his own storefront due to his popularity
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BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@JenMac The main thing I miss about LA is the taco stands...
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DBlack 2yrs+
Check out the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck!

http://www.biggayicecreamtruck.com/

New York is so strange.
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BroadwayBK 2yrs+
AHHHH @DBlack you beat me to it! After reading that article you posted earlier I made a note to come to this forum and write "Why have we never talked about the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck?" But I guess now we have.
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JenMac 2yrs+
Big Gay ice cream truck?! That's amazing. I can't wait to try that one. What's a favorite downtown truck? Suggestions?
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