Tennis, fly fishing, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, hot air ballooning, paragliding, off-road jeep tours—just several of the many summer activities available in Aspen. And now you can add poolside barbeque with world-class chefs to that list.

On Wednesday evening I had the privilege of attending the Children of the City Benefit Gala at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. The guest list included a mix of celebrities, business people and philanthropists, all coming together to support a wonderful Brooklyn-based organization that works to break the cycles of poverty and abuse in local families.

Last Saturday, handbag designer and member of the Vogue 100, Shari Liu celebrated her birthday at her home in Miami with an acoustic performance from noted artist and Liu’s personal friend Wyclef Jean.

A comfortable, sophisticated new restaurant at 30 West 18th St. opens today. The warm atmosphere of this eatery is consistent throughout the day, so expect a relaxing experience and excellent service, whether you’re stopping in for coffee or settling in for a five-course meal.

Epicurean Management Company, the group behind L’Artusi, Anfora, and most notably, the always-crowed Dell’Anima, opened Ellabess restaurant in the not-yet-open Nolitan Hotel on Monday.

Although summer 2011 is the season of the rooftop lounge, the recently opened Bathtub Gin may be worth the trip back down to ground level. Named for the liquor that was homemade during the Prohibition era, this promising addition to the New York City bar scene, in the fashion of a genuine speakeasy, is hidden inside an unassuming, seemingly alcohol-free venue—a coffee shop on 9th avenue.

On July 11, Audemars Piguet Japan held the new “Ginza 7” Launch Charity Night at Blue Note Tokyo where they encouraged contribution to “SUPPORT JAPAN”, AP’s broad-based fundraising initiative to aid the victims of the March 11th Tohoku earthquake in Northern Japan.

The La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, CA has re-designed their award-winning spa. The Spa is currently offering a 15% discount on their Mediterranean Spa Journey until July 24, 2011.

Thanks to the magic touch of architecture firm Killefer Flammang, a medical building in Wilshire has been transformed into a beautiful hotel. OSM Investment Company and Greystone Hotels plan to open their new venture on August 1.