Events &amp; Things To Do

New York City's Halloween open streets program returns for its biggest year yet, featuring over 100 participating locations. Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Thursday announced the "Trick-or Streets" initiative, which closes streets, plazas, and other commercial corridors across the five boroughs to cars to provide space for fun, spooky-themed activities throughout October.
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Celebrate Zabar’s 90th anniversary with 90-cent cups of coffee all October

All photos courtesy of Zabar’s

October 4, 2024

Celebrate Zabar’s 90th anniversary with 90-cent cups of coffee all October

Upper West Side legend Zabar's turns 90 this year and to celebrate, the gourmet deli is offering its loyal customers some special discounts. Throughout October, the grocery store at 2245 Broadway—known for its smoked fish, bagels, and coffee—will sell 90-cent cups of coffee and one-pound bags of its Anniversary Coffee Blend for $9.99. Zabar’s will also roll out a series of new specials through the end of the year.
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NYC’s best free and cheap (ish) Halloween events

Photo courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy

October 2, 2024

NYC’s best free and cheap (ish) Halloween events

Like most things in New York City, celebrating Halloween can quickly become an eerily expensive excursion. But fear not, there are still plenty of free and budget-friendly ways to get in the spooky spirit across the five boroughs. Ahead, find some of the best free and cheapish ways to celebrate Halloween in NYC, from exciting festivals and dog costume contests to tricky corn mazes and creepy concerts.
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Events & Things To Do

Skylift opens at Rockefeller Center: Top of the Rock ride offers new panoramic perspective

Photo credit: Diane Bondareff/AP Content Services for Tishman Speyer

October 2, 2024

Skylift opens at Rockefeller Center: Top of the Rock ride offers new panoramic perspective

Rockefeller Center opened its new rooftop ride this week, adding another attraction to the Top of the Rock observation deck. From the 70th floor of 30 Rock, Skylift brings visitors up an additional three stories on a revolving open-air platform for a front-row view of the New York City skyline. Floating above the rooftop, the glass platform offers a unique 360-degree perspective of the city at 900 feet above street level.
take it for a spin

TWA Hotel New York; Photo credit: Eric Laignel

October 2, 2024

Open House New York Weekend is back, with tours and special access to 270 sites throughout NYC

October is a month of discovery for fans of New York City's architecture, and a great time to explore the city's unique spaces. In addition to the Archtober celebration, Open House New York Weekend 2024 has just announced this year's lineup for a behind-the-scenes view of the city from October 18 to 20, promising hundreds of tours, unique access opportunities, and other events. From subway tunnels and skyscrapers to treasures as diverse as the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine Textile Conservation Lab to the Apollo Stages and the Bronx Music Hall, read on to discover over 270 places, tours, activities, and more throughout the five boroughs.
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September 25, 2024

Archtober 2024: The best design tours to book during this year’s festival

It's beginning to feel like Archtober. In its 14th year, the annual festival dedicated to architecture and design kicks off next month with the theme "Tracing the Future," focusing on New York City's evolving landscape through affordable housing, infrastructure projects, and sustainable design. Archtober's Building of the Day series returns this year, offering architect-led tours of the projects across the city. Our must-visit list includes the sunrise-inspired Far Rockaway public library branch designed by Snøhetta, the new bike path and pedestrian space on the East Midtown Greenway, and Annabelle Selldorf's first residential project.
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30 Rock’s new ‘Skylift’ platform takes visitors 900 feet above NYC

Renderings courtesy of Tishman Speyer

September 25, 2024

30 Rock’s new ‘Skylift’ platform takes visitors 900 feet above NYC

The view from one of New York City's most iconic observation decks is about to get even better. Opening on October 1, Skylift at the Top of the Rock takes visitors above the 70th floor at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on an open-air platform that offers unobstructed, 360-degree city views. The new experience starts at $35 as an optional add-on to general admission to the Top of the Rock.
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Events & Things To Do

Data Vandals artist-activists bring data to life in NYC at colorful Cooper Union exhibition

Image credit: DataVandals.com

September 24, 2024

Data Vandals artist-activists bring data to life in NYC at colorful Cooper Union exhibition

Not all New York City events are easy to categorize; a provocative program taking place at Cooper Union from Friday, September 27 to Sunday, September 29, straddles the worlds of art, technology, data science, and community participation. Showcasing the talents of NYC data-activist collective Data Vandals (artist Jen Ray and data visualization expert Jason Forrest), the exhibition's full title "Hello From The Data Vandals (or free as air and water, or whatsoever things are true)” highlights just how many things in our daily lives intersect with what we know as data.
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Events & Things To Do

Rainforest Cafe to host pop-up at the Empire State Building

Photo Credit: Douglas Neiner on Flickr

September 20, 2024

Rainforest Cafe to host pop-up at the Empire State Building

It's for real this time: Rainforest Cafe is coming to the Empire State Building. The beloved jungle-themed restaurant is hosting a pop-up at the skyscraper's 86th-floor observatory from October 3 through 6, offering exclusive Rainforest Cafe and Empire State Building merchandise, along with special food items for fans of the iconic eatery.
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NYC public libraries mark Banned Books Week with first-ever national day of action

This year New York City's public libraries will mark Banned Books Week with events, activities, and programming to push back against the alarming rise in nationwide censorship. In 2023, the American Library Association (ALA) recorded the highest number of challenged book titles, marking a 92 percent increase from 2022. Along with Banned Books Week from September 22 through 28, the city's libraries are teaming up with ALA for the first-ever "Freedom to Read Day of Action" on October 19.
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Events & Things To Do

Embrace Italian street food culture at Eataly starting this weekend

Images courtesy of Eataly

September 17, 2024

Embrace Italian street food culture at Eataly starting this weekend

Get a taste of classic Italian street food starting this weekend at Eataly's beloved food series. Running from September 20 through October 6, "Icons of Eataly" immerses guests in Italian street food culture, featuring more than 30 new menu items that can be found at Eataly's New York City restaurants and quick-service counters. To kick off the celebration, Eataly Downtown is hosting an all-you-can-eat event on Friday, offering patrons unlimited tastings of Italian bites and refreshing beverages.
LEARN AMORE

LES arts collective ABC No Rio breaks ground on new building in triumphant return to original home

Photo by Eden Janine and Jim via Flickr

September 17, 2024

LES arts collective ABC No Rio breaks ground on new building in triumphant return to original home

A decade ago, New York City's creative community expressed alarm, tempered by a bit of hope, at the news that ABC No Rio, the iconic downtown DIY punk rock venue and arts/cultural space that had been a fixture on the Lower East Side's street scene since 1980, would be moving. What has been a 10-year journey has achieved a promising new milestone as construction began on a new space at 156 Rivington Street this summer. As Hyperallergic reports, the collective's new home, set to open in 2026, will mean a triumphant full-circle return to the group's original "art squat" address on Rivington Street after a long and arduous wait and many setbacks along the way.
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Celebrate 120 years of the NYC subway with a new exhibit and vintage train rides

60th Street Tunnel connection opening, 1955. New York Transit Museum NYCTA Photograph Unit Collection, 2005.48.270

September 16, 2024

Celebrate 120 years of the NYC subway with a new exhibit and vintage train rides

The New York Transit Museum is celebrating the 120th anniversary of the city's subway system with a new exhibit and vintage train rides. Debuting September 26, "The Subway Is..." explores how New York City's subway system has shaped its cultural identity and will showcase images and artifacts from the museum's collections. To coincide with the new exhibit, the museum is hosting four Inaugural Run Nostalgia Rides on vintage Lo-V subway cars from 1917, retracing the original route of NYC's first subway line.
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New York fall foliage: This map tracks the best time for leaf peeping

Courtesy of I LOVE NY

September 13, 2024

New York fall foliage: This map tracks the best time for leaf peeping

While it's still technically summer, the first signs of fall have already been spotted in New York. This week the state released the season's first Fall Foliage report, an annual guide and interactive map highlighting the progress of changing leaves across the Empire State. Based on observations by 85 volunteer leaf spotters, regions like the Adirondacks, Catskills, Thousand Island-Seaway, Capital-Saratoga, Central New York, Finger Lakes, and Greater Niagara are starting their colorful autumnal transformations.
fall is coming

Events & Things To Do

September 12, 2024

16 best spots to celebrate Oktoberfest 2024 in NYC

Get ready to raise the steins and put on lederhosen: Oktoberfest is almost here. When the city of Munich bursts into Oktoberfest celebrations, the festivities spill far beyond Germany. New York City offers lots of ways to participate in the fun—whether by enjoying traditional German fare like beer and bratwurst or competing in stein-holding contests. Ahead, here are 16 of the best spots to celebrate Oktoberfest in NYC, from German beer gardens to lively block parties across the city.
find out where THE KEGS ARE FLOWING

A guide to Little Italy’s 98th annual Feast of San Gennaro

Photo by Tom Marvel on Flickr

September 12, 2024

A guide to Little Italy’s 98th annual Feast of San Gennaro

One of New York City's most popular street fairs returns to Manhattan's Little Italy neighborhood this week. The 11-day Feast of San Gennaro began in 1926 as a way for immigrants in New York to maintain the Italian tradition of honoring the patron saint of Naples, Saint Januarius, with a feast every September. While Little Italy has evolved over the last century, shrinking in size from 30 blocks to about nine, the Feast of San Gennaro remains one of the city's best events of the year. Ahead, get a taste of all things Italian American with our guide to one of the city's largest street fairs, which takes place September 12 through September 22.
Get the guide

Events & Things To Do

Photo by Steven Pisano on Flickr

September 11, 2024

Village Halloween Parade theme celebrates the ‘inner cat lady’ in everyone

Cat ladies are having a moment. In response to the sexist trope put forward by Republican Vice President candidate Sen. JD Vance, who called Democrats "childless cat ladies" who should have fewer voting rights, the theme for this year's annual Village Halloween Parade will be "Meow," a celebration of the "inner cat lady in everyone." Leading the parade this year as grand marshal is Tony Award-winning actor André De Shields, who recently starred as Old Deuteronomy in "CATS: 'The Jellicle Ball.'"
DETAILS HERE

Events & Things To Do

12 ways to commemorate 9/11 anniversary in NYC

Credit: Jimmy Baikovicius on Flickr

September 10, 2024

12 ways to commemorate 9/11 anniversary in NYC

Wednesday marks the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the day that changed New York City forever. For New Yorkers looking to honor the anniversary of 9/11, the city is hosting several commemoration events, including the annual reading of the names of the victims, moving performances at Lincoln Center and in Times Square, and the Tribute in Light installation.
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Events & Things To Do

Architecture & Design Film Festival brings top documentaries from around the world to NYC

Film poster photos courtesy of ADFF

September 10, 2024

Architecture & Design Film Festival brings top documentaries from around the world to NYC

The Architecture & Design Film Festival was founded in 2009 to celebrate the creative universe of architecture and design. The event has grown into the world’s largest annual film festival devoted to the subject, bringing a curated selection of films, events, and panel discussions to cities around the world, to the delight of all who are excited about architecture and design. ADFF New York is in town from September 25 through 28 to kick off the festival's 16th season. This year brings a full slate of excellent documentaries in a carefully selected program that focuses on sustainability, culture, and the power of personal and public space.
more about the film festival

100 life-size Indian elephant sculptures migrate through the Meatpacking District

Photos by Mark Warner

September 9, 2024

100 life-size Indian elephant sculptures migrate through the Meatpacking District

A herd of 100 life-size elephant sculptures has arrived in the Meatpacking District as part of their great migration across America. Hosted by the Meatpacking BID in partnership with Elephant Family USA, the Great Elephant Migration seeks to captivate viewers while raising awareness and money for global conservation efforts. On view through October 20, the sculptures can be seen along 9th Avenue, between Gansevoort Plaza and 15th Street.
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Archtober 2024: Your guide to this year’s celebration of architecture and design

Pollinator Lounge, photo by Liz Ligon, courtesy of Brooklyn Botanic Garden; AIANY Classic Harbor Line Boat Tour; The Refinery at Domino, photo by Max Touhey; Green-Wood Cemetery

September 9, 2024

Archtober 2024: Your guide to this year’s celebration of architecture and design

Archtober, New York City's annual fall festival celebrating all things architecture and design, is once again upon us. The festival, in its 14th year, will run from October 1 through October 31, with more than 100 partners and sponsors and over 400 events city-wide. This year's theme, "Tracing the Future," focuses on the city's changing landscape in the context of affordable housing, sustainable design, infrastructure, and more. The festival offers a chance to attend events, exhibitions, and talks, join neighborhood tours across the five boroughs, and become more deeply acquainted with New York City's singular architecture and design contributions to history–and the future.
things to see and do during Archtober, this way

New public art campaign honors immigrant New Yorkers

Images courtesy of the New York Proud Campaign

September 4, 2024

New public art campaign honors immigrant New Yorkers

A new public art project celebrates the contributions and experiences of immigrants in New York City. Presented by Photoville in partnership with the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), "New York Proud" includes 25 captivating portraits by Venezuelan photographer Oscar B. Castillo displayed at more than 200 locations in subway stations and public spaces across the five boroughs. The photographs capture immigrants from all walks of life at their workplaces, highlighting the role of immigrants in NYC's vibrant cultural and economic tapestry.
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Photo of Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2018, via Carine06/Flickr cc

August 30, 2024

Where to watch the U.S. Open in NYC

By 6sqft

The U.S. Open is in full swing at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. As the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year, the U.S. Open is the last chance for the world's best tennis players to win a title, making it one of the most thrilling competitions in sports. If you can't make it to Flushing to see the action in person, we found a dozen spots across the city playing the matches, hosting watch parties, and even serving their own Honey Deuce dupes.
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Events & Things To Do

Everything you need to know about NYC’s Caribbean Carnival

Photo by Brian Lin on Flickr

August 30, 2024

Everything you need to know about NYC’s Caribbean Carnival