Events & Things To Do

20 spots to watch 4th of July fireworks in NYC

Image courtesy of Circle Line

June 27, 2024

20 spots to watch 4th of July fireworks in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nowhere does the Fourth of July like New York City. For the first time in over a decade, the spectacular Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show will return to the Hudson River, sharing the stage with Jersey City's celebration and illuminating the sky in red, white, and blue. Ahead, discover a selection of the best-ticketed events across NYC to enjoy this year's Independence Day fireworks celebrations, from rooftop bars with prime views of the Hudson River to boat cruises that offer a front-row seat to the action.
see more

Events & Things To Do

NYC opens 50 outdoor pools for summer

Astoria Pool in Queens. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 27, 2024

NYC opens 50 outdoor pools for summer

By Devin Gannon

School is out, pools are open, and summer is here. New York City opened 50 free outdoor public pools on Thursday, officially kicking off the swimming season. For Queens residents, summer is a little cooler this year as the city reopened Astoria Pool following a $19 million renovation that closed the pool, the five borough's largest, last year.
take a dip

Events & Things To Do

Xanadu, a funky roller disco and nightclub, lands in Bushwick

Image courtesy of Mike Shane

June 25, 2024

Xanadu, a funky roller disco and nightclub, lands in Bushwick

By Aaron Ginsburg

A psychedelic roller rink has touched down in Bushwick. Opening its doors on Friday, June 28, Xanadu Roller Arts is a one-of-a-kind food and entertainment hub featuring New York City's only year-round indoor roller rink that doubles as a 1,000-capacity nightclub and music venue. Located at 262 Starr Street, the venue features an out-of-this-world design with creative food and drinks, a top-of-the-line skating rink, world-class sound and lighting systems, and much more, ensuring an immersive experience for all visitors.
see more

Events & Things To Do

NYC ‘Summer Streets’ to return with longer hours for more car-free fun

Summer Streets 2022. Photo courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation on Flickr

June 25, 2024

NYC ‘Summer Streets’ to return with longer hours for more car-free fun

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's "Summer Streets" program is returning next month with more time to enjoy car-free streets. The annual event closes several miles of street, allowing for fun outdoor recreation and activities on certain Saturdays. Previously only hosted in Manhattan, in 2023, the program was expanded to every borough. Not only will Summer Streets once again hit all five boroughs, but this year's event will also last longer, with streets closed for an extra two hours, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
find out more

Macy’s July 4th fireworks: NYC to give out free tickets for front-row views of the show

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks 2023- Photo by Kent Miller for Macy’s, Inc

June 25, 2024

Macy’s July 4th fireworks: NYC to give out free tickets for front-row views of the show

By Devin Gannon

The annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks is set to dazzle New York City once again, with the spectacle taking place over the Hudson River for the first time in a decade. The Independence Day show's 48th edition will feature 60,000 shells and more than 30 colors, fired from five barges between West 14th Street and West 34th Street on the river. While there are plenty of viewing spots open to the public, Mayor Eric Adams this week announced the city will give away 10,000 free tickets for a front-row fireworks experience to be distributed on Wednesday on a first-come, first-serve basis.
READ MORE

Events & Things To Do

Lincoln Center debuts first-ever night market

Image courtesy of Sachyn Mital

June 19, 2024

Lincoln Center debuts first-ever night market

By Aaron Ginsburg

Lincoln Center is hosting its first-ever night market during the annual Summer for the City festival. Open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. through August 10, the Lincoln Center Night Market offers visitors an exciting variety of cuisine from curated vendors, from Mexican desserts and soul food from Harlem to Lebanese street food and plant-based options. The market will also feature a tent with rotating food offerings to complement each week of the Summer for the City programming.
learn more

Free live music coming to 11 plazas and open streets across NYC

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus performing at Make Music NY Day. Image courtesy of NYC DOT

June 17, 2024

Free live music coming to 11 plazas and open streets across NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Free live music is coming to public squares in all five boroughs starting this weekend. The city's Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Friday announced the return of Make Music New York Day on June 21, featuring performances at 11 different plazas and Open Streets locations across the city. Additionally, DOT is partnering with Mov!ng Culture Projects to host performances in Brooklyn and Manhattan and is activating public spaces for Juneteenth and Caribbean American Heritage Month throughout the month.
see more

Events & Things To Do

NYC’s best rooftop hotel pools offering day passes

Photo courtesy of Dream Downtown / Tao Group Hospitality

June 14, 2024

NYC’s best rooftop hotel pools offering day passes

By Michelle Cohen

Coming soon: Full-time sun and swimsuit season. Some lucky apartment dwellers count a private pool among their building’s amenities. Otherwise, your local options include public pools or pricey pool clubs and gyms. One way to hack summer in NYC is to snag a day pass to a pool atop one of the city’s trendy hotels. Usually reserved for hotel guests, some hotels allow visitors to pay by the day–often with poolside restaurant and bar privileges. Some venues host events like pool parties with DJs, live music, and drink specials. Read on for cool pools with day rates. Many hotel pools open on Memorial Day weekend. Pools may be reserved for private events, or rates and access information may change; be sure to check in with the venue before finalizing your plans.
Everyone in the pool

Events & Things To Do

Museum Mile Festival is back, offering free admission at NYC’s best museums

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

June 14, 2024

Museum Mile Festival is back, offering free admission at NYC’s best museums

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Museum Mile Festival, aka "New York City's biggest block party," returns to Fifth Avenue for its 46th year. As part of the festival, guests can walk along Fifth Avenue between 82nd Street and 110th Street and visit eight world-class museums for free. Participating institutions include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Neue Galerie New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the Jewish Museum, Museum of the City of New York, El Museo del Barrio, and the Africa Center. The festival takes place on Tuesday, June 18 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the street closed off to vehicles to allow for live performances, art-making activities, and more.
find out more

Events & Things To Do

Jersey City reveals 4th of July fireworks celebration with concert headlined by Wyclef Jean

Photo by Jennifer Brown/City of Jersey City

June 13, 2024

Jersey City reveals 4th of July fireworks celebration with concert headlined by Wyclef Jean

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Jersey's spectacular 4th of July celebration is returning to the Jersey City waterfront. Mayor Steven Fulop on Wednesday announced this year's Freedom and Fireworks, an all-day celebration on Independence Day featuring a free concert headlined by Garden State-raised Wyclef Jean with openers Fat Joe and Funk Flex, food vendors, family activities, and more. The event concludes with a breathtaking fireworks show by Grucci that will light up the sky above the Hudson River.
learn more

Events & Things To Do

Popular Articles

The High Line celebrates 15 years as a public park

All photos by Rowa Lee unless otherwise noted

June 13, 2024

The High Line celebrates 15 years as a public park

By Aaron Ginsburg

Fifteen years have passed since the High Line opened to the public, transforming a crumbling rail line into an urban oasis. Since opening in June 2009, more than 75 million people have visited the elevated public park. Its construction has generated over $2 billion in private investment and economic activity, creating a booming neighborhood with new residential and cultural developments centered around the park. To celebrate its 15th anniversary, the High Line will host new public art installations, 15 free special events through the summer and fall, and temporarily reopen the interim walkway at the Western Rail Yards for the first time since 2022. The Western Rail Yards segment, the last of the original High Line structure to be rehabilitated, offers stunning 360-degree views of the Hudson River and cityscape.
happy birthday high line

Events & Things To Do

Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade returns this month

All photos courtesy of Norman Blake

June 12, 2024

Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade returns this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's colorful Mermaid Parade returns to the Coney Island boardwalk this month. Hosted by Coney Island USA, the spectacle is considered the nation's largest "art parade," attracting 3,000 participants wearing handmade sea-themed costumes and marching next to mythical floats. The 42nd annual Mermaid Parade takes place on Saturday, June 22, at 1 p.m., rain or shine.
find out more

Events & Things To Do

15 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in NYC

Photo by Curt Saunders, @curthoranesaunders. Courtesy of Weeksville Heritage Center / Black Owned Brooklyn

June 11, 2024

15 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Juneteenth commemorates the day President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas, effectively ending slavery in the United States. Although it only became a nationally recognized holiday in 2021, Black Americans in New York City and across the country have long celebrated the holiday, an opportunity to uplift communities and share Black culture. Ahead, find Juneteenth events happening in NYC this year, from live gospel performances and celebrations of Black music to food festivals and 5K runs.
find out more

Events & Things To Do

First major exhibit dedicated to Shirley Chisholm opening at Museum of the City of New York

Chisholm on the Congressional Rules Committee, A. Dev O’Neill and K. Jewell, 1970s, Reproduction, Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries

June 5, 2024

First major exhibit dedicated to Shirley Chisholm opening at Museum of the City of New York

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York honors the life and legacy of pioneering politician and Brooklyn native Shirley Chisholm. Opening on June 14, "Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100" is the first-ever major museum presentation dedicated to Chisholm; it coincides with the 100th anniversary of her birth. Located on the museum's second-floor North Gallery, the exhibition explores the life of the late trailblazer, the first Black woman elected to Congress, through historical artifacts, photographs, art, and archival footage.
details here

Events & Things To Do

Art from the Whitney Museum on view in NYC subway stations this summer

Image courtesy of Trent Reeves / MTA on Flickr

June 3, 2024

Art from the Whitney Museum on view in NYC subway stations this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Whitney Museum of American Art is bringing its landmark Biennial exhibition into the New York City subway system. The museum and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday revealed "Making It Here: New York and the Whitney Biennial," a showcase of work by artists who have been, or are currently featured, in the Whitney Biennial, which has been hosted regularly since 1932. The art, displayed on vacant newsstands and former retail spaces, can be found at three subway stations: West 4th Street in Manhattan, Jay Street-MetroTech in Brooklyn, and Fordham Road in the Bronx.
find out more

NYC Pride 2024: The best ways to celebrate

Image courtesy of Steven Pisano on Flickr

May 31, 2024

NYC Pride 2024: The best ways to celebrate

By Aaron Ginsburg

Pride Month has arrived in New York City, and with it, an endless number of ways to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community. As the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, kickstarted by the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, the five boroughs can be counted on to advocate for a future without discrimination and celebrate our diverse communities. Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit organization that plans and produces NYC's official Pride celebrations every year, offers a calendar to help you find different events. Ahead, 6sqft put together a guide to Pride in New York City, with parades, parties, performances, and more, happening throughout June.
happy pride, nyc

Reach the beach: Vintage subway trains will ride to the Rockaways and Coney Island this summer

All photos courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.

May 30, 2024

Reach the beach: Vintage subway trains will ride to the Rockaways and Coney Island this summer

By Devin Gannon

Beach and boardwalk-bound New Yorkers can ride to the shore in vintage style this summer. The New York Transit Museum announced two "nostalgia rides" in July and August that will bring beachgoers to Coney Island and the Rockaways via R-19 train cars from the 1930s. Tickets, which cost $60 for adults, go on sale Friday, May 31.
details this way

Events & Things To Do

NYC’s Fotografiska museum to close and relocate, historic Park Ave South building to hit market

Photo via WikiCommons

May 28, 2024

NYC’s Fotografiska museum to close and relocate, historic Park Ave South building to hit market

By Aaron Ginsburg

Swedish photography museum Fotografiska New York will close its New York City location with plans to relocate to a larger spot, the museum announced last week. Fotografiska opened at the historic Gramercy building at 281 Park Avenue South in 2019 and later was joined by the restaurant Verōnika and the Chapel Bar. The museum's last day in the current building will be September 29 and the restaurant and bar will close in June. As Crain's reported, 281 Park Avenue South owner, Aby Rosen's RFR Holding, will put the architecturally stunning building on the market this week for an undisclosed amount.
find out more

What to know about visiting NYC beaches this summer

Rockaway Beach, the only legal surf spot in NYC. Photo by Hayley Pfitzer on Unsplash

May 23, 2024

What to know about visiting NYC beaches this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's 14 miles of public beaches are set to open for swimming this Memorial Day weekend, welcoming in a summer season of fun in the sun. The city's public beaches are free and open for the season starting Saturday, May 25 through September 8. Swimming hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with swimming only permitted when lifeguards are on duty and not allowed in closed sections of the beach. Ahead, find everything you need to know about visiting a beach in the five boroughs this summer.
FIND OUT MORE

Events & Things To Do

Manhattanhenge 2024: NYC’s stunning sunset returns

Photo by John Gillespie on Flickr cc

May 23, 2024

Manhattanhenge 2024: NYC’s stunning sunset returns

By Devin Gannon

New York City's most photographed sunset is back. Manhattanhenge, the cosmic phenomenon when the sun aligns perfectly with the Manhattan street grid and creates a magical, glowing spectacle among skyscrapers, takes place twice every year. This year, a full sun will be visible on the grid on May 29 and July 12, and a half sun seen on May 28 and July 13.
READ MORE

Whitney Museum’s new project pairs art from 1932 with present-day scenes of NYC

George C. Ault, “Hudson Street” (northwest view of Hudson and Gansevoort Streets). Image courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art

May 22, 2024

Whitney Museum’s new project pairs art from 1932 with present-day scenes of NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Whitney Museum on Wednesday launched "Putting Artists On The Map," a new project celebrating the museum's landmark Biennial exhibition that has been held regularly since 1932. The interactive digital map pairs paintings depicting New York City from the very first Biennial with photos of the same scenes in the present day. The map also provides a snapshot of Whitney Biennial moments across the city, including the locations where artists from past exhibitions had studios and the subway stations where works by Biennial artists were installed.
find out more

How to spend Memorial Day weekend in NYC

Sailors pose for I Heart NY photo ahead of Fleet Week in 2016. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Raymond Minami via Flickr

May 21, 2024

How to spend Memorial Day weekend in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

While it marks the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day was created to honor the brave men and women in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Fortunately, in New York City, there are plenty of ways to commemorate the holiday while also enjoying the long weekend, with activities including live music aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid, a military history boat cruise in the New York Harbor, and the largest Memorial Day parade in the country.
learn more

Events & Things To Do

Fantastical flowers and peculiar plants: New York Botanical Garden opens ‘Wonderland’ exhibit

A 12-foot-tall White Rabbit at the Leon Levy Visitor Center, Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal, Steel frame, geraniums, sedum

May 20, 2024

Fantastical flowers and peculiar plants: New York Botanical Garden opens ‘Wonderland’ exhibit

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York Botanical Garden has fallen down the rabbit hole. The enchanting exhibition "Wonderland: Curious Nature" debuted on Saturday, transforming the garden's 250 acres into a whimsical paradise inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic children's tale "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and its sequel stories. On view through October 27, the exhibition includes a 12-foot White Rabbit made of plants, larger-than-life mushrooms, gardens of the Victorian era, a large-scale chess set designed by Yoko Ono, and more.
peer through the looking glass

Prospect Park to debut ‘Ancestral Whispers’ art installation, honoring Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family

In the Face of History, Freedom Cape, 2020 c. Adama Delphine Fawundu

May 20, 2024

Prospect Park to debut ‘Ancestral Whispers’ art installation, honoring Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family

By Aaron Ginsburg

The inaugural work of the Lefferts Historic House museum's first artist-in-residence debuts in Prospect Park next month. Artist Adama Delphine Fawundu's "Ancestral Whispers" is a site-specific installation honoring the heroism of the individuals enslaved by the Lefferts family from the farmhouse's construction in 1783 to the abolition of slavery in New York in 1827. Inspired by research conducted by the Prospect Park Alliance, Fawundu created 25 fabric banners to be displayed on the museum's Flatbush Avenue facade. The installation will be on view starting June 9.
details here

Events & Things To Do

Enjoy free weekly movies at four outdoor spots in Brooklyn this summer

Movie nights in Prospect Park. Photo by Jordan Rathkopf

May 16, 2024

Enjoy free weekly movies at four outdoor spots in Brooklyn this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

Catch free film screenings at four of Brooklyn's most popular outdoor spaces this summer. In partnership with Paramount+ and BSE Global, Brooklyn Magazine on Tuesday announced the return of "Paramount+ Movie Nights in Brooklyn," a free film screening series hosted in Prospect Park, McCarren Park, Fort Greene Park, and for the first time, Coney Island. The series will kick off June 7 in Williamsburg, with weekly screenings at the four locations throughout the summer.
plan a movie night

Events & Things To Do

2
3
4
5
6