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

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.
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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

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Events & Things To Do

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.
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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.
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Events & Things To Do

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Prospect Park Zoo to reopen Memorial Day weekend after 8-month closure

Photo courtesy of WCS’s Prospect Park Zoo

May 16, 2024

Prospect Park Zoo to reopen Memorial Day weekend after 8-month closure

By Aaron Ginsburg

After being closed for nearly eight months due to flood damage, the Prospect Park Zoo will reopen this month. The Wildlife Conservation Society on Tuesday announced the Brooklyn zoo will open on Saturday, May 25 following $6.5 million in repairs needed after Tropical Storm Ophelia in September 2023. The storm dumped over 7 inches of rainfall on the zoo and caused major issues for its boilers, HVAC, electrical, and other systems.
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Bryant Park to host 30+ free yoga classes this summer

Photos courtesy of Angelito Jusay

May 15, 2024

Bryant Park to host 30+ free yoga classes this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

Free yoga classes are returning to the lawn at Bryant Park this summer. Presented by performance apparel brand Calia, the classes kick off on May 29, with sessions hosted on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. on the park's upper terrace and on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. on the lawn. Running through September 25, the classes will be led by some of the city's most sought-after yoga instructors and open to participants of all experience levels.
NAMASTE THIS WAY

Events & Things To Do

MTA releases Ice Spice MetroCards to celebrate Bronx rapper’s debut album

Image courtesy of the MTA on Flickr

May 13, 2024

MTA releases Ice Spice MetroCards to celebrate Bronx rapper’s debut album

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has released a limited-edition MetroCard featuring rapper, and Bronx-native, Ice Spice to celebrate her debut album "Y2K." In collaboration with Capital Records, the MTA has loaded MetroCard machines at four select stations in the Bronx and Manhattan with 50,000 limited edition cards featuring the "Munch" artist.
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Luxury spa on Governors Island to undergo major expansion in July

Panoramic of QC New York’s Building 111 (left), which will opening in mid-July 2024, and Building 112 (right), which opened in 2022. All images courtesy of QC New York

May 10, 2024

Luxury spa on Governors Island to undergo major expansion in July

By Aaron Ginsburg

The luxurious Italian wellness spa on Governors Island, QC New York, is gearing up for a major expansion this summer. QC NY on Thursday announced plans to open a 15,000-square-foot addition in July, featuring sensory saunas, waterfalls, a salt room, a lavender room, an ice room, a relaxation room with waterbeds, and a 142-seat restaurant. The new multi-million dollar expansion will be located in Building 111.
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NYCxDESIGN 2024: What to see and do at New York City’s annual deep dive into design

Photo © 6sqft

May 9, 2024

NYCxDESIGN 2024: What to see and do at New York City’s annual deep dive into design

By Michelle Cohen

The design universe lands in New York City every spring for the NYCxDESIGN Festival. This major international design event, now in its 12th year, will be in full swing from May 16 to May 22. Expect an influx of visitors seeking the latest creative offerings, fresh ideas, and inspiration from the world of design. Anchored by the major industry fair ICFF and its satellites like WantedDesign, the city-wide festival is awash in new talent showcases, exciting retail launches, open studios, and exhibitions. The week-long-plus event is a great opportunity to source the best new visions and trends in furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories before they appear in your favorite magazines, blogs, and stores. Read on for a short list of highlights.
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Japan Parade returns to NYC this weekend

Photo courtesy of 7beachbum on Flickr

May 9, 2024

Japan Parade returns to NYC this weekend

By Aaron Ginsburg

A parade dedicated to Japanese culture is returning to New York City for its third year. On Saturday, May 11, the Japan Parade kicks off at 1 p.m. on Central Park West and West 81st Street and heads south to 68th Street. The parade will feature live music, martial arts, traditional dance and drum performances, appearances by prominent Japanese organizations, and more.
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Events & Things To Do

A ‘portal’ to Dublin opens in New York City

All photos courtesy of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership

May 9, 2024

A ‘portal’ to Dublin opens in New York City

By Devin Gannon

The cultural bond between Ireland and New York got a little stronger this week. A new public art installation "The Portal" debuted in Dublin and Manhattan on Wednesday, with a 24/7 live stream connecting the two cities. The sculpture, on view in New York City's Flatiron District and on Dublin's O'Connell Street, allows residents and visitors of both places to interact in real-time, bringing together people on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Events & Things To Do

May 8, 2024

A giant, confetti-shooting hot dog is now on view in Times Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

A confetti-shooting, 65-foot-long hot dog now sits in the heart of Times Square. Created by artists Jen Carton and Paul Outlaw, the animatronic sausage sculpture "Hot Dog in the City" seeks to celebrate the American hot dog while delving into the interconnected themes of consumption, capitalism, class, and culture within the context of the iconic New York City fast food. Located in Duffy Square, the installation, accompanied by programs and talks, is on view to the public through June 13.
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Four years after start of Covid, Green-Wood Cemetery opens community art memorial honoring New Yorkers

Photos courtesy of Erik McGregor

May 3, 2024

Four years after start of Covid, Green-Wood Cemetery opens community art memorial honoring New Yorkers

By Aaron Ginsburg

Four years after the start of the pandemic, a new memorial at Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery remembers the lives lost to Covid-19 and those still affected by the pandemic. Created by Naming the Lost Memorials (NTLM) and City Lore, "A Big, Slow, Majestic Covid Memorial" features tributes created by 22 community groups from across New York City. The memorial, stretching 200 feet across the cemetery's historic wrought-iron fence near the main entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street, is on view through June 3.
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