Things to do in New York this week: Critics' picks
Find this week's best events, activities and things to do in NYC, as chosen by Time Out's critics.
Lower East Side Festival of the Arts
- Critics choice
- Free
Poets, playwrights, puppeteers and other performers in and around the Lower East Side will partake in this annual gathering centered at the Theater for the New City.
- Theater for the New City 155 First Ave, between 9th and 10th Sts
- Sat May 25 - Sun May 26
Brooklyn Flea
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
- Free
It’s that time of year when the grass defrosts and the Brooklyn Flea comes back outside in Fort Greene on Saturdays and Williamsburg on Sundays. Keep an eye out for Trees and Nails’ salvaged-wood kitchenwear ($30–$200) and wool cat sculptures by artist Mihaeko ($60–$200). Stop by Saraz Closet’s
- Brooklyn Flea Market Lafayette Ave, between Clermont and Vanderbilt Aves
- Sat May 25 - Sun Sep 29
World Science Festival
- Critics choice
Locations, times and prices vary; visit worldsciencefestival.com for details. This fun four-day affair combines scientific innovation with cutting-edge arts and culture. Special guests this year include James Watson, one of the discoverers of DNA structure, and actor and science lover Alan Alda.
- Location TBA
- Wed May 29 - Sun Jun 2
Museum
- Critics choice
- Free
Museum—a 60-square-foot repository located in an abandoned Tribeca freight elevator—debuted last May and, after closing to swap out exhibitions, has reopened for its second season. Its collection is a mishmash of found objects and artifacts donated by hobbyists; its permanent holdings include an
Governors Island
- Critics choice
- Free
The gratis ferry runs to this carless oasis through September, transporting New Yorkers to bike rental, concerts and art events. This year, New-York Historical Society curates the exhibit “WWII & NYC: Photography and Propaganda,” Empire Historic Arts organizes "Shipwrecked! A History of Maritime
- Governors Island Governors Island
- Sat May 25 - Sun Sep 29
Bicycle Fetish Day
- Critics choice
- Free
See how your cycle stacks up in contests for the Best Vintage, Commuter, Handmade, Small Wheel, Mutant and Ugly categories during Bicycle Fetish Day. Riders will perform BMX stunts, while Transportation Alternatives and Times Up! will provide safety tips. After the block party ends, head into City
- City Reliquary Museum 370 Metropolitan Ave, at Havemeyer St
- Sat May 25
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Monologue Rehearsal
- Critics choice
Interested in visiting a TV studio but unable to secure hotly coveted advance tickets? Late Night with Jimmy Fallon invites members of the public to watch a preshow monologue run-through at 3:50pm on days the show is taping. Visit the NBC Experience Store tour desk between noon and 1pm for tickets.
- NBC Experience Store 30 Rockefeller Plaza, between Fifth and Sixth Aves
- Mon May 27 - Tue Dec 31
The Classic Bike Tour of Brooklyn
- Price band: 3/4
- Critics choice
The cycling fanatics at Get Up and Ride, a bike-tour company that launched last summer, lead this spin through a few Brooklyn neighborhoods. The 12-mile ride (which takes about four hours, so you’re going at a leisurely pace) includes stops both at historic sites, such as the Brooklyn Heights
- Location TBA
- Sat May 25 - Wed Oct 9
The Moth StorySLAM!
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Ten stories. Three teams of judges. One winner. The outrageously (and deservedly) popular storytelling series pits local yarn spinners against one another, challenging them to deliver an impressive tale based on a specific theme. Get in line early, as spots for raconteurs and spectators alike go
- Housing Works Bookstore Cafe 126 Crosby St, between E Houston and Prince Sts, 10012
- Fri May 31
Bike Month NYC
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Each year, Transportation Alternatives and several biking businesses and nonprofits collaborate to make May the most cycling-friendly time of year. The full schedule is still to be announced, but look out for pedal-powered events such as Bike Expo New York (May 3, 4) and the TD Five Boro Bike Tour
- Various locations
- Sat May 25 - Fri May 31
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