What to do on Sunday in New York City: 50 great ideas

Watch movies outdoors at Habana Outpost

Watch movies outdoors at Habana Outpost
Every Sunday from May through October, this Brooklyn eco-eatery hosts alfresco films like Pulp Fiction and Ghostbusters, screened over its outdoor patio. The only thing better than butter popcorn with a flick? Grilled Mexican-style corn on the cob. Munch away. Free.

Hear live classical music at the Frick Collection

Few experiences in New York City can compare with taking in a lieder concert, piano recital or chamber-music performance in this stately old mansion-cum-art-museum’s elegant music room, where scores of prominent musicians have made their first local appearances. Show up early to check out the gallery, which is pay-what-you-wish from 11am to 1pm on Sundays. $35, members $30; pay-what-you-wish Sun 11am–1pm.

Bet on ponies

Corral your crew and head to the races for a day of equine-inspired revelry at Belmont Park (Apr–July). In planning your race-day wardrobe, keep in mind that there is a “tradition of elegance” at the track. You don’t have to dress to the nines, but an ascot never hurt anyone. If you’re feeling lucky, try your hand at betting—you can wager as little as $1 at most races. Visit website for schedule; $3.

See great theater for under a buck at Soho Rep

On Sundays, shows at Soho Rep, one of our favorite Off Broadway theaters, cost only 99¢. Just make sure you’re on the ball when they go on sale; since performances are typically $35 to $40, these tickets understandably disappear fast. Visit the company’s website for performance times.

Watch free film screenings at the Brooklyn Public Library

• Free

The borough’s flagship library branch presents a free monthly silent-film series on Sunday afternoons. Typical offerings include the slapstick antics of Laurel and Hardy and the swashbuckling of Douglas Fairbanks. All films are archival quality, projected onto a six-by-eight-foot screen. See website for schedule.

Scream at Alley Pond Park Adventure Course

Thrill seekers should head to this series of obstacles designed for team-building and scaring the crap out of you. Live out your Indiana Jones fantasy by scaling a bouldering wall, whizzing down the zip line, balancing on a high wire and getting catapulted from the Human Swing Shot, a device that lifts you 45 feet in the air before sending you into free fall. Free.

Visit BLDG 92

In November 2011, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation opened a new visitors’ center at the former shipbuilding complex, offering information on the facility and its connection to the surrounding neighborhoods. The gratis-admission location includes a café, weekend bus tours ($18–$30), bike tours (Mar–Oct; $24) and an 8,000-square-foot exhibition space that features the permanent “Brooklyn Navy Yard: Past, Present and Future” exhibit, as well as rotating offerings. A free weekend shuttle departs from Jay Street at Willoughby Street every 15 to 20 minutes. Free.

See great stand-up at Comedy Night at the Knit

The smooth and delightfully understated Hannibal Buress (of Adult Swim’s The Eric André Show) hosts fellow stand-ups at this free weekly showcase at the Knitting Factory. Performers are usually locals on the rise, but big names such as Chris Rock, Robin Williams and Sarah Silverman have been known to drop in for a set. Free.

Visit The 9/11 Memorial

Years of planning went into this monument, which opened to the victims’ families (and to the public a day later) on the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Called “Reflecting Absence,” the design by architect Michael Arad and landscapers Peter Walker Partners features two reflecting pools that sit within the footprints of the Twin Towers. Free.

Eat a home-cooked meal without the work

The stove-top-impaired can find solace in Sunday Suppers, a dinner party–cooking class hybrid from photographer and culinary enthusiast Karen Mordechai. A few times a month, guests gather at her airy Brooklyn loft; each person tackles a different job to create the seasonal menu. The unique charm of the resulting meal is in the details: custom-designed menus, elaborate floral arrangements and enticing parting gifts, such as homemade preserves, plus a stack of recipe cards for the next time the urge strikes to tie one on (an apron, that is). To make reservations, e-mail info@sunday-suppers.com or visit sunday-suppers.com. $85 and up.