The Time Out New York news

Do you watch Better Call Saul? Do you have an affinity for free things? Do you love curly fries more than most people you know? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions (and the last was a given), then you'll really love this.  AMC is partnering up with Postmates to dispatch completely free fried chicken and curly fries to NYC residents from Monday, August 20 through Wednesday, August 22. These thousands of mini-meals come courtesy of Los Pollos Hermanos, the fictional fast-food chain run by fictional meth-king Gustavo Fring from both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. (In reality, the meals will be cooked in various kitchens across the city). Each order will include two pieces of fried chicken and a bag of curly fries, both stamped with the restaurant's cartoon labels. To get the free food, search for the Los Pollos Hermanos venue in the Postmates app and place your order. It will come straight to you! You won't even have to pay for service or delivery fees, but orders are limited to one per person.    The offer officially ends Wednesday at 11:59pm, and like all these deals, it's while supplies last. So better call Postmates Monday at noon.  

This weekend is a good time to get thrifty. Why? Because it’s National Thrift Store Day! The sustainable holiday was started by ReuseNYC, an association of New York City nonprofits that accept and redistribute donated goods. We’re glad it exists because it’s a much-needed reminder that shopping secondhand is always a great idea. When you thrift, you’re helping the planet by reducing excess waste, giving back to those in need and scooping up unique duds no one else has. But it’s an even better decision to extend your patronage to some of your favorite thrift shops today as many ReuseNYC members (and a few other non-associated participants) are offering storewide discounts and sales. Not sure where to start? Well, you can peep our best thrift stores list or participate in DonateNYC’s thrift store crawl. Partners include Housing Works, Vintage Thrift, Goodwill NY and the Salvation Army in Gramercy, all of which are offering 20 percent off for folks on the crawl. The event kicks off tonight at 5pm and lasts until 8pm (but Vintage Thrift closes at 7pm). Snacks and refreshments are provided to fuel your shopping endeavors, and each guest receives a punch card to use at each location. Once it’s filled, you’ll be eligible to win prizes from DonateNYC partners. Register for the free crawl here, and check out some of the other the deals you can snag in different boroughs below. All Housing Works thrift store locations in the city are offering 20 percent off with download of the

Last night, some of the best burgers in New York City gathered to feed the hungry masses at LIC Landing at the 2018 Time Out New York Battle of the Burger. More than 1,250 people attended our event (#TOBURGERBATTLE) to taste test their way through 10 meaty creations and a bottomless supply of ice-cold Budweiser, and they didn’t let any sort of limited stomach size stand in their way. Reppin' their patties this year were 5 Napkin Burger, BarKogi, The Baroness, The Dram Shop Bar, Eats on Lex, GENUINE Roadside, Harlem Shake, Peter McManus Cafe, P.J. Clarke's and Strip House. While scouring the best patties, attendees also got to dig into wings from Hooters, fries from FryGuys, dessert treats at the My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream Mochi Bar™ and refreshments from Brooklyn Crafted, Essentia Water and Spindrift sparkling water.  Photograph: Rebecca Smeyne   Photograph: Rebecca Smeyne   Photograph: Rebecca Smeyne Our guest judges (the burgeratti) dug into each burger in a blind taste test. Katie Lee Harman (@tastesofny), Mike Puma and Ben Davis (@gothamburgersocialclub), Jackie Freiberg (@bon_nappetit), Rev Ciancio (@revciancio, @theburgeratti) as well as Time Out's own staff writer Will Gleason tried 'em all, and the winner of the Judge’s Choice Award went to Harlem Shake's Hot Mess burger, a Pat LaFrieda beef patty smothered with American cheese, onions, pickles, bacon relish, pickled cherry peppers and chipotle mayo. Psst, you’re drooling. Photograph: Rebecca Smeyne

With the news that the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, died on Thursday at her home in Detroit, an outpouring of tributes have sprung up, from obituaries celebrating the singer's staggering career to personal remembrances from Barack Obama to Paul McCartney. Earlier in the week, when news came out about Franklin's failing health, fans got to work setting up an impromptu tribute to the singer at Tribeca's Franklin Street Subway station. Messages appeared around the station and on staircases leading to the street. One stairway reads "Aretha makes me feel like a natural woman." Another, "Say a little prayer for Aretha." There's no telling how long it'll stay up so if you want to see it, head there now. (Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights also has tributes to the singer.) Franklin Street subway station, TriBeCa, NYC #ArethaFranklin (Artist: Anonymous) A post shared by Bobby Slew (@robertstevens) on Aug 14, 2018 at 4:17pm PDT Franklin Street subway station, TriBeCa, NYC #ArethaFranklin (Artist: Anonymous) A post shared by Bobby Slew (@robertstevens) on Aug 14, 2018 at 4:13pm PDT   The stencil people work fast pic.twitter.com/O721W9pn2K — Amanda Mull (@amandamull) August 16, 2018 It's not the first time subway station has been used to memorialize a musician. And it's not the only place people are remembering Franklin: People have been leaving flowers and tributes at the Apollo Theater, where there's a plaque for the icon on the sidewalk.

One of the world's most prominent criminals is being held in New York City as he awaits trial. And during the course of his judicial proceedings, he'll be the cause of regular traffic disruptions on one of the world's most prominent historical landmarks. The criminal is Joaquín Guzmán, the Mexican kingpin better known as El Chapo. The landmark is the Brooklyn Bridge. The paths of each are poised to cross in a terribly inconvenient fashion later this year in what is quickly becoming one of the strangest New York City crime stories in recent memory.  El Chapo's trial is slated to begin on November 5 at the Federal District Court in Brooklyn. But unlike nearly every other detainee who is facing trial at that location, he's being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a high-security jail in lower Manhattan, rather than the federal jail in Brooklyn. This week, the New York Times pointed out that transporting the drug lord across the East River will force authorities to temporarily close traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge twice a day during the course of the trial. The bridge has already seen some closures as a result of the situation, as El Chapo has been arraigned for hearings at the Brooklyn courthouse. The trial may carry on for up to four months, making the whole ordeal a giant headache for those who are trying to get across the 135-year-old landmark via car. The situation is unusual, but so are the circumstances under which the notorious figure was brought to New York.

It’s about to become a lot more expensive to park in New York. The Department of Transportation is set to roll out previously announced parking rate increases across the city beginning next month in Brooklyn. The rate hikes, the first increase in parking prices since 2013, will affect both passenger and commercial vehicles and will vary by location and meter type. (Between this and the L train shutdown, some of these new shuttle services are looking a lot more attractive.) In Manhattan’s core (parts of lower Manhattan and midtown to 59th Street) commercial meters will increase from $4, $5 and $6 for the first, second and third hour to $6, $7 and $8, respectively. Other areas in Manhattan below 96th Street will see parking rate increases of $1 per hour. Passenger vehicle meters in Manhattan will be increasing between fifty cents and $1 depending on your location. Another new addition will be a progressively-priced second hour for parking in Manhattan. For passenger vehicles in midtown, that means a pretty big price increase for that second hour from the current $3.50 to $7.50. For a helpful look at the pricing increases for various locations in the city, check out this interactive map. By entering an address into the search bar, you can see what specific color-coded zone that parking in that part of town will cost you once the new rates go into effect. The exact rollout schedule for the price increases are as follows:  Brooklyn – September 4, 2018 Manhattan- October 1,

You know the saying: When 29 doors close, another 29 open! At least, that's how the phrase works according to Refinery29. Of course, we're hinting at the return of the the major media brand's formerly free but still totally-interactive art exhibition dubbed 29Rooms. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to 29Rooms in NYC Chances are, the name rings a bell. The experience has flooded your Instagram feed with FOMO-inducing, eye-popping images every fall New York Fashion Week since 2015. Now entering its fourth run, the usually sold-out event is back for not just one but two extended weekends in September to keep up with the demand.  In keeping with tradition, ticket holders can wander through 29 rooms designed by retail brands, artists and other creatives inside a large space. The theme for last year's choose-your-own-adventure experience was "Turn It Into Art," and R29 had a diverse group of contributors including emerging and established creatives such as actor Jake Gyllenhaal, artist JeeYoung Lee, poet Ashlee Haze and musician Madame Gandhi.  You can expect a new set of incredible talent to be involved for 2018's subject, "Expand Your Reality." According to R29, the premise is meant to inspire guests to open themselves up to a world of endless possibilities while ditching self-limiting beliefs. We like the sound of that! There will be more details about who is involved with this year's project in the coming weeks.  As usual, the attraction is set in Kings County, but the event is

We truly love how the Tribeca Film Festival has grown over the last 17 years, establishing a strong curatorial identity as a prestige destination for edgy documentaries, well-chosen midnight movies and fun gala events (often involving co-founder Robert De Niro). Today, the festival announced a small—but significant—shift in timing: Tribeca's 18th edition will take place from April 24 to May 5, a week later than usual. Past start dates have been midmonth, right after Tax Day. Festival watchers (like yours truly) find the move an interesting one, because it creeps the event that much closer to Cannes, a fest that usually begins the second week of May. Optics-wise, it positions Tribeca as more of a competitor to France's ultra-prestigious event; it may result in a better selection of narrative features being available to the hard-working NYC team that chooses our selection. Speaking of selecting, the Tribeca Film Festival also announced today the addition of a new Critics Week sidebar, in which a handful of professional film critics (hey, where's our invitation?) will choose a slate of five to seven features to be screened throughout the festival. This year's panel is exceptionally strong, and includes Vanity Fair's K. Austin Collins, the Village Voice's Bilge Ebiri, Indiewire's Eric Kohn, BuzzFeed's Alison Willmore and Vulture's Emily Yoshida. “The New York critical community has long been our compatriots in championing the most exciting new voices and trends in cinema, so w

At a recent event in the Meatpacking District, we spotted a charming little bright orange bus parked on a cobblestoned street serving up freshly prepared glasses of the undisputed drink of summer, Aperol spritzes. “What a whimsical little bus,” we thought, as its bright colors drew us in a hypnotic daze towards its orange-attired attendants. “Wherever did it come from?” After a brief discussion with a literal bus boy named Cameron, we discovered that the bus was not actually a bus at all, but technically an “ape,” a small Italian three-wheeled commercial vehicle that sort of resembles a vespa scooter. “Sure, ok,” we responded and walked away with our cocktail. But sometimes even the briefest encounters don’t leave you. They linger, like meaningful dreams. So the next day, we emailed the Aperol corporation looking for answers and hoping for information on where we could find this perky little bar bus again. “Just want to make sure you’re reaching out about the Aperol Ape and not a bus,” they quickly replied. “Yes. That’s the one.” “Great! The Ape will be popping up again at the Jazz Age Lawn Party on August 25 and August 26, the Sea.Hear.Now on September 29 and 30 and the Catskill Food and Wine Festival on October 6 and 7. At those events, the Ape will feature music, Wi-Fi, a bubble machine, and seating and shade for those hot summer afternoons.” But what about what drew us to the great ape in the first place? “Additionally,” they went on. “The Ape will be used as an a

New York City is a stylish place, but not everyone within the five boroughs has the means to dress to the nines seven days a week. And for those who want to impress at a job interview but don't own—or can't afford—any style accessories, the New York Public Library has a new solution.  The system’s Riverside Library branch on the Upper West Side unveiled a new collection of ties, briefcases and handbags last week, which cardholders can take out for occasions like interviews, weddings and other events that call for a little more je ne sais quoi. The accessories are a part of the library's Grow Up initiative, a lending program that's funded through the NYPL's Innovation Project. Any NYPL library member can check out a piece of gear at the location's second floor information desk, so long as they have less than $15 in fees on their account.  The program is only active at the one location, but the NYPL also points out that it has a whole host of resources for job seekers. “We also have information sheets on job interview tips, free career resources and suggested books, and websites and organizations that can help with professional fashion advice and attire,” Michelle Lee, a young adult librarian at the branch, wrote in a post.  So while the NYPL will almost certainly never offer a full-blown Rent the Runway option, it's good to see that they're helping New Yorkers clean up their look, one tie and handbag at a time.