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Every year since 1818, the Farmers' Almanac has predicted weather trends and published astronomy info, gardening tips and folklore. Now, there's an urban version for New Yorkers featuring fashion forecasts, event listings and NYC trivia.
An Almanac of New York City for the Year 2023 is now available in local bookstores for $12.95, and editor Susan Gail Johnson shared some tips for how to make the most of the upcoming year.
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“It’s very much about celebrating New York and the quirky and weird and fun things that are out there,” said Johnson, a writer, longtime New Yorker and former staffer at the Museum of the City of New York.
The small-but-mighty compendium is tiny enough to tuck into a jeans pocket or a purse, but it crams a lot of detail into its petite pages. Looking in a metaphorical crystal ball, Johnson and her contributing writers expect socially conscious fashion to continue in prominence, along with Y2K looks and (brace yourself) low-rise jeans. As for weather, they anticipate “frequent flakes” from January 4 to 19 before temperatures plunge into frigid territory. As the year wears on, we’ll see Venus and Jupiter make a close approach to each other on March 1.
Overall for the year ahead, Johnson expects "a great year"—and we could all use one of those, right?
"Hopefully a lot of these events are going to be more back to what they were before," Johnson said, alluding to the pre-pandemic years.
Speaking of events, the book lists a special event or anniversary on every single day, ranging from the New York City Ballet’s performance of “Sleeping Beauty” (select dates from February 16-26) to the New York Tugboat Race (August 27). Johnson shared a few events she’s most looking forward to in the year ahead.
Must-do 2023 events
- Museum of the City of New York's Photography Triennial featuring professional and amateur photographers opening on March 10
- Fashion Institute of Technology's Fresh, Fly and Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip Hop, curated by a hip-hop scholar, on February 8
- The Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic looping around Marcus Garvey Park on Father’s Day on June 18
- Brooklyn Book Festival featuring a children's day around the weekend of October 1
- Day of Service in local parks on Earth Day
Top 3 NYC books
As for those weekends when you want to laze around on the couch—especially some of those cold, snowy days ahead—Johnson recommends some great NYC books to read. Here are her top picks.
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos, which she says is "so fresh and goofy" and gives "a window into what the '20s must have been like."
- The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem about two friends growing up in Brooklyn amid gentrification.
- Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann about Philippe Petit's daring high-wire stunt.
Quotes about NYC
The book features fascinating quotes about NYC from famous writers and leaders, and we wanted to leave you with a few of our favorites.
- "Turn which way you will, mechanics, carvers, carpenters, brick-layers, ship carpenters, cartmen, all is one continual bustle, from morning till ten o'clock at night. No wonder New York outstrips all her rivals." — Anna Royall, 1824
- "Here I am, in the great city of New York ... walking amid the hurrying throng, and gazing upon the dazzling wonders of Broadway." — Frederick Douglass, 1838
- “New York can be seen at her most magical when … the lighted skyscrapers at night are like sticks of Elizabethan jewelry.” — Cecil Beaton
An Almanac of New York City for the Year 2023 is available at local bookstores including Book Culture, McNally Jackson, The Strand, Kew & Willow, Books are Magic and at the New York Public Library shop. It's also available on Amazon.