Are people who FaceTime while walking down the street literally insane?

If you’ve ever wished New York would hit the mute button on traffic for a few hours, your favorite summer fantasy is about to become reality. Summer Streets is back this month, turning more than 20 miles of roads across all five boroughs into giant, car-free playgrounds where walkers, runners, cyclists and roller skaters can take over streets normally clogged with traffic. This year’s edition unfolds over five Saturdays between July 25 and August 22, with free activities, live performances, fitness classes, art installations and plenty of room to simply wander down the middle of the avenue.

The season kicks off on the 25th, with simultaneous routes in Queens and Staten Island. In Queens, Vernon Boulevard will be closed to car traffic between 44th Drive and 30th Road, creating a waterfront route through Long Island City and Astoria. Staten Island’s route runs along Broadway between Richmond Terrace and Harvest Avenue, linking West Brighton with one of the borough’s busiest commercial corridors.

Then come three straight Saturdays in Manhattan—August 1, 8 and 15—featuring the event’s longest route yet. Participants can travel from the Brooklyn Bridge all the way north to Dyckman Street, following Lafayette Street, Park Avenue, East 110th Street, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Broadway through the heart of the borough. Streets will be open from 7 am to 3 pm, giving early risers eight uninterrupted hours to explore. The series wraps up on August 22, when Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway—from Grand Army Plaza to Buffalo Avenue—and the Bronx’s Grand Concourse—from East Tremont Avenue to Mosholu Parkway—become pedestrian-first corridors from 9 am to 5 pm.

If you've ever wanted to channel your inner Andy Sachs (or practice your best Miranda Priestly glare), your moment has arrived. Starting Wednesday, July 29, the Museum of Arts and Design at Columbus Circle will turn part of its galleries into “Welcome to the Runway: An Immersive Experience,” a free-with-admission pop-up celebrating the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2’s streaming debut on Disney+ and Hulu. Running through August 9, the interactive installation invites fans to step into some of the sequel's most recognizable fashion moments, complete with plenty of photo ops worthy of your Instagram grid.

The fan experience recreates several cinematic settings inspired by the stylish film, including Miranda Priestly's intimidating desk and the Runway closet, where visitors can pose as though they've just landed fashion's most impossible internship. Guests can also bookend their visit with personalized styling consultations and learn how to perfect a runway walk before strutting down a sleek white catwalk while cameras capture the moment on video.

Original costumes worn by film stars Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and more will also be on display throughout the installation, offering a closer look at the wardrobe that's helped make The Devil Wears Prada one of the most influential fashion films of the past two decades. Whether you're a longtime devotee who quotes "That's all" on the regular, or are simply looking for a fun summer outing, the installation leans into the fantasy of stepping inside the glamorous world of high fashion.

If you've been looking for an excuse to finally book that Bangkok Supper Club reservation, here it is: one of Washington, D.C.'s buzziest cocktail bars is popping up behind the Greenwich Village bar for a single night this week.

On Wednesday, July 29, Bangkok Supper Club will host a one-night takeover from Press Club, the acclaimed D.C. cocktail destination. The guest shift runs for two seatings—6 pm to 8 pm and 8 pm to 10 pm—and gives New Yorkers a chance to sample some of the cocktails that have made the capital bar one of its hottest reservations.

Press Club, which opened in 2024, has become known for drinks that combine meticulous technique with seasonal ingredients and draw inspiration from music and cocktail culture. For the takeover, managing partner Will Patton will bring several of the bar's signature creations to New York, each one sounding as dramatic as a favorite album track. Among them is the Temptation, a bright, summery mix of Patrón Blanco, Chenin Blanc, serrano pepper, mango, lime and shiso. If you prefer something richer, there's Nights Over Egypt, which blends Angel's Envy Bourbon with yogurt, Bordeaux, blackberry and lemon before finishing with an unexpected dusting of yogurt powder. There will also be a handful of additional specialty cocktails available only during the event.

On Saturday, August 1, the second annual LIC Wellness Fest will turn a block of Long Island City into a free outdoor fitness festival packed with workouts, recovery sessions, wellness experiences and the Hurricane Fit Race, an urban obstacle course designed for participants of all fitness levels. The event runs from 10 am to 4 pm at 27-25 44th Drive, just off Jackson Avenue, with nearby access to the E, M, G and 7 trains.

Rather than the usual browse-and-stroll format of many neighborhood festivals, the day is built around participation: visitors can take instructor-led classes, test themselves on the obstacle course, try recovery experiences, explore wellness activations and meet local fitness and wellness businesses throughout the day.

The centerpiece is the Hurricane Fit Race, which turns an entire city block into a series of strength, endurance and agility challenges. Registration is required to compete, but spectators are welcome too. Beyond the race, a $10 VIP Wellness Class Pass grants access to the day's full lineup of classes, including a morning sound bath, yoga, Afrobeat aerobics, a Queensboro dance workshop and a closing reflection session. General admission to the festival itself is free.

Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl that famously escaped from the Central Park Zoo in 2023 and became a myth of sorts in New York, is the subject of a new documentary titled Wild Inside by director Penny Lane. Before officially opening at Manhattan's IFC Center on July 31 followed by a nationwide theatrical release, the feature will enjoy a very New York kind of world premiere at a special outdoor screening that will be free and open to the public inside Central Park on July 29. We told you, very New York.

Featuring footage from NYC birders and interviews with New Yorkers who have come to love Flaco, plus wildlife experts, Wild Inside takes a look at the bird's life, with particular attention paid to his escape following damage to his zoo enclosure, the ensuing owl hunt that took over the city, his 2024 death after colliding with an Upper West Side building and all the books, exhibits, merch and films that have honored him since.

If you've ever looked at a perfectly good birthday cake and thought, "You know what this needs? Twenty-plus hot dogs," congratulations: Oscar Mayer has beaten you to it.

To celebrate the 90th birthday of its gloriously absurd Wienermobile, the company is teaming up with Milk Bar to launch the Oscar Mayer Wiener Cake, a two-tier birthday cake wrapped with more than 20 Oscar Mayer wieners and topped with ketchup-and-mustard-colored confetti sprinkles and a tiny Wienermobile cake topper. The limited-edition creation goes on sale beginning this Friday, July 31, at select Milk Bar locations in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, while supplies last.

Beginning this week, Seaport Cinema outdoor movies will again be taking place on the Heineken Riverdeck at Pier 17 (89 South Street), running every Tuesday night at sundown around 8 p.m. with stunning waterfront views of the Brooklyn Bridge and movie-themed concessions. The seasonal tradition kicks off on Tuesday, July 21 with the Nicolas Cage-led caper National Treasure, followed by a string of beloved comedies including She's The Man (July 28), Legally Blonde (August 4) and 13 Going on 30 (August 11).

Things get romantic later in August with screenings of Crazy Rich Asians (August 18) and Dirty Dancing (August 25), before the summertime series finishes off on September 8 with the sporty biopic King Richard, starring an Oscar-winning Will Smith as Serena and Venus Williams' father-slash-coach Richard Williams. 

As usual, every screening will be free and open to the public, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis. And given the outdoor nature of the series, attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets to sit on. You are also allowed to bring your own food, or order from the venue's on-site restaurants. There will also be a dedicated Heineken Zone, complete with reserved seating and a bucket of Heineken brews, available for $25; tickets will be on sale at The Seaport website. 

New York City Restaurant Week is among the five boroughs’ best food holidays. Traditionally, New Yorkers (and a few lucky tourists) clear their dining schedules and make reservations at the city’s best special occasion spots, high-profile newcomers and all-time favorite restaurants for deals unseen the rest of the year. Hundreds of destinations participate citywide, with menu prices below their typical tabs. 

For NYC Restaurant Week, restaurants curate their menus and produce prix fixe selections for brunch, lunch, dinner and sometimes all three. Saturdays are formally excluded and Sundays are discretionary, so expect regular menu prices at those times unless otherwise stated. 

The summer 2026 campaign will run from July 20 to August 16. That's nearly a month to choose from oodles of NYC classics and recent culinary additions. 

One of New York's hottest dance parties is making its much-awaited return this month, and with a seriously impressive lineup to boot. Kicking off on Friday, July 24, the MoMA PS1 Warm Up series turns the museum's courtyard into a dancefloor with DJ sets and live performances on six Friday evenings in July and August.

The 2026 lineup spotlights innovators in electronic music hailing from here in New York City and around the world: think post-rave hardcore techno, jungle-house DJs, Detroit machine funk outfits, experimental electro tunes and much more.

Long Island City residents with proof of residency in ZIP codes 11101, 11106 or 11109 get one complimentary ticket per event on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that a limited number of tickets are reserved for local residents at each Warm Up event. 

Spend your Thursday nights by the Hudson at River & Blues, Battery Park City's beloved free concert series. Returning to Wagner Park on July 9, 16, 23 and 30, the waterfront tradition pairs sunset views with an eclectic lineup spanning New Orleans brass, country-soul and roots music. This year's performers include Grammy-winning New Orleans institution Rebirth Brass Band, powerhouse duo The War and Treaty, singer-songwriter Allen Stone and Amelia Day, with DJ collective A Vibe Called Blessed warming up the crowd each week. Doors open at 6:30pm, concerts start at 7:30pm and admission is free, though advance RSVP is encouraged.