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

Photography can do more than document a crisis—it can challenge why the world has ignored it for so long. "Through Her Lens," a project from the END Fund and African Women in Photography, brings together five African woman photographers to explore how neglected tropical diseases affect women and girls across the continent. The resulting series moves beyond medical statistics to capture the people, families and communities living with these often-treatable illnesses. Maureen Gathoni, Maheder Haileselassie, Temiloluwa Johnson, Amarachi Nnoli and Jodi Windvogel have each spent time in the communities they photographed, contributing to the project. Their work addresses conditions including trachoma, intestinal parasites, schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis. The photographs explore everything from the stigma surrounding illness to barriers to clean water and healthcare, centering the dignity and resilience of those affected rather than reducing them to patients. Explore the outdoor exhibition at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza through December 3.

Get a rare glimpse inside a quintessential Brooklyn Heights 1839 Greek Revival townhouse, just steps from the world-famous Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The townhouse (1 Monroe Pl.) features a grand double parlor with soaring 13-foot ceilings and preserved period details, a spacious full-floor primary bedroom suite and five beautifully landscaped outdoor spaces. A fifth floor features floating stairs to the roof deck with both city and water views. Marvel at each room decked out by talented interior designers from New York and Brooklyn.

The Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse is open through November 1. It's closed Monday through Wednesday, operating from 11am to 7pm Thursdays and Fridays, and 10am to 6pm Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets cost $50 per person or $450 for a group of 10. Brooklyn Heights Association members can get in for $40.

Put a little more nature in your pantry at a hands-on workshop at Sky Farm LIC, a one-acre rooftop farm run by the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens. DIY Herbal Treats teaches participants how to turn herbal extracts into homemade goodies, including gummy bears, tea sachets and lozenges. Led by education coordinator Shyanne Washington, the three-hour community workshop is designed to be both fun and useful, all ending in take-home treats. The class takes place Friday, October 16, from 6 to 9pm at 37-18 Northern Boulevard in Long Island City. Tickets are $2.50 on Eventbrite.

Who you gonna call? The orchestra. The 1984 supernatural comedy classic Ghostbusters gets the live-concert treatment at United Palace on Saturday, October 17. The movie will be projected on a giant HD screen while an orchestra performs Elmer Bernstein’s Oscar-nominated score live. Expect proton packs, ectoplasm and plenty of Zuul energy as Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson battle Manhattan’s paranormal infestation with a symphonic backup.

Doors open at 6:30pm and the movie starts at 8pm at United Palace (4140 Broadway, at 175th St.). Tickets start at $29.

Comedy gets up-close-and-personal October 18 at Brooklyn Summit, an afternoon event from Comedy Social that drastically reduces the space between comedians and the audience. Does audience participation make you nervous? That may explain the bottomless bar at a noon show! The experience features a curated lineup of comedians, rapid-fire jokes and an intimate crowd, with drinks and food included. Come early to grab a seat (and a cocktail), then settle in for a show designed to feel more like a gathering than a traditional comedy-club performance. There’s limited capacity, so expect a cozy room and plenty of interaction. Brooklyn Summit takes place Sunday, October 18, at Summit 68 (68 Summit St.), Brooklyn. Doors open at 11am, the show starts at noon and tickets cost $60.

Comedy Spillage is back, and it’s bringing a “grown and sexy” night of stand-up, birthday celebrations and an after party to Slate (54 W. 21st St.). The long-running comedy showcase celebrates Trevor Bonner and Craig Foy’s birthdays, Libra season and 10 years of Comedy Spillage with a lineup led by Jay the Sing-a-median, plus Mugga, Kenny Woo, Dominic Leonelli, Daniel Geneen and Sashalyn Medina.

The show will be video recorded, so come prepared to be caught on camera. There's a "dress to impress" dress code, and seating is first come, first served.

Doors open at 5pm, with the show running from 6:30 to 8pm, followed by an after party until 10:30pm. The event is 21+, general admission tickets cost $33.85 and there’s a two-item minimum per person so come hungry for more than just laughs.

Want to get out of the city this fall? You're in luck: Classic Harbor Line offers scenic fall foliage sails aboard gorgeous vintage vessels with a front-row seat to the changing of the seasons stretching from the Hudson River to the Palisades. Cruises run multiple times a week from October 3 through November 15.

These elegant 1920s-style yachts make the experience extra special, and you'll get to see iconic and picturesque landmarks such as the George Washington Bridge, The Met Cloisters, the Palisades and the Little Red Lighthouse.

Classic Harbor Line offers several more unique options, too, including the Fall Foliage Brunch Cruises on Saturday and Sunday mornings and an Urban Naturalist-narrated tour with expert commentary on the fascinating geology of the Palisades and the Hudson River. There's also the Grand Palisades Fall Foliage Schooner Sail if you're looking to travel largely by wind, with more time to contemplate the beautiful surroundings. Every ticket includes a complimentary beverage.

There’s no spookier way to welcome the Halloween season than to visit BloodManor, the popular 10,000-square-foot haunted house that’s actually deemed too scary for children under 14.

Visitors will confront their deepest fears as they journey through dark, sinister corridors filled with twisted characters and scares at every turn. Incorporating state-of-the-art special effects, BloodManor brings unparalleled realism to the haunting experience thanks to a terrifyingly talented team of trained actors, set designers, makeup artists and more. Expect an unprecedented level of horror and excitement that lasts 30 minutes—or, more likely, 20 minutes as you run screaming. 

BloodManor is open every weekend and some weekdays from October 2 to November 7 at 359 Broadway in downtown Manhattan. General admission starts at $50 per ticket. You can purchase tickets for a timed entry here.

Sofy Gallery in Chelsea opens a new group exhibit, The Weight of Normal Things, on October 1, joining painters Susan P. Martin and Patrick Earl Barnes with photographer Mara Clemente for a meditation on beauty hiding in plain sight. Curated by Luca Cantore D’Amore, the exhibition considers everyday people, places and gestures through three distinct forms of attention. Martin’s paintings blur self-portraiture and landscape, Barnes shows quietly charged urban scenes and Clemente's photographs bring the intimacy. The show kicks off the gallery’s 2026/'27 season and runs through October 24. Admission is free, with an opening reception from 6 to 9pm on October 1.

When they say dinner is a journey, they usually don't mean it quite as literally as at The Infinite Table, an immersive dining experience combining a multi-course meal with 360-degree projection, sound and scent. Its latest experience, Oaxaca: Tierra y Tiempo, transports diners through the landscapes, traditions and flavors of Oaxaca, Mexico, with the room transforming alongside each course. The experience includes a three-course lunch or five-course dinner, with both standard and vegan menus available. Seatings take place at communal tables, making the meal as much about meeting fellow diners as exploring another culture. The Infinite Table holds four seatings (noon, 2pm, 5:30pm, 8pm) each day at ARTXNYC (409 W. 14th St.) Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from October 2 through 25.