Courtesy CC/Flickr/Susan Sermoneta
Courtesy CC/Flickr/Susan Sermoneta

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

This is what’s driving us bonkers in NYC right now and making us (almost) want to move

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We live in a walk-and-talk kind of town—I get it. When I’m on my morning commute or running between meetings, you can bet your ass I’m using that precious time to “catch up on calls,” which is code for “calling my mother.” However, I see more and more people roaming the streets while FaceTiming. This behavior is unacceptable.

RECOMMENDED: See more New York rants

Listen, I can understand that the occasional tourist would want to share their trip to the Best City on Earth through the lens of their iPhone for someone back home. But this is not what’s happening here. These distracted lollygaggers are always discussing some meaningless nonsense (personally, my conversations are witty, informative and brief) with some groggy pal in a disheveled bed right here in the tristate area.

While I get the allure of a face-to-face convo, these FaceTimers are pinballing into pedestrians and completely ignoring the flow of traffic. Must I get bumped around so that you can whisper sweet nothings to your boyfriend in Yonkers?

Let’s bring back the days when New Yorkers just obnoxiously shouted into their phones with a robust disregard for others. At least then they would see where they were going.

Not all of NYC is annoying!

  • Things to do
  • Sport events

NYC’s biggest running event is back with the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, which will see thousands of runners from all over the world compete in a 26.2-mile race that spans all five boroughs. It’s impressive, to say the least! Even if you’re not running in the event, turning out to cheer on the athletes is time well spent.

In our 2026 NYC Marathon guide, we've answered your most pressing questions about the TCS NYC Marathon so you can plan accordingly. 

  • Things to do

Get spooky under the sea at the American Museum of Natural History on October 31, when the annual Halloween Celebration takes over the Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life under the iconic Blue Whale. The family-friendly festivities include themed arts and crafts, face painting, balloon animals and a live marine biology experience with Island Fish and Scale. Kids can also trick-or-treat throughout the first floor and join a costume parade, showing off this year's trendiest character costumes. The celebration runs from 11am until 4pm, and while costumes are encouraged, organizers kindly ask you leave the Halloween masks at home.

The spooktacular festivities cost $25 per person, or $15 for member—that's on top of regular admission fare for the day (pay-what-you-wish for NY state residents, non-residents: $37 per adult, $22 per child, $30 students and seniors).

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  • Things to do

La Catrina and a troupe of larger-than-life skeleton puppets are descending upon the New York Botanical Garden for Día de los Muertos. Created by artists Lucrecia Novoa and Mascara Viva, the elaborate puppets will wander the Garden October 31 through November 2, from 1pm to 5pm, bringing one of Mexico’s most recognizable cultural symbols to life through movement and storytelling. La Catrina originated as a satirical illustration by Mexican printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada before becoming an enduring symbol of Día de los Muertos. Catch the colorful artwork as part of NYBG’s fall celebration in the Bronx.

Good news: There's no added ticket needed to view the puppets, they can be found around the garden for all who paid admission.

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  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions

It may be third in the Olympics, but bronze is No. 1 at The Frick Collection. "Siena: The Art of Bronze, 1450–1500" brings together roughly 40 works exploring how Sienese sculptors turned the metal into objects of extraordinary beauty and technical sophistication. The exhibition features masters including Donatello, Vecchietta and Francesco di Giorgio, with many works that are rarely seen outside of Tuscany. Beyond the artistry, the show examines the technical hurdles and political complications that shaped bronze production in 15th-century Siena, revealing the ingenuity behind these intricate creations. It’s a chance to see Renaissance sculpture through a fresh lens and appreciate just how much craftsmanship goes into making something look effortless.

Tickets for The Frick Collection run between $17 (student) and $30 (adult) depending on the ticket you qualify for.

  • Movies
  • Documentary
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

Some films are important regardless of their cinematic quality. They have an urgency and a relevance that go beyond aesthetic consideration. This new film from Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, two of the filmmakers behind Palestinian-Israeli Oscar-winner No Other Land, is one of those. And it’s one of the year’s best.

The film consists of the testimony of 24 anonymous ex-members of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). The interviews take place in the dark on rooftops in Tel Aviv, overlooking apartment buildings and streets where the night-time traffic passes. Abraham questions his subjects and listens to what they have to say—they are anonymous shapes in the dark with quiet reasonable voices. 

NAZA puts together a restrained, intelligent, articulate, precise and utterly damning case against Israel’s actions in Gaza and their ongoing actions throughout the region. As a work of cinema, it is exemplary. As a work of journalism, it is inarguable.

Read more of John Bleasdale's review here.

In cinemas worldwide October 15.

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  • Things to do

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.

  • Things to do

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.

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  • Things to do
  • Sport events
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

Fall means a lot of things, but one of the most universal—in the U.S. anyway—is football. Long ago, New York City was blessed with not one, but two NFL teams: the Jets and the Giants. Unfortunately, the Jets were not blessed with the ability to win (we're still holding onto Super Bowl III), and while the Giants do have four championships under their belt, 2012 was a long time ago in sports years. Still, heading to MetLife Stadium on a Sunday in the fall is a bucket-list experience you'll want to check off—and it's one you may get to have for a lower price than exprected, thanks to those records and the fact that the North East stadium doesn't have a roof (bring a poncho if it's going to rain and a heavy blanket if it's below 35 degrees). If you don't care as much about seeing a good game, and a good time is all you're after, grab some friends and tailgate gear and join the most optimistic pessimists you've ever seen—we're actually a lot of fun.

(Written by a lifelong Jets fan.)

Check the game schedules for the Jets here, and the Giants here.

  • Things to do

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.

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