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

Commemorate Memorial Day at two parades today, Monday, May 26.

The Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade kicks off in Bay Ridge at 11am on Monday, May 26 from 78th Street and Third Avenue. The route contiunes along Third Avenue to Marine Avenue up Fourth Avenue and over to John Paul Jones Park.

The Little Neck Douglaston Memorial Day Parade steps off at 2pm on Monday, May 26 from Jayson Avenue and Northern Boulevard; here's a map of the route. Event organizers say it's the largest continuously-held Memorial Day parade in the nation.

  • Things to do
  • Walks and tours

Bask in the beauty of Green-Wood Cemetery while listening to a concert by high-school musicians of the ISO Symphonic Band at Third Street. The musical selections commemmorate those who served in the armed forces, as well as feature music by some of Green-Wood's permanent residents, including James Weldon Johnson, Fred Ebb, and Leonard Bernstein.

Bring a blanket, a picnic, and friends for this afternoon concert on Monday, May 26, which is celebrating 25 years in Brooklyn. It's free to attend with donations encouraged. 

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  • Things to do

Bring the kiddos to the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) this Memorial Day to reflect on the holiday through hands-on artmaking projects that pay tribute to history and remembrance.

From 10:30am to 4:15pm on Monday, May 26, CMOM will host family-friendly activities like a memory house collage workshop (the youngins can adorably fill each room with family traditions, favorite recipes or images that represent loves ones they want to remember); a community memory ribbon installation (draw or write a happy memory onto a piece of ribbon and tie it to the group installation); a kitschy food magnet-making session (sculpt your favorite snack as a magnet for your fridge); and more. 

  • Things to do
  • Walks and tours

Get a front-row seat to witness ships from the US Navy, Coast Guard, and more on Memorial Day weekend. As an expert guide narrates, the 2.5-hour tour will visit historic military sites, monuments, and fortification. Plus, you'll get to see historic and modern fighting Navy ships up close as part of Fleet Week.

On this tour from Classic Harbor Line and Turnstile Tours, you'll hear stories from the Revolutionary War to today, with special emphasis on the role of the port in World War II. 

The Classic Harbor Line Military History Tour of New York Harbor will be held on Friday, May 23 and Monday, May 26. Tickets cost $106/person.

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  • Things to do
  • Festivals

Manhattanhenge is back. It's a special time when pedestrian traffic slows, and everyone's temporarily aware of their surroundings to observe the gorgeous natural occurrence. Manhattanhenge is an incredibly beautiful event that happens when the setting sun perfectly aligns with Manhattan’s east-west grid.

See "full sun on the grid" on Thursday, May 29 at 8:12pm ET and Friday, July 11 at 8:20pm.

As for "half sun" options, you can see that on Wednesday, May 28 at 8:13pm ET and Saturday, July 12 at 8:22pm.

According to Neil deGrasse Tyson, the best cross streets are 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, and 57th, as they’re wide blocks with interesting buildings for framing your photos. It is recommended to go east for the best views. 

  • Sports and fitness
  • Sports & Fitness

New York’s ultimate open-air yoga studio is back. Bryant Park just announced the return of its wildly popular free yoga series, with sessions running from May 28 through September 17. Now in its 22nd year, the beloved al fresco fitness tradition has grown from a few mats on the lawn to one of the city’s largest and most consistent community workout programs, often drawing more than 1,000 yogis per class. Led by over 30 of the region’s top instructors, each session offers a fresh flow, welcoming all skill levels and ages.

Classes take place twice a week: Tuesdays at 10am on the Upper Terrace and Wednesdays at 6pm on the Lawn. Registration is required (and spots go fast), so snag yours early and don't forget to BYO mat and water. Mats are not provided, and trust us, you don’t want to be the one practicing on bare concrete while your neighbor nails a headstand.

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  • Things to do
  • Events & Festivals

Get ready, Brooklyn—your favorite airborne pachyderms are about to make their grand descent. The annual Dumbo Drop returns Friday, May 30, bringing with it thousands of toy elephants parachuting from the rooftops of Dumbo’s Washington Street in one of the city’s most delightfully surreal spectacles.

Now in its ninth year, this gravity-defying fundraising event benefits local public schools, PS307 and The Dock Street Middle School, and has become a full-on neighborhood blowout. Two ticketed drops are scheduled at 5pm and 7pm, with toy elephants designed by artist Zeph Farmby floating down to eager crowds below.

Families can also swing by the free Dumbo Archway Party from 4–7pm, no ticket required. There, you’ll find a 20-plus activity Kids Zone put together by Brooklyn Bridge Parents, a giant bouncy slide powered by Elliston Pediatrics and a glitter-filled Bedazzling Extravaganza courtesy of Creatively Wild. 

Tickets are available now.

  • Art
  • Art

If you’ve ever walked down a Harlem block or past Fulton Street and thought, “Damn, that’s a look,” you already understand the heart of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s razor-sharp spring exhibition that puts the precision, politics and poetry of Black menswear on full, unapologetic display.

The exhibition is more than a fashion retrospective: it’s a sensory experience that feels like stepping into someone’s memory, someone’s vision, someone’s mirror.

"Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" is now on view at The Met Fifth Avenue through October 26.

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Wine down Wednesday? You had us at wine. To celebrate making it through the middle of the week, one of New York's natural wine bars is throwing a wine and music series to bring a little magic to the weekdays. 

Starting this April, Sauced is teaming up with The Standard, High Line for Wine Down Wednesdays. Throughout the month, the bar will be taking over the sips and the speakers on the ground floor of the hotel's bar and dining space, The Living Room. Natural wines will be on order plus a lineup of DJ sets and local talent curated by the wine bar’s radio station, Sauced Radio, will help turn the vibe. Can't make the party? Catch the full set the following week on the radio channel so you can get in on the fun. 

Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates:

Wednesday, April 16, 7-10pm

Wednesday, May 7, 7-10pm

Wednesday, May 28th, 7-10PM 

Seats are first-come, first-served, but there is plenty of standing room. But to guarantee a spot, reserve your spot on Resy

  • Movies

This free outdoor French film festival is back with a fashion-focused lineup. The festival is hosted by Villa Albertine, and this year's edition features three French films with English subtitles across several Manhattan parks. 

"This summer, cinephiles visiting local parks will be captivated by the glamour of French fashion through Films on the Green," event organizers said. "Held at three iconic locations in Manhattan, this year's selection of films is curated around the theme 'Fashion in Film.'"

Here's the 2025 schedule:

Friday, May 30 – Central Park, Cedar Hill: Coco Before Chanel by Anne Fontaine
Friday, June 13 – Washington Square Park, Garibaldi Plaza: The Young Girls of Rochefort by Jacques Demy
Friday, June 27 – Riverside Park South, 70th Street Pier Plaza: Falbalas by Jacques Becker

All screenings will be subtitled in English, free and open to the public. Screenings begin at sunset. Here's more about each film and exact show locations.

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