The best things to do in NYC this week

The Perelman Performing Arts Center will open to the public this week, marking the final piece in the puzzle of the World Trade Center site. Twenty-two years after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, officials say the site offers hope at the sacred ground.

When it opens to the public on September 19, the Perelman will become the only major performing arts venue in Lower Manhattan. Its opening, former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, adds to the vibrancy and growth of Lower Manhattan.

A five-night global music series called "Refuge: A Concert Series to Welcome the World" will kick off the season. The first night's show on September 19 is called "NYC Tapestry: Home as Refuge" and will feature artists who have come from other parts of the world to make New York their home—particularly poignant amidst the backdrop of the humanitarian migrant crisis unfolding in the city.

As for free events, there's an Open House: Arts Community Day on September 27 and Open House: Five Borough Family Day on September 30.

Latin street food, fast casual fare and gourmet meals are nearly ubiquitous in New York, but to date, there has yet to be a place to eat the flavors of the Latin diaspora in one place. Now, one market is trying to change that.

New York’s first-ever Latin Night Market is coming to Dyckman Street (between Dyckman Plaza and Inwood Park) on Friday, September 22 from 4-10pm. The free event in Inwood will celebrate the start of Hispanic Heritage Month with food (think: fiery salsa, mofongo, empanadas, tacos, pupusas, chicharrones) and multi-stage music performances. Slated performances include salsa, reggae, rumba, jazz, Latin pop, and hip hop, plus family-friendly activities, art installations, raffles and giveaways.

The price-conscious art fair returns from September 20-24. With a $27 advance ticket, you can shop original paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures from 400 local, national and international artists. With price tags ranging from $100 to $12,000, you can fix up your apartment without breaking the bank.

Some of the fair highlights include Art After Dark programming, stroller hours, and conversations with the artists themselves. 

The already-striking David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center is about to get even more interesting looking.

SlowDancing/NYCB, a large-scale film installation by artist David Michalek, will be projected on the facade of the building every single night from September 18 through October 1 in celebration of the New York City Ballet’s 75th anniversary season. 

Free and open to the public, the show features over 50 hyper-slow-motion films of the dancers who call the venue home. The installation lasts about 100 minutes and it will be played on a continuous loop on three screens, each one 40 feet high and 28 feet wide, from 7pm to 11:30pm nightly. 

The public's thirst for all things immersive continues strong.

Case in point: "Welcome to the Continental: The Hotel Bar Experience," a new pop-up at 82 Beaver Street in the Financial District inspired by the much-anticipated John Wick prequel, The Continental: From the World of John Wick.

According to an official press release, at the pop-up, guests will be able to "venture into the hotel's cryptic underworld for an unforgettable evening of decadent cocktails and live, interactive storylines with in-world characters and photo ops."

Reservations for the immersive experience are already open and you can make yours right here. The space will be open from September 21 through the 24, from September 27 through October 1 and then again from October 4 to the 8. 

Movies from the early 2000s will get the spotlight on a massive, 30-foot-tall screen at Hudson Yards this fall—for free!

Backyard at Hudson Yards will showcase a selection of free outdoor film screenings, every Friday through the end of October. This year, the films will all be romcoms and fantasy movies from the 2000s, such as Miss Congeniality, What A Girl Wants, Practical Magic (technically 1998) and Corpse Bride.

The screenings will be shown on a 30-foot screening, meaning everyone will have a good seat in the Public Square & Gardens

Here’s the screening schedule:

●  September 22 – Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
●  September 29 – Crazy, Stupid Love
●  October 6 – What A Girl Wants
●  October 13 – Practical Magic
●  October 20 – The Witches
●  October 27 – Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride

This new night market celebrates all things vegan. The Vegan Night Market coming to Central Park this summer will be the city's first night market celebrating plant-powered eats.

You'll get the chance to taste vegan foods from a variety of local vendors while listening to live music in a crowd of like-minded folks. Whether you're a seasoned vegan or curious about trying some plant-based meals, all are welcome.

Find the Vegan Night Market at Wollman Rink in Central Park from 4-10pm every Tuesday from June 6 to October 10. It's free to enter. The market's hosted by MHG Events, who also run the Uptown, Brooklyn and Bronx Night Markets.

Pablo Picasso is said to have uttered the phrase: "For me there are only two kinds of women—goddesses and doormats." But the latest exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum shows him the door.

"It's Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby" juxtaposes the famous artist's works next to feminist pieces with similar themes. Quips by Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby on wall texts lampoon Picasso's works (like "No head. No arms. The sculptor shapes only what is absolutely necessary ... for him."). It's on view through September 24. 

This week includes a lecture called "But Feminism! A Last Look at It’s Pablo-matic" on September 20.

We could all use a big plate of pasta chased with a cannoli right about now. The Feast of San Gennaro is here to meet those needs with its annual festival featuring parades, live music and of course, glorious foods. There's even a cannoli-eating contest.

The festival runs from September 14-24 in Little Italy.

An exciting four-day festival during Climate Week NYC will bring together bright minds about the future of climate and our communities, including scientist and inventor Bill Nye!

From 10am to 6pm, between September 20 and 23, the Climate Science Fair by Emerson Collective will aim to encourage optimism and conversation with artists, students, entrepreneurs, scientists, leaders and more, who are doing cool things to better our response to climate change.

For example, festival-goers will hear from an artist who is turning vacant lots into neighborhood farms and a leader who is creating the world’s first hybrid-electric airplane, plus an organization planting millions of climate-resilient trees.

Bill Nye, specifically, will speak on Friday, September 22, at the High Line’s 10th Avenue Square about the optimism that exists as communities work to implement climate solutions.

“Climate optimism means being clear-eyed about the challenges before us, while drawing inspiration from those—like the participants at the Climate Science Fair—working to overcome them,” said Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder and president of Emerson Collective.

Take a cinematic journey through NYC history from the 1920s to the 2020s at New York on Film: Decade by Decade. This monthly series explores how New York has been imagined both by Hollywood studios and a diverse range of documentary, independent and experimental filmmakers. From beloved classics and indie favorites to rarely-seen gems, the series celebrates the city’s singular mix of influences and aesthetics, peoples and environments. 

Here's what's coming up:

— September 21, 7pm: The World, the Flesh and the Devil. Outdoor screening (weather permitting).

Twin brothers and vaudeville aficionados Max and Nicky Weinbach bring class back to the comedy scene—and this week celebrates six years of the show. Head to Under St. Mark's Theater in Manhattan on Thursday, September 21 for a special anniversary edition of "Vintage Basement," a neo-retro night of comedy and music filled with quirky, absurd antics and dovelike musical stylings.

Headliners include Jo Firestone, Eudora Peterson, Bonnie McFarlane, and magician Christian Cagigal. 

In this stand-up comedy showcase, hear from comedians of diverse backgrounds "coming together to look like a classic college brochure."

Cansu Karabiyik hosts and produces this night of laughs at Q.E.D. Astoria featuring comedians who've appearted on Netflix, Comedy Central, HBO and more. This week's Diversity Hire show runs on Friday, September 22.

You won't believe how seamlessly good comedy can work with pole dancing (you can read about it here). While stellar stand-ups deliver sets, pro dancers give the crowd something stare at. Think of it as a full-brain experience. Comics Dan Goodman, Joanna Ross and special guests will welcome talented pole dancers and comedians from across NYC. 

This weekend's shows on September 22-23 are dedicated to the music of Whitney Houston. "Wanna dance with somebody?" This show is your spot.

Witness an army of more than 7,000 glowing, intricately carved pumpkins at the annual Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. 

The annual pumpkin party will be back in the Hudson Valley at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson for the 19th year, from September 15 through November 19, as well as Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage, Long Island for the fourth year, from September 22 through November 5.

Ogling pretty gourds isn’t the only draw. There are also "stargazing" opportunities inside the Pumpkin Planetarium, flying ghosts and a special appearance by Sleepy Hollow’s Headless Horseman.

Tickets start at $37 for adults and $29 for children 3-17, and are free for children 2 and under.

Autumn brings some of the beautiful colors in nature with its crispy red leaves and bright orange pumpkins, so it's no surprise that Color Factory is going all out for the season as well.

The Soho immersive art museum will present Haunted Hues, a Halloween-themed takeover, running from September 14 to November 1 with plenty of tricks and treats. Tickets start at $39 and are on sale here.

The experience will include a pumpkin patch with a Color Factory twist, fun giveaways and fresh seasonal treats. Plus, guests can add on a new scavenger hunt to search for hidden monsters throughout the venue.

Times Square is a nightmare for so many of us already (cue the unkempt Elmos and the smelly, zombie-like crowds), but now it's even more terrifying.

Starting September 14, “Horrorwood Studios” opens its freakish doors in Times Square at 300 West 43rd Street for a spooky season of “heart-pounding” immersive experiences from artistic directors Will Munro and Katie McGeoch (the duo has spent more than two decades as the heads of Six Flags’ Fright Fest). Dubbed “TerrorVision - Live Screaming Your Nightmares,” you’ll live out your Samara dreams and step through a flickering TV screen into a horrible scene.

Filled with 140 actors across 20,000 square feet, what could be the largest haunted house in NYC, you’ll enter under the guise that you’re behind the scenes at the filming of an upcoming TerrorVision Halloween episode.

Tickets, which are $39 per person, can be purchased at facetheterror.com.

If you haven’t been to a show at Pier 17 yet, this scenic outdoor concert venue along the East River offers panoramic views of the skyline and a packed concert calendar. 

Here's what's coming up at Pier 17.

• September 19-20 - Tate McRae
• September 22 - Macklemore: The BEN Tour
• September 23 - Grace Potter
• September 28 - The Old 97's & Drive By Truckers
• September 29 - Dance Gavin Dance
• October 5 - Brothers Osborne
• October 11 - Eric Nam
• Plus, more shows to be announced.

Tickets are on sale now.

Join an elite group this Halloween season: The League of Inebriation Technology (L.I.T.), a storied institution dedicated to studying the celebratory effects of alcohol. Get in on the fun at The Drunken Laboratory, a bar in Brooklyn where you’ll wear lab coats and goggles for a night of sipping drinks and doing science. 

The bar's Haunted Laboratory experience includes a ghostly drink menu, haunted decor and scare actors for a truly immersive experience. Tickets are on sale now starting at $45; the experience begins on September 22 in Bed-Stuy with dates running through the finale on Halloween night. 

During the event, guests will try to free the laboratory from the clutches of the supernatural. Plus, you’ll get to compete against each other—from performing exothermic reaction experiments that send heat erupting into the air, to competing in ghoulish trivia quizzes—for the chance to win free themed shots, merch or hangover kits. 

The Frick will showcase an unprecedented display of Barkley L. Hendricks paintings drawn from private and public collections. Barkley L. Hendricks (1945–2017) revolutionized contemporary portraiture with his vivid depictions of Black subjects that emphasize the dignity and individuality of his sitters. Beginning in the late 1960s, his work drew from and challenged the traditions of European art. The exhibition is quite full circle as The Frick Collection—with its iconic portraits by Rembrandt, Bronzino, Van Dyck, and others—was one of his favorite museums.

This exhibition celebrates and explores the remarkable work of this pioneering American painter. “Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at the Frick” will be on view from September 21 through January 7, 2024.

Robert Indiana's iconic LOVE sculpture has been MIA from its usual corner of 55th Street and Sixth Avenue for the past few years, after the work was removed from its post for conservation in 2019. Now Rockefeller Center is bringing a little love—pun intended—back to New York with an installation of work from the American artist. 

From Wednesday, September 13 through Tuesday, October 24, see artworks from Robert Indiana throughout Rockfeller Center's landmark campus, including the long-awaited return of his LOVE sculpture to Manhattan.

A new exhibition in Brooklyn will celebrate and explores trans identity. "Identities" presents recent works, including a "femme wall" installation by artist Violet Frances, in conversation with a body of 100-plus photographs by an anonymous photographer of the 1920s-30s. Other featured artists include Lili Elbe, Bellmer, Picabia, Molinier, and others.

"Gender identity is generally understood as a person’s internal and individual experience of gender, one’s sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither, or anywhere along this spectrum," the gallery said in a statement. "This exhibition is about finding one’s identity and is built around two bodies of artwork that explore this complex process from the perspectives of two different artists."

See the show at "B" Dry Goods, a multidisciplinary gallery in Crown Heights from September 8 through October 21.

After a three-month closure for construction, the resplendent Neue Galerie New York is now open again with discounted admission. 

This elegant Upper East Side gallery focuses on early 20th-century Austrian and German art and design. Reduced admission for entry to the Klimt Gallery runs through October 2. 

While the building won’t necessarily look any different, the behind-the-wall upgrades over the summer were intended to promote sustainability and improve the visitor experience.

American Impressionism is making its way back to the National Arts Club this fall.

"In a New Light: American Impressionism 1870–1940" will highlight the work of important figures in the American Impressionism movement from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, including Childe Hassam, George Inness and John Sloan. Thirteen of the featured artists were once Artist Life Members of the NAC, making the exhibition a celebration of both the famed movement and the NAC's own history.

Over 130 pieces will be on display from September 5 to November 22 at the NAC's Tilden House in Gramercy Park for free. The works hail from the Bank of America collection.

A new art exhibit will put queer domesticity at the forefront this fall.

Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art's fall group exhibition, “Dreaming of Home,” will look at depictions of queer and trans domesticity via various perspectives and mediums. 

Curated by cultural advisor Gemma Rolls-Bentley, the exhibition starts with Catherine Opie’s famed 1993 photograph “Self-Portrait/Cutting,” which examines queer people’s desires and restrictions by society.

A free opening event on Wednesday, September 6, from 6 to 8pm will be open to all who want a first look at the exhibit at 26 Wooster Street in Soho. Additional programming following the theme of queer domesticity will follow until the exhibit closes on January 7, 2024.

Wake up with the sun for a morning yoga class with Chelsea Piers Fitness has you covered.

Head to the Maker's Room at Chelsea Market for a free 7am all-levels vinyasa flow class every Thursday morning. Just be sure to bring your own yoga mat and towel and register in advance. It'll be a good way to embrace the vinyasa flow all throughout your day. Programming runs through the end of the year.

The days of outdoor tennis in New York City are fleeting, but before it gets too cold to play in the parks, a new indoor tennis facility is opening in Brooklyn. 

Court 16's 26,000-square-foot venue on the fourth floor of City Point will offer seven courts for tennis or pickleball, usable by players at any level and age. To talk serves, swings and after-game plans, a contemporary lounge featuring Ligne Roset designs and the most comprehensive Babolat product line of racquets in New York City will also be on site.

At this new experience in Lower Manhattan, shattering plates, throwing glasses at the wall and smashing laptops isn't just OK—it's encouraged. 

Live Axe's Rage Room, allows visitors to take a crowbar to a printer,  pulverize glassware, shout, stomp and truly let it all out.

The Rage Room is located beneath Live Axe, a popular axe-throwing spot that’s been open since 2020. Before you get to go wild, you’ll meet your “rage captain” who will interview you about what makes you tick, from relationship issues to work problems to political drama. Then, you’ll suit up into head-to-toe gear, including a helmet, eye protection and gloves to make sure you’re safe. (Be sure to wear close-toed shoes and long pants for the experience.)

Here's our first look at the experience.

Southern wives' tales, folklore and fables—these are the works that inspired BK Adams' upcoming exhibition at the Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem. 

"Five Miles" is a collection of 10 large-scale multimedia pieces that explore complex biographical and allegorical stories. Recurring characters, such as a lion and a blue horse, appear throughout Adams' artwork alongside pieces of nature to depict scenes of encouragement and inspiration.

The exhibition will be on display from September 8 to November 4. More details are available here. 

The phrase “women’s work” is often used derisively to indicate labor that’s seen as “less than,” but a new exhibit at New-York Historical Society reclaims that phrase. Aptly titled "Women's Work," the show chronicles the history of women's contributions to labor and how those efforts are both inherently political and essential to American society. 

The exhibit features dozens of objects in the museum's collection from indenture documents to medical kits to military uniforms. With items ranging from the 1740s to today, the show celebrates the strides society has made in equality while not shying away from highlighting the gender-based inequalities that persist today.

It's on view thorugh August 18, 2024. 

From The Marcy Houses to the biggest stages in the world, Jay-Z has always represented Brooklyn. Now Brooklyn is radiating that love back to him with a major, free exhibition called The Book of HOV on view at Brooklyn Public Library.

The exhibit chronicles the journey and impact of Shawn Carter through thousands of archived objects, including original recording masters, never-before-seen photos, iconic stage wear, prestigious awards and videos. Roc Nation created the exhibit as a surprise to the renowned hip-hop star as the city celebrates 50 years of the genre that started right here in New York City. See it at Brooklyn's Central Library along Grand Army Plaza during regular library hours through this fall (an exact closure date hasn't been set).

The Times Square Alliance is back with its summer program, TSQ Live, New York City’s biggest free performance series and its largest open-air public programming funding the arts.

All events are free, for all ages and open to the public. Here's the September schedule:

• Tuesday, September 12, 5pm: DJ Sets with Soul Summit (Broadway & 43rd St)

• Wednesday, September 13, 5pm: Live Music with Pioneer Works | Avola (Broadway & 43rd St)
• 
Friday, September 15, 5pm: Live Music on Summer Fridays | Punk Festival with NEW INC (Broadway & 46th St)
• Tuesday, September 19, 5pm: DJ Sets (Broadway & 43rd St)
• 
Wednesday, September 20, 5pm: Live Music (Broadway & 43rd St)

• Thursday, September 21, 5pm: Art with Children’s Museum of the Arts | Urgent Futures with Miguel Braceli (Broadway & 46th St)

• Friday, September 22, 6pm: Live Music on Summer Fridays (Broadway & 46th St)
• Wednesday, September 27, 5pm: Live Music (Broadway & 43rd St)

• Friday, September 29, 6pm: Live Music on Summer Fridays (Broadway & 46th St)

America’s first Black popular music icon is getting his due with a massive new center that houses a 60,000-piece collection and a venue for live music, lectures and screenings.

NYC’s Louis Armstrong House Museum has now opened its new facility, the Louis Armstrong Center—and it’s a big deal!

The space acts as a permanent home for the 60,000-piece Louis Armstrong Archive (the world’s largest for a jazz musician containing photos, recordings, manuscripts, letters & mementos) and a 75-seat venue for performances, lectures, films, and educational experiences, according to a release.

The Center and the historic house are now open to the public Thursdays through Saturdays. Tickets can be purchased at louisarmstronghouse.org. Tours have limited capacity, so book in advance.

Back for its second year, Backyard at Hudson Yards will offer outdoor entertainment including a free, eight-week Summer Concert Series programmed by The Bowery Presents.

After the concerts, Hudson Yards’ bars and restaurants will offer specials to keep the party going. Additional daily programming includes DJ performances by bicoastal musical sensation Dart Collective, children’s music classes by Mozart for Munchkins, live sports on a 30-foot Big Screen, Tuesday and Thursday morning fitness classes curated by Rhone and a rotating selection of food trucks (think burgers, birria, Filipino fare and more).

Remember when NASA published those first images from the Webb telescope and blew everyone's minds? 

Well, now you can admire never-before-seen visuals captured by the James Webb Space Telescope in this new immersive art experience at ARTECHOUSE in Chelsea. “Beyond the Light” runs all summer with adult general admission starting at $25. 

Described as "an artistic exploration of our unseen universe," Beyond the Light centers on a 25-minute cinematic audio-visual interpretation of how humans have experienced light over time. The show's presented in the highest-resolution projection technology available, making it a true feast for the senses. You'll get to see newly analyzed galactical data captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.  

It's said the best things in life are free, and you can get in on lots of free fun in the Garment District this summer. The neighborhood's Summer on Broadway programming promises free weekly community events with art, music and even fresh lemonade. 

Find these activities in the heart of Midtown on Broadway between 39th and 40th Street all summer long. Here's the schedule:

• Broadway Rhythm
  Wednesdays through September 27, 12-2pm 
  Hear live music from MTA Music Under New York in a variety of genres, ranging from bluegrass to jazz, classic rock, pop and more.

"Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery" is now open at The Met. This presentation of Pueblo Indian pottery is the first community-curated Native American exhibition in the history of The Met. The exhibition showcases more than 100 historical and modern clay works dating from the 11th century to the present day. 

"It offers a critical understanding of Pueblo pottery," Met Director Max Hollein said.  

Muggles, take note: You won’t need to travel through Platform 9¾ to get to Hogwarts. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is right here in New York City for a limited time.

The touring show, “Harry Potter: The Exhibition,” is now open in Herald Square, and it’s going transport you. Through the use of dramatic lighting, set design, interactive technology and even scent, the exhibit will make you feel like you are actually there—in Hagrid’s hut, in potions class, dining in the Great Hall, learning how to fight the dark arts, fighting the Battle of Hogwarts and more.

Tickets are on sale now through January 8, 2024 and start at $29 for adults. 

Sushidelic, a psychedelic Kawaii-themed sushi restaurant complete with a sushi counter conveyor belt and plenty of kitschy, neon decor is now open at 177 Lafayette Street.

Sushidelic’s menu features sushi dishes that come to you on a conveyor belt, plus more Japanese favorites and vegetarian dishes—all created in collaboration with several Japanese and New York-based chefs, including Hiroki Abe from nearby EN Japanese Brasserie.

The public park, which can be found floating at Pier 55 off the west side's Hudson River Park, will host DJ sets, drag bingo, dance parties, spoken word and live jazz, all held at the park's scenic stage.

Some of the talents joining Little Island's summer event calendar are Saturday Night Live cast member James Austin Johnson, Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, Grammy winners Joshua Henry and J Hoard, Emmy nominee and Joe's Pub favorite Shaina Taub, and many more.

No tickets or timed entry reservations are required to attend any of the events this summer. See the full lineup at Little Island's website. 

Stretch it out this summer with free fitness classes by Sputnik Yoga, held at The Oculus Plaza near the World Trade Center. On select Wednesdays from May through October, try out yoga, dance and interval training classes from 5:30-6:30pm. 

Be sure to check the exact dates here and register in advance. Don't forget your yoga mat! 

A major new exhibit by the Museum of the City of New York titled "This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture" explores NYC through the lenses of visual art, television, film, music, theater, literature and fashion. The exhibition, which celebrates the museum's centennial, is now open in Manhattan. Here's a sneak peek at what you'll see in this landmark show. 

The exhibition highlights more than 400 objects through several sections. The first, called “Tempo of the City,” spotlights the joys and struggles on the streets and subways of NYC. The next, called “Destination NYC,” focuses on iconic and hidden places from parks to rooftops to nightclubs. Next, the exhibit moves to a peaceful room called “At Home in New York” featuring depictions of home life in books and films. Finally, take a seat for “You Are Here,” a compilation of more than 400 film scenes about New York City stitched together to create a stirring narrative that’ll make you smile and laugh. 

"This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture" runs through June 21, 2024 at the Museum of the City of New York in East Harlem. Admission is $20/adult (you can opt for pay-what-you-wish admission if you buy tickets in person at the museum).

For more than 50 years, El Museo del Barrio has been curating a complex and culturally diverse collection. Now, for the first time in more than two decades, the museum will present its most ambitious presentation of that permanent collection with 500 artworks, including more than 100 new acquisitions. 

The exhibition called "Something Beautiful: Reframing La Colección" is now open and will remain on view through March 10, 2024 with different pieces rotating in and out. El Museo del Barrio, located in the city's East Harlem neighborhood known as "El Barrio," is the nation's leading Latinx and Latin American cultural institution. 

See it at at El Museo del Barrio in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood. Adult admission is $9.

New York's newest botanic garden is now open 1,131 feet in the air this season.

“Sky Bloom,” a new immersive floral experience taking over Edge's skydeck, runs through September 4. Located on the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards, Edge is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, known for its outdoor viewing area with a glass floor, angled glass walls and transparent staircase up to the 101st floor. 

The skyline views are impressive from this height, and Edge is getting more decorative with changing arrangements throughout the summer created by Ivie Joy Flowers. Visitors will step into a cloud of flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors including garden roses, ranunculus, poppies, and wisteria, all while taking in unparalleled views. 

Tickets to Edge start at $33 for adults with New York City residency and $35 for visitors. 

The Garment District Alliance's latest in its ongoing series of public art exhibits is showcasing "Kibbitz & Nosh: When We All Met at Dubrow’s Cafeteria." The collection is a tribute to New York's historic diners (and consistent pastime of gossiping and snacking), by lifelong Brooklynite and photographer Marcia Bricker Halperin.

Anyone can walk through this towering new sculpture in Brooklyn Bridge Park that shouts in all caps: “LAND.” But anyone cannot walk through certain lands, especially at border crossings. That juxtaposition comes into stark relief at this recently installed 30-foot sculpture that simultaneously evokes Pop Art and questions the legacy of colonization. 

Nicholas Galanin's "In every language there is Land / En cada lengua hay una Tierra" is now on view at the Empire Fulton Ferry Lawn in Brooklyn Bridge Park through fall 2023.

A vibrant new sculpture called “Old Tree” is now on view at the High Line. 

Find it over the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street, claiming residency through Fall 2024. Created by Zurich-based artist Pamela Rosenkranz, the vivid sculpture is the third High Line Plinth commission, which changes every 18 months.

The pink and red “Old Tree” sculpture stretches 25 feet into the sky. It's shaped like a realistic tree but constructed completely from man-made materials. 

The hot pink, beachy California Malibu Barbie Cafe will serve up all-day brunch dishes including Pacific Paradise Pancakes, West Coast Wave Wedge Salad, a California Dreamin’ Club Sandwich and an Anything is Possible Sundae—a menu created by Master Chef semi-finalist Becky Brown.

Inside the 1970s Malibu time capsule, you’ll be able to step into and take photos in a life-size Barbie box and enjoy the vibrant, vibe-y photogenic playground.

All ages are welcome to experience The Malibu Barbie Café, which is available for booking through October 15. 

Looking for an elevated movie-going experience? This summer, you can watch classic movies like Casablanca, Clueless and Goodfellas on a Manhattan rooftop while sipping wine and snacking on vegan popcorn. 

Rooftop Cinema Club in midtown is back with an impressive slate of movies all summer and fall.

No matter which movie you pick, the city's skyline serves as a stunning backdrop, as the cinema's located on the Skylawn rooftop of the Embassy Suites Hotel on West 37th Street. But don't worry about background noise because each guest gets their own wireless headphones.

Union Square is about to get even more fun this summer.

Popular Lower Manhattan brewery Torch & Crown will bring its beloved brews to Union Square this summer with a seasonal location running through November.

Torch & Crown will set up shop in the historic Union Square Pavilion with a variety of hand-crafted drafts. A few stand-outs on the menu will include Almost Famous, a smooth, bright, aromatic hazy IPA packed with peach and grapefruit notes, and Share House, an easy-drinking crisp ale made for summertime.

On a typical visit to the Museum of Modern Art, crowds surround the most precious paintings, and it can be tough to squeeze your way in for a photo, let alone to admire the artwork’s brushstrokes. But now, thanks to these new exclusive tours by GetYourGuide, you can get in before the museum opens for a guided tour of amazing artwork. 

The new MoMA Before Hours Tour with Art Expert is now available. Tickets are on sale here for $99/person. Few New York City experiences compare to the absolute thrill of gazing at famed works of art uninterrupted for as long as you like.  

Artist Lauren Halsey transformed images of lowriders, men in durags, DJs and spaceships into modern-day hieroglyphs to create a massive new rooftop installation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Drawing on inspiration from Egyptian architecture and her Los Angeles neighborhood, Halsey reimagined an ancient language with a fresh, 21st-century take. 

Titled "the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I)," The Roof Garden Commission: Lauren Halsey is on view through October 22 on The Met's rooftop. The Cantor Roof Garden Bar is also open, so you can enjoy a cocktail while looking at the art.

The Bard is getting the spotlight in the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures right now. All six of the library's copies of William Shakespeare’s First Folio (Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies) are on display in honor of the 400th anniversary of its publication this year. 

You can see the works now through October 1 as part of the library’s fascinating Treasures exhibition, which is packed with literary and cultural gems. 

The First Folio is regarded by many as the most important book in the history of English literature. 

Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace is back at Rockefeller Center through October. 

The rink offers smooth ride with plenty of space to get around other skaters. Being able to glide by Prometheus and in front of spectators visiting Rockefeller Center is quite a thrill. Before Flipper’s first opened last year, the last time anyone roller-skated here was in 1940!

Tickets start at just over $20 for a one-hour rink time.

Many museums start with some kind of orientation, like a map or remarks from a docent. But not The House of Cannabis (a.k.a. THC NYC), the new weed museum now open in Soho. Instead, this museum starts, quite fittingly, with a trippy “Disorientation Room.”

While the museum boasts plenty of mind-bending multi-sensory bells and whistles, it also showcases art, highlights science and confronts the social justice issues baked into cannabis prosecution. The museum, the first of its kind at this scale, packs every inch of its four-story, 25,000-square-foot space at 427 Broadway with fascinating facts and delightful immersive experiences fit to entertain both tokers and non-smokers alike. Tickets ($45/adult) are on sale now.

The pickleball craze is continuing as CityPickle is now open at Central Park's Wollman Rink. It's the largest pickleball installation in the Northeast.

Courts are open through October 9 and all skill levels are welcome to experience the fun.

The Standard, High Line's Roller Rink is back with a retro 1960s motif. 

It will feature a nice seating area, where you will be able to bask in the sun. Also on the docket: weekly programs and events catered to kids and adults alike, including silent skate nights, disco parties, burlesque and drag shows, plus age-specific skating hours. 

But the piece de resistance will undoubtedly be the wearable drink pouches that skaters will be allowed to don around their necks in order to sip on some top-notch cocktails hands-free while cruising around the rink. Now that sounds like a good time! 

Find your latest read at The Free Black Women’s Library, a new free library in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood, which also serves as a social art project, a reading room, a co-working space and a community gathering center. The library "celebrates the brilliance, diversity and imagination of Black women and Black non-binary authors." All 5,000 books in the library's collection are written by Black women and non-binary authors.

Here's how it works: Anybody can visit the space to read, work or hang out. If you want to take a book home, simply bring a book written by a Black woman or Black non-binary author, and you can trade. Whether you decide to bring the book back after you're done reading or keep it for your collection is up to you.

The library is currently open four days per week (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) at 226 Marcus Garvey Boulevard. In addition to offering a space to read or work, the library has also hosts a book club, art shows and workshops on topics like writing, drawing, poetry, painting and sewing. All are welcome. 

Smorgasburg is the food bazaar spectacular that unofficially announces summer in New York City every year. Founded by Brooklyn Flea’s Eric Demby and Jonathan Butler, the culinary extravaganza typically spotlights about 100 vendors across its locations. Smorg has three spots in 2023, two in Brooklyn (in Williamsburg and Prospect Park) and one at the World Trade Center. 

The World Trade Center outpost runs on Fridays; Williamsburg on Saturdays; and Prospect Park on Sundays.

New York City is full of free outdoor art that you don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals and photographs can be found in its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings! 

An outdoor artwalk makes for a perfect spring activity, and there's no shortage of art to check out right now. Best of all, it costs you nothing to pay a visit.

The name really says it all: Make bonsai in a bar! These teeny tiny trees are the definition of "happy little trees." 

The pros from Bonsai Bar will teach you the fundamental skills and techniques behind the art of bonsai while you sip your drink and have some fun with your friends. The teachers will also help you as you pot, prune and design your very own bonsai tree. 

Bonsai Bar events pop up all over the city at locations like Brooklyn Brewery, the Bronx Brewery and SingleCut Beersmiths Queens Taproom.

A new exhibit at The Rubin Museum of Art opening this spring will explore the concept of death and the afterlife through the art of Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity. See 58 object spanning 12 centuries in this new show. 

"Death Is Not the End" features prints, oil paintings, bone ornaments, thangka paintings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, and ritual objects, inviting "contemplation on the universal human condition of impermanence and the desire to continue to exist," as the museum described.

The exhibition focuses on three major themes: The Human Condition, or the shared understanding of our mortality in this world; States In-Between, or the concepts of limbo, purgatory, and bardo; and (After)life, focusing on resurrection, ideas of transformation, and heaven.

"Death Is Not the End" is on view through January 14, 2024.

The steady stream of Stephen Sondheim revivals continues as the estimable Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford headline the latest Broadway incarnation of Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s 1979 killer-cannibal musical. Directed by Hamilton's Thomas Kail, the production uses Jonathan Tunick's original 26-piece orchestrations to do justice to the show's razor-sharp score; the large cast includes Ruthie Ann Miles, Jordan Fisher, Maria Bilbao, Jamie Jackson and Stranger Things kiddo Gaten Matarazzo. 

The Met's kicking off 2023 with an exhibit of life-size photomurals by Richard Avedon. Celebrating the centennial of the artist's birth in 1923, the show presents a selection of the photographer's innovative group portraits. The exhibit focuses on Avedon's creativity between 1969 and 1971 when he experimented with sense of scale to create monumental photomurals. Some of his work even chronicled the era's most well-known figures, including Andy Warhol.

The show runs through November 1, 2023. 

With indoor and outdoor options, Carreau Club, the nation’s first pétanque bar, offers a fun spot to get your game on while sipping a drink.

For the uninitiated, pétanque (pronounced puh-TONK) is a bocce-ball style French boules sport gaining popularity in the U.S., starting here in NYC.

Carreau Club operates primarily as a walk-in pétanque club and reservations are not required. But you can book a court in advance for a single party or multiple courts for larger groups. Reservations cost $50/court/hour.

AirOtic Soiree is bringing the heat to Hell's Kitchen with a 21+ cabaret-style performane showcasing incredible aerial acrobatics in a titillating, sensual style. The show takes audiences through an intense story of love, passion, sexuality and eroticism through an immersive circus and cabaret experience including extravagant costumes, seductive choreography and circus artistry. 

During the show, dine on dinner and decadent dessert towers curated by celebrity chef Saul Montiel. Before and after the performance, cocktails will be available for purchase.

See it at HK Hall, a historic venue with striking decor in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, with performances through 2023. 

The New York Public Library dug through its expansive and centuries-spanning archive to stage an impressive free exhibition filled with cultural artifacts. "The Polonsky Exhibition of New York Public Library’s Treasures" spans 4,000 years of history and includes a wide range of history-making pieces, including the only surviving letter from Christoper Columbus announcing his “discovery” of the Americas to King Ferdinand’s court and the first Gutenberg Bible brought over to the Americas.

New treasures were just added to the exhibit this fall, including a signed, first edition copy of "Passing" by Nella Larsen, a selection of manuscript pages from "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot, and a miniature early 19th-century Qur’an, produced in Turkey.

The immersive experience trend continues strong with Wonderland Dreams, a newly announced interactive wine bar loosely inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The cultural offering is scheduled to debut in midtown Manhattan at 529 Fifth Avenue by 44th Street.

The venue, which boasts 20 different rooms filled with eye-catching sights, sounds pretty remarkable. The 26,000-square-foot space has been hand-painted, there's a living art gallery that quite literally puts visitors inside a picture frame, a secret rose garden and giant playing cards.

Tickets for Wonderland Dreams are available for purchase now right here.

Have some fun this week and go check out Gamehaus, a giant new arcade and beer hall just opened in Long Island City. This 5,000-square-foot multifunctional space features a dozen large-screen TVs, classic video games and loads of beers.

Classice arcade games include Atari Pong, Ms. Pacman, Jurassic Park, Pop-a-Shot and Skee Ball.

Swingers NoMad, a "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London, offers three nine-hole golf courses across 23,000 square feet under 20-foot-high ceilings.

"Crazy golf" is a British spin on mini-golf, but it's for a 21-and-over audience since craft cocktails are served by caddies on the course. Take your pick from six cocktail bars with signature classic cocktails, as well as 12 cocktails created specifically for Swingers NoMad. Plus, you can rent private rooms, check out an opulent clubhouse and enjoy four gourmet street food vendors—Sauce Pizzeria, Miznon, Fonda and Mah Ze Dahr Bakery.

For the holiday season, Swingers is offering a fun twist on the festivities: Spin a Naughty-or-Nice Prize Wheel to decide whether you're ordering the "Naughty" Sex on the Green shot or the "Nice" Festive Dessert. In addition to the game, there's also seasonal decor and even more holiday drinks.

Join Josh Johnson (Comedy Central's The Daily Show), Lucas Connolly (Comedy Central), and Brittany Cardwell (Drule, New York Comedy Fest) for stacked lineups of top comics from NYC and beyond every Wednesday at 7:30pm. 

Plus you can enjoy free beer from 7:30 to 8pm and there's a pizza raffle if you RSVP. What's not to love? Show up to Two Boots Williamsburg for the show.

Artshack Cafe offers everything on its menu on ceramic pieces made in-house. What’s more, according to an official statement by the cafe, patrons are asked to “help reduce waste by bringing their own cups.” Looking for a coffee to-go? Expect it served in a ceramic to-go cup. The cafe is part of Artshack Brooklyn, a community-based ceramics studio that offers both free and subsidized programming for adults and children alike. In addition to not using single-use products, standout features of the Bed-Stuy cafe at 1129 Bedford Avenue by Monroe Street include an anti-racism library and a number of chairs shaped like bunnies that will make anyone’s selected orders from chef Silvia Barban’s menu taste that much better.

Descend into The Django (l2 6th Avenue, The Roxy Hotel, Cellar Level) and you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world. The subterranean jazz club, with its vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, was modeled after the boîtes of Paris. The venue consists of two cocktail bars, an open dining space, and a stage for live performances with a state-of-the-art sound system. The Django offers a full dinner menu and handcrafted cocktails, all partnered with a brilliant entertainment lineup. Check out the schedule here.

Superstorm Sandy devastated New York City, destroying homes and businesses, but it also flooded the New York Aquarium so badly that parts of it have been closed to the public for the past decade. Now, after completely rebuilding these galleries with help from FEMA, New York State and New York City, NY Aquarium is open in full—you can see all of it—"Spineless," the PlayQuarium, "Ocean Wonders: Sharks!" Glover’s Reef, the Conservation Hall, the Sea Cliffs, the Aquatheater, the Seaside Café and more.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Date Nights" give visitors an opportunity to become acquainted with artwork with informal drop-in gallery chats, listen in on gorgeous live music and sip on yummy cocktails.

"Date Nights" are held every Friday and Saturday night in the American Wing Café from 5pm to 9pm. Make it a night out with The Met's buy-one-get-one drink special and snack on light bites in the American Wing Café. More details can be found at metmuseum.org/datenight. 

There's literally no excuse not to go—the date nights come with museum admission, which is always pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents and NY, NJ, and CT students with valid ID. And this time, advance tickets are not required. 

The luxurious Italian wellness spa QC NY has opened to the public, bringing the elegance and rejuvenation of a European spa to Governors Island, but with New York City flavor. It's immediately clear when you enter the spa that it was made to feel like home. From its cozy reception area decorated with custom-made furniture from Italy to its welcoming relaxation spaces with plush leather chairs and massive pillows you can sprawl out on, it feels like you're staying at a retreat with New York Harbor views. Since it's on the edge of the island, a short walk from Soissons Landing, looking out the windows offers gorgeous blue water views and glimpses of the city skyline. Because of its layout, the spa feels secluded from the rest of the island. Click through to read more about the new spa.

Immersive art exhibit Arcadia Earth aims to inspire visitors artistically and ethically, as it uses 15 rooms to spotlight the environmental challenges that our planet is facing (such as overfishing, food waste, and climate change).

This exhibit will not only leave visitors in awe, but it will help support Oceanic Global, an organization devoted to raising awareness around our aquatic ecosystems. In addition, a tree will also be planted for every ticket sold, making it a perfect gift for your eco-conscious friends!

A new audio tour by the Brooklyn Public Library seeks to explore the lives of the characters and authors that call the borough home in fiction and in real life. From Patti Smith to Biggie Smalls, Howard Zinn to Tanwi Nandini Islam, the guide covers a total of 16 writers over eight miles of Brooklyn. You can also expect to stop at important public libraries the likes of Washington Irving and Clinton Hill, which, according to an official press release, "played an important role in the lives of the featured author[s]." Expect the entire tour, which can virtually start off from anywhere in Brooklyn, to take at least two hours to complete, depending on how many stops you wish to make along the way.